February (NF23)

* Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?: (2006 - Documentary) A very engaging documentary by Frank Popper. FYI: It really doesn't have much to do with the ethic/premise of Frank Capra's 1939 drama (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) starring James Stewart. This documentary follows the 2004 political campaign of Jeff Smith, a young teacher who's decided to run for a congressional seat. The Louisiana seat vacated by Dick Gephardt in 2003. Jeff Smith is just one of the candidates in this race, and the odds are stacked against him. This candidate is so full of enthusiasm and determination that you end up rooting for this underdog as he goes up against the goliath of America's political machine. In the end, it's Jeff Smith - Unknown newcomer with no money and no political clout vs Russ Carnahan - the son of a powerful, Louisiana, political dynasty. An outstanding documentary, well produced, thrilling and honest. 4 out of 5.
* The Pope of Greenwich Village: (1984 - Action, crime, drama) Directed by Stuart Rosenburg (Cool Hand Luke, The Laughing Policeman, The Amityville Horror (original), Brubaker), and starring Eric Roberts, Mickey Rourke, Daryl Hannah, Val Avery and others. The story - Charlie and his cousin Paulie are out of work. Paulie is a dreamer, schemer, two timing loser who thinks only of himself. Charlie is down on his luck, and can't say no to his cousin. Together they team up with a second rate safe cracker in order to crack open a 'sure thing' top floor safe. The safe is full of mob money - Police department pay offs, and that's where the movie heats up. Despite the fact that there's nothing new in the plot, the movie does feature some great performances, especially that of Mickey Rourke. 3 out of 5.
* Margot: (2005 - Documentary, biography / U.K.) The story of Margot Fonteyn - One of the world's greatest ballerinas. While she lifted spirits and illuminated audiences with her grace and elegance, she suffered inwardly from a life that served others but never herself. This documentary was an in-depth review of Margot Fonteyn's life. Through archive footage, interviews and extensive research, it's clear that this bio-pic will stand as the definitive work in it's category. Extremely well edited and produced, the story nonetheless suffers from one problem. It's way too long. I give it a 3 out of 5.
* The Old Man and the Sea: (1990 - Drama / U.K.) There are a few adaptations of this movie listed in IMDB. NetFlix carries two of them, this one and a 1958 version. Based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway, it's a dramatic tale of dignity, suffering, and the human condition. Santiago is an old man, living the last days of his life as a fisherman. His simple life is a battle between those who would control him, and the last vestiges of his pride. The arena is the Sea and this is Santiago's last great fight - A final battle to prove his worth to a world grown tired of his existence. A great story, with some excellent acting (by Anthony Quinn). It's too bad that the production value in this made for TV movie wasn't better. 3 out of 5.
* The Eagle Has Landed: (1976 - Adventure, war, drama / U.K.) Directed by John Sturges (Bad Day at Black Rock, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape), starring Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland, Robert Duvall, Jenny Agutter, Donald Pleasence and others. The story - It's 1943, the Germans are on the verge of losing the war, but there still remains a core of dedicated soldiers and a determination to win. In a desperate last bid to win bargaining room the Nazi's concoct a plan to kidnap Winston Churchill. This audacious plan has good odds to succeed. Code named 'The Eagle Has Landed'; this covert operation is set into motion when Nazi commandos parachute into Northern England on a cold and foggy morning. Outstanding pacing, direction, acting and editing. A thrilling ride with a truly wonderful ending. A well constructed plot keeps you guessing, engrossed and entertained throughout. 4 out of 5.
* Swimming Pool: (2003 - Mystery, thriller, drama / France, U.K.) Directed by François Ozon, starring Charlotte Rampling and Ludivine Sagnier, this movie is a low budget but well produced drama set in the French country side. At a remote home in the south of France, mystery writer Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) is working on her latest novel. With hopes of a romantic liaison with her publisher, she's enjoying the solitude and getting work done, until... Until her publisher's daughter (Ludivine Sagnier) shows up unexpectedly. The little nymph is making Charlotte's life miserable, what with her carefree attitude and sexually charged lifestyle. Their relationship is unsettled and strangely energizing. With a renewed vigor, Sarah changes course, and reworks her latest effort to mimic the brazen and bold lifestyle of her uninvited guest. Things are going great until... The character development was good, the acting good (Rampling), fair (Sagnier) and bad (just about everyone else). The editing, camera work, and pacing were all well done, but the story was far too late in developing the twist, which dropped like a rock in a lake late in the movie. It was disconcerting, out of sync with the rest of the movie, and a bit confusing. It took me a day or two to realize that I had been deceived. The plot was actually a bit deeper than I had originally assumed. Another bonus was the nudity - Well, Ludivine Sagnier's nakedness, not necessarily Charlotte Rampling's (She was 57 at time of movie release). As a matter of fact, I must admit that the nudity distracted me from some of the more subtle plot points. I wish I'd have known ahead of time that it was actually a real mystery, not just an excuse to get Ludivine Sagnier naked. 3 out of 5.
* My Name is Bruce: (2007 - Comedy, horror) Written by Mark Verheiden and directed by Bruce Campbell. Starring Bruce Campbell, Grace Thorsen, Taylor Sharpe and many others. If you are a Bruce Campbell fan - and I count myself in that category - you may love this movie. On the other hand, if you like good movies - Once again, I count myself in that category - you may despise this movie. Well, weighing one against the other. I find that I like 'good' movies more than I like Bruce Campbell. I refuse to rate this movie higher because I loved 'Army of Darkness'. I refuse to rate this movie higher, just because I liked 'Bubba Ho-Tep'. This movie is jam packed with in character/cinematic references. The story. Citizens of 'Gold Lick' Oregon kidnap Bruce Campbell in order to enlist his help in ridding their town of Guan-Di. An ancient Chinese demon; a guardian of the dead, an undead warrior intent on slaying all the residents of Gold Lick. Bruce believes that he's been hired (in an unconventional manner) to star in a low budget production. As the B-Horror movie proceeds, Bruce discovers that the demon is real, then decides that he must do the right thing and save this po-dunk town from Guan-Di's decapitating rampage. Ugghh. It's really not that good, or cool, or funny. It's clever, yeah, but that's about it. The best part of the movie? Some of the cgi effects enhancing the appearance of Guan-Di. This movie isn't Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, or Army of Darkness. It's a bad movie. Bad Ash, bad movie. 2 out of 5.
* Midnight Run: (1988 - Action, adventure, comedy, crime, thriller) Starring Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantoliano and others. Robert De Niro plays an ex-cop turned bounty hunter. When a bail bondsman (Joe Pantoliano) offers him $100,000 to bring Jonathan "The Duke" Madukas (Charles Grodin) back to Los Angelas. Mardukas is a mob accountant who stole millions from the mob. He's wanted by both sides. The FBI (Yaphet Kotto) wants him as a material witness against the mob, and the Mob (Dennis Farina) wants him dead. Jack Walsh (De Niro) is stuck between both parties. As Walsh attempts to return him to L.A. on time, the movie becomes a thrilling cross-country chase . The acting was top notch (except Charles Grodin) and the characters sufficiently developed. A low budget crime, action, thriller with comedic elements. Nothing we haven't seen before, but the performances made it a cut above the rest. 3 of 5.
* In a Lonely Place: (1950 - Drama, film-noir, mystery, romance, thriller) Directed by Nicolas Ray (Rebel Without a Cause, King of Kings), starring Humphrey Bogart (as Dixon Steele) and Gloria Grahame (as Lorel Grey). Humphrey Bogart plays a hot tempered hollywood screenwriter with a dark sense of humor and a belligerent attitude. Gloria Grahame plays the neighbor who provides an alibi. When a hat check girl turns up dead, Dixon Steele is the prime suspect, but Steele's lovely neighbor offers up an alibi. As Steele and Grey begin to date, a relationship forms, love blossoms, but the cops won't relent. Soon Steele's dark side starts to show. Hounded by the police, and haunted by her doubts, Steele becomes increasingly volatile. Will Gloria become the next victim? A great romantic, film-noir, mystery. The drama is gripping, the acting and ending excellent. The only weakness is the short timeline of the movie. It forces some character developments that should have taken longer. By extension, the pacing is also a bit too quick. 3 out of 5.
* Breathless: (1960 - Crime, drama, romance, thriller / France - À bout de souffle) Written in part and directed by Jean-Luc Godard (Master of the French new wave movement (A Woman is a Woman, My Life to Live, Contempt, Masculin Feminin, Band of Outsiders)). Starring the amazingly beautiful Patricia Franchini (playing Jean Seberg), and the very handsome Jean-Paul Belmondo (playing Michel Poiccard). Michel is a sociopathic small-time thief who steals anything he needs, takes what he wants, and expects others to give him whatever he wants. After stealing a car, he murders a police officer and goes on the run. Looking for a place to lay low, he imposes himself upon Jean Seberg, a beautiful American girl studying at the Sorbonne. While he spends his time eluding the police, he's trying to collect on a debt before disappearing altogether. As the noose tightens, he does his best to get the most out of life. His amorous advances are designed to get into Jean's jeans, and eventually he gets what he wants and what he deserves. A tragic but bittersweet ending. Perfect camera work, the setting is excellent, the acting very good, the characters honest, and the chemistry special. 4 out of 5.
* City of Ember: (2008 - Adventure, family, fantasy, sci-fi) Starring veterans Bill Murray and Tim Robbins, and newcomers Harry Treadaway and Saoirse Ronan as the teen stars of the movie. The story - With armageddon looming, a group of scientists create a fallout shelter deep beneath the surface. A city deep in the bowels of the earth. A place where humanity can seek shelter for 200 years, emerging when the surface is one again habitable. Unfortunately, something goes wrong, and the 200 year refuge becomes a home for far longer than anticipated. As the subterranean city of Ember begins to crumble on the verge of total collapse, a group of inquisitive teens seek a way out of Ember. The acting was pretty good, and the sets were outstanding. An excellent family friendly adventure with a fantastic sci-fi setting. I give it a 4 out of 5.
* Gone Baby Gone: (2007 - Crime, drama, mystery) Written in part, and directed by Ben Affleck, this movie stars Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, John Ashton and others. The story is torn from the headlines of an American tragedy. Four year old Amanda McCready is kidnapped and the story hits the headlines like a tragic tale of the inner city. The setting is Dorchester, a slum like part of Boston. A place where drug dealers, gangs and pedophiles find solace in their anonymity. With the spotlight focused on this seedy part of town the cops are less than motivated to find the daughter of Helene McCready; a low-life woman, damaged goods, who distrusts the police and endangers the investigation by withholding information. Adding to the mix are Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro a young investigative couple. Patrick was raised in this environment and his contacts are extensive. The two have been hired by the concerned aunt 'Bea', to help find Amanda. It's a tense, dramatic, mystery with complex characters and excellent social context. Helped by an outstanding cast, the acting was excellent. The direction (Ben Affleck's directorial debut) was fair, and the writing very good. Filled with twists and turns, the plot was complex, but not so twisted that I need notes. I liked the fact that there wasn't a lot of exposition. While the outcome was somewhat predictable, I found the movie to be very well executed. While Casey Affleck's acting was very good, the character wasn't gritty enough for the environment he was inhabiting. The editing, pacing and use of close-ups was excellent. Ben Affleck is a much better writer/director than he is actor, and this debut gets a 4 out of 5.
* Beaufort: (2007 - Action, drama, war / Israel) Screenplay and direction by Joseph Cedar, this movie stars a cast of relatively unknown actors (to American audiences). The acting was outstanding, but the setting was the best part of this movie. A thousand year old roman fort, converted to Israeli outpost in the mountainous frontier of Southern Lebanon. This mountaintop outpost is the setting for a dramatic tale about the failure of war. The Israeli's captured and occupied this strategic location in 1982. This story tells the tale of a group of Israeli soldiers. The men who held the fort in the last days of occupation. The background is historically accurate, the drama is a fictional accounting of those soldiers holding the fort. It's a story about the futility of war, the mentally and physically devastating war which makes victims out of victors. The day to day boredom, the terrifying attacks, the senseless decisions of military commanders. Confined to the top of this mountain, this movie is an excellent example of real drama. An intense drama which examines politics and the human condition. 4 out of 5.
* Pan's Labyrinth: (2006 - Fantasy, drama, thriller / Mexico & Spain - Laberinto del Fauno, El) Written (screenplay) and directed by Guillermo del Toro (one of my favorite directors). This fantastic tale is definitely del Toro's best to date. This man's work keeps turning me on. Cronos, The Devil's Backbone, Hellboy, and this. I own a copy of The Devil's Backbone and Hellboy. Cronos is on my list of must buy movies. I'm definitely adding this one as well. The story is an adult fairy tale told in Spanish w/English subtitles. The main character is a ten year old girl. She's trapped in the real world - post civil-war spain, where troops loyal to General Franco are hunting down some of the remaining 'rebels' - yet she's striving to escape to a fantasy world - populated by fairies and fauns. This movie is R-Rated - Despite the fairy tale slant, this is not the sort of movie that you would bring small children to. The acting was fantastic. The set designs, costumes, props and lighting were fantastic. An awesome movie, populated by the fantastic and fatalistic. 5 out of 5.
* Body of Lies: (2008 - Action, drama, thriller) Directed by Ridley Scott, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Russel Crowe and Mark Strong. This movie featured some very good writing. It was far more believeable and interesting than many of the movies in this 'war on terror' genre. The story - An idealistic new station chief is assigned to Jordan, and he's ready to catch some terrorists. Despite the objections of his boss (Russel Crowe), he confides in his Jordanian counterpart (Mark Strong), the head of Jordanian intelligence. Together they moved forward with a plan which will expose the leadership of a deadly terrorist cell. Unfortunately, Roger's boss screws things up by acting outside the agreement, and Roger ends up as the star in a Terrorist video release. The story moves incredibly fast, making it seem like catching terrorist is easy - even when they don't use the phone. There's plenty of tradecraft, HUMINT, double agents, and technology in the movie, but the pacing was too fast. While the acting was very good, I'm still not convinced by Leonardo DiCaprio in this type of role. He's just not believable in the action hero/tough guy role. Russel Crowe's performance was good, but the star of the movie was Mark Strong, as the head of Jordanian Intelligence. The action sequences were excellent and the camera work well executed. An excellent movie which avoids the typical propaganda of the 'war on terror' genre. 4 out of 5.
* The Quiet Duel: (1949 - Drama / Japan - Shizukanaru ketto) Written and directed by Akira Kurosawa (my favorite director). Starring Toshirô Mifune (as Dr. Kyoji Fujisaki), Noriko Sengoku (as the apprentice nurse) and Takashi Shimura (as Dr. Konosuke Fujisaki). It's a self-enclosed drama that takes place almost entirely with the confines of a small medical clinic in post-war Japan. The story starts as WWII is coming to an end. As Dr. Kyoji is operating on a wounded soldier, he is exposed to an infected patient and contracts syphilis. The patient survives, but squanders his life on drink, regret and unethical behavior. The Dr. is stricken with an overbearing sense of moral responsibility. So powerful are his feelings of that he withdraws his marriage proposal and embarks on a bitter journey of self torture and regret. When the former patient's pregnant wife appears, the clinic is transformed into a cauldron of overflowing emotions. Uncharacteristic of the Japanese ethic, this drama is chock full of emotion and powerful themes of responsibility. An early work which evokes Akahige (aka Red Beard). Fantastic pacing, acting, direction and editing. Unfortunately, the sound, subtitles, camera work and film quality aren't very good. 3 out of 5.
* Clay Pigeons: (1998 - Comedy, crime, thriller, drama / Germany, U.S.) Directed by David Dobkin (Shanghai Knights, Wedding Crashers), staring Joaquin Phoenix, Vince Vaughn, Janeane Garofalo and others. This German produced? movie has an indie-film feel, but a cast which speaks of big time hollywood production. The plot is a twisted serial killer story, with plenty of double crosses and convoluted conundrums. Living in small town Montana should be a good guarantee against mass murder and messy mysteries, but such is not the case in this psychological thriller. Clay Birdwell (played by Joaquin Phoenix) is involved with a married woman, but that's the least of his problems. When corpses start to pop-up in podunk Montana, the FBI arrives to help unravel one death after another. The opening sequence sets the pace for this well directed movie, and the sound track keeps that pace throughout the thriller. The humorous flavor of the movie was very well played, and despite the gruesome nature of some aspects, I found myself somewhat amused by this serial murder mystery. While the plot wasn't too difficult to de-construct, the ending was definitely a unique turn of the table. The characters in this movie were complex, rich and well rounded. After further reflection, I am convinced that this movie isn't just a mixed up mystery. It's actually a very convoluted twist on a typical serial murder plot mechanism. So twisted in fact that many people miss the point, which results in some outstanding discussion at IMDB. I'm definitely going to watch this again. 4 out of 5.
* Chariots of Fire: (1981 - Drama, history, sport / U.K.) Based on a true story. Here is an olympic sized drama, with good intentions and horrible production. O.k. it won four oscars in 1982, but I can't imagine why. I thought it was terrible. That's right, like all my other reviews. This one is opinionated. It's my opinion. There's no doubt of that. I'm only relaying what I thought about the movie. It's not someone else's review, it's mine. If you don't like my review; fine. I'm not requiring your consent, and I refuse to rate a movie based on someone else's review. It's a story about two athletes from England. A Scottish missionary who runs for God, and a Jewish student who runs to help dispel racial prejudice. The movie takes place before and during the Summer Olympics of 1924. The political stage of these particular Olympics are completely overshadowed by the personal stories of these two men. The story is told in a somewhat documentary or flash back manner, and that aspect of the movie is well executed. Why didn't I like the movie? The characters were too perfect, some situations seemed a bit contrived, and the production was terrible. The sound and music were incredibly bad. Too loud, overly dramatic, and far too persistent. The music overtook the movie at many times. The camera work was marked by a single notable feature - Slow motion - and that technique was used far too often, for stretches of time that seemed to drag on forever. The sound work was terrible. I think they only had one microphone during the filming of this movie, and they didn't bother to track the actors with the boom. In many scenes the mic was fixed, making it nearly impossible to follow or even hear the dialog. The lighting in this movie was terrible. I got the feeling that it must have been raining throughout the entire movie. Even if the settings in England were dark and dreary, there's no excuse for poor lighting on interior shots or sunny days - Surely there must have been some sunny days during the many years spanning this story? A good story, with fair acting and direction. This movie was ruined by over dramatic music, poor sound work and a lack of proper lighting. The best part of the movie? The costumes. 2 out of 5.
* Hopscotch: (1980 - Comedy) Directed by Ronald Neame (The Man Who Never Was, The Odessa File) and starring Walter Matthau as Miles Kendig the near retirement CIA operative who doesn't go along with the plan when his new boss (Ned Beatty) decides to bench him. Miles Kendig threatens to write his 'memoirs' and go public with the story. When the agency refuses to reinstate this old school agent, he goes ahead with his plan. Staying one step ahead of a bumbling intelligence community, Kendig shuttles about the world, typing up his memoirs and releasing them to the press. While he exposes the dirty secrets of the CIA, KGB and French Intelligence agencies, they all scramble to shut him down. It's a comedic cat and mouse espionage spoof with fine pacing and a sense of cold-war panache'. 3 out of 5.
* Flash of Genius: (2008 - Drama) Producer Marc Abraham's first foray into directing, and a fine effort at that. Based on a true story/novel by Philip Railsback, this movie dramatizes the story of eccentric inventor Robert Kearns as he takes on the auto industry. It's a story for the oppressed masses, a David vs Goliath story for the tough times. When College professor Robert Kearns (played by Greg Kinnear) goes up against Ford motor company, The corporate behemoth wields their corporate club as a blunt instrument against this little man and the american dream. It's Detroit in the 60's - Kearns is married with six kids when he invents the 'intermittent wiper'. It's something that all the auto makers want, and this bookish odd fish beats them to the punch. Not willing to buy into his vision, Ford decides to take his invention and call it their own. This courtroom drama fairly splits its time between the story of the Kearns family, and the courtroom case against this entrepreneuring inventor. The ending is long in coming, but the direction, acting and editing are well worth the devastating journey. 4 out of 5.
* The Big Bad Swim: (2006 - Comedy, drama) An independent production, starring Paget Brewster, Jeff Branson, Jess Weixler, Ricky Ullman and many others. It's a dramatic story of normal people in an insulated setting. Noah (Jeff Branson) is an adult swim instructor for a group of disparate, desperate characters. The characters are a bit oversexed, and the sound track poorly handled, but the setting keeps our focus on the small-scale story of love, loss and starting over. It's a character based drama where the characters are less than perfect examples of today's self absorbed society, and the lessons learned when people attempt to conquer their fears. 3 out of 5.
* The Lady from Shanghai: (1947 - Crime, drama, film-noir, mystery) Screen play, direction and acting by Orson Welles. This Film-Noir thriller stars Orson Welles, Smokin' hot - Rita Hayworth, Everett Sloane and Glenn Anders. Orson Welles plays Michael O'Hara, an ex-patriot Irishman living in the U.S. When the beautiful Rosalie (Rita Hayworth) catches his eye, he makes the dangerous mistake of getting involved with a married woman. When Rosalie's rich, eccentric and polio stricken husband (Everett Sloane playing Arthur Sloanne) learns of the rogues interest, he offers him a job sailing his yacht around the Caribbean, through the canal, and into San Francisco. The trio pick up Bannister's law partner (Grisby, played by Glenn Anders), and the mystery sets sail. In a very odd turn of events, Grisby offers Michael $5,000.00 to murder him! The sea journey is a harrowing character based drama, a mystery in the making and a wonderful tour-de-force in acting as the crew sets sail around the Caribbean After the ship docks in San Francisco, the movie becomes a court room drama with a wonderful ending. Classic Orson Welles. Fantastic pacing, camera work, sound track, direction and acting. 4 out of 5.
* Weird Science: (1985 - Comedy, fantasy, romance, sci-fi) Written and directed by John Hughes (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueler's Day Off, Planes Trains and Automobiles). Starring Anthony Michael Hall (as Gary), Ilan Mitchell-Smith (as Wyatt), Kelly LeBrock (as Lisa), Robert Downey Jr., Bill Paxton (debut performance) and others. A very 80's movie. With the bad hair, terrible sound production (despite a good sound track), horrid acting and completely ridiculous special effects. In this movie, two unpopular teen geeks - Gary and Wyatt - 'create' a woman using their computer. What? Yes, they create a real flesh and blood woman using a home computer... O.k. completely throw reality out the window, and you end up with a fantastic mish-mash of a movie. It's a fantastic frolic of over-sexed teen proportions. The pacing is break neck and the acting pretty bad. John Hughes has made some really good movies - This isn't one of them. It's a wild, roller coaster ride, of ridiculous situations and fantastic visuals, but that doesn't make it a good movie. On the contrary, the story is a one liner, and the movie was only as good as that single line. 'Two high school geeks create a woman using their computer'. That's it. 2 out of 5.