Flight Plan * * * *
The local video store was totally out of these (and they had at least 100 copies)for the first week it was released. I saw the previews, a woman on a flight loses her daughter. I couldn't see how they could make this into a feature film. WOW, was I wrong. Jodi Foster seems to pick these intense story lines. This begins in Berlin, a bereaved wife claiming her husbands body at the funeral home to return New York for burial. She is a "propulsion" engineer, designing jet engines for the new super jet liners that will be in our future. It is one of these 450 passenger liners that will carry her, her 6yr old daughter and her husband's coffin home to New York. Once aboard, she decides to take advantage of some empty seats in the rear of the plane to get some sleep. She wakes up a couple hours later, and her daughter is gone. She enlists the help of the flight attendants, but something is terribly wrong.... her daughter is not on the manifest, there is no record of her boarding... What is real, did we see the daughter or was it her imagination?
This is a nailbiting, intense plot with twists and turns that will pull you in like a roller coaster. Two words....SEE IT!
the Edukators * * ½
The Edukators is a German film about the new generation in Deutchland who is making a stand against social inequality. The film opens with a wealthy family returning to their extravagant home to find their furniture stacked up and a letter warning their days of wealth are numbered. Their home invasion was accomplished by 2 friends, Jan and Peter who call themselves "the Edukators" and their motive is not to steal but to gain publicity for their cause. Jan's girlfriend, Jule, works as a waitress and is clearly miserable. We learn as she is evicted from her apartment that she is 94,000 in debt. She was an uninsured motorist who crashed her car into a $100,000 Mercedes, which she now must repay the car's wealthy owner. She has managed to repay $6,000 but with her tiny income, cannot see a future without debt. Will the Edukators have a lesson for her indenturer?
The dust cover claimed "tense, evocative and emotional, one of the smartest thrillers of the year.... It also calls this a comedy. I usually dont want my comedies to be tense, evocative and emotional. There are many social messages delivered by characters who seem to be struggling to find their own place in the world. And like many people who believe they have a righteous mission, they miss their own culpability. Does the end ever justify the means?
This fictional story parallels the very real situation in Germany with a rising wealthy class who are enjoying record untaxed profits while the working class is experiencing a continued decline in their net wage ratio. While the plot line is unusual and unpredictable, I expected a bit more.
Millions * * *
I watched this film on the recommendation of a customer in the video store who was standing next to me when I picked it up. I hadn't heard anything about it, so that was sufficient endorsement to have a look. The picture on the front has a scrubed faced boy that made me think it was perhaps some of the "christian" oriented films that have popped up at the store in the past year. In fact though, this is an English film about a dad and his two sons who move from the city to a new housing development the suburbs. The youngest of the brothers makes a fort with the moving boxes in the back of the property near the train tracks. He is very spiritually focused for an 8 year old lad, and frequently has conversations with Saints and other religious figures. No wonder he believes it is God sent when a suitcase filled with cash drops out of the sky onto his fort. It is lighthearted fare, fit for family viewing...even Mormons! (Official Christian reviews rate it "better than most" but "irreverent.")
offical Christian Review
The Constant Gardener * * * *
I prefer Indy and Foreign films, but occasionally a Hollywood release gets enough chatter that I have a look. This was well worth it. From the opening scene to the closing credits I was transported out of my living room and into the story written by John le Carré and brought to the screen by Jeffery Caine and Fernando Meirelles. It is a complex tale of British diplomats, capitalist conspiracy, and lust, not 3 words you usually find in the same sentence. Ralph Fiennes is convincing as Justin Quayle, a mild mannered representative of her majesty's government with a passion for gardening. He meets Tessa (Rachael Weisz) during a lecture in London he is giving as a favor for the writer who could not deliver it himself. She is a fiery girl who clearly wants to challenge whatever is wrong with the world. When he asks her to join him for a cup of coffee I had to smile recalling that was a euphemism in London for something quite different. We learn he is being transferred to Africa, and the infatuated Tessa asks to go along "as your lover, your mistress, or your wife...."
You must learn the rest on your own, as the story is woven through flashbacks and present time. I will leave you with one word....Riveting!
Schultze gets the Blues * * *
This is a 2003 German film that recently found it's way to my local video store. It is a different film than I usually find, very plain on the surface, yet incredibly complex at the same time. It tells a simple story in a very understated way and the overall effect is quite powerful.
Schultze is a recently retired miner, a hard working man that now finds a lot of time on his hands and not much else. His mother is in a nursing home with dementia, his only family his mates from work who like to share a glass of beer when they get the chance. The imagery in this film is stark and dramatic. The long pauses tempt you to reach for the fast foward button, but they create the emptiness you will understand about Schultze's life. His only bright spot is his accordion, and his membership in the local music club which is celebrating their 50th anniversary. This year they offer a special prize, an expense paid trip to Texas. The club received an invitation from their "sister city" to send one person to their annual German-American festival. The winner will be selected at their Anniversary concert, "may we put you down for your usual polka Schultze?"
As the story slowly unfolds, you may begin to see the threads that weave this beautiful tapestry. Or they may be so subtle that they go past you like a line on the sidewalk that you step over everyday. In the end, you will hopefully get the message about going out and finding happiness wherever you can.
Æon Flux * * *
It's hard to find Sci-Fi anymore, so I always perk up when a sci-fi title hits the big screen. This slick tale set in 2415 is the evolution of the animated series that aired on MTV in 1991. It was created by Korean American animator Peter Chung for the big screen and stars Charlize Theron as AEON (changed from the latin Æon).
We all know we are headed for a catastrophic end of the world, and by 2415 a few million humans are left on earth in a little spot of paradise called Bregna. (the devout likely have departed in the "rapture") But as always there is trouble in paradise. Many Bregnan's "disappear" much as they did in Argentina in the last century. The government leaders constantly surveil the populace and something our current government would like, inn 2415, they apparently don't need a court order. Rebels living in Bregna, known as Monicans are working for freedom. Enter Aeon Flux, a more gymnastic and shapely James Bond of the future who is neither shaken nor stirred as completes her missions for the Monicans.
This is a bit tongue in cheek, and this movie is after all based on a cartoon. But it is very entertaining with well thought out special effects. Charlize Theron and her body double are eye candy for the adolescent and older male audience. They knew what they were doing when they went for a PG 13 rating! But as neither an adolescent nor male, I also enjoyed the film, the sci-fi genre which is so rare these days. I think you will too.
March of the Penguins * * * *
The theatrical release was awesome, but the DVD is better yet. Along with the incredible photography and narration of the feature film, the DVD offers additional short features. The first is a French naturalist who has been monitoring the Penguin population in Antarctica with concerns about how global warming is effecting their habitat. The 2nd short is "the making of", narrated by the men who filmed the Penguins, and in it's own way is as fascinating as the feature film.
I checked with the IMDB, and discovered that in the various versions produced for the world audience, (Germany, France, Taiwan, Japan) there are differences in the script and the editing. If I can get a copy of the European version, I will update this blog with details on the differences. They seem to think their version is more artful than the one made for the US market.
The bottom line is... this is a must see movie. You will have a new respect for these wonderful creatures who have adapted to one of the harshest environments on the planet.
Into the Blue * * ½
We don't see a lot of "main stream" video, but it's December and the nice beach colors and tanned actors on the cover had some appeal as we're in Maine and it's snowing out tonight. This film is about a young American couple working in the Bahamas. Sam (Jessica Alba) works at the Atlantis resort's shark encounter. Jared (Paul Walker) is a professional diver relegated to a tourist diving service. He once worked for the local "treasure hunter" but parted company with dreams of doing his own thing. They have little more than each other and their dreams which seem enough for them for now.
Jared's buddy (Scott Caan - yes, James Caan's son) flies down for a well earned vacation. He is a defense attorney whose last client paid part of his fees with a house and boat in the Bahamas. He's brought along the girl he met "14hours ago." It's time to kick back, enjoy this Luxurious home and boat. They go out for a little snorkling, and find stones and relics from a sunken ship, uncovered by the recent hurricane. In looking for evidence of the name of this wreck, they find an even bigger surprise... a wrecked plane full of cocaine bricks.
Now the suspense is in high gear and you are strapped into a roller coaster of plot twists you will keep you guessing until the closing credits. For action genre folks, they won't be disappointed, there are plenty of heart stopping moments. I'm more of a March of the Penguins type myself.
Strange Bedfellows ***
Paul Hogan is a natural comedian, which is why he isn't painting the Sydney bridge anymore. He has been off the radar for the past few years, so it was good to see his face on the DVD cover as I was scouting for something to rent. This is an Aussie film, and my logic is that it would have to be pretty good to make it all the way from "down under" without a general release. I wasn't disappointed!
"Vince" is a divorced man living in a small rural town who gets stuck with the tax bill after his wife leaves him for their accountant. He is facing financial ruin when he reads of a new retroactive tax break for same sex partnerships in the newspaper. He convinces his lifelong friend to have a gay relationship "on paper" to save his business. "Nobody except a clerk in Melbourne will ever know." What he didn't expect was a personal visit from the Tax collector to verify the legitamacy of their gay relationship. This film is somewhat predictable but hilarious anyway, and it has a few surprises too. It's a must for Paul Hogan fans, and try it even if you aren't.
Saving Face ***
I love Asian films. I am always amazed at how much alike our cultures are. Okay, yes that is a gross generalization, but I've seen enough films from China and Korea to have a sense that we are not all that far apart in our ideas and values. Now that I think about it, my house has as much stuff made in China as a gal from Beijing!
So, this one is billed as a "Romantic comedy" but it is a story that pushes all the buttons of conservative Asian-American culture. Everybody knows a little too much of everyone elses business, and of course the pressure to get married and start making grand children creates distress for single career women. Wil (short for Wilamina) is a fast rising star studying to be a surgeon in Manhattan. She is obliged once a month to go to Flushing "to swim in the Chinese gene pool," and possibly meet Mr.Right. Her mother, grandparents, and their friends and neighbors attend these gatherings, hoping the young people will match up. This is a first feature for writer-director Alice Wu and she was able to keep me guessing about what would happen next. This is NOT predictable romantic comedy fare.
We enjoyed it for our Christmas afternoon entertainment. We wanted something upbeat and this was perfect. With the DVD there is a little extra commentary from the director and some insights about the Sundance film festival which made it seem more personal.
Diary of a Mad Black Woman **
I went to Florida in August, and one thing most people don't think about is that you have to find something to do from noon to 4pm as it is just too hot to be outside. This became our movie break. This title suggested it would be light hearted fare, and we weren't disappointed. It starts out with an attorney receiving an award as "Lawyer of the Year," and when he drives home you can see that he is a gazillionaire, his house is bigger than The Queen's. He wants to call it quits with his wife, in the style we call "what's her's is mine and what's mine is mine." With her few possessions in a U-haul she goes to the family matriarch, Madea, for help. Madea, a no nonsense strong black woman is played by Tyler Perry in drag, and looking closely you will see his face show up as a couple of other characters. The woefull gal is welcomed home Madea style.
Now the "Mad Black Woman" is the lady whose husband dumped her, but it is MADea, who steals the show. Without her wit and wisdom this movie is a 90minute soap opera.
It was a few laughs in the heat of the day, but I would prefer "MadTV."
Green Butcher *½
I haven't watched many movies in the past month. I was going to spend the afternoon in bed, nursing a sinus infection, and I recall "laughter is the best medicine." This is a Danish comedy, or that was the intent. It is a very dark comedy about 2 employees of a local butcher who decide they would like to open their own store. Like all employees, they know how to do it better and should be rewarded for their knowledge. Both men have emotional baggage and lots of it. I kept waiting for the laughs. Maybe a few Tuborg's are required to yuk it up.
The cinematography is stunning, lots of overhead angles. The plot left me wanting more, a lot more. If you want to hear Danish spoken for 2 hours and a bit of village life, this is the movie for you. I can't recommend it... it wasn't the medicine I was hoping for.
Angels in America ***
I had been wanting to see this film since it received such aclaim at the 2003 Emmy awards. This 6hour HBO miniseries is reduced to 3hours on DVD. I won't pretend to understand it but I did enjoy it. There was a great book "And the Band Played On" that looked at the AIDS epidemic in America, and this film is an artistic expression of how AIDs effected 3 families. Although this seems a work of fiction, one of the main characters is based on real life New York power broker Roy Cohn, esquire, who died of AIDS in 1986.
It's New York culture, homosexual lifestyle adapted from a play. Artsy, surrealistic at times, but also spellbinding. But this is about more than AIDS and homosexuality, it is also about relationships, committment, ambition, ethics, death and life. Mike Nichols won a lot of well deserved awards for this production, and it is worth an afternoon viewing. I just wish I could have seen the whole 6 hours.
The Pacifier **½ Fair Disney Fare
I picked this up at the video rental store because it was a $1 and a recent release. We wanted something light and this seemed the ticket. Ben Diesel is a hardened Navy Seal. He is assigned to protect the children of an operative who was recently assassinated while their mom goes to Switzerland urgently to retrieve contents of a bank deposit box. The box may contain the secrets that dad died to protect. With only his military training to draw upon he is able instantly and successfully do what many parents struggle with on a daily basis... to control and motivate 5 children ages 1 to 15. There is the requisite diaper changing scene. And of course they are attacked one night and Ben is able to save them off without suffering so much as a scratch. There are mild teenage tantrums but the children are surprisingly unaffected by the sudden death of their dad. Okay, dad did travel extensively to foreign assignments but you would expect a bit more grief. That is the problem with the story, how to put tough macho Ben Diesel suddenly into a family of 5 children.
It is a similar problem with "the Upside of Anger," when dad is
suddenly gone and the children manage to just go on like nothing
happened. It is also difficult to put violence murder into a family oriented movie by treating it like a float in the Mainstreet light parade. I'm not against Disney movies and have seen some awesome Disney films in the past year, this just doesn't happen to be one of them. (I'm referring to "the Miracle" and "Mystery Alaska.") That said, Frank liked it more than I did, thought it as worth 3 stars, but he can voice that in his blog:) If you need to babysit for preteens then this is the movie for you. If you are older then 10, you may want to spend your 2hours on something else.
Deuce Bigelow, Male Gigolo ** - American Gigolo meets Dumb and Dumber.
It's faulty logic that led me to see this film. The sequel was coming out and I thought, hey, the 1st must have been better than I imagined, so let's have a look. We were in the mood for a comedy, and this did garner a couple belly laughs. Deuce, a full time aquarium technician, suddenly needs to earn a lot of money in a hurry. He has recently learned that men can make money "pleasuring" women, and with the encouragement of a pimp, launches his own career. As an unsophisticated rookie, he has to start at the bottom, dating women who are physically or socially handicapped. It is a job he accepts with genuine warmth, and learns he can "pleasure" his customers with acceptance and respect. There are a couple of good laughs in the 90minutes but also moments in the story that are uncomfortably stupid. At the end I felt like I do at the end of most of the Saturday Night Live broadcasts, like there should have been more.
The Upside of Anger ***½
It's debatable whether Kevin Costner can act, but this is a good story anyway. It's a quirky title for a film about a middle aged woman with 4 daughters whose husband leaves one day and never returns. She was "The sweetest woman in the world" explains her youngest daughter who helps us understand the story while she tries to understand anger herself via her school video project. Mom assumes her husband has abandoned her and the girls to go with his Swedish office assistant who had coincidentally quit her job and returned to Sweden. She responds to the crisis with seething anger which she numbs with generous amounts of Grey Goose Vodka. "I closed the credit cards, the bank accounts, he will do it without our money," she explains to Costner. He is their neighbor who shows up one morning (beer in hand) to continue a discussion on a proposed housing development in their adjoining property. He enjoys a beer for breakfast and seeing her at 10am in her nightgown drinking vodka suggests he may have found a drinking buddy. It puts the "FUN" back in "dysFUNctional."
All of her girls may not share the same opinion about mom as their little sister, but they are all intelligent, beautiful and goal oriented. Somebody must have been doing something right before dad left. They have a beautiful home, an ideal life by most standards, so what happened? This is a good film in spite of some moments of poor dialogue, and Kevin's "acting." I enjoyed it and think you will too.
Wedding Crashers ***
"What's our favorite season? WEDDING SEASON!!" Two lawyers who don't appear to have a social life, spend a decade as uninvited guests at strangers weddings... who thinks of this stuff? Anyway, if you can get past the premise, just like getting past the smell of Gorgonzola cheese, a good time can be had by all. To be successful at this sort of venture, you must be good at making balloon animals, dancing with old ladies, and have the kind of metabolism that can handle catered food and cake every weekend. Hopefully you won't fall in love yourself, because that could mean the end of a pretty sweet gig.
Yes, it is a silly premise but watching this film was more fun than going to a real wedding, (except my own).
Mr.and Mrs.Smith** Give me a divorce!!
Okay, I admit I wasn't enthusiastic about this film from the outset, having been influenced by reviews I had heard and all the "hype" generated by Brad and Angelina when the film was released. They do have a lot of screen chemistry so I was tempted to see more. They meet in Bogata, have a tequila drenched steamy affair (yes I am convinced I saw steam!) and then decide to marry. So far, so good. Then somehow they manage to keep the fact that they are both undercover operatives from each other for the next 6 years. That certainly suggests it's just a "physical" relationship, doesn't it?
I think it is a good paring, they have something going for them and perhaps it was the off screen stuff that was translating so well on screen, but half way through the action scenes and thin dialog I was thinking...."I'm done - I want a divorce."
Timeline **
I'm a Michael Creighton fan, and I picked up the novel "Timeline" last year when the film was soon to be released. Like all of his stories there is a science fiction component, in this one archaeologists time travel to rescue a team member who is stuck in the year 1357 at their current excavation site in France. They aren't able to take anything from the modern world with them, and you quickly get a sense of how dangerous day to day living was in the medieval times.
It is an interesting premise, perhaps too much to shove into 2hours in a meaningful way. We watched this on cable in spite of a one star rating, and thought it was a bit better than one star, even with some of the script problems. It's a movie to watch if you are a Michael Creighton fan, or a sci-fi buff with a rainy Saturday afternoon. Otherwise, pick something else, there are thousands of films that you may enjoy more.
Sugarbaby*** German 1985
Camryn Manheim held up the Emmy Award she won for her role as Ellenor Frutt on The Practice and said..."This is for all the fat girls!" This film liberates "fat girls" in a similar way. Marianne Sägebrecht is "Marianne" the mortician's assistant whose life is as dead as her customers. She rides to work on the subway, listens to the negative comments about her by ladies in the local shops, and takes an occasional swim at the local pool when she needs to just get away and think. All that changes the day she spots Huber, the young handsome subway driver. What chance would a fat middle aged mortician's assistant have of seducing a young handsome Sugar baby? Marianne proves that hope springs eternal. I enjoyed this film when it was played on Showtime in the mid 1980's and I recently tracked down a copy to see it again. It is a German film by Percy Adlon with English subtitles. The original version is called "Zuckerbaby."
Are we there yet? ** Fair family fare
It's not a movie I can recommend to anyone over age 14, but for parents looking for a couple of hours of DVD entertainment this seems a safe bet. Ice Cube is a "Playa" who is reaching the age that most of his peers have moved into family mode. He meets a "Fine" woman and would like to get closer but is nearly knocked over when he spies her 2 children run up to meet her on the street. Like most kids from divorced parents they have the fantasy that "mom and dad will get back together..." and actively interfere with any man who shows any interest in their mother. Enter Ice Cube with his new Lincoln Navigator, his "blingage" and his ambivalent attitude toward children. The kids are not 'sugar and spice and everything nice,' but survivors who stick together. It was sort of a "Home alone" meets "Cannonball Run." By the halfway point I found myself saying..."Aren't they there yet?"
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind ***
How happy is the blameless Vestal’s lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sun-shine of the spotless mind!
Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resigned.
The title comes from the poem "Eloisa to Abelard" by Alexander Pope. It is so nice to know our screenwriters are literate in our pop culture that rarely 'quotes' anymore. Charlie Kaufman penned this one as well as "Being John Malkovich" so he is very much into getting into our heads. So, if you could wipe the memories of a love affair gone sour, would you? Time has a way of helping us with painful memories, so that eventually only the good memories remain. Relationships, the fabric of humanity, is what we are all about, finding them, enjoying them, hating them, leaving them. Every couple in divorce court filled with disappointment and anger once sat looking into each others eyes, feeling madly in love.
The film is a little choppy at times, but you can navigate the course. The point is that every couple has strenghs, weaknesses and it can be easy to forget the good bits in a bad moment. So what would be the consequences if your partner had the memories of you erased after your relationship hit a bump in the road? It's a thoughtful story, and will add a bit to your intellectual repertoire if you have ventured away from your romantic poets.
The poem: Eloisa to Abelard by Alexander Pope
The 4th Man *** 1982
This is the last Dutch language film Paul Verhoeven made before going on to make mainstream Hollywood films "Basic Instinct," "Robocop," and "Total Recall," among others. He sets the stage by opening this story with a black widow spider catching prey in her web before we meet Gerard Reve, an annoying self-centered writer with a morbid imagination. Gerard has been invited to be the guest speaker at a Literary Club meeting in sea-side town an hour or so from Amsterdam. Verhoeven lets us have glimpses of how Gerard's imagination twists reality. Asked if writers are a bit close to insanity he admits when he reads the newspaper "and it says 'boom' I read 'doom,' when it says 'flood' I read 'blood,' when it says 'red' I see 'dead.'" When he tells a story enough times he begins to believe it; "I lie the truth."
He accepts an offer to be the overnight guest of the Club treasurer, a beautiful wealthy salon owner. As he gets to know her and learns her husband has died, he begins to imagine she is 'a black widow.' Is this his more of his reality twist or is she a murderess?
This is a psychological drama and in recounting which of these old films have stuck in my memory, I figured out is my favorite gendre. Looking at his body of work it is seems to be Paul Verhoeven's too, and he is a master in making us question our own understanding of reality. It's a nice change of pace from the usual Hollywood fare.
Girl with a Pearl Earring **
Who is the girl looking back at us from Vermeer's masterpiece, referred to by some as "the Dutch Mona Lisa?" Tracy Chevalier, who penned the novel by the same name, suggests it is Griet, a cripple's daughter sent to work as a servant in the Vermeer household. This film is a fictional account, based on elements that are known about Vermeer's life and his patron Van Ruijven. In Peter Webber's portrait of Delft, Holland in 1665 we see Vermeer supported by his mother-in-law, his patrons entertained by his wife, and this maid servant paid to be the model, this commission deemed "obscene". Webber's photography is as lavish as a Flemmish master while capturing the Dutch austerity. I wish the script gave us more, perhaps Chevalier's novel did, but the film did inspire me to read more about Vermeer and 17th century Holland. Speculation continues about the model, with best guesses going to Vermeer's eldest daughter or the daughter of his famous patron. One thing that hasn't changed in 400years, behind every successful man is a woman (or two or three).
In depth study of this painting life in 17th century AmsterdamMovie information and interesting details about the making of the film
Etre et avoir **** 2002 France "To Be and To Have"
I live in Maine where the state motto here is "Maine...the way life should be." That's the thought that went through my mind as I watched this film. It stars George Lopez, a french school teacher and his one room school house in rural France. He has about a dozen pupils from age 5-11, and we get to know them through their interactions with Lopez as well as visits with them at home. His classroom has never seen ADHD, Learning Disabilities or Emotional handicaps. We only see children acting like children, and he prepares them for the next stage of their education; "middle school." That's when these farm kids will leave his cloistered classroom and enter the 'real world.'
I admire Mr.Lopez. He has known his whole life that he wanted to be a teacher and he has passion about his chosen career. If only our children could have this experience. Maybe they wouldn't be computer literate, but they would have something more, 6yrs with a strong, sensitive, moral male role model. In his school kids learn to communicate and to problem solve. We watch the highest art of teaching children to read, write, think, and process.
You won't believe that watching a year in the life of a one room school in France can be such a "feel-good" time. It will make you wish they had an episode each year so we could share the joy Lopez must feel to see his children grow. Like I said, "It's the way life should be."
Man of Flowers **** and oldie but goodie
I first viewed this film in 1983, and later enjoyed it again on cable tv. It is a complex story, and one that stayed in my memory for all these years. Now that the internet is so searchable...and films are re-released on DVD, I found an opportunity to view it again.
Norman Kaye won a "Best Actor" award from the AFI (Australian Film Institute) for his role as Charles, the solitary bachelor who satisfies his sensual needs with beautiful things; art, music, and his 'little flower,' an artist's model who comes to his home on Wednesday afternoons to strip to the Donizetti's love duet. Her boyfriend is an abusive man, a self proclaimed "artist" who will threaten Charles' beautiful world. It's an uncommon story with rich cinematography that explores Charles' life past and present, seeming as vulnerable as a flower himself at times. It is a memorable thoughtful film, worth a look. You may still be thinking about it 2028!
War of the Worlds**** ... summer has arrived!
Tom Cruise has definitely lost a few points with me lately with all of his "anti-psychiatry" rhetoric, but I wasn't going to let that stand in the way of seeing this new Steven Spielberg flick. I like Sci-fi, and it has been rather slim pickings in recent years. (sorry, I only considered the first 2 episodes of "star wars" sci-fi; the rest seemed "same plot, different planet" and I didn't bother with the last 2, or is it now the 2nd and 3rd?) Anyway, it's 85 degrees today here in Maine and with 95% humidity, it's a very easy sell to pay $6.50 to sit inside an air conditioned theatre for 2 hours and see the premier of "War of the Worlds."
We all know the story, Orson Wells reading it on the radio, later a Hollywood film that depicts aliens coming to earth. Ironically the previews for another film at this theatre, "New World" that will open later this year, has a scene with the native Americans watching as the European masted ships arrive, the first 'alien' invasion. This "War of the Worlds" is a new story. We see it from the perspective of Cruise, a divorced parent whose 10yr old daughter and 16yr old son are staying with him for the 4th of July weekend. Their mother has remarried and it is clear the kids have a better relationship with their stepdad. Cruise is a longshoreman, a master at his craft, but a miserable failure as a parent. His apartment is less than tidy, there's a motor in the middle of the kitchen, his refridgerator is empty.
We don't have to wait long for the invasion and literally 'all hell breaks loose.' We spend the next 90 minutes gripping our chairs, wondering how or if humankind will survive annihilation. The special effects are nothing short of stunning, but are only the backdrop for the human drama, not the film. Will this end with the earth becoming a July 4th charcoal briquette? Or will America once again save the world? You will have to see for yourself, I was entertained from beginning to end. The "Blockbuster" we have all been waiting for has arrived, now summer can begin.
(visit their awesome website
War of the Worlds for preview and images.)
Cruise satire and commentary:
"Farewell Earthlings" "Give me back the old Tom Cruise"
The Woodsman ***
The title refers to the "woodsman" that slices open the wolf's belly to find little red riding hood and her grandmother alive and well inside. It is too small of a clue to what this film is about, but Kevin Bacon and a "2 thumbs up" recommendation were enough to pull it off the video store shelf.
Bacon's role is Walter, a sex offender released from prison after serving a 12 year sentence. Incest and the sexual exploitation of children is a social problem we can't seem to solve, and a feature length film about a perpetrator is not what we would seek as entertainment. This film is different. It gives us an opportunity to see the bigger picture as Walter tries to deal with his problem and asks "will I ever be normal?" We see his struggle and wonder if he will beat the odds he knows are against him, as he tells a female co-worker (played by his wife in real life Kyra Sedgwick) who has taken an interest in him. This film isn't overly emotional, the writing is spot on, and well worth the 87 minute running time. You may find you understand his problem a bit more than you do now.
Film rating code:
1 star - can't recommend this
2 stars - something to pass time
3 stars - better than most
4 stars - don't miss this one!
