Dogme95

My Top 10 of 2003

2004-02-03T00:51:00.000-06:00

What a strange year.

"The Matrix" sequels failed (thank god) while 2 ocean films won the summer, some of the best acting showed up in films that somehow missed the mark, and Miramax doesn’t have a best picture nominee for the first time in 12 years.

Cool.

Seriously, kudos to Charlize Theron and Keisha Castle-Hughes for their outstanding performances in “Monster” and “Whale Rider,” respectively. Too bad the films as a whole weren’t that special. Here’s to Sean Penn finally, and deservedly, winning the Oscar. Raise another glass for Peter Dinklage, the dwarf actor who gave one of the year’s finest performances in “The Station Agent.” Ditto for Paul Giamatti in “American Splendor,” the Academy’s biggest oversight.

Here’s to conventional wisdom being thrown out the door. Who would’ve thought a pirate movie, box office poison for the last 25 years or so, would become such a huge hit? And sure fire winners, a la "The Hulk," crashed and burned because, let’s face it, that movie just plain stunk. Most of the sequels weren’t that bad – "Terminator 3," "2 Fast 2 Furious," and even – surprisingly – "American Wedding" were actually entertaining.

2004 marked the return of Kevin Costner, proved that Robert Rodriguez is a first class hack, saw Johnny Depp, after acting for 20 years, finally land a “break-out” role, watched as documentaries ("Winged Migration," "Spellbound," "Capturing the Friedmans") rode the Michael Moore wave into the mainstream, and finally brought an end to that pesky, uneven trilogy about the one true ring that everyone seems to love so damn much.

Notable films I did not see: "In America," "House of Sand and Fog," "The Secret Lives of Dentists," "The Fog of War," "The Cooler," "Peter Pan," "Shattered Glass," "The Missing," "Intolerable Cruelty," Abbas Kiarostami's "Ten," "Dirty Pretty Things"

Notable films I did not see nor care to: "Kill Bill Vol. 1," "Matrix Revolutions," "Bruce Almighty," "Anger Management," "Gigli"

On to my top films of 2003:

1. "City of God" – This Brazilian “Godfather” was snubbed in the foreign film category last year, yet managed to receive 4 well-deserved nominations this year (one for directing). It’s the most viscerally made film of the year, and solidifies Central and Latin America (after “Amores Perros”) as a rising force in world cinema.

2. "Capturing the Friedmans" – This documentary is not so much about child molestation as it is about the disintegration of family and home. The film makes no judgment on whether or not Arnold and Jesse Friedman were actually guilt of nearly 300 counts of child molestation, leaving it up to the viewers to weigh the evidence and decide for themselves.

3. "X2" – Bigger and better then the first film, “X2” might be the ultimate superhero film to date. Ian McKellen is better here than in “Lord of the Rings,” and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is the coolest bad boy since Snake Plissken. Thanks to Bryan Singer for keeping these films character driven - don't think the audience doesn't notice.

4. "Mystic River" – The best acted film of the year, and directed with admirable restraint by Clint Eastwood. The dark story about murder, redemption and child molestation (again) may not be for everyone, but Sean Penn deserves the Oscar – sorry, Mr. Murray – and Tim Robbins delivers his best performance to date.

5. "American Splendor" – The second best acted film of the year, and the funniest – sorry, Nemo. Playing underground comic book writer Harvey Pekar, Paul Giamatti deserved an Oscar nomination over, say Jude Law, and Hope Davis is also award worthy as Pekar’s neurotic wife, Joyce.

6. "Big Fish" – Tim Burton’s best film since Ed Wood, and his most emotionally resonant work to date. Albert Finney’s tall tales (told in flashback with Ewan MacGregor) never pander to Forrest Gump-like qualities, and Billy Crudup is dead on as the son who just wants to hear his dying father tell the truth for once in his life.

7. "The Good Thief" – This little-seen heist flick from Neil Jordan is a remake of 1955’s Bob Le Flambeur, and oozes with style, jazz, and the vistas of Monte Carlo. Nick Nolte gives one of his best, most textured performances as an ex-heroin addict out for one last score.

8. "Master & Commander" – This seafaring epic is the best crafted film of the year, in terms of direction, sets, and detail (sorry Lord of the Rings). Russell Crow is fine as sea captain Jack Aubrey, but it’s Paul Bettany who was robbed of an Oscar nomination as the ship doctor. Magnificent ship-to-ship battles bookend this story about the loyalty of two men who refuse to fail.

9. "Finding Nemo" – Pixar’s best feature to date, featuring superb voice performances by Albert Brooks and especially Ellen DeGeneres. A few too many close calls and near death experiences hinder the effectiveness of the overall storytelling, but this remains a fine film and one of the year’s biggest hits.

10. "Lost in Translation," "Cold Mountain" (tie) – Neither of these films are flawless, but both have so many admirable qualities that I had to include them together. In “Translation,” Bill Murray is at his best as a disillusioned actor pitching whiskey in Japan, but the sparseness of the script left me a bit cold. Likewise, while meandering at times, “Mountain” had enough lush photography, wonderful acting (even by Renee Zellweger, who for once didn’t ruin a film) and a supporting cast that was more interesting than the main characters.

Runners Up (in alphabetical order): All the Real Girls, Casa de Los Babys, Elephant, The Italian Job (a fun remake), The Last Samurai, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (better than Part 1, not as good as Part 2), Open Range (Costner’s best in years), Pirates of the Caribbean (er… Johnny Depp), Spider, The Station Agent (the year’s best film without an ending), Swimming Pool, 21 Grams (I thought a linear story would’ve been more effective)

The Worst (in alphabetical order): Bad Boys 2, Cabin Fever, The Hulk, Identity, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Old School , Once Upon a Time in Mexico (despite Johnny Depp in another great, movie-stealing role)

I’m keeping it short this year… up to my eyeballs in producing and directing my film “Pieces of a Girl,” which is set to start shooting March 22. Maybe it’ll make someone’s list next year.

Please post your comments below and tell me what you liked and disliked... because I care.

Lost in Translation

2003-10-13T00:42:00.000-05:00

(2003)
Written & Directed by Sofia Coppola
Cast:
Scarlett Johansson .... Charlotte
Bill Murray .... Bob Harris
Giovanni Ribisi .... John

Okay, so I don't blog as much as I should... I'm trying to finish up a screenplay for a film I'm shooting this winter. It's almost done, so whether or not that was a factor in my non-blogging, we'll see... on to the film...

For starters, I didn't care for this Coppola's debut film, "The Virgin Suicides." And this film looked, well, a lot like Bill Murray's "About Schmidt." Going in, expectations were low, and coming out, they were much higher -- if not hot, then at least glowing. Murray indeed gives a fantastic performance as a famous actor staying in Tokyo to endorse a whiskey, and its during his sleepless nights that he meets Charlotte (Johansson), a young wife who's husband is a photographer and always off on assignment. Both souls, while divided by age, are lost, experiencing trials of love, marriage and career. The movie is sometimes too sparse for its own good, like its tryign to be "artful" or carry unintentional "weight"... as evidenced by an important yet unintelligible line of dialogue spoken near the film's end, that means a great deal to the characters but nothing to us, since we can't hear it. Some people might find that frustrating -- along with the lugubrious pace and static shots of people doing little or nothing at all -- but in its own way adds to the mood of the piece. I've never been a fan of Johansson's, either, but she's aptly alluring here, but leaving the theater I kept wondering why she would ever marry a schmaltz like Ribisi in the first place. Coppola's second film (while not up to par with her father's best work, or even her brother's debut film last year ,"CQ") establishes her as a gifted up-and-comer, but it really doesn't matter... as long as she's got her daddy's name as executive producer, she can make whatever she wants.

I promise that I'll blog later in the week about another new film I caught, John Sayles' latest "Casa de los Babys." Until then...

Under the Tuscan Sun

2003-09-29T00:36:00.000-05:00

2003
Directed by Audrey Wells
Written by Frances Mayes (book), Audrey Wells (screenplay)
Cast:
Diane Lane .... Frances
Sandra Oh .... Patti
Lindsay Duncan .... Katherine
Raoul Bova .... Marcello
Vincent Riotta .... Martini

For an early birthday present, my friend Amy bought me lunch at Cheddars and my friend Sarah took me to the movies... only she chose the movie. It wasn't that I didn't want to see this... because I love Diane Lane, nearly had her in my film, and will... its just that this looked way too much like a Lifetime movie of the week, aimed solely at the ladies. In a way, it was... but i enjoyed it nonetheless. It's not original, mostly predictable and strictly by-the-numbers filmmaking, but here it manages to work more often than not, thanks largely in part to Lane's charming performance. Based on the (I guess) popular non-fiction book, the film takes liberties (in real life, Frances took the trip to Italy with her husband; in the film, lane -- as Frances -- gets dumped by her husband and takes the trip almost in mourning). And her trials and tribulations of spontaneously buying a villa in tuscany, fixing it up, meeting various men who adore her seem pertty routine. But the film has a charm and humor usually missing from films of this type, and its pretty grim look at love and second chances is a welcome -- if sometimes depressing -- addition. It overstays its welcome, running maybe 20 minutes and a sappy conclusion too long, but those of you who think you'll like a film of this type probably will, and those of you who don't, well, you might enjoy it more than you think.

P.S. - Okay, this is getting depressing... in addition to Warren Zevon, Johnny Cash, Charles Bronson & John Ritter... goodbye Elia Kazan (one of my favorites, despite the HUAC incident), George Plimpton, Robert Palmer & the great, great Donald O'Conner (made me laugh, indeed). I hope there's a really great party happening somewhere...

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

2003-09-22T16:17:00.000-05:00

2003
Written and Directed by Robert Rodriguez
Cast:
Antonio Banderas .... El Mariachi
Salma Hayek .... Carolina
Johnny Depp .... Sands
Mickey Rourke .... Billy
Eva Mendes .... Ajedrez

We can dispell this myth right now -- Robert Rodriguez is no Sergio Leone. He's barely even Sergio Pastore. Who's he, you ask? Exactly my point. Supposedly part 3 of his "El Mariachi" series, this film doesn't really continue the story, because there's no story to continue. Instead, Rodriguez, filming a script he supposedly wrote in 7 days (and it shows), throws scenes and characters into the mix with reckless abandon, never really caring where they go or what purpose they serve. Banderas is back and the Mariachi (otherwise known as "EL," as in "The"), who's hired (I think) by a rogue CIA agent played by Jonhhy Depp to assassinate the leader of a drug cartel (Willem Dafoe) who's planning on overthrowing the president of Mexico on the Day of the Dead. There's also a retired FBI agent (Rueben Blades), a fiesty young DEA agent (Eva Mendes), Dafoe's right hand man who carries aorund an ugly little dog (Mickey Rourke, playing the man, not the dog) and a double crossing hitman (Danny Trejo), all of whom are supposed to serve a purpose which was lost on me. Rodriguez credits himself as writer and director, and the film also boasts he "Shot, Chopped & Scored" it as well...what that means to you laymans is that he ran the camers and served as his own DP, edited the film, and composed the music. What it REALLY means is that the whole thing is an incomprehensible mess, with badly lit and composed shots, confusing editing (especially in the action sequences) and lots and lots of standard flamenco guitar. So this film is horrible? Yes. Do I recommend seeing it. Yes. ONLY because of Johnny Depp's second best performance of the year; he gives a one dimensional character the full treatment, implementing his arsenal of quirks and tricks that makes every second he's on screen captivating, no matter the film. It's too bad he's surrounded by such dreck.

American Splendor

2003-09-14T20:12:00.000-05:00

2003
Directed by Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini
Writing credits: Harvey Pekar (comic book series American Splendor) and Joyce Brabner (comic book series Our Cancer Year), Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini
Cast:
Paul Giamatti .... Harvey Pekar
Harvey Pekar .... Real Harvey
James Urbaniak .... Robert Crumb
Hope Davis .... Joyce Brabner
Joyce Brabner .... Real Joyce

One of 2003's finest so far. Before seeing this film, I had no idea who Harvey Pekar was. I had an inkling of knowledge about Robert Crumb's underground comics, but have never read any. I still don't know much, but this hilarious biopic details the life of one of underground comic's most revered writers. Paul Giamatti vies with Jonny Depp for this year's best actor, and in many ways, surpasses him. He embodies Pekar, with all his gruffness and facial smirks, but its deeper than that; look no further than the real Harvey, who appears in ths film in interview segments, sometimes alongside Giamatti. The performance is striking. Davis is also wonderful as Joyce, a fan first who became Harvey's 3rd wife. Pekar, a lifelong file clerk at a V.A. hospital, started writing "American Splendor," a comic book about his daily experiences, in the 1970s, and after friend Crumb began illustrating it, it became a popular landmark in independent comic book publishing. This film, ingeniously put together, uses comic book frames, normal movie storytelling, interviews, and documentary footage to splice together the extroardinaty life of an ordinary man.

Thirteen

2003-09-10T22:27:00.000-05:00

(2003)
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke
Written by Catherine Hardwicke & Nikki Reed
Cast:
Evan Rachel Wood .... Tracy
Holly Hunter .... Melanie
Nikki Reed .... Evie
Jeremy Sisto .... Brady

It's a shame when a potentially good movie disappoints because the director doesn't know when enough is enough. Take 'Requiem for a Dream'. Or the last 3-4 Spielberg films -- I mean, the guy just doesn't know when to end a story. 'Thirteen' falls into a similar category, but not for that reason. First-time director Hardwicke does an admiral job of bringing co-star amd co-writer Reed's psuedo-true story to the screen, but I guess she thought all the blurry, shaky, handheld, and badly lit scenes added to the "drama." It doesn't. A technique worked to perfection in the Dogme film "The Celebration" fails miserably here, because the director -- to me, anyway -- didn't quite know how to utilize the style. Regardless, this is a powerful story of a good girl gone wrong, about an innocent 13-year-old who falls in with the "bad" girl and is introduced to a life of stealing, drugs, sex, and self-mutilation. Admirable is that the script was written by then 13-year-old Reed (who in real life was the innocent), and the fact that she also plays the "bad" girl to great effect. More admirable is Holly Hunter, who hasn't had a really meaty role in years, and has some astonishing moments here as the clueless mom. But most admirable -- most unbelievably undeniably and utterly fantastic -- is the performance by Evan Rachel Wood, a true star at age 15 and destined for greatness. She's that good, and I can only hope Amber (starring in my film this winter) can match this girl's intensity and honesty on screen. The film also suffers form too many badly written scenes, where characters wouldn't have misunderstandings if they'd just TALK and not skirt the issue in typical movie dialogue fashion, but overall it's an interesting and ultimately moving piece that shows how kids can get sucked into a life they never imagined, and the difficulty it is getting out.

Hell House

2003-09-04T12:14:00.000-05:00

2001
Directed by George Ratliff

This is not a horror film, but in a way, it is. This documentary explores the behind-the-scenes efforts of "Hell House," a Christian haunted house performed annually in October by the youth members of Trinity Church (Assemblies of God) in Cedar Hill, TX. We see the organization and planning of the event, including auditions, construction, scripting and rehearsals, and pieces of the actual haunted house as well. It's far form typical -- no scary mummies or vampires here -- but instead visitors are lead through a series of staged scenes depicting all the things that cause you go go to Hell -- abortion, drunk driving, familial abuse, school shootings, date rape, raves, drugs... What's scary are the lengths these fanatics go to try and scare the visitors into converting to Christianity -- there's actually a room with people at the ready for anyone who just can't take the horror and wishes to "save" themselves on the spot. All this aside, its a pretty cool production, documents here primarily through the eyes of the Trinity pastor and one family (a father whose wife left them after having an affair with a man she met on the Internet and his 3 kids, one of whom has Cerebral Palsy and another, a cute teenage girl, who's both a cheerleader AND super-excited to win the role of "abortion girl"). I want to attend this thing one of these years, just to say I've done it.

All That Jazz

2003-09-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

1979
Directed by Bob Fosse
Written by Robert Alan Aurthur & Bob Fosse
Cast:
Roy Scheider .... Joseph 'Joe' Gideon
Jessica Lange .... Angelique
Ann Reinking .... Kate Jagger, Joe's Girlfriend
Leland Palmer .... Audrey Paris, Joe's Ex-Wife
Cliff Gorman .... Davis Newman

Forget "Chicago." This is the real deal. While actually a depressing tale loosely based on the life of Bob Fosse, this film revels in all that made him the stage and film legend: the choreography, the attitude. the MTV-style editing years before MTV. Watching this, you realize how much Fosse, moving from dance to stage to choreographer to film director, influenced modern day music videos; even 'Requiem for a Dream," which utilized a quick editing montage every time the characters shot up, borrowed (maybe unknowingly, but probably not) that technique from this film, as Roy Scheider pops his dexadrine time and time again. "All That Jazz" follows Scheider's character as he juggles his life in excess -- editing a film he's directed, choreographing and directing a new Broadway show, sleeping with several women and trying to be a father to his young dancer daughter -- and ruminates on his life and death to Lange, playing an angel of sorts. Scheider gives the performance of his career, and even though Fosse revels in overindulgence, creates a passionate and honest portrayal of a man on a downward spiral. Package this with Fosse's next and last film, "Star 80" (about murdered Playboy playmate Dorothy Stratten), and his previous successes "Cabaret" and "Lenny," and you have a great run of one of the 70's creative -- but overlooked -- masters.

To the Devil... a Daughter

2003-08-28T11:52:00.000-05:00

1976
Directed by Peter Sykes
Written by John Peacock, Dennis Wheatley (novel)
Cast:
Richard Widmark .... John Verney
Christopher Lee .... Father Michael Rayner
Honor Blackman .... Anna Fountain
Denholm Elliott .... Henry Beddows
Nastassja Kinski .... Catherine

I love Hammer horror films. For those of you not in the know, Hammer was a British film company prominent from the mid '50s to the mid '70s that specialized in remaking the vintage horror films in glorious technicolor. Stars such as Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing starred in many of the films, recreating the roles of The Mummy, Frankenstein, and Dracula for a new generation. While not always the best films, Hammer's specialty was stylistic art direction and decidedly "British" mood, and more often than not they took great liberties with the original tales. This film was made at the end of their run, starring Elliot as a man who signs over his daughter's soul to ex-communicated priest Lee, now operating a Satanic cult under the guise of a Catholic sect. Widmark stars as an American novelist who's called by friends to help save the girl. The girl, as should be noted, is played by a very young Kinski, in one of her first roles; her controversial full frontal nudity was thankfully restored for the uncut DVD. I hesitate to recommend this film, because the producers ran out of money and not all of the ending was shot, resulting in some choppy editing and confusing stuff at the film's climax, but its a fun romp of goofy, Satanic fun.

Day of the Dead

2003-08-26T12:30:00.000-05:00

1985
Written & Directed by George A. Romero
Cast::
Lori Cardille .... Sarah
Terry Alexander .... John
Joseph Pilato .... Capt. Rhodes
Richard Liberty .... Dr. Logan
Sherman Howard .... Bub the Zombie

Part 3 to Romero's zombie trilogy (After "Night of the Living Dead" and "Dawn of the Dead") isn't as groudbrekaing as the first or as fun as the second, but it contains some of the series' best moments, most containing the lead zombie, Bub (no doubt named after X-Man Wolverine's catchphrase, as well as Dr. Logan, Wolvie's real name). That the zombie is the most well drawn character tells you that this film has some trouble in the drama/characterization department, but Tom Savini's gore effects are top notch, and despite the overacting, truncated script (due to budget constraints) and boring middle (with no zombie action whatsoever), this entry is better than crapfests like "Resident Evil." Wheras "Night" was low budget and eerie, and "Dawn" just plain fun, "Day" has the darkest tone, as the characters are trapped in an underground mine with the dead hovering just above. Dr. Logan experiments on actually teaching and training them, because there are too many to fight, but all hell breaks loose when a militant tyrannical leader takes matters into his own hands. Dumb as it is, it is fun, and talks of a fourth in the series (titled "Dead Reckoning") are close to being finalized, which is exciting news. Romero's had few hits in his career, but if anything, he's the king of the dead, and hopefully he'll be given the budget this time to do things right.

All the Real Girls

2003-08-21T08:53:00.000-05:00

2003
Written & Directed by David Gordon Green
Cast:
Paul Schneider .... Paul
Zooey Deschanel .... Noel
Patricia Clarkson .... Elvira Fine
Shea Whigham .... Tip

I truly admired David Gordon Green's first feature, "George Washington." It's the kind of movie rarely made these days, especially by a 25-year-old filmmaker. This is his followup film, and while it does carry its problems, is nonetheless a beautifully told tale of awkward first love. Both Paul Schneider and Zooey Deschanel hit their marks as the town romeo and the virginal younger sister of Paul's best friend, respectively. That the two fall in love is a given; consider the opening shot of the movie, one long 4-minute take of the two nervously contemplating their first kiss. The beauty of the film is that while it has a story structure, it doesn't appear to. It captures all the pains and ecstasy of young adults battling their emotions, but not in the way Hollywood would have you believe is real. The language in which these southern characters speak is simple yet profound, and some of the most interesting statements come from characters who share the screen for only moments. The film is flawed -- I would have liked more character development in certain cases, especially with the lead girl -- but its quite different than pretty much every other love story, not in circumstance but in the way its presented. Check it out if you're so inclined.

On a similar note, my favorite love story of all time is probably David Lean's "Brief Encounter," which I thought I blogged about already but guess I haven't yet. What is your favorite love story of all time?

Between Two Worlds

2003-08-19T10:15:00.000-05:00

1944
Directed by Edward A. Blatt
Written by Daniel Fuchs, Sutton Vane (play)
Cast:
John Garfield .... Tom Prior
Paul Henreid .... Henry Bergner
Sydney Greenstreet .... Reverend Tim Thompson
Eleanor Parker (I) .... Ann Bergner

One of my favorite movies. It's far from perfect, but the set up and subsequent mood gets to me. The story is about a group of people killed in an air raid during WWII, and awake aboard a strange ship that will deliver them to either heaven or hell. The only thing is, they don't know they are dead, and the slow reveal by each of the characters as they discover what's happening is a thing to watch. This is a pretty low key film, with only a few "name" stars in it, and for the mid-40s was probably considered somewhat of a "B" picture. But I love the supernatural -- when it's done right -- and just the thought of this ghost ship delivering souls to their final judgement is enough for me. One of the two films I'd like to attempt to remake, along with Bogart's "Key Largo." if anyone ever stumbles across the text of the original play, called "Outward Bound," let me know.

Open Range

2003-08-18T13:25:00.000-05:00

2003
Directed by Kevin Costner
Written by Lauran Paine (novel), Craig Storper (screenplay)
Cast:
Robert Duvall .... Boss Spearman
Kevin Costner .... Charley Waite
Annette Bening .... Sue Barlow
Michael Gambon .... Denton Baxter
Michael Jeter .... Percy
Diego Luna .... Button

While I'm on the Costner bandwagon, I thought I'd post about his latest film which opened over the weekend. Many have called it a return to form for the former Hollywood heavyweight, and in many ways, it is. Costner has made a terrific and touching new western, even if it overstays its welcome with an awkward fifteen minutes or so after the film's climax. It feels like a movie made in the fifties, which is quite a feat, and recalls the days of Anthony Mann, Howard Hawks and John Ford when the western genre was in its prime, and they its best directors. The plot, like the western way of life, is a simple one, finding the two leads gunning for revenge after a corrupt town owner -- who opposes "free rangers," or ranchers who essentially have no ranch and travel with their livestock to feed off the open land -- attcaks their camp and kills their men. Bening plays the love interest, and it should be noted that Costner has the guts to cast her "age-appropriate" -- none of the 20-something women romancing the 50-60-70-something men that Hollywood seems to revel in. The dialogue is simple yet beautifully poetic, and even though Duvall can play this role in his sleep, he manages to continually impress. He's an actor who can say it all with a simple pause, or a slight glint in his eye, and is responsible for much of the film's humor. Costner is surprisingly effective as the stoic former gunslinger, and plays perhaps his meanest character to date. Like I said, the film is too long, and until the final climactic battle -- which is done in a very realistic and hardly glamorized fashion -- there is much talking and pontificating, much like Clint Eastwood's Oscar winner "Unforgiven." This film may not be the masterpiece Eastwood's is, but its one of the highlights of the summer and probably the best "over 18" movie out there.

The Postman

2003-08-15T09:39:00.000-05:00

1997
Directed by Kevin Costner
Written by David Brin (novel), Eric Roth & Brian Helgeland (screenplay)
Cast:
Kevin Costner .... The Postman
Will Patton .... General Bethlehem
Larenz Tate .... Ford Lincoln Mercury
Olivia Williams .... Abby

OK, so I'm a bad blogger... I haven't had time to post everyday, and to you, my 3 loyal readers, I apologize. My hands are open to you with offerings of laurels and peace.

Anyways... with the new Kevin Costner western "Open Range" opening today (and one I'm really looking forward to seeing), I thought I'd pull from his catalog and present one of the most reviled films in recent memory. On the record, I liked this movie... aside from a few cheesy parts, granted, I don't see why everyone buried this film alive. It's aptly acted and directed, and has no fewer cheesy lines than the typical Sandra Bullock film. I've always been a fan of Costner, and while he may not be the best "actor" out there, I've always found his everyman charm akin to the likes of Jimmy Stewart and especially Gary Cooper. I think he's a much smarter person that people give him credit for. I've also heard he's an egotistical ass, which may be true, but many in Hollywood are. Regardless, this post-apocalyptic tale of a drifter who assumes the identity of a postman and ends up leading a revolution of sorts against a tyrannical general (Will Patton, one of my favorite actors, period) is harmelss entertainment, and I commend a film of this scope and subject matter to even try enstilling themes of hope and unity to an audience. Maybe audiences found the plot too similar to another Costner question mark, "Waterworld" -- which I also enjoyed -- to forgive him for treading similar water again. Maybe audiences just hate the man so much now that he'll never have another hit, forgetting that they are the ones who exhalted him early in his career with hits like "Silverado," "No Way Out," "Bull Durham," "Field of Dreams," "The Untouchables," "JFK," and his multiple Oscar winner "Dances With Wolves" -- all excellent films. Or maybe this one sucked after all, and I'm just too blind and stubborn to see. Thoughts?

The Last Temptation of Christ

2003-08-13T10:55:00.000-05:00

1988
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Writtne by Nikos Kazantzakis (novel), Paul Schrader (screenplay)
Cast:
Willem Dafoe .... Jesus of Nazareth
Harvey Keitel .... Judas Iscariot
Verna Bloom .... Mary, Mother of Jesus
Barbara Hershey .... Mary Magdalene

With all the hullabaloo over Mel Gibson's upcoming Jesus film "The Passion" (which looks great from the trailer I saw), people will no doubt be reminded of the last big film about the life of Christ, and the controversy it stirred. Scorsese's film is my favorite Biblical tale, and one of his 2 great films (the other being "Taxi Driver"). Much was made over the scene where Jesus has sex with Mary and raises a family... but what blindsided Christians forgot to mention (or didn't know, because none of them saw the film they were protesting) was that this scene never actually happened... its the temptation of the title, brought on by the devil as Jesus is dying on the cross. The third act of the film, yes, strays form the gosepls in presenting this "alternative" reality of Jesus becoming just a man like everyone else, but that's exactly what makes this film compelling. Portraying Jesus as a conflicted human being, Dafoe gives his finest performance, forever abolishing visions of his horrendous turn as the Green Goblin. He's a man of the cloth, yet of divinity -- I can imagine it would drive anyone somewhat mad, were it be true. Peter Gabriel's music is one of the great scores of the '80s. This is Scorsese's most personal and heartfelt work, genuinely moving in its final frames as Jesus makes his choice to live or die: "It is accomplished."

Irréversible

2003-08-12T13:56:00.000-05:00

2002
Written and Directed by Gaspar Noé
Cast:
Monica Bellucci .... Alex
Vincent Cassel .... Marcus
Albert Dupontel .... Pierre

Man... this movie. Can't say I liked it, but can't say I hated it, either. Regardless, it's certainly something every fan of daring cinema should see, if just for its audacity and kinetic direction. Filled with extreme scenes of brutality, violence, rape, and more male members than any other non-porn film I've ever seen, this film is told in backwards fashion, much like "Memento." I didn't like "Memento" at all, mainly because of the backwards gimmick, and it doesn't hold up well here, either, except for in the final scenes, when cozy revelations make everything you've just seen seem that much more horrific. The story open with Cassel and Dupontel viciously beating a man to death in a gay club, then unspools backwards to reveal why. Apparently, a woman (the unbelievably beautiful Bellucci), was raped (in a 9 minute uncut sequence), and holds connections to both men. I can honestly say I've never seen a film shot the way this film is, in uncut shaky takes that sees the camera literally spinning around, sideways, upside down, from sequence to sequence. If nothig else, it proves that first time filmmaker Noé has balls, and that he's not afraid to shy away from controversy. Not for everyone, but if you have a strong stomach and the itch for something different...

To Have and Have Not

2003-08-07T11:40:00.000-05:00

1944
Directed by Howard Hawks
Cast:
Humphrey Bogart .... Harry Morgan (Steve)
Walter Brennan .... Eddie
Lauren Bacall .... Slim (Marie Browning)

With the recent announcement another classic will fall victim to a remake -- starring Antonio Banderas, no less -- I feel the need to urge you to rent this little gem. Granted, this film barely follows the Hemingway story on which it is based, so perhaps the new film with remedy that. Then again, Hawks reportedly told Hemingway that he could make a great film from his WORST novel, so maybe the changes were valid. Regardless, this is the type of hard boiled film that Hollywood glazed to perfection back in the 1940s, with high contrast black and white cinematography, exotic locales, dangerous heroes and even more dangerous heroines. Hawks (one of my favorites) directs Bogart (another fav) and Bacall (ditto) in their first screen pairing, set in Martinique during WWII. Bogie runs a boat rental business, and gets caught up in political leanings when he's forced to take a job for the resistance transporting a fugitive on the run from the Nazis to Martinique. Bacall is appropriately saucy in her portrayal of a resistance sympathizer and nightclub singer. No doubt you've heard the film's most famous line: "You know how to whistle, don't you Steve? You just put your lips together... and blow."

The Last American Virgin

2003-08-06T12:17:00.000-05:00

1982
Written and Directed by Boaz Davidson
Cast:
Lawrence Monoson .... Gary
Diane Franklin .... Karen
Steve Antin .... Rick
Joe Rubbo .... David

Im posting about this one because I just got the DVD yesterday, and was the only one of the early '80s "teen sex comedies" that I never saw until now. I had heard good htings over the years, and almost hunted it down just to see Diane Franklin (perhaps best remembered from "Better Off Dead") in the nude. But this movie always eluded me... until now. Suffice it to say, it's actually a decent film. The plot finds Gary lovestruck with new girl Karen, only to find that she's in love with Gary's best friend, Rick -- pretty standard for the first hour. But the last act of this film is quite a stark difference from every other film of this nature, and actually elevates it onto another level of *almost* serious drama. And I guarantee you've never seen such a shocking ending for a romantic comedy EVER -- it's quite a shock. The acting is atricious, but Franklin is aptly cute and charming enough to justify our hero's affinity for her. Features 23 top hits of the early '80s (according to the trailer) and all the sleeveless shirts/neck bandanas you could ever want. Now I need to get the new DVD of "Valley Girl" and I'll be set.

Casablanca

2003-08-05T12:34:00.000-05:00

1942
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Cast:
Humphrey Bogart .... Rick Blaine
Ingrid Bergman .... Ilsa Lund Laszlo
Paul Henreid .... Victor Laszlo
Claude Rains .... Capt. Louis Renault
Conrad Veidt .... Maj. Heinrich Strasser

I'm posting this in lieu of the 60th Anniversary DVD that was released today. Everyone should have seen this, so everyone should know the plot. If you haven't, do you really want to know what I think of you? 'Nuff Said.

U Turn

2003-08-04T13:32:00.000-05:00

1997
Directed by Oliver Stone
Writing credits John Ridley
Cast:
Sean Penn .... Bobby Cooper
Nick Nolte .... Jake McKenna
Jennifer Lopez .... Grace McKenna
Powers Boothe .... Sheriff Virgil Potter
Claire Danes .... Jenny
Joaquin Phoenix .... Toby N. Tucker a.k.a. TNT
Jon Voight .... Blind man
Billy Bob Thornton .... Darrell

With all the hoopla surrounding the new J-Lo/Ben Affleck disaster "Gigli," I thought I'd recall J-Lo's best film, for those of you who forgot she was ever in anything remotely good. I've never been a fan of hers -- or Ben's either, so they can have each other -- but she did manage to be seductively dangerous in this wicked Oliver Stone effort. Penn plays a shady drifter who's car breaks down in a small dusty town, and needing cash for a quick escape, agrees to knock off the wife (Lopez) of a wealthy townsperson (Nolte). But Penn falls for the spicy senorita, who wants him to knock off her husband instead... Double and triple-crosses ensue, and while I normally don't go for blatantly obvious plots like this one, Stone keeps things moving and fun. The cast is first rate. Penn and Nolte -- always favorites -- are complimented by an unrecognizable Voight and Thornton and Phoenix as a character named "TNT" -- and keep the movie alive, but I guess Lopez deserves some respect for her one-two punch of this film and "Out of Sight" (1998). What's happened to her since then -- i.e, crapfest after crapfest -- is not so much a travesty as it is revealing: either she's not so talented after all, or she's not smart enough to tell a good film from a bad one. I'll let you pass your own judgment.

Solaris

2003-08-01T15:06:00.000-05:00

2002
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Cast:
George Clooney .... Chris Kelvin
Natascha McElhone .... Rheya
Viola Davis .... Gordon
Jeremy Davies .... Snow

Maybe the best film of 2002 that NOBODY saw... Stanislaw Lem's classic novel was brought to life in 1972 by Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky, in a 3-hour version which I've only seen pieces of. Soderbergh, the most creative director currently working within the Hollywood system, manages to somehow make films that are both mainstream and art house, although this remake -- while SEEMING to look like the former -- definitely falls in the later category. Which is maybe why audiences shunned this beautiful film. Who knows. Clooney is perhaps the best he's ever been as a psychologist called to investigate strange occurances happening on board the space station orbiting the planet Solaris. It seems that crew members are being visited by people long dead... are they manifests of the mind or actually flesh and blood? I hear the novel is much more complex in its psychology, but the beauty of Soderbergh's film is its simplicity. Shot in a very reserved manner, with superbly composed images and using silence to a great degree (shades of "2001"), Soderbergh has created a love story that carries a different weight only after you know the outcome. Something truly special, indeed.

Monkey Business

2003-07-31T16:26:00.000-05:00

1931
Directed by Norman Z. McLeod
Cast:
Groucho Marx .... Groucho
Harpo Marx .... Harpo
Chico Marx .... Chico
Zeppo Marx .... Zeppo

This one's for Phantroll... Of all the Marx brothers films I've seen (and I haven't seen them all), this one is still my favorite. Nothing against "Duck Soup" or the overrated "A Night at the Opera," but "Monkey Business truly defines screwball comedy. The plot is simple -- the Marx brothers stow away on am ocean liner bound for America, and wreak expected havok onboard, coming between two dueling mob bosses -- but Groucho's trademark one-liners are priceless, and Harpo is, well, Harpo. Just check out these priceless quotes:

Groucho: Afraid? Me? A man who's licked his weight in wild caterpillars?

Groucho: Oh, I know it's a penny here and a penny there, but look at me. I worked myself up from nothing to a state of extreme poverty.

Groucho: Mrs. Briggs, I've known and respected your husband Alky for many years. And what's good enough for him is good enough for me.
[He suddenly grabs her and pulls her down onto a couch.]

Groucho: How about you and I passing out on the veranda, or would you rather pass out here?
Woman: Sir, you have the advantage of me!
Groucho: Not yet I haven't, but wait till I get you outside.

Like I said, priceless...

Rope

2003-07-30T12:03:00.000-05:00

1948
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Cast:
James Stewart .... Rupert Cadell
John Dall .... Brandon Shaw
Farley Granger .... Phillip Morgan
Cedric Hardwicke .... Mr. Kentley

Some people love to call this film a failed experiment. And maybe to them it is. To me, "Rope" has always been one of my favorite Hitchcock efforts. Always the innovator, Hitch tried something here that had never been tried before: filming a movie in 1 single take. Now, film cameras cannot hold 90 minutes of film stock, so technically, this film ISN'T 1 single take. But Hitch filmed 7 or 8 10 minute takes, and strung them together with (mostly) seamless edits to create the illusion of a single take... and to me, it works beautifully. The plot, based on a play fashioned after the Leopold-Loeb murder case, finds the two murderers hosting a party of the victim's family and friends, all the while serving food from a crate that contains the victim's body! Stewart is in fine form as the suspicious teacher who begins piecing the mystery together, but its the camerawork -- all choreographed to perfection, never missing a beat -- that leaves the viewer in awe. Hitchcock basically went against his own principles here, that a film is made in editing (which is mostly true), but proved that a master can break the rules and still have an interesting and intruguing -- if not to everyone's liking -- product.

Side note: There recently WAS a movie that was filmed in 1 take -- it's called "Russian Ark." I missed it when it played in Austin, but it consisted of 1 90 minute take and was shot on digital video (the only medium that will allow a take of that length). Another film, 2000's "Timecode" was also shot on DV and in single takes, and split the screen into 4 segments with 4 concurrent storylines happening simultaneously. But the latter film was a horrendous mess.

Amores Perros

2003-07-29T11:53:00.000-05:00

2000
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Cast:
Emilio Echevarría .... El Chivo - The Goat
Gael García Bernal .... Octavio
Goya Toledo .... Valeria
Álvaro Guerrero .... Daniel
Vanessa Bauche .... Susana

Look no further for proof of the new wave of Mexican cinema. It is one of most assured debut films I've seen in a decade, and, while not a perfect film, displays a singular vision and definitive style that pales most American-made efforts. Iñárritu combines three stories, all linked by a horrific car crash; comparisons have no doubt been made to "Pulp Fiction," but these tales are more inter-woven, and as a result the film plays much smoother and faster. The first and last segments -- involving star-crossed lovers, dogfighting, an assassin, and his estranged daughter -- are first rate, but the middle segment -- about a fashion model who loses her leg in an accident -- is the film's only folly, and slows up the pace with an almost comical segue. Iñárritu and his cinematographer, shooting much of the film handheld in a bleached-out style, capture the grittiness of modern day Mexico City, and the performances, especially by Bernal and Echevarría, are uniformly excellent. Look for Iñárritu's next film, the english-language "21 Grams," starring Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Benecio Del Toro, in theatres later this year.

American Gigolo

2003-07-28T11:39:00.000-05:00

1980
Written and Directed by Paul Schrader
Cast:
Richard Gere .... Julian Kaye
Lauren Hutton .... Michelle Stratton
Hector Elizondo .... Detective Sunday

Ah... while not the best movie, I have a fond place for this one. I actually hadn't seen it until just a few years ago, but I've become increasingly aware of how much I admire Paul Schrader's work (as a writer for several of Martin Scorsese's great films -- Taxi Driver, Raging Bull -- and a director of his own work -- Hardcore, Mishima, Blue Collar, Auto Focus). This was Gere's breakout role, and one of the first films that treated men's fashion with high regard. Blondie's signature song "Call Me" became a hit, and, I'll argue, Shrader was one of the first directors to employ the "music-video" style of editing in this film -- even though videos were still in their infancy. The plot is a throwaway, with Gere playing a gigolo who gets caught up in a silly murder scheme, but it's a fine performance in a risky role that just happened to make him a star. Gap-toothed model-turned-actress Hutton is also fine, and the Beverly Hills setting is used in a highly stylized effect.

Three Colors Trilogy: Blue, White, Red

2003-07-25T13:57:00.000-05:00

1993-1994
Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski
Written by Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz
Cast:
Blue:
Juliette Binoche .... Julie
Benoît Régent .... Olivier
Florence Pernel .... Sandrine
White:
Zbigniew Zamachowski .... Karol Karol
Julie Delpy .... Dominique
Janusz Gajos .... Mikolaj
Jerzy Stuhr .... Jurek
Red:
Irène Jacob .... Valentine
Jean-Louis Trintignant .... The Judge
Frédérique Feder .... Karin
Jean-Pierre Lorit .... Auguste

Okay... so anyone who knows me well knows this is a lazy choice... but I just got back and I'm tired. Regardless, this trilogy by my favorite director is one of the best you'll ever see, a thought-provoking series of films based on the representative colors of the French flag (and, I guess, the American flag, too). "Blue", standing for liberty, tells the story of the wife of a famous composer, who's husband and daughter die in a car crash. In her grief, she's confronted with both the notion that she might be the actual writer of his music and her husband's secret mistress, who is pregnant with his child. "White," standing for equality, finds a man dumped by his wife and left for dead in the middle of Poland. He comedically plots to scam a group of businessmen and return home a wealthy man, seeking sweet revenge on his wife. "Red," standing for fraternity, tells the story of Valentine, a fashion model, who by chance meets a retired judge who secretly spies on his neighbors phone conversations. Through their conversations, and a parallel story of a younger judge who's life mirrors the elder judge's, Valentine discovers that this man may hold the key to her destiny.

All three films offer a different texture and tone, each one definined both in mood and color sheme by the nature of the title. They are, all three, carfeully constructed films, each fitting the others by slight thematic connections, but seeing all (or even seeing them in order) is not a necessity. "Blue" is perhaps the coldest of the bunch, but its stark use of music and framing helps convey the pain and anguish of the main character. "White" is largely considered the worst of the three, but it's probably due to its lighter, more comical tone, and features a great performance by Zamachowski as the hapless hero. "Red" is the best, and possibly my favrite film of all time. The photography, the performances by both Jacob and Trintignant (who came out of retirement to play this role), the puzzle-like script... all flawlessly executed. And the revelation in the final image... well, you'll have to see it for yourself.

The Grandmother

2003-07-22T09:23:00.000-05:00

1970; 34 min.
Written & Directed by David Lynch
Cast:
Richard White (II) .... Boy
Dorothy McGinnis .... Grandmother

My grandmother died on Saturday, so as I leave town to attend the funeral, I thought I'd leave you with this little gem. A short film made before Lynch's breakout feature "Eraserhead," it tells the tale of a lonely boy who's parents abuse him for wetting the bed. So he plants a seed and grows a grandmother. She and the boy form a loving bond, protecting him from the harshness of his parents.

Now...

Anyone who's seen a Lynch film KNOWS that the mostly touchy-feely synopsis mentioned above will not be handled in movie-of-the-week fashion. Instead, this film is as dark and eerie as "Eraserhead," combining animation, black & white and color film stocks, and a stark use of droning music. The parents speak in dog-like barks; in fact, there's not an actual word spoken. It's all imagery and tone, feeling and mood, using its horrific and sometimes beautiful imagery to evoke the intense emotions of a tormented child. The film is hard to find at local outlets, but was recently released through www.davidlynch.com on a DVD compilation of his short films.

I may not post again until Friday, but I'll leave you with some good choices for your weekend viewing.

Bad Boys II

2003-07-21T09:19:00.000-05:00

2003
Directed by Michael Bay
Written by... who really cares?
Cast:
Martin Lawrence .... Marcus Burnett
Will Smith .... Mike Lowrey
Gabrielle Union .... Sydney Burnett

And here I thought "The Hulk" would end up as the summer's worst film. Words just can't describe how utterly unenjoyable this sequel is, so much so that I'm wasting my time now just trying to think of jingoistic epithets to put this wretched mess out of its misery. Its unfunny, unexciting, unintelligible, and both stars seem inappropriately uncomfortable as they amble from non-joke to action set piece. I fully understand, naysayers, that this is the type of film you aren't supposed to "critique." My question is: "Why not?" There are perfectly smart action thrillers out there, like "Die Hard," this year's "The Italian Job" and "X2"; hell, even "T3" had scatterbrained logic and a thought-provoking ending that leaves you actually wanting a "T4". But one of the problems of this sequel is that there characters don't even remotely resemble the ones they played in 1995's original. It's all arguing and glib remarks, while an unrealistic disregard for civilians and body count piles up like a Looney Tunes cartoon. Its a shame, too, because even the action -- what all summer movies aspire to, anyway -- is dull and lifeless. From an opening confrontation with KKK drug smugglers, through several car chases (one involving a running gag -- gag? -- with corpses flying out of the back of a delivery truck and under the wheels of our supposed heroes), and not one but 2 raids on tropical mansions, even director Bay ("Armageddon") seems to be out of ideas. Maybe he was asleep just like the rest of us. It's not bad boys... it's just plain bad.

Grease 2

2003-07-18T09:18:00.000-05:00

1982
Directed by Patricia Birch
Written by Ken Finkleman
Cast:
Maxwell Caulfield .... Michael Carrington
Michelle Pfeiffer .... Stephanie Zinone
Lorna Luft .... Paulette Rebchuck
Maureen Teefy .... Sharon Cooper
Adrian Zmed .... Johnny Nogerelli
Peter Frechette .... Louis DiMucci

Ahhh... all the talk of '80s flicks (good or bad) over on Waking Ear, along with the recent DVD release of this tarnished gem, compelled me to post about this one. It's probably the guiltiest pleasure I've ever seen... a truly horrendous car crash of a film, but such damn fun to watch and laugh with (at?). I won't even bother with plot, because the film doesn't either, but oh, what hi-jinks! There's Maxwell Caufield looking dreamy as he tries to ride that motorcycle "without bloody-well killing himself!" There's Michelle Pfeiffer straddling a ladder as she croons about bedding down a "Cool Rider!" There's Peter Frechette faking a nuclear war so he can "score tonight" with virginal girlfriend Maureen Teefy -- in a bomb shelter, no less! Who came up with this crap? And why do we love it so much? The songs, all originals by Louis St. Louis (who's credited with writing "Sandy" from the original "Grease"), are just as laughable, but who can't resist the toe-tappin' good times of "Reproduction" and "Who's That Guy"? I guess there are questions in this world that just aren't meant to be answered: life, death, and "Grease 2," baby.

Through A Glass Darkly (Såsom i en spegel)

2003-07-17T09:56:00.000-05:00

1961
Written & Directed by Ingmar Bergman
Cast:
Harriet Andersson .... Kårin
Gunnar Björnstrand .... David
Max von Sydow .... Martin
Lars Passgård .... Minus

The Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film in 1962, Bergman's deeply personal but disturbing drama was filmed entirely on Sweden's Fårö Island, and tells the story of Karin, who has just been released from a psychiatric hospital after suffering severe mental illness. She vacations for a summer on an island with her family to help speed up her recovery, but they can't offer the support that she needs. Her father, David, is a clinical and detached writer; her husband, Martin, is a doctor unable to assist her illness; and her brother, Minus, is sexually coming of age and dealing with his own emotional problems. This is a typically spare Bergman drama, shot in stark, bare black and white by famed cinematographer Sven Nykvist. Andersson, Björnstrand, and Sydow -- all Bergman regulars -- deliver fine performances, but it's Andersson who ultimately breaks your heart, as her illness worsens and visions of God appear to her in the form of a spider. Part 1 of Bergman's "Faith" trilogy (followed by "Winter Light" and "The Silence"), and due out as a DVD box set this fall.

American History X

2003-07-16T09:01:00.000-05:00

1998
Directed by Tony Kaye
Written by David McKenna
Cast:
Edward Norton .... Derek Vinyard
Edward Furlong .... Danny Vinyard

Just watched this one again last night, and its lost none of its power. Edward Norton is frighteningly good as a Neo-Nazi skinhead who returns from prison to see his younger brother falling victim to the same racial hatred that got him locked away. On par with another film of similar subject matter, "Romper Stomper" (1992, starring a young Russell Crowe in an equally viscious performance). As good as it is, the film does bog down with hammering its 'anti-hatred' message home, and Furlong is as whiny here as he was in "T2." But Norton, with the 2nd Oscar nomination of his young career, proves why he's one of the best American actors working today, unleashing a fury of emotion that compells you to watch even when you'd like to look away. Much has been made of the displeasure of director Kaye, who's walked on just about every project he's worked on due to creative differences, but the film suffers none -- although I'd like to see what he would have changed merely as an afterthought.

The Far Country

2003-07-15T11:17:00.000-05:00

1954
Directed by Anthony Mann
Cast:
James Stewart .... Jeff Webster
Ruth Roman .... Ronda Castle
Walter Brennan .... Ben Tatum
John McIntire .... Sheriff Gannon

My favorite of the Mann-Stewart teamings (8 total, 5 of them westerns), although most critics prefer the darker tone of "The Naked Spur" (1953). This film, set in 1896, follows the adventures of Jeff Webster, who views the Klondike gold rush as an opportunity to make a fortune in beef. He naturally tussles horns with a local sheriff, and woos not one but two local women. What sets this film apart, in my opinion, is the setting. Very few westerns dealt with the gold rush ("North to Alaska" being perhaps the most prominent, but even that John Wayne vehicle was hampered by an unnecessarily lightweight tone and campy humor), and its nice to see a western in the 1950s filmed somewhere OTHER THAN Monument Valley. The scenery is gorgeous, especially in its glorious Technicolor. Mann is one of the more underrated directors, but always kept his stories briskly paced and had quite a good eye for visuals. Stewart is simply Stewart, and although the aforementioned "Spur" probably contains one of his best -- if not his very best -- performance, he's enjoyable to watch here, matching quips with legendary character actor Brennan.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

2003-07-14T09:15:00.000-05:00

2003
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio
Cast:
Johnny Depp .... Jack Sparrow
Geoffrey Rush .... Barbossa
Orlando Bloom .... Will Turner
Keira Knightley .... Elizabeth Swann

I'll keep the plot synopsis brief: After the Governer's daughter Elizabeth is kidnapped by the Pirate Captain Barbossa, Elizabeth's childhood friend Will Turner must team up with rogue pirate Jack Sparrow to save her. But these evil pirates have a secret: they're actually living dead skeletons, searching for the last pieces of stolen treasure that will free them from their curse.

Simple enough, but as written by Elliot & Rossio ("Shrek"), this is the first summer movie since "X2" and "Finding Nemo" to actually display a sharply drawn script, full of acerbic wit, deeply nuanced characters and fairly logistical plot twists. An immensely joyable adventure, even if it overstays its welcome with a 2 hour 15 minute running time. Bloom ("Lord of the Rings") and Knightley ("Bend it Like Beckham") are fine here, and normally Rush ("Shine") would presumably steal the show... but what Depp has created, in Captain Jack Sparrow, is nothing short of a revelation. His effiminate, swaggering, slurring, yet dashing pirate captain is a wholly original creation, embodied by one of our most underrated actors (who has said to have based the performance on Rolling Stone's guitarist Keith Richards, offering that pirates were the rock stars of their time). He delivers, simply, the first Oscar-worthy performance of the year -- although the Academy usually shuns this type of performance in this type of film -- and I knew instantly that I'd found my Halloween costume for this year, and maybe next. Ahoy, indeed.

And a big Happy 85th Birthday to Ingmar Bergman, one of the true visionaries. Make a wish, maestro.

Don't Look Now

2003-07-11T09:20:00.000-05:00

1973
Directed by Nicolas Roeg
Based on a story by Daphne Du Maurier
Cast:
Julie Christie .... Laura Baxter
Donald Sutherland .... John Baxter

This effectively creepy psychic chiller centers on Laura and John Baxter, who have recently relocated to Venice so that John can oversee the architectural restoration of an old church. Both hope that the change of environment will allow them to forget the recent tragic demise of their child, but they instead find themselves surrounded by reminders of death, as the city attempts to deal with a series of unexplained murders. The eeriness intensifies when they encounter a blind psychic and her eccentric sister, who promise to contact her daughter's spirit. Laura embraces the idea, but John remains skeptical until he experiences his own visions: fleeting glimpses of someone in a red coat similar to one that belonged to his daughter.

If any film could be called a "puzzle," this one certainly qualifies. The vastly underrated Roeg (Walkabout, The Man Who Fell to Earth), playing with time and perception, never goes for the quick scare, instead creating a creepiness that crawls under your skin and festers there. Very smartly edited and constructed, and notorious for the prolonged sex scene between the unmatchably beautiful Christie and, well, Sutherland. A forgotten classic that recently surfaced in a nice DVD edtion.

Capturing the Friedmans

2003-07-10T01:22:00.000-05:00

2003
Director: Andrew Jarecki
Featuring Arnold Friedman, David Friedman, Elaine Friedman and Jesse Friedman

This disturbing documentary is not so much about a man and his youngest son who are accused of more than 300 counts of sodomy and child molestation than it is a heartbreaking look at the disentegration of a family, and the snowballing effect of accusations when a small community is hit with an unbelievable crime. What makes this one of the most important documantaries possibly ever produced (along with Errol Morris' 1988 effort 'The Thin Blue Line,' which actually helped overturn a murder conviction in the shooting of a Dallas cop) is the fact that, during the accusations and subsequent trial, the family's breakdown was recorded on video by the oldest son. Its amazing the level of hate that can grow when the seeds are planted, eespcially between a mother and her own children. Some critics have complained that Jarecki's (the founder of MovieFone, btw) refusal to take a side in the guilt or innocence of Arnold and Jesse Friedman totally undermines the purpose of documentary filmmaking, but I think it makes this film even more haunting, because as an audience we're also undecided, throughout the entire length of the film and forever after. A true thinkpiece and, while not pleasant to watch, what filmmaking is all about: eliciting emotion.

Jesse's website: www.freejesse.net

Children of Paradise (Les Enfants du Paradis)

2003-07-09T09:58:00.000-05:00

1945
Dir: Marcel Carné
Writer: Jacques Prévert
Cast:
Arletty .... Garance/Claire Reine
Jean-Louis Barrault .... Baptiste Debureau
Pierre Brasseur .... Frédérick Lamaître

Set in the 19th century, this tragic tale centers around the ill-fated love between Baptiste, a theater mime, and Claire Reine, an actress and otherwise woman-about-town who calls herself Garance. Garance, in turn, is loved by three other men: Frederick, a pretentious actor; Lacenaire, a conniving thief; and Count Eduard of Monteray.

The idea of a 3-hour film about a mime might not exactly send you running to the video store, but given the chance this classic foreign effort lives up to its reputation as a wonderful love story and document of the times, as well as a revealing behind-the-scenes of 19th century theatre. Also noteworthy due to being filmed entirely during the German occupation of France.