Anna and the King of Siam (1946)

It would be easy to dismiss this movie as the whitewashed version of the semi-true story of Anna Leonowen's life as an English teacher for the King of Siam’s 60 plus children but it’s actually a beautifully crafted classic with excellent performances by everyone involved. Sure it would have been nice (and moral) if they would have hired an actual Asian actor to play the king instead of using English actor Rex Harrison but that was a different era back then (this is a big rationalization but it’s a truth that shouldn’t be excused but should be understood). The shining star of this production is Irene Dunne who is radiant as Anna, taking the audience on a deeply rewarding journey.  I'm kind of shocked she wasn't nominated for an Oscar that year.   I like her portrayal of Anne more than any others I've seen.  It is something of a testament to Miss Leonowen that so many adaptions have been inspired by her writings from novels, films and a musical.  Grade: A-

The Secret Life of Words (2005)

This beautiful and quiet film explores the love story between a woman with great inner pain nursing a man with great outer pain. The always subtle and inspiring Sarah Polley plays Hannah who volunteers to take care of a burn victim at a closed down oil rig to escape a forced vacation. Tim Robbins, as the patient, gives a tender performance that’s a pleasure to watch (my biggest criticism is that he’s hard to hear sometimes). This artfully written and directed film by Isabel Coixet feels like a poem at times. But the story is actually quite dramatic and clearly defined. The more I ponder this film the more it grows on me.  Grade: A-

General Della Rovere (1959)

Mr. Bardone, played perfectly by Vittorio De Sica, is a man used to manipulating people. He lies and cons his way into a gambling problem that sees him desperately trying to collect money to perpetuate a lie that he is helping the families of those Italian soldiers captured by the Nazis. When he is found out, S.S. Colonel Mueller decides to use this selfish con man to his advantage. Bardone simply needs to pretend to be General Della Rovere and in prison help Mueller identify the leader of the resistance. This is one of the best Roberto Rossellini films I’ve seen. It’s a complex character study of a man trying to find the courage to be a better man than he has ever been. It gives us a Nazi Colonel that’s not some cartoon stereotype, but a believable human being. Bardone is a flawed man but he’s also a likeable one and that’s a testament to De Sica and a brilliant script. I found Bardone’s journey inspiring and the kind of story perfect to recommend. Grade: A

Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 3)

The first two seasons of Gene Roddenberry's updated Star Trek series were great entertainment but this was when the show became ground-breaking. The quality of writing jumps up a level, starting with Ronald D. Moore's episode The Bonding and continues all the way to the best cliffhanger in Star Trek history (okay, that might not be correct but it’s the best I've seen so far in my revisit of this show). You can tell that the actors are more comfortable with their characters and they must have loved their writers for refusing to make them caricatures. Most welcome is the return of Dr. Beverly Crusher, a character that was missed from last season. A mistake repaired it seems from fan complains. PulaskiYar (which was awesome) and gives us a completely believable alternate reality. "The Offspring" is one of the best Data centered episodes, when he surprises the crew by building another android, a daughter. Sins of the Father expands on Warf and the Klingon empire, helping develop an alien race into more than barbaric warriors. Then their is "Sarak", the brilliant episode which should have helped Patrick Stewart when and Emmy. Really all the episodes are fantastic. If I had to single out any low points they would be "Captain's Holiday" (where Picard becomes Indiana Jones) and "The Price" (where Diana Troy falls in love with another mind reader). Overall this is a masterful collection of episodes and proof that Star Trek was more than just a fun show or science fictin geeks. Grade: A

13 Assassins (2011)

If you like violent Japanese Samurai stories then this is just the film for you. It’s a mix up of the Seven Samurai with a Dirty Dozen plot. I can imagine Quentin Taratino did back flips over this one. A group of warriors join up to take down an evil war-loving ruler. The last forty minutes are raw classic swordplay with blood and death. There is some character development squeezed in there but I felt it could have used more; some of the characters needed a bit more back story. Still Takashi Miike directs an entertaining film with good drama and tension. And I have to add that I appreciate that there’s no slow motion.  Michael Bay, you could learn a lot form this film.   Grade: B+

The Bank Dick (1940)

I prefer W.C. Fields’ film The Gift more but there are some clever gags in this farce about a bumbling loser father who ends up becoming the head of security for a bank after “accidently” catching a bank robber. The best part of the film is Mr. Sousé family; they’re despicable and hilarious. I almost wished they could have been the center of the film instead of the bank plot line. Grade: B+

Salaam Bombay! (1988)

The despair of India’s slums makes for a dramatic setting but it’s so hard to watch. And to make this story even more discouraging is that its hero is a young boy just trying to make enough money to go back to his home village. Mira Nair directs a drama that remains truthful without letting the poverty of the city take over the story’s main narrative drive. Yet the poverty looms like a dangerous force. At times I had to remind myself that this was fiction. The kids are real and the film making isn’t showy to the point you are constantly reminded you’re watching a movie. I love this kind of film making. Grade: A-

Manon of the Spring (1987)

For the second part of Marcel Pagnol's set of novels, director Claude Berri rises to new heights with a film adaption that transcends the first film.  This is a glorious work of story telling that is as close to perfection as a film can be.  Yves Montand is a sensation as César Soubeyran, a man who would do anything to help his nephew carry on his name.  Then there's Emmanuelle Béart, who plays the older Manon, who takes care of goats and soon learns of the deceit surrounding the spring her father never found.  She might be one of the most beautiful women to grace the silver screen.   While it's abhorrent that Daniel Auteuil's Ugolin would want to marry her, you can't really blame him for falling in love with her.  I hate to over praise any film but this one really is fantastic in so many ways, beautifully tragic and expertly crafted.  Grade: A

The Last Laugh (1924)

If you don’t like silent films of course this one isn’t for you. But if you do enjoy them and especially appreciate the historical influence they represent then you are in for a treat. This is F. W. Murnau's masterpiece about an old man getting bumped from the job he loves because of old age. Emil Jannings' acting is strong, if at time melodramatic which was the style back then, but it’s very effective at transferring the emotional depth of a man’s decline. This film is also interesting because in a way it has an alternate ending that expands the meaning of the film in a way that surprised and moved me. The technical zooms and close-ups are a hint at cinematic improvements to come. Grade: A

The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)

After the brilliant Five Easy Pieces director and writer Bob Rafelson made this and I assumed it was going to be another fine film.  Especially with Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern and Ellen Burstyn cast.  What a huge disappointment.   Instead of a dramatic story about brothers mixed up in a business scam, we have four clueless individuals bumbling along a falling apart Atlantic City.  It's probably the most boring film I've ever seen with a con man and a crazy woman in it.   Grade: C

Fringe (Season 2)

J.J. Abrams X-Files wanna-be science fiction show remains consistent in its sophomore season and makes for inventive, fun and dramatic television. Olivia and Peter's relationship expands and gains ground with the sexual chemistry missing from the first season.  But it's the conflicted and tortured soul of  Walter Bishop who carries the weight of the story. Questions are answered and many possibilities await in the third season. Grade: A

Anyone out there who wants to try and convince me this isn't an X-Files clone dealing with parallell worlds instead of Aliens needs to remember the Shapeshifters from the X-Files.  Sure their blood was black instead of silver but it's practically the same.  I cried foul as soon as I saw it.  I don't mind that they're pretty much using some of the same devices from the '90s science fiction classic, but it is sort of obvious. 

High Art (1998)

Radha Mitchell plays Sydney, the assistant to a magazine editor who falls in love with the famous photographer next door. Sydney has a boyfriend and the photographer played by Ally Sheedy has a girl friend. Yet the real obstacle to this love story isn’t infidelity it’s drugs. This isn’t about lesbians but about two women on the verge of discovery. Mitchell's Syd is on her way to finding her strength and Sheedy's Lucy is about to find peace and redemption. This film is certainly an indie picture and it doesn’t try to make any grand statements.  In some ways the film works yet I had a problem with the druggies in the film. They seemed too hip and I feel director Lisa Cholodenko could have been more honest about how destructive drugs can be. I had a hard time understanding what Lucy saw in them in the first place. The family atmosphere hinted at needed to be more developed. Overall a good anti-love story where love doesn't always conquer all.  Grade: B+

Lover Come Back (1961)

Rock Hudson and Doris Day make a cute couple in this sex comedy about competing advertising execs. He plays Jerry Webster, a playboy who uses schmoozing to succeed while she plays Carol Templeton, the goody-too-shoes with a strong honest work ethic.  Being from the ‘60s this battle of the sexes is pretty sexist with Rock being as despicable a man as one can expect. Unlike Pillow Talk, which is a much better film, it's not at all believable that he is falling for her like she's falling for him.  He will lie to her and even have sex with her to give the scientist he hired to come up with the product he accidentally made-up before he can be labeled the fraud he is.  The turn-a-round almost doesn’t work, but this is a Doris Day and Rock Hudson film and their screen chemistry sizzles. Tony Randall of course steals the show as Jerry Webster's boss.  I almost wish the film could have centered about him.  Grade: B 

Fellini Satyricon (1970)

Fellini’s adaption of Petronius' tale is like a theatrical leap into barbarianism. Like the genius he was, he created a window into a fantasy (based on Roman history) where people are insane and only living for pleasure. What’s unique about this film is the story isn’t straight-forward, it’s an episodic bounce from one event to the next, almost like a dream (or nightmare). Encolpio is our hero and yet there’s nothing heroic about him, he and his companion, Ascilto, survive purely by accident as they travel through the pre-Christian world without purpose. This usually would be the death of a film but the stylized glimpse into such a strange and brutal debauchery is hard to find boring. A film like this has never been made and I hope gets made again. How I’d love to see someone like Christopher Nolan or Peter Jackson take us to such a dark and vile place. Yet maybe this is Fellini’s commentary about the world we live in, maybe we’re not as civilized as we think we are. Grade: B+

Waiting for Superman (2010)

Davis Guggenheim's documentary about our failing American Educaton system barely scratches the surface of a very complex issue and ends up being a narrow-minded film.  To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.  He addresses many truths about what's wrong with our schools and tackles the usual scapegoats when looking for someone to blame but misses the mark on a few crucial aspects.   Yes, tenure is a problem but he ignores the fact that there are a lot of bad teachers who aren't tenure.  From his documentary it appears that teachers are tenure as soon as they walk through the door.  This gives him the opportunity to bash the unions.  But with the school systems I'm familiar with, that's not how tenure works.  Another glaring hole is how one judges a good teacher and a bad teacher.  Test results.   I don't mind if it's involved with their evaluation but I don't believe teachers should be fired just because their kids did poorly on some test.  Tests should be a guideline only.  I know an excellent teacher who had the misfortune of being assigned the worse behaved kids on the planet, kids being raised by bad parents, kids who have zero respect for authority. Surprise, their test results weren't that great.  Put her in a class with well-behaved children and I guarantee they'd do better.  Teachers are just as unique as the children they're teaching and a good principle makes sure they matchup.   Oh, but Mr. Guggenheim never even addresses the possiblity of a bad principle.  There are a lot of bad ones out there but he only interviews the good guys.  Another chapter that I would have liked to have seen is on the tests that these schools use.  Who writes these tests and are the kids in Finland taking the same test as the kids in America?   He mentions crime and social problems but that's it.   What about the teachers who get abused but are not allowed to get said student suspended?  Oh, but we shouldn't protect our teachers, its a privilage to teach (or so Guggenheim implies).  The teacher unions are certainly corrupt and need to be fixed but they're not the problem.  Why are all the parents shown in the movie good parents?   What about all the bad parents out there?  There are so many issues mentioned and instead we have these sentmental stories about a group of kids who are forced into a lottery situation in order to get a better education.  Not that this would go away if we had a voucher system, if anything such a system would only make lotteries even more used.  Where the docuentary excells at communicating is on letting the teachers teach.  Get the bureautacs out of the way and let the teachers adapte to their studients.   The department of educaton is a necessary cabinet but it should only regulate rules like separation of church and state and making sure the basics are bieng covered.  To be fair this topic needs more than a signal film.  I wish Guggenheim planned on making this a series of documentaries (like Ken Burns' Civil War or Jazz).  This issue is too important for such an incomplete work.  Grade: C+  

Jean de Florette (1987)

This the first part of an epic and incredibly artful story is about an aging uncle and his nephew, Cesar and Ugolin Soubeyran, scheming to buy the neighboring farm owned by a hunchback from the city named Jean.  It all concerns a spring that is the farm's main water source.  The plan is simple: Cesar and Ugolin plug up the spring before the hunchback arrives only to wait for the hunchback to get frustrated and sell.  There's one problem: the hunchback, performed by Gérard Depardieu, is the kind of man never to give up.  What's great about this film is that in many ways the villains are the protagonists and the determined hero is the antagonist.  This switch is great because it builds dramatic tension that otherwise wouldn't have been as intriguing if structured the more traditional way.  I highly recommend this film (at least at this point) and expect the final half to be just as gut-wrenching and satisfying. Grade: A

Looking for Lenny (2011) 9/14

A basic documentary that shows that Lenny Bruce’s battle for free speech, while victorious in some ways, ultimately failed to prevent a new breed of censors. As someone who stands against all kinds of censorship I was disappointed that this documentary lacked any new ideas. Lenny Bruce was certainly ahead of his time as a comedian but I would have liked more specifics on his fight and better examples of how those specifics relate today.  The best example of this that works in the film is the section on the N-word.  Grade: B

The Man Who Loved Women (1977)

 François Truffau masterfully creates a truly special character in Morane, a man so infatuated with the opposite sex that he is willing to wreck his car to find out the identify of a woman with beautiful legs.  It would have been so easy for Morane to come across as a pervert or a stalker but in this light drama we have a likable eccentric with an honest passion and an open heart.   This is a wonderful, natural paced film that I think most of us can relate to.  I've never gone to the extremes Morane was willing to go but there were times in my youth I wish I had.  Grade: A

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2012)

The final act in this documentary trilogy about the West Memphis Three ends in just a weird and upsetting way as all the others.  I'm not going to give it away but I was shocked when I thought I would be overjoyed.   For anyone who hasn't seen the first two films, you could skip them and just watch this one since it recaps almost everything (although with less dramatic detail).   I honestly don't think there's a better testament on how messed up our justice system is.   I'm still fuming.  Grade: A

A Night To Remember (1958)

James Cameron's Titanic is the most known film about the tragic sinking of the Unsinkable ship and yet this film made almost forty years earlier is actually just as good.  The only real difference dramatically is that the newer film has a central character and love story to follow while this film directed by Roy Ward Baker and based on the famous book by Walter Lord follows various story lines.  One story line that it tells and that's absent in Cameron's film is the point of view of the SS California's crew; I never realized that there was a ship so close to the Titanic.  This storyline alone makes this film worth watching.  This really is an elegant film that's powerful in its subtlety and beautiful in its production.  Sure the special effects might not be as dramatic as the newer version but they still impress.  Most shocking for me is that this film wasn't even nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture the year it came out.  Instead the prize went to Gigi.  That's a head scratcher for you becaue this film is certainly better.  Grade: A

The Whales of August (1987)

This film is the cinematic equivalent of a retirement home.  Starring screen legends Betty Davis, Lillian Gish and Vince Price: it's about old people choosing to live instead of surrendering to time.  This actors of a different era refuse to give in and their performances are wonderful, if a little stale.  Based on the play by David Berry I felt at times like we were watching an adaption of a play yet director Lindsay Anderson does give the audience a few visual moments that assist in reminding the viewer that this is a film, even if an uneventful one.  That's my main problem with the story: it lacks dramatic tension.  If you're interested in watching Betty Davis and Lillian Gish act in their old age and you like stories of quite reflection, you might want to give this one a try.   Grade: B+ 

One, Two, Three (1961)

Billy Wilder's farce set during the Cold war still holds up as a fast-paced jab at socialism and capitalism.  Watching James Cagney as C.R. "Mac" MacNamara scheme and shout out orders is a great pleasure, especially in transforming a card carrying Soviet into the kind of son-in-law the owner of Coco-cola would accept.  Hopefully that doesn't give away too much but regardless of the plot, it's the crazy antics that make this such a fun film.  Grade: B+  

Jim, Who Lives At Home (2011)

This film is about leaps of faith and it's as inspiring as it is funny.   Jason Segal plays Jim, a slacker on the verge of a discovery: his destiny.  It starts with a wrong number and continues when he bumps into his brother, a grounded Ed Helms, while out to buy wood glue to repair a door for his mother, played by Susan Sarandon in her best role in a long time.  Written and directed by brothers Mark and Jay Duplass, you can sense their insight with brotherly love helped shape this story.  I can't recommend this film enough, it's a joyful and funny film that needs to find a larger audience.  Grade: A

Casa de Mi Padre (2012)

This is one of those movies where the people making the movie probably had more fun than those, like me, who watched it.  Some of it works and is quite funny.  Will Ferrell is hilarious and his dedication almost makes this film watchable.   The problem is that parody alone cannot carry a film by itself.   A strong parody also needs a good story, a zany story that the audience will keep wanting to watch.  This film loses its comedic welcome fast.  It's not quite a one note joke but at best it's a three note joke.  True, the story is thin because the source material they're mimicking is thin but that's not an excuse.  The film makers needed to expand the world of the story and give us more.  Thirty minutes in and I was tired and ready for something new.  Unfortunately what I got was more of the same.   Too bad because they had a great comedy in the making but lost sight in trying to stylize the film just right.  I would be curious to know what audiences in Mexico thought of this film, does the comedy translate?  Grade: C+.

Democratic National Convention (Commentary)

Many of the problems I had with the Republican Convention are evident here too.  Lots of rhetoric and patriotic pandering that doesn't do much for me.  The only real difference is that I tend to agree with these guys more than the others.  Michelle Obama loves her husband as much as Mrs Romney, it's just that she sounds more intelligent and modern saying it.  Ultimately I don't really need to write a whole lot because the best reason for this convention to exist was Bill Clinton's speech.   If you haven't seen it, you should, because it outlines exactly why Obama should remain the President.  More importantly he completely dismantles all the attacks Romney has used to try to brainwash the public.  What's really great is that most of his facts add up, that's right; he's telling the truth which is odd coming from a guy known for lying while under oath.  Joking aside, what an effective performance.  Obama's speech was also quite good, if a little slim on new goals; of course he's a wiser man now who knows how difficult it is to be President and one shouldn't make too many promises that will be difficult to keep.  It was an honest and humble speech from a man that's been scarred by political war.  All the optimism from the last time has been replaced by humility and a kind of wisdom that could lead us to a better tomorrow.   What a difficult place to be; he wants to do so much for his country but there's a large section of stubborn idiots unwilling to even listen to him.   Still I think he has it in him to keep up the good fight so I'll be voting for him.   He's the President we need right now and I'm proud to support him. 

Snowball Express (1972)

After watching Bullhead I needed a change of pace.  So I went for this '70s Disney flick about a father played by the always consistent Dean Jones who inherits a hotel resort in the Colorado Rockies.  So he quits his city job and uproots his family to the mountains with a scheme to start his own ski resort.   What a wacky good time and if you've ever fallen off a ski lift, you'll be rolling with laughter.   Sure there's some corny stuff in this family farce but that's the whole point.  Today I think we as a society have become too cynical and sophisticated for our own good.  We've forgotten that sometimes its lovely to just laugh and enjoy the goofy side of imagination. Grade: B+

Bullhead (2011)

A dark film dealing with the illegal-use of growth hormones for cattle, it follows Belgian rancher Jacky Vanmarsenille struggling with a horrific childhood incident. There's also a side plot shown from the point of view of Diederik Maes, an insider of the criminal underworld who grew up with Jacky; a distracting element to the film at times, it eventually pays off at the end.  Nominated for last year's Best Foreign Language film and directed by Michael R. Roskam.  While certainly an original film with its own unique slick bleakness I would have to say I'd have enjoyed it more with improved pacing.  Still if your willing to dive into the complex depths of an angry young man trying to be the man he thinks he was meant to be any means necessary, you might enjoy this one.  Grade: B

The Girl Who Played With Fire (2009)

This adaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel continues the story of Lisbeth Salander (from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) by going deeper into her history while tangling her into a murder mystery that has all of Stockholm wheeling, including her old flame and friend  Mikael Blomkvist who must come to her defense.  A consistent follow-up to the last Swedish film with Nooni Rapace turning in an even better performance.  Knowing that Hollywood is still planning on doing their own version I can't help but wonder how they're going to screw this one up.   Grade: A-

Cherry (2010)

Kyle Gallner does what he does best and that's play a teenager in angst in this average film about going to college and finding ones self.  Along with his mishaps as a freshman, he becomes infatuated with an older student named Linda whose teenage daughter, Beth, falls for him too.  In someways I appreciate writer and directer Jeffrey Fine's independent spirit, crafting a semi-funny drama.  It's too bad the producers marketed this one as a romantic comedy.  While there are some funny parts this is not really a comedy, it's a drama with some surprisingly decent acting.   Besides this misrepresentation, the other big problem I have is with the main character's journey.  He's obviously a talented artist but he struggles to be an engineer.  Why is there no resolution and did meeting Linda and Beth really help him on his journey?  I didn't think so.  Grade: C+

Take Me Home Tonight (2010)

With one of the worst titles ever, I didn't expect much from this '80s throwback romantic comedy.  But Topher Grace and company entertain in a decent film about being stuck and not knowing what to do after college.  Sometimes you just have to take chances.  Anna Faris' comic talents are miss used but Dan Fogler is given free reign to exploit his loudness with hilarity.  I'm not sure why it needs to take place in the late eighties it does give the film a peculiar look that goes well with your typical '80s soundtrack.  Maybe if they would have given Faris more to do and thought up a better title this film would be more than the forgetful fun flick it is. Grade: B.