Broken Embraces

“Broken Embraces” was written and directed by Pedro Almodovar whose genius takes us through the film ably abetted by the superb acting and interpretations of Penelope Cruz. As she did in Volver, Ms. Cruz exemplifies great depth and expanse as an actress who gets better as she gets older and, like rare wine, is a treasure. This complicated and involved story takes us through the highs and lows of life and, as the title suggests, shows us how the characters deal with revenge, love, hate, jealousy and all the other human emotions. Mr. Almodovar accomplishes what is so rare these days, an ability to write, direct and even edit one’s own work in an objective and satisfying manner. I give this film 3 stars and suggest that its 127 minutes of viewing will be time worth spending.

Invictus

“Invictus”, produced and directed by Clint Eastwood, stars Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. With a screenplay written by Anthony Peckham based on the book by John Carlin, this is a film that deserves being seen for no other reason than its historical significance as it relates the efforts of Nelson Mandela following his election in 1990 to unite the blacks and whites in the country of South Africa. Gaining its title from the poem by William Edward Henley, the film unites sports and politics into an involved melodrama. The only difficulty in this otherwise interesting and exciting film is that the actors, speaking Afrikaner or heavy accents based on it, need English titles to better understand what is being said. I give this film 3 stars for both its value as a vehicle of pure entertainment and, also, for its educational and historical value as well.

Avatar

">“Avatar” was written and directed by James Cameron, self-acclaimed “King of the World”, who also directed “Titanic” and other epic action films. The hype that preceded this film made it difficult to be objective in its analysis since it had a $300,000,000 cost, a ten years in the making label and breakthrough 3D and other notable technology. So, with all of that in mind I went to see this film with the highest of expectations and hopes for an exciting 2 hours and 40 minutes of extraordinary viewing pleasure. Unfortunately my anticipations far exceeded the reality. This is a nice film, not a great film, and, as most would agree, a very long film. The “how many times I looked at my watch” test was at least 3 and my shifting seat positions while awaiting the hoped for ending was numerous as well. There is no question that the special effects and 3D (with glasses) adds to the viewing experience but it also adds to the price ($3.50 extra for viewing in 3D). This of course helps in the computation of the general gross revenue by at least 33 1/3%. The dialogue is not very sophisticated and could almost be mistaken for a script from a poor grade B movie. This is basically a western except that the wild west is the planet Pandora and the Indians replaced by dthe orb’s native inhabitants. Other than that, the plot, the clichés and the mundane and trite script are the same as an oater out of the Republic Studios inventory. For all its pre-distribution date publicity, the film is a let down and earns, from my point of view at least , 2 and ½ stars with the special effects giving it that amount on the rating scale. The “king” has left the throne.

It's Complicated

.“It’s Complicated” stars Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Kasinski and Lake Bell. Written and directed by Nancy Myers (“Something’s Gotta Give”), this is a well written film whose 2 hours and 10 minutes flies by amidst a series of occurrences that befall Ms. Streep and Mr. Baldwin as they encounter the post-divorce emotions many couples feel and experience. The film would not be nearly as well viewed or as good were it not for the inimitable and unequalled talent of Meryl Streep who, as always, exemplifies the acme of good acting. One half smile or look from her can say and mean more than paragraphs of dialogue from a less talented actor. Mr. Baldwin takes comic risks in the film and is funny without being silly and the comedic instincts and performance of Mr. Kasinski add to the quality of the film as well. I liked the film principally because it moved at a fast and easy pace and was enjoyable to watch with some scenes prompting not just a smile but genuine laughter. However, enough cannot be said about Ms. Streep’s contribution to the final product for it’s hard to imagine anyone else capable of playing the role as well. No heavy or significant movie here, just a light tale of two people sorting out emotions and feelings as they explore and experiment about and with each other. I give it 3 stars because it stood the “I never looked at my watch” test and, yes, even caused me to feel some regret when the credits started to roll and I realized it had reached its end.

Nine

“Nine” is the Weinstein Company’s attempt to bring to the screen the Tony award winning musical that appeared on Broadway. It does not succeed. Based loosely on the persona of Federico Fellini (and Marcello Mastroianni) and the film “8 and ½ “, Daniel Day-Lewis stars in this saga of an Italian film director who transgresses throughout the film with the likes of women played by Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Stacy Ferguson (“Fergie”), Sophia Loren and Marion Cotillard (“La Vie En Rose”). With the exception of Mlle. Cotillard, who plays Mr. Lewis’ wife, each of the other women listed participate in the film by singing a song in an extravagantly staged setting with most of the music extraneous to the film. “Nine” as a musical doesn’t survive because none of the songs are either tuneful or catchy. No worry about humming any of them after the show. You won’t. It certainly doesn’t succeed as a drama because there is no structure or firm direction. Watching this film, I kept waiting for each star to do his or her number so we could move on and end the movie’s duration. Even when the time came for each number to be sung, I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Also, in the climate of today’s headlines and morality, and especially watching major sport stars fall to the wayside as their infidelities are revealed, it’s hard to muster up sympathy and compassion for Mr. Lewis’ character as he juggles his life and loves like a circus performer in the center ring. Written by Michael Tolkin and the late Anthony Minghella, and directed by Rob Marshall (“Chicago”), the film offers nothing more than a showcase for the singing and dancing talents of some very glamorous ladies and, in my opinion, earns it 2 and ½ stars based solely on the serious and strong performance of Mr. Lewis and the very sensitive and beautiful portrayal of a dutiful but unappreciated spouse played by Marion Cotillard.

A Single Man

“A Single Man”, the new Weinstein Company release, stars Colin Firth, Mathew Goode and Julianna Moore in this screenplay co-written by Tom Ford (of fashion fame) and David Scearce. Based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood. Mr. Isherwood’s book was, in its time, a ground breaker as it sensitively depicted the trials and tribulations of a gay male professor in the early 60‘s. Directed by Mr. Ford, Colin Firth plays the subject of the story and, in doing so, gives what is probably the finest performance of his career. Able to portray and convey emotions with minimum dialogue, Mr. Firth lets us share all of his.feelings as he, the single man, experiences the occurrences that befall him and those in his immediate surroundings. This is one of those films where its entire structure is tied to the novel upon which it is based. As difficult as the chore would appear to be, Mr. Ford ably stays true to the story and allows the viewer to navigate through the myriad of emotions and frustrations facing its hero. I hesitate to imagine the film without Mr. Firth’s fine portrayal for he, in fact, is the film. I give this movie 3 stars in full recognition of Mr. Firth’s performance. He captures the character he portrays with such depth that it is difficult if not impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. It will indeed be a chore to try and select Best Actor from the trio of Mr. Firth and Messrs. Bridges and Clooney. Hooray for Hollywood for giving us such fine leading men to vote for and acknowledge

The Young Victoria

“The Young Victoria” is a film which came to be as the direct result of the untiring efforts and support of and from Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. It is the story of a young monarch and the love of her life, Prince Albert. Emily Blunt stars in this bio-pic that appears bigger than the budget which constrained it with scenes in and outside of the castles and palaces that were part of the reign of the longest sitting monarch in British history. Lavish costumes and an able supporting cast with Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson and Jim Broadbent help the Julian Fellows screenplay and directorial talents of Jean-Marc Vallee. However, make no mistake about it, the film belongs to Ms. Blunt who dominates it and each scene she is in with a royal quality befitting the character she is portraying. Produced by Graham King and Martin Scorcese, these film giants can be proud of their product to which I readily award 3 stars. In less capable hands, the film could have been too wordy and too dry. Kudos to Mr. Fellows and Monsieur Vallee for giving us what is basically a beautiful love story told under the umbrella of the royal family in mid-19th Century England.