a.v. boy Reviews

Moon (2009)

Good, Real, Brilliant Sci-Fi!

[10/10 · 18 July 2009]

Zowie Bowie (a.k.a. Duncan Jones) has completely knocked this one out of the park, to use a baseball metaphor. He has conceived and directed this art-house science-fiction masterpiece, which I'd rank right up there with all my favorites. I'll happily go see whatever he decides to direct next.

(To give this some reference point, my favorites tend towards the dark and thoughtful and include Blade Runner, Silent Running, Dark Star, 2001, Iron Giant, and Gattaca, in no particular order and for various reasons.)

This film surpasses them all for existential musings, corporate malfeasance and the most understated zinger of an ending. Pay _real_ close attention at the very end.

The acting is excellent. Kevin Spacey is superb as the voice of Gerty 3000, as is Sam Rockwell as the excessively flesh-and-blood Sam Bell. The science part is pretty good, mirroring some very real strategies for mining the moon. And, I just can't say enough about the story. Rock solid sci-fi for real old-school sci-fi fans of dark fiction.

Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)

God Bless Lila Lipscomb

[9/10 · 12 July 2004]

I've already reviewed this film, somewhere below, but after reading some totally ignorant snipes here and elsewhere, I feel really moved to add this to it:

God bless Lila Lipscomb. She and mothers and fathers like her are the moral conscience of this nation, and have every right to be. Part of the movie may be opinion-driven (although well-backed with absolutely damning facts), but the part with Lila Lipscomb is absolutely, 100% documentary -- her words, her voice, her (and our) tragedy.

It's a crying shame to see her so cavalierly belittled and dismissed in public by Bush functionaries and partisans. How dare they? Worse, they engage in outright lying about the subject, calling her variously a fraud, an unwilling victim of Moore, or a simple-minded patsy. None of which is true!

Mrs. Lipscomb has been interviewed numerous times in the press since this movie's US release, and absolutely confirms that a) she WANTS her and her son's story told, b) Moore is a gentleman and a "softie" and was not exploiting her, c) she was offered on multiple occasions editorial veto power on her segments (which she saw no need to exercise), and most importantly d)she thinks the movie is patriotic.

Not only that, she has made public appearances with the film at benefit showings for various groups and at premieres, and speaks quite movingly and eloquently. This is no dummy, folks! This should be as much proof of legitimacy and support as anyone should need, even Rush. (Why does he keep lying?)

As Americans and as Patriots, we all owe her our heart-felt sympathy for her loss and thanks for her son's service. We also owe it to the country to make sure that we don't reelect what Moore has helped publicly expose as perhaps the most dishonest, corrupt, and evil "Commander in Chief" that this nation has ever had.

And, aside from all that, it's STILL a great movie! Absolutely riveting.

Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)

Indictment, Humor and Therapy

[9/10 · 28 June 2004]

Moore does two excellent things in this movie.

He shreds George W. Bush & Co. in joyously vicious lampoonery. I'd have laughed if I wasn't already crying. Well... I guess I laughed anyway.

And, he lays out the case against Bush, the Bush family, their friends and supporters in exquisite detail. He does a job that would do any skilled government prosecutor proud. Better than the 9/11 Commission, the Warren Commission and the Watergate Commission rolled into one. Never mind swaying an election, he lays out a pretty good case for impeachment and hanging. Seriously.

Unfortunately (for me, anyway) he does one more powerful thing which I didn't exactly "enjoy". Moore provides a powerful emotional catharsis for the loss and pain of 9/11 and Iraq. I sobbed. Who knows, maybe it did me good to get it out of my system and I should send him a check for the therapy session. I'm still a bit teary the next day. Luckily though, the scenes that set me off were actually quite short and not everyone had my reaction. Most of the packed house (at 5:50pm on a Sunday!) seemed to have had a clearly enjoyable time.

Oh, people? Leave your small children home. This movie is totally inappropriate for them. At the very least they'll be loudly fussy and cranky and disturbing to the other patrons during the quiet and emotional scenes. At the worst, they'll have nightmares for years.

American Splendor (2003)

A Work of Art

[10/10 · 13 September 2003]

This film is a very rare thing of beauty. It snuck up on me when I was least expecting it.

Everyone says that Pekar's art of storytelling is based on the gritty ordinariness of his life. However, the reason that Harvey's autobiographical comics became popular is that he openly bares his intense, larger-than-life negative emotions, triggered by nearly every interaction in his world. He's an outsized curmudgeon, a drama queen of the beaten-down common man. That's all here, too. The result is comedy, drama, pathos, and reluctant redemption.

However, none of that speaks to the structure of the film, which I think is brilliant in its own right. It's the story of Pekar, the story of Pekar's comics, the story of Pekar writing his comics, it's the real Pekar himself, the story of the actors playing Pekar, even the story of the filmmakers making the film about Pekar, all deftly interwoven into an unlikely tour-de-force. In lesser hands, it might have fallen apart into trite gimmicks and tired cliches, but not here. Archive footage of actual talk-show appearances conspires with brilliantly acted and directed scenes, original art from the comics, live-action storyboard collages, and scenes of an actual present-day interview of the real Harvey conducted by the director in a surreal composite white-box studio. And yet, with all the changes in story-telling mode, you never lose the narrative.

This is not a simple story. Pekar never let his existence be simple or mundane, despite any hype to the contrary. To tell the story, the filmmakers made a structurally very complex and beautiful film. Yet, the film is even easier to watch than the comics were to read. And, in my opinion, far more entertaining. This is one of those rare movies where the audience applauds at the end, not for any satisfying twist in the story, but for the film itself.

Swimming Pool (2003)

Perhaps It's a Comedy

[6/10 · 11 August 2003]

Leaving the theater, a number of patrons stopped to read the reviews posted in the lobby, to try and figure out what they had just seen. Whatever it was intended to be, on some level it just didn't work for the audience.

The movie opens up with more than a hint of comedy. There's a lot about our mystery writer and her mood and attitude that is clearly funny, and there was laughter in the audience. Somewhere around the middle of the film, there's an apparent shift in the plot, and the audience stopped laughing, watching the rest of the movie in either confusion or disbelief. And, when it was over, a charge to read the big lobby card with the review.

I think it may have actually been intended as a comedy from start to finish. There are scenes that couldn't be meant to be much else: A seduction of the elderly chauffeur/gardener/poolman; The energetic, oddly gleeful, cleaning of a crime scene; The stated reason for the crime; The dopey, overlong waving sequence; Various mental gear-shifts on the face of our author.

But, comedy is timing, and that timing is often quite subtle. Often, it's affected by expectations. Ozon may have been trying to do a parody of the mind of a detective fiction writer, or of the hallucinations of pot smoking and drinking, with a dash of the erotic thriller, but his timing is just a teensy bit off the mark, and the audience is left fidgeting.

Maybe future audiences will view this with different eyes, and it will turn out to be seen as a great comedy. Or, maybe it's intended to be viewed while stoned and we, the audience, were just too square. In any event, if anyone does go to see this film with the idea that they are going to see a comedy, and if they then find it to be truly funny, I'd be interested to hear from you. It's certainly NOT the erotic thriller I somehow ended up expecting.

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)

Worse Than Expected

[3/10 · 4 July 2003]

Amazing. They jacked up the pace, loaded lame shtick in with a backhoe, abandoned all rules of movie action sequences, stripped the characters of any hint of reality and zeroed out any level of suspense. It's a shame really.

In this movie, the producers and director forget that the characters need a believable human side. The fight scenes are not just over the top, but so far over the top that no Angel could actually survive them. Once you make your lead characters virtually immortal, there is no suspense left. In short, they went too far, and they don't work any more. The drama is lost.

The first movie was loads of fun. I read the reviews and figured that the second movie might not be as good, but was still worth seeing. Wrong. It's not fun. They broke it.

Man on the Train (2002)

Nice enough, but could have been better.

[7/10 · 26 May 2003]

This film explores the intersection of the lives of the two principal characters. That intersection is the primary purpose of the plot, and everything else is a bit secondary.

Still, when the plot strays into areas which are very familiar to audiences, film genres which have a strong tradition of their own, we are entitled to certain expectations. That the director didn't really speak the language of those genres, and didn't provide plausible developments does detract from the film.

The Penalty (1920)

Terrible Score for a Great Film

[20 June 2002]

This review only applies to the Kino Video VHS release. However, as far as I know, it's the only release currently available in the U.S.

Okay, it's a silent movie, I know. However, it's clearly designed to be shown with musical accompaniment. Kino Video didn't have, couldn't find, or didn't like the original score, so they cobbled up their own. The Kino accompaniment is horrible, an aimless composition thrown together without inspiration. It fails to follow the pace or drama of the movie, repeats like a synth loop (with little gaps/dropouts), and is pointlessly frenetic. There are times when frenetic is good in a silent film score, BUT NOT THE WHOLE MOVIE! The net result is that the score seriously detracts from the movie. Turning off the sound is a good option, but it only makes you more aware of how much this movie needs, and deserves, accompaniment.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Great Book. Good Movie, But Should Have Been Better.

[7/10 · 24 November 2001]

If you asked me which was my favorite Harry Potter book, I'd have a tough time telling you. I've read all four to date, and thoroughly enjoyed each one. What makes the books thoroughly captivating is their combination of the big and the small; quiet self-discovery and rollicking adventure; magic and the ordinary world. So, what went wrong with this movie?

It's this: ALL the "small" scenes are missing. Hermione helping Harry and Ron with their homework. Harry comforting the poor kid, self-conscious, hand-me-down Ron, with stories about his own extremely impoverished upbringing. Ron's brothers teasing each other and Ron. Madam Pince, the librarian, shaking her feather duster in exasperation at Harry. And hundreds more. All those "little" interchanges that unveil the characters and their world to us in the book and show us their development and growth, and let us bond with them, are just not in the movie. Okay, arguably, with Alan Rickman as Snape you don't really have to work too hard to show the audience Snape's dark and nasty side. But, that economy of casting shortchanges the audience. For example, Snape does some really mean and nasty things to Harry in the book that really challenges Harry's nature and spirit. But by NOT showing us ANY of that, Chris Columbus leaves us only with pre-made fully-developed characters, and not the living, growing children of Rowling's masterpieces.

So, what IS left? Sort of a junior "Raiders of the Lost Ark" set in a magical world. Nothing to sneeze at, certainly, and a very enjoyable movie, but a complete turnabout of Rowling's focus and emphasis. Where Rowling depicts ordinary children (or at least magical children with many recognizably ordinary traits) and their "mundane" although hilarious lives at this magical wizards school, and secondarily describes their high adventures, Columbus turns the formula around. In his movie, the adventures are first and foremost, and the rest gets skated over. Rowling, too, has a true gift for comic exaggeration and counterpoint, which here gets short shrift.

Compare this movie to "The Witches", that masterpiece of Nicolas Roeg's from Roald Dahl's classic book, with Angelica Huston as the chief nasty. Or with Rob Reiner's fractured fairy tale, "The Princess Bride". "Harry Potter" should have been a lot more fun, and could have been, if somehow a better balance had been struck. Still, that said, see the movie. Just hope for something better from the next one, and the next one, and the one after that!

Mee Pok Man (1995)

Avoid this one.

[2/10 · 17 November 2001]

A repulsive little film. Presented in the form of high melodrama, the story line is a repugnant mixture of self-loathing, obsession, and delusion, but that makes it sound much better than it is. In the hands of this amateurish first-time director, even a far better script would have gone down the toilet. As it was, faced with this depressing and unwatchable mess, I ended up fast-forwarding through the last couple of scenes just to see if anything would change my impression.

Some of the actors, most notably the female lead and the head gangster, do their best to pull off a believable performance, but you sense they were sabotaged at every junction by bad directing. The male lead, never quite sure which leg he was supposed to limp on, or what exactly was wrong with his back, probably heard directions like "Now, look at the camera. No, wait, don't look!" A few of the actors were truly inept, raising the question as to why they were ever cast, although that brings us back to the director.

Just in case you're still thinking about seeing this film, I'm going to now include a SPOILER. Stop reading now, if you're absolutely intent on ruining your own evening.

Spoiler/spoilage (pun intended): Our hero, the noodle man, is supposedly some kind of mentally deficient loner. Other than depression, and low self-esteem, we're never quite sure what his deficiencies are, any more than we are what is wrong with his leg or back, or maybe the other leg. He takes a fancy to one of the women who frequents his noodle stall, one of a group of prostitutes who hang out in the communal market between "bookings". His morose life drones on, almost as boringly as the movie, until one evening when his secret love interest, drunk after trying to drown her sorrows, is hit by a car outside the market. Heartbroken, desperate, and not knowing what to do (call the ambulance, moron!) he picks up her bleeding, unconscious form, hails a cab, and yes! takes her home. That's right, to his home, not the hospital. We are then treated to pathetic scenes of him trying to save her by lovingly mopping her brow, while she presumably is dying of internal injuries. Not only that, but he continues to go to work, day after day, leaving her at home, suffering, semiconscious, unable to take care of herself, while we are treated to voiceovers of her diary entries being read by her bored brother, at home. Eventually, they make love, she dies, he grieves, he dresses her up and props her up at the kitchen table, and talks to her for many days until she decomposes. And the neighbors never notice? You shouldn't notice either. Don't watch it. The end.

Special Unit 2 (2001–2002)

Enjoyable Premier of Sci-Fi Cop Show

[4 October 2001]

Very impressed by first episode. Well-written, playful, and original sci-fi series. Loopy creatures mix freely with humans in what appears to be a normal Earth city of the not too distant future. Headquarters of Special Unit 2 is in the back of a dry-cleaning store, perhaps a tribute to Man From U.N.C.L.E. Hill Street Blues (or maybe Barney Miller) meets Outer Limits. One of the regulars at first appears to be a dwarf, but with the bulbous nose, serrated elfin ears, and traditional costume, you might notice he's a little odd. Turns out he's a genuine "gnome", and an important part of Special Unit 2. In the first episode, we meet the "parasites", creatures who take over people for "joy rides".

Reminds me a bit of the "leaky universes" theme that ran through many of Clifford Simak's sci-fi novels, weird things showing up where they're not expected. Here, though, anything goes, and the police of Special Unit 2 just deal with it, muddling through as best they can, although with a lot of help and guidance from our friendly gnome.

Fans of the original Star Trek who remember how they introduced a new critter or two almost each week, and fans of the original Star Wars bar scene, probably would enjoy something here.

I hope they can keep it up. The first episode is very promising. If they cheap out on the writing, or run out of ideas for new and funny villains, it could go downhill rapidly. Let's hope they don't. This idea for a series has a lot of potential!

101 Reykjavík (2000)

A Fresh Viewpoint

[9/10 · 7 August 2001]

This film is a fresh look at life itself. Being set in an unfamiliar environment, it gives the viewer a chance to see what might be an otherwise familiar story with a fresh set of eyes. Well, okay, strictly speaking, the story IS a little unusual, but that's not my point.

There are a few things you should probably know about Reykjavik before you see this movie. It's not really very cold, for one thing. Sitting out at the end of the Gulf Stream, it has very temperate weather, rarely above 72F (20C) in summer and typically around 30F (-2C) in winter. You could probably get by in a sweater most of the year, at least in the city. (Far away from the city, in the uninhabited middle of the country, you'll find a couple of active volcanoes and the largest glacier in Europe.) For another thing, it's an amazingly alcoholic place. When we were there, beer (well, weak beer, anyway) was sold in soda machines. People drink until they pass out in public, especially when getting primed for 3-day weekends (bank holidays), and it's not considered shameful -- their more conscious drunken friends just help carry them to the bus/airplane/car. People line up around the block to get into discos, even in the summer when it's light 22 hours a day. These people party hearty. If this seems like a conflict with what is supposed to be a predominantly Lutheran country, it might be, but nobody seems to let it bother them too much. But, back to the movie...

This movie is both a frank look at this gleefully debauched ambiance, and a more personal look at our hero, Hlynur. For the sake of discussion, let's call him a fully-grown bird yet to leave the nest. You could describe this movie a number of glib ways, none of which would be truly accurate. "Coming-of-age." "Self-discovery." "Rebirth." "The meaning of life." "Sex, drugs, and Rock 'n Roll."

What it is is funny. Really funny. Hlynur is sort of an existential being, and the world mostly happens to him. He's not sure why and not sure what it means. Should he find it tragic, incomprehensible, or just funny? For him, comfortable in the ennui of his unchallenging existence, these disturbances are a bit of a challenge. For us, the audience, what it is is seriously entertaining!

The directing is terrific. The acting is excellent. Victoria Abril is a treat, as usual, but the rest of the mostly Icelandic cast manages to keep up. And the endless "Lola" remixes are hilarious. A lot of fun, highly recommended.

Memento (2000)

"Groundhog Day" on acid

[1 April 2001]

On leaving the theater, I was wishing that I did have short-term memory loss. What I did have instead was a headache.

While it might seem that the movie is artistically cut with random sequences of plot cleverly interwoven, in fact the structure is quite formalized. Starting end to beginning, we see overlapping sequences of equal time slices of the story. It's a gimmick and little more. It is designed to keep the audience off balance and trying to figure out the story until the end.

However, even after you sort them all out, the pieces don't really fit. There are a number of events in the movie that appear to be totally unmotivated. They don't seem to fit in with the main story or with any of the side stories either. There are a couple of mcguffins that are never really dealt with.

While it's fun to contemplate the nature of memory and reality, the fact remains that this is a mystery story which is every bit as much a mystery at the end as it was at the beginning.

Girlfight (2000)

This film has punch!

[10/10 · 31 March 2001]

Snappy little first film, really follows through. Pretty hard to believe that this is Karyn Kusama's first script and her first directing effort. It's a crying shame it didn't get further theatrical release, but I guess the distributors didn't want to take a chance. A bad business decision for such a fine film.

It's a small film, to be sure, but it's in all the right places, throwing all the right punches, from beginning to end. Michelle Rodriguez is wonderful throughout. In fact, the entire cast is excellent, which can only mean one thing -- Ms. Kusama is a real fine director.

The basic idea of the story is simple, but there are layers of emotion, well-defined characters, and lots of interplay that lends depth and texture. The camerawork is fresh, the art direction simple and real, and the whole film has a feeling of reality that transcends it's low budget. It also defies genre. In places, it's a teen-rebellion pic. But, it's also an adventure movie of sorts, a sports film, a love story, a battle in the War Between the Sexes, a conflict between generations, and a bit of a psychodrama. Our heroine has a burden or two to overcome.

I could think of a lot of ways to describe this film and other movies to compare it to, but I don't want to give away any more. Best to go in wondering and watching, and enjoy the filmmaker's art as it unfolds. I will tell you that I'm having trouble deciding whether to give this a 9 or a 10. It's at least a 9, but if we factor in the low budget, it clearly deserves more for being such an amazing first film. Enjoy!

Coyote Ugly (2000)

Ughh-ly. But, unexpected pluses from Goodman and Bello.

[31 March 2001]

I expected nothing from Coyote Ugly, and it would be tempting to say that's what it delivered, but I suppose that's not strictly true. The script was intended as a "small-town-girl goes to big city and tries to make it big" story, but was heavily side-tracked by a sappy teen-style romance, not to mention the girl's commitment to her big old clinging but lovable father, and every little friendship she makes along the way. Throw in a supposedly congenital case of stage-fright, and I'm afraid it came off less like "A Star is Born" and more like a really mediocre tv movie. Except... John Goodman, as big old softie Dad, was as good or better than ever. Ask the man to play a caricature, give him a third-rate director, and he still comes across as not only believable, but consistently FUNNY. It's not a big enough part that he could rescue this muddle, but it is enough to make it almost worth watching just for him.

Reviewing the IMDB ratings by demographic group, it's clear that the romance was quite effective, the highlight of the movie, for young female viewers, and it's easy to see why. Piper Perabo is bright and pretty and very good in the part of the nervous hopeful, and you can't help but root for her smart and occasionally spunky character. Adam Garcia, the young Australian actor who plays her young Australian emigree suitor, gets to take his shirt off and dance on the bar, but it's the character's dedication and loyalty which probably hits the buttons of those who enjoyed this movie. Guys weren't as impressed, likely because the direction was so inept and shallow that we couldn't feel any kinship with him, and the character comes across as too much of a wise-ass to us.

The women dancing on the bar, and bottle-jockeying sequences were quite enjoyable, but they have only a tenuous connection to the rest of the story. They don't seem to be directed by the same director as the rest of the movie. The idea, of course, is that we're supposed to see Perabo's character grow and mature during her tenure there, but I'm not so sure the sequences work as well as intended.

The strongest female character in the movie is Lil, the owner of the bar, played by Maria Bello, who looks more than a little like Sharon Stone, and plays a part worthy of her. In a way, this is another problem for the movie, because she distracted from the sex-appeal of Perabo. While it wasn't much of a movie, the part that Goodman didn't steal pretty much belonged to Bello, in my book. I definitely want to see more of her, uhhh, work!

The Pledge (I) (2001)

Nicholson's Finest Performance Yet -- A Must See

[9/10 · 18 March 2001]

This is NOT your average movie. Never mind the plot line or the summary. Never mind what you expect from a cop or detective movie. Put aside what you expect from a hero-protagonist. Put aside your preconceived notions of Sean Penn's noirish directorial style. Check all your expectations at the door.

One thing you should know up front, this ain't Hollywood, kids! No neat little plot development with emotional spikes in the right places and ribbons and bows for the short-of-attention or the needy-of-emotion. Instead, you get a real gritty drama with a fresh perspective and a different kind of suspense and tension. Think a little more Hitchcock, and a lot less Kojak. Throw in dashes of Poe, Truffaut and the Twilight Zone for good measure. Throw in bright light, color, and great scenery, and this ain't your average noir mystery, neither.

Don't miss the opening credits and you might get a chance to get your expectations in order. There is nothing wrong with this movie. Do not attempt to adjust your drink holder...

As for the performances, wow! A host of luminaries fill out the bit parts, making a small movie huge. Robin Wright-Penn is excellent. But, Jack Nicholson is terrific. I mean, he's always terrific, but here he even outdoes himself in a showcase part custom-made for him. You want a little light entertainment? This is the wrong movie. You want to see a master at work? Step right up!

Made in Britain (1982 TV Movie)

Bravura Performance. Finest Movie Ever Made for TV.

[10/10 · 18 March 2001]

Tim Roth blasted to the forefront of edgy screen actors with this bravura tour-de-force performance for British TV in 1982. Perhaps the finest work of an actor who has had many great performances since. It's a crying shame that most of his fans in North America have yet to see it.

This film blows me away. First saw it ages ago when Public TV in NYC daringly broadcast it unheralded and only one time. They've never shown it again, nor has it ever been shown elsewhere in the US to my knowledge. I was ecstatic recently when I managed to view the film again, for the first time in over 10 years, via a European DVD. Anyone who has seen this film knows what I mean when I say it is insane for it NOT to be released on this side of the Pond. Movies about violent youths and skinheads are not unknown over here, just not this good. The recent American History X, as fine as it was, doesn't manage a fraction of the raw intensity of Made in Britain.

Trevor, a bright, autonomous, 16 year-old is also a seething, out-of-control deeply antisocial skinhead. He's not part of a gang, not part of a clique, he's a totally alienated individual who sees himself as part of a movement. It's not enough to say that Roth is totally believable in the part. The part itself is way, way beyond your expectations when watching a film. Trevor "acts out", but Roth doesn't "act" Trevor, Roth IS Trevor for the duration of this film. Seeing Tim Roth for the first time in this film, you wouldn't initially be sure you were watching an actor play a part. For a while you might believe you were watching a real documentary about a berserk youth committing petty crimes and mayhem and oblivious to the camera. Only through the dramatic pace and development of the film and the inclusion of other, mere mortal, actors might you let the magic slip momentarily and suspect you were watching a fictional movie, but the intensity ratchets up again, and before you know it you're looking at the end-credits and wondering why it's over and wanting more, more!

Trevor on the surface is a deplorable human being: hateful, racist, selfish and violent. At the same time, he is resourceful, intelligent, and in some ways, fragile, yet in others, daring, nothing-left-to-lose. His behavior is self-destructive, his future is bleak. In short, he is fascinating and you spend the whole short 73-minute film alternately shocked, transfixed, amused, bewildered and yet, pulling for him.

If you've seen Tim Roth's other work, and you respect his abilities, you owe it to yourself to do whatever you have to do to see this film. You won't regret it. Meanwhile, someone should cut a deal to release this in North America so all of Tim Roth's hungry fans can see it!

Chicken Run (2000)

A Delight for Movie Trivia Buffs!

[9/10 · 26 June 2000]

If you've seen more than 10 movies in your life, you're sure to notice at least one of them cleverly referenced in the wonderfully textured script of this movie! A lot of talent went into this treat: writing, claymation, scenic design, direction, music, and especially, acting (great, GREAT jobs on the voices -- Sawalha, Gibson and Richardson are terrific), but the sneaky (and not-so-sneaky) little references to a bunch of classic movies makes this an even bigger treat for the non-kids in the audience.

Delicatessen (1991)

Stark Raving Brilliant.

[10/10 · 30 March 2000]

Can't really disagree with comments like "...the best film ever. Then they made another one." A brilliant summary! Thanks.

These are the guys who made City of Lost Children. If you haven't seen that one, and you are a fan of science fiction, you can turn in your membership now. You are not deserving of being a sci-fi fan! Co-directors Jeunet and Caro are stark, raving brilliant, and put together two movies that are totally rich with things to look at, characters to absorb, and tangled, dreamlike plots. Delicatessen was the first one, a hilarious comedy. As far as which is better, it's hardly worth choosing! They are similar in many ways, and yet they have totally different stories, plot development, and pacing. Delicatessen is funnier, City of Lost Children more bizarre. If you liked one, see the other!

Judging from the comments, some folks just will not "get" this movie, and others apparently will be mortally offended, but that's ok. There are plenty of other movies for THEM to see! However, if you like complicated stories, rich visuals, whacky ideas, off-beat humor, and French slapstick, plus DARK science fiction, then this is heaven! Don't let the subtitles worry you, either. So much of this story is told visually, you could probably get by without the dialog.

It's unfortunate that some reviewers seem to have to recount the entire script in their review, but don't let that spoil the movie for you. Even if you read the entire script, it couldn't spoil the experience of seeing what Jeunet and Caro see, and the masterpiece of a film they have made out of it.

I now have to do one of the hardest things I have ever done -- bring this movie back! (I'm going to have to buy my own copy...)

Topsy-Turvy (1999)

Enjoyable Victorian Costume-Drama

[9/10 · 20 February 2000]

It was interesting watching Mike Leigh (whose last two films, "Career Girls" and "Secrets and Lies" had an intense focus on the lives of "ordinary" working-class people) take on the task of expounding on the larger-than-life legends of comic opera, Gilbert and Sullivan, without losing his special gift for being able to peel open his protagonists in front of us. Large or small, it makes no difference, Mike Leigh knows how to make movies!

In its depiction of the seamy underbelly of the theater world, it reminded me no small amount of "An Awfully Big Adventure", a 1995 film most memorable for Hugh Grant playing the heavy, in which a young innocent, taken with the theater world is somewhat deceived and disillusioned. But Mike Leigh does it better, not only without making us hate the characters, or the world they live in, but bringing us to root for them and appreciate their triumphs.

I'm not a fan of Gilbert and Sullivan, or of comic operas, or of musical theater particularly, but it didn't matter. I had a good time anyway. Mike Leigh brings us a well-written story, with plenty of drama and personality and comedy of its own. The Mikado is just a little bonus, if you happen to like that sort of thing.

Man on the Moon (1999)

An Andy Kaufman Fan Enjoys the Movie, BUT...

[18 February 2000]

I liked the movie, but I have a little trouble with the hype. Jim Carrey does a great tribute to Andy Kaufman, and you can tell he got into the character and that he really cared about portraying him well. But the fact remains, Jim Carrey is NOT Andy Kaufman. Carrey is a highly-talented actor with a great range of physical humor, it cannot be denied. Andy Kaufman, on the other hand, was into strictly conceptual humor. His biggest physical trait was a disarming boyish innocence. As a comedian, he was much more limited than Carrey. His act was one whacky idea at a time, played to the hilt. He would "become" his concept, suppressing anything else in his personality for the duration of the act. Carrey is at a little disadvantage in trying to portray this. Maybe it's because he naturally brims with personality, always threatening to burst out.

Kaufman's concepts were almost always off the wall, which played well to a pot-smoking generation. He almost always was able to deliver the goods with a straight face. Whatever the weird concept, Kaufman always played it straight down the line. His "Taxi" work was a single shtick -- a non-English-speaking, borderline hysteric, very verbal and high-strung. It was, like his other routines, a single concept, although for some reason it was almost always funny. I remember his routines from Saturday Night Live, too. They were much funnier than the movie's recreation of them. I'm not sure why. Maybe it was because Kaufman was LESS naturally funny than Carrey, which combined with the whacky concept, was somehow completely hysterical.

This is not an easy film to make. Milos Forman is a genius of a director. With Carrey and DeVito to work with, he's managed to capture a lot of the environment and spirit of Kaufman's life and work. Most importantly, he's made a good film, one that's not only watchable, but continuously engaging.

I can't help but recommend this movie. It'll be one you'll remember, at any rate.

All About My Mother (1999)

Highly recommended.

[10/10 · 1 January 2000]

If you've liked any of Almodovar's previous work, you'll likely love this one. His films just get better and better.

From the opening sequence, I was just stunned with how spectacular the cinematography is. This film is a quantum leap, technically and visually, over his prior efforts. There is a real growth visible in Almodovar's art and technique.

For those who enjoyed the bizarrely-intersecting threads of his earlier films, the story here is much more traditionally structured. But fear not, the story itself is hardly traditional. It's another highly-eccentric tale, but told in a more accessible manner.

This is Almodovar's best effort yet to penetrate the mainstream, and yet it doesn't sacrifice his voice, his humor, his ironic sense, or his vision.

Nightmaster (1988 TV Movie)

Can't really recommend this one.

[5/10 · 1 January 2000]

Really a shame, poor direction ruined what could have been a far better film. Solid, believable performances from a very young Nicole Kidman and a fine martial-arts actor, Tom Jennings, just aren't enough to save this. The screenplay didn't quite realize the basic concept of a bunch of older kids staying up all night to play Ninja war games in an abandoned power plant, much to the neglect of their school work. It was, to say the least, a bit muddled. There were some good futuristic elements thrown in, but not convincingly enough to play true. As to what year of school these "kids" were in, it's hard to guess. They're clearly too mature for an American high school, but then again, it's an Australian movie, set in the future.

With better editing, this movie could have been a bit more watchable, but I suspect there just wasn't enough footage shot that the editor had much choice. Some sequences were reused in pointless mini-flashbacks that really didn't belong in the film. This makes me wonder if it wasn't being padded to play on television. And the director just didn't seem to be able to tell a story. He did frame the occasional dramatic picture, but not often enough to achieve the artsy effect I think he was going for. Besides, without being able to accomplish the basics, you should be careful with the frills.

However, it's a treat to see the young Kidman. Despite the bad direction, muddled script, all the martial arts sequences executed in the dark, and her thick Australian accent, you can see what everyone saw in her, even then. Tom Jennings wasn't bad either, seemed to show a lot of potential, but I wonder what happened to him. According to IMDB, he made one more movie in '88 and then dropped out of sight.

I wouldn't recommend you go out of your way to see this one, but it lapsed into the public domain and is available very cheaply from a number of sources. I can only think of two reasons to see this: 1) You're a die-hard Kidman fan who would watch ANYTHING if she was in it, or 2) You're lazy and dishonest and looking for an obscure script to recycle for a student film project.

Galaxy Quest (1999)

One of the funniest, smartest parodies ever made!

[8/10 · 26 December 1999]

Strictly speaking, it's not just a parody. There's a really fun story in there, for adults and kids alike. The truth is, this movie works on a lot of levels. Oh, all right -- it's mostly a comedy! But, it's an intelligent one, full of digs at movies, television, science fiction themes, legitimate theater, and special effects. Oh, and especially Trekkies!

From the opening scenes, with an inconsolably miserable Alan Rickman, the has-been supporting-actor who played a Spock-like alien on a cancelled Star Trek -like TV show, trying to drag himself out of the dressing room to yet another unbearable fan-vention, we know that this is something special. Rickman is wonderful, harnessing his hilarious talent at playing sarcasm to a non-evil, even sympathetically pathetic, part for once.

It's hard to recognize Sigourney Weaver in a similarly-hilarious fluffy-haired role as some sort of cross between Uhura and Jane Fonda in Barbarella. Ms. Weaver has always been good at light comedy, but rarely gets the opportunity any more. This film should reopen that door for her.

Tim Allen has a great role as the totally egotistical actor who used to play The Captain of an Enterprise-like ship on the TV show. Like the others, he keeps us in stitches, as we try to figure out his character's grasp of reality. I've never counted myself as one of Mr. Allen's fans, but I thoroughly enjoyed him in this romp. Great comedic energy, combined with a natural flair for being "real" adds up to a terrific performance.

But, if those three weren't enough to make a side-splitting comedy, there's always the aliens! Not too many different kinds to keep track of, and each more hilarious than the other, really brings this picture over the top. Throw in some great special effects, and it's an easy film to recommend! I doubt it will make the list of the top 10 films of all time, but it's got pretty good cult potential.

Bring your friends, bring the kids, bring a date.

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)

Hollywood, Pay Attention!

[11 July 1999]

My first exposure to South Park, I had zero expectations of any kind. I wasn't a fan of the show, had no idea who the characters were, or any idea of what Trey, Matt and their friends were capable of. (Quick answer: A LOT!)

Holy ****! This film, thinly disguised as a childish gross-out movie, is truly amazing. It has Creativity, Concept, Writing, Perspective and uncountable bags of plain old Talent. This should be a major wake up call to Hollywood and the Multi-national Industrial-Entertainment Complex. Literally, there is more thought and entertainment in any randomly chosen 5 minutes of South Park than in any "major" film I've seen lately. How ironic that the movie I saw just prior to this one should have been Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Movie, as if to highlight the disparity. If, like me, you left SWEOTPM feeling like all it needed was like, a script, go see South Park right away. It is the antidote!