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(02/03/05 5:00am)
In 1994 genocide ran rampant across Rwanda. It came about in wake of Belgian colonists leaving the country after having elevated the minority Tutsis to an elite, ruling class status, relegating Hutus to the background. Soon thereafter, a propagandistic radio station, RTML, encouraged the eradication of the "lighter skinned, taller and more elegant" Tutsis, turning what might've been skirmishes fueled by revenge and/or resentment between neighbors into mass murder. The assassination of the Hutu president at the hands of Tutsis only served to throw fuel upon the fire, with RTML referring not only to the assailants but Tutsis as a whole as "cockroaches" in need of extermination. After 100 days of genocide nearly 1 million Tutsis had been killed -- this is the story of "Hotel Rwanda."\nDon Cheadle headlines the film as real-life hero Paul Rusesabagina, a sharp hotel manager of Hutu descent who's married to and has children with Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo) -- a Tutsi. Paul begins the movie as a man concerned with "style" -- Cuban cigars, fine Scotches, imported beer, etc. -- for he knows providing these items to his upscale guests (generals both foreign and domestic) will afford him favors in times of crisis. Paul's family is of the utmost importance to him, and these favors should cement their safety. When attacks first breakout, i.e. Paul's Tutsi neighbor is beaten and abducted within his eyesight, he cares only for the well-being of his wife and children -- everyone else is secondary as they're not family. This mindset changes as genocide escalates with Paul using the hotel to house not only his neighbors but random Tutsis and orphans as well. Eventually 1,268 people are given refuge within the hotel's confines, placing Paul within harm's way.\n"Rwanda" isn't the best-made film that came out last year, but it's certainly one of the most powerful. Co-writer/director Terry George has only two films under his belt: one theatrical ("Some Mother's Son"), the other made-for-television (HBO's "A Bright Shining Lie"), as such he may seem an odd choice to tackle a story of such grandiosity. Upon further inspection he's the perfect pick, as the native Irelander penned powerful IRA films "In the Name of the Father" and "The Boxer" -- both of which were politically motivated and showed the honor and horror of humanity in equal doses. These themes are integral to "Rwanda," and are aptly captured in vivid performances by Cheadle and Okonedo, as well as Nick Nolte and Cara Seymour as a U.N. colonel and relief worker, respectively.\n"Hotel Rwanda" has two agendas; the first is to celebrate the heroic humanitarianism of Rusesabagina, while the second shames Westerners. It's successful on both fronts, as the Rwandans needed our help and most turned a blind eye. This ideal is most aptly captured in a quote from Nolte's character, Col. Oliver, to Rusesabagina expressing the views of all too many, "You're not even a nigger -- you're African." Sadly, thoughts such as this exist. Luckily, so do people like Rusesabagina.
(02/02/05 5:12am)
In 1994 genocide ran rampant across Rwanda. It came about in wake of Belgian colonists leaving the country after having elevated the minority Tutsis to an elite, ruling class status, relegating Hutus to the background. Soon thereafter, a propagandistic radio station, RTML, encouraged the eradication of the "lighter skinned, taller and more elegant" Tutsis, turning what might've been skirmishes fueled by revenge and/or resentment between neighbors into mass murder. The assassination of the Hutu president at the hands of Tutsis only served to throw fuel upon the fire, with RTML referring not only to the assailants but Tutsis as a whole as "cockroaches" in need of extermination. After 100 days of genocide nearly 1 million Tutsis had been killed -- this is the story of "Hotel Rwanda."\nDon Cheadle headlines the film as real-life hero Paul Rusesabagina, a sharp hotel manager of Hutu descent who's married to and has children with Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo) -- a Tutsi. Paul begins the movie as a man concerned with "style" -- Cuban cigars, fine Scotches, imported beer, etc. -- for he knows providing these items to his upscale guests (generals both foreign and domestic) will afford him favors in times of crisis. Paul's family is of the utmost importance to him, and these favors should cement their safety. When attacks first breakout, i.e. Paul's Tutsi neighbor is beaten and abducted within his eyesight, he cares only for the well-being of his wife and children -- everyone else is secondary as they're not family. This mindset changes as genocide escalates with Paul using the hotel to house not only his neighbors but random Tutsis and orphans as well. Eventually 1,268 people are given refuge within the hotel's confines, placing Paul within harm's way.\n"Rwanda" isn't the best-made film that came out last year, but it's certainly one of the most powerful. Co-writer/director Terry George has only two films under his belt: one theatrical ("Some Mother's Son"), the other made-for-television (HBO's "A Bright Shining Lie"), as such he may seem an odd choice to tackle a story of such grandiosity. Upon further inspection he's the perfect pick, as the native Irelander penned powerful IRA films "In the Name of the Father" and "The Boxer" -- both of which were politically motivated and showed the honor and horror of humanity in equal doses. These themes are integral to "Rwanda," and are aptly captured in vivid performances by Cheadle and Okonedo, as well as Nick Nolte and Cara Seymour as a U.N. colonel and relief worker, respectively.\n"Hotel Rwanda" has two agendas; the first is to celebrate the heroic humanitarianism of Rusesabagina, while the second shames Westerners. It's successful on both fronts, as the Rwandans needed our help and most turned a blind eye. This ideal is most aptly captured in a quote from Nolte's character, Col. Oliver, to Rusesabagina expressing the views of all too many, "You're not even a nigger -- you're African." Sadly, thoughts such as this exist. Luckily, so do people like Rusesabagina.
(01/27/05 5:00am)
John Carpenter made the original "Assault on Precinct 13" two years prior to exploding into popular consciousness with his seminal horror classic "Halloween." The flick, a cheapie B-movie which itself was an homage to "Rio Bravo," went on to become a cult classic. Rightfully so, the picture was made with enough grit and moxy to keep viewers interested in the single-setting gangland siege being perpetrated against the lone inhabitants of a soon-to-be abandoned police station. Hollywood in its infinite wisdom, i.e. remaking a remake, has decided to give "Assault" a redux. While the two movies share a basic premise and title, they're two entirely different beasts, bringing about changes both good and otherwise.\nEthan Hawke headlines as Jake Roenick, a cop disgraced in wake of a sting gone awry, who's now settled into a desk job and problems with pills and booze. His desk happens to be at the titular Precinct 13, which will close its doors at the dawn of a new year. Well, it's New Year's Eve and he's overseeing the closure with pudgy, Irish pig, Jasper O'Shea (Brian Dennehy), and slutty secretary, Iris Ferry ("The Sopranos"' Drea de Matteo), while simultaneously receiving therapy from Dr. Alex Sabian (Maria Bello of "The Cooler"), a shrink who's prescribed so many pills she's finally become one. All is going according to plan, that is until a bus full of thugs ascends upon the facility looking for an evening's housing. Amongst the criminal ranks is kingpin Marion Bishop (a cool as a cucumber Laurence Fishburne), who'd been arrested earlier in the day for killing a dirty cop, the crack-headed Beck (John Leguizamo), lady gangbanger, Anna (relative newcomer Aisha Hinds) and Smiley (50 Cent's favorite rapper, Ja Rule), a flimflam man with a predilection towards referring to himself in the third-person. Little does anyone know that a bevy of crooked cops headed by Marcus Duvall (an underused Gabriel Byrne), who were once in bed with Bishop, are looking to seize the gangster and subsequently murder him before he can finger them in a courtroom. Obviously the siege doesn't go swimmingly, and an onslaught of caps are popped, Mexican standoffs become the norm and prisoners are armed in hopes of protecting the precinct.\nJean-François Richet, a French director of some note, makes his U.S. debut with "Assault." He seems an odd choice, as the story is essentially a modern Western -- the most American of all genres. In spite of this, he does a solid, workmanlike job -- infusing standard shots with an artistry foreign to most action pictures. The cast also comes to play. Hawke, surprisingly, makes for a decent action hero. Fishburne, who embarrassed himself in "The Matrix" sequels, gives his badass some bravado. Sadly, James DeMonaco's script lets these fellas down. While it earns points for taking the time to develop its characters (a rarity in flicks of this sort), there are plot holes big enough to drive a Mac Truck through (why don't the cops just forge documents to spring Bishop as opposed to starting World War III?). Action beats are also lifted from other, better movies, i.e. Hawke impales a cop's head with an icicle à la "Die Hard 2" and Fishburne stabs another in the neck with a pen -- see "Casino" or "Grosse Pointe Blank," which gives the proceedings a certain staleness. Though, should we really expect better from the man who penned the Robin Williams debacle "Jack"? \nMy advice: catch this if you want a mildly entertaining diversion from January's doldrums, otherwise rent the original.
(01/26/05 5:19am)
John Carpenter made the original "Assault on Precinct 13" two years prior to exploding into popular consciousness with his seminal horror classic "Halloween." The flick, a cheapie B-movie which itself was an homage to "Rio Bravo," went on to become a cult classic. Rightfully so, the picture was made with enough grit and moxy to keep viewers interested in the single-setting gangland siege being perpetrated against the lone inhabitants of a soon-to-be abandoned police station. Hollywood in its infinite wisdom, i.e. remaking a remake, has decided to give "Assault" a redux. While the two movies share a basic premise and title, they're two entirely different beasts, bringing about changes both good and otherwise.\nEthan Hawke headlines as Jake Roenick, a cop disgraced in wake of a sting gone awry, who's now settled into a desk job and problems with pills and booze. His desk happens to be at the titular Precinct 13, which will close its doors at the dawn of a new year. Well, it's New Year's Eve and he's overseeing the closure with pudgy, Irish pig, Jasper O'Shea (Brian Dennehy), and slutty secretary, Iris Ferry ("The Sopranos"' Drea de Matteo), while simultaneously receiving therapy from Dr. Alex Sabian (Maria Bello of "The Cooler"), a shrink who's prescribed so many pills she's finally become one. All is going according to plan, that is until a bus full of thugs ascends upon the facility looking for an evening's housing. Amongst the criminal ranks is kingpin Marion Bishop (a cool as a cucumber Laurence Fishburne), who'd been arrested earlier in the day for killing a dirty cop, the crack-headed Beck (John Leguizamo), lady gangbanger, Anna (relative newcomer Aisha Hinds) and Smiley (50 Cent's favorite rapper, Ja Rule), a flimflam man with a predilection towards referring to himself in the third-person. Little does anyone know that a bevy of crooked cops headed by Marcus Duvall (an underused Gabriel Byrne), who were once in bed with Bishop, are looking to seize the gangster and subsequently murder him before he can finger them in a courtroom. Obviously the siege doesn't go swimmingly, and an onslaught of caps are popped, Mexican standoffs become the norm and prisoners are armed in hopes of protecting the precinct.\nJean-François Richet, a French director of some note, makes his U.S. debut with "Assault." He seems an odd choice, as the story is essentially a modern Western -- the most American of all genres. In spite of this, he does a solid, workmanlike job -- infusing standard shots with an artistry foreign to most action pictures. The cast also comes to play. Hawke, surprisingly, makes for a decent action hero. Fishburne, who embarrassed himself in "The Matrix" sequels, gives his badass some bravado. Sadly, James DeMonaco's script lets these fellas down. While it earns points for taking the time to develop its characters (a rarity in flicks of this sort), there are plot holes big enough to drive a Mac Truck through (why don't the cops just forge documents to spring Bishop as opposed to starting World War III?). Action beats are also lifted from other, better movies, i.e. Hawke impales a cop's head with an icicle à la "Die Hard 2" and Fishburne stabs another in the neck with a pen -- see "Casino" or "Grosse Pointe Blank," which gives the proceedings a certain staleness. Though, should we really expect better from the man who penned the Robin Williams debacle "Jack"? \nMy advice: catch this if you want a mildly entertaining diversion from January's doldrums, otherwise rent the original.
(01/20/05 5:00am)
This past year was pretty choice so far as cinema goes, with "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Sideways," "Kill Bill Vol. 2," "The Passion," "Garden State," "The Incredibles," "Spider-Man II," "The Life Aquatic," "Ray" and "Collateral" faring best among the stuff I saw. Happily, there's a good chance that 2005 might be even better. Here's what looks to be the cream of the crop. \n1.) "King Kong" (Dec. 14) -- Peter Jackson ditched his mantle as a premiere cult movie director with the astounding "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Now he's a mainstream maven tackling the time-tested ginormous gorilla tale "King Kong." With a top-notch cast featuring Oscar-nominee Naomi Watts in the Fay Wray role, Oscar-winner Adrien Brody and Jack Black, this should rule over all comers. \n2.) "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" (May 19) -- Much like "The Empire Strikes Back," the best and bleakest of the original "Star Wars" flicks, "Revenge of the Sith" will undoubtedly be the most somber -- and thus significant -- of the prequels. \n3-4.) "Sin City" (Apr. 1) and "Batman Begins" (June 17) -- Comic-to-film adaptations have been a dime a dozen these past few years -- some were stellar ("Spider-Man 2," "X2"), others stupid ("Blade: Trinity"). Now comes two translations from talented directors (Robert Rodriguez and Christopher Nolan, respectively) with all-star casts. "Sin" sports Bruce Willis, Benicio Del Toro, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Elijah Wood and innumerable others, while "Batman" boasts Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Ken Watanabe, Katie Holmes and Tom Wilkinson. Each should elevate the genre. \n5.) "Jarhead" (Nov. 11) -- Sam Mendes, director of "American Beauty" and "Road to Perdition," is tackling the ever-timely Gulf War with a literal who's who of America's finest young actors -- amongst them Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard and Sam Rockwell. Throw elder, thespian statesman Chris Cooper into the mix, and this can't come soon enough.\n6.) "Elizabethtown" (July 29) -- Cameron Crowe is one of the best writer/directors working today. Those with refined tastes await his pictures much like sci-fi geeks do the latest "Star Wars" entry. His latest dramedy should be no different, though, it'll be strange to see Orlando Bloom tackle something other than an epic. \n7.) "War of the Worlds" (June 29) -- Steven Spielberg returns to the slam-bang summer spectacle that first made him famous, i.e. "Jaws" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark," after a hiatus in smaller cinema -- "Catch Me If You Can" and "The Terminal." Having Tom Cruise and Tim Robbins along for the ride can't be a bad thing. \n8-9.) "The Bad News Bears" (Summer TBA) and "A Scanner Darkly" (Sept. 16) -- Richard Linklater is the very definition of versatility, as personified by his slate for 2005. The Austin, Tex.-based auteur is not only tackling a remake of Walter Matthau's kiddie baseball comedy starring Billy Bob Thorton from his "Bad Santa" writers, he's also adapting Philip K. Dick's headiest and most drug-induced novel replete with the rotoscoping that marked his "Waking Life." Both should be boss. \n10.) "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (June 10) -- Director Doug Liman is batting 3-for-3 with me, as "Swingers," "Go" and "The Bourne Identity" were all hugely entertaining. His latest supposedly derailed Brad Pitt's marriage. Regardless, this flick looks choice. A cast including Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Angela Bassett (the woman who should've been Storm in the "X-Men" pics), Keith David (of "Platoon" and "There's Something About Mary" fame), Vince Vaughn, "The O.C."'s Adam Brody, Efren Ramirez (Pedro in "Napoleon Dynamite") and William Fichtner (the creepy, Amway-loving cop of "Go") populate a plot which plays as a mishmash of "Prizzi's Honor," "The War of the Roses" and "True Lies." \n11, 12 and 13.) "Kicking and Screaming" (May 13), "Wedding Crashers" (July 22) and "Untitled Mike Judge Project" (Aug. 5) -- The recently dubbed "frat pack," consisting of Vince Vaughn, the Wilson brothers, Will Ferrell, Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Jon Favreau, are unleashing yet another onslaught of films starring one another. Thank Christ, these dudes have been providing us with the funniest comedies of the past few years.\n14-15.) "High Tension" (June 3) and "George A. Romero's Land of the Dead" (Oct. 21) -- Horror movies had a dry spell in 2004 aside from Zack Snyder's slick "Dawn of the Dead" remake and its punningly-titled comedy counterpart "Shaun of the Dead." This year promises to be better with a hardcore NC-17 French import that looks to be chock-full of psychological terror and zombie movie maestro George A. Romero's first undead flick in 20 years. \n16-17.) "Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior" (Feb. 11) and "Oldboy" (March 25) -- These Asian actioneers were highly touted upon their releases abroad last year. The first seems to have a plot akin to that of "Enter the Dragon" or "Fist of Legend," in which one supreme fighter squares off against the world. The second is a revenge pic in which an innocent man is wrongfully imprisoned for 15 years, and the whirlwind reaping that ensues. Word has it both are brutal and bad-ass. \n18.) "Lords of Dogtown" (June 3) -- This skateboard flick should serve as a nice companion piece to 2001's dope documentary, "Dogtown and Z-Boys," with "Thirteen" helmer Catherine Hardwicke directing and David Fincher producing. 19.) "Domino" (TBA 2005) -- Tony Scott is looking to follow-up his mesmerizing "Man on Fire" with this intriguing true tale penned by "Donnie Darko" director Richard Kelly. The titular character (as played by Keira Knightley) is the real-life daughter of famed actor Laurence Harvey (the original "Manchurian Candidate"), as well as a Ford model-turned-bounty hunter. Christopher Walken, Mickey Rourke and "90210" stalwarts Brian Austin Green and Ian Ziering round out the cast ... seriously.\n20.) "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (July 15) -- Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are untouchable whilst working together. That this material is tailor-made for the men's collective strengths only drives home how hard this movie will rock.
(01/19/05 2:40pm)
This past year was pretty choice so far as cinema goes, with "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Sideways," "Kill Bill Vol. 2," "The Passion," "Garden State," "The Incredibles," "Spider-Man II," "The Life Aquatic," "Ray" and "Collateral" faring best among the stuff I saw. Happily, there's a good chance that 2005 might be even better. Here's what looks to be the cream of the crop. \n1.) "King Kong" (Dec. 14) -- Peter Jackson ditched his mantle as a premiere cult movie director with the astounding "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Now he's a mainstream maven tackling the time-tested ginormous gorilla tale "King Kong." With a top-notch cast featuring Oscar-nominee Naomi Watts in the Fay Wray role, Oscar-winner Adrien Brody and Jack Black, this should rule over all comers. \n2.) "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" (May 19) -- Much like "The Empire Strikes Back," the best and bleakest of the original "Star Wars" flicks, "Revenge of the Sith" will undoubtedly be the most somber -- and thus significant -- of the prequels. \n3-4.) "Sin City" (Apr. 1) and "Batman Begins" (June 17) -- Comic-to-film adaptations have been a dime a dozen these past few years -- some were stellar ("Spider-Man 2," "X2"), others stupid ("Blade: Trinity"). Now comes two translations from talented directors (Robert Rodriguez and Christopher Nolan, respectively) with all-star casts. "Sin" sports Bruce Willis, Benicio Del Toro, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Elijah Wood and innumerable others, while "Batman" boasts Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Ken Watanabe, Katie Holmes and Tom Wilkinson. Each should elevate the genre. \n5.) "Jarhead" (Nov. 11) -- Sam Mendes, director of "American Beauty" and "Road to Perdition," is tackling the ever-timely Gulf War with a literal who's who of America's finest young actors -- amongst them Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard and Sam Rockwell. Throw elder, thespian statesman Chris Cooper into the mix, and this can't come soon enough.\n6.) "Elizabethtown" (July 29) -- Cameron Crowe is one of the best writer/directors working today. Those with refined tastes await his pictures much like sci-fi geeks do the latest "Star Wars" entry. His latest dramedy should be no different, though, it'll be strange to see Orlando Bloom tackle something other than an epic. \n7.) "War of the Worlds" (June 29) -- Steven Spielberg returns to the slam-bang summer spectacle that first made him famous, i.e. "Jaws" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark," after a hiatus in smaller cinema -- "Catch Me If You Can" and "The Terminal." Having Tom Cruise and Tim Robbins along for the ride can't be a bad thing. \n8-9.) "The Bad News Bears" (Summer TBA) and "A Scanner Darkly" (Sept. 16) -- Richard Linklater is the very definition of versatility, as personified by his slate for 2005. The Austin, Tex.-based auteur is not only tackling a remake of Walter Matthau's kiddie baseball comedy starring Billy Bob Thorton from his "Bad Santa" writers, he's also adapting Philip K. Dick's headiest and most drug-induced novel replete with the rotoscoping that marked his "Waking Life." Both should be boss. \n10.) "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (June 10) -- Director Doug Liman is batting 3-for-3 with me, as "Swingers," "Go" and "The Bourne Identity" were all hugely entertaining. His latest supposedly derailed Brad Pitt's marriage. Regardless, this flick looks choice. A cast including Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Angela Bassett (the woman who should've been Storm in the "X-Men" pics), Keith David (of "Platoon" and "There's Something About Mary" fame), Vince Vaughn, "The O.C."'s Adam Brody, Efren Ramirez (Pedro in "Napoleon Dynamite") and William Fichtner (the creepy, Amway-loving cop of "Go") populate a plot which plays as a mishmash of "Prizzi's Honor," "The War of the Roses" and "True Lies." \n11, 12 and 13.) "Kicking and Screaming" (May 13), "Wedding Crashers" (July 22) and "Untitled Mike Judge Project" (Aug. 5) -- The recently dubbed "frat pack," consisting of Vince Vaughn, the Wilson brothers, Will Ferrell, Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Jon Favreau, are unleashing yet another onslaught of films starring one another. Thank Christ, these dudes have been providing us with the funniest comedies of the past few years.\n14-15.) "High Tension" (June 3) and "George A. Romero's Land of the Dead" (Oct. 21) -- Horror movies had a dry spell in 2004 aside from Zack Snyder's slick "Dawn of the Dead" remake and its punningly-titled comedy counterpart "Shaun of the Dead." This year promises to be better with a hardcore NC-17 French import that looks to be chock-full of psychological terror and zombie movie maestro George A. Romero's first undead flick in 20 years. \n16-17.) "Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior" (Feb. 11) and "Oldboy" (March 25) -- These Asian actioneers were highly touted upon their releases abroad last year. The first seems to have a plot akin to that of "Enter the Dragon" or "Fist of Legend," in which one supreme fighter squares off against the world. The second is a revenge pic in which an innocent man is wrongfully imprisoned for 15 years, and the whirlwind reaping that ensues. Word has it both are brutal and bad-ass. \n18.) "Lords of Dogtown" (June 3) -- This skateboard flick should serve as a nice companion piece to 2001's dope documentary, "Dogtown and Z-Boys," with "Thirteen" helmer Catherine Hardwicke directing and David Fincher producing. 19.) "Domino" (TBA 2005) -- Tony Scott is looking to follow-up his mesmerizing "Man on Fire" with this intriguing true tale penned by "Donnie Darko" director Richard Kelly. The titular character (as played by Keira Knightley) is the real-life daughter of famed actor Laurence Harvey (the original "Manchurian Candidate"), as well as a Ford model-turned-bounty hunter. Christopher Walken, Mickey Rourke and "90210" stalwarts Brian Austin Green and Ian Ziering round out the cast ... seriously.\n20.) "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (July 15) -- Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are untouchable whilst working together. That this material is tailor-made for the men's collective strengths only drives home how hard this movie will rock.
(01/13/05 5:00am)
Wes Anderson is arguably the best and most eccentric filmmaker of his generation. His movies reflect the man himself in that they're weird as all get out. Such is the case with his latest, "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" -- his strangest, saddest and arguably most precious effort to date.\nBill Murray headlines the picture in masterful form as a pot-smoking Jacques Cousteau knockoff by the name of Steve Zissou. The oceanographer/documentarian has fallen upon hard times. His marriage to Eleanor (Anjelica Huston), the quote unquote brains of his operation, is imploding. His best friend, Esteban (Seymour Cassel), has been eaten by a "jaguar" shark nobody believes exists. Jane Winslett-Richardson (Cate Blanchett), a preganant reporter who idolized Zissou as a child, is in the midst of writing a smear piece on him. Zissou has also discovered that he may or may not be the father of a 29-year-old Kentuckian airplane pilot named Ned Plimpton (Owen Wilson, refreshingly playing against type), this in spite of the fact that Zissou, "Doesn't like fathers. And never wanted to be one." To add insult to injury, Zissou's latest documentaries have been widely panned and all his grant money is being usurped by his wife's half-gay ex-husband Alistair Hennessey (a smarmy Jeff Goldblum).\nAnderson's love of oceanography has been hinted at in previous works such as "Rushmore," but this is an unabashedly bizarre love letter to the science. This isn't the only difference fans of Anderson's work will notice here. The film is marked by a much deeper degree of sadness, what with two of its protagonists perishing before the closing credits. In stark contrast to these issues of mortality, Anderson amps up the sense of whimsy that's been a staple of all his movies. By employing the stop-motion animation of Henry Selick (best known for "The Nightmare Before Christmas"), Anderson's take on the sea and its inhabitants is simultaneously surrealistic and storybook-esque. The biggest departure for the filmmaker has to be the way in which he's embraced violence and gunplay. The action sequences play out like something produced by the Max Fischer Players with a sharper sadistic edge. Though, it's pretty sweet to see Murray engaging in a gunfight while wearing a Speedo and a bathrobe. These differences might be attributable to Noah Baumbach stepping in for Wilson on co-screenwriting duties.\n"The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" may not be Anderson's best film (that'd be "The Royal Tenenbaums") but it's still a whole helluva lot better than much of what's out there. Plus, it's got a Brazillian dude singing David Bowie songs in Portugese, Willem Dafoe playing a creepy German, a three-legged dog and Murray lighting a joint off a hot-air balloon engine's flame. What else do you need?
(01/12/05 6:11am)
Wes Anderson is arguably the best and most eccentric filmmaker of his generation. His movies reflect the man himself in that they're weird as all get out. Such is the case with his latest, "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" -- his strangest, saddest and arguably most precious effort to date.\nBill Murray headlines the picture in masterful form as a pot-smoking Jacques Cousteau knockoff by the name of Steve Zissou. The oceanographer/documentarian has fallen upon hard times. His marriage to Eleanor (Anjelica Huston), the quote unquote brains of his operation, is imploding. His best friend, Esteban (Seymour Cassel), has been eaten by a "jaguar" shark nobody believes exists. Jane Winslett-Richardson (Cate Blanchett), a preganant reporter who idolized Zissou as a child, is in the midst of writing a smear piece on him. Zissou has also discovered that he may or may not be the father of a 29-year-old Kentuckian airplane pilot named Ned Plimpton (Owen Wilson, refreshingly playing against type), this in spite of the fact that Zissou, "Doesn't like fathers. And never wanted to be one." To add insult to injury, Zissou's latest documentaries have been widely panned and all his grant money is being usurped by his wife's half-gay ex-husband Alistair Hennessey (a smarmy Jeff Goldblum).\nAnderson's love of oceanography has been hinted at in previous works such as "Rushmore," but this is an unabashedly bizarre love letter to the science. This isn't the only difference fans of Anderson's work will notice here. The film is marked by a much deeper degree of sadness, what with two of its protagonists perishing before the closing credits. In stark contrast to these issues of mortality, Anderson amps up the sense of whimsy that's been a staple of all his movies. By employing the stop-motion animation of Henry Selick (best known for "The Nightmare Before Christmas"), Anderson's take on the sea and its inhabitants is simultaneously surrealistic and storybook-esque. The biggest departure for the filmmaker has to be the way in which he's embraced violence and gunplay. The action sequences play out like something produced by the Max Fischer Players with a sharper sadistic edge. Though, it's pretty sweet to see Murray engaging in a gunfight while wearing a Speedo and a bathrobe. These differences might be attributable to Noah Baumbach stepping in for Wilson on co-screenwriting duties.\n"The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" may not be Anderson's best film (that'd be "The Royal Tenenbaums") but it's still a whole helluva lot better than much of what's out there. Plus, it's got a Brazillian dude singing David Bowie songs in Portugese, Willem Dafoe playing a creepy German, a three-legged dog and Murray lighting a joint off a hot-air balloon engine's flame. What else do you need?
(12/02/04 5:00am)
Oliver Stone's overly ambitious and ultimately lacking $150 million take on the life of Alexander the Great has already taken a drubbing via scathing reviews and dismal box office returns. As such, "Alexander," a movie I was once eagerly anticipating, had lost much of its appeal. Entering the theater I was full of skepticism. I'd hoped Stone, a director whose work I generally admire, had been misunderstood. That his latest picture wasn't the epic disaster (pun intended) that everyone's been saying it was. Sadly it is, and happily it isn't. \nThe film is structured around the narration of Ptolemy (Anthony Hopkins), a noted astronomer, mathematician and geographer of his time, who also served under Alexander (Colin Farrell) during the Macedonian King's Eastern conquests. From childhood up until his demise at age 32, we see Alexander through Ptolemy's eyes. This is Stone's first mistake. While Hopkins' incessant oratories are well performed, they seem better suited for DVD commentary or History Channel documentaries. Also, within the realm of cinema, it's a cardinal sin to tell as opposed to show.\nAlexander's childhood was marred by Philip of Macedonia (Val Kilmer), his drunken lout of a father, and Queen Olympias (Angelina Jolie), the harpy sorceress he called "Mom." Dysfunction runs rampant amongst the trio. Philip sees his son as a worthless runt. Olympias coddles the boy, building him up with notions of grandeur and insisting he's actually the son of Zeus. Stone, subtle as he is, makes these oedipal overtones obvious -- culminating in a French kiss between mother and son. To add fuel to the fire, Alexander sees Philip sexually assault Olympias during his earliest formative years. Refuge from his parents' warring ways comes in the form of Hephaistion (Jared Leto), a childhood friend who later becomes the love of Alexander's life. This, in spite of Alexander wedding Roxane (Rosario Dawson), an Asian dancer he marries solely to sire an heir.\nMuch of what's here is good. Kilmer gives a sensational, albeit hammy (think: Christmas dinner), performance as Philip. Why is it that this guy does his best work playing drunks, à la "The Doors" and "Tombstone?" Farrell's turn in the title role is predominantly solid. This, in spite of his bleached blonde mullet and some last minute grandstanding that elicits laughter more than inspiration. The battle scenes (sadly, there's only two of them) are fairly awe-inspiring, especially a last minute one in India replete with elephants. Also, the overarching theme of Alexander forcing his beliefs on other cultures rings truer now more than ever, what with George W. Bush's stranglehold over the Middle East. Lastly, the cinematography of Rodrigo Prieto (best known for his collaborations with choice Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu) is vivid -- filled with lush colors and interesting angles.\nNow for the bad, and there's lots of it. Both Jolie and Dawson sound as though they're channeling Natasha Fatale from "Rocky & Bullwinkle." There are only two nice things about either woman's performance: Dawson's bare breasts. Leto, sporting seemingly all of Revlon's eyeliner and mascara, looks like a prettier version of Ozzy Osbourne circa the '80s and is reduced to mooning over and massaging the shoulders of Farrell's King. Homosexuality is danced around in such a roundabout manner that the audience never truly understands the bond between Hephaistion and Alexander. Even as a heterosexual man I'd prefer to see the two men just go at it, as it'd save time and be less laughable. Speaking of laughable, much of the dialogue is the personification of it. Stone rips himself off by riffing on the immortal line from 1983's "Scarface": "The world is yours." The rest of the dialogue is so stunted, so obvious that characters come off as though they're posturing their way into the annuls of history at all times. Other problems include, but aren't limited to: a reference to a metaphorical eagle, Stone soiling the waning moments of the final battle by inanely placing a pink filter over his lens and the ridiculously named Vangelis' obvious, thudding score.\n"Alexander" is one of those rare flicks that can only be made by one of our best filmmakers. It takes a director of Stone's skill to make a movie that's both boldly brilliant and bombastically blah.
(12/02/04 3:02am)
Oliver Stone's overly ambitious and ultimately lacking $150 million take on the life of Alexander the Great has already taken a drubbing via scathing reviews and dismal box office returns. As such, "Alexander," a movie I was once eagerly anticipating, had lost much of its appeal. Entering the theater I was full of skepticism. I'd hoped Stone, a director whose work I generally admire, had been misunderstood. That his latest picture wasn't the epic disaster (pun intended) that everyone's been saying it was. Sadly it is, and happily it isn't. \nThe film is structured around the narration of Ptolemy (Anthony Hopkins), a noted astronomer, mathematician and geographer of his time, who also served under Alexander (Colin Farrell) during the Macedonian King's Eastern conquests. From childhood up until his demise at age 32, we see Alexander through Ptolemy's eyes. This is Stone's first mistake. While Hopkins' incessant oratories are well performed, they seem better suited for DVD commentary or History Channel documentaries. Also, within the realm of cinema, it's a cardinal sin to tell as opposed to show.\nAlexander's childhood was marred by Philip of Macedonia (Val Kilmer), his drunken lout of a father, and Queen Olympias (Angelina Jolie), the harpy sorceress he called "Mom." Dysfunction runs rampant amongst the trio. Philip sees his son as a worthless runt. Olympias coddles the boy, building him up with notions of grandeur and insisting he's actually the son of Zeus. Stone, subtle as he is, makes these oedipal overtones obvious -- culminating in a French kiss between mother and son. To add fuel to the fire, Alexander sees Philip sexually assault Olympias during his earliest formative years. Refuge from his parents' warring ways comes in the form of Hephaistion (Jared Leto), a childhood friend who later becomes the love of Alexander's life. This, in spite of Alexander wedding Roxane (Rosario Dawson), an Asian dancer he marries solely to sire an heir.\nMuch of what's here is good. Kilmer gives a sensational, albeit hammy (think: Christmas dinner), performance as Philip. Why is it that this guy does his best work playing drunks, à la "The Doors" and "Tombstone?" Farrell's turn in the title role is predominantly solid. This, in spite of his bleached blonde mullet and some last minute grandstanding that elicits laughter more than inspiration. The battle scenes (sadly, there's only two of them) are fairly awe-inspiring, especially a last minute one in India replete with elephants. Also, the overarching theme of Alexander forcing his beliefs on other cultures rings truer now more than ever, what with George W. Bush's stranglehold over the Middle East. Lastly, the cinematography of Rodrigo Prieto (best known for his collaborations with choice Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu) is vivid -- filled with lush colors and interesting angles.\nNow for the bad, and there's lots of it. Both Jolie and Dawson sound as though they're channeling Natasha Fatale from "Rocky & Bullwinkle." There are only two nice things about either woman's performance: Dawson's bare breasts. Leto, sporting seemingly all of Revlon's eyeliner and mascara, looks like a prettier version of Ozzy Osbourne circa the '80s and is reduced to mooning over and massaging the shoulders of Farrell's King. Homosexuality is danced around in such a roundabout manner that the audience never truly understands the bond between Hephaistion and Alexander. Even as a heterosexual man I'd prefer to see the two men just go at it, as it'd save time and be less laughable. Speaking of laughable, much of the dialogue is the personification of it. Stone rips himself off by riffing on the immortal line from 1983's "Scarface": "The world is yours." The rest of the dialogue is so stunted, so obvious that characters come off as though they're posturing their way into the annuls of history at all times. Other problems include, but aren't limited to: a reference to a metaphorical eagle, Stone soiling the waning moments of the final battle by inanely placing a pink filter over his lens and the ridiculously named Vangelis' obvious, thudding score.\n"Alexander" is one of those rare flicks that can only be made by one of our best filmmakers. It takes a director of Stone's skill to make a movie that's both boldly brilliant and bombastically blah.
(11/18/04 5:00am)
Brett Ratner is a director who unfairly gets a lot of flack among fanboys. For all intensive purposes he's just as bad as Michael Bay (who I also like), Renny Harlin (who I occasionally like), Jan de Bont (who directed "Speed," which gives him a wee bit of leeway) and Uwe Boll (who directed "House of the Dead," and thus deserves a lifetime in cinematic purgatory). Ratner's directed some entertaining popcorn flicks along the lines of "The Family Man," "Rush Hour 2" and "Red Dragon." He's also made execrable fluff -- "Money Talks" and "Rush Hour." His latest, "After the Sunset," which has a title that's dangerously similar to that of Richard Linklater's talky Euro-based pictures, will give his detractors more ammunition.\nPierce Brosnan headlines as the blandly named Max Burdett, a master thief who Thomas Crown would likely scoff at with his third-rate shave, Club Med clothes and American wheels. Max, alongside his scantily clad gal pal, Lola (the scintillating Salma Hayek), has just stolen the second of three priceless Napoleon diamonds. The victim of their crime is an FBI agent by the name of Stan Lloyd (Woody Harrelson), whose task was to defend the ripped-off rock. Spurned for his inefficiency, Stan pursues Max and Lola from Los Angeles to an unnamed Caribbean island. Here, the third of the aforementioned diamonds is docked on a luxury liner. Stan rightfully assumes Max is looking to pilfer the piece, in spite of the thief's incessant claims otherwise. See, he's "retired." While investigating Max, Stan aligns himself with Sophie ("28 Days Later" vet Naomie Harris), a local cop he partners with on the streets and in the bedroom. Also entangled in this mess of characters is an ignorantly verbose criminal kingpin (Don Cheadle), who wants Max to steal the diamond for his own means. True to form, chaos ensues as this clichéd caper unfolds.\n"After the Sunset" isn't bad per se, it's just too damned satisfied in being merely mediocre. Brosnan seems to be sleepwalking through the film, doing a gruff variation on his Crown character. Hayek is given nothing to do other than be "the girl" and prance around in ridiculously revealing clothing. Harrelson, who's been MIA as of late, is good to see on screen again but is obviously better than the material as evidenced by prior work in "Natural Born Killers," "Kingpin" and "The People vs. Larry Flint." Harris, who embodied modern feminist strength in "28 Days," is also relegated to eye candy status, with a crappy Caribbean accent to boot. The only actor who came to play is Cheadle. His gangster character espouses on the values of loving anonymous women -- the idea of which came from listening to the Mamas & the Papas. Sadly, his role is reduced to a glorified cameo. \nAdding insult to injury, the movie is homophobic, mildly sexist and derivative of a slew of heist pictures from the past few years. The abundance of action, humor and romance promised in the trailers is minimal at best. My advice: wait for "Ocean's 12" and skip the "Sunset"
(11/18/04 2:11am)
Brett Ratner is a director who unfairly gets a lot of flack among fanboys. For all intensive purposes he's just as bad as Michael Bay (who I also like), Renny Harlin (who I occasionally like), Jan de Bont (who directed "Speed," which gives him a wee bit of leeway) and Uwe Boll (who directed "House of the Dead," and thus deserves a lifetime in cinematic purgatory). Ratner's directed some entertaining popcorn flicks along the lines of "The Family Man," "Rush Hour 2" and "Red Dragon." He's also made execrable fluff -- "Money Talks" and "Rush Hour." His latest, "After the Sunset," which has a title that's dangerously similar to that of Richard Linklater's talky Euro-based pictures, will give his detractors more ammunition.\nPierce Brosnan headlines as the blandly named Max Burdett, a master thief who Thomas Crown would likely scoff at with his third-rate shave, Club Med clothes and American wheels. Max, alongside his scantily clad gal pal, Lola (the scintillating Salma Hayek), has just stolen the second of three priceless Napoleon diamonds. The victim of their crime is an FBI agent by the name of Stan Lloyd (Woody Harrelson), whose task was to defend the ripped-off rock. Spurned for his inefficiency, Stan pursues Max and Lola from Los Angeles to an unnamed Caribbean island. Here, the third of the aforementioned diamonds is docked on a luxury liner. Stan rightfully assumes Max is looking to pilfer the piece, in spite of the thief's incessant claims otherwise. See, he's "retired." While investigating Max, Stan aligns himself with Sophie ("28 Days Later" vet Naomie Harris), a local cop he partners with on the streets and in the bedroom. Also entangled in this mess of characters is an ignorantly verbose criminal kingpin (Don Cheadle), who wants Max to steal the diamond for his own means. True to form, chaos ensues as this clichéd caper unfolds.\n"After the Sunset" isn't bad per se, it's just too damned satisfied in being merely mediocre. Brosnan seems to be sleepwalking through the film, doing a gruff variation on his Crown character. Hayek is given nothing to do other than be "the girl" and prance around in ridiculously revealing clothing. Harrelson, who's been MIA as of late, is good to see on screen again but is obviously better than the material as evidenced by prior work in "Natural Born Killers," "Kingpin" and "The People vs. Larry Flint." Harris, who embodied modern feminist strength in "28 Days," is also relegated to eye candy status, with a crappy Caribbean accent to boot. The only actor who came to play is Cheadle. His gangster character espouses on the values of loving anonymous women -- the idea of which came from listening to the Mamas & the Papas. Sadly, his role is reduced to a glorified cameo. \nAdding insult to injury, the movie is homophobic, mildly sexist and derivative of a slew of heist pictures from the past few years. The abundance of action, humor and romance promised in the trailers is minimal at best. My advice: wait for "Ocean's 12" and skip the "Sunset"
(11/11/04 5:00am)
Sacha Baron Cohen aka Ali G is among the best of a new wave of British comedians, which also includes Ricky Gervais of "The Office" and "Shaun of the Dead" and "Spaced" creators Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. This is evidenced by his hysterical HBO series "Da Ali G Show." Sadly, his 2002 feature film "Ali G Indahouse," which is new to DVD in the States, isn't indicative of the man's talent.\n"Indahouse" is reminiscent of the "Saturday Night Live" spin-off flicks in which characters that are endearing for 10 to 15 minutes are spread thin across 90 minutes of screen time. Here, the numb-skulled G is appointed to Parliament by a priggish Chancellor (Charles Dance) in hopes of overthrowing the Prime Minister (respected Irish actor Michael Gambon). Sure, this is preposterous and sadly reminiscent of the Jamie Kennedy debacle "Malibu's Most Wanted" (which admittedly came later), but the movie has its fair share of laughs. Much of this comes by way of scatological dick and fart jokes and racially-fueled humor, i.e. a dog named Tupac slobbing G's knob, G incessantly referring to himself as black, etc.\nTrue to form, G works better off the cuff. This is evident in that the commentary which accompanies the film is more amusing than the film itself. Cohen does the track in character alongside "Office" alum Martin Freeman (in character as Ricky C), and it's a riot. Other bonus features include deleted scenes that are raunchier (and thus funnier) than much of what made the final cut and a behind the scenes special in which Cohen (again, under the guise of G) pokes fun of his cast mates and director (Brit TV vet Mark Mylod). My advice: rent or skip this flick and opt for the brilliance that is "Da Ali G Show"
(11/11/04 3:49am)
Sacha Baron Cohen aka Ali G is among the best of a new wave of British comedians, which also includes Ricky Gervais of "The Office" and "Shaun of the Dead" and "Spaced" creators Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. This is evidenced by his hysterical HBO series "Da Ali G Show." Sadly, his 2002 feature film "Ali G Indahouse," which is new to DVD in the States, isn't indicative of the man's talent.\n"Indahouse" is reminiscent of the "Saturday Night Live" spin-off flicks in which characters that are endearing for 10 to 15 minutes are spread thin across 90 minutes of screen time. Here, the numb-skulled G is appointed to Parliament by a priggish Chancellor (Charles Dance) in hopes of overthrowing the Prime Minister (respected Irish actor Michael Gambon). Sure, this is preposterous and sadly reminiscent of the Jamie Kennedy debacle "Malibu's Most Wanted" (which admittedly came later), but the movie has its fair share of laughs. Much of this comes by way of scatological dick and fart jokes and racially-fueled humor, i.e. a dog named Tupac slobbing G's knob, G incessantly referring to himself as black, etc.\nTrue to form, G works better off the cuff. This is evident in that the commentary which accompanies the film is more amusing than the film itself. Cohen does the track in character alongside "Office" alum Martin Freeman (in character as Ricky C), and it's a riot. Other bonus features include deleted scenes that are raunchier (and thus funnier) than much of what made the final cut and a behind the scenes special in which Cohen (again, under the guise of G) pokes fun of his cast mates and director (Brit TV vet Mark Mylod). My advice: rent or skip this flick and opt for the brilliance that is "Da Ali G Show"
(11/04/04 5:00am)
Ladies and gentlemen, Jamie Foxx has officially arrived as a dramatic actor. After flirting with the title these past few years in films such as "Any Given Sunday," "Ali" and "Collateral," Foxx has given his most fully-realized performance to date as Ray Charles in the late music great's biopic, "Ray." Foxx's work is the stuff Oscars are made of. Think of it: the star of "Booty Call" receiving a golden boy. Who'd have thunk it? Not me. Not until now.\nDirector/co-writer Taylor Hackford takes on Charles' life from childhood up until 1970, when he kicked his 20-year heroin addiction. From witnessing the senseless drowning of his brother in a wash tub at age five to going blind as a result of glaucoma two years later, Charles' early life was marked by tragedy. Soon thereafter, Charles was admitted to a school for the blind- separating him from his loving though, not coddling- mother, Aretha (an exemplary Sharon Warren).\nThe movie picks up sometime later, depicting Charles' early start with a Florida country band, his subsequent stint in Seattle playing ill-paying gigs and hanging out with an adolescent Quincy Jones (Larenz Tate) and a pot-smoking dwarf emcee (Warwick Davis aka "Willow," and it's hilarious watching him toke). \nLater, he gets the attention of Atlantic Records head Ahmet Ertegun (Curtis Armstrong -- yes, Booger from "Revenge of the Nerds"), signs a solo deal and marries the infinitely patient and all-together God-loving Della Bea (a fine Kerry Washington). \n"Ray" is cool in that it doesn't portray Charles as a saint, but a man whose childhood ghosts pervade his adult life. He cheats on his loving wife numerous times with back-up singers Mary Ann Fisher (Aunjanue Ellis) and Margie Hendricks (the electric Regina King), has children out of wedlock (more than the movie has time to tackle) and does a slew of drugs. It's Foxx, who doesn't so much do a Charles impression but rather inhabit the man, that lends these despicable actions some sort of humanity.\nHackford seems an odd choice to direct this picture, what with having directing schlock along the lines of "Proof of Life." Then again, he also made the Chuck Berry documentary "Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll," and appears to be passionate about the subject matter. This enthusiasm finds its way onto the screen. \nDespite being two-and-a-half hours long, the film doesn't lag and gives real insight into Charles' life. The music, which includes Charles' classics "I Got a Woman," "What'd I Say," "Georgia on My Mind," "Hit the Road Jack," "Unchain My Heart" and "You Don't Know Me," as well as the cinematography by Roman Polanski's current lenser, Pawel Edelman, are top-notch. Add these elements atop Foxx's masterful performance and you've got one of the better docu-dramas of recent memory.
(11/04/04 4:00am)
Ladies and gentlemen, Jamie Foxx has officially arrived as a dramatic actor. After flirting with the title these past few years in films such as "Any Given Sunday," "Ali" and "Collateral," Foxx has given his most fully-realized performance to date as Ray Charles in the late music great's biopic, "Ray." Foxx's work is the stuff Oscars are made of. Think of it: the star of "Booty Call" receiving a golden boy. Who'd have thunk it? Not me. Not until now.\nDirector/co-writer Taylor Hackford takes on Charles' life from childhood up until 1970, when he kicked his 20-year heroin addiction. From witnessing the senseless drowning of his brother in a wash tub at age five to going blind as a result of glaucoma two years later, Charles' early life was marked by tragedy. Soon thereafter, Charles was admitted to a school for the blind- separating him from his loving though, not coddling- mother, Aretha (an exemplary Sharon Warren).\nThe movie picks up sometime later, depicting Charles' early start with a Florida country band, his subsequent stint in Seattle playing ill-paying gigs and hanging out with an adolescent Quincy Jones (Larenz Tate) and a pot-smoking dwarf emcee (Warwick Davis aka "Willow," and it's hilarious watching him toke). \nLater, he gets the attention of Atlantic Records head Ahmet Ertegun (Curtis Armstrong -- yes, Booger from "Revenge of the Nerds"), signs a solo deal and marries the infinitely patient and all-together God-loving Della Bea (a fine Kerry Washington). \n"Ray" is cool in that it doesn't portray Charles as a saint, but a man whose childhood ghosts pervade his adult life. He cheats on his loving wife numerous times with back-up singers Mary Ann Fisher (Aunjanue Ellis) and Margie Hendricks (the electric Regina King), has children out of wedlock (more than the movie has time to tackle) and does a slew of drugs. It's Foxx, who doesn't so much do a Charles impression but rather inhabit the man, that lends these despicable actions some sort of humanity.\nHackford seems an odd choice to direct this picture, what with having directing schlock along the lines of "Proof of Life." Then again, he also made the Chuck Berry documentary "Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll," and appears to be passionate about the subject matter. This enthusiasm finds its way onto the screen. \nDespite being two-and-a-half hours long, the film doesn't lag and gives real insight into Charles' life. The music, which includes Charles' classics "I Got a Woman," "What'd I Say," "Georgia on My Mind," "Hit the Road Jack," "Unchain My Heart" and "You Don't Know Me," as well as the cinematography by Roman Polanski's current lenser, Pawel Edelman, are top-notch. Add these elements atop Foxx's masterful performance and you've got one of the better docu-dramas of recent memory.
(10/28/04 4:00am)
David O. Russell is one weird dude. After making his directorial debut with the icky incest comedy "Spanking the Monkey," Russell made two of the '90s most underrated flicks in the forms of a trippy road movie ("Flirting with Disaster") and an eerily prescient Gulf War satire ("Three Kings"). Now comes "I Heart Huckabees," Russell's most bizarre effort to date, which isn't damning in spite of being daunting. Think: a film for smart people with a stupid streak.\n"Huckabees" is, as Russell has stated numerous times in interviews, an existential comedy. What exactly this meant prior to entering the theater I didn't know. Upon seeing the movie things were illuminated. "Huckabees" is an all-star satire in which its protagonists seek answers to life's coincidences and conundrums. \nForemost among these folks is Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman, in his best performance since "Rushmore"), a wannabe poet and figurehead of the environmentalist Open Spaces Coalition. Bothered by random run-ins with a 7-foot-tall African doorman and an ongoing feud with ladder-climbing Huckabees superstore exec Brad Stand (the appropriately smarmy Jude Law), Albert hires the Jaffe's, Bernard (Dustin Hoffman, sporting a Beatle-esque mop top) and Vivian (Lily Tomlin). The Jaffe's are a married, existential detective duo who help their clients in examining life by way of meditation and omnipresent surveillance. Also thrown into the mix are environmentally-conscious yet-hotheaded-firefighter Tommy Corn (a hilarious Mark Wahlberg), Brad's Huckabees spokesmodel girlfriend, Dawn Campbell (the gorgeous yet appropriately vapid Naomi Watts) and Caterine Vauban (Isabelle Huppert), the Jaffes' nihilistic counterpart replete with a business card reading, "cruelty, manipulation, meaninglessness."\n"Huckabees" is an audacious film to be sure. In all likelihood it's just too damned big for its britches. By juggling issues from crass commercialism to right-wing Christianity (both of which receive an upturned middle finger) to life itself, ideas are often addressed and then discarded without being fully hammered home. That Russell finds time to include a wigged Law breastfeeding Schwartzman and a scuzzy woods-based sex scene amid the abstraction brings forth equal parts horror and hilarity. Though, it's in these off-kilter moments that "Huckabees" takes flight, as its more philosophical passages, i.e. characters breaking apart into mere molecules while discussing said process, smack of pretentiousness. \nSee "I Heart Huckabees" for the performances, especially Wahlberg's, which further reveals the actor as a capable comic presence. (There should be some sort of rule that Marky Mark will work with Russell and Paul Thomas Anderson alone, as these guys seem to bring out the best in him.) Also, the flick's worth checking out if for nothing else than to hear Jon Brion's gorgeous score. Between this and his previous work in "Magnolia," "Punch-Drunk Love" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," Brion's becoming one of the best composers in the biz. Just don't see "I Heart Huckabees" with the preconception that it will change your life, though, it may accentuate it. Nothing more, nothing less.
(10/28/04 4:00am)
Oliver Stone has certainly earned his title as moviemaking's grand provocateur of the past 20 years. Between "Platoon," "JFK" and "Natural Born Killers," Stone has consistently stirred up cinematic shitstorms. Standing toe-to-toe with these politically-charged works is "Born on the Fourth of July," which was recently given "Special Edition" treatment via DVD re-release.\n"July" tells the harrowing/inspiring true story of Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise, in an arguably career-best performance), a soldier paralyzed in the Vietnam War, who later becomes an anti-war and pro-human activist after feeling betrayed by the American populace. The film has more heart than most of Stone's work, and while he certainly had an agenda in making the movie (as per usual) it wasn't as obvious. Much of this is attributable to Cruise's vivid portrayal, Kovic and Stone's solid script, Robert Richardson's sterling cinematography marked by hues of red, white and blue and John Williams' emotionally evocative score.\nSadly, the DVD doesn't stack up with the film. Special features are limited to a feature-length commentary by Stone, which is interesting and informative in spite of Stone's lethargic speaking voice, and an inane NBC News special chronicling the movies' back story. Despite a lack of special features, "Born on the Fourth of July" is more than worth a look, especially as its central precepts are as relevant now, if not more so, than ever.
(10/28/04 3:34am)
Oliver Stone has certainly earned his title as moviemaking's grand provocateur of the past 20 years. Between "Platoon," "JFK" and "Natural Born Killers," Stone has consistently stirred up cinematic shitstorms. Standing toe-to-toe with these politically-charged works is "Born on the Fourth of July," which was recently given "Special Edition" treatment via DVD re-release.\n"July" tells the harrowing/inspiring true story of Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise, in an arguably career-best performance), a soldier paralyzed in the Vietnam War, who later becomes an anti-war and pro-human activist after feeling betrayed by the American populace. The film has more heart than most of Stone's work, and while he certainly had an agenda in making the movie (as per usual) it wasn't as obvious. Much of this is attributable to Cruise's vivid portrayal, Kovic and Stone's solid script, Robert Richardson's sterling cinematography marked by hues of red, white and blue and John Williams' emotionally evocative score.\nSadly, the DVD doesn't stack up with the film. Special features are limited to a feature-length commentary by Stone, which is interesting and informative in spite of Stone's lethargic speaking voice, and an inane NBC News special chronicling the movies' back story. Despite a lack of special features, "Born on the Fourth of July" is more than worth a look, especially as its central precepts are as relevant now, if not more so, than ever.
(10/28/04 3:13am)
David O. Russell is one weird dude. After making his directorial debut with the icky incest comedy "Spanking the Monkey," Russell made two of the '90s most underrated flicks in the forms of a trippy road movie ("Flirting with Disaster") and an eerily prescient Gulf War satire ("Three Kings"). Now comes "I Heart Huckabees," Russell's most bizarre effort to date, which isn't damning in spite of being daunting. Think: a film for smart people with a stupid streak.\n"Huckabees" is, as Russell has stated numerous times in interviews, an existential comedy. What exactly this meant prior to entering the theater I didn't know. Upon seeing the movie things were illuminated. "Huckabees" is an all-star satire in which its protagonists seek answers to life's coincidences and conundrums. \nForemost among these folks is Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman, in his best performance since "Rushmore"), a wannabe poet and figurehead of the environmentalist Open Spaces Coalition. Bothered by random run-ins with a 7-foot-tall African doorman and an ongoing feud with ladder-climbing Huckabees superstore exec Brad Stand (the appropriately smarmy Jude Law), Albert hires the Jaffe's, Bernard (Dustin Hoffman, sporting a Beatle-esque mop top) and Vivian (Lily Tomlin). The Jaffe's are a married, existential detective duo who help their clients in examining life by way of meditation and omnipresent surveillance. Also thrown into the mix are environmentally-conscious yet-hotheaded-firefighter Tommy Corn (a hilarious Mark Wahlberg), Brad's Huckabees spokesmodel girlfriend, Dawn Campbell (the gorgeous yet appropriately vapid Naomi Watts) and Caterine Vauban (Isabelle Huppert), the Jaffes' nihilistic counterpart replete with a business card reading, "cruelty, manipulation, meaninglessness."\n"Huckabees" is an audacious film to be sure. In all likelihood it's just too damned big for its britches. By juggling issues from crass commercialism to right-wing Christianity (both of which receive an upturned middle finger) to life itself, ideas are often addressed and then discarded without being fully hammered home. That Russell finds time to include a wigged Law breastfeeding Schwartzman and a scuzzy woods-based sex scene amid the abstraction brings forth equal parts horror and hilarity. Though, it's in these off-kilter moments that "Huckabees" takes flight, as its more philosophical passages, i.e. characters breaking apart into mere molecules while discussing said process, smack of pretentiousness. \nSee "I Heart Huckabees" for the performances, especially Wahlberg's, which further reveals the actor as a capable comic presence. (There should be some sort of rule that Marky Mark will work with Russell and Paul Thomas Anderson alone, as these guys seem to bring out the best in him.) Also, the flick's worth checking out if for nothing else than to hear Jon Brion's gorgeous score. Between this and his previous work in "Magnolia," "Punch-Drunk Love" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," Brion's becoming one of the best composers in the biz. Just don't see "I Heart Huckabees" with the preconception that it will change your life, though, it may accentuate it. Nothing more, nothing less.