Romantic 2006- 2014

 

Only Lovers Left Alive;

                                   I love Vampire films. The teeth the necks the spooky nighttime soirées. Jim Jarmusch has created one of the best I’ve seen, with Tilda Swinton as Eve (never looking so seductively undead, there's something terminally cool about a vampire making a night time plane reservation on her iphone) and Tom Hiddleston as Adam her depressed undead musician husband, who's chaotically messy studio/house is firmly rooted in the 1970's He living apart in Detroit (a vampire town if I’ve ever seen one) where he shows her around,when they get together in for a semi millennial snog. and she in Tangier. With John Hurt as Marlow not looking a day over five hundred (Apparently without any prosthetics) Mia Wasikowska as  Ava Eve’s  punk sister shows up to spoil some of the fun but soon gets booted out. Jarmusch weaves a great languid seedy decadent amber feel to the proceedings, making narrative almost superfluous. With the “good stuff” in Tangier, where Eve convinces hubby to return with her to in  increasingly short supply the pair might have to resort to the centuries old method of replenishment. Great fun…. 656 stars

HER:

Spike Jonze is not very prolific  director of features , but when he does complete a film it is usually memorable picking highly individual subjects  (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) Add  this to that list, in this brilliantly written tale set in L.A. in the near future, our protagonist Theodore an introverted romance letter writer, in a great portrayal by Jaoquin Phoenix is teetering on the edge of divorce from his long time sweetheart Catherine played by Rooney Mara, casually buys a new intuitive operating system,(Samantha) voiced with breathy seduction by Scarlett Johansson. She is a very fast learner and soon becomes far more than a computer program, Theodore at first bewildered by this new technology soon embraces it with heartfelt earnestness along with sometime hilarious results. Amy Adams gives a refreshingly unvarnished portrayal of Theodore’s confidant/ friend, going through her own marital trauma. The genius, and it is genius, of this film is the writing, which Jonze is also responsible for, the way in which he weaves with utter plausibility the arc of this human techno romance, bound as it is with all the foibles of any human interaction and some quite unexpected techno foibles which seem equally heartbreaking. It’ll be fun when this hardware becomes available, in the meanwhile Jonze has given us a sympathetic look into what it might be like.

1000 stars

Enough Said;

                    This well crafted romcom starring the late James Gandolfini as Albert and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Eva is another well written opus from director Nicole Holofcener. (Friends with Money, Lovely and Amazing and Please Give) They both play single divorcees whose teenage children are about to leave for college. Eva is a massage therapist. At a party she meets Albert with whom she  soon strikes up  the beginnings of a relationship  and Marianne, played by Holofcener mainstay  Catherine Keener, not knowing they  were once married. Marianne becomes a client who at her sessions is constantly bemoaning her ex ,the man Eva is beginning to  take a shine to.  At the point of realizing their connection she elects to say nothing to either party, which leads to a seat squirming confrontation.  Both Gandolfini and Dreyfus handles this part of the film with great acting, combined with Holofcener’s great writing this gives the film  its gravitas. An intelligent well acted and written film well worth leaving the house for.

396 stars

Ginger & Rosa;

                       After seeing a film like this one you wish that director Sally Potter (Orlando, Tango Lesson, and Yes) was more prolific. Gifted with great intelligence and passion she has made what could have been a mundane coming of age tale, (We’ve seen a million of ‘em) into a very worthwhile viewing event. Set in England against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile crisis it tell the tale of two inseparable teenage girls and a pivotal event that redefines their relationship as they both grow up in a very uncertain world. Elle Fanning as Ginger is the star here, her acting rises above everyone else, quite an achievement with a cast that includes, Timothy Spall, Oliver Platt, Annette Bening, and Alice Ebglert as Rosa. Deft casting wonderful imaging  and Potters golden touch where it counts, including most importantly the writing guaranties  time well spent.

456 stars

Blue Valentine:

An entirely unremarkable story about an entirely unremarkable couple working their way through a marriage beset with unremarkable problems, this however adds up to a remarkable film. This is mostly due to the wonderful acting by its two leads, Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams along with the writing of Cami Delavigne, Joey Curtis and Derek Cianfrance, who also directed the film. The story is too mundane to repeat, however the lack of artifice in the deliverance of the roles by Gosling and Williams is hard to deny, they seem entirely authentic, tapping directly into the daily romantic tribulations that fuel every relationship in the western world, and probably beyond. The camera work and photography is immediate, edgy, raw and unflinching, which can also be applied to the film as a whole. It is refreshing to see an American film make it to a wide audience without any technological trickery replacing the artistry of acting.

500 stars…. be nice to your wife.

Eat Pray Love:

A personal note, I am a dyed in the wool romantic, always have been. This shameless, shallow, privileged whinefest about a recently divorced woman trying to “find herself” through, Eating in Rome, Praying in India and Loving in Bali, if you need to go to these places in order to enjoy these activities you are beyond hope anyway. Then to end up apparently having learned nothing from various teachers along the way in the arms of another wounded ex pat, sailing off to his idea of a romantic couple of days on “this island that he knows” is a colossal waste of cinematic resources an immense ego trip and undoubtedly enormous paycheck for the botox lipped Julia Roberts. I fast forwarded through great swaths of this mess, (thanks Netflix) I am tempted to email them for sending me what I consider a defective product, but it wouldn’t be fair on them..

1 star for great shots of Rome

Love and Other Drugs;

Is the world coming to an end, have I slipped through a wormhole, was the theater in a different space-time continuum?? Or have I simply gone soft in my advancing years. Nevertheless I DID see this mainstream big time Hollywood formulaic rom com and it did have its moments. Starring the doe eyed Anne Hathaway, who steals most of the screen time, and Jake Gyllenhaal as Jamie a type A testosterone driven medical sales rep who discovers that despite being awarded the coveted Chicago market for the newly introduced stiffy wonder drug viagra he still has to grapple (clumsily, as the Hollywood writers would have it) with love, an intoxicant where no prescription is needed. The feisty spirited Maggie (Hathaway) isn’t initially buying any of his guff, and in a great early scene clouts him around the head with her handbag for inappropriate leering. However a serious invisible disease bring a hackneyed (Love Story) element into this tale idiot courting. Despite my enduring cynicism this effort is well written enough and with the requisite slick production/direction does slip under the wire as one of the better efforts to escape from the greasy palms of HW.

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Love in the time of Cholera;

This is a wonderful film about a young man’s obsessive love for a woman who turned him down as a youth. The man Florentino Ariza, is wonderfully portrayed by Javier Bardem and the woman Fermina Urbino is given a fiery persona by Giovanna Mezzogiorno, (looking very much like a young Debra Winger) After their budding romance is ended by her father. Florentino vows to wait for as long as need be in order to win her affections. This takes much longer than he anticipates, including her marriage to a wealthy doctor, which is not all that she had hoped for, nevertheless she endures and learns to make the best of it. Meanwhile Florentino also endures one setback after another in his quest, drowning his sorrows by bedding every woman that crosses his path (many). After many years Fermina’s husband dies, Florentino seizes his chance (by this time they are both old) and although Florentino has become wealthy time has passed. Fermina angrily rejects Florentino’s advances, coming as they do on the day her husband dies. The story does not end there. Set in Colombia in the early 1900’s everything about this film is sumptuous and passionate which is the way Gabriel García Márquez wrote the book and how Ronald Harwood’s screenplay presents it. Mike Newell directs with style and assurance. A real treat. (A Netflix recommendation)

450 stars love conquers all (that is worth conquering)

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Wild Grass;

Most of the population at the age of director Alain Resnais, 88 (Too many films to list here) spend a lot of their time in the supermarket deciding which grade of depends is right for them . Instead this master of the French New Wave has come out with an intriguing tale involving a dentist, Marguerite Muir played by Sabine Azema, with wild red hair whose purse is snatched by a rollerblading punk, while she is shopping for shoes. He, Georges (pronounced George) finds the discarded wallet and after rifling through it to find out who this woman is turns it into the police so that they can return it, after loosing his nerve trying to return it himself. He then becomes obsessed with the unseen woman and tries to start a relationship with her via a letter writing campaign, which she constantly rebuffs, to the point of getting the police to pressure him to leave her alone. This works, she then feels some guilt over this and calls to apologize and upon seeing him at a rendezvous (this is a French film after all). The tables are turned, she becomes obsessed with him and is initially rebuffed. Anyway it goes on and on as French films do but though there were many points in the beginning I was ready to leave, I never did, and was glad of it in the end. A complex multi layered visually arresting piece of work, certainly far more entertaining than trolling for depends in the senior isle.

246 stars wife, what wife.

The Kids Are Alright;

Director Lisa Cholodenko has fashioned an inventive funny poignant family drama in which the “mothers:” expertly

played

by Annette Bening and Julianne Moore grapple with all of the usual middle class family dramas of bringing up their 2 children who are on the cusp of going to college and finding their own voices. When the oldest of the two at the behest of her younger brother decide to try and

find their “sperm

donor” father, not knowing what they are letting themselves in for they unleash what turns out to be a torrent of mayhem, especially when they initially find out that they actually like the guy, played with rumpled raffishness by Mark Ruffalo, much to the dismay of their mothers. There are more involvements and complications that take place amongst the 3 adults in this triangle to make the ride at turns familiar and sad. It is this knowing maneuvering in this emotional pentagonal soup that lift this film out of the trite or mundan

e. All of the action throughout has air of realism and truth, that this could actually happen. And because of the actors talents and performances along with Cholodenko’s assured direction it just reinforces that notion. Bening is superb, Julianne Moore is wonderful, Mia Wasikowska as Joni the daughter is terrific as well. An unusually well realized film full of all the ingredients to make the effort of going to the theater worth while.

347 stars and listen to your mothers

I am Love:

This is the story of a wealthy Italian family The patriarch the owner of a well regarded fabric concern, leaves the factory to his son and grandson. The sons wife, played by Tilda Swinton carries this sprawling operatic tale. Even though she seems to have all the material needs one could ask for she falls for a friend of her son’s who is a chef, called into cater a gathering at her house. Forsaking all for her new romance she loses everything from her former life. It’s a story we’ve seen told many times before and this one for all of its scale, gorgeous art direction, superbly tasteful visuals and swooning vistas of Milan, London and various parts of Italy, not to mention Ms Swinton’s formidable acting prowess falls short in the passion department, which is really the part of this film which holds most peoples interest in a tale of this kind. The style of this film is really a throwback to the films of some of the great Italian directors of the 1960’s Visconti, and De Sica, not such a bad thing. It’s grand leisurely pace might not be for today’s add addled audiences but it’s worth a look never the less.

234 stars and be careful what you eat.

Please Give:

The latest by director Nicole Holofcener (Friends with Money) Is a tale of urban angst told with a particular astute female perspective, one that few directors can successfully bring to the screen with as much authenticity as this one. Katherine Keener (wonderful) is Kate the guilt ridden wife of Alex played by Oliver Platt, (also terrific) a New York couple who run a used furnishing store in Manhattan. The get their “stock” from the apartments of recently deceased tenants, buy up what they think will sell and then more often than not sell it for many times what they paid for it. The New York way. They have a teenage daughter who amongst all of these goings on unknowingly adds fuel to the guilt burden bourn by Kate. In one great scene Kate, while walking down the street with her family attempts to give money to a person she thinks is homeless but is simply waiting for a table in a restaurant. There is a subplot in which the couple is also

surreptitiously waiting for the demise of their neighbor, an extremely grumpy old lady who is being taken care of by her 2 feuding granddaughters, so that they can knock through the wall and expand their own living space, (more fuel for the guilt fire) This dare I say it “Allenesque” view on urban life is so much better than the whinemeister has ever done. She substitutes the aforementioned whining with razor sharp insights, pathos and ultimately forgives all of her characters for their human frailties. The casting is perfect, the acting top rate, the dialog by turns hilarious and tragic, the story multilayered and engaging. Holofcener is firing all cylinders, and then some.

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Crazy Heart:

Jeff Bridges does a wonderful job channeling Waylon Jennings/Kris Kristofferson , in this old fashioned film about a hard living/drinking and down on his luck country music star. If you are not a country music fan and this sounds too hic for you, put all that east coast snobbery aside, and go see this. Bridges inhabits the role to a remarkable degree, and first time director Scott Cooper takes full advantage of what is going on in front of the camera, and it’s a treat to look at. The music by T-Bone Burnett and Stephen Bruton is terrific. Bad Blake (Bridges) is coasting along at the bottom of the barrel when a young reporter, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, shows up to do an interview in a tiny town he is passing through. She somehow sees the man behind the bottle and gets him to (one last time) save his own ass. Although we’ve seen this story a hundred times before, the strength of the acting, along with a director who stays out of their way and lets them get on with it makes this one well worth a look.

256 stars & stay away from the sauce

It’s Complicated:

Its not. Nothing about this utterly conventional rom com, starring Meryl Streep, and the puffy faced Alec Baldwin as a divorced couple, who re meet at their sons graduation party. He (the puffy faced one) takes a second look at his long divorced ex in a new light, especially set against the backdrop of his troubled new marriage to a trophy career woman (is there such a thing?) her bratty son and the clanging hormones, pining for another child. Anyway he decides to summon up his underwhelming romantic charms and make a play for his ex. She (the one who can act) is at first confused, but set against 10 years of divorce in which career and girlfriends have been predominant, as well as a paucity of sexual “action”, decides with the advice of her shrink to “go for it”. Steve Martin is in there as a possible new romance, as the shy architect working on her new house “extension” if you get my meaning. Nancy Meyers, who long ago had a certain feel for these “girls pictures”, has made a complete dogs dinner of this one. Her ham fisted directing, dreadfully clichéd script, and Martha Stewarted milieu (what world is she living in?) made this a seat squirmingly, groan inducing marathon. The puffy faced one, can’t act, he is the same person on Letterman. Steve is miscast, shoved into this Hollywood mess by the producers or worse Meyers herself. Even Meryl’s formidable acting prowess had difficulty in lifting itself above this morass, this might have been her kryptonite event, temporary I’m sure.

50 stars All for Meryl

Up in the Air:

This is Jason Reitman’s third film. This guy (the son of Ghostbuster’s Ivan Reitman’s) is the real deal a gifted film director. Of course casting George Clooney as the lead, as job terminator Ryan Bingham didn’t hurt, but Clooney’s star charisma alone wouldn’t have saved this film if it wasn’t for Reitman’s obvious talent. Anyway Clooney happily spends most of his time “up in the air” flying around the country at the behest of various corporations firing the employee’s that they them selves haven’t the nerve to let go. Bingham has refined his methods into a fine art. At one point Bingham’s boss hires a young efficiency expert who has come up, so she thinks, with a method to do this messy business online, thus eliminating the need for the expense of flying his staff all over the country to do this in person. Bingham strenuously resists. He offers to take the annoying nerdy “expert” on the road to show her why this process needs to be done in person. The way that this process is told, with wonderful writing throughout (Rietman) along with a great subplot involving what Bingham mistakenly thinks might be a real romance with fellow corporate hockey player, wonderfully played by Vera Farmiga, makes this grown up intelligent film enjoyably engaging right through ‘till the end.

350 stars & save those air miles

500 days of Summer;

The story. A guy, Tom Hansen played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (miscast in my opinion) who believes in true love, fate, destiny, and the perfect woman, falls for Summer Finn played by Zooey Deschanel, who believes in none of these things. The hapless Tom falls pretty hard, and when he gets to 3d base, (after which there is a great dance sequence) he foolishly thinks that she feels the same way about him. Drama, 20 something angst, bliss, euphoria, deep Swedish depression follow in no particular order. Director Marc Webb who’s music video background serves him well in this surprisingly funny, well written and cleverly constructed rom com. Webb picks out seemingly random days from within the 500 and juxtaposing the aforementioned euphoria of early romance with the later familiarity and even later gloom of the breakup make for some very entertaining and funny scenes. There is one in particular where after the romantic fires have gone out she invites him, as a friend to a party she is holding at her apartment. The screen is then split into two on one side showing his expectation of what he hopes will happen, (a rekindling of their romance) and on the other the reality, he’s just s friend. When he realizes this he sulks and leaves. It is a clever device that works well. The film has many of these scenes which add to the brisk pacing, comedy and pathos of the overall film. The acting by Ms Deschanel is pretty perfect, Gordon-Levitt seems ill at ease and rather wooden, although many 20 something guys are like that anyway so maybe he isn’t miscast after all. Geoffrey Arend, and Mathew Gray Gubler play Tom’s two unhelpful friends, who are just there for slacker comic relief, and fulfill their roles adequately. Chloe Moretz is a standout playing Toms kid sister who gives him sage and wise advice on the relationship, which of course he mostly is unable to carry out, (because he is in love). The film is let down (not very much) by its sappy ending, however although we have seen this story ten thousand times (if you are my age). This is a fresh inventive version which is well worth a look
458 stars & listen to what she is saying.

Away we Go;

Director Sam Mendez has crafted a sappy 1970’s road movie about a young idealistic couple who, expecting their first child and being unceremoniously dumped by his parents decide to travel the country to find the ideal place to bring up their offspring. Naturally they, in their travels come across a goofy series of friends and relatives, none of which fill the bill. This part of the film makes up the bulk of the viewing time, the comedy is slack ,stereotypical and overplayed. John Krasinski plays Burt the terminally optimistic and accommodating husband to Maya Rudolph’s Verona. I’ll give Mendez credit for using realistic looking people as his lead actors, but not much else. Predictably they end up deciding on the house they her family was brought up in, with it’s attendant emotional ghosts firmly in residence. The last quarter of the film musters up some heartfelt resonance , but the travel time to get there was too long and painful.

125 stars & show your feelings

The Girlfriend Experience;

In his latest opus director Steven Soderbergh tells the story of a call girl’s working life in Manhattan set against the run up to the Obama election and the impending economic implosion. Chelsea nicely played by Sasha Grey has her life in order, a flourishing business a devoted personal trainer boyfriend who is unperturbed by her line of work and a flush bank account. But in a profession where you never know who is going to be your next call, things can get easily upset, which of course they do, and which is what makes this film so interesting. Shot almost in the manner of a documentary it follows, Chelsea from client to client all of whom add in one way or another to her cache of knowledge and experience, until she comes across the unexpected, (to her) a guy she falls for, this breaks down her defenses and for a while ruins her setup. Soderbergh run backwards and forwards in his telling of this story but not enough to where you loose the plot. The feeling he gives the film his hip and contemporary and so is the music. All in all an interesting observation of modern urban life
186 stars & never let down your guard



Last Chance Harvey;

Much in the vein of 4 Weddings and a Funeral, this is more, 1 Wedding and a very unlikely romance. But putting plausibility aside, this slight romcom has it’s charms and buoyed by 2 heavyweight (not in poundage) actors Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson put some much needed life into a rather standard formulaic Hollywood plot. Down on his luck and over the hill music jingle writer (Hoffman) goes to London for the wedding of his daughter. Taking a brief break from his fading career his is sheepishly greeted by her at the wedding. She in the meantime, (her mother has successfully remarried) tells the hapless Harvey that it is her stepfather(who has really been there for her in the last couple of years) who will give her away at the ceremony. Putting on a brave face, at this devastating news Harvey stands at the back at the ceremony and as soon as it is over dashes back to the airport and misses his plane, calling his boss in New York to explain his situation, he is fired. He proceeds to go to the airport bar to try and drown his sorrows , where he meets Kate (Thompson) a perennially single (don’t ask me why) woman who between work takes care of her dotty mother. They meet, I’m not going to fill in the rest of the plot as you can insert one of your own and it would work as well if not better than the one on the screen. Nevertheless the aforementioned leading duo if not making for a feel good viewing experience, at least will lift you spirits somewhat, (provided you were very depressed when you walked in).
216 stars mostly for Emma who I really like



DVD Pix; Damage;

I make it a point never to see a film a second time. With the dearth of really interesting new releases I have broken this vow to re see a favorite of mine when it was released in 1992, (long enough ago for me to forget may of the details of the film). Here is a film taken from a wonderful book by Josephine Hart, directed by Louis Malle, starring Jeremy Irons, Miranda Richardson and Juliette Binoche. The writing once more is the star, brilliant direction and acting rounding out an almost perfect triumvirate. It is a story of how British upper class manners clash disastrously with unbridled passion and obsessive love.. Jeremy Irons plays an up and coming minister in the British parliament who falls and becomes completely obsessed and carries on a passionate affair with the girlfriend and fiancé of his son. To detail the plot here would take many paragraphs and spoil any one who might want to rent this very worthwhile film. While at the risk of exposing possible geriatric filmic values, this effort has none of the current muck in it that is en vogue in most of the output that makes it onto the screens currently. Relying instead on a coherently intelligent script, a narrative that would send the currently ADD addled audiences rushing to the bathrooms, and acting that would send Seth Rogan back to his igloo in Canada. This is a film for grown up intelligent viewers.
450 stars & be careful who you carry on with. (although if it is Juliette Binoche you are excused)
link to the trailer;http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1755316505/


Broken English;

2 Requirements are needed to enjoy this ,light hearted, yet wistful opus. Parker Posey, and Paris. Neither of which should be hard to endure. This is a tale of a woman who is seemingly unable to maintain a relationship. Posey plays this seemingly cursed romantic, with her usual endearing quirkiness. After coming up short with several losers, she accidentally meets an itinerant Frenchman in a bar, who if not stealing her heart , certainly stokes up the cinders. He is only in town for a short while, working on a film. He returns to Paris, she refuses to go, she slips into moroseness after he leaves, following with her girlfriend, on a mission to find him, only to realize she has lost his phone number,on her arrival. This loopy well worn scenario , is only palatable because of Posey’s on screen abilities. She is one of the screens unsung treasures, (hopefully not for much longer) a perennial outsider who holds up every film she is in.
200 stars



Paris je t’aime;

21 well known directors make 18 short films about love, in the city of light. The films are erratic in many ways but the best among them are well worth looking at, and the overall effect is one of romance and affection for the city, and the people who inhabit this landmark capitol. With a stellar cast including, Bob Hoskins, Juliette Binoche, Emily Mortimer, Natalie Portman, Ben Gazzara, Gena Rowlands Fanny Ardant, Miranda Richardson and Nick Nolte, plus many more. It is a testament to the concept and the directors that this many stars agreed to appear in this filmic tribute to Paris.
212 stars



Breaking & Entering;

It is obvious from the first frame of this accomplished piece of work that Anthony Minghella loves film, and this love is amply displayed throughout the film.
Jude Law place a shallow facile (is he acting?) earnest architect who’s company is involved in a huge redevelopment project in the Kings Cross area of London. He has a long term unresolved relationship with a woman, wonderfully played by Robin Wright –Penn (why don’t we see more of this underrated actress?) and her daughter. Soon after his company moves into its new quarters a burglary takes place and all the computers are stolen including his personal laptop. These are all soon replaced, only to be stolen again. The police move in, the wonderful Ray Winstone plays the investigating detective. The crimes are committed by a group of east European kids fronted by some adult thugs.
Law, stakes out his office one night, in the company of a prostitute who has appeared to help while away the time. He sees one of the perps trying to break in again, and chases him back to his flat where he is living with his mother, played by Juliette Binoche, who is a tailor out of her house. He returns on a ruse of having a jacket repaired, scopes out the boys bedroom while there, has an affair with Binoche (who wouldn’t) messes things up royally, all the while trying to mend his relationship with Penn and her daughter. As you can tell from this cursory description of the plot, this is a very dense story (in the best way) full of wonderful actors working on a brilliant script with a director at the top of his game.
428 stars


Factory Girl;

Speaking of shallow and facile, the star of this film used to be and item with the afore mentioned Law (there ought to be one) before he got into the knickers of their nanny, I mean Please… how big a twit do you have to be…. I digress.
Sienna Miller who plays Edie Sedgwick, and ex Ratcliff society girrl who moves to NYC in the 60’s to become one of Andy’s superstars, only to flame out soon there after.
Miller turns in a wonderfully vibrant performance,(easy to see who was the actor in this ex couple) and really takes over the whole film.
Guy Pierce plays Andy with a detached reserve which really grows on you as the film progresses. Director George Hickenlooper, really captures the times, without going overboard. The visuals are handled in an appropriately period manner, without being forced. Despite all the exuberant partying nobody seems to be having a really good time, and there are big holes in this story, but you couldn’t fit in everything that happened otherwise I’d still be watching it.
324 stars




Venus:

A tired implausible story, acted by a very tired looking Peter O’Toole. We’ve seen this a hundred times. A very much old man strikes up an impossible relationship with a girl, young enough in this case to be his granddaughter. Throw in other maudlin ingredients (dying of some undisclosed disease, in this case probably drinking , yearning for lost youth). Aided as he is by the very capable Leslie Phillips and Richard Griffiths, (long fixtures on the British stage and television), even this trio cannot lift this effort out of the muck. I hope this is not O’Tooles swan song for it is more of an ugly duckling.






The Holiday;

Hollywood’s idea of Christmas entertainment. Starring Cameron Diaz (of the wind tunnel toothy smile) Jack Black, trying, and mostly succeeding to be charming, but only for the money) Jude Law, (there ought to be a law) the new Hugh Grant, and Kate Winslett, the only one I can’t complain about.
Anyway put together this Hollywood A list crew, and director Nancy Meyers (Something’s Gotta Give, What Women Want), add the most inane plot insert the most imbecilic script, load up with a tanker load of corn, and this is what you end up with, an artery clogging seizure inducing mess.
Fellas if you see this one, don’t slip on the estrogen on the way out. However, not to be sexist, it’s an insult to everyone who wastes their money to see it..
3 stars mostly for Kate Winslett



Heading South;

The main reason for my seeing this film was it’s star, Charlotte Rampling (do you need another?) This is the story of three middle aged women holidaying in Haiti, with the idea of having a good time (read unattached sex) with the much younger natives. Rampling, who plays Ellen a somewhat cynical and bitter French literature professor from Boston has been making this trip for a number of years and secretly has her eyes on local stud Legba, along with newcomer Brenda (Karen Young), who upsets the apple cart with her arrival. These women seem to have tired of trying to attract men back home on the strength of their personality and looks and have opted for the route of less resistance and complication by buying their needs from these local hunks, in an exotic land. This story is set against the brutal dictatorship of Papa Doc Duvalier, of who’s these women seem oblivious, until their beloved Legba turns up dead one morning on the beach, murdered by the police for some unnamed infraction , but by then it is too late, their fantasies have been shot through. This is a sad wistful film about wealthy white women who have given up on romance, and in it’s place opted for some paid for version, with which to replace it, which is ultimately illusory.
150 stars 80, of which go to Rampling, and lots of suntan oil.



The Science of Sleep;

I don’t know what the local critic was smoking when he gave this French mess an A rating, but I can’t wait until it becomes legal and we can all get our hands on some. The premise here is that a young man who arrives in Paris (how bad can that be) has some hallucinatory problems that cause his waking and sleeping life to become indistinguishable from one another. The problem with this is the depiction of this dream world mostly takes the form of paper cutout cities and flowers and the like, kind of like a low budget “60’s flower power trip. If Michael Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind) was trying to resurrect some kind children’s wild fantasy land it has fallen flat, and even if that was not his intention after the first half hour it becomes tiresome to look at. Despite having cast Gael Garcia Bernal in the lead, this fantasy sinks like a meatball in custard.
25 stars




Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont;

This unabashedly sentimental film starring the junior partner in that British triumvirate of Grande Dame actresses, (the first two being, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith) Joan Plowright, she plays an aging widow in the prime of her twilight, living out her last at the Claremont, a hotel in London’s W2 district that has seen better days, but is still hanging on to shreds of its former glory, much like it’s remaining inhabitants. On her journey she befriends a young aspiring writer. They take each other under their respective wings and form a mutually beneficial relationship, which smoothes the way forward for both of their lives. Contrived and unoriginal, the film is a showcase for Ms Plowright, (not that she needs one) and has some other merits for fans of this genre.
100 stars



The Lost City;

This is a labor of love by director Andy Garcia, who also plays the owner of a night club in Havana in the waning days of the Batista regime, and the opening era of Castro.
This is the story of a families disintegration, that parallels the social disintegration of Cuba, at the time. As brothers and sisters take varying sides in the oncoming revolution, so the patriarch of the family sees his family dwindle before his sad eyes, there is nothing that he can do to stem this tide, either in his family, or in the country.
The aura that Garcia creates is wonderful, as is the music that underpins much of the film., the cinematography is lush and gorgeous, The acting is also first rate, by all the leads Ines Sastre, plays the love interest who decides to follow the revolution rather than leave the country with Garcia, Bill Murray provides some wry comic relief, Dustin Hoffman puts in an appearance as Meyer Lansky. I say this is a labor of love because it took Garcia 16 years to get to the screen, and because it is too long, but the visuals are so gorgeous to see that it’s not a burden. 250 stars and as many cuba libres as you can stand




The Break Up.

This not so romantic comedy stars current hot couple Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston, as a couple who are on the outs, decide to split up, a situation that neither of them wants and yet are both too pig headed to admit to each other.
We have seen this scenario a million times before, and while there is some comfort in familiarity, this is generally not enough reason do make a film about it again. Vince does his thing well enough, playing the macho bear who ignores his partners attributes till she has had enough, and bolts. Jennifer, does a great job in her role as well, but there is nothing new here, this is simply a vehicle for 2 Hollywood heavyweights, they probably will both make a pile of money out of this one, so that will make them both happy. But what about US?
Not terrible, but not great either. 100 stars



The Oh in Ohio;

My sole reason for seeing this unworthy mess was Parker Posey, who plays the lead role, and does, as always a great job. She plays an ad executive (how original) who despite all of her outward success, has throughout her inexplicable marriage , to a schlub of a biology high school teacher (how original) been unable to achieve an orgasm (how original) and on this razor thin premise, hangs the whole film.
The structure, plot, screenplay and almost everything else I can think of are so lame overwrought and predictable, that I cannot imagine what Posey was thinking when she accepted this project. Maybe she needs a new agent.
26 Stars



Trust the Man;

Another New York City ensemble piece about relationships amongst yuppies. The ensemble consists of mainly worthy actors , Julianne Moore and Maggie Gylenhaal, are the mainstays, Billy Crudup and David Duchovny (who I have never liked) are the hapless men in this warmed over mess. The script is trite, predictable and hackneyed, the visuals look like a tired TV show, and the characters are completely unempathetic, I mean who cares about these people? Certainly none of the people involved in the making of this film.
I walked. 0 stars





Once;

A story about an Irish street musician, who runs into a Czech waif who likes his music, which is very good, and is sung with a great deal of passion. This is really music that has been filmed, not a film. I found it sophomoric, naive, but heartfelt, a throwback to the ‘60’s (if you are old enough to remember that). I walked.






Caramel;

A truly wonderful Lebanese film starring and directed by Nadine Labaki. It centers around a group of women who work in a beauty salon in Beirut , each one has a romantic problem of some sort, and it is the telling of their interweaving stories that makes this film so rich, deft direction, terrific editing, lovely lighting stops this effort by the first time director, from becoming a trite chick flick. The women are all stunning and wonderful actors, there is not a dud amongst them. Shot entirely in Beirut this is a story of daily life in the city without any reference to it’s war torn history. A terrific piece of work, and a director to watch in the future
500 stars yum




Smart People;

Dennis Quaid plays a crumpled, grumpy, bereaved professor with 2 teenaged kids in this drama. I’m not sure what it is about, however, Sara Jessica-Parker plays the love interest and proves that she can count to five by thumping her hoof on the ground.
Quaid has not recovered from the death of his wife, 7 years prior, and seems to be happy in his misery. When he ends up in hospital after falling from a fence, the aforementioned hoof stomper is the attending doctor, who used to be one of his students a decade earlier. She is somewhat leery of him as she hasn’t gotten over a “C” grade he gave her on a paper. Thomas Haden Church (Sideways) shows up as Quaids neer do well adopted brother and acts as a foil for both Quaid and Page. Some kind of dysfunctional attraction ensues between Quaid and Parker, followed by an even more dysfunctional romantic interlude. All of this kerfuffle is wryly observed by his daughter, played with utter confidence and charm by Ellen Page (of Juno fame), she is definitely the star of this piece, along with the writing, which although tries to be too clever for it’s own boots has flashes of humor, that are worthwhile. This film has the greasy marks of oily Hollywood producers all over it , who thought they would make an intellectual comedy of manners for east coast liberals to enjoy. Director Noam Murro, has stopped them from mucking it up completely.




My Blueberry Nights;

Chanteuse Nora Jones plays a woman trying to get over a failed romance by packing up and taking a cross country trip to assuage her wounds. Director Wong Kar Wai cast her in the leading role knowing of her limited acting chops, but on a certain level it seems to have worked, until that is , when she is on screen with Natalie Portman, Rachel Weitz and Jude Law, the other players in this film, the the differences become more jarring. Never the less, she does a creditable job. Her ramblings take her to various parts of the country, where she runs into an alcoholic cop, played by David Strathairn, who cannot get over losing his wife ,(Wietz) The on to another part where she runs into Portman, who does a great job playing a hardened gambler, along the way she learns life lessons that help her re connect with “Jeremy” (Jude Law) a café owner and purveyor of the Blueberry pies that she seems to thrive on who helped her in the beginning to try and get over her heartache. The story is a bit weak and rambling, but it is the visuals which are stunning and the star of this film. Wai has pulled out all the stops in this area and made a dazzling kaleidoscope of imagery for you to feast upon
237 stars & pie all round




Stardust:

This is a children’s fairy story with adult and justified pretensions. The plot is complex and rich. The visuals are outstanding without being over the top. The acting is top rate and uncondescending Robert Deniro gives a wonderful turn as the captain of a flying sailing ship. Michelle Pfeiffer also has a lot of fun as one of a trio of witches who is after stardust who’s capture which will ensure their youthful looks. Other notables in the cast are Claire Danes, Peter O’Toole, Ricky Gervais, Sienna Miller, and if you’re into voices, Ian McKellen. Not as silly as most children’s stores tend to be, retains a sense of wonder and adventure
250 stars



Vicky Cristina Barcelona;

When will I ever learn, having sworn off Allen forever, social niceties coerced me once more into seeing the latest effort that the woodman has unleashed on an unsuspecting public.
Egged on by generally favorable reviews by the media, I decided to chance it once more.
My friend wryly observed after we had endured this tired mess that the Spanish title roughly translates into “Annie Hall”.
I almost got up to leave at the beginning when for some inexplicable reason a horrendously miscast voice over( a sure sign of a flawed screenplay) explains the opening scene, and almost every other scene thereafter, as if Allen thinks his writing and screenplay are too deep or lofty for unwashed plebs to grasp.
Or maybe the voice over is there to assist the visually impaired in following the story. Not to worry, if you have ever seen or heard of an Allen picture in the last 30 years you will have no trouble in following this lame tale, which he foists upon us. 2 middleclass 20 something’s (Rebecca Hall the “committed one” & Scarlett Johansson the “adventurous one”) spend a couple of months in Barcelona, stay at a friends house, get seduced by a local artist (Javier Bardem), have all kinds of regrets, hand wringing, remorse, angst (by the trailer load) unresolved conflicts and almost terminal unhappiness. Sound familiar? Of course it does.
His tired world view of romance love infidelity yet again is straight from his shrinks couch. Even this top notch cast which includes Patricia Clarkson & Penelope Cruz who plays Bardem’s unhinged ex wife, with considerable gusto, seems unnecessary, Allen’s writing is so transparent he could have played all the parts himself. His incessant whining about the tragedy of relationships, is tiresome at best and almost misogynistic at worst.
The fact that this is shot in Barcelona ( a fabulous city) is almost irrelevant, it just makes what could have been shot in his basement more palatable to look at. The theater was packed, I don’t get it, maybe if you get enough monkeys trying to sing people think it is a choir.
35 stars (for Barcelona)