The Last Station

“The Last Station” is a movie co-written by Michael Hoffman and Jay Panini and directed by Mr. Hoffman. It stars Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti and James McAvoy. This is an historical drama covering the last years in the life of Russian writer Leo Tolstoy and his struggle to balance his accumulated wealth with a self-proclaimed lifestyle free of material things. The film is filled with tremendous performances by Ms. Mirren and Mr. Plummer who totally enmesh themselves in their respective roles as Sofia and Leo Tolstoy. So, on paper and even having experienced this fine acting, it is a film that I really should have liked but, unfortunately, could not. I found it boring. The old sleep barometer crept up on me as I struggled to stay awake through the first half and follow the “action” (or non-action, as the case may be). As interesting as the life of Mr. and Mrs. Tolstoy may have been, the film falls short when evaluated as a pure entertainment vehicle. I give it 2 stars.

The Bad Lieutenant-Port of New Orleans

“The Bad Lieutenant-Port of New Orleans” is a remake of the Harvey Keitel classic and stars Nicholas Cage, Eve Mendes and Val Kilmer in this 2 hour and 10 minute film written by William Finkelstein and directed by Werner Herzog. Unlike the original’s NYC location, this film takes place in post-Katrina New Orleans and depicts the saga of a rogue police officer embroiled in all of the problems a law enforcement officer can possibly imagine. Mr. Cage, as a drug addicted cop, gives a superb performance and either goes close to or crosses the line between great acting and overacting, with the distinction quite difficult to delineate in many of his scenes. Muddled amidst a complex and complicated series of events, the picture loses much of its credibility as its conclusion conveniently accommodates all of the problems which arose in the preceding 2 hours of viewing. One gets the feeling that in the screening of the film prior to distribution, the comments of the viewers prompted script changes to make things “work out”. I give the film 2 and ½ stars with a notation that without Mr. Cage’s performance, it would have received much less.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” is an animated feature approximately 90 mintes in length and stars the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, William Dafoe and Owen Wilson. A cast of voices like this deserves a much better screenplay than the one written by Noah Baumbach and Wes Anderson with Mr. Anderson also directing the film. The technology utilized in this animated story of Mr. Fox (Mr. Clooney) and Mrs. Fox (Ms. Streep) is the only thing “fantastic” about this film and, unfortunately, once you acknowledge that, you are forced to endure a mundane and insignificant tale (no pun intended) about the foxes and the problems they encounter. I expected more but got much less. This film gets 2 stars, 1 and ½ of which is for the excellent animation

Everybody's Fine

“Everybody’s Fine” stars Robert DeNiro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell in this remake of the Italian film which originally starred Marcello Mastroianni.
This is an interesting film to write about because it represents an artistic tug of war between a trite and predictable story versus the superb acting of Mr. DeNiro. This film is a wonderful tribute to his acting talents as he dominates the screen in this mediocre screenplay written and directed by Kirk Jones. I give this film 2 and ½ stars with a deep appreciation of Mr. DeNiro’s efforts throughout its 100 minute duration..

Blind Side

"Blind Side” is the true story of Michael Oher, a black homeless teen who became the ward of a white Southern family and who, with their help, ultimately became a college graduate and a professional football player. The film stars Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and Kathy Bates in this sugar coated rags to riches tale about a caring Christian woman who lives her religion in everyday life and the family that supports her in that effort. The film is a typical formula screenplay written and directed by John Lee Hancock who takes us through 126 minutes of watching this “My Fair Laddie” saga as a backward and shy young man becomes a football hero both in school and in the NFL. Diabetics beware because this film is so overloaded with sweetness and caring that even the most sensitive of us will recognize that it is overdone. Ms. Bullock, surprisingly enough, is quite good in the role of adopting mother and Tim Mcgraw, without his goatee, Stetson hat and wife, Faith Hill, holds his own as Ms. Bullock’s reluctant but tolerant husband.I give the film 2 stars with a note that although this non-confrontational picture may be easy to watch , it does not necessarily represent either good drama or good filmmaking.

Crazy Heart

“Crazy Heart” stars Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell (whose name for some unknown reason does not appear on the credits). Mr. Bridges brings to the screen probably his finest performance to date as he portrays a down and out country western singer and the life he is forced to lead as his career steadily winds down. Both Jeff Bridges and Colin Farrell sing in the film using their own voices and the result is exemplary. The film, written, produced and directed by Scott Cooper (based on a novel by Thomas Cobb) is well edited and shows the many talents of Mr. Scott in all of the titles he has assumed. Scheduled to open December 16 (so as to be eligible for Oscar consideration), it will be no surprise to see Jeff Bridges prominently mentioned in the best male actor catergory for 2009. It is his film from opening scene to closing fade as he does both the screenplay and his career a great service. I give this film 3 stars with the hope that all will go to see it and not be dissuaded by the country western genre. Good performances and good films should have no label.

Me and Orson Welles

“Me and Orson Welles” is a film directed by Richard Linklater and stars Zac Efron, Claire Danes and Christian McKay (who portrays the young Mr. Welles). Taking place in 1937 and after Orson Welles has left the Federal project (created in the beginning of the depression) in order to make it on his own via his Mercury Theater, the film shows the power, the ego and the talent of this remarkable 20th Century icon. Mr. McKay not only bears a strong physical resemblance to Mr. Welles but has, indeed, captured the essence of this dynamic entertainment figure. This film is basically a stage production within a movie and portrays Zac Efron as an18 year old who is hired by and becomes a student of Mr. Welles. Those familiar with the famous Mercury Theater players will identify with Joseph Cotton (James Tupper), John Houseman (Eddie Marsan) and George Coulouris (Ben Chaplin). These fine actors give life and meaning to this significant representaiton of the media in the mid 1930’s and literally take us back 72 years to this creative time in our theatrical history. I give this film 3 stars with kudos to Mr. Linklater who has made the oft used vehicle of a “play within a play” a pleasant and meaningful experience.

Letter to Editor of LA Times published on 11/1/09

Your well written article re cancellations of hotel reservations was right on point. As an attorney I've certainly made it a prerequisite to view the relevant cancellation provisions on websites and in written documents.

One point, however, should be noted. As rigid and clear as some of the provisions may be, there is still, thankfully, a human factor that should not be ignored.

My wife and I recently had planned a trip to NYC and bought "non refundable" tickets via Telecharge to some Broadway shows. We also had used United miles to book our flight with a "penalty" applicable if we cancelled the trip and had to put the miles back into our accounts.

I had to undergo emergency surgery about 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the trip and could not travel as planned. Cancelling the hotel was simple because of Marriott's rather flexible policy. I contacted Telecharge and explained what happened and why I could not travel to NY.d. The Customer Service representative with whom I spoke, after checking with her supervisor, told me that if I sent back all of the tickets by overnight delivery, Telecharge would refund the cost of the tickets to my credit card account. Also, a United representative said that, with a doctor's note explaining what occurred, United would waive the $300.00 in administrative costs for putting the miles back into the accounts. I did what was requested and both entities refunded or waived the respective costs and charges.

It's nice to know that understanding people can override harsh rules when appropriate circumstances warrant it.

The Invention of Lying

“The Invention of Lying” is a film written by Ricky Gervais and Mathew Robinson who, together, also directed the film. Starring Mr. Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jeffrey Tambor, Tina Fey and Rob Lowe, this is a movie based on one gag and tries to carry it through the entire film. It does not succeed in that endeavor. The characters in the film have little or no depth and, but for the extraordinary talents of Mr. Gervais and Ms. Garner, the film falls flat in its effort to be a surrealistic piece where everyone tells the truth. As someone aptly put it, the film “just misses the mark” and what could have been a hilarious excursion into the problems of being too candid and honest, ends up being just a sad attempt that failed. I give the film 2 and ½ stars because, like the characters in the film I “cannot tell a lie”.

The Road

“The Road” stars Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall, Guys Pierce and Molly Parker. Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, the screenplay was written by Joe Penhall and directed by John Hillcoat. This is not a good movie. It is long, tedious, monochromatic in its desolate and foreboding scenes of a world destroyed while a father and son attempt to survive in it. This film represents 2 full hours of one of the most uncomfortable theatrical experiences I have had in a long long time. Watching a neighbors 8mm film of his or her travels through the barren desert is a close second to this cinematic waste of time. Although technically not a mystery, it really is because the question constantly being posed is how could such good actors ever agree to play in such a dull and dry film. Also, how in Heaven’s name could this film ever have gotten financing, production and distribution. I guess the name value of Ms. Theron, Ms. Parker, Mr. Duvall and Mr. Pierce helped even though all had little more than cameo roles. .I give this film 1 star with the fear that most who will see it will probably feel I was much too generous in my rating..

That Evening Sun

“That Evening Sun” is a film based on a short story by William Gay. It stars Hal Holbrook, Raymond McKinnon, Carrie Preston and Mia Wasikowska (the young suicidal patient in HBO’s “In Treatment”). The film was written and directed by Scott Teems who just can’t seem to edit or cut any scene for fear that his words and directed actions will be lost. Proving once again the old adage that less is more, and unlike the talents of writer-directors such as Woody Allen, Mr. Teems makes his directorial debut memorable only because of the film’s length and lack of style. The movie is much too long and, because of that, loses the possibilities it had when it was first given the green light…a light, incidentally, that because of its length, should have been yellow. I give the film 1 and ½ stars with a hope that in the years remaining , the fine talent of Hal Holbrook will be able to find and act in a better vehicle.

This Is It

“This Is It” is a documentary of the anticipated Michael Jackson concert tour that was to begin days following his untimely death. It was made at the direction and request of Jackson for his personal use in order to document all that went into the preparation of the concert tour. Little did he know that it would be more of a eulogy and testament to his artistic skills and performances and be the only exhibition of his talent post his June 2009 passing. The four cutters who spliced together the footage that make up the documentary, and concert-film director Kenny Ortega, give us insights and views of Michael Jackson, the performer and, sometimes, the off stage person. We also learn about the tremendous logistics and activities that go into the staging of such a mega event. As an entertainment vehicle it is clearly too long (111 minutes) with much of it being repetitious and overdone. That being said, it is still an important piece of film for we see the “wannabees”, the doting director, the subservient musicians and dancers and the delicate and sensitive manner in which Jackson insists on perfection in all of the dance and music numbers. One watches the film knowing the tragic end that follows it and looks for signs of this stellar performer and his undoing. He is 50 years of age and dances and sings with the energy of a teenager as you get the feeling that he still considers himself the teenage lead singer of the Jackson 5. As someone noted, with all that adrenalin flowing throughout each rehearsal, it is no wonder that he needed help sleeping and relaxing. What I found most interesting and informative is the ability to see Jackson, not as the “strange” and “troubled” individual upon whom fame has brought so many problems but, instead, as a dedicated and sincere professional who never loses his humility or caring. He never reprimands or rudely corrects his supporting performers. Instead he politely and tactfully asks them to make the changes he desires. A wise trait for any administrator and certainly a good one for someone seeking the maximum effort from his supporting cast. This is a film I would recommend to anyone seeking to learn more about Michael Jackson and the entire concert genre. As for me, I ended up with a better understanding of him and of why so many in his inner circle cared so much about him. He truly was the “King of Pop” and his throne will remain vacant for some time to come.