It's Complicated

Divorce is messy. No matter what the circumstances, your ex is never entirely out of your life. Whether, it’s weddings, holidays, funerals or court dates, circumstances will often force you to face your past love. Your current state of mind is immaterial, whatever attracted you to your mate in the first place is still there. It is your attitude and perspective that has changed. When enough time has past that you are able to see with fresh eyes, those old attractions may creep back in on you. This is the premiss for It’s Complicated.

What makes this film so throughly enjoyable is the fine cast. Meryl Streep is her bubbly vivacious best. Alec Baldwin is a rogue and alternates between a jealous lover and a pining one. His infidelity broke up their marriage, but he never stopped loving his wife. Also, in the cast is Steve Martin as the suitable prospect that enters Meryl’s life about the same time as her ex. And then there’s the children. Their son has just graduated from college and a trip to New York for the ceremony has thrown his parents together. After a night of reminiscing and a lot of alcohol, the two reconnect in more ways than one and Meryl’s tidy little life that she fought so hard to build for herself is now unraveling at both ends.

It is the chemistry between these actors that makes the film work so well. Meryl and Alec are excellent together. John Krasinski is also very funny as the oldest daughter’s finance who discovers the affair by accident and must keep the information to himself. His little comedic touches are very welcome and he also brings a sweetness to the film.

This is a smart romantic comedy, with mature characters that proves that no matter what age you are, the equation never changes. We all want to be loved, desired and appreciated, even by our ex. It’s complicated.

Rating: First Run A+ for chemistry

Broken Embraces

Broken Embraces is a film noir style mystery that jumps back and forth though time exploring the relationship of a film director and his star. Unfortunately she is also the mistress of a wealthy businessman. Lena (Penelope Cruz) left her life of prostitution and became a legitimate secretary for Ernesto Martel (Jose Luis Gomez). But when her father becomes ill, she returns to her life as a call girl to pay for her father’s expensive medical care. She is shocked to discover that her first client is her boss and tries to back out. He however was aware of her former life and had an arrangement that if Lena ever returned to prostitution, that he’d be notified immediately. For years, he has been obsessed with his secretary.

Lena plays house with her employer and he in return gets her father the best medical attention, but the strain of the relationship is wearing on her. When she mentions that she always wanted to return to acting, he decides to finance a film in order to please her. But instead of being grateful, she falls in love with the film’s director. Martel is so jealous and distrustful that he has his son follow her around with a camera in the guise of shooting a making of documentary. They are on to him though and find ways to escape his prying eyes, or so they think.

Lluis Homar plays the film director. When we meet him he is living under the pseudonym Harry Caine. The film reveals to us how he became Harry Caine and who the other people are in his life. This film can be confusing, especially if you have to read subtitles, but I found several of the themes quite fascinating. This is not an easy film to enjoy; you must pay attention and work at it. But I feel it is worth it overall. Penelope Cruz is enchanting.

Rating: First Run Penelope Cruz demonstrates the hold she has over men

Brothers

When you enter military service you are trained to survive. Your body is strengthened, your character is built, and you are educated in the ways of war. But no matter how much training you receive; you are still the same person underneath. A hard body and a tough demeanor will not help you in a prisoner of war camp. You must be mentally strong to get out alive. The same can be said of federal prison.

Brothers is the story of two men. They are very close. The oldest brother (Tobey Maguire) has always done the right thing. He was a star quarterback in high school, he married his cheerleader girlfriend, he has two lovely daughters, and he is currently serving his country as a Captain in the Marine Corps. The younger brother (Jake Gyllenhaal) is just out of prison. He’s a screw up, but his older brother still loves him. After picking him up from jail he brings him home to a disapproving father, a resentful sister-in-law and an accepting mother. But now that his brother is home, he must go back to his men in Iraq.

While Tommy is adjusting to life out of prison, the family receives news that Sam’s helicopter has crashed. Sam’s wife is devastated. Tommy is angry at his father for filling Sam’s head with all his duty and honor crap, but even though Sam’s wife can’t stand him, Tommy steps up and supports his brother’s family. Over time Sam’s wife (Natalie Portman) softens. Tommy is quickly maturing and is really making an effort. He becomes invaluable to the grieving family.

What the family doesn’t know is that Sam is still alive. He and the Marine that Sam saved from the crash have survived. They are now being held in the desert and tortured for information. It is now Sam’s turn to endure prison life. He is being subjected to the worst kind of psychological pressure. It is now time for him to prove his mettle.

Brothers displays some really exceptional acting, but I often felt like something was missing. This film is based on a successful Danish film and maybe something was lost in the translation. I recommend this movie for Tobey and Jake’s performances, but overall I wasn’t that impressed with the film. During this holiday season, I’d save it for a day when other films may be sold out.

Rating: Second Run Two exceptional performances by Jake and Tobey

Nine

Daniel Day-Lewis does a tremendous job playing Italian director Guido Contini in Rob Marshall’s movie adaptation of the musical Nine. But when you leave the theatre what you’ll remember most are the women, the beautiful, strong, SEXY women. Each woman is given a musical number to showcase her talents and there were times when I just wanted to stop the film and hit rewind to enjoy it again.

Each woman had her role in Guido’s life. It was glorious to see Sophia Loren playing Guido’s mother. Even after all these years she is still alluring and formidable. Nicole Kidman plays the starlet, the muse for Guido’s cinematic dreams. Her icy charm is perfectly adapted to her role as a movie queen. Kate Hudson portrays an American reporter. Her character reflects the American infatuation with Italian cinema in the sixties. Her musical romp reminds us of the times of skinny ties, espresso, Italian sunglasses and Vespa scooters.

The other women in Guido’s life are Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, and Stacy Ferguson (Fergie of The Black-Eyed Peas). Judi plays Guido’s costumer and longtime friend. She is the only one in his life who can be completely honest with him. Marion is Guido’s long-suffering wife. Once an actress discovered by Guido, she gave up her movie career to be his wife. Her musical numbers will rip your heart out as she comes to terms with her husband’s infidelity. Penelope Cruz is the mistress, and her song and dance is so sexy that afterwards I felt like lighting up a cigarette. But the number that impressed me the most was Fergie’s. Alternating between a black and white memory of a young boy at the beach and a full-blown musical number on stage, Fergie instructs us on what it means to be Italian. This anthem is a showstopper and the choreography is brilliant. Alone, it is worth the price of admission.

Since Nine is based on a theatrical production, and it’s subject matter is film, there is a lot of mixing of styles here. I think that Rob Marshall does a sensational job of holding it all together. However, for me, the mixing of styles lost some of the emotional impact. I’m just not that good at switching gears. There’s a difference between theatrical musicals being filmed and a movie musical. For example The Sound of Music was filmed like a movie. Imagine the difference if someone had just filmed the play. We would have missed all that fabulous scenery. Nine tries to do it all and most of the time it works. Rob Marshall has made a very creative film.

Rating: First Run Did I mention that these women are sexy?

Sherlock Holmes

The game is afoot, and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes starts off at a sprint. As Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes) races through the streets of Victorian London, he is one step ahead of the law. Careening behind him in a carriage, Dr. Watson (Jude Law) is with them as they furiously try to keep up. The score is rollicking, the editing is brisk, the action is fierce, this is not my father’s Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes is the most reoccurring character is cinematic history. As early as 1909 Holmes as appeared in film. He is a complicated, brilliant, deductive personality who has influenced many other characters such as Hugh Laurie’s doctor on the television show House. In fact there is one scene in this film in which I felt like I was watching House with House and Wilson bickering back and forth. Like these two, Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law have excellent chemistry. Their connection is apparent and it is really easy to see how much they rely on each other.

As a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I wasn’t sure how I was going to adjust to this new incarnation. But I have to admit, I kind of liked it. Downey’s version of Holmes is a tormented man who is so brilliant and observant that he has trouble turning his mind off. When not engaged in a case he fills his days with reading, experiments and tormenting his housekeeper. He uses drugs for the occasional escape, but he is only truly happy when he is in the midst of a puzzle or a mystery. The arrogance and assurance that Downey brings to the role serves him well. I really enjoyed his interpretation and his choices are supported by the text.

Jude Law as Dr. Watson took a little more getting used to. It was hard for me to forget his predecessors, most memorably Nigel Bruce, the chubby, bumbling foil to Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes. Jude Law played his Dr. Watson as an ex-military man. He has a bit of a gambling problem and despite his protests, really enjoys the excitement that being with Homes brings. He is proper, distinguished and does want to marry, but Holmes is a selfish friend and keeps drawing him back into his escapades. Luckily for him, his future wife is an understanding woman.

Although some of the action was a little too CGI for my tastes, I really enjoyed the look of this film recreating England during its greatest age. This was a time when Briton ruled the world. It was a time of science, industry and advancement. It was also a time when a hand full of men controlled the fate of many. Mark Strong (Rocknrolla) made a formidable villain as he used fear and the media to manipulate others. Rachel McAdams (Wedding Crashers) plays Irene Adler, the only woman that ever impressed Sherlock Holmes. She is involved in the case as well, only Holmes is right not to trust her. The motivation of women is one mystery that Holmes stays clear from. He finds them too inscrutable and their reasoning too inconstant.

This film stands on its own but it also sets us up for future adventures. Dr. Moriarty is introduced but stays in the shadows and Dr. Watson is off to get married. But the look and tone of the film is set, the characters are solid and if the film does well, there’s sure to be another. I’d look forward to a little more detective work and an appearance of the Baker Street Irregulars. There is a real strong foundation here and I loved the score so much that I sat through the credits to enjoy it in its entirety. There is much to like here so I recommend that you give it a chance. And that’s an easy deduction to make, it’s elementary.


Rating: First Run Sherlock Holmes is back

Avatar

Last July I had the privilege of going to a panel with Peter Jackson and James Cameron at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con. These giants of the industry talked about pushing the envelope of special effects and what the future of cinema has in store. As I listened to Peter Jackson describe the new King Kong attraction he’s building for Universal Studios Hollywood and heard what James Cameron had to say about Avatar, I was awe-struck and excited. But to be honest, I just couldn’t imagine it.

For the last six months, everyone has been talking about Avatar and the new technology behind it. As impressive as that is, it really doesn’t matter. What I wanted to know, is it a good movie? You can have all the special effects in the world, but if the story is lame, you’ll eventually lose interest. Based on James Cameron’s track record, I was putting my faith in him. In the past, story has always come first. Basically the man is a storyteller. For him the technology is just a means to convey the story. But this time around all the hype has been on the process and not the script. I was a little apprehensive. But I am happy to report that Avatar is a very good film.

What I liked the most about the story is that it is split between two worlds. When the hero is awake, he is in our world. He is an ex-Marine with two useless legs, unable to afford the expensive surgery to repair his spine on his military pension. When he is asleep, or synced up to his avatar, he is a mercenary soldier for a large corporate entity. He has been given a strong, fully intact alien body. For the first time in years he can run, jump, and fight. His job is to infiltrate this alien culture and find a way to get them to move so that the corporation may mine their territory. If you substituted Native Americans for the Na’vi, this story plays like a western. It’s kind of like Dances With Wolves on the planet of Pandora.

Sam Worthington plays Jake Sully, the soldier who has gone native. Sigourney Weaver portrays Dr. Grace Augustine, a scientist who has studied Na’vi culture and has learned their language. What is really cool about these performances is that they translate to their alien counterparts. When you watch Sam Worthington or Sigourney Weaver’s alien avatar, you can really tell that it is them. All their facial expressions and gestures are there. Likewise, Zoe Saldana, who portrays an alien warrior, is all Zoe. Of course she is acting, she is playing a part, but you can easily see her behind the animation. It is her performance with all her mannerisms intact.

I’m glad that James Cameron did not do the entire movie in performance capture. It would have been sensory overload. By mixing the animation with live action, it gave us a chance to rest and get used to the technology. I believe that James Cameron has made some really wise choices in creating this film, different, yet familiar, new, and yet very old. It is the perfect introduction into the future of cinematic presentation. Even if you’re not a sci-fi fan, see it anyway. Despite all the new technology, it’s still a classic story.

Rating: Must See Like Dances With Wolves on the planet Pandora

A Single Man

Watching A Single Man is like going to a really good art museum. As you stroll down the halls gazing at finely com-positioned paintings, delicately crafted furnishings, intricately carved sculptures, you realize that underneath all the aesthetic beauty is depth, perception, and a fabulously moving backstory. I found A Single Man completely satisfying.

Each frame of this film was painstakingly set up, but without the soulful performance of Colin Firth it would not have had the resonance. You could leave off the narration and still follow the story because it was all said in Colin Firth’s face and eyes. Balancing the tone of the film between tragedy and humor, Colin never missed a step. He was expertly supported in his performance by Julianne Moore, a discarded wife who is drinking away her sorrows. Also in this film is Matthew Goode, playing Colin’s long time companion and Nicholas Hoult who portrays a very interested student. Every performance is finely directed to be substantial as well as visually pleasing. I really loved this film. Thank you Tom Ford for a superb first film.

Rating: Must See A beautiful first film by fashion designer Tom Ford and a wonderful performance by Colin Firth

The Box

It is impossible to see every film that comes out in a year. Even professional film critics miss a few. So every once in awhile when someone is going to see a film that is not on my high priority list, I’ll asked them to check it out for me and let me know if it is worth my while.

My brother saw the film The Box at the Sustainer Theatre in Point Base Balad, Iraq. He sent this emailed review to me and I thought I’d publish it as is. Based on his opinion, I will not be seeing this film anytime soon.

The Box = Not first run, not second run, matter of fact don’t even rent it, don’t even pick up the box, leave it there.

John Wilson

Have You Heard About The Morgans?

Have You Heard About The Morgans? has the potential of being a very silly film, but what makes it work is that the high caliber of actors have committed fully to the story and they’re emotionally grounded. When Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex And The City) shouts in frustration, “I’m a New Yorker!” you totally believe her. As she pines over her beloved city, you can feel her pain. Having to leave her home is killing her.

Hugh Grant (About A Boy) plays Mr. Morgan. He is desperately trying to win his wife back after a brief act of infidelity. He is plying her with gifts, notes of apology and finally he persuades her to have dinner with him. When they witness a murder, their marital problems are of little concern to the Marshall’s office. Their objective is to keep the Morgans safe.

When the Morgans are placed in protective custody in the small town of Ray, Wyoming, together, they are now under the protection of U.S. Marshall Clay Wheeler (Sam Elliott) and his wife, (Mary Steenbergen). Mary Steenbergen is a gun-loving country girl who swings a mean axe. Next to her, Hugh Grant looks quite effeminate as he struggles to adapt to cowboy life. But he has a lot to prove; he must man up or lose the respect of the woman he loves. He has one week to win her back before they are separated forever.

This fish out of water comedy could have been funnier; it plays more like a relationship comedy. There are several Mars verses Venus jokes and a lot of attempts at making the city folk look foolish. The script needs to be sharper, and the action a little more harrowing. But when you have such a stellar cast, they do rise above the material. Elisabeth Moss is practically funny as a ball-breaking personal assistant. This film could be better, but it is not terrible. However, I would bristle at paying full price. This film is better suited to a bargain matinee. Followed perhaps by some Barbeque?

Rating: Bargain Matinee The performances rise above the material

Invictus

Nelson Mandela called Francois Pienaar, captain of the national rugby team, into his office. President Mandela had a plan. He asked Pienaar, “What is your leadership style?” Pienaar answered him, “I like to lead by example.” These words rang out to me when I heard them in the film Invictus. They resonated with me for one simple reason. If I could pick the names of three men in Hollywood that were emblematic of hard work, social consciousness, and a modest lifestyle, those names would belong to Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. For many years these three men have made quality films within the industry while making responsible environmental, social and political statements without. It is only right that they should make this film.

Invictus tells the story of Nelson Mandela’s first year as president of South Africa. After serving almost three decades in prison as a political prisoner, he now had the undaunting task of uniting a racially divided country. His plan was to lead by example and to encourage others to do so as well. The white population was afraid of reprisals and losing their way of life. And the black population was bitter, desiring of a comeuppance and distrustful of the whites. Mandela wanted desperately to put the past behind and forgiveness was his weapon. He saw sports as a unifier and asked Francois Pienaar for his help. These two men plotted to win the hearts of a nation and to unite their country through a common goal, the winning of a world cup championship. This film tells their story and it is magnificent.

Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon are heroic in their portrayals. Clint Eastwood spares the manipulation and goes for a straight forward mode of storytelling. Seeing and experiencing what Nelson Mandela had to go through for the love of his country is awe inspiring. I now have a greater appreciation of what he achieved. And as for Francois Piennar, it took a lot of courage to stand up and lead the way out of fear and hatred. He lead by example and was a true hero in every way. This is truly an inspiring film.

Rating: First Run An inspiring portrait of two leaders

The Princess And The Frog

There have been some very good animated films in the last decade, but a big part of me has always missed the luxurious rich cel animation produced by the Walt Disney Company. Hand drawn and inked in vibrant cool colors, I fell in love with films like Lady And The Tramp, 101 Dalmatians and my all time favorite The Jungle Book. Another reason I loved these films was the music. I had the entire score of The Jungle Book memorized and would perform it on command. I could also be found singing the songs from Lady And The Tramp and later The Lion King. However, by the time Toy Story came around and became so successful, I was afraid that hand-drawn animation would disappear for good. Luckily my fears were unfounded.

The Princess And The Frog has all the elements of a classic Disney animated film. A plucky heroine, a moral lesson, a devious villain, comic relief and a lot of heart. But I also loved the detailed romantic backgrounds. Like Mary Poppins and the gang I have always been tempted to step into the painting, relax and stay awhile. This film portrays New Orleans at it’s idealized best with its unique architecture, southern charm and local flavor. I left the film craving red beans and rice, a good pot of gumbo, and some of those wonderful looking pastries.

The Princess And The Frog also has given us for the first time an African-American heroine. I myself don’t think the kids will care much, they’ve grown up with Pocahontas, Mulan and Jasmine, and won’t notice the milestone. But there will be a lot of moms out there that will care deeply. I think this film will resonate the most with them. Tiana is a wonderful addition to the princess club. She is an excellent example of a hard-working, practical young woman with a very strong moral compass. I also liked that her childhood friend, the rich young lady that her mother worked for, was a true friend. Despite their differences economically and socially, Charlotte never forgot Tiana and when the time came she did the right thing. This for me was very refreshing.

There are a lot of silly stories out there but Disney always seems to layer their films with messages of self esteem, responsibility and family. This is why the Disney brand is so appealing. What parent would not want to instill those values in their child? This film tells us to go ahead and wish on that star, but be willing to work hard too. We may not always get what we want, but we will always get what we need. Love is the most important thing.

Rating: First Run A wonderful new Disney princess

Armored

I don’t know if they still make these, but when I was a kid they had these paint by number sets. In the box you would get a piece of canvas with a design drawn on it and in each space would be a number that corresponded to a pot of paint. First you would paint all the ones, then all the twos, and when you were done you had a copy of a famous painting. No matter how careful you were, now matter how good you were at staying in between the lines, when you were done, your copy of a famous painting looked kind of flat. That is how I felt watching the movie Armored.

All heist films have a formula; meet the players, get the plan, engage the plan, something goes wrong, draw to the conclusion. But every once in awhile a film will come along with a new angle or an exciting twist. For example when Die Hard premiered and the bad guys actually had personalities, it was a revelation. More recently there was a British film called The Escapist, this film was a prison break film, which is a close cousin to the heist film, and it shook up the formula by playing with the structure of time. One of my all time favorite heist films was the original Italian Job. It ended with a cliffhanger, literally. But unfortunately, Armored was strictly paint by numbers and there was nothing surprising about it.

I liked the idea of holing up in an armored car for protection and some of the other details that went with that. It was also kind of original that there were no bad guys, so to speak, but visually, editing wise and dialogue wise, there was no spark, no flare, everything was modus operandi. There is no excuse for this because the cast is excellent and deserved more to work with. Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, Fred Ward, these men are excellent character actors with years of experience. This should have been a better film.

Armored is not a bad film, there is nothing cringe worthy about it, it’s just routine and formulistic. These days if you are going to plunk down twenty bucks or more for a night at the movies you want something good enough to get you out of the house. My recommendation for this film is stay home and rent it. The premise is original enough to invest your time, but the execution of the idea is disappointing. Save your money and have a movie night at home. Don’t let this heist movie rob you of your hard earned cash.

Rating: Rent It Don’t let this heist movie rob you of your hard earned cash.

Up In The Air

Book your tickets now; this is one flight that you don’t want to miss. George Clooney is at his charming best in this timely, revealing look at the impersonal business of corporate downsizing, where loyal, hardworking people are cut adrift for no other reason than they have become a financial liability.

Up In The Air is the story of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) who fires people for a living. He spends over 320 days a year in the air, so for him, an airport terminal or a hotel room is as comforting as a well-worn couch in front of the TV. Ryan Bingham has traveling down to a science. We admire him as he easily navigates through the check-in process with his efficiently packed carry-on and his slip-on shoes. He knows flights, routes, schedules, hotels and every rewards card program there is. If you want to know a good place to eat in town, Bingham is your man.

In today’s financial climate, Ryan’s company is thriving and he’s never been busier. But when corporate hires an enthusiastic young woman fresh out of college, she convinces them that they need to catch up with technology and start terminating people on-line through face to face conference calls, saving the company millions in travel expenses. Ryan is appalled. He may make a living by terminating others’, but he does it with respect, compassion and sensitivity. He adamantly points out that video conferencing is too impersonal and not adequate for the task. To prove his point, he is ordered to take this young lady on the road with him, giving her some first-hand experience into what he really does and goes through.

Up In The Air is insightful and poignant as it puts faces on the statistics our government calls the unemployed. These are real people with real needs. Hardworking people who were good at their jobs, but have become the victims of cooperate greed, mismanagement and a down economy. Their years of loyalty have been repaid with a severance package and a boot out the door. This film, let’s us in to one of the darkest days of their lives.

Although the subject matter is grim, don’t let that stop you from seeing this movie. There is a lot of humor in this film and it is witty, honest, revealing and extremely well written. Vera Farmiga (Orphan) plays a kindred soul that Clooney meets in the airport. They are perfect for each other and a friendship begins that you’ll find yourself routing for. Anna Kendrick (Twilight) is also effective as a young corporate climber who is trying to take Clooney and his like out of the air. This is the kind of film that years from now will be an example and testament of this era and time. Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You For Smoking) has given us a well-crafted film in every sense and it deserves to be seen. So treat yourself this Christmas and buy yourself a ticket. If you have a job you’ll be thankful that you do and if you don’t you’ll find that you are not alone, there are many people like you up in the air.

Rating: Must See A grounded film that will leave you uplifted

That Evening Sun

For three months we paid our mother’s rent. But when it became apparent that she wasn’t leaving the hospital anytime soon and was heading for a nursing home after that, we had some tough decisions to make. My brother put her things in storage and paid for it faithfully himself. Not having the financial means to help him, I contributed by driving up there, organizing her things and packing them up. After a year we had to downgrade to a smaller storage facility, so I made the trip again. I agonized over what to keep and what to give away. This time we kept only the basics.

Having gone through that experience recently and more than once, I was so empathic with That Evening Sun, that I found it emotionally painful. Like the character in the film, I had to learn about letting things go. Hal Holbrook plays Abner Meecham, who at 80 years old ran the family farm on his own, after the death of his wife. His son, now a lawyer, was worried about him being all alone. But Abner was stubborn and refused to give the place up. One day when he slipped and broke his hip, he nearly died because it took a full day for anyone to find him. In this vulnerable state and in need of recovery, Abner’s son had him placed in a convalescent hospital, but Abner found it unbearably lonely. Even though he was physically alone on the farm, he was surrounded by his things and memories. In the hospital, he was alone even though he was among many.

Once on the mend, Abner decided that he couldn’t take it anymore so he packed his suitcase and left. The hospital sent a taxi driver to find him, but Abner bribes him to drive him to the farm instead. When he arrives there he discovers that his son had rented the place out, and what was worse, he rented it to a man Abner hated. Abner demands that his enemy leaves his home, but he has a lease and refuses to go. Abner declines to leave also, so the two men have a stand-off. Abner moves himself into the tenant shack where all his personal belongings have been stored. His furniture had been rented with the house and Abner desperately wanted to see inside, but the renters won’t let him in. Abner reluctantly returns to the shack and begins sorting through his possessions and his memories.

Being confronted with both his past and his present, Abner is having to confront the consequences of his life choices. It kills him that his enemy is living in his house, and he his angry that his son is not taking his side. Perhaps if he had invested more of himself into his family and friends, instead of his farm, they would be there for him now. As it is, he is fighting for his home against a man he loathes and all that he has worked for is slipping out of his hands.

That Evening Sun is thought provoking, and wistful. It’s melancholy tone draws you into Abner’s pensive world and like Abner you must take stock. What in this life is worth keeping?

Rating: Rent It A melancholy film to watch on a gloomy day

Paranormal Activity (A Recommendation)

When I pay about $10.00 for popcorn and a soda, I don’t want to enjoy it twice by barfing it up in the movie theatre. I know this sounds very crude, but there are many of us that have problems with motion sickness. When I saw The Blair Witch Project, I was so nauseous that I spent half of the movie staring at my shoes. During Cloverfield, I closed my eyes periodically trying to keep my stomach settled, but no matter how hard I tried I eventually threw up. Not a pleasant outcome after spending so much money on tickets and refreshments. Therefore, by the time Paranormal Activity came around, I was really reluctant to go.

Being a movie lover, Paranormal Activity has gotten so many positive notices that I felt like I had to see what all the fuss was about. But I was still leery of the hand-held camera work. I asked a friend about it and he said that it wasn’t that bad, so after four weeks of media hype, I finally gave in and just as expected the film made me queasy. As I sat in the theatre, taking deep breathes through my nose and alternating between closing my eyes and watching a bit, I found myself really bored. It took forever for anything to happen and as a fan of 1963’s The Haunting, this film paled in comparison. However, many people think this movie is great, so I’m going to compromise and make a recommendation.

I am going to recommend that instead of seeing Paranormal Activity in the movie theatre that you wait until it comes out on DVD. In my opinion, this film will be even more creepy watching it in your own home. Plus, every time your furnace ignites or your refrigerators starts you’ll get an extra bang for your buck. In addition, if you have motion sickness issues like me, you can pause the film and finish watching it later once the queasy dies down. No use barfing up a nights worth of entertainment.

The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans

Like a tightly wound top, Nicholas Cage is the bad lieutenant, who spins out of control when a selfless act of heroism causes him to injure his back creating excruciating pain. His prescribed painkillers turn into a drug abuse problem as he uses his position on the force to score more drugs. He is a good detective and he wants to put the criminals away, but as he makes more and more compromises to maintain his drug supply, the line between right and wrong gets trampled on.

Watching Nicholas Cage throughout this film you have to admire the way he throws himself into a role. In every frame his back pain is evident and as he becomes more entangled in his web of deception you see the antithesis of a tortured man. Lt. Terrence McDonagh is immersed in a world of drug dealers, bookies, thugs and prostitutes. His life is his work and his only other human connection is with his hooker girlfriend and his bookie. As Lt. McDonagh gets in deeper and deeper, providence reaches in, backhands the top and causes the spiraling to come to an end.

The Bad Lieutenant is a film about choices, consequences, justice and salvation. It is an excellent character study with a fine supporting cast including Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes, Jennifer Coolidge, Brad Dourif and Vondie Curtis-Hall. This modern film noir directed by Werner Herzog is dark, but it also has a spirit of divine justice. Someone has to pull the string and know when to steady the top.

Rating: First Run A dark character study of a cop gone wrong