refdan Reviews

Hunger (I) (2009)

Chilling exploration of possible human behavior

[8/10 · 7 August 2010]

This was a simple film to produce: one set and 6 main actors. However, the concepts put forth are significant and worthy of our consideration. The plot involves 5 people placed into a dungeon with water but no food. The perpetrator and his motivation is initially unknown, but he is gradually revealed in various effective ways. The viewer is asked to observe these people as days pass. It is initially unclear why these particular people are brought together, but the reasons are also revealed during the course of the film.

The question asked is: what would we be willing to do to survive? I enjoyed the performances of these actors and found their characterizations to be interesting and complex. The filmmaker is very skilled in homing in on the facial expressions and behaviors of the actors. I felt pulled into the situation, continuously trying to guess which character would do what to whom.

I highly recommend this film to anyone who craves food for thought.

Bad Day (2008)

Illogical and inconsistent

[4/10 · 27 May 2010]

This film is one of many so called "gritty British crime films" extant these days. Mixed in is a theme of revenge with pretty females added to the mix for obvious reasons. It appears that the writer had a germ of an idea that somehow got distorted in the process of realization.

Generally, revenge films are interesting if the wronged person is victimized by hateful acts and the perpetrators are known to be killers or worse. In this case, the victim sees the result, but doesn't know who did it or why. The plot develops as the victim proceeds to wreak havoc on anyone and everyone she knows before she can ascertain who really did it and why.

Several inconsistent scenes play out: gun fights where more people get killed than there are shots fired. A seasoned police officer approaches a known killer and fails to disarm her before getting plugged.

Police are portrayed as either corrupt or stupid. Criminals are shown as arrogant and stupid. These clichés in an otherwise good film make one's eyes roll.

If you expect to see an intelligent, though-provoking film, this one is not for you. It appears to me that the actions of the protagonists are created just for shock value, not to show how a rational person might deal these circumstances.

The Secret Lives of Second Wives (2008 TV Movie)

More made for TV tripe

[3/10 · 9 April 2009]

The other reviewer accurately describes this made for TV "Comedy/Drama" as a "chick flick." A self respecting male viewer will see this as ridiculously unrealistic and sappy.

The "heroine" Lynn has difficulties with her husbands first family so she ends up in a handsome young house inspector's bed. She insists on buying a house which her husband cannot afford and she is unsupportive to her husband while he tries to deal with his daughter's marriage and some financial difficulties.

Lynn then tells her husband that she has been unfaithful and he meekly forgives her and appears to be a complete fool with no pride.

This kind of film was obviously written BY and woman FOR women. Any self respecting man will find nothing to enjoy here. I'm sorry that I watched it.

I kept hoping that the B***H would get her comeuppance, but apparently, infidelity is OK if you are an attractive blond woman, at least according to the writer of this mush.

Broken Windows (2008)

Interesting work but not entertainment

[3/10 · 17 March 2009]

The creator of this work obviously is trying to be different. He has created a jumbled mess of several intersecting lives that offer no real insight into any of the characters. People come and go and do things in front of the camera without any apparent rhyme or reason.

I think the time would have been better spent trying to focus on two or three of the characters and developing them some more. Some of them actually seemed to be interesting.

In summary, this film could have been very good had the writers actually tried to create a plot and some possible resolution (positive or negative) to the characters' issues.

Black Widow (2008 TV Movie)

Absolutely horrible.

[3/10 · 17 March 2009]

This is a classic example of mass produced television entertainment. Other than Elizabeth Berkley, these are all unknown actors and it shows.

The plot involves a newspaper photographer who is in love with a millionaire bachelor who thinks she is just a friend.

Along comes a knockout woman, apparently a rich donor who sweeps said bachelor off his feet. Photographer is jealous and begins to investigate the knockout and uncovers lot more than she ever expected.

The plot is so predictable that I bet you can figure out what happens just from the little I have told you.

I just can't understand why writers and producers think that this kind of pap is worth an hour and a half of anyone's time. Granted, we didn't have to pay for it, but shouldn't they at least try to be creative? Unless you like the spectacle of actors speaking cringe-worthy lines and struggling to keep from breaking down with laughter, then this is a must to avoid.

However, if you like tried-but-true plot lines that you've seen a million times, then grab a beer and bag of popcorn and enjoy.

Trial by Fire (2008 TV Movie)

Made-for-TV film is formulaic and trite

[4/10 · 13 February 2009]

This made-for-TV exercise is typical of those that attempt to showcase the drama associated with being a firefighter, and more particularly, a female firefighter.

Brooke Burns plays Kristen Scott, a firefighter who works with her father in the local firehouse. Her father dies while helping Kristen rescue a child from a burning house. Her co-workers blame her for her father's death, and refuse to accept her back in the firehouse.

Kristen decides to try out for the Smoke Jumpers, a more demanding firefighting role. There are several subplots involving family members and other, mostly male, firefighters that serve to establish Kristen as a driven, competitive fighter who is determined to make it on her own as a smoke jumper.

The rest of the film showcases Kristen helping one person after the other escape a fire, including her sister and her family. She becomes not only a smoke jumper, but a true heroine.

This film is simply the video equivalent of a fairy tale. After the first 15 minutes, we know what's going to happen-Kristen triumphs against all odds and becomes the heroine of the day.

At the risk of sounding chauvinist, I found Kristen's character to be abrasive, unnecessarily aggressive, smug, sarcastic, and cold, even toward her own family. Her character is necessarily competitive, being a female living in an overwhelmingly male world. However, she insisted upon making comments intended to ridicule and insult male colleagues and others.

In my way of thinking, a person, male or female, has a much better chance of being accepted by actually being friendly and kind, rather than hostile or sarcastic.

Hence,I found this movie full of stereotypes such as hostile males against a brash female and consequently disappointing. A good family type story could have been made better by having Kristen pursue success by winning people to her side in a cooperative, rather than a confrontational manner.

Contract Killers (2008)

Gives B Movie actors a job

[4/10 · 5 February 2009]

This thriller stars a new face, Frida Farrell as Jane, a "contract killer" for some shadowy US intelligence organization, ostensibly the CIA.

She is framed by her handlers for killing a man (a contract)and is poisoned while dining with her husband. The husband dies, but she survives. The rest of the movie involves Jane accomplishing one remarkable feat of escape after another that would impress even James Bond.

In the era of Casino Royale, Thunderball, and License to Kill, we are accustomed to seeing our man Bond do these incredible stunts, getaways and destruction. After all, he is James Bond.

Here we have a young female whose husband has just been murdered who manages to escape multiple police and other agents while exposing a massive corruption scheme in her own organization. All this with her gun, her computer, some dorky Aussie she picks up, and another agent who she "convinces" to believe her.

The cops and and the agent are completely ineffective. A sniper misses the target not once but several times. This is the same sniper who, later, after joining forces with Jane, can hit a man in a moving helicopter 100yds away with one shot.

My beef with this movie is not the concept, but with the execution. Jane is simply too good and everyone else is too bad. The suspension of disbelief runs out about midway through the film.

I can't recommend this film highly to action buffs because the lady doesn't really know how to fight. She does a couple of quick moves but the camera doesn't really show anything.

Her opponents always stand too close so she can either kick the gun out of their hands or she can grab it and turn it on them. It's simply ludicrous to believe that trained agents would act so stupidly.

I get my hopes up every time one of these "thrillers" comes out, but each time I am disappointed. I want to see films where bad guys are not stupid and good guys are not infallible or invincible.

Prey (I) (2007)

***SPOILERS*** 'Nuff said, then why am I contributing?

[3/10 · 8 January 2009]

Prey is just a African version of "Cujo" with lions instead of a dog. The protagonists, a pretty young woman, recently married to an older man who has two children, one in her teens with an attitude and one boy of about 12 years. The "mom" and her charges take a tour in a jeep with a tour guide to see some wildlife. While under way, young boy has to take a dump and wishes privacy, so he and guide walk to a nearby tree where two lions appear, apparently ready for lunch. Boy and guide rush back to car. Boy makes it, guide doesn't. The rest of the film involves woman and children trying to survive until rescued.

This film was absolutely pitiful. How these three clueless people (two children and an "adult") could have survived this is only possible in low budget direct-to-video "B" movies. Even though you know that the protagonists will get out none the worse for wear, you have to wonder how many plot devices will it take to save these idiots from themselves.

Just an example of some that made my head itch:

-Adult woman gets out of the car to fetch keys and manages to outrun a lion in full gallop when she is only yards away. -Adult woman drives car at high rate of speed in no particular direction until she wrecks it. Never mind trying to find the highest peak so that she could be spotted. -Woman and girl confront poachers at a lion kill to ask for help. Do poachers normally want white witnesses to their crimes? -Poacher shoots a lion in full charge one second before it attacks adult woman lying on the ground. Seems it would make more sense to wait until the lion STOPS running to avoid wasting bullets? -Experienced poachers with weapons are both killed while clueless tourists escape unharmed. -Experienced master hunter is killed by a lion when he was armed and prepared. -Husband crawls under car to avoid lion who could easily reach him with 4 foot paws -Adult woman lures lion into car and fiddles with lighter while lion just sits and watches -Adult woman lights gasoline in car, immolating lion, but miraculously escapes when the explosion burns everything within 50 feet of the car, and this with a sprained ankle.

All of this becomes part and parcel of a CONTRIVED PLOT that fails to thrill or satisfy. Stupidity should be rewarded with death when faced with hazardous situations.

Am I alone in expressing disappointment for the lack of imagination of writers and producers these days? Is it really so hard to create a story where things happen as they would in real life. Isn't the "just in the nick of time" rescue getting a little bit overused?

If I were writing this movie, all three of them would have been killed by the poachers or the woman would have died with the lion. Does that strike a chord with anyone else?

Juncture (2007)

***Spoiler** Independent yes-Excellent-no

[4/10 · 31 December 2008]

A lot is said these days about the so-called "independent films" and film makers. These are the guys and gals who look forlorn and studious and take their "art" very seriously. Some of us consider anything not made by MGM to be not serious film.

This film is a case in point. What separates the mediocre movie from the memorable one is ACTING. Great actors, be they from Hollywood or Hoboken, captivate you and bring you into the world they inhabit on screen. Some independent films have great acting, as do many Hollywood mainstream features. This particular film does not.

The lead actress, Kristine Blackport, was simply annoying. Her "little girl" voice and expressionless delivery was inadequate and did not suit the character she plays. Her supporting actors were equally wooden, particularly the earnest,caring boyfriend/psychiatrist and the naive and sugar-sweet best girlfriend.

The plot was well worn-the wronged female goes on a revenge spree with her 9mm semi-automatic handgun. All of this carefully planned out without missing a beat at her job. Oh, and she must make sure that the "bad guys" don't leave the earthly realm without knowing why. She makes sure that they hear her case against them with appropriate sneers and tears.

A new wrinkle: the killer/protagonist has an inoperable brain tumor and has 3-4 months to live. This, of course, makes everything all right. She's now a murderer for whom we MUST feel sympathy.

Unless you're really into revenge/vigilante flicks, I would give this one a pass. How many ways can you do the revenge plot and still keep it interesting and thought provoking?

Stiletto (II) (2008)

Once again, the female assassin who kills everyone

[4/10 · 16 December 2008]

The theme presented in this film has been done repeatedly in the recent past. A svelte young woman believes she has been wronged by her lover, so she seeks revenge upon all who may have been involved. She marks them all for death, and , one by one, she seduces or openly attacks them with a knife (her favorite weapon) or a gun.

The woman, Raina, is a very small thin woman with exotic looks. The film follows her around as she creates mayhem among the underworld baddies who are her targets.

These films are occasionally interesting as a character study of people that most of us would never meet or know. In this case, however, the cast creates a multitude of stereotypes. Performances are wooden and the dialog is stilted. There is no back story to explain how this woman gains her almost supernatural powers of stealth and strength. Her acting is adequate, except for the action scenes where she looks ridiculous.

Although the plot had several twists, I soon knew the how the ending would transpire. Unfortunately, most of the final events were highly improbable and seemed forced.

If you are a fan of "femme fatale" type movies, this may be your cup of tea. It really wasn't mine.

My Daughter's Secret Life (2001 TV Movie)

***SPOILERS***Good performances. Good story.

[7/10 · 19 November 2008]

I have to say that I did enjoy this movie. I have only seen Elisha Cuthbert in one other role which didn't impress me. Here, she was stellar. Her performance carried this movie with ample assistance from her wise and loving mother, Sherrie Miller (Valerie).

It seemed credible that this gifted and intelligent "teenager" was drawn to gambling as a way to use her gifts to acquire (I won't say earn) money for her European adventure. As she gradually became obsessed with the next big payoff, it became clear that this was more than an obsession: it was a disease.

My issue with the denouement was that Katlin (Cuthbert) received a very light sentence for her transgressions (rehab and return to school and no European trip). Wow, that was painful! She harmed a LOT of people in addition to harming herself. It is, of course, necessary to receive treatment for this addiction as it is for drug, alcohol, or any other addiction.

It is also necessary to perform restitution for all the harm that she has engendered. The very end of the film shows that not only did she escape any serious punishment, but she apparently is going to "game the system" and use her intelligence to indulge her passion, regardless of any consequences (there may be none). Rather than being a sympathetic character, she becomes someone you might like to smack in the face a couple of times and then walk away. And I believe that this is exactly what the film makers wished to say.

Naked Fear (2007)

***SPOILERS***Good performance, bad plot holes

[5/10 · 18 November 2008]

I have to ashamedly admit that I actually enjoyed this movie up until the very end. The main characters i.e. the girl, Diane, and the hunter, Colin, were fairly well constructed from the beginning. The plot was not well concealed, however, as I guessed early on that the "heroine" would survive all of this.

The evasion and striking back parts were even marginally believable though I question the girl's stamina after having been tortured all night.

What was most gimmicky were the "lucky breaks" that the girl got during the chase. The hiding in plain sight, the missed shots by the hunter, the accidentally (on purpose) knife left by the boy in the tent, the failure of the hunter to kill her once he had her on the ground, the breaking of the leather restraints in the hospital room and, finally, her re-emergence 10 months later fully healed and beautiful after escaping from the hospital with serious wounds and in a hospital gown.

All of these events just seemed to be plot devices to allow this supposedly defenseless girl to defeat an experienced hunter and miraculously heal herself and become a one woman vigilante squad.

Kudos to the heroine, Danielle De Luca. She really put herself out there by being nude outdoors for almost a third of this film. She delivered an outstanding performance, her fear and other emotions were palpable. The rest of the cast seemed to just be there to support her.

This was not a great film, but a wonderful vehicle for a very brave and skilled young actress to show what she can do.

Fighting with Anger (2007)

Horrible

[2/10 · 15 November 2008]

This is an obvious effort by Willie to sponsor a pretty woman who has some martial arts experience for an acting career. It is clearly just a vehicle for her to show her fighting (not acting) skills.

However, the vehicle was delivered without even the most basic equipment. The plot is almost nonexistent. The girl is supposed to kill people for money She ends up killing a few and beating up hordes of bad boys without even breaking a nail, then she cries for no apparent reason.

I am a stickler for realism in action movies. This one disappoints in that regard. Although Kelli is agile, you can see that she is not strong. The stunt men do all the work.

The gun fights are ludicrous. Hundreds of rounds are wasted, hitting nothing. We are subjected to the "let's take turns shooting at each other" syndrome, where no one gets hit. Then the little girl singlehandedly takes out a dozen henchmen and never gets touched. As an example, in the warehouse scene, she takes the boss henchman as a hostage, then she TURNS HER BACK on two gunmen who nevertheless DON'T SHOOT her exposed back. Absolutely ridiculous! It must be hard to get good henchmen these days.

The performances are simply horrendous, as you would see in a bad middle school play. The evil men are laughable and hopelessly incompetent and Willie is simply Willie without a guitar.

In short, this is another "cute girl/martial arts queen takes out all the bad guys" movie with no acting, plot, or character development. I don't recommend this unless you are a die-hard fan of Willie Nelson or some other member of the cast or crew.

A Teacher's Crime (2008 TV Movie)

Absolutely awful

[2/10 · 19 September 2008]

I was immensely disappointed at this halfhearted effort to produce a thriller/crime story. I was expecting some well developed characters who have more than one dimension and an interesting plot.

What I watched was nothing like that. Instead, the characters are like paper cutouts with no depth. The main character is just too good to be real. Always perfectly coiffed, even after getting out of bed. Her husband is a no-good philanderer with a failed business. Her father is caricature from the Andy Griffith Show.

The basic plot has some interesting potential, but the film makers just didn't have enough guts to find it.

I just don't recommend this to anyone who wants to be entertained with a creative and thought provoking film.

Rigged (2008)

Not bad but not good

[4/10 · 12 September 2008]

This independent low budget drama gets good ratings for the characterization and plot. Even though it is a typical boxing movie cliché, there are enough twists to make it seem somewhat fresh and original.

The story follows the adventurers of Dublin, a crooked boxing promoter who travels from town to town setting up underground fights and sometimes trying to fix them. He meets a female fighter, Katharine, who appears to be homeless but who can fight and defeat men twice her size. The two eventually team up, but Dublin's somewhat sleazy past catches up with them, causing conflict, pain, and emotional distress for both.

I enjoy all types of fighting (the real kind) and consequently, I find myself being somewhat critical of film fight scenes, particularly when they involve obvious mismatches. The notion of a 135 lb woman fighting bare-knuckle with much larger, ostensibly experienced fighters and winning by KO consistently is just too much for me to willingly suspend my disbelief. The fight scenes are poorly shot, primarily because there are no stunt people and the principal actors do their own "fighting." The fight theme and fight scenes are central to the film and they are just not well done. I realize that corners have to be cut somewhere in a limited budget film, but this was not the right place to do so.

The ending was just too sappy for me and I was disappointed that the writer couldn't avoid the Hollywood style happiness and give us a real surprise for a change.

If you enjoy the "Underdog overcomes all obstacles" type movie, then you may like this film, but I have to say I wasn't all that impressed.

Breathing Room (I) (2008)

Concept is trite but the execution is good

[6/10 · 4 July 2008]

The film begins with a naked woman entering a room of strangers with in a warehouse type of setting. The strangers approach her and begin asking questions about who she is and what does she know about why she is here and what it's all about. The rest of the film involves learning about each other and little more about the "puzzle" of why they are here.

The premise is that there is game being played with the characters' lives. There are rules. If you break the rules, you die.

The plot is simple, but the interactions of the "players" is what keeps it interesting. Each "player" is unique and may or may not have something to hide.

I found the story interesting, but contrived. Some of the characters were a bit over-the-top for my taste, but most of them conveyed the fear, anger, and despair quite convincingly. The end of the film was a disappointment to me for reasons I won't divulge here.

I credit the producers for developing a good character study with very little investment. Good cinema doesn't always have to cost millions.

If you like a bare bones type production about human behavior in stressful conditions, then I recommend this to you.

Chocolate (2008)

Good effort; a future Thai star is born

[5/10 · 24 June 2008]

I am a big fan of HK films, particularly the more gritty and realistic ones of the 80's and 90's. Realistic action where the laws of physics still apply provides more entertainment for me than the fake stunts where the villains always swing high or miss and get trashed.

A 90 pound girl simply cannot kick a person nearly twice her weight across the room. It simply cannot be done, no matter how fast the kick. Normal people cannot see behind their heads. Modern criminals use firearms, not swords or sticks.

This is the basis of my personal apathy about this film. To be sure, the lead actress, Yanin, is very impressive. She is acrobatic and fluid in her kicks. That alone, though, is insufficient evidence that she could do the things she does.

I believe this film was created for those who enjoy the flying feet of Michelle Yeoh and Moon Lee, action heroines of the 80's. To be sure the settings and choreography are certainly competitive with the HK films of that era.

Where the film falls down is that the characters are simply not sympathetic. The father is a gang member from Japan and the mother is a gang member from Thailand. The money that Jeeja collects (in a very violent manner) is dirty money from extortion and drugs and should not be available for use by Mama, regardless of her condition. The fact that Jeeja actually kills people in the pursuit of this money makes her just a step above them.

The ending is particularly disappointing, but I will not reveal that.

My version of the film had very poor subtitles. I simply could not understand some of the dialog, though I got the gist of it through the action. And action there is in abundance.

If action is all you want and you like seeing a 90 lb girl beat up a hundred (severely inept) bad guys, then this is the movie for you.

Fighter (I) (2007)

Just another "Girlfight" clone

[5/10 · 14 June 2008]

The performances in this film were good as were the cinematography and fight choreography. Where this film fell down is that it is not original.

The film "Girlfight" has almost the same plot: a young girl who has a nasty temper and gets into fights constantly, discovers boxing, much to the displeasure of her father. She learns to box and eventually beats her boyfriend, who is also a boxer.

In this film, the girl is of Turkish descent living in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is a Muslim from a conservative family. She learns some Kung Fu in her high school club, but she is too aggressive to stay and instead finds a true Kung Fu school with a real sifu (Master). She disobeys her father and almost ruins her brother's planned marriage while training and the school. She meets a blond non-Muslim boy at the school and is assigned as his training partner. You can guess what happens next, can't you? I'll leave the rest of the plot to you to discover to avoid spoilers.

My real beef is that it's not innovative or original just the same story in a different place. I feel that there should have been a more interesting development to avoid the same old trite clichés.

Two Tigers (2007)

Why was this movie made?

[1/10 · 11 June 2008]

I obtained this movie because I am a fan of femme fatale type characters, beautiful women who are also evil. The premise of this film is interesting, but the performances and action sequences are the worst I have seen since Wonder Woman.

The dialog is very lame and the actors are obviously uncomfortable with the English language. The main character is portrayed as an assassin, equally skilled with a rifle or with her body, but she fails to sell either to the viewers. There is no suspense or build-up. Everything is so predictable and the end most unsatisfying.

It seems that this is a weak attempt to copy successful Hong Kong female assassin films. It fails miserably on all accounts. The Chinese really know how to make these types of movies. Check out "Beyond Hypothermia" if you want to see what I mean.

I heartily encourage you lovers of assassin flicks to avoid this one, unless you can get it for free, and even then only if you have nothing else to do.

Chaos (II) (2005)

Chock full of twists but lacking realism

[6/10 · 2 May 2008]

I am one of those who likes to see realistic scenarios in thrillers or action movies. This movie has a good cast, reasonable acting performances, good special effects and an interesting twist on crime/revenge stories.

I won't rehash the plot, because that is redundant.

If you are into action flicks with realistic fights and events, then you will be disappointed with this one. Although the staging is good, the fight scenes come across as contrived and fake.

My pet peeve is the inaccuracy of weapons. Supposedly, the cops and ex-cops in this scenario are skilled with their weapons, however many more shots miss their targets than I would expect. Characters actually dodge bullets and emerge unscathed after many rounds at close range. When shots do finally land, the bad guys die and the good guys are only winged, even when they are standing in full view of the shooters.

Characters take strikes with heavy objects and remain uninjured and do not even lose consciousness.

Admittedly, this film is not really about fights but about solving a mystery. At that, the filmmakers succeed greatly. I was truly surprised by the ending.

Black Water (2007)

SPOILER: A terrific effort on a very low budget

[7/10 · 24 April 2008]

The basic plot of this film has already been detailed in several other comments so I won't bother. I'd like to first commend the producer, cast, directors and crew for creating a wonderfully engaging film on a meager, $1M budget, a small fraction of standard Hollywood fare that doesn't LOOK cheap. These people have a drive to make something new and entertaining while not spending a fortune doing it. This is essentially art for art's sake. I know, I know, some of you will decide that this is not art but something less and that's fine. I for one am glad that people like these will continue to put forth the time and effort for our benefit without expecting huge multimillion dollar payoffs.

Now to the criticism. I feel that the scenario presented is credible to a point. It's wonderful when everything works out and the hero/heroine saves the day and all's well that ends well. What gets me is the blatant manipulation of events so that blind luck is responsible more than courage and strength.

When lee was attacked but not severely injured, somehow she washed up on a mud bank right next to the dead guide. Then, miraculously, his loaded revolver is still in his holster and it actually works (after some cleaning and fiddling). Finally, when Lee is attacked on the mud bank and jumps in the water, once again the croc fails to kill her. She ends up with her hand in his (her?) mouth and manages to repeatedly pull the trigger, ultimately to blow the croc's brains out (literally).

I came to the conclusion that having Lee go hand to mouth with the croc was just a way to end the film with the human in triumph. Based upon what I have seen, the croc's attack and continue to hold on until the prey stops struggling. Croc's will spin around and around to dismember and drown the prey. That happened to the first 3 victims but not to Lee. She had teeth marks but they were not deep.

I think that the ending would have been better had the croc won, frankly, thereby proving his dominance of the mangrove, his territory for millions of years. But then, how many of us would have been upset or disappointed that the pretty girl didn't get out alive?

The Dawns Here Are Quiet (1972)

A warm and touching tribute to humanity and inhumanity

[9/10 · 1 April 2008]

I approached this film with doubts about its ability to involve and entertain me as an American growing up in the post war era. Happily, I was very pleasantly surprised. This Russian film is blatantly patriotic while at the same time portraying its protagonists with all of their frailties and faults.

This is the story of a male Master Sergeant in the Russian Army during WWII in Northern Russia. He has the duty to command a detachment of female anti-aircraft gunners assigned to protect a railway and supply depot. Although this is a war story, the essence of it describes the developing relationships between the Master Sgt and his soldiers and among the soldiers themselves. There is humor, suspense, pathos, romance, and tragedy as this older man and his very young women charges are assigned the responsibility of tracking and killing or capturing two German paratroopers in the forest near camp.

Unfortunately for the six Russians, the two Germans turn out to be sixteen, armed with submachine guns and explosives. Against the odds, the Master Sgt decides to try to delay and confound the German troops with tricks and finally with weapons. Rather than take the easy and safe route to retreat, the brave Russians ambush the Germans at every turn and start picking them off, one by one.

During the course of the desperate actions by the Russians, the relationship between the male Sgt and the girls changes and grows. He begins the mission wanting to protect the girls and he ends the mission being protected by the girls who use everything they have, including their lives.

The love that these stalwart soldiers share is not of the romantic kind but more that of a brother and sister, but even closer. They share respect, admiration, humor, sadness, and horror together and resolve to help each other to the end.

Although somewhat sentimental, this film does not assume that only Russians will have an interest. The situations, people and emotions it portrays are, I believe, universal. The depiction of the German paratroopers as cowardly and inept is inaccurate, but excusable given the premise of the film.

In summary, I highly recommend this film to anyone interested in war films but also to those who think bravery in combat is only for men. The performances are excellent and credible (except for the Germans) and direction and photography is superb.

Illegal Tender (2007)

SPOILER: Too much of a canned plot

[3/10 · 6 January 2008]

I applaud this film for portraying the Puerto Rican heritage and culture with respect. The producer is trying to bring it into more prominence in the film industry. The family values portrayed by the actors are not typical, but they are commendable nevertheless.

The actors are credible in their roles as mother, son, and girlfriend. The supporting cast is not quite so good. Dialog is stilted and delivered like a stage production.

It moves along pretty well and the back story is well done, although it is not clear why the money is such an issue until very late in the film, and then it's clear that the money is NOT the issue.

The problem I have with the film is the incredible plot leaps of faith where a hostile faction (MOM) is able to penetrate a heavily guarded establishment without being discovered and then ice the villain and escape easily.

Mothers skill with the pistols is absolutely over the top and not credible.

The 'assassins' are totally incompetent and couldn't hit the broadside of a barn when standing next to it.

Those things bothered me, but not enough to miss the true point of this film: a mother's love is the fiercest love of all. She will do anything to protect her children.

The Invisible (2007)

Implausible but interesting

[4/10 · 22 November 2007]

This movie has an interesting premise, but it tries to be to artsy to really make its point. An "almost dead" person, Nick, sends his "ghost" into the world of the living to try to get someone to save him by finding his still alive body after a horrendous beating by Annie, the bad girl, and her henchmen.

The character Annie has, by far, the most interesting opportunities, but alas they are not developed. Annie gets to bully boys with a knife and her two doofus lackeys, steals jewelry and cars, hangs out with an ex-con, points a loaded weapon at a cadre of police officers and they DO NOTHING but yell: stop! stop! Please.... It seems that Annie can literally do anything and no one can stop her.

We find that Annie has a soft spot for Victor, her younger brother, but only contempt for everyone else in the world. She robs, threatens, bullies, and destroys for no apparent reason except her Mama died.

Everyone else in this film seems to be there to create tension, but the characters are so shallow that you cannot develop any feeling for them. Nick's mother is not believable and the police are unusually inept. Nicks cowardly friend, Pete, is so weak that you wonder how he had enough courage to get up in the morning.

It seems also that the screenplay will stop at nothing to make the final "heart rending unselfish act" take place. I just don't see the meaning of this and how it is that a really bad person like Annie can redeem herself just by lying in bed and bleeding to death while saying she's sorry. The damage and mayhem she created cries out for justice that was just not realized.

I suppose that there is a message hidden somewhere in this film, but I have failed to find it. I just kept hoping the the bad girl would get her just desserts in the end, and, apparently she did.

This is a film that had possibilities, but forgot about them and got caught up in trying to get to the final scenes. It would have been nice seeing the after effects of these events instead of so much tramping through the woods and long meaningful stares.

Pathfinder (2007)

If you like realistic scenarios then skip this

[3/10 · 1 August 2007]

WARNING:Spoiler ahead!!!!!!

I'll state up front that I expect action films to be realistic. I expect human characters to be, well, human. The hero of this film, 'Ghost', just isn't human.

The guy challenges a 7 foot tall Viking warrior with years of fighting experience to a broadsword duel, pokes his eye out through a battle helmet, and easily escapes through the circle of warriors. All without a minute of instruction from a master on the proper technique of using this heavy and awkward weapon. Really, now? He gets shot with an arrow, loses tons of blood, yet travels miles to a cave where he is miraculously discovered by his tribe and cured in minutes. Yep, back good as new in the blink of an eye.

He kills dozens of hard, strong, experienced Viking warriors (probably some of the best fighters in the world at that time in history) yet never gets tired or seriously injured.

He falls in freezing lake water, fully clothed in skins, stays underwater FOREVER and then gets rescued by his captors without any ill effects. I'm here to tell that submersion in freezing water for 60 seconds will render you NON-FUNCTIONAL unless you are superhuman.

His female soul mate is an absolute wonder with a rock, dispatching several of these aforementioned Viking warriors easily.

I'm sorry, but this type of action film is just too heroic for my tastes. I like the bad guys to at least have a chance. If you're like me, then avoid this one.