Movie News and Views

A Tough Decision

2010-04-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

No, that is not the name of a film I saw. I have decided that, at least for the time being, I am going to stop writing about the films I see. I just don't have the time to really make this a good blog. I still love cinema and see many films but I have really lost interest in writing in depth about each film. And I don't think that many people read this anyway. From time to time I might right a quick and strong recommendation of certain films.

The films I last saw - The Eclipse (MOD), The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, City Island, 24 City (DVD) are all good to very good.

The fact that I haven't even posted my best of 2009 shows that I want to move on. I will say that I thought that The White Ribbon was the best film of 2009. I was happy that Jeff Bridges won his Oscar. The Best Actresses of 2009 were Catalina Saavedra (The Maid), Yolande Moreau (Seraphine), and Hiam Abbass (Lemon Tree). However, none of them got even close to a nomination. What can I say?

Well, as I said, I will post things from time to time (probably the Cannes FF competition films which we should know about on April 15th). But for now no more extensive reviews.

Ciao for now.

DVD Mini Review - The Wedding Song

2010-03-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

A (very) few words about The Wedding Song. Karin Albou directs this film with great love. It takes place in Tunisia in 1942. It is the story of two girls who are best friends. Myriam (Lizzie Brochere) is Jewish and Nour (Olympe Borval) is Muslim. But that does not come in the way of their friendship. They live on the same street and their families are friendly too.

But the Nazi invasion changes things. Nour is supposed to marry Khaled (Najib Oudghiri) but since he isn't working her father keeps postponing the wedding. Because of all of the bad things that start happening to the Jews Myriam is forced to marry a man just to help out financially. Raoul (Simon Abkarian) certainly looks a lot older than her so it makes sense that she is not interested. But her mother Tita (played by the director) insists.

I really enjoyed watching this film because we can see that friendship is more important than any cultural differences. Yes, the two girls have many ups and downs - and it is due to the war. But deep down inside they share more similarities than differences. And if we only realized this truth then the world would be a better place. I recommend that you check this film out on DVD or Movies on Demand.

Greenberg and Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Suss

2010-03-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

A (very) few words on two films that I saw today. I just don't have much time to write. But I do hope to have my best (favorites) of 2009 posted within the next week.

Greenberg is a good film about a lost soul named Roger Greenberg (a subdued Ben Stiller). He has just gotten out of a mental hospital because of a nervous breakdown. He arrives in LA from NYC and is staying at his vacationing brother's house. He gets involved with his brother's assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig) who is another lost soul. He also tries to mend things with his friend Ivan (Rhys Ifans) and his old girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Jason Leigh).

Writer/Director Noah Baumbach does a good job of making his characters feel real. This must be Stiller's best performance. And Gerwig is a real find. I look forward to seeing what she does in the future. I also liked Ifans. However, Jason Leigh (who is married to Baumbach and who co-wrote the story for the film) has very little to do in an underwritten role - which is too bad because she is a very good actress.

All in all, while not up to the standard of Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale Greenberg deserves to be seen.

Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Suss is a very interesting documentary directed by Felix Moeller. It tells a story that I knew nothing about. German director Viet Harlan was one of Germany's most celebrated filmmakers back in the 30s and 40s. At the beginning he made mostly melodramas. However, with the rise of Nazism he was asked to make Jew Suss, which is one of the most anti-Semitic films ever made.

During the film we see clips from Harlan's films. There are interviews with Harlan's children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. The big question is did he want to make Jew Suss or was he forced into it with threats? You can draw your own conclusions. In any case, I do recommend this film because it gives us one more piece of history from the darkest period of the 20th century.

Mother and Vincere

2010-03-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today I had the opportunity to see two excellent foreign films. Although these two films are very different they have in common fantastic female lead performances.

Mother is directed by Joon-ho Bong and is from Korea. The story seems to be a simple one but it is anything but. The unnamed Mother (Hye-Ja Kim) owns a flower/herb shop and she does acupuncture. That is how she makes her modest living. She is always worried about her son Yoon Do-joon (Bin Won). He is a little simple. Mother and son have an abnormally close relationship. When a young schoolgirl is murdered Yoon is immediately convicted as the murderer. Mother does not believe this and she will go all out to prove that he is innocent. Oh, and she really does.

Mother is a most intriguing thriller. It has many twists and turns and it keeps you guessing until the end. And Ms. Kim is just amazing as the Mother.

Vincere (which means win) is completely different but just as good. It is from Italy and directed by Marco Bellocchio (I have see a few of his films and like his style). This film is the story of Ida Dalser (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) who many said was Benito Mussolini's (Filippo Timi) first wife. It was obvious from the start that she was more in love than he was. She got him on his feet. They were supposedly married and she later gave birth to his son Benito Albino. But at some point things fell apart and he married another woman. Ida did not take this sitting down. She let everybody know that she was Mussolini's wife. But there were never any papers found that stated that fact. Eventually she is sent to a mental institution. And when Benito Albino is older he is sent to one as well.

Vincere is a beautifully shot, old fashioned type of sweeping foreign film. I love the way Bellocchio intersperses old footage into the film. Mezzogiorno is outstanding as Ida. And Timo is terrific as Mussolini and Benito Albino as an adult. This film gives us a real sense of history and shows how Mussolini went to believing in one thing (Socialism) and then turning his back on that for Fascism).

Both Kim and Mezzogiorno give performances that are worthy of Oscar nominations. But we know that will not happen. It is too bad because these are two of the best performances of the year so far. I highly recommend that you see these two films. If you can't see them at the theater then rent them or see them on cable (or movies on demand).

Chloe

2010-03-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

Chloe, directed by Atom Egoyan, is based on Anne Fontaine's film Nathalie. And, yes, there are many similarities but it is not the same film.

Catherine Stewart (Julianne Moore) is a successful gynecologist. Her husband David (Liam Needson) is a successful professor. They seem to have a good marriage. Or do they? Catherine thinks that David is cheating. So she decides to hire a prostitute named Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to lure him and see if he accepts the bait. And boy does he ever. But there is much more to this then meets the eye. I had an idea about what to expect because I saw Nathalie. But the film goes into a different directions as it moves along.

Egoyan is an interesting director and I generally like his films (I loved The Sweet Hereafter). Moore is just wonderful as Catherine and Seyfried is terrific as Chloe. And the two of them have terrific chemistry. I liked Neeson but I thought that he was underused (as was Gerard Depardieu in Nathalie). And I loved the way Toronto was filmed.

Many critics have put this film down but take my word for it - it is a good film. It is erotic and suspenseful and I don't understand the critics. But I don't have to listen to them. I can make up my own mind about what films I see. And so shouldyou.

DVD Mini Review - Captian Abu Raed

2010-03-25T19:25:00.001-07:00

I want to say a few words about the wonderful film Captain Abu Raed. It is directed and written by first time filmmaker Amin Matalga. It is a simple story that carries a big punch.

Abu Raed (a marvelous Nadim Sawalha) is a janitor at the Amman, Jordan airport. He is also a lonely widower who greets the picture of his wife every time he comes. At the beginning of the film he keeps to himself. But a strange things happens. He finds an airline pilot's hat in the garbage and takes it home. When he wears it the children of the village think he is a captain (hence the name of the film). He tries to deny it but when the kids insist he gives in. He enchants them with stories of far away places (some of which he got from the books that he reads). But things happen and he finds that some of the children have serious problems - especially in one case. Abu Raed goes out of himself and tries to do what he can to help.

There are some very disturbing things in this film. But it is, in some ways, a very uplifting. It is a very humanistic film. Matalga did a great job for a first time filmmaker. And the shots of Amman are breathtaking. This is a must see.

The Runaways

2010-03-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

The Runaways is written and directed by Floria Sigismondi. It is based on the book Neon Angel by former Runaway Cherie Currie.

The Runaways was a group of teenage girls who hit it big in the mid 1970s. And, yes, they were very young (15, 16). Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) always wanted to play rock and roll. She formed a group and got connected to producer Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon). He found their lead singer in the angelic looking Currie (Dakota Fanning).

The film is quite conventional. It follows what happens as the group becomes famous. And, of course, there is all the drug and alcohol use. Just remember how young these girls were. Currie gets most of the attention and some of the other band members are not too pleased with that. But she always had a special bond with Jett.

Stewart, Fanning and Shannon are all good in their roles. Tatum o'Neal turns up in a very small cameo as Currie's mother. Eventually, Currie has a meltdown and leaves the group. Jett went on to become a famous rock and roll singer. And that is that.

The Runaways is not a bad film. Sigismondi manages to capture the feel of the era. But it is just not that special. But I had fun watching how things used to be back in the good old days.

Green Zone

2010-03-19T15:20:00.001-07:00

Although it has not done well at the box office I must say that Green Zone is a pretty good film. Paul Greengrass has directed the film in his distinctive style. The screenplay was written by Brian Helgeland from a book written by Rajiv Chandrasekaran. The title of the book is Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone.

The film follows a soldier named Miller (Matt Damon). The time is 2003. Miller is very gung ho about finding weapons of mass destruction. But after several raids there are no weapons. In due time he finds out the truth about this illegal war.

The film is made well and held by attention. However, the last action sequence was too long and should have been cut. The film clearly belongs to Damon. Brendan Gleeson, Greg Kinnear and Amy Ryan are there for support but there characters are not very well developed. It doesn't matter because this film is not about characters and acting. It is about finding the truth. And that is why I wish more people were seeing Green Zone. Don't they want to know more about the truth? I do but I guess that most people just don't care. They rather go see such drivel as Teh Bounty Hunter. What can I say? It is the way of the world.

DVD Mini Review - The Stoning of Soraya M.

2010-03-18T20:03:00.001-07:00

The Stoning of Soraya M. has a powerful message. The film is directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh and written by him and his wife Betsy Giffin Nowrasteh and it is based on a book which is a true story. It is about how women are treated in the strict Muslim world - the law of Shariah. In this world a woman who cheats on her husband will be stoned to death. Even if it is not true they make things up so they can stone her. What happens to the man involved in this. Nothing. So you can see what this is about.

Shoreh Aghdashloo gives a terrific performance as Soraya's aunt Zahra. She tries her best to help her niece. Mozhan Marno is also very good as the poor Soraya. Soraya's husband Ali (Navid Negahban) goes to prostitutes (no punishment for him) and wants to marry a 14 year old. He wants to divorce Soraya but she is giving him a hard time. So what better way to get rid of her than to make up a story about her. This way he doesn't even have to pay her. He even turns their sons and father against her. Jim Caviezel has a small role as the writer who Zahra tells the story to.

While this is not outstanding cinema it is good and it held my attention. And it has an important message. The only thing that made me wonder was when one of the characters tells Zahra that things not the way they were when the Shah was the ruler. I wonder if that means somehow that someone connected to this film was pro Shah. Well, he was certainly not good. There were many political prisoners in the jails during his reign. And the US installed him and overthrew a popular leader.

In any case, The Stoning of Soraya M. is worth checking out. Just me aware that the stoning is very graphic, very bloody and very hard to watch.

Oscar Nominated Shorts

2010-03-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

If you have Movies on Demand (I have it on Time Warner Cable) you can see the Oscar nominated Live Action and Animated Short films. Each set is only five dollars. I only just discovered them and watched them over the weekend. I wish I saw them before the ceremonies (perhaps next year) but they are very well worth watching.

I hope to have my best of 2009 posted soon. I really wanted to get this done before the Oscars but other things were more pressing. So, my list should be ready in a week or two (I hope).

The Yellow Handkerchief

2010-03-13T15:32:00.001-08:00

The Yellow Handkerchief is a lovely little film directed by Udayan Prasad. The film is based on a short story by Pete Hamil with a screenplay by Erin Dignam. The story is updated to the time shortly after Hurricane Katrina. William Hurt plays a man named Brett who was just released from jail. He meets up with two young people - Martine (Kristen Stewart) and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne). Both of them have their own issues.

The three of them take a sort of short road trip. During the course of the film we see flashbacks of Brett and his wife May (Maria Bello). Later on we find out what happened with May and why Brett was in jail.

The Yellow Handkerchief rolls out at a leisurely pace. I knew how the film would end but that didn't matter because I still had tears in my eyes. Redmayne's character got on my nerves a bit but Stewart was okay. Bello was very good. She is certainly an underrated actress. And Hurt was wonderful. He once again proves what a fine actor he is.

So, if you can't find this small film in your local theater rent it when it comes out on DVD.

A Prophet

2010-03-12T19:47:00.000-08:00

A Prophet is the third foreign film nominee (for this year) that I have seen. And despite almost unanimous raves I have to say that it is the one that I liked the least.

Directed by Jacques Audiard the film is about a young man named Malik (Tahir Rahim) who has been in various juvenile detention centers. Now that he has become of age he is sent to a regular prison. He is an Arab so right away there are problems. He is approached by Luciani (Niels Arestrop) and his gang of thugs. He is to kill another Muslim and he does not do so Luciani will kill him. Well, you can guess what his decision is.

The rest of the film shows how Malik deals with prison life and how he eventually goes to the top of his game. The film is very rough and very violent but that is how a prison film would be.

I thought that the film was well directed. Audiard captured the essence of prison life in a very realistic way. Rahim is terrific as Malik and and he is truly an actor to watch. And Arestrop is unbelievable as the wicked Luciani. All of the other actors were very good as well. However, the script written by Audiard and Thomas Bidegain does not bring anything new to the film. We have seen all of this before. And while the film is never boring it could have been a little shorter (it is two and a half hours).

I do recommend this film to people who want to see all of the Oscar nominees and who also want to support foreign language film (these days foreign films need all the support that they can get). But it is not as good as Ajami and certainly not as good as The White Ribbon (which I thought was outstanding). I haven't seen the Oscar winner The Secret of Their Eyes but I will in May and I am certainly looking forward to it.

DVD Mini Review - Amreeka

2010-03-11T19:55:00.000-08:00

Amreeka is a wonderful film written and directed by Cherien Dabis. It is the story of Muna Farah (Nisreen Faour) and her son Fadi (Melkar Muallem). Muna has two degrees and has worked in a bank in Palestine for many years. She is divorced. Fadi would very much move to America and when the opportunity presents itself they leave for "greener pastures." They go to live in suburban Illinois with Muna's sister Raghda (Haim Abbass) and her family. The time is when the Iraq war is getting started.

Muna and Fadi think that things will be better in the US but they are anything but. Muna cannot get a good job so she has to settle for work in a White Castle. Fadi has trouble in school because of anti Arabic sentiment. But there are some who lend a hand - including the school principal Mr. Novatski (Joseph Ziegler) who just happens to be Jewish.

Amreeka is a warm film with a big heart. It shows that even with life's ups and downs there is always room for laughter. The cast is wonderful and Faour really shines. And what can one say about Abbass - she is one of the best actresses working today. As for Dabis, I can't wait to see what she does in the future.

Check Amreeka out on DVD. You won't be sorry that you did.

Oscar Winners 2010

2010-03-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

· Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
· Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
· Best Actress: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
· Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
· Best Foreign Language Film: El Secreto de Sus Ojos, Argentina
· Best Film Editing: Bob Murawski and Chris Innis, The Hurt Locker
· Best Documentary Feature: The Cove
· Best Visual Effects: Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Beneham and Andrew R. Jones, Avatar
· Best Original Score: Michael Giacchino, Up
· Best Cinematography: Mauro Fiore, Avatar
· Best Sound Mixing: Paul N. J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett, The Hurt Locker
· Best Sound Editing: Paul N. J. Ottosson, The Hurt Locker
· Best Costume Design: Sandy Powell, The Young Victoria
· Best Art Direction: Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg and Kim Sinclair, Avatar
· Best Supporting Actress: Mo’nique, Precious
· Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
· Best Adapted Screenplay: Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
· Best Makeup: Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow, Star Trek
· Best Live Action Short Film: Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson, The New Tenants
· Best Short Subject Documentary: Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett, Music by Prudence
· Best Animated Short Film: Nicolas Schmerkin, Logorama
· Best Original Screenplay: Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
· Best Original Song: Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett, ‘The Weary Kind’, Crazy Heart
· Best Animated Feature Film: Up

Independent Spirit Award Winners

2010-03-07T14:25:00.001-08:00

* BEST FEATURE: Precious
* BEST DIRECTOR: Lee Daniels for Precious
* BEST FEMALE LEAD: Gabby Sidibe for Precious
* BEST MALE LEAD: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart
* BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE: Mo’Nique for Precious
* BEST SUPPORTING MALE: Woody Harrelson for The Messenger
* BEST FIRST FEATURE: Crazy Heart
* JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD: Humpday
* BEST SCREENPLAY: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber for 500 Days of Summer
* BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY: Geoffrey Fletcher for Precious
* BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roger Deakins for A Serious Man
* BEST DOCUMENTARY: Anvil!
* BEST FOREIGN FILM: An Education
* ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD: Directors and Cast of A Serious Man
* PRODUCERS AWARD: Karen Chien (The Exploding Girl, Santa Mesa)
* SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD: Kyle Patrick Alvarez for Easier With Practice
* TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD: Bill Ross, Turner Ross for 45365

North Face

2010-03-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

A few words on North Face, which I saw earlier today.

This German film is very exciting and quite gripping. It is based on a true story which takes place in 1936. The Nazi propaganda machine is trying to get its mountain climbers to scale The Eiger. So far no one has been able to make it to the top and this would be a feather in their cap.

Two reluctant climbers - Toni (Benno Furmann) and Andreas Florian Lukas) - decide to give it a try. Enter Luise (Johanna Wokalek) who used to live nearby. She now lives in Berlin and works for a newspaper. She and Toni have some sort of relationship and at first she is excited by the prospect of them climbing the mountain. But she eventually has great doubts about it. She and her boss Henry Arau (Ulrich Tuker) cover the story for their paper. But Arau is much more interested in the story than the fate of the men.

Director Phillip Stolzl really had me on the edge of my seat. I kept waiting to see what would happen to these men (as well as two climbers from Austria). If you want to see a really good adventure film then North Face is for you.

The Art of the Steal (MOD)

2010-03-05T17:20:00.000-08:00

I saw Don Argott's interesting documentary The Art of the Steal on IFC on Demand. It is a very worthwhile film.

The doc is the story of Dr. Albert Barnes. Dr. Barnes did very well with his practice and helped find a vaccine for VD. However, his real passion was art. He spend his money building up a fabulous collection (Matisse, Picasso, Van Gogh, Dali, etc). He did not do this to make money. He did it because he wanted to educate people about art. He set up his center in a suburb of Philadelphia. It was a school but sometimes people were allowed to just see the art. He was a New Deal Liberal and preferred to help the little guy rather than the art elite. And that made some people angry.

One thing that Barnes was very adamant about was that his collection should never me moved out of the center. After his death his assistant remained faithful to his wishes. However, after her death the scavengers came out of the wooodworks. The last part of the film shows the battle between the people who wanted to move the artwork to Philadelphia and those who wanted to keep it where it was.

If you like intelligent documentaries that make you think then check out The Art of the Steal.

DVD Mini Review - The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

2010-03-04T19:39:00.000-08:00

Rebecca Miller makes quirky little films that are not for mainstream audiences. I liked her previous film The Ballad of Jack and Rose which boasted a terrific performance by her husband Daniel Day-Lewis. But it was not a film that took off. The same is true of her most recent film The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Robin Wright (then know as Penn) gives a great performance but the film is not for everyone.

Pippa is married to Herb (Alan Arkin) who is thirty years her senior. They move to a retirement complex in Connecticut. Pippa seems a bit out of place there but she tries to make the best of it. But she is having a very quiet nervous breakdown. She and Herb spend a bit of time with their friends Sam (Mike Binder) and Sandra (Winona Ryder). But things aren't as they appear to be. In addition, a strange man named Chris (Keanu Reeves) moves next door with his mother.

During the film we see flashbacks of the young Pippa (Blake Lively) with her mother Suky (the marvelous Maria Bello). This gives us some understanding of why Pippa is the way she is. We also find out how she met Herb.

Miller adapted the script from her novel of the same name. In addition to the above mentioned actors there are cameos by Julianne Moore and Monica Bellucci. It is an interesting film and I quite liked it. But it certainly is not heavy on the plot and, as I said before, it will be too quirky for many.

Ajami

2010-02-27T15:12:00.000-08:00

Ajami is Israel's third Oscar nominated film in a row. And it certainly deserves its nomination. The film is co-directed and co-directed by Scandor Copti (an Arab) and Yaron Shani (a Jew). It is set in the Jaffa neighborhood of Ajami. And you can say that there are some very mean streets in the hood.

The film is broken down into five intertwining stories. Some of the characters include Malek (Ibrahim Ferge, a kid who is working illegally so that he can help his mother get a much needed operation; Omar (Shahir Kabaha), a guy who is trying to pay off a debt in order to keep his family from getting killed in a payback sort of way - he is also in love with a woman who is not in his league); Dando (Eran Naim), a Jewish cop who is trying to find out what happened to his soldier brother, and Binj (played by Copti himself), a man who has a Jewish girlfriend and a drug habit. These are just a few of the characters in the film. There a quite a few more.

Ajami demands that you pay attention to what is happening. If you don't then you will not understand how everything is connected. I don't want to say much about the plot. The film is very powerful as it depicts life in the streets of this tough neighborhood. And things get violent. But it is excellent filmmaking. So if you like intelligent world cinema then make sure you see this terrific film.

The Ghost Writer

2010-02-26T20:23:00.001-08:00

The Ghost Writer is Roman Polanski's new film. Adapted from a novel by Robert Harris (who co-wrote the screenplay with Polanski) entitled The Ghost the film is a highly intelligent thriller.

The Ghost (Ewan McGregor) is hired to ghost the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). He is replacing the former ghost writer who died in either an accident or suicide. No one is sure. The Ghost is at first reluctant to take the job but he eventually decides that $250,000 for a month's work is very good indeed. While there he starts to discover things that are not quite what they seem to be. And all hell breaks lose when Lang is accused of crimes against humanity.

The film very well directed and well written. The dialogue is crackling. The films keeps you guessing until the very end. McGregor has never been better. This is a great role for him. Brosnan shows us that he is much more than James Bond. And Olivia Williams as Lang's wife Ruth is fantastic. Tom Wilkinson and Eli Wallach are also wonderful in smaller roles. I don't want to say much more about the plot because I don't want to spoil things.

I will say that Lang's character is somewhat based on Tony Blair. The film indicts Blair, G.W Bush, the Iraq war and torture in a most subtle way. And it shows, once again, what a great filmmaker Roman Polanski is. Highly recommended.

DVD Mini Review - Shadowboxer

2010-02-24T18:57:00.000-08:00

I will say a few words about the above mentioned film. I had wanted to see it for a while. However, I really wanted to see it after I saw director Lee Daniels latest film Precious: Based on a Novel by Sapphire. I thought that Precious was terrific (and I am not the only one) and wanted to see an earlier work by the director.

While Shadowboxer is not up to the standard of Precious I think it is a good film and I certainly liked. I was entertained and never bored.

Mikey (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) has lived a rough life. His father was a criminal and his mother died when he was young. Rose (Helen Mirren) has been his protector and lover for quite some time. They are hitmen(women). Rose is dying of cancer and she is going to do one last job. A vicious crime boss named Clayton Mayfield (Stephen Dorff) wants his wife Vicki (Vanessa Ferlito) killed. But when Rose sees that Vicki is pregnant she just can't go through with it. So she, Vicki and Mikey head for the suburbs. But can this escape be successful. Ah, dear friends, you will have to see the film to find out.

Mirren and Gooding, Jr. might sound like a strange pair but it works. The other strange pairing that I liked was Dr. Don (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Precious (Mo'Nique). Odd but interesting. Add Macy Gray as Vicki's friend Neisha and you have quite a cast.

Mirren is always wonderful and this film is no exception. Gooding, Jr. did his best work in a long time. All of the actors were spot on too. And the film shows Daniels' potential as a filmmaker. The film did not get good reviews. I can't understand it but then again I sometimes don't understand the critics. The film has a lot of sex and violence. But if you want something a bit different then rent this film.

By the way, in the film Mo'Nique plays a character named Precious. It is interesting to note that she is in Daniels' film Precious and plays the mother from hell Mary.

BAFTA Winners

2010-02-21T13:28:00.001-08:00

Best Film: “The Hurt Locker”
Best Actress: Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Best Actor: Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
Best Foreign Language Film: “A Prophet”
Best Animated Film: “Up”
Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, “Up in the Air”
Rising Star Award: Kristen Stewart
Best Production Design: Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg and Kim Sinclair, “Avatar”
Best Original Screenplay: Mark Boal, “The Hurt Locker”

Best British Film: “Fish Tank”
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, “Precious”
Best Makeup and Hair: Jenny Shircore, “The Young Victoria”
Best Costume Design: Sandy Powell, “The Young Victoria”
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Visual Effects: “Avatar”
Best Cinematography: Barry Ackroyd, “The Hurt Locker”
Best Film Editing: Bob Murawski and Chris Innis, “The Hurt Locker”
Best Music: Michael Giacchino, “Up”
Best Sound: “The Hurt Locker”
Carl Foreman Award (Best Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer): Duncan Jones, “Moon”
Best Short Film: “I Do Air”
Best Animated Short: “Mother of Many”
Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema: Joe Dunton

WGA Winners

2010-02-20T18:56:00.001-08:00

Original - Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Adapted - Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner for Up in the Air
Documentary - The Cove

Long form original – Georgia O’Keefe
Long form adapted – Taking Chance

District 9 (DVD) and Shutter Island

2010-02-19T19:26:00.000-08:00

I will say a few words about the two films listed above. I am not really in the mood to write but I like to (and try to) say something about all of the films that I see.

District 9, directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson, is an entertaining science fiction film that takes place in South Africa. Aliens have landed and they are sent to live in townships. They are not treated well at all. In fact they are being experimented on. The global business conglomerate Multi National United is behind all of this. Wikus van de Merwe (Shalro Copeley) is assigned to have them evicted from where they live. But something happens to him that takes the story in a different direction.

Now, I will say that Blomkamp made a good film. It is original and it even has a message (townships, labor camps, experiments). And Copeley is great as Merwe. He carries the film on his shoulders. I look forward to seeing what these to do in the future. However, I do not think this is an Oscar quality film and I don't see how it was nominated for a Best Picture prize. I recommend seeing the film - by all means do so. But I think that the Oscars have become a joke. There are a number of films on their list that shouldn't be there.

Shutter Island was supposed to be an "Oscar" film this year but it was pushed back and it was just released. Will it be up for awards next year? I don't think so. But I must say that I liked the film. I read the book (by Dennis Lehane) so I knew what to expect.

Teddy Daniels (Leonardo di Caprio) and his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are headed to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of one of the mental hospital's "patients." Upon their arrival they meet Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and later on Dr. Naehring (Max von Sydow). They are psychiatrists who have their own ways of treating these dangerous patients (inmates). Right away you know that something is not right and after you see the whole film you think back and it all falls into place.

Now some people are bashing director Martin Scorsese. Why? Because he didn't come up with another masterpiece. Well, not every film can be a masterpiece. And while Shutter Island may not be his best work it is an intelligent psychological thriller.
I don't think that di Caprio is always the most emotionally compelling actor but he is very good as Daniels. Ruffalo and Kingsley are really good as well. And the legendary von Sydow shines in his small role. Also terrific in small roles are Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Jackie Earle Haley and Ted Levine.

I won't say much about the plot. It is compelling and it makes you think. And it is certainly better than most of the films that come out of Hollywood these days.

Note: A.O. Scott wrote a very bad pan of the film in the NY Times. I don't understand how Scott (and Manhola Daris) can be so influential. In the last few years the Times has really gone down in quality. So it is no surprise that they have these two as their main film critics (theater critic Ben Brantley is in the same category as far as I'm concerned). I just wish people wouldn't take their word as law.

Red Riding: 1983 (MOD)

2010-02-14T10:07:00.001-08:00

The final installment of The Red Riding Trilogy is directed by Anand Tucker. The beginning of the film starts with a scene that takes place in 1974. We then get the whole picture of the police corruption that takes place in the North of England. Things start to fall into the place.

In 1983 Maurice Jobson (David Morrissey) is one of the main characters. He is in all three films but he is center stage here. He becomes more remorseful as time goes on and starts to believe that the young man who is jailed for the crimes of killing the girls is not the real murderer.

A new character introduced to us in this film is John Piggott (Mark Addy). Piggott is a lawyer who is not that successful. But he is asked to look into the false imprisonment of the above mentioned young man and he starts to have the same suspicions that Morrissey has.

There are a few other new characters (including a psychic) and many of the old characters are back. I enjoyed watching all of the films and found them quite riveting. Yes, the series is convoluted but that makes it even more fun to watch.

I like the way Tucker wraps things up and I understood how things worked in North Yorkshire. And as was the case in the other two films all of the acting is spot on. But, at the beginning of 1983 I had a feeling who the prime murderer was and I was right. So maybe I should be a detective?! In any case, if you want a good, gritty crime drama check out the Red Riding Trilogy.

The White Ribbon

2010-02-12T19:45:00.000-08:00

Wow, I finally got to see The White Ribbon. I have been waiting a while to see this one. I can say that Michael Haneke's Palm D'or winner is brilliant filmmaking and one of the best films of 2009 (even though I saw it today it is one of the best films of last year).

The film is shot in glorious black and white by Christopher Berger. The story takes place in a German village a few years before World War I. Strange and bad things are happening in the village. The doctor's horse trips over a wire in the doctor's yard severely injuring the man. But how did the wire get there? A farmer's wife dies in a work related accident. The young son of the baron is beaten up and tortured. A barn burns down. The mentally challenged son of the town's midwife is even more severely hurt than the baron's son. There is also incest and terrible beatings of children. What can I say? This is heavy stuff. But who is doing all of these horrible things. The incest and beatings are clear. But the other things are not.

I can say that with the exception of the teacher (who in an older version is the narrator) all of the men in this town are horrid! The women are submissive and most of the children are not treated well. But this film is more than a who done it. It is about the root of evil. And at the end there is no clear answer. I have my theories and they may change as I think more about the film.

Haneke does a marvelous job at directing this film (and he wrote the intelligent screenplay as well). The above mentioned Berger is also fantastic. All of the actors are wonderful. I am not familiar with most of them (only Ulrich Tucker as the baron and Susanne Lothar as the midwife). But that doesn't matter.

There is one scene in the film that is so verbally violent that it makes a physical punch seem like nothing. I had my mouth open after that scene. And, yes, I can see how this story is about the seeds of Nazism. There is so much more I can say about this film but I am a bit tired.

I will say that I will only recommend this film to those of you who want to see something challenging, something that will make you think for a long time. I am already looking forward to seeing it on DVD. If you are looking for something easy then forget this one. But if you want your mind to get a workout then see The White Ribbon as soon as possible.

DVD Mini Review - The Song of Sparrows

2010-02-10T11:40:00.001-08:00

I am a fan of Iranian cinema and director Majid Majidi (Children of Heaven, The Color of Paradise, The Willow Tree), so I was certainly looking forward to seeing The Song of Sparrows. The film had a very limited release in the spring of 2009 so for me the best way to see it was on DVD (Netflix is a blessing and I highly recommend it to those of you who still don't have it).

Karim (Reza Naji) works at an ostrich farm. He is very devoted to his job and the birds. But one day one of the birds disappears. Karim is blamed for this and he is fired (he tells his family that he quit). It is hard enough to support his family (wife, two daughters and a son) but his older daughter is partially deaf and uses a hearing aid. When she loses the hearing aid while helping brother and his friends clear an unused well so that they may start a fish business. The hearing aid is found but it is broken. Karim is very upset but he is also determined to either have it fixed or buy her a new one. He takes off on his motorcycle to the big city of Tehran. He finds out that fixing the hearing aid is impossible and to buy a new one would be very expensive (he is uninsured - I guess that Iran does not give all of its citizens health care). While sitting on his bike he approached by someone who needs a ride. And then and there he starts his business as a taxi (bike) driver.

The Song of Sparrows is filled with wonderful, realistic moments is a real slice of life. We can see how the two halves live. Kamir and his rural family don't have much but many of the big city people are very well to do. We also see how this new way of life affects Kamir. For the most part I liked him but there were times that he was not that likable. I should say that Naji is marvelous as Kamir. You can read all of his emotions on his weathered face. And the cinematography by Turaj Mansuri is fantastic. And by the end of the film you will understand what the title means. Highly recommended to all of those who love wonderful world cinema.

Red Riding: 1974 & Red Riding: 1980

2010-02-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

The Red Riding Trilogy is a three part crime drama that was shown in the UK last year. It is highly acclaimed and very gritty. The films are based on a quartet of books written by David Peace. All of the scripts were written by Tony Grisoni. They combined 1977 with the other years to make it into three films (that was due to budget constraints. All three films are being shown at the IFC theater in NYC as one long film with intermissions. They are also being shown on IFC on Demand on Cable. After seeing the first two films I can say that they work very well on television.

The first film, 1974, is directed by Julian Jarrold. Young Eddie Dunford (Andrew Garfield) is a young reporter for a local paper in Yorkshire which is in the North of England. He was down south for a while but came back home. He is working on a story about the Yorkshire Ripper who has killed several little girls during the past few years. He tries to work with the police but they are so corrupt that things just don't get done. When the body of the last murdered girl is found all hell breaks lose. Dunford talks to the parents of the boy who the girl's body. There is something very strange about the boy's father Martin Laws (Peter Mullan) but I can't say what it is since he only has one scene in the film. Not about to give up on things Dunford tries to talk to the mother of a girl who disappeared a few years ago. But things do not go smoothly when he tries to interview Paula Garland (Rebecca Hall). And things go from bad to worse when one of his colleagues mysteriously dies in a car crash. And that is all I will say about the plot. The story is quite absorbing and you must pay attention throughout. Garfield is very good and Hall is terrific. I always like seeing Mullan and Eddie Marsan has a small role as another reporter working for the same paper as Dunford. Oh, and Sean Bean is also very good as an unsavory character named John Dawson.

Now fast forward to 1980 to the same place. The Yorkshire Police have not gotten any less corrupt. Through the last several years there has been a number of killings of women - some who appear to be prostitutes. Is this still the same murderer as in the first film? The local police department decides to call on a detective from another part of the country. They feel that Peter Hunter (Paddy Considine) is the right man for the job. He takes two of his best police people Helen Marshall (Maxine Peake) and John Nolan (Tony Pitts) to help him out. Hunter is determined to find the murderer. But can he really accomplish this with all the resentment of the local police people bubbling around him? It seems that Hunter has demons of his own that he can't deal with. And while he is investigating an unexpected character from the first film reappears. And there is a surprise twist at the end that I didn't see coming. And, yes, I will not say more about the plot. Considine is very good as is Peake. In fact, all of the acting in both films are on target.

After seeing both films I can say that things are slowly starting to fit together. But I am sure that you have to see 1983 to really know what is going on. As of now, 1983 is not listed on the IFC on Demand channel. I hope that they put it on soon so I can find out the end result. All in all, the two films that I saw are well directed and well acted but a bit convoluted. You really have to pay attention and keep with the story. Yes, in the end it is worth it. And I certainly hope that the rumors that there will be a US remake are just that - rumors. I highly doubt that the studios will be able to make a better version of these stories.

The Last Station

2010-02-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

The Last Station is a lovely and most interesting film about the last year of the life of the great Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer). The film is written and directed by Michael Hoffman from a novel (based on fact) by Jay Parini.

Tolstoy has many disciples who follow his beliefs and he also has many detractors. The head of the movement, Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) is trying to get Tolstoy to sign over the rights to his work to the public. This would leave his family with very little. On this side of the conflict is Tolstoy's daughter Sasha (Anne-Marie Duff). Against this idea is his wife Sofya (Helen Mirren). Somewhere in the middle is Tolstoy's secretary Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy). Rounding out this mix is a "follower" named Masha who woos Valentin out of his celibacy.

The film does a fine job painting these last days of the master. It is also the chronicle of a long marriage. All of the actors are terrific. However, as good as everyone is the film belongs to Mirren and Plummer. Mirren is one of the great acting queens of the day and her performance is certainly more Oscar worthy than frontrunner Sandra Bullocks fine but not outstanding performance in The Blind Side. Plummer has been around forever and it is hard to believe that he has gotten his first nomination at the age of 80 but it is well deserved. The film is lovely to look at and has some very witty dialogue.

The Last Station is a true cinematic treat and I highly recommend it to those of you who like literate and literary films.

Edit: I forgot to mention that at the end of the film there were pictures of the real Tolstoy and the other characters in the film. I really enjoyed seeing the pictures and I must say that Plummer certainly looked like the real Tolstoy.

DVD Mini Review - As It Is in Heaven

2010-02-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

Kay Pollak's film was nominated for a foreign language Oscar in 2005. I don't even think it played in NYC but it is now finally available on DVD. It certainly is amazing that it took so long but it Lorber films picked it up. I don't understand it because it is a wonderful film.

In a small town in Sweden a young boy is an accomplished violinist. But the town bullies beat him up. His father is dead but his mother decides that they should move to a place that appreciates his talent. He eventually changes his name and becomes the world famous conductor Daniel Dareus (Michael Nyqvist). But fame wears him down and takes a toll on his health. He eventually gives it up and moves back to his home town. He is offered the position of being in charge of the church choir. Many things happen - some good and some bad. But I won't tell you more. You will have to see for yourself.

As It Is in Heaven is a terrific film about quirky people and having passion in your life. All of the actors a really good. Nyqvist is wonderful as a sensitive man who is trying to give people music that fills the heart. Frida Hellgren is excellent as Lena, a woman who is also dealing with hurt in her past.

I highly recommend this beautiful film. And I was very happy with the quality of the subtitles. Everyone should be able to read them with any trouble.

Oscar Nominations

2010-02-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

Best Picture

* “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
* “The Blind Side” Nominees to be determined
* “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
* “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
* “The Hurt Locker” Nominees to be determined
* “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
* “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
* “Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
* “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role

* Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
* George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
* Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
* Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
* Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Actor in a Supporting Role

* Matt Damon in “Invictus”
* Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
* Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
* Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
* Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Actress in a Leading Role

* Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
* Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
* Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
* Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
* Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Actress in a Supporting Role

* Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
* Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
* Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
* Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
* Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Animated Feature Film

* “Coraline” Henry Selick
* “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
* “The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
* “The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
* “Up” Pete Docter

Art Direction

* “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
* “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
* “Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
* “Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
* “The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cinematography

* “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
* “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
* “The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
* “Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
* “The White Ribbon” Christian Berger

Costume Design

* “Bright Star” Janet Patterson
* “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
* “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
* “Nine” Colleen Atwood
* “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Directing

* “Avatar” James Cameron
* “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
* “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
* “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

Documentary (Feature)

* “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
* “The Cove” Nominees to be determined
* “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
* “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
* “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Documentary (Short Subject)

* “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
* “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
* “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
* “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
* “Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Film Editing

* “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
* “District 9” Julian Clarke
* “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
* “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Foreign Language Film

* “Ajami” Israel
* “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” Argentina
* “The Milk of Sorrow” Peru
* “Un Prophète” France
* “The White Ribbon” Germany

Makeup

* “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
* “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
* “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Music (Original Score)

* “Avatar” James Horner
* “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
* “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
* “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
* “Up” Michael Giacchino

Music (Original Song)

* “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
* “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
* “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Short Film (Animated)

* “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
* “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
* “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
* “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
* “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

Short Film (Live Action)

* “The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
* “Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
* “Kavi” Gregg Helvey
* “Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
* “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Sound Editing

* “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
* “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
* “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
* “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
* “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Sound Mixing

* “Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
* “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
* “Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
* “Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
* “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Visual Effects

* “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
* “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
* “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

* “District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
* “An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
* “In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
* “Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Writing (Original Screenplay)

* “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
* “Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
* “The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
* “A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
* “Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

DGA Awards

2010-01-31T08:23:00.001-08:00

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
TV Movie: Taking Chance
Television Series: Mad Men
Comedy Series: Modern Family
Documentary - The Cove
Musical/Variety - Obama Inauguration
Reality TV - Build it Bigger

Fish Tank and The Girl on the Train

2010-01-30T19:33:00.000-08:00

Well, 2010 has gotten off to a good start with two films that I saw today. I will say a few words about each of them. I still have two more 2009 films (The Last Station and The White Ribbon) to see and then I will make up my best of 2009 list. I will see the films within the next two weeks.

Fish Tank, directed by Andrea Arnold is a powerful film about a young teenager named Mia Williams (Katie Jarvis). Mia lives in a council flat with her boozy mother Joanne (Kierston Wareing) and younger sister Sophie (Charlotte Collins). Oh, and they have a dog. Mia does not get along with her mother and most of the kids her age don't like her - and the feeling is mutual. She always seems to be getting into trouble. Her life changes when her mother's new boyfriend Connor (Michael Fassbender) starts coming around and eventually moves in. He treats Mia like a real person and she starts falling for him.

I don't want to say more about the plot. You will have to see the film if you want to find out more. I can say that Arnold is a terrific director. I loved her previous film Red Road and her Oscar winning short Wasp. And Fish Tank is on the same level. It is a real slice of life and these people do exist. Arnold truly knows how to portray the working class. All of the acting is spot on. Wareing and Collins are both very good. Jarvis is marvelous. It is hard to believe that she is not a professional actress (I would guess that now she is). And Fassbender is one of the best new actors working today.

Fish Tank pulls no punches. All of the talent involved is outstanding. I can't wait to see what they all do in the future.

Edit - As much as I liked this film I did not like the scene with the fish. That is the animal protector in me.

While not up to Fish Tank's standards, The Girl on the Train is still worth seeing. One reason is because I have always liked director Andre Techine's films. And two is because of the actors. Emilie Dequenne plays Jeanne, a troubled young woman. Jeannie lives with her mother Louise (Catherine Deneuve) in a suburb of Paris. She is trying to find a job but, in all honesty) is not trying hard enough. Louise spots an ad for a secretary in the paper. It so happens that lawyer Samuel Bleistein (Michel Blanc) is looking for a secretary. Bleistein is an old friend of Louise and her late husband (and an admirer of Louise's). He is very well known and speaks out about the growing anti-semitism in Europe. Jeanne has an interview with Bleistein's ex daughter in law Judith (Ronit Elkabetz) which doesn't go well.

In the meantime, Jeanne meets Franck (Nicolas Duvauchelle) an aspiring wrestler wh falls for her at once. After a short time they move into the home of a friend of Franck's. They are house sitting but things aren't what they seem. I won't tell you what happens but I will say that events cause Jeanne to make up huge lie. She tells the police that several men molested her on a train. They mistook her for a Jew and did certain things to her. It was a big story but it was not true. Besides these characters we have Bleistein's son Alex (Mathieu Demy) who is divorced from Judith and their son Nathan (Jeremie Quaegebeur).

Techine's directing is very good. I liked all of the actors (especially, Dequenne, Deneuve, Blanc and Elkabetz). And the story is quite interesting. The film doesn't go into the depths of anti semitism that is spreading throughout Europe. We don't really find out why Jeanne did what she did. And we don't come to any definite conclusions about Bleistein and his family. But it doesn't matter. Despite some flaw The Girl on the Train holds your attention and makes you think. And that is what matters.

DVD Mini Review - Of Time and the City

2010-01-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

Of Time and the City is Terence Davies portrait of his birthplace of Liverpool. The film shows how the city has changed through the years. Through archive and more recent footage, beautiful music and poetry & prose Davies has created a visual poem of a film. I found it breathtaking and very moving. It certainly is a film about memories and how they affect us.

I highly recommend this film and I also recommend that you see his marvelous, underrated The House of Mirth (and read the book while you are at it!).

PGA Winners

2010-01-25T18:46:00.001-08:00

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker!
Comedy Television: 30 Rock
Long Form Television: Grey Gardens
Documentary: The Cove
Animated Feature: Up
Live Entertainment and Competition: The Colbert Report
Selznick Award: John Lasseter
Non-Fiction Television: 60 Minutes
Stanley Kramer Award: Precious
TV Drama: Mad Men
Vanguard Award: Joss Whedon
Milestone Award: Sony's Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton

Crazy Heart

2010-01-23T20:07:00.002-08:00

Crazy Heart is a wonderful new film written and directed by Scott Cooper. Although it is a low budget picture it is high budget in quality and the emotions that it evokes.

Jeff Bridges plays Bad Blake. He is a washed up, alcoholic country star who is down on his luck and broke. His body is so lived in that it seems it was overrun by a steamroller. There are many closeups of Blake's weathered, beaten up face. And looking at him you know what he is feeling.

Blake has a protege named Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell) who is now a big star. Blake taught Sweet everything he knows but now he is playing small joints. A bit of fresh air comes into Blake's life when he meets a reporter in Santa Fe named Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal). They start a relationship but you know it isn't going to be easy. Rather than tell you what else happens in the film I will just urge you to see it.

Cooper is a first time filmmaker and I say bravo to him. Farrell is terrific (but I wonder why he is not credited) as is Robert Duvall who shows up late in the film as Wayne, a friend of Blake's. Gyllenhaal gives such a fine performance that I find it hard to believe she has not gotten any awards buzz. I don't get it. And what can I say about Bridges. It is such a subtle, marvelous performance of a man on the edge. The film also has some great music with a soundtrack written by T Bone Burnett and the late Stephen Bruton. And then there is the award winning song The Weary Kind written by Burnett and Ryan Bingham.

As you can see from my previous post Bridges just won the SAG award. He has also won the Critics' Choice and Golden Globe awards. There are many outstanding performance by actors this year including George Clooney (who just keeps getting better), Colin Firth (who was outstanding and heartbreaking) and Viggo Mortensen (magnificent but I am afraid he will not even get a nomination) but on Oscar night I will be rooting for Jeff Bridges. Go, Jeff, Go!

SAG Winners

2010-01-23T20:07:00.001-08:00

MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"

FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"

MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"

FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Mo'Nique, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"

CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
"Inglourious Basterds"
Daniel Bruehl
August Diehl
Julie Dreyfus
Michael Fassbender
Sylvester Groth
Jacky Ido
Diane Kruger
Melanie Laurent
Denis Menochet
Mike Myers
Brad Pitt
Eli Roth
Til Schweiger
Rod Taylor
Christoph Waltz
Martin Wuttke

STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
"Star Trek"

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Kevin Bacon, "Taking Chance"

FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Drew Barrymore, "Grey Gardens"

MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"

FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"

MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"

FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"

ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES
"Mad Men"
Alexa Alemanni
Bryan Batt
Jared S. Gilmore
Michael Gladis
Jon Hamm
Jared Harris
Christina Hendricks
January Jones
Vincent Kartheiser
Robert Morse
Elisabeth Moss
Kiernan Shipka
John Slattery
Rich Sommer
Christopher Stanley
Aaron Staton

ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
"Glee"
Diana Agron
Chris Colfer
Patrick Gallagher
Jessalyn Gilsig
Jane Lynch
Jayma Mays
Kevin McHale
Lea Michele
Cory Monteith
Heather Morris
Matthew Morrison
Amber Riley
Naya Rivera
Mark Salling
Harry Shum Jr.
Josh Sussman
Dijon Talton
Iqbal Theba
Jenna Ushkowitz

STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES
"24"

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Betty White

DVD Mini Review - Herb & Dorothy

2010-01-22T20:14:00.000-08:00

Megumi Sasaki's wonderful documentary Herb & Dorothy is about married couple Herb & Dorothy Vogel. The Vogels are New Yorkers who collect art. But they are not rich people. He is a retired postal worker and she is a retired librarian. And this film shows you that you don't have to be rich to do what you love.

We get a bit of background on the Vogels but the film really focuses on when they got married and how they become such great art collectors. Despite their great knowledge of art the Vogels are very down to earth people. They live in a rent controlled apartment and love animals. And in the end you find out that they are not into money at all.

I highly recommend this film to those of you who like to find out that there wonderful and interesting people in the world.

BAFTA Nominations

2010-01-21T04:11:00.000-08:00

FILM
"Avatar," James Cameron, Jon Landau
"An Education," Amanda Posey, Finola Dwyer
"The Hurt Locker," nominees to be confirmed
"Precious," Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness
"Up in the Air," Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, Daniel Dubiecki

DIRECTOR
"Avatar," James Cameron
"District 9," Neill Blomkamp
"An Education," Lone Scherfig
"The Hurt Locker," Kathryn Bigelow
"Inglourious Basterds," Quentin Tarantino

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"The Hangover," Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
"The Hurt Locker," Mark Boal
"Inglourious Basterds," Quentin Tarantino
"A Serious Man," Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
"Up," Bob Peterson, Pete Docter

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"District 9," Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
"An Education," Nick Hornby
"In the Loop," Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
"Precious," Geoffrey Fletcher
"Up in the Air," Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

LEADING ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
Andy Serkis, "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll"

LEADING ACTRESS
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Saoirse Ronan, "The Lovely Bones"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious"
Meryl Streep, "Julie and Julia"
Audrey Tautou, "Coco Before Chanel"

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alec Baldwin, "It's Complicated"
Christian McKay, "Me and Orson Welles"
Alfred Molina, "An Education"
Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Anne-Marie Duff, "Nowhere Boy"
Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
Mo'nique, "Precious"
Kristin Scott Thomas, "Nowhere Boy"

BRITISH FILM
"An Education," Amanda Posey, Finola Dwyer, Lone Scherfig, Nick Hornby
"Fish Tank," Kees Kasander, Nick Laws, Andrea Arnold
"In the Loop," Kevin Loader, Adam Tandy, Armando Iannucci, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche
"Moon," Stuart Fenegan, Trudie Styler, Duncan Jones, Nathan Parker
"Nowhere Boy," Kevin Loader, Douglas Rae, Robert Bernstein, Sam Taylor-Wood, Matt Greenhalgh

DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
Lucy Bailey, Andrew Thompson, Elizabeth Morgan Hemlock, David Pearson, directors, producers – "Mugabe and the White African"
Eran Creevy, writer/director – "Shifty"
Stuart Hazeldine, writer/director – "Exam"
Duncan Jones, director – "Moon"
Sam Taylor-Wood, director – "Nowhere Boy"

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
"Broken Embraces," Agustin Almodovar, Pedro Almodovar
"Coco Before Chanel," Carole Scotta, Caroline Benjo, Philippe Carcassonne, Anne Fontaine
"Let the Right One In," Carl Molinder, John Nordling, Tomas Alfredson
"A Prophet," Pascale Caucheteux, Marco Chergui, Alix Raynaud, Jacques Audiard
"The White Ribbon," Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka, Margaret Menegoz, Michael Haneke

ANIMATED FILM
"Coraline," Henry Selick
"Fantastic, Mr Fox," Wes Anderson
"Up," Pete Docter

MUSIC
"Avatar," James Horner
"Crazy Heart," T-Bone Burnett, Stephen Bruton
"Fantastic Mr Fox," Alexandre Desplat
"Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll," Chaz Jankel
"Up," Michael Giacchino

CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Avatar," Mauro Fiore
"District 9," Trent Opaloch
"The Hurt Locker," Barry Ackroyd
"Inglourious Basterds," Robert Richardson
"The Road," Javier Aguirresarobe

EDITING
"Avatar," Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua, James Cameron
"District 9," Julian Clarke
"The Hurt Locker," Bob Murawski, Chris Innis
"Inglourious Basterds," Sally Menke
"Up in the Air," Dana E. Glauberman

PRODUCTION DESIGN
"Avatar," Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair
"District 9," Philip Ivey, Guy Poltgieter
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," Stuart Craig, Stephenie Mcmillan
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," nominees to be confirmed
"Inglourious Basterds," David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds Wasco

COSTUME DESIGN
"Bright Star," Janet Patterson
"Coco Before Chanel," Catherine Leterrier
"An Education," Odile Dicks-Mireaux
"A Single Man," Arianne Phillips
"The Young Victoria," Sandy Powell

SOUND
"Avatar," Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson, Tony Johnson, Addison Teague
"District 9," nominees to be confirmed
"The Hurt Locker," Ray Beckett, Paul N. J. Ottosson, Craig Stauffer
"Star Trek," Peter J. Devlin, Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Mark Stoeckinger, Ben Burtt
"Up," Tom Myers, Michael Silvers, Michael Semanick

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
"Avatar," Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andrew R. Jones
"District 9," Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros, Matt Aitken
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," John Richardson, Tim Burke, Tim Alexander, Nicolas Aithadi
"The Hurt Locker," Richard Stutsman
"Star Trek," Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh, Burt Dalton

MAKE UP AND HAIR
"Coco Before Chanel," Thi Thanh Tu Nguyen, Jane Milon
"An Education," Lizzie Yianni Georgiou
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," Sarah Monzani
"Nine," Peter 'Swords' King
"The Young Victoria," Jenny Shircore

SHORT ANIMATION
"The Gruffalo," Michael Rose, Martin Pope, Jakob Schuh, Max Lang
"The Happy Duckling," Gili Dolev
"Mother of Many," Sally Arthur, Emma Lazenby

SHORT FILM
"14," Asitha Ameresekere
"I Do Air," James Bolton, Martina Amati
"Jade," Samm Haillay, Daniel Elliott
"Mixtape," Luti Fagbenle, Luke Snellin
"Off Season," Jacob Jaffke, Jonathan Van Tulleken

THE ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD
Jesse Eisenberg
Nicholas Hoult
Carey Mulligan
Tahar Rahim
Kristen Stewart

Golden Globe Winners

2010-01-18T04:28:00.001-08:00

* Best Picture, Drama – Avatar
* Best Picture, Comedy/Musical — The Hangover
* Best Director — James Cameron, Avatar
* Best Actress, Drama — Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
* Best Actor, Drama – Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
* Best Actress, Comedy/Musical — Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
* Best Actor, Comedy/Musical — Robert Downey Jr, Sherlock Holmes
* Best Supporting Actress — Mo’Nique, Precious
* Best Supporting Actor — Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
* Best Foreign Language Film — The White Ribbon
* Best Animated Feature — Up
* Best Screenplay — Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
* Best Original Score — Michael Giacchino, Up
* Best Original Song — The Weary Kind, Crazy Heart
* Best TV Series, Drama – Mad Men
* Best TV Series, Comedy — Glee
* Best TV Miniseries — Grey Gardens
* Best Actress, TV Miniseries — Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
* Best Actor, TV Miniseries — Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
* Best Actress, TV Drama — Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
* Best Actor, TV Drama — Michael C. Hall, Dexter
* Best Actress, TV Comedy — Toni Collette, United States of Tara
* Best Actor, TV Comedy — Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
* Best Supporting Actress, TV — Chloe Sevigny, Big Love
* Best Supporting Actor, TV — John Lithgow, Dexter

The Lovely Bones

2010-01-16T18:54:00.000-08:00

I read Alice Sebold's marvelous novel The Lovely Bones many years ago. And I was really looking forward to the screen version of the book. But the critics did not give it the best reviews. Let us say that while Peter's Jackson's film is not a great one it is a good one and it held my interest.

This is the story of young Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan). She is just fourteen years old when she disappears. And, yes, she is murdered. This is not a mystery. We know all along who her killer is - he is the oddball loner neighbor George Harvey (Stanley Tucci). Part of the film takes place in the in between - in between earth and heaven that is. The other part of the film takes place in the world of Susie's family. Her mother (Rachel Weisz) and father (Mark Wahlberg) have trouble getting their lives back to normal. And who can blame them? There is nothing worse than losing a child.

Does Harvey get caught? If you read the book you know the answer. Although I read the book a number of years ago I seem to remember that a few things were different. But I certainly cannot say what.

All of the acting is fine and Tucci and Ronan are standouts. Tucci is menacing without saying a word. Susan Sarandon is a hoot as the eccentric Grandma Lynn. And the visuals are stunning.

So, all in all, The Lovely Bones is a good film. But I guess that the critics wanted it to be something different.

Critics' Choice Awards Winners

2010-01-16T07:55:00.001-08:00

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Best Original Screenplay: Inglourious Basterds
Best Adapted Screenplay: Up in the Air
Best Acting Ensemble: Inglourious Basterds
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges
Best Actress: tie! Meryl Streep & Sandra Bullock
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Young Actress: Saoirse Ronan
Best Documentary: The Cove
Best Foreign Language Film: Broken Embraces
Best Animated Movie: Up
Best Comedy Movie: The Hangover
Best Score: Up
Best Song: The Weary Kind
Best Costume Design: The Young Victoria
Best Make-Up: District 9
Best Action Movie: Avatar
Best Cinematography: Avatar
Best Visual Effects: Avatar
Best Art Direction: Avatar
Best Editing: Avatar
Best Sound: Avatar

DVD Mini Review - Moon

2010-01-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

A few words about Moon. It is a most interesting film. Directed by Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie) and adapted from a story by him by Nathan Parker Moon is more than just a science fiction film.

Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is an astronaut who has been on the moon for three years. His time to come home is almost at hand. He is very excited about seeing his family again. But he has an accident and soon finds out that he is not alone. Well, he had the voice of Gerty (Kevin Spacey in voice only) guide him. And he had an occasional video from his bosses or his wife. But there were no other humans there. But after the accident he finds a clone of himself. Or is he the clone? You will have to see the film to find out. I will not say more about the plot.

What I will say is that Jones is a director to watch. Besides the film there is also a short film (The Whistle) that he made several years ago on the DVD. Jones is a very creative talented man. I don't always like this type of film (I didn't like Danny Boyle's Sunshine although I think that he is a very talented director) but Jones kept be absorbed right up to the end. I can't wait to see what he does next. And Rockwell gave a terrific performance, probably his best to date. If you haven't seen this film check it out.

WGA Nominations

2010-01-11T19:09:00.001-08:00

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

(500) Days of Summer, Written by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber; Fox Searchlight
Avatar, Written by James Cameron; 20th Century Fox
The Hangover, Written by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore; Warner Bros.
The Hurt Locker, Written by Mark Boal; Summit Entertainment
A Serious Man, Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen; Focus Features

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Crazy Heart, Screenplay by Scott Cooper; Based on the novel by Thomas Cobb; Fox Searchlight
Julie & Julia, Screenplay by Nora Ephron; Based on the books Julie & Julia by Julie Powell and My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex
Prud’homme; Sony Pictures
Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher; Based on the novel Push by Sapphire; Lionsgate
Star Trek, Written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman; Based upon Star Trek, Created by Gene Roddenberry; Paramount Pictures
Up in the Air, Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner; Based upon the novel by Walter Kirn; Paramount Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Against the Tide, Screenplay by Richard Trank; Moriah Films
Capitalism: A Love Story, Written by Michael Moore; Overture Films
The Cove, Written by Mark Monroe; Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions
Earth Days, Written by Robert Stone; Zeitgeist Films
Good Hair, Written by Chris Rock & Jeff Stilson and Lance Crouther and Chuck Sklar; Roadside Attractions
Soundtrack for a Revolution, Written by Bill Guttentag & Dan Sturman; Freedom Song Productions and Louverture Films

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

2010-01-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a wildly imaginative film from the mind of Terry Gilliam. And what a trip it is indeed.

Doc P (played by Christopher Plummer and referred to as Doc P from now on) has a traveling magic show. Doc P is immortal - he is about 1,000 years old. He arrived at his immortality by making a deal with Mr. Nick (Tom Waits). Oh, Mr. Nick is the equivalent of the devil himself. The deal is that he must hand over his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole) to Mr. Nick when she turns sixteen. And that is within a few days. Valentina has someone who loves her - Anton (Andrew Garfield) one of the people who works with the show. The show also includes a midget named Percy (Verne Troger). Also coming into the mix is the mysterious Tony (Health Ledger). As we all know Ledger's untimely death happened while he was making this film. So rather than scrap the film the creative Gilliam decided to have three other actors play Tony at various times during the film. They are Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. I won't say more about the plot.

All of the acting is good and your realize what a loss Ledger is. I thoroughly enjoyed Plummer. He is such a find actor. And the visuals are absolutely stunning.

This film is not for everyone. But for those of you who like something a bit strange and trippy this film is for you. Does the story have a happy ending. Well, I can't say. See the film to find out.

50 Dead Men Walking (DVD)

2010-01-08T19:31:00.000-08:00

50 Dead Men Walking, directed by Kari Skoland, may not be a masterpiece but it is a good political thriller. And it is based on a true story. The film is adapted from a book of the same name written by Martin Gartland and Nicholas Davies.

The story takes place in the late 1980s when Northern Ireland was on fire. Martin (Jim Sturgess)lives in West Belfast and is a Catholic. He knows a lot of IRA members and is sympathetic to the cause. But over time he becomes disillusioned with the violence. He is recruited by a British agent named Fergus (Ben Kingsley) to work undercover and help prevent people from dying. Martin does what he is told but things are not that simple. Along the way he falls for Lara (Natalie Press) and the two of them start a relationship and become parents.

The film is quite suspenseful. Although it is a little rough around the edges it is a good, solid film. It is also an anti-violence statement and it certainly makes a good case for people putting down their guns. Sturgess, Kingsley (despite a bad wig) and Rose McGowan are all good in their roles. But it is Press who steals the show as the loyal but frightened Lara (she has a Spirit Nomination to prove just how good she is). You will have to wait until the end to find out what happens to Martin but let us just say that life can be cruel and unfair.

I will say a few things about the DVD itself. Since the accents are thick I think that they should have supplied English subtitles. Also, when they introduce characters they have their names onscreen but the print should have been bigger. But even with the heavy accents you will know what is going on. So, yes, do rent this film because it is a good one.

BAFTA Long List

2010-01-07T19:45:00.000-08:00

* Denotes Chapter selection from Round One

Best Film
Avatar
District 9
An Education
Gran Torino
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
Moon
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
The Road
A Serious Man
A Single Man
Star Trek
Up
Up in the Air

Director
Avatar *
Bright Star
District 9 *
An Education *
Fish Tank
Gran Torino
The Hurt Locker *
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
Moon
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
A Prophet *
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

Leading Actor
Aaron Johnson (John Lennon) – Nowhere Boy
Andy Serkis (Ian Dury) – Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll *
Ben Whishaw (John Keats) – Bright Star
Brad Pitt (Lt. Aldo Raine) – Inglourious Basterds
Clint Eastwood (Walt Kowalski) – Gran Torino
Colin Firth (George) – A Single Man *
George Clooney (Ryan Bingham) – Up in the Air *
Jeff Bridges (Bad Blake) – Crazy Heart
Jeremy Renner (SSgt. William James) – The Hurt Locker *
Michael Sheen (Brian Clough) – The Damned United
Morgan Freeman (Nelson Mandela) – Invictus *
Peter Capaldi (Malcolm Tucker) – In the Loop
Peter Sarsgaard (David) – An Education
Sam Rockwell (Sam Bell) – Moon
Viggo Mortensen (Man) – The Road

Leading Actress
Abbie Cornish (Fanny Brawne) – Bright Star *
Amy Adams (Julie Powell) – Julie & Julia
Audrey Tautou (Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel) – Coco Before Chanel
Carey Mulligan (Jenny) – An Education *
Emily Blunt (Queen Victoria) – The Young Victoria
Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) – Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire *
Helen Mirren (Sofya Tolstoy) – The Last Station
Katie Jarvis (Mia) – Fish Tank
Maggie Gyllenhaal (Jean Craddock) – Crazy Heart
Marion Cotillard (Luisa Contini) – Nine
Melanie Laurent (Shosanna Dreyfus) – Inglourious Basterds
Meryl Streep (Jane) – It’s Complicated
Meryl Streep (Julia Child) – Julie & Julia *
Penelope Cruz (Lena) – Broken Embraces
Saoirse Ronan (Susie Salmon) – The Lovely Bones *

Supporting Actor
Aaron Wolff (Danny Gopnik) – A Serious Man
Alan Rickman (Professor Severus Snape) – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Alec Baldwin (Jake) – It’s Complicated
Alfred Molina (Jack) – An Education *
Anthony Mackie (Sgt. JT Sanborn) – The Hurt Locker
Brian Geraghty (Specialist Owen Eldridge) – The Hurt Locker
Christian McKay (Orson Welles) – Me and Orson Welles *
Christoph Waltz (Col. Landa) – Inglourious Basterds *
Christopher Plummer (Leo Tolstoy) – The Last Station *
Dominic Cooper (Danny) – An Education
Matt Damon (Francois Pienaar) – Invictus
Stanley Tucci (Mr Harvey) – The Lovely Bones *
Stanley Tucci (Paul Child) – Julie & Julia
Timothy Spall (Peter Taylor) – The Damned United
Zachary Quinto (Spock) – Star Trek

Supporting Actress
Anna Kendrick (Natalie Keener) – Up in the Air
Anne-Marie Duff (Julia) – Nowhere Boy *
Claire Danes (Sonja Jones) – Me and Orson Welles
Diane Kruger (Bridget von Hammersmark) – Inglourious Basterds
Emma Thompson (Headmistress) – An Education
Julianne Moore (Charley) – A Single Man *
Kristin Scott Thomas (Mimi) – Nowhere Boy *
Mariah Carey (Mrs Weiss) – Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Mo’Nique (Mary) – Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire *
Olivia Williams (Miss Stubbs) – An Education
Penelope Cruz (Carla) – Nine
Rachel Weisz (Abigail Salmon) – The Lovely Bones
Rosamund Pike (Helen) – An Education *
Susan Sarandon (Grandma Lynn) – The Lovely Bones
Vera Farmiga (Alex Goran) – Up in the Air

Adapted Screenplay
Crazy Heart
The Damned United
District 9 *
An Education *
Fantastic Mr Fox
In the Loop *
Invictus
Let the Right One In *
The Lovely Bones
Me and Orson Welles
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire *
The Road
A Single Man
Star Trek
Up in the Air *

Original Screenplay
Avatar
Bright Star
Broken Embraces
Fish Tank
Gran Torino
The Hangover
The Hurt Locker *
Inglourious Basterds *
It’s Complicated
Moon *
Nowhere Boy
A Prophet
A Serious Man *
Up *
The Young Victoria

Make Up & Hair
Avatar
Bright Star *
Coco Before Chanel *
District 9
An Education *
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus *
Inglourious Basterds
Julie & Julia
Me and Orson Welles
Nine
Nowhere Boy
The Road
Star Trek
The Young Victoria *

Special Visual Effects
2012 *
Avatar *
District 9 *
Fantastic Mr Fox
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince *
The Hurt Locker
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Inglourious Basterds
The Lovely Bones
Moon
The Road
Star Trek *
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Watchmen
Where the Wild Things Are

Sound
Avatar *
District 9 *
An Education
Fantastic Mr Fox
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker *
Inglourious Basterds
The Lovely Bones
Moon
Nine
Nowhere Boy
The Road
Star Trek *
Up *
Where the Wild Things Are

Editing
Avatar *
Bright Star
District 9 *
An Education
The Hurt Locker *
Inglourious Basterds *
The Lovely Bones
Moon
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
The Road
A Serious Man
A Single Man
Star Trek
Up
Up in the Air *

Costume Design
Avatar
Bright Star *
Coco Before Chanel *
District 9
An Education *
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Inglourious Basterds
Me and Orson Welles
Nine
Nowhere Boy
Sherlock Holmes
A Single Man *
Star Trek
The Young Victoria *

Production Design
Avatar
Bright Star *
Coco Before Chanel
District 9 *
An Education
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince *
The Hurt Locker
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus *
Inglourious Basterds
The Lovely Bones
Moon
The Road
Sherlock Holmes *
A Single Man
Star Trek

Cinematography
Avatar *
Bright Star *
Coco Before Chanel
District 9
An Education
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker *
Inglourious Basterds *
The Lovely Bones
Moon
The Road
A Serious Man *
A Single Man
Star Trek
Up in the Air

Animated Film
Coraline *
Disney’s A Christmas Carol
Fantastic Mr Fox *
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Up *

Music
Avatar *
Bright Star
Coraline *
Crazy Heart *
An Education
Fantastic Mr Fox *
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Lovely Bones
Moon *
Nine
Nowhere Boy
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
Up *
Up in the Air

Film Not in the English Language
Broken Embraces
Coco Before Chanel
Let the Right One In
A Prophet
The White Ribbon

Director's Guild Nominees

2010-01-07T19:18:00.001-08:00

James Cameron, “Avatar”
Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
Lee Daniels, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”

Producers Guild Nominees

2010-01-05T19:24:00.001-08:00

AVATAR
Producers: James Cameron, Jon Landau

DISTRICT 9
Producers: Carolynne Cunningham, Peter Jackson

AN EDUCATION
Producers: Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey

THE HURT LOCKER
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
Producer: Lawrence Bender

INVICTUS
Producers: Clint Eastwood, Rob Lorenz, Lori McCreary , Mace Neufeld

PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
Producers: Lee Daniels, Gary Magness, Sarah Siegel-Magness

STAR TREK
Producers: J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof

UP
Producer: Jonas Rivera

UP IN THE AIR
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.

Animated after the cut.

PGA Producer of the Year Award in Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:

9
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.

CORALINE
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.

FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
Producer: Peter Del Vecho

UP
Producer: Jonas Rivera

PGA Producer of the Year Award in Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:

BURMA VJ
Producer: Lise Lense-Moller

The COVE
Producers: Paula DuPre Pesman, Fisher Stevens

SERGIO
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.

SOUNDTRACK FOR A REVOLUTION
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.

David L. Wolper Producer of the Year Award in Long-Form Television*:

GEORGIA O'KEEFFE
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.

GREY GARDENS
Producers: David Coatsworth, Lucy Donnelly, Rachael Horovitz, Michael Sucsy

LITTLE DORRIT
Producers: Lisa Osborne, Anne Pivcevic

PRAYERS FOR BOBBY
Producers: Stanley M. Brooks, Damian Ganczewski, David Permut, Daniel Sladek, Chris Taaffe

THE PRISONER
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.

TAKING CHANCE
Producers: Lori Keith Douglas, Ross Katz, Brad Krevoy, Cathy Wischner-Sola

National Society of Flim Criitics winners

2010-01-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

Picture: “The Hurt Locker”
Director: Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
Actor: Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”
Actress: Yolande Moreau, “Seraphine”
Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds,” and Paul Schneider, “Bright Star” (tie)
Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, “Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen, “A Serious Man”
Foreign-Language Film: “Summer Hours”
Non-Fiction Film: “The Beaches of Agnes”
Cinematography: Christian Berger, “The White Ribbon”

Four Seasons Lodge

2010-01-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

Four Seasons Lodge, directed by Andrew Jacobs, is a moving documentary about Holocaust survivors who vacation at a colony in the Catskills every summer. The focus of the film is a conflict of interests regarding the colony. Some people want to sell it and some do not. It is their refuge during summer months. We meet many wonderful people as we watch the film. See it when you can.

The Blind Side, Ricky (MOD), It's Complicated and Police Adjective (MOD)

2010-01-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

I will say a (very) few words about the latest films I have seen.

The Blind Side is a decent, heartwarming film about real people. John Lee Hancock directs the film from Michael Lewis' book. Leigh Anne Touhy (Sandra Bullock) rescues a homeless boy names Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron). She feels that he has been given a raw deal - which he has. His mother is a crack addict. Now, you have to remember that this takes place in Tennessee and that Touhy is a white Republican and Michael is black. She guides him to to his true potential. Bullock is very good in the role and has already gotten some awards nominations. This film could bring her her first Oscar nomination. Tim McGraw plays her husband Sean and Kathy Bates plays the tutor Leigh Anne hires to help Michael with his grades (and she is a Democrat to boot).

I saw Ricky on Movies on Demand. Francois Ozon directed this film. It is quirky but I liked it. Alexandra Lamy plays Katie, a single mom who has a daughter named Lisa (Melusine Mayance). At work she meets Paco (Sergi Lopez). They start seeing each other and Paco soon moves in with Katie and Lisa. Katie is pregnant. She eventually gives birth to Ricky (Arthur Peyret). At the beginning all seems well. But Ricky is not like other children. I won't say what happens but I am not exactly sure of everything in this film. I would love to talk to someone who has also seen it. But despite its strangeness I did enjoy the film.

It's Complicated is an enjoyable, entertaining romantic comedy written and directed by Nancy Meyers. Jane (Meryl Streep) is a successful businesswoman who has been divorced from her husband Jake (Alec Baldwin) for ten years. He married a younger woman. They meet up at their son's graduation and begin an affair. Yes, that is what I said. Streep and Baldwin have great chemistry and I laughed a lot during the film. Steve Martin plays Adam - a shy man who also has an interest in Jane. This film is a lot of fun and there is a message in it as well.

Lastly, I saw Corneliu Porumboiu's Police, Adjective on MOD. Cristi (Dragos Bucur) is a policeman keeping tabs on a young man who supplies drugs to his friends. But he does not sell it to them - he just gives it to them. Although the authorities want him to arrest the young man - named Victor - but Cristi has a moral dilemma. He does not feel that Victor is a threat to society. You can find out what happens in the end by renting this movie from MOD or seeing it in a very limited release. It was an interesting film but I would not say it is a great one. Too much time is spend on Cristi following the students. But still and all I am happy that I saw it.

The Necessities of Life (MOD), Lion's Den (DVD) and Sherlock Holmes

2009-12-30T15:30:00.000-08:00

I will say a few (and I mean a few) words on three movies that I just saw. Sorry, but I just don't have the time to write a lot.

I saw The Necessities of Life on IFC in Theaters on Demand. I must say that they have many good films and I recommend them highly. I believe that The Necessities of Life was Canada's entry for the Oscars a year or two ago. It is a very moving film. The film is directed by Benoit Pilon and the script is written by Bernard Emond. Tivii is an Eskimo who has tuberculous. He travels with his wife and children to a hospital in Quebec City but they have to go home. He is lonely and feels isolated because no one speaks his language and he doesn't speak French. He is befriended by a sympathetic nurse named Carole (Eveline Gelinas). And eventually he is introduced a young Inuit boy named Kaki (Paul Andre-Brasseur) and that cheers him up. The film is very well acted and very touching. Highly recommended.

I saw Lion's Den on DVD. It is directed by Pablo Trapero and takes place in Argentina. The protagonist Julia (Martina Gusman). Her ex lover is dead and her other ex lover Ramiro (Rodrigo Santoro) is badly wounded. Julia is sent to jail because the authorities blame her for the murder. She denies it but has no real recollection of what happened. She is also pregnant but does not think that Ramiro is the father. Lion's Den shows prison life of women who are mothers. When the children are four years old they are taken away. It so happens that Julia's mother Sofia (Elli Mederros) wants to take Julia's son away from her but Julia will not hear from it. Julia has a shoulder to cry on in Marta (Laura Garcia) who she met in prison. Lion's Den is a powerful look at prison life and how the justice system works in Argentina. All of the actors are good and Gusman is outstanding. I won't say more about the plot or what happens regarding the murder. I just recommend that you see the film.

Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes is more of an action film than a mystery. Robert Downey Jr. plays a disheveled Holmes who can't get his act together. Jude Law plays his faithful sidekick Dr. Watson. The look of the film is great and it is actually quite well done. But I prefer my Holmes without all of the violence. However, I am not the audience that the filmmakers wanted to appeal to. Rachel McAdams plays Irene Adler who is an ex lover of Holmes and (and who has lots of baggage). Eddie Marsan is an inspector and Mark Strong is the villain. Fine work by all and it is an entertaining film. But I prefer the old style Holmes myself.

A Single Man and The Young Victoria

2009-12-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

Whew! At this time of the year there are just so many films coming out. So I will write a few words about the above two.

A Single Man is Tom Ford's first film and it is a beautiful but very sad film. It takes place in 1962. George (Colin Firth) is a gay man who is mourning the death of his longtime partner Jim (Matthew Goode - who we see in flashbacks). You have to remember that this is 1962 and it wouldn't be wise for George, who is a college professor, to come out of the closet.

George is beyond sadness. He makes the motions of living but he is barely alive. He takes some comfort from his friend Charley (Julianne Moore). George and Charley had a relationship a long time ago but that was before George came to the conclusion that he preferred his own sex. Charley wants to go back in time but that doesn't work. The other main character in the film is Kenny (Nicholas Hoult) who is one of George's students. He sees how depressed George is and wants to help.

Ford has made a terrific directorial debut. The film is based on a book by Christopher Isherwood. It is visually stunning and the music is just beautiful. Firth owns the film. You just feel George's pain. Firth's performance is very understated and subtle. I think that it is a given that he will get an Oscar nomination (he already has a few other noms already) and he won best actor at the Venice Film Festival. Moore is also wonderful in her small role. I hope that somehow she also gets some recognition.

The Young Victoria is a lovely film directed by Jean-Marc Vallee and written by Julian Fellowes. It is the story of the days leading up to Victoria becoming Queen of England and the next few years that follow her coronation.

Emily Blunt is very good as Victoria. She plays her with feisty gusto. She resents certain things that her mother - the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson) does and she lets her know about it. The film is a bit of a history lesson but it is also a love story. And Victoria's life lights up when she meets her future husband Albert (Rupert Friend).

Besides the above mentioned actors the cast boasts Jim Broadbent as King William, Harriet Walter as his wife and Paul Bettany as Victoria's adviser Lord Melbourne. The film boasts beautiful costumes and sets. And it is just a joy to see Miranda Richardson on the big screen. We just don't see enough of her.

So, all in all, I had a splendid time at the movies.

Nine

2009-12-25T18:25:00.001-08:00

Nine is actually better than I thought it would be. Based on the Broadway musical of the same name (which is based on Fellini's 8 1/2) the film isn't half bad. But, it could have been even better.

I did not like Rob Marshall's directing style. I think that if Julie Taymor (for example) had directed the film it would have been better. Most of the songs are not standouts. The only really good song is Be Italian. I don't know how some people have gone nuts over this score. But, getting back to Marshall, he made the film too glitzy for my taste.

Now onto the acting. Daniel Day-Lewis has been panned in many quarters. He was more than decent as Guido Contini. His accent was good and I although he didn't always feel Italian I think that he did a pretty good job. He would not be my first choice for the role - Javier Bardem would have been better but he dropped out. Antonio Banderas, who was in the Broadway revival, would have been good. But DDL did not deserve the drubbing that he got in many quarters. But because he is DDL he is held to a very high standard. So if he delivers an performance that is good but not Oscar worthy he gets flack for it.

Now onto the women. Penelope Cruz was the best one in the film. She is sexy and emotional as Guido's mistress Carla. I also liked Marion Cotillard's fine performance as Guido's long suffering wife Luisa. Judi Dench really was terrific in her musical number and proved that she can do anything as Guido's agen Lilli. I don't know if Fergie can act but she sure can sing and so she did as the prostitute Saraghina. Unfortunately, both Nicole Kidman and Sophia Loren were wasted because they didn't their roles as Guido's muse Claudia and his mother respectively were underwritten. And what can I say about Kate Hudson as the Vogue reporter Stephanie? I just don't think that she is a good actress.

So while I don't think that Nine is a great film I enjoyed it for what is was. And at least I wasn't disappointed.

Up in the Air

2009-12-24T19:03:00.000-08:00

Up in the Air is, without a doubt, Jason Reitman's best film to date. And it is one of the best films of the year.

Reitman and Sheldon Turner adapted Walter Kirn's book. The protagonist is Ryan Bingham (George Clooney). Bingham is a man who lives out of suitcases. His firm hires out people like himself to fire people. Yes, that is right. Many of the head honchos of big corporations are too chicken shit to fire people so they hire someone else to do it.

Bingham needs no ties. But one day he meets another fast talker in the person of Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga). She is also on the go and the two get along famously. They meet when they can. Things are also changing at work. Bingham's boss Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman) has hired a bright young woman named Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) who propose that the firm can save a lot of money using video conferencing to fire people instead of sending the around the country to do it. Of course, the boss loves this idea. But Bingham proposed taking the young Natalie around the country to show her the ropes.

And that is all I will say about the plot. This film is very relevant for these times. There is a lot of humor in the film but there is also a lot of sadness. I have heard that many of those fired in the film are actually people who have been fired in real life (with the exception of J.K. Simmons of course). Clooney is terrific in the role. Farmiga is as good as always. And Kendrick is a talent to watch.

I don't want to say more about Up in the Air except that you should go and see it!

DVD Mini Review - (500) Days of Summer

2009-12-22T18:34:00.000-08:00

When (500) Days of Summer came out I didn't see it at my local cinema. It looked okay but a bit too cute. But the critics loved it so I wanted to see it as soon as it came out on DVD. The verdict is that I liked it more than I though I would be it isn't as great as the critics said it was.

Director Marc Webb has fashioned an indie rom com that is a little bit different from other films. But it is not that much different. Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel) when she starts working for his company. He immediately falls for her. She tells him right from the start that she isn't looking for commitment but he seems to be deaf. The film goes back and forth during the 500 days of their relationship (which is mostly on but sometimes off) or rather the time he spends being in it. That is the unique part of the film. But what happens during those days is typical of most relationship films.

The two actors have a nice chemistry and you can believe that they are a couple. The film belongs to Gordon-Levitt. He is very good in it and you can see that he is one of the finest young actors working today. You feel his joy and pain. I look forward to seeing what he does next.

So, yes, rent (500) Days of Summer. It works very well on DVD.

Avatar

2009-12-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

What can I say about James Cameron's Avatar? There has been so much written about it already. I will say that I liked it better than his Titanic. That has to be the most overrated film ever made. I really did not have much interest in seeing Avatar but after seeing it this afternoon I must say that I am glad that I did.

I wanted to see it in 3D but the projector broke so I saw it in 2D. I am not a big fan of 3D and it was less money to see the 2D version. The story itself is not a new one. A country/people trying to ruin a land of indigenous people. It is a typical story of greed and power. The screenplay is not spectacular and the dialog is ordinary. And the acting (by Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington among others) is okay. But this is not a film about writing and acting. It is about visuals. And what beautiful visuals there are. Cameron and his crew have created a beautiful land of forests and creatures that we have not seen before. And that is why it is worth it to see this film on the big screen. It is a feast for the eyes.

The first ninety minutes or so of the film are most interesting. However, the last part of the film is a letdown. The final battle sequence is way too long and, therefore, making the film too long. It should have been cut down.

But still and all I recommend Avatar for those of you who want to see something visually special. And, yes, there is a message in there as well. Humans must stop ruining this (and perhaps other) planet(s)!

Mammoth (MOD)

2009-12-20T14:14:00.000-08:00

I watched Lukas Moodysson's latest film Mammoth on Movies on Demand last night. It did not get good reviews but I thought that it was a good, but not great, film. It held my attention and I was not bored.

New York City power couple Leo (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Ellen (Michelle Williams) appear to be happy. He is some kind of creator/computer genius. She is a surgeon. They have a young daughter Jackie (Sophie Nyweide). When the film begins Leo is off to Thailand to make a deal for one of his creations. Ellen will soon be off to the hospital to work her shift. Jackie is taken care of by her nanny Gloria (Marife Necesito). It seems that Jackie is more attached to Gloria than her mother. And it is no wonder - she spends more time with Gloria.

The film goes back and forth between NYC and Bangkok. Leo is lonely and wants this deal to come through quickly. He is also lonely and takes off by himself. He becomes involved with a prostitute named Cookie (Run Srinikornchot). Of course, this will never amount to anything real.

Some of the film also takes place in Gloria's homeland The Philippines. We see how her sons live and we find out that she is in the US to help her sons have a better life. There is also one more strand to the film - a young boy with multiple stab wounds that Ellen tries to save.

So we see that things are connected. Moodysson does a good job structuring the film but he is not on the level of the great Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. But still and all, Mammoth (which is named for the elephant) is worth seeing. In the end, people do things to help their children but it might not be the best thing to do. Human contact and love are more important than material wealth.

Broken Embraces

2009-12-19T18:13:00.000-08:00

Broken Embraces is the terrific new film by Pedro Almodovar. And when you see one of this films you know that you are seeing real cinema.

The film is the story of Mateo Blanco/Harry Caine (Lluis Homar). Yes, he is the same man. Something in his life made him chose a second name. Although many critics have revealed the plot I do not want to. It spoils things for those who have not seen it. Playing into the story is a woman named Lena (Penelope Cruz) who Mateo/Harry becomes involved in. She is the mistress of a very wealthy man named Ernesto Martel (Jose Luis Gomez). Mateo/Harry has a very devoted and over protective agent named Judit Garcia (Blanca Portillo). Her son Diego (Tomar Novar) helps Mateo/Harry out with his work. And the mysterious Ray X (Ruben Ochandiano) wants to work with our protagonist as well.

How all of these characters fit together is for you to find out. The film is a wonderful noir with melodrama running throughout. There is something old fashioned about the film. Well, for one thing there are no special effects. You need to pay attention to the details or you might miss something. The film is intelligent, suspenseful and great to look at. And those are the ingredients that make up an Almodovar film. Cruz shines as Lena but the whole cast is great. It is truly an ensemble piece. The great Angela Molina turns up as Lena's mother.

So do yourself a favor and see this film. Foreign films are not doing well these days. People are lazy and do not want to read subtitles. So please support as many (good) foreign films as you can.

DVD Mini Review - The Headless Woman

2009-12-18T18:52:00.000-08:00

The Headless Woman, directed by Argentinian Lucretia Martel, is an interesting film. In the hands of another director it could have been a great film. However, Martel's directing style is such that leaves one wanting for more.

The film starts out a bit confusing and I think that this is done on purpose. We see some lower class kids - probably of Indian extract - playing in rural Argentina. Then we see a gathering of upper middle class people talking about being upset about a pool being built near a vet's office because there are turtles around. Does this make any sense to you? These people appear to be very shallow. We then see one of the upper class people, Veronica (Maria Onetto) (who happens to be a dentist) drive off. When her cell phone rings she reaches for it. But she doesn't get to answer it because she has apparently run over something. We see a dog in the distance (there was a dog with the kids at the beginning). Veronica is in shock and loses her memory. But it comes back after she realizes that she ran over something.

I won't say what happens next. But I think that the film is an interesting (there is that word again) exploration of how things go for you depending upon what class you are in. For my mind it doesn't go far enough but it is certainly a good enough film for a DVD rental. And it is anchored by Onetto's amazing performance. She really carries the film as a woman who doesn't know where to put herself.

Check this one out on DVD.

SAG Nominations

2009-12-17T07:22:00.000-08:00

Ensemble
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Nine
Precious

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabby Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds
Mo’Nique, Precious

TV:
Simon Baker, The Mentalist
Brian Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
John Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House

Actress:
Patricia Arquette, Medium
Glenn Close, The Closer
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order SVU
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Julianna Margulies
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Ensemble:
The Closer
Dexter
The Good Wife
Man Men
True Blood

Actress, Comedy
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who
Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis Dreyfuss, The New Adventures of Old Christine

Supporting Actor, Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Tony Shaloub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

Ensemble
30 Rock
Curb
Glee
Modern Family
The Office

Miniseries:
Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
Cuba Gooding, Jr., Gifted Hands
Jeremy Irons, Georgia O’Keefe
Kevin Kline, Cyrano de Bergerac
Tom Wilkinson, A Number

Actress, Miniseries
Joan Allen, Georgia O’Keefe
Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
Ruby Dee, America
Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
Sigourney Weaver, Prayers for Bobby

Golden Globe Nominations

2009-12-15T06:18:00.000-08:00

Best Motion Picture -- Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sadibe, Precious

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers

Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It's Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
Julia Roberts, Duplicity

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mo-Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Penelope Cruz, Nine

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon, Invictus
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Christopher Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Best Animated Feature Film
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Princess and the Frog
Up

Best Foreign Language Film
Barria
Broken Embraces
A Prophet
The White Ribbon
The Maid

Best Director -- Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

Best Screenplay -- Motion Picture
Up in the Air
It's Complicated
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds

Best Original Score -- Motion Picture
Michael Giacchino, Up
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

Best Original Song -- Motion Picture
"I Will See You," Avatar
"The Weary Kind," The Crazy Heart
"Winter," Brothers
"Cinema Italiano," Nine
"I Want to Come Home," Everybody's Fine

New York Film Critics Circle Award Winners

2009-12-14T19:15:00.001-08:00

The 2009 New York Film Critics’ Circle Award Winners:

Best Film
“The Hurt Locker”

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker”

Best Screenplay
“In the Loop”

Best Actress
Meryl Streep for “Julie & Julia”

Best Actor
George Clooney for “Up In The Air” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox”

Best Supporting Actress
Mo’Nique for “Precious”

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz for “Inglourious Basterds”

Best Cinematography
Christian Berger for “The White Ribbon”

Best Animated Film
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”

Best Non-fiction Film
“Of Time and the City”

Best Foreign Language Film
“Summer Hours”

Best First Feature
“Hunger,” director Steve McQueen

Special Award
To Andrew Sarris for his contribution to film criticism

Critics' Choice Nominees

2009-12-14T19:09:00.001-08:00

NOMINEES FOR THE 15TH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS

BEST PICTURE

* Avatar
* An Education
* The Hurt Locker
* Inglourious Basterds
* Invictus
* Nine
* Precious
* A Serious Man
* Up
* Up In The Air

BEST ACTOR

* Jeff Bridges – “Crazy Heart”
* George Clooney – “Up In The Air”
* Colin Firth – “A Single Man”
* Morgan Freeman – “Invictus”
* Viggo Mortensen – “The Road”
* Jeremy Renner – “The Hurt Locker”

BEST ACTRESS

* Emily Blunt – “The Young Victoria”
* Sandra Bullock – “The Blind Side”
* Carey Mulligan – “An Education”
* Saoirse Ronan – “The Lovely Bones”
* Gabourey Sidibe – “Precious”
* Meryl Streep – “Julie & Julia”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

* Matt Damon – “Invictus”
* Woody Harrelson – “The Messenger”
* Christian McKay – “Me And Orson Welles”
* Alfred Molina – “An Education”
* Stanley Tucci – “The Lovely Bones”
* Christoph Waltz – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

* Marion Cotillard – “Nine”
* Vera Farmiga – “Up In The Air”
* Anna Kendrick – “Up In The Air”
* Mo’Nique – “Precious”
* Julianne Moore – “A Single Man”
* Samantha Morton – “The Messenger”

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

* Jae Head – “The Blind Side”
* Bailee Madison – “Brothers”
* Max Records – “Where The Wild Things Are”
* Saoirse Ronan – “The Lovely Bones”
* Kodi Smit-McPhee – “The Road”

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

* Inglourious Basterds
* Nine
* Precious
* Star Trek
* Up In The Air

BEST DIRECTING

* Kathryn Bigelow – “The Hurt Locker”
* James Cameron – “Avatar”
* Lee Daniels – “Precious”
* Clint Eastwood – “Invictus”
* Jason Reitman – “Up In The Air”
* Quentin Tarantino – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

* Mark Boal – “The Hurt Locker”
* Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – “A Serious Man”
* Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber – “(500) Days Of Summer”
* Bob Peterson, Peter Docter – “Up”
* Quentin Tarantino – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

* Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach – “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
* Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell – “District 9”
* Geoffrey Fletcher – “Precious”
* Tom Ford, David Scearce – “A Single Man”
* Nick Hornby – “An Education”
* Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner – “Up In The Air”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

* Barry Ackroyd – “The Hurt Locker”
* Dion Beebe – “Nine”
* Mauro Fiore – “Avatar”
* Andrew Lesnie – “The Lovely Bones”
* Robert Richardson – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ART DIRECTION

* Dan Bishop – “A Single Man”
* Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg – “Avatar”
* John Myhre, Gordon Sim – “Nine”
* Naomi Shohan, George De Titta, Jr. – “The Lovely Bones”
* David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds Wasco – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST EDITING

* Dana E. Glauberman – “Up In The Air”
* Sally Menke – “Inglourious Basterds”
* Bob Murawski, Chris Innis – “The Hurt Locker”
* Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua, James Cameron – “Avatar”
* Claire Simpson, Wyatt Smith – “Nine”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

* Colleen Atwood – “Nine”
* Janet Patterson – “Bright Star”
* Sandy Powell – “The Young Victoria”
* Anna Sheppard – “Inglourious Basterds”
* Casey Storm – “Where The Wild Things Are”

BEST MAKEUP

* Avatar
* District 9
* Nine
* The Road
* Star Trek

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

* Avatar
* District 9
* The Lovely Bones
* Star Trek
* 2012

BEST SOUND

* Avatar
* District 9
* The Hurt Locker
* Nine
* Star Trek

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

* Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
* Coraline
* Fantastic Mr. Fox
* Princess And The Frog
* Up

BEST ACTION MOVIE

* Avatar
* District 9
* The Hurt Locker
* Inglourious Basterds
* Star Trek

BEST COMEDY

* (500) Days Of Summer
* The Hangover
* It’s Complicated
* The Proposal
* Zombieland

BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

* Gifted Hands
* Grey Gardens
* Into The Storm
* Taking Chance

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

* Broken Embraces
* Coco Before Chanel
* Red Cliff
* Sin Nombre
* The White Ribbon

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

* Anvil
* Capitalism: A Love Story
* The Cove
* Food, Inc.
* Michael Jackson’s This Is It

BEST SONG

* “All Is Love” – Karen O, Nick Zinner – “Where The Wild Things Are”
* “Almost There” – Randy Newman – “The Princess And The Frog”
* “Cinema Italiano” – Maury Yeston – “Nine”
* “(I Want To) Come Home” – Paul McCartney – “Everybody’s Fine”
* “The Weary Kind” – T Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham – “Crazy Heart”

BEST SCORE

* Michael Giacchino – “Up”
* Marvin Hamlisch – “The Informant!”
* Randy Newman – “The Princess and the Frog”
* Karen O, Carter Burwell – “Where The Wild Things Are”
* Hans Zimmer – “Sherlock Holmes”

LA Film Critics Winners

2009-12-13T15:19:00.001-08:00

PICTURE: "The Hurt Locker"

Runner-up: "Up in the Air"

DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"

Runner-up: Michael Haneke, "The White Ribbon"

ACTRESS: Yolande Moreau, "Séraphine"

Runner-up: Carey Mulligan, "An Education"

ACTOR: Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"

Runner-up: Colin Firth, "A Single Man"

ANIMATION: "Fantastic Mr. Fox"

Runner-up: “Up"

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: "Summer Hours"

Runner-up: "The White Ribbon"

NEW GENERATION: Neill Blomkamp, "District 9"

MUSIC/SCORE: T-Bone Burnett and Stephen Bruton, "Crazy Heart"

Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat, "Fantastic Mr. Fox"

PRODUCTION DESIGN: Philip Ivey, "District 9"

Runner-up: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg, "Avatar"

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Christian Berger, "The White Ribbon"

Runner-up: Barry Ackroyd, "The Hurt Locker"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Mo'Nique, "Precious"

Runner-up: Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"

SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"

Runner-up: Peter Capaldi, "In the Loop"

SCREENPLAY: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, “Up in the Air"

Runner-up: Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche, "In the Loop"

DOCUMENTARY / NON-FICTION FILM: "The Beaches of Agnès" and "The Cove" (tie)

DOUGLAS E. EDWARDS INDEPENDENT/EXPERIMENTAL FILM/VIDEO: Anders Edstrom and C.W. Winter, "The Anchorage"

A Bunch of Reviews

2009-12-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

I have had computer problems and could not be on line. I am very behind with everything so I will write just a few words about a few films.

Red Cliff - John Woo's epic was nice too look at but a little too bloody. It could have been shorter. But there were great moments of beauty and I really like Tony Leung so it was worth seeing.

A French Gigolo (MOD) - Josiane Belasco directed this interesting film starring Nathalie Baye as a well off middle aged woman who pays young men for sex. Belasco plays her older sister who is looking for something more substantial. I really
liked this film.

Brothers - This is a remake of a Danish film of the same name that was directed by Susan Bier. Although not as good as the original, Jim Sheridan's version is still very good. Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal play brothers. Maguire's character is serving his country in the middle east while Gyllenhaal's character just got released from prison. When Maguire's character is presumed dead his brother gets close to his wife - played by Natalie Portman. Sam Shepard plays the men's tough as nails father. This film shows a great deal of emotion. There can never be enough films about the horrors of war - although I thought that The Messenger was even better. But Brothers is a very satisfying film and just one more reason for me to like Jim Sheridan so much.

Lolita's Club (DVD) - Based on the novel, this Spanish film stars Edaurdo Noriega as twin brothers. Raul is a cop with a lot of problems. Valentin is a simple minded fellow with a big heart. Noriega is very good in this sexy thriller.

The Road - Based on Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road is one of the best films of the year. A splendid Viggo Mortensen plays a man who is trying, with his young son (Kodi Smit McPhee) to survive some type of catastrophe. This is the real deal and not some zombie science fiction film. There is a possibility of this really happening. The whole cast, which also includes Charlize Theron and Robert Duval, are terrific. A must see.

Me & Orson Welles - Richard Linklater's new film is most interesting. It focuses on when Orson Welles (Christopher McKay) was staging a version of Julius Caesar on Broadway in 1937. Zac Efron is the young aspiring actor who is chosen by Welles to be a part of the play. Claire Danes plays the young man's love interest. McKay really shines as Welles and I also really liked Eddie Marsan and Ben Chapman.

Invictus - Invictus is Clint Eastwood's new film. Oh, he is not in the film but he produced and directed it. It is quite a powerful film that deals with forgiveness and healing. Morgan Freeman is wonderful as Nelson Mandela. Even though white people jailed Mandela for almost thirty years he wants to bring the country together. And what better way to bring them together than through rugby. Matt Damon plays Francois Pienaar, the captain of South Africa's rugby team. To be honest with you, rugby is not my cup of tea. It is way too violent. But the film is so inspirational that it didn't matter much to me. I felt good when I left the theater.

DVD Mini Review - Into the Storm

2009-12-03T18:49:00.000-08:00

I have had major computer virus problems and I am now back in action. But right now I do not want to stay on the computer all that much. It has been quite stressful. So just a few words about the Emmy award winning HBO film Into the Storm.

I guess that Into the Storm picks up where The Gathering Storm left off. Britain is involved with the war and not everyone supports Winston Churchill (Brendan Gleeson). It is a trying time for him. But he stands by his guns. He also tries to convince Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Len Cariou) to join him against the Nazis. The war takes its toll on his marriage to Clemmie (Janet McTeer) but they stick together until the end.

I liked the film but not as much as The Gathering Storm. Thaddeus O'Sullivan does a good job of directing the film but I think it might have been better as a mini series. It is good but it could have been great. Gleeson is a great actor and he gets the voice to a tee. But he didn't capture Churchill's look as well as Albert Finney did. I liked McTeer and Cariou.

While not as outstanding as I hoped it would be I still think that Into the Storm is worth seeing on DVD.

National Board of Review Winners

2009-12-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

Best Film:
Up In The Air

Top Eleven Films (In alphabetical order):
An Education
(500) Days Of Summer
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Star Trek
Up
Up In The Air
Where The Wild Things Are

Best Director:
Clint Eastwood, Invictus

Best Actor:
Morgan Freeman, Invictus and George Clooney, Up In The Air (tie)

Best Actress:
Carey Mulligan, An Education

Best Supporting Actor:
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Best Supporting Actress:
Anna Kendrick, Up In The Air

Best Foreign Film:
A Prophet

Best Documentary:
The Cove

Best Animated Feature:
Up

Best Ensemble Cast:
It’s Complicated

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor:
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress:
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Spotlight Award for Best Directorial Debut:
Duncan Jones, Moon, Oren Moverman,
The Messenger and Marc Webb, 500 Days of Summer (tie)

Best Original Screenplay:
Joel & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up In The Air

Special Filmmaking Achievement Award:
Wes Anderson, The Fantastic Mr. Fox

William K. Everson Film History Award:
Jean Picker Firstenberg

NBR Freedom of Expression:
Burma Vj: Reporting From A Closed Country,
Invictus,
The Most Dangerous Man In America: Daniel Ellseberg And The Pentagon Papers

Top Ten Independent Films (In alphabetical order):
Amreeka
District 9
Goodbye Solo
Humpday
In The Loop
Julia
Me And Orson Welles
Moon
Sugar
Two Lovers

Top Six Foreign Films (In alphabetical order):
The Maid
A Prophet
Revanche
Song Of Sparrows
Three Monkeys
The White Ribbon

Top Six Documentary Films (In alphabetical order):
Burma Vj: Reporting From A Closed Country
The Cove
Crude
Food, Inc.
Good Hair
The Most Dangerous Man In America: Daniel Ellsberg And The Pentagon Papers

Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

2009-12-01T10:14:00.000-08:00

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not listed)

(500) Days Of Summer
Producers: Mason Novick, Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, Steven J. Wolfe
-------------------- ---------------------------------------
Amreeka
Producers: Paul Barkin, Christina Piovesan
------- ---------------------------------
Precious
Producers: Lee Daniels, Gary Magness, Sarah Siegel-Magness
-------- -------------------------------------
Sin Nombre
Producer: Amy Kaufman
---------- ---------------------
The Last Station
Producers: Bonnie Arnold, Chris Curling, Jens Meuer
---------------- ----------------------------------------

BEST DIRECTOR

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
A Serious Man
--------------------- -------------
Lee Daniels
Precious
----------- --------
Cary Joji Fukunaga
Sin Nombre
------------------ ----------
James Gray
Two Lovers
---------- ----------
Michael Hoffman
The Last Station
--------------- ----------------
BEST SCREENPLAY

Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman
The Messenger
---------------------- -------------
Michael Hoffman
The Last Station
--------------- ----------------
Lee Toland Krieger
The Vicious Kind
------------------ ----------------
Greg Mottola
Adventureland
------------ -------------
Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber
(500) Days Of Summer
---------------------------- --------------------
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)

A Single Man
Director: Tom Ford
Producers: Tom Ford, Andrew Miano, Robert Salerno, Chris Weitz
------------ -----------------------------------------
Crazy Heart
Director: Scott Cooper
Producers: T Bone Burnett, Judy Cairo, Rob Carliner, Scott Cooper, Robert Duvall
----------- --------------------------------------
Easier With Practice
Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Producer: Cookie Carosella
-------------------- --------------------------
Paranormal Activity
Director: Oren Peli
Producer: Jason Blum, Oren Peli
------------------- -------------------------------
The Messenger
Director: Oren Moverman
Producers: Mark Gordon, Lawrence Inglee,
Zach Miller
------------- ----------------------------------------
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Sophie Barthes
Cold Souls
-------------- ----------
Scott Cooper
Crazy Heart
------------ -----------
Cherien Dabis
Amreeka
------------- -------
Geoffrey Fletcher
Precious
----------------- --------
Tom Ford, David Scearce
A Single Man
----------------------- ------------
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD - Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director, and producer. Executive Producers are not listed

Big Fan
Writer/Director: Robert Siegel
Producers: Elan Bogarin, Jean Kouremetis
------- ----------------------------------------
Humpday
Writer/Director/Producer: Lynn Shelton
------- --------------------------------------
The New Year Parade
Writer/Director: Tom Quinn
Producers: Steve Beal, Tom Quinn
------------------- --------------------------------
Treeless Mountain
Writer/Director: So Yong Kim
Producers: Bradley Rust Gray, Ben Howe,
So Yong Kim, Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy
----------------- ---------------------------------------
Zero Bridge
Writer/Director: Tariq Tapa
Producers: Josee Lajoie, Hilal Ahmed
Langoo, Tariq Tapa
----------- ------------------------------------
BEST FEMALE LEAD

Maria Bello Downloading Nancy
----------- -----------------
Nisreen Faour Amreeka
------------- -------
Helen Mirren The Last Station
------------ ----------------
Gwyneth Paltrow Two Lovers
--------------- ----------
Gabourey Sidibe Precious
--------------- --------
BEST MALE LEAD

Jeff Bridges
Crazy Heart
------------ -----------
Colin Firth
A Single Man
----------- ------------
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
(500) Days Of Summer
-------------------- --------------------
Souleymane Sy Savane
Goodbye Solo
-------------------- ------------
Adam Scott
The Vicious Kind
---------- ----------------
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Dina Korzun
Cold Souls
----------- ----------
Mo'Nique
Precious
-------- --------
Samantha Morton
The Messenger
--------------- -------------
Natalie Press
Fifty Dead Men Walking
------------- ----------------------
Mia Wasikowska
That Evening Sun
-------------- ----------------
BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Jemaine Clement
Gentlemen Broncos
--------------- -----------------
Woody Harrelson
The Messenger
--------------- -------------
Christian McKay
Me and Orson Welles
--------------- -------------------
Raymond McKinnon
That Evening Sun
---------------- ----------------
Christopher Plummer
The Last Station
------------------- ----------------
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Roger Deakins
A Serious Man
------------- -------------
Adriano Goldman
Sin Nombre
--------------- ----------
Anne Misawa
Treeless Mountain
----------- -----------------
Andrij Parekh
Cold Souls
------------- ----------
Peter Zeitlinger
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
---------------- ----------------------------------------
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)

Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Director: Sacha Gervasi
------------------------- -----------------------
Food, Inc.
Director: Robert Kenner
---------- -----------------------
More Than A Game
Director: Kristopher Belman
---------------- ---------------------------
October Country
Directors: Donal Mosher, Michael Palmieri
--------------- --------------------------------
Which Way Home
Director: Rebecca Cammisa
-------------- -------------------------
BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)

A Prophet
Director: Jacques Audiard (France)
-------- -------------------------
An Education
Director: Lone Scherfig (UK/France)
----------- -----------------------
Everlasting Moments
Director: Jan Troell (Sweden)
-------- --------------------
Mother
Director: Bong Joon-Ho (South Korea)
------------- ----------------------
The Maid
Director: Sebastian Silva (Chile)
------- -------------------------

ACURA SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD - The 16th annual Acura Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Acura.

Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Easier With Practice
-------------------- --------------------
Asiel Norton
Redland
------------ -------
Tariq Tapa
Zero Bridge
---------- -----------

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD - The 15th annual Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Natalia Almada
El General
-------------- ----------
Jessica Oreck
Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo
------------- ---------------------------
Bill Ross, Turner Ross
45365
---------------------- -----
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD - The 13th annual Piaget Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.

Karin Chien
The Exploding Girl, Santa Mesa
----------- ------------------------------
Larry Fessenden
I Sell the Dead, The House of the Devil
--------------- ---------------------------------------
Dia Sokol
Beeswax, Nights & Weekends
--------- --------------------------
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD - (Given to one film's director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)

A Serious Man
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Casting Directors: Ellen Chenoweth, Rachel Tenner
Ensemble Cast: Richard Kind, Sari Lennick, Jessica McManus, Fred Melamed,
Michael Stuhlbarg, Aaron Wolff
---------------------------------------

The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

2009-11-27T20:05:00.000-08:00

The two main reasons to see The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans are Werner Herzog and Nicolas Cage.

Herzog is an amazing director and his work is on par in this film. I really liked the look of the film and there are some very interesting scenes that include some lovely creatures. The script, written by William Finkelstein, is good but not great. Herzog is such a good director that he gets the most out of it. The story held my interest but I was much more impressed when something happened. I certainly will not say what.

In this film Cage has his best role in a long time. His Lt. Terence McDonagh is a drug addicted, nutty character. He really blows off steam and seems over the top but I found him a lot of fun to watch. The rest of the cast is fine but it doesn't matter because this is Cage's film.

So if you want to be entertained by a good black comedy check out The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.

DVD Mini Review - Lilya 4-Ever

2009-11-26T18:10:00.000-08:00

Lukas Moodysson's Lilya 4-Ever is one of the most heartbreaking films you will ever see. It takes place in the former Soviet Union. Sixteen year old Lilya (Oksana Akinshina) thinks she is going to the US with her mother (Lyubov Anapova) and her mother's boyfriend. But she is in for a rude awakening. Her mother decides to leave her behind because Lilya will just be an inconvenience. Lilya is left to her Aunt Anna (Liliya Shinkaryova) who forces the girl to move to a smaller, rattier apartment. And this is just at the beginning of the film.

Lilya is good friends with Volodya (Artyom Bogucharsky) who is younger than she is and has a crush on her. Lilya spends many a day with little to eat. She doesn't know what to do so she starts visiting bars where older men hang out. In steps Andrei (Pavel Pomonaryov) who treats her well and promises her a better life in Sweden. But in Sweden she meets Witek (Tomasz Neuman) and things go in a different direction.

I usually cry in films that are emotionally harrowing but this one was just too shocking and I just sat there and stared in disbelief. Moodysson does a great job of bringing this sad tale to life. All of the acting is very good with the young Alinshina and Bogucharsky being outstanding. It is hard to believe but these things happen everyday. If you love world cinemas as I do then check this one out.

The Messenger

2009-11-22T13:58:00.000-08:00

The Messenger is one powerful film. It is a small film that has gotten great reviews and it needs to be seen. It is not going to get the release that 2012 or Twilight got but it is slowly opening around the country so try to catch it if you can.

The film is directed by Oren Moverman (he co-wrote the wonderful I'm Not There). He is a first time director but you would never know it. The script was co-written with Alessandro Camon. The protagonist is Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster). Montgomery is a Iraq war vet. He has suffered some injuries and he is considered a hero. He has three months left before his enlistment is complete. He is assigned to a duty that no one wants - telling families that their loved ones have been killed. Montgomery will be working with Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) who is very experience in doing this. Stone is quite a character and sometimes seems too much for the reserved Montgomery.

What follows is harrowing. They go to several different families and you can only imagine their. However, one woman - Olivia Pitterson (Samantha Morton) seems almost cool about the news. Montgomery takes a keen interest in her and wants to get to know her better.

I really don't want to say more about what happens. The film takes its time telling the story and that is a good thing - at least for me it is. You get to know Montgomery and Stone pretty well. The film doesn't go into politics but it is an anti-war film of the highest order. Moverman was in the Israeli army and certainly knows the score. He is a filmmaker to watch and Camon is also someone to watch. Foster, Harrelson and Morton all give outstanding performances. And Steve Buscemi, as the father of one of the fallen soldiers, is simply wonderful in a two scene cameo.

So, if The Messenger is playing in your neck of the woods do yourself a favor and take yourself to see it. You won't be sorry that you did. It is definitely one of the best films of the year!

DVD Mini Review - The Unknown Woman

2009-11-18T19:51:00.000-08:00

A few words about Giuseppe Tornatore's The Unknown Woman. It is a thriller with a number of twists and turns. And it really draws you in from the beginning.

Irena (Xenia Rappoport) is a woman from the Ukraine who has become involved in the sex trade. During flashbacks we see what she went through and I can say the violence is very graphic in those scenes. But the are real and must be part of the film. She eventually escapes and tries to start over. She wants to work as a maid and she enlists the help of a porter (Alessandro Haber) to help her. However, she is hellbent of working for a couple who already have a maid. Irena will not let anything stand in her way of what she wants. She is particularly interested in the couple's young daughter Tea (Clara Dossena). Things move along but eventually a man from her past (Michele Placido) comes back to haunt her.

The Unknown Woman is such a good film and I was riveted throughout. Tornatore really knows how to make a film. All of the actors are terrific and Rappoport is just amazing in the lead role. You can't take your eyes off of her face. I would like to see her in other films. The young Dossena is wonderful as well. In addition to a great story and a good looking film you have the outstanding musical score by Ennio Morricone.

So do yourselves a favor and rent this film as soon as you can. You won't be sorry that you did.

Precious and Pirate Radio

2009-11-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

A few words about two movies I saw today.

Precious has been getting attention since it played at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It is Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. And it is one powerful film. Directed by Lee Daniels and scripted by Geoffrey Fletcher Precious really packs a punch.

Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) is sixteen and still in junior high school. She has been raped by her father and is now expecting her second child. Her mother Mary (Mo'Nique) is verbally and physically abusive. Precious is also quite overweight and although she is smart she has trouble reading. She has a miserable life. But there are people out there who want to help her. One is her teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton) who sees potential in Precious. Another is her case worker Mrs. Weiss (Mariah Carey).

The film partly takes place in Precious's head through fantasies. That is how she tries to deal with reality. This is not an easy film to watch. It is pulls no punches and goes for the gut. Daniels pulls you right into the film. Newcomer Sidibe is terrific as Precious. And Mo'Nique is amazing as her witch of a mother. Carey is really good as Mrs. Weiss - I was pleasantly surprised at how good she is. And not enough has been said about Patton as the sympathetic Ms. Rain. Also good in a small role is Lenny Kravitz as Nurse John.

Look for Precious come Oscar time. I think that the film will get a number of nominations and perhaps a win for Mo'Nique. Don't let the rough subject matter keep you away from this outstanding film.

Pirate Radio was a perfect film to see after Precious. I felt a great heaviness on my head after seeing the first film. Pirate Radio is a lot of fun and I needed a few laughs.

Based on a true story taking place in the late 1960s the story is about the time the UK banned rock music over the airwaves. With all that great music coming out of there back then you wonder why. So a group of rebel disc jockeys started up a radio station on a boat. And boy did they rock! In the film the head dj is The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman). He is the king until his rival Gavin (Rhys Ifans) comes back. Bill Nighy plays Quentin, the man who appears to be in charge. He has given refuge to his godson Carl (Tom Sturridge). Kenneth Branagh plays the government official who is hellbent on shutting down the station.

I really enjoyed the film and I love the music. Sometimes the script seems a little corny and the plot goes a bit overboard. I don't think that the film is all that accurate. But it doesn't matter because you can have a very good time if you let yourself just get into the film. Nighy, Hoffman, Ifans and Branagh are all wonderful in their roles. Emma Thompson makes a cameo appearance as Carl's mother Charlotte. And Man Men's January Jones has a small role in the film.

So if you love The Kinks, The Who, The Rolling Stones and other music from that time period do yourself a favor, kick back and enjoy Pirate Radio.

DVD Mini Review - The Country Teacher

2009-11-11T19:36:00.001-08:00

Bohdan Slama's The Country Teacher is a terrific little film. It is a simple story but one that can resonate with many people.

Petr (Pavel Liska) leaves a good teaching job in Prague to go and live in a rural area. He takes a position teaching natural science. He strikes up a strong friendship with Marie (Zuzana Bydzovska) but ultimately Zuzana wants more than a friendship. That is not possible because Petr is gay. In fact, he left Prague because he wanted to get away from his boyfriend George (Marek Daniel). Throw into the mix Marie's troubled son Lada (Ladislau Sedivy) and you have one interesting story.

The Country Teacher is a gentle film and it is quite realistic. It is a very sensitive film. It is about loneliness, friendship and redemption. And those are themes that I find very important (and personal). All of the acting was very naturalistic. Liska gives a find low key performance and Bydzovska is very strong. The scenery is lovely. And how often do we see a real calf being born to a mother cow?

The DVD features a wonderful short (10 minutes) film entitled Peter and Ben. It is a British film about the friendship between two dropouts. Peter is a human and Ben is a lamb. Both of them prefer to be with each other instead of their own species. I really liked this little film a lot.

I recommend this DVD to those of you who like good world cinema.

An Education and The Men Who Stare at Goats

2009-11-07T19:37:00.000-08:00

I am even shorter on time this weekend so I will have to make it brief. But I saw two films and I want to say a few words about both of them.

An Education, directed by Lone Scherfig, is a very enjoyable film indeed. Jenny (the luminous Carey Mulligan) is a sixteen year old living a very ordinary life in suburban London. She goes to school, plays the cello and hopes to attend Oxford. Her father Jack (Alfred Molina) and mother Marjorie (Cara Seymour) really want her to attend Oxford. That is their dream for her. But along comes David (Peter Sarsgaard) who changes her life.

David is about twice her age and really knows how to treat a woman (or in this case a girl). At first her parents are put off by him because he is older, a Jew and might take her away from her studies. But they soon submit to his charms. Jenny gets to meet David's friends Danny (Dominic Cooper) and Helen (Rosamund Pike). And she gets to go to Paris. But I knew that something was not right and if you want to see what happens then you must see the film.

Scherfig does a great job of recreating early 60s London. Nick Hornby wrote the intelligent screenplay based on Lynn Barber's memoir. All of the acting is top notch. Mulligan is a star in the making. In addition to the above mentioned actors Olivia Williams is very good as Jenny's teacher Miss Stubbs and Emma Thompson is outstanding as the headmistress of the school. A lot has been made of Mulligan's performance and she deserves the attention. But I think that Molina gives the best performance in the film. I hope that he is remembered come Oscar time (he should have been nominated for his performance in Frida - he played Diego Rivera).

An Education is a very good film. I can't say that it is an Oscar movie but it certainly is one of the better films of the year. There is some controversy about the film because some say it is anti-Semitic. I don't agree. There are a few references to David's being Jewish. But it is based on a memoir so the film is trying to stay true the actual story.

The Men Who Stared at Goats is a fun and trippy little film. I quite enjoyed it and found myself laughing throughout the film. It is directed by Grant Heslov and the script is written by Peter Straughan from a book by Jon Ronson. And this film is also based on a true story.

At some point and time the US Army had a section that dealt with paranormal activity. I always suspected this. The film tells a more fictionalized version of the story. Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) was one of the men involved in this. He retells his story to a very interested journalist named Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) as they traipse through Iraq. His (and others) guru was Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) who was the leader of this motley crew of soldiers. But a bad guy has to come along, in the name of Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey) and spoil things.

I don't want to go into too much detail about what happens because I want people to see for themselves. On the other hand, this film might be a bit too quirky for some people. But for those of you who like head trips and want to know about government secrets then you will like it.

This is Heslov's directorial debut. He co-wrote the screenplay of Goodnight, and Good Luck with Clooney. He did a good job for a first try. I liked all of the acting but I especially liked Clooney and the marvelous Bridges. Anyway, if you want to have a good time with a serious section see The Men Who Stared at Goats.

DVD Mini Review - Mouchette

2009-11-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

Robert Bresson's Mouchette (based on Georges Bernano's novel) is a beautiful but very bleak film. And it is a true classic.

Poor Mouchette (Nadine Nortier) is just fourteen years old and has such a hard life. Her mother is dying. Her father is a drunkard and treats her poorly. She goes to school and has to come home to do all the household chores including taking care of her infant brother. It is not much of a life.

I don't want to say much more about the plot. Mouchette is a short film but a lot is packed into its 81 minutes. Nortier is so good in the film that it is hard to believe that she was not a professional actress. I don't think she ever made another film. The rest of the cast is great too.

Yes, the film is depressing. And there is some animal cruelty that I was upset about. But this is real art cinema and if you like these type of films (as I do) then you must see this film.

Of note: the DVD extras included a trailer for the film directed by Jean Luc Godard. It made the film seem lighter but it was quite interesting to watch.

The Maid, The Little Traitor and Antichrist (MOD)

2009-11-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a big movie day for me. I saw three films - two in the theater and one on Movies on Demand. I will say a few words about each.

The Maid is Sebastian Silva's excellent character study of Raquel (Catalina Saavedra)a maid who has worked for a family for about 20 years. She is in her early 40s and getting tired. The woman of the house, Pilar (Claudia Celedon), wants to get her another maid to help her out. But she is resistant. During the film three new maids are hired to help her - Merecedes (Mercedes Villanueva), Sonia (Anita Reeves) and Lucy (Mariana Loyola). Different things happen with each new maid.

I was totally riveted throughout the film. To tell you the truth, I was appalled by Raquel's behavior. But my feelings changed as time went on. If this was an American film things would have been different - much less realistic. Saavedra gives an amazing performance as a very troubled woman. She has a most expressive face. I would like to see more of her work. And Silva is a talent to watch. I can't wait to see what he does next. If you can see this in a theater then do so. If not then renting it is a must.

The Little Traitor is a lovely little film directed by Lynn Roth from a short story written by Amos Oz. The story takes place in 1947 in Palestine. This was before Israel became a state. Proffy (Ido Port) lives with his family who came from Poland and very Zionistic. He and his friends hate the occupying British. But things change for Proffy when he meets and befriends Sgt. Dunlop (Alfred Molina). He sees that not all British are bad people.

The film is a coming of age tale but it is more than that. It says a lot about the notions we have about judging other people just because they are Jewish, British, Arab, etc. And we learn a something about history. Molina is very good - as he always is. And the young Port is wonderful and adorable as well. We even get a nice cameo from the legendary Theodore Bikel. This one is worth checking out either in the theater (if you can catch it there) or DVD when it comes out.

What can I say about Lars von Trier's Antichrist. It is beautifully shot by Anthony Dodd Mantle. The acting is great - Willem Dafoe is great and Charlotte Gainsbourg is outstanding (as great as Dafoe is Gainsbourg is even better with the showier role.
But this a very disturbing film and not for every (or even most) tastes.

The Prologue is really something else. Husband and wife are making passionate love. They are so wrapped up in each other that they don't hear their young son leave his crib and fall out of the window. For me that section was the best part of the film. Afterward the woman (neither one have a name) is beyond grief. Her husband is a therapist and tries to help her in a very clinical way. They wind up going to their cabin in the woods and try to heal. However, this is not such a good idea. I won't say more about the plot. I will say that there is a lot of graphic sex - which did not bother me at all. There is a lot of blame being tossed around. And Gainsbourg's woman seems to have major personality problems (to say the least). There is also some very graphic violence and some heavy symbolism. I did not hate this film but I can't say really liked it. It was interesting. As someone who loves cinema I am glad that I saw it. But I cannot recommend it to most people because I don't think that they would go for it. This one is only for a select audience. I have liked some of von Trier's work and he has an amazing way with actresses (Emily Watson, Bjork, Nicole Kidman, Gainsbourg). But there are also things about him that repulse me (killing a donkey while filming Manderlay, The Idiots was so bad that I walked out of the screening - something that I almost never do). What more can I say? He is one strange dude.

DVD Mini Review - Il Divo

2009-10-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to write a bit more about Paulo Sorentino's wonderful Il Divo but this has been a strange night and it is late. So I will just say that it is a marvelous film about former Italian Prime Minister Guilo Androetti (Toni Servillo). Androetti was elected to many terms and had a following. But he was linked to the mob and some thought that he was responsible for many deaths.

I don't know much about Italian politics but I can say that this film is not at all dry. It is very entertaining. The way it is shot, the music and the acting - all of which is top notch. And Servillo is outstanding. In the extras you see Sevillo as he really is and how he is as Androetti. No wonder his performance has been so highly praised.

Well, I wish I could write more but, as I said, it is late. So if you love European cinema as much as I do (and you didn't see this film in the theater) go out and rent Il Divo as soon as possible.

The Damned United

2009-10-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

Tom Hooper's film The Damned United may not be all fact but it is a good entertainment just the same. And this comes from someone who is not a fan of soccer or any sports.

It is the story of the rise and fall of Brian Clough (Michael Sheen) who was the manager of the soccer team in Derby and then Leeds. His loyal friend Peter Taylor (Timothy Spall) is also his partner during the time he managed the Derby team. Clough is overly ambitious and many times this gets him into trouble. And one of the people he crosses is the chief of the Derby Sam Longson (Jim Broadbent). And he is also at odds with the Leeds teams former manager Don Revie (Colm Meany).

I won't say what else happens. Hooper does a great job of directing his actors. And Peter Morgan's script is very well written. The film is an amazing character study of a man who wants too much. All of the acting is terrific (also including Henry Goodman as Manny Cousins) and Sheen proves he is worth his weight in gold as an actor.

I highly recommend this film to those of you who like character studies and outstanding acting.

Amelia

2009-10-24T17:59:00.001-07:00

In all honesty, I almost didn't see Amelia in the theater. It got such bad reviews and it didn't pull me in from the previews. But I was very curious because I wondered if it was as bad as most of the critics said it was. I have to report that it wasn't all that bad. It is a decent but conventional biopic.

We all know about Amelia Earhart (Hillary Swank). We know of her love of flying and her disappearance in 1937. Much of the film is about Amelia's romance and marriage to publisher George Putnam (Richard Gere). She only agrees to marry him if they have an unconventional marriage. She wants both of them to be free to see others. She has an affair with Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor) who is the father of Gore. But that doesn't last. Of course, a lot of the film also focuses on her passion of flying. The last half hour is the best - it is about her last flight.

I think that Mira Nair does a good job of directing the film. I don't know why the critics are raking her over the coals. I have always admired her work. The flight scenes are wonderful. The acting is good. Swank even resembles Amelia. Gere is good and I liked McGregor. Christopher Eccleston is terrific as Fred Noonan - the navigator who was with Amelia went she went missing. And I enjoyed Cherry Jones's cameo as Eleanor Roosevelt. The main problem with the film is the script. And that is where Nair has to take a bit of the blame. Although she did the best with what she had she should have been able to tell that there were weaknesses in the script (written by Ron Bassl and Anna Hamilton Phelan). The story should have gotten into more of what made Amelia tick and cut back a bit on the schmaltzyness in certain scenes.

So all in all a decent (but unexceptional) film but one that could have been really good if it took a different direction.

DVD Mini Review - Rage

2009-10-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

I really like Sally Potter and I always look forward to her films. They are offbeat and not for a mainstream audience. I just watched the DVD of her latest film Rage. I know that the film did not do well with the critics and, as far as I know, it was never released in the theaters in the US. I don't know why because it is a fascinating film and there must be an audience out there who would like it.

Basically, a student named Michealangelo is interviewing a number of people with his video camera. It is for a project he is working on about the week leading up to a fashion show and the fashion show itself. You never see Michaelangelo but you really feel his presence. The film is a bunch of interviews with various participants in the event and their take on things. Some of the actors in the film include Simon Abkarian, Bob Balaban, Adriana Barraza, Judi Dench, Steve Buscemi, Eddie Izzard, Jude Law and John Leguizamo. All of the acting is very good. And so many points are very well made and ring so true.

I will not say more about the film. It is not for everyone. But for those of you who like interesting experimental films then Rage is up your alley and you should definitely rent it.

A Serious Man and New York, I Love You

2009-10-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

I saw two really good films today. I will say a few words about each.

The Coen Brothers have given us another wonderful film. A Serious Man is their most personal film to date. It takes place in St. Louis Park, Minnesota which is a heavily Jewish suburb of Minneapolis. This is where the brothers grew up.

Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) is a college professor who is going through a hell of a time. His wife Judith (Sari Lennick) wants a divorce. She wants to marry their friend Sy Abelman (Fred Melamed). His son Danny (Aaron Wolfe) is about to Bar Mitzvahed. The boy is a heavy pot smoker. His daughter Sarah (Jessica McManus) wants a nose job. His brother Arthur freeloads off of him and has many problems. On top of this Larry is having problems with a student who wants to bribe him for a better grade or sue him for defamation of character. Oy, what is a man supposed to do?!

Larry goes to rabbis but they offer no answer to his dilemma. Is there anyone who can help this man? Well, I won't tell you. You will have to see this terrific film for yourselves to find out. The Coens have done a marvelous job of directing the film and their screenplay is witty but also quite serious. Yes, you laugh but underneath it all they pose some very hard questions about God, faith, destiny, etc.

I don't remember seeing Stuhlbarg in a film but he was great as the put upon Larry (I understand that he is a theater actor). The rest of the cast was spot on as well. The first ten minutes of the film features a Yiddish folk tale starring the wonderful Fyvush Finkel among others. Some people told me that they couldn't see the connection between that short section of the film and the rest of it. Ah, but look deeper and you will see the connection. Highly recommended to those of you who like challenging, well made films.

I loved Paris je t'aime and I love the next film in the series of cities we love - New York, I Love You. I will say that I liked Paris a bit better but New York is still so very enjoyable. I don't understand why the critics didn't like the film but they are very often wrong.

There are several short films interwoven into one big one. The main star is NYC. But among the directors are Fatih Akin, Yvan Attal, Shekhar Kupur (his piece was written by Anthony Minghella and was supposed to be directed by Minghella but, sadly, he passed away), Mira Nair, Joshua Marsten and Natalie Portman. Among the actors we have Natalie Portman, Bradley Cooper, Orlando Bloom, Robin Wright Penn, Cristina Ricci, Drea de Matteo, John Hurt, James Caan, Andy Garcia, Chris Cooper, Julie Christie, Eli Wallach, Irfan Khan, and Ugur Uycel. There are others but I can't list them all.

I liked all of the shorts with varying degrees. Of course, some are better than others. But take all together they make up a very good film. I won't get into the various stories but some of them really hit home. Most of the them are filmed in Manhattan. One takes place in Brooklyn. It would have been nice if there were stories from each of the other three boroughs but the producers chose to use Manhattan for the most part. All I can say that this is a highly enjoyable film and I hope you will see it despite the fact that most of the critics did not like it.

New York can be a tough place to live in. It can be a lonely place despite all of the people. It is overly crowded and the pace is too fast. It is very expensive. I sometimes feel that I would like move somewhere more quiet. I have mixed feelings about that. But there is something special about this city and even with all of its flaws in the end I have to say NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU!

Disengagement (MOD) and Adoration (DVD)

2009-10-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

I just saw two interesting but flawed films. Here are a (very) few words about each.

Disengagement is directed by Amos Gitai. It is a 2007 film but it is just now being released on Movies on Demand. I don't think it had a theatrical release in the US.

The story is interesting but the script is a bit muddled. The film starts off on a train. An Israeli soldier Uli (Liron Levo) is headed for France. He meets a Palestinian woman Hiam (Hiam Abbass) and they make a connection. The next thing we see is a dead man and a black woman (Barbara Hendricks) singing to him. We then realize that it is Ana's (Juliette Binoche) father. But Uli shows up and we find out the dead man is his father too. Well, step father as Uli was adopted by the man. After the funeral Uli has to go back to Israel because of the disengagement in the Gaza. The Israeli army is dismantling Jewish settlements in the Gaza. Ana finds out that the daughter (Dana Ivgy) she gave up so long ago is living in one of the settlements and she goes to Israel to try and find her.

The first section of the film is very good. But after that Abbass just disappears from the film. So what was the connection? I guess it is symbolic. Jeanne Moreau shows up in a brief scene and has very little to do. Too bad because she is such a great actress. Juliette Binoche is one of my favorite actresses and she is fine here but there is one scene where is is over acting. Gitai is a fine director and the scenes where he is showing the removal of the settlers is riveting. I just wish that that script was clearer in which direction it wanted this film to go in.

Adoration is directed by Atom Egoyan. It is also an interesting film that doesn't totally satisfy.

Simon (Devon Bostick) lost his parents in a car accident. He lives with his uncle Tom (Scott Speedman). His grandfather is dying. His grandfather tries to poison his mind by tell Simon that his father Sami (Noam Jenkins) killed his mother Rachel (Rachel Blanchard).

Simon's French teacher Sabine (Arsinee Khanjian) asks Simon to translate a story. Simon comes up with one about his father told his pregnant mother to travel to Israel. She is reluctant but she agrees to meet him there. Little does she know that he planted a bomb in her bag. This is not really true but it is spread around the internet and becomes a sensation. But it also does much harm.

Watching people's reaction to the story on the web was most intriguing. You wonder why Simon didn't stop this before it exploded. The film really delves into people's attitudes about Muslims and gives us much food for thought.The cast is good and Khanjian really shines.

I recommend these films for those of you who love world cinema that makes you think even though the end results are not perfect. At least these directors are making films that are more challenging than the usual studio crap.

The Boys Are Back and Coco Before Chanel

2009-10-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

A (very) few words about two films I saw this weekend. I wish I had more time to write but I just don't.

The Boys Are Back is a wonderful and warm film directed by Scott Hicks (Shine). It is base on true events. Joe (Clive Owen) is a successful sports writer. He is originally from England but now lives Australia with his wife Katy (Laura Fraser) and their young son Artie (Nicholas McAnulty). All seems to be going well until Katy passes out at a party. It turns out that Katy has advanced cancer. She soon dies leaving Joe to care for Artie. It isn't easy because they both have to deal with their pain.

Into to mix comes Joe's older son Harry (George MacKay). Joe left the UK and Harry's mom when he met Katy. But that doesn't mean he loves Harry any less. Harry decides that he needs a break and decides to stay with Joe for a while. And that is all I will say about the plot.

I laughed and had tears in my eyes during the film. It brings up all kinds of emotions. And to those critics who put down the film, well, you were thinking with your mind and not your heart. The film could have gone down a predictable road with one aspect of the film but, happily, it does not (when you see it you will know what I mean). The two boys are wonderful in their roles. And Owen is fantastic as Joe. He is a terrific actor and I hope that he gets more "meat on the bone" roles like this in the future. I recommend this film to everyone and do take your not too young children along with you.

I was disappointed with Coco Before Chanel. Ann Fontaine wrote and directed the film about the early years of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. Audrey Tautou does fine work as Coco. She says a lot with her eyes. But if only she had a better film to be in. The film drags a bit at the beginning and could have used some editing. But the real problem is in the script - the way the story is told. It just isn't that interesting. Now I know that the actual story must be interesting and this film really needed a better writer.

The music, costumes and scenery are all beautiful. And we get to see another good performance from Tautou. Benoit Poelvoorde is excellent as Balsan, the man Coco moves in with at the beginning of the film. But true love comes her way and she meets "Boy" Capel (Allesandro Nivola). Nivola does the best he can with what I think is an underwritten role. Also shining in the film is the great Emmanuelle Devos as Emilienne, a woman who Coco designs clothes for. Whenever Devos is on the screen things liven up. Coco Before Chanel isn't a terrible film at all. But it isn't a good one either. There are things in the film that are worth seeing but I would say wait until this one is on DVD and rent it.

DVD Mini Review - Grey Gardens

2009-10-08T18:41:00.001-07:00

Grey Gardens is HBO's Emmy winning film which is based on the 70s documentary by the Maysles Brothers.

Big Edith Bouvier Beale (Jessica Lange) and her daughter Little Edith were top society women in the 30s. But a number of events lead to something strange happening. After Big Edie's marriage fails and things fall apart for Little Edie they both become recluses that live in the family house known as Grey Gardens. But without money the two live in squalor. But along comes their famous relative, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (Jeanne Tripplehorn) to save the day and fix their house.

I was totally fascinated with these two eccentric women. And I must say that I really like eccentrics - people who are different (although I don't see any reason for people to live the way these two women did). And seeing this film makes me want to see the Maysles documentary - which I never have seen.

The two lead actresses are amazing. On the DVD there is an interesting short film about Grey Gardens then and now. This shows just how authentic Lange and Barrymore are. I expect great things from Lange so it was no surprise that she was outstanding in the role. But Barrymore was the revelation here. I never really thought about her much as an actress but this film shows just what she can do. The right role brings out those wonderful Barrymore genes.

I recommend this film to those of you who like interesting character studies and wonderful acting.

Capitalism: A Love Story

2009-10-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

I have been a fan of Michael Moore's since I saw Roger and Me twenty years ago. He is always fighting the good fight. I am not a fan of capitalism. It is not a system that works for most people. I, like Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (who is in the film), am a Social Democrat (also known as a real Socialist). I believe in safety nets for people in need.

Moore shows us many instances of how capitalism doesn't work for 95 percent of the population. Banks get bailed out but not people. People lose jobs without getting money that is owed to them. People lose homes that they have live in for a long time. But why don't people rebel against this. Because in the US people are brainwashed into thinking that they, too, can become ultra rich. Fat chance of that happening to most of us.

There are so many highlights in the film that I don't really want to mention any. I will say that you get a real education while watching it. Though there were laughs there were also lots of things that made me angry. If you think that the mess we are in started a few years ago well guess again. It started with Ronald Reagan who believed in "trickle down economics." But the wealth does not trickle down to most of us.

Moore mentions something that I completely forgot about - FDR's second Bill of Rights. To get an idea of what the man wanted for all Americans here is a short list of musts for all of us:

A job with a living wage
Freedom from unfair competition and monopolies
A home
Medical care
Education
Recreation

Who could argue with that? But FDR died and this did not go through. We should start a movement to enforce this.

All I can say is see this film. You will learn something and perhaps you will get mad enough to get off of your butts and do something to make change happen.

DVD Mini Review - Cleo from 5 to 7

2009-10-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to watch Agnes Varda's fine film Cleo from 5 to 7. The story is a simple one. The film follows the life of Cleo (Corrine Marchand) - her real name is Florence - for a few hours. Cleo is a famous singer. But today her mind is on other things and not music.

Cleo is waiting for the results of a biopsy for cancer. She is convinced that she is dying. A her visit to a tarot reader confirms her suspicions. We don't get too many details about the illness. Her assistant Angele (Dominique Davras) tries to get her mind off of it. Her musician friends and others try to entertain her and play music for her. But this doesn't work. At some point she takes off on her own and even takes off her wig and starts refer to herself as Florence. Things change when she meets Antoine (Antoine Bourseiller). He is about to depart for Algeria. Florence gets a revelation about life. She even gets up the courage to go to the hospital to see the doctor for her results.

That is it in a nutshell. Cleo is very well shot. I liked the way it went for color to black and white at the beginning. And I enjoyed all of the Paris street life that we get to see. All of the acting is very good and Marchand is wonderful. You really feel for her and wonder how you would be in her shoes.

I highly recommend this film to those of you who want to see vintage world cinema.

Bright Star, Paris and The Burning Plain (MOD)

2009-09-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a very busy movie day for me. I saw two films in the theater and one on Movies on Demand. When you work full time you have to cram things into a short amount of time.

Jane Campion's lovely Bright Star is the story of the romance between poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and his last love Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish). Despite their love for each other it is impossible for Fanny to marry Keats because he is almost penniless. Back in those days a woman needed to marry a man who could take care of her. But the heart knows no reason and the two embark on a heartfelt but chaste love affair. We know how things turns out because Keats dies at the young age of 25. But that doesn't take away from the film.

Bright Star is beautiful to look at. Some of the scenery is breathtaking. The film starts off rather slowly and I think that the beginning of the film should have been trimmed a bit. But things soon pick up and I got involved with the story. Cornish is wonderful as Fanny. It is possible that she might get an Oscar nomination. I felt that Whishaw was a bit weak in his role and he only gets better when his character is getting sick. Paul Schneider plays Keats' cynical friend Charles Brown and he is truly amazing. Despite a few floors I recommend this film to anyone who loves (as I do) poetry and romance.

Paris is a marvelous new film by Cedric Klapisch. And after seeing the film I wonder why it took so long for it to arrive on our shores. There are many characters in this film and they are all a joy to watch.

Pierre (Romain Duris) used to work as a dancer. He is now facing a serious illness. He needs a heart transplant. He contacts his sister Elise (Juliette Binoche) who he hasn't seen in a while. She is a single social worker with three kids. When learning about her brother's illness she and the kids move into his apartment.

Roland (Fabrice Luchini) and Phillippe (Francois Cluzet) are brothers who are very different. Roland is a professor who falls for one of his students (Melanie Laurent). Phillipe has a young wife who is expecting a child.

These are just some of the characters we meet in the film. There are people who work in a farmer's market, a woman who owns a fancy gourmet food store and people who came from Africa to start a new life (and one who is trying to get to Paris) among others.

Klapisch directs the film in a crisp style and there is never a dull moment. All of the acting is terrific. The film has humor and pathos. You see that these people are just like you with their everyday problems. And they are part of the city, which is a character in the film. I just loved Paris and hope that you will too.

The Burning Plain was supposed to come to my local art theater but its run was canceled. I guess that might have been because it got such bad reviews. But I was curious about it and decided to see it on Movies on Demand. And I am not sorry that I did. Honestly, I can't understand why it did so poorly with the critics. But this is not the first time that I really liked a film and the critics didn't (the opposite has also happened - where they loved a film and I didn't).

The film is written and directed by Guillermo Arriaga. There are different strands that come together as one whole story. Gina (Kim Basinger) is a married woman who is having an affair with a married man. She also has had a health problem that has made her self conscious. Her daughter Marina (Jennifer Lawrence) finds out about the affair and is very upset about it. We also meet a woman (living in another place and time) named Sylvia (Charlize Theron) who has a pretty good job but seems to go from man to man and also seems very disturbed. And that is all I will say about the plot. You will have to see the film to find out what happens.

Arriaga wrote some fantastic screenplays for director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. He also wrote a very good one for Tommy Lee Jones. This is his directing debut. You can see that he is not in Inarritu's category. He lacks the passion and intensity of Inarritu. But I still think that he made a compelling film. And the three above mentioned women are all terrific in their roles. The supporting cast was also very good. So I don't understand all of the negative reviews. I would say see this film on demand or wait for DVD but try to see it. It is a good solid drama.

Ballad of a Soldier

2009-09-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

Ballad of a Soldier, directed by Grigori Chukhrai, is a true film classic. I truly love this film.

The story is a very simple one. Alyosha (Vladimir Ivaahov) is a 19 year old soldier fighting the Germans in 1943. He singlehandedly kills a number of Germans and is considered a war hero. He is offered a medal for his bravery but instead wants to visit his mother and repair the roof. But along the way his train connections don't always work out and he meets Shura (Zhanna Prokhorenko) and they fall in love. That is it. But it is so much more than that. This film really tugged at my heartstrings. By the end of the film I had tears in my eyes. A day after I saw it I am still thinking about it.

The film is beautifully shot. It is no wonder why it is used in many film classes. And the subtitles on the black and white background are perfectly clear.

The film was nominated for an Oscar and won a few awards. I don't want to say more about the film. It is better to see it. And see it you must because I said so!!

The Informant!

2009-09-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

I admire Steven Soderbergh for taking risks and making different kinds of film. However, I usually find his films to be lacking something. And this is the case with his latest film The Informant!

The Informant! is based on a book by Kurt Eichenwald about whistle blower Mark Whitacre (played in the film by Matt Damon). Whitacre was a big shot at Archer Daniels Midland in the 90s and works with the FBI to bring the firm down due to illegal activities. I enjoyed the beginning of the film but the then things got a bit too convoluted for me. Whitacre talks out of both sides of his mouth and you eventually find out that he has some problems (I won't say what). The truth is, I was a bit tired when I went to see the film but I understood where it was trying to go and it didn't always work.

The Informant! tries to tell a serious story in a comedic way. That is great if you can pull it off but ultimately can't. I read a few reviews that compare it to Michael Mann's The Insider. That is absurd. The Insider is a great film. The Informant! is a somewhat entertaining one. It is by no means a bad film. Just not as great as some critics say it is.

I must give high praise to Damon. He was great in the role and certainly lifts the film up. I also enjoyed Melanie Lynsy as Whitacre's wife Ginger and Scott Bakula as FBI Agent Brian Shepard who becomes Whitacre's friend. After seeing the film I realized that this is the type of film that I should have seen on DVD. And that is my recommendation to you - see it but wait for the DVD.

DVD Mini Review - The International

2009-09-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

Tom Tykwer does a good job of directing The International. It moves along a crisp pace and I liked the way it looked. I would say that it is a pretty good film. It could have been even better if screenwriter Eric Singer's script were sharper. But it is still worth a rental.

Inerpol agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) and New York Assistant DA Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) team up to bring down an international bank who is doing many illegal things. However, this is not so easy (big surprise). The bank will stop at nothing, including murder, because what they do makes a profit.

The film held my interest and I thought that a lot of the plot is applicable to what goes on today. Owen is good but I thought that Watts' role should have been better written. She is a fine actress and her character needed more meat on her bones. The supporting cast, including Armin Mueller-Stahl, Brian F. O'Byrne and Ulrich Thomsen were all good.

The film will make you think about what is going on in the world today. So for that alone it is worth checking out. And then there is Clive Owen, who is an actor I always look forward to seeing. Well, that in a nutshell, is it.

Cloud 9

2009-09-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

Andreas Dresen has created a wonderful, emotionally satisfying film with Cloud 9. And it breaks a big taboo as well. It is a geriatric love triangle between two men and a woman.

Inge (Ursula Werner) is a seamstress. She has been married to Werner (Horst Rehberg) for 30 years. Perhaps she was content with the marriage. But when you see them together you can tell that something is missing. While delivering a pair of pants she has fixed to Karl (Horst Westphal) something happens. They embark on a passionate love affair that changes her life.

There is quite a bit of sex in the film and full frontal nudity as well. This is done very tastefully and with dignity. In other words, it is very real. But you would not see something like this done by an American film studio.

I really don't want to say much about what happens. But I will say that the directing and acting are wonderful. Werner is amazing as the conflicted Inge. Just look at her face. I also liked the fact that Inge was not a skinny pickle who went to the gym. She was heavy and men still loved her. Anyway, I would love to say more about the film but time is always of the essence. But I highly recommend this mature look at love and sex later on in life.

DVD Mini Review - Crossfire

2009-09-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

Crossfire, directed by Edward Dmytryk, is a most interesting film. It is a social commentary that is cloaked in a film noir murder mystery. The film, made in 1947, focuses on anti Semitism and hatred in general.

A man named Samuels (Sam Levene) is murdered. Detective Finlay (Robert Young) is letting no corner left unturned. He suspects that Samuels was murdered by a soldier.
But he questions a few and we are not sure who the murderer is until much later in the film (although there are clues). Included in the cast are Robert Mitchum as Keeley - a soldier who wants to get to the bottom of things, Robert Ryan as Montgomery - one of the last people to see Samuels arrive and Gloria Grahame as Ginny - a woman of rather loose standard who can help clear one of the soldiers.

Crossfire is based on a book written by Richard Brooks (who was also a director). The screenplay is written by John Paxton. There was an interesting documentary on the DVD and I found out the in the book the murdered man was homosexual. But this was 1947 and Hollywood would not make a film on that subject matter. It was daring enough to make one about anti Semitism.

All of the actors are good with Ryan and Grahame nominated for supporting Oscars. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay. This was one of Dmytryk's last films in Hollwyood because he was blacklisted. Although not quite as good as Gentlemen's Agreement Crossfire is still a very good film and is a very worthwhile rent. Check it out!

The Baader Meinhoff Complex and Still Walking (MOD)

2009-09-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

A few words (and I mean a very few because I don't have the time) on two films I just saw.

I saw The Baader Meinhoff Complex in my local arthouse. It is the last of this year's foreign language Oscar nominated films that I saw. It was also nominated for the Golden Globe. Directed by Uli Edel it is the story of the Red Army Faction (RAF) the sprung up in Germany in the 60s and 70s.

Edel has created a powerful film and gets us to understand how this group came to being. While the film introduces us to a number of the group's members it focuses on three main characters. Ulrikhe Meinhoff (Martina Gedeck) is a married with children and also a journalist. She and her husband are on the left. But she is swept away with this group to the point where she is willing to give up her children. Andreas (Moritz Bleibtreau) and Gudrun Easslin (Johanna Wokalek) are lovers who also have a child. They have no qualms about giving him up because their cause is more important.

The Baader Meinhoff Complex is an unflinching look at this group. And, yes, it is quite violent but it has to be. But it is also very real. Here is a group that had high ideals but took the wrong path in trying to achieve them. All of the acting is spot on with Gedeck being really fantastic. I highly recommend this film.

I also highly recommend Hirokazu Koreeda's beautiful film Still Walking. This one I saw on Movies on Demand IFC in Theaters. It is playing at a handful of cinemas but it was easier to see it on MOD.

This film is quite tranquil despite its subject matter. It focuses on one Japanese family. The elderly mother and father live in Yokohama. They are about to honor the anniversary of the death of their eldest son who drowned while rescuing someone else - who survived. The father seems cold and bitter and the mother is sad but tries to help her other children.

The surviving brother and sister arrive with their families in tow. Of course, they cannot measure up to the brother who no longer is here. This is especially hard for the younger brother. All of the acting is terrific. The film reminded me a bit of Ozu's Tokyo Story - which I love.

It may seem like not much happens in this film but in reality it does. It is about real life and it could apply to any family anywhere in the world. There is no need to say more about the plot. Just see this film. I am sure that you will be as moved at the end as I was.

Five Minutes of Heaven (MOD)

2009-09-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

Five Minutes of Heaven is a simple story told in a powerful way. The story begins in 1975 in Northern Island. Young Alistair Little is a member of a Protestant terrorist group. He wants to be a big man. So he goes and kills a Catholic man name James Griffen while a young boy watches. What Little doesn't know is that the young boy is the dead man's brother Joe.

Many years later the older Little (Liam Neeson) tries to repent after leaving jail. His mission to trying to talk people out of joining terror groups. He is trying to save lives and also trying to save himself. A television station wants to tape a meeting between Alistair and the grown up Joe (James Nesbitt). And we see the setting up for the show. Both men are nervous. Does it happen? Well, dear reader, you will have to see the film to find out.

The film is well directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall) from a sharp script written by Guy Hibbert. Nesbitt is amazing as the wreck of a man. Neeson is also great in the lower key role. And Anamaria Maranca is good in the small but important role of Vika.

The film didn't play long in theaters. But seeing it on MOD (as I did) or DVD is fine. It was made for British television. The film shows what hate can do and why it is important to stop it before it spreads.

DVD Mini Review - Homeboy

2009-09-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

Homeboy is a terrific and sad little film that came out in 1988. That was 20 years before The Wrestler was released. The thing both films have in common is that Mickey Rourke gives a fabulous performance in both of them.

Johnny Walker (Rourke) is a down and out fighter. He fights for the money but he doesn't seem to have his heart in it. He is approached by a hustler named Wesley (Christopher Walken). Wesley wants Johnny to help him with a robbery. But Johnny doesn't feel comfortable with that. In the meantime, Johnny meets Ruby (Debra Feuer) a woman who runs a beaten down amusement park. He really takes a fancy to her but things are not so simple for Johnny.

I really liked this film and I felt that it was, in a way, a precursor to The Wrestler. No one can say that Rourke was not always a great actor. He always was. He will break you heart in this film. Walken in wonderful as the odd Wesley. And I thought that Feuer was also great. She and Rourke had great chemistry together. And no wonder - they were married at the time. The ending is ambiguous. I would like to discuss it with people who have seen the film. And there is a fantastic original musical score composed by Eric Clapton. Oh, I almost forgot that there is a cameo by Ruben Blades, a singer/actor that I love! Oh, I forgot something very important. The film credits Eddie Cook for writing the screenplay but the script was actually written by Rourke himself.

All I can say is rent this film. I will end with a quote from Bob Dylan in his Chronicles book. He went to see the film and this is what he had to say about Rourke- "He could break your heart with a look. The movie traveled to the moon every time he came onto the screen. Nobody could hold a candle to him. He was just there, didn't have to say hello or goodbye." And that is very true.

Taking Woodstock

2009-08-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

I thoroughly enjoyed Ang Lee's new film Taking Woodstock. It is based on a true story. Of course, everyone knows the story of the Woodstock concert back in 1969. But what we didn't know was how it all came to being.

Elliot Teichberg (Demitri Martin) works for his parents in a White Lake Motel. He is a creative person and would rather be doing something else. But he feels obligated to help them. Jake (Henry Goodman) and Sonia (Imelda Staunton) are Russian Jewish immigrants. Jake is a quiet type but Sonia is ball of fire. The motel is facing foreclosure. Elliot is a leader in the community. When he finds out about the Woodstock and the fact that it cannot be held in Woodstock his wheels turn. Unfortunately, the concert cannot be held on the Teichberg's property. But Max Yasgur (Eugene Levy) has a huge farm and Elliot convinces Max to let the concert take place there. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Although we don't see footage from the concert we get a real feel of what happened there. And we see Elliot grow and become his own man. As I said before, Lee does a great job with recreating the era. He has help from his James Schamus, who wrote the screenplay based on the real Elliot Tiber's book. And Eric Gautier's cinematography is just outstanding. All of the above mentioned actors are wonderful as is Liev Schreiber as Vilma, a drag queen security person.

I didn't make it to Woodstock but this was my time. And that time was better than this time. So if you are of a certain generation (although you don't have to be) get our your tie dyed shirt and your peace symbol and head over to your local movie theater and see Taking Woodstock.

DVD Mini Review - Duplicity

2009-08-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

I missed Duplicity when it played in theaters a few months ago. It would have been nice to see it on the big screen it does work well on DVD.

Ray Koval (Clive Owen) and Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) seem to have a love/hate relationship. They are always trying to game each other. Or are they? They are also a couple. They have a plan to get rich. They decide to work with rival drug companies who are both looking for their next big drug. But things are more complicated than they seem.

Some people said that they were confused while watching the film. It does go back and forth in time and place quite a bit. But I didn't find it hard to follow. You just have to pay attention to what is happening. In fact, I really enjoyed the film.

Tony Gilroy wrote and directed a smart film for adults. And while not as good as Michael Clayton it is good. Roberts and Owen have terrific chemistry. And Paul Giamatti and Tim Wilkinson are great as the rival drug company czars. Add in a wonderful Kathleen Chalfont too.

Duplicity held my interest throughout its two hour. If you haven't seen this film then by all means rent it.