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.