The film opens with a quote from George Bernard Shaw, “”If you’re going to tell people the truth, you better make them laugh; otherwise they’ll kill you.” Suffice it to say, the “British Broadcasting Service”-produced documentary begins with a television commercial for a fictitious company, Confederate Insurance. Trust me, when the camera pans over to the African-American raking leaves as the voice-over talks about “property,” it’s okay…
There are films of substance, and then there are films that give the illusion of substance. “Inside Man” is the latter. Whenever a film begins with the principal actor staring into a camera prefacing the story, immediately my bullshit detector screams, “RED ALERT! RED ALERT!” In this case, the bullshit begins with Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) telling us, “Pay close attention to what I say.” This is, of course, a way of telling us that the payoff…
A man is stabbed on a train and robbed. Behind the young gangbangers is one of many AIDS awareness posters you’ll find in South Africa, as a constant reminder of the advice going unheeded by many of Africa’s (and the world’s) youth—ever oblivious to dangers that aren’t immediately…
The opening titles inform us that the court dialogues in “Find Me Guilty” are from actual testimony in the racketeering trial of twenty associates and members of the Lucchesi crime syndicate, led by Nick Calabrese (Alex Rocco). Giacomo “Fat Jack” DiNorscio (Vin Diesel) is, by relative standards, a pawn in the equation. After his cousin, Tony Compagna (Raúl Esparza), attempts to kill him in his…
“Remember, remember the Fifth of November — the gunpowder treason and plot,” are the first words we hear—accompanied by ominous score. These are the words spoken by Evey (Natalie Portman), a young woman enlisted by the terrorist V (Hugo Weaving). The verse originates from a famous English legend about Guy Fawkes, who on…
“Tuscan Sunset,” says actor Rob Brydon as he’s describing the color of the make-up being applied to Steve Coogan’s prosthetic nose. This is the story of Tristram Shandy (sort of) based on the nine-volume novel The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne. Actually, it’s the (apparently fictional) back-story of how Michael Winterbottom and company attempted to…
Tripp always dates but never holds down a relationship — always jettisoned when the girl realizes, inevitably, that he still lives with his parents. His parents, Sue (Kathy Bates) and Al (Terry Bradshaw), want more than anything to see him get out on his own. Their motives aren’t entirely altruistic, of course. They’ve spent enough time being parents and would like to finally have some time to themselves again. Their neighbor’s son finally moved out, which motivates them to…
Disney proves yet again that they’ve completely run dry of fresh ideas. Here, for the umpteenth time (I’ve lost count), they recycle yet another movie from their vaults. While their animated movies follow one formula–underdog overcoming adversity in coming-of-age journey and/or to be reunited with friends and family–the live-action films have etched out another trite formula: The family member who must undergo a metaphysical transformation to realize they don’t spend…