Pix & Flix

Crowe Is a Robin

2010-09-25T10:01:00.001-05:00

I had a child's fascination with Robin Hood, perhaps from watching Richard Greene on 1950's television in The Adventures of Robin Hood. I loved Errol Flynn's Puckish characterization in the classic film, laughed over Men in Tights, fell for the villain in the BBC version of Ivanhoe, and, in general, took every opportunity to revisit the story. The 2010 Universal Studios telling of the tale transcends all others.

This is a man's Robin Hood, a powerful, tightly-wound Man's Man portrayed by Russell Crowe under the direction of Ridley Scott. It is a strong combination. Scott orchestrates with a sure hand, measuring out an epic that takes its time to set the scene and then sweeps the audience away.

Epics always rest on the precipice edge of ridiculousness, a single misstep and the grand orchestration falls into tinny discord, but Scott is masterful at bringing focus. The screen is filled with grandeur, grand landscapes, masses of people, massive architecture, battle carnage, but always the focus is on the individual, the face, the eyes. The sweep of historical events is backdrop for the idea in the spotlight--the Man, the Woman, the Children. It is a film that leaves the audience with faces, and the artistry draws a strong sword and cuts a blood red line under the theme: "Rise Rise Again, until Lambs become Lions."

It is an intelligent film and, though it does not require an understanding of the historical setting, it is enriched by knowledge of the players and their place in history. It has good men and bad men and bloody battles and a leisurely romance, beautiful scenery, a beautiful Lady Marion deftly drawn by Cate Blanchett, but it is Russell Crowe's movie. He redefines Robert of Locksley.

Robin has come down from the trees and become a man.

Both the theatrical version and the Director's Cut of the movie are available for checkout at the library.

OK, So Now I Get It...

2010-02-05T14:45:00.004-06:00

When I first read Emily Bronte's dark novel Wuthering Heights, I was very young, too young really to understand the nuances of a passionate, all-consuming obsession. And, Ozark born though I was, I got completely lost in who was related to whom and how. Once I get past first cousins, my brain shuts down.

It was with some pleasure, therefore, that I watched the 1992 film starring Ralph Fiennes (Heathcliff) and Juliette Binoche (Cathy Earnshaw/Catherine Linton). Though I still have to think really hard to get everyone placed in the familial relationships, the story itself comes clear. And what a tale it is.

Ralph Fiennes is a properly intense and brooding Heathcliff, obsessed with his adopted sister Cathy. There are nuances to this dark character that Fiennes does not attain, but the cold, vengeful man thwarted in his possession of the highborn Cathy is clearly drawn. However, though the director (Peter Kosminsky) plays the unkempt hair and clothing for wildness, he falls short of capturing the "gypsy" that Heathcliff is supposed to be.

The dual role of Catherine/Cathy is played tolerably by Juliette Binoche and her visual presence helps us believe that she would be the object of Heathcliff's obsession. The scenes from their youth are particularly well-done and lay the foundation for our acceptance of the crucial line spoken by Cathy when she demurs her coming marriage to another man: "I am Heathcliff."

Soul mates, I'll buy.

But she falls short of the wild young thing in Bronte's story. Instead, she portrays a somewhat spoiled young woman who lets vanity set her path. What should seem ingenuous translates to shallow on the screen. It is in the characterization of Catherine, the daughter, that she shows strength.

Cathy Earnshaw bonds soul to soul with the unkempt "gypsy" child her father brings home to Wuthering Heights, the family manor. Her brother, Hindley, does not, and when his father dies, Hindley lets Heathcliff stay on as a common laborer. Hindley marries and his wife dies in childbirth, causing him to turn to drink. Meanwhile Catherine marries a rich neighbor, Edgar Linton. Heathcliff disappears in misery (in this movie, misery is what he does best) to reappear some time later, mysteriously wealthy and in possession of Hindley's debts.

Heathcliff takes Wuthering Heights from Hindley, declares undying love to Cathy, and then marries her sister-in-law, Isabella. Hindley dies and Heathcliff collects his son, Hareton, and promptly demotes the boy to Heathcliff's old lowly position. Revenge is sweet. Cathy pines away and dies after giving birth to a girl, Catherine. Heathcliff's wife, Isabella, gives birth to a sickly child, Linton (why the author kept repeating names is incomprehensible to me.) and dies. Now Heathcliff is set to inherit the estate of his rival, once his rival dies--which he does, conveniently, but not before his daughter (Catherine) marries Heathcliff's son (Linton) who also dies. Heathcliff makes everyone miserable, is finally haunted by Cathy, and dies.

With everyone else dead, Catherine the widowed daughter of Cathy marries her cousin Hareton, the son of her mother's brother. A good Ozark ending. And the movie preserves every twist in this contorted mess. Dare I say the book is better?

Nonetheless, this is an well-made movie, a good candidate for high school English classes struggling with the convoluted plot and intensity of Bronte's novel. In this day of Internet Stalkers, young people are probably more acquainted with obsession than I was as a naive young girl, and the central theme carries both the movie and the book.

But for sheer clarity of plot, the movie is the window to the tale.

Drowning in the Poole...

2009-09-24T23:24:00.002-05:00

Do not, I emphasize, DO NOT watch Henry Poole Is Here if you are even mildly depressed. This is not a movie for the faint of heart. I saw the previews and thought it would be humorous, and I was so wrong. Henry (Luke Wilson) is unrelentingly, depressingly morose, and for good reason. He has had a sad and miserable life and is now dying young with neither past nor future to cling to in his dark night. He has lost faith.

Enter a bad stucco job on the house he has just bought in which to die. There's a water stain indelibly etched into the back of his house and his neighbor, Esperenza (Adriana Barraza), is convinced it is the face of Christ. Add a lovely and enticing newly divorced mom (Radha Mitchell) and her troubled child (Morgan Lily) and you have the formula for a feel-good miracle play.

No.

This is not a feel-good flick. It is the story of a man at the end of his rope who has no where to turn and no way to look but up. It might have been meant to be inspiring, but it just left me crushed. All the situations are too true to life, and in life, we know what Henry knows, miracles seldom happen.

Now Let Me Get This Straight...

2009-09-17T12:35:00.002-05:00

I haven't had much time for watching movies this year. Working several grants and dealing with the excitement and adjustments to construction at the library has left my home time distracted and, I'll confess, I've had to keep my head pretty squarely in The Real to cope. So, when my good friend Po asked if I had seen The Straight Story from Disney studios and I said no and he proceeded to tell me the plot, I wasn't interested in watching but was intrigued enough to at least think about reviewing it for purchase. Resolute fellow that he is, he bought it and insisted that I watch.

I gave up on my disabled VCR at home and curled up one evening at the library, complete with Sonic supper and Oreo, the library cat, and this gentle, sweet movie.

Sweet.

That is the word that most comes to mind as I think on it. Sweet. Richard Farnsworth (Misery, The Natural) brings Alvin Straight to life as the stubbornly determined man who rides a 1966 John Deere lawnmower 260 miles from his small town in Iowa to the home of his brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton, The Green Mile). The brothers, who had been very close in their childhood, have become estranged over hasty words and, as the movie opens, have not spoken in 10 years. Alvin is in poor health but refuses a walker and gets around with two canes instead. He learns that Lyle has had a stroke and realizes that time is short for both of them. He determines to make amends. Because of failing eyesight, he is unable to drive but he refuses to be deterred and builds a trailer to haul behind his riding mower and begins the journey.

The film is an account of his odyssey, the people he meets along the way, and the changes he brings in the lives of those he meets. Interestingly enough, most of the characterizations are wooden and amateurish, but the film still works on a powerful level. Farnsworth and Sissy Spacek bring depth to their recreation of the real life Alvin Straight and daughter Rose, and it is the gentility of this resolute man who has learned well the lessons of his life that carries the film.

It took some doing to get to see it, but I'm oh so glad I did. Look for it on DVD at the library.

Australia--Super-Size That?

2009-04-04T19:57:00.002-06:00

I know it's not fashionable to enjoy neo-epics, but I have to admit that I'm a sucker for the BIG picture--love the scenery, thrill to the sweep of a thundering herd no matter what it is: horses, cattle, buffalo, people... I chose to watch Baz Luhrmann's Australia because it looked BIG, and I wasn't disappointed. Sweeping vistas of the Outback, breathtaking starry skies, BIG explosions, cattle, horses, romance, war, adventure, danger, good and evil--it has it all. Maybe that's a problem. Maybe Luhrmann tried to do too much.

Stiff English noblewoman Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) travels to the Outback, determined to sell the family's cattle operation. Upon arrival, she discovers her husband has been murdered, ostensibly by the mystical aborigine, King George (David Gulpilil). The estate, Faraway Downs, is surrounded by the land of cattle baron, King Carney (Bryan Brown) who wants to buy Lady Sarah out. The only way she can save the land is by getting her cattle to Darwin and selling them to the British seeking meat to feed English soldiers fighting WWII. A fiercely independent cattle drover called...Drover (Hugh Jackman) helps her reach her goal--and then provides a different kind of goal for the proper English woman.

It's only the beginning of a long, rambling story full of plots and sub-plots. It's Out of Africa set in Australia--the live-in wanderer lover, the cattle drive, the natives and independent woman. It's Empire of the Sun with the war, the evacuation, the separation of mother from son --though Lady Sarah is only a surrogate mom to the half-caste child Nullah (Brandon Walters). It's Saturday Morning Westerns, with the conflict between the innocent, city-girl ranch owner pitted against the evil cattle baron and his minions. It's Broken Arrow with the Anglo guy who goes native and marries the native girl who dies and then fights for her people. There's elements of Casablanca and a nod to the Wizard of Oz. It's so predictable, but that's part of its charm. It's comfortably familiar.

It's a John Ford epic shot through a modern filter. I was struck by the many scenes that seemed sniped from Ford's films and reset in the Outback. It was a soulful homage. I loved it.

But, is it good? Well...

It's fast-food Epic. All the necessary elements are there and it is satisfying, but even Super-Sized, it's still Epic Lite.

Becoming Jane, Inside and Out

2009-02-04T16:51:00.004-06:00

Did Jane Austen have an ill-fated love affair with Tom Lefroy, later Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench in Ireland? Her letters suggest that she certainly had a romp with him one summer, but there is no definitive evidence that the two had anything more than a teasing friendship.

Nonetheless, Becoming Jane takes us into a romantic story that could have been penned by Miss Austen, had she lived in 2009 rather than 1809. In 1809, her heroine had to get her man; in 2009, we know such things do not always come to pass.

The chemistry between Anne Hathaway as Jane and James McAvoy as Tom is true to the character of the letters, lively, teasing, and increasingly spirited. Both portray rebellious intelligence sparking fire and feeding from one another until the inevitablility of their relationship becomes obvious, even to them.

The lovers are always the last to know.

In the end, it is their goodness and propriety that keep them apart--two rebellious hearts with moral souls. This is what elevates the movie from lush costume flick to thoughtful film. It's no Casablanca, but it still reminds us that no matter how much you may want a thing, sometimes even when it is offered, you can't always have what you want.

Golden Compass Needs Direction

2008-12-22T10:58:00.002-06:00

How the movie, Golden Compass, could be considered controversial is beyond me. The naming the "souls" daemons was the only element that seemed jarring in this interminably boring piece of fantasy. All the pieces were there and we took off on the journey with the young protagonist, but it never seemed to become interesting.

We have a young girl of unknown parentage who is the only one capable of reading a golden compass that tells the truth of a situation. Her friends are captured and taken away to have their "souls" separated from them so they cannot become dissatisfied with the lovely life the Authorities have planned for them. Of course, she sets out to rescue them and meets fantasy characters along the way.

Rather than a tight knit comradeship, this fellowship is fluid with characters coming and going and disappearing from the plot only to reappear later. It's very tiring. The viewers have no chance to become a part of the journey and end up as spectators waiting for some kind of bonding to occur.

And--heaven help us!--there's an open ending suggesting a sequel.

The Dark Knight

2008-12-15T09:17:00.003-06:00

Finally, "The Dark Knight" has arrived to save Gotham City once again. Unfortunately, you may not recognize this Batman as the same one from the other movies. The political aspects of this movie seemed to dominate over the action in my opinion. Perhaps the pre-release hype built expectations too high, but I didn't feel there were stellar performances by anyone in this movie, including Heath Ledger (sorry). You will still want to see this movie to keep up with the storyline of Batman. Just don't expect the best Batman movie ever.

The Last Picture Show--Save a Seat for Me

2008-05-13T12:25:00.002-05:00

I came to this AFI winner late--by about 37 years--but the popcorn was still warm and the screen still flickered its silver image, and I fell in love. How could I have missed this one?

It was like stepping back into the tired, dead towns that surrounded my country life in the 50's, though my drought-deadened, passed-by places had trees and hills rather than the flat Texas terrain. The terrain of the heart was, however, identical. Everyone wanted something they couldn't have.

It's a coming of age story, but screen writer Larry McMurtry's quirky sense of human foibles and clear-eyed observation of human interaction leaves the viewer with no rosy ending--everyone is trapped and no one escapes but Sam the Lion--the Ben Johnson role of the man who is not compromised by small town life. And Sam escapes by dying.

Sam the Lion.

Ben Johnson dominates the role and the role dominates the movie. Sam owns the pool hall, the movie house, and the diner, and holds the town together by the force of his character. In the central scene of the movie, Sam takes two boys fishing at a water hole that has no fish and reminisces about his past, a trysting time with a young married woman. The key to Sam is that he loved the woman, and continued to love her, but did not make the move that would have broken her marriage. He is a man of honor in a town of desperate intimacies. He is the bedrock character that redeems the town and the movie.

Cybill Shepherd is introduced in this movie, a small town Scarlet O'Hara who gathers hearts like other girls gather flowers, and who pulls them apart and discards them. Jeff Bridges and Timothy Bottoms are poignantly young on the screen, two best friends set at odds by Jacy, the Cybill Shepherd character. Cloris Leachman plays a pathetically needy older woman who tucks Sonny, the Timothy Bottoms teen, into her bed. And Ellen Burstyn is convincing as Lois Farrow, the wife of the "rich" man who has no love for her husband, engages in sex with Abilene,one of his men, and advises her daughter to sleep with Duane, the Jeff Bridges character, in order to get it out of her system and move on. Clu Gulager is Abilene, the cold-eyed, hard oil hand who uses sex as power without compunction.

The interesting twist is that Lois Farrow is the woman with whom Sam has been in love and who has continued to love him. Both characters understand the difference in sex and connection, and both retain their honor--though Sam is the "good" man and Lois is the "bad" woman. McMurtry never disappoints.

When Ben Johnson was offered this role, he initially turned it down, considering the nudity and swearing "dirty," but when his scenes were rewritten, eliminating the language and elevating the character, he consented. His recreation of Sam illuminates the movie.

There is a cemetery at Foraker, Oklahoma--the little town where Ben Johnson was born. It's in the tall grass prairie, surrounded by blowing grass and blue sky. There's the most unusual grave monument I've ever seen there, a monstrous, misshapen chunk of rock with pipe and barbed wire and odd pieces of ranching paraphernalia embedded in it. It is solid and true though a little worn around the edges. It will stand after all the prettier stones are beaten into smooth-faced slabs by the Oklahoma weather. Johnson's character is like that stone. True to itself. Solid.

In a town that is losing its soul, Sam the Lion stands guard.

Beowulf--Baddddd

2008-03-17T09:21:00.002-06:00

Beowulf, the first preserved poem in Old English, should have been preserved in print just a little longer. This movie was so bad on so many different levels, English Lit teachers across the continent cannot count the ways.

The writing was uneven--from somewhat OK to farcical. The Nordic drinking songs could have come out of a Monty Python flick--the whole movie would have made a good Monty Python send-up, but it missed out on a good thing.

The director turned out cardboard stick-figures, leering, simpering, yelling, pouting, caracatures of epic personages gone California Bay. The line, "Don't touch me," can be sinister, cold, threatening, or whiney. The director goes for the whine. I really didn't like the Queen as she was interpreted and couldn't decide what image Beowulf was supposed to convey.

One expected blood and gore, at least if one has read the poem, but the wenching and the naked bodies were stilted and gratuitous. Beowulf fighting Grendal sans clothing could have been a golden moment if the director had been a little less modest, but the objects thrown into view to shield our male hero's proof of masculinity got to be so comical that the entire scene became ludicrous. For gosh sakes, show all or get the man a loin cloth, don't play maiden aunt censor!

The concept was excellent--just the kind of idea that would play well in a Senior English class--hero who goes out to build his legend at the expense of truth, then finds himself forced to step into the words and become the image he has created. There's some really fine depth there, using the events that the poem hyperbolizes to explain the poem that emerged. Unfortunately, neither the director, nor the writers, nor the actors were able to breathe life into the concept, and the movie became a lost thing trying to find its voice.

Poor movie.

The Fifth Element, Yeats, and the Second Coming

2008-02-22T13:42:00.003-06:00

Who would have thunk it?

The Fifth Element campy send-up of the save-the-world genre is closet poetics, putting on the heavy overcoat of W.B. Yeats' darkly prophetic poem, "The Second Coming." No dry, existential propaganda piece, The Fifth Element galumps its way through a world gone techno-crazy 300 years in our future and gives us Bruce Willis at his rough-hewn, tough guy with soft interior best. Ex-military cab driver, Willis picks up a fare that drops in out of the sky and turns out to be the Spiritus Mundi, the element of spirit that carries all memory and activates earth, fire, water, and air.

The race against time to save the world from the slouching beast, the dark expanding mass that proceeds toward earth to swallow up all life forever is peopled with comic-pop characters both good and evil that bring life and laughter to the sci/fi formula.

I had no intention of watching this movie, but my insightful critic friend insisted, and I am richer for it.

Watch this! It's fun.

After Long Absence...

2007-12-20T21:45:00.000-06:00

Wow! What a dissicated desert the DVD world has been! We have opened walls and moved shelves at the library, creating a whole new world for our patrons, and we haven't watched many movies since early summer, but it has been no great loss.

Finally, our movie club has offered some interesting titles, and I've also gone out to a large store (whose name shall remain unrecorded) to find something you might enjoy. You can see the results in our December movie list.

Meanwhile, the old favorite Christmas flicks are going how like hot chicks: White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Scrooge, A Christmas Story... The best can only get better. Let's hope the next few months show an improvement in choices. The State Aid money is coming and we've earmarked some of that for movies this year. Stay tuned!

Yes, There Will Be More Movies Coming...

2007-08-05T19:37:00.000-05:00

We haven't forgotten you. There will be new titles coming soon. Promise!

It has been summer around the library all July and we have had YA volunteer camp, the summer program for kids, a magician, a master story-teller, pizza parties, Nancy Drew book club meetings, a mystery to solve, and not much time or money left over for movies. Real world trumps the flick.

But, now it's August, the kids are getting ready for school, there's a little cash in the till and I'm looking with interest at the new releases on DVD. Watch for the rest of the new titles on the AFI list soon, and then we are commited to picking up the latest Pirates of the C movie as soon as it's released, and this summer's Harry Potter. As always at your library, you can let us know what's hot and available, and we'll count our pennys and try to get it in. Meanwhile, check out the new old movies we added from the new AFI 100 Years 100 Movies.

Stay tuned in!

Singing Slugs? Yech...

2007-06-08T12:08:00.000-05:00

Flushed Away. Who in their right minds would watch a movie about a mouse flushed down the toilet? I certainly didn't plan to. I saw the trailers and thought, Yuk! This one isn't taking up library space. Then a much younger co-worker insisted that I watch it and even brought her copy of the DVD to make sure that I would. What can I say? It's cute.

Maybe it's the affected British accent of the protaganist (He's no Mickey M) or the slight resemblance to my sister that I saw in the heroine--this little flick caught me and I enjoyed almost every minute of nonstop fun. Animation isn't just for kids anymore, so watch this one with your youngsters--the whole family has something fun waiting for them here.

The movie is great for teaching the value of friendship above Things and the importance of social interaction. Great as a vehicle to say that we should unabashedly be who we are. Great when it makes the point that all living beings have value.

Not so great when it comes to Slugs Are People Too. Ick.

The Queen

2007-05-27T15:33:00.001-05:00

I was not sure what to expect when I watched the movie. I did not see a lot of trailers for this movie, I thought that it was going to be about how The Queen became the ruler of England. Even though that was not what it was about, I was not disappointed.

This movie is how the royal family handled the death of Princess Diana. The movie starts within days of the wreck in the Paris tunnel to the end of the summer with the Queen meeting with Tony Blair. The movie shows how the relationship with the newly elected Prime Minister grows with the Queen.

If you like British History or anything to do with royalty, then you will like this movie.

The Lake House--Some Do...

2007-05-15T15:11:00.000-05:00

Some do...some don't. Sleepless in Seattle does; You've Got Mail doesn't. When Harry Met Sally definitely does and so does The Lake House. Those wonderful boy-misses-girl-misses- boy-meets-girl-meets-boy movies that we know just have to come right in the end fascinate us and renew our faith in the power of fate.

Sandra Bullock, who is usually just a little too waif-like for me, is on the mark in this film, balancing her lonely, mildly depressed characterization with likeability. I just want things to come out OK for her. And Keanu Reeves makes the love-struck male plausible.

Plausibility, however, is a real problem in this film. You don't want to analyze the nuts and bolts too closely, but if you are willing to suspend belief and just drop into the love story, you (I'm talkin' to you, girls) will have a satisfying chick-flick to get those tear glands going.

Night at the Museum

2007-05-09T13:53:00.000-05:00

What if...

Isn't that every kid's preface to a great adventure? What if the museum comes to life each night? What if dinosaurs roam and lions prowl and the great battles of history are fought again and again and again? And what if a 21st century skeptical adult finds himself not just a witness to but a protaganist in this great saga?

Showcase the performances of three legendary comic actors and What If? becomes magic. Not only do Andy Rooney and Dick Van Dyke have a little fun, but we get to go along for the ride.

However, the best part of the movie is not these two old pros in their surprisingly evil roles, but the subdued and on-the-dime performance of Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt. Who else could play that multi-faceted sky-rocket of a president? The treat here is that Williams plays the man rather than the caricature and the result is a stunning vignette leaving the Roosevelt fans wishing for more.

What if you miss this movie? The sun will come up, birds will sing, the wind will blow, but you will have missed a roaring good time!

DEPARTED (Rated R)

2007-05-02T22:58:00.000-05:00

This is a warning to anyone with children under 13 who may want to watch "The Departed". Send the kids to Grandma's or watch it while they are in school. The language in this movie is worse than "Scarface". This movie contains too much blood and violence for pre-teens.
Jack Nicholson plays a totally evil mob boss you'll just love to hate. The rest of the characters are difficult to define as good or bad. Don't go for a sandwich, or you'll be lost when you come back.

The Illusionist

2007-04-23T15:00:00.000-05:00

Can the magician make himself disappear? Can he bring his lost love back from the dead? The expected and unexpected blend into mystery and romance as the Illusionist creates his final and finest trick. Excellent acting.

Don't miss the interviews afterwards. You will be shocked at how ordinary the actors and actresses seem after their extraordinary screen presense. 'Tis the nature of the craft!

Moulin Rouge

2007-04-23T14:54:00.000-05:00

Just in! Nothing like the older version of Moulin Rouge, the 2002 view of Alexandre Dumas' steamy, seamy nightclub life is lush and romantic and tragic. The cinematography is like fine velvet, reflecting mood, light, and shadow and drawing the viewer deeper into its folds until the everyday is gone and the world of courtesan and lover breathes in its place. Don't miss this one.

Happy With Happy Feet!

2007-04-09T13:15:00.000-05:00

Wow! If you want to see the animated technological wonder of the year, you must not miss this movie.

The obvious scene to amaze and astound is the one in which the entire community of penguins tap dance in sync with one another while retaining each and every individual characteristic with which they have been endowed by their creators. But, beyond that, there is an eerie moment when Mumbles, the hero, meets human beings and, first, we see Us through his eyes and then, we see him through ours. What is animation and what is not? At that moment, it is really hard to tell, and the effect goes beyond techno-pop and into that realm of The Other.

Parents, beware!

If you have little ones who take nightmares away from scary movies, there are scenes of peril for the little penguin that are uncomfortably real. The teeth are so sharp and the menace so keen, that I feel it, even as an adult who understands the difference between animation and life.