DVD Review - Infernal Affairs

I have wanted to see Infernal Affairs for quite some time. But having seen Martin Scorsese's The Departed made me want to see it even more (for those of you who don't know The Departed is based on Infernal Affairs).

Infernal Affairs takes place in Hong Kong and is the story of a police officer who infiltrates a crime syndicate. In addition, there is a mole working at the police department and neither of the men knows who the other one is. The Departed follows the same plotline but it takes place in Boston and the gangsters are Irish. So many people have seen The Departed that there doesn't seem to be a reason to say more about the plot.

Scorsese's film is about forty five minutes longer than the other film. While I was not at all bored during The Departed I felt that Infernal Affairs was a much sharper film. Directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak have a keen eye for detail and know how to keep the fat trimmed. The screenplay, which was written by Mak and Felix Chong, is intelligent. I have to give high marks to William Monohan's crackling dialog but the way the story unfolds in Infernal is just a good.

Leonardo DiCaprio gives his best performance in a long time in Scorsese's film. But he still does not compare to Tony Leung as the undercover cop Yan. While all of DiCaprio's turmoil is shown from the outside Leung's torture is in the inner realm of the soul. And although Matt Damon gave a pretty good performance as the police mole Andy Lau's Lau is many times better at conveying the conflict that this man feels. Oh, and we should not forget the crime boss himself.
Jack Nicholson plays Frank Costello in The Departed and while it is always fun to watch him he sometimes gets carried away with his "Jackness." Eric Tsang as Boss Sam is much more subtle in his depiction of evil.

Infernal Affairs is beautifully shot and that is not surprising because the marvelous Christopher Doyle aids director Lau in this task. And the tempo of the music is perfect in how it depicts the mood of the film. I must say that I was very pleased that this film did not contain the plot thread of the unbelievable (and unnecessary) love triangle that is included in The Departed.

I am happy that many people are going to see The Departed. It is a good film. But I urge you to also see Infernal Affairs (if you don't like subtitles you must get over it because you are missing out on too many great films). Because in the end, The Departed is a good film but Infernal Affairs is even better.

DVD Review - Beowulf & Grendel

Director Sturla Gunnarsson has created a modern take on the eighth century poem Beowulf. It took me a little time to get into this film. But once I got into it I was hooked.

Grendel's father is killed because he trespassed on King Hrothgar's (Stellan Skarsgard) land and steals a fish. Hrothgar kills his father but discovers that Grendel was with him at the time. None of Hrothgar's men sees the boy so Hrothgar lets him live. Grendel (Ingvar Eggert Sigurosson) grows up alone to become a murderous troll and kills many of Hrothgar's men. Hrothgar enlists Beowulf (Gerard Butler) and his Vikings to help capture Grendel. But Hrothgar does not tell Beowulf that he killed Grendel's father.

Along the way Beowulf meets Selma (Sarah Polley) who is a witch and can see the future. She has a secret that we don't find out until much later in the film. After many scenes of violence and bloodshed Grendel is killed. But after the deed is done we find Beowulf wondering if this was the right thing to do.

Skarsgard is wonderful as the drunken, broken king. Butler is also great as the tortured Beowulf. I also liked Sigurosson's Grendel, Polley's Selma and Eddie Marson's Brendan the Celt.
The screenplay is well written by Andrew Rai Berzins (considering the complicated source material he had to work with) and beautifully shot by Jan Kiesser. They made the film in Iceland and you can see what a wonderland that place is.

The critics were a bit harsh and the film which is too bad. Although the story was written a very long time ago its meaning rings true today. Must we always seek vengeance and settle our conflicts with violence? That seemed to be the way back then and it still seems to be the way today. But this film shows us that violence and revenge are not the way to go because they will just bring us more of the same and the cycle will never end.

The Prestige

The Prestige is the second film about magic that has been released this year. The first one was The Illusionist, a film that I very much liked and was a surprise hit. I also enjoyed The Prestige and it is also quite a hit.

The Prestige is adapted by Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan from a novel by Christopher Priest. Christopher Nolan directed it with his usual flair.

I will only give you a little bit of the plot because saying too much would give things away. The
story revolves around two rival magicians, Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). An older magician named Cutter (Michael Caine) uses the two men in one of his tricks. Cutter has a young woman named Julia's (Piper Perabo) hands and feet bound with rope. She is put into a tank of water and, of course, she escapes. Angier and Borden are the ones who tie the knots. It should be mentioned that Julia is married to Angier. One day Borden ties the knot in a way that Julia can't escape and she dies. Angier cannot forgive Borden and this starts their heated rivalry.

Most of the film focuses on how one magician tries to outdo the other. Borden marries a woman named Sarah (Rebecca Hall) and has a daughter. Angier never remarries but he finds an assistant and a mistress in Olivia (Scarlett Johansson). At one point Angier travels to America to ask a "mad" scientist named Tesla (David Bowie) to make an unusual apparatus for him so that he can perform a special trick. Tesla's assistant Alley is played by Andy Serkis. Also of note is Ricky Jay, who early in the film plays a magician named Milton. Jay is a magician in real life.

The film is beautifully shot by Wally Pfister. All the acting is fine but I wish that Johansson's role was a bit more developed. She is a good actress and deserves to play more complex character.s I especially enjoyed watching Bowie as Tesla. I kept thinking that it would be great if they could make a movie about his character (but I doubt that will happen).

The film is a series of different tricks. And just when you thought you've seen your last trick
another one is revealed. I must say that I had an idea of what was going on. But that didn't diminish the fun I had while watching the film. I was just a bit more on my toes after being fooled while watching The Illusionist.

Wondrous Oblivion

Wondrous Oblivion was written and directed by Paul Morrison. A number of years ago his wonderful film Solomon and Gaenor was nominated for an Oscar in the best foreign language film category. It was the tragic story of a romance between a devoutly religious Jewish man and a Christian woman. His latest film has some of the same themes running through it as the previous one did.

The story takes place in London in roughly 1960. It focuses on the Wiseman family who live in South London. There are not many Jews on their block and their next door neighbors, who are Jews, are moving to a better part of town. This gives Victor (Stanley Townsend), who is the head of the household, food for thought. He works very hard running his shop and puts in extra hours because he wants a better life for his family. Because of this Victor has very little time or energy left for his family. Victor and Ruth have a son and a daughter. Their son David loves cricket. He is the scorer for his school's team but he would much rather play. Unfortunately, he is not that good.

After a short period of time a new family with the last name of Samuels moves next door. They are from Jamaica and very friendly. If some of the people on the block have trouble with Jews living there you can only imagine how they feel about black people. Dennis Samuels (Delroy Lindo) builds a cricket net and practices the game with his daughter Judy ( Leonie Elliott). David sees this and asks if he can join in. Dennis is happy to help the boy improve his game. At first David's parents are not happy about this but they come to not only accept but befriend the Samuels family. I will not go into any more plot details but I will say that prejudice will rear its ugly head in this story.

The film was made in 2003 and is first getting released in the US three years later. I don't see why it had problems getting a distributor here but the distribution process in the US has been very tough these days. It is a good little film with a moral to it. All of the acting is fine and I loved the way they recreated London in the early 60s. The film doesn't talk about anything that we don't already know but it is an important reminder to us that hatred is alive and well. Although this story takes place over 40 years ago things have not changed that much but we need films like this to remind about this sad state of affairs.

DVD Review - Loves of a Blonde

I am a big fan of Milos Forman and I have seen all of his English language films. I recently saw him at The New Yorker Festival and I thought that it is now time to check out his early Czech language films.

Loves of a Blonde is the alternately sad and funny story of Andula (Hana Brejchova) who lives in a small town in Communist Czechoslovakia. She works in a shoe factory and lives in a dorm with other women who work with her. There are very few men in the town and things get kind of lonely.

Andula and her friends go out for a night on the "town" and meet three soldiers. Actually, it takes some time for them to meet because the soldiers are very shy. This scene in which they try to muster up the nerve to meet the women is very funny. But Andula is more interested in the pianist who is playing at the club that night. His name is Milda (Vladimir Pucholt) and he is not a nice guy. He can tell just how lonely she is and he seduces her. Because of certain things in her past, which are only hinted at, Andula falls in love with Milda after spending only one night with him.

Several weeks pass and Andula does not hear from Milda. So she decides to visit him in Prague, which is where he lives. When she arrives Milda is not home but his parents are and they are not very happy to make her acquaintance (to say the least) . Milda is out playing piano and also just playing around (if you know what I mean). When he arrives home he is quite surprised to see her. His father (Josef Sebanek) is somewhat tolerant. But his mother (Milada Jezkova) will not allow them to sleep together and insists on alternate sleeping arrangements. I won't say what these arrangements are but I will say that you will not be able to stop laughing when you see how they work out.

Many of the actors are non-professionals but you would never know it from the way they carry themselves. Everyone (professional and non-professional) is right on target. Although the film has a lot of humor it also has pathos. I really felt for Andula and I understood where she was coming from. Brejchova has a very expressive face and her Andula cannot hide her pain.

I should also mention that this little gem is in glorious black and white. With this film Forman gives us a hint of what is to come in his career (there is an interesting interview with him on the DVD). He may not make many films but you know that when he makes one it will be high quality. Do yourself a favor and rent this film. You won't be sorry that you did.

Shut Up and Sing

Shut Up and Sing is a documentary about the Dixie Chicks and how things began to unravel for them after lead singer Natalie Maines told an audience in London that she was ashamed that George Bush came from Texas (this was right before the start of his war in Iraq).

Up to that point the Chicks (Maines, Emily Robison and Marty Maguire) were riding high. They were the most popular female singing group in the history of music. They were considered country music stars and many (perhaps most) of their fans were located in the south, which is Bush country. After that comment many fans got rid of their Dixie Chicks CDs and country music stations stopped playing their songs. It was a tough time for the Chicks and there was even a death threat made against Maines. Added to the mix were ridiculous comments from right wing television hosts such as Bill O'Reilly who said that someone should slap them.

But they weathered the storm and earlier this year they came out with a new album of music which was a big hit. There are several scenes in which we see the Chicks recording their new music. They had to reinvent themselves a bit and I don't think that they now consider themselves just country music artists. Many of their new fans are from more liberal areas of the country.

Besides the musical aspects of their lives we also get to see a bit of their private lives. All of the Chicks are wives and mothers and we get to meet their spouses and see their children. We also meet their manager Simon Renshaw who was always behind them one hundred percent.

The film is produced and directed by Cecilia Peck (daughter of Gregory) and Barbara Kopple (who likes to make films about controversial subject matter). They do a great job of bringing this story to the screen. There is a nice mixture of music and interviews. It is very tightly edited and the film is never boring.

In the end, this is not just a film about The Dixie Chicks - it is a story about each and every one of us. The United States is supposed to be a democracy and we are supposed to be able to say anything that we want even if many others disagree with it. So what happened in this case? I guess some people don't want others to criticize the government but they don't understand that dissent is the highest form of patriotism. This is an important film for everyone to see, especially in these times when our right to free speech is eroding everyday. I do not believe in censorship and I feel that Ms. Maines should be allowed to say whatever the fuck she wants. And so should the rest of us.

DVD Review - Solo Con Tu Pareja

Solo Con Tu Pareja was Alfonso Cuaron's first feature film and it was made in 1991. It never had an official release in the US but last month it got a brief release at a few arthouses around the country. Just this past week it came out on DVD. It is also known as Love in the Time of Hysteria but the real translation is "only with your partner."

Tomas (Daniel Gimenez Cacho) is an upper middle class yuppie living in Mexico City. He goes through women with breakneck speed. There aren't many that he doesn't want to bed. Tomas hasn't been feeling well and his doctor (who is also his friend and neighbor) Mateo (the late Luis de Icaza) tells him to come in for some tests. While he is there he meets Mateo's nurse Silvia (Dobrina Liubomirova) and invites her over to his place. Because of his reputation as a great lover she accepts. Mateo and his wife Teresa (Astrid Hadad) are going away for a few days to a medical conference and ask Tomas to look in on their place. Upon Silvia's arrival Tomas realizes that his boss Gloria (Isabel Benet) is also supposed to come over for a business meeting and a little fun. To avoid any complications he gives Gloria Mateo and Teresa's apartment number. While shuffling back and forth between the two women he discovers another neighbor - a flight attendant named Clarisa (Claudia Ramirez). It is love at first sight for him but Clarisa is engaged to a pilot that she lives with. In the meantime, Silvia finds out that Tomas is nothing but a cheating louse and decides to teach him a lesson. Even though his AIDS test comes out negative she types it is as positive and you can only imagine what happens next. There is a twist that I will not tell you about because I don't want to spoil things for those of you who want to see this film.

This film could best be described as a screwball comedy. There are many scenes that are very funny. Some people will wonder how a film about AIDS can be funny. Well, this one is but it is not film about AIDS. It is a film about the consequences of being highly promiscuous (which can be mental and emotional as well as physical). Cuaron also wants to show that AIDS is a disease that can affect anyone regardless of their sexual orientation.

I think this is a very good feature debut and it shows what promise Cuaron had (and had). He co-wrote the screenplay with his younger brother Carlos (who also wrote Y Tu Mama Tambien with him). And the wonderful Emmanuel Lubezki is responsible for the cinematography. The DVD features a documentary containing recent interviews with the Brothers Cuaron and Gimenez Cacho (he has aged quite a bit). There are also two short films included - one is directed by Alfonso and one by Carlos. All in all, I highly recommend this film to those of you who love world cinema.

Flags of Our Fathers

The best thing I can say about Flags of Our Fathers is that I admired it more than I liked it. In other words, I was disappointed in the film. I do give director Clint Eastwood credit for making such an ambitious film. But, unfortunately, the film didn't work for me.

Flags of Our Fathers focuses on three of the six soldiers who were in Joe Rosenthal's famous flag raising photo taken on the top of Iwo Jima. Three of the soldiers are killed during the war but three survive. They are John "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), and Ira Hayes (Adam Beach). The three men are sent back to the United States and touted as "the heroes of Iwo Jima." They are sent on a tour across the country promoting the sale of war bonds. The picture has pumped up people into believing that the war is going well but all is not as it seems. This, of course, makes us think of the situation in Iraq today when the government wants to make us believe all is well. But because of our advanced technology we know better.

Back to the film - Gagnon loves all of the attention, Bradley deals with it and Hayes can't handle it. He drinks himself into a stupor every chance he gets. We know that these three men were part of a team that put a second flag up but the men that put the original flag up are gone. The film cuts back and forth between battle scenes and the war bond tour. Although the war scenes are stunning I found my mind wandering as I watched them. Perhaps they reminded me a bit too much of Saving Private Ryan. And that shouldn't be surprising because Steven Spielberg is one of the producers of this film.

The main problem with the film is that it doesn't know what it wants to be. I would have preferred if it focused more on the men themselves rather than the war bond mission that they were sent on. The character development is rather weak and for that I blame screenwriters Paul Haggis and William Broyles, Jr. (the screenplay is based on a book by Bradley's son James and Ron Powers). Most of the acting lacks emotion. The only exception is Beach who is successful in conveying his character's pain. Actors Barry Pepper, Jamie Bell and others are wasted in nothing roles. The cinematography by Tom Steel is spectacular and gives us a real sense of the war (I had to close my eyes a number of times) but that certainly is not enough.

Flags of Our Fathers is by no means a terrible film. It is just a very uninvolving one (at least for me). But, as I said before, I respect Eastwood for trying something like this. I am looking forward to seeing what he did with part two of this saga - Letters from Iwo Jima - which is the Japanese side of the story and comes out in February. I am hoping that I like it better than I liked part one.

Catch a Fire

Catch a Fire is a well directed political thriller that reminds us that South Africa's awful apartheid regime was in power not that long ago. And it is based on a true story.

Patrick Chamusso (Derek Luke) is a peaceful and hardworking man. While others are calling for the overthrow of apartheid he concentrates on getting ahead at his job (he has recently been made foreman). His family is the most important thing to him and in his free time he coaches a soccer team made up of local youths. But all is not a hundred percent because Chamusso's wife Precious (Bonnie Henna) suspects him of being unfaithful.

Chamusso has a good job for someone who is black. But his little house cannot come anywhere near the spacious abode of policeman Nic Vos (Tim Robbins) and his family. Vos is in charge rounding up so-called "terrorists" who just happen to be part of the anti-apartheid African National Congress (ANC). Vos and his men come to Chamusso's place of work and arrest several of the workers including Chamusso. Now we know that Chamusso is totally innocent but for some reason Vos doesn't think so. Chamusso is eventually released but certain events make him a changed man and he joins the ANC. I won't go into any more plot details (even though some people may know what happens) but I will say that there were some very intense moments in this film.

Director Phillip Noyce does a fine job of bringing this intensity to the screen. He has done this in some of his previous films (The Quiet American and Rabbit Proof Fence come to mind). Luke is wonderful and Robbins is also very good. But, the real surprise here is Bonnie Henna. I have never seen her before but she is amazing as Precious and you can see all of her hurt, disappointment and anger pour out of her eyes.

In the film there is a man named Joe Slovo. He and his wife Ruth First helped the ANC and really put their lives on the line. The film's script was written by their daughter Shawn and one of the producers is another one of their daughters Robyn (who happens to play First in the film). There is another sister named Gillian who is a playwright (I saw her play Guantanamo about two years ago). Shawn also wrote the screenplay for a film entitled A World Apart. It is a terrific film and it is based on her mother's life (using a different name) and stars Barbara Hershey in the lead role (it came out in 1988). I highly recommend that you rent this film on DVD.

The original title for this film was Hot Stuff. That makes some sense as Hot Stuff was Chamusso's code name when he joined the ANC. I don't know why the film was retitled Catch a Fire. That is the name of a Bob Marley and the Wailers song. But I did not hear that song in the film. Another Marley song, Could You Be Loved, was featured throughout. I loved hearing that song as well as all of the wonderful African music that was in the film.

In the end we learn two things. One is that we must never forget the apartheid regime in South Africa (just like we must never forget the Holocaust). The other is that we will never be truly free unless we forgive those who have hurt us the most.

DVD Review - Only Human

Only Human is a very funny film that touches on some serious issues. The story centers on a zany Spanish-Jewish family that go by the name of Dali (shortened from Dalinsky).

Leni (Marian Aguilera), a successful television star, is bringing her fiance Rafi, a professor (Guillermo Toledo) home to meet her family. Under ordinary circumstances they would be nervous but it just so happens that Rafi is Palestinian. How the couple is going to tell her family is making them break out in a sweat.

Leni's menopausal mother Gloria (Norma Aleandro) is very happy to see her daughter and meet her beau. And so is her sexy, promiscuous, belly dancing sister Tania (Maria Botto). Tania and her young daughter Paula (Alba Molinaro) lives at home as does her newly religious brother David (Fernando Ramallo) and blind grandfather DuDu (Max Berliner). Leni's oddly distant father Ernesto (Mario Martin) also lives there but we don't get to meet him until later in the film. The only other thing I will say about the story is that there is one incident that leads to all hell breaking loose.

Writers/Directors Dominic Harari and Teresa Pelegri have created some really funny characters. But I never felt that they were over the top (like I have in other films) These people felt like they could be real. The film is filled with good performances and lots of laughs. But it also touches on some heavier topics such as religion vs. secularism and the different way
the Jews and the Palestinians look at things. These are important topics to think about and discuss. And although this little film will not solve these big problems it made me think, wouldn't it be nice if we could all get along (despite our differences)?

Infamous

This is the second film about Truman Capote and how he wrote In Cold Blood. The first one, simply entitled Capote, came out about a year ago. It went on to get five Oscar nominations and win a Best Actor Oscar (and just about every other Best Actor award) for Philip Seymour Hoffman. When I heard about this film I was wondering whether we needed another film about the exact same subject. And I am happy to say the we did.

Infamous is written and directed by Doug McGrath (Emma) and is based on a book by George Plimpton. The first part of the book follows Capote (Toby Jones) the social butterfly as he spends time partying and gossiping with his numerous friends. His list of friends is long so I am only going to give you the name of the actors who play them. They are, among others, Sigourney Weaver, Juliet Stevenson, Hope Davis, Isabella Rossellini and Peter Bogdonovich. Gwyneth Paltrow is also in the film but for only one scene - she plays Peggy Lee and she is actually singing. There is a light feeling in this part of the film and I found myself enjoying it and laughing quite a bit.

But Capote reads an article about the brutal slaying of a family of four in Kansas and becomes obsessed with finding out more about it. He takes along his friend Nelle Harper Lee (Sandra Bullock) and heads to Kansas to find out more as he is planning to write a piece for The New Yorker magazine. However, when he tries to find out more information he runs up against a wall because detective Alvin Dewey (Jeff Daniels) isn't interested in helping him out. But Capote eventually wins over Dewey and his wife and gets to interview the people who some of the local residents. Things really heat up when the two murderers are caught. Capote wants to interview them and he has no problem with Dick Hickock (Lee Pace) but Perry Smith (Daniel Craig) wants nothing to do with him. As time goes on Capote and Smith develop a closeness and the latter part of the film focuses on that. Everybody knows what happens next - the two men are executed, In Cold Blood is a smash success and Capote becomes very rich. But he is also very unhappy and never writes anything of significance again. In Cold Blood was not only Capote's ticket to great fame - it was also his downfall.

McGrath's script is filled with humor and pathos. He manages to fill the film with light and dark moods. Jones is wonderful as Capote and it is too bad that he will probably not get any awards attention. I actually wish that the film came out last year so that there might have been an actual battle between him and Hoffman (it would be hard to decide who was better). Bullock gives what I think is the best performance of her career as the reclusive Lee. And Craig is just mesmerizing and intense as Smith. The rest of the cast is also great.

Capote was a very good film but it was a bit distant and chilly. Infamous is warmer and, in some ways, more inviting. But this doesn't make one film better than the other. I just hope that people will not make the mistake of thinking that they don't want to see another film about Truman Capote and In Cold Blood. Because if they do they will be missing out a very worthwhile film and some top notch performances.

The Last King of Scotland

Filmmaker Kevin MacDonald has made several documentaries, most notably One Day in September and Touching the Void. In fact, One Day in September won an Oscar for Best
Documentary a number of years ago. The Last King of Scotland is his first feature film and it is a fine piece of work indeed.

Screenwriters Jeremy Brock and Peter Morgan (who also wrote the screenplay for The Queen) adapted the screenplay from Giles Foden's novel of the same name (the book and film are based on fact but, obviously, not everything that we see actually happened). The focus of the film is the reign of terror in Uganda in the 70s brought on by its president Idi Amin.

The story starts out in Scotland when young doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) decides that he doesn't want to work in his father's practice. He wants more adventure and spins the globe to see where his finger will land. The first place is Canada, which he has no interest in. But the second place is Uganda and that is a destination that sounds exciting.

Garrigan arrives in Uganda right after the overthrow of President Obote by General Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker). The people seem to be wildly happy and dance in the streets. Garrigan's mission is to help another doctor in a poor section of the country. Garrigan is enthralled with Amin when he hears him speak. And when Amin is hurt in an accident and Garrigan comes to the rescue a connection is established between the two men. Shortly thereafter Amin asks Garrigan to become his personal physician. At first Garrigan says no but how could he resist such an offer. Instead of living in poor accommodations he can now live in the lap of luxury and have a fabulous car to boot.

Some terrible things start to happen and at first Garrigan looks away. He can't believe that Amin would be capable of anything bad. But as time goes on he begins to change his mind and wants nothing more than to return to Scotland. That is easier said than done. I will not go into any more of the plot because I don't want to spoil if for anyone who wants to see this film.

As I mentioned before, MacDonald does a splendid job in his feature film debut. Brock and Morgan have nicely balanced the screenplay with some very intense and heavy moments as well as some scenes that have a good amount of humor. McAvoy does a good job of portraying a man that is not all that likeable. After all, didn't he come to Africa to help poor people? We find out that he seems to be nothing more than an opportunist looking for a good break and a woman to bed. One of his conquests is Amin's wife Kay (one of his several wives). She is nicely played by Kerry Washington in a small but crucial role. Unfortunately, Gillian Anderson is wasted as Sarah Merrit, the wife of the doctor that Garrigan came to Uganda to work with. But, this film belongs to Whitaker. His Amin is funny, charming, evil and scary all at the same time. He looms larger than life and I was truly mesmerized by his performance.

Last King of Scotland is a very good film that is made even better by Forest Whitaker. The last twenty minutes or so are absolutely riveting and really get your adrenalin going. I don't know how the film will do come awards season. That is hard to say. But I am sure that Whitaker will, at the very least, get an Oscar nomination for his performance (I thought that he would be lead but some people are saying he is supporting because McAvoy had more onscreen time - I guess we will have to wait and see). I highly recommend this film to anyone who wants to see a good political thriller and one of the best performances of the year.

The Queen

The Queen, directed by Stephen Frears, is definitely one of the best films I have seen this year. The film is based on real life events (though I sure that some liberties were taken) and focuses on a period of roughly one week during the summer of 1997 right after the death of Princess Diana.

Since Diana and Prince Charles (Alex Jennings) were divorced Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) felt that there was no need for her to make a statement regarding Diana's death. Although her husband Prince Philip (James Cromwell) agrees with her we can tell that deep down inside Charles disagrees. After all, she was the mother of his two children.

Newly elected Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) also does not go along with the Queen Elizabeth's idea. He praises Diana, mourns her loss and dubs her "The People's Princess." And, in many ways she was. She helped people with AIDS and campaigned against landmines.

As the film moves along we see just how resistant Queen Elizabeth is to the idea of speaking out about Diana's death. And we see how Philip and The Queen Mother (Sylvia Syms) encourage her to stand her ground. But as we all know, in the end, she gave in because the more people loved Diana the more disdain they had for Queen Elizabeth (and the Monarchy).

This film is first and foremost a character study and Mirren is more than up to the task. She doesn't even have to say a word for you to know how she feels inside. And her exchanges with Blair (and everyone else) are priceless. The film also explores the question of whether the Monarchy is still relevant these days but it doesn't give a pat answer. Although Queen Elizabeth is presented in a certain light neither Frears or Mirren pass judgment on her (and after seeing the film neither did I).

Frears does a marvelous job directing this film. It certainly ranks as one his best films (if not his best). Real footage is included throughout the film and he pulls this off without a hitch. Peter Morgan's script is tightly written and is filled with razor sharp dialog. In my opinion, Mirren should win the Best Actress Oscar. If she doesn't then it means, without a doubt, that the Academy does not want to honor older actresses. It would be wonderful if Sheen could get a Supporting Actor nomination but he is not well known here so that might work against him. One can only hope. Cromwell is also excellent as the prickly Philip and maybe he will manage to get on the short list (he was nominated a number of years ago for the wonderful film Babe). I should also mention that Helen McCrory is terrific as the very progressive, anti-Monarchist Cherie Blair. And Affonso Beato's cinematography is breathtaking (I was happy to
learn that he is also the cinematographer for one of my most anticipated films of next year Love in the Time of Cholera). Come awards season I hope that The Queen is remembered in many categories (including Best Picture, Director and Screenplay). It certainly deserves to be.

Do yourself a favor and take yourself to see this film. You won't be sorry that you did.

DVD Review - Down to the Bone

This film won several awards at the Sundance Film Festival for its director Debra Granik and its leading actress Vera Farmiga. Farmiga also won last year's Best Actress award from the LA Film Critics. And if there was any justice she would have been nominated for an Oscar but this is a low budget independent film and there wasn't any money for her to "campaign" for a nomination.


The story focuses on a woman named Irene who lives in upstate New York. She is married, has two children and works in a supermarket as a cashier. She is also addicted to cocaine. Her addiction clouds her judgment and makes her a less than ideal mother. Her husband Steve (Clint Jordan) isn't the best influence as he smokes quite a bit of pot and always has a beer in his hand.

Irene realizes that she must seek help and checks into a rehab center. While she is there she strikes up a friendship with a male nurse named Bob who is played by Hugh Dillon (they met briefly in an earlier scene). After Irene leaves rehab she and Steve attend twelve step meetings together. But Irene's marriage leaves a lot to be desired. She and Steve get very close and one thing leads to another. Things start to go haywire but I will not say how because you will have to see the film to find out more.

Granik does a good job considering that this is her first film. The dialog and narrative are very realistic and for that we have Granik and her co-screenwriter Richard Lieske to thank. The
feel of the film is low budget and gritty but that is okay because it fits the story. The acting is good and Dillon, in particular, is very good. But the film belongs to Farmiga. You can feel her pain by just looking in her eyes. The New York Times Sunday magazine recently featured a piece on her and she is in Martin Scorsese's new film The Departed. I predict a great acting career in her future.

The DVD features a short film entitled Snake Feed. It is an interesting little film and it is the story that Down to the Bone is based on. I think that many people's perception of New York City is that it is a crazy place to live. But they have a more wholesome image of the rest of the state. This film proves otherwise as these blue collar working folks have as many demons in their closets as those who live in the Big Apple.

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

This film won several awards at the Sundance and the Venice Film Festivals and it had mostly positive reviews. So I was really hoping to like this film. Unfortunately, the film didn't work for me.

The film is written and directed by Dito Montiel and it is based on his book on the same name. The story is autobiographical and most of the action takes place in the Astoria section of Queens.
Young Dito (Shia LaBeouf) hangs out with a rough group of youths. One of his good friends is Antonio (Channing Tatum), a boy who always seems to be looking for a fight. Dito is an only child and, to be honest with you, I couldn't really figure out his relationship with his mother Flori (Dianne Wiest) or his father Monty (Chazz Palminteri). That is because these two characters are not very well developed. I knew that Monty was an epileptic and that he loves his son but he seems to live in a world of his own. I found that I knew even less about Flori.

One thing that Dito knows is that he wants to get away from Astoria. When he becomes friends with a new classmate named Mike, who is from Scotland, (played by Martin Compston, who was in Ken Loach's Sweet Sixteen) things start to cook. The two boys talk about forming a band and moving to California.

I will not give you the details but I will say that Dito (the older Dito is played by Robert Downey, Jr.) eventually gets to California. He is estranged from his parents for many year but one day he gets a call from one of his old friends telling him that his father is sick. He goes back to Astoria and tries to amends with them as well as some of the friends that he left behind.

The main problem with the film is the direction. Dito should have handed over the directing reigns to someone else. The film alternates between past and present and the transition does not flow. It feels rather choppy. Also, the characters did not feel like they were made out of flesh and blood. Perhaps things were different in the book but just because one can write a good book does not mean they he/she can transform it into a screenplay that will work as a film.

All of the acting is good and cinematographer Eric Gautier did an amazing job of bringing the streets of Astoria to life. And I enjoyed the music that makes up the soundtrack. But in the end I think that there are way too many coming of age films out there now and I would like to see the young filmmakers come up with different ideas for their films. And, more importantly, I would like to see some of the older independent filmmakers be able to get their films financed (and distributed) so that those of us who are no longer under 30 will be able to see films that matter to us.

DVD Review - Sima the Witch

This film is a sometimes very funny and sometimes silly dark comedy from Israeli director Dror Shaul.

Sima (Tiki Dayan) shares her apartment with her daughter Eti (Sharon Elimelech), her son-in-law Avi (Itzik Cohen) and her grandson Bibi (Tom Gal). Eti would like to move to Tel Aviv but Sima won't hear of it. She proposes that Avi (who is supposedly in the renovation business)
perform an expansion on her apartment so that they would have more room (Eti is pregnant).

Her stuffy neighbor Dov (Lior Ashkenazi) is totally against it. His wife Mazal (Rotem Abuhab) is desperate to become pregnant and he is always too tired to help her out. But he is not too tired to make things bad for Sima and her family.

One day when Sima is playing cards with her friends Julia (Geula Nuni) and Ruth (Zvia Klinburg) she starts telling them about Dov and she lists several curses that she wishes to befall him. And, much to everyone's surprise, they actually happen. When a local paper prints a story on what happens to Dov and his family (and the fact that his wife said that Sima cursed him) people by the dozens beg Sima for help. At first she is reluctant to get involved with this but her family and friends convince her that she could make good money. She agrees to do it but only until she has enough money to pay for the expansion.

However, as time goes on Sima seems to enjoy the limelight and she soon has her own radio show. But a jealous television host named Shpitz (played by director Shaul) wants to prove that she is a phony and he invites her on his show so all can see the truth.

That is all I will tell you about the plot. You will have to see the film to find out how things turn out. Parts of the film are very funny and I found myself laughing out loud many times. Adding to the laughs is Ami Smolartchik as Officer Pinto, a crazy policeman. I would like to see more of this very funny actor in the future. All of the acting is good, with Dayan in particular a standout. I love Israeli cinema but the main reason I was interested in this film was because Ashkenazi is in it. I loved him in Late Marriage and Walk on Water and wanted to see him in another film. Here he is very nerdish and not at all sexy. But I liked seeing him in another type of role.

All in all, I liked this film. Yes, there were parts where I thought that they were going a bit overboard. But there is much more good than bad about the film and I am recommending it those of you who want something to tickle your funny bone.

Milos Forman at The New Yorker Festival

This past Saturday evening I attended the Milos Forman event at The New Yorker Festival. Milos was wonderful, informative and he has a great sense of humor. I was happy that the place was sold out. David Denby did a good job of asking questions. First they showed a short film with some highlights of Milos's films (Loves of a Blonde, The Fireman's Ball, Taking Off, One Flew Over the Cuckoos' Nest, Ragtime, Amadeus, The People Vs. Larry Flynt and Man on the Moon). Milos spoke about his time working in the Czech film industry and how he wanted to leave because of the Communist regime. When he came here he had problems staying in the country because the government thought that he was a member of the Communist Party. He never was and he was finally allowed to stay here. He spoke about how he came to direct Cuckoos' nest. Originally Kirk Douglas was to send him the book in Czechoslovakia but the book never arrived. Ten years later Michael Douglas, who produced the film, sent Milos the book (Kirk was always upset that Michael and Saul Zaentz picked Jack Nicholson instead of him for the lead). Milos also spoke a bit about how he had to cut some scenes out of Ragtime. He told of how it was to go back to Czechoslovakia to film Amadeus. He also told the story of how hard it was to get insurance for Courtney Love when he made the Larry Flynt movie. The studio didn't want her but he insisted that she was the right person for the part. Milos also said that he liked to use the conflict between the individuals and institutions as one of his themes because it makes for good drama. He said that the individual needs institutions but then gets used by them (I totally agree with him about this).

Then Milos spoke a little bit about Goya's Ghosts. He said that the film is about so many things and to say it was about one thing wouldn't do it justice. He showed a trailer of the film. It is similar to the Spanish trailer but there is more footage and it is, of course, in English. There is a great scene of confrontation between Javier and Stellan. He said that he saw Natalie on the cover of a magazine and decided then and there that she was a perfect Goya's muse. He was impressed with how down to earth she is. He said that he felt that right now Javier is the best and most versatile actor around (I totally agree with that). He mentioned that Javier wanted to play Goya and was at first disappointed that Milos wanted him for a different role. Milos said that it would be too easy to cast Javier as Goya. From what I've read it seems that Javier's role of Brother Lorenzo is the more complicated role. The trailer was amazing. Milos said that it was hard to get the film made and he is still not even sure if it has a US distributor yet. But he said that he thought (and hoped) that the film would come out here in January (maybe whichever distributor the film has will release it in either LA or NY for one week at the end of December so it can qualify for the Oscars but I don't know). I am sure that it will get a distributor here but you would think that distributors would want such a film. Milos said that the distributors look at the film and think "will it make money?" and that is their main concern. They are worried because it doesn't have a happy ending. Like I said, I am sure that it will get a distributor but it is a shame that it is taking this long and that it might not qualify for this year's awards season because of this.

David Lynch's Inland Empire is also having trouble getting a distributor here even though it has several distributors in Europe. I can tell that people liked the Goya trailer and one man I spoke with said that based on the trailer he would see the film right now!! So would I!! I don't know which distributors the producers have approached but perhaps they will have to go with a smaller, artier distributor that would really be behind the film. All in all, it was a splendid evening.

If you are interested in reading more about Goya's Ghosts there is a very good web site run by a very nice fellow. But it is in Spanish (there is a link for his English language site but most of the updates are on the Spanish site). Here it is: http://fantasmasdegoya.blogspot.com/

The Departed

Martin Scorsese's The Departed has gotten so many pre-opening raves that one's expectations of the film should be sky high. But I know better then to listen to critics so I decided I would go into the theater thinking that this could be good or it might just be very overrated. I am happy to say that Scorsese and the film deliver big time.

The Departed is loosely based on a Hong Kong thriller entitled Infernal Affairs (I haven't seen that film but it is on my Netflix list). In this film the action takes place in Boston and centers on an Irish crime boss named Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). The police want to catch him in a bad way but he is a very slippery character. Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Dignan (Mark Wahlberg) are two cops who devise their own way to catch him. They have detective William Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) infiltrate Costello's ring in the hopes of catching him red handed. But things aren't so easy because one of their best cops, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), is working for Costello (they suspect someone in the department is a rat but they don't know who it is). In addition to all of this throw Sullivan's romance with cop shrink Madolyn (Vera Farmiga) into the mix and you will have an added complication.

The film crackles with life from the first scene and doesn't stop until the end. Although the running time is two and a half hours The time goes by very quickly. This is storytelling at its very best. Scorsese once again proves that he is a master of film and not only gets the narrative and feel right but gets top notch performances out of his cast. DiCaprio and Damon have never been my favorite actors but they are both very good in the film. Nicholson is Nicholson and even though we have seen some of this before it doesn't matter. You can't take your eyes off of him when he is on the screen. The above mentioned Sheen, Wahlberg and Farmiga are all up to par. And Alec Baldwin as frustrated cop Ellerby, Ray Winstone (he is quite chilling) as Costello's second in command French and David Patrick O'Hara as another Costello employee Fitzy are more than up to the task. Also of note is the outstanding soundtrack.

William Monohan's script is crisp and tight . The dialog is always sharp and salty. The film has so many twists and turns and it will keep you on your toes. And just when you think that you have it all figured out you will once again be in store for a surprise.

I have only two complaints about the film. The first one is that the film is not at all emotionally involving. I never really felt close to any of the characters. But I didn't expect that from this film. My other quibble has to do with the love triangle. I just thought that the scenario was a bit too unbelievable. But these are just minor things.

The Departed is definitely one of the best and smartest crime dramas of recent memory. I don't know if Scorsese will finally win his long deserved Oscar for this film. It is possible but certainly not definite. He is one of the greatest directors working today and I hope that he eventually gets his due. But in the meantime do yourself a favor and take yourself to see this film. I can guarantee that you will not be sorry that you did.

DVD Review - Lower City

Walter Salles (Central Station, The Motorcycle Diaries) produced this film which takes place in Salvador, Brazil. Sergio Machado, who has worked with Salles before, directed and co-wrote (with Karim Ainouz) the film.

The film starts off with exotic dancer Karinna (Alice Braga) looking for a lift to Salvador. She doesn't find a ride via car or truck but she does come across an offer to go there by boat. The boat is owned by lifelong friends Naldinho (Wagner Moura) and Deco (Lazaro Ramos). During their journey she has sex with both of them.

When they arrive in Salvador Karinna tries to go off on her own. But she finds herself getting more and more involved with both men. She can't make up her mind which one she likes better. It doesn't help that she is not just a dancer but a prostitute as well. I think that Machado wants us to see that it is possible to love more than one person at a time (but is it without complications?).

Before I go on I should mention that early in the film there is sequence that involves animal cruelty - cock fighting to be exact. I found this pointless and closed my eyes during those scenes. I think that perhaps Machado was trying to show us the type of violence these people (who are into cockfights) are capable of inflicting on one another. Happily, I found out during the making of featurette that all of the violence was fake and that no rooster was hurt. But I still think that this segment of the film could have been done differently.

Now back to the main theme of the film - which is can a woman break up a friendship between two longtime friends? I am certainly not going to reveal the answer to that question. You will have to see the film if you want to know.

Lower City doesn't really cover any new territory. We've seen this story many times before. The writing could be crisper and the characters could be better defined, especially Karinna. But the acting is good (especially Braga) and the chemistry between the actors is explosive. The sex scenes (and there are quite a few) are very, very steamy.

While this is not a great film I must say that I enjoyed watching it. I like it when sensuality is brought to any art form and this film (scenery, music, sex scenes) didn't disappoint in that area.
I recommend this film to those of you who want a treat for the senses.