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Reviews
Veep: Hostages (2013)
An hysterical, behind-the-scenes free-for-all among all the self-important people around the (fictional) Vice President of the USA
Although I very much enjoyed season 1 of Veep, producer/writer Iannucci, producer/lead actor Louis-Dreyfus and the incredibly talented cast and crew have totally hit their stride in season 2. Each member of the cast gives and gets, not always in equal measure, verbal shots that are wildly funny and, in various measures, literate, obscene, razor sharp, devastating, politically savvy and just plain rude. As you watch and laugh, hoot and holler, you sense that you are in the capable hands of master showmen. I am reminded of the early crazy, slapstick silent shorts Chaplin made, updated with colour and sound and killer political content. Unlike a current trend in some comedy series, the embarrassment felt by each of the characters in Veep doesn't get a chance to overpower the storyline. Instead of feeling unsettled, you happily, eagerly go along to the next beat in an amazing ride. As the focus of vitriol moves rapidly from character to character, the personal devastation inflicted is only momentary. Their inflated self-esteem is rapidly restored with a wonderful lightness of touch. And yet, underneath it all there is just enough depth of characterization to allow you to empathize on some level with practically everyone on screen even when they are being their most shallow, pathetic or cruel. You watch with a smile and some discomfort how conflicted the Veep is when trying valiantly to be a "real mom" to her daughter while actually aching not to miss an important, politically advantageous meeting at the White House. At the same time, we are able to laugh out loud (really!) at the venality and self-serving shenanigans of the country's and the world's leaders, their adversaries and their minions. While playing brilliantly on our well-developed cynicism about the political world, Veep provides the hearty laughs we need to counterbalance the usual outrage that we feel. If I had one criticism of the show, it's that the pace of the action makes it easy to miss some choice lines because you're still snorting at the previous ones. A great excuse for owning a PVR.
Breaking and Entering (2006)
Remarkable cast with a touching story
Superb performances by entire ensemble make this a very engaging story with many of the smaller roles taking on an appealing depth of their own. For example, the "autistic" daughter and the street-wise cop develop in wonderfully unexpected ways; best of all is Vera Farmiga's crazy hooker who has presence even when she isn't on screen. Law, Binoche and Penn are terrific and wonderfully human in their strengths and failings. Remarkable juxtapositions of humor and intensity of emotions. The film could easily be longer to give more time for character development. Some aspects are merely suggested or hinted at in passing, but that's part of the charm as well. Surprising and a shame it didn't do better at the box office.
All or Nothing (2002)
Mike Leigh gives new life and meaning to the human comedy
This film is by turns wonderfully funny, sad, challenging, painful, gentle and surprising - like life itself. Its deeply human moments of blazing honesty and intimacy sneek up and grab you even as you are being diverted by the alternating bleakness and humour of the lives of these perfectly realized characters from a working-class British housing project. The cast all turn in letter-perfect takes on their characters and there's not a one of them you don't believe utterly. All are totally engaging as they hurt, help, love and hate one another and themselves. Hollywood could never make a movie this good or this true. Thank God Mike Leigh is around to provide us with such a treasure.
Company Man (2000)
A well-written comedy, literate and zany.
This movie was so cleverly reminiscent of early Woody Allen (e.g. Bananas) that I was able to laugh in a way I hadn't enjoyed in years. The characters are so into their own world view and so oblivious to what's going on around them you can't help but laugh at them and love 'em at the same time. It's sly and naughty in a good old-Allen way. It's true political satire in that wonderful offhand way found in the best of Allen's early comedies which are both broad and subtle at the same time. Contrary to some reviews, I'd say this flick is not a waste of the talents of the wonderful cast. Au contraire, the sheer joy they had in making this movie comes through brilliantly. It's infectious. I can't say when I enjoyed a Turturro performance (uncredited here) as much - including in "Oh, Brother, . . ." He's utterly driven by his wacky personal politics, and yet has a vulnerability that is charming and laughable at the same time. McGrath's singleminded focus on grammar to the exclusion of matters of life and death never descends into shtick. The same high quality farcing makes the performances of Weaver, Allen, Cumming, and the rest totally delightful.
I only hope that the writer/director team of Askin and McGrath (who also stars) can come up with more of this brand of insanity in the future.