Reviews


Directed by: Garry Marshall
Written by:Jack Amiel, Michael Begler
Starring: Kate Hudson, John Corbett, Joan Cusack, Spencer Breslin, Helen Mirren, Hayden Panettiere
Released: June 3, 2004
Grade: B-

I think I finally put my finger on it.  When it comes to romantic comedies, I suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder.  After 20 minutes, I was looking around, rolling my eyes, glancing at my watch and wishing I knew how long the film had to go.  Raising Helen is not a terrible film by any means but how can one sit through something when you know exactly how’s it going to end?  Some like this predictability but sadly I do not.

Allow me to set the scene.  Young twenty something Helen Harris (Hudson) has her “dream” job.  She works as an agent at an exclusive modelling studio and from what I saw, there isn’t a single person in the business who doesn’t thinks she’s the best.  Each night she attends exclusive parties and if lucky, drags some beautiful male model back to her snazzy New York apartment.

One afternoon, Helen is dining with her friends at a swanky restaurant (Sex And The City style) and gets a life changing call.  Her sister Lindsay and her husband Paul were killed in a car accident.  At the reading of the will, Helen is in for a further shock.  She has been left custody of their three children, Audrey, Henry and Sarah.  This infuriates Helen’s other sister, Jenny (Cusack), who has children of her own and think she’s a much better mother.  Helen is reluctant herself but decides to follow Lindsay’s wishes and takes on the responsibility.

You know where this is going, don’t you?  Helen tries her best but it becomes very overwhelming.  She loses her job, has to move to a cheaper apartment and has no social life.  Boohoo.  Luckily for her, she finds a new love – the principal of the local Luthern school, Pastor Dan Parker (Corbett).  He’s great with kids and together they overcome many hurdles.  There’s more to it than this and I haven’t given it all away but you get the picture.

Kate Hudson is at her sweetest but she can be so much better.  Three years ago she earned a well deserved Academy Award nomination in Almost Famous and there you’ll find Hudson at her best.  John Corbett is trying to capitalise on his new found stardom (following My Big Fat Greek Wedding) but strikes out.  Is there really chemistry there?  They look more like fun friends than a romantic couple.

Director Garry Marshall has the romantic comedy down pat.  Marshall films include The Princess Diaries, Runaway Bride, The Other Sister, Pretty Woman and Beaches.  If you like what I speak of, this film is for you.  If not, forget it.

 


Directed by: Jonathan Hensleigh
Written by:Jonathan Hensleigh, Michael France
Starring: Tom Jane, John Travolta, Laura Harring, Ben Foster, Will Patton, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos
Released: June 3, 2004
Grade: B+

The Punisher is an extraordinarily violent film and excluding The Passion Of The Christ, I’d have to go back to Blade 2 (2002) to recall an equally brutal motion picture.  How these films escape with an MA rating is beyond me whilst films with a sexual theme such as Y Tu Mama Tambien get the highest R-rating and others like Ken Park get banned completely.

Ratings issues aside, I was surprised to find The Punisher is a half decent flick to watch.  It is based on a comic book (unknown to myself) and in the film’s opening we are introduced to our “hero”, Frank Castle (Jane).  As an undercover detective, Castle has just retired after completing his final drug sting.  Unfortunately, the son of an underworld king, Howard Saint (Travola), was inadvertently killed in this bust and he wants revenge against the man who killed him.

Howard Saint’s wife (Harring) wants more than just an “eye for an eye”.  Saint’s henchman, led by Quentin Glass (Patton), destroy Castle’s entire family at a family reunion in Porto Rico.  Castle’s wife, son, father, mother and everyone else you can think of are shot in cold blood.  Glass leaves Castle himself for dead on a fiery boat ramp but destiny finds a way to allow him to live.  With the shoe on the other foot, Castle now looks for revenge himself.  He wants to destroy Saint’s money laundering empire and every member of his own family.

There’s some pretty inventive ways to die in The Punisher.  They produced plenty of laughs from the audience.  A few key lines are a bit too corny but on the whole, the screenplay was pretty good.  It had that comic book feel and I didn’t expect some of the early developments.  I’m not sure if this film will lead to sequels (like so many other superheroes) but the door is open for one and the edgier material may lure the attention of a different audience.

John Travolta is good (for a change) as is leading man Tom Jane (in his biggest role to date).  There are a few cast members you’ll recognise and one I’m sure is Rebecca Romijn-Stamos who provides eye candy as a new love interest of Castle.  I guess this leads to my major quib with the film in that it loses its way in the final half hour.  Castle’s quest for venegence is more like the quest of a psychopath.  My sympathy started to fade.

If you call it “entertainment”, there’s plenty of it for lovers of action.

 


Directed by: Philip Kaufman
Written by:Sarah Thorp
Starring: Ashley Judd, Samuel L. Jackson, Andy Garcia, David Strathairn, Russell Wong
Released: May 20, 2004
Grade: C

Yay!  It’s another film I couldn’t be bothered writing a serious review for.  So I’ll keep things short and sweet and short.

I’ve said it before so why not say it again.  How is it that a person of great intelligence can be so stupid?  In Twisted, Ashley Judd plays Detective Jessica Shepard (Judd) – one of the best in the business.  She’s just cracked a big case and her mentor and boss, John Mills (Jackson), has marked her for a big promotion.  Let me make sure I’ve painted this picture correctly.  Ashley Judd is a brilliant investigator who always has a sixth sense and can solve any mystery.

Anyway, this Jessica Shepard finds herself the subject of her own mystery which she cannot solve.  Two bodies wash up on the dock and Jessica knows both of the victims – she has had casual sex with both men over the last few weeks.  She tells her boss and new partner Mike Delmarco (Garcia) who agree with her theory that a serial killer is profiling her.  But Jessica is determined to catch this guy and is prepared to put her life on the line to stay on the case.

Lo and behold, more people end up dead.  What I can’t understand is why Jessica doesn’t suspect the person she should.  Oops, I hope I didn’t give too much away.  The answer is right in front of her eyes and for such a gifted professional, I’d have thought better of her.  Jessica also suffers blackouts at night and it takes a surprisingly long time for her to work out that her wine has been drugged.  Everyone in the audience knew it so why didn’t she?

It’s a strange performance from Ashley Judd.  I like the screenwriter’s idea of creating a flawed character but Judd takes it too far.  It’s a weak performance from an actress I usually have high regard for.  You can write off Samuel L. Jackson and Andy Garcia in this flick.  At least they do what they’re told to do – look creepy and say lots of stuff that might have audience members (but not Jessica) suspect them.

Director Philip Kaufman is a legend to many having made The Right Stuff (1983), The Unbearable Lightness Of Being (1988) and his most recent film, Quills (2000).  Without a decent script though, you have nothing and in Twisted, Kaufman has… nothing.


Directed by: Morgan Spurlock
Written by:Morgan Spurlock
Released: June 3, 2004
Grade: B+

There’s a great discussion in Super Size Me which compares society’s opinions of cigarette smoking and obesity.  These days, we look down upon smokers with distaste.  There are continually ads on television warning people of the risks, we have banned smoking in almost every public place, and lobby groups have successfully sued tobacco companies for incredibly large amounts.

Conversely, we care little about obesity.  Our consumption of fast food has sky rocketed in recent years and the advertising is targeted towards getting children hooked at a young age.  Research currently shows that 37% of America’s children and 67% of America’s adults are overweight.  Similar trends are developing across the globe.

If you look at these two issues objectively, you’ll see there isn’t much of a difference.  Obesity is now the 2nd most leading cause of preventable death in America and statistics show that it will pass smoking in the near future.  I can criticise someone for smoking but if I criticise someone for being fat, then I’m considered a politically incorrect asshole.  Strange, isn’t it?

The point of Super Size Me is to further raise publicity awareness about obesity and look at how giant corporations (specifically McDonalds) are doing everything they can to make sure you keep eating their foods.  Director Morgan Spurlock thought of the idea when two girls unsuccessfully tried to sue McDonalds as the cause of their obesity.  To prove the effects that fast food can have on the human body, he decided to eat nothing but McDonalds food for a whole month!  If it wasn’t on the menu, he couldn’t touch it.  And, if they offered to “super size” his meal, he had to say “yes”.

This documentary features a mixture of footage.  Part is video footage of Spurlock’s experiment and the analysis of specialists who monitor his body stats throughout the month.  The other part of the film features interviews from a variety of others (including people of the street) weighing into the debate over the effects of fast food.  Super Size Me has been compared to Michael Moore’s Bowling For Columbine but I do not believe it to be in the same league.  It is good film but it doesn’t have the style Columbine.  Further, Super Size Me repeats a lot of information I already knew whereas Columbine looked at problems swept deeper under the carpet.

Still, it’s amazing viewing and more interesting the standard Hollywood comedy.  At my packed out screening, there were many gasps and shocked reactions from the audience.  This can only be a good thing.  Some will criticise the film for being too one sided but unfortunately that’s the way it has to be.  McDonalds and other fast food corporations have had their say on many occasions.  This is just a right of reply.

As a footnote, I bumped into both Morgan Spurlock and his girlfriend (who appears in the film) today at the AFL game between Brisbane and Melbourne.  It was nice to see him take the time to talk to us and he’s told me that he’s a big fan of the AFL having watched in on ESPN back in the States.  Spurlock is making a few appearances at screenings around the country to help promote his film.

If you need further convincing, I’ll close with some more facts that show how big this problem has become and how far we have to go before it can be solved…

·       Each day, 1 in 4 Americans visits a fast food restaurant.

·       French fries are the most eaten vegetable in America.

·       You would have to walk for seven hours straight to burn off a Super Sized Coke, fry and Big Mac.

·       One in every three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.  Diabetes will cut 17-27 years off your life.

·       Only seven items on McDonald's entire menu contain no sugar.

·       McDonald's distributes more toys per year than Toys-R-Us.

·       Before most children can speak they can recognize McDonald's.

·       Most nutritionists recommend not eating fast food more than once a month.

 


Directed by: Wayne Kramer
Written by:Frank Hannah, Wayne Kramer
Starring: William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello, Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston, Paul Sorvino
Released: May 20, 2004
Grade: A-

A mix of fantasy and reality, The Cooler is a cute little drama boasting some of the year’s finest acting performances.   Since his brilliant showing the comedy Fargo (released in 1996), I have been a fan of the underrated William H. Macy.  He’s one of those actors who you may not recognise by name but more than likely, you will have seen him before on screen.  Lovers of independent cinema will remember him from films such as Magnolia, Boogie Nights and State & Main.  More conservative filmgoers might recall his work in film including A Civil Action, Pleasantville, Jurassic Park 3, Air Force One and Seabiscuit.  The common trait in all Macy’s films is that he appears in a “supporting role”.  Never the leading man, Macy finally has his chance in The Cooler.

His character is Bernie Lootz and he works at the Shangri La Casino in Las Vegas.  His job there isn’t by choice.  He owed a lot of money to casino manager, Shelly Kaplow (Baldwin) and is working off his debt in a rather ironic mean.  You see, Bernie is a “cooler” – someone who walks around the casino rubbing bad luck onto those with a winning streak.  This may sound like a load of garbage but you’d be surprised how superstitious some people can be.  There are rumours all through Vegas that casino owners employ “coolers” but of course they never publicise or identify these people for risk of bad publicity.

Having finally worked off his liability, Bernie’s had enough and wants to leave town.  He’s given Shelly his notice and will finish up by week’s end.  Shelly know the value of Bernie to his casino – his bad luck has destroyed many successful gamblers.

Bernie’s somewhat of a loner and long separated from his wife.  He’s had a casual eye on a young cocktail waitress at the casino named Natalie (Bello) but has not the guts to act on his crush.  Sensing this, Shelly sees the attraction as a way to keep Bernie at the casino.  He pays Natalie to seduce the aging Bernie but the results are anything but what Shelly expected.  When Bernie’s luck starts to turn around, it’s effect is both hilarious and shocking.

Filmed on a small budget, The Cooler is crafty black comedy from South African director Wayne Kramer.  It may be set in Las Vegas but there isn’t a lot of razzle dazzle with the cinematography.  There’s a lot of great close ups of the cast members, a refreshingly real sex scene and on the whole, a very seedy look at Vegas culture.  On more than one occasion I saw a resemblance with Martin Scorsese’s long 1995 drama, Casino.

Macy’s performance is beautiful but its co-star Alec Baldwin who is stealing the limelight with his Oscar nominated performance.  He is one scary individual!  You have to admire his 80s wardrobe too.  In fact, the film has an overall 80s feel to it with the grainy colours, dated sets and old-style film score.

I don’t usually laugh out loud in movies so for me to do so says something about what I’m watching.  Check out The Cooler.

 


Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Written by:Roland Emmerich, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emmy Rossum, Ian Holm, Jay O. Sanders, Sela Ward
Released: May 27, 2004
Grade: C+

The Day After Tomorrow is a film I had hoped to enjoy but sadly it is riddled with too many faults and inconsistencies.   The concept revolves around global warming.  The polar icecaps have melted, the earth’s magnetic field has been disrupted and now the world’s weather has gone haywire.  There are twisters, tornados, hail storms, tidal waves, howling winds and freezing temperatures.  The film has been promoted for many months now and so I’m sure you’ve seen the advertisements to picture the above destruction.

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of story to go against this backdrop.  Watching that tidal wave sweep through New York City was fun but special effects alone do not make a movie.  There’s a few characters that the screenwriters try to develop but they don’t succeed.  It feels as if the film has been shortened and much of the character development has been left on the cutting room floor.  If you want proof, look at how lamentably short and unemotional the finale is.

This lack of emotion may be the film’s biggest undoing.  Thousands of people are killed but you wouldn’t know it.  The film veers away from the disturbing elements of the story to focus on the more uplifting tales.  The central story is that of a father (Quaid) going in search of his lost son (Gyllenhaal) in New York City.  There’s also a nurse (Ward) caring for a sick child, an aging meteorologist (Holm) seeing his predictions come to fruition, an adventurer (Sanders) sticking by his partner of 20 years, and a girl (Rossum) finding love in an unpredictable place.  Unfortunately, the conclusions to these secondary subplots are rushed.  I’m not even what sure what became of Ian Holm.  Will we see more on a director’s cut?

The other problem with the screenplay is its general phoniness.  In one scene, we see a twister set itself perfectly on the landmark Hollywood sign as a helicopter just happens to fly past and film it for a live television audience.  That’s just the tip of the melted iceberg (so to speak).  The overdramatic dialogue which engulfs the film’s two hours is just too fake.  Was there a single line which was improvised?

When you look at director Roland Emmerich’s resume, you’ll see that this isn’t the first time he’s produced a superficial blockbuster.  Anyone remember Godzilla and Mel Gibson’s The Patriot?  Emmerich is given a world of talent to work with but it he can’t deliver.  Wasted are the talents of the underappreciated Dennis Quaid (Frequency) and rising star Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko).

I guess what it boils down to is the question – will I remember this film the day after tomorrow?  The correct answer is no.