DVD Mini Review - The Reaping

In Stephen Hopkin's film Hillary Swank plays a former ordained missionary who now tries to disprove miracles. She lost her faith when she lost her family in Africa. But her former mentor Father Costigan (Stephen Rea) warns her that she is in danger. And soon after that she is called upon to look into a situation that is seems cultish and contains a number of plagues.

What can I say about this film. It is not good. There were moments that held my attention. But most of it didn't make sense. The only reason that I rented this film is because I like Rea.
Surely he can do better than this. And so can Swank. For absolute horror fans only.

American Gangster

What can I say about this film? Ridley Scott has created a big, bold, good looking gangster movie. It certainly looks good. He really captured New York City in the 60s and 70s. But there is just too much film. It needed to be edited down into a shorter version. I don't have problems watching long films. But this film needed to be trimmed. As far as I'm concerned it is very overrated. Certainly not a bad film but not a really good one either.

The film is based on a true story. Screenwriter Steven Zallian adapted it from an article written by Mark Jacobson about Harlem crime boss Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington). Lucas makes his fortune by importing heroin from Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war. He has a unique way of bringing the drugs into the US. Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) is trying to hunt him down. Oh, by the way, Roberts is also a lawyer. But you will see more about that if you see the film.

There is really nothing new in this film. We have seen it all before and in better films. The last forty minutes of the film are pretty exciting and the rest of the film has its moments but they are few and far between. Denzel does Denzel. He is good at what he does but it is almost always the same thing. Crowe is good as the cop with problems. The wonderful Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Frank's brother Huey. The role is a bit underwritten. Ruby Dee plays Frank's mother. She has only a few scenes but one of them is one of the best scenes in the film. Armand Assante and Cuba Gooding, Jr. also make appearances in the film. Ted Levine does a nice turn as Detective Lou Toback, who is trying to help Richie. But best of all is Josh Brolin as the corrupt cop Detective Trupo. He is a real SOB. I am glad that Brolin has finally shown us what a good actor he is (he has several other films out this year but this and No Country for Old Men really show us what he can do).

I hope that American Gangster does not get a lot of Oscar nominations. It doesn't deserve them. Last year another gangster film, The Departed, won Best Picture Oscar (that at least had some stinging dialog). I doubt that this film will do the same. If you like slick gangster films then you will like this. And that being said it isn't a bad film. It is just very far from the best (and certainly not as good as some films that the critics have panned.

Mini Review - Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten

I caught Julian Temple's documentary about musician Joe Strummer on IFC On Demand. It is a very well made film. I found out a lot about Strummer, especially his childhood, that I didn't know. We get a great history of his career and some bits about his personal life as well. Some well known people are interviewed - Johnny Depp, Bono, John Cusack, Martin Scorsese, Jim Jarmusch and others as well as members of the Clash. The Clash was one of the best rock groups ever. Joe didn't want to just make music - he wanted to make music that mattered.

While I liked this film a lot there was one big flaw. When the people that were being interviewed were being shown there was no mention as to who they were. Obviously, we all knew who the famous people were. But who were the others? I would have liked to have known. I hope that Temple fixes this problem on the DVD edition.

I highly recommend this film but only to those who are fans of Strummer/The Clash and/or this type of music.

Control

Control, directed by Anton Corbijn, is based on a book by Deborah Curtis (Matt Greenhalgh helped write the screenplay) about her husband Ian. Ian was the lead singer for a punk group called Joy Division. In 1980, just before the band was supposed to fly to the US for a tour Ian hanged himself. He was only 23.

I remember Joy Division. I can't say that I was a fan of theirs. But listening to the music throughout the film I can actually say that I liked what they were doing.

When the film starts Ian (Sam Riley) is in school. But he is much more interested in music. Deborah (Samantha Morton) is the girlfriend of one of Ian's friends. But a short while later they fall in love with each other. We then transition to Ian working at an employment center. But during the evening he plays with his band. We also find out that Ian is an epileptic.

As time goes on the band gains popularity. They start making records and become quite famous. All of this adds up to more pressure for the sensitive Ian. Along the way he and Deborah have a child. And he falls for a Belgian woman named Annik Honore (Alexandra Maria Lara). He really loves Annik but he also realizes that he stills loves Deborah and doesn't want to give her up. By the time the band is set to go to the States Ian is in such a state of turmoil (plus the fact that from time to time he has seizures) that he decides to end it all.

I didn't like that way the film jumped from Ian being in school to being a married man working at an employment center. That transition did not go smoothly. But I can overlook that flaw because the rest of the film is terrific. Corbijn shot the film in black and white and that is very
appropriate for the film. It adds to the already bleak mood. Lara is very good as Annik. Morton is a wonderful actress and as the put upon Deborah that she proves once again just how great she is. But ultimately the film belongs to Riley. He is absolutely mesmerizing as Ian. And you can feel his pain. Riley lets us see just what a tortured soul Ian Curtis really was. I hope to see lots of this young actor in the future.

I highly recommend this film to anyone who wants to see tough, realistic portrait of an artist in distress.

DVD Mini Review - Hairspray

Hairspray, directed by Adam Shankman, is based on the hit Broadway musical that is based on the original John Waters. It takes place in 1962 in Baltimore. Young Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) loves to watch her Corny Collins dance show on television. When there are auditions for dancers Tracy decides to try out. Her mother Edna (John Travolta) doesn't approve but her father Wilbur (Christopher Walken) encourages.

Corny himself (James Marsden) is quite impressed with Tracy. But station manager Velma von Tusile (Michelle Pfeiffer) is not. One of the things that Tracy notices is that blacks and whites are not allowed to dance together on the show. She wants to change that.

Hairspray is not a great film but it is a film that is fun to watch. The singing and dancing are very lively. Young Blonsky is a real find. She oozes talent and I hope that she has a good career ahead of her. I loved Queen Latifah as Motormouth Maybelle. I always enjoy seeing Walken. However, I really did not buy Travolta as Edna. He is miscast. I have not seen Pfeiffer in a film for a long time and I was shocked because she look so anorexic. Michelle, do yourself a favor and eat something!!

Hairspray has a positive message about tolerance. And not only racial tolerance but about tolerance of people who are different. And in this film it means people who are heavy. I like that message because we are all unique in our own way. So if you are looking for a film that is uplifting check out Hairspray. You will have a fun filled two hours.

Love in the Time of Cholera

Love in the Time of Cholera is a lovely film about love. But it is too bad that the critics, for the most part, don't like it. It will keep people away from seeing the film.

The movie is based on a marvelous novel written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It takes place before the turn of the century - the late 1800s and early 1900s. Young Florentino Ariza (Unax Ugalde) sees Fermina Dazza (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) and immediately falls in love with her.
They start writing love letters to each other and he declares his undying love for her. She accepts his marriage proposal. But when her father (John Leguizamo) finds out he puts a stop to it and sends Fermina away. In the meantime Florentino pines for her and proves that love can turn into an illness.

When Fermina returns she runs into Florentino (by this time he is played by Javier Bardem) and tells him that whatever was between them is over. He is devastated. Fermina comes down with an illness resembling cholera. But it isn't. The doctor who treats her, Juvenal Urbino (Benjamin Bratt) falls for her and the two eventually marry. This is more grief for Florentino. He tries to overcome his sorrow by bedding as many women as possible. What happens later on I will not tell you. If you read the book you already know and if you haven't then it will be a surprise.

Bardem is outstanding as Florentino - you can really feel his pain. Bardem once again proves what a great and versatile actor he is. Mezzogiorno is good as Fermina and Bratt is better than I expected as the Doctor. Leguizamo is a bit over the top at Fermina's father and his accent was a bit off. There are some very good supporting performances. On the top of the list is Fernanda Montenegro as Florentino's mother. Some of the best scenes in the film are between her and Bardem. Also terrific are Catalina Sandino Moreno as Fermina's cousin and Hector Elizondo as Florentino's uncle.

You can tell from watching the film that both director Mike Newell and screenwriter Ronald Harwood worked very hard. I know that they have been criticized for their work. But I think that they did a good job. Would this film have been better with a Latino director and screenwriter? And if it had been in Spanish? I don't know. Maybe it would have been a masterpiece instead of a very good film. But Cholera wasn't an easy film to adapt and I think that it is being judged too harshly.

Also of note are the technical aspects of the film - Wolf Kroeger for production design, Alfonso Beato for cinematography, Antonio Pinto for original music, Marit Allen for costumes are among those who make the film a visual treat.

I think that those in charge should have realized this might be a tough sell - after all there wasn't a lot "Oscar Buzz" for the film before it came out. Because, sadly, I think that this film will get buried. It might have been wiser to release it around Valentine's day because it is the ultimate in romantic films.

I highly recommend this film for those of you who like love stories and for those of you who think that Bardem is a great actor. Try to catch it on the big screen but if you can't then at least see it when it comes out on DVD. It is a real treat for the senses.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is one of the most visually beautiful films I have ever. And that is no surprise because it is directed by artist Julian Schnabel.

The film is based on a book (wonderfully adapted by Ronald Harwood) by Jean-Dominique Bauby. Bauby (played in the film by the wonderful French actor Mathieu Almaric) was the editor of the French edition of Vogue. He had it all - money, women, etc.). And then one day he had a stroke. It left him with a very rare disorder - locked in syndrome. Bauby's mind worked perfectly. His thoughts were very lucid. But he was paralyzed and couldn't communicate with anyone. The only part of his body that he can move is his left eye. With a great deal of patience he learns to spell words by blinking. And that is how he wrote the book.

At the beginning of the film we are taken to the time that Bauby wakes up from his coma. We are in his head and we hear his thoughts. During this part of the film I felt very claustrophobic.
We see flashbacks of his life and also his current fantasies.

Schnabel's partner in this visual feast is cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. As mentioned before, Almaric is terrific. There are a number of women from Bauby's life in the film - some of them are played by Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josee Croze and Anne Cosigny among others.
All of them were wonderful. And then there is the great Max von Sydow. He plays Bauby's father. He is only in two scenes but they are two of the best scenes in the film. One of them is particularly heartbreaking.

My only qualm with the film is that I wanted to feel more emotionally connected to Bauby. But I was very tired when I saw the film and look forward to seeing it again on DVD (I will most certainly by it) and being able to give it more time to watch and digest it better.

I saw the film at a preview screening and Schnabel, Harwood, Almaric, Seigner, Croze and producer Jon Kilik were there to answer questions. I highly recommend this film. Yes, it is a difficult subject to deal with. But it is also a marvelous film and should not be missed.

December 23, 2007 - Edit: I decided to see this film again because I was tired and a bit preoccupied when I I first saw the film. I loved even more the second time around and I did connect emotionally to Bauby. I really felt that this could happen to anyone and that we have to try to make each moment count. And we have to come to terms with our mortality. Almaric was wonderful as Bauby. I hope that a lot of people get to see this wonderful, amazing film.

DVD Mini Review - Lights in the Dusk

I really liked two of Aki Kaurismaki's films - Drifting Clouds and The Man Without a Past. So I thought that I would like his latest film, Lights in the Dusk, as well. And, yes, I did like the film.
But I just had some misgivings about the way the protagonist conducted himself.

Security guard Koistinen (Janne Hyytainen) is a lonely guy. He has hopes of one starting his own business. Equally lonely Aila (Maria Heiskanen) runs a food truck where Koistinen eats many a night. She seems to care about him but he seems oblivious to it.

When Koistinen unexpectedly meets a mysterious woman (Maria Jarvenhelmi) his life changes - for the worse. And this is when the film starts to stump me. I could see Koistinen behaving this way for a while I couldn't believe that he would continue on this path throughout the whole film. The ending is kind of strange.

Still and all, I liked this film. The acting was good and the tone was just right. I recommend it to all who like interesting foreign films.

I'm Not There

I loved Todd Haynes I'm Not There. It is certainly the most creative and unusual bio pic I have ever seen. However, be warned, that his film is not for everyone. You must not only know Dylan's music but also know about him to really appreciate the film. Or if you just like very artsy films then you will also enjoy it. But if you are looking for a straight biopic then forget it.

Haynes and his co-writer Oren Moverman have created a tapestry of the life of Bob Dylan. Six actors play Dylan in various stages of his life. The actors are: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger and Ben Wishaw. All of them are very good and Blanchett, in particular, stands out. Some important non-Dylan roles are played by Julianne Moore, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Bruce Greenwood and Michelle Williams.

I will not get into the plot because there really isn't a straight narrative line. Like I said before,
it helps if you know something about Dylan's life. Some of the dialog in the film are direct quotes from interviews/articles that I have read. And then there is the music - there is nothing in the world like it. Todd Haynes was at the screening I saw and I asked him if Dylan saw the film. He said that so far he hasn't. I would be curious to know what he thought.

So if you love Dylan as I do then you must see this film. For everyone else - well this film will work if you like unusual, almost experimental films. But that said, in my opinion I'm Not There is a marvelous film.

Lions for Lambs

It is hard for me to believe that Lions for Lambs is getting such bad reviews. It is a thoughtful, intelligent film that deserves more praise than it is getting. Sure it has flaws but so do many films that are good.

Robert Redford directed the film from a script by Matthew Michael Carnahan. The film is divided into three stories that take place at about the same time. In one part of the film Redford plays Professor Stephen Malley. Malley is having a conversation with one of his students Todd Hayes (Andrew Garfield). Malley is trying to bring the boy out of his apathy. He feels that Todd has great potential that isn't being used. This certainly rings true. I find so much of the younger generation not only apathetic but also not that smart.

In the second part of the film television report Janine Roth (Meryl Streep) is having a conversation with conservative Senator Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise). Irving wants to give Roth an "exclusive" on how he is going to win the war on terror by escalating the war in Afghanistan.
And, yes, this is an exclusive but will Roth present it as Irving lays it out even if she doesn't agree with it.

The last part of the film takes place in Afghanistan. It focuses on two solders - Arian Finch (Derek Luke) and Ernest Rodriguez (Michael Pena). Both soldiers were former students of Finch. They decided to take his cue to get involved but, unfortunately, they chose to do it in a way that went against what he believes in.

The film is talky but I had no problem with that. I was interested in what was being said. Redford is targeting the press, the younger generation and politicians in one swoop. The acting is good and Streep and Cruise in particular shine. There is once scene in particular - one involving the soldiers - that I just didn't by. But all in all, I found this to be a fine film.

I guess many people will stay away because of the critics but if anyone out there reads this then take my advice and see the film. If you can't make it to the theater then see it on DVD. It will give you some fresh insights to things that you already know to be true.

No Country for Old Men

Joel and Ethan Coen have done something unusual - they have turned a terrific book into a film that is outstanding. In other words, they have made a movie that is even better than the book.

On the surface the story appears to be a simple one. The film starts off with Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) lamenting about the violent (and vile) world that we live in. Bell is nearing retirement age and it couldn't have come at a moment too soon.

In the next scene we see the work of the chilling Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), the greatest screen villain since Hannibal Lecter. And the third scene focuses on Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) as he is trying to shoot an antelope. But as he looks beyond the animals he finds drugs and a whole lot of money.

I don't want to say much more about the plot. If you read the book you know what happens. And if you didn't then I don't want to tell you what happens.

The film is stark in its beauty. Roger Deakins' cinematography is just stunning. The Coens direct the film without one extra shot - this is lean filmmaking at its best. Their script is faithful to the book. All of the acting, from the leads to the smallest role, are spot on. Jones is poignant as the cynical Bell. Brolin proves that he is one fine actor in his portrayal of Moss. And Bardem
is absolutely chilling as Chigurh. All of the supporting acting is great too - including Woody Harrelson as bounty hunter Carson Welles and Kelly MacDonald as Moss's wife Carla Jean (the Scottish actress had a perfect Southern twang). Bravo to the Coens for leaving the ending as it should be.

No Country for Old Men deals with the nature of violence as well as fate. You leave the theater with an eerie feeling. But you also want to see more - I walked out wanting to see it again (on DVD I will be able to play certain scenes over and over again). We are now heading towards mid November and I can say that at this point in the year No Country is the best film (so far). Run, don't walk, to your local movie theater and see this film.

As an extra treat (I saw the film at a screening before it was released) Bardem and Brolin were at the screening that I saw. They provided insight into the film and signed my copy of No Country.

DVD mini review - 12:08 East of Bucharest

12:08 East of Bucharest main focus is a television panel program about the 1989 overthrow of the Ceausecu regime in Romania. The story takes place sixteen years after the revolution. There are three main characters in the film - Emanoil Poiscoci (Mircea Andreescu) - an elderly man who plays Santa Claus around Christmas time; Virgil Jderescu (Teodor Corban) - the host/producer of the show; and Tiberiu Monescu (Ion Sapdaru)- a drunken professor. These three men are the participants on the show .

Before we get to the program - which is the last part of the film - we get to know these three men and have a feel for what they are about. The story takes place in a small town outside of Bucharest. The program is trying to determine whether or not the revolution actually took place in this town. What we find out is that no one actually knows.

Writer/director Corneliu Porumboiu uses a great deal of wit in telling his tale. I liked this film but it doesn't have the depth of another Romanian film, The Death of Mr. Lazerescu. But if you are a fan of world cinema (as I am) then this film is worth a look.

Sleuth

For the most part, I do not like remakes. But Kenneth Branagh's new version of Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth is one of those rare exceptions. I think that the reason that it works so well is because it is not really an out and out remake.

Joseph Mankiewicz directed the original 1972 film starring Laurence Olivier and Micheal Caine. And Shaffer adopted his own play. Here you have Branagh as the director and Harold Pinter as the screenwriter. Caine is in the new film but he has taken over the Olivier part. And now Jude Law plays the younger man.

Caine is Andrew Wyke, a successful writer. Law is Milo Tindle, an actor, hairdresser, chauffeur, etc. He is not that successful but he is having an affair with Wyke's wife Maggie. Tindle visits Wyke and they spend the night playing endless mind games. And that is what the film is - 90 minutes of endless games. Now this might not be everyone's cup of tea but it certainly is mine.
Branagh's direction is spot on and Pinter's writing is razor sharp. And both Caine and Law are terrific. I felt as it I were watching a wonderfully directed stage play (and originally that is what Sleuth was).

I am not going to talk much about the games. That would spoil your fun. But I will say that I had a good time watching this film. I will offer this - the film is much more homoerotic than the first version. I highly recommend this film to people who enjoy using their brains. And I just added the original Sleuth to my Netflix list and intend to watch it in the not too distant future. It has been a long time since I've seen it and it will be fun to compare the two versions.

The Savages

I was very lucky to see a preview of Tamara Jenkins' new film The Savages. It is a top notch film.

The story starts off with Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco) smearing his shit all over the place that he he shares with his girlfriend (in Arizona's Sun City). His home attendant (who doesn't really take care of Lenny) is pissed off. Shortly thereafter Lenny's girlfriend dies and he is about to be evicted by his girlfriend's children. It is apparent that not all is well with Lenny.

His son Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and daughter Wendy (Laura Linney) come from the East Coast to help him out. He is diagnosed with dementia and the siblings decide that it is best that he comes out to the East Coast. Wendy lives in NYC and is a struggling writer. She supports herself by working as a temp. She is having a relationship with a married man. Jon lives in Buffalo where he is a university professor who is obsessed with Brecht. He has a Polish girlfriend who is set to go back to her country. Most of the action takes place in Buffalo.

Although a number of things happen in the film I would say that it is mainly a character study of two siblings. You learn so much about these two people. And they don't necessarily have to say anything. Linney and Hoffman are outstanding and you really have the sense of them being siblings. In fact, I sometimes forgot that I was watching a film. Bosco is also wonderful as the father. I have seen people in a nursing home who act just like Lenny.

After the screening I heard some people say that the film is too depressing (despite having some laughs). Well, it focuses on reality which it just too much for some people to take. The Savages brings up things that we will all eventually have to face. And the film does not take the easy way out. The last scene in the film is very uplifting and I felt that it was a good way to end the film.

I do hope that people will see this film (even though it deals with some heavy things). The Savages is one hell of a terrific film and I highly recommend it.