http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/ en Copyright 2008 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:27:50 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 2008, Denmark/USA/UK/Italy/France Biography, Drama, History, Romance Review by Deborah Dearth Setting the mold for a life of happiness that only money can buy, Princess Diana's ancestor Georgiana Spencer discovers that wealth fails to guarantee love and respect when duty is part of the equation. In Saul Dibb's sophomore effort following his 2004 award-winner Bullet Boy, the filmmaker examines the turmoil that surrounds Spencer's life in The Duchess. Keira Knightley returns to another lush period setting as the 17-year-old Duchess of Devonshire in 1774. Naïve and optimistic about her future with the much older Duke, she discovers his cold exterior is not just a mask for softer emotions. He is a man on a mission, and her failure to sire an heir becomes a literal breach of contract. Ralph Fiennes treads familiar if not skillful territory as the mechanical authoritarian who lacks connection to the people who surround him until he is forced off of his hinges when they question his tactics. Biographies are a tricky thing, and it is often necessary to stay focused on one period or subject in a person’s life. In The Duchess, the camera follows the bedroom destruction of the Duke's many affairs, culminating with a live-in mistress, Lady Bess Foster. Formerly the Duchess' closest confidant, Georgiana believed she was selflessly saving Bess from ruin after her husband left her for another woman and retained their three boys. As Georgiana had only been able to produce girls, the odds are in Bess' favor to supplant her. Hayley Atwell finds a reserved but comfortable role as the other woman, following her troubled girl-in-the-middle character in Brideshead Revisited. Knightley is effective as the willful Duchess and it is apparent that she has grown as an actress, but the range of her performance is still confined. This would have been more dismissible if the story had been stretched further from its emotional core. References are made to her grand taste in fashion and her effect on the attire of the privileged class. Knightley's wardrobe consists of 30 beautiful gowns designed by Michael O'Connor, but aside from a noted ostrich feather there is no real sense of comparison as to why her garments would have spurred new trends. Another frequently mentioned diversion of the Duchess' is her role in the Whig Party. Unfortunately, it is only allowed surface-level attention. Using her beloved persona to promote candidates -- may they be friends or lovers -- it is apparent that she is passionate about politics, and yet her ideals are not fully defined. To better create the impression of such a forward-thinking character in history, this details of this important footnote should have been elaborated. Rather, Georgiana becomes literally entwined with a figure of politics, Charles Grey, who is closer to her age and her heart than her stuffy husband. Spurred by her husband's ubiquitous affairs and the final straw of the embarrassingly public mistress, she attempts to have a piece of the same cake her husband is eating. However, time and tradition are against her, and in the eighteenth century, it is a man's world. The Duchess is a beautiful and tragic film about an intelligent woman who attempts to create happiness within cultural boundaries, but it could stand to plumb the depths of her fascinating life with bit more attention. ]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/duchess.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/duchess.html Biography Drama History Romance Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:27:50 -0800 2008, USA Crime, Documentary Review by Deborah Dearth Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink. In the documentary FLOW: For Love of Water, director Irena Salina tackles the big problem that few acknowledge: clean water is not a specialized quandary in a distant desert, it is a global problem for all cultures. Maude Barlow, author of Blue Gold: The Battle against Corporate Theft of the World's Water, labels companies such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Nestle as "water hunters." Another scientist predicts future wars will not be held over oil, but over water. As a basic resource becomes controlled and polluted by billion dollar corporations, the general public discovers an uphill battle for healthy living. I will be so bold to blow the ending of this film. The filmmakers behind Flow have created a petition to add one more article to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- that of the Right to Water. Is this really necessary? Do we need another film like An Inconvenient Truth to foretell the death and destruction that will happen if we do not make amends to Mother Earth? Yes. The film lays bare the facts. 70 percent of both Earth and human bodies are composed of water. Two million die each year from waterborne diseases (though oddly the United States does not keep such records). Do the math, and it becomes obvious that changes need to be made. Too bad the necessary modifications are not being made by those in charge. Instead, it is up to the communities affected to make their voices heard and their demands met. Flow witnesses blood and sewage flowing into Lake Titicaca, South Africans being literally locked out of water pump access, Indians forced to drink biologically contaminated water and Michigan farms sinking from a greedy corporation assuming water rights. And if the blatant pollution and crime were not bad enough, how well do you know the source of that bottled water you are drinking? According to scientists interviewed in Flow, the world's clean water problem could be solved for less than what is spent on questionably unregulated bottled water. How did a public resource which flows from land to land become so privatized? How did those who claim the water become so distant from the people who need access to it in order to survive? How have companies been allowed to pollute the surrounding land, creating a disconnect between the image of their products and the actions of their businesses? Flow addresses these questions with intelligence from the scientists who know best and heart from the people who are affected. Hopefully the film will cause audiences to hold companies accountable and to think twice about the liquid lifeblood we often take for granted. Sign the petition Article 31: Everyone has the right to clean and accessible water, adequate for the health and well-being of the individual and family, and no one shall be deprived of such access or quality of water due to individual economic circumstance.]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/flow.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/flow.html Crime Documentary Sun, 21 Sep 2008 16:02:49 -0800 2008, USA Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama Review by Deborah Dearth Having previously made films concerning the cyclic downfall of the human race and repeatedly examining the darkness of our fibers, the Coen Brothers are not ones to shy from a good morality tale. Though advertised as a madcap romp, Burn after Reading thinly masks the mess that is American politics. The brothers' usual quick wit is so evenly paced that the film's early scenes drag due to the expectation of a quick-tongued comedy. Tenuous relationships reveal that everyone is sleeping with everyone else. The lowdown: CIA agent Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) is demoted at work and at home, as his unhappy health care wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) sleeps with treasury agent Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney) who is wooing Hardbodies gym worker Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) who is trying to extort money for her plastic surgery dreams using Osborne's misplaced memoirs. Strange bedfellows are not so strange in Washington, D.C., where confidential knowledge is a second away from full disclosure or absolute cover-up. With literal skeletons in closets and messengers getting shot, the probability of ruin awaits around every corner. Paranoia envelops like a fog over egos who know no shame, but in this spy-versus-spy world the suspicion is somewhat warranted. When Linda's dimwitted coworker Chad (Brad Pitt) finds Osborne's memoirs, those the least in the know begin to call the shots. When their first attempt at blackmail fails, they go straight to the Russians. Their definition of allies and enemies is outdated, and in this game the rules are shoot first, look for logic later. Joel and Ethan Coen do not mince words, and sometimes the dialogue can hit the audience over the head as they make it very clear that this satire is anything but mindless. When reflecting on the early glory days of his service, Osborne notes that the government is now all bureaucracy and no mission. A divorce lawyer counsels Katie that to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Linda repeatedly states that her desperate measures are justified through her need to reinvent herself, consequences be damned. These are not basic tools of exposition but rather wrecking balls for the next generation of government. Despite this analysis of these unstately state affairs, the Coens' trademark quirky humor is still intact -- to be taken with a barrel of salt. The secrets are absurd and the characters act brashly, but not so much more than what occurs in the daily news. Dirt is swept under the rug or allowed to self-destruct after the subjects do a horrendous job of containing their situations. A children's book (Point of Order, Oliver) is mentioned in which a Sergeant at Arms falls asleep allowing for a cat to create chaos during a filibuster, reminding us that though cats have nine lives, government agents only have one.]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/burnafterreading.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/burnafterreading.html Adventure Comedy Crime Drama Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:10:26 -0800 2008, USA Adventure, Documentary, Drama, History, Mystery Review by Deborah Dearth READ THE REVIEW AT The Desert Sun. Extended version: Great wars can often be traced back to a division of beliefs and difference in ideology. To really set the world on fire, tear apart a religion's foundation by presenting facts that imply that a deity is in fact more human than human. Picking up where The Da Vinci Code left off, director Bruce Burgess investigates the theory that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and produced heirs in his documentary, Bloodline. Shrouded in secrecy by the Priory of Sion society and attacked by the Catholic Church, Burgess constantly reminds the audience of the danger of his pursuits. Death hides around every corner which may reveal clues to Jesus' life. Or rather his death, as opposed to his resurrection. Herein lays the reason for such intense opposition to this theory of theology: if Jesus died, he is not a deity, and more specifically not the son of God. If such facts were discovered, Christianity as we know it would crumble. Cue shocking music, dim the lights and whisper out of breath revelations into the camera. Burgess uses all the tricks of the adolescent filmmaker's trade in his search for the literal body of evidence, which should come as no surprise from the filmmaker who made "Dreamland: Area 51" and "Bigfootville." He gives the film an all-too personal point of view by continually flipping to nighttime confessionals (à la The Blair Witch Project or any reality TV show) or by showing his shocked mug when an interviewee confesses a great secret. And those secrets flow at a conveniently steady rate -- of course because that is the way the Priory members intended. Particularly by their supposed representative, Nicolas Haywood, who is interviewed in a dark room with the light shining in his face -- a film noir exposé of Jesus, as it were. Rather than pulling out information, Burgess feeds questions in such a way that Haywood and others can simply respond in the affirmative or not, with a sly look intended to imply far more knowledge than actually held. Burgess states that he is no archaeologist, which becomes brilliantly apparent when he allows an amateur to shamefully destroy what would be the greatest find of all time. This treasure seeker, Ben Hammott (an anagram for his online alias, The Tombman), shares personal videos of his discovery of clues left by the nineteenth century priest of Rennes-Le-Chateau, Bérenger Saunière. Each parchment uncovered looks to be freshly and badly written, and each supposedly authentic item of the period is too perfectly placed. Though Burgess presents appropriate skepticism, he never fails to jump in with both feet. He is either completely gullible or in on the hoax. To break up the charade, certain credible-looking professionals are briefly interviewed who raise these same obvious questions. Besides, if this investigation were believable, would it not be the center of discussion right now rather than the price of gas? Or does the Pope merely have better henchmen than the oil tycoons? ]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/bloodline.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/bloodline.html Adventure Documentary Drama History Mystery Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:26:18 -0800 2008, USA Drama, Romance Review by Deborah Dearth In Elegy, director Isabel Coixet (The Secret Life of Words) draws out the indulgent, languid poetry from Philip Roth’s short novel, "The Dying Animal." Everyone must die sometime, but how will each person savor the moments up until that point -- by frittering it away in a series of forgetful, self-gratifying escapades or by drinking in life's unplanned joys? Professor David Kepesh prefers to chew instead of swallow, evident by the title of his book, The Origins of American Hedonism. Ironically teaching a course on Practical Criticism, he uses his vast and well-bred cultural knowledge to seduce rather than appreciate. He finds himself under the charm of a stunning young student, Consuela, but has the restraint to wait until grades are given to make his move. After all, he is a man of specific principals. Presumably unlike previous conquests -- the audience becomes aware of his modus operandi though no substantial history is provided -- she is wary of his ways and yet allows him to lead with his heart instead of his willful mind. David's narrative soon divides along Freudian lines: the young man he tries to remain to his constant friend in superego fashion, the id-like conflicting actions he portrays to Consuela, and the truthful ego of his internal monologue. Struggling between the man frozen in time and the man into whom Consuela is helping him to finally evolve, David barely questions the rules he created before he understood the value of a dedicated relationship. As the externally suave, internally befuddled professor, Ben Kingsley inhabits the complex role perfectly. Few others could portray such believable chemistry between two bodies 30 years apart, especially when the other is the body of Penélope Cruz as Consuela. Usually merely eye candy in English-speaking roles, perhaps working for a Spanish director brought out the best in the Spanish actress who has a history of providing her best performances in her native tongue. Her portrayal is strong and textured, despite a forced view of her character as an empty shell of beauty. Dennis Hopper portrays David's confidant, George, and has a bit of personal experience to impart from staying married to someone 32 years his junior for the past 12 years, though his character insists such a connection could be nothing beyond physical. (Incidentally, Kingsley married for the fourth time -- one less than Hopper -- last year to someone 31 years younger.) George tells David exactly what he wants to hear based on years of shared experiences, yet David finds himself attempting to shatter the reflection. The other devil on his shoulder is David's sultry sex buddy, Carolyn, portrayed aggressively by the talented Patricia Clarkson. Their relationship consists of perfectly detached passion, until Carolyn realizes that 20 years without conversation can lead to a buildup of unintentional secrets. As the acknowledgment of age falls upon David in forms he could not have predicted, he watches the world around him settling into place as he pulls back the reins to a more carefree era. His grown son reflects his confusion and distress, as he finds himself mirroring the father he detests. The cycle continues, but a simple shift in the definition of age and beauty causes the ride to fly off of its hinges in an attempt to get onto the right track.]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/elegy.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/elegy.html Drama Romance Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:55:59 -0800 2008, UK/USA Adventure, Documentary Review by Deborah Dearth READ THE REVIEW AT The Desert Sun. Extended version: Why walk a wire between the Twin Towers, nearly 1,400 feet above ground? "That was a very American, finger-snapping question. I did something very magnificent and mysterious...and the beauty of it is that I didn't have any 'why,' " states Philippe Petit, star of the documentary, Man on Wire. Director James Marsh (The King) relates the story of this phenomenal feat based on French performance artist Petit's book, To Reach the Clouds, by allowing Petit to use his own poetic words, his cohorts to speak more pragmatically and archival footage which would seem to have been recorded for posterity or as a future memorial of the risky event. As his friend Jean-Louis recalled, "We're going to die...we're going to live." The year was 1974, and America was reeling from the recent Supreme Court decision against President Nixon. Though Marsh alludes to this bit of history, rather than implying that the nation needed a distraction, it feels like a footnote to Petit's goal. Everything feels secondary to his ambition. He speaks as if constantly on the stage with the world as his to enjoy, and there is undoubtedly something magnetic about such a personality. Petit describes his motivation as a dream, and much of his life accomplishes such a delusional reality. fHe felt wire walking to be a natural progression from his talent for climbing, and his propensity to test boundaries led him to perform stunts above some of the world's greatest structures. He and his team practiced stealth procedures on the Notre Dame cathedral and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Not only are the heights and safety risks impressive, but without authorization each task was prepared in secret. A man's life literally hung in the balance, but no one was aware until he was in the midst of the act, overcoming the obstacles of other people's limitations. Petit claims the decision to bridge the World Trade Center was planted when first learning of their construction. He describes the realization in vivid fashion, as nothing in Petit's life is short of dramatic. Working from the idea that Petit and the structures were fated for one another, Marsh juxtaposes photos of Petit's childhood against footage of the WTC erection. In Petit's eyes, this is not ego but factual. It is around the feeling of jeopardy that the film finds its attraction. With flashback reenactments that play out like a bank robbery in motion (or perhaps Watergate), the combination of danger and the thrill of avoiding arrest drives the characters involved -- and some cannot take it. The film's "heist music" pulses as Petit's partners in crime (each with an alias) recall the many times they felt they were pursuing an impossible deed. Yet beyond the daredevilry, Petit reveals an artistry in his performance – a literal bonding of humans to a human-made structure. Through his unannounced feats, he creates a pause for the worker bee city dweller – an occasion to reconsider the possibilities of the architecture that surrounds them; a chance to look at the world through the eyes of a dreamer. ]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/manonwire.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/manonwire.html Adventure Documentary Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:04:29 -0800 2007, USA/UK/France/Germany/Australia Documentary, Drama, Romance Review by Deborah Dearth From the greatest wars to the smallest food restrictions, religion can guide all aspects of life. When inhabitants of the Muslim world find conflict between their religious beliefs and their desire for love, they seek a resolution that will allow both forms of bliss in A Jihad for Love. Parvez Sharma makes his directorial debut with the perfect companion to the Western Christian interpretation of homosexuality in last year's film, For the Bible Tells Me So. As a gay Muslim filmmaker, Sharma personally knows of the prejudice that comes with such a description and took great risk to himself and the interviewees of his documentary by filming in countries where punishment and imprisonment are common for the crimes of loving another of the same sex. Sharma makes this fact clear with the introduction of Muhsin Hendricks, a South African Islamic scholar. As he calmly argues in a radio program that the Qur'an fails to provide any concrete prohibition of homosexuality, callers horrifically emit threats of violence. When he asks his children from an attempted marriage what they would do if society turned on their father, they only know how to make jokes; despite Muhsin's rare openness, the serious territory is unfamiliar to them. Others do not allow themselves to become such easy targets, whether by omitting their surname or blurring their faces in the film. The blurring may seem excessive (such as when the full frame is hazy) though understandable, and to break the tension Sharma even blurs a stray penguin. Often those involved have been through personal trauma and are more concerned with their family's wellbeing than their own. Despite unjust punishment, the subjects remain devout and find differing ways to reconcile their behaviors. Turkish Kiymet feels no wrongdoing if God planted the love for her girlfriend, but French resident Maryam struggles with guilt even as her girlfriend points out that scholars only feel that lesbians should be scolded. A former cross-dresser in Northern India has resigned himself to a public heterosexual persona, although he has no qualms about attending secret parties revolving around his previous lifestyle. An Egyptian and Iranian have dealt with harsher punishments – from being beaten and imprisoned to receiving 100 lashes, respectively – and have since sought refuge in other countries. Often torn from their families and homeland, the interviewees seek peace but are continually weighed down by the struggle for balance between faith and love. Sharma finds representatives from many countries, sexual orientations and circumstances, and allows them to speak freely with dignity. No proposal is made for political action, but the film encourages discussion within communities. So many rules have been created based on the miseducation of religious text that it is time for a reevaluation. ]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/jihadforlove.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/jihadforlove.html Documentary Drama Romance Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:22:42 -0800 2006, Australia Comedy, Drama, Romance Review by Deborah Dearth It's a crappy job, but someone's got to do it. And that someone is Kenny, the mild-mannered and non-glorified plumber at Splashdown -- a business that makes number two their number one priority (the jokes only get better from here). Kenny is a mockumentary that could easily head down the wrong pipe. There are more fecal references than you can shake a toilet brush at -- historical, mythological, chemical -- they are all there. And yet the toilet humor is subtle. Kenny is not purposely cracking jokes, he is just chatting with the guy following him around with a camera. He is not trying to make his work seem more entertaining; he is under no illusion that it is nothing more than a job. But he is good at it, damn it. Not that anyone would recognize that fact. Because Kenny works with filth, people assume that he must be filth. Looked down upon by the people who need his services the most, he never receives credit for taking care of the business that no one else wants to touch. From the festival chaos of a redneck racetrack to the snotty drunks of the Melbourne Cup, Kenny gets no respect. Yet he plunges his way through life, providing calm and constant commentary. When a coworker gets riled up by aggravating situations, he settles him. When another uses Kenny's life as a template for his own, Kenny provides better advice. When his ex-wife stirs up the pot, he focuses on their son. When his father and brother express shame and embarrassment, he does his best to explain his pride in his performance without rocking the boat. Kenny is a peaceful and gentle soul surrounded by a million reasons to be otherwise. It seems no coincidence that he has such a thankless job in an ungrateful community. A buddha of the boudoir, as the people around him remain oblivious of their own boorish behaviors, any other person would have elevated their ignorant actions into chaos. Kenny finally receives a kind turn when his boss sends him overseas to Nashville for the International Pumper and Cleaner Expo -- the Poo HQ, as he calls it (this is real, folks). He is cutely awkward as he deals with many firsts: his first flight, his first business card, his first big sale. Like a kid in the candy store, his experience at the expo is only trumped by his sweetly burgeoning relationship with a stewardess, despite missing all of her signs to progress the affair. Kenny is an unexpectedly touching film. Enveloped by humor, the heart of the film is a thoughtful examination of one man's life and frustrations. It would appear that the central characters are the only ones who know this is not a real documentary (much like Borat), or else it is cleverly filmed to appear as such. The film has swept Australian awards, with Shane Jacobson winning awards for the titular role and as screenwriter with brother Clayton, who also directed the film. ]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/kenny.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/kenny.html Comedy Drama Romance Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:48:48 -0800 2008, UK Drama, Romance Review by Deborah Dearth Trimmed down from the 11-part 1981 television series, the latest adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's 1945 novel, Brideshead Revisited, feels to be missing some pages. As the story flashes back through the years, periods are swiftly summarized and feelings expressed through the gleam of an eye. But what a pretty eye it is. A young man of simple means whose only family is a dry-witted and detached father, Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode of Match Point) finds a refreshing new world in the eyes of Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw of I'm Not There). Mouth agape in childish awe, Charles becomes instantly enamored by Sebastian's bohemian, if not well-funded, lifestyle and the beauty that surrounds him, whether it be his home or his attractive sister. Unfortunately, brick and bone are saddled with the weight of a higher power, and Charles stubbornly dismisses that influence due to his own beliefs. The atheist in Charles abhors the Flyte family's love-hate relationship with the Catholic faith, but the artist in him is attracted to the architecture that binds them all -- Brideshead. Castle Howard is utilized for the absurdly magnificent Brideshead estate (the same North Yorkshire setting used in the TV series). The manor is populated with stone figures and the hallways are inhabited by ghosts. Though secular sculptures pay tribute to great men past, the grandest paintings reflect a sacred theme and guide residents to a sanctuary more domineering than comforting. The film begins with Charles admitting that in reflection of his experiences with the family he may be mimicking all emotions except for guilt, and yet it is guilt that runs deepest in the clan. Though the convenience of penance allows an absolution of inconvenient sins and escaping the grounds allows the forgetfulness of holy duties, the characters continually find themselves returning to the estate -- revisiting it, as it were. Though warned by his cousin to stay clear of the group of "sodomites" of whom Sebastian belongs, Charles is immediately charmed by his presence, played with tempered sweetness by Whishaw. Their growing affection is sincere and believable, though one may pass as a schoolboy fondness while the other is far more entangled. Bitterly honest as a result of the confidence of being raised in the best rooms in the house, each family member is bold in their assessments and presumptions. Michael Gambon as father Flyte steals every small scene he is in with his quick humor -- a welcome break from a frequently dowdy atmosphere. Emma Thompson adds to the tone with her controlling matriarch, which unfortunately if not purposely blends into the stones of the towering Brideshead. Sister Julia (Hayley Atwell, another Woody Allen alum with Cassandra's Dream) becomes a distraction for Charles, but the magnetism is dubious. Whether this is a fault with the film or meant to question Charles' loyalty to love versus his obsession with the estate, it feels like the former, causing the effects of internal struggles to crumble. The focus returns to religion -- an intriguing alternative to the merely mad and wealthy -- but this seems like an afterthought tied up too neatly in the end with rosary beads. Though Waugh may have intended to criticize the unfaithful, the film conveys a devotion built on desperation and fear. ]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/bridesheadrevisited.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/bridesheadrevisited.html Drama Romance Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:50:06 -0800 2008, USA Adventure, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller Review by Deborah Dearth Why so serious? Because these are serious times, my friend. In The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan continues his shadowy hero's legacy after delving into his origin in Batman Begins. Initially a tragic internal struggle for all involved, magnified by an adversary who utilized psychological warfare, the first film clawed at the fear within. In the second film, panic is projected onto society as a whole. When the chips are down, can mob rule be trusted? The question is allowed multiple interpretations. The mob conglomerate of Gotham City unifies when their monies are threatened. Enter the Joker, who turns the screws on the simple premise of fidelity. In a roomful of thieves, the odds are against the majority. However, in a city of everyday citizens, it is far more interesting to push the right buttons until the limits of tolerance are exceed. Unfortunately, the Joker has access to all the right devices for such a test of the civilized mob. The Nolan brothers' (writers Christopher and Jonathan) affection for bank heist films of the '70s is apparent, and action feels real and gritty rather than cartoonish and unengaging. Nolan left these scenes to stunts rather than digital trickery whenever possible, and faithful cinematographer Wally Pfister shot key scenes on Imax film. The result is a depth and clarity that allows the scenes to feel real rather than manufactured, perfect for a superhero with (relatively) average origins. Whereas Batman (a husky-voiced Christian Bale) makes an expectedly flashy entrance, the Joker slides into the scene, quietly pulling the strings (literally and figuratively) and taking pleasure in the results. Suicidal for the viral effects it would have on the balance of opposites, the Joker wants to die and he wants you to pull the trigger. After all, which is worse: grief from an insane madman who led an indiscriminate killing spree or torture from the realization that anyone has the capacity to kill given the proper circumstances? The Joker is a truly fascinating character study, and though the hasty talks for an Oscar nomination are premature and morbidly sympathetic, the late Heath Ledger deserves acclaim for a portrayal of depth and cool control. He brushes off insipid name-calling and only flies off the handle when his victims are too dense to play the game correctly, but often with such a wicked sense of humor that implies intelligence rather than buffoonery. It is a distraction to question the Joker's history and his objectives; it is best to observe the story from his point of view. The Joker is terrifying. His deformed face -- for which he provides multiple backstories depending on how it will affect the person he is threatening -- implies that he is capable of gruesome actions. Nolan hints at deranged possibilities, but the dark tone of the film is enough to provide chills without the need for bloody visuals. The Joker does not arbitrarily murder his victims; he is not showing off when he makes a spectacle, he is searching for a reaction. He does not bond the community through fear, he tears them apart by creating enemies from neighbors. Convinced that everyone is capable of irrational actions to save their own hide, the Joker crawls into dark spaces in order to push the worst to the surface. In a mad world (such as a world in the midst of war) brotherly love can turn on a dime. An appropriate metaphor for the man to whom Batman would gladly hand over his cowl in order to return to a less demanding life and the woman he loves, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal aptly replacing the first film's Katie Holmes). Said man is D.A. Harvey Dent (the solid Aaron Eckhart), who has been dubbed the White Knight and a man of the people unafraid to show his face to his enemies, unlike the Dark Knight. If the Joker can cause the flawless Dent to modify his moral compass, then he will have proven that the human race is so malleable as to shift societal alliances when it benefits self-preservation. The Nolans provide a bit of political commentary when an eye for an eye is the first tactic to achieve power, and the good guys rashly become mistaken for the baddies. Batman slips into Big Brother territory when his watchful eye becomes too encompassing, yet it is understood that such knowledge should only be used under dire circumstances in trusted hands. This exception to the rule provides another example that the film is not so black and white. The Dark Knight does not question the innate goodness of people, but rather it ponders what it would take for people to cross from their comfort zone and ease towards Joker's side of the chessboard. Wealth? Ego? A loved one? Perhaps just a winning smile.]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/darkknight.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/darkknight.html Adventure Crime Drama Romance Thriller Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:17:28 -0800 2008, USA Adventure, Biography, Documentary, Drama, History Review by Deborah Dearth The rest of the world seemed to revolve slowly around a swiftly tilting Hunter S. Thompson. Oversized glasses and visor, cigarette hanging from its holder and slipping from his mouth while his hands hold a gun and a stiff drink. On a typewriter, he pecks out drug-induced drivel or a masterpiece for his generation so honest that it bleeds into fiction. Yet he found a captive audience and publishers foolish enough to wait for his overdue articles but shrewd enough to realize that no one else could write like Thompson. Director Alex Gibney studies the unique author in Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. After earning an Oscar nomination for investigating a corrupt business in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and winning an Oscar for criticizing a corrupt war in Taxi to the Dark Side, Gibney's most recent documentary focus would seem to fall outside of his political interests. Yet Thompson's vision for a better world was consumed by a political activism like no other. In fact, a tighter focus on Thompson's influence on the 1972 presidential race between incumbent Nixon and Senator McGovern (ultimately collected in Thompson's book, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, 1972) would have been fascinating by itself. Gibney instead chooses to provide a full chronology of the man who would become a caricature of himself, and makes a weak attempt for bookending the story between Thompson's prophetic vision of the future as predicted on September 11, 2001 and a comparison between the worlds of Nixon and Bush -- an interesting analysis that would have been better suited to a film that maintains its political tunnel vision. Not that Thompson did not live a life worthy of being documented, but this two hour trip could have been split into two films. Part I covers his tour with the Hells Angels and the resulting discovery of his writing by emerging fans. Johnny Depp -- who portrayed Thompson as Raoul Duke in Terry Gilliam's interpretation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas -- narrates by reading from Thompson's work. Authors such as Tom Wolfe and Thompson's fellow journalists expand on the dichotomy between his artistry and his duties to tell accurate stories, while President Carter, Pat Buchanan and McGovern reflect on his distinctive reporting style. His childhood and comparatively sane adult home life are thrown in for good measure, and then destroyed in a blender with the evolution of Gonzo journalism after the teaming of Thompson with the sordidly psychedelic illustrations of Ralph Steadman (psychedelically influenced by Thompson's habits as a connoisseur). Part II delves into Thompson's personal crusade to make a difference and become Aspen's first freak power sheriff, working off of a campaign that focused on drugs and the environment. Failing that, he would later become a one-many army for McGovern, praising his policies and slinging nonexistent mud at his opponents. As per Gibney's style, the information is all there, piled up in talking heads and archive film, this time with a pop soundtrack on constant rotation. He understands the political world and it is clear that those chapters capture his interest the most, making the others feel almost excessive while falling into the trap of choosing chronological inclusion over the most interesting focal point. Yet, what would a story of Hunter S. Thompson be if it was not a little over the top?]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/gonzo.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/gonzo.html Adventure Biography Documentary Drama History Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:19:56 -0800 2006, USA Comedy, Drama, Romance Review by Deborah Dearth The mistaken identity subgenre gets a fresh coat of paint with the charming Cinderella snafu story, Falling for Grace. Asian American actress Fay Ann Lee was relegated to bit parts and shooed away from lead roles which requested cookie cutter starlets, so she created a film with a better fit. She wrote, directed, starred in and produced the romantic comedy, and successfully created an indie film that does not feel amateurish. Grace Tang (Lee) is a thriving investment banker who has escaped New York's Chinatown and is trying to work her way up the city's elite social ladder. When mistaken for a Hong Kong clothing heiress, she fails to correct those who could get her foot in all the right doors. When this leads her to Andrew Barrington, Jr. (Gale Harold of "Queer as Folk") -- son of a soulless Wall Street tycoon but whose apple has fallen far from the tree -- Grace finds herself sinking into deeper quicksand. The film remains endearing because the situation is believable and the characters are likable. Lee effectively pulls off pratfalls without causing occasions to become squeamishly absurd. Her character continues to care for her parents without grasping for a martyr role, and the nonromantic portion of the story focuses on Chinatown sweatshops without feeling preachy. The story comes full circle with the Gatsby Ball, referencing an unchecked decadent class with little regard for morals. It is not so heavy handed as might be implied, though Andrew is repeatedly informed of his obligation to marry his well-to-do girlfriend. His family and friends are obnoxious, making it far easier to sympathize with Grace's goofy but thoughtful side of the tracks, yet Andrew stays grounded if not idealistic. Falling for Grace is sweet without being treacly, and Lee accomplishes her goal for creating a mainstream romcom that employs Chinese American actors and never feels exclusive. Distributors, take note. Read the interview with director Fay Ann Lee. Distributors looking for a film?]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/fallingforgrace.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/fallingforgrace.html Comedy Drama Romance Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:39:35 -0800 2006, Canada/Malta/UK Comedy, Drama, Romance Review by Deborah Dearth READ THE REVIEW AT The Desert Sun. Extended version: Joan Carr-Wiggin makes her sophomore directorial effort (along with triple duties as writer and producer) with A Previous Engagement, a film that asks the big romantic "What If?" What if I stayed with the Frenchman who swept me off my feet and onto the beach in Malta back when I was a reckless twenty-something? What if I left my dud of a husband and whiny grownup daughters to fend for themselves? The film centers around the age-old lovers pact. Bypassing the classic agreement by two singles to get married at a certain age, this one involves two lovers who choose to meet in the exact same site of their tryst 25 years later. Why were they so foolish to part in the heat of passion? The world may never know, but Julia and Alex find themselves wound up in the same feelings with nearly three decades of distractions between them, including Julia's family and Alex's assistant and sometimes lover who have come along for the ride. Carr-Wiggin was thrilled to helm a film about a woman her own age with whom she could identify – still vibrant, still adventurous, still dreaming. Unfortunately, the character is surrounded by a family who is such a one-dimensional joke that it is a wonder she never Googled her soul mate long ago and sped up the rendezvous. When it is revealed that Julia settled for a life with her insurance-selling husband rather than becoming the carefree writer she strived to be, it becomes apparent that it is not only love but her own happiness which got lost in the shuffle. Juliet Stevenson (Emma) curses her way through Julia's problems and fawns over the long-lost Alex, played by Tchéky Karyo (Taking Lives). Daniel Stern leads her ungrateful family brood and prefers to work on his puzzles than admire the Mediterranean paradise or his wife. More frequent shots of the stunning view would have been appreciated, as the entire production was filmed on location. One would hardly know it by the limiting sets. Instead, the audience is pummeled with forced comedy, flat dialogue and a cheesy soundtrack that attempts to guide the action. There is no sympathy as Julia struggles to make a choice; her ungrateful family does not deserve her. The attraction between the old lovers is apparent when they are entangled, but otherwise the drama of returning life to the right track is muddled by a comedy of errors. Rather than being a charming series of mistakes and monkey business, there is little desire to watch the characters flounder and head towards an obvious conclusion. Time would be better spent watching the island nation's tourism video. ]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/previousengagement.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/previousengagement.html Comedy Drama Romance Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:41:52 -0800 2007, USA Adventure, Documentary, Drama Review by Deborah Dearth READ THE REVIEW AT The Desert Sun. Extended version: Never one to follow the rules, Werner Herzog turns his attention to Antarctica and films the one foreign subject which does not belong in the inhospitable expanse: humans. In Encounters at the End of the World, he provides glimpses of flippered life above the ice but becomes entranced by underwater aliens and the people drawn to the last place their compasses can direct them. It is hard to deny the appeal of Herzog's work (Rescue Dawn, Grizzly Man). His methods are unconventional, and the realities he portrays are unquestionably altered through his eyes. Yet his documentaries are so quirky and the subjects so personable that it is almost forgivable when he chooses to stretch the truth. Working with an intimate film crew, Herzog guided only himself and frequent Herzog cinematographer, Peter Zeitlinger, through an otherworldly Antarctica centered around the McMurdo Station. He was invited by the National Science Foundation to explore the international colony of 1000 researchers and oddball intelligentsia, and was pushed over the glacial edge by friend Henry Kaiser's underwater-underice photography (eventually utilized in the film along with Kaiser's musical compositions). Herzog infuses his own interpretations on each topic, guiding discussions with a late night "what is our purpose on Earth" and "why aren't monkeys enslaving goats" sort of direction that only he could take. With the director conducting interviews, the results will not be replicated by other documentarians. Filming beyond the point of awkwardness, Herzog asks a misanthropic researcher about the occurrence of insanity and sexual politics amongst penguins, and captures seal researchers spaced artistically and unnaturally listening to the underice sounds they have described. If Herzog becomes tired of an interviewees answers, he simply sums up the discussion in his own words. It becomes apparent that some of these individuals are thrilled to tell their unique life stories to someone new, whereas others have sought refuge at the last place on Earth for a reason. Herzog kindly does not push an interviewee when the topic is raised about his escape from the Iron Curtain, but rather allows him to prove his fortitude with an ever-present rucksack that includes clothes, necessities and an inflatable kayak. The cinematography reveals a mesmerizing beauty, one that requires careful attention to small details and an emptiness that invokes quiet mediation. When exploring a cave or dive, the soundtrack delivers an eerie choir of haunting voices, whereas odd underwater creatures such as stringy, crawling starfish inspire cacophonous music played by instruments in such a way that was never intended. Even the seals produce inorganic sounds when underwater, which sound more like early space-age electronic music (and with Herzog in charge, we may discover that it is). The music and people of this film are not molded in the same fashion as their contemporaries. From the ex-banking driver of Ivan the Terra-Bus, to the forklifting philosopher to the linguist on the only continent with no language, a special sort of people is drawn to this Bermuda Triangle for lost souls. As one resident notes, "If you take everybody who's not tied down, they fall down to the bottom of the planet." How fortunate that Herzog was able to witness their decent. ]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/encounters.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/encounters.html Adventure Documentary Drama Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:32:23 -0800 2008, USA Documentary, Drama, Family, Romance Review by Deborah Dearth High school has not changed. The jocks and prom queens still rule the school, the band geeks sink to the bottom, and the arty rebels float on the fringe. In Nanette Burstein's (The Kid Stays in the Picture) documentary American Teen, chaos falls into place as the senior year of a Warsaw, Indiana, school is recorded. Much like The Breakfast Club, the main subjects of the film are given their labels at the outset, only to be slowly unraveled by the weighty issues which affect them. Princess Megan Krizmanich is the Big Blonde on Campus and extracurricular queen, jock Colin Clemens is the school's basketball star considered "second to Jesus" in Indiana, heartthrob Mitch Reinholt is Colin's best friend and source of many heartaches, rebel Hannah Bailey is the arty outsider who receives Mitch's affections, and geek Jake Tusing is the loner member of the band and video game hound. The five stars were whittled down from 15 filmed students, with the 10 extras ultimately providing reaction footage for their friends' behaviors. Occasionally seeming contrived, such as when the cameras happen to witness the numerous instant reactions to an e-mailed topless photo, the individual stories are nonetheless moving. Peer pressure, parental pressure and prayers for a miraculous change in social standing are all identifiable. Colin anxiously faces recruiters as his life hinges on a college scholarship versus an undesired entry into the Army. Megan lashes out at friends as she awaits news concerning acceptance to Notre Dame for which she risks a family legacy. Jake is ostracized as he attempts to wrangle a girlfriend and revealed to a screening audience that he enjoyed his chance to confide his troubles to the film crew. Though Megan has an emotionally distressful secret that understandably affects her mood, her destructively jealous actions are still abhorrent (she would later stress that she has matured immensely since the filming). It is far easier to sympathize with the endearing Hannah, who not only is facing the usual highs and lows of teendom, but is haunted by the knowledge that her mother is manic depressive and fears she may fall into the same cycles. Depression is triggered by a relationship breakup, and the lack of parental stability allows her to wallow at home and miss school. As she openly questions her sanity, the feeling of being uniquely alone is one with which many teens will be able to commiserate. As the teens confess their inner struggles, each dream and nightmare is distinctively animated. Megan finds comfort at the utopia that is Notre Dame, Colin floats to the Final Four with a Division I school, Hannah's interior thoughts are darkly illustrated and Jake finds his princess in a Legend of Zelda tribute. As the teens look towards their immediate future, stresses accumulate as they attempt to satisfy their parents' wishes while also forging their own identities. On the cusp of the real world and the fear of true independence, they head towards their adult lives cautiously with dreams still rattling in their heads. As one character notes to another, "You've accomplished amazing things; you lived through high school."]]> http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/americanteen.html http://www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com/reviews/americanteen.html Documentary Drama Family Romance Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:30:05 -0800