La Vie En Rose
Although she had a small but dedicated following outside France, Edith Piaf, the great French Chanteuse, is probably best known and remembered in her homeland, especially in Paris, where she was often described as the ‘soul of the city’. Oliver Dahan’s movie on the career of Piaf is remarkable. It is an illuminating study of her life, features all of her greatest ‘hits’, and contains a performance from Marion Cotillard, as ‘the little sparrow’, which is quite staggering, as she takes Piaf from awkward adolescence to crippling old age. The movie is superb French Cinema, and so much more than just a ‘bio-pic’.
Charlie Wilson’s War
For once, this new movie from Mike Nichols is not based on a stage play. Rather, it comes from a novel by George Crile, and the screenplay offers Nichols a lot of cinematic scope, of which he takes full advantage. However, this ‘true-life’ story about a US Congressman, a Houston Socialite, and a renegade CIA Agent who team-up to instigate a covert operation in Afghanistan in the mid 1980s, is rather hard to follow. The problem is Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman all insist on mumbling throughout the movie in broad ‘Southern’ accents which are undecipherable.
Lions for Lambs
Robert Redford directs and stars in this incredibly bad movie which takes a look at the current war in Afghanistan. The movie is just so much blah, blah, blah that never ceases. Two disparate stories, concerning the war, eventually link up. Robert Redford is very bland as a Political Science Professor, Tom Cruise is not convincing as an aggressive Congressman, while Meryl Streep, as a Conscientious Journalist, is just Meryl Streep with a notepad and pen.
Atonement
In 1935, a 13 year old fledgling writer thinks she witnessed something alarming, and she makes a false statement to the police, with devastating consequences. This English movie, directed by Joe Wright, has a lot of class and style. The costuming and staging is spectacular, and the performances from Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and Vanessa Redgrave are all outstanding. The movie has a very intriguing structure, as it moves forwards and backwards slightly in time to give a rounded perspective on the events related, plus it questions aspects of ‘reality’ and how it can be interpreted. The movie also contains an extraordinary 5 minute ‘one-take’ elaborately choreographed ‘tracking-shot’, which certainly picks-up the middle section of the movie that is ever so slightly dull. It is British Cinema at its very best.
Paranoid Park
The movies of Gus Van Sant have always questioned aspects of American Society, plus they have always contained experiments with certain aspects of cinema production techniques. In his latest movie Van Sant plays with focus. In all the scenes a ‘focal’ point is established, and the performers and camera continually move in and out of ‘focus’. Consequently, a lot of the movie is intentionally blurry, which allows for an abstracted interpretation of the events depicted. A group of late-teenage boys, who frequent a dangerous skateboarding park, become suspects in a murder. There is also a subliminal sense of homosexual eroticism and voyeurism throughout the movie, as the camera lovingly concentrates on one close-up after another of the handsome young leading man. Gus Van Sant has created another controversial movie.
Then She Found Me
Fans of Bette Midler will probably love this movie. Just to see Bette. I am a big fan of the ‘Devine’ one, so I can’t tell whether or not she is good, bad or indifferent in the movie. This much, however, I can tell: The movie stinks! Bette plays a TV Talk Show Hostess who tracks down the daughter she gave up for adoption years ago. Helen Hunt plays a prim, divorcing schoolteacher who is not overwhelmed to meet her birth-mother. As writer, producer, star and director, Helen Hunt could be suffering from ‘Streisand’ megalomania.
Beowulf
Robert Zemeckis’ movies, such as ‘Back to the Future’, ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ and ‘Forrest Gump’, have always been noted for their use of computer-animated special effects. ‘Beowulf’ is no exception, and the entire movie was probably created with a ‘blue-screen’. However, this legendary tale about a Nordic ‘Hero’ ridding a kingdom of an evil monster is a hell of a lot of fun. Based on a ‘graphic-novel’, in post-production the movie has been treated with a computer-filter to enhance its ‘comic-book’ visual style. Angelina Jolie appears totally naked in the movie, and her body is so fantastic that I can forgive her appalling, stupid, Mid-European accent.
Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium
Dustin Hoffman is an actor I don’t readily warm to, yet, he is quite charming in this movie about a 243 year old eccentric who owns a magical toy shop. Deciding it is time to ‘leave’ this world, he bequeaths the shop to his delightful assistant Natalie Portman. But, the shop rebels, and dark ominous changes start to occur. The visual staging of this movie is enchanting, all the actors are terrific, and its moral message is not too over-bearing. Children will love this movie fantasy and their parents will get a kick out of it as well.
Blonde Ambition
Jessica Simpson might be America’s latest sex-symbol, but to make a movie where they are intentionally comparing her to Marilyn Monroe is ludicrous. I am told she sings rather well, but, I wouldn’t know, and couldn’t care less.
Mr. Robet’s Best Buys
Elizabeth, The Golden Age
Cate Blanchett is simply fabulous in this elaborate historical costume drama.
La Vie En Rose
A beautifully rendered movie about the life of French Chanteuse Edith Piaf.
Beowulf
A classic ‘graphic novel’ comes vividly to life in this legendary Nordic yarn.
Atonement
Reality, and how we perceive it, is questioned in this elegant British movie.
Red Road
This gripping Scottish mystery will have you glued to the edge of your seat.
Paranoid Park
Gus Van Sant creates a curious movie which plays with cinema techniques.
A Few Days In September
A French ‘spy’ movie which makes some shocking and startling revelations.
Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium
A captivating children’s movie that the whole family will thoroughly enjoy.
The Nanny Diaries
A humorous and anthropological look at the many problems of child rearing.
The Bucket List
A comedy that displays the talents of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.
Flood
The British Cinema takes a cold and analytical attitude to a natural disaster.
The Heartbreak Kid
The Farrelly Brothers present their latest outrageous and offensive comedy.
The Jan Austen Book Club
Women especially will find this film about personal relationships enjoyable.
December Boys
A sentimental but charming film about a group of Australian orphaned boys.
