Days of Wine and Roses

Genre: psychological drama
With: Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Charles Bickford
Director: Blake Edwards
Release: 1962
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, Jalem Productions – Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.2/10


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Story-line: Joe Clay, a PR man, meets (and insults) a pretty lady named Kirsten Arneson. As luck would have it, they soon fall for each other… but their love comes with a strong smell of alcohol.
Pluses: fine acting, a mature script.
Minuses: none really.
Comments: over the years, Hollywood has produced several films about alcoholism and this one is particularly vivid. A strong directorial turn for Blake Edwards, whose career not only included Pink Panther movies but also heftier entries like this one and BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S.


MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

Storytelling

Genre: comedy drama
Director: Todd Solondz
Release: 2001
Studio: Killer Films, Good Machine – Fine Line Features
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.6/10


There’s Nothing Wrong With Self-indulgence… Once In A While


STORYTELLING recounts not one, but two tragicomic stories. In FICTION, a literature student named Vi (Selma Blair) finds herself in a quandary after her breakup with fellow student Marcus (Leo Fitzpatrick). With Robert Wisdom as Mr. Scott. In NON-FICTION, amateur filmmaker Toby Oxman (Paul Giamatti) chooses slacker Scooby Livingston (Mark Webber) as his main subject for a documentary on today’s teenagers and the school system. With John Goodman and Julie Hagerty (Marty and Fern, Scooby’s parents), Noah Fleiss and Jonathan Osser (Brady and Mikey, his brothers) and Lupe Ontiveros (Consuelo, the family maid).

For a would-be reviewer like myself, STORYTELLING presents a veritable challenge. On the one hand, I could easily give away its punchline if my comments are too explicit. On the other, I have no way of guessing what reactions it will elicit from individual viewers because it is both unpredictable in its flow and highly personal in its impact. Nevertheless, you do deserve some form of guidance so here it is, as circuitous as it seems. You should enjoy Todd Solondz’ strange trip of a movie if you’re in the mood for a dark and cynical ride; otherwise, you may be better off not seeing it.

FICTION, the first story, is a brief but jolting watch, much like an electroshock. Life will deal one cruel blow to young Vi – in an almost unbearable chain of events – and it’s a safe bet that you will squirm in your seat while witnessing her plight. NON-FICTION develops at a slower pace but in similar fashion, with a few nasty surprises for its characters and another one just for you, the hapless onlooker. Technically speaking, I found no faults in either story – both are competently told, played and crafted – and I certainly won’t deny Todd Solondz’ brilliance as a director. Unfortunately, his film feels more like a pet project than a full-fledged cinematic effort and, for this reason, I cannot rate it as highly as HAPPINESS and WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, two Solondz gems remarkable for their power and urgency. It still deserves a decent score for its chutzpah, mind you, but movie buffs should regard it as a fallback, not as a priority.

That being said, I won’t blame you for indulging – as our friend Solondz has so adroitly done – in this bleak double bill but you should be ready to face the music. STORYTELLING is one smart movie… but it also smarts!


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© 2009 – All rights reserved

Enfants du paradis (Les)

English title: Children of Paradise
Genre: romantic drama
With: Jean-Louis Barrault, Arletty, Pierre Brasseur
Director: Marcel Carné
Release: 1945
Studio: S N Pathé-Cinéma
Rating: -
MBiS score: 9.3/10


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Story-line: across a seven-year period (from 1840 to 1847), the Paris theatre district is the backdrop for many a romance between Baptiste, Garance, Frédérick, Nathalie and Édouard while the infamous Lacenaire lurks in the shadows.
Pluses: great acting, poetic dialogues by Jacques Prévert, solid production values, strong direction.
Minuses: the film’s length (approximately three and a half hours) may scare off some viewers but those who hang on will be rewarded with a double payoff.
Comments: LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS is by no means a dull film but its complex story-line needs time to develop. Even though it was conceived more than sixty years ago (and in the midst of a World War!), it remains a masterpiece of French and international cinema. Yes, it is one of the best movies ever made.


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© 2009 – All rights reserved

Lantana

Genre: ensemble drama
Director: Ray Lawrence
Release: 2001
Studio: Beyond Films, Jan Chapman Films et al. – Lionsgate
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.3/10


Mysteries By Night, Mysteries By Day


In Sydney, Australia, psychiatrist Valerie Somers (Barbara Hershey) launches a book entitled Eleanor in which she describes how both herself and her husband John Knox (Geoffrey Rush) have coped with their daughter’s violent death. Elsewhere in town, police detective Leon Zat (Anthony LaPaglia) cheats on his wife Sonja (Kerry Armstrong) with a separated woman named Jane O’May (Rachael Blake) who attends a Latin dance class with them.

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Sometimes, lesser-known films are the most enjoyable and this is certainly the case with LANTANA, a fine feature that manages to be down-to-earth and otherworldly all at once. Without fanfare, Ray Lawrence has crafted a marvelous slice-of-life film that will warm your heart like GRAND CANYON in a similar vein.

What can you expect from LANTANA? A superb and unpredictable story-line, thoughtful dialogues, wonderful acting and an exquisite ending. Overall, you will be amazed by this film’s simplicity... but of course simplicity is beauty itself. As for the script’s underlying metaphor, you only need to know that a 'lantana' is an attractive plant with large flowers and a vast network of intertwined branches.

Friends on the Net and in blogland, do trust me here. LANTANA is one of life’s little treasures and I don’t want to spoil it for you. Do see it!


MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

Diaboliques (Les)

Other titles: Diabolique, Fiends
Genre: suspense
With: Simone Signoret, Vera Clouzot, Paul Meurisse
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Release: 1955
Studio: Janus Films et al. – Kino International et al.
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.6/10


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Story-line: a school principal's wife and his mistress conspire to kill him.
Pluses: marvelous acting, a disturbing atmosphere, a great script based on a novel by Boileau-Narcejac.
Minuses: not a movie for the faint-hearted.
Comments: this old-time film by a French master is one of the best thrillers ever. Really frightening stuff!


MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

House of Mirth (The)

Genre: romantic drama
Director: Terence Davies
Release: 2000
Studio: Three Rivers, Granada Film et al. – Sony Pictures Classics
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.4/10


'Isn't marriage your vocation? Isn't it what you're all brought up for?'


The setting is New York City, the time, 1905. Lily Bart (Gillian Anderson), a young lady in Gotham's high society, is actively seeking a husband. On sentiments alone, Lawrence Selden (Eric Stoltz) would be a good choice but Lily doesn't know if he cares for her; besides, Lawrence is a confirmed bachelor and has no money. What's a girl to do, especially one who is burdened with debts? With Dan Aykroyd (Gus Trenor), Laura Linney (Bertha Dorset), Terry Kinney (George Dorset, Bertha's husband), Eleanor Bron (Mrs. Peniston, Lily's aunt), Anthony LaPaglia (Sim Rosedale), Jodhi May (Grace Stepney, a cousin) and Elizabeth McGovern (Carry Fisher).

Edith Wharton, whose life straddled the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, wrote solid novels about American mores and social classes, among them ETHAN FROME, THE AGE OF INNOCENCE and THE HOUSE OF MIRTH. In the latter, her heroine Lily Bart must struggle to get herself out of a bind despite a stifling and challenging environment. As you will see, there are solutions to her problems but none is ideal and all require some sort of compromise. Assorted friends, foes and vultures will come up with suggestions of their own but, ultimately, it will be up to Lily herself to deal with the intricacies of her situation.

In Terence Davies' fine adaptation, you may find the plot a little slow at first but remember that no one can solve a jigsaw puzzle without scattering its pieces on the table and taking time to study each one. Believe me, the finished picture will be worth your effort. Dialogues are remarkably tight in THE HOUSE OF MIRTH because the characters around Lily know life from experience and can play with love as if it were a game of chess. The acting here is entirely safisfying and I was notably impressed by Gillian Anderson's bewitching presence. Need I say more? Not really. Davies' film speaks for itself.

Do see this serious social drama conceived by a great novelist and a director not often in the limelight but excellent indeed. THE HOUSE OF MIRTH is by no means a feel-good film but then, life is never easy.


MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

House of Games

Genre: psychological drama/suspense
With: Lindsay Crouse, Joe Mantegna, Mike Nussbaum
Director: David Mamet
Release: 1987
Studio: Filmhaus Productions, Orion Pictures – Orion Pictures
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.5/10


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Story-line: a psychiatrist treating a patient with gambling debts decides to confront his creditor, an obscure con man.
Pluses: great acting, a very unusual atmosphere, an effective musical score.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: kudos to David Mamet and Jonathan Katz for concocting this spellbinding story. An unforgettable study in human nature and a rare delight. Don't miss it!


MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

Gandhi

Genre: political biopic
Director: Richard Attenborough
Release: 1982
Studio: Indo-British Films, International Film Investors, Goldcrest Films International – Sony Pictures Releasing
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 9.5/10


Salt From India, The Salt Of The Earth


In January 1948, as the Delhi faithful rush to prayers, a young man in a grey shirt emerges from the crowd and assassinates Mohandas K. Gandhi (Ben Kingsley), the Indian spiritual leader. At his funeral, expressions of sympathy pour in from all over the world. 'In his hands, proclaimed one Western commentator, humility and simple truth were weapons more powerful than whole empires.' In our modern era replete with tyrants, weaklings and two-faced leaders, what did Gandhi achieve to merit such praise? Plenty, brothers and sisters, plenty. With Rohini Hattangady (Kasturba, Gandhi's wife), Ian Charleson (Charlie Andrews), Roshan Seth (Pandit Nehru), Alyque Padamsee (Mohamed Ali Jinnah), Martin Sheen (Vincent Walker), Geraldine James (Miss Slade – Mirabehn), Candice Bergen (Margaret Bourke-White), Edward Fox (General Dyer), John Gielgud (Lord Irwin), Trevor Howard (Judge Broomfield), Saeed Jaffrey (Sardar Patel) and Shreeram Lagoo (Professor Gokhale). Music by George Fenton and Ravi Shankar.

While our reckless world threatens to erase Gandhi's legacy from its collective memory, this film reminds us of his invaluable contribution to peace, justice and the defence of human rights. At first an undistinguished lawyer, Gandhi gained prominence as an opponent of institutional racism in South Africa. After bringing the Smuts government to reason, he returned home to wage another battle, this time against British colonial rule, and succeeded once again. As overwhelming as those victories were, they are almost unimaginable when you consider the weapons Gandhi wielded against his people's oppressors; instead of violence, he urged humility, patience, discipline and civil disobedience. Though the target of constant and excruciating abuse, he remained his intelligent and determined self, willing to suffer with his followers in the name of truth and integrity.

Unlike many biopics, Richard Attenborough's epic film does not limit itself to events. Thanks to John Briley's outstanding script and powerful dialogues, it also examines the ideas and ideals that drove Gandhi as a militant. His syncretic view of religion, mistrust of politics and doubts when faced with the immensity of his task are ably documented here. His frankness, love of the poor and openness toward one and all are also evident in Ben Kingsley's magnificent performance. As masterful as Attenborough's movie truly is, its weight rested squarely on Kingsley's shoulders and he pulled off a miracle, clearly deserving his Oscar for Best Actor. The all-star cast around him, composed of Indian, British and American thespians, seconded him beautifully in roles of reason, stubbornness, dignity or brutality. Notice that, overall, the Brits and South Africans are patently despicable while most of the film's decency and spiritual value is contributed by Indians; on this account alone, it was fitting that a British film set matters straight for our generation and the ones to follow.

Without a doubt, GANDHI is a well-balanced and inspiring picture but also a tough watch since it depicts many revolting and appalling events; its last half-hour is disheartening but no less important to our understanding of human nature. It explains some of today's political realities in the Indian subcontinent, promotes virtues at once universal and necessary and shows us how politics should be practised in our era, not with polls and calculation but with principles, self-control, firmness and an eye to the future. Its lessons are timeless, stimulating and hugely effective.

Thus, if you are a true movie buff and you care about our world, I strongly recommend that you spend three hours on GANDHI. You will never forget the Mahatma, his radiant smile and innate generosity. Hail Attenborough's masterpiece of art and humanity but, more than anything, rejoice in Bapu's message and legacy!


MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved