MOVIES - archive 3

06-17 Ron

The last couple of weeks have been pretty lame. Four films I had anxiously been waiting for were sort of disappointments.

Panic Room, with Jodie Foster, is supposed to be a thriller. Unfortunately, it did not feel like one, falling short of making me tense or excited.

The best of the batch was Unfaithful by Adrian Lyne, who directed Jacob's Ladder, Fatal Attraction, 9 1/2 Weeks, and the 1997 version of Lolita. Diane Lane plays a woman married to Richard Gere. She meets a stranger and ...Although below my expectations, especially because the pace is too slow for me, it is provocative, sensual and not easily predictable. What I enjoyed most about the movie is that it made me think about my sexual relationship with my girlfriend. There's no doubt that Mr. Lyne is one of the top filmmakers in the world.

The third, Kate & Leopold, is another corny Meg Ryan romantic comedy. Although not terrible, it is a miss.

And, finally, The Sum of all Fears, based on Tom Clancy's spy book about the resumption of the straining political relations between the U.S. and Russia. Ben Affleck is Jack Ryan a CIA analyst who helps Morgan Freeman, an advisor to the President. Alec Baldwin was Jack in The Hunt for Red October (1990), while Harrison Ford played the role in Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994). The first three films in the series are far superior than the latest, with "Red October" edging out the others. "The Sum" is a satisfactory thriller but lacks originality at times, chiefly at the end.

06-05 Ron

Are you one of the millions who think Spider-Man was a good action film? I concur with Roger Ebert, my favorite movie critic, who gave it two stars. It is a banal and predictable motion picture full of special effects. However, if you are one of the few who hasn't watched it yet, go check it out. Films such as Star Wars, Titanic, Jurassic Park, and Spider-Man must be viewed on the big screen (and you may end up disagreeing with me and having a good time).

For my delightful surprise, Monster's Ball, last year's best American drama, is back in town (i.e. in Belo Horizonte) playing at La Bocca.

05-17 Ron

Mulholland Drive, released in the U.S. in October of 2001, was written and directed by David Lynch. Like most of his pictures this one takes us on a wild ride. I 'm not sure what the story is about. Naomi Watts plays an actress wannabe and Laura Harring her voluptuous friend, both trying to solve a mystery. Despite not being able to understand the director's message, I found the film quite enjoyable. It is filled with suspenseful and dramatic scenes that should be connected by the viewer. There are two of Mr. Lynch's other films I recommend: the 1986 Blue Velvet, with Dennis Hopper, and the 1990 Wild at Heart, with Nicolas Cage.

05-07 Ron

I'm very disappointed Gosford Park is still playing in theaters in Belo Horizonte, while the awesome Monster Ball is gone after just a few weeks. When it comes out on video/DVD don't miss it.

I have seen two new releases. The Count of Monte Cristo, by Kevin Reynolds (who also directed Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Waterworld), is the latest of many versions of Alexandre Dumas' classic story. The flick is flat. If the plot of a film depicting the 1800s is not very original, it should at least be lavish: have beautiful photography, powerful sound effects, colorful costumes, a very good music score, and breathtaking scenery. Monte Cristo lacks all of the above.

I'm a Morgan Freeman fan. His movie characters, although not flawless, display the good-heartedness, intelligence, and coolness that I wish everyone, including me, had. However, he can't save High Crimes, a court drama with Ashley Judd and Jim Caviezel (who also plays Edmond Dantes in the 2002 The Count of Monte Cristo). The picture is supposed to be suspenseful but the punch is soft. It is, basically, predictable. I would give it two stars out of four.

04-23 Ron

Would you like suggestions as to what videos to rent on the weekend or holiday next week?

U571 is a suspenseful story about submarines in combat during World War II. Matthew McConaughey stars.

For sci-fi enthusiasts I recommend Pitch Black. A group of people trying to survive on a hostile planet is not original material but the good direction makes the film absorbing.

Brad Pitt fans will be delighted to watch Snatch, a Guy Ritchie (Madonna's husband) picture. Wild, nerve-racking, and creative.

Moulin Rouge is, in my opinion, the best musical ever. Enough said.

Moulin has a romantic plot and so does Shrek, which provides great fun to children and adults.

04-13 Ron

What a powerful drama Monster's Ball is! Halle Berry gives the performance of her life as a woman struggling with motherhood while Billy Bob Thorton finely plays a penitentiary guard. The story is profound because it touches different aspects of our lives and is full of strong scenes. This film should have been nominated for an Oscar.

I am Sam isn't as provoking and disturbing but is moving. Sean Penn, who deservedly received an Oscar nomination for this role, is a mentally handicapped father and Michelle Pfeiffer a lawyer. The picture was able to stir my emotions making my eyes watery at times.

04-01 Ron

Which was your favorite movie last year?

The Oscar nominees were The Lord of the Rings, A Beautiful Mind, Gosford Park, In the Bedroom, and Moulin Rouge. A Beautiful Mind would certainly be a good pick but my choice for best picture released in the U.S. in 2001 is Moulin Rouge.

I had thought a musical as first-rate as 1952's Singin' in the Rain would never be made again. Baz Luhrman proved me wrong with Moulin Rouge.

Do you agree with me? Did you watch a sensational film in 2001 or at the beginning of this year that was undeservedly not nominated for an Oscar award? Write to english@lynnandron.com giving your opinion.

03-25 Ron

In the Bedroom did not deserve an Oscar nomination. The snaillike plot is supposed to make us ponder but there isn't much to reflect about, considering the rather boring life the characters have.

03-19 Ron

Denzel Washington's latest, Training Day, is awesome. It's a in-your-face police drama about a cop, played by Ethan Hawke, learning to become an undercover agent on the streets of Los Angles. The closeness of the camera to the actor's faces and expressions, the believable and unsettling plot, and the excellent acting by Denzel and Ethan make this film a "must see".

03-12 Ron

This past weekend I watched two movies. Despite being technically amazing Blackhawk Down does not provide solid entertainment. The tremendous direction by Ridley Scott and the awesome production help the poor script but can't save the film. The battle scenes are surrounded by camaraderie among the soldiers, which is nonexistent in a hostile environment in the real world. The sentimentality gets way out of hand. In addition this true story about the American intervention in Somalia during Clinton's administration is, surprisingly, racist. And why does the gun-fighting between the Americans and Somalis go on and on and on?

The second was even worse. Gosford Park is boredom to the power of ten. Watching people from distinct social classes conversing under the same roof was close to torture, so I tried to doze during the screening. There was a murder in the middle of the story but I don't know and don't care who the perpetrator was. I can't understand why Robert Altman is such a hailed director.

Ron 02-27-02

A Beautiful Mind is a beautiful film. Russell Crowe's portrayal of a brilliant professor is fascinating and touching, worthy of an Oscar. When I think about this drama smoothness and fluidity come to mind, a direct result from the scriptwriter and the director's work.

Ocean's Eleven with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Mat Damon, Julia Roberts, and directed by Traffic's Steve Soderbergh is a heist movie, at a complete different level compared to A Beautiful Mind. It's entertaining but not poignant, as the latter is. A remake of a 1959 film with Frank Sinatra, it was very well adapted to the 21st century.

Ron 02-20-02

Collateral Damage is trash. Period. D-Tox is below average. These two pictures were starred respectively by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Silvester Stallone. Although bad actors I don't know why they haven't been able to come up with decent films in the last years, especially considering that they still have clout in Hollywood. Arnold's last good ones were Junior and True Lies, 1994 releases. Since Cliffhanger in 1993 the only Stallone flick worth watching is the 1997 Cop Land (Antz, an enjoyable animation picture, has a character voiced by him).

Have you watched Apocalypse Now Redux? Released in Belo Horizonte on February 15 it's a must see not only for war movie fans (check my 01-22 commentary).

Tom Cruise's latest is Vanilla Sky, disturbing, long, underwhelming, and, above all, unintelligible. Memento was not easy to follow but was provoking. I didn't understand what the scripwriter's point in Vanilla was. I don't mean it is a stupid film, just that I didn't get it, neither the plot nor the message.

Ron 01-22-02

I hope your year-end holidays were at least as good as mine. Are you turbo-charged to face the presidential election and World Cup year? Movies were above average, in December, and have been entertaining in January as well. Here are my comments:

The Hughes brothers directed another silver screen version of Jack the Ripper, an assassin on the loose in London at the end of the eighteenth century, called From Hell and starred by Johnny Depp. Suspense is a must in this kind of plot. Unfortunately the film is not tense, remaining flat (emotionless) for its long duration.

The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring has been a huge hit in Brazil and in the United States where it has made about 220 million dollars in four weeks. I didn't enjoy it much. Once again the filmmakers extended the movie beyond the normal two hours to inappropriately include passages from J. R. R. Tolkien's book which don't work on the screen. Many times there was too much talk and explanations about what needn't be explained. Another problem I had was the predictability of the story and the not amusing or interesting characters. I can't deny, though, that the production and special effects were superb.

I like Woody Allen's films. Small Time Crooks is his latest release in Brazil as a writer-director, a simple and light comedy about the struggle of a couple -- formed by Woody Allen himself and Tracy Ullman -- with money. And, "thank God", Mr. Allen doesn't take more than two hours to tell the story.

The rat race is, according to the Oxford Dictionary, the way of life of people living and working in a large city where everyone competes in an aggressive way with each other in order to be more successful, earn more money, etc. Jerry Zucker, who brought us Ghost in 1990 and together with David Zucker and Jim Abrahams Airplane! and The Naked Gun, directed Rat Race a much likable movie about a group of commoners racing for a big prize in money. This is not a slapstick comedy and I was mostly smiling or laughing at the incredible travails that the participants faced. What a "feel good" movie!

The last film on the list today is Apocalypse Now Redux. Francis Ford Coppola added 40 minutes of footage to his war epic first released in 1979 as Apocalypse Now. A special agent played by Martin Sheen (the president from TV's The West Wing) journeys up a river with orders to find an errant officer, played by Marlon Brando. Twenty-three years later it is still a great movie experience, depicting war's craziness in an extraordinary way. The additional scenes give a better understanding of what Mr. Coppola was trying to tell us back in the 70s, although they made the film a little lengthy. The photography by Vittorio Storaro is staggering, the sound effects are marvellous, and the amazing soundtrack fits the movie perfectly. Do not miss this one!

Ron 12-12-01

Our brains work strangely sometimes, don't you agree? The more I think about Joy Ride the more I dislike it, basically because I remember how unrealistic certain scenes/situations were.

Moving on, I've watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Bandits since my last commentary. Harry Potter has been seen by many -- 240 million dollars at the American box office alone after four weeks -- and praised all over the world, which puzzles me. In my opinion, it's booooring. The film's pros are Daniel Radcliffe (the actor's portrayal of Harry Potter exudes niceness, luring sympathy), the visual effects (especially the flying scenes), and the absorbing beginning (when Harry lived with his foster parents). Cons: unoriginal plot, too long a story, dull characters, and predictable ending. You may say that it's a children's film but so are Antz, Toy Story, and Toy Story 2, which are ten times better.

On the other hand, I had a very good time with Bandits. Bruce Willis is just okay but Billy Bob Thornton is fine as his smart, crazy, good-natured, and outlaw partner. This engaging police drama was well directed by Barry Levinson.

Ron 11-27-01

If you like suspenseful films check out Joy Ride directed by John Dahl, with Steve Zahn and Paul Walker. I wasn't expecting much from this "road movie" but it certainly is tense.

My favorite cinemas in Belo Horizonte are the ones at Shopping Jardim, in Cidade Jardim, and, closely behind, theaters 4, 5, 6, and 7 at Shopping Cidade, downtown. The seats are large, very comfortable, and we don't have to worry about a big head blocking our view. The sound is great, too. However, dirtiness is a problem I've noticed lately. The floor and seats should be cleaned after each screening, not only at the end of the night.

Say, which is your best-liked movie theater in Belo Horizonte? Or are you reading this from another city in Brazil, or perhaps the world? Let me know by writing to english@lynnandron.com .

Ron 11-19-01

I wouldn't say that The Others and Don't Say a Word are great, as many moviegoers did. The first, starring Nicole Kidman and produced by her ex-husband Tom Cruise, started as a chilling movie, became somewhat lethargic, and ended with a surprising but not original twist.

The latter is a thriller with Michael Douglas. I consider it a miss because Mr. Douglas's portrayal of a psychiatrist is unappealing and too similar to his other "good guy" characters and the ending is, well, like hundreds of other thrillers.

Legally Blonde, with Reese Witherspoon, is a comedy about a girl going to law school. It was a big hit in the U.S. because, although simple, it's light, jovial, and laughable (at times). It reminded me of the much better 1995 flick Clueless, with Alicia Silverstone.