foxface Reviews

Great Performances: Passing Strange (2009) Season 38, Episode 7

Passing Grade

[9/10 · 20 December 2010]

I found Spike Lee's filming of this musical to be extraordinary because I felt like I was in the audience and on stage at the same time. The music is good and the plot stays interesting.

The great thing this play expresses is how an individual tries to escape the confines placed on his existence by virtue of his race. Many people can relate to taking the journey to self discovery. As an African-American, it was interesting to see how the "Youth" wanted to escape from his confines by heading to Europe where there didn't seem to be any confines. There tension of this escape is illustrated between the scenes between the Youth and his Mother, and at one point she asks him why can't you be comfortable with your own? This musical is funny, religious, and international at the same time. All of the actors were great. The music was fantastic. All hail Stew!

Good Hair (2009)

Good Topic

[8/10 · 25 February 2010]

I enjoyed the movie Good Hair, because I felt it raised all of the issues regarding the African-American community and the thought process behind "good hair". This movie wasn't a preachy movie and introduced many concepts in a very subtle way ( the psyche of good hair, media images of black hair and acceptance/rejection of black hair in its natural state (the scene with high school girls, who tell the one girl with natural hair, she wouldn't be hired for a job and that she didn't look "together" was jarring.

I felt the film did a good job of covering who controls the economics behind black hair (hardly any blacks, mainly whites and Asians) and the staggering amount of revenue ($9 billion annually) in the industry, generated by people who own less than a percent of the industry. The film looked at everyday people who get weaves, and pay serious money (the lay-away plan was sad, funny, and ingenious at the same time) and the reason they feel weaves are necessary. Calling relaxers "creamy crack"was funny and alarming at the same time. The health risks, the thought of lye and the discussion of scalp burns was right on target.

The message regarding the impact of celebrity in our culture is so deep, that every day women will spend beyond their means to look like a Beyonce or Rhianna, though they don't have either of these women's financial means. The idea that straight "white" looking hair is equated with beauty and self worth was a undercurrent theme in this movie.

The male point of view is represented by the rich and famous (Andre Harrell, Paul Mooney) and the barbershop. No matter what a black man's economic status is, they all were catching the same type of hell regarding not being able to touch a woman's weaved head. Rev. Al Sharpton was the exception to this dilemma, but didn't mention the limitations of having relaxed hair. Yet he did point out hair shouldn't sabotage a black woman's economic situation, but often does. Money spent on a weave could be spend on education or a 401K plan instead. Black men also feel the economic pinch the weave provides, because they often have to provide money for weave upkeep and to keep their relationship.

The limitations of having a weave (no swimming, no touching the hair, can also be examined in the movie "Something New" which is also an examination of the weave culture in addition to interracial relationships between black women and white men. The question was posed do some black men deal with white women exclusively, because they can go swimming, and have their hair touched, opened up another can of worms. This movie can't explore all of the psyche behind the phrase "good hair" but does a good job of opening up the conversation.

One thing the movie does is make the audience look at the children who looked too young to be putting chemicals in their tender scalps,and who seemed to be indoctrinated with the message that their hair needed to be straight in order for them to be considered pretty. That was just sad, because the people sending them those messages were their own mothers,grandmothers, and society at large. As a black woman with relaxed hair, I really have to think about the ideology, society, and the culture that has influenced the choice I've made regarding the hair choice I am making. These women are making a choice, but if they knew of the insidious nature that feeds the beast, would they or I consider a different reality, which is our natural hair?

Michael Clayton (2007)

Intelligent Thriller

[7/10 · 27 November 2009]

Michael Clayton is a great film because the script was so well written. The suspense is not action driven, but character driven, due to Michael Clayton (George Clooney) being the glue or arch angel that holds the company together, while being marginalized as the invisible man.

Michael's gift is the ability to fix problems, even when he can't manage his own gambling addiction, divorce, and mounting debts. He is not unlike many people watching this movie. Tilda Swinton's character is almost his twin sister, she is fixing up the problem, solving the problem(unethically through murder) so that her law firm can do well. However, the audience can see that (like Michael) her job is all she has in her life and that she is an obsessive compulsive person (laying out her stockings one by one, nitpicking cloth off the bed spread, practicing her speech). Yet, she wants to present a face of perfect control in a male dominated culture (by presenting herself as sexless or asexual-you forget she is a woman).

This is an adult film with real adult relationships and the problems that arise from those relationships. The characters are people who are left to control situations that are out of their control. This is a film about greed over humanity, right against wrong. Arthur (almost like Arthur of the knights of the round table) is the one person who try to preserve the truth (holy grail) and despite his insanity, is the person who believes in the law and wants to practice it openly and honestly. You see his brilliance as a lawyer during the confrontation in the alley with Michael Clayton. Once Arthur is dead, you also the marginalization of his existence as a human being (which happens to the dead in real life) by the lawyer constantly on the phone at a wake, the business deal having to take place, despite a death a partner at the firm.

The "action" in this movie is demonstrated through the acts of the characters. Except from the car blowing up and speeding on the highway, there is no real "action" in the traditional sense of the word. Despite this, the director and the script do a good job of keeping your audience interest. All of the actors were brilliant and looked world weary, which was appropriate for the film. The cinematography on this film was excellent, a lot of gray in the background (skies, houses, asphalt, buildings, etc).

The horse scene for me represents a couple of things. The horse scene is a bridge from the 1st act of the film to the second act-which is the consequences of everyone's actions coming into play. It also serves as the death of the old way of life for Michael Clayton to the new way of life he will lead once everything is resolved. So the car blowing up is literally a car blowing up and metaphorically the end of Michael's old way of life. The horses were pure and in a natural state, nothing was manipulated about them, which drives Michael to get out of the car and look at them. The horses also look at Michael as if they recognize and see in him what he sees in them (purity, integrity, honesty). Up until that point, Michael thought he lost that aspect of himself.

All in all a good movie, which is why Tilda Swinton probably won the Oscar. Too bad nobody else was recognized for their work.

Antichrist (2009)

A Woman's Sorrow

[7/10 · 1 November 2009]

Antichrist can be considered a horrible film, but I suggest you don't give up on it so easily. I think this film isn't misogynistic, but in a weird way, is trying to be the opposite. Number one, typically the antichrist is thought of as a male, not a female. As far as nature and the natural order of things, women are the givers of life, yet childbirth is a painful process. Charlotte Gainsbourg's character is at odds with her true nature, because she feels marginalized through motherhood and marriage. Deep down she has a strong need for power and to be in control. Gainsbourg's character only controls Dafoe's character through sex or pain or a combination of both. If we get religious at this point, Willem Dafoe's character is the "Adam" to Gainsbourg's "Eve" and just as in the bible, fails to protect Gainsbourg from evil. The fact that they return to Eden where Satan lurks, to find the answers to their grief and to heal is ironic.

This film has a female who goes against her nature, or what the idea of woman/motherhood is, acts as the most disturbing part of this film. More so than the violence and mutilation scenes. We know she is murderous in the fact she saw Nick at the window, but did not stop having sex, because she would have interrupted her pleasure. Women putting their pleasure (especially sexual) above their children is a no-no. This also leads to the question of what did happen the previous summer with Nick's feet. There is one scene that may offer an explanation besides the shoes being on the wrong feet. During a dream recollection the female states she heard a child crying but checked on Nick and found out he was okay, but he was in a shed. However, because we don't have the information we have at the end of the film, it is possible she did something to Nick's feet, similar to her husband's on a small scale and blocked it out of her mind, or tried to cover it up with the shoes on the wrong feet.

Willem Dafoe's character is so all knowing, so smug, that it is easy to see why the female feels detached from him, though he sees it as if she is part of him (again Adam reference). But again, Adam wasn't aware of the fact that when left alone, Eve was capable of sin. Dafoe's character plays God, but even Eden is full of bad things in nature: ticks, still born babies, self mutilation, chaos in the physical aspect of the woods. Eden is physically hard to reach and ultimately doesn't exist in the literal since. However, you do feel for him, once he puts the pieces of the puzzle together, but his wife's evil is more volatile and deeper than he realizes. So what does he do, he expels his wife, who at this point, has become Satan, but because she is a woman a witch metaphor develops here. He builds a pyre and without reservation burns her after he chokes her to death. OK I can see where misogyny comes into play for some audience members. Yet, at this point of the film, I felt I was watching two characters in the book Gynocide and felt the wife had gained power because she wanted her life to be over. Dafore's character followed his wife's unknown wishes in a strange way.

The ending of this film, with the women coming up to Dafoe's character and the woods losing its contorted features gave me two trains of thought: One is Dafoe's character freed himself from evil. The second is that he didn't free himself from evil and that the women were coming for him. The three beggars reminded more of sin, death, and resurrection. Dafoe had to acknowledge the sin, (death of his child) atone the sin by killing his wife, and resurrect himself by leaving Eden.

The cinematography at the beginning and end of this film is beautiful. You can take that away from Lars van Trier. His message may have been garbled, or it may have been a fable, which are often full of bad people and evil things. There is no tidy ending and American audiences in particular have to try to learn to accommodate this. A cult classic in the making.

Religulous (2008)

What Does It All Mean?

[7/10 · 20 October 2009]

Religulous is a film that has a certain point of view (non-belief) and doesn't mind trying to debunk other religions and religious leaders. I feel if you don't like Bill Maher and his politics you probably won't watch this film, but you should. Religulous is an exercise in free speech and the freedom to express ideas that aren't mainstream.

The element I enjoyed the most was the interview subjects speaking from the heart, uncensored, and very candid. "Blind faith" or irrational beliefs seems to be at the core of all religions discussed in the movie. Maher is a good counter puncher to some of the doctrine that is spewed at him and his visits to various religious sites takes away some of the mystique surrounding these historical sites. If you have the DVD, you have to listen to the commentary Maher and Larry David provide about the making of the film. It is funny and offers insight into the film making process.

I think people have a hard time digesting the ending of the film, because if you didn't get the point Maher was trying to make during the film, he definitely lets you know at the end of the film. Some people had a hard time with the ending and felt Maher was "preaching" to them. I will say this is a valid feeling. I will also say, that the film also speaks to the danger of politics and religion co-existing in this world and the massive destruction it has and will continue to bring to mankind. I think Maher allows the religious to have their say, but also gives a strong voice to those who don't believe and makes no bones about it.

My only criticism is that the guy from Amsterdam should have been left out. Either he was too stoned or not bright to begin with, but he didn't convince me of anything. I think this scene was left in because his hair almost catches on fire. Yet still, this guy doesn't freak out or barely move. His apathy to his life, beliefs, and hair is funny in a dark way.

All in all try to watch this movie and take it for what it is.

Amores Possíveis (2001)

3 for the price of 1

[8/10 · 3 June 2009]

Amores Possieves is film about three possible outcomes of a romance between Carlos and Julia. This film manages to be humorous and poignant at the same time. The director does a good job of moving between the three romances and the three versions of Carlos, Julia, and Pedro.

I think Pedro (Emilo de Melo) does a fantastic job at being the voice of reason to Carlos in his various incarnations. Murilo Benicio (Carlos) seems to be at his best acting, portraying the divorced Carlos, who is not sure if he wants Julia or Pedro. Because Benico pulls so much sympathy for Carlos from the audience, you become blind to his selfishness and in a way his manipulation of Julia and Pedro. He knows Julia still wants him and realizes (as Pedro gently reminds him or calls him out, however you want to see it) how easy it is to restore her passion for him. Yet, Carlos portrays himself as a victim of her anger and claims not to understand her viciousness toward him, despite the fact Julia has told him she wishes he were dead. Pedro reminds Carlos he left her for a gay man and thus, destroyed their relationship and her self esteem. The most tender scene between Pedro and Carlos is when Pedro asks Carlos if there is something going on between him and Julia and Carlos says, "I don't know how to lie to you."

Carolina Ferraz does a great job as Julia in all of her incarnations and with each version of Carlos, she realizes his short comings and decides to love him anyway. The way she dresses as ex-wife Julia, is almost symbolic of Julia's feeling her femininity has been cut out or destroyed by Carlos. She reverts back to a soft (she puts on a dress, is less tense), almost casual Julia, when it seems as if Carlos is headed back to her. Ferraz's strongest acting skills come to light as ex-wife Julia. You feel the passion, the pain of betrayal, and the tragedy of loving someone too much and having that person destroy you.

The extended adolescence of Carlos is great and does a good job of capturing the relationship between a mother and son, with a touch of Oedipus complex for good measure. The long shaggy hair, his lack of transportation, and Carlos living at home are all excellent backdrops to a man who fears commitment and is looking for someone just like mom. His arrogance and stupidity are on full display when signing up for computer love.

The tepid relationship Carlos and Maria endure, does a good job of making the audience wanting Carlos to leave Maria for the passion he could share with Julia, but also does a good job of showing what happens when a dream is realized and the reality of that dream, or in this case Julia, comes crashing in. Carlos realizes that even with Julia he cannot escape the demands of a relationship and honesty. His reluctance to leave Maria or hurt her, and his need to be with Julia on a "trial basis" shows the lack of clarity he has. Of course Maria knows Carlos isn't on a business trip, which is why she seems almost smug in her attitude towards Julia in the store, who gets a shock of her own. You see the maturation of Carlos when he ends his relationship with Julia and realizes you can't build a relationship on dreams and lies. He and Maria don't have passion, but they have an investment in each other and clearly he has a profound respect for Maria.

Eventually all versions of Carlos arrive at a point of clarity when he stops deceiving himself and come to grip with the realities of his love for the Julias. The rose colored glasses come off and he finds that there is no form of love that doesn't have thorns. All in all a movie that keeps you interested, with and ode to forties films at the end.

Tropic Thunder (2008)

Edgy/Funny

[8/10 · 15 August 2008]

This film is a great satirical spoof of action films, Hollywood, and pop culture. The trailers are hilarious and are a good barometer of what is going on in pop culture at this moment.

The movie takes awhile to get going, because of all the set up that is needed to explain the movie within a movie. Once the boys are on a mission, the parodies start rolling and things get funny.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding Robert Downey Jr.'s character and the character of Simple Jack. I think Simple Jack shows up Hollywood's tendency to award Oscars to actors who play people that suffer from mental retardation to a certain degree (Dustin Hoffman-Rainman- Tom Hanks-Forrest Gump). At one point in the movie, Downey's character advises Stiller's character that Forrest Gump wasn't too mentally retarded, because he played ping-pong with Nixon. He states Sean Penn didn't win an Osacar for Sam I am, because he went all the way in his portrayal. The irony is Downey's character went through surgery to be black, when a black actor could have just been casted in the first place. The film keeps itself in check through conversations like these and other characters who give other characters a reality check, like Alpha Chino constantly calling Downey's character out on talking black gibberish. The film is spoofing the fact that some actors take on specific roles in order to win an Oscar, even if their portrayal is offensive. I don't think this film is derogatory toward anyone who is mentally challenged, but is referring to someone who is foolish or does things considered socially ridiculous, like a white actor portraying a black actor.

Downey Jr as an actor in make up to make him look black, was a risky move, but his character is somewhat reminiscent of black actors in action films, especially the one from the 80's (see Commando, Action Jackson, to name a few). What keeps the character from being unacceptable to the audience, is Alpha Chino acting as the Greek Chorus, who constantly calls Lazarus out on his silly "black" sayings. Lazarus thinks quoting the Jefferson's theme song as a dramatic actor's monologue(which is totally hilarious) will earn him an Oscar.

The spoofs of "Apocalypse Now" and "Platoon" area funny. Tom Cruise gives a nice turn as a greedy, egocentric agent. You do recognize him, I'm not sure why some people don't know it is him until the end of the film. There was something disturbing about Cruise's character's use of rap music as a background to his represent his cold anger, where as "Alpha Cino's" commercial spot did emphasize the blatant misogyny (perhaps to cover up the fact Alpha Chino is possibly gay) in some aspects of hip hop music and people got the joke right away. Stiller's character as a take on Brando from Apocalypse Now, which is a take on a character in the novelist Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" is great and that fact that unlike the book, Downey and Stiller kind of bounce back to a reality and understanding of themselves in a new way.

The comments on celebrity adoption, celebrity cover up's, homophobia, and excess is not lost on anyone, due to the prevalent culture of celebrity in our culture at this time, with shows like TMZ, Access Hollywood, ET, just to name a few. Go see the movie.

Keillers park (2006)

Interesting Tragedy

[8/10 · 24 March 2008]

Keillers Park is an interesting flashback movie, that tells the story of Peter and Nassmin and how chance brought them together and how chance separated them. Though the movie uses flashback moments, which have been done so often in so many films, you don't have a hard time distinguishing between present and past time.

The actors are what make this film. The script can seem credible and not plausible at the same time. However, the male leads are so committed to their characters that you can believe what is happening to them.

The director does a good job of using different types of lights or colors to convey different aspects of the film, in addition to the flashbacks. Peter and Nassim's first sexual encounter is bathed in the glow of sunset and candles (as are all their love scenes, except for one, which is bathed in moonlight, and the sexual roles are reversed). Peter's look of awe, and an almost virgin like awareness of what he is experiencing, and then his ability to let his body take over, is just some great acting by Marten Klingberg. Their encounter is very gentle and soft and not exploitive. Nassim on the other hand is overly campy at times, but you care for him, and see he is more the child in the relationship that craves constant attention and wants the feeling of the first time to be constant. Nassim is who he is and has no pretense in contrast with Peter, who seems repressed, and has to shed a lot of things, including is family and fiancée. Nassim doesn't seem aware of all that Peter is losing to be with him and when they argue or Peter won't sleep with Nassim, that sees to be the reason why.

The interrogation room is in black and white and is a bit like a teenager having to account for his actions to his parents. This film is full of relationships and doors (literally) being broken down. It speaks to sexual and psychological repression very well. The foreshadowing done in the film, Nassim has dreams about being attacked and has a close call, lets you know something will happen to him. I know a part of this story is based on an actual murder, but the murder at the end, seemed unreal. Maybe that was the point, a senseless murder.

At one point I wasn't sure if this film was supposed to take place in the present or past. It seemed as if the film maker wanted it to be in the past, (the beginning dinner scene, the fiancée seems to wear a bun straight out of the 50's, Nassim's apartment has hippy beads), I wasn't sure. I think the director decided to go with modern times. So I was unclear as to if everyone finding out Peter was gay was almost an overreaction or just how people really act, which I am going to believe is the director's intent. People say they are progressive, until it comes down to a member of their own family.

This film is dark and sad, but enjoyable.

Strange Days (1995)

Accurately Scary Future

[8/10 · 23 March 2008]

Strange Days seems to take on a cult status with each passing year. This film came out in 1995, but is almost prophet like in its ability to summarize our current obsession with technology and experiencing artificial stimulation through computers (e.g. Wii and other interactive games). This film reminds us about the danger that comes along with our constant need for stimuli, and how it detaches us from human contact, desensitizes us to violence, and makes the abnormal seem normal.

The great thing about this film is that it came out 5 years before the year 2000 and didn't try to look to futuristic, as far as fashion, and the cars. No one was using a space craft to get around.

There are three acts in this film: the descent of Lenny into a personal living hell, which is linked with his ex-girlfriend, Faith, who he believes in, despite her penchant for self destruction. Through flashbacks, we see at one point Lenny was a decent cop. Act II is the present time, where we see the seductive nature of the SQUID and the danger is possesses, and how real feelings and emotions are downloaded and traded as a commodity. You also see this edgy undercurrent of "end time" doom felt by everyone, from the murdered rapper Jericho One, to the cops who feel that the urban undercurrent in society, is asking for a level of respect they don't deserve. Order is hanging on by a loose thread and everyone is trying to escape this reality through the use of the SQUID. Act III, is where the price is paid for murders and deception. The order is restored after chaos ensues. Lenny comes out on the other side as a restored person.

Visually, this film is very stimulating, it almost seems like overload in some parts. But this is what the director wanted us to feel, the sense of chaos and impending doom. As far as the acting, Finnes is great, but so is Tom Sizemore, Wincott, Lewis, and of course Angela Basset. She is almost like Virgil to Lenny, guiding him through a maze of hell and hoping he can see the error of his way. She is vulnerable in her love for Lenny, but makes it clear he cannot sacrifice her, or the future of the city, for Faith or the SQUID.

This film had a lot on the plate-racial tension, misuse of technology, sex without emotion, and the blur between lies and truth, which were offered up through the media images of Jericho One. He spoke the "truth" of his reality, but lived a different reality. This film spoke to the idea of media manipulation, which is very rampant in our present culture.

We finally make it to the New Year and after the riot, the truth is restored. When Lenny passes out and wakes up again, I saw that as his rebirth. He has known all the long that Mace loves him, but at the end he is ready to reciprocate that love and that is why he beats on the limo glass to get Mace out of the car. The movie ends with a lover's kiss, which reminds the audience, love is an emotion that cannot be manufactured.

Talk to Me (2007)

Great film that got lost in the Shuffle

[8/10 · 5 February 2008]

Don Cheadle is a great thespian and it is too bad he didn't get an Oscar nod for this film. However, I'm not sure how many voting members of the Academy actually went to see this film.

First of all, this is a nice bio-pic and introduction to "Petey" Green, for those of us who didn't know him our about his life. The supporting cast was excellent, but this is a tour DE force for Cheadle, because he could have played this guy as a one dimensional character, but instead he took us inside of the brain behind the mouth. This film also did a good job of intertwining the historical events that were a backdrop to this man's life and made you understand why he had to do what he had to do, which was talk to people.

All in all this is a great film, get the DVD.

The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Madness and Power

[8/10 · 11 January 2008]

The Last King of Scotland is an good examination of how the mind of a dictator works and the juxtaposition of madness, intelligence, corruption, and manifest destiny.

Of course Forrest Whitaker deserved the Oscar for his portrayal of Amin. He took you into the inner cerebral working of a historically one dimensional figure. James McAvoy was equally outstanding as someone with idealistic goals, who is easily seduced by money and power.

This film had a lot of issues to tackle, but the main themes were Amin, racism, violence and sexism.

I think the film subtly covered the racism from the British point of view, in which the characters felt they were more intelligent, cultivated, and civilized than the Ugandans. This imperialistic attitude is something that Amin is all too aware of and he knows the British would just prefer him to be their puppet. McAvoy's character feels he is above these attitudes, but there are times throughout the film when you see he is a product of his countrymen. Though he staunchly waves the flag for his native Scotland, he takes on imperialistic attitudes, by turning a blind eye to the true nature of Amin's government and the killing of many Ugandans, because it doesn't affect him and the good time he is having and the material profits he gains. When Amin's wife tells him she is pregnant, they decided to dispose the baby, but he doesn't want to do it, because he would be guilty and feels he is morally above murder, so he asks the black doctor to do it for him at the hospital. When that doesn't work, he decides to do it himself, but it is too late.

This moral defects in McAvoy's character is a foil for the moral defects in Amin, and it is no wonder he thinks of Dr. Garrigan as a son and tells him so. Both men's moral defects set up the violence in the film that some people feel is gratuitous, but when you kill 300,000 people, you have to keep it real in the film. Amin feels the violence is necessary for the good of Uganda and to retain his power and is part of his manifest destiny. Amin feels he has a special insight into people and fate and can predict his future. On the other hand, our Dr. Garrigan's participation in the violence is passive. He knows he has influence with Amin, but doesn't use it in the right way to make Amin do good. He mentions to Amin, in a blind showing of loyalty for a friend, a meeting between a cabinet member and a British official and essentially carries out an stay of execution on that man. When confronted with this fact by Amin, Dr. Garrigan becomes upset, because he doesn't think it is his fault. He didn't carry out the murderous act, but he spoke the words and in this film words are a tool of violence.

As far as sexism in this film, I have to step outside of this film for a moment. As a African-American woman, I was disturbed by the images of the black women in this film because that old promiscuous hag showed up again. There was nothing loving in the scene between McAvoy and Washington, it just seemed primal. The way it was looped in with the gyrating female dancer, just said here is a white man that is sleeping with a black woman, because he has access, he is in Africa, and no one will find out back home. A lot of the black women in many of the scenes just seemed to be giving it up to anybody, or dancing in a provocative manner. Yes, I realize some scenes were in night clubs and people were dancing. At one point, when Garrigan laughs when he tells Washington's character he could just imagine her back home with him and the possible uproar it would cause, you see him at his imperialistic best. By this point in the film, we all know he is a horny hound dog and would jump any female, black or white. But why is it that Gillian Anderson's character is the white woman who shows restraint while in the midst of moral decay. She chooses to have virtue. This image of the promiscuous black woman won't go away. I know the director is a white male and I wonder if this was intentional in keeping with the themes of the film or something that has never been brought to his attention. I do wonder if the director had the counsel of some black women, if their whole affair would have had a different tone to it. To be honest, the love affair just could have been left out all together and wouldn't have hurt the movie at all.

However, I did like this film, despite the stuff I mentioned above. I think McAvoy should have got more praise for what he did with his role. And it seems the world is still learning that madness and power don't mix, but often go hand in hand.

Adored: Diary of a Porn Star (2003)

The total package

[8/10 · 3 February 2007]

This film has a lot of ideas and messages, and also contains a love story. This is the story of two brothers who fall in love with each other (not in an incestuous way) but in the way of two people, who learn to accept each other, despite their different perspectives on life.

I think the introduction for the film, where you find Riki at a photo shoot, initially puts people off. You think you are just going to watch a bad porno film, full of close ups of Marco Filiberti (which isn't such a bad thing). Once you get beyond the opening, the film takes on a quiet, reflective nature. I was surprised to find a plot that did keep me engaged in the film.

Filiberti (who wrote, directed and starred in the movie) does a good job of presenting Riki as someone who is vulnerable and sad, because he doesn't have love in his life. Once he reunites with his brother, Frederico, (the fantastic Urbano Barberini) he meets his polar opposite. Suddenly Riki has to account for, defend himself, and is forced to own up to the reality of what he does for a living. And once Frederico reunites with Riki, he has to own up to the fact that he doesn't know his brother, their father was a crook, and the life he is leading is a lie. Both brothers were perfect foils for each other, because after meeting and spending time with each other, they began to let go of values that were holding them back and of no use to themselves, and began to embrace a fuller way of living.

The comments on class and what is means to be acceptable in society, which are sprinkled throughout the film are interesting, particularly for a viewer who is American. One has to wonder would Riki be more acceptable as a gay man to his family, if he were educated and did something else for a living.

The supporting characters are interesting also. We have Claudio (the restorer/porn star) who persistently tries to restore love to Riki's life. You also have "Luna" who is the female version of Riki, a person who alienates love, and wraps herself in skin tight clothing, which seems to alienate her from physical contact. She states she is unable to accept pleasure. Luna is very affected by Riki and considers him an accomplice in their way of living "life without pleasure." However, Luna, after sensing Riki's release from that way of living his life, his growth and his acceptance of love (from Frederico, Claudio, Plapla) feels abandoned and decides to leave. Julie seems to be a woman of clarity. She hatches a plan to save the family estate and is the one who seems to realize Riki is gay upon first meeting him, but embraces him anyway, without judgment. Plapla is the character the pulls Riki out of his ego, and is the person Riki is willing to make a sacrifice for.

This film does have some flaws. You have to wonder how Plapla's grandparents didn't know Riki was gay and why they never asked him what he did for a living or at least check out his background. I was willing to forgive this fact, because the grandmother is fantastic in her scene where she condemns Riki for his lifestyle and not being truthful with them. But this may be the point about Riki, he is who others need him to be at times, he is an illusion at times.

The film does a great job of spoofing porno films (the silly plot lines, the costumes)and those moments were actually funny and probably makes the audience at ease with what they are seeing on film. I liked the film's use of Debussy's music (the recurring "Ballade") during the serious moments and flashback scenes.

The use of Pietro/Plapla was good throughout the film. It was very touching to hear the character refer to Riki as "Papa." This character added some intrigue to the plot. The little talk between Plapla and Riki regarding Riki being gay, and his grandparents intolerance is touching. The kid that played little Plapla was great! All in all the ending is sad and foreshadowed a lot throughout the film. I thought the film had comedy, drama, love, and tragedy-the total package.

Lan Yu (2001)

Enjoyable film

[8/10 · 21 January 2007]

I enjoyed this film. I thought the two lead actors had great chemistry and gave their character's relationship a lot of empathy and made the audience stay with them through the ups and downs of their relationship.

There is a bit of time travel in this film and at times it seems disjointed, but then you figure out you are going back and forth between present and past time.

The best aspect of this film is the dialog between the two leads, especially when they break up on the eve of Handong's wedding. Handong had problems coming to terms with who he was, while Lan Yu understood his and Handong's nature and accepted it. Lan yu seemed the more wiser soul between the two, despite his lack of wealth and worldly sophistication.

This film also incorporated the importance of friendship, historical political events, and class differences.

There has been a lot of speculation about Lan yu's boyfriend. I think he didn't exist, and his description of him, sounded a lot like Lan yu. A lot of people make up imaginary loves to ex loves, just from a sense of pride or to arouse jealousy.

All in all, this film is an examination of a history of a relationship, that stands the trials of what time, life, and the lovers do to it.

Food of Love (2002)

A creepy, laughable, annoying movie

[1/10 · 8 January 2007]

First off, I have to admit a bias, because I think the world of actor Paul Rhys (Richard in the movie). He is a good actor. That being said, I have to think when he read this script and than read it again, then checked it one more time to see if he could actually believe what he saw, he knew it was bad, and I hope he was well paid to overlook this fact. I mean actors have bills to pay too, and I hope Rhys bought something nice. Yet still, because he is gorgeous (though he wore too much make up in this film, perhaps to indicate his character was gay?)and the only actor who managed to retain some dignity in this film, I endured this misguided, misdirected movie.

After all of the main characters were established at the beginning of the movie, we move on to this hotel seduction scene, which just made me laugh. This kid who is 18 and prim and proper (and I like how Richard did check to make sure his jail bait was legal) goes to a guy's hotel room, removes his clothes and gets a "massage" is just hysterically funny. It was creepy too and seemed so incredulous. But that may have been a comment on hotel sex.

The mom was too hysterical and even if she didn't know her son was gay, how could she have not known Richard was gay? Didn't she think it strange they went on tours of the city, but left her alone to tour the city. She was needy, weak, insulting to women and too over the top. I was annoyed by the acting. It would have been better if she had a drug problem which would have explained her hysteria. I had no sympathy for her character.

The actor that played Paul did not need all of the scenes of him putting on his underwear. It just made me laugh. His bum wasn't that exciting. Neither was his acting. He had a strange voice, that annoyed me also, but then I found out he is really British and so is the mother. Maybe that is the way they think Americans talk and act.

We never see Paul practice the piano on a daily basis, which is strange for someone attending Julliard and hoping to be a world class concert pianist. When he gets to New York, I guess to prove he is OK with being gay, he turns into a well dressed whore for older men, who live in expensive penthouses. Again another funny moment when the mother travels to New York to rescue her son from that bad gay man, who must have turned her son out and destroyed his music career. I gotta mention the music teacher. She was real. I had two piano teachers while growing up and they were weird eccentrics and I never understood how they ended up in my town. Oh yeah, they would lie to you about your talent level.

What could have been a good coming out, coming of age, or better love story, never made it on screen in this movie. It should have been pitched as a comedy. Watch it, but don't buy the DVD.

No Night Is Too Long (2002 TV Movie)

The Many Faces of Love

[8/10 · 28 October 2006]

I think this film is fantastically erotic and well acted. Lee Williams and Marc Warren do an excellent job of making you care about their characters, despite their flaws. This film is a journey into the the various stages of love. It is also an examination of the duplicity of love and the old saying "there's a thin line between love and hate."

The pacing of the film moves along, until we get to the character Isabel, then it seems to drag. The the love Tim professes for her doesn't seem as heated as what he had for Ivo. I don't think the actress cast for Isabel was the right person, because she and Williams had no chemistry. All of their scenes felt contrived. But then again, maybe that is the point, she is a way out from Ivo for Tim. His passion for her isn't real. The tempo picks up and keeps going once we get to the "murder" of Ivo. The twist where we find out Isabel is Ivo's sister was interesting. Ivo and Isabel's scene in the bedroom was creepy, but she too was unable to resist Tim's charms, even though she knows who he is from the beginning and what he meant to Ivo. Maybe this was her form of rebellion against Ivo and her husband. Otherwise, her character is shut down and devoid of the ability to change her nature. She is walking damaged goods, just like Tim, Ivo, and her husband. They all suffer from weaknesses they are aware of, but choose to swim in them anyway, instead of making internal changes.

Through flashback scenes, the audience finds out Tim was molested as a child. When someone tells him they love him (as his molester did) he shuts down. Tim is aware of this fact, but does nothing or maybe can't do anything to change this sadness within himself. Ivo walks around the university and seems shut down also, which could explain their attraction, beyond the physical. However, the audience comes to find out that Ivo, despite being the elder, is the vulnerable one in the relationship, though you fear for Tim at the beginning. Ivo realizes Tim doesn't love him, yet hangs on anyway, just as many people do in real life.

The final scene between Ivo and Tim, where Tim tries to return Ivo's money and coat he gave Tim, is touching and sad. Ivo realizes how unreceptive to love Tim is and rightly calls him a selfish bastard at one point during their conversation. Yet there is still something between the two. Tim seems to reach a point of clarity and understand that Ivo did love him. His childish attempts to make amends (returning the money/coat) are correctly rebuffed by the wiser Ivo, who doesn't want to dance to Tim's tune again. Tim wants to play the chase game again. When Isabel, "they only person he's loved" comes to see Tim at the end of the movie, she looks like a mirage, she is blurry and unreal. The love of his life comes to him, yet he won't open the door, because she isn't the love of his life (Ivo) which Tim realizes too late. Tim is holding Ivo's pictures and perhaps finally on a conscious level, realized he loved Ivo. This realization paralyzes him and you know he can't open that door.

As far as settings, Alaska was the right place for a love that was on its deathbed. At the end of the movie, it was appropriate for Tim to go back to his dank little town, where he constantly ran into reminders of his real self. There was also some humor, e.g. when Tim questions Ivo going off to teach a class in a leather jacket and when Ivo forces himself on Tim on the boat, the announcer in the background says "No one knows glaciers like Dr. Ivo Steadman."

Kudos to the actors for showing the complexities of people and relationships. This film lets you know you are responsible for your actions and the people who choose to love you, whether you love them or not.

Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

Light on a forgotten face

[7/10 · 31 May 2006]

I enjoyed the film Akeelah and the Bee for two reasons: a young black female was featured in a positive light, and the struggle kids considered "smart" have to go through at school.

I would recommend this film as a family film. I think the film did a nice job of showing the inner turmoil Akeelah faced as she went forward in the competition. It was also interesting to see the reaction of her friends and family, particularly her mother (Angela Bassett, great as usual, given the confines of her character) who was so caught up in her own stilted grief over the death of her husband, that she couldn't recognize at first, that she needed to support her daughter.

At times the movie was cute and somewhat sappy, and I didn't enjoy the part where Akeelah almost sabotaged her chances of winning to help another competitor. I think the film should have stuck to what would have gone on in real life- Akeelah would have went for the win, no matter how she felt about her fellow competitor. I wasn't keen on the girl being self sacrificing while competing against boys.

All in all, I would take kids to this movie. The old school message of hard work paying off, is priceless.

The Way We Were (1973)

trying to become one

[8/10 · 16 February 2006]

I've seen this movie a couple of times, at different ages, and I have to say, the older I get, the more I enjoy this film. Sometimes you see two people together and think, "they have nothing in common," or "they are an odd couple." I feel Katie and Hubbell were attracted to each other, because they each had something the other lacked and wished they had inside of themselves.

Katie and Hubbell were able to speak to each other honestly, brutally about the other's flaws. I think they came together to form a complete being, and that is why they married. Yet, this film also informs the audience you can't change your core beliefs, even for the sake of love. Eventually what brings them together, drives them apart.

Redford's performance is often criticized in the film for not being emotional enough. If things always come "easy" to a person, there really isn't a need to make much noise, when you have access to all of your dreams. Redford's character knows he has deficiencies and that he is taking the easy way out. Hubbell is really a cynic at heart, but a shrewd cynic, because he tells Katie in one scene, that after the witch hunt is over, no one will care who was red or not, because people will just want to work, to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. Hubbell seems to know his time with Katie is limited, he knows they won't work out at tries to break it off, but can't. Hubbell also realizes Katies doesn't want the "easy" Hubbell and demands the real Hubbell make himself present in their relationship and in his professional life.

At the end of the movie, people mention they don't like Hubbell, because he didn't have contact with his daughter, failed himself personally, but remains a professional success. Maybe Hubbell felt his daughter would be better off without him, or maybe having contact with his daughter meant he would always have to see Katie and he didn't want to be reminded of losing the love of his life. Maybe Hubbell felt constricted by the demands of love, realized this about himself and didn't want to expose a child to his defect.

Yet, the final scene saves Hubbell for me, because when he walks across the street to speak with Katie and admits he can't come over for dinner and is pained to know his daughter has a good father. It was like he was never really a part of Katie's life. Hubbell and Katie were a movie about star crossed lovers that ran its course. The look on Redford's face is priceless.

So all in all, Redford's understated performance, (with just enough outrage over Katie's antics in key moments) was just the right balance to Striesand's fire breathing Katie. In another actor's hand Hubbell's character would have tried to match fire with fire and that wouldn't have worked. You believe Hubbell has the strength to stand up to Katie and try to love her.

As for Streisand, she walked a fine line between being a strong woman and being a fool for love. She knows she is all wrong for Hubbell and that she is stronger than Hubbell, but feels he could be a better person with her, and the right partner for her if, he would make the effort. She is going to mold Hubbell into the person she and he would like to be, but always forgets he is a human being with flaws. On paper, in person, he is too good to be true and is prince charming. The ballroom scene where Hubbell cuts through a crowd of people and dances with Katie is something from a fairy tale. Katie's yearning for someone from a fairy tale is interesting, because deep down she yearns for a knight in shining armor. Though the world around her tells her Hubbell is unobtainable, because he is a WASP, she is Jewish and not a blond bombshell, he seems to come from money, she's working class. Katie hates herself for being attracted to Hubbell, but can't help it. Striesand annoys you at times, but makes you root for her Katie. And why shouldn't she have prince charming? Striesand pulls out all the stops as a woman of passion and intellect, who shows her vulnerability through her love of Hubbell and tries to bring him up to her level in the area of personal responsibility to others and to oneself.

Visually, Striesand is stunning in the glamorous 40's outfits and Redford is ready for Hollywood. It was interesting to see Katie transformed into a glamorous, almost carefree person in California, and that was because she was on Hubbell's turf. Back in New York, she goes back to her naturally curly hair, and you know she is back where she belongs, ready to save the world.

The end of the movie is heartbreaking and yes, though everyone else has typed about it, you have to the love the hair brushing gesture Katie gives Hubbell and the warm embrace that shows there is still something between them, which was too much for them both to bear. I cry every time.

Something New (I) (2006)

Cute movie, with some serious moments

[7/10 · 10 February 2006]

A few weeks ago, I saw the trailer for Something New and I thought I would check it out, but probably wouldn't like it. After having seen this film, I have to say I did enjoy it. This is a good date film and no matter what race you are, it is still the story of boy meets girl.

This film does follow a romantic film formula: man/woman meet and are attracted to each other, but find themselves in an awkward situation, sexual tension builds up, they find out they feel the same way for each other, somethings pulls them apart and leads to a parting of ways, finally the the dramatic make up. I think the casting of the two leads was good. Simon Baker is gorgeous and there is sizzle in Brian and Kenya's love scenes. Simon Baker as the blond, blue-eyed hunk, versus the pretty, mahogany Sanna Lathan strikes a visual contrast, in addition to the old rule opposites attract: she's uptight, he's laid back, he's comfortable with himself, she's not.

I felt the issues Kenya felt inside herself, concerning Brian were honest feelings. I'm sure those feelings can be related to by anyone who has dated outside of their race. Though this movie is a comedy, there were some bits serious of dialog I was happy to see between Brian and Kenya, particularly when Kenya brings up how she is being treated on her job by a white client. At one point Brian asks her if she is being paranoid. In another conversation about race on the job, Brian shuts her off completely and accuses her of being racist. Those moments seemed real. The movie also did a role reversal, in the fact the Brian is often the only white person in a crowd when with Kenya. You see Brian's awkwardness and the way he responds to racist comments. However, just when this movie could go deeper, you feel as if either the script was cut, or the screenwriter really wanted to get to the neat, tidy ending. It would have been nice to also see Brian's family's take on his relationship with Kenya.

One minor subplot I found interesting was the psyche of black hair. The fact that Brian request Kenya cut out her weave and wear her natural hair, while Blair Underwood's character asks her to grow it longer was interesting. So many successful black women in the media (not all) have weaves and there is still a stigma about wearing black hair in its natural state, though it isn't as bad as it used to be.

I didn't care for the portrayal Kenya's parents. I think it portrays successful blacks in a demeaning way, by suggesting they aren't in touch with being black, or you can't be black and be successful, because you are going to take on the airs of rich white people?

Visually the film is very pretty to look at and Kenya's garden is an idyllic romantic setting that amplifies the looks of the two leads and is a tribute to their love. You can also look at this as the Garden of Eden, with the lure of temptation. However, I saw the garden as the natural goodness of love that comes from a pure place. All and all I did enjoy this film, despite the few flaws.

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

Memoirs of a Lifetime movie

[4/10 · 7 January 2006]

This movie is beautiful to look at, just like the geishas and their costumes in the film.

The film is a moving mosaic of beauty, but beneath the surface, I'm not sure I was allowed to feel what needed to be conveyed. There was a tone in this movie that didn't ring true for me. I don't know if this was due to a male directing the film, American screenplay writers, the acting/casting. Whatever it was, at the end of the movie, I didn't feel the need to go singing its praises to anyone at all. In fact I felt relieved.

The pacing of this movie was very slow, and I feel 30 to 45 minutes could have been cut, and wouldn't have affected the story line. This movie could have easily been a mini-series on TV or a high brow Lifetime movie? I'm serious about the Lifetime. Think about it, the film had many lifetime movie elements: the required female rivalry, a tragedy that removed the heroine from her life as she knew it, a struggle for love, then a sappy ending. This movie had Asian actors, but the story felt like it was written from a Western point of view, that tried to give a sympathetic overview of a geisha lifestyle. Maybe that was the problem. Perhaps, by trying to make this movie accessible to western audiences, they lost focus and their ambition was stilted.

Don't expect this movie to get an Oscar nomination for best picture of the year. Look for Oscar to give a nod to the costume/make-up departments instead. This film had a lot of hype, but never delivered. Wait for the DVD, or go see it, if you need to kill time.

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Great action for the eyes

[7/10 · 29 November 2005]

Kung Fu Hustle is a good film about Kung Fu, and also involves comedy, love, and Buddhist philosophy. I feel Stephen Chow did an great job with the pacing and story line. Those of you who are Matrix fans will instantly recognize the choreography and wire work of Yuen Wo Ping in the fight scenes.

A lot of characters in the film could be taken at face value, but you can also get a deeper meaning. For instance, on the surface the Axe gang is just a mob, but they could also represent the oppression of working class people, or the brutality of oppression ingeneral.

Sing (Chow) represents the desire of humans to transform and better themselves, even if that means joining a gang, because he wants respect. The idea of "fate" also weighs heavily in the movie. Fate had 5 Kung Fu masters living in the same place, but no one knew it. Sing, a mugger, is really a Kung Fu master. The film also speaks to standing up and doing the right thing. Sing makes a decision to help the landlord/landlady and fight against the beast, and winds up changing his destiny. As far as the Kung Fu, the martial arts is used to protect and defend, which is a great contrast to the violent murders committed by the Axe gang.

The movie also speaks to the "Chi" concept an inner power or force that all individuals are supposed to possess. For example,the villains who use the lyre (musical instrument which looks like a harp for the lap) to fight against the masters, never physically touch them, yet they are using Chi,though in a negative sense, to destroy the masters. Their negative energy is represented as a force that is used for evil. Contrast that with Sing, who uses the "Buddhist Palm" for good and eventually tames the beast. The love story between Fong and Sing represents the strong protecting the weak.

There was a lot of slap stick comedy in the movie,(Eyeglasses guy,running at high speeds)which was effective. The movie is entertaining, and it was cool to see the Axe gang get their dance on. Looking forward to the sequel.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Watch when you are mentally alert

[8/10 · 30 August 2005]

I had to watch this movie three times, I fell asleep during the ape part twice. Anyway, my advice is to watch the movie when you are at the peak of your mental capabilities, so that you can analyze what is going on. Yet I will warn you, even then you will never really be sure.First of all, if you don't believe in the theory of evolution, you may feel compelled to fast forward through the ape scenes. However, you should still watch to understand the relevance of the apes to the storyline. The first part of the ape sequence shows the savagery of the species, who are under attack from each other and other animals. Then the black monolith arrives and makes a strange sound and fascinates the apes. It stands tall and erect and is intimidating. Next, you see a lone ape, who I consider the leader of the pack, figure out he can use a bone as a weapon. Shortly after that, the two packs of apes that were fighting for territory earlier, meet up again. However,the apes armed with bones, are standing upright and show their strength when they kill one of the members of the opposing pack. This pack of apes seemed to have developed a more advanced form of intelligence and show the advantages of dominance.

Cut to a space ship in space, which seems similar in shape to the bone the lone ape was holding. The ship looks like it is free falling in space, when you realize it is actually orbiting. I have to pause to address the music in the movie. I think Kubrick made a wise choice of music for this film. During the ape scene, we get what sounds like a chorus mumbling/singing unintelligible words, they sound other worldly and the chorus gets louder and their singing frenzied. Once we get to space, we have the most famous waltz of all time, that everyone on the planet has heard at one point. That waltz is universal. Using a waltz, instead of sci-fi music, gives the audience a sense of familiarity, while venturing into an unknown world. Also the waltz has a certain monotonous feel to it, which may heighten the sense of orbiting in space. When things get out of control,we get the chorus again, which heightens the audience's sense of anxiety.

Next, we move to the audience seeing space travel, the effects of anti-gravity, how one eats in space. We move on to meeting company man, Dr. Floyd, whose purpose was to smooth over any concerns about problems on Jupiter. The movie feels tedious at this point, but you have to listen to the conversation he has with the other scientist and the presentation he gives at a meeting for some basic information that sets up the heart of the film. Once we get on board with Dave and the crew and meet Hal, whose voice is seductive and menacing at the same time, the film picks up steam again. We come across the black monolith again, this time on the moon. The monolith makes a piercing sound,which harms the scientists. Now at this point, the monolith seems to be an enemy of man. Very contradictory to the way the monolith behaved with the apes, who suffered no harm when in the presence of the monolith. Is man getting too close and about to overpower the monolith, or is the monolith afraid of losing its dominance over man? 18 months later we are on the journey to Jupiter with Dave and the crew. Before any dialog takes place, Kubrick visually gives the audience a sense of the ship, the isolation on the ship, the routine of the ship, and the dominance of HAL. Now another theory at work in the movie is man versus computers, which back in 1968 must have seemed like a portal into doom. We see the level of trust the crew has in HAL. Yet, through the use of the monotony of HAL's voice, the audience is encouraged to develop a distrust of the computer before anything goes wrong. Then the "Judas event" happens. Hal fakes a problem with the ship and the astronauts realize he made and error on purpose and they propose to in effect "kill" him. However, HAL strikes first and tries to take out the two astronauts. In a battle between man and machine Dave gets back on the ship, only to discover through a message from Dr.Floyd, that was played once HAL demised, that HAL really had no control over his actions after all. Free will versus destiny. Again there is mention of contact with the monolith, but we never see the rest of the message.

Dave then sets out to finish the mission. Again we see the beauty of Kubricks visuals, with the use of primary colors, a kind of Andy-Warhol effect on Dave's eyes. You also get a sense of the horror, which the chorus underlies. Now we get to the the planet, which is really a room? At this point, you have to make a decision as to if this is really Dave's mind and his way of coping what is happening to him, or is this the end of the journey? The monolith is back acting as a mechanism that alters perception and reality. Dave is old when he arrives, due to the effects of the travel or from being in space for a long period of time? There seems to be a trinity of Dave: the old man in the bed, the man at the table, and the fetus at the end. Is Dave suddenly reborn, because he accepts an alternate form of being? Dave dies at the end to be reborn. At the end, you see the fetus orbit in space, or in the womb of space and seems in harmony with the other planets. Everything has a feeling of resolution, and the waltz starts again.

Young Adam (2003)

Thoughtless love

[8/10 · 17 August 2005]

Young Adam is a film about betrayal, guilt, unreached potential, sex, and the inability of people to change circumstance or fate. First off, the sex in this film is not your standard "movie sex." Things are graphic and in a sense detached. There is nothing loving or sensual about Joe and Ella, or Joe and Cathie, when they sexually interact. But if you understand that these liaisons are a way to sometimes move beyond the ordinary boundaries of their lives, or forget their circumstances it is still disturbing, but makes sense.

The character Joe is someone who you despise, but Ewan McGregor does a good job of getting a bit of sympathy from the audience. Is it really Joe's fault that Cathie fell into the water? No. Was it his responsibility to try to get help for her? Yes. And the film does a good job of presenting the question are we responsible for the people in our lives? Or does fate just carry everyone along and decides where you end up.

Visually the film is bleak looking and this reflects the characters also. The tempo of the film is steady paced, there is no action flick here. If you enjoy good dialog, this is a film for you. You can predict how the film ends up, but will still enjoy the conclusion anyway. Tilda Swinton does a good job in her role, as the overworked wife. Unlike Joe, she is able to see the error of her ways and goes back to Les. The only unnecessary person in the film is Ella's sister, who is a total waste of time and sidetracks the film. All in all, worth seeing.

Solaris (2002)

Suspended Animation

[24 November 2004]

I think Solaris is a great film. I was really struck by the vulnerability George Clooney allowed himself to display in this film. What I mean by this, is that in in a lot of films, I felt when Clooney was smiling, his eyes were sad. Solaris really exposed something I felt he had all the time, but maybe he wasn't ready for it until Solaris.

Aesthetically I think the film is beautiful. The color palettes in this film range from deep browns, to dark greens, which when combined with rain, gave Earth a muted darkness. On the other hand, Solaris is full of raging electrical storms and vivid light. One could make the case that the 6&7th characters in the film are Earth and Solaris. All of the casting was great, particularly Natascha McElhone, because she has a compelling face, that, in some points of the film looked other worldly, which allows you to accept that fact she isn't human. I also felt Soderbergh did a great job in giving the film a retro SCI-FI look, which didn't lock the viewer into thinking about technology, so that you could concentrate on the plot of the film, which is really where the viewer's focus is needed.

The action in Solaris, is the mind of the viewer and the viewer's ability to accept what is put before them(Rheya) and to also think about what wasn't tangible on film, such as Gordon's visitor. For example, I think Snow is just an interpretation on human beings tendency to take on the characteristics of people around us, or assimilation. I think Snow is saying if there is complete assimilation, a part of the individual dies, or can't survive. Kelvin(Clooney)is a juxtaposition between the Kelvin on Earth, who ignores some clear signs that Rheya is unable to commit emotionally and has some psychological issues, which he chooses to ignore. Kelvin didn't see Rheya clearly on Earth, which causes problems for Rheya on Solaris, because she feels he remembered her wrongly. On the other hand, Kelvin on Solaris is willing to accept Rheya for what she is, whatever she is, because he needs her.

The manipulation of memory to suit one's purpose is a dangerous thing on Solaris. Besides the issue of memory, Solaris brings up questions about the after life, death, guilt, and the thought of being accountable to the people we love and ourselves. Solaris is whatever was in the mind of the characters and the viewer. So, if you believe in reincarnation, you saw that flag in the film. I was glad there wasn't a clear cut answer at the end of the film, though I'm not sure after seeing Kelvin's finger heal, you don't know what's up at that point. I thought the pacing of the film did work. The question of what is real and what is memory and what is life and what is death, just seemed to go around in the film and gave the film a sense of suspended animation. Next, what was the purpose of Michael? When I first saw the film, I missed a quick glance of Michael on earth, being held by his father. Michael runs away from Kelvin the first time he encounters him on the spaceship, which may symbolize Kelvin's initial resistance of what Solaris was about, Kelvin was an intruder at that point. At the end of the film, we see the choice Kelvin makes and Michael takes his hand. Of course symbolically, you can see Michael as the arch angel, protector of heaven if that is where you were going with that character.

The music was great, it was a wonderful character actor and I enjoyed the sounds. Watch the film again. Discuss it with someone. Thinking is good for you and no one should be disappointed in a film, and director that requires you to think. One more thing, I kept thinking about the rain and why did it keep raining on earth? Besides the spiritual aspects of water, rain has a tendency to distort vision and concentration. Oh yeah, Earth seemed to represent the monotony and repetition of life, so maybe the rain was like the drivel of becoming oblivious to daily function. No one on earth seemed to have any joy. Though everyone was in constant motion, traveling on trains, walking, etc, it seemed like no one was making progress. That's all I got. Bye!