Man on Wire

A fascinating yarn. Our hero, Philippe, is a bit of an egotist but we can presume that one must be in order to accomplish his Twin Towers wire-walk objective. His charisma is undeniably infectious, and the archival footage & photos are a joy to behold. The inclusion of French composer Erik Satie's piano music during the climactic moments is a fitting union of two iconoclasts.


Written 12/30/08

Bomb It

Outstanding overview of the worldwide graffiti scene. However, I am disappointed that the woman with the low-cut top was selected to be the poster/cover image for the film. She is hardly featured in the film, and is not a highly compelling subject -- she doesn't even paint anymore! A crass example of commercialization. "Put a busty woman on the front, and more people will pay to see it!" So that is disappointing. But the filmmaker's survey of the global graffiti scene does not disappoint. He is comprehensive in his scholarship and effectively presents both sides of the pro- and anti- graffiti argument. Any art aficionado ought to give this a look. Ye shall be enlightened.


Written 11/29/08

Cool Hand Luke

Paul Newman oozes cool and contempt for authority as Luke -- an archetype for Hollywood anti-heroes to come. The punishment his character receives for a petty crime doesn't seem appropriate... seems hijacked from an archaic draconian age, really. Do such labor camps still exist? Only in the south, perhaps? Whatever -- watch and enjoy this band of sweaty, southern-accented men develop their schemes and hatch their plots. The soundtrack is outstanding, too. Lalo Schifrin (he's most famous for his "Mission: Impossible" theme, among dozens of other notable credits) enhances the narrative with his propulsive score. Music is at the core of this film, with the prisoners' continually singing work songs. Newman himself picks up a banjo and sings a tune. This is a compelling movie with universal themes and well-drawn characters.

Written 11/29/08

Iron Man

This is a fun ride. Robert Downey Jr. burns bright as Tony Stark, Jeff Bridges shaves his head for his role ("the Dude abides"!), Terrence Howard emits cool as a military man, and Gwyneth Paltrow gets a nice paycheck so she can feed her kids. Suspend your disbelief and be prepared to endure a fair share of hackneyed dialogue. Don't over-think this one -- it is escapist fare.


Written 11/3/08

The Last Laugh

This is worthy of a look, but only if you fancy yourself an amateur film scholar. I defy anyone to convince me that the average beer-swilling, NFL-addicted citizen of our modern day will sit through "The Last Laugh" with nary a word of ridicule. Some of the other reviewers claim that "The Last Laugh" is a film for anyone with a heart and pulse -- I must argue against this. The exaggerated mannerisms of silent-film actors do not age well. This film is undeniably a gem of the early period of filmmaking, but that does not automatically imply that it will compel a 21st century human being.


Written 10/28/08

In the Realms of the Unreal

I'm all for bringing a bigger spotlight to the work of outsider artist Henry Darger, but this attempt to showcase his work via a documentary film falls flat. One might guess that it could be difficult to paraphrase 15,000-odd pages of narrative into a film and make it feel coherent. This is an unenviable task. Credit director Jessica Yu for her sincerity and willingness, but unfortunately her Darger portrait is tedious and unfulfilling.


Written 10/24/08

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

The fact that the lead actor Jason Segel - an unknown - crafted this screenplay himself provides intrigue. But his moping, loser character soon grates. Russell Brand plays a charming rapscallion that is basically identical to his true life celebrity persona. He is mildly amusing. The female leads aren't given much to work with; honestly, their characters are vapid. It's not all a road to miserable viewership, though -- there are some worthy gags along the way. But it's hard to root for characters who both possess little distinction and are poorly drawn.


Written 10/13/08

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

The drugs don't work. The drugs don't work. The drugs don't work. The drugs don't work. The drugs don't work. The drugs don't work.


Written 10/6/08

Sherman's March

I enjoy director Ross McElwee's particular brand of neuroses. This documentary presents him chasing after a long list of former flames as well as potential new flames. All the while he lugs his lo-fi film equipment around, documenting the proceedings and often making people feel uncomfortable. The connection between his doomed love life and General Sherman's Civil War march through the South are hardly tenable, but I appreciate McElwee's willingness to juxtapose all manner of different filmed scenes and let the viewer decide the connection. He doesn't force you to come to any conclusions, but his themes are so universal that you will inevitably stumble upon some poetic truth along the way with him in this rambling travelogue.


Written 9/23/08

The Fall

"The Fall" is an inverted, darker "Princess Bride". Here, the adult storyteller is the one who is sick. He has a rapt audience in young actress Catinca Untaru (her performance is outstanding). And he weaves his tale, which at times bored me but is always visually stunning. Everything you think is a special effect is not. The filmed sets perfectly capture the fantasy element in storytelling. The end of the movie delivers great hope to the viewer in its knowing portrayal of the resilience of humankind. Among the special features, the behind-the-scenes featurette is essential viewing. There you can begin to understand how the director Tarsem coaxed such a singular performance from his child lead.


Written 9/18/08

Ace in the Hole

Kirk Douglas delivers an incendiary performance here. His vivid portrayal of a corrupted newspaper reporter carries the film. The underlying themes of "Ace in the Hole" are depressingly timeless. Greed, corruption, and selfishness all take their bow. Don't rent this expecting an experience that will lift you from your doldrums -- you'll feel even more bitter and angry by the end.


Written 9/18/08

The Band's Visit

Ponderous and sterile. It is distressing to learn that the director spent nine years of his life crafting this screenplay. It is paper-thin.


Written 8/24/08

Persepolis

"Persepolis" should be required viewing for Americans Who Whine. Animation offers a unique vehicle for telling a mature story. You won't always love the actions of the lead character, Marjane, but that's part of the film's charm. It is a warts-and-all tale of her formative years from childhood to adulthood, largely set in her war-torn homeland Iran. The hand-drawn animation is simple but effective, and at times is highly moving. The English vocal track sounds ridiculous when compared with the original French. I definitely recommend you choose the French audio track, with subtitles.


Written 7/29/08

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

Forest Whitaker is outstanding as "Ghost Dog". You have to get past the initial "What? A chubby samurai?" questions and just get on with enjoying his performance. I feel certain that the director Jim Jarmusch had ambitions for this film that were left unfulfilled due to budget constraints. His filmmaking is imaginative, but some segments drag terribly. Most notable among these: Ghost Dog steals approximately 5 automobiles during the movie, and each time we are subjected to his boring ritual of putting a CD in the stereo (Whitaker is awesome, but I'll never buy him as a hip-hop aficionado), and then driving silently for 5 minutes. These intervals become maddening for the viewer. Still, this is a thought-provoking update of classic samurai films.


Written 7/16/08

Horowitz in Moscow

Casual viewers will inevitably become bored at some point while viewing this. This DVD offers about an hour and a half of an elderly man performing works for solo piano. Those who find this dull should be pegged as unfortunate gorillas! What singular performances these are - not merely because of the performer's prowess, but also because of the location. It is touching to witness Horowitz's return to his homeland after 60-odd years away. The reception from his audience in Russia is a joy to witness, as each individual strives earnestly to commune with the tones emanating from Horowitz's piano. And Horowitz leaves his best on the stage, grinning giddily to his audience and delivering a performance of emotional richness and depth.


Written 7/16/08

Be Kind Rewind

On paper, the premise of "Be Kind Rewind" is comic gold, but the end product is something hollow. Jack Black's schtick wears thin. He is a tiresome performer relying on the same tiresome antics. Mos Def is slightly better, but his character's perpetual mumbled dialogue is puzzling. Their "sweded" (remade) movies offer some fleeting joy for the viewer; director Michel Gondry is a master at innovative special effects. But these only offer a short respite prior to the film's entirely unconvincing final 20 minutes. The closing scene will undoubtedly elicit a "Yeah, right!" from your mouth.


Written 6/29/08

Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures

A vivid portrait of a film giant. You won't have to love Kubrick's films to gain a greater appreciation for the man and his work. Essential viewing for any film buff.


Written 6/26/08