The Aura

Several years ago Argentine director Fabian Bielinsky made the wonderful film Nine Queens (which was remade in the US as a less satisfying film entitled Criminal). Now Bielinsky's second and, sadly, last film (he died of a heart attack this past summer) has finally made its way into the US. IFC Films has given the film a limited release in theaters and also put it on the movies on demand channel. I was going to see it in the theater but I decided to see it on the movies on demand channel. The pros of seeing it in the theater would be looking at the gorgeous Patagonian scenery (although I could still see the beauty on my television). And you also have to concentrate on the subtitles a bit more on the small screen. The pros of watching it on demand is that I taped it and I have it to keep and can watch it again - which I probably will because there is so much in the film that you have to see more than once.

The marvelous actor Ricardo Darin once again plays the lead (as he did in Nine Queens). Darin's character is Esteban Espinosa, a shy taxidermist who has fantasies about committing the perfect crime by just using his photographic memory. Esteban suffers from epilepsy and each episode is preceded by an aura.

When the film begins we see Esteban lying on the floor during one of his seizures. Shortly thereafter Esteban is in a bank with his friend Sontag (Alejandro Awada) and describes to him his vision of the perfect bank robbery. Sontag decides to ask Esteban to go hunting with him. At first Esteban refuses because he doesn't want to kill animals but he eventually changes his mind and goes on the trip. When Esteban and Sontag arrive at their destination they find that all of the hotels are booked up. They wind up going to an out of the way place owned by a man named Dietrich. But he is nowhere to be found. Instead a surly young man named Julio (Nahuel Perez Biscayart) tells them that they don't rent out rooms. But his sister Diana (Dolores Fonzi), who happens to also be Dietrich's wife, says that she would rent them a room.

I am not going to say another word about the plot. There is a lot going on and you really have to pay attention. But it is worth every minute of your time. I think that The Aura is the best and most intelligent thriller I have seen in a long time. It is very Hitchcockian and just when you think you've got it something comes along to make you change your mind. Darin's acting is superb. He is silent for much of the time and has to convey his thoughts and emotions through his face and he does this very well. The above mentioned actors are all very good as are Pablo Cedron as Sosa and Jorge D'Elia as Urien (two criminals that play important roles in the story). I was also impressed with Eva who plays the wolf/dog hybrid - and yes she really has quite an important role in the film. The cinematography by Checco Varese is beautiful and the original music by Lucio Godoy is haunting. I have my own interpretation of what the film was all about which may not be right (and I also have an alternative view as well). I hope to be able to discuss this film when I find other people that have seen it.

Whether you see this film in the theater, on the movies on demand channel or wait for the DVD doesn't matter. Just see it. You will not be sorry that you did. As happy as I am that I finally saw this film (I wanted to see it for a long time) I am also sad because it makes me think of all the terrific films that Fabian Bielinsky would have made if had lived to a ripe old age.

DVD Review - The Last Train (El Ultimo Tren)

This little gem of a film was directed by Diego Arsuaga. It takes place in Uruguay (I can tell you that there isn't a huge film industry in this country) and is based on a true story.

Jimmy Ferreira (Gaston Pauls) owns the last 19th century train in the country and now a powerful Hollywood studio wants to buy it to use in a film. Some Uruguayans are very proud of this fact but there are those who are not so pleased. A group of elderly members of Friends of the Railroad decide to take matters into their own hands. Some members actually "kidnap" the train in the hopes of getting it out of the country. The kidnappers include the radical Pepe (Federico Luppi), the practical Professor (Hector Alterio) and the forgetful Dante (Jose Sorano). Also along for the ride is Guito (Balaram Dinard) who is only a child but wants to be part of something big. There is a makeshift sign on the outside of the train that says "Our heritage is not for sale."

As expected, Ferreira is frantic and the police are fuming. An all out effort is made to capture these bandits. But that is not so easy. The elderly men are very sly and know how to trick the people who want to catch them.

The film is about a theme that is dear to me. It is about how against all odds the underdogs will fight against the big guys. Despite the fact that greed has taken over the world there are still some people who will rally against it. Every day giant corporations want to destroy things that many of us hold dear. But we have to try and stop this no matter how hard it gets. This theme plus the marvelous acting, especially from Luppi and Alterio, and the sharp direction make this a very worthwhile film for people to rent. And I do hope that many of you will get to see this wonderful film on DVD.

Volver

Volver (which means to return) is the latest film written and directed by Pedro Almodovar. And while I think that it is a wonderful film I do not think that it is his best work. But it certainly may be his most commercial film to date and it is very heartwarming.

Raimunda (a luminous Penelope Cruz) lives a hardscrabble life. She works very hard at any job she can get and her husband Paco (Antonio de la Torre) is a good for nothing type. Raimunda has a teenage daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo) who has issues of her own.

Raimunda's sister Sole (Lola Duenas) runs an illegal beauty salon from her house. She appears to be a very lonely soul. The two sisters share a special bond. They lost both of their parents in a fire several years ago. They, along with the young Paula, visit their elderly Aunt Paula (Chus Lampreave) and notice how her condition is deteriorating. But they also notice how well kept her house is and wonder how she does it. Aunt Paula's neighbor Augustina (Blanco Portillo) is very troubled. Her mother, who was a hippie in her younger years, disappeared three years ago and her only wish is to find out if her mother is still alive.

I've introduced you to most of the main characters in the film but I don't want to say too much more about the plot. There are a number of delicious twists and turns but I don't want to spoil anything. I will say that due to certain circumstances Paco is murdered (that fact has been in all of the reviews). I will also say that the real fun begins when the ghost of the sister 's mother Irene (Carmen Maura) appears and tries to make things right between her and her daughters.

With Volver Almodovar has created a lovely piece of filmmaking. The film is funny and touching but never sentimental. There were several scenes that brought tears to my eyes. The film (at least to me) is about life, death, love and the close bonds between mothers and daughters and also between sisters. Cruz is wonderful and this should lay to rest any talk of her not being able to act (people should check out her other films in Spanish as well as the Italian film Don't Move). And the rest of the women are wonderful as well - especially the sorrowful Portillo.

Almodovar is one of the best directors working today and he certainly is one of the best when it comes to working with women. I hope that he continues to write great parts for women and I wouldn't mind if he decides to make a film in English (although I am sure some of his fans wouldn't like it). Volver isn't as challenging as some of his other films but it is still one of the best films released this year. And while it may not be the best of all foreign films released this year I would say that it is highly probable that it will win the Oscar in that category. I hope that Pedro Almodovar continues to make wonderful films for many years to come. Viva Pedro!

For Your Consideration

For Your Consideration is the latest mockumentary from director Christopher Guest. As usual, he co-wrote the witty screenplay with Eugene Levy.

This film focuses on all the hype that surrounds rumors of an actor possibly getting an Oscar nomination. Marilyn Hack (Catherine O'Hara) is working on her latest movie Home for Purim because she has to pay the rent. But one day someone mentions that there was an article on the web posted by a person who was on the set of the film. They say that Marilyn is a definitely a candidate for an Oscar nomination. When she mentions this to several people who are working on the film they check out the web and confirm that this is true. Naturally Marilyn gets very excited about all of this. Who wouldn't?

Something similar happens to Victor Allan Miller (Harry Shearer). He is making this film because he is tired of making the commercials that his sleazy agent Morley Orfkin (Levy) talks him into doing. Rumors are flying all over the net that Miller is a strong contender for an Oscar nomination.

Enter studio head Martin Gibb (Ricky Gervais). He has a copy of Variety that says Callie Webb (Parker Posey), who is generally a standup comic, will be nominated for an Oscar. And as much as Gibb loves the idea of Home for Purim there are a few things here and there that he wants changed. This comes as a shock to screenwriters Philip Koontz (Bob Balaban) and Lane Iverson (Michael McKean) but what can they do but comply with the wishes of the head of the studio? Included in the film is a television program with two critics discussing which films are good and which are not. And then you have the program that features all of the Hollywood gossip of the day. In real life we have several of both types of programs. You will find out what happens to the potential nominees if you decide to see this film.

For Your Consideration is a lot of fun but I also think that it makes a very good point. There are so many web sites devoted to Oscar speculation out there right now and more are popping up every day. As soon as the Oscars are given out these sites are already speculating about who is going to be nominated the next year. This is without anyone seeing the films that they are talking about. Needless to say there is much disappointment because some of the films that are predicted do no meet expectations. But the danger that I see in this whole process is that genuine film appreciation is being replaced by people who see filmmaking as just a vehicle to win awards. Now that is a damn shame.

Guest and his actors seem to feel this way as well. Too much has been made of awards but also getting people's hopes up about their own chances may not be such a good thing. All of the actors do a good job in the film and Guest has filled the roles with many of his regulars including himself as the cranky director Jay Berman and Fred Willard as gossip show host Chuck Porter. The best one in the film is O'Hara. She is truly outstanding. There is talk of her getting an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category. It would be great if that happens because she really deserves it. But not getting a nomination will not diminish her performance in the least. And in the end it is the quality of the work that matters and nothing else.

Family Law

This is the third in a series of films directed by Daniel Burman that features a Jewish protagonist living in Buenos Aires (the first two are Waiting for the Messiah and The Lost Embrace). Unfortunately, this film is the weakest of the three.

Ariel Perelman (Daniel Hendler - he played the protagonist in all three films) is a lawyer who teaches law at a university. His father Bernardo has a thriving practice but Ariel has no interest in joining him. He would rather be in an academic atmosphere. Despite being in his sixties Bernardo still carries a heavy work load. He has a very able assistant named Norita (Adriana Aizemberg) who seems to be his lover as well (and why not since Bernardo is a widower).

Ariel is attracted to Sandra(Juileta Diaz) who happens to be one of his students. When she doesn't show up for class for a while he tracks her down at her pilates studio. He gets into her good graces by helping her win a legal dispute (with the help of his father - but she doesn't know that). The two marry and before you know it they have an adorable son name Gaston (Eloy Burman).

And that in a nutshell sums it all up. Some other things happen in the film but they are quite predictable. I found the film to be meandering and almost plotless. There were a few laughs here and there but not enough to make this a worthwhile cinematic experience. I thought I felt this way in part because I was a bit tired but the person I was with felt exactly the same way.

There is really nothing to say about the acting because the characters were barely developed. Hendler does the best he can with what he has. But I read a quote from Variety that touted his performance and I wonder what that person took before he saw the film.

Family Law is Argentina's submission for this year's foreign language Oscar. It is hard to believe that Argentina didn't produce a better film during the past year. The chances for this film to be nominated are almost none.

Daniel Burman made two very fine films and one that is pretty mediocre. But he has shown potential in his previous efforts and let's hope that his next film will be better than this one.

DVD Review - Burnt Money

Marcelo Pineyro's film Burnt Money is based on real life incidents that took place in 1965.
Angel (Eduardo Noriega) and Nene (Leonardo Sbaraglia) call themselves "The Twins." They have an usually close relationship and they also happen to be professional crooks. But things start to sour when Angel starts hearing voices. They are asked to help with a seven million dollar robbery and they accept in the hopes that this will distract them from the personal problems that they are having.

The heist is supposed to be without any bloodshed but the thieves panic when they feel that their lives are in danger. They kill several people including two policemen. They know that the whole Buenos Aires police force will be looking for them so they decide to go to Uruguay to hide out until things cool down but the girlfriend of one of the thieves is forced into telling the police where they went. They are set up in an apartment and are told that they are not allowed to go outside at all. This is enough to drive them mad and from time to time they have to sneak out. Nene is frustrated with Angel's disinterest in him so he seeks out other sex partners - both male and female. I won't tell you any more of the plot details. You will have to see the film to find out what happens. In the end you will find out why the film is entitled Burnt Money.

This is a well made film and for that we have Pineyro and his two lead actors to thank. Sbaraglia is wonderful as the lovesick Nene and Noriega is even better as the mentally challenged Angel.
Pineyro could have turned them into stereotypes but, happily, he had the good sense not to. Angel and Nene are like Bonnie and Clyde but they just happen to both be the same sex.

Burnt Money won a Goya award the year that it was released. It is a very good crime drama with a lot of action. And it has that beautiful but sad love story which makes the film so unique.
If this sounds like your type of film you can rent it from Netflix (which is where I got it from).

Fast Food Nation

Richard Linklater's new film adapted from Eric Schlosser's best selling book of the same name (both Linklater and Scholsser wrote the screenplay and I now really want to read the book) packs quite a punch. And while this is not a cinematic masterpiece I liked it quite a lot (enjoy is not the right word to use for this film).

The story starts at the US/Mexico border. Several Mexican immigrants are crossing the over into the US in the hopes of finding a better life. The group includes Sylvia (Catalina Sandino Moreno), her husband Raul (Wilmer Valderrama) and her sister Coco (Ana Claudia Talancon). Once they arrive in the States some of them are take to the local slaughterhouse which is where they will be working. Both Raul and Coco take jobs working there but Sylvia can't stand the atmosphere in the slaughterhouse and decides to work in a hotel as a housekeeper even though the pay is less. Coco winds up working on the assembly line and gets involved with Mike (Bobby Cannavale) who is in charge of the assembly line and those who work there.

In a connecting storyline Don Anderson (Greg Kinnear), who is an executive with Mickey's fast food restaurant, is in town to inspect the slaughterhouse because there are reports that cow manure is mixed in with the meat. Before Don checks out the slaughterhouse he goes to a local Mickey's and meets a friendly young woman named Amber (Ashley Johnson) who works there.
He also meets Ashley's boss Tony (Esai Morales) who tells Don to talk to a local rancher named Rudy Martin (Kris Kristoffersen) about the slaughterhouse. Rudy doesn't have anything good to say about the place and doesn't much care for the fast food industry. Another person Don speaks to is Harry Rydell (Bruce Willis) who is a beef wholesaler. Harry doesn't know what all the fuss is about. According to him sometimes you have to eat shit.

That is all I am going to say about what happens in the film. Some of what you see is very graphic and I will tell you that I couldn't look at certain things in the film. There are many issues being dealt with in this film. One is the exploitation of the illegal workers. Why do these companies lure these people to cross the border and work for low wages and in horrible conditions? Why aren't the governments of the countries that the workers come from provide better opportunities for their people? Why don't people care about where their food comes from and how it is produced (this factor is improving because many of us do care)? And, yes the film is certainly anti-meat eating but that is not a shock because Linklater is a vegetarian. And as a fellow veggie that suits me just fine.

Amber turns out to be one of my favorite characters and if you see the film you will know why.
Ms. Johnson does a fine job of portraying her as a young woman who becomes enlightened. One of the best performances in the film is by Sandino Moreno. Her Sylvia has such a sadness to her and also such sensitivity. I also enjoyed Cannavale as the bullying Mike. And Kristoffersen and Willis were wonderful in their cameos.

Most of the different sequences fit together nicely but once in a while something doesn't flow. But this is a very worthwhile film and I do hope that people go to see it (I was crying at the end of the film). And while I never proselytize about what people should eat I would be very happy if this film turns some people into vegetarians.

DVD Review - 49 Up

In 1963 Michael Apted interviewed a group of seven year olds in England. The children came from various backgrounds but they all spoke about their dreams for the future. This documentary was so successful that Apted decided to go back and interview the same kids (now adults) every seven years.

The latest of the "Up" series, 49 Up, had a limited run in theaters last month and has just been released on DVD. Now I must say that I didn't follow this from the beginning. Before 42 Up was released I decided to rent all of the previous episodes and I got hooked. The people we see are regular people but the beauty of the series is that it shows how they have handled life's ups and downs. The series is not so much about certain people's lives as it is about life itself.

There is no reason for me to go into any detail about the people who are part of this extraordinary documentary series. If you have been following the series you probably already know that the latest chapter is now available. If you are reading this and have not seen any of the "Up" series but are interested in it then I suggest you go out and rent 7 Up.

This series shows us what wonderful things cinema can do. We live in an age where celebrity worship is out of control. By documenting the lives of these people Apted and Grenada Television honor the lives of ordinary folks - and that includes the majority of people walking the earth.

In an interview with Roger Ebert that is part of the DVD extras Apted said that, yes, he is planning to do a 56 Up. And I, for one, will certainly look forward to that.

The Painted Veil

John Curran beautifully and sensitively directs this story of love and redemption that takes place in the early part of the 20th Century.

Kitty (Naomi Watts) is a single young woman who lives in London. She is constantly being pestered by her mother about getting married. Kitty meets Dr. Walter Fane (Edward Norton) and he immediately becomes smitten with her. Before you can turn around he asks her to marry him. Kitty barely knows Walter and she certainly doesn't love him but she accepts his proposal because she wants to get away from her family.

Kitty moves with Walter to Shanghai where he does researches infectious diseases. It is quite apparent just how awkward they feel around each other. Walter realizes that Kitty is bored and takes her out one night. There she meets Charlie Townsend (Liev Schreiber) and his wife (they are also Londoners who live in Shanghai). Kitty and Charlie hit it off immediately. He is everything that Walter is not (for one thing he is a smooth talker). They begin an affair but it doesn't take long for Walter to find out. There is talk of divorce but for reasons that I will not mention that does not happen. As almost a punishment for Kitty, Walter accepts a position in a remote village in China where a cholera epidemic is raging out of control. She has no choice but to go with him.

Walter is very unforgiving and turns a cold shoulder towards Kitty. Living in that rural village is very hard. At every turn you are surrounded by death. Walter and Kitty meet Deputy Commissioner Waddington (Toby Jones) who helps them get acclimated to the place. The clinic that Walter works in is run by French nuns. The Mother Superior (Diana Rigg) helps the lost Kitty find herself.

As if the cholera epidemic were not enough to contend with there is also the political turmoil.
Many of the Chinese people do not like Western ideas and medicine and blame them for the bad things that are happening.

As I mentioned before, Curran does a remarkable job with this film. The screenplay is very well written by Ron Nyswaner who adapted it from Somerset Maugham's novel. But there were a number of changes made from the book. I haven't read the book but I certainly would like to.
The cinematography by Stuart Dryburgh is breathtaking. We get to see rural China in all its glory and we actually feel like we are there.

All of the acting it top notch. Norton is very good as Walter, who is shy when we first meet him but becomes cold and calculating as time goes on. However, the movie belongs to Watts. Her face expresses all of Kitty's pain and sorrow. Despair flows through her being.

The Painted Veil shows us how forgiveness helps to heal the heart. And by doing so it is in its own way a very spiritual film.

DVD Review - Cleopatra

Cleopatra is a lovely little road film directed by the late Argentinean filmmaker Eduardo Mignogna who died just last month (October 6) at the age of 66.

Cleopatra (the wonderful Norma Aleandro) is a retired school teacher who lives in Buenos Aires with her ultra negative husband Roberto (Hector Alterio). Roberto was laid off from his job over two years ago and has given up on doing anything. He spends most of the day in bed or watching television. Cleopatra tries her best to find ways to make money but it isn't easy. Their daughter moved to the United States with her husband and children. And their son moved to Spain. So they just have each other.

Cleopatra always wanted to be an actress but Roberto wouldn't allow her to follow her dream (her father was the director of a Shakepearean theater company). One day Cleopatra goes to an audition for a part in a soap opera and there see meets the star of the show who is named Sandra (Natalia Oreiro). Sandra feels a great deal of pressure from her manager/boyfriend Francis (Boy Olmi) and she is ready to break loose. When she meets Cleopatra in the bathroom she tell Cleopatra to contact her any time she wants to. After another bad day with Roberto Cleopatra goes over to Sandra's place. Sandra is ready to leave the city and Cleopatra decides to go with her.

This is a road movie that is filled with warmth and humor. A number of things happen to the two women that gives them (and us) a lot of food for thought. Yes, some of what happens seems to be a bit improbable. But so what? It is only a movie and I certainly learned something from it. Along the way Sandra meets a lovely man named Carlos (Leonardo Sbaraglia) who isn't really impressed with her star power but treats her like a real person. I came away from the film thinking about how many of us spend our lives doing what we think we should do rather than what we want to do. At the very least we should give ourselves the time to think about the difference.

Just a note - at the time of his death Mignogna was getting ready to make a film with Javier Bardem and Ricardo Darin. One can only wonder how wonderful that might have been. But I will recommend that you see another one of his films on DVD - El Faro (starring Darin) - which I reviewed in June. This week I will see another one of his films entitled Autumn Sun (Norma Aleandro is also in this one) but this film is not available in the US DVD format so I will not write a review because most people will not be able to see it. RIP Eduardo Mignogna.

Copying Beethoven

Many critics have not been kind to Agnieszka Holland's new film Copying Beethoven. And after seeing the film I wonder what their problem is. This fictionalized story of Ludwig van Beethoven's last years is really fascinating.

The tale centers around Beethoven's Ninth Symphony which is probably the greatest piece of classical music ever written. With only days to go before the premiere of the piece Beethoven (Ed Harris) is running into trouble and desperately needs someone to copy his work. His associate Wenzel Schlemmer (Ralph Riach) has hired the best student from the music school in Vienna to help the mad genius. The only problem is the person that the school has sent is a woman named Anna Holtz (Diane Kruger). In those days women did not copy for composers. But after a bit of time Beethoven warms up to her and she becomes indispensable to him. During the premiere performance of his symphony she helps him conduct the orchestra (this is because he is deaf).

Beethoven is a sad and lonely man. He loves his nephew Karl (Joe Anderson) but gets very little love in return. And Anna has conflicts of her own. She lives in a convent with her aunt who is a nun (Phylliada Law) but has no desire to become one. She also has a suitor in Martin Bauer (Matthew Goode) who is an engineer but seems to keep him at a distance.

Holland does a wonderful job directing this film. I love the feminist thread that runs through it.
The screenplay written by Stephen J. Rivelle and Christopher Wilkinson is not only interesting but very witty as well. Harris is terrific in his embodiment of Beethoven. You can see how tortured this man really is. And Kruger holds her own as Anna. The cinematography by Ashely Rowe is beautiful as it captures old Vienna in all of its glory. And then there is the music! What can I say about that?! It is amazing. I left the theater humming the Ninth. So forget about the critics and see this film. After all, aren't we all critics in our own right?

Babel

With his first two films, Amores Perros and 21 Grams, director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarittu proved that he is a master filmmaker. With his latest film, Babel, he continues the trend. This film, as well as the first two, was written by the great screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga. This is the third in a trilogy of films where several stories connect on many levels.

The film starts out in Morocco. A shepherd buys a gun from a friend. He wants to use it to keep wild animals away from his sheep. He gives the gun to his two young sons and tells them to use it if they have to. The gun is supposed to hit targets that are far away. The boys want to see just how far the bullets will fly and shoot at a few targets. Then one of them shoots a moving tourist bus and succeeds in hitting it.

Richard (Brad Pitt) and Susan (Cate Blanchett) are a married couple from the US who are vacationing in Morocco. They are trying to save their marriage. Things aren't going very well for them. They are on the tour a bus when a shot fired from a gun hits Susan in the neck. The tour bus has to make a detour in order to find help for the injured woman.

Amelia (Adriana Barraza) is the nanny for Richard and Susan's two children. She knows that the couple cannot come back at the scheduled time from Morocco because of Susan's injury. But Richard has guaranteed her that Susan's sister Rachel will come to take care of the kids so that Amelia can go to Mexico for her son's wedding. It turns out that Rachel can't come. Because Amelia can't find anyone to take care of the kids she decides to take them with her. Amelia's hot headed nephew Santiago (Gael Garcia Bernal) drives them to the wedding and they have a great time. Despite being drunk he decides to drive them back to San Diego.

Chieko (Rinko Kukichi) is a deaf teenager who lives with her father (Kuji Yakusho) in Tokyo. Her mother committed suicide and she a very unhappy girl. She does some very odd things when she tries to attract those of the male persuasion.

And that is all I will tell you about the four stories. If you want to know how the Japanese story fits in with all of the others then you will have to see the film.

Babel is an extremely intense film. When I came out of the film I was emotionally drained - and that is how I should have felt. Babel is an amazing ride. I sometimes felt like I was on a roller coaster. Babel is brutal and beautiful at the same time. The obvious conclusion would be to say that the film shows us how just one event can affect many lives. And that is true. But the film is so much more than that. In fact, I can't wait to get the DVD so I can watch it again and see what I missed the first time around.

All of the acting is outstanding. Pitt gives his best performance ever. And although everyone is great the best acting comes from Barraza and Kukichi. However, I don't know if either of them will get nominated for awards because this is truly an ensemble piece.

And I should mention that the cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto is unbelievable. The way he photographs Tokyo in particular is absolutely amazing.

Babel is not a film for everyone. In fact, I don't think it is for the average filmgoer. For one thing, only some of the film is in English. The rest of the film is in Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Berber and sign language (all with subtitles). And it is very heavy. But if you go to the movies not just to be entertained but to exercise your brain then this is a film for you.

One final comment - this is the last film that Inarittu and Arriaga will make together. They have decided to go their separate ways. And while that is a bit sad I look forward to seeing what these two talented men do on their own (Arriaga already won an award for his great The Three Burials screenplay, which was directed by Tommy Lee Jones, at last year's Cannes Film Festival).

Bobby

Emilio Estevez has assembled a huge cast to tell several intertwining stories. There are 22 characters in all and we get brief glimpses into their lives. The central thing that holds these stories together is that they all take place in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles and they all happen just hours before Robert Kennedy was assassinated.

One thread in the film focuses on racism as it is imposed on Latino kitchen workers. Another story is about a young woman who is marrying a man just to keep him out of Vietnam. There is a tale about the hotel manager who cheats on his wife (she runs the hotel beauty salon). We meet two enthusiastic Kennedy campaign workers who fall under the spell of a drugged up hippie. There is the middle aged married couple who seem to rekindle the flame in their marriage during this day. There is also the alcoholic lounge singer who knows that she is close to being washed up. And there are the two retired employees who just can't seem to stay away from the hotel because so much of their lives were wrapped up in the time they worked there.

Some of the stories work and some do not. The stories about the retired men, the philandering manager and Latino kitchen workers were the best. The worst was the thread about the hippie and the campaign workers. The absolute worst scene in the film was the LSD trip. It drips of pretentiousness.

There are times when I felt the interconnectedness of the stories and other times it just didn't work. And some of the acting is very good and some of it is not. You would have to expect that from such a large cast. Anthony Hopkins (who is one of the executive producers) as the retired doorman, William H. Macy as the philandering manager and Laurence Fishburne as the head cook are all as good as you would expect them to be. It was nice to see Harry Belafonte in the film as the other retired man. Freddy Rodriguez was wonderful as one of the young Latino kitchen workers. Martin Sheen, Helen Hunt (as the married couple who rekindle their marriage)and Christian Slater (as the kitchen manager) are all good in their roles. Elijah Wood and Lindsay Lohan try to evoke emotion in their roles as the couple who are getting married so he will not go to Vietman. But their performances just don't ring true. The best acting in the film is by Sharon Stone as the wronged wife of Macy and Demi Moore (!) as the boozy singer. The worst acting of the film goes to Moore's real life husband Asthon Kutcher.

The last scenes of the film packs a real emotional punch. Before Kennedy comes up to make his victory speech Simon and Garfunkel's The Sounds of Silence starts to play. Listening to the song and seeing Kennedy make the speech brought tears to my eyes. Throughout the aftermath of the shooting Kennedy's "menace of violence" speech is played in voiceover mode and it helps to keep the emotions running high.

Estevez does a good job in intermingling real footage with the characters in the film. You feel like you are there. And the soundtrack is outstanding. While the film doesn't work all of the time it works more times than it doesn't. So on that basis alone I would recommend it.

If Robert Kennedy would have lived I believe that he would have been President. I don't know if he would have lived up to all of the expectations his supporters had - people rarely do. But just listening to his speeches and comparing them to what we have now makes me think that there has to be someone out there who can generate enthusiasm and bring this country back from the depths of despair. Although Bobby is only a film it gives us hope that better days might yet be on the horizon.

DVD Review - The Firemen's Ball

This is Milos Forman's first film in color and his last made in his homeland of Czechoslovakia. The story is a rather simple one. A group of firemen want to honor their former chief who is now 86 years old and in frail health. They organize a ball and raffle. In addition, they want to have a beauty contest in which the winner will award the older man with a special gift.

But things start to go haywire. Several of the raffle prizes are stolen. The men have trouble finding women who want to be in the beauty contest. And when they finally start the beauty
contest most of the women refuse to go on the stage. And in the middle of everything there is a nearby fire that needs to be put out.

This film is a great satire and there are numerous laughs. But there is more to it than meets the eye. The fire department is a metaphor for the Communist Party which ruled at that time. In a pivotal scene one of the firemen said that the honor of the fire department was more important than being honest. So there you have it. Forman had first hand experience with the Party because they censored the film. In a wonderful interview with him on the DVD will you find out more about this film and you will understand why he left his native country to live in the US.

The Firemen's Ball is a very short film (only 73 minutes) but that is all the time this little gem (which was nominated for a foreign film Oscar) needs to get its point across. Highly recommended.

Comments on two DVDs

Someone I know let me borrow two DVDs and I think that they are both worth checking out.

The Clay Bird is from Bangladesh and takes place in the late 60s before Bangladesh won its independence from Pakistan. It focuses on a family in which the father is an extremely religious Muslim. The film shows us the consequences of this extremism. But it also shows us that there are also people who practice the religion in a more peaceful and open manner (some of them are Sufis). This is a beautiful film that is very well acted by its mostly non-professional cast. It is directed by Tareque Masud and is based on events that happened in his childhood. The film is visually stunning and the music is lovely. The Clay Bird combines the political and the spiritual which makes it an important film in these turbulent times.

Ryna is a Romanian film set in the Danube Delta. The title character is a sixteen year old girl who suffers under her father's strict rules. He is disappointed that she is not a boy so he makes her dress like one and makes sure that she keeps her hair short. Despite the fact that Ryna does not dress like a girl there are a number of men who are after her. Ryna's mother does not approve of the way things are but she cannot stop her husband. Unable to withstand the abuse she has to take Ryna's mother leaves. Ryna defies her father and, for the first time, wears a dress. Certain events transpire and Ryna makes an important decision that will alter her life. This film is a powerful feature debut by Ruxandra Zenide and was a big hit on the festival circuit.

For those of you who like small films from foreign land both of these films are highly recommended.

Sweet Land

Sweet Land is an old fashioned love story written and directed by Ali Selim (it was adapted from a short story). It takes place around 1920 in rural Minnesota.

Inge (Elizabeth Reaser) comes all the way from Norway to be a mail order bride. After quite a wait she is met at the station by Frandsen (Alan Cumming - he is also one of the film's producers) and Olaf (Tim Guinee), who is her husband to be. At first Inge thinks that Frandsen is bridegroom and she seems to be a bit disappointed to find out the dour Olaf is the man she is supposed to marry.

When they arrive the church everything is ready for the wedding. But it is soon discovered that Inge is German, not Norwegian. Because of World War I many people are suspicious of the Germans and Minister Sorrensen (John Heard) refuses to marry them. The next day they go to the judge in the hopes that he will marry them but he refuses because Inge doesn't have the proper papers.

Most of the rest of the film is devoted to how, as time goes on, Inge and Olaf fall in love with each other. This doesn't happen all at once and at some points in the film you wonder if they will actually stay together. But as they work on Olaf's farm together they develop feelings for each other.

Reaser and Guinee are wonderful as the leads. All of the actors are spot on as well. Besides the actors that I already mentioned the cast includes Alex Kingston as Frandsen's wife Brownie (and the mother of his nine children!), Ned Beatty as the town banker who seems to take pleasure in foreclosing farms, and Lois Smith who plays the older Inge. We see her at the beginning and end of the film.

I don't know much about Selim but he has created a wonderful and sensitive film. And the cinematograpy by David Tumbelty is breathtaking. The look of the film reminded me of Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven.

Sweet Land was made for very little money but is an absolute gem. It won't get a wide release because of its limited budget but I do hope that people go to see this film. If you are a romantic at heart (as I am) then you will love this film.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

In all honesty I wasn't going to see this film. The previews seemed rather silly and annoying. But as I read the reviews I realized that over 95 percent of the critics liked this film a lot. So I thought I would check it out.

Sacha Baron Cohen plays the title character Borat. He is from Kazakhstan and his objective is to make a documentary about the United States. He and his producer Azamat (Kevin Davitian) embark on a road trip around the United States to get a feel for the people and the mood of the country. What Borat finds is a lot of intolerance.

Yes, Cohen's character is pretty offensive but that is done on purpose. This film is pure satire. I found myself laughing out loud during much of the film. But this film is not just a series of dirty jokes. There are lessons to be learned and you have to look beyond the laughs to see the real meaning of the film.

I will not say more about what happens. The film is not big on plot but big on ideas and laughs.
The theater I saw it at was very crowded and this was the first show on a Friday. But I wonder how many people in the audience understood what was being said under the wicked humor.

Cohen created the character and co-wrote the screenplay and Larry Charles directed the film. I do recommend the film for those of you who like political satire that makes you laugh so hard that tears come to your eyes.

Little Children

Although Little Children got mostly positive reviews I wasn't sure I would like it because I thought that director Todd Field's previous film, In the Bedroom, was overrated. However, this film is an outstanding piece of work.

Field and Tom Perrotta adapted the screenplay from Perrotta's novel. The story takes place in a suburban village. The main theme of the film is the dissatisfaction that all of the characters have with their lives.

Sarah Pierce (Kate Winslet) is not your typical suburban wife and mother. While other women in the park are gossiping Sarah is reading a book. Sarah is a plain Jane with a brain (I actually think that she is lovely but she wears much less makeup than the other woman). At one time she wanted to get a PhD but now she is wife to Richard (Gregg Edelman) and mother to little Lucy (Sadie Goldstein).

One day a man and his little boy stroll into the park. The other women have seen him before and have given him the name "The Prom King." His name is actually Brad Adamson (Patrick Wilson) and his son is named Aaron (Ty Simpkins). Brad has been to law school but has failed the bar exam twice. He is supposed to try for the third time but his heart just doesn't seem to be in it. Brad is married to a (PBS) documentary filmmaker Kathy (Jennifer Connelly). One day one of the women bets Sarah five dollars to see if she (Sarah) can get Brad's phone number. Well, she does better than that and all of the women are quite shocked.

Now, Brad and Kathy's marriage is far from perfect. She seems to be pushing him in a direction that he doesn't want to go in. Sarah and Richard's marriage may be worse. Richard has a problem that I won't get into but it is something that no wife would not be happy about. There doesn't seem to be any chemistry between the two of them. So, what do you think happens between Brad and Sarah? I don't have to spell it out for you. But you may be surprised at how things turn out in the end. One of the things that this film is brave enough to show is that Sarah is far from a perfect mother and this only makes her more human.

There are other things happening in the film as well. Brad's friend Larry Hedges (Noah Emmerich) is a former cop who has a past. He is bent on revenge against a sexual predator named Ronald McGorvey (Jackie Earle Haley) who has recently been released from jail. He even goes to Ronald's house and torments him by shouting through a bullhorn about Ronald's past. But Ronald's mother May (Phyllis Somerville) is a feisty old woman and confronts Larry with something in his past that is worse than being a sexual predator.

Little Children is a complex, intense, adult film. There is a lot going on at once but never did I feel confused. The transition from one thread to another could have been a little smoother but that is only a minor quibble. From time to time there is a narrative voice. At first it bothered me but it only appears once in a while so it isn't that bad. There are a few sex scenes in the film which are not only realistic but also very hot.

All of the acting is good. Winslet shines as Sarah, once again proving that she is one of our best young actresses. Emmerich is very good as Larry, a man on the edge. And best of all is Haley as the tortured Ronald, a man who can't seem to start over. I felt sorry for just about everyone.

The film made a great impression on me and I am still thinking about it several hours after seeing it. One critic compared it to American Beauty and said that he preferred this film. I agree with him. American Beauty had certain "schtick" that I didn't like but Little Children is the real thing.