The Wire

Season 5 (2008)

After a year of pursuing the Stanfield crew to no avail, the Major Crimes unit is severely limited as the Mayor focuses his funding on education. A frustrated McNulty decides to take matters into his own hands, and soon the Baltimore Sun is involved on a citywide manhunt to track down a vicious serial killer of homeless men. The fifth season of "The Wire" is an exemplary and fitting swan song to one of the finest series in television history. Instead of taking us to the places we've grown accustomed to American entertainments to take us, creator David Simon leads us down a mostly dark, and disturbing path that always follows a logical thread. Among the standouts in this final season are Dominic West, Clarke Peters, Wendell Pierce, Michael Kenneth Williams, and newcomers Clark Johnson and Thomas McCarthy who play a Sun editor, and his unscrupulous reporter, respectively. Season 5 is an incredible and realistically sad sendoff to one of the finest series to ever be conceived.

****


Season 4 (2006) 

After the fall of Stringer Bell and the Barksdale and the regulation of the Major Crimes Unit, the ruthless Marlo Stanfield crew has taken hold of the Baltimore drug scene and found an inventive way for disappearing bodies. Meanwhile an unlikely councilman makes a serious go at the mayoral seat, while four young street kids go their divergent paths. Season 4 of "The Wire" is a heartrending gut shot and further evidence of excellence in television programming. All characters new and old and drawn so sharply and so credibly that we are drawn into their lives and celebrate their minor victories but mostly share their pain and losses. I particularly liked the work of the four young actors who played the street kids, all of whom contribute wonderfully in a way seldom seen by young performers. Among the other standouts include Wendell Pierce, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Robert Wisdom. Woven into another complex and engrossing web by creator David Simon and staff, season four continues to etch "The Wire's" name in television's wall of greatness.

****

Season 3 (2004)

After wrapping up the detail focusing on the stevedores, the unit is back on the streets investigating street level drug dealers in West Baltimore, while Detective McNulty still has the larger target of Stringer Bell in his sights. In other storylines, an old friend of Avon who has just been released may no longer have the stomach for the streets and seeks other avenues of success, a commander about to retire employs a radical maneuver to lower numbers in his district, and an ambitious white councilman begins to make a run for mayor, using some of these events as a springboard. After a second season that slightly sagged, "The Wire" is back in full swing doing what they do best. Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Wendell Pierce (who has a wonderful turn),  Michael Kenneth Williams, and the rest of the returning cast are all great including some newcomers, especially Robert Wisdom as the renegade commander and Chad Coleman as the parolee whose storyline is both touching and surprising. Show creator David Simon and his staff continue to wow me with their complex, realistic characters and storylines.

****

Season 2 (2003)

After the unspectacular results from the Barksdale case, a new detail is formed when stevedore union head Frank Sobotka takes the last spot on the church wall for a stain glass window that Sgt. Valchek wanted for his own donation. In order to settle the score, Valchek sets up a unit to go after Sobotka, and the old crew from the Barksdale case is rounded up again. Soon the case is blown open and includes drugs, international smuggling, and the murder of 14 eastern European women being brought over for prostitution. The second season of "The Wire" is a continuation of excellence with is engaging, intense, and demanding style. Shifting from street crime to the docks, this season has a different feel and it becomes clear that each season will focus on a different aspect of Baltimore crime. This dynamic created David Simon is an extraordinary and should make for a distinguishable feeling for each season. I did though find this season to be slightly less compelling and the casting of bad actors to play key roles as dock workers hurts as well. While I love the addition of Amy Ryan to the cast, I was disappointed by Dominic West's reduced role. Still, "The Wire" is one of television's most excellent programs and one of the few where I can actually feel my brain working when I'm watching it.

*** 1/2

Season 1 (2002)

A drug dealer beats a murder rap and the detective on the case visits his judge friend to complain and drops the name of a local kingpin the dealer is related to. Soon the judge is in the ear of the police deputy and a small detail is made for the sole purposes of appeasing the judge. A ragtag team is assembled and thanks to determination a case begins to build against the local Baltimore drug scene, which has implications that run up the ladder and repercussions for the entire department. David Simon's "The Wire" is an intricate and intelligent series that offers a realistic portrayal of cops and criminals. With sharp writing and nonstop pacing it is a series that helped set the bar for quality in television programming. The work of the large cast is phenomenal all around but to single out my favorites: Dominic West in a brilliant and intense portrayal of the lead detective on the case. Idris Elba as the business savvy right hand to the kingpin. Lance Reddick as the police lieutenant who finds red tape in his way at every turn. Clark Peters as a veteran detective who finds a new beginning in the case. Sonja Sohn as a dedicated narcotics officer. Michael Kenneth Williams as a scarfaced streetwise stickup boy. Where most shows are content to be mindless entertainment, The Wire is a demanding, probably the most demanding I've seen, show that challenges and stimulates the viewer for the entirety of its duration.

****

Halloween

Fifteen years after slaying his sister, Michael Myers escapes from a psychiatric institution and returns to his childhood home, where he stalks a local teenager and is being hunter by his psychiatrist who knows the true nature of his inner malice. John Carpenter's "Halloween" is a landmark in the slasher genre, an accolade that may be dubious considering the dreck that has followed which has included sequels, remakes, knockoffs, and even the "stalwart" entries including "Friday the 13th" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street". Regardless, Carpenter displays a full mastery of the genre, using music, camerawork, and earned thrills to craft an eerie, terrifying thriller. Jamie Lee Curtis, in her first role, is extremely effective as Myers' target and it is refreshing to see an intelligent character in a film of this nature, which also extends to Donald Pleasence's Dr. Loomis's whose explanatory scenes I find to be the best in the picture. "Halloween" is a grand exercise in terror, but also somewhat of a nostalgic one when we reflect on what so many of the lazy, subsequent slasher films could have been.
note: I thought it was neat how Curtis' charges watch "The Thing from Another World" before the attacks, a film Carpenter would remake a few years later.

Melancholia

The film begins with a prologue, consisting of slow motion and still shots from the film's following two acts over haunting classical chords. We then descend into the first segment of the film which shows the wedding of an unhappy young woman (Kirsten Dunst), amidst the sea of equally unhappy family members and guests set at a posh country club. Following the inevitably disastrous ceremony, the final part of the film takes place two weeks later at the estate of the woman's sister (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her priggish scientist husband (Kiefer Sutherland) who is taking delight in witnessing a recently discovered planet and tracking the alarming dance of death it is performing with the Earth. "Melancholia" is the work of Lars Van Trier, the Danish director who's harrowing films are often confrontational and convoluted. With this current work, however, he has combined his breathtakingly beautiful panoramic visuals combined with his often used woman in distress scenario, and crafted his finest work since 1996's "Breaking the Waves". Kirsten Dunst is excellent in her role as an intelligent yet anguished young woman, digging deep and finding the core of her character's pain. Charlotte Gainsbourg, who is surprisingly reunited with Von Trier following her tortuous of "Antichrist", is also very fine as a controlling perfectionist who begins to unravel in the face of doom. Von Trier has always been a filmmaker down to his bones, but his acerbic nature often interferes with his work, be it in his screenplays or press interviews. Despite the debacle at Cannes and the harsh nature of some of his recent work, "Melancholia" is a work of true artist crafting one of his best works in spite of himself.

The Mill and the Cross

In "The Mill and the Cross", director Lech Majewski literally transports inside of Pieter Bruegel's 1564 painting "The Way to Cavalry", which depicts a Christlike crucifixion in the Danish countryside set during the Spanish Inquisition. We witness the day to day goings-on of the villagers, while we see the Spanish invader's atrocities and events leading up to the execution, which includes a local bishop (Michael York) commissioning Bruegel (Rutger Hauer) to complete the very tableau which they are inhabiting. "The Mill and the Cross" is a film of awe-inspiring beauty based on an interesting concept that relies completely on its visuals and not at all on its plot. The film itself is plodding and we are given very little about the many characters who inhabit the village. Even more prominent figures such as Hauer, York, and Charlotte Rampling as the Virgin Mother are poorly fleshed out. Even so, it is impossible not to be taken by the beauty of this film, which is one of the great visual wonders of recent years. I was reminded of Powell and Pressburger's "Black Narcissus", another indescribably beautiful film that seems to share the same filming techniques. "The Mill and the Cross" is a gorgeous film that could have been a masterpiece had as much time been invested in characters and story as were in the visuals.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Control (John Hurt) suspects a mole in the upper echelon of British Intelligence and sends an special agent (Mark Strong) to Hungary to kidnap a Russian general to root out the traitor. When the agent is murdered and Control perishes naturally, George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is called out of retirement to find the double agent, who is likely one of the men atop Control's secret subdivision (Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Ciaran Hinds, David Dencik). "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is a Cold War set spy thriller from a novel by John le Carre, a master of the genre. Director Tomas Alfredson, following up his international debut hit "Let the Right One In", helms this film in a similar manner, drenching his film in saturated colors and given it the correct empty feeling for the time and place. Gary Oldman is absolutely wonderful as the cerebral spy, totally inhabiting his character once again. Colin Firth delivers another fine albeit short effeminate performance. In supporting roles Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, the great John Hurt, and Mark Strong in a surprising turn shine through. Unlike most of the espionage movies we've grown accustomed too, which take the easy roads of gadgetry, sex and cheap thrills, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is a demanding film whose rewards are numerous.

Bram Stoker's Dracula

So the DVD for this movie offers an introduction from its director Francis Ford Coppola, which I watched before starting the movie. Yet instead of redirecting to the title screen, after the intro was through the film started automatically with Coppola's commentary playing over it. The point of this story is that I wish I would have watched the film this way instead of restarting and playing it the originally intended way. The legendary director's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" is a glorious looking adaptation that shows a supreme command of the medium. Casting is another story. Aside from Gary Oldman in the lead, who is excellent but not doing anything revelatory, the acting is truly abysmal and hampers the flawless film to a point of near disdain. Keanu Reeves, who God only knows how he broke into the industry let alone has gotten steady work for the last 20 plus years, is horrendous as the real estate agent whom Dracula imprisons. Winona Ryder leaves not the slightest impression in a forgettable role as Reeves' fiance who the Count lusts after. The most disappointing performance is that of Anthony Hopkins who hams it up absurdly playing the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing. "Bram Stoker's Dracula" may be an example of a director so concerned with the look of his film that he forgot to pay any attention to the characters who were inhabiting it. 

The Verdict

Frank Galvin is a washed up attorney with a failing private practice who spends his time handing out his business card at funerals and playing pinball while getting drunk at the local watering hole. One day, his old partner does him a favor and throws him a case involving a young woman who was incorrectly administered anesthesia at the Diocesan of Boston hospital and now lies in a vegetative state. Visiting the woman in order to take photographs to secure an easy settlement, Frank is moved by the woman's condition and sees in this case a chance to redeem both her life and his own. "The Verdict" is a remarkable courtroom drama made strong by a triumvirate of artists. For Paul Newman, his work as the alcoholic Galvin represents the finest in a career of illustrious roles. He inhabits the role of a desperate and passionate man, and his final appeal to the jury is truly excellent. The unsung director Sidney Lumet demonstrates his prowess as well, impeccably capturing the city of Boston and finding just the right tone, angles, and colors to tell his story. This also represents a great early film credit of playwright David Mamet who received an Oscar nomination for penning the screenplay. Additionally, the supporting cast is top notch as well which includes James Mason as the ferocious defense attorney for the Catholic diocese, Jack Warden as Newman's long suffering law partner, and Charlotte Rampling whose role is slightly flimsy, but is excellent nonetheless as a woman who figures into Newman's life. "The Verdict" can be seen as a top notch cast and crew giving their best work to a stellar, intelligent courtroom drama that avoids the trappings of the genre.

Bride of Frankenstein

Lord Byron sits in the parlor of Percy and Mary Shelly's home discussing her book "Frankenstein", as to whether it was intended to scare or to teach. At the conclusion of their debate, Mary adds that the story of the monster did not end at the burning of the mill, and that monster survived the hellish conflagration to continue a reign of terror throughout the nearby mountains. Also, Dr. Frankenstein, while nursing his injuries back home, is coaxed back into action by a mad colleague who has found a method to create life in smaller forms and wishes to bring to life a larger, female specimen. Director James Whale equaled if not topped himself with "Bride of Frankenstein", a gorgeous and scary film that functions on a campy level as well. Boris Karloff is back and again wonderful as the monster who is given more screen time to work with and his scenes, especially one involving a blind hermit played by O.P. Heggie, are extremely effective. The creation scene here, which is just as memorable as its predecessors, is a supreme directorial that greatly captures the gothic, angled laboratory. "The Bride of Frankenstein" is a monument to the early monster movies and a prime example of carrying on the legacy of a great film.

Young Adult

Mavis Gary is the ghost writer for young adult fiction and is perhaps so successful at her job because she essentially inhabits the world she writes about. In between texting, gorging fast food, watching reality TV, engaging in casual sex, and avoiding professional responsibilities, it goes with out saying that her life lacks meaning. When she opens an email inviting her to her now married ex's baby shower, she takes it as a hint that he wants her back. So, with her old mix-tapes in tow, she heads back to her small town to reclaim past glory and her former love. "Young Adult" is a pleasantly surprising movie about an exceedingly unpleasant person, not because it takes us on a journey that celebrates her victories, but sees her for what she is and uncovers the layers of sadness and desperation. The film reunites director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody, and while Cody's dialogue was tiresome from the opening convenient store scene in "Juno", they again find truth in the story of a "16-year-old". Charlize Theron, who won an Oscar for "Monster" stripping herself of all beauty, does the same here while leaving only her alluring facade. It is a brave and off-putting showcase. In support, Patton Oswalt, the stout comedian who demonstrated his acting chops in "Big Fan" again shows his abilities as a crippled local who Theron ignored in High School but currently and gradually befirends. I also liked the work of Patrick Wilson as the former beau, who has made an art out of elevating thankless roles. "Young Adult" is a rewarding film that invests in its characters and stimulates thought in its audience.

Rampart

Dave Brown is LAPD's worst nightmare, not only a brutal racist, but also possessing a skilled legal acumen to boot. However, when he is goaded into attacking a suspect and caught on camera, the department sees this as an opportunity to shift the blame from the confounding Rampart scandal of the late 90s. As Dave fights the investigation and his pending removal from duty, he continues to engage in destructive behavior that not only puts himself but also his oddly assorted family in turmoil. "Rampart" is the sophomore outing from "Oren Moverman" following "The Messenger" which also starred Woody Harrleson and Ben Foster (who appears here in bit part), and like that movie, its founded on an engaging lead performance while the plotting takes second fiddle. Not only is the plot not immersing, but it doesn't know what it wants to say or who it wants its lead character to be. Although Woody plays the part with ferocity, the character also lacks credibility and I was shaking my head in disapproval he spouts off legal statutes to defend his brutish behavior. Another (lesser) element that hurts the film is well is the big name casting of small parts. In addition to being distracted by Ben Foster as a scheming crippled junkie, we are further diverted by the likes of Steve Buscemi, Ice Cube, and Ned Beatty who are placed in roles they shouldn't have been called on to play. "Rampart" can be chalked up to just another LA police corruption picture, which is made all the more disappointing by the fact that it was cowritten by James Ellroy, who was the author of one of the best in the genre in "L.A. Confindential".

Election

Mr. McAllister is a dedicated history teacher at George Washington Carver High School, with a loving wife at home and friends he enjoys. All of this is disrupted when Tracy Flick, an ultra-perky dynamo, decides to run unopposed for class president, and Mr. M decides to meddle (as Tracey would put it). "Election" is the super sly film that put Alexander Payne, along with cowriter Jim Taylor, on the map as an auteur of quirky and deeply affecting human comedies. Working from Tom Perotta novel, "Election" is a wonderfully observant and insightful, characteristics that have been true of all of Payne's work since. The movie also represents the breakout performance Reese Witherspoon who manages to fashion a character so contemptible, and then manages to draw sympathy for her in the film's denouement. Matthew Broderick delivers one of his best performances as a teacher who at first is trying to put on his best face, and soon is trying to keep everything together. Chris Klein is excellent as well playing a good natured jock whom Broderick's character has plans for. "Election" is a film about High School, geared towards adults that is wickedly cynical, warm, and perceptive.

The Muppets

Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter (a muppet) have been inseparable best friends for their entire lives, and two of the biggest Muppets fans in the world. When Gary plans an anniversary trip to L.A. with his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), Walter decides to tag along and fulfill his dreams by visiting The Muppets studio. To his dismay however, he finds the studio in shambles, and overhears the sinister cacklings of an evil oil baron (Chris Cooper, excellent) who plots to demolish it and drill for oil underneath. Now Walter, Gary, and Mary must get in contact with Kermit, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Animal and the rest of the estranged Muppets to stage telethon at the old theater before its too late. "The Muppets" is an affectionate and true to form rendition of the beloved franchise, and what must have been a pet project of Segel, who cowrote the screenplay. With sunny musical numbers, a self-aware script (a little too self-aware), the expected celebrity cameos, and the wonderful Jim Henson created personality, reverence has been shown to the material. While Segel continues to bother me as an actor, Amy Adams is a lovely as ever and her contribution to the film is great. I felt the movie to be a little long. The finale dragged and I don't really need to be in the theater for two hours watching Muppets. Still, this is a genuinely funny and nostalgic film that perfectly embodies the spirit of its subjects.

note: the movie opens with a very humorous short starring the "Toy Story" characters entitled "Small Fry"

The Women

A clique of high society women catches wind of an affair being had by the husband of one of their own (Norma Shearer) and a bitchy perfume counter girl (Joan Crawford), thanks to the mouth of a gabby socialite (Rosalind Russell). As the gossip spreads like wildfire, the good girl's marriage is crushed and while getting a divorce in Reno she decides to get her old man back. George Cukor's "The Women" uniquely features an all-girl cast and is an entertaining blend of soapy melodrama and light farcical comedy. Crawford is wonderful in a tailor fitted role, Russell an absolute hoot as the vain gossip queen, and Shearer does her best with a thankless role. Some of this material is stodgy and sluggish, but it is definitely worth a look, especially for the scenes involving Crawford and Russell.

The Hustler

"Fast Eddie" Felson and his backer Charlie tour the seedy pool halls around the country, scrounging up a few dollars from the locals. One day, they happen into an all night match with legendary shark Minnesota Fats and after having him on the ropes, Eddie gets drunk and cocky and loses all of his money. Severing ties with Charlie, he forges a partnership with the shrewd gambler Bert as well as a tragic one with a depressive drunk college girl, while he again sets his sights on Minnesota Fats. Robert Rossen's "The Hustler" is a stark and gritty black and white film that perfectly inhabits its pool room settings. Following the anti-hero leading men of the 1950s such as James Dean and Marlon Brando, Paul Newman creates a spot-on performance of an erred hero. Additionally, he is backed up by a wonderful supporting cast including Piper Laurie as the despondent college girl/prostitute, George C. Scott as the ruthless gambler, and Jackie Gleason in a fine dramatic turn as Minnesota Fats.

The Aviator

Howard Hughes was one of the world's richest men, inheriting a drill bit fortune from his father, conquering Hollywood in the late 20s and early 30s as an outsider (as well as several of it leading ladies), and making his name as an innovator in the field of aviation. Yet, he carried a chip on his shoulder and his personal demons, perhaps stemming from a domineering mother, haunted him for his entire life. Martin Scorsese's "The Aviator" is a fascinating look at Hughes' life as well as a glamorous postcard to the Golden Age of Hollywood. From his monumentally expensive and expansive three year filmation of "Hell's Angels", to his romances with Lana Turner, Katharine Hepburn, and Ava Gardner, to his setting the flight record, purchase of TWA, and battles with Juan Trippe and Senator Owen Brewster, Scorsese adds his tremendous flourishes to John Logan's screenplay. Playing Hughes from his early 20s to late 40s, Leonardo Dicaprio is astounding in one of his finest roles which is more of an organic creation than it is an imitation. Numbers of fine actors fill supporting roles throughout the film, but here are a few of the best: Cate Blanchett in a spot-on Oscar winning turn as Kate Hepburn, and true lost love of Hughes. John C. Reilly as his tireless and beset assistant Noah Dietrich. Alan Alda in a delicious role as the disingenuous Senator hoping to use Hughes' military fraud case to propel his political career. "The Aviator" is an exciting demonstration of a star's acting capacity as well as the skills of an inimitable director at the top of his form.

We Bought a Zoo

A recently widowed father of two (Matt Damon) quits his job, sells his house, and seeks the perfect location to heal his aching family. He finds this setting in the form of a closed down, dilapidated zoo which where, with the help of the assorted staff and the beautiful head groundskeeper (Scarlett Johansson), hopes to restore it to its former glory. "We Bought a Zoo" is overly mawkish fare from writer/director Cameron Crowe who has shown he is capable of making sentimental films that spare the sap (i.e. "Say Anything...", "Jerry Maguire", "Almost Famous"). The screenplay is a by-the-numbers "Field of Dreams" type of story and Crowe pours it on at every chance he gets. Matt Damon is appealing here as a middle aged, maudlin father trying to relate to his kids while throwing everything he has at his grand undertaking. I also liked Thomas Haden Church as Damon's disapproving brother. Yet, Scarlett Johansson again overreaches in an unnatural, forced performance. Also the members of her zookeeping troupe are standard and bland. I think that the material for "We Bought a Zoo" could have made for an engaging family film, yet Crowe's kiddie geared treatment of it as ideal fodder for the Disney channel.

note: the musically inclined Crowe has provided a nice soundtrack, which makes this ride a little smoother.

Pacific Heights

According to Wikipedia, Pacific Heights is located in one of the most scenic and park-like settings in Northern California, offering panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz, and the Presidio.Into this idyllic setting move Patty (Melanie Griffith) and Drake (Matthew Modine), a struggling yuppie couple who fudge the numbers on their home lone application of a large Victorian home, where they hope to rent out the two ground floor rooms. After a barrage of questionable applicants, the couple finally decide to rent to an Asian couple and a slick, seemingly genuine tenant (Michael Keaton), who turns out to be a vicious scam artist who seeks to take the house from Patty and Drake and destroy their personal lives. John Schlesinger's "Pacific Heights" is an effective thriller based on a flimsy plot which the filmmakers try their darndest to seem authentic but still comes off as entirely implausible (I don't believe a tenant can move into an apartment without paying rent, and not be swiftly evicted). Yet on this shaky foundation, and along with Schlesinger's firm direction, the film is greatly aided by the performance of its cast. Griffith is extremely appealing as the stronger partner compare to Modine's weakling, and Michael Keaton, who must have been in high demand to play another home eviction character following "Beetlejuice", is genuinely creepy in his role.

My Week with Marilyn

In 1956, Marilyn Monroe was the most famous person in the world. However, she longed to be taken seriously as an actress, and following her marriage to Arthur Miller, she signed on to do a picture with Sir Laurence Olivier, the world's most revered actor. The shoot for "The Sleeping Prince" (whose title of later changed to the "The Prince and the Showgirl") wound up being a complete disaster with Olivier having little patience for the intimidated Monroe's pampering, instability, and Stanislavski method acting coach. Into the fold comes a fresh faced lad on the production squad whom Marilyn takes a liking to and helps bring the shoot to a successful conclusion. "My Week with Marilyn" is based on the memoirs of Colin Clark, the 23 yeard third assistant director who wrote of his fling with the screen legend. When the film focuses on the film's production, the interaction between Monroe and Olivier, and Monroe's moments of private torment, it is a glossy, fascinating portrait. Michelle Williams, while maybe not being entirely successful convincing us that she is physically Monroe, wonderfully embodies the star's inner torment and delivers and incredibly fine tuned performance. Kenneth Brannagh, who must have been licking his chops at the opportunity of playing who surely must be his idol, is delightful as Sir Laurence (in a role that is being overlooked for Williams) tempering the storm that is Monroe and than expressing his envy of her on screen abilities. Julia Ormond is wonderful as well as the sweet, yet aging and jealous Vivien Leigh who was married to Olivier at the time, as is Judi Dench who plays Dame Sybil Thorndike, an kind-hearted actress starring in the film within the film. Where the film goes wrong is the story of the affair. Eddie Redmayne plays Clark and the film offers no evidence of why Monroe would be drawn to such an uninteresting person. Their countryside dalliance is trite as well as unconvincing as they whisper sweet nothings and make ridiculous promises. Still, this film has many fascinating elements and with a better script, Williams and Brannagh would have had the material their performances deserved.

The Prince and the Showgirl

It is 1911 and London is excitedly preparing for the coronation of King George V. Among the many dignitaries that will be present at the ceremony is Grandduke Chrales, prince-regent of Carphathia, and his son who is poised to take over the throne in a matter of weeks. Considering the German allegiance of the would be heir, this poses a serious problem for the Brits who find it in their interest to keep the Grandduke happy. While entertaining him at a local play, he catches the eye of a chorus girl and the two begin an awkward and humorous dalliance. "The Prince and the Showgirl" is light and entertaining fare that was made at the peak of the careers of both its stars. Marilyn Monroe lights up the screen in her inimitable way and Laurence Olivier, who also directed, is a lot of fun playing the uptight, Transylvania-accented duke. I watched this as a curiosity for the just released "My Week with Marilyn", which is set during the filming of this movie, and it proved to be more than that. In addition to a light comedy, the film shows the two top draws from America and Britain at the time, and the wonderful onscreen chemistry the two held. 

Way Out West

Laurel and Hardy head off to an Old West town to deliver a mining deed to the daughter of their recently deceased prospecting partner. Upon arrival at the local saloon, the two are swindled by the owner who passes his troubadour wife off as the recipient. Soon, Stan and Ollie get wise, and the manic antics and wild pratfalls ensue. "Way Out West" is a thoroughly delightful film from Laurel and Hardy which offers several different aspects to appreciate. The duo's chemistry is sublime and many of their gags come off splendidly such as when Ollie routinely falls into a river dropoff or when the two use a horse for leverage to lift themselves into a second story window. The film also contains several wonderful musical interludes, the best of which where Stan and Ollie sing and two-step to the sounds of a hee-haw band. "Way Out West" is a supreme example of an early talkie comedy as well as a fine film from the classic duo.

The Producers

Having once reached the pinnacle of Broadway success, producer Max Bialystock now funds his disastrous plays by giving little old ladies one last thrill before the cemetery. When Leo Bloom, a meek and nervous accountant, drops by to do his books, he hypothesizes that if one were to oversell a production, more money could be made off of a flop then a hit. From then on, the partnership of Bialystock and Bloom  is forged and the duo sets out to stage the worst musical in the history of Broadway. Mel Brooks' debut film "The Producers" is a movie so hysterically funny that I was cracking up just reading over the plot synopsis. Brooks' wry and outlandish film is an unrelenting comic romp, from a script that won him the Original Screenplay Oscar. As the rotund and depraved Bialystock, Zero Mostel is an inimitable ball of comic energy and the equally incomparable Gene Wilder is just as wonderful as the manic and inconsolable Bloom. After the uproarious opening scenes between Mostel and Wilder, the subsequent ones showcase several hilarious performances as the duo assembles their colossal bomb: Kenneth Mars as the demented Hitler loyalist and playwright. Christopher Hewett as the cross dressing world's worst director who holds the opposite opinion of himself. Lee Meredith as the curvy Swedish secretary. Dick Shawn as the drugged out leading man. Brooks took his film to Broadway many years later and found smashing success, and having watched the movie where Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprised their stage roles, I found this to be the equivalent of someone remaking Citizen Kane. Not that Lane and Broderick weren't up to the task, and Brooks' script wasn't as fresh as always, but the hilarity of the original and the manic chemistry between Mostel and Wilder can never be replicated.

Encounters at the End of the World

The eccentric and existential Werner Herzog set out to make a documentary about Antarctica, but not one focusing exclusively on the wildlife or the terrain. Here, while still capturing much of the rugged landscape, Herzog seems more interested with the types of personalities that are drawn to the desolate wilderness thousands of miles from civilization. He meets various types of brilliant and unconventional scientists including a team studying an active volcano, a dive expedition capturing underwater footage, and a naturalist who has just that day discovered three new species of life. Herzog's philosophical narration always livens up his films but I think it is a mistake to focus so greatly on the individuals instead of nature. While at first stimulating, the subjects grow increasingly wearisome to the point where you can even sense Herzog himself growing tired of them. And still, there is some incredible footage here, including a training expedition and a despondent penguin, and although Herzog sought out to not do yet another nature documentary about the South Pole, I think that's where the strengths of his film lie.

Looking for Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln is the secular patron saint of America and perhaps and the most legendary and mystic of anyone in our history. Because of his stature, his legend has taken on all sorts of meanings and in all his grandeur, it is possible to lose sight of who he really is. In the documentary special "Looking for Lincoln", historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. spans the country exploring many different facets of Lincoln's life and legacy. Exploring Lincoln in the present, Gates attends an auction of his memorabilia, visits the foremost Abe collector, and visits a descendants of Confederate veterans gathering to gain a perspective of those who do not have a lofty opinion of the man. He also visits historical sites such as Gettysburg, the Lincoln Bedroom in White House, his summer cottage in D.C., Ford's Theater and across the street to his deathbed at Peterson's Boarding House. Joining him on his journey and offering insight are George W. Bush, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust, and Bill Clinton. Gates' trek is a fascinating look into the life and legacy of our 16th President although it does very little to shed any new light on who he was.

The Ward

A young girl in hospital garbs frantically runs through a southern forest to a decrepit old house which she promptly burns to the ground. She is then picked up by the local authorities and returned to the high risk psychiatric ward where she has to deal with the unfriendly staff and patients as well as ominous ghostly visions which continually haunt her. Now with the help of a caring yet suspicious doctor, she tries to figure out the dark secret behind her institutionalization. Watching a film as inept as "The Ward", one finds it hard to believe it was directed by "master of terror" John Carpenter who has directed such revered horror outings as "Halloween" and "The Thing". This film generates no concern for its heroine, which is vital to a film like this, and employs a plot device which came as unexpected, not out of cleverness, but because it had been done before so inanely that I did not think anyone would be stupid enough to employ. it again. Hence, it comes off atrociously and this film becomes not only a miss for Carpenter but a putrid waste of 90 minutes.

Woody Allen: A Documentary

For over 40 years, at a remarkable pace of about a film a year, Woody Allen has been bringing his comedic, and dramatic sensibilities to the movie world fashioning such diverse classics as "Annie Hall", "Manhattan", "Hannah and Her Sisters", "Match Point", and "Midnight in Paris". For this extensive documentary, the reclusive neurotic gives a rare interview as he traces his life and career from his childhood in Brooklyn where he takes us to his old schoolyard and the movie houses he frequented in his youth. From there we are given a glimpse of the nightclubs where he got his start as a stand-up comedian as well as the appearances network talk shows hosted by Steve Allen and Dick Cavett. From there, Woody takes us through the ups and downs and successes and scandals of his impressive film career. Enhanced by stock footage and interviews with his business partners including his sister Letty Aronson, Jack Rollins, and Charles H. Joffe as well as collaborators such as Diane Keaton, John Cusack, Scarlett Johansson, and Naomi Watts, we are given a wonderful exhibition and celebration of a true American treasure.