07-07-31 Charlotte's Web

Seen: July21st, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 8

I have a personal affinity for spiders. I'm not sure why, but they fascinate me and I find it impossible to kill one and spend more time watching them than clearing their webs or sweeping them away. You might think, based on that, that I'd be a sucker for a kids' film with a spider as the wise protagonist.

You'd be right.

I enjoyed this film start to finish. The story is a classic, and this outing an honest and true rendition of it.

The only quibble I have with this film is the CGI work. I'll admit that it was much less intrusive than I thought it would be. It's prominence actually faded a bit as I became immersed in the story. But it never really went away. The anthropomorphization of the characters, particularly Templeton, was a bit much at times, sometimes to the point of distraction.

The voice acting is of very high caliber here. The cast is one that many director would simply fall over themselves to work with, much less put into supporting roles. Roberts is spot on as Charlotte, I can't imagine a better rendering. Buscemi's Templeton is over-the-top, sometimes gratingly so, but I attribute this to writing and direction. The live action actors are excellent as well. There was a lot of potential here to overdo, and I'm surprised as how well the restraint shown by the entire cast. Fanning, in particular, avoided the temptation to overplay Fern's emotional attachment to Wilbur.

Danny Elfman continues to show why he's one of the best in the business. His score is simply fantastic.

This film took me back to my childhood, which is a good thing. See this film with some kids, your own if you have them. Read the book with them first if possible, so you can get a head start on turning them into little film critics.

The Good: Material and voice acting

The Bad: A bit too cute at times

The Ugly: The Smokehouse

07-07-30 You Kill Me (2007)

Seen: July 20th, 2007
Format: Theater
Rating: 4

I caught this on opening day, early in the morning. Ben Kingsley and Téa Leoni in the leads, Bill Pullman, Philip Baker Hall, Dennis Farina and Luke Wilson in support. An alchoholic hitman in recovery. Highjinks abound. How can it miss?

Low and outside, evidently.

There's nothing bad about this film, but the problem is that there's no much good about it either. Kingsley is solid and imbues Frank with a sense of solidity. He's multi-dimensional, but still rather defined by his career and his addiction. This is mostly Kingsley's work, however. From a writing perspective I didn't find Frank that compelling.

Leoni's Laurel is a similar story. While her opening moments are strong, we sure don't know much about this woman other that she's in sales and can't understand "no". This is a pretty tenuous definition to hang a full fledged character on. Leoni tries gamely, but isn't as successful as Kingsley.

The supporting roles are OK. Some have a bit more depth than we'd expect. Pullman and Wilson do admirable jobs. While their characters aren't very pivotal, they are involved, and they contribute nicely and help the plot along. The rest are good, but generally cliche.

The premise itself is decent, but the plot comes off as heavy. This feels like a film made by someone in recovery. At its heart, it's very serious, very heavy, almost maudlin at times. There's an underlying sense of dispair and the potential for more dispair, even when times are supposedly good.

What happens here is far from fresh. The plot is a staple in gangland films. There's nothing really new or interesting here from that perspective. I'm assuming the filmmakers thought was that the Frank and his situation would extend this fundamental framework and bring a new flavor and relevence to it. Not quite.

What comic relief there is is generally dark. There's a lot of morgue humor. There's a lot of self deprecating humor. While some of this tries to pass itself off as humorous self realization, it really doesn't wash. This film is a downer. It sometimes tries to feel good about itself, but reins itself in before we can actually become optimistic.

I had high hopes for this. There are some genuinely funn moments, and Frank isn't a complete wastr as a character, but overall this is maudlin and flat. Its a shame it couldn't let it self succeed a little.

The Good: Interesting premise, decent acting

The Bad: Weak and tired story

The Ugly: What does "Anonymous" mean, actually?

07-07-29 Cashback (2006)

Seen: July 20th, 2007
Format: Broadcast (HDNMV - HDNet Movies)
Rating: 7

I caught an ad for this and was intrigued. So I set the DVR and let it work it's magic. I didn't know quite what to expect, and I got it.

As far as I can tell, this film was originally a short that was expanded to feature length. It has an exceptionally unique premise, which is a rare and valuable thing in film today. Things happen here that are unexpected. In my opinion, surrealism is about challenging the mind to think about things that it "understands" in new ways. When these preconceptions are shattered, we look at things in a new and different light.

The breaking of preconceptions, the actual realization of the premise is where the real challenge in this film lies. In generally, it does so very well.

The surreal nature of the story is well reflected in the style of the film. The use of surreal transitions between scenes and during them to indicate disconnection is very powerful. Visually the film is appealing. While there are some tricks and stunts, there's also very sound fundamental work here as well. Many of the better scenes are just straight shots. One of my favorites is just Ben staring at some peas.

The theme underlying the film, what it's really built on, is just that beauty is all around us, waiting to be seen and truly appreciated. To many, this film may seem exploitative and even voyeuristic. There is a thin line to tread here. When does staring become ogling, as opposed to simple rapture. I thing Cashback does an admirable job exploring that line. It recognizes it and places characters rather firmly on either side of it. Where they land is telling.

This isn't a simple story. There's complex ideas at work, all wrapped up in a fairly esoteric setting. It's heady stuff. In order to break up that tone, to provide some relief, there's quite a bit of quasi-comic relief here. I actually think that's a shame. While it does break things up and keep the film "moving along", much of it really doesn't fit.

I wish that the filmmaker had trusted his material more. It's easily strong enough to carry the film. Taking things a little slower, drawing them out, not to explain, but to revel a bit in the moods and textures that are displayed would have been a braver choice. My assumption is that much of this material was added to extend to short to feature length.

My only other quibble with Cashback is the ending. While very fitting and I have no problem with it's nature, it was a little too clearly telegraphed. Again, this may have been a "mass-market" decision. The predictability takes away from the impact of those final scenes, which so graphically illustrate the main point of the film.

I really enjoyed this film. If you like unusual or art films, you may appreciate this one. I'm looking forward to Sean Ellis' next outing.

The Good: Striking out in a new direction

The Bad: Not trusting the material

The Ugly: The thin line between appreciation and exploitation

07-07-28 Nightwatch (Nochnoy dozor) (2004)

Seen: July 18th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 7

I've go a soft spot for fantasy and science fiction films. I read a ton of the genre when I was a kid, and always hoped the films could stand up to the books. As an adult, it's interesting to see the takes on these genres from other cultures. I read Stanislaw Lem in translation in college, which was fascinating and it's always interesting to see how the French take things to the extreme.

This time it's the Russians.

The cool thing about this film is it's tone. It's very matter of fact. There's little discussion or debate. There's little pleading or cajoling. Sometimes someone needs the rules explained, and sometimes someone rails against them. But in the end, the rules are the rules, the lines are clearly drawn and everyone operates within them.

This doesn't mean that things are predictable or boring. Sure, you can see a few things coming, but even then, you wonder exactly how and why they'll happen.

The mythos created here is not unique at it's core. It's a fairly fundamental theme we've seen many times in the genre. The thing that sets it apart is how close everyone lives to the line. These enemies don't hide from each other, they're neighbors. The good guys do some questionable things. The bad guys show occassional compassion and kindness. The line is thin, and clearly drawn, but who resides where is sometimes a bit of a mystery.

The film is shot to match it's attitude. There's orginality and beuaty here, but it's all very much in service of the story. The film has a very gritty feel, from the locations to the characters to the shot selection, there's something concrete about the whole rendition. Solid and unwavering; like the rules.

I likes this. Probably more so for it's subject matter and because of it's foreign perspective. It may not be original in many ways, but it's certainly unique.

The Good: Science Fantasy with a Russian flavor

The Bad: A bit trite at the core

The Ugly: The Gloom

07-07-27 The Legend of 1900 (La Leggenda del Pianista Sull'oceano) (1998)

Seen: July 19th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 9

This is a fantastic film. And by that I mean that it is fantastical, that it resembles, but isn't a part of, reality. It's not quite of this world. Not that there's witches or dragons.

But there is magic.

If you can't suspend your disbelief, if you want films to be"real", to reflect reality, then this isn't for you. But if you can the rewards are great.

Basically, it's a simply wonderful story, which has been very meticulously and lovingly rendered. There's almost nothing that I can fault with in this film. Everything that happens does so to honor and support the underlying story.

The first thing to be mentioned is the music, which is simply stunning. Morricone is known more for his iconic western themes, but this is a brilliant melange of styles and attitudes. The piano work is amazing, I'm ashamed to say I don't remember, and can't find his name. The music serves here to bind the entire film together. At it's heart, this film is about music as metaphor for life. It both stands out on it's own, as well as serves the story.

Characterization is excellent. While the characters may seem a bit broad, this stems from the genre of the novel. The characters are intentionally larger than life. They tend to be very defined by their roles, and don't stray from them, but within that realm, they are magnificent.

Tim Roth and Pruitt Taylor Vince are both exceptional here. I recognized Vince's by his voice-over before his reveal, which surprised me a bit. He far exceeded my expectations here. Roth is consummate in all aspects. His depth and nuance is amazing. Bill Nunn is a welcome sight, and though his part fairly minor, a great asset.

Visually, the film is feast. The use of lighting is stunning. Some of the darkest scenes are the most effective in the film. Dark represents many things here, all of them important. Watch for the camera moves. There's some very original ones, and they convey and focus the action in very unique ways. The period costuming and sets are marvelous as well.

I love this film because it's fantastic. It's beautiful without being sentimental. It's tragic without being sad. It's a grand metaphor for life, riding on a quirky premise which smirks at us from the very beginning. It's a work of love and passion that can't be denied.

Note: The version I watched is ~120 minutes. The original Italian version is closer to 160. If anyone know how I can get hold of the longer version, please let me know!

The Good: Beautifully rendered, start to finish

The Bad: Occasionally choppy in the editing

The Ugly:Limiting yourself

Alphabetic List of Reviews

# A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S T U V W Z

#
4: The Rise of the Silver Surfer
10 Items or Less
12 and Holding
28 Weeks Later
300
1408

A
A Good Year
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
An American Haunting
Apocalypto
Army of Darkness

B
Babel
Battle Royale (Batoru wowairau)
Birth
Breach
Bridge to Terabithia

C
Catch and Release
Citizen X
Cobb
Curse of the Golden Flower (Man cheng jin dai huang jin jia)

D
D.E.B.S.
Déjà Vu
Deliverance
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry
Disturbia
Don't Tell (La Bestia nel cuore)

E
El Dorado
Everyone's Hero

F
Fantastic Voyage
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Five Easy Pieces
Flyboys
Flying Leathernecks
From Here to Eternity
Fur: An Imaginary Portrait Of Diane Arbus

G
Game 6
Ghost Rider
Grindhouse

H
Happily N'Ever After
Happy Feet
Harakiri (Seppuku)
Haven
Heartbreak Ridge
Heaven's Prisoners
Holiday
Hollywoodland
Hot Fuzz

I
Idiocracy
Incubus
Infamous
Infernal Affairs
Invincible

K
Keeping Mum
Knocked Up

L
Lemming
Letters from Iwo Jima
Live Free or Die Hard
Look Both Ways

M
Marie Antoinette
Men at Work
Miami Vice
Millions
Mr. Brooks
Music and Lyrics

N
Nanny McPhee
Next
Night at the Museum
Nine Lives

O
Ocean's Thirteen
One Night with the King
Once
Osama
Out of the Past

P
Paper Moon
Poseidon

R
Ratatouille
Reign of fire
Reign Over Me
Ride the High Country
Rififi (Du rififi chez les hommes)
Rio Bravo
Running With Scissors

S
Saving Face
Saw III
School for Scoundrels
Sherrybaby
Shooter
Sleeping Dogs Lie
Slither
Smokin' Aces
Stranger Than Fiction
Stray Dog (Nora inu)
Stuey

T
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
The Aura (El Aura)
The Battle of the Bulge
The Covenant
The Dead Girl
The Departed
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
The Driver
The Good Shepherd
The Ground Truth
The Hole
The Holiday
The Italian (Italianetz)
The Last King of Scotland
The Last Kiss
The Last Mimzy
The Last of the Mohicans (1920)
The Legend of 1900 (La Leggenda del Pianista Sull'oceano)
The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen)
The Lookout
The Meaning of Life
The Messengers
The Prestige
The Public Enemy
The Pursuit of Happyness
The Queen
The Remains of the Day
The Roaring Twenties
The Science of Sleep (La Science des rêves)
The Thin Blue Line
The Wild Bunch
The Yards
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Thunder Road
Tideland
Transamerica
Transformers
Tristan and Isolde

U
Ultimate Avengers
Ultimate Avengers 2
United 93

V
Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj
Vanishing Point
Volver

W
Waitress
White Lightning
Wild Hogs
Wordplay
World Trade Center

Z
Zodiac

07-07-26 Flying Leathernecks (1951)

Seen: July 18th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 5

The Duke's war films are almost as good as his westerns. I remember seeing The Green Berets as a kid and being moved to tears. His swaggering persona and good humor worked well whether he was leading a posse or a squad of infantryman.
It's a shame that it didn't work here.
This film was made only six years after the war. I have to imagine that it was still very fresh in the psyche of America. It was fertile ground for this type of film, especially since the cold war was coming up to full steam. American pride and solidarity was cresting, and a film where our boys put themselves on the line for their country was probably received fairly well.
The problem here is that this film is really about the sacrifices that leaders must learn to make if they're going to be effective leaders. It's a bit of a risk, really.
Movie leaders are the ones their ranks all gush over. They're strong and lead by example. They're compassionate and understanding. They put their lives on the line for their men and make sacrifices for their outfit.
The reality of the situation is a bit different. Flying Leathernecks attempts to illustrate that great leaders are actually the ones who routinely send their men into dire situations. That they can't afford to coddle and aren't nearly as interested in being popular as they are about the cohesiveness of their unit. They realize that men, including themselves, are valuable, but expendable.
Unfortunately, this doesn't make for very good cinema. The message is there, and it's clear, but it's not very well or artfully expressed. The film is much more concerned about the glories of war.
There is a huge volume of wartime footage in this film, gun camera film in particular. This lends an authentic feel to it, but tends to become the focus, continually dragging us away from the central theme of the film. In some ways, it seems the film was actually constructed around this footage. It's hardly seamless and the transitions are jarring.
Outside of plot, the rest isn't particularly wonderful either. While Kirby is pretty well developed, the rest of the characters are cliches and generally pretty thin. Even Griff isn't as rounded as he needs to be, given his role in the film.
In short, this is an action film from the early 50s. It attempts to do something deeper, but in the end, is mostly about about marine aviators taking it to the Japanese.
The Good: The Duke
The Bad: Where's the plot?
The Ugly: Being a leader

07-07-25 The Meaning of Life (1983)

Seen: July 16th, 2007
Format: HD-DVD
Rating: 6

I remember my father and mother going to see this film in the theater. I was interested in what Dad thought, as I was pretty excited to see it myself. Dad's a Catholic, was deeply offended, and they left early. Needless to say, he didn't recommend it. I respect my Dad a lot and felt bad for him, so I didn't go to see it.

Of course, I saw bits of it over the years, and other bits, like most of Python's work, entered the collective consciousness and were quoted to me ad infinitum over the years. I felt like I had seen it, even though I hadn't.

It's about time I made the effort.

I wasn't particularly impressed. Don't get me wrong, there are some great bits here. There are some that are pretty crappy too. But the whole thing really doesn't work as a film.

John Cleese has said that sketch comedy is great, but really doesn't work past 40 to 50 minutes in length, and can't really be the basic for a film. It's pretty evident here. The film was rushed into production on the heels of The Life of Brianin order to capitalize on the success of that film and the Pythons' popularity; and it shows. The meaning of Life is a hodge-podge of sketches very loosely organized under the theme espoused by the title.

Some of these sketches advance this theme, but most really don't. They may be connected to the previous and subsequent sketches, but this doesn't really make the film a whole.

That said, there are some great moments in this film. There is some great writing, satire, music and generally silliness, as one would expect from the Pythons. By far my favorite bit is The Crimson Permanent Assurance, which only validates my proclivity for Terry Gilliam's work. This mini-film has elements of Time Bandits and Brazil, which is a good thing in my opinion.

This review isn't going to change your mind about this film. It's ingrained in film and popular culture and won't be leaving any time soon. But I really didn't find it revolutionary. Sure it had moments, but there was a lot to wade through to get to them.

The Good: It's Python

The Bad: High expectations

The Ugly: A wafer-thin mint

07-07-24 The Wedding Date (2005)

Seen: July 16th, 2007
Format: HD-DVD
Rating: 5

This is another of those films that I have no idea why I watched it. I'm OK with Romantic comedies, but I'm not sure why this one stood out. Not that I regretted it, but I'm just not sure why I picked it in the first place.

Maybe I'm just getting old.

This is basically a variation on Pretty Woman, with the male and female roles reversed. This is an interesting spin, and has great potential. Unfortunately the film never lives up to the premise.

The good and bad news is that there's other fairly interesting stuff going on here. The characters are vary widely and are generally very interesting. Nick is used largely as foil here. His interactions are generally designed to reveal and elaborate on the individual characters. This is an interesting device, given Nick's nature and role in the film.

The interesting stuff is the "underlying mystery of what happened". Nick's interaction with the characters serves is detective-like. As each interactions deepens, more of "the thing that happened" gets revealed. The Romantic Comedy we signed up for becomes more of a Romantic Mystery. This is OK, because this mystery gives us some interesting family and personal dynamics and creates some pretty high drama. It moves along nicely and has several great moments.

The problem with all this is the film that we actually came to see is put on the back burner. It progresses pretty much as we'd expect, but since it's overshadowed by all the other drama, it gets short-changed in it's development.

The "background" story does have a great deal to do with Kat's character and her eventual resolution, but it really doesn't play as heavily into her romance as the film makers would like us to believe.

The "frontground" story has another hole in the character of Nick. I had a hard time with this characterization. Nothing against Mulroney, but Nick comes off as stoic, judgemental and reserved. This feels in un-genuine to me, given Nick's profession and reputation. He doesn't come off as conceited, which is a benefit, but neither does seem experienced and professional. I kept trying to compare him to Jagger's Luther from The Man from Elysian Fields, and failing.

Nick's demeanor also undermines his relationship with Kat. Combined with his attitude and experience, I can't seem to reconcile the way his affection for Kat develops. I just can't buy their transformation given their natures and interactions in the film.

On the acting front, Amy Adams gives another great supporting role. I hated her character here as much as I loved her character from Junebug. Messing is good. She plays Kat's with tenderness and humor, but the range of the character doesn't seem that great. Mulroney's performance gives me problems. I don't buy Nick as a character, but think that's writing and directing issues as opposed to an acting issues. The rest of the cast does a good job, with Sarah Parish turning in a particularly amusing role.

All in all, a decent film with a few problems and a few great moments.

The Good: Interesting characters and scenario

The Bad: Not the film your looking for

The Ugly: Narcissism

07-07-23 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Seen: July 15th, 2007
Format: Theater
Rating: 5

By now you know that I like comics and, in general, the films spawned from them. While I tend to give comic films a little leeway, they have to be pretty awesome to get full marks.

This one doesn't quite make it.

There's nothing wrong with this film. It's fine.

It does a good job of telling a fairly complex story. The story, action and dialogue are all well done. The acting is decent, hardly outstanding, though that's not a real requirement in this genre.

The effects actually serve the story exceptionally well. While they're exaggerated for effect or humor on a few occasions, they still fit well enough within the Fantastic Four flaovor that we can give them a pass.

The only things I can really complain about are the blatant product placements, expecially the one for Dodge. I saw it right away and cringed while antidipating the clever banter. Ugh.

And McMahon overplays Doom a bit for my taste. I always considered him more rational than he's played here. Evil, sure, but not manical.

And that's pretty much it. In short, a summer popcorn flick for kids of all ages. You'll have a decent time. Escape the heat, have a few laughs along with a few oooohhs and aaahhhs. Your ability to remember what happened a few days or weeks later will be inversely proportionaly to your age.

And that's OK too.

The Good: Takes on a difficult chapter of the FF saga

The Bad: Product placement

The Ugly: Sucking the soul out of your planet

07-07-22 Clean (20004)

Seen: July 14th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 5

I've become a bit more stringent in my rating as of late. I've been rating too many films in 6/7/8 range without a whole lot of distinction between them. I've decided to be a little more ruthless with films on the low end of these scales.

Clean is one of my first victims.

Basically, this is a "Junkie has a revelation and turns her life around" movie. I lump it in with films like Down to the Bone and Sherrybaby. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be a hard sell for me. I tend to be big on being responsible for your actions, so folks who've got themselves wrapped around the axle through their own irresponsibility don't tend to evoke sympathy. But I'm also a fan of inner strength, and that's where these characters can really shine.

The story here follows form to a large degree. There's nothing too surprising here, but films of this type are much more about the characters and their journey than what happens around them. We learn more by their reactions to the situations, than from the situations themselves.

One way that this film does differ is that it doesn't focus too much on drugs themselves. While it acknowledges the issue, it neither condemns nor glamorizes them. The film is about a woman trying to straighten her life out, not about how she got bent in the first place.

Maggie Cheung's been de-glamorized for this picture. Where should could have been portrayed as some fallen model, her look here forces us to take go beyond her facade and try to understand who the character is. This is an excellent choice by the director and Cheung pulls it off.

The look of the film is a bit gritty. There's little polish in this world, and even that seems to have a hint of chaos around it. This fits the characters and their lives well.

I couldn't get a feel for Lee at all in the film. Unfortunately, he doesn't get a lot of screen time, even though he's central to the story. We're left to infer his character largely through the commentary and actions of others. I'd have preferred to see a bit more of him to solidify his relationships before he exits.

Nolte does a surprisingly good job here. While he's very understated and even a bit stoic, he brings a quiet nobility to Albrecht that's really required to make the last act of the film work. He establishes it early and carries it through well.

What more to say? The film is good. Emily's journey is interesting enough to keep me interested, but not really enough for me to become engaged or invested. The acting is generally good. The film ended appropriately, not pessimistic, but without a happily ever after, which never fits films of this type.

The Good: Acting

The Bad: Meandering

The Ugly: Growing up

07-07-21 Mad Hot Ballroom (2005)

Seen: July 14, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 5

I have a problem with this film. I'm very fond of the underlying story. I reacted strongly to these kids during their journey. I like a lot of them, and generally respect the rest. I really rooted for them throughout the film, and their triumphs elated me.

But as a documentary, this film is a mess.

There's simply too much different going on here, and the films seems unfocused at times.

The fundamental idea is to follow these kids from three schools as they learn how to dance, and then on through a citywide competition. This does happen. But it doesn't seem to happen in equal measure. The screen time seems very heavily skewed to on particular school. As the film progresses, one school is eliminated from the competition and their story resolves reasonably well. Another seems to just disappear. A fourth school is followed briefly, but the coverage is spotty.

It seem as if the film makers covered their bases by following multiple schools until after the competition was over. Then they edited the film to focus on the school that had done the best in the competition. The school which was eliminated fairly early was given significant screen time as well, to juxtapose the more successful school.

All this seems a bit contrived to me. While a documentary should have a focus and theme, and rarely is truly objective, this feels highly subjective and a bit like cheating to me. It's almost as if the filmmakers had the actual film prematurely plotted in their head, and then chose the moments of reality to realize that plot.

One of the beauties of the documentary film form is it's unpredictability and how the film makers deal with unexpected change. American Movie is a great example of a documentary having to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. Mad Hot Ballroom seems contrived in comparison.

There are also several scenes which don't seem to fit the picture well. A brief scene of the competition organizers in a meeting seems superfluous. We don't care about them, we care about how he children will perform.

There are numerous scenes of the children discussing their views on life, love and their futures. While this is interesting, most of it has little to do with the focus of the film, dancing. This seems to be an attempt to inject a moral imperative into the film; that learning to dance will improve them in several ways and ultimately make them more successful. While I won't debate that this may be true, the majority of the scenes, while entertaining, are superfluous and fail to communicate this. Simple interview voice-overs from a teacher are used as well, and are simpler and much more effective.

Another disturbing facet of the film is the competitive nature of the adults in this film. Some are almost frightening in their zeal. It seems that there is significant though very localized cachet associated with doing well in this competition, and this brings out an ugly side to some of the adults. It's interesting to juxtapose the teacher of the most successful school to the one from the school which is eliminated early. Their attitudes are very different.

After all that criticism, I have to tell you that there are magical moments in this film. The ability of some of theses kids is great. There is a priceless moment where a judge reacts to one of the dancers. The kids are generally nice and dedicated to what they're doing. Despite the contrived nature of the film, there is a truly great story here.

My rating is purely based on what I consider to be the poor documentary nature of the film; I'm a bit stringent in that regard. Don't let it stop from enjoying these kids' journey.

The Good: The kids and their story

The Bad: Lack of direction

The Ugly: Competitive teachers

07-07-20 The Good German (2006)

Seen: July 13th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 7

I like Soderbergh's films. He's got a pretty huge range and a fundamental understanding of film from all aspects. Here he recreates the 40s style by telling a story that is rife with intrigue and deception. I think it works.

Others disagree.

There are some, and not a small some, who believe that in trying to stay true to a style that has long since passed on, Soderbergh is doing the film itself a disservice. They hold that by constraining the film in so many ways that the story and even the film itself suffers horribly. I say "Get over it".

Rendering the film in this fashion was a conscious and artistic decision made by the director. Soderbergh has made many experimental films, Schizopolis and Bubble leap immediately to mind. While he also makes mainstream films, to expect every film he makes that happens to feature a well known and accomplished cast to be one is narrow and selfish.

Obviously the actors involved in this picture took it seriously. Their performances are so far from the current norm that they had to act in a different way to accomplish them. Actors generally like to act. More so, they like to act in ways that challenge their abilities and widen there experience. This film does both.

The performances are excellent. I was surprised by McGuire's character. I've never seen him play someone this duplicitous before. Robin Weigert was another pleasant surprise. I almost didn't recognize her.

The story is mostly a backdrop here. It's a decently convoluted mystery, set in the backdrop of immediate post-war Berlin. While the period lends a bit to story, there's little here that couldn't have been transplanted to another time and locale. It moves at a decent clip, continually throwing us surprises and deepening the mystery.

The real star here though, is the photography. The film is in black and white and takes full advantage of the medium. The use of dark, light and contrast is simply great. The film is simply luminous at times. Soderbergh has put a great effort into making this film look right as well as fell right, and it shows. The closing shot is positively iconic.

Make no mistake, this is an art film, and an experimental one at that. If you're expecting Hollywood fodder in the vein of Ocean's 13 this isn't a film for you. But if you can look past the stars and the stock story, there's an homage to 40s cinema that sparkles.

The Good: Stylistically brilliant

The Bad: Stylistically fettered

The Ugly: Trading justice for power

07-07-19 Because I Said So (2007)

Seen: July 13th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 2

Look, I get chick flicks. I understand women well enough to realize that, in general, emotional issues are important to them. When family dynamics get involved things become even more dramatic and this creates fertile ground for film.

So who salted the earth?

There's nothing fundamentally wrong with this film. Taken as a pitch, the story is OK, not great, but not terrible. The cast is good. I like them. In wish some of them had more screen time.

The problem here is the story. It's cliche ridden and not nearly as clever as it tried to be. The whole thing from start to finish is strident and overblown. Not one thing surprised me about this film. It was trite and predictable.

I'm not fan of Diane Keaton, but don't hate her either. But here, I found myself actually hating her character. This isn't a woman with a few endearing faults that will learn a valuable lesson by the end of the film, this is a woman I want to push in front of a bus. This can't be all Keaton's fault, because she didn't write the script, but somehow she manages to endow this character with not one shred of humanity. When she cries, I fell manipulated and that's she's manipulating everyone else in the scene.

Other characters fare better. The sisters, played by Graham and Perabo are good. They're actually the best part of the the picture. While not very developed, they have interesting idiosyncrasies and play the family dynamic well. These are the few moments of comedic relief that actually function.

The male leads are thin on character as well. Jason is so painfully thin, self-absorbed and pedantic that I can't tell whether he is brilliantly or terribly characterized. Macht does a decent job, given what he's give to work with.

Poor Mandy Moore. She does OK here, but again the character isn't the best. While Milly is the best developed of the characters, she's certainly not very interesting. The emotional beating she continually takes from her mother makes her almost as appalling.

I could go on, but it's really not worth the effort. Avoid this film like the plague.

The Good: Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo

The Bad: Melodramatic predictability

The Ugly: Can't be any more cliche ridden

07-07-18 Curse of the Golden Flower (Man cheng jin dai huang jin jia) (2006)

Seen: July 12th, 2007
Format: Blu-Ray
Rating: 9
Zhang Yimou makes big films. Whether they are big in size, big in concept, big in georgraphy, he doesn't seem to do anything small. This one is no exception.
I'm a fan of Zhang Yimou's films. They, like many films from this region, tend to be highly stylized. This is part of the genre, and it stems from cultural themes in theater. Things here are larger than life, and when life is this involved, this complex, they can't be any other way.
This film is Shakespearean in it's scope and themes. It reminds me of Lear and McBeth. The nature of family is the central theme. It explores what exactly it means to be family, the responsibilities of family for each of its members and the consequences of violating those boundaries.
These are themes are tied tightly with that of natural law, that there are rigid rules for the functioning of the universe. Everything that is done must follow these rules or risk throwing the universe out of balance. That this family believes this is ironic, given the way each and every one flouts tradition and honor.
The plot is convoluted, but not overly so. Things develop fairly slowly, questions arise early and are explored and resolved without any particular hurry. Everything we want to know involves a fairly small cast of characters in a fairly small circle. The insular nature of the family, especially after the Emporer returns, creates and maintains tension. Even the re-posting of the physician does little to alleviate this, the geographic distance does little to solve the issues.
Visually this is a huge film. Yimou has stated that he wanted the focus to be on the opulence of the period. He has succeeded beyond reason here. The palettes of the film are startlingly vivid. The sheer volume of color is sometimes overwhelming. While I noticed this in House of Flying Daggers as well, here it's not merely thematic, with a single color used to unite the scene. There are brilliant juxtapositions of color, which often represent factions or attitudes of some of characters. Watch too, the way the color black is used. It is so often absent that it's appearance is often shocking and telling.
It should be noted that the soundtrack is also excellent. It is often subtle or even absent, but is constantly driving the film from one moment to the next.
Acting is generally excellent. Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li are staples of this genre and virtually flawless. The rest of the cast is generally excellent as well. While it takes strong personalities to bring these characters to life, the characters themselves are so rich that there's little chance they'll be lost behind the actor. I never found myself seeing the actor instead of the character.
My high rating is a synthesis of the films aspects. I am fond of the quasi-Shakespearean scope of the story. There are heart rending moments here. I am also very fond of the genre, and the film is a visual feast.
The Good: Everything
The Bad: Misplacing your trust
The Ugly: Family ties

07-07-17 Vanishing Point (1971)

Seen: July 11th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 8

This is yet another driving film watched as a result of seeing Tarantino's Death Proof and reading subsequent reviews with him. The car that women "test drive" in that film is a white 1970 Dodge Challenger. They continually refer to it as "The Vanishing Point Challenger". As inspiration for that film, I figured that it was worth a look.

I was dead right.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this film, when compared to other road/chase films, is that in this case, the driver is not running from something. The law is after him only because of his reckless pace. He's done nothing wrong, he's just doing what he's meant to do, and the only thing he really has left to do, drive.

Kowalski is not a simple character. We're given glimpses of his past, potential clues to who he is and why he's doing what he's doing. It's a telling trait that he actually stops when someone involved with the chase crashes. Multiple times he stops to check and see that they're all right before blasting off again. At a fundamental level, he seems to be a good guy who's abandoned his quest to do and spread good. He's disillusioned and disenfranchised. He's retreated from the real world and lives only to drive.

There's a lot going on in this film. I have the feeling that it will require several more viewing to really begin to comprehend this film. There are many themes. It's not a black and white film. There is no real good or evil. There seems to be a conflict between those that want consistency, predictability and control, and those who want change, chaos and discovery. That said, I'm not sure where Kowalski fits in that spectrum. While Supersoul helps him out, I don't think Kowalski has any agenda, nor wants to be attached to any.

The driving in the film is fantastic. The chases are creative, but reasonably simple. There are very little special effects here, just skilled drivers pushing great machines across the American West.

Acting is good, but hardly spectacular. Clevon Little is a favorite and he's way over the top here. Barry Newman does a decent job.

You may not like this as much as I did. This is a cult film, and rightly so. There's more here than meets the casual eye though, and it's definitely worth a look.

The Good: Working out your frustration with the world

The Bad: The Man

The Ugly: Nowhere left to turn

07-07-16 Stuey (2003)

Seen: July 8th, 2007
Format: Broadcast (HDNMV - HDNet Movies)
Rating: 4

This is the story of Stu Unger, perhaps one of the most gifted card players ever. It's the story of his journey as a player, from his very early teen years until his death. It's a tragic but fascinating story.

And told pretty badly.

I'll fully admit that I was very engaged in the story. Stu was a larger than life personality. His methods and motivations were extreme. He was so good at what he did that it ceased to be a challenge for him and became a grind. He sought his excitement elsewhere, and it some ways that eventually cost him everything.

Unfortunately, this story is told on full-on Docudrama mode. The bookends for the movie are trite. The whole "story as a flashback" thing is difficult to do well, and it's particularly poorly done here.

The writing in general has problems. The film comes off as a series of vignettes as opposed to a complete work. When thing seem to slow down or fall apart, we make a trip back to the hotel room to "reset". Chronologically it feels a bit disconnected as well.

The dialogue is uninspired. It may be accurate, but the characters come off as caricatures, with the possible exception of Anthony. A case in point is Angela. We have no idea who she really is except in reaction to Stu. There's some decent actors in this film, it's a shame they weren't given better material to work with.

The film itself feels low budget. While the casino shots are effective, the rest of the sets and locations feel low-rent and plastic. The film has very little sense of visual style. I can appreciate simply shot films, but this one is just downright static and boring.

Basically, this is for card players. If you want to see how one of the greatest tore himself apart, step right up. The rest of you may want to take your shekels elsewhere.

The Good: Story

The Bad: Almost everything else

The Ugly: Destined to fail

07-07-15 Incubus (1965)

Seen: July 9th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 6

First, this might be considered a bad movie. If you're not one to appreciate cinema that really can't compete with the mainstream and doesn't really try, then move along, there's nothing to see here. I won't say that Incubus is intentionally bad, but it could hardly be considered mainstream, even in it's day.

It was a cult film from day one.

To that end, this DVD was made from the only known existing copy, which was found running in a French movie house as a regular midnight feature. No other copy is known to exist. Many un- and subtitled prints were lost by a storage facility, along with the negatives.

Harm befell many of the participants in this production as well. This is often referred to as "The Curse of Incubus". One of the actors murdered his girlfriend, Andy Rooney's estranged wife, and then killed himself. An actress committed suicide shortly after the film. The director had problems. And Shatner went on to play James T. Kirk.

Such is the stuff of which legends and cults are made.

The first thing really strange about this film is that the dialogue is all in Esperanto, an artificial "universal" language. There are no native Esperanto speakers, so the target market must be linguists and SF geeks, who are generally the only ones aware it exists.

This is also a film about demons. There is no subtlety here. This is a blatantly conflict between the forces of good and the servants of hell. At the time, I would imagine that this was touchy, if not taboo subject for film. While Incubus doesn't glorify it's Satanic elements, it sure doesn't shrink from them either. There symbolism aplenty here and can be a bit heavy handed at time, though fairly subtle at others. Watch for colors and symbols.

The story is a simple one of good vs. evil. It's uncomplicated to the point of simplicity. That there is so little ambiguity is disappointing. The only one swaying in their mores is Kia, and that's anything but unexpected.

The look of the film is actually pretty striking. The contrast is generally very high. The lighting and composition are generally very artistic and interesting. It reminds me somewhat of Bergman's work in its striking simplicity. While a bit forced at times, the film is generally very pleasant to look at. There are few underwater shots that are remarkably effective. Even here, the high contrast and detail is very moving.

The acting is decent. We tend to forget that Shatner was a decent character actor before Star Trek. He does a solid job here. Allyson Ames' Kia is impressive. Petulant, alluring and sadistic, her performance, though a bit shallow at times, is actually very good. Milos Milos is more than a bit excessive, though this may be a directorial choice.

I like this film. It's hardly amazing, but took some rather brave chances in the era in which it was made. By today's standards, it seems rather silly, but was probably a film that laid some the groundwork for later films in the genre. While it can be a bit tedious, it's hardly terrible.

The Good: The look

The Bad: Esperanto

The Ugly: The Curse of Incubus

07-07-14 Don't Tell (La Bestia nel cuore) (2005)

Seen: July 7th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 3
I have no idea what prompted me to rent this. It was probably a recommenadation on Netflix. It was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Academy Award.
I wish I'd paid more attention.
The protagonist of this film is a woman, an unsuccessful actress who finds herself doing voice acting, dubbing TV shows into Italian. Her boyfriend is an actor who views himself as a serious actor. He's doing theater, wants to do film, and is offered a TV series job, which he eventually takes. The TV series director wants to be making a film, which he fantasized about.
These characters basically represent this film. It wants to be a serious and important piece of work, but really it's just a recycled TV melodrama.
The issues presented here are real and important. But they're also the fodder for a dozen daytime dramas and talk shows. To succeed in this realm, a film needs to have great writing, acting and direction. None of those are present here.
The whole affair feels like a badly wrought TV miniseries, only mercifully shorter. The metaphors are broad and simple. The characters are as well. While deep issues are supposed to dwell in them, they are exceptionally devoid of actual character. The one exception here is the blind, lesbian weaver, suffering from unrequited love and mouldering away in her cave, isolated from humanity. That's not a joke, and she's the most interesting character in the film.
All the melodrama might be more tolerable if were broken up with moments of humanity or prehaps the odd bit of comedic relief. The only one I can remember is near the end of the film. The material is so heavy that it simply sinks under it's own weight.
The presentation is all bit of a mess as well. The editing and camaera work makes this feel like TV. The can only recall one shot I found interesting.
This film won a number of awards in Italy, so perhaps there's a cultural imperitve that makes it relevant. But unless you're Italian or a particularly enamored of Italian film or melodrama, I'd avoid this one.
The Good: One interesting character
The Bad: TV talk show themes
The Ugly: Overblown melodrama

07-07-13 Saw III (2006)

Seen: July 7th, 2007
Format: Blu-Ray
Rating: 5

I liked the first Saw and Saw II was OK, though completely in a different vein. Saw III is yet different again.

This is a good thing and a bad thing.

First, it's a good thing because the second installment was much more about carnage that the systematic teaching that Jigsaw is really all about. It had the standard "who'll be left over" feel of so many teen horror flicks.

This film returns to form. While there are flashes of other "lessons", all of them brutal and reasonably creative, there is really only a few lessons that are the focal point of the film. This brings back the intimate nature of the first film, which was a large part of it's success.

This film also breaks the mold in that it places relative innocents in harms way. While Jigsaw is hardly squeamish about teaching someone a lesson, is not his MO to punish those who aren't habitual in they're defects. Indeed, he has a great regard for being able to forgive. Placing these people in jeopardy seems inconsistent. There are other plot holes here too, though they're not too difficult to look past.

The lesson in this film don't seem to be as creative and in past films. Maybe this is intentional, to reflect the nature of Amanda's apprenticeship. Regardless, they paces that Jigsaw's victims are put through is not as compelling as they have been in the past.

But there is one redeeming feature. The twist, when it finally comes, is well conceived and executed. I was willing to forgive much of what had gone before because of the resolution finally delivered. It was clever and artful. I didn't see it coming and was impressed at it's complexity and the way it was woven throughout the story.

I won't go into the acting or technical merits here. It's well enough produced an we'll leave it at that.

See this one if you like the franchise or can tolerate the gore (there's plenty) and like films with a twist.

The Good: There's still a decent twist

The Bad: Failing your test

The Ugly: Thoroughly in the Saw tradition

07-07-12 Bridge to Terabithia

Seen: July 7th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 7

I didn't read this book when I was a kid, I think I was a little too old for it when it was published in 1977. It's considered a classic and has won awards. Maybe that's a good thing, maybe it would be a shame to have the book to compare the film to.

Maybe not.

I'm may spoil this for you, so if you're not familiar with the book or film, you may want to jump to SAFE.

There's a mild uproar over at IMDB where folks are voicing their displeasure with this film. My feeling is that it's not Disney enough for them. This isn't a safe, simple film. It doesn't paint a pretty picture of life, where nothing bad happes, issues are simple and easily resolved and everyone lives happily ever after. It's of an older vein, where children grow up in reality, not in some sugar coated facsimile.

I have a friend who states that he won't watch films which place children in jeopardy. I respect his opinion, but I find it a bit unrealistic. Traditional fairy tales place children in jeopardy constantly, and often into abject danger. These are allegories, which teach children about the world, the real world. To constantly present a world of sweetness and light to children does them disservice. Films in which children have to deal with real issues give parents an oppurtunity to actually engage their children in discussion about how they feel about what happened to the characters and how they might deal with it themselves.

As far as being an unrealistic downer, I've lost two best friends, the first at six years of age. This film nails that sense of loss. It also offers and encourages grieving and moving past the event in a positive way. It may not be an oft required lesson, but it's an invaluable one.

SAFE

This film impacted me in a very personal way, and not just because I have a crush on Zooey DeChannel. It's very well presented. It moves from moment to moment, establishing the characters well and letting them and their situations evolve at an appropriate pace.

The two leads do a good job, their performances are solid. While Leslie is the more dynamic character and perhaps more appealing, Jesse is particularly well played. Huthcinson does admirably conveying Jesse's turmoil, isolation and reticence. His execution is subtle and understated and surprises us when Jesse finally does emerge to take his place.

Supporting roles are generally well done, though a bit peripheral . Robert Patrick, though a bit type cast, does a very nice job here. His demeanor helps us understand so much more about Jesse. The difference in the family dynamics is very telling.

This is not a fairy tale. It's not a fantasy special effects movie. Those expecting this will probably be very disappointed. The effects which are required are very well done and serve their purpose without grandstanding the rest of the film.

This is a wonderful film. It deals with so many issues that kids in the real world experience. It doesn't candy coat them, but doesn't present them as insurmontable either. There's a lot of magic and hope here. And it's for sharing.

The Good: Finding someone you can relate to

The Bad: Losing someone close to you

The Ugly: Taking children for granted

07-07-11 Ratatouille (2007)

Seen: July 6th, 2007
Format: Theater
Rating: 4

In the nature of full disclosure, I ate a lunch of steamed dumplings, seared Ahi and a nice wheat beer (just one!) before seeing this film. Maybe that's why I almost nodded off.

Maybe not.

I love Pixar's films. Even pre-Toy Story, their shorts were very well executed, witty and touching. They're a unique group with a well defined and honed style. Their films are known of for high quality and integrity. Simple enough for kids, complex enough for adults, they can be enjoyed on multiple levels. They're finely wrought works of art.

This is one of the reasons that Ratatouille was so disappointing to me.

Basically, I didn't find the spark of orignality in this film which I seen previously. The characters are generally weaker. With possible exceptions of Skinner, Gusteau and Remy, they aren't well defined or developed. While they may have a few interesting traits, and some may have an interesting back story or interlude, they don't really go anywhere consistently. Many are window dressing. Linguini, in particular, is flat and without soul. His use as a marionette is apt.

Skinner is well done. Well written, developed and portrayed. Remy is as well, though of a less complex, and therefore less interesting manner. Gusteau is an interesting manifestation. Though not present, I feel that I know him better via reflection than most of the other characters in their presence.

The plot in general is flat. While the underlying themes are tried and true, and the selection of protagonist an interesting, though perhaps not inspired, choice. The actual realization of the journey is generally predictable. More so than any of Pixar's other films, this one feels Disney-fied. The most interesting part of the film is not Remy's quest, or the eventual change of heart of his clan and the restaurant staff, but the side plot of Skinner selling out.

Pixar's high production values remain intact. Character design, animation, production design, sound, it's all of very high quality and suites the film well. The voice talent is good.

There are the obligatory, sly references to previous films. There are few decent jokes and running gags. I'll even admit that there was at least one moment that touched me enough to tear up. But on the whole, it's flat and fairly uninteresting. I literally struggled to stay awake at one point, which hasn't happened in a theater since I saw 300.

I feel bad about the rating I've given this film, but realistically, that's where it falls. Maybe I'll see again as a rental and revise this. Maybe not.

Aside: Trailer selections for G films are very interesting

The Good: It's Pixar

The Bad: Somehow just uninspired

The Ugly: Rats in the kitchen.

07-07-10 Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Seen: July 6th, 2007
Format: Theater
Rating: 6

John McClane is back. Sorta.

This is another summer blockbuster. This installment has been toned down to PG-13 level for mass consumption and lacks some of the edge of the previous films. There's a bit less grit and a bit more fantasy here. It's all well produced and packaged and tied up neat with a holiday release date.

Now for the good news.

The action is generally good, and occasionally great. While there are some sequences which are distinctly over the top, and reek of CGI, most of these sequences seem to be practically shot and are very effective. There are some brilliant and very original sequences here, with some amazing stunt work.

While there are the requisite "breather" moments in the film, some with decent comic relief, the action is fairly constant. There's a pattern to the pace and layout. While it doesn't really get tiring, it does become a bit predictable toward the end.

I'm seeing another trend in action movies lately. The majority of the plot is set up very early in the film, gels by the middle, and beyond that point becomes subservient to the action. While it may have minor developments after that point, they're generally not important or really surprising, and may even be repetitions of earlier developments. It some sense, theses films seem to eventually stall somewhere in the action sections, as the plot doesn't really continue to drive them.

The plot itself is a bit thin. While some of the realization of it is impressive, the underlying premise is a bit hard to swallow. The scope is very large as well, which has us jumping from location to location in a frenzy. There are large time jumps as these changes happen. All this is different from the previous films, which were more tightly contained. They were compelling because of the constant tension generated by the closeness time constraints of of the scenario, and the proximity of the bad guys. This version is much more free range. It looses some of its edge because of this.

Willis is great here. This is his home turf. The sardonic humor are in full force, and there's some added genuine surprise at his own fortune on occasion. While McClane has always had a human side, this may be the most we've seen of this side of it.

I like Tim Olyphant, and I think he's a good choice here. Unfortunately, his character is pretty thin and stereotypical. I have no clue why Justin Long is getting parts like this. He just doesn't fit here and I'll leave it at that. Kevin Smith's part was a surprise to me. I have a big soft spot for the guy. But again, the role was trite and incomplete and he didn't have much to work with or time to develop anything.

The henchman kick ass. Maggie Q was amazing. One of the other guys (Cyril Raffaelli I think?) had some amazing parkour/acrobatic sequences. The rest were excellent as well.

Despite all the goodness, this one still fell a bit flat for me. It's worth a look, but the action is a little more comic book and a little less edgy and the plot a little bit more far-fetched.

The Good: Yippee Ki Yay

The Bad: Justin Long? really?

The Ugly: Going over the top.

07-07-09 The Wild Bunch (1969)

Seen: July 4th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 9

If you're looking for a western, this may not be your cup of tea. While it is a western, it's so much more that you may find the western part of it getting lost in the mix. This film is about so much more than bandits, robberies and shootouts. Sure there's gun play aplenty, all in Peckinpah's hyper realistic style, but the real substance runs much deeper.

There seems to be two main themes here. The first is change. The film tales place after the turn of the century. The world is making the transition from the west we've seen in a hundred (or more) films to one that is a recognizable version of the one we live in today. The Military is playing a larger and more well organized role. Towns are becoming cities. Technology is bringing the automobile and automatic weapons. Transportation and communication are becoming more sophisticated. Global political influences are beginning to play a part in North America.

In the midst of this change, our protagonists are aging. The world they've lived in and ravaged over the years is changing and leaving them behind. They methods are becoming obsolete. They have to be very creative in their jobs, simple smash and grabs aren't effective any longer. They have more and more trouble making a decent haul despite their new tactics.

All this sets up a very interesting dynamic in the gang. It's interesting to watch them try to adapt, to try to continue to live their lifestyle as the world changes around them.

The second theme is one of honor and deception. From the opening moments of the film, Peckinpah shows us graphically that things are not as they appear to be on the surface. There is no one in this film that is honest. There's no one that isn't working from their own personal agenda, and presenting whatever facade is necessary to accomplish their own objectives.

There is a thin sense of honor among these thieves. The fact that they go back for Angel can have no other explanation. But this may be a mere attempt at redemption. The same men abandoned one of their own for convenience earlier.

The layers of deception run deep, but are scarcely hidden. The distrust that they breed is palpable. With very few exceptions, no one trusts anyone else. Relationships are based primarily on threats, extortion, and outright violence. It's strange how this justified, ubiquitous distrust actually makes dealings civil. To paraphrase Heinlein; "An armed society is a polite society" and the extreme is represented here.

All the analysis aside, The Wild Bunch is a wild ride. The action is fast and furious with Peckipah's signature touch which makes violence more present. There are no cheap deaths here. The plot is multi-faceted as well. There's a lot going on in this film, and while it does settle down at times, the air of impending conflict is never far.

Performances are generally good to great. Holden is superb. I've seen a lot of Borgnine's work recently and am continually surprised. I guess I was brainwashed by McHale's Navy as a kid, as I had trouble imagining him in more serious and demanding roles. Emilio Fernández is great, his performance truly frightening.

I really like the feel of this film. The composition choices are very interesting. This film has over 3600 edits, which is very evident in the fight scenes. This may be the genesis of the frantic "jump-cut" style which is so prevalent today in action films. There's something about Peckinpah's style that makes it less tiring, though.

See this film if you like westerns, action films, or art films. It's a feast for the eyes.

Note: I'm gonna rate this one a 9 because it is a classic but I don't like enough for a 10.

The Good: A stinging portrait of the dying West.

The Bad: Everybody

The Ugly: There's evil aplenty, where's the good?

07-07-08 Holiday (1938)

Seen: July 3rd, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 6

I like both Carey Grant and Katherine Hepburn a great deal. They're individually great and do very well together. I settled in with Holiday and waited for the magic.

And waited, and waited.

I won't say that I didn't enjoy this film, I did. But the problem I had was that the thing that was best about this film, the reparte between the leads, was far too long in coming and too sparse when it did.

You can see this film coming a mile off. It reminded me of The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer, a much later film. You know that there's going to be problems, you know where true love is going to surface, and you spend the whole film waiting for it to happen.

There is magic between the leads, but it's quashed by the social situation for the majority of the film. While it does fit the story, holding it out as a carrot for us, all the while dragging us through socio-political rhetoric, becomes more than a bit tiresome.

There are some great moments here, though. The scenes between Grant and Hepburn are sparkling. Horton and Dixon do a marvelous turn as the Potters and their scenes are wonderful as well. They're the catalyst for this story, but subtly played. Kolker's Ned is excellent as well. He plays him with the a wry sadness that is palpable. He character may be the one that best summarizes the whole point of the film.

As Romantic comedies go, this was has a bit of an agenda. There's a philosophical struggle going on here, if not a political one. It's a shame that it becomes the focus and overshadows the real classical Romance that's happening in the shadows.

The Good: Grant and Hepburn can't be all bad

The Bad: Oh so predictable

The Ugly: Driven to drink.

07-07-07 Saving Face (2004)

Seen: July 2nd, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 8

July 7th, 2007. 7/7/7. I wondered what film would fall on this date, and it's interesting that it's about the Chinese, a culture which holds numerology in high regard.

Here's hoping it's auspicious.

I'm really tempted to just say that this is a great film and you should see it. Then I could get on with the rest of my day. But that'd be a cop-out, and I'd have to come back and re-do it anyway.

Instead, let's just tell you a few great things about it.

First, it's a cultural film. I'm not Asian, so I can't speak with authority, but from a cultural perspective, this film seems so personal and genuine that it's mesmerizing. The way people interact, the microcosm that this community has created within the larger one is fascinating.

These people have brought their tradition with them. They are living in America, but to the best of their ability, staying Chinese. The dialog is a constant mix of American English and Chinese (I'm sorry but I don't know the dialect). While this can be confusing at times, it underscores the juxtaposition of cultures, and the inevitable clashes between them. These issues are internal, not from outside bigotry and prejudice, but from their own reticence to change. It's powerful.

Into this scene we're given a story of two women who don't fit the traditional conceptions that the community is trying to preserve. It's their journey that we're here to experience. That they're mother and daughter intertwines these stories. They are important to each other, and it's interesting to note how they affect each other.

The writing here is great. The story moves at a natural pace. Things don't have to be frenetic to hold our interest. There are great moments and running jokes. It's a heartfelt piece that doesn't need to be sentimental to succeed.

The acting is top-notch. These people are their characters. While some go over the top on occasion, I felt it correct for their characters. Joan Chen is wonderfully subtle and generally understated. Watch her dating scenes for some brilliant body language. Michelle Krusiec is excellent as well. Her beauty is severely downplayed here, to great effect. She brings a lot to Wil through subtle and not so subtle use of gestures, habits and body language. Lynn Chen seems the odd one out here. While she does a nice job, Vivian is a bit of a caricature. I didn't quite buy that she was passionate about anything. Her responses are appropriate, but seem forced at times.

I don't think this film is revolutionary. I don't know if it can become a classic. But it's and absolutely wonderful piece of work, that appeals on multiple levels.

Note: It should be noted that some consider this a "gay" film. I think that's a shame. While it's true that the director's own experiences coming out are a driving force in this film, characterizing it that way prejudices the viewer, whatever their orientation. This is a great film, with great writing, directing, casting and acting. It's a wonderful story. It does have some gay characters but it doesn't require categorization or labeling to succeed.

The Good: Great casting and performances

The Bad: Minor performance quibbles.

The Ugly: Hypocrisy

07-07-06 Transformers (2007)

Seen: July 3rd, 2007
Format: Theater
Rating: 7

I am no great fan of Michael Bay. In fact, I happen to think that Bad Boys II is one of the worst films I've ever seen. But I did enjoy The Island. I'm not a Transformers fan either. I think I was a bit old to get caught up in that particular craze. But I had friends that wanted to take an afternoon off to catch this, and the trailers were splashy.

I must admit, I had a great time.

One the things that struck me most were the young folks in the theatre and their response to the film. There was a girl one seat over, in her late teens, that was completely invested in the film. That's a cool thing to see.

Basically this is a summer blockbuster. There's enough action, of both the live and CGI varieties to choke a horse here. In fact, there may be a little too much. When you start to wonder how long can this go on? it's probably time for a brief respite to let things settle back.

That's not to say the action isn't cool. It is. Very. There's some very creative stuff going on here. The Transformers are very well designed and rendered. Their transitions are very impressive. They weren't quite differentiated enough for me. Perhaps four of them were readily identifiable to me and seemed to have personality. A true fan, steeped in the mythos, might have the advantage and disagree here.

The one thing I did enjoy about the film was its sense of humor. There's a lot of snappy dialogue here. There's some quirky characters and wry scenarios. Some of it is juvenile, but there's a lot of double entendre that's pretty amusing as well. I continually found myself grinning at these little gags. Since this film is really about a battle for the entire planet, the moments allow the film to not take itself quite so seriously.

This is an action film, so I'm not really going to talk casting and performances. There are hot chicks, studs, geeks, and the obligatory fascist. Who plays them really isn't that important. An exception is Shia Labeouf, who has cropped up in several things I've enjoyed lately. He's one of those actors I don't want to give any credence, but keeps impressing me. The other standout is Jon Voight, whom I haven't seen anything decent in quite a while and isn't very good here either.

This is worth seeing. Don't take it seriously. Sit back, enjoy the eye candy and humor and ignore your inner critic when it attempts to pry open the plot holes. It's summer, have fun.

The Good: Great Summer action flick. Excellent humor

The Bad: How long can the battle last?

The Ugly: Death by Allspark