|
ABOUT A BOY: This
is what Roger Ebert had to say about Hugh Grant: " We have all the action heroes and Method script-chewers we need right
now, but the Cary Grant department is understaffed, and Hugh Grant shows here that he is more than a star, he is a resource."
He is, without doubt, the most charming actor working today! His charm is much in evidence in this film which is based on
the book by Nick Hornby, the writer responsible for another great movie, High Fidelity. Grant is Will, a self-indulgent lay-about who lives off the royalties from a Christmas song
his father wrote. His life is lived in units of time: the time he gets his hair cut, the time he watches TV, the time he eats,
and the time he exercises. (His exercise consists of shooting pool.) Because his relationships with women rarely last more
than a few months, he is constantly searching for new girlfriends. He even invents a son so that he can join a single parents'
group. Through one of the women in that group, he meets Marcus (Nicholas Hoult), a troubled 12-year-old who is caring for
his clinically depressed mother, Fiona (Toni Collette). Amazingly, he and Marcus develop a relationship, and Will is surprised
to find that he cares for the boy. And there you have the core of this heart-warming story. Do not fear, though, that this
is a vapid tearjerker. It's not. It is an unpredictable, witty, intelligent script that never resorts to cliches. Plus, the
acting is flawless. Hoult is a real boy, and not a pretty child actor-type. Toni Collette is wonderful as Marcus's depressed
hippie mother, and Rachel Weisz is lovely as Rachel, a woman who causes Will to re-evaluate his life. You'll enjoy this one.
A resounding B+. GRADE B+
ABOUT SCHMIDT: Jack Nicholson is superb as Warren Schmidt, a recently retired man who feels alienated
from his life. His job has been taken over by a young twerp, his wife of 43 has died suddenly, and his daughter is going to
marry a nincompoop. He decides to drive his new RV to Denver and persuade Jeannie that she is making a big mistake. He is
even more convinced that the marriage is doomed when he meets Randall's family. Kathy Bates richly deserves her Golden Globe
nomination for the charm and energy she brings to Roberta, Randall's mother. Hope Davis is one of our favorites and she brings
humanity and vulnerability to her role as Jeannie. Dermot Mulroney's duck-footed walk and ponytail paint him as the quintessential
jerk, but there is a basic sweetness to his Randall that keeps his portrayal from being a caricature. Alexander Payne deserves
credit for writing an excellent screenplay, and he is no slouch as a director, either. He previously directed both Citizen
Ruth and Election. Payne needed voice-overs to tell us what Scmidt is thinking and he came up with a
clever device. After watching a TV ad for a world childrens' charity, Schmidt "adopts" a 6-year-old Tanzanian named Ndugu.
Encouraged to write to the boy, he spills out his thoughts in long confessional letters. We are so lucky to live in the age
of Jack Nicholson. He is a treasure, and he totally submerges his personality to that of Schmidt's. The movie is both funny
and touching, and the senior citizens in our audience laughed enthusiastically. We give this one an GRADE A-.
ADAPTATION: Barbara and I both went to this film with high hopes and possibly inflated expectations.
There was a lot we liked about the film: Nicolas Cage, Chris Cooper, Meryl Streep, and one of the most creative screenplays
we have seen this year, to mention but a few. Nicolas Cage brilliantly plays Charlie Kaufman, a tortured writer, as well as
Charlies twin brother, Donald. I can't speak for Barbara, but I was totally charmed by the first three quarters of the movie.
Then, not so gradually, the film lost its charm for me. The creativity I loved twisted the plot into paths I didn't love.
Had I been a powerful producer, I would have sent the script back for a rewrite at that point. Then the last few minutes of
the film returned to the charming creativity of the beginning. My evaluation of the film slipped from an A to a B, but I am
hoping one of our loyal readers will convince me I am wrong. In his review, Roger Ebert wrote, "To watch the film is to be
actively involved in the challenge of its creation." From press releases we are lead to believe that the screenplay is based
on reality, but the boundry between reality and creative representations of it are what makes this film good. Now, convince
me that it is great.( I agree with Gary that the first part of the movie is delightful,
but I didn't like the "thriller" part of it either. It's a B for me, too.) GRADE B
AGNES BROWNE: This
film directed by and starring Anjelica Huston, is a simple story, simply told. Its running time is only 90 minutes, and in
these days of three-hour films, it seemed quite short. Huston plays a recent widow with seven children. Providing for the
children is difficult for Agnes, but this Irish film is no Angela's Ashes. This movie has more humor and a happy ending. It
also has some predictable characters and situations. I liked seeing Angela's friendship with Marion (Marion O'Dwyer) the best.
A french actor, Arno Chevrier is Pierre, Agnes' would-be boyfriend. The most stereotyped character is the neighborhood loan
shark, Billy, portrayed by Ray Winstone. Roger Ebert described Winston as, "An actor so good at being mean that two of England's
best actors (Tim Roth and Gary Oldman) both cast him as an abusive father in their first movies. (Winston was the father in
Roth's War Zone, reviewed in the last issue.) Agnes Browne is a pleasant way to spend and hour and a half, but you might also
enjoy it as a video rental. GRADE: B-
A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: It is almost
impossible to categorize this very creative film. Is it a futuristic fairy tale--a version of Pinocchio in which a robot child
years to be a "real boy?" Or is it a dark view of a future world where life-like robots, called Mechas are destroyed for the
amusement of humans, or Orgas? Or is it a lyrical vision of a distant future populated by benevolent beings? Actually, it's
all three stories and that bothers some critics. Parts of the story seem to be vintage Spielberg, while other parts are more
reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick. The two directors had many discussions about this project: Kubrick planned to produce with
Spielberg directing. Although Spielberg tried to blend their disparate visions, he was not totally successful. Haley Joel
Osment is impressive as David, the robot-child and Jude Law is splendid as Gigolo Joe, a robot who boasts, "When a woman has
had Joe, she doesn't want a real man." (Entertainment Weekly thought that David embodied Spielberg, but Joe was pure Kubrick--"An
amoral animatron of the future.") We liked the first part, were disenchanted with the second part, and thought the third part
was haunting. But, at 145 minutes, it is far too long. Many viewers have been disappointed in the film, calling it "awful."
The critics have been kinder. Roger Ebert calls it "both wonderful and maddening;" the L.A. Times reviewer said it was "fascinating
but cold;" and the N.Y.Times said, "It is the best fairy tale the most disturbing, complex and intellectually challenging
boy's adventure story Mr. Spielberg has made." Gary thinks it deserves a B for creativity. It's true that many of AI's images
have lingered in my mind, but I'm still having trouble giving it a grade. I will be anxious to hear from those of you who
see this one. GRADE B
AKEELAH AND THE BEE: The 2002 documentary Spellbound showed us the
excitement and drama of spelling bee competition. Here we have a fictional speller and her journey to the Scripps National
Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. KeKe Palmer is Akeelah Anderson, a bright 11-year-old living in South L.A. She is afraid to
show how smart she is because people will make fun of her and call her a "brainiac." She only enters her first spelling bee
because it’s better than a semester of detention. Palmer is a terrific actress. She should give Dakota Fanning some
real competition. Angela Bassett is Akeelah’s mother, a window who struggles to support her family. Laurence Fishburne
if the professor who coaches Akeelah to prepare her for the National Bee. He also produced the film. We both thought that
the Spelling Bee parts of the movie were excellent. However, the dramatic moments seems a bit manufactured to us. And while
we applauded the way the movie ends, we both thought the final word in the championship round was far to easy. We are anxious
to see the young KeKe Palmer in her next film. GRADE B
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
—– Marianne Williamson
THE ALAMO: If you are not convinced that war is a brutal, bloody, messy business, then you
should consider The Alamo an education and spend 2 hours and 17 minutes of your precious time watching
this film. If you are already convinced, we are sure you can find something more entertaining to do. The film is short on
history, short on character, but long, very long, on gunfire and death. There are no heroes in this film with the possible
exception of Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal of Davy (he prefers to be called David) Crockett. Sam Bowie (Jason Patrick) is
dying of consumption and typhoid pneumonia so he is pretty much out of the fight. And Sam Houston (Dennis Quaid) never comes
to the aid of the few soldiers and citizen militia barricaded inside the Alamo trying to repel the huge, well-trained army
of Santa Ana. Gary was hoping for more history. I was hoping for something other than boredom. We were both disappointed.
GRADE C
ALEXANDER: Alexander III of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great, single-handedly
changed the entire nature of the ancient world in little more than ten years. He created an empire that stretched across three
continents and covered some two million square miles. Against overwhelming odds, he led his army to victories across the Persian
territories of Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt without incurring a single defeat. Alexander’s ambition is matched by Oliver
Stone’s ambition in putting this epic tale on screen. But in the end Oliver Stone makes the same errors that Alexander
made, taking too long to go too far and losing momentum in the effort. I liked this film more than Barbara and there were
many things to like, but it just wasn’t enough to hold me for nearly three hours. I thought Angelina Jolie was an inspired
choice to play Alexander’s mother. I like Colin Ferrell and for me he does a credible job playing Alexander. Val Kilmer
and Anthony Hopkins play their roles well and the set designers deserve an award for their creation of Babylon. But in the
end I can only grade this film C+.
ALFIE: Looking at close-ups of Jude Law on the big screen is not a bad way to spend
an afternoon. This new version of Alphie got off to a slow start for us, but a terrific scene between Law and
an older man brought the movie to life and we quite enjoyed it. Jude Law appears to have great fun playing a man who is commitment-phobic
and possesed of a short attention span when it comes to relationships. He's a classic Don Juan, but he does seem to like women.
The original Alphie in 1966 had great disdain for his "birds," referring to them sometimes as "it." At the end of the 1966
film, you didn't have much hope that Michael Caine's Alphie would ever change, but there is some hope for this 21st
Century more likeable Alphie. Marisa Tomei, Nia Long, Jane Krakowski, and Sienna Miller are Alphie's conquests and Susan Sarandon
is an older woman who gives Alphie a taste of his own medicine. The film was directed by Charles Shyer and written by Shyer
and Elaine Pope. It is based on the play by Bill Naughton. GRADE B
ALI: Occasionally this Muhammed Ali biography does sting like a bee, but mostly
is floats like a butterfly from one disjointed scene to another. I know the filmmakers were trying to show Ali's life in the
ring, his private life, and his association with Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. They also wanted to show how his conscientious
objection to the Viet Nam war caused him to lose his championship and spend ten years in legal battles. They tried to do too
much. Only the fight scenes seem whole and complete. I couldn't believe that I liked the prizefights best. Usually I avoid
fight movies because of the fight scenes. The scenes with Howard Cosell also play well, but the other scenes seem either too
short or too long. For example, the scenes of Ali running down the roads of Zaire to adoring crowds seemed endless. The scenes
showing Ali's conflict with the government are so brief and disjointed that anyone unfamiliar with what was happening politically
from 1964 to 1974 will have difficulty understanding what was going on. The short, disjointed scenes also made it difficult
to keep track of all the characters in Ali's entourage. Will Smith gives a powerful and entertaining performance as Ali. He
trained for months and it shows. (Although he sometimes looks slight in the ring compared to the huge actors who played Sonny
Liston, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman.) Jon Voigt looks and sounds remarkably like Howard Cosell and the scenes between
them are funny. The movie could have used more of that light touch. Roger Ebert said that the film was "shot more in the tone
of a eulogy than a celebration." We agree. The film just doesn't have the impact of the 1996 documentary When
We Were Kings. We gave that film an A, but are divided between a C+ (B) and a B- (G) on this one. GRADE
B-/C+
ALL THE KINGS MEN: Anytime you remake an Academy Award winning film, you
risk the wrath of the professional critics. All The King's Men won the Academy Award in 1949 and
the 2006 remake has generated pretty harsh criticism. So, with low expectations, Barbara and I went--largely because of the
dynamite cast which includes Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Hopkins, Patricia Clarkson, Kathy Baker
and James Gandolfini. The New York Times says "Nothing in the picture works." We wouldn’t be quite that negative. We
would agree that the script and editing get low marks, but we felt the acting was outstanding. The story is based on
Robert Penn Warren’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1946 novel about the rise and fall of Willie Stark, a demagogic Louisiana
governor. Though Willie, played by Sean Penn is fictional, it is obviously inspired by Huey Long. A story of how well meaning
idealism can slide into political corruption should play well, but I’m afraid this one plays too much like a tedious
soap opera. GRADE C
ALL THE REAL GIRLS: The people
in this film festival favorite talk like real people, not like actors in a typical Hollywood movie. The love story is told
is brief scenes: glimpses of real life--life in a small North Carolina mill town. It seems so real that it has the look of
a documentary. Theses people's lives aren't remarkable, but we were captivated by them. Paul Schneider is Paul, the young
man who has bedded almost every available girl in town, but is now in love with Noel. Noel has just graduated from boarding
school, and she hasn't had much experience with men. Her brother, Tip, is Paul's best friend, and that causes some problems.
After all, Tip knows all about Paul's womanizing and he doesn't much like the idea of Noel and Paul getting together. There's
not much action--just one fight--and there are no car chases or explosions. There are just people, living their lives, falling
in love, and growing old. Patricia Clarkson is memorable as Paul's mother. She supports herself by hiring out as a clown.
It probably beats working at the local WallMart. Schneider co-wrote the script with Director David Gordon Green. They collaborated
on a previous film, George Washington which also got rave reviews. I doubt that this movie will come to the
standard theaters, but we recommend it. GRADE B+
Quote: In Roger Ebert's review he described Noel with these words: She
is 18, an age when all the hormones in our bodies form ranks and hurl themselves against the ramparts of our inhibitions.
(He really does have a way with words, doesn't he? Small wonder he has a Pulitzer Prize.)
ALMOST FAMOUS: We loved this
movie, and we aren't the only ones who feel that way about it. Ebert started his review by saying, Oh, what a lovely film,
and Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune called it rapturously entertaining. It has an appealing story, interesting dialogue,
music that brings back memories and likeable characters. The director is Cameron Crow who gave us Say Anything, and Jerry
McGuire. Here he tells a somewhat fictionalized version of his own adolescence. Crowe was a teen-aged rock critic and he fondly
remembers the early Seventies. His alter ego in the film is William Miller. Miller is a fifteen-year-old high school senior
(he started school early and skipped a grade) when he meets Lester Bangs, a legendary critic and the editor of Cream. Bangs
is beautifully played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. (Our local critic thinks that there should be a part for this amazingly versatile
actor in every movie made!) Miller is an aspiring rock critic and articles he has written for the local paper are seen by
the editors of Rolling Stone. They hire him, sight unseen, to write an article about an almost famous rock band called "Stillwater."
He travels with the band, comes to know the performers, falls in love with a groupie, and comes of age all to the background
of rock music. Kate Hudson, Goldie Hawn's daughter, is Penny Lane, the aforementioned groupie and she shines in this role.
She has the vulnerable appeal and comic timing of her mother coupled with acting skill remarkable in one so young. The central
character in the band is Russell Hammond, its lead guitarist, and Billy Crudup is letter perfect in the role. What a talent
he is! His film debut was in Sleepers, and he has also appeared in Everyone Says I love You, Inventing the Abbotts, Without
Limits, and Jesus' Son. Frances McDormand, who plays Miller's eccentric, intense, loving mother is, once again, simply wonderful.
We could see this film again tomorrow! GRADE: A
ALONG CAME A SPIDER: This web has
a couple of big plot holes but still manages to capture a viewer's attention. In fact, for the first half of the movie, Gary
was ready to give it an A. However, an unexpected plot turn created implausibility in what had been a tight and convincing
thriller and Gary's evaluation plummeted to a C. Fortunately, the climax was good enough to bring the grade back up to a B.
The best thing in the movie is Morgan Freeman's sincere and convincing portrayal of Detective Alex Cross. There is such honesty
and goodness in his face. Monica Potter is intriguing as a Secret Service Special Agent who partners with Cross to solve a
kidnapping. She is lovely to look at and yet can be tough when toughness is needed. Penelope Ann Miller and Michael Moriarty
play the parents of Megan, the kidnapped youngster. Mika Booren, who appeared in THE PATRIOT, is notable as the brave and
clever kidnap victim.
GRADE B
AMAZING GRACE: Sometimes a movie is so uplifting and so ennobling that you forgive all its
faults. This is such a film. Years ago, Barbara and I walked by the crypt of William Wilberforce at Westminster Abby in London.
At the time our ignorance of British history made us unaware we passing the remains of true greatness. Wilberforce devoted
years of his life as a Member of Parliament leading the abolitionist fight to end slavery and the slave trade in the British
Empire. The role of William Wilberforce is admirably played by Ioan Gruffudd, whose name I cannot pronounce and will have
great difficulty remembering. I do remember the actor, though, in the title role of TV’s "Horatio Hornblower." The best
known of the supporting cast is Albert Finney, who plays John Newton. Newton was the man who wrote the lyrics to the hymn
"Amazing Grace." You may remember that Newton was a slave-ship captain who quit his job, repented, and became a clergyman
and anti-slavery crusader. The movie touches on the horrors of slavery, but it doesn’t rub it in your face. It focuses
more on the process by which deeply entrenched evil can be defeated by passion and perseverance. Professional critics rate
this film in the "B" range. I was so deeply moved that I must give it an "A." GRADE A
AMELIE:
As we left the theater Gary said, "I can see how someone would be charmed by that movie, but I wasn't." I wasn't
either, at least not completely charmed. Certainly Audrey Tautou is has great appeal, with a gamin, vulnerable Audrey Hepburn
quality. There were some delightful scenes, but on the whole, it failed to engage me. In fact, I had trouble keeping my eyes
open during parts of the movie. I did think the opening was especially clever: We are treated to a series of scenes that show
why Amelie is pathologically shy and unable to relate to other people. They are designed to help us understand why, even when
she is attracted to a young man, she cannot bring herself to approach him in a straightforward manner. We are at odds with
most of the critics who rave about this French fantasy. Perhaps we just weren't in the right mood. Or perhaps it tried too
hard to be charming. Here is what our local critic had to say about the film: "Amelie is a film that will separate the Anglophiles
from the Francophiles. It could even start a war. The movie is one of the most popular ever in France. . . The English reviewers,
though, hated it with a loathing they reserve for Maurice Chevalier singing Thank Heaven for Little Girls. You draw your line
and stand on your side of it. I guess we're somewhere in the middle. GRADE C
AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS:
We were both hoping that this would be an "A" movie. Unfortunately, it isn't. Oh it's cute and funny, and the actors all acquit
themselves admirably, but it lacks something. I think it's a good script and believable characters. John Cusak is one of my
favorite actors and he and Julia Roberts should have made a great couple--but they only made on OK couple. The comedy scenes
are OK, but the moments that need real feeling are flat, consequently we can't quite buy the romance. Cusak and Catherine
Zeta-Jones are Gwen and Eddie--two movie actors, married to each other, who are America's sweethearts. At least they were
until Gwen took up with Hector, a Spanish hunk with an intentionally bad accent. Hank Azaria is amusing in this role. The
breakup plunged Eddie into a nervous breakdown. The couple had made many successful movies together. (The clips of these films
are funny, but only slightly worse than most movies Hollywood is turning out today.) When the last movie they made together
is going to be released, they are persuaded by the studio publicity man--Billy Crystal--to reunite for the press junket. Most
of the movie takes place on this junket, or "honkit" as Hector would say. Julia actually plays second banana here. She is
Kiki, Gwen's sister and assistant. It is a thankless job. We learn that Kiki has always had a bit of a crush on Greg, and
you can probably guess the rest. Zeta-Jones makes a funny self-obsessed diva. Perhaps Cusak is simply too intelligent an actor
to be completely believable as one of America's sweethearts. It was great to see Alan Arkin as a wellness guru, and Christopher
Walken as the very strange director of Gwen & Eddie's last feature. Stanley Tucci is terrific as the heartless studio
head, and I suspect his portrayal is not that far from reality. The actors make this one worth seeing, but it is strictly
a B movie--maybe even B-. On second thought, make that a C+ for me!
GRADE B-/C+
AMERICAN DREAMZ: There are plenty of laughs in this movie that satirizes both American Idol
and George W. Bush. Since satire by definition exaggerates and is partisan, some people will be offended by American
Dreamz. We thought Dennis Quaid as Bush and Willem Dafoe as Cheney/Rove were funny, but then, we’re Democrats.
We also thought Hugh Grant was terrific as the Simon Cowellish producer and host of the TV show that is based on American
Idol. Is there any actor better at playing a likeable jerk? The two final contestants on American Dreamz are Mandy
Moore as a would-be star, and Bernard White, as a bumbling Arab terrorist trainee. When the visiting Arab is selected for
the TV show, his handlers decide that he should become a martyr by blowing himself up as he shakes the President’s hand.
You see, the President’s poll numbers are sinking, and it is decided that he should appear on the final show as a guest
judge. The theory is that his appearance will enhance his populist image. Both Moore and White are especially effective in
their roles. Marcia Gay Harden does Laura Bush, but is a bit wasted in the part. Chris Klein (American Pie) is
Moore’s boyfriend and Jennifer Coolidge (Best In Show, Legally Blonde) is her mother. We liked
all the actors, but thought that some of the sequences seemed more like a Saturday Night Live sketch than a feature film.
Also, we really didn’t like the ending. We decided on a grade of B-. GRADE B-
Tagline: Imagine a country where the President never reads the newspaper, where the government goes
to war for all the wrong reasons, and more people vote for a pop idol than their next President.
AMERICAN SPLENDOR: Harvey Pekar is a strange man. He worked
all his life as a file clerk in a VA hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. He also wrote the popular comic book called American
Splendor that is based on his life. Pekar felt that, before American Splendor, comic books told stories of extraordinary
people--super heroes. He thought people would want to read about an ordinary man. And his life was, indeed, totally ordinary.
At first, the movie seemed as boring as Pekar's life, but when Pekar's third wife entered the film, we began to get interested--perhaps
because Hope Davis, a favorite of ours, played Joyce Brabner Pekar. The film is wildly creative, mixing a comic book look
with realistic scenes, sometimes switching back and forth quickly. Pekar, himself, appears in some scenes. In the others,
he is excellently portrayed by Paul Giamatti. For instance, when Pekar appears on the David Letterman show in the movie, we
see the original interviews with the real Harvey Pekar. The comic books that Pekar wrote are really comic novels. He and his
wife collaborated on one which was called Our Cancer Year. It details Pekar's bout with cancer and chemo, events that
are also in the movie. I was impressed with the skill of the director, scene designers and cinematographer, and the acting
is first rate. However, it is a strange movie about a strange man and will not be everyone's cup of tea. Gary can't give it
more than a C+, although I would have to say B-. GRADE B-/C+
Note: Roger Ebert also appreciates Hope Davis. Here is what he said about
her in American Splendor: Davis achieves an
uncanny transformation. I saw her again recently in The Secret Lives of Dentists, playing a dentist, wife and mother
with no points in common with Joyce Brabner--not in look, not in style, not in identity. Now here she is as Joyce. I've met
Joyce Brabner, and she's Joyce Brabner.
AMERICAN WEDDING: I just heard
that this movie grossed (and gross is definitely the operative word here) 100 Million Dollars! That is very sad. The
only reason we went to see the film is because grandson Nathan, who saw the two previous films, really wanted to see it. He
thought it was funny. I guess you have to have a thirteen-year-old mentality to enjoy this movie, because we did not. I will
admit that Jason Biggs is appealing and Eugene Levy is good, but the humor is, well, gross. There are some nice sentimental
touches, but it's hard for us to get past the humor. GRADE D.AN AMERICAN GANGSTER
An American Gangster: This film was a disappointment for us. We expected a well-acted compelling
story. It was well-acted, but it was deficient in the compelling department. The story, based on truth, never really
grabbed me, and there were times during the 2 hour and 37 minutes running time when my mind wandered. The
film tells the story of Frank Lucas (Denzell Washington) a heroin kingpin from Manhattan, who is smuggling the drug into the
country in the coffins of soldiers returning from the Vietnam War. At the same time, it tells the story of Richie Roberts
(Russell Crowe), a cop who is a pariah on the force because he once turned in a million unmarked dollars that he found in
the trunk of a car. This was at a time when three-quarters of the Drug Enforcement Agency was on the take. His fellow officers
didn’t trust him because he was too honest. Frank Lucas also has a strong moral code. While he doesn’t stop short
of murder, he always behaves like a gentleman. And he is good to his family. Denzell Washington is very effective as
Lucas, and he is the main reason to see the film. Crowe’s character was less interesting, and while I realize director
Ridley Scott wanted to compare and contrast the two men on opposite sides of the law, I got bored with the cop’s story.
I think it would have been a better movie if it had been cut by at least 30 minutes. Chiwetal Ejiofor, so good in Dirty
Pretty Things, plays one of Lucas’s brothers, and Josh Brolin has great fun playing a corrupt cop. We particularly
enjoyed seeing Ruby Dee as Lucas’s mother. There are some intense moments, but not enough of them to make this the great
film that we expected. GRADE B
ANALYZE THAT: Let me start my review by warning you of my bias. I loved the previous film: Analyze
This. Barbara "liked" that film, but I "loved" it. I also love the comedy timing of Billy Crystal and almost all the
work of Robert De Niro. And I have followed the career of Harold Ramos, director and co-author, since I saw and admired his
humor when he was a young boy working as an actor at Second City in Chicago. On the other hand, I dont usually like sequels,
especially comedy sequels. Now factor all that into my humble evaluation: I give the outtakes shown at the end of the film
an "A." I laughed continuously for about 5 minutes. But the film only earns a "C+." The talented actors, including the supporting
cast, are a pleasure to watch, but the plot seems contrived and lacks the sparkle of the first film. If you were lukewarm
on Analyze This, then avoid Analyze That. If you missed Analyze This, then I recommend
you rent it. (Barb says only C.) GRADE C+/C
ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY: Barbara and I have seen four films in the past three days. She
is writing the reviews on three of them, but asked me to write this one. First let me confess that Will Ferrell makes me laugh.
I liked him on Saturday Night Live and I loved him in ELF. Ferrell will do absolutely anything with enthusiasm for
a potential laugh. With that approach, he can fall a little short of funny at times. The first fifteen minutes of Anchorman
was painfully unfunny. Set in 1970’s San Diego, Ferrell plays a self-worshipping local TV news star. Christina
Applegate plays a charming female trying to break into a male dominated industry. This could make an interesting and serious
story. But make no mistake. This is an over-the-top severely stupid comedy. Now I have another confession. After the first
painful minutes, I heard a chuckle erupt from my clinched lips. Then a full-fledged belly laugh. It was hit and miss, but
there were a lot of pretty good scenes mixed among the misses. And Christina Applegate won me over completely. She played
her role flawlessly. If you see this film you will see a lot of very familiar faces playing uncredited roles. Mentioning their
names would spoil some of the best fun in the movie. You will have to decide whether you want to take the bad with the good.
We give this one a C+. GRADE C+
ANYTHING ELSE: This movie is pure Woody Allen, but fortunately this time he has the sense to cast a young
man as the romantic hero. Jason Biggs is Jerry Falk, an aspiring comedy writer who is having trouble with his girlfriend,
Amanda (Christina Ricci). He also has issue with his analyst who refuses to give him any advice, and with his agent, Harvey
(Danny DeVito). Allen is David Dobel, a teacher who is also an aspiring comedy writer. The two men become friends and spend
much of the film walking and talking about life and Jerry's problems. This provides an opportunity for Allen to get in a lot
of funny lines and to give us some beautiful glimpses of New York. The scenes in Central Park are particularly lovely. Ricci
is very good as the commitment-phobic Amanda and Stockard Channing does a very amusing turn as Amanda's mother, Paula. If
you like Woody Allen you will get a kick out of this film. The cast is uniformly excellent. Gary liked this one well enough
to give it a B+, but I'd have to say B. GRADE B+/B
ANGELA'S ASHES: When people use the phrase, "Put it where the sun don't shine,"
I now know that they mean "Put it in Limerick, Ireland." Surely the sun never shines there. At least, it never shines in this
film. I felt waterlogged when I left the theater. Rain, poverty, dead babies, starvation, and more rain: that about sums it
up. Emily Watson is valiant as Frank McCort's mother and Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty) is as sympathetic as possible considering
he plays a father who drank most of the dole money and left his family to a diet of tea and bread. The film is faithful to
the book and the characters of McCourt's prize-winning novel of the same title, and it certainly draws a vivid picture of
McCort's childhood. But if you have a choice, I'd suggest you read the novel and skip the movie. GRADE: C+
ANGER MANAGEMENT : When this film is good, it is very very good. And when it is bad, it makes me
angry that it isn't better. The trailer was one of the funniest I had seen in a long while. The premise is promising so I
was looking forward to seeing Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson make wonderful comedy together. Sandler plays a mild mannered
man who is sentenced to anger management therapy after an unlikely incident on a plane. Jack Nicholson plays an unorthodox
therapist, which gives him ample opportunity to chew a little scenery. I didn't notice that he wasted a single opportunity,
but I find Nicholson easy to forgive. The cast is filled out by Marisa Tomei, Woody Harrelson, and the ubiquitous John C.
Reilly. If you hate Adam Sandler, you probably will (and probably should) avoid this film. I had high expectations until I
started reading the mixed reviews. Then I feared the worst. Barbara and I found ourselves laughing frequently enough throughout
this film to give it GRADE B-.
THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY: Gary thought this movie about people and relationships
was a refreshing change from movies about special effects. He had low expectations for the film, because our local reviewer
hated the movie, so Gary was pleasantly surprised. I had high expectations, and didn't like the movie quite as much as I expected
to. However, we could both agree on a grade of B. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming wrote and directed the movie, and
they play the couple who is celebrating a six-year Anniversary. Leigh is Sally, a thirty-something actress and Cumming is
Joe, a novelist who is about to direct his first picture. Most of the guests at the party are people from the movie industry,
and several classic types are present: The older leading man who is no longer in demand (Kevin Kline); The actress who left
the business to be a wife and mother (Phoebe Cates); The director who badly needs a hit (John C. Reilly); the hot young actress
who tells Leigh, "I've loved you ever since I was a child!" (Gwyneth Paltrow); and the actress who recently had a baby and
is struggling to lose weight (Jane Adams). Jennifer Beals plays Joe's best friend. Naturally, Sally hates her. One non-industry
couple has been invited--Sally and Joe's next door neighbors with whom they are at war over a barking dog. Although it sounds
as though the dialogue was improvised, Leigh and Cumming vehemently deny this. That's good script-writing! The movie was shot
with a digital camera, and there is a grainy appearance to it. Faces are unfiltered, so all flaws are exposed. (Roger Ebert
says, "Critics who say it looks as good as film are like friends who claim you don't look a day older.") As an Anniversary
present, Paltrow brings Ecstasy for everyone. The drug makes real emotions surface and we learn a great deal about the characters.
Most of it is not very pleasant. THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY is a great example of ensemble acting--something that has been sorely
lacking in Hollywood films. We applaud it for that. GRADE B.
ANY GIVEN SUNDAY:
If I had to name my favorite football movie, It would be North Dallas Forty, but this smartly made film by Oliver Stone would
be a very close second. Stone's stylishly filmed football scenes, which are shot from a player's point of view, perfectly
illuminate the brutality and the glory of the game, and the sound adds greatly to the effect. If you don't know much about
football, the scenes won't help you understand it. But if, like me, you are a football fan, you will appreciate them. (I don't
know why I like a sport that is so violent-it must be a character flaw.) Stone is never subtle. His vision of football players
as gladiators is frequently emphasized, but never more so than a scene in which the Coach (Al Pacino) talks with his young
hot-shot quarterback (Jamie Foxx) while scenes from the chariot race in Quo Vadis plays on a large screen TV in the background.
Stone believes that football is many different things: For the players, it is the game-"pure and sane;" For the fans, it is
the spectacle; For the owners, it is the money. Foxx is outstanding as the cocky young quarterback. Dennis Quaid's part as
the aging former star quarterback is a nice counterpoint to Fox's role. Pacino is having a banner year. He is just as good
here as he was in The Insider. His mentoring of the young quarterback is everything coaching should be. Cameron Diaz is the
owner of the team and Ann Margaret plays her mother--a woman who dilutes her hatred of football with plenty of booze. Charlton
Heston appears briefly as the football commissioner--a nice touch given Stone's use of Quo Vadis. Several well-known ex-football
greats also appear. Lawrence Taylor plays a defensive lineman (no surprise) whose every hit may be his last, Dick Butkus has
a cameo as an opposing coach, and Jim Brown is effective as the defensive coordinator. James Woods and Matthew Modine are
team doctors with opposite attitudes toward players' injuries. Stone's filming style has been criticized by some, but both
Gary and I felt it was perfectly suited to the subject matter. I could see this one again, and I haven't felt that about any
of the recent movies I've seen. GRADE: A-
ANTWONE FISHER: We congratulate Denzel Washington for doing such a good job directing his first
film. The story is based on the biography of the real Antwone Fisher, and the screenplay was written by Fisher himself. Antwone
was an intelligent young sailor with a severe anger management problem. Forced to see a Navy psychiatrist (Denzel Washington
as Jerome Davenport), Fisher refused to open his mouth for several weeks. When he finally began to talk, out poured the story
of his horrible childhood. Newcomer Derek Luke is compelling as Fisher and he has one of the all-time great smiles. The very
pretty Joy Bryant provides Antwone's love interest and Salli Richardson is Berta, Davenport's wife. Watching Fisher deal with
his past and search for his family is an emotional experience. The movie's sincerity will touch your heart. I know it did
ours. Ebert called it both "heartbreaking" and "joyous." He got that right. There is a scene in the movie when the crew lines
up along the ship's railing as it leaves port. My son was in the Navy and served on a carrier, and he tells me it is called
"Manning the Rail," and is actually done when a ship enters a port, or "comes home." It is an impressive sight. Grade B+
APOCALYPTO: Happy indigenous person is captured. He witnesses much horror. He escapes. That’s
pretty much the whole plot of Mel Gibson’s latest film effort. Many of the scenes are impressive and the filmmaking
is, I’ll admit, extraordinary. One thing I’m certain of—the production employed a lot of extras! The movie
is a graphic depiction of man’s inhumanity to man, something which, I suspect, has been going on since man started walking
upright and something which we are familiar with today. Violent, yes, but not quite as bad as we expected. Guess we were prepared
for it. It is, however, full to the brim with testosterone! Rudy Youngblood is impressive as a man on the run. He is
Jaguar Paw, a primative superhero, shaking off wounds that might kill a lesser man. He is very charismatic, and we expect
to see him in another role soon. We also learned a lot about life back in Mayan times. Here are some of the things we learned
from Apocalypto: Eclipses in Mayan times took place in a matter of minutes; A man can outrun a jaguar even if badly
injured; and, running very swiftly will heal a spear wound. Gibson uses an Ariel Durant quote at the beginning of the film.
"A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within." Perhaps Gibson did the movie
as a lesson for the modern world. GRADE B
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13: (2005 release) The plot is familiar: The good guys are barricaded
in an isolated house/fort/police station. The bad buys—murderous locals/Indians/rogue cops--are trying to kill everyone
inside. Of course, the bad guys outnumber the good guys. The fighting stops every once in a while so that the people inside
can bond and we can learn something about the characters. John Wayne made many film with this plot—all those Rio movies--and
Sam Peckinpah used the plot in 1971’s Straw Dogs. In this remake of a 1976 film, the good guys
are in a soon-to-be closed police station on New Years Eve. Two cops, Ethan Hawke and Brian Dennehy, along with the station
secretary, Drea de Matteo, are the only people left in the Detroit station house. When a bus transporting prisoners breaks
down in a blizzard (oh, yes, there’s a blizzard going on) the prisoners are put into cells. Laurence Fishburne is Martin
Bishop, a high level gangster. The other three are minor criminals. The assault comes from some very bad cops who can’t
let Bishop testify and must kill him and everyone else. For what this movie is, it’s a pretty good one. Fishburne makes
a terrific and scary bad guy, and Hawk is believable as a former undercover agent who has been traumatized by the death of
two colleagues. The setting is dark and moody and the action keeps your attention throughout. The film was directed by Jean-Francois
Richet. I’m not sure how a Detroit police station could be right next to a forest, or why old sewer tunnels have electric
lights, but I guess you shouldn’t look too closely at details in this kind of movie. Grandson Nathan says it’s
an A, but Gary and I give it a B. GRADE B/A
ATONEMENT : An imaginative young girl sees some things she misinterprets and that leads to a lie that
changes three lives. The lie affects the happiness of her sister, Cecilia, the fate of Robbie, the housekeeper’s son,
and causes her to live her own life under the burden of overwhelming remorse. Briony is 13-year-old fledgling writer who spends
much of her time tapping on the keys of a rickety typewriter. The opening of the film is lyrical with gossamer scenes of the
English countryside surrounding a country Manor House. Director Joe Wright ( Pride & Prejudice, 2004) moves
the story back and forth through time. This is especially effective when we first see scenes through Briony’s eyes and
later see the scenes as they really happened. However, Gary thought that in the second half of the film, the fractured time
line was a bit distracting. Keira Knightly is lithe and lovely as Cecilia, and James McAvoy ( The Last King of Scotland,
2006) makes a charming hero and a sympathetic victim. Briony is played by three incredibly talented actresses: Saoirse Roman
is remarkable as the 13 year old. At 18 Romala Gairi is Briony, and in the final scene we see Vanessa Redgrave playing the
now elderly Briony. I thought the opening scenes were beautiful, the WWII scenes, especially the one at Dunkirk, were harrowing,
and the ending extremely touching. The film is based on a novel by Ian McEwan. It contrasts the peaceful existence of the
early 30s with the horror of war. It is about love and loss and consequences. I thought it was excellent. Gary was a bit bored
with the slow beginning, and although he thought the ending was strong, he wouldn’t grade the film higher than a B.
He thinks because of the glowing reviews he read prior to seeing the film, his expectations may have been too high. I, however,
would give the film an A. We both think it is a film that will linger in our memories. GRADE A/B
THE AVIATOR: There were moments in this film that I thought were brilliant, but there were
other moments that I felt lacked energy. Martin Scorcese tries to bring Howard Hughes to life by showing us the period when
the eccentric millionaire was most productive; when he had his greatest successess and his greatest failures. Leonardo DiCaprio
is quite wonderful as the daring aviator, both when he was a brilliant and charming playboy, and also when he was suffering
from the obsessions and compulsions that eventually overtook his life. In a stunning plane crash sequence, Scorcese shows
his considerable skills as a filmmaker. He also beautifully re-creates the Hollywood glamour of the 1930s and 40s. Cate Blanchett,
who doesn’t look a bit like Katherine Hepburn, does a wonderful job of protraying a woman who, according to this film,
may have been the one true love of Hughes’ life. Kate Beckinsale is less successful at playing Ava Gardner—she
needed more of an edge. John C. Reilly, Ian Holm, and Alec Baldwin all acquit themselves admirably. Alan Alda is especially
impressive as a senator who tried to destroy Hughes’ reputation. At 166 minutes, the film occasionally felt long, but
in the end, I really didn’t learn enough about Howard Hughes. The film made me want to learn more about this remarkable
man. Perhaps the Hughes life story is simply too big for a movie. GRADE B+
AWAY FROM HER: Given the subject matter, this is a remarkable film. Julie Christie, who
played Lara in Dr. Zhivago 42 years ago, now plays Fiona who is in the later stages of Alzheimer’s.
She was gorgeous then and she’s gorgeous now. It is a brilliant but sad treatment of a topic that many find difficult
to think about and even more difficult to watch. Fiona is determined not to burden her husband with her declining condition
and insists on going to a nursing home especially for Alzheimer’s patients. Her husband, Grant, flawlessly played by
veteran Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent, reluctantly lets her go. Supporting roles are well played by Olympia Dukakis and Michael
Murphy. Though the film is about the tragedy of Alzheimer’s, it is also a beautiful romance. It also details the struggle
everyone faces to deal with what life gives you. If this sounds like a "downer" you should avoid, you are probably right.
If it sounds like a film you might enjoy, you are also probably right. Both Barbara and I thought the film was beautifully
acted and incredibly moving. The director, actress Sarah Polley, has done several short films but this is her first full-length
film. It is an extraordinary directing debut. GRADE B+
 Thumbs Up Films
All or Nothing: (2002/1) Mike
Leigh (Secrets and Lies, Topsy-Turvy) directed this drama about a struggling London family. The father
drives a cab and the mother works in the local grocery store. They live in a London public housing estate and their life is
difficult and sad. While slow moving at first, we grew to care about these people. THUMBS UP
All The Pretty Horses: Based on
the acclaimed novel by Cormac McCarthy, it is the story of two young men who, in 1949, travel to Mexico in search of the "old
west." They hope to find a great ranch and work on it as cowboys. Matt Damon and Henry Thomas are the cowboys. Along the way
they meet Blevins, a young runaway who proves to be trouble. Damon and Thomas find work on one of the largest ranches in Mexico
and Damon falls in love with the rancher's beautiful daughter, Penelope Cruz. She also proves to be trouble. Ruben Blades
plays the rancher. Eventually, the two young cowboys wind up in a Mexican Penitentiary. Gorgeous scenery and pretty horses
and Matt Damon make for an entertaining movie. THUMBS UP
AN AMERICAN RHAPSODY: This is a beautifully acted and well told story of a Hungarian couple, Peter (Tony
Goldwin) and Margit (Nastassja Kinski), who, in 1950, flee from their oppressive communist country for the USA. They take
their eldest daughter Maria, with them, but they are forced to leave behind their infant daughter Suzanne. They expect to
be reunited in a few days, but things go wrong and Suzanne stays in Hungary. She is raised by loving foster parents until
she is six years old. At that time, Peter and Margit are finally able to arrange for the American Red Cross to bring Suzanne
to their new home in Los Angeles. Suzanne is naturally homesick for the people she thinks of as Mama and Papa and bewildered
by the sudden changes in her life. At age 15, Suzanne (Scarlett Johanssen), a typically rebellious teenager, travels back
to Budapest to try and discover just who she is. Eva Gardos wrote and directed this movie which is based on her own experience.
ENTHUSIASTIC THUMBS UP
Amores Perros: Interesting because it was directed by Alejandro Innarritu who also directed this
year's 21 Grams. Both films have a similar non-linear tructure. In Amores Perros,
three people's lives interscect at the scene of an automobile accident. We didn't have any trouble staying with it for its
154 minutes running time. THUMBS UP
Art
School Confidential: What makes a great artist famous? Is it talent? Vision? Personality? Chance? This film looks
at some answers. Jerome (Max Minghella) enters Strathmore Academy hoping to become the greatest artist of the 21st Century.
And he can draw. But he’s quickly exposed to the posturings and pretentions of the art world and becomes disillusioned.
His art teacher, Professor Sandiford (John Malkovich) doesn’t help. It’s a strange film: part comedy, part
cynical caricature, and, rather oddly, part serial killer. Maybe we have strange taste, but we rather enjoyed it.
QUALIFIED THUMBS UP
August Rush: (2007) It’s sentimental and predictable, but I liked
this modern musical version of Oliver Twist. It’s about an orphan, Freddie Highmore, who happens to be a musical
prodigy, and his search for his parents through music. In New York, Highmore meets a street musician called "Wizard" who controls
a ragtag bunch of child street musicians, much like Fagin controlled a bunch of child pickpockets. A song from the film
was nominated for an Oscar, and both of us enjoyed the music in the film. However, it was too sentimental and improbable for
Gary and he can’t recommend it, but for me it’s a THUMBS UP.
|
