AnonII Reviews

The Specialist (1999)

Latest scholarly study of the film's flaws

[5/10 · 3 June 2011]

In support of R.S.H. Tryster and his response to Eyal Sivan's defense, allow me to add this very latest scholarship and observation from a highly renowned university professor of modern Jewish history and Holocaust studies, Deborah E. Lipstadt.

In her 2011 book "The Eichmann Trial,"(Next Book/Schocken, NY), she indicts this "putative documentary" for its fatal procedural flaws, describing how the filmmakers "spliced together different portions of the trial without letting their viewers know that they had done so. They mixed the audio from one portion and the visuals from another. They inserted laughter where there is none. They selectively quoted from witnesses' testimony, thereby distorting the import of their words. In so doing they created scenarios that never occurred." (Lipstadt provides a detailed example of this.)

"Most reviewers," Lipstadt continues, "unaware of the film's creative approach to the facts, took what they saw on the screen as a legitimate portrayal of the trial..." which it clearly as NOT.

Somewhere (2010)

Nowhere

[5/10 · 20 November 2010]

Unfortunately, this film is not worth ten review lines, unless one is aching to explore contemporary ennui and anomie in--of all places--Hollywood, from--of all perspectives-- that of a depressed actor. If "Nowhere"...I mean "Somewhere," could possibly be something that somehow could be justifiably construed as a metaphor for the state of modern-day American life--empty and aimless--then there might actually be a reason for this movie to exist, beyond the auteur ambitions of its creator. But there is little if anything authentically American about Johnny Marco, except his identity as a separated or divorced father who doesn't see his child often, and drives a foreign car. He is merely a creature of Sophia Coppola America--a celebrity insider with a suggestively Italian-American surname who seems to be adored in Italy. This fact, along with the scenes in Milan and the ethnic Coppola- brand appeal, would account for the movie's lofty praise at a major Italian event, the Venice Film Festival. The (in)action begins with candidly precise foreshadowing that could just as readily stand in as the ending--a man going around in circles in a vehicle much more wastefully powerful than necessary. America in 2010? No, not really. Just a sad, pathetically irrelevant actor in a Ferrari.

The Defiant Ones (1958)

Holds up very well, almost 50 years later!

[10/10 · 15 July 2006]

Wonderful dialogue and perfect script where virtually every word carries weight and expands character and story. It's just a shame that the only DVD apparently available(?) of this film is devoid of any extra features, especially commentary by Poitier and Curtis or Bikel which would prove fascinating. In 2008, when the film celebrates its 50th year there should be a fully loaded DVD commensurate with the picture's value.

Terrific acting and writing, virtually low-key and underplayed compared to most hyperbolic American cinema today. What's amusing. but also a bit too distracting however, is the plot hole which has our escapees smoking cigarettes just minutes after they were totally submerged and soaked crossing a raging river. No way they would have had any dry matches and smokes! But hey, that's just that whole nutty, wacky, crazy chain gang thang going on...

The Pianist (2002)

Awesome! Makes one forget Schindler's List.

[10/10 · 17 January 2003]

You can imagine the reluctance of big-studio and money people to make a film directed by a felon still persona non grata in the US, centered on a protagonist who is much more a scurrying rat of a survivor than any kind of hero. But all such considerations are irrelevant when one experiences The Pianist.

The power of this film lies in its ability to once again shock viewers familiar with the Holocaust and cinematic accounts of it such as Shoah (1985) and Schindler's List (1993). Once again, and seemingly for the first time, it leaves one astonished not only at the brutality of humanity is capable of, but also of the miraculous ability people have to survive the deepest psychological wounds of incomprehensible trauma.

Adrien Brody's performance is a wonder, especially since he seems to appear in every scene, if not every frame, of this epic tale.

Oscars, please, for Brody and director Roman Polanski, and a lesson to "Gangs of New York" director Martin Scorsese in how to forge a grand-scale, historical drama into a masterpiece.

Narc (2002)

Absolutely agree with shortcomings brought to fore by wilbrifar

[8/10 · 6 January 2003]

But also have to admire acting and directing and resulting passionate credibility which envelops this film, despite its hackneyed story, esp. by Liotta and Patric, whose performances warrant Oscar consideration. Again, though, do wish this extraordinary display of talent had a real, new cop story to tell. And speaking of telling, will someone please explain the subplot blip to me in which Oak's(?) 10-year-old daughter appears to have been given up for pimping?!

Real Life (1979)

Along with Spinal Tap...

[9/10 · 23 December 2002]

...this is one of the funniest American movies of the late 20th century, and like 'Tap' it also mines the rich vein of documentary-film arrogance. Brooks' strength as a comic observer lies in his self-obsessed insincerity, a man of riotously extreme unction. It's almost impossible to pick a favorite scene from this spoof, especially for industry insiders.

The Way Home (2002)

Brilliant classic tear jerker

[9/10 · 8 October 2002]

But more restrained and understated than any Western version would ever be. Saw the subtitled English version entitled, "The Way Home" in NYC screening in October, 2002, and was so moved by this timeless mini-masterpiece that could probably flourish and impress even as a silent film. Try to find it and see it and spread the word. Every older American should see it, and every younger one, too. In other words, it's an ageless wonder.

The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)

Wonderfully evocative and informative

[9/10 · 2 September 2002]

A beautifully directed and photographed tribute to an authentic legend, which does not contain a single conventional interview shot originally for the film, only archival footage and a tour de farce closing-credits impersonation by devotee Dustin Hoffman.

Road to Perdition (2002)

"Haunting," yes, but only in an exploitative, perniciously subtle way

[5/10 · 8 July 2002]

Yes, I agree, it is not possible to discuss "Perdition" without praising Conrad Hall's cinematography. But, no, this is not a "cautionary tale about self-destruction," nor is it "richly rewarding." It is richly exploitative--yet another young (and, coincidentally, foreign) filmmaker's futile attempt to come to grips with the endemic nature of American violence. But this visually stunning movie stuns more with its cynical pretentions, leaving the viewer feeling used and resentful. After countless bodies are sprayed and bloodied--including that of his mother, brother and father-- a totally unaffected 12-year-old witness and participant blithely scampers off with his dog to the elegiac haven of a proto-Ma and Pa Kent like some impervious young superhero.

In attempting to explain or expose the roots of stereotypically violent American machissmo, director Mendes merely extends a trend he purports to abhor.

His movie is "Paper Moon" meets "Bonnie & Clyde" meets "The Professional"--and when this expensive, much-anticipated new suit of emperor's clothing is unveiled, nothing of value, honesty or insight is visible.

The Prime Gig (2000)

Any dramatic film where the plot is about money...

[6/10 · 17 June 2002]

...and the protagonist's name is "Penny Wise," should be avoided. Make that banned. As in "Bandon DeRun," for the hero of a rock film. Or, "Hi Nune" for a western. Or...you get the idea. This movie is about telephone scams, this review is about movie scams. Viewer Beware!

My Voyage to Italy (1999)

More of a film course than a film.

[7/10 · 8 June 2002]

A vanity piece, of sorts, that could be retitled "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Italian Film History But Were Afraid to Ask...Martin Scorsese." Wonderfully informative, touching and insightful for the first 2 to 3 hours or so, but exhaustive and exhausting after that. Viva Italia, Basta Scorsese!

Insomnia (2002)

Only the incredulity of the first shooting scene spoils this movie

[8/10 · 5 June 2002]

Except for the fact that you can't believe how poorly Pacino's character --a street-wise, big-city veteran detective--comports himself and his weapons in the film's principal shooting scene, enshrouded in fog, this ingenious, riveting movie would be nearly flawless. Oh, yeah, and except for the fact that he's totally new in this small Alaskan town and suddenly can find his way alone to the house of suspect Randy well before the locals arrive!

Path to War (2002 TV Movie)

Facts more painful than any performance.

[7/10 · 18 May 2002]

For anyone who lived through the tumult of the late 1960s, this TV movie excruciates with memory. The criminal incompetence and stubbornness of US policy in Vietnam brandished, first, by Kennedy's administration and then fatally in depth by Johnson's, illustrates with discomforting clarity just how the worst of times can be perpetuated by government's "best and brightest." Michael Gambon brilliantly captures the escalating agony, but perhaps not the outsized charm and cajolery, of Lyndon Johnson; he seems to cower here much more than command. And what shocks the viewer here at movie's end is more what is left out than what is spelled out. Even before the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr, quickly followed by that of Robert Kennedy within two months of each other in 1968, LBJ is shown to have given up his presidency in March of that year. Our military's death toll in Vietnam stood at about 25,000 then, and the peace process was about to start. But only one who lived through the period or studied it closely will recall that seven(7) more years of US fighting and military support in Vietnam followed Johnson's withdrawal, extending right thru the Nixon years, and our death toll more than doubled. The realization of this fact, a footnote after three hours of this film. shocks so much more than any conclusion conjured by a dramatic presentation ever could.

A Bridge Too Far (1977)

Probably no other movie in the history of cinema...

[8/10 · 14 May 2002]

...has had as many current or eventual Oscar-winning actors and actor/directors in its cast than "Bridge," to wit: Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Robert Redford and Maximilian Schell. Plus, director Richard Attenborough, not to mention various Oscar-winning members of his crew, including screenwriter William Goldman. And then there's cast's five other Best-Actor nominees, too: James Caan, Denholm Elliott, Elliott Gould, Ryan O'Neal, and Liv Ullman.

But does all this make it an Oscar-caliber film? The envelope, please...

9/11 (2002 TV Movie)

Terrifically compelling story-telling...

[2 May 2002]

...that does not rely on the sensational in this most sensational of events. But the worst and most expendable thing about program is the wrapping--Robert deNiro's stiff, soulless, visibly poor read as on-air host.

Changing Lanes (2002)

Running on fumes. At least a half tank short of solid drama

[6/10 · 2 May 2002]

Admirable intentions and tasteful restraint--imagine an American drama free of any on-screen sex, titillation, violence or even blood! But as with most American mass-market concepts, 'Lanes' absolutely strains credulity in story turns and character development. Excess still prevails and incidents provoke viewer laughter when they aim for riveting belief. Audience wants to like and embrace of all of this, but the direction & script make it impossible as does Affleck's empathetic yet lightweight portrayal. Toni Collette, usually so effective, is the weakest linchpin of all, while Amanda Peet surprises with her brief but compelling major scene. And why is Collette allowed to look so awful? She literally looks ill.

The ending surpasses the quality of most of the proceeding, but...why does it start to rain again?!

Lumumba (2000)

Censorship in TV version fo this film, but only in US?

[6/10 · 22 February 2002]

I just saw this movie last night, 2/21/02, on HBO TV in New York and noticed a fascinating and rare bit of censorship within it. In one late scene in the movie when Congo politicians and 1-2 Americans meet around table and vote whether Lumumba is to be captured/killed, the apparent American, perhaps a CIA officer, is addressed by Gen. Mobutu and asked how he wants to vote. But the American's name uttered by Mobutu is bleeped out in the televised version I saw and heard. Then in the film's final credits, this same character's name is masked over and appears only as "Mr......" played by actor Dennis Thatcher. So what IS the name of the mysterious man, no doubt too accurately identified, in this movie, airing on American TV some 2 years after it was made.

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

An awesome American accomplishment:

[10/10 · 12 January 2002]

A tearjerker of a movie that is also intelligent and challenging. The best work of director Ron Howard's career, and one of Russell Crowe's finest portraits, along with his performance in Insider, The (1999). He deserves a Best-Actor Oscar again, much more so than he did last year for Gladiator (2001).

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

A novel trip.

[8/10 · 7 January 2002]

If ever there were an American movie of recent vintage that appeared to be adapted from a novel of exquisite comic sensibility and eccentricity, it would be "Tenenbaums." The beauty part is this work of art is an original screenplay based instead on the imaginations of director Wes Anderson and co-writer/actor Owen Wilson.

King of New York (1990)

A promising movie that succumbs to a deathblow of gratuitous violence

[4/10 · 7 January 2002]

Like Oliver Stone's Scarface(1983), this attempt to create empathy with a drug kingpin/killer is marred, for one thing, by director Ferrera's inability to corral his lust for wild-west levels of violent gun-battles that punctuate and, inevitably, puncture this hot-lead balloon of gaseous pretension.

Iris (I) (2001)

Painfully wonderful. A difficult movie to watch but one that demands respect.

[9/10 · 26 December 2001]

Certainly more art than entertainment. Terrific performances, but the film really is dominated not by the awesome Dame Judith Dench but by her long-overlooked co-star Jim Broadbent, whose talent here warrants an Oscar nomination--and not for his target category of "Supporting Actor," but more properly for "Best Actor."

Black Hawk Down (2001)

Relentlessly tense wall-to-wall action combat classic

[9/10 · 20 December 2001]

"Are you exhausted? " director Ridley Scott asked his audience when he took the stage for a post-screening Q&A session in NYC on 12/20/01. And they were. Scott then claimed that "Black Hawk Down" is an "anti-war movie," one certainly not one to be construed as a "recruiting film," but the fact is, it could be shown proudly in any American Legion hall and rally the youngsters to sign up afterwards in droves. Those that are not scared by blood, that is. Doubtful that you could recruit many medics with this true-story depiction, since they bear the brunt of the horrors of war here. But I digress. The movie--to its credit--does not. Hypnotic opening visuals and atavistic tribal music create an aura of famine and hell on earth in 1993 Somalia that compell attention, attention that does not stray until final credits. It's an epic, but awesomely believable entertainment in which a real town in Morocco stands in for Mogadishu as well as Ridley might stand in for his director brother Tony. Does not compare in scope with Scott's Oscar-winning "Gladiator," but certainly in craft.

An unforgettable old-fashioned cowboys-and-Indians showdown where the cavalry does not come to the rescue, at least not in time to save 19 young Americans. Biggest flaw here, shared by other huge combat dramas such as HBO's "Band of Brothers" and Terence Malick's "The Thin Red Line" is that there are so few central characters and so many look-a-like white American soldiers in this ensemble cast that the viewer loses track of who is who. Fortunately, Tom Sizemore is recognizable here strutting his stuff as almost exactly the same fearless non-com combat character he played in "Saving Private Ryan," so thanks to him for the visible reference point. A movie that has to be seen in the wake of September 11 if for no other reason than the point it makes very early on about the crucial role solid military intelligence plays in any successful operation, especially against terrorist civilian militia in the middle of a third-world urban war zone. Makes Afghanistan look like a training exercise, especially since there were three times as many U.S. combat deaths in this 24-hour operation in Somalia than there have been so far in weeks of fighting against the Taliban.

Spy Game (2001)

More entertaining than I would like to admit...

[8/10 · 8 December 2001]

...because I think Robert Redford relies so much more on charm than on any substantial acting talent. Even Brad Pitt makes him look bad. One of the best things about this ludicrous escape yarn, though, is the reality of the scenes in West Beirut circa 1985. The poverty and violent chaos ring true, one can only imagine, as a precursor of the cult of suicide that made the attacks of September 11 possible. Chilling, and worth the price of admission. Now, as for the depiction of a clandestine U.S. assault on Communist China, well...shut your eyes or your brain on that little detail.

The Siege (1998)

Chilling to even think of this movie as I did on Sept. 11, 2001.

[7/10 · 28 September 2001]

I recalled scenes from Siege, The (1998) immediately as the terrorists' attack here in NYC took hold on all of us weeks ago. What's remarkable is how excessively reality here trumped the fictional violence in this prescient movie. In The Siege, the worst acts of Islamic terrorism include (merely) the explosion of a bomb on a city bus with some passengers still aboard and an explosion in a crowded Broadway theater one night. Total casualties--a few hundred. The movie's impact, however, remains powerfully memorable, with its effective depiction of the death and carnage of civilians, followed by a traumatized, petrified and deserted Manhattan. Fortunately, in this case, the demise of faith and spirit in New York has not succumbed to the movie's most dire predictions. And this particularly in regard to the film's quite believable internment of thousands of Arab-American residents of NY/Bklyn(a la WW II Japanese camps), which--to the credit of all--has never yet to be even hinted at.

The Closet (2001)

Funny, sweet, intelligent. Exactly the type of restrained, unpredictable touch absent in American comedies.

[9/10 · 27 September 2001]

Couldn't say it better than I did above: "Funny, sweet, intelligent. Exactly the type of restrained, unpredictable touch absent in American comedies." Rent it. See it--for Depardieu's performance alone!