The Movie Buff in Slippers

Petite chérie

2011-07-17T20:26:00.003-04:00

Also known as: Little Darling, Little Darlin’
Genre: black comedy
Director: Anne Villacèque
Release: 2000
Studio: Arte France Cinéma, Tadrart Films, StudioCanal, GAN Cinema Foundation, Ognon Pictures
Rating: –
MBiS score: 7.9/10

He May Be A Creep But He’s Mine, All Mine

At 30, Sybille (Corinne Debonnière) works in a bank and lives with her parents (Patrick Préjean and Laurence Février) but, ever a romantic, she hasn’t stopped looking for Prince Charming. While coming home one night, she meets a (not very) tall (but definitely) dark stranger named Victor (Jonathan Zaccaï). Could he be the one?

I don’t consider myself a diviner − especially not in matters of the heart − and I feel much safer writing about things that are known or verifiable. That being said, I can confirm one crucial fact about PETITE CHÉRIE: love will reach Sybille’s doorstep… only it won’t be the stuff of dreams and romance novels. In fact, her every effort to attain happiness will yield surreal or disturbingly funny results. And that’s what I like best about this movie… it refuses to play nice, even with a subject as sensitive as a woman’s quest for love. What Anne Villacèque has achieved here, with the help of co-screenwriter Élisabeth Barrière-Marquet, is neither tender nor mawkish. PETITE CHÉRIE gives no quarter.

Formally speaking, Anne Villacèque’s film is modest but accomplished. It boasts adequate production values and a credible cast led by Corinne Debonnière as the quiet but determined Sybille, Laurence Février as her bubbly (!) mother and Jonathan Zaccaï as the prize. For now, that’s all you really need to know.

Of course, I have no way of knowing if you’ll watch this film − given my poor predictive powers − but I’m sure you won’t cry your eyes out if you do. PETITE CHÉRIE is a movie played for laughs… that may also keep you awake a little longer than usual at bedtime.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Two Mules for Sister Sara

2011-06-26T21:23:00.002-04:00

Genre: western
With: Shirley MacLaine, Clint Eastwood, John Kelly
Director: Don Siegel
Release: 1969
Studio: Malpaso Productions, Universal Pictures
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 7.6/10

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Story-line: during the occupation of Mexico by French forces (1864-1867), an American mercenary rescues a nun and agrees to escort her.
Pluses: fine performances from an engaging Shirley MacLaine and a tough Clint Eastwood, solid action, competent direction and some really funny moments.
Minuses: none, except for outbursts of violence.
Comments: a suspenseful and amusing ‘buddy movie’ coupling saint and sinner in circumstances where faith needs to be backed by dynamite. As for the mules… don’t ask.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Suddenly, Last Summer

2011-06-26T21:03:00.001-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Release: 1959
Studio: Horizon Pictures – Columbia
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.4/10

What’s On Your Mind, Catherine Holly?

When the new neurosurgeon at Lyons View asylum, Dr. Cukrowicz (Montgomery Clift), objects to his working conditions and threatens to go back to Chicago, the asylum director, Dr. Hockstader (Albert Dekker), pleads with him to stay on. Hockstader doesn’t deny that his institution lacks even the basics but he’s convinced that a local philanthropist, Mrs. Violet Venable (Katharine Hepburn), will provide it with much-needed cash. There is one possible hitch, however: Mrs. Venable wants Cukrowicz to perform a lobotomy on her disturbed niece, Catherine Holly (Elizabeth Taylor). With Mercedes McCambridge (Mrs. Grace Holly, Catherine’s mother), Gary Raymond (George Holly, Catherine’s brother) and Mavis Villiers (Miss Foxhill, Violet’s secretary).

Yes, this kooky film may be difficult to size up… but some background info will certainly help. SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER is based on a play by Tennessee Williams and takes place circa 1938 in New Orleans (typical Williams country). It’s essentially a tragic tale sprinkled with symbolism, ferocious humour and grisly stories about plants, turtles and bugs. On screen, it translates into an interesting, wholly convincing and expertly rendered film that will satisfy all movie buffs.

In SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER, you will find some features emblematic of the theatre, like a slow narrative buildup, a clear emphasis on psychology and conflict, truths uncovered piecemeal and precise, instructive dialogues. Moreover, you’ll meet vigorous characters representative of Williams’ world. Violet, a Southern aristocrat, reminded me of two other of the playwright’s creations, Amanda Wingfield (THE GLASS MENAGERIE) and Blanche DuBois (A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE); the patently troubled Catherine may also recall Tom Wingfield, Amanda’s impatient and rebellious son. To support these two strong characters, Williams has imagined the suspicious-looking Holly family that witnesses the drama while Cukrowicz and Hockstader plan the operation. As for themes developed, you will again recognize Williams’ handiwork and logical, masterful storytelling… but I won’t go into details. Patience is a virtue and SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER handsomely rewards the patient viewer.

Formally, Joseph L. Mankiewicz and crew have done justice to Williams’ play, delivering a motion picture poetic in its horror and awesome in its power. The film showcases two of the greatest actresses to have graced the screen, Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor, in memorable, powerhouse roles. An inspired supporting cast does the rest, especially Montgomery Clift and Mercedes McCambridge whose stunningly funny turn contrasts with her rock-hard rendition of Sadie Burke in ALL THE KING’S MEN. Form and content lead to an unpredictable and potent climax that will stay with you long after the movie’s final frames have dissolved from the screen.

Luck may have nothing to do with it but, nevertheless, I hope you’re lucky enough to catch SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER. As Violet would say ‘[…] what a blessing, Doctor, to be just peaceful. To be just suddenly peaceful. After all that horror. After those nightmares.’

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Shallow Grave

2011-06-12T20:42:00.003-04:00

Genre: crime thriller
With: Ewan McGregor, Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston
Director: Danny Boyle
Release: 1994
Studio: Figment Films, FilmFour et al. – Gramercy Pictures
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.2/10

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Story-line: Juliet, David and Alex are faced with a lucrative problem when their new roommate dies unexpectedly.
Pluses: a brisk set-up, inspired acting, a quirky mood and good direction.
Minuses: none, except for a couple of ghastly scenes.
Comments: SHALLOW GRAVE, a fresh take on a well-worn premise, was a first for Ewan McGregor and Danny Boyle, who teamed up again one year later for TRAINSPOTTING, another far-out flick. This one’s for movie buffs who want lively, suspenseful and surreal entertainment!

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Women in Love

2011-06-12T20:25:00.003-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
Director: Ken Russell
Release: 1969
Studio: Brandywine Productions – United Artists
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.2/10

What Is This Thing Called Love? (with many thanks to Cole Porter)

WOMEN IN LOVE is set in an English mining town during the 20s. The sisters Brangwen, Gudrun (Glenda Jackson) and Ursula (Jennie Linden), have reached that time in life when sentiments clamour or, more prosaically, a woman in their situation must resign herself to marriage. But whom should they wed? For her part, Ursula favours Rupert Birkin (Alan Bates), a philosophizing school inspector, while Gudrun is attracted to the fiery Gerald Crich (Oliver Reed). With Eleanor Bron (Hermione Roddice), Alan Webb (Thomas Crich, Gerald’s father), Catherine Willmer (Gerald’s mother), Sharon Gurney (Laura, his sister), Christopher Gable (Tibby Lupton) and Vladek Sheybal (Loerke).

To avoid any disappointment on your part, I should warn you not to expect a neat and tidy story from WOMEN IN LOVE, which is based on a D.H. Lawrence novel. Like a work in progress, this atypical and very startling film follows its four main characters over some time and doesn’t provide a definite denouement. Through Gudrun, Ursula and their mates (who, contrary to the film’s title, take up nearly as much space in the narrative), WOMEN IN LOVE’s odd screenplay examines several philosophies of love. But a film about love is not necessarily a smoochfest and, in this case, hate, misunderstanding, jealousy and cruelty spring up ever so often to mess up lives that hang by a thread. Characters discuss their feelings, complain about the duplicity around them and rail against the hardships of existence; love, it seems, won’t chase away for long their chronic, deeply rooted melancholy.

If you find such issues depressing, let me reassure you: WOMEN IN LOVE also contains eye-opening scenes of sheer bizarreness that you’d never imagine in a period film. Yes, this movie is both wrenching drama and squirmy fun. Anyway, it did teach me a few things about labour relations, graveyard etiquette, picnics and fireside sports. Seeing is believing!

Concretely, WOMEN IN LOVE is a quality motion picture. It boasts fine production values and a sturdy cast led by two intense thespians, Oliver Reed and Glenda Jackson (in her first of two Oscar-winning performances). Ken Russell’s direction is effective and sober − one tender scene between Rupert and Ursula struck me as simply ravishing − with artistic touches here and there that add symbolism to the narrative.

Is there something else I should tell you? Not really, I believe. When you feel ready for a lesson in love, even one delivered by imperfect and vacillating teachers, I do hope you’ll turn to Gudrun, Ursula, Rupert and Gerald. Ken Russell’s WOMEN IN LOVE is waiting for you.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Ship of Fools

2011-05-31T13:18:00.003-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
With: Oskar Werner, Simone Signoret, Vivien Leigh
Director: Stanley Kramer
Release: 1965
Studio: Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group - Pacific Title & Art Studio
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.3/10

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Story-line: in 1933, on a cruise ship leaving Veracruz (Mexico) and headed for Bremerhaven (Germany), several characters meet, bond or clash.
Pluses: a formidable cast (including Jose Ferrer, Lee Marvin, George Segal and Elizabeth Ashley), Simone Signoret’s undeniable star power, Oskar Werner’s touching turn, top-flight direction and a particularly tragic story.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: intolerance, restless love, Nazism and human misery… such is the fare offered to our tourists on the SHIP OF FOOLS. Here’s to a quality film from yesteryear that deserves to be seen by all movie buffs.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Rope

2011-05-31T13:10:00.005-04:00

Genre: crime thriller
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Release: 1948
Studio: Transatlantic Pictures, Warner Bros. - Warner Bros., Universal
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.0/10

Some People Can’t Get A Joke

In a New York City apartment where they will soon entertain guests, Brandon Shaw (John Dall) and Phillip Morgan (Farley Granger) are keeping themselves busy by strangling a good friend of theirs, David Kentley (Dick Hogan), with a piece of rope. When David dies, Brandon is so ecstatic that he calls the act a masterpiece, an artistic triumph. Has the duo committed the perfect crime? Brandon believes so… and it’s a murder for connoisseurs, not for the common man! With Edith Evanson (Mrs. Wilson), Cedric Hardwicke (David’s father), Constance Collier (Mrs. Atwater), Douglas Dick (Kenneth Lawrence), Joan Chandler (Janet Walker) and James Stewart (Rupert Cadell).

If this film’s premise seems too grotesque, cruel or disgusting to you − for good reason, I might add − you should brace yourself for a few minutes of queasy viewing while Brandon basks in the glory of his crime (Phillip’s reaction, for reasons I won’t reveal, is far less enthusiastic). When the duo’s guests arrive and the party begins ‘in earnest’, the movie will take on a less threatening tone but you mustn’t expect tact or moderation from Alfred Hitchcock, given his reputation as a ‘master of the macabre’; there will be humour, yes, but only in shades of black. Most of ROPE, which is based on true events and a Patrick Hamilton play, hinges on a few pivotal words such as ‘concealment’, ‘cat and mouse’ and ‘impunity’. It should be enough to build a fine and chilling movie spectacle… which is exactly what Hitchcock and a writing team composed of Hume Cronyn, Arthur Laurents and Ben Hecht have accomplished here.

Aside from its shocking subject matter, ROPE is a cinematic curiosity for reasons of technology. According to Moviehead, a commentator here in Canada, Hitchcock wanted to shoot his story in one long take, as if in real time, but obviously couldn’t because his cameras didn’t allow it. He thus decided to film it in segments that were linked together to simulate continuous action; you will surely notice these links, which appear as odd close-ups, interrupting the narrative every eight minutes or so. This inconvenience aside, Hitchcock’s direction is flawless and the movie’s dramatic tension develops logically and very effectively. Acting is also irreproachable (especially by John Dall) but it’s James Stewart’s inspired performance that really fires things up. As for production values, they are satisfactory but by no means extravagant… since all of the action takes place in a single apartment. The movie’s strong payoff is also well worth your time and viewing effort.

In the same way that crime requires motive, you may need some incentive to see ROPE, considering its dark, unappealing side. If you can’t find one too readily, let me suggest mine: Hitchcock’s movie instructs us on the criminal mind and on human nature itself. As abhorrent as its content may seem at first, it does reflect some people’s thinking… and thus serves a useful purpose. Chicken strangling, anyone?

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Gloire de mon père (La) - Château de ma mère (Le)

2011-05-22T20:25:00.002-04:00

Also known as: My Father’s Glory − My Mother’s Castle
Genre: family biographies
With: Philippe Caubère, Julien Ciamara, Nathalie Roussel
Director: Yves Robert
Release: 1990
Studio: Gaumont, Production de la Gueville, TF 1 Films Productions, Ministère de la Culture de France − Orion Classics
Rating: G − PG
MBiS score: 8.5/10 and 8.2/10 respectively

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Story-line: this French double bill recounts Marcel Pagnol’s childhood under the smiling skies of Provence.
Pluses: fine acting, vivid dialogues (especially if you understand French), outstanding cinematography, direction and period detail, resplendent settings and one of the most beautiful musical themes ever used in cinema.
Minuses: none whatsoever. Due to its revelatory nature and stronger content, I did prefer the first picture devoted to Joseph, Marcel’s father.
Comments: as if born into nobility, Marcel Pagnol, a great writer and moviemaker revered in all of France, deserved nothing less than a blessed childhood. At first glance, you may think it was excessive to dedicate two full-length films to his parents but, once you set foot in Marcel’s magical kingdom, your enchantment will be total and your pleasure genuine. Salut, Pagnol!

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Three Days of the Condor

2011-05-22T20:14:00.003-04:00

Genre: political thriller
Director: Sydney Pollack
Release: 1975
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.6/10

I Really Thought This Was A Desk Job

When Joe Turner (Robert Redford) returns to his office at the American Literary Historical Society after a routine errand, he discovers that all of his co-workers have been murdered. What should he do? Why did this happen? Joe needs answers and, to get them, he will turn to his superiors… at the CIA. With Faye Dunaway (Katherine ‘Kathy’ Hale), Cliff Robertson (Higgins), John Houseman (Wabash) and Max von Sydow (Joubert).

The years 1973 to 1975 were especially agitated in the United States. The last months of a wasteful war in Vietnam (remember the slogan ‘Peace with honour’?), an economy choked off by stagflation, the culmination of the Watergate scandal and Richard Nixon’s resignation… these events and others deeply worried Americans, sparked acrimonious debate and caused much soul-searching in the Republic. It is often said that times like these nurture great art and Hollywood did react to the chaos ambient with excellent and thought-provoking works, among them THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, an intelligent movie unafraid of tackling big issues. It begins innocuously enough with everyday scenes and a poppy jazz theme by Dave Grusin but suddenly turns dangerous, even desperate, when Joe finds himself stranded in a new, sinister world. To get his bearings and, more urgently, to survive from day to day, he will need to connect the dots and summon up his resources which are, fortunately for him, abundant and varied.

Guided by James Grady’s novel and a taut screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel, Sydney Pollack has fashioned a magnificent political thriller here, a work of limited scope that also carries, as if by paradox, implications for our whole planet. Rarely will you see a game of hide-and-seek so chilling, so important and so tightly rendered. Of course, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR wouldn’t be as hard-hitting without its stellar cast led by Robert Redford who delivers one of his best roles ever. Equally unforgettable are Faye Dunaway and Cliff Robertson, along with Max von Sydow, the great Swedish actor. Production values, notably cinematography, are beyond reproach.

I have no doubt that THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR will keep you on tenterhooks for the duration but, at the risk of being too insistent, I urge you to pay special attention to its last ten minutes. Right then and there, you will hear the most implacable tenets of modern geopolitics stated with unusual bluntness… and they are very damning for our Western way of life. If only for these pungent remarks on the conduct of world affairs, Pollack’s film ranks as one of the finest in its genre.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Play It Again, Sam

2011-05-08T20:54:00.001-04:00

Genre: comedy
With: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts
Director: Herbert Ross
Release: 1972
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.2/10

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Story-line: your love life may be in a rut, Allan Felix, but help is on the way!
Pluses: an original premise in which magic realism is used to good effect, a very enjoyable screenplay penned by Woody Allen, solid acting and hilarious one-liners.
Minuses: none whatsoever. I only wish it was a little longer…
Comments: one of my favourite Woodys, PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM depicts his cinematic alter ego as a lovable, neurotic loser you’ll root for all the way. It’s so full of great scenes and dialogues that I’d like to store it permanently in my movie-playing mind. Enjoy this fun film about the one subject that touches all of us!

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Destinées sentimentales (Les)

2011-05-08T20:40:00.002-04:00

Also known as: Les Destinées, Sentimental Destinies, Sentimental Destiny
Genre: slice-of-life drama
Director: Olivier Assayas
Release: 2000
Studio: Arena Films, CAB Productions, TF1 Films Productions et al. – Wellspring
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.4/10

Lives Battered By The Winds Of Change

LES DESTINÉES SENTIMENTALES takes place in Charente (the west central region of France famous for cattle and cognac) and its story begins circa 1900. The Protestant community of Barbazac, smallish in numbers and surrounded by a vast Catholic majority, faces a new kind of crisis: marital problems between its pastor, Jean Barnery (Charles Berling), and his wife Nathalie (Isabelle Huppert). According to some of the Faithful, Nathalie has been seeing another man but nobody knows for sure. What everyone hopes for is a resolution of the issue, and the sooner the better. With Emmanuelle Béart (Pauline), Olivier Perrier (Philippe Pommerel, Pauline’s uncle), Dominique Reymond (Julie Barnery Desca), André Marcon (Paul Desca, Julie’s husband), Alexandra London (Louise Desca) and Julie Depardieu (Marcelle).

The word ‘epic’ is often associated with extraordinary stories that involve numerous characters and issues of great import but, as the Canadian Oxford Dictionary tells us, it also applies to ‘an exceptionally long and arduous task or activity’. In this light, the fascinating LES DESTINÉES SENTIMENTALES can be considered an epic on a personal if not universal scale. Jean Barnery’s life was indeed tumultuous. Over a thirty-year period, the film follows him and two local families of entrepreneurs, the Barnerys (porcelain makers by trade) and the Pommerels (a group of distillers). Considering the life-changing events he will face during his time (personal and family crises, a World War, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression), you can only admire his will and resourcefulness.

French moviemakers often take pains to depict people at work (were they painters, psychologists, farm labourers or sculptors) and, in the present case, Olivier Assayas shows us some of the effort required to make fine porcelain and quality spirits; as director and screenwriter (with Jacques Fieschi), he also delivers a splendid adaptation of Jacques Chardonne’s novel. His actors − without exception! − serve him excellently. Charles Berling, for one, has built himself a great career and his acting here attests to his stature in Gallic cinema. As for the radiant Emmanuelle Béart, I won’t reveal how she fits into the story (as tempting as it may be) but Pauline’s role is deserving of her formidable talent. Isabelle Huppert also shines as a tough-minded woman and Olivier Perrier’s screen presence is noteworthy. Dialogues ring very true, whether they speak of love, business or life in general, and visuals are simply sumptuous. If you choose to see this film (and I sincerely hope you do), its lightning start may confuse you temporarily but its three-hour length will give you ample time to catch up… and the spectacle is never boring!

While writing this review, I stumbled upon the terms ‘humble’ and ‘grandiose’ in my trusty dictionary. Normally, I wouldn’t dare use them both to describe a movie but, then again, LES DESTINÉES SENTIMENTALES doesn’t care much for antonyms and lexicology. This rare film simply moves on… and brings us back to the priorities of life.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Grand Prix

2011-05-03T15:08:00.002-04:00

Genre: sports drama
With: James Garner, Yves Montand, Eva Marie Saint
Director: John Frankenheimer
Release: 1966
Studio: Cherokee Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM)
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.5/10

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Story-line: rev up your engines… another season of Formula One racing is under way.
Pluses: a strong international cast, interesting characters, solid thrills, first-rate production values and a powerful ending.
Minuses: GRAND PRIX may be a lengthy film (at 3 hours)… but it doesn’t feel long at all.
Comments: even if you care little about motor sports, this spectacular drama will astound you with its portrayal of men and women living in a jet-set world of speed, glamour and danger. GRAND PRIX is a genuinely suspenseful film that goes full throttle.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Jindabyne

2011-05-02T20:43:00.008-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
Director: Ray Lawrence
Release: 2007
Studio: Film Finance Corporation Australia (FFC), Nomura Babcock & Brown Productions, Redchair Films, April Films
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.2/10

Gone Fishing, Gone Wrong

The workweek has not ended yet but Stewart (Gabriel Byrne), Carl (John Howard), Rocco (Stelios Yiakmis) and Billy (Simon Stone) are already dreaming about the great fishing they’ll enjoy over the weekend. Escaping the daily grind should do wonders for the foursome… and then again, it might not. With Laura Linney (Claire, Stewart’s wife), Sean Rees-Wemyss (Tom, their son), Betty Lucas (Vanessa, Stewart’s mother), Leah Purcell (Carmel, a teacher and Rocco’s friend), Deborra-Lee Furness (Jude, Carl’s wife), Eva Lazzaro (Caylin-Calandria, Carl and Jude’s granddaughter), Chris Haywood (Gregory), Tatea Reilly (Susan) and Alice Garner (Elissa, Billy’s wife).

As far as wilderness movies go, DELIVERANCE will please the action fan, MEAN CREEK showcases the younger set and JINDABYNE appeals to adult audiences of both sexes. This Australian production may not be a ‘pure’ adventure film − for it spends a good deal of time on personal and family issues before and after that fateful weekend − and its meticulousness may try some viewers early on but, when all is said and done, Ray Lawrence’s film stands as a mature, realistic take on guilt, responsibility and misunderstanding in our plain, everyday world.

Robert Burns famously wrote that ‘The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry’ and JINDABYNE illustrates this fact of life with a frankness that rattles the conscience. For Stewart and his group, problems at home will be compounded by what happens on the other side of the mountain, new issues will arise and relationships will sour; even their long-awaited encounter with nature will seem creepy and hostile at times. Facing the unexpected and uncovering truths you never imagined, especially ugly ones, can infect your mind not for a day but for a week, a year or the rest of your life. Gender issues are also raised in JINDABYNE and we all know how potent and divisive they can be.

Whatever the genre, a movie is a collaborative work and, in JINDABYNE’s case, the result of many strong efforts. Beatrix Christian’s screenplay, which is based on a Raymond Carver short story, opens with a flush of intriguing snippets and, generally speaking, paints a rich and observant portrait of ordinary lives. Ray Lawrence, who brought us LANTANA, a film of similar ambitions, shows tact and patience in directing JINDABYNE’s complicated story. On screen, his acting team delivers solid turns, particularly Laura Linney. Production values, for their part, are satisfying throughout.

You have surely noticed how life can alert you to what’s ahead though you scarcely realize it at the time. Such a moment stands out in JINDABYNE, on the Friday night before the big outing, as the guys are sharing a meal with their ladies in a restaurant. When Billy acknowledges his love for Elissa, you will hear this curious exchange (quoted from memory):

- Carl: You’ll see, Elissa. Billy is leaving home a boy and he’ll return a man.
- Elissa: I want him to return as he is now.
- Jude: You can’t be sure… with those perverts.

Was it a sign of things to come? I do believe it was... but don't take my word for it. See JINDABYNE, a deceptive and ultimately haunting experience in cinema and in life.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Mediterraneo

2011-04-17T21:07:00.003-04:00

Also known as: Mediterranean
Genre: psychological drama
With: Diego Abatantuono, Claudio Bigagli, Claudio Bisio
Director: Gabriele Salvatores
Release: 1990
Studio: Pentafilm, AMA Productions − Prestige Films, Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.9/10

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Story-line: in 1941, eight Italian soldiers are ordered to take control of a Greek island… and find out that war isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Pluses: a gentle mood, good acting, a paradisiac setting and a logical screenplay by Vincenzo Monteleone.
Minuses: some viewers may find the story a bit lacking in content, which explains this film’s moderate MBiS score.
Comments: MEDITERRANEO, an offbeat film that involves no real violence, depicts stranded soldiers that time forgot. The old motto ‘Make love, not war’ would certainly apply to this competently made and visually appealing movie. Sounds like a pleasant time for cinephiles!

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Road To Guantanamo (The)

2011-04-17T20:58:00.002-04:00

Genre: political docudrama
Directors: Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross
Release: 2006
Studio: Revolution Films, Screen West Midlands − Roadside Attractions
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.4/10

Welcome, Tourists, To Satan’s Cuban Resort

THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO begins with a press conference in which President George W. Bush, referring to British citizens held captive in Cuba on terrorism charges, asserts that they are ‘bad people and we look forward to working closely with the Blair government to handle this situation’. From such a starting point, the film tells the tumultuous tale of Ruhel, Asif and Shafiq, the ‘Tipton Three’, who had travelled to Pakistan for a wedding, were taken prisoners by Northern Alliance forces in Afghanistan and were ultimately incarcerated in Cuba’s notorious Guantanamo Bay detention camp. With Rizwan Ahmed (Shafiq), Ruhel Ahmed (himself), Asif Iqbal (himself), Shafiq Rasul (himself), Farhad Harun (Ruhel), Waqar Siddiqui (Monir) and Arfan Usman (Asif).

Over the years, Michael Winterbottom’s directorial choices have been eclectic and fascinating. For one thing, he has shown a distinct interest in geopolitics and THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO, codirected with Mat Whitecross, exemplifies his concern for world issues. This cold and special movie, which straddles the line between documentary and fiction film and may recall MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, tells the troubling story of three Brits who were accused of terrorism even though they had not seen combat. On screen, their confinement looks awful enough… imagine how nerve-racking and life-changing it must have truly been. In Cuba especially, they had to survive on a daily regimen of intimidation, interrogation and inhumanity that may disturb you; personally, I was appalled by the sheer brutality of their treatment.

Despite its messy subject, THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO is remarkable for its proficient direction (honoured with a Silver Bear in Berlin), frantic editing and glorious visuals. The images captured in Pakistan and Afghanistan are particularly amazing, I thought. As a bonus, expect solid acting and a relentless narrative. This is powerful, riveting, outstanding cinema.

I see no need to comment further on THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO because this is the kind of film you must experience for yourself. After seeing it, you will probably reflect on the war on terror that has been raging for ten years now, maybe even twenty. I know I did… and it doesn’t look any clearer now from my point of view. Are there only ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ in this global chess game founded on ideology, politics and religion? Where do legitimate security concerns end and paranoia take over? Is the ‘war’ being waged on the right front? I find torment in these unanswered questions. Do you?

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Heartbreak Kid (The) (1972)

2011-04-04T21:08:00.003-04:00

Genre: comedy
With: Charles Grodin, Jeannie Berlin, Cybill Shepherd
Director: Elaine May
Release: 1972
Studio: Palomar Pictures International, Inc. − Twentieth Century-Fox Films
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.0/10

QuickView

Story-line: looks like Leonard and Lila will make a great couple… if they can just survive their honeymoon!
Pluses: wonderful acting (especially by the above-mentioned trio and a very cranky Eddie Albert), able direction, a funny story by Bruce Jay Friedman and Neil Simon.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: in THE HEARTBREAK KID, there is a place for everything and everything’s in its place. This is what a successful comedy should look and feel like… it goes with the flow instead of forcing the issues. Wait till Charles Grodin drives you up the wall!

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

In the Bedroom

2011-04-04T20:59:00.003-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
Director: Todd Field
Release: 2001
Studio: Miramax Films
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.2/10

At What Point Does Pain Become Unbearable?

Romance can spring up anywhere and, in the humble fishing town of Camden, Maine, Dr. Matt Fowler (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife Ruth (Sissy Spacek) are pleased but also embarrassed. Their son Frank (Nick Stahl), who’s back from architecture school for the summer, has met a single mom named Natalie (Marisa Tomei) and has fallen for her big-time. But is this just a fling for Frank or the first sign of something serious? That’s the quandary facing the Fowlers. And what about Natalie’s ex-husband, Richard Strout (William Mapother)? How does he feel about it?

There is more to IN THE BEDROOM than my synopsis indicates − for one thing, it involves a lot of anguish as alluded to in my title − but the less you know before seeing it, the harder it will hit you. Todd Field’s excellent drama, which is based on a story by Andre Dubus III, doesn’t fool around with its subject matter. The dilemma posed to the Fowler family is shown unadorned, gut-wrenching and bitter.

Should I comment on this film’s production values? Not really, for they are unassailable. As for its cast, Sissy Spacek, Marisa Tomei and Tom Wilkinson are true to their well-developed characters and Nick Stahl exudes boyish charm but the real surprise, in my mind, comes from William Mapother who plays his dark role with complete conviction. Please note that, after an auspicious beginning, IN THE BEDROOM may seem to drag on halfway through − I felt it did, I confess − but don’t quit on it because the action picks up considerably after that. As you watch Matt struggling with his emotions, you wonder about Ruth’s… and the tension generated by this gravest of questions makes for a psychologically gripping third act that will keep you on edge until the closing credits.

For these reasons and IN THE BEDROOM’s mature reflections on personal relationships and the difficulties they can engender, the time you’ll spend watching it will be time well spent. The more you live, the tougher your options get to be.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Once Were Warriors

2011-03-30T11:03:00.003-04:00

Genre: social drama
With: Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell
Director: Lee Tamahori
Release: 1994
Studio: New Zealand Film Commission, Communicado Productions − Fine Line Features
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.2/10

QuickView

Story-line: for Beth, a daughter of New Zealand’s Maori aristocracy, life with unemployed husband Jake ‘the Muss’ Heke and five children is proving much rougher than she had expected.
Pluses: fine acting, strong direction and a screenplay raising painful but important topics.
Minuses: be forewarned that the domestic violence depicted in ONCE WERE WARRIORS, while in keeping with the plot, reaches an intensity seldom seen in the movies.
Comments: a startling and necessary film about alcoholism, poverty and tradition in one aboriginal family. ONCE WERE WARRIORS is a worthy and thought-provoking picture for sure.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Gosford Park

2011-03-22T20:43:00.000-04:00

Genre: social drama
Director: Robert Altman
Release: 2001
Studio: U.K. Film Council, USA Films et al.
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.2/10

For Servants As Well As Bakers, The Upper Crust Can Be A Problem

GOSFORD PARK takes place in 1932, somewhere in the English countryside. The McCordles, Sir William (Michael Gambon), wife Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas) and daughter Isobel (Camilla Rutherford), have invited friends over to their estate for a hunting party. Among their honoured guests are the following:

- Countess Constance Trentham (Maggie Smith) and her maid Mary Maceachran (Kelly Macdonald);
- Sir Raymond Stockbridge (Charles Dance), wife Louisa (Geraldine Somerville) and servant Robert Parks (Clive Owen);
- a cousin, actor Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam), accompanied by American producer Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban) and servant Henry Denton (Ryan Phillippe);
- the Honourable Freddie Nesbitt (James Wilby) and Mabel (Claudie Blakley);
- Commander Anthony Meredith (Tom Hollander) and Lavinia (Natasha Wightman).

Creature comforts for Sir William’s invitees will be provided by the McCordle staff which includes, in order of rank:

- Mrs. Wilson (Helen Mirren);
- Jennings (Alan Bates);
- Mrs. Croft (Eileen Atkins);
- maid Elsie (Emily Watson);
- servants George (Richard E. Grant) and Probert (Derek Jacobi).

This splendid gathering promises gastronomic delights, delicate entertainment and elegant sniping… unless tempers heat up. Also with Stephen Fry (Thompson).

---

Whew! Watching GOSFORD PARK can be perplexing at first because of its large cast and slow-burning narrative but, if you remember the groupings above and show a little patience, you will have no trouble finding its rhythm and enjoying it to the full. A motion picture with so many moving parts naturally needs a bit of time to set up and pick up steam. Just wait for that crucial twist (you’ll know when you get there) and you won’t be able to turn away after that.

Conceptually, GOSFORD PARK may recall the old UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS television series in its depiction of two worlds separated by class and social conventions. Credit must be given to Julian Fellowes for his screenplay that develops its characters intelligently and affords them some interesting dialogues to work with; for the sake of honesty and as a matter of personal taste, I will add that one character annoyed me somewhat because his humour clashes with the film’s overall mood but, in truth, he does provide a counterpoint and his interventions have little bearing on the plot. Directorial duties are handled with flair and a steady hand by the great Robert Altman (1925-2006) for whom ensemble films have been a career specialty (like his classic NASHVILLE and the very strong SHORT CUTS). Did I comment on the acting? Well, well… it’s hunky-dory!

Is this enough to convince you? I do hope so but, if you’re still on the fence, here’s my last and best argument: far from leaving you empty-handed, Altman’s film closes with an astonishing climax. If only for that feeling you’ll get when the mystery is resolved, you’ll never forget GOSFORD PARK. As one of the servants would say, ‘Don’t you like surprises?’

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Officer and A Gentleman (An)

2011-03-13T20:09:00.000-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
With: Richard Gere, Debra Winger, David Keith
Director: Taylor Hackford
Release: 1981
Studio: Lorimar Film Entertainment, Martin Elfand
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.1/10

QuickView

Story-line: Zack Mayo, a young man with a chip on his shoulder, is intent on becoming a Marine pilot. Problem is, Sergeant Foley and a young woman named Paula stand in his way.
Pluses: fine acting by a talented cast including Louis Gossett Jr., a gritty tale about discipline, achievement and love.
Minuses: none really, except for those punishing push-ups.
Comments: this one will please everyone since it’s both a tough military drama and a very romantic movie. Go for it!

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Birdman of Alcatraz

2011-03-13T19:59:00.001-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
Director: John Frankenheimer
Release: 1962
Studio: Norma Productions, United Artists Films
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.6/10

Lost and Found

In Alaska circa 1911, young Robert Stroud (Burt Lancaster) makes a tragic mistake when he kills a man who has allegedly beaten a prostitute friend. Found guilty of murder, he is sent to the notorious Leavenworth penitentiary in Kansas where he is accused of not ‘conforming’ by warden Harvey Shoemaker (Karl Malden). Now hardened by his rage, Robert will continue defying one and all… until a walk in the prison yard during a rainstorm gives him a new outlook on life. With Neville Brand (Bull Ransom), Thelma Ritter (Elizabeth Stroud, Robert’s mother), Betty Field (Stella Johnson) and Telly Savalas (Feto Gomez).

It’s easy to comment on BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ since it tells its true story in an orderly fashion and without turning it into a melodrama. Wonderfully played by Burt Lancaster − a winner in Venice for his performance − and a solid cast of veteran thespians, admirably conceived for the screen by John Frankenheimer, Robert’s tale of violence, long struggle and redemption is an original classic bristling with humanity.

‘Moving’ and ‘inspirational’ are adjectives used too frequently in movieland today but, in this case, they are more than appropriate. I should know… a little bird told me.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Bicycle Thief (The)

2011-03-06T20:22:00.001-05:00

Also known as: Ladri di biciclette
Genre: personal drama
With: Lamberto Maggiorani, Lianella Carrel, Enzo Staiola
Director: Vittorio De Sica
Release: 1948
Studio: Vittorio De Sica Productions, Mayer-Burstyn, Cifex Film
Rating: -
MBiS score: 9.2/10

QuickView

Story-line: to Antonio Ricci, his bicycle meant everything… until it was stolen.
Pluses: fine acting, world-class direction, a compelling and tragic story.
Minuses: absolutely none.
Comments: this gripping and heartbreaking film, one of the best examples of Italian neo-realism, has withstood the test of time. A true masterpiece. Do see it!

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Rapture (The)

2011-03-06T20:01:00.000-05:00

Genre: religious drama
Director: Michael Tolkin
Release: 1991
Studio: Rapture Productions, New Line Cinema − Fine Line Features
Quote from www.catholic.org (Book of Revelation, chapter 10, verse 10)
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.6/10

There Are Some Who Never Think About It And Others Who See It Everywhere

‘Operator 134. What city? Hold on for your number… Operator 134. What city? Hold on for your number…’

Sharon (Mimi Rogers), an information operator, probably has one of the most brutal jobs in LA. Sitting in a dark and dreary cubicle, a headset glued to her ear, she is required to direct callers quickly – one every 15 seconds or so – and efficiently for hours on end. When her work is over, she shakes off her kinks the kinky way by cruising the streets with her friend Vic (Patrick Bauchau) in search of couples ready to share sexual fantasies. Doubt has not yet crept into her mind… the kind of existential doubt that turns whole lives around. With David Duchovny (Randy), Kimberly Cullum (Mary) and Will Patton (Foster).

Among Hollywood movies, THE RAPTURE is the rarest of rare birds. It doesn’t fit into any category, eschews formulas and refuses to compromise its vision for the sake of mass appeal. I’ve seen plenty of films in my time but, honestly, I can’t think of any other displaying such courage… or outright gall. Why are we here? Where are we headed? What can we do about it? Or should we even bother? It is these questions, the most crucial in human existence, that Michael Tolkin’s film dares to ask… and to answer in its own special way.

THE RAPTURE is a true motion picture paradox. As revealing as its title can seem − with its reference to salvation and the ultimate experience for Christian believers − you can scarcely imagine what this film will show you and how it will take you to its destination. Tolkin’s low-budget and low-key approach to Sharon’s story − to which other filmmakers would have given the blockbuster treatment, complete with superstar casting and full-blown special effects − is also surprising and even spooky… yet everything fits. Sharon’s conversion feels unforced, her New Agey turnaround satisfies her need for fulfillment and her actions and reactions certainly reflect human nature. It also helps that Mimi Rogers plays her demanding role with goggle-eyed bravery and conviction; all through Sharon’s journey, she succeeds in conveying each and every emotion, whether it be insensibility or suffering, panic or happiness, serenity or rage. The other cast members also deliver reasoned performances although Sharon’s dominance does limit their contributions. Production values are adequate, dialogues logical and well-constructed, the movie’s moods cold and foreboding, its images astounding. For the rest, expect the unexpected, as is the rule in life.

I should end my review with a word of caution. Some critics have hailed THE RAPTURE as a radical film while others have found it artificial and pompous. Its boldness will undoubtedly catch you off guard though it offers a rather faithful interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. When its denouement hits the screen, it will either amaze you, scare you off or revolt you but it won’t leave you indifferent for it speaks to the essence of what we are. Judging from personal experience, I was reminded of a passage in the Book of Revelation where the narrator was offered a small scroll to eat. ‘I ate it and it tasted sweet as honey, he writes, but when I had eaten it my stomach turned sour.’ It is mixed feelings like these that THE RAPTURE will arouse in you. This is why Tolkin’s film is so extraordinary, even for those of us who don’t believe in Christ.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Au revoir les enfants

2011-02-23T15:58:00.000-05:00

Also known as: Goodbye Kids − Goodbye, Children
Genre: personal drama
With: Gaspard Manesse, Raphaël Fejtö, Philippe Morier-Genoud
Director: Louis Malle
Release: 1987
Studio: Nouvelles Éditions de Films, Marin Karmitz Productions, Stella Films − Orion Classics
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.9/10

QuickView

Story-line: at Sainte-Croix College during the winter of 1943-44, the arrival of a new student, the young Bonnet, puzzles one of the school regulars, Julien Quentin.
Pluses: fine acting by a cast of mixed ages, expert direction, a moving story treated with exemplary sensitivity.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: a few years before SCHINDLER’S LIST, the great Louis Malle wrote and directed this film depicting the secret plight of a young Jew in occupied France. Strictly speaking, Steven Spielberg’s work should be given a higher score because of its vastness and scope compared to Malle’s humble film but both deserve equal reverence for their humanity. These are vitally important movies to be seen by all.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Best Man (The)

2011-02-23T15:34:00.001-05:00

Genre: political drama
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Release: 1964
Studio: United Artists
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.6/10

It’s Amazing How Little Has Changed!

The time is 1964 and THE BEST MAN begins in a Los Angeles convention centre. At the podium, a speaker introduces ‘the next President of the United States, our own Secretary of State, William Russell!!’ An enthusiastic crowd roars in approval but candidate Russell (Henry Fonda), watching the scene on TV with reporters and operators, won’t address his supporters just yet. Before that, he has questions to answer, people to placate, problems to solve and rivals to think about. Like it or not, this is the wonderful world of big-time politics. With Cliff Robertson (Joe Cantwell), Edie Adams (Mabel, Cantwell’s wife), Margaret Leighton (Alice, Russell’s wife), Kevin McCarthy (Dick Jensen, Russell’s campaign manager), Lee Tracy (President Art Hockstader), Ann Sothern (Sue Ellen Gamadge), Gene Raymond (Don Cantwell, Joe’s brother), Shelley Berman (Sheldon Bascomb) and Mahalia Jackson (in a singing role).

Rodney Dangerfield often complained that he couldn’t get any respect but he is fondly remembered and will remain so for a long time to come. In the universe of American cinema, however, THE BEST MAN seems like a castoff… and for some reason, I suppose. A rather old flick in a world where newness always matters, it was shot in black and white instead of eye-catching colour and bears a title so nondescript that it could be mistaken for any kind of film (Malcolm D. Lee’s comedy of 1999, for one). Who would guess that this BEST MAN is an awe-inspiring exposé about politics in America (and elsewhere for that matter)? I sure didn’t and I do hope you will take notice and try to catch this astute and useful drama.

Its main talking point (if I may say so) is a masterly screenplay by Gore Vidal that raises a host of issues and fuses them into a compelling and realistic story. Though THE BEST MAN depicts a selection process more open and unpredictable than today’s money-fuelled primary races, its content is in no way outdated or irrelevant. Everything’s there, in plain view and vivid detail: the importance of leadership, personal image and Presidential spouses, the backroom deals, mudslinging and fratricidal smiles, the ethical questions posed by the candidates’ backgrounds and platforms, the truths, half-truths and patent lies, the obligatory media circus and, of course, the blinding, all-consuming attraction of power. Not only are these issues played out intelligently but they also stir up many great quotes like Art Hockstader’s quip on the future presidency of a Jew or a black man… and eventually a woman. Later, the same Hockstader will utter another gem that goes something like this: ‘I was going to support you but, if I don’t anymore, it’s not because you’re a bastard but because you’re a stupid bastard.’ Shades of the body politic? Or of the ‘bawdy politic’ as pundits have often remarked? It’s a bit of both and, moreover, a clear example of insider knowledge unavailable to us ordinary folk. No wonder we’ve grown so cynical about public office!

Realism aside, THE BEST MAN is also a thrilling show brought to us by an inspired team. Franklin J. Schaffner’s direction is seamless and frantic as it translates the craziness and breakneck pace of a politician’s life, builds strong tension and keeps Vidal’s surprises under wraps until just the right moment. Acting-wise, Henry Fonda shines as a respected party man more prone to reflection than to action while Cliff Robertson’s incandescent Joe Cantwell, energetic and merciless, sees the presidency as the grandest of conquests for a small-town guy. Ann Sothern and the rest of the cast also deliver fine performances. By the way, it may be incorrect to label THE BEST MAN as a satire; it owes much more to serious drama but I’ll admit it uses humour very effectively… in a political vein, naturally.

But where does this glorious brouhaha take us in the end? To an enthralling payoff on screen − the kind of denouement that does American moviemaking proud − but also to a depressing conclusion about the state of our nations. With political systems as warped as today’s, parties and governments simply cannot entrust our future to ‘the best man or woman’. As for democracy itself, it is ironic to see it proclaimed an ideal and a ticket to freedom for countries that have been deprived of it while it is twisted, violated or slowly hollowed out in countries that have practised it for centuries. I know democracy is a matter of choice, but what can you do when none of the choices offered appeals to you? On that account, THE BEST MAN’s clear-eyed appraisal of human nature points to a future that looks iffy at best.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Comes a Horseman

2011-01-30T20:43:00.001-05:00

Genre: modern western
With: Jane Fonda, James Caan, Jason Robards
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Release: 1978
Studio: United Artists Films
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.4/10

QuickView

Story-line: in Montana, at the end of World War II, a battle for acreage pits a woman rancher, a land baron and a former GI.
Pluses: wonderful acting, first-rate direction, splendid photography by Gordon C. Willis and a riveting story.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: this contemporary cowboy flick will definitely please all serious movie fans with its suspenseful story-line and tough characters. Those of you who like their James Caan quiet-looking but rock-hard better not miss this one!

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Sundowners (The)

2011-01-30T20:24:00.001-05:00

Genre: frontier family drama
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Release: 1960
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures – Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Rating: NR
MBiS score: 7.3/10

Walk A Mile With Me… And Don’t Mind The Sheep Dung

THE SUNDOWNERS takes place in Australia during the 30s and begins with the three-member Carmody family roaming the countryside in a beat-up carriage. Paddy Carmody (Robert Mitchum), the head of the family, loves to go from town to town in search of work as a ranch hand; his tired wife Ida (Deborah Kerr), by contrast, would rather see him settle down and build a future for their son Sean (Michael Anderson Jr.). Stopping this time near an inviting little farm, Paddy plans on finding a job to his liking and snatches one the very next day: a six-week-long sheep drive paying one shilling a head. Oh, Ida, you’re such a lucky lady! With Peter Ustinov (Sir Rupert ‘Rupe’ Venneker), Glynis Johns (Mrs. Gert Firth), Dina Merrill (Jean Halstead), Chips Rafferty (foreman Quinlan), John Meillon (Bluey) and Wylie Watson (Herb Johnson). Screenplay by Isobel Lennart.

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, the Australian word ‘sundowner’ refers to a hobo, a tramp or, more precisely, a person who makes it a habit of arriving somewhere late enough to obtain food and lodging while avoiding any real work. In Fred Zinnemann’s movie, which was inspired by a Jon Cleary novel, the Carmodys are not scroungers but honest folk who work hard and don’t take root anywhere. Once you see Paddy doggedly running after a dingo early on, you’ll agree with me that this man is not allergic to strenuous labour. He’s also a faithful husband, a sometimes irresponsible bloke and a true boozer that Robert Mitchum incarnates with vigour and an impish smile; try as I may, I can’t imagine any other thespian playing this endearing and enraging character with equal brio. As Ida, Deborah Kerr counters Mitchum’s masculine presence with her own excellence and some great comedic timing; in fact, her aura, courage and good spirits light up THE SUNDOWNERS even more brightly than big Mitch’s fine performance. The other players behind the Carmody couple also shine in amusing roles. You can count on Peter Ustinov to provide some effective comic relief as the smart-alecky Venneker while Glynis Johns, cast as a hotel manager, is utterly hilarious.

As a whole, however, THE SUNDOWNERS didn’t do it for me because its acting and other strengths – magnificent photography, bracing atmosphere, solid craftsmanship and healthy mix of comedy and drama – are oddly defeated by a standard, old-fashioned story-line that delivers mild, sanitized entertainment and little more. Most of the action can be summed up in a few plain words − work, money, open spaces, lifelong dreams − and when a late-coming twist takes the family in an entirely new and surprising direction, it doesn’t delight as much as it confounds. By then, most of the Carmodys’ magic has already been exhausted and the story, though steadfast in its logic, ends with a whimper; anyway, let’s give some credit to the family for remaining lovable throughout. On another level, I couldn’t understand where the Carmodys fit in the larger scheme of things since no social or historical context is established; perhaps the novel is more informative on this issue.

As I write this, I truly strain to find some personal payoff in the two hours plus I spent on this movie. I can only guess that, in the world of cinema, some films age gracefully while others simply age. THE SUNDOWNERS, though agreeable and quite watchable as general fare, belongs to that brand of moviemaking that tries so hard to please everyone that it loses its edge and resonance over time. By some strange coincidence, the next film we will review, COMES A HORSEMAN, also rides the wild country but is everything THE SUNDOWNERS is not. Giddy-up!

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Where Angels Fear to Tread

2011-01-16T20:25:00.000-05:00

Genre: period drama
With: Helen Mirren, Rupert Graves, Helena Bonham Carter
Director: Charles Sturridge
Release: 1991
Studio: Where Angels Fear to Tread Ltd., Stagescreen Productions, Sovereign Pictures
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.1/10

QuickView

Story-line: an Englishwoman’s impromptu marriage while on vacation in Italy causes serious problems for her family back home.
Pluses: a top-notch cast, seamless direction, a powerful story.
Minuses: some viewers may find the narrative a bit slow to develop, but it should be expected from an upper-class social drama such as this one.
Comments: E.M. Forster, the novelist who wrote HOWARD’S END, did not shy away from controversial subjects and his criticism of a certain English snobbery in WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD is biting and relevant. You won’t regret seeing this fine feature showcasing some of the best acting talent in Britain.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Thumbsucker

2011-01-16T20:12:00.000-05:00

Genre: adolescent drama
Director: Mike Mills
Release: 2005
Studio: Bull’s Eye Entertainment, Sony Pictures Classics et al.
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.9/10

Whatever Gets You Through The Night (thank you, John Lennon!)

At 17, Justin Cobb (Lou Pucci) is in an emotional rut. He lacks motivation in school, doesn’t know what to do with his life and has little success with girls. To relieve himself of his inner tension, he has resorted to sucking his thumb, a nasty habit that infuriates his father Mike (Vincent D’Onofrio) and saddens his mother Audrey (Tilda Swinton). With Vince Vaughn (Mr. Geary), Keanu Reeves (Dr. Perry Lyman), Kelli Garner (Rebecca), Chase Offerle (Joel, Justin’s little brother) and Benjamin Bratt.

Over the years, I have developed an interest for modest, second-tier productions (which works out well if you’re mostly into big-leaguers) and I do hope THUMBSUCKER attracts your attention because it’s an odd and engaging little ride. Though its subject matter may sound unappealing – and even repulsive – at first glance, it really stands out among recent Hollywood films due to its lively pace, intelligence and unpredictable story-line.

In content, THUMBSUCKER delivers some funny moments but doesn’t hide the fact that Justin’s life is mostly sad and rudderless. As bright as he is, our young man suffers from chronic insecurity and, all film long, he will struggle against his private demons using all means available to him. In the process, he will receive lots of advice from a motley group of onlookers, among them his mother and father, a gung-ho teacher and an adult mentor, Perry Lyman, who is at once fascinating and flaky (I don’t understand how an orthodontist can smoke on the job but Perry manages it). As an entertainment vehicle, THUMBSUCKER is never boring and some of its success can certainly be attributed to Lou Pucci and an excellent cast led by Tilda Swinton and Vincent D’Onofrio, a thespian who always catches my eye even in minor roles. In fact, there are enough twists and turns in Mike Mills’ film that it may feel disjointed at some point but it bounces back quickly enough and finishes with a nicely conceived denouement. Production values are consistent throughout and direction shows steadiness as well as ability.

More than anything, you will be impressed with THUMBSUCKER’s sensitivity and seriousness. Instead of mocking Justin or making him the star attraction of some adolescent freak show, it confronts him with a question we must all try to answer in life: how does one cope with this exhausting, dog-eat-dog world around us? For this reason alone, Mike Mills’ film is not only diverting but also instructive and worthy. A little advice never hurts and Perry’s is as good as any: ‘I accepted myself in all my human disorder. You might wanna do the same.’

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Midnight Cowboy

2011-01-08T20:40:00.001-05:00

Genre: psychological drama
With: Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, Sylvia Miles
Director: John Schlesinger
Release: 1969
Studio: Deluxe, Skywalker Sound, Jerome Hellman Productions
Rating: R N/A
MBiS score: 8.4/10

QuickView

Story-line: Joe Buck, tired of his dead-end life in Texas, heads for New York in search of fame and fortune.
Pluses: powerful acting, a story in tune with the times, solid direction.
Minuses: a brief psychedelic episode may test some viewers.
Comments: MIDNIGHT COWBOY remains a strong indictment of the American Dream and a poignant film about adversity and friendship. One more feather – and a beautiful one – to stick in your movie lover’s cap.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Snow Walker (The)

2011-01-08T20:27:00.000-05:00

Genre: adventure drama
Director: Charles Martin Smith
Release: 2003
Studio: First Look Holdings, Infinity Media, Inc., Walk Well/Snow Walker
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.1/10

Behold the Great White North, Sense its Majesty and Menace

THE SNOW WALKER takes place in the Northwest Territories circa 1953 and our protagonist, airplane pilot Charlie Halliday (Barry Pepper), acts as a lifeline for native inhabitants of the area. As the story begins, Charlie is asked to deliver supplies to an Inuit band and gets permission to return home via Bathurst to conduct personal business. Taking to the air, he does not yet know that an unusual and important request will upset his well laid plans. With James Cromwell (Walter Shepherd, Charlie’s boss), Kiersten Warren (Estelle), Jon Gries (Pierce), Robin Dunne (Carl) and Annabella Piugattuk (Kanaalaq).

When I sat down to watch THE SNOW WALKER, I had just endured a couple of high-profile letdowns (on which I won’t comment) and I expected very little from this obscure, low-budget Canadian film. On paper, it does appear as noteworthy as a few snowflakes in January but, on screen, it beats down on you like a full-blown polar storm. Once it has set its rhythm and mood, you will realize that Charles Martin Smith’s humble movie stands as a force of nature, an absorbing and affecting trek through land and life. Nothing less, dear movie buffs.

The movie’s simple and genuinely touching screenplay, based on a Farley Mowat short story, showcases two characters bound by destiny and purpose and, as their friend and foe, a Northern expanse both barren and beautiful, a grandiose setting rife with adventure and danger. By way of incident, THE SNOW WALKER also links opposing cultures in a sensible, positive manner. I won’t say more about the plot, having already spoiled some of its impact, but I trust it will still enthrall you.

In other respects, THE SNOW WALKER remains as firm and reassuring as an inukshuk. It is blessed − truly blessed − with solid production values, efficient direction and first-rate acting, mainly from Barry Pepper and Annabella Piugattuk. Its narrative structure, artful juxtaposition of images and moving musical score by Michael Danna are also remarkably effective. Really, this is all you need to know for now.

My advice? Allow yourself some free time – preferably with a loved one – and watch this very impressive film set in a world not too distant but quite different from ours. THE SNOW WALKER deserves your attention and, even more so, your admiration.

MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Snapper (The)

2010-12-30T20:35:00.001-05:00

Genre: family comedy
With: Colm Meaney, Tina Kellegher, Ruth McCabe
Director: Stephen Frears
Release: 1993
Studio: BBC Films, Distant Horizon Corporation
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.1/10

QuickView

Story-line: all hell breaks loose in the Curley household when word gets out that young Sharon is pregnant.
Pluses: fabulous acting (especially by Colm Meany as Dessie, Sharon’s father), a really funny story written by Roddy Doyle, unerring direction, a lively pace.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: successful comedies are not that abundant in moviedom and this tight little film set in Dublin is one to be treasured. Sit back and enjoy, cinephiles, you deserve it.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Dogville

2010-12-30T20:19:00.001-05:00

Genre: psychosocial drama
Director: Lars von Trier
Release: 2003
Studio: Arte France Cinéma, ARTE, YLE, Lionsgate Films et al.
*Quote inspired by The ‘60s – Decade of Tumult and Change, a special issue of LIFE magazine dated Dec. 26, 1969.
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.1/10

‘When she yelps, it’s not a sign of pain, it’s a sign of joy.*’

The Depression has been raging for some time now and the people of Dogville, a hamlet in the Rockies, have gotten used to humble living and isolation. Nevertheless, when gunshots resonate one night and a pretty young stranger named Grace (Nicole Kidman) is found wandering in the streets, Tom Edison Jr. (Paul Bettany), the local philosopher, takes it upon himself to help her out. With John Hurt (the narrator), Lauren Bacall (Ma Ginger), Patricia Clarkson (Vera), Stellan Skarsgard (Chuck, Vera’s husband), Ben Gazzara (Jack McKay), Philip Baker Hall (Tom Edison Sr.), Zeljko Ivanek (Ben), Chloë Sevigny (Liz Henson) and James Caan (the man in the car).

---

In 1964, when animal lovers chastised President Lyndon Johnson for pulling his beagles by the ears during a social gathering, LBJ answered that his pets loved it. Johnson’s reply – paraphrased above – eloquently reflects my mood after seeing DOGVILLE. It’s undoubtedly a solid and challenging film… but does it ever sting!

At first, I found DOGVILLE a bit confusing since it was produced with starkly limited means and without formal decor; all of its scenes were shot indoors under artificial lighting and with scant perspective, the set being surrounded by a white or flat black background. Moreover, the town’s buildings being represented only by rudimentary structures and white marks on the studio floor, characters were required to mime routine actions (entrances and exits, for example) and deprived of the most basic intimacy. Given these visual and creative constraints, you may need some time to adjust to the hamlet’s closed-in universe and Lars von Trier’s film, already longish at nearly three hours, appears achingly slow in its first half. Fortunately, the movie’s dramatic flow tightens up considerably afterwards and its awkward set-up, far from being a simple gimmick, truly mirrors the dilemma Grace’s presence forces on the townspeople.

But what sort of a beast is DOGVILLE, may you ask? Essentially a cross between fable and surrealist theatre, a cringeworthy meditation on fear, ignorance and oppression. This is not feel-good fare, not by a long shot, but high-impact cinema that slowly reveals its true nature and leaves you shuddering long after you’ve heard its important closing song. Its stiff political message will not be appreciated by all viewers but its power cannot be easily dismissed.

Even though DOGVILLE involved very little in terms of production values, it never feels cheap or unprofessional and its strong cast doesn’t disappoint. Nicole Kidman delivers a marvellous performance as the stranger who is tested again and again while John Hurt’s stylishly written narration adds to the tragedy conveyed on screen; I also liked Ben Gazzara and Paul Bettany, whose character bears a name both symbolic and ominous. The film’s subjects are often captured in tight close-up, as was the case in BREAKING THE WAVES, von Trier’s luminous work from 1996.

That’s about as far as I’ll go for now and, notwithstanding my recommendation, I must advise you that DOGVILLE is not a film for all tastes. It’s certainly a brave statement and a stunning work by an inventive European filmmaker… but be aware that it edifies and horrifies in equal measure.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Raise the Red Lantern

2010-11-28T20:59:00.000-05:00

Also known as: Da hong deng long gao gao gua
Genre: psychological drama
With: Gong Li, He Caifei, Cao Cuifeng
Director: Zhang Yimou
Release: 1991
Studio: Era International, Salon Productions, China Film Co-production Corporation – Orion Classics
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.5/10

QuickView

Story-line: after accepting to marry a rich Chinese master, nineteen-year-old Songlian moves to his mansion… to live with his three other wives.
Pluses: beautiful visuals and costumes, impeccable acting, remarkable direction and a strong story about household politics.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: this brutal Chinese film set in the 20s showcases Zhang Yimou’s world-class talent as a director and Gong Li’s fearsome acting chops. No doubt about it, this picture is a biggie.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Genou de Claire (Le)

2010-11-28T20:43:00.001-05:00

English title: Claire’s Knee
Genre: psychological comedy
Director: Éric Rohmer
Release: 1970
Studio: Les Films du Losange
Background material on Éric Rohmer: bloomberg.net
Rating: –
MBiS score: 8.0/10

Dietrich Was Right… You Can Be Both An Intellectual And A Pervert

In the late 70s and early 80s, one of the best comedies on TV was BARNEY MILLER, which featured a squad of NYPD detectives and the cases they were assigned to solve. Though its stories almost exclusively took place in one cramped and dingy precinct office and were based on personal interaction between its regular characters, I never found it boring. Among the cops, my favourite was Arthur Dietrich, the conspicuously clever one who often got on his colleagues’ nerves. The title of this review refers to one episode in which a woman had laid indecency charges against a college professor and the prof had protested to Dietrich that he was a ‘scholar’. Dietrich’s retort, as hinted above, was less than supportive for the alleged offender.

LE GENOU DE CLAIRE is our first foray into the late Éric Rohmer’s film universe and, if you’ve heard about him, you’ll understand my reference to BARNEY MILLER. In a typical Rohmer, sets are of little importance, dialogues drive the plot much more than concrete action and story-lines feed on character psychology and personal interaction. Overall, this director kept his dramas light and his comedies refined, thus authoring films that some people will find tediously genteel but others quite wise and rewarding. Among the handful I have seen, my top choice remains MA NUIT CHEZ MAUD but the perverse LE GENOU DE CLAIRE is a fine introduction to Rohmer’s original style of moviemaking.

Generally speaking, LE GENOU DE CLAIRE goes like this. Jérôme (Jean-Claude Brialy), a French diplomat posted in Sweden, returns to his homeland to settle personal matters. In the process, he hitches up with Aurora (Aurora Cornu), a novelist and dear friend, who introduces him to Mrs. Walter (Michèle Montel) and her family. Feelings of love will soon be revealed… in addition to an ardent, unsettling attraction that should be left unexplained for now.

In this dryly funny picture, what stands out is the rapport between Aurora and Jérôme who discuss and analyze his obsession (?) as if they were psychiatrist and patient. To some, their tête-à-têtes will probably seem static and stilted but, to art film fans and francophiles in particular, they serve as a dandy illustration of that legendary Gallic sense for argumentation… and a mighty peculiar way to tickle the viewer. While you sit there, privy to all of that pensiveness, poetry and plotting, you really wonder where it will all lead you. Better yet, you’ll find yourself entangled in one of those small-scale mysteries that Rohmer relished so much and recounted on screen with intriguing and even mesmerizing results.

If you like your acting flamboyant and noisy, you will be disappointed with LE GENOU DE CLAIRE. Such a quiet film required restraint from its cast, which is exactly what it got from the trio above and also from Béatrice Romand, Gérard Falconetti, Laurence de Monaghan and Fabrice Luchini; however, since the story revolves around Jérôme, expect to see a lot of Jean-Claude Brialy who is brilliant as an earnest-looking but shifty fellow. Production values are satisfying and sober. As for Rohmer’s direction and writing, I see no reason to complain; when I think of many recent movies that have been hyped as great works but are really defective or worthless, I can only admire a creator capable of turning trivial-seeming events into appealing little stories so attuned to our human condition. Such is the miracle of cinema and I can testify to its power.

Has my review been fair enough? I do hope so and, since we’re friends, I won’t hold it against you if you choose not to see this film. Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly recommend LE GENOU DE CLAIRE to anyone who loves logical comedies and polished entertainment. I’ll admit that Rohmer’s brand of filmmaking is an acquired taste but it’s a taste no one can acquire without starting somewhere. Here’s to Jean-Marie Maurice Schérer (1920-2010), a pioneer of the French ‘new wave’ and a director François Truffaut respectfully called ‘our master’.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Do the Right Thing

2010-11-14T21:40:00.000-05:00

Genre: social drama
With: Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis
Director: Spike Lee
Release: 1989
Studio: Sound One, Deluxe Digital Media, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, Da Moulan Van Movie Company
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.2/10

QuickView

Story-line: one hot day in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of New York City, Sal’s Famous Pizzeria becomes the focal point of neighbourhood tensions.
Pluses: strong acting, excellent character development, a foreboding mood and a realistic story.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: a mature and excellent work about race relations and a great effort by writer-director-actor Spike Lee. DO THE RIGHT THING can truly be called a ‘slice-of-life’ film.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Clockwork Orange (A)

2010-11-14T21:21:00.001-05:00

Genre: psychological drama
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Release: 1971
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, Kinney Company, Polaris Productions, Hawks Films Limited – Warner Bros. Pictures International
Song lyrics: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (1968)
Rating: R
MBiS score: 9.1/10

Sympathy For The Devil

Those young men sipping drinks at the Korova Milkbar are no ordinary patrons. They call themselves the Droogs – a raucous gang of hooligans led by one Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) – and they don’t intend to loaf about all evening. When good and ready, they’ll surely prowl the city’s dark corners looking for kicks and, by Jove, there will be kicks to be had! With Warren Clarke (Dim the Droog), James Marcus (Georgie the Droog), Michael Tarn (Pete the Droog), Patrick Magee (Mr. Alexander), Michael Bates (Barnes), John Clive (Stage Actor), Adrienne Corri (Mrs. Alexander), Carl Duering (Brodsky), Paul Farrell (Tramp) and Clive Francis (Joe). Production team: Bill Butler (editor), Russell Hagg and Peter Sheilds (art directors), John Barry (production designer), Ron Beck (wardrobe supervisor), Milena Canonero (costume designer) and Walter (Wendy) Carlos (music, interpreting compositions by Beethoven, Rossini, Elgar and others).

When the Beatles and the Rolling Stones reached superstardom in the mid-60s, a few years before A CLOCKWORK ORANGE was released, their songs and musical directions divided young fans and adults alike. If you loved pop rock transcendence and beautiful harmonies, the Beatles were your band and your folks didn’t complain much. If raw blues rock, sexual suggestiveness and a whiff of danger were your bag, you idolized the Stones but mom and pop cringed. One could argue that the same dichotomy holds true for movie masterpieces. Most are rooted in noble symbolism or portray man’s primary struggles on Earth but Stanley Kubrick’s classic about Alex and his ruffians stands out like a black sheep among the flock, a deleterious work conceived by rough-and-tumble souls. In spirit, it owes little to the Beatles but shares plenty with SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL, the Stones’ scary hit from 1968.

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste

Early on, the level of violence in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE may shock you as the Droogs, who give little credence to social conventions, let their boots, fists and knives do the talking for them. If you consider these scenes repulsive or sadistic – as they obviously are – keep in mind that the mayhem lasts only fifteen minutes or so and is tempered with a peculiar brand of sick and witty humour. Hang on to your bowlers, mates!

But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game

Once this intemperate introduction has passed, Kubrick’s film slows down to focus on Alex, his private life and delinquency problems. In this context, our devilish dandy appears less like a monster and more like a prototypical anti-hero. The lad shows intellectual curiosity, a love for classical music and mammoth mojo (!).

Killed the Czar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain

After another flurry of gratuitous violence, the movie changes gears with Alex becoming the hero – quite literally – of a contemporary fable alternately hilarious and creepy. From there, the film’s story-line mixes nightmarish terror, devastating humour, a hard satirical bent on politics and society (a recurrent theme in Kubrick’s oeuvre) and joyful irreverence towards religion and authority. Deep down, its Orwellian message about crime and punishment, political expediency, science and ethical issues will appear bracingly serious and its verdict, surprisingly moral. That’s as far as I’ll go for now but, if you’re anything like me, you will come to accept young Alex… and even root for the roguish bugger!

Just call me Lucifer
'Cause I'm in need of some restraint

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE is certainly not Satan’s handiwork but it remains diabolically clever – pun intended, of course. Taking their cue from an Anthony Burgess novel, Kubrick and his magnificent team fashioned not just a dirty allegory but a blowout for the senses. Jazzed-up dialogues (the Droogs speak their own crazy lingo), bizarre costumes, mind-blowing sets leaning on the ultra-modern and decked out in psychedelic colours (fuchsia and lime green!) and a souped-up musical score fusing synthesizers and old-world compositions collectively establish a surreal mood that prefigures some of EYES WIDE SHUT’s stranger moments. Between you and me, I have long thought that Stanley Kubrick was an Englishman and this film reinforces the illusion. Moreover, his in-your-face demonstrations of erotica and sexual mischief are remarkably adroit – most other filmmakers would look juvenile if they tried this kind of stuff but he manages to pull it off with unrepentant glee. Scenes that would be innocuous or drab in other movies look funny and even grotesque in Kubrick's offbeat vision of the world.

So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, have some taste

Acting-wise, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE is mainly Malcolm McDowell’s show and he delivers a masterful performance in an unglamorous role. His mellifluous voice and very British accent are immediately captivating while his playing runs the gamut of emotions, from evil playfulness to unforced civility. A competent cast affords him noteworthy support in a variety of roles, some good, some nasty indeed.

Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I'll lay your soul to waste, mmm yeah

I’ll sum up with an easy riddle – and feel free to interrupt me if you know the answer (!). What do you get when you mix Kubrick and Burgess, genius and madness, an electrifying story and a form of intellectual perversion rarely seen in modern culture? A very subversive movie and, better yet, an outrageous piece of cinema that shames many of today’s so-called ‘masterpieces’. Speak of the devil!

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Best Intentions (The)

2010-11-07T21:31:00.000-05:00

Genre: relationship drama
With: Pernilla August, Samuel Fröler, Max von Sydow
Director: Bille August
Release: 1992
Studio: STV1 Drama, ZDF, Channel 4, RAIDUE, La Sept, DR, YLE 2, NRK, RUV
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.4/10

QuickView

Story-line: when Henryk Bergman, a stern young Swede studying to become a pastor, visits his friend Ernst Akerblom and meets Ernst’s sister Anna, you can feel that love is in the air… but a love that will be faced with tremendous obstacles.
Pluses: a serious and moving story, striking characters, seamless direction and impressive acting.
Minuses: the film’s length (3 hours) may scare off some but, really, do try to see this splendid, thoughtful feature.
Comments: this movie about Ingmar Bergman’s star-crossed parents is a true representation of life’s plain and sombre struggles. Pure cinema in its most useful, artful form.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Lost In Translation

2010-11-07T21:15:00.000-05:00

Genre: comedy drama
Director: Sofia Coppola
Release: 2003
Studio: American Zoetrope, Elemental Films, Focus Features
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.3/10

A Kiss is Just a Kiss (thank you, Louis Armstrong)

Bob Harris (Bill Murray), a washed up American actor who appears in TV ads to fend off irrelevance, finds himself in Tokyo one day to shoot a commercial for Suntory whisky. Jet-lagged, distracted and groggy, he is visibly bored despite the attention he receives as a celebrity guest. Things will change, however, when he unexpectedly meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), a young compatriot with problems of her own. With Giovanni Ribisi (John), Anna Faris (Kelly) and Catherine Lambert (the jazz singer).

Some movies are more difficult to fathom than others and LOST IN TRANSLATION is one such film. Neither loud nor busy, it deals in emotions and lets them evolve at a natural pace, truly reflecting life as you and I live it. For this reason, don’t expect big laughs or gut-wrenching action from this film but subtle comedy, light drama and a pleasantly disorienting mood. In her screenplay, Sofia Coppola chose to practise empathy and I don’t see how else she could have depicted her two travellers stranded in a foreign land, struggling to understand their surroundings and what is happening to them. When you go abroad, especially in a country with a culture vastly different from yours, the need to confide in someone you trust is a strong and natural reaction that both Bob and Charlotte will act upon with complete candour.

Technically speaking, LOST IN TRANSLATION remains true to its purpose. It genuinely cares for its characters and shows them for what they are, without fanfare nor pretense. Bill Murray was given a role perfectly suited to him and Scarlett Johansson played hers with justifiable restraint as a young woman searching for the key to her future. The age difference between Bob and Charlotte may – or may not – matter in the story. By comparison, other characters are relegated to bit parts while the real support comes from Japan’s capital, fabulous and iridescent, awesome but never hostile, a city brimming with movement and friendly people; the camera clearly adores Tokyo’s vistas and captures them with elegance. As for Ms. Coppola’s direction, it carries the narrative smoothly and competently.

However, all this beauty and sympathy comes at a cost and LOST IN TRANSLATION suffers from a lack of content that may leave you unfulfilled. I cannot help comparing it with BROKEN FLOWERS, another vehicle for Bill Murray’s deadpan best, which wasn’t a powerhouse either but managed to get the viewer a little more involved than this one. As sensitive a movie as Ms. Coppola’s can be, it remains slight and feels at times like a travelogue. The film’s denouement, also, can hardly be called a climax.

I know that many in moviedom have expressed admiration for LOST IN TRANSLATION but, in life as in matters of motion picture entertainment, it never hurts to be choosy. You may watch this film if you want to – it’s agreeable all right – but I wouldn’t call it essential viewing. As George Borrow once said, ‘Translation is at best an echo.’ Sorry.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

1900

2010-10-20T14:27:00.001-04:00

Also known as: Novecento
Genre: social epic
With: Robert De Niro, Dominique Sanda, Gérard Depardieu
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Release: 1976
Studio: Artistes Associés, Produzioni Europee Associates, Artemis Film
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.4/10

QuickView

Story-line: while focusing on Alfredo and Olmo, two men born in 1900 on opposite sides of the social divide, this sprawling film depicts nearly 50 years on an Italian farm where owners and peasant workers struggle together, clash often and witness some of the 20th century’s most important events.
Pluses: a formidable cast including Burt Lancaster and Donald Sutherland (as a demented foreman), expert direction, a sweeping narrative.
Minuses: the movie’s two versions are decidedly long (4 and 5 hours) but, as incredible as it may seem, they remain interesting throughout. Some scenes may be difficult to stomach because of their shock value.
Comments: 1900 is a monumental work by one of the world’s most reputable directors and also a fine product of Italian cinema. A worthwhile watch for movie buffs!

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Feux rouges

2010-10-20T14:15:00.001-04:00

English title: Red Lights
Genre: thriller
Director: Cédric Kahn
Release: 2004
Studio: France 3 Cinéma, Centre National du Cinéma, Banque Populaire Images 4, Cofimages, Alicéleo, Gimages, Gimages 6, Wellspring Media
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.3/10

I’m Always Nervous When You Drive

On this last day before the summer holidays, pandemonium has spread throughout Paris but Antoine (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), an insurance man, savours the moment with contrasting serenity. This year, he has set himself up to enjoy his precious time off and, as he emails his wife Hélène (Carole Bouquet) before leaving the office, his mood is almost poetic. ‘I feel like a man in love going on his first date, he writes to his better half, and I’m happy we’ll join the children and visit your parents.’ Sounds like a great vacation… but don’t bet on it. Merely three hours later, as Antoine takes to the road with his belle Hélène, he seems aggravated, even impatient, and the couple’s carefree drive down south turns into a battle of wills. With Carline Paul, Jean-Pierre Gos and Vincent Deniard. Music by Arvo Pärt.

FEUX ROUGES wastes no time in making a mundane premise look odd and even unsettling. Its stunning opening theme by Claude Debussy and a few shots of futuristic high-rises put you on notice that something unusual – and indeed remarkable – is in the offing. Hélène didn’t see it coming but minor annoyances have irritated her hubby. The ensuing spat gets ugly as quarrels often do… but to see it become a chilling, small-scale thriller is a feat we can only attribute to Georges Simenon, the novelist behind the famous Maigret series, and director Cédric Kahn, who expertly adapted his story for the big screen.

There are few characters in FEUX ROUGES and, frankly, there was no need for more. Jean-Pierre Darroussin does a bang-up job as Antoine, a basically agreeable fellow who blows a fuse and allows himself to vent his pent-up emotions (for reasons I shan’t disclose). In this regard, the movie’s story-line makes excellent use of the humongous traffic jams that clog up the French capital every year at vacation time. Carole Bouquet, as usual, doesn’t content herself with playing a pretty face; her Hélène is a strong, intelligent woman who won’t stand for churlishness. Whether together or apart, these two actors deserve your undivided attention.

Polished dialogues, a competent supporting cast and a cunning screenplay will do the rest. Technicals don’t disappoint either, cinematography especially. My only concern about FEUX ROUGES − and a legitimate one since thrillers sometimes veer off atrociously after a solid start − was its staying power. For the record, let’s just say that Kahn’s film grips the pavement like trusty Michelins and that, no matter how finicky you are about plot lines, you will be fully satisfied with what you see. Some elements of the story may be left unexplained but you’ll find answers for every twist and turn.

I won’t say more and, honestly, I don’t need to. Don’t miss FEUX ROUGES, a superb little feature about the fickleness of human nature, life’s many surprises and a very unusual case of road rage. And if one day you find yourself in a car with a driver who’s hot under the collar, don’t argue.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Glass Menagerie (The)

2010-10-03T21:01:00.001-04:00

Genre: family drama
With: Joanne Woodward, Karen Allen, John Malkovich
Director: Paul Newman
Release: 1987
Studio: Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, Aspetuck Productions Ltd – Cineplex Odeon Films, Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI)
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.4/10

QuickView

Story-line: in St. Louis, during the Depression, the tenuous relationship between an overbearing mother (Amanda), her restless son bent on adventure (Tom) and her hapless and slightly handicapped daughter (Laura) reaches a breaking point.
Pluses: splendid acting, a moving story by Tennessee Williams, respectful direction by Paul Newman.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: though fundamentally a stage play, THE GLASS MENAGERIE works admirably on the big screen and stands as a fine character study. Don’t miss this heartbreaking film, if only to meet Laura and learn of her real predicament: ‘Mother's afraid I'm going to be an old maid.’

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Reader (The)

2010-10-03T20:52:00.000-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
Director: Stephen Daldry
Release: 2008
Studio: The Weinstein Company, Mirage Enterprises, Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH – Miramax Films, The Weinstein Company
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.3/10

The Sting of a First Love Too Powerful and Guilty

Berlin, 1958. As Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet) was washing the sidewalk in front of her building, she noticed a sick lad hovering about and urged him to come up to her apartment for immediate care. While they were together, the boy, one Michael Berg (David Kross), could plainly see that Hanna was not as privileged as he was and their 20-year age difference was clearly understood but the encounter, as brief as it was, left an impression that would prove impossible to quell. With Ralph Fiennes (Michael Berg as an adult), Karoline Herfurth (Marthe), Hannah Herzsprung (Julia), Bruno Ganz (Professor Rohl) and Lena Olin. Music by Nico Muhly.

From what I have told you thus far, THE READER may seem like a standard ‘young man meets mature woman’ love story born of mushy feelings and headed for predictable ruin but, in truth, it encompasses much more. Michael and Hanna’s rocky relationship will conjoin past, present and future as well as conscience, class and culture in ways they would never have suspected when they first set eyes on each other. At the very least, you should know that their chance meeting will open up large-scale issues in addition to personal ones and, in this regard, Stephen Daldry’s film can be likened to CACHÉ, another feature about private matters inescapably linked to the big picture of life.

Since THE READER tells its story from a literary angle and begins with a flash forward to 1995, it needs time to unfold, establish its main characters and shake off an obvious, all-too-perfect premise. Nevertheless, it quietly draws you in from the outset – like the first pages of a book usually hint at greater things to come – until it reaches that pivotal moment when Michael and Hanna each face moral issues as painful as they are intractable. All of this is handled expertly by director Daldry and writer David Hare, working from a novel by Bernhard Schlink. Acting-wise, Kate Winslet serves up a restrained and reasoned performance as Hanna, a moody and impatient woman to whom life offers little consolation aside from a young lover, while David Kross plays a bright, slightly rebellious Michael. Notice how these two characters, though different in personality and background, will react similarly to the tragedy that befalls them. Ralph Fiennes, as the older, colder Michael, shows his usual talent but spends much less time on screen than movie posters and studio publicity may indicate. The other actors on board, especially Bruno Ganz and Lena Olin, are also above reproach. I see no reason to complain about production values, cinematography or editing; visuals, in particular, are crisp and aesthetic.

Since books are so important to Michael, there is one scene in THE READER that I found very revealing and I hope it will strike you as well. It’s the one where a teacher theorizes that ‘The notion of secrecy is central to western literature’. With due respect, I can’t say that I agree entirely with him but THE READER certainly proves his point with eloquence and surprising emotional force. May you profit from this lesson in life and culture as much as I did.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Hussard sur le toit (Le)

2010-08-30T10:10:00.000-04:00

English title: Horseman on the Roof (The)
Genre: period epic
With: Olivier Martinez, Juliette Binoche, Jean Yanne
Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau
Release: 1995
Studio: Hachette Première – Miramax Zoe
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.1/10

QuickView

Story-line: in 1832, an Italian colonel exiled in southern France tries to return home despite enemy agents, a cholera epidemic and a lady in distress.
Pluses: a well-founded story based on a Jean Giono novel, fine period detail, quality acting and Juliette Binoche’s undeniable star power.
Minuses: none, except one gruesome scene involving a corpse.
Comments: if you ache for drama, adventure and romance (yes, that too!), LE HUSSARD SUR LE TOIT will cure what ails you. Let it take you to another time, another place, another world altogether.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Changeling (The)

2010-08-30T09:54:00.001-04:00

Genre: personal drama
Director: Clint Eastwood
Release: 2008
Studio: Imagine Entertainment, Malpaso Productions, Relativity Media – Universal Pictures
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.0/10

A Mother Should Know

Lincoln Heights (Los Angeles), 1928. Although she had promised to take her ten-year-old son Walter (Gattlin Griffith) to the movies, Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) simply couldn’t refuse an extra work shift at Pacific Telephone and Telegraph. It was one of those split-second choices a single mom must make between career and family but, at least, Christine had figured she’d be home early enough to take Walter to the movie house. Unfortunately, fate decided otherwise and, when Christine returned from work, her son was nowhere to be found. This mother’s ordeal had only begun. With John Malkovich (Gustav Briegleb), Jeffrey Donovan (J.J. Jones), Amy Ryan (Carol Dexter), Frank Wood (Ben Harris), Colm Feore (James E. Davis), Reed Birney (Mayor Cryer), Geoffrey Pierson (S.S. Hahn), Michael Kelly (Ybarra), Denis O'Hare (Dr. Steele), Jason Butler Harner (Gordon Northcott), Peter Gerety (Tarr) and Ric Sarabia (Man at Diner).

In its first few sequences, THE CHANGELING telegraphs one of its essential themes – during a conversation between Christine and her son – but also tries to mislead by showing happy-go-lucky images that belie the horrors yet to come. Judging by those sequences only, you could easily infer that single parents are a very happy lot. One scene, in particular, epitomizes this ham-fisted and unrealistic set-up, the one where Christine enters her son’s room to wake him up for breakfast. The moment feels idyllic and, instead of trudging in (or darting in) like any busy mom would do, Angelina Jolie prances about, her clothes billowing as if she was modeling the latest Dior on a Paris runway. Right then, I wondered if THE CHANGELING would pain me as much as MILLION DOLLAR BABY did but, luckily for me and happily for Clint Eastwood, it didn’t. It slowly gained momentum after that and, once Christine gets caught in a political tug-of-war that may very well destroy her, I was hooked and ready to go. At the finish, THE CHANGELING stands as a changed movie, a suspenseful and punishing film that will remind you of CHINATOWN not only for its locale and spare trumpet melodies (composed by Eastwood himself) but also for its atmosphere of degradation and corruption in a city reputed to be an earthly paradise.

The same comments hold true for the acting, which looks better and better as the movie develops. In all fairness, Angelina Jolie deserves praise for her performance despite my earlier criticism; one should not call her to account for decisions made by others. As Christine, a character not unlike Mariane Pearl in A MIGHTY HEART, Ms. Jolie shows strength as well as vulnerability... and don't doubt my word for it. The other cast members, portraying a splendid assortment of goodies and baddies, play with much the same conviction, especially Jeffrey Donovan, Amy Ryan and John Malkovich. The difficulty here is not finding well-played characters but identifying those who can be trusted; none of them seems evil at first glance but some will commit truly odious acts in the name of malice or power.

Visually, THE CHANGELING is an attractive film even though some of its locations are grim indeed. Production values and period detail are top-line; I won’t easily forget the film’s Roaring 20s feel, its art deco sets, Walter’s radio and those roaming supervisors. Clint Eastwood’s direction is mostly solid and especially effective in the movie’s riveting last half-hour. As for J. Michael Straczynski’s screenplay, which is based on real events, it holds up nicely despite a couple of soft spots; for one thing, I thought Christine was vague – maybe even flippant – when she explained why her husband had left her and, for another, I would have liked to know what happened to the Rileys, two potential witnesses who were mentioned early on and then forgotten entirely.

At this point, you can guess where I’m going and I’ll make it even clearer: I have no choice but to recommend THE CHANGELING due to its incredible resilience. As if oblivious of its early failings, it simply chugs along until Christine Collins, real and imagined, takes over formidably and refuses to back off. In the end, Eastwood’s film dedicated to this remarkable woman will reward you with a potent and haunting climax that no one could dismiss. More importantly, it will remind you that abuse of power and human frailty are nothing new – particularly in Los Angeles – and that suspicion is more advisable than blind acceptance. Beware of illusions… such is the vital message behind THE CHANGELING. Incidentally and metaphorically speaking, the same could be said of those palm trees that speckle the LA skyline in the film’s outdoor shots. I have read somewhere – and I have not forgotten since – that these trees are not indigenous to Southern California. They were introduced there long ago and have thrived ever since… like a natural mirage for all of Tinseltown’s inhabitants. Christine Collins was also presented with a mirage. Beware, my friends, beware.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Odd Couple (The)

2010-08-02T13:38:00.001-04:00

Genre: comedy
With: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, John Fiedler
Director: Gene Saks
Release: 1967
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Rating: G
MBiS score: 8.0/10

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Story-line: when marital problems leave Felix Ungar homeless, his good friend Oscar Madison invites him to stay at his place. But can Felix and Oscar be roomies as well as buddies?
Pluses: superb acting, Neil Simon’s fine screenplay, a typical mid-60s feel, Neal Hefti’s catchy musical theme.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: Lemmon and Matthau may have been cast as an odd couple in this funny movie but they were above all a formidable pair of thespians. Linguine aside, you will enjoy this pleasant, unassuming film!

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Man Who Wasn't There (The)

2010-08-02T13:25:00.000-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
Director: Joel Coen
Release: 2001
Studio: Working Title Films, USA Films, Mike Zoss Productions – October Films, USA Films
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.1/10

For Once, It’s The Barber Who Gets The Itch

The time is 1949 and the place, Santa Rosa, California. Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton), a barber by trade and a taciturn by nature, lives quietly with his wife Doris (Frances McDormand), an accountant for Big Dave Brewster (James Gandolfini) at Nirdlinger’s department store. On the surface, you could argue that life is sweet for the Cranes but, true to the old saying about still waters running deep, Ed’s juices will begin stirring when businessman Creighton Tolliver (Jon Polito) comes to town. Tolliver is looking for a partner and Ed soon gets the urge to join him. Unfortunately, there’s a drawback in Tolliver’s proposal: to play the capitalism game with him, you gotta have capital. With Michael Badalucco (Frank Raffo), Tony Shalhoub (Freddie Riedenschneider), Katherine Borowitz (Ann Nirdlinger) and Scarlett Johansson (Rachel ‘Birdy’ Abundas). Screenplay by Ethan and Joel Coen.

As filmmakers go, the Coen brothers are neither revolutionaries nor iconoclasts but, in my mind, they are certainly off-kilter. Their films don’t quite fit into the industry mould and their original storytelling keeps you guessing from beginning to end. In the comedy genre, they have shown brilliance in RAISING ARIZONA and THE BIG LEBOWSKI, two favourites of mine. In a dramatic vein, they can also deliver startling films like NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. Here, heavy-duty irony is the brothers’ modus operandi and, though they have sprinkled Ed’s tortuous – and torturous – journey through life with touches of humour, THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE is a predominantly solemn film that feels oppressive, even claustrophobic.

To act out their dark screenplay, the Coens relied on a solid cast that delivers handsomely, with Billy Bob Thornton as the mainstay, I believe. The brothers have also chosen to use black and white film for the production, a process that enhances the noirish elements of Ed’s not so excellent adventure. The resulting movie feels lean, sober, unadorned, like those simple songs that have withstood the test of time and become our cherished classics.

For now, there is little else to say about THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE except to recommend it without reservations. As Ed himself would put it, ‘Me, I don't talk much... I just cut the hair.’

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

American Graffiti

2010-07-17T21:22:00.001-04:00

Genre: teen drama
With: Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Paul Le Mat
Director: George Lucas
Release: 1973
Studio: Lucasfilm, Ltd., Coppola Co., Universal Pictures – Universal Pictures
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.4/10

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Story-line: one late summer night in 1962, a group of young Californians try to ward off boredom and their fears about the future by cruising around town in search of action.
Pluses: a great screenplay, well-drawn and amiable characters, a solid cast, Suzanne Somers’ mysterious presence and a seminal soundtrack.
Minuses: none.
Comments: AMERICAN GRAFFITI, hailed as a triumph for George Lucas, remains one of the best teen movies ever made. Don’t miss this atmospheric and utterly enjoyable ode to youth, simpler times and rock’n’roll. Pure movie magic!

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Serpico

2010-07-17T21:07:00.001-04:00

Genre: police drama
Director: Sidney Lumet
Release: 1974
Studio: Artists Entertainment Complex, De Laurentiis International Manufacturing Company SpA – Paramount Pictures
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.6/10

The Hand That Wouldn’t Wash The Other

When Frank ‘Paco’ Serpico (Al Pacino), one of New York City’s finest, is rushed to the hospital after a police raid that went amiss, the news travels fast and worries many. ‘Do you think he was shot by another cop?’, asks one officer at the precinct. ‘I know six who’d love to’, answers another. But how can one cop cause such resentment among his colleagues? To find out, see Sidney Lumet’s SERPICO. With John Randolph (Sidney Green), Jack Kehoe (Tom Keough), Biff McGuire (Captain McClain), Barbara Eda-Young (Laurie), Cornelia Sharpe (Leslie Land), Tony Roberts (Bob Blair), Allan Rich (D.A. Tauber), Norman Ornellas (Don Rubello), Ed Grover (Detective Lombardo), Gene Gross (Captain Tolkin), James Tolkin (Lieutenant Steiger), Lewis J. Stadlen (Jerry Berman), John Lehne (Gilbert) and M. Emmet Walsh (Gallagher). Screenplay by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler.

When I chose to watch SERPICO, I expected it to be a bitter pill to swallow but, in its early stages, it uses drama and humour equally effectively to depict Frank’s rookie days at the NYPD and his life as a young adult settling down on his own, meeting people and kicking up his heels. At one point – when he is assigned to the Bureau of Criminal Identification – I even wondered how this sprightly young man would become the most hated cop in the force but, sure enough, his story will take a sharp turn after his promotion to detective work and, right then and there, SERPICO morphs into a nightmarish but wholly necessary movie experience. Though less exciting than THE FRENCH CONNECTION, another film on brutal law enforcement in the Big Apple, it is more harrowing and surely more important as a social statement about police work and systemic corruption.

Although it required a sizable and competent cast, SERPICO revolves around one character and one dominant actor. As Frank, Al Pacino makes you forget how small a man he really is by projecting a huge aura that overshadows everything and everybody else. He exhibits great range and natural talent as a funny and intelligent guy whose ideas will clash mightily with those of his more conservative colleagues and who will suffer greatly because of it. Tony Roberts also shines in a minor role but, again, it’s Pacino’s bravura performance that you’ll remember most of all.

The movie’s screenplay, based on real events and a book by Peter Maas, is both complex and varied, its dramatic flow interrupted by odd occurrences and colourful dialogues that leave no room for daintiness (‘You already have one foot in the shit. Put the other one in.’). Sidney Lumet’s tight direction keeps things moving along at a brisk pace while gritty cinematography by Arthur J. Ornitz and a solid musical score by Mikis Theodorakis capture the beauty and ugliness of life in Gotham. Try as I may, I can’t find any flaws in this production.

Still not convinced? Then allow me one final pitch… my three reasons to recommend SERPICO. (1) This film weaves a powerful tale about a police force turned upside down and the whistle-blower extraordinaire who tried to right it. (2) It remains an eloquent testament to the greatness of American cinema in the 70s. (3) It features Al Pacino in one of the hottest acting streaks you could ever imagine. Think about it: from 1972 to 1975, this superb thespian starred in THE GODFATHER, SCARECROW, SERPICO, THE GODFATHER II and DOG DAY AFTERNOON. A genuine tour de force, don’t you agree?

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

American Gigolo

2010-07-04T20:51:00.001-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
With: Richard Gere, Lauren Hutton, Hector Elizondo
Director: Paul Schrader
Release: 1980
Studio: Pierre Associates, Paramount Pictures – Paramount Pictures
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.9/10

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Story-line: handsome Julian Kay, a fixture of L.A.’s elegant set, caters to mature women as a tourist guide and gigolo. For sure, his job comes with perks aplenty, but personal safety is not one of them.
Pluses: good acting, Paul Schrader’s screenplay and direction.
Minuses: none really.
Comments: don’t be misled by AMERICAN GIGOLO’s title: it’s neither filthy nor exploitative. In fact, it’s a serious and very watchable movie. One of many milestones in Richard Gere’s career.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Wrestler (The)

2010-07-04T20:31:00.001-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Release: 2008
Studio: Protozoa Pictures, Saturn Films, Wild Bunch – Fox Searchlight Pictures
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.0/10

Of Hammerlocks and Has-Beens

Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson (Mickey Rourke) sure looks bushed sitting in the locker room, his muscular body bent over and aching like that of an old man. He gave it his all in the ring that night but the wrestling card was thinly attended and his pay will hardly be worth the effort. Such is the fate of a former great athlete but Randy doesn’t mind… he still loves the sport. Rock on, brother! With Marisa Tomei (Cassidy), Evan Rachel Wood (Stephanie), Judah Friedlander (Scott Brumberg), Ajay Naidu (the medic), Wass Stevens (Nick Volpe) and Todd Barry (Wayne).

When you think about it, wrestling is a very peculiar line of work. You train hard most days and work most nights, travel incessantly, cope with injuries, abuse and humiliation, deal with risks of all kinds and put up with aggressive fans who take the sport much too seriously for their own good. Though it grants you the rarest of fringe benefits – a chance to smack your co-workers day in, day out – it comes with a downside that gets steeper and steeper as age creeps up on you and younger athletes rise in the ranks. Not that glamorous a life, eh?

Such is Randy Robinson’s predicament at the beginning of THE WRESTLER. His mind is still on fighting, his body increasingly resists it but, altogether, he is not yet ready to retire. Thus he finds himself in limbo, a weekend warrior clinging to past glory and unprepared for the big changes just around the corner. The first half-hour of THE WRESTLER depicts this side of Randy, his professional side, and you may find it boring if you’re not particularly attracted to combat sports. To its credit, this segment offers candid insights into today’s wrestling world, its quirks, tricks and outrageous use of clichés, its twisted humour and the sincere camaraderie shared by its practitioners. Later on, the film addresses Randy’s personal life which is undoubtedly more interesting. You’ll get to know the man behind the mauler and, though Randy is certainly coarse, he’s also a nice enough guy who leads a grim existence. Other than meeting a club dancer he’s particularly fond of, he is saddled with serious financial and personal problems that I should leave unexplained for now.

All of this is developed with outright competence by Darren Aronofsky and crew. THE WRESTLER boasts a fine cast led by Oscar-nominated Mickey Rourke who appears both endearing and intimidating as Randy. In the ring, he looks like a juggernaut; outside, with his raspy voice, hearing aid and glasses, he could be your next-door neighbour. Marisa Tomei delivers a gutsy performance as Cassidy and Evan Rachel Wood is utterly convincing (yet again) as Stephanie. Kudos should go to Robert Siegel for his finely structured and logical screenplay. The film’s cinematography and production values are also quite satisfying.

What more can I say? That THE WRESTLER is a treasurable sports film because it chooses realism over pompousness and honesty over corniness. In a way, it manages to transcend its subject matter to reach all among us who are growing old and who feel that society is turning its back on them. Aging is such a sad reality that you can’t blame Randy for dodging it as long as he can. Will it be steroids or Geritol?

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Madame Bovary (1991)

2010-06-27T20:34:00.001-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
With: Isabelle Huppert, Jean-François Balmer, Christophe Malavoy
Director: Claude Chabrol
Release: 1991
Studio: MK2 International, CED Productions, FR3 Films Productions – Samuel Goldwyn Company
Rating: PG-13
MBiS score: 8.0/10

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Story-line: Emma Rouault leaves her family’s farm to marry Doctor Charles Bovary but soon finds her new life too boring to endure.
Pluses: fine acting and dialogues, a strong drama, clean production values.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: a recent film adaptation of Gustave Flaubert’s classic novel of 1857. Emma and Charles... a true tragedy.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Roger Dodger

2010-06-27T20:22:00.000-04:00

Genre: comedy drama
Director: Dylan Kidd
Release: 2002
Studio: Artisan Entertainment
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.0/10

Unlocking the Secret Code of Love

Young Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) may be naive when it comes to matters of the heart but at least he knows where to find advice. Leaving his home in Ohio, he heads for the Big Apple to talk to his uncle Roger Swanson (Campbell Scott), a publicist and man about town who has a way with words and with women (or vice versa). Nick’s education in modern love can now begin in earnest. With Isabella Rossellini (Joyce Maynard, Roger’s boss), Jennifer Beals (Sophie) and Elizabeth Berkeley (Andrea).

I’ll be brief about this one. ROGER DODGER is a wily, spunky little film that should show you a good time if you pay attention and follow the rules. Really now, how can you go wrong with a teacher like Roger? He’s a persuasive chap, an experienced lover and a keen believer in hands-on training. Always remember the basics: ‘Sex is everywhere’. And if Roger’s not your idea of a nice guy, no problem… you’ll still love how Campbell Scott plays this Lothario to a T. Same goes for the cast around him, especially Jesse Eisenberg, Jennifer Beals and Elizabeth Berkeley, if you don’t mind me saying so.

The other big star of this sparkling little feature is Dylan Kidd, who penned its nifty screenplay and did wonders as a first-time helmer. ROGER DODGER was Kidd’s baby all the way and he can certainly be proud of it. I need not comment on the movie’s production values which are very adequate indeed.

Think you can handle it now? Then do your homework! Look up ROGER DODGER and watch it attentively. In doing so, you’ll realize that its lessons apply not only to young love but also to the movie industry itself. As I’ve written before, blockbusters and big names may attract all the hoopla but it’s often unheralded productions that are the most gratifying. Give this one a try for the sake of cinema.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Death in Venice

2010-06-20T20:42:00.000-04:00

Genre: personal drama
With: Dirk Bogarde, Silvana Mangano, Bjorn Anderssen
Director: Luchino Visconti
Release: 1971
Studio: Alfa Cinematografica Productions et al. – Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution, Dear International
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.8/10

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Story-line: while in Venice, a composer suffering from depression is fascinated by a Polish lad on holiday with his family.
Pluses: gorgeous visuals, a strong emotional charge, fabulous music by Mahler, impeccable production values.
Minuses: because of its slow pace, some viewers may not appreciate this sad and splendid movie.
Comments: Visconti’s film remains a masterpiece of beauty. Few films have managed to translate emotions into moving pictures as well as DEATH IN VENICE.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Misérables (Les) (1998)

2010-06-20T20:20:00.000-04:00

Genre: historical drama
Director: Bille August
Release: 1998
Studio: Mandalay Pictures – TriStar Pictures
Rating: PG-13
MBiS score: 8.0/10

How Imperfect Is The Law When Laid Down By Men

LES MISÉRABLES opens in the French town of Digne circa 1795. Jean Valjean (Liam Neeson), a bitter ex-con travelling to Dijon to meet his parole officer, accepts food and lodging from the local bishop (Peter Vaughan) but chooses to flee during the night with the cleric’s silverware. The very next day, Valjean is arrested and brought back to the bishop who, instead of pressing charges, offers him a set of valuable candlesticks. Valjean is taken aback by his good fortune but the bishop remains unshaken. 'You are no longer a man of the Devil, he says to Valjean. With this silver, I have redeemed your soul.' How right (or wrong) will the bishop be? We will know in the fullness of time. With Geoffrey Rush (Javert), Uma Thurman (Fantine), Mimi Newman (Cosette at age 8), Claire Danes (Cosette), Hans Matheson (Marius Pontmercy), Christopher Adamson (Bertin), Timothy Barlow (Lafitte), David Birkin (Courfeyrac), Patsy Byrne (Toussaint), Kathleen Byron (Mother Superior), Gillian Hanna (Madame Thénardier), Shane Hervey (Gavroche), Jon Kenny (Thénardier), Reine Brynolfsson (Beauvais), James Saxon (Chabouillet) and David McKay (the informer).

The French regard Victor Hugo's novel LES MISÉRABLES as an artistic triumph and, of course, they are right. In addition to a hit show on Broadway, this eternal literary work has spawned at least six movies, Bille August's being the most recent. Without revealing too much – in truth, there is enough content in this film that I'm in no real danger of blowing it – I should add that Valjean will build a new life for himself but, in so doing, will come under the scrutiny of Javert, a policeman who had briefly known him in prison. These two and several other characters in Hugo's work – Fantine, Cosette, Marius, Gavroche – are now legendary in France and elsewhere. It's easy to figure out why: they are universal in nature and their actions raise essential questions about life and love, crime, punishment and redemption.

LES MISÉRABLES is not a flawless movie. It lacks a certain French touch with its international cast using British accents but remains a valid and very entertaining feature. The acting here is top-notch, highlighted by strong turns from well-known names. Liam Neeson is praiseworthy as Valjean, a quiet and basically good man who, unlike SWEENEY TODD, will try to move on after an unfortunate start in life. As for Geoffrey Rush, you will love his performance but despise his Javert, that obsessive, overzealous snoop who sees Valjean's arrest as a career achievement. Uma Thurman delivers a fine Fantine, a character subjected to the same opprobrium that Valjean endured in his times of misery. Clare Danes and Hans Matheson also shine for the young generation.

Technically speaking, LES MISÉRABLES cannot be faulted. Cinematography, costumes, set design and period detail complement the narrative very efficiently and, while the film's pacing may feel a bit sluggish at first, it picks up considerably as the drama unfolds. Due credit must be given to Bille August for his sober direction and to Basil Poledouris for his competent musical score, especially his theme for oboe. What bothered me was a noticeable omission (or cut) in the script. While Valjean was never charged for the Digne incident, you will hear Javert claiming more than once that he is a convict and a wanted man. But how can that be? The movie doesn't explain. In fact, Javert's ranting became such an annoyance for me that I did some research after seeing the movie to find out if I had missed something. From what I gathered, Valjean did not change his ways immediately after his encounter with the bishop. While still in Digne, he stole a piece of silver from a little boy and then decided to give it back… but couldn't because the theft had already been reported. Thus he was considered in breach of his parole… and Javert's claim was legally well-founded. Keep this in mind when you watch the film and everything will fit a lot better… I want you to be clear-headed and on your toes when that dynamite ending comes along.

Frankly, this is all you need to know. As an entertainment vehicle, August's work reminded me of those great Saturday afternoons I used to spend at the Palace theatre when I was young… hmmm… younger. They used to show grand old swashbucklers and epic films that would take you on a roller coaster of emotions and keep you on the edge of your seat. This is what you'll get with LES MISÉRABLES, so sit tight and leave your problems behind for a couple of hours. Yes, this is what cinema is all about.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Dolce Vita (La)

2010-06-07T11:01:00.000-04:00

English title: The Sweet Life
Genre: slice-of-life drama
With: Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimée, Yvonne Furneaux
Director: Federico Fellini
Release: 1960
Studio: Riama Film, Pathé Image, Gray Films – American International Pictures, Macmillan Audio Brandon
Rating: -
MBiS score: 9.2/10

QuickView

Story-line: LA DOLCE VITA recounts a few tumultuous days in the life of Marcello, an Italian gossip columnist who pays dearly for his every glimpse of glamour.
Pluses: superb acting and direction, magnificent symbolism, striking imagery and Anita Ekberg’s famous romp in a Roman fountain.
Minuses: if you expect high action and a continuous, all-embracing story, you won’t savour this ironic movie to the full. Fellini’s masterpiece is an episodic, meticulous and slightly dry watch.
Comments: LA DOLCE VITA is one of the biggies in the film universe – not only for its pioneering use of the term ‘paparazzi’ but also for its imagery – and all movie buffs should see it one day or another. A unique motion picture experience and a classic among classics.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

2010-06-07T10:42:00.001-04:00

Genre: musical drama
Director: Tim Burton
Release: 2007
Studio: DreamWorks, Warner Bros. Pictures, Neal Street Productions et al. – DreamWorks, Paramount Pictures
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.0/10

Love That Bleeding In My Hand (sorry about that, Elton John!)

As their boat arrives in London one quiet night in 1802 (or is it 1840?), two men reflect on what the City means to them. The younger man, Anthony Hope (Jamie Campbell Bower), claims that London outshines all other splendours on Earth but his older mate, Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp), compares it to a huge hole in which vermin scuttle about under the contemptuous gaze of a privileged class. Clearly, young Anthony sees life with the eyes of a romantic while Sweeney’s view is tainted by bitterness. But why such anger, may you ask? Because of a barber named Barker, fifteen years before. With Helena Bonham Carter (Mrs. Lovett), Sacha Baron Cohen (Signor Adolfo Pirelli), Alan Rickman (Turpin), Timothy Spall (Beadle Bamford), Jayne Wisener (Johanna), Laura Michelle Kelly (the Beggar Woman) and Ed Sanders (Tobias Ragg).

Tim Burton’s vivid imagination and seamless direction work wonders in this gothic and gory film based on Stephen Sondheim's Broadway hit. His gift for shadows, outrageous characters and cockroach jokes imbues every frame along with gorgeous, quasi-black and white cinematography and dazzling special effects. Burton’s vision is very dark, emulating Sweeney’s psychological bent, and the rivers of blood his barber-butcher draws from unsuspecting clients seem utterly psychedelic in dimmed lighting. This film is assuredly colourless but the action it depicts is colourful indeed, dramatic at times and a tad humourous also. Art design, makeup and far-out costumes heighten the tragic and comic aspects of the story. Visually and stylistically speaking, SWEENEY TODD is a magical, surreal and riveting experience about a man who has escaped a prison only to slip into another.

Your ears will also be contented with the atmospheric music and imaginative songs that carry Sweeney’s gruesome story. Some of these songs are sweet and funny, others are very sinister but all are well written and performed. The cast digs into them with abandon, exhibiting more than average talent; Johnny Depp sings with a threatening growl that befits his tortured character while Helena Bonham Carter tears through long stretches without catching her breath. It is on stuff like this that Broadway has built its lasting reputation. Throughout the movie, sound effects and soundscapes are thunderous.

SWEENEY TODD’s power is also evident in its acting. I can only admire Johnny Depp for his intensity and versatility; he cuts a fine and menacing figure with his arm thrust into the air, hand holding the blade of vengeance. Helena Bonham Carter is equally fabulous, and not only for her getups, thick makeup and crazy hairdo. Let’s face it, these two make a smashing couple from hell. Alan Rickman, always a delectable villain, manages to shine even though his character seems unidimensional; I would have liked to know what inner demon drove Turpin to unadulterated meanness. In a similar register, Sacha Baron Cohen’s clear knack for drama and accents caught me completely off guard. Is Sacha possessed by Peter Sellers’ ghost? Possibly, methinks. As for the other characters, they are mostly eclipsed by the abovementioned four and, though I have no intention of disparaging this or that one, I felt that Anthony and Johanna were a bit bland by comparison while Beadle Bamford is a caricature as the sidekick with a gimmick, a cane reminiscent of Al Pacino’s in SCENT OF A WOMAN.

If there is a weak link in this expertly rendered movie, I do believe it is the story-line itself – though the same could be said of many musicals on stage or on screen. Warning – spoilers ahead! Basically, SWEENEY TODD is a standard revenger story (think Monte Cristo) recounted in over-the-top operatic form. It relies on a few strong coincidences conveniently linking all characters and some of its narrative elements are not entirely valid. (1) In an important scene, the young and beautiful Johanna, Turpin’s captive and Anthony’s budding love interest, throws a key to our lad from her bedroom window while the jealous Turpin, watching her from a keyhole, chooses not to intervene. Logically, you’d expect a stiffer reaction from this ogre of a man if you consider how he repelled Anthony in an earlier encounter; in his place, at the very least, I would have barged into the room to scold Johanna and threaten Anthony from the window. While we’re at it, how did Johanna ever get her hands on a house key with a monster like Turpin hovering around her? (2) If you adhere to the story, Sweeney should be at least fourteen years older than Pirelli but, notwithstanding Sweeney’s lock of white hair, I never felt that the age difference was that wide on screen. (3) Tobias’ fond reminiscences about Pirelli seem exaggerated when you consider how the Italian barber mistreated him; similarly, the boy’s initial suspicions about Sweeney are not really explained. (4) I had difficulty believing that a vulnerable little boy like Tobias would commit the final act of violence in the story but, of course, it had to be committed by one of the characters and there weren’t many left at that point. I’ll admit that the youngster had stated earlier that he would do anything for Mrs. Lovett… but he had also suggested calling the police. Why, then, did he take matters into his own hands? For his sake, we’ll simply assume that he was driven by his will to survive… or poisoned by all those pies he ate. (5) Lastly, the movie is somewhat disingenuous about the message it wants to convey. By counterbalancing an ironic and morally acceptable conclusion with several detailed depictions of the same slaughterous act, it manages to trivialize (or even glorify) violence by hinting that slitting throats may be horrendous but is also very cool. Personally, I don’t consider myself an innocent and I don’t object to multiple deaths in a work of art but, if you compare this production with Franco Zeffirelli’s HAMLET for example, you’ll see how better things can be when less emphasis is put on bloodshed. For all these reasons, I cannot give SWEENEY TODD as high a mark as I would have liked but, in its present state, it does remain a solid film.

Enough said! I’m sure you get the picture… and you may readily see it. Just don’t take it too seriously. It’s not worth busting an artery the next time you see a razor.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Dangerous Liaisons

2010-05-27T16:11:00.000-04:00

Genre: historical drama of manners
With: Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer
Director: Stephen Frears
Release: 1988
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, Lorimar Film Entertainment, NFH Ltd. – Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.7/10

QuickView

Story-line: in old-time France, the aristocratic and redoubtable Madame de Merteuil plots revenge on a former lover.
Pluses: formidable acting, striking aesthetics, great direction, outstanding production values.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: like its rival VALMONT (another fine film on the same subject), this heavy-duty drama about love and cruelty among the rich and supposedly noble is based on a scandalous epistolary novel written in 1782 (!) by Choderlos de Laclos. This powerful film is proof positive that a great story never ages. A must for movie buffs.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Noces rouges (Les)

2010-05-27T15:57:00.000-04:00

English titles: Blood Wedding, Red Wedding, Wedding in Blood
Genre: matrimonial drama
Director: Claude Chabrol
Release: 1970
Studio: Films la Boétie, Canaria Films – Films la Boétie, CIC Productions
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.0/10

Let’s Play Adultery!

When political advisor Pierre Maury (Michel Piccoli) is hired by Paul Delamare (Claude Piéplu) to seal his bid for municipal office, he is quick to notice Lucienne Delamare (Stéphane Audran), Paul’s outgoing and sexy wife. For Pierre, who leads a joyless existence with Clothilde (Clothilde Joano), a depressed and sickly woman, Lucienne’s presence is both a blessing and a curse. What doth man do when the weight of duty and the rush of passion tear equally at his heart?

Claude Chabrol, an accomplished French director, makes fine dramas that unfold leisurely enough but never lack substance. LES NOCES ROUGES is a typically serious Chabrol but it also distinguishes itself from most films in this genre with its healthy dose of humour. In Pierre and Lucienne’s case, there is no guilt in hanky-panky… it’s all glee and boisterous fun. You’ll crack up, I’m sure, when you see the shenanigans these two perpetrate in the name of love. And when their affair leads to trouble, as often happens in these matters, Chabrol’s film is no less watchable for it.

Frankly, I couldn’t imagine better casting anywhere for a story such as this. Michel Piccoli, one of the wiliest thespians around, plays Pierre as an outwardly responsible man, all business and decorum, who turns into a lusting animal whenever Lucienne is close and willing. As for Stéphane Audran, she matches Piccoli’s performance with her own brand of spunk; there is one trick she does on him during an outdoor scene that sure looks like a practical joke and, if you catch it, you’ll notice Piccoli twitching with surprise. In a supporting role, Claude Piéplu doesn’t squander his chances either and his biting repartees are also worth a laugh or two. In other respects, LES NOCES ROUGES is a sober and solid production. The story-line, based on real-life events, deliberately leaves a couple of open questions but ends on a stunner, one last statement by Pierre that you will find both puzzling and disarmingly candid.

Let’s settle one more point. Should you see LES NOCES ROUGES, another in a long line of flicks showcasing the joys and perils of adultery? Yes, if you don’t mind me saying so. This excellent French film delivers enough drama, hijinks and mystery to please any movie buff.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Music of Chance (The)

2010-05-12T10:28:00.000-04:00

Genre: drama and suspense
With: Mandy Patinkin, James Spader, M. Emmet Walsh
Director: Philip Haas
Release: 1993
Studio: By Chance Productions, American Playhouse, IRS Media – IRS Releasing
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.9/10

QuickView

Story-line: for Jim Nashe and Jack Pozzi, getting involved in a poker game seemed like a very good idea…
Pluses: fine acting (from the good guys and the bad guys), a devilish story-line, solid direction, great songs by Richard Strauss.
Minuses: don’t pick this one if you crave for a feel-good movie.
Comments: THE MUSIC OF CHANCE may be a modest production but its brutality will leave you dumbfounded. It’s like a living nightmare.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Gone Baby Gone

2010-05-10T09:38:00.001-04:00

Genre: crime drama
Director: Ben Affleck
Release: 2007
Studio: Touchstone Pictures, Miramax Films et al. – Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Miramax Films
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.2/10

The More You See, The More It Hurts

Boston, Massachusetts. Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and his girlfriend Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan), who are partners in a small detective agency, are approached by members of the McCready family to investigate the disappearance of little Amanda (Madeline O'Brien), a four-year-old girl. Although they are not ideally qualified for the job and Amanda’s case is already investigated by the police, Patrick and Angie accept to do their part for the McCreadys… not knowing what they’re getting into. With Amy Ryan (Helene McCready, Amanda’s mother), Titus Welliver (Lionel McCready), Amy Madigan (Bea McCready), Ed Harris (Remy Bressant), Morgan Freeman (Jack Doyle), John Ashton (Nick Poole), Mark Margolis (Leon Trett), Michael Kenneth Williams (Devin), Edi Gathegi (Cheese Jean-Baptiste) and Matthew Maher (Corwin Earle).

It’s quite easy to review a movie you have loved, especially when every critic out there agrees with you, but you can’t help second-guessing yourself when a film lauded by a large majority has left you with the blahs. Such is my frame of mind – a mixture of respect, disappointment and doubt – as I write about GONE BABY GONE, a drama that shows clear kinship with MYSTIC RIVER but cannot equal, at least in my book, Clint Eastwood’s superlative work. For better or for worse, here are my thoughts.

In Ben Affleck’s brave and competent oeuvre, there are things I admired and others that annoyed me. On the positive side, GONE BABY GONE carries a gritty, authentic feel steeped in working-class mores, dubious behaviour and deep mistrust for the police. As the eloquent and glamourless first scenes plainly show, people in Patrick Kenzie’s part of town can only survive if they acquire a steel-like toughness that locks in most human emotions; these are ordinary folk with little to hope for except arduous labour, fleeting love, habitual boredom and the temptations of crime, petty or otherwise. In such a milieu, investigating a kidnapping is no small task even for an insider: there will always be hidden facts to uncover, surprises to fathom, compromises to make. On this account, Affleck’s production clearly succeeds as a realistic representation of grim lives even if its effectiveness is marred by distant camera work early on in the narrative. Those few scenes filmed from afar don’t last long but they bothered me nevertheless.

GONE BABY GONE is well-stocked in acting talent but Casey Affleck stands out. He fully convinced me with his low-key portrayal of Patrick Kenzie, a man who has not turned his back on the past; there is something in this actor’s broken voice and soft delivery that reminds me of Alan Arkin’s supple playing. As for Michelle Monaghan, I have reservations not about her performance but about her inconsistent character; at times, Angie Gennaro dreads what lies ahead as would any tender-hearted woman but, in others, she acts with inexplicable calmness in the face of imminent danger or even demonstrates patent ruthlessness. In supporting roles, Amy Ryan offered a fine interpretation, Edi Gathegi also; Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman in no way tarnished their sterling reputations.

As for the movie’s story-line, it is irreproachable – up to a point. The action develops slowly but gathers noticeable momentum as the investigation moves along. There are turns and complications, violent emotional setbacks (as in BLACK RAIN, I thought), genuine mystery and suspense. Truly, the screenplay goes to great lengths to offer something different and, while things looked quite murky midway, I never doubted that an answer would emerge. When it did, however, I was simply unable to accept it. Here’s why. Warning – spoilers ahead! (1) When you think about it, the motive for the kidnapping was not very sound. Consider the people who stood to benefit from the crime: a former police officer (of all people!) and his faithful wife, senior citizens to boot. They will be in their eighties by the time Amanda comes out of adolescence! As justification, it is stated that the couple had lost a little girl many years ago… but why have they waited this long before filling the void in their lives? With so many orphans stranded in our world, wouldn’t legal adoption make more sense than stealing a child, especially for a retired policeman? Was it all worth the risks involved? Could this twisted man turn into a ‘serial adopter’ if left unaccountable? And since when has the police substituted itself for social services in order to remove a child from her mother’s care? (2) On another level, the targeting of Amanda resulted from actions and decisions that were not entirely plausible. Why was she picked, especially when the kidnappers knew about her mother’s erratic lifestyle, drug connections and shady relations? Wouldn’t a policeman be attracted to a child with a healthier background? This sort of kidnapping, I guess, would seem more believable in a small town – where some people are well-connected and freely put their fingers where they shouldn’t – but to see it happen in a major city may be a stretch. And how do you figure out Amanda’s new life? Has she been brainwashed into accepting her forced adoption? How was it explained to her? Doesn’t she still remember Mommy? (3) Seen as a whole, the machinations required to cover up the kidnapping go beyond the mandatory ‘suspension of disbelief’. You have lies, intimidation, the police incidentally suspecting known child molesters for the kidnapping, an elaborate exchange taking place in a remote area, drug traffickers being murdered, a botched raid and a police detective disguised as a robber who barges into a watering hole to threaten his contact in front of the bartender and several witnesses… in other words, a smorgasbord for conspiracy fans. Would you go this far for a little girl? I sure wouldn’t… and I can only surmise that the story was conceived in such a way that Amanda would be spared. Because of this emphasis on suspense over logic, the story-line thus failed entirely for me despite its other qualities and treasurable little denouement. Accordingly, I don’t see how I can award this film (without regard to Dennis Lehane’s book on the subject) anything more than a very low passing grade.

In conclusion, is GONE BABY GONE worth your precious time? Certainly if you’re in the mood for a robust and gruelling film that is all guts and messy situations and if you’re ready to overlook the snags in its story-line. As for me, you know where I stand. To quote Brando’s famous line in ON THE WATERFRONT, this film ‘could have been a contender’ but its punch was deadened by one twist too many. Nevertheless, it goes the distance like a granite-jawed brawler bent on punishing everyone - its characters, viewers and even this would-be reviewer - in the process. I hope you’ll understand.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Discrète (La)

2010-04-25T20:42:00.001-04:00

Genre: romantic drama
With: Fabrice Luchini, Judith Henry, Maurice Garrel
Director: Christian Vincent
Release: 1990
Studio: Productions Lazennec, Sara Films et al. – MK2 International
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.1/10

QuickView

Story-line: after being dumped by Solange, Antoine, a disenchanted writer and civil servant, accepts his editor’s proposal to seduce another girl strictly out of revenge.
Pluses: exemplary acting and direction, Fabrice Luchini at his sarcastic best, clean production values, great music by Schubert.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: schemes about love have often been depicted in the movies, with mixed results overall. Nevertheless, when treated with good taste, this premise has produced some marvellous works like LA DISCRÈTE and René Clair’s LES GRANDES MANOEUVRES. In its own way, Christian Vincent’s film is a treacherous watch because you mustn't let Antoine’s meanness put you off. Life, as always, is full of surprises.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Monster's Ball

2010-04-25T20:27:00.000-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
Director: Marc Forster
Release: 2001
Studio: Lee Daniels Entertainment, Lionsgate – Lionsgate
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.2/10

The Widow and the Widow-maker

While Lawrence Musgrove (Sean Combs) spends his last days on death row at Jackson Penitentiary, his wife Leticia (Halle Berry) and their son Tyrell (Coronji Calhoun) are understandably devastated and uncertain about the future. In an unusual way, Lawrence’s fate will also change the lives of Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) and Sonny (Heath Ledger) Grotowski, a father and son team of prison guards assigned to escort him to his execution. With Peter Boyle (Buck Grotowski, Hank’s father, himself a former prison guard).

Although Albert Camus once wrote ‘It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners’, MONSTER’S BALL focuses as much on enforcers of the death penalty as on a woman and a son indirectly subjected to it. In this sense, Marc Forster’s work speaks of issues not covered by DEAD MAN WALKING and other prison films but, like them, it is patently grim, achingly raw and psychologically demanding, especially at first. Eventually, it gains in humanity in the aftermath of Lawrence’s execution as it allows its characters to experience disillusion and want, reflect on the tribulations of life and move a step or two forward on the road to rebirth. Judging from reviews I had read beforehand, I had a distinct feeling that this movie would be heavy-handed and implausible but, thanks to a masterful screenplay by Milo Addica and Will Rokos, it unfolds in a logical and considered way. As you will discover, MONSTER’S BALL tackles violence, capital punishment and ingrained racism head-on and succeeds unequivocally because of its complete candidness.

Of course, a feature such as this would not have carried without a strong cast and superior acting. Halle Berry earned her Oscar nod as a woman faced with a brutal future and Billy Bob Thornton provided her with solid support; one special scene between them will take your breath away (you’ll know which one). Production values are irreproachable. The story here was paramount and nothing was done to compromise it.

Honestly, I have little else to add about MONSTER’S BALL, a film that deserves recognition for its seriousness and fine craftsmanship. As it demonstrates with gut-wrenching eloquence, there are neither easy answers nor pat solutions in life but there is hope, even if it seems scant or fragile.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

White Palace

2010-04-14T11:15:00.000-04:00

Genre: romantic comedy drama
With: Susan Sarandon, James Spader, Jason Alexander
Director: Luis Mandoki
Release: 1990
Studio: Double Play Productions et al. – Universal Pictures
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.9/10

QuickView

Story-line: Max and Nora may be from opposite sides of the tracks but, sometimes, opposites attract.
Pluses: fine acting, good direction, a somewhat raunchy tone and some quirky moments.
Minuses: none really.
Comments: the basic story driving this movie is not the most original on earth but its refreshing treatment and humanity make for a compelling watch. I’ll always remember Nora’s face when Max gives her that special, heartwarming present…

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

To Die For

2010-04-13T21:30:00.000-04:00

Genre: black comedy
Director: Gus Van Sant
Release: 1995
Studio: LH Productions, Laura Ziskin Productions, Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group – Sony Pictures Releasing
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.1/10

Frankly, It’s The Weather Girls I Check Out, Not Their Satellite Maps

A huge commotion has engulfed the small burg of Little Hope, New Hampshire: Suzanne Maretto (Nicole Kidman), the vivacious weather girl on local TV, has been charged with murdering her husband Larry (Matt Dillon). With Dan Hedaya (Joe Maretto, Larry’s father), Illeana Douglas (Janice Maretto), Joaquin Phoenix (Jimmy Emmett), Casey Affleck (Russell Hines), Alison Folland (Lydia Mertz), Wayne Knight (Ed Grant, WWEN manager), Kurtwood Smith (Earl Stone, Suzanne’s father); Holland Taylor (Carol Stone), Susan Traylor (Faye Stone), Maria Tucci (Angela Maretto), Tim Hopper (Mike Warden), Michael Rispoli (Ben DeLuca), Buck Henry (Mr. Finlaysson), Gerry Quigley (George), Joyce Maynard (the lawyer) and David Cronenberg. Music by Danny Elfman.

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a TV personality? Or wondered what it takes to make it in the media? If so, you may have realized that a career in the public eye requires hard work, talent, ambition and luck… in proportions dictated by circumstance, personal goals and mindset. Case in point: the fetching Ms. Maretto. Suzanne is no Christiane Amanpour but an assertive and pretty lady, a whirlwind and a snappy dresser she certainly is. In other words, she packs more than enough to charm any red-blooded TV exec and score a ton on the Nielsen ratings. Moreover, she’s a great character on which to build a biting satire about the media world… and Gus Van Sant has treated her to a fine, shiny showcase.

Let’s not beat around the Bushes… TO DIE FOR shows solid craftsmanship, from its faultless direction, sprightly editing and lively pace – except for a fifteen-minute lull midway through – to its mad, mad screenplay based on Joyce Maynard’s novel and penned by Buck Henry. Acting-wise, its whole cast is note-perfect but I truly marveled at Nicole Kidman’s delicious, bubbly and multi-faceted turn as Suzanne; I also loved Matt Dillon as Larry, a man who may have dreamed of Hannah Storm but wound up with Desert Storm, Wayne Knight as a wily TV type, Illeana Douglas as Suzanne’s acerbic sister-in-law, Buck Henry as an authoritarian teacher and Joaquin Phoenix – already a fine actor then – as an intense and vulnerable young man who will learn a lot about life in a very short spell. But remember… TO DIE FOR’s raison d’être is comedy and it does deliver some devastating laughs along with a strong, well-deserved payoff.

So move over all of you Janes, Barbaras, Katies and Oprahs, Suzanne Maretto is already staking her claim to fame. And if Marshall McLuhan has posited that the medium is the message, I may add that, nowadays, it emphasizes image and self-promotion. Here’s to a fun and waggish time for movie buffs!

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Chiens (Les)

2010-03-07T21:06:00.001-05:00

English title: The Dogs
Genre: mystery
With: Victor Lanoux, Gérard Depardieu, Nicole Calfan
Director: Alain Jessua
Release: 1979
Studio: AJ Films, AMS Productions et al. – World Marketing Films
Rating: -
MBiS score: 7.8/10

QuickView

Story-line: after moving in from Paris, Doctor Féret notices that dogs and crime are omnipresent in his new town.
Pluses: good acting, a strange story, a creepy mood à la Hitchcock.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: you will enjoy this little-known flick featuring the versatile Victor Lanoux and Gérard Depardieu as a less than charming fellow. As a lure, I will add that LES CHIENS, aside from a few good chills, delivers three outrageous gags that you will long remember. The French never turn away from a good laugh, even in the oddest of circumstances… and this is one reason why they’re so endearing.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Zandy's Bride

2010-03-07T20:52:00.001-05:00

Genre: settler drama
Director: Jan Troell
Release: 1974
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures – Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 7.9/10

A Settler Can Always Use Good Cattle… And Sometimes A Wife

The Big Sur region of California, circa 1880. When Alexander ‘Zandy’ Allan (Gene Hackman) arrives in town to pick up his mail-order bride Hannah Lund (Liv Ullmann), his disappointment clearly shows. The spinster from Minnesota is much older than he had anticipated… and he wonders what other lies she may have told him to secure a marriage. With Eileen Heckart (Zandy’s mother) and Susan Tyrrell (Maria Cordova).

I really don’t know what were Jan Troell’s dramatic ambitions in making ZANDY’S BRIDE and I don’t care to find out. What I do know is that he has fashioned a film that will please both sadists and masochists. Not unlike THE JERK, Troell's work will make you squirm at first, then giggle in shame before wholly surrendering to whatever demon inspired such wickedness.

Now don’t get me wrong! ZANDY’S BRIDE is not one of those films so atrocious they unintentionally deliver a few good yuks. It boasts fine production values, irreproachable acting by bona fide stars and a pretty solid screenplay… but all of that is overshadowed by the sheer cruelty unleashed onscreen. It is mind-boggling to see the indignities the great Liv Ullmann (of Bergman fame!) was subjected to for our viewing pleasure. And if you think Gene Hackman was a tough customer in THE FRENCH CONNECTION, wait till you see him as Zandy the ‘loving’ husband. As I write this review, it comforts me to know that photos taken by Bob Willoughby during filming show Liv and Gene smiling in each other’s presence, proof positive that showmanship – and not malevolence – drove their every action in front of the camera. So there really was method to this madness after all!

Enough said for now… we all need surprises in life, especially as movie buffs. Whatever your mood, I do recommend ZANDY’S BRIDE, a matrimonial ‘drama’ played with straight faces and unchristian gusto. I hope feminists won’t hold it against me… love expresses itself in so many ways.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

My Fair Lady

2010-02-28T21:05:00.000-05:00

Genre: musical comedy
With: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Wilfrid Hyde-White
Director: George Cukor
Release: 1964
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures – Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.6/10

QuickView

Story-line: Professor Henry Higgins bets he can turn a cockney flower girl named Eliza Doolittle into a sophisticate.
Pluses: wondrous acting, enduring show songs, fine direction and excellent production values.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: for a long while, I avoided old classic films on the pretense that they were ‘old’ but I later realized why they are called ‘classics’. Who could resist such humour, intelligence and indestructible music presented in a glorious and colourful package? No one, of course… which is why the Academy awarded MY FAIR LADY a Best Film and a Best Actor Oscar in 1964. Come on, Dover!

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Blue Car

2010-02-28T20:37:00.001-05:00

Genre: psychological drama
Director: Karen Moncrieff
Release: 2003
Studio: Peer Oppenheimer Productions – Miramax Films
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.1/10

School of Hard Knocks

It’s a good thing Meg Denning (Agnes Bruckner) has a penchant for writing because, in other respects, her teenage life is hopeless at best. She still aches from her parents’ divorce, has to work part-time outside of school and also cares for her needy little sister Lily (Regan Arnold). As if that wasn’t enough, her English teacher (David Strathairn) is so impressed with her writing that he thinks she should enter a poetry contest. With Margaret Colin (Diane, Meg’s mother).

Seeing a bunch of films one after another is often a dangerous proposition. Comparisons can clog up your mind, tiredness may affect your judgment and, when your last viewing experience has been particularly potent, the next feature will usually let you down. As fate would have it, I saw BLUE CAR right after 21 GRAMS and, logically, Karen Moncrieff’s modest film should have been crushed by such a powerhouse… but it held its own without straining. Let this be a lesson for all of us: though they attract less attention in the movie universe, small films frequently offer good and even great value.

I’ll admit that BLUE CAR doesn’t look like much from afar but, once you sit down to watch it, you’ll discover that it has a lot going for it: daunting issues rooted in contemporary life, interesting characters that are very realistic and a set of circumstances both tragic and painful. Luckily for us, Ms. Moncrieff’s screenplay doesn’t try to sensationalize Meg’s problems but depicts them with a prudence and thoughtfulness that better reflect her inner turmoil. The film’s effectiveness is enhanced by good acting, especially by Agnes Bruckner and David Strathairn, a thespian known for restrained performances, and also by solid production values. Without a doubt, this movie is as sound as they come.

An enigmatic title doesn’t guarantee quality entertainment but it definitely does so in this case. Do watch BLUE CAR, a movie about one brave girl and the scars that life has prematurely inflicted on her. Once you’ve seen it, you will understand.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

400 coups (Les)

2010-02-14T21:03:00.001-05:00

English title: The 400 Blows
Genre: adolescent drama
With: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy, Claire Maurier
Director: François Truffaut
Release: 1958
Studio: Janus Films, Films du Carrosse, Sedif – Kino International
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.8/10

QuickView

Story-line: Antoine Doinel is one turbulent young man, growing up by himself while his parents are busy elsewhere. Is there any hope for him?
Pluses: a good mix of drama, humour and irony, solid acting, an original and personal story by one of the best auteurs and directors in the business.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: some films are notable for their timing, impact or innovativeness. LES 400 COUPS is considered a milestone in French cinema: it was Truffaut’s breakout film, his first work featuring alter ego Antoine Doinel, his first collaboration with Jean-Pierre Léaud and one loud salvo fired by the Nouvelle Vague movement of the 50s. This is the stuff movie legends are made of.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

21 Grams

2010-02-14T20:53:00.001-05:00

Genre: psychological puzzle
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Release: 2003
Studio: 21 Films, This Is That – Focus Features
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.4/10

So Close To My Heart

Paul Rivers (Sean Penn) is a very sick man and doctors give him no more than a few weeks to live. Cristina Williams (Naomi Watts), a former drug addict, now lives happily with her husband Michael Peck (Danny Huston) and their two daughters. Jack Jordan (Benicio Del Toro), an ex-convict, has turned to religion and struggles mightily to be accepted in society. Paul, Cristina and Jack… three different people, three separate paths that would never have crossed if it weren’t for fate’s unpredictable ways. With Charlotte Gainsbourg (Mary, Paul’s wife).

If you choose to watch 21 GRAMS (and I strongly urge you to do so), remember the plot points above because the movie was deliberately edited helter-skelter and you may not make sense of it otherwise. Yes, for two hours, you will be bombarded with scenes taken almost randomly from the end, the beginning or the middle portion of the story… but all of these snippets fit together beautifully to create a very serious and finely tuned spectacle.

Basically, the film’s story-line revolves around three people to whom life has given a second chance (or even a third) but such a blessing comes with a price tag: forced meetings and required violence. Intensity is the movie’s key feature, especially in its sharply written dialogues and its acting; the cast assembled here displays a diversity of talents seldom seen in a full-length motion picture. In all other respects, 21 GRAMS won’t shortchange you, I guarantee. By the way, its title refers to a physiological phenomenon I will not reveal for now.

What more can I tell you about this film? Not much. For movie fans, 21 GRAMS is another excellent work by the man behind the glorious AMORES PERROS. And for those who take their cinema seriously, it doubles as a master class in acting, editing and drama. Do see it!

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Reine Margot (La)

2010-02-14T20:47:00.000-05:00

English title: Queen Margot
Genre: historical drama
With: Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil, Jean-Hugues Anglade
Director: Patrice Chéreau
Release: 1993
Studio: Renn Productions, France 2 Cinéma et al. – Miramax Films
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.8/10

QuickView

Story-line: as religious strife tears through France, a marriage is arranged between catholic Marguerite de Valois and protestant Henri de Bourbon to bring stability to the realm.
Pluses: formidable acting, seamless direction, a clear historical context, a suspenseful story.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: a breathtaking French feature that no movie buff should miss. Do not mistake LA REINE MARGOT for a mere costume drama… it’s really a James Bond film set in the sixteenth century. Expect lots of mayhem and a mesmerizing movie experience, no less.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Atonement

2010-02-14T20:28:00.001-05:00

Genre: romantic drama
Director: Joe Wright
Release: 2007
Studio: Working Title Films, Kudos Film & Television et al. – Focus Features
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.4/10

A Fertile Mind is a Terrible Thing to Use

On this summery day in 1935, the English countryside is broiling and tempers are flaring at the Tallis estate. Inside the mansion, thirteen-year-old Briony (Saoirse Ronan) is disappointed that the play she has written for her brother Leon (Patrick Kennedy) will not be ready when he arrives. Meanwhile, on the grounds, her sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) is trading barbs with Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), a family employee and friend she has come to dislike. As the argument between Cee and Robbie heats up, Briony watches from a window above… and witnesses an unimaginable incident. With Harriet Walter (Emily Tallis, the mother), Juno Temple (cousin Lola), Daniel Mays (Tommy Nettle), Brenda Blethyn (Grace Turner, Robbie’s mother), John Harcourt (cousin Pierrot), Charlie von Simson (cousin Jackson), Benedict Cumberbatch (Paul Marshall), Jérémie Rénier (Luc Cornet), Nonso Anozie (Frank Mace), Vanessa Redgrave, Romola Garai and Alfie Allen.

Do first impressions count in cinema? They do here and they point to a polished, uneven and oddly unsatisfying film. In its opening sequences, ATONEMENT barely shows a pulse but a welcome spark at the half-hour mark turns it into an incendiary romantic epic… that eventually bogs down on the shores of France and delivers a frustrating anticlimax. It is not my intention to disparage Ian McEwan’s novel nor Christopher Hampton’s screenplay because their logic is understandable and their work certainly has merit but the movie’s brief final act after an extended buildup left me unfulfilled. The imbalance caused by this startling and possibly disingenuous final twist shakes ATONEMENT right down to its foundations and the movie thus concludes with a dismaying thud instead of the bang it deserved. As I watched the credits roll in disbelief, the promised atonement seemed no more than face-saving to me.

My verdict is especially disheartening since ATONEMENT, aside from its dull spots and cold ending, is a commendable film: it offers tragedy and realism, impeccable acting, lush photography, attractive sets and varied characters. Helmer Joe Wright surprised me with his use of flashbacks and alternate takes meant to confuse the viewer and show opposing points of view. The sound of a typewriter, heard when Briony appears in a scene, suggests her future occupation and how writers meld life into their fiction. Psychologically, characters are ably established but a tad predictable if you have seen a few British films dealing with class issues. On another level, ATONEMENT contains a handful of quirky moments; for instance, hanging on a wall in the sumptuous Tallis residence, you will notice a large and solemn painting of a Holstein cow! Bizarre!

That being said, I won’t make a definite call on ATONEMENT, except for the relatively low score indicated above. Yes, you can watch it if you feel inclined to do so… but be aware that this movie, like an authoritarian schoolteacher, rewards all students with a slap on the wrist, even those who pay attention. By comparison, another very British film about class and personal conflict, the finely wrought HOWARDS END, achieves exactly the opposite with its high-impact ending. Sorry!

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

King of the Hill

2010-01-17T21:25:00.001-05:00

Genre: psychological drama
With: Jesse Bradford, Jeroen Krabbé, Karen Allen
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Release: 1993
Studio: Universal Pictures, Populist Pictures et al. – Gramercy Pictures
Rating: PG-13
MBiS score: 7.9/10

QuickView

Story-line: as America muddles through the Great Depression, the Kurlander family endures as best it can, especially its two young sons, Aaron and Sullivan.
Pluses: a tough and well-constructed story, good acting, solid direction.
Minuses: although it focuses on Aaron’s plight, KING OF THE HILL is by no means a kids’ feature. Its grim story is suitable only for adults.
Comments: Steven Soderbergh can be proud of this fine little film that convincingly recalls a sad period in US history. It may be a painful watch at times but you won’t forget KING OF THE HILL.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Chinatown

2010-01-17T21:07:00.001-05:00

Genre: mystery
Director: Roman Polanski
Release: 1974
Studio: Paramount Pictures, Long Road Productions et al. – Paramount Pictures
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.8/10

Like Water Under The Bridge

Los Angeles, circa 1932. When private eye Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired by Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) to shadow her husband Hollis (Darrell Zwerling), he goes about his business like any other gumshoe. When he finds Hollis with a young girl, however, his investigation turns into something he neither expected nor relishes. With John Huston (Noah Cross), Perry Lopez (Escobar) and John Hillerman (Yelburton). Music by Jerry Goldsmith.

You can often gauge a movie’s overall quality by its musical theme and, in CHINATOWN’s case, the opening trumpet melody played in a laid-back West Coast style captures all the elegance and mysterious attraction of this matchless movie. Illusion is another important aspect of Roman Polanski’s taut drama. In his investigation, Jake will face baffling events, untruths, interference and even a very pointed knife wielded by Polanski himself in a memorable cameo. Overall, CHINATOWN spotlights the City of Angels’ nefarious reputation, like other films that have depicted it as a paradise for crooks and devils (STRANGE DAYS and THE CHANGELING, for example). This is as far as I’ll go in describing the plot… anything more and I’d ruin it for you.

Are there any weaknesses in CHINATOWN? Try as I may, I can’t find any. This classic film is graced with a marvelous cast (it would be unfair to single out one actor or another), a masterful screenplay by Robert Towne, rich period detail and superb cinematography. Yes, this film is perfect, from its first frames to its powerful climax.

A winner of four Golden Globes but only one Oscar (screenplay) out of eleven nominations, CHINATOWN deserved better when it came out but, then again, we all do in life. At one point in the picture, you will hear Jake remark that ‘Sometimes you're better off not knowing.’ This time around, you have no choice. You must see CHINATOWN.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Howards End

2010-01-11T15:00:00.001-05:00

Genre: social and psychological drama
With: Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Helena Bonham Carter
Director: James Ivory
Release: 1991
Studio: Merchant/Ivory Productions, Nippon Herald Films, Inc, Channel Four Television – Sony Pictures Classics
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.3/10

QuickView

Story-line: in turn-of-the-century England, the friendship between the Schlegel sisters and the well-to-do Wilcox family is put to the test on several occasions.
Pluses: a great cast of characters (including the titular property, Howards End), solid acting and direction, exquisite period detail, a thoughtful screenplay based on an E.M. Forster novel.
Minuses: this lengthy film (2 hours and 22 minutes) will feel slow at first because it needs a lot of time to set up its plot. Between you and me, its first 100 minutes are rather uneventful except for two brief jolts at the thirty- and sixty-minute marks… but all of that is made up in the last 40 minutes which are absolutely glorious.
Comments: many years ago, I heard the late Gene Siskel state that a good movie starts off slowly and builds to a strong climax. In that vein, I can’t think of a better example than HOWARDS END, a very fine film illustrating Forster’s condemnation of class differences in the England of old. Believe me… once this movie picks up steam, it cannot be stopped.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Satin rouge

2010-01-11T14:39:00.001-05:00

English title: Red Satin
Genre: psychological drama
Director: Raja Amari
Release: 2002
Studio: ADR Productions, Arte France Cinéma, Nomadis Images – Zeitgeist Films
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.1/10

Don’t Give Up On Life, Mama… You’re Still A Knockout

SATIN ROUGE takes us to Tunisia where Lilia (Hiam Abbass), a widow for some time now, devotes herself entirely to raising her adolescent daughter Salma (Hend El Fahem). One day, while meeting Salma after dance class, Lilia notices a young man and assumes that her daughter has a relationship with him. Driven by her maternal instincts, she follows the young man and sees him enter a seedy-looking nightclub. Should she enter as well? Not this time… but she may do so eventually. After all, there are things a mother needs to know about. With Maher Kamoun (Chokri) and Monia Hichri (Folla).

Among stock characters in film, the one who rises above adversity through some transcendent endeavour – be it sport, writing, militancy or whatnot – has been portrayed so often that any movie featuring one should be approached with some degree of caution. Nevertheless, miracles can happen in cinema and SATIN ROUGE, which uses dance as its means of epiphany, should be regarded as one. Part of its freshness stems from the dance form it depicts so vividly, an Oriental style that may not appeal much to Western eyes at first but becomes more and more absorbing – and stunningly beautiful – as you get accustomed to it. In a way, the dance shows in SATIN ROUGE partake of a cultural phenomenon and, like the patrons in attendance, you will feel genuine appreciation for the sensuous ladies who light up their night at the club. For that alone, Raja Amari’s film deserves an unambiguous recommendation but, as a bonus, you will be presented with one breathtaking dance number that rivals anything in SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, itself a great showcase for the talents of one John Travolta.

But wait… SATIN ROUGE has much more to offer than splendid dance scenes. It features a divine performance by Hiam Abbass, solid playing by the cast around her, faultless direction and a well-organized screenplay that delivers its share of surprises but never forces the issues. Do I need more superlatives to convince you? I hope not. There’s enough magic in this film to please anyone.

One night, like any human being, you will feel low or crave for enchantment. When that happens, simply reach for SATIN ROUGE. Its exoticism and ready charm will warm you up like chicken soup never will.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Belle de jour

2010-01-04T15:29:00.002-05:00

Genre: psychological drama
With: Catherine Deneuve, Jean Sorel, Michel Piccoli
Director: Luis Buñuel
Release: 1967
Studio: Paris Films Productions, Five Films – Miramax Zoe
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.8/10

QuickView

Story-line: Séverine, deeply bored by her relationship with hubby Pierre, fantasizes about sex and even seeks part-time work as a prostitute.
Pluses: a startling and surreal atmosphere, Catherine Deneuve’s aura, Michel Piccoli’s evil (and hilarious) presence.
Minuses: none whatsoever. BELLE DE JOUR is a twisted masterpiece, not a smutty movie.
Comments: watching this picture is a life experience. Trust the great Luis Buñuel to present you with thought-provoking material. One of international cinema’s true gems.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Chicago

2010-01-04T15:14:00.002-05:00

Genre: musical comedy
Director: Rob Marshall
Release: 2002
Studio: Miramax Films, Storyline Entertainment Producers Circle Company, Loop Films – Miramax Films
Rating: PG-13
MBiS score: 8.6/10

In Chicago, Showgirls Are Used To High-Stepping Over Corpses

It’s 1924 in the Michigan metropolis and Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) dreams of a music hall career much like Velma Kelly’s (Catherine Zeta-Jones), one of her idols. She can even taste it when her lover Fred Casely (Dominic West) promises her a spot at the Onyx… until tragedy happens, that is. With John C. Reilly (Amos Hart, Roxie’s husband), Richard Gere (Billy Flynn), Queen Latifah (Matron Mama Morton) and Taye Diggs (Bandleader).

When you think about it, the Oscars garnered some years back by Rob Marshall’s CHICAGO were truly deserved. This movie swings like those Charleston dancers from the Roaring Twenties and entertains like a case of Prohibition bootleg… but there is a difference. In those days, naughty patrons who were arrested in speakeasies could always claim – with varying degrees of success – that ‘the Devil made me do it’. Nowadays, Rob Marshall can’t call Satan to his defence but he can still invoke Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb, the two masters of the musical whose show inspired this fine film. Visually, CHICAGO also borrows from Bob Fosse works, namely SWEET CHARITY, CABARET and ALL THAT JAZZ.

That being said, I don’t see how I could add much to the glowing reviews others have written before me. The cast’s performance in Marshall’s marvel comes close to perfection. Catherine Zeta-Jones is absolutely brilliant, Richard Gere plays with energy and Renée Zellweger shows excellent range… this girl reminds me so much of Shirley MacLaine that she takes my breath away. Oops! Don’t forget Queen Latifah who matches up to everybody here… what a talent!

So here’s the plan: put on your pumps, your alligators or whatnot and get yourself pronto to CHICAGO for an awesome ego extravaganza mixing music, dance, cynicism and humour. And while you’re there, go easy on the booze… I don’t want you to miss a minute of it.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Doctor Zhivago

2010-01-04T15:09:00.001-05:00

Genre: romantic drama
With: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin
Director: David Lean
Release: 1965
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) – MGM Distribution Company, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group
Rating: GP
MBiS score: 8.6/10

QuickView

Story-line: fate, love and politics play havoc with Yuri and Lara’s lives during World War I and the Bolshevik Revolution.
Pluses: a classic story, a strong cast, top-notch direction.
Minuses: none except the film’s length (3 hours, 17 minutes).
Comments: recommending this epic film is a no-brainer for reviewers. Do remember that Boris Pasternak suffered like his characters for having written the novel on which this great movie is based.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Fille sur le pont (La)

2010-01-04T14:54:00.001-05:00

English title: Girl on the Bridge
Genre: comedy drama
Director: Patrice Leconte
Release: 1999
Studio: France 2 Cinéma, Union Générale, Films Christian Fechner – Paramount Vantage
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.2/10

The Thrill of Living on a Knife-edge

For a truly discouraged soul, a bridge may look like a desirable exit point from life and suicide is exactly what Adèle (Vanessa Paradis) has in mind as the flowing waters of the Seine beckon from under. But just when she readies herself to jump, a man named Gabor (Daniel Auteuil), comes along and tries to stop her. Of all people, Adèle’s saviour happens to be a professional knife-thrower. With Demetre Georgalas (Takis). Screenplay by Patrice Leconte and Serge Frydman.

When a film is based on a premise this unusual, you may wonder if it will deliver on its promise or simply peter out. Well, you’re in luck: LA FILLE SUR LE PONT is beautiful, original and captivating throughout. Its story-line about fate, luck (again!), our endless search for love and the ambiguousness of human emotions will leave you spellbound. Better still, Leconte and Frydman have managed to fuse their themes so perfectly in LA FILLE SUR LE PONT that they attain a level of perversion that will catch you off guard. Should I say more? Not if I want you to enjoy this film as much as I have.

Technically, this pretty picture leaves nothing to be desired. We all know about Leconte’s skill as a director and Daniel Auteuil’s intensity. As for Vanessa Paradis, yet another French singer blessed with acting talent, she commands attention as a very sexy Adèle. By the way, I do think that shooting this film in black and white was a spectacular move: those dark hues really enhance the production’s impact and sensuousness.

Voilà, I’ve made my case… and now the choice is yours. If you watch movies to find yourself in worlds other than your own and for the enchantment they bring to your life, you will love LA FILLE SUR LE PONT, an uncommon and pleasurable film.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Hud

2010-01-04T14:46:00.001-05:00

Genre: psychological drama
With: Paul Newman, Brandon De Wilde, Patricia Neal
Director: Martin Ritt
Release: 1963
Studio: Paramount Pictures, Salem Productions, Dove Productions – Paramount Pictures
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.3/10

QuickView

Story-line: to Homer Bannon’s disappointment, his son Hud will never be the rancher he had hoped for.
Pluses: a compelling script, great acting (a special nod to Patricia Neal), solid direction.
Minuses: none whatsoever, unless you don’t like black and white films.
Comments: a must-see feature in which Paul Newman portrays a truly contemptible character. More than a modern-day Western, HUD plays like an American tragedy.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Chariots of Fire

2010-01-04T14:24:00.002-05:00

Genre: sports drama
Director: Hugh Hudson
Release: 1982
Studio: Enigma Productions Ltd, Allied Stars et al. – 20th Century Fox Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures International
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.4/10

A First Crack in de Coubertin’s Olympic Edifice

Upon the death of Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), a celebrated English athlete, his teammate Aubrey Montague (Nicholas Farrell) recalls their years of arduous training and the times they shared with Lord Andrew Lindsay (Nigel Havers) and Scotsman Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson) preparing for the Paris Olympics of 1924. With Cheryl Campbell (Jennie Liddell, Eric’s sister), Alice Krige (Sybil Gordon, Harold’s love interest), Daniel Gerroll (Henry Stallard), Ian Holm (Sam Mussabini, Harold’s coach), Dennis Christopher (Charles Paddock), Brad Davis (Jackson Scholz), John Gielgud (Master of Trinity), Lindsay Anderson (Master of Caius), Nigel Davenport (Lord Birkenhead) and Struan Rodger (Sandy McGrath).

Basically, I don’t care much for sports movies because many aim to inspire but end up being corny or pretentious; in the genre, I’d rather watch stories about anti-heroes or misfits who don’t give a damn about anything. Nevertheless, I readily recommend CHARIOTS OF FIRE, a serious film that even sportsphobes will appreciate for its human interest and social angles. More than just jocks running around, it portrays dedicated athletes struggling with prejudice, politics and religion, the men and women who support them and the genuine drama behind competitive sport. Thanks to Hugh Hudson’s excellent direction and a masterful screenplay by Colin Welland, you will be treated to a fine, engrossing and valuable movie experience.

Among the athletes, the film focuses on Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell who are driven by very different goals. Harold, a Jewish law student at Cambridge, so desperately wants to be accepted as an Englishman that he hires a professional coach to boost his chances, a move that was frowned upon by the amateur sports establishment of the day. Eric, for his part, has little use for England, being a modest Scotsman and a nationalist; he is destined for missionary work and success in sport is not an endgame for him but a testament to God’s glory on Earth. Both men will strain to reach Paris and faith (in their abilities, their training, their supporters and God) will be instrumental in their quest, as is the case for any athlete on the world stage. Will they win? I won’t say. In sport as in life, many things can go wrong, even unpredictably so, and Hudson’s film depicts mishaps, misunderstandings and rivalries but also surprising acts of sportsmanship. During each and every race, you will feel for the runners, their faces torn by the effort and pain of competition.

Issues aside, the production values in CHARIOTS OF FIRE are simply amazing. Its magnificent settings (the hallowed halls of Cambridge and its College Dash, the Olympic track in Paris), its artistic design, sets, props (the gramophone!), hair and makeup work and beautiful costumes revive the glamour associated with the Roaring Twenties. Pay attention to the movie’s superb visuals and colour palette – an abundant use of brown, black and ivory tones – offering a pleasing, old-fashioned look. Acting-wise, Ben Cross delivers an intense performance as pugnacious Harold while Ian Charleson shows disarming serenity as Eric; behind them, all cast members play admirably, especially Alice Krige. On the negative side, Vangelis Papathanassiou’s synthesizer score has aged poorly in parts and may seem like an odd fit for a period piece; I also thought the movie’s conclusion was a bit rushed. However, these niceties do not detract from Hudson’s worthy film.

From a historical perspective, CHARIOTS OF FIRE also shows that Pierre de Coubertin’s Olympic ideal was already battered three decades after its formal expression. Even before Hitler’s Olympics in Berlin, winning had equaled participation as the prime objective in international games and the seeds of ambition had been sown. In this regard, one exchange between Harold and his Masters at Cambridge is particularly telling: in a few sentences, two sports philosophies are stated and opposed, one that would flourish and the other destined for oblivion. Of course, ambition leads to excellence – for the better – but sometimes to controversy – for worse. The choice was clearer in Harold’s day but it still required a healthy dose of integrity.

As a final irony, I should mention that the executive producer of this quintessentially British film was another man who, like Harold, seeked acceptance from the Brits… Dodi Fayed.

MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Days of Wine and Roses

2009-12-28T14:50:00.001-05:00

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

QuickView

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

2009-12-28T14:22:00.003-05:00

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!

MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

Enfants du paradis (Les)

2009-12-14T21:19:00.001-05:00

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

QuickView

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.

MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

Lantana

2009-12-14T21:11:00.002-05:00

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)

2009-12-05T20:49:00.001-05:00

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)

2009-12-05T20:38:00.002-05:00

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

2009-12-05T20:33:00.002-05:00

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

2009-12-05T20:14:00.002-05:00

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

Dance With a Stranger

2009-10-25T15:02:00.002-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
With: Miranda Richardson, Rupert Everett, Ian Holm
Director: Mike Newell
Release: 1985
Studio: First Film Company et al. – 20th Century Fox, Samuel Goldwyn Company
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.0/10

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Story-line: London, 1953. For Ruth Ellis, a single mother who works as a hostess in a Kensington club, love is as torturous as it is sweet.
Pluses: fine acting, an oppressive mood, satisfying production values.
Minuses: none really.
Comments: a real-life tragedy made in England and a very watchable feature that garnered a Palme d’or at the Cannes Film Festival.

MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

Emploi du temps (L')

2009-10-25T14:37:00.001-04:00

English title: Time Out
Genre: psychological drama
Director: Laurent Cantet
Release: 2001
Studio: Haut et Court, Arte France Cinéma et al. – ThinkFilm
Rating: PG-13
MBiS score: 8.4/10

Another Day, Another Dollar

When you’ve got Vincent (Aurélien Recoing) on the phone, he will strike you as a persuasive businessman, a consummate professional and, above all, a man who cannot fail. You’d never guess that he is talking to you not from a corner office but from a parking lot… and that he has been laid off weeks ago by his firm. With Karin Viard (Muriel, Vincent's wife), Serge Livrozet (Jean-Michel Chabrier) and Jean-Pierre Mangeot (Vincent's father).

The Romand legal case, which caused quite a stir in Europe, generated two concurrent movies at the beginning of this decade. One of them, L’ADVERSAIRE, is a faithful account of what happened while L’EMPLOI DU TEMPS is a work of fiction inspired by the case. If I ever find the time, I will review L’ADVERSAIRE but I can tell you straight away that, in mood and in entertainment value, it does not match Laurent Cantet’s scintillating small film.

No joshing… L’EMPLOI DU TEMPS is that good. It needs no more than ten minutes to draw you in and, from then on, you will fall under Vincent’s spell as completely as any of his contacts. As he builds on his big lie with skill and doggedness, you may even worry for him but, quite frankly, your concern won’t matter much to this sphinx-like man. Where will his machinations lead him? I’d love to tell you but you won’t enjoy the movie as much. Pick up Cantet’s low-key thriller to find out… and expect a few surprises along the way.

Production values are solid in L’EMPLOI DU TEMPS. Its crisp and cold visuals pleased me throughout, especially those extended driving scenes on the highway, and its cast also convinced me, with Aurélien Recoing as a standout. Overall, it’s tough to comment on a movie as tight, gripping and mesmerizing as this one.

Allow me one final word of caution before you reach for L’EMPLOI DU TEMPS: you may feel queasy while watching it. This haunting film about anxiety and the modern workplace depicts horror without blood, a financial predator on the prowl, a disaster in the making. Be thankful you’re not one of Vincent’s victims but, at the same time, blame Cantet for casting you as an innocent bystander.

MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

2009-10-18T21:52:00.002-04:00

Genre: crime comedy
With: Michael Caine, Steve Martin, Glenne Headley
Director: Frank Oz
Release: 1988
Studio: Orion Pictures, Hyperbole Corporation – Orion Pictures
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.1/10

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Story-line: two scam artists, a cultured Englishman and a lowbrow American, match wits and audacity on the French Riviera.
Pluses: delicious acting, able direction, a very funny story.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: a fine and smart diversion that will warm your heart if you feel down on yourself. Do see it!

MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

Prick Up Your Ears

2009-10-18T21:40:00.001-04:00

Genre: tragicomic biography
Director: Stephen Frears
Release: 1987
Studio: Civilhand Productions et al. – Samuel Goldwyn Company
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.4/10

To Be Gay, Free and Mischievous

Sensing trouble in a London flat, a policeman enters forcibly and finds Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina) in a state of shock and a dead body lying on the floor. The cultural world has just lost one of its rising stars, playwright Joe Orton (Gary Oldman). With Vanessa Redgrave (Peggy Ramsay), Wallace Shawn (John Lahr), Julie Walters (Elsie, Joe’s mother), James Grant (William Orton, his father) and Frances Barber (Leonie, his sister).

After a nightmarish opening sequence, PRICK UP YOUR EARS changes gears and patiently weaves Joe Orton’s life with the help of Peggy Ramsay, his editor, and John Lahr, an American who undertook to write his biography. Quite frankly, I have long avoided this film – because its story did not appeal much to me and biopics, as a genre, often miss the mark – but its colourful characters, hilarious script and inspired acting simply bowled me over.

First of all, you could write a book – in fact, John Lahr did a fine job of it – about Joe’s journey from family misfit to established playwright and his association with Kenneth, his humorously morose partner and lover. These two characters form such a great and mismatched pair that everything they share becomes an event. Their reading habits, what they eat, Joe’s relative imperviousness to fame and his openly gay stance in a closeted world, Kenneth’s frequent complaints about Joe’s promiscuity, all of these elements make up a lively, spellbinding piece of entertainment delivered with formidable aplomb by Gary Oldman and Alfred Molina. For the most part, Oldman plays it straight (pun intended) but his occasional smiles reveal a fun-loving trickster underneath Orton’s serious persona. As for Molina, when his ever-repressed character cuts loose and lets his temper flare up, the results are devastatingly funny. If that weren’t enough, this tempestuous duo is supported by a great cast, especially Vanessa Redgrave playing a prime witness to the highs and lows of Orton’s career.

Technically speaking, PRICK UP YOUR EARS is no extravaganza. Its production values are low-fi but pleasing nonetheless. The movie aptly captures the exuberant mood of the late 50s and early 60s – the Beatles in their heyday, a bustling art scene, the first stages of the sexual revolution – and benefits from Stephen Frears’crafty direction. I found Stanley Myers’ score jaunty and entirely appropriate for such a quirky movie; Alan Bennett’s screenplay and Mick Audsley’s editing are also top-notch. Overall, the movie serves as a fine character study and also deals with the creative process, the relationship between reality and fiction and the role of a muse in the artistic realm; on the negative side, it lacks insight into Orton’s plays and overall oeuvre but, in today’s Internet world, anyone can learn more about them with a click here and there.

That being said, follow my advice. Don’t let this original, engrossing and very amusing romp slip away from you… reach for it at your earliest convenience. This memorable pic on a writer’s early travails, his daring break from conventions and his eventual success should be on any movie buff’s must-see list.

MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

Five Easy Pieces

2009-10-12T21:05:00.002-04:00

Genre: psychological drama
With: Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Susan Anspach
Director: Bob Rafelson
Release: 1970
Studio: Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, BBS Productions – Sony Pictures Releasing
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.1/10

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Story-line: Bobby Dupee, a musician who has left Washington State to work as an oil driller, decides to head home after learning of his father’s illness.
Pluses: fine acting, a tough and twisted story.
Minuses: none really.
Comments: an excellent drama from the legendary 70s and a signature role for Jack Nicholson. As a character, Bobby is at once fascinating and frustrating; he may even be a monster. See this movie to find out what makes him tick.

MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

Up and Down

2009-10-12T20:48:00.001-04:00

Genre: social tragicomedy
Director: Jan Hrebejk
Release: 2005
Studio: Czech Television et al. – Sony Pictures Classics
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.2/10

Something New Under The Sun?

On their way back to the Czech Republic, two wheeler-dealers named Milan (Jan Budar) and Lubos (Marek Daniel) find an unusual package in the back of their truck. In Prague, Mila (Natasa Burger) and her boyfriend Franta (Jiri Machacek) are consumed by very dissimilar passions while a sudden illness afflicting Oto (Jan Triska) disrupts his upper-class family. Such are the overriding events in UP AND DOWN, a multi-character film depicting urban life in post-Communist Europe. With Petr Forman (Martin), Emilia Vasaryova (Vera, his mother), Ingrid Timkova (Hanka), Kristyna Liska-Bokova (Lenka), Pavel Liska (Eman), Zdenek Suchy (Goran) and Ducek Ducek (the Colonel).

In this spiderweb of a movie, Jan Hrebejk and cowriter Petr Jarchovsky use irony, dark humour and touches of cruelty to show how a handful of Praguians have adapted (or not) to their country’s political emancipation in the 90s. Judging from the issues raised – xenophobia, crime, social decay and rootlessness – you may wonder if these people are better off now than they were under Communist rule. True, some of them have come to prosper under the new order – because of their social status, through luck or by brazenly skirting the law – but their hold on happiness is no firmer than before; at any given moment, they can still fall victim to fate’s minor twists or major surprises. Less fortunate souls, like Vera and Mila, have been swept away by the whirlwind of change or by personal tragedies and have found themselves living at the margin where they simmer in precariousness. Martin, a man blessed by youth and practicality, has left the country to start anew somewhere else. It is such a group of opportunists, outcasts, quitters and do-gooders that UP AND DOWN has assembled in an ambiguous group portrait worthy of Robert Altman’s ensemble works. And, like Altman, Hrebejk and crew have spared no effort to do these people justice, on film if not in life. Do notice Ales Brezina’s atmospheric music score, a cameo by a well-known man of words and politics and, as a nostalgic nod to simpler times, those charming wind-up toys that accompany the final credits.

Overall, UP AND DOWN is a lively and smartly written film, a strong and satisfying tragicomedy that somehow spares the rod and spoils the child. The Velvet Revolution is a work-in-progress.

MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

Dekalog

2009-08-23T21:57:00.002-04:00

English title: The Decalogue
Genre: psychological drama
With: Henryk Baranowski, Krystyna Janda, Daniel Olbrychski et al.
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski
Release: 1988-1989
Studio: Zespoly Filmowe et al. – New Yorker Films, Sundance Channel
Rating: -
MBiS score: 9.2/10

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Story-line: DEKALOG consists of ten 1-hour segments that Kieslowski crafted for Polish television. These dramas based on the Ten Commandments involve, among other characters, various tenants of a residential complex in Warsaw.
Pluses: a collection of thoughtful stories, stark portrayals, eerie visuals, great storytelling.
Minuses: some segments are slightly arid meditations (DEKALOG 4 and 8) while others present a more immediate appeal (segments 3 and 9 especially) but all of them deserve to be seen. My favourite is DEKALOG 10, an outstanding thriller about a stamp collection, believe it or not.
Comments: these weighty dramas about moral and ethical issues confirmed Kieslowski’s brilliance as a director. Required viewing for movie buffs.

MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

Caché

2009-08-23T21:45:00.002-04:00

English title: Hidden
Genre: psychological drama
Director: Michael Haneke
Release: 2005
Studio: Istituto Luce S.p.A, Les Films du Losange, Les Films Alain Sarde et al. - Sony Pictures Classics
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.2/10

It’s A Small World After All

When Georges Laurent (Daniel Auteuil), a successful TV personality, finds on his doorstep a 2-hour videocassette depicting the front of his house and his various comings and goings, he instantly wonders what is happening to him. Is he the target of a practical joker or of some kind of maniac? Whatever it is, Georges has no intention of sitting idly by. With Juliette Binoche (Anne, his wife), Lester Makedonsky (Pierrot, their son), Annie Girardot (Georges’ mother), Maurice Bénichou, Walid Afkir and Bernard Le Coq.

CACHÉ, a movie with an odd and very catchy title, begins with a nifty visual trick that blurs the line between two levels of narration. It then lays a clever trap into which Georges Laurent will fall almost irresistibly. In a way, Georges’ predicament recalls that of Sam Bowden in CAPE FEAR but, in Michael Haneke’s film, the harassment is planned more elaborately – to the point of abstraction even – and does not appear as immediate or threatening at first glance. After a while, though, the real dangers that Georges and his family are exposed to – especially on a psychological level – will come to light and his reactions will be brought into context. Things will get messy in the Laurent household as the vise slowly closes on its members but, luckily for us, Haneke’s astute screenplay paints Georges and other characters methodically and gradually enough to help us understand the ordeal’s real implications.

In its form, Haneke’s film is evenly solid and its entire cast, especially its well-known leads Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche, offers spotless performances. To heighten the story’s solemnity, no music was used in CACHÉ, which is also remarkable for its modern set design, its clean but cold visuals and a colour palette using shades of dark green, ivory and black. As for content, the script’s progression toward political allegory may seem heavy-handed to some viewers – particularly in America – while its abrupt resolution feels somewhat ill-explained and disappointing. Nevertheless, it is hard to knock down a film that provides as much food for thought and portrays its characters in such a plain and unforgiving light.

All things considered, does CACHÉ deserve to be seen or should it be decried as an all too dour condemnation? The decision is yours and yours alone but, if you pass up on it, you will have missed a slow-burning and captivating thriller about a man’s past and his unwelcoming future.

MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved

Party (The)

2009-08-09T21:36:00.002-04:00

Genre: comedy
With: Peter Sellers, Claudine Longet, Steve Franken
Director: Blake Edwards
Release: 1967
Studio: Mirisch Corporation, Geoffrey Productions Inc. - United Artists Films
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.1/10

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Story-line: pandemonium erupts when Hrundi V. Bakshi, a bumbling actor, shows up at a party where he was inadvertently invited.
Pluses: hilarious sight gags, crazy happenings and one of Peter Sellers’ most memorable performances.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: THE PARTY is a zany comedy you will cherish forever but do try to watch it with an empty bladder. Hrundi appreciates vacant bathrooms.

MBiS

© 2009 – All rights reserved