Bella (2006)

A descent and artful film that has a great positive message.  Jose Alejandro Gomez Monteverde tells the story of a cook, who helps a recently fired waitress, come to terms with a difficult situation by sharing his painful past.   Grade: B

Spoiler Alert
While a solid film, I must admit it's obvious promotion of a "pro-choice" theme feels a little heavy handed.  I hate to say this is a fault because it's a good idea to promote but when an entire film hinges on the question, will she or won't she, that's not really enough drama for a movie for me.  It's also hard not to see the ending a mile away.    

The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner (1962)

For me this is Tom Courtenay's best performance.  Of course he's great in Billy Liar made a year later but the depth of character here ,as Smith, here really resonates.  Tony Richardson directs this sort-of British version of A Rebel without a Cause.  Told in flash backs, we learn the reason why Smith was sent away from home to do time at a Prison School for Teens.  The Head Master sees that he has a real talent as a long distance runner and starts to pressure him to win a big race against a visiting school.  Yet Smith is conflicted by his desire to live life by his rules and by those rules that might lead him to respectability.   A really enjoyable film.  Grade: B+.

Effi Briest (1974)

Rainer Werner Fassbinder continues to disappoint me.  After watching Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (made the same year this was made) I really believed I had stumbled upon the next great director whose work I could start to explore and yet I am now starting to think I was wrong.  This film, based on the novel of the same name, tells the story of a spoiled girl who is married to a Baron and how she must find her own strength.  Ultimately it's a really borning movie.  It's not all bad but it's so hard to keep awake to notice the good.  She has an affair and a child.  Tragic and too long to care.   Grade: C

Friendly Persuasion (1956)

Gary Cooper is a Quaker in this drama about a family of pacifists during the American Civil War.   Yet it's more than a film about the question "to fight or not to fight" it's about a family of individuals trying to find their way under a common belief system.  I especially enjoyed the way they showed a comparison of a Quaker church service to a Baptist service.   It was a wonderful way to get into the mindset of what make these character tick.  The film has many wonderful scenes and Gary Cooper is great in it.  Grade. A-

Damn Yankees (1958)

Everything about this film is delightful.  It's one of the best musicals out there.  Ray Walston plays  the perfect Devil in this Faust inspired story about an older man, Joe Boyd, who trades his soul to the Devil so, in a younger body, he can help the Washington Senators beat those same Yankees.  Stuffed with fantastic character actors its hard to believe Tab Hunter was able to shine as much as he does as the younger version of Joe.  The real star of the film is its choreographer Bob Fosse, whose musical numbers pop off the screen with clever sizzle.  Then there's his one-time wife, Gwen Verdon who plays the devil's Seductress, Lola.  At first I thought she wasn't sexy enough.  Then she danced and sang and I realized how wrong I was.   She's a bolt of talent that you can't take your eyes off of and I'd include her number (with Bob Fosse) Who's Got the Pain as one of the best musical numbers in film musical history. Grade: A-. 

Spoiler:  There's only one reason this film doesn't get a straight A and that's its ending which is kind of anti climatic and vague.  If you know the stage show, which I do because I saw it when I was in high school, you know why the Devil is powerless to take Joe's soul and that's because of how much love his wife has for him.  In the film it's kind of implied but I would have liked just a little bit more, something besides Applegate rolling around the floor in defeat. 

On The Beach (1959)

Based on Nevil Shute's novel, Stanley Kramer directs a film about the end of the world.  Gregory Peck is Submarine Captain Dwight Towers, who discovers that Australia is the only country that's survived a devastating Nuclear world war.  An all-star cast, Kramer's speciality, including Fred Astair (in his first none musical role), Ava Gardner and a young Anthony Perkins scramble to deal with being left behind, even as it becomes clear that a radiation cloud is on its way.   It's a little long but I was delighted that such a film was even made back in the '50s.  I guess with the Cold War kicking into gear, such nightmare scenarios were all the rage.  Very romantic and broad, it's a great Hollywood treatment of an otherwise bleak topic.   Grade: B+.

Calle 54 (2000)

A great introduction to the Lain jazz scene.  At first I didn't know I'd like the music but soon I was in love with it.  I'm looking into buying a Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band album now.  The film is jammed full of great performances from the originators of the style.  Not much of a story or actual information, Fernando Trueba just lets the music carry the viewer away.  It's not much of a documentary as it is a concert film.  But remember, if you check out the DVD, to watch the B side that acts much more like a true documentary.   As a whole it's a fantastic exploration.  Grade: A-. 

Mystic Pizza (1988)

Julia Roberts, Annabeth Gish and Lili Talyor star as three friends who all work at a pizza joint in Mystic, Connecticut.  Each are involved in a love story that goes in different directions.  Charming and funny, I can see why this has become a cult classic.  If you like movies of the eighties I recommend it unless you hate chick flicks, which this is.  Grade: B+

Top Ten Prison Escape Movies

Within a week I've watched a show about breaking out of prison and a movie about a guy breaking his wife out of prison (and I'm not talking about the prison break movie either).  So in honor of this sub-sub-genre here are the ten best according to me.

10. I was a Fugitive on a Chain Gang
More about not getting caught after escaping, this is an impressive film even in today's standards.  The ending is one of the greatest ending I've ever seen.  (Darn I hate doing that, blowing something up but it really left me breathless.

9.  Escape from Alcatraz  (1979)
Clint Eastwood stars in a Don Segal film based on true events.  Three men plan the perfect escape.  Will it go as planned or will something go wrong? 

8. Papillon  (1973)
Another true story about Henri Charrière, a man sent to Devil's Island and along with a friend try to escape.  Steve McQueen is great in this film but it's Dustin Hoffman who shines.

7. Stalag 17 (1953)
Billy Wilder directs William Holden in a film about American G.I.s doing their duty of escaping out of a German Prisoners of War Camp.  Excellent fun.

6. Chicken Run (2000)
The guys who brought us Wallace and Gromit take us on a Great Escape Spoof with chickens. 

5. A Man Escaped (1956)
What's with these true stories?  This one directed by Robert Besson is based on André Devigny's memoir. 

4.  Rescue Dawn (2007)
Okay, second to last true story: this one about Dieter Dengler and his times in a Vietnam prisoners of war camp.  Christain Bale is in top form as is Steven Zahn.  What do you expect from the director Werner Herzog, especially when he knew the real Dieter and made a documentary about the guy.  

3. The Great Escape (1963)
With an all-star cast John Sturges takes the audience on a inspiring and gut-wrenching account of prisoners of war trying to escape the Nazis.  While similar in plot ot Stalag 17, this one is more epic telling what is a true story.

2.  Grand Illusion (1937)
What's with all these prisoners of war?  This one deal with WWI Frenchmen and it really is a masterpiece.  It's one of the greatest film ever made and still rings true with its themes.

1. Shawshank Redemption  (1994)
The best is this adapation of Stephen King's novella.  Frank Darabout directs what is in my eyes a perfect film.  Tim Robbins stars as Andy Dufresne who is wrongfully sent to prison where he befriends Red played by Morgan Freeman.  What's great about this story is that you forget that Andy is even trying to escape.  The years fall by until you become as used to the characters as if you too were doing time with them.   Remarkable.

Honorable Mention
Toy Story 3  (2010)
Inspired by many on this list, Pixar gives us all the goods with Woody and gang escaping a daycare center run by a dictator Bear.  It's funny, it's emotional, and it's a perfect end to a great trilogoy.
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Paul Newman acts in one of his best performances.  The egg scene is one of the great classic moments in American film.

The Next Three Days (2010)

Russell Crow stars as the husband of a woman (played by Elizabeth Banks) wrongfully accused of killing her boss.  After losing all her appeals he decides the only thing left is to break her out of prison.  But how does a school teacher do this?   Lots of research and fumbling around making mistakes after mistakes.  Paul Haggis writes and directs this prison escape film and I have to say it's a strong balance of drama and thriller.  I wouldn't say it's predictable but there are a lot of obvious clues that telegraph what's going to happen.  In the end I was very entertained and recommend it for anyone in the mood for a believable one-man Mission-Impossible-type movie.  Grade: A-.

Date Night (2010)

Tina Fey and Steve Carell play a married couple who try to break from their usual routine by going into the city for a romantic night away from the kids.   Yet when they decide to claim the reservation of another couple their life is turned up side down.   A relate able concept with a lot of laughs, I was surprised by all the average reviews.   I really enjoyed this comedy and I am confused why anyone wouldn't find it funny.  In my view Tina Fey and Steve Carell have great comic chemistry and I'd love them to star in a series of buddy comedies.   They are a good team.  I also loved the many cameos.   Grade: B+. 

Prison Break (Seasons 1-4)

I just finished the last season of this crazy television show centered on breaking out of prisons and destroying the evil empire of a secret group known as the Company when I realized that I should review the whole show instead of only the fourth season.  To sum up this show I'd use the expression, addictive preposterousness.

Season 1:  Here Michael Scofield purposely gets sent to the same prison his older brother, Lincoln Burrows, was sentenced.  Lincoln sits on death row for a crime he did not commit which is why Michael is there, to break him out.  How is he going to do this?  The entire plan is on a patchwork of tattoos covering his body.  What a great set up and it really is a blast to watch.  The first season is probably the best with every episode ending in a cliffhanger that spring boards into another great concept.   Lots of great kooky characters and twists and turns to make for really fun TV.  Grade: A-

Spoiler Alerts Follow

Season 2:  On the run, Michael and Lincoln along with some tag-a-longs (including T-bag, Sucre, C-Note and Tweener) maneuver their way to Westmoreland's Ranch to find D.B. Cooper's money.  Chasing them is Alexander Mahone, US Marshall, who might be as smart as Michael.   Sarah gets sucked into the plot too as she tries to meet up with Michael.  Lincoln must rescue his son as well as his father.  The craziness ensues all the way to Panama where the Company orchestrates it so Michael is put in a Panama Prison for the purpose of breaking someone else out.  By the way, T-bag, Bellick and Mahone make it inside too.  Michael's got to have some friends with him, right?   For many people I've talked to this is where the show went downhill but it's not a train wreck as some have said.  While Bellick's story line is crunched for timing issues, it's still fun to watch.  T-Bag is even more evil than ever but sometimes in an unforgivable way.   What makes this season kick is the cat-and-mouse game between Michael and Mahone and the suspense of Michael meeting up with Sarah.   The ending is way too contrived but you need to set up for the third season so I can accept it.   Grade: B+

Scene 3:  Now in a Panama Prison with Lincoln on the outside, Michael must find a man named James Whistler to break out or a bad-ass black-haired chick named Gretchen is going to kill both Sarah and Lincoln's son.   Meanwhile the Prison is run by another prisoner named Sammy who T-Bag angles to be friends with.   While not as good as the previous seasons it still stands out as a fun ride.   Jodi Lyn O'Keefe as Gretchen is hard to get use to, but she ends up being a great character.  I liked the change of scenery and thought it was a great idea to experience prison from outside the US.   Grade: B+

Season 4:  The producers knew they had to get to the end so they sort of fast forward the audience into a situation where Michael, Lincoln, Mahone, Sarah, Sucre, and Bellick must help a homeland security agent named Donald Self steal a mysterious computer hard drive from the evil Company.   The first show is really all set up but when this seasons starts to get good it does with a really cool heist plot that turns ugly.   Can they beat the Company?   Will T-Bag finally get his revenge on Michael?   Will Sarah and Michal find happiness together?   Will Bellick become a member of the gang?  It's really fun to find out.  I especially must applaud Michal Rapaport's performance as Donald Self.  In the end what you have is a satisfying ending to a ridiculous romp.  Grade: A-

The Final Break:   A 90 minute extra movie that takes place after Seaon 4.  This time it's Sarah that goes to Prison and Michael must break her out.  It's a great way to film in the gap left after the fourth season.   While I could have easily watched another hour or two of this story line it really ends as it should.  Grade: B+
    

Heavy Traffic (1973)

When are we, as Americans, going to realize that animation isn't just for kids?  I love animated films and while films like this one exist I crave for more adult-themed toons, especially ones that have the level of quality that go into the ones made for the family crowd.   Here Ralph Bakshi attempts just that and the results are mixed.  I can appreciate what he's trying to do.  The dark humor is funny and make for the best part of the film.  The grotesque nudity and in your face sex is great.  But a low budget and dated non-animated sequences show how rushed and incompetent the screenplay is.  What's the story exactly?   The attempted murder of a husband, the death of a homeless person, and the introduction of a transvestite for no reason but comedy is just desperate randomness, not storytelling.   Grade: B-.   

La Ragazza con la valigia [Girl with a Suitcase] (1961)

An Italian film by Valerio Zurlini, that follows the love story between a young lounge singer and the sixteen year old younger brother of her former boyfriend.   Claudia Cardinale plays the girl and she's beautiful.  The camera absorbs her every curve.   It's a refreshing film that has that French New Wave nostalgic vibe.  Great use of music too, demonstrating how effective the right song can energize a scene.  If you enjoy coming-of-age stories with an unconventional love story this is a good one to check out.  Grade: B+.

The Duchess (2008)

I enjoy period dramas a lot because they're as bizarre as anything one could find in a science fiction or fantasy film.   The morals, the costumes and the social concerns make for great entertainment.  The real Georgiana Cavendish probably deserves a better treatment of her life, one that's less tragic and more closely aligned with her eccentricities but the director, Samuel Dibb ,does a descent job.  Keira Knightley is very good and likable in the main role.  She wasn't born to play the role but she makes it work.  The real shining star of the movie is Ralph Fiennes as her husband, William Cavendish.  To play such a horrible person and yet make you vulnerable is a real feat.  What a great performance!  Grade: A- .

Before the Rain (1994)

A premonition and meditation on how hatred and violence circles around and affects everyone, this film by Mančevski's is a real work of art.  Told in three parts, the story takes place in Macedonia.   The first story deals with a young monk who hasn't spoken in two years, the second story deals with a newspaper editor in love with a famous photographer and the third act focuses on said photographer returning home.  How they all relate is surreal, not in an over the top dream-like way but as a subtle thematic symbol.  The clue is the expression, "The circle is not round."  Grade: A-.

Del Toro Denied (Commentary)

It has come to my attention that Universal has rejected Guillermo del Toro's proposal to adapt for the silver screen H.P. Lovecraft's At The Mountains of Madness.  I am greatly disappointed.  When he left the production of the Hobbit, I was saddened but accepted that with Peter Jackson at least the project was in good hands (if not the best ones).  "At least," I thought, "he'll now be able to devote his attention to his true masterpiece."   Alas, even with James Cameron as producer and Tom Cruise signing on to star, Universal shot him down.   True it was going to be a rated R horror film that was going to coast 150 million dollars, but come on, this is a genius here.  Del Toro says he isn't giving up, but the longer we have to wait the less likely he'll make it.   What a shame.  If this isn't ever made, or it's made by some less capable director, it will go down as another example how Hollywood screwed up.  Trust me, if Del Toro makes this film, they will come, even if it is rated R. 

Departures (2008)

Winner of the Oscar for best foreign language film, this Japanese story of a Cellist discovering that his true calling is working as a NK agent, or a person who conducts the ceremony of preparing a dead body for burial, is remarkable.  Somehow it's sentimental without feeling forced.  The characters are simple yet believable.   I could have done without the montage of the main character playing his cello in the countryside, but this is a mild criticism.   Overall this is an emotional journey.  Tears dribbled down my cheeks even as I predicted what would happen.   My favorite elements to the film were the use of food as metaphor and the main love story.  Here death is a beautiful event, worthy of great emotion and that is why it should be celebrated and honored.   Grade: A.

Inside Job (2010)

Where to even begin?  After watching this engaging, enraging film all I can think is that this country isn't really about We the People anymore.  Today the constitution should just read We the Banks of America.   Decades of deregulations and this country, and the world it influences, is toast.  I want to be optimistic but how can you when there's nothing to do.  You can't elect anyone into office to change anything, because all the politicans on both sides are put into the running by those who have the money, the very people who are ruining this country.  When the rest of the world tries to learn from what happend in 2008 by forming better regulation laws, the Obama adminstration pretends like everything is fine now.  Don't we ever learn?  The real question is why don't we punish people for screwing up, fine the billionaires for committing to shady practices?   Every CEO of any of the firms that sold lousy stocks and then bet against those same stocks should be in prison.   Imagine if I sold a car with defective brakes to some one and then turned around and made a series of bets with another guy that said car would break down any minutes?  Isn't that a scam?  That's what happened here.  Grade: A.

Angel (Season 3)

The third season of Buffy's spin-off sees Angel as more a man than a vampire and the other members of his detective agency less one-dimensional.   I felt there was some misopportunities for some better stories but overall loved what the writres came up with . 

Spoilers will start here: I miss Elizabeth Rohm's character Kate Lockley and am hoping she pops up in season 4.  Probably not, but she was a strong character that gave Angel another obstacle.   I loved what they did with Darla and think it was genius for Angel to become a father.  What I would have loved to have seen is Angel turn in to Angelus when he saw his son for the first time.   Why is it that only having sex makes him turn into the evil guy?   That would have left one episode or two where Weslie, Cordelia and Charles have to battle Angelus.  I saw what was going to happen with his son episodes earlier and would have loved to have had a few more episodes of Vampire and the baby.   The big topic of discussion is the love story between Angel and Cordelia.  It almost works.  Unlike Season 6 of Buffy where the love story between Buffy and Spike actually boils over, this one never really takes off.  I'd have loved an episode where Buffy showed up and realized Cordelia had fallen for her ex.  Lorn really needs to see Buffy's aura too; I think he'd have some clear insight on Angel and Buffy's connection.   My biggest problem with this season of Angel himself.   A constant performance but his inner struggle as a man paying for his sins is completely void.   Grade: B+.   

Pygmalion (1938)

Before My Fair Lady there was the play written by George Bernard Shaw and the first Eliza Doolittle on screen was Wendy Hiller.  Starring and co-directed by Leslie Howard, this adaptation is a real gem.  In many ways its better than the musical.  Howard's Professor Higgins is more cruel and obsessive than Rex Harrison's Higgins and Hiller's portrayal of Eliza shows a better range of complexities.  The film really hasn't aged too badly.  Fast paced and funny, it echoes themes that modern society can relate to.   If you like Shaw or just want to see the source material for the Oscar winning musical I'd give this one a try.  Grade: A-. 

Year of the Dragon (1985)

Michael Cimino directs an adaption of Robert Daley's novel about a police captain's crusade to take down a Chinese crime syndicate known as a Triad.  Nominated for Razzie awards, the film didn't help revitalize Cimino's carreer. Oliver Stone co-wrote the screenplay but there are only hints of his personality in the dialogue.  Parts of the film work, I especially love the scenes with Caroline Kava who plays Mickeye Rourke's wife.  Mickey Rourke is mostly good but ultimately he was miss cast.  John Lone does a decent job as the villian, but none of his scenes are new.  Ariane, the super model turned actress, is horrible; she plays a journalist who falls in love with Rourke.  Cimino must have cast her because she was the only Asian actress he could find that was willing to get naked for the camera.  Yet the minute she opens her mouth it's clear she has no business being there.  This is a bad film with moments of quailty scattered through out.  Full of steroetypes and overacting, this is one to miss.  Grade: C.

Indochine (1992)

A sweeping epic that takes place when the French occupied Indo-China; the ever beautiful Catherine Deneuve plays the owner of a rubber plantation who adopts a young Chinese girl when her parents die.   All is well until both fall in love with a young sailor played with intensity by Vincent Perez.  Grand, classical film making that has a timeless production design.  Grade: A.

Big Machine (Novel) by Victor LaValle

Ricky Rice is a barely recovering junkie who travels to a mysterious, cabin community of other lost souls to research for the voice of God.  So begins an ambitious novel about faith, cults and monsters.   I appreciated LaValle's talent as a writer but I don't know if I bonded to his sense of storytelling.  While he has great insight and wit, I yearned for a clearer plot.  In keeping with a style that's surreal and mysterious he changes point of view a lot.   Then at the end rushes what is a very exciting end with a distracting subplot that's entertaining but inserted in the wrong part of the book.  Ultimately it is a good book with many passages of excellent wordsmithing dragged down by a chaotic second half.  I'll check out another book of LaSalle's someday but I'm hoping for a tighter woven tale next time.  Grade: B.      

Friday the 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

Awhile ago I was with some fellow horror movie fans and I had to admit I had never seen any of the Jason movies.  I decided that I would watch the entire franchise from the original all the way in order to the last entry which is the remake.  I wish had never started and only morbid curiosity keeps me going.  This must be the worst franchise to every curse an audience with its horrific badness.   I can't really decide which is the worse of the batch but this eightieth film is certainly in the running.   Jason comes back to life, again, to murder and stomp and magically transport himself from one location to another like the wizard monster he is.  The heroine in this one is a girl with the most unsupportive uncle on the planet who must overcome her fear of drowning.  Yawn.  Oh, and there's a dog too.  What struck me really funny was how it's called Jason Takes Manhattan when he's only in the city for about 20 minutes.   They should have just called it Jason on a boat.  What annoys me the most while watching these films is that they're not only not scary but they lack any real suspense.   A good slasher film should at least make you uneasy.  But because none of the characters in these films are likable you just can't wait to see them die.  Which is part of what makes most horror fans like these movies. I guess; as a running joke:  here the girls get naked, here just when they're about to have sex they are killed, here instead of running away they cower, on and on until the hero finally kills Jason, only for him to rise again in the next film.  The only possible way a slasher film can save itself from a repetitive narrative is to at least have some clever, humorous death scenes of which this film has none.   The producers couldn't even get that right.   Yet if they wished to succeed at making the worst ending ever, they did accomplish that.  It's so out there you almost have to see it to believe it.  Never mind, just believe me and stay away from these movies.  Grade: C-

Why not the dreaded F?  Simple:  the Uncle character had me laughing quite a lot.  Especially when his niece is driving away from Jason and he tells her to slow down and criticizes her driving.  I certainly hope these jokes were intended.

Top Ten Disney Animated Films

As mentioned in my previous blog, Empire Online created a guide to Disney's 50 animated films.  They are excluding titles such as The Wild and and the Brave Little Toaster because they only produced them.  Below are the top 10 I believe are the best. 

10. Lilo & Snitch         
     One of the more inventive films in Disney's Canon, there is a lot to cherish about this film.  It's funny.  The main characters are Hawaiian.  It has aliens in it.  Mostly though it has heart too and that's why I have included it.
9.  The Lady and the Tramp
     The Iconic scene when they eat spaghatti and meatballs alone is why this deserves to be on the list.  Sure, the Siamese Cats are awful Asian stereotypes but the rest of this magical film negates this flaw.
8.  The Lion King
    Hamlet with African animals, how can you not love it.  Elton John music and Hans Zimmer's score is impressive as are Tim Rice's lyrics.   
7.  Hercules
    Underrated and easily one of the most funny of Disney's films, it turns the Greek hero into a satire of sports celebrity.  Brilliant.
6.   Rescuers Down Under
    The opening scenes are eye-popping and its a welcome to see the Rescuers back.  How I wish they would have made a third film to make it a trilogy.  At least they made this one that is in many ways superior to the first.
5.   Sleeping Beauty
    What I love about this simple but addictive film is both the Medeval style of its design and the use of Tchaikovsky's score.  Then there's the classic feel of the movie that is so timeless.
4.   Beauty and the Beast
    This film actually made me tear up.  The musical numbers are perfect.  The Beast alone might be the greatest character design in Animation history.  What a fantastic love story.
3.   The Sword in the Stone
    This adaption of T.B White's book is a wonder to behold.  I love how the entire film is a prequel to the Arthurian legend.  It's funny because I never knew anything about King Arthur when I saw this as a kid.  The fact that you don't need to know the story is only proof at how good this film really is.
2.   The Little Mermaid
    The film to jump-start Disney into its second Reniassance.   Perfect musical numbers, great voice talent and the Universal story of the hopeless romantic wanting to explore the unknown.   Beautiful.
1.   Pinocchico
    A masterpiece.  How they animated some of this surreal and wonderful fantasy film is incredible.   There is nothing bad about this film.  It's just a great film. 

Three Honorable Mentions
Tangled - Too new to really know, I could see someday moving this up into the top ten.
Treasure Planet - This one is a guilty pleasure of mine.  Why is this so underrated?
Alice in Wonderland - This weird little adaptation is a masterpiece and it is killing me not to include it.

Brother Bear (2003)

Empire released a retrospective of Disney's 50 animated films (empireonline) and while I knew I hadn't seen all of them I was surprised I missed this one when it came out.   Now that I've seen it I have to admit to finding it a bit sentimental and lacking the magic of some of their classics, but it's still a well-crafted hand-drawn work of art and I was overall pleased by the story.   Kenai is the youngest of three brothers who must learn the value of love when his eldest brother dies.  Mostly a simple story it has lots of heart.  It's biggest flaw is how it seems to try too hard to be something it's not, and that's The Lion King.  Phil Collins music is hit or miss and when it misses the mark I couldn't help but wish they had just cut the song out completely.  On My Way and Welcome are the stand outs while the rest actually distract from the film.  I would rather have heard more banter from the characters than Tina Turner singing, and I'm a huge fan of Miss Turner but her voice isn't the right match for this story.  I watched the DVD's extras and heard the musical directors talk about how they didn't want to use too much Native American music because of its lack of range.  To me that's a sign of a collective narrow mind.   In the end I wish they would have given the story more depth.   It's a dated animated film but still worth seeing if you love animation.  Grade: B.

Spoiler:  This isn't really a spoiler but it could be.   Why on Earth did they give the film two different aspect ratios?   It starts off in piller box and a third way through widens to Letterbox.  Okay, I understand the effect they are trying for but it's not necessary.   If it distracts from the story it's not important.

Red Road (2006)

This drama, sold as a thriller, won the Jury Prize at Cannes for its director Andrea Arnold.   There's nothing wrong with this film, it's well-executed on all fronts.  Kate Dickie and Tony Curran are excellent, giving raw performances that would make most Oscar winners red with envy.  I wouldn't say the story is as fascinating as it could have been.  In someways I felt like the concept of a security camera operator in London spying on people more interesting and worthy of a better plot.  It could have been a modern day Rear Window but instead it's really just a drama about forgiveness.  That's okay, Arnold obviously was more interested in keeping the film real instead of wandering into the realm of fantasy.  Grade: B+.

Top Ten Monster Movies

To bounce off from the theme of yesterday's blog let's have a count down.  To clarify, I'm not counting movies about vampires or werewolves.  Frankenstein is a monster but not the kind this list refers to.  Here I'm talking about big monsters that terrify an entire town or city.  I am not counting animals either.  Jaws is a monster movie in a way but sharks are real.  This list celebrates the imaginary creatures. 

10. King Kong (2005)
9. Feast
8. Reign of Fire
7. Cloverfield
6. Tremors
5. The Mist
4. The Host
3. Aliens
2. Gojira (the original Godzilla)
1. King Kong

Monsters (2010)

Science fiction is a live and well.  Sure at times this film reminded me of District 9 but that's not a bad thing, is it?  In honesty I'm beaming that big movies like this can be done with a small budget (reportedly done under a million dollars if you can believe it).  At times the film crawls along at a slow pace but the tension is real and builds to a satisfying ending.  This film isn't so much about monsters or borders or even governments, it's about two people connecting, and trying to find their way home (which isn't a destination.)   With a few more millions in director Gareth Edwards pockets he might have been able to show more of the aliens and maybe have had a real amazing battle but that wouldn't necessary make for a better movie.   As Jaws proves sometimes leaving it up to audience's imagination is the way to go.  I'll be keeping a look out for Mr. Edwards next film.  Grade: A-.

Spoilers:  About the ending, while it leaves a lot up in the air, more questions than answers, I loved it.  It was hauntingly beautiful to watch to two aliens connect followed by two humans connecting too.  IT was a page right out of Spielberg's handbook:  you want wonder, show people looking at something in wonder and the audience will believe.    

Top Ten Best X-Files Episodes

In honor of my completion of the X-Files, all nine seasons revisited, I've decided it would be fun to make a list of my favorite episodes.   

10. Roadrunners; Season 8
9. Drive; Season 6
8. Momento Mori; Season 4
7. Our Town; Season 2
6. Small Potatos; Season 4
5. Darkness Falls; Season 1
4. This is Not Happening; Season 8
3. Leonard Betts; Season 4
2. Pusher; Season 3
1. Milagro; Season 6

X-Files (Season 2)

My journey to re-watch all of the X-Files is done.  I started about two years ago from Season 3 and finished at the beginning of this month with the end of Season 2.  Why start at the third season?  At the time I was checking the DVDs out at the library and they didn't have the first two season available.   I must someday devote a blog reviewing the entire series but for this entry I will focus on second season.  

If the first season was a great set up the next season launches the show into the TV canon as one of the greats.  Mulder and Scully's chemistry really sparks in this season and you can see that the writers understand their relationship and their deeper complexities.  There really is only one weak episode and that's Fearful Symmetry, a story about alien abductions of zoo animals.  Reason: fake gorilla.  Yet all the episodes are great.  The three best (and there's more than three) are Blood (brain washing machines), Our Town (a town with a grisly secret) and Ascension (the episode that forever impacted the character of Scully).   The show's mythology really hit its stride, starting with Duane Barry and giving us a really strong season finale.  In hindsight you can tell that the writers don't really know where they're going but it's still fun.  Does it hold up?  Absolutely.   This is the show that's DNA spawned such shows as Lost and Fringe.  I still miss The X-files and now that I have finished re-watching it I wonder how long it will take before I decide to start the journey again.   Chris Carter, if you're out there, please make another movie, I know the last one didn't make any money but I need my Scully and Mulder fix.  Grade: A.