There are some SPOILERS in this review. I can't say I felt particularly uplifted by the movie. I think I caught what Dana Rotberg was saying, but I took my own sense of the character of Alma (I believe that once a movie is released the story and its characters no longer belong to the director). Maybe my idea isn't so different than what was intended, but Rothberg's intentions were kind of fuzzy. Alma was a child, an innocent (I saw sleeping with her father as pure child love, as well as wanting to keep the baby), but her family, her society, and her god did everything in their separate and combined powers to crush her (Why, oh why do we slay our innocents?). There was nothing in her beautiful child soul that called for redemption. BTW: There were three other innocents in the movie - the wife of the circus owner, the strong man, and Noe - but they, like Alma, were powerless. Alma was right to question the story of Abraham and Isaac: it does lay bare the twisted evil of religious belief. I hold no pious disapproval of her revenge ploy; it was quite appropriate. Of the fire? I have no problem with that. It was the Angel of Fire's heaven in a hellish world.
Reviews
29 Reviews
Nurse Betty
(2000)
A character of substance
3 April 2002
Warning: Spoilers
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD It's a theme that's been done before: the fan who gets caught up in a character she finds in a book/movie/soap opera/whatever. And it's been done well before ("American Dreamer," for one). And the concept of her fantasy being dangerously caught up in another's reality is not unusual either. But "Nurse Betty" imbued its Betty (a.k.a. Dorothy from Kansas, Alice in Wonderland) with a complex mixture of honesty, heart, courage, love, trust, power, and vulnerability. I've seen some great movie performances, but none with more depth and heart than Renee Zellweger's Betty. Betty here is a Soap Opera junkie. She lives a drab, harsh existence as the wife of an abusive philandering boor. A couple of hit men kill him brutally (they scalp him) while she watches from behind the kitchen door. The trauma sends her reeling into the made up character of Nurse Betty in her favorite soap opera. Immersing herself into the role, she sets off for L.A. to meet Heart Surgeon Dr. David Ravell, the Soap's resident stud, played by Greg Kinnear, whom she believes she loves. Unfortunately, the car she uses has a major stash of dope hidden in the trunk, and the hitmen take off after her. The story from there on is good, but of secondary importance to the characters of Betty and the lead hitman, Charlie, played with great sensitivity by Morgan Freeman. For Charlie, Betty herself ironically has become a beautiful fantasy. Nurse Betty is not a totally separate entity from the life she used to live. She carries into her fantasy life the virtues and strengths of her natural starting-point character. Fact is, in the very first scene, even before she slips into her alter ego, depth and complexity of character can be read into her face, her brittle tone of voice, and her trusting, honest eyes. Then on into her unfolding fantasy, I was always aware of the down deep strength of Betty's character. The movie was a comedy, but you couldn't belly laugh at her honest soap opera naivete, because it's played so sincerely from start to finish just a thin brittle veneer above the terrible violence she was witness to and that shattered her life. In or out of fantasy, Renee Zellweger's Betty was a character of substance - a character to care about.
Panic Room
(2002)
These heroes are human
31 March 2002
Warning: Spoilers
THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THESE COMMENTS As a "suspense thriller" "Panic Room" does its basic job - lots of tension and scares. But in some ways, it isn't scary-thrilling in the same way as many others. Meg and Sarah aren't dealing with invulnerable monsters, nor with genius homicidal maniacs. The bad guys here are seriously flawed - that's the point. One of the three, Junior - the more or less leader, is an emotional and intellectual dimwit. Raoul has about a dozen more IQ points, but his invented-sinister nature make us rightly wary of him (he enters the picture in a ski mask for effectiveness - Junior calls "Joe Pesci"). Burnham is the genius of the outfit; he had worked on the design of the house's complex security systems and knows the girls' protective strengths and weaknesses. But he is by nature non-violent, unwilling to go all the way to hurt or kill. But together the three are a truly scary potent force, all together possessing: twisted emotions, amorality, and brilliant mind. Their imperfections give them a more realistic unpredictable sinister-ism than the typical scare movie villain. But the girls are flawed too. Meg (Jodie Foster) is recently divorced and is emotionally brittle. Eleven year old Sarah (Kristen Stewart) has serious diabetes. Her blood sugar must be constantly watched with a wrist monitor; over-excitement can send her blood sugar level plummeting, requiring an emergency shot to prevent her slipping into a coma. At the start of the movie, she has more or less alienated herself from her parents; she puts up with them, but is rapidly losing confidence in them. But she possesses a typical naive eleven year old ability to cooly assess situations and possibilities. Her impulsiveness becomes a power. The growth of the characters of Meg and Sarah, individually and together, is the beauty of this movie.
MORE SPOILERS AHEAD I've put "Panic Room" down as one of my all-time favorites, and I'm looking forward to its someday DVD release. The characters of regular people Meg and Sarah fit right up there with the best of superheroes. They are human, with human weaknesses, which they rise above, and indeed use, in their battle for life. The panic room starts as a prison for the girls, but is later ironically turned into a prison for the bad guys, who cringe in fear of the intrepid mother. But the story isn't just about politically correct women's empowerment. SPOILER If they escape, it will require the cooperative effort of each of four flawed humans.
As usual, Jodie Foster is outstanding as Meg, the brittle single mom who digs deep into her character to find the power required to battle for the life of her child. Kristen Stewart's Sarah is one of the truest depictions of the heart of an eleven year old I have ever seen.
MORE SPOILERS AHEAD I've put "Panic Room" down as one of my all-time favorites, and I'm looking forward to its someday DVD release. The characters of regular people Meg and Sarah fit right up there with the best of superheroes. They are human, with human weaknesses, which they rise above, and indeed use, in their battle for life. The panic room starts as a prison for the girls, but is later ironically turned into a prison for the bad guys, who cringe in fear of the intrepid mother. But the story isn't just about politically correct women's empowerment. SPOILER If they escape, it will require the cooperative effort of each of four flawed humans.
As usual, Jodie Foster is outstanding as Meg, the brittle single mom who digs deep into her character to find the power required to battle for the life of her child. Kristen Stewart's Sarah is one of the truest depictions of the heart of an eleven year old I have ever seen.
Ice Castles
(1978)
Their love destroyed; their love redeemed
10 March 2002
Warning: Spoilers
There are SPOILERS in this review. I found out why I liked this film so much when it first came out twenty-plus years ago: it was a good movie. Most reviewers followed the movie's publicity hype and assessed the movie on a linear structure: the story of a girl who with the help of her lover surmounts overwhelming obstacles to achieve a dream. And I can see how they might on such a basis view it as a failure. But then the linear structure was not the goal of the story in the first place. If you really look at what's happening in the movie, you'd also have to redefine "dream" before it makes any sense in the story that's actually told. In the end, the "A story with dream" may have little to do with ice skating.
(MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD) Grooming Lexie (Lynn-Holly Johnson) for the next Olympics is a major challenge for Deborah (Jennifer Warren), the world class figure skating trainer. Most girls start their trek by the time they're seven, devoting another decade to shaping their art and learning their figures and the skills of competing before they're considered ready for the big time. At sixteen Lexie is considered by many to be already over the hill. Through Deborah's demanding tutorship, television personality Brian's (David Huffman) television hype, and Lexie's determination and natural talent, amazing progress is made; sponsors are even lining up to back her run for the gold. What no one considers, least of all Deborah and Brian, is that skill isn't the only thing skaters become enured to by starting their training early in life. There's the give and take in the community of skaters, the learned knowledge of the ways of judging, the back-biting, the dog-eat-dog mentality that girls around the business since early childhood take for granted, but that for Lexie is a whole new world of naivete. In order to compensate for those years of rugged experience, a girl in Lexie's position will need to have strong props. Lexie's props? She's never been out of Waverly, her Iowa home town. Her mother is dead. Her father looks on Lexie as a surrogate for his dead wife, and refuses even to come to the bus depot to wish her well on her journey. Her beloved Nick leaves her at every important turning point in her life. Beulah (Colleeen Dewhurst), Lexie's home town mentor, is the only one who has ever treated Lexie with respect, but even she has an agenda. She wants desperately for Lexie, through her skating, to get away from the trap of small town America - which she herself was never able to do. So time after time we see a basically fragile Lexie totally confused by what she experiences in her new life. At a major Christmas television special in New York where all the world-recognized girl skaters will be putting on an exhibition, all the girls are stunned by the public emotional collapse on the ice of the French champion, but quickly get on to the next stage of the show; however, Lexie stands open-mouthed and frozen by what she has seen on the TV monitor. At the required cocktail receptions, Lexie doesn't understand why all the sponsors want to touch her and crowd her. It is not a hidden intention of the director and author that we should know that LEXIE HAS NO PROPS. After the exhibition, when Nick is cold to her on the telephone, Brian takes advantage of the obviously vulnerable girl - but he is incapable of support; what he calls love, yes; but support? no. So when she reaches the height of her quest, the gold medal at the sectionals, and sees Nick coming towards her, she is for the moment in seventh heaven, but when he sees Brian hugging her, the guy who always walks away from a struggle turns his back on her - a door slam that Lexie is no longer able to cope with. (SPOILERS)Depressed and alone, she leaves the victory reception, goes to the hotel ice rink, and does the only thing she has confidence in for herself, she skates - and falls - and hurts her head - and is permanently blinded. Now she has nothing. She returns to the farm and vegetates. Even her father has reached the end of his self-centeredness, and confesses to Beulah that he doesn't know what to do, that Lexie will die if not checked on her nothing course. Most viewers of this movie think that the climax is the big moment, when, totally blind, she skates the best performance of her life. I don't think so. I found the actual turning point - the climax, if you will - comes when after Marcus' plea, Beulah looks for Lexie and finds that she has crawled to the attic, and in the dark there she is putting on her mother's clothes (shallow movie?). The ensuing sometimes violent confrontation is as down and rough dramatic as you'd want. (MORE SPOILERS) But Lexie decides to put on the skates again. This time Nick, who has also learned a lesson, is a true helpmate - not doing things for her, but encouraging her to do what she can do ... and not walking out on her. After a long arduous re-learning period, Lexie goes again to the sectionals - this time with all her props in place: Beulah, Nick, and her father. The scene of the happy foursome in the car going to the sectionals could easily have been the last scene for its resolution of the story.
(MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD) Grooming Lexie (Lynn-Holly Johnson) for the next Olympics is a major challenge for Deborah (Jennifer Warren), the world class figure skating trainer. Most girls start their trek by the time they're seven, devoting another decade to shaping their art and learning their figures and the skills of competing before they're considered ready for the big time. At sixteen Lexie is considered by many to be already over the hill. Through Deborah's demanding tutorship, television personality Brian's (David Huffman) television hype, and Lexie's determination and natural talent, amazing progress is made; sponsors are even lining up to back her run for the gold. What no one considers, least of all Deborah and Brian, is that skill isn't the only thing skaters become enured to by starting their training early in life. There's the give and take in the community of skaters, the learned knowledge of the ways of judging, the back-biting, the dog-eat-dog mentality that girls around the business since early childhood take for granted, but that for Lexie is a whole new world of naivete. In order to compensate for those years of rugged experience, a girl in Lexie's position will need to have strong props. Lexie's props? She's never been out of Waverly, her Iowa home town. Her mother is dead. Her father looks on Lexie as a surrogate for his dead wife, and refuses even to come to the bus depot to wish her well on her journey. Her beloved Nick leaves her at every important turning point in her life. Beulah (Colleeen Dewhurst), Lexie's home town mentor, is the only one who has ever treated Lexie with respect, but even she has an agenda. She wants desperately for Lexie, through her skating, to get away from the trap of small town America - which she herself was never able to do. So time after time we see a basically fragile Lexie totally confused by what she experiences in her new life. At a major Christmas television special in New York where all the world-recognized girl skaters will be putting on an exhibition, all the girls are stunned by the public emotional collapse on the ice of the French champion, but quickly get on to the next stage of the show; however, Lexie stands open-mouthed and frozen by what she has seen on the TV monitor. At the required cocktail receptions, Lexie doesn't understand why all the sponsors want to touch her and crowd her. It is not a hidden intention of the director and author that we should know that LEXIE HAS NO PROPS. After the exhibition, when Nick is cold to her on the telephone, Brian takes advantage of the obviously vulnerable girl - but he is incapable of support; what he calls love, yes; but support? no. So when she reaches the height of her quest, the gold medal at the sectionals, and sees Nick coming towards her, she is for the moment in seventh heaven, but when he sees Brian hugging her, the guy who always walks away from a struggle turns his back on her - a door slam that Lexie is no longer able to cope with. (SPOILERS)Depressed and alone, she leaves the victory reception, goes to the hotel ice rink, and does the only thing she has confidence in for herself, she skates - and falls - and hurts her head - and is permanently blinded. Now she has nothing. She returns to the farm and vegetates. Even her father has reached the end of his self-centeredness, and confesses to Beulah that he doesn't know what to do, that Lexie will die if not checked on her nothing course. Most viewers of this movie think that the climax is the big moment, when, totally blind, she skates the best performance of her life. I don't think so. I found the actual turning point - the climax, if you will - comes when after Marcus' plea, Beulah looks for Lexie and finds that she has crawled to the attic, and in the dark there she is putting on her mother's clothes (shallow movie?). The ensuing sometimes violent confrontation is as down and rough dramatic as you'd want. (MORE SPOILERS) But Lexie decides to put on the skates again. This time Nick, who has also learned a lesson, is a true helpmate - not doing things for her, but encouraging her to do what she can do ... and not walking out on her. After a long arduous re-learning period, Lexie goes again to the sectionals - this time with all her props in place: Beulah, Nick, and her father. The scene of the happy foursome in the car going to the sectionals could easily have been the last scene for its resolution of the story.
When Pigs Fly
(1993)
Ghosts I grew to love
1 March 2002
Warning: Spoilers
This review review contains plot SPOILERS.
"When Pigs Fly" is an almost anonymous little movie I stumbled onto while checking the filmographies of some of the impressive kids in "A Little Princess" - in this case, Rachel Bella. Settings: the run-down section of a seen better days industrial port town; the "Rose of Erin" bar, where workers used to gather to enjoy a few convivial drinks and songs around the piano, but now just a run-down bar with pool table and a bar-dancer; and a run-down old house, now subdivided into small apartments. The house is owned by Marty, inherited from his father. Marty is a never has been jazz musician, who dreams of glitzy gigs that never were, and teaches piano now and then to tin-eared pupils. Sheila, still pretty, is the bar-dancer. She likes Marty, and when her boss, Frank, ordered the old shed out back to be cleared out, she took the one decent piece of furniture, an old wooden rocker, and gave it to Marty ... that's when the fun began. Mystically attached by coincidence to the rocker are two ghosts: Lilly, Frank's once wife whom he murdered fifteen years ago, and Ruthie, an eternally nine year old girl who died of a fever many years before that. There is a touching bond between the ghosts: each needs and loves the other; each would have a lonely and fearful eternity were it not for the other's devotion. They become enmeshed in Marty and Sheila's life, and Marty and Sheila become enmeshed in their past life and present situation. (MORE SPOILERS AHEAD) Together the four of them embark on bringing Frank to his just deserts for having abused and murdered Lilly ... and for having ruined the "Rose of Erin." No big spooky deal; just some fun capers that free him of his ill-gotten fortune, and provoke him into accidently admitting to the police that he had murdered Lilly. Unlike the standard ghost tale, this doesn't release Lilly and Ruthie from the rocking chair, but with Marty and Sheila's help the chair - and its occupants - find a home way better than that dark, miserable old storage shed they had been stuck in for years. But Marty and Sheila are released from their dead-end existence and look forward to a brighter life ahead, thanks to Lilly and Ruthie.
Alfred Molina (in a role poles apart from his urbane aristocratic town patron in "Chocolat) reads the role of the loser Marty with sensitivity. Even though he leads an aimless existence, he is ever a nice guy. It is no stretch to see him at first fearful and then loving of his ghost friends. Marianne Faithful is delightful as the Ghost Lilly. And Rachel Bella's giggling ghost wins your hearts, without resorting to childish gimmicks. Her devotion to Lilly glows with her every look and touch. Maggie O'Neill brings real heart to the role of the not-so-tough, not so worldly-weary bar dancer. And Seymour Casssel is great as the cruelly ominous bar owner Frank.
The movie looks like it was made on a tight budget. So much the better - the process didn't get in the way of the basically poignant story it tells.
"When Pigs Fly" is an almost anonymous little movie I stumbled onto while checking the filmographies of some of the impressive kids in "A Little Princess" - in this case, Rachel Bella. Settings: the run-down section of a seen better days industrial port town; the "Rose of Erin" bar, where workers used to gather to enjoy a few convivial drinks and songs around the piano, but now just a run-down bar with pool table and a bar-dancer; and a run-down old house, now subdivided into small apartments. The house is owned by Marty, inherited from his father. Marty is a never has been jazz musician, who dreams of glitzy gigs that never were, and teaches piano now and then to tin-eared pupils. Sheila, still pretty, is the bar-dancer. She likes Marty, and when her boss, Frank, ordered the old shed out back to be cleared out, she took the one decent piece of furniture, an old wooden rocker, and gave it to Marty ... that's when the fun began. Mystically attached by coincidence to the rocker are two ghosts: Lilly, Frank's once wife whom he murdered fifteen years ago, and Ruthie, an eternally nine year old girl who died of a fever many years before that. There is a touching bond between the ghosts: each needs and loves the other; each would have a lonely and fearful eternity were it not for the other's devotion. They become enmeshed in Marty and Sheila's life, and Marty and Sheila become enmeshed in their past life and present situation. (MORE SPOILERS AHEAD) Together the four of them embark on bringing Frank to his just deserts for having abused and murdered Lilly ... and for having ruined the "Rose of Erin." No big spooky deal; just some fun capers that free him of his ill-gotten fortune, and provoke him into accidently admitting to the police that he had murdered Lilly. Unlike the standard ghost tale, this doesn't release Lilly and Ruthie from the rocking chair, but with Marty and Sheila's help the chair - and its occupants - find a home way better than that dark, miserable old storage shed they had been stuck in for years. But Marty and Sheila are released from their dead-end existence and look forward to a brighter life ahead, thanks to Lilly and Ruthie.
Alfred Molina (in a role poles apart from his urbane aristocratic town patron in "Chocolat) reads the role of the loser Marty with sensitivity. Even though he leads an aimless existence, he is ever a nice guy. It is no stretch to see him at first fearful and then loving of his ghost friends. Marianne Faithful is delightful as the Ghost Lilly. And Rachel Bella's giggling ghost wins your hearts, without resorting to childish gimmicks. Her devotion to Lilly glows with her every look and touch. Maggie O'Neill brings real heart to the role of the not-so-tough, not so worldly-weary bar dancer. And Seymour Casssel is great as the cruelly ominous bar owner Frank.
The movie looks like it was made on a tight budget. So much the better - the process didn't get in the way of the basically poignant story it tells.
Heat
(1995)
A war of gods
22 January 2002
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS AHEAD*** The two principal players, Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) and Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) were gods, of course. Vincent was the God of Light, and Neil the God of Darkness. In the famous restaurant confrontation this was spelled out unequivocally. Neil (Darkness) would let nothing or no one stand in the way of achieving his ends; Vincent (Light) would let nothing stand in the way of his stopping Neil from hurting innocent people - that defined their purposes. Neil would never attach himself to a relationship (with a mortal) that he couldn't walk away from with thirty seconds notice; Vincent would never let love (of a mortal) stand above his work (*SPOILER* in the end, Neil turned his back on Eady; and Vincent walked away from Justine and Lauren during their time of greatest need) - that defined their stature as gods: gods cannot let their affairs be affected by mortals. Even their battles were Olympian: that bank robbery was like World War II. As the story of two gods at war, what was there to be concerned about? One would win, one would lose. *SPOILERS AHEAD* So equally godlike and equally strong were they that the final outcome was determined by luck: the sudden brilliance of the landing lights that outlined Neil's shadow. Their brotherhood as gods was also reflected in the end scene as Vincent held Neil's hand. The waiting and hurt Eady lived, died, cried, raged? No matter; this was a story of gods. Lauren lived, died, broke down, recovered, attempted suicide again? No matter; this was a story of gods. Charlene lived, died, went to jail, cried, built a better new life? No matter; this was a story of gods (and sub-gods, in her case). So, once their godliness and purpose were defined in the restaurant, I didn't really care that much for either Vincent or Neil. But overall, I really liked the movie, because Eady (leaving a gently secure life to fly off to Hawaii with an outlaw), Justine (sleeping with a nobody just to get Vincent to care), Lauren (attempting suicide in her step-father's apartment), Charlene (protecting her flawed godlet for some deeply passionate principle) were real humans with real, profound, interesting stories to tell. They're what made this three hour movie truly worth while sitting through. Vincent and Neil were gods, but these women were saints; and, as I see it, they carried the movie.
For Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, this movie didn't really stretch their acting talents. Playing gods, they could show no human vulnerabilities, and feel no human emotions, except anger - which only required them to yell or smash a guy's head against a wall. On the other hand, the female actors were involved in roles of real human drama: the roles they played required them to portray emotions, unreasoned loyalty, vulnerabilities, personal hopes, disappointments, and hurt; and they did fantastically well with the challenge. So kudos for a job well done should go to the ensemble of Amy Brenneman (Eady), Ashley Judd (Charlene), and Diane Veneron (Justine). And a special note of appreciation should go to Natalie Portman for her brief, but electrifying, poignant portrayal of the brittle, hopeful, hurting adolescent Lauren.
For Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, this movie didn't really stretch their acting talents. Playing gods, they could show no human vulnerabilities, and feel no human emotions, except anger - which only required them to yell or smash a guy's head against a wall. On the other hand, the female actors were involved in roles of real human drama: the roles they played required them to portray emotions, unreasoned loyalty, vulnerabilities, personal hopes, disappointments, and hurt; and they did fantastically well with the challenge. So kudos for a job well done should go to the ensemble of Amy Brenneman (Eady), Ashley Judd (Charlene), and Diane Veneron (Justine). And a special note of appreciation should go to Natalie Portman for her brief, but electrifying, poignant portrayal of the brittle, hopeful, hurting adolescent Lauren.
The Secret Garden
(1993)
A messiah who learned how to cry
15 December 2001
Warning: Spoilers
(POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD)Ninety years ago Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote the classic book of childhood, "The Secret Garden," unleashing into the world of literature one of the most remarkable characters ever, Mary Lennox. Mary is a plain-looking ten year old child who was raised in India. She was all but completely ignored by her self-absorbed parents and put under the care of ayahs, who indulged her in order to keep her from bothering her parents. She had no friends or playmates of her age, so she never experienced the give and take of interacting with other children. Thus, she grew to the age of ten generally helpless, unable to care for herself, demanding, and lacking in basic social skills. Contrary to some critical opinions, Mary isn't so much nasty-bratty as haughty-arrogant. But she had a seemingly insatiable thirst for learning, and the capacity and wisdom to read and understand the ways of her world. And she had a driving will to achieve her goals. She also was able to recognize and appreciate offers of friendship and love from whatever source. (SPOILERS)Considering the depth and power given her character by author Burnett in the first half of the story of "The Secret Garden," it's ironic that with the introduction of Colin Craven, her cousin, Mary seems to be elbowed out of the way in favor of a bigger emphasis on Colin's story line. Indeed, in the original story and most of its movie incarnations, she isn't even given the privilege of sharing in the dramatic ending where Colin and his estranged father are at last united. It's especially ironic in light of the fact that it was through Mary's efforts that the garden and its magic were resurrected, Colin grew strong, and the reconciliation of Colin and his father was enabled. "The Secret Garden" is not Mary's story; however, it's the story Mary made possible. (SPOILER)Director Agnieszka Holland, a devoted admirer of the original novel, understood Mary's importance, and brought the story around in a full circle to end in the scene where Lord Craven, Colin's father, gives Mary her deserved recognition. "You brought us back to life, Mary," he tells her. So this movie starts with an arrogant child throwing her name at you, not caring whether you like her or not, and it ends with a messiah who "learned how to cry."
The whole cast was great, especially the children Heydon Prowse (Colin) and Andrew Knott (Dickon) and especially, especially Kate Maberly who played Mary with such power and depth. Also, recognition should go to Maggie Smith as the intimidating Mrs. Medlock, John Lynch as Colin's somber bereft father Lord Craven, and to Laura Crossley for her heart-warming portrayal of the bright, sensitive, humble Martha.
The whole cast was great, especially the children Heydon Prowse (Colin) and Andrew Knott (Dickon) and especially, especially Kate Maberly who played Mary with such power and depth. Also, recognition should go to Maggie Smith as the intimidating Mrs. Medlock, John Lynch as Colin's somber bereft father Lord Craven, and to Laura Crossley for her heart-warming portrayal of the bright, sensitive, humble Martha.
Domenica
(2001)
A remarkable portrayal of a twelve year old.
17 November 2001
Warning: Spoilers
The character of Domenica (Mimi), as played by Domenica Giuliano, ranks among the truest portrayals of a twelve year old I've ever seen in any movie. Domenica has lived in an orphanage since her mother left her. (SPOILERS AHEAD). She's worldly wise; she's hip; she's loaded with pre-adolescent energy; she's sexual; she's childish; she's adult; she's giving; she's loving; she lies; she's vulnerable; she's tough; she's a survivor; and she's constant in her determination to make a better future for herself than her past has provided for her. (MORE SPOILERS) In her determination to escape to a better life, she saves her earnings from helping the younger ones at the orphanage, tending children who can't take care of themselves, and running errands. She also skims money from donations to the orphanage she cons from sympathetic people, which she shares with friends from her street gang. The story tells of a dying detective, Sciarra, played by Claudio Amendola, on his last day on the police force, whose final assignment is to accompany the child Domenica to the morgue to identify the corpse of the guy who had raped her some time before. (MORE SPOILERS) Sciarra is determined to carry out his assignment. Domenica, who has a deep fear of dead people, and has no interest in reliving her rape trauma, is stubborn, charming, skillful, and manipulative as she strives with equal determination to stall the inevitable.
(SPOILERS) Of course, there is a bonding. But the story of the love that develops between these two lonely people is never cloying. The final parting scene is deeply affecting in its simple tenderness.
Great work by actors Domenica Giuliano and Claudio Amendola and the director Wilma Labate.
(SPOILERS) Of course, there is a bonding. But the story of the love that develops between these two lonely people is never cloying. The final parting scene is deeply affecting in its simple tenderness.
Great work by actors Domenica Giuliano and Claudio Amendola and the director Wilma Labate.
Yeshe Dolma
(2000)
Yixi, a truly heroic literary character
12 November 2001
Warning: Spoilers
The remarkable story of Yixihuoma (Yixi) is given as a gift to her hurting, modern world, computer hip, granddaughter, Dawa - and vicariously to us, the maybe hurting, modern world, computer hip theater audience. (POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD) In far off mountainous, isolated Tibet, the beautiful Yixi finds herself loved by three men in her life. While she is betrayed or deserted in different ways by each of the three, they never stop loving her - and she keeps alive in her heart her a constant love for them. She also has an awesome devotion to her husband (one of the three) and children, at one point making an arduous trek across Tibet's forbidding mountains and through the mountains' treacherous weather to find them and save their lives. And she was beautiful when she was young ... and when she grew old. And she sang beautiful tone poems of a beloved Tibetan poet. Actresses Danzengzuoga and Laqiong portray this steadfast, devoted, powerful, sensitive, loving character with pure dramatic artistry. Dawangdui and Renqingdunzhu, as her husband Jiacuo, and the rest of the ensemble cast deserve recognition for their worthy contributions to this fine movie. Special notes of recognition go to Director Fei Xie for bringing Yixi to us, and to the cinematographer, Quanyi Zhang, for bringing a fabulous lost horizon to life.
The Bad Seed
(1956)
Moral conundrums
19 October 2001
Warning: Spoilers
(THERE ARE SPOILERS HERE) What a flock of moral conundrums this little movie throws at us. Rhoda is every bit a little girl. She is not evil. Basically, no one has to fear turning his/her back on the child. Well, almost no one; the point being she was never out looking for a victim. (SPOILER) This is the key point that LeRoy (Henry Jones) misunderstood about her, which proved to be a fatal mistake. He thought he could see right through her because he thought she was just plain bad, like him. She wasn't "bad" in the normal way of things. She loved her dolls and toys. She loved to read fantasies and have her mother read to her at bedtime. She loved to play imaginary hostess with her new tea set. She loved for adults to make over her. (BIG SPOILERS AHEAD) In this story there are three people we know she has killed. The little boy who won the penmanship medal she felt she was more deserving of. Old Mrs. Post in Baltimore, who promised the girl her fish bowl when she died. And, of course, Leroy, who threatened her. She was capable of great lies when pressed for motivations, but was unafraid and even forthcoming if her cover collapsed. To her there were very logical reasons for her acts. (SPOILER) That's what LeRoy missed. Had he realized that when she had reason, she would stop at nothing to achieve her purpose, he would never have turned his back on her after he threatened her security. The conundrum here is that she is only different by degree than many typical everyday people who dodge thoughts of right and wrong when it suits their purposes. (SPOILERS) When her mother realized Rhoda had committed murder, she told the girl to go ahead and burn the incriminating evidence. Her grandfather had let his daughter grow into adulthood without letting her know about her shocking roots. Her teacher, perhaps the only one who really understood what was going on, just asked the mother to move Rhoda out of the school, rather than going to the authorities with her suspicions.
Then there was the bigger conundrum of our own attitudes about children. Rhoda gave out exactly what she thought the adults wanted from her - and she did it very well. She was the unreal, dream, story-book, Shirley Temple-like, non-sexual, pretty little girl people love. When things heated up, she by-passed the subject by turning on the "little girl language" the adults would eagerly eat up. Her selfishness was considered cute and natural. (SPOILER) Even at the end, most of the adults in her life looked on her as that wonderful story-book little girl. We do that a lot in this world, assessing one another by pre-determined stereotypes. Had Rhoda been publicly exposed, there would have been a clamor to analyze her behavior for the warnings we could look for in other children so "this kind of thing can never happen again." Many normal, innocent, sweet, pretty little girls would soon find themselves subjected to cruel psychological behavior mod preventive therapies. Sound familiar?
Patty McCormack was phenomenal as Rhoda. You could see her "reading" adult faces for reactions to her words. You could watch the evolution of decision cross her face at key moments. Hers was never the face of sinister evil. But she portrayed real childhood; and she portrayed determination; and she portrayed hate; and she portrayed jealousy, anger, and rage; and she portrayed happiness and glee. Patty McCormack did not portray Rhoda as any one-dimensional troubled child. There was a depth to her performance that was every bit equal that of any adult, legend or not, in any movie before or since.
Then there was the bigger conundrum of our own attitudes about children. Rhoda gave out exactly what she thought the adults wanted from her - and she did it very well. She was the unreal, dream, story-book, Shirley Temple-like, non-sexual, pretty little girl people love. When things heated up, she by-passed the subject by turning on the "little girl language" the adults would eagerly eat up. Her selfishness was considered cute and natural. (SPOILER) Even at the end, most of the adults in her life looked on her as that wonderful story-book little girl. We do that a lot in this world, assessing one another by pre-determined stereotypes. Had Rhoda been publicly exposed, there would have been a clamor to analyze her behavior for the warnings we could look for in other children so "this kind of thing can never happen again." Many normal, innocent, sweet, pretty little girls would soon find themselves subjected to cruel psychological behavior mod preventive therapies. Sound familiar?
Patty McCormack was phenomenal as Rhoda. You could see her "reading" adult faces for reactions to her words. You could watch the evolution of decision cross her face at key moments. Hers was never the face of sinister evil. But she portrayed real childhood; and she portrayed determination; and she portrayed hate; and she portrayed jealousy, anger, and rage; and she portrayed happiness and glee. Patty McCormack did not portray Rhoda as any one-dimensional troubled child. There was a depth to her performance that was every bit equal that of any adult, legend or not, in any movie before or since.
Miss Congeniality
(2000)
A real gem
8 October 2001
Warning: Spoilers
One of the pleasures of movie-addiction is the uncovering of real gems in unexpected places. Sandra Bullock's "Miss Congeniality" is such a gem. I've watched it about three or so times now, and every time I find myself looking forward to the pleasure; and afterward, pleased with myself for doing so. Sandra's Gracie is a twist on Pygmalion, but doesn't suffer from the innate trap most such movies are subject to - in opening scenes giving the naturally pretty leading lady the appearance of a less than attractive blah character. Here, they get through the fact that Sandra Bullock/Gracie is truly beautiful early on in the movie, so we aren't left with the impression that somehow she improbably went from a sow's ear to a silk purse. The change is in her character, her personality. She begins the movie as an asocial loner slob, and through the movie discovers the satisfaction of good and close friends. Gracie is an FBI agent who goes undercover as a beauty contestant to investigate a serial killer's threats to the pageant. It's a comedy - a satire. The situations and story aren't to be taken too seriously, bordering on farce, but certainly not as broad or gross as the "Airplane" series. And as a send-up of beauty pageants it isn't as outrageous as "Drop Dead, Gorgeous." "Miss Congeniality" doesn't lose itself in its farce; it always treats the girls with respect. Not only is Gracie a human of dimension, but all the main characters - Benjamin Bratt's and Michael Caine's characters, and the main ensemble cast of girls in the pageant - are made into people of substance. (SPOILER) One of the best sequences is the fun, "girls' night out" at a local drum/paint-splatter nightclub; it's a scene that does a great job of humanizing the contestants. The movie is sprinkled with touching scenes involving most of the main characters - poignant moments, which the movie doesn't linger on so long as to make them maudlin. The only ones in the cast whose characters are treated farcically are Candice Bergen and William Shatner; their performances are over-the-top ... deliberately, I guess, to keep the mood of the story light. In sum, what makes this movie good, I think, is that it's character driven. To me, character revelation/resolution is the main priority of any good story; and in this regard, "Miss Congeniality" delivers.
Pleasantville
(1998)
Fantasy come to life
6 October 2001
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS AHEAD David (Tobey Maguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) are twin brother and sister, linked by DNA, and little else. They are exact opposites in just about every way. He's a well-read nerd, carries on long-distance imaginary conversations with the most attractive girl in school, and obsesses on the fifty's black and white family sit-com, "Pleasantville." Jennifer doesn't waste her time reading, is popular in school, and obsesses on sex. Suddenly, by magic both are transported into the black and white world of "Pleasantville. The impact of these two modern-day kids on that one-dimensional culture is explosive. SPOILERS. Jennifer brings the joys of sex and passion to the people of Pleasantville, and David opens their eyes to an exciting outside world they never knew existed. However, Jennifer and David, themselves, are changed dramatically. BIG SPOILERS COMING. Jennifer finds joy in other things besides just sex and popularity; she becomes an avid reader; and in the end remains in Pleasantville to attend college, an opportunity not available to her in her original life. David finds himself suddenly the center of attention, a hero, and popular; and the prettiest girl in Pleasantville, Margaret (Marley Shelton), falls in love with him. However, having grown up, so to speak, he accepts the opportunity to return home. The movie touches on several issues - social, political, and personal - including how reading and literature can change the outlook of people; how important color is in the appreciation of art ... and life; how passions vitalize people; how insidious racial intolerance is; and how static cultures fear the written word. The importance of the written word is especially emphasized here. However, there's an even more profound and important message delivered by this movie. Actually, it comes in one of those short, unheralded golden movie moments, which sometimes in a matter of a few simple seconds, define a good movie. It took me several months and many viewings to catch the significance of that moment in "Pleasantville," a moment so seemingly unimportant that I originally gave it little more than a passing thought; in fact it seemed to me somewhat irrelevant until I finally figured it out.
SPOILER. David is about to push the TV remote button that will send him back to his present day home. Margaret hugs him tightly, and as tears roll down her cheeks, says to him, "Don't forget about me. Even if you never come back, I just don't want you to forget about me." As I watched that scene for the umpteenth time, it struck me. Margaret was the symbol of his fantasy come to life. And it was important for him. It would indeed be tragic if he forgot Margaret and the beauty she brought to his life through his fantasy, as well as the value his life gained from the changes Margaret and his fantasy world wrought in him. Fantasy isn't to be taken lightly.
An excellent piece of work by Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels, Jane Kaczmarek, William H. Macy, Marley Shelton, J. T. Walsh, and the rest of the ensemble cast - and by writer-director Gary Ross and his entire production team.
SPOILER. David is about to push the TV remote button that will send him back to his present day home. Margaret hugs him tightly, and as tears roll down her cheeks, says to him, "Don't forget about me. Even if you never come back, I just don't want you to forget about me." As I watched that scene for the umpteenth time, it struck me. Margaret was the symbol of his fantasy come to life. And it was important for him. It would indeed be tragic if he forgot Margaret and the beauty she brought to his life through his fantasy, as well as the value his life gained from the changes Margaret and his fantasy world wrought in him. Fantasy isn't to be taken lightly.
An excellent piece of work by Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels, Jane Kaczmarek, William H. Macy, Marley Shelton, J. T. Walsh, and the rest of the ensemble cast - and by writer-director Gary Ross and his entire production team.
An American Rhapsody
(2001)
Eva Gardos has moved cinematic art into a new dimension
22 September 2001
Warning: Spoilers
The following paragraphs contain SPOILERS. In "An American Rhapsody" there is no apparent climax (as some critics have been eager to point out). And rightly so, I think. I suppose Suzanne is the defined protagonist - the story is autobiographical, and told from Suzanne's point of view. But each of the other characters could justifiably claim that nebulous title. Certainly, while there are many conflicts and powerful dramatic moments; and while, sadly, Suzanne must make a choice, there is no wrong, anti-protagonist option. Each opposing choice is as right or wrong as the other. So in the end there is no emotional moment of truth that proclaims itself. Her decision is uncomplicated, and stated with a simplicity that defies conventional dramatic practices; one is stunned by how quickly that simple moment of truth passes.
(SPOILERS)In the period of Hungary's futile battle for independence from the repressive communist yoke, Margit and Peter, along with their young daughter Maria, make their run for freedom. The dangers for their baby, Suzanne, are too great, so the terrible decision is made to leave her behind with her grandmother, who in turn must pass the child over to a good, dependable rural couple - only moments before she herself is arrested and taken to prison. For six years Suzanne lives an idyllic life with her loving surrogate parents. Finally, Margit and Peter are successful in their never-ending efforts a get their baby back with them in America. At this point, although unrecognized by all concerned, the six year old Suzanne meets her first betrayal. She was told she was coming to America for a visit, but finds out soon enough that it's to be her permanent home. There are moments of frustrated rebellion for the child, until that poignant scene in the park when her gentle, loving father promises that when she's older if she still wants to, he'll let her visit her other "parents" in Hungary.
(SPOILERS)Ten years later, sixteen year old Suzanne still savors her memories of and mementos from that early idyllic life in Hungary. But she is also thoroughly "Americanized." She smokes (heck, back then darn near everybody smoked); she hangs around with the gang; and, reflecting her adolescent hormones, she's got a guy - all normal teenage behaviors that frighten her mother and lead to several typical parent-child arguments. But the panicked mother takes a major step beyond "typical" - leading to a frightening and memorable scene. (SPOILER)Suzanne wakes up to find that her mother has had bars put on her window - the image of the shocked Suzanne looking out through the bars is emotionally staggering to watch. Her mother has also put a latch on the bedroom door that can only be opened from the outside. Effectively, her mother has made her daughter a prisoner, just as she felt she was back in Hungary. And Suzanne strikes out for freedom as dramatically as her mother did. As a result, when she asks her father to keep his long-ago promise, he realizes he must give her a chance to revisit her "family" back in Hungary.
(SPOILERS)Back in Hungary she finds the love between her and them as strong as ever. But life there isn't the same as her memories - and she also is different. And her understanding of her real mother's motivations is changed. So she has that heart-rending decision to make between people she loves and people she loves. And it's that decision that slips by without fanfare. Which is as it should be. It fits. Eva Gardos was not giving us a conclusion so revolutionary as to call for dramatic scenes of introspection or indecision or conflict. Only one factor in the end moved Suzanne, and she spoke it; and that was that.
The cast was outstanding. Natassja Kinski's Margit was deeply affecting. Scarlett Johansson proved with her sensitive, true-to-life portrayal of Suzanne that her earlier moving reading of the role of Manny in "Manny and Lo" was no accident. Scarlett is among the best in the business. Six year old Kelly Endresz-Banlaki played the conflicted, confused, and betrayed young Suzanne with stunning depth.
Eva Gardos has moved the art of cinema into a new and more profound dimension.
(SPOILERS)In the period of Hungary's futile battle for independence from the repressive communist yoke, Margit and Peter, along with their young daughter Maria, make their run for freedom. The dangers for their baby, Suzanne, are too great, so the terrible decision is made to leave her behind with her grandmother, who in turn must pass the child over to a good, dependable rural couple - only moments before she herself is arrested and taken to prison. For six years Suzanne lives an idyllic life with her loving surrogate parents. Finally, Margit and Peter are successful in their never-ending efforts a get their baby back with them in America. At this point, although unrecognized by all concerned, the six year old Suzanne meets her first betrayal. She was told she was coming to America for a visit, but finds out soon enough that it's to be her permanent home. There are moments of frustrated rebellion for the child, until that poignant scene in the park when her gentle, loving father promises that when she's older if she still wants to, he'll let her visit her other "parents" in Hungary.
(SPOILERS)Ten years later, sixteen year old Suzanne still savors her memories of and mementos from that early idyllic life in Hungary. But she is also thoroughly "Americanized." She smokes (heck, back then darn near everybody smoked); she hangs around with the gang; and, reflecting her adolescent hormones, she's got a guy - all normal teenage behaviors that frighten her mother and lead to several typical parent-child arguments. But the panicked mother takes a major step beyond "typical" - leading to a frightening and memorable scene. (SPOILER)Suzanne wakes up to find that her mother has had bars put on her window - the image of the shocked Suzanne looking out through the bars is emotionally staggering to watch. Her mother has also put a latch on the bedroom door that can only be opened from the outside. Effectively, her mother has made her daughter a prisoner, just as she felt she was back in Hungary. And Suzanne strikes out for freedom as dramatically as her mother did. As a result, when she asks her father to keep his long-ago promise, he realizes he must give her a chance to revisit her "family" back in Hungary.
(SPOILERS)Back in Hungary she finds the love between her and them as strong as ever. But life there isn't the same as her memories - and she also is different. And her understanding of her real mother's motivations is changed. So she has that heart-rending decision to make between people she loves and people she loves. And it's that decision that slips by without fanfare. Which is as it should be. It fits. Eva Gardos was not giving us a conclusion so revolutionary as to call for dramatic scenes of introspection or indecision or conflict. Only one factor in the end moved Suzanne, and she spoke it; and that was that.
The cast was outstanding. Natassja Kinski's Margit was deeply affecting. Scarlett Johansson proved with her sensitive, true-to-life portrayal of Suzanne that her earlier moving reading of the role of Manny in "Manny and Lo" was no accident. Scarlett is among the best in the business. Six year old Kelly Endresz-Banlaki played the conflicted, confused, and betrayed young Suzanne with stunning depth.
Eva Gardos has moved the art of cinema into a new and more profound dimension.
The Nest
(1980)
An idyll to be savored
20 September 2001
Warning: Spoilers
Sadly, "El Nido" is one of the many beautiful Spanish films that are rarely seen on this side of the ocean. I know, I know: the mere idea of a foreign film is a turn-off for many of us. Me too, for most of my life. But in recent years I've gradually found what a gold mine of quality foreign films can be. Since most of them are made on budgets considerably smaller than typical Hollywood offerings, they depend on story and character as their main emphasis. Location, costume, large casts, special effects, etc. cannot be a factor when budget limitations rule. I find many foreign films use children in their story themes because children provide a wealth of possibilities for story and, particularly, characterization. And some of those films have become classic, though not necessarily well-known over here. "Emma's Shadow" and "Ponette" are good examples of sensitive and beautiful movies featuring children that were made east of the Atlantic. And Spain in particular has contributed some fantastic films in this area. "The Spirit of the Beehive" is among the best such movies ever made anywhere. The star of that movie, Ana Torrent (7-8 years old), has become an icon in Spain, but the typical American response to the name is, "Ana Who?" Ana has grown into an adult now, and in Spain they've had the great fortune of watching her career from child well into mature adult.
The following paragraph contains SPOILERS. In "El Nido," made when she was perhaps twelve or so, Ana plays a thirteen year old student, Goyita, who falls in love with a 60 or so widower. The widower, Don Alejandro (Hector Altero) is spellbound, almost bewitched be her. Her self absorbed, but not evil, adolescent/child character keeps making demands of him to prove his love for her, demands that require him to sacrifice deeper and deeper aspects of himself. Goyita is dealing with pressures and demands in her own life and finds in Alejandro not only someone who loves her without qualification, but a means of survival in her repressive world; in no way is she a "Bad Seed" type. Their idyllic day together is filled with some fantastically touching images. Watching Ana Torrent's subtle responses to Alejandro's words is a priceless experience. She is one of the most beautiful and talented actresses I've ever seen. (SPOILER) In one scene she and her young teacher, Marissa (Patricia Adriani) face off in one of the best woman-to-woman duels in film history.
The story unwraps slowly, gently - it's an idyll to be savored. I highly recommend "El Nido." Unfortunately, it's not easy to find these days on this side of the Atlantic. I've only seen it at used video sites. But it's worth the effort.
The following paragraph contains SPOILERS. In "El Nido," made when she was perhaps twelve or so, Ana plays a thirteen year old student, Goyita, who falls in love with a 60 or so widower. The widower, Don Alejandro (Hector Altero) is spellbound, almost bewitched be her. Her self absorbed, but not evil, adolescent/child character keeps making demands of him to prove his love for her, demands that require him to sacrifice deeper and deeper aspects of himself. Goyita is dealing with pressures and demands in her own life and finds in Alejandro not only someone who loves her without qualification, but a means of survival in her repressive world; in no way is she a "Bad Seed" type. Their idyllic day together is filled with some fantastically touching images. Watching Ana Torrent's subtle responses to Alejandro's words is a priceless experience. She is one of the most beautiful and talented actresses I've ever seen. (SPOILER) In one scene she and her young teacher, Marissa (Patricia Adriani) face off in one of the best woman-to-woman duels in film history.
The story unwraps slowly, gently - it's an idyll to be savored. I highly recommend "El Nido." Unfortunately, it's not easy to find these days on this side of the Atlantic. I've only seen it at used video sites. But it's worth the effort.
But I'm a Cheerleader
(1999)
Digging for gold is hard, but the rewards can be great
3 September 2001
Warning: Spoilers
Okay, so this isn't an epic production. Steven Spielberg makes epic productions, and sometimes they're pretty good. BIAC is a small film, made on a smaller-than-epic budget, with a limited scope (to fit the budget, probably) and a limited cast of characters, and it didn't have much of a big-screen play. As a teenage humor/angst film, it's one of dozens and dozens, some perhaps better done. "Coming of age" doesn't really fit - and it too perhaps has been done better. As a biting satire of our culture's view of homosexuality, well that's been done before - and perhaps better. As a satire of our culture's view of anyone different, there have been others, but probably not many as well done as this.
But as a scathing satire on our culture's more insidious, cruel, and hidden, penchant to educate, change, and purify those who are different (as we did to the American Indian children when we forbade them their own language, dress, hair styles, and names), there have been precious few movies as effective as "But I'm a Cheerleader." (SPOILER) No editorial emphasis was necessary for the simple scene when the young man was put into solitary exile in a doll house for getting caught kissing another boy. For anyone with eyes wide open, that scene carried a tremendous emotional impact.
(SPOILER)Megan, Natasha Lyonne, tried to "repent her ways": she did all the proper exercises with the proper attitude - at the start. But gradually the true basic strength of her character evolved. (SPOILER) In the end, her character proved stronger than her sardonic, worldly wise friend Graham, Cleo DuVall. So not only was this movie a pertinent and effective satire, on a dramatic level it was additionally an outstanding story of the evolution of a very complex and profound character.
Kudos to the director, Jamie Babbit, and to the superb ensemble cast for bringing the story together - and especially to Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall for bringing life and value to two very likeable characters.
But as a scathing satire on our culture's more insidious, cruel, and hidden, penchant to educate, change, and purify those who are different (as we did to the American Indian children when we forbade them their own language, dress, hair styles, and names), there have been precious few movies as effective as "But I'm a Cheerleader." (SPOILER) No editorial emphasis was necessary for the simple scene when the young man was put into solitary exile in a doll house for getting caught kissing another boy. For anyone with eyes wide open, that scene carried a tremendous emotional impact.
(SPOILER)Megan, Natasha Lyonne, tried to "repent her ways": she did all the proper exercises with the proper attitude - at the start. But gradually the true basic strength of her character evolved. (SPOILER) In the end, her character proved stronger than her sardonic, worldly wise friend Graham, Cleo DuVall. So not only was this movie a pertinent and effective satire, on a dramatic level it was additionally an outstanding story of the evolution of a very complex and profound character.
Kudos to the director, Jamie Babbit, and to the superb ensemble cast for bringing the story together - and especially to Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall for bringing life and value to two very likeable characters.
Lolita
(1997)
What a great and resilient character Nabokov created.
29 July 2001
Warning: Spoilers
About Lolita:
Much has been said about Dominique/Lolita's age. Casting Dominique as the younger Lolita reminded me of the director Tamra Davis' talk after the St. Louis Film Festival's showing of "Skipped Parts" (about a fourteen year old boy and girl's deliberate first sexual experience). Ironically, for that film, one of the reasons thirteen year old Mischa Barton was chosen for the part was because Ms Davis was having a hard time finding a fourteen year old who had the "innocent look" she was looking for. Personally, I'd have preferred a younger film Lolita. In "Leon (The Professional)" Natalie Portman's Mathilda, in spite of her sexually forward behavior, projected a natural twelve year old innocence that would attract a Leon. Would he have committed as much for her had she been, say, fifteen? The story would have been different, to say the least. But in the long run it's of no matter, Dominique Swain portrayed Lolita beautifully.
To me this was Lolita's story. Humbert, Quilty, and Charlotte were the supporting characters.
<SPOILER AHEAD> As I saw it, the difference between Humbert and Quilty lay in Humbert's self-justification and Quilty's not. Quilty was evil; evil doesn't justify or explain itself - except, perhaps, through irony. Humbert actually made himself believe he was Lolita's benefactor, a typical trait among us human types - even to the end, where he adopts an almost fatherly aspect. We, with an uncomfortable sense of guilt, actually feel sympathy for him when Quilty "steals" Lolita. We are Humbert ("We has met the enemy, and it is us"). Humbert's sloppy assassination of Quilty actually made a victim out of evil (we do that too). The driving force behind Humbert's feeling for Lolita wasn't love - or lust; it was good old-fashioned human greed. He wanted her as his own.
<SPOILER AHEAD> But Lolita is the real victim in this story; although we, like Humbert, view her as a pubescent siren (blame the victim). You can't always avoid being made a victim (See "Eye of God" 1997). It's how you cope with it that defines your character. Isaac accepted his father's orders dutifully. Jephthah's daughter accepted her fate, but bargained for a three month youthful fling first (it's doubtful that the judge would have been so permissive ordinarily). Lo never did fully accept Humbert's dominance except as a means of survival.
<SPOILER AHEAD> The story is told from Humbert's perspective, and tells of his thoughts, plots, and trials, and is quite graphic in the assassination scene. But the story's title is not "Humbert" or "Humbert Humbert" or "I Loved a Teenage Wench" or "I Killed Quilty." Nabokov chose Lolita as the character on whom he wished to bestow such importance. Because she was important. Innocence is one of the few worthwhile assets we humans have. We mistakenly equate innocence with sexual behavior - especially with young girls. I prefer looking at innocence, at least in part, as trusting, as the naivete we humans view with scorn, something we see children needing to grow out of. Also typifying innocence is the absence of greed. When given her freedom, Lolita chose the option of a becoming a normal wife and mother. Not only was she innocent in her naivete, she was innocent in her heart.
What a great and resilient character Nabokov created.
Much has been said about Dominique/Lolita's age. Casting Dominique as the younger Lolita reminded me of the director Tamra Davis' talk after the St. Louis Film Festival's showing of "Skipped Parts" (about a fourteen year old boy and girl's deliberate first sexual experience). Ironically, for that film, one of the reasons thirteen year old Mischa Barton was chosen for the part was because Ms Davis was having a hard time finding a fourteen year old who had the "innocent look" she was looking for. Personally, I'd have preferred a younger film Lolita. In "Leon (The Professional)" Natalie Portman's Mathilda, in spite of her sexually forward behavior, projected a natural twelve year old innocence that would attract a Leon. Would he have committed as much for her had she been, say, fifteen? The story would have been different, to say the least. But in the long run it's of no matter, Dominique Swain portrayed Lolita beautifully.
To me this was Lolita's story. Humbert, Quilty, and Charlotte were the supporting characters.
<SPOILER AHEAD> As I saw it, the difference between Humbert and Quilty lay in Humbert's self-justification and Quilty's not. Quilty was evil; evil doesn't justify or explain itself - except, perhaps, through irony. Humbert actually made himself believe he was Lolita's benefactor, a typical trait among us human types - even to the end, where he adopts an almost fatherly aspect. We, with an uncomfortable sense of guilt, actually feel sympathy for him when Quilty "steals" Lolita. We are Humbert ("We has met the enemy, and it is us"). Humbert's sloppy assassination of Quilty actually made a victim out of evil (we do that too). The driving force behind Humbert's feeling for Lolita wasn't love - or lust; it was good old-fashioned human greed. He wanted her as his own.
<SPOILER AHEAD> But Lolita is the real victim in this story; although we, like Humbert, view her as a pubescent siren (blame the victim). You can't always avoid being made a victim (See "Eye of God" 1997). It's how you cope with it that defines your character. Isaac accepted his father's orders dutifully. Jephthah's daughter accepted her fate, but bargained for a three month youthful fling first (it's doubtful that the judge would have been so permissive ordinarily). Lo never did fully accept Humbert's dominance except as a means of survival.
<SPOILER AHEAD> The story is told from Humbert's perspective, and tells of his thoughts, plots, and trials, and is quite graphic in the assassination scene. But the story's title is not "Humbert" or "Humbert Humbert" or "I Loved a Teenage Wench" or "I Killed Quilty." Nabokov chose Lolita as the character on whom he wished to bestow such importance. Because she was important. Innocence is one of the few worthwhile assets we humans have. We mistakenly equate innocence with sexual behavior - especially with young girls. I prefer looking at innocence, at least in part, as trusting, as the naivete we humans view with scorn, something we see children needing to grow out of. Also typifying innocence is the absence of greed. When given her freedom, Lolita chose the option of a becoming a normal wife and mother. Not only was she innocent in her naivete, she was innocent in her heart.
What a great and resilient character Nabokov created.
Angel
(1983)
The unflagging will to survive.
26 July 2001
Warning: Spoilers
Harriet (from Digging to China): "Sometimes great ideas came to me all at once."
Okay, about "Angel" (1984). Sometimes uninspired dialog. Story lines that go nowhere. Throw-away characters. Almost universally panned by critics. But one of my all-time favorite characters, and some of my all-time favorite scenes; therefore, I forgave it all its sins, and designated it one of my all-time favorite movies. In recent years it sort of slipped into my subconscious and lay there dormant ... until "all at once" this "great idea" came to me. I decided, as a special treat from one movie addict to all the other movie addicts out there, to unhesitatingly recommend the movie "Angel." I think the title character is one that most open-minded movie addicts will love.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. In "Angel," fifteen year old Molly (Angel)is a quiet, unassuming "A" student at an exclusive high school in L.A. She lives in an apartment in colorful, trashy downtown Hollywood. She has these two big secrets. One, she is for all practical purposes an orphan. Her father left seven years earlier, and her mother deserted her when Molly was twelve. Molly carries on the pretense that her mother still lives with her ("Too sick to come to the door") so that the authorities won't put her in foster homes. Two, she pays the steep tuition and supports herself in pretty good fashion from what she earns working as a street prostitute. She's beloved by the colorful characters who populate the area. And because she is such a serious student, between tricks she does her homework in the hotel lounge. (MORE SPOILERS) One of the great sequences comes when some of the not-so-honorable guys at the high school discover her secret life one night while they're cruising around looking for whatever. They think they can blackmail her and force her to have sex with them for free. BIG MISTAKE. Her response to them is direct, dramatic, and to my mind, delightful. (AND MORE SPOILERS) The movie's running story centers on a serial killer who's ritually killing prostitutes (no new territory there). But at the climax, what I think is one of the best movie scenes ever has the desperate murderer running in panic from the resolute, pursuing little Angel. In her hand she carries a cannon, a giant .44 caliber revolver, just as if she's John Wayne himself. A fabulous scene. This being 1984, they couldn't let her be the one to kill him of course, but that's okay; the image remains great. Actually, the gun in her hand is not a sudden plot device. Early on, to meet the threat of the serial killer, she bought a handgun and had an old western actor (Rory Calhoun) show her how to shoot it.
Whatever anybody might think about the movie, Donna Wilkes' Angel, the unique character with the unflagging will to survive, has to go down as a movie classic.
Okay, about "Angel" (1984). Sometimes uninspired dialog. Story lines that go nowhere. Throw-away characters. Almost universally panned by critics. But one of my all-time favorite characters, and some of my all-time favorite scenes; therefore, I forgave it all its sins, and designated it one of my all-time favorite movies. In recent years it sort of slipped into my subconscious and lay there dormant ... until "all at once" this "great idea" came to me. I decided, as a special treat from one movie addict to all the other movie addicts out there, to unhesitatingly recommend the movie "Angel." I think the title character is one that most open-minded movie addicts will love.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. In "Angel," fifteen year old Molly (Angel)is a quiet, unassuming "A" student at an exclusive high school in L.A. She lives in an apartment in colorful, trashy downtown Hollywood. She has these two big secrets. One, she is for all practical purposes an orphan. Her father left seven years earlier, and her mother deserted her when Molly was twelve. Molly carries on the pretense that her mother still lives with her ("Too sick to come to the door") so that the authorities won't put her in foster homes. Two, she pays the steep tuition and supports herself in pretty good fashion from what she earns working as a street prostitute. She's beloved by the colorful characters who populate the area. And because she is such a serious student, between tricks she does her homework in the hotel lounge. (MORE SPOILERS) One of the great sequences comes when some of the not-so-honorable guys at the high school discover her secret life one night while they're cruising around looking for whatever. They think they can blackmail her and force her to have sex with them for free. BIG MISTAKE. Her response to them is direct, dramatic, and to my mind, delightful. (AND MORE SPOILERS) The movie's running story centers on a serial killer who's ritually killing prostitutes (no new territory there). But at the climax, what I think is one of the best movie scenes ever has the desperate murderer running in panic from the resolute, pursuing little Angel. In her hand she carries a cannon, a giant .44 caliber revolver, just as if she's John Wayne himself. A fabulous scene. This being 1984, they couldn't let her be the one to kill him of course, but that's okay; the image remains great. Actually, the gun in her hand is not a sudden plot device. Early on, to meet the threat of the serial killer, she bought a handgun and had an old western actor (Rory Calhoun) show her how to shoot it.
Whatever anybody might think about the movie, Donna Wilkes' Angel, the unique character with the unflagging will to survive, has to go down as a movie classic.
That Night
(1992)
You'll like Alice and Sheryl, and Eliza and Juliette
21 July 2001
Warning: Spoilers
"That Night" received mixed reviews from pro critics, and mostly positive reviews from real people - for generally the same reasons. What the reviewers see as pedestrian, cliche filled, and overly sentimental are exactly the things most people love in a movie. In our again and again 1440 minutes a day, most of us live mostly routine, pedestrian, cliched lives ("What's new?" "Nothing much. You?") - or it's that people don't like to face in their entertainment the same problems they live every day; sentimental is the impossible dream escape they wish for themselves. Both groups seem to draw their opinions from quick immediate reactions to one-time viewings. I've found it sometimes takes a second or third viewing to see some of the more complex aspects of a movie. With that in mind, I revisited "That Night" last night (Sorry about that).
SPOILERS AHEAD "That Night" takes place in the early sixties. It's built on two separate story lines. One involves the character Sheryl O'Conner, played with her usual stunning intensity by Juliette Lewis. Sheryl is a seventeen year old, sophisticated, worldly wise, sexy, vamp - a Catholic girl who tests her cultural restrictions to the limit, having a propensity for dangerous guys. She pushes to the limits of the restrictions, but is mostly ruled by them. Her strong father is doting, permissive, and demonstrative in his love for her. Across the street lives eleven year old Alice Bloom, played by Eliza Dushku. Sheryl is everything Alice is not. Alice is naive, and the butt of her peers' pranks, which take advantage of her naivete. Her father is also a strong personality, but cold and rigid in his relationships with his wife and daughter, and insensitive almost to the point of cruelty to Alice. Alice is on her own emotionally. As the story develops between Sheryl and her, it's ironically the naive Alice who has the stronger character - perhaps because of her having to make it on her own emotionally. She is the one who can work through problems (not always wisely, but with consistent fortitude); she is the one who's willing to "take the bull by the horns," so to speak; and she is the one with the courage of her convictions. Sheryl, perhaps by reason of her loving and permissive upbringing, is the one who folds under pressure.
MORE SPOILERS But Alice only sees Sheryl as her ideal, as being everything she wants to be. She spies on Sheryl; she imitates Sheryl's choices in music and perfume. She all but stalks the older girl. The two are brought together when Sheryl finds Alice sick and hurt from the cruel treatment she received at the hands of her friends. In turn, Alice helps Sheryl in planning the trysts with her roustabout boyfriend, and joins her in those trysts as part of the plots she designed. A warm bond grows out of the relationship between Alice, Sheryl, and Sheryl's boyfriend Rick (C. Thomas Howell).
AND MORE SPOILERS Sheryl becomes pregnant, and is exiled to an unwed mothers maternity home (the typical practice of the day). Harsh confrontations arise between Alice and her father, and she defiantly runs away, setting herself to the task of bringing Rick and Cheryl back together as she KNOWS they should be.
SMALL SPOILER Sure, the story is corny, pedestrian, and cliched. And the images are nothing special (the under-the-boardwalk gaudiness here doesn't come close to the softer under-the-boardwalk sequence in "Heaven Help Us." Except for the one scene where Rick dances with Alice on the beach; that's a memorable one. But viewed from the perspective of it's complex evolving human relationships, this is a memorable movie.
SPOILERS AHEAD "That Night" takes place in the early sixties. It's built on two separate story lines. One involves the character Sheryl O'Conner, played with her usual stunning intensity by Juliette Lewis. Sheryl is a seventeen year old, sophisticated, worldly wise, sexy, vamp - a Catholic girl who tests her cultural restrictions to the limit, having a propensity for dangerous guys. She pushes to the limits of the restrictions, but is mostly ruled by them. Her strong father is doting, permissive, and demonstrative in his love for her. Across the street lives eleven year old Alice Bloom, played by Eliza Dushku. Sheryl is everything Alice is not. Alice is naive, and the butt of her peers' pranks, which take advantage of her naivete. Her father is also a strong personality, but cold and rigid in his relationships with his wife and daughter, and insensitive almost to the point of cruelty to Alice. Alice is on her own emotionally. As the story develops between Sheryl and her, it's ironically the naive Alice who has the stronger character - perhaps because of her having to make it on her own emotionally. She is the one who can work through problems (not always wisely, but with consistent fortitude); she is the one who's willing to "take the bull by the horns," so to speak; and she is the one with the courage of her convictions. Sheryl, perhaps by reason of her loving and permissive upbringing, is the one who folds under pressure.
MORE SPOILERS But Alice only sees Sheryl as her ideal, as being everything she wants to be. She spies on Sheryl; she imitates Sheryl's choices in music and perfume. She all but stalks the older girl. The two are brought together when Sheryl finds Alice sick and hurt from the cruel treatment she received at the hands of her friends. In turn, Alice helps Sheryl in planning the trysts with her roustabout boyfriend, and joins her in those trysts as part of the plots she designed. A warm bond grows out of the relationship between Alice, Sheryl, and Sheryl's boyfriend Rick (C. Thomas Howell).
AND MORE SPOILERS Sheryl becomes pregnant, and is exiled to an unwed mothers maternity home (the typical practice of the day). Harsh confrontations arise between Alice and her father, and she defiantly runs away, setting herself to the task of bringing Rick and Cheryl back together as she KNOWS they should be.
SMALL SPOILER Sure, the story is corny, pedestrian, and cliched. And the images are nothing special (the under-the-boardwalk gaudiness here doesn't come close to the softer under-the-boardwalk sequence in "Heaven Help Us." Except for the one scene where Rick dances with Alice on the beach; that's a memorable one. But viewed from the perspective of it's complex evolving human relationships, this is a memorable movie.
A Movie Classic
18 April 2001
Warning: Spoilers
Caution: There may be spoilers ahead. A culture thoroughly embedded in tradition, honor, duty, and repression of natural instincts is suddenly lit up by the exciting light of a beacon of the free human spirit. Jen, who embraces her passions proudly, is everything the principals in this movie oppose; yet, like moths, they are attracted to her - and the effect is every bit as devastating to them as the beacon light is to the moths. Each views Jen as a tabula rasa to be shaped to fit his or her own ideal. Gray Fox wants to join with her as a team to conquer the underworld. Her father would have her marry to improve his political position. Yu Shu Lien would have her submit to her duties as a woman. Li Mu Bai would make her his protege as a Wudan knight. But Jen ever follows her passions (Li: "Kneel!" Jen: "Never!") and holds to her own free spirit to the very end, even when engulfed by guilt and sorrow.
In Jen we have one of the most remarkable and constant characters in literature, joining with the likes of, among a very few others, Shakespeare's Juliet, Irish legend's Deirdre, Ibsen's Nora, and more recently Mary from "The Book of Stars" and Devon from "Lawn Dogs" to form a singular group of free-spirited heroes who live a perilous existence in a society that greatly fears the natural free spirits of its members.
In Jen we have one of the most remarkable and constant characters in literature, joining with the likes of, among a very few others, Shakespeare's Juliet, Irish legend's Deirdre, Ibsen's Nora, and more recently Mary from "The Book of Stars" and Devon from "Lawn Dogs" to form a singular group of free-spirited heroes who live a perilous existence in a society that greatly fears the natural free spirits of its members.
Ralph Richardson: his final masterpiece.
10 December 2000
Don't let the wildly varying reviews of the movie deter you. You'll love it or hate it according to your own tastes. However, if for no other reason, see "Greystoke" to experience the excitement of a great actor grabbing your heart as he breathes life into his role. Ralph Richardson was not a great actor for how perfectly he could handle Shakespeare; rather, he is to be remembered for his sensitive treatment of every character he portrayed. He was never indifferent to his responsibility as an actor. His reading of the part of the Sixth Lord of Greystoke, his last performance, is to be cherished by all who love the theatre.
Skipped Parts
(2000)
Better than the book
13 November 2000
Warning: Spoilers
I just saw this movie at the Saint Louis International Film Festival. "Skipped Parts" represents one of those unusual situations where a movie comes across better than the book on which it is based. And the reason is even more unusual: I think the characters in the movie, especially the two young leads, are more real, more true to life than in the book. Unusual because printed narration should allow more time for character exploration. Sure, "Skipped Parts" is a comedy, but even humor gains when played out by people you care for. In the movie, the character of Maury, as portrayed by the fine young actor Mischa Barton, comes across a little nicer, and a little more sensitive to Sam's feelings than in the book. I like to think that Maury and Sam, while at first apparently attracted to each other by their brains - "We're the only ones who can read," Sam explains - are actually more connected by their sensitivity to events in the world around them, as well as to each other. (Possible spoiler) Their moment of truth comes in the scene where Dothan roughs them up. By the way, even Brad Renfro's reading of the part of Dothan gives that character a warmth that's harder to find in the book, which in turn provides us with some reason to accept Maury's being his steady. Director Tamra Davis does an excellent job of bringing the story to life. She treated the characters and their feelings with respect. (Possible Spoiler) Particularly, I think she handled Maury and Sam's bedroom scene with delicacy and good taste, reflecting her sensitivity to and respect for the actors and the roles they played. You'd have to work very hard to be offended by it.
It's a good movie with lots of good fun - interspersed with some deeply poignant moments - and it features some terrific acting turns by Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bug Hall, and Mischa Barton.
It's a good movie with lots of good fun - interspersed with some deeply poignant moments - and it features some terrific acting turns by Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bug Hall, and Mischa Barton.
Degas and the Dancer
(1998 TV Movie)
Follow your dream
19 August 2000
A short film - just a television hour. The story is simplistic. The dialog is simplistic. The moral is simplistic. However, it does have three overriding assets.
First, it displays the art of Edgar Degas, which is qualification enough for most of us.
Second, even if the lesson it tries to teach isn't new, it does reach to the most glaring and possibly most tragic vulnerabilities of the human spirit: self-confidence, and our tendency to surrender to the cruelty of pretentious criticism. Anyone, young or old, who puts him or herself on the line chasing a dream, would not be wasting the hour it takes to view this film.
Finally, the movie has Alison Pill playing the key part of Marie. Her beauty, art, grace, and glowing spirit will reach to the depths of even the most guarded of hearts.
First, it displays the art of Edgar Degas, which is qualification enough for most of us.
Second, even if the lesson it tries to teach isn't new, it does reach to the most glaring and possibly most tragic vulnerabilities of the human spirit: self-confidence, and our tendency to surrender to the cruelty of pretentious criticism. Anyone, young or old, who puts him or herself on the line chasing a dream, would not be wasting the hour it takes to view this film.
Finally, the movie has Alison Pill playing the key part of Marie. Her beauty, art, grace, and glowing spirit will reach to the depths of even the most guarded of hearts.
Ellen Foster
(1997 TV Movie)
A tour de force for Jena Malone
8 July 2000
Because the passage of years has a way of fogging most adults' memories of their own "childhoods" - especially in the intangible areas of feelings, hopes, hurts, decisions, goals, strategies, etc., they will often conclude that "children" are sort of non-sentient, non-human beings - blank pages in-putting a stream of data for use in their later, more important after metamorphosis existence. I read a review once of "The Cure", a movie starring young actors Joseph Mazzello and Brad Renfro, where a critic in a backhanded compliment called them "two of the best pre-actors around." I suppose that was because, being under twenty-one, they must be "pre-people." Judging by a few of Jena Malone's recent public remarks, not to mention her own real-life experiences, I'm sure she would object to such an attitude. Certainly, her film career belies that attitude. The movie "Ellen Foster" is a good case in point. In it she portrays an eleven year-old girl who, when buffeted by the cruelty and insensitivity of the supposed wise adult world responsible for her care, sets out determinedly to shape a world for herself that does make sense. Ellen belongs to no one but her own unique really human self.
However, it isn't just the character who achieves the point. More important, by her powerful performance, Miss Malone certainly proves she is an actor - and person - of substance. Her ability to read and interpret with such perception and sensitivity the inner being of Ellen as she goes through her trials and sets out on her steadfast quest is precisely on point. This movie is a tour de force for Jena Malone. In the field of acting, she takes a back seat to no one ... of any age.
However, it isn't just the character who achieves the point. More important, by her powerful performance, Miss Malone certainly proves she is an actor - and person - of substance. Her ability to read and interpret with such perception and sensitivity the inner being of Ellen as she goes through her trials and sets out on her steadfast quest is precisely on point. This movie is a tour de force for Jena Malone. In the field of acting, she takes a back seat to no one ... of any age.
Emma's Shadow
(1988)
A beautiful and deeply moving story
2 July 2000
I was surprised to find that this precious gem of a movie was sitting here in a dark corner of the IMDb without even one comment. Perhaps it's the Danish title, "Skyggen af Emma"; I guess it doesn't particularly lend itself to casual surfing. The English translation, "Emma's Shadow", will get you there if you know what you're looking for. And the movie truly is a precious gem. Sure, you have to put up with subtitles, but they don't really get in the way of understanding what the movie is all about. The essence of the movie is to be found in the evolving loving relationship between eleven year old Emma, a bright, complex, but neglected child of affluent self-absorbed parents, and the simple Malthe, an ex-convict who works in the city sewers. The profound feelings that develop in each for the other doesn't require dialog. Their faces and eyes and body language speak those feelings far better than any author's words could. In fact, the final scene is carried through without one word spoken - and becomes as deeply moving a scene as you're ever see in any motion picture. Actually, there are several scenes of powerful emotional impact along the way as true love sets in solidly between the two. I don't think I'm giving away anything when I say that the capstone of their relationship is in the beautifully understated hotel room sequence near the end of the picture. That and the final scene I already mentioned will bring a tear to any but the coldest of hearts. It must be noted that Line Kruse, as Emma, and the veteran actor Borje Ahstedt, as Malthe, put in masterful performances. It appears that the picture is out of print at the present time. That's a shame. The world needs more such movies. Real beauty is becoming harder to find in present day literature. However, it should still be available in some rental stores. It's worth going out of your way to see before it sadly disappears entirely.
The River Rat
(1984)
This is a beautiful movie that needs to be recognized.
17 May 2000
"The River Rat" is too good a movie to lie in a corner without comment. Good grief, this was Martha Plimpton's first major role. For that reason alone it has a place in motion picture history. What a terrific talent, and what great contributions she has made to the art in roles both small and large. In this movie she combines with such recognized stars as Tommy Lee Jones and Brian Dennehy, and takes a back seat to neither. Her father-daughter scenes with Mr. Jones are warm and real. The depth all three of the lead actors brought to their characters was truly remarkable. In sum, the beautiful background of the mighty Mississippi River, an interesting story, some great acting turns, and, of course, Martha Plimpton make "The River Rat" a must-see picture.
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