Ampero Reviews

Revolver (2005)

Nice Foray Outside The Box

[9/10 · 15 February 2010]

Aside from a few titles and the new Sherlock Holmes movie, I think I've watched every movie Guy Ritchie has directed. Twice. Needless to say, I'm a big fan and Revolver is one of the highlighted reasons why. This movie is a very different approach from Ritchie, when you look at it comparatively with Lock, Stock... and Snatch. Revolver sets us up for a psychological thriller of sorts as a gambling con finds himself at the mercy of a set of foes he didn't expect and a guided walk for redemption that he didn't know he needed. Along with seeing André Benjamin of OutKast fame strut his acting ability, other standout acts are Ray Liotta playing the maniacal Mr. D/Macha and Mark Strong playing Sorter, the hit-man.

After being sent to prison by a tyrannous casino owner, Macha, Jake uses his time in solitary to finesse a plot to humiliate Macha and force his hand in compensating him for the seven years he spent. When he wins a card game and amasses a decent sum from Macha, Jake finds himself on the brink of death as he collapses and is diagnosed with an incurable disease that's left him with three days to live. A team of loan sharks, however, have an answer for him and a ticket to life- only if he gives them all the money he has and relents to working for them, all in a ploy to both take Macha down and show Jake how dangerous he has made himself to himself. Along with having the air of death loom, and a pair of loan sharks having a field day with his money, Jake also has to deal with having a hit put out on him, which introduces Sorter - a hit-man under Macha's employ. The depth with the story comes when Jake realizes that some co- convicts he spent time with in solitary may very-well be the loan shark team out to take him for all he has by crafting all of the unfortunate events that Jake seems to find his way into. When faced with this reality though, Zack (Vincent Pastore) and Avi show Jake just how twisted he has become from being in solitary, having only the company of his mind and his ego then makes it so that their actual existence is elusive even to Jake. The movie unravels to a humbling process for both Jake and Macha as they both come to grips with their inner demons.

The style of the movie is top-notch as you get the gritty feel of the crime world represented and the characters it includes. Although a lot of nods at Ritchie's previous films are here it still has a presence of its own from the dialogue, the sets and the experimental take on the gangster genre. It's also a great trip on humility and recognizing when you can easily let your ego or a preset notion mask you ability to accomplish what you want or overcome what you should. The characters are well crafted in this movie with all sides being fleshed out and, true to Ritchie fashion, they're all tied in by some underhandedness that throws a wrench in everyone's affairs. I could and would like to go on about this film and its unique nuances but I don't want to take too much away from it if you haven't seen it yet.

It may take a few sittings to get through all the intricate layers but it's a great movie and it should be seen. If you're lucky and you haven't seen the watered-down US release, see if you can get the original UK version as it will make for a great discussion piece among friends as you try to puzzle in your take. I saw it with my crew around early-2006 and we're still talking about it with little things we've picked up on today. It has garnered its cult status, and it's well- deserved as the film where Ritchie stepped out the box and broke his norm a bit.

Standout Line: "Fear or revere me, but please, think I'm special. We share an addiction. We're approval junkies."

Brick (2005)

The House of Brick and Noir

[8/10 · 15 February 2010]

There's something about noir films that just get me. Be it the scenery, the mood, the dialogue- I don't know. But whatever it is, I like it and I also like a good mystery and this film delivers wonderfully.

The reason I picked this out was because of the cover art and because it had Joseph Gordon-Levitt in it and I was taking note of his rising star, especially in the indie world. So there goes a success story of how decent marketing can separate your project from the disc-herd.

The film was written and directed by Rian Johnson who said he took writing cues from Dashiell Hammett, a novelist of yore who wrote mainly about detective stories and visual cues from Spaghetti Westerns and the anime, Cowboy Bebop. These cues craft the noir-like feel of this movie, and the detective mood that couples it. The story has a decent pace and requires a bit of attention, if you want the full spiel of the plot and if you want the rewards of the brilliant, snippy dialogue. Set in a high-school the viewer is thrust into a world of sex, drugs and deceit that is mainly governed by the school's social hierarchy. Outside of that world though, lives Brendan- a self-appointed outcast still bent on a recent break-up and friendship fallout. He gets a heads-up from his ex, Emily (Emilie de Ravin) that she had found herself in a bit of trouble and needed some help getting out. The story fleshes itself out from there. Picking away at clues with the help of an info guru we know as Brain (Matt O'Leary) and a socialite, Laura, Brendan shuffles to get to the bottom of what's going on with Emily as he tackles the social pyramid from the top down. Through snooping and putting puzzle pieces together Brendan finds a murdered Emily and her death points to a drug deal gone bad. This string of connections lands him in the sights of The Pin, a reputable drug dealer around town and his cohort, Tugger (Noah Fleiss). As he plays the new guy under The Pin's employ, Brendan finds the truth behind Emily's murder, the botched drug deal and the reason why he and Emily broke up as everything comes full circle.

The characters are nicely rounded out and the actors really delivered for their parts. Also the way the classes mesh in the grand scheme was pretty good and I appreciated the way it was done. There are enough twists to make this movie as engaging as it is and the cinematography pairs it in an awesome fashion. The general score fits perfectly too and chimes well with the classic approach to film noir scores. I liked this movie and the world we get to see portrayed. If you like detective stories or a good mystery then you should give this a viewing, it's a different movie as it is quite the gem and greatly shows off Joseph's acting chops. Pick it up and watch it with a friend, the simplicity that seems to be behind it is good inspiration for aspiring directors and the story is a must for those trying to find their writing niche.

Standout Line: "What are your services, exactly? So I can be specific on the invoice."

A Good Day to Be Black & Sexy (2008)

A Good Day Indeed.. Indeed.

[8/10 · 10 February 2010]

Touted as a between-the-sheets peek at black love and sexuality, this bit of gold is one of the purest representations of those moments that you either find yourself in or overhear when you're not listening.

Written and Directed by Dennis Dortch, this film delivers five bite-size vignettes that touch on some very good points about sex and its ruses. The cast is made up relatively unknown actors and that brings some authenticity to it since you're not setting yourself up to see what a big-wig actor is doing in the movie. The soundtrack is also a very solid stand-out feature and a fringe benefit indeed, every song or instrumental quip adds a bit more flavor to whatever mood or tone is on the screen, building an ambiance that pulls you in more to the stories. After watching it though you may feel a bit mislead as all the stories are fairly universal and not set in stone as stereotypically black. The fact that most of the actors are black and it's not a sleaze-fest or an overly-dramatic, Tyler Perry-esquire film brings it to an avenue that makes it accessible to just about everyone.

Each story has a mood and pretext of its own, so as to not give anything away, I'll be as vaguely detailed as possible. Reciprocity dips into the whole 'giving and receiving' scenario and shows how persuasive and impatient we can get when what we want is dangled in front of us. The characters, Jeanette (Kathryn Taylor) and Tony (Brandon Valley Jones) engage in some foreplay and one whimsically shortchanges the other after getting a late-night special. The reactions and the haggling is very rewarding and the clip is just long enough for you to appreciate the gist of the moment. Her Man touches on an all-too-familiar exchange, for Bahamians at least, sweet-hearting. We get to see a gradual heated exchange between a married man, D'Andre (Marcuis Harris) and his woman-on-the-side, Helena (Chonte Harris). This is probably the most dramatic of the vignettes and stands out amongst the others because of its emotional value, brilliant acting and dialogue. You will find yourself not knowing who to root for or even if you should root, given the situation. Broken up into two parts, Tonight puts us with Tamala (Mylika Davis), a sprightly teen, as she celebrates her Fourth of July birthday. The first part touches a bit on peer-pressure and how some guys can get aggressively persistent when it comes to sex and it shows just how strong and resistant women can - and should - be in those situations. The second part introduces, Julian (Jerome Hawkins)- a friend's older brother and deals with the laws of attraction, basically, and shows just how cocksure women can get when they want something and how resilient one should be when things fall apart. (Reprise), the shortest of the bunch with Candi (Nana Hill) and Russell (Kareem j. Grimes), gives us a peek into sexual exploration and a nice heads-up on how couples can ease each other into new territory. The last is American Boyfriend, this is the only one that I felt sold itself short because it had so much potential. It deals with interracial coupling and takes it a step up by having the girlfriend, Jasmine (Emily Liu) be Chinese and the boyfriend, Jesse (Alphonso Johnson) be not only American but African-American. This dives in to two stereotype pools as people will tell you that Asians are notoriously cliquish when it comes to coupling, especially if the family is traditional and African- Americans can be very political when it comes to dating outside of the shaded area. With that, Jasmine has yet to tell her parents that she has a boyfriend- that isn't Asian and, as fate would have it, her family comes by for dinner whilst her boyfriend is over, ushering her to hide him until they leave. As the day passes, Jesse gets restless and the family starts to weigh in on Jasmine's personal life and an abrupt interaction happens, much to her dismay. The dialogue from both perspectives is pretty decent and it leaves you jumpy to see what happens, however, this is probably the only one from the bunch that will leave you wanting more.

A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy is a great find and you will enjoy it with friends, albeit friends that are mature and comfortable enough with their own sexuality. There aren't any Gay or Lesbian interactions here and that may alienate a few but it's still a great watch, even if you just want a fresh black-themed flick to relax to.

Standout Line: "You called and invited yourself over, I cooked and now you got beef. What is up with all of that? You got a problem with me trying to make you happy today?"

Hotel (2001)

Revoke your reservations...

[2/10 · 9 February 2010]

I like to consider myself as a person that would give a film a chance, be it one to prove the masses wrong or to redeem itself after it left a bad taste in my mouth. This film, however, failed on both fronts.

All-in-all, it seemed like an overly ambitious script that didn't translate well to the screen. The plot is elusive and its stellar cast of veritable stars just made the premise to watching it misleading. A film crew takes on the task of making a bastardized version of the Duchess of Malfi (a play by John Webster) in and around a hotel in Venice. Whilst getting things started the crew is hounded by a rouge documentary crew, helmed by Charlie Boux (Salma Hayek), set on simply being an annoyance to the Director (Rhys Ifans) and the progress of the filming. A producer of the film, Jonathan Danderfine, is set that his movie will go hitchless and without any dramatics from the director, even if he has to direct it himself.

Scattered throughout the film are seemingly endless story arcs that never quite flourish and erotic scenes that induce awkward feelings. There is also a suspense/thriller element that, unless you pay attention, you will miss the point of it or the fact that vampires are in it somehow. Like I said, the film is hard to follow and begs amicably for your patience but doesn't quite deliver. There are no hidden messages or life-lessons to pick up on, it makes you shudder that the star power couldn't push it to something easily enjoyable and it will make you upset when you realize how long it is, if you stick it through.

I didn't like it and I dunno if you can watch it and arrive at a different outcome but it felt way too tasky for the viewer and it's largely unrewarding if you get to the end credits.

Standout Line: "For Death makes us martyrs. It makes us icons."

Sleeping Dogs Lie (I) (2006)

Honesty, the 'best' policy?

[8/10 · 2 February 2010]

How do you take an act of impulsive curiosity, or mere boredom and turn it into a heartfelt life-lesson about being skeptical with keeping secrets? Leave that to the genius in Bobcat Goldthwait (yes, that Bobcat).

I came across this movie while scouting around to see what Bobcat was up to these days, actor-wise and it was indeed a treasure worth digging up. The movie deals a lot with finding that thin-line to knowing how much is too much when it comes to full disclosure and it makes you sit back and think how crass you would be, knowing your indiscretions, then judging someone else. Both written and directed by Bobcat, the movie is golden for what it is and, save some scenes where the lines and moods feel exaggerated, the actor's roles couldn't have been played better.

While in college, Amy has an indiscretion with her dog and inevitably keeps it at the back of her mind for the years that follow. We get introduced to a flowering romance between Amy and John as they set the paces to get married. To make it official, they both go to meet Amy's family and things start to unravel- much to Amy's dismay. Her Dad (Geoff Pierson) is a stern but understanding man who holds Amy in a great caliber of admiration; her mom (Bonita Friedericy) is old- fashioned and has a certain pride for her daughter and her brother (Jack Plotnick) could care less as he's found himself near rock-bottom with a meth habit. As she's coaxed by John to divvy her deepest, darkest secrets she goes back and forth with a friend and her mother on how important full honesty is in a relationship. When Amy makes up her mind to get it off of her chest she finds that, not only does it fester a brick wall in her relationship with John, it also causes a rift between her and her family. Needless to say, things fall apart in both camps and Amy is left trying to piece together her own puzzle and finding some solace with having the truth out there whilst embracing a new relationship with a workplace confidant, Ed.

I like this movie because it has a lot of realness about it, if you can picture yourself in the situation or not. It's not a gross-out comedy, even if the subject matter alludes to it. The only things that would make you cringe are the placeholder reminders you put in your head. The story is definitely one that will promote a 'what would you do' conversation and it would make for a great group movie. Seeing this from Bobcat feels good because I always liked him on film and with his routines, he's a childhood fave and I'm glad he did something that I appreciate today. If you happen upon the DVD, check out the director's commentary and listen to him 'pontificate' it's pretty inspirational if you find yourself wanting to tackle film. Hearing the set stories and things he did to make the scenes work may just give you the nudge you need to start blooming.

Standout Line: "Ed, commitment is a reaction, not a decision."

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Punch-Drunk Amazing Work

[9/10 · 1 February 2010]

I have a capricious tolerance for love stories, if they follow too many clichés or if I feel like I can play Nostradamus with the plot, I hate it. Especially if it feels genuinely rehearsed. All that aside, Punch- Drunk Love is one of my favourite Romantic Comedies.

Meet Barry Egan, socially awkward businessman and passionate human being. One of the reasons I like this movie is because it has Adam Sandler, sans his comedy shtick, and he shines. The fluidity with the way he approached the dramatics was refreshing and familiar in the same light. Barry is a pretty walled-in character, due in part by his seven sisters that always seem to be on his case. You can feel the tension and tempered violence in his character almost immediately and the direction with how we get to know Barry is so superb that you'll find yourself identifying with him.

The film itself is beautiful, Paul Thomas Anderson did an awesome job at both writing and directing. With the bits of art-house mixed in, it's a unique take on a seriously beaten dead-horse. Everything seems in place, from the lighting to the dialogue, to the heavily featured score, it pulls you in and keeps you there- almost making you forget the mushiness before you. To even out the cast we have Lena, the love interest; Lance, Barry's right-hand employee; Elizabeth (Mary Lynn Rajskub), the match-making sister and a rewarding Dean, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Being one of the pushy, prying sisters, Elizabeth opts to setup Barry with a coworker friend. Suffice it to say, the two hit it off and Lena seems to inspire a bit of passion in Barry that looks to help him shake the shell he bottled himself in. because of the constant ragging he gets from his sisters, Barry seems to bottle his anger and resentment, only to have it trigger violent outbursts whenever childhood taunts are brought up in conversation. Barry finds himself in a bind though, after an outburst at a family party he takes a step out for some casual conversation - just to have someone to talk to - with a phone-sex hotline and the culmination of this encounter highlights how the brief burst of romance with Lena changed him.

The writing gives you just enough of each character that you don't grow sick of them and the pace seems slow at first but only because it eases you in gracefully. This is easily one of the best romance films post-2000 and I want to elaborate more but the *spoiler* ice is very thin. If, no, when you find a copy of this movie I'd like for you to have an experience of your own because it's just that, an awesome experience and a refreshing trek into the love genre, quite the shame that it's still flying so low under the radar. With the advent of LMN and the Oxygen Channel, I was sure this would get some play. If it did, colour me corrected, if not, do yourself that favour and cozy up with your special someone this cupid season.

Standout Line: "I'm looking at your face and I just wanna smash it. I wanna ** smash it with a sledgehammer and squeeze it. You're so pretty."

The Puffy Chair (2005)

Just Puffy Enough

[5/10 · 1 February 2010]

The setup of this movie is pretty straight forward and it delivers a few jabs more than you would expect. What I like about this movie is how it elevated itself from a presumably mundane flick to a decent watch that will have you nodding at the craftsmanship of the script and the evolution of the characters.

Shot in the renegade fashion of hand-held camera – the TV show, The Office would probably be the most accessible example – this film feels like what you'd probably imagine seeing if the story was relayed to you by one of the characters. This adds to the mood of the movie as well, wherein it doesn't feel serious and allows the viewer to relax and take it as it comes. The movie follows Josh, a booking agent for unknown bands, who wants to do something for his father's birthday in the vein of getting him a piece of childhood nostalgia- a puffy red chair. After igniting some angst, Josh decides to take his girlfriend, Emily along for the road trip. More characters join in and we get introduced to Rhett, the very 'dudeish' and oddly existential younger brother of Josh as he becomes the inevitable third wheel on the trip.

The chair was to be picked up from a furniture store owner and ultimately throws a wrench in Josh's plans as the guy fails to deliver, imposing an unplanned stay in the surrounding town and a bit of tyranny on Josh's behalf. This kicks off a bit of character development as we see tension tighten with Josh and Emily, as far as their relationship goes, and we see just how free-willed Rhett is as he hooks up with a girl, Amber (Julie Fischer) from the town. The lighting on Josh places him as an average guy, I guess, finding himself in a relationship that he only seems to take seriously when pressed with, 'the talk'. Likewise, Emily seems to be at that point in her life where she wants to take more steps as opposed to the flippant, casual ideal that Josh appears to have. Rhett, on the other hand is impulsive and unattached, seeming to just want to experience life rather than adhere to a schedule, much like a light version of his brother. I enjoyed how the relationships panned themselves out as it gave you both the fishbowl perspective from both sides of the glass, be it a personal experience or one you just know about.

It's not really an essential film to watch but it does have its unique qualities and offers a quaint take on how people handle pressure and life variables. I give Josh Duplass credit for the way the movie unraveled and the way it held both predictability and that little nudge to want to see it to the end.

Standout Line: "What you're probably doing is waiting for something real good or real bad to happen to make the decision for you and you're not gonna get that break, it never happens"

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Wonderful Surprise!!

[10/10 · 28 January 2010]

With Wes Anderson at the helm of Director, George Clooney finds himself in yet another snatch-and-run thief caper. Only this time you'll find yourself wanting to re-watch scenes and the entire movie over and over again. Stop-motion animation will always have a soft spot in my heart for nostalgic and technical reasons. I always want to see how far they would go and they always remind me of being dazzled by them as a kid. This movie delivers in much more ways than taking you back. Filled with endless quotes and humour that will make even the most robotic viewer bubble-over.

I Like Wes Anderson's movies, they always come from a different angle with what the core story is and they always have a unique human element that you can both see yourself in and appreciate. Based on a story from Roald Dahl, we join up with Mr. Fox who is prompted to change his line of work as a poultry thief when his wife, Mrs. Fox, gets pregnant. The world is very detailed and feels very familiar as all the animals interact in an almost seamless human way whilst not abandoning their animal nature. The voice talent casting is superb as all the animals seem justly matched and equally theatrical. The story is very engaging from its start but gets even more-so when Mr. Fox, bored with being and overlooked newspaper columnist decides to don bandit hats with his possum friend, Kylie (Wallace Wolodarsky), for one last big job – stealing goods from the three biggest farmers in the nearby town, Boggis (Robin Hurlstone), Bunce (Hugo Guinness) and Bean (Michael Gambon). This plan, and its success, triggers the three farmers to deal with their fox friend and his family, therein putting all the wood lawn animals under siege and prompting Mr. Fox to be as fantastic as he can to rescue all the animals and get the farmers off of his back. With juggling all of this, Mr. Fox also finds himself at ends in his marriage and we get some Meryl Streep (Mrs. Fox) goodness, which is always sweet. Some fun arcs keep the fluidity of the movie both digestible and add an appreciation to the supporting characters, so much so that it makes you feel that no animal was 'just there'. For example- there is Mr. Fox's son, Ash, who tries his best to prove to his parents that he's not 'different' and has his father's athletic abilities with his efforts getting challenged by the likes of his subtle, thunder-stealing cousin, Kristofferson (Eric Anderson).

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie as I didn't know what to expect. It delivers in so many ways from the beautifully illustrated environment,

the nuances of each animal and their respective voice actor, the humorous dialogue, the story and the surprise depth of the highlighted characters. It feels like the cast and the production crew had fun with making this movie and viewers always benefit when that happens since glee is contagious. When you realize how painstaking it must've been to add life and unique style to all the characters and make the movie not-feel-like-a-stop-motion-movie for the viewer, the whole mood gets even more relaxed and enjoyable.

George Clooney shines in his role as he brings enough cockiness and confidence to Mr. Fox as you'd expect from his stint as Danny Ocean. Wes Anderson doesn't abandon his favourite call guys either; Bill Murray and Owen Wilson both have fitting parts. Another great feature is how Wes blends the movie to appeal to both adults and kids. Its accessible world is engaging enough for the young and the wit in the dialogue is very rewarding for the adults, no one is alienated. Giving the villains the British grit adds another layer to it, especially when you remember Michael Gambon's role in Layer Cake.

If there's any way you can organize a group of friends to watch this gem, do so, they will be very thankful for it and the flurry of inside jokes your group would gain is priceless.

Standout Line: "He gets a bandit hat? He just got here and he got a bandit hat? Where's my Bandit hat? Why didn't I get shot at!?"

The Fall (I) (2006)

Breath of fresh idea

[8/10 · 27 January 2010]

The Fall is probably one of the best examples of Art Nouveau on film. The director knew what his vision for the film was and he executed it wonderfully. Set in the 1920's at a Los Angeles hospital, we're introduced to Alexandria, a young patient with a broken arm and a penchant for mischief. By chance she gets to meet with Roy when a letter that she wrote for one of the nurses finds its way to his bed. Roy is a broken man, all puns intended, submitted for a broken back due to a fall in his line of work as a stuntman. To add to Roy's broken persona, he's also having a hard time dealing with a break-up and is brought to suicidal tendencies because of it and being potentially paralyzed for life.

The friendship between Alexandria and Roy buds when, for need of company it seems, Roy starts to relay a fictional love and revenge story of a bandit, The Blue Bandit, seeking to rescue the love of his life (Justine Waddell) from an evil governor, Governor Odious (Daniel Caltigirone). The story piques Alexandria's interest as she likes bandits and the quest for love. The narrative is read to us as a mutual imaginative journey filled with lush landscapes and beautiful architecture told by Roy then illustrated and not-so-subtly directed by Alexandria. The story takes the helm for most of the movie and we grow to appreciate some new characters. We see the Blue Bandit joining arms with four new heroes- an Indian swordsman (Jeetu Verma) that seeks revenge with Gov. Odious for the kidnapping and death of his beloved squaw; an explosives expert named Luigi (Robin Smith) who wants to kill Gov. Odious for shunning him from his hometown; a former slave of Gov. Odious named Otto Benga (Marcus Wesley) that swore revenge when a co-slave died in a plantation fire; the esteemed Charles Darwin (Leo Bill) who wanted revenge for Odious sending him a dead specimen of a butterfly he chased after and a mystical, well, Mystic (Julian Bleach) who wanted justice when Odious was responsible for destroying his native land.

Needless to say, the characters are all interpretations of people Alexandria encounters and knows. While the narrative takes on a film of its own, it does weave in a parallel manner to the real-life aspect of the movie. As Roy's sanity worsens the narrative gets darker, much to the dismay of Alexandria. As a notion to keep the story positive, Roy tricks Alexandria into stealing medication for him and things escalate into an intervention of sorts, leaving Roy to sort his life out.

The Fall is a brilliant movie and will surprise you with its story and the depth of its characters, especially the acting chaps on Catinca Untaru Romanian-tainted English adds a bit of cuteness to her lines. I envy anyone who may get to watch this in HD because the cinematics really stand out in this film and when you learn that none of it was special effects you grow to appreciate it that much more.

Standout Line: "What a mystery this world, one day you love them and the next day you want to kill them a thousand times over."

A Serious Man (2009)

Serious Coen Genius

[6/10 · 26 January 2010]

Being a fan of most of the Coen Brother's works I adjusted quite well to A Serious Man.

The movie follows the increasingly uncomfortable bad luck streak of Lawrence/Larry Gopnik and his family. Things start to unravel for Larry when his wife surprises him with a divorce that she wants and he seeks council with three Rabbis, while his tenure as a professor is scrutinized by a series of anonymous letters. The humor is quite dry and lightly dark at times while the progression is a steady pace that may not bode well for most viewers. The casual moviegoer may fiend dismay as this doesn't deliver the usual quick turnaround on plot surprises and jokes as the normal comedy would. That factor, however, only adds to the unique likability of this story, so it's a bit of a win-win I feel.

While being set in 1967, there's also a large Jewish element in this movie, so much so that it feels authentic and gives you a culture burst as you explore and feel for the characters. Larry has a wife, Judy; two teenage kids, Danny and Sarah; and a brother hard on his luck, Arthur - played by Richard Kind. Judy, being fed-up with some ambiguous problems in her marriage seeks confidence with Sy Abelman, a family friend and they both plod steps to not only plan the divorce but make it ritualized, or as the Jewish say, "have a Get". Sibling chiding occurs with the two children and the movie chooses to show a bit of Danny's life as he is about to be Bar Mitzvah'd and the nuances that surround being lightly rebellious at a Hebrew School and enjoying marijuana. The seemingly socially inept Arthur evens out the core cast as a moocher staying with the family whilst sorting out the math to cheat card games. Illegal card games at that.

All in all, A Serious Man is a decent watch, if you stick it through. It's not as rewarding as it could be but as a 'looking-in' piece it's pretty enjoyable seeing and feeling what Larry has to go through then thinking 'WTF' to yourself when the comedic conflicts pop-up.

Standout Line: 'The Rabbi is busy.' "He doesn't look busy!" 'He's thinking.'

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Brilliant Piece

[8/10 · 25 January 2010]

This movie, for one, is a real gem of character fruition. Set in the fictional Welton (Hell-ton) Academy for Boys we follow a few of its students and a new English teacher, Mr. Keating. One of the main themes, as propelled by Mr. Keating to the boys, is to grasp life as it is and not as it's expected and he does that through embedding an appreciation for poetry and the literary arts- not as mere text to adhere and memorize but as emotions and stories to feel. Through that Mr. Keating allowed the boys to get to know themselves and find where their passion lies, aside from what is expected of their future.

One of the main characters, Neil Perry, may have been the most influenced by this new perspective being taught and goes about to form a bastard version of the Dead Poets Society upon learning of it from Mr. Keating's past as a former student of Welton. This ushers in a flurry of self-discovery and adolescent rebellion as the boys find themselves building an appreciation for the arts and self-expression.

The villain of the movie lay with the school officials and some parents garnering the uppity appeal of authority and the 'right way' of things. The inevitable struggle with that and the boys was an awesome display of humanity as the Dead Poets Society is inevitably dismantled because of a tragic resolution of one of the characters. The process showed how selfish people can be in the face of doing the right thing as opposed to not getting chided for your own beliefs. The way it reflected how society conditions and discourages free-thinking is awesome, especially when the caged-bird syndrome is revealed with Neil Perry.

The acting in this movie, considering the ages of the characters was great. All the little nuances that you would expect from a group of teenage boys were there and they were, surprisingly, tolerable. We got to see a young Ethan Hawke, as Todd Anderson, flap his acting wings as the film's strong under-dog supporting character. The direction was great as well. The mood and the overall growth of the film was enough to put you into the world and root for the characters while not being too demanding or too taxing on the viewer. Robin Williams excelled in the dramatics of his role and it was a breath of fresh air to see him go to his comedic panache in the few moments that he did. Being a teen movie one would expect some elements of a love scene and it was there but not in the overwhelming sense for it to take away from the film, it merely supplemented the appreciation for passion and seizing the day – as was the general theme of the movie.

It's indeed a classic in its own right and one that should be watched at least once to make your life extraordinary. The life lessons scattered throughout will leave you feeling, somewhat, appreciative of the little things and will leave you chanting Carpe Diem or referring to a friend as 'Captain, My Captain.'

Standout Line: "We don't read & write poetry because it's cute. We read & write poetry because we're human beings and we're filled with passion!"