Archive of Roy's 2000 Movie Reviews and other movie
matters
New York Film Critics Awards for
1999
Best Picture:
Topsy-Turvy
(Other nominees: American Beauty, Being John Malkovich, and The
Straight Story)
Best Actor:
Richard Farnsworth
(The Straight Story) (Other nominees:
Russell Crowe-The Insider, Jim Broadbent-Topsy-Turvy, Kevin
Spacey-American Beauty)
Best Actress:
Hilary Swank
(Boys Don't Cry) (Other nominees:
Julianne Moore-The End of the Affair, Janet McTeer-Tumbleweeds, Kate
Winslet-Holy Smoke)
Best Supporting Actor:
John
Malkovich (Being John Malkovich) (Other
nominees: Christopher Plummer-The Insider, Jude Law-The Talented Mr.
Ripley, Timothy Spall-Topsy-Turvy)
Best Supporting Actress:
Catherine
Keener (Being John Malkovich) (Other
nominees: Chloe Sevigny-Boys Don't Cry, Julianne
Moore-Magnolia)
Best Director:
Mike Leigh
(Topsy-Turvy) (Other nominees: David Lynch-The Straight Story, Sam
Mendes-American Beauty, Paul Thomas Anderson-Magnolia)
Janet
Maslin's 1999 10 Best
The New York Times' movie critic, Janet
Maslin, has listed her 10 best films for 1999 as follows:
(1) Topsy-Turvy, (2) Boys Don't Cry, (3) All About My Mother, (4)
The Straight Story, (5) The Talented Mr. Ripley, (6) Being John
Malkovich, (7) The Insider, (8) American Movie, (9) Eyes Wide Shut,
and (10) The Dreamlife of Angels.
Roger Ebert's 1999 Best
Films
Roger Ebert's list of best films is quite
different, with only a few films that overlap:
(1) Being John Malkovich, (2) Magnolia, (3)
Three Kings, (4) Boys Don't Cry, (5) Bringing Out The Dead, (6)
Princess Mononoke, (7) The War Zone, (8) American Beauty, (9)
Topsy-Turvy, (10) The Insider.
Ebert also lists his runners-up:
Autumn Tale, Cookie's Fortune, The Hurricane, Mansfield Park, and The
Talented Mr. Ripley.
Reviews
of Movies Seen in 2000
My 1998
and 1999
reviews are on separate "archives" pages. If you would like to see my
comments on films I viewed during 1998 and 1999 go to the Archive
page of your choice by clicking on the appropriate
year.
The following was my list of Top 10
films that I saw in 1999 (some were released in 1998):
"Topsy-Turvy," "Shakespeare in
Love," "The Thin Red Line," "Saving Private Ryan," "Little Voice,"
"Run Lola Run," "Eyes Wide Shut," "The Celebration," "Central
Station," and "The Dreamlife of Angels."
Index of Films Reviewed in
2000
Here are my reactions to
and comments about films seen during 2000, either on video
(primarily DVD) or at theaters.
"The
Virgin Suicides"-Directed by Sophia
Coppola and based on the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, this film tells
the 25-year-old tale of the five beautiful Lisbon sisters, all
teen-agers, who committed suicide in their suburban Michigan home to
the astonishment and wonder of boys in the neighborhood who loved
them. Starring Kirsten Dunst as Lux, the most attractive and
adventurous of the sisters, and Kathleen Turner (looking very
matronly), and James Woods as the girls' parents, the film seems to
be trying to make a point about teenage suicide, but frankly I
thought it failed. In fact, the middle of the film seemed to be about
reasonably normal teenagers whose mother is very religious and
extremely uptight, and whose father, a math teacher, is a little
wacky. The male narrator, one of the neighborhood boys now grown up,
describes how he and the other boys still talk about the Lisbon
sisters 25 years later and are unable to figure out why they killed
themselves. With the characters admittedly not understanding the
reasons for the tragedy of the Lisbon sisters, the film provides
little or no additional insight. DVD **1/2
(12/27/00)
"Chuck
& Buck"-This is a little indie film,
but it packs a wallop. Written by and starring Mike White as Buck, a
young man in his late-20's who is mentally stuck at age 11, this
unusual and painful film tells of Buck's obsession, both sexual and
otherwise, with a childhood friend, Charlie, aka Chuck (Chris Weitz),
following the death of Buck's mother. Charlie is a music agent, has
matured normally and is engaged to a lovely young woman, Carlyn (Beth
Colt). But Buck remembers details of his young life with Chuck and
cannot forget. And he's bent on getting back into Chuck's life. How
he goes about it is sometimes embarrassing (the frequent phone calls
and attempts to meet Chuck spontaneously) and sometimes fascinating
as Buck proceeds to write and produce a play that he wants Chuck to
see. Lupe Ontiveros is absolutely wonderful as Beverly, the manager
of a small theater company who helps Buck put on the play starring
Sam (Paul Weitz), an inept actor, as the Chuck character. Mike White
is brilliant as the childlike Buck. One reviewer reported that this
movie was filmed entirely on digital video. That shows, but the film
is original, creative, and ultimately very entertaining because it is
such a different experience. Video ****
(12/24/00)
"Where
The Money Is"-As I recall, this film
never played in the theaters but went straight to video. That's
probably the fate most American films deserve, but this one has its
charms. Paul Newman is Henry Manning, an experienced bank robber who
has gotten himself out of prison and into a nursing home by faking a
stroke (not likely), only to find himself nursed by the delectable
and slightly wild Carol (Linda Fiorentino). Linda, married to her
high school sweetheart Wayne (Dermot Mulroney), and somewhat bored
with her life, suspects the truth about Henry and sets out to prove
it. This film has many of the classic cliches of the genre, but Paul
Newman, despite advancing age, is still wonderful to watch. Linda
Fiorentino as Carol is delightfully sexy and adventurous, and Dermot
Mulroney does a serviceable job as the frustrated husband who
ultimately winds up in the middle of a "daring" armored car robbery
(in an extremely unlikely scene, the robbery is taking place in a
small town in Oregon, when suddenly the armored car pulls into a
major league sports stadium-- clearly Dodger Stadium in Los
Angeles--to make a pickup). Don't expect a lot, but I found "Where
The Money Is" to be a reasonably enjoyable flick because of the
talented actors. DVD ***
(12/23/00)
"Small
Time Crooks"-Based on a theme of "don't
wish for something, you might just get it," Director and star Woody
Allen tells the tale of Ray Winkler, a small-time crook who
mistakenly thinks that his former fellow prison inmates were
complimenting him when they called him "The Brain." But Ray, with the
help of his bumbling gang, an unethical cop, and the cookie baking
talents of his wife Frenchy (Tracey Ullman), hits the jackpot. The
rest of the tale covers their fall from grace. The film has a good
cast, including the wonderful Elaine May as May, Frenchy's relative
who unwittingly gives away a robbery attempt only to make the
Winklers and herself rich; Michael Rapaport, Tony Darrow, and Jon
Lovitz as Ray's gang; Hugh Grant in a perfect role for him as a
snobby but conniving art expert who has the job of teaching Frenchy
culture and maybe gaining a fortune out of it; and Elaine Stritch as
Chi Chi Potter, a wealthy dame from whom Ray plans to heist a
valuable necklace. Ullman is, as usual, wonderful as the low-class
Frenchy who by dint of extreme wealth has become a society woman
dreaming of being a cognoscente. However, the movie is one of Woody
Allen's failures. For one thing, despite the success of his last film
"Sweet and Lowdown," here Allen seems to have lost his wonderful
comic timing. Many of the jokes fall flat, although there are the
usual great scenes of New York and the occasional hysterical takeoff
on high culture. When it has to be noted that the sets and the
photography are among the best things in the film, you know this
Woody Allen film has taken a wrong turn. DVD ***
(12/22/00)
"Anywhere
But Here"-Based on the Mona Simpson
novel and directed by Wayne Wang, this is yet another tale of a wacky
mother who has difficulty relating to others and who drags her
seemingly more mature teenage daughter from a small town in the
midwest to California to serve her own dreams. Leaving family and
husband (her daughter's stepfather) behind in Bay City, WI, Adele
August (Susan Sarandon) drags her reluctant 14 year old daughter, Ann
(Natalie Portman), to Beverly Hills, where they wind up, as in other
such films, living in the poor end of town and then struggling to
keep the lights on. Adele is smart but clearly wacky and extremely
annoying and has baseless dreams of turning her daughter into an
actress, and yet at the same time she seems to be raising a daughter
who is smart and pretty self-confident. What makes this film any
success at all, considering that the story is almost a cliche (see my
review of "Tumbleweeds," for example), are the outstanding
performances of Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman, both extremely
convincing. Other notables are Shawn Hatosy as Benny, Ann's ill-fated
cousin, and Corbin Allred as Peter, the California boy with a crush
on Ann. DVD ***
(12/17/00).
"Scary
Movie"-This is an example of the state
of the American film and American culture and it is truly
frightening. No, not because of the attempted takeoff of the American
horror film, but rather because of the incredibly inept and vulgar
nature of this film. If you want to see virtually every "joke" about
bodily functions and body parts that were not normally in the past
discussed or shown on the movie screen, this is the film for you.
Keenen Ivory Wayans, who directed this film, and which stars two of
his brothers, thinks this is a funny movie. It's not. And it's not
that horror movies can't be made fun of, but this film simply takes
the basic outlines of one scare flick,"I Know What You Did Last
Summer," and adds in absolutely awful sight gags and incredibly
excessive bathroom and sexual humor. This movie defines the term
"tasteless." DVD *
(12/15/00)
"The
Replacements"-This sounds like the name
of a good Irish film about a wacky band, doesn't it? But no, let's
get right to the point. This is an incredibly mediocre film about a
group of replacement football players for a professional team in
Washington, DC. Even the actors are cliches. Jack Warden is the owner
who thinks he can win even with a ragtag bunch of also-rans. Gene
Hackman is the new coach (not his first coaching assignment--didn't
he coach basketball once?) who is tough but warm-hearted. The
unbelievably stiff Keanu Reeves is the replacement quarterback
brought back from an ignominious college career. There is, of course,
also the beautiful head cheerleader who has the look of love for
Reeves in almost every scene. There are the classic stereotypical
oafs who make up the new team and who go almost immediately from a
bumbling bunch of fools to a winning team. And finally, there is the
embarrassing bunch of former strippers, now cheerleaders, who seem to
show up in every other scene showing off their assets. Need I say
more? DVD **
(12/8/00)
"Winter
Sleepers"-Made the year before "Run Lola
Run" by the director Tom Tykwer, and not quite as successful as that
film, "Winter Sleepers" brings to mind a slew of descriptive terms,
including mysterious, cold, haunting, and painful. It's the story of
a group of young people in the Bavarian Alps and a nearby farmer
whose lives are intermingled in multiple romantic and tragic ways.
While the opening credits and music remind one immediately of "Lola,"
this film is actually quite different. It is rather slow and
deliberate, beautifully filmed in the snowy landscapes of this
mountainous terrain. Marco (Heino Ferch) is an aimless ski instructor
having an affair with the lovely Rebecca (Floriane Daniel) who is
living with a nurse, Laura (Marie-Lou Sellem). Laura meets and is
attracted to René (Ulrich Matthes), the local movie
projectionist who mysteriously photographs much of the things and
events he encounters in life. Even before meeting Laura, René
has already inadvertently crossed the others' paths and been the
cause of a tragic motor vehicle accident involving a local farmer,
Theo (Josef Bierbichler) who was hauling his horse to a vet but did
not know that his young daughter was in the trailer. Theo seeks the
identity of the driver of the other car and desires revenge. A study
of, among other things, aimlessness and desire, "Winter Sleepers"
also delves into the emotions of a man whose life has been shattered
by a single moment and who cannot rest until his pain is somehow
satiated. DVD ***1/2
(12/2/00)
"Gladiator"-If
nothing else, the motion picture form has provided millions of
viewers the opportunity to see things and places that they could only
imagine. And in this sense, movies are genuine magic. Even without a
great script, an old-fashioned epic about the ancient world is
usually worth the price for this reason alone. "Gladiator," directed
by Ridley Scott ("Thelma and Louise," "Blade Runner," and "Alien")
doesn't fail in this regard. Beginning with one of the bloodiest and
most spectacular battles ever filmed (the Romans conquering Germania
in the second century), "Gladiator" tells a tale of the Rome of the
Antonines, but one that is only very loosely related to actual
history. Russell Crowe is dynamic and overpowering as Maximus, a
Roman general who is favored by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius
Antoninus, but who is soon the victim of a murder plot following the
emperor's death and his succession by his evil son Commodus (Joaquin
Phoenix). Maximus survives, ultimately winding up as a slave and
gladiator, and dreams of revenge against Commodus for the horrible
deaths of his wife and young son. Loaded with the inherent violence
natural to a plot of this sort, which in most cases is done with as
little gore as necessary (there are significant exceptions, including
several beheadings), "Gladiator" takes us into such magical places as
the Colisseum of Rome, miraculously recreated on film. The battle
scenes on the floor of the Colisseum rival the chariot race of "Ben
Hur" in their epic nature.The cast is good, including such fine
actors as Derek Jacobi as Gracchus, a Roman Senator who sides with
Maximus and Commodus' sister, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), Richard
Harris as Marcus Aurelius, and Djimon Hounsou ("Amistad") as Juba, a
charming gladiator sidekick for Maximus. One of the best performances
is that by the British actor Oliver Reed as Proximo, the slave owner
and cynic who ultimately gives his life for the cause. Reed, who was
61, died shortly after the end of filming and the movie is dedicated
to him. The DVD version has a complete second DVD loaded with
features, including details about the making of the film. For sheer
spectacular entertainment, "Gladiator" is recommended. DVD ****
(11/22/00)
"East
Is East"-Billed as a "comedy," but more
of a tragicomedy, "East Is East" describes a world of cultural
divide. Om Puri is George Khan, a Pakistani who came to England in
1937, married an Englishwoman (Linda Bassett), had seven children,
and suddenly in 1971 decides to force his family into living as if
they had been born and raised in Pakistan. His hip, modern English
kids who wear up-to-date clothes, eat food not approved by their
father's religion, and just generally do things of which George would
not approve, obviously are not going to stand for it, especially in
the form of arranged marriages, and this creates the tension that is
omnipresent in this film. Not always easy to understand, with both
thick Pakistani and British accents, nevertheless the theme is
extremely clear. The father attempts to overwhelm his family,
seemingly never realizing that this may cost him his entire
family. I enjoyed this film, but
regretted a little too much in the way of offensive language and
bathroom realism. Otherwise, in execution and theme superior to most
American films. DVD ***1/2
(11/21/00)
"Chicken
Run"-With images reminding one of "The
Great Escape," this delightful claymation comedy directed by Nick
Park and other creators of the Wallace and Gromit series tells the
tale of Ginger, a hen who dreams of freeing herself and her fellow
chickens from the land of Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy, the evil pair who runs
the chicken farm like it was "Stalag 17." Despite repeated attempts
to escape, only to be thrown into solitary confinement, Ginger
ultimately meets up with Rocky, a "flying" American rooster who
promises to teach the British hens how to fly away to freedom. But
it's not that simple. The claymation animation is astonishing. The
voices are delightful, led by Mel Gibson as Rocky and Julie Sawalha
as Ginger. Notable others are Timothy Spall as a conniving rat, Jane
Horrocks ("Little Voice") as a simple-minded hen, and Miranda
Richardson as the ominous Mrs. Tweedy. The DVD contains a wonderful
short about the making of the film (highly recommended). The plot has
its cliches but in this format it is truly memorable. DVD ****
(11/20/00)
"Annie
Get Your Gun (1950)"-I had been
searching for this classic MGM musical since the advent of video, but
it was not to be found. I discovered that Irving Berlin, who wrote
the delightful music and songs, didn't care for the film and had
prevented its release. But now, at long last, the 1950 version has
been released on video for the first time ever (both VHS and DVD).
Judy Garland was originally to play Annie Oakley and Frank Morgan
(The Wizard of "Oz") was to play Col. Buffalo Bill, but Morgan died
early in the filming and Garland was having severe health problems
and was dropped from the film. Louis Calhern was brought in to be
Buffalo Bill and Betty Hutton was the superb choice to replace
Garland as Annie Oakley, with Howard Keel as Frank Butler, the man of
Annie's dreams. The film is ripe for criticism. It's ultra-corny and
amazingly politically incorrect. The portrayal of American Indians is
insulting and embarrassing, even including a scene of Sitting Bull
(J.Carrol Naish) greeting someone with the amazingly silly term
"Ugh!" And it wouldn't be a film made at mid-century if it didn't
have a theme of the woman (Annie) being subservient to the man
(Frank). But the music and the performers' enthusiasm provides this
film with a great deal of redeeming value, including an incredibly
joyous performance by Betty Hutton and the absolutely luscious songs
of Irving Berlin. Watch this film and you'll get to see and hear
"Doing What Comes Natur'lly," "There's No Business Like Show
Business," "You Can't Get A Man With A Gun," and "I Got The Sun in
the Morning." Alternating between love and "hate," Hutton and Keel
wind up with one of those delightful show stoppers when they tell
each other "I Can Do Anything Better Than You." The DVD just released
includes two outtakes of Judy Garland playing the role before she was
dropped. She looked listless and uninterested and its obvious why
Arthur Freed brought in Betty Hutton to take over. Another performer
to watch is Keenan Wynn who gets the film off to a rousing start with
the extremely catchy march "Colonel Buffalo Bill" complete with
marching band, pretty girls, and horseback riders. Despite its
significant flaws, "Annie Get Your Gun" is a classic of the old
1950's MGM musicals and I highly recommend it for those who have any
interest in the genre. DVD ****
(11/17/00)
"U-571"-Loaded
with special effects and realistic sets, but having virtually no
substance, this World War II flick tells the tale of a group of
American submariners sent to capture an "enigma" coding machine from
an injured German U-boat, only to find themselves in the midst of a
dramatic battle with a German destroyer. Matthew McConaughey stars as
Lieutenant Tyler who winds up as the sub captain in dire straits.
Others of note are Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel (looking out of place
in an unkinky film), David Keith, and Jon Bon Jovi. I was so
underwhelmed by this film that I almost had no desire to write about
it. If you're young and haven't seen loads of WWII naval flicks, you
might enjoy this. But otherwise, it's cliched and, frankly, dull. DVD
**
(11/11/00)
"Mission
Impossible II"-Upon seeing the
excitement of the first few scenes I actually thought this James
Bond-like film could be halfway decent. But no, it ultimately
degenerates into every rock-'em, sock-'em, blow 'em up, car chase
movie you've ever seen. Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt, the latest superman
who can climb rocks with barely any handholds being available, make
love to beautiful women, crash and fight to the death with virtually
no sign of injury or even loss of breath other than a couple of
scratches on his face, and save the heroine in the final moments.
Thandie Newton is Nyah Nordoff-Hall, Hunt's love interest and a jewel
thief, brought in by the MI team to learn the whereabouts of a stolen
serum/cure for an artificial but extremely deadly virus manufactured
by a greedy businessman (Brendan Gleeson). Dougray Scott is Sean
Ambrose, the evil serum thief who has no compunctions about killing
thousands of people to gain wealth. The movie is loaded with
unintended laughs. Especially silly are the scenes in which
characters turn out to be individuals other than themselves and
simply tear off their faces in order to reveal their true selves
beneath. This trick is fine the first time, but it's done over and
over and becomes completely predictable. The car chases and
man-to-man fights are utterly overdone and ultimately a big bore. DVD
**
(11/10/00)
"The
Emperor and The Assassin"-Directed by
Chen Kaige ("Farewell My Concubine") and starring Gong Li, China's
leading actress, this spectacular film tells the Shakespearean-style
epic of two men of contrasting desires and sensibilities, one a
leader who wants to unite and pacify but who ultimately becomes a
vicious killer, and the other a man who is already a killer, but
struggles to change his ways after a particularly gruesome and
disturbing assignment as an assassin. King Ying Zheng of Qin who
desires to unite the seven kingdoms of China in 221 B.C, is the
first. Jing Ke, the assassin (Zhang Fengyi), is the second. Zhang
Fengyi not only is an actor with charisma, but he portrays the
character of a man who ranges from cold-hearted destruction for hire
to a deep feeling of remorse and self-hatred for what he has done,
especially in causing the death of a young girl. Loaded with royal
intrigues among the King, his mother (the Queen Mother) and her lover
the Marquis, the Prince of Yan, the Kings of Zhao and Han, Ying
Zheng's lover, Lady Zhao (Gong Li), and ultimately Jing Ke, this
gorgeously photographed film also contains some of the most exciting
battle sequences I have ever seen on film. Li XueJian is brilliant as
the King, a part that requires a multitude of moods and expressions.
Gong Li is worth the price of the film. She is radiant and once again
demonstrates her already-proven acting ability and charm which
literally makes the screen glow. Very highly recommended. DVD ****1/2
(11/5/00)
"Frequency"-The
screenwriter, Toby Emmerich, has created a tale of what he calls
"science fantasy." Dennis Quaid stars as Frank Sullivan, a New
York City firefighter in October 1969 who has a lovely wife
(Elizabeth Mitchell) and a young son, and who sits down one night at
his ham radio during the Aurora Borealis and finds himself talking to
his son 30 years in the future. The son, John Sullivan (James
Caviezel), is a cop who remembers that his father died in a warehouse
fire. After convincing him of his identity, the son sets in motion a
series of events in the past that will bring profound changes in the
present. Of course, the story requires that the son remember the
before and after, for otherwise there would be no story. Centered
around the Amazing New York Mets World Series championship of that
October, "Frequency," has some glaring weaknesses, including the
fairly slow and choppy pacing, silly NY accents, and sometimes
moribund acting. While it cleverly turns into a cop/serial-killer
thriller, it's all too easy to look at the silly aspects of the plot
and laugh. It had its moments and was a good try. (The DVD has some
interesting material on scientific aspects of the film, including the
Aurora Borealis and time travel). DVD ***
(11/4/00)
"The
Patriot"- This Mel Gibson film is as
corny as Kansas in August, but I still enjoyed it by total suspension
of any seriousness. In fact, it's simply "Braveheart" (with a little
"Titus" thrown in) set in the Revolutionary South Carolina of 1776,
with a monstrously evil British officer for the viewer to hate, and
Superman Mel (Lethal Weapon again?) for one to admire. And it's even
got the usual cliche that one finds in cop flicks as the bad guy goes
after the hero's family. Gibson plays Col. Benjamin "The Ghost"
Martin, a widower with a bunch of chidren and a sense of family
responsibility who is dragged into the Revolution by Col. William
Tavington (Jason Isaacs), one of the most revolting villains to come
along in a long time and who causes mortal harm to members of
Martin's family. The film is loaded with violence, but then again it
is about war. Although lush and beautifully filmed, some of the
scenery, especially the background paintings, are obviously fake; the
film is loaded with button-pushing; and the black residents of South
Carolina appear a little too upbeat considering the circumstances of
slavery at that particular time in history. But those things aside,
the film has enjoyable performances by Tom Wilkinson as the
ultra-egotistical, ultra-confident General Cornwallis; Joely
Richardson as the sister of Col. Martin's late wife who obviously
pines for him and cares for his children while he's fighting (and who
sounds just like her mother, Vanessa Redgrave); Heath Ledger, a young
attractive Australian newcomer, as Martin's oldest son Gabriel; and
Chris Cooper as Col. Burwell of the Revolutionary forces. DVD ***1/2
(10/28/00)
"Keeping
The Faith"-Two boys and a girl who are
friends in New York City at age 12 grow up to be, respectively, a
rabbi (Ben Stiller), a priest (Edward Norton), and a hot-shot
businesswoman from California (Jenna Elfman). The rabbi and priest
remain friends despite differences in religious affiliation, and
ultimately are reunited with the young lady. Not surprisingly, since
this is a movie, this leads to an unusual romantic triangle. Despite
the unlikely nature of the theme, I enjoyed this film probably
because of the humor which is congenial, the pleasant performances,
and the nice photography of New York. Norton and Stiller do a nice
job as the priest and rabbi. Elfman is simply irresistible as the
young lady in the middle. And the film is full of good performances
by such old-timers as Eli Wallach as a rabbi, Anne Bancroft as the
mother of the young rabbi, and Milos Forman as a priest. Although the
film gets a little draggy in the middle and involves religious
characters, I'd sum it up by saying it's fairly secular and a good
time was had by all. DVD ***
(10/20/00)
"Rules
of Engagement"-Starring two old pros,
Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by another,
William Friedkin ("The Exorcist"), this military film has a somewhat
cliched plot about Marine Colonel Terry Childers (Jackson) accused of
killing a large crowd of demonstrators who are storming the American
embassy in Yemen, while he is in the process of trying to rescue the
ambassador (Ben Kingsley) and his wife (Anne Archer). Childers turns
to his old friend Colonel Hayes Hodges (Jones), a somewhat
unsuccessful military lawyer whose life had been saved by Childers in
Vietnam. The action scenes in Yemen are realistic and exciting. No
question. But when the film turns to the court martial, there are
just too many cliches, such as the evil National Security Advisor
(Bruce Greenwood) who isn't interested in justice; the tough
prosecutor (Guy Pearce--hardly recognizable from the role he played
in "L.A. Confidential") who has some level of integrity; the
witnesses who find it all too easy to fudge the truth; and the
stirring closing address to the jury by Hodges, the defense lawyer
who overcomes his initial doubts about his ability to handle the
case. The situation raises classic issues about the difference
between killing in war and murder. But this film doesn't answer any
of those questions. "Rules of Engagement" is certainly viewable, but
that's about all one can say. ***
(10/14/00)
"Shanghai
Noon"-Having read some favorable
comments about this kung fu film starring Jackie Chan, I decided to
give it a try, and was pleasantly surprised up to a point. From an
extremely lowbrow point of view, "Shanghai Noon" has some humorous
features, including a fairly amusing script and two quite funny
performances by Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson. Chan is Chon Wang (get
it?), an Imperial guard sent to the Old West to bring back Princess
Pei Pei (Lucy Liu) who has been lured there by an evil former
Imperial guard. He meets up with a gang of bumbling outlaws led by
the least likely one of all, Roy O'Bannon (Wilson) and they join
together to rescue the princess. Chan and Wilson are a comedy team
obviously trying to rank up there with the best.
On the DVD, Chan actually is compared to Buster
Keaton. Well, I don't think so. But at least he's trying and not
taking himself too seriously. The martial arts scenes are somewhat
repetitive and ultimately boring, but the production values of this
film are good, including especially the photography. I wasn't
expecting much and so I enjoyed it. But if you're looking for
substance, this is NOT for you. DVD ***
(10/13/00)
"East/West"-This
harrowing and powerful film (in French and Russian with subtitles)
begins in 1946 with a group of Russian exiles returning to their
homeland at the invitation of the Stalinist government. It doesn't
take them long to realize that they have made a tragic mistake. Oleg
Menchikov stars as Alexei, a physician who has convinced his French
wife Marie (Sandrine Bonnaire) to come to Russia with their young
son. Virtually immediately realizing what they have lost, they are
nevertheless in the midst of one of the most oppressive police states
on earth and must watch every word and movement. If one could ever
appreciate freedom from a movie, this one will do it. It is as if
this family has voluntarily walked into its own prison and the pain
is palpable. Not only must these people deal with the mistake they
have made in returning to this horribly oppressive society, but they
must also deal with the stresses on their marriage. Ultimately, Marie
meets a French actress (Catherine Deneuve) touring in Russia who will
play a role in her ultimate effort to return to freedom, but the trip
is very long and painful. The acting is universally outstanding. The
film is beautifully paced and photographed. Most impressive is a
handsome young Russian actor, Sergei Bodrov, Jr., who plays Sasha, a
young freedom-loving swimmer Marie befriends after his grandmother is
killed by the authorities. This one is highly recommended. DVD ****
(10/9/00)
"High
Fidelity"-This is John Cusack's film. He
not only stars, but co-wrote the screenplay (based upon the British
novel by Nick Hornby) and co-produced. And it's got his usual wacky
charming touch. Cusack is Rob, a slightly messed-up young Chicago guy
who owns a record store named Championship Vinyl in a somewhat
rundown neighborhood, but who seems to let the store be run mostly by
his two employees, the amusingly nerdy Dick (Todd Louiso) and the
hyper and hysterically funny Barry (Jack Black), both obsessed by the
pop music of the last few years. The fact that Rob's store is not
terribly successful isn't his main concern. No, it's his social life
and it appears to Rob that he hasn't been doing very well at it. His
current live-in girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle) is moving out and Rob,
talking directly to the audience, tells of his past succeeding top
five unsuccessful loves. It's one of many top five lists that we hear
about, but this is the important one at the moment. In the process
Rob learns quite a bit about himself. The cast is loaded with
appealing co-stars, including Tim Robbins, Lisa Bonet, Joan Cusack,
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lili Taylor, Natasha Gregson Wagner, and Sara
Gilbert as people crossing the paths of either Rob, Laura, or Dick
and Barry. Iben Hjejle, a beautiful blonde Danish actress, appears in
her first American film and I suspect not her last. She's very
appealing as the current source of Rob's pain and desire, and is so
"American" one would never guess she was foreign-born. "High
Fidelity" is directed by British director Stephen Frears, who also
directed Cusack in "The Grifters." Overall I found this to be a very
amusing film about the different attitudes of young men and women in
social relationships and the pain often felt upon breakups and
searches for new loves. DVD ***1/2
(10/6/00)
"Mission
To Mars"-There must be a point in the
career of an actor with talent when he or she stops appearing only in
first-rate films and starts to accept junky roles. This film,
directed by Brian De Palma, is a good example. Starring Tim Robbins,
Gary Sinise, and Don Cheadle, all excellent with good material, this
mission to Mars is a bomb. Every cliche in the science fiction book
has been thrown into this film which comes across, at first, as a
very junior league "2001" and then turns into an extremely minor
league "Close Encounters." What it is primarily missing is a decent
script with some original ideas, although a few bucks for better sets
might have helped. Armin Mueller-Stahl appears as a NASA commander
with a very thick accent. Mueller-Stahl probably realized how bad
this material was and is not credited. This is one movie to miss. DVD
*1/2 (9/24/00)
"I
Dreamed of Africa"-This could have been
a better film. Unfortunately, other than having beautiful scenery of
Africa (filmed mostly in South Africa), it is shockingly mediocre
with a very weak script, stilted acting, and an incredibly bad job of
editing, especially through the first half of the film. This is the
true story of Kuki Gallman, an Italian woman who emigrated with her
second husband, Paolo, and her son, Emanuele (from her first
marriage), to Kenya in 1973, to live on a cattle ranch. The film
begins with Kuki and Paolo being involved in a terrible car accident
and surviving, getting to know each other as a result. Never does the
film make clear that another woman in the car was Paolo's first wife
who was killed in the accident. The early scenes in Kenya jump around
with little or no continuity. Never are we told when this is taking
place (I learned more about Kuki Gallman from an Internet interview
than I did from the film) or are we given any idea of the time
passing other than the fact that Kuki's son Emanuele gets older.
Although Ms. Gallman was born and raised in Italy and has a genuine
Italian accent, she is played by Kim Basinger with a perfect American
accent and her mother is portrayed by Eva Marie Saint. One could
easily have thought from this film that Ms. Gallman and her mother
were Americans living in Italy. Vincent Perez plays Paolo, the
ill-fated husband, who is obsessed with danger. But Perez, although
handsome, provides little excitement. The best performance in the
film comes from Liam Aiken, who plays the young Emanuele, a boy with
a passion for snakes. One example of weakness in the script comes
when Paolo shows Kuki a ball hanging from a string above their bed
and tells her that there is an important message inside. She will
know when to break the ball (or "egg" as he calls it) and see the
message. While the ball hangs above the bed throughout the movie,
Kuki never opens it and we are left wondering why they bothered to
make such a fuss about it. DVD **1/2
(9/8/00)
"American
Psycho"-Based on the excoriated Bret
Easton Ellis novel of the same name, and directed by Mary Harron ("I
Shot Andy Warhol"), this portrait of a serial killer turns out to be
a somewhat biting social commentary on the 1980's yuppie period.
British actor Christian Bale is surprisingly memorable as Patrick
Bateman, one of a group of Wall Street types with little on their
minds except the empty banality of their lives: looks, clothing,
dinner reservations, business cards, apartments, women as objects,
etc. Although the film could hardly avoid violence, it isn't
overwhelmed by it until some excess at the end. Meanwhile, Bale gives
a fairly comic performance as a man who admits to being totally
surface with nothing inside. Reese Witherspoon, as Bateman's fiance
Evelyn, seems to have picked up where her performance in "Election"
left off. Chloe Sevigny is perfectly charming as Bateman's naive
secretary Jean. DVD ***
(9/5/00)
"Simpatico"-Based
on a play by Sam Shepard, "Simpatico" tells the story of three people
whose lives were forever intertwined by youthful greed while in the
horse business in California. Carter (Jeff Bridges), married to Rosie
(Sharon Stone), is a wealthy horse owner in Kentucky. He is summoned
to California by Vinnie (Nick Nolte), an obviously down-on-his-luck
character. Carter leaves Kentucky in a rush in the middle of a sale
of his triple-crown winning horse, Simpatico. What unwinds is a
revelation of guilt that ultimately concludes in bringing some level
of justice to all three. Bridges and Nolte work well together. Sharon
Stone is sufficiently unglamorous as the woman in the middle of the
greedy plans and Albert Finney is excellent as Simms, the horse
commissioner whose life was almost destroyed by the three. Others of
note are Catherine Keener as Cecilia, Vinnie's friend in California
who ultimately makes it, as dreamed, to the Kentucky Derby; and
Kimberly Williams as the young Rosie. Although the scenery and
photography is natural, the script and performances sound a little
too much like the Shepard play upon which the film is based. DVD ***
(9/3/00)
"Any
Given Sunday"-Director Oliver Stone
knows how to make a film with all of the visual elements necessary
for excitement: vibrant color and photography, spectacular action,
sharp scene shifts, and spicy scenes and script. This film is loaded
with all of these elements, starting out with one of the most
exciting and painful pro football games ever photographed. The
biggest criticism is that he overdoes it, to the point that it starts
to become tiresome towards the end of the film. But meanwhile, we see
the story of Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino), the aging tough football coach
of the Miami Sharks who is being hounded by the young beautiful
owner/general manager Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz) to produce a
winner. After the also-aging star quarterback, "Cap" Rooney (Dennis
Quaid), goes down with a disk injury, in comes the young,
insufferably arrogant but talented Willie Beamen (Jamie Foxx) to get
the Sharks moving towards the playoffs. This film does not fall
within the genre of Oliver Stone political films, but it is certainly
intended to be a commentary on our culture and society which
overvalues sports heroes, obsesses over winning and violence, and is
losing whatever real culture it may have. One small, but telling
scene shows Coach D'Amato talking to the young Quarterback Beamen on
an airplane. Beamen is listening to rap and the coach tries to
encourage him to listen to jazz. Beamen looks at him like he's an
alien. This is another perfect role for Pacino who gets to strut and
talk loudly in his classic raspy voice, but fortunately he doesn't
overdo it. Jamie Foxx is first-rate as the young QB who gains some
level of humility towards the end. Other notable performances are
those of LLCoolJ as one of the players, James Woods as an unethical
team doctor, Matthew Modine as the other team doctor who is ethical,
Jim Brown as one of the coaches, Lawrence Taylor as "Shark" Lavay,
Lela Rochon as the woman Beamen rejects after he gains stardom,
Lauren Holly as an extremely pushy football wife, and, yes, Oliver
Stone as one of the TV announcers. DVD ***1/2
(9/2/00)
"Reindeer
Games"-Ben Affleck is Rudy, a car thief
who has just been released from prison and finds Ashley (Charlize
Theron) waiting outside for his just-murdered cellmate, Nick (James
Frain). It doesn't take long for Rudy to tell the gorgeous Ashley
that he is Nick, and, as a result, soon finds himself in the middle
of one of the silliest, most muddled caper films ever made. Gary
Sinise is the apparent leader of a group of truckdriver thugs who
want Rudy, thinking he's Nick, to show them how to pull a heist at a
snowy Michigan casino. You can only imagine the mess that ensues from
this gang that couldn't shoot straight. Not only do they make a mess,
but the film, with ridiculous and illogical twists and turns, is a
mess. One of the gang members is Isaac Hayes. Not recommended. DVD
*1/2
(8/25/00)
"Titus"-Julie
Taymor, the director, known particularly for directing "The Lion
King" on Broadway, is the real star of this rather astonishing and
disturbing film. Done in a very stylistic manner, not surprising for
Taymor, which involves using objects of different time periods (e.g.,
chariots ride alongside motor vehicles in this story of ancient
Rome), this is a 2 1/2 hour version of Shakespeare's much longer
"Titus Andronicus" with many amazing visuals. But mostly, this is the
ultimate commentary on violence, whether it be the violence of war,
religious ritual, domesticity, and ultimately vengeance. I saw this
in the DVD version which includes an entire DVD devoted to the making
of the film. In it, Taymor says that if the film's violence
dominates, then she has failed. I'm not certain she succeeded as it
very hard to ignore the sometimes horrifying images of violence. The
cast is excellent. Anthony Hopkins is Titus who returns from war with
the Goths bringing along many of his dead sons. Ritually and brutally
killing one of the sons of the captured Goth Queen Tamora (Jessica
Lange), despite her pleas, Titus sets in motion events that will
almost destroy his own family. Tamora soon becomes the Empress of
Rome, marrying Emperor Saturninus (played delightfully and wickedly
by the wonderful Alan Cumming), bringing along her two useless sons
Chiron and Demetrius as well as the evil Moor Aaron (an outstanding
performance by Harry Lennix). Tamora plots to destroy Titus and his
family, and an unbelievably cruel act of mutilation against Titus'
daughter Lavinia (Laura Fraser) ultimately leads Titus and his
remaining family members to plot their own "delicious" revenge
against Tamora. Taymor deserves an award just for the incredible
amount of work that went into this film, much of which is described
in the accompanying DVD. Most of the film was made on location in
Rome, including at the old Cinecitta studios of Federico Fellini.
Recommended as an experience that's not likely to be repeated anytime
soon. DVD ****
(8/19/00)
"Erin
Brockovich"-A young divorced and sexy
mother of three who is desperate for a job; poisoned water in
Hinkley, CA, placed there by a major utility company; an aging and
seemingly dull-witted lawyer; and a surprisingly gentle
Harley-Davidson fan, provide the basic elements for this film
starring Julia Roberts as the real-life Erin Brockovich (who appears
in the film as a waitress in an early scene). Roberts gets to wear
lots of mini-skirts and otherwise tight, revealing outfits and
occasionally use raw language. Her Erin Brockovich is like Julia
sexily magnified. Despite the apparently intriguing elements, this
film is surprisingly slow and not terribly dramatic. If you like
looking at Julia Roberts, it's not a bad deal. Aaron Eckhart ("In The
Company of Women") is the babysitting biker. Albert Finney makes Ed
Masry, Brockovich's boss, seem like a lawyer with little likelihood
of success. I thought the best performance was that of Marg
Helgenberger as Donna Jensen, a woman whose life is almost completely
ruined by the poison seeping into her family's water. There is one
particularly delicious scene in which the lawyers representing PG
&E, are sitting in Ed Masry's office and are given drinking
water. Just as the woman attorney is about to drink the water,
Roberts as Brockovich tells her that the water was specially brought
in just for them, implying that it comes directly from Hinkley. Not
surprisingly, the woman puts the glass down. DVD ***
(8/18/00)
"Holy
Smoke!"-Kate Winslet stars as Ruth, a
young Australian woman who, while visiting India, becomes a follower
of a guru, only to be enticed back to Sydney by a fib her mother
tells her about her father's health. Back in Australia, Ruth
discovers that her family has hired an American cult deprogrammer
named PJ Waters (Harvey Keitel). PJ manages to get Ruth to agree to
spend three days alone with him and off they go into the Australian
desert, but things don't turn out quite the way PJ imagined.
Surrounded by and interacting with a rather ditzy family group, Ruth
and PJ find themselves in a psychological battle that raises
questions about just who is doing the deprogramming. Directed by Jane
Campion ("The Piano"), this rather funny film deals with issues of
the nature of beliefs, love, and responsibility, albeit rather
lightly. Rather raunchy in parts (aren't all Harvey Keitel movies
somewhat raunchy?), the film contains an excellent performance by
Kate Winslet and a bizarre character study by Keitel. I was enchanted
with the hysterical performances of the supporting Australian cast.
Not a great film, but certainly worth a look. DVD ***1/2
(8/12/00)
"Ride
With The Devil"-There's no devil in this
film other than the hatred between northerners and southerners in
Missouri during the Civil War. Ang Lee, a native of Taiwan, directed
this film about the cruelty of neighbors towards each other during
the war. Tobey Maguire stars as Jake Roedel, a young man of German
descent but as southern as they come who joins forces with other
loyalists of the Confederate cause to avenge the murder and mayhem of
the Jayhawkers and Federalist troops. He winds up with a group
consisting primarily of Jack Bull Chiles (Skeet Ulrich), his
childhood friend, George Clyde (Simon Baker), a former slaveholder,
and Daniel Holt (Jeffrey Wright), one of Clyde's former slaves who is
so loyal to Clyde that he continues to fight for the southern cause
until Clyde is dead. Seeking shelter in the winter, they meet a young
widow named Sue Lee Shelley (Jewel Kilcher) who initially is
attracted to Jack Bull but who ultimately finds herself with one of
the others. Some of the acting in this film is amateurish, and
several parts move rather slowly, but it is still an entertaining
western-style film with at least a minimal point to make. Tobey
Maguire once again shows a limited range in his acting, although he
is certainly pleasant to watch. On the other hand, Jeffrey Wright,
who has appeared on Broadway, is excellent as "Holt" and Jewel is
quite good in the role of the attractive young widow. It's not clear
what Ang Lee is up to, having now directed three films in a row which
have absolutely nothing to do with his native Chinese culture ("Sense
and Sensibility" and "The Ice Storm" being the other two). DVD ***
(8/6/00)
"Beautiful
People"-From the opening scene in which
two former Bosnian neighbors meet on a London bus and immediately
begin to pummel each other, this absolutely delightful and funny film
tells the story of a diverse group of seemingly miserable people who
represent all that there is about the human condition. Griffin Midge
(Danny Nussbaum) is a young aimless Londoner on the edge of the drug
culture who finds himself accidentally parachuted over Bosnia only to
discover his true purpose. Pero (Edin Dzandzanovic) is a former
Yugoslavian who is trying to understand life in England as well as
English and, despite almost being killed in a street accident, winds
up meeting Portia Thornton (Charlotte Coleman), a young upper class
Britisher who is somewhat contemptuous of her parents (Charles Kay
and Rosalind Ayres) and their lives. Dr. Mouldy (Nicholas Farrell) is
in a battle with his wife over his twin sons, but meets a young
Bosnian couple who are about to have a child who is the creation of a
war rape, and provides them with some reasons for happiness. Jerry
Higgins (Gilbert Martin) is a Scottish BBC reporter who is injured in
Bosnia, only to return with the maddening "Bosnian Syndrome." And the
two Bosnian neighbor/enemies from the bus wind up in the same
hospital room with a Welsh firebomber, and you willl have to imagine
what goes on between the three of them and their cheerful nurse
(Linda Bassett). Directed by Jasmin Dizdar, a Bosnian, this is one of
the best, funniest, and most intelligent films in years. A treasure
not to be missed. DVD ****
(8/5/00)
"Boiler
Room"-This film is about people I
loathe. Money-grubbing jerks without an iota of feeling or concern
for other human beings. It's a film about the ultimate small-time
carnivores of the world of finance. Giovanni Ribisi is excellent as
Seth, a "nice" Jewish boy from Queens whose father, with whom he has
had a rough relationship, just happens to be a federal judge. Seth is
the kind of nice kid who just happens to run a gambling casino in his
apartment. But after his father expresses outrage at his chosen
"occupation," he is tempted by the slick Greg (Nicky Katt), a casino
customer, into becoming a trainee "broker" in a sleazy firm that
preys on the innocents who cannot resist the sweet-talking of
bullshit artists on the telephone. There is a minor and incomplete
sideplot about Seth's relationship with the beautiful Abby (Nia
Long), the company receptionist who makes $80,000 a year and who
happens to be the ex-girlfriend of Seth's rival, Greg. Seth realizes
fairly quickly what is really going on behind the scenes of this
"chop shop" operation, but it is certainly a commentary on his
character that he shows little desire to do what's right until his
hand is forced. Others of note in the cast are Vin Diesel as one of
the other "brokers," Ben Affleck as the lead trainer of the firm, Ron
Rifkin as Seth's father, and Taylor Nichols as Harry, one of the poor
suckers who allows Seth to almost destroy his life. DVD ***
(7/29/00)
"Angela's
Ashes"-I had heard that this film was
unremittingly depressing, and depressing it certainly is. The McCourt
family, living in utter poverty in Brooklyn loses its only daughter,
a baby, to illness and returns to Limerick, Ireland, only to lose two
more children to filth and poverty. Alan Parker ("Evita" and
"Mississippi Burning"), the director, has provided us with a view of
Limerick that borders on a vision of hell. It is dirty, dreary,
depressed, and soaked with constant rains. But in this miserable
world, young Frank McCourt has the brains and pluck to succeed and
with a little luck, he will along with his younger brother Malachy.
Emily Watson ("Breaking The Waves") is utterly natural by
underplaying the misery of McCourt's mother, Angela. Robert Carlyle
("The Full Monty"), overcoming his incredibly thick natural Scottish
accent, is outstanding as the Northern Irish alcoholic but loving
father who ultimately fails the family totally. And there are
magnificent and utterly natural performances from three young actors
as Frank: Joe Breen as the young Francis, Ciaran Owens as the middle
Frank, and Michael Legge as the 16 year-old Frank who ultimately
returns to New York. Loaded with wonderful characters and
performances, this film version of Frank McCourt's book, does a fine
job of demonstrating what he had to overcome to reach his current
renown. DVD ****
(7/28/00)
"All
About My Mother"-Spanish director Pedro
Almodóvar, has created this wonderful homage to women,
actresses, men who play women, the classic "All About Eve," and so
on, and it is memorable. Cecilia Roth, a beautiful Argentine actress,
plays Manuela, a woman who ran into the wrong "man" in the past but
who came out of the relationship with a son she adores but tragically
loses as the film begins. This sets her on a trip from Madrid to
Barcelona to seek out the father of her
son. Manuela becomes enmeshed in the lives of old and new friends,
including Agrado (Antonia San Juan), a partial transexual female
whore; Sister Rosa (Penelope Cruz), a pregnant and dying nun; Huma
and Nina (Marisa Paredes and Candela Peña), two lesbian
actresses; and Lola (Toni Cantó), the somewhat female "father"
of the offspring of the film. Certainly a bizarre bunch, but
nevertheless marvelously and delightfully human. This beautiful film
is highly recommended. DVD ****
(7/27/00)
"Mansfield
Park"-What a delightful surprise. This
is without a doubt the best Jane Austen film I have seen. Directed by
Patricia Rozema, this witty film is the story of Fanny Price (Frances
O'Connor), a poor niece of Lady Bertram of Mansfield Park who is sent
to live with her aunt's family as a young girl and develops into a
lovely and intelligent, but extremely independent young woman.
Developing an early attachment to her cousin Edmund (Jonny Lee
Miller), Fanny is nevertheless sought after by the young rake Henry
Crawford (Alessandro Nivola) who arrives with his beautiful sister
Mary Crawford (Embeth Davidtz), a pair undoubtedly aiming at conquest
among the Bertrams. The ins and outs of love and intrigue are
delightfully portrayed by a charming and bright cast of young actors,
inspired undoubtedly by two of their elders. Harold Pinter (yes, him)
is wonderful as Sir Thomas Bertram who, as a slave owner in Antigua,
may or may not have some evil secrets. Lindsay Duncan is magnificent
playing two roles, first as the sleepily dull Lady Bertram and second
as her poverty stricken sister, Mrs. Price. Of the younger actors,
Frances O'Connor is outstanding as Fanny Price, a true find for
quality films and someone I certainly hope we see again. Although
containing many of the typical Jane Austen themes as in "Pride and
Prejudice," "Sense and Sensibility," and "Emma," this story seemed to
stand out as being just a little above the crowd. The photography is
gorgeous. This is a first-rate production and is highly recommended.
DVD ****
(7/14/00)
"My
Dog Skip"-Willie Morris, who died in
1999, was a significant American writer from Yazoo City, Mississippi,
and an editor at Harper's Magazine. This film is based on the memoir
about his childhood with his pet dog, a terrier named Skip. From the
opening sappy music (the typical maudlin music symbolizing childhood
innocence) to the constant threats of neighborhood bullies and evil
moonshiners, this approximately 90 minute film is not easy to watch,
especially if one is an animal lover. And yet it does have its charm,
as it gradually reveals Morris' tale of how his dog taught him to
grow up. Frankie Muniz is good as the young Willie, whose love for
his dog is absolute except for one regrettable moment. Kevin Bacon
and Diane Lane are Willie's parents but have little to do. Moose, who
is better known as "Eddie" on the TV show "Frazier," is wonderful and
steals the film. DVD ***
(7/13/00)
"Miss
Julie"-Based on the work of August
Strindberg, this play in movie form takes place on a 19th-Century
Swedish estate. The footman, Jean (Peter Mullan), is engaged to one
of the servants, Christine (Maria Doyle Kennedy), but the Countess'
confused daughter Julie (Saffron Burrows) has different ideas as she
attempts to seduce Jean. This is what can only be called a
psychological drama about class and gender. The film contains some
good acting, but had the look and feel of a television special.
Directed by Mike Figgis ("Leaving Las Vegas"). DVD ***
(7/4/00)
"Girl,
Interrupted"-Films about mental
institutions usually bring to mind "Snake Pit," the classic about the
horrors of such places. But this is no "Snake Pit." In fact, it's
downright user-friendly. Winona Ryder plays Susanna Kaysen, a 22 year
old in 1968 who is having some problems, has attempted suicide, and
has been placed in "Claymoore" a Boston-area institution which gives
its patients amazing latitudes. Kaysen finds herself amidst a group
of fairly disturbed young women, certainly more in need of
institutionalization than she does who have surprising freedom to
move about and interact. And among these women she meets Lisa
(Angelina Jolie), an extraordinarily disturbed and yet perceptive
inmate who has a profound effect on her and the other patients.
Director James Mangold has done an excellent job of telling a
difficult tale with little pain to the viewer. What is potentially a
very depressing tale is, while certainly disturbing, in the end
somewhat uplifting. Angelina Jolie is incredibly forceful and dynamic
as Lisa. A role to remember. Ryder does a fine job as a somewhat
disturbed, but mostly confused young woman maturing in an age of
drugs and sexual freedom. Whoopi Goldberg does her usual fine job as
Valerie, the head nurse. Vanessa Redgrave and Jeffrey Tambor are the
institution's psychiatrists. The film contains one historical error.
It shows the draft lottery existing in 1968. That didn't begin until
at last the early 1970's. DVD ****
(7/1/00)
"Liberty
Heights"-This is Director Barry
Levinson's fourth film in his Baltimore series which included
"Diner," "Tin Men," and finally "Avalon." This one, which is
disappointing, tells the rather unlikely story of a 1954 Baltimore
Jewish family in which the father (Joe Mantegna) is in the numbers
racket and runs a strip joint, one son (Ben Foster) is in high school
and attracted to a young black classmate, and the other (Adrien
Brody) has met the golden blonde shiksa of his dreams. Levinson
obviously wanted to tell a story about anti-semitism and racism and
the emerging growth of understanding in the 1950's, but he's put just
a little too much to believe into one tale. The characters are a
little too calm in nerve-wracking situations and a little too
courageous in their efforts to defeat bias and prejudice. Ben Foster
does a fine job as the younger son, and Adrien Brody is charming as
the older son. Bebe Neuwirth plays their mother. DVD ***
(6/25/00)
"Sweet
and Lowdown"-Woody Allen had been in
somewhat of a slump recently, but with this delightful film he's hit
a homerun. Sean Penn magnificently transforms himself into Emmet Ray,
one of the two best guitarists in the world who is obsessed by the
other, Django Reinhardt. Told in semi-documentary style via modern
interviews (including Woody Allen and Nat Hentoff) which set the
stage, this is the story of a musical genius who is definitely an odd
duck. Ray likes women but his idea of a good time is shooting rats
and watching trains go by. Ultimately, he meets Hattie (Samantha
Morton) who is unable to talk but offers him a love and companionship
that Ray simply does not appreciate. Later he mysteriously marries
Blanche (Uma Thurman), a far more sophisticated woman with whom Ray
has little in common. Samantha Morton and Uma Thurman are both
outstanding in these interesting roles. Exquisitely photographed with
marvelously detailed period sets (1930's/1940's) and delightful
music, "Sweet and Lowdown" is a story of a a talented quirky man who
simply does not appreciate the value of
love. DVD ****
(6/24/00)
"The
Green Mile"-Amazingly nominated for an
Oscar for Best Picture (the movie industry should be ashamed of
nominating this and "The Sixth Sense,") this long, drawn-out, bloated
and self-indulgent hokey film is about a 1930's prison guard (Tom
Hanks) who discovers that a very large man on death-row, John Coffey
(Michael Clarke Duncan), is gifted with supernatural powers to rid
people of illness and bring back the almost dead. Hanks and his
fellow death-row prison guards, with one exception, are amazingly
nice and decent for a 1930's Louisiana prison and even look down upon
the one guard who is vicious to the prisoners. Yes, we all know that
this is a fantasy by Stephen King, but this is carrying it just a
little too far. The film devotes an extraordinary amount of time to a
talented mouse and appears to draw out every scene to its agonizing
maximum. We were looking at the clock at the end of the first hour,
wondering what could possibly take up two additional hours. The film
has one redeeming social value and that is its horrifying portrayal
of prison executions, but beware that one execution scene is very
difficult to take. Overall, however, this film is a bust. DVD *1/2
(6/19/00)
"Man
On The Moon"-Directed by Milos Forman,
this is the strange tale of Andy Kaufman of Great Neck, NY, who grew
up to be what can only be described as a "performance artist," a term
that probably had not yet been invented at that time. Kaufman, as
portrayed by Jim Carrey, was one unusual performer, who wanted to
entertain but insisted that the audience enjoy his bizarre sense of
humor and that of his ultimate partner, Bob Zmuda (Paul Giamatti). He
insulted and embarrassed his audience and at times bored them to
death, and occasionally even entertained. Carrey's portrayal appears
authentic, but the film makes it difficult to discern whether Kaufman
was a genius, a savant, or just a lucky but not terribly talented
individual. Excellent performances are provided by Giamatti, Courtney
Love as Kaufman's girlfriend Lynne Margulies, and especially by Danny
DeVito as George Shapiro, Kaufman's agent. DVD ***1/2
(6/18/00)
"Snow
Falling On Cedars"-Based on the novel by
David Guterson, this film directed by Scott Hicks ("Shine") is the
story of a romance between a young white boy named Ishmael and
Japanese girl named Hatsue on a Washington island in Puget Sound
before, during, and after World War II. And it is also the story of a
murder trial around 1950, in which Hatsue's husband Kazuo, an
American WW II veteran, is accused of the murder of a young
German-American fisherman. The theme of justice and prejudice exude
from this rather intense film which stars Ethan Hawke as the boy
Ishmael grown, Youki Koudoh as Hatsue, Rick Yune as Kazuo, Max Von
Sydow as Kazuo's defense attorney, James Rebhorn as the prejudiced
and prejudicial prosecutor, and James Cromwell as the honorable
judge. Sam Shepard is notable as Arthur Chambers, Ishmael's father
and the island's newspaper publisher. While I can't deny that this
film is guaranteed to keep your attention, it deserves some serious
criticism for what I can only call over-the-top atmospherics.
Flashbacks, returns, glimpses of scenes, lush scenery, lush music,
lush photography, and repeated echoes of expressed thoughts seem to
dominate rather than the script. At times the actors seem to be
sleepwalking, especially Hawke who is almost expressionless. DVD ***
(6/3/00)
"Felicia's
Journey"-Often, I find, the most
interesting and intelligent films are barely known by the public.
This is one of them. Directed by Atom Egoyan ("The Sweet Hereafter"),
and based on the novel by Irish writer William Trevor, this is the
story of a young pregnant Irish woman named Felicia
whose boyfriend leaves for England leaving her
only minimal and misleading information about his whereabouts. She
travels alone to Birmingham, England to search, but only discovers
Mr. Hilditch (Bob Hoskins), a seemingly pleasant, softspoken and
helpful caterer who begins to take an unusual interest in Felicia.
This movie is beautifully filmed with wonderful sets and scenery in
both Ireland and England. It is a methodical and yet fascinating view
of a disturbed man told through flashbacks to his childhood with his
TV chef of a mother, Gala (Arsinee Khanjian). The acting is superb.
Bob Hoskins magnificently portrays Hilditch, and young Elaine Cassidy
is a delightful find as Felicia. If you want to see what filmmaking
ought to be all about, I highly recommend this film. DVD ****
(5/27/00)
"Sleepy
Hollow"-Gruesome, horrifying, macabre,
bewitching, and humorous (or at least attempts at humor) are some of
the terms that have to be applied to this Tim Burton (and only Tim
Burton) film based very loosely on "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by
Washington Irving. On the DVD, the menu warns "Heads Will Roll," and
so they do. Johnny Depp plays Constable Ichabod Crane of the New York
City police who is sent to little Sleepy Hollow north of the city to
investigate the beheadings of some important citizens and finds
himself in the middle of a good old-fashioned ghostly murder mystery.
The special effects are, well, special. The horseman is indeed
headless. And for a film of this kind, the cast is quite good. Depp
is a perfect Burton hero, who gets to cringe, look horrified, and
play some tongue-in-cheek scenes (unfortunately, most involving
spraying blood). Christina Ricci, demonstrating growing versatility,
plays the charming Katrina Van Tassel, daughter of the town's
wealthiest man, Baltus Van Tassel (Michael Gambon). Others of note
are Miranda Richardson as the second Mrs. Van Tassel, and an
outstanding British supporting cast including Michael Gough, Jeffrey
Jones, Ian McDiarmid, and Richard Griffiths. Christopher Walken does
his best as the fang-toothed Hessian horseman who becomes the killer
of the tale. For a horror adventure tale, this one is right up there.
DVD ***1/2
(5/26/00)
"The
World Is Not Enough"-There's no point to
summarizing the plot of another James Bond film (a series that began
38 years ago). Suffice it to say that it's about revenge, nuclear
weapons, double-crosses, pretty women, helicopters, submarines and so
on. And for a James Bond flick, it's not bad. There are the usual
exciting situations, although the motor-boat and ski chases are
becoming somewhat of a cliche. The scenery is nice. The gimmicks in
the last film of Q (the late Desmond Llewelyn) are clever, including
a torpedo-laden BMW and a ski jacket that turns into a a protective
ball for an avalanche. Pierce Brosnan is not a bad James Bond,
although the magic just isn't there when he says "Bond, James Bond"
in response to a question as to his name. Sophie Marceau is
sufficiently beautiful as Elektra King, the daughter of a rich tycoon
killed in an explosion at the HQ of MI6. Robert Carlyle ("The Full
Monty") is quite good as the evil Renard. Denise Richards' acting is
somewhat stiff as Dr. Christmas Jones, a gorgeous nuclear bomb
expert. Others of note in the film are Robbie Coltrane as Zukovsky,
Maria Grazia Cucinotta as the assassin who decorates the exciting
opening sequence, and John Cleese as Q's ultimate replacement, R (who
sounded as if he came directly from a Monty Python routine). Finally,
Judi Dench as "M" looks fine back at headquarters in London, but
completely out of place in the field. DVD ***
(5/25/00)
"The
End of the Affair"-London in the rain,
illicit romance, and religious mysticism are the primary elements in
this relatively short (100 minutes) film set during and just after
World War II. Maurice Bendrix (Ralph Fiennes) has fallen for Sarah
Miles (Julianne Moore), the wife of a friend, Henry Miles (Stephen
Rea). The movie describes the love between Maurice and Sarah and the
sudden "end" of the affair following the bombing of the house in
which they are making love during a German raid. Bendrix, a writer,
hires a private investigator and ultimately learns just what caused
Sarah to leave him. Based on the novel by Graham Greene, the film
deals interestingly with religious faith and prayer as well as
cynicism. Despite this, the film still feels somewhat flimsy,
although nicely photographed. DVD ***
(5/20/00)
"Cradle
Will Rock"-With an all-star cast
(Vanessa Redgrave, Hank Azaria, Emily Watson, John Cusack, Joan
Cusack, John Turturro, Susan Sarandon, Ruben Blades, Cary Elwes,
Philip Baker Hall, Bill Murray and the fabulous Cherry Jones), Tim
Robbins has created this marvelous portrayal of the stresses of the
1930's between the left and the right, and between the Federal
Theater Project and the Dies Committee (the predecessor of the House
Un-American Activities Committee). Undoubtedly inspired by the recent
right-wing attacks on the National Endowment for the Arts, Robbins
tells the story of Mark Blitzstein's production for the Federal
Theater Project of "Cradle Will Rock" a depression-era pro-union
musical produced by John Houseman (Cary Elwes) and directed by Orson
Welles (somewhat overplayed by Angus McFadyen). One of the most
telling vignettes concerns the creation by the Mexican artist Diego
Rivera of a mural in Rockefeller Center. When the mural, not
surprisingly, turns into a portrait of the common man being
downtrodden by the capitalist world, with images including that of
Lenin, Nelson Rockefeller (John Cusack) takes appropriate action to
make sure no one will ever see Rivera's work. The scene showing the
destroyed mural is sufficient political commentary alone to carry
this movie. "Cradle Will Rock" also includes a wonderful spontaneous
presentation of the Blitzstein show after the federal government has
locked the Federal Theater Project out of its production. Among the
film's outstanding performances, Bill Murray is wonderful as Tommy
Crickshaw, a confused ventriloquist; Cherry Jones, who more often
appears live on Broadway, is radiant as Hallie Flanagan, head of the
Federal Theater Project; Vanessa Redgrave is delightful as Countess
LaGrange, a wealthy woman whose sympathies lie with the common man;
and Emily Watson is perfect as a homeless woman who ultimately gets
her chance to act and sing. This is an inspiring and wonderful movie.
Highly recommended. DVD ****
(5/19/00)
"Fight
Club"-What begins as an apparent
commentary on modern materialistic society, quickly and typically
turns into a disaster of gratuitous violence and a mess of a plot.
Edward Norton stars as the Narrator, a man with insomnia, a boring
job, and a beautiful IKEA-furnished apartment, who then becomes
addicted to support groups in order to gain peace-of-mind, only to
find himself living in a run-down building with Tyler Durden (Brad
Pitt), a raucous and revolting character whose idea of fun is a good
vicious fight. Helena Bonham Carter also stars as Marla Singer, the
woman in both the Narrator's and Durden's life. Meatloaf appears as
the humorous Robert Paulsen, initially a partner of Norton's in a
testicular cancer support group, and later a follower of Durden's in
the "fight club." Somewhere in here was an attempt at social thought,
but the plot is so confused and overwrought with violence (the scenes
of urban destruction at the end seem mild after the vicious beatings
taken by some of the characters) that any such attempt was soon
wasted. This film is typical of many seen recently which have
promising starts only to deteriorate from an apparent inability of
the film's creators to carry out a coherent theme and plot. Video **
(5/18/00)
"The
Straight Story"-Richard Farnsworth plays
Alvin Straight, an elderly, arthritic, and stubborn man, living with
his daughter Rose (Sissy Spacek), who decides to travel from his home
in Iowa to his brother's home in Wisconsin by lawnmower after hearing
of his brother's stroke. While others propose to drive him or escort
him to a bus, Alvin will have none of it and insists on the rather
bizarre method of driving a lawnmower about five miles an hour,
pulling a small trailer. Along the way, Alvin has adventures, meets
people, some curious and some pleasant and helpful, and manages to
avoid being blown off the road by trucks or being stopped by a police
officer. Farnsworth who is older than Alvin's 73 years, does a fine
job of portraying this elderly persistent gentleman. David Lynch, far
from his days of directing "Blue Velvet" and "Twin Peaks," has
created a European-style movie, slow-moving and verbose, but
nevertheless of continuing interest. Video ***
(5/14/00)
"Mystery,
Alaska"-Hollywood loves to make films
about underdogs in sports who rally to win the big one (to the total
disbelief of most viewers). Well this film seems to be going down
that path, but the ending is a little more reasonable than the usual.
Russell Crowe stars as John Biebe, a local sheriff who plays hockey
in an Alaskan town that is somewhat obsessed with the sport. The
setting is gorgeous and the scenery is lovely (it was filmed in
Calgary, Alberta), but it's highly unlikely that there are many
Alaskan towns like this one (except in Hollywood's imagination). The
town is famous for its Saturday hockey game, and a writer who grew up
there and left for the Big Apple (Hank Azaria as Charles Danner) has
made them famous in "Sports Illustrated." Now he has arranged for the
New York Rangers to come to Mystery to play a game of pond hockey.
Sure it's silly, but it's fun and somewhat charming. Crowe as usual
provides a real presence in the film. Otherwise, it has some nice
turns from Burt Reynolds as the local judge, Lolita Davidovich as the
wayward wife of the mayor, Colm Meaney as Mayor Pitcher, and Mary
McCormack as Biebe's wife who has to fight off an old attraction to
Danner. I was especially taken by the performance of Maury Chaykin as
the town lawyer. DVD ***
(5/14/00)
"Galaxy
Quest"-Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, and
Alan Rickman play the former stars of a science-fiction TV adventure
show who have fallen to the depths of parading around in their silly
costumes doing supermarket openings and fan shows. A group of real
aliens (Thermians), who believe the cast was authentic and the TV
show was merely an historical record, invite the actors to help save
them in a galactic battle against the evil insect General Sarris. The
Thermians have built a spaceship to the exact specifications of the
ship described on the "Galaxy Quest" show and they expect the crew to
be able to handle it and save the day. What do you think happens? I
was a little shocked that actors of the quality of Sigourney Weaver
and Alan Rickman would sink to the depths of playing these pathetic
roles, Weaver especially portraying a blonde bimbo. Tim Allen,
however, seemed perfect for the Captain Kirk-like role. The film is
mindless entertainment and that's about the best thing I can say. DVD
*1/2
(5/6/00)
"Dogma"-Bartleby
(Ben Affleck) and Loki (Matt Damon) are two angels who have been
banished from Heaven and are "dying" to get back. A Catholic church
in New Jersey, under the tutelage of Cardinal Glick (George Carlin)
unknowingly offers them a way back, but if they get there they will
have defied "God," who is supposed to be omnipotent, and all
existence will come to an end. Metatron (Alan Rickman), the voice of
"God," comes to Bethany Sloane (Linda Fiorentino) in Illinois to
inform her that she has been "chosen" to go to New Jersey and stop
them. Along the way in this sort-of road-trip of a film, Bethany runs
into a few demons, including a highly scatalogical one and three
hockey-pucks. She has a host of supporters, including Chris Rock as
Rufus, the 13th Apostle, Selma Hayek as a muse, and Jason Mewes and
Kevin Smith (the director) as two prophets. This film had a lot of
potential for amusement and social or religious commentary, but it
really lost it along the way. Despite some pleasant performances, the
movie is pretty much a hodge-podge of sophomoric silliness. Linda
Fiorentino is attractive as Bethany, Alan Rickman is humorous as
Metatron, and Chris Rock is his delightful self as Rufus. Strangely,
I liked best the director, Kevin Smith, as Silent Bob, maybe because
he has almost no dialogue. DVD **1/2
(5/5/00)
"Being
John Malkovich"-Clever? Yes. Original?
Indeed. Ultimately satisfying? Well, not completely. John Cusack
stars in this acid-trip of a movie about a puppeteer named Craig
Schwartz who, unsuccessful at his chosen career, needs to find a job.
Without much effort, he finds himself working for the seemingly
sex-crazed elderly Dr. Lester (Orson Bean) on a "half" floor in which
all the personnel must walk bent over due to the low ceilings. But
what Craig ultimately finds is a secret door that leads to a portal
into the brain of the actor John Malkovich (who plays himself). This
theme fascinates for approximately half the film, but ultimately
deteriorates with repetition. An almost disguised Cameron Diaz plays
Lotte Schwartz, Craig's animal-loving wife who has a sexual identity
crisis after entering Malkovich's brain. Catherine Keener is
wonderfully weird and obnoxious as Schwartz's partner in a venture to
sell opportunities to people who want to become John Malkovich for 15
minutes (whereupon they are unceremoniously dumped onto the side of
the New Jersey Turnpike). Mary Kay Place has a very funny routine as
Floris, Dr. Lester's assistant and language expert, with a humorous
impediment. Directed by the hopefully up-and-coming Spike Jonze. DVD
***
(5/2/00)
"Music
of the Heart"-I have long believed that
if the American public really cared, it would be possible to have an
educational system in which children are not only taught to think but
are inspired to be creative. This delightful film tries to prove that
this is in fact possible. Meryl Streep undergoes her usual astounding
transformation as Roberta Guaspari, a violin teacher from upstate New
York who comes to East Harlem, gets a job in a NY public school, and
proceeds to establish a program that encourages hundreds of
youngsters over the years to learn the violin and learn it well.
Streep is well supported by Angela Bassett as the school principal
who hires her; Aidan Quinn as Brian Sinclair, the man who first
suggests this career; Gloria Estefan as a fellow teacher; Jane Leeves
as a photographer whose husband is a member of the Guarnieri String
Quartet; and Cloris Leachman as Roberta's mother. Oh, the film has
its weaknesses, including pushing a few too many buttons, but in the
long run the viewer must leave this film with a feeling of hope. Even
in neighborhoods that have reputations for toughness there are
children eager to learn and to be inspired. And they were lucky to
meet Roberta Guaspari. Streep deserved her Oscar nomination for this
film. The film is an incredible departure for its director, Wes
Craven, normally known for horror films. DVD ****
(4/28/00)
"Boys
Don't Cry"-Hilary Swank won an Oscar for
her performance as Brandon Teena (Teena Brandon) in this film, and
deservedly so. Swank's performance is so effective that she literally
becomes this young woman who really wants to be a man and who falls
in with a group of confused beer swilling and potentially dangerous
people in a small Nebraska town. The group is dominated by two
disturbed males, John and Tom (Peter Sarsgaard and Brandan Sexton
III) and in the group is Lana Tisdal (Chloë Sevigny) with whom
Brandon falls in love. This situation leads ultimately to Brandon's
unfortunate fate at the hands of the two raving crazed males. It is
rare to see a small independent film about subjects such as these
created with such loving care, and the credit goes to Director
Kimberly Peirce. Chloë Sevigny is also perfect as Lana, the
young woman who is bored to tears with her dull life and annoying
companions and who is strangely attracted and loyal to Brandon even
after learning the truth of her sexual identity. Highly recommended
for those who can take this sort of subject. DVD ****
(4/21/00)
"The
Insider"-Undoubtedly the best of the
films nominated for 1999 Oscars, this is a riveting tale of the
efforts of Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), a producer of CBS' "60
Minutes" to encourage a former tobacco industry executive to appear
on the show in order to spill the beans on big tobacco. The
executive, Dr. Jeffrey Wigand, is played beautifully by Russell Crowe
as a man torn by the decision he has to make as to whether or not to
break a confidentiality agreement. However, it's obvious that deep
down he realizes he is fated to reveal what he knows about the
nicotine contents of cigarettes and the fact that the leaders of the
industry well knew that this was an addictive drug and lied about it
to Congress. But the film goes beyond tobacco and also explores the
potentially deadening effects of business and corporate interests on
the world of journalism. Bergman is forced to fight the corporate
interests at CBS to get his show on the air and the movie reveals a
great deal of the viciousness that can occur in the American business
world. Frankly, I didn't think there was one dull moment in this film
which runs about 2 1/2 hours. The photography was outstanding and the
directing brilliant. Al Pacino is in his milieu. Here he gets to rant
and rave with a purpose and it is extremely effective. Crowe's
performance reveals a man who undergoes enormous stress (far beyond
the capacity of most people) and yet triumphs in the end. Christopher
Plummer is the weakest of the stars, although he does a reasonably
good job of portraying Mike Wallace, the veteran and aging "60
Minutes" star who comes across as somewhat pompous and
self-protective. This picture definitely gets a thumbs up. Don't miss
it. DVD ****
(4/15/00)
"Tumbleweeds"-Based
on the childhood experiences of screenwriter Angela Shelton, his
ex-wife, the director, Gavin O'Connor, has given us one of the better
films of the genre of mother and daughter road pictures. The
classical British and award-winning actress Janet McTeer is totally
and delightfully transformed into Mary Jo Walker, a lusty North
Carolinian woman who needs men but just can't stand them for long. As
the film opens, she's grabbing her 12-year old daughter Ava (played
wonderfully by Kimberly Brown) and running out of the home of her
latest abusive man, this time heading west. After an amusing and
surprising stop at the home of an ex-boyfriend in Missouri, Ava
convinces her mother to head west to San Diego to see the sea.
Nothing that happens after they reach San Diego is truly surprising,
and some of it is downright irritating (especially the behavior of
Jack, played by director O'Connor, the truck driver Mary Jo and Ava
meet on the way west when their car breaks down). But the zeal of the
characters and the wonderful acting makes this film worth seeing.
Michael J. Pollard is humorous as one of Mary Jo's bosses, and Jay O.
Sanders is charming as Dan Miller, one of Mary Jo's co-workers. DVD
***
(4/14/00)
"Three
Kings"-It is immediately after the cease
fire in Desert Storm. George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and
Spike Jonze are four American soldiers who have found a map
indicating the location of Kuwaiti gold in an Iraqi bunker and they
are going to find the gold come hell or high water. Somehow, they
have the bizarre idea that this little expedition will be easy and
they'll be able to take the gold home with them. How this is to be
accomplished is unexplained and sets these four up as lacking in
basic common sense. The fact that they are violating U.S. policy and
going AWOL seems to be beside the point. And the further fact that
the expedition turns into a total disaster is also apparently beside
the point because the director, David Russell, is obviously set on
telling a story of four idiots who ultimately, upon being faced with
man's inhumanity, lose their greed, turn good, and save a group of
Iraqi refugees from the ravages of Saddam Hussein.
In one scene, Wahlberg is shown being held
prisoner by Iraqi soldiers and first given electric shock and then
forced to drink oil. The next time Wahlberg is seen, he's hardly the
worse for wear. Later, he's shot in the chest and saved by a
miraculous insertion of an air-release tube. Films such as this
require some level of believability. This one doesn't have much. But
at least the setting was unusual and the theme ultimately headed in a
decent direction. DVD ***
(4/11/00)
"For
Love Of The Game"-Kevin Costner seems to
have found his career as a movie baseball player, having previously
starred in "Bull Durham" (1988) and "Field of Dreams" (1989). He was
already somewhat over-the-hill as a "ballplayer" when those films
were made and he's now in his mid-40's, but he looks good and does a
fine job of giving the impression of a veteran Detroit Tigers pitcher
named Billy Chapel who is on his last legs. This film has a mediocre
script and the acting is nothing special, but if you like baseball
and a little romance, it's hard to resist the corny story of a 40
year old pitcher who has been given the option of retiring or being
traded and who must pitch the final game of the season at Yankee
Stadium versus the contending Yankees. And Billy Chapel also has to
deal with pain in his pitching shoulder and pain in his heart. His
New York-based girlfriend Jane (Kelly Preston, reminding me somewhat
of Meg Ryan) is fed up and moving to London for a new job and, not
surprisingly, Chapel pitches the big game while thinking of the
events in his relationship with Jane. The baseball scenes are very
authentic and the producers had the smarts to bring in the great Vin
Scully (as himself) to broadcast the big game. DVD ***
(4/9/00)
"Star
Wars-Episode 1: The Phantom Menace"-This
is one of those movies one can't resist viewing but sadly it was not
released on DVD (at least so far). Why sad? Well, because this film
is not much more than special effects and cinematography, best seen
in the crisp, clear DVD format. There's certainly little or no plot.
Oh yes, the Trade Federation is, with the encouragement of a
mysterious evil figure (easy to guess who he is) attacking the planet
of Naboo ruled by Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman). Coming to their
rescue are a Jedi knight, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his
apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi (you remember him, of course) (Ewan
McGregor). Along the way they pick up the humorous Jar-Jar Binks (an
alien from Jamaica?) and ultimately the young hero Anakin Skywalker
(Jake Lloyd) who saves the day much the way his future off-spring
will do in the "Star Wars" films of yesteryear. In some ways, this
film is almost a parody of the earlier films (which are, of course,
later in time--George Lucas knows how to do things backwards,
apparently) with extremely similar plot-lines, locations, and even
the appearance of R2-D2 and C3PO. If you completely and utterly
suspend all critical judgment, the film is fun. Otherwise, don't
expect too much except glitz. Video ***
(4/8/00)
"The
Sixth Sense"-Okay, I've now seen this
moronic simple-minded film and its not terribly surprising ending.
Can I be excused? A child psychologist is shot in the stomach in the
opening scene. A few months later he is shown "treating" a young boy
with obvious problems who admits that he sees dead people "all the
time." Bruce Willis, as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, the psychologist, never
interacts with any other character in the entire movie except the
boy, Cole Sear, played by Haley Joel Osment. Based on that
information can you guess the ending? I did even before I saw the
movie when I heard the basic outline of the plot. That the Hollywood
film industry thought that this rather dull film (watching Bruce
Willis act is almost as painful as waiting in a long line at the
Department of Motor Vehicles) is one of the "best films" of the year
is a true commentary on the state of intelligence and judgment in
that town. Haley Joel Osment is a rather mature young actor, but
almost eerily so. It is hard to believe he is the age he's alleged to
be. Toni Collette does a good job as Cole's mother. DVD **1/2
(3/31/00)
"Lethal
Weapon 4"-I received this as a free DVD
and had to watch it. Years ago I would classify movies by categories
of good and bad. This film is what I would have called a "good bad"
movie. "Bad" in the sense that it has little or no redeeming social
value and is chock full of special effects, explosions, fires, car
crashes, kung fu, and really painful witticisms between Mel Gibson
and Danny Glover. However, "good" in the sense that it's simply
downright funny and entertaining. No one can take such a
tongue-in-cheek film seriously, but it certainly gives the movie
industry a chance to show off its amazing special effects techniques
(many of which had me saying out loud: "How do they do that?").
Gibson and Glover do their usual turn as the police partners from
hell. Joe Pesci is disarmingly charming as their mostly unwanted
sidekick. Rene Russo is beautiful and wacky as Gibson's pregnant
girlfriend, and Chris Rock is humorous as a young cop who has a
secret to hide from Glover. Finally, Jet Li is sufficiently
frightening as the Chinese villain who is a kung fu specialist of the
highest order. DVD ***
(3/25/00)
"The
Limey"-Steven Soderbergh, director of
"sex, lies and videotape" and "Out of Sight" has created this
wonderfully moody film of a British ex-con who arrives in Los Angeles
to find out what happened to his daughter. The film follows Terence
Stamp as Wilson, the ex-con, as he seeks out Terry Valentine (Peter
Fonda) the man he believes is responsible for his daughter's death.
Using intermingled shots of the past and the future as well as a slow
tantalizing style that emphasizes the atmosphere and scenery,
Soderbergh leads Wilson through a violent and yet ironic trip of
discovery. With scenes from a long ago British film named "Poor Cow"
in which the young Stamp played a character named Wilson, "The Limey"
contains first-rate performances from Stamp and Fonda as well as Luis
Guzman and Lesley Ann Warren as friends of Wilson's late daughter.
DVD ***1/2
(3/24/00)
"The
Bone Collector"-Somewhat of a modern day
high tech "Rear Window," this crime detection thriller stars Denzel
Washington as Lincoln Rhyme, a paralyzed forensic expert who, with
the aid of super advanced computers and other technology, solves
puzzles left behind by a clearly diabolic and deranged killer. Rhyme
lives in a gorgeous NY apartment (obviously the result of many
successful books he has written about crime) and decides to turn
Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie), a young cop who comes upon the first
body and instinctively does a first-rate investigation, into a
forensic crime scene specialist. And he does it all from the hospital
bed located in his apartment where he is cared for by a charming
nurse (Queen Latifah). The high tech equipment is fun, the
photography is well done with spectacular scenes of New York, and the
puzzles and locations (mostly abandoned turn-of-the-century New York
sites) are quite unusual, but what ultimately brings this film down
to par are the usual crime thriller cliches, among them the stupid
boss cop who gets in the way, the ultimate attack by the killer on
one of the main characters and, without giving anything away, the
identity of the killer and the secret behind his actions. If you like
this type of film, it's recommended. If not, forget it. DVD ***
(3/19/00)
"Limbo"-Director
John Sayles never makes purely commercial films and this film belongs
right there with his others. It is about people whose lives are in
turmoil, who need direction, and who are otherwise in "limbo." Mary
Elizabeth Mastrantonio is Donna DeAngelo, a singer who meets the
charming but quiet Joe Gastineau (David Strathairn) in a typical
Alaskan town in which the pulp mill has closed and the salmon packing
factory is closing. Gastineau is a former fisherman with a terrible
incident in his past. And DeAngelo is a relatively unhappy woman who
has just run from her latest boyfriend, and who has an unhappy
teenage daughter. The daughter, Noelle, has tendencies toward
self-mutilation, but otherwise has creative writing talent, and is
played extremely well by Vanessa Martinez. Gastineau's wild and
reckless half-brother Bobby (Casey Siemaszko) asks Joe to come along
on a boat trip in Alaskan waters to meet some "businessmen" Although
Gastineau obviously doesn't trust Bobby, he accepts without asking
questions and, to make it worse, invites Donna and her daughter to
come along. Sailing through the gorgeous Alaskan waterways, it soon
becomes painfully obvious that they are headed for danger and a real
"limbo." This film is like two separate films, the first is a
charming film about the romance between Joe and Donna back in town,
and the second an adventure film in the wilderness. As becomes
obvious at the end, Director John Sayles has no intention of taking
the viewer out of "limbo" either. DVD ***
(3/10/00)
"Random
Hearts"-Following a plane crash, a
Washington, DC, cop (Harrison Ford) and a Republican Congresswoman
from New Hampshire (Kristin Scott Thomas), discover that their
spouses, who died next to each other in the crash, were having an
affair. The cop wants to know the truth and he forces himself into
the Congresswoman's life, until an unlikely romance develops. Full of
romantic cliches, including fall and Christmas scenes, and
accompanying music, the film moves somewhat slowly and yet
pleasantly. No great revelations, but if you have a romantic bent,
it's not a bad film. DVD **1/2
(3/6/00)
"Double
Jeopardy"-Wow, this is a stinker! Just
about the only virtue of this film is the photography of some lovely
scenery in the state of Washington as well as shots in the French
Quarter of New Orleans. Ashley Judd plays a wealthy wife and mother
who wakes up one morning on her beautiful sailboat only to find blood
everywhere and her husband apparently overboard and dead. She is
convicted of his murder, serves 6 years, and is then let out on
parole (under the supervision of Tommy Lee Jones, her parole
officer). Judd's son, who had been left in the care of a friend
(Annabeth Gish), has disappeared along with the friend and Judd is
going to find her son. This film is almost completely unbelievable,
with a formula script, loaded with cliches. There is little if any
suspense and the acting is stiff and pathetic. Tommy Lee Jones seems
to have become a caricature of himself. DVD *1/2
(2/23/00)
"Brokedown
Palace"-Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale
are Alice Marano and Darlene Davis, two young American women who tell
their parents that they are going to vacation in Hawaii after
graduating from high school, but instead travel to Thailand. There
they act like American teenagers immune from local attitudes and
customs and thus meet an Australian fellow who talks them into a trip
to Hong Kong, only to wind up arrested at the airport and imprisoned
by the Thai authorities for drug-smuggling. Both young actresses are
excellent in these difficult roles, but Danes is particularly
outstanding as the pushy and smart-talking Alice. It's the best
performance of her career so far. Bill Pullman is perfect as Hank
Green or "Yankee Hank," an American who is a local lawyer in
partnership with his Thai wife (Jacqueline Kim), and who ultimately
takes their case, for money. Unlike most films of this genre, this
film is surprisingly upbeat considering the situation that the two
girls have gotten themselves into and the nightmare of the Thai
"justice" system. It's beautifully filmed and has a pleasant and
appropriate soundtrack. DVD ***1/2
(2/21/00)
"The
Cider House Rules"-This is a sweet film,
but one that concerns some very serious moral issues. Tobey Maguire
is Homer Wells, an orphan who just couldn't get himself adopted out
of the Maine orphanage headed in 1943 by Dr. Wilbur Larch (Michael
Caine, one of my favorite actors). Dr. Larch is an obstetrician and
gynecologist addicted to ether who performs illegal abortions as
necessary so that women will not be harmed by abortion mills. Dr.
Larch has trained Homer to perform these and other medical services,
including delivering babies, and wants Homer to stay and succeed him,
but Homer has wanderlust and desires to see the world (or at least
Maine). Homer winds up at the apple farm of a young military officer
(Paul Rudd) and his mother (Kate Nelligan). This also brings Homer
into very close contact with Rudd's fiance, Candy Kendall (Charlize
Theron). And at the farm, Homer finds himself working with a group of
migrant workers headed by Mr. Rose (wonderfully played, as usual, by
Delroy Lindo). Among those he meets are Mr. Rose's daughter Rose Rose
(Erykah Badu) who later plays a central role in the film. This movie,
scripted by John Irving from his novel, deals well and positively
with the issue of abortion (in fact, it astounds me that the film
hasn't created more controversy), but skates around the secondary
issue of the illegal nature of Homer's medical practice. The romantic
aspects of the film are secondary and not that greatly developed,
although Charlize Theron, one of the most beautiful actresses around,
gives a wonderfully mature and intelligent performance. She is
definitely someone to watch (and the Internet Movie Database lists
her as already cast in 7 films in 2000, including the musical
"Chicago"). Tobey Maguire is an attractive young actor, although his
deadpan style threatens to limit the range of roles he can play. I
found the slow and gentle pace of this film quite pleasant, although
the print of the film that I saw looked a little washed out and had
some obvious jerky cuts at the end (it was not clear to me whether
this was the fault of the original or of the theater). Theater ***1/2
(2/20/00)
"American
Beauty"-I had a revelation while
watching this rather interesting but over-the-top film. I suddenly
realized that there was a whole genre of recent films in which this
picture fit perfectly. For want of a better title I'll call it the
California Angst
school of film-making. Recent members of
the genre are "Magnolia," "Falling Down," and "Two Days In the
Valley," although I'm sure I could find others produced in recent
years. These films tend to be not only about dysfunctional people,
but also about dysfunctional neighborhoods and societies, and cover a
whole gamut of morose and depressing subjects. I am convinced that
they are especially applicable to a California (especially southern
California) lifestyle. The rest of us have problems and issues of
dysfunctionality, but they appear in completely different ways. This
is not to say that these films fail to serve a purpose in commenting
on unpleasant aspects of human society, far from it. But there is a
similarity about these films that is palpable. "American Beauty" and
"Magnolia" in particular share themes that almost make one believe
that the writers came from the same neighborhood.
Kevin Spacey is his usual wonderful self as
Lester Burnham, a man who is just about at the end of his ropes, both
marital and workplace. Annette Bening, on the other hand, as the cold
and materialistic Mrs. Burnham, emotes to the utmost and fails to
ever become a real character. In fact, she looked exactly like a
cartoon character to me, tight and hysterical. The Burnhams'
neighborhood is populated by some rather strange people, ranging from
a stereotype of a homophobic Marine colonel (well played by Chris
Cooper); his son Ricky (Wes Bentley in a memorable performance) who
sees life through the viewing screen of a video camera; the colonel's
depressed and almost catatonic wife played by Allison Janney; the
Burnhams' daughter Jane (Thora Birch) who can't help being screwed up
around her dysfunctional parents; and the daughter's best friend,
Angela, played well by the up-and-coming Mena Suvari. The script is
occasionally embarrassingly obvious. Two especially painfully
predictable moments in the script occurred first during a scene in
the Burnhams' garage when the colonel, soaked from the rain and
having just thrown his son out of his house, comes to visit Lester,
and later in a scene when Lester is listening to a confession from
his teen love interest (Suvari) about her sex-life.
Once again, as in "Magnolia," the
production values are outstanding. This picture is beautifully filmed
and generally well acted. And it certainly is a work of creativity
aimed at thought-provoking its audience. But it suffers from what is
fast becoming a cliche of films that are attempting to hit us over
the head with what is wrong in our lives. My feeling is that
greatness in film-making comes from greater subtlety than is present
in this film. Theater. ***1/2
(2/19/00)
"Illuminata"-A
turn-of-the-century theatrical group is portrayed by a good cast,
including director John Turturro, his wife Katherine Borowitz, Susan
Sarandon, Rufus Sewell, Christopher Walken, Georgina Cates, Donal
McCann, Ben Gazzara, Beverly D'Angelo, Aida Turturro, and Bill Irwin.
But this is a muddled film in which far too much is going on in a
multitude of directions. Turturro is Tuccio, a playwright, who wants
his play "Illuminata" to be produced. The theater owners are
resistant, and Tuccio has to convince both them and his lover,
Katherine Borowitz, who is the company manager and star. The film is
made up of literally dozens of quick vignettes of involvements among
the various characters, much of it of a sexual nature, but ultimately
very confusing. Christopher Walken hams things up as a homosexual
theater critic who is after Bill Irwin's character. If this film was
attempting to make a commentary about the contrast between theater
and real-life, or some other concept, I was not convinced.
Well-filmed and well-acted, it is not however something I would
recommend. Video **1/2
(2/12/00)
"Twin
Falls Idaho"-This is one interesting and
unique film! Written by Michael (who directed) and Mark Polish, who
also star as the Siamese twin brothers Francis and Blake Falls, this
film defies easy explanation. Suffice it to say that a young
prostitute, played wonderfully and enchantingly by model Michele
Hicks, comes to their hole of a hotel room in LA and becomes a
significant part of their desperate and soon-to-change lives. This is
a very soft-spoken film, beautifully photographed and paced. The
Polish brothers are rather remarkable as Siamese twins joined almost
totally. Other standout appearances include Garrett Morris of
"Saturday Night Live" fame as a preacher living down the hall (who
has one very humorous scene), Lesley Ann Warren as their profoundly
unhappy mother, and Patrick Bauchau as a doctor called in to check on
the condition of one of the twins. The DVD contains a very
interesting voice-over commentary by the Polish brothers. DVD ****
(2/6/00)
"The
Winslow Boy"-Based on the Terence
Rattigan play of the same name, this film, written and directed by
David Mamet, is the story of a family's response to the expulsion of
the youngest son from a British admiralty school without a fair
hearing. Ronnie Winslow (Guy Edwards) is accused of stealing and
cashing a classmate's postal order. His father, Nigel Hawthorne, and
his sister, Rebecca Pidgeon, believe he is innocent and do everything
in their power to see that justice is done.Hawthorne is magnificent
as the sensitive and intelligent father who believes his son despite
the horrible charges. Pidgeon is wonderful as the feminist sister
whose defense of her brother could have serious personal cost. Jeremy
Northam (seen recently in "An Ideal Husband") is absolutely superb as
Sir Robert Morton, a seemingly cold barrister and MP, who defends the
Winslow Boy with panache and personal sacrifice. That he also is
attracted to Ms. Winslow is obvious. This film is intelligent drama
which concentrates on the characters and their emotions, rather than
the trial which ultimately decides the boy's guilt or innocence. I
highly recommend this film. Video ****1/2
(2/5/00)
"The
Chambermaid On The Titanic"-A French
film which was released around the same time as the more famous
"Titanic," this one really has very little to do with the tragic
sinking. A young married French foundry worker (Olivier Martinez),
wins a race at work and is awarded a trip to Southhampton to see the
sailing of the Titanic. When he arrives at his hotel room, he is
almost immediately confronted with a beautiful woman (Aitana
Sanchez-Guijon) who tells him that she is to be a chambermaid on the
Titanic and needs a room. He won't give her his, but he offers to let
her stay in his room. From this point on, the film alternates between
reality and erotic fantasy. The young man returns to France obviously
smitten with the young lady, and proceeds to threaten his marriage by
telling lurid tales of love and romance with the chambermaid. Even
his wife (Romane Bohringer) becomes involved in the tales which
ultimately take a theatrical turn. An unusual and satisfyingly
different film. Video ***1/2
(1/29/00)
"An
Ideal Husband"-Based on the play by
Oscar Wilde, this film about England at the turn-of-the-century
centers around the romantic and political machinations of a group of
upper class Londoners. Rupert Everett is a single and singularly
unserious Lord Goring. Jeremy Northam is Sir Robert Chiltern, a
significant government official whose word has great effect on major
parliamentary decisions, and Cate Blanchett is his beautiful and
utterly honorable wife, Gertrud. Minnie Driver is Mabel Chiltern, Sir
Robert's sister. When the beautiful Mrs. Laura Cheveley (Julianne
Moore) enters the scene, things start to come apart for Sir Robert,
and those around him. Wilde's story is about the strict rules of the
Victorian upper class culture and the difficulties these people had
communicating even with friends and loved ones because of those
rules. The actors are delightful, especially Northam, Blanchett, and
Moore, the latter being completely natural with a British accent.
This film is beautifully paced and photographed. DVD ****
(1/22/00)
"The
Talented Mr. Ripley"-Matt Damon stars as
Tom Ripley, a somewhat aimless piano player and bathroom attendant,
who lucks into a trip to Italy to lure Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law)
home at the behest of Dickie's father. Tom easily falls in with
Dickie and his girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow). Tom
learns to enjoy the easy life which Dickie and Marge easily thrust on
him, for no apparent reason, and a life of false identity of both
character and sexual nature, mayhem, and murder ensue. My early
impression of this film was that it was frantic and hectic, but
gradually things fell into place and the plot became clear. While it
is a good, first-rate murder mystery (by Patricia Highsmith), the
plot also entails numerous situations which defy belief. Too many
people know Ripley in his dual identities, and these people seem to
be in and out of the scenery regularly. It defies belief to think
that Ripley could imagine he could get away with his nefarious
activities. Damon is good as Ripley, and Jude Law is fine as Dickie.
I felt that Gwyneth Paltrow was eminently forgettable as Marge, but
that Cate Blanchett was wonderful and charming in a small role as
Meredith Logue, a woman Ripley probably wished he'd never met.
Particularly notable in the cast were Jack Davenport as Peter
Smith-Kingsley, and Philip Seymour Hoffman (isn't he always?) as
Dickie's Princeton buddy, Freddie Miles. Theater ***
(1/15/00)
On 6/30/00, I watched this film again,
this time on DVD, and I was in for a surprise. For whatever reason,
very possibly the format, this time I thought the film was excellent
and I found myself impressed with Gwyneth Paltrow's performance. "Mr.
Ripley" seemed less hectic, well paced, and quite dramatic. The
weaknesses of the basic plot seemed less important. I also believe
the photography was much more impressive in the DVD version than it
appeared in the theater. In fact, the photography, much of it of
gorgeous Italian scenes, was exquisite. On second viewing, I will
elevate this film to ****.
"Magnolia"-For
those who give serious thought to the concept of "millennium," this
may be your film. On the other hand, while the production values and
acting were outstanding, I found this to be one of the most
unremittingly morose and depressing films I have ever seen.
Undoubtedly somewhat of a Biblical allegory (I'm not sure how, what,
or why), the movie tells the interconnected tales of a group of
pitiable characters existing in the San Fernando Valley (one might
almost call this film "One Day and Night of Hell in the Valley").
Describing it is almost impossible, but I'll try. Jason Robards is an
almost-dead TV producer whose second wife (Julianne Moore) is
cracking up while he is being attended to by a nurse, Philip Seymour
Hoffman. Robards asks to see his son (Tom Cruise), an unrelenting
promoter of a program of vicious seduction and power of men over
women ("Seduce and Destroy"), and the nurse successfully tracks him
down. Robards is the producer of a TV game show which pits children
against adults and has been on-the-air for too many years. Philip
Baker Hall is the host of the show who has cancer and is losing it
while knowing that his time is very limited. The TV show host has
skeletons in his closet and visits his drug-addicted daughter (Melora
Walters) only to be thrown out in a fit of screaming by the daughter
who undoubtedly has visions of the horrors her father has bestowed on
her. There are other sad and morose characters, including a lonely
cop who is confused about his role as a police officer and can't hold
on to his gun, a former child game show whiz (William H. Macy) who is
down on his luck, and a current child whiz on the same show who is
being pushed by his greedy father and wishes he could go to the
bathroom. Watching these stories unfold, with persistent and annoying
music in the background, was to me a form of torture (3 hours worth),
but I stuck it out. On the other hand, I cannot deny that the acting
was splendid. Tom Cruise is particularly memorable in a part clearly
a risk for him, but a risk well worth taking.
This film has, without a doubt, one of the
strangest scenes in the history of film. It cannot be described
without ruining the shock. But if you decide to see it, you'll know
what I'm talking about when it starts. Is it Biblical? Someone with
greater knowledge of the Bible will have to clue me in. But it's
definitely something one has never seen before in a film of this
type. I moaned, groaned, and looked at my watch several times while
"Magnolia" was on the screen, but I persisted. Should you see it?
It's certainly an experience but a tough one. This is a very
difficult film to rate (I initially assigned it 2 stars but on second
thought feel that it must at least be 3 1/2 because it is
thought-provoking and certainly has many virtues, including the
wonderful acting.) Theater. ***1/2
(1/9/00)
"The
Thomas Crown Affair"-The 1968 version
starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway was about a millionaire bank
robber. This remake is a very slick production starring Pierce
Brosnan and Rene Russo, but this time about a millionaire art thief.
This is what can only be called an "entertainment" because there is
nothing about it to be taken seriously. A theft impossible to have
been truly planned gets the film off and running and then gorgeous
Rene Russo arrives as the worldly insurance investigator whose job it
is to return the painting and "get her man." Denis Leary is
cheerfully supportive as a New York detective who isn't quite in
Russo's league. Faye Dunaway makes a humorous reappearance as
Brosnan's psychiatrist. While fun, I found it somewhat slow moving
and a little tedious toward the end (which was predictable). Video
***
(1/8/00)
"Buena
Vista Social Club"-Ry Cooder went to
Cuba and turned up one of the most delightful groups of musicians
imaginable. Most elderly (Compay Segundo was approximately 90 when
the film was made in 1998), they still could perform with energy and
verve. The film shows the performers in their local Havana settings
as well in concert in Amsterdam and, ultimately in their final
concert glory, playing at Carnegie Hall in New York in July 1998. The
scenes in Cuba are shocking for the condition of what was undoubtedly
once an absolutely gorgeous city. Rundown buildings, old rail yards,
and old but colorful cars provide the somewhat depressed setting for
these marvelously talented people. Ibrahim Ferrer sings his heart out
and the songs are quite different from those of our culture, with
frequent references to flower metaphors. Ultimately, these musicians
created a record which went on to win a Grammy award. The film also
highlights the talents of the wonderful piano player Rubén
Gonzalez who at 80 can still hit those keys. One of the most charming
scenes is of the Cuban musicians visiting in New York and thrilling
to the sites of the Big Apple. It's painfully apparent that the world
has passed them by and they are trying to catch up in the short time
they have to visit. Video ****
(1/1/00)
"Topsy-Turvy"-As
soon as I heard about this film and read the rave review by Janet
Maslin in the New York Times, I knew that it was a film I had been
waiting for all my life. Not only did it receive raves from many
respected critics (including Best Picture of 1999 from the New York
Film Critics Circle), but it concerned subjects that are dear to my
heart: Gilbert and Sullivan in particular, and theatrical creativity
in general. Having now seen the film, I can say without a doubt that
this is one of the great films of
all-time! It is Mike Leigh's labor of
love. And it is splendid! Throughout most of my years of movie-going
and viewing I can think of only a few that were literally perfect in
every regard. In "Topsy-Turvy" everything is perfect: the theme, the
acting, the directing, the Victorian sets, the marvelous Victorian
and theatrical costumes, the music, and the incredible performances
of the Gilbert and Sullivan numbers from Princess Ida, The Sorcerer,
and most deliciously from The Mikado. It is 1884 and Gilbert and
Sullivan are at a standstill, having had somewhat of a failure with
Princess Ida, after a long run of hits at the Savoy Theater in
London. Gilbert has come up with what Sullivan considers another
"topsy-turvy" plot about magic potions, and Sullivan is not inspired
to write music for it. Sullivan threatens to turn to serious opera,
leaving the Savoy productions behind. But then Mrs. Gilbert provides
the inspiration for The Mikado by taking her husband to a London
exposition of Japanese culture. From this point on the film records
the creation of The Mikado in exquisite detail, and it is simply
utter joy.
I cannot say enough about the acting and
the overall production. I literally felt as if I were there in 1880's
London, watching the characters closely in their creativity, joy, and
pain. Jim Broadbent is deliciously bitter as William Schwenk Gilbert.
Allan Corduner is fabulous as the composer Arthur Sullivan, a man who
had visions of creating more serious music, not realizing that his
greatest achievement in life would be the very operettas he wrote
with Gilbert. Martin Savage is George Grossmith, the original D'Oyly
Carte comedian, reborn. Shirley Henderson and Dorothy Atkinson are
splendid as two of the lead female performers in the company. Timothy
Spall, who has appeared in other Mike Leigh films, including "Secrets
and Lies," is wonderful as Richard Temple, the lead baritone who
plays the Mikado and almost loses his best number in the show. The
wealth of British acting talent is revealed by so many in the cast
who are simply breathtaking: Wendy Nottingham (Helen Lenoir, D'Oyly
Carte's business associate), Kevin McKidd (Durward Lely, the lead
tenor), Lesley Manville (Lucy Gilbert), and Eleanor David (as Mrs.
Fanny Ronalds, Sullivan's mistress). They are all especially
brilliant. If this film is playing near you, run, don't walk, to see
it. Theater. ***** (12/26/99
and
1/16/00)
