Okay, I can sorta see why Owen Wilson slashed his wrist, but then again it wasn't THAT bad...
Owen Wilson ("You, Me and Dupree" and "Wedding Crashers") a street-smart scam artist who lives in the undergrowth by a freeway in Southern California, begging for handouts on an exit ramp.
Three hapless teenage boys are starting high school and want more than anything, to be seen as cool, with it, and acceptable. The school bully spots them as easy marks, they hire Wilson as their bodyguard and the story begins.
This formulaic drivel is written and produced by some folks who have made a fortune writing and producing formulaic drivel, Seth Rogan ("Superbad" and "Knocked Up") and Judd Apatow ("Forty-Year-Old Virgin" and "Anchorman"). Suffice it to say, this is no better and not much worse than usual.
2/27/08
2/26/08
Vantage Point
This movie has several things going for it:
- As portrayed by William Hurt ("A History of Violence" and "Tuck Everlasting"), the President of the United States ("POTUS") isn't a ninny...for a change...Whew!
- I always like Forest Whitaker ("The Last King of Scotland" and "The Great Debaters").
- Dennis Quaid ("The Parent Trap"-1998 and "Frequency") looks appropriately edgy; his character took a bullet for POTUS a year ago and he is just now back at work.
- For a welcome change, Sigourney Weaver ("Snow Cake" and "The TV Set") portrays a character who is highly focused and demanding, but not a conniving bitch!
- I enjoy seeing a situation from different points of view ("Vantage Points," get it?).
- I love arguing with movie critics; this is NOT a "Rashomon"-type movie because there are no conflicting stories, just the same story seen over and over but through different sets of eyes (and video equipment).
- I am in awe at the amount of digital technology that is brought into play in contemporary movies.
On the other hand...
- I HATE suicide bombers!
- Laughable coincidences...over and over and over and over...
- Implausible high-speed car chase...in narrow, crowded European city streets and sidewalks, yet! (But no fruit cart was damaged in THIS movie!)
- Quaid's character is 2008's Terminator...Indestructible! Explosions, gun shot wounds, car wrecks...and he just keeps going; he's a regular Energizer bunny.
- Too much (to quote my grandson James) "Blowie Uppie Stuff." (In all honesty, it is just the same two explosions, viewed five or six times apiece.)
- Claustrophobic camera work, extreme close ups, lots of loading of guns, passing of secret items, eyes disclosing each new epiphany as plots and counter-plots unfold.
- Betrayals by trusted individuals.
- Cold-blooded murders.
As happy endings go, this is as close as we can hope for these days, given current world politics and the single-minded determination of religious zealots.
2/23/08
Penelope
Well, THAT was a treat!
"Penelope" boasts a terrific cast:
This film has the right intentions, is suitable for teens, has wonderful production values, is populated by extremely capable actors and has a happy ending. Now come ON! What more can you want?
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
"Penelope" boasts a terrific cast:
- Christina Ricci ("Monster" and "Sleepy Hollow") is Penelope, the pig-faced girl, doomed by an old, old family curse that will doom her to seclusion until she "finds true love."
- James McAvoy ("Atonement" and "Starter for 10") is the semi-loser who is hired to obtain a picture of this reclusive heiress for a tabloid.
- Peter Dinklage ("Death at a Funeral" and "The Station Agent") is the tabloid journalist who wants the picture.
- Catherine O'Hara ("A Mighty Wind" and "Best in Show") is Penelope's frantic mother.
- Richard E. Grant ("Gosford Park" and "Colour Me Kubrick") is her befuddled father.
- Reese Witherspoon ("Sweethome, Alabama" and "Walk the Line") has a bit part as a messenger/delivery girl (on a Vespa) who befriends Penelope. She also serves as Executive Producer of the film.
This film has the right intentions, is suitable for teens, has wonderful production values, is populated by extremely capable actors and has a happy ending. Now come ON! What more can you want?
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
2/21/08
Definitely, Maybe
The first thing our hero does after his divorce papers are delivered to his office, is dash off to school to pick up his daughter. Problem is, this elementary school has just conducted its first sex education class, so some of the parents are irate, some of the children are traumatized and it initiates a father/daughter discussion that is notable for its blunt, clinical language which describes various body parts and functions. That said, let's talk about the movie.
Canadian Ryan Reynolds ("The In-Laws"-2003 and "Chaos Theory") is a father who has two days a week custody of his daughter, played by Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine" and "No Reservations"). Because of the sex ed class, their after-school walk to his New York apartment is laced with more and more searching questions from daughter to father which then prompt her to ask how he met her mother. Of course his version is filled with euphemisms and evasions, but she is pretty focused on learning what she wants to know, so after warning her that he will use fictitious names, he starts out, "Once upon a time..."
We then flash back eleven or twelve years earlier where we are treated to the New York State primary election campaign of Bill Clinton as the Democrat candidate for President, the evolution of cell phones into common usage, the arrival (and departure) of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, news clips ("I did not have sexual relations with that woman"), pro- political chats, anti-political chats, and the usual ups and downs in the whole mating game of young adults. Actually, Kevin Kline ("Life as a House" and "A Prairie Home Companion") plays a not-so-young adult who is also playing the same game, but that's another story...
The three major players in this fellow's game are portrayed by Elizabeth Banks ("Seabiscuit" and "Spiderman, 1 & 2"), Isla Fisher ("Wedding Crashers" and "The Lookout"), and Rachel Weisz ("About a Boy," and "The Fountain"). His best friend is played by Derek Luke ("Friday Night Lights" and "Glory Road").
Of course Abigail Breslin is wonderful as the curious little girl and Ryan Reynolds is certainly acceptable as her father and as a lovelorn swain... when he can figure out which woman he currently loves.
I enjoyed the trips down memory lane as much as the flimsy story. Everyone is attractive, New York is photogenic, we are treated to pleasant, humorous dialogue and all in all, I had a nice time.
Canadian Ryan Reynolds ("The In-Laws"-2003 and "Chaos Theory") is a father who has two days a week custody of his daughter, played by Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine" and "No Reservations"). Because of the sex ed class, their after-school walk to his New York apartment is laced with more and more searching questions from daughter to father which then prompt her to ask how he met her mother. Of course his version is filled with euphemisms and evasions, but she is pretty focused on learning what she wants to know, so after warning her that he will use fictitious names, he starts out, "Once upon a time..."
We then flash back eleven or twelve years earlier where we are treated to the New York State primary election campaign of Bill Clinton as the Democrat candidate for President, the evolution of cell phones into common usage, the arrival (and departure) of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, news clips ("I did not have sexual relations with that woman"), pro- political chats, anti-political chats, and the usual ups and downs in the whole mating game of young adults. Actually, Kevin Kline ("Life as a House" and "A Prairie Home Companion") plays a not-so-young adult who is also playing the same game, but that's another story...
The three major players in this fellow's game are portrayed by Elizabeth Banks ("Seabiscuit" and "Spiderman, 1 & 2"), Isla Fisher ("Wedding Crashers" and "The Lookout"), and Rachel Weisz ("About a Boy," and "The Fountain"). His best friend is played by Derek Luke ("Friday Night Lights" and "Glory Road").
Of course Abigail Breslin is wonderful as the curious little girl and Ryan Reynolds is certainly acceptable as her father and as a lovelorn swain... when he can figure out which woman he currently loves.
I enjoyed the trips down memory lane as much as the flimsy story. Everyone is attractive, New York is photogenic, we are treated to pleasant, humorous dialogue and all in all, I had a nice time.
2/18/08
Persepolis
Persepolis was a city so ancient, that it was already old when Alexander the Great burned it to the ground to celebrate his victory over its people, who had been called "Persians." This is an obvious reference to modern-day Iran, or as some old-timers still call it, "Persia."
Marjane Satrapi was born during the reign of the last Shah of Iran, whose family was put in power by European and American interests seventy years earlier as petroleum became of world concern. Her story encompasses the past 90 years of Iranian history, filters it through her own experiences and puts a little girl's all-too-human face on it. She published two "graphic novels" depicting her life and times. They have been adapted to the big screen, keeping the black and white art work, using moderately primitive cartoons which nevertheless effectively convey the emotions and events as they unfold. She lives in Paris these days, consequently the dialog is in French. Hoorah!!! Captions!!!
Although I expected an unremittingly grim tale of oppression and revolution, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the little girl whose story we are witnessing is a smart, rebellious little imp. She is an only child, catered to and overindulged by her doting parents. Her grandmother, on the other hand, tends to tell her unvarnished truths, sometimes using blunt four-letter words. Naturally, she adores her grandmother! Just watching various episodes from her childhood we found ourselves laughing out loud numerous times.
You see her enjoying her little chums, loving her Nike shoes, shopping for Michael Jackson CDs on the black market and rejecting "Abba" and the "Bee Gees" as "too corny!" She is worldly, funny and prone to adopt every political fad that seems to waft into her personal radius. Several members of her family are politically active and are punished. The family is convinced that replacing the Shah will increase the democracy they already enjoy. (Yes, there are acts of brutality, but for hundreds of years, Middle Eastern populations have been so inured to prison, torture and injustice, in this movie they seem to accept a certain amount of it as common practice.)
When the government of the Ayatollah Khomeini makes schooling in Tehran too dangerous for this outspoken little girl, her parents tearfully send her to live with an aunt in Vienna. She is booted out of there in short order because she is no more pliable in Austria than she was in Iran. Obviously she has behavior problems and is shuttled from pillar to post. In the meantime she is maturing and absorbing new and more radical political points of view....
Funny items jump out on a regular basis, e.g., a husband is watching TV while his wife is searching for her car keys; there is no doubt that he is watching an Arnold Schwarzenegger film!
This movie is informative, entertaining and highly involving. My thanks to my CPA, who, along with doing my taxes every year, also supplies movie tips.
Marjane Satrapi was born during the reign of the last Shah of Iran, whose family was put in power by European and American interests seventy years earlier as petroleum became of world concern. Her story encompasses the past 90 years of Iranian history, filters it through her own experiences and puts a little girl's all-too-human face on it. She published two "graphic novels" depicting her life and times. They have been adapted to the big screen, keeping the black and white art work, using moderately primitive cartoons which nevertheless effectively convey the emotions and events as they unfold. She lives in Paris these days, consequently the dialog is in French. Hoorah!!! Captions!!!
Although I expected an unremittingly grim tale of oppression and revolution, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the little girl whose story we are witnessing is a smart, rebellious little imp. She is an only child, catered to and overindulged by her doting parents. Her grandmother, on the other hand, tends to tell her unvarnished truths, sometimes using blunt four-letter words. Naturally, she adores her grandmother! Just watching various episodes from her childhood we found ourselves laughing out loud numerous times.
You see her enjoying her little chums, loving her Nike shoes, shopping for Michael Jackson CDs on the black market and rejecting "Abba" and the "Bee Gees" as "too corny!" She is worldly, funny and prone to adopt every political fad that seems to waft into her personal radius. Several members of her family are politically active and are punished. The family is convinced that replacing the Shah will increase the democracy they already enjoy. (Yes, there are acts of brutality, but for hundreds of years, Middle Eastern populations have been so inured to prison, torture and injustice, in this movie they seem to accept a certain amount of it as common practice.)
When the government of the Ayatollah Khomeini makes schooling in Tehran too dangerous for this outspoken little girl, her parents tearfully send her to live with an aunt in Vienna. She is booted out of there in short order because she is no more pliable in Austria than she was in Iran. Obviously she has behavior problems and is shuttled from pillar to post. In the meantime she is maturing and absorbing new and more radical political points of view....
Funny items jump out on a regular basis, e.g., a husband is watching TV while his wife is searching for her car keys; there is no doubt that he is watching an Arnold Schwarzenegger film!
This movie is informative, entertaining and highly involving. My thanks to my CPA, who, along with doing my taxes every year, also supplies movie tips.
2/16/08
12:08 East of Bucharest
In 1989, the totalitarian regime of Romanian dictator Nicolas Ceausescu fell (at 12:08 PM). Sixteen years later, a local Bucharest television talk-show host, desperate for a topic for his daily feature, decides to commemorate the event by interviewing a couple of the citizens who were there ...maybe... History has a strange way of modifying itself to suit the current needs of the participants, and one of these fellows in particular, a hard-drinking, debt-ridden school teacher, seems to remember that he and his friends led the way. The talk-show host is trying to ascertain whether or not there was a local "revolution" or simply a demonstration of citizens in the town square AFTER the fact. A couple of the call-in guests challenge the school teacher's version.
This is a deadpan, hilarious character study of the three main characters, their personalities, their families, their weaknesses and, of course, their awkward appearance on the show. I loved the amateurish camera work, the attempts on the part of the would-be investigative reporter to "get at the truth," the call-in guests, and watching the older fellow, an impish retired widower who plays Santa for the local children, idly folding sheets of paper into hats, boats, or whatever, as he deals with the boredom of sitting there listening to the other two yammer on and on.
You won't recognize any of the faces, which makes it seem more like a documentary than a scripted movie. Everything about this situation seems authentic: the people, the settings, and most of all, the character flaws. I laughed out loud.
This DVD is available in some libraries and in catalogs; I'm not sure about Netflix or Blockbuster.
This is a deadpan, hilarious character study of the three main characters, their personalities, their families, their weaknesses and, of course, their awkward appearance on the show. I loved the amateurish camera work, the attempts on the part of the would-be investigative reporter to "get at the truth," the call-in guests, and watching the older fellow, an impish retired widower who plays Santa for the local children, idly folding sheets of paper into hats, boats, or whatever, as he deals with the boredom of sitting there listening to the other two yammer on and on.
You won't recognize any of the faces, which makes it seem more like a documentary than a scripted movie. Everything about this situation seems authentic: the people, the settings, and most of all, the character flaws. I laughed out loud.
This DVD is available in some libraries and in catalogs; I'm not sure about Netflix or Blockbuster.
2/14/08
East Bank Story
Thanks to my sharp-eyed friend in Sweden, I just had a delightful time viewing an excerpt from the 2006 DVD collection of Academy Award Nominated Short Films. The one I giggled my way through this morning, "East Bank Story," starts out as an obvious homage to "West Side Story," complete with snapping fingers and potential gang warfare. Only it's between the Arabs and the Jews, not the Sharks and the Jets. You also will recognize other references; "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Yentl" most immediately come to mind.
Two family-operated franchises sit side by side, "The Hummus Hut" and "Kosher King." I know you can figure it out! As they introduce their family members (in song!), all have ethnically oriented names except one, an Arab called Bruce, who later on insists on adding little paper umbrellas to the Molotov Cocktails! This is unashamed, unadorned, unabashed, politically incorrect self-mockery.
For example: When the Kosher King Jews threaten to build a wall surrounding the Hummus Hut, the Arabs laugh because they KNOW you never find Jews in Construction! And the guards almost shoot our heroine when they mistake "Hummus" for "Hamas" and think she is carrying a bomb in that little paper bag instead of someone's lunch.
Of course our star-crossed lovers are self explanatory... He even climbs a ladder to her balcony and sings a sappy song. (He had advised her beforehand -- verbatim -- that was his plan!)
This is funny from beginning to end. Although it features no one you would ever recognize, familiar ethnic stereotypes abound. Even the final line of dialog is funny!
Two family-operated franchises sit side by side, "The Hummus Hut" and "Kosher King." I know you can figure it out! As they introduce their family members (in song!), all have ethnically oriented names except one, an Arab called Bruce, who later on insists on adding little paper umbrellas to the Molotov Cocktails! This is unashamed, unadorned, unabashed, politically incorrect self-mockery.
For example: When the Kosher King Jews threaten to build a wall surrounding the Hummus Hut, the Arabs laugh because they KNOW you never find Jews in Construction! And the guards almost shoot our heroine when they mistake "Hummus" for "Hamas" and think she is carrying a bomb in that little paper bag instead of someone's lunch.
Of course our star-crossed lovers are self explanatory... He even climbs a ladder to her balcony and sings a sappy song. (He had advised her beforehand -- verbatim -- that was his plan!)
This is funny from beginning to end. Although it features no one you would ever recognize, familiar ethnic stereotypes abound. Even the final line of dialog is funny!
2/12/08
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Two Freddie Highmores ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "August Rush") for the price of one, because he plays twins with totally different personalities. That can't be all bad. And once again, he proves he is a highly capable actor, along with being cute as a button. This time they don't play up "cute" but his intelligence shines through his eyes... and not a hint of a British accent!
This is a composite of live action and Computer Generated Imaging in which they are trying to gross out the ten-year-olds. There are generous globs of slime when necessary and properly hideous critters threatening the twin boys and their slightly older sister, played by Sarah Bolger ("Premonition" and "Tara Road") According to the eight- or nine-year- old girl who sat next to me, "They changed the books," and she wasn't overly thrilled to see the changes but her eyes were riveted to the screen every second of the movie. There were a lot of children in the audience so I'm sure this series is extremely popular.
You will see and hear many familiar faces and/or voices:
This is a composite of live action and Computer Generated Imaging in which they are trying to gross out the ten-year-olds. There are generous globs of slime when necessary and properly hideous critters threatening the twin boys and their slightly older sister, played by Sarah Bolger ("Premonition" and "Tara Road") According to the eight- or nine-year- old girl who sat next to me, "They changed the books," and she wasn't overly thrilled to see the changes but her eyes were riveted to the screen every second of the movie. There were a lot of children in the audience so I'm sure this series is extremely popular.
You will see and hear many familiar faces and/or voices:
- Mary-Louise Parker ("Fried Green Tomatoes" and "Weeds" on TV) is featured as the youngsters' over-stressed, soon-to-be- divorced mother.
- Nick Nolte (most notorious is his LAPD drunk driving mug shot! ...although he has been working for decades) is the head monster.
- Joan Plowright ("Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont" and "Tea With Mussolini") plays their great grand-aunt who has been declared insane and institutionalized most of her life because as a child, she saw goblins, fairies and elves.
- David Strathairn ("The Bourne Ultimatum" and "Good Night and Good Luck") is the researcher who inadvertently puts all the critters into play.
- Martin Short ("Three Fugitives" and "Jiminy Glick in Lala- wood") voices a house elf who speaks in rhymes.
- Seth Rogan ("Superbad" and "Knocked Up") is the comic relief, "Hogsqueal."
This is a joint production with Nickelodeon as one of the principal producers, so you KNOW they understand what kids respond to. If you are feeling a little unsure of yourself, go with a child. You will be safe...
2/7/08
Fool's Gold
Of course this is a romantic comedy, so any expectations to the contrary should be discarded right now. Matthew McConaughey ("Sahara" and "A Time to Kill") rarely wears a shirt in real life, so this role as a treasure- hunting beach bum is right down his alley. Kate Hudson ("You, Me and Dupree" and "Raising Helen") has had lots of practice being the exas- perated but level-headed partner in a number of films, and this one is certainly no different.
When our story starts, she is minutes from a final divorce decree, while he is deep-sea diving off a nearby island, looking for a lost treasure. Because his character is, in my opinion, a dimwit, his equipment has been badly maintained, consequently the boat he is using catches fire, blows up and sinks, all without him noticing.
She has been granted ownership of the boat in the divorce decree but since it no longer exists, she can't sell it and go back to school for her PhD. As a result she continues her job as a ship's steward for a wealthy British chap, played by Donald Sutherland ("The Italian Job," "Reign Over Me," and "Fierce People"), who, despite being Canadian, sports at least the WORST British accent I have heard in a long time! Maybe he was trying for too "posh," but it was dreadful!
His twit of a daughter is played by Alexis Dziena ("Havoc" and "Pizza" - nope, I haven't heard of them, either...), while one of the numerous bad guys is played by Ray Winstone ("Beowolf" and "Cold Mountain"). No, he isn't nearly as hunky in real life as they made him with the motion-capture technique when he was the lead in "Beowolf!"
This movie has lots more physical threats than a standard romantic comedy, more slapstick shtick than a mainstream film, but too much marriage-oriented talk for an action movie. The director, Andy Tennant ("Hitch" and "Sweethome, Alabama") surprised me, because there is a LOT of underwater action, speedboat stuff and a seaplane for good measure. I DID like it when the two leads find themselves alone in the runaway plane. Right after he tells her he doesn't know how to fly, he does a quick run-through of all the necessary gauges in the cockpit. She asks him how he knew what to check and he grins, "Play Station!" Made ME laugh! That should give you some idea...
When our story starts, she is minutes from a final divorce decree, while he is deep-sea diving off a nearby island, looking for a lost treasure. Because his character is, in my opinion, a dimwit, his equipment has been badly maintained, consequently the boat he is using catches fire, blows up and sinks, all without him noticing.
She has been granted ownership of the boat in the divorce decree but since it no longer exists, she can't sell it and go back to school for her PhD. As a result she continues her job as a ship's steward for a wealthy British chap, played by Donald Sutherland ("The Italian Job," "Reign Over Me," and "Fierce People"), who, despite being Canadian, sports at least the WORST British accent I have heard in a long time! Maybe he was trying for too "posh," but it was dreadful!
His twit of a daughter is played by Alexis Dziena ("Havoc" and "Pizza" - nope, I haven't heard of them, either...), while one of the numerous bad guys is played by Ray Winstone ("Beowolf" and "Cold Mountain"). No, he isn't nearly as hunky in real life as they made him with the motion-capture technique when he was the lead in "Beowolf!"
This movie has lots more physical threats than a standard romantic comedy, more slapstick shtick than a mainstream film, but too much marriage-oriented talk for an action movie. The director, Andy Tennant ("Hitch" and "Sweethome, Alabama") surprised me, because there is a LOT of underwater action, speedboat stuff and a seaplane for good measure. I DID like it when the two leads find themselves alone in the runaway plane. Right after he tells her he doesn't know how to fly, he does a quick run-through of all the necessary gauges in the cockpit. She asks him how he knew what to check and he grins, "Play Station!" Made ME laugh! That should give you some idea...
2/6/08
Iris
Now that my wonderful friend Jan Bramlett has been laid safely to rest, I have finally summoned up the courage to watch "Iris," the definitive 2001 version (several have been made) that depicts the life and death of Iris Murdoch, the acclaimed British author.
Both of the actresses who portrayed this free-spirited intellectual, Kate Winslet ("Little Children" and "Finding Neverland") and Dame Judi Dench ("Ladies in Lavender" and "Casino Royale") were nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award that year, although neither won.
On the other hand, Jim Broadbent ("Vanity Fair" and "Bridget Jones' Diary") richly deserved his Best Supporting Actor statuette! As in real life, the major impact of Alzheimer's disease is on the family, not on the patient. Broadbent shows in heart-breaking detail the effects of the housekeeping burdens, the unspoken stress, the never-ending vigilance, the scattered thinking and ultimately the deterioration of his very life, as he nurses his beloved wife to her final days. She can't be trusted in the kitchen or she will set things on fire. She can't be trusted alone in the front room or she will go out and walk amid heavy traffic. She sometimes thinks he's a stranger and other times she thinks he's an enemy.
Dench is particularly effective for someone like me who has seen this disease first hand: she captures the confusion, the defiance, the fear, the juvenile responses, the tilt of the head, the flash of the eyes, the set of the chin which signals the increasing silence until no words are spoken at all. What a tragedy when Murdoch made her living from words!
Winslet shows us what an untamed young woman Iris was when she captivated young John Bayley during their college days. You see many scenes of their young adulthood together. He is always striving to measure up to her standards and she toys with him to the point you aren't sure if she is serious about him or not. Perhaps that was a through-line in their marriage...I don't know.
Suffice it to say, this is probably the most true-to-life depiction you will ever see of Alzheimer's disease and its effects on the patient and the family. It truly is "The Long Goodbye."
Both of the actresses who portrayed this free-spirited intellectual, Kate Winslet ("Little Children" and "Finding Neverland") and Dame Judi Dench ("Ladies in Lavender" and "Casino Royale") were nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award that year, although neither won.
On the other hand, Jim Broadbent ("Vanity Fair" and "Bridget Jones' Diary") richly deserved his Best Supporting Actor statuette! As in real life, the major impact of Alzheimer's disease is on the family, not on the patient. Broadbent shows in heart-breaking detail the effects of the housekeeping burdens, the unspoken stress, the never-ending vigilance, the scattered thinking and ultimately the deterioration of his very life, as he nurses his beloved wife to her final days. She can't be trusted in the kitchen or she will set things on fire. She can't be trusted alone in the front room or she will go out and walk amid heavy traffic. She sometimes thinks he's a stranger and other times she thinks he's an enemy.
Dench is particularly effective for someone like me who has seen this disease first hand: she captures the confusion, the defiance, the fear, the juvenile responses, the tilt of the head, the flash of the eyes, the set of the chin which signals the increasing silence until no words are spoken at all. What a tragedy when Murdoch made her living from words!
Winslet shows us what an untamed young woman Iris was when she captivated young John Bayley during their college days. You see many scenes of their young adulthood together. He is always striving to measure up to her standards and she toys with him to the point you aren't sure if she is serious about him or not. Perhaps that was a through-line in their marriage...I don't know.
Suffice it to say, this is probably the most true-to-life depiction you will ever see of Alzheimer's disease and its effects on the patient and the family. It truly is "The Long Goodbye."
2/2/08
The Bucket List
Based on the dismal reviews, this was better than I expected, but still not up to snuff. I KNOW Director Rob Reiner ("The Princess Bride" and "When Harry Met Sally") can do better. The best thing about this movie --and this is no surprise -- was Morgan Freeman ("The Shawshank Redemption" and "Nurse Betty"). Even HE jokes during interviews about the word "gravitas" which is linked to his name and reputation, but some day they WILL give him a telephone directory to read and I'll show up, ticket money in hand...
The blame for the sappy script should be placed squarely on the shoulders of screenwriter Justin Zackham, but he has a fairly limited resume so far, maybe there is hope for future work from him.
As expected, Jack Nicholson ("About Schmidt" and "The Departed") slides by with yet another parody of himself: old, rich and horny.
The beginning and the end of this movie contain more than we want to know about terminal illness, hospitals and chemotherapy. The middle is what I call "A Depression Movie." During the Great Depression, Hollywood realized that people who were desperately poor took great satisfaction in watching fabulously wealthy people live in extravagant homes, travel in luxurious comfort and yet fail to achieve inner happiness.
Of course the list is an itemization of things they should do before they "kick the bucket." Nicholson's wealth makes it possible: Freeman's wisdom makes it valuable.
In my opinion, these two duffers spend far too much time philosophizing about whether or not there is a God. The part I DID like about this movie was that Freeman's character was a frustrated history student and trivia buff, so interesting facts and unusual tidbits came in a constant stream... In addition, BOTH characters were inveterate readers, so I found myself peeking to see what book each was carrying in every scene.
I can't give this an enthusiastic thumbs up, but if you are really, really bored...
The blame for the sappy script should be placed squarely on the shoulders of screenwriter Justin Zackham, but he has a fairly limited resume so far, maybe there is hope for future work from him.
As expected, Jack Nicholson ("About Schmidt" and "The Departed") slides by with yet another parody of himself: old, rich and horny.
The beginning and the end of this movie contain more than we want to know about terminal illness, hospitals and chemotherapy. The middle is what I call "A Depression Movie." During the Great Depression, Hollywood realized that people who were desperately poor took great satisfaction in watching fabulously wealthy people live in extravagant homes, travel in luxurious comfort and yet fail to achieve inner happiness.
Of course the list is an itemization of things they should do before they "kick the bucket." Nicholson's wealth makes it possible: Freeman's wisdom makes it valuable.
In my opinion, these two duffers spend far too much time philosophizing about whether or not there is a God. The part I DID like about this movie was that Freeman's character was a frustrated history student and trivia buff, so interesting facts and unusual tidbits came in a constant stream... In addition, BOTH characters were inveterate readers, so I found myself peeking to see what book each was carrying in every scene.
I can't give this an enthusiastic thumbs up, but if you are really, really bored...
There Will Be Blood
This is a big, sprawling epic that explores the beginnings of the petroleum industry in the United States, particularly in the American West, right after the turn of the 20th century. It starts with about 15 minutes of virtual silence, showing Daniel Plainview, played by Daniel Day-Lewis ("My Left Foot," "A Room With a View," "The Crucible" and "Gangs of New York") working with solitary determination in a small silver mine in New Mexico. Despite injuries and setbacks, he blunders into his first oil strike. The next montage illustrates his growing successes, with a small crew and additional wells. You can't help but anticipate the horrific accidents and do a little tip of the hat to OSHA as you see them. (The story is based -- loosely -- on an old Upton Sinclair story, "Oil.")
By the time Daniel is traveling to California, lured by a young man who promises him oil on his family's otherwise worthless property, Daniel commands some wealth and can invest in what should be a huge step toward financial security. H.W., Daniel's little boy, is the silent observer to Plainview's actions, both good and bad.
This is pretty much a one-man show, with Daniel Day-Lewis once again showing his mastery of accents, attitudes and physical characteristics, e.g., he breaks his leg early on, and as he ages, the leg gives him some trouble. It is never enough that he makes a point of it, he just walks like an older man who is a little stiff when he first gets up from a chair, etc... The man is very, very good!
The other actor worthy of note is Paul Dano ("The Ballad of Jack and Rose" and "Little Miss Sunshine") who plays Eli Sunday, the young man who lured Plainview to California in the first place. Sunday's sole intent was to help his hard-scrabble community grow, so his tiny church could benefit. Dano and Day-Lewis do some notably lengthy scenes in single takes that are impressive. Both are highly capable actors and the writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson ("Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia") is more than willing to show off their abilities.
This movie isn't nearly as bloody as the title would have you believe, as a mater of fact, the title is taken from an Old Testament verse that the charismatic preacher quotes. He and Plainview have an on-going rivalry that becomes an obsession with both of them...so make no mistake, there IS blood!
This movie was NOT fun! Daniel Day-Lewis never stars in movies that are fun...but he relishes his chance to play a Tom Selleck look-alike, and does it well. He has a top-notch supporting cast, wonderful locations, terrific cinematography and an involving script...but it is NOT fun!
By the time Daniel is traveling to California, lured by a young man who promises him oil on his family's otherwise worthless property, Daniel commands some wealth and can invest in what should be a huge step toward financial security. H.W., Daniel's little boy, is the silent observer to Plainview's actions, both good and bad.
This is pretty much a one-man show, with Daniel Day-Lewis once again showing his mastery of accents, attitudes and physical characteristics, e.g., he breaks his leg early on, and as he ages, the leg gives him some trouble. It is never enough that he makes a point of it, he just walks like an older man who is a little stiff when he first gets up from a chair, etc... The man is very, very good!
The other actor worthy of note is Paul Dano ("The Ballad of Jack and Rose" and "Little Miss Sunshine") who plays Eli Sunday, the young man who lured Plainview to California in the first place. Sunday's sole intent was to help his hard-scrabble community grow, so his tiny church could benefit. Dano and Day-Lewis do some notably lengthy scenes in single takes that are impressive. Both are highly capable actors and the writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson ("Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia") is more than willing to show off their abilities.
This movie isn't nearly as bloody as the title would have you believe, as a mater of fact, the title is taken from an Old Testament verse that the charismatic preacher quotes. He and Plainview have an on-going rivalry that becomes an obsession with both of them...so make no mistake, there IS blood!
This movie was NOT fun! Daniel Day-Lewis never stars in movies that are fun...but he relishes his chance to play a Tom Selleck look-alike, and does it well. He has a top-notch supporting cast, wonderful locations, terrific cinematography and an involving script...but it is NOT fun!
Come Early Morning
If you haven't seen this 2006 release, you might want to see if Netflix has it available. I am always in awe of Ashley Judd ("Double Jeopardy" and "De-Lovely") in her willingness to work without glamorous clothes, attractive settings, pleasing personalities, etc. She's just a plain ol' country gal who drinks too much, sleeps around too much and generally has a rotten reputation. She manages to keep a pretty good job, so at least her bills don't seem to be a problem, and she also manages to care for at least three elderly relatives who need her to run errands, provide rides to the graveyard and generally help out.
Her character Lucy, lives with a sister named Kim, played by Laura Prepon (TV's "That 70s Show") who bears an uncanny resemblance to Claire Danes in this movie. Tim Blake Nelson ("Two Brothers and a Bride" and "O, Brother Where Art Thou?") plays her uncle in a brief, but key scene.
One night in a bar, she meets a fellow named Cal, played by Jeffrey Donovan ("Sleepers" and TVs "Burn Notice"). You get to watch her fumble her way toward a more normal life, although she is not quite sure what that is suppose to look like. I liked her reaction to the whole "gigging for frogs" bit, after which they cooked and ate them. Once again, you see her eating, crying, and generally behaving in a totally non-movie star sort of way. I really like that. I think she must be a pretty good sport!
Her character Lucy, lives with a sister named Kim, played by Laura Prepon (TV's "That 70s Show") who bears an uncanny resemblance to Claire Danes in this movie. Tim Blake Nelson ("Two Brothers and a Bride" and "O, Brother Where Art Thou?") plays her uncle in a brief, but key scene.
One night in a bar, she meets a fellow named Cal, played by Jeffrey Donovan ("Sleepers" and TVs "Burn Notice"). You get to watch her fumble her way toward a more normal life, although she is not quite sure what that is suppose to look like. I liked her reaction to the whole "gigging for frogs" bit, after which they cooked and ate them. Once again, you see her eating, crying, and generally behaving in a totally non-movie star sort of way. I really like that. I think she must be a pretty good sport!
The Italian
Some of you have asked me to pay particular attention to foreign films available on DVD. This one is a dandy.
At least half of the action takes place in a Russian orphanage where you can see the dynamics of survival there. The children seem to be employed in various tasks, although the older girls seem to split child care, domestic chores and hooking equally. The older boys are the taskmasters. They do maintenance, run errands, and they have a thriving graft situation, extorting money from the younger children, although, truth be told, they are reasonably fair about it... Tough, but fair.
An attractive Italian couple has agreed to adopt a bright little six-year-old boy named Vanya, although during the waiting period while the onerous paperwork is being processed, the rest of the children begin to call him "Italian." Evidently the woman who has engineered the adoption has been advanced a generous finder's fee.
Vanya becomes convinced that he must find his birth mother before he is sent to Italy and is given a new name, as that would make him impossible to find if she ever changes her mind. This is a very determined, resourceful little boy!
The story is involving, the children are wonderful, and you have never seen any of the faces before, so you are convinced you are actually watching a real story unfold! (...although he does learn to read with amazing speed!)
I highly recommend it!
Note: I was unable to check this out of a library. Surely rental catalogs like Netflix and Blockbuster must carry it. This 2005 Russian film arrived in the U.S. in 2007.
At least half of the action takes place in a Russian orphanage where you can see the dynamics of survival there. The children seem to be employed in various tasks, although the older girls seem to split child care, domestic chores and hooking equally. The older boys are the taskmasters. They do maintenance, run errands, and they have a thriving graft situation, extorting money from the younger children, although, truth be told, they are reasonably fair about it... Tough, but fair.
An attractive Italian couple has agreed to adopt a bright little six-year-old boy named Vanya, although during the waiting period while the onerous paperwork is being processed, the rest of the children begin to call him "Italian." Evidently the woman who has engineered the adoption has been advanced a generous finder's fee.
Vanya becomes convinced that he must find his birth mother before he is sent to Italy and is given a new name, as that would make him impossible to find if she ever changes her mind. This is a very determined, resourceful little boy!
The story is involving, the children are wonderful, and you have never seen any of the faces before, so you are convinced you are actually watching a real story unfold! (...although he does learn to read with amazing speed!)
I highly recommend it!
Note: I was unable to check this out of a library. Surely rental catalogs like Netflix and Blockbuster must carry it. This 2005 Russian film arrived in the U.S. in 2007.
Atonement
Ooohhh, I DID so want to like this one! It has a star-spangled pedigree; book, screenwriter, director, principal actors, etc., why am I not happier with it? For one thing, without captions, it was well nigh impossible to make out what they were saying. For another, the lives of the privileged classes can become tiresome, particularly when the privileged folks are oblivious to their good fortune. For another, this was one of those films that persists in jumping back and forth in time. All of the characters are very earnest, very understated, very self-contained, but it takes very little to see that 12-year-old Briany Tallis is seething with incipient sexual feelings that she doesn't understand.
All of that being said, this sad, beautiful film is a terrific commentary on Truth. By chance, Briany sees two lovers in a passionate, almost violent, embrace. Naturally, from her youthful point of view, it is terrifying and she misinterprets what she has seen. This causes her to tell a lie a little later. That simple lie disrupts three lives beyond atonement.
Saiorse Ronan (you say it, I can't) is the actress who plays the youngest version of Briany. She is absolutely wonderful. Her walk alone, completely defines her character. She is focused, assertive, ambitious and a major busybody. This young girl is currently filming "The Lovely Bones," so clearly, she is going places.
The masculine half of that passionate embrace is played by James McAvoy ("The Last King of Scotland," "The Chronicles of Narnia" - he was the faun - and "Becoming Jane") who has never been more appealing. Brenda Blethyn ("Little Voice" and "Undertaking Betty") is his mother, a housemaid for the wealthy family.
The feminine half of that same embrace is played by Keira Knightley ("Pride and Prejudice" - 2005 - and "Pirates of the Caribbean") who has come a long way from her tomboy role in "Bend it Like Beckham." She is Cecilia Tallis, the older of the two daughters in that wealthy family. I'm a little iffy about her acting abilities, but clearly the director Joe Wright, who worked with her in "Pride and Prejudice," has no doubts.
The film takes you into WWII France at Dunkirk, and all the horrors of WWII hospitals where the grown versions of Briany and Cecilia both toil. Vanessa Redgrave plays the elderly Briany in the denouement, at which time you will come to understand some of the jumping back and forth and the sometimes conflicting scenes you witnessed.
If you have any trouble hearing dialog AT ALL, make a note to order the DVD as soon as it comes out because you WILL need the captions.
All of that being said, this sad, beautiful film is a terrific commentary on Truth. By chance, Briany sees two lovers in a passionate, almost violent, embrace. Naturally, from her youthful point of view, it is terrifying and she misinterprets what she has seen. This causes her to tell a lie a little later. That simple lie disrupts three lives beyond atonement.
Saiorse Ronan (you say it, I can't) is the actress who plays the youngest version of Briany. She is absolutely wonderful. Her walk alone, completely defines her character. She is focused, assertive, ambitious and a major busybody. This young girl is currently filming "The Lovely Bones," so clearly, she is going places.
The masculine half of that passionate embrace is played by James McAvoy ("The Last King of Scotland," "The Chronicles of Narnia" - he was the faun - and "Becoming Jane") who has never been more appealing. Brenda Blethyn ("Little Voice" and "Undertaking Betty") is his mother, a housemaid for the wealthy family.
The feminine half of that same embrace is played by Keira Knightley ("Pride and Prejudice" - 2005 - and "Pirates of the Caribbean") who has come a long way from her tomboy role in "Bend it Like Beckham." She is Cecilia Tallis, the older of the two daughters in that wealthy family. I'm a little iffy about her acting abilities, but clearly the director Joe Wright, who worked with her in "Pride and Prejudice," has no doubts.
The film takes you into WWII France at Dunkirk, and all the horrors of WWII hospitals where the grown versions of Briany and Cecilia both toil. Vanessa Redgrave plays the elderly Briany in the denouement, at which time you will come to understand some of the jumping back and forth and the sometimes conflicting scenes you witnessed.
If you have any trouble hearing dialog AT ALL, make a note to order the DVD as soon as it comes out because you WILL need the captions.
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