In a world where we’re reduced to watching nothing but talking Cars preaching about pollution, and surfing penguins all for the sake of selling fast food, and action figures, it’s often very exhilarating to watch an animated film that’s about something rather than the excruciating sugary pabulum we’re force fed as film lovers and general movie goers. Even more, it’s refreshing to see an animated film that dares to challenge our views on politics and discusses misplaced man in a foreign culture. “Persepolis” has almost everything to its benefit and thankfully never pigeonholes itself as one particular genre offering, and it works so well in its favor, that it ends as an experience of discovery, rather than a simple 2D world of stark black and whites, and vibrant pastels.
Tag Archives: Biography
American Gangster (2007)
I wonder why it hasn’t been further emphasized that Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster” marks the second meeting between Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Perhaps it’s because during “Virtuosity” Crowe was barely a star, or perhaps it’s because “Virtuosity” just wasn’t that good. True, this second meeting is not as notable as Paul Newman and Robert Redford’s, but I wish it were. We have a slew of incredible actors, some favorites, some up and comers, and two of the current best actors in Hollywood meeting. Yet again. The hook for this crime thriller is capitalism. Capitalism, Zaillian insists, however criminal or legal, is still nothing but deception and appealing to consumers in spite of the sleazy methods in which we act out the primary principle of business in America.
The Jazz Singer (1927) (Three-Disc Deluxe Edition) (DVD)
I always manage to garner negative reactions from fellow movie geeks who find my sheer stern love for film rather irritating. I’m told to lighten up, I’m told that I take this stuff too seriously, and that movies are just entertainment; “They’re just movies! They’re there to entertain above everything else! Don’t be so critical!” The reason why I hold movies to such a high regard with a strong importance is because movies are a powerful form of art and expression, and images in film can hold a great deal of power that can affect everyone from casual observers to the deepest of film buffs. If it were the contrary, Warner Bros. would have included the most famous image of “The Jazz Singer” on the box of this new deluxe edition, rather than opting for an image of Jolson’s shadow in a beaming spotlight.
Hollywoodland (2006)
On June 16, 1959, George Reeves committed suicide; which was then later thought to be and is still heavily debated as a murder. This death was important to many people for the simple fact that it was the end of a beloved icon, and one of the earliest people to bring Superman to life. Reeves is also one of the earliest to help fuel the alleged Superman Curse, a series of coincidences later touted and tagged as a black mark on the folks who played Superman, for the sake of selling books. Is it a curse that brought about such bad ends to these men who played Superman? I say no. It was merely a bunch of coincidences that lent credence to the term “Shit happens.”
Random Lunacy: Videos from the Road Less Traveled (2007)
Very few people in life have the ability to drop everything, be rid of all sorts of city life vices, and go on the road to live the life they want to. Very few people actually have the courage to do so, and risk losing their family in the process. Poppa Neutrino is one of those people. He’s a man who isn’t rich or famous, or even that well known, but at the end of the day he can tell us that he’s lived his life how he’s wanted to, and no one can take that away from him. This is the subject of the latest documentary from the directing team of Victor Zimet and Stephanie Silber.
Storyteller Films: A Writer Named Phil Hall (2007)
One of the interesting aspects of this special is that Phil Hall never seems full of himself and his accomplishments. This is a man who is on screen for almost a half hour, and his one intent is to teach and guide instead of boast of his endless accomplishments. Which is not to say his accomplishments are worthy of ignoring but for a special that would open the door for vanity, Hall is more intent on guiding.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
So, why was this such an easy film to review, and like? Because hell, I’ve been through situations very similar to this. Trying to get by, almost being thrown into the streets, being forced to watch parents suffer to ease their children’s. I’ve seen it all. And in the end of the film, it’s still a situation that’s happening to thousands all over the world. “The Pursuit of Happyness” is an admirable every man tale about the working man’s attempts not to make it big in the world, but in his attempts to just get by. Smith plays Chris Gardner with a lot of gusto offering up a truly solid performance.