Saturday, July 24, 2004

MOVIE - METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER - Review Rating $$$$$ $$$ (OUT OF 10) STARRING - James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo, Phil Towle & Jason Newsted. DIRECTORS - Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (Paradise Lost) A Documentary Berlinger and Sinofsky must have thought they had died and gone to heaven when filming for this documentary began. Their arrival on the scene coincides with Metallica coming apart at the seams. What could have easily turned out to be a rather pedestrian rockumentary instead evolves into a fascinating psychological portrait of a highly dsyfunctional group. Throughout the film you will be continually amazed by the discordance between the public persona of the group and the much more complicated and messy nature of its individual members and their interactions. Who would have thought that the most successful heavy metal band in the world would require a $40,000 a month psychologist to ensure "the beat goes on". You don't have to be a Metallica fan, I'm not, to relish this voyueristic opportunity to be the proverbial fly on the wall. Metallic: Some Kind of Monster proves, yet again, that money "Can't Buy Me Love". Running time - 160 minutes Alternative Reviews: Peter Travers / Rolling Stone Review Rotten Tomatoes Reviews 2:56:00 AM     | MOVIE - THE CLEARING - Review Rating $$$$$ $1/2 (OUT OF 10) STARRING - Robert Redford (Wayne Hayes), Willem Dafoe (Arnold "Arn" Mack), Helen Mirren (Eileen Hayes), Matt Craven (Agent Fuller), Wendy Crewson (Louise Miller), Alessandro Nivola (Tim Hayes) & Melissa Sagemiller (Jill Hayes) DIRECTOR/CO-WRITER - Pieter Jan Brugge There is something ultimately unsatisfying about The Clearing that's somewhat hard to put your finger on. The performances are fine (you'd expect nothing less from Redford & Mirren), the directorial tempo maintains the intensity of the unfolding drama and the script explores the human psyche at a deeper level than most movies. These three seperate elements, however, don't gel into a cohesive whole. The disappointment with the film may result from the fact that The Clearing, in the end, doesn't break any new ground. It promises profoundness yet doesn't quite deliver. A better example of insight into the human condition is 21Grams. The Clearing, when compared to most of the films in current release, is an excellent film. However, when compared to movies of a similar nature it is only average. Running time - 91 minutes Alternative Reviews: Roger Ebert's Review Reter Travers / Rolling Stone Review Rotten Tomatoes Reviews 2:17:58 AM     |

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