rnd Reviews

Talk to Her (2002)

Simply unsympathetic

[26 June 2004]

I nearly turned off the DVD, and I should have.

Initially, I was put off by the bullfighting scenes. This production used real footage. Bullfighting is legal in Spain, and in Madrid it is excluded from a law protecting animals used in film or television. The swords, blood, and distress of the animals are real.

A lot of people found this film to be poetic, lyrical and deeply layered, the kind of film you see once in a lifetime. Frankly, I simply could not connect with it.



*SPOILERS BELOW*

Is having sex with a comatose woman rape? My question is: why is it of cinematic interest?

Benigno, a nurse and voyeur, at first stalks Alicia. In his obsession he visits her Psychiatrist father in a ruse to get into their apartment, steals a personal item from her bedroom, and startles her as she comes out of the shower. Later, an unfortunate accident puts her into a coma. Her father wants the best nurse for her personal care and Benigno is assigned to duty. Though she clearly had no interest in him while healthy and in fact seemed repulsed, he nurses her with tenderness and romantic love. He is more content in his life taking care of her inert body than any other time. If that isn't inane and creepy enough, he consummates his love.

At this point, I got up to check the reviews of this film, hoping for clues that Benigno had some type of honor and was wrongfully accused. The glowing reviews refused to spoil, so I labored on but was disappointed.

Nothing about violating a defenseless woman is "beautiful", "haunting", "unmissable, or "illuminating", no matter how loving the intention. I'm sure the families of such victims, some who end up raising the consequence, would agree with me.

The film does explore the emotional lives of men in a way that American films rarely do and surely has many other good qualities, but, after chaffing my sensibilities with such an atrocious ploy as to try to make love out of rape, I really wished I had just turned it off.

Antwone Fisher (2002)

Hopeful and Healing

[7/10 · 20 March 2004]

After reading some of the other comments for this movie I felt like I didn't have anything to add but another glowing review! Well, I think "Antwone Fisher" deserves every compliment given to it.

Denzel Washington has made a beautiful film. At times it is awkward or idealized, but the whole of what he has achieved clearly overcomes any flaws. The film centers on the relationship between two men -- NAVY psychiatrist Jerome Davenport, played by Washington himself, and a troubled young sailor, Antwone Fisher (Derek Luke). We watch as Dr. Davenport gently pulls Antwone through the memories of trauma and abuse in his childhood into a state of emotional healing. The process makes Davenport face the problems in his own life.

It sounds simple and it is. "Antwone Fisher" addresses the universal human need for love. Antwone feels shameful and unworthy because he was not only unwanted as a child but at times hated and hurt. He carries this with him and it inhibits meaningful connections for him as an adult. What I loved about the movie is that it is so hopeful. The best scene involves Antwone telling a pivotal character that despite everything, he never coped by hurting himself or other people (through addictions, crime, etc.) but instead he's managed to accomplish a great deal. We watch a young man with tremendous potential figure out that he is indeed worthy and capable of finding love.

Washington paces the film well. By gradually revealing Fisher's childhood he lets the viewer really get to know him. Derek Luke has the tough job of being petulant yet likable, and I liked him in the quiet subtle scenes where he had to show a lot of vulnerability. Washington, on the other hand, had less work to do but delivered. (His character is like the angelic cousin to the other mentor-type he played in "Training Day"!)

Great film!

Ghost World (2001)

It sticks in your head

[8/10 · 24 October 2003]

Ghost World" is an indie treasure.

Rarely do films stick in one's mind a few minutes after seeing them. I have been walking around laughing all day today about scenes in this movie. Other reviews have adequately cataloged the plot, characters and substance of "Ghost World", so I will focus on the beauty of its flavor.

Enid sees the functioning of the adults in her life as the subject of her ironic amusement, and, indeed, the actors brilliantly flesh out the subtle (and not so subtle) humor in their struggles. Every supporting role from the guy who brings his laptop to Starbucks every day to answer the free-coffee trivia questions to the mullet-headed bare-chested convenience store customer with his parking lot numb chuck antics are just hilarious. If ever in life you've looked at a person and wondered for a moment exactly how they got to be who they are, you might see many of their ilk here.

The obvious gem is Steve Buscemi as Seymour, one of my favorite actors. His character reminds me of the Thoreau quote: "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." He is a man approaching his middle years whose life consists of his dull job, his obese farting roommate, his mother, and his large and obsessive collection of old records that have a room of their own. Not hateful nor whiney about his lot, he simply keeps trying at life, even though his combination of intelligence, appreciation of subtlety and unfortunate odd looks keep him from the mainstream life connections that might fulfill him. Gentle and resigning, he is man who, like many, has come to accept himself and life as things he really can't do anything about. Buscemi manages to play both the fragile patheticness of Seymour and his sweetness, so that we can see why Enid is drawn to him.

This movie (as some of the reviews show) is not for everyone. But, it's definitely one of my new favorites.

Carman: The Champion (2001)

Unfortunately canned boxing flick

[3/10 · 23 November 2001]

First, I will confess that I didn't watch the whole film. I rented "Carman" on the basis of good reviews and didn't realize it belonged in subgroup of entertainment (films, literature, music) created for Christians. Not being one myself, I was a little hesitant to watch it. A few Christian entertainers I've found to be genuinely good at their craft, so I looked to this film like I would any other, hoping it would bring forth fresh creativity to the moviedom in the form of style, substance and a good story. Unfortunately, the predictable course of the film and its canned themes were presented in such a dull manner that I eventually switched it off. Maybe I've watched too many movies. Even if I were a member of the intended audience I would have been disappointed -- any movie worth the film it's printed on should aim to transcend its intended demographic through solid structuring and presentation, indeed that's how classics are made.

Georgia (1995)

Sad and honest

[7/10 · 6 January 2001]

Everyone knows someone like Sadie, the character played by Jennifer Jason Leigh in "Georgia". She is completely unable to fulfill herself; and blames her own self-loathing on the people who love her most. Leigh's acting out of Sadie's behavior is so convincing it's painful to watch.

Sadie is a singer talented enough to get jobs with bands in nightclubs, while her sister, Georgia (played by Mare Winningham), seems to have a perfect career as a gifted folk singer. Sadie sees her life in shadow of her sister's, and with that dooming premise overlooks anything of value or potential in her own. Her mistakes become increasingly wrenching as she progresses in various substance addictions, blows jobs and puts herself in harm's way. Sadie's awareness at her own lack of control is both irritating and pitiful -- we see the people that love her try to help, including her sweet husband played with a deft touch by Max Perlich, but how can you help someone who can't help herself? The film is masterful in showing the conflicts that Georgia has, too, while she tries to resolve how she should deal with Sadie's shortcomings and her own anger and resentment.

The film drags in places and sometimes Leigh overdoes Sadie's unlikeability a bit, so it is hard to understand why she is given the chances that she has professionally, and personally. But, where Leigh is brash the other actors take up the slack with subtle, well turned out performances. The music communicates a lot of context, too. All in all, an interesting film.

Ride with the Devil (I) (1999)

Ride and ride and ride...

[4/10 · 19 September 2000]

I am probably one of the few viewers who would not recommend this film. Thought visually stunning like all of Ang Lee's work (each still frame seems worthy of a print), I was really disappointed by the film's disjointed pace. It really was too long.

The story is set in Civil War era Missouri, and is about a young man (Roedel) who joins the feral forces of the Bushwackers, sort of renegade Confederate sympathizers who conduct geurilla type fighting with the Jayhawkers, their Union counterparts. He and his close friend, Jack Bull Chiles played by Skeet Ulrich, join the group after Chile's father is shot point-blank and his home is burned, presumably by Jayhawkers. The story follows Roedel's and Chiles' raiding adventures and their interactions with other victims of the war, including former slave who fights for the Bushwhackers (Daniel Holt played by Jeffery Wright), and a war widow played by Jewel.

It seemed that every time the film developed the story to an interesting point, it would turn to some other subplot and leave things undeveloped. For example, the agitation among Roedel's group caused by former slave Holt participating in the confederate cause is shown briefly through some conflict regarding propriety and protocol, and then dropped until later in the movie. A young villian/bully Bushwhacker hates Roedel and directs much angst and violence against him, but, we never know why. Some of the characters never seem to surface; I think that is because the movie embraces too many of them as well as taking on large amounts of history.

The historical detail was excellent. I loved looking at the housing, furniture, clothes, etc., and I thought the lead actors did a wonderful job of humanizing the characters, though they stumbled a bit with the dialog. Unless you really enjoy history or are a huge Ang Lee fan, though, take a pass on this one.

Kids (1995)

The way not to lose your virginity

[15 July 2000]

If Hollywood has a stronghold on American myth in film, then these filmmakers are among its accessories.

KIDS stood out at the video store because it was supposed to be an honest film. So often independent movies do not earn the title of their genre -- they are reactions to the stories that are told and watched, payed for en masse and listed in order of earnings at the weeks' end. Korine's film seemed promising as a true independent and some scenes were quite striking and memorable. But, as a whole, the reality this movie was just as simple as a summer blockbuster.

After about 15 minutes of being shocked by the film's rough style it quickly got routine. Beyond the cruelty and Telly's blank narcissism, the vibes I got were that there is nothing in this life for young people and that everyone else has failed them except themselves. We know what choices children have to face; they are better informed than the generations ago. Why would they choose to behave like the children in KIDS and put their lives and health behind their sexuality? Sure, we know some do, but why? Brief implications at parental neglect or peer pressure were never really explored.

This film might have had more substantial reality if Telly wasn't so clearly a villain or his victims less helpless and victimly. If KIDS was made in a way television friendly way it might have been an after-school special. I can't concede that the true point of the movie was its style (albiet a fresh style that was meant to disturb the old folks) -- it refuses to grant the audience insight and instead delivers a shocky lesson that some people are *bad*. That just canned it for me.

The talent was certainly there behind this movie but the bullet never really made it out of the barrel.

The Pillow Book (1995)

Skin as canvas for a woman's love story.

[7/10 · 12 December 1999]

Untied to anything concrete, "The Pillow Book" presents the interesting perspective of a young woman's sexuality. Directed oddly; it expositions through screen in screen images, by swift changes in time, and repetitious cues of music. The plot, Nagiko's retaliation against a lecherous book publisher for his abuse of her father, remains secondary to the stunning visual and emotional work.

The cultural of practice of writing on the body is Nagiko's erotic challenge. A ritual performed on childrens' birthdays, Nagiko carries this body art into her adulthood, recreating it into her mode of sexual communication. In a lover, she seeks both a man who will appreciate her sexuality and have proper calligraphic form to please her sense of art. It is difficult (she tells us in voice over,) since the best calligraphers are shy and inhibited, and, the best lovers are easily distracted. Her search presents amusing situations: she asks a man in an elevator to write his name under the soft flesh of her breasts, a sort of cold call for prospective lovers. Ultimately, Jerome (Ewan McGregor,) a young English translator, presents the necessary credentials. Jerome challenges Nagiko to use him as her canvas, an idea that confuses her at first. She can not discern the pleasure of writing on someone other than herself. Intrigued, she tries it. The transition from canvas to writer binds Nagiko to Jerome in a way in which lovers become more than lovers. This is the best work of the film. Their lust is conceived in a strange nudity marked with the figures of their poetry; in these scenes the cinematography overwhelms. Brushed black, gold and red paint on their bodies swirls as they go from writing table to bed to bath. The director can make black ink running down the drain of a bathtub look beautiful. Their emotional development culminates in a test of betrayal. Jerome stands outside Nagiko's apartment screaming to be let in, while she sits on the other side, barren in a pale dress, crying. Spending most of the film undressed, it is jarring to see her the most naked she has ever been, in a floor length gown.

The film is not for literal minded people. Nagiko's lifestyle is vague and the constant camera work drifting by is not easy to follow. Dialogue is sparse and many embellishments, such as French subtitles to a French song seem eye-rollingly arthouse. The plot includes various uncomfortable turns. But the film has much to offer: a female lead not only comfortable in her sexuality but driven to satisfy it, beautiful poetry, imagery, ideas to pick over days after seeing the film. I won't forgot this one.