movie reviews, Volume 3 number 8, August/September 2001 Video Dreamland August. A month marked by fairs, the vestige of the midnite sun, the hauling of sweaters out of the closet, and that “something smells rotten in Denmark”... oops, that’s the highbush cranberries. My hope was that summer was all you dreamed and wanted it to be. Summer for me marked the passing of a valuable friend and a trip to a part of Alaska I had never seen, McCarthy. Life, the sadness and the happiness of it, created a spiraling dance for me. I shall not forget this summer soon. A special thank you to Matt Reckard, for addressing my question about ‘Bob’s your uncle’ in the newspaper. For all those who do not frequent the Ester bar, now we know the answer. I’ll put in my request for an Indian summer with the big guy in the sky and get on with my reviews. Finding Forrester, PG13 First it was Frank, then it was Maggie, who insisted I should review this movie. I thought it would be pretty good as many critics deemed it too idealistic and romantic for their tastes. I had been waiting for a rainy day to watch a really “feel good” movie, then the end of July came along. If I tell you this is a King Arthurian movie, will you catch my drift? It must have been Sir Sean in that longish, grey wig, playing a secluded philosopher/writer that made Merlin seep into my thoughts. Excalibur is the writing ability and talent stuck in our young hero’s heart. With inspiration and encouragement, this sword is freed and like Merlin, our mentor teaches our young adept how to wield it to show its true magnificence. Sir Sean Connery plays William Forrester, an extremely talented writer who has chosen to allow only one of his works to ever be published. Robert Brown plays Jamal, the young black man striving to free all those words roaming around in his head and heart. I often refer to different movies to help you daydream about inspiration and attaining the how-tos to grasp and live a dream. I loved the scene where Connery runs his fingers over the typewriter much as a concert pianist runs his fingers over the keyboard. An excellent movie for the family. Bring out the chocolate brownies for this one. As chocolate soothes the soul, so this movie soothes us. It will leave you with a positive attitude and kindle the fire of hope that lives inside of us. The Million Dollar Hotel, R What a strange little tale this is. I liked it well enough myself, but it is offbeat, a little artsy-fartsy, moves slow, however just queer enough to keep me awake until its ending, If you enjoyed the old Twin Peaks television ephisodes or praise the likes of David Lynch, then you will like this film. In a seedy, fleabag hotel a young man from a wealthy, influential family is found dead. Question: murder or suicide? Mel Gibson is the investigator sent to unravel all the knots in this twisted mystery. The hotel is full of weirdos, freaks, misfits and just plain downright crazies. My favorite character was the guy who thought he was the fifth Beatle, and spoke only using different Beattle song phrases. As the investigator interviews and puts together the puzzle pieces, our hotel inhabitants only become more deranged. Yet our eyes become as the investigator’s eyes and compassion slips into our hearts. I would call this an off-broadway film. It is not made for the mainstream and .50¢ is knocked off to discourage the average person from wasting his time. Like a Lynch film, it moves like dark molasses, seeping into your senses, leaving you with a sweet, bitter aftertaste. Elizabeth, R In the mood for a little history? If you missed this in 1998, pick it up with a bottle of wine at Gold Hill on a Friday night and your boss and the bad work week will disappear. You’ll count your blessings you weren’t born Elizabeth where you had to be the boss and bad work weeks were the constant norm. We meet Elizabeth in 1554. The half-sister to Mary, Queen of England, both are daughters of King Henry the VIII. Elizabeth is Anne Boleyn’s daughter, Henry’s wife who delivered a girl child and lost her head for it. Elizabeth is a protestant, where Mary is a catholic and extremely ill and childless. England is facing war and the turning of an empire if Elizabeth succeeds Mary. A court full of deceivers and plotters, a marriage proposal to band another country’s alliance, and a disgruntled Vatican pope all serve to make Elizabeth into what history will always refer to as ‘the Virgin Queen.’ I like everything in this movie. Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth gives us an excellent portrayal of a young woman, unfamiliar to the ways of court, who with her back against the wall, learns the hard way to trust and be true to herself. Geoffrey Rush and Christopher Eccleston play the two plotters, each pulling Elizabeth in opposable directions to satisfy their lusty, greedy ambitions. Joseph Fiennes is Sir Robert, Elizabeth’s love, but my lips are sealed as to what happens there. Though this movie is R-rated, I think eighth- and ninth-graders would benefit from learning a little history and the concept that succession is not always easily transferrable. Parents can watch this movie with their children to explain who is who and the whys of the different plots. Got to use the ole’ noggin to keep up with the twists and turns in this tale. Ha! Maybe the children will have to explain it to the adults. What’s Cooking, PG13 I love it when I find a little gem of a movie, a diamond in the rough, you might say. This film is exactly what I’m talking about. Our story is set in L.A. and follows four families. A Mexican, a Jewish, a Vietnamese, and an upwardly mobile black family, through the day before and the day of Thanksgiving. Thanksgivig Day can be pictured as a mandala, sacred to Americans. It’s a circle that weaves together family, friends, traditions, values, and hope with a turkey in the center. Just as coyote and raven are known in folklore as creator and trickster, might not Americans be unaware that the turkey we place at the center of the table has similar attributes. For the bird we grace our table with is often the butt of many jokes and Thanksgiving dinner is often not the picturesque scene we romanticized in our heads. Can’t tell you anything more about this movie, because it is a delight to watch the facets being cut and polished. Also you have the wonderful actress Mercedes Ruehl in it and she’s always beautiful. I can tell you, there are lots of food preparation scenes. So, set out some popcorn, cookies, ice cream, hot dogs, salmon, grapes, and crackers. All I know was that all that food made my cravings go crazy. If I could have had dinner at one family’s table, it would have been the Mexican table. I cry when I think of Mexican food in Alaska as opposed to the food in Arizona. Traffic, R This movie was up for best picture this year. For all the reasons that the critics praised it and sucked up to it like a little lap dog, I hated it. This movie was a blatant attempt of hype to soothe American parental concern about Hollywood’s use of drugs, sex, and violence in their films. It bothers me that the people bought into the hype, that it won so much praise, and stayed in the theatres so long. Believe me, my friends, this movie was designed to dumb down America. First off, Hollywood blatantly wants you to understand that the Latinos, especially the Mexicans, are the source for BAD guys, and thus we are treated to sepia-tone scenes when they are on the screen. If you miss this message, then the BAD guys speak Spanish and you’ll have to read subtitles. (90% of the movie-going public hate subtitles.) Second off, the GOOD guy is played by the now-head of the Hollywood dynasty, Michael Douglas, and of course he had to showcase his then-pregnant, trophy wife Catherine Zeta-Jones. (She’s not a good guy—she looks too Mexican in this movie.) Several of our astute and noble Washington congressmen get to do cameos of themselves. (They are the good guys?) GOOD guys are always in the scenes with color. Third off, there are blue scenes. What the heck? Beats me, I think blue is used to tug on our heart strings. By that time who cares! Fourth off, the complex workings of the drug cartel and DEA is shallow and only skims the surface. You’ll learn more about these guys from the two–minute sound bites on the evening news than from this movie. If you have not been keeping up with the battle between Hollywood and Congress over sex and violence in television and movies, then you might miss my point. The point being that this movie is the bed where estranged parties sleep together, to get the public off their backs. This is Hollywood’s penitence for being bad. The pusillanimity displayed by Hollywood to address these real societal concerns is only matched by the panderings Washington accepted. I wonder if they reported the fees they received on their income tax, or was it only some of that which they refer to as “soft money?” --- Perhaps it is the ‘umn’ sound that resonates in the throat, but I love the word autumn: a season of transition. It’s time to catch your breath, enjoy the fall colors, and say, “Adios, amigos,” to our migrating friends, human and feathered. At the local pub, it’s time to place bets on the John Trigg pool for when that first snowflake will arrive. I love this pool. After many years, we still debate whether that snowflake has to stick in order for it to count. It’s a fun way to remember and keep an old friend in your heart. The sampling of movies this month is varied. I’m sure you will find something to your liking. Chocolat, PG-13 I call this a light, romantic drama. The story takes place in a drab French village. Well, it is drab until a beautiful woman and her daughter arrive and open their chocolate shop. It seems that the woman’s father was a pharmacist who traveled to Latin America in search of healing herbs. There he met a beautiful woman from a nomad tribe and they had a daughter. The daughter now carries on her parents’ legacy of dispensing these herbs in an assortment of chocolate treats. As the local townspeople sample her wares, the village transforms into a lively place filled with fun, laughter, and compassion. Juliette Binoche is a fresh new actress who brightens my day. She brings passionate, sensitive elements to her character and we can follow her emotions just by watching her eyes. Johnny Depp plays the Irish lad who sweeps her off her feet. (I like his pony tail.) Juli Dench, from As Time Goes By, brings grace and humor to her role as the wise old grandmother. Gosh, I just love that lady. This is a feel-good movie. Bring out anything made of chocolate, add some milk, coffee, or—my favorite with chocolate—a Kendall Jackson chardonnay. Relax, nibble away, and feel good about yourself and the world. The Funeral, not rated This is my pick for something different. It is a subtitled, 1984 Japanese movie about a funeral, what else? It is written and directed by Juzo Itami. The story opens with a pair of actors living and working in Tokyo. The wife receives the news that her father, living in the couple’s country home, has died. The modern young couple is now thrust into the situation of making sure the father receives a proper, traditional Japanese funeral. This task also falls upon their manager. Yes, you have to read subtitles, but this movie has a lot of laughter. The question of which traditional ritual to use, the funeral video they watch, and a hanky-panky sex scene in the bushes bring out more than enough giggles. It’s a funny paradox of a situation that people find themselves in at least once in their life, a situation where you should be in control, but realize you are really just along for the ride. We are treated to a side of the Japanese that is warm, humorous, and laughable, as they make fun of themselves. A little Fred Meyer sushi and saki will round out your evening with this one. Enemy at the Gate, R Electric. Horrifying. Gut wrenching. Bloody. A war story about the battle for Stalingrad, between the Russians and the Germans during World War II. A friend asked me if I thought this film was more violent than Saving Private Ryan. Yes. Those first twenty minutes will take your breath away. This film is an intense poignant story that stifles any war romanticism that we might still be holding. Also, seldom are we presented with a WW II story that does not include the Americans. Jude Law portrays Vassili Zaitsev, the young Russian man taught to be a sharpshooter by his grandfather to provide food for the family. Joseph Fiennes is the young Russian media officer entrusted with providing the war news and keeping the morale up for the Motherland. Ed Harris plays the ruthless, cold-blooded Nazi sharpshooter out to destroy Vassili. Bo Hoskins portrays Khrushchev, the commanding general, giving us a glimpse into that part of his rise to Premier of the Soviet Union. Don’t miss this film. This is a suspenseful, engrossing heavy-duty drama. The media did not promote or really push this film very much, probably because it’s a story about Russians. After all, they’re still the enemy, aren’t they? The Mexican, R This is a comedy, I think, rated R for rotten. I gave it 25¢ just to see Brad Pitt and Ruben gave it 25¢ just to see Julia Roberts. I fell asleep—not enough Brad—and Ruben left to go work on airplanes—too much Julia. It’s a story about some gun in Mexico Brad is supposed to retrieve to pay off a monetary debt he owes. Julia plays his girlfriend held hostage in the States until the gun is delivered. James Gandolfini from The Sopranos is the bad guy holding Julia. I should have plugged this movie in later than 8 p.m., because I saw too much of it before I finally fell asleep. To speak more about it would have me ragging on that loud, shrill voice of Julia’s. Watch at your own risk. Dude, Where’s My Car?, PG-13 Dude. Sweet. Dude. Sweet. I liked this little comedy in the same way I liked Dumb and Dumber. The actors are young but fairly developed comedians. Ashton Kutcher from The 70s Show is one of the guys and I get a kick out of him. Only fairly talented actors can play dumb characters. The plot is simple. Two guys wake up in the morning, badly hung over from the party the night before, and they are missing their car. While they search for their car, they find out what happened the night before. It has some good laughs. Our friend Tom was with us when we watched this little flick. The boys laughed more than me and I eventally fell asleep, so I would say it’s a boy’s movie. Bring out the beer and popcorn, guys will laugh. Girls…well, patience is a virtue. We watch it with the boys ‘cause we love them. Besides, who can turn down popcorn? Strictly Ballroom, PG So, I’m standing at a party, talking to Maggie, and she says, “I rally think you should review this movie.” I said OK. Now, I’m going to fess up. Maggie, I had this movie mixed up with another one, which I really like also. So thanks, ‘cause it’s a fun family movie. A 1992 Down Under film that showcases the dancer Paul Mercurio. His character, Scott, has been training for the grand championship ballroom dance since he was six. However, he just can’t stick with tradition and wants to add his own steps. Result—his partner leaves him and he must find a new one, and he only has three weeks to train her. Tara Morice plays the Cinderella dance partner. Why is it only the English and the Aussies do “tacky” so wonderfully? You will get a hoot out of the caricatures, bad wigs, and gaudy costumes. So take Maggie’s advice and rent this one. A little beer and some shrimp on the barbie; if you are still hungry, a dab of Vegimite will do the trick. Lots of laughs and no embarrassment regardless of who is with you. | ||
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