Saturday, February 1, 2003

MOVIE - ANTWONE FISHER - Review Rating $$$$$ $$1/2 (OUT OF 10) MOVIE - ANTWONE FISHER - Review Rating $$$$$ $$1/2 (OUT OF 10) STARRING - Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher), Denzel Washington, Joy Bryant, Salli Richardson, Novella Nelson, Vernee Watson Johnson, Viola Davis & Earl Billings. DIRECTOR - Denzel Washington (debut) The movie is based on the true story of Antwone Fisher's successful struggle to overcome extreme adversity. Fisher also wrote the screenplay. Fisher's story is quite simply remarkable. I won't detail his particular struggles here but suffice it to say that few, in similar shoes, have had the internal fortitude to overcome such extreme circumstances. The road to redemption is brutally and honestly presented. Fisher's honesty results in numerous sequences that are disturbing, to say the least, and at times make for uncomfortable viewing. All of this is not to say that there are not moments of levity and joy in the movie and life of Antwone Fisher. There are numerous parts of the story that will bring a smile to your face. As a movie, Antwone Fisher, is somewhat uneven. The unfolding of events is partly to blame. Fisher's healing process had numerous starts and stops that weren't linear in nature. Thus, like a yo-yo, the audience has to constantly take two steps back to take one step forward. The performances are also a bit uneven. Antwone Fisher, despite its flaws, is worth seeing because of the importance of its message. FULL REVIEW OF ANTIONE FISHER & LINKS TO ALTERNATIVE REVIEWS Search Feature: 8:30:24 PM    comment []

Saturday, January 25, 2003

MOVIE - CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND - Review Rating - $$$$$ $$$ (OUT OF 10) MOVIE - CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND - Review Rating - $$$$$ $$$ (OUT OF 10) STARRING - Sam Rockwell (Chuck Barris), Drew Barrymore, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Rutger Hauer & Joe Cobden (The Unknown Comic). DIRECTOR - George Clooney (directorial feature debut) Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is based on the "unauthorized" biography of Chuck Barris written by Chuck Barris. Chuck Barris was the creative mind behind such T.V. shows as The Gong Show, The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game. Wildly popular, at the time, the shows and Barris became the poster children for the notion that American society was in a rapid state of decline. Some innovators relish the accompanying infamy. Others seek accolades and recognition. Barris appears to be the latter. Barris, having not achieved the status sought, has instead cleverly co-opted the harshness of the critiques into his life story. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is meant to reaffirm our suspicions about Barris's true nature and exploit our curiosity at the same time. The irony is, that in the process, Barris is once again proving his hypothesis about human nature. Barris is revitalizing his cult status and getting the last laugh. As with Solaris, Clooney's last project, you will either admire Confessions of a Dangerous Mind or be repulsed by it. It is not for everyone. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, a very well crafted film, is for those who "get" the irony of the premise. I highly recommend it. FULL REVIEW OF CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND & LINKS TO ALTERNATIVE REVIEWS Search Feature: 4:58:13 PM    comment []

Friday, January 24, 2003

MOVIE - ADAPTATION - Review Rating $$$$$ $$$1/2 (OUT OF 10) MOVIE - ADAPTATION - Review Rating $$$$$ $$$1/2 (OUT OF 10) STARRING - Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Tilda Swinton, Brian Cox, Cara Seymour & Maggie Gyllenhaal. DIRECTOR - Spike Jones (Being John Malkovich) SCREENWRITERS - Charlie & Donald Kaufman Adaptation is the story of Charlie Kaufman's (Being John Malkovich) struggle to write a screenplay adaptation of Susan Orlean's book The Orchid Thief. Hence the title. Kaufman wrote the screenplay for Being John Malkovich. Kaufman is the epitome of the creative genius type and a walking self-parody at the same time. Its a delight to be given a brief opportunity to peer through this movie portal into the inner workings of his mind. Ultimately, this opportunity, proves to be both a blessing and a curse. Kaufman's personality quirks lose their initial charm in direct proportion to the number of times Kaufman resorts to them to get a laugh. Adaptation's saving grace is the material that Kaufman struggles to write a screenplay for. The story of John Laroche, The Orchid Thief, transverses the emotional spectrum. His story is humorous, ironical and in the end very poignant. Chris Cooper's portrayal of this unique individual is riveting. To truly appreciate Adaptation you must, without me giving it away, recognize that underneath the pandemonium Adaptation is a send-up of the creative process that results when blockbuster mania and test audiences drive the moviemaking process. It's safe to say that you won't see another movie like Adaptation this year. Miss this one and you'll be missing one of the year's most creative films. FULL REVIEW OF ADAPTATION & LINKS TO ALTERNATIVE REVIEWS Search Feature - 12:53:09 AM    comment []

Thursday, January 23, 2003

MOVIE - THE HOURS - Review Rating $$$$$ $$$$ (OUT OF 10) MOVIE - THE HOURS - Review Rating $$$$$ $$$$ (OUT OF 10) STARRING - Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman (Virginia Woolf), Julianne Moore, Ed Harris, John C. Reilly, Stephen Dillane & Allison Janney. DIRECTOR - Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot) Based on the 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Cunningham. The Hours is the story of how Virginia Woolf's novel, Mrs. Dalloway, impacts upon and influences the lives of three women; the author herself, a 50's housewife, and a modern day lesbian version of Martha Stewart. What is most intriguing about The Hours is that, despite little actually happening, you almost immediately become engrossed in the intertwining stories of these three women. One of the reasons that you become caught up, so quickly, in The Hours is that the three women portrayed are all dynamic individuals facing compelling personal circumstances. The second reason that your interest is maintained relates to the storytelling method employed. The story of the three women unfold in what essentially amounts to vignettes interrupted by vignettes from moments in the lives of the other two women. Each vignette serves to further deftly develop the character of each our heroines and advance their story line. Each vignette is also a soap opera like cliffhanger in that they end at a point that leaves you wanting to know what happens next. The third reason why The Hours is so compelling is the performances given by three of Hollywood's most talented leading actresses and a superb supporting cast. The only failing in The Hours is the ending which I won't ruin for you by divulging it. Go see The Hours, a movie so compelling the ending will seem like it arrives minutes after the film began. Those minutes are precious and filled with gems. FULL REVIEW OF THE HOURS AND LINK TO ALTERNATIVE REVIEWS Search Feature: 12:36:12 AM    comment []

Friday, January 17, 2003

MOVIE - NARC - REVIEW RATING - $$$$$ $$$ (OUT OF 10) MOVIE - NARC - REVIEW RATING - $$$$$ $$$ (OUT OF 10) STARRING: Ray Liotta (Henry Oak), Jason Patric (Nick Tellis), Chi McBride, Busta Rhymes & Richard Chevolleau. DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Joe Carnahan (Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane) Two cops, one with nothing to lose and the other with everything to lose, confirm the old adage that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Narc is a cop story that pairs a cop with the grittiness of Andy Sipowitz (NYPD Blue) with the integrity of a cop with a Serpico persona. The handwriting is on the wall, so to speak, regarding what the ultimate outcome of such a collaboration will be. Despite this, Narc's handwriting makes for excellent reading along the way. One of the main reasons why Narc is so compelling is the degree to which the main characters are developed. As with all good morality plays the line between good and bad becomes blurred. While Narc takes the time to develop its characters it keeps your interest aroused by increasingly cranking up the intensity with action and violence. If you've seen Bloodwork and City By The Sea, two recent cop movies, you will immediately appreciate that Narc is in another, better league. Narc is a gritty, fresh take on the cop genre that is enjoyable on many levels simultaneously. FULL REVIEW OF NARC & LINKS TO ALTERNATIVE REVIEWS 9:01:45 PM    comment []

Monday, January 6, 2003

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE OF 2002 here or at the bottom of the current page. 4:50:03 AM    comment []

Saturday, January 4, 2003

MOVIE - ABOUT SCHMIDT - REVIEW RATING $$$$$ $$1/2 (OUT OF 10) MOVIE - ABOUT SCHMIDT - REVIEW RATING $$$$$ $$1/2 (OUT OF 10) STARRING - Jack Nicholson (Warren Schmidt), Kathy Bates, Hope Davis (Jeannie), Dermot Mulroney, Howard Hesseman & Len Cariou. DIRECTOR/CO-WRITER - Alexander Payne (Election, Citizen Ruth) Based very, very loosely on the 1996 book, of the same name, by Louis Begley. Jack Nicholson, Warren Schmidt, has to simultaneously deal with retirement, the death of his wife, and estrangement from his daughter and her fiancé. At times compelling, brutally honest, and satirically funny, About Schmidt paints a semi-poignant picture of a distant, emotionally shallow, somewhat callous man without a hint of backbone. I was inspired to do a little research. The original Schmidt, in the book, was Archie Bunker with a Harvard education. The substantial difference between the book and the movie, is that the movie ultimately wants you to like Schmidt, whereas the book wanted Schmidt to be an unlikeable but nonetheless provocative character. Despite its failings About Schmidt still has impact. The biggest compliment I can give About Schmidt is that it has inspired me to read the book. That, and Nicholson's performance, are reason enough to recommend it. FULL REVIEW OF ABOUT SCHMIDT & LINKS TO ALTERNATIVE REVIEWS Search: 4:39:05 PM    comment []

Thursday, December 26, 2002

MOVIE - CATCH ME IF YOU CAN - Review Rating $$$$$ $$$$ (OUT OF 10) MOVIE - CATCH ME IF YOU CAN - Review Rating $$$$$ $$$$ (OUT OF 10) STARRING - Leonardo DiCaprio (Frank W. Abagnale Jr.), Tom Hanks (FBI Agent), Jennifer Garner, Martin Sheen, Christopher Walken (Frank W. Abagnale Sr.), Amy Adams and James Brolin. DIRECTOR - Steven Spielberg The movie is based on the book, by Frank W. Abagnale Jr., Catch Me If You Can: The Amazing True Story of the Most Extraordinary Liar. Abagnale was a con artist/forger extraordinary and the youngest person ever put on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List. Abagnale's audacity, is what keeps Catch Me If You Can, a rollicking affair. If you didn't know it was based on true events you probably wouldn't believe the story and thus lose interest in the tale quickly. How could so many people be taken in by a teenager? The answer, which is as true today as it was in the 1960's (when the story takes place) is that people see what they want to see. There's a great line in the film that eloquently sums up Abagnale's true nature. In a letter to his father, Abagnale writes, "You told me an honest man has nothing to fear. I am trying not to be afraid". What's remarkable about that admission, besides the irony, is that it is one of the few instances where Abignale looks closely at himself in the mirror. The desire to delude oneself, and others, is another family trait that Abignale processes in large quantities. An entertaining movie, with a broader message, Catch Me If You Can should be caught by you at the earliest opportunity. FULL REVIEW OF CATCH ME IF YOU CAN AND LINKS TO ALTERNATIVE REVIEWS Search: 4:35:18 AM    comment []

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