THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON

Drama, based on a true story

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Sean Penn: Samuel Bicke, a salesman
Naomi Watts: his estranged wife, Marie who works as a waitress
Don Cheadle: his best friend Bonny, an auto mechanic working in a run-down garage
Jack Thompson: Jack, his boss at the office-furniture store

REVIEW
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.

CLASSIFICATION
for language and one scene of graphic violence

P.S.
For some reason the producers decided to change the spelling of his last name from Byck to Bicke.

WILBUR WANTS TO KILL HIMSELF

0 stars

Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Jamie Sives: Wilbur, the one who wants to do away with his life
Adrian Rawlins: his brother Harbour
Shirley Henderson: Alice, a single mother
Lisa McKinlay: her daughter Mary

REVIEW
What a dreary, depressing movie. The whole thing is morbid. It’s all about death: Wilbur’s ineffective attempts at taking his own life (we get to see four of them) and the passing away of his father with several visits to the graveyard. Then one of his friends tries to kill himself by drowning. And to cap things off, his brother gets the news he has a terminal illness. Who needs this stuff?

CLASSIFICATION
for language (use of the f-word) and some disturbing images.

HITCH

• 
  
  
  
  Romantic comedy
  
  PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
  Will Smith: Alex 'Hitch' Hitchens, a love consultant
  Kevin James: Albert, an accountant with a big New York City firm
  Amber Valletta: Allegra Cole, one of their wealthy clients
  Eva Mendes: Sara, a gossip columnist for a NYC tabloid
  
  REVIEW
  To get your moneys worth, close your eyes if the trailer appears because it includes about half the funny scenes. The whole thing is done is such a light-hearted manner it’s a joy to watch. Sure some of the situations are somewhat exaggerated, but that’s what comedy is all about. A big plus is the ending.
  
  CLASSIFICATION
  for language and some strong sexual references.
  
  FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
  While Hitch and Albert are sitting on the steps of some big building, Albert’s suit has a spot on the left shoulder that comes and goes between shots of them talking.
  
  P.S.
  The product plug of Grey Goose vodka serves to give this movie an upper-class feel to it. Grey Goose costs way more than other vodkas. Waaaaaaay more. Like triple the price. So it must be the best vodka available people have come to believe. But vodka is a grain-neutral spirit, and by definition is odorless and tasteless. Therefore one vodka can’t be much better than the other so it’s impossible to rationalize the price difference based on quality/taste alone.
  
  But Sidney Frank (the marketing genius who introduced Jägermeister to the North America market) promoted the brand based on the following:
• “Grey Goose comes from France, where all the best luxury products come from.
• It’s not another rough-hewn Russian vodka—it’s a masterpiece crafted by French vodka artisans.
• It uses water from pristine French springs, filtered through Champagne limestone.
• It is shipped in wood crates, like a fine wine, not in cardboard boxes like Joe Schmo’s vodka.”
  
  Guess that’s all it takes?
  

THE WOODSMAN

Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Kevin Bacon: Walter
Eve: Mary-Kay, Office Secretary at the lumber mill
Kyra Sedgwick: her co-worker Vickie
Benjamin Bratt: Walter’s brother-in-law Carlos
Mos Def: Sgt. Lucas
Hannah Pilkes: Robin, a young bird-watcher

REVIEW
This is a movie about someone trying to reintegrate himself into society. Because many people are judgmental, the task is not an easy one. Kevin Bacon does a superb job conveying the inner struggle the person has to deal with. You should be warned: some scenes are unsettling.

CLASSIFICATION
for partial nudity, harsh language (frequent use of the f-word), mature themes and violence

P.S.
Kyra Segwick and Kevin Bacon are married. They have two children.

BAD EDUCATION

= no stars


Original title: La Mala educación
Sexually explicit drama
In Spanish with English subtitles

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Enrique Goded: an up-and-coming Madrid filmmaker
Ignacio: Enrique's childhood schoolmate and first love
School principal Father Manolo

REVIEW
This is not a particularly good movie unless you are a big fan of film-noir set in the world of homosexuals. To start with, it has the most convoluted multi-layered plot in years flipping back and forth between any one of the three versions of the story. There are elements of sexual abuse with much screen time devoted to gay sex. The world of drag queens and drug addicts is very much in evidence throughout the movie.

CLASSIFICATION
for strong sexual content throughout, language and some drug use.

The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive because of several intense homosexual encounters, implied pedophilia, recurring drug content, transvestism, boys masturbating, brief nudity, frequent use of rough and crude language.

BEYOND THE SEA

Musical

BACKGROUND
b. Walden Robert Cassotto, 14 May 1936, New York, USA
d. 20 December 1973, Los Angeles, California, USA
better known as Bobby Darin, his entry to the music business occurred during the mid-1950's following a period playing in New York coffee-houses. An unsuccessful attempt at a hit with a cover version of Lonnie Donegan's "Rock Island Line" was followed by a move towards pop novelty with "Splish Splash". Darin's quirky vocals ensured that the song was a worldwide hit. The solo release, “Dream Lover" with its enticing vocal performance allied to strong production, took it to number 1 in the UK and number 2 in the USA. Already assured of considerable status as a pop artist, Darin dramatically changed direction with his next recording and emerged as a finger-clicking master of the supper club circuit. His signature song "Mack The Knife” was a million-seller and effectively raised Darin to new status as a serious singer.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Kevin Spacey: Bobby Darin as an adult
William Ullrich: the young Bobby Darin
Brenda Blethyn: his mother Polly
Caroline Aaron: his sister Nina
Bob Hoskins: Nina’s husband Charlie
John Goodman: Bobby’s manager Steve Blauner
Kate Bosworth: movie star Sandra Dee
Greta Scacchi: her overly-protective mother, Mary

REVIEW
Seen as a musical rather than as a straight-forward biography of Bobby Darin, it’s not bad. Spacey does a very credible job of re-creating the popular singer both in voice and singing style. However, he looks far too old for the part (where’s makeup when you need it?). Some of the scenes are a little “over the top” but that is in keeping with the quasi-documentary style of the movie.

CLASSIFICATION
for some strong language and a scene of sensuality.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
During one of the street scenes in the Bronx, several people are sitting on a truck’s open tailgate, which is covered with a blue cloth. The point of view changes to the dancers and immediately back to the viewers to get their reaction. Now they are standing and the blue cloth is no longer draped over the tailgate.

When at the pond, Bobby Darin jumps into a rowboat and that creates ripples going across the water. Then he sits down and the boat pulls away across a perfectly flat undisturbed surface.

P.S.
Released in 1960, the song Beyond the Sea was originally a French song called La Mer. Although not one of his biggest hits, it apparently was one of Bobby's personal favorites

IN GOOD COMPANY

Comedy/drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Dennis Quaid: Dan Foreman, head of marketing for the magazine Sports America
Topher Grace: Carter Duryea, a 26-year-old whiz kid working for GlobeCom
Scarlett Johansson: Dan's 18-year-old daughter Alex
Marg Helgenberger: Dan's wife

REVIEW
This is a story that is all too familiar. It’s about people caught up in the inequities of corporate buyouts and how it affects them and their families. But it’s not all sad and weepy. There are funny moments too, just like in real-life. The acting for the most part is excellent.

CLASSIFICATION
for some sexual content and drug references.