PREFACE
This is the sporadically updated blog of reviews by Harriet, author of In the Aquarium: a londoner's life.
I have kept the reviews separate to enable them to be indexed and therefore more easily accessible (see listing below).
FAVE FILMS DEAD MAN What an idea, the man is dying for almost the entire length of the film, the music is fantastic, its black and white, ideology, mythology, funny, sad, Johnny Depp sex god...
THE DRAFTMAN'S CONTRACT The first Peter Greenaway film I saw and possibly the most accessible. Beautiful set, costumes, direction. Fantastic soundtrack.
MULHOLLAND DRIVE I knew exactly what was going on right up until the last 15 minutes and damn it but then I lost it.
NIGHT ON EARTH Jim Jarmusch made the only film with Winona Ryder worth watching and it had Beatrice Dalle (say no more)
O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? Roar out loud with laughter and tunes that make you love country music. My sister had to sneak out of the cinema ahead of our dad and me cos she was so embarrassed at our laughing.
ORLANDO Quiet, passionate, time travel.
PITCH BLACK Bails and I watched this with its bleached scenery and its whoar factor star. We LOVED him, Mr Diesel take a bow.
RESERVOIR DOGS Tight Tarantino gang heist gone wrong. Great soundtrack. And there's something about Michael Madson, dancing just before cutting off the cop's ear...
ROMUALD ET JULIETTE Truely lovely romance comedy.
THREE COLOURS TRILOGY Blue, White and Red. I liked them all. Quiet stories, beautifully shot.
THE USUAL SUSPECTS Its a story told. And the first time I saw it I didn't get the twist until just before it happened.
Seen The Reviews
January 2006 Brokeback Mountain Palm Springs If you like reading the work of Annie Proulx and if you believe as I do that one falls in love with the spirit of a person, not with the physical body, however exciting the physical relationship may be, you should let this film flow over you from the first strains of Gustavo Santaolalla’s score as your eyes adjust to the breath-taking cinematography of Rodrigo Prieto. Can Wyoming be that beautiful? Actually it was filmed primarily in Alberta, Canada, but Wyoming natives tell me that Wyoming is even more magnificent.
The story is simple: two people are thrown together in a close-proximity working situation, come to love each other as a massive surprise to both and over the years realize and finally accept that it is a love without end.
Written as a short story by probably the best writer writing today in North America, turned into a screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana who have other terrific screenplays to their credit and brought to the screen by Ang Lee, how could this film not be the most affecting, best film of 2005? Fill your pockets with handkerchiefs or a box of tissues–you will need them.
One of Allen’s better recent films, especially since he and his neuroses are absent. Some terrific actors: Penelope Wilton, who was also in Pride and Prejudice, Emily Mortimer, Brian Cox and the sexually stunning Scarlett Johansson (remember her as the little girl in The Horse Whisperer?). The story is simple: the unholding (a la Lauren Bacall in How to Marry a Millionaire) young man (ex-tennis pro) climbing the corporate and social ladder via marrying into the boss’s family almost ruins it all by falling for the fiancee of the boss’s son and continuing the sexual relationship after marrying the boss’s daughter. Is Chris Wilton (the ex-tennis pro) a "talented Mr Ripley" or not?
What can one say about a well-made British production of Jane Austen but GO SEE IT? Apparently Emma Thompson revised or rewrote the script at the last minute, for which she is not credited, although she is thanked at the end of the film. The cast is splendid with Donald Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn as Mr and Mrs Bennet, Simon Woods as Mr Bingley, Matthew Macfadyen as Mr Darcy, Tom Hollander as Mr Collins and Judi Dench as Lady Catherine de Bourg. And Keira Knightley playing Elizabeth Bennet, is up for the Oscar best-actress award alongside Judi Dench for Mrs Henderson presents. Penelope Wilton, Meg Wynn Owen and Rupert Friend (he of Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont) are also in the cast along with many other fine British actors whom I have yet to get to know.
Photographs. Devastating but beautiful, strangely. Rubble, but sort of directional. Recognisable bits. Large concrete pieces the painted insides lying upwards strewn across the beach front. Wood planks scattered like matchsticks. A boat on top, a digger buried underneath, 4 kilometres inland. A huge expanse of beach, a few palm trees in the distance, a patchwork of concrete floors stretching out across it. Horrifying. But also some hopeful signs of rebuilding.
I was slightly irked by Oxfam persistently mentioning themselves, but since its their exhibition its to be expected. And they have been doing great work there.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Adam and Steve USA 2005, 100 minutes. Craig Chester, director.
There is a terrific country/line dancing sequence. That said, for a love story between two men, go to Brokeback Mountain. Can’t see Adam attracting Steve nor Steve attracting Adam. Both too feminine. A slight film, too New York. No depth. A purported ‘gay’ director should have done better with a gay film.
An indictment of eroding civil liberties in the U.S., the film is an amusing portrait of Tommy Chong, the Canadian half of the 1970s comedy duo Cheech and Chong. Chong was arrested in 2003 after his family-owned internet bong business shipped some boxes of bongs into Pennsylvania where it is illegal to do so. The film purports it was a setup by the U.S. government as a publicity stunt for John Ashcroft’s ‘war on drugs’. Chong served nine months after plea-bargaining so that his wife and son would not be prosecuted for ‘glamorizing the illegal use and distribution of marijuana andn trivializing law-enforcement efforts to combat drug use’.
An angry-making, stomach-churning and very funny documentary which every American should see and vote out the bunch of crooks in Washington.
Dance film showing love as lust, temptation, exhilaration and shame. Aggressive movement, but difficult to understand. Interesting music by Eugene Edwards of Denver. Beautiful Corsica landscapes alongside slums of Brussels.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Border Café (Café Transit) Iran/France 2005, 105 minutes. In Farsi, Greek with English subtitles. Kombozia Partovi, director.
Iranian paternalistic society where women have no individual rights. Inheritance without a will under Sharia law purportedly gives the wife only 1/8th of husband’s estate. Suspect each of the two children got 1/4th and the husband’s family the remaining 3/8ths (perhaps 1/8th each to the two brothers and the mother). Beautiful Iranian actress played Reyhan who tries to continue operating the café after her husband’s death. Her brother-in-law insists she become his second wife, to the disgruntlement of his first wife. Handsome Greek truck driver eventually transgresses the border between the kitchen, where Reyhan stays, and the dining room. But she turns him down.
I agree with the statement in the program, ‘Its carefully observed script, nuanced acting and sharply delineated sociopolitical sense make it as enjoyable as it is intelligent’. See it if you get the chance.
Seidelman is a director to watch, her films going back to the 1985 Desperately Seeking Susan which you may remember as Madonna’s only good film.
This film is a joy, especially for those of us past 50, starring Dyan Cannon, Joseph Bologna, Brenda Vaccaro, Sally Kellerman and Michael Nouri, among others. Aging baby-boomers settling into retirement in Florida. 60 is the new 40. Sexy, fun, celebratory. A pure delight. Vaccaro, Cannon and Nouri answered questions at my viewing. Vaccaro was especially warm with her round motherly body.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Buffalo Boy (Mua Len Trua) Vietnam 2005, 102 minutes. In Vietnamese with English subtitles. Minh Nguyen-Vo, director.
Coming of age story about teenager living in French Indochina just prior to WWII. Families owned one to a few buffalo who, during annual floods, had to be herded to greener pastures by groups of paid herdsmen. The boy takes his two buffalo and joins herding group led by, unknown to him at time, his uncle, a very violent man. The boy matures, discovers joys and challenges of male bonding and rivalry. Sensitive scene when he helps an elderly couple. Ends with his forming a family with wife and child of his purportedly dead friend.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Changing Times (Les Temps qui changent) UK France 2005, 96 minutes. In French with English subtitles. Andre Techine, director.
Antoine (Gerard Depardieu) arrives in Tangiers on construction project with secret aim to find Cecile (Catherine Deneuve) whom he has continued to love for over 30 years. Cecile has forgotten him, married a Moroccan-Jewish doctor, had a son who is visiting from Paris. Depardieu is vulnerable, tender, sensitive. Deneuve is icy, uncompromising. Until the end. Seems unlikely this man could have loved this women for 30+ years and never moved on.
Hindu family living in Preston. Father (Saeed Jaffrey) wants son (Chris Bisson) to marry beautiful cousin (Majinder Mahal) visiting from India, but son loves Jack (Peter Ash). Quite funny on occasion. Warm-hearted family comedy, with similar plot to another whose name I have forgotten.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Cinema, Aspirin and Vultures (Cinema, Aspirinas e Urubus) Brazil 2005,105 minutes. In Portuguese, German with English subtitles. Marcelo Gomes, director.
In 1942 young German Johann, fleeing war, and Brazilian Ranulpho, trying to escape family’s poverty, go village to village in northern rural Brazil, showing film advertising a miraculous patent medicine (aspirin), and selling bottles of it. In this bleached, sleepy landscape, unlikely friendship develops between the two travellers.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Cold Showers (Douches Froides) France 2005, 102 minutes. In French with English subtitles. Antony Cordier, director.
Highschool-age judo team whose captain is working class with sexually active girlfriend. Upper-class boy joins team. The three kids use the school’s sauna after hours (let in by captain’s mother who cleans at the school), having sex together. Ho hum.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
C.R.A.Z.Y. Canada 2005, 129 minutes. In French with English subtitles. Jean-Marc Vallee, director.
Title made up of first names of five brothers, beginning with Christopher (forgotten R and A) to Zac, the hero and baby-brother ‘Y’ (can’t remember his name either). Purported biggest box-office hit in Canada this year. Can’t see why. Another gay coming-of-age story better left on the drawing board. Liked the Patsy Cline references and the breaking apart of one of her LPs (twice). Not enough about the five brothers. No explanation of why Zac gave his mother a book about Jerusalem, and then later in the film visited there himself where he purchased the second Patsy Cline LP for his father (which youngest brother broke). Nice scene of lovely old priest who sent congregation home early from Xmas Eve midnight mass so they could open their presents. This priest seemed to realize Zac’s sensitivity (girlishness?), and later gayness. Strong father character needed further development. According to gay friend, much, much too long a period for Zac to accept his gayness—seemed more like 1950 than 2005. MISS.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Favela Rising USA 2005, 78 minutes. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Jeff Zimbalist, Matt Mochary, directors.
Documentary about Anderson Sa who transformed his Rio de Janeiro favela, Vigario Geral, by founding a musical movement known as AfroReggae. Follows Sa as the music, the drumming, transform the violent slum into a place of celebration, festivity, education and hope. Emotionally charging portrait of a neighbourhood’s ability to overcome inherent problems of crime, neglect and poverty.
By all means, see if it comes anywhere near your own neighbourhood.
(An aside: when very nice festival man was introducing the film he pronounced favella with the accent on the first syllable. A loud-mouthed obnoxious American woman shouted from the upper reaches of the balcony ‘favella’ with the accent on the second syllable. Unfortunately, she was probably right, but she was downright rude to correct the nice man so publicly.)
John Waters introduced the film in person and again on film and concluded the film with more filmed comments, all of which were interesting and often funny.
UNFORTUNATELY, the 1969 film in between quite soon became quite boring after noticing the Elizabeth Taylor lookalike with the big breasts. I would have been more pleased with the introduction, conclusion and about ten minutes of the soft porn film.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
George Michael—A different story UK 2005, 100 minutes. Southan Morris, director.
Michael came across as a very good, honest man. Although not so good looking as when younger, he remains an interesting figure in pop music culture. Includes joint interview with Andrew Ridgeley from Wham! A riveting documentary. Although never having been a fan, went out next day and purchased a double cd, Ladies & Gentlemen, the best of George Michael.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Gimme Kudos (Qiuqiu Ni, Biaoyang Wo) China 2005, 100 minutes. In Mandarin with English subtitles. Huang Jianxin, director.
Interesting little film. A sort of ‘saving-face’. Country bumpkin wants name in newspaper for saving young woman from being raped in order to please his dying father, who has newspaper clippings of his own exploits on walls of his bedroom. Kudos seemed so unimportant to Western eyes, but gradually one began to perceive the importance to this Chinese small-town man, Gu. Unsure whether closing scene with Gu pushing ‘dead’ father in wheelchair was real or in the journalist Yang’s mind. Some beautiful faces among the Chinese actors.
Worth a fiver, or even a tenner, if that’s what your local charges.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Joyeux Noel France, Belgium, Germany, UK, Romania 2005, 110 minutes. Christian Carion, director.
Based on true story how on an Xmas Eve during WWI German, Scottish and French soldiers declared an arbitrary armistice for one day in order to enjoy game of football (soccer) and some shared views of Xmas. Profoundly moving condemnation of the idiocy of war. Gorgeous music.
The tears started about 60 minutes into the film and continued through to the end. Later I wondered why the tears about a long-past incident, whether the director had jerked them, but concluded they were brought on by the futility of war, the merciless killing of so many young people and our continuing involvement in them.
A must see, and I still can’t understand how the Palm Springs audience left it off their list of best films in the festival. Have a look at another film with the same respite from fighting below, My Best Enemy.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Lost and Found (Achados e Perdidos) Brazil/Chile 2005, 100 minutes. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Jose Joffily, director.
Film noir at its Latin best. The streets of Copacabana’s underworld based on novel by Alfredo Garcia-Rosa. Murder, blackmail, women of the street. See if you have chance.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Low Profile (Falscher Bekenner) Germany 2005, 94 minutes. In German with English subtitles. Christoph Hochhausler, director.
Bored teenager looking for a job, sending out job applications, happens onto car accident in which driver was killed. Armin takes a broken axle home as souvenir. He writes to newspaper, claiming he had sabotaged the car. As journalists investigate, he claims other atrocities, such as setting a fire. Eventually he may have gone to the next level and committed a crime, but I was unsure at the end when he was taken away by police whether he had committee anything at all. Puzzling, but good for dinner conversation.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
March of the Penguins (La marche de l’empereur) France 2005, 84 minutes. Luc Jacquet, director.
Beautifully photographed film I missed when it passed quickly through London. Striking footage of annual trek and rituals. Captivating footage of hundreds of penguins emerging from icy sea to trek countless miles to breeding grounds.
Morgan Freeman narrated a commentary that too often strayed into unwelcome anthropomorphism. Liked the bit that showed how photographs were taken, for instance, from balloons. BUT penguins are not humans. So what if they stick together for a season, only to find new mates the next year? What do fundamentalist Christians learn from that? They should stick to Mel Gibson’s biased Passion of Christ.
Sorry about this film, for it has some of Britain’s best character actors, including Anna Massey, Robert Lang (whom in the 1960s and 70s we used to see regularly at the National Theatre), Marcia Warren, Georgina Hale, Anna Carteret, Clare Higgins and the marvelous ex-TW3 (This was the week that was) presenter Milicent Martin. Also in the cast as Mrs Palfrey’s real grandson is Peter O’Toole’s son Lorcan O’Toole. And, of course, Dame Joan Plowright gives a sterling performance, although I can’t agree with some reviewers that it is her best ever performance. She has had better roles, such as Osborne’s.
Enjoyed immensely the first 3 quarters of the film, but was well letdown by the last quarter. Then I remembered it is from an Elizabeth Taylor (not the Hollywood actress) novel, and what can one expect from her pen. There was really no valid relationship between the old woman and the young man who, in my eyes, was not nearly so attractive as reviewers suggested.
Although I don’t entirely agree with Tim Grierson of LA Weekly who wrote, ‘Your time would be better spent skipping this film and instead calling your grandparents who would no doubt love to hear from you’, you should see the film for the marvelous acting of the entire cast and forget about the poor plotting. The film has been compared to Terrence Rattigan’sSeparate Tables, but, alas, Taylor is no Rattigan.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
My Best Enemy (Mi major enemigo) Chile/Argentine/Spanish 2005, 107 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. Alex Bowen, director.
Based on true events as was Joyeux Noel above. In December 1978, Chile and Argentina disputed location of border in southern Patagonia and could have escalated into war. A Chilean border patrol leave their barracks to defend their country’s honour, shouting their pledge to die for their country, but get lost on march to border. After days of wandering during which they encounter only a stray dog, they become disillusioned. The pampas are bleak. They dig trenches awaiting commencement of hostilities. Tension mounts when an Argentine platoon are deployed opposite them. But Chileans need more medicine and dog goes back and forth between groups. They become friendly, play football, help each other.
A moving and humorous fictionalization of historic events.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
News from Afar (Noticias Lejanas) Mexico 2005, 120 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. Ricardo Benet, director.
The scene: dismal, drought-ridden, dusty landscape with dismal concrete-block shack. But beautifully filmed with some breath-taking sunsets when we see the red of the sun through the turning blades of the desolate windmill that can’t bring enough water for the dying crop. A later shot shows the quiet windmill at the side of a strip of red sunset. There are neighbours for a while, Mrs Amelia and her magician friend, and there is an albino man going round on a bicycle with strange wing-like things on the back of it who also appears at the end of the film when the younger brother brings his wife and two children back to find where he had been born. I’m unsure of the significance of the albino, for he hadn’t seemed to age further by the end. Perhaps he is the spirit of desolation, for one character has said, ‘born poor–die poor’. Martin has been adopted by the poor family and works in a brick yard from age 7 and later in an auto junkyard. At 17 he sets off to the city to try to earn enough to save his family (also to look for his biological father). Martin is a brooding, innocent teenager who hardly has the wherewithal with which to confront the harsh city. His adopted mother seems to give up, only staring into the distance through a small window which her husband blocks up. The father disappears (can’t remember circumstances), Martin returns and takes his mother and younger brother Beto to Mexico City. He puts Beto into an orphanage and his mother into a hospital and crosses the border into California, or so we are told later by Beto when he has grown up and married.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Odete Portugal 2005, 101 minutes. Joao Pedro Rodrigues, director.
Strange, dreamy film with such music as ‘Moon River’ interspersed throughout. Film opens with long, passionate kiss between Pedro and Rui, gay lovers celebrating their first anniversary; Rui has given Pedro a ring engraved with ‘Two drifters’. Pedro gets in his car to drive home and almost immediately Rui telephones his mobile. Pedro answers, has accident and is killed. That’s the opening.
The closing scene is Odete dressed as Pedro, wearing his ring, apparently screwing Rui and wanting to be called Pedro (can’t tell whether she is using dildo on Rui who is in doggie position or, perhaps, somehow brings his penis up into her vagina).
According to the director who spoke at end of film, this is a film about grief: Rui for Pedro, Pedro’s mother for Pedro and her dead husband, Odete for the baby she can’t seem to have. But it seemed to me the director has yet to experience the death of someone close to him, that he is depicting only grief as told to him.
I came to the conclusion that Odete was mentally disturbed. Odete is a tall, lanky young woman who works as a roller-skating clerk in supermarket. Living next door to Pedro, when he is killed she tells his mother she is pregnant with Pedro’s child, much to consternation of Rui. Earlier, Odete’s boyfriend left her when she wants him to make her pregnant. Odete throws herself onto Pedro’s grave and Pedro’s mother takes her in. At one point she does seem to be pregnant.
I seem to remember liking the film better when viewing it than in memory.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Persona non grata Poland / Russia, Italy 2005, 126 minutes. In Polish, Russian, Spanish with English subtitles. Krysztof Zanussi, director.
A tense psychological drama in high stakes of international diplomacy. Complicated relationship between Russia and Poland. Wiktor, Polish ambassador to Uruguay, has lost both beautiful wife and his ideals. He competes with former friend, the Russian Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs (who may have in past been his wife’s lover) for Uruguayan arms deal.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Queens (Reinas) Spain 2005, 107 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. Manuel Gomez Pereira, director.
Pure froth, but delightful froth because of Spain’s biggest female stars, including Marisa Paredes (All about my mother, Talk to her), Carmen Maura (Alice and Martin) and Veronica Forque (Kika). The women are mothers who must cope with the forthcoming mass gay marriages of their sons (the first in Spain). Action-packed and some good laughs, thanks mainly to the mothers and their emotional and sexual antics. A must see.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Simon Netherlands 2005, 100 minutes. In Dutch with English subtitles. Eddy Terstal, director.
High-spirited comedy of manners begins in 1988 when hash-dealer Simon knocks down gay dental student Camiel with his jeep, takes him to hospital. Unlikely friendship develops. At first Camiel is intimidated by Simon’s roughness and his scary circle of friends. Simon likes Camiel’s humour and Camiel is taken by Simon’s heterosexual charisma. Camiel is drawn more and more into Simon’s world. When he travels with Simon to Thailand, along with Simon’s girlfriend and Simon’s friend Marco, a tattooed wild man, their friendship almost breaks up when Camiel and Simon’s girlfriend sleep together (once only). The ending is an emotionally charged, educational look at Netherland’s euthanasia arrangements when Simon decides to die before his illness gets too bad. Camiel and his partner have agreed to take and finish raising Simon’s two children.
It deserved the Netherelands Film Festival’s awarding it Best Feature, Best Director, Best Actor and the Audience Award. See it!
The program notes said, ‘In the 1970s a pumped up vision of a man in a pageboy haircut, cowboy hat, ultra-tight jeans and the occasional sailor suit emerged from the mists and began to roam the hills of San Francisco, inspiring gasps and groans in equal measure. Quickly attracting the attention of such visionaries as Robert Mapplethorpe and Andy Warhol, his legend swiftly grew, aided by his talent for self-portraits and a seamlessly aloof persona.’ I had never heard of him.
The director did a good job of making a most boring man seem interesting, primarily from the splendid photographs of this stark exhibitionist.
Delightful rags to riches (success) story of poor Brazilian sharecropper who risked everything (what little he had whenever he had it) to turn two of his nine children into a country music duo. Zeze di Camargo and Luciano have sold more than 22 million records. Zeze is the first child and Luciano the third one (I think, although there may have been a girl or two in between. The first Luciano, who was the second son was killed in a car accident when the two boys were on the road with a dicey promoter. At the end of the film the real family were presented, but none of them were as attractive as the actors who played them. This film is Brazil’s submission to the Academy Awards for best foreign film.
A very good, inspiring film. Afterwards I tried to buy one of their records at the local shop, but none were in stock although two were in their database.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
Whole new thing Canada 2005, 92 minutes. Amnon Buchbinder, director.
A film about a precocious teenager (Emerson) who has been home-schooled in Nova Scotia until he is about 13 or 14 when he is sent to the local school. His parents are post-hippies who love nudity. Emerson does not understand the norms of society and focuses his sexual awakenings on his male English teacher, causing enormous problems for the teacher. The dork-like Emerson doesn’t know that his infatuation could cause the teacher’s dismissal, or in the tight-knit community something even worse.
Clever, honest and offbeat–one well worth viewing.
Palm Springs 17th International Film Festival 6-15 January 2006
A Year Without Love Argentina 2005, 100 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. Anahi Berneri, director
Based on the diaries of Pablo Perez, it tells the story of a writer and poet in 1966 who is HIV+ and in fear of dying. Trying to regain a zest for living, he continues to place ads in magazines and on the internet and to cruise the Buenos Aires gay scene. Eventually he gets into a bondage group. The female director realistically shows what to most of us is the frightening world of bondage, which the struggling writer uses in his facing of death.
Although not noted in the film, Pablo Perez is still alive and has written a second diary. Not for the squeamish. A good film that I did not really like.
You’ve seen the non-musical film, you’ve seen the stage musical in London or New York and now you’ll enjoy the film musical. The main songs, Springtime for Hitler and We’re Prisoners of Love were in the original non-musical version. But new are the terrific dance/rhythm numbers for the old-ladies with walkers and the accountants with date stamps. Nathan Lane as Max Bialystock and Matthew Broderick as Leo Bloom are unforgettable (how does Lane get his eyebrows to shoot up from the inner corners of his eyes to the top of his head?), and you can’t overlook Uma Thurman as Ulla, the statuesque Ekbergish Swede, who having doffed her Kill Bill persona, is still ready for anything. And anything goes for the three schemers who win out in the end. Catch the names of some of the old girls, names such as Hold Me–Touch Me, Lick Me–Bite Me and Kiss Me–Feel Me. Mel Brooks still an expert at tickling the funnybone.
5 January 2006 Walk the Line Camelot Theatre, Palm Springs, California
Joaquin Phoenix and Reece Witherspoon are terrific as Johnny Cash and June Carter in this biopic about the early days of rock and roll when the famed country and western singer played alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Waylon Jennings, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins. It follows the Man in Black from the Arkansas cotton farm to eventual success. Were it not for the strong Oscar competition and for last year’s winner also being for acting a strong singer, Phoenix might have had the best-actor Oscar, especially since he sings all Cash’s songs. Witherspoon, however, remains Huffman’s (Transamerica) strongest competitor for the best actress Oscar.
3 January 2006 The Family Stone Regal 9 Cinema, Palm Springs, California
A contrived holiday family film that brings winces rather than smiles. Son brings uptight girlfriend home to what appears to be New England for Xmas with plans to propose and give her his grandmother’s wedding ring, to consternation of his mother (Diane Keaton). Hostility all round for this New Yorker who does not fit the post-bohemian mold of this large self-proud family. The only reason to view it is for Sex and the City afficionados to watch Sarah Jessica Parker shrinking inside her New York character.
