The New York Film Critics Circle recently
announced its awards for 2001 motion pictures. Some of the lead
awards are:
Best Picture:
Mulholland
Dr. (Runners-up: Gosford Park, In The
Bedroom)
Best Actor:
Tom
Wilkinson (In the Bedroom) (Runners-up:
Jim Broadbent (Iris); Denzel Washington (Training Day))
Best Actress:
Sissy
Spacek (In The Bedroom) (Runners-up:
Naomi Watts (Mulholland Dr.); Tilda Swinton (The Deep
End))
Best Supporting Actor:
Steve
Buscemi (Ghost World) (Runners-up: Ben
Kingsley (Sexy Beast); Brian Cox (L.I.E.))
Best Supporting Actress:
Helen
Mirren (Gosford Park) (Runners-up:Maggie
Smith (Gosford Park); Scarlett Johansson (Ghost World))
Best Director:
Robert Altman
(Gosford Park) (Runners-up: David Lynch
(Mulholland Dr.); Todd Field (In The Bedroom))
Top 10 Lists of the Reviewers of
the New York Times for 2001
A. O. Scott:
A.I.; The Circle; Ghost World; Gosford
Park; Our Song; The Gleaners and I; Sexy Beast; Baran; The Man Who
Wasn't There; and The Heart of the World
Stephen
Holden: In The Bedroom; Amores Perros;
The Town Is Quiet; Mulholland Dr.; Gosford Park; Waking Life;
Faithless; Hedwig and the Angry Inch; Shrek; and A.I.
Elvis Mitchell:
In The Mood For Love; Lumumba; Amores
Perros; The Devil's Backbone; Monsters, Inc.; Va Savoir; Sexy Beast;
Faat Kine; Amelie; and Ghost World
Dave Kehr: The
Royal Tenenbaums; The Tailor of Panama; Amelie; Waking Life; The
Circle; Fat Girl; Shrek; Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the
Ring; A Chronicle of Corpses; Eureka
Roy's 10 Best Viewed for 2001*:
Memento; You Can Count On Me; Traffic;
In The Bedroom; A Beautiful Mind; O Brother Where Art Thou; Almost
Famous; The Closet; Billy Elliot; Wonder Boys
*Since I see many films the year after their
release, some of these are actually from the previous
year.
2002 Reviews
Index of Films
Reviewed
Here are my reactions to
and comments about 2002 films, available either on video or
at theaters.
"Blood
Work"-Based on the novel by Michael
Connelly, Clint Eastwood directed this crime thriller about an aging
ex-FBI profiler, Terry McCaleb (Eastwood), who has had to undergo a
heart transplant and has retired to the comfort of his boat docked in
Long Beach, CA. But it doesn't take long for McCaleb, sans private
eye license, to find himself right back into investigating the murder
of the young Hispanic woman whose heart now resides in his chest. In
typical Eastwood fashion, McCaleb ignores most of the rules,
including those of his heart doctor (Anjelica Huston), to solve the
crime. And in typical Eastwood fashion, McCaleb does it with a
combination of guts, charm, and sass. But still McCaleb is a heart
transplant patient and so Eastwood has to play the part as low-key as
possible, something he would never have been able to do years ago.
The story has a few original features, including the motivation of
the killer. But alas it also has some of the usual clichés of
this genre, including the not very unusual fight to the finish aboard
an old wrecked vessel. Jeff Daniels is notable as Buddy Noone, a
beach bum whose boat shares a slip with McCaleb's and who ultimately
is hired by McCaleb to drive him around. Wanda De Jesús does a
nice job as Graciella Rivers, sister of the murder victim. The film,
however, contains an annoying though effective performance by Paul
Rodriguez as LAPD Detective Arrango, whose bitterness against McCaleb
prevents him from doing anything effective in the case. If you like
films of this type, "Blood Work" is well done and worth watching.
***1/2
(12/31/02)
"Lovely
and Amazing"-The title of this small,
intelligent film is not a self-description, but rather represents the
feelings of Jane Marks (Brenda Blethyn) towards her single
actress-daughter Elizabeth (Emily Mortimer) and, most-likely, her two
other daughters, Michelle (Catherine Keener), a miserable married
woman with a young daughter, and Annie (Raven Goodwin), an adopted
8-year-old African-American girl. Based somewhat on the family of the
first-time director, Nicole Holofcener, who has an adopted younger
black brother, "Lovely and Amazing" is about four somewhat neurotic
females. Jane is not satisfied with her body and winds up having
liposuction performed by a smooth-talking doctor (Michael Nouri), a
process almost kills her. Elizabeth, who obsessively picks up stray
dogs, has just had a small-part in a film and is looking for another
role, but is ultra-concerned with how she appears to others.
Michelle, who has never had a job, reveals her misery by being rude
or nasty to almost everyone she meets, until she is hired by a
charming and attractive 17-year old boy (Jake Gyllenhaal) at a
one-hour photo. And Annie, being raised in the middle of a family of
insecure white women, eats obsessively and loves playing as if she
has drowned whenever she's in a swimming pool. The film contains a
rather strong and "revealing" scene in which Elizabeth, after
sleeping with a movie star (Dermot Mulroney), stands naked in front
of him and asks him to critique her body, both good and bad. The cast
is as natural as can be, led by the wonderful Brenda Blethyn as the
matriarch of this rather screwy brood. Catherine Keener is also
outstanding, literally becoming Michelle, the depressed and angry
married daughter. Emily Mortimer (the daughter of John Mortimer,
author of, among other things, the "Rumpole of the Bailey" stories)
is superb as the more upbeat but slightly ditzy Elizabeth. The
performance of Raven Goodwin as the adopted daughter is not to be
missed. Her character is spoiled and self-centered (not surprising in
this family) and young Raven has a look on her face as if she is
winking at the audience to tell them that she knows exactly what she
is doing. DVD ****
(12/30/02)
"Minority
Report"-Filmed by the wonderful
cinematographer Janusz Kaminski in a somewhat blue-toned, washed out,
and high contrast image (at Director Steven Spielberg's request),
"Minority Report" is based on a short-story by the legendary sci-fi
writer Philip K. Dick. This film certainly brings up (Stanley)
Kubrickian memories, especially of Spielberg's recent "Kubrickian"
effort, "A.I. Artificial Intelligence." This is a modernistic film
noir (taking place in 2054) about John Anderton (Tom Cruise), chief
of the "Pre-Crime" unit of the Washington, D.C. police, which arrests
people before they commit murder based on visions of the future by
three watertank-bound "precogs." The precogs are Arthur, Dashiell,
and Agatha (Samantha Morton in a part as unusual as her mute
character in "Sweet and Lowdown" and as beautifully played--I look
forward to seeing her play a "real" person in the upcoming "Morvern
Callar"). Spielberg utilizes all kinds of visions of future
technology in the mid-21st Century, showing that privacy is likely to
be a thing of the past in the not-so-distant future. Peoples eyes
become their form of identification, allowing even futuristic 3D
advertising to talk to them personally after checking their eyes.
Everywhere they go, individuals can be seen by various forms of
technology, including small spider robots which can find people
almost anywhere based on their body heat.
But the futuristic and noir nature of the
film is somewhat undermined by a plot cliché of the past: the
good cop Anderton (who is plagued by memories of the death of his
young son) is charged with a crime (or in this case, a pre-crime--one
that Anderton cannot imagine himself committing) and has to go on the
run, only to ultimately find the real evil among his colleagues.
There are many twists and turns along the way, but the story outline
is similar to dozens of other thrillers and police procedurals made
over the years and this is a big flaw. However, I'll note that Tom
Cruise does his usual workmanlike job as the tough Anderton who is
fighting for his life; Colin Farrell is perfectly misleading as Danny
Whitwer, the cop sent in by the Attorney General to investigate the
value of "pre-crime;" Max Von Sydow is notably mysterious as Director
Burgess, Anderton's superior and the founder of "pre-crime;" Tim
Blake Nelson ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?") is quite funny as the
organ-playing prison guard Gideon; and Kathryn Morris stands out as
Lara, Anderton's former wife who ultimately helps save him. One
performance among all the others, however, should receive special
recognition. Lois Smith plays Dr. Iris Hineman, the eccentric
inventor or discoverer of "pre-crime" and her dialogue with Anderton
is truly memorable. Despite its flaws, "Minority Report" is still a
Spielberg. DVD ****
(12/21/02)
"Unfaithful"-Let's
get the most important thing about this film out of the way. Diane
Lane is truly outstanding. Playing Connie Sumner, a suburban
Westchester housewife and mother who is on the edge of boredom and
finds herself in an affair with a young Frenchman in NYC, Lane
demonstrates a range of emotion and courage rarely seen in a
top-of-the-line actress. In one scene on a commuter train taking her
home from her affair for the first time, she is seen replaying in her
mind all of the experiences of the day and her expressions are a
thing to behold. But the film itself is also laden with rather dull
acting by Richard Gere, totally miscast as Edward Sumner, the
hard-working businessman husband whom Connie has begun to take for
granted. Gere generally needs a part with verve and excitement and
there's little or none of that here. On the other hand, the young
Frenchman, Paul Martel, is played with ultra-charm by French actor
Olivier Martinez. One can almost begin to understand Connie's growing
sexual obsession with Martel, as she ignores her family and
responsibilities. The biggest problem with this film, however, is
that it revolves around numerous unlikely coincidences. Connie is
windswept in Soho in lower Manhattan, and just happens to fall on top
of the perfect potential lover, Martel (as windy as it might get in
NYC, I've never seen debris blowing around quite like in this scene).
When the director needs a character to reveal Connie's misbehavior to
her husband, she just happens to be observed with Martel (in a city
the size of New York), by one of Edward's employees in a Soho cafe.
And Edward just happens to do something nasty to this employee that
causes him to squeal. And these are just some of the unlikely
coincidences and incidents that occur to move the plot along. Forget
the plot, Lane's performance is worth seeing alone. But otherwise,
"Unfaithful" is a fairly weak film with some rather graphic sex
scenes. DVD ***
(12/20/02)
"Men
in Black II"-I enjoyed the silliness of
the original "Men in Black," a sci-fi film with the ultimate
tongue-in-cheek. And this one certainly carries on the tradition,
although I suspect it's a joke that is about played out. This time
Will Smith (wonderful as the somewhat cocky Agent J) has to bring
back Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones), who had been "neuralized" and turned
into a postal employee, to fight off the evil Serleena (Lara Flynn
Boyle), a Medusa-like alien seeking the "light" of another race of
beings. Meanwhile, Agent J gets a chance at love, meeting Laura
Vazquez (Rosario Dawson) in the middle of an alien incident, but can
all work out for the best? They all wind-up in various battles
against Serleena (big surprise), but the film is loaded with humorous
"alien" creatures, including especially the charming but timid
"wormguys." For pure unadulterated light fare and a few chuckles,
this film is worth a view. DVD ***
(12/7/02)
"Austin
Powers in Goldmember"-The latest Mike
Myers creation gets off to a truly original, funny and almost
inspired start, emulating the making of a movie about Austin Powers
starring some pretty famous actors, and it ends on a humorous note.
But what is in between is pure unadulterated tripe. If you can think
of enough jokes and words that have to do with sex and bodily
functions, you've just about written the script. In this case, it is
highly recommended that unless you really enjoy such bad taste, you
leave this one in the cesspool where it belongs. DVD *
(12/6/02)
"Thirteen
Conversations About One
Thing"-Writer/director Jill Sprecher
clearly has something in common with Todd Solondz, director of
"Happiness," among other films about the "positive" aspects of life.
Both have now made depressing films about the possibility of
happiness. Sprecher, however, has the advantage. Her film is far more
entertaining. This is a film about a group of people some of whom
cross paths quite directly and others only on the edge.Time does not
necessarily flow from beginning to end, but all the characters have
the opportunity to express views on life during the various
conversations. "Thirteen Conversations" is the closest thing seen
recently to a typical European film in that much of it revolves
around talk, and interesting talk it is. Matthew McConaughey is Troy,
a young lawyer who is full of joy until he is involved in a motor
vehicle accident that appears to endanger the life of its victim.
John Turturro is Walker, a fairly nasty self-centered math professor
who leaves his wife (Amy Irving) almost without much contemplation,
hoping for a relationship with another woman, and finds himself in a
far-more miserable situation. Alan Arkin is Gene, an insurance
company exec, who is having problems in his life with his ex-wife and
son and finds himself exposed to an employee who remains upbeat no
matter what misery befalls the poor guy. And Clea DuVall is Beatrice,
a young housecleaner, who gives off positive vibes until she finds
herself the victim of a motor vehicle accident. The script is sharp
and intense. The cinematography is outstanding. And the acting is
first-rate. Arkin is notable as the miserable and yet genial Gene.
But ultimately, this film has a message that life is full of
depressing turns. Most of us know that and don't have to be reminded.
But if it comes in the form of well-acted production, I guess we can
take it for the moment. DVD ***1/2
(11/25/02)
"Sunshine
State"-Wonder of wonders. An
intelligent, extremely well-acted film about people and real issues.
John Sayles has put together a fabulous ensemble cast, led by Edie
Falco and Angela Bassett. We are in or near Delrona Beach, FL, a
beach resort where the real estate developers are attempting to buy
up the last bit of the old Florida and turn it into the new
"resort/strip mall" Florida. Edie Falco ("The Sopranos") is Marly
Temple, a slightly worn but intelligent woman who runs her father's
ancient motel /restaurant that is an object of desire for the
developers. Along the way Marly, who once swam as a mermaid at
Weeki-Watchee, meets Jack Meadows (Timothy Hutton), a landscape
architect for the developers who doesn't really have his heart in it
and inspires her to think about changing her life. Meanwhile, Dr.
Lloyd (Bill Cobbs), once a visitor, now a permanent resident, is
attempting to rally the public against the officials of the community
who are doing all in their power to aid the real estate developers
and drive out the local black community which has been along the
beach for generations. Along comes Desiree Perry (Angela Bassett) and
her new doctor husband Reggie (James McDaniel) to visit her mother
Eunice (Mary Alice). Desiree was forced to leave Delrona Beach at age
15 when she became pregnant by a local football star and she's now
returning and facing some of those whose lives she impacted. Desiree
and Reggie also find a young distant and somewhat troubled cousin,
Terrell (Alex Lewis), living with Eunice. These and many other lives
intertwine in this panoramic view of life in a changing Florida
community. Others of note in the film are Jane Alexander as Marly's
mother, a local drama teacher; Miguel Ferrer as one of the
developers; Alan King as a golfer/commentator on the scene; Gordon
Clapp as Earl Pickney, a corrupt local official bent on suicide; Mary
Steenburgen as Pickney's unhappy wife whose job it is to run the
local Buccaneer Days pageant; Tom Wright as the local football hero;
and most especially Ralph Waite as Marly's father, Furman. Waite has
two absolutely precious soliloquies that are worth the price of the
film. This is a gem. Highly recommended. DVD ****
(11/23/02)
"Star
Wars: Episode II - Attack of the
Clones"-George Lucas had an extremely
original idea back in the late 1970s and created "Star Wars."
Unfortunately, Lucas keeps making the same movie over and over again
but the latest version, 25 years later, lacks originality, verve,
humor, and charm, all elements of the first brilliant creation.
Princess Leia has turned into the unsmiling and not terribly romantic
Senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman). The debonair and
reckless Han Solo has disappeared totally to be replaced by a group
of plodding Jedi, including Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewen McGregor) who seems
amazingly unsuccessful considering the Jedi's great skills (and
hardly likely to turn into the Alec Guinness version), and Mace Windu
(Samuel L. Jackson) who appears to be an afterthought in this
production. Luke Skywalker, who was youthful and fun, has turned into
his increasingly bitter father, Anakin Skywalker, pitiably played by
a wooden Hayden Christiansen. "Attack of the Clones" gets off to a
very rocky start when Anakin and Obi-Wan begin an almost interminable
chase after an attempted killer of Senator Amidala through the very
dark, dreary, crowded and predictable lanes of a futuristic city
("Batman" anyone?). And from there it turns into the equivalent of
"Lord of the Rings" because most of the action that follows consists
of chases and battles with various ugly aliens and monsters. There's
only one more thing I can say about this film: it produced many
yawns. DVD **
(11/22/02)
"The
Importance of Being Earnest"-What could
go wrong? An outstanding British cast plus the delightful and
beautiful Reese Witherspoon with an absolutely perfect British
accent. A wonderful Oscar Wilde comedy of the social class. And
gorgeous British scenery and manor. And yet, there's something
missing. Colin Firth, who may just have been in one too many of these
types of films, is Jack Worthing, a wealthy young man who has no idea
who his parents are, but who loves Gwendolyn (Frances O'Connor of
"Mansfield Park"), the daughter of Lady Bracknell (the wonderful, as
always, Judi Dench). But one of the things Gwendolyn loves about John
is that she thinks his name is Earnest, a name he uses for a
fictional brother so that he can escape his country home and come to
the city. In the city, Jack has a friend, Algy Moncrieff (Rupert
Everett), Gwendolyn's cousin, who is notoriously lacking in funds,
but nevertheless curious about Jack's ward Cecily (Reese
Witherspoon). Algy arrives at Jack's manor and introduces himself as
Earnest, soon falling for young Cecily as she falls for him because
she thinks his name is Earnest. With Lady Bracknell providing rather
priceless Oscar Wilde commentaries on the social scene, and opposing
the pairing of Gwendolyn and Earnest/Jack until he can find his
parentage, you can see just what is developing in what should be a
rather hysterical situation. Adding to the "fun" are the wonderful
Anna Massey as Miss Prism, Cecily's tutor, and a woman with a very
important and valuable secret, and Tom Wilkinson ("In The Bedroom"
and "The Full Monty") as Dr. Chasuble, the local pastor who has his
eye on Miss Prism. And yet, although certainly enjoyable to watch,
this version of "Earnest" ends somewhat with a sigh rather than a
smile. In thinking it over, I wasn't convinced by either Firth or
Everett and I think the direction by Oliver Parker ("An Ideal
Husband") could have been snappier. I can't rave but I can recommend
a look. If nothing else, it is Oscar Wilde. DVD ***
(11/9/02)
"Divine
Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood"-Four
fine actresses, Ellen Burstyn, Maggie Smith, Fionnula Flannagan, and
Shirley Knight are the grown-up Ya-yas, a Louisiana sisterhood
established by the most outrageous of the four, Vivi Walker (Burstyn,
and Ashley Judd as the younger Vivi) in 1937 when they are girls. The
Burstyn version of Vivi is at odds with playwright daughter, Siddalee
(Sandra Bullock) who lives in New York with her fiance, Connor (Angus
McFadyen). So, the three other Ya-yas venture to NY to bring Siddalee
back and educate her on events of her past that she may not have
understood in hopes of restoring the mother/daughter relationship.
What would appear on the surface to be a rather silly tale of
southern womanhood is actually quite effectively told, especially
because of the outstanding cast. The four older women are a delight
to watch, but especially effective is Ashley Judd as Vivi as a young
woman with severe emotional problems. Also, it's actually nice to see
Sandra Bullock playing something other than her usual tomboy role and
she does this one quite well. In addition, James Garner is a fine
Shep Walker, a man who has suffered deprivations but stood by Vivi
nevertheless. Despite weaknesses and clichés, I liked this
film. DVD ***1/2
(11/8/02)
"Spider-Man"-Directed
by a man apparently obsessed with comic book characters, Sam Raimi,
"Spider-Man" is a half-way decent film for anyone not expecting more
than a very simpleminded experience, but it could have been better.
Before seeing the film I couldn't quite picture Tobey Maguire as
Peter Parker, the young man who becomes Spider-Man after being bitten
by a super-spider. But in retrospect, Tobey Maguire is the perfect
Peter Parker because of his standard method of acting as the quiet,
almost emotionless kid who seems afraid of his own shadow. What
better person to turn into the superpowered Spider-Man? Watching
Parker change, little by little, into the amazing wall-climber, is
fun. And his glee in flinging himself around and over buildings can
be joyful. Wouldn't we all love to be able to do that? But the
story!! Peter has loved MJ (Kirsten Dunst) from childhood and can't
tell her how he feels. And even after she turns to another, who just
happens to be Peter's friend and roommate Harry Osborn (James
Franco), and then finally, after being rescued over and over by
Spider-Man, tells Peter she loves him, he can't express his feelings
and walks away. Ah, but that leaves some romance for the sequels. For
Spider-Man will undoubtedly be back to fight against Harry. Why?
Because Harry thinks Spider-Man killed his father Norman Osborn
(Willem Dafoe) who just happened to have been The Green Goblin, one
of the silliest evil characters ever in a comic-book
film.
One of the things that I liked about this
comic-book film was that rather than make New York look dark and
gloomy throughout the film (a la Batman), many of the scenes made it
look like a real place that exists in the sunshine. And Spider-Man
even seemed to fit in in this "reality?" But the Oscorp factory and
The Green Goblin himself looked like a scene from a "Batman" film.
Out of place. Didn't belong. I just had the feeling that this film
could have been a lot more fun if Spider-Man had been battling a more
realistic enemy. Finally, where in the world did Raimi find Cliff
Robertson to play Uncle Ben? I can barely remember the last time I'd
seen him. DVD ***
(11/1/02)
"Y
Tu Mamá También"-This is
the second Mexican film production that has impressed me as far as
production values (direction, photography, acting and script). The
other was "Amores Perros," a film overloaded with violence and
depressing themes. "Y Tu Mamá También" is overloaded
with sex: both visual and vocal. This is the story of two college age
friends from Mexico City, Tenoch (Diego Luna), the rich kid, and
Julio (Gael García Bernal), the working-class kid, who are
having a fine time with their girlfriends and have them promise not
to sleep with Italians on their joint trip to Italy. The boys make
the same promise to the girls who are soon on their way. But not long
after the girls leave, the boys meet a young and beautiful Spanish
woman, Luisa Cortés (Maribel Verdú), the wife of the
annoying cousin of one of the boys. The boys flirt and offer to take
her to a fictional beach near Acapulco. Luisa initially rejects them
but later, discovering important news about her health and her
husband, Luisa changes her mind and decides to go on this road trip
with Tenoch and Julio. Both are surprised to learn that she desires
this trip, but rush to the maps to find a way to a beach that will
resemble the one they described. One of the more intriguing features
of this film are the moments when a mysterious narrator interrupts
the action to provide information about the ongoing Mexican scene,
the backgrounds of the characters, or what they are actually
thinking.
Before the road trip begins, the images
have been mostly of graphic sex between the boys and their
girlfriends and the language has been of graphic descriptions of that
sex. When the road trip begins, this almost non-stop sexual gabbing
not only increases but the graphic soft-core images also increase to
the point that little is left to one's imagination. The sex is an
essential part of this tale of maturing by both boys and the
frustration of Luisa with her marriage and life, but at the same time
the writers and directors could easily have told a similarly
interesting and intelligent story without such ultimately tasteless
graphic details. I'm not a prude, but there is a difference between
limited sexual content in a mature film and a film that literally
rams it down our throats. The acting is natural and notable. The
theme of maturation is also obvious. This is a noteworthy film, but
because of the overdone sexual images and talk, I have to downgrade
my rating somewhat. DVD ***1/2
(10/26/02)
"Italian
for Beginners"-In a "film" which
actually appears to have been made on digital video (and "filmed"
extremely well), Danish director Lone Scherfig has given us a simple
(Dogme 95) tale of a group of single Danes who have in common an
interest in learning Italian. Soon after meeting for class, the
Italian instructor dies, but is then succeeded by Halvfinn (Lars
Kaalund), a good looking but somewhat nasty restaurant manager. Among
those in the class is Olympia (Annette Støvelbaek), an
attractive but clutzy bakery clerk. And then there is Karen (Ann
Eleonora Jørgensen), a lovely hairdresser who is constantly
distracted from her work by the ultimately fatal problems of her
disturbed and ill mother. When Karen's mother dies, and Olympia's
nasty father dies, we learn that they are in fact sisters who were
separated early in life and Karen finds her way to the Italian class
and young Mr. Halvfinn. This is a rather delightful tale of the woes
and loves of working class people from a Danish perspective. It's
intelligent and has a charming upbeat ending in gorgeous Venice,
Italy, where the group goes to try out their language skills. Among
the relationships, perhaps the most interesting is that between
Giulia (Sara Indrio Jensen), an Italian waitress with minimal Danish
language skills, and Jørgen Mortensen (Peter Gantzler), an
extremely shy Dane for whom Giulia pines. Recommended for its fresh
approach. DVD ***1/2
(10/19/02)
"Enigma"-This
is hardly the first dramatization of the amazing codebreaking that
went on in England during WW II. British and American experts
discovered the astonishing enigma machine used by the Germans, a
system seemingly impossible to break, and yet they did, significantly
aiding the allies' war effort. This time we have a story of personal
intrigue that centers around the enigma machine. Tom Jericho (Dougray
Scott) returns to the codebreaking HQ one month after a nervous
breakdown which resulted from his relationship with the beautiful
Claire (Saffron Burrows), only to find that Claire has "gone
missing." While being watched by the intimidating agent Wigram
(Jeremy Northam), Jericho enlists the aid of Claire's housemate,
Hester (Kate Winslet) to attempt to solve the mystery of Claire's
fate. Much of what occurred between Jericho and Claire is shown in
flashbacks. While Scott seems a little too hangdog throughout the
film, Winslet is, as usual, excellent as the somewhat frumpy and
vibrant Hester. Together, they manage to obtain highly secret papers
and outmaneuver police in their efforts to solve the mystery. Jeremy
Northam is pleasantly sophisticated as the agent who seems to know
much of what Jericho and Hester are up to. This is a good little
film, with an interesting premise and mystery, populated with a
first-rate British cast. DVD ***1/2
(10/5/02)
"Festival
In Cannes"-Director Henry Jaglom is a
quirky independent filmmaker, creating films that are sometimes
autobiographical and sometimes not. But they are always unusual and
unique. And this film may be his best. First of all, if nothing else,
it contains marvelous photography of the ultra-beautiful city of
Cannes, France. Of course it takes place during the film festival and
the viewer gets a delicious feeling for the kinds of things that may
go on behind the scenes at the festival. We see a young woman
strolling the waterfront watching celebs. She looks like a tourist,
but we later find that her name is Blue (Jenny Gabrielle) and she is
in one of the indie films being shown and is the talk of the
festival. We see three young woman discussing a movie. One is Alice
Palmer (Greta Scacchi), an actress who has written an interesting
script about an older woman and plans to direct it possibly with an
actress like Gena Rowlands. But almost immediately the three women
are overwhelmed by a sleazy guy named Kaz (Zack Norman) who talks his
way into involvement with the film, promising the women that he can
raise the money. Ms. Palmer is talked into wanting for her lead
Millie Marquand (Anouk Aimée). But a Hollywood exec named Rick
Yorkin (Ron Silver) also must have Ms. Marquand for his big film to
be made with Tom Hanks at virually the same time. There's more
intrigue as these interesting and sometimes very charming characters
interact and intermingle to give us a feel for how uncertain and
happenstance the movie biz and life can be. Others in the film are
Peter Bogdanovich as Milo, a director who needs a new film and is
being given the run-around by all; Maximilian Schell as Viktor
Kovner, a director first seen with a young Italian actress but who
ultimately succumbs to the charms of Millie, and Alex Craig Mann as
Barry who is initially Yorkin's assistant but romantically latches on
to Blue, most likely for his best business interests. Greta Scacchi
is wonderful as the beautiful but unadorned actress who wants to be a
director but is all too easily manipulated by men. Recommended for
those who like something a little different. DVD ****
(9/27/02)
"Murder
by Numbers"-A cliche ridden film with
Sandra Bullock playing the ultimate self-cliche. She's Cassie
Mayweather, a tomboy who doesn't really get along well with others
and she's a homicide cop. Sound similar to other Sandra Bullock
films? "Miss Congeniality" anyone? This is the story of two high
school boys (Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt) who think they are so
bright they can commit a perfect random murder. And so they randomly
choose a young woman and end her life. And, of course, it's up to Ms.
Bullock to solve the crime. Despite the almost standard hostility of
police superiors to the heroine, at one point ordering her off the
case, Cassie amazingly figures out how they did it and has to risk
her life to obtain justice. There's not much in the way of surprises.
Not recommended. DVD **
(9/25/02)
"Monsoon
Wedding"-Directed by Mira Nair
("Mississippi Masala"), "Monsoon Wedding" is a wonderful slice of
life in India, telling the trials and tribulations of an upper middle
class family in the middle of a wedding ceremony for an arranged
marriage. We see anger, lust, romance, hate, and fear. The father of
the bride is wrapped up in his family arrangements for the wedding,
not knowing that the daughter has been having an affair with her boss
and is frustrated by his refusal to divorce his wife. The wedding
arranger, who initially seems silly and simplistic, falls for the
lovely young family maid. The groom, an Indian living in Houston,
arrives and faces having to get to know his future wife in the very
short time there is before the wedding. And during this time she
tells him of her affair. And there are other issues, including
possible child abuse resulting in one family member being kicked out
of the wedding. It takes place in Delhi, a totally different culture,
but we discover in watching this film how much we have in common with
these people in both physical objects (such as cell phones) and
attitudes. In many ways, this wedding could have taken place here
just as well. The westernization of the Indian culture is apparent,
at least among these fairly well-to-do people. This film is a very
good experience to have. I recommend it. ****
(9/24/02)
"Monsters,
Inc."-Created by Pixar ("Toy Story"),
this Disney animated film is undoubtedly a lot of fun for children
and still enjoyable for adults, if only to wonder at the animation
processes and the originality of the theme. Sully (voice of John
Goodman) and Mike (voice of Billy Crystal) are two monsters who work
at Monsters, Inc., an organization which sends monsters through
special closet doors into the bedrooms of small children to collect
their screams. Why? Because the screams bring the energy needed to
run the monster society. But there is a catch. The monsters fear
being touched by children or their things (such as clothing, toys,
etc.) and the monster society has a crack unit dedicated to rubbing
out any child or child's object that enters. Sully, who is a
first-rate "scarer," makes the mistake of allowing a little girl into
the monster society and all hell breaks loose as Sully and Mike try
to figure out what to do with her. They soon discover she's not toxic
and Sully begins to become attached to this small child he names Boo.
The small child is, ironically, the most unrealistic image in the
film. Pixar seems to be able to create images of monsters that seem
somehow realistic, but unable to create the image of a child that
even comes close to reality. The little girl runs around and babbles
and seems far more robotic and non-human than any of the monsters,
and this is a flaw. Billy Crystal does a fine job of one liners as
Mike, the one-eyed green monster. John Goodman gives off a great deal
of warmth of his otherwise "monster" character. With lots of running
around and impressive effects, this 90 minute animated film is
certainly not vital but still worth a watch for curiosity. Other
voices employed are those of James Coburn, Jennifer Tilly, John
Ratzenberger, and Steve Buscemi. DVD ***
(9/21/02)
"Hollywood
Ending"-Throughout his career as an
auteur director, Woody Allen has played up the neuroses of his
characters' personalities, but almost always only as a relatively
small portion of the personality of the role. Usually, with Allen's
tremendous wit and timing, the neuroses contributed to hysterically
funny commentary on life and society. But not in this film! Here
Allen is Val Waxman, a movie director so completely neurotic that he
has alienated virtually everyone in his life except his ditzy
girlfriend Lori (Debra Messing). Among those alienated are his
ex-wife Ellie (Téa Leoni). But now that she's an executive at
a Hollywood studio and dating the studio chief Hal Yeager (Treat
Williams), she decides to give Val another chance and encourages the
studio to pick him as director for a film that fits his style, a
movie about the streets of New York. Despite his obvious failings,
Val miraculously gets the job and is about to begin directing when he
experiences a case of hysterical blindness. The rest of the film
forces the viewer to watch mostly unfunny scenes about a blind man
directing a movie, having little or no idea what he's doing, and
having it covered up by those around him. The crew would have to be
blind themselves to not realize that Val is incapable of seeing what
he's directing. This is without a doubt a low point in Woody Allen's
film career. There is very little funny about watching scene after
scene of an abysmally neurotic individual being led around by first
his agent (Mark Rydell), then by a Chinese translator (for the
Chinese-speaking cameraman Val has hired for the film), and finally
by Ellie who realizes the film is probably a disaster but helps out
anyway. Not much of this makes sense or provides viewing pleasure. I
cannot recommend this film. DVD **
(9/21/02)
"Kissing
Jessica Stein"-This is an absolutely
delightful surprise. I knew the film had received favorable reviews
but had no idea how much fun it would be. Jessica Stein (Jennifer
Westfeldt) is a young Jewish woman in New York City approaching 30
who seems to have no success with men. After a succession of dates
with jerks and bores, she ultimately answers an ad for a woman placed
by Helen Cooper (Heather Juergensen), an assistant at an art gallery,
and despite Jessica's initial discomfort, they find themselves
attracted to an unlikely lesbian relationship. While surrounded by
gay friends, old boyfriends, and especially a seemingly pushy Jewish
mother, Judy Stein (Tovah Feldshuh), Jessica and Helen come to grips
with just who they are and what life is about. This film is funny,
charming, beautifully filmed in New York City, and full of tasteful
jazz pop music (and an obvious homage to the films of Woody Allen).
Westfeldt and Juergensen not only are perfect in the film but they
wrote the script and deserve accolades for one of the most charming
and fresh new films to come along in a long time. I certainly hope we
get to see both of these talented women again in the future. And
kudos to Tovah Feldshuh as Jessica's ultimately understanding Jewish
mother; and Jackie Hoffman as Jessica's not terribly attractive but
pregnant co-worker and friend. Highly recommended. DVD ****
(9/20/02)
"Panic
Room"-Jodie Foster just doesn't seem
like a rich divorcee from Greenwich, CT. But that's the part she
plays and with her skateboarding diabetic daughter, she winds up
being talked into buying an incredibly large and expensive NYC
townhouse with a very special feature, a panic room. That's a room to
hide in when someone breaks into the house. And wouldn't you know it,
three men break in on the very first night that Meg Altman (Foster)
and her daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) are in the house. The
ringleader (Jared Leto) thinks the house is empty. His cohort (Forest
Whitaker) is an expert on panic rooms, the unfortunate location of
millions of dollars in bearer bonds. When Meg and her daughter
realize that the house has been broken into, they, of course, hide in
the panic room, the very place the burglars want to reach. But there
is a joker, a third burglar, Raoul (Dwight Yoakum), invited by the
ringleader who has no compunctions about carrying a gun and using it.
That's the setup and the rest is painful and painfully obvious. Gas,
explosions, injuries, violence, and blood abound. The director of
this film, David Fincher, seems to have a propensity for reasonably
empty commercial violent films, including "Fight Club," and "Seven."
I can't recommend this film to anyone who watches films for pleasure.
DVD **1/2
(9/19/02)
"The
Man Who Cried"-Sally Potter, who
directed the fairly quirky "Orlando," provides us with another
somewhat quirky film. This time it is the story of a young Jewish
girl from Russia who is cut off from family and friends after her
father (Oleg Yankovsky) leaves for the United States. The young girl
finds her way to England where she is now much older, is named Suzie
by the customs officials, and has grown into a lovely young woman
(Christina Ricci). With a talent for singing, she finds herself in
show business with another young Russian woman named Lola (Cate
Blanchett). Together, looking for better things, they go to Paris and
meet Dante Dominio (John Turturro), an opera singer, and join the
company. But in the background is a handsome young Gypsy named Cesar
(Johnny Depp, who seems to be getting typecast in these gypsy
roles--a la "Chocolat") who is in the opera riding a white horse.
Suzie becomes smitten with Cesar, but this is happening just as the
Nazis invade and take over Paris. And her ultimate goal is to get to
the United States and find her father (which turns out be an
amazingly simple activity since all she has is a photo of him in his
shtetl garb). "The Man Who Cried" is watchable, but a little too much
on the surface. I'd recommend it for anyone who likes this particular
cast. Cate Blanchett, for example, is wonderful and realistic with
another of her many accents. John Turturro is quite good as the
egotistical opera singer. DVD ***1/2
(9/7/02)
"High
Crimes"-This is not the best time of
year for new first-run movies on DVD. And so I slum a little,
watching something like "High Crimes," which is not much more than a
warmed-over legal/thriller cliche. Ashley Judd plays Claire Kubik, a
lawyer married to Tom, a man of mystery. Why an intelligent attorney
would marry a man without an apparent past is beyond me, but so she
does. Her husband Tom (James Caviezel), seems to be a nice guy and a
good husband, but is suddenly arrested by FBI and charged with the
murder of villagers in Latin America while he was a Marine years in
the past. Tom says he's innocent, but admits that his real name is
Ron Chapman. Claire, being the loving wife, decides to defend him in
the court martial with the help of old pro Charlie Grimes (Morgan
Freeman), and novice military lawyer Lieutenant Embry (Adam Scott).
Is there intrigue? Is the husband guilty? Is everything on the
surface what really happened? Well, I won't say in order not to spoil
the film for you, but I will say that the ending was fairly
predictable. Ashley Judd is effective as Claire, and Morgan Freeman,
as always, provides the intelligence and experience, this time of an
older wise but alcoholic lawyer. Amanda Peet plays Claire's younger
sister and seems superflulous. DVD ***
(9/5/02)
"The
Cat's Meow"-Based on a true event, "The
Cat's Meow" is the story of an ill-fated cruise aboard William
Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924. In addition to Hearst (Edward
Hermann) and his mistress, Marion Davies (Kirsten Dunst), the guests
include Charlie Chaplin (Eddie Izzard), Director/Producer Thomas Ince
(Cary Elwes), gossip columnist Louella Parsons (Jennifer Tilly), and
Elinor Glyn (Joanna Lumley), the British writer/screenwriter. Hearst
is insanely jealous as to Ms. Davies; Chaplin is flirting with Davies
and trying to take her away; Ince is trying to get Hearst to combine
their film studios; Parsons, a Hearst employee, is visiting from the
east, and Glyn is observing. With some fine 1920s music in the
background, and excellent sets which bring the yacht to life (the
outdoor scenes were shot in Greece), the interactions of the various
parties ultimately result in an act of violence that is simply too
embarrassing for those on board and a major coverup results. Ed
Hermann does a fine job of playing Hearst, here shown as a man who
liked to spy on all of his guests, and Kirsten Dunst is impressive as
the young Ms. Davies who is torn between Hearst and Charlie Chaplin.
Eddie Izzard is surprisingly low key as Chaplin. There's nary a hint
of the Chaplin we all know and love.Joanna Lumley is particularly
charming as the insightful Glyn who observes, comments, and informs
the audience of the secrets of the story. The film is directed by
Peter Bogdanovich, who hit it big in the 1970s with films like "The
Last Picture Show" and "Paper Moon," but who just never seems to be
able to put together a blockbuster film. "The Cat's Meow" is one of
his better accomplishments in a long time, but still nothing more
than a pleasant speculation on a mysterious Hollywood death. DVD ***
(8/30/02)
"We
Were Soldiers"-Based on the book "We
Were Soldiers Once...And Young," Mel Gibson plays Lt. Col. Hal Moore
who led the Seventh Cavalry (yes, the same outfit once led by George
A. Custer) into one of the earliest battles of Vietnam in 1965, and
one in which a few hundred Americans were surrounded by thousands of
Vietnamese soldiers. Gibson is up to his usual stuff as Moore, a
tough soldier and family man who was dedicated to his troops ("we
leave no one behind, dead or alive"). Moore is first seen in charge
of the training of his "helicopter cavalry" with the assistance of
Sgt. Major Basil Plumley (played cool and tough by Sam Elliott) and
then leaving for Vietnam in the middle of the night, headed for a
battle that he knows will be bloody and deadly. And so it is. The
film introduces us to some of the soldiers and their wives and
children, then to the terrifying battle, and ultimately to the rather
distressing scene of a yellow cab driver delivering the telegram no
military wife ever wants to receive. Madeleine Stowe is Mrs. Moore
who chooses to direct the cab company to bring the telegrams to her
so that she can deliver the horrible news herself, thereby making
herself into the angel of doom to the new widows at the camp. The
battle scenes of "We Were Soldier" are vivid and bloody, and not for
the faint at heart. Among the cast, Greg Kinnear is noteworthy as
Maj. Bruce Crandall, a helicopter pilot at the heart of the battle,
and Barry Pepper ("61*") is quite effective as Joe Galloway a
reporter and supposed non-combatant brought in by copter in the
middle of the battle, and who finds himself wielding a rifle in
self-defense against the onslaught of North Vietnamese soldiers.
In a feature on the DVD of this film, the
real Lt. Col. Moore indicates that he felt that no Vietnam film had
ever captured the reality of the way the men fighting the battles
interacted. It was his opinion that the men were fighting not for
country, president, or flag but rather for each other. Considering
the American public's attitude towards the military during Vietnam,
this may have been vital to survival. But more than capturing this
aspect of the deadly fighting, "We Were Soldiers" is ultimately the
perfect anti-war and anti-Vietnam film. That so many young men died
in such a horrible way for such a useless cause is made clear to
anyone who knows the history of that war and what little, if
anything, was accomplished. Also, this is the first Vietnam war film
that truly brings home the horror of the Napalm that our side used to
burn the countryside and the men in it. One of the most devastating
scenes shows Napalm bombs gone astray, burning American soldiers
almost beyond recognition. What else is there to say? DVD ***1/2
(8/24/02)
"The
Rookie"-Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid) was a
high school teacher in west Texas with a baseball past. He'd had
talent but an arm injury had ended whatever chance he thought he had
for a career as a teacher. Morris' father (Brian Cox), a military
officer, had moved the family all over the country while Morris was a
youth, and had provided little or no encouragement for Morris'
dreams. Now coaching the high school team in Big Lake, Texas, and
supported eagerly by his wife (Rachel Griffiths) and three kids,
Morris tries his arm out again and finds that in his "ripe old" 30s
he can suddenly throw the ball harder than ever before, hitting 98
mph. And so, with the encouragement of the players on his high school
team, Morris tries out for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. "The Rookie" is
based on Morris' true story which, of course, has a happy ending
(this is a Disney film). All of the actors do a workmanlike job.
Quaid, looking a little too old (he's 48), otherwise fits the part
well (he's a native Texan). Rachel Griffiths ("Six Feet Under"), an
excellent actress, doesn't get to do much as Morris' wife Lorri, but
in the little she does, she shines. And Brian Cox is effective as the
cold father who tries to warm up when his son finally succeeds at his
dream. The main problem with this film is that it is really nothing
more than a "Hallmark Hall of Fame" type of TV film. Laden with heavy
and preachy music, there are no surprises. But it's about baseball,
nicely paced, and what can be wrong with that? DVD ***
(8/23/02)
"Iris"-Based
on two auto-biographical books by John Bayley, "Iris" stars Kate
Winslet and Hugh Bonneville, respectively, as the young Iris Murdoch,
and Bayley, her future husband, and Judy Dench and Jim Broadbent as
the elderly versions. In alternating sequences between the young and
old we see how Murdoch, the great British novelist, despite her
rather wild sexual lifestyle, is attracted to the somewhat bumbling
and stuttering Bayley, and then how Bayley, many years Murdoch's
husband, has to deal with the horror of his wife's Alzheimer's
Disease. That these actors are simply marvelous is without question.
The acting is utterly superb. Broadbent, in particular, has the
extremely difficult role of playing an elderly and somewhat nervous,
but worshipful man who has to handle the increasingly distressing
aspects of Iris' mental debilitation. Broadbent, who was equally
brilliant as Sir William S. Gilbert in "Topsy-Turvy," was finally
properly recognized for his skills with an Oscar for best supporting
actor.
"Iris" is about romance among the
intelligentsia, and about love and pain, but strangely it fails to
truly portray Iris' intellect. The scenes with Winslet and Bonneville
would seem to be portraying two budding athletes rather than two
emerging writers. We see them biking and swimming nude, but rarely is
there any demonstration of Murdoch's views of life and literature.
And when there is such an attempt, it seems trivial. The film runs
only 90 minutes; certainly the script-writers could have spent a
little more time revealing to the audience just who is this Iris, the
important subject of their film. A film about the loss of the mind to
such a horrible disease as Alzheimer's can be truly important to
watch, but the pathos of this film would certainly be greater if it
were obvious that the loss here is especially horrifying due to Iris'
deep intellect. DVD ***1/2
(8/17/02)
"Birthday
Girl"-This is a rather lame attempt at a
scam/thriller/heist genre film. Ben Chaplin is John, a British bank
employee with a humdrum life and a closet full of porn. He decides to
seek a Russian-born mail-order bride and finds himself with "Sophia"
(Nicole Kidman), a cigarette-smoking Russian doll who can't speak
English but who knows exactly how to manipulate poor John. That he
doesn't see Sophia get off the plane at the airport after watching
closely, but rather finds her miraculously standing in the terminal
waiting for him should have sent off signals, but it didn't. Two
French actors (Vincent Cassel and Matthieu Kassovitz
("Amélie")), play the Russian "friends" of Sophia who
ultimately move into John's home and take over. And, as a result,
John finds himself in the middle of a scam that will just about ruin
his life in England. "Birthday Girl" has an interesting premise and
some promise, but it's presented in a tedious charmless manner. Ben
Chaplin is particularly lacking in charm, seemingly unable to break
into even a mini-smile. Nicole Kidman, beautiful as always, is simply
too much to believe in the form of Sophia. Cassel and Kassovitz are
funny as the Russians, despite admitting on a DVD feature that they
do not speak Russian. But the script ultimately is tedious and the
film simply has no pizzazz. The ending is pretty silly. DVD **
(8/16/02)
"The
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the
Ring"-I've consciously avoided the
Tolkien series of fantasy tales about Hobbits, rings, and evil and
good, believing that these stories were intended for childish
mentalities. Well, I still haven't read one page of the books and
won't comment on them, but I have now sat through the film, the first
of a series. What's it about? Oh, Hobbits, rings, good and evil, and
lots of monsters. Most people who have read the Tolkien books
probably know the plot outline. Those who haven't probably couldn't
care less. And I urge the latter to avoid at all costs this insipid
tedious bore of a film. With pretensions of greatness, "The Lord of
the Rings" is nothing more than a long drawn-out chase film during
which a bunch of undeveloped characters have to fight off one absurd
horde of monsters after another, ranging from ghosts, goblins, ogres,
and the undead, to a tentacled sea-monster. And after three hours,
almost nothing has been accomplished since there are at least two
more films coming to finish the story. This film has been compared to
"Star Wars." Well, there is at least one obvious gigantic difference.
"Star Wars," at least the first of the series, had a strong sense of
humor and a great deal of originality. There isn't an ounce of humor
in this film, and with monsters constantly chasing after our poor
dull heroes, not much originality. DVD *1/2
(8/9/02)
"Storytelling"-Director
Todd Solondz makes movies about misery and miserable people ("Welcome
To the Doll House" and "Happiness"). This film is certainly a typical
Solondz film. It's divided into two parts, the first a story called
"Fiction" and the second "Non-Fiction." Each deals with different
methods of telling stories, but each is really about the misery of
the human condition. In tale #1, Selma Blair ("Legally Blonde") plays
Vi, a young college student who is in a writing class with her
boyfriend, a victim of cerebral palsy. None of the students appear to
have any significant writing talent and the black professor, Mr.
Scott (Robert Wisdom), a Pulitzer Prize winner, seems to get pleasure
out of letting them embarrass themselves and then telling them the
shortcomings of their literary creations. After a brief argument with
her boyfriend, the latter accuses her and the other white girls in
the class of wanting to have sex with the professor. And so,
surprise, surprise, Vi finds herself running into Professor Scott at
a bar, and being taken back to his apartment. You can probably guess
what happens next, a scene loaded with sexual and racial tensions,
because "Fiction" ends with Vi back in class, bitterly reading a
fictional account of this experience to her dense classmates and a
rather cold professor.
"Non-fiction" centers around a nerdy and
obviously unsuccessful documentary filmmaker (and shoestore salesman)
named Toby Oxman (Paul Giamatti). The story begins with an extremely
painful phone conversation in which Toby tries to make contact with
an old girlfriend from college only to be given the heave-ho by the
obviously uninterested and married young woman as soon as the
opportunity arises. Toby proceeds to make an obviously pathetic film
about the attempts of a young boy named Scooby (Mark Webber) to get
into college. That Scooby has demonstrated no interest in school or
in college appears to be secondary to Toby. But the film is also
about Scooby's disastrously dysfunctional family, led by the
overbearing father (John Goodman), the mealy-mouthed mother (Julie
Hagerty), and the dangerous prissy younger brother, Mikey (Jonathan
Osser). Mikey treats the rather pathetic live-in Hispanic maid (Lupe
Ontiveros) like a slave, arranges to convince his father to fire her,
and a tragic denoument is the result. Why Todd Solondz likes making
films about misery and miserable people is not clear. But ultimately
there is not much in his dark little tales besides the pain to
experience. Is this what you want in a movie-going experience? DVD
***
(8/3/02)
"The
Time Machine"-Directed by Simon Wells, a
great-grandson of H.G. Wells,"The Time Machine" once again tells the
tale of a 19th Century scientist who decides to do some time
traveling. This time the hero is Alexander Hartdegen (Guy Pearce) a
professor at Columbia University whose fiance Emma (Sienna Guillory)
was murdered shortly after he proposed, and he decides to go back to
change things. Using the machine, which seems to pop up out of thin
air (oh, Hartdegen does have lots of equations on blackboards around
his den), he travels back to the night he proposed and finds that
despite changing some of the events, the result is the same. And so
he travels forward in time to see if he can find out why he can't
change the past. Initially, he finds himself early in the 21st
Century on a tragic night as the moon is breaking up as a result of
miscalculations of moon settlers. The film ignores the likely
scientific implications of what would happen to earth if the moon
were destroyed. And so the shock of this event sends Hartdegen
800,000 years into the future where he comes upon, for anyone who has
seen the Rod Taylor version of "The Time Machine," the familiar human
and sympathetic Eloi and the horrendous and nightmarish Morlock, a
wayward twist in evolution. Ultimately, Hartdegen comes across and
must battle the Ubër-Morlock (Jeremy Irons), an Albino-like
creature who controls the Morlock. There is, of course, the young and
beautiful Eloi love interest, Mara (Samantha Mumba) who amazingly
knows English despite 800,000 years of time passage, and who
Hartdegen must save from the clutches of the evil Morlock. Despite
all of the technical advances of modern films, this film is overrun
with cliches and looks surprisingly old-fashioned. The machine itself
is familiar, and the Morlock makeup is not terribly realistic or
frightening. If you're irresistibly drawn by time-travel movies, it's
okay. Otherwise, it's nothing to write home about. DVD **1/2
(7/28/02)
"The
Devil's Backbone"-"El Espinazo del
Diablo" (this film is in Spanish with English subtitles) is a ghost
story, but really quite different from the typical American ghost
film. What is intended to horrify the viewer is not really the ghost,
but rather the evil inherent in humans in the middle of a
dehumanizing war. Taking place in an orphanage in the middle of open
territory in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, the film
concentrates on a young boy Carlos (Fernando Tielve) who is brought
to the orphanage after his father dies. The orphanage is run by
Carmen (Marisa Paredes), a one-legged woman, and Casares (Federico
Luppi), a distinguished white-bearded teacher, who loves her but
whose love is unrequited. They are desperate, having little food left
for the boys, but they do have a stash of gold ingots to help support
the anti-fascist cause. Living at the orphanage is Jacinto (Eduardo
Noriega), a former orphan now a helper whose anger and greed are
immense, and who, while ostensibly wooing the beautiful young
Conchita (Irene Visedo), is actually satisfying the sexual needs of
Carmen. Young Carlos hears the story of Santi, a boy of the orphanage
who disappeared on the night that a bomb landed in the courtyard but
failed to explode. With the bomb still sitting in the yard (now
defused), Carlos begins to observe the ghost of a young boy he
suspects is Santi. With the help of Jaime (Iñigo
Garcés), a boy who initially appears to bully but ultimately
turns good, Carlos discovers the truth about Santi's disappearance,
but not before the war and Jacinto have wreaked havoc on the place
and its inhabitants. Ultimately the boys and the ghost seek their
revenge. All of the performances are well done, notably Federico
Luppi as the noble teacher. Fernando Tielve is excellent as the young
Carlos. DVD ***1/2
(7/27/02)
"Charlotte
Gray"-Directed by Gillian Armstrong
("Oscar and Lucinda," "Starstruck," and "My Brilliant Career") and
starring Cate Blanchett and Billy Crudup, this film offered great
promise. Based on a touted novel by Sebastian Faulks, "Charlotte
Gray" tells the tale of Charlotte (Cate Blanchett), a young
French-speaking Scottish woman in WW II England whose lover Peter
(Rupert Penry-Jones) has been downed in France. Hoping to find him,
she volunteers to be a courier/spy, goes through training, and is
parachuted into France only to virtually land on two young Jewish
boys whose lives soon become significant to her. She meets and falls
for Julien (Billy Crudup), a young Communist and resistance fighter
who puts her up at the home of his father Levade (Michael Gambon).
The two Jewish boys, whose parents have disappeared, are being lodged
at Levade's home in the hopes of protecting them from the Vichy
government and the Nazis.Unfortunately, this is a rather tepid tale
of intrigue. Charlotte seems to have no real purpose in being in
France and she finds herself being used in an inexplicable turn of
events to harm the resistance movement. The French characters all
speak English, some with pronounced British accents, a throwback to
the old days before it became fashionable to let characters speak the
right language for the part. There is some romance but it is
certainly not stirring. Cate Blanchett does a fine job as usual and
is gorgeous but that's not enough to carry this film beyond simply
being average. A disappointment. DVD ***
(7/20/02)
"The
Royal Tenenbaums"-The Tenenbaums are a
dour bunch. Just about the only member of the family with any spark
is Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman), the father, who long ago was
thrown out by his wife Etheline (Anjelica Huston) and now, having
become homeless and having heard that his wife was planning to marry
her very upright accountant Henry Sherman (Danny Glover), strives to
return to the family hearth but with a glint in his eye. Royal meets
Etheline on the street and gets her sympathy by announcing that he is
dying. Royal and Etheline are the parents of three former prodigies
who are now all suffering a darn good case of ennui. They are Chas
(Ben Stiller), a neurotic widower and mouse entrepeneur as well as
father of two boys, Ari and Uzi; Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), the
playwright and adopted daughter who has never been allowed by Royal
to forget her status in the family; and Richie (Luke Wilson), the
former child tennis star who flamed out at the height of his career.
But there are also hangers-on, including Eli Cash (Owen Wilson), the
next-door-neighbor Tenenbaum wannabe with a drug problem, and Pagoda
(Kumar Pallana), the family aide who has a tendency towards stabbing
Royal despite being his friend. This film has received a lot of
attention and favorable comments, and the cast and outline of the
story would seem very favorable for success. But what I saw was a
very slow-moving rather dull film that seemed to contain little or no
humor and to have no particular point to make. The so-called
"prodigies" are so listless and dull as to show almost no sign of
life, let alone of intelligence. Whatever life there is in this film
comes from Gene Hackman who is, as usual, very good as the somewhat
unreliable Royal. Anjelica Huston does a fine job as Mrs. Tenenbaum,
but the rest of the cast and the script seem to be sleep-walking. Oh,
I almost forgot. Bill Murray is in this film as Margot's husband
Raleigh St. Clair, but his character and performance are so
underplayed it's easy to forget that he's been in the film. That
should give you some idea of how uninspired is the not-so-royal
"Royal Tenenbaums." DVD **1/2
(7/19/02)
"Piñero"-Miguel
Piñero was a thief, a junkie, an inmate of Sing Sing, and also
a Lower East Side poet and Tony award-winning playwright. Interesting
combination? Well, I'd sure say so. "Piñero" is his story,
told in raw tour-de-force manner by writer/director Leon Ichaso and
brilliantly portrayed by Benjamin Bratt who truly becomes the title
character. Bratt, unfortunately, has had a career of playing barely
noticeable characters such as an FBI agent in "Miss Congeniality." If
you saw him there, you wouldn't believe this is the same actor. And
actor he is. His performance in this film is stunning and deserved
greater recognition. Ichaso tells Piñero's story through
timeless vignettes, moving back and forth between various periods,
including the early 1970s when Piñero was released from Sing
Sing and found the Nuyorican Poets Society and wrote "Short Eyes," a
play produced by Joseph Papp (Mandy Patinkin) which led to the Tony,
and 1988, when Piñero, his body ravaged by drugs and alcohol,
is fading away. The film contains some first-rate and exciting
performances from actors who don't often have the opportunity to
excel, including Giancarlo Esposito as Miguel Algarin,
Piñero's friend and supporter, and Nelson Vazquez and Michael
Irby as members of Piñero's entourage, thieves and actors.
Rita Moreno, who has been acting for more than 50 years, is, as
always, wonderfully sparkling and intelligent as Piñero's
mother. And no review of this film could be complete without noting
the tough performance of Talisa Soto as Sugar, the prostitute who
became Piñero's girlfriend. DVD ****
(7/13/02)
"Amélie"-To
most moviemakers these days, fantasy involves surreal places,
character, and themes. One thinks of "Lord of the Rings" and "Harry
Potter." But to Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, fantasy is more about
the kinds of things humans really dream about, for example, the power
to do justice and find love. And this is exactly what this delightful
and clever film is about. Starting with a rapid-paced history of
Amélie's early beginnings, showing that she was as a child
surrounded by an icy father and a neurotic mother (who can be driven
crazy by a suicidal goldfish), the film soon comes to the present in
which Amélie is a young relatively innocent Parisian waitress
who discovers her desire to bring justice and happiness to those
around her, including her own rather dull father. Along the way, she
observes a young man who is fascinated with and appears to collect
the images left over from photo booths. As luck would have it, she
finds his lost collection and proceeds to attract him by returning
the collection via clever ruses and clues until the young man becomes
obsessed with finding his mysterious heroine. Audrey Tatou has the
most gorgeous eyes imaginable and she portrays Amélie with the
beauty, wit, and verve the character deserves. She is surrounded by a
cast of characters, ranging from an obnoxious vegetable stand owner
(upon whom she gains revenge for the misery he brings to his
employee), a wizened painter with "glass" bones, a nervous-nelly
co-worker who almost finds love with the somewhat crazed suitor of
another co-worker; and a neighbor who is easily convinced that her
long-lost husband still loved her despite running off with another.
Matthieu Kassovitz is warm and attractive as Nino, the photo
collector, and Serge Merlin is notable as Dufayel the painter. This
film has an excellent and intelligent script, is beautifully
photographed with lush colors, delightfully performed, and just a joy
to behold. Highly recommended. This film is in French and has English
subtitles. DVD ****
(7/12/02)
"Waking
Life"-Director Richard Linklater has
made a series of films about the philosophy of life, including "Dazed
and Confused," and "Before Sunrise." This animated film takes those
one step further. The animation here is based on digital images of
actual actors, turned into animated graphics on a Macintosh (as seen
on one of the features on the DVD). In many scenes, it's obvious that
these were not simply raw drawings but drawings superimposed over
real faces and it works well. Wiley Wiggins is a young man who finds
himself in a constant dream state and can't seem to get out of it.
While in it, he meets and listens to a series of philosophizing
characters, including one who decides to self-immolate. Each
character is a virtual college lecturer, analyzing life, reality,
particle theory, dreams, and a whole range of other subjects.
Included is one bedroom talk scene of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy,
the two stars of Linklater's 1995 film "Before Sunrise" which was
about two young people meeting on a European train who spend an
entire night walking around Vienna while expressing their views on
subjects similar to those in this film. "Waking Life" is not for the
simple-minded. Very European in its style, it requires the viewer to
also be a listener. DVD ***1/2
(7/1/02)
"Gosford
Park"-Robert Altman, who has directed
some fine films ("Nashville," "McCabe and Mrs. Miller," and "The
Player") hadn't had a really good film in a long time. But he and Bob
Balaban came up with the idea for this ensemble acting extravaganza
by seemingly dozens of outstanding talents. The plot is fairly
simple. William McCordle (Michael Gambon), owner of Gosford Park, a
large British mansion, is having a shooting weekend for a large
number of guests. We see them arrive with their various valets and
servants, the rich and wealthy to the upstairs guest rooms and the
others to the lower quarters for the working class of the household.
With classic Altman style, the camera follows a multitude of guests
and servants until we finally begin to understand the relationships
of most, including a few who have a motive for the murder that later
occurs. The film centers around Mary Maceachran (Kelly McDonald), who
serves Lady Constance Trentham (Maggie Smith in a wonderful
performance as a total, complete and utter snob) and who ultimately
figures out the secrets of some of the characters. But there are so
many others in the intrigue, including (upstairs) Sylvia McCordle
(Kristin Scott Thomas), the lady of the household who is obviously
not too close to her husband in light of his philandering; Raymond
Stockbridge (Charles Dance) whose wife, still carrying a torch for
McCordle, had brought him along for the ride; Morris Weissman (Bob
Balaban), a Hollywood producer making Charlie Chan films and doing a
little British manor research; Ivor Novello (a real-life actor played
in this fictional version with utter charm by Jeremy Northam);
Freddie Nesbitt (James Wilby) who is ashamed of his wife and who is
trying to get McCordle's daughter to help him to get a job from her
father; and Henry Denton (Ryan Phillippe), an actor who at first
makes believe he is a Scottish valet for Weissman, but must
ultimately admit his fraudulent behavior. And then there's the
downstairs crowd, including Helen Mirren as Mrs. Wilson, the head
housekeeper; Clive Owen ("Croupier"), a handsome valet to
Stockbridge; Eileen Atkins as the bitter Mrs. Croft, who has been
working at Gosford Park for too long; Alan Bates as Jennings the
butler; Emily Watson as Elsie the maid who is also a special
"favorite" of the lord of the manor; Derek Jacobi and Richard E.
Grant as two of the male servants; and Sophie Thompson as Dorothy
whose love for Jennings is unrequited.
Before I go further, I must admit that I
was a little dazed on first viewing. This is a film that cries out
for a second viewing and having it on DVD allows just that. Knowing
the outcome helps to understand the motivations of the characters the
second time around. If that's a criticism, so be it, but I think not.
The acting is brilliant. Not a bad performance in the house. And a
lot of subtleties are revealed, just like re-reading a complex book.
Also, I was completely blown away by some of these wonderful actors.
Standing out particularly were Emily Watson, astonishing as a maid
with intelligence and her own ideas about personal involvement;
Jeremy Northam who demonstrates a delightful singing talent as he
performs songs written and performed originally by the real Ivor
Novello; Kelly McDonald, another of the talented young Scottish
actors who came out of "Trainspotting;" and finally by Stephen Fry
("Jeeves and Wooster") who portrays a bumbling police inspector a la
Inspector Clouseau brought in to investigate the murder and who then
proceeds to ignore virtually all the evidence and those involved in
the murder. I have to recommend this film for, if nothing else, the
amazing natural performances of this incredible cast. "Gosford Park,"
in addition to the wonder Novello songs, contains tasteful and
extremely pleasant background music by Patrick Doyle showing why
filmscore subtlety often wins out over scores that knock us over the
head with bluster. DVD **** (6/28/02 and
6/30/02)
"The
Majestic"-Jim Carrey playing a straight
role? Amazing. And yet he does reasonably well as Peter Appleton, a
Hollywood scriptwriter caught in the middle of the early 1950s studio
system. And then he finds himself caught in a far worse situation:
accused by the House Un-American Activities Committee of being a
communist. Peter sets off on a drunken drive north along the
California coast only to have an accident, go off a bridge, and
ultimately find himself washed up on a beach with amnesia. Taken to
the lovely and idyllic town of Lawson, Harry Trimble (Martin Landau),
one of the locals, claims Peter as his long-lost son (in the war)
Luke. Having no memory, Peter goes along and finds himself enmeshed
in the lives of the locals. Lawson, he discovers, is a small town
which has lost more than its share of young men to the war,
including, they had thought, Luke Trimble. And while Peter assumes
the role of Luke, elevating the spirits of the town and helping to
restore the beautiful local movie theater "The Majestic," run by his
"father" Harry Trimble, the FBI continues their search for the
"commie" who has disappeared mysteriously. "The Majestic" is a very
pretty film, but is predictable and sappy, similar in many ways to
Director Frank Darabont's previous major film, "The Green Mile."
There is, of course, the lovely, sweet and intelligent (and blonde)
Adele Stanton (Laurie Holden) who was Luke's girlfriend and who has
had apparently no boyfriends in the almost 10 years since Luke
disappeared in WW II. There is the old rundown movie theater which is
transformed, seemingly without any signficant funds but with the
eager help of the townspeople, into one of the most beautiful movie
theaters you've ever seen. And there is the expected inspiration
which turns Peter from a man without "convictions" into a brave soul
willing to take on the vile right-wingers of Congress in order to
give a James Stewart-style speech concerning just what America is
really about. This film, had it been made in the 1950s and directed
by Frank Capra, might have been a masterpiece. Today, however, it's
merely soporific fluff. DVD ***
(6/22/02)
"Orange
County"-A young surfer dude named Shaun
Brumder (Colin Hanks) from Orange County, CA, who really is the best
and brightest of his class, decides he'd like to be a writer and
attend Stanford University to be near his idol, a professor/writer
named Marcus Skinner (Kevin Kline). He's president of his class and
he's written a novel about the people around him. But he's up against
an utterly dysfunctional family and a bumbling school staff led by
college advisor Ms. Cobb (Lily Tomlin), who submits the wrong
transcript to Stanford. Somehow, with the help of his girlfriend
Ashley (Schuyler Fisk) and his amazingly spaced-out brother Lance
(Jack Black), Shaun hopes to make it to the college of his choice.
"Orange County" gets off to a promising start. Colin Hanks (son of
Tom) and Schuyler Fisk (daughter of Sissy Spacek) are intelligent and
personable. They seem to have things under control, but with the help
of a rather strange group of friends and family, things deteriorate
quickly. This film can't seem to decide if it's going to be on a
higher plane of humor than the standard teen flicks, or succumb to
the standard teen-flick humor of sex, drugs, and violence. And what's
really telling is that the filmmakers couldn't find enough material
to fill even 90 minutes. "Orange County" lasts a total of just under
80 minutes, astoundingly short for a feature film. Ironically, the
DVD contains deleted scenes some of which appeared quite usable to
fill it out. Of note in the cast are Catherine O'Hara as Shaun's
slightly alcoholic mother; John Lithgow as his wealthy and confused
father; and Harold Ramis as the Stanford Dean of Admissions who
ultimately has an earthshaking experience upon meeting Shaun, Lance
et al. "Orange County" was written by Mike White ("Chuck & Buck")
who also appears as a high school teacher. DVD **1/2
(6/21/02)
"The
Shipping News"-Only in the movies could
a schlump with no first name and little identity like the main
character of this film, Quoyle (Kevin Spacey), wind up with women who
look like Cate Blanchett and Julianne Moore. Quoyle can barely open
his mouth to express himself. The words seem to get out only by
accident. Is he retarded or simply an extremely weak man allowing
himself to be pushed around by an attractive woman, if not the rest
of the world? And only in the movies could this same man experience a
somewhat miraculous transformation into a "journalist" of sorts,
writing stories about car accidents and the shipping news for a small
paper in Newfoundland. Quoyle's family came originally from
Newfoundland, but he knew little of this. After a horrifying marriage
to Petal Bear (Blanchett), a sexy, promiscuous, and aimless young
woman who mothers his daughter Bunny, Quoyle finds himself on his way
to Newfoundland with his daughter and his aunt Agnis Hamm (Judi
Dench) who has inspired him to seek out the land of family origins.
They move into an incredibly fragile-looking old house which was once
the family domain, and Quoyle proceeds to meet and become involved
with a group of wonderful Canadian locals, including Wavey Prowse
(Moore), a young mother who has been abandoned by her husband; Jack
Buggit (Scott Glenn), the publisher of The Gammy Bird, the local
paper; Tert Card (Pete Postlethwaite), the editor of the paper who
appears threatened by or simply hostile to Quoyle; and Beaufield
Nutbeem, another employee of the paper (played with charm by the very
talented Rhys Ifans of "Notting Hill"). Quoyle ultimately learns some
very dark secrets of his family history, and begins to grow as a
person, especially with the attentions of the lovely Wavey.
Based on the novel by Annie Proulx, "The
Shipping News" is directed by Lasse Hallstrom ("The Cider House
Rules" and"Chocolat"). Despite reservations centering mostly around
the peculiarities of Quoyle's character and his amazing
transformation, the excellent cast of "The Shipping News" and the
barren, cold, and yet beautiful landscapes of Newfoundland turn this
film into a worthwhile experience. DVD ***1/2
(6/20/02)
"Black
Hawk Down"-Based on true events in 1993,
this film is about a troop of special American soldiers sent into
Mogadishu, Somalia, to capture a murderous warlord. The Americans are
in Somalia as part of a UN operation, and are under the command of
Maj. General William Garrison (Sam Shepard) who knows things can go
wrong. And, of course, they do. So wrong that a brief action to
capture the warlord, scheduled to last less than an hour, turns into
an almost full day of battle between the Americans and the warlord's
troops. The film, incredibly photographed, is about the battle, but
mostly about the attempts by the Americans to bring home their
buddies who have become casualties, dead or alive. And so we proceed
to almost 1 1/2 hours (after the initial brief introduction and
set-up) of sheer horrifying violence. One of the characters complains
that he's losing his hearingbecause of the machine-gun fire. That
might apply as well to the audience for that is pretty much all one
hears for most of this film. The characters run down the streets,
fire their weapons, hide behind something, operate vulnerable
humvees, fire their weapons, run down the streets, hide behind
something, and so on ad infinitum. The characters are not developed
sufficiently to really care about them. The stars, hidden behind crew
cuts and dirt, look like everyone else and the cast is almost
invisible. But among the cast members of note are Josh Hartnett as
Staff Sgt. Eversmann, one of those dedicated to rescuing the injured
and downed soldiers and helicopter pilots; Ewan McGregor (yes, as an
American) as Grimes, the man who specializes in making good coffee;
and Tom Sizemore as Lieut. Col. Danny McKnight, one of the more
memorable tough guys in the group. If bullets, blood, and guts is
your forté, this film's for you. DVD ***
(6/14/02)
"Kate
and Leopold"-I wasn't expecting much and
got exactly what I was expecting. The basic outline: Hugh Jackman is
Leopold, Duke of Albany, an inventor. It is 1876, and he is visiting
New York to find a wealthy bride. The Brooklyn Bridge is going up
just outside the home where he is staying. He sees a man using a
modern spy camera and chases after him only to find himself
transported through time with the man (Stuart, played by Liev
Schreiber) to the New York of today. Whereupon he further finds
himself in Stuart's apartment, dog and all, and after about 2 minutes
of shock seems to adjust quite well, thank you, to modern appliances.
Next, he meets the lovely but annoying Kate McKay (Meg Ryan, playing
her favorite kind of boring romantic role), Stuart's neighbor and
ex-girlfriend. Ms McKay is in the ad biz, organizing focus groups,
and is obviously a modern chick concerned primarily about her career
and only secondarily about her love life. Stuart, having traveled
through time, knows the truth of Leopold's identity and place in the
19th Century and tries to tell a few people, but astoundingly Leopold
goes through virtually the entire film without ever introducing
himself to anyone or explaining where he came from. His incredible
adjustment to the New York of 2001 is beyond all belief. Despite a
few old gentlemanly habits, he finds himself doing pretty much what
most New Yorkers do, but with almost no wonderment! Kate, on the
other hand, doesn't believe Stuart's story of time travel until the
very end when she has miraculously and for no apparent reason been
transformed from a hard-nosed business type intent on success in her
career to a soft romantic willing to do a little time traveling for
love. My favorite scene in this awfully silly film is Leopold
performing a margarine commercial for Ms. McKay's agency. The ad
execs are bowled over by this articulate Englishman's presentation as
if they had NEVER seen or heard a handsome Brit with a charming
accent. Maybe a trip back to 1876 would be a good idea! DVD **1/2
(6/14/02)
"The
Mothman Prophecies"-I can go for an
occasional horror or fright film, but it's not my cinema of choice.
Here I was tempted primarily by the cast, especially Laura Linney,
one of my favorite actresses, and I was not disappointed in that
regard. Based loosely on some alleged sightings and a major tragedy
in Point Pleasant, WV, in 1966-67, "Mothman" is about a Washington
Post reporter named John Klein (Richard Gere) who is happily married
to Mary (Debra Messing) only to lose her to a mysterious vision
resulting in a car accident and the discovery of a brain tumor. Two
years later, Klein starts out at 1 a.m., to drive to Richmond, VA,
about 90 miles south of DC, only to find himself, rather
mysteriously, at 2:30 a.m., in Point Pleasant, more than 400 miles
from DC. When his car breaks down and his cell phone doesn't work,
Klein discovers that he is in the middle of a very strange mystery
involving sightings of an extraterrestrial "mothman" figure by many
of the local residents, similar to drawings made by his wife before
her death. Richard Gere is reasonably effective as the increasingly
curious Klein, a man who ultimately finds himself right at the center
of the horror. He is also very well supported by Laura Linney as
Connie Mills, a local police officer. Linney provides an intelligence
and seriousness that the film otherwise does not deserve. The film
implies an attraction between the characters played by Gere and
Linney, but that certainly is not the center of this rather spooky
film about prophecies, visions, and very strange phone calls. Alan
Bates provides further fine support as Alexander Leek, a man who has
written about similar experiences in the past and who is sought out
by Klein for advice, which he provides reluctantly. The overall theme
of this film is silly, but I cannot deny that if you want a couple of
hours of spooky horror, this is the film for you. DVD ***
(6/8/02)
"Monster's
Ball"-This is a rather peculiar movie
because it doesn't seem to have any raison d'etre. Is it a story? Or
is it a character study? Maybe a little bit of both? "Monster's Ball"
tells the tale of Corrections Officer Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob
Thornton), a seeming racist and bully who lives with his racist
father (Peter Boyle) and fellow-Corrections officer son Sonny (Heath
Ledger), a young man Hank considers a weakling because Sonny has
various human traits. Hank and Sonny take part in the execution of
Lawrence Musgrove (Sean Combs), and then personal battles result in
the tragic death of Sonny. From this point on, the coincidences come
fast and furious. Hank hangs out at a restaurant at which Musgrove's
widow Leticia (Halle Berry) is a waitress. Hank also just happens to
drive by when Leticia and her seriously injured son Tyrell are
sitting alongside a road in a downpour, and he offers help. Both find
themselves alone and attracted to each other as Hank undergoes a
metamorphosis into a decent and generous man who seems to feel right
at home with the African-Americans he formerly despised. Is this the
result of the tragedies each has faced? Maybe, but it's certainly not
clear from the film. Halle Berry is genuinely impressive in this
Oscar-winning role as an African-American woman faced with a
double-loss in a very short period of time, and then faced with the
attentions of a white man who, she ultimately discovers, was a
Corrections officer at the execution of her husband. Billy Bob
Thornton is good, but his portrayal of Hank is dangerously close, in
lack of expression and monotone, to his recent portrayal of Ed Crane
in "The Man Who Wasn't There." Of note is Peter Boyle's subtle
performance as an elderly racist. DVD ***1/2
(6/7/02)
"Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"-It's
hard to avoid a phenomenon as big as J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter"
series, but the book series is one type of "literature" I'm not
likely to read. So, it was off to the movies to find out what it's
all about. And with the newly-released DVD of this film in hand, it
didn't take long to find oneself enmeshed in the story of the young
Harry who is left on the doorstep of the Dursley family in infancy
with a lightning-type scar on his forehead and with the promise that
he would be "rescued" in due time. Harry is amazingly calm while
living with the vile Dursleys, almost as if he knew he'd be rescued.
And so he is by the charming giant Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane, a
wonderful actor who fortunately is showing up more and more) who
directs him on his way to a new life at the wizardry school of
Hogwarts. It is there he will learn the truth about the death of his
parents (and the acquisition of his scar) at the hands of the
monstrous Lord Voldemort. The introduction of Harry, greeted as a
virtual celebrity, to Hogwarts is the best part of this story,
ranging from the "Myst"-like scenery to the wonderful caricatures of
professors and students. And what a (British) cast! Maggie Smith as
Professor McGonagall who easily morphs between cat and human; Richard
Harris as the beloved and bearded Headmaster Dumbledore; Alan Rickman
as the dark and mysterious Professor Snape; Zoë Wanamaker as
Madame Hooch; and even a ghostly John Cleese as Nearly Headless Nick.
But also notable are the young actors, the almost-perfect Daniel
Radcliffe as the cool and brave bespectacled Harry; Emma Watson as
the seemingly all-knowing Hermione; and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
whose ability at chess will save the day. While there are some minor
weaknesses in the photography (the Quidditch scenery is a little
weak), the film has enough for kids of all ages. While there are the
standard "fear factors" that always seem to have a role in such
fantasy, here they do not overwhelm the story, the characters or the
overall charm of the story. DVD ***1/2
(6/1/02)
"Sidewalks
of New York"-A round-robin tale of the
love lives of six New Yorkers, "Sidewalks of New York" owes some
homage to Woody Allen. Ed Burns, who wrote and directed this
intelligent and funny film, as well as starred in it, is a talented
young guy who loves his city and shows it. New York looks great. The
cast is wonderful. Burns plays Tommy Riley, a TV producer who has
just been kicked out by his girlfriend. He meets Maria Tedesco
(Rosario Dawson), a schoolteacher, at a video store and cleverly
develops the possibility of a relationship. Maria had been married to
Benny Basler (David Krumholtz) but divorced because Benny felt he
hadn't had enough experience with other women. Benny, a
doorman/wannabe rock star, is begging Maria to take him back, but
meanwhile he notices a cute waitress named Ashley (Brittany Murphy)
at his favorite coffee shop. Ashley is having a ridiculous affair
with a pretty boring married dentist named Griffin Aretzo (Stanley
Tucci). Griffin is on his second marriage and fears another divorce,
but this doesn't stop his philandering. His wife, Annie Matthews
(Heather Graham) is a real-estate agent who is showing apartments to
Tommy Riley at the same time that she is beginning to realize what
her husband is up to. And so it goes around. Done in a
partly-documentary style, with the six main characters occasionally
talking to an unseen filmmaker about their love and sex lives,
"Sidewalks of New York" is witty and on point. Stanley Tucci is
perfectly obnoxious as the completely worthless Griffin, a man who
lies to everyone, including himself. David Krumholtz easily portrays
the air of the young man who has married too young and isn't quite
sure how to sell himself except to simply be himself. Brittany Murphy
is an amazing young talent who does a wonderful transformation from
the seemingly ditzy mistress of Griffin into a young woman who
completely comes to her senses and realizes the value of a truly
caring person. Heather Graham, who was miscast in "From Hell," is
perfectly cast here as the upper east side blonde who has married
wrong and desperately needs a change, and Rosario Dawson is gorgeous
and very charming as the young schoolteacher who is uncertain of what
she wants only a year after her divorce. This is a film that did not
get a great deal of attention, but it certainly deserves a viewing.
DVD ****
(5/25/02)
"Vanilla
Sky"-I have not seen the original movie
upon which this film is based but I see a pattern. The original is
called "Abres Los Ojos" ("Open Your Eyes") and was the creation of
Alejandro Amenábar, the same man who directed "The Others."
Mr.Amenábar obviously is a cousin of M. Night Shyamalan, the
director of "The Sixth Sense" and other childish films of the occult.
"Vanilla Sky" is directed by Cameron Crowe ("Almost Famous"). Mr.
Crowe shouldn't waste his obvious skills on this kind of nonsense.
And nonsense it is. Tom Cruise (oh yes, the same Tom Cruise we've
been seeing film-in and film-out for years) stars as the egotistical
New York rich boy/executive David Aames who is having an unsatisfying
affair with Julie Gianni (Cameron Diaz), a woman he ultimately grows
to hate despite her obvious ardor for him. Ultimately, he sees her as
a stalker, as he finds himself far more attracted to Sofia Serrano
(Penelope Cruz--who also starred in the original version of this
film). But Julie the stalker, jealous of David's relationship with
Sofia, convinces David to join her for an auto ride through Manhattan
that results in a tragic accident in which David survives but is
severely disfigured. Little happens throughout most of this
relatively dull film. David is seen in prison, wearing an
expressionless mask ("facial prosthetic") and being interviewed by a
psychologist played by Kurt Russell. It seems that David may have
committed a murder. Intermingled with hints of a bizarre cryogenics
theory (wherein people are frozen at death so that they can be
resuscitated at a much later date) we are brought back and forth
between the present?, past?, and future? to the point that it is
really impossible to tell just what is going on. Although one gets a
sense of what the filmmaker is getting at towards the end, the
conclusion is a gigantic ho-hum. I certainly got little or nothing
out of the "revelations" of the film's conclusion which are mostly
lame explanations. Of note in the cast is Jason Lee as Brian Shelby,
an author under contract to Aames' corporation, who seems to do
little besides provide Aames with women he himself would like to
have. Noah Taylor is notable as a strange technical support advisor
of the cryogenics company. Timothy Spall, a wonderful actor, is
totally wasted in his role as Thomas Tipp, an employee of Aames'
company who is on his side against the seemingly sinister "board."
The talents of Tilda Swinton are also wasted as an executive of the
cryogenics company. This film is a gigantic yawn. DVD **
(5/24/02)
"Lantana"-As
one of my closest and dearest friends is a native of Sydney,
Australia, a place I've never seen but would love to, movies that
take place there are always at the top of my list of films to see.
"Lantana" is one of those. And while it is ostensibly a police
thriller involving a mysterious disappearance, it is really an
intelligent film about the trials and travails of marriage. Anthony
LaPaglia, a native of Australia, stars as Leon Zat, a police
detective who is in the middle of a serious emotional crisis. While
he apparently still cares about his wife Sonja (Kerry Armstrong), he
is having an affair with Jane O'May (Rachael Blake), a woman
separated for the moment from her husband Pete (Glenn Robbins).
Living next door to Jane are Nik and Paula Daniels (Vince Colosimo
and Daniella Farinacci), a seemingly content loving couple with three
children. And Sonja is seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Valerie Somers
(Barbara Hershey) because of her own emotional marital difficulties.
Dr. Somers, on the other hand, finds herself threatened by the
comments of a gay patient, concerned that he may be having an affair
with her husband, John Knox (Geoffrey Rush), a law dean. While the
various entanglements of these characters are a little too
coincidental to believe seriously, the film very effectively tells
the tale of the disappearance of one of the characters and the
suspicion of foul play thrown on another by a third who has observed
a strange act by that character. And the circle comes around when
Detective Zat, with his partner Claudia (a charming Leah Purcell),
investigates the disappearance only to learn secrets about some of
the other characters.
The casting of "Lantana" (a flowering shrub
in the bush) is outstanding. While Anthony LaPaglia overplays the
dour mood of his character a little too much, I was extremely
impressed by the performances of Kerry Armstrong as a loving mother
and wife who is distraught by the distance her husband shows for her,
and by Rachael Blake as the separated wife not quite sure she wants
to rid herself of her husband but still willing to fool around and
look for another relationship. Barbara Hershey and Geoffrey Rush are
outstanding as usual in these slightly different roles (for them)
about a couple whose relationship is deteriorating after the recent
death of their daughter (incidentally, the film contains a brief
explanation for how Hershey's character is an American rather than
Australian--that obviously would have been omitted had an Australian
actress been cast). While I would have liked to have seen a little
more of Sydney, I found "Lantana" to be an extremely worthy and
original film. DVD ****
(5/23/02)
"From
Hell"-The title comes from a letter
believed to have been written by the real "Jack The Ripper." The
film, directed by the Hughes Brothers ("Dead Presidents") is the
story of Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp), a London police inspector with
some extrasensory powers who investigates the gruesome murders of a
group of London prostitutes who have seen one of their colleagues
happily marry, have a child, and then be carried off, along with her
husband, by a gang of thugs. The leader of this group of women in the
Whitechapel District of the London of 1888 is a redhead named Mary
Kelly (Heather Graham) and includes Dark Annie Chapman (Katrin
Cartlidge). Despite warnings to stay off the streets, most of the
women venture out only to be hideously murdered by an obviously
wealthy carriage-born man in a top-hat who is accompanied by a
driver-assistant. This is a dark film about horrifying acts, and yet
is rather intelligently portrayed with a very good cast, including
Ian Richardson as the sinister chief police inspector who seems more
interested in preventing Abberline from solving the crime than in
helping him solve it; Ian Holm as Sir William Gull, a doctor with
some secrets; and Robbie Coltrane, delightful as Sergeant Godley,
Abberline's assistant. Abberline ultimately discovers what is going
on but finds himself the victim of the powers-that-be. Johnny Depp
seems perfect for these kinds of roles, but rarely shows any growth
in his acting skills. Heather Graham is a little too pretty and sweet
as Mary. DVD ***1/2
(5/18/02)
"The
Others"-The problem with seeing a film
like this long after its theater run is that if you've heard a tiny
bit about the film, you just about know the whole thing. The outline
of the story is simple. It is 1945, on a British isle, and Grace
Stewart (Nicole Kidman) is living in a large house with her two young
children Anne and Nicholas, waiting for Grace's husband to return
from World War II. The two children suffer from a disease that
prevents their exposure to daylight and thus large curtains keep out
the lovely light in those rooms in which the children are located.
Grace obsessively goes from room-to-room unlocking a door, entering
the room and then locking the door from behind to prevent her
children from entering rooms where they will be exposed to daylight.
Into this large, dark, and spooky house come three servants who
appear, apparently expectedly, on the front step. Led by Bertha Mills
(Fionnula Flanagan) as the housekeeper and nanny, the three,
including a gardener and a young mute maid, seem perfect for the job
but it soon becomes apparent that they are not exactly what they
seem. Meanwhile, Anne (well done by young Alakina Mann) begins to see
and hear images of people wandering the house and these characters
are soon known as "the intruders." The plot is virtually
non-existent. The film is loaded with spooky scenes aimed at
frightening the audience, and frighten they do. And then this
simplistic situation produces a relatively sudden surprise "Sixth
Sense"-type ending which is at least partially guessable in advance.
Nicole Kidman is fine in the role of the mother obsessed with
protecting her children. Fionnula Flanagan, as always, stands out as
the somewhat pushy maid who has worked in the house once before. DVD
***
(5/17/02)
"Ocean's
Eleven"-Wow, a film starring George
Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Matt
Damon, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, and Bernie Mac! How could it
possibly go wrong? Well, first of all, it's a heist picture. Seen any
of those lately? Second, it has virtually no script worth mentioning
or discussing. Third, the acting is pro forma and totally expected
with almost no surprises. The only surprise in fact is Don Cheadle's
British accent and he's not even credited on this film despite being
a significant member of the eleven. And what are the "eleven?" Well,
the slick Daniel Ocean (George Clooney) gets out of jail, pleading
that he'll be a good boy. It takes all of one day for him to begin
plotting to rob millions from three Las Vegas casinos run by Terry
Benedict (Andy Garcia) who just happens to have something that Ocean
wants back. The "eleven" are the gang members put together by Ocean,
with the help of chief assistant Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt). They proceed
to plan and attempt a robbery which is clearly an impossibility. But
in a movie, of course, anything is possible no matter how unrealistic
the situation. That anyone in their right mind would attempt a
robbery which depends, almost totally, on everyone outside the gang
acting exactly as predicted, is an absurdity beyond further comment.
What more can I say? This picture was predictable and a bore. Not
recommended. DVD **1/2
(5/8/02)
"Behind
Enemy Lines"-Bearing almost no
resemblance to the excellent "No Man's Land," which is about the same
war, i.e., the war between Serbia and Bosnia in the early 1990s,
"Behind Enemy Lines" tells the tale of a Navy navigator named Burnett
(played earnestly by Owen Wilson) who is bored with the Navy and
wants out, only to be sent on a last-minute holiday reconnaissance
mission by Admiral Reigart (Gene Hackman) with a pilot named
Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht). Burnett and Stackhouse think that the
mission is a piece of cake, but they make the mistake of flying over
murderous Serb soldiers and getting shot down. Stackhouse, who is
injured and helpless, is shot and killed by the Serbs, making Burnett
realize that he has to run like hell for cover. The film then
proceeds to show the amazing and unbelievable pursuit of Burnett by
the Serbs. Hundreds, if not thousands of rounds are shot at Burnett
and mines explode around him, but none hit the target. Burnett is too
good to be true. Running endlessly and avoiding the enemy in the most
unlikely circumstancs, along the way Burnett discovers the dirty
secret of the Serbs and knows why they have killed Stackhouse and are
after him. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, er, aircraft carrier,
Admiral Reigart is being stymied by his superior NATO officer,
Admiral Piquet (Joaquin de Almeida), in his efforts to save Burnett.
But the rescue shall ultimately be launched no matter what the cost.
Lacking any true political or moral message, this film consists
primarily of macho war images and some darn good computer graphics.
DVD ***
(5/4/02)
"Ali"-Done
in a fluid series of images and vignettes, rather than a continuous
story, "Ali" is a vivid cinematic accomplishment about the life and
times of Muhammed Ali, former heavyweight champion of the world. It
begins in 1964 when the then-Cassius Clay was about to fight Sonny
Liston for the first time, and extends into the 1970s when Muhammed
Ali regained his heavyweight title from George Foreman in Zaire. Will
Smith does a fine job as Ali, portraying a great fighter, an
excellent rhymer, a man of religious ideals, and a somewhat
problematic lover. I was a little surprised at the emphasis in the
early going on Malcolm X (Mario Van Peebles), not having been aware
of such a close relationship between him and Ali. But after Malcolm
X's assassination, the emphasis switches in the second part of the
film to Ali's relationships with his wives and girlfriends (Jada
Pinkett Smith; Nona Gaye; and Michael Michele). Always, however, at
the heart of this film is the magic and boxing finesse of Muhammed
Ali, a man who defied the law and won, and defied some of the
toughest boxing opponents and usually won. Among the fine
performances in "Ali" are Jaime Foxx as "Bundini" Brown, Ali's
cornerman, himself a character; Ron Silver as Angelo Dundee, Ali's
trainer; Jon Voight in a humorous and somewhat low-key portrayal of
Howard Cosell; Giancarlo Esposito as Ali's father, Cassius Clay, Sr.;
and Mykelti Williamson as the ultimate fight promoter, Don King. DVD
***1/2
(5/3/02)
"No
Man's Land"-This has to be one of the
most succinct commentaries on humanity's failures I have ever seen.
Telling the tale of soldiers stuck in a trench between the lines in
the battle between the Serbians and the Bosnians, "No Man's Land"
manages to cover man's stupidity, lack of humanity, arrogance, lack
of communication, sloth, and downright evil. Three soldiers, two
Bosnian and one Serb, find themselves in a trench in "no man's land,"
with one lying on a mine that will go off if he is moved. The two
standing soldiers (Branko Djuric and Rene Bitorajac) have nothing but
enmity and are bent on killing each other, but the Bosnian is
concerned about his cohort lying on the mine. They manage to attract
the attention of both sides, a cease fire is called, and the UN
troops come in to attempt to solve the situation. But there is no
solution in this human mess. One decent French UN soldier (Georges
Siatidis) is stymied at every turn by his inept superiors, and
whatever chance the UN soldiers had to alleviate the situation is
overrun by arrogant and pushy newspeople, including a British
reporter Jane Livingston (Katrin Cartlidge). When the UN soldiers
propose intelligent action, they are prevented by the commander, Soft
(Simon Callow) who is more interested in the easy way out and his
blonde assistant than in any human solution. Virtually everyone comes
off looking bad in this film which is not only anti-war but
anti-virtually all of the human characteristics that make life on
this planet so dangerous for so many. Seemingly, an easy and obvious
subject, but brilliantly portrayed in this play-like tragedy. DVD
****
(4/26/02)
"Serendipity"-If
you're looking for "light" entertainment, this is the film for you.
In fact, it's so "light" it's practically non-existent. Jonathan
(John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) run into each other at
Bloomingdale's at Christmas over a pair of black cashmere gloves and
feel instant attraction. But despite that, Sara refuses to give
Jonathan her name and decides that their future should be left up to
fate. Jonathan writes his name and number on a $5 bill which Sara
immediately spends and she promises to write her name in a copy of a
book and sell it to a bookseller. Years pass. Sara is now in San
Francisco and engaged to Lars, an esoteric musician (John Corbett),
and Jonathan, still in NY, is about to be married to the lovely
Halley (Bridget Moynahan). But Jonathan and Sara are unable to forget
the other, and they each begin a search that will end with......Can't
you guess? Overflowing with coincidences and cliches, this 90-minute
romance could just as well have been a nice TV movie. And it doesn't
even have a meeting on top of the Empire State Building. DVD *1/2
(4/20/02)
"The
Man Who Wasn't There"The Coen Brothers
(Joel and Ethan) are undoubtedly two of the most creative people in
the movie business. Their films are never predictable or banal. Each
one is a unique experience and "The Man Who Wasn't There" is
certainly no exception. First of all, this film is exquisitely
photographed in black and white by Cinematographer Roger Deakins who
deserved an Oscar. The photography alone makes this film worth
viewing. But there is far more here than that. This is a humorous and
yet disturbing morality play about a rather simple, stoic, and quiet
cigarette-smoking barber named Ed Crane (brilliantly portrayed by
Billy Bob Thornton) who gets himself into an awful lot of trouble
without a great deal of thought about the consequences of his
actions. Ed, whose wife Doris (Frances McDormand) is having an affair
with Big Dave (James Gandolfini), her boss and the manager of a local
Santa Rosa, CA, department store, is tempted by a barbershop customer
to invest in a dry-cleaning business. Unfortunately, Ed decides to
raise the money by anonymously blackmailing Big Dave, a circumstance
which leads to a variety of tragic consequences, including the arrest
of his wife for murder, and his own eventual undoing. The film is
slowly but deliberately and deliciously paced, carefully unraveling
the tale being narrated by the usually quiet Ed. The performances are
outstanding. Billy Bob Thornton is wonderful as the barber who
doesn't really think of himself as a barber. Tony Shalhoub is
fabulously arrogant and effusive as Freddy Riedenschneider, the
attorney called in to first defend Doris and later Ed. And others
worthy of special mention are Michael Badalucco as Frank, Doris'
brother and the "first chair" barber; Jon Polito as Creighton
Tolliver, the somewhat slimy advocate of dry cleaning whose fate
leads to Ed's undoing; Katherine Borowitz in a small role as Big
Dave's strange and obsessed wife; and Scarlett Johansson as Birdy
Abundas, the piano playing teen who attracts Ed for her seeming
musical talent and possibly otherwise. As is almost always the case,
special mention must go to Frances McDormand ("Fargo"), an actress
who always provides magic in her portrayals of the female characters
in Coen Brothers' films. "The Man Who Wasn't There" is highly
recommended. Watch it carefully and enjoy the gorgeous cinematography
which makes the significant point that not every film must be made in
color. DVD ****1/2
(4/19/02)
"The
Deep End"-Beautifully filmed along the
shore at Lake Tahoe, "The Deep End" tells the story of Margaret Hall
(Tilda Swinton), a mother who will do almost anything to protect her
family. Paced deliberately and with great calm, despite the urgency
of the action taking place, the film begins with Margaret warning a
man in Reno to stay away from her teenage son Beau (Jonathan Tucker),
only to find the same man dead on the beach by her home the next day
with an anchor in his chest. Immediately assuming the worst, Margaret
sets out to get rid of the body and cover-up the deed. But she soon
finds herself the subject of blackmail by a young attractive man
named Alek Spera (Goran Visnjic). Based on a novel written in the
1940s, and one in which the child was female, rather than male, "The
Deep End" proceeds on a different course, carefully revealing a
developing relationship between Margaret and the blackmailer, a man
who knows of the disturbing relationship between Beau and the dead
man. Tilda Swinton, a luminous British actress ("Orlando"), is
wonderful as the California mother of three whose husband is away in
the Navy and unavailable to help her through her daily crises. Goran
Visnjic is also quite good as the blackmailer with a heart. This is a
thriller, but one with a difference because it cares more about its
characters and what they do than about the "action." Of note in the
cast is Peter Donat as Margaret's father-in-law. DVD ****
(4/18/02)
"Spy
Game"-This rather predictable and tired
film uses plenty of the standard spy themes from dozens of other
pictures of the genre. Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt) is caught by the
Chinese while trying to help Elizabeth Hadley (Catherine McCormack)
escape from a Chinese prison. Bishop is to be executed in 24 hours.
But back at the CIA in Langley, the powers-that-be are attempting to
find reasons to allow Bishop to die. They call in Nathan Muir (Robert
Redford) who originally recruited Bishop to find enough dirt on him
to support their inclination. But Muir, who is in his last day at the
CIA, has other ideas and sets out to use his knowledge, technology,
and money to save Bishop in between telling tales (seen in flashback)
about Bishop's exploits in Vietnam as a sniper, and later as a spy.
Filmed in rather high-contrast images a little hard on the eye, the
film is just too glitzy and the various techological and other tricks
have been seen before in other forms in a multitude of films of this
genre. Pitt here is certainly not the pretty boy one normally thinks
of his image and that is admirable. Here he's down and dirty most of
the time. Redford, craggy but still amazingly handsome, is just a
little too smug for the part. I've just seen too many spy thrillers
in which the government agents are sinister bad guys trying to
undermine their own. There has to be another theme for these types of
stories. DVD **1/2
(4/13/02)
"Mulholland
Dr."-I've never been a big fan of films
both written and directed by David Lynch, including his TV series
"Twin Peaks." I've found them to be somewhat fatuous and overly
surrealistic. And so I rented the newly DVD-released "Mulholland Dr."
with some reservations, but also with hope since the New York Film
Critics Circle had rated it the best film of 2001. And what did I
find? Well, an entertaining and yet very mysterious film that
requires some substantial analysis for any kind of real understanding
of just what has gone on. The film begins with a beautiful
dark-haired woman riding in the back seat of a limo being driven up
Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles. The car stops, the driver points a
pistol at the woman and tells her to get out, but before she can, a
car being driven by wild teenagers crashes into the limo, smashing
both cars. The dark-haired woman miraculously emerges from the back
seat and shakily makes her way down to a residential street, sneaking
into an apartment only to be discovered by a young ingenue just
arrived from Deep River, Ontario. The ingenue, Betty, has come to
occupy the apartment, that of her aunt who is away. Betty (Naomi
Watts) initially believes the woman (who calls herself Rita and is
played by the stunning Laura Elena Harring) to be a friend of her
aunt's but soon discovers that she really doesn't belong in the
apartment and has amnesia. The two, however, become friends and
Betty, in her best Nancy Drewish manner, decides to help Rita
discover her true identity. Rita remembers one thing, a name, Diane
Selwyn. Finding the name and address in the phone book, Betty and
Rita set out on their investigation.
There are many images and characters
intermingled in the story, too many to mention in a short review, but
suffice it to say they all appear somewhat strange and mysterious.
These range from an extremely dirty man behind a diner; a movie
director named Adam (Justin Theroux) who finds himself having a very
bad day (including being told which actress to cast in his movie and
finding his wife in bed with the pool man); a cowboy who meets Adam
in a dark corral in the Hollywood hills and tells him just what he
must do, or else; and a somewhat nosy old lady named Coco (Ann
Miller) who is in charge of the apartment complex where Betty is
staying. This film is undoubtedly about Hollywood, its imagery,
plasticity, and false identities, as well as the mythical power of
mysterious people who control the movie biz. One of the most riveting
scenes takes place in a meeting room wherein two apparent gangsters
arrive to make it clear to Director Adam and the other film
executives that Adam, against his will, has no choice but to cast a
woman named Camilla Rhodes as his star. These images of sinister
people running the show are a regular theme in David Lynch's films.
Ultimately, Betty and Rita find a blue key and finally a blue box
which fits the key. The opening of the blue box leads to the last
third of the film in which there is an abrupt shift in the story, as
well as the identities of some of the characters. And it is this part
that provides the solution to the mystery.
Naomi Watts, a young Australian actress, is
simply fabulous as Betty. This is a difficult role and she succeeds
beautifully. Laura Elena Harring is both exquisite and excellent as
the mysterious amnesiac Rita (she gets the name from a bathroom
poster of a Rita Hayworth film). Justin Theroux is perfect as the
young, snotty, but rightly outraged director who is in the middle of
all the goings-on. And it's good to see Ann Miller ("On The Town,"
among many others) back in films, despite the fact that somewhere
along the line she has had an awful nose job. In some ways,
"Mulholland Dr." reminds me of "Memento," a brilliant film that
required a second viewing to fully understand. While not as difficult
to follow on initial viewing as the end-to-beginning "Memento,"
"Mulholland Dr." also benefits from a second viewing, especially
after considering what's happened in the film and reading others'
thoughts on the matter. A second viewing the next day was as
fascinating and entertaining as the first, and for that reason, among
others, I conclude that this is David Lynch's best film and is
recommended. DVD ****
(4/12/02)
"Heist"-If
you've seen a David Mamet film, you should be familiar with his
unique staccato and repetitive dialogue. And this film is no
different in its Mamet touch. However, despite a very good cast,
including Gene Hackman, Delroy Lindo, Danny DeVito, Rebecca Pidgeon
(Mrs. Mamet), Ricky Jay, and Sam Rockwell, this Mamet written and
directed film is loaded with cliches of the genre. It begins with a
daring jewelry heist in Manhattan, as the gang, led by Joe Moore
(Hackman) creates an explosive diversion and then gathers up the
jewels. Unfortunately, Moore's face is photographed during the
robbery and he can't get to the video tapes. As a result, he's ready
to go on the lam with his cohort/wife, Fran (Pidgeon). But Bergman
(DeVito), the fence behind the whole thing, has other ideas and
pressures the gang (including Lindo and Jay) into another daring
robbery of Swiss gold bullion right off a cargo plane. And he imposes
one of his men, Jimmy Silk (Rockwell), on Hackman's group. Silk is an
obvious slippery type and has his eye on Mrs. Moore and the gold. As
always, the techniques and machinations of the robberies are fun to
watch, but the film proceeds to use every doublecross cliche ever
seen in a film of this sort. And that takes it downhill into
mediocrity. If you saw "The Score" with Robert DeNiro you've seen a
film very much like this one. DVD ***
(4/12/02)
"Bandits"-Barry
Levinson directed this colorful film about the "sleepover bandits,"
two Oregon inmates who escape prison on a cement truck and then begin
a life of robbing banks by holding the bank manager hostage in his or
her own home the night before the robbery and then having the bank
manager open the vault the next morning before employees and public
arrive. Starting with what appears to be end of the story, "Bandits"
goes back to tell the tale of Joe Blake (Bruce Willis) and Terry
Collins (Billy Bob Thornton), and the red-headed beauty who enters
their life of crime, Kate Wheeler (Cate Blanchett). Joe is a handsome
ladies man and Terry is an intelligent hypochondriac. Kate is an
unhappy housewife who finds the fling into crime exciting, especially
with two men who collectively would be the one great guy of her
dreams. With gorgeous Oregon-California coast scenery in the
background, the three (along with a fairly dense stuntman named
Harvey (Troy Garrity) who serves as their driver) become famous for
their daring robberies and other video-taped stunts. Bruce Willis, as
usual, is effective as the tough Blake; Billy Bob Thornton is quite
funny as the almost always sickly Collins; and Blanchett is funny and
beautiful as the seemingly confused Wheeler. Although this film got
little attention in the theaters, and slows down a little before the
usual switcheroo surprise at the end, I found "Bandits" to be two
good hours of fun and games with a talented cast. DVD ***1/2
(4/5/02)
"Donnie
Darko"-A disturbed young man who sees
and hears strange things, including a human-sized monstrously-masked
rabbit named Frank; a mysterious jet engine crashing into a house; a
wild-haired old lady who wanders from street to mailbox; a book on
time travel authored by the wild-haired old lady; and a psychology
guru who also happens to be a child-porn maven: these are all
elements of this rather bizarre film written and directed by
26-year-old Richard Kelly. Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) awakens at
night to the sound of Frank's raspy voice telling him to do evil
deeds, including flooding the high school and burning down a house.
All types of strange and bad things happen while Donnie awaits the
end of the world as promised by Frank. This rather mindlessly weird
film reminded me of a David Lynch creation ("Twin Peaks"?) and that
is no compliment. The only improvement over "Twin Peaks" is that this
film does have somewhat of an upbeat ending, although that's
certainly subject to debate. Donnie comes from a family in which the
children use foul language at the dinner table while their parents
sit there with quirky smiles on their faces. Jake Gyllenhaal is Tobey
Maguire-like in his lack of expression; Mary McDonnell looks confused
as Donnie's mother; Patrick Swayze never gets a chance to show his
stuff as Jim Cunningham, the sleazy purveyor of psychobabble;
Katherine Ross (yes, the star of "Butch Cassidy" and "The Graduate")
is Donnie's psychiatrist playing dangerously with hypnosis; and Beth
Grant is wonderfully hyper as Kitty Farmer, a teacher who worships
Cunningham and his infomercial mentality. Also of note in the cast is
Jena Malone as Gretchen, Donnie's girlfriend; and Drew Barrymore, a
producer of the film, who is hopelessly stiff in her part as a high
school English teacher. DVD **1/2
(4/5/02)
"K-Pax"-Prot
(Kevin Spacey) suddenly appears in Grand Central Terminal in New York
City to help out a woman who has been accosted. Even though
bystanders tell the police Prot was not involved and was only helping
the woman, his behavior leads the police to take him to a mental
institution. At the hospital, he is introduced to a psychiatrist, Dr.
Mark Powell, played by Jeff Bridges, who has to determine whether or
not Prot is sane. You see Prot insists that he is not human, but
rather a native of the planet K-Pax which is light years away from
earth. While Bridges attempts to research Prot's real name and
background with the help of hypnosis, Prot has Bridges wondering and
he has the other patients at the hospital convinced that he is who he
says he is. And they also believe, as he promises, that when he
leaves on a specific day, he will take one of them with him. Despite
a little too much of the expressionless monotone which Kevin Spacey
occasionally does to perfection, he also throws in the occasional
smile, smirk, or figurative wink to show that he is still there. Prot
seems to have all the answers, including scientific ones when he is
interrogated by astronomers at the Rose Planetarium. So is Prot from
K-Pax, a strange land which lacks families and in which the K-Paxians
reproduce by bizarre painful procreation, or is he a seriously
delusional human? The filmmakers never quite answer the question. The
film lets you have your pick. And that's part of its charm. It raises
an intriguing question and leaves you guessing. Spacey and Bridges do
their job reasonably well, although I kept picturing Bridges in his
role in "Starman," when he himself played an alien, a sure thing in
that film. DVD ***
(3/30/02)
"Bread
& Tulips"-So many of the movies we
watch these days are about dysfunctional families, and they are often
painful to watch. Well, this beautifully photographed film (Italian
with English subtitles) is about a somewhat dysfunctional marriage,
and it's a delight to watch. Licia Maglietta, who radiates beauty and
warmth on the screen, plays Rosalba Barletta, a woman who is left
behind by her family at a rest stop while on vacation. Instead of
moping about how to get home, Rosalba seizes the day, gets picked up
as a hitchhiker, and finds herself in Venice, a place she has never
seen before. Initially thinking she'll stay for a day or two, she
conveniently misses her train home, gets a job, and starts to make
friends, including Fernando (Bruno Ganz), a waiter who has kindly
offered her a place to stay. Rosalba interacts with a panoply of
humorous characters, including Grazia (Marina Massironi), a neighbor
and holistic massage therapist; Costantino (Giuseppe Battiston), the
hysterical plumber/detective who is sent to Venice by Rosalba's
husband and plagued by his mobile phone; and Fermo (Felice Andreasi),
the gray bearded florist who isn't afraid to throw out a customer if
they are asking for the wrong kind of flowers. This is a film that
makes you smile, laugh, and feel genuinely good with its quirky but
human characters and its warm romantic theme. Recommended. DVD ****
(3/29/02)
"Life
As A House"-As I watched this film I
kept wondering if anyone had read the script before starting because
it contains so many cliches and unlikely situations as to be almost
embarrassing. Kevin Kline is George, an apparently unhappy architect,
who is fired by his firm for failure to grow in the job and adapt to
new technology, only to become ill, on the very same day, and
discover that he is dying of cancer. And this is right after he has
destroyed numerous home models in his former employer's office, an
act which would land most people in jail. However, George suffers no
such fate and instead decides to tear down his miserable oceanside
shack, the bane of the neighborhood, and build a beautiful home with
the help of his son Sam (Hayden Christensen) in hopes of also
building a relationship with Sam. But Sam is miserable and
rebellious, and has been living unhappily with his mother, George's
ex-wife Robin (Kristin Scott Thomas), who seems unhappy herself in a
marriage to a rather boorish and cold fish named Peter (Jamey
Sheridan). Against his will, Sam comes to live with George and, of
course, gradually starts to appreciate his father. And there just
happens to be, next door, a mother and daughter both letting off a
lot of heat. Mary Steenburgen plays Coleen, the mother who is
sleeping with Josh, one of her daughter's male friends, and Jena
Malone plays the teen daughter, Alyssa, who invites Sam to use their
bathroom and shower and then immediately walks right into the
bathroom, strips, and joins Sam in the shower. Aside from all these
sexual fantasies as real plot elements, there is also the classic
cliche of the overnight transformation. It doesn't take long for Sam
to shed his blue hair, his jewelry in various pierced locations of
his facial anatomy, and his eye makeup, and become a handsome
hard-working loving son. But worse is the instant and inexplicable
transformation at the very end of Robin's husband, Peter. Kevin Kline
does a workmanlike job as a man transformed (a lot of transformations
are going on in this film) by fatal illness from a curmudgeon who
annoys his neighbors and family, to a constructive individual bent on
restoring his son and otherwise doing good. I can only recommend this
film if you can take an awful lot of classic movie balderdash. DVD
**1/2
(3/27/02)
"Riding
In Cars With Boys"-We all have dreams
and this film, directed by Penny Marshall, tells the true story of
Beverly D'Onofrio, a young woman from Wallingford, CT, who has brains
and desires to go to college and beyond for a career, hopefully in
writing. Based on her book of the same name, the film time-wanders
between Beverly's teen years in the mid-to-late 1960s, and 1986,
where she is seen driving with a young man (Adam Garcia) who is
narrating the story, to an unknown destination. Played with charm and
enthusiasm by Drew Barrymore, Beverly finds herself pregnant at age
15 and forced by family circumstances to marry the totally inadequate
young man who is the father (Steve Zahn). Beverly soon finds herself
living a life on poverty-row with a young child in hand, a junkie
husband, and little support from anyone other than her best friend
Fay (Brittany Murphy). The story of how she deals with her son Jason,
and battles her useless husband and hostile father, is rather
endearing, if not perfectly acted or otherwise riveting. Brittany
Murphy is notable as Fay, who becomes pregnant at the same time as
Beverly, particularly in one funny scene in which Fay impersonates
Beverly's mother upon being told of her pregnancy. It is worth noting
that the casting of Adam Garcia, a young Australian actor who plays
the adult Jason, is rather strange. First, of course, he is
Australian but like so many Australian actors does a decent American
accent. More interesting is that despite Drew Barrymore being two
years younger than Garcia, she plays his mother. Others of note are
James Woods as Beverly's policeofficer father who appears to love his
daughter but refuses to accept her mistake most likely due to their
provincial religious beliefs, and Lorraine Bracco ("The Sopranos") as
Beverly's mother who is reduced in this film to simply cleaning up
for her while she's pregnant and after. DVD ***
(3/23/02)
"Training
Day"-This is one of the most repulsive
films I have ever seen. Denzel Washington, playing against his usual
type, is Alonzo Harris, a narc detective with the LAPD who is to take
a younger cop, Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke), through a day of training to
see if he'll fit into his unit. Everything Harris asks Hoyt to do is
against Hoyt's better instincts: let apparent rapists go despite
catching them in the act, smoke marijuana and crack he has stolen
from buyers, steal large amounts of cash from crooks, shoot people,
and on and on. But Hoyt is innocent at the beginning and thinks he
better just go along. Little does he know that Harris is a murderous
thug who is using him for his own interests. There are virtually no
decent people in this film. It consists of one violent and offensive
scene after the next. And it is particularly galling to see Denzel
Washington, an actor who usually plays heroic characters, reduced to
the nauseating role he plays here. Washington has been nominated for
an Oscar for Best Actor. But what he's really doing in this film is
relatively easy for most competent actors. He screams, he sneers, he
fires two pistols one in each hand, and he pushes people around. This
is called emoting and it is not great acting. Great acting involves
subtlety. There is no subtlety in this role. Ethan Hawke is not bad
as Hoyt, a man who gets pummeled by Harris over and over until he
finally arises in total anger and outrage. But there's little
subtlety here either (although he's nominated for Best Supporting
Actor). That two actors in a film of this sort have been nominated
for Oscars is a pitiable commentary on Hollywood's current
state-of-mind. DVD *1/2
(3/19/02)
"Sexy
Beast"-An acting tour-de-force, "Sexy
Beast" tells the tale of Gal (Ray Winstone), a "retired" gangster
living happily in his gorgeous poolside home in rural Spain with his
ex-pornstar wife Deedee (Amanda Redman). Not far away are their best
friends Aitch (Cavan Kendall) and Jackie (Julianne White). But into
their happy midst comes Don Logan (Ben Kingsley), a brutish
machine-like thug who is on a mission to have Gal join a bank heist
in London being organized by the notorious Teddy Bass (Ian McShane).
And Don will not take "no" for an answer. Ranging between humor,
romance, viciousness, violence, and contrasts of good and evil, "Sexy
Beast" is crisp and sharp with intelligent curves and angles.
Although the lower class British accents were a little difficult to
follow early in the film, nothing of significance was missed and I
soon found myself understanding every word. Ben Kingsley is
magnificent as the overbearing, screaming, and obviously very
frightening Logan, a man who one wouldn't want to meet in real life.
Ray Winstone is marvelous as a gangster with a relatively soft and
vulnerable side. Ian McShane is notable as the gangleader who is not
satisfied with Gal's explanations about the location of an important
character. And Amanda Redman is excellent as the loving and
supportive Deedee. This was director Jonathan Glazer's first film. I
look forward to a lot more from this talented young man. DVD ****
(3/15/02)
"The
Last Castle"-No one has ever thought of
Robert Redford as a great actor, but he's usually made films that
have a little more than the usual run-of-the-mill cliches. Not this
time. Oh, he's presentable as the cool General Irwin, a great
military leader who has been convicted of failing to follow an order
of the commander-in-chief (the president), leading to the deaths of
eight Americans, and who has been sentenced to a term at a
castle-like military prison under the command of Colonel Winter
(played reasonably well by James Gandolfini, otherwise known as Tony
Soprano). But the film is simple-minded and absurd. Gandolfini's
Colonel Winter is a tough and maybe slightly brutal prison warden,
but certainly not so brutal as to justify a rebellion by Irwin and
the prison inmates. Patently egotistical to an absurdity, Irwin
originally maintains that he is at the prison to serve his term and
go home to be with his family. Almost immediately, however, he starts
plotting to win the minds and hearts of his fellow inmates in order
to undermine Winter's authority. That they eventually mindlessly
rebel and cause the deaths of both prisoners and innocent
soldier/prison guards is an issue that is totally ignored by this
film. They are made to look heroic when they are no more than stupid
and selfish. Had the screenwriters and filmmakers made Winter into a
thoroughly brutish thug, there might have been some satisfaction in
seeing him destroyed by the inmates, but there is little or no
satisfaction in this film. And no real resolution. This is a whopping
silly movie. The cast includes Mark Ruffalo as Yates, an inmate who
has difficulty deciding whether he favors Winter or Irwin, and Delroy
Lindo in a small part as General Wheeler, Winter's commander as well
as an old friend of Irwin's. DVD **
(3/9/02)
"A.I.
Artificial Intelligence"-Based on an
apparently significantly developed concept of the late and great
Stanley Kubrick, this Steven Spielberg film tells the tale of a young
boy-robot named David (Haley Joel Osment) who is programmed to love a
human mother, Monica (Frances O'Connor). Monica's real son Martin is
frozen at a medical facility and seemingly gone due to injury or
illness, and so David becomes a cybernetic substitute for Monica and
her husband Henry (Sam Robards). When Martin surprisingly returns,
David is no longer the center of the parents' attention and is made
to look dangerous by the childish pranks of Martin and his friends.
And so David, who starts out far more robotic and gradually, by
experience and learning, becomes more human, finds himself tossed out
in the woods, alone except for a loyal and endearing Teddy Bear
friend (the voice of Teddy seemed to me a strange and inappropriate
deep male voice). David desires his human mother's love more than
anything and begins to seek the "blue fairy" he has seen from
"Pinocchio" who changes the little wooden puppet into a real boy.
David believes in the "blue fairy" and that by being made real he
will be truly loved by Monica. Along the way, he finds that there are
other discarded robots, many in distressed condition, with whom he
shares a basic danger. Discarded robots are no longer legal and can
be hunted for human amusement, usually in the form of hideous and
cruel destruction, at extravaganzas called "flesh fairs." David meets
Gigolo Joe (Jude Law), a robot who lives up to his name, and is
escorted, along with Teddy, into the world of dangers. To tell more
of the story is unfair and I will stop at this point.
"A.I." is a blend of classic Kubrick and
Spielberg. The cool surreal nature of the situation, and the sexual
images of Rouge City, the place where Gigolo Joe and David seek out
"Dr.Know" (Robin Williams' voice) for information, and especially the
entrance into the city via the mouths of female bridge/statues is an
obvious homage to Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" and its sinister
futuristic and sexual images and set design. At the same time, the
concentration of the story on the passions and desires of a young
boy, albeit a robot, is the perfect tale for a director such as
Spielberg who is known for childlike classics such as "Close
Encounters of the Third Kind," "E.T.," "Empire of the Sun" and the
Indiana Jones series. This film is fascinating and intelligent simply
because of the originality of the concept and theme and its
spectacular effects. That said, the film still left me somewhat cold.
The final sequence in a futuristic and frozen Manhattan is intriguing
and certainly tries to make a point about the evolution of
"artificial intelligence" in contrast to the human species. And yet
at the same time it reminded me far too much of a repeat of the final
section of "2001, A Space Odyssey," although I must admit that the
ultimate sequence of "A.I." makes more obvious sense. Films like this
should be appreciated because they are so rare and because they are
thought-provoking. This is not science fiction for the sake of
special effects. Here the special effects serve the story and they
serve it well (and the brilliance of the filmmakers is reflected in a
variety of extras on the DVD about the making of the film). Despite
some weaknesses, anything that came from the mind of Stanley Kubrick
and the direction of Steven Spielberg should be seen. DVD ****
(3/8/02)
"Don't
Say A Word"-The makers of this thriller
had conceits about creating a Hitchcockian mystery, but something
went wrong. Ten years after a fouled-up bank heist in which the only
object stolen is a red jewel which is then taken in a doublecross,
and on the evening before Thanksgiving, Dr. Nathan Conrad (Michael
Douglas) is diverted from his trip home across Manhattan by a call
from Dr. Louis Sachs (Oliver Platt), a former colleague, to see a
young woman psychiatric patient at a New York hospital. Dr. Conrad
finds himself faced with what appears to be a seriously disturbed
young woman named Elisabeth Burrows (Brittany Murphy). His visit to
Ms. Burrows, however, winds up dragging him into a nightmare, as his
eight-year-old daughter is kidnapped and he is ordered by the
kidnappers to get a number from the recesses of Ms. Burrows' mind or
face the death of his child. Meanwhile, Conrad's wife Aggie (Famke
Janssen) lies in bed immobilized by a broken leg from a skiing
accident. At the other end of town, Detective Sandra Cassidy
(Jennifer Esposito) is putting two and two together after finding
separate bodies, in similar circumstances, in different watery
locations off Manhattan. These stories come together rather neatly
but oh so predictably. While the start of "Don't Say A Word" is
typically appealing and mysterious, the film ultimately degrades into
a run-of-the-mill thriller with choppy and confusing scenes as the
parties race around to meet a deadly deadline. The bad guys, led by
the sinister Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) have just spent ten years in
jail, yet have the equipment and technical know-how to keep an eye
and ear on all the important characters. They're loaded with
up-to-date laptop computers, video equipment, and microphones, and
all have been amazingly placed so that they can see and hear
virtually everything they need to see and hear. This is absurd and
ultimately silly. "Don't Say A Word" ends with another cliche, as the
primary characters come together in a Stephen King-like Potter's
Field at an island (Hart Island) at the western end of Long Island
Sound, a place I'd never heard of despite having grown up not far
from where this island is located. Michael Douglas does his usual
workmanlike job, no more no less. The performance worth noting is
that of Brittany Murphy as the seemingly disturbed Elisabeth who has
a story to tell and a secret to reveal. DVD **1/2
(3/1/02)
"Va
Savoir"-The French title, meaning "Who
Knows?" is quite appropriate to describe this rather intriguing and
yet puzzling film about ambiguous intertwining relationships among a
group of people in Paris. Ugo (Sergio Castellitto) heads a traveling
theater group and appears to be married to Camille (Jeanne Balibar),
one of his stars. Although they have connecting hotel rooms, they
rarely seem to share affection. Camille appears initially obsessed
with her old Parisian lover Pierre (Jacques Bonnaffé) who
lives with a dance instructor named Sonia (Marianne Basler). But
Sonia is attracted to Arthur (Bruno Todeschini), the half-brother
(lover?) of Domenique (Hélène de Fougerolles), who is
helping Ugo find the manuscript of a missing play written by one of
her ancestors and also appears to be falling for Ugo. And I should
add that Arthur is also flirting with Camille. Rather long for a
typical French film consisting primarily of talk, "Va Savoir" lasts 2
1/2 hours, but is so well performed that I found myself easily able
to maintain my involvement with the characters. Jeanne Balibar is
especially noteworthy as the slim, attractive and yet vulnerable
Camille. Sergio Castellitto is excellent in portraying Ugo's concerns
about his life, his wife, and his theater company, while trying to
maintain his cool at all times. The film has a perfect stage
denouement in which the characters wind up as if characters in a play
and final relationships can at last be discerned. This is for those
who enjoy thoughtful, intelligent but actionless European films. It
is in French with English subtitles. DVD ***1/2
(2/23/02)
"Maze"-Rob
Morrow is writer, director, and star of this rather self-indulgent
film about an artist (Lyle Maze) of some reputation who also must
deal with the ravages of Tourette's Syndrome. And Morrow won't let
you forget it as he suffers curses, jumps, and tics throughout the
film. The predictability of "Maze" is obvious in the opening scene in
which Maze proceeds to knock paint all over a nude model, a precursor
to a later scene in which Maze knocks wine all over a date. Not only
is the film about Maze's medical condition but also about love,
Maze's love for the girlfriend of his best friend Mike (Craig
Sheffer). Callie is a beautiful redhead who is intelligent and
thoughtful and played with charm and great ability, as always, by
Laura Linney. Mike and Callie have had a long relationship, but Mike
is a doctor and is often away from home attending to the needy in
other parts of the world. Just as Callie learns she is pregnant, Mike
leaves for Burundi (but not after leaving medicine for Maze which he
never takes). Callie is, to put it mildly, pissed at Mike's constant
absences and turns to her good friend Maze for companionship. You can
probably guess what happens next in a film with few surprises other
than when Maze will suffer his next tic. DVD **1/2
(2/17/02)
"The
Princess and the Warrior"-In 1999, I
reviewed "Run Lola Run" and said that it was uniquely European and
unlikely to be done by an American director. A few years later, I can
say virtually the same thing about this film, also made by Director
Tom Tykwer and also starring the rather interesting Franka Potente.
This time Potente is Sissi, initially a seemingly dull-witted aide
who lives and works in a German mental institution. Unlike the
fast-moving Lola, Sissi moves slowly and talks little. One day, when
she is out with a blind patient, she's involved in a serious motor
vehicle accident in the middle of town which is indirectly caused by
a petty criminal named Bodo (Benno Fürmann). But it's also Bodo
who comes to Sissi's rescue, crawling beneath a truck under which she
is pinned and giving her a quick but life-saving tracheotomy. Sissi
miraculously recovers, but now is obsessed with finding Bodo. She
succeeds, but Bodo, suffering the residuals of a tragic trauma, is in
the process of planning a bank robbery with his brother Walter
(Joachim Król), a clerk at the bank, and is not interested in
the young woman whose life he has saved. Sissi and Bodo soon find,
however, that their fates are intertwined, something which is made
crystal clear in the middle of the bank robbery which ultimately
costs Walter his life. The cinematography in this film is magnificent
and the mystical mood of the film, supplemented by the perfect score,
is magical. Franka Potente is stunningly moving as the "princess" of
this fable and Benno Fürmann is perfect as the disturbed and
intent warrior, Bodo. Much of the film takes place in the mental
institution where the patients seem obsessed with Sissi. But unlike
"One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," here it is not a patient, but
rather Sissi who revolts. For those who appreciate beautifully
photographed and unusual and hypnotic films, this one is highly
recommended. (German with English subtitles) DVD ****
(2/16/02)
"Ghost
World"-Thora Birch ("American Beauty")
is delightful in this marvelously different film about late-teen
angst and alienation. Created by an obviously talented
writer/director named Terry Zwigoff ("Crumb"), as well as by
co-writer Daniel Clowes, and based on Clowes' comic strip of the same
name, "Ghost World" is the story of Enid (Birch), a young woman who
has just graduated from high school (well, almost, she has to re-take
an incredibly silly art class in the summer) and who lives at home
with her relatively innocuous father (Bob Balaban), a man who has
great difficulty communicating with his daughter. Enid attempts to
plan a life with her best friend Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson). They
will get an apartment together and start working because college is
not in their plans. But Enid isn't really sure that's what she wants
to do. In fact, as it becomes obvious, Enid doesn't have any idea
what she wants to do about anything, and she soon finds herself
feeling alienated from friends and family. Along the way, after
initially playing a mean-spirited joke on him, Enid meets and grows
to appreciate another like-soul, a middle-aged record collector named
Seymour (Steve Buscemi). Seymour has not had a girlfriend in years
and spends the majority of his time collecting things from a distant
past (he uses an ancient dial telephone) and selling his records and
other paraphernalia at a weekly garage sale with his roommate.
Beautifully filmed and well acted, "Ghost World" is paced perfectly.
Scenes are timed to move on when a point has been made (something
that's rare in many modern films). This is a film about teenagers,
but it bears little or no resemblance to the run-of-the-mill teen
flick of the day. "Ghost World" is moving and intelligent and I was
extremely impressed. Also of note in the cast are Ileana Douglas as
Roberta, the fatuous art teacher; and Teri Garr (uncredited) as
Maxine, an old girlfriend of Enid's father who has returned to Enid's
displeasure. Highly recommended. DVD ****
(2/10/02)
"Under
The Sand"-Charlotte Rampling ("The Night
Porter") plays Marie Drillon, an English professor married for 25
years to a Frenchman, Jean Drillon (Bruno Cremer). After a long drive
to their country home near the sea, Marie and Jean decide to go, the
following day, to a little-used beach. While Marie lies facing down
on the sand, Jean asks if she wants to swim. When she says no, he is
seen taking off his shirt, and then he simply disappears. The film
now follows Marie, back in Paris, who refuses to accept Jean's death
even as she tries to live the single life. "Under The Sand" or "Sous
Les Sables" is an interesting study of a lovely middle-aged woman who
cannot face the reality in which she has found herself. Every attempt
at living, including an affair with a publisher named Vincent
(Jacques Nolot), is combined with thoughts of her husband as if he is
still around. There is a level of erotic tension and mystery, but
ultimately the best thing about this film is not the story but rather
the excellent and touching performance of Charlotte Rampling. "Under
The Sand" may be a little morbid, but if you like thoughtful films
about people and their emotions, and you don't mind subtitles (the
film is mostly in French with English subtitles), this film is for
you. If not, skip it. DVD ***1/2
(2/2/02)
"The
Curse of the Jade Scorpion"-Woody Allen
has blown hot and cold in recent years, but although this is not what
might be called a "classic," it is still a funny and enjoyable Allen
comedy. It is 1940. Allen is CW Briggs, an insurance investigator
with the ability to come up with the perfect witty retort at the
right moment. But the firm, under the tutelage of Chris Magruder (Dan
Aykroyd), has brought in a female efficiency expert named Betty Ann
Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt) (Magruder's secret lover) and Briggs is not a
happy camper. The relationship between Briggs and Fitzgerald might
best be summed up by the term "enmity." But then one night both
Briggs and Fitzgerald are hypnotized by a nightclub performer named
Voltan (David Ogden Stiers), who uses a green scorpion and place
names like "Constantinople" and "Madagascar," to do the dirty deeds
of controlling his subjects. Telling them that while under trance
they will love each other madly, Voltan finally releases them but
does not reveal that he has the power to place both of them under
trance merely by mentioning the magic place names. And, not
surprisingly, what follows are telephone calls to Briggs, starting
with "Constantinople" and orders to engage in specific jewel thefts.
When Woody Allen plays the type of character for which he's known,
he's hysterical. And in this film he's on his game, making wisecracks
left and right. CW Briggs is a very funny character as he faces
charges of jewel robberies with seemingly perfect confidence that he
will be cleared. Woody Allen is without a doubt one of the most
prolific director/auteurs in the film business. While it might be his
downfall that he feels the need to create at least one film a year,
he's made so many memorable films that his efforts are certainly
worthwhile. And it's nice to have one more good Allen comedy on the
scene. I should mention that also in the film are Charlize Theron as
a beautiful blonde who tries to seduce Allen and fails, believe it or
not; Wallace Shawn as one of Briggs' co-workers who helps solve the
hypnotic mystery; and Elizabeth Berkley as the perfect 1940-ish
office secretary in Briggs' office. DVD ***1/2
(2/1/02)
"Rock
Star"-Mark Wahlberg stars as Chris Cole,
a copier repairman who really wants to be Bobby Beers, the lead
singer of a heavy metal rock group called Steel Dragon. Cole looks
like Beers, dresses like Beers, sings like Beers, and even pierces
his nipple like Beers. Meanwhile, while worshipping Beers and Steel
Dragon, Cole performs in a band whose members are not quite as
obsessed as he is and ultimately he is forced to leave. Supported by
his ever-faithful girlfriend/manager, Emily (Jennifer Anniston), Cole
starts thinking about hiring new backup support when a miracle
happens. Out of the blue, he's contacted by Kirk Cuddy (Dominic West)
of Steel Dragon and invited to LA for a tryout. And continuing the
miracle, he soon finds himself replacing the worshipped Beers as the
new lead singer of Steel Dragon. The ultimate fan thus has turned
into the ultimate celebrity. What happens next is fairly predictable.
Chris, now known as Izzy, becomes a star and is initiated into the
world of booze, drugs and sex. And Emily departs, as could be
expected. There is one performance in this film that is truly worth
noting and it comes from the wonderful British actor Timothy Spall
("Topsy-Turvy") who plays Mats, Steel Dragon's rather degenerate but
smart road manager. Spall gets to flirt with the girls and instruct
Chris a little about life in the limelight of the rock world.
Wahlberg is fairly effective as the rock-star wannabe, and Jennifer
Anniston is lovely and quite good at appearing as Chris' "rock" and
later her own, but she really doesn't get to do enough in the film.
Overall, "Rock Star" presents a fairly unlikely story. There's
nothing much original or enlightening here. DVD ***
(1/26/02)
"The
Anniversary Party"-Jennifer Jason Leigh
and Alan Cumming, who starred together in "Cabaret" on Broadway and
have been known for their acting talents, have demonstrated an
entirely new area of theatrical ability: writing and directing a
first-rate film. "The Anniversary Party," filmed on digital video and
transferred extremely successfully to film, is the story of a
Hollywood couple with severe marital problems. Cumming plays Joe
Therrian, a British writer who has just returned to his actress-wife
Sally Nash (Leigh) in the Hollywood hills after an extended
estrangement. They are about to celebrate with an anniversary party,
inviting friends, co-workers, and neighbors (Mina Badie and Dennis
O'Hare as Monica and Ryan Rose, who are hostile due to
misunderstandings over the barking of the Therrians' dog, Otis). The
guests descend on the beautiful glass house with pool only to reveal
that they are a troubled bunch. Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates, a
real-life couple, play Cal and Sophia Gold, based apparently on their
real personas. Their children are played by their real children, and
the Golds are probably the least disturbed of the guests. Sally is
confronted with three threats to her marriage, Skye Davidson (Gwyneth
Paltrow), Joe's new sexy and fawning ingenue; Gina Taylor (Jennifer
Beals), one of Joe's very close and intimate friends; and Sanford
Jewison (Matt Malloy), a lover of Joe's at Oxford. The psycho-drama
centers around a scene in which each guest makes a presentation of
their feelings about the Therrians (apparently mostly ad-libbed by
the actors). But the film is completely transformed when one of the
guests gives the Therrians a packet of Ecstasy which is then shared
with the guests, and the fun begins. The psychodrama is riveting, the
performances are outstanding, and the overall effect is of an
extremely unique experience in movie-viewing. Other notables in the
cast are Jane Adams and John C. Reilly (as a trouble actress/director
couple) and Parker Posey and John Benjamin Hickey (as a more centered
couple who ultimately save the life of one of the guests who is in
danger of drowning on Ecstasy). Recommended. DVD ****
(1/18/02).
