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SUMMER 2004 MOVIE REVIEWS

Dean's rating scale:  **** Exceptionally good, ***Quite good indeed, ** I liked some things about it, but found it to be something closer to average,* Not recommended.

I need to point out that I am not really as critical as my reviews sometimes sound.  Generally, anything two stars or better is something I have enjoyed, and even those to which I only give one star have some aspects I find redeeming, though obviously less so than others.  Anything with less than a star (that is 0 or 1/2) is a nearly absolute thumb’s down.  Four stars are given less often and only to those that have most moved me, most effectively depicted believability and/or given me the most food for thought.

Coffee and Cigarettes	1/2
The Control Room	**1/2
Fahrenheit 9-11	**
Love Me If You Dare	*1/2
The NoteBook	***
Super Size Me!	***1/2

Coffee and Cigarettes – This film is soooo not worth your time that I’d recommend not reading the remainder of this paragraph. If I had trusted my first impulse, I would have walked out of the movie after the first three minutes, as at least one other movie patron did, followed by several others who did the same over the course of the mostly painful and wasteful 100 minutes. Instead, I stuck it out to the end and I don’t exactly regret it, because I must admit that in spite of those previous remarks, there are some redeeming qualities to the movie, particularly for those like me with a hairpin sense of humor and an interest in the odd cast of big-names who stooped to appearing in it – among them, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Steve Buscemi, musicians Iggy Pop and Tom Waits, comedian Steven Wright, director Roberto Benigni and others. Eleven short vignettes shot in black and white, each with two or three characters generally appearing as variations of their famous personas, are tied together by nothing more than the theme of sharing coffee, cigarettes and awkward conversation. Some vignettes were slow but moderately entertaining. Cate Blanchett’s split screen dual role as herself and her Australian cousin was brilliant, as was Tom Waits, who defensively took every innocent comment from Iggy Pop as serious criticism. Alfred Molina, thrilled to discover he is the distant cousin of fellow British actor, Steve Coogan, were amusingly uncomfortable in their skins. Unfortunately, most of the other vignettes were ridiculously absurdist or simply stunk. Of course, ridiculous absurdity fits the personas of Steven Wright and Roberto Benigni, who appeared in the first vignette back in 1986 when it was part of a Saturday Night Live skit. We’ve all tolerated numerous SNL skits that went awry and produced nary a laugh. Imagine several of those strung together and you’ve got this film. Depending on your hairpin humor quotient, you may be able to predict the moment at which you walk out. (Kids – bored silly; teens – possibly likewise) ½

The Control Room – (In English and Arabic with subtitles) – The early days of the Iraq War are seen from strikingly different perspectives in this fascinating and revealing documentary. The gulf between how Arabs and Westerners view the war has been largely a function of how their respective media cover it, tempered by the U.S. militaries’ capacity to control where in Iraq the media can operate. The Arabic language news organization Al Jazeera, described by its own correspondents as the Arab world’s version of Fox News, that is a bit more controversial and propagandistic than the rest, is seen from inside the operation, and its views are starkly juxtaposed with the views propagated by various American television news organizations. Awfully fishy but left unanswered is whether the U.S. military deliberately bombed Al Jazeera and Abu Dhabi news organizations in three separate strikes the day before U.S. soldiers marched into Baghdad. Although the film is more of a traditional style documentary than other films currently in the theaters that aim more for entertainment value (Super Size Me, Fahrenheit 911), it is easy to see why its content commercially justifies its big screen venue during a time when the controversy continues and the war rages on. Those annoyed by media bias will be further annoyed. Those who still need to ask the question, “Why do they hate us?” will find further understanding from this film. (Tuned-out kids, teens and adults – more likely to be bored; tuned-in kids, teens and adults – more likely to be edified). **1/2

Fahrenheit 9-11 -- After all the pre-release hype, winning Best Documentary at Cannes, getting shelved by Disney (the hypocrites) due to its political content, and picked up by the Weinstein brothers at Miramax, I felt quite disappointed in the latest Michael Moore propaganda piece. Cannes and other film awards would be better to have a category called Best One-Sided Propaganda, and leave Best Documentary for legitimate documentarians. To me, Moore’s work seems haphazardly edited, drifts down bogus and pointless lines of argument, dwells far too much on some topics and not enough on others, and in spite of his claims, is neither particularly amusing nor educational. I think many left leaning types, or for that matter, centrist and right leaning folks in the audience could have come up with better indictments of the George W. Bush administration. His skewering of Bush may in fact generate some sympathy for the President among independents and undecideds who don’t favor the same sort of cheap-shot, ad homonym, guilt-by-association attacks patented by the right wing. Moore may be a left wing version of Rush Limbaugh, in a somewhat kinder and gentler form, and I’ve often thought that the left really needed such an animal, but so far I think he is an inadequate and ineffective imitation. Sure the choir will all sing along, but as a recruiter to the cause, I think he often uses the wrong arguments and may be undermining the left’s attempt to recapture some influence. Millions are seeing the film, but millions more listen to right leaning talk radio every week. I doubt Moore is changing many minds, and something tells me that the right wing is now going to start down the same track, putting their propaganda works in the theaters, and will do the job far more effectively. Disney, for example, currently has an antidote to Moore’s film in the theaters, called America’s Heart and Soul, which waves the flag and designs to be broadly appealing but seems especially suited for Bush supporters who want to believe America can do no wrong. It’s clear that the left needs something, as they seem for years to be floundering, but it’s not clear that they are best served by Moore’s reverse-Limbaugh style. He fills a gap, but I’m hoping a more effective voice will come along. Don’t be confused though. Just because I give the film a low rating doesn’t mean I don’t want you to go. I’d like to make it required viewing, particularly for those independents who tilt left but for some ridiculous reason are still on the fence. (Kids and teens – yes, we could use some future radicals of America). **

Love Me If You Dare – (French, with subtitles) – Much too unkind a love story to suit me, this over-the-top and surrealistic plot is nevertheless captivating from beginning to end. Taking off from the success of the practical joking Amelie, this film takes a childhood game of dares well into adulthood and well beyond extremes. One dare leads to another, and a seemingly endless string of dares becomes an effort for the leading lovers to demonstrate the heights and depths of love for each other. What keeps the film interesting is the can-you-top-this attitude where each dare attempts to outdo the previous. Unfortunately, the underlying spirit is much angrier than loving, and the author and screenwriter seem fully dissatisfied with the range of hallucinogens they apparently took to create the film. The lovers’ competition seems pointless, even as they draw their adrenaline from it and suffer serious withdrawals when lacking it. I couldn’t help but feel jerked around as much as they were, and what little humor the film had seemed smothered by mean spiritedness. It’s certainly not what I hope for from romantic drama, even as it held me in its grip. (Kids – nope; Teens – maybe, but adult themes are featured) *1/2

The Notebook – This old-fashioned romantic story is often formulaic and predictable, and at times, it stretches believability well into fantasy, but any good romance does that, and it would take a cold heart not to be captivated. It would be hard to imagine someone coming out of the film that wouldn’t be inclined to recommend it to a friend. The plot takes a multi-generational look at love and offers superbly acted performances by both generations of actors, particularly the younger lovers, who are completely engrossing. As is commonly the case with romances, the story has a strong tilt toward the feminine perspective. The leading men are just too perfect, in every case. Listen ladies! We’re guys. We’re not really like that in real life. We may like to see ourselves that way, but unfortunately, that’s what romance novels are for – making up for the difference. Guys, it’s a surely good summer date movie, if you can live up to the standard that the men in the film have set for you. As is also common with romances, everyone feels jerked around, frustrated or distraught by failed opportunities until ultimately much time has been lost and by some miracle, we manage to get something of what we want. Predictability is somehow deeply satisfying in this case. (Kids – mostly appropriate, but with one or two suggestive scenes; teens and adults – absolutely) ***

Super Size Me! – Not having seen at the time of this writing (June 2004) the latest Michael Moore documentary Fahrenheit 9-11, which critiques George W. Bush’s record as President and which received high accolades at the Cannes Film Festival, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that if Bush is reelected this November, Michael Moore will receive the Oscar and/or Golden Globe for Best Documentary from the Hollywood liberal establishment. However, if Bush is not reelected, I give far better odds to Michael Moore wannabe director Morgan Spurlock and his entertaining new documentary called Super Size Me! Spurlock seems to use some of Moore’s tricks, grandstanding in an attempt to indict the fast food industry, and in particular, its epitome representative McDonalds, for knowingly contributing to the obesity “epidemic” in the United States and around the world. As with Moore’s documentaries, such as Roger and Me and Bowling for Columbine, for which he received Best Documentary honors in 2003, Spurlock grandstands by making himself the principle focus and vector for delivering his message, in this case by contriving a 30-day experiment where he eats nothing but three square meals a day from McDonalds. During this time he gains a substantial amount of weight and his health deteriorates markedly. Meanwhile Spurlock bombards us with interesting statistics and opinions from nutritionists and other specialists who help him build his case against the fast food industry. He tries and fails to produce much argument from the opposing side, but other than numerous attempts to reach McDonalds for commentary (reminiscent of Roger and Me), I’m not certain that he couldn’t have found more articulate denials and arguments from someone defending the fast food industry from lawsuits. McDonalds’ denied that the film had something to do with their decision to discontinue their super-sized meals, but the denial rings hollow. Beyond McDonalds and the fast food industry, the film examines school lunch programs and other potential sources contributing to obesity, though it would have been more complete if it also included a look at the trend toward our increased sedentary lifestyle, exacerbated by many such things such as the use of automobiles and even sprawling suburbs. Nevertheless, the film is quite entertaining, both for amusement and as a sobering look at what our country has become. Lately, documentaries have become a hotter item for movie theaters to show and are managing to become less dry and more entertaining without seriously compromising credibility, a tricky balance. This one generally manages the balance. (Kids, teens and adults – It would probably be good for all ages to see – note however that there is some adult language and subject matter discussed, plus a potentially sickening scene of a fat removal operation) ***1/2

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