(spoilers ensue) 

In 1988, facing calls far and wide to remove Augusto Pinochet from office, the Chilean government held a country wide referendum with a yes or no option as to whether the nefarious dictator should remain in office. With both sides given campaign funds, a flashy ad exec (Gael Gabriel Bernal) is tapped by the "No" camp to head their publicity lobby and decides he is up to the task in the heavily handicapped contest. No, an Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Film last year, is a fascinating look at the inner workings of its historical campaign. It does lack a dramatic thrust and when the victorious anticlimactic moment arrives, the protagonist looks around the room and asks, "Is that it?" which is pretty much the same thing the audience ponders at the film's conclusion. Still, Bernal is quite good and it is both surprising and engrossing how entrenched the film is in its onerous battle.

Becket

Following the Norman Conquest, King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) now rules England alongside the French aristocracy. After hitting speed bumps with the clergy, he sees his opportunity for a power play when the Archbishop of Canterbury dies and appoints his loyal friend and confidant Thomas Becket (Richard Burton) to the post. However, the honorable Becket hears a calling from God and begins to take his duties seriously, often clashing with the king, and causing the weak leader to reassess the terms of their friendship. Peter Glenville's  film adaptation of Jean Anouilh's stage play "Becket" is a costume drama, done to the highest degree and featuring two lions of the British cinema's finest actors in career defining roles. Both nominated in the Best Actor category for their performances, Burton and O'Toole give completely divergent and entirely effective performances as a brave stoic and a drunken clod, respectively. The great actor John Gielgud also delivers a wonderful supporting turn as King Louis VII of France. "Becket" is a grand entertainment, wonderfully staged and written, and also an extra special delight we are given the pleasure of watching two of film's greatest actors go toe-to-toe in some the of the best work of their remarkable careers.

Gangs of New York

In 1863 during the heart of the Civil War and with a major conscription act on the horizon, a young man (Leonardo DiCaprio) returns to the Five Points, a deadly melting pot on the south side of Manhattan, to seek vengeance on the merciless political boss (Daniel Day-Lewis) who took his father's life. Gangs of New York was a years in the making passion project for Martin Scorsese and Jay Cocks (who wrote the screenplay with Steven Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan) whose production was also beset with great difficulties, and the result is an original, full-blooded, imperfect epic. DiCaprio's performance is a mixed bag, alternating between powerful and grossly lacking, a lot of which, I think, has to do with the pairings. For example, Leo will play up to a stronger performer (Day-Lewis) while his work suffers when, how shall I put it, he is met with lesser company (Cameron Diaz is atrocious and a good part of the picture suffers for it). Even the Day-Lewis performance, which I once would have ranked among the greats, while still powerful, often comes off as caricature. Aside from these quibbles with the acting, the rest of the production is on point, highlighted by several heart pounding sequences which include the opening turf war, Day-Lewis' stunt performance, and the draft riots. I must add that this was one of the great, captivating theater experiences I've had and watching it a decade later, though some of its flaws are more evident, much of its greatness is still intact.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

An Air Force general (Sterling Hayden) has just flown off the handle and issues an aerial attack order on Russia, one which will surely result in global annihilation. When he takes his own life as the only person with knowledge of the deactivation code, it is up to his upright British assistant (Peter Sellers) to hurriedly collaborate with the President (Sellers again) and his team of advisors headed by another manic general (George C. Scott), who place their final hopes on a shifty, spasmodic former Nazi scientist (Sellers once more). Stanley Kubrick's classic satire, which he scripted with Terry Southern and Peter George from the latter's book Red Alert, is farcical black comedy pitched at the highest level with frightening implications which are still relevant to this day. Sellers disappears into three disparate roles, generating laughs from all angles and receives uproarious support from Scott, Hayden, and Slim Pickens, who plays the commander of Hayden's bomber, all portraying incompetent zealots.

Kundun

Kundun begins with the expansive search to find a child worthy of taking up the mantle of the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, and details his coming of age (where he quickly discovers the immensity of his charge) before having to ward off the encroaching Chinese until his inevitable exile which is still in place to this day. Martin Scorsese's film, which appears to have been a cathartic change of pace following the out of hand violence of Casino, is beautifully photographed by Roger Deakins, features an exemplary Philip Glass score, and contains some extraordinary sequences but is hurt by overlength punctuated by too many storytelling lulls.

Philomena

"Human interest tends to be a euphemism for stories about vulnerable, weak-minded, ignorant, people to fill up the pages of newspapers read by vulnerable, weak- minded, ignorant people."

So retorts a priggish correspondent (Steve Coogan), currently embroiled in a political controversy that cost him his job at the BBC, upon a suggestion of an attempt at pathos in his return to journalism (his Russian history project doesn't seem to be raising many eyebrows). After sulking and mulling it over, he changes his mind and contacts a woman he had recently turned away, who approached him with the story of her mother (Judi Dench) who became impregnated and abandoned as a teen, was taken in by a convent in rural Ireland, and had her child confiscated and sold to the highest bidder. Realizing the magnitude of this lead and its many possible outcomes, he joins the naive, kindhearted, little old lady on a trip to the States to see what has become of her now fifty year old son. The above sanctimonious quote is at the heart of what makes this such a worthwhile experience: what could have been an insufferable buddy movie is instead tinged with just the right amount of honey and vinegar resulting instead in an involving, moving journey. Dench reminds us why she has remained at the top of her field with an affecting, genuine performance and Coogan, who wrote the screenplay with Jeff Pope, has devised the perfect role for his own prickly personality. Stephen Frears' film has generated a small storm of controversy for taking big shots at both the Catholic Church and the American Right, and the picture definitely has the capacity to both alienate and inflame, but at its core is the story of two people, one decent, one mindful, who combine to form a humanistic portrait.

Casino

The rise and fall of crackerjack handicapper Sam "Ace" Rothstein (Robert De Niro playing a character inspired by Lefty Rosenthal), as his acute abilities earn him the reins of the mob controlled Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas before his hot headed best friend/enforcer (Joe Pesci), a gorgeous and avaricious call girl (Sharon Stone), and his own vanity all combine to topple his empire. Working again with Nicholas Pileggi, Martin Scorsese's Casino is another detailed, stylish, and richly textured work that, while bordering a little too closely to Goodfellas territory, still makes for a riveting entertainment for the duration of its extensive running length. The film provides De Niro with one of his career performances, as he somewhat remarkably generates sympathy for an unlikable character. Pesci plays more of the same but is still wickedly amusing and the Stone performance, one I've wavered about over the years, presently strikes me as audacious and powerful. My only major objection is with the level of violence, which is amongst the harshest I've seen in a studio film. What could have been made just as effectively in a more restrained manner serves only to take you out of the picture.

Phantom

A veteran Russian submarine captain (Ed Harris), haunted by his larger than life father's shadow and a devastating incident in his past, is charged with a covert mission to sneak his vessel into enemy territory when he must subvert a crew uprising led by a firebrand (David Duchovny) bent on provoking World War III. Phantom is a pretty atrocious excuse for a war picture with a surefire plot which is inexplicably fumbled and Harris, Duchovny, and company in embarrassing performances while not even bothering to attempt donning Russian accents. The only antidote to having suffered through this dreck, and also the best substitution would just be to watch Das Boot.

Bringing Out the Dead

From Joe Connelly's novel drawing on real life experiences, Bringing Out the Dead offers a nightmarish glimpse into the life of a burned out paramedic (Nicholas Cage) as he works the weekend night shift in a Hell's Kitchen where any and everything can happen, which has been all the more amplified by a lethal substance which has just infiltrated the local drug market. Working again with screenwriter Paul Schrader,  Martin Scorsese offers a series of amazingly filmed vignettes, highlighted by a riveting soundtrack (featuring Van Morisson, The Rolling Stones, R.E.M., and Frank Sinatra among others), and is anchored by a harrowing, all-in performance from Cage who receives great support from then wife Patricia Arquette, Cliff Curtis as a neighborhood pusher, Nestor Serrano as a worn emergency room doctor, and John Goodman, Ving Rhames, and Tom Sizemore who play Cage's colorful driving partners.

Into the White

A RAF aircraft shoots down a Luftwaffe fighter plane and is forced to crash land in the middle of the Norwegian wilderness. Both parties make their wake to the same abandoned cabin, which thankfully is fortified their supplies, but are now forced to contend with each other until a rescue party arrives or until the weather clears enough to make their way to safety. Based on true events, Into the White is an amateurish take on an intriguing story with uninvolving actors and trite storytelling cliches undoing occasional intriguing stretches.

A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies

Like most of the great filmmakers of his and following generations, Martin Scorsese is a cineaste, himself boasting an encyclopedic, obsessive knowledge and deep enthusiasm for classic films. In this four hour plus documentary, the director of such definitive films as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas takes us through the many movies that helped shape his life and encouraged him to pursue his line of work. Despite the sheer length and simplicity of this project, it is st.ill an entertaining and enlightening work thanks both to Scorsese's engaging personality and his always restless approach behind the camera, even when its just filming himself addressing it.

Stoker

In a set-up very similar to Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt, a disturbed young woman (Mia Wasikowska), who just lost her father and is also contending with an unhinged mother (Nicole Kidman), suspects something sinister about her visiting uncle (also named Uncle Charlie, and played by Matthew Goode) and finds herself being diabolically attracted to him. Stoker was written by Wentworth Miller (of TV's Prison Break, of all things) and is the first American film from South Korean director Chan-wook Park, whose Oldboy was just recently bastardized by Spike Lee. The film is excellently crafted, exceedingly dark, and features several nicely crafted scenes. However, this picture is all style and no substance whatsoever and makes less than honorable demands of the usually captivating and seemingly sweet Wasikowska, which is disappointing considering how vacuous and unlikable this film is.

Nebraska

Without access to a vehicle or assistance from his nagging wife (June Squibb), a confused, alcoholic, and irascible old man (Bruce Dern) is absolutely dead set on walking from Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska (a distance of only about 900 miles) in order to collect his million dollar lottery winnings, you know the kind of mailing sent by some promotional company in order to procure magazine subscriptions. Unwilling to listen to reason, his youngest son (Will Forte) decides to humor the old man and take him along for the ride, a bonding excursion which features a trip into the past when they decide to detour in their hometown of Hawthorne. After trips to both Hawaii and California wine country in his last two films, Alexander Payne brings it all back to his home state with another tender and matter of fact look at American life. Here, from a reflective, and alternately hilarious and glum screenplay from Bob Nelson, he uses his sardonic approach to glimpse into a wounded yet jointed family in a part of the country he seems to know like the back of his hand. After over 50 years in the business and nearly 150 film roles, Bruce Dern finally receives the role of a lifetime, generating empathy in nearly every frame from a camera that studies his expressive and bedraggled face. He receives wonderful support from SNL alumnus Forte as his sad sack son, Squibb as his equally dyspeptic wife, and a peppered, impeccably chosen supporting cast. The film is further lifted by Phedon Papamichael's gorgeous black and white cinematography, especially during transitory landscape sequences which are given their own flavor by a beautifully somnolent soundtrack.

Floating Weeds

A traveling theater company visits a small seaside village as the troupe's leader attempts to reconnect with a former lover and his estranged, now grown son, all to the dismay of his scheming, jealous current mistress. Yasijuro Ozu's Floating Weeds is a beautifully understated remake of his own 1934 film featuring radiant coloring and excellent emotive acting, all resulting in a thoughtfully poignant picture that is impossible not to respond to.

Fast Five

Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster spring the Diesel from prison and escape to Rio to hideout. Desperate for funds, the couple join the unwelcoming Diesel on a heist of DEA seized whips, from the same locomotive on which the agents are accompanying them. After the attempted jacking goes wrong, and Walker and the Diesel do an 80 foot plus nose dive off a cliff into a river, they now must assemble every principle from their previous adventures and knockoff a drug kingpin's stash which is being stored in police lockup with jacked up super cop The Rock in hot pursuit. "Fast Five" (yes the fifth installment) is actually a pretty fun ride for its intentionally unintentionally funny first half hour. Then, as the cast members from the other films are rounded up, all the fun is sucked out of the film and it begins to resemble an "Ocean's 11" knockoff. Also the action scenes which are at first so well choreographed and cleanly filmed (not queasy cam) quickly degenerate, becoming standard issue and incomprehensible. I haven't seen any "The Fast and the Furious" films since the first one and didn't much desire to see this installment but did anyway due to good word-of-mouth. I don't regret watching it. I actually enjoyed doing so. I can only imagine what could have been if they were able to maintain the momentum garnered at the outset.

Martin Scorsese Directs

Martin Scorsese Directs was one of the early entries in PBS' American Masters series and was released in conjunction with the premiere of Goodfellas (the documentary features some great footage from the set). Even during this middle period of the celebrated, distinctive, and neurotic director's career, who had thus far helmed such masterworks as Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Last Temptation of Christ, he was already being mentioned among the likes of Frank Capra, John Ford, Howard Hawks, and Alfred Hitchcock. The documentary is an engaging and often very funny celebration of his life and career by many friends and collaborators, including Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Steven Spielberg, Roger Corman, Thelma Schoonmaker, John Cassavetes, and of course, his parents.

The Red Badge of Courage

A Union Army private at an unnamed battle (supposedly inspiration for the story was drawn from the fighting at Chancellorsville) finds his grit and fortitude tested as he is hurled head on into the unforgiving blazes of war. The Red Badge of Courage is a dense, compacted take on Stephen Crane's classic, already concise Civil War tale. Starring war hero Audie Murphy, the film was at the center of a major studio fray leaving director John Huston's severely butchered picture as the main casualty.

The Age of Innocence

A high society attorney (Daniel Day-Lewis) is set to marry a woman of similar breeding (Winona Ryder) when he falls hard for her cousin (Michelle Pfeiffer), a blighted ex-aristocrat and current pariah in their gossipy social circle. Martin Scorsese takes a detour from his usual time and place settings to adapt Edith Wharton's damning critique of the mid-19th century Manhattan elite. The film is exquisitely shot, with the director's trademarked restless camera, and incredibly acted by the leads. The film also features fine narration from Joanne Woodward and an ending that is memorably flooring.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Three bumbling country fed nincompoops led by the confounded rapscallion Ulysses Everett McGill escape from a Mississippi chain gang and brave hell and high water to return home to their self-appointed leaders' sweetheart. Sometimes movies are best left in the time and place you first met them and I was disappointed when I found some of the fun taken out of O Brother, Where Art Thou? my last time through. During this go round the laughs seemed scant and George Clooney struggled with his southern accent while the Coen Brothers were unable to find direction for their desultory riff on The Odyssey. It is possible, since I am in the minority of those who don't find Raising Arizona to be comic gold exactly that I just don't care for their flat out screwball stuff. O Brother still has its moments and the bluegrassy soundtrack is still worthy of all its accolades.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Revisiting Steven Spielberg's venerated masterpiece once more, I hearkened back to the days when the networks actually showed movies during primetime on Thanksgiving (this year the lineup consists of a football game, a Charlie Brown special, and an episode of Glee). As a youngster, I was mesmerized by the spectacular special effects and was drawn into an intelligent story that didn't condescend to my age group. Watching E.T. again, it is remarkable how much empathy is still generated by the Henry Thomas performance and that of an automated puppet, and how much of that same sense of wonder and even some of the more painful, fearful feelings (when E.T. is sick) are retained.

Zodiac

While the self-anointed Zodiac killer terrorizes residents in the Bay Area through random acts of manslaughter and cryptic messages sent for publication in the local newspapers, only a cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle (Jake Gyllenhaal), with occasional assistance from an alcoholic reporter (Robert Downey Jr.) and a hotshot detective (Mark Ruffalo), sees the unresolved case to its bitter end, through obsession and personal endangerment. Adapted from a book by Robert Graysmith, the featured illustrator, Zodiac is one of the most detailed films in memory, with its continual barrage of dates and case facts made all the more impressive by director David Fincher's heightened visual style and its ability to maintain a highly intense narrative thrust, these two elements coming to a head in the extraordinarily conceived basement sequence. Gyllenhaal serves as the film's center, Ruffalo is a standout playing the dogged, semi-famous detective David Toschi, and Downey Jr. finds a role suited to his personality (and not the other way around) adding a welcomed sense of humor.

Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel

Known as a king of the Bs, Roger Corman has produced over 400 pictures with titles ranging from Dinocroc vs. Supergator to Bloodfist 2050. Carrying himself in an anachronistic, professorial manner Corman has also directed a series of heralded Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, brought the films of Bergman, Fellini, Antonioni, and Kurasawa to the attention of American audiences as a distributor, fought Hollywood excess and championed many charitable causes, and cultivated the careers of such talents as Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, Jack Nicholson, Ron Howard, Dennis Hopper and many others. Corman's World is an loving look at the career of the virtuoso producer, with many of his admirers and former apprentices on hand to sing his praises.

North Dallas Forty

The life of a battered, aging, half crippled, pill addled, alcoholic pro wide receiver (Nick Nolte) as the trials he faces on the field pale in comparisons to those off of it while playing for a decadent Dallas Cowboys resembling organization. From a Peter Gent novel, which he helped to adapt for the screen, Ted Kotcheff's North Dallas Forty is a no holds barred look at the world of professional football, a film defined by its stark realism that ruffled some feathers in its time, and one which still resonates in today's world of seemingly nonstop athletic hooliganism. Nolte is spectacular in the lead and is given great support from Charles Durning as his hard nosed coach. The climactic game is a knockout as is the concluding gut-wrenching sequence.
*** 1/2 out of ****

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring

In a monastery situated in the middle of a lake deep in a vacant wilderness, a monk raises a young boy to take up his trade, and we are shown the evolution of their relationship through five of life's seasons. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring is a contemplative, beautifully crafted film with excellent performances from Yeoung-Su Oh as the teacher and the five actors (one being the film's writer/director Ki-duk Kim) who play the pupil.

JFK

Watching along with a mortified country as the occurrences of November 22, 1963 unfold, New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) develops a curiosity, which will soon turn to obsession, on the questions (or lack thereof) surrounding the Kennedy assassination, a matter which will lead him to be the only person to prosecute the execution, a dangerous expedition which will cost him his reputation, nearly his family, and bring the American public no closer to the truth. Fifty years to the date of the despairing loss of John F. Kennedy, many still harbor doubts about the events surrounding his murder. While director Oliver Stone and his subject, whose book is a basis for the film (the other is a work by Jim Marrs), have become written off in more than a few quarters as paranoid looneys, JFK remains a fascinating albeit exhausting investigatory film, enhanced illimitably by the astonishing, Oscar winning editing by Joe Hutshing and Pietro Scalia. This is most evident during Garisson's lengthy closing remarks, which arrive over three hours into the picture and rehash many belabored points, but still remain exhilarating thanks largely to their labor. The film is too much at times, some of the acting is overwrought as seemingly every Hollywood star big and tall, large and small appears, but Stone must be commended for its sweeping scope, the thought provoking, difficult questions it asks, and (which the director is not too modest to point out) the congressional information act it inspired.