Amelia

I flew in a glider once and I remember how peaceful and serene it was. The only sound was the wind, lapping at the window, trying to get in through the gaps. I felt so removed from the world, like nothing below was really there or mattered, and unfortunately that’s how I felt watching the movie Amelia; detached.

This movie, as beautiful and as detailed as it was, never really got off the ground. It lacked passion. I never was able to make a connection with Hilary Swank’s character and I felt more excitement about being in the air when Cherry Jones as Eleanor Roosevelt took her short flight. In this movie, Amelia’s attitude about flying came off more like an addiction, than a love or a passion. And I felt that the fear she portrayed during various aerial mishaps was strangely out of place.

For a woman who is the most famous female aviator in history and who inspired young girls all over the world, this Amelia showed us a reluctant wife and pitch woman. A woman who would do anything to keep herself in the air.

I really think this movie failed to capture the historical significance of Amelia Earhart and the way that America felt about her. She was a star among stars and even the most famous of the famous wanted to meet her. Yet the Amelia of the history books remained humble as she quietly made her strides for women’s rights and aviation in general. She was a handsome woman, but not a beautiful one, yet all the woman in the world wanted to be like her.

What I was missing in this film was the genesis of Amelia’s love of flying. Where did a girl from Kansas learn her love of airplanes? Also I was missing the romantic link between Amelia and her husband George Putnam (Richard Gere). Her romantic interest in Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor) was easier to understand, he was a fellow flyer. But what was her interest in George? I can speculate about their relationship, but the film does not make it clear.

Overall I was disappointed in this film. I think that Amelia deserves better. Her life is so adventurous and rich with all her contributions that maybe someday a mini-series would fit the bill. In the meanwhile, she is better served in the history books.

Rating: Rent It This biopic never gets off the ground

This Is It

Twelve days ago before viewing Michael Jackson’s This Is It, I had the privilege of seeing some home movie footage of Fred Astaire practicing a dance number where he plays the drums and dances with some drumsticks. As I watched this brilliant man rehearsing the number over and over practicing the nuisances and perfecting the techniques necessary to throw a drumstick on the ground and have it bounce back into his hand, I felt like I got an insight into the man himself, and a rare glimpse of genius. I felt that way today watching Michael Jackson.

Before Michael Jackson’s death on June 25, 2009, he was preparing for a multi-media concert in London, having already sold out 50 dates. Not having performed in a decade, he wanted to thank his fans for remaining loyal and to give them an opportunity to see him live again. He also wanted to perform for his children, now that they were at an age to appreciate his craft. He wanted to share with them the music he loved, and allow them to see their daddy in a way they did not know. But Michael Jackson also had another reason for the concert. Michael had a message. He had deep concerns about the health of our planet and felt an urgency to get the message out. His message is in his music, and its impact is undeniable. His environmental plea is strong, and it is global. Who better to get the message out than International Pop Star, Michael Jackson?

During the rehearsal process, over 100 hours of footage was shot. The film was intended for Michael Jackson’s archives to document the creation of this concert. It was not intended for commercial use, but rather as a form of documentation. But what we see is a picture of a man’s creative insight; focused, determined, exact, yet always loving. We see him get frustrated, we see him tired, we see him vulnerable, yet he never turns that frustration onto other people. Instead he communicates what he is feeling and describes what he is trying to achieve. He treats everyone with respect in a very humble way. This Michael Jackson is a master communicator and a fabulous showman. After watching this film there will be absolutely no doubt as to his talent, his genius, or the legacy he has left behind. Michael Jackson deserves his title, King Of Pop.

When I learned about this film, coming so close after Michael’s death, I had my concerns. I grew up with Michael, we are the same age, and he has played a tremendous part in my life. Therefore I felt protective of his memory. I didn’t want any one to exploit him in death. But, after seeing this film, I now know that my fears were unfounded. Kenny Ortega has done a masterful job of editing the rehearsal footage and giving us our Michael the way we want to remember him. Kenny Ortega said he did the film for Michael’s fans. That so many people had tickets for his concert, over a million, that every time he met one, they would ask him what would the concert have been like? Kenny’s answer is in his film. It was created out of love, in love, and with love it should be received. I’m only sad that no one will ever get a chance to see the concert live. This Is It is the next best thing.

Rating: First Run A portrait of a genius

Bronson

Charlie Bronson is considered the most violent prisoner in Great Britain. He has spent thirty-four years in prison, thirty of them in solitary confinement. Born Michael Gordon Peterson, he was initially sent to jail for seven years at the age of twenty-two for robbing a post office. He is now serving a life sentence for crimes he committed while incarcerated. Over the years he has spent time in over one hundred twenty different prisons, and three mental hospitals. He is a media hog and a tabloid darling, staging protests, causing riots, taking hostages, and writing books.

The movie Bronson loosely tells the story of Michael Peterson’s time in prison and his infamous antics while there. His name was changed to Charlie Bronson when he was a bare-knuckled fist fighter, and he kept the name because it better suited his tough guy image. Presented in an avante-garde style, the film Bronson takes liberties with the facts while highlighting its subject and his escapades over the last thirty-four years as an inmate.

Bronson has become so notorious and such a financial burden to the prison system, that in 1999 a special program was created just for him and two other violent offenders. The goal was to isolate them and protect the prison staff from their violent outbursts. Part of the program gave them access to artist’s materials and Charles Bronson has since won numerous awards for his art and poetry, and has published eleven books including one on prison fitness.

As a film, Bronson is an imperfect biopic. Though very stylish with a bravado performance by Tom Hardy, it never gets to the bottom oh his behavior and how he came to be so dangerous. It also never explains his obsession with fame. I found the movie intriguing, but I also wanted more depth and answers. Instead we become the prisoners in a Marquis de Sade style farce, completely at the mercy of a man with delusions of grandeur. Many questions are raised, but few are answered. Charlie Bronson is either a mad man or a media genius.

Rating: Rent It A violent depiction of a dangerous yet fascinating man

Law Abiding Citizen

In 1974 a movie came out with Charles Bronson called Death Wish. Charles Bronson played a Korean War vet who was now living a peaceful existence with his wife and daughter as an architect. One day he comes home and finds that his wife and daughter have been brutally raped and beaten. I remember how shocked I was. I had never seen an act of such violence before and the perpetrator’s treatment of the women was so dehumanizing that it made me cringe. What added more weight to the impact of my disgust, was that one of the women was Hope Lange of TV’s The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. I couldn’t have been more upset if I saw Mrs. Brady and Mrs. Partridge doing porn.

When Joanna Kersey (Hope Lange) dies from her trauma, Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) turns from a mild-mannered architect into a one man vigilante. As a viewer I remember how easy it was to cross that line and take satisfaction in his murderous spree. It scared me when I realized what a short walk it was from love one another to an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. I also realized that in the right circumstances anyone is capable of murder.

Twenty-five years later after watching Law Abiding Citizen, what shocked me the most is how accustomed I have become to violence. As a society, we have become so desensitized that Hollywood needs to keep upping the ante in order to shock us. But what I really found disturbing in this movie is that our vigilante (Gerard Butler) had turned into as much of a monster as the bad guys who killed his family. He took ten years to plan his revenge and it wasn’t enough just to kill them, his victims had to die painfully. He was sadistic in a reap what you sow way, that you started to feel bad for the criminals.

Unlike Death Wish, twenty-five years later, I did not root for the vigilante in this film. Rather I was saddened that things have gone so far. I desperately wish there was a way to go back to a kinder, simpler time, but I don’t know how that is possible. You can’t un-ring a bell. It makes me wonder how far things will go in the future and what it will take to shock the next generation.

As an individual, we do have a choice. TVs have off buttons and movies sell tickets. I don’t have to go see them. But that violence is in our culture. It’s in our children’s games, so it’s hard to escape its impact. Today we don’t fear monsters and boogeymen, we fear terrorist, gangs and random acts of violence. I don’t know what the solution is, but we can start with this movie. The entertainment value is not worth your peace of mind. I recommend that you skip this one.

Rating: Don’t Bother The victim is now the criminal

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

Two friends, while cutting school are lured to a freak show by a mysterious green flyer. They are both entranced by the oddities that they see there, and it is here that we discover that Darren Shan (Chris Massoglia) has a thing about spiders and that his best friend Steve (Josh Hutcherson) is infatuated with vampires. Steve is convinced that the performer Larten Crepsley (John C. Riley) is a vampire, but Darren is more taken with his dancing spider. When Darren sneaks into Crepsley’s dressing room to get a closer look, he overhears a conversation that he shouldn’t have and gets drawn into the world of vampires and circus freaks. When Steve is bitten by the poisonous spider, Darren agrees to be the vampire’s assistant in exchange for the antidote to save his best friend’s life.

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant is a fun, campy, entertaining film. But the pace is so frantic and choppy that I couldn’t help feeling left behind. This movie covers the first three books of a twelve book series and there is so much ground to cover that I felt like the film was flitting as fast as the vampires were. There is a whole new mythology here to learn, these vampires have there own rules and are not bound by the same limitations as traditional vampires. I had trouble keeping up with the multiple characters and the plot points, but any teenager who has read the books should have no trouble at all.

I did enjoy a lot of the film, but I don’t think I will embrace it as much as a teenager would. Not being the target audience for this film, I did not appreciate the MTV short attention span style of editing and story telling. But I was engaged and intrigued by the interesting characters. If they do another film, I hope they will let us learn more about the circus family and their brotherhood. There’s something appealing about bearded ladies, monkey girls, reptilian boys and other various oddities. And then there’s the whole vampire war and the mysterious Mr. Tiny. The two friends share a destiny and fate has pulled them apart and set them on opposite sides. Only in a sequel will we learn what becomes of them. Or if you are impatient, read the books.

Rating: Second Run A campy vampire tale

Where The Wild Things Are

I have a lot of experience reading aloud to children. When I allow them to pick the book, I enjoy seeing what they choose and what they consider to be their favorites. Over the years I’ve noticed that Where The Wild Things Are is in most classroom libraries. It is a beloved book, but as a read-aloud it is seldom chosen because the dialogue is sparse. It is one of those books that children like to read to themselves, where they can brood over it and study the pictures. It’s a great rainy day book, or a time-out book. Or, a book for a parent and a child to read together after a child may have had a particularly bad day. It is this tone and this sentiment the permeates the film adaptation. Spike Jonzes’ Where The Wild Things Are is just plain moody.

From the very opening of the film I had absolutely no trouble entering Max’s world. As an actor, Max Record is so natural and so believable that I had no problem what so ever feeling his pain, or understanding the source of his tantrum. And after getting over the shock of him physically running away instead of mentally doing so, I had no difficulty entering his fantasy life or seeing the correlations between both of his worlds. Even if the island was represented as a real place, there are enough symbols and enough sign posts to shows us that these two worlds are connected. But I wonder how much of this a child would pick up.

Once Max took on the responsibility of being king and maintaining everyone’s happiness in his new monster family, I started losing my enchantment. These monsters were too real, too human, and I was becoming very sad. I knew that Max was in over his head and that the emotional problems of his subjects was too much for him to bear. In an attempt to raise everyone’s spirits, Max suggests a dirt clod fight. I knew from my own childhood experiences, that these things never end well, and with the personalities involved, someone was going to get hurt.

This film is so finely crafted, that my emotional response to it is very deep and very strong. However, like the goat faced character in the movie, I stopped having fun and just wanted to go home. My memories of childhood play gone wrong came flooding back to me and I couldn’t help but re-experience the pain of rejection, the power struggles that happen between children, and the flashes of anger that accompanies jealousy. All those emotions made me feel raw and melancholy, it also made me wonder about the kids.

We often forget that children’s emotions also run deep and that their pain is just as poignant as ours. The biggest difference is that they haven’t learned how to express it, verbalize it, or understand where these emotions come from. I can easily see this film as a catalyst, as a way to open up a dialogue between parents and children. As a parent I can visualize giving a child a two hour time-out with this movie and then discussing it with them afterwards. But as a childless adult I found this movie unsettling and I’m not sure how much I liked it. The film, however, is very well made and illicits a powerful visceral response. It is a work of art which is imaginative and totally worth discussing. It is on these terms that I am recommending this film.

Rating: First Run An artistic and powerful film worth discussing

Trucker

“This is who I am and I’m not going to change.” Michelle Monaghan plays Diane Ford, an independent female trucker. She owns her own rig, she’s working on the house, and she loves her solitary life as a long haul trucker. But her unapologetic life hits a bump in the road when her desperately needed sleep is interrupted by a pounding fist on the door. On the other side is a woman she barely knows, and beyond her is the eleven year-old son Diane abandoned over ten years ago.

Diane is incensed. She had a deal. But when she discovers that her ex-husband, (Benjamin Bratt) is in the hospital being treated for cancer, she relents and allows the child back into her life, if only for a while. Diane travels light and one of her few friends is her married neighbor Runner, (Nathan Fillion). So far their relationship is platonic, but their friendship is a threat to his wife and the rest of his family. Diane doesn’t care. As long as she’s not screwing him, she feels it’s nobody’s business. But now with her son back in her life, Diane must examine her egocentric behavior and face consequences for the first time, in a long time. Her earlier selfish act is now staring her in the face in the guise of a boy named Peter, (Jimmy Bennett). It is time for some self-examination and some personal sacrifices. This time she can’t walk away.

Trucker is a engaging story of a woman who refuses to be boxed in even if it costs her on a personal level. Living life on her own terms she must now look at herself from the eyes of her friend and her son, and decide who she really wants to be. This film harkens back to the films of the seventies where character and introspection could drive a film. The sound track enhances this movie beautifully and the directing is light and unsentimental. Trucker is certainly a movie worth the drive.

Rating: First Run The story of an apologetic woman

The Damn United

Being an American, I knew absolutely nothing about Brian Clough prior to seeing this film, but I found his story fascinating. Brian Clough, along with his partner Peter Taylor is considered one of the greatest English football managers England has ever seen. Due to a social slight by Don Revie, reigning manager of the championship team Leeds United, Brian Clough became obsessed with breaking every record Don Revie ever achieved.

Clough was a charismatic, arrogant, yet brilliant manager, who along with his partner, Peter Taylor, took a last place Division Two team all the way to the finals and into Division One. This film shows the rise of this dynamic team and how a healthy ego was necessary to accomplish this monumental task. But it also shows us how hubris can bring a man down and threaten the very thing he strives for.

The Damn United is a poignant film that is just as much about friendship as it is about football. This film expertly captures European soccer of the late sixties and the early seventies and Michael Sheen is phenomenal as Brian Clough. My favorite scene is when he experiences one of his games from the confines of his basement office because he can’t bear to watch it in person. Only the sound of cheering and the shifting light from his windows lets us know that a game is going on. His face tell us the importance of this game and how his entire being has been invested to make his team successful. It is truly a mesmerizing performance.

Timothy Spall is also excellent as Brian Clough’s partner Peter Taylor. He shows us the heart of this man who operated in the shadows, but who was just as vital to this winning team as Clough himself. The chemistry between the two is believable and helps to explain the dynamics that existed between these two men.

The Damn United is a throughly enjoyable film and I highly recommend it. Even if you are not a soccer fan you’ll enjoy the intricate details of this movie; “Goal!”

Rating: First Run A winning look at a championship team

Couples Retreat

I have some male movie going friends and when we go to an action movie I might hear things like, “That could never happen”, or “That’s scientifically impossible”. And then afterwards I hear them pick the movie apart thread by implausible thread. I’d shrug my shoulders and say, “Eh! It’s just a movie.” I didn’t care if it was far fetched as long as it was entertaining. But after seeing Couples Retreat, now I know how they feel. I recently started listing all the incredulous, ridiculous things that happened in this movie to a male associate of mine, and how certain things could never really happen, and then he just shrugged his shoulders and said, “Eh! I thought it was funny.” It’s a Mars verses Venus thing.

I did not enjoy Couples Retreat. Those ridiculous nagging things that took me completely out of the movie killed my sense of humor. There were some funny parts, but I couldn’t get past the logic, or lack of it. I also found some of the bickering painful. Watching couples argue and hurt each other is not my idea of fun. There may be some people out there who can identify with this film, but all it did for me was make me glad that I’m unattached. I’ll take the island resort, but hold the wild singles parties and the couple’s therapy. A single Margarita by the water will do.

Rating: Rent It Watch it at home with some Island Rum, it may go down better.

Bright Star

When a poet writes of love, he may write of a past injury, or a love lost, he may write of a current passion, where his muse inspires him to lusty verse, or he may be inspired by a chaste love, someone unobtainable, where an imagined union fills the mind with longing and desire. Bright Star centers on the relationship between English poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and his romance with Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish). Keats, who was restricted from marriage due to lack of funds, falls for the young Fanny. With no prospects of marriage, their relationship is discouraged. But their attachment grows and they fall deeply in love.

Bright Star demonstrates how the social conventions of the time may keep a couple apart physically, while forcing them to explore their love on a spiritual and intellectual plane. Through letters, notes and supervised walks, John and Fanny developed a deep love affair that according to the film was never consummated. Bright Star is a beautiful film, as poetic as the subject matter itself. It gives us a peek into the soul of a poet and the woman who both fascinated and frustrated him. My only frustration with the film is that I constantly wanted to pause it to look up a name or read one of Keats’ poems. This film feeds the soul and inspires a thirst for knowledge. This is a tremendous legacy for a film, or an author. What a wonderful contribution to cinema and literature.

Rating: First Run Poetic cinema

Coco Before Chanel

Occasionally I like to wear a tie with a vest or a jacket. When I do, sometimes a child will come up to me and ask me why I’m wearing a man’s tie. When they are bold enough to do so they quickly get a mini fashion lesson. For years designers have been adding masculine touches to women’s fashion.

Coco Chanel was born was in the 1880’s. She was obviously aware of the Gibson Girl look that was prevalent from the 1880’s to the 1900’s. This look, created by Charles Dana Gibson traveled from an artist’s rendition onto the fashion scene of Europe. Little masculine touches such as white collars, ties and straw hats made their way into the look, but the prominent feature was the s-curve silhouette achieved through a binding corset.

As shown in the film, Coco Before Chanel, Coco was dissatisfied with the restrictions of the corset. Women’s groups at the time were preaching that the corset was detrimental to women’s health. Better corsets were designed, but Coco did something even more amazing. She got rid of the corset altogether. By showing woman how free and comfortable they could be without corsets, she began by designing sportswear for women giving them flexibility and movement. Coco Chanel inspired the Flapper age where corsets were abandoned and women embraced their own natural figures.

Coco Before Chanel, shows us the transformation of a young abandoned girl and her orphanage taught sewing skills into the fashion maven of Paris. The film is slow moving and I have to admit I got impatient with its pace. It took forever to get to the fashion part and I was ready for that right away. The film is languid and beautiful to watch, but you have to be a speed reader to keep up with the french subtitles. The payoff is wonderful though. When we finally see Coco Chanel in her iconic form, she is truly stunning. What a truly gifted designer.

Audrey Tautou inhabits Coco Chanel and she is exquisite in the austere, simple, masculine fashions of her creation. To quote the french, she is, “Tres Elegant” and elegant also describes this film.

Rating: First Run An elegant look at the orgins of a gifted designer

Whip It

When I was a teenager in the 70’s, Roller Derby was a big deal. The San Francisco Bay Area was a hotbed of Roller Derby action in the 60’s and the 70’s, and our team was the Bay Area Bombers. I only got to go to a live event once, but I will never forget the adrenaline rush. My friends and I were so hyped up that we became terrors at the local skating rink. Even though it was against the rules we couldn’t help but try a whip. I remember being on the end of this chain of skaters and then flying across the floor. It was a mixture of fear and empowerment. It felt like I was flying.

Drew Barrymore’s film Whip It captured for me the exhilaration of those times. It is a girl power film that is nicely contrasted with the womanly image of the fifties and sixties. I really loved the tone of this film as directed by Barrymore. I also liked the way she put common girl experiences in uncommon locations, for example the fully clothed underwater love scene and the following conversation with mom sitting on the kitchen floor. There are some very nice touches in this film.

Ellen Page (Juno) plays Bliss and her mother (Marsha Gay Harden) is grooming her for pageantry greatness, but her heart is not in it. She dreams of leaving small town Bodeen, Texas, but the thought of being a beauty queen is not her idea of success. When a random encounter with some really tough Roller Derby girls gets her attention, she auditions on a whim and makes the team. Now she has to hide it from her mother.

There are some really nice performances in this film including Daniel Stern as the son-less football-loving father, and Alia Shawkat as Bliss’ best friend. Other standouts include Kristen Wiig, as Maggie Mayhem and Juliette Lewis, as Iron Maven. I really liked this movie. Its message is clean and simple and avoids worn-out clichés. I’ve always been a firm believer in finding your bliss, discovering that one thing that you truly love and doing it. So it is appropriate to me that in this film, Bliss finds her bliss through skating. And all I want to say is, “You go girl!”

Rating: First Run Get out your Barbie skates

Zombieland

Rules for watching the movie Zombieland: number one, leave all pre-conceived notions behind, number two, expect the unexpected, and number three, savor the little things. Zombieland is a deliciously gory tale told through the eyes of Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg). A virtual shut-in, he is unaware of the zombie invasion until his hot neighbor, 406 (Amber Heard) pounds on his door for help. He can’t believe his luck; he’s been fantasizing about this girl for years. But his dream come true soon turns into a nightmare when he awakes, only to find her trying to eat his face.

Having escaped his first encounter with a zombie, he continues to list survival tips, increasing his chances for future success. He becomes disciplined, methodical, and dedicated in his solitary journey until he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson). Tallahassee has his own badass method for staying alive including no names, no attachments. If someone turns, you can’t hesitate to kill him.

Columbus and Tallahassee decide to partner for a while until their path leads them in different directions. But before this happens they encounter Wichita and Little Rock (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin). In an atmosphere of mistrust and betrayal, they form an uneasy alliance as a zombie-killing machine, their goal, to stay alive and find a box of Twinkies before they expire.

This film is irreverent, morbidly funny, and full of creative ways to kill zombies. It also has plenty of sick humor and gore. This is not your parent’s zombie movie. It is more funny than scary, but it’s definitely not for small children. It is a roller coaster of laughs and thrills, and you must be this tall to ride.

Rating: First Run This is not your parent's zombie movie