COMEDY/DRAMA.
“50/50” PROVES IT’S GOOD TO LAUGH AT MISFORTUNE.
“50/50.” (2011). Rated: R. Language, Sexual Content and Some Drug Use. RT: 100mn. Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston and Philip Baker Hall. Director: Jonathan Levine (“The Wackness”).
If you were like the lead character in “50/50,” you would think that you have it made in life. You have a good job at NPR, a friend who would do anything for you, a really gorgeous girlfriend and finally a mother who has a say in everything you do. The friend is Kyle (Rogen), the girlfriend is Rachael (Howard) and the mom is Diane (Huston).
The person we are referring to here is Adam Lerner (Levitt) who watches he diet, doesn’t partake of drink and certainly doesn’t smoke or do drugs. One day when Adam goes for his yearly checkup, his doctor tells him he has tumors on his spinal chord. Any normal reaction would be just like Adams…I take care of myself and I am only 27 years old. What’s up with all of this tumor thing? Adam has a rare cancer that respects no one or no age. Adam goes to the library and looks up his cancer and finds that he has a 50/50 chance of living through this.
When your friends find out about your malady, they are in a quandary as what to do or say. Rachael vows to stand by Adam through thick and thin even though she has an aversion to hospitals. Kyle takes Adam everywhere he needs to go and encourages him to have a good time…even have some sex with someone you don’t really know. Adam has a hard time with that option. Now Adam’s mom wants to move in with him and take care of him. Adam certainly disapproves of this idea knowing how difficult his mother is and not letting his pride take a backseat.
Adam begins taking therapy from Katherine (Kendrick) who tells him that he is only her third patient. She stumbles a lot but has only Adam’s best interest at heart. Adam has a hard time verbally talking about his feelings but he really enjoys the relaxation tapes that Katharine lets him listen to. When Adam goes in to take his chemo doses, he gets a warm welcome from Alan and Mitch (Baker and Matt Frewer) two other chemo recipients who offer him pot as good medicine. Soon Adam’s treatments are over leaving the final verdict to be sorted out.
“50/50” is based on a true case by Will Reiser who battled this disease and documented the actions of his immediate friends and family. Reiser along with director Levine have proven here that a sense of humor can help one get through dire misfortune. Joseph Gordon-Levitt does well in his portrayal of Adam. He shows courage and some vulnerability as the young and sensitive person he is. Of course Rogen is always good with comic relief and he does that again here.
You will remember Anna Kendrick as the pretty and astute student of George Clooney in “Up in the Air.” She is very good here also as the caring but inexperienced therapist. This was a surprisingly touching and funny film that I would go see again.
RR: A
Roy Recommends: “The Bucket List”
Scene Stealer: Anna Kendrick
Personally: I have a hard time with movies of this sort, but this one was an exception.
|
CRIME DRAMA
“DRIVE” IS “PULP FICTION” WITHOUT THE HUMOR.
“Drive.” Rated: R. Violence, Profanity and Nudity. Running Time: 100mn. Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman and Christina Hendricks. Based on the Book by James Sallis. Director: Nicolas Winding Refn (“Bronson”).
“Drive” is a film that reminded me of “Pulp Fiction” without the subtle humor. It is an action movie true, but unlike any you have ever seen. Director Nicolas Winding Refn, who gave us “Bronson,” has taken some unique camera angles and mixed in a visionary tale to make us really like otherwise unlikable characters. In “Drive” you car chase lovers will like what you see. It keeps you on the edge of your seat for its hour and a half plus running time.
Ryan Gosling is a bit out of character here as an action film star but he is very good and very versatile. His name is never mentioned so we will just call him Driver. You never know a whole lot about Driver other than he works in an automobile repair shop and is a stunt movie driver. Harvey Keitel played a role back in the late 80s called “Bad Lieutenant.” He was called simply Lieutenant. This is probably the least amount of dialogue Gosling has ever had to learn. Driver’s facial expressions and body language are what keep “Drive” driven.
Driver becomes involved with his apartment neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan). She is a charming and sweet girl who is mother to a little boy who Driver takes under his wing.
In the opening of the film, we are hit with a pulsating and pounding musical score by Cliff Martinez who gave us the music in “The Lincoln Lawyer.” The opening scene shows us another job that Driver has. He provides transportation for criminals. His methods are very meticulous and planned out to the max. Many time instruments are used such as a stopwatch but it is the driving that gets the job done. It is a ten minute sequence that really gets this film rolling.
Driver is a guy who is not afraid to die. He falls in love with his next door neighbor who is married to a guy who has been in prison and is soon to be released. Driver enjoys his time with Irene and her son before the husband gets home.
Driver gets his getaway cars from his boss, Shannon (Bryan Cranston). Shannon has a deal that will gives Driver the chance of a lifetime. The only drawback is that Shannon will have to rely on two mob thugs to get the money for the deal. One is the retired gang boss Bernie (Albert Brooks in an Oscar worthy performance) and the crude and nasty Nino (Ron Perlman). He gives Joe Pesci and Al Pacino a run for their money in the foul mouthed and violent department.
Driver chases through his journey and never really cracks a smile. He doesn’t come from the Bruce Willis or Sylvester Stallone school of thought. He doesn’t even carry a gun. Only a toothpick in his mouth. He does some pretty accountable damage with a fork however.
One of director Refn’s best films that I actually saw on Netflix was “Bronson” that included a sensational performance from Tom Hardy. Refn gives a European feel to “Drive” and you can spot it right away. The actors, the sounds and the pounding music give this film a flare all its own. “Drive” is dark, somber and sometimes almost depressing. It is hard hitting in a good way…a well done piece of filmmaking.
Roy’s Rating: A
Roy Recommends: “Pulp Fiction”
Scene Stealer: Albert Brooks
Personally: I flinched more than once in this one.
|
COMEDY.
“GHOSTBUSTERS” STILL A FAVORITE WITH MOVIE GOERS.
“Ghostbusters.” (1984). Rated: PG. Some Scary Images. RT: 108mn. Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis and Ernie Hudson. Director: Ivan Reitman (“Ghostbusters II).
Right: Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray and Dan Akyroyd are "Ghostbusters."
One thing for sure…”Ghostbusters” has not lost its fan appeal. With the fact that there is definitely going to be a “Ghostbusters 3,” I felt this a good time for you to brush up on the famous story.
Nominated for two Academy Awards, “Ghostbusters” was a tremendous box office hit in 1984. There have been countless other films about chasing ghosts, but this one is the king of all of them. The special effects in “Ghostbusters” by itself moves it far ahead of any of the other earlier ghost pictures. That and the fact that this ghost story had Bill Murray in ti which puts it on top.
Bill Murray is Dr. Peter Venkman who along with his colleagues Dr. Raymond Shantz (Adyroyd) and Dr. Egon Spenler (Ramis) have set up their own “ghost busting” shop. They call themselves parapsychologists and they are based in New York. They even have their own secretary, Jenine Melnitz (Annie Potts) who is bored out of her skull.
For a small nominal fee, the trio will rid homes or businesses of any supernatural beings that are plaguing them. Symphony cellist, Dana Barrett (Weaver) lives in a fabulous high rise apartment above Central Park. She hires our heroes because there have been some strange goings on in the park. The trio capture a large green ghost and experience several other strange occurrences. They find that the apartment building was built by a Sumerian devil cult and that they are on the edge of the spirit world.
“Ghostbusters” was originally supposed to be an Akyroyd-John Belushi movie but had to be re-written after Belushi’s sudden death. As it turned out, Murray, who took his place stole the show. The Visual Effects and the Ghostbuster song were nominated for Oscars. 1989 saw the release of the inferior “Ghostbusters II.”
RR: A-
Roy Recommends: “Ghostbusters II.”
Scene Stealer: Bill Murray.
Personally: Got to meet Ernie Hudson and Bill Murray at the AFF 4 years ago. They were two good guys. They were there for a showing of the 1983 film, “Ghostbusters.”
|
WESTERN DRAMA.
“BLACKTHORN” CONTINUES THE MYSTERIOUS LEGACY OF BUTCH CASSIDY.
“Blackthorn.” (2011). Rated: R. Language and Violence. RT: 98mn. Starring: Sam Shepard, Eduardo Noriega, Stephen Rea, Magaly Solier, Dominique McElliogott and Dadaic Delaney. Director: Mateo Gil (“Nobody Knows Anybody”).
Right: Sam Shepard is "Blackthorn"
Would you believe that Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid never were killed in Bolivia? At least that’s what the new film, “Blackthorn” would have us believe. If you recall, Butch Cassidy spent most of his young life riding, shooting and robbing with his good friend, the Sundance Kid. He is now relegated to living in Bolivia by himself on a small ranch, with a good female friend visiting from time to time.
Butch spends much of his time thinking back to the past and those good times he and Sundance had together along with Etta Place (McElliogott) as their female companion. She eventually left to go back to the states and raise a child.
Butch now goes by the name of James Blackthorn (Shepard). He writes daily to Etta’s son who he thinks just might be his. Butch decides he wants to go back home and visit his nephew so he sells his horses and says a goodbye to his local sweetheart, Yana (Solier).
On his journey across a barren section of Bolivia, Blackthorn has an encounter with Eduardo (Noriega), a man who is being followed by a group of angry and upset men. Eduardo is met with doubt and reluctance by Blackthorn. When Eduardo explains that he has stolen a large amount of money from the richest man in the county who owned a mine, Blackthorn begins to hear him out. He offers Blackthorn half of the money id he will help him get away from the angry group. Now an old man, Blackthorn agrees since this could mean his means to get back home.
\
\The scenario stiffens when back into Blackthorn’s life appeases ex Pinkerton man, Mackinley (Rea). Blackthorn could have asked for anyone but Mackinley.
Director Mateo Gil gives Sam Shepard a chance to play out this complicated role as a grizzled old man. “Blackthorn” is a western as rough as sandpaper. Blackthorn is simply trying to go back to a life of peace after all the cavorting he did as a young man with Sundance. One of the film’s highlights is when he sings the song “Sam Hall” on his ukulele while riding his mule with Eduardo by his side.
“Blackthorn” is one of those little jewels that get by without any fan fare. It is one that you might want to check out.
RR: A-
Roy Recommends: “Seraphim Falls” starring Liam Neeson
Scene Stealer: Sam Shepard
Personally: The western as a genre could be saved if we had more gritty films like this one.
|
SCIENCE FICTION.
TRY “COCOON” IF YOU WANT TO FEEL YOUNGER.
“Cocoon.” (1985). Rated: PG-13. Some Language and Nudity. RT: 118mn. Starring: Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Jack Gilford and Jessica Tandy. Director: Ron Howard (“Splash”).
Above: Don Ameche, Hume Cronyn and Wilford Brimley go for a swim in "Cocoon."
If any of you are reading this review and want to feel young again, just watch “Cocoon.” It is a fun and lighthearted sci-fi comedy that put another feather in the already popular Ron Howard’s hat. Nominated for two Oscars, “Cocoon” is both a nice film along with being a real heart-tugger.
“Cocoon” is the story of aliens led by Walter (Dennehy) who are from the planet Antarea. They are capable of taking on human form allowing them to go about the duties at hand. They land in an area where many elderly people live in St. Petersburg, Florida. Their next business is to rent a tour boat from Jack Bonner (Steve Guttenberg). They also rent a home which is abandoned which is used by some of the older residents in the area, namely Art Selwyn (Ameche), Ben Luckett (Brimley) and Joe Finley (Cronyn). These three sneak in the home and use the indoor swimming pool.
Bonner takes Walter and his crew to a special place in the ocean where the aliens begin pulling cocoon like objects from the sea. They then in turn store the cocoons in the abandoned swimming pool. When our three gentlemen take their next swim, they notice the cocoons, but more importantly, they notice a change in themselves. Now they seem more youthful and ready to do anything they please.
“Cocoon’s” main objective is to make you feel good but there are times when old age seems just a bit uncomfortable. Ron Howard sees getting old as hard to accept by the young people in the story. The visual effects are very good and in fact picked up an Oscar. The performances are great and especially that of Don Ameche a veteran who won his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Get out of your cocoons and take this one in if you haven’t already.
RR: B+
Roy Recommends: “Forever Young” starring Mel Gibson.
Scene Stealer: Don Ameche
Personally: I saw this film back in 1985 and still remember how offended I was by the approach to old age.
|
FOREIGN DRAMA.
“INCENDIES” PRESENTS STRONG MESSAGE ABOUT CHIDREN AND THEIR PARENTS.
“Incendies.” Rated: R. Strong Violence and Language. RT: 130mn. Starring: Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, Remy Girard and Lubna Azabal. Director: Denis Villenuve (“Maelstrom”).
Right: Lubna Azabal escapes catastrophe in "Incendies."
Nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards in 2010, “Incendies” presents a strong message about children and their parents. The word incendies is French for scorch.
The film begins with grown twins, Jeanne (Poulin) and Simon (Gaudette) in the office of Jean Lebel (Girard), a notary in Montreal, Canada. Lebel is reading the will of the twins mother Nawal Marwan (Azabal) who had been his secretary. Nawal has a strange last wish wanting her children to deliver two sealed letters. She wants one delivered to the father they thought was dead and the other to a brother who they had no idea of. Nawal wants to be buried naked, with no prayers, face down and away from the world.
Now Jeanne knows why her mother was so silent before her death. Her last wishes are mysterious to say the least but she intends to travel to the Middle East and try to solve them. Simon thinks their mother an embarrassment and decides not to go.
Director Villenuve uses flashbacks to show how Naval grew up in a Christian family. She fell in love with a Muslim which causes her furious brothers to kill him thinking she has brought shame to their family. Nawal’s grandmother protects her from the siblings and helps deliver her baby which in turn is placed in an orphanage. Nawal then immediately flees the country. She vows that she will locate her son later.
The film’s most graphic and terrifying scene comes next. A Christian militia group slaughter a bus load of Muslims but when Nawal proves she is Christian, they let her go. Nawal is so upset that she switches her allegiance to the Muslim faction and kills the Christian leader. Nawal is sentenced to fifteen years in prison where she is victim to both torture and rape. To survive Nwwal spends much of her time singing. She is called “the woman who sings.”
The word “incendies” is explained by director Villenuve as an inferno which totally scorches and destroys whatever it effects. It cannot be changed after its incendies. “Incendies” can be seen as both a political drama and a family/survival epic. It is based on a play by Lebonese writer Wajdi Mouawad. He tells of the inhumaned effects of civil war the results of un-deciplined violence as well as the terrible problem of genocide.
Lubna Azabal gives the most incendiary performance and Melissa Poulin is outstanding as her daughter. They actually look like mother and daughter. This is a film that deserves all the play it can receive.
RR: A.
Roy Recommends: “In a Better World.”
Scene Stealer: Lubna Azabal
Personally: I can relate to finding out things about your parents years after the fact.
|
COMEDY-DRAMA
“MIDNIGHT IN PARIS” IS A HOMAGE TO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY IN THE WORLD.
“Midnight in Paris.” Rated: PG-13. Sexual References and Smoking. Running Time: 94mn. Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Adrian Brody, Carla Bruni and Marion Cotillard. Written and Directed by Woody Allen (“You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger”).
Right: Marion Cotillard and Owen Wilson take a walk in Paris in "Midnight in Paris."
“Midnight in Paris” is a wonderful homage to what I consider to be the most beautiful city in the world. My wife, two friends and myself traveled there three years ago and simply fell in love with the City of Lights. At the heart of Woody Allen’s 41st film is a fantasy that will, in simple words, put you in a dream state. Not only do you get to take a great trip through the city, but you get to meet some of the most famous artists and writers of Paris’ history. Anyone who has studied art or English Literature will fall in love with this film.
The opening of “Midnight in Paris” is like a postcard collage of Paris. It shows the charming streets, the Eiffel Tower, the Moulin Rouge, the foliage, the street vendors and the Seine River. The premise of Allen’s film is about taking a vacation in Paris with your girlfriend and her parents. But it is much more. Gil (Owen Wilson) and his fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams) are seemingly in love. Gil has also fallen in love with Paris in what is now the season of spring. Gil is trying to write a novel but is career wise a screenwriter in Hollywood. What Gil really aspires to is joining the list of great writers who haunted Paris in the 1920s. He dreams of Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald to name a few. While Gil aches to live in Paris and take walks in the rain, Inez would rather live in upper class America like her parents. Where Gil likes to haunt the restaurants and cafes that Hemingway and Picasso did, Inez would rather buy extravagant things. As her mother says, “you buy cheap, you get cheap.”
Gil takes one occasion to wander the streets of Paris by himself. Naturally he loses his way and sets down on a stoop to try and figure out where he is. When the clock strikes midnight, Gil is confronted with a group of people in a fancy car who insist that he come along. He does and winds up at a lavish party. His friends include Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Gil has a magical look in his eyes….one that looks like he has died and gone to heaven. Woody Allen used this kind of magic in “The Purple Rose of Cairo” in which he allowed Mia Farrow to enter a movie screen and join with the characters.
Gil is now in the Jazz Age along with such people as Cole Porter who is playing the piano. All of this is right down the alley of his novel which is about a guy who owns and operates a nostalgia shop.
When Gil gets introduced to Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) in a café, he is offered help from the great author on his novel. Hemingway takes Gil to meet Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates) at her well traveled salon. Gil will eventually rub elbows with the likes of Pablo Picasso, Luis Bunuel and Salvadore Dali. T.S. Eliot will also show up later. All of these famous people is the matter that makes this one of Woody Allen’s most charming films. Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston) is madly in love with Zelda (Allison Pill) and Hemingway is in love with himself and his testosterone filled dialogue.
Once again we have a character in our film that is for all practical purposes, Woody Allen. Wilson fits the bill this time around and he has it down pat. He even has a scene where he offers a suggestion to filmmaker Luis Bunuel for a movie. He only puzzles Bunuel rather than help him. The one thing Owen Wilson does and does well is show his on fire desire to be with his heroes. Their response is simply an oh not another writing wanabee.
Of Woody Allen’s ensemble, Stoll is great as Hemingway and Bates gives her usual grand performance as Stein. Adrian Brody plays a boisterous Salvadore Dali and Carla Bruni, the wife of the French president, is a tour guide. Picasso’s lover is played by the lovely and talented Marion Cotillard who has a thing for Gil also.
Now you might ask what Gil’s girlfriend and future in-laws are thinking about his nightly excursions? Inez thinks he has a brain tumor with all his talk about Hemingway and etc. The parents think he is philandering.
One of Gil’s journeys, a trip to the famous night club The Moulin Rouge, opens up an even more charming introduction to some famous people before the 1920s. Think Toulouse Lautrec and Paul Gaugin. This is when you figure out that the message of “Midnight in Paris” is learning to love the present along with the past.
Woody Allen is one of my personal favorite directors. He has given the art of filmmaking a charm seldom seen by any other director now working. If you have a dislike for Woody I suggest you read his autobiography…it is very enlightening. “Midnight in Paris” is a film that is without doubt hard to dislike. The crowd I viewed this film with applauded after the credits were done. This is one I could see over and over.
Roy’s Rating: A+
Roy Recommends: “The Purple Rose of Cairo.”
Personally: My wife and I fell in love with Paris when we were there and we held hands while we watched “Midnight in Paris.” It was like going there again.
Scene Stealer: Kathy Bates
|
CLASSIC FILM.
“TO EACH HIS OWN” HOLDS A PLACE IN HOLLYWOOD HISTORY.
“To Each His Own.” (1946). NR. RT: 122mn. Starring: Olivia de Havilland, John Lund, Mary Anderson, Roland Culver, Phillip Terry and Bill Goodwin. Based on a Story by Charles Brackett. Director: Mitchell Leisen (“Golden Earrings”).
Above: John Lund and Olivia de Havilland in a romantic moment in "To Each His Own."
“To Each His Own” could have been nothing more than a soap opera. As it was, it turned out to be a highly powerful drama. With high drama, on target direction by Mitchell Leisen and an Oscar winning performance by Olivia de Havilland, it turned out to be a success for Paramount Pictures.
“To Each His Own” covers a span of 27 years in the life of a woman who neither loved wisely nor well. The story actually begins during the Battle of Britain in WWII. Josephine Norris (de Havilland) is in middle age and serving as an air raid warden with Lord Desham (Culver). He is a stalwart in the realm and a warden also. Josephine finds that a handsome pilot, Capt. Bart Cosgrove (Lund) is in town causing her thoughts to flash back to another time when her attraction to another pilot, Gregory Piersen also played by Lund, resulted in an unwanted pregnancy.
This was the screen debut for Lund in films since he had heretofore done only Broadway. De Havilland had not worked for two years being on suspension from Warner Bros. involving a contract disagreement. She won a suit and was forever praised by her peers. It must have done her some good since she won the Oscar for Best Actress.
Charles Brackett was also nominated for the coveted Oscar for his original screenplay. “To Each His Own” was well received by screen audiences and did well at the box office. Victor Young’s screen score was also quite perfect. De Havilland was in good company with Celia Johnson for “Brief Encounter,” Jane Wyman for “The Yearling.” Jennifer Jones for “Duel in the Sun” and Rosiland Russell for “Sister Kenny.”
RR: A.
Roy Recommends: “The Heiress”
Scene Stealer: Olivia de Havilland
Personally: I, along with many other guys, fell in love with Olivia after this one.
|
ROMANTIC DRAMA
LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES.
“Personal Best.” Rated: R. Language, Nudity and Sexual Situations. RT: 124mn. Starring: Mariel Hemingway, Scott Glenn, Patrice Donnelly, Kenny Moore, Jim Moody and Jodi Anderson. Director: Robert Towne (“Chinatown” Writer).
“Personal Best” was Robert Towne’s first try at directing and he did a magnificent job of this 1982 successful and controversial film. With Oscars under his belt for writing the screenplay for both “Chinatown” and “Shampoo,” Towne directed this film with women’s track and field as its backdrop. The film focuses on both commitments to athletics as well as romance.
The movie begins at the 1976 Olympic trials centering in on pentathlete Tory Skinner (Donnelly-who was a real track star before becoming an actor) and hurdler Chris Cahill (Hemingway). They meet and Tory qualifies for the U.S. team. Chris doesn’t do as well but Tory persuades reluctant coach, Terry Tingloff (Glenn) to let Chris train with her under his tutelage. The two girls become lovers as well as friends. Terry eventually talks Chris into training for the pentathlon which creates a friction between her and Tory. This will lead to the pairs breakup. Chris soon becomes romantically involved with Denny (Moore), who is a former Olympic medalist in swimming. Although Terry is against it, Chris and Tory become friends again at the 1980 Olympic trials.
“Personal Best” captures the very heart of the competitiveness in women’s track and field. It has a gutsy feel for the killer instinct in the sport and fleshes out the inner drive concealed within one’s self. The lesbian love affair could be compared to the love story in the recent “Brokeback Mountain,” but never got the controversial publicity that “Brokeback” did. This is probably attributed to the fact that it wasn’t quite as well developed as Ang Lee’s film. Hemingway’s performance is very good but understated.
The film had a good look to it but the slow motion scenes got a bit over bearing at times. The film is well captured however and the editing was superb with Jere Huggins getting as Oscar nod. The world of track and field was never captured better on screen than in “Personal Best.” This is a sport’s film that isn’t for the average filmgoer but it certainly keeps your attention for the better part of two hours. You will discover Frank Shorter as one of the commentators in the film.
“Brokeback Mountain.” Rated: R. Sexuality, Nudity, Language and Some Violence. RT: 136mn. Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Linda Cardelinni, Anna Faris, Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams. Based on the Short Story by Annie Prouix. Director: Ang Lee (“The Ice Storm”).
Everyone by now knows the story of Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Del Mar (Ledger). They are the two guys who liked to go up to the Bighorn Mountain Range and fish, except they didn’t fish. They met in the year 1961 and hired on to work sheep on Brokeback Mountain. I don’t have t tell you what happened but I will say that tending sheep can be a lonely job and when you have only each other for company, things can happen.
When they get drunk one night and bed down in the tent, they find out that they enjoy the same sex. You can bet that they will not admit to that fact. As Ennis states, “I’m not queer!” What we arrive at quickly is that 1960’s cowboys do not come out of the closet. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal give two of 2005’s best performances and both were nominated for Oscars although they did not win. They play a pair of Wyoming cowboy lovers who never stop at getting to see each other no matter what the risks. They do settle for traditional families and have wives and kids. Again we get two exceptional performances from their wives. Michelle Williams and Annd Hathaway.
Ledger’s role is by far the best. As Del Mar he is quite and unassuming with very little to say. Up until “Brokeback Mountain,” Ledger had done macho material like “The Patriot” and “A Knight’s Tale.” Ledger is truly a good actor as is Gyllenhaal who only recently finished another fine film, “Jarhead.”
Ang Lee is one of Hollywood’s finest directors. He stated plainly that he had to make this film or he would regret it for the rest of his life. In his vast resume he has done such diverse films as “Hulk,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “The Ice Storm” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” His stunning cinematography is simply
a treat for the eyes and especially in this film. Wyoming and Montana were never more beautiful.
“Brokeback Mountain” is a captivating story that never ceases to amaze. A film that is one of a kind, it deserved all the accolades that it got.
|
CLASSIC FILMS.
“AFRICAN QUEEN” NEVER GETS OLD.
“The African Queen.” (1951). NR. RT: 106mn. Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley, Peter Bull, Theodore Bikell and Walter Gotel. Based on the Novel by C.S. Forester. Director: John Huston (“Beat the Devil”).
Above: The dynamic duo in "The African Queen."
Some movies never get old. “The African Queen” is one of those that I try and watch at least once a year. Seems that a lot of the films that you dig back to watch have Humphrey Bogart in them. Guess you could call that a Bogie moment.
“The African Queen” was without a doubt Bogart’s shining achievement. He won the coveted Academy Award for Best Actor. The film got four nominations overall and Bogie won the only one. It is deservedly justified in all of its honors. It has something for everyone…action, humor, eye popping scenery and finally, great acting.
Bogart’s Oscar winning performance sees him as a reprobate named Charlie Alnut. He uses his battered old steamer, African Queen, to deliver supplies to small villages along East Africa’s coast during WWI. On one stop he meets missionary Rose Sayer (Hepburn), devoted sister of Rev. Samuel Sayer (Morley).
On Charlie’s return visit to the village, he finds that German troops have invaded the small community and Samuel is dead. Charlie, goodhearted as he is, offers to take the very upset Rose back to the mainland and civilization. This is the start of a perilous and now famous journey up the Nile River which lets Charlie and Rosie do their part in stifling the Germans in the war cause.
“The African Queen” on top of all its other attributes, has a wonderful screenplay that was written by James Agee. It is this along with Huston’s precise direction and the acting of his players that make this such a grand film. The way Huston depicts humanity in this film is downright hilarious.
The film was magnificently filmed by Jack Cardiff in the jungles of Africa which makes it filmmaking at the highest.
RR: A+
Roy Recommends: “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”
Scene Stealer: Humphrey Bogart
Personally: It’s time for me to watch this one again.
|
POLITICAL DRAMA
“THE IDES OF MARCH” HITS THE MARK ON DIRTY POLITICS.
“The Ides of March.” Rated: R. Language. Running Time: 102mn. Starring: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Evan Rachel Cook. Based on the Play “Farragut North” by Beau Willimon. Director: George Clooney (“Leatherheads”).
The world of dirty politics is laid bare in George Clooney’s latest film, “The Ides of March.” This marks Clooney’s fourth directorial job and it hits the mark as we are witness to back stabbing and mistrust in today’s political arena. As it turns out in the end, “Ides of March” is an exciting political thriller.
The film proves out the point that both Democrats and Republicans will do just about anything to win whatever they are running for. To make an absurd promise to the public knowing it can’t be accomplished is nothing to a vicious politician. Beau Willimon wrote the play which the film is based upon entitled “Farragut North.” The plot is based on the 2004 campaign of one of the Democratic nominees, Howard Dean.
The film begins with loyal and talented press secretary, Stephen Miles (Ryan Gosling) testing the sound system for his Democratic nominee, Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) a die hard liberal. Morris is battling his opponent from Arkansas in the Ohio primary.
Miles is pumped to the hilt by the close and exciting thrill of the campaign and tells pessimistic New York Times reporter, Ida (Marisa Tomei) that this is the reason he got into politics in the first place. Miles tells Ida that his candidate, Morris, is the answer to people’s prayers and wishes, but she warns that his ideals too will soon come tumbling down. She warns Miles not to get too cock sure about what Morris promises.
Stephen Miles is the golden haired boy in the world of politics. He is smart, handsome and very calm and cool in his demeanor. His mentor is Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who has seen it all and been down the now famous road of politics. When Governor Morris gives a rousing speech proclaiming the Constitution as his religion, both Zara and Miles are ready to rumble. When Morris points a finger at the government for the way they coddle the wealthy, the crowd breaks into a loud roar of applause. Over and over, Morris refuses to make any kinds of deals to any person or groups.
Morris is put under pressure to give a high post to a powerful Senator Thompson (Jeffrey Wright) which would seal Ohio for him as far as delegates. What Morris decides on this matter is one of the key plots in the movie. Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) is the campaign manager for Morris’ opponent and comes up with a masterful plan to defeat the suave governor. This plan will put Miles on the hotseat.
“The Ides of March” has no car chases or mass carnage. It rather wraps us in the arms of corrupt and vicious maneuvering in the ever growing dirtiness of politics. Its characters force us to either care about them or loathe them. It refuses to put loyalty and trust on the backburner but rather bring these elements to the forefront. I remember a time two years ago when myself and an ex student of mine went to hear the wonderful playwright, David Mamet, speak in Austin. He said then that politics make for good conversation as well as great movies. George Clooney is noted for casting well and then backing away and let his actors do the work. He has done that again here with another great performance from both Gosling and Hoffman. Giamatti once again proves to be an acting force as well Tomei who has become very noticeable as of late. Even Evan Rachel Wood gives an excellent performance as the attractive but vulnerable intern, Molly. She leaves her mark as a possible Best Supporting Actress candidate.
As tumultuous as politics is these days, it would do you good to take in this well scripted and acted morality play.
Roy’s Rating: A.
Roy Recommends: “The Contender” starring Jeff Bridges and Joan Allen.
Scene Stealer: Ryan Gosling
Personally: Think that Paul Giamatti is the most versatile actor now working in Hollywood.
|
CLASSIC FILM-MUSICAL.
“42ND STREET.” STILL MAKES YOU WANT TO GET UP AND DANCE.
“42nd St.” (1933). NR. RT: 98mn. Starring: Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, George Brent, Una Merkel, Ruby Keeler and Guy Kibbee. Based on the Novel by Bradford Ropes. Director: Lloyd Bacon (“The French Line”).
Right: Busby Berkeley puts chorus line to work. Ruby Keeler is the first girl to the right in the chorus in "42nd Street."
“42nd Street” is 70 plus years old and still makes you want to dance. This was a film, believe it or not, that revived musicals after several talkie misfires. It brought to light the magical craftsmanship of Busby Berkeley who was the choreographer for this film and many more to come. It also presented two fresh and talented new stars, Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler.
The story line here is all too familiar. Broadway director, Julian Marsh (Baxter) wants to do one more big hit so that he can retire on a good note. Abner Dillon (Kibbee) is Marsh’s rich supporter and Dorothy Brock (Daniels) is his star. Peggy Sawyer (Keeler) is an up and coming chorus girl and Billy Lawler (Dick Powell) is a singer who has a crush on Peggy. Julian has a real struggle with the show and in the process many hearts are broken along with promises not kept. If this isn’t enough, Dorothy breaks her ankle just before the show is to open. Guess who gets to take her place? If you guessed Peggy, you are correct.
“42nd Street” is a charming movie with Lloyd Bacon’s fast paced direction giving it the fascination it deserves. The backstage scenes are super with the hurry and scurry of the cast and crew supplying the action. Warner Baxter is right on key with his portrayal of the play’s director. Daniels follows suit with a very good performance and Una Merkel gives her usual great comic relief. Watch for a funny appearance by Ginger Rogers who at the time was an unknown.
With all its great stars and glitzy feel, it is still the mastery of Busby Berkeley that is the real star. The musical score by Harry Warren and Al Dubin teams up with Berkeley to give the audience just what it wants. The title song and “Shuffle Off to Buffalo” will knock you right out of your seat. This is still one that has never been matched and probably never will. Since we had a reprieve of silent films this year (“The Artist”), maybe the black and white musical is next.
RR: A+
Roy Recommends: “Gold Diggers of 1937”
Scene Stealer: Ruby Keeler
Personally: I remember my mom trying to teach me how to dance. It never really paid off.
|
ROMANTIC COMEDY.
“THE GOODBYE GIRL” SAYS HELLO TO A WHOLE NEW AUDIENCE.
“The Goodbye Girl.” (1977). Rated: PG. Mild Language. RT: 112mn. Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Quinn Cummings, Paul Benedict, Barbara Rhoades and Theresa Merritt. Written by Neil Simon. Director: Herbert Ross (“Boys on the Side”).
Right: Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason in "The Goodbye Girl."
Neil Simon is one of those unique persons that can put together a story which is immediately recognizable. “The Goodbye Girl” is one of those films that has the Simon touch. The director, Herb Ross is the kind of guy who can deliver a Neil Simon film the way it should be. “The Goodbye Girl” is now playing to a whole new audience, capturing the hearts of young teens and adults just the way it did in 1977. It is very funny with some captivating one liners. It is warm with some of Simon’s most touching scenes to date and finally, it is all about tough love.
The story concerns Paula McFadden (Mason) a divorcee who happens to be an ex-Broadway dancer in her thirties living with her twelve year old going on 25 year old daughter, Lucy (Cummings). They live in an apartment that is suddenly subleased by aspiring actor, Elliott Garfield (Dreyfuss). He arrives in the dead of night and immediately takes possession.
Paula is shocked by the happenings who learns that her departed lover, who is
also an actor, has left she and Lucy homeless and dumped her without as much as a goodbye. Elliott takes things in hand and offers to share the apartment with her and Lucy. The only stipulation is that Paula pay half the rent. Out of desperation, Paula agrees and the two proceed into an uneasy relationship that will not take long to turn into love.
This is one of the best romantic comedies to come out of Hollywood. It was nominated for five Academy Awards with Dreyfuss picking up a Best Actor Oscar. Ross’s direction is about as good as it gets with his familiar lighthearted touch. Marsha Mason is sensitive in her cautious and precarious role as Paula. Dreyfuss is without doubt sensational in his first starring role. Cummings is wonderful in her sophisticated and funny turn as a charmed little girl. Simon has not done a screenplay to match this one since “The Sunshine Boys.”
RR; A.
Roy Recommends: “The Sunshine Boys”
Scene Stealer: Quinn Cummings
Personally: Have a friend, Perry Dean, who was choir director at the high school where I taught. I don’t think a day went by that he didn’t mention his favorite film, “The Goodbye Girl.”
|
CRIME/DRAMA.
PACINO AND DE NIRO TURN UP THE “HEAT”
“Heat.” (1995). Rated: R. Violence and Language. RT: 160mn. Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore and Amy Brenneman. Written and Directed by Michael Mann (“Collateral”).
Right: Al Pacino and Robert De Niro talk it over in "Heat."
Michael Mann likes to exploit whatever city he is shooting his movie in. “Heat” is no exception. He looks at Los Angeles from every angle possible. He takes his audience on a grand tour of the City of Angels.
Mann pairs together for the first time Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Pacino is Vincent Hanna, a cocky and self dramatizing policeman. De Niro is Neil McCauley a criminal mastermind and expert technical advisor. Three hours later, we have been taken by these two great actors on a tour of L.A. When I first saw this film at a screening back in 1995, I didn’t expect much. Boy was I wrong. “Heat” pays off in more ways than one.
Pacino and De Niro had played together in “The Godfather Part II” but never shared a scene together. They are the key that makes “Heat” what it is. Above all the visual treat that Mann presents is the real star. The cinematography is done once again by Dante Spinotti and it is he and Mann that turn L.A. into a star which would happen again in the Tom Cruise thriller, “Collateral.” Mann explores the city like John Ford and George Stevens did the Old West. From first frame to the very last, Mann picks the soul of the city like no other director.
The plot in “Heat” builds with every second. It involves its viewers with the lives of messy cops as well as the bold robbers. Mann does this with expert textured detail. In the end you care about the bad guys as much as the good. In a way, “Heat” takes on the same theme as “The Godfather.” It portrays both criminal and authority as families with a purpose. It plays out this way especially with the fraternity of the crooks who we see as protected by the ones they love. Then a bad guy who is trying to go straight gets sucked into just one more job we are left disappointed. If you haven’t seen this one, check it out.
RR: A.
Roy Recommends: “Collateral”
Scene Stealer: Amy Brennamen.
Personally: This is the “Gone with the Wind” of crime movies.
|
COMEDY DRAMA
“THE GRADUATE” STILL IMPORTANT AFTER FORTY YEARS.
“The Graduate.” (1968). Rated: PG-13. Language and Sexual Situations. RT: 106mn. Starring: Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross, William Daniels, Murray Hamilton and Elizabeth Wilson. Based on the Novel by Charles Webb. Director: Mike Nichols (“Carnal Knowledge”).
A little more than 40 years ago, “The Graduate” captured the attention of the movie going world and today it still merits our attention. Nominated for seven Academy Awards and winning one for young director Mike Nichols, “The Graduate” was and still is a social force. This was also the introduction for a then unknown actor, Dustin Hoffman.
Hoffman plays Ben Braddock, a newly graduated and shy young man from upper class Sothern California suburbia. Now Ben is being pushed and pressured into getting on with his life, to get married, get a job and be successful like his parents.
The famous Mrs. Robinson (Bancroft), who is the wife of Mr. Robinson (Hamilton) and best friends of Ben’s parents, seduces the young Braddock who is in a sheer state of disbelief. Ben is in love with the Robinson’s daughter, Elaine (Ross) and now finds himself trying to keep up with both Elaine and Mrs. Robinson. Of course, Ben decides he wants Elaine for his wife which is opposed by her mother.
Mike Nichols chose “The Graduate” as his second film and did a very good job of including many hilarious scenes in the film. One of the best is Ben’s escape from all the badgering adults by jumping in the pool with his scuba gear on. Bancroft and Hoffman are great in the scenes they have together. She is especially sexy. The final climatic sense are especially good and a tribute to young people who are in love.
“The Graduate” did wonders at the box office and was Nichols second big hit after his first, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Robert Surtees, who was also nominated for an Oscar, did wonders with the film’s cinematography. Note the last scene with Hoffman trying to get to Elaine’s unwelcome wedding on time. The film was flawlessly acted and incredibly produced.
RR: A+
Roy Recommends: “Carnal Knowledge”
Scene Stealer: Anne Bancroft
Personally: Fell in love with Anne Bancroft after this one.
|
|
