Film Reviews -- May 2008

 

Iron Man

(Marinell H) Opening May 1, 2008

What do comic books and movies have in common? Marvel – whose superhero comic book characters of the 1960s attracted new readers – is now drawing audiences with larger-than-life celluloid images of Spider Man, the Incredible Hulk and hold on to your seat because here comes… Iron Man.

Billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) on paper has credentials to die for: handsome inventor, head of a multinational conglomerate of technology companies, military contractor, philanthropist, adventurer and socialite. We meet the real Tony: boozer, beguiler of women and gambler who alternates between glib, persuasive or smooth responses depending on who he is talking to, and thinks the world can… wait for him.

When Tony is put in a life-threatening situation, instead of building a devastating weapon he uses his gifted intellect and ability to improvise to make an armor suit to save himself and fellow prisoner Yin-Sen (Shaun Toub). Yin-Sen says to him, “Don’t waste your life”. Returning to the United States he slips back into his world as the public face and to all intents and purposes head of Stark International. Affected by his harrowing experience, Tony ultimately decides to use technology to fight against evil.

Tony works on a more sophisticated version of the armor suit from his workshop in his stupendous, cliff-hanging Malibu home with help from executive secretary Virginia ‘Pepper’ Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Pepper has worked for him for years. With a cool demeanor she holds her ground when they disagree and calmly cleans up the messes Tony leaves in his wake. Tony and Pepper realize how interdependent their relationship is as the action unfolds.

Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), trusted mentor who has been with the company since founded by his father, as C.E.O. of Stark International deflects a company crisis to protect Tony upon his return. Tony overlooks chameleon "Obay" since his focus is on developing a revolutionary technically powered armor suit. As the military’s chief liaison to S.I. weapons division, Lt. Colonel James Rhodes (Terrance Howard) is also Tony’s most trusted ally and best friend. It is "Rhodey" that Tony phones to “come take a look” at the quintessence armor suit he has crafted.

Director Jon Favreau, with an excellent screenplay from Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway, has crafted a comic-movie that honors the Marvel characteristics: a flawed superhero; tackles more serious themes – war endorsement, corporate funded "superheroes"; reflects the spirit of the age – artificial intelligence, a supersonic armor suit, and entertains the (reader) audience.

The casting is spot on: Marvel characters come to life with an ensemble cast of Oscar® nominees or winners. The Tony Stark/Iron Man persona was based on Howard Hughes. Downey Jr. has described his portrayal of Stark as "a challenge of making a wealthy, establishmentarian, weapons-manufacturing, hard-drinking, womanizing prick into a character who is likable and a hero." Tony’s easy-going, boyish charm and constant wisecracks make us laugh during the grimmest situations – Downey Jr. gives us a superhero we root for. Bridges deftly evolves Obadiah into a super villain, Paltrow subtly turns up the heat on Pepper’s demeanor, and Howard makes us wish for a friend like Rhodey as the tension intensifies.

Iron Man is a testament to the brilliant artists that comprise the special effects and make-up teams. We watch Tony, assisted by his likable robotics develop the superhuman-strong armor suit, with extra goodies such as cybernetics controls and artificial intelligence. When Iron Man soars, we soar and see and experience the persona of Iron Man. Let’s go fight the bad guys!

Do not look for a message. The story is solid so settle down, bite your nails, laugh and enjoy yourself. The film’s ending leaves no doubt there will be a sequel. If this film’s momentum can be maintained, I say, "bring it on"!

 

Meine Mutter, mein Bruder und Ich

(Becky T) Opening May 1, 2008

Areg (Erhan Emre) is 23-year-old Armenian immigrant law student who wants to become a film director in Munich. His mother Maria (Lida Zakaryan) has fled her war-torn Armenia to settle in Regensburg with her younger son Garnik (Kurt Onur Ipekkaya). Areg is fully adjusted to being a “real” German. He speaks the language fluently, has a German girlfriend and hopes soon to be naturalized. His mother suffers great homesickness as an uprooted person living against her will with no language skills in a strange country. In the middle is Garnik, the much younger brother (about 10). He is completely integrated, but dreams of the family’s Armenian village where a secret treasure of gold awaits him. Areg visits his mother and brother in Regensburg. There are conflicts of interest which reflect their degrees of assimilation. The interaction changes when it’s obvious that Maria is ill with debilitating diabetes, which causes blindness and loss of a leg. Areg reluctantly faces facts and fulfils her greatest wish: to return to her village. In the process he grows up, sets different priorities and recognizes new values. “If you don’t know your past, you will not recognize your future.”

Director-writer Nuran David Calis of Armenian-Jewish blood obviously wove many autobiographical details into the film. He emigrated from Turkey to Munich; his own mother has diabetes; he has become a filmmaker. The wealth of the Turkish contribution is also reflected in actors Erhan Emre and Kurt Onur Ipekkaya, whose parents also originated from Turkey. There are discussions about living in Germany (“Soccer is German.” “Tombstones must be identical; where would we be if everyone provided his own tombstone?” Germans don’t talk at breakfast.) German actress Corinna Harfouch adds her own wonderful talent as the manager of a film company who wouldn’t mind a little seduction of younger men. Mira Bartuhcek plays the girlfriend Lily and Christoph Franken is Areg’s overweight friend George – the one who really does end up with an Armenian wife. The ending slips into a bit of a fairy tale, but we accept that the gold they find can also be a symbol of their new level of maturity. As an immigrant myself – albeit one who left her homeland voluntarily – I could relate to the story and appreciate this excellent first film.

 

Memory Books - Damit du mich nie vergisst...

(Marinell H) Opening May 1, 2008

An early morning haze softens the sharp edges of poverty as people move along a dusty red-dirt road. Cut to a packed rustic classroom where smiling children answer their teacher’s questions during a startlingly honest lesson about HIV/AIDS. In this atmosphere, the audience is about to be taught a lesson about love, life and the gift of immortality.

Memory Books is a powerful 90-minute documentary in English/local languages with German subtitles and voiceover. In East Africa Uganda, despite the government’s comprehensive efforts, an estimated 35% of the population is infected with the HI-Virus. This is the thread that ties together the protagonists’ stories, HIV-infected women lending the film an immediacy and intimacy at once disturbing and moving.

Christa Graf, director and writer, presents compelling portraits of four women struggling to maintain their integrity under the rigors of a devastating illness and a 10-year-old survivor responsible for his younger sister. Encouraged to write Memory Books, literally and symbolically, the books help infected women become healthier – they become psychologically stronger, which stabilizes the immune system.

Harriet, in flickering candle light, describes to Winnie what she is writing in her daughter’s Memory Book. Harriet, second wife Elizabeth and their children live together, both wives infected by the husband who died of AIDS. Throughout, Harriet discusses her illness with amazing candor, as we watch her fight her grief and fear with strength of will and lack of self-pity. In each child’s Memory Book Harriet has written what she wishes for their future, gives advice and consolation. Winnie comforts her mother.

The voiceover tells us AIDS is the illness of poverty. The Trans-African Highway cuts through Uganda and with nothing else of value to sell, women sell themselves. Although conversely these women, faced with how to cope with HIV-infection, have taken power for their destiny away from the men.

Stalwart Christina, a nurse, quietly says she draws courage from her three children. Each child has a personal Memory Book. It is four years later that we listen to Christina compassionately tell women the results of their HIV-tests and reassure them they will receive free medication through the hospital. Taking pages from her daughter’s book as examples, she travels to rural villages to show infected women how to write a Memory Book for their children.

Betty is not afraid of death. Although she can neither read nor write, Betty fears leaving her children not prepared for life, especially Lucy the youngest. She wants them to have a key to her knowledge and experiences long after she is dead, thus Betty’s son George writes her Memory Book with Lucy sitting on her lap. Her older children say she has changed; now they spend more time together and are closer. 

Dennis reads to his little sister Chrissi from pages in the Memory Book their mother made before she died, two from circa 2 million Ugandan orphans. Tears roll down his cheeks as Dennis talks about his mother: taking care of her when she was sick, writing the book together. He tells Chrissi a story his mother told and later we watch him write it in the Memory Book. “She always said that someday the book would help us, and it really does. When I read to Chrissi, it is as if she is speaking to us”.

Shots of Ugandan way of life separate sequences: the commotion of Kampala, women cooking together, trucks rumbling along roads throwing up dirt and dust on those walking or on bikes. We glimpse photos, drawings and text as the camera pans over pages in Memory Books. Good camera work – lingering on faces, following a hand writing in the book, and solid editing achieve the right balance: we have time to digest the stories. Some transition cuts I found abrupt, whereas a dissolve would have been a better choice. Music is sparingly used under the footage separating the sequences.

This exceptional film reveals the complicated, powerful responsibility dying women face, yet is fascinating in showing the correspondingly honest, sensitive contact with their children and one another. They carry themselves in such a special manner; with calm dignity they show the way one accepts one’s destiny. “Sometimes there are things we forget to tell our children but the Memory Books help us – bad and good, it is our life.”

 

Die Roten Drachen und das Dach der Welt

(Christa G) Opening May 1, 2008

Joining filmmakers Marco Keller and Ronny Pfreundschuh on their journey to and through Tibet, we see familiar pictures of ancient monasteries, snow-topped mountains, and devoted pilgrims. We also see the new railway line to the Holy City of Lhasa and visit Lhasa itself, now looking remarkably like a Chinese town. If you have seen films about Tibet the way it used to be before the Chinese occupation, you’re probably in for a shock, as Tibet has changed a lot.

Interwoven with the telling pictures are comments on the situation in Tibet, both from a Tibetan and a Chinese point of view, for example: the Chinese stress the great importance of China’s unity and point out the fact that they have made a huge effort to build up the former Tibet, which for them is just an underdeveloped part of China, while the Tibetans mention the forced sterilization of women, the lack of true religious freedom and being swamped by more and more Chinese settlers. The latter is illustrated by the fact that Tibetans living in Lhasa nowadays must speak Mandarin, not only in dealing with the authorities, but also when they simply want to mail a letter or do their shopping. On top of that, only a very small part of Lhasa still looks and feels like a Tibetan, rather than a Chinese, town.

The movie shows the Tibet an open-minded traveller might find, one who knew how to circumvent Chinese censorship. The overall picture is that of a repressed people striving to retain and regain their national identity against seemingly overwhelming odds. In the context of the current (March 2008) uprising in Tibet, this film is particularly enlightening.

Being a bit geographically challenged, I would have welcomed a map of Tibet at times, and I also would have found a little more factual information useful. If you want to get an idea of what the "Tibet Autonomous Region" is like, this movie is maybe the next best thing to a ticket to Tibet.

 

Wedding Daze (Blind Wedding)

(Becky T) Opening May 1, 2008

Vanessa drops dead at the sight of her boyfriend Anderson (Jason Biggs) dressed in a skimpy cupid costume. And all he wanted was to create a romantic setting suitable for proposing marriage. A year later, his friend Ted has had enough of boring Anderson’s long-term mourning and dares him to find a new girlfriend. Anderson immediately proposes to the waitress in their local diner. She has issues of her own, one being her boyfriend William, who is waiting for an answer to his own proposal. She accepts Anderso,n and they spend the rest of the film getting acquainted, philosophizing about marriage between strangers, and shocking various friends and parents. The film ends predictably with a wedding, but not before there is some slapstick turbulence which involves games of charades, one prison escape, seven arrests, gun shots, a ghost from the past and, repeatedly, the word “wow.” 

At first I thought, “This isn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.” But it was. Perhaps more knowledge about director-writer Michael Ian Black would at least explain where he is coming from – namely from television and comedy where he is an actor and writer. He is also Jewish (real name: Schwartz) which might explain the Jewish joke about the Yiddish-speaking stuffed animal. Haven’t we already seen such clichés as: having an epiphany at the altar before saying “I do,” overpowering a policeman and handcuffing him in his own jail, or travelling in a life-threatening junk heap of a car? Black’s screenplay for Run Fat Boy Run was similar but seemed to have a purpose, whereas this film’s right to exist might lie solely with the 21-pop-song soundtrack, useful while doing the ironing. The uncertain fate of Wedding Daze is reflected in its date of origin: 2006, and its alternative titles: The Next Girl I See and The Pleasure of Your Company. I hope the young actors will soon step up to more fulfilling roles, especially the delightful young woman who appeared as a salesgirl during the first two minutes of the film, never to reappear again.

 

10 Questions for the Dalai Lama (10 Fragen an den Dalai Lama)

(Nancy T) Opening May 8, 2008

This practically one-man-show by Rick Ray is a timely, thorough documentary on the life and philosophy of the Dalai Lama, including maps of Tibet (which is the size of Europe!).

The rare historical footage is of special interest for those with little knowledge of recent Tibetan history. Industrial filmmaker Rick Ray took a travel film job in India under the conditions that his employer would organize a personal meeting with the Dalai Lama. On arrival, Ray found no one had moved on this part of their agreement. He had to find the way on his own, and – with the critical help of his assigned driver (who helped with the camerawork) – connected with His Holiness via email, procuring a 45-minute appointment on the condition there would be only ten questions, hence the film title, with the warning that His Holiness did not tolerate insincerity and would stop the meeting when sensing such. As the meeting would be in Dharamsala three months after his job concluded, Ray, now “stranded” in India, decided to stay in a monastery to understand more of Buddhism, thus giving himself time to formulate appropriate questions.

More time should have been placed on how he conveyed his message. Too much time is consumed with writer/director/cameraman/editor Ray's personal journey to this meeting, leaving an undesirable home movie quality. And the sound of the sappy, monotonous voiceover drained.

 

Trigger (Rettet Trigger!) 1/2

(Allison and Tracy M) Opening May 8, 2008

I love horse movies because I love everything about horses. I draw horses, have horse bedsheets and go to riding lessons. Trigger is a very exciting movie about a girl who wishes she were brave enough to ride a horse. Alise (Ann-Katrin Somme) is a little bit afraid of horses, so when she finds a runaway horse she has her grandpa (Sven Wollter) help her get it to a barn where it could be safe. The horse, named Trigger, ran away from some mean men who beat it because it didn’t want to be a jumping horse. Her grandpa is sick and tired all the time, but he tries to make friends with Trigger and to get Alise to be less afraid of horses. I was very angry at the mean men when they found the horse in the stall with Alise and her grandpa. They want to kill Trigger and get money from an insurance company. Alise and her grandpa made a deal with the men that they could teach Trigger to jump so the men won’t kill it. It is sad when the grandpa has to go to the hospital and can’t train Trigger any more. The mean men come back, but Alise runs away with Trigger and hides. She knows her grandpa is dying in the hospital now, so she tries to take Trigger there so her grandpa can see the horse from the window one more time. The mean men follow her and chase her so she has to ride Trigger to get away from them.  I won’t tell you the ending because it is very exciting, but it ends very happily and Alise is now brave enough to ride horses. I would like to trade places with Alise because she starts the movie very sad and at the end she is happy because she has learned to be friends with horses. I would tell all my friends to watch this movie. (Allison M, age 8½)

Trigger, directed by Gunnar Vikene and produced by the Oslo based company CINENORD, is a sentimental movie about a girl and her horse. This film follows the plot of typical of many children’s books and thousands of movies: Girl is unhappy because she has no horse, horse appears, horse is in danger, girl saves and gets to keep horse. Any adult would have been able to figure this out just by looking at the movie poster.  Fortunately, this is not an adult movie, but rather a film for young girls who only wish to be near horses and riding stables.  Both Becka (12) and Ally (8½) enjoyed the film and would invite their girlfreinds to see it again with them. (Tracy M)

 

What Happens in Vegas (Love Vegas) 1/2

(Christa G) Opening May 8, 2008

Her fiancé dumps her as she throws a surprise party for him. With all her friends hiding behind the furniture, he tells her he doesn't want to marry her any more! Left with their honeymoon tickets to Vegas, successful, sexy career woman Joy (Cameron Diaz) decides to go anyway.

Jack (Ashton Kutcher) suddenly finds himself out of a job. Fired by a boss who expects him to actually work during work hours and who also is his father! In a basketball game against the old man, Jack fails to win his job back. Being a bit of a gambler, he goes to Las Vegas to forget his troubles.

In Vegas, Joy and Jack run into each other, have a lot of fun (and drinks!) and get married. When sober again, they agree on a divorce. However, before they can put this plan into practice, they win three million dollars. Sharing the money is not an option, so the divorce judge (Dennis Miller) gets to decide what happens with the millions. This judge is not fond of people who want a divorce without really having been married. He sentences the would-be divorcees to six months "hard marriage" and freezes the money. Joy and Jack have to live together in Jack's chaotic apartment and see a marriage counselor (Queen Latifah). Trying to make their marriage work is their only way to eventually get a divorce and the millions. Both try to end this farce sooner and get all the money. How? See for yourself!

Cameron Diaz once more shows her comic talent, and she and Kutcher seem to be enjoying themselves. The screenplay of this romantic comedy is somewhat predictable, but Diaz and Kutcher certainly made me laugh. I liked the message that two people are right for each other who bring out the best in each other. Director: Tom Vaughan, screenplay: Dana Fox.

 

In Bruges (Brügge sehen... und sterben?)

(Thelma F) Opening May 15, 2008

In Bruges is the story of a couple of hired killers who actually don't seem all that bad in the beautiful setting of Bruges. Their organization is run by Harry (Ralph Fiennes in a tiny role), who believes that murderers should have principles. When young, inexperienced Ray (Colin Farrell) shoots a child by mistake in London, Harry feels Ray should have killed himself immediately. He sends Ray and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) to Belgium to await his further instructions. For Ray this "vacation" is unbearable.  He, at first, doesn't realize he is waiting for Harry to organize his death, but he does know that Bruges is not for him.  He misses his hometown of Dublin. Ken, on the other hand, loves the place. He is enthralled by the picturesque streets and the medieval architecture. The two men pass the time together with lots of conflicts about what to do and see but all the while also getting into more personal territory and discussing their beliefs. In the end, Ken cannot bring himself to follow Harry's order to shoot Ray. Harry, who until that point has only been seen conducting his short phone calls from Ireland, shows up in person and the climatic shoot-out – quite violent – ends the whole episode. Many shots of Ken up close and beautiful scenes of the city were great cinematography, but the politically incorrect jibes (supposedly black humor) weren't my cup of tea.

 

Made of Honor (Verliebt in die Braut)

(Osanna V) Opening May 15, 2008

Paul Weiland directs Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy, Enchanted) and Michelle Monaghan (Mission Impossible III, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) in a romantic comedy, with screenplay by Adam Sztykiel, Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont.

Tom (Dempsey) is a wealthy, charming womaniser for whom life appears to be an endless stream of fleeting romances. The one solid anchor in his life is Hannah (Monaghan), his straight-speaking best friend. The two religiously spend Sundays together, so when Hannah's job sends her to Scotland for six weeks, Tom quickly comes to realise how much he misses her; it suddenly dawns on him that she's actually the girl for him. Ready, after all these years, to pop the question when she returns home, our leading man is devastated to find that Hannah has brought back a Scottish fiancé. To make matters worse, the wedding is planned for two weeks later, and Hannah is adamant that she wants Tom to be her maid of honor. Tom accepts, realising that his duties mean spending every possible moment with the bride-to-be – the perfect opportunity to subtly change her mind and win her over...

The storyline of Made of Honor holds no major surprises, but it is charming and humorous. Dempsey and Monaghan work well together, supported by a lively supporting cast that includes Sydney Pollack. A lovely touch is the location move to Scotland, giving the viewer a chance to enjoy some beautiful landscapes, pipers in full regalia and a glimpse at the Highland Games; and even if Eilan Donan Castle is beginning to appear a bit too often in movies, there's no doubt that it is the epitome of your romantic and mysterious Scottish castle.

The movie offers fans of the romantic comedy genre an entertaining cinema experience.

 

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Indiana Jones und das Königreich des Kristallschädels)

(Christa G) Opening May 22, 2008

Indy is back. It is the year 1957, and nineteen years have passed for Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), aka Prof. Henry Jones, (and us) since his last adventure. A little older and grayer, the man is still indestructible. At the start of his new adventure, he survives being nuked using a fridge as a nuclear shelter. (Don't try this yourself!) Finally, decontaminated and no longer a nuclear hazard, he loses his job as an archaeology teacher because over-eager FBI agents suspect him of going undercover for the communists. When young Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) asks Indiana Jones to help him rescue the archaeologist and expert on crystal skulls Prof. Oxley (John Hurt), high-school-drop-out Mutt and teacher Indy become an unlikely team. Together, they go on a breathless hunt for the kidnapped archaeologist, a crystal skull, and a secret city. Of course, the hero has a worthy adversary. As the crystal skull allegedly has the power to influence peoples' minds, Russian scientist Irina Spalkow (Cate Blanchett) wants to use the mysterious artifact to turn Americans into communists.

Indiana Jones IV has the familiar look, feel and humor and doesn't take itself too seriously. While the story is not the most original, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is very entertaining and fun to watch. Indiana Jones is still quick with the whip and scared of snakes, but he has also changed and does some things which would have been unthinkable for his younger self. Indy and his young sidekick Mutt work well together, and pretty, spirited Marion (Karen Allen), Indy's old flame, adds spice to the team. Creating a more interesting adversary by fleshing out the Irina Spalkow character would have further enhanced the film.

This film, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by David Koepp and George Lucas, is for everyone who likes action and adventure with a little fantasy and sci-fi in the mix. A treat for old and new Indy fans, it was nominated for an MTV Movie Award as Best Summer Movie So Far.

 

The Comebacks

(Becky T) Opening May 29, 2008

The plot of this spoof on competitive sports is simple: Coach Lance Truman (Matthew Lawrence) comes back from a lifetime of failures to Plainfolk, Texas, to put together a winning football team at Heartland State University. He organizes a motley crew by the names of Jasminder Featherfoot, Lance Truman, Trotter, Buddy Boy, Jorge Johnson, I-Pod, etc. They go up against the Lone Star State Unbeatables at the Super Toilet Bowl 2 and win, of course. Along the way director Tom Brady takes a poke at interracial dating, unfaithful wives, drag queens, scholastic excellence, fair play, female soccer players from India, My Little Pony, prison ball teams, black daddies loaded with jewelry, the handicapped, losers, Mexican immigrants, Evan Almighty and God, fraternity house parties, cheerleaders, patriotism, locker room inspirational speeches, incompetent umpires, and all other films about sports. This is only Brady’s second film as director; otherwise he has made a name as actor, writer, and producer. In the U.S. critics were not invited to a pre-showing. I wonder why not. The one star is for the enjoyable musical interlude: a dig at Bollywood extravaganzas.

 

Flamenco mi Vida

(Geysa W) Opening May 29, 2008

Director Peter Sempel, a real Hamburger who grew up in Australia, travelled around the world visiting places where flamenco is performed. The result is a very interesting film with poetry, emotion, chaos and culture. He went to Andalusia in the south of Spain where flamenco is danced in the original form (ajitanado). He showed important cities, dancers and singers in their private atmosphere. Flamenco originally comes from the Orient. The film shows many flamenco schools in North Africa, India, Egypt and Japan with everyone consumed with flamenco fever. I became totally engrossed in the beauty of this flamenco road movie and the music as well.

 

Interview

(Becky T) Opening May 29, 2008

Pierre (Steve Buscemi) is a journalist who normally hangs with the big guys to cover international affairs. He has lost favor with his editor, who schedules him for an interview with second-tier actress Katya (Sienna Miller). They get off to a bad start in their restaurant meeting place. Each puts on airs of superiority and boredom, and there is instant dislike. The interview is a failure. They go their separate ways, but a quirk accident causes Pierre to land in Katya’s beautiful loft residence for first aid treatment. All night long they talk, revealing more of their lives than they originally intended, quarrelling, flirting, telephoning, snooping, watching television, smoking, crying, and jousting for the upper hand.

This two-person film, although not based on a play, would be effective in the theater. Actually, it is an American remake of a 2003 Dutch film of the same name by Theo van Gogh, who was murdered by a Muslim extremist on the streets of Amsterdam in November 2004. Buscemi directs, co-writes (with the original writer Theodor Holman) and acts. It is very fitting that Buscemi, well known for his independent-minded contributions to the film world, should honor van Gogh in this way. For the first time Buscemi actually looks handsome, perhaps due to complementary camera angles and closed-mouth smiles. Who wouldn’t want to appear handsome paired with beautiful, blond Miller? This is an intelligent film for viewers who appreciate snappy dialogue, although the surprise ending might ruin a blonde’s ding-bat reputation.

 

Sex and the City (Sex and the City - The Movie)

(Karen E) Opening May 29, 2008

The long-awaited movie version of Sex and the City is out, and if you are a fan of the show, it won't disappoint. The girls are all back: Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, and they are all about love and labels. Even with dreadful reviews, women across the U.S. and Europe are flocking to this film, and box office sales have outperformed the much anticipated Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

So, what's all the fuss? Honestly, if you are not a fan of the show, stay home. The movie is truly an homage to the success of the HBO series. It's even more over the top than any of its previous TV episodes. The brand placements alone will make your head spin. I wonder how many Louis Vuitton Denim handbags have been sold as a result of this film?? These women have it all, and they are all about showing it. Patricia Field (costume designer) drapes them in one fabulous outfit after the other. She truly has outdone herself. Fashionistas will be delighted if not satiated.

Michael Patrick King (writer/director) begins with a brief montage of each character, presumably for those who have not seen the TV series. Thankfully, he soon moves beyond the character bios and brings us up to date with their lives today. Several years and several books later, our heroine or modern day Jane Eire, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) is a little wiser, wealthier and, yep, older. Mr. Big is still in the picture, although their history would find that hard to believe. Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), the closest we come to a true-to-life character, is struggling between motherhood, marriage, work and Brooklyn. Samantha (Kim Cattrall) is living large in L.A., where she spends her time managing publicity for her boyfriend Smith (Jason Lewis), now a big star in Hollywood. Charlotte (Kristin Davis), who is even more the optimist, is still happily married and enjoying motherhood in her sprawling pre-war, upper-east side apartment.

Once the film moves beyond the product placements and the flashy photo shoots, the lives of these fabulous women begin to unfold in all too predictable ways. As one would guess (the movie trailer kind of gives it away) Mr. Big and Carrie break up again!! Miranda and Steve (played so well by David Eigenberg) run into some rough times. Samantha struggles with her identity and begins to miss the one person she loves the most, herself. Charlotte is the only character whose life continues to move forward as always, but she begins to question her luck. Throughout it all these women remain true to each other and support each other through thick and thin. There are moments where their friendship is tested, particularly between Carrie and Miranda, but they persevere and the film continues.

Honestly, I loved the film, but for strictly personal reasons, which is why I am having such a difficult time writing this review. I see its flaws and acknowledge its absurdity, but having lived, worked and played in New York City, I can't help but love it. I used to walk down 16th Street where I lived for twelve years and watch Sex and the City being filmed at various locals that I, too, frequented. I watched as Sarah Jessica Parker grew into Carrie Bradshaw. Each year she became more stylish and more confident. I would run into her occasionally at the neighboring playground with her hubby and newborn son. She was always very friendly and gracious. We once had a lengthy conversation about pacifiers at bedtime. She was pro, I was con. Which brings me to my next point: women. We need each other and this show/movie celebrates that need. At the height of the shows success, I became a mom for the first time, and if it were not for my two closest mommy friends (Melissa and King), I would have gone crazy. Hormones raging and filled with self-doubt, I weathered the storm of new mom syndrome by having endless conversations with Melissa and King about each and every worry and delight.

It's the ultimate chick-flick. Grab your girlfriends and enjoy!

 

Things We Lost in the Fire

(Becky T) Opening May 29, 2008

Audrey Burke (Halle Berry) is a widow with two small children, Harper and Dory. Her deceased husband Brian is sorely missed, a good man who looked after the down-and-outs, such as a battered woman, which resulted in his death. One loser whom Audrey could have done without is Jerry (Benicio del Toro). Although she thought her husband wasted too much time on Jerry, in the end she invites him, a former lawyer, now recovering drug addict, to move into her house. The children like him; Brian’s old buddy Howard likes him. Finally, even Audrey sees his attributes, not for sex (as you might expect) but much as Brian did, as a man with potential to make something of himself.

The title is symbolic with a message, as in don’t cry over spilt milk or mourn for things long gone. Look to the future, the silver lining of happiness. Danish director Susanne Bier is well known to northern Germans with films like Brothers (which appeared in the Hamburg Film Festival) or After the Wedding. She was scheduled to be on the 2008 Berlinale jury, but cancelled at the last minute because of commitments in the U.S. Perhaps this is the first indication that her international career is taking off, filmed as it is in Vancouver (supposed to be Seattle) with international actors.

For me the film doesn’t work. Perhaps if it were in Danish with subtitles and unknown actors, it could be interesting in yet another festival. Somehow I expected a better plot for Berry and definitely for del Toro. Bier believes in the hand-held camera and often one person’s single eye covers the frame, so here’s looking at you Susanne; I’m sure you’ll do better next time.

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