The key moment in Clint Eastwood’s LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA is when General Kuribayashi, the commander of the doomed Japanese forces defending the eponymous island from Amercan invasion, stops the summary execution of two soldiers by their immediate commanding officer for having committed the crime of not dying at their post. Kuribayashi, played by Ken Watanabe, tells… Read More »
AMAZING GRACE
AMAZING GRACE is an unabashedly sentimental film and this is as it should be. It recounts the 15-year struggle of William Wilberforce to end the slave trade in the Britsh Empire at the end of the 18th century. Wilberforce and his followers were driven by sentiment, coupled with principle, to take on the big business… Read More »
THE ASTRONAUT FARMER
With THE ASTRONAUT FARMER, the Polish Brothers (Michael directing, Mark acting, and both writing the script) use a folksy veneer to their mythmaking that belies a sly sophistication, weaving together Joseph Campbell at his most profound with the spirit of The Little Engine That Could. The result is a film that explores not just the… Read More »
REIGN OVER ME
Sooner or later a film was bound to make 9/11 a glib plot point and with REIGN OVER ME, so it has come to pass. The good news is that this is one-half of a terrific film. The bad news is that Adam Sandler is in the other half. The worse news is that 9/11… Read More »
FREEDOM WRITERS DVD
FREEDOM WRITERS covers the well-trod ground of the idealistic teacher making a difference in the lives of underprivileged, inner-city kids. In this case, it’s Los Angeles a few years after the riots of 1992 and the teacher, Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank), is out to save these kids before they lose their way and end up… Read More »
THE QUEEN — DVD
There are some of us who knew in the first five minutes of THE QUEEN that at the very least Helen Mirren in the title role of Queen Elizabeth II would be nominated for every acting award out there. The wistful yet unselfconsciously regal way in which she discuses the election with the artist painting… Read More »
TALK TO ME
“Wake up, God damn it!” is how TALK TO ME begins and that’s exactly what is going to happen to its lead characters, the people in their orbit, and the entire city of Washington D.C. The story may be formulaic, albeit based on actual events, but stars Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor take charge of… Read More »
RESURRECTING THE CHAMP
RESURRECTING THE CHAMP shows the importance of casting and directing in turning a good script into a great film. Based loosely on the experiences of writer J.R. Moeringer, the writing here is solid, but Josh Hartnett as Eric Kennon, Jr., a reporter struggling the shadow of both his famous father and of his rising star… Read More »
SILK
SILK, based on the novel by Alessandro Baricco, is a singularly uninvolving bit of piffle crafted as though those who made it were afraid of waking someone. The scenery is lovely, which is a good thing, because there is nothing else happening here worth seeing. And from this we learn a valuable lesson. Art direction… Read More »
THE HOAX
What makes THE HOAX such a thoroughly enjoyable ride is that even though its anti-hero, Clifford Irving, is perpetrating the eponymous hoax, he is so good at it. His exuberance during the highs and even the lows of his scheme as kinks pop up is infectious. He is having such a good time plotting it,… Read More »
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