Category Archives: Movie Review

Reel Life

Posted on May 1, 2013 by | Comments Off

Documentaries worth checking out!

spellboundSpellbound (373.1 SPE) Follow (and root for) eight youngsters vying to win the National Spelling Bee.

kingcornKing Corn: You Are What You Eat (633.15 KIN) Two college friends unlock hidden truths about America’s food system when they try to grow an acre of corn.

helveticaHelvetica (686.224 HEL) Yes, this IS an entire film about a font, but it’s also a fascinating look at graphic design and noticing the intersection of words and signage and space in the world around us.

madhotMad Hot Ballroom (793.3 MAD) This film about eleven-year-old New York City public school kids learning how to ballroom dance is both fun and inspiring.

sugarmanSearching for Sugar Man (781.66) This recent winner of the Academy Award for Documentary Feature about a nearly forgotten folk singer from the 1970s grabs your attention and doesn’t let up until the heartwarming ending.

septemberThe September Issue (746.92 SEP) Sure you’ve seen The Devil Wears Prada and/or episodes of Ugly Betty, but this is the REAL behind-the-scenes look at U.S. Vogue magazine and editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

cameramanCameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
(B CARDIFF) An absorbing look at life behind the camera and the craft and ingenuity of an Oscar-winning cinematographer.

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Cat Ballou

Posted on March 26, 2013 by | Comments Off

I watched the comedy/western Cat Ballou the other day and laughed so hard that I thought I would mention it here, in case anyone could use cheering up. It’s not new (made in 1965), but it’s a charming and funny spoof on westerns, and appears frequently on lists of “Best Westerns.”

The plot can be summed up as follows: A prim schoolteacher named Catherine Ballou (Jane Fonda) hires a famous gunman to protect her father’s ranch, and later to avenge her father’s murder, but finds that the man she hires is not whom she expected. She has hired legendary gunfighter Kid Shelleen (Lee Marvin) to come and help protect her father from fast-drawing Tim Strawn (also played by Marvin), alias ‘Silvernose,’ the hired killer who is threatening her father, Frankie. There are various plot convolutions, and the prim Catherine Ballou emerges as “Cat Ballou,” girl train robber, with the “face of an angel, who fights like a devil.”

Lee Marvin as Kid Shelleen

Lee Marvin as Kid Shelleen

Marvin is inspired in this movie, with a kind of crazed goofiness, and he won an Oscar for Best Actor for his dual role. The scene where, as Kid Shelleen, he sobers up and dons his gunfighting costume, starting with a corset, is a classic.

Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye are billed onscreen simply as “Shouters.” They act as banjo-playing, wandering minstrels, intermittently narrating the story with verses of “The Ballad of Cat Ballou.”

Be forewarned that Cat Ballou could be accused of not being politically correct, and it looks like it was filmed on a studio back lot. But it has a light-heartedness and sense of fun that is really enjoyable.

Note: If you enjoy Cat Ballou, consider watching Blazing Saddles next. It’s the spiritual heir to Cat Ballou, with some of the same plot machinations, and it will keep the smiles coming.

marvinYou also might want to read Lee Marvin: Point Blank (B MARVIN), a new biography of the actor.

 

 

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Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World

Posted on January 28, 2013 by | Comments Off

mandcThe movie Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World often pops up on lists of “Most Underrated Films,” and I agree, it’s a fine movie that deserves to be seen more. But coming out at about the same time as Pirates of the Caribbean (late 2003), it got scuppered, or whatever is the nautical word for getting lost in the backwash of another ship.

The movie is based on the novels of Patrick O’Brian, who was known for his  detailed portrayals of 19-century naval life. The books Master and Commander and the Far Side of the World are part of a 20-novel series.

The title signals that we are going on an adventure, and the sense of being whisked away to another world and time is one of the things I love about this movie. As a Russell Crowe fan, I loved seeing him as Captain “Lucky” Jack Aubrey, master and commander of the HMS Surprise, and enjoyed seeing  life aboard this early nineteenth century man-of-war. An Oscar for Best Sound Editing went to Russell Boyd, who recorded realistic sound effects for the battle and storm scenes. So not only are we seeing this other world, we are hearing it.

Plot-wise, Master and Commander is set during the Napoleonic Wars, when England was under threat of invasion. The captain plays a cat-and-mouse game with the French war vessel, the Acheron, pushing his men and his ship to their limits, as they sail around South America, often on stormy seas. On board is Dr. Stephen Maturin, an amateur naturalist, who hopes to stop at the Galapagos Islands to study their natural history. The growing friendship between the captain and the doctor forms an enjoyable subplot to the naval adventure.

At the end of the movie, the captain and the doctor sit in the captain’s quarters and play music on their cello and fiddle, indicating that peace has returned to the ship. Then, suddenly omnipotent, we see the ship, sails billowing, turning to the far horizon. What adventure will be next?

To learn more about nineteenth century naval life and history, read Jack Aubrey Commands: an Historical Companion to the Naval World of Patrick O’Brian by Brian Lavery, and Patrick O’Brian’s Navy: the Illustrated Companion to Jack Aubrey’s World, edited by Richard O’Neil.

Note: The sound track of Master and Commander is worth borrowing–over the years it’s earned four and a half stars at Amazon–so that you can listen to the music again . . . and again.

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The Game

Posted on January 9, 2013 by | Comments Off

The Game“Discovering the object of the game is the object of the game.”

When we grow up, we tend to feel a void in our lives where our childlike imagination used to be. We outgrow it because it’s no longer appropriate for us to play “make-believe,” never realizing that reality can seem so empty without it. Nicholas Van Orton is an adult man, leading a very adult life. It was Jack Torrance from The Shining who famously said: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” The same could be said about Nicholas, who has more money than he knows what to do with, and nobody to spend it on. Favoring career advancement and material possessions over meaningful relationships and life experience, Nicholas is only now starting to feel the emptiness that was always there. That is, until he played The Game.

When his deadbeat brother shows up out of the blue to celebrate Nicholas’ birthday over lunch, Nicholas is given an opportunity to play The Game. One character calls it “a vacation, but one that comes to you.” That’s putting it lightly. With no information other than a business card that reads “Consumer Recreation Services,” he gets thrusts into a life-changing experience. The Game (1997) really hits its stride when Nicholas starts to lose his grasp on reality. When does The Game end and real life begin? It’s a question that the audience will be asking themselves, and the film does well in blurring those lines as neatly as it does.

David Fincher (director of The Social Network, Fight Club, Se7en) sets the film primarily at night, highlighting the extremely dark nature of such an experience. When you take away a man’s distinction between real life and fantasy, it’s no longer just fun and games. Adults could stand to let some of their childhood imagination back into their lives, but it’s clear that there’s such a thing as too much. One doesn’t play The Game, so much as gets played by The Game. And that’s true of the film as well.

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Safety Not Guaranteed

Posted on November 26, 2012 by | Comments Off

What would you change if you could travel back in time and alter the past? That is the premise explored in Safety Not Guaranteed.The inspiration for this film is based on an actual ad in a survivalist newspaper that read “WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You’ll get paid after we get back. I have only done this once before. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed.”

Jeff (Jake Johnson), a journalist for  Seattle Magazine, is anxious to pursue the story and convinces his boss to allow him to recruit two interns to accompany him to his home town of Ocean View, Washington, in search of the time traveler. Jeff has an ulterior motive, thinking that the trip will give him an opportunity to reconnect with his former high school flame. He brings Darius (Aubrey Plaza), the semi-goth, quirky loner girl, and Arnau (Karan Soni), the nerdy, virginal Indian-American boy, in tow. They are in search of Kenneth (Mark Duplass), the thirty-something paranoid grocery clerk who placed the ad. Kenneth is perceived by his fellow workers as a marginally obsessed weirdo. Really? Jeff attempts to approach Kenneth under the guise of  being a candidate for time travel, but Kenneth quickly sees through the ruse. So Jeff sends Darius to intercept Kenneth at the grocery store and, after some flirty banter,  she scrawls her phone number with a Sharpie on a Campbell’s soup can. So begins the love interest between Kenneth and Darius, who bond over exercises in the woods to sharpen their skills in preparation for the upcoming voyage.

Kenneth wants to go back in time to save his girlfriend from dying when a car crashed through her house and killed her. (Later it is revealed that his “girlfriend” never returned his affection and is still living.) Darius wants to go back in time to save her mother who stopped after work to pick up some chocolate milk for her. Unfortunately, Darius never received the chocolate milk she so insistently demanded, because her mother was murdered in the parking lot of the gas station. How’s that for a guilt trip?

Predictably, Darius and Kenneth become entwined as they spend an increasing amount of time together preparing for their time travel adventure. Jeff rekindles his old flame, and Arnau experiences his sexual awakening. Safety Not Guaranteed is a delightful, low-budget indie film with a science fiction twist. The characters are sustainable and believable despite living on the fringe. The ending is fully satisfying and brings the plot full circle in an ingenious, unexpected way. If you’re a fan of low-key, offbeat comedies this is a must see. The  film’s writer, Derek Connolly,  was given the Waldo Salt Screenwriting  Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

 

 

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Bernie

Posted on October 29, 2012 by | Comments Off

In Bernie, Jack Black reels in his slapstick, hip persona to portray Bernie Tiede, the mild, effeminate assistant undertaker in the town of Carthage, Texas. Everyone loves Bernie, who leads the congregation in song as the choir soloist, who lavishes the community with charitable works, and who makes their deceased loved ones look their best–despite being dead.  He’s the best community leader and mortician any town could ask for.

Bernie is based on a true crime story that sent a ripple through the upscale Texas community in 1997. In his unwavering role as compassionate consoler (just part of the job for a sympathetic undertaker), Bernie showers attention on the newly widowed Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine), former wife of the wealthiest man in town. Marjorie assumes her husband’s business role as head of the local bank and alienates the locals by cavalierly dismissing their loan applications. She is hands-down the most reviled person in Carthage.

Soon Marjorie and Bernie are seen side-by-side attending artsy theatre presentations, and romping through luxurious vacation destinations, thanks to her generosity in picking up the tab. They are constant companions. What started out as a simple need to console and to be consoled, morphs into a smothering relationship. Marjorie rules Bernie with an iron fist in a velvet glove. As the web tightens around Bernie, she bends him to her will, forcing an increasingly unhappy Bernie to cater to her every whim. She even goes so far as to cement the relationship by making him her sole beneficiary, and her financial advisor. Is it any surprise then that this rotund, good-natured man-child feels obligated to put a couple of slugs in his benefactor and hide her in the deep freeze? I don’t think so.

It’s hard to imagine a comedic true crime film, based on actual events, but director Richard Linklater has accomplished just that. This is only possible because Bernie, in spite of being the villain of the piece, is such a likeable fellow. Linklater apes the TV Investigation Discovery format by interspersing snippets of actual Carthage residents who knew the real Bernie Tiede. “He always made us look good.” In spite of the fact that this simple man has just confessed to slaughtering the golden goose, the town folk stand behind him. Knowing that the locals will never find Bernie guilty, wisecracking prosecuting attorney Buck Davidson (Matthew McConaughey) pleads for a change of venue to a town 50 miles away from Carthage, Texas, and the townspeople who support Bernie in spite of his evil deed.

Black is superb in this understated role. Bernie is the soul of goodness pitted against the despicable nature of the town villainess. As an interesting aside, both Black and MacLaine spoke with Tiede via phone calls to his prison cell before making the movie. Watch for a cameo appearance of the real Bernie in the closing credits. Rotten Tomatoes rates Bernie 92% Fresh.

 

 

 

 

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Marley

Posted on October 17, 2012 by | Comments Off

A long, long, long, long time ago, I went to a Bob Marley concert in downtown Chicago. I have a confused recollection of a mob of strobe-lit musicians up on the darkened stage, and of the colorfully dressed and turbaned women backup singers. I’d never been a big fan of reggae, finding the beat rather plodding, and the concert, though fun, didn’t really change my opinion. This was a bit before Marley went on to become a megawatt star.

Now that I’ve watched Marley, the story of Jamaican music superstar Bob Marley, I wish that I’d paid more attention. Marley was born poor in the Jamaican countryside, fathered by a white British government worker. He was rejected both by whites and blacks as a bi-racial child, and early on knew that his guitar was his ticket out of poverty and strife. With friends, he absorbed not only the local Jamaican music known as “ska,” but the American music he heard on the radio. It’s fun to listen to some of his old recordings of songs like Dion’s “Teenager in Love.” He became a follower of the Rastafari movement, which believes that the Ethiopian emperor, Haile Selassie I, was Jesus incarnate, and that cannabis should be used for spiritual purposes. They call Western society “Babylon,” and male members are forbidden to cut their hair, which knots into dreadlocks.

His rise to stardom was steady and he became a superstar, almost a cult figure, among young people worldwide. Why was he so popular? I learned why from Marley. His charisma comes pouring through the screen. He was incredibly good-looking, and danced with the abandon of a child before his audiences. He was also a talented songwriter–music poured out of him. He died at the age of 36 in 1981, when cancer from a neglected malignant melanoma spread. It was a great loss.

Marley is colorful, well-crafted, and full of music and energy. Don’t miss the interview with Marley’s aunt. Do I like reggae more after seeing Marley? Yes, because there’s a lot more to it than “I Shot the Sheriff.” Marley wrote some beautiful songs, as well as inspirational ones, and among music-lovers, he is still missed.

 

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Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Posted on September 6, 2012 by | Comments Off

St. Charles Public Library IL - Jiro Dreams of SushiIf by any chance you should journey to Tokyo, Japan, and see the sushi bar called Sukiyabashi Jiro, which is in the basement of a subway station, you might never guess that it is one of the premier sushi restaurants in the world, and that people from all over the world book reservations at its 10-seat bar months in advance. And you might be surprised to learn that it’s been awarded three-stars from the Michelin Guide.

Sushi by Hiroshige

The guiding light, chef, and owner of the restaurant is Jiro Ono, who is obsessed with sushi, which is made with vinegared rice and fish, usually raw. On occasion, he dreams about it.  Acolytes buzz about Ono, toasting sheets of seaweed over coals, massaging an octopus for 45 minutes to tenderize or smoking fish over a pile of special twigs used for fuel. They are taught to form a serving of sushi as gently as they would hold a baby chick. At the age of 85, Ono professes to still have not attained perfection. Some of the drama in Jiro Dreams of Sushi stems from the worries of Ono’s son, Yoshikazu, who is understandably nervous about assuming the mantle of the restaurant’s reputation when his father passes on.

Whether or not you like sushi, if you are a “foodie” you will enjoy this captivating story of an artist obsessed with his craft, along with seeing the jewel-like specimens of sushi, and the traditional methods of its production. You may feel inspired to try to make sushi yourself! We have a number of books on sushi–just look in 641.692, and you will soon be “sushi-ing”!

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Jeff, Who Lives at Home (Another Review)

Posted on August 30, 2012 by | Comments Off

St. Charles Public Library IL - Jeff Who Lives at HomeJeff is a 30 year old unemployed pot-smoking slacker who lives in his mother’s basement. He has watched the M. Night Shyamalan’s movie Signs so many times he’s convinced that the universe is constantly tapping him on the shoulder with hints as to which path to take. He needs only to awaken to the coincidences all around him, and his destiny will be revealed.

Jeff (Jason Segel) receives a phone call from a wrong number asking for “ Kevin”, and later while he’s running an errand, he sees a man on the bus in a tank top with the name KEVIN plastered across his back.  Surely, this must be the sign from the cosmos that’s been eluding him. Jeff follows the mysterious Kevin and joins him in a pick-up basketball game.  Never mind that Jeff and his new found friend, served up with such synchronicity, share some pot.  Kevin robs Jeff anyway. So much for fate.

Jeff’s brother Pat (Ed Helms) is a seemingly responsible job-holding married man who is struggling to keep his marriage together.  The fact that he’s just blown the down payment for a house on an expensive new Porsche, probably isn’t going to help anchor the relationship with his wife.  She expresses her displeasure silently by christening the car with the waffles and Redi Whip Pat has brought her for a cozy breakfast in bed. This is rendered even funnier because she launches the meal from a second story balcony. Plop!

Susan Sarandon, plays Sharon the lonely widowed mother of the boys.  Jeff is a rudderless couch potato, Pat is a pompous frustrated married man, and Sharon is a hopeless romantic.  She is enticed when she receives a flirty instant message from a secret admirer.  After exchanging messages she eventually lets her curiosity get the best of her,  and plans a rendez-vous at the water cooler with her love interest.  The unknowing gentleman who shows up to get a drink has no clue when Sharon whispers that she really likes his flowers.  Priceless!

Jeff, Who Lives at Home is in turn whimsical and charming.  Pat is a perfect foil for Jeff, the one being in overdrive, the other stuck in neutral.  Pat’s veneer of sophistication is a perfect counterpart to Jeff’s naivete. Sharon is touchingly amusing as the widow in a dead end job who is dazzled by the thought of a nascent romance.  She is the glue that holds the story, and the family together—something to bear in mind when viewing the final scene.  A lovely, humorous slice of life.

Interested in another review? Check-out what Nick has to say about Jeff, Who Lives at Home.

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A Separation

Posted on August 23, 2012 by | Comments Off

St. Charles Public Library IL - A Separation MovieActions have consequences. It’s a simple lesson that’s easy to forget. While we stress teaching this concept to children, often we forget to stop and remind ourselves of it. Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation is a terrific film that explores the choices we make, and the resulting consequences we must live with. While it’s no surprise that this Iranian film was nominated for Best Original Screenplay in the 2012 Academy Awards, it’s still a rare feat for a foreign film to break into such a prestigious and traditionally American category. Farhadi’s script is extremely easy to follow for American audiences (aside from a few cultural idiosyncrasies), while offering psychologically and socially complex moral situations.

In the film, an Iranian couple named Nader and Simin are on the verge of separating. Simin wishes to leave for America and take their 11-year old daughter with her, however Nader wants to stay in Iran to take care of his ailing father and does not want his daughter to leave him. Both of them want the separation, but are divided on how to handle it. Due to the state of disagreement, the Iranian courts prohibit them from separating, deeming their squabble as insufficient grounds for a divorce. Forced to stay together, tensions are high and conflict arises.

What I’ve described above is not a plot summary, but merely a catalyst. I had not heard anything about this movie before seeing it and was therefore much more engrossed in the film as these situations developed naturally and somewhat surprisingly. The script was nominated because of how organically these conflicts present themselves and how nuanced the characters are written. These characters feel like real people and it is hard to pick a side because none of them are wrong or evil, they’re just on opposite sides of a conflict. This was in my top three films of last year, and sadly I only got to see it once (unlike Drive, which I saw four times) But that’s what makes A Separation so profound, everything about it will stay with you long after the credits roll…

[NOTE: I chose not to add the trailer to this page, for I feel it gives away important plot points that don't even occur until halfway through. Watch it at your own risk, but I implore you not to.]

Find the DVD in our DVD collection!

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