What PIRATE RADIO does that is so remarkable is to capture as closely as a film can what it was like to be a fan of rock & roll at a time when it was considered not just noise, but actual subversion. Of course, in a way it was. This music was the anthem of… Read More »
SAVED!
What would Jesus do? That’s the theological conundrum at the heart of SAVED!, a smart, sharp, and ultimately compassionate consideration of just that question. And before anyone jumps to any conclusions, consider the biblical injunction to judge not lest ye be judged. Open your mind, the way many people in this film just won’t, and… Read More »
GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
In a lesser film about Edward R. Murrow and the way he used television to bring down Joseph McCarthy, there would have been the obligatory unburdening scene with his wife. He would articulate the risks involved in what he was undertaking personally, professionally, and financially, have an emotional breakdown of some sort, and Mrs. Murrow… Read More »
AN UNREASONABLE MAN: RALPH NADER, HOW DO YOU DEFINE A LEGACY?
There is no doubt that Ralph Nader has been one of the most influential private citizens of the 20th century. Before he got riled up about it, car safety was optional as far as manufacturers were concerned, environmental degradation was the province of wild-eyed counterculture radicals, and food safety was an illusion. By being AN… Read More »
Steve Skrovan is Not AN UNREASONABLE MAN
When “Everybody Loves Raymond” ended its nine-year run, executive producer and sometime writer for that series, Steve Skrovan, decided to do a sitcom about life in a public advocacy office.That idea was inspired by the real-life adventures of pal and co-writer/co-director Henriette Mantell’s time working as an office manager for Ralph Nader. Oddly, though, the more Skrovan thought about… Read More »
Paul Weitz Lives AMERICAN DREAMZ
Paul Weitz has gone from teen farce with AMERICAN PIE to sophisticated and thoughtful slices of social commentary with ABOUT A BOY and IN GOOD COMPANY. With AMERICAN DREAMZ, though, he’s created a tidy synthesis, combining inspired silliness with a satire that cuts to the bone of American culture. When I talked to him on… Read More »
Gretchen Mol is THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE
Call it the curse of having startling good looks: not being taken seriously as an artist. Gretchen Mol was poised for stardom a few year’s back, but instead of glitzy Hollywood fluff, she chose to go the route of live theater and little films of enormous substance that would stretch her considerable acting talents rather than… Read More »
David Strathairn Wishes Us GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
The press tour that David Strathairn did for GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK was the first of his career. Considering how many first-rate performances Strathairn has given over the years, this came as something of a surprise to me. From starring roles in such John Sayles’ classics as LIMBO and PASSION FISH to solid supporting work… Read More »
Jena Malone is SAVED!
If there is such a thing as a very old soul, Jena Malone has one. For someone who is not quite old enough to legally order a drink, she has amassed an impressive body of work that showcases not only her considerable talent, but also a commitment to intelligent, thoughtful films that do more than… Read More »
Joel Schumacher’s PHONE BOOTH
Joel Schumacher knows how to put on a show. Whether it be a full-blown flight of fantasy such as BATMAN AND ROBIN or the more confined space of PHONE BOOTH, in which we spend almost 90 minutes trapped in one with Colin Farrell. Schumacher may not always avoid kitsch, but he’s rarely boring. The same is… Read More »