Film Review: The Proposition (2006) B

Date Viewed: 11/18/06
Venue: DVD

The Proposition is a character-driven, atmospheric western set in the wild, uncivilized Australian outback of the nineteenth century. A lawman (Ray Winstone) captures an outlaw (Guy Pearce-who still looks like someone should throw him a burger or something) and gives him nine days to kill his murderous older brother, or else his younger brother will be executed.

It's a simple tale written by Nick Cave (yeah, the musician Nick Cave), effectively told with strong performances by Winstone, Pearce, and Emily Watson (who plays Winstone's ever-patient wife). The film benefits from the beautifully bleak scenery of the Australian countryside (lots of flies in Australia...lots of flies) which matches the equally gritty and occasionally violent story. Even with the strong cast, Winstrone really sets himself apart as the lawman hellbent on civilizing the Aussie wilds.

The film's not perfect, Pearce's character and his motivations feel a tad underwritten (he spends a good chunk of the film unconscious), and one character's graphic comeuppance (which has been telegraphed the entire film) occurs mostly off screen, which smacks of being anticlimactic.

Despite those faults, The Proposition is worth seeing for its interesting performances and austere setting which easily lends itself to such a downbeat yarn. It's a simpler, grittier kind of character driven western for the twenty-first century.

Film Review: American Dreamz (2006) C

Date Viewed: 11/16/06
Venue: DVD

American Dreamz is one of those movies that has one great idea but nothing else to support it. The 'great' idea is what if dunderheaded Dubya ended up on American Idol to share screen time with British snob Simon Cowell. The 'nothing else' consists of making a dull, unfunny farce of American Idol, its contestants, and the American notion of celebrity.

We follow the host of the hit show 'American Dreamz,' Martin Tweed (swarmily played by Hugh Grant) as he searches for contestants while fighting an increasing sense of boredom. Bubbly ambitious all-American girl Sandy Kendoo (Mandy Moore) and Iraqi-transplant-secretly-working-for-Al-Quaeda-but-who-really-wants-to-sing Omer Obeid gain Martin's attention. Meanwhile, lumbering President Staton (Dennis Quaid) is slowly having an awakening about world affairs and how he' just being used by his Cheney-resembling Chief Of Staff (Willem Dafoe). Eventually the prez ends up as a guest judge on the show, just as Al-Quaeda wants Omer to smuggle a bomb in to kill him. Hilarious, right? No, not really.

Well, despite some nice performances by Quaid and Grant, both of whom cheekily emulate their real-life counterparts, American Dreamz falls flat on its face. In the end it's a farce that's not too scathing and has nothing truly indicting to say about any of its subjects. Its content to rely on tepid parody of a show full of self-parody already (William Hung anyone?). Disappointing but harmless.

Film Review: Children Of Men (2006) B-

Date Viewed: 11/08/06
Venue: Universal

Children Of Men is the most brilliantly maddening film I have ever seen. Director Alfonso Cuaron has crafted a near masterpiece of pulse-pounding, thought-provoking cinema. However, Children Of Men fumbles the ball inches from the goal line.

The year is 2027, and mankind can no longer reproduce. The world has gone to shit; England exists as a xenophobic fear zone (an obvious, if morbid extrapolation of the world today). Clive Owen plays a middle-aged bureaucrat, Theo, apathetic to the core, who winds up caretaker of a young pregnant black woman, Kee. The first pregnancy anyone has seen in nearly twenty years. Now our bureaucrat must escort Kee and her precious cargo safely out of England and to a mysterious peace group called The Human Project.

There are a few quibbles to be had in the setup. At no time is any possible explanation given for mankind’s sudden infertility. Nor is there even any lip service paid to such things as frozen eggs and cloning. In the end, that’s not what this story is about, but the omission of any sort of dialog regarding the science of man’s dilemma took me out of the film a bit. I mean, I didn’t want it to become an episode of Star Trek, but a few lines of throwaway dialog couldn’t have hurt, could they?

Children Of Men actually evokes two disparate films: V For Vendetta and Saving Private Ryan. The first half’s bleak and paranoid British society evokes V’s totalitarian state, and as Theo guides Kee through England’s dangerously violent war zone-like ghettos (established for the dreadful illegal immigrants, mind you), you can’t help but be reminded of Spielberg’s war epic.

What works so well here is an overall sense of bleakness and pessimism. The world has become a dirty, nasty place. This is reflected in not only the set design, but in the characters as well; they’re worn creatures whose hopes have been replaced with sarcastic fatalism.

However, what really sets Children Of Men apart is tension. This is an incredibly intense and violent film. Every single character is in danger in every single frame of film. There is no relenting, and there is no remorse; any character can be killed without warning at any time. Director Curaon makes masterful use of long, five minute-plus shots in these action sequences to firmly place us in the characters’ world.

Now all that sounds great…but why am I giving Children Of Men a B-? To put it simply, I didn’t like the ending. Not to say it’s anti-climactic, because on paper it’s serviceable, but it’s far too abrupt to work dramatically, especially considering all the hardship our characters have been through. Alfonso Cuaron does such a wonderful job taking us on this arduously rough and heart-wrenching journey that I felt we as viewers deserve something more meaningful to complete the story.

Film Review: The Killer (1989) B

Date Viewed: 11/07/06
Venue: DVD

The Killer is arguably the most famous and prolific film ever to emerge from the Hong Kong sub-genre of action films. Directed by the-now-working-in-America John Woo, The Killer, for its time in the late Eighties, was a strong leap forward in visual stylization.

Chow Yun-Fat plays the title character, a ruthless and efficient assassin who accidentally blinds an innocent lounge singer in a botched assassination. Beleaguered by guilt, the killer winds up taking care of and falling in love with the beautiful songstress. In an effort to leave his violent profession, he takes on that-certain-to-equal-trouble final gig that finds him taking on a criminal empire and eventually befriending (like, totally BFF) a determined police investigator.

But the plot isn’t really what’s important about The Killer. What’s important is…well, the killing. And there’s lots of it. Dozens of anonymous minions and henchmen (including a whole group all wearing pink sweatsuits!) die throughout this film in a variety of bloody ways.

Woo moves the camera gracefully through the carnage, and manages to give the violence a certain beauty with overwrought choreography. It’s almost like watching a ballet sometimes.

I can’t say The Killer is as good as it was in 1989. Eighteen years ago, this kind of action was truly revolutionary, something not seen before…nowadays, it’s as common as Paul Giammatti playing a loser. Still worth a look, though.

Film Review: Inside Man (2006) B

Date Viewed: 11/06/06
Venue: DVD





Director Spike Lee is best known for controversial filmmaking, but Inside Man proves his worth as a simple, but effective storyteller.

A well-told heist flick, Inside Man stars Denzel Washington as an up and coming NYPD detective brought in to handle a bank robbery/hostage situation. Leading the gang of masked bandits is Clive Owen, whose self-assured performance easily carries the film (an impressive accomplishment considering he wears a mask and sunglasses for the majority of the picture). Lee does a fine job depicting the matching of wits between the police and Owen’s criminals, as well as portraying New York itself as a character.

The only stumbles arise out of a few out-of-place racial disputes (Spike Lee is still…well, Spike Lee, you know) and an overly complicated political subplot with Jodie Foster and Christopher Plummer (whose role is quite funny if you think of him as Mr. Van Trapp) that just get in the way of the Clive/Denzel dynamic.

Overall, Inside Man is a very solid, entertaining film with memorable performances, (almost) airtight logic, and a satisfying resolution.

2007 Concert Log

01. 01/06/07 - Five Finger Death Punch (Whisky-A-Go-Go) A-
02. 02/25/07 - Machine Head/Trivium/Lamb Of God (Wiltern) A-
03. 03/17/07 - Killswitch Engage/DragonForce (HOB Sunset Strip) A-
04. 04/25/07 - Stone Sour/Lacuna Coil/Shadows Fall (Wiltern) A-
05. 09/02/07 - 5FDP/Trivium/Hellyeah/Atreyu/Evanescence/KoRn (Irvine Meadows) C+
06. 09/05/07 - Silent Civilian/Kittie (Key Club) B+
07. 09/23/07 - Styx/Foreigner/Def Leppard (Irvine Meadows) B
08. 10/13/08 - Black Tyranny Tour-Machine Head/Arch Enemy/Throwdown/Sancity (Avalon) A-
09. 10/19/07 - Tin Horn (Paladino's) B
10. 10/30/07 - Divine Heresy/3 Inches Of Blood/Shadows Fall/Static-X (Avalon) B
11. 12/15/07 - Soilwork/Killswitch Engage (Long Beach Arena) A-

2007 Movie Log

001. 01/03/07 - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) HD-DVD (B)
002. 01/03/07 - Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) DVD (B)
003. 01/03/07 - Slither (2006) HD-DVD (B-)
004. 01/04/07 - The Matador (2006) HD-DVD (C)
005. 01/05/07 - You, Me, And Dupree (2006) HD-DVD (D)
006. 01/05/07 - L'Enfant (2006) DVD (B+)
007. 01/07/07 - Snakes On A Plane (2006) DVD (B)
008. 01/08/07 - Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby (2006) DVD (B-)
009. 01/09/07 - The Descent (2006) DVD (A-)
010. 01/10/07 - The Break-Up (2006) HD-DVD (B-)
011. 01/10/07 - Unbreakable (2000) DVD (B-)
012. 01/11/07 - The Village (2004) DVD (B)
013. 01/11/07 - Lady In The Water (2006) HD-DVD (D-)
014. 01/12/07 - The Professionals (1966) DVD (B)
015. 01/12/07 - Valdez Is Coming (1971) DVD (C+)
016. 01/12/07 - The Natural (1984) HDNet (A)
017. 01/12/07 - Little Miss Sunshine (2006) DVD (B+)
018. 01/13/07 - The Illusionist (2006) DVD (B-)
019. 01/15/07 - A Scanner Darkly (2006) DVD (B-)
020. 01/15/07 - Grand Prix (1966) HD-DVD (B-)
021. 01/16/07 - The Lake House (2006) HD-DVD (C+)
022. 01/16/07 - Invincible (2006) DVD (B+)
023. 01/16/07 - The Devil Wears Prada (2006) DVD (B)
024. 01/17/07 - Casino Royale (1967) DVD (F)
025. 01/18/07 - Fort Apache (1948) DVD (B)
026. 01/18/07 - Serpico (1973) HDNet (B)
027. 01/22/07 - Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid (1973) DVD (B-)
028. 01/23/07 - Ride The High Country (1962) DVD (B-)
029. 01/23/07 - Winchester '73 (1950) DVD (B)
030. 01/24/07 - Accepted (2006) HD-DVD (C)
031. 01/24/07 - Waist Deep (2006) HD-DVD (D+)
032. 01/25/07 - The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938) HD-DVD (A-)
033. 01/25/07 - Idiocracy (2006) DVD (B+)
034. 01/25/07 - Running On Empty (1988) HDNet (A-)
035. 01/26/07 - Pan's Labyrinth (2006) AMC Promenade (A-)
036. 01/26/07 - Pale Rider (1985) HDNet (C-)
037. 01/27/07 - Smokin' Aces (2007) Mann Glendale 4 (D+)
038. 01/28/07 - Blue Thunder (1983) HDNet (C-)
039. 01/29/07 - Get Carter (1971) HDNet (B)
040. 01/29/07 - Crank (2006) DVD (D)
041. 01/30/07 - The World's Fastest Indian (2005) HDNet (B+)
042. 01/30/07 - Gridiron Gang (2006) DVD (B+)
043. 01/30/07 - SherryBaby (2006) DVD (B)
044. 01/31/07 - High Noon (1952) DVD (A+)
045. 01/31/07 - The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) DVD (B+)
046. 02/01/07 - Stagecoach (1939) DVD (B-)
047. 02/02/07 - Caddyshack (1980) HDNet (B)
048. 02/03/07 - The Matrix (1999) DVD (A+)
049. 02/05/07 - The Matrix Reloaded (2003) DVD (B+)
050. 02/06/07 - Wolf Creek (2005) HD-DVD (B-)
051. 02/06/07 - The Matrix Revolutions (2003) DVD (B+)
052. 02/07/07 - Field Of Dreams (1989) HD-DVD (A-)
053. 02/07/07 - ATL (2006) HD-DVD (C+)
054. 02/08/07 - The Marine (2006) DVD (D)
055. 02/08/07 - Catch A Fire (2006) DVD (C+)
056. 02/09/07 - My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006) DVD (D)
057. 02/09/07 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) DVD (B)
058. 02/12/07 - Diamonds Are Forever (1971) DVD (B-)
059. 02/13/07 - Live And Let Die (1973) DVD (C-)
060. 02/13/07 - The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) DVD (C)
061. 02/13/07 - The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) DVD (B)
062. 02/15/07 - Moonraker (1979) DVD (C-)
063. 02/16/07 - For You Eyes Only (1981) DVD (C)
064. 02/17/07 - Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) DVD (B+)
065. 02/17/07 - Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) DVD (B+)
066. 02/19/07 - Octopussy (1983) DVD (D)
067. 02/19/07 - Never Say Never Again (1983) DVD (C)
068. 02/20/07 - A View To A Kill (1985) DVD (C-)
069. 02/20/07 - The Living Daylights (1987) DVD (B+)
070. 02/22/07 - Licence To Kill (1989) DVD (B-)
071. 02/23/07 - GoldenEye (1995) DVD (B-)
072. 02/24/07 - For Your Consideration (2006) DVD (B-)
073. 02/24/07 - The Prestige (2006) DVD (A-)
074. 02/28/07 - Babel (2006) DVD (B-)
075. 03/02/07 - Best In Show (2000) DVD (B+)
076. 03/05/07 - 3:10 To Yuma (1957) DVD (B)
077. 03/06/07 - My Darling Clementine (1946) DVD (B-)
078. 03/06/07 - Dragonfly (2002) Universal HD (C+)
079. 03/08/07 - Iron Eagle (1986) HDNet (C)
080. 03/12/07 - Borat (2006) DVD (B-)
081. 03/13/07 - The Shootist (1976) DVD (C-)
082. 03/15/07 - Stranger Than Fiction (2006) DVD (C)
083. 03/15/07 - 300 (2007) AMC Burbank 16 (A-)
084. 03/16/07 - Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) DVD (B)
085. 03/19/07 - The World Is Not Enough (1999) DVD (C+)
086. 03/19/07 - Cache (2005) DVD (B)
087. 03/21/07 - Lucky Number Slevin (2006) HD-DVD (C)
088. 03/21/07 - Die Another Day (2002) DVD (D+)
089. 03/21/07 - Casino Royale (2006) DVD (A-)
090. 03/23/07 - This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006) DVD (B)
091. 03/24/07 - Casino Royale (2006) DVD (A-)
092. 03/26/07 - The Aristocrats (2005) DVD (B)
093. 03/28/07 - The Getaway (1972) HD-DVD (D+)
094. 03/29/07 - Jet Li's Fearless (2006) HD-DVD (C)
095. 04/02/07 - The Devil's Backbone (2001) DVD (B-)
096. 04/03/07 - Drive (1997) DVD (B)
097. 04/05/07 - King Of New York (1990) DVD (B-)
098. 04/08/07 - Brief Encounter (1945) DVD (A-)
099. 04/11/07 - Shortbus (2006) DVD (B-)
100. 04/12/07 - Death Of A President (2006) DVD (B-)
101. 04/22/07 - Equilibrium (2002) DVD (B+)
102. 04/22/07 - Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) DVD (B)
103. 04/28/07 - Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones (2002) DVD (B)
104. 05/02/07 - Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith (2005) DVD (A-)
105. 05/09/07 - Spider-Man (2002) DVD (B)
106. 05/09/07 - Spider-Man 2 (2004) DVD (C+)
107. 05/09/07 - Spider-Man 3 (2007) DGA (B)
108. 05/10/07 - The Last Samurai (2003) HD-DVD (B-)
109. 05/11/07 - Excalibur (1981) HD-DVD (D+)
110. 05/15/07 - United 93 (2006) DVD (A)
111. 05/17/07 - The Fountain (2006) HD-DVD (B-)
112. 05/17/07 - Troy (2004) HD-DVD (C)
113. 05/19/07 - Deja Vu (2006) DVD (D)
114. 05/20/07 - World Trade Center (2006) HD-DVD (C-)
115. 05/21/07 - The Queen (2006) DVD (B+)
116. 05/24/07 - Little Children (2006) DVD (C+)
117. 05/27/07 - Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End (2007) Bridge Cinema (B-)
118. 05/27/07 - The Last Of The Mohicans (1992) DVD (B)
119. 05/30/07 - The Science Of Sleep (2006) DVD (D)
120. 06/01/07 - Cinderella Man (2005) HD-DVD (B-)
121. 06/01/07 - Black Rain (1989) HD-DVD (B)
122. 06/03/07 - Brokeback Mountain (2005) HD-DVD (B-)
123. 06/03/07 - Apocalypto (2006) DVD (A-)
124. 06/04/07 - The Downfall (2004) DVD (B+)
125. 06/05/07 - Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961) HDNet (B+)
126. 06/05/07 - A Passage To India (1984) HDNet (B-)
127. 06/07/07 - All The President's Men (1976) HDNet (A-)
128. 06/08/07 - Everybody's All-American (1988) HDNet (C-)
129. 06/09/07 - Blade Runner (1982) HDNet (B-)
130. 06/10/07 - Witness (1985) HDNet (B+)
131. 06/10/07 - The Frighteners (1996) Universal HD (D)
132. 06/10/07 - The Longest Yard (1974) HDNet (B)
133. 06/11/07 - Seraphim Falls (2007) DVD (C+)
134. 06/13/07 - Running With Scissors (2006) DVD (C+)
135. 06/14/07 - K-PAX (2001) Universal HD (D+)
136. 06/18/07 - Judgment At Nuremberg (1961) HDNet (B)
137. 06/20/07 - Parenthood (1989) HDNet (B)
138. 06/22/07 - Meet Joe Black (1998) HDNet (D-)
139. 07/03/07 - Red River (1948) HDNet (B-)
140. 07/11/07 - Transformers (2007) DGA (D-)
141. 07/13/07 - Ray (2004) HD-DVD (B-)
142. 07/15/07 - Unleashed (2005) HD-DVD (B)
143. 07/19/07 - Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon (2006) DVD (C-)
144. 07/28/07 - The Simpsons Movie (2007) ArcLight (B)
145. 07/31/07 - Q: The Winged Serpent (1982) DVD (C-)
146. 08/01/07 - Nighthawks (1981) DVD (B)
147. 08/02/07 - Four Brothers (2005) HD-DVD (C-)
148. 08/03/07 - Blood Diamond (2006) HD-DVD (B-)
149. 08/04/07 - 300 (2007) HD-DVD (A-)
150. 08/09/07 - Pathfinder (2007) DVD (D)
151. 08/10/07 - Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer (2006) DVD (B)
152. 08/12/07 - Conan The Barbarian (1982) HDNet (C)
153. 08/13/07 - Midnight Express (1978) HDNet (B-)
154. 08/14/07 - Fright Night (1985) HDNet (B-)
155. 08/19/07 - Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967) HDNet (B)
156. 08/20/07 - Mackenna's Gold (1969) TCM (B-)
157. 08/26/07 - The Blues Brothers (1980) HDNet (D)
158. 08/26/07 - The Eiger Sanction (1975) HDNet (D+)
159. 08/29/07 - Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind (2002) HDNet (B-)
160. 09/03/07 - Flash Gordon (1980) HDNet (F)
161. 09/09/07 - Timecop (1994) HDNet (C-)
162. 09/28/07 - Layer Cake (2004) HDNet (C+)
163. 09/30/07 - Idiocracy (2006) DVD (B+)
164. 10/01/07 - Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) HD-DVD (B)
165. 10/03/07 - Flags Of Our Fathers (2006) HD-DVD (C)
166. 10/04/07 - Black Snake Moan (2006) HD-DVD (B-)
167. 10/10/07 - 1408 (2007) DVD (C)
168. 10/11/07 - The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) HD-DVD (B)
169. 10/17/07 - The Sting (1973) HD-DVD (C+)
170. 10/20/07 - The Terminator (1984) HDNet (A)
171. 10/27/07 - Grindhouse (2007) DVD (B-)
172. 11/05/07 - The Interpreter (2005) HD-DVD (C+)
173. 11/08/07 - Black Book (2006) DVD (B+)
174. 11/14/07 - Ratatouille (2007) DVD (B)
175. 11/18/07 - Shaun Of The Dead (2004) HD-DVD (B)
176. 11/29/07 - Live Free Or Die Hard (2007) DVD (B-)
177. 12/02/07 - Dazed And Confused (1993) HD-DVD (B-)
178. 12/09/07 - Hot Fuzz (2007) HD-DVD (B+)
179. 12/11/07 - The Manchurian Candidate (1962) DVD (B)
180. 12/12/07 - No Country For Old Men (2007) AMC Burbank (A-)
181. 12/13/07 - Dan In Real Life (2007) AMC Burbank (C-)
182. 12/13/07 - Superbad (2007) DVD (B+)
183. 12/13/07 - The Manchurian Candidate (2004) HD-DVD (D+)
184. 12/15/07 - Necessary Roughness (1991) HDNet (C+)
185. 12/27/07 - Duel (1971) HDNet (B)
186. 12/28/07 - Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia (1974) DVD (C+)
187. 12/28/07 - The Condemned (2007) DVD (D-)
188. 12/29/07 - Blow (2001) HDNet (B)
189. 12/29/07 - Sudden Death (1995) HDNet (B-)
190. 12/30/07 - Black Christmas (1974) HDNet (B)
191. 12/31/07 - History Of The World: Part I (1981) DVD (C)
192. 12/31/07 - Spaceballs (1987) DVD (B)