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Reviews
Sister Mary Explains It All (2001)
Sister Mary has had it with people.....
Sister Mary has had it with people who don't get it- the Church that is. It really is very simple and she has to explain it in great detail but the stupid people just don't get it. And she has had it. And, she points out, if one wants to waste a few "sinners" and send them to their rewards all one has to do is go to confession afterward and be exonerated. Hey, what a deal for sinners. Add to this the return of some of her "students" from 25 years ago who want to put on a symbolic nativity play and you have a recipe for impending disaster. Satire has many forms from parody to travesty and this conforms to the latter. But after all that happens Sister Mary stays within the strict confines of the teachings of The Church. Those who don't understand either satire or the true Church will have a problem with this film.
Dai-bosatsu tôge (1966)
One of the Most Underrated of Samurai Films
"The Sword of Doom" is one of Tatsuya Nakadai's best performances. His best in my opinion was in the role of Hidatora in Kurosawa's "RAN." Tatsuya is an unusually sensitive actor compared to other actors of his generation who seemed to spit out their lines. His facial gestures and body movement conveyed as much as words at times.The film contains one of the most memorable scenes ever shot; the fight pitting Toshiro Mifune against some 20 assassins in a snow storm borrowed by Quentin Tarantino for "Kill Bill." It is a moving narrative and at times Tatsuya reminds me of Marlon Brando in his early films in his moody performance.
It is too bad the trilogy was never finished. This was to be the first film of the trilogy which is why it leaves much of the story untold. One would have to consult the original work by the author in order to follow the story to its conclusion.
Last Man Standing (1996)
Yojimbo Rides Again.....or does it??
"Last Man Standing" with Bruce Willis might be called "Yojimbo For Dummies".It quickly covers the main parts of the story so that you are not bored with subtleties. Actually it is a remake of a remake of a remake. Let's follow the trail.
The story originated in Dashiel Hammet's novel "Red Harvest" written many years earlier than any of the films."Red Harvest" took place in a large racket-infested American City in the 20's and Kurosawa set his masterpiece "Yojimbo" in Japan as a Samurai adventure.But the story structure is essentially the same. Later it was remade with Clint Eastwood as "Fistful of Dollars." So you might say that "Last Man Standing" (gangsters) is a remake of "Fistfull of Dollars" (cowboys) which is a remake of "Yojimbo" (Samurai) which was a re-telling of "Red Harvest" (gangsters).So now it seems the tale has come full cycle.
Where the Truth Lies (2005)
A Fantastick "whodunnit" and Film Noir at Its Best
I thought "Where The Truth Lies" was one of the best films of the year along with "Crash" and "The Constant Gardner".It is really a modern sort of Rashomon. I love the cutting back and forth between the 1950's and the 1970's telling parts of the same story some 20 years apart. I never had any problem figuring out where we were and each flashback or flash forward completed different parts of the same story. And just as soon as we thought we understood what had happened as told by one character another would relate a slightly different version. Rashomon at its best. Thanks to Director Egoyan for a superb film with an excellent cast.
2 Days in the Valley (1996)
A Very Solid Film
The plot, acting and directing are outstanding in John Herzfield's "2 Days In The Valley." Brilliant performances by Paul Mazursky as a widower who is simply trying to "off" himself but wants to make sure someone takes care of his dog. James Spader as the cool maniacal hit-man who sees life in terms of a stop watch. Terry Hatcher a victim of waking up to find her ex-husband murdered. Plot complications too numerous to mention. Dany Aiello as a bumbling hit-man who has seen better days and would rather be cooking pasta. Charleze Theron looking very beautiful and deadly. Eric Stolz as a cop who is too soft hearted to bust a beautiful attendant in a massage parlor and Jeff Daniels as his fuming partner trying to clean up the valley. All comes together in John Herzfield's film which he wrote and directed.Before I saw the credits I would have guessed this was a Cohen Brothers Film what with the mixture of comedy and tragedy. Can't believe Herzfield went on to make the lame and ill-fated series "Dr. Vegas" with Rob Lowe. John, write and direct another film like this one... please.
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Samuari Code or Asmimov Robot Law
This is a well mounted and excellent action film. But as to being all about the Samurai I would question the Director's understanding of Samurai as understood and interpreted in the films of Akira Kurosawa.
WARNING: SOME MAY INTREPRET THE FOLLOWING AS A SPOILER The code involved here seems to be that a Samurai can not harm his benefactor. However, when a Samurai's life is threatened as it is in all the Kurasawa films he defends it. At no time does a Kurosawa Samurai allow his life to be taken except in defense of another human life. Other than that it is wasteful. He may walk away as in SWORD OF DOOM (which is not by Kurosawa) or he may die protecting a child as in SAMURAI REBELLION.
Now, getting beyond that it is a masterful film, well made, photographed and acted especially by Forest Whitaker. However some of the casting looks like Mob rejects. I have seen all these mob faces in other badly done mob films; except for Henry Silva who has been around for some 50 years. But even Henry doesn't seem to know what this film is about. He looks like he's going to fall down and die any minute and simply doesn't have the fear factor in his crooked smile that once existed.
My favorite character is the ice cream man wonderfully played by Isaac de Bankole a Hatian who doesn't speak a word of English but is charming in his confusion of American life. (he carries a gun in his ice cream truck) As good as it is the movie begins with a really hard logic to swallow.Because Ghost Dog has carried out an execution with an eye witness (in this case Henry Silva's daughter)the mob decides they have to go after him. Huh??? Since she's the mob boss's why does this matter? She's not going to talk. So I don't really understand why they went after Ghost Dog. Seems contrived but without this device there's no plot.
And then the other thing.....the Samurai code which seems to me to be the Asimov robot rule (you can't hurt your master).
However, it was a thoroughly entertaining film with a great performance by Forest Whitaker.
The Island (2005)
The Island -with apologies to Philip K Dick
I can't believe that someone has not spotted Philip K Dick's novel "The Penultimate Truth" in this movie plot. I hope the Philip K Dick foundation or his heirs are getting paid for this blatant plagiarism and copy write infringement called "The Island." The only difference is that in the Philip K Dick novel it was world war that had laid waste to the land not a biological catastrophe. Yes, the leaders of this society were harvesting organs to prolong their life. Yes, there was one person who discovered this and took action. This was an outstanding novel published in 1964 I think and is great reading. I recommend that everyone search it out and see if it isn't a better story than this celluloid impostor.Would have much preferred to have seen the original story as written by Philip K Dick.