January 31, 2007
CATCH A FIRE [PG-13]
It is difficult to view any politically charged film today — no matter where and when it takes place — without grafting a modern American political slant onto it, and The Quiet American director Philip Noyce’s latest is no exception. With its themes of intolerance, government-sanctioned fear mongering and terrorism, it is quite easy to look at America’s Iraqi quagmire and see the parallels that Noyce is trying to make to it. The mostly-true story starts in Apartheid-era South Africa, 1980, with family man Patrick Chamusso (Derek Luke) wrongfully pegged as a suspect in the bombing of a prominent local coal processing plant. When he is let go, his sense of justice leads him to unite with a group of freedom fighters set liberating the mostly-black South Africa from its out-of-touch white Dutch puppet masters. As auspicious as Luke’s debut in Denzel Washington’s Antwone Fisher may have been, the young actor has come a long way since, dwarfing Tim Robbins’s (War of the Worlds) role as anti-terrorist agent Nic Vos. The part is underdeveloped, and Noyce is a bit too subtle when putting to us the question, “Are terrorists born or made?” It is still a good show, and should appeal to anyone who took Blood Diamond to heart. And speaking of Washington, he played activist Steve Biko in Richard Attenborough’s Cry Freedom (1987), which, like the similar Apartheid drama A Dry White Season (1989) is also worth seeking out. –Robert Newton
THE MOTEL [R]
Most of the time, when a film runs 75 minutes or under, it is because it is either under-written or over-edited. Either way, it signals trouble. Not so with writer-director Michael Kang’s ultra-efficient film festival favorite. In the vein of Me, You and Everyone We Know and Chuck & Buck, the smooth and restrained Kang dances with obscenity, but leaves us to take the next step into prurient outrage. Kang’s young star, first-time actor Jeffrey Chyau, is fantastic, nailing the part of Ernest, an emotionally neglected son of fleabag motel owners. Kang plays so well the relationship between Ernest and Sam (the handsome and unrelated Sung Kang), a sensitive, deadbeat party boy who becomes a father figure of sorts, when he is not entertaining fast girls in his room. Psychologically smart and poetic in its depiction of Ernest’s inner life, the film is a minor work of art, a portrait painted by an observant street artist unafraid to take quirky to a whole new level. –Robert Newton
LUCKY LOUIE [NR]
Watch one episode of HBO’s first live sitcom, based on the stand-up of gonzo Boston comic Louis C.K., and you will know why it was not renewed after its initial 12 episodes — it makes the Bundys from “Married With Children” cuddly by comparison. That is not to say that there is nothing worth sampling here, as C.K. and company make a good time of all the icky-ness. “Opie & Anthony” regular Jim Norton is a memorable, lovable creep, and “King Of The Hill” staple Pamela Adlon is adorable. Alas, though, there is no kismet here, as this uncensored “All In The Family” is by no means greater than the sum of its parts. HBO’s “One Night Stand,” separately featuring C.K. and Norton, showcases both comics at their best, with the 2001 oddity Pootie Tang featuring C.K. at his weirdest. –Robert Newton
LIES & ALIBIS [R]
Most audiences will know Steve Coogan only casually from recent movies like Marie Antoinette and Night at the Museum, but the gifted comic actor shines so much brighter in films like 24 Hour Party People, Tristram Shandy and this grown-up caper comedy. The cheeky “Alan Partridge Show” star plays a former grifter who goes mostly legit as the proprietor of an agency that meticulously crafts alibis for philanderers and other cheats. He takes on an assistant, played by the crafty Rebecca Romijn (X-Men: The Last Stand), and they both become embroiled in some high-unpleasantness from which they must escape. First-time directors Matt Checkowski and Kurt Mattila make sure the hijinks are tight and believable, buoyed by a strong ensemble, which includes Sam Elliott, James Brolin and Jerry O’Connell. –Robert Newton
TOP 10 DVD RENTALS
[10] INVINCIBLE [10]
[9] THE NIGHT LISTENER [9]
[8] THE COVENANT [8]
[7] LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE [7]
[6] THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA [6]
[5] THE ILLUSIONIST [5]
[4] CRANK [4]
[3] THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: [3]
THE BEGINNING
[2] GRIDIRON GANG [2]
[1] EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH [1]
Source: Video Business
January 25, 2007
It’s a card knock life
A review of the all-star action bash Smokin’ Aces
By Robert Newton
SMOKIN’ ACES 
Starring Jeremy Piven, Alicia Keys and Ryan Reynolds; Written and directed by Joe Carnahan; 109 minutes; Rated R [for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some nudity and drug use]
Before Guy Ritchie became Mr. Madonna, he was fast on his way to becoming the next Tarantino. His smart, high-octane heist pictures Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000) became favorites with fans waiting for the methodical Tarantino to top Pulp Fiction. Since then, however, the only thing he has done besides Swept Away, his ghastly, action-free 2002 love letter to the Material Girl, is the overambitious and still-unreleased 2005 effort, Revolver, and even that was not very good. Fear not, Guy Ritchie fans, as shrewd Narc writer-director Joe Carnahan has crafted a substitute for that substitute, a ballsy chase picture that is pure macho entertainment.
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VOLVER
Starring Penélope Cruz, Lola Dueñas and Carmen Maura; Written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar; 121 minutes; Rated R [some sexual content and language]
In Spanish, the word “volver” means “to return.” It is the perfect word with which to describe Oscar-winner Pedro Almodóvar’s comic melodrama that, after the consummate writer-director’s dark and brooding Bad Education (2004), marks his triumphant return to the comic material that skyrocketed him to international acclaim nearly two decades ago with Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Another story of women’s solidarity and resilience in the face of faithless and selfish men, the film also boasts 2006 Best Actress Oscar nominee Penélope Cruz’s joyous return to rich acting performances in her native language and milieu. She plays Raimunda, a working-class mother modeled on the roles that made Ana Magnani and Sophia Loren famous. With this character, Cruz and Almodóvar cleverly blend elements of Italian neo-realism with Hollywood film noir as we see Raimunda’s drudge transforming herself into a restaurant owner, becoming overnight a Spanish Mildred Pierce.
The film’s title could also refer to Carmen Maura, whose last appearance in an Almodóvar film was as the lead of Women on the Verge… Here, she plays Irene, a would-be ghost who comes back from the grave to save her daughter. And since Cruz is the spiritual heir of the feisty heroines Maura played in Almodóvar’s earlier films, it is only fitting that Maura should now play Raimunda’s mother.
The improbable plot owes as much to Polanski’s Chinatown and Hitchcock’s Rear Window as it owes to the filmmaker’s own childhood memories, and the result is a cleverly layered and bittersweet comedy. Beautifully shot, with Almodóvar’s penchant for stunning reds to connote passion and death, and a striking score by Alberto Iglesias, Volver is a joy to see and hear, certainly a film for Almodóvar fans of all stripes to return to again and again. –Marvin D’Lugo
THE HITCHER [R]
In this decent remake of the 1986 thriller classic, Grace (Kate Beckinsale ringer Sophia Bush of
John Tucker Must Die) and Jim (Zachary Knighton of
The Prince & Me) set off on a spring break road trip through New Mexico when they decide to give a mysterious stranger a lift. How could they have ever known that this creepy guy played by the old fighter dude from those three
Hobbit water tortures was a homicidal maniac with a death wish? Sean Bean picks up the role of the hitchhiker, John Ryder, stepping into the Rutger Hauer role with ease. After being falsely accused for Ryder’s crimes, Ryder sends Grace and Jim on the run from the police, who he gleefully takes on a hard-edged game of cat-and-mouse through the lost highways of the Southwest. With plenty of high-speed chases and intense moments to keep thrill-seekers juiced with adrenaline, the movie is like a great cover of a popular old song. Of course, the song has lyrics like
“…there’s a killer on the road” or
“…let the bodies hit the floor.” It also has all the energy and drive of the original, adding new horsepower and a modern verve that will make fans of this new version as and turn new ones on to the original. Unlike most of the recent horror movie remakes like
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and
The Amityville Horror, there’s no scratched “CSI” montages of gory crime scene flashbacks here, as it maintains an engaging homage to the original by keeping it simple with kids, a killer and the deserted desert lanes.
–Eric Boyle
January 25, 2007
Dear Showcase Cinemas,
First off, on behalf of Worcester’s hungry film nuts, both a hearty congratulations and a thank you are in order for your decision to appropriate the four 110-seat theaters at your Worcester North for the dedicated exhibition of independently minded features. While the name “Ciné Art” is a little intimidating for those viewers not already sold on alternative programming, I’m sure you will surely make this a non-issue as you build this new brand over the coming months and, hopefully, years. Worcester’s many demanding film fans — from students to silverhairs — will surely embrace your bold new concept. This will be, of course, as soon as you have made the proper efforts to reach them all, including the bunch that don’t yet know the joys of having the additional choices you will provide starting tomorrow. “If you build it, they will come,” may have worked for Kevin Costner in the cornfield, but not in this long neglected market. Remember, there were people who attended the three-screen Bijou Community Cinema’s farewell party in 2004 who said, guiltily lamenting its passing, “I never got around to coming here until now,” after the place had been open for four years.
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COCAINE COWBOYS [R]
It’s 3 a.m., and my cell phone rings – 305 area code – Miami, Dade County. “Yo, son.” It’s my homie, Bo D. ” ‘Scarface’ been replaced.” What? “You ain’t seen ‘Cocaine Cowboys’ yet, son, you better check it — ‘Scarface’ been REPLACED!” Hold up – Scarface, the ultimate drugs-and-violence Film Of Choice for today’s hip-hop generation? REPLACED? By an independent DOCUMENTARY FILM? Bo Dee, you snortin’ that yayo, kid? “Nah, man, Miami is going wild for ‘Cocaine Cowboys.’ Check out the interviews on YouTube — you’ll see!” I checked it — and there was rapper Pitbull, Mr. 305, welcomin’ me to Miami, talkin’ ’bout how much he loves the film. Impressive. I watch the flick – then I watch it again. And again. Forget Tony Montana, Manolo, and the Diaz Brothers — they’re finished. The Cocaine Cowboys are the real deal. Check the film’s factual depictions and insider tales of the cocaine boom in late 1970s Miami. It’s got tons of cocaine, airplanes bought with cash, money laundering and Colombian cartels. There’s also hundreds of ruthless machine-gun murders, confounded customs agents, ingenious smuggling techniques and political corruption in this city literally built on drug money. Fun for the whole family. Welcome to Paradise Lost, as told by the Cowboys themselves. Hasta luego, pelican…and say hello to the Cocaine Cowboys. –Allie Bomba
JESUS CAMP [PG-13]
With an unbiased eye and a keen cutting hand, Oscar-nominated documentarians Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (The Boys Of Baraka) follow three pre-pubescents and Pastor Becky Fischer at her “Kids On Fire” Evangelical summer camp in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, and many will find it a very scary ride. Watching this proud and passionate “Army of God” chant in tongues while worshiping a cardboard cut out of George Bush is unsettling enough without seeing them play so earnestly with miniature plastic babies to drive home their teachers’ point that abortion is wrong. With the exception of one radio host who questions whether the Evangelical movement is actually teaching children or just pushing them into their beliefs, everyone else in this film shares the belief that it is up to the kids to change things in this world and be obedient followers of the Truth (with a capital “t”.) To non-Evangelicals, the thought of a world run by these kids all grown up can be a very scary thing indeed — until they consider that these devoted kids are an exception, as getting most kids to commit to anything would require an act of God himself. Makes a great double feature with Hell House. –Andrea Ajemian
BROTHERS OF THE HEAD [R]
Not-actually-conjoined twins Harry and Luke Treadaway play brothers Tom and Barry, conjoined at the chest…and ready to ROCK! The boys’ father sells them to a music producer looking to combine the appeal of the vaudevillian geek sideshow with the sound of The Kinks, circa 1975, and the film is authentic to the point of total deception. Lost In La Mancha creators Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe’s completely brilliant rock mocukentary captures the music of pre-Sex Pistols England while spinning a dark gothic tale of twin sibling psychology akin to Twin Falls Idaho and Dead Ringers and the disastrous temptations of Rock & Roll. Fulton and Pepe follow them vérité-style as both boys break out of their shy seclusion and embrace the decadent freedom that comes from their rock band, The Bang Bang. It’ll make you wish Metallica’s Some Kind Of Monster was about a fictitious band and that The Bang Bang was on tour. –Eric Boyle
SHERRYBABY [R]
The most difficult thing to grasp about Maggie Gyllenhaal (Stranger Than Fiction) is how to spell her name, as her Golden Globe-nominated performance in this down-and-dirty drama clearly and vividly showcases the hard-nosed actor’s incredible ability to rope, bind and brand any role to make it her own. The unconventional star, whose career exploded after the characteristically risky Secretary in 2002, simply dazzles as a recently paroled single mom trying to start a new life without falling back into the drug-fueled lifestyle that put her in prison in the first place, and she positively is on fire, making her frustration and desperation real enough for us to own, too. –Robert Newton
January 18, 2007
Sanding ovation
Clint Eastwood’s nearly perfect Letters From Iwo Jima
By Robert Newton
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
Starring Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya and Tsuyoshi Ihara; Written by Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis; Directed by Clint Eastwood; 142 minutes; Rated R [graphic war violence]
Anyone looking to fuse a modern agenda to Clint Eastwood’s second superb World War II drama will certainly find plenty of ways to point out the folly of the American foreign policy of today, likely with shallow, thumbnail parallels of suicide bombers, dwindling troop morale and quagmire of contradictory values. Of course, many of these people are the same kids who spend sleepless Saturday nights in their dorms seeking and finding the secrets of the universe by synching up The Wizard of Oz with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Anyone who chooses to consider the film as a masterful and mature piece of storytelling, though, will find plenty to celebrate, and precious little to lament.
Flags Of Our Fathers, Eastwood’s acclaimed 2006 companion piece, was quite solid, but this is entirely another level of good, rather, great. Yes, our perception of quality tends to become a bit skewed to the positive when a film is presented in another language — in this case, Japanese — but even considering that, the film is very close to perfect. Eastwood so thoughtfully presents the brutal Battle of Iwo Jima (from the seldom-told Japanese perspective) as a sickly, organic thing, a creature with thousands of human faces fearful in the knowledge that the loss of Iwo was forgone and that few (if any) would leave the island alive. It resonates just as truly as producer Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan.
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THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND [R]
Guinness and Hopkins both played Hitler. Duvall did Stalin. Now, Forest Whitaker has nailed Amin. With his Oscar-winning depiction of the mass murderer who dubbed himself “His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular,” Whitaker steps up to the big time. The film he stars in is not spectacular — with 2004’s similar Hotel Rwanda standing out as an all-around better film — but the transformative performance is a star-making one, without a doubt. Whitaker simply is Amin, making him live and breathe with humor and charisma before making him a monster. The bulldozer that Whitaker becomes plows over the role of Amin’s (fictional) Scottish doctor, Nicholas Garrigan, played by James McAvoy (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), which only really serves as a way for Whitaker to articulate to us Amin’s insanity. Garrigan’s fling with long-suffering Mrs. Amin (Kerry Washington) is not very believable, though director Kevin Macdonald (Touching the Void) usually lets his documentary sensibilities kick in before the proceedings get too bogged down in melodrama. –Robert Newton
STOMP THE YARD [PG-13]
Considering the very few American colleges that have “step” programs — step being a form of synchronized macho dance dueling — glorifying it in the way that studio Sony does in this shoddy, follow-your-dreams drama is a bit cruel, in that it is a dream as attainable as the NBA for most kids, if you do the numbers. The plot concerns a troubled teenage street dancer (Columbus Short) who is given a chance to get his life together at Atlanta’s (not real) Truth University. There, he pledges a fraternity and teaches his moves to their downtrodden step team, falling for a girl (Meagan Good) who just happens to be the Dean’s daughter, who is also dating a member of a rival frat. The dancing is interesting in small doses, and Short, who danced in the also-shallow You Got Served, is quite good. The production, though, with its dizzyingly shaky camera work and painfully predictable script, looks improvised, as if everyone involved was reading their lines fresh for the first time that day on set. For an authentic adrenaline blast of real-life urban street jamming, check out the hyperkinetic documentary, Rize. –Robert Newton
