Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Venus (DVD)

Venus (2006) starring Peter O'Toole, Jodie Whittaker. Slightly creepy story of veteran actor, played by O'Toole, who falls for the niece of the daughter of a friend. He's in his seventies, she's in her twenties. It's rather entertaining to see how far they'll go (hint: not very); and O'Toole's character shows great insight into the female mind and heart. But even though it's handled with delicacy, the story of a March-December romance has a high "ewww" factor. Grade: B-

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Apocalypto (DVD)

Apocalypto (2006) directed by Mel Gibson. In a time long ago, primitive natives live and hunt in the jungle, only to have their existence disrupted when a gang of slave-hunters from the great Mayan civilization which dominated Mexico sneaks up on their village and takes most of them captive, killing the rest. It's a fascinating and disturbing portrait of what life might have been like in the Mayan Empire before Europeans came on the scene. There's a lot of violence and bloodshed, but it's done as tastefully as can be expected. There's also a powerful twist at the end of the movie which, if you become as absorbed in the story as I did, you may not see coming. Also available on the DVD are a short on how the convincing look of Mayan civilization was created, and a commentary track by Mel Gibson and his co-producer. Grade: B+

Thursday, May 24, 2007

The Good German (DVD)

The Good German (2006) starring George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Tobey Maguire. Uninspiring tale of intrigue in post-World War II Berlin, not terribly well made. Army correspondent Clooney gets involved in intrigue with his prewar mistress Blanchett. Clooney gets beaten up several times and Blanchett gets her wish to escape Berlin; but her movie husband Emil Brandt, the "good German" of the title, ends up dead. Grade: B

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

The Dead Girl (DVD)

The Dead Girl (2006) starring Toni Collette, James Franco, Giovanni Ribisi, Mary Beth Hurt, Mary Steenburgen, Brittany Murphy. A series of vignettes shows how the body of a girl is found in a field, how those who knew her are affected, and ultimately who did the crime. Absorbing and, taken as a whole, very sad. Grade: B

Friday, May 18, 2007

Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock? (DVD)

Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock? (2006). True story of trailer park resident Teri Horton , who buys a painting at a thrift store for $5 and becomes convinced that it is a genuine Jackson Pollock. But the painting is unsigned and lacks "provenance," meaning a paper trail that shows who has owned it and can be traced back to Pollock. After 15 years, no one has been able to prove whether it is real or fake, but Horton is convinced that it is real. By the end of the movie, she is offered $9 million for the painting, but refuses it, because she believes it is worth more the $50 million. Grade: B

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Army of Shadows (DVD)

Army of Shadows (1969) starring Lino Ventura, Simone Signoret, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel. Director Jean-Pierre Melville's experiences as a member of the French resistance during World War II inform this movie about a civil engineer who becomes one of the chiefs of the underground movement. Apparently, the Resistance is a controversial subject in France, but it will have little resonance for American audiences. The final half-hour of the film is rather interesting. In French, with English subtitles. Grade: B

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Pan's Labyrinth (DVD)

Pan's Labyrinth (2006) in Spanish with English subtitles. In 1944 in Spain, Franco's army sets up an outpost in the effort to suppress the rebellion of the left against the Fascists. Meanwhile, a young girl stumbles on a labyrinth guarded by Pan, an ancient faun who claims to know her destiny. A deeply moving motion picture. Directed by Guillermo del Toro. The commentary track by del Toro is illuminating, and the subtitles are bright and bold, easy to read. Grade: A

Sunday, May 13, 2007

The Pursuit of Happyness (DVD)

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) starring Will Smith and his real-life son, Jaden Smith. Struggling single parent goes from dead-end job to unpaid internship at a stock brokerage firm. It's all about Will Smith's charm, and what a struggle life is when you're pinched for money. I loved the happy ending, but couldn't help but wonder what happened to all the other homeless who weren't so blessed. Grade: B+

Monday, May 07, 2007

Little Children (DVD)

Little Children (2006) starring Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly, Patrick Wilson. Sarah (Winslet) and Brad (Wilson) meet at the playground, where they have taken their respective children. Even though he has a beautiful wife named Kathy (Connelly) at home, Brad is titillated by the idea of a fling with the rather more plain Sarah. Meanwhile, Sarah's husband Richard is entranced by Slutty Kay, an Internet porn star. And woven in and out of this narrative is the story of Ronnie McGorvey, the town pervert, who was once arrested for indecent exposure.

It's all about "grown ups" who don't know how to be parents to their kids. I found the voiceover to be a bit annoying, but Winslet looks lovely and does a passable American accent. Grade: B+

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Dreamgirls (DVD)

Dreamgirls (2006) starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson. Hudson, an "American Idol" reject, won an Oscar in this musical about three black women who seek fame and fortune as a singing trio. Unfortunately, the songs are mostly pretty uninspired, although the performers try to make of them all they can. In a movie which should be driven by that catchy Motown sound, the music just drags it down. Grade: C