Well, three or four months ago we had a set visit report, but now Stone Cold Mark, who has reviewed IRON GIANT, BOWFINGER, MUPPETS IN SPACE and the tv show BLACK SCORPION for Coaxial, really does love the film, so we'll have to keep our eyes and ears open to see what else we can hear about this project. Well... here ya go...
Hey Harry:
I have provided reviews for you in the past. It looks like this time I will have the jump on a great new movie from the director of Copland. Here we go...
I first want to start off saying that I had absolutely now opinion about this movie going in. I had only heard the title as the latest project for one of the hottest hollywood actresses right now Angelina Jolie.
The film description called it a sort of "One flew Over the Cukoo's Nest" with women. Wynona Ryder led a great cast of young talent through a serious, sometimes funny drama about life in a Phycho ward in the mid 60's.
Ryder plays Susanna Kaysen, a young woman who finds herself at a renowned mental institution for troubled young women. Her prescribed "short rest" becomes a strange journey into Alice's Wonderland, where she spends nearly a year on the ward both flirting and struggling with a very thin line between normal and crazy. Kaysen soon realizes how how it is to get out once she has been commited; and she ultimately has to choose betwween the world of people who belong on the inside or the often difficult world of reality on the outside.
I am starting to see a trend in film within just the past few months. There are actually some really good filmmakers making really good films without any reguard to trends or budgets (i.e. The Sixth Sense, The Iron Giant)
I am a huge fan of director James Mangold's "Copland". Gritty raw and in your face acting seldom scene for film goers under 55.
This film has a lot going for it. Ryder has always been a hit with female movie goers, but now we have added a new "it" girl to cinema, yes I'm talking about the incerdibly fabulous Mrs. Jolie. She has proven to me she is an actress for the future already cutting her acting teeth in such great roles in Gia, and a little film called "Playing By Heart". Although she is glamor free in this role as Lisa, she gives such a great performance you would think she has been doing this for 20 years already. She has definetly learned something from her father(Actor Jon Voight).
This film was perfect the entire way through. Like life is is funny, sad, touching, and down right raw. The amazing camera work makes you feel like we are right there feeling Susanna's pain. The pace of the film works the entire way through, nothing felt contrived or fake. The ending(no spoilers) was perfect and kept with the intergrity of the film. I looks like a couple of awards could come out of this at Oscar time. The acting is so powerful, and it's nice to see Winona Ryder start to walk away from those typical 20 something roles we are so use to seeing her in. Another great thing about this film is the cast, while Ryder and Jolie make up the "target market crowd" we are also graced with Whoopi Goldberg(whom I haven't seen be this good in a long time), Vanessa Redgrave who is just stunning. we also get Jared Leto("The Thin Red Line").
I don't know when the planned release is for this, but mark it down as a great film in the spirit of "The Shawskank Redemption"(I know I'll get slammed for that)
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And that's the bottom line because Stone Cold Mark said SO!
