The Soothsayer contacted Father Geek the other day saying he would like to write a regular Thursday morning film comment column for AICN looking into future feature films. I said "Sure send them in and we'll see." Well, here's his first column. It consists of 3 reviews of films about to be released in theaters around the country. He promises to cover not only the BIG releases, but the small and forgotten ones as well. So geeks welcome to "So Says The Soothsayer" and make sure and check back next Thursday to see what he congers up for us then. Oh yeah, there may be spoilers ahead, so be warned!
"U-571"
With classic submarine epics like "Das Boot" and "Hunt for Red October" out there, is there room for another?
"U-571" chronicles the escapades of a group of sub-mariners stationed aboard the S-33. Their mission is to steal the infamous Nazi code-machine "the Enigma". Also apart of that mission is to neutralize the Nazi submarine, U-571 which holds the machine. The mission is a glorious success and just as the celebration commences for a successful mission, the crew witnesses the destruction of S-33. Their captain, the only way home, and their lives flash before their eyes as they are forced to man an enemy sub. Barely understanding the machinery, survival is their mission now. Matthew McConaughey, Harvey Keitel, Bill Paxton, David Keith, Jon Bon Jovi, and ER's Erik Palladino star in this submarine epic.
The epic scale adventure is alive and well in the heart of this film. "U-571" is one of those World War II movies that should be classified with other great war films set in the same era. These films are "The Guns of Navarone", "Operation Crossbow" and "The Dirty Dozen". From beginning to end we feel the scope of the historical grandeur that surround these men and their lives.
McConaughey plays a great central character but he never seems to be able to breathe enough heroic gusto into the role. His portrayal here is the kind of role that so many other A-list actors have perfected. The stoic hero trying to overcome surmountable odds. Harvey Keitel is forgettable and never really given anything to really go with exception to a couple of scenes where he buts heads with McConaughey.
There were of course a couple points that I found a bit confusing. During the whole destruction of S-33, I wondered who died and who was scrambling to get back into the sub. It was too black to see who was who. Also was it really necessary for Bill Paxton to wave at McConaughey to get the submarine under before the next torpedo? This whole situation was weird.
Except for a couple obvious weak character portrayals and some technical questions, "U-571" is a very enjoyable and intense film. The mood, lighting and atmosphere are what made this film a standout to me. The shaking of the cabin, the espionage plot, and the conflicts of the crew were great.
In preparations for watching this film, I took in a couple other submarine features which really made me admire and appreciate what it's like to be a sub-mariner. These films were "Hostile Waters" starring Rutger Hauer and "TNT's The Hunley" which are both great submarine films. Like "U-571" these two submarine films pay homage to those who gave their lives during these stories. If you haven't already you should check out these two before or after seeing "U-571".
(4 of 5)
So Says the Soothsayer.
"East is East"
Can the hit British comedy about cultural clashes play to a North American audience?
"East is East" tells the story of the Khan family as they try to relate and fit in with the cultural insecurity of the booming 1970's. The patriarch of the household George Khan (played by Om Puri), is a bullheaded culturally strict Muslim from Pakistan. His wife is a born and raised English woman who helps her husband raise their six children and run the family business, a fish and chips restaurant.
"East is East" is a sweet topical comedy one moment and a deep serious story chronicling a woman's struggle to regain her family the next. With this on-going struggle to find its message, "East of East" does deliver beautifully in the comedic elements. The cultural differences between the mixed family pave new paths for the classic "fish out of water" comedy formula. That part is a lot of the brilliance in this film.
As the father becomes more and more bull-headed trying so desperately to keep his Muslim family together, he turns from stubborn to vicious. This allows Puri to deliver a wonderful performance thus allowing the audience to follow his anger and frustration. He truly does believe that he is doing what's best. But as his vicious streak emerges the audience loses him and his plight. We then turn to the family and wonder why they won't stand up to this proud man. At one point during the film I yelled for someone to call "Social Assistance". It really frustrated me to see the abuse he was delivering even if he was doing what his culture told him to.
Saying this, is this film a comedy or a message on what happens really when cultures clash? And do the cultures of today allow us to find our individuality? "East is East" is a mixed blessing.
(3.5 of 5)
So Says the Soothsayer.
"Gossip"
Those little white lies that hurt us all.
"Gossip" is a very cruel and often emotionless drama. Starring a very colorful twenty-something crowd we are taken into the world of university, where three roommates (James Marsden, Lena Headey, Norman Reedus) all take a class talking about the value and destruction that can be wielded by the simple juicy bit of gossip. As an experiment in the cultures, the threesome decides to spin a little yarn and track how intense the aftermath can be. Their guinea pigs are a beauty queen who won't have sex with her man and her man who claims he actually did have sex. Obviously this explodes into a rape investigation and threesome is caught wondering: who is telling the truth, what is that person hiding and what exactly did happen.
"Gossip" is the type of film that isn't juicy or even amounts to anything really interesting. What we do end up with is a lot of potential in a cast. Such stand-outs or gems in this film are three of the female leads who include Lena Headey, Marisa Coughlan, and Kate Hudson. These three actresses need better parts in far better films. Lots of these twenty-something actors are solid and wonderful but they are in dire need of an uninfluenced "Kevin Williamson" project. The only thing missing from this Williamson-type film was the homosexual male struggling with his sexuality. It all boils down that we need better scripts and subjects written for this audience. The male quotient of this film was domineered by the overly exhausting villain played viciously by James Marsden. Marsden is another actor who has never been given a chance at a better role. Maybe he will fair better in this summer blockbuster "The X-Men" where he plays the role of Scott Summers aka Cyclops.
Gossip's sex scenes are short and anti-climatic and even bridge on torturous. Where is the passion and exhilaration often associated with the tantalizing of attractive leads? There is more steam in daytime. The analysis above does beg the questions, did anyone really love or care for another and were these people really shocked that a sex crime was actually committed? None of the characters in the whole entire film really lent any emotional connection to their sex lives or to the people they were supposed to be involved with. Basically arriving at an emotionless cesspool. Without this emotional connection I found this film vacuous.
(1.5 of 5)
So Says the Soothsayer.
