Recent events cause us to be more in need of distractions than ever...
Dean's rating scale: ****Exceptionally good, ***Quite good indeed, ** I liked some things about it, but found it to be something closer to average,* Not recommended.
I need to point out that I am not actually as critical
as I may sometimes sound from my reviews. Generally, anything two
stars or better is something I have enjoyed, and even those to which I
only give one star probably have some aspects I have found redeeming, though
I'd put them further down my list. Anything with less than a star
(that is 0 or 1/2) is an absolute or nearly absolute thumbs down.
| About A Boy | ** |
| Harrison's Flowers | *** |
| Iris | **1/2 |
| Italian For Beginners | **1/2 |
| Kissing Jessica Stein | **1/2 |
| Monsoon Wedding | **1/2 |
| My Big Fat Greek Wedding | *** |
| Y Tu Mama | *** |
About A Boy -- Spend five minutes watching each movie that Hugh Grant has ever performed in, and you might guess that he's portraying the same guy and each of the scenes are all part of the same film. Always something of a charming loser, he again reprises his stereotype in this film, but although he doesn't appear to have much range, he has moments of comic brilliance that confirm he indeed has notable acting talents. In About a Boy he plays a character that hits a bit close to home for me, an unaccomplished and self-indulgent slacker who proudly and steadfastly avoids commitments of any significance. Although the womanizer aspect of his character doesn't fit me, many other aspects of his outlook on life have me pegged. A pugnacious 12-year-old intervenes into his calm and structured existance, and suddenly he realizes that he has nerve endings capable of sensing the world around him. Sound familiar. Think just about any recent film focusing on adult-child relationships, notably anything with Haley Joel Osment. Still, contrary to those other films, this one is fiercely unsentimental, and that is perhaps its strongest point. Although some of the dialog is quite amusing, the film is not nearly as humorous as the ads would have you believe. When I heard that it was directed by the Weitz brothers (Paul and Chris), directors of the hugely popular pubescent teen potty-humor flick American Pie, I was a bit skeptical as to what we might get. Although Hugh Grant may not be attempting to expand his range, it's clear that the Weitz brothers are trying to expand theirs by aiming at a broader cross-generational audience. While there are few memorable moments, the story at least caused me to look at myself yet again and think, "hummm, I ought to try to do something that gives more meaning to my life. Then again, naaahhh!" (Kids -- occasional naughty words, but otherwise okay) **
Harrison's Flowers -- A horrifyingly brutal depiction of the war in Yugoslavia based upon the experiences of photojournalist Isabel Ellson, this is a film that nontheless blends in much more romantic passion and anguish than the broader crop of war films out these days. At the base of the plot is a love story. Sarah Lloyd (Andie Mcdowell) refuses to believe her journalist husband Harrison Lloyd (David Strathairn) has been killed, and she ventures into Yugoslavia to find him. Along the way, she is joined by other journalists who try to dissuade her from venturing further into the depths of hell (and these depths are as deep or deeper than any you've seen), but the journalists end up accompanying her, seemingly out of embarrassment for their own fear. Turn off the brain and go is the shorthand expression of love, I guess. The most central of the journalist characters, portrayed by Adrian Brody, steals many of the scenes and much of the dialog from the generally mute McDowell, who nontheless renders a fully believable portrayal of a passion-driven and shell-shocked wife, most notably revealed in her remarkable facility to generate a deep well of tears on cue. Normally, I find truth to be stranger than fiction, which is why I have a preference for documentaries or docudramas over fantasys. However, I found this predominantly fictional account of war's brutality and insanity to be far more powerful and thought-provoking than films based more firmly in actual events, such as Saving Private Ryan and the even more gruelingly intense Black Hawk Down. Meanwhile, the ugliness and fear-factors of war are cranked up several notches and are more unrelenting than in other war films taken from a journalistic perspective, such as The Killing Fields and Welcome to Sarejevo. This film is not for kids, but I suspect that folks generally opposed to seeing such graphic brutality will still find some solace and reward in the film's romantic love story, which although not fully moving, is at least blindly heroic and something we might wish ourselves the capacity to feel. After the film, I felt inspired to walk over to the Journalists Memorial, which I believe is the only one of its kind in the world and is just a couple of blocks from where I live. On the memorial, in chronological order beginning in 1812 and continuing to the present day, are the names of well over 1000 journalists killed in action, including dozens of men and women killed during the various conflicts in Yugoslavia. It was just another opportunity to reflect on how crazy this world can be and how lucky I've been thusfar to survive it. (Kids -- not recommended due to graphic violence; Teens -- perhaps; Adults -- those with the stomach for it, yes, I'd recommend it) ***
Kissing Jessica Stein -- We've come a long way, baby. Jessica Stein (Jennifer Westfeldt) is a sweet, attractive 28-year-old woman living in Manhatten who has plenty of men beating her door down but isn't satisfied with the selection coming her way -- an amusing string of self-absorbed or otherwise flawed characters. Intrigued by a personal ad that a friend inadvertently reads aloud from the "women seeking women" column, she decides to think outside the box. By comparison to the men she has been meeting, most things click well when she meets and falls in love with Helen Cooper (Heather Juergenson), an outgoing art gallery manager with little or no qualms about exploring beyond her normal heterosexual relationships. Though not always believable, the engaging and sharp-witted dialogue, written by the lead actresses -- two drop-dead gorgeous New York dolls, was first designed as a small theater project called Lipschtick. The subject matter of a lesbian relationship, what not so long ago might have made mainstream movie audiences squirm uncomfortably in their seats makes them feel mostly pleasantly entertained in this context. By comparison to most heterosexual love scenes, the scenes of affection in this film are relatively tame, but it's helpful that tolerance has evolved with increased exposure to plots involving gay relationships. I could be wrong, but I suspect that two attractive women were more likely to make this film saleable to broader mainstream audience than would the same plot involving two men. A scene that perhaps highlights this point is when Jessica and Helen, who have been struggling to get past Jessica's inhibitions, are suddenly able to do so after two heterosexual men start discussing their enjoyment of the concept of lesbian relationships. The script is often brilliant and at times touching, but if I have any complaint, it is that the quick fire dialogue sometimes trips over itself or misfires. Although it's billed as a romantic comedy, the laughs are not frequent or sustained, and the disposition leans more toward the casually real and thoughtful. With New York City as the third star of the show, the script has the standard brashness and edginess that one would expect. Nevertheless, this is basically a kind-spirited film -- one that imagines a tolerant world where love is the only thing that matters. Note that directors continue to aim toward the midtown skyline and away from downtown Manhatten with its absent World Trade Center. (Kids -- nope; Mature teens -- okay; Acclimated and tolerant adults - yes!) **1/2
Iris -- One reviewer called this film "sex and senility," and that's more succinct than any description I could render. Famed British author Iris Murdoch is wittily and sensually portrayed in her younger years by Kate Winslett and tragically portrayed in her older years by Judi Dench. The film reveals some of the brilliance of Murdoch and celebrates the charming romance and deep affection shared between her and her husband, but the emphasis is on the pathetic and highly devastating effects of alzheimers disease. It's terrifying to observe, so I wouldn't go at a time when you are in need of a pick-me-up for your spirits. Still, although the subject matter is highly depressing, great acting and thoughtful scripting ought to overrule your inclination to avoid the film entirely. As fine as is the acting done by Winslett and Dench, the latter of whom is my favorite actress these days, I was even more impressed by the performance of Jim Broadbent, who touchingly portray's Iris's husband in his later years. Whoever cast this film sure knew how to pick the right folks for the jobs, because the transition from the younger actors to the older, both in their performances and in their appearances, is as believable as I've ever seen. (kids -- no; teens -- not likely to enjoy this, but good for some, nevertheless; adults -- yes) **1/2
Italian for Beginners -- (in Danish, with subtitles) -- To find an old-fashioned kind-spirited film, we often have to look to independent films or to Europe, since it's so rare to find charming innocence from the cynical parade of films coming out of Hollywood these days. Italian for Beginners strangely juxtaposes light-hearted romance with more serious topics, including multiple unexpected deaths. The story is about a group of lonely hearts who come together ostensively to attend a class in Italian, but whose true agenda is finding romance. They all manage to do so in oddly amusing, clumsy or improbable ways. Although the film is generally of gentle substance, the characters and the plot are sufficiently quirky to satisfy those who have a need for something with a little edge. The characters reminded me of those you might hear described by Garrison Keillor in a Lake Wobeggon story, only transplanted from small town U.S. into urban Europe. Whoever did the editing unfortunately left the film with an occasional stop-and-go jerkiness that's a bit annoying to watch. Still, for me, the film's plusses far outweigh its negatives. Happy endings are generally out of style in Hollywood, but it's nice to see that they sometimes thrive elsewhere. (Kids and teens -- those with patience for subtitles and thoughtfulness) **1/2
Monsoon Wedding -- (In English and Hindi with some subtitles) -- My friends convinced me I ought to disqualify myself from recounting much about this film since I apparently misunderstood sizeable portions of it, at least with regard to who was who among the characters. Oh well! I may have had the relationships mixed up, but the jist of the film is fairly basic. The story focuses upon the perennial topic of arranged marriage and the trials and trivialities of a contemporary Indian family. It mixes light-hearted humor and romance with much more serious matters, one of which is particularly sad and tragic, focusing on child sexual abuse. The petty family squabbles and occasionally banal dialog may look familiar to viewers of American sitcoms (minus the laugh track), but the story tends a little more toward the romantic and melodramatic, and releases itself in the color and joyfulness of a traditional Indian wedding. The real delight of the show is Indian culture itself, something that never ceases to fascinate. Aside from the basic plot, the film pauses at times to provide us a small sampling of India's extraordinary vibrance, intensity and diversity. It's unfortunate we don't see more of Indian cinema in the West, because any venture into India portends a bombardment of the senses. Most Westerners bear various misconceptions about India, and this film helps to dispell some of those while probably perpertuating others -- which is why it would be beneficial to see more such films from that region. (Children -- possibly not recommended, due to some adult subject matter; Teens -- generally okay and recommended; Adults -- absolutely) **1/2
My Big Fat Greek Wedding -- (In English and Greek with some subtitles) -- On the heals of Monsoon Wedding comes another ethnic romantic comedy wedding film, and I'm probably enough of a conspiracy theorist to consider that this is perhaps not by accident, but by design. Although the reviews for this film were not as favorable as those for Monsoon Wedding, I think this is one instance where the critics got it wrong. This is by far the more amusing of the two films. Some have called it predictable, lightweight, and more suited to the small screen, each of which leaves a very misleading impression. It does have a bit of a sitcom feel to it, with situations and laugh lines modulated for easy digestion without much thought, but unlike the relative wasteland of television comedy, one needn't be prodded by a laugh track, because laughing out loud will come quite naturally. Although it's a rather standard story line, where a wallflower blossoms when a kind and handsome guy implausibly falls in love with her, it's a story with enough originality and charm to make you not care that you've seen similar tales before. Much of the humor is based in the cross-cultural comparisons between the groom's very staid and reserved WASP family and the bride's loud, combative off-the-wall family. It's an impressive first outing for Nia Vardalos, who stars as the bride, and also wrote the story based partly on some of her own experiences. Although it's a parody mostly of Greek culture, the film is loaded with sterotypes that I suspect other cultures will find familiar when comparing to their own families. The unanswered question is how much did the makers of Windex pay for it's frequent appearance in this film. Whatever they paid, it was a bargain. (This is good entertainment for all ages -- though the film carries a PG-13 rating). ***
Y Tu Mama -- (In Spanish with English subtitles) -- I'm in the odd position of reporting that this is probably one of the better films I've seen recently, but I'm quite embarrassed to tell you so. So, please, don't go! Or at least don't hold me accountable if you do! When a friend called to invite me to attend the movie with a couple of other women, I paused and sighed because unlike them I had read the reviews and I knew that the movie contained much steamier sex than the normal R rated movie, and I knew that sitting next to these women, I'd be uncomfortably slinking down in my seat during those scenes. As we sat down, I prepared them for what I expected we were about to see, and there it was on the screen, pure and unadulterated. It is not exactly no holds barred sex, but there are very few holds barred, with even steamier dialog to match. Maybe I'm getting jaded, or just acclimated, but I only felt uncomfortable -- more than the ordinary level of discomfort -- a couple of times. Twenty years ago, this film would have likely received an X rating, but perhaps we're all getting acclimated. Sex wasn't the only aspect to the story, but how could you miss it? Actually, the sex wasn't particularly pretty or sensual. Rather, those scenes seemed poorly timed and too overly hurried to be believable -- perhaps thankfully so. Likewise, the context for the story, given by an intervening narrator, often seemed annoyingly distracting and irrelevant. What, then, made the movie good? Understand that I've cut the movie a lot of slack for its implausibilities, but I would say that by shear force of its frankness, honesty, and utter inhibition, it was above all else interesting to watch not for its sex, but for its unrestrained airing of words between friends and across taboos heretofore unimagined by most of us. We meet two college-bound but gutter-minded and super-hijinksed boys, close friends who, unbeknownst to each other, have violated each other's faith and trust. A slightly older and more mature woman from Spain, whose husband has been unfaithful to her, decides to join the two lads on what basically becomes a good-time Mexican road film, not unlike its American counterparts, except for its over-the-top level of inhibition (both verbally and physically) and for the very different background scenery. The woman comes between to young men, sets them at each other's throats, exposes their shallowness, hypocrasy and the depths of their depraivity, and brings them back together again much closer than they themselves wished they were, ultimately leading to the demise of their friendship. The backdrop of contemporary urban and rural Mexico with its political and class consciousness, the contrast of wealth and poverty, the relaxed casualness of Mexican culture, and the strange mixture of religiousity and tolerance for whatever goes all provide added curiousity for the film, though someone else might consider these things oddly juxtaposed in the story. Don't get me wrong. The movie has many missteps, particularly the odd twists that occur near the end. There's little if any depth and not a whole lot left for the imagination. Still, as sleepy as rural Mexico can be, you're unlikely to fall asleep. But remember, you didn't hear about this movie from me. (Kids -- NO WAY! Teens -- not recommended unless they are unusually mature, and whatever you do, don't sit and watch it with them; Adults -- excessively and perhaps even pointlessly racey and explicit for some) ***