Quick Movie Reviews for October 15, 2008

A moment of silence please as we mourn the passing of one of our greatest actors -- Paul Newman.

Those of you who happen to subscribe to Entertainment Weekly need to be sure to look at the one with Paul on the cover. They have listed his entire filmography and noted those that are "must sees." As you review his filmography, you realize how tremendous Newman truly was. My personal favorite? "Cool Hand Luke." I probably saw this film for the first time about 10 years or so ago and I remember being mesmerized by the whole thing. It is an acting clinic from start to finish.

Over the weekend, I took the opportunity to re-watch "The Verdict." This Sidney Lumet-directed film was good. Not fabulous but it works. The cast includes James Mason, who is terrific as always; Jack Warden, who is one of my all-time favorite character actors; and Charlotte Rampling, who is terrific. But Newman shines here as attorney Frank Galvin who is looking for redemption. It is part of movie history but if you haven't heard it, you need to watch this movie if for no other reason than to hear Frank's summation at the end of his case. It ranks up there with the closing argument of Atticus Finch.

I am ashamed to say that I have not been to the theater to see many flicks.The movie channels and Netflix have been my salvation. As I look at my Netflix list over the past few months, it is apparent I've been in a documentary state of mind.

Unzipped (1995) -- This documentary follows fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi as he prepares to unveil his New York fall show. To make it even more documentary style and to obviously contrast the film with the actual runway show, the film is shot in a grainy black and white, which does take some getting used to. I found this fascinating for a little bit then lost interest until the actual show, which is shown in color. I was thoroughly fascinated by what goes on "behind the scenes" in putting on a big-time New York fashion runway show. Honestly, I did get tired of hearing Mizrahi pontificate.

Mad Hot Ballroom (2005) -- This documentary generated a bunch of buzz when it came out three years ago and it's really too bad that I have just now gotten around to seeing it. It is fabulous and it is perfect for all ages. In the New York public school system, fifth graders have the opportunity to learn ballroom dancing and then compete in a citywide competition to see who is the best. It is absolutely engrossing to see how the teachers and the students come to take this competition extremely seriously and how they handle the pressure of both learning the dances and knowing that they will compete.

Lost In La Mancha (2002) -- Okay. . .if you are ever asked to invest in or finance a Terry Gilliam film. . .just run. . .run screaming. The documentarians here had intended to record the production of one of Gilliam's dream projects -- a film adaptation of Don Quixote. What they ended up filming was the absolute definition of Murphy's Law. Anything that could go wrong, did go wrong. I have been fortunate enough to be involved in some film production and I know what it's like to sweat the details and worry about the weather. But watching as production equipment is swept away in a freak flash flood in the middle of a Spanish desert just made the palms of my hands sweat.

Devil's Playground (2002) -- When Amish teens turn 16, they are given the opportunity to live in the world -- among the "English." Given that, they can then make up their own minds about what they want to do -- either return to the spartan Amish life or remain in the world. This documentary follows several Amish teens from Indiana as they struggle with the decision. My biggest surprise? That almost 90% of all Amish teens choose to return to the Amish way of life. One other note -- you have never seen a party until you've seen a party thrown by Amish teens for Amish teens. Wow!

Apocalypto (2006) -- Easily my biggest and most pleasant surprise so far this year. I had completely forgotten that it was in my Netflix queue until it ended up in my house. You've heard the buzz -- the whole movie is in the Mayan language, which is true. But, like most subtitled movies, you get used to it. I do believe this movie would have gotten more attention and been more well-received had Mel Gibson chosen not to go off the deep end. But there you go. I thought the acting was great. I really got into the characters and I really cared about the lead character and his family. Give this movie a try and see what you think. Word of warning: The violence is immediate and graphic. Not for the squeamish.

Crank (2006) -- I like Jason Statham. I actually like the "Transporter" movies (my personal favorite is "Transporter 2"). I remember seeing Jason for the first time in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," which is a rollicking good flick. Then there is this one. What a waste of celluloid. The basic premise is that Jason has been poisoned and will die if he doesn't keep his heart rate up. Fascinating initially but gets really old really quick. I was way tired of it even before a particularly silly scene in a public place where he and his girlfriend (Amy Smart) work to keep his heart rate up. It's just a bad movie. I would highly recommend you see his other stuff. Please.

The Host (2006) -- You come across movies from time to time that get tremendous critical acclaim and, despite your best judgment, you rent them anyway because the critics just loved it and you're thinking -- "dang, I'd be an idiot not to see this." Then you rent the movie, you watch it and when the credits roll you are left wondering: "Did I see the same movie that the critics saw? Am I just that big of an idiot?" A movie that comes immediately to mind for me is "The Ice Storm." Now, I have another one to add -- "The Host." This Korean horror flick received all kinds of praise from all kinds of critics. But, here's the deal -- from one regular person to another -- this movie is unbelievably bad. The acting is horrible. The monster is horrible. The dialog is laughable. There is no political satire here. The plot makes absolutely no sense. My guess is the movie was screened for critics after the producers took them out for dinner and drinks. That's the only explanation that makes sense.

Black Snake Moan (2007) -- I made the mistake of telling some folks at church that I had seen this movie and before I could tell them how much I liked it, I could tell they had tuned out and were seriously thinking that I was some kind of weirdo pervert. My hope is that others who might be reading this have a little bit more of an open mind and will hear me out. This movie is directed by Craig Brewer, who also directed another great flick -- "Hustle and Flow." It stars Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci. Yes, the movie is incredibly and absolutely over-the-top sexually charged. So it ain't for the kids. But if you can give it a chance and get past that you will find a great southern film about redemption in a small town. The acting is superb and Samuel L. Jackson is just terrific. A surprise here is Justin Timberlake, who gives a great performance. Like "Hustle and Flow,"the music is another key character in this movie with "Black Snake Moan"being a great blues tune. Give it a shot. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.