DVD Review - Don't Come Knocking

Wim Wenders has made some outstanding films in his career- Wings of Desire, Paris, Texas and The American Friend to name just a few. His latest work Don't Come Knocking may not be on the level of those that I have previously mentioned but it is quite a good (and underrated) film.

Wenders has shown a fascination with the American west in the past in his film Paris, Texas. He once again teams up with Sam Shepard who wrote the screenplay for both films. This time Shepard is also the star. He plays Howard Spence, a washed up actor who has made a living playing cowboys. Spence has a history of booze, drugs and women and you can see the toll that this has taken on him by looking at his face. During the making of his latest film he decides to up and leave. He goes on a quest of finding himself and his roots.

His first stop is his mother's place in Nevada. He hasn't seen or spoken to her in 30 years. But his mother, (wonderfully played by Eva Marie Saint) being a mother, is happy to see him. During their time together she tells him that many years ago a woman from Butte, Montana came to her looking for Spence. The woman claimed that she was pregnant with his child. Spence can't believe that he is a father. But he is also curious about this and after he leaves his mother he heads to Butte. He finds Doreen (Jessica Lange) who is the woman in question. She leads him to his son Earl (Gabriel Mann) who is a singer in a local club. Earl is not interested in his long lost father. In fact, he loathes him. Earl has a strung out girlfriend named Amber (Fairuza Balk) who encourages him to get to know his father but Earl is having none of it.

There are two people who are interested in Spence. One is a mysterious young women named Sky (Sarah Polley) who is carrying around her mother's ashes. She tries to talk to Spence but he thinks that she is a wacko. The other person who wants to talk to Spence is a man named Sutter (Tim Roth). He works for the studio that is making the movie that Spence walked out on and it is his mission is to bring Spence back to the movie set.

The pace of the film is leisurely and it takes its time to unfold. That is a typical trait of a Wenders film and I, for one, like it. Shepard has created characters that are interesting and very real. All of the acting is up to par and I especially liked Polley's sensitive portrayal of Sky.
And Franz Lustig's cinematography of the western landscape is magnificent.

This is by and far a film about the need for connecting with others, especially family. Spence found this out late in life but as they say better late then never. I recommend that you take this journey with him.

The Science of Sleep

I was not a big fan of Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It was just too disjointed for me. So I approached his new film, The Science of Sleep, with a bit skepticism. And I must say that I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this film.

There is not a great deal of plot here. Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) has just arrived in France and will be staying at his mother's (Miou-Miou) place. He was living in Mexico with this father. However, his father recently passed away and he thought it best if he left Mexico for France. His mother has even arranged a job for him. He will be working as an illustrator at a calendar manufacturing company. But the job is not what he thought it would be and Stephane is bored out of his skull. He is an artist and inventor - a really creative being - and he cannot stand drudgery. He also has very vivid dreams and most of the time he can't tell what is real and what is a dream.

A young woman named Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg) moves next door to Stephane. At first he doesn't let her know that they are neighbors and that his mother is her landlady. When they first meet Stephanie is with her friend Zoe (Emma de Caunes) and Stephane is more interested in her. But after a while he falls for Stephanie who has a mind that is almost as creative as his. But Stephanie claims that she doesn't want a boyfriend.

This is about all I can say about the film's plot. Stephane goes through the process of trying to win Stephanie. Some of these sequences are real some of them are definitely part of his dreams. The film is wonderful to look at and there is some amazing animation throughout. I really liked the Stephane character because he was just so sensitive. And I love the idea of exploring your dreams.

Everyone's acting is fine but the film belongs to Bernal. He plays his part with a great deal of charm and wit. Gondry does a good job of directing and while his writing is at times fragmented he is never boring. I cannot recommend this film to the average filmgoer. But I do recommend it to those of you who have great imaginations and like to fantasize about your dreams.

Keeping Mum

Keeping Mum is a delightful black comedy that combines British humor with murder. It was directed by Niall Johnson and the screenplay was written by Richard Russo (who wrote Empire Falls among other books).

The Goodfellow family lives in a small village in England. Walter (Rowan Atkinson) is the Vicar of a local church. He is a very busy man who doesn't seem to have much time for his wife Gloria (Kristen Scott Thomas). The Goodfellows have a teenage daughter Holly (Tamsin Egerton) who is forever changing boyfriends and a son Petey (Toby Parkes) who is a bit timid and gets bullied by some of his classmates. Gloria spends some of her free time taking golf lessons with her American instructor Lance (Patrick Swayze) and it isn't only golf that they have in common.

Things start to change for the family when they hire a housekeeper named Grace (Maggie Smith). It is like she is a guardian angel sent to resolve their every problem. But there is more to her than meets the eye and finding out the truth is a lot of fun. That is as far as I will go in telling you the plot because I don't want to spoil things for you.

Smith is wonderful as Grace and brings such wicked humor to her role. Scott Thomas is terrific as the frustrated Gloria. I think that she is one of the most underrated actresses around. And I was pleasantly surprised at how good Atkinson is because I am not a fan of his comedy programs. And the scenery of the English countryside is magnificent.

I found myself and the audience I was with laughing throughout the film. I must say that early on I figured out the secret. But that didn't stop me from enjoying the film. Keeping Mum is an old fashioned film. This type of film isn't made very often these days but judging from people's reaction to it I hope that there are more films like this on the horizon in the future. While the film may not leave you in deep thought it will certainly keep you entertained while you are watching it. It is just what you need when you want to see something light and frothy.

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

Directors David Leaf and John Scheinfeld have created an interesting documentary about how the United States government tried to deport John Lennon. Although there is a bit about John's childhood and his days with the Beatles most of the film concentrates on the period of the late 60s and early to mid 70s. This is the time that he was with Yoko Ono, started to protest the war in Vietnam and moved to New York City.

John was always an outspoken person but it was when he decided to live in the States that he got into trouble. The government and FBI (Richard Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover were up in arms!) got really upset when Lennon appeared at a concert organized to free activist John Sinclair who was arrested and sentenced to ten years in jail for giving two joints to an undercover agent. Lennon had such influence that Sinclair was released from prison shortly after the concert. This did not sit well with the powers that be and they decided that Lennon must be deported. They claimed that it was because he was once arrested for possession of marijuana but we all know that it was because of his political views. It took some time but in the end Lennon won and made New York City his home.

The film focuses a great deal on his relationship with Ono. You can see just how happy John was with her and you also realize that there was so much racism surrounding their relationship back then. She was vilified but she comes across as someone who was a good influence on John. John was also ecstatic after the birth of their son Sean and was a loving father. The film has clips from events with Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin and other 60s activists. Besides Ono there are interviews with Sinclair, Angela Davis, George McGovern, Mario Cuomo, Walter Cronkite, Gore Vidal, Noam Chomsky, Tom Smothers and others.

Although the film is sometimes a bit choppy in its feel I really enjoyed watching it. It brought back many memories from my youth. The music, of course, is wonderful and I found myself singing along to myself. But we know that the outcome is a sad one because Lennon was gunned down in December 8, 1980 (and I remember going to the vigil on December 14 that was held in Central Park). At some point in the film Lennon said that both Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to bring about peace in a peaceful manner and both were assassinated. The same turned out to be true of Lennon. At the end of the film I had tears in my eyes, partly because of the loss of Lennon and partly because the world has gotten even worse since he is gone. I can only imagine what John Lennon would say about the current state of affairs. To me the best way to honor the memory of this great man is for the world to give peace a chance.

DVD Review - Down in the Valley

Down in the Valley is a mixed bag of a film. It starts off with rebellious teen Tobe (Evan Rachel Wood) coming onto the older "cowboy" Harlan (Edward Norton) who works at the gas station. When Tobe invites him to go to the beach with her friends he says yes even though it means losing his job. Theirs is an instant attraction and one thing leads to another if you know what I mean. As I watched the film I wondered if this was going to be another film about a teenager taking up with a man pushing 40. It turns out to be more than that. But what it is trying to be is not always clear.

Tobe lives in a motherless home with her father Wade (David Morse) and her younger brother Lonnie (Rory Culkin). Things are not great at home. As fierce as Tobe is that is how timid Lonnie is. And when Wade meets Harlan he is, as expected, less than thrilled.

At first Harlan seems like a nice guy but we start to have our doubts when he is accused of stealing a horse. After this happens Wade tells Tobe that he wants her to stop seeing Harlan. That is easier said then done because Harlan has stolen Tobe's heart. And he has also won over Lonnie. As time goes on things start to spin out of control but I won't say in what way. You will have to find out for yourself if you choose to see this film.

David Jacobson does a good job of directing his actors. Norton, as always, is terrific. Wood is truly outstanding as the unhappy Tobe. Both Morse and Culkin are very good as is Dern in his brief cameo. And cinematographer Enrique Chedick does a magnificent job of showing us the beauty of the valley. The big problem with the film is the screenplay. Some of the events in the second part of the film are not very believable. There is a scene that comes out of nowhere (you think that you are in another century) and you are left wondering what on earth is going on. If you look at the deleted scenes on the DVD you will have a clear picture of what this part of the film was about. They should never have cut this scene out.

Harlan's past should have been explored at greater depth in the film. Near the beginning of the film he utters some words that allude to his past. Later on in the film there is a short segment that confirmed what I thought but nothing else about this is ever mentioned again. I think that this aspect of Harlan's being is just too important to have been swept under the rug.

All in all, this is not a bad film. It is worth seeing for the acting, the beautiful scenery, the good music and some interesting scenes. But I just think of how much better this film could have been if the story went in a different direction. Next time Jacobson decides to make a film he should think about getting someone to help him write the script.

DVD Review - Akeelah and the Bee

Akeelah and the Bee generated a lot of positive notices when it came out earlier this year. However, even with all of its praise it did not perform well at the box office. But it was because of the film's good reviews that I decided to watch it on DVD.

Eleven year old Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer) lives in South Los Angeles with her single mother Tanya (Angela Bassett) and her siblings. Her father was killed when she was just six and it has been tough for her mother to raise four kids. One of her brothers is training to be a pilot and her other brother likes to hang out with the bad boys. Her sister is a single mom with a baby. Given the type of life she is leading there doesn't appear to be too much opportunity for Akeelah to get ahead in this world.

One day things start to change for her. Akeelah gets 100 on her spelling test and her teacher urges her to participate in a school wide spelling bee. When she wins that contest the principal of the school, Mr. Walsh, (Curtis Armstrong) proposes that she goes onto the regional bee. He also introduces her to Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne) who is a college professor and who eventually becomes Akeelah's coach. Along the way Akeelah faces many obstacles including resistance from her mother. She also appears to be the only child in the competition who is from a lower income family. She also makes friends with one of her competitors who is named Javier (J.R. Villarreal) and meets another competitor named Dylan (Sean Michael) who is under a lot of pressure from his father to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington. As the film goes on we see that Akeelah is not the only one with obstacles in her path. Dr. Larabee has problems of his own that keep getting in the way. I am not going to tell you what happens at the bees. You will have to find that out on your own.

The film is written and directed by first time filmmaker Doug Atchison. His screenplay won a prize and when it was time to make the film it was decided that he should direct it as well. There is no doubt that the film is uplifting. But I found it to be extremely predictable. There wasn't anything in it that we haven't seen before. Both Bassett and Fishburne turn in good performances and it is nice to see them together again (they played Ike and Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It?). But the real star here is the young Ms. Palmer. She plays Akeelah with a combination of high energy and great emotion. The film would not work without her presence and I hope that she has a great future in the acting world.

Well, the verdict is that Akeelah and the Bee is a good but not great film. Despite that I do think it should be shown to students in inner city schools so that they can be inspired to work with their talents and try to overcome the obstacles in their paths. But if you want to see a movie with real suspense check out the wonderful Oscar nominated documentary Spellbound. That film had me sitting on the edge of my seat. And for something with a bit of a more unusual twist on spelling bees rent the underrated Bee Season starring Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche. And don't forget to keep that dictionary handy!

Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

Director Zhang Yimou's film Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles is not only a road trip through China but a journey of the heart.

Gou-ichi Takata (Ken Takakura) is an elderly fisherman who lives in a small town in Japan. When he gets a call from his daughter-in-law Rie (Shindou Terajima) telling him that his estranged son Ken-ichi (voice of Kiichi Nakai) is very sick and in the hospital he immediately goes to Tokyo to see him. However, his son is still very upset with him for a past hurt and refuses to see him. Before he returns home Rei gives Takata a tape and tells him to watch it.

After returning home he watches the tape and discovers that his son makes films of various folk operas in China. The tape shows Ken-ichi with an actor named Li (Li Jiamin) who performs in the folk opera Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles. Ken-ichi wants to film Li performing but Li tells him that he will have to do it another time. Ken-ichi tells him that he will come back the following year to film it (which is now the present time). This is a surprise to Takata as he knows very little about his son. After a day or so Rei calls him with the sad news that Ken-ichi has terminal liver cancer and does not have long to live.

Takata desperately wants to reconcile with Ken-ichi before his death. He decides to travel to the Yuanan province of China to seek out Li and film the opera for his son to see before he dies.
In his travels he hooks up with an interpreter named Jasmine (Jiang Wen) and her associate Lingo (Lin Qiu). They want to help Takata with his goal but they run into a snag - Li is in jail for three years and cannot perform the opera. They try to convince Takata to use another actor but he only wants to use Li because his son met him a year earlier. That is about all I will tell you regarding the plot. I will say that later on we meet an adorable child name Yang Yang (Zhenbo Yang) who is Li's son.

I have seen most of Zhang's films and I can say that he is a master filmmaker whether he tackles martial arts films like House of Flying Daggers or more personal films like this one. The film is absolutely gorgeous to look at. And Zhang and co-screenwriter Jingzhi Zou have fashioned a beautiful tale that will bring tears to your eyes. All of the acting is good but Takakura is outstanding as Takata. His face conveys many feelings at one time. And we see some remarkable displays of emotions from places that we might not have expected it (sorry, you will have to see the film to know what I am talking about).

This is a film that definitely has a moral to it. Cherish those you love and do not hide your feelings. Give those you care about a hug because you never know when it will be the last time you will see them. And be kind because that is the greatest quality that anyone can have.

DVD Review - Or: My Treasure

Director Keren Yedaya won the Camera D'Or award (for best first film) at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. And if you see this quietly powerful film you will understand why.

Or (Dana Ivgy) is just 16 years old but she seems to be much older than her years. When we first meet her she is picking up her mother Ruthie (Ronit Elkabetz) from the hospital (they live in Tel Aviv). Ruthie is a prostitute who is getting too old to be in that game. Or would do anything to stop her mother from going back to walking the streets. She collects bottles and cashes them in and works in a local restaurant washing dishes. She even gets her mother a job cleaning someone's house. In between she goes to school when she can.

Ruthie gets the cleaning job but it is very difficult for her to adjust to regular work. Or seems to be an intelligent girl but, sadly, there are a number of instances in which her actions seem to be imitating her mother's. There is a boy named Ido (Meshar Cohen) who likes Or. But although she likes him she also likes to hang out with "bad boys" as well. I don't want to get into more of the plot details because I want people to see this film and find out how things turn out.

Yedaya does a wonderful job with her actors and the screenplay, co-written with Sari Ezouz, does not pull any punches. Ivgy gives an outstanding and heartbreaking performance as Or. You keep hoping that someone comes along to take her under their wing and get her out of the sad rut that she is in. Elkabetz is also terrific as Ruthie (I've seen her before in a few other Israeli films - most notably Late Marriage). While I wanted to feel sorry for her I found it at times hard to do so. I kept wondering how she could make her daughter's life so miserable. It is obvious that she loved her daughter and realized how good she was (she often called Or her treasure) but she just couldn't get her act together and give her child a normal life.

This is an Israeli film and like many (but by no means all) Israeli films it doesn't have anything to do with politics or religion. It is a real slice of life type of film and it shows how some people have to live. This story could have taken place anywhere. It just so happens that it takes place in Israel. But if there are still people out there who think that all Jews are rich they should see this film and maybe then they will realize that some Jews live in very poor conditions.

The film is very frank and there are a number of explicit scenes. I felt uncomfortable watching some of these scenes but that how I was supposed to feel. I could not imagine the film without them and they make the film all that more powerful. But I have to say that some people will be very upset by what takes place and because of that they may want to avoid the film (remember that Or is only 16). But for those of you who are open minded I highly recommend this film.

After seeing the film I went on imdb and looked up Keren Yedaya and I was disappointed to find out that this was the last film that she made. I hope that in the not too distant future we hear that this up and coming talent has a new film in the works.

Hollywoodland

Allen Coulter's has made a movie that is more than decent in his feature film debut. And even though the film doesn't always work I wasn't bored during the two plus hours running time.

Ben Affleck plays George Reeves who was best known for his role in the 50s hit television show Superman. Reeves is making a good living playing this super hero but he wants to be more than that. Before he lands this role he hooks up with Toni Mannix (Diane Lane) who is married to studio head Eddie Mannix. The Mannix's seem to have some sort of arrangement because Mr. Mannix doesn't mind that his wife is involved with Reeves as long as he can have his Asian mistress. Toni is a bit older than George and has the money to shower him with all kinds of gifts (including a nice house). But eventually Reeves tires of this and heads to New York to discuss the possibility of forming a production company. While he is there he meets the younger Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney) and you can say that it was love at first sight (or some variation of that). When Reeves gets back to LA and tells Toni about his new love all hell breaks loose. Some time after that Reeves has a get together at his home. He is depressed and says goodnight to everyone rather early. It is at that time that he (supposedly) pulls the trigger of his gun and kills himself.

Enter second rate private eye Louis Simo (Adrien Brody). Simo has many problems of his own.
He and his wife are separated (or divorced) and he has trouble relating to his young son (who just happens to be devastated that Superman killed himself). Through a tip he connects with George's mother Helen Bessolo (Lois Smith) who is convinced that her son did not kill himself. As Simo gets more involved with the case he finds evidence that Reeves might have been murdered. But who could have done such a thing? Was it his fiancee Leonore, his jilted lover Toni or her gangster like husband Eddie? Well, I'm certainly not going to tell you. You will have to see the film and draw your own conclusions.

As I said before, I think that for the most part Coulter did a good job. The film goes back and forth between the time that Reeves was alive and after he has died. I don't think that the transition from one time period to the other went as smoothly as it could have. I think that screenwriter Paul Bernbaum could have given us a little less of Simo's personal problems and a little more time with Mr. & Mrs. Mannix. I also felt that Leonore's character was underdeveloped.

All of the acting is good. Brody captures Simo's pain (physical and otherwise) with his sad eyes.
Affleck was very good as the tortured Reeves. This is the best work that Affleck has done in a while and I am sure that this will help to revive his career. Hoskins is great as usual but I wish we would have seen more of him. Tunney does a fine job in a role that is underwritten. And best of all (for me) is Lane. She brings a great amount of sexiness and deviousness to her role and you know that she isn't always thinking of what would be in George's best interest. When she and Affleck were on the screen together you could feel their chemistry.

All in all, this is a good film. No, it isn't as good as Chinatown or LA Confidential but so what?
If you like film noir then I suggest you check out Hollywoodland.

DVD Review - Ballets Russes

This outstanding documentary is lovingly directed by Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine. It traces the formation of the Ballets Russes in the first part of the 20th century to its last performance in the early 1960s.

Many members of this dance troupe were originally from Russia but had to leave during the Revolution but there were members from other parts of the world as well. There is some terrific footage of the troupe performing. But things were not all a bed of roses. There was rivalry between two factions and the original group broke into two troupes. One was called the Original Ballet Russes and the other one was called The Ballet Russes of Monte Carlo. We follow the ups and downs of both troupes throughout the years. There are also interviews with some former members that took place in this new century (sadly some of them have passed on after the making of this film). They are all in the 80s (and one is even 90) and it sheer joy to hear them reminisce about their days as part of the Ballet Russes. We find out many interesting facts such as how they came to hire the first Native American ballerina and the sad tale of the black ballerina who had to leave the troupe because the KKK confronted them when they toured the southern part of the US.

I don't want to say anything else. I think that people should just listen to what these wonderful people have to say. Even if you don't like ballet (I do and I have seen a number of live performance in my younger days) you can't help but have a smile on your face when you hear them speak. This is a very uplifting film and made me realize how important it is to have passion in your life. It is the thing that keeps us all going.

DVD Review - The Death of Mr. Lazerescu

I have heard that some people call director Cristi Puiu's extraordinary film a "black comedy." And while the film is quite dark and there is humor running throughout I would hesitate to call it a comedy. To me it is more like a tragedy.

Mr. Lazerescu (Ion Fiscuteanu), who lives in Bucharest, is a man who is in his early to mid sixties (although he looks older). He is a widower who lives with three cats that he adores. His only child, a daughter, is married and lives in Canada. His sister does not live in Bucharest but in another city that is quite a distance away.

Mr. Lazerescu has not felt well for several days. He has severe headaches and throws up a good deal of the time. Many years ago he had ulcer surgery but despite this he continues to drink alcohol. As his condition worsens he calls an ambulance to take him to the hospital. He has to call several times before one arrives. During the wait he asks the couple who live next door for assistance. They don't mind giving him a bit of help but neither one of them like his cats.

When paramedic Mioara Avram (Luminita Gheorghiu) arrives Lazerescu is in the bathroom and has taken a tumble into the bathtub. They finally get him into the ambulance but that is when the trouble really begins. One hospital after another (I counted that they went to four) refuses to treat him. Because of a terrible accident they all claim that they have no time for him. The first hospital refuses to do anything and berates him for drinking. The second one takes some tests but tells him that it would be hours until he can get the operation that he needs immediately. At the third one he refuses to sign the release form but that is because he is slipping in dementia. At the last hospital they prep him for surgery because by that time he is totally out of it. The paramedic is one of the few people in the film who has any compassion. And she is treated in a very condescending manner because she is "only" a nurse.

Puiu gives this film the feel of a documentary and that is how his screenplay appears to be written (his co-writer is Razvan Radulescu). The film was shot in real time and you are there with the patient every step of the way. Veteran Rumanian actor Fiscuteanu is excellent as a man who sees his life fading away. And everyone else in the cast is very good.

The film is almost two and a half hours long and I don't know how American audiences will react to it. I hope that they would want to see this film because it is so real and something like this can happen anywhere in the world (something similar happened in Romania in which a man was turned away from six hospitals and then left in the street by the paramedic only to die). It is a film that will make you sad and angry at the same time and make you want to change the medical system in this country (as I am sure that people in Rumania want to change their system).

This is the first of six films that Puiu wants to make on the various types of love (all of which will take place in Bucharest - this reminds me a bit of Krzysztof Kieslowski's Decalogue) and this one focuses on a man's (or woman's love of his/her fellow man (or woman). And for the most part there was no love.

One last thing - the ending is a bit strange. I drew my own conclusions from it and you will too. But just bear in mind the title of the film and know that there can only be one outcome. I highly recommend this film to those who want to see an outstanding piece of world cinema. And I certainly look forward to Puiu's next tale of love.

House of Sand

Amazing the first word I thought of when Andrucha Waddington's House of Sand ended. This is one of the best films I have seen this year and it is breathtaking, haunting and mesmerizing.

The story is a rather simple one. Aurea (Fernanda Torres) reluctantly follows her husband Vasco (Ruy Guerra) to a remote part of Northern Brazil. Vasco bought this land and wants to develop it. They have also taken along Aurea's mother Dona Maria (Fernanda Montenegro) as well as a caravan of several men. The problems start early on when they meet Massu (Seu Jorge) and his band of runaway slaves. Vasco is given a warning that they should go back to where they came from. But Vasco is stubborn and refuses to budge even when his caravan packs up and leaves. Aurea, who is pregnant, begs Vasco to see reason but he persists in his vision. During a fierce sandstorm Vasco is buried under the rubble and dies. This leaves Aurea and her mother having to fend for themselves. They strike up a friendship with Massu who helps them survive but the both want to desperately leave this place. However, there doesn't seem to be any way out of there.

I will not say much more about the plot but I will tell you that the story encompasses three generations of women (at some point we find Aurea's daughter, who also named Maria, added to the story when she is ten years old) and that Montenegro and Torres each play more than one role. Waddington does a fantastic job directing the film and gets great performances out of the whole cast. Elena Soarez's screenplay is at the same time both simple and complex. And the cinematography by Ricardo Della Rossa is beyond magnificent.

As I mentioned before all of the acting is top notch but Montenegro and Torres are especially outstanding. I have seen Montenegro in two previous films (Central Station and The Other Side of the Street) so I already knew that she is a first rate actress. When checking on Torres I noticed that she was in Four Days in September. I remember the film but only vaguely remember her. But after seeing her in this film I certainly hope to see her in more films in the future (and perhaps I will have to watch Four Days again to see her performance). The two actresses have great chemistry together and besides their acting skills I am sure that has to do with the fact that they are in real life mother and daughter. They just play off each other so well.

This film is about survival and about making the best of any situation you might find yourself in.
But most of all (at least to me) it is about the special bond between mother and daughter. I wish I would have been able to see this film with my mother (she saw Montenegro in Central Station and really liked it) but sadly she is gone. I am sure that she would have felt the same way about the film that I did and walked out of the theater misty eyed.

DVD Review - Dead Man's Shoes

The main reason I wanted to see this film is because I greatly admire Paddy Considine as an actor. I have seen him in Cinderella Man, My Summer of Love and In America and in each of these films he has wonderful, underrated performances. So I looked forward to seeing this film.

The film is also co-written by Considine with director Shane Meadows and Paul Fraser. I saw some of Meadows previous films and I feel that he has a great deal of potential as a filmmaker. Dead Man's is difficult to get involved in but if one has patience they will be rewarded.

Considine's character Richard has just gotten back from the army. He is carrying around a lot of anger because of the abuse inflicted upon his younger, mentally challenged brother Anthony (Toby Kebbell) by some local thugs. Instead of going to the police Richard decides to take things into his own hands and wreaks vengeance on those who did his brother harm.

One of the problems with this film is that you cannot understand what many of the characters are saying because of their thick accents. At the very least they should have provided subtitles on the DVD. This really takes away from the film and I found my mind wandering from time to time. I also found the plot a bit disjointed. But you must sit through the entire film and then you will see that everything makes sense. The film is a compact 86 minutes long and the last 25 minutes are absolutely riveting.

Once again Considine gives a terrific performance. The rage seems to be coming out of his nostrils. Meadows did a good job directing the film and I look forward to seeing what he does in the future. And Danny Cohen's cinematography of the English countryside is breathtaking.

All in all, this is a very decent film about brotherly love and justice. You just have to get through a few hurdles before you see how worthwhile it is.

DVD Review - Lemming

This is the second film of Dominick Moll's that I've seen that has you sitting on the edge of your seat (the first one was With a Friend Like Harry). You could say that there is a bit of Alfred Hitchcock and a bit of David Lynch flowing through the film. And the screenplay, which was written by Moll and Gilles Marchand, has an eerie quality to it.

When we first meet Alain (Laurent Lucas) and Benedicte (Charlotte Gainsbourg) Getty we think that they are a pretty ordinary young couple. They have recently moved to the quiet area of Bel Air because Alain has just gotten a new job. Alain designs products for the home that are completely automated. He is good at what he does and well liked at his job. Benedicte used to work but has decided that she will take time off to fix up the house. Alain's boss Richard Pollock (Andre Dussolier) is very fond of Alain and he invites himself and his wife Alice (Charlotte Rampling) over to Alain and Benedicte's house for dinner. You can feel that something is in the works when Richard and Alice arrive very late. Richard is very apologetic but Alice barely says a word. It is obvious that she doesn't want to be there. After several very awkward minutes Alice goes on a rampage. She says that the reason they were late is because Richard was with another woman. Then she lashes out at her hosts. Richard apologizes again and they leave without finishing dinner. Later that night Alain can't sleep so he decides to try to fix the kitchen sink waste pipe that is clogged up. To his surprise he finds that a lemming somehow got into the pipe. As strange as it may seem the lemming is a foreboding symbol of things to come.

And this my dear reader is as much as I can tell you. Otherwise I would ruin the film for you. There are a number of twists and turns in this film and it really makes you put on your thinking cap. Nothing is cut and dry. There is a strong nightmarish quality about the film. As far as the acting goes, everyone does a good job and Rampling is quite scary.

So if you like films with ambiguous endings then this film is for you. I have my own theory and I hope that other people will see this film because I would love to discuss and dissect it with them.

DVD Review - One Bright Shining Moment

This film is a documentary about presidential candidate's George McGovern unsuccessful run for office in 1972. It has a special meaning for me because this was the first time I could vote and I did indeed vote for McGovern.

We see McGovern as a populist and a decent man who wanted everyone to get their fair share. He was very much opposed to the war in Vietnam and felt that we should admit our mistake and get out at once. The film shows McGovern in his early years and follows him as he becomes the senator from South Dakota. The fact that he became the Democratic nominee in 1972 is a miracle considering that he wasn't a member of the usual party machinery. We also find out
what (sadly) contributed to his loss and Nixon's win.

Director Stephen Vittoria does a commendable job of bringing this piece of history to the screen but I think that the film could have a been trimmed by about 20 to 30 minutes. This would have made the film flow more smoothly. In addition to McGovern there are interviews with Gore Vidal, Warren Beatty, Gloria Steinem, Howard Zinn, Dick Gregory, Gary Hart and Ron Kovic among others. The film is nicely narrated by Democracy Now's Amy Goodman and there is an interview with Ms. Goodman as part of the bonus features on the DVD.

Although One Bright Shining Moment is far from perfect I think that it is an important film for people to see. It made me ask this question - is it possible to elect an decent, intelligent person to the presidency in the United States? Why is it that a Dennis Kucinich has no chance of being elected as president? Someone recently told me that they thought even John Edwards would have trouble getting elected and I believe that is probably true. But as Goodman pointed out there is a serious problem with what is happening with our election process. She says that Bill Clinton is to the right of Richard Nixon and I agree with her. I find this fact to be very frightening. We as Americans must do something to try and elect people who will serve our best interest. But most of all this film made me think of what it would have been like if McGovern had been elected. And I've come to the conclusion that maybe we would not be in the mess we are in today.

Factotum

Factotum based on a highly autobiographical novel by Charles Bukowski. Before I tell you more about the film let me tell you what a factotum is. It is a person who has many jobs but doesn't like any of them. I think that this would describe many people out there.

Now back to the film. Henry Chinaski (Matt Dillon) is first and foremost a writer. Unfortunately, he can't make a living doing what he loves. So he drifts from job to job but never finds one where he feels at home. Besides just being bored at his various places of work Henry has a serious drinking problem. He thinks nothing of taking a drinking break during the work day and that, obviously, does not please any of his bosses.

Along the way Henry meets Jan (Lili Taylor) and moves in with her in a few days. She shares his passion for drinking and sex. However, when Henry gets a job that he can tolerate Jan seems to lose interest. The two eventually part ways which leaves Henry having to find another place to hang his head. While having a drink in a bar he meets Laura (Marisa Tomei) and he goes off with her that night. Laura has some very strange friends and her relationship with Henry doesn't last very long. And that is as far as I will go in telling you the story.

The film is directed by Norwegian Bent Hamer (who made the charming film Kitchen Stories).
For the most part he does a good job but every once in a while things sag a bit. Hamer co-wrote the screenplay with producer Jim Stark and I truly enjoyed the deadpan humor that comes through. The dialog is good except in a few places and I really liked Henry's poetic voiceovers.
Dillon is very believable in his portrayal of Henry, a man who is very talented but is trapped in a society that doesn't like to reward people's true gifts. He takes to drinking to stifle his pain and frustration. This role brought to mind an earlier film of Dillon's Drugstore Cowboy which focuses on another man with an addiction. Taylor is terrific as the hardened Jan. I just wanted to know a bit more about her and why she wound up the way she did. Tomei sizzles in her small role as the boozy Laura.

I think that the film says something about making choices. Most people make the choice of working in jobs that are mind numbing and dead end. But they continue to do so because they want to have a place to live and food on the table. Henry chose to be sometimes homeless and hungry because his burning passion was to write and he just couldn't compromise who he was.
I certainly do not condone or approve of alcoholism. And, yes, in the past I have done things I didn't like to keep a roof over my head and I might have to more of those types of things in the future. But I have to say that in some ways I admired Henry for staying true to his vision even though he had to suffer in so many ways.