Saturday, December 31, 2005

2005 TOP TEN

In alphabetical order
CAPOTE
Biography
Beautifully crafted and superbly acted, this film about the famous author covers only a short period of his life. The movie conveys some idea as to how a book gets written as well as an insight to the people being written about.

COACH CARTER
Fact based drama
This is a movie about a group of high school athletes who are being held accountable for their actions. As such, there are lessons to be learned for all of us. It is an inspirational-type movie with excellent acting and a strong story line. The fact it happens to be true (or mostly true) is a bonus.

ENRON
Documentary
The movie provides an insight of how the executives of Enron (one of America’s biggest companies, seventh largest at one point in time) exploited loopholes in existing business law and created new business models to defraud the public. But beyond being an entertaining informative complex financial story, the movie is about human fallibility, greed, and arrogance.
Along the way new facts come to light: the involvement of the Bush family in this endeavour and how the company exploited deregulation to manipulate the California electricity crisis and the effects it had on the people living out there.

MAD HOT BALLROOM
Documentary
Charming, amusing, touching and suspenseful all come to mind in thinking about this movie. A documentary about some New York City fifth-graders taking a mandatory 10-week ballroom dancing course is in itself rather unusual. But so are the kids and that’s what makes it so enjoyable.

MADAGASGAR
Animated cartoon
This is a fun movie with more than a few chuckles. It is bright and colourful. So are the four main characters (well maybe some of them aren’t all that bright) who share an adventure started easily enough with a “what if?”. After a slow start, things get going once they leave Grand Central Station. Although the target audience is certainly kids, there are some things only the adults will get. Several recreated scenes are from movies such as Chariots of Fire and Saturday Night Live that were playing in theatres 25 - 30 years ago. As a refreshing change, the movie is completely devoid of any crude humour or bad words. The only swear word comes about when a couple pieces of the big bamboo sign fall off.

MARCH OF THE PENQUINS
Documentary
Although it looks like an IMAX film with gorgeous scenery and huge close-ups, the voice-over is so much better. We are actually given a lot of information during the course of the film rather than just snippets once in a while. Consequently we get to learn a lot about the life cycle of emperor penguins living in Antarctica. Fascinating stuff.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Romantic comedy
A classic story beautifully filmed and marvellously acted. This movie will undoubtedly be nominated (and probably win) several Oscar awards including Best Picture, Cinematography, Production Design, Art Direction, Costume Design, Acting in a Leading Role, in a Supporting Role as well as several technical awards such as Sound Production. It is simply that good.

RORY O’SHEA WAS HERE
Drama/comedy
With such a mix of emotions, there’s something here for everyone. British comedy prevails (although spoken with an Irish accent) between insightful moments of reality. Hilarious at times, serious at others, it’s very entertaining.

THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON
Fact based drama
Sean Penn gives a terrific performance of a troubled and disturbed man who comes to believe that the Government is fundamentally corrupt. A great character-study movie that shows how someone can come to a “reasonable conclusion” based on the facts as they see them. What they do about it is something else again.

WALK THE LINE
Biography
Fans of Johnny “The Man in Black” Cash will love the movie. It’s a well told story about a troubled person coupled with performances by the two lead actors which are nothing short of amazing. You forget you’re watching someone portray Johnny and June Carter. It is uncanny. The movie includes many of Johnny’s big hits, frequently cutting them short to keep the movie running time to a reasonable length.


Honourable Mention

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Drama
A beautifully written story about interpersonal relations and how things do not always turn out as planned. There are great performances by all, particularly by the two lead actors. The stunning shots of the Wyoming mountainous countryside are a real bonus.

CRASH
Drama
Probably no other movie explores the subject of racism as deeply as this one. We get to see seven groups of people living in Los Angeles, and how everyone has their own prejudices and intolerance. How they handle them makes for interesting comparisons. The acting throughout is uniformly excellent.

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
Historical drama
For those interested in American history and television journalism, this is a “must-see”. Others would find it a bore because the movie puts you right in the middle of the action. Mostly centred on the continuing battle between Senator McCarthy and the media, there are side issues brought to light as well. The acting is top-notch throughout.

Big Disappointments

SYRIANA
Thriller
Somewhere in all this confusion, there is an important message (we are running out of oil) but the story is so convoluted and complex that this gets lost in the telling.
Two things would make the movie intelligible: fewer people in it (there are over 70 speaking roles according to the official website) so you don’t have to keep track of so many characters and some straightforward explanations from time to time of what is going on. Otherwise we are left to our own resources to figure it out ourselves. That is a daunting task.

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Fantasy
Maybe it got better, but after one hour of watching the antics of four unpleasant kids and the foolish antics of the cold, cruel, creepy, uncaring, sympathetic owner of the factory I had seen enough of this bizarre movie and left.

THE BROTHERS GRIMM
Fantasy
Given that the title pretty well says it all, most people would expect to see a movie about the famous brothers. Instead you get to see a dark, creepy film with lots of scary bits which are barely discernible in the dimly lit settings. Although there are short snippets of several well-known tales, something very frightening scares Little Red Riding Hood and we are left wondering why Gretel is screaming when she looks behind the tree. The whole premise of the movie is that there is a vile nasty witch lurking in the forest who is responsible for the disappearance of so many young girls. The brothers Grimm are out to do her in. Not the stuff of merrymaking.

Thursday, December 29, 2005

THE FAMILY STONE




Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Sarah Jessica Parker: Meredith Morton, Everette’s girlfriend
Dermot Mulroney: Everett, eldest of the Stone siblings
Diane Keaton: Sybil, the mother of five grown-up children
Craig T. Nelson: Kelly, the father, a university professor
Elizabeth Reaser: their eldest daughter Susannah, expecting her second child
Rachel McAdams: the youngest daughter, Amy
Luke Wilson: their laid-back brother, Ben, a film editor living in San Francisco
Tyrone Giordano: their gay brother, Thad, who is hearing-impaired
Brian White: Thad’s partner, Patrick
Claire Danes: Meredith’s sister, Julie

REVIEW
Promoted as a romantic-comedy, it is something more than that. Sure there are moments of hilarity, but there are a lot of real issues being raised amidst the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. With some great performances, it all fits in nicely.

CLASSIFICATION
CLASSIFICATION
for some sexual content including dialogue, and drug references.

Friday, December 23, 2005

SYRIANA




Thriller

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
George Clooney: Bob Barnes veteran CIA agent in Tehran, Iran
Alexander Sidding: Prince Nasir, reform minded heir apparent to the Emir
Akbar Kurtha: Prince Meshal, Nasir’s younger brother, a pampered playboy
Matt Damon: Bryan Woodman, energy analyst living in Geneva
Amanda Peet: his wife Julie
Christopher Plummer: Dean Whiting, head of the law firm Sloan Whiting
Mazhar Munir: Wasim Ahmed Khan, young migrant worker employed by Connex
Shahid Ahmed: Wasim's father Saleem Ahmed Khan
Tom McCarthy: Fred Franks, Bob Barnes’ CIA boss
Viola Davis: Marilyn Richards, Deputy National Security Advisor
Jeffrey Wright: Bennett Holliday, lawyer with Sloan Whiting
Nicky Henson: Sydney Hewitt, Connex’s Washington counsel
Chris Cooper: Jimmy Pope, President of Killen
Tim Blake Nelson: Danny Dalton, Texas oilman
Peter Gerety: Lee Janus, Connex Chairman
David Clennon: Assistant Attorney General Donald Farish III
William Hurt: Stan Goff, retired CIA agent and longtime associate of Bob Barnes
(and there are 66 more credited cast members!)

Killen: small Texas oil company with valuable drilling rights in Kazakastan
Connex: large Texas oil company wanting to merge with Killen
CLI: Committee to Liberate Iran


REVIEW
Somewhere in all this confusion, there is an important message (we are running out of oil) but the story is so convoluted and complex that this gets lost in the telling.

Two things would make the movie intelligible: fewer people in it (there are over 70 speaking roles according to the official website) so you don’t have to keep track of so many characters and some straightforward explanations from time to time of what is going on. Otherwise we are left to our own resources to figure it out ourselves. That is a daunting task.

CLASSIFICATION
for brief head-turning violence and some language.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
The clock in the control room shows the time to be 23:22 when the missile is launched and is in flight only a couple of minutes. But upon impact the controller announces “Target eliminated at …. (pause while he looks up at the clock)… 23:44”

P.S.
Syriana: a geopolitical term created by the CIA referring to the Middle East hot spots that have proved so volatile to U.S. security.

GO, SEE AND BECOME




Original title Va, Vis et Deviens
Drama
In Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia), Hebrew and French with English subtitles as required



BACKGROUND
Since the history of the so-called Beta Israel was passed down orally throughout the generations, there is no way of knowing their true origins. Most scholars think they are decedents of the Jews who fled Israel after the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE, eventually settling in what is now Ethiopia. Many Christians and Muslims living there call them Falasha "the alien ones, invaders".

With no clear understanding of their actual origins, debates arose as to if their people were in fact “authentic Jews” and their “Jewishness” became an issue of examination. In 1972, Rabbi Ovadia Yossef, Israel's Chief Sephardic Rabbi, made the following statement: “I have come to the conclusion that the Falsahas are Jews who must be saved from absorption and assimilation. We are obliged to speed up their immigration to Israel and educate them in the spirit of the holy Torah, making them partners in the building of the Holy Land.”

But first the Falsahas had to get to Sudan because the Ethiopian government would not allow them to emigrate. The large numbers of Jews crossing on foot into Sudan was taking a horrible human toll and creating dangerous conditions in the refugee camps. Israeli authorities realised that a large-scale operation was necessary.

Operation Moses thus began on November 21, 1984. Refugees were bussed directly from the Sudanese camps to a military airport near Khartoum. Under a shroud of secrecy established by a news blackout, they were then airlifted directly to Israel in Hercules C-130 transport planes with all the seats removed to accommodate the maximum number of passengers. Between November 21, 1984 and January 5, 1985, approximately 8,000 Ethiopian Jews came home to Israel.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Moshe Agazai: Solomon (Schlomo in Yiddish) as a child
Yaël Abecassis: Yaël Harrari, a liberal-minded Jew
Roschdy Zem: his wife Yarom, Schlomo’s adopted mother
Moshe Abebe: Schlomo as a teenager
Roni Hadar: Sarah, school chum who takes a liking to him
Sirak M. Sabahat: Schlomo as an adult

REVIEW
This is the story of a young boy who grows up struggling to fulfil his birth mother’s admonition: to "go, live and become". But he needs to figure out for himself, become what? The acting is uniformly top notch and the editing crisp.

CLASSIFICATION


P.S.
The subtitles are written in pale yellow and often cannot be seen because they blend in with the background. Consequently anyone who relies on them will miss some of the dialog.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

CAPOTE




Biography

BACKGROUND
Born Truman Streckfus Persons in New Orleans on September 30, 1924, he was sent to Monroeville, Alabama to be raised by his mother's relatives. As a child he lived a solitary and lonely existence, turning to writing for solace. When he was nine, he moved to New York City to live with his mother and her second husband, Joseph Capote, who adopted him and renamed him Truman García Capote.

At age seventeen, he dropped out of school and got a job with The New Yorker magazine. Within a few years he was writing regularly for an assortment of publications. Capote's first book, Other Voices, Other Rooms, was published in 1948. With literary success came social celebrity. The young writer was lionised by the high society elite, and was seen at the best parties, clubs, and restaurants.

Breakfast at Tiffany's was published in 1958. The subsequent hit film staring Audrey Hepburn, assured Capote's popularity and place among the upper crust.

Throughout his career, he remained one of America's most controversial and colourful authors, combining literary genius with a penchant for the glittering world of high society. Though he wrote only a handful of books, his prose styling was impeccable, and his insight into the psychology of human desire was extraordinary. His flamboyant and well-documented lifestyle has often overshadowed his gifts as a writer, but over time Capote's work has outlived the celebrity.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Philip Seymour Hoffman: author Truman Capote
Catherine Keener: his close childhood-friend and assistant, author Nelle Harper Lee
Bruce Greenwood: Truman's his longtime companion, Jack Dunphy
Chris Cooper: Alvin Dewey, Sheriff of Holcomb, Kansas
Clifton Collins: good-for-nothing drifter, Perry Smith
Mark Pellegrino: Perry’s partner, Richard Hickock
Bob Balaban: William Shawn, Editor of The New Yorker magazine

REVIEW
Beautifully crafted and superbly acted, this biography of the famous author covers only a short period of his life. The movie conveys some idea as to how a book gets written as well as an insight to the people being written about.

CLASSIFICATION
for some violent images and some strong language (the f-word)

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
While dining one evening, with his right hand Capote is holding a water glass and has his fork in his left. When the camera angle shifts to a position behind him, we see he slowly puts down the water glass, now being held in his left hand.

P.S.
$1,000 back in 1959 is equivalent to about $7,000 today.

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN




Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Heath Ledger: ranch hand Ennis Del Mar
Jake Gyllenhaal: rodeo cowboy Jack Twist
Randy Quaid: their boss, rancher Joe Aguirre
Michelle Williams: Ennis’ wife Alma
Anne Hathaway: rodeo queen Lureen Newsome

REVIEW
A beautifully written story about interpersonal relations and how things do not always turn out as planned. There are great performances by all, particularly by the two lead actors. The stunning shots of the Wyoming mountainous countryside are a real bonus.

CLASSIFICATION
for sexuality, nudity, language and some violence.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

KING KONG




Adventure

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Jack Black: movie director Carl Denham
Naomi Watts: Ann Darrow, vaudeville stage actress
Adrien Brody: Jack Driscoll, playwright
Thomas Kretschmann: Captain Englehorn, skipper of the tramp steamer the S.S. Venture
Colin Hanks: Carl’s production assistant, Preston
Evan Parke: Hayes, the Venture's first mate
Andy Serkis: Lumpy, the one-eyed cook
Jamie Bell: Jimmy, the youngest deckhand aboard the Venture
Andy Serkis: King Kong

REVIEW
A wonderful classic story with unbelievable special effects. The movie has a lot going for it but lacks sorely in editing and that takes away some of the pleasure of seeing it.

There is simply too much of everything. Just about every scene is drawn out and far too long. Instead of being a really entertaining movie, it becomes one of endurance.

CLASSIFICATION
for frightening adventure violence and some disturbing images (particularly for those who have Insectophobia)

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
 Looking at Times Square in the direction of Lower Manhattan, Madison Square Garden is on your right not towards the left as shown by the arrow on one of the billboards.
 After falling down while doing her act, there is some mud on Ann’s forehead which disappears in the following scene when she looks up for approval.
 There are 102 floors, not 101 as shown on the elevator indicator in the lobby of the Empire State Building.

P.S.
At three hours and seven minutes in length, this is one really long movie. And that’s not even counting the closing credits which go on for another twelve minutes.

WALK THE LINE




Biography

BACKGROUND
Country-western star Johnny Cash (1932-2003) recorded more than 1,500 songs, sold more than fifty million records and won eleven Grammy awards. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Joaquin Phoenix: J.R. Cash, better known as Johnny
Robert Patrick: his father Ray
Ginnifer Goodwin: his mother Vivian
Dallas Roberts: Sam Phillips, owner of the Sun Records recording studio
Waylon Payne: Jerry Lee Lewis
Johnny Holliday: Carl Perkins
Jonathan Rice: Roy Orbison
Shooter Jennings: Waylon Jennings
Tyler Hilton: Elvis Presley
Reese Witherspoon: June Carter

REVIEW
Fans of Johnny “The Man in Black” Cash will love the movie. It’s a well told story about a troubled person coupled with performances by the two lead actors which are nothing short of amazing. You forget you’re watching someone portray Johnny and June Carter. It is uncanny.
The movie includes many of Johnny’s big hits, frequently cutting them short to keep the movie running time to a reasonable length.

CLASSIFICATION
for some language, thematic material and depiction of drug dependency.

P.S.
The title comes from his 1958 hit "I Walk the Line"
BTW: the unnamed Ontario, Canada concert location mentioned was Toronto.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA




Fantasy adventure

BACKGROUND
Written in 1950 by C. S. Lewis, this classic tale is the first of a seven-volume series, which collectively have sold more than 85 million books in 29 languages. Lewis, a lecturer in medieval and Renaissance literature at Oxford and Cambridge, became well known as a Christian apologist for his radio shows and books Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, and The Screwtape Letters. As a diversion he also wrote a fantasy series and some science fiction to convey his delight in the joy and mystery of the human adventure.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
William Moseley: Peter, a responsible teenager and the eldest of the Pevensie children
Anna Popplewell: his sister Susan, the most serious of the lot
Skandar Keynes: Edmund, the typical “younger brother”
Georgie Henley: Lucy, the youngest of the four
Jim Broadbent: Professor Kirk
James McAvoy: a faun named Mr. Tumnus
Tilda Swinton: the wicked White Witch
Liam Neeson: Aslan, leader of the Forces of Good

REVIEW
Set in a magical place, the Kingdom of Narnia, where it is winter year round and no Christmas, this is a story of good and evil, of truth and betrayal, of temptation and moral strength. With state of the art CGI, the mystical characters come to life. The acting for the most part is excellent (except for the one scene with the two girls and Aslan up on the mountain) and the scenery is stunning. What is missing though is some serious editing since it runs almost 2½ hours.

CLASSIFICATION
for battle sequences and frightening moments.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
While Edmund is with the White Witch drinking hot chocolate, several drops remain on the corner of his mouth. Seen from over his shoulder, these drops have disappeared only to reappear when the shot reverts back to viewing him from the front.

P.S.
Despite the absence of any really gory moments, the movie with its scary wolves and other fearsome animals is not suitable for really young children (five and under?) or those prone to having nightmares.

Thursday, December 8, 2005

THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY




Drama
With English subtitles as necessary

BACKGROUND
The United States occupation of Vietnam from 1965 to 1975 resulted in many children born to Vietnamese mothers and American fathers. The Asian culture does not accept mixed-race children and therefore considers these children as "bui doi”, less than dust. Their American fathers have abandoned many and the children exist only as pariahs in Vietnamese society. The mothers who decided to keep their children were made to feel ashamed by their compatriots, who consider them to be prostitutes and therefore worthless. Forced together by Vietnamese disdain and scorn, these outcasts form a distinctive ethnic group outside, although still within the Vietnamese race. Many of these children, a large part orphaned, drift into street gangs and fall into a life of crime.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Damien Nguyen: Binh, a 17-year old living in a small village with his foster parents
Thi Kim Xuan Chau: his mother, Mai
Dang Quok Thinh Tran: his little half brother, Tam
Thu Anh: Mai's wealthy employer, Mrs. Hoa
Bai Ling: a young Chinese prostitute, Ling
Tim Roth: Captain Oh, commanding officer of a tramp freighter
Nick Nolte: Steve, a ranch hand

REVIEW
This is a moving story about the struggle of a young man having to overcome his circumstances of birth. With so many unprofessional actors involved, the acting is somewhat uneven but what they have to say and what they do is far more believable.

CLASSIFICATION
for a couple scenes of violence, brief sexual contact, profanity and the use of crude sexual slang terms.

SHOPGIRL




Romantic comedy

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Claire Danes: Mirabelle Buttersfield, sales clerk at Saks Fifth Avenue’s glove counter
Jason Schwartzman: Jeremy, an employee of a company that manufactures speakers
Steve Martin: Ray Porter, a wealthy middle-aged millionaire
Bridgette Wilson-Sampras: Lisa, one of Mirabelles’ associates at Saks Fifth Avenue

REVIEW
Like most films advertised as a romantic comedy, it is not that funny. Sure there are moments that might bring a slight smile to your face, but nothing to make you laugh out loud. The movie is really a drama about relationships, the difficulty about finding ones way in life and commitment (or lack thereof).

CLASSIFICATION
for some sexual content and language

Friday, December 2, 2005

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE




Fantasy

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Daniel Radcliffe: Harry Potter, student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Rupert Grint: Ron Weasley, Harry’s best friend
Emma Watson: Hermione Granger, another good friend of Harry’s
Tom Felton: Draco Malfoy, not one of Harry’s friends
Michael Gambon: Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster
Maggie Smith: Professor Minerva McGonagall with her witch’s hat
Robbie Coltrane: Professor Hagrid, the gentle giant
Alan Rickman: Professor Severus Snape
Brendan Gleeson: Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor
Miranda Richardson: Rita Skeeter, columnist for The Daily Prophet
Robert Pattinson: Cedric Diggory, popular good-looking student at Hogwarts
Ralph Fiennes: Lord Voldemort, scary head of the Death Eaters

REVIEW
Like earlier HP films, each one gets darker and more sinister than the ones that preceded it. The movie begins appropriately enough with a nightmare and a slithering snake. That pretty well sets the tone although true to form, there are lighter moments and even a few chuckles later on. Mention must be made of the special effects: they are spectacular and enliven the movie, especially at times when it drags on far too long.

CLASSIFICATION
for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images.

P.S.
Dedicated fans of HP cannot get enough of course, but for anyone else, two hours and 37 minutes is a long time to sit and watch any film.