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2007 Fall Video Roundup, Vol. II

10/1/07

"Croupier"

Clive Owen's breakthrough role is great because the movie surrounding him is so well done.  Playing a London casino dealer--a croupier--Owen's honest Jack is a great character since he seems so utterly soulless at times but in other moments portrays an honesty that one only hopes really exists in real dealers around the world.  The women in Jack's life are interesting as his honest stretch takes a twist--a mysterious South African woman (Alex Kingston) tries to rope Jack into a plot that could destroy his reputation and personal life.  Mike Hodges directs and the result is solid...and, you can see why Owen became such a hot item ten years ago.

Rating:  Opening Weekend

"Paradise Now"

The two major Middle Eastern stars of "The Kingdom" are two of the major players in "Paradise Now", a great film chronicling the lives of two men, Said (Kais Nashif) and Khaled (Ali Suliman), as they enlist to become suicide bombers for a "mission" in Tel Aviv.  Nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar two years ago (it lost to "Tsotsi"), "Paradise Now" is eye-opening mainly for the way it takes you through the idea that today, you could go to work and not have a care in the world...and then, tomorrow, you've got enough explosives strapped to your chest to take out a busload of people, by your own choosing!  Wow...great stuff.  Not perfect, but well-performed and very thought-provoking.

Rating:  $9.50 Show

"Broken Flowers"

Another in a long list of Jim Jarmusch films that I watched and quietly wondered (aloud): "What the fuck is going on here?"  A film that goes about its business in a way that screams "missed potential", "Broken Flowers" follows a rich bachelor (Bill Murray) who, after getting dumped by his girlfriend (Julie Delpy), gets a letter stating that he's the father of a 19-year-old boy...so, with the help of his next-door neighbor (Jeffrey Wright), the rich guy embarks on a multi-city tour to reconnect with past flames to see which of them has raised this son of his.  The pace of "Broken Flowers"--not unlike other Jarmusch films--can put you to sleep if you are not careful, but nothing about the writing, or the performances, or the randomly plain soundtrack raises an eyebrow and save for a reasonably shocking nude scene (mainly because it's so random), "Broken Flowers" was a disappointment.

Rating:  Rental

"2046"

Apparently, the sci-fi romantic drama "2046" is meant to be a pseudo-sequel to "In the Mood for Love"...and, since I didn't see that film, I was watching "2046" with a clean slate.  It's a mixed bag; it's a beautiful-looking film, with great cinematography and great-looking people in front of those cameras.  They include Tony Leung (now appearing in "Lust, Caution"), Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi; all of them are great, but from a story perspective, "2046" is lacking, and in a big way.  Maybe that was the point--have people move seamlessly from relationship to relationship, having some sex here and some naughty looks there--but for a two-hour stylistic voyage, it felt like there should be something with a little more backbone.  "2046" was enjoyable but I was hoping for killer and the movie never gets there.

Rating:  Matinee

"Four Brothers"

Even John Singleton, who directed "Four Brothers", has got to admit--his career has turned into "flash in the pan" and not "genius on the rise", which has got to be disappointing.  Everything he has touched after "Boyz N the Hood"--save for maybe "Baby Boy", which I am finding more and more I liked more than other folks--has been in the not-so-good category, nothing lower than the "Shaft" remake, which was absolutely atrocious.  With "Four Brothers", it almost looks like somebody is making it up as they go along, with a great backstory:  four adopted sons (led by Mark Wahlberg) reconvene in Detroit after their guardian is gunned down in a convenience store.  To describe what happens next is ridiculous, followed by increasingly hilarious acts of ridiculosity, ending with a fight scene near a fishing hole.  Awful, but even I can admit I like watching movies like this sometimes because the violence is so gratuitous.  But, again, Singleton should be making better movies than this by now and I can't figure out what the hell he's doing to improve himself.  Maybe nothing!

Rating:  Rental

 

Comments?  Drop me a line at justin@bellviewmovies.com.

 

Bellview Rating System:

"Opening Weekend":  This is the highest rating a movie can receive.  Reserved for movies that exhibit the highest level of acting, plot, character development, setting...or Salma Hayek.  Not necessarily in that order. 

"$X.XX Show":  This price changes each year due to the inflation of movie prices; currently, it is the $9.50 Show.  While not technically perfect, this is a movie that will still entertain you at a very high level.  "Undercover Brother" falls into this category; it's no "Casablanca", but you'll have a great time watching.  The $9.50 Show won't win any Oscars, but you'll be quoting lines from the thing for ages (see "Office Space"). 

"Matinee":  An average movie that merits no more than a $6.50 viewing at your local theater.  Seeing it for less than $9.50 will make you feel a lot better about yourself.  A movie like "Blue Crush" fits this category; you leave the theater saying "That wasn't too bad...man, did you see that Lakers game last night?" 

"Rental":  This rating indicates a movie that you see in the previews and say to your friend, "I'll be sure to miss that one."  Mostly forgettable, you couldn't lose too much by going to Hollywood Video and paying $3 to watch it with your sig other, but you would only do that if the video store was out of copies of "Ronin."  If you can, see this movie for free.  This is what your TV Guide would give "one and a half stars." 

"Hard Vice":  This rating is the bottom of the barrel.  A movie that only six other human beings have witnessed, this is the worst movie I have ever seen.  A Shannon Tweed "thriller," it is so bad as to be funny during almost every one of its 84 minutes, and includes the worst ending ever put into a movie.  Marginally worse than "Cabin Boy", "The Avengers" or "Leonard, Part 6", this rating means that you should avoid this movie at all costs, or no costs, EVEN IF YOU CAN SEE IT FOR FREE!  (Warning:  strong profanity will be used in all reviews of "Hard Vice"-rated movies.)