Reviews

I teach a upper-level class on The Apocalypse at a Long Island College. This film was one that I chose, first for its brevity--75 minutes--but also for its totally thought-provoking exploration of humanity. Of course, one could quibble over some of the unexplainable aspects--for example, how do most of the characters remain so smartly dressed if there haven't been department stores in 12 years? But overall, it's important to see this film as an allegory, not unlike the Medieval play "Everyman," in which every character represents a "type," a "concept," or an "ideal." The acting is so absolutely natural that the viewer completely forgets that this is a scripted film. More than anything, it raises profound questions about the human condition for days after a viewing--always a good sign. I strongly recommend this film to anyone interested in stretching themselves philosophically. Good story, fine editing, terrific acting.

The reviews on this film seem very mixed, to say the least. Some people truly hate it; others, like me, find it a riveting meditation on the human condition not unlike the great Medieval "Ship of Fools" stories in which a cross-section of society is trapped on a vessel and must come to grips with all its simultaneous goodness and evil. This film is more of a "Grand Hotel" in space; indeed, one could argue that it falls into a category popularly called "space opera." As always, Danny Boyle has a remarkable eye, many scenes being so gorgeous to look at that you get lost in wonder. The acting, as well, is top notch; again, Cillian Murphy gives us a stand-out, riveting performance. The film has an excellent, spare screenplay Alex Garland, who also wrote the screen play for another Danny Boyle hit, 28 DAYS LATER.

The biggest plus of this film is the remarkable tension that Boyle is able to build as, one by one, members of the space mission's crew are "picked off" by something mysterious.

So while there are aspects of this film that might remind the viewer of "Alien," "Red Planet," and at least a couple of recent "Dr. Who" episodes, Boyle treats anything familiar in a fresh way. If you like thoughtful films that allow you to think (rather than shoot 'em up action films where everything's spelled out), then this is a film you might thoroughly enjoy.

I REALLY wanted to love this film. I'm familiar with the graphic novel and thought it would translate well onto the "big screen." Visually, it does crossover terrifically. This is a gorgeous film to behold--everything from the washed out colors to the remarkable panoramic images are top notch. Everything, despite the often vast scale of events, helps to paint the ultimately claustrophobic atmosphere of war.

UNFORTUNATELY, when time is taken to focus on a character, all we get is cardboard cut-out clichés. Perhaps that was the intent--that in a war everyone thinks mindlessly as one. But it would have been great to get to know more about each of the individual characters. And when we do get a glimpse, there's nothing beyond pat, soap opera duologue. Clearly the bulk of the audience seeing this film is NOT going for penetrating psychological insights. (They'll tell me to see an indie like LITTLE CHILDREN.) But compare this film to something like BAND OF BROTHERS or SAVING PRIVATE RYAN--or a war classic like PATHS OF GLORY--and one can immediately see how far this film falls short of giving us the real story behind this remarkable brotherhood of men who dared the largest army in the world to protect their homeland.

(By the way, there's an intriguing historical error in the film that was made, I'm sure, to make sure all the "guys" in the audience didn't barf: A comment is made by one of the Spartan soldiers that makes clear that Spartan men don't have sex with other men like those people in the other City States. WAY WRONG: The Spartan boys, taken from their homes around 7 years old, were often ENCOURAGED (as they grew older) to develop both emotional and physical relations with the other men in their company--two men were often paired up as "special friends". This didn't mean they were "gay" in our modern sense (which was a message the film makers wanted to avoid)--most had wives and children back in the City. The reason for NOT discouraging such relations was to ensure loyalty and devotion. The thought was that you'd be even MORE willing to lay down your life for a fellow soldier if you had been intimate with him. Once again, this historical gaff in the film says a lot about our heterosexist society. But again, most of the people seeing a film like this are seeing it for the visuals and the "fun" of the action--they're not seeing it for deep psychological insights or historical accuracies.)

So if you want a popcorn-crunching diversion that you can pop in your DVD player, go for it. If you want a real film about the individuals who fight in a war (often for a cause) try FULL METAL JACKET or THE THIN RED LINE.

OK, I wasn't expecting "The Hours" or "The Pianist," so my expectations for "Cradle of Life" were pretty low. However, much to my surprise, the film turned out to be one of the more entertaining evenings I've spent in a VERY lackluster summer for movie goers. As in "Tomb Raider," Angelina Jolie provides great energy and delicious tongue-in-cheek attitude. A supporting cast, including Gerard Butler, Ciaran Hinds, and the always wonderful Djimon Hounsou, make this a delightful two hours. For those of us who love fantasy, this is a fine way to spend a rainy afternoon or a summer's evening.

In this lackluster summer filled with wanna-be hit movies, "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" proved to be delightful fun indeed. For those of us who like classics of literature, it's lots of fun seeing Allan Quatermain, Dorian Gray, The Invisible Man, Tom Sawyer, Captain Nemo, Dracula's "girlfriend," and Dr. Jekyll showing up for the party. Seven more divergent characters one couldn't find and putting them together creates terrific possibilities. And how wonderful to see that Sean Connery still hasn't lost "it." He's terrific to watch, and unlike Mr. Schwarzenegger who uses tons of makeup, trick photography, and LOTS of computer graphics to create the illusion that he's still 30 something in "Terminator-3," Connery makes no bones about being a "senior." One great moment, when he needs to put on glasses to take a perfect rifle shot, is charming and credible. Perhaps that's what I enjoyed most about the film. For anyone who knows the original novels on which these characters are based, each of the film characterizations is in perfect keeping with their original literary incarnations. You expect Dorian Gray or Captain Nemo to act certain ways, and this film creates portraits consistent with their literary forebears. If there is anything to fault it's the inconsistent special effects. But that's a quiblle; this is a film for people who know their literature and can have fun with all the allusions.

So, the best film ever made--of course not. An entertaining way to spend a couple of hours--absolutely.

After suffering through Ang Lee's terminally-ill, glacier-paced "action" film "The Hulk," a truly disappointing effort from a brilliant director, I had serious reservations about seeing a similar kind of film that same week. Both films, after all, deal with a science experiment run amok, both films have as their central theme rage & anger, and both have a central, sympathetic protagonist who is trying to deal with the often self-centered horrors of science.

Surprise, surprise--Danny Boyle's shoe-string budgeted film (shot in atmospheric, grainy digital video)is everything Ang Lee's film isn't: it's tightly paced, filled with interesting characters, there's REAL suspense, and (above all) an interesting idea that's explored from a variety of angles.

In recent weeks, showing two possible endings to the film in the theater is also a great idea. For those of us who like to have serious discussions about ideas, characters, and motivations after a film, "28 Days Later . . ." is a very cool way to spend a hot summer night.

"Jesus of Montreal" is a beautiful film about the real meaning of spirituality. Pitted against the inflexibility of religious institutions, Daniel (played wonderfully by Lothaire Bluteau) shows his rag-tag disciples the real meaning behind the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. The story-within-the-story works well. Director Denys Arcand subtly begins to blend the story of the biblical Jesus with the day-to-day lives of a group of actors performing in a play about the last days of Jesus. The turning over of the tables in the Temple, the temptation of Jesus overlooking the city of Jerusalem, being abandoned by the male disciples, and many other tales of Jesus find their parallel in the lives of Daniel and his friends. The resurrection scene at the end of the film is a particularly moving overlapping of the two stories. In the hands of a lesser writer/director, this could have all been really trite. Instead, the film becomes in the truest sense of the term a parable in which we see how great truths from a great teacher really do apply in our own lives. Every performance is pitch perfect, the pace is just right, and the message is, as always, what we all need to remember: Real happiness lies not in what we have but in what we give. A ten out of ten film.

Once again, I've had the pleasure of showing this film to one of my College literature classes; we're studying the World War One poets of England, and this film shows my students in vivid detail what made this war so different from anything that had come before it. The world lost its innocence with "The Great War," and we are still reeling from the consequences a century later. Peter Weir's magnificent film follows the story of two best "mates" from the Australian outback and their sudden thrust into the realities of a new world order. Mel Gibson, Mark Lee, and a fine cast create the sense of brotherhood and horror that makes this film so profoundly moving. The last 20 minutes spares the audience no detail, and while more recent films like "Black Hawk Down" and "Saving Private Ryan" are perhaps more graphic, "Gallipoli" immerses us in the human loss more fully. In "Gallipoli" we get to know these friends in intimate detail, making the losses they suffer in the end truly gut wrenching. Five stars out of five stars.