'Act of Valor' is an impressive movie about the cult of professional warriors in the age of global terrorism. Directors Mouse McCoy and Scott Waugh collaborated with the US Navy and actual Navy SEALs to give the film a sense of battle tactics and environment on par with 'Black Hawk Down' and 'Saving Private Ryan'. What little is lost in the SEALs' lack of acting chops is more than made up for by honest performances from the men who actually do this stuff for a living and the film's gripping battle realism. The movie sidesteps an overt political point of view, wisely focusing on the men and their mission rather than commenting on the times in which they serve. Watch for a great scene where Navy swift boats extract the SEALs from a Central American jungle with an astonishing display of live fire. Plenty of battle action to see here that you've never seen before. Highly recommended.
Reviews
7 Reviews
New IMAX cut is subtly better
10 November 2002
Warning: Spoilers
Thank the Maker. For his "Attack of the Clones" IMAX release,
George Lucas has come to his senses and cut out the worst
excesses of his hugely entertaining but occasionally flawed Star
Wars film. No more than about five minutes of screen time
disappear, but as a result, the audience gets a subtly leaner, more
plot-driven adventure. Some spoilers follow:
One of the main kinds of cuts Lucas makes is getting rid of
unnecessary exposition. In the original May 2002 release, this was
when the film introduced a character who has no importance in
"Attack of the Clones," but who will become important later in the
Star Wars saga. Gone is the scene in which we meet Bail Organa
on Coruscant as well as the scene in which we meet Owen Lars
and his girlfriend Beru (Luke Skywalker's future aunt and uncle) on
Tatooine. To be sure, these characters appear in later scenes, but
since their names are not integral to the plot of THIS movie, Lucas
wisely leaves them out. Instead -- what joy! -- the IMAX film
assumes the audience can figure out precisely who these
characters are: supporting players. No more, no less.
Lucas also thins out the cloying dialogue in the budding romance
between Anakin and Padme. Since their attachment is inevitable,
(given that their children are Luke and Leia) Lucas reedits the
sequence on Naboo into something resembling the conventions
of two-dimensional cinematic love affairs. In the case of Star Wars,
which is after all a fairy tale, it's in the interest of the genre to keep
these scenes brief. "Attack of the Clones" can't outdo the Balcony
Scene in "Romeo & Juliet"; in the new IMAX cut, it doesn't even try.
My concern, then, is whether George Lucas will take his own good
advice and make this new cut the official one, the one that goes
out on DVD and gets broadcast on network television. Too often,
"the director's cut" means more scenes, not better scenes -- as it
did for the DVD release of "The Phantom Menace." I myself would
prefer to put this new cut of "Attack of the Clones" into my video
library. It's a much better film.
George Lucas has come to his senses and cut out the worst
excesses of his hugely entertaining but occasionally flawed Star
Wars film. No more than about five minutes of screen time
disappear, but as a result, the audience gets a subtly leaner, more
plot-driven adventure. Some spoilers follow:
One of the main kinds of cuts Lucas makes is getting rid of
unnecessary exposition. In the original May 2002 release, this was
when the film introduced a character who has no importance in
"Attack of the Clones," but who will become important later in the
Star Wars saga. Gone is the scene in which we meet Bail Organa
on Coruscant as well as the scene in which we meet Owen Lars
and his girlfriend Beru (Luke Skywalker's future aunt and uncle) on
Tatooine. To be sure, these characters appear in later scenes, but
since their names are not integral to the plot of THIS movie, Lucas
wisely leaves them out. Instead -- what joy! -- the IMAX film
assumes the audience can figure out precisely who these
characters are: supporting players. No more, no less.
Lucas also thins out the cloying dialogue in the budding romance
between Anakin and Padme. Since their attachment is inevitable,
(given that their children are Luke and Leia) Lucas reedits the
sequence on Naboo into something resembling the conventions
of two-dimensional cinematic love affairs. In the case of Star Wars,
which is after all a fairy tale, it's in the interest of the genre to keep
these scenes brief. "Attack of the Clones" can't outdo the Balcony
Scene in "Romeo & Juliet"; in the new IMAX cut, it doesn't even try.
My concern, then, is whether George Lucas will take his own good
advice and make this new cut the official one, the one that goes
out on DVD and gets broadcast on network television. Too often,
"the director's cut" means more scenes, not better scenes -- as it
did for the DVD release of "The Phantom Menace." I myself would
prefer to put this new cut of "Attack of the Clones" into my video
library. It's a much better film.
Pearl Harbor
(2001)
Bay-Bruckheimer predictable as ever
25 May 2001
Given the previous Michael Bay-Jerry Bruckheimer offerings, "Pearl
Harbor" is precisely what you'd expect it to be: a visually arresting
monster with attractive leads, formulaic plotting, two-dimensional
characterizations, and jingoistic appeals to our patriotism that are
about as subtle as a giant American flag flying over a Perkins
Pancake House.
I've got to admit, I had hoped that Bay would at least attempt to
make this his "Titanic" - a full-body workout for the special-effects
guys that somehow also tells a good story. But this is pure drivel. It
certainly shows every dollar of its titanic budget, but unlike James
Cameron's film, "Pearl Harbor" does not transcend its origins.
"Pearl Harbor" is made to do one thing very well: reap
thirteen-year-old kids' allowance money. Consider the inevitable
triage scene at the naval hospital, where the camera shots of
agony and gore were purposely flashed and blurred in post-production so the movie could garner its coveted PG-13
rating.
Given the relative skill of its actors and its colossal production
values, "Pearl Harbor" could have been a fine movie in the hands
of a more competent director and a more courageous producer.
But Bay and Bruckheimer are doing what they have always done.
They've pleased their backers with the lowest common denominator of summertime fluff. If you want battle verisimilitude,
see "Saving Private Ryan." If you want a love triangle in the midst of
war, see "Enemy At The Gates." And shoot, baby, if you've
absolutely GOT to see a Pearl Harbor love story, take a look at the
only good one ever made: "From Here To Eternity."
Harbor" is precisely what you'd expect it to be: a visually arresting
monster with attractive leads, formulaic plotting, two-dimensional
characterizations, and jingoistic appeals to our patriotism that are
about as subtle as a giant American flag flying over a Perkins
Pancake House.
I've got to admit, I had hoped that Bay would at least attempt to
make this his "Titanic" - a full-body workout for the special-effects
guys that somehow also tells a good story. But this is pure drivel. It
certainly shows every dollar of its titanic budget, but unlike James
Cameron's film, "Pearl Harbor" does not transcend its origins.
"Pearl Harbor" is made to do one thing very well: reap
thirteen-year-old kids' allowance money. Consider the inevitable
triage scene at the naval hospital, where the camera shots of
agony and gore were purposely flashed and blurred in post-production so the movie could garner its coveted PG-13
rating.
Given the relative skill of its actors and its colossal production
values, "Pearl Harbor" could have been a fine movie in the hands
of a more competent director and a more courageous producer.
But Bay and Bruckheimer are doing what they have always done.
They've pleased their backers with the lowest common denominator of summertime fluff. If you want battle verisimilitude,
see "Saving Private Ryan." If you want a love triangle in the midst of
war, see "Enemy At The Gates." And shoot, baby, if you've
absolutely GOT to see a Pearl Harbor love story, take a look at the
only good one ever made: "From Here To Eternity."
The Mummy Returns
(2001)
borrows from better films
4 May 2001
In "The Mummy Returns," writer and director Stephen Sommers
borrows from just about every superior action-adventure film of the
last twenty years. If you enjoyed the first one, you'll love the sequel.
Energetic, ridiculous, cartoonish, unoriginal, and self-effacing, but
above all: fun.
borrows from just about every superior action-adventure film of the
last twenty years. If you enjoyed the first one, you'll love the sequel.
Energetic, ridiculous, cartoonish, unoriginal, and self-effacing, but
above all: fun.
Get Carter
(2000)
slick editing can't hide the holes
14 March 2001
By far, the most entertaining moment on the DVD of "Get Carter" is the hilariously outdated 1971 theatrical preview for the original version of the film, which starred Michael Caine. (Caine does appear in this Stallone update.) Sadly, this update stinks. Sylvester Stallone's Jack Carter, a Las Vegas button man, skips town without his boss's permission and heads up to his old stomping grounds in Seattle to investigate the mysterious death of his brother, whom he hasn't seen in five years. That's the pitch.
The action is surprisingly restrained and impressionistic. For example, when one of the minor bad guys gets killed, we see the result of a headlong plunge but not the actual slaying. But this kind of restraint doesn't dovetail with the promise of the previews: an ass-kicking Stallone in a Rat Pack suit. The director tries to gloss over the many plot holes with slick, faux-Fincher cuts and zooms, but he's just covering.
Here's the tragedy. Action-thrillers don't require good acting, but they sure are enhanced by it. Most of the actors in "Get Carter" have the ability to far outshine this genre, much the way the actors in 1998's "Ronin" did-within the context of the plot, the cast of "Ronin" delivered their lines with utter conviction.
Not necessarily so here. Those stars in "Get Carter" who have real talent weren't used enough, and those who don't have the strongest dramatic chops were given boatloads of screen time. Sly is wooden at times (as per usual), but has some fine moments.
Miranda Richardson, as Carter's widowed sister-in-law, is solid, but underutilized. Mickey Rourke, as an internet porn purveyor, has obviously been working out some more, but it's still apparent that he peaked in "Diner." The big surprise was just how much actual characterization they allowed Rachael Leigh Cook--as Carter's bereaved niece--to show off. Any one of these actors, given enough on-screen opportunity, might have saved "Get Carter" from its ridiculous plot holes and incongruities. But they didn't. Do yourself a favor: avoid this film.
The action is surprisingly restrained and impressionistic. For example, when one of the minor bad guys gets killed, we see the result of a headlong plunge but not the actual slaying. But this kind of restraint doesn't dovetail with the promise of the previews: an ass-kicking Stallone in a Rat Pack suit. The director tries to gloss over the many plot holes with slick, faux-Fincher cuts and zooms, but he's just covering.
Here's the tragedy. Action-thrillers don't require good acting, but they sure are enhanced by it. Most of the actors in "Get Carter" have the ability to far outshine this genre, much the way the actors in 1998's "Ronin" did-within the context of the plot, the cast of "Ronin" delivered their lines with utter conviction.
Not necessarily so here. Those stars in "Get Carter" who have real talent weren't used enough, and those who don't have the strongest dramatic chops were given boatloads of screen time. Sly is wooden at times (as per usual), but has some fine moments.
Miranda Richardson, as Carter's widowed sister-in-law, is solid, but underutilized. Mickey Rourke, as an internet porn purveyor, has obviously been working out some more, but it's still apparent that he peaked in "Diner." The big surprise was just how much actual characterization they allowed Rachael Leigh Cook--as Carter's bereaved niece--to show off. Any one of these actors, given enough on-screen opportunity, might have saved "Get Carter" from its ridiculous plot holes and incongruities. But they didn't. Do yourself a favor: avoid this film.
Little Voice
(1998)
a review for American audiences
12 February 2001
An absorbing, fanciful, and sometimes astonishing film, Little Voice is a modern fairy tale that owes a bit to both pop psychology and, of all things, the musical Annie. The film thrusts us into the peculiarly flawed world of a young woman still living in her childhood home. Her nickname, LV (Little Voice) is pronounced in her mother's thick, northern English accent as "Elvie." In fact, her chief problem is her caustic mother, played with tragicomic skill by Brenda Blethyn, who received an Oscar nomination for the role.
Blethyn's Mrs. Hoff is in many ways like the awful Miss Hannigan of Annie's orphanage, who, were it not for the story's overall comic mood, would be overwhelmingly evil. Instead, Blethyn invests the role with a horny rowdiness that helps dilute Mrs. Hoff's self-absorption and cruelty. LV, in response, confines herself to her tidy, attic bedroom in her mother's otherwise cluttered house.
Though the timid and virtually silent LV lacks Annie's cheerful spunk, both yearn for their absent parents-LV for her dead father, who appears to her, soundless and gentle, whenever she is frightened.
But what LV usually does in response to her mother's constant stream of verbal abuse and generally noisy demeanor is to play her father's cherished record collection at top volume. It is in the voices of the women on the records that LV communicates with her mother and most other people. Though Jane Horrocks says little in the title role, when LV does make noise, it is in remarkable, pitch-perfect imitation of these women, namely, Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, and even Marilyn Monroe. At first, I was convinced that this was a lip-synch, but Horrocks changes the tempo and inflection to match LV's mood. Indeed, the first thing that appears in the credits at the conclusion of Little Voice is a note that Horrocks sang all of LV's vocal performances. Wow.
Little Voice will remind American audiences of the recent trend in British cinema that embraces down-on-their-luck characters from the UK's industrial north and the shuns the charmless folk who populate Merchant-Ivory-esque period dramas. Little Voice's characters reminded me of both the pitiable unemployed steelworkers of The Full Monty and the rotten Scottish heroin addicts of Trainspotting. Michael Caine combines these comic and serious elements into a convincing performance as Ray, the seedy promoter who wishes to cash in on LV's extraordinary gift. Caine is the foxy Honest John to LV's Pinocchio, and typifies the sense of desperate amorality such characters face when they have pawned their goods and their limbs in order to bankroll a reckless scheme.
With its quirky characterizations and working-class English setting, Little Voice may not be for everyone, but the film's story is timeless, the performances are energetic, and Horrocks's singing might just knock you out of your seat. Little Voice is a truly gratifying film.
Blethyn's Mrs. Hoff is in many ways like the awful Miss Hannigan of Annie's orphanage, who, were it not for the story's overall comic mood, would be overwhelmingly evil. Instead, Blethyn invests the role with a horny rowdiness that helps dilute Mrs. Hoff's self-absorption and cruelty. LV, in response, confines herself to her tidy, attic bedroom in her mother's otherwise cluttered house.
Though the timid and virtually silent LV lacks Annie's cheerful spunk, both yearn for their absent parents-LV for her dead father, who appears to her, soundless and gentle, whenever she is frightened.
But what LV usually does in response to her mother's constant stream of verbal abuse and generally noisy demeanor is to play her father's cherished record collection at top volume. It is in the voices of the women on the records that LV communicates with her mother and most other people. Though Jane Horrocks says little in the title role, when LV does make noise, it is in remarkable, pitch-perfect imitation of these women, namely, Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, and even Marilyn Monroe. At first, I was convinced that this was a lip-synch, but Horrocks changes the tempo and inflection to match LV's mood. Indeed, the first thing that appears in the credits at the conclusion of Little Voice is a note that Horrocks sang all of LV's vocal performances. Wow.
Little Voice will remind American audiences of the recent trend in British cinema that embraces down-on-their-luck characters from the UK's industrial north and the shuns the charmless folk who populate Merchant-Ivory-esque period dramas. Little Voice's characters reminded me of both the pitiable unemployed steelworkers of The Full Monty and the rotten Scottish heroin addicts of Trainspotting. Michael Caine combines these comic and serious elements into a convincing performance as Ray, the seedy promoter who wishes to cash in on LV's extraordinary gift. Caine is the foxy Honest John to LV's Pinocchio, and typifies the sense of desperate amorality such characters face when they have pawned their goods and their limbs in order to bankroll a reckless scheme.
With its quirky characterizations and working-class English setting, Little Voice may not be for everyone, but the film's story is timeless, the performances are energetic, and Horrocks's singing might just knock you out of your seat. Little Voice is a truly gratifying film.
American Cinema
(1995–1996)
An ideal primer for film lovers
21 April 2000
The ten-part "American Cinema" is a superb tutorial for movie fans who want to acquire a deeper understanding of the history, development, techniques, and genres of the USA's best export. It richly employs first-person interviews with modern directors, producers, screenwriters, cinematographers, actors, and a slew of other movie craftsmen. Each one- hour episode is liberally seasoned with film clips and includes archival interviews with dozens of the late greats of the first half of this century. Standout episodes include "The Hollywood Style" and "The Studio System." Every self-labeled movie buff should watch this fine series.
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