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Reviews
She Hate Me (2004)
consistently underrated
Most Spike Lee joints are rated in the 6-7 range, with the three top-rated films being Malcolm X at 7.5 and Do the Right Thing tied with 25th Hour at a 7.8 rating. So while i feel it is an accurate depiction of what his better films are, it seems strange that a man "voted the 48th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly" has no movie rated at least a 9 (and I'd hope at least a 10). I think it says more about IMDb users than it does about the actual films. For instance, I think history will show that Return of the King does not belong in any all-time top-ten list (and that it's not even the best Lord of the Rings movie), but it's currently listed at number 4 on IMDb, above Casablanca. Casablanca is often cited as the greatest film of all time, but i think it's losing its grip in the IMDb polls because (1) its not recent and (2) its not violent.
My general commentary aside, it disappoints me that She Hate Me has not attained even the 6-7 vote range on IMDb. Again, I think it says less about the film and more about the people watching it and voting on it. The premise of the film is indeed a bit fantastical and its portrayal is biased towards the male-gaze as most films are, but its nuanced performances give it a sensitivity and an intensity I think few films possess in this or any age. My hat is off to Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington for their impeccable leads, but i feel that every supporting performance was on the mark down to the mere door man (played by Jamel Debbouze, whom you may recognize from the role of Lucien in Amelie).
The subject matter and its handling are probably the real reasons this film is only rated at a disappointing 5.0. Spike's intelligent and and yet down-to-earth approach probably alienated both sides of the movie-going spectrum:
*possible spoiler* (1) The only unabashed violence in this film is the suicide of Dr. Schiller and the incurred deaths of the people below him. Not exactly popcorn fare. (2) Think about the context of the title of the film... Spike Lee does not cater to the stock intelligentsia. He picks a controversial subject and approaches it from a challenging angle, but he uses the language of everyday life to present it.
In short, I think a person's reasons for not liking the film do more to betray their ignorance or their prejudice than to actually say anything about the quality of it. Then again, what do i know? I only gave Return of the King a 7.0 rating. I must be an idiot.
Crash (2004)
Half of a good movie
At first, this movie is intriguing. It's forward about race issues in a way that few films in America (that aren't by Spike Lee) are. It gives the illusion of being cleverly written, luring you in with the opening sequence and its haunted musing on why the people in L.A. crash into each other.
*spoiler(s)*
There are several scenes that stand out in a positive light as they stretch towards the climax of the film. Ludicrous playing a carjacker that sees rap as the "oppressor's music" is amusing as an out-of-context irony. I like the scene with the attorney's wife (Sandra Bullock) ranting about the Mexican locksmith (Michael Pena) because it showcases more than one kind of prejudice. Not only is race an issue at this point, because of Ludicrous' carjacking, but any race that isn't white has become a threat. What if a white person had jacked her car? In addition, the personal/cultural choice of tattoos has affected her impression of the locksmith. What if a white person with tattoos was her locksmith?
The storyline focusing on Michael Pena's Daniel character remains the best throughout the film. The scenes concerning the "impenetrable cloak" are priceless. Daniel's daughter, Lara - played by Ashlyn Sanchez, is the ultimate reminder that our decisions about race/culture issues don't merely affect our individual selves, they also inevitably affect our children. The relief I felt at realizing the gun was filled with blanks remains my strongest emotion attached to the film. Additionally, the race and culture conflicts between a Hispanic American and a Persian American work well because they aren't over-analyzed as, say, the issues between black and white.
I also appreciated Matt Dillon's character and his interactions with just about everyone, but most obviously and especially Christine (Thandie Newton) and Shaniqua (Loretta Devine).
Unfortunately, Haggis' obsession with coincidence forces the film to eat itself throughout the denouement, abandoning whatever promise the first half held for us. Officer Hanson's (Ryan Phillipe) scene with Peter (Larenz Tate) is completely contrived and forced. It's just a convenient mish-mash of all the conversations Peter had with Anthony (Ludacris) earlier in the film, from country music to the mini-statue of the saint. The feeling that things were being brought "full-circle" in terms of character connection ended up being a huge letdown. It's icing on the crap-cake that Phillipe is completely unbelievable as a fan of country music.
Finally, Anthony freeing all of the illegal immigrants in the middle of the city is just laughable. Not only is it unlikely from the perspective of character motivation, but the sheer thoughtlessness it would take to set them loose in the street like that is inconsistent with the kindness at the base of the gesture. It almost would have been better to see some of them get caught. Better still would have been avoiding this scene altogether, and at all costs.
In addition, as of March 8th, I feel the need to add that this film never ever should have won the Oscar for Best Picture... especially not in a field considering Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Good Night and Good Luck, and Munich.
29 Palms (2002)
a tin foil star
the friend i first watched this with hated the movie when he rented it. of course, this friend also bought XXX, having not ever seen it. so i guess that speaks for that.
*spoiler(s)*
the script is phenomenal. i really enjoyed the touches of humor, especially since they were so off the wall most of the time. i get a kick out of the chief trying to talk like a movie Indian. the whole bit with the guy not being able to "sire" is insanely funny, and i love it when he pretends to die with the other patient's heart monitor. any of the scenes with the sheriff are great. my favorite punchline of the movie is: "son, you don't need a lawyer, you need a library card." but how about that chase sequence at the end? a limo trying to ram a bus? now that's just absolutely hilarious.
otherwise, i like how this is a post-post-western. it's still got guns and a sheriff and bad guys going after money and indians. and even though the drifter says it's really about trying to find someone you can trust, i know better. it's really about our country screwing the indians, all over again. the chief's final bit about white people taking their land, and then giving them whiskey, and then pitying them as drunks, and then giving them gambling, and then making them beg for their money... well... it's a bit preachy... but then all westerns (and post-westerns and post-post-westerns) are supposed to be about the dying frontier. the frontier is dead, but the Indian has cancer. i think the opening shot of the pro-Indian-casino billboard and the interpretive shot of the chief's rage (as he's running at the camera, towards the bus) towards the end of the film perfectly underscore this tribute to the dying survivors of the frontier.
in addition, i thought the camera work was well done. although the director recycled his few obvious uses of technique, namely the flashback montages and the 360-degree pan shots, i thought they were decently spaced and efficient. i also really appreciated the tastefulness that was used in filming the sex scene. panning away, and letting the imagination do the work is what really makes an intimate scene sexy. lubitsch knew that, and apparently so does ricagni.