From steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com Wed Jan 7 18:44:58 2009 From: steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com (Steve Rhodes) Date: Wed Jan 7 18:45:01 2009 Subject: Review: "The Last Enemy" (2008) Message-ID: THE LAST ENEMY A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2008 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2 The British really know how to do political thrillers right. This is seen especially in their television offerings in mini-series such as THE LAST ENEMY, made by the BBC and shown on Masterpiece Contemporary here. A blend of the television series MI5 with the shades of the novel 1984, THE LAST ENEMY contemplates a post-9/11 world in which the government is using advanced technology to keep careful track of citizenry. Think of it as a society in which an electronic issued id becomes the front-line in the government's assault on political freedoms and privacy -- a world in which everything you are doing or have ever done is in recorded in a massive data base. This totalitarian future is set in what appears exactly like today with the exception of the biometric cards that almost everyone carries. Storm-trooper like police have card readers to insure they know exactly who you are, and sensors automatically read your card as you move around just like radio tagged packages do in stores today. Of course, all of this electronic surveillance might be relatively benign if the political establishment could be trusted not to abuse its use. Fat chance. This new society, which uses their high-tech gadgetry to thwart terrorists in their midst, is the main subject of THE LAST ENEMY. Of course, this would not make much of a drama if we didn't also have some big on-going scandal that the government was using its new powers to try to cover up. When we meet Stephen Ezard (Benedict Cumberbatch, THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL), he is a nerd who has reluctantly left the remoteness of the Chinese countryside to return to his native England, where the aforementioned draconian changes are in effect. A mathematician who likes to be left completely alone while he works on hard theoretical problems, he is forced to come back to his homeland in order to attend the funeral of Michael (Max Beesley), the brother he never liked and barely knows now. As events swirl around Stephen rapidly, he becomes almost disoriented. He meets and falls in love with his dead brother's wife, Yasim Anwar (Anamaria Marinca). Yasim is a doctor who is treating a woman dying from a mysterious illness. Frightened that the police will come and take them all away, Yasim lives a life of non-stop fear. Barbara Turney (Geraldine James, THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN) and Patrick Nye (David Harewood, THE VICE) are a pair of government higher-ups involved in some big cover-up conspiracy. They keep close tabs on Stephen and Yasim. Meanwhile Russell (Robert Carlyle, THE FULL MONTY), a rogue agent whose allegiance and intentions aren't at all clear, runs around in the proverbial shadows shooting and being shot at. He's a good guy, a bad guy or, most likely, both, who is uncontrollable and unpredictable. The cover-up part of the narrative, while good, works mainly as an essential glue to keep the story together. The fascist state story is the best part. The superb acting, the good pacing and the sharp writing make this five episode mini-series fly by, leaving you wanting even more. THE LAST ENEMY runs 285 minutes. It is not rated but might be PG-13 for violence and sexual situations and would be acceptable for kids around 10 and up. The miniseries will be available as a boxed DVD set from WGBH Boston Video on January 13, 2009. Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com *********************************************************************** Want reviews of new films via Email? Just write Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com and put "subscribe" in the subject line. From homeryen88 at gmail.com Wed Jan 7 18:45:33 2009 From: homeryen88 at gmail.com (Homer Yen) Date: Wed Jan 7 18:45:36 2009 Subject: Review: Valkyrie (2008) Message-ID: <4a52a9000901011211r1f9bbff2q687d10a4e0634fe3@mail.gmail.com> "Valkyrie" - Precision German Engineering by Homer Yen (c) 2008 Whatever opinion you had after watching Tom Cruise (TC) jumping on Oprah's couch and the opinion you will have of him after seeing him on the big screen will be as far apart as winter in the Alps and summer in the Caribbean. Maybe this particular celebrity doesn't do so well on television shows, where things aren't necessarily rehearsed. But he's very comfortable and commanding as a movie star, whether his roles are as varied as a foul-mouthed celebrity agent in "Tropic Thunder" or as a military idealist in "Valkyrie". I say this because the advance buzz was not favorable even though the advance buzz was generated long before people had actually seen the film. And, there was genuine concern expressed by Berthold Schenk von Stauffenberg, son of the film's hero, Claus von Stauffenberg, who wanted to stop TC from going through with this project. Perhaps on the DVD, we could learn what compelled TC to want to tell Stauffenberg's story. In fact, so dedicated was TC to this project that he personally appealed to the Ministry of Defence, who initially refused to grant permission to let the production company film in certain sensitive locales. Ultimately, TC & co. were given the a-ok to film at the historic Bendler Block, now a memorial to those who meticulously organized and audaciously staged one of the most daring coups in history. In many ways, making this film is an against-all-odds proposition, which could be a film unto itself. And, equally so, the ambitious plan of Claus von Stauffenberg (played here by TC) to assassinate Adolph Hitler is also an against-all-odds proposition. The history-based thriller is about the July 20, 1944, attempt, and it was the last of numerous attempts during Hitler's reign before Germany ultimately surrendered and the Fuhrer committed suicide. The film is efficient in its telling as we are introduced to the major players of the plot. Pulling off such an operation requires dozens of committed people. The three most pivotal supporting players are: 1> a high-ranking officer (played by Kenneth Branagh) who initially leads the charge but then must lay low due to mounting suspicion; 2> a general (played by Tom Wilkerson) who will do whatever suits his best long-term interests; 3> Another general (played by Bill Nighy) whose nebbish qualities but access to high command makes him a double-edged sword. Stauffenberg's disillusionment with Hitler isn't given the kind of treatment that could have made this film more inspirational. He says to another officer early on in the film that "you can serve the Fuhrer or you can serve Germany, but you can't serve both." In fact, not much is even spoken about Hitler's ruthlessness. We do see Hitler for periods of time on screen, and even one look at his face or just watching him in his War Room ambling about in a mad-scientist way immediately conjures up a sense of discomfort. Perhaps TCs motivations were under scrutiny (much like Kenneth Branagh's character) and perhaps given the sensitivity of the subject matter, it was best to just stick to the basics. TC's character is not the most complex that he's ever played, but he portrays Stauffenberg as resolute. "Valkyrie" is an edge-of-your seat, tense film. An amazing amount of planning and prayer went into this operation. Would men carry through with their parts? Would an explosive detonate when assembled by amateurs? The Anti-Hitler coalition was committing high treason, inviting certain death if they failed, but was heroic in their efforts. Similarly, for being able to bring the Stauffenberg story unto the big screen, and against all odds, "Valkyrie" is a heroic piece of filmmaking. Grade: B S 0 out of 3 L: 0 out of 3 V: 3 out of 3 From zoeb at bytenoise.co.uk Wed Jan 7 18:46:42 2009 From: zoeb at bytenoise.co.uk (Zoe Blade) Date: Wed Jan 7 18:46:45 2009 Subject: Review: Religulous (2008) Message-ID: Film: Religulous Year: 2008 Rating: 3/5 Summary: Fun entertainment, but nothing more. After watching a few clips of Real Time with Bill Maher, I was looking forward to Religulous, hoping it would provide an insightful, thought provoking look at religion from a more rational perspective. It doesn't. While it's a fun film, it's really just Bill Maher poking fun at people's absurd beliefs. The editing of the interviews to favour Maher is blatant, and he doesn't let the people he's interviewing say much. On many occasions, the only difference I can spot between Religulous and Maher's standup act is that the audience in this so-called documentary are supposed to be interviewees. Personally, I think this is a real shame as when it comes to many of the people he met, such as the Holy Land Experience cast and visitors, hardly any prompting was necessary to show how insane their beliefs are. If you're looking to poke fun at religious beliefs, this film does a reasonable job of it. If you want anything more, such as convincing arguments in either direction or anything that might make you think, you're still better off with a book such as The God Delusion. If you want to see how scary people can be once infected with religious doctrine, check out Jesus Camp instead. Unlike this movie, Jesus Camp shows people who hold bizarre beliefs without the people making the film getting in their way, and is therefore much more effective. All in all, this film is funny and a little scary, but it could have been so much more. By all means watch it, but I hope that people such as Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens make their own documentaries that point out the true absurdities and dangers of religion, to compliment and surpass this movie that merely makes fun of people's beliefs. From steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com Wed Jan 14 16:14:31 2009 From: steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com (Steve Rhodes) Date: Wed Jan 14 16:14:34 2009 Subject: Review: Revolutionary Road (2009) Message-ID: REVOLUTIONARY ROAD A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2009 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2 After Kate Winslet's amazing lead performances in THE READER and in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, it's quite possible -- and maybe even likely -- that she'll get two Oscar nominations this year. She certainly deserves them both, and, for the life of me, I cannot figure out which performance is the better of the two, since they are both great pieces of acting that you won't soon forget. In REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, Winslet is paired with Leonardo DiCaprio for the first time since 1997's TITANIC, a film which could not be more different. While TITANIC is a big film with larger than life characters, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is a character study about a couple struggling to find meaning in their suburban life. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD's director Sam Mendes, whose AMERICAN BEAUTY and ROAD TO PERDITION are widely praised and loved, takes his keen sense of observation to the tree-lined streets of a bedroom community. In this town in New Jersey, carefully suited workers can be seen gathering in mass every morning to take the train into "the city" -- New York, of course -- to work in large, ugly skyscrapers. As they herd their way to their cubical dwellings, the workers share such similarly unhappy and lifeless facial expressions that they all look related. The film's striking images will instantly remind you of THE MAN IN THE GRAY FLANNEL SUIT and of "Mad Men." Set in the summer of 1955, the movie takes great pains to get all of the cars, the costumes, the sets and even the tacky furniture just right. With long, liquid lunches, getting everyone sloshed in varying degrees, and with lots of smoking seen everywhere, it isn't a time of very healthy lifestyles. It is, however, a time of rampant moroseness. April and Frank Wheeler (Winslet and DiCaprio) are seen as the perfect couple by their friends. They are an attractive, smart and talented couple with two good-looking kids and a nice house with a big front lawn. What is less clear is what their talents really are, and less clear still is what they really want to do with their lives. Frank works in an office sales support job at Knox Business Machines in the city. His dad worked at Knox for twenty years, although no one at the firm remembers him anymore. The only thing that Frank was certain of while growing up was that he did not want to follow in his father's footsteps and join Knox. Frank spends his days whipping up bland memos that no one seems to care much about. And Frank certainly doesn't care that his readers don't care. The ever-bored Frank finds his fleeting amusements however he can. After a drunken lunch with a woman from the typing pool, he takes her to a nearby apartment for an afternoon of sex, but it doesn't mean anything to him. He treats his cute but slightly pudgy conquest with disdain once he's finished with her. He might ask her out again, but, then again, he might not. April once aspired to be an actress, but now she toils away as a housewife. When we first meet the Wheelers, they get into a huge argument after Frank ridicules the local, amateur play that April has been acting in. As they scream at each other in a parked car beside the highway, it appears that their marriage is so hopelessly on the rocks that it can't last past the story's first act. But, when it soon becomes as obvious to the Wheelers as it is to us that their marriage is on a dead-end road, April comes up with a surprising and downright shocking idea. They should sell everything, including their house. Frank has always dreamed of moving to his beloved Paris, which he fell in love with during the war, so can find himself. April says that the foreign consulates pay top dollar for English speaking secretaries. She volunteers to support his dream by being the sole-bread winner for the family. Frank loves the idea. Next seen on the way to work, Frank's smile is the only one in the crowd. Unlike his coworkers, he alone has figured out a way to break out of the trap. Back at home, Frank and April find that their new plan instantly rekindles their romance and their passion. While Frank and April believe in their new dream, no one gets it. Shep and Milly Campbell (David Harbour and Kathryn Hahn), their next-door neighbors and best friends, think that the Wheelers have completely lost their minds. So will the Wheelers follow through with their radical plan or not? As soon as the summer is over, they plan on leaving, and they are busy boxing things up. So the big move looks likely, but will events transpire to change their minds? If they stay, is there another way to restructure their lives in order to find fulfillment? But if they go, will they find that Paris is no panacea? Since they don't appear to care much about their kids or about each other, will living in a foreign city substantially change their relationship and improve their low happiness quotient? I won't give away any of this. What I will say is that the film works best when it's the most depressing, especially in the subtle facial expressions that are used to convey vast amounts of emotional material. And, it's least successful when it amps up the volume and lets the leads shout at each other. The writing is consistently sharp and biting. "If black could be made into white by talking, you'd be the man for the job," April tells Frank while laughing uncontrollably in sarcasm and derision. You may laugh some too during REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, since it can be funny at times, but you're much more likely to be devastated. This is a movie whose themes and characters will stay with you, since its raw emotions run deep and true. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD runs 1:59. It is rated R for "language and some sexual content/nudity" and would be acceptable for teenagers. The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, January 9, 2009. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Cinemark theaters and the Camera Cinemas. Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com *********************************************************************** Want reviews of new films via Email? Just write Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com and put "subscribe" in the subject line. From wick at wikpik.com Wed Jan 14 16:26:03 2009 From: wick at wikpik.com (Wick) Date: Wed Jan 14 16:26:05 2009 Subject: Review: Milk Message-ID: Great - 4 on a scale of 5 beams. Immensely well done piece of agitprop, built around Sean Penn's Best Actor performance and featuring Gus Van Sant's most fully realized directing effort. This admirable movie presents a world apart, yet right next door to the one in which most of us live and were raised. Straights needn't fear this movie, though I admit avoiding it for awhile because I have no desire to see guys kissing each other on screen. But I'm glad I saw it as much for the important story it tells as for Penn's peerless acting and Van Sant's fine filmmaking. And as it happens, the gay PDAs were mercifully discrete. Milk the politician realized that the way to sell voters on gay rights is to introduce them to gays. Thirty years later, most of us know plenty of gays, to which list we should add Sean Penn's Harvey Milk, as American a hero as ever came sashaying down the street. So "Man up," as the tough guys say these days, and see this movie. Rest of the review at http://www.wikpik.com/movie_reviews/1575-milk From wick at wikpik.com Wed Jan 14 16:27:00 2009 From: wick at wikpik.com (Wick) Date: Wed Jan 14 16:27:02 2009 Subject: Review: Frost/Nixon Message-ID: Great. 4 on a scale of 5 beams. Funny and sad in equal measures, this brilliant movie brings to life the media event that put a postscript on one of the saddest chapters in American history. Frank Langella's basso profundo voice and hulking presence cuttingly reveal Dick Nixon's nasty narcissism. Performances like this are why Best Actor awards exist, as evidenced by the Tony he won for this role. Broadway actors all too rarely bring their great roles to the silver screen. Thankfully Langella didn't have this one taken from him for the likes of Nicholson or Beatty. Michael Sheen - not of the American Sheens - uncannily becomes yet another famous British personality. His Tony Blair in The Queen was spot on. Here he nails the callow narcissist Frost, capturing as well the frenetic entrepreneurial energy of this TV creature. Tricky Dick's profound failures of character poisoned the faith of generations. Because this American president proved to be a bad apple, his successors labor under suspicion. In turn, Nixon must forever pay historical penance for this original sin. Nixon the historical actor aside, how accurate is the movie to the historical reality? One key scene - Nixon's drunken midnight call to Frost - never happened in reality according to Frank Langella. So that pushes up the circoreality score. Rest of the review at http://www.wikpik.com/movie_reviews/1565-frostnixon From mleeper at optonline.net Wed Jan 14 16:30:28 2009 From: mleeper at optonline.net (Mark R. Leeper) Date: Wed Jan 14 16:30:30 2009 Subject: Review: Defiance (2008) Message-ID: DEFIANCE (a film review by Mark R. Leeper) CAPSULE: This is an unusual true story of two Jewish brothers from Belorussia who fought back against the Nazis and offered protection to a community of over a thousand fugitive Jews. Occasionally using thuggish tactics and more often being heroic, they survived in the forest while in constant danger from both the Nazis and the Soviets. The story is made a little idealized, but this is a chapter of history that has rarely been explored before. Rating: +2 (-4 to +4) or 7/10 "In August 1943, Hitler sent his most ferocious and lawless troop into this puscha, with the intent to kill every member of the Bielski group... Three men, brothers, saved as many Jews during World War II as Oskar Schindler and organized a military force that killed hundreds of enemy soldiers... Twelve hundred Jews ... walked out of the Belorussian forests in July 1944." [--THE BIELSKI BROTHERS by Peter Duffy] Two decades ago Edward Zwick made a name for himself with GLORY, the story of a black unit in the Civil War. Against a background of historical fact he told the story of their well-meaning commander who finds how he can be effective in leading his men. Also there is an angry black soldier who finds he can forgive the white man long enough to serve his country. The foreground story was a touch melodramatic, but it made for a good film. DEFIANCE also is a slightly melodramatic story told on a background of historical fact. It is no worse than GLORY. Sadly it is no better either and for much the same reason. DEFIANCE is the story of the three Bielski Brothers. They were Jewish and were in Belorussia in 1941 at the time the Nazis invaded. In the occupation 50,000 Jews were murdered directly and twenty times that number were deported to be murdered elsewhere. The two Bielski brothers are Tuvia (Daniel Craig with hair dyed black so that he looks a little more Jewish) and Zus (Liev Schreiber, who does not have to do anything to look more Jewish). When they find that a policeman who was collaborating with the Nazis had murdered their parents the brothers decide to strike back. They can borrow a pistol and four bullets. And with it they kill the policeman. They hide in the local forest that they know well. Soon they offer protection to a few other Jews and before they realize what is happening they have a whole community. As Tuvia says, "This is the one place in all Belorussia where a Jew can be free." But even as brothers the Bielskis are very different. The real Tuvia Bielski said he "would rather rescue one old Jewish woman than kill ten Nazis." Tuvia is for rescuing Jews, but is willing to fight Germans. Zus is for vengeance on the Germans, but is willing to do what he can to rescue Jews. Allied goals, but they will cause schism in the forest fugitive group. We also meet two younger Bielski brothers, one played by Jamie Bell, the young boy in KING KONG. Mark Margolis plays a ghetto elder with some very heavy decisions. The problem with the writing (the screenplay was co-authored by Clayton Frohman and Zwick) is that it is heartfelt but not deep. We have some humor, some romance, some cute old Jewish scholars, and a little melodrama. This is the style that worked with Zwick's GLORY. But with a more realistic approach, one like there was in Stephen Spielberg's SCHINDLER'S LIST, the story would have felt like it had more authenticity and it served the story better. There is one possibly disturbing scene, but it is filmed in a way that makes it hard to make out detail. Zwick was going for "engrossing", and not "horrific". And he manages to make Liev Schreiber, usually an intellectual actor, into an action hero. Daniel Craig, who might well be right now the world's most popular action hero actor, is nearly as fierce but much more likely to try to avoid trouble. Not all the parts of the machine work with this film, but it still makes a good film overall. I rate DEFIANCE a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale or 7/10. Not sure how to pronounce "Bielski"? Don't worry. You have a choice of about five different ways in the film. The film tones down the viciousness of the Bielskis quite a bit from history. Some of their punishments for captured Germans were on the sadistic side and were intended to spread fear in the enemy, which they undoubtedly did. We see a little of that in the film, but not to the degree that it happened in real life. The brothers probably felt that Jews should give to Germans a taste of their own brutality. There is some moral ambiguity in the way the brothers are presented but perhaps not enough to accurately portray the events. Film Credits: What others are saying: Mark R. Leeper mleeper@optonline.net Copyright 2009 Mark R. Leeper From mleeper at optonline.net Wed Jan 14 16:31:41 2009 From: mleeper at optonline.net (Mark R. Leeper) Date: Wed Jan 14 16:31:43 2009 Subject: Review: Lifelines (2008) Message-ID: LIFELINES (a.k.a. WHEREVER YOU ARE) (a film review by Mark R. Leeper) CAPSULE: REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is not the only film this season that features a family being split to the tune of bitter argument. In LIFELINES a hugely dysfunctional family spends a day with a family counselor. It is a day of cutting comments, raw nerves, telling observations, and eventually some understanding. While the day does not prove to be a panacea, it does let the family understand each other better and finds a hidden vein of concern. The story produces a gamut of emotions from comic to tragic. This is a moving human drama. Rating: low +2 (-4 to +4) or 7/10 The Bernstein family, highly dysfunctional, is composed of five people, each of whom cannot get along with the other four. We see them on what seems to be a typical morning with each of the children a different problem for the mother Nancy (played by Jane Adams). Each of the children has his own reason for bitterness and that hostility dominates his reactions. Michael (Robbie Sublett) is the eldest and withdrawn into his shell, stuttering with self- doubt. He may be the most able member of the family. Young Spencer (Jacob Kogen) is twelve, hyperactive, and but for the foul mouth behaves like a spoiled five-year-old. The biggest pain is the sixteen-year-old daughter Meghan (Dreama Walker) who has several names for her mother, all of which end in the word "bitch" and seem to fit Meghan better than Nancy. Father Ira (Josh Pais), is as ineffective as Nancy at controlling the savages. Central to all is Nancy, the mother who is shells-shocked and crumbling under the strain. We discover that today is not typical at all. Ira (Josh Pais), the father, is going to announce he is leaving the family and going to live with his boyfriend. To prepare the family for the announcement and for the giant changes that are coming, the Bernsteins are seeing a family counselor, Dr. Livingston (Joe Morton). This healing step is years late for this family. In the beginning Ira plays the game of being over-cooperative, trying to say exactly what the counselor wants to hear. Nancy simpers along, and children do what they can to derail the process. Soon truths are being told and we see beyond the annoying shells these people have chosen to inhabit all the way to the hurt and vulnerability inside. Late in the film there is a highly unlikely coincidence that gives Dr. Livingston a personal connection to this family. But it is a real contrivance. Morton as Livingston, with his shelves full of toys and puzzles and his hair braided in cornrows, always seems a little too good and a little too much in control of himself to be true, at least true to his real self. He smoothly plays games to get his clients to reveal the source of their pain. Later in the film we learn something unexpected about him but it only serves to make him seem more noble. The film raises unreasonable expectations of family counselors much in the way CSI raises expectations for crime scene investigation. Newcomer writer/director/producer Rob Margolies kept to a minimum of settings so LIFELINES is essentially a stage play, opening out only in the last third of the film. A restaurant dinner for the family is the most enjoyable and witty section of the film, if at the same time no less dark than the rest of the story. This film is touching and occasionally powerful. If one can get by the early negative characterizations, it eventually rewards the viewer. I rate LIFELINES a low +2 on the -4 to +4 scale or 7/10. Any filmmaker who starts his film showing a naked man sitting on a toilet needs to have a really good reason. LIFELINES is a good film, but that pointless touch shows more license than taste. On the other hand, I have lived in central New Jersey for thirty-two years and David Sperling's photography makes it look more beautiful than I realized that it is. Film Credits: What others are saying: Mark R. Leeper mleeper@optonline.net Copyright 2009 Mark R. Leeper From steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com Thu Jan 15 15:22:11 2009 From: steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com (Steve Rhodes) Date: Thu Jan 15 15:22:13 2009 Subject: Review: Entre les murs (2008) Message-ID: THE CLASS A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2009 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): ** In THE CLASS (ENTRE LES MURS), a fictional film made with a documentary feel by director Laurent Cantet, we follow a group of French eighth grade students. Although I liked Cantet's TIME OUT (L' EMPLOI DU TEMPS) from a few years ago, I found THE CLASS not the least bit compelling. If a similarly uneventful film about American students had been made, it would have never been released. I know this because I've seen similar and much better such American movies at film festivals here. Following kids about fourteen-years old, Cantet uses actual students to retell their own stories, hoping for a gripping authenticity. But what comes across on the screen feels like a sanitized version of real life. Classroom emotions, especially in inner city classrooms like this one in Paris, are usually much more dramatic. The movie's kids act more like how they wish they were than how they probably are. Much is made of the class's multi-racial composition, since the school is filled with Africans, Arabs and other ethnic groups. Scenes of the teacher discussing the conjugation of French verbs with his students are not exactly riveting cinema. Similarly, when, in the teachers' staff meeting, they get bogged down in a discussion about how to repair their coffee machine and about what would be a fair price to charge per cup, don't be surprised if you find yourself starting to nod off. Yes, yes, I know. This film was the darling at 2008's Cannes Film Festival, taking home the coveted Golden Palm award. Personally, I learned nothing from the movie, as its little messages were trite and modest at best. Eventually, in the last act, conflict finally arises, with one student accidentally hitting another with his backpack, causing the injured student to bleed a bit. This sets off the only interesting part of the drama, as we watch the French school bureaucracy twists itself into knots trying to deal with the case. The student ends up facing a formal hearing in which the student is brought before a body consisting of student representatives, a parent representative, and various teachers and administrators. As this quasi-trial drags on, it's not clear what will happen to the student. And, since the accused student's teacher is said to have used a harsh word to two girls, which might have inspired the student's anger, the committee has to consider the teacher's actions as well. THE CLASS runs a long 2:08. The film is in French with English subtitles. It is rated PG-13 for "language" and would be acceptable for kids around 10 and up. The film is playing in limited release now in the United States. Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com *********************************************************************** Want reviews of new films via Email? Just write Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com and put "subscribe" in the subject line. From ohgod.thisidissolong at gmail.com Thu Jan 15 15:23:54 2009 From: ohgod.thisidissolong at gmail.com (KS) Date: Thu Jan 15 15:23:57 2009 Subject: Review: The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008) Message-ID: <3dfb56f2-7d12-497a-b3c7-2af0d1ac8919@v39g2000pro.googlegroups.com> An alien comes to earth to wipe out the human race thus saving the planet from destruction but a woman (Jennifer Connely who makes herself look worse in sweaters two sizes too big ) persuades him to give humans a second chance and sends the alien packing back to from where he came from (the best part of the entire movie). A remake of a 1960's film, this is all the movie is about. Now comes the review part. Keanu Reeves, the alien, is probably the only competition to Himesh Reshmaiya if the Oscars ever issue an award for the actor who maintains one single expression throughout the span of a movie. One can easily assume that Reeves was in constant stomach pain or was having a terrible gas problem throughout the movie. His flat deadpan expression remains the same whether he is confessing love or professing destruction. If all aliens are like him, it's better that for us if there is no extra-terrestrial life. He doesn't impress even in a single scene and the only scene the audience applauds is the scene where he leaves earth, the scene signaling the end of the movie. Bureaucrats and Generals wanting to seize control of an alien is such a tried and tested subject in Hollywood that it fails to arouse any interest in the movie. Endless, lengthy, boring and totally incomprehensible discussions between various government factions ensure that you go to sleep in the first half itself. With less talk the film would have been bearable for it would have been an hour short. Probably, the only realistic party of the story is when the President and the Vice-President are whisked to safety as the first sphere lands. The message apparently is that they are cowards. Not fair. If the Pres can dodge incoming size 10 shoes, aliens are not a big problem. By the way, the spheres contain replicating insects which eat everything made by man. Just when you think that the saving grace of the movie has arrived and you finally open your eyes and hope that the insects start eating and killing everyone, they (the insects) turn out to be merely laughable. They fail to evoke even the slightest bit of fear, not even in the six- year old sitting besides me (who was being utilized by his mother as a block between his elder sis and me). Poor special effects end up giving the entire movie the feel of a 70's B-grade horror movie and you are suddenly thankful for the endless fog that swirls through the entire movie. Jennifer Connely and son Jaden Smith are the ones to convince Keanu to give homo-sapiens one more chance to save themselves and earth and they do such a bad job of it that, if I were the alien, I would have destroyed earth for their convincing alone. But some credit must go to Jaden Smith who essays the role of a kid missing his father with ?lan and perfection (maybe he really missed his dad having Jennifer Connely as a mom and placed amidst such crackpots). With all that, this film is worth watching only if you want to catch up on some sleep or want to meet the elder sis I mentioned above. From steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com Fri Jan 23 12:47:16 2009 From: steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com (Steve Rhodes) Date: Fri Jan 23 12:47:19 2009 Subject: Review: Inkheart (2009) Message-ID: INKHEART A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2009 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): ** INKHEART, directed without any real sense of imagination by Iain Softley, whose last film was the disastrous THE SKELETON KEY, does have many things going for it. Based on a popular children's book by Cornelia Funke, the movie is filled with all of the right ingredients for a sweet and magical tale, suitable for young and old alike. But, as any cook knows, shopping, even at the best gourmet store, does not guarantee that the meal will be delicious or even tasty. The movie starts off very promisingly. With heavy emphasis on the shadows and with the washed out look of an old Technicolor print, the movie appears that it may be an homage to the best loved old videotapes of kids' movie classics. Many early references to THE WIZARD OF OZ, as well as liberal borrowing of its story (Dorothy's little dog Toto is prominently featured in INKHEART) make the link with children's stories of legend. This early promise, however, quickly fades. Starting with the excessive but exceedingly lame special effects, almost everything in INKHEART disappoints. Sleepwalking through his role, Brendan Fraser, the man from THE MUMMY movies, stars as Mo Folchart, a gifted "silvertongue." Silvertongues are cursed, since, when they read a book, it comes to life, sending characters from the book into the real world and real world characters into the book. After Mo accidentally reads his wife Resa (Sienna Guillory) into the book "Inkheart," he vows never to read again -- with one exception. If he can ever find another copy of "Inkheart," he hopes to read her back into the real world again. The movie has exactly one successful piece of acting. Paul Bettany (A BEAUTIFUL MIND) is excellent as Dustfinger, "a fire juggler with magical powers." Brooding and shy, Dustfinger steals every scene he is in. Bettany's wonderful performance is as compelling as the movie itself is lackluster and downright dull. On the other hand, nothing good can be said of Andy Serkis's (Gollum from THE LORD OF THE RINGS) portrayal of Capricorn, the story's villain. A milquetoast baddy, Capricorn never seems the least bit dangerous, even when performing dastardly deeds. Eliza Hope Bennett (NANNY MCPHEE) is sweet enough as Mo's daughter Meggie. Her best moment comes at the end, as she finds out how to effectively control her inherited gift as a silvertongue. The last act revolves around the writer's block suffered by Fenoglio (Jim Broadbent), the writer of the original "Inkheart" that trapped Mo's wife after Mo read it. Fenoglio isn't the only one with a bad case of writer's block. David Lindsay-Abaire, who wrote the screenplay for the movie, must have had a bad case of writer's block, too, based on his inability to give much cinematic magic to his adaptation of a popular novel. INKHEART runs 1:46. It is rated PG for "fantasy adventure action, some scary moments and brief language" and would be acceptable for all ages. The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, January 23, 2009. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Cinemark theaters and the Camera Cinemas. Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com *********************************************************************** Want reviews of new films via Email? Just write Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com and put "subscribe" in the subject line. From mleeper at optonline.net Fri Jan 23 12:48:13 2009 From: mleeper at optonline.net (Mark R. Leeper) Date: Fri Jan 23 12:48:15 2009 Subject: Misc: My Top Ten Films of 2008 Message-ID: My Top Ten Films of 2008 (film comment by Mark R. Leeper) 2007 had been a good year for films, mostly in the latter months. I was hoping that 2008 would be equally good. Sadly there were not as many memorable films. There were some very good films, but not enough to match the best of 2007. 1. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON More than just a film, David Fincher's THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON is a genuine accomplishment. It stylistically shows a span of history, carefully orchestrating an evolution of feel and mood that tracks the passing years. This is an intelligent fantasy with a beautifully sustained and intricate attention to tone. This is a loose adaptation and a translation forward in time of the story by F. Scott Fitzgerald from his TALES OF THE JAZZ AGE. Rating: +3 (-4 to +4) or 9/10 2. TRUMBO The story of Dalton Trumbo's career is told, based on the play of the same name by Dalton's son, Christopher Trumbo. The biography is illuminated by Trumbo's writings, particularly his correspondence dramatically read by major actors of the film industry. Actors recreate the moods of this always tremendously well-spoken man. This may be the last film to feature Trumbo's writing and it has some of his most powerful prose. It is maybe the best film that has ever been made about the Hollywood blacklist and the Hollywood Ten. Rating: low +3 (-4 to +4) or 8/10 3. MILK Gus Van Sant directs a powerful docudrama of the life and times of Harvey Milk, from coming to San Francisco to being elected city supervisor to being murdered along with the mayor of San Francisco. The style is realistic and not overly polished. This is a highly affecting film, and Sean Penn gives the most moving performance of the year of a very ordinary man whom history moved to greatness. Rating: low +3 (-4 to +4) or 8/10 4. THE DARK KNIGHT In a year in which so many films are based on comic books this is a super-hero film whose depth is like no other. It plays with the whole philosophy of the superhero and the whole nature of superhero battles. It manages to bring together an action film and a thought piece. This is a lot more than we have come to expect from a comic book film. Christopher Nolan directs and co-authors the screenplay with his brother. Rating: low +3 (-4 to +4) or 8/10 5. THE WRESTLER Boxer/actor Mickey Rourke makes an acting comeback as a professional wrestler trying to retire and return to his personal life. Like his character, Rourke has been scarred by his years of fighting but can still make a pretty good grab for the viewer's empathy. Darren Aronofsky tells a solid character-driven drama with simplicity and impact. Rating: high +2 (-4 to +4) or 8/10 6. WALL-E Pixar Animation is known for making good kids' films that even adults can enjoy. But now they have crossed over the line to make an adult film that even kids can enjoy. WALL-E is a light fun comedy set against a very grim background. This film has a lot more message than just "have a good time." It is all about some serious problems our world is facing. Under the laughs and the humanized robots this is a serious science fiction film and well above average for the genre. Rating: high +2 (-4 to +4) or 8/10 7. THE BANK JOB When high political powers in Britain, wanting a piece of "evidence" to disappear, arrange for a bank robbery to take place, the result is complex chaos. Jason Statham plays Terry Leather, a family man going through a bad patch who takes what appears to be a great opportunity to rob a bank. The robbery opens a legal and political Pandora's Box. This film is full of action and actual suspense. The wit of the story is not always obvious when watching the film, but does come out in retrospect. Rating: high +2 (-4 to +4) or 8/10 8. DEFIANCE This is an unusual true story of two Jewish brothers from Belorussia who fought back against the invading Germans and offered protection to a community of over a thousand fugitive Jews. Occasionally using thuggish tactics and more often being heroic, they survived in the forest while in constant danger from both the Nazis and the Soviets. The story is made a little idealized, but this is a chapter of history that has rarely been explored before. Rating: +2 (-4 to +4) or 7/10 9. THE COUNTERFEITERS The Austrian-German production THE COUNTERFEITERS is good cinema that deals with serious moral issues. It is about the ethical question of concentration camp prisoners prolonging their lives by helping the Nazi war effort. The issue is at what cost is survival. Writer/director Stefan Ruzowitzky does not give a pat and easy answer. Be aware that survivors of the camp do not remember the central moral question ever being asked. Rating: high +2 (-4 to +4) or 8/10 10. THE VISITOR Richard Jenkins, a popular character actor going back to SILVERADO, finally has the lead in a film and gives a strong performance as an insular and lonely professor who gets a cause that brings him out of his shell. The cause comes in the form of two illegal immigrants squating in his New York apartment. He befriends and learns from them and they learn from him. He also gets involved in the politics of US immigration policy. Thomas McCarthy who wrote and directed the excellent THE STATION AGENT writes and directs again. Rating: +2 (-4 to +4) or 7/10 Honorable Mention goes to these films: CHOP SHOP CLOVERFIELD GHOST TOWN HAPPY-GO-LUCKY QUANTUM OF SOLACE REFUSENIK RELIGULOUS THE TRAITOR VALKYRIE One film that should have been mentioned last year, but I saw too late: THERE WILL BE BLOOD Mark R. Leeper mleeper@optonline.net Copyright 2009 Mark R. Leeper From themoviereport at gmail.com Fri Jan 23 12:50:23 2009 From: themoviereport at gmail.com (Michael Dequina) Date: Fri Jan 23 12:50:26 2009 Subject: Review: Chandni Chowk to China (2009) Message-ID: <4975af10.1498600a.34ae.0d91@mx.google.com> _Ramesh_Sippy's_Chandni_Chowk_to_China_ (PG-13) ** 1/2 (out of ****) Contrary to many erroneous, widespread reports, Warner Bros.'s _Chandni_Chowk_to_China_ is *not* the first but the third Bollywood film produced by a major Hollywood studio, after Sony/Columbia Pictures's opulent 2007 release _Saawariya_(Beloved)_ and this past October's rather cute animated film _Roadside_Romeo_, bearing the joint imprimatur of no less than Walt Disney Pictures and leading Indian production house Yash Raj Films--but it is the first to openly court a stateside audience beyond the Non-Resident Indian community and indoctrinated Indian film fans such as myself. On paper, the project sounded like an almost can't-miss project: Warner teamed with veteran Indian film producer Ramesh Sippy; like Sony, signed on was a filmmaker of note, Nikhil Advani, whose previous two directing credits include 2003's terrific New York-set love story _Kal_Ho_Naa_Ho_(Tomorrow_May_Never_Come)_; attached was the increasingly popular comedy and action star Akshay Kumar, with fast-rising newcomer Deepika Padukone in her third film; and a trailblazing hook as Bollywood's first martial arts film. Alas, "can't miss" has translated to "near-miss" in execution, and a wholly missed opportunity to broaden the Hindi film fan base in America. Actually, "near-miss" is a major recovery from how _CC2C_ begins. Silliness is to expected from a Bollywood masala film, especially in the opening stages, but Advani cranks up his already overly cartoony introduction to lowly cook Sidhu (Kumar) with over-the-top visual effects embellishments. These _Looney_Tunes_-ish bits that have Sidhu literally kicked from one side of his town of Chandni Chowk to the other by his adoptive father (Mithun Chakraborty) serve to distance the viewer, Bollywood familiar or not, just about from the jump; Advani was obviously chasing after the FX-bolstered zaniness of Stephen Chow, but even the live wire Chow knows better to wait until the audience has settled in a bit before unleashing his unbridled insanity. _CC2C_ closely recalls Chow's work, specifically _Kung_Fu_Hustle_, and even this past summer's _Kung_Fu_Panda_ so much that it's a wonder that Warner Bros. didn't force the the title _Kung_Fu_Masala_ on the film. Despite being a simple small town cook and more than a bit of a bumbler, Sidhu has ideas of being something bigger, which indeed appears true when a couple of strangers from China claim he is the reincarnation of Liu Shang, a legendary warrior and their village's savior. And so Sidhu takes the titular, self-discovering journey, along the way encountering into TV commercial model Sakhi (Padukone) and running afoul of gangster Hojo (Gordon Liu), the village's oppressor, and his vicious enforcer Meow Meow--who also happens to be the long-lost twin of Sakhi, Suzy (also played by Padukone). That latter point shows how the infusion of Hollywood cash admirably didn't dilute the Indian popular film conventions, which are in full force here: in addition to the common device of a dual role for one of the principals, the very broad comedy, and musical interludes, there is also the constant referencing of other Hindi films (including, of course, Advani's own _Kal_Ho_Naa_Ho_ and _Salaam-e-Ishq_(Love's_Sweet_Salute)_), and the more serious tonal shift at the intermission mark (which, unlike most Indian films, is not noted by an on-screen card). But even with top-tier talent attached--not only Advani, Kumar, and Padukone, but also Liu and veteran stunt coordinator Huen Chiu-Ku on the Chinese end--this melding of South Asia and East Asia should have a lot more personality than it does. Mainly at fault is Shridhar Raghavan's (who penned two more distinctive recent Hindi films, 2004's all-star police thriller _Khakee_, whose ensemble included Kumar; and the stylish 2005 con caper _Bluffmaster!_) screenplay, which is not only derivative but short on amusing gags; more disappointing, though, is that little compensation comes in other areas. There is really only one full-on production number, picturized to the title song, which is actually the lone memorable tune in a most uncharacteristically lackluster collection of songs from the composing triumvirate of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy; even so, with the film's run time uncomfortably stretched to over two and a half hours, it could have used more musical bits to keep the energy from flagging. Advani and the rest of the crew manage to stage a rally of sorts after the interval, when Sidhu finally starts his long-anticipated martial arts training under a disgraced, amnesiac master (Roger Yuan, handling the Hindi dialogue impressively well). Not only does the action pick up, with some decent set pieces staged by Huen, but the requisite sentimental turn works to the proven strengths of Advani, who made a name for himself on more earnestly emotional pieces; however strained it may be on script, Advani and the likable work of Kumar, Yuan, and Padukone lend a certain convincing humanity to what initially come off as two-dimensional cartoons, and on the whole the sillier and straight-faced elements blend to a smoother consistency. It's still not enough to rescue the film as a whole, as it just shows how the often-tedious and disappointing _Chandni_Chowk_to_China_ could have easily been streamlined into a tighter, less overblown, yet still classically diverse and filling masala feast with a fresh, mainstream-accessible kung fu hook. (c)2009 Michael Dequina Michael Dequina mrbrown@iname.com The Movie Report/Mr. Brown's Movie Site: www.themoviereport.com www.quickstopentertainment.com | www.cinemareview.com | www.aalbc.com www.johnsingletonfilms.com | on ICQ: #25289934 | on AOL/Y! IM: mrbrown23 From mleeper at optonline.net Fri Jan 23 12:58:37 2009 From: mleeper at optonline.net (Mark R. Leeper) Date: Fri Jan 23 12:58:38 2009 Subject: Review: Milk (2008) Message-ID: MILK (a film review by Mark R. Leeper) CAPSULE: Gus Van Sant directs a powerful docudrama of the life and times of Harvey Milk, from coming to San Francisco to being elected city supervisor to being murdered along with the mayor of San Francisco. The style is realistic and not overly polished. This is a highly affecting film, and Sean Penn gives the most moving performance of the year of a very ordinary man whom history moved to greatness. Rating: low +3 (-4 to +4) or 8/10 Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected to a major office in this country. At age forty he moved from New York City to the Castro section of San Francisco, lobbied for gay rights, and ran for public office. In fact, several times he ran for office eventually being elected City Supervisor. He had conflicts with a mentally unbalanced City Supervisor named Dan White. Eventually Dan White settled his multiple conflicts by bringing a gun to City Hall and murdering Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk. Gus Van Sant directs the story of Milk in a style is very much like documentary footage. Films like the current VALKYRIE and DEFIANCE use a more dramatic style. Van Sant does not understate his scenes but he does not overstate them either. One feels that this is an authentic view into these lives. The structure of the film is confused but not confusing. Mostly is seems to be Milk's reminiscences spoken into a tape recorder and dramatized in flashback. However, the narrative includes Milk's death. His reminiscences flash between his political and personal lives. His political life repeated pits him against self-righteous opponents who identify their will with that of God. Opponents include State Senator John Briggs (Denis O'Hare), Anita Bryant (played by herself in newsreel footage), and Dan White (Josh Brolin). Dustin Lance Black's script even does a reasonable job of representing Dan White's position and even some truth to his feelings of betrayal by Milk. This film even has some sympathy for its most negative character. On the other hand, Milk's personal life is more of a mess with multiple troubled relationships. Milk has a soft spot in his heart for the weak and the wounded. At times this brings him to the edge of scandal, but he seems to come out untarnished. I have never considered Sean Penn a particularly appealing actor. He can be powerful, but until MILK he never played a character I had much feeling for. His Harvey Milk is powerful but also vulnerable and funny. He can be a political wheeler-dealer, and he can sabotage himself for principle. Penn gives a letter-perfect performance of a complex figure. He pulled me into the character and made me feel for him. When he died at the end there was a feeling of loss. In one scene Milk is rushing around doing something political when he gets a phone call from a young gay man in Minnesota. Milk tries to brush him off. As soon as the young man mentions he is considering suicide Milk turns on a dime. Saving this man in trouble is his first priority and there is no second. Milk as Penn plays him is tremendously likable and sympathetic in ways that transcend his politics. This is charm I have never seen in Penn and this may well be the role Penn will be remembered for. There are several familiar faces peppered throughout including James Franco of the Spider-Man films and FLYBOYS showing a more vulnerable side. Victor Garber, who played the builder of Titanic in the film of the same name, exudes confidence as San Francisco mayor Moscone. The film's Dan White, Josh Brolin, brings some unexpected sympathy to his role. He may be familiar from MIMIC, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, and perhaps AMERICAN GANGSTER. MILK is a film about a man of courage and compassion. I rate MILK a low +3 on the -4 to +4 scale or 8/10. And it does not hurt a bit to have liberal use of Puccini's spectacular music from his opera Tosca. Film Credits: What others are saying: Mark R. Leeper mleeper@optonline.net Copyright 2009 Mark R. Leeper From steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com Fri Jan 23 12:59:39 2009 From: steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com (Steve Rhodes) Date: Fri Jan 23 12:59:40 2009 Subject: Misc: Best and Worst Films of 2008 Message-ID: THE BEST AND WORST FILMS OF 2008 Copyright 2009 Steve Rhodes This past year (2008) was a bifurcated one when it came to the best films of the year. While it was easy to find ten candidates for the best of the year list, one stood out so much that the others paled in comparison. I thought Wall-E wasn't only the best film of 2008. It was one of the best films ever made. The rest of the films (numbers 2-10) on my best of the year list were so close to being equal that I had trouble ordering them. I had no trouble in ordering my films in the worst of the year list. Although they were all stinkers, ranking them was no problem. If you want to read my reviews, you can find over 3,300 of them at my web site: InternetReviews.com. I also maintain an email distribution list to which I send out my new reviews. Drop me a line at Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com with the word "subscribe" in the subject line if you'd like to be added to the list. It's free. Steve Rhodes's List of the Best Films of 2008 1. WALL-E (G) [Big gap] 2. Frost/Nixon (R) 3. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (NR) 4. Vantage Point (PG-13) 5. Young at Heart (NR) 6. Revolutionary Road (R) 7. Flash of Genius (PG-13) 8. The Reader (R) 9. Changeling (R) 10. When Did You Last See Your Father? (PG-13) Steve Rhodes's List of the Worst Films of 2008 1. Disaster Movie (PG-13) 2. Speed Racer (PG) 3. Seven Pounds (PG-13) 4. Australia (PG-13) 5. 88 Minutes (R) 6. Wanted (R) 7. Street Kings (R) 8. Cloverfield (PG-13) 9. Jumper (PG-13) 10. What Happens in Vegas (PG-13) From steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com Fri Jan 23 13:01:29 2009 From: steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com (Steve Rhodes) Date: Fri Jan 23 13:01:31 2009 Subject: Misc: Most Over/Underrated Films of 2008 Message-ID: THE MOST OVER/UNDERRATED FILMS OF 2008 Copyright 2009 Steve Rhodes Continuing with the tradition that I started many years ago, I am sending out a list of what I consider to be the most overrated and underrated films of the year. A film in my overrated list doesn't mean necessarily that I disliked it but that I feel that it did not deserve the amount of praise that it got. On this year's list of overrated films, I liked over half of them, BUT I don't think the praised lavished on them was justified. Conversely, an underrated film is not necessarily one that I loved but one that I feel did not get the amount of praise that it deserved. If you want to read my reviews, you can find over 3,300 of them at my web site: InternetReviews.com. I also maintain an email distribution list to which I send out my new reviews. Drop me a line at Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com with the word "subscribe" in the subject line if you'd like to be added to the list. It's free. My list of 2008's most overrated films (beginning with the most overrated): 1. The Dark Knight (PG-13) 2. The Class (PG-13) 3. Quantum of Solace (PG-13) 4. Milk (R) 5. Slumdog Millionaire (PG-13) 6. The Visitor (PG-13) 7. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (PG-13) 8. The Counterfeiters (R) 9. The Band's Visit (PG-13) 10. Snow Angels (R) My list of 2008's most underrated films (beginning with the most underrated): 1. Vantage Point (PG-13) 2. Funny Games (R) 3. Changeling (R) 4. Flash of Genius (PG-13) 5. Married Life (PG-13) 6. I've Loved You So Long (PG-13) 7. Valkyrie (PG-13) 8. Get Smart (PG-13) 9. Traitor (PG-13) 10. Nothing Like the Holidays (PG-13) From homeryen88 at gmail.com Fri Jan 23 13:05:08 2009 From: homeryen88 at gmail.com (Homer Yen) Date: Fri Jan 23 13:05:10 2009 Subject: Review: Gran Torino (2009) Message-ID: <4a52a9000901160724n1c8dafefra103fc37131ef062@mail.gmail.com> "Gran Torino" - Go Ahead, It'll Make Your Day by Homer Yen (c) 2009 "Get off my lawn," says the gruff old-timer. I'm not sure if I would want Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) as my neighbor. And, as an Asian-American myself, he certainly wouldn't want me. When I think about the American of yesteryear, he is Walt. He worked in the auto industry until he retired. He smokes like a chimney. He fought for America, serving in Korea. He's proud to be an American. And he hates everyone who isn't. Racist? Sure. Bigot? Yup. Discriminatory? Without a doubt. But this is Clint Eastwood and despite the liberal amount of epithets that he tosses around, you have to respect his cuss-filled ways. Oh, and don't worry. He's an equal-opportunity offender. Walt is unabashedly direct, regardless of whether he's schooling a pretty white boy, Asian thugs, or even his priest. Part of the joy is just watching Eastwood sneering and posturing. He's a tough guy's tough guy. He's a durable icon, even to this day. And, I can only hope that I will have that kind of energy and determination when I'm 78. You know, you should just make time to go out and witness one of the last greats of his generation. Life for him has been filled with more things that he regrets rather than rejoices. He becomes even more dour when his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager named Thao, tries to steal his prized Gran Torino. His sneer is enough to send shivers up your spine. However, unexpectedly, Walt wants to try to reform him. This won't be easy. Thao is awkwardly shy around the girls. And a local gang, headed by his cousin, wants to recruit him. Thao doesn't really deserve Walt's time. Walt looks for ways to "man him up". There's a kind of sweet partnership that evolves from these two unlikely friends. But while this film serves up light comedy, it's also heavy on tension as Walt finds his situation increasingly complex as he teeters between his principles and his prejudice. "Gran Torino" is like a slingshot of foul-mouthed and macho bravado. Yet, it is also a light drama and oddly funny because, in a huge sense, Kowalski is a walking anachronism. The melting pot generation has arrived, and Walt, I think, never noticed and never wanted to notice. In manning up Thao, Walt grows a little bit too. My grade doesn't reach "A" territory only because the final act isn't what we expect or hope from Clint Eastwood. It ends sort of flatly, yet there seemed to be no other way to end this film. The film is respectable work if not completely riveting. However, "Gran Torino" is a reminder that, as Walt would put it, we all need to man up a bit. Grade: B+ S: 0 out of 3 L: 4 out of 3 V: 3 out of 3 From themoviereport at gmail.com Fri Jan 23 13:06:31 2009 From: themoviereport at gmail.com (Michael Dequina) Date: Fri Jan 23 13:06:33 2009 Subject: Review: Notorious (2009) Message-ID: <49706ff5.29578c0a.77c6.ffffdc85@mx.google.com> _Notorious_ (R) *** 1/2 (out of ****) If there's a genre especially notorious (pardon the pun) for too often coming off as glossy and artificial, it's ironically the authorized biography--and so perhaps the most striking quality of the estate-endorsed _Notorious_ is that director George Tillman Jr. and screenwriters Reggie Rock Bythewood and Cheo Hodari Coker allow their (in)famous subject, the slain rapper the Notorious B.I.G., to indeed live up to the moniker. That atypical degree of frank honesty, plus the electrifying efforts of a vibrant cast of acting discoveries, refreshes the standard music biopic tropes. And, indeed, this is a recognizable meteoric rise, devastating fall showbiz story, and as with many many others' that of the eventual Biggie Smalls begins humbly: as Christopher Wallace (Jamal Woolard), son of single mother Voletta Wallace (Angela Bassett, sparingly but effectively used), who earns his keep one of the few ways a teen growing up on the mean streets of Brooklyn can--as a drug dealer. The hustle ends up landing him behind bars, where his side hobby of writing rhymes becomes his passion and ultimate ticket to success, excess, and a place in hip-hop history--sadly further cemented when he was killed in a drive-by shooting as he was reaching the height of his fame in 1997. One of the inherent difficulties of any biopic is condensing entire lifetimes down to a couple of hours, but this limitation works in _Notorious_'s favor. Aided by the brisk rhythm of Dirk Westervelt's editing, not only does one truly feel the too much, too quickly whirlwind of Wallace's rise to stardom, it also places it in its proper perspective, for the meat of his story really did only take place over the course of a few years--which then reinforces and reminds that the principal players involved were all quite young when the literally life and death drama unfolded. That issue of youth is key to the angle taken by Tillman, Bythewood, and Coker, for in all of Wallace's actions, both positive and negative, there is the sense of someone who has yet to mature putting on various guises of adulthood. While the film does not use such an idea to excuse Wallace's more unsavory actions, all of his behavior--from the criminal activity and rather reckless womanizing to his hasty marriage to chanteuse Faith Evans (Antonique Smith) and all manner of shallow, fame-fed indulgences--are presented as examples of many of how the young Wallace asserts certain notions about his being a grown man. That's the core of _Notorious_: that relatable story behind the entertainment icon, not, say, the scandalous details of the media-fueled east coast vs. west coast hip-hop feud that ultimately led to his demise, which is fairly objectively handled here as being one of those signpost moments for Wallace as he works his way to figuring out what being a man truly entails. While certain details of Wallace's specific situation, such as that major portion of hip-hop history/legend, gives the story a certain larger than life quality, maintaining the story's human dimension is Woolard. _Notorious_ marks his acting debut, but he proves to be a natural, as he completely inhabits the character, from Biggie's famously smooth swagger to a deeper, almost boyish vulnerability that connects even when he is at his most self-serving. The other lesser known cast members in principal roles (Smith, adding layers to the somewhat underwritten part of Wallace's frequently wronged wife; Naturi Naughton, delivering a fierce breakout performance as a sexually and *emotionally* brazen Lil' Kim) so impressively disappear into the roles that it's almost disappointing when more recognizable actors such as Derek Luke and Anthony Mackie turn up as, respectively, Sean "Puffy" Combs and Tupac Shakur. This is no knock on their performances, as they do reliably offer solid support, but their own recognizability in such iconic roles momentarily breaks the air of authenticity created by the fresher faces surrounding them. (Actually, if there's a glaringly Hollywood-ized note in the film, it's the rather idealized vision of Combs, who, perhaps not surprisingly, has executive producer credit on the film.) But, as noted, it's only momentary, as _Notorious_ is not only an engaging take on the familar tale of someone of modest means realizing a great dream--if at an incredible cost--but an evocative recreation of a decade-past (!) time in music whose creative, cultural, and social influences continue to resonate in the landscape today. The film does work a bit hard by the end to play up the tale's inspirational qualities (best exemplified by its use of one of my chief cinematic pet peeves: closing on-screen text that goes beyond mere reportage of fact to make a labored statement), but it really did not have to, as the film's virtues and messages, much like man whose story it tells, speak plainly for themselves. (c)2009 Michael Dequina Michael Dequina mrbrown@iname.com The Movie Report/Mr. Brown's Movie Site: www.themoviereport.com www.quickstopentertainment.com | www.cinemareview.com | www.aalbc.com www.johnsingletonfilms.com | on ICQ: #25289934 | on AOL/Y! IM: mrbrown23 From steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com Fri Jan 23 13:07:14 2009 From: steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com (Steve Rhodes) Date: Fri Jan 23 13:07:16 2009 Subject: Review: Defiance (2009) Message-ID: DEFIANCE A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2009 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2 As well-intentioned and earnest as it is lifeless and plodding, DEFIANCE is based on a true story of bravery and valor. It's too bad that the movie never does the underlying story justice. With at least a half hour of cinematic fat, the movie only gets the cinematography right -- with its stirring and gorgeous images of a life in hiding in a frozen forest. The movie concerns a Jewish group of freedom fighters during World War II. 007's Daniel Craig plays Tuvia Bielski, an enigmatic man who becomes a legend. He and his brothers Zus (Liev Schreiber) and Asael (Jamie Bell) lead an increasingly large group of Jewish exiles who are fleeing imprisonment in the ghettos. When we first meet Tuvia, he is a man with one pistol and exactly four bullets. From there, with initially only revenge as a motive -- his parents were murdered -- he soon gathers his followers. Set in the Belarussian forest near Poland, the group tries their best to survive the harsh climate and the lack of adequate food supplies. Near starvation and under the constant threat of another attack by the Nazis, the group needs a strong leader. The taciturn Tuvia rules the camp with an iron glove and a penchant for enforced egalitarianism. New arrivals at the encampment in the woods are seen wanting to kiss Tuvia's hand, which only serves to irritate him. Much is made of the brotherly disagreements and rivalries, especially between Tuvia and Zus. Eventually Zus has enough of his brother's stern leadership, so Zus joins the nearby Russian Army, which is also hiding out nearby in the forest. Much to his chagrin, he finds that the Russians are quite anti-Semitic, albeit better than the Germans perhaps. When the Russians use the word "comrades," they take it as a given that Jews are at best second class comrades. Director Edward Zwick (BLOOD DIAMOND) treats his material so reverentially that it rarely comes alive. And, although it is based on a true story, it plays like a very Hollywoodized version of reality. The ending, for example, contains a very remarkable and rather unbelievable coincidence that completely changes the outcome of a key battle. The dialog ranges from the trite to the funny. "I send you for food and you bring back more mouths to feed," "Our revenge is to live," and "Every day of freedom is like an act of faith," Tuvia lectures. "You annoy me, therefore I exist," one guy says to the camp's self-described intellectual, whose sole accomplishment in life has been to publish pamphlets. Defiance is never a bad movie, but it's also rarely a compelling one. You'll leave the theater thinking about story itself, but the movie will be quickly forgotten. Defiance runs a long 2:17. It is rated R for "violence and language" and would be acceptable for teenagers. The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, January 16, 2009. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Cinemark theaters and the Camera Cinemas. Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com *********************************************************************** Want reviews of new films via Email? Just write Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com and put "subscribe" in the subject line. From homeryen88 at gmail.com Fri Jan 30 18:40:46 2009 From: homeryen88 at gmail.com (Homer Yen) Date: Fri Jan 30 18:40:49 2009 Subject: Review: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) Message-ID: <4a52a9000901282127l642299eci60f366e0c83ee768@mail.gmail.com> "Slumdog Millionaire" - An Enjoyment of Riches "Slumdog Millionaire" hits the ground running and even though most trailers show that the film revolves around the ubiquitous multiple-choice game show, it's certainly a whole lot more. The trailer is actually almost unfairly lighthearted and syrupy given how gripping the journey of two brothers (Jamal and Salim) from the slums of Mumbai is. It's 20% "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"; 30% "Oliver Twist"; and 50% "City of God". Through luck or destiny, Jamal eventually winds up on the popular game show, and having the game show as the backdrop is very smart. First, it is a point of reference that everyone can relate to. Even though this is a foreign film (half of it is in English and half of it is in Hindi with subtitles) virtually everyone has seen Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. As a side note, apparently India's version is much tougher to play as the host is somewhat sinister and a wrong question causes the contestant to lose everything (instead of falling to some pre-determined amount of walk-away money). Meanwhile, as the host asks Jamal each esoteric question, the film cuts away to his past, enlightening us on how Jamal came to know these answers. And it's not like Jamal spent his time getting good grades in school and hanging out at the library. The opening third of the film is heart-wrenching as we see both the elementary-school aged Jamal and Salim survive the squalid and brutal conditions of the slums. Thanks to some great cinematography and a pulsating soundtrack, the slums give you a sense of awe as much as it does a sense of revulsion. Indeed, Act I is the strongest. The film follows the journey of these two brothers. They escape/travel across India. They meet vicious gangs. The two are extremely enterprising as they slowly accumulate wealth. They advance in their affluence. Their adventures bring them close to death many times and Jamal is saved frequently by Salim. But Salim is simultaneously a guardian and antagonist, rueful and selfish. Most hurtful is Salim's betrayal against Latika, the girl that Jamal loves. The film loses its footing somewhat in Act II as the brother's differences force each to go in a different direction. It was much more kinetic when it was the two of them working together against the cruel world. However, the love story that emerges is bittersweet given the against-all-odds scenario. Act III brings it all together as the destinies of the Jamal, Salim, and Latika come to its conclusion. "Slumdog Millionaire" crackles with energy. It's a film that surprises us with its relentless tenacity while it inspires us with its story of dogged determination. Here's a show not to be missed. So, what makes "Slumdog Millionaire" one of year's best? a) It's a penetrating rags-to-riches story b) It's a compelling against-all-odds story c) It's an unlikely love story d) It's a wholly different movie experience Pick any of these choices as your final answer, and you you'd be right. Grade: A- S: 2 out of 3 L: 0 out of 3 V: 2 out of 3 From mleeper at optonline.net Fri Jan 30 18:43:08 2009 From: mleeper at optonline.net (Mark R. Leeper) Date: Fri Jan 30 18:43:10 2009 Subject: Review: Frost/Nixon (2009) Message-ID: FROST/NIXON (a film review by Mark R. Leeper) CAPSULE: Ron Howard tells the story of how a British comedian became the man who interviewed the resigned President Richard Nixon to get from him admissions that he never wanted to make in front of the country. While the main character is Michael Sheen's David Frost, Frank Langella is fascinating as the cold and withdrawn Richard Nixon. Rating: low +3 (-4 to +4) or 8/10 There is an old question of which would the best swordsman in France more fear to fight, the second best swordsman or the worst swordsman. The answer is that he would much more fear the latter since the worst swordsman would be unpredictable. Richard Nixon forgot that lesson if he ever knew it. Three years after he resigned the Presidency of the United States and was pardoned by succeeding President Gerald Ford the CBS television network wanted to interview him and would pay him $350,000 for the privilege. But faltering British comedian and talk show host David Frost offered more money for the interview permission. This offer was appealing for Nixon. Frost was, after all, just an amiable TV personality of apparently very ordinary intelligence well below Nixon's. Nixon's advisors told him that while CBS would throw him hardball questions, David Frost could throw him only "puffballs." Nixon decided to take the more profitable offer and went with interview by the boyish TV personality. Ron Howard's new film tells the story of how David Frost, not even an American, arranged to do the set of interviews. Frost and his staff hoped to make the interviews the trial that the American public had been denied when Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon. Nixon saw the interviews as a duel that would be fought with the unready Frost. The film is David Frost's story with Michael Sheen (who played Tony Blair in THE QUEEN) playing Frost. He has our attention whenever Frank Langella's Richard Nixon is off the screen. But when Frank Langella is on the screen one almost forgets to notice Sheen. Langella is hypnotic. Frost risks his entire career to arrange and commit to the production of the interview only to find that the major TV networks are not interested in buying the interview. Having an affable talk show host come in and interview Nixon seemed to negate much of the point of the enterprise. Frost's search for sponsorship turns to the likes of Weed-Whacker and Alpo dog food. Nobody has faith that this production will be any more than a rehash of Nixon's already familiar arguments. And Frost himself comes to realize that he has little new to bring to the questioning. FROST/NIXON is a study in contrasts between the two very different breeds of men. Frost is an extrovert, a man with outward polish, but even he himself cannot find a real person deep within the glossy shell. Nixon is a dark and lonely introvert. He is a man of great intellect, but he cannot connect with people. Even the people who work for Nixon, Jack Brennan (Kevin Bacon) and Swifty Lazar (Toby Jones with a bizarre accent), are just the same sort of dark, cold people. Frost is the kind of man who can pick up a woman on an airplane and have a fling though the weeks of the interview process. Nixon both disapproves of and envies Frost for this ability. One might fear that the script would not make clear how each is playing their side of the game. The film makes very clear how Nixon is playing with Frost and how Frost tries to catch him up. This is a game of Cat and Mouse with the mouse knowing that his whole career depends on him catching the cat. But the real performance is from Langella whose facial reactions when he listens are more riveting than the questions he is being asked. Peter Morgan who wrote THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND and THE QUEEN writes the screenplay based on his own produced Broadway play. For those who fear they may not remember the important historical details Morgan starts the film with a nice little recap of the Watergate controversy to remind the audience and bring them up to speed. I rate FROST/NIXON a low +3 on the -4 to +4 scale or 8/10. Film Credits: What others are saying: Mark R. Leeper mleeper@optonline.net Copyright 2009 Mark R. Leeper From steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com Fri Jan 30 18:49:05 2009 From: steve.rhodes at internetreviews.com (Steve Rhodes) Date: Fri Jan 30 18:49:08 2009 Subject: Review: Owl and the Sparrow (* 1/2) Message-ID: <_fqdnTUohNGuteTUnZ2dnUVZ_vWdnZ2d@earthlink.com> OWL AND THE SPARROW A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2009 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): * 1/2 Writer and director Stephane Gauger's OWL AND THE SPARROW (CU VA CHIM SE SE) is a slice of relatively uneventful life in Vietnam. The movie, which drops us into a story in progress, takes place over just a few days, but the movie's languid pacing makes it feel like weeks are transpiring. For the first half of the narrative, it's not clear what the modest story is all about. Eventually, it does become clear that the movie is about three people whose daily lives come together. Lan (Cat Ly) is a pretty airline stewardess who is having a long-term but relatively loveless affair with a married airline pilot with whom she works. Hai (Le The Lu) is an animal keeper at the zoo. He is concerned about the elephant he has been caring for, since it has been sold to another zoo. Thuy (Pham Thi Han), the plot's glue, is a ten-year-old girl who has been sleeping by the river. After escaping from her uncle's sweatshop, she has been reselling stuff on the street. After having little luck reselling postcards, she is currently peddling roses that she buys from other rose sellers. Of course, she meets both Lan and Hai and facilitates their getting together. I've seen this film twice now, and it doesn't get any more compelling in a second viewing. I never cared about any of the characters or about the predictable story. Shot shakycam style, in which even completely static shots look like the camera was mounted on a boat at sea, the movie is not very viewer-friendly. Only in giving a good sense of place with the hustle and bustle of a Vietnamese city is the movie ever successful. OWL AND THE SPARROW runs 1:37. The film is in Vietnamese with English subtitles. It is rated PG for "thematic elements and some smoking" and would be acceptable for kids around 9 and up. The film, which was the closing night film at San Jose's Cinequest Film Festival in 2007, opens in limited release in the United States on Friday, January 23, 2009. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas. The movie was shown recently at the Camera Cinema Club (http://www.cameracinemas.com) of Campbell and San Jose. Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com *********************************************************************** Want reviews of new films via Email? Just write Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com and put "subscribe" in the subject line. From wick at wikpik.com Fri Jan 30 18:52:13 2009 From: wick at wikpik.com (Wick) Date: Fri Jan 30 18:52:15 2009 Subject: Review: Doubt (2008) Message-ID: Great - 4 on a scale of 5 beams. Devilishly provocative, this Catholic school mystery exploits the profound doubts created by the scourge of priestly pedophilia. As much as anything, the movie plays as an elegy for what we've lost: the unquestioning trust in adults who are charged with mentoring children. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep perform at the peak of their powers, he as the good guy priest about whom doubts are sown, she as the hectoring nun who sees good in no one. His three sermons are riveting soliloquies; her wiggly cheekbones masterfully convey her frequent disapproval. Worthy dramatic rivals, each instills deep doubts in the mind of the viewer. Catholic school miscreant John Patrick Shanley ably converts his prize- winning play to the silver screen, proving that revenge is best served via the mass media. On the key question of whether to trust good Father Flynn, the Church's lame response to priestly pedophilia serves as diabolical ruse, forcing the viewer to make a gut decision of Guilty or Admirable. Can't be both. Me, I choose the latter. As for the choices made by the strong and wise mother of a terribly put-upon boy, her gut clearly steered her in the best direction possible given the harrowing circumstances of her son's life and the unhinged nature of the vague accusations she's asked to accept. No doubt. The movie's one undoubted truth is the invaluable role played in the lives of children by strong coaches, teachers and clergy. That bad apple priests damaged this for generations of children compounds the crimes they committed against their immediate charges. Source: http://www.wikpik.com/movie_reviews/1630-doubt From wick at wikpik.com Fri Jan 30 18:55:48 2009 From: wick at wikpik.com (Wick) Date: Fri Jan 30 18:55:51 2009 Subject: Review: Gran Torino Message-ID: <171db3bc-d5d6-4167-9da5-3eed4efa4028@r37g2000prr.googlegroups.com> Perfect - 5 on a scale of 5 beams Masterpiece. As terrific a Clint Eastwood movie as has ever been, Gran Torino delivers everything a perfect movie should: its funny as hell, deeply engaging, warmly affecting, sad yet uplifting. Movies come fancier, bigger, louder, pricier, and with higher reality factors, but they don't come any better than this. The movie wears its ambitions on its sleeve by naming Clint's character "Walt Kowalski," the last name shared with A Streetcar Named Desire's Stanley, legendarily personified by the young Marlon Brando. So here in Gran Torino we have a rookie screenwriter who names his own emotionally inchoate brute "Kowalski," then gets a Brando-sized legend to play the part. Ballsy, and it worked. Gran Torino does to modern revenge dramas what Unforgiven did to Westerns: use their hoary old conventions to subvert the genre. This movie speaks to changes in America (cities degrade, new immigrant groups struggle to establish themselves), changes in generations (an emotionally remote grandfather begets emotionally besotted offspring), and to the healing power of human connection. As with Unforgiven, Clint plays an aged warrior troubled by the killing he did as a young man. Here that setup leads him to make peace with his racial demons, his paternal demons, and his automotive obsession. Its a hat trick. Director Eastwood brilliantly juxtaposes two confession scenes late in the movie. In the first, we see Clint Kowalski through the confessional screen separating him from his priest, who soon realizes the confession is incomplete. Moments later, we see Kowalski through the screen door separating him from his teenage charge, to whom he delivers his most sacred confession. Wonderful film making, this. Source: http://www.wikpik.com/movie_reviews/1589-gran-torino