MICHAEL JACKSON: THIS IS IT

Musical performance

F.Y.I.
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009), known as the “King of Pop”, was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time. His unique contributions to music and dance, along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a prominent figure in popular culture for over four decades.
Alongside his brothers, he made his debut in 1964 as lead singer and youngest member of The Jackson 5 and began a successful solo career in 1971. His 1982 album Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time. He is widely credited with having transformed the music video from a promotional tool into an art form with his songs such as “Billie Jean” and “Beat It”.
In his stage performances and music videos Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk.

REVIEW
Accused of child molestation, rumoured to have paid $20 million to the family of a 13-year-old boy, his career was in ruins. Michael Jackson stopped performing, made no more albums, was no longer a part of the contemporary music scene.

Following a sensational trail that acquitted him of all charges, he decided on making a come back and told the world about his forthcoming concert tour. “This Is it”, he said, “This is the final curtain call." How prophetic.

The show’s producers had in mind to release a DVD of the actual concert along with behind-the-scenes footage of backstage planning sessions and some rehearsals. Unfortunately for the massive following of his loyal fans that is all there is.

Although not intended to be, the film is a wonderful tribute to a man who changed the popular music scene as we know it today, who inspired numerous other artists while also breaking down cultural, racial and generational barriers, who astounded everyone with his innovative choreography and dancing ability even more so than his singing. Is there anyone who has not tried to moon-walk at least once?

The seamless mixing of different rehearsals of the same song is nothing short of amazing. At times dressed in casual street clothes, sometimes in full dress rehearsal these shots are melded together as one continuous performance without missing a beat. Someone spent a lot of time making this happen.

CLASSIFICATION
for some suggestive choreography and scary horror film images.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Amimated story

PRINCIPAL VOICES
Jim Carrey: Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts
Gary Oldman: Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley and Tiny Tim
Colin Firth: Scrooge’s nephew Fred

REVIEW
Sometimes they should leave well enough alone. Anyone who has read the book or seen the 1951 movie Scrooge played by Alastair Sim will probably be disappointed with the latest incarnation of this classic tale by Charles Dickens.

Not because Disney strays from the basic premise of the story (which they don’t) but because it is difficult to relate to animated characters that for the most part look as though they are made of plastic. Although Ebenezer Scrooge shows a range of emotions and comes close to the real thing, the others do not.

The use of the latest computer generated animation (including 3D in some theatres) has resulted in some really amazing scenes and Carrey’s versatility is nothing short of amazing. But that is not enough to evoke any real emotional involvement which is the whole point of the exercise. And the transformation Scrooge goes through lacks that eureka moment, overshadowed by all the whiz-bang technology.

CLASSIFICATION
for scary sequences and images.

P.S.
I was concerned that the little ones might be frightened by some of the scenes (particularly the ghost of Christmas Past) but as we exited the theatre I overheard one 4-year-old say “it wasn’t real scary…I didn’t even close my eyes once”.

LAW ABIDING CITIZEN

Crime drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Gerard Butler: Inventor Clyde Shelton
Bruce McGill: Philadelphia District Attorney Jonas Cantrell
Jamie Foxx: Assistant D.A. Nick Rice
Leslie Bibb: Nick's prosecutorial partner Sarah Lowell
Colm Meaney: Police Detective Dunnigan
Annie Corley: Judge Laura Burch
Viola Davis: City of Philidelphia Mayor

REVIEW
A crime thriller that does not “telegraph” what is coming next makes for riveting viewing. Not that one needs to watch everything: the squeamish like me will have to avert their eyes part way through for one fairly brief scene (an essential part of the story but that doesn’t mean I have to watch it).

The acting is fine, the technical aspects of the first order although the CGI needs a little work. Crisp editing keeps things moving to its ultimate grand finale.

CLASSIFICATION
for violence and torture.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
• Although Judge Burch keeps her hands below the dais and does not touch them her eyeglasses change position from one shot to another.
• Clyde has some difficulty getting past the table to lie down on the bed but when he gets there the table has conveniently moved to the other side of the room.
• Clyde gets punched and blood oozes from his mouth. When he looks up, the blood has pretty much disappeared.

AMELIA

Biography

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Hilary Swank: aviatrix Amelia Earhart
Richard Gere: promoter and publishing magnate George Putnam
Ewan McGregor: the founder of TWA Gene Vidal
Cherry Jones: First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt
Christopher Eccleston: Amelia’s navigator Fred Noonan

REVIEW
This is the true story of one of the most incredible people of the 20th century, a woman holding title to many “firsts” not just in aviation but with product endorsements as well. And Hilary Swank nails it: not only does she look and act the part of Amelia she ably handles a full range of emotion. I think this is her best performance ever. The rest of the cast give very credible performances, but none match hers.

The production values are top notch with great attention to detail (apart from two minor points as outlined below) creating the look and feel of the period. And it all rings true since the producers have resisted the temptation to exaggerate a little (or a lot as sometimes happens in Hollywood) especially about the uncertainty of some events.

CLASSIFICATION
for some sensuality, language, thematic elements and smoking.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
• A Petty Officer Second Class enters the radio room aboard the Coast Guard cutter Itasca. Immediately one of the enlisted men stands up and salutes. A salute is not required when indoors unless reporting to an officer and never extended to a N.C.O. Only Commissioned Officers and Warrant Officers are entitled to a salute.
• Fred used a fishing rod to pass messages to Amelia rather than by way of a clothesline shown in the movie.

P.S.
Gene Vidal’s son Gore went on to become a famous author.

P.S.S.
One minor quibble: I don’t see the reason for using the flashback technique since the story begins at a point when we do not know the outcome. I would have taken the straightforward chronological approach.

A SERIOUS MAN

Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Michael Stuhlbarg: college mathematics professor Larry Gopnik
Sari Lennick: his wife Judith
Aaron Wolff: their son Danny
Jessica McManus: their daughter Sarah
Richard Kind: Larry's unemployable brother, Uncle Arthur
Fred Melamed: Larry’s best friend Sy Ableman

REVIEW
I never did figure out what the first ten minutes was all about: a Jewish folklore tale maybe?

Promoted as a comedy, once the real movie gets going I sat there waiting for something funny to happen. It never did. Not once did I find anything even remotely amusing: Larry is faced with all kinds of problems, none of which are something to laugh at. And I was not the only one unable to find humour in the situation. Are we all that thick? Can’t appreciate the funny side of life when we see it?

I don’t know the answer to those questions. All I know is that I was not going to waste anymore of my time so like another couple before me I left.

CLASSIFICATION
for language, some sexuality and nudity and brief violence.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
The second rabbi Larry speaks with stirs his cup of tea then puts the spoon down on his desk and doesn’t touch it afterwards. When viewed from Larry’s perspective the spoon sits lengthwise across the desk but viewed from the rabbi’s perspective it is in the opposite direction.

BRIGHT STAR

Drama
Based on a true story

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Ben Whishaw: 23-year-old penniless poet John Keats
Paul Schneider: Scottish poet Charles Brown, Keats’s mentor, friend and confidant
Abbie Cornish: their next-door neighbour Fanny Brawne
Edie Martin: Fanny’s little sister Toots
Thomas Sangster: their brother Samuel
Kerry Fox: their mother

REVIEW
I suspect that women would like this film more than men would (at least in my case) since it is an unhurried story about the developing romance between an up-and-coming poet and a fairly well-to-do young lady. The emphasis is on the spoken word, of which there are many, and less on action. Action of any sort.

Consequently you must stay focused or the plodding pace will find you nodding off. And as far as the romantic aspect, forget it: because of the pre-Victorian values holding hands is about as good as it gets. For some maybe that’s enough.

The high production values results in the look and feel of the early 1800’s in England (1818 to be exact) with costume design meriting consideration for an Oscar. Fine performances all around although I didn’t take a liking to Mr. Brown at all.

CLASSIFICATION
for thematic elements, some sensuality, brief language and incidental smoking.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
• After taking the book of poems from Toots, Fanny holds it in her right hand while she turns the pages with her left. She then slowly falls back on the bed but magically she now has the book in her left hand with her right waving gently.
• Fanny’s friend is wearing a cross on a necklace. In the close-up shots the cross is to the left but when the camera pulls back to a medium-close shot it is hanging neatly in the center.

CAIRO TIME

Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Patricia Clarkson: Juliette Grant, a journalist with the magazine Vous
Alexander Siddig: Tareq, a retired policeman
Amina Annabi: his long time friend Yasmeen
Tom McCamus: Juliette’s husband Mark, a United Nations aid worker

REVIEW
The simplest of story lines, about a budding relationship in Cairo, has several subplots that serve only to confuse things. Probably these tangential loose ends are meant to add a little more screen time as the runtime is very short, only 88 minutes. On the other hand, we are left guessing about the purpose of Juliette’s bus trip and what transpired when it gets stopped. This is an important part of the story yet it gets short shrift.

The acting is fine and the cinemaphotography well done.

CLASSIFICATION


FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
• Tareq tells Juliette “you can see the pyramids from anywhere in the city”. From personal experience I can tell you this is not true. The pyramids are 20 kilometres from the city center with many buildings blocking the view.
• It is early afternoon after a stroll about the city when Juliette and Tareq return to her hotel. She invites him to have a tea on the hotel terrace. When they are seated the sun has set and it is now dark with the city lights in the background.
• The sun is setting when Juliette and Tareq are walking towards the pyramids. When they get there, the bright sunlight would indicate it’s around noon.