Reviews

This documentary catches three hunters, part of a Bushmen Tribe living in South Africa, hunting for their village and themselves. The film traces their movements as they track animals, and periodically stop and relate the stories to each other that accompany these animals on their trek. The closeness of nature and the appreciation of the animals they hunt winds its way through the film. One hunter ran after his prey for 4 hours until the prey simply ran out of stamina and resistance. The films also mentioned that the tribe's license to hunt had been revoked by the South African government after the film had been completed. It's a film to reflect on, and the tribe actually seems to be more civilized than our tribes. taproot

Nothing much in this film with the exception of Brenda Blethyn ("Secret and Lies"). The film is not creative in any way. If you have a desire to see two old women get stoned and eat corn flakes and behave like absolute morons than you may enjoy this one. I'd save my money; it's guaranteed to make the tube soon and it should be FREE. taproot

John Cusack is one of my better choices to watch in a film; it must be his Irish genetic string, or perhaps it's simply because he is one hell of an actor. I'm old enough not to recognize many of the songs played throughout this film, but not old enough not to still appreciate people with a passion for music. Cusack owns a record shop, accompanied by his zany (great characters) part-timer helpers. But Cusack is more interested in why his girl friends are, and have been leaving him. And we get a glimpse of his top 5 more painful separations. There is quite a plethora of beautiful women and much narration in this film, but John Cusack does it so well, that the narration becomes comfortable. Tim Robbins plays a minor role and performs quite well. It's a film that is enjoyable, not heavy, and if you're in a good mood to see fluff, but fluff done as well as fluff can be done, you may enjoy this film too.

There's not much to recommend in this film; the performances are not up to par and the plot has back-flashes that unfold to enlighten us to the actual events that occurred. Add this to a murky film. A major flaw in my opinion is when a van shows up outside the plotter's nest and when it is discovered and checked out unsuccessfully, it is then ignored. For a group that is planning to assassinate the vice-president of the U.S. this is ridiculous. It's hard to identify with the thugs and we are expected to be interested in who the major spy is, when it is obvious from the start. The reason for this is that there is background revealed on this spy which indicates he must have an accent, and there is only one character with an accent in the film. It's a no-brainer from the get-go. Save your money and wait for this to turn up on the tube when you're desperate some night to watch any film. taproot.

This film reminded me of "Short Cuts" without the talented writings of Raymond Carver and the creative genius of Robert Altman; the characters were those we encounter in our daily lives, and who wants to go to a film to see them even closer? I had the feeling that the writer/director P.T. Anderson was preaching to the audience - telling us that our behavior may reap punishment in the future - so what's new? The characters were mainly one dimensional, and Tom Cruise was flat. The only portrayal worth noting, for me, was the performer who played the female drug addict. I can't seem to locate her name on the play list - pardon me for that. But she was excellent. And why did "fuck" have to be used in every other sentence? Are we a nation of illiterates; must we reduce every adjective and verb to a sexual function? Surely Anderson must have had access to a Thesaurus - why not use creative language in sentences instead of taking us down to the level of being too hip to speak English properly. And the raining frogs was a nice touch, but perhaps the film should have started off with that so we would realize that there would be no redeeming characters in this film, not that there had to be any, but as I said - we see these people every day so who wants to pay to see them up close and personal? Not me.

I cannot believe this film attempts to pass for a comedy. Since when is it funny to see a woman get her brains blown out while her young daughter watches and her husband (hog-tied) witnesses the murder? Have we become so desentized that killing can be funny and chemical agents just tickle us to death? Or, when a cow is blown up for pleasure do we giggle with mirth with no respect for our fellow creatures, since they didn't shoot first? (And probably should.) This was no comedy; it was a horror story and I walked out on this piece of shrapnel.

I would have probably enjoyed the uncut version much better at least there would have have titillating scenes to entertain me. And the score (isn't accompanying music supposed to be subtle?) was annoying as it attempted to bring tension banging out the same piano notes while only disrupting the various scenes. Now here is our good doctor (Cruise) helping a naked woman recover from an overdose, sees her a few hours later (as she is apparently hooking on the streets) doesn't recognize her even when he accompanies her to her bedroom to engage her services. And later when this Amazon Hooker attends an orgy she saves him from a fate worse than life. This particular female had one hell of a constitution to hook, attend an orgy, after she nearly died a few hours earlier. It does stretch the imagination. The movie left me cold even though Kidman is always a treat to watch and ogle. Too bad is wasn't better; I was looking forward to it with great expectations. But great T&A.

Sure it was uplifting and even though the sensuous beauty of Sophie Marceau and the handsome Stephen Dillane were perfectly matched, this story was predicable almost from the opening line. There was little tension, but for a tense relationship between mother and daughter where the outcome was never in doubt. Worth seeing for the performances but don't expect too much, unless you find pleasure in uplifting, predictable endings.

Oyanka Cabezas' character was never in doubt as the film unwound; she was completely believable. Indeed the film took us on a journey from a care-fee bus driver in Glascow (Robert Carlyle - "The Full Monty") to the CIA-operated civil war in Nicaragua where Cabezas seeks her former lover who has been brutalized by the CONTRAS. Loach did a masterful job capturing the atmosphere of that bleak episode. He allows us to catch a glimpse of what changes would or may occur in humans if given the opportunity to escape poverty and ignorance. But the forces that would maintain the staus quo are far too powerful to allow the Nicaraguans to reach that goal. If only we could understand Carlyle's English; the easiest for me to comprehend what he was saying was when he was speaking with Cabezas, whose English was halting, yet understandable. If only Carlyle did not drive that bus in Nicaragua - - - somehow I knew that was meant to be.

Entertaining film about a young girl whose parents are mute and depend upon her to communicate to the speaking world for them. Her aunt, a free-spirited musician, teaches her to play the clarinet, but the parents object. The young girl matures into a young woman whose musical abilities and desires become paramount. Her dependent parents attempt to keep her home and away from her chosen vocation. Well acted and a good drama. Large, yellow subtitles.

If you enjoy loudness, complete disregard for others, silly, boorish behavior, and a historical tragedy transformed into a quasi-comedy, then you will probably enjoy this film, directed, starring, written by Roberto Benigni; a truly dangerous combination of talents, and rarely successful.

A Single Girl (La Fille Seule) is one of those rare, pleasant films. Beautiful, young, Virginie Ledoyen is followed with a video cam as she argues with her boyfriend then takes a job as a chambermaid dealing with various personalities and rebuffing passes from her boss. Virginie was made for the close-ups; one never gets bored watching her walk down the corridors of a large hotel. And this beauty seems unaffected by it all; she is another pea in the Parisian pod. Director Benoit Jacquot has an eye for beauty and for film; this is a must see.

This is one of Director Benoit Jackuot's ("A Single Girl"-1995) earlier films. It's another look at his appreciation of female beauty and the perils of Parisian youth. Beth (Judith Godreche) is a seventeen year-old student with a younger brother and a sick mother. We never seen the mother leave bed. They are poor and survive by any means, although their main support comes in the form of a check from an older man - a former lover of the mother we assume. Beth's boyfriend challenges her to sleep with an ugly man; she takes up the challenge as the film begins. It then winds its way to the inevitable conclusion, but her relationships never entirely let us down. Like the French poet, Rimbaud, she too at a young age begins anew.

Marie is a fourteen year-old who behaves as though she will never reach fifteen, at least without becoming pregnant. Her sultry scowl and nubile body attract all who encounter her, including an American Naval detachment. But her true love turns out to be someone who is more disturbed than her. Orso weaves through the film like a mosquito hovering over a potential meal. The beginning of this film also is the ending, and it's at times difficult to follow the director's flashbacks. The juxtaposition of the race drivers is over-done. We get the idea initially that life for this film is indeed in the fast lane and will never pull over to the right lane. However the performances are fine with Vahina Giocante (Marie) exhibiting (but tastefully) not only a beautiful body, but a talent as well. Frederic Miagra (Orso) plods his way through the film with a brooding appeal, only fleetingly losing his expression of despair.

I must agree with the other comments about "High Art." It's now on video and I would like to see it again on the big screen. My wife and I really enjoyed this film. It had so many good things about it; not only the fine performances, but the social implications, the artistic content, and the love projected by the two leading performers; Ally Sheedy & Radha Mitchell. Excellent direction by Lisa Cholodenko.

"Elective Affinities," even though it stars one of my favorite actresses, Isabelle Huppert, is a terrible film. Why? The secenario is so routine that they even use the equation-symbol (i.e. A is attracted to B, while C is attracted to D., etc.) to prophesize what is about to occur, and (viola!) it does just that. A woman (I.H.) engages her lover of 20 years ago and they become married (I think that very day). They setttle in on his estate and then the husband's friend arrives for a visit, at almost the same time the women's nubile daughter arrives from college. Can you guess the rest? It's a spaghetti romance; shame on Isabelle Huppert for this one.

Who knows why we retain the memory of some films and others remain a forgotten blip. "The Lacemaker" stayed with me over the years. I thought Isabelle Huppert played a marvelous part, and the story line fascinated me. I can still feel the sadness of her character when she was rejected by her lover, and then paid the price for her addiction to him. Films like "Blade Runner," "Murmur of the Heart," "Experience Preferred but not Essential, " The Unbearable Lightness of Being," "Closely Watched Trains," and a host of other good films will always be special to me, but not as endearing as "La Dentelliere."