DVD Alert: 'Jersey Girl'

Watch the trailer: http://videodetective.com/TitleDetails.aspx?publishedid=66220&st=Jersey%20Girl%20(2004)


I haven't talked about Mom lately. She turned 91 and is doing well at her assisted living home. Because she's a bit wobbly, we can't take her to movies with stadium seating and there's only one theater on one level that usually shows films not of her interest. We hooked up a DVD player in her room so we can bring over movies and concerts. Last week she loved watching her favorite opera Tosca and so did we. She's seen two Tony Bennetts, a Diana Krall, and a Carly Simon concert. Today we brought this charming movie from 2004 that got mixed/mostly poor reviews and sank at the box office.
There's a reason that audiences stayed away from Jersey Girl but it wasn't the movie's fault. If you recall what the media referred to as Bennifer, you know that's why. We got tired of hearing about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's romance and their films flopped for a while. Affleck stayed out of the spotlight and redeemed himself directing Gone Baby Gone written here a while ago and taking small parts in films to rebuild his career. Both stars married others in show biz, are busy raising families, and stay out of the limelight.
So forget all that and give this forgotten movie a try. Affleck plays a NYC publicist who puts his job first and family second. When he loses his wife in childbirth and soon his job when he insults a client at a press gathering, his world collapses and he and his newborn daughter are forced to move into his dad's home in New Jersey. It's a struggle for him to learn humility and selflessness by becoming a single parent and working for the city like Dad (George Carlin) and his friends who become 'uncles' to young Gertie (Rachael Castro) named after her late Mom played by Lopez. Before you groan, Lopez is good here and her brief, early appearance echoes throughout the film. The casting agents make you believe Castro could be Lopez's daughter in real life.
The late and lamented Carlin is wonderful as Ben's gruff but kind father and doting grandpa. As for Ben he's very good here and you feel his pain when he drops his guard. Liv Tyler is sweet as the video shop clerk who wants to change him. There's a nice surprise near the end when he goes for a job interview set up by his former employee who wants to help him return to his career.
Kevin Smith usually directs movies like the recent Zack & Miri Make a Porno written about here but this is a real change of pace. Can you see Mom watching the Zack one? Uhhh I don't think so..... She liked Jersey Girl and I liked it even more this time. It's funny, sentimental and never sappy. I was misty-eyed a few times but the salty laughs keep it balanced and we all like happy endings where everyone in the plot comes out ahead. It's too bad the Bennifer backlash overshadowed this fine film. It deserves a second chance on video so go rent it and tell me what you think.....

'Angels and Demons' Review

Tom Hanks and Ayelet Zurer rush to save the Vatican in Angels & Demons. Watch the trailer: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/angels-and-demons/28282/main

Angels and Demons is one of Dan Brown's novels I haven't read so I can't compare this movie version to it. My wife and cousin read it and said the movie basically followed it but with several changes to the plot and characters and their motivations. It's a better movie than his previous The DaVinci Code because of the nature of the material.
Code was a talky movie with less action but so was the novel. There were lots of needed exposition and pseudo Biblical/historical explanations that slowed down the action but was faithful to the novel. The makers of Angels wisely kept the talking to the minimum and concentrated on fights, chase scenes, and last minute escapes. The same director and actor (Ron Howard and Tom Hanks) give us more entertainment, lots of scenery, and Vatican costumes cloaked in the usual suspenseful holy-holy type of music score. This time Hanks' hairdo won't be the center of attention. The rest of the cast is good. So when will we see a movie of Brown's The Digital Fortress? Hanks's character won't be in it but if done right will be as entertaining as the novel.
What irked me was people's reaction to Code's novel and movie. How many morons protested because they thought the story was real!! It was fiction. Hello? If a story can change your religious beliefs, then you got a problem. These morons shouldn't complain about Angels & Demons because this time our hero is recruited by the Vatican to save it from disaster. The only official comment from the Vatican, which did not let them film on their premises, is that the movie is only an action thriller not to be taken seriously. So go see it as only that and enjoy it. There's two good current programs shown on The History and Discovery Channels that explore fact vs. fiction in the book and movie.

Today our Catholic church bulletin featured a warning about this movie. When are these morons going to learn that their protests only make people want to see the movie and make it sucessful.

DVD Alert: 'Throne of Blood'

Japan's great actor, Toshiro Mifume, at work. Watch the trailer: http://videodetective.com/TitleDetails.aspx?publishedid=332&st=Throne%20Of%20Blood%20(1957)


I treated myself to another Criterion DVD. I mentioned that I wanted Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood so here it is and here's Criterion's description: 'One of the most celebrated screen adaptations of Shakespeare into film, Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood reimagines Macbeth in feudal Japan. Starring Kurosawa’s longtime collaborator Toshiro Mifune and the legendary Isuzu Yamada as his ruthless wife, the film tells of a valiant warrior’s savage rise to power and his ignominious fall. With Throne of Blood, Kurosawa fuses one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies with the formal elements of Japanese Noh theater to make a Macbeth that is all his own—a classic tale of ambition and duplicity set against a ghostly landscape of fog and inescapable doom.'
And it's more than that. Try an atmospheric, spooky time trip into medieval Japan. If you know Shakespeare's original tragedy you can easily follow the story. If not, the self-explanatory subtitles will guide you and won't bother those viewers who want a dubbed soundtrack. You can match the printed words to the tone of their voices and facial expressions to comprehend their message. It's really the eerie visuals that matter here. Lots of battle scenes and bloodshed which are quite effective in black & white.
Passionate performances will stick in your mind especially Yamada as Mifume's cool, calculating wife who slowly and quietly spurs her hotheaded, manipulated husband (they are a study in contrasts) on to catastrophe. And wait until you see the Witch whose predictions set the plot in motion. Her appearance and leaving with startle you. Facial expressions appear exaggerated to resemble masks in Noh drama.
The audio commentary was very good as you expect from Criterion. Like Kurosawa's Ran, his reworking of Shakespeare's King Lear, these films aren't just literary adaptations. They are fully realized works of art.

DVD Alert: 'Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood at MSG'

Here's two musicians I've followed since high school. Like fine wine they get better with age and I'll drink to that! Unfortunately I've never seen them live but this concert DVD is the next best thing. Filmed in NYC's Madison Square Garden in February 2008 and over two hours long with a second disc of extras, you'll get more than your money's worth. They chose selections from their previous bands Traffic and Blind Faith and there's later solo works too. You might not hear the ones you want. This is a minor quibble so don't sweat it as there's enough of them not to enjoy seeing & hearing two pros at their best. Some arrangements won't be what you remember but as your memory sometimes plays tricks as you get older, these guys are older too so their playing is different. Some of their earlier youthful flash is replaced by aged & refined craftsmanship. A must DVD for any Clapton and Winwood fan or aging hippie. You can watch a song here: http://www.amazon.com/Live-Madison-Square-Garden-Clapton/dp/B001XJEKGC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243091102&sr=1-1

DVD Alert: 'Indochine'

Watch the trailer: http://videodetective.com/TitleDetails.aspx?publishedid=00004625

This French film won 1992's Oscar for Best Foreign Film and I saw it later on VHS. I liked it at the time and recommended to co-workers. Once they realized they had to read subtitles, they gave up watching it. Some people don't like foreign films for this reason but it's their loss in depriving themselves of good movies. I've had my eyes on the DVD at Borders and bought it when it went to half price. It has no English soundtrack but its visual splendor is fully revealed in the original widescreen format unlike the pinched pan & scan version on VHS. For one reason I enjoyed it more to appreciate the location filming in Vietnam and other countries. Another reason was the drama had more breathing room. This edition is the extended international cut of 160 minutes.
Indochine was a big budget production starring Catherine Deneuve as a plantation owner in French Indochina during the 1930's. The Communists are starting their rise to power that will eventually force out their colonial French masters. Her adopted Vietnamese daughter falls in love with a French naval officer who loves her mother. Things get very complicated as politics and soap opera ruin everyone's lives as theie country's old way of life is slowly evaporating beyond their control. Emotions run high as the trailer gives you a good idea of what to expect. If you want a complete scenario, read it after you watch the movie unless you don't want to be suprised : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indochine_(film)
Some critics undervalued the movie as a star vehicle for Deneuve's wardrobe that overshadowed the glossy pageantry of domestic and political strife. This is unfair as repeated viewings reveal a balanced story. Of course Deneuve is usually chastised for her beauty but she has proven to be a good actress. She's one of France's national treasures and we should all look so good as her here or in any of her other movies. If you like long epics full of history, romance, and tragedy, this one is for you and don't let subtitles scare you away. If you need proof, read customer reviews on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Indochine-Catherine-Deneuve/dp/6305730997/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243088209&sr=1-1

'Star Trek' Review

From left, Anton Yelchin as Chekov, Chris Pine as Kirk, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Karl Urban as McCoy, John Cho as Sulu and Zoë Saldana as Uhura. Watch the trailers: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/star-trek/29301/trailers


Star Trek was one of my favorite TV shows during high school. Back then we thought it was high tech Sci-Fi but it looks primitive today. I'm sure I remember every episode from watching reruns and then there were the TV spin-offs, and the movies based on them. The declining success of the last few films appeared to kill off the movie franchise but Paramount took a big chance on this version. So with eager anticipation, I finally got to see this new reworking going back to when Kirk and Spock first met and butted heads as young men at Starfleet Academy and later became friends.
The reviews and audience reaction has made this movie a monster hit and rightly so. Crowd pleaser and blockbuster are easy terms for this highly entertaining extravaganza. The movie wisely plays to those both unfamiliar with the series and to Trekkies. How they reworked bits imbedded in our collective memory to keep it fresh will surprise you. The new cast is very good although Chris Pine doesn't resemble a young, cocky Kirk in my mind but he's good here as well as the rest of cast you can imagine in younger years, especially Karl Urban as a ringer for Dr. McCoy and TV's Heroes' Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock (not pictured above). Eric Bana is unrecognizable as the required nasty villain and good too. Leonard Nimoy, the original Spock, shows up but I'm still confused how he fits into the story... Something about a rip in the Time/Space Continuum... my only quibble.
There's plenty of eye-popping special effects and last second escapes as well as plenty of laughs in the right spots to make you feel you got more than your money's worth. The funny bits are more than you're used to seeing but never irreverent. As Spock would say, "Live long and prosper" as there will sure to be a sequel or sequels.

DVD Alert: 'Ran'

Watch the trailer: http://videodetective.com/TitleDetails.aspx?publishedid=1848&st=Ran%20(1985)

Lately Borders has great sales on DVDs and also offering discount coupons. I've been stocking up on Criterion editions of foreign films. You're probably bored about reading about their superb quality but it's my blog so I write about good films that you should see. Art demands attention and you can learn a lot from good art. Film has become an art in itself and like any good book or piece of music, you always learn something new with each repeated viewing or listening.
So here's another Criterion edition: Akira Kurosawa's 1985 Ran. He made three more films before his death in 1999 but this was his last epic. Most people know his earlier works such as Rashomon and The Seven Samurai which was remade as the western The Magnificent Seven. Some of his other works were remade as westerns and gangster flicks but they don't beat his originals. Rashomon was remade as a Paul Newman film called The Outrage.
Ran (pronounced 'Ron') is basically a reworking of Shakespeare's King Lear set in medieval Japan but that's a gross understatement. It's more than that. You will feast your eyes on the ravishing color photography. The battle scenes are thrilling and these were filmed with real actors and horses. No computer fakery here. And let's not forget to mention the good performances from actors you never heard of unless you familiar with Japanese movies. If the trailer didn't entice you, it's your loss. You can read more about Ran here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ran_(film)
There's no English dubbed soundtrack but the subtitles are kept to a minimum. I highly recommend listening to the scholarly but not stuffy audio commentary. Everything you want to know about the film is there as well as good extras on this two disc set. This wasn't Kurosawa's first reworking of Shakespeare. Catch his Throne of Blood based on Macbeth. That one's another Criterion on my wish list.