Downfall; Crash; King Kong; Good Night, And Good Luck.; Match
Point; Syriana; Best of Youth; Sin City; The Squid and the Whale;
Walk the Line
Director: Paul Haggis ("Crash"); Actor: Heath Ledger ("Brokeback
Mountain"); Actress: Judi Dench ("Mrs. Henderson Presents");
Supporting Actor: Jeffrey Wright ("Syriana"); Supporting Actress:
Michelle Williams ("Brokeback Mountain"); Foreign Film: "Paradise
Now"; Original Screenplay: Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco ("Crash");
Adapted Screenplay: Stephen Gaghan ("Syriana"); Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki ("The New World"); Original Score: Alexandre Desplat
("Syriana"); Film Editing: Robert Rodriguez ("Sin City").
Dave F's 2006 Reviews
Click on the name of a film to be
taken to Dave's review of that film
"The
Bridesmaid": Film director, Claude Chabrol is considered by
many as the "French Hitchcock." His career has spanned nearly fifty
years and awarded him countless distinctions, but his films have
never gained him recognition in the United States. "The Bridesmaid"
is his latest release here in the States (it was made in 2004, but is
just gaining release in the U.S., albeit a few screens at a time.).
If its accessibility is an indication, success will have to wait a
while longer. "The Bridesmaid" is the story of Philippe (Benoit
Magimel), a successful, but distant young man. He's a little too
wrapped up in his own world to notice his troubled sister (Anna
Mihalcaea) and generally messed-up family, let alone the true colors
of his oldest sister's bridesmaid (Laura Smet), who develops a very,
very unhealthy attachment to the emotionally-vulnerable Philippe. Mix
in some unspoken familial undertones and an obsession with a statue
(this one's a bit hard to describe) and you have one strange film.
Chabrol asks us to get caught up in his film, but how can one when
one is trying to run as far away from it as possible? "The
Bridesmaid" is a very uncomfortable borefest. * 1/2 (out of) **** (In
French with English subtitles).
"Off the
Black": Nick Nolte is Ray Cook, a lonely part-time high school
umpire who creates a second chance at life when he concocts a scheme
to convince his 40th reunion class that he's successful and a good
father. The problem is: Cook is just an ordinary working stiff, has
serious issues with alcohol and is single and childless. He solves
the latter problem when he recruits a disgruntled high school
pitcher, whom Cook wronged when he called a 3-2, bases-loaded pitch
just "off the black." Meanwhile, the pitcher, Dave Tibbel (Trevor
Morgan) and a couple of his teammates are just humiliated enough (the
resulting walk cost them the game; never mind personal
responsibility) to vandalize Cook's modest home. As part of his
retribution, Cook asks Tibbel to pose as his son at the reunion.
Feeling sorry for Cook and seeing some parallels with his own life
(his father, played by Timothy Hutton, is barely there for him), the
young boy agrees. The plot may sound a little creepy, but first-time
filmmaker, James Ponsoldt adds just enough charm and empathy to save
his small film. Nick Nolte doesn't cover any new personal ground with
his performance, but he is quite good at what he does best, while
Trevor Morgan (a former child star with a couple dozen credits to his
name) is solid as the disaffected pitcher. "Off the Black" can lean a
little towards the bleak and depressing, but it's a decent
recommendation. *** (out of) ****
"Cocaine
Cowboys": If you have an interesting subject, documentaries
aren't that easy to screw up. Filmmaker, Billy Corben ("Raw Deal: A
Question of Consent") takes on the South Florida cocaine trade that
started in the late-70s and flourished into the 80s. He interviews
several of the main players, including one faction's primary
enforcer, who provides gory details of his crimes. He also talks to a
crime reporter; a pilot who flew countless, usually unchecked trips
from Miami to Medellin and back, and to a nice-guy club-owner type
who had an elaborate operation to supply cocaine to not only the
Southeast region of the United States, but also the West Coast.
Corben stuffed the snot out of this long, 116 minute documentary,
leaving the viewer exhausted but surprisingly uninformed. Corben had
a three-hour film, easily, if he bothered to give us enough time to
absorb his material. Instead, just as we're going "wow, that's pretty
interesting," he's slamming us with another quick-cut factoid. And on
the other side of the coin, he dwells too much in some areas and not
enough on others. Having said all that, if you're at all fascinated
by this topic, this is a very interesting documentary. For those of
you out there, I am recommending this film. For the rest, wait for
the inevitable late-night appearance on HBO. ** 1/2(out of) ****
"10 Items or
Less": is a strange little film starring Morgan Freeman as a
past-his-prime actor struggling to find regular work. We're not quite
sure who he's playing, except everyone recognizes him as that "actor
who worked with Ashley Judd in that film." Well, that actor's latest
film offer leads him to a small Los Angeles grocery store, where
Freeman seeks research material for a "possible role" (he hasn't
decided) as a supermarket manager. Naturally, the store is filled
with quirky characters, including Scarlett (Paz Vega), a lively
checkout clerk, who ends up chauffeuring the driverless Freeman
around L.A. Naturally, funny situations and life-lessons occur. "10
Items or Less" is a likeable film, but it suffers from trying too
hard with too little. The film looks like it was made for a few
hundred bucks. Freeman and Vega form a nice pair, but it's 82 minutes
that should be spent elsewhere. ** (out of) ****
"Casino
Royale": Count me among the James Bond fans who expressed
disappointment upon learning that blond actor Daniel Craig would be
the new Bond. He's blond. That won't work! I'm guessing I'm one of
many detractors who now admit that Craig was wonderful choice and
that he's the best Agent 007 since Sean Connery. "Casino Royale" was
Ian Fleming's first book in the James Bond series and is technically
a remake of the 1967 Peter Sellers spoof (though true fans don't
count it). Appropriately, the film begins in black-and-white, showing
the "origin" of how Bond became a "00," which is extra nice, because
we, as the audience are not only starting fresh with a new actor in
the Bond role, but the character of James Bond, Agent 007 is new as
well. And of course, as with every Bond film, we're treated to an
over-the-top introductory chase scene, which, here, serves to show
the viewer that Daniel Craig indeed has the chops to be Bond. The
central plot of "Casino Royale" has Bond shadowing a known terrorist
(played by Simon Abkarian), whose trail leads him to Montenegro and
Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a major financier for a terrorist
organization. Le Chiffre's propensity for gambling is threatening the
strength of the terrorists. British Intelligence (M16) bankrolls Bond
into a high-stakes poker game, knowing that a Le Chiffre loss at the
tables will cripple his terrorism group. The plot seems a little
droll, but there's enough action (and sex-appeal, courtesy of Eva
Green as Bonds' love-interest) to keep our attention. Craig is
excellent (in a bad-ass way) as Bond, while Mikkelsen makes a
formidable Bond villain. Martin Campbell, directing his second Bond
feature (the first was "Goldeneye") cuts out most of the unnecessary
light humor of the recent entries and added back the cool factor,
breathing a freshness not seen since the days of Sean Connery.
"Casino Royale" isn't the best Bond film, but it gives us a promise
that good days are still ahead. *** (out of) ****
"Babel": Two
little boys, while testing their father's new rifle, accidentally
shoot a woman in a tourist bus in Morocco. The woman and her husband
(played by Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt) are on a vacation as an
escape from the trauma of a recent miscarriage. Back home in San
Diego, California, their children are under the watchful eye of their
nanny, Amelia (Adriana Barraza), who, along with the nanny's nephew,
Santiago (Gael Garcia Bernal), and against the wishes of their
employer, make an ill-advised trip (the first of a few bad decisions)
to Mexico to attend Amelia's son's wedding. Meanwhile, in Toyko,
Chieko, a young deaf-mute teenage girl (played by Rinko Kikuchi) is
also trying to cope with the unexpected loss of a loved-one: her
mother. Her father, whose hunting rifle inadvertently ended up in the
hands of the boys responsible for the tourist shooting, is cold and
distant and unable to give the fragile girl the love she so
desperately needs. As a result, the girl, like Amelia, makes some
poor choices. "Babel," like its title suggests, is a film about the
effects of language barriers; specifically, the chain reaction when
communication breaks down. The film comes to us through the genius of
Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu ("Amores Perros" and "21 Grams")
and his writing partner, Guillermo Arriaga (who also wrote "The Three
Burials of Melquiades Estrada"). In my humble opinion, Arriaga is the
finest writer working in film, while Inarritu is one of the brightest
directors. Together, they created a deeply moving, thoroughly
thought-provoking film. "Babel" is long and at times confusing but
thankfully the duo (whose working relationship, sadly, is reportedly
over) didn't duplicate the wild editing style of their previous
effort ("21 Grams"), resulting in a more coherent story. Although
most of the actors didn't appear together on screen at the same time,
it was a group effort, with the performances feeding off the tension
in the screenplay. Brad Pitt was extraordinarily mature, while Rinko
Kikuchi, as the deaf-mute child, was amazing. "Babel" certainly
wasn't one of the more uplifting films I've watched this year, but it
was one of the best. *** 1/2 (out of) **** (In a variety of
languages-including Japanese Sign-with English subtitles).
"Borat": Much has
been written about Sascha Baron Cohen's various "personalities." Some
of us remember his HBO show, "Da Ali G. Show," but these days, he's
better known as that Borat guy. To the uninitiated, Cohen, like the
late comedian Andy Kaufman, steps into his character and won't let
go. His schtick is simple and not original. He preys on the
socially-naïve and exposes their ignorance, or worse: their
bigotry. For some of us, it just isn't funny. We know there are
factions of our society who are less than politically-correct, or in
certain circles, will say the wrong thing. Mel Gibson's or "Seinfeld"
co-star Michael Richards' recent public implosions are good examples.
Should their embarrassments be exploited for a feature-length film?
Having said all that, I admit there were more than a few moments of
"Borat" (its full title isn't worth the space) that had me laughing,
but curiously, since I'd already watched (and didn't particularly
enjoy) his Ali G. persona and scenes of this film in various forums,
"Borat's" impact had diminished. And then hearing how he obtained
footage for his film also left a less-than-positive taste in my
mouth. In summary, if you know little about this Borat guy and have a
thing for this type of humor, you should find "Borat" very funny. For
the rest of us, his act is already too old. ** (out of) ****
"Come
Early Morning": In many ways the film "Come Early Morning" is
like "The Queen." In that film, the title character is out of touch
with the people in her outside world. She only knows one life; she's
never really spent time with others outside her societal circle. The
difference is, in Lucy's (Ashley Judd) world, its rural Arkansas, not
England. Her world, though set in modern times, seems pretty
primitive. She drives around in an old pickup truck with a jukebox
strapped in the back (no I-Pods in this film). She doesn't own a
cellphone; in fact, neither do any of her fellow characters. Her life
is pretty straightforward. She works in a construction office by day
and drinks at the local watering hole by night. Her binges usually
end in a motel room with a stranger (which goes a long way towards
explaining why her friends call her "Luce"). In short, she's going
nowhere. Lucy's life seems to take a turn when she meets an actual
nice guy; someone who isn't interested in sleeping with her and who
doesn't want to take advantage of her fragile state. But she pushes
him away. This is predictable, but it's handled well and the film's
ending does a good job of balancing the good and the bad. "Come Early
Morning" was written and directed by actress Joey Lauren Adams
("Chasing Amy") and is set in the town where Adams grew up, using
many of the same locations she frequented as a young girl, which
gives her film a nice authentic feel. It's also filled with solid
performances from veterans such as Diane Ladd, Scott Wilson, and Tim
Blake Nelson, along with TV veterans Laura Prepon and Jeffrey
Donovan, and of course, Ashley Judd, who is lovely as the sweet, but
confused Lucy. "Come Early Morning" is sleepy, likeable and
recommended. *** (out of) ****
"American
Hardcore": Among its many contributions (such as great films),
the decade of the 70s gave us some music that ultimately influenced a
lot of what we're listening to today and have been listening to
throughout the 80s and 90s. Bands like the Stooges, Ramones and Sex
Pistols formed the punk sound, from which sprang the faster, angrier
hardcore music. Beginning in the very early 80s, from L.A. to
Vancouver to Washington, D.C. to Boston, bands like Minor Threat, Bad
Brains (my personal favorite from this genre), Black Flag, D.O.A.,
Circle Jerks, Millions of Dead Cops, Gang Green, S.S. Decontroller
and many others dotted the vast landscape, creating an attitude and
an energy that opened the eyes of a lot of young people. Ronald
Reagan was disillusioning the youth of the day, who needed something
different in their lives. Most followed life's usual pattern; others
formed rickety bands that never made it out of the garage, while
still others made music that mattered. The movement (for lack of a
better word) only lasted until about the mid-80s, but its legacy has
resonated in many of today's bands. In fact, the Beastie Boys credit
their existence to their worship of Bad Brains, while Nirvana (and in
turn, the less-meaningful Foo Fighters) may not have happened without
Black Flag. Using concert footage (a lot of it previously unseen) and
interviews with many of the scene's architects, documentary filmmaker
Paul Rachman and writer Stephen Blush (author of the book upon which
this film is based) take their audience back to the musical
movement's early 80s origins. I loved the documentary's music and the
great anecdotes, but "American Hardcore" only seemed to cover a
portion of the period. It's probably safe to conclude that the
omission of certain bands was due to a lack of footage or access to
their leaders, but their important contributions could've been
acknowledged. This is unfortunate, and gives off a feeling of
incompleteness. Still, it's a good documentary on a subject that (for
me at least) is a heck of a lot more interesting than most of the
stuff that's out there. *** (out of) ****
"Only Human":
A Palestinian man meets his Jewish fiancé's family for
the first time. What could go wrong? A lot - especially if the family
is extremely dysfunctional (aren't they all?) and the film is meant
to be a screwball comedy. Did I mention that "Only Human" is set in a
predominantly Catholic neighborhood in Spain? The husband and wife
team of Dominic Harari and Teresa Pelegri wrote and directed this
farce, using a lot of physical humor and a keen insight into the
prejudices that exist in our society. It pokes fun at death,
religion, nymphomaniacs and the people who can't deal with
differences. It features a cast of unknown (well, to me)
international actors. The biggest name is probably Norma Toledo, who
was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar for the 1988 film,
"Gaby: A True Story." "Only Human" works as a classic farce, even if
it's sometimes a little too silly for its own good. I caught this
film in a theater (it had a blink-and-you'd miss it run this past
summer) but it's now available on DVD. I recommend it as a light
diversion on a quiet evening. *** (out of) **** (In Spanish, Hebrew,
Arabic with English subtitles)
"The Queen":
I just don't understand why some people get so caught up in
the lives of celebrities. Take Princess Diana, for example. Her
accidental death in 1997 (in a car accident, ironically blamed on the
media) left millions in mourning. She was just a princess by
marriage, not Mother Teresa or Gandhi. But tell that to the people of
England. Better yet, tell it to Queen Elizabeth II, who, like me,
didn't understand the fuss. "The Queen" deals with the hoopla
surrounding the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and why the
British Monarchy did little at first to answer the needy call of its
people, desperate for comfort in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Director Stephen Frears, after working with one legendary British
actress (Dame Judi Dench) in "Mrs. Henderson Presents," finds more
success with another: the magnificent Helen Mirren, his choice to
play the Queen. Frears, working from a brilliant script by Peter
Morgan ("The Last King of Scotland"), has a lot to work with in "The
Queen." His film examines the effect of an antiquated monarchy
system, the unnecessary intrusion by the paparazzi, a new Prime
Minister (Tony Blair, played well by Michael Sheen) and why the
people were so crazy about their rags-to-riches Princess. Frears and
Morgan are careful about taking sides, but their film is about the
Queen and does spend a lot of time giving her perspective on the
delicate situation. Her husband, Prince Philip (played with a
delicious stuffiness by James Cromwell) doesn't care to hob-knob with
the people, and the Queen never really cared for her son Charles'
(Alex Jennings) choice of a bride, but she does love her
grandchildren William and Harry (barely shown on-screen). We get a
nice peek at their lives and a little understanding into their
thinking, just as we begin to realize why Princess Diana was so
revered. "The Queen" succeeds because it catches us looking - and
caring - about what it has to say. And yes, Helen Mirren is amazing
as the Queen. *** 1/2 (out of) ****
"Little
Children": This somewhat ambiguously-titled film does feature
little children in the physical sense, but also adults who are a
little too attached to their sense of child. There's the immature
former high school jock-turned-failed lawyer, plus the ex-cop, who,
while trying to rescue the neighborhood from a registered
sex-offender, manages to alienate just about everyone around him,
including his family. And then there's the sex-offender who is trying
to assimilate back into a society that wants nothing to do with him.
"Little Children" centers on Sarah Pierce (Kate Winslet) and Brad
Adamson (Patrick Wilson). Sarah is a dissertation short of her
doctorate in English Literature, but finds herself stuck in a boring
marriage to a man (played by Gregg Edelman) who is too preoccupied
with Internet porn to pay attention to the needs of his wife and
toddler daughter. Brad is a wannabe lawyer who would rather watch the
local skateboarders in action than study for the bar exam he's twice
failed. He's a stay-at-home dad to little Aaron (Ty Simpkins) while
his wife, Kathy (Jennifer Connelly) manages a successful career
making TV documentaries. Less-than-satisfied with their marriages,
Sarah and Brad befriend each other at the local playground (the film
is set in Massachusetts) and after a period of time as friends, cave
into their obvious sexual tension, until their afternoons (during
their children's nap-time) is spent in each other's arms. "Little
Children" was directed by Todd Field from Tom Perotta's 2004 novel
(Field and Perotta also collaborated on the screenplay). Field
resisted the urge to mine too closely from his successful directorial
debut, "In the Bedroom," choosing instead to infuse his film with
several moments of timely humor and a live-action novel feel (also
featuring an occasional unwelcome narrator who isn't otherwise
connected to the story). Field absolutely nails the suburban soccer
mom scene; dotting "Little Children" with plenty of amusing
stereotypes, but just enough to make his points. He also finds time
to show the brutal side of life, with not only the sex-offender
character (played memorably by Jackie Earle Haley of "Bad News Bears"
fame), but with the ex-cop-turned-neighborhood advocate (Noah
Emmerich), who, unwittingly, becomes uglier than the person he
loathes. "Little Children" also features an excellent performance
from stage-actress Phyllis Somerville, who plays the sex-offender's
mother -- the only person in the world who loves him. She is electric
and should receive award consideration for her supporting role. The
whole cast is solid. Kate Winslet is outstanding as the frustrated
wife, while her love-interest is solidly played by the relative
unknown (to me) Patrick Wilson. Unfortunately, the fine actress
Jennifer Connelly is almost invisible in an underwritten role. In
fact, if I had to nitpick about this otherwise brilliant story, it's
that it spends a little too much time on the Sarah and Brad
characters and not enough time with some of the secondary players.
Field, in an obvious ode to his "master," Stanley Kubrick, fills his
film with not-so-subtle metaphors and continuous parallels between
different sets of two characters. It makes for an intelligent
experience at the movies, one that, if you're not at all put-off by
certain themes, is well-worth pursuing. *** 1/2 (out of) ****
"The
Prestige": A magic act has three parts: The Pledge, The Turn
and The Prestige. The latter is the payoff and for this film, if
you're the caring type, it could be rewarding. Rupert Angier (Hugh
Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) are apprentice magicians
cutting their teeth as "audience stooges" for a veteran stage
magician. During one particular performance, Rupert's wife (played by
Piper Perabo) "accidentally" drowns when Alfred ties a knot she
cannot undo in time to emerge from a water tank. The two men move on
with their lives, with Alfred marrying a nice woman (Rebecca Hall)
and Rupert taking a lover (Scarlett Johansson), but Rupert cannot
forgive Alfred, and the two, now successful magicians, spend an
unhealthy amount of time worrying about how the other is able to pull
off their tricks. Rupert's obsession leads him to Colorado where
Nikola Tesla (David Bowie), himself very familiar with professional
rivalries (he has one with Thomas Edison) agrees to build a box that
will outdo Alfred's "Transporting Man" trick. "The Prestige" was
directed and co-written by Christopher Nolan ("Memento") along with
his brother and writing partner, Jonathan. They stage their film much
like a magic show. We're the audience and we're asked to be impressed
by what we see. And magic, isn't magic because there's always an
explanation; a catch, and I tend to spend too much time trying to
figure out how they do it (the Pledge and the Turn) to be impressed
with the payoff. I found "The Prestige" to be a well-made, but like
all films, it asked me to care and since I'm not a fan of magic and I
couldn't get behind any of the reprehensible characters, I just
couldn't care. This left me with an empty feeling toward the film. I
respect its intentions and production values. It was also
well-written and well-acted (especially by Christian Bale and Michael
Caine as Rupert's right-hand man) but otherwise, I cannot recommend
"The Prestige." ** (out of) ****
"Driving
Lessons": opens with seventeen year-old Ben Marshall (Rupert
Grint) receiving a driving lesson from his overbearing,
ultra-conservative mother (played by Laura Linney, complete with an
awkward British accent). Ben is a quiet boy with no girlfriend and no
idea what he wants to do with his life. Seeking a little relief from
his mother and his vicar father, Ben takes a job as an assistant for
eccentric stage actress Dame Evie Walton (Julie Walters). Evie is
quite the contrast to Ben's mother, but that's the idea.
Writer-director, Jeremy Brock, drawing from his own experiences as a
teenaged assistant to Dame Peggy Ashcroft, tries his best with
"Driving Lessons," but ultimately, his film feels patched together
from a series of ideas (including some from "Harold and Maude"). The
film was also heavily edited from its original expletive-filled
version that played the festival circuit earlier this year. It seems
that Grint's appeal (he plays the Ron Weasley character in the Harry
Potter films) convinced the producers to cut "Driving Lessons" to a
PG-13 rating. Apparently, they also cut the film's soul. Overall, the
film still has charm and it benefits from a terrific performance from
Julie Walters, but I can't recommend this as anything more than your
second or third choice on DVD. ** (out of) ****
"The Departed":
Wow. I'll start my review with a superlative. In fact, "Wow"
may not be strong enough. "The Departed" is Martin Scorsese's finest
film since "Goodfellas," which happens to be one of my all-time
favorites. Scorsese's latest is based on the little-seen 2004 Hong
Kong thriller "Infernal Affairs." And like that film, the central
plot of "The Departed" involves two cops, one a low-level, but
ambitious mobster (Matt Damon) infiltrating the Boston State Police
and the other (Leonardo DiCaprio), a "Statie" whose criminal family
history allows him to successfully go deep into a notorious South
Boston Irish gang led by Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Based on
unusual knowledge of the other's operation, both the state police,
led by police chief Joe Queenan (Martin Sheen), and Costello suspect
a rat is their midst and spend most of the movie trying to flush him
out. Cool plot and an even cooler movie. And best of all? It's all
done flawlessly. From the direction to the writing (William Monahan)
to the acting - it's all perfect. Yes, perfect. Pass out the Oscars
already. Damon and DiCaprio have never been finer. Mark Wahlberg? I
didn't know he had it in him. He almost steals this movie - if that's
possible considering its star-studded cast (including nice supporting
turns from Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Alec Baldwin and Anthony
Anderson) and of course, Jack. Yes, Jack Nicholson, who gives his
best performance since "The Witches of Eastwick" (and he's had a lot
of good ones since then). But despite its great cast, this is
Scorsese's film. He was already the master of the gangster genre and
with "The Departed," he re-confirms it. Yes, his film is bloody and
shocking, but it would be less than honest if it wasn't. But his film
is also rich with humor and rife with sharp dialogue. It even has a
little romance, some great suspense and an appropriate soundtrack.
Did I mention it also has a jaw-dropping-middle-finger-to-Hollywood
ending that should shock even the most seasoned movie fan? It's truly
a complete production. This is what "Gangs of New York" could've and
should've been! For filmgoers who like great films, this is bliss.
Martin Scorsese is back. Oh, is he ever! **** (out of) ****
"Gridiron
Gang": I am a self-admitted movie snob. There are actors I've
never watched and genres I rarely give the time of day. Yet, when it
comes to the ever-predictable sports movie, I am in line with money
in hand. Y'see, this is a film-type that is almost bulletproof (well,
unless it involves Burt Reynolds) and the latest, "Gridiron Gang,"
continues the tradition. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stars as Sean
Porter, a director at a California juvenile detention camp. Porter is
frustrated that his kids are landing right back in his facility - and
worse, in hardcore prisons - because the "system" seems to be
failing. The former college football stars sees their aggressive
energy and decides to channel in the form of a football team. He
convinces his superiors and a handful of local coaches to allow his
criminal charges to participate in a nearby high school conference.
You can figure out the rest. Yes, this film has plenty of
clichés, but benefits from likeable performances, especially
from Johnson, who, with the right roles in the right movies, could
have a good career as a serious actor. "The Gridiron Gang," by the
way, is based on an actual true story and comes complete with the
real-life footage and where-they-are-now updates during the end
credits. Recommended. *** (out of) ****
"The Black
Dahlia": The story of the Black Dahlia, if you're not
familiar, involves the gruesome (and still unsolved) 1947 murder of
aspiring actress Elizabeth Short. As a fan of true crime, I was
pretty anxious to see what director Brian De Palma would do with one
of Hollywood's most infamous stories. Alas, like the vast majority of
De Palma's projects since 1987's "The Untouchables" ("Carlito's Way"
being the exception), "The Black Dahlia" is a huge disappointment. In
reality, the story of the Black Dahlia is just a subplot for what is
really a mess of a film. Director Brian De Palma, he of a handful of
good films and a whole of lot of bad, missed yet again with this
effort. De Palma, along with writer Josh Friedman ("War of the
Worlds"), took James Ellroy's loose pulp novel and loosened it up a
lot more, sprinkling dysfunctional characters (portrayed by Aaron
Eckhart, Scarlett Johannson and Hilary Swank - all wasting their
time) and one very bad performance from the ultra-wooden Josh
Hartnett into what is supposed to pass for the Black Dahlia story.
Skip it in every conceivable format. * (out of) ****
"Half Nelson":
Drey (Shareeka Epps) is a quiet, but sweet young girl with a
troubled background. Her father is in prison and her mother struggles
to put food on the table. Her male role-model appears to be Frank,
the local drug dealer who apparently played a role in Drey's father's
incarceration. Drey could certainly use a better role-model in her
life. Drey's eighth-grade teacher, Mr. Dunne (Ryan Gosling), notices
her struggles. She notices Mr. Dunne, too, except it's while he's
smoking crack cocaine in a supposedly vacant school bathroom. She's
discreet about her discovery, but it wakes up Dunne just enough to
recognize that he's too much of a positive influence upon the young
girl to be setting such a bad example, but not enough of a wake-up
call to actually kick his "under control" habit. When Dunne is
straight, he's a brilliant teacher who captures the imagination of
his students at the at-risk Brooklyn, New York junior high school.
But when he's not right, he shuts himself in and away from the people
who could help him. Dunne is able to keep it together most of the
time, but it isn't long before he spirals out of control. "Half
Nelson" explores the characters of both Dunne and Drey as they cope
with their problems while trying not to lean too hard on the other.
The viewer can almost feel their pain and hear their cries. "Half
Nelson" is effective because of the convincing performances of its
leads. Shareeka Epps is a revelation as Drey, while Ryan Gosling is
tremendous as the affable, but disturbing teacher. I barely
recognized Gosling from his previous role in the underappreciated
"Stay." His chameleon looks and commanding style are reminiscent of
another great actor: Sean Penn. I feel Gosling's future is that
bright and I look forward to watching his career. "Half Nelson" was
directed and co-written by Ryan Fleck (along with his partner, Anna
Boden) and developed via the Sundance workshop from the short-film,
"Gowanus, Brooklyn" that the pair made in 2004. Their project isn't
warm and uplifting, but it has something to say and gives its viewer
something to think about it, which is more than can be said for most
films. Highly recommended. ***1/2 (out of) ****
"Hollywoodland":
is a movie about the life and death of actor George Reeves (Ben
Affleck), best known as Superman from the 50's TV show. Reeves died
mysteriously (it was ruled a suicide) in 1959 during a time when his
star had faded; when the egomaniacal Reeves' life was just a string
of personal appearances and the job of 'kept man' for the wife
(played by Diane Lane) of a powerful studio honcho. "Hollywoodland"
attempts to explore the various reasons for his death, showing all
the different scenarios, with private detective Louis Simo (Adrien
Brody doing his best Jake Gittes impersonation) chasing down the
possibility that Reeves hadn't committed suicide. Good idea?
Possibly. But director Allen Coulter (occasional director for "The
Sopranos") takes the intriguing concept and bores us to death. His
pacing is torturous and the story uninteresting. Ben Affleck was a
wise and somewhat ironic choice to plays Reeves (given Affleck's
inconsistent career). Brody is also good, but it wasn't enough. I
just couldn't get into this movie. Amazingly, there are some who
dared to compare "Hollywoodland" to the vastly superior "L.A.
Confidential." Settings and tone do not a great film make.
Ultimately, "Hollywoodland" is a yawn-fest. ** (out of) ****
"Time to
Leave": Writer-director, Francois Ozon has officially
graduated to the level of enigma. The bright and undeniably talented
filmmaker who gave us the brilliant "Water Drops on Burning Rocks"
and "Swimming Pool," plus the interesting "8 Women," missed (in this
writer's opinion) with "5x2" and now "Time to Leave," Ozon's ode to
the dying man with a few months to live and a lot of making up to do.
Melvil Poupaud ("Le Divorce") stars as Romain, a brooding Parisian
fashion photography whose world is rocked when he learns he has a
terminal disease. Instead of seeking the support of his loved ones,
he retreats and even alienates those closest to him. In short, he
behaves like a jerk, which makes it difficult to feel sorry for his
character, not to mention like the movie. What Ozon feels is a
different approach to an old subject backfires when the viewer, like
the film's principle subject, lacks compassion for what's around him.
Skip it. * 1/2 (out of) **** (In French with English subtitles)
"Little
Miss Sunshine": It should've come as no surprise to me that
the directors of many innovative 80's and 90's music videos and
television commercials were the brains behind the clever and very
entertaining independent film, "Little Miss Sunshine." It takes a
certain talent to consistently deliver original ideas in those
demanding mediums. When it comes to film (which is a difficult jump
from video), originality is a rarity, but with "Little Miss
Sunshine," the married team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris,
along with first-time writer Michael Arndt, mine a familiar theme
(the dysfunctional family) to create a very funny, and ultimately,
pretty original film. Motivational speaker Richard Hoover (Greg
Kinnear) is one pyramid scheme away from success. His wife Sheryl
(Toni Collette) is fairly normal, but her brother Frank (Steve
Carell) is on watch after a failed suicide attempt after his gay
lover rejected him for his biggest rival. Richard's father (played by
Alan Arkin) is a sweet old man with a fondness for snorting heroin,
and Richard's Nietzsche-reading teenage son Dwayne (Paul Dano), is in
his second year of a self-imposed silence. The glue that holds this
crazy family together is sweet six year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin),
who, thanks to her enterprising father, is getting her chance at
stardom by entering the highly-competitive "Little Miss Sunshine"
child pageant. Frank can't be left alone, so he joins the family on
their VW bus for a trip to Southern California. As road trip movies
go, this is a good one. You have your requisite highway patrolman,
and "Vacation" moments, but the filmmakers steer their film along the
right road, swerving carefully to avoid the cliché speed-bumps
associated with the typical fare. Okay, that was bad, but this film
isn't. Its cast, led by the adorable Abigail Breslin and
pitch-perfect Greg Kinnear, is near perfect. Save for a few very
creepy moments, "Little Miss Sunshine" is a breath of fresh air in an
otherwise smoggy environment. *** 1/2 (out of) ****
"Talladega
Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby": As a young boy, Ricky
Bobby (Will Ferrell) seemed destined to be a famous race-car driver.
He was just five year-old when he was caught joyriding in his
mother's station wagon. He later worked his way up from a pit-crew
member to a career as a successful driver on the NASCAR circuit,
including all the trappings: beautiful trophy wife (Leslie Bibb);
pushy sponsors; a shaky relationship with his best friend (John C.
Reilly), and a heated rivalry with a French driver (Sacha Baron
Cohen). Okay, the last part isn't very clichéd, but like much
of this film, it was funny. Ferrell, along with his writing partner
and director, Adam McKay ("Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy")
lampoon yet another easy target and turn it into something very
funny. I guess it helped that it's a film on NASCAR, but from a
Hollywood perspective. As a former Californian now living in the
heart of NASCAR-country, I could laugh at the film's oh-so-true
stereotypes, like the family dinners at Applebee's or naming your
kids (Ricky Bobby's "Walker" and "Texas Ranger") after regional
heroes. McKay and Ferrell also mocked (to death) the walking
billboard aspect of the sport. I hope the producers were savvy enough
to collect fees from the few hundred product placements that
deliberately dot this movie. "Talladega" isn't great, but it spreads
its laughs out well enough to keep your entertained. It also helped
that Ferrell surrounds himself with an excellent cast and clearly
isn't afraid to be upstaged. Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat" and "Ali G")
is hysterical as a gay French Formula "un" race-car driver, and John
C. Reilly is perfect as Ferrell's sidekick, Cal Naughton, Jr. Will
Ferrell doesn't try to reinvent the wheel in his films, but he does
take a household concept and make it his own. He was successful with
this formula in "Anchorman" and in some of his other efforts, and in
"Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," he's just good enough
to keep you laughing. *** (out of) ****
"Scoop": Woody
Allen films have become a bit of an annual, even semi-annual
tradition. In fact, it's been less than seven months since our senses
were treated to the magnificent "Match Point." Woody's classical
music; London, England, and actress Scarlett Johansson are back with
"Scoop," but that's where the similarities end. Once the viewer gets
past that it's not "Match Point," but a throw-back Woody Allen film,
the enjoyment can begin. Johansson plays Sondra Pransky, a
vacationing journalism student from New York, who meets magician
Splendini, aka Sid Waterman (played by Allen, who, naturally, also
wrote and directed "Scoop"), while attending one of London shows. Sid
selects Sondra out of the audience for his infamous
disappearing-girl-in-a-box trick. While in the box, Sondra meets a
ghost of a recently-deceased reporter (Ian McShane) who has a tip on
the identity of the Tarot Card murderer. Rather than dismiss the
ghost, Johansson chases the tip, which implicates Peter Lyman (Hugh
Jackman), the very-well-do-to son of a Lord. Sondra recruits Sid (who
can also see the ghost), to help her pose as daughter and father in
order to gain entry into Lyman's world. Naturally, the beautiful
Sondra charms the bachelor Peter, while the awkward and
often-embarrassing Sid (in classic Woody form) provides the laughs.
The question is: how could the impressive Lyman possibly be a killer?
And for that matter, why should anyone trust the word of a ghost?
"Scoop" is far from Woody's best and there are definitely moments
when a little Woody went a long way. It's saved in part because of
Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman's performances. It also helps to
look at this film as a bit of a modern-style Forties B-comedy. With
that perspective, "Scoop" can be an enjoyable film-going experience.
*** (out of) ****
"Monster
House": Computer animation has almost become scary-good. Pixar
Films rules the landscape, but others are gaining. Sony Picture
Imageworks ("The Polar Express," among many others) gives us "Monster
House," a fresh take on the old neighbor's haunted house theme. 12
year-old DJ (voiced by Mitchel Musso) and his best friend, Chowder
(Sam Lerner) are very intimidated by a particular house in their
neighborhood, especially its lawn where stray balls and misguided
kites go to die. It's as if the house is…alive. We know young
boys can have crazy imaginations, but there may be something to their
wild accusations. Boys being, well, boys, investigate their
suspicions. "Monster House" doesn't position itself as a cutesy
children's film. In fact, it seemed to use animation as a legitimate
excuse to further its ambitious ideas outside the limitations of a
live-action format. I found similarities with this film and "Stand By
Me" and "Sandlot," but only in the inspiration for some of the
characters and their attitudes. That aside, it's fairly original and
not played for laughs (though there are certainly more than a few).
Young filmmaker, Gil Kenen makes an impressive directorial debut,
along the lines of Brad Bird and "The Iron Giant," but without that
film's heart. The key voices for "Monster House" are provided by
unknowns, but its cast is also filled out with the likes of Steve
Buschemi (as the cranky owner of the "haunted" house), Maggie
Gyllenhaal, Fred Willard and Jason Lee. "Monster House" is too
intense for the single-digit-aged crowd, but all others, including,
yes, adults, should appreciate this film. *** (out of) ****
"Pirates
of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest": I believe that
movie-going provides different levels of entertainment. You can enjoy
one film for its cerebral content just as you can delight in another
for its rollicking sense of adventure. One might require a box of
tissues and the other a box of popcorn. Needless to say, the Kleenex
stayed in the car for this one (ahem, not I need either while
watching a film). "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" is the
sequel to the wildly-successful 2003 film starring Johnny Depp as
rogue pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp is back and so is Keira
Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Jack Davenport, Jonathan Pryce, Stellan
Skarsgard plus several recognizable character actors, including Bill
Nighy as Davy Jones, the legendary figure who covets Captain Jack's
soul. The central plot to the sequel involves locating a compass and
a key, which will provide a treasure chest containing a secret. Each
of the film's principal characters has a direct or indirect purpose
for finding the booty. This may sound simple, but with the addition
of some nice sword-play and a ton of CGI effects, the filmmakers
manage to keep the action going for 2 _ hours. In fact, director Gore
Verbinski has now sustained a five-minute amusement park ride for
five hours (and counting). That alone is worth an extra half-star.
"Dead Man's Chest" is action-packed enough to keep an adventure-film
audience's interest, but the Kleenex crowd who snuck into this movie
might feel a little out of place amongst all the silliness.
Positioning myself in-between and understanding its intent, I liked
the film, especially its performances from Johnny Depp (he is such a
great actor), Bill Nighy and Stellan Skarsgard. Minor nitpicks aside,
the sequel to "Pirates of the Caribbean" is one ride that's worth the
wait in line. *** (out of) ****
"The
Devil Wears Prada": Anne Hathaway is Andy Sachs, a
fresh-out-of-Northwestern wannabe magazine editor. She's been told
that if she's able to endure one year as an assistant to the personal
assistant for the editor of Runway magazine, Miranda Priestly (Meryl
Streep), she can get any job she wants. Andy is a sweet girl with a
nice boyfriend (played by Adrian Grenier from "Entourage"), but she's
hopelessly out of her league. She's pretending to know fashion but
doesn't realize (until all the elitist snobs tell her) that her
clothing is, well, so last week. And as the small-town girl trying to
make it in the big city (the film is set in Manhattan), she doesn't
have a clue how to act. That's the setup for this glorified film
version (with a lot less personality) of "Sex and the City." My
personal draws to this film, Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, didn't
disappoint, but like our heroine, Andy, I was way out of my element.
So, if you like watching films about the so-called beautiful people,
see "The Devil Wears Prada." The only other reasons to recommend the
film are the world-class performances from Streep and Stanley Tucci,
as one of the employees of her magazine. Otherwise, skip it. ** (out
of) ****
"Superman
Returns": When is too much, too much? The Superman franchise
has been around for nearly 70 years; spanning a comic book, a serial,
a couple of TV shows (that I can recall) and a few Christopher Reeve
movies, yet the public is still demanding more, or at least Warner
Bros. and $260M of their money say so. Buoyed by the success of some
recent comic book film adaptations (most notably, the Spiderman
franchise), the WB enlisted a veteran director (Bryan Singer, of the
"X-Men" series) of that medium to tackle the latest attempt to keep
the Man of Steel burned firmly into our consciousness. The end result
is "Superman Returns" which does a decent job of updating our aging
hero and even finds time to poke fun at itself. The film stars
Brandon Routh as newspaper reporter Clark Kent. Clark has just
returned from a long leave of absence to his old job at the Daily
Planet. Coincidentally, Clark's alter ego, Superman, also reappears
to save the world. This provides mixed emotions for Clark's fellow
reporter, Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth), who has moved on with her life
since Superman left. She has a small child and is in a committed
relationship. Heck, she even wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning article
on why the world doesn't need Superman. Ah, but the world does need
the Man of Steel. They need him to help foil Lex Luthor (Kevin
Spacey), who has a cunning plan to control most of the world's real
estate. Despite the best efforts of its cast, this latest installment
of Superman suffers from the yawns. As filmgoers, we're spoiled by
CGI, and while this film delivers in that area, it's nothing we
haven't already seen. The cast is also boring and suffers from
comparisons to the Christopher Reeves series. Instead of reinventing
themselves, the filmmakers decided to update the interior a little. I
also found it a bit ironic that as Hollywood continues to remake
itself, the dying newspaper medium is still a part of the
Superman/Clark Kent legacy, though I don't recall seeing any
typewriters in the offices of the Daily Planet. Having said all that,
if you put "Superman Returns" into its proper perspective--140
minutes of entertainment, then it does its job. See this film
strictly as escapist fluff, which, these days, is a pretty good
reason to get out of the house. ** 1/2 (out of) ****
"Cars": If you've
read my reviews for "Toy Story 2," "Finding Nemo," "Monsters, Inc."
and "The Incredibles," you know I'm a huge fan of Pixar Films. The
Emeryville, CA.-based animation company's latest film is "Cars," a
play on the NASCAR craze, featuring, well, nothing but cars. That's
right, a film about cars starring cars. There is nary a human being
in sight or that for matter, referenced in this film. "Cars" stars
Owen Wilson as the voice of Lightning Queen, the latest hotshot on
the race-car circuit. Lightning, along with his biggest rivals, Chick
Hicks (Michael Keaton) and The King (voiced by NASCAR legend, Richard
Petty) is locked in a dead-heat that can only be resolved by a trip
to California for one final race that will decide the winner of the
Piston Cup. Filmmakers John Lasseter and Joe Ranft could've turned
this into the latest version of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" or
"The Wacky Races," but they take a different approach by stranding
Lightning in the hick town of Radiator Springs (located in Carburetor
County), where he's just another car. The sweet, but arrogant
Lightning is out of place in a town where the local tow-truck, Mater
(get it? Tow-mater?), is the only uh, car, to welcome him. The cute
Porsche (voiced by Bonnie Hunt) is turned off, and so is the local
mechanic, Doc Hudson (Paul Newman). They both have lessons to teach
Lightning, but all the race car cares about is getting to California.
What follows are several cute scenes that fit within the context of
the story, and a lot of the usual stunning Pixar attention to detail,
but the animated film tends to drag (not good if you're sitting with
restless children). "Cars" isn't Pixar's best effort (that would be
"Toy Story 2" or arguably, "The Incredibles"), but it's still a
worthy addition to their very impressive library of animated films.
*** (out of) ****
"Over the
Hedge": Hollywood has seemingly exhausted all resources for
film ideas. They've remade classic films, recycled old television
shows, produced sequels and prequels, and made (or discussed making)
movies featuring every conceivable superhero that has ever graced the
pages of a comic book. They've even given the celluloid treatment to
some of our morning comic-page characters (mostly notably, Garfield).
So it should come as no surprise that, courtesy of Dreamworks
Animation, one of our edgier comic strips (Michael Fry and T. Lewis'
"Over the Hedge") has been turned it into the latest way to draw
kiddies into the multiplex. In its defense, the filmmakers (Tim
Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, veterans of "Antz" and "Chicken Run,"
respectively) took a cute idea and ran with it to a good degree of
success. That idea is to take one clever raccoon (RJ, voiced by Bruce
Willis) and a group of foraging woods-creatures, including a
squirrel, turtle, skunk, and families of possums and porcupines, and
turn it into 90 minutes of entertainment. The plot of "Over the
Hedge" is fairly simple. RJ, the resourceful raccoon, has managed to
destroy Vincent the bear's entire stash of winter goodies. He's given
a week to replace the food or (the proverbial slash across the
throat) else! RJ's search for junk food leads him to a
newly-constructed planned community that happened to be built around
a collection of hibernating animals, whose peaceful home now sits
behind a humongous hedge that blocks off suburbia, and for RJ--the
food that will maintain peace with his upset bear-friend. The
garbage-dwelling raccoon is shocked that these loveable creatures
somehow survive on a diet of grubs and bark. He hatches a scheme to
convert their palettes from berries to fruit pies and from content
gatherers to scrounging scavengers. This will also give him the
assistance he needs to repay the hungry bear. "Over the Hedge" is a
cute and harmless film, with enough edge for the kid-at-heart adult
and enough fun for the discriminating youngster in your life.
Recommended. *** (out of) ****
"The
Heart of the Game": It isn't often that we get a chance to
make a living doing what we love. Bill Resler, who was carving out a
nice existence as a tax professor, wanted a little more. He always
had a passion for the x's and o's of basketball, so when he had an
opportunity to coach a girl's high school basketball team (the
Roosevelt High Roughriders) in the Seattle area, he jumped at it.
Somehow this caught the attention of a first-time filmmaker named
Ward Serrill. Serrill and his hand-held camera followed Resler and
his girls for seven years, compiling over 200 hours of footage. "The
Heart of the Game" is the result. Serrill's camera watches as Resler
uses a hunter mentality to motivate his squad. It's also there as
personalities emerge from his team, such as Devon, who has troubles
far beyond the scope of the typical imagination, and Darnellia, whose
talent is amazing, but who can't quite escape her roots. There are
plenty of big games and even a somewhat-predictable ending, but it's
still an unscripted documentary, so in the back of our minds, we
still appreciate the freshness and honesty of the film. Ultimately,
"The Heart of the Game" isn't just about girl's basketball, but about
competitive team sports and how a diverse collection of players bond
together to create something special. It's also about a confident,
but loveable coach who instills a fierce warrior-like attitude into
his young players. Ward Serrill isn't breaking any new ground with
his documentary, but in the end, it's still a nice time at the
movies. *** (out of) ****
"The Da
Vinci Code": The Louvre's curator has been killed, but despite
the horrific nature of the murder, the deceased managed to leave
(while dying) a series of seemingly premeditated clues to his
killer's identity. Sure. Enter Captain Fache (Jean Reno) of the Paris
police force. Thanks to all those crazy clues, Fache suspects Harvard
symbology professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), in town for a
speaking engagement, is his man. And it also turns out that one of
Fache's colleagues, Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), was raised by the
dead curator. Sophie, who wants to find the real killer, and Langdon,
who just digs this stuff, team up to unravel the mystery behind all
those clues left at the murder scene. The clues suggest, among other
things, several things that would be blasphemous to the Catholic
church; revelations that, if true, would rock a whole lot of beliefs.
In short, Robert and Sophie are looking for the Holy Grail and there
are a lot of people who would love to stop them. Based on the
best-selling novel by Dan Brown, the script for "The Da Vinci Code"
was adapted by Akiva Goldsman ("A Beautiful Mind") and the film
directed by Ron Howard. The book is 454 pages. The movie is 149
minutes. There are two principle characters and a handful of lesser
players. At first blush, one could conclude it would be pretty hard
for a book with such intricate detail AND a complicated story to
succeed (without serious compromise) within the framework of a
two-and-a-half hour film. And with just two major characters, it
shouldn't be too hard to develop them while trying to cram all those
pages into the film's running time. Correct on the former, wrong on
the latter. I confess I didn't read the book, but a borrowed copy sat
on my coffee-table for about a month. Ultimately, I decided to skip
the book and watch the movie. From all accounts, it should've been
the other way around. If I ignore its pedigree, "The Da Vinci Code"
is at best, a second-rate thriller with a far-fetched plot. The fact
it was made by, and features people near the top of their
professions, makes it that much more inexcusable. Oh, and for what
it's worth, my negativity towards this film has nothing to do with
its controversial theories (they didn't offend me). I just feel "The
Da Vinci Code" was boring and forgettable and not remotely close to
its hype. *1/2 (out of) ****
"L'Enfant":
Called me spoiled, but when I watch a great film by great filmmakers
my expectations for their next film are automatically a little higher
than normal. And when that next film wins the 2005 Cannes Film
Festival Palme d'Or (Golden Palm), those expectations skyrocket. I
try to judge each film on its own merits, but it's sometimes hard.
There, I've blurted out some of the reasons why I should like the
latest film by the brothers Dardenne (Jean-Pierre and Luc), they of
the brilliant film, "The Son." Their latest, "L'Enfant" (The Child),
doesn't pick up where "The Son" left off, but like that film, it's
filled with moral dilemmas. Bruno (Jeremie Renier) is a small-time
thief and newly-minted father. His girlfriend Sonia (Deborah
Francois) has just given birth to the couple's first son. Nice, eh?
Well, considering that Bruno is himself a child (actually, he's in
his early-twenties but possesses the maturity level of a teenager)
and spends money as fast as he can steal it, his child's future might
be better served with another family - which is exactly what Bruno
has in mind, only he's not interested in conventional adoption
agencies, or in the mother's permission. The picture has been painted
and now it's up to Jean-Pierre and Luc (they wrote and directed this
film) to convince us to, one: care, and two: buy their ending. It
fails on both counts. My recommendation? Skip this film entirely, and
look for "Tsotsi," which has similarities to "L'Enfant" but is vastly
superior in every way. *1/2 (out of) **** (In French with English
subtitles)
"Akeelah
and the Bee": Eleven year-old Akeelah Anderson is a bright
girl from the tough streets of South Central Los Angeles. Akeelah has
a gift: she's an extraordinary speller, but her dysfunctional home
life and her desire to fit in at school ("brainiacs" aren't cool)
hold her back. Her widowed mother (played by Angela Bassett) has her
hands full with a nursing job and a troubled teenage son (who's
headed down the gang path) to notice that her youngest also has
needs. Akeelah's middle school principal, Mr. Welch (played by 80's
semi-icon, Curtis Armstrong), recognizes her ability and encourages
her to enter the school spelling bee (which she wins, of course) and
then the Los Angeles area bee, which could lead to a place in the
National Spelling Bee. When Mr. Welch realizes the competitions will
require a coach, he encourages Akeelah to seek out his old college
friend, Dr. Joshua Larabee (Laurence Fishburne), who is on sabbatical
from his professorship at UCLA. The tough-love professor (who was
once a contestant at the NSB) and the street smart (but sweet) girl
are an odd mix at first, but eventually they bond as teacher and
student and remind each other what's missing in their lives. I was
surprised to learn that "Akeelah and the Bee" was NOT based on a true
story. Color me a skeptic, as it seems that most of the films I've
watched lately seemed derived from someone's fascinating life.
However, director Doug Atchison's screenplay for this film did win
over 4,249 other entries in an international screenplay competition,
so in this case, life imitates art. His film has some of the usual
clichés and is a little predictable, but he 'saves' that for
the beginning and the middle, leaving us with a fairly-creative last
act. But it's the performances that drive Atchison's film. As
Akeelah, Keke Palmer is remarkable. The young actress is an
extraordinary talent who WILL be heard from again, and probably
loudly, providing her career is managed in the right way. She is the
best reason to see this very inspirational film, although having a
cast that includes Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne doesn't
hurt. "Akeelah and the Bee" is one of the best films of the young
year. *** 1/2 (out of) ****
"Somersault":
is one of those little films that stick in your craw. Abbie
Cornish is Heidi, an attractive but very child-like sixteen-year-old
girl. Heidi isn't getting enough attention from her mother, so she
turns to her mother's boyfriend, which proves to be a huge mistake.
Heidi, feeling disgraced, runs away to the Australian ski town of
Jindabyne, where she hopes to make herself a better person. She
manages to find work as a convenience store clerk, but her past
proves to be a stumbling block. Add in a handsome rich kid (played by
Sam Worthington) with his own set of problems and it's Heidi back to
her old ways. "Somersault" is about finding oneself through the
school of hard knocks. It's also about how two people can find
themselves by finding each other. In short, "Somersault" is a real
*find.* First-time writer-director Cate Shortland uses
non-distracting camera techniques, striking color schemes and soft
music to effect her story. Manipulative? Perhaps, but it caught this
viewer. It also helped that Shortland's script was so well-developed
(the film was quite a few years in the making). I was also very
impressed with her film's star, Abbie Cornish, who gave off a genuine
naiveté for her emotionally-immature character. It was a
very-nuanced, memorable performance. "Somersault" doesn't cover any
new ground, but makes up for it by economically using every scene,
even the simplest, and making it count in some way. Call it an
effective mood piece that works. "Somersault" swept all 13
nominations at the 2004 Australian Oscars, but is only just getting
its U.S. release (albeit on a very limited basis). It's worth a
search. ***1/2 (out of) ****
"United 93":
For those of you not especially familiar with the story, "United 93"
is about a doomed United Airlines flight going from Newark, New
Jersey to San Francisco, California on the morning of September 11,
2001, a day no American (or most of the world, for that matter) will
ever forget. Among the passengers on board were three men intending
to take over the plane and then flying it (it's been concluded) at
the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Like many who eventually
decided to watch this film, initially, I didn't WANT to see it, but
as an American who wants to know as much as I can about my country's
history (and a fan of well-made movies), I had to see this film. It
also helped that the reviews were overwhelmingly good and that I
loved the filmmaker's (Paul Greengrass) last film, "The Bourne
Supremacy." I was also well-aware of his success with another
live-action documentary (for lack of a better description) based on
tragic circumstances: "Bloody Sunday," so off I went knowing I wasn't
likely to forget the experience. What it produced was 111 minutes of
roller-coaster emotions, not only from the screen, but at times from
me. Already knowing the outcome of the events, I felt like a
clairvoyant fly on the wall; able to predict what was going to
happen, but helpless to prevent it. I can't think of another film
that affected me as much as "United 93." Having said all that, one of
the things that makes this film so great is that it's not *trying* to
tug at your emotions, whether that's tears or anger, it just happens.
It allows the human-being factor to take over, which, if you think
about it, is what this film is all about. Greengrass' film depicts
not only the unfolding of the action on the doomed flight (in close
to real-time), it also shows what was going on in the control rooms
as it became increasingly aware to air-traffic controllers (and the
U.S. military) that a great terrorist threat was happening not only
on United flight 93, but possibly others as well. Two planes had
already flown into the World Trade Center and contact was lost with
at least two others. But while the air personnel and the military
(shown separately) wrestled with what to do about the developing
situations, up in the air, the passengers of flight 93 were banding
together to force their own solution. Through technology, once word
started getting around about the World Trade Center tragedies, it
became evident that if the plane were allowed to reach the
terrorists' planned destination, more than just the lives of the
flight's passengers would be at stake. This is where the film gets
heavy and where "United 93" becomes separated from a run-of-the-mill
Irwin Allen disaster movie. I would comment on the performances in
the film, but I suspect many of the actors (mostly unknown) were
behaving instinctively. And not surprisingly, many of the
"performances" outside of the doomed flight were from the actual
people who were a part of the efforts of that day. We see many of the
same National Air Traffic Control Center and U.S. military playing
themselves as they valiantly re-enact the tragic events of September
11, 2001. Yet, we never feel any amateurishness, or the least bit
ripped-off. These are real people depicting a real event in U.S.
history. I was surprised to learn that Ben Sliney, remarkable in this
film as the FAA's national operations manager, was actually *the* Ben
Sliney. The writer-director of "United 93," Paul Greengrass, doesn't
exploit the situation of that day or try to change history; he just
shows us the powerful evidence and let's us process it. "United 93"
is as good as it gets. **** (out of) ****
"On a Clear
Day": Stop me if you've seen this before: man facing a midlife
crisis decides to do something crazy that someone his age shouldn't
do. Sorry, but I'm not going to stop. No, it's not the "World's
Fastest Indian," or the numerous variations to that theme (including
several reviewed on this site over the past few years). No, it's "On
a Clear Day," and in this case, the movie producers could see
Hollywood, not to mention every successful feel-good film released
over the past five years in the United Kingdom. The difference with
"On a Clear Day," is it's short on laughs and long on family
dysfunction. Peter Mullan stars as recently-redundant shipbuilder
Frank Redmond. Frank is pushing fifty, has a loving wife (played by
the wonderful Brenda Blethyn), and a grown son, Rob (Jamie Sives),
from whom he is borderline-estranged. They speak, but they have
little to say to one another, in part because Frank still hasn't
gotten over the accidental drowning death of Rob's brother. Frank,
with nothing but time on his hands and a squashed sense of pride,
does what any good unemployed shipbuilder living in Glasgow, Scotland
would do: he trains to swim the English Channel. Care to guess how he
fares? Films of this genre need an edge to separate themselves from
the rest of the herd. This is where "On a Clear Day" fails. Yes, it
has a terrific cast (featuring veterans of the Ken Loach/Mike Leigh
school of working class films) and a likeable conclusion, but in the
end, it just isn't enough. The film was directed by first-timer, Gaby
Dellal, and written by Alex Rose. While "On a Clear Day" isn't at all
bad in its own right, the well-acquainted filmgoer will suffer from
distraction; from the feeling they've seen this somewhere before. I
would recommend waiting a while (until it reaches cable) to allow for
the memories of its superior predecessors to fade just a little. **
1/2 (out of) ****
"Thank
You for Smoking": Nick Naylor represents the interests of the
Big Tobacco companies. In other words - he's a lobbyist. Nick's the
guy the cigarette companies use when they need some damage control,
which, of course, is all the time. Nick, along with his buddies in
the M.O.D. Squad (for Merchants of Death: Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms) sits on panels, appears on talk shows, and, occasionally,
delivers bribes to convince the unconvinced that their evil products
aren't so evil. Nick, as you might expect, is VERY good at what he
does. This catches the attention of investigative reporter Heather
Holloway (played by Katie Holmes), who'll do just about anything to
get into Nick's head. Aaron Eckhart is no less than brilliant as Nick
Naylor, in a role he seemed born to play. Eckhart, perhaps channeling
his character from "In the Company of Men," is perfect as the cocky
lobbyist. "Thank You for Smoking" is loaded with great character
actors playing juicy roles. William H. Macy is wonderful as a mousy
politician intent upon bringing down the cigarette companies, and Rob
Lowe is excellent as a Hollywood agent keen to the idea of using
cigarettes as the new product placement in his client's films. Maria
Bello and David Koechner are well-cast as the other parts of the
M.O.D. Squad, and Robert Duvall and J.K. Simmons are terrific as
slimy tobacco executives. However, having said all that, I made a
mistake. Since I watch a lot of independent films, I managed to catch
the trailer for "Thank You for Smoking" at least a half-dozen times
over the past several weeks, meaning I'd already heard most of its
funny jokes more than a few times over. I consider it a mistake
because, for me, it resulted in a less-than-satisfactory payoff when
I saw the actual film. It has also made writing this review a bit of
a struggle. But I did like the film and absolutely loved its juicy
premise, as well as its point-of-view; still, I couldn't help but
think that its filmmaker (writer-director Jason Reitman) could've
added some additional ideas to his still-very-clever script and
turned his film into one for the ages instead of one that could
probably wait for the director's cut DVD release. Reitman manages to
rip a new one into several groups, but I still wanted some "new"
jokes. But perhaps that's because I ignored the merits of waiting to
walk into the screening until just AFTER the previews. *** (out of)
****
"Kinky
Boots": Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton) has some pretty big
shoes to fill. His father, the beloved owner of the family shoe
business (started in 1895) has just passed away, leaving the factory
to Charlie, who is fresh out of business school and not sure if he
wants to keep the company in the family. You see, all is not well at
Price Shoes. Sales are down and Charlie's father left him with a lot
of unwanted inventory, plus a lot of long-time, dedicated employees
who know nothing but how to make quality men's footwear. Should he
sell, or change the business model? Enter "Lola," a transvestite and
club performer (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor). Like Charlie, Lola has
spent his life trying to fit into someone else's idea of the world.
And now, after their chance meeting, perhaps the two can help each
other to find their destiny. The film's title, "Kinky Boots," should
give you an idea of the company's new direction. The company is based
in the shoe factory town of Northampton, England, and like some other
recent British favorites ("The Full Monty," "Calendar Girls") this
film has a basis in reality. In fact, its factory scenes take place
on site at the real company's facilities. "Kinky Boots" was directed
by British TV director Julian Jarrold from a script by vets Tim Firth
and Geoff Deane. Their film thrives on the performance of its actors.
Joel Edgerton, as the sweet but naïve heir to the family
business, is effective as Charlie, while Chiwetel Ejiofor (best known
for "Dirty Pretty Things") finds a new gear as the flamboyant
transvestite, Lola. But my favorite performance came from British
character actor Nick Frost ("Shaun of the Dead"), who steals every
scene he's in. Aside from its boy meets boy/girl story (which isn't
as it appears), "Kinky Boots" follows a traditional formula. The film
is a little predictable, but filled with charming characters and a
satisfying conclusion. *** (out of) ****
"V for
Vendetta": is a film of masks, both literally and
figuratively. There are masks that we, as a society, wear everyday.
We know we have to act and think a certain way, or face chaos, while
a part of us sometimes wonders what would happen if we questioned the
very authority that led us to that first belief. *Would* it result in
chaos, or could a change to the authority lead to a new order and in
turn, a better world? At its core, "V for Vendetta" would seem to
advocate terrorism. Its "hero" wants to destroy England in order to
make it new. How should we, as an audience, whose indoctrinated
beliefs are to repel such acts, react? But it's mostly a work of
fiction; of the inspired imagination of Alan Moore. Are we allowed to
fantasize about a different reality or would that be too unsafe? If
you're actually pondering my questions, then you'll love "V for
Vendetta," which may be the most dangerous, yet vital, film to come
along in many a moon. The fact that it's displayed on 3,300
multiplexed screens and shown after eight (yes, eight; I counted)
previews for various action-themed Hollywood sequels and remakes,
blurs its message. Yes, it's still just a movie, but does it have to
be associated with typical Hollywood garbage? This is a film that
deserves to stand alone from the pack. But I digress.
"V for Vendetta" stars Natalie Portman as Evey Hammond, a
mailroom clerk, whose present masks a past. Once upon a time, when
she was just a little girl, her rebels-with-a-cause parents
questioned the wrong authority and were taken away, leaving Evey to
fend for herself in an increasingly-scary British society. She grew
up while England, along with the world around it, disintegrated. A
Hitler-inspired madman (Adam Sutler, played by John Hurt) has seized
control of the country, its media, and the minds of its people. There
are mandatory curfews, few civil rights, and secret police upon the
citizenry; in short, a totalitarian state. And if anyone dares to
question Sutler's methods, they are, well, silenced. There is one
such man; a mysterious stranger in a Guy Fawkes mask (if you want to
know more about what inspired this movie, Google or Wikipedia that
name), who comes to the rescue of Evey, who, one night just after
curfew, is accosted by an "amorous" group of secret police. Evey is
co-blamed for the ensuing crimes, and the stranger (played by Hugo
Weaving), known only as "V," takes the new fugitive into his secret
world. Evey has seen what happens to those who dare question
authority. Should she follow this man who wants to harm her country,
or should she run? And who is the real madman? "V for Vendetta" is
based upon Alan Moore's 1980s graphic novel, which, in turn, was
inspired by the events of November 5, 1605. Moore chose to
disassociate himself from this production, which is curious, because
his message seems intact. I credit the Brothers Wachowski (Andy and
Larry) of "The Matrix" fame, for resisting the urge to add too many
celluloid touches to the story. The violence is sometimes
irresponsible and its message, especially in this day and age, is
dangerous (let's hope November 5th is quiet around the world,
especially in England), but they were unafraid to deliver it. "V for
Vendetta" was directed by long-time assistant director James
McTeigue, who corrals the volatile story (scripted by the Wachowskis)
and coaxes an effective performance (despite her inconsistent British
accent) from Natalie Portman, as well as nice turns from his
supporting cast, including Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea and Stephen Fry.
There is a quote in this movie: "People should not be afraid of their
governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." Makes you
think, doesn't it? *** 1/2 (out of) ****
"C.S.A.:
The Confederate States of America": Oh, where do I begin? The
thought of sitting through a bone-dry mockumentary about what
would've happened to our world if the South had won the Civil War
leaves me half-cold. On the one hand, as a transplanted Southerner
(originally from Callyfornya), it's a pretty amusing premise. But on
the other, do I really want to watch the depiction of modern slavery?
I know, I know, it's all in context. Kevin Willmott, whom I just
learned is also a film professor at the University of Kansas, is the
brains behind "C.S.A." He toys with the idea of a fake British
television network (the British Broadcasting Service) producing a
documentary about Americans to be shown on American television,
complete with commercials of racist products that actually existed at
one time, but in this made-up world, are still around. Lincoln goes
into hiding; Jefferson Davis becomes president of the newly-named
C.S.A., and rich slave-owners seek reparations from Canada when their
slaves flee to that country. And later, since our country's leaders
aren't practicing tolerance, we also embrace Hitler's principles. To
his credit, Willmott's film has some clever ideas and provoked a few
awkward laughs, but it was hard to find humor in the overall concept.
Just a little over-the-top for me. ** (out of) ****
"Beauty
Academy of Kabul": Americans live in a free society where we
can get in our cars, drive to our stores, vote in elections; get
haircuts. In short, we have freedoms, many of which we take for
granted. In other societies, especially repressed ones, there are few
freedoms. And speaking of haircuts and repressed societies, American
documentary filmmaker Liz Mermin took an all-female film crew and
some hairdressers to Kabul, Afghanistan to show us what it's like for
working women in that dangerous part of our world. These are women
who walk around with burkas to hide their faces, who would seem to
have little use for makeup or fancy hairstyles. What Mermin shows us,
however, is that the need to feel good about oneself is universal.
And this is what grabs us, as the idea of watching a film about
haircuts, is, well, just a tad bit more exciting than watching paint
dry or grass grow. This is not to say that feeling beautiful doesn't
get old, too, but Mermin supplements her documentary with a little
background about how Kabul became Kabul, or more specifically, why
women are treated like second-class citizens. Her film debuted at the
Tribeca film festival in May 2004, but is now just getting a limited
release in the States. I hesitate to recommend it because I was more
than a little put-off by its arrogance towards the Afghani women (I
guess the American way is the only way, eh?), but if you're
interested in the customs of other societies, it's worth a look if it
ever makes it to the IFC Channel. ** (out of) **** (In English and
Persian with English subtitles, when necessary)
"The
Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada": We live in a society
that tries to teach us to root for the good guys and jeer the bad
guys. The difference is, who's good and who's bad? In the case of
immigration, are these "illegal aliens" trying to take advantage of
our government or are they just trying to seek the best life for
their families? Should we root for the border patrol to catch them?
Should we not feel sorry if there's a casualty or two among these
"illegal aliens"? That's the question, as well as the criticism of
Tommy Lee Jones' film, "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada."
Pete Perkins (Tommy Lee Jones) runs a cattle operation in a small
town in Texas near the border to Mexico. One of his best "cowboys" is
an undocumented worker from over the border. His name is Melquiades
Estrada (Julio Cesar Cedillo). Estrada has a great work ethic and is
also unafraid to act like a regular guy. This impresses Perkins, who
values Estrada and looks past the "technicalities" of their working
arrangement. I don't think I'm giving too much away when I say that
Estrada dies. I'll spare you the details, except to say that the
person responsible, a border patrol agent named Mike Norton (Barry
Pepper), has to face the vengeful wrath of Estrada's employer. It's
the last part that shapes much of Jones' film, but it also has so
much more. This film has the feel of an old-time western mixed
together with the wisdom of a fable. It shines in part through its
performances from Jones, Cedillo, Pepper, as well as Melissa Leo,
January Jones and Dwight Yoakam, but the real star here is the film's
writer, Guillermo Arriaga. Arriaga, best known for his work with
director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu ("Amores Perros" and "21
Grams"), channels the best of Krzysztof Kieslowski and his writing
partner Krzysztof Piesiewicz, through the brilliant script of "The
Three Burials…" Arriaga's storylines are thought-provoking and
his characters are full of depth. Tommy Lee Jones' theatrical
directorial debut is as self-assured as his character's performance.
His Pete Perkins is a good man who values relationships and only
knows how to do the right thing, even if it means going against the
"good guys." "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" is a marvelous
film. *** 1/2 (out of) ****
"Joyeux
Noël": 'Thou shall not kill' is one of the principle
commandments, yet the one that seems to be broken most often,
sometimes directly or indirectly by those who hold them to heart.
Yet, sometimes, even during war, there's time for reflection. "Joyeux
Noël" ("Merry Christmas") is based on the "Christmas Truce" that
took place on December 24, 1914, during a World War One skirmish
between the French, Scots and Germans. For one day the three sides
put aside their differences in the spirit of the day they each
celebrated. It was deep in the trenches (reminiscent of "Paths of
Glory") that the Germans broke out their version of "Silent Night,"
followed by the Scots joining on the bagpipe (let's not wonder why
they brought it along for battle), followed slowly by the French.
Cheesy? A little, but I bought it, probably because I'm a sucker for
a good anti-war message. Three sides (each led by fierce, uncaring
career military men) recognizing their common humanity, if only for
about 24 hours; yeah, that works. This Oscar-nominee (for Best
Foreign Film) drags a lot, isn't especially plausible (even though
it's based on an actual event), but is just entertaining enough (and
not too heavy-handed) for a recommendation. *** (out of) **** (In
French, German, Latin with English subtitles)
"Tsotsi": Years
ago, movie studios used sensationalism to entice potential customers.
"Warning: this movie may cause nausea. Not for the faint of heart,"
and so on. I can recall a sign attached to the fairly recent movie,
"Thirteen," advising me that the film contained situations that may
disagree with my value system. I was warned, and I will warn you,
about "Tsotsi," the South African entry for the Best Foreign Film
Oscar. It was suggested that I not give up on the film; that the
violence in its first twenty or so minutes may make me want to walk
out. I was asked to stay with the film and that's what I'm asking
you. Its payoff is worth it. "Tsotsi," which roughly translates to
'thug' in the local street vernacular of its Johannesburg setting, is
the name of the unofficial leader of a gang that roams the streets,
who uses unrelenting violence to get what it wants. Tsotsi (Presley
Chweneyagae) is expressionless and unremorseful when he robs, steals
and perpetrates his crimes. He doesn't know any other way. We learn
to loathe him and his cohorts, who also seem to cower in fear of him.
This is a young man whose scary example instills fear into everyone
with whom he comes in contact. We're not quite sure why, but we soon
understand. It's during a violent carjacking that we learn that
Tsotsi has actual vulnerabilities. I would prefer to not explain what
happens, but it's safe to say the transformation that occurs is
remarkable, yet genuine and not contrived. I cannot recall viewing
another film that so freely drew my personal ire towards a character,
yet about an hour or so later, moved to tears of sympathy for that
same person. To draw such an emotional shift just isn't done,
especially from a complete amateur actor. Presley Chweneyagae was
plucked off the same streets for this film. His performance is
unforgettable. "Tsotsi," which was written and directed by Gavin
Hood, is a film about redemption; about coming to terms with your
past, even when it's so horribly repressed. It's also a statement
about apartheid and the AIDS crisis in Africa, and the effects both
issues have on the young. Hood, working from an adaptation of
playwright Athol Fugard's novel, uses sparse, yet appropriate
lighting to depict the contrast between the bleakness and beauty of
its setting. Powerful as a description of this film is almost a
disservice; it's that good and that important. **** (out of) **** (In
a variety of African dialects with English subtitles)
"Caché":
The English title of this film is "Hidden," as in hidden
camera, and given the uncertainty of our government's potential
intrusion into our lives, it couldn't be timelier. The film is set in
modern France, where TV personality (he hosts a book review
discussion show) Georges Laurent (Daniel Auteuil) lives with his
wife, Anne (Juliette Binoche), and 12 year-old son, Pierrot (Lester
Makedonsky). Their normal lives are forever transformed one day when
a videotape depicting a continuous loop of the front of their
townhouse arrives to their home wrapped in a heinous child-style
drawing. The tape is followed by others and the drawing is eventually
copied to postcards. The mysterious, wordless "threats" lead to a lot
of paranoia from the very private Georges who's thought to have
nothing to hide from his trusting wife. Or does he? There is a person
in Georges' past, but if it can be proven it wasn't him, then who's
making the tapes? Who's trying to ruin a family's life?
"Caché" was written and directed by Austrian filmmaker,
Michael Haneke, who, for this film, lost his third Golden Palm at
Cannes, but did win (very deservedly) as best director. Haneke's film
is a very contemplative look at our society and isn't like any
American film you'll likely ever see. Well, I take that back. I can
see Hollywood taking this idea (with, say, Harrison Ford in the
lead), but changing its ending. I could give you an idea of the style
of "Caché's" ending, but that would spoil the mystery. I went
into the screening of this film knowing next to nothing about its
subject, and left knowing just a little more, but filled with a few
conclusions and at least one paranoia. But then again, that was the
intention of its filmmaker. ***1/2 (out of) **** (In French with
*white* [boo, hiss] subtitles)
"The
World's Fastest Indian": "Live to ride; ride to live." That
saying applies nicely to motorcycle enthusiast Burt Munro (Anthony
Hopkins). Burt doesn't just love his prized 1920 Indian (bought brand
new); he's also set up his room in a garage that houses the bike. He
dreams of the day he can break the record for fastest man on earth.
This is a pretty lofty goal considering Burt is in his mid-60s and
Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats (where an annual motorcycle race is
held) is thousands of miles away from his Invercargill, New Zealand
home. You know where this is going to lead, of course, especially if
you're familiar with Burt's story (yes, it's true), or
writer-director Roger Donaldson's 1971 documentary, "Offerings to the
God of Speed" (also the name of a shelf in Burt's workshop). "The
World's Fastest Indian" succeeds in its simple story, benefiting from
a very sweet performance by Hannibal, er, Anthony Hopkins, who, once
again, proves he can fall out of bed and still act. "The World's
Fastest Indian" is a very loveable, very inspiring family-oriented
film. ***1/2 (out of) ****
"Glory
Road": The who-will-win-the-big-game is one of Hollywood's
oldest clichés, but if you're a dedicated sports fan or a
sucker for a well-made movie (I'm both), it will hard to resist
"Glory Road," the latest film in the comeback sports-story genre.
"Glory Road" takes place in El Paso, Texas in the mid-60s where high
school basketball coach Don Haskins (Josh Lucas) has just taken a job
as head basketball coach for Texas Western University (later UTEP).
It's a program in need of a big change. Haskins, operating with a
limited number of scholarships, makes the decision to recruit in the
inner-city playgrounds. The result is a team comprised largely of
black players, highly unusual during that time. The players are very
fundamentally unsound, which creates problems initially, but
eventually, enormous success, taking on, and beating nearly all
comers, including Adolph Rupp's legendary Kentucky team (starring
future NBA coach Pat Riley) in a match-up that started five black
players for Texas Western, at the time completely unheard of. It
would be easy to exploit the various clichés associated with
this type of story, but to director James Gartner's (working from a
script by Christopher Cleveland and Bettina Gilois) credit, he
manages to avoid most of them; keeping what applies to the story he's
trying to tell. "Glory Road," with the help of a solid performance by
Josh Lucas, is an entertaining film about an important subject. ***
(out of) ****
"Match
Point": begins with a little tennis lesson. Sometimes an
entire match can turn on the direction of one ball that hits the top
of the net. For Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rys-Meyers), a former tennis
pro-turned-instructor, that one ball always seems to land on the
favorable side. And while giving a lesson to spoiled rich-kid, Tom
Hewett (Matthew Goode), "born lucky" Chris catches another break.
He's made a positive impression upon the well-connected Tom, and it's
just his luck that Tom has a beautiful and very eligible sister
(Chloe, played by Emily Mortimer), and that Tom and Chloe's family is
loaded and the cream of British society. Not bad for a kid from the
poor streets of Ireland. It isn't long before the fish-out-of-water
tennis pro is part of the family and a key employee in "one of" his
father-in-law's successful businesses. Life is good for Chris, well,
unless you count Tom's sexy American fiancée, Nola (Scarlett
Johansson), whose charms threaten Chris' new marriage, not to mention
just about everything he has gained since meeting the Hewett family.
Chris isn't just smitten by Nola, he's downright obsessed. They begin
a torrid affair, and, well, then there's the rest of the movie, which
takes quite a while to unfold, but when it does, whammo! "Match
Point" was written and directed by Woody Allen, yes, Woody Allen. The
prolific jack-of-all-trades has just made "the most promising debut
by a 40-year veteran" in memory. "Match Point" plays like the vision
of some young hotshot writer-director who's been polishing his first
project since film school and not a film from someone who's been
making us laugh for our entire film-viewing lives. The direction is
letter-perfect, from the actors' deliveries to Allen's choice of
short, but telling scenes, to his deliberate pacing. And his script
is bellisimo! Woody has a pretty good idea that his audience is
smart, so he knows he has to be smarter. Just when you think you have
an idea what's going on, or what's about to happen, he throws a
curveball. Every little detail of this film is close to perfect, from
cinematographer Remi Adefarasin's ("Elizabeth") beautiful treatment
of London, England, to the lush and very appropriate opera music that
fills the air around us. And the performances are excellent. Jonathan
Rhys-Meyers ("Bend It Like Beckham") is a star in the making, while
the cast around him (including Scarlett Johansson, Matthew Goode,
Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton) form a terrific ensemble. Needless to
say, I loved nearly every minute of this superb film. I'd like to
describe it in greater detail, but the less you know, the better it
will be for you. "Match Point" is Woody Allen at the absolute top of
his game. **** (out of) ****
"The New
World": is Terrence Malick's fourth film in 32 years. The
reclusive writer-director's output may be meager and his style both
unique and confounding, but his talent is undeniable. Malick's films
could be considered either mesmerizing works of art, or pretentious
boredom. Personally, I agree with the former, but I admit too much of
the latter has seeped into his last two efforts (including "The Thin
Red Line"). Critics complaining the gifted auteur (and former Rhodes
Scholar and professor of philosophy at M.I.T.) never met a blade of
grass he didn't like, won't change their tune after watching "The New
World," but those who know going in that watching a Malick film
promises to be a visual and cerebral feast, will not be disappointed.
"The New World" stars Colin Farrell as explorer Captain John Smith.
Smith and his mutinous attitude arrive at 1607's Jamestown as a
prisoner destined for the hangman's noose. His captain (played by
(Christopher Plummer), realizing Smith's value to the new prospective
colony, releases his young charge, providing he corrects his
sentiments. This sequence is almost identical to Sean Penn and Jim
Caviezel's characters encounter in "The Thin Red Line." And as with
Caviezel's character, the quiet and introspective Smith bonds with
the new world's "naturals," only here, there's also the chief's very
young daughter (played by 15 year-old newcomer Q'Orianka Kilcher) who
takes an interest in the stranger. The daughter, later christened
'Rebecca,' is better known to historians as Pocahontas, though that
name is never mentioned in the film. The eventual romance between
Smith and the girl is handled with a casualness befitting of the era.
Malick delicately and appropriately frames his young subjects as they
learn the other's languages and customs, fitting their story around
the growing tension between their "people." Something gives and it's
the girl, not Smith, who goes to England. "Pocahontas" moves on with
her life, eventually marrying another man (John Rolfe, played by
Christian Bale), but, as it goes in the movies, she can't quite let
go of her first love. The visual beauty of "The New World" nearly
engulfs the film. It's as much a story about English settlers/Native
American early relations (romantic and otherwise) as it's about the
distinct style of its director. I can say with confidence there isn't
another American filmmaker quite like Terrence Malick. His films are
like poems and their stories rich and deep, with the end result not
exactly rousing entertainment. But that's what the movie-going public
generally demands, hence why this is about Malick. He lets his camera
and poetry-infused philosophies tell the story, eschewing traditional
Hollywood methods. This will likely frustrate the audience but
delight fans of his work. Not surprisingly, the look of this film is
stunning. Malick, working for the first time with cinematographer
Emmanuel Lubezki ("Sleepy Hollow") gives "The New World" a gorgeous
makeover, using natural light and, well, nature, to accentuate his
message. Colin Farrell as the enigmatic Smith, is well-cast, but it's
young Q'Orianka Kilcher who shines. Her eyes and expressions
(reminiscent of Linda Manz in Malick's "Days of Heaven") do most of
the talking in her performance. "The New World" starts slowly,
continues slowly, and ends slowly. But if you…slowly…peel
away its onion, there's something beautiful to be found inside. ***
1/2 (out of) ****
"Munich": Mahatma
Gandhi once famously said: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world
blind." Sadly, we live in a world of almost constant Middle East
turmoil; one bombing after the other in a never-ending cycle of
violence. While the term 'terrorist' probably had earlier origins, it
really came to the world's attention during the 1972 summer Olympics
in Munich, Germany. Five Palestinian terrorists, seeking freedom for
several of their imprisoned soldiers, kidnapped and eventually killed
eleven Israeli Olympic athletes. Three of the terrorists were
captured alive but released less than two months later when the
German government capitulated to their group's demands during the
hijacking of a Lufthansa jet. As we know from watching the news every
day, retribution bombings happen all the time in the Middle East. But
we don't always hear about every one, nor does the media follow-up on
the reasons behind the seemingly senseless deaths of innocents.
"Inspired by true events," Steven Spielberg, in his latest film,
"Munich," attempts to show the world how and why the Israelis avenged
the deaths that occurred as a result of the 1972 Munich attack.
"Munich" stars Eric Bana as Avner, a reserve soldier with the Israeli
army. Consulting with the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, Avner
is selected by Israel's Prime Minister, Golden Meir (Lynn Cohen) to
head up a group whose sole purpose is to find and eliminate those
directly or indirectly responsible for the murders of the athletes.
Avner assembles a crew of dedicated soldiers (played by Ciaran Hinds,
Daniel Craig, Mathieu Kassovitz and Hanns Zischler), each possessing
highly-specialized skills necessary for the success of the operation.
Steven Spielberg, working from a script co-penned by Tony Kuschner
("Angels in America") and Eric Roth ("The Insider") dots his film
with shady characters (played by Geoffrey Rush, Mathieu Amalric and
Marie-Josee Croze) and sometimes not-so-subtle political commentary.
Spielberg, a proud Jew and filmmaker who has long wanted to make a
film in the James Bond series, almost seems to marry those two very
separate topics (though this shouldn't be mistaken as a Bond film) in
a highly-stylized, but deadly serious version of Spy vs. Spy. There
is a scene in this film (which I won't detail) that asks the viewer
to choose between 'instant orphanage' and death. Clearly, we're
rooting for the former, but *neither* is the correct choice. In a
roundabout way of thinking, this describes the heart of the film's
conflict. There are no real good guys, just a lot of misguided
thinking. However, admittedly, as an American with an Irish heritage,
I lack the perspective to make such a blanket statement. Out of the
rubble of reasons for the constant fighting, is a need for home. The
Palestinians want one to call their own, and the Israelis want to
defend theirs. "Munich" is an insightful, if sometimes
sensationalized account of a blighted stain in our world's history.
But despite its version of the events that occurred after that sad
day, the film is a fascinating look at the far-reaching effects of
terrorism. ***1/2 (out of) ****
"Me
and You and Everyone We Know": "She chose to work under the
surname "July" because she says it is the month that most facilitates
her creativity." That's the last line in performance artist/short
story writer (and now screenwriter and film director) Miranda July's
"biography" over at the Internet Movie Database. I'm guessing her
best ideas for her clever debut feature, "Me and You and Everyone We
Know" occurred during that month. "MYEWK" is, in part, the story of
the desire to achieve adulthood, whether you're already an adult or
still a child. In addition to writing and directing this film, July
also stars as Christine, a performance artist (she uses video as her
medium) whose work, appropriately enough, is inspired by the people
in her life. One such person is Richard (John Hawkes), whom Christine
meets at a shoe store (where Richard works as a salesman). Richard is
struggling with the breakup of his marriage, as well as trying to
raise his two sons. The two develop the basis for a relationship, but
still have to deal with their respective quirks. July fills her film
with a series of younger characters, each either a little too wise
for their years, or trying to get that way. Therein lie some of the
more uncomfortable moments in the film; well, for some. Personally, I
chalked it up to just a part of the director's unique vision, but I
know some of the film's underlying themes have been a source of
controversy to certain groups. Miranda July shines in each of her
roles, including the acting one (ironically, she seems to be playing
herself, based on her television interviews). John Hawkes (best known
as the "nice guy" on HBO's excellent "Deadwood") is wonderful as
Richard, the well-meaning shoe salesman. While "Me and You and
Everyone We Know" is in part about achieving adulthood, it's also
about how one looks at one's life in relation to the lives of those
around them. The characters in this film may seem a little "weird" to
some, but, to others, they're just beautiful people expressing
themselves in their own way. Bravo to Miranda July for sharing her
unique vision. *** 1/2 (out of) **** (On DVD).
"Hustle &
Flow": A film about a pimp-turned-rap-star? I'll pass, thank
you. That was my reaction last summer when "Hustle & Flow" was
first released. By the time the strong word-of-mouth reached my way,
the film was out of the movie theater circuit. So…I had to wait
for its DVD release. I'm glad I did, because in addition to the film,
the DVD's extras were excellent and helped set the film into the
proper perspective. "Hustle & Flow" is set in Memphis, where DJay
(Terrence Howard) lives his day-to-day as a small-time pimp and drug
dealer. His "stable" includes the impressionable Nola (Taryn
Manning); the vulnerable (and pregnant) Shug (Taraji Henson) and
fireball Lexus (Paula Jai Parker), who works out of a strip club for
DJay. In-between hustles DJay also peddles his special brand of herb,
while wishing for the day he can make something for himself. He
doesn't want to end up like his weak-hearted father, who died far too
young. DJay, along with an old high school friend (played by Anthony
Anderson), a church musician named Shelby (DJ Qualls), and Shug's
timely voice, DJay discovers his calling might be music. Together
they put together a catchy rap tune they hope will take them out of
their present situations. "Hustle & Flow" was written and
directed by Craig Brewer (a native of the Memphis area). Brewer's
tale is a bit of a twist on the familiar, but he takes a clear love
for 70's "blaxploitation" films and instead of usual "evil pimp"
storyline of that genre, he shows DJay's human side. Terrence Howard
as DJay, is a revelation, and 180 degrees from his character in
"Crash." Howard's performance, as well as the rest of the cast, just
clicks with Brewer's story. Brewer almost missteps with the film's
ending (my initial opinion), but again, when put in proper
perspective, it works. Underneath the unattractive theme and tough
vernacular lies a very good film. ***1/2 (out of) **** (On DVD).
