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The Blind Side (John Lee Hancock, 2009)
This mainstream hit is a very entertaining film, so don't let anybody steer you clear from watching a film about true-life good people doing good things and being rewarded. I'll admit that you cannot really compare this film to Precious at all, but on some levels, they are actually about the same thing: parents taking responsibility for their children. Now, I'll admit that the family who "adopts" homeless teenager Michael (Quinton Aaron) are rich Southerners from Memphis, but what's a scriptwriter to do? The dad (Tim McGraw) owns several Taco Bell restaurants (so that's a nice, coincidental tie-in to Sandra's Demolition Man), and my wife Brenda loves Taco Bell, so she says that she would take advantage of all the free food on an almost daily basis (just like Slug would
). The mom (Oscar winner Sandra Bullock) has a big heart and won't back down from anyone or anything when she thinks she's right.
The film follows a relatively-predictable story arc in that a few roadblocks are thrown in the way of the family's eventual dream of getting Michael a football scholarship to a powerful Southern college, but at the same time, it displays an unsuspected level of wit, especially in the relationship of the married couple. Maybe you have to have been in a long-term heterosexual relationship to get it, but this film and couple truly understand the social and political dynamics of a healthy marriage. Another plus for me are the characters of the young son (Jae Head), who basically becomes the "agent" of his "big brother", and the daughter (Lily Collins) who shows that she has true concern for Michael too. For people who like American football, all those scenes are just frosting on the cake. So basically what I'm saying is that this "Hollywood" comedy-drama is one of their best non-F/X releases of recent years and is well worth watching without feeling guilty about it. The end credits show all the actual people who were characterized in the flick. College All-American Michael was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft of 2009 by the Baltimore Ravens.
But I'm a Cheerleader (Jamie Babbit, 1999)
This film is relatively simple and low-key, not attempting to go too deep past its basic comic premise which is that when parents become worried that their teenage kids are homosexual they send them to this camp where they are taught how to become just as straight as they were always meant to be. Cathy Moriarity blows away most of the cast with her almost-psychotic performance as the head of the school and chief deprogrammer, but most of the cast, both female and male, have at least one humorous moment, and I found the romance between Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall rather affecting, both emotionally and physically. What can I say? Even if the film could have been funnier or sharper, it certainly shows a relationship which seems healthy and happy.
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (Curtis Hanson, 1992) -
The script is a solid foundation upon which to build a thriller, but what makes it seem better than it may be is Curtis Hanson's proficient direction. Even though some of the characters' actions border on unrealistic, Hanson keeps everything grounded and presents just enough doubt here and there to help build suspense. The film is basically about an unhinged widow (Rebecca De Mornay) who blames another woman (Annabella Sciorra) for the suicide of her doctor husband, her own miscarriage and the loss of any property and income which may occur from lawsuits against her husband. The widow decides to call herself Peyton and attempts to become the nanny of the other woman, Claire, who suffers from asthma, has a husband (Matt McCoy), a six-year-old daughter (Madeline Zima) and is also very pregnant. Two other important characters are the mentally-challenged handyman (Ernie Hudson) and a friend of the family (Julianne Moore) who was the husband's first choice for a wife. The film tweaks the Fatal Attraction scenario, and although it's not on the level of that film as an entertainment or a social phenomena, it does provide some solid suspense and plenty of moments where you really want that biatch of a nanny to get her just desserts but she just never seems to get them.
Swing Vote (Joshua Michael Stern, 2008) -
In the fantasy world of movies and taken outside the context of what's happening in the U.S. today, I'll admit that this film could seem preposterous. In a scary replay of the 2000 Presidential election, another such election comes down to not just one state and a few of its counties determining the winner, but it comes down to one state and one exact voter. That "voter" is Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner), a drunken slacker who never even voted, but his civic-minded tweener daughter (Madeline Carroll) tried to vote for him when nobody was looking and the power went out at the polling place. It's determined that Bud's is the only uncounted vote and since New Mexico's results show a tie between the Conservative incumbent (Kelsey Grammar) and the Liberal challenger (Dennis Hopper), and both candidates need the state to win, Bud is courted by both candidates to garner his winning, swing vote. Bud's story is also carried on network TV by a pretty, up-and-coming local newscaster (Paula Patton, the teacher in Precious) who becomes close to Bud and his daughter. As the fantasy plays itself out, it's almost amazing how close it reflects our current political landscape where the two sides seem so diametrically opposed that sometimes one of them is actually going against their own "fundamental principles" just to keep the other side from winning or looking good. Costner is decent at playing a slacker, but he's even better at having his conscience pricked and trying to become a good father to his daughter and do what's right for both his family and his nation. Thus, what's basically a light comedy turns into something much more resembling a satire, and for as long as the U.S. stays as divided as it currently is, this film will seem even better that it probably is.
The Miracle of St. Anna (Spike Lee, 2008)
I need to rewatch this film because my first viewing was mostly a frustrating experience. The movie probably tells an important story and may have its heart in the right place, but it's so crammed with incident and seemingly-inconsequential subplots, as well as being told in a convoluted manner, that it's difficult for me to even tell you what it's supposed to be about. Although the flick starts with somebody going postal in 1983 New York City, most of it is a flashback about four Black American soldiers behind enemy lines in WWII Tuscany, Italy. The four soldiers attempt to help out the local partisans while also trying to capture a German soldier. Since this is a Spike Lee Joint, he casts a sexy woman just so he can get her to take her clothes off. Then, there's the "miracle" which I'm not going to even try to discuss. The movie looks good and has some elements of action and suspense, but I cannot understand why it's 160 minutes long unless Spike really thought he was going to get some Oscars for this. Additionally, for all those people who hate "bad accents" and would prefer everyone to speak their own language, this film may be the antedote to that idea. There are scenes upon scenes where Americans speak English, the Italians speak Italian (with subtitles) and the Germans speak German (in subtitles). After a short while, it's enough to give you a headache because most of the dialogue is expository or banal. Once again, I think Spike must have had delusions of grandeur because it really kills the film for everybody trying to understand everybody else when they all have to be translated back and forth. Normally, I prefer subtitles, especially if it's a film made outside of the U.S., but this film just shows how much better Clint Eastwood handled the subtitles in Letters from Iwo Jima. As I said up front, I'll try to rewatch it, but it was a long slog the first time.
This mainstream hit is a very entertaining film, so don't let anybody steer you clear from watching a film about true-life good people doing good things and being rewarded. I'll admit that you cannot really compare this film to Precious at all, but on some levels, they are actually about the same thing: parents taking responsibility for their children. Now, I'll admit that the family who "adopts" homeless teenager Michael (Quinton Aaron) are rich Southerners from Memphis, but what's a scriptwriter to do? The dad (Tim McGraw) owns several Taco Bell restaurants (so that's a nice, coincidental tie-in to Sandra's Demolition Man), and my wife Brenda loves Taco Bell, so she says that she would take advantage of all the free food on an almost daily basis (just like Slug would
). The mom (Oscar winner Sandra Bullock) has a big heart and won't back down from anyone or anything when she thinks she's right.The film follows a relatively-predictable story arc in that a few roadblocks are thrown in the way of the family's eventual dream of getting Michael a football scholarship to a powerful Southern college, but at the same time, it displays an unsuspected level of wit, especially in the relationship of the married couple. Maybe you have to have been in a long-term heterosexual relationship to get it, but this film and couple truly understand the social and political dynamics of a healthy marriage. Another plus for me are the characters of the young son (Jae Head), who basically becomes the "agent" of his "big brother", and the daughter (Lily Collins) who shows that she has true concern for Michael too. For people who like American football, all those scenes are just frosting on the cake. So basically what I'm saying is that this "Hollywood" comedy-drama is one of their best non-F/X releases of recent years and is well worth watching without feeling guilty about it. The end credits show all the actual people who were characterized in the flick. College All-American Michael was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft of 2009 by the Baltimore Ravens.
But I'm a Cheerleader (Jamie Babbit, 1999)
This film is relatively simple and low-key, not attempting to go too deep past its basic comic premise which is that when parents become worried that their teenage kids are homosexual they send them to this camp where they are taught how to become just as straight as they were always meant to be. Cathy Moriarity blows away most of the cast with her almost-psychotic performance as the head of the school and chief deprogrammer, but most of the cast, both female and male, have at least one humorous moment, and I found the romance between Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall rather affecting, both emotionally and physically. What can I say? Even if the film could have been funnier or sharper, it certainly shows a relationship which seems healthy and happy.
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (Curtis Hanson, 1992) -
The script is a solid foundation upon which to build a thriller, but what makes it seem better than it may be is Curtis Hanson's proficient direction. Even though some of the characters' actions border on unrealistic, Hanson keeps everything grounded and presents just enough doubt here and there to help build suspense. The film is basically about an unhinged widow (Rebecca De Mornay) who blames another woman (Annabella Sciorra) for the suicide of her doctor husband, her own miscarriage and the loss of any property and income which may occur from lawsuits against her husband. The widow decides to call herself Peyton and attempts to become the nanny of the other woman, Claire, who suffers from asthma, has a husband (Matt McCoy), a six-year-old daughter (Madeline Zima) and is also very pregnant. Two other important characters are the mentally-challenged handyman (Ernie Hudson) and a friend of the family (Julianne Moore) who was the husband's first choice for a wife. The film tweaks the Fatal Attraction scenario, and although it's not on the level of that film as an entertainment or a social phenomena, it does provide some solid suspense and plenty of moments where you really want that biatch of a nanny to get her just desserts but she just never seems to get them.
Swing Vote (Joshua Michael Stern, 2008) -
In the fantasy world of movies and taken outside the context of what's happening in the U.S. today, I'll admit that this film could seem preposterous. In a scary replay of the 2000 Presidential election, another such election comes down to not just one state and a few of its counties determining the winner, but it comes down to one state and one exact voter. That "voter" is Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner), a drunken slacker who never even voted, but his civic-minded tweener daughter (Madeline Carroll) tried to vote for him when nobody was looking and the power went out at the polling place. It's determined that Bud's is the only uncounted vote and since New Mexico's results show a tie between the Conservative incumbent (Kelsey Grammar) and the Liberal challenger (Dennis Hopper), and both candidates need the state to win, Bud is courted by both candidates to garner his winning, swing vote. Bud's story is also carried on network TV by a pretty, up-and-coming local newscaster (Paula Patton, the teacher in Precious) who becomes close to Bud and his daughter. As the fantasy plays itself out, it's almost amazing how close it reflects our current political landscape where the two sides seem so diametrically opposed that sometimes one of them is actually going against their own "fundamental principles" just to keep the other side from winning or looking good. Costner is decent at playing a slacker, but he's even better at having his conscience pricked and trying to become a good father to his daughter and do what's right for both his family and his nation. Thus, what's basically a light comedy turns into something much more resembling a satire, and for as long as the U.S. stays as divided as it currently is, this film will seem even better that it probably is.
The Miracle of St. Anna (Spike Lee, 2008)
I need to rewatch this film because my first viewing was mostly a frustrating experience. The movie probably tells an important story and may have its heart in the right place, but it's so crammed with incident and seemingly-inconsequential subplots, as well as being told in a convoluted manner, that it's difficult for me to even tell you what it's supposed to be about. Although the flick starts with somebody going postal in 1983 New York City, most of it is a flashback about four Black American soldiers behind enemy lines in WWII Tuscany, Italy. The four soldiers attempt to help out the local partisans while also trying to capture a German soldier. Since this is a Spike Lee Joint, he casts a sexy woman just so he can get her to take her clothes off. Then, there's the "miracle" which I'm not going to even try to discuss. The movie looks good and has some elements of action and suspense, but I cannot understand why it's 160 minutes long unless Spike really thought he was going to get some Oscars for this. Additionally, for all those people who hate "bad accents" and would prefer everyone to speak their own language, this film may be the antedote to that idea. There are scenes upon scenes where Americans speak English, the Italians speak Italian (with subtitles) and the Germans speak German (in subtitles). After a short while, it's enough to give you a headache because most of the dialogue is expository or banal. Once again, I think Spike must have had delusions of grandeur because it really kills the film for everybody trying to understand everybody else when they all have to be translated back and forth. Normally, I prefer subtitles, especially if it's a film made outside of the U.S., but this film just shows how much better Clint Eastwood handled the subtitles in Letters from Iwo Jima. As I said up front, I'll try to rewatch it, but it was a long slog the first time.
__________________
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page
Last edited by mark f; 03-28-10 at 07:42 AM.
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just because she's married to Paul Anderson doesnt mean that he gets her those movie roles. She doggone well gets 'em on her own credit gosh darn it! 
........ ....... ...... erm, yeah, i believe that......
