Movie & TV DVD Releases this week. August 17 2010
The Last SongDirected by Julie Anne Robinson
Average customer review:
This romantic tearjerker from writer Nicholas Sparks (Dear John, The Notebook) can be formulaic at times, but it stays interesting thanks to pacing and snappy dialogue. Miley Cyrus sulks through The Last Song as troubled teen Ronnie, who resents her father (Greg Kinnear) for divorcing Mom (Kelly Preston) and leaving the family. A piano prodigy, Ronnie refuses to play after her father leaves, and she snubs admission to Julliard. Ronnie and her wisecracking brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman) are sent to spend the summer with their father in a small Georgia beach town. Handsome townie Will (Liam Hemsworth) strikes up a tense relationship with Ronnie and, true to romance formula, they fall in love. Ronnie softens her attitude and the ice between father and daughter begins to melt away. But Dad has a tragic secret, and in the end, music helps Ronnie open her heart and heal. Cyrus gives a predictable performance as the all-attitude Ronnie, but she's helped along by Coleman's cute-little-brother shtick (which can be a bit heavy-handed, but the youngster is a scene-stealer). Veteran actors Preston and Kinnear are one-dimensional, but The Last Song is a harmless teen romance--who's watching the adults, anyway?
Furry Vengeance
Directed by Roger Kumble
Average customer review:
Humans are out to destroy the forest in the name of progress, but the animals that live there won't go out without a fight. We've seen it before in films like Over the Hedge, but this time it's a green, eco-friendly company versus a very organized group of animals under the leadership of a clever raccoon. Dan (Brendan Fraser) is the project manager who has moved his family from Chicago to the middle of an Oregon forest to live on-site in the community's model home. His wife Tammy (Brooke Shields) and son Tyler (Matt Prokop) aren't particularly happy about the move, but how bad can it be for one year? When unforeseen obstacles like an inconveniently located beaver dam threaten to slow progress and put the project over budget, Dan's commitment to eco-friendly methods is tested and his son dubs him a hypocrite. The animals start fighting back in a very organized, conniving way, but all Tammy sees is that Dan is beginning to go a little bit crazy. When phase 2 of the development is unveiled and the opportunity to head up the project, along with a considerable raise, is presented to Dan, he accepts without regard for the forest animals or his family. After suffering everything from a wet crotch resulting from a chewed sprinkler line to repeated skunk sprayings, a run-in with a swarm of bees, and an encounter with an insistently pecking crow that almost gets him killed, Dan begins to reconsider what's really important in life. This basic plot has been the basis of many similar movies, some good, some bad, but Furry Vengeance is such a predictable, superficial gag-fest that it quickly becomes more tiresome than funny--trite doesn't really even begin to describe it. (Ages 7 and older with parental guidance due to some mildly rude humor.)
The City of Your Final Destination
Directed by James Ivory
Average customer review:
Omar (Omar Metwally) is a professor of literature at an University of Colorado and he tries to get legal permission to write the biography of a writer who has only had one novel published. The author's family is against the idea so Omar decides to go to South America to meet them and get their permission. He finds a dysfunctional family with many secrets and skeletons in the closet. Deirdre (Alexandra Maria Lara) arrives to see how things are going and it gets very interesting. The writer's widow, (Laura Linney) and the writer's girlfriend, Ardenia, (Charlotte Gainsbourg), the gay brother of the writer (Anthony Hopkins) and his lover (Hiroyuki Sanada) all live together on an estate far from anything else and we get a study of personalities and a look at the dynamics between there people. We also see Omar's feelings for Ardenia and the choices he is forced to make. The film is about decesions and how they influence the lives of everyone.
Based on the novel by Peter Cameron, the screenplay was written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and the film was directed by James Ivory. This is a good example of literary cinema.The characters all play cultured, cosmopolitan residents of a remote place in Uruguay and they seem to be constantly philosophizing and bickering. People talk a lot and we are plunged into the emotions of the characters. We realize that what we are watching is little more than a power struggle between adulterers and malcontents as they test the bonds of family as well as the boundaries that confine them.
The Good, the Bad, the Weird
Directed by Ji-Woon Kim
Average customer review:
Asian westerns are a rare breed of film. As of this writing, I'm only aware of three: "Tears of the Black Tiger" (2000, Thailand), "Sukiyaki Western Django" (2007, Japan), and "The Good, the Bad, and the Weird" (2008, South Korea). The Thai entry was pretty good, with excellent use of color and some decent humor. The Japanese entry (directed by the wildly popular Takashi Miike) was a piece of trash that had horrible scriptwriting, lame action scenes on the whole, and a penchant for provoking maximum irritation on the part of the viewer.
Enter South Korean director Ji-woon Kim, the mastermind behind the single greatest film ever made - "A Tale of Two Sisters" (2003) - and the man who gave us other quality films such as "A Bittersweet Life" (2005), "Memories" (2002), and the very funny "Quiet Family" (1998) and "Foul King" (2000). While "A Bittersweet Life" demonstrated Kim's talent for directing action, "The Good, the Bad, and the Weird" ("GBW") is an entirely different beast due to the elaborate setups of epic shootouts involving dozens upon dozens of actors. This is not an easy step to take, but Kim pulled it off in masterful fashion.
Unlike Miike's crapfest - which only had one decent clash near the end - GBW is packed with the best set of wild west style shootouts of any film I've ever seen. There are a number of reasons for this, but the big one is the genius of Kim's camera-work and directing skill. I kid you not, the lengthy tracking shots are no less than sheer brilliance. The camera will begin with one particular character/scenario only to then move in unique ways with zoom ins, zoom outs, aerial maneuvers, and high speed helicopter/crane shots to gradually reveal the action of a different character/scenario - thus linking the events together without the need for editing. If nothing else, Kim should be applauded for his camera-work, because with GBW he has convincingly ascended to a level that's equal to guys like Dario Argento and Andrei Tarkovsky. Yeah, it's that damn SPECTACULAR.
Byung-hun Lee (from "A Bittersweet Life") and Woo-sung Jung (from "Musa: The Warrior") do well with their characters, but it's Kang-ho Song who steals the show. I know that some will complain that Kang-ho uses his trademark dim-witted awkwardness a bit too much, but he does it so well that I don't mind seeing it so long as it's used in different ways. Fortunately, he has some classic scenes in GBW - a few of which are laugh-out-loud hilarious.
Those expecting the dramatic weight that made "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (1966) so awesome will be sorely disappointed. This is an all out action film at its core, and only uses a few ideas from Sergio Leone's classic as a springboard for non-stop popcorn entertainment. The films are so different that they are not even remotely comparable. That does not mean, however, that GBW dips to the pathetic levels of some Hollywood epics. At no point during this film did I gather the impression that Kim was pandering to create a hollow, empty product because the outcome has so much energy and spirit. (It was only after reading online comments that drew the comparison.) Even more convincing is that GBW is 99% CGI free, which is anti-Hollywood to the extreme. If you want to see an Asian film industry that sacrifices quality in an attempt to ape Hollywood, look no further than recent Chinese historical epics like "The Warlords" (2007) and "Red Cliff" (2008). Now THOSE are some essentially worthless fluff pieces - one of which was directed by a now-worthless director (John Woo) who has used the same two clichés for the past 20 years. GBW, on the other hand, is a resounding success - further solidifying Ji-woon Kim's status as one of the best directors alive today.
Hollywood cinema is really becoming superfluous in the grand scheme of things. You can basically find every kind of film in non-American countries, and the fact that they're surpassing their American counterparts in terms of sheer entertainment value is a nasty indictment on the cinema of the west. Times are changing - and American movie-making will crumble from within as the mega studios keep churning out garbage for a quick buck. I say, good riddance.
The Assassin Next Door
Directed by Danny Lerner
Average customer review:
This excellent film - which is well written, directed, and acted - is the story of a woman who has to fight tenaciously to regain her freedom, and to redeem herself (in her own eyes). The central character, Galya, is charismatic and psychologically strong, but she made a terrible mistake four years previously and her subsequent life has become a nightmare - trapped by a criminal gang, forced first into prostitution, then into becoming a gangland assassin. Her fight for freedom is symbolized by her attempts to regain possession of her passport, and her quest for redemption is symbolised by her desire to return home (to the Ukraine) to a hoped-for happier life with her five-year-old daughter. While trying to save herself from the criminals, she attempts to save her friend from her friend's abusive husband.
From the opening scene, where her eyes magnetically draw the viewer into Galya's world, Olga Kurylenko plays her part intelligently and skilfully. She's very good at emotional depth and complexity, and she convincingly projects Galya's conflicting emotions. Also well done is the way she shows Galya's fight for her life and her struggle to maintain her fundamental purity of heart, while being engulfed in the gang's earthly version of hell. She's superb at conveying feelings even when she's not interacting with the other characters. For example, on one wall of her apartment Galya creates a large drawing of herself and her child (it's a symbolic doorway to her paradise) and while she draws, Olga beautifully expresses the fleeting serenity of Galya's creativity, and the way it brings her closer to her daughter (in her imagination).
Ninet Tayeb is excellent as Elinor, Galya's next-door neighbour. For example, there's a nice scene where Elinor tries to excuse her husband. Galya dismissively says "it's not your fault" but Ninet conveys in her eyes that Elinor thinks it really is her fault. Thus, by good acting she shows that Elinor is abused both externally (by her husband) and internally (by her inner critic).
Writer/director Danny Learner cleverly structures the relationships of the characters by placing Galya at the centre, with everyone else in concentric circles around her. Galya is the sun, with Elinor in close orbit. The two women have fully developed characters, with faults as well a virtues. In the cold outer reaches of the film's solar system orbit the men, none of whom have any redeeming features: they have no love, no compassion, no sense of justice. Their only interest is in power (especially power over women). The gang leaders (well portrayed by Liron Levo as the heartless Roni, and Vladimir Friedman as the lyingly manipulative Mishka) are a collection of lost souls who have adopted enslavement and murder, including deliberate murder of the innocent, as a way of life. Their system of "business" would not be complete without its routine betrayals, and of course they betray Galya - the smaller betrayals building up to a larger betrayal.
The film has lots of fine details. For example, the reality of Galya's life is nicely contrasted with idyllic dream sequences (which, nevertheless, are never quite free of anxiety) where she tries to reach her daughter. The interior physical space of her apartment is used as a metaphor for Galya's interior mental space - a place where she tries to find refuge and solace from external events which she can't control. The apartment is grim and mirrors the grimness of her life. But like her spirit, it also has the beautiful door to paradise - the picture on the wall, which symbolises Galya's hope of returning to a better life.
The scenes where the women turn animosity into friendship, and later on friendship into love, are especially good. For example, early on Elinor manages to upset Galya very much by brusquely refusing her help, and a little later Elinor changes her mind and tries to befriend Galya, but by then Galya has her emotional armour in place and her response is frosty. Elinor has to work hard to break through to Galya, and Elinor/Ninet is irresistibly charming in thawing out Galya, and Galya/Olga is delightful in the way she lets herself be thawed out. In another scene, when they're on the bed together, there's a beautiful intimacy where the two women create a little bubble of love round themselves. It's a tender moment in a pair of desperate lives. Lyrical scenes like these constitute a humane slow movement in the violent symphony which is the rest of the film.
The music is good and enhances the plot.
The Lost Skeleton Returns Again
Directed by Larry Blamire
Average customer review:
Lost Skeleton returns is a great movie. Its a silly send up of the Jungle action movies of the '50s and its a great send up too. Most of you favorite characters are back from the first movie and a few new ones show up for even more crazyness.
Jennifer Blaire shows up again as Animala, the sexy animial hybrid. Ms Blaire is a hoot as the sexy alien.
Of course, the movie would not be complete with out the Skeleton. He is pretty much only a skull in this movie, but his lines are perfect.
Not every one is going to get some of the sly humor in this movie. Some of the gags only fans of 50 sci fi movies are going to get. But everyone will enjoy the antics of the cast. The Queen of the Cantaloupe People's Dance is worth the price of the DVD.
Larry Blamire's direction and writing are spot on. The Black and White look of the film is perfect for this kind of send up and Blamire uses it perfectly.
For a pre order the cost of a lunch buffet at a Chinese buffet, Return of the Lost Skeleton is a good deal. I have sure already ordered mine.
Hamlet (Blu-ray Book)
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Average customer review:
It's the greatest work of literature, but nobody had ever filmed Hamlet uncut--until Kenneth Branagh went about the task for his lavish 1996 production. The result is a sumptuous, star-studded version that scores a palpable hit on its avowed goal: to make the text as clear and urgent as possible. Branagh himself plays the melancholy son of the Danish court, caught in a famous muddle about whether to seek revenge against his royal father's presumed slayer… the man who now sits on the throne and shares the bed of Hamlet's mother. (Or, as the song "That's Entertainment" summarizes the plot: "A ghost and a prince meet / And everyone winds up mincemeat.") As a director, Branagh (who shot the movie in 70 mm.) uses the vast, cold interiors of a vaguely 19th-century manor to gorgeous effect; the story might scurry down this hallway, into that back chamber, or sprawl out into the enormous main room. With its endless collection of mirrors, the place is as big and empty as Citizen Kane's Xanadu. That all works; what doesn't work is Branagh's tendency to over-direct the big dramatic moments. He indulges in quick cutting and flashbacks as though to fend off the audience's objections to the four-hour running time, and the style sometimes looks like wasted energy. The experienced Shakespearians in the cast come off nicely; Derek Jacobi's Claudius, Richard Briers' Polonius, and Michael Maloney's Laertes are just terrific.
Julie Christie is a suitably attractive Gertrude, and Kate Winslet makes the most of Ophelia's mad scenes. Branagh's habit of folding in unexpected American performers is on the mark, too: Billy Crystal is surprisingly good as the Gravedigger, Robin Williams predictably camps up Osric, and Charlton Heston is an inspired choice as the grandiloquent Player King. The biggest irony here is that Branagh himself is not quite spot-on as Hamlet. Of course he speaks the lines beautifully, but Branagh's screen personality radiates certainty and clarity of vision; there's little of the doubt that might make him Hamlet-esque. Still, tremendous credit for fending off slings and arrows to get the movie made.
Orlando
From Sony Pictures
Average customer review:
Breathtaking and practically nondiscursive, Sally Potter's audacious Orlando overcomes some dodgy performances and a narrative structure that could most generously be described as "loose" to emerge as a haunting, discussion-provoking trans-historical and transsexual drama. Commanded never to age by Queen Elizabeth (played with surprisingly little camp by legendary cross-dresser Quentin Crisp), the title character becomes immortal; we then follow Orlando through 400 years of dreamlike British history. Midway through the film, Orlando changes genders--to Potter's immense credit, the transformation is handled with little fanfare and no explanation. Tilda Swinton, in the lead role, is far more convincing as a woman than as a man, and even during the film's latter half, her impassivity and lack of expression can be annoying. Potter encourages Swinton to play to the camera, and the resulting asides and glances askance can be amusing, but often seem purposeless, or even arch. Nevertheless, the willful idiosyncrasy and understatement of the film never quite capsize the project, and once you give yourself over to the filmmaker's logic, the panoramic sweep of the cinematography (remarkable sets include an aristocratic skating party on the frozen Thames during the Great London Frost of 1603, a stunning tent-caravan in Central Asia, and countless fastidious boudoirs and interiors) will surely keep you enraptured. Orlando is no Merchant-Ivory production, no prissy, forgettable period piece; this film has teeth, and it may bite ferociously when you least expect it to. Based on, but scarcely resembling, the Virginia Woolf modernist classic of the same name.
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