DVD Review - Lonely Hearts

Lonely Hearts is based on the real life story of the Lonely Hearts Killers Ray Fernandez (Jared Leto) and Martha Beck (Salma Hayek). The pair robbed and murdered lonely widows and spinsters during the late 1940s. Interestingly enough, Martha started out as one of Ray's potential victims but she was smarter than him and figured out what was going on.

Homicide detective Elmer Robinson (John Travolta) is very interested in this case and he is determined to crack it. He has problems of his own but these make the cracking of the case even more important to him. Robinson's partner Charles Hildebrandt (James Gandolfini) isn't as sure about the case but he is open to his partner's theories.

Even though we all know the final outcome I don't want to say much about how the plot develops. It is much more fun to watch the film if you don't know. Lonely Hearts is written and directed by Todd Robinson, who just happens to be the grandson of the above mentioned Det. Robinson. This gives the film a lot more credibility. Acting wise the only weak link is Leto. I just didn't buy him as a Latin lover. Gandolfini is good - he uses his Tony Soprano voice and also happens to be the narrator. Laura Dern is wonderful in a small role. Travolota is very good as a detective who seems to be at the end of his rope. At best of all is Hayek. She is amazingly wicked at the vile Martha. I saw pictures of the real Martha and Hayek does not look like her. But that doesn't matter. She is one fine villianess and if this film was better received she would have a good shot of getting a supporting actress nomination (now she will have to wait until she gets another really good role).

Lonely Hearts if far from a perfect film. But it certainly is an enjoyable one and I think it is a film that many of you would like.

Talk to Me

Kasi Lemmons new film Talk to Me is a pretty good one but it is not as good (or great) as some of the critics are claiming it is.

The story is set in the late 1960s in Washington DC. Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene (Don Cheadle) is the prison DJ and he has quite a following among the inmates. When Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofer) visits his brother who is also an inmate he can't help but notice Petey's abilities as a DJ. Dewey works as a local radio station and knows talent. But Petey is pretty rough and he is prison so there is nothing that can be done. Petey tells Dewey that he will look him up in reference for a job when he gets out of jail. And believe it or not he manages to get out of jail not too long after their meeting.

When Petey shows up at the radio station with his girlfriend Vernell (Taraji P. Henson) all hell breaks loose. Dewey's boss E.G. Sonderling (Martin Sheen) wants no part of Petey. But eventually Dewey persuades him to give Petey a try and the show becomes very popular.

I am leaving out some details and I certainly don't want to give too much away. Petey becomes the voice of the black people and some of the other DJs are jealous (one of them is Nighthawk who is played by Cedric the Entertainer). I will say that while Petey is an opportunist so is Dewey. His style is just different. There are some wonderful moments in the film. The segment surrounding the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. and its aftermath is outstanding. Another terrific part of the film is towards the end and involves Petey and Dewey. It is a highly emotional scene. But much of the film suffers from the fact that is just feels ordinary. That is in part due to the fact that the screenplay, written Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa, lacks a certain something.

The acting is good. I enjoyed watching Cheadle and Henson. They were funny even though their over the top acting was a bit hammy. But after a while the shtick got a bit tired. I think that Cheadle is a great actor and he was good in this (channeling Richard Pryor) but I have seen him do better (and I expect that he will do great things in the future). The best one in the film is Ejiofer. His role is not as showy as Cheadle's but he brings a great deal of depth to it. I have been following his career for a while (I think since I saw him in Dirty Pretty Things) and he never fails to impress. As I said before, Talk to Me is not a great film. But there is enough in it for me to recommend it. Whether you see it on the big screen or DVD doesn't matter. But you should certainly check it out.

My Best Friend

Patrice Leconte's latest film, My Best Friend, is charming and well done. The story focuses on an unlikable antiques dealer named Francois (Daniel Auteuil). While at an auction with his business partner Catherine (Julie Gaset) Francois bids on a vase that was created in honor of friendship. He wins the vase but another bidder is willing to buy it from him. Francois has no interest in selling it. Catherine decides to put Francois to the test. She bets him the vase that he has no friends - not even one best friend. And we know that is true. There is no one that he can rely on and even is daughter Louise (Julie Durand) isn't very fond of him.

But Francois insists that he has a best friend and will prove that he does in the given time of the bet. While trying to look up old friends and trying to find out about friendship Francois meets a taxi driver named Bruno (Dany Boon). Bruno is a very likable guy and he is a wiz with facts. His dream is to be on a television show where he can show off his knowledge. The only problem is that he gets nervous when he is put on the spot. Francois and Bruno start to hit it off and Francois is positive that his problem is solved. I won't say more about the plot. You will have to see the film for yourself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film but there was one segment that I thought could have been shorter. The acting was very good. Auteuil is always terrific but the great find here is Boon. He added much of the emotional thrust of the film. Bruno is a sensitive man who has been hurt in the past. The plot isn't that complicated and you pretty much guess what happens. But it is also very touching. This is not Leconte's best work (see Man on the Train, Intimate Strangers and The Widow of St. Pierre among others) but it is a really lovely film. And it does bring up a subject that is usually ignored in most film - friendship. Having a true friend is something special. But it is also a responsibility and you can't take the other person for granted. So do yourself a favor and see this charming film. I am quite certain that you will be happy that you did.

DVD Review - Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Tom Tykwer's adaptation of Patrick Suskind's novel is a most unusual film. It is visually stunning and in many ways a treat for the senses but it is not for the faint of heart.

Jean-Baptiste Grenoville is born if very bad circumstances. His mother has miscarried all of her children and thinks that this one will be the same. But Jean fools her and lives. He is not wanted and given away to people who use him when he is old enough to work. Young Jean discovers that he has a gift for smell. He smells things in a way that nobody else can. When he gets a bit older (and is played by Ben Whishaw) he decides that he wants to learn how to make perfume. He begs a once famous perfumer, Giuseppe Baldini (Dustin Hoffman), to teach him.

After learns all the he needs to know Jean is on his way. He finds that he loves the smell of beautiful women and he wants to make perfume out of their scent. In order to this he must kill them. He is particularly enchanted by a young woman named Laura (Rachel Hurd-Wood). Her father Richis (Alan Rickman) is very worried about her after it is found that several other women were murdered. He does his best to protect her. And that my friends is all I will tell you about the plot. There is a lesson here and you will be able to figure it out after you see the film and think about it a bit.

The story is very interesting and I enjoyed it for most of the film. However, the last half hour of the film was just a bit too strange. Rickman is wonderful and Hoffman is good in a comic sort of way. John Hurt is terrific as the narrator. But I found Whishaw's performance a bit lacking. I know that his character is devoid of feelings but I think that he overdid it and was too wooden.
Frank Griebe's cinematography is amazing and the music (some of which Tykwer wrote) is outstanding.

So all in all I recommend this film to those of you who want to see something different. Perfume is truly a feast for the eyes and nose.

Goya's Ghosts

It seems that I have been waiting a long time to see Goya's Ghosts. I first heard about the film sometime in 2005. And I remember when they were filming it in Madrid. The subject matter was of great interest to me. It was being directed by Milos Forman and the screenplay was co-written by Forman and Jean Claude Carriere. And it starred Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman and Stellan Skarsgard. What could be better?

But the film had trouble finding a US distributor. In the meantime, it was released around Europe to dismal reviews. Earlier this year the film was picked up by Samuel Goldwyn Films and it has just been released here to the same type of reviews. But guess what? I saw the film today and I really liked it a lot.

The first part of the film takes place in 1792. The Inquisition is being reinstated. It is spearheaded by a fanatic monk named Lorenzo (Bardem). Lorenzo talks out of both sides of his mouth. He is having his portrait painted by the well known artist Francisco Goya (Skarsgard) but when he sees that the Church doesn't approve of Goya's work he makes the suggestion that Spain goes back to its old repressive ways.

A young woman named Ines (Portman), who is one of Goya's models, is accused of heresy because she doesn't want to eat pork. She is tortured into a false confession and left in the dungeons to rot. Goya asks for Lorenzo's help and Lorenzo visits her. Lorenzo and Ines pray together but he also rapes her. And Lorenzo is invited to the home of Ines' parents. He is put to the "question" by Ines' father Tomas (Jose Luis Gomez) and fails. He is eventually driven out of Spain.

We fast forward to fifteen years later. There is chaos on the streets of Madrid. The French Revolution has "liberated" Spain and the Inquisition is null and void. Ines is let out prison and the only one she has left is Goya (who is now deaf). She had a child while in prison and wants to find her. Lorenzo returns to Spain with his wife and children. He is now a proponent of the French Revolution and condemns the Church. And that is all of the plot I will tell you.

Goya's Ghosts is a fascinating film. It contains many themes that still resonate today. Torture,
a foreign army occupying a country and hypocrisy (in the name of religion or a cause) to name a few. It is a film of ideas. I did not take my eyes off of the screen for a minute. I only wished that Goya's Ghosts were a mini series because there would be more time to explore all of these complex ideas.

All of the acting is top notch. Bardem is brilliant as a man who completely transforms himself. I read some bad reviews of his acting in the Spanish press. I honestly don't know what they are talking about. I was wondering if Portman would be able to pull off here triple role as the young and old Ines as well as her daughter Alicia. She does. She also got some bad reviews and, again,
I don't understand it. Skarsgard is fine as Goya, a man of reason. Other actors who are good are Randy Quaid as the King, Jose Luis Gomez as Ines' father and Michael Lonsdale as Father Gregorio. The cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe is spectacular as is the production design by Patricia von Brandenstein and the costumes by Yvonne Blake.

Milos Forman has created a wonderful and important film that many people will not see because of the reviews. It is hard to fathom all of this when so many awful films don't get bashed in this way. I never post links to critics on my blog but I wanted to post this review by Roger Ebert. He liked the film but he also makes an interesting observation about critics. Here is the link:

http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/goya-lorenzo-inquisition-1776187-film-portrait

I didn't have much faith in film critics in the first place. But after this I have even less.

And one last thing - this past week I read a piece about Penelope Cruz. In it she was quoted as saying that Bardem is the best actor in the world. I will drink to that!

DVD Review - Fidel (The Castro Project)

I saw the video for Fidel a few years ago at my local video store. That was before I had a DVD player. I always wanted to see it (it was originally broadcast on Showtime as a two part mini series) but never got around to it. It was near the top of my Netflix list and that is what they sent me. So, I finally saw it.

The show is directed by David Attwood and the teleplay is written by Stephen Tolkin. I watched it in two sittings because it is 3 hours and 26 minutes long. It is quite interesting and I learned some history by watching it. We see how the young lawyer Fidel (Victor Hugo Martin) is such an idealist. He wants the government to be for the people. He totally opposes the dictator Batista and hopes that one day he will overthrow the dictator. As time goes on Fidel decides that protests are not enough. What is needed is an armed revolt. During the time he forms his army he in Mexico he meets Ernesto "Che" Guevarra (Gael Garcia Bernal). One of his most loyal followers is Celia Sanchez (Cecilia Suarez).

Fidel may have been an idealist but once he takes power things begin to change. He will not tolerate any dissent and refuses to let any of his soldiers resign. And we all know that things get worse. In addition to everything else Fidel is also portrayed as a womanizer.

Martin is good as Fidel but I just wish he had a bit more charisma. Bernal later went on to play the younger Che in The Motorcycle Diaries (which is a better film) and he has a few good scenes here. But, for the most part, I didn't buy him as the older Che. The real standout in the film is Suarez. She is outstanding as Fidel's most devout follower.

Castro, like many "revolutionaries," eventually turned his back on the people. The US didn't like him because of his disdain for them and his alliance with the Soviets. They like to choose the dictators of a country which is why they liked Batista. But a dictator is a dictator no matter which side he (or she) is on. Anyone who opposes dissent should never be in a position of power.

Rescue Dawn

Werner Herzog has turned his documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly into a full length feature film. And it is quite an experience.

Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale), who was born in Germany, moves to the US and eventually joins the Navy. His dream is to be a pilot. He is soon sent over to Vietnam and is given a mission in Laos. This is in 1965 before the war was in full force. He is shot down and taken prisoner. He meets some other prisoners including two Americans - Duane (Steve Zahn) and Gene (Jeremy Davies). He becomes close to Duane and the two of them talk of escape. However, Gene wants no part of the plan because he believes that in time he will be set free.

I will not say more about the plot. But I will say that the last 45 minutes are absolutely riveting.
Rescue Dawn is a very good film but it is also a rough ride. There were three scenes that made me want to throw up - they were very hard to watch. All of the acting is excellent. I knew that Bale was a good actor but I never knew that Zahn could be this good. By the end of the film I felt like I had been through a war. And that is exactly how I should have felt.

Seeing this film made me want to see the original documentary and I just added it to my Netflix list (not surprisingly there is a long wait). Films like Rescue Dawn just reinforces the fact that war is hell and that all efforts should be made to stop this insanity.

DVD Review - Freedom Writers

Freedom Writers, written (from the Freedom Writers diaries) and directed by Richard LaGravenese, is a very positive and uplifting film.

Hillary Swank play real life English teacher Erin Gruwell. Erin is a first time teacher who desperately wants to teach in a touch LA school in the mid 90s. These are bad times for the city and the racial tensions are great. Blacks, Hispanics and Asians all have their own groups. Department head Margaret Campbell (Imelda Staunton) doesn't know if Erin is up to the task but is willing to give her a chance. At first she has problems but she refuses to give up because she believes in these kids. Ms. Campbell doesn't like her methods (which I won't reveal) and tries to stop. Without giving away too much I will say that things work out (for the most part). Erin is well supported by her father (Scott Glenn) but not so much by her husband (Patrick Dempsey) who wants more of her time.

Swank is good as Erin and Staunton is great as the brittle Ms. Campbell. Some of the standouts from the young cast include April Hernandez (Eva), Mario (Andre) and Jason Finn (Marcus). Even though we've seen these type of movies before I had tears in my eyes during several scenes. Seeing Freedom Writers gave me renewed hope that maybe we all can get along and live in harmony.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

This latest Harry Potter film, directed by David Yates, is not as good as the last two films. It is by no means a bad film. It just isn't on the same level as the previous two films. I blame that on Michael Goldenberg's screenplay, which should have been tighter, and the editing, which should also have been tightened up.

The films all have the same theme - dark forces are out to get Harry. This time one of his main opponents is Delores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) who takes over the Hogwarts school. The three leads - Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione) are all fine - with Watson being the best. But the main reason I like to see these films is because where else can you see so many fantastic actors in one film. Besides Staunton (who is the best one in the film) the cast includes: Fiona Shaw, Richard Griffiths, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Julie Walters, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, and Helena Bonham Carter. Whew! I hope that I didn't leave anyone out.

There are rumors that Stephen Rea might be in the next one. I do hope that is true because he is a great actor. In the meantime I will take off on my broomstick. See you all soon!!

Drama/Mex

Drama/Mex, written and directed by Gerard Narenjo, is now playing in some theaters and also on IFC on demand. I decided to see it on IFC on Demand because it was easier and also because I heard some good things about the film. But after I saw the film I read some bad things about it and I tend to agree more with those critics.

The film tells to separate stories that overlap in a small way. Fernanda (Diana Garcia) accidentally runs into her old boyfriend Chano (Emilo Valdes). She runs away from him but he catches up with her. He rapes her but she goes along with him. She even forgives him for stealing from her father. They plan to run away together. But Fernanda feels that she must first tell her current boyfriend Gonzalo (Juan Pablo Castaneda) what is happening.

Jaime (Fernando Becerril) is an office worker who has some problems. Among other things he spits on his boss's desk. He goes home to his family and doesn't say much. He just drinks. He rents a room in a seaside hotel and tries to kill himself. He doesn't have the guts to do it. He meets a runaway teenager Tigrillo (Mariana Moro) who actually helps him.

The film shows us a side of Acapulco that we rarely see (a rather seedy side). And for that I give it points. But the characters a so poorly sketched and the plot is so underdeveloped that the film is not really worth seeing. I don't know what this film is really about and I certainly didn't care about any of the characters. It is too bad because the film is executive produced by Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna. I love Mexican cinema but this film is not one of the best efforts by our friends south of the border.

DVD Review - Old Joy

I liked Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy quite a lot. It is a very short film (76 minutes) but that doesn't matter. It is a very meditative and contemplative experience. And it is also beautiful to look at.

Mark (Daniel London) is a married working man who is soon going to become a father. Out of the blue he gets a phone call from his old pal Kurt (Will Oldham). Kurt would like to Mark to join him on a camping weekend in the mountains of Oregon. Mark's wife Tanya (Tanya Smith) begrudgingly consents to the trip.

Kurt is a free spirit who doesn't work and travels around from place to place. He is staying in a house but that is only temporary. We know that Mark and Kurt were friends way back when (they are now in their 30s). There is a question as to whether they were more than friends (some of the posters on the imdb board seem to think so). That question crossed my mind but I am not sure. It really doesn't matter. Also of note - when Mark is driving by himself he listens to Air America. Most of the conversations that we hear revolve around the gutlessness of the Democratic party. I appreciated hearing words of wisdom from America's top populist Jim Hightower.

Not a lot "happens" in Old Joy and that is the point. Maybe we just need for less things to "happen." The film also shows a longing for things as they used to be (I could relate to that).
We need more quiet time. I forgot to mention that Mark takes his lovely dog Lucy on the trip.
Besides seeing this beautiful creature we are treated to some fantastic nature scenery.

I highly recommend this film to those of you who, for a change of pace, want to feel totally relaxed while watching a film. This is what low budget indie cinema should be.

The Method

Marcelo Pineyro's The Method is based on a popular Spanish play that was written by Jordi Galceron. The screenplay was written by Mateo Gil. And it is quite a film.

The story revolves around seven people who are candidates for a job with the Dexia Corporation. They have a group interview. But this is really much more than an interview. The Gronholm Method is being used to weed out unsuitable people. This "method" is totally based on psychology. All of the candidates have to participate in these tests and one by one people are eliminated. To add even more stress to the process one of the seven is a mole.

This process is taking place while there are mass anti-globalization demonstrations taking place in Madrid. In fact, the protests are taking place right outside of Dexia.

All of the actors are wonderful. Here is the list of the candidates: Eduardo Noriega (Carlos), Najwa Nimri (Nieves), Eduard Fernandez (Fernando), Pablo Echarri (Ricardo), Ernesto Alterio
(Ernesto), Adriana Ozores (Ana), and Carmelo Gomez (Julio). Also giving a good performance is Natalia Verbeke as Montse, the secretary who is helping with the tests.

I will not say one more word about the plot. You must see this film for yourself. But it is significant that this "interview" is taking place as people are protesting about the global capitalist economy. This films says a lot about the plight of workers all around the world.

Midway through 2007 - The Best of so far

It is midway through 2007 and I decided to put together a list of what I think is the best of so far. This is an informal list. I am going to have three categories - film, actor and actress. It is in more or less the order that I saw the films and I am combining lead and supporting actors/
actresses together. After I see all of the 2007 films that I want to see (which will be sometime in the early part of 2008) I will have a more official best of list.

At the beginning of 2006 I made up a list of my most anticipated films of that year. I didn't do that this year because some of the films I put on my 2006 didn't come out that year. Case in point is Goya's Ghosts. The film will be released in two weeks and I am definitely going to see it.
However, at the end of August or the beginning of September I will post my most anticipated films for the fall/winter awards season.

Here are my picks for the best of 2007 so far:

Films

Amazing Grace
The Namesake
The Namesake
The Hoax
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Black Book
After the Wedding
Red Road
Paris je T'aime
Away from Her
Jindabyne
Once
Pierrepoint
The Golden Door
Lady Chatterley
A Mighty Heart
Vitus
Ten Canoes

Actors

Chris Cooper - Breach
Robert Downey, Jr. - Zodiac
Irfun Khan - The Namesake and A Mighty Heart
Ioan Gruffud - Amazing Grace
Richard Gere - The Hoax
Alfred Molina - The Hoax
Mads Mikkelsen - After the Wedding
Cillian Murphy - The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Ben Gazzara - Paris je T'aime
Sergio Castellitto - Paris je T'aime
Steve Buscemi - Paris je T'aime
Gordon Pinsent - Away from Her
Glen Hansard - Once
Gabriel Byrne - Jindabyne
Timothy Spall - Pierrepoint
Jean-Louis Coullo'ch - Lady Chatterley
Bruno Ganz - Vitus

Actresses

Tabu - The Namesake
Carice von Houten - Black Book
Kate Dickie - Red Road
Marion Cottilard - La Vie en Rose (great performance in an uneven film)
Miranda Richardson - Paris je T'aime
Gene Rowlands - Paris je T'aime
Laura Linney - Jindabyne
Julie Christie - Away from Her
Olympia Dukakis - Away from Her
Juliet Stevenson - Pierrepoint
Marina Hands - Lady Chatterley
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Vanessa Redgrave - Evening
Toni Collette - Evening
Imelda Staunton - Freedom Writers

I must say something about the outstanding directorial debut of Sarah Polley. She is mature beyond her years and she has now proven that she is not only a great actress but also a great director and screenwriter.

Also, the films I have listed are all feature films. Ratatouille is a marvelous animated film. And Sicko, Michael Moore's documentary, is a film that everyone should see. These two films are at the top of their categories.

And, lastly, I saw a powerful film entitled Invisibles at the Tribeca Film Festival. It is produced by Javier Bardem in conjunction with Doctors Without Borders. There are five short films that show us desperate people that we have never heard of. The are "The Invisibles." Unfortunately, the film hasn't had a regular release in the US so it is hard to find. But if you see
it you will feel like you have been punched in the stomach.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a sweet and savory dish from writer/director Brad Bird. Bird is a master when it comes to Pixar animation and people who love this genre will love this film.

But Ratatouille is more than just a great animated film. It is a wonderful and highly intelligent story and for that reason I think that many young children might miss a few things. That doesn't mean that parents shouldn't take them to see this film. It just means that this is not a film that is meant for just children.

The story takes place in the sewers of Paris. Little rat Remy lives there with his family. But he has a gift of a strong sense of taste and smell. In other words, he has the potential to be a great chef. But how can a rat become a chef. Something happens to separate Remy from his family and he winds up right outside Gusteau's restaurant. Gusteau, who is now deceased, wrote a book entitled Anyone Can Cook. So why not Remy? Unfortunately, the restaurant has been taken over by the wicked Skinner. There is a new addition to the restaurant, the sad sack Linguini, who is in charge of washing the floor and taking out the garbage. He is taken under the wing by Colette.

I don't want to say more about the plot. It is most interesting and not predictable. All of the voices are spot on. Some of the voices and characters are: Remy (Patton Oswalt), Skinner (Ian Holm, Linguini (Lou Romano), Django - Remy's father (Brian Dennehy), Emile - Remy's brother
(Peter Sohn), Anton Ego - a snotty food critic (Peter O'Toole), Gusteau (Brad Garrett), and Colette (Janeane Garofalo).

I love food (albeit of the vegetarian variety) and I loved watching the characters create the cuisine. I have taken a good number of cooking classes and I own many cookbooks. But you don't have to be into cooking to love this film. Do yourself a favor and take yourself to see Ratatouille. It is the perfect thing to do on a hot summer's day.

DVD Review

This film, directed by Phillipe Garrel, is beautiful to look at. It is shot in black and white and there are many impressive closeups. It has a feel of a European art film from the 60s or 70s. And that is all of the good things I have to say about the film.

The story takes place in the late 60s during the student riots and upheaval of the time. Francois (Louis Garrel) and his friends are planning a revolution while smoking lots of pot. They don't realize that you have to think clearly in order to plan a revolution. During all of this Francois, who writes poetry, falls in love with a woman named Lilie (Clotilde Hesme), who is a sculptress.
Some of their exchanges are interesting. But, for the most part, the film is one big bore. The film is almost plotless. I was waiting for something to happen. And when it finally happened it was at the end of the film (which is three hours long!!). The characters are not developed and the acting is almost non-existent.

The film is quite pretentious. I recently saw two European art films that I loved - Lady Chatterley and The Golden Door. So we can still find good films of this genre. A lot of critics gave this film good reviews but some of them reek of pretentiousness themselves. A word to the wise - do not see this film.

Ten Canoes

Director Rolf De Heer has created a marvelous little film that takes place in a remote section of Australia. All of the characters are Aborigine and the film, with the exception of the voice over which is in English, is in an indigenous Australian language. The wonderful narration is done by David Gulpilil.

We start off with some men going on a goose egg hunt and building canoes. One of them tells a story (a fable if you will) to another one. The story takes its time to unfold. It is about a man who has three wives. His younger brother does not have any wives but he fancies the older brother's youngest wife. The people seem to live in harmony but something happens to disrupt things. I won't say more about the plot. The film is beautifully shot and sometimes it is in color and sometimes it is in black and white.

I will say that this is a very unusual film and I think that one of the messages is that one must have patience in life (not an easy thing to do). Another lesson might be that even if it looks like we will get something we just might not. In any case, if you want to find out about people that you usually hear nothing about then this film is for you.

Vitus

Vitus is a wonderful, somewhat old fashioned story a young boy's struggle of coming to terms with who he is. Fredi M. Muer did a wonderful job of directing this (Swiss) film and his screenplay, co-written with Peter Luisi, is very realistic.

At the beginning of the film we see young (6 years old) Vitus (Fabrizio Borsani) take to playing the piano like a fish takes to water. His mother Helen (Julika Jenkins) and father Leo (Urs Jucker) notice that he is not only a fantastic with the piano but that he is all around brilliant. But that can be a problem as we see the older (12 years old) Vitus (Teo Gheorghiu) having problems getting along with teachers and other students because he is so much smarter than them.

While his parents have great plans for him Vitus has other ideas. He seems to be cracking under the pressure and the only one he can relate to is his grandfather (the wonderful Bruno Ganz). An accident turns things around and Vitus starts to come into his own. That is all I will tell you about the plot.

As I've said before, the film is well directed and written. All of the acting is very good and Ganz is particularly terrific. Young Teo proves himself to be quite a good actor. But he wasn't acting when he was playing the piano. He is actually a piano prodigy.

The bottom line message of the film is that parents of gifted children should let them be children. Cultivate their talents but don't overdue it because they will not be able to stand the pressure.

I saw this film with a friend who studied piano and teaches it for a living. She couldn't get over it. We both thoroughly enjoyed and I highly recommend it for those of you who like intelligent cinema.