Now Blogging on the Seattle PI

Hey peeps. My blog has moved to the Seattle PI for now. Check it out!
http://blog.seattlepi.com/reviewerguy/

The Reviewer Guy Happily Wanders Thru Land of the Lost

For those of you over 30 and remember a little Saturday morning kids show in the 70's by Sid and Marty Krofft called Land of the Lost about the Marshall family who fall through a rift in time into an alternate prehistoric universe where they encounter dinosaurs, primates and lizard beings called Sleestacks was campy good fun. The effects were cheesy but as a kid, who care. Now, 25 years after its debut, the Kroffts have produced Land of the Lost (LotL) to the big screen starring Will Ferrell as Dr. Rick Marshall. It is a blast. After seeing clips and endless promotion of the film, I admit it looked dumb, but I was pleasantly surprised. You can say this is more of a reboot than a remake, as Rick Marshall goes into LotL with Will and Holly, but Holly is a scientist and Will is a trailer trash owner of a pathetic cave ride and souvenirs tailored for the mind of pre pubescent boys.

The film opens with a hilarious interview of Dr. Marshall on the Today show with Matt Lauer (Matt Lauer can surprisingly act) where Dr. Marshall is a quantum paleontologist. The interview is a disaster and Dr. Marshall becomes a laughing stock in the scientific community. But, a sexy scientist from Cambridge, Holly Cantrell (Anna Friel) pays him a visit and gives him the strength to complete his invention that could make them travel sideways in time. They set out to prove Marshall's time travel theory correct, where they encounter Will Stanton (Danny McBride) and they get sucked into a space-time vortex, where they save the life of a primate name Chaka (Jorma Taccone) and the adventure to try to find their way home begins. Here they try to survive a grumpy Tyrannosaurus Rex, blood sucking bugs, hallucinogenic coconuts, pterodactyls and a plot by the lizard creature Sleestacks to take over the world.

Now, done the wrong way, this movie could've descended into a giant painful cheeseball fest, but Brad Siberling's direction keeps the film flowing, funny and entertaining. Don't get me wrong, this is not a film to be taken seriously, but in the silliness that it is intended. There are some truly laugh out loud moments in here. Sure, there is predictability and corny lines (mainly from McBride, who I felt overall was the weakest of the actors) but the film works and I am surprised by how much it is getting trashed. Taccone was a treat as Chaka, Friel is solid enough as Holly but this is clearly Ferrell's vehicle and he does not disappoint. I am not the biggest fan of Ferrell (especially his sports related films) but he is hilarious and perfectly cast as Marshall. There is no denying his strength as a comedic actor. Land of the Lost is much better than its given credit for. If you like the TV show, you will really enjoy this version and even if you never saw the show before, you will have fun. Give it a chance. I rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars and is now playing in a theater near you.

The Reviewer Gets Dragged to Hell

Drag Me to Hell written and directed by Sam Raimi is to put it bluntly...Awful. I have to say that when I heard Sam Raimi was taking a break from Spider Man to go back to directing his first true horror film since Army of Darkness, I was looking forward to it. Then when I saw the trailers and now the film, I feel like telling Sam to stick, with Spider Man for now because he's lost his horror movie directing edge.

A tale of bad things happen to good people is taken to the extreme when a sweet, innocent loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) fails to give an extension on a mortgage to a decrepit gypsy woman Sylvia Ganush (Lorna Raver), Mrs Ganush decides to put a hex on sweet little Christine whereby a demon will come to...you know, the title gives it away, unless she can find a way to reverse the curse. She sets out doing this with the help from her ever so accommodating boyfriend Clay Dalton (Justin Long) and a psychic medium Rham Jas (Dileep Rao).

The film is boring, full of horror cliches that are not scary and the laughs are not that funny. There is one scene featuring embalming fluid that was pretty funny, I'll give it that. The key ingredient missing in this film was Bruce Campbell not having a cameo, which would've provided needed comic relief. The acting is sorely lacking. Alison Lohman just doesn't live truthfully under any of the given and imaginary circumstances that befall her. She certainly didn't have a feeling about what was happening to her. Don't get me started on Justin Long. He simply looks clueless and I am just not sure why he is so popular. He looks like he is sleep walking through the film. I will say that Dileep Rao brings some sort of depth to his character as the medium and there are times when I felt something from him. Lorna Raver does a good job as the hexing gypsy woman but unfortunately neither she nor Dileep can save the film.

As for Sam Raimi, I was expecting more from the horror maven. This is a boring and sloppy film. I felt cheated. He essentially rigs up a lot of the same cheap gimmicks from the Evil Dead series into this mind numbing story. It was disappointing because it feels like Sam just needed something to do while waiting to make Spider Man 4. If you are a fan of mainstream horror that lacks any depth or thrills than this is the film for you. Otherwise, save your money. I give Drag Me to Hell 1 out of 5 stars. It is currently playing at a theater near you.

The Reviewer Takes On Terminator: Salvation

Another summer blockbuster is upon us with McG's Terminator Salvation. A prequel set in the future to the Terminator series. To those familiar with the Terminator story, the film takes place in 2018, years after the military computer system called Skynet has become self aware. Having deemed humans a threat and in what humans call Judgement Day, Skynet launches a nuclear assault wiping out most of mankind. The rest are hunted by machines called Terminators. However, there is hope for mankind in the form of the legendary resistance fighter, John Connor(Christian Bale). The film centers around the resistance to the machines. Connor is tasked with finding a teenage Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin, who is our hero from the first Terminator who, as you recall, traveled back in time to save John's mother Sarah Connor) who, like Connor is targeted for execution. Into the mix is a mysterious "man" called Marcus, who in 2003 was executed but donated his body to Cyberdyne Systems (and for those Terminator fanboys and girls, we know who Cyberdyne is) and resurfaces after 15 years. But is he friend or foe? It is a race against time for the resistance against the dreaded machines.

Now, I'm a huge fan of the Terminator series, except for the terrible TV show. I had always been curious about what a film would be like that explored the time of John Connor taking on the machines in the future. However, I was skeptical when I heard McG would be the one to show us this future. But, he does a pretty decent job. The action is really good and the effects are fantastic. The first half of the film is exciting and keeps your interest. Unfortunately, it cannot sustain itself as holes in the plot become apparent and there is suspension of disbelief that is just too unbelievable to the point of laughable. There are some clever references to the previous Terminator films and a very special surprise in store. You will recognize the catch phrases, although one made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger is force fed into the dialogue that it is just too contrived.

As for the acting, a lot has been made of Christian Bale's meltdown on the set that became viral several months ago and I for one have been very critical of Mr. Bale for doing that. But, he does a good job as John Connor. He did not play him with any Hollywood swagger, but a believable soldier who is in a very tough spot, he is reminiscent of the way Michael Biehn portrayed Reese in the first Terminator. All business. But, Bale does it with more finesse and frankly is a better actor. He was living out his imaginary circumstance with truthfulness and is effective. Anton Yelchin, (certainly has a good agent, getting the job as Reese and also portraying Chekov in Star Trek) does an adequate job as Reese but is fairly forgettable. Sam Worthington as Marcus is a worthy partner for Bale and they seemed to play off each other fairly well. Rounding out the cast are veterans, Helena Bonham Carter and Michael Ironside who also do a good job in their respective limited roles.

Overall, this is a so so film with great action sequences. I give Terminator Salvation 2.5 out of 5 stars and is currently playing at a theater near you.

The Reviewer Is Collaborating with Valkyrie

Valkyrie, available this week on DVD and Blu-Ray is based on actual events concerning a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the height of WWII by his own officers. Bryan Singer's film is a fast paced suspenseful thriller that feels like a plot from Mission Impossible. The star studded film keeps the action going and even intriguing even for those that know the history of the failed assassination attempt. However, it's not enough to try to kill Hitler but you also have to plan to take over the government and here is where some of the finer scenes of the film take place in the frenetic chase between the conspirators and the loyal Nazi party members eager to stamp out the traitors. The film does a good job of being clear as to why these particular men wanted to overthrow the Nazi regime and restore Germany's tattered reputation in the world.

The main problem for me is the lack of German accents or language in the film. We are basically seeing the whole internal battle of German soldiers/politicians and their Nazi counterparts all played by mostly British and American actors, led by Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Now, a lot of negative feedback has been given about Mr. Cruise's performance and I cannot disagree with a lot of it. He appeared to be a boy surrounded by men and was certainly not the strongest actor of any scene he was in when compared with Kenneth Branaugh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson and Terence Stamp. Ok, he was better than Eddie Izzard, but not by much. He seemed to just be reciting his lines with no connection or feeling behind them and when feeling did come out, it felt forced and rarely could I feel him having clarity about the person he was portraying, who happens to be a German hero. All these fine veteran actors were living out their circumstances meaningfully. I was not impressed by the few lines of German spoken by Mr. Cruise at the opening of the film but then we hear good old English the rest of the way. I mean why bother? There wasn't even any German accents, with the exception of two; David Bamber as Hitler and Thomas Kretschmann as Major Otto van Remer.

Aside, from that, this is a good film that is worth seeing. The writing was crisp and engaging, while Bryan Singer's direction was sure and confident. It's a pity that Tom Cruise could not catapult this film to be great, but then again, that is a rare occurrence. I give Valkyrie 3 out of 5 stars.

The Reviewer Conjured Angels and Demons

The somewhat anticipated sequel to The DaVinci Code; Ron Howard's Angels and Demons has arrived and all I can say out of the shoot is...I'm not impressed.
The story based on Dan Brown's best selling novel is actually a prequel to The DaVinci Code but the filmmakers decide to make it a sequel and add a couple of glib references to DaVinci lest we should forget that whole controversial plot.
Tom Hanks reprises his role as Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, who is called upon by the Vatican to uncover a supposed plot by the secret society and Catholic hatin' Illuminati. Apparently, they are back and ready for revenge. The story takes place amidst the death of the Pope and the successor process known as the Conclave. What transpires in the tedious 138 minutes is a whirlwind of Wikipedia references and jaunts into Vatican archives and catacombs in a race against time to stop a killer and to prevent a cataclysmic event. Who else would you call but a symbologist to solve the case? The film like it's predecessor is replete with intrigue, betrayal and pseudo history. However, unlike the DaVinci Code, which the entire Christian world was dead set against, I did not feel this was an anti-Catholic film as many Catholic spokespersons would lead you to believe. Sure there are references about the Catholic Churchs' long history that are not too flattering but I didn't find the overall message to be negative, just fear based.

The film left me feeling flat and bored. The action is manufactured and the acting, uninspired. Tom Hanks looked a lot like he was going through the motions, waiting for the film to end. For a guy who was racing against time, he seemed to forget a lot about how much of a hurry he was in. In acting parlance, this made his activity less meaningful & unimportant which leads us to not care about his success in the end. At times, his acting chops shone brightly, but they were quite few and far between. Ewan McGregor plays Camerlengo Patrick McKenna who is essentially the Pope's assistant. I felt like he wanted to have a strong feeling about what he was saying but it didn't come across that way. Stellan Skarsgard who plays Commander Richter played it close to the vest and with the right amount of authority but little else. Ayelet Zurer plays scientist Vittoria Vetra. She didn't connect with Hanks at all, it was an awkward relationship. However, she actually had a fleeting moment of connection with Ewan. Armin Mueller-Stahl plays Cardinal Strauss with his usual cold, calculating control. Lastly, Nikolaj Lie Kaas is the Assassin and talk about someone with no clarity about his character at all. He had no feeling about the what and why about doing what he was doing. It was quite annoying.

The screenplay by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman is full of forced historical references to show how smart they are but there is no substance to the words. Ron Howard's direction is fundamentally fine but he gives us a film that ultimately lacks depth or excitement. It's just flat. I did enjoy the Cinematography and really loved seeing the art and sculpture of Vatican City and Rome, especially showcasing Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Teresa.

Overall, Angels and Demons is a contrived, plodding film that has no heart but features a hopeful message. I give the film 2 out of 5 stars and is currently playing at a theater near you.

The Reviewer Goes to Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

Those incorrigible Vampires and Lycans (werewolves) are back for the 3rd installment in the Underworld series, Rise of the Lycans; out this week on DVD and Blu Ray. This time it's a prequel to see what started the war in the first place. Fans of the series will no doubt be pleased with the result, especially if you're an adolescent boy (man if I was 13 I would've rocked this film). This installment is kind of like Romeo and Juliet meets Spartacus. All you need to know of the story is this. In the Dark Ages, the Vampire Coven leader Viktor (Bill Nighy) finds the first human born werewolf hybrid Lycan child, who he called Lucian (Michael Sheen) and raised him as a slave to create more hybrids for labor purposes (I mean, a vampire can’t get his nails dirty building castles now can he) and to serve as protectors of the Vampires from the dreaded pure blood Lycans. Now, Viktor has a rebellious daughter, Sonja (Rhona Mitra) and the 2 fall in love and the star crossed lovers have a clandestine affair and after a piece of nasty business by Victor towards Lucian, she helps slave Lucian escape to dire consequences from dear old daddy. But not before Lucian inspires his fellow slaves to revolt. Meaning, the war is on.
The whole film is pretty anti-climactic because in the first Underworld, the whole origin of the war was explained to us. We are just witnessing what transpired. If you are new to the Underworld series. You could simply start by watching this film and then go back to Underworld. The choice is yours.

Aside from the overly predictability and clichés, the film has a plethora of battle scenes which still feature Matrix like choreography mixed with Lord of the Rings style combat. In a word, it’s unoriginal. The cgi effects of the werewolves are laughable in there simplicity. As for the acting. Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy reprise their roles from the first film as Lucian and Victor. Michael Sheen does a pretty good job again as Lucian. He has clearly gone onto bigger and better things but he took the role seriously and still brought clarity and emotion to the character, especially when it came to whom Sonja and Viktor were to him. Bill Nighy, on the other hand was more over the top than he was in the original and at times becomes silly when he would throw a fit. I also didn’t feel he had any connection to his fellow cast, especially the relationship with his daughter Sonja. Which leads me to Rhona Mitra. She is a strikingly beautiful woman (the Director of Photography must surely have been smitten, judging from all the pretty close ups of her). But, they pretty much tried to make her be a clone of Selene (Kate Beckinsale’s role in the first 2 films) and she did not do a good job. Try as she might, I didn’t believe her relationship with either her father or Lucian and therefore didn’t feel any connection to her at all..
Overall, Director Patrick Tatopoulos gives us a faithful prequel in the Underworld series and considering they made a profit more stories in the Underworld series are likely to follow. I give Underworld: Rise of the Lycans 2 out of 5 stars.

The Reviewer Beames Up for Star Trek

The eagerly anticipated reboot of the the Star Trek series finally has arrived with (technically the 11th film in the series) the self titled Star Trek by the popular new action/drama wunderkind JJ Abrams at the helm. In full disclosure I need to point out that I have been a huge Star Trek fan (mainly Next Generation) for a long time. When I heard they wanted to give a much needed jump start to the franchise by making a prequel, I was skeptical. I mean, c'mon, do we really need to see a movie of Kirk and Spock Go to Starfleet. But, for all intent and purpose, JJ Abrams has done a pretty good job of making a younger, slicker and action packed Star Trek that introduces us to these beloved characters that have been satirized and joked about for decades.

The film straddles the two worlds of hardcore Trekkies and non Trekkies alike by exploring the origins of the two main characters...James Tiberius Kirk and a half human/half Vulcan named Spock. Unbeknown to them, they share a common bond of family tragedy in their lives. We meet them both as precocious children in their own right. The rebellious Kirk and the ever logical Spock. But, what I liked is they give Spock more freedom of expression than what we would see in the original series and the subsequent first 6 films. Mercifully, we are quickly taken through their days of Star Fleet and how they came to join the Academy. Their paths of getting there were similar in its guise and it is here that we also are introduced to Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy who quickly befriends Kirk. All this while, the evil Captain Nero of the enemy Romulans is wrecking havoc on the galaxy and it is up to our young and inexperienced heroes traveling in the newly christened Enterprise to save the day, which you know they will...it's Star Trek.

Before I get into what is good about the film let me say what I didn't like about it. Aside from the usual predictability and necessary suspension of disbelief. I was not at all interested in the evil Romulan threat, it wasn't interesting enough. And of course, in Star Trek world, when in doubt throw in a time travel plot line. I also felt JJ rushed through the introductions of the characters and giving some of them like McCoy cute dialogue that is representative of how we have come to know these characters in the past. The climax was also quick and clean, without any real suspense. It also seemed that you can go higher in rank pretty easy in Starfleet. I'll get into the acting soon enough. What I liked about the film was the special effects were fantastic, seeing Leonard Nimoy again as Spock. He certainly still remembers the characterization very well. Trekkies will love bringing in Captain Pike but he seemed to be an afterthought once we are settled on to the Enterprise. Finally, I really enjoyed the push/pull relationship between Kirk and Spock. The all important element of chemistry is evident and like all great duo's, without the solid chemistry between them, the film would just fall flat. That was JJ's best handiwork.

As for the acting. First of all, before I get slammed with angry messages, let me just say that Star Trek is not a story that demands stellar acting. However, as an actor, good work is demanded of you at all times to make the story truthful. Chris Pine who portrays the iconic James T Kirk grows on you. He embody's the characteristics we know about Kirk, a horny, rebel who plays by his own rules. But, except for one occasion he made Kirk his own with no trace of William Shatner and I applaud him for that. Zachary Quinto (Sylar from Heroes) brought emotional depth underneath all that logic and I thought he was the best of them all. The great Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead himself) was pretty funny as Scotty and I welcomed his comic relief. As for Karl Urban as McCoy. He was highly irritating. He essentially mimicked DeForest Kelley's work as McCoy and although you hear imitation is the finest form of flattery, it's not in this case. Create your own character. Same goes for Anton Yelchin as Chekov, he just mimicked. Walter Koenig. Some found it cute. I didn't. John Cho did a decent job as Sulu, we certainly see a new side of him. Zoe Saldana as Uhura also decided to create her own character and even though she is essentially filler, she made the most of her scenes. There is an interesting twist to her love life from the original series that's for sure. Finally, Eric Bana as Captain Nero was boring and completely devoid of interest for me. He was indicating badly to the point of annoyance. Great Star Trek villains like Ricardo Montelban as Khan, Christopher Plummer as General Chang and Alice Krige as the Borg Queen all made me feel something about who they are and the reasons why they did what they did. I hope JJ takes note of that in the next one.

Overall, Star Trek is entertaining with all it's faults (there are gaps in the writing). I would rate it the 4th best in the film series. It's not a great film but it exceeded my expectations. As far as prequels go, this was one of the better ones I've seen. Yes, it's is even better than Star Wars Episode 1. However, I would recommend in the sequel that JJ take his time and not rush through sequences and make the villains have more depth. I give Star Trek 3 stars and is out now in a theater near you.

The Reviewer is Curious About Benjamin Button

This week, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has come out on DVD and Blu Ray. David Fincher's tale of a man who ages backwards and the adventures and lessons that he learns along the way. Based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and adapted by Eric Roth (who also wrote Forrest Gump which I'll get to later). Benjamin's story is told through his diary to Daisy (Cate Blanchett), an elderly woman on the verge of death by her daughter Caroline (Julia Ormond). This film looks like a labor of love by Fincher and Brad Pitt who stars as the backwards aging Benjamin. We share Benjamin's life from his birth as an old man, all the way back to his infancy. What we experience is an unconventional love story that is held together by Cate Blanchett's superb work and Brad Pitt's lack thereof. There are other great performances as well by Taraji Henson, Tilda Swinton and briefly, Elias Koteas. But they are not enough to make this a great film.

There are a lot of metaphors incorporated through the film and they all seem to be centered on the affect that time has on all of our lives. I found the prevailing themes of redemption and live life to its fullest as the primary message which could be construed as corny but I found comforting. The ever present refrain of "You never know what's comin for ya." is spoken throughout the film and is a warning to us all. Hurricane Katrina is also a very visceral metaphor in the film and it seems to embody that mantra. Essentially, nothing lasts, but it's choice as a metaphor for this film is...well...curious

A lot of great special effects were used to depict Benjamin from birth until about half way into the film when the real Brad finally shows up. All throughout, Benjamin's voice is narrating to us, sharing his adventures and his simple wisdom for us all. It is because of this that the film has a Forrest Gump like quality and especially Brad's accent and voice inflection is very similar to Tom Hanks who played Gump (I've seen Forest Gump and you Mr. Button are no Forest Gump). Whether it was a conscious or unconscious choice is irrelevant, I personally thought it sounded forced and as we like to say in the acting world, indicated. That is not to say that his acting is bad overall but he seemed to focus too much on his accent and not enough on his the spine of his character. But, to his credit, there are times when he does a decent job of finding the emotional reality of the character, except for a few scenes which his lack of emotion is glaring. The scenes with Julia Ormond staying with Blanchett as she is dying didn't do much for me. I enjoyed Blanchett's elderly characterization but I found Ormond to not have clarity about her character which left me feeling nothing about her relationship and how she really felt about her dying mother. The Cinematography by Claudio Miranda is outstanding. I just love the way the shots were framed and the wonderful use of color. One of my favorite shots is in an elevator with Tilda Swinton...sumptuous.

The film deservedly received 3 Oscars for Art Direction, Visual Effects and of course, Makeup. I agree that it should not have won Best Picture but the film's message of seizing life was beautiful and especially as I am entering a turning point in my life, just passing 40, the point is quite powerful for me. I commend David Fincher, (who is a great director) for creating a modern fable and trying to bring magic back into movies. I just wish there was more magical moments to enjoy. But, I was still entertained overall and I give Benjamin 3 out of 5 stars.

The Reviewer Meets "Wendy and Lucy"

Wendy and Lucy breaks down to a simple theme of; woman loses dog. However, if that is all there is to it, it would be a bust, but Wendy and Lucy offers some poignant moments as well. We find out it's not just the dog who is lost.
Michelle Williams is Wendy, a woman who is looking to start a brand new life in Alaska, driving across country from Indiana with her beloved dog Lucy. The film opens with Wendy and Lucy playing together in a park where Lucy run off and finds some friendly transients who tell her how wonderful things are in Alaska. We then see Lucy who has a little money sleeping in her car when she is rudely awakened by a security guard and she has to leave the parking lot. Unfortunately, her car won't start. Here is where everything starts falling apart for Lucy. In a stupid act, Wendy, commits shoplifting in a supermarket and an overzealous grocery clerk catches her and calls the police and has her arrested, leaving poor Lucy tied up outside. (It isn't clear why the police would not make arrangements for the dog as well). After, being released with a fine, Wendy goes back to the supermarket to get Lucy and finds she is gone. Now she is really in trouble. Then comes Wendy's attempts to find Lucy and her difficulties intensify. Not to mention, she still has to get her car fixed, which she thinks is just a simple problem. Luckily, Wendy gets help from a samaritan, in the guise of the security guard, (played sweetly by Wally Dalton). After, a harrowing experience in a park, Wendy finds out that Lucy has been found, but that her car is pretty much dead. So, she has to make a choice, will she choose to get Lucy and keep going somehow to Alaska or go back home without her. The time of her decision is a touching scene.

Wendy and Lucy is a simple film that has heart. The spine of the film is loss. Michelle Williams gives an overall good performance but her acting is inconsistent. There are times when I just didn't feel she was desperate to find her dog, even though she was playing the given circumstance of her character. I had to ask myself a few times, how does she feel about that? Other times, she did well and performed with the given emotion that is required. Veteran, Will Patton has a small role as the distracted owner of the auto mechanic shop and he too did a decent job. His character was not too difficult and therefore not much was expected of him I felt. I feel like it was a wasted role overall. Kelly Reichardt wrote and directed and did a good job. The plot points were clear and the theme of loss is quite apparent. I give Wendy and Lucy 3 stars and is currently out on dvd.

The Reviewer Takes on Wolverine

The summer blockbuster movie season is upon us. After months (seemingly years) of endless promotion Wolverine...X Men: Origins, has finally slashed its way onto the big screen. Let me first start out by saying that I have not read any of the Wolverine comics, never was the biggest fan of X Men. But Wolverine is a pretty cool character and so I wanted to see where he came from. We find out where he came from all right, but it is not very clear as to how someone who is born in the 1840's is alive and kicking today. We understand that Wolverine has regenerative powers (only from previous X men films and if you hasn't seen those, you would be lost) but regenerative powers does not longevity make, or so I thought. He has all this longevity and can never die as well, except for cutting his head off. (If you just read that and think he's a vampire, I sympathize but you would be mistaken). I understand, it's a comic book movie and therefore you need more than the usual suspension of disbelief. However, that is a pretty important plot point to clue the audience in I would say. We learn all of this in a good montage in the opening credits where our hero Logan aka Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman (as if you didn't know by now) who's power is having his bones jut out of his hands like knives and his half brother Victor who also has the same longevity and regenerative powers but has claws and acts like a big cat and who's name is Sabretooth ( although they never say it, again you have to have watched the first X Men film for that) played by Liev Schreiber are seen fighting in the American Civil War, World Wars 1 and 2, Korea and Vietnam. The funny thing is, they are Canadian. Setting aside, nationality and historical semantics for a while, we also learn that Victor is a pretty sick cat (pun intended) and that Logan has to constantly remind him to chill. But, as fate would have it, Victor goes too far in Vietnam, which causes both him and Logan to be executed by a firing squad. Surprise, they don't die and are sent to a stockade instead. Enter, Colonel William Stryker (Danny Huston) who recognizes their powers and entices them to join his secret team of mutants to go on missions.

From here, the film becomes fairly predictable. We meet the team of mutants, including Wade, who is the most sarcastic of the bunch (played by Ryan Reynolds, who can't seem to play anything else and note to Ryan it is not cute, it's annoying as hell). They go on a certain mission in Africa which rubs Logan entirely the wrong way and he quits the team. Although, hasn't he learned from other action films, that you just can't quit a military operation without consequences. So, Logan becomes a lumberjack in British Columbia, meets and falls in love with a school teacher when his past comes calling. Obviously he turns it down, but when tragedy strikes, Logan is hell bent on revenge. Victor is back to his old killing tricks and it's up to Logan to take him down. But, Logan needs an edge in killing his older brother, so Stryker convinces Logan to let him experiment on him by injecting an indestructible metal (Adamantium) onto Logan's skeletal structure. Hence, the metallic claws are born. Here, Stryker wants to erase Logan's memories to make him an obedient soldier. Logan overhears this while underwater and decides he wants no part of it. He escapes and the adventure truly begins.

From here, the film descends into predictable Hollywood formulaic action plot twists about Logan being double crossed and going after both Victor and Stryker and meeting other mutants along the way, including a fan favorite...Gambit who for some reason was not in the previous 3 X Men films. They did a good job with the ending, which helps explain why Logan, in the other X Men films, doesn't seem to remember who or what he is. There is a pretty comical sequence with The Blob (Kevin Durand).

Wolverine is a typical action film, so I will not be overly critical of the acting but I give Hugh Jackman a lot of credit. This is his 4th time brandishing Wolverine's claws and he didn't phone it in and still gave a lot of life to his character. Liev Schreiber did a good job as the villanous Victor and Danny Huston was also pretty good as Stryker. They all seemed to understand their characters and lived out their imaginary circumstances fairly well. The writing for the most part was better than the previous X Men films but for some reason the folks who write X Men films, have a terrible time with catchy one liners (see Halle Berry in the first X Men for probably the worst one liner ever). Aside from that, Gavin Hood did a good job with the directing. If you are a big action buff, you will not be disappointed. For me, the Dark Knight is still the new gold standard for comic book films and Wolverine is not in its league and it's not supposed to be and that's alright. Wolverine is a good popcorn film. I give it 2.5 stars.

The Reviewer Delves into The American Future

Looking for a thought provoking documentary on American history that is more unconventional in scope, than check out Simon Schama: The American Future.
British/American historian Simon Schama (who gave us the magnificent History of Britain) presents an intriguing look at where America is today and its possible direction by conjuring up its past, all through the backdrop of the historic 2008 presidential campaign. This, in all honesty, more left leaning look at American history is broken up into 4 segments that cover;
1)American Plenty: which covers the scarcity of precious resources as seen through the drought that has effected the water level of the Colorado River as well as how precious water is becoming. It was troubling to see the diminishing Colorado and what could become bleak times for the Southwest.
2) American War: One of the better segments of the series that focuses on the Civil War, Spanish American War while touching on WWII, Vietnam and the current Iraq War and how with Mark Twain, the anti-war movement was born and still flourishes today. I particularly liked how Schama essentially breaks Americans into 2 camps when it comes to war politics by singling out 2 of our Founding Fathers...Thomas Jefferson (who was against a professional army and Alexander Hamilton (who was all for it).
3) American Fervour: depicting the role of religion in America's history from the emancipation of slaves to Civil Rights, to conservative evangelical Christians. It was powerful but also disturbing to go over Jefferson's words of freedom and religion but to also hear of the slaves he kept that were denied those same freedoms Equally troubling but also uplifting is hearing the stories of little known Civil Rights activist Fanny Lou Hamer and her struggles and how religion was a great comfort to her, in her darkest times.
4) What is an American? This was to me the best segment which covers the bitterness certain Americans feel over immigration, primarily focusing on Mexican and Chinese immigrants and their trials and tribulations. It is hard not to feel effected by seeing the history of the hatred towards the Chinese and how Mexicans have been viewed since we annexed Texas. I was uplifted by the story of Grace Abbott, a woman ahead of her time who did so much to bolster immigration reform. However, the fact that Schama failed to mention that all immigrants have always been looked on with disdain when they first arrive disappointed me.

That is not to say this is a bash America only documentary. There are wonderful segments of average Americans and especially seeing the 2008 election virtually recreated and how Americans were moved to vote in droves was a wonderful reminder of how great this country is. I especially enjoyed a tribute to a Latino American veteran of WWII. However, if you are looking for a pure flag waving-America has never done anything wrong-historical documentary this will not be for you. However, if you can be objective, by tapping into what is great about America as well as the dark deeds of our past, Simon Schama, (albeit in an abbreviated way and not showing enough of other good things that Americans have done in our history) provides an unemotional, sobering look at where we have been and where we are going as a nation. In the words of Grace Abbott on what it means to be an American: "We are many nationalities -- we should not be ashamed of this ; if all races can live together we can meet the true American opportunity." I give the American Future 4 out of 5 stars and is currently available on DVD.

The Reviewer Checks Out The Ugly Duckling

A charming little short play that features the strong performance of Richard Scott as Prince Simon. The production is very fast paced, a little too fast as most of the time the actors are too concerned with speaking their lines too quickly instead of waiting for a reaction from their partners. Mr. Scott and Elena Duarte as Princess Camilla are the exception and main attraction in the play. They both listen and respond to each other very well and seemed to have a genuine connection. Mr. Scott has a strong stage presence but a warm sentimentality that is endearing. His entrance is also hilarious and to me is reminiscent of fine vaudevillian comedies of the past. My only critique of Mr. Scott is to come across more strongly as a prince, because it was hard to tell how he felt about that.
Miss Duarte is certainly comfortable onstage and has a sweet quality to her that is hard not to like. The rest of the cast as I mentioned before seemed too rushed as if they had a specific time limit in which to say their lines. It's a shame it is only a one act, as I would've liked to have seen how the story played itself out. Overall, this was fun and if you have 30 minutes to spare, come check it out in it's final performance tonight.

The Reviewer Checks Out Frost/Nixon

A fine rendition of the play of the same name. Michael Sheen and Frank Langella reprise their roles from the play as David Frost and Richard Nixon in a story about one of the most famous political interviews in the history of television where a struggling English talk show host, David Frost scores an interview with then former President Nixon and gets him to admit wrongdoing in the Watergate scandal. At times it has the typical cliched feeling of the underdog-going-up-against-the-champion type story but it was entertaining. However, I felt like Mr. Howard was using Nixon as a metaphor for President Bush and wanting to put Bush in the hot seat for all of his wrongdoings as President, with himself as Frost. The portrayal of Nixon was fairly pathetic, but then again, there is no version that of him that is flattering, especially Anthony Hopkins version in Oliver Stone's "Nixon." What was interesting is how much of a money grubber Nixon is shown to be, ie; always wanting more money for doing the interviews. Not to mention being delusional, as in not recalling a drunken phone call to Frost a few nights before their final interview.

Parts of the film are a little slow and oftentimes too grandiose for a story of this kind. But the climax is a huge payoff and Langella does an incredible job of portraying the desolation, the anguish and loneliness of Nixon. However, I liked his nonverbal emotions to his vocal inflections better. Sheen does a admirable job as the partying playboy Frost. You can see how he feels about his difficult circumstance and how everything he had was literally on the line with the success of this interview. The supporting cast led by Kevin Bacon, who goes back to his cold loyalist part he played similar to A Few Good Men as Nixon's chief of staff Jack Brennan. It works for Kevin and he is good at it. Oliver Platt also plays his typical sardonic, caustic witted type character as Bob Zelnick. Sam Rockwell plays the whiny, revenge filled James Weston who wants nothing more than to make Nixon pay. Rebecca Hall plays Caroline Cushing, in a not much to do part except smile, look pretty and be strong for her man, role. However, she conveys good compassion when called on. At the helm, Ron Howard, who's direction seems a bit rushed and distracted at times, especially when he is showing who David Frost is. I didn't have a strong feeling for Frost one way or another but it was a good attempt. I give Frost/Nixon 3.5 stars and is currently out on blu-ray and dvd.

The Reviewer Revels in "Wishful Drinking"

I have decided to make a brief departure from films to quickly review Carrie Fisher's one woman show...Wishful Drinking which is being performed at the Seattle Repertory Theater until May 9. It is a riot. I loved it. Carrie is hilarious and her life is the epitome of tragicomedy but don't let that fool you. She brings delicious, biting satire to every anecdote, accompanied by simple visual aids. In her show, Miss Fisher covers topics ranging from: a Q & A with the audience about finding her good friend dead in her bed. Someone asked..."Did he smell?" She thought it was weird but she seemed to love it. She also discussed her childhood and what it was like growing up as the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. From there that led to a family tree tracing the elements of Hollywood Incest. She also discussed being in a nightclub act with her mother as a teenager and studying acting in London. Of course, the 1st act culminates with her discussing the role that made her famous (or infamous depending on how you look at it) Princess Leia in Star Wars and as she mentions. "Why else would you any of you be here unless you saw Star Wars?" She describes the traumas of what the role has brought to her, from being an action figure to an 8 foot tall sex toy made of concrete. But, the funniest was showing off an embarrassingly revealing figurine of her in the gold bikini. I'll just say "galaxy snatch" and you imagine the rest.

The 2nd act is more poignant and darker, but no less funny, as Miss Fisher describes being an addict and suffering from Bi-Polar Disorder. As with everything, her rapier wit and hilarious metaphors make one feel less sorry for her, but with no less compassion. She has a hard, complex life but she doesn't want your pity. Listening to her describe her life situations sounds at times like the theater of the absurd but as she put it, "just imagine the stories I haven't told you."

It has been awhile since I went to the theater and was inspired and continued to smile long after the show ended. I could see it again. And so, I urge all of you dear readers to see it as well. Run...do not walk. You will not regret it. I give Wishful Drinking 5 stars.

The Reviewer Becomes a "Slumdog Millionaire"

Slumdog is a good film overall, but I did not understand the massive hype surrounding it. It is not one of my favorite films from 2008. However, in terms of all the Oscar nominees it was the Best Picture of that group.
The film centers around Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) who is accused of cheating while being a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He is sent to police headquarters where he is subsequently tortured into revealing who helped him and why (apparently in India, you are treated like a terrorist for cheating on game shows). This leads to Jamal regaling his captors with stories from his past that coincide with each question that he answered correctly. As a child, Jamal befriends a beautiful girl Latika (Frieda Pinto) and he falls in love. However, his brother Salim, who doesn't hesitate to betray Jamal at every turn keeps ruining his chances with Latika and makes her vanish from his life. But Jamal vows to find her and save her. One of the main reasons he becomes a contestant on the show, so he hopes she will be watching. The film culminates with Jamal being released from police custody to go and try to answer the final question for 20 million rupees, where in an attempt to phone a friend, gets the surprise of his life.

There are some aspects of the film that are cliched and confusing to me. My favorite parts of the film were the sequences of the main characters as children and the horrific things they have to endure to get by on the streets of Mumbai. Danny Boyle is an exceptional director and once again he does a good job with the source material. The acting was decent as most of the child actors I believe have never been actors before, so they did a pretty good job. It is worth seeing but again, I don't think it was earth shattering.
I give Slumdog 3 stars

The Reviewer Lifts "Seven Pounds"

Seven Pounds is a disappointment. It tries too hard to be emotionally poignant and it just feels manipulative. The film is centered around Ben Thomas (Will Smith) who seemingly has it all. A great career, a beautiful wife, and a lovely beach house. However, tragedy strikes in the form of a horrific car accident that he caused (a good lesson in not to text and drive) that takes the life of 7 people, including his wife and leaves him a shell of his former self. So, he seeks to atone for his sins and doesn't feel he deserves to live. He goes to quite the extremes to make amends by becoming a samaritan to only deserving people who truly need his help. The climax is ludicrous. I totally didn't believe that even Mr. Smith (who is becoming an exceptional actor) even believed the plausibility of his character. He looked like he was trying too hard. It takes a while to get going and it is incoherent at times. I am glad I didn't waste $10 on this film. I did think Rosario Dawson who plays does a decent job as a woman with congenital heart disease who desperately tries to connect with her samaritan. But even her story line felt contrived and the love interest forced. Gabriele Muccino is responsible for this mess, which is a shame because he did such a wonderful job with Will in Pursuit of Happyness. However, this time, he created a farce that wants to be much more than it truly is.
I give Seven Pounds 2 out of 5 stars.

The Reviewer Digs Bolt

I was skeptical about Bolt upon the first trailer, but it really is an adorable film and it is also funny. Mark Walton who plays the feisty hamster Rhino and he almost steals the film with his antics. John Travolta does a good job as Bolt, as does Miley Cyrus as Penny. I was taken aback by Mr. Actor Studio himself...James Lipton as the Director and Malcolm McDowell is always a good villain as Dr. Calico. Susie Essman, who is great in Curb Your Enthusiasm is squeaky clean but no less sassy as Mittens

As much as I enjoyed it...I still think Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E were the better animated films last year, but Bolt is a product Disney can be proud of. I give Bolt 4 out of 5 stars and is now available on dvd and blu-ray.

The Reviewer Sees "The Visitor"

I enjoyed The Visitor, the latest from Tom McCarthy and the team that brought us The Station Agent. It stars Richard Jenkins as Walter Vale. A disillusioned man, sleepwalking through life and quite lonely. He meets an illegal couple, Tarak and Zainab played very well by newcomers Haaz Sleiman and Denia Gurira. When Tarek is arrested and threatened with deportation, Walter steps in to help.

Richard Jenkins is such a good actor and he really plays Walter with an evocative isolation that is palpable. His unlikely relationship with Tarek is charming, it becomes more so as Tarek teaches him how to play the Djembe. However, I really enjoyed seeing Walter with Tarek's mother Mouna the talented Hiam Abbass (of Paradise Now) who has the strength and understated presence of the Syrian mother hoping for her son's release. The bond they form is quite endearing as two lost souls coming together in this common cause. Overall, the acting is quite natural and unforced. Everyone is playing things simply and honestly which one should expect from good acting. It is also a thought provoking piece about the state of our current immigration laws since 9/11. It can get a little preachy at times, but I would expect that with such a hot button issue. I do not question the issue surrounding some of the laws, but the circumstances that happen can be quite scary for the victims. I think this is the message that Mr. McCarthy is trying to convey.
I give The Visitor 3.5 stars.

Bidding Farewell to Battlestar Galactica

OK, I'm a little tardy in posting my thoughts on the finale of BSG, but here goes. I thought it was very well done. I don't have enough space to encapsulate the entire run of the series but I really liked it. I was wondering how the set up of a suicide mission to rescue Hera from the Cylon Colony would work out but the first hour is a dynamo of action and typical BSG type drama that I was riveted. Hera is rescued, Boomer does the right thing but Athena blows her away anyway. I guess that is justice. There is also justice finally for Callie as Galen discovers that Tory killed her and returns the favor. It is interesting that the time of peace is ushered in by murders. I LOVED seeing the new Cylons in hand to hand combat with the classic Cylons. That was great.
The second hour is more about the characters and how each of them meet their fates. To sum up,. I thought it was cool that they discovered "our" Earth and not the nuclear holocaust devastated one at the end of season 3. Hera does prove to have been very pivotal as it turns out she is our ancestor, we are all children of Hera, because the fleet lands in Africa 150,000 years ago and scientists discover the remains of Hera(supposedly). So, we are half human and half "toaster" afterall. So to sum up.
Roslin does die and Adama buries here near where he will build the cabin they both had talked about. That was touching. But it was sad that Adama leaves Lee behind. Speaking of Lee. He not only loses his father but Starbuck as well. After Starbuck plugged in the Jump coordinates, which was "Watchtower" all along, she senses she accomplished what she was meant to do and she vanishes. Very messianic like. Lots of people were irate about that, but I liked it. It keeps in with the spiritual aspects of the story from the start. Gaius and Caprica 6 start a new life and his last line about him being a farmer was pretty emotional, I liked how we acted that. He really had a feeling about that. It was sad seeing Galen head off on his own. Tigh and Ellen also ended up happily ever after, presumably.

I also liked how they incorporated all the flashbacks of each of the main characters lives on Caprica, prior to the war in the final 3 episodes where it showed the characters essentially staying true to their forms about how each of them tackled adversity and offered hints at where fate would ultimately take them. Overall, well done. This has been a great series. I only started watching it a couple of months ago, so I have been really late to the dance but am I ever glad I came at all. I think this will change sci-fi series going forward in a very substantial way. BSG gets 4.5 stars. So say we all!

The Reviewer Gets "Happy-Go-Lucky"

After watching Happy Go Lucky, I can’t help but say to myself that Mike Leigh has done it again. Mike Leigh time after time gives us films that leave indelible impressions in one form or another. Happy Go Lucky is a character piece about a seemingly devil may care, absent minded gal named Poppy, who never stops talking, is always smiling and joking around and you are feeling like this women just has no clue. She’s adorable but that’s all. That’s the genius of Mike Leigh. The film takes a while to ramp up, but we are all coming along for the ride with Poppy and we can’t help falling in live with her. The character reminds me of a female Ricky Gervais in overdrive. She is played by Sally Hawkins, who won the Golden Globe for her stunning performance. I really enjoyed watching her work. However, what we don’t realize is that as we see Poppy’s journey, we also see how compassionate, wise, joyous and balanced she really is. She is a Laughing Buddha.
One of the center pieces in the film is her relationship with her driver’s education instructor, Scott. Played creepily well by Eddie Marsan. Their scenes together as he teaches her to drive are both weird and funny. He is ultra serious, opinionated, a total curmudgeon with a paranoid streak and he just makes Poppy want to help him, like she does with everyone she encounters. She wants to make everyone happy. There is a poignant scene with a homeless man that is lyrical to watch and epitomizes the depth of Poppy. All of the acting in the film is well done and relaxed. Everyone feels real and the chemistry is definitely palpable. Especially between Poppy and her longtime roommate, Zoe played by Alexis Zegerman who also looks out for Poppy and she is endearing.
Happy Go Lucky is a film that sneaks up on you. Not much happens through the first half of the film as we are slowly being introduced to this ball of nice named Poppy. I was excited to learn that the scenes between Poppy and Scott were largely improvised and it shows, in a very good way. Happy Go Lucky may not be Mike Leigh’s best film, but the character of Poppy is certainly going to be his most beloved. Give it a try and you will not soon forget her. I give Happy Go Lucky 3 out of 5 stars and is out now on Blu Ray and DVD.

The Reviewer Pauses for "Elegy"

Elegy, is an apt title for this beautiful, although at times, labored story about an emotionally stunted aged gentleman who finally discovers a passion for life. The lyrically shot film by Spanish director Isabel Coixet is a sojourn into the very cultured and stand offish David Kepesh, played wonderfully by Ben Kingsley as a respected critic, author and professor who falls in love with a student, Consuela Castillo, (played terrifically by Penelope Cruz, who should be arrested for theft for stealing this film) and how she turns his once orderly and independent life upside down.
I really felt frustrated watching Ben Kingsley’s character, as a grown, distinguished gentleman, he was still a foolish teenager, until tragedies start to make him aware of his own mortality and just how important relationships are. He has a contentious relationship with his son, (played underwhelming by Peter Saarsgard) and a seemingly perfect (at least for him) friend with benefits relationship with his friend Carolyn, (played very well by Patricia Clarkson). I always like Miss Clarkson and she doesn’t disappoint again. The comic relief comes in the form of David’s best friend George, (played with fun and philosophical whimsy by Dennis Hopper) an accomplished poet but also a fellow immature man who betrays his wife, but who has a poignant idea about beautiful women and how men see (or not see) them. He seems to be David’s Jiminy Cricket.

Again, Penelope Cruz really takes the film away and the scenes she is not in, the film tends to bog down. I have been steadily impressed with Miss Cruz’s development as an actor and am finding myself more and more looking forward to seeing her work. Overall, I liked the acting and how the actors would work off of each other. Most seemed to be clear on how they felt, with the exception of Peter Saarsgard, who it seemed at first as if he did but it felt muddled later on. However, Elegy itself, is a good film but not memorable, except for one sobering beautiful scene between Ben and Penelope. I did enjoy seeing the development of David, but it doesn’t come as a surprise, you see it coming. A better film about a man coming to grips with age, in the comfort of a younger women is Venus, with Peter O’Toole in an Oscar nominated performance. I give Elegy 3 out of 5 stars and is currently available on dvd and blu-ray

The Reviewer Was Delighted to See Rachel Getting Married

Jonathan Demme's Rachel Getting Married is a documentary style look into a dysfunctional family where one of the daughters...presumably the normal one is getting married. Anne Hathaway plays the black sheep of the family, as she comes home from rehab to attend her sister Rachel’s (played well by Rosemarie Dewitt, except for her chemistry with her betrothed, played by Tunde Adebimpe) wedding. This would be a great film as it is shot as if we are a guest at the wedding, in the subjective point of view style. However, what drags the film down are the countless scenes of just the wedding bands playing and it becomes more of a jam session than a film. When Demme focuses on the story, it and the acting is for the most part excellent.

Anne Hathaway definitely earned a Best Actress nomination for her role as Kym, a recovering drug addict who becomes a major disruptive force in her sister's life. Bill Irwin and Debra Winger play the parents and they also do a fantastic job. I like Debra Winger and it was good to see her again. There are some gut wrenching, awkward moments during the course of the film where the conversations were s personal and intimate, it seemed like I was watching a stage play instead of a film. The actors were really listening and responding well to one another. I enjoyed how they were taking each other personally. Demme also does a good job of making the audience wonder whether Kym will fall off the wagon or not by giving her difficult circumstances to confront.

The only other drawback in the film is too many speeches at the wedding and rehearsal dinner. I bore easily at weddings and unless I have a personal stake in it, I tend to tune out, which after speech after speech is what I was doing. Except for Rachel's, which made me want to squirm, in a good way. My favorite quote in the film is Rachel saying to the guests at one point…”I am Shiva the destroyer, your harbinger of doom this evening.” Not far from the truth.

I give Rachel Getting Married 3.5 out of 5 stars and is currently available on Blu-Ray and DVD.

The Reviewer Isn't Lactose Intolerant for Milk

It's hard not to watch Milk and think it is not a labor of love by Gus Van Sant. Great care and attention to detail was taken to make this film and it shows in every shot. But, that is not to say it is a great film but a good film nonetheless.
For those who are not aware (like myself), Milk is the biopic of the first openly gay City Supervisor of San Francisco, Harvey Milk. He was assassinated in November of 1978 in City Hall. The film shows his rise and tragic murder. Harvey Milk stood up for Gay Civil Rights and put himself on the firing line to make his voice and opinions heard and he became a martyr for his cause.

But, unlike great biopics of martyrs like Gandhi, Malcolm X (I am still waiting for a definitive look at Martin Luther King), Milk does not have a strong arc to make us become more engaged in his story. By all accounts, Harvey Milk was a regular, ordinary guy. But, like many at the time, he was closeted for presumably a long period of his life before he came out and at 40 started a whole new life to make a difference(as a new member of the 40 club, I took notice of that). Yet, we only hear a reference of him not wanting to come out and upset his family. There is a point in the film where he demands young gay men to come out to their parents and thrusts a phone in one of his friends face to call them immediately. At another point, he was arguing with his would be killer, Dan White about why this was personal and not just another issue for him. To make his arguments about why gays should come out would've made the film more compelling if they would've showed his struggles with secrecy in his early life. Instead, we see Milk, (played well by Sean Penn) having one note throughout the film. There is no arc to his character. Not many changes occur and as a film lover, I want to see those arcs. It makes for better story telling.

Harvey Milk was a politician and one of the main segments of the film was devoted to his being against Proposition 6 (the attempt to ban gay schoolteachers from public schools) which did not pass. It's hard not to be reminded of the current controversial passing of Prop 8(the restriction of marriage by same sex couples) as its backdrop. Sean Penn in his acceptance speech railed against it, but I found it odd that he was not in the dvd extras talking about playing Milk. And speaking of the acting.

Sean Penn in the lead role, certainly looked the part. His dialect seemed to go in and out at times into areas that reminded me of his character in I Am Sam. Overall, he did a good job but at times, it was hard to sense how he felt, as it seemed he was focused too much on mannerisms than emotions. I think Sean Penn is an excellent actor, but I did not find this to be one of his strongest roles and was saddened he lost the Oscar to Mickey Rourke. Others in the cast include James Franco who was solid as Scott Smith, Milks' long time lover and first campaign manager. However, Emilie Hirsch was sorely out of place as the great advocate Cleve Jones (who was the creator of the AIDS Quilt). I found his performance to be over his head and at times, he seemed to be play acting. I had no feeling about him at all. It was as if he didn't take the role seriously enough, at least to my perspective. Diego Luna plays Jack, the jilted, abandoned lover who goes over the edge when Harvey does not meet his excessively needy demands for attention. This role has been done many times in many films and nothing new was really added to this type of role. It seemed to have just been thrown together to add some form of angst but I didn't buy it. Josh Brolin does a decent job of Dan White (Milk and Mayor Moscone's assassin) but I did not find him to be utterly believable or his role as being clear either. However, I did find the character of State Senator Briggs, played by Denis O'Hare to be truthful and someone that exuded disgust which was palpable. I was expecting better performances from an Oscar Nominated Best Picture contender. Just makes me bitter that Synecdoche, NY was not given much consideration.

Gus Van Sant does a good job at directing. I still think his early works like Drugstore Cowboy and Good Will Hunting (my personal favorite of his work) to be much stronger films. But, Milk is a good film to watch. It always feels good about seeing someone fight for equality and basic civil rights that are guaranteed us all. The world is a better place for people like Harvey Milk to have been in it.

I give Milk 2.5 out of 5 stars and is currently available on Blu-Ray and DVD.

The Reviewer Visits "Synecdoche, New York"

I just finally got around to seeing Synecdoche, New York and like the complexity of the film, I am filled with a myriad of emotions and ways to express myself which include; beautiful, poignant, boring at times, self indulgent, philosophical, touching, comedic, tragic and lastly sorrow. Not unlike life itself which is the heart of the story.
This is the directorial debut of the famed eccentric writer Charlie Kaufman (of Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine...and Adaptation fame). He also wrote this vastly complex character drama of the life of a theater director Caden Cortard, (Philip Seymour Hoffman in another amazing performance) living and working in Schenectady, NY, who at the age of 40 is married with a child, his wife leaves him, taking his only child and with this, he is given the opportunity to create a work of art, which he takes on with full force and it becomes the all consuming piece of his life, which in turn becomes a reflection of his actual life. The film becomes a film, within a film, within a film and becomes even more convoluted and complex as it evolves. I do not want to expound more upon that any further, as it is a piece that needs to be experienced.

The incredible ensemble cast also features, Samantha Morton, Catherine Keener, Michelle Williams, Tom Noonan, Emily Watson, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Dianne Wiest. No part is thrown away, every performance is visceral and truthful and I really got a sense that everyone knew how they felt about their particular characters and what that meant to them. All in all there are over 80 speaking roles.

As with other Kaufman works, the hero is a sullen, depressive who cannot seem to enjoy himself and he gets in his own way. His characters remind me of Woody Allen's characters, just without the laughs. However, there is a very tragicomic scene between Caden and his daughter, that is hysterical in all the wrong ways. It was brilliantly written. The character of Caden is a mess, who throughout the film thinks he is dying as he juggles his life, work and the many women who he loves. We are shown 50 years of his life and the way Kaufman goes through his 50 years, time is fluid and if you are not careful, you will miss many clues. I know I did and will have to see it a again to catch them all. And like many of Kaufman's stories, I found myself getting frustrated as it was moving along, yet as it neared its completion I recognized the genius and can only doff my cap to another profound and highly inventive story by one of the finest in the business today. Indeed Shakespeare was right when he said "All the world's a stage and we are merely players." Charlie Kaufman deftly shows us why.

I give Synecdoche, New York 3.5 out of 5 stars and it is currently available on blu-ray and dvd.

The Reviewer Watches The Watchmen

Spoiler Ahead. Zach Snyder's ambitious rendering of Alan Moore's brilliant graphic novel The Watchmen has a little something for everyone but left me ultimately dissatisfied. That isn't to say the film isn't visually stunning. It is, and considering Zach Snyder made 300, that aspect shouldn't surprise anyone. However, the film is not the sociopolitical, apocalyptic statement that I was hoping would bear some resemblance to the graphic novel on which it is based. There is a reason that Alan Moore refused to have his name associated with the film.

In a nutshell, the complex, multi layered stories-within-stories plot is about an ex superhero who is murdered and one of his ex partners, a masked inkblot named Rorschach sets out to track his killer by trying to enlist his former superhero friends, who were known as Watchmen. The film is enjoyable to watch for the first 2/3 and then it descends into camp and cliched dialogue and circumstance. Not unlike other comic book films. From an acting perspective, there are 2 standouts. Jeffrey Dean Morgan who plays the ironic and cruel Comedian and a really well portrayed sociopathic but justice bound Rorschach played by Jackie Earle Haley of Little Children. I found that the Rorschach character was the most short changed out of all of the em and he was my favorite. The cast also features: Malin Ackerman as the sexy but troubled Silk Spectre II (who is the unlucky girlfriend of Dr. Manhattan); Patrick Wilson as the awkward and shut in Night Owl II; Billy Crudup as the very Blue, time and space bending unemotional Dr. Manhattan; (excellent cgi on Doc, right down to being anatomically correct) and Matthew Goode as the smartest person in the world but at what cost, Ozymandias.

Each Watchmen's origin is explored, some more than others. They represent the anti-superhero. Completely distinct from Batman and Spider-Man. They are incredibly flawed and dispense justice as they see fit. Some Watchmen are no different from common vigilantes. The film, like the novel is set in an alternate reality in 1985. Where Richard Nixon is still president, the US wins the Vietnam War, with Dr. Manhattan's help and the threat of nuclear annihilation is close at hand with the Soviet Union. For the most part, this is one of the more faithful books to screen adaptations I have seen, but they made some major tweaks to the climax, which I didn't have too much trouble with but true fanboys will hate it. Some of the more memorable lines from the novel are featured which made me smile, especially from Rorschach. But the other characters appear wooden and their dialogue for the most part is uninteresting. Dr. Manhattan as in the novel for me is the most sympathetic character as he was a noted physicist who is turned into the blue doc, due to a experiment gone horribly wrong, where essentially his molecules are turned inside out, blown apart and then reassembled. But, along with the other Watchmen, I found I didn't have any feeling about any of them and their circumstances, as their stories were thrown together. Again, I can't fault Mr. Snyder or the screenwriter Alex Tse too much. This was a herculean feat that they pulled off, where many visionaries like Darren Aronofsky and Terry Gilliam failed. However, it plays too much to the crowd more interested in violence and sex than good characterization and even good acting. I can't count how many times I was asking the characters how they felt about their circumstance, particularly a scene involving Manhattan and Silk Spectre II on Mars. The only clarity came from Rorschach and Comedian. Kudos to Mr. Haley and Mr. Morgan in that regard.

Overall, fanboys, I predict will enjoy their long awaited masterpiece but will be ultimately disappointed. And for those who are unfamiliar with the novel will like it even less and will undoubtedly get lost in the intricacies of the plot. I give Watchmen 3 out of 5 stars. It is currently in theaters and Imax.

The Reviewer Asks "What Just Happened"

Barry Levinson's latest film, What Just Happened is a look inside the Hollywood movie machine, with Robert DeNiro as our guide. DeNiro plays Ben, a harried producer, who is trying to juggle 2 diametrically opposed problems on 2 films. One regarding final cut on a film starring Sean Penn with a drug addled, crazed director (Michael Wincott), who is desperate to keep his artistic integrity with an especially violent ending to his film, while the studio executive the ever wonderful (Catherine Keener) demands it be re-shot. Ben has to appease both sides and hopefully will get the outcome he wants. Meanwhile, a film that is about to shoot, has problems of its own, when a Grizzly Adams bearded Bruce Willis will not shave and threatens to destroy the whole production. Not to mention, while all this is happening, Ben is in therapy so that he and his ex wife (Robin Wright) can have a healthy break up.

This is a decent film that shows the life of a Hollywood producer and all his trials and tribulations. The story is based on the memoirs of producer Art Linson (famous for producing Fight Club, one of my favorite films I might add). The great ensemble cast also features John Turturro as a nerve addled agent with a stomach disorder. And Stanley Tucci rounds out the cast as a writer with a story nobody wants to make. Bruce Willis' role as a high maintenance actor, playing against type must've been fun to play. DeNiro of course does a masterful job with subtlety as the juggling producer. Sean Penn, plays Sean Penn, as we would expect, himself. Simple and honest. There are some good comedic moments in the film, especially with Turturro and DeNiro. I give What Just Happened 3 stars and is out now on dvd.

The Reviewer Goes to The Edge of Heaven

The critically acclaimed The Edge of Heaven, which won Best Screenplay at Cannes in 2007 is a beautiful story of forgiveness caught up in human complexity. This interwoven, character driven story. When his father (Tuncel Kurtiz) accidentally kills a prostitute (Nursel Koese), Nejat (Baki Davrak) seeks out the woman's 27-year-old daughter, Ayten (Nurgul Yesilcay), to make amends. Nejat focuses his search in Turkey, but Ayten, part of a closely scrutinized activist group, has already fled to Germany. There she is befriended by Lotte (Patrycia Ziolkowska) who will stop at nothing to defend and help her beloved new friend. All their lives intersect in locations from Germany to Turkey in this emotional provoking drama by acclaimed German director, Fatih Akin. This synopsis doesn't really capture the complexity of this film, as there is so much going on. One of the other great arcs of the story revolves around Lotte's mother (Hanna Schygulla) who goes through the unspeakable and we see her struggle to come out the other side.

Edge of Heaven didn't begin to captivate me, until about a 3rd of the way through and from there, with plot points converging and unforeseen events take shape, that this film really gets a grip on you. The style, the cinematography are wonderful. The film tends to drag in parts and ends rather abruptly for my taste but I can understand why the director chose to finish it at that point, however, if he chose to go a little farther, I think you would have been hearing a lot more about this film. I give The Edge of Heaven 4 stars and is widely available on dvd.

The Reviewer Enters Quarantine

Quarantine, the latest horror film that is shot with the point of view documentary style that is getting popular, feels like a cross between 28 Days Later and Cloverfield. Directed by 1st time studio director John Erick Dowdle. Quarantine is the story of a night in the life of a television reporter and her cameraman who go on a ride along with the LA Fire Department to a call in an apartment building. They respond to a sickly old woman in distress but they soon realize something is terribly wrong and the horror follows with the crew and the apartment dwellers as they are quarantined in the apartment by the CDC and it becomes a matter of survival. The predominantly indepoendent cast is led by the ever entertaining Jennifer Carpenter. Jennifer plays the television reporter Angela Vidal. Everything I have seen her in from The Exorcism of Emily Rose to Dexter shows that she has excellent acting chops and has a fine career ahead of her. She is very natural and relaxed in this role and when all hell breaks loose, we feel her terror. Not to say that there are some other good pieces of acting as well, but not to the caliber as Miss Carpenter.

But, the film itself is ok. Cliched in many respects and the jerky camera style does not agree with me. I am getting bored with the genre of the camera as primary witness to the terrible events that unfold and therefore it is us, the viewers who are active participants in the chaos that ensues. At least what I liked better about Quarantine than Cloverfield is that both the terror and the interplay with the characters are given equal treatment. Fore those that love the genre, you will really enjoy this film, otherwise, watch 28 Days Later again, it's just that much better. But, keep your eyes out for Jennifer Carpenter going forward, she's terrific. I give Quarantine 2.5 stars

The Reviewer Gets Religulous

Religulous, the new documentary by Larry Charles and Bill Maher brings Bill Maher on a quest for knowledge about a subject that he is very passionate about debunking...religion. Religions of all types, but primarily Christianity. I am a fan of Bill Maher, so I enjoyed this film. many religious people are outraged by the film (what a shock) but I do think if you look at it objectively, Bill Maher is going to many different places around the world and simply asking questions about religion and why religions should be believed. My main critique is that sometimes he launches into his pretentious holier than thou pontification that gets boring if it goes too long.

From the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, Florida to the Holy Land in Jerusalem, with stops at the Vatican, Amsterdam and even a trucker's chapel in Raleigh, North Carolina, Bill Maher explores the nature of religions and also looks to support his hypothesis that religions are dangerous institutions that should be stopped. From some of the people he was speaking to, he certainly has a point. His main targets are Christianity and Islam. Judaism gets some flack, but for the most part, I felt like they were given a pass. One of my favorite moments was at the Vatican, speaking to a zany priest, who actually was of the opinion that a lot of what we are led to believe is untrue, it's a great interview. Other highlights were his take on Scientology and Mormonism. It's also good to check out the deleted scenes because Bill and Larry found some pretty off the wall folks who believe anything from Presidents Bush 1 and 2 being part lizard to a pretty scary anti abortionist. Maher is preaching to the choir and I doubt he will convert many non atheists but it is entertaining and he does bring up legitimate points about some of the prominent religions of the world. I would've like to have seen eastern religions also explored as well. Religulous gets 3 stars.

The Reviewer Loved Changeling

Once again, Clint Eastwood gives us a thought provoking and deeply emotional film. The Changeling. It was much better than I expected. A true story of an LA woman in the late 1920's, who's son is kidnapped and the LAPD decides to substitute another child and demonstrably makes the woman believe it is her son, despite her protestations. Angelina Jolie does a great job as the mother, Christine Collins in an emotionally gut wrenching role. I loved how she was living out her imaginary circumstances. Powerful stuff. John Malkovich portrays the Rev. Gustav Briegleb, who is on a crusade to bring the LAPD's corruption and wrong doings to light. I heard many reviews citing that character is being manipulative and using Christine Collins for his own gain. Not sure of the actual story, but in the film, I disagree with that assessment, I think the Reverend was portrayed as a hero and the lone voice in the wilderness that would listen to Christine Collins and do what he could to help. Malkovich is as fine as ever.

As for the LAPD, excellent performance by Jeffrey Donovan as the cold and heartless Captain Jones, who torments Christine Collins. Primarily a television actor, Donovan was very good as a man you love to hate. Colm Feore, portrays Police Chief Davis in a somewhat lesser role but did a decent job as well.

The sub plot to Changeling is equally riveting. A kidnapped Canadian boy forced to helping a serial killer slay children and somehow this all gets enmeshed in the Christine Collins story. I was impressed by Jason Butler Harner as Gordon Northcott. I have never seen him before. Another predominant television actor, but he has good chops and I enjoyed his performance.

And of course the film would be nowhere without the talents of Clint Eastwood. Time and again, he keeps showing us what a remarkable film maker he truly is. As an actor's director, I would love to work with him some day, if I am fortunate enough. Changeling is hard to imagine being a true story, considering all that goes on in the film. I am surprised it has gotten little Oscar recognition, especially Angelina has been practically written off in pre Oscar balloting. But, she excellent and a lot better than Kate Winslet in The Reader. I give Changeling 4 Stars. Check it out.

The Reviewer Checks Out The Reader

Former Nazi SS officer learns that reading is fundamental. That should be the tag line for The Weinstein Brothers Oscar nominated film: The Reader, featuring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes. It is the story of an emotionally constipated man, Michael Berg (Fieenes), who cannot open up to anyone and it is all because of an affair he had with an older woman, Hannah Schmitz (Winslet) when he was 15 and she broke his heart. The affair was torrid and in between sex romps, the boy would read to the woman and it acted as a kind of aphrodisiac for her. The affair lasted one summer in the late 1950's in W. Germany. The film than moves on to the meat of the story, when several years later, the young man goes to law school and he is taken on a field trip to see a trial of former SS guards from Auschwitz who are on trial and it turns out Hannah is one of the guards on trial and he is shocked. With Hannah's fate in the balance, will she make a decision to protect her pride rather than her life. Michael has information that could affect the outcome of the trial and will he use it to protect his long lost love. These are the supposed harrowing questions that we should be made to care about. But I for one did not.

I was bored watching this film. There's no guts to it. The courtroom scenes were slow and contrived. Too much talking. I can only say Director Stephen Daldrey is to blame. Film is a visual medium afterall. I can go on but I'll just finish the review discussing the acting. I was uninspired by Kate Winslet (who is a very good actress) and after all the Oscar talk about her being a shoe-in to receive the Oscar for Best Actress for this performance, I couldn't wait to see ho much better it had to be than Revolutionary Road, which I believe she should've been nominated for instead (also a boring film by the way). I felt she didn't really believe in her character. Her accent was uninspired and at times she would give a glimpse of emotion but it was fleeting, particularly one scene in the courtroom. Granted this is a provocative role, especially with the sex scenes with the young Michael but her character, like Michael is stunted emotionally. I didn't feel she had much going on underneath to make her stoicism palatable. Neither did I find Ralph Fiennes (another excellent actor) performance all that good either. Actually, the only actor I enjoyed watching was Lena Olin who plays a Holocaust survivor. Bruno Ganz who plays Michael's law professor was equally disappointing. I usually like Bruno's work, but I felt like he was indicating and forcing his lines. So, we have a pretty sound cast, in a wasted effort. The whole film feels contrived and emotionally manipulating due to its subject matter. Once again, we have a film that forces German guilt on to us. I have a strong feeling about this, after vacationing in Berlin last spring and seeing how much the Germans still berate themselves for the war. The nation should be prescribed Prozac in my opinion. The Holocaust was a tragic, horrible and an unthinkable blight on humanity , but the fact that substandard films about this subject continue to be revered by the Academy virtually every year grows tiresome to me. The fact that The Dark Knight or even The Wrestler was passed over for The Reader is ridiculous. I give The Reader 1.5 stars. I am hoping Meryl Streep gets Best Actress next week.

The Reviewer Treads Carefully on Frozen River

Nominated for 2 Oscars including Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress, Melissa Leo, Frozen River is probably a film you haven't even heard of until recently. It's a small independent film that took home the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance last year. It's the story of 2 single mothers struggling to survive any way they can in the cold winter in Massena, NY, on the Canadian border.

Melissa Leo plays Ray, a single mother of 2 boys after her gambling addict husband abandons them and taking their money for a new trailer home. Lila is a widowed Mohawk, whose baby boy was kidnapped by her mother-in-law a year ago. They both have limited opportunities to make a living, until a chance meeting between the 2 women leads to an illegal venture to make extra money by smuggling illegal immigrants from Canada across the Reservation into the states. Things seem to be working out for the women, who become bonded in their experience, until one last run could cost them everything.

Frozen River is a gritty story with some good performances. Melissa Leo performance as Ray is Oscar worthy but not the best performance from an actress I have seen this past year (my money is going for Meryl, but I'm sure Kate will get it). Misty Upham, plays Lila. She's a hardened lady who has no love for "Whites" as she calls them. The actors who play Ray's boys are ok. I am giving one a break, as he is like 5 or 6. There were some uncomfortable moments for me watching these 2 women struggle, especially one particular run across the frozen river. There is the requisite foreshadowing in the film and you can tell what is coming but, the film didn't break down into hackneyed drama. My only gripes were; I didn't really buy the connection between the mother and older son and some of the convenience that occurred when just showing up to transport illegals to the same place seemed pretty easy. Otherwise, it's a solid film. The film is ably directed by Courtney Hunt.

I recommend Frozen River, as it is a unique compelling story and give it 3.5 stars.

Musings on Battlestar Galactica and Heroes

I have recently discovered the reimagining of Battlestar Galactica, created by former Star Trek: The Next Generation, writer/producer Ronald Moore. In a phrase, it's frackin great(Frack is a clever curse/non curse word). I was a fan of the original series and with every reimagining or remake of an original, I was skeptical. I had watched the opening episode when it first came out and I remember thinking that it was ok but not totally blown away by it , so I lost touch with it. But, in the last year, during conversations with various people, they told me how great it is, so I decide to give it a shot and I like it a lot.
It is shot in a very edgy, survivalist (not Survivor), action packed style with a lot of intense sequences. As an actor, I also really like the acting, because the actors look like they're really living out their circumstances, and that's the job of the actor. The cast is headed by veterans Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonell as Cmmndr Adama and President Roslin. And the junior actors, Katee Sackhoff as the rebellious pilot Starbuck and Jamie Bamber as the respected Captain Apollo. Definitely check it out. I'm only on season 2 right now, so I hope it continues to be good. Here's a link to see what the show is about http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/about/index.php
Essentially it's humans vs Cylons (robots) for a struggle for domination.

Switching gears. Heroes: Fugitives, the current storyline of the Heroes franchise after 2 episodes is pretty good and better than the previous 2 seasons so far. Sylar has a little protege now. However, the thing about Heroes, especially this current season is that it really reminds me a lot of X-Men. But now our 'heroes' are on the run as one of their own is hunting them down and trying to lock them away. I can't wait for Hiro to get his powers back myself. He's my favorite. Looking forward to see how the story still unfolds.

President Obama's 1st Press Conference

Last night, President Obama gave his first press conference and by my accounts, it was a big success. The questions overall were good and he was very thoughtful in his responses. I enjoy listening to him speak and see how engaging he is. Most right wing pundits complained and criticized Obama for being too long winded and even boring. However, I would counter that with the dire economic situation we are facing, requires thoughtful lengthy responses that are not fit for a 30 second sound bite, which I guess Fox commentators like Bill O'Reilly were looking for. That was his major criticism of the press conference.

He tackled everything from the stimulus package, to re opening negotiations with Iran to even the news of A-Rod having taken steroids. It lasted about an hour and once again, I was impressed. Today, Treasury Secretary Geithner unveiled his financial plan for getting the credit and banking crisis under control. Wall Street was not impressed, probably because they are now going to be reigned in with more oversight. We cannot simply do nothing. I applaud efforts to try and do something and hopefully it works. It's nice to have a pro-active President, than a reactive one that we have experienced the past 8 years

The Reviewer Takes on The Wrestler

Evening all.
Darren Aronofsky's latest triumph, The Wrestler, is a poignant tragedy about a man who can only function inside of a wrestling ring and not in the real world. Mickey Rourke portrays 'Randy the Ram' a once was on the wrestling circuit 20 years past and he is still trapped in the 80's. As many have accurately reported, Rourke, gives a tour de force performance that eerily seems to mirror his real life. His acting is top notch, relaxed and unforced. A great example of this is a scene where the Ram is working in a deli counter at an Acme supermarket. Marissa Tomei, who plays Cassidy, a veteran stripper who is re evaluating her life and career choice. Marissa also is making a comeback of sorts like Mickey and she too, plays Cassidy with stark realism and honesty. Not to mention, she does not use a body double in the scenes in the strip club and she looks fantastic. Evan Rachel Wood, rounds out the cast as the Ram's estranged daughter Stephanie. Wood plays Stephanie, who is abandoned by Ram, who is trying to get back into her life with the right degree of hostility but there is a moment where I felt the relationship was not believable, but it was a fleeting moment.

Overall, I absolutely Love this film. I loved the parallel relationship between the Ram and Cassidy, where both are characters in a fantasy world and seeing the Ram ironically, not realizing that and pursues Cassidy strongly, when Cassidy refuses to cross the boundary of dating customers is sad to watch. It is also interesting to see the juxtaposition of the Ram who plays the hero (or the Face) in the ring turns out to be a heel when it comes to his daughter, but still it is hard not to root for him, because he is a nice guy. However, what was the most compelling to me was when the Ram is forced into making a life change working at Acme after suffering a severe heart attack after a particularly grueling match, (which is brutal to watch and expertly filmed by Mr. Aronofsky) in a parallel with his wrestling days, he is seen walking through the back of the supermarket as we slowly hear the build up of a cheering crowd and he stops to pause in front of the (heavy plastic) curtain and when he enters the deli, the noise suddenly comes to a halt. It just makes the tragedy that much clearer.

Darren Aronofsky continues to shine as one of America's top film makers. The Wrestler, his 4th feature is shot in a gritty, true independent cinema verite style, which feels like we're watching a documentary. I give The Wrestler 5 stars and urge all to go see it. And for you actors out there, you will really appreciate the performances.

Welcome to TB: The Reviewer

Greetings all,
I am excited to join the blogosphere in the best way I know how. Reviews. This blog is intended for reviewing films, plays, maybe even some books. I may even provide political insights and sports reviews as well. My ratings system is 5 stars. So, without further adieu. Here is the maiden blog for TB: The Reviewer.

Review of: Milarepa: Magician, Murderer, Saint

The story of Milarepa, who is one of the most revered and beloved Tibetan Buddhist Saints is as complex, dark, painful and ultimately uplifting tales in Tibetan Buddhism. However, his story and path to enlightenment is a complicated one and it is unlike any story you could imagine about a Buddhist Saint. The film, Milarepa, Directed by Neten Chokling Rinpoche, a renowned and accomplished Buddhist practitioner, he is the spiritual head of the Pema Ewam Choegar Gyurmeling Monastery in India and Tibet. Chokling lovingly presents the humble beginnings of one of Tibet’s greatest saints.

The story centers around the family of Milarepa, who was born Thopaga (A Joy to Hear). He was born into wealth and his father was very wealthy, prestigious and respected in his village. However, when Thopaga was a boy his father dies suddenly and along with his mother and sister, are left into the care his aunt and uncle, who when he reaches manhood is to be given his inheritance. As the fates would have it, his aunt and uncle in the traditions of fables and legends, were cruel and squandered all of his inheritance, leaving his family penniless when he comes into manhood. His mother, who cannot endure the suffering any longer, sends Thopaga to learn black magic sorcery and to avenge the family and to not return until he is a powerful magician, and if he fails, she will kill herself.

So, sets off Milarepa on his journey. The majority of the film centers around Milarepa’s training as a black magician and eventually he returns to his village to enact vengeance but at a price. Chokling took great care with this simple look at a complex man path to enlightenment. The cinematography is breathtaking as it was photographed in the Lahaul-Spiti region of Northern India. As with most great legends, the moral is striking, be careful what you wish for. However, the film ends on an uplifting note, which sets up what will be Part 2 of the story, where Milarepa seeks enlightenment and comes upon his prophesized teacher, Marpa the Translator (due out sometime in 2009) as he sets out on a grueling and excruciating path to achieve enlightenment in one lifetime. His Karma cleanse was one of intense purification. I eagerly anticipate seeing how Chokling presents this part of Milarepa’s story

If you are a fan of Buddhism and Buddhist mythology, Milarepa is a great vehicle to get a well made introduction to a great Buddhist Saint. However, if Buddhism, isn’t your thing, you may become bored with the slow pace. really enjoyed it and give it 4 stars.