Two Women

For every country in the world, there are several actors and actresses from there deemed sex symbols by fans from all over the world. Spain has Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. France has Marion Cotillard. (And don't even get me started on the United Kingdom.)

This has also pertained to foreign film stars of cinema past. Alain Delon, Catherine Deneuve, Marcello Mastroianni...they were the most popular for both their looks and talent. Another is Sophia Loren, more noted for her curves and age-defying beauty. (Hard to believe she was seventy-five when she made Nine.) Fortunately she's also known for her abilities as an actress as well.

The best proof of Loren's talent is in the form of Vittorio De Sica's Two Women. Playing a woman struggling to survive World War II with her daughter, Loren showcases a nuanced ability that's quite common among most screen beauties. (Another good example is Marilyn Monroe.)

De Sica was essentially immortalized for his neorealism films like The Bicycle Thief and Shoeshine. Two Women shares many elements of those films, but it doesn't feel as emotionally invested as those two. Still, De Sica shows he knows what he's doing.

Two Women may not be the best foreign film but it's certainly a compelling one to watch. Just watching it makes it clear as to how Loren won the Oscar. If you can get a hold of a copy of this, be sure to watch it.

My Rating: ****1/2

The Search

There's that long-running cliche of Hollywood producing a film pertaining to the Holocaust. It's an even bigger cliche that such a film is instant awards bait. (Best proof: Schindler's List, Sophie's Choice, The Reader.) It's almost revolting that one man's suffering is another man's art.

Hell, Hollywood's been making such films ever since the rest of the world found out about the Holocaust. Granted, there weren't as many being made as there are now, but apparently studios and screenwriters found an easy way to make a quick buck. (Sorry if it sounds like I'm ranting. It's just something that's been bugging me as of late.)

One of the early films was Fred Zinnemann's The Search. It's not about the Holocaust itself but rather the aftermath of it as well as the war. And the film isn't tole from an adult's perspective; it's told from the point of view of a child survivor.

The star of The Search isn't Montgomery Clift (in his second film role, not his first as many believe). The star is in fact Ivan Jandl, the young child whose point of view the film is told in. He doesn't say much throughout the film and his expressions speak greater volumes. (Those big, sad eyes of his certainly help in that regard.) Perhaps one of the best child performances film has captured.

Despite what I previously stated, The Search is a great film. Along with the performances from Jandl and Clift, the cinematography by Emil Berna is just stunning. The completely barren ruins of Berlin he captures is something that must be seen. Then again, the whole film is something that must be seen.

My Rating: *****

Donnie Brasco

Funny, isn't it? Donnie Brasco, one of the best films about the American Mafia, was directed by the British Mike Newell. (Then again, many directors of Hollywood's Golden Age were born in various European countries and could depict American life with no problem.) Anyway, onward with the review.

Starring in the title role is Johnny Depp, who at the time was at the height of his stardom. It's a role like this that prove that Depp is a legit actor, not just a pretty boy movie star. (If only Hollywood itself would pick up on that.) Seriously, someone give him a good script again.

Depp's co-star is Al Pacino who, like Depp, is in dire need of a good script again. I mean, everyone knows he's a great actor. And again, his work in Donnie Brasco proves it. There has to be someone in Hollywood that still has faith in him.

Much like Brian De Palma's Carlito's Way (which also starred Pacino), Newell depicts 1970s New York City with ease. This isn't the world of sharply-dressed gangsters that's mostly associated with the genre. These gangsters are much more...casual.

Anyway, Donnie Brasco is pretty great though not as great as, say, Goodfellas or Once Upon a Time in America. It's mostly because it loses steam towards the end. Still, Depp and Pacino's performances ensure that this is a film very much worth a look.

My Rating: ****1/2

Zero Dark Thirty

With all of these post-9/11 war-themed films, there's always a common theme among them. And that is they always brutalize the facts. Those films are usually more interested in bloodshed and a large body count. (Probably just to attract a male audience.)

Kathryn Bigelow proves she's one of the boys with her new film Zero Dark Thirty. She's not here for the carnage. She's here for the facts and boy, does she deliver. (She also shows the balance between story and style with no problem whatsoever.)

Much like her previous film The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty is unbelievably tense. The number of scenes where I felt my heart stop is...actually, I lost count after a while. Anyway, the point is Bigelow really knows how to keep her audience on the edge of their seats.

The star of Zero Dark Thirty is Jessica Chastain, who has definitely made a name for herself these last few years. I've seen a few complaints along the lines of Chastain not doing much here in the way of acting. To which my response is: are you fucking blind? She says so much just in the way she holds herself. To me, that's a legit actress. (That said, she's not my frontrunner for this year but I'll be happy if she wins.)

Zero Dark Thirty is filmmaking at its most determined. Not since Francis Ford Coppola made Apocalypse Now has there been a film willing to venture into material Hollywood so often stays away from. Bravo, Ms. Bigelow. You've showed Hollywood who's boss.

My Rating: *****

The Yards

When we first see Leo Handler (Mark Wahlberg) at the beginning of James Gray's The Yards, he's glaring at a police officer on the subway. (We later find out he just got released from prison.) In scenes afterwards, it's clear that he's struggling to re-adjust to everyday life.

His friend Willie Gutierrez (Joaquin Phoenix) suggests he work for Frank Olchin (James Caan), the owner of a railway car repair company (and Leo's uncle). It doesn't take Leo long to discover that the business is a very dirty one, filled with bribery, backstabbing and even murder.

The transformation of Leo throughout the duration of The Yards is something that must be seen to be believed. He goes from a baby-faced kid to a man hardened by the brutality of life. Willie in turn goes from a confident smooth talker to someone who fearfully looks over his shoulder constantly. And Wahlberg and Phoenix are the ideal actors for these roles.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Gray made The Yards with The Godfather in mind. (The most telling suggestion is that Caan is part of the cast.) The work of the recently departed Harris Savides is reminiscent of what Gordon Willis did for Francis Ford Coppola's film. Whether Gray did or not, I still like that little touch.

The Yards essentially confirmed that Gray is now a director I'm keeping an eye on. I didn't love it as much as Two Lovers and We Own the Night, but I did deeply admire it. The cast, which also includes Charlize Theron, Ellen Burstyn and Faye Dunaway, is fantastic. You just don't find films like this nowadays, do you?

My Rating: ****1/2

Open Thread

What's on your mind? Plan on seeing anything this weekend?

Local Hero

You can't help but feel a little sorry for "Mac" MacIntyre (Peter Riegert) at the beginning of Bill Forsyth's Local Hero. He's only been assigned to scout a small town in Scotland because of his Scottish heritage. The only problem is that he isn't Scottish, so he'll basically be a fish out of water.

But Forsyth doesn't make his film the typical "fish out of water" story. Early on, Mac adapts to the lifestyle of the Scottish tow. He doesn't struggle with either their ways of living or their accents. He just sees as down to earth living, a stark contrast of his high-functioning life in the States.

The actors are unique. Not long after his success in Animal House, Riegert shows a calmer side to his acting. He's not swarmed by many big names. (The only actors I recognized were an aged Burt Lancaster and a young Peter Capaldi.) Many of Riegert's co-stars are unknowns, and I think that aides the film a bit. Instead of having numerous actors to keep track of, you have a few recognizable names to remember.

And I have to talk about Chris Menges' cinematography. The way he captures the Scottish landscape is absolutely gorgeous. And his frequent use of silhouetting the actors against the night sky is also very lovely.

I very much enjoyed Local Hero. What sounded like a complex story is actually something quite simple in depiction. This is something I've always said and it's something I'll keep saying: sometimes you just need a good story to make a great film.

My Rating: *****

The Company Men

During the opening credits of John Wells' The Company Men, we get a glimpse into the lives of Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck), Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones) and Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper). They look pretty well off: big houses, expensive cars, the works. Their lives look solid.

Well...for a while anyway. Later that same day, Bobby becomes one of the company's latest layoff victims. Gene and Phil in turn become worried about the state of their careers. Will they soon become the next targets of layoffs?

Bobby does manage a stable life following getting laid off. (Well, at least in the first few months.) But then the going gets rough for both him and his family. Thanks to both Wells and Affleck, the ordeal Bobby and his family goes through is one of the more mature depictions of harsh reality.

Sure, there have been a number of films about the recession within the last few years with most of them being relatively the same. Granted, The Company Men falls into that territory in a few scenes. So what makes it different? Wells doesn't sugarcoat the details.

All in all, The Company Men is very good but not completely brilliant. In several years' time, I can imagine it being on one of those "films that defined the decade" lists. But for now, I can only see it as merely a well-acted film released at the right time.

My Rating: ****1/2

One Hour Photo

Every day we carry on a life that looks stable and not out of the ordinary. Those that see us know nothing...unless they really know who you are and what kind of life they lead.

The thought of an outsider knowing everything about your personal is enough to send chills down your spine. Just imagine how the Yorkins feel in Mark Romanek's One Hour Photo. They have absolutely no idea that their lives are being watched. But by who? Sy Parrish (Robin Williams), a photo technician of the local department store.

Sy is the the textbook example of a sociopath. He can appear very friendly to the outside world. But his mind is a much darker place than anyone could imagine. No remorse, no regrets, no nothing. Sy makes Patrick Bateman look like a wimp.

And man, the way Williams plays Sy makes it even more unsettling. This is definitely one of the best examples of a comedian playing it straight. Forget Good Will Hunting. This is the film that should have earned Williams his Oscar.

One Hour Photo definitely shares elements of Psycho and Peeping Tom, but it's really in a class of its own. Of course it's not as great as those two films but it is quite good. It's clearly a reminder that looks can be very deceiving.

My Rating: ****1/2

Open Thread

What's on your mind? See anything good over the weekend?