Roll-M - Movie Reviews |
Amélie (starring Audrey Tautou, Nino Quincampoix, Mathieu Kassovitz; written by Guillaume Laurant; directed by Jean Pierre Jeunet. Rated R.
Amélie likes to skip stones on a Parisian canal. She also likes to immerse her hand in sacks of grain, crack the crust on crème brulée with the back of a spoon, and help people straighten out their lives. Some of these quirky people include the “man of glass,” a man with brittle bone disease; a man who collects discarded photo booth snapshots; the greengrocer’s slow but sensitive assistant, and other equally oddball but lovable people in her life. She’s a delightful child-woman, and Amélie is a charming French film that is certain to win your heart. The film received four Academy Award® nominations this year: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Art Direction, Best Sound and Best Original Screenplay. Shown in French, with English subtitles.
Owls 5/5
The Count of Monte Cristo (starring Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce,
Richard Harris, Dagmara Dominczyk; Screenplay by Jay Wolpert, based on the novel
by Alexandre Dumas; directed by Kevin Reynolds. Rated PG-13.)
The oft-filmed classic tale from Alexandre Dumas has all the elements of drama
that make for exciting story telling: romance, injustice, triumph over adversity
and ultimate revenge. The story will be familiar to most Mensans. Edmond Dantes,
a young idealist, is caught up in the political intrigue of the declining days
of the Napoleonic era. He’s betrayed by his friend Fernand, (Guy Pearce,
one of the year’s hottest new actors) who envies his love interest, and
it’s off to the big house on a remote island. After thirteen agonizing
years in a prison so vile it makes Joe Arpaio’s tent city look like Disneyland,
Dantes meets up with an ancient inmate (Harris) who helps him escape and directs
him to the hidden loot, thus enabling him to return triumphantly as the Count
of Monte Cristo, ready to exact his revenge upon his ex-friend and reclaim his
lady-love.
This retelling is well done, with good acting and nice direction. The action
flows smoothly, aided by excellent cinematography and other production values.
Owls 3 ½ / 5
In the Bedroom (starring Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek, Nick Stahl,
William Mapother, Marisa Tomei; written by Robert Fetsinger and Todd Field;
based upon a short story by Andre Dubus; directed by Todd Field. Rated R.)
In the Bedroom is the darling of the critics, as well as beloved
by the Motion Picture Academy, which has bestowed a “Best Picture”
nomination on this movie. I wish I knew why. I simply could not warm up to
this film.
The first problem for me is director/writer Field. My usual rule is to watch
out for “hyphenates” – when writers direct their own films, they
never seem to know what should be cut. Some writer/directors are outstanding,
but I would probably go out of my way to avoid any future films by Todd Field
for one simple reason: In the Bedroom is boring and predictable.
The story centers on a family, their son and his eventually tragic, romantic
involvement with a married woman who is a victim of spousal abuse. ’Nuf
said. The script is character driven, which can often be entertaining and worthwhile.
But there are very few films I’ve seen lately that dragged as much as this
one. Long, silent moments with no forward momentum left me yawning mightily.
Yes, there are some shocking moments (which I won’t reveal here, in case
you’re still left with an urge to see this mess). And there are some really
good performances. Sissy Spacek had been touted for the Best Actress Oscar®
nomination, and by gum, she got it and deserves it. Marisa Tomei’s Best
Supporting Actress nomination is also probably deserved. But I had hoped for
more in the way of story; I saw the predictable ending an hour before it chugged
along to the inevitable conclusion. Maybe it’s the logical Mensan in me,
but I don’t see what all the fuss is about.
Owls 2/5