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Note: movie ratings are out of a
possible ***** as follows: January 1, 2000
Jodie Foster is Anna Leonowen, a young widowed wife of a British soldier. She is commissioned by the King of Siam to travel to Thailand and educate (in many respects "westernize") his children. When Anna and her young son Louis arrive at the King’s palace, she is instantly seen as an indignant westerner foreign to the ways of Siam and their King. Intelligent and headstrong, Anna does not succumb to sexist conventions within the palace. Though King Mongkut (played regally by Chow Yun-Fat) is at first offended by Anna’s independence, he quickly begins to admire her strength. A unique understanding develops between the King and the English schoolteacher, but not without frequent clashes between these two equally proud characters. Their cultural and ideological differences, however, render their relationship honest and believable. King Mongkut may be worldly and open to Western ideas, but he is still a ruler with authority over his subjects. Tennant reminds us of the King’s duality with a subplot that involves a betrayal by one of his concubines. Seeing the unjust judgment against the concubine, Anna pleads for the King’s pardon by preaching classless humanitarianism. Yet Anna is not so righteous as she might claim to be. While she teaches the King’s eldest son to question slavery, Anna herself has servants who not only serve her but also risk their lives catering to her impetuous decisions. Which brings us to another questionable matter. To what extent did Anna help the King? Perhaps the weakest part of this film is the battle scene on the bridge. When it is discovered that a traitor is among his aids within the palace, the King and his entire family embark on a strenuous journey to the countryside seeking refuge. (All of a sudden we’re reminded of a scene out of Sound of Music where Maria leads the Colonel and his children up the hills to Switzerland.) The King respected Anna’s intelligence but did he also trust her to save him from ambush by his enemies? Perhaps this was just written in for the movie, but for a split second it did make me question the true nature of their relationship. Further intensifying their relationship is the love that develops between Anna and King Mongkut. Both adorned in costumes dictated by their respective class and culture, these two lovers are confined to intimate conversations, knowing glances and at best a rare night of waltzing to demonstrate their love. Regardless, what we get on the big screen is undeniably passionate and exquisite. Both Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat deliver a very convincing performance. While Foster masters the accent and mannerisms of a proper Englishwoman of the Victorian era, Chow Yun-Fat’s charisma and stunning appearance make it seem as though royalty is his birthright. Set amongst the naturally beautiful landscapes of Malaysia, it’s nearly impossible to dismiss the chemistry these two refined actors share on screen. Heartwarming and breathtakingly crafted, the story of Anna and the King is truly an old-fashion romance for the young and the old alike. It deserves a **** rating. The Green Mile - ****
Tom Hanks stars as Paul Edgecomb, the head guard at the Coal Mountain Louisiana State Penitentiary’s death row. He and his fellow guards (delightfully played by David Morse, Barry Pepper and Jeffrey DeMunn) are not your average prison guards. The prisoners in their custody are already condemned to the electric chair located at the end of the green linoleum corridor (hence the nickname, the green mile). With this in mind, Paul and his guards run the prison with sympathy and compassion for the inmates waiting out their last days. Two unexpected events threaten to alter the relative calm within the prison. First is the egotistical and mean-spirited guard Percy, who is newly assigned to the prison. Immediately following his arrival is John Coffey, a seven-foot-tall African American who is accused of brutally murdering two white girls. Despite his threatening size and strength, John is a simple, incredibly docile man who is extremely respectful towards authority figures. When he tells Paul that he is afraid of the dark, Paul can’t help but to take a special interest in him. It is through their friendship that Paul and his guards witness a spirituality that further opens their hearts to hope and reconciliation. There is something miraculous about John Coffey and to share in his magic, one simply has to see this touching drama. The Green Mile is told almost entirely in flashbacks and runs for about three hours. Most of its running time is spent on giving depth and color to each of the characters. Consequently it becomes nearly impossible not to connect to their inner pain and thoughts. Since the crimes committed by these prisoners are not known to us (with John’s as the only intentional exception), we get to know the prisoners through their interaction with the guards. Despite Percy’s frequent brutality against the prisoners, Paul and his fellow guards remain trusted keepers right up to the moment the electric chair is ignited. That the chair is used several times in this movie comes as no surprise. But what you may not be prepared for is the degree to which each execution touches you and leaves you questioning society’s treatment of all those people it deems undesirable. Symbolic and impassioned, The Green Mile is truly a moving film worthy of a **** rating. Sleepy Hollow - ***1/2
To the rescue is constable Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp). As a man of science and methodical investigation, Crane is determined to prove that no such demonic spirit exists to commit such heinous crimes and that a real-life murderer is among the residents of Sleepy Hollow. Performing autopsies on the headless bodies with self-invented medical tools, Crane casts aside superstitions until he too witnesses the brutal Horseman in the dead of night. With the help of his love interest, the beautiful and wealthy Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci), Crane begins to investigate the history of the families in Sleepy Hollow in an attempt to understand the motives behind the Horseman’s murders. Though somewhat tangential at moments, Burton’s story of the Headless Horseman remains a coherent mystery drama. As we’re introduced to each prominent family, we get a clear sense of their standing and purpose in the story. Supporting roles by famous faces like Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Martin Landau and Christopher Walken (as the Headless Horseman) also add intrigue and strength to the overall story. Visually, Sleepy Hollow is picturesque and magical. Consistently dark and misty, there is gloom among the obscurely built houses. The woods are even more eerie with over-bearing trees stretching out their branches as if to strangle any newcomer snooping about. Even when inside the rich mansions of the prominent families, there is a distinct sense of unease in their rather barren and cold-looking rooms. Though none of these sets really look realistic, these contrived settings are perfectly designed for a horror movie that allows your imagination to run wild. Prepare yourself to be frightened and dazzled at the same time. It gets a ***1/2 rating. Man on the Moon - ***1/2
Although the film begins at Kaufman’s childhood, it skips through that portion quickly, breezes through his early failures as a standup comic and puts us at the point when he’s offered the role of Latka. I guess Forman felt it wasn’t his formative years that were as important as his latter years when he gained fame. Kaufman claims to hate sitcoms, describing them as the lowest form of entertainment, but accepts the role on Taxi under various conditions including one where he will be able to produce his own TV special. His own show never airs and Kaufman, always eager to entertain by doing the unexpected, redirects his energy and creates characters like the sleazy lounge-singer Tony Clifton. He even embarks on a wrestling career where he will only wrestle women to prove that men are the superior sex. Although this film does an admirable job of showcasing his career (they even assemble the real cast of Taxi playing themselves), it fails to dig deep enough into Kaufman himself. The recreation of his standup shows, particularly the Carnegie Hall show, is certainly impressive, but the only real insight one can glean from this is that Andy Kaufman lived to do the unexpected. Milos Forman’s last film, The People vs. Larry Flynt, also explored another famous life. That one was, of course, Larry Flynt, the world’s most-famous pornographer. Forman seems to have a knack for showing the warts in a person’s character, but with a little polish as if not to offend them too much. It may be difficult to find fault with the facts themselves, but it is easy to knock the tone with which it is delivered. Flynt was certainly not made into a hero in that film, but was perhaps shown in a little more positive light than warranted. He seemed like a kid in a candy store at times rather than someone who has made the degradation of women his life’s work. Perhaps the same is true here, although Kaufman’s sins were not nearly in the same caliber as Flynt’s. Was Kaufman really a comic genius as some in this film like to call him, or just someone who gained recognition and notoriety from shocking audiences? Should we really feel sorry for someone who seemed to despise his audience at times and then broods when he learns that people don’t really want to see him perform anymore? Are we supposed to believe in the underlying innocence that Kaufman exhibits here, only moments after he ridicules and offends most in his audience? I remember watching the real Andy Kaufman wrestle women on TV a number of times. From my perspective this film sugarcoats his antics in that arena just a bit. At the time, I felt Kaufman to be a complete ass whether it was staged or not. Watching Carrey re-enact these same scenes in this film did not invoke near the same reaction. Is it because I’m older, perhaps a little more desensitized to such things? I don’t think so. I simply don’t feel that this film portrays certain aspects as truthfully as it could have. If there was one other thing I learned it’s that Kaufman didn’t seem to have the judgment to know when enough was enough and when entertainment ceased being entertaining. Despite the film’s few flaws, Jim Carrey’s performance cannot be faulted. He plays Kaufman exactly. He has the voice, the mannerisms, and the overall quirkiness down with an almost eerie realism. Kaufman has a slightly rounder, even more boyish face than Carrey, but that’s really the only difference. Do they give Academy Awards for imitation? When they’re done this good, perhaps. Man on the Moon explores but never quite explains Andy Kaufman. Maybe there isn’t any real method to his madness. Or perhaps nobody really knows what made Kaufman tick. Nevertheless, Man on the Moon is still a very good movie with an astounding performance by Carrey that makes it deserving of a ***1/2. Any Given Sunday - **1/2
Al Pacino plays football coach Tony D'Amato – he’s getting old, and some think, washed-up. D’Amato is seen by some as a dinosaur whose old-school tactics are no longer right for the game. Cameron Diaz is Christina Pagniacci, the spoiled, rich-kid who has inherited her father’s football team and now locks horns with D’Amato at every turn, as she desperately tries to make the team profitable. Christina favors Willie Beaman (Jamie Foxx), the upstart quarterback who she feels is now the key to the team’s success. Tony feels that Jack "Cap" Rooney (Dennis Quaid), the team’s legendary starting quarterback, is still the best player for the job despite his advancing age and recent injuries. Any Given Sunday is riddled with so many sports clichés it almost becomes laughable. There’s the aging player up against the young and aggressive new kid on the block; the old and wise coach feuding with the naïve newcomer; the importance of teamwork over the advancement of just one individual; and even the age-old theme of it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. In truth, there’s not one element of this movie’s plot that can really be called original. Despite its predictability, however, there is something captivating about this overblown sports epic. It’s likely due to the unprecedented way in which Stone captures the game itself. For the initial on-screen game the viewer is placed right in the middle of the action. Every bone-crunching hit explodes on the screen with tremendous imagery and sound akin to an MTV video on steroids. The way these sequences are shot and even edited is strangely reminiscent of the opening battle of Saving Private Ryan. Like almost all of Stone’s movies, the cinematography, editing and sound are stellar, although this one teeters sometimes a tad too far into music video territory. Still, when the play begins, the audience is drawn deeply enough that when a player goes down the audience follows him to the turf. Stone effectively shows the physical and emotional impact the game takes on its players. It’s macho posturing, that’s for sure, but it’s certainly fun to watch. Despite the impressive technical wizardry and general high level of acting, the story falters and splinters off in far too many directions. Consequently it appears as though Stone is desperately trying to find a story when, in fact, there may not be one. Furthermore, unlike some of his previous films where good and bad are painted starkly black and white and it’s easy to see the direction he’s heading, here it is difficult to judge just who is really right and wrong. Is Christina wrong in favoring an ambitious, young quarterback who really wants to win when Quaid’s character is tired, injured and uninspired to play anymore? Is it wrong to question the old-school coach when, in fact, he has competent assistants who may have better ideas of their own? Did television and promotional deals really kill football the way Stone’s film implies, or is it just another case of looking at the past through rose-colored glasses? (I find it amusing how filmmakers criticize the commercialism of the sport yet liberally sprinkle their own film with what are obviously promotional plugs for Budweiser, Met-RX and many other products.) The truth is, there is just not as much substance in Any Given Sunday as Stone wants there to be and he covers that fact up with relentless posturing, over-the-top speeches and melodramatic flashbacks to the supposed glory years of the game. JFK this is not. Any Given Sunday has moments of brilliance that will likely be appreciated by die-hard sports fanatics. What’s more, there are so many well-known actors in short roles it becomes an almost never-ending surprise as they appear -- it’s like a who’s who, and who was of Hollywood. The best is Charlton Heston as the Commissioner, and Elizabeth Berkley as the $5000 per night prostitute. Still, its running time of over two-and-a-half hours will feel far too long for most. It needs half that time to say what it has to say and for that Any Given Sunday doesn’t deserve more than a **1/2 rating. Flawless - ***
Just when I thought that Joel Schumacher could do nothing but wrong, he goes and writes and directs a pretty good little flick that any "indie" director would be proud to call his own. Flawless is far from that which its title aspires, but it does tell an interesting tale about two contrasting characters overcoming their differences in order to help one another achieve their goals. Robert De Niro plays Walter Koontz, a former security guard fondly remembered as a hero for once foiling a bank robbery. When Walter suffers a stroke and is barely able to use his vocal chords, he reluctantly turns to Rusty, his drag-queen neighbor played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, for help in strengthening his speech. Walter and Rusty hate each other and usually hurl insults back and forth from their windows, even after Walter gets ill. Walter’s therapist convinces him that singing could help his recovery; Rusty desperately needs money. As a result, the two become acquaintances who must first learn to tolerate one another, and of course, that turns to friendship. It’s formulaic, that’s for sure, but told and acted in such a way that it keeps our interest. Besides, Flawless isn’t as much about the story it tells as it is about the performances of the actors. De Niro is very good in his role, which is reminiscent of what he did in Awakenings. No, it isn’t My Left Foot (a reference which the film uses as a clever ongoing joke), but it is another highly competent De Niro-esque performance. However, it’s Hoffman that steals the show. If he’s not nominated for an Oscar in the spring, I’ll be surprised. A less-skilled actor would likely be way over-the-top, or just simply wrong. Hoffman is an incredible supporting actor with outstanding performances in Boogie Nights and Happiness, among others. He’s been overlooked, mind you, until now. He paints Rusty sharply with an energetic, enthusiastic, yet sympathetic performance that is incredibly honest and frighteningly real. One should see this for his performance alone. Schumacher has to be credited for writing and directing a tight script, while only once succumbing to Hollywood storytelling temptation with his sub-plot about stolen money. It seems, actually, like a necessary evil so I’ll forgive him. Plus, the movie clips along at a good pace and not one part of the movie drags (sorry) on for any longer than it should. I enjoyed it enough to almost give it ***1/2 stars. However, in the end I reluctantly pulled it back to just *** with a strong recommendation to see it if you can. |
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Yes, King Mongkut of Siam had
23 wives and 42 concubines and it is indeed hard to imagine Jodie Foster playing a woman
who falls in love with a man who doesn’t immediately see her as his equal, if not his
superior. Andy Tennant’s rendition of Anna and the King, however, is still
largely based on Anna Leonowen’s diaries which chronicles her visit to Thailand in
the 1860s, and Tennant makes no secret of the fact that this is a love story with enough
escapism and romance to entertain the whole family. I even venture to say that this movie
is one of this year’s most exotic and tender films. Call me a romantic, but I find
more appeal and enjoyment in this period piece than in trivial love stories where a
"runaway bride" is finally tamed by a man who "understands her". Or
for that matter, where a washed-up baseball hero decides to grow up and commit to one
woman simply because his career is over. Having said that, back to the movie at hand.
When I think of movies adapted from Stephen King novels, I
think of psychological thrillers like Misery and Dolores Claiborne.
I’m one of the rare few who haven’t seen and raved about Frank Darabont’s
earlier film, The Shawshank Redemption. Needless to say, when I entered the theater
to see The Green Mile I wasn’t anticipating the kind of heart-wrenching effect
this poetic and spellbinding movie had on me. Though categorized as drama/horror/thriller,
The Green Mile is more an emotional journey that allows us to witness miracles in
the most unlikely places.
While some
reviewers criticized this film for deviating too far from Washington Irving’s
original novel, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", I beg to differ. After all,
it’s a Tim Burton film and Burton is a genius at illustrating a story with stunning
visuals that captivate and draw the audiences with just a simple premise. The year is 1799
and a small rural town in upstate New York known as Sleepy Hollow is terrorized by a
series of gruesome murders. Bodies of several prominent citizens are discovered
decapitated and the townspeople are convinced that the evil spirit of a slain Hessian
Horseman (referred to as the Headless Horseman) is committing these murders to avenge his
own death. 
Many people don’t know
who Andy Kaufman is until they hear the name Latka from the TV sitcom Taxi. Hearing
that name clues most people in. Yet many still don’t realize Kaufman was also a
diverse and sometimes entertaining performer who, perhaps for dubious reasons, is one of
the best-remembered comics of the last twenty years. He was a complex individual that
Milos Forman’s new film Man on the Moon tries to explain.
Oliver Stone’s
Any Given Sunday is the type of movie that showcases the best and worst that he can
be as a filmmaker. It’s bold, uncompromising and ambitious with technical proficiency
that puts many other films to shame. However, its story, not unlike much of Stone’s
previous work, is heavy-handed and, at times, downright pretentious and even ridiculous. 
Director Joel Schumacher has
certainly cooked up his share of Hollywood duds in the past. Batman Forever and Batman
& Robin aren’t really anything to write home about, Dying Young should
have died right there on the bad idea board, and this year’s dreadful 8mm
should have never even made it to the idea board. He’s done more damage to
movie-watchers’ minds, but that’s all I need to mention right now.
"Yuck," is all I have to say.