Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
In the late 1870s, after the defeat of the Sioux Indians, the Native American tribes were herded onto useless land in Dakota. They were given meager rations, and were expected to assimilate. Then, gold was discovered in the Black Hills of Dakota, and the American Government commenced a ruthless policy to strip the Indians of their dignity and sacred lands. Yves Simoneau makes a brilliant movie, which studies one of the most successful attempts at genocide ever undertaken. August Schellenberg is particularly good as the proud Chief Sitting Bull, who refuses to submit to the White Man’s ways.
The Heartbreak Kid
With movies like ‘There’s Something about Mary’, ‘Me, Myself and Irene’ and ‘Shallow Hal’, the Farrelly Brothers are well-known for pushing the limits of ‘commercial’ cinema. Their latest movie, ‘The Heartbreak Kid’, is a bit more acceptable, but it does contain many outrageous moments which challenge American morals. A confirmed bachelor marries in haste, and on his honeymoon falls in love with another woman. Ben Stiller walks through the movie, presenting his normal screen persona, while Malin Akerman is fabulous, and totally steals the show, as the obnoxious and unwanted wife.
Om Shanti Om
Fans of ‘Bollywood’ movies are going to love this musical. More discerning movie buffs will probably be bored to tears. In typical ‘Bollywood’ style the plot meanders on, telling a dreary tale about a lowly contract player in a big Indian film studio, who has dreams of becoming a movie ‘Hero’. While the story isn’t really going anywhere, the movie is interspersed with some super production numbers. These are going to look fantastic on your new wide-screen, high-definition Plasma TV set, which you bought yourself for Xmas.
The Nanny Diaries
An anthropology student, recently graduated from college, is unsure of her capabilities. To ‘find’ herself, she takes a summer job as a Nanny for a high-maintenance Upper East Side Manhattan wife. Simply known as ‘Mrs. X’, the wife has plenty of time for herself, but none for her young son. The college graduate tackles the job like an anthropological field case. Scarlett Johansson, as the Nanny, and Laura Linney, as ‘Mrs. X’, both give such outstanding performances that they are able to transcend the schmaltziness of the movie, and turn it into something much better than you would expect.
The Longest Yard
Incorporating every cliché you have ever seen in every ‘prison’ movie ever made, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and Burt Reynolds, nevertheless, create an entertaining ‘prison’ comedy which really works. In jail on some drunk and disorderly charges, Adam Sandler is an ex-football star who is coerced to put together a football team, from the inmates, to play against the guards. None of the prisoners are interested, until they find out who they are to play. Many of the supporting characters are much more amusing than the principal stars.
Waitress
An unhappily married waitress is hoping to win a pie-baking competition, so she will acquire enough money to leave her over-possessive husband. When she finds herself pregnant this throws her plans askew, and, into the arms of a new doctor, recently arrived in their rural American town. Although the plotline of this low-budget movie is predictable, the magic of the movie is to be found in the superb ensemble playing of its actors. Keri Russell, Jeremy Sisto, Cheryl Hines and Nathan Fillion all create believable and memorable characters. Look for a nice cameo performance from an elderly American Icon, Andy Griffith, in what might possibly be his last screen appearance.
Sex & Death
One day a handsome business man receives an unsolicited e-mail listing all the women he will have sex with in the future. Obsessed with the list, he starts working his way through it. Meanwhile, a serial-killer, ‘Death Nell’, is on a rampage with her own agenda. It becomes a bit alarming when her real name is discovered to be the last one on the man’s list. This movie is a pretty dismal attempt at ‘black’ American comedy, and a lot of the movie verges on ‘soft-core’ pornography. Simon Baker has all the necessary attributes for his sexy role, but, I tend to wonder what Winona Ryder is doing in this trash.
Balls of Fury
This movie is incredibly stupid and idiotic, yet it is also hysterically funny. Dan Fogler is a down and out, over-weight, former professional Ping Pong player, whom the FBI forces into an ‘extreme’ Ping Pong competition, where the stakes are dangerously high. Dan is expected to keep tabs on the organizer of the tournament, and the organizer’s various nefarious activities. Maggie Q is Dan’s Kung Fu ‘expert’ girlfriend, while Christopher Walken looks a lot like, and carries on a lot like, a Grand Chinese Dowager Empress. It is difficult to stop giggling and chuckling all the way through the movie.
Rise of the Footsoldier
I am backing away from this British movie, and I am leaving it to you, the reader, to decide whether or not you want to watch it. Even though the movie is well directed, acted and photographed, I have a problem with the movie’s excessive violence, plus, I do not like movies which glorify soccer hooligans, drug dealers and gangsters. Promoting these people as viable ‘alternative’ role-models, or ‘anti-heroes’, even though they are just meant to be symbolic for the precarious times Britain has currently passed through.
