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Thursday, May 28, 2009

With Honors (1994) [PG-13] ****


It's a frigid December, and four Harvard seniors are sharing an old Cambridge boarding house. There's arrogant, boorish Monty Kessler (Brendan Fraser), casual, fun-loving Courtney Blumenthal (Moira Kelly), politically radical Everett Calloway (Patrick Dempsey) and up-tight Jeffrey Hawes (Josh Hamilton). Late one night, while Monty is working on his public-policy thesis, which he expects to earn him graduation with honors, his computer hard disc crashes. With no backup disc, and only one printed copy of the thesis, Monty panics and decides to make another copy.

On the way to the copy center he slips on the icy sidewalk, and his thesis ends up in the basement of the Widener Library. With Courtney distracting the library night guard, Monty sneaks in and goes searching for his thesis. He discovers homeless Simon Wilder (Joe Pesci), living in secret in the library's basement. Simon is reading his thesis, and as he finishes each page, he tosses it into the boiler room fire. Desperate to get his thesis back, Monty agrees to Simon's extortionate demands: for each thing (meal, bath, bed for the night, etc.) that Monty provides for him, Simon will give him back one page of his thesis.

Monty has no choice, and so, what begins as distrustful animosity, grows over the following weeks and months into an uneasy partnership, and then into friendship. Both Monty and Simon learn that you cannot judge a person by his clothes, his living conditions, his past experiences or his social status. And when he learns that Simon has progressive asbestosis and needs medical attention, Monty develops some much-needed humility and compassion, and is able to put his thesis and his honors graduation into perspective.

The screenplay and acting are uniformly excellent, especially Fraser, Kelly, Pesci and Gore Vidal. Although critics panned this film, audiences generally enjoyed it, so if you appreciate poignant yet uplifting coming-of-age comedy-dramas from the '90s, films like Finding Forrester, and Good Will Hunting, you might really enjoy With Honors.

You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, not look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres in books. You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me, you shall listen to all sides and filter them from yourself.” ~ Walt Whitman, "Leaves of Grass"

Labels: christmas, college, comedy, drama, romance, tragedy
Internet Movie Database 67/100
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=39, viewers=77)



Monday, May 25, 2009

Sirens (1994) [R] ****



Sirens is set in Australia, sometime in the 1930s, at the rural home of a controversial artist who paints sensual feminine images. A clergyman and his wife visit the artist and try to convince him to remove his most controversial painting from a new exhibit in Sydney. While Sirens is a vaguely erotic film, it's really about the classic conflict between artistic freedom of expression and censorship. The artist, played by Sam Neill, believes that the viewer must decide for himself or herself which images are unacceptable. The clergyman, played by Hugh Grant, believes that once the viewer has seen the images, the damage has been done, and it's too late. Both actors are excellent in their roles, and their verbal sparring is quite entertaining.

During their visit both the clergyman and his wife, wonderfully played by Tara Fitzgerald, are forced to deal with the erotic urges aroused in them by the artist's three lovely models - the Sirens - including supermodel Elle Macpherson and actress Portia de RossiSirens is full of symbolism, and the ending is surprising, and deliciously ironic. If you enjoy period films that deal with the subject of repressed sexuality, films like Belle Époque, Enchanted April or A Room with a View, you might really enjoy Sirens.

Labels: comedy, drama
IMDb 59/100
MetaScore (critics=64, viewers=tbd)
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=63, viewers=60)
James Berardinelli's review (2.5 stars out of 4)





Stargate (1994) [PG-13] ****


Hidden for millennia beneath cover stones on the Giza Plateau in Egypt, and only uncovered during a 1928 archaeological dig, the Stargate is a ring more than twenty feet in diameter, made of a metal not found on earth. However, more than sixty more years pass before the U.S. Air Force attempts to activate the device at a secret facility in Colorado. After two years of frustration and failure, Dr. Catherine Langford (Viveca Lindfors), the civilian head of the project team, hires controversial Egyptologist Dr. Daniel Jackson (James Spader), just as Col. Jack O’Neil (Kurt Russell) takes over command of the project.

With both intuition and luck, Jackson discovers the key to activating the Stargate, which creates a wormhole between itself and a complementary device located a cosmic distance away. After an unmanned probe determines that the planetary body they’ve discovered is an atmospheric match, Jackson volunteers to be part of the military reconnaissance team, to insure they can return home. What he doesn’t understand, is that the team’s mission is not strictly scientific. And only after they goes through the Stargate and emerge on the other side of the wormhole, do they discover that the Earth-like planet they’ve found is populated with a human civilization closely linked with their own - humans who speak a language resembling ancient Egyptian, and who worship the Sun god Ra.

Directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, Godzilla, The Day After Tomorrow), Stargate features an inventive script co-written by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, which offers a totally plausible explanation for the existence of the giant pyramids on the Giza Plateau. There’s an excellent cast, especially Spader, Russell, Lindfors and Mili Avital as the girl who teaches Jackson a new, old language. Costumes, sets, cinematography, soundtrack and special effects are outstanding. Stargate is a satisfying sci-fi adventure on all levels; don’t miss it. 

Labels:  action, adventure, sci-fi, space-time
Internet Movie Database 70/100
MetaScore (critics=42, viewers=76)
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=54, viewers=76)
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Wikipedia: Stargate (film)

Star Trek: Generations (1994) [PG] ****

A film review by Betty Jo Tucker, ReelTalk Reviews.

Suppose you were faced with a choice between living in an eternity of pleasure or performing your duty in a situation filled with danger? In Star Trek: Generations, Captains Kirk and Picard must make this decision. Stalwart as they are, it is not an easy one for either man. Both have deep-seated yearnings for home and family that could be satisfied by staying in a place called the Nexus, a timeless zone of personal delights. Still, the two captains choose duty over pleasure and join forces to stop Dr. Soran, a mad scientist who is willing to destroy an entire galaxy if it helps him get back to the Nexus.

Generations is the Star Trek movie that passes the torch from Kirk (William Shatner) to Picard (Patrick Stewart). Surprisingly, of the two performances, Shatner's Kirk comes across as the most believable. It’s unfortunate that Stewart’s acting in the Picard role is not as effective on the big screen as in the television series. (His background as a Shakespearean actor doesn’t seem to help here.) Shatner gains sympathy immediately with his interpretation of Kirk’s complex reactions to loss of command while inspecting a new Starship. Later, Kirk’s tongue-in-cheek questioning of Picard before they leave the Nexus adds a welcome humanistic touch to this high-tech sci-fi adventure.

Supporting cast member Brent Spiner provides the film’s humor with his excellent portrayal of Data. This talented actor is just as watchable in the movie as on television. My favorite scene occurs after an emotion chip is implanted into Data’s android brain, causing him to catch on to jokes and to laugh unexpectedly when he remembers funny stories told to him years ago. Playing the evil Soran, Malcolm McDowell scowls, shouts, manipulates, and lies in the best tradition of outstanding film villains.

However, all actors in Generations take second place to the real star of the show -- Special Effects. From the opening shot of a champagne bottle floating in space to the pulsating ribbon of an engulfing Nexus, the film’s images dazzled me. And I have to confess they probably hypnotized me into ignoring some major plot loopholes. In fact, it took me several hours after seeing the film to start wondering how Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) got back to the Nexus -- and, if she could return to it, why an intelligent scientist was having such difficulty. But that lingering question doesn’t stop me from rating Star Trek: Generations as one of the best offerings in this popular franchise.

Labels: action, mystery, sci-fi, space-time, thriller
Internet Movie Database
Metacritic 55/100
Tomatometer (critics=48, viewers=58)
Blu-ray

Forrest Gump (1994) [PG-13] *****

A film review by James Berardinelli.

Ever find the grind of life getting you down? Is the day-to-day struggle threatening to drag you under? If so, there is a movie out there that can replenish your energy and refresh your outlook. Passionate and magical, Forrest Gump is a tonic for the weary of spirit. For those who feel that being set adrift in a season of action movies is like wandering into a desert, the oasis lies ahead.

Back when Tom Hanks' movie career was relatively new, the actor made a film called Big, which told the story of a young boy forced to grow up fast as a result of an ill-advised wish made at a carnival. In some ways, Forrest Gump represents a return to the themes of that earlier movie. In this case, the main character remains a child in heart and spirit, even as his body grows to maturity. Hanks is called upon yet again to play the innocent.

Forrest Gump (Hanks), named after a civil war hero, grows up in Greenbow, Alabama, where his mother (Sally Field) runs a boarding house. Although Forrest is a little slow (his IQ is 75, 5 below the state's definition of normal), his mental impairment doesn't seem to bother him, his mother, or his best (and only) friend, Jenny Curran (played as an adult by Robin Wright). In fact, the naiveté that comes through a limited understanding of the world around him gives Forrest a uniquely positive perspective of life.

During the next twenty-five years (1956-1981), Forrest becomes a star football player, a war hero, a successful businessman, and something of a pop icon. Through it all, however, there is one defining element in his life: his love for Jenny. She is never far from his thoughts, no matter what he's doing or where he is.

A trio of assets lifts Forrest Gump above the average life story drama: its optimism, freshness, and emotional honesty. Though the movie does not seek to reduce every member of the audience to tears, it has moments whose power comes from their simplicity. Equally as important is laughter, and Forrest Gump has moments of humor strewn throughout.

During the 60s and 70s, no topic more inflamed the turbulent national consciousness than that of Vietnam and those who were sent overseas to fight. Forrest, as might be expected, has a singular viewpoint on his time spent there: We took long walks and were always looking for this guy named Charlie. In this observation can be found the essence of the title character's nature.

Through the miracle of visual effects, Forrest meets his fair share of famous people - George Wallace, Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, and John Lennon. While mixing the real footage of these notables with new images featuring Hanks is not a seamless process, the result is nevertheless effective.

Forrest Gump has several messages, some of which are less obvious than others. The most frequently recurring theme is an admonition not to give up on life. Why surrender when you don't know what lies ahead? By contrasting Forrest's life with the lives of those around him, and by showing how the passage of time brings solace to even the most embittered hearts, the movie underlines this point.

Tom Hanks won last year's Academy Award for Philadelphia, but his performance here is more impressive. The Alabama accent may seem a little awkward at first, but it doesn't take long for the acting to dwarf the twang. Hanks has no difficulty creating a totally human character who is free of guile and deceit, and barely able to comprehend a concept like evil. Robin Wright gives the best performance of her career, surpassing what she accomplished in The Playboys. Looking and seeming like a younger Jessica Lange, she is believable as the object of Forrest's undying affection. The real scene-stealer, however, is Gary Sinise. A renowned director and theatrical actor, Sinise is probably best known to film-goers for his portrayal of George in 1992's Of Mice and Men (which he also directed). In this movie, his Lieutenant Dan Taylor is riveting. The passion and pain he brings to the middle portions of Forrest Gump hold together some of the film's weaker moments.

The soundtrack boasts a wide variety of sounds of the era -- perhaps too wide a variety. Often, music can be useful in establishing a mood, but Forrest Gump rockets into the realm of overkill. There are sequences when the choice of song is inspired (the use of Running on Empty for Forrest's long run comes to mind), but the soundtrack could have used a little pruning.

Ultimately, however, any gripes about Forrest Gump are minor. This is a marvelous motion picture -- a mint julep on a hot summer's afternoon.

Blogger's comments:
The opening scene shows a bus going by Forrest (Tom Hanks) as he sits on a bench, and the side of the bus displays an advertisement for a 1981 Chevrolet Citation. Virtually all of the film, except the final scenes when Forrest marries Jenny (Robin Wright), is done in flashback. The first identifiable date, after Forrest is fitted with his leg braces, is when he and his mother (Sally Field) walk by a store with a TV in the window displaying Elvis Presley singing Hound Dog for a nationwide TV audience on The Milton Berle Show on June 5, 1956. So we know the film covers the quarter century between 1956 and 1981.

Labels: drama, Fifties, history, reunion, romance, Sixties, Tom Hanks, war
Internet Movie Database 88/100
MetaScore (critics=82, viewers=78)
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=75, viewers=82)
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Firearms used in the film



Nobody’s Fool (1994) [R] ****

A film review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net.

Nobody's Fool is about as sublime a motion picture as is likely to come out of Hollywood. With a structure that contravenes the norm, this film concentrates on character first, letting the plot fall naturally into place. Situations are forced on neither the film's inhabitants nor on those in the audience. It's rare to sit through a drama and not feel manipulated, but the feelings generated by Robert Benton's movie are entirely natural, and likely to bring a smile to the heart.

Paul Newman gives an unforgettable performance as Donald Sullivan (or Sully, as most people know him), a cantankerous aging man living in the small, snowbound town of North Bath, New York. With the spirit of a mischievous teenager but the body of a sixty year old, Sully has the kind of infectious presence that, in his own words, grows on you. He delights in flirting with women half his age, and engages in a game of theft where he and his sometimes-boss Carl Roebuck (Bruce Willis) take turns devising creative means by which to steal a snow blower from one another.

Nobody's Fool is as much about regrets as about choices made; as much about the road not taken as the one traveled. It's about families broken apart, and parent/child relationships mended. Sully's father was a ruthless, violent drunk whom he never forgave, and that is perhaps why he was such a poor father to his own son, Peter (Dylan Walsh). When the boy was just one year old, Sully walked out on him and his mother. Now, decades later, the abandoning father is trying to make amends -- not only to his son, but to his grandson as well.

For those seeking a film with a remarkable central character, Nobody's Fool is not to be missed. Not only does it offer the best in easygoing, non-confrontational drama, but the story is told with a sense of wry, intelligent humor. In fact, the movie is so perfectly attuned to its audience that it can display Melanie Griffith's breasts without the moment's self-consciousness that so often accompanies nudity in American motion pictures.

Speaking of Griffith, this is the best acting she has done in a long time. After a string of lackluster comedies and ineffective thrillers, Nobody's Fool offers a role for which she is suited. Playing the dowdy wife of a perpetual womanizer, she finds the right mixture of strength and pathos.

Also holding his own is Bruce Willis, here in his second consecutive solid performance (on the heels of Pulp Fiction). Jessica Tandy, to whom the film is dedicated, is as effective as ever. Of course, no one can quite match Newman, who shows a chameleon-like ability to shed his star image and don a most atypical personality. This is the sort of part normally associated with a character actor of Albert Finney's status.

Quiet and enchanting in its simplicity, Nobody's Fool is a joy. Admittedly, it meanders a bit, but that's part of its charm. The intelligent sensitivity of the script, coupled with Newman's powerfully understated performance, make this motion picture special. There aren't many of them like this out there. [Berardinelli’s rating: ***½ out of 4 stars]

Labels: christmas, comedy, drama


Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Dave (1993) [PG-13] *****

Dave Kovic is a good-hearted guy who runs a little employment agency. He finds work for people, mostly by getting his friend Murray Blum to hire them as temps in Murray's accounting office. Dave also happens to look exactly like the President of the United States; a decidedly evil character named Bill Mitchell. When Dave is recruited to double for the President at a public function, and the President has a stroke, Dave finds himself thrust into a role he first resists, and then embraces, with hilarious results.

Kevin Kline is wonderful both as Dave and as President Mitchell. Sigourney Weaver is terrific as the First Lady who recognizes in Dave what her husband had the potential to be. Frank Langella is superb as Bob Alexander, the malevolent Chief of Staff. And the supporting cast is outstanding, especially Charles Grodin as Dave's friend Murray Blum, Ving Rhames as Duane Stevenson, the Secret Service agent, Kevin Dunn as Alan Reed, White House Communications Director, and Ben Kingsley as Vice-President Nance. This is a funny, heart-warming movie with a love story and a happy ending. It's a film you will enjoy again and again.

Labels: comedy, politics, rom-com-faves, romance, satire
Internet Movie Database
Tomatometer (critics=94, viewers=71)
Blu-ray

Groundhog Day (1993) [PG] *****

Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is a Pittsburgh TV weatherman. He's bored, cynical, and fed-up with everything about his job, especially the annual 85-mile pilgrimage east to Punxsutawney, PA to report on Punxsutawney Phil, a large groundhog who predicts the weather. According to tradition, when Phil emerges from his Gobbler's Knob burrow on Groundhog Day, February 2nd, if he sees his shadow it means six more weeks of winter weather. Making the trip with Phil are Larry (Chris Elliott) his cameraman, and Rita (Andie MacDowell) his new producer, who drives Phil crazy with her enthusiasm and optimism. They videotape the event, but a blizzard forces them to stay the night in Punxsutawney, and when Phil's alarm awakens him at 6AM, he discovers that it's Groundhog Day all over again.

Day after day this happens - each morning at 6AM he awakens and starts Groundhog Day all over again. Phil discovers that he can't change anything, and that nothing he does has any consequences. At first he lives only for pleasures and thrills, enjoying gluttony, armored car theft and pleasures of the flesh. But after failing to seduce Rita, Phil becomes depressed and tries several forms of suicide, all without success. And so, gradually Phil begins to change himself; he explores self-improvement - studying French, piano and ice sculpture. Next he discovers service - rescuing people from injury and death. Finally Phil realizes that what he really wants is a deep, loving relationship with Rita.


This is a wonderful story about personal growth; Danny Rubin's screenplay is wildly creative with well-crafted scenes and memorable dialog. Director Harold Ramis elicits endearing performances from Murray and MacDowell, who have good romantic chemistry, and he also gets fine supporting performances from Chris Elliott and from Stephen Tobolowsky as Ned, an old high school classmate of Phil's. If you enjoy stories about people trapped by time, like Pleasantville, you won't want to miss Groundhog Day. 


Labels: comedy, fantasy, rom-com-faves, romance, space-time
Internet Movie Database
Metacritic 72/100
Tomatometer (critics=96, viewers=87)
Blu-ray

Indian Summer (1993) [PG-13] ****

This is a charming, nostalgic story about eight thirty-something adults who come to a reunion at the summer camp they attended as teenagers, to relive the warm, carefree summers they spent sailing, canoeing, swimming, hiking, growing up and falling in love.

There's Beth (Diane Lane) recently widowed, who had met and fallen in love with her late husband at camp, and who wanted to immerse herself in camp memories and be sad; Matt (Vincent Spano) and Kelly (Julie Warner) who had also met at camp, had married years later, raised two children and whose marriage has grown silent and passionless, as Matt has become resentful of his job and his life responsibilities; Jennifer (Elizabeth Perkins) who once had a passionate summer camp romance with Matt, and who is lonely and feeling that life is passing her by; Brad (Kevin Pollak), Matt's cousin and hard-driving business partner, who designs and manufactures outdoor apparel, who plays practical jokes and who is out of touch with his feelings; Jamie (Matt Craven) who is single and a player, and who has brought his current girlfriend Gwen (Kimberly Williams), whom he'd met on the ski slopes at Aspen and who is barely twenty-one; and Jack (Bill Paxton) who has come all the way from L.A. because he needs to find and return something he'd stolen and buried in anger long ago.

And drawing them all together is Unca Lou Handler (Alan Arkin) the camp's aging owner, who had guided and counseled them through so many long-ago summers, and who wants to share with them some stories about the camp's past and some ideas about its future.

If you love warm-hearted, character-driven, nostalgia-rich, reunion-themed films like The Big Chill and When Harry Met Sally..., then you won't want to miss Indian Summer. It's a film that will reconnect you with your own youth, and your memories of summertime and camping, a film you will want to revisit again and again.

Labels: comedy, drama, reunion, rom-drama-faves, romance
Internet Movie Database 6.5/10
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=56, viewers=72)
Blu-ray
Roger Ebert's review 3 of 4 stars



Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Sleepless in Seattle (1993) [PG] ****

Sam Baldwin is a Chicago architect. After Maggie, his beloved wife, falls ill and dies, every place Sam goes reminds him of her. Needing real change, Sam and his seven-year-old son Jonah move to Seattle. Jonah misses his mother and fears he's forgetting her. One night, eighteen months later, Jonah calls Dr. Marsha, a radio talk-show therapist, and asks her to help him find a new wife for his dad - and a new mother for him.

Dr. Marsha persuades Jonah to put Sam on the phone, and thousands of women listening in open their hearts to him; Dr. Marsha is deluged with letters addressed to Sleepless in Seattle. One listener, Annie Reed, is a reporter for the Baltimore Sun. Sam's story touches her deeply; despite the fact that she's engaged, she's irresistibly drawn to Sam. She hires a private investigator, tracks Sam down in Seattle and writes him a letter inviting him to meet her on the top of the Empire State Building on St. Valentine's Day - just like in An Affair to Remember. Jonah replies, pretending to be Sam, agreeing to meet.

How Jonah gets from Seattle to New York, and what Sam does when he finds Jonah missing forms the emotional, compelling third act of this heart-warming, Holiday-season romantic comedy-drama. Nora Ephron's Oscar-nominated screenplay is matched by perfect performances from Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan and Ross Malinger as Jonah, and from Bill Pullman as Walter, Annie's fiance, Rosie O'Donnell as Becky, her confidant, and Barbara Garrick as Victoria, Sam's girlfriend. The memorable soundtrack includes some great classic ballads.

This is a film for the hopelessly romantic, for someone who believes in love at first sight, in destiny and in signs. It's as though the Fates have a plan to bring Sam and Annie together, so two half-lives can be made whole, and create a loving home for a little boy who yearns for a new mother and for happiness for his father. If you enjoyed The Santa ClauseWalt Disney's The Kid or The Rookie, I predict you will really treasure Sleepless in Seattle.

Labels: comedy, drama, rom-com-faves, romance, Tom Hanks
IMDb 68/100
MetaScore (critics=72, viewers=71)
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=66, viewers=76)
Blu-ray
James Berardinelli review *** out of 4 stars


Houseboat at 2460 Westlake Ave, Seattle



Alki Beach Ave at 58th Ave SW



Duke's Seafood at Alki Beach Ave and 58th Ave SW










For Love or Money (1993) [PG] **

Doug Ireland (Michael J. Fox) is a New York City hotel concierge with a dream. He wants to turn an old Roosevelt Island building he's found into a hotel. He's optioned the property, written a business plan and pitched the idea to wealthy real-estate developer Christian Hanover (Anthony Higgins). When Doug learns that Hanover is going to fund his project, he's excited. But when he learns that Hanover's mistress is Andy Hart (Gabrielle Anwar), the lovely, young salesgirl he's been ardently pursuing, Doug bitterly reminds himself: Don't want what you can't have.

This is supposed to be a romantic comedy, but there isn't much romance, probably because Fox has never been a strong romantic lead. He's typically depicted as assertive and hyperactive, and usually paired with sweet, innocent actresses such as Lea Thompson in Back to the Future and Tracy Pollan in the Family Ties TV series. Casting Gabrielle Anwar in For Love or Money was consistent with this pattern. Twenty-two when the film was shot, she's more teenage ingénue than femme fatale. Despite wearing tightly-fitting outfits to make her look sexy and mature, Anwar still looks more like Higgins' daughter than his mistress. Viewers who expect a Fox-Anwar romance will be disappointed. There's almost no chemistry between the two, and the screenplay barely develops their relationship. As a result this film will be mainly enjoyed by fans of Fox and those who like Anwar's earlier work.

Labels: comedy, romance
Internet Movie Database
Tomatometer (critics=32, viewers=46) 


Monday, May 18, 2009

Mansfield Park (1999) [PG-13] ****

A film review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net, edited by the blogger.

Mansfield Park has always been viewed as Jane Austen's most confounding novel. Scholars are divided over its literary merit, and many Austen lovers prefer to ignore its existence altogether, seeing it as a kind of black sheep in the author's catalog of six completed, published books. Mansfield Park has also intimidated filmmakers. With the exception of a BBC miniseries, this novel has never been adapted for a visual medium until now. Canadian director Patricia Rozema's radical approach to the material will leave some Austen fans staring blankly at the screen in stunned disbelief. Others, including those who have not read the book, will be delighted by the changes and will see Mansfield Park as a welcome addition to the recent wave of impeccably produced Austen movies.

There are three primary problems associated with filming Mansfield Park. In the first place, the text is long; this is Austen's second most verbose novel. Secondly, it's a deeply introspective work, with much of the action taking place inside the heroine's head. Finally, that heroine, Fanny Price, is passive and difficult to like. To put her on screen the way she is on the written page would risk driving viewers away. Rozema's innovative and possibly controversial solution has been to change the text. In streamlining the plot, scenes and characters have been eliminated. Rozema also allows Fanny Price to address the camera, reducing the use of the voiceover narrative. And, most importantly, the director has altered Fanny's personality by injecting a great deal of Austen into her. The result is a hybrid of author and creation. Fanny has often been regarded as the most autobiographical of Austen's characters; Rozema has simply taken this one logical step further. As a result, this Fanny is bright, funny, and affable, despite being a wild beast and having a tongue that is sharper than a guillotine. We don't have any problem rooting for her happiness.

As freely as she subtracts from Austen's text, so Rozema also adds. Four subtle themes from the written version of Mansfield Park are brought into the open. As one might expect from a director with Rozema's resume (I've Heard the Mermaids Singing, When Night Is Falling), there is a strong feminist streak in the movie. Austen has always been viewed as a proto-feminist, but Fanny's strength of character and independence here go beyond what's in the book. Condemnation of the slave trade, a hidden theme in the novel, is considerably fleshed out. There are also strong hints of lesbianism and incest. And Mansfield Park becomes the first Austen-based movie to contain a sex scene. [Note: a different, less graphic version of this scene has been used in the theatrical release than the one shown to film festival audiences. Rozema made the change of her own volition.]

Some Austen purists will undoubtedly howl with the same kind of outrage voiced by Shakespeare enthusiasts when they viewed Baz Luhrmann's sacrilegious version of Romeo + Juliet. It's as if a strict, slavish adherence to the text is the only way to film a novel. That sort of standard approach was used to excellent effect for the astonishingly beautiful 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice – but the finished product ran so long [more than 4½ hours], that it couldn't have been presented in theaters. Adapted in full, Mansfield Park would have been as long, and far less engaging. Rozema has distilled the novel into a form that is more accessible, yet still faithful to Austen's themes, ideas, and basic storyline. For the record, the director made an intensive study of Austen before writing the screenplay, and, as is stated in the opening credits, she uses excerpts from Austen's journals and early writings in the script; they are the text of Fanny's letters and stories. Those familiar with Austen only through the other movies will find Mansfield Park to be much in the same vein as what has preceded it to the screen.

The film begins just after the turn of the 18th century. Young Fanny Price (played by Hannah Taylor Gordon as a child, Amelia Warner as a teenager and Frances O'Connor as an adult) is shipped off from her squalid home in Portsmouth to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram in the country estate of Mansfield Park. Once there, she feels isolated and lonely, with life being like a quick succession of busy nothings. Because of her inferior social class, she is treated as an outcast by most of the family: Sir Thomas Bertram (Harold Pinter), Lady Bertram (Lindsay Duncan, who also plays Fanny’s mother Mrs. Price), and cousins Tom, Edmund, Maria, and Julia. She is not your equal, Sir Thomas instructs his children. But that must never be apparent to her. Only Edmund (Philip Sarson as a child, Jonny Lee Miller as an adult), the Bertrams' second son, is kind and open. He takes an interest in Fanny's writings, and, over the years, they become friends – and perhaps a little more. Although Edmund is seemingly oblivious to it, Fanny has fallen in love with him, and her affection is more than that of one cousin for another.

The scene shifts ahead at least a decade, and life at Mansfield Park is considerably shaken by the appearance of Henry and Mary Crawford (Alessandro Nivola and Embeth Davidtz), a cosmopolitan brother and sister who arrive from London in search of wealthy, marriageable prey. Much to Fanny's dismay, Mary sets her sights on Edmund, and he appears receptive to her overtures. Meanwhile, although Henry initially flirts with all the eligible young women at Mansfield Park, his attention eventually focuses on Fanny. He likes a challenge, and she provides it. Her reluctance only fuels his desire, but she does not trust him (his sole interest is in being loved, not in loving [another]) and she is distracted and dismayed by the growing bond between Edmund and Mary.

One prevalent theme in all of Austen's writings is evident in Mansfield Park: the woman who follows her heart rather than succumbing to society's conventions finds happiness. Those who marry for wealth or position inevitably end up despondent. Fanny resists Henry's overtures because she loves Edmund. One of Rozema's most successful changes is to soften Henry's character so he appears to be a sincere and viable match for Fanny. This makes the romantic twists and turns of the narrative less sure than those of Pride and Prejudice, Emma, or Sense and Sensibility. Even someone familiar with the book may be surprised by Fanny's reaction to one of Henry's proposals.

The quality of acting in Mansfield Park is variable. This could be attributed to Rozema's determination to avoid the usual suspects. A few of the cast members don't seem comfortable in their period costumes. The most credible performances are given by Hannah Taylor Gordon and Frances O'Connor. O’Connor effectively uses facial expressions to convey emotion, and part of the reason we like Fanny is because of the energy and spirit O'Connor imbues her with. Unfortunately, her co-stars aren't on the same level. Alessandro Nivola and Embeth Davidtz are adequate, but the depth of their acting doesn't match O'Connor's. More uneven is Jonny Lee Miller, whose portrayal of Edmund is occasionally uninvolving and even a little flat. Offbeat play director Harold Pinter has a strong turn as Sir Thomas.

With an agenda as ambitious as Rozema's, there are bound to be areas of potential dissatisfaction. One of the most discussed and visible elements of the movie is the way in which it deals with slavery and the abolitionist movement – two hot button subjects when the novel was written. In one scene, we see Fanny's horror as she looks at the sketch pad of Tom Bertram (James Purefoy) in which he depicts the mistreatment of African slaves on the family’s sugar cane plantation on the island of Antigua. [Sugar was the main crop produced on plantations throughout the Caribbean in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Most islands were covered with sugar cane fields, and mills for refining it. The main source of labor, until the abolition of chattel slavery, was enslaved Africans.] At that instant, Fanny realizes the source of the Bertrams' wealth and comfort. Conceived and executed by Rozema, it is a darker moment than anything Austen ever committed to paper (although it is in keeping with clues found in the book). However, while there is undeniable heft to these sub-themes, and they broaden Mansfield Park's dramatic base considerably, Rozema fails to integrate them smoothly into the overall narrative, making them seem grafted on to the larger whole.

While Mansfield Park is substantially different from the other recent Austen films, it retains a few links, not only in terms of content, but with regard to some of those who were involved in the production. Jane Gibson worked as a choreographer on Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility (1995) as well as Mansfield Park. The same dual credit can be assigned to cinematographer Michael Coulter. And actress Victoria Hamilton, who plays Maria Bertram, is in her third Austen movie; she portrayed Mrs. Forster in Simon Langton's Pride and Prejudice and Henrietta Musgrove in Roger Mitchell's Persuasion.

Of all the Austen novels to reach the big or small screen during the '90s, this one makes the most departures from its source material. From a technical standpoint, Mansfield Park is gorgeously composed, with standout production design and stunning cinematography. The screenplay achieves the difficult goal of making Mansfield Park both accessible to and engaging for a modern audience. Overall, this is a fine addition to the filmed Austen canon, even though it may not suffice as a primer for students who have been assigned to read the book. And until the release of Northanger Abbey [in 2007], Rozema's Mansfield Park should slake nearly every movie-goer's thirst for the most beloved female author of the pre-Victorian 1800s. [Berardinelli’s rating: 3 stars out of 4 = 75%]

Labels: comedy, drama, lesbian, period, romance


A River Runs Through It (1992) [PG] ****

A film review by James Berardinelli.

Watching A River Runs Through It is a little like leafing through an old photograph album. It conjures up feelings and images, many of them bittersweet, and all of them nostalgic. This is one of those motion pictures that truly transports you to another time and another place.

A River Runs Through It is a simple story about a typical, early-twentieth century Montana family. It traces the lives of two brothers from boyhood to adulthood. Water -- and a river in particular -- is an important symbol for the twisting, rocky path of life, and it's never far from any scene. In fact, this may be a case of imagery being too obvious.

The two main characters, Norman and Paul Maclean, are portrayed by a pair of up-and-coming young actors, Craig Sheffer as Norman and Brad Pitt as his younger brother Paul. Tom Skerritt, as the boys' father, Brenda Blethyn as their mother, and Emily Lloyd, as Norman's girlfriend Jessie, lead a team of equally-solid supporting players. Skerritt especially has a daunting job, which he carries off with aplomb: showing the loving, caring man beneath the stiff, Puritanical preacher's facade.

The cinematography (by Philippe Rousselot) is on par with the best of the year. This is a beautifully-shot film, and director Robert Redford (who also provides the voice-over narration) has paid painstaking attention to detail. The subtle humor is unforced and character-based. One of the best elements of A River Runs Through It is the effectively understated romance that develops. This has the feel of something genuine: sweet, touching, and sentimental. In that way, it is much like the movie as a whole.

A River Runs Through It avoids manipulating the audience's emotions, even though it has numerous chances to do so. Events happen; they aren't forced on us. Through this straightforward method of storytelling, the impact is strengthened. A River Runs Through It is a fine motion picture and, if it's a little slow in parts (especially the beginning), those moments are worth sitting through to experience the rest.

Blogger's comment and SPOILER ALERT: The film's ending takes considerable liberties with historical fact. Although Paul worked for the Helena Bee newspaper he protested when his older brother suggested he come to Dartmouth with him, saying that he'd never leave Montana. In fact, Paul did attend Dartmouth either with or after his brother. Also, the film ends with Paul's murder in Missoula, suggesting that it was because of his bad debts and also possibly because he had a Native American girlfriend which was frowned upon. In actual fact, Paul was murdered in 1938 on the streets of Chicago where he'd gone to work and be close to older brother Norman and his wife Jessie. Paul had just cashed his paycheck and there was speculation he had been murdered for the money. Also, there's a scene, probably around 1944, showing Reverend Maclean preaching at the First Presbyterian Church in Missoula, with Mrs. Maclean, Norman, Jessie and their two young children seated in the pews. Since Rev. Maclean died in 1941, and Norman and Jessie's two children were born in 1942 and 1943, this is fictional. Also, the final scene shows an aging Norman Maclean fly-fishing in the Big Blackfoot River. Since he died in Chicago in 1990 at age 87, it's unlikely. So, despite reviewer James Berardinelli's protestations, it's pretty clear the film does attempt to manipulate viewer emotions and, although subtle, plays the race card as well. It seems Redford could not resist making a political statement.

Label: drama, period, reunion, romance, rom-drama-faves, sport, tragedy


Sunday, May 17, 2009

Belle Époque (1992) [R] *****



Belle Époque or Belle Epoque (The Age of Beauty), is Spain's brief period of freedom and tranquility between the end of the monarchy and the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. The film stars Jorge Sanz as Fernando, an innocent, young army deserter wandering the Spanish countryside. He finds himself at the home of Don Manolo (Fernando Fernan Gomez) a wealthy, aging artist with four beautiful daughters. Unable to believe his good fortune, Fernando cannot decide which of the girls to romance. The girls decide for him and each of them seduces Fernando in turn. The daughters include Violeta (Ariadna Gil), adventurous and bisexual; Rocio (Maribel Verdu), glamorous, sensuous and free-spirited; Clara (Miriam Diaz Aroca), a repressed widow who yearns for a companion; and Luz (
Penelope Cruz) - the youngest, a virgin who wishes she were not.

Don Manolo's home becomes a kind of paradise for Fernando. He has everything he could wish for: freedom, friendship, love, sex, stimulating conversation, cuisine, art... all the things that make life interesting. Of course we know that it cannot last. There is political turmoil under the surface. Four forces - the monarchy, the church, fascism and communism - are contesting for control of Spain, just as Don Manolo's four beautiful daughters are competing for Fernando's affections. Belle Époque won nine Goyas (Spanish Oscars) in 1992, as well as the 1994 Academy Award for best Foreign Language Film. It can be appreciated as a light bedroom farce, as a social commentary on 1930's Spain, or as an anti-war political statement. You can watch the DVD in Spanish with English subtitles, or with the English language soundtrack.

Labels: comedy, drama, French-language, romance
Internet Movie Database
Tomatometer (critics=94, viewers=77)
Blu-ray