La Cérémonie

A maid (Sandrine Bonnaire) concealing an illiteracy problem and a violent incident in her past goes to work for a benign, bourgeois family (headed by Jacqueline Bisset and Jean-Pierre Cassel) and befriends an unstable local postal clerk (Isabelle Huppert) also with skeletons in her closet, a relationship rooted in pseudo lesbianism and class jealousy that devolves into mayhem. Claude Chabrol's La Cérémonie is a cold-blooded class conflict movie, slow-paced, involving, and ultimately harrowing. The cast, especially Bisset, is exceptional.

*** 1/2 out of ****

Se7en

During the last rain-drenched week before his a retirement, a weary city detective (Morgan Freeman) takes a new unseasoned, hotheaded transfer (Brad Pitt) as an astute and diabolically convoluted serial killer begins targeting victims according to the Seven Deadly Sins. David Fincher's grisly and literate police procedural is a great puzzle movie, superbly directed with impeccable, forbidding cinematography even if the ending seems overly morbid and not as clever as the events leading up to it. Freeman is effective (if a bit typecast when looking back) but Pitt is too inconsistent especially during the infamous, crucial, and ultimately laughable finale.

*** 1/2 out of ****

GoldenEye

A former, thought to be dead MI-6 agent (Sean Bean) plots with an onerous Russian General (Gottfried John) and a viperous, thigh crushing female operative (Famke Janssen) to steal the title weapon, a nuclear space device with mass destruction implications setting 007 (Pierce Brosnan) on the case with a beautiful computer analyst (Izabella Scorupco) in tow. Brosnan in his Bond debut is in the same mould as predecessor Timothy Dalton: nononsense, humorless, but really showing aptitude in the action sequences. The movie has one of the better (though still typical) Bond storylines, strong villains in Bean, Janseen, and John, a fine Bond girl in Scorupco, and great stuntwork, but like many of the other entries it just goes on way longer than it should.

*** out of ****

Richard III

In an England resembling Nazi Germany, when the Lancaster king and his heir are killed during battle by the Yorks, hunchbacked Richard (Ian McKellen) plots a bloody and heartless play for the throne, taking the lives of his brother and nephews as he quickly spirals into madness. Richard Loncraine’s filming of Richard Eyre’s Shakespeare stage reworking is a cruel and violent vision, with a fierce and towering McKellen performance and a strong supporting cast.

*** out of ****

Mighty Aphrodite

A Greek chorus warns of danger and tragedy lying ahead when a sportswriter (Woody Allen), unhappily married to a prospective art curator (Helena Bonham Carter), goes looking for the mother (Mira Sorvino) of their gifted adopted son and receives a genuine shock when he discovers her chosen line of work. Allen's most vulgar (though very sincere) film incorporates the usual elements of his work, and features a genuine, shrill, coarse and ultimately poignant, Oscar winning performance from Sorvino. The chorus, as led by F. Murray Abraham, is hysterically funny.

*** 1/2 out of ****

Sense and Sensibility

Three sisters of the Dashwood family, introverted Elinor (Emma Thompson), outward and outspoken Marianne (Kate Winslet), and the precocious juvenile Margaret, along with their mother are dispossessed of their family's estate when it passes to their brother upon their father's death, but not before the eldest falls for her charming and reserved brother-in-law. Taken in by obnoxious landlords, Marianne falls for a dashing, disingenuous gentleman and the women acquaint a compassionate, mysterious colonel (Alan Rickman). Ang Lee's Jane Austen adaptation stands with the best period pieces of its like, with its brilliantly lit cinematography and an exceptional cast, especially Thompson who also won an Oscar for writing the screenplay.

*** 1/2 out of ****

Pride and Prejudice

Popular miniseries, and one of the countless adaptations of the Jane Austen novel, is very well done, acted, mounted, etc. but doesn't do enough to elevate itself above TV period dramas. Or maybe it is the epitome of highbrow TV. But when the story was done so well in much abbreviated form with Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier prior and Keira Knightley after, its sheer length begs the question of necessity. Still, its hard to imagine a better cast Elizabeth than Jennifer Ehle (an American nonetheless) and Firth is very brooding but quite good also as Mr. Darcy.

*** out of ****

Leaving Las Vegas

A Hollywood screenwriter and raging alcoholic (Nicolas Cage) who had burned all his bridges long ago resolves to relocate to Vegas and drink himself to death. There he meets a gorgeous prostitute (Elisabeth Shue), similarly subjecting herself to daily degradation and recently and fortuitously relieved of her duties to an abusive pimp, and the two enter a relationship based on respect and non-interference. Although Mike Figgis' Leaving Las Vegas, which he scripted from a novel from John O'Brien, lends itself to cliches and melodrama it still tells an incredibly moving, not entirely believable love story. Cage's performance is goofy and over the top but so heartfelt and genuine and Shue demonstrates just as much sincerity, while generating just as much empathy.

*** 1/2 out of ****

Underground

Two Yugoslav best friends profit off the black market in 1942 when the Germans invade and build their industry during the Cold War, with all coming to a head during the ethnic wars of the early nineties. Emir Kusturica's Underground is all at once unique, surrealistic, outlandish, sad, and hilarious, though all these elements occasionally work against each other and create confusion. The film is a clear passion project for the director, and presented at epic length, which is eased by the sheer brashness of the production and the strength of its cast. 

*** out of ****

Heat

Following a deadly highway armored truck robbery, a hawkish L.A. detective (Al Pacino) is put on the trail of a seasoned bank robber (Robert De Niro) as his squad prepares for one final takedown. Michael Mann's Heat is an engrossing crime saga and exemplary character study with all of the director's trademarked visuals, stylistics, and ideas in top form. De Niro delivers a controlled, sage performance while Pacino's welcomed, over-the-top theatrics gradually refine themselves into an equally excellent turn. The film is compulsively watchable, endlessly quotable, and brilliantly casted with Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Tom Sizemore, and Jon Voight all serving as standouts.

**** out of ****

Clockers

A crack peddler (Mekhi Phifer) operating out of a Brooklyn Housing Project no longer has the stomach for the life but is torn due to loyalty towards the menacing drug lord/father father (Delroy Lindo) who oversees his operation. When he becomes a suspect in a murder investigation that also targets his straight laced brother (Isaiah Washington), he doesn't know whether to trust the homicide detective (Harvey Keitel) who seems to show a genuine concern for his well being. From a novel and screenplay by Richard Price, Spike Lee's Clockers is an intelligent, rollicking, thought provoking film which unravels just slightly towards the end but is still a full blooded original (which makes you question its absence from recent movie conversations). Phifer throws himself into the lead role, which makes it excusable when he occasionally struggles to hit the right notes, Keitel turns in one of his finest performances and Lindo is potent and absolutely petrifying in a great turn.

Orson Welles: The One-Man Band

When Orson Welles died in 1985 he left a laundry list of unrealized dreams and incomplete projects which, to name a few, included adaptations of Moby Dick, The Merchant of Venice, King Lear and Don Quixote and also a political satire featuring a Kennedyesque leading figure entitled The Big Brass Ring and Cradle Will Rock, which detailed a famous political staging by his own Mercury Theater. His will bequeathed a warehouse sized treasure trove of much of this footage to his longtime mistress Oja Kodar who, with the director Vassili Silovic, crafted this fascinating love letter to the irascible genius which (of course) winds up being a somewhat depressing tease of what might have been.

The Way West/The West

In the mid-90s, PBS premiered two unremarkable documentaries on Westward Expansion, the first entitled The Way West by Ric Burns, the second simply called The West, which was more or less an extension presented by his brother Ken under the direction of Stephen Ives. Ric Burn's film is extremely dismal and grows redundant while focusing almost exclusively on the Indian Wars and receives little help from its uninspired cast and vapid contributors. Ives' followup casts a bigger net and generates more interest but is still dreary, repetitive, and somewhat disappointing considering the  inherent allure of its topic. 

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.

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.

To Die For

A beautiful, highly ambitious, and totally unscrupulous TV weatherwoman (Nicole Kidman) finds her career in standstill in small-town New Hampshire, which she largely attributes to her oafish lout of husband (Matt Dillon). When she begins work on a documentary project involving susceptible and unintelligible teenage boys at the local high school, she may have found a way to eradicate her pesky husband and thus obtain her ticket to stardom. From the true life crime novel by Joyce Maynard, To Die For is a salacious and compelling satirical film from Gus Van Sant and screenwriter Buck Henry which features a whirlwind performance from Nicole Kidman. The film is told in a mockumentary style which, possibly due to the genre's overuse today, comes off as trite at first before the true weight of the film is gradually revealed. In support to Kidman, there are several fine performances including Dillon, Ileanna Douglass as his suspecting sister, Wayne Knight as the station manager, and a very young Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix as the dupes to her grand criminal scheme.

Strange Days

It is the last day of the 20th Century and a crime ridden Los Angeles is about to erupt with news that the police department is implicit in the death of a megastar musician/activist. Into this mix is thrown Lenny (Ralph Fiennes), a washed up ex-cop turned hustler who pushes the latest cyber technology: a sensory device that allows the user to voyeuristically experience other people's deepest and darkest sensations. Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days is an overly ambitious film with a protracted denouement, a foreseeable major plot twist, and awful dialogue from her former husband James Cameron and Jay Cocks. It features some incredible action sequence, Fiennes is great as usual, and he receives great support from Angela Bassett. In the end however, the film tries to do much and becomes muddled and mind numbing.

Prime Suspect

Prime Suspect 7: The Last Act (2006)
On the cusp of retirement, Jane draws the case of a missing teenager which she refuses to let go until the killer is brought justice. Simultaneously fraught with personal strife, including her father's illness and her own alcoholism, Jane becomes drawn to a young girl central to the case, a smart and fiercely independent sort that reminds her of herself. With "The Last Act", Prime Suspect and star Helen Mirren go out on a high note, one that could have been a masterful one had it not been for some tacky plot choices, the kind of which have marred other episodes in this series. It goes without saying that Dame Mirren is excellent once more here, and its superfluous that I'm even stating so.  Director Philip Martin does an excellent job directing, which sort of continues the new style employed by Tom Hooper in the previous outing. There is also a really nice touch in the return of series veteran Tom Bell (who died before release and to whom this installment is dedicated) and his prickly, chauvinistic chief inspector. In closing, Prime Suspect was a series that both revolutionized the modern crime series while also inspiring the cliched, unworthy elements that plague it today. In also never featured anything less than perfection from its inimitable star.
*** 1/2

Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness (2003)
Jane once again finds herself bucking her superiors, who now try to force her into retirement, as she investigates the murder of Bosnian refugee, leading her on a journey to the Balkans and a ruthless war criminal. The sixth entry is the Prime Suspect series doesn't break any new ground as far as material is concerned, and follows the same blueprints as its predecessors, but is notable for the exceptional direction of Tom Hooper, who brings his distinct visual style to the series. Of course, Helen Mirren is excellent once again, following a long gap since the previous installment.
***

Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgement (1996)
Jane has been reassigned to a high crime district, but is being underused in her commission as a community liaison officer. When an aboveboard drug execution presents itself, she sees it as an opportunity to impress her commander. Things, of course, are not as straightforward as they seem, and the lead suspect proves extra wily and it soon becomes apparent there is a mole in the police department. "Prime Suspect 5" is more of the same with Helen Mirren carrying the rest of the overwrought and routine affair. An engaging supporting performance from Steven Mackintosh as the mad dog suspect help keep things in order as well.
** 1/2


Prime Suspect 4 (1995)
Part I - The Lost Child
Part II - Inner Circles
Part III - Scent of Darkness
The fourth series of "Prime Suspect" is divided into three sub-parts, with Jane working three independent cases. The first part is entitled "The Lost Child" and deals with the search for a missing child and a rush to judgement based on a prior sexual history. "Inner Circles" details the investigation into the murder of a bereft country club manager which leads to a scandal involving a housing complex. The final segment, "Scent of Darkness" follows Jane as a copycat murderer causes her to reopen the file for the case depicted on "Prime Suspect 1". Although Helen Mirren is quite good once again here, the redundant formulas have become glaring where a suspect is identified while Jane is harrassed who goes on to identify the correct perpetrator, usually the most ludicrous person imaginable. And still, "PS4" is nonetheless entertaining with Mirren standing triumphant at the center.
***


Prime Suspect 3 (1993)

Jane has transferred to head a vice squadron where the murder of a young male prostitute leads to a child sex ring implicating a devious sex solicitor, a transvestite, a seemingly noble head of a youth center, and possibly a disgraced recently retired police captain. The third installment in the "Prime Suspect" series is steeped in histrionics and replete with irritating gay stereotypes as well as outdated gay themes, yet it still remains an intricate and powerful series, with Helen Mirren continuing to lead the way with her dazzling knockout performance. I also appreciated the plotting here, and how you can't exactly pin down the plot or foresee where its going. Additions to the cast are strong as well which include David Thewlis, Ciaran Hinds, and Mark Strong, as well as the return of Tom Bell who appeared in the first installment and deftly again plays that oily character. Though maybe not quite on par on the first two entries, "Prime Suspect 3" continues to set the bar for quality television criminal procedurals.

*** 1/2

Prime Suspect 2 (1992)

As racial tensions gather over accusations of police brutality, Chief Inspector Tennison has earned the respect of her peers when a decomposed corpse is found in the backyard of a black neighborhood. To make matters more complicated, a black detective whom Tennison has had a fling with is brought over to work the case for PC reasons. "Prime Suspect 2" is a fine followup to the groundbreaking British series. Helen Mirren is as towering, excellent, and believable as ever and the incendiary plot plays out extremely well (although I though they didn't play fair with the identity of the perpetrator). "Prime Suspect 2" is a gritty and engaging film continuing the trend from its predecessor.

*** 1/2

Prime Suspect (1991)

Police procedurals have always been a standard on television, but especially today crime shows, particularly grisly forensic oriented crime programs, are dominating the airwaves. With the Prime Suspect, an excellent British series revolving around a criminal investigation, we see the bar being set for modern shows of the same nature, few of which succeed in meeting it. In a dynamic performance from Helen Mirren, we follow her character Jane Tennyson, a London investigator who has been passed over for promotion two many times due to her sex. When the beloved lead detective on a brutal homicide has a heart attack and dies, it is finally her chance to head an investigation. As things begin to point in a different direction than the original detective was heading, and the case begins to widen, she faces hostility from her colleagues both out of loyalty to the deceased and shear sexism. "Prime Suspect" functions excellently on several levels: as an investigatory program, as a character study, as an examination of sexism in the workplace, and finally as study of how bureaucracy places barricades in the way of a successful police investigation. Mirren here demonstrates her unmatched abilities as an actress and again the fact that they don't make women like her anymore as she demonstrates grit, determination, and elegance. Also making early acting appearances in the movie are Tom Wilkinson as her husband and Ralph Fiennes in a small part. "Prime Suspect" is a fine example of an intelligent cop movie that many modern ones could learn from.

*** 1/2

La Haine

Three juvenile delinquents, an Arab, black, and a Jew, roam aimlessly through the volatile streets of urban Paris. When one of their mates in severely beaten by police, the erratic Vinz (Vincent Cassel) happens across an officer's firearm that went missing in the skirmish, and vows vengeance on any cop he crosses if his friend were to perish. "Le Haine" is the explosive sophomore film from Mathieu Kassovitz that vividly portrays Parisian street life in crisp black and white, and seems typical of the highly kinetic independent films of the time (I thought most of Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing"). It features a trio of fine performances from Hubert Kounde, Said Taghaoui, and especially Cassel, which wound up being a breakthrough for him. Although there is a lot more inspiration than perspiration here and the film seems to be mimicking rather than creating, Kassovitz's film is a stark often startling view of a side of Paris life that many of us hardly ever associate with it. 

Babe

It seemed like destiny when Babe (the name his mother called all his siblings) was snatched from his family by carnival workers and stared deep into the eyes of farmer Hoggett, who proceeded to guess the young pig's weight and take him home to his rural home. Lonely and heartbroken, Babe is "adopted" by a sheepdog and when he learns that a pig's primary function on a farm is to serve as food, he strives to break the species barrier and become the world's greatest (and only) sheep pig. "Babe" is an endlessly enchanting from director Chris Noonan and screenwriter George Miller from the novel "The Sheep Pig" by Dick King-Smith. With seemless special effects, a funny and tender script, great voicework especially from Christine Cavanaugh as Babe, and a nuanced, deeply felt performance from James Cromwell, "Babe" is an absolute winner from beginning to end. For a movie aimed at kids, I was amazed at how often I laughed, how dark some of the material is, and how true some of the emotions were, so it should be no wonder that this scored such sought after Oscar nods in the Picture, Director, Screenplay, and Supporting Actor category. Like that of its central character, "Babe" respects its audiences' intelligence and delivers a delightful film that truly all can enjoy.