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Julie & Julia (2009) (***1/2, docudrama, comedy) (9-7-09) (D.-Nora Ephron; W.-Nora Ephron (screenplay), Julie Powell (book); Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond, Helen Carey) Charming little character study filled with amusing vignettes. For those who don't know who Childs was, she wrote the famous book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the first major book on French cooking in English, which introduced Americans to French cooking. She went on to become a famous TV personality with her idiosyncratic show on French cooking. If you haven't seen it, don't worry, you will get a flavor from clips of reenactments in the film. The movie interleaves two story lines. Starting in 1948, we have Julia Childs moving to Paris with her diplomat husband. She loves Paris, loves food, but badly needs to do something. After several false starts, she finds her true calling when she enrolls in a French cooking school. We have her training, her travails, and how she gets into the book writing business and after many travails the publishing of her book. Juxtaposed against this, we have a frustrated writer Julie Powell (Adams). She, too, is searching for a meaningful goal. With her husband's encouragement, she sets up a blog to chronicle her attempt to cook 524 recipes in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year's time. We are presented with her travails and successes counterbalanced against those of Julia.
In keeping with the symmetry, Julia and Julie are supported by strong men Paul (Tucci) and Eric (Messina) who respect and admire their wives passions.
Streep's performance is stellar. I have one question, how did she manage to channel Julia Childs? There is no other explanation for what you see on the screen. In the first TV clip, I had to study it closely before I finally concluded I was watching a reenactment of one of Julia's shows by Streep. The physical likeness is amazing, but it is the voice, the physical mannerisms, the delivery that are all perfect. This is an Academy level performance.
Adams, always a charming actress, does a fine job with Julie. The two stories counterbalance each other and deepen the presentation. However, Julia is the power house personality, and when she is on the screen, she is an elemental force. The male leads are excellent with Tucci in particular being a standout.
In one scene, we see Julie's husband at work. As my wife noticed, it is the office of the magazine Archeology. As it turns out, we subscribe to that. My wife checked out the latest copy, and he is still an editor.
I have two recommendations. See the movie before dinner, and plan on going out to a scrumptious feast afterwards. After seeing all those magnificent dishes on screen, you will be famished.
Teenager Films. (9-7-09) There are several teenager films that don't' fall into the usual comedy, sex farce, or slasher genre that I thought I would hit. These are Graduation, a caper film, Brick, a film noir, and Disturbia a remake of Hitchcock's Rear Window. They work with varying degrees of success.
Graduation (2007) (***, action, crime) (9-7-09) (D.-Michael Mayer; W.-Michael Mayer, Cory Turner; Shannon Lucio, Riley Smith, Chris Marquette, Chris Lowell, Adam Arkin, Aimee Garcia) A teenage caper film. In the opening you track a trail of blood across a bank floor with a noir style voice over. Obviously the caper did not go well. Flash back two weeks earlier to learn how we arrived here. Four friends on the verge of graduation need money for a family emergency. With the usual criminal mindset, what could be more logical and audacious than robbing one of the student's father's bank. The friends from different backgrounds and very different personalities make for an uneasy alliance when it comes to criminal acts. I won't say more about plot other than that the acting is solid, the characters interesting, the plot adequately convoluted, and resolution satisfying.
Brick (2005) (***1/2, noir, crime, drama) (9-7-09) (DW.-Rian
Johnson; Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Nora Zehetner, Lukas Haas, Noah Fleiss, Matt
O'Leary, Emilie De Ravin, Lucas Babin, Richard Roundtree) If Dashiell Hammett
had been a Valley teenager growing up now, he might well have written Brick.
It is classic hardboiled film noir in a modern setting. We have all the elements.
A tough loner Brendan (Gordon-Levitt) stumbles onto the body of his murdered
ex-girl friend Emily (De Ravin) and may have just missed the murderer. He spends
the rest of the story seeking who and why, and then revenge. Our principals
are in a society alienated from those around it, in this case the adults, school,
and the law who at best are indifferent and at worst active participants in
the disruption of the lives and actions. Quirky characters with names like The
Pin (Haas), Big Stoner (Babin ), Tugger (Fleiss), and The Brain (O'Leary). Sharp
dialogue that caters to their insular society. Humphrey Bogart and Dick Powell
from The Maltese Falcon and Murder My Sweet would have felt right at home in
the mean streets of Brick.
Ultimately, like much noir, Brick is less about the details of the plot and
more about atmosphere, character interactions, dialogue, and survival in a lethal
environment. So if you are fond of film noir, you are likely to find Brick a
clever entertaining diversion.
Disturbia (2007) (**1/2, suspense) (9-7-09) (D.-D.J. Caruso;
Shia LaBeouf, Sarah Roemer, Carrie-Anne Moss, David Morse) A nice teenage set
up and homage to Hitchcock's classic Rear Window. Seventeen year old Kale Brecht
(LaBeouf ) loses his father in a tragic accident and become withdrawn, uncommunicative,
and hostile. This culminates with him punching out a teacher and being placed
under house arrest for the summer with a tracking bracelet that restricts his
movement to his house. Out of boredom, he becomes a voyeur and begins watching
his neighbors. Things really begin to unravel when he begins to suspect his
neighbor of being a murderer. However, this is a world where adults don't take
kids very seriously, and certainly not a screw-loose teenager. So no one will
believe him. Aided by his mobile girl friend, he begins to investigate. For
those familiar with Rear Window, the setup and implementation is directly parallel
to Jimmy Stewart's and Grace Kelly's roles.
The film works to here as a clever homage to Hitchcock. Unfortunately, the whole
effect is ruined in my opinion by the extended end segment that turns into a
standard teen horror film. If you like homage and Hitchcock, there is something
in here for you. But do be prepared for the letdown ending. If you have never
seen Rear Window, it is one of the classic great suspense films. Hitchcock's
opening scene is one of the greats. It conveys more information without a single
word than most directors can do in 10 minutes.
The Atomic Café (1982) (****, documentary, social and political commentary, satire, humor, plus a few more) (9-7-09) (D.- Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty, Pierce Rafferty) If you have seen Dr. Strangelove, I can make a comparison. The Atomic Café is both as funny and as chilling. And it is a documentary. You will laugh; you will cringe; you will recoil in horror; you will be terrified. You won't believe what you are seeing on the screen. This is as perceptive a view of the political and human mentality of the 40-50s cold war era as you are likely to see; the wonder is that we are still here.
Based entirely on archival film footage with no commentary. None is necessary;
the story tells itself. Atomic Café addresses the sociological, political,
and emotional issues of the cold war with news reel footage, government films,
propaganda, ads, contemporary pop music, civil defense films and comments by
politicians including presidents, news commentators and men on the streets.
If you aren't old enough to remember Bert the Turtle or Duck and Cover, you
will never forget them after Atomic Café. I am sure you will be comforted
to know that after loss of hair from radiation poisoning, your hair will grow
back in no time at all.
You might feel that this is a different time now, and we are not as susceptible
to the manipulation by the media and the politicians as they were in that earlier
naïve age. Nevertheless, a must see film.
State of Play (2009)
(***, crime, drama)
State of Play (2009) (***, crime, drama) (9-7-09)(D.-Kevin Macdonald; W.-Matthew Michael Carnahan, Tony Gilroy ; Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels) I'll begin by saying I first watched the 6 hour BBC miniseries from which this Americanized version of the film was adapted. I thought the BBC series near perfect. It is perhaps unfair to compare the two as the format is so different, but I will anyway. I won't repeat the plot here; check the original review at
http://people.virginia.edu/~jnd/a-z/s.htm#StateofPlayMini
Crowe plays Cal the reporter, Affleck plays Stephen Collins as a fast tracked congressman, Mirren plays the editor Cameron Lynne, and the rest of the cast plays their parts from the original.
The film is a taut little thriller, but it shortchanges the interpersonal relationships of the series, in part by including more and, to me, needless action. The film makes sufficient changes in the original plot to keep you off balance in places even if you have seen the original. What was painfully missing was the dynamic interplay in the newsroom and the exceptional level of tension. In the film, deadlines were fluid commodities that could be extended seemly countless time to try to ratchet up the tension. Not in the series which I suspect is much closer to reality. Helen Mirren was adequate, but not Bill Nighy, as the editor. Crowe did a good job as a scruffy Cal. The writers did clean up a glaring weakness in the original in the hospital scene.
In summary, if you have two hours to spend, the film is adequate fast food. If you can afford 6 hours, go directly for the 7 course sit down meal. Both the series and the film are available at Sneak Reviews.
Duplicity (2009) (***, crime, romance, thriller) (9-7-09)(DW-Tony Gilroy; Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti) If you have seen the trailers, you get what you see in a satisfying package. The film begins when Ray (Owen) and Claire (Roberts) have a meet cute. Only it isn't an accident but subterfuge. Their work is clandestine (CIA and MI6) and after a very sexually charged night, one is left with the very short end of the stick and strong desire for revenge. Years later, now freelancing as industrial spies, they are forced to work together. Oil and water does not do justice to the mismatch. The sexual and antagonistic chemistry between Owen and Roberts is palpable and the dialogue entertaining. Even as they flirt, their past and the very nature of all their training conspires to distance them. The film has numerous plots and twists as they maneuver their way through the thicket of industrial shampoo espionage with low lifes at every turn (the principals, of course, excluded). The competing CEO Howard (Wilkinson) and Richard (Giamatti) are a hoot as blood enemies trying to best the other. To say more would spoil the fun. The film is perhaps too convoluted for its own good, but it does keep your interest.
Confusion aka CONfusion (2003) (***1/2, crime,
caper) (D.-James Foley. W.- Doug Jung; Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz, , Morris
Chestnut, , Leland Orser, Louis Lombardi, Paul Giamatti, Brian Van Holt, Donal
Logue, Luis Guzmán, Franky G, Dustin Hoffman) The film opens with Jake
Vig's (Burns) bullet riddled body lying on a dark deserted street. His voice
over begins "So I am dead and I think it is because of this redhead."
What an understatement. This is a classic con film. Vig leads a well oiled group
that makes a lethal mistake of conning a money handler for crime king pin King
(Hoffman). The cocksure Vig thinks he can talk his way out of any plight. The
survivors spend the rest of the film trying to make it right with The King.
Filled with double, triple, and probably higher crosses, unbalancing and satisfying
plot twists, Confusion holds your attention to the end. A fascinating examination
of how we arrived at the opening scene.
The acting is good with the personalities of the team being well developed with
disparate and conflicting personalities - at least under the stress of the current
situation. Lily, the newest addition, is a quick learner and skillful in her
own way. King (Hoffman) as a truly intriguing heavy was my favorite character.
While King is ruthless, he has a friendly avuncular personality. He can be accommodating,
especially when he thinks he can make money and get even with someone in the
process. Hoffman masterfully underplays a chilling sense of menace. This is
a man you had best respect and fear. He also has a great sense of humor and
of the ironic. To make sure the group doesn't pull any fast ones, King assigns
his key enforcer Lupus (G) to tag along.
But enough about plot. If you like con movies, well worth the ride. Further, the film deserves a post mortem discussion of what actually did transpire.
Animal House (1978) (****, low brow comedy) (9-7-09) (D.-John
Landis; W.-Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney; Stephen Furst, Mark Metcalf, Mary Louise
Weller, Martha Smith, Tom Hulce, John Belushi, Karen Allen, Donald Sutherland,
John Vernon, Otis Day) The great-granddaddy of all college caper teenage sex
films. Frequently imitated, rarely even closely approached. Also the introduction
and proving ground for a number of stars. A hilarious spoof (somewhat) of college
life at Farber College in 1962. While by modern standards it isn't too crude,
it is tasteless, rude, raucous, and has some nearly lethally funny sequences.
So politically incorrect, it is off the scale. Delta is the fraternity that
gives fraternities a bad name. No that doesn't do them justice. If fraternities
were rated like hell, the Deltas would be the 9 th circle. However, they do
have a good time. Dignity, decorum, legality, and civil behavior are not in
their lexicon. This long standing thorn in the side of the hilariously insufferable
Dean Wormer (Vernon) has finally come to a head and he is going to take care
of it -- permanently.
John "Bluto" Blutarsky (Bulushi) is the glue that holds the Deltas
together. His antics remind us of what was lost with his untimely death. The
arch enemies of the blue collar Delta's are the Dean and the blue blood snobs
in Gamma fraternity.
Will there be sex, drinking, rock and roll, close calls, and sweet revenge? Count on it. There is something to offend everyone here. Recommendation: if you have any sense of taste and dignity, pass on this one. If you watch it, don't eat during the film; you might be caught with your mouth full. The lines and action come at an incredible pace and frequently at totally unpredictable times. You will come away with countless one liners to brighten your days.
TOGA! TOGA! TOGA!
State of Play (2003) (****, drama, crime, thriller) (7-31-09)
Timecrimes aka Los cronocrímenes (2007) (7-31-09) (DW.-Nacho Vigalondo; Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernández, Bárbara Goenaga, Nacho Vigalondo) A clever little film involving time travel. It starts simply enough. Hector (Elejalde) brings home the groceries to his wife and brand new partially finished house. Then a strange phone call and something barely seen in the woods. He should have remembered the adage about curiosity and the cat. An increasingly bizarre and dangerous series of events follow. Perhaps one shouldn't play with time, but we do get so little experience with this that mistakes are an inherent part of the equation. Much of the pleasure is in trying to sort out what is going on as it happens and then trying to reconstruct what actually happened when it is done.
Ultimately, one critical piece of the story is missing, although the director let's you know that it is there in case you miss it totally. The exercise then becomes can you figure out what we weren't shown and how it could have happened? After much discussion we are not sure that you can construct the necessary piece, although there do seem to be clues lying around that, maybe, can be built into a coherent interpretation. On the other hand maybe the director left it as an unsolvable enigma.
An interesting detail. The film is Spanish and in Spanish. We accidently set the film to dubbed. When some of the opening credits were in Spanish, we suspected an error; however, the synchronization was so perfect we watched the whole film dubbed and were convinced it was done in English. A quite remarkable achievement.
The acting was adequate. I thought Elejalde a bit wooden until the situation deteriorated, but then given the situation, he was fine. The scientist was played by the director. One can probably write his behavior off as that of nerdy scientist, but I thought it stilted also. On the other hand, it was dubbed and we don't know by whom. To be fair, we should go back and watch it with subtitles. The remainder of the actors were fine.
I couldn't help thinking of Memento as the film played out and one built up the story in reverse chronological order. The last line is pregnant with possibilities much like the last line of Jim Carpenter's The Thing.
The making of on the DVD is well worth watching especially when you get to the part on the real storm.
Nine Queens aka Nueve reinas (2000) (***1/2, drama, crime, thriller) (7-29-09) (DW-Fabián Bielinsky; Gastón Pauls, Ricardo Darín, Pochi Ducasse, Jorge Noya, Leticia Brédice, Oscar Nuñez, Ignasi Abadal) Charming little Argentinean caper film. It shows what real talent can do on a shoe string budget. Since it is a con, I must necessarily be short on details. Con man Marcos (Darin) saves young con man Juan (Pauls) from a botched money passing job. It turns out Marcos has lost his partner and doesn't like to work alone, so he offers to tutor Juan. The first part of the film is devoted to the uneasy interplay and alliance between the two men as they work a variety of low grade cons. It is a gem. As we discover, Marcos is not the nicest guy around even when it comes to family. Then the big score falls in their laps. They have an opportunity to sell a bogus set of very rare stamps, the Nine Queens. They don't know just how valuable, but these are con men; they will work it out as they go. There is an old saying that if you are playing cards and don't know who the mark at the table is, then you are it. As the convoluted plot unfolds, you eventually become unsure of even who is playing at the table.
The acting is good. The interplay between the principals is believable, and
the plot very unbalancing and sophisticated. An ode to greed and grift. After
a leisurely start it accelerates to warp speed as the principals try to keep
on top of a very unstable situation. Taut and satisfying to the end.
In Spanish with good subtitles. Available at Sneak Reviews on Ivy.
The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008) (**1/2, action ) (7-29-09) (D.-Jonathan Frakes; W.-Marco Schnabel; Noah Wyle, Bruce Davison, Stana Katic, Bob Newhart, Jane Curtin, Dikran Tulaine) I read the dust cover on this at the video store and picked it up on a lark. It looked like a low rent Indiana Jones, and it delivered exactly what I expected. Nothing special but a mindless amusing romp. It turns out The Librarian series is a popular TV series of movies with this being the latest. The Librarian is actually a locator, keeper, and protector of powerful occult secrets. As he grouses, he has no social life. Be careful what you ask for. After rescuing the Philosopher's Stone, his latest adventure involves ex-KGB, a recovered ancient body, Vlad the Impaler, a life restoring chalice, and vampires. We have miscommunications, slapstick, sword fights, gun fights, fist fights, klutzy behavior, and romance. What more do you want in a throwaway?
Wyle as Carson, The Librarian, and Katic as Simone Renoir with a very mysterious past make a pleasant pair. The search is aided by curmudgeon Professor Lazlo (Davison). The film could have done with a few less travelogue sequences, but it has more than enough to compensate for these slow parts. Stana Katic was the police detective in the regrettably short lived TV's Castle [fortunately given an unexpected 11th hour 59 nth minute reprieve]. Available at Charlottesville Video on 5th St.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) (***1/2, animation, comedy) 3D version. (7-23-09) (D.-Carlos Saldanha, Mike Thurmeier; W.-Yoni Brenner; Karen Disher, Queen Latifah, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Simon Pegg, Ray Romano, Chris Wedge) Great family entertainment. Our 6, 8 and 12 year old grandchildren loved it. The adults didn't suffer too much either unless it was from pains in their sides from laughing. We follow the further adventures of that motley crew from the earlier Ice Age films. These include the sloth Sid (Leguizamo), the mammoth Manny (Romano), his mate Ellie (Latifah ) (now expecting), and the saber toothed cat Diego (Leary). The pending arrival of the new addition stresses the interrelationships, and Sid in his typical hair brained fashion finds and adopts three eggs about twice his size. It turns out they hatch into playful tyrannosaurus who immediately seize on Sid as their mother. This probably wouldn't have worked out anyway given the different dietary requirements of the principals, but the arrival of Mom, who gives Manny a size inferiority complex, solves part of that problem. Without going into details we find the crew trying to rescue Sid in a lost world beneath the ice complete with a wily one eyed weasel, Buck (Pegg), who loves living on the edge, and this world is a good place given that Mom is not the meanest thing around.
The humor ranges from slapstick to topical to sophisticated to a bit (but not too much) tasteless. And if one joke doesn't work, you don't have time to brood over it before the next one bowls you over. This is one that I won't mind having on DVD.
Of course, no Ice Age would be complete without Scrat (Wedge), the hyperkinetic saber tooth squirrel (I love that concept) in pursuit of his holy grail, that elusive acorn which may yet be the death of him. Scrat has never been too successful even battling the forces of nature, but this time he has serious competition from a devastating luxuriously furred femme fatale squirrel Scratte (Disher). Scrat, never long on smarts, is totally discombobulated by her charm. Her seductive wiles would not be out of place in the best film noir. Many of their interactions are pure Looney Toons and gave me some of the best belly laughs in the film. Her flowing fur is probably one of the most beautiful and realistic hair ever rendered by a computer.
The 3D also works very well. It is not so distractingly in your face, but just adds texture and depth to their world. The directors are beginning to adapt to the new technology and are recognizing that sometimes less is more. As an aside the velociraptors incorporate the latest scientific views of them. Unfortunately, at least at the Seminole, the surcharge for 3D is now up to $3.50 a head and even if you bring your own glasses from another show, no reduction. Personally I think this may be a bad move ultimately for ticket sales. 3D is nice, but I question whether it is that nice.
Taken (2008) (***, action, thriller) (7-23-09) (D.-Pierre Morel; W.-Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen; Liam Neeson, Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Katie Cassidy, Gérard Watkins, Famke Janssen, Arben Bajraktaraj) A former government operative whose career has destroyed his marriage has retired so that he can be near his daughter as she grows up. He is meticulous, uptight, and overprotective. He sees threats and conspiracies in everything; he no doubt checks under his bed before retiring and dispatches any vermin. These characteristics do not further endear him to his ex-wife. Things reach a head when the daughter, 17, wants to go Paris with a friend. He finally agrees, but only if she keeps in close touch with him. Without giving anything away, she is abducted while he is on the phone with her, and he manages to speak to them. In his ever so cold voice, he outlines that he has special skills that should concern them, but he will let it all pass if they let her go. He concludes with the ever so softly spoken line: "I will look for you. I WILL find you. I will kill you." To which the abductor Marko (Bajraktaraj )responds "Good luck." He should have listened more closely to the subtext. While Mills certainly has no traditional religion, his philosophical views are pure Old Testament blood, righteous vengeance, and protecting family. The remainder of the film is his search for daughter.
I liked the way the film took its time setting up the characters before the requisite action. Neeson is perfect for the role. Cold, usually calm, ruthless, unforgiving. Given his experience and training, his actions are indeed believable. The action sequences, especially the hand to hand are well done, although one would like to hope that hand selected body guards would be able to hit a man in the back at close range with an automatic weapon. Neeson is a boxer and trained with a hand to hand expert.
So if you are into a mindless action film, you can do worse than Taken. It's just business.
Angels and Demons (2009, ***1/2, action) (6/30/09) (D.-Ron Howard; W David Koepp, Akiva Goldsman, based on the novel by Dan Brown;Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Armin Mueller-Stahl) Angels and Demons is billed as sequel to the Da Vinci Code, but it is actually the earlier book. I did not like the Da Vinci film. It was too tightly coupled to the complex details of the original code, which did not translate well to film, and they ultimately committed the terminal error for an action suspense film of being incredibly drawn out and boring. Angels does not suffer from these faults. First let me say that you have to check your credibility at the door. If you can do that you are in for a roller coaster ride. A sample of antimatter is stolen from CERN. If it gets loose from its containment vessel, and it will when the containment battery runs out in a few hours, the antimatter will react with normal matter and produce the energy of a 5 K ton nuclear bomb. The suspected thieves are the Illuminati and their target for a long ago wrong is the Vatican. They will stage their event during the selection of the new pope. The Vatican and their security have just hours to find the culprits and the bomb. They have an ongoing feud with Prof. Robert Langdon (Hanks) over access to some ancient texts, but his incredible knowledge of religions and symbolism may be the only way to decipher the cryptic threats and avert disaster.
In his search he is aided (and hindered) by elements of the Swiss Guard including the head of security Richter (Skarsgard), the Camerlengo (a priest entrusted with the pope's duties between papacies) (McGregor), and a scientist from CERN Vittoria (Zurer) who is the only one qualified to do anything with the antimatter if they find it. Opposing them are the shadowy perpetrators and the extremely able assassin (Lie Kaas). A very valid question is what are the motives of those hindering Langdon? As the tension builds inexorably and the death toll mounts Langdon and crew are one step behind. The story telling is rip-the-arms-off-the chair quality aided by stunning cinematography and editing and first class acting. No dull, boring stretches in this one, and survival of no one is guaranteed.
The tale is convoluted and I think you would have a good shot at figuring out the plot, at least if you had a chance to sit back and digest the onrushing information and events, which of course you don't. Incidently, Howard did not get permission to film in the Vatican. What you see are elaborate
Truth in Science. A few real facts are in order. First CERN is elated by the film even if it does take liberties with the science. It gives them publicity and a chance to hawk sciences to a vast audience that they would otherwise miss. They have an Angels and Demons exhibit and tours. For the place where the internet was developed, it is no surprise they have two web pages on aspects of the film, one devoted specifically to the movie.
http://public.web.cern.ch/Public/en/Spotlight/SpotlightAandD-en.html
http://angelsanddemons.cern.ch/
An additional interesting source of information is a short news piece "CERN role in thriller boon for public outreach" by Toni Feder in Physics Today (April 2009), page 24.
Now the answers to a few questions that were no doubt plaguing you
How much antimatter would be in the vessel? For a 5 kiloton blast you need a little over 0.1 grams (about 1/300 of an ounce) of antimatter to react with an equal amount of normal matter.
Does antimatter look like what we see in the movie? No. It looks exactly like whatever material it would be in normal matter. Since no normal matter looks like that, what we see is artistic license. But it does look cool.
Is that CERN in the opening scenes? Yes. But the antimatter facility is small and unimpressive, so we see ATLAS, one of the Large Hadron Collider (LHR) experiments. If you look closely at the giant accelerators you will see smoke coming off in places. It isn't smoke, it is condensatiion from from the cooling for the cryogenic magnets. Some of the scenes are sets. Hanks, who is interested in science, was elated by his visit. CERN has invited Hanks to return in the fall and press the switch to restart the LHR.
Is security at CERN as portrayed in the movie? No. As one scientist said, it is an open facility and if anyone walked off with the plans, it would only take billions of dollars and years to come up to what they have now.
Could they have that much antimatter? No. Assuming they could actually store it, it would take 2 billion years at their current rate of manufacturing to gather that much antimatter at CERN.
Is antimatter the solution to the energy crisis? Dream on! It takes 10 billion times as much energy to make antimatter as you would get back when you reacted it with normal matter. Even by government standards this is a losing proposition.
As a final point, there is no way the people in Vatican City could be evacuated to a safe distance in 15 minutes. A 5 K ton nuclear device is about a quarter the size of those used in the Second World War, and while those were air bursts, a ground burst would have widespread effect and probably even more serious radiation effects. In 15 hours you could get most of the affected people out of the blast range, but not 15 minutes. Just look at the congestion when people are trying to flee hurricanes.
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) (**1/2 adults, **** children, fantasy, comedy, action) (6/23/09) With photos
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) (**1/2, drama, crime, action) (6/23/09) (D.- Tony Scott; W.-Brian Helgeland (screenplay), John Godey (novel); Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzmán, Victor Gojcaj, John Turturro, James Gandolfini) A remake of the classic The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. While I am generally disappointed with remakes, given the director Scott and the Denzel Washington and John Travolta leads, I had hope. Misplaced as it turned out. What was a beautifully crafted thriller with rich, intriguing characters has been reduced to an action film. Four heavily armed men, led by the psychopath Ryder (Travolta), seize subway train Pelham 1 2 3 and demand 10 million dollars in 1 hour or they will kill a passenger a minute. Subway official Garber (Washington) becomes the negotiator. There is some intriguing interplay between Garber and Ryder, but Travolta is played way over the top, a caricature that is unbelievable given his intelligence and goals. Washington seems to be riding on autopilot and his emotional reactions to the situation never seem true and deep enough. The gang members who each had distinctive personalities in the original are reduced to gun toting backdrop. The mayor (Gandolfini) is played well with a more realistic persona than the original, and a new character of hostage negotiator Camonetti (Turturro) adds dimension to the cast. The film does make good use of modern technology and for those familiar with the original film and book, the story line is different enough to keep you off balance. I think part of the problem is that with the two powerhouse actors, they felt compelled to give them maximum screen time, which with the imposed action sequences left little for the other actors.
The film is filled with visual eye candy with all sorts of special effects
that added nothing to the plot and I found distracting. It has crashes (unnecessary
except for the action) and an unrealistic chase at the end. If this is your
cup of tea you will probably enjoy it. If you want true suspense and a great
ensemble cast milking a fine story for everything it is worth, check out the
original.
Star Trek (2009) (****, space opera, science fiction) (6-10-09) (D.-J. J. Abrams; W.-Roberto Orci Alex Kurtzman; Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin) I am not a rabid Trekie, so don't expect me to be incensed or elated by how well or poorly the film fits the Trek mythology. It stands or falls on its own merits. I have watched Star Trek from its inception and a number of the movies. Some were good and some were awful. This one reinvents the franchise and falls in the same class as the original Star Wars with entertaining characters and spectacular effects. However, the story is not FX driven; it has a worthy plot. We get the background on Spock and Kirk, how they met (not very well), and how the rest of the Enterprise crew falls into place. Their nemesis is the Romulan Nero from the future with suitable upgrades in his technology and bent of righting a future wrong, and Earth and the Enterprise along with select members of it crew are high on his hit list.
I won't go into details on the plot as that will spoil your pleasure in first viewing. The actors selected to play the young principals are good matches to the originals in both appearance and behavior without slavish adherence to the roles. Pine is perhaps a bit boyish for Kirk, but time will correct that. Nero (Bana) is a worthy enemy whose behavior is rational in his frame of reference. Revenge is best served cold, and his is cryogenic. The film is a good mixture of action, cliff hangers, character development, humor, and blow you out of the seat FX. I think they strain things a bit with Nimoy's role, but I can understand the desire to connect him to the plot, and one can justify (with some strain) the logic of the necessary plot twist; this is space opera, not hard core science fiction so I don't consider this a major fault. Quinto as Spock was a brilliant decision in my opinion. On TV's Heroes he plays Siler whose cold, ruthless logic Spock would admire.
If you want galloping good space opera, you have come to the right place. This is one I will buy on DVD, but don't wait for that, this is a true big screen film. Experience it in the theater.
Cypher (2002) (***, suspense) (6-10-09) (D.-Vincenzo Natali; W.-Brian King; Jeremy Northam, Lucy Liu, Nigel Bennett, Timothy Webber, David Hewlett) A taut paranoid's dream. Morgan Sullivan (Northam) is hen pecked and, after his last job, his domineering wife is pressing him into her father's firm as soon as a position opens up. He does have his limits and has surreptitiously found a new position as a covert industrial spy for ultra high tech DigiCorp. Sounds exciting? The screening was rigorous enough; however, reality is much different. While he definitely doesn't fit the spy mold, his limited skills match the singularly boring conference targets. When he asks what image he should project, they tell him he can be anything he wants. But everything is just slightly off. The film projects beautifully a sense of unease in the most mundane. Things are just not quite right like a building with corners that aren't quite square, lines not quite straight. Not being too swift Sullivan doesn't really pick up on these, but he does take to his new spy image with a certain gusto. Casper Milquetoast takes up drinking, smoking and tries to pick up a woman. Maybe the wrong woman in a possible femme fatale Rita Foster (Liu). Maybe he is in over his head. Maybe somebody wouldn't be too concerned if he ended up dead if he became too nosey. Maybe he thinks everybody wants him dead. Maybe he is right, but how do you tell who and why without early collection on your life insurance? His dawning descent into paranoia is fully believable and a finely nuanced performance.
In a low key methodical fashion the film steadily builds dread and fear. The
resolution works, and what could have been a McGuffin actually does fit nicely
with a little strain into the plot. Also do be prepared to suspend your critical
faculties to make it all fit to together, but this is mainly in the post mortem
not as the action unfolds. A nice low budget thriller (shot in 35 days) that
accomplishes more with style than many more expensive films ever achieve.
Transsiberian (2008) (***1/2, suspense) (5-29-09) (WD.-Brad Anderson; Woody Harrelson, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, Kate Mara, Eduardo Noriega) Taut little psychological thriller that deals more with the mind than with physical action. The film opens with Russian drug agent Grinko (Kingsley) investigating a drug murder and a married couple Roy (Harrelson) and Jesse (Mortimer) wrapping up church group work in China. Roy and Jesse are taking the indirect way home, the longest rail trip in the world, the Trans Siberian railroad. An adventure and treat according to Roy, but then he is a rabid train lover who drools over the sight of a steam engine even at 20 below zero. They are about to enter one of the most claustrophobic environments imaginable put to excellent use by the director, and they meet a couple Abby (Mara) and dark handsome mysterious Carlos (Noriega) who clearly has eyes for Jesse.
Thus begins an inexorable slide into nightmarish terror. But enough of plot. The divergent themes slowly, inexorably converge. The noose steadily tightens. The situation is Kafkaeske with discordant juxtaposition of sane and irrational elements and the language barrier adding to the unease. It also appears to be very Hitchcockian with the trapped prey only sinking deeper into the quicksand with each thrash. It is, but it is more, with many unexpected twists. The acting is excellent. Kingsley's world weary agent has seen it all including his fall from a position of power in the Soviet Union to a trudging drug agent who has already lived the current shortened life expectancy in the new Russia (58 vs. 65). "I'm too old to leave. Just do my job." The couple is perfect with Mortimer's nuanced performance catching a perfect balance. Noriega exudes mystery and forbidden danger. The train should be listed as one of the characters as it is such an integral part of the film.
I think the end goes a bit over the top, but after the beautiful build up I think the director can get away with a little indulgence. My wife thought one element of Roy's train knowledge unreasonable. I know a train lover, and I am not so sure. He can tell you what year a given train went into service, how many horsepower different locomotives have, how all the different technical elements work, and on and on. And yes he could have done it; so don't complain about realism. The end is perfect. Available at Sneak Reviews.
Let the Right One In (2008) (***1/2, vampire, drama) (5-29-09) (D.- Tomas Alfredson; W.- John Ajvide Lindqvist based on his novel; Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl) One of the best vampire films in years, and not like any other you have probably seen. Oskar is 12 and alienated. While his parents, especially his mother, love him, they are separated and are distant (at least as far as he is concerned). He is small, bright, and bullied mercilessly at school. The adults are probably aware of what is going on, but remain aloof. The adults also are estranged from the establishment. Oskar would like nothing more than to take revenge on the bullies. One snowy night an elderly man Hakan (Ragnar) and 12 year old Eli (Leandersoon) move in. Thus begins a waltz, or perhaps a courtship, as these two estranged and lonely youths banter back and forth. Without giving anything away, she is a vampire, but Oskar is young, inexperienced, and doesn't pick up quickly on the clues. This is understandable; the adults with more knowledge don't do very well either. When Oskar asks if she will be his girlfriend she declines with "I'm not a girl." Which brings his almost casual response, "Oh." as he sorts it out. For those who cannot understand Morse code in Swedish, the final message is "small kiss".
Eli may be 12 physically and emotionally stunted at that age, but she is old. "I have been 12 a very long time." I will give nothing more on plot other than to say it is really a character study on the anguish of youth and relationships. Certainly for Oskar, life is hard enough without having a vampire for a girl friend. The film is sad, poignant, and thought provoking. The two young leads are outstanding. There is plenty of room for discussion afterwards as to just how sophisticated Eli is.
The film is in Swedish. Herein lays a tale. We accidently had both subtitles and English dubbing on when we started it. There were significant distracting differences, and we went with our usual subtitles since we like to hear the original actors. On Internet Movie Data Base it turns out the distributors was too cheap to pay for the original theatrical subtitles and did their own which are apparently vastly inferior. They will release a new copy with the original subtitles at some point, but will not replace the "defective" DVDs. Reviewers on IMDB claimed the dubbing, which followed the original dialogue, was far superior and are furious. I thought the film was excellent with the subtitles, but now I am going to have to go back and watch it again with the dubbing.
One last point, the role of Hakan puzzled me. For me, the final scene made everything crystal clear.
Polar Storm (2009) (**1/2,sci fi) (D.- Paul Ziller; W.-Jason Bourque, Paul Ziller; Jack Coleman, Holly Dignard, Tyler Johnston, Nicholas Carella) Put this one into my guilty pleasures category. I grew up on grade Z sci fi films and I still have a soft spot for them. Polar Storm is a good 50s Z film with modern effects and technobabel. One can sit there and laugh as they violate one scientific principle after another. A comet passes near the earth, and a piece shears off and plows into the earth. This was a possible scenario foreseen by scientist Dr. James Mayfield (Coleman from TVs Heroes). However, that's not the really bad news other than for a few fricasseed bear and moose in Alaska. It appears to have knocked the earth and its magnetic core a-kilter. Of course no one else, including astronomers, notices this except our intrepid hero who comments on the fact that the sun isn't setting in the right place. Then start the magnetic storms with their lethal electrical effects. This is a sure cure for our wired youth as even an Ipod is lethal.
I think someone must have seen The Day the Earth Caught Fire and Journey to the Center of the Earth before they wrote this. Instead of using a nuclear submarine to launch a rocket, we have a diesel submarine to launch two perfectly timed H bombs in the Marianas Trench. The film includes something for everyone. The paranoid get a government cover up. It is better to die in ignorance than mess up the government paper work. Family values get a surly teenager and family reconciliations.
Fun schlock. I do hope our nuclear stock pile is a little better protected than portrayed here. Who wants a U Haul to be able to drive up to a self storage shed and cart off two 20 M ton H bombs. It turns out that tonnage-wise they're just a tiny bit too small to right the axis, but we'll make do with lots of white knuckle adjustments. How did that diesel sub get all the way across the Pacific in 24 hours? Oh well, it was on the Sci Fi Channel. If you like grade Z sci fi and don't mind a total lack of any scientific accuracy, it's worth a look. The acting is acceptable, the FXs are decent, and the opening set up nice. One last thing, I 'm glad I'm not one of Prof. Mayfield's graduate students. The student was trying to save the data! Speak of shallow loyalty.
Charlie Wilson's War (2007) (****, docudrama, war, espionage) (4-8-09) (2007) (D.-Mike Nichols; W.-Aaron Sorkin (screenplay), George Crile (book); Tom Hanks, Amy Adams, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman) Outrageous. Unbelievable. Funny. If this had been presented as fiction, it would have been laughed out of the theater; however, it is basically all true but more on that later. On February 15, Russia acknowledged their 20 year anniversary of their withdrawal from Afghanistan; a venture that cost them about 30 thousand deaths. Charlie is a fascinating window into Russia's defeat in Afghanistan and the amazing story of why they lost: Congressman from Texas "Good time Charlie" Wilson, a beautiful rich ultra-right wing Texan Joanne Herring, and renegade Greek-American CIA agent Gust Avrakotos . Charlie was noted in Congress for his delightful personality, womanizing, wild partying, and his ability to deliver a deciding vote for others. This all changed on a wild night in Vegas when he happened to tune in on Dan Rather's segment on the plight of the Afghan people and the vastly outclassed Mujahedin fight against the occupying Russians.
What was much less appreciated by his colleagues was that Wilson was extremely bright and a cunning and masterful political tactician. And he now had a cause for which he could collect on all the favors he had accumulated. Herring, who ended up being Charlie's lover and confidante, was positively rabid on the Russian invasion and proved Charlie's muse and backbone. Gust was the "get it done" with all the right connections and the less-orthodox-the- better arm of the trio. All seriously flawed people, but the right people and the right combination at exactly the right time in history.
You want sex? You want drugs? You want political assassinations? You want political intrigue? You want a belly dancer and a coalition between Pakistan, Egypt and Israel? You want totally outrageous and unbelievable? You want people who are bigger than life? Plus much, much more? You have come to the right place. And you will probably learn more about our political system workings than you really wanted to know. I'm not going to give you too many facts and spoil your first viewing.
How true? Actually very close to the facts. The initial meeting between Gust and Charlie is fictionalized, but the personalities and their interactions are very true to character. It could have happened that way. The time line was compressed and the political dealings were stripped down. The helicopter incident actually came very late and was more dramatic than shown in the film. Charlie did burn down his neighbor's garden and get him voted out of office. Gust didn't break the glass but otherwise the incident is accurate; both men thought the other was there to apologize-what a setup. The belly dance was much wilder than shown in the film. By the Russian withdrawal, Gust had been banished to the hinterlands and was no longer in contact with Charlie, although he was present at the awards ceremony.
There have been many complaints about Hank's portrayal of such a wild individual. I thought Hanks did an excellent job and, after watching interviews with Wilson and historical film clips, an accurate one. However, the script writers toned Charlie down enormously. As unbelievable as he appeared in the film, reality was far wilder. I suspect they thought a more accurate presentation would be considered ridiculously over the top by the audience.
This is an amazing story. Touching, sad, funny, infuriating, gripping, suspenseful, and politically timely. If you like the movie, you must see the documentary The True Story of Charlie Wilson and then read the original book Charlie Wilson's War by George Crile.
The True Story of Charlie Wilson (2007) (***1/2, documentary) (4-8-09) (W.-Aaron Bowden; Narrator- Bill Lloyd; Michelle Ashley, Frank V. Gaide, Melanie Morgan) This History Channel two-hour documentary provides the factual basis for the movie and shows the real people. The true time line is better shown and the facts are better set into historical and political context. You get interviews with the still living principals, which always helps bring history to life; unfortunately, Gust was dead. Charlie and Joanne are clearly charismatic individuals. The documentary is peppered with little anecdotes such as where one of their new weapons systems fired unexpectedly and burned down a DC filling station, but was successfully covered up.
The one glaring irritant is the re-creation of several incidents such as the Vegas hot tub incident with actors. This was not necessary and it detracted from the historical accuracy of the rest. In short, a must-see if you find the subject and the original film interesting. Which brings me to the definitive source. The book Charlie Wilson's War by George Crile. This is a must-read. The True Story DVD available from Sneak Reviews.
Charlie Wilson's War (****, book) (4-8-09) (W.-George Crile) The definitive source on Charlie Wilson's war. The movie and the documentary only touch on the complexities of the characters, the situations, the politics, and the machinations involved. Further, all of the characters, especially Gust and Charlie, were far wilder and flamboyant than portrayed in the film. Reality was even less believable than portrayed in the film. As indicated in the film, Gust really did hire a witch to cast a curse; the book goes into gory details. A James Bond novel is almost tame by comparison.
The book has outraged the right and the left. The left considers it jingoistic. The right feels that the Reagan government gets short shrift in its treatment and was much more responsive to the war than portrayed. The book actually does give more credit to the Reagan administration than the movie. Reagan was the one who signed off on the Stingers over the CIA objections. It was principally the CIA that resisted Charlie and especially the Stinger Missiles. They were genuinely fearful that his escalation would bring the US and the USSR into direct military conflict, and felt that a lower level conflict would ultimately bleed the Russians dry much like Vietnam had us. The civilian casualties were just collateral damage. The Afghan toll was estimated at over a million. Further they were deeply worried about the deployment of heat seeking missiles in the hands of third world countries and no real controls over their dispersion. This point was not without concern as there have been a number of incidents involving attempts or successful interception of planes worldwide by Stingers including commercial aircraft, although none in mainline countries to date. Certainly, many of the weapons fed to the Mujahedin by the CIA have subsequently found their way into terrorist hands
Yes, Charlie did want to build schools after the Russians left. However, this would have been fruitless. Even before the Russians left, the Afghans had turned on each other like jackals over a carcass and with their centuries-old grudges were tearing each other's throats out in a bloody civil war but now armed to the teeth with the latest weapons. Crile has a thought provoking concluding chapter Unintended Consequences on the aftermath of the war and its contribution to the rise of global jihad and 9/11.
Regardless of your political persuasion, the book is a fascinating read. It is also depressing in regard to our government. Your worst fears about the backroom dealings and horse trading in our Congress were wrong. It is actually worse. Far worse.
Diamond Men (2002) (***1/2, drama, comedy) (4-8-09) (DW.- Daniel M. Cohen; Robert Forster, Donnie Wahlberg , Bess Armstrong , Jasmine Guy) A low budget charmer. This is one of those films that the less you know about it beforehand the better. However, I'll give you the basic setup. Eddie Miller (Forster) is about 50 and a diamond salesman who travels the roads between Pennsylvania towns like an old clipper ship, has done so for as long as he can remember, and knows every client by first name as well as their kids and grandchildren. He is very good at it. Then he has a heart attack, recovers, but the company decides to phase him out. He is now too big a risk to be hauling a million dollars in diamonds around in his trunk. Some crass business practices don't change. The company brings in Bobby Walker, (Wahlberg ) who Eddie is expected to train as his replacement. Talk about a culture clash. Eddie likes classical music. Bobby rock. Bobby likes wild partying; Eddie hasn't dated a woman since his wife died years ago. Bobby is anything but professional in his approach to work; here they are, take em or leave em. Eddie is the total professional who has cultivated his clients and explains to Bobby "When they say 'no,' they're looking for a way to say 'yes.' " And Eddie knows the ways to yes.
Bobby does want to learn, but he especially feels that Eddie is in serious need of a life make over. Life is not just work, work, work. Not surprisingly his approach to restoring Eddie's joy of life doesn't always mesh well with Eddie's staid uptight personality. For example, Bobby's idea of a good time girl isn't Eddie's. Nor is the Altoona Riding Club. We get humor as the two men adjust to each other and begin to alter each other in subtle and not so subtle ways. We expect this to play out as a buddy bonding movie. It is, but it is much more. Just as you get comfortable, it throws in a plot twist that totally rearranges the landscape. Then as things again fit nicely it alters course yet again, continually reinventing itself. If you want to know what the shifts are, rent the movie.
Diamond has some of the most endearingly quirky characters and situations I have seen in quite a while. The acting and interactions between the characters is first class. The plot is full of delightful surprises. Available at Sneak Reviews.
The Hill (1965) (1965) (****, drama) (1-26-09)
The Hill (1965) (1965) (****, drama) (1-26-09) (D.-Sidney Lumet; W.-Ray Rigby (play), R.S. Allen (play); Sean Connery, Joe Roberts Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Alfred Lynch, Ossie Davis, Roy Kinnear, Jack Watson, Ian Hendry, Michael Redgrave, Norman Bird) A Lumet masterpiece. Lumet has a knack for deeply revealing the complexity of the human mind. Hill let’s us see more about human nature that we may wish to. Uncompromising searing drama. Mesmerizing from the stunning diamond hard black and white cinematography of the opening scene to the wrenching conclusion. As timely as Abu Ghraib and Gitmo. Five court marshaled British soldiers are sent to a prison camp in the sweltering North African desert towards the end of WW II. The camp is basically an intense boot camp designed to re-indoctrinate the men into the military. The commander R.S.M. Bert Wilson (Andrews) is very good at what he does and even begrudgingly respected by his charges. “First I tear them down and then I build them up.”
The arrival of 5 new prisoners and the adulation of one of his junior officers is about to destroy this carefully balanced system. The five prisoners include Joe Roberts (Connery), an officer who was ordered to take his men into a suicidal situation, refused, and beat the commanding officer. This enormous transgression coupled with Roberts being lower class places him on Wilson’s hit list as a man to be totally broken. At this point, Wilson has stepped over the line. He has allowed his personal distaste to cloud his hard but clear judgment that will lead to his descent into hell. His tool is the sadistic, fawning Williams (Hendry), a man who has watched Wilson closely, admires him, and while he has read the headlines, he has failed to appreciate the subtext. More discipline, more abuse, and more pushing men to beyond their limits without any regard for the consequences are his goals.
What we have is a classic example of the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) where normal college students become monsters within days when placed into positions of power over others in a simulated prison environment. The SPE is chillingly described in the book The Lucifer Effect Understanding How Good People Turn Bad (2007, Random House) by Philip Zimbardo, the professor who carried out the SPE. All the elements that lead to the potential disaster of the SPE, and are exemplified by Abu Ghraib, are demonstrated here long before they were quantified by psychologists. A dehumanizing environment with men in total control of others while lacking very clearly laid out rules of conduct and a rigid chain of command enforcing them. It is all here as the chain corrodes and then disintegrates. Connery sums up the environment succinctly with “We're all doing time, even the screws.”
The acting is superb across the board. Had there been any question about Connery’s acting ability after his James Bond, this film laid them to rest more than 6 feet under. Andrews is a force to reckon with as the de facto commander. “I am in charge.” As he comments on the actual commander, "He will sign his own death warrant if I give it to him.” Hadley as the snake in the garden is frighteningly believable. The rest of the cast is excellent.
The cinematography and editing are exceptional. Between these elements and the acting you have one of rawest and most powerful films that I have seen in years. You know within the first 60 second that this is a place where you do not want to go. If you cannot take that, get out. It only gets worse.
The title comes from a punishment sand hill constructed in the middle of the compound. The troops are required to run up and down it in full dress carrying a fully loaded kit until they drop. Some of the actors were clearly in stellar condition to do this in the intense desert heat. Excellent DVD extras. Review based on the DVD available at Sneak Reviews.
Laura (1944) (***1/2, drama, noir, mystery, murder, classic) (1-26-09)
Laura (1944) (***1/2, drama, noir, mystery, murder, classic) (1-26-09) (D.-Otto Preminger; W.-Vera Caspary (novel); Jay Dratler (screenplay); Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson) “I shall never forget the weekend Laura died.” From the understated opening voice-over line by the older Waldo Lydecker to the final revelation, this is a fascinating tail of human psychopathology. The background is told in flashback by the brilliantly savage columnist and power broke Lydecker, who could make or break a person or business by one of his columns. “I don't use a pen. I write with a goose quill dipped in venom.” The murder is brutal. A shotgun blast to the face as she opened her apartment door. As told by Lydecker, Laura (Tierney) was a beautiful, very talented young woman who came to the big city to make her fortune. She crossed paths with Waldo and due to her articulate, brutally frank manner managed to not only survive her first encounter with him, but became his ward as he proceeded to orchestrate her career. As he says about how much she softened his character “I should be sincerely sorry to see my neighbor's children devoured by wolves.”
The murder is investigated by earthy, lower class Det. Lt. Mark McPherson (Andrews). The list of possible suspects include Waldo; Clifton Web (Price) as her handsome, charming, gold-digger fiancée, who may have been on the verge of being dumped; and older friend Mrs. Ann Treadwell who had more than a platonic relationship with Clifton.
The center of the story is McPherson and his growing infatuation with Laura. Waldo’s characterization of her coupled with her magnificent portrait that dominates her apartment turns him into a brooding hulk, obsessed with finding the killer. But enough of plot. See the film for the now overused plot twists.
The film is filled with brilliant word play, savage characterization, stellar acting, and an academy award winning theme song, “Laura”. Waldo and Clifton are priceless as two men who are extremely good at what they do and revel in it. The beautiful Tierney is completely believable. Andrews does a good job as McPherson, but here lies the weak point of the film. The script fails to develop his growing feelings so that when we arrive at his total infatuation, it lacks proper build up and believability. Nevertheless, a fascinating walk on the dark sides of human nature. Review based on the DVD from Sneak Reviews with good extras. Oh, the portrait isn’t a portrait. It is actually a photograph.
The Good Shepherd (2006) (**, spy, drama) (1-15-09)
The Good Shepherd (2006) (**, spy, drama) (1-15-09)(D.-Robert De Niro; W.- Eric Roth; .Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crudup; Robert De Niro, Keir Dullea) A story based on the history of the CIA during the cold war. With all its machinations, infighting, plots, counter plots, double and triple agents, murders, and covert operations, what could be more exciting? Well, certainly not The Good Shepherd. The film verges on soporific. Dull, lifeless, incoherent. The fault is not with the actors who struggle valiantly, much like real agents, and as frequently happens in real life, with catastrophic results. The writer and director make what should intrinsically be an exciting drama into a boring film. At 167 minutes, it has to rank as one of the best sleep aids I have had in a long time. Yes, many spies probably are gray, unnoticed men, but that doesn't mean their plotting and activities are dull. However, you wouldn't know it from this film. Damon as rising star Edward Wilson succeeds well as one of these dull men who sacrifices everything for job and never let's anyone including his wife (Jolie) and family get close to him. However, we never really see the activities. There is no tension, human interest or drama in this pretentious waste of time. In fairness, there are numerous rave reviews on Internet Movie Database, but we didn't seem to have seen the same film.
The Company (2007) (****, spy, action, drama, history) (1-15-09)
The Company (2007) (****, spy, action, drama, history) (1-15-09) (D.-Mikael Salomon; W.- Robert Littell (book), Ken Nolan (teleplay); Chris O'Donnell, Alfred Molina, Michael Keaton, Ted Atherton, Alessandro Nivola, Tom Hollander) A TV mini-series that follows the CIA from the beginning of the Cold War to the collapse of the Soviet Union. I was prepared to dislike this being a miniseries (once a quality death sentence) and after dozing through The Good Shepherd. However, Company is everything that Shepherd isn't. It has romance, action, skullduggery, warfare, murder, and betrayal. All is wrapped seamlessly into a fascinating story line with superb actors. You get to see the byzantine political working of the agency, their modus operandi in spying and counter espionage, the successes and their failures. After 286 minutes, it just wasn't long enough. I was hooked with the first show and couldn't wait for the next installments. My only complaint was the over-the-top portrayal of master spy James Jesus Angelton by Keaton. Keaton did a superbly quirky obsessive cultivator of orchids who could always relate some aspect of spying and deception to a particular orchid; it was just too much. After watching the show, I researched Angleton. To my surprise, Keaton's performance was probably dead on or perhaps even understated. If you would like to find out more about Angleton and orchids check out the report on a 1975 interview with him by Edward Jay Epstein at
http://www.edwardjayepstein.com/diary/angleton.htm
If you lived through many of the events it is déjà vu but with the insider's insight. If you didn't, you will find it a fascinating window into an enormously troubled period for this country complete with newsreel clips. Even if you did live through it, you will probably be stunned by how much you forgot and how much this roils old memory.
The acting is consistently excellent. While the aging of the youthful O'Donnell as Jack McCauliffe isn't that effective, his acting is faultless as is that of Molina as the jaded Harvey Torriti. With knowledge of the facts, Keaton is off the scale.
Having not read the book, I cannot attest to the accuracy of the story. On Internet Movie Database the claims range from a flawless adaptation of the book to a hatchet job leaving nothing of value from the source. Ditto on the actual facts. Regardless, an absolutely fascinating almost 6 hours that certainly does provide some historical insight into the machinations of the CIA. Review based on the TV version. Available on DVD at Charlottesville Video on 5th St.
Breach (2007) (****, docudrama, spy) (1-15-09)
Breach (2007) (****, docudrama, spy) (1-15-09) (D.-Billy Ray; W.-Adam Mazer (screenplay), William Rotko (screenplay); Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Laura Linney, Caroline Dhavernas, Gary Cole, Dennis Haysbert, Kathleen Quinlan) The films opens with the TV announcement on February 20, 2001 by US attorney general John Ashcroft of the arrest of FBI agent Robert Hanssen for a major breach of US security. Indeed, Hanssen is arguably one of most damaging cold war leaks of classified information to the Soviets. What follows is a mesmerizing docudrama of Hanssen's (Cooper) entrapment by young FBI operative Eric O'Neill (Phillipe). The FBI had become suspicious of Hanssen and assigned Eric to Hanssen in the hopes of flushing out proof. Hanssen was a socially challenged, super meticulous, hyper religious, type A paranoid personality who ends up taking the young Eric under his wing as a protégée. Thus, begins a cat and mouse between the young quick study Eric and the master spy Hanssen. Cooper is extraordinary as Hanssen, a man who is extremely good at what he does, both legal and illegal, understands the system and knows how to manipulate it for the benefit of all his activities. In fact, Hanssen ends up hunting himself. Eric is more than willing to learn from the pro, although the stress of the job and the overbearing Hanson plays havoc with his life.
The film has intrigue, white knuckle tension, fascinating looks at spy methods, and super characterizations and interactions by excellent actors. And all of it is basically true. How true? Judging from the supplementary material on the DVD, pretty accurate. The only major deviation from reality is the night scene in the park. It didn't happen. According to the real Eric O'Neill, Cooper's portrayal of Hanssen was accurate down to such little details as speech patterns and running him into the wall as they walked down the hall. In fact he found Cooper's performance chilling. In my opinion Cooper did Academy Award quality work. An exceptionally complex man, whom you cannot help respecting in spite of your dislike of him personally and abhorrence of his actions.
One of the things that comes out is that due to security issues, O'Neill's contribution to Hanssen's fall were suppressed at the time, and it was only years later that all his details were revealed; O'Neill was never able to broker a book which would have been fascinating. Review based on the DVD with an excellent set of must-see extras including a highly informative voice over commentary by the director and Eric O'Neill.
After watching the film and all the supplementary material, you are left with one burning question that Hanssen apparently never answered. Why did it he do it? Watch this and try to decide for yourself.
The Bank Job (2008) (***1/2, crime, drama, thriller) (1-2-09)
The Bank Job (2008) (***1/2, crime, drama, thriller) (1-2-09) (D.-Roger Donaldson; W.-Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais; Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Campbell Moore, Daniel Mays, Rupert Frazer, Gerard Horan, Peter De Jersey, James Faulkner) "Based on a true story." I'll come back to that. This is a lot like a Ritchie film; not as rich in dialogue, but with plenty of twists and turns. Low grade London criminal low lives end up carrying out potentially one of the biggest heists on record. Their goal is to clean out the safety deposit boxes in a large London bank. Sort of a weekend withdrawal. Terry's (Statham) current attempts at going straight are going poorly and the trajectory looks even worse. Terry's ex-flame Martine Love (Burrows from the unfortunately defunct My Own Worst Enemy) has a perfect plan and all she needs are the people. So he agrees and recruits a group of like-minded individuals, some not so swift. What isn't appreciated is that there is only one box Martine is interested in, and its contents isn't money or jewels and she isn't the one pulling the strings. By the end we have corrupt and incompetent London police, MI5 or MI6 ("I cannot remember which is which"), members of parliament, a truly nasty allegedly Black power criminal Michael X (De Jersey), and some very unpleasant underworld types all vying for the contents of different safety deposit boxes with our clueless boys in the middle. By the end, who will survive and in what state is very much up in the air. While this is a classic heist film, the plot and the characters keep one entertained to the end.
Statham who generally plays a mumbling heavy actually can act when given good material, although he does get a chance to do some head bashing. His interactions with his family are touching and believable. The rest of the cast is good.
How true is it? Well, there is a lot more truth than in Fargo where the Coen Brother just lied in the credits. The director gives a closely guarded account in
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roger-donaldson/the-bank-job_b_91618.html
It looks like there are certainly elements of truth in his film. The gang allegedly was never caught.
Additional details are available at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/mar/11/film.ukcrime
The incident was known as the "walkie-talkie bank job", and tapes of their conversations were released to the public after the incident. The police told the ham who called them about the transmission to just record them. He did, so at least some of the dialogue is direct from real life. The government put a D Notice on the crime shortly thereafter. A D Notice clamps down totally on the media. The British have much tighter control of their media than we do.
I won't include any spoilers but after you have seen the film check out imdb.com under Trivia. They have an extremely revealing and fightening item SPOILER. It is a quote from the February 16, 2008 The Daily Mail newspaper, which gives considerable credence to elements of the film.
Also if you want an insightful take on Art vs. Reality, check out the article by the key Watergate player James Reston Jr. ("Frost, Nixon and Me", Smithsonian, January 2009, 86-92). To summarize, yes there are a lot of compromises, but good art can transcend the facts.
Green for Danger (1946) (***1/2, mystery) (1-2-09)
Green for Danger (1946) (***1/2, mystery) (1-2-09) (D.-Sidney Gilliat; W.-Christianna Brand (novel), Sidney Gilliat (screenplay); Sally Gray, Trevor Howard, Rosamund John, Alastair Sim, Leo Genn, Judy Campbell, Megs Jenkins, Moore Marriott, Joseph Higgins, Henry Edwards, Wendy Thompson) The closing days of WWII near London. A civilian hospital. An experienced operating team complete with their own personal foibles and demons. The aperiodic putter of German V1 buzz bombs or "doodle bug" flying bombs. You are alright as long as you can hear them. They shut off their motor to begin their death plunge, so you have a few seconds to contemplate your mortality and seek shelter. However, this is not a war film; it is a finely crafted murder mystery. A wounded postman dies on the operating table right before our eyes with all the suspects in full view. Who did it? How? Why? The rest of the film reveals this and much more through the investigation of the delightfully quirky Inspector Cockrill (Sim). I have given nothing away as the framing device for the film is the voice over of Cockrill describing the events from the beginning along with a few tidbits about things to come. I will say nothing more about plot other than the film has plenty of clues and red herrings. If you are quick and observant, you can probably figure out the method, the killer, and the motive. The film certainly supports a second viewing. The acting is excellent, the character interactions well done, and the cinematography fine. Amazingly, with the exception of the postman on the bike, the entire film was shot on sound stages. Remember this during the night trip through the garden. Forced perspective was used to give suitable appearances and when the actress was running towards the camera, she had to stoop as she ran so as not to spoil the illusion. The film came out in 1947, and was still close enough to the war that there were doubts as to whether it could be made then. That it was a mystery made all the difference. Nevertheless, the politics, the battles with the censors, and the necessary compromises and changes make for fascinating listening. Review based on the Criterion Edition available at Clemons.
Constantine (2005) (***, horror, supernatural) (1-2-09)
Constantine (2005) (***, horror, supernatural) (1-2-09) (D.-Francis Lawrence; W-Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis; Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Djimon Hounsou, Max Baker, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Gavin Rossdale, Tilda Swinton, Peter Stormare, Jesse Ramirez) Based on the DC/Vertigo comic book Hellblazer written by Kevin Brodbin, Mark Bomback and Frank Capello. If you like the TV show Supernatural, you will probably enjoy Constantine. Heaven and Hell have a wager going with the earth as the battle ground and the spoils to the victor. Constantine is a suicide who, according to Catholic tradition, was damned to Hell. He was given a temporary reprieve to return to earth where as a supernatural hunter who among other things carries out exorcism with the hope that his good works will give him a pardon. Fat chance. Redemption doesn't just depend on physical acts. John Constantine find himself with Angela Dodson Dodson (Weisz) trying to figure out why her sister Isabel committed suicide, a mortal sin. The reason turns out not to be pretty. Lightly black humored with some impressive effects, especially of Hell. Some delightful cameos by Swinton as Gabriel and a tour de force Satan by Stormare. Evil has never been so good old boy down to earth. If you are into this type of movie, a good show.
The Orphanage aka Orfanato, El (2007) (***, ghost story, horror) (1-2-09)
The Orphanage aka Orfanato, El (2007) (***, ghost story, horror) (1-2-09) (D.- Juan Antonio Bayona; W.- Sergio G. Sánchez; Fernando Cayo, Belén Rueda, Roger Príncep, Mabel Rivera, Montserrat Carulla, Andrés Gertrúdix, Edgar Vivar, Óscar Casas, Geraldine Chaplin) If you are into classic ghost stories, this could be your cup of tea. A woman returns with her son and husband to the orphanage where she spent a pleasant time as a child. The orphanage has long been abandoned, and they purchase it as home and a place to care for a few special needs children. The boy has had imaginary friends, and he promptly adopts a new one. But no surprise, this one isn't quite like his past ones. However, I will reveal nothing further of plot. The wife Laura (Rueda) does a stellar job as a woman at first unsettled, then stressed to the breaking point. If you want gore and monsters, pass on this one. If you are after a stylish building sense of dread such as The Others or The Haunting, check it out. In Spanish with good subtitles.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) (****, animated, comedy) (12-12-08)
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) (****, animated, comedy) (12-12-08) (D.- Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath; W.- Etan Cohen, Darnell, McGrath; voices by Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, Bernie Mac, Alec Baldwin, Sherri Shepherd, will.i.am) OK. My Looney Tunes, lower middle class sense of humor is showing. I thought that the original Madagascar was a good kids movie with a few good laughs and a lot of dry patches. 2 has a few dry spots, a lot of funny patches, and some nearly lethally funny. I'll have to see it again to get all the dialogue that I missed while I was laughing. I should add that my grandchildren (4, 8 and 11) loved it as did my daughter, but while my wife enjoyed it, she didn't think it was as good as I did.
The animals that were stranded on Madagascar in part 1 are attempting to return to New York. These include the self-centered lion Alex (Stiller), a neurotic zebra (Rock), a love-struck giraffe (Schwimmer), a well rounded (is there any other kind) hippo Gloria (Smith), King Julien (Cohen), and his second in command (Cedric). The method of escape is those ever resourceful penguins who have managed to make a cargo cult vintage aircraft air worthy - well maybe. And off they go to New York. New York is a long way and a spectacularly unplanned landing in Africa interrupts their trip. Be careful what you ask for. A return to ones roots may not be quite as you have foreseen. We get the continuation of the Giraffe-Hippo romance where Melman is too tongue tied to tell Gloria what he thinks. We get family bonding with Alex and his long lost family, acceptance of different approaches to life, and a little skullduggery courtesy of a power hungry lion. The lemur, King Julien, whom I found obnoxious in Madagascar has either improved or he has grown on me. His overbearing insolence, his ride rough shod over everyone attitude and especially his solution to the water crisis all work. For the little ones, the only problem area is the opening where we get a sad separation of Alex from his parents as a young cub. However, you can reassure them that all will work out in the end.
The penguins are my favorite characters. So efficient, so ruthless, so prone to understatement in the face of disaster. Everyone, including humans had better watch out when they are around. On the other hand the little old lady is really dangerous and hungry; it is good that penguin isn't on the menu.
The film has plenty of Looney Tunes slap stick. It also has an abundance of verbal humor. There is more than enough adult humor lurking in the corners to keep most adults happy that they were "forced" to bring children to the film. The plane comes to mind. In more than one place the adults were the only ones laughing; the kids must wonder about us. And near the end we get one totally unexpected payback of an earlier sight gag that is a genuine hoot.
Just remember Maurice's disappointed "And the science was so sound!"
RocknRolla (2008) (***, crime, gangster, black humor) (12-12-08)
RocknRolla (2008) (***, crime, gangster, black humor) (12-12-08) (WD.-Guy Ritchie; Nonso Anozie, David Bark-Jones, Geoff Bell, Morne Botes, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy,Toby Kebbell, Thandie Newton, Karel Roden, Tom Wilkinson) Ritchie is back to his roots ala Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. Criminal low lifes who are frequently playing solitare with a deck missing at least one card. Snappy dialogue. Convoluted plot with more twists than a rollercoaster that folds back on itself in totally unexpected ways. A droll voice over that sets everything in perspective, at least to the extent that his films can be put into perspective. This one involves land deals, the Russian mob, a gang lord Lenny Cole (Wilkinson) who considers double crossing local boys good for them since it builds character when they end up owing millions to someone who considers knee capping minimal punishment, and his black sheep drug- addicted stepson Johnny Quid (Kebbell) who is a rocker who has managed to die several times (great for sales), a fabulous McGuffin that threads through the entire film, a sexy femme fatale Stella the accountant (Newton) who is to die for (as many will), and a long sought after mole in the local underworld who for decades has been putting the locals away. It is filled with Ritchie dialogue that rolls off the tongues of people who aren't necessarily very bright, but do depend on a glib tongue for survival.
In my opinion, the whole doesn't work anywhere near as well as the previous two, but it does have entertaining twists, some rich black humor, and some nearly indestructible Russian heavies. How can you not like a film populated with characters with names like Tank, Fred the Head, Mumbles, One Two, Handsome Bob, and Waster - frequently given with appropriate or facetious meanings. In short an interesting diversion from the tripe that generally fills the theaters. It had an almost vanishingly short run in Charlottesville. As with his earlier films, profane, although the English is easier to understand in this one than the previous two.
Quantum of Solace (2008) (***, Bond, action, crime) (12-12-08)
Quantum of Solace (2008) (***, Bond, action, crime) (12-12-08) (D.-Marc Forster; W.- Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis; Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Gemma Arterton, Jeffrey Wright, Joaquín Cosio) This is a solid action film, but it is a real let down after Casino Royale. The film focuses more on the action elements and less on the personalities involved in the last one, much to its detriment. Craig does a fine job as Bond. Intelligent, articulate, cultured, cool, ruthless, brutal. In short someone perfect for the job. The problem isn't his fault. It is in the script that doesn't allow him to interact anywhere near enough with the other actors. Dench is fine as M, but her screen time is too short. There are some excellent interactions, which if there were more would raise the film. Bond's interplay with Mathis (Giannini) is perfectly orchestrated.
There is no shortage of action segments, some very well choreographed. There are some beautiful subtler scenes. The opera is marvelously orchestrated with a real punch line. Just not enough.
Quantum takes up immediately after the last one left off with Bond hot on the trail of killers of his love. This leads ultimately to the villain Dominic Greene (Amalric) who is adequate, but little more. However, Greene's goals are indeed based on one of the looming world crises, water. As Mark Twain said, "Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fighting." The world is entering a stage where this meaning will become all too clear.
One of the areas prominently featured is the Chilean desert. This extraordinary area is unlike anywhere else in the world. Until the early 20th century, it supplied the saltpeter that drove modern wars and farming until the development of the Haber Bosch process for fixing ammonia. These deserts are probably the most hostile to life areas in the world. It may rain only once in 20 years. It is so devoid of life that NASA used it as the test bed for evaluating their equipment to detect life on Mars. If you want to read an excellent book that includes a section on this area, check out The Alchemy of Air (2008, Harmony Press, Thomas Hager), a fascinating tale of the development of the nitrogen fixation process that made our modern world possible and the fates of the geniuses responsible for it. Without Haber Bosch, there would have been mass starvations by now and the population of the world would be fraction of what it is now.
In summary if you want another Casino Royale, give Quantum a pass. If you want an entertaining action film with glimpses of what we hope the director will return to in force in the next installment, Quantum is an adequate film.
I just showed Dr. Strangelove to Brown College. The turnout was excellent, and I thought this a good opportunity to call attention to a great film that many people may have missed. (11-18-08)
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) (****+, satire, war, drama) (3-3-99) (11-18-08)(D.- Stanley Kubrick; Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens, Keenan Wynn, James Earl Jones) One of Kubricks earlier black and white works. This is one of the funniest and most savagely satirical antiwar works since Chaplin's The Great Dictator. Even in this day of the breakup of the Soviet Empire, the views of government, the military, and human nature are still consistent. If you saw this movie when you were young, you very likely missed much of the subtle wit and insights; see it again. The movie is loosely based on the deadly serious book Fail Safe, which was also made into a movie by the same name. As an antiwar statement, Strangelove is the best.
The plot revolves around the launching of a nuclear first strike against the Soviets by Colonel Jack D. Ripper (Hayden) of Burbpulson Air Force Base. Peter Sellers has 3 parts (mad scientist, US president, and RAF officer). Slim Pickens has one of the most memorable "rodeo" rides in history. George C. Scott as the gung ho AF officer is priceless while he is bragging about our technology being so good that it (whoops!) guarantees the end of the world. As any good satire, you find yourself laughing, stop short, and ask "My God, how can I be laughing at this?" Especially the end. When it first showed audiences literally walked out stunned and in a daze. Numerous Academy Award nominations. World SciFi Society Hugo Award. A MUST SEE. (10-23-95)
Additional Material (11-18-08) I just showed Dr. Strangelove to Monroe Hill Resident College. It had an extremely good turnout and a very enthusiastic crowd. My only regret was that most of the students had seen it before. It is a film that deserves, nay demands, a new audience. It is timeless and one of my top 10 films. I showed the Special Edition DVD, which had the documentary The Art of Stanley Kubrick from Short Films to Strangelove and Inside the Making of Dr. Strangelove. These alone would be worth the price of the DVD
I’ll pull a few things from these extras. Peter Sellers did three roles: the President, Captain Mandrake, and Dr. Strangelove. He was also supposed to do Captain Kong. He was stressed out by the four roles and wanted to drop the fourth because of the Texas accent, but he did manage that. Unfortunately, during one of the rehearsals, he fell 15 feet from the bomb bay of their bomber model and broke his leg. Since the role required reasonable athletic activity, he had to pass on the part. The director had seen Slim Pickens in other films and decided he was perfect for the role. When Pickens, who was the Cowboys cowboy first came swaggering onto the English set in full western regalia, people commented that he had already gotten dressed for the part, not appreciating that this was Slim Pickens. His rodeo ride has become one of the most famous icons in filmdom.
The movie was scheduled to have a pie fight in the war room. However, they only had time for one take and the actors were clearly enjoying themselves too much for the mood the scene was supposed to set. It really wouldn't have worked anyway, but the clips on the short are a hoot. Incidentally, President Reagan wanted to see the War Room when he assumed the presidency only to find out that it was created for the movie and actually didn't exist. It certainly looks like it should.
The interior of the B-52 was entirely the designers creation. The Air Force
wouldn't supply any information. When some military brass got a screening of
the film, they went white when they saw the interior of the cockpit. Kubrick
then told the designer that everything that he had used in its creation had
better be unclassified or they were in serious, serious trouble.
Bond.... James Bond. With the arrival of the much awaited
new James Bond movie this week, I thought that I would go back and fill in some
of the holes in my reviews and bring a little historical perspective to the
Bond phenomena.
Dr. No (1962) (***, action,
Bond) (11-12-08)
Dr. No (1962) (***, action, Bond) (11-12-08) (D.-Terence Young; W.-Ian Fleming (novel), Richard Maibaum (screenplay); Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord, Bernard Lee, Anthony Dawson) The roots of one of the biggest film franchise series of all time. Dr. No is dated and suffers from a less than optimum budget. However, it sets the stage and introduces one of the two best Bonds, Sean Connery. The plot is convoluted, the woman beautiful, the villains delightfully evil, the action sequences respectable, and there are even a few gadgets. This is the only Bond without an action sequence at the beginning, but it introduces many of the icons of the series. The gun barrel view of Bond, the theme music, the beautiful world locations, the repartee, the one liners, and the timeless “Bond. ….James Bond”, which incidentally was the American Film Institute’s number 22 movie quote.
The plot is almost secondary other than that it puts Bond in a series of increasingly dangerous and helpless situations. MI6 loses contact with their operatives in Jamaica and Bond goes out to see what happened. It involves the loss of US space launches, the CIA, a megalomaniac genius selling his skills to the highest bidder. But enough of plot.
A few interesting tidbits. Connery is terrified of spiders and InterNet Movie Database (IMDB) claims they used a stunt double in the bedroom scene. Amazingly well done if correct. Regardless, the absolute vehemence with which the arachnid is dispatched suggests that could well have been done by Connery. My friends who raced sports cars at the time this came out were amused at the spectacle of a pre-war LaSalle hearse keeping up with a Sunbeam Alpine sports car on a curvy mountain road. No way! But it does make a good chase sequence. The underwater viewing port was an error. They used stock footage for the fish, but only realized too late that their size was all wrong. Thus, the line from Dr. No about the magnifying ability of the window. Finally the iconic picture of James Bond standing with the long barreled automatic across his chest was a fluke. The photo had to be redone at the last minute, and his Walther PPK was still at the studio. The photographer had an air pistol in his car, and this is what you see. I think it improves on reality. Connery was about the third choice for the partdepending on which of the various versions you believe. Fortunately, the others had conflicts or weren’t willing to commit to the required 3 film contract. (IMDB).
Ursula Andress as Honey Rider is a major weakness of the film. Her acting is so wooden as to verge on petrified. However, she didn’t really want the role and was talked into it by her husband. Plus, her voice is dubbed by another actress. She does, though, make a spectacular Botticelli entry from the sea.
Connery is perfect as Bond. Cool, composed and with an undercurrent of danger. They did tone down his ruthlessness in the killing of Dent. In the original take Bond emptied his automatic into Dent’s back; it was reduced to a coup de grace.
Jack Wiseman as Dr. No is satisfying. Cold, intelligent, ruthless. We are developing our regulars (M, Felix Leiter, Moneypenny), but the venerable role of Q has not yet been fleshed out.
Not great, but satisfying and a good place to beginning watching Bond films
and see how the series evolved.
From Russia with Love
(1964) (***1/2, action, Bond)
From Russia with Love (1964) (***1/2, action, Bond) (11-12-08) (D.-Terence Young; W.-Johanna Harwood (adaptation); Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Pedro Armendáriz, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, Bernard Lee, Eunice Gayson, Lois Maxwell) The second Bond film and SPECTRE is out for revenge on Bond for killing their agent Dr. No and costing them a bundle in blackmail. They use every trick including poisoned shoes in the hands of over the top wicked Rosa Klebb (Lenya). The bait is a decoding machine Lektor the British wish to recover and a beautiful Russian spy Tatiana Romanova (Bianchi). However, the real villain is master assassin Red Grant (Shaw) in a role to die for. He is so suave, so genteel, and so persuasive, but a truly frightening elemental force when unleashed. In short a perfect villain and counterpoint worthy of Bond. If you like Shaw here, check out The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and Jaws.
In keeping with the growing philosophy of the Bond movies, we are treated to spectacular locations (Turkey), the Orient Express, beautiful women, great action pieces, a growing number of gadgets, one liners, and a delightfully entertaining plot. What makes this one of the top Bond’s in my opinion is the characterization of Bond. This Bond probably comes as close to capturing the Ian Fleming Bond of any of the movies up to the latest one. Bond’s intelligent, captivating, suave veneer covers a man of few morals, ruthlessness, and determination. In short a controlled psychopath who you are glad is on our side. Connery does it perfectly.
We are introduced to the venerable and much loved Q (as in quartermaster) Desmond Llewelyn. While this part of Major Boothroyd was used in the first film, Llewelyn raises it to an art form and assumes the name Q. He is like a fussy old woman worrying about a speck of lint on her drapes, only his drapes include some of the most lethal and imaginative weapons known to man. He is hard suffering and resigned from long experience that whatever he gives Bond, he will be lucky if he gets the ashes or fragments back in a brown paper bag at the end. Llewelyn died in a car accident in 1999 while driving home from a book signing to promote his autobiography. In reality he hated machines.
This is the first Bond film with the introductory action sequence. It is a
gem and a complete shock. The rock theme as always is great.
Goldfinger (1965)
(****, action, Bond) (11-12-08)
Goldfinger (1965) (****, action, Bond) (11-12-08) (D.-Guy Hamilton; W.- Richard Maibaum, Paul Dehn (screenplay); Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Fröbe, Shirley Eaton, Harold Sakata, Bernard Lee, Cec Linder, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn) In the third Bond, Goldfinger , it all comes together. The perfect combination that would serve the franchise and make it one of the longest running and incredibly successful film series on record. The music, the opening, the sets, the women, the locations, the gadgets, the cars, the wit, the one-liners, the action. It is all here and more.
Of course a gem requires a great villain. Auric Goldfinger as the man who loves gold more than Midas, but without any redeeming humanity fills the bill admirably. Aided by his taciturn but very able henchman, Odd Jobs, Goldfinger will give Bond one of his most dangerous body-strewn cases. Goldfinger has one of the great film lines as he responds to Bond’s question “Do you want me to talk?” as an industrial strength laser approaches Bond on a trajectory that will shortly bisect him – starting at one of his more delicate parts. In retrospect, it probably wasn’t such good idea to beat the hypercompetitive Goldfinger at golf.
The caper is nothing less than an audacious raid on Fort Knox. Incidentally, the interior was an artist’s creation. There is no public information, but it probably doesn’t look that cool.
Enormously entertaining. So if you haven’t seen Goldfinger or seen
it in recently, check it out.
Casino Royale (PG-13)
(****, action, Bond) (11-12-08)
Casino Royale(PG-13) (****, action, Bond) (11-12-08) (D.- Martin Campbell; W.-Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis; Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini, Mads Mikkelsen) A stellar reinvention of James Bond with much closer roots to Ian Fleming’s original. Indeed, this is the first Bond novel, so we get to see the roots of many of the Bond icons. Daniel Craig reinvents the role. In my opinion there are now two best Bonds. Sean Connery for the 20th century and Craig for the 21st. You know from the opening that this is not going to be the same old same old. The credits are different. Graphic art rather than dance. Grittier. Less polished. The opening action sequence is terse, brutal, realistic with no glossy special effects. Just two men in a give-no-quarter fight to the death. But not to fear, there is no shortage of rip the arms off the chair action sequences. Action junkies will get their rush; but Casino introduces characters that you can empathize with. Flawed, but believable, human beings.
Craig is the centerpiece. A deeply damaged man. Ruthless. An intelligent, articulate thug. A near sociopath who owes his position and success to the government, and he will do anything to repay thembut in his own way. His exchange with Vesper Lynd (Green) on the train is incredibly revealing about his past and personality. However, inside this armor, he can be and is reached in a very believable fashion.
Green does an excellent job as a love interest. Initially she is totally turned
off by his sexist attitude, but develops a growing appreciation of his humanity.
Also, her response to the fight in the stairwell is completely believable. Judi
Dench as M is a powerhouse. Commanding, articulate and with fabulous repartee.
Her comments on the government and the lower quality of the current 00s are
gems. The villains are classic. Ruthless, intelligent, and very able at what
they do. Le Chiffre (Mikkelsen) as the primary opposition is a formidable opponent.
The one chase sequence that stands above all others is with Sabastian Foucan.
Foucan does free running (an Anglicized form of parkour). This is the art of
getting between two point as efficiently and with as much flair as possible.
It involves the ability to cross over or through just about anything in an athletic
way that defies gravity. These runners have to be seen to be believed. I just
watched Jackie Chan’s Mr. Nice Guy, and he used many of the same
techniques. As a technical aside the telemetry system used to save Bond is in
fact existing technology.
When they announced that Craig was going to be the next Bond, I couldn’t believe it. I had seen him as the sniveling, weak willed gang lord son in Road to Perdition. There was no way he could play Bond. The juxtaposition of these two films shows what a superb actor Craig is.
In my opinion, this is the best Bond yet. The concluding line is delivered with such cool ruthlessness that it chills one to the bone, and may be a lead in to the new one. I can’t wait for the new one.
Chaos (2005) (***, action, crime) (9-8-08)
Chaos (2005) (***, action, crime) (9-8-08) (DW-Tony Giglio; Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe, Wesley Snipes, Henry Czerny, Justine Waddell, Nicholas Lea, Jessica Steen) This didn't come to our local theaters and I hadn't heard anything on it, but the dust cover on the rental intrigued me. Then the previews on the DVD were all of mindless action films principally with Statham. This did not bode well. But happily, I was wrong. An entertaining little thriller with perhaps a few too many twists for its own good. The opening was an instant grabber. A fragmented, mesmerizing, almost dream like, police chase and standoff that ends badly with disastrous consequences for the principals. We revisit this pivotal event as the film unfolds. Snap forward to the present with a bank heist that goes bad and ends with a hostage situation. Then begins a nasty cat and mouse game between negotiator Det. Connors (Statham) and gang leader Lorenz (Sipes). You think you have seen it all before (Dog Day's Afternoon), but you are wrong. The film plays with your expectation and repeatedly twists them on end. While the film does have some nice action sequences, this is more a police procedural and a drama than an action film. So if you are looking for a traditional Statham-Sipes action movie, rent one of their other films.
The action mainly revolves around the interactions of three principles, Connors, Lorenz, and Det. Dekker (Phillippe), who was assigned to the talented, but unconventional Statham to make sure he doesn't get too cowboyish. Connors looks down on this baby-faced rookie, but Dekker turns out to be much more than a watchdog. He is extremely bright and very clever, which is crucial to the plot. But enough of the plot.
Sipes enjoyed the opportunity to be cast as a villain, and he clearly relishes the role as the coolly malevolent manipulator. When asked over the phone during the bank stand off about the hostages, he replies "And they are doing just swell. Well all of them except one…. Theory put to practice isn't always perfect. You cannot expect to keep the hostages in check if you let a bad deed go unpunished. They might just randomly revolt. Chaos…" This is our first introduction of the recurrent chaos theme.
The film gives you enough information to figure out what is going on. I think also on careful scrutiny, one has to accept certain plot elements on faith for it to work. We have argued over some of these elements. Regardless, it is clever, well written, well acted with crisp dialogue, intriguing characters, a few nice action sequences, and a quagmire of a plot that entertains to the end.
The DVD extras are worth watching and the director's voice over commentary provides much insight into film making. The film, set in Seattle, was not filmed there except for a few enabling shots, but in Vancouver. The fight scenes were largely done by the principals, and Phillippe came away nursing bruises. Sipes probably didn't. The director wanted a dark rainy setting consistent with the noirish elements, but of course the contrary Vancover weather chose to be bright and shiny throughout most of the filming. Most of the film was hand held. Also, he has an interesting technical point on the voice distortion, and nice in-joke on the making of the film. The director points out the numerous filming problems that, among other things, reduced the shooting schedule from the original 40 days to 26. As he said "Don't name your movie Chaos." The youthful looking Phillippe was delighted to play a character his actual age, 29.
Available at Beyond Video in Willoughby on 5th Street. You may want to watch it a second time to see how it holds together.
Cloverfield (2008) (2008) (*, sci fi, monster) (9-8-08)
Cloverfield (2008) (2008) (*, sci fi, monster) (9-8-08) (D.-Matt Reeves; W.-Lizzy Caplan; I'll spare the actors. This may not be something they want to remember except as a paycheck) First, let me say that I am a fan of grade Z sci fi and monster movies. Cloverfield manages a new low in a genre that frequently scrapes, nay drills, into the bottom of the barrel. Cloverfield is a masterpiece of marketing over substance. In this case not difficult since there is no substance. Hyped by an aggressive internet and theater buildup, I suspect the film probably did well enough in the theaters. If you look at the Internet Movie Data Base, the reviews fall into two classes, excellent or abysmal. I'm not sure what movie the "excellents" were watching, but it wasn' t the one that I saw. A variation on The Blair Witch Project mixed with some of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, we know from the beginning that it does not end well. Then we get to watch in mind numbing entirety the amateurish hand held camera work that led to the discovery of the camera. It begins with about a 20 minute party scene where we are supposed to be developing empathy with the characters. The party ends when a monster begins to rip up Manhattan, and we follow a steadily dwindling group of survivors through the rubble of the city.
The film lacked style, imagination, plot, coherence, logic, acting, justification for any part of what happened, and to add injury to insult made one of our group leave the room due to motion sickness. And that was on a TV. I can believe the claims that it actually made people sick in the big theaters. The reason we saw it was because Netflixs recommended it, but in the post mortem we couldn't imagine why. Then we realized that we had gotten The Host from them. The Host is a good monster movie. To lump Cloverfield in the same class is a disservice to monster films.
A few remaining points: One alleged military maneuver was particularly egregious. In the age of precision missiles that can put a 2000 pound bomb on a dime, they use a stealth bomber to carpet bomb the monster. Cloverfield was produced by J.J. Abrams. I trust this doesn't represent the direction Lost is going.
The only justification for a film like this would be if we still had drive-in theaters. You could take a date to it, snuggle up in the allegedly scary part, and then forget the movie.
The Dark Knight (2008) (***1/2, action, noir) (6-10-08)
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) (***, action, 3D) (6-10-08)
Unknown World (1951) (*1/2, sci fi) ) (6-10-08)
Unknown World (1951) (*1/2, sci fi) ) (6-10-08) (D.-Terry O. Morse; W.-Millard Kaufman; Bruce Kellogg, Otto Waldis, Jim Bannon, Tom Handley, Dick Cogan, George Baxter, Marilyn Nash) A black and white version of Journey to the Center of the Earth. This is available on the 50 sci fi movies for $20 disk sets. It is a classic low budget sci fi. Or perhaps zero budget as shown by the special effects on the drilling craft. It has two interesting features. Much of the underground world is created thanks in part to Carlsbad Caverns, which made it a popular view in New Mexico. Second, it has an embedded political warning about the cold war and the risk of nuclear annihilation. This was a common theme in films from the 50s, and this one concludes with the warning that we had better fix the problem because there is no alternate world to run to.
Other than these two points there is little to recommend this movie. As I recall I enjoyed it as a child, but it has not aged well. Unfortunately on the print we watched the shots of the cavern do not do it justice, but it does look like you get into some parts that the public doesn't see such as the bottomless pit.
Photos from Carlsbad. Note the two people (very small) standing to the left of the spire.
First Snow (2006)
(***1/2, drama, psychological thriller, noir) (6-10-08)
ALL·E (2008) (**1/2 adults, **** children, animation) (7-25-08)
Get Smart (2008) (**1/2, comedy, action) (7-25-08)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) (***, action) (7-25-08)
28 Weeks Later (2007) (**, horror) (6-10-08)
I Am Legend (2007) (***, horror, sci fi) (6-10-08)
Iron Man (2008) (***1/2, comic book hero, action) (6-4-08)
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) (****, drama, crime) (6-4-08)
Charley Varrick (1973) (****, crime, drama) (6-4-08)
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) (****, crime, drama, noir) (6-2-08)
The Host aka Gwoemul (2006) (***, horror, comedy) (6-2-08)
Sunshine (2007) (**, sci fi, drama, horror) (6-2-08)
Michael Clayton (2007) (***1/2, drama) (2-25-08)
No Country for Old Men (2007) (****, crime, drama, noir) (2-25-08)
There Will Be Blood (2007) (***1/2, drama) (2-25-08)
Hannah
Enchanted (2007) (***1/2 adults, **** children, fantasy, comedy) (1-21-08)
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) (**1/2 adults, **** children, action) (1-21-08)
Blade Runner (Four-Disc Collector's Edition) (1982) (****+, sci fi, documentary, etc.) (1-16-08) Released in December 2007.
Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure (2007) (****, documentary, animation, science education) (1-16-08)
The good, the bad and the ugly (films). (8-13-07)
The good, the bad and the ugly. (8-13-07)
Some films you expect to be good and are bad. Some films you expect to be bad and are good. Some films don’t give you what you thought you were paying for at all. Some films are bad and give you exactly what you were after. I review several films that fall into these categories. See Black Dahlia, The, Black Dahlia, and Dementia 13
Black Dahlia, The (2006) (1 ½*, crime, drama) (8-13-07)
Black Dahlia (2006) (No rating, see review; crime) (8-13-07)
Dementia 13 (1963) (***, horror) (8-13-07)
Shockwave aka A.I. Assault (2006) (**, sci fi) (8-13-07)
The Void (2001) (**, sci fi) (8-13-07)
The Proposition (2005) (***1/2, western, drama) (2-20-07)
Snakes on a Plane (2006) (**, action) (2-20-07)
Serenity (2005) (***, space opera, sci fi) (6-12-06)
The Kennel Murder Case (1933) (***1/2, crime) (6-12-06)
The Kennel Murder Case (1933) (***1/2, crime) (6-12-06) (D.-Michael Curtiz; W.-S.S. Van Dine (novel); William Powell, Mary Astor, , Eugene Pallette, Ralph Morgan, Robert McWade, Robert Barrat) First rate Philo Vance film based on the novel. Archer Coe (Barrat) is found dead in a locked room. Clearly suicide, but Vance (Powell) sets out to prove otherwise. There is certainly no shortage of people who wished Coe dead, but who and how are the questions. The plot is intriguing, the dialogue sharp and incisive, and the humor droll and frequently black. The chemistry between Vance and Hilda Lake (Astor) is fabulous. If you like the Thin Man series, you will equally like Kennel.
Casanova (2005) (***1/2, historical comedy) (6-12-06)
A Sound of Thunder (2005) (***, sci fi) (6-12-06)
Mission Impossible III (2006) (***, action) (6-12-06)
Mission Impossible III (2006) (***, action) (6-12-06) (D.- J.J. Abrams; W.-Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and J.J. Abrams; based on the TV series created by Bruce Geller; Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Keri Russell, Billy Crudup, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Michelle Monaghan) Mission Impossible is like the Bond series. You don't check your credibility at the door, you put in a box, place it in the closet, close the door, and don't unwrap it until you get back from the theater. MI III follows true to the original TV series pattern of setting up a McGuffin that the squad has to deal with. In this case it is the Rabbit's Foot being brokered by ruthless arms dealer Owen Davian (Hoffman). What we are treated to is increasingly outrageous and complex schemes to overcome the different obstacles that present themselves to the Impossible Mission team. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) has retired and is getting married to Julia (Monaghan). There comes one last little job that he cannot say no to, which initiates the fall from the precipice.
The film provides a series of beautifully orchestrated action sequences with mixtures of live and computer generated effects. For me they all looked good on the big screen. I particularly liked the bridge sequence, although the Vatican part was ridiculously and delightfully amusing.
Hoffman does a fine job as a heavy. Here is a psychotic who revels in the manipulation and destruction of others. While he has no intention of dying, he is more than willing to do so without a whimper and will happily spit in the face of his killer. The supporting cast is good.
We don't watch too many high energy action films, and we enjoyed this one. The only place that it fell down was in the human relations sections, which frequently went on too long, but were fortunately few in number. We kept thinking: "Cut out the kissing and the crying and get to the action!"
Mr. Murder (1998) (***, sci fi, thriller) (6-12-06)
Mr. Murder (1998) (***, sci fi, thriller) (6-12-06) (D.-Dick Lowry; W.-Dean R. Koontz (novel); Stephen Baldwin, Julie Warner, Bill Smitrovich) Koontz books frequently do not translate well to the screen. I felt that Mr. Murder works due largely to the casting of Baldwin as the two leads. Without giving too much away Marty Stillwater (Baldwin) finds himself being hunted by an exact replica Alfie( Baldwin) who believes that he is in fact Stillwater and has been deprived of his rightful heritage by Marty. Marty is mister nice guy. A good father, a good husband. The sort of person that you couldn't imagine hurting a fly. You might not even notice him. He is Mr. Zero. Alfie is brutal, ruthlessly efficient, lethal and enormously immature. He doesn't really understand the situation, but he is Darwinian enough to make the right moves to survive and to try to make the world a sane place for himself. In spite of his initially passive personality, Marty turns out to be equally Darwinian; he is going to protect his wife and daughters at all costs. Marty is played as a real person rather than as a super hero, and, given the 3 hours of the TV production, you get a chance to see him mature into the part. Alfie, in spite of leaving a trail of bodies, is a genuinely sympathetic character. He has to be destroyed, but you would feel badly about it. As far as the science is concerned, check your brain at the door, accept the premise, and enjoy a tour de force performance by Baldwin.
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005, ***1/2, documentary) (4-5-06)
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the
Room (2005, ***1/2, documentary) (4-5-06)
(D-Alex Gibney. Based on the book, The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing
Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind;
narrated by Peter Coyote; as themselves: Kenneth Lay, Jeff Skilling, Lou Pai,
Mike Muckleroy, Sherron Watkins, Red. James Nuter, Bethany McLean and Peter
Elkind) As the Enron trials of Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling go into their death
throes what could be more timely than the DVD release of this documentary. With
the outcome, we can be suitably outraged or depressed. Enron gives us
the background to better judge what is happening. As I understand it, we are
lucky to get the DVD. The film was a hot potato, showed only limitedly, and
no one wanted to take responsibility for the DVD. The operating principle of
these guys seems to be the mantra of Gordon Gekko from the film Wall
Street “Greed is good.” The film explores the spectacular rise
and catastrophic fall of Enron. It is a scathing indictment of the corporate
culture and the individuals involved, and moral bankruptcy was the order of
the day. In the early stages, whether what they were doing was unethical or
illegal is not so obvious to an outsider, but with the setting up of the fictional
offshore companies to hide their losses and make the books look really good,
it clearly falls on the illegal side. Then came the
With modern audio recording of many conversations and email
as well as videos and hearings, we have an unprecedented look at the workings
of the company and the individuals. We get conversations of traders engineering
the next blackout in
What did Enron actually market? Other than themselves, I never really understood that. However, I do understand the enormous arrogance and chutzpah of the people involved, their total contempt for the victims of their excesses, and their complete unwillingness to accept any responsibility for the consequences of their actions. And it wasn’t just the Enron people who ate the losses. Employees of companies purchased by Enron found their retirements either gone or vastly diminished when Enron tanked. I was also impressed with one of the apparently legal tactics they used: “market to market." If Enron began a venture that could make $50 million 10 years from now, it could claim the $50 million as current income! What a nifty way to balance out a major loss, particularly when you are the ones predicting the future value. Skilling is even shown satirizing this in an in-house video.
My only negative point is that the director gets flashy and throws in superfluous asides. Not necessary and it detracts from the story, which is riveting and stands on its own.
Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) (****, animation, humor) (1-30-06)
Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) (****, animation, humor) (1-30-06) (D.-Steve Box, Nick Park; W.- Nick Park; voices: Nick Park Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Peter Kay, Nicholas Smith) A great family movie, and adults won’t object either. For those of you who don’t know, Wallace is an inventor, and Gromit is his faithful dog. It isn’t always clear who is the brains of the outfit, but Gromit certainly has the most common sense. Oh, did I forget to mention that the animation is all claymation (stop motion animation with clay figures)? And what marvelous claymation. Nick Park, the animator, gets more expressiveness and subtle acting out of clay than many actors do in the flesh. Parks introduced this dynamic duo with three 30-40 minute shorts including A Close Shave and The Wrong Trousers. His first full-length film was Chicken Run, a story of caged chickens in a concentration camp-like setting. Were-Rabbit is his second full length film and what a gem. The animation is as good as it gets. The humor ranges from slapstick to the best droll British remarks. As with his other films, it draws shamelessly on the conventions of a genra style, in this case horror films. The lighting, the music, the action is right out of classic 40s-50s horror films.
The plot is that the town is about to have their giant vegetable festival (the vegetables are giant, not the festival), the bigger the better. This joyous event has been endangered by an infestation of cute, but hungry, bunny rabbits. Fortunately, Wallace (Sallis) and Gromit are keeping them at bay, and turning a profit at the same time. In the process of cleaning out her garden, Wallace has become smitten with the “beautiful” Lady Campanula Tottington (Carter), and the feelings are mutual. Unfortunately, there is an unscrupulous, and insufferable suitor, Victor Quartermaine (Fiennes), who would like to eliminate Wallace. However, this is only the substructure for the plot. What is the worst thing that could happen to a giant vegetable festival? A were-rabbit, of course. Ravenous at night. Hidden by day. And thus riotous insanity ensues with Wallace and Gromit trying to catch the rabbit, the suitor trying to discredit Wallace and capture Lady Tottington, and Gromit trying to keep a lid on things. And the villagers? Think back to the old horror films.
My one complaint with the earlier Chicken Run was that it was too long. I thought the format worked better in shorter doses. I think Were-Rabbit overcomes this. It wasn’t too long for me. However, if you saw and didn’t like any of his earlier work, this film probably isn’t for you. The film plays at both adult and children’s levels, so I expect my granddaughters to love it. I saw it on a plane; I enjoy comedy and have a hearty laugh. I suspect the people sitting around me sort of pulled away as though to say “I have no idea who this guy is, and I don’t know him. So don’t blame me.”
If you liked any of the earlier Wallace and Gromit, get a copy as soon as it comes out, but don’t eat anything while you are watching. Like in Were-Rabbit, you never know where a belly laugh will spring out at you. Oh, do pay close attention to the names of the characters.
Note: It was enjoyed every bit as much by 5 and 8 year old granddaughters as I expected.
Syriana (2004) (***, action, drama) (1-30-06)
Syriana (2004) (***,
action, drama) (1-30-06) (DW- Stephen Gaghan; based on novel by Robert
Baer; George Clooney, Matt Damon, Amanda Peet, Chris Cooper, Christopher Plummer,
Max Minghella, Jeffrey Wright) A bleak, cynical view of world politics and business
as told through several interrelated or overlapping stories. Money and oil drive
our world, and those in control will not allow any disturbance of the status
quo. Those at the bottom have nothing to lose, and no real stake in the outcome,
so they are nihilists. Those in the middle trying to make a better world are
caught in the jaws of the above and below. My wife enjoyed this more than I
did. But she explained why afterwards, and I have to agree with her. This is
a film you have to immerse yourself in, let it flow over you, and accept where
it goes and what develops. I struggled through the film trying to fit all the
pieces together as if it were a complete jigsaw puzzle. It isn’t, and to
try, just leads to frustration and missing the flow of the film. Since
it was by the director of Traffic, which is similarly structured, I should
have expected it. The film takes place in the Middle East with input from
the
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) (****, fantasy, action) (1-23-06)
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) (****, fantasy, action) (1-23-06) (D.-Andrew Adamson;. Screenplay: Ann Peacock, Adamson, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely; based on novel by C.S. Lewis; Tilda Swinton, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, : Anna Popplewell, James McAvoy; voices by Liam Neeson, Ray Winstone, Dawn French, Rupert Everett, Jim Broadbent) A rollicking children's adventure movie that doesn't insult adults. I had never read any of the Narnia series, so other than a brief description of the opening, I knew little about it. During the blitz, two brothers and two sisters from the Pevensie family are sent to the safety of the country. They are staying in the home of an idiosyncratic professor (Broadbent) and his tyrannical house keeper who wants to protect him from rabble such as these children at any cost. The children accidentally discover that a wardrobe leads to a magical kingdom of Narnia. Narnia is populated with a variety of mythological creatures and has been incased in ice for a century under the spell of the Ice Witch (Swinton). A prophecy predicts the spell will be broken by humans. Thus ensues an epic battle between good and evil. The witch is powerful, cunning, and ruthless; she is not about to release her grip to a few feeble humans. Aiding the children is a revolt organized and led by the lion Aslan (Neeson).
The land is populated with a variety of wondrous creatures and sights. These include a faun (half man, half goat), centaurs, a Father Christmas, talking creatures including beaver, a fox, and wolves. The youngest girl, Lucy (Henley), is absolutely stunning. In her first unexpected entry into Narnia, her face absolutely glows in wonder. I don't know what they did to help this, but it works. I personally found it one of the high points of an otherwise excellent film, and her behavior and reactions throughout the rest of the film are almost as good. The other children do a fine job of carrying their parts. Their sibling interactions are believable as is their ultimate family loyalty. Swinton does a stellar job as the witch. Her role is pivotal, and she had to be evil, but believable. Too little and the threat disappeared. Too much and it would be too campy, at least for adults. She plays it just right, with the surface veneer of respectability and compassion when it meets her needs, but with an explosive edge when she is tried.
The film does have a major battle scene that is like a child-acceptable version of the battles in the Lord of the Rings. I gather it has been magnified for the film to help give it punch for the video game generation. Some of the images and the developing plot may be a bit strong for younger children, but those who have read or had the story read to them should have no problems.
As with the Lord of the Rings, Narnia could not have been made 10-15 years ago. The special effects were just not up to it. Now, if you can imagine it and have enough money, you can put an absolutely convincing image on the screen. Our first introduction to Narnia includes the faun Mr. Tumnus (McAvoy). The upper body is man with some make up, but the bottom is a perfectly articulated pair of goat legs. Like the other images, it is so real that you promptly forget it is effects and just accept it. Aslan is just a little off, but his articulation is almost perfect. Apparently, they originally tried to use a real lion, but when they looked at the takes, it looked less real than the cgi.
I think it entertaining that the right and the left have made such a fuss over the film. The right is delighted to find an excellent film that espouses Christian values. The left find the film subversive in that it couches religion in a children's adventure movie. Lewis was deeply religious and the movie certainly has strong Christian elements. However, they are within a strongly pagan environment with deep non-Christian roots. The basic plot is traditional with an epic battle between good and evil with heroes (in this case children) saving the day, which transcends all cultures. Lighten up - on both sides. It is a charming, well done, children's adventure. It is as moral as many films that have no explicit Christian component. Enjoy it, and take away what you want.
Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) (****, docudrama) (11-28-05)
Point of Order (1964) (documentary, ****) (11-28-05)
Citizen Cohn (1992) (***1/2, docudrama)
Front, The (1976) (****, drama)
Batman Begins (2005) (***1/2, action, fantasy) (10-18-05)
Pacifier (2005) (*** for adults, **** for children) (10-18-05)
Lord of War (2005) (****, action, crime, war, drama) (10-10-05)
The Constant Gardener (2005) (**1/2, drama) (10-10-05)
Flightplan (2005) (***, suspense, thriller) (9-28-05)
Sahara (2005) (**, action) (9-28-05)
National Treasure (2005) (9-28-05)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) (**1/2, action, romance) (7-19-05)
War of the Worlds (2005) (****, sci fi) (7-19-05)
Cellular (2004) (***, thriller) (6-22-05)
House of the Flying Daggers (2004) (***, historical drama, martial arts, romance) (6-22-05)
War of the Worlds -an overview: (6-22-05) The good, the bad (actually the awful), and the yet to be released. The good is the classic 50’s thriller. The bad is the 2005 remake which follows reasonably closely the original Wells’ book, and was clearly released now to beat and capitalize on the soon-to-be released Spielberg film, which I am eagerly anticipating. I include below my old review of the original plus a review of the new release.
War of the Worlds (1953) (****, 50's Science Fiction) (1974). (1-17-95) (7-8-96) (6-22-05)
The War of the Worlds (2005) (1/2* for using most of Wells’ dialogue, sci fi) (6-22-05)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) (**, sci fi, humor) (6-01-05)
The Interpreter (2005) (***1/2, suspense) (5-31-05)
The In-Laws (2003) (**, comedy) (5-31-05)
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) (***1/2, crime, action)
Lost in Translation (2003) (**1/2, romance, comedy)
City of Ghosts (2002) (*1/2, action, noir, crime) (4-19-05)
The Triplets of Bellville aka Triplettes de Belleville, Les (2003) (***, animation) (3-28-05)
Abandon (2002) (*1/2, suspense) (3-28-05)
In Enemy Hands (2004) (***, action, war) (3-28-05)
Time for a few grade Z sci fi. (2-23-05)
The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) (**, sci fi) (2-23-05)
10.5 (2004) (*, sci fi, action, horror) (2-23-05)
10.5 (2004) (*, sci fi, action,
horror) (2-23-05) (DW.- John Lafia, W.-Christopher Canaan;
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) (**1/2, sci fi, horror, comedy) (2-23-05)
Infernal Affairs aka Wu jian dao (2002) (****, crime, suspense) (2-7-05)
The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001) (****, sci fi, horror, spoof, comedy) (2-7-05)
Kinsey (2004) (***1/2, docudrama) (1-24-05)
Alien Hunter (2003) (***, sci fi) (1-24-05)
Stepford Wives (2004) (bomb, comedy, satire) (12-31-04)
Real Life (1979) (***, satire, comedy) (12-31-04)
Langoliers, The (1995) (**, horror, sci fi) (12-31-04)
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) (**, adults; **** children) (12-7-04)
No Man’s Land (2001) (***1/2, drama, war) (12-7-04)
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) (***1/2, sci fi, action) (10-22-04)
Forgotten, The (2004) (**, suspense) (10-22-04)
Secret Window (2004) (**1/2, suspense, mystery) (10-22-04)
Others, The (2001) (***, horror, suspense) (10-22-04)
Love of Grade Z. (10-22-04) My love of grade Z shows in the following reviews. I cannot bring myself to rate many of these very highly, but I did watch them all from first to last frame. Epoch, Day of the Triffids, Megalodon, Timebomb.
Megalodon (2004) (**, horror) (10-22-04)
Epoch
(2000) (**, sci fi) (10-22-04)
Hero (2004) (****, war, drama, romance, historical) (10-12-04)
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004) (***1/2, fantasy) (10-12-04)
Hell's Angels (1930) (***, war, drama) (10-11-04)
The Princess Diaries (2001) (** adult, **** child, comedy) (10-11-04)
Road to Eldorado, The (2000) (***, animation, comedy) (10-11-04)
The Train (1964) (****, war, docudrama) (9-9-04)
The Manchurian Candidate (2004) (***, suspense) (9-9-04)
Collateral (2004) (***, action, thriller) (9-9-04)
Spartan (2004) (****, action, drama) (8-24-04)
Bourne Supremacy, The (2004) (***1/2, Action) (8-24-04)
Bourne Identity (1988) (***, action) (8-24-04)
Shrek 2 (2004) (***1/2, animation, comedy) (7-23-04)
Running Man, The (1987) (**1/2, sci fi, action) (7-23-04)
Ringu (1998) (***1/2, horror) (7-21-04)
Ring, The (2002) (***1/2, horror) (7-21-04)
Short Fuse (2001) (***1/2, drama, crime) (7-20-04)
Welcome to Mooseport (2003) (**, comedy) (7-20-04)
Wizards (1977) (bomb, sci fi, fantasy, animation)
Arachnid (2001) (**, horror) (7-20-04)
Girl With A Pearl Earring (drama, romance, ****) (6-29-04)
Day After Tomorrow, The (2004) (**1/2, Sci Fi) (6-29-04)
Matchstick Men (2003) (***1/2, comedy, crime, drama) (6-8-04)
Jackie Brown (1997) (***1/2, crime, drama) (6-8-04)
Kill Bill, Vol. 1. (2003) (***, martial arts, drama) (6-7-04)
Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (2004) (****, action) (6-7-04)
Van Helsing (2004) (**1/2, horror, action) (6-7-04)
Mystic River (2003) (****, drama) (5-17-04)
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004) (***, drama) (5-17-04)
Impostor (2002) (***1/2, sci fi, thriller) (5-4-04)
And now for something completely different. Two black and white post-apocalypse French films. One is done entirely with still photographs, while the other is done without a single spoken word. (02-09-03)
Jetée, La aka The Pier (1962) (****, sci fi)
Dernier Combat, Le aka The Final Combat, The Last Battle, The Last Combat (1983) (***, sci fi)
Master & Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003) (****, action, historical) (02-06-04)
I Married a Witch (1942) (***1/2, comedy, fantasy) (02-06-04)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith(1941) (**, comedy) (02-06-04)
The Killer is Loose (1956) (**1/2, noir) (02-06-04)
Support Your Local Sheriff(1969) (****, comedy, western) (12-22-03)
Storm of the Century (1999) (***, horror) (12-22-03)
Johnny English (2002) (**1/2, comedy) (12-22-03)
Versus (2001) (*1/2 for film, *** for dust cover, action, supernatural, comedy) (12-22-03)
The Maltese Falcon aka Dangerous Female (1931) (***1/2, drama, crime) (12-26-03)
Captain Blood (1935) (***1/2, action) (12-26-03)
Heavy Metal (1981) (12-26-03) (***, animation, sci fi, fantasy)
Paycheck (2003) (***, sci fi, action) (12-30-03)
Libeled Lady (1936) (***1/2, comedy) (12-30-03)
Armored Car Robbery (1950) (***, crime, noir) (12-30-03)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) (**, sci fi) (12-31-03)
Dreamcatcher (2003) (** for those who have not read the book, *** for those who have, sci fi, horror) (12-31-03)
Kansas City Confidential (1952) (***, crime, noir) (12-31-03)
Reptile, The (1966) (**1/2, horror) (12-31-03)
Scotland, Pa (2002) (**, black humor) (12-31-03)
Gate of Hell (1953) (***1/2, historical drama) (12-31-03)
Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) (***, horror) (12-31-03)
Kill Baby Kill (1966) (**1/2, classic horror) (12-31-03)
Bunker, The (2001) (**, horror) (12-31-03)
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003) (****, action, pirate, supernatural) (8-19-03)
Suddenly(1954) (***1/2, action, suspense, noir) (8-19-03)
28 Days Later(2003) (***, horror) (7-14-03)
Nashville (1975) (***1/2, drama) (7-14-03)
Sinbad: Legend Of The Seven Seas (2003) (***1/2, animation, fantasy) (7-7-03)
Salton Sea, The (2002) (***, crime, noir, drama) (7-7-03)
Cube (1997) (***, psychological thriller, horror) (6-30-03)
Baby Face (1933 (**1/2, drama) (6-9-03)
Italian Job, The (2003) (***, crime, action) (6-9-03)
Chicago (2002) (****, musical, crime, satire, comedy) (3-10-03)
Art of Illusion, The (1990) (***1/2, documentary) (3-10-03)
Humoresque (1946) (***, drama) (3-04-03)
Hollywood Dinosaurs (1991) (**1/2, documentary, sci fi, horror) (3-04-03)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) (****, comedy, romance) (2-17-03)
Rats, The (2002) (**, horror) (2-17-03)
Shanghai Knights(2003) (**1/2, comedy, martial arts) (2-24-03)
Femme Fatale (2002) (***1/2, noir, thriller) (2-24-03)
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)(****, action, fantasy) (1-13-03)
Zulu (1964) (****, docudrama, war) (1-6-03)
Catch Me If You Can (2003) (12-30-02) (***, docudrama)
Singin' In The Rain (1952) (***, musical) (12-30-02)
Lilo & Stitch (2002) (***1/2, animation, comedy) (12-23-02)
Tape (2001) (***, drama) (12-23-02)
Treasure Island (1950) (***1/2, action) (12-16-02)
White Zombie (1932) (***, horror) (12-16-02)
Signs (2002) (***, sci fi, suspense) (12-9-02)
Skinwalker (2002) (***, mystery) (12-9-02)
It’s What You Didn’t See aka Ojos que no Ven (***, suspense) (12-2-02)
XXX (2002) (***1/2, action, Bond) (12-2-02)
Eight Legged Freaks (2002) (**, horror, sci fi, comedy) (11-25-02)
Final (2001) (***, mystery, sci fi?) (11-25-02)
Army of Darkness (1993) (***, action, comedy, horror) (11-18-02)
Golem, Der aka Golem, wie er in die Welt kam, Der (1920) (11-18-02)
Lion in Winter, The (1968) (10-8-02) (****, drama, historical customer)
Training Day (2001) (***, crime, action) (9-9-02)
Lantana (2001) (****, drama, thriller) (9-16-02)
Sweet Home Alabama (2002) (**1/2, comedy) (9-16-02)
American Buffalo (1996) (***, drama) (9-23-02)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) (**, comedy) (9-23-02)
To Be or Not to Be (1942) (***, comedy) (9-23-02)
Red Dragon (Prerelease comments) (9-30-02)
Manhunter (1986) (****, crime, psycho thriller) (reprinted 9-30-02)
Changing Lanes (2002) (***1/2, drama, suspense) (9-2-02)
Men in Black II (2002) (***, sci fi, humor) (9-2-02)
Road To Perdition (2002) (***1/2, crime, drama) (7-22-02)
Gangster Films (7-22-02) Watching Road to Perdition reminded me of another fine gangster flim, Once Upon a Time in America. It just so happened we then saw it on AMC (not letterboxed, with a few ads, and at least some of the sex and violence cut out), which reminded us of how much we like it. I enclose my original review below. It is coming out on DVD this year and is available on laser disk at Clemons Library; they have players.
Brotherhood of the Wolf, The aka Pacte des loups, Le (2001) (7-15-02) (****, fantasy, horror, drama, action)
Night of the Demon aka Curse of the Demon (1957) (***, horror, drama) (7-1-02)
Sum Of All Fears, The (2002) (***1/2, war, drama) (8-26-02)
Enigma (2002) (***, drama, war, romance ) (7-8-02)
Shock Corridor (1963) (**1/2, drama) (7-8-02)
Bourne Identity, The (***1/2, thriller) (6-24-02)
Guilty Hands (1931) (***, crime) (6-24-02)
Heist (2001) (***1/2, drama, crime) (6-24-02)
Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) (***, war, drama) (6-24-02)
Void, The (2001) (*1/2, sci fi) (6-17-02)
Vampire, The (1957) (*1/2, horror) (6-17-02)
Moulin Rouge! (2001) (6-17-02) (unrated, musical, fantasy, comedy, drama)
Last Castle, The (2001) (***, drama) (6-10-02)
True Romance (1993) (***, crime, drama) (6-10-02)
Insomnia (1997) (***1/2, thriller, film noir) (6-3-02)
Insomnia (2002) (***1/2 or ****, thriller, crime) (6-3-02)
Interview, The (1998) (****, suspense) (5-27-02)
State and Main (2000) (unrated, comedy) (5-27-02)
Safety Last (1923) (***, comedy) (5-20-02)
X-Men (2000) (**1/2, sci fi, fantasy, action) (5-20-02)
Rabid (1977) (**, sci fi, horror, vampire) (5-20-02)
Episode 2: Attack Of The Clones (2002, ***) (5-13-02)
Spider-Man (2002) (***, fantasy) (5-13-02)
Metropolis (2001) (***1/2, anime, sci fi) (5-6-02)
Sea Wolf, The (1941) (***1/2, drama) (4-30-02)
Ghosts of Mars, The (2001) (*1/2, Sci fi , horror) (4-30-02)
Monsoon Wedding (2002) (***1/2, comedy drama) (4-23-02)
Panic Room (2002) (***, thriller) (4-23-02)
Last Orders (2001) (***1/2, comedy, drama) (4-15-02)
Pink Panther, The (1964) (**, Comedy) (4-15-02)
Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The (1962) (**1/2, Western) (4-08-02)
Videodrome (1983) (**1/2, horror) (4-08-02)
Black Scorpion, The (1957) (**, Sci fi, horror) (4-08-02)
M*A*S*H (1970) (***1/2, black humor, drama, war) (4-01-02)
Virus (1999) (*1/2, sci fi, horror) (3-25-02)
Holmes Triple Feature. (3-25-02
Dressed to Kill (1946) (3-25-02) I have already reviewed the single film DVD of this movie. The problem with the film and sound on the earlier disk was not the state of the film, but the quality of the reproduction. The triple feature has a fine visual-audio reproduction of the film.
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001) (***1/2, fantasy) (3-18-02)
Suspicion (1941) (***, suspense) (3-18-02)
Peter Pan (1953) (***1/2, adult, ****, child, animation, fantasy, musical) (3-11-02)
Curse of the Jade Scorpion, The (2001) (**1/2, comedy) (3-11-02)
Woman in the Dunes (1964) (***1/2, drama) (3-4-02)
Count of Monte Cristo, The (2002) (***, action, drama) (3-4-02)
In The Bedroom (2001) (***, drama) (3-4-02)
Peter Pan (1953) (***1/2, adult, ****, child, animation, fantasy, musical) (3-11-02)
Curse of the Jade Scorpion, The (2001) (**1/2, comedy) (3-11-02)
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001) (***1/2, fantasy) (3-18-02)
Suspicion (1941) (***, suspense) (3-18-02)
Virus (1999) (*1/2, sci fi, horror) (3-25-02)
Holmes Triple Feature. (3-25-02) This DVD at Sneak Reviews has three classic Sherlock Holmes films with the dynamic duo of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce doing their stellar job of playing Holmes and Dr. Watson.
Dressed to Kill (1946) (3-25-02)
M*A*S*H (1970) (***1/2, black humor, drama, war) (4-01-02)
Mulholland Drive (2001) (****, ??) (2-25-02)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) (unrated, animation) (2-25-02)
Chuck Jones, Requiem. Dead at 89 on February 22, 2002. (2-25-02)
Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie, The (1979) (****, comedy, animation) (2-25-02) (9-28-99)
Road Runner/Coyote celebrated its 50th anniversary on September 19. (2-25-02) (9-20-99)
Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens, a Life in Animation (2000) (documentary, ***1/2) (2-25-02)
Amelie (2001) (***, comedy) (1-21-02)
Gosford Park (2002) (**1/2, drama) (1-21-02)
Joy Ride (2001) (***1/2, thriller) (1-14-02)
Swordfish (2001) (***, thriller) (1-14-02)
Cane Toads or Cane Toads: An Unnatural History (1988) (12-31-01)
Last Wave, The (1978) (***1/2, drama) (12-31-01)
Night Caller from Outer Space (1965) (**1/2, sci fi) (12-31-01)
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001) (****, fantasy) (12-24-01)
Following and The Man Who Wasn’t There: A Comparison. (12-17-01)
Following (1998) (***1/2, crime, noir) (12-17-01)
Man Who Wasn't There, The (2001 (***, film noir,crime) (12-17-01)
Forgotten (1999) (***, crime, thriller) (12-17-01)
Nostradamus and Mission to Mars: A Comparison. (12-10-01)
Nostradamus (2000) (***, sci fi, horror, action) (12-10-01)
Mission to Mars (2000) (*1/2, sci fi) (12-10-01)
Play It Again, Sam (1972) (***1/2, comedy) (12-03-01)
Monsters, Inc. (2001) (*** for adults, animation, comedy, fantasy) (12-03-01)
Dressed to Kill (1946) (**1/2, crime) (12-03-01)
Cat and the Canary, The (1927) (***, horror, humor, classic, silent (11-26-01)
One Night At McCool's (2001) (***1/2, black comedy) (11-26-01)
Hang Em’ High (1967) (***, western) (11-19-01)
Picture of Dorian Gray, The (1945) (***, horror) (11-19-01)
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) (***, animation, fantasy, sci fi) (11-12-01)
And Then There Were None (1945) (***1/2, mystery) (11-12-01)
Life as a House (2001) (***, drama, comedy) (11-5-01)
Cat's Meow, The (2001) (***, drama, docudrama?) (11-5-01)
Great Dictator, The (1940) (****, comedy, war, satire) (10-29-01)
Some Like It Hot (1959) (****, comedy) (10-29-01)
Children of Paradise (1945) (****, drama, romance) (10-29-01)
Three Stooges, The Classic Collections from Digital Disc Entertainment (***, comedy) (10-22-01)
Memento (2001) (****, noir, crime, drama) (5-9-01) (10-22-01) (DVD) review added. DVD Review Now Added.
Number Seventeen (1932) (**1/2, crime) (10-15-01)
French Connection, The (1971) (****,docudrama, crime) (10-01-01)
Battlefield Earth (2000) (**, sci fi) (9-24-01)
Stalker (1979) (****, sci fi) (9-24-01)
Get Carter (2000) (**, crime, drama) (9-17-01)
Get Carter (1971) (****, crime, noir, drama) (10-9-00, 9-17-01)
Time Machine, The (1960) (***, classic, sci fi) (9-10-01)
Dracula (Spanish Version 1931) (***1/2, classic, horror) (9-10-01)
Rat Race (2001) (**, comedy) (9-3-01)
Claim, The (2001) (***, drama) (9-3-01)
Enemy At The Gates (2001) (***, war, drama) (8-24-01)
Thirteen Days (2001) (***1/2, docudrama, thriller) (8-17-01)
Legally Blonde (2001) (**1/2, comedy) (8-13-01)
Draughtsman's Contract, The (1982) (***1/2, costume drama) (8-13-01)
Jurassic Park 3 (2001) (***, action, sci fi) (7-30-01)
She Done Him Wrong (1933) (****, comedy, classic) (7-30-01)
Sexy Beast (2000) (***1/2, crime, suspense) (7-23-01)
Lara Croft Tomb Raider (**1/2, fantasy) ((7-23-01)
Evolution (2001) (**½, comedy) (7-16-01)
Legend Of Drunken Master AKA Jui kuen II (1994) (7-16-01)
Taxi Driver (1976) (***, drama) (7-2-01)
Pursued (1947) (***, noir, western, classic) (7-2-01)
Paradine Case, The (1948) (**, drama) (7-2-01)
Winter Sleeper AKA Winterschläfer (1997) (****, romantic thriller, drama) (6-25-01)
Rocket Ship X-M (1950) (**1/2, sci fi, classic) (6-25-01)
Mummy Returns, The (2001) (**, action) (6-18-01)
Mummy, The (1999) (***1/2, horror, action) (6-7-99) (6-18-01)
Dante's Peak (2000) (**1/2, action, disaster) (6-18-01)
Shrek (2001) (****, comedy, drama, animation) (6-11-01)
Fall of the House of Usher, The aka Chute de la maison Usher, La (1928) (***1/2, horror) (6-11-01)
Spy Kids (2001) (2000) (***, comedy, family, action) (6-4-01)
Repo Man (1984) (**1/2, sci fi, humor) (6-4-01)
Titus (1999) (****, drama) (5-28-01)
Tailor Of Panama, The (2001, ***1/2) (5-21-01)
Rififi (1954) (****, noir, crime) (5-21-01)
Memento (2001) (****, noir, crime, drama) (5-9-01)
My Best Fiend aka Mein liebster Feind – Klaus Kinski (1999) (***1/2, documentary) (4-16-01)
Dick (1999) (** or ***, comedy) (4-16-01)
Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972) (****, drama) (4-9-01)
Bedazzled (2000) (**, comedy) (4-2-01)
Land That Time Forgot, The (1975) (*1/2, sci fi, fantasy, action) (4-2-01)
High Noon (1952) (****, Drama, Western)
U-Turn (1997) (**, noir, crime) (3-26-01)
Mexican, The (2001) (**1/2, comedy) (3-26-01)
Snatch (2000) (****, comedy, crime) (3-19-01)
Fury (1936) (***1/2, drama) (3-19-01)
Red Planet (2000) (***, 50s sci fi, space opera) (3-12-01)
Mummy, The(1932) (***1/2, horror, classic) (3-12-01)
Warlock (1991) (**1/2, horror) (3-12-01)
Octopus (2000) (**, horror) (3-5-01)
Telefon (1977) (***, spy) (3-5-01)
Ride with the Devil (1999) (***. War, drama) (2-26-01)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) (**1/2, horror) (2-26-01)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) (****, comedy) (2-12-01)
House on Haunted Hill, The (1958) (***, 50s horror) (2-12-01)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) (***1/2, fantasy, martial arts, romance, drama) (2-12-01)
Traffic (2000) (***, crime, drama) (2-12-01)
Chocolat (2000) (***, comedy) (2-12-01)
Brute Force (1947) (****, crime, film noir, classic) (1-29-01)
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) (***1/2, **, comic noir) (1-29-01)
Emperor and the Assassin, The (1999) (****, historical drama) (1-29-01)
Cast Away (2000) (****, drama) (2-5-01)
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) (***, comedy) (2-5-01)
Two more movies from the Film Festival:
Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) (***, horror) (1-22-01)
Reservoir Dogs (1992) (***, crime, drama) (1-15-01)
Kwaidan (1964) (***1/2, horror, fantasy) (1-15-01)
Small Time Crooks (2000) (**1/2, comedy) (1-15-01)
Vertical Limit (2000) (***, action) (1-8-01)
Bullitt (1968) (***1/2, crime, action) (1-8-01)
U-571 (2000) (***, action, war) (1-1-01)
Xmas Turkeys 2000. I thought that in view of the day (12-25-00), I would give you a few Christmas Turkeys. These are films with first rate credentials that, for one reason or another, ended up being awful and should be avoided like the plague. Actually, this rating is not correct by my usual standards. I have a straight Turkey category, which is for films that are so bad that they are unintentionally funny, campy, or just plain amusing in the badness. However, in the Christmas spirit, I will give you Hush and Drowning Mona. I will also review Unbreakable. My wife would definitely put it in the Christmas Turkey category, but I thought it much better than that.
Hush (1998) (*, thriller) (12-25-00)
Drowning Mona (2000) (*, comedy) (12-25-00)
Unbreakable (2000) (**1/2, suspense) (12-25-00)
Emperor's New Groove, The (2000) (***, animation, comedy) (12-18-00)
Titan A.E. (2000) (**, animation, sci fi) (12-18-00)
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) (***1/2, docudrama, war) (12-11-00)
Shane (1953) (****, Western, classic) (12-4-00)
Meet the Parents (2000) (comedy, ***1/2) (11-20-00)
Nurse Betty (2000) (***, comedy, crime) (11-20-00)
Palmetto (1998) (**1/2, noir) (11-13-00)
Pitch Black (2000) (***, sci fi, horror) (11-13-00)
Virginia Film Festival Animal Attractions (2000 Thirteenth) (I'll add to this as I complete Festival reviews)
Restored Films at The Virginia Film Festival 2000 (11-27-00)
Lost World (****) (Restored version 2000) (11-27-00)
Lost World, The (1925) (***1/2, classic, sci fi, fantasy) (10-11-93)
Shadow of the Vampire (2000) (***1/2, drama, black humor) (11-27-00)
Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens, a Life in Animation (2000) (documentary, ***1/2) (11-6-00)
Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) (***, horror) (1-22-01)
Chicken Run (2000) (***1/2, animation—actually claymation) (11-6-00)
Halloween 2000 (10-30-00) It’s Halloween, you expected something else?
Utraviolet (1998) (****, vampire, horror) (10-30-00)
Vampires AKA enter’s Vampires (1998) (**1/2, horror) (10-30-00)
Fail-Safe (1964) (****, drama, war) (7-24-00)
Fail Safe (2000) (***, cold war thriller, drama) (10-23-00)
High Noon (1952) (****, Drama, Western) (10-23-00)
Get Carter (1971) (****, crime, noir, drama) (10-9-00)
Poseidon Adventure, The (1972) (***, drama, action, disaster) (10-2-00)
Deep Rising (1998) (***, horror) (10-2-00)
Longest Day, The (1962) (****, docudrama, war, action) (9-25-00)
Cyborg (1989) (*1/2, action, sci fi) (9-25-00)
Satanic End of the World Films: (9-18-00)
Rosemary's Baby (1968) (****, classic, horror) (9-18-00)
Ninth Gate, The (1999) (***, horror, suspense) (9-18-00)
End of Days (1999) (**1/2, action, horror, suspense) (9-18-00)
Frequency (2000) (***1/2, drama, crime, suspense, sci fi, fantasy) (9-11-00)
Caddyshack (1980) (**1/2, comedy) (9-11-00)
Saving Grace (2000) (***, Comedy) (9-4-00)
Snake Eyes (1998) (***1/2, action, suspense, noir) (9-4-00)
Cell, The (2000) (***, crime, suspense, horror, sci fi) (8-28-00)
U.S. Marshals (1998) (***, action, thriller) (8-28-00)
Hollow Man (2000) (**, horror, sci fi) (8-21-00)
Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle, The (2000) (**1/2, Fanatasy, comedy) (8-21-00)
Space Cowboys (2000)( ***, comedy, drama) (8-14-00)
Guns of Navarone, The (1961) (***1/2, action, war) (8-14-00)
Stir of Echoes (1999) (***, thriller, drama, horror) (8-7-00)
Perfect Storm, The (2000) (***, docudrama, action) (7-31-00)
High Fidelity (2000) (***, comedy) (7-24-00)
Fail-Safe (1964) (****, drama, war) (7-24-00)
Shanghai Noon (2000) (***, Western, comedy, martial arts) (7-14-00)
Picnic (1955) (***1/2, drama, classic) (7-14-00)
Event Horizon (1999) (**1/2, sci fi, horror) (7-7-00)
Election (1999) (***1/2, satire, comedy) (7-7-00)
Fantasia (1940) (****, animation) (6-19-00)
Fantasia/2000 (2000) (***1/2, animation) (6-19-00)
Shot in the Dark, A (1964) (***1/2, comedy, classic) (6-12-00)
AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Laughs (2000) (****, documentary, comedy) (6-12-00)
Gladiator (2000) (****, action, drama) (6-5-00)
Head Above Water (1996) (***, BLACK comedy)(5-15-00)
From Here to Eternity (1953) (****, drama, war) (5-15-00)
Thirteenth Floor, The (1999) (***, sci fi, thriller) (5-8-00)
Things to Come (1936) (**1/2, sci fi, classic) (5-8-00)
Spartacus (1960) (****, drama, historical costumer) (5-1-00)
Born To Kill (1947) (***, noir) (4-24-00)
Sci-Fi Files, The (1997) (TV-Series, documentary, ***1/2) (4-24-00)
Hangmen Also Die (1943) (***, war, drama) (4-17-00)
Island of Dr. Moreau, The (1996) (4-17-00)
Rules Of Engagement (2000) (***, war, drama) (4-10-00)
Ronin (1998) (***, action) (4-1-00)
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) (***1/2, drama) (4-3-00)
Impostors, The (1999) (**, comedy) (3-27-00)
Cat Ballou (1965) (***1/2, comedy, Western) (3-27-00)
Lady in the Lake (1946) (**1/2, noir, crime) (3-27-00)
Wonder Boys (2000) (***1/2, drama, comedy) (3-20-00)
Man From Laramie, The (1955) (***, Western) (3-20-00)
Sugata Sanshiro AKA Judo Saga (1943) (***, action) (3-13-0)
Lost in Space (1999) (bomb, sci fi) (3-13-00)
Sanjuro (1962) (***, Western, action) (3-6-00)
Trial (1955) (***1/2, courtroom drama) (3-6-00)
House of Wax (1953) (**1/2, horror) (3-6-00)
Cider House Rules, The (1999) (****, drama) (2-28-00)
King Solomon's Mines (1937) (**1/2, action, adventure, classic) (2-28-00)
Insider, The (1999) (****, Docudrama) (2-21-00)
Purple Noon AKA Plein Soleil (1960) (2-14-00)
Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999) (***1/2, crime, drama) (2-14-00)
Limey, The (1999) (***, crime) (2-07-00)
Mark of Zorro, The (1920) (****, action, swashbuckler, silent, classic)
End Of The Affair, The (1999) (**1/2, drama) (1-31-00)
EXistenZ (1999) (***1/2, sci fi) (1-31-00)
American Beauty (1999) (****, drama) (1-24-00)
Keeper of the Flame (1942) (***, drama, classic) (1-24-00)
Galaxy Quest (1999) (***, sci fi, comedy) (1-17-00)
Mark of Zorro, The (1940) (***1/2, action, classic)
Snow Falling On Cedars (1999) (**1/2, drama) (1-10-00)
Man Who Would Be King, The (1975) (****, action, war) (1-3-00)
Toy Story 2 (1999) (****, animation) (12-27-99)
Flying Serpent, The (1946) (**1/2, sci fi, horror) (12-27-99)
Sleepy Hollow (1999) (***, fantasy, horror) (12-20-99)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935) (***, classic, horror) (12-20-99)
Run Lola Run (1998) (fantasy, crime, ***1/2) (12-13-99)
Being John Malkovich (**1/2, fantasy, humor) (**1/2, 1999) (12-13-99)
World Is Not Enough, The (1999) (***, Bond) (12-6-99)
Civil Action, A (1999) (***1/2, docudrama) (11-15-99)
Born To Kill (1947) (***, noir, crime, classic) (11-8-99)
Killer's Kiss (1955) (**1/2, crime, noir) (11-8-99)
Melies Project, The (1999) (**1/2, silent, instrumental) (10-25-99)
20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) (***, 50s sci fi) (11-1-99)
Number of times opened since 1/14/00 11,070
