3 out of 5. THE LIMEY with Terence Stamp and Directed by Steven
Soderburgh rises to the occasion through the simplicity of plot and
style. It avoids the cliches of the genre and feels fresh and appealing
throughout. Stamp owns the picture and maybe that's why I gave it a 3
instead of a 4. It's not groundbreaking cinema but it's still cool,
stylish and worthy a watch. If you like your revenge quiet and
cool...this is the movie for you.
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4 out 5. The original SOLYARIS by the great Russian filmmaker Andrei
Tarkovsky is almost what you'd call a space race of a film. Even though
Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey eclipsed it by a few years it
should be just as recognized as a winning film. The creativity and
design of Solyaris is memorable if not familiar with the "high tech" of
the time, yet it also has a timeless quality. It's creepy and cool like
only the isolation of space can provide. If you like the recent indy
film MOON, you will really like this. Great score too, and that
ending...not much different than the weirdness of Kubrick...makes you
wonder.
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4 out of 5. Ben Affleck's GONE BABY GONE is another one of those films that sneaks
passed you and you wonder why you missed it. Casey Affleck is easily
likable in this role but it's the very real people they use for extras
that ground this film. It feels "salt of the earth" and when you're
talking about a girl's kidnapping you want to feel the grit in every
frame. There's a voracious energy that seers through this film as we get
closer to the answer. The power is in the performances and the
relationships and the direction doesn't get in the way one bit. Finally,
Ben can affect us in ways his acting sometimes falls short of. If you
liked Mystic River you'll surely enjoy this.
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4 out of 5. Andrew Niccol and his Production Designer for GATTACA get high praise for
capturing sci-fi using the strength of great architecture and simple
design. GATTACA is a great achievement on many levels especially the
power to evoke so much with so little without cheapening the moment.
All the elements of a good cinematic experience are present and before
you know it, it's over leaving you wanting more. Luckily this wasn't
burdened with "franchise" possibilities. It's rare these days and movies
as good as this are rarer still. If you like smartly done
sci-fi you'll dig this.
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3 out of 5. Mario Bava is known for horror but DANGER DIABOLIK is a
very cool flick. I don't know what to say, the color the production
design, the soundtrack (Ennio Morricone) is all super-spy and even
superhero. It's based on an Italian comic by two sisters. The lead,
John Phillip Law is a great match for Marisa Mell...beautiful people
doing extraordinary things. If you like James Bond and a little
Euro-camp to wash it down with you will dig this groovy spectacle.
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4 out of 5. Billy Wilder is one of the few directors whose work
always has strong characterization and fresh-sounding dialogue an ACE IN THE HOLE is no different. This is a
rare treat as Kirk Douglas eats up the scenery with his loud
and boisterous unlikeable charm. He plays a real man's man reporter who
has the world on a dangerous tether that's pulled tight to the point of
snapping. There's a great undercurrent of America's love of
sensationalism and his character serves it up with brace of hard liquor.
There were two very surprising moments. A real joy watch. If you liked
Sunset Boulevard I have no doubt you will enjoy this.
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3 out of 5. In MAN ON WIRE James Marsh delivers an exhilarating spectacle that holds your attention from the first frame. Despite it's simple subject matter and some re-staging
elements this was a really well-made documentary. It builds up the same
tension of a heist movie. With its colorful characters and ample
beautiful footage from the central character, Philippe Petit's youth it
builds to an amazing finish but not nearly as amazing as the journey
there. Some touching moments are offered by friends of Philippe. Great
pacing and very enjoyable.
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4 out of 5. Duncan Jones' deceptively simple MOON shows a real sincerity to filmmaking. Really smart well-done sci-fi flick. The story is rich and
the attention to details respects the audiences intelligence. Sam
Rockwell does a great job in this difficult role. With possible nods
to Tarkovsky's Solyaris and Syd Mead the production design was a real
treat. There was still something about it that held it back from being a
GREAT film. It might have been the lack of deep emotional ties to other
characters. For fans of movies like Sunshine and Solyaris you will
revel in the sights and sounds of this well-crafted film.
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5 out of 5. Juan José Campanella's Academy Award Winning THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES is a very smart and masterfully shot film. Again, actor Ricardo Darin, pulls you right into the story of an unsolved crime that he's started writing about. Like any good mystery the closer he gets to the truth, the more danger he puts himself in. The directing and cinematography is stunning and sharp. And the ending is deliciously satisfying while leaving a pit in the bottom of your stomach.
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5 out of 5. Harmony Korine broke cinema and put it back together in his own image with GUMMO. From its non-plot story to the fractured narrative as far
as I'm concerned this was the most entertaining and fascinating bit of
raw cinema. It's not shock or abstraction for abstractions sake.
Theirs and underlying weight of truthful and honest humanity that pulls
the viewer in to the lives of those living in a small post-tornado Ohio
town. It's daring the viewer to identify with the any one of it's
subjects and yet one is lucky they are far removed. What's beautiful is
that it doesn't feel forced and leans toward documentary every so often.
I'm not sure Harmony Korine has been this good since, though I did
enjoy Julian Donkey-boy for its deconstructionist footage and
assemblage. If you like your home-movies with the creepy feeling of
Deliverance, then you will enjoy this.
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4 out 5. Federico Fellini can be a frustrating
director at times. I just watched LA DOLCE VITA and by the end of it I
rather preferred 8 1/2. It's clear I cannot stand SATYRICON and that's
really the only thing that is clear to
me about Fellini. His movies tend to float through scenes and ideas with
the sharpest edge left for his characters who are clearly
defined...mostly. I'm often left to interpret their real motivations as
they all seem to move through a miasma of parties and debauchery that
never seem to have any real affect on the story direction. His skill
clearly lies in his directing and composition. The photography is
beautiful and his actors are chic and interesting to look at. Part of
you wants to inhabit that life and another is frustrated right along
with the characters. Whatever the case if you can relax and let good
cinema wash over you like an incoming tide you'll enjoy Fellini and be
left picking sand out of your shorts for days to come.
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4 out of 5. Patrice Leconte's RIDICULE takes
this period piece game of wit and words and turns it into something
quite intriguing. From the unforgettable opening shot to the satisfying
conclusion you will delight in the rise
of or poor French lord who rises to tear down the aristocrats. Might I
say too, the woman in the diving bell is a honey...ahem. Anyway, if you
like costume dramas and dig films like Amadeus you might like this.
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3 out of 5. Mario Bava is known for horror but
DANGER DIABOLIK is a very cool flick. I don't know what to say, the
color the production design, the soundtrack (Ennio Morricone) is all
super-spy and even superhero. It's based
on an Italian comic by two sisters. The lead, John Phillip Law is a
great match for Marisa Mell...beautiful people doing extraordinary
things. If you like James Bond and a little Euro-camp to wash it down
with you will dig this groovy spectacle.
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5 out of 5. BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN by Sergei
Eisenstein was incredibly ahead of its time. It has such a contemporary
feel to it I really thought it was filmed in the 40s, until I looked
again at the release date. The message
of course has its propaganda roots but the story is still universal.
Eisenstein on images and Shostakovich on music is as close as you can
get to a near perfect marriage...right up there with Hitchcock and
Hermann. The imagery and cutting is really unique and beautiful, even
reminiscent of Bergman at times in the languid interstitial shots that
submerge the scene in symbolism. Anyone who enjoys silent movies will be
blown away by this epic. Anyone who liked Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the
Terrible shouldn't miss this either. Even if you don't like silent
films...this will surprise you.
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4 out of 5. Pietro Germi's DIVORCE-ITALIAN STYLE
is a lot of fun! Marcello Mastroianni clearly enjoyed the role of the
Sicilian Baron smitten with his cousin but to get rid of his overly
loving wife made for an excellent
obstacle. You find yourself rooting for the rapscallion. Germi's Seduced
and Abandoned was a much harsher approach to comedy and I'm glad to see
this has the smoothness of a great tiramisu. If you like screwball
comedies played sincerely with real style and pouring over with Italian
flavor then you'll dig the hell outta this.
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4 out 5. Michael Hoffman's THE LAST STATION
overflows with excellent acting and a real solid story. It makes one
wonder how this slipped by so easily without much notice. Maybe the
subject of Tolstoy is over everyone's
heads and seems daunting. But truth be told it's about the beginning and
ending of love and relationships. I wouldn't call it a chick flick, but
the subject matter contrasts nicely between serious drama and some
rather amusing scenes. I'd call out Helen Mirren as having done an
exceptional job but really everyone played with the perfect pitch of
sincerity that I'd hate for her performance to shadow anyone else. If
you like well-photographed, well-acted films that look like
impressionist paintings at times, you should definitely check this one
out.
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4 out of 5. MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO is a very creative endeavor from Gus
Van Sant. From what I've read about the film I'm kind of glad the
investors made him pull back on the Shakespearean dialogue. It was
mildly effective in some ways but pulled
us away from the emotional state we experienced with the "real"
dialogue. High marks for the look and feel of this film though. It was
nearly perfect. You can see what a lot of people were talking about in
regards to River Phoenix. He embodies his character wholly and always
looks like he's having conversations in his head about his next move or
motivation. Great if not a safe way to deal with the subject matter. If
you liked the Basketball Diaries and Stanley Kubrick films...you'll
probably like this.
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4 out of 5. Marc Forster captured the ethereal
in his FINDING NEVERLAND. This is probably the closest thing to Johnny
Depp playing a fairly straight-forward character. Full of life and
whimsy, this piece captures the
imagination and pulls you in for a fun ride. I like how this really
didn't get a lot of play; a real sleeper hit if there ever was one. Kate
Winslet is particularly good as is always Julie Christie. If you want
good-hearted film then this might be for you.
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4 out of 5. In Robinson Devor's THE WOMAN CHASER, Patrick Warburton tears up the
screen in such an absurd role that you can't help but get sucked in. It
has a similar degradation of humanity that Gummo displayed yet it's
title character keeps it
tongue-in-cheek. Stylized directing and great script make this a joy
ride through a 50s era David Lynchian dark comedy. It's not your
mainstream kind of comedy...it's actually funny, sincere and clever
without grabbing for the jokes or insulting your intelligence.
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3 out of 5. Michelangelo Antonioni's first
color feature, RED DESERT is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Often it reminded
me of HERO in terms of shot choices and cinematography. It even felt a
bit sci-fi like the ANDROMEDA STRAIN at
times. A woman who suffers from PTSD is suppressed by an industrial
environment that is a metaphor for her suffering. The sound design is
intrinsic in this piece as well. Not for casual viewers as the
abstraction of storyline does not feed the soul. It's an excellent study
for those who love film, unbelievable color usage, and composition.
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