Hey folks, Harry here with a series of reviews of... by chance, two major DREAMWORKS Fall releases... This weekend's release of ALMOST FAMOUS... and later down the turnpike... Rod Lurie's THE CONTENDER.... Both films have been getting great praise and minor criticisms over the course of their testing process and now that the finished prints are being screened... it's getting even better. Our first reviewer today is the evil slimebag of a human grinch that hates everything... Joe Hallenbeck... who, with these two films... his heart grew two sizes too big. Then we have two other reviewers that also look at the films.... ENJOY....
Harry,
It has been said that Most of Hollywood has their heads up their asses. This theory is evident in their thinking that only movies of meaning and deep substance can come out in the Fall and Winter seasons. Never has this theory been so evident than in this year. With the exception of Erin Cockabitch(damn you Soderburg for making a Julia Roberts movie that I like!) Y2K has blown chunks. Even the mindless, escapism fun of Summer flicks fell short this year. Out of the dozen or so films I saw this summer, only 4 stood out from the crowd -- Shaft (I can definitely dig a sequel), Scary Movie (more dick jokes than in an issue of Hustler), X-Men (thank you Mr. Singer for not fuckin' this up), and What Lies Beneath (I had a blast with this one). The other flicks ranged from dreadful (M:I 2 and Gone in 60 Seconds) to overrated, bloated, deja-vu inducing pieces of...celluloid (Gladiator, The Patriot, The Perfect Storm). Hollywood wonders why BO was down this summer? -- Well, the proof is in the pudding, mon ami.
Now we come to Fall -- a time of year when Studios dump the crappy films that weren't even worthy enough of an August release or the important flicks that can save The 'Wood from complete depletion of artistic integrity. Two such films have crossed my path as of late -- Dreamworks' ALMOST FAMOUS and THE CONTENDER. Both are being highly touted for major Oscar Consideration, but only one is truly worthy of of that gold-plated "Mini -Yul."
So sit back, toke a few, and let good ol' Joe take you through the magical world of that bitch known as Oscar....
ALMOST FAMOUS
First, let me say I really dug this flick. I will be first in line to pick up the DVD. This will be one of the few movies this year I'll remember a decade from now. This is top notch entertainment. Dreamworks should be proud of Mr. Crowe and his semi-autobiographical pic.
I'm not much of a music lover. My love of music comes from what I mainly hear in films. To me music is mere background. It's there to excel the images on screen. I'm not the kind of person who can sit down and pop in a cd and groove to the tunes. I have one love and that is movies. I am faithful and respectful of its ways. I know many people who have this same feeling toward music. After seeing this movie, I can now understand where they are coming from.
The Plot - I don't know where to begin. Is this a story about a boy coming of age? Is it a tale of a band rising to stardom? Is it a movie about a friendship and a love between to very different souls? Perhaps it's a film about how an underdog defies the system and discovers the truths(some pretty...some not) about this magical world of "Rock and/or Roll?" The thing that makes this movie click is the fact it is not about just one thing...or one person for that matter.
The Characters - so rich and vibrant you almost feel as if you grew up with these guys.
William Miller - this new comer does a remarkable job of conveying a wide-eyed, innocent kid coming to terms with his dreams and his reality. There are times you forget he's only 15, but then are instantly grounded back into reality when his Mom dials in or when he sheds tears of frustration. Dynamite work. Oh, and uh...by the way -- best de-flowering scene in a movie...EVER!
Penny Lane - Ms. Hudson you be in my heart! As awkward dudes of uncoolness, we all can relate to William's sometimes frustrating feelings when it came to Penny. Like our lead, I too fell in love with this somewhat confused, troubled free-spirit. If you look back in your life you can remember a lady of such beauty and passion...the kind of woman that made you feel "like everyone else." She saw you as YOU -- not as some shy, awkward lad that seemed to be invisible to everyone else in the world. As an actress, I think Ms. Hudson has nowhere else to go but up. Continue on a road like this and you can become the next big thing. Just don't let your personal life get in the way of stardom.
Russell - Billy Crudup has become a favorite young actor of mine. I haven't seen much of his work, but out of the two performances I have seen (this and Without Limits) I have to say he too has nowhere to go but up. He's got the looks and the talent to carry a movie. He has a certain "everyman" feel to him that can be played to his advantage in the coming years.
Jason Lee HAS TO BE FLETCH! 'Nuff said!
Francis...oops, I mean FrancEs McDormand - ie MY MOTHER! Hell, just about everyone's mother. Only an actress of her talents could pull off a such a zany role, yet make it completely believable, true, and honest. A definite contender for Best Supporting Actress.
The Writing/Directing - Cameron Crowe is, without a doubt, one of the finest writers working in the 'Wood today. His films, with the exception of the whiney-20-something SINGLES, sparkle with fresh, "realistic" dialogue, fascinating characters and multiple story lines that beautifully compliment each other. As with Jerry Maguire, Mr. Crowe takes the viewer into a world that is alien to most and gives us an education in how this world operates. Oh, and Mr. Crowe -- I feel like I know you and you know what -- You ARE cool.
All this said and done, I regretfully have to admit, like Jerry Maguire, the ending becomes way too "Hollywood-ized". That's great for the general public, but it ain't gonna capture you that "Mini-Yul."
Sigh.
THE CONTENDER...
...Is just that and THEN SOME! Man this movie just plain fuckin ROCKED!!!!! It's the kind of film that makes you feel all growed up! YAY! HURRAY! I ALL ADULT!!! It's the kind of movie Hollywood used to make in the 70's...something with meaning and substance, but not too "Hollywood." Films like Network, All the President's Men and Dog Day Afternoon were riveting pieces of eye-candy that had you glued to your seat from beginning to end, yet managed to open your mind and didn't come off as too preachy. They were films that had balls and spoke the truth about things that were once considered dangerous to speak about. Only last year's MASTERPIECE, THE INSIDER, comes close to such a description. Well, that is until the Contender came along.
Rod Lurie has managed to craft an intense, political thriller without firing one bullet. There is never a dull moment in this highly engaging film.
The Plot - Before you go second guessing the film's "left-wing" pretensions, know that this review is being written by a Republican (although, an ashamed one). This is NOT -- I repeat -- NOT an attack on Conservative ways, nor does it shine favorably on liberalism either. Much like DAVE it's very bi-partisan. It's not some liberal, ACLU card-carrying(literally) wretched piece of shit like The American President. Nor is it a gung-ho John Wayne worshiping flick.
Yes, the movie is about a female Senator trying to be appointed VP. Yes, a "scandal" is uncovered concerning her "nefarious" past. However, the core of this movie is not about the media manipulation or the political intrigue in covering up/exposing one's past. It's about a person's past and who's business it is to know about. If you were involved in something that wasn't illegal, but considered "immoral" by some, does that make it an important issue for an elected leader? A man fucks 30 or so women and he's a stud. A woman does the same and she's a whore.
Gotta love the American Way.
The Characters - You might as well set aside at least 2 slots in the acting category for this cast.
LAINE HANSON - Coming soon to a browser near you: www. I-Want-To-Marry-Joan-Allen.com.
Ms. Allen gives quite possibly one of the finest performances any actress has ever put forth on screen. The quiet dignity that her character possesses could have only been pulled off by an actress of Ms. Allen's caliber...or maybe by that hack Streep (Ha! Ha! I made a funny!). I will say this, I wouldn't want to play poker with Ms. Allen 'cus there ain't no way you could read her poker face. In the past, she has played mousy women who grow in strength as the script chugs along...finally breaking out of her shell and kicking boo-tay! In The Contender, her character is faced with an awkward situation right off the bat - admit to doing something she may or may not have done in the past or stand by her convictions and don't dignify the ridiculous allegations with an answer. The strength she puts forth on screen is ten times more muscular than every Arnie and Sly movie combined. Will she play "their" game or will she fight the good fight...no matter what the outcome will be? It's this frustrating internal struggle that enriches her character beyond most human levels. It's like Mel Gibson at the end of Braveheart -- Just confess, for Christ sakes! It not only causes an emotional drain on Senator Hanson, but on the audience as well.
After being nominated several times for an Oscar (Nixon, The Crucible, and I think, Ice Storm) Ms. Allen should walk away with that Gold-plated Mini-Yul come March. If not, then me ol' Hallen-Bat (TM) might have to play ball.
Gary "The Freaking Man!" Oldman - His time has come! Mr. Oldman will finally walk away with a much-deserved Academy Award come March. He has too. He must! He's so damn awesome in this flick. He's not this conniving Snively Whiplash villain the trailer portrays him as being. Sure, you want to boo and hiss at him at times, but all throughout the movie you can see where this asshole is coming from. Every shot he fires at Laine just bounces off of her. He tries and tries to destroy a life but this Gandhi-esque creature won't stand down. Lurie managed to really humanize him with the one scene he has with his wife. Here he is -- this lightning-bolt throwing Head of the Committee being chastised by the one person in the world who loves him. It's a fascinating contradiction -- he, just sitting there, as his wife towers over him...laying waste to what is left of his soul.
The Pres - As always, Jeff Bridges is engaging as hell. I believed he was the President from the first moment he appeared on screen. He has this aura about him that exudes charm, sophistication, strength and the kind of class that makes up the Head of the Executive Branch. With him as the leader of the land I could sleep easy at night. However, this is not his movie. He's a mere supporting player in this political war...a leader who wants to back his gal, but at the same time has to think about his Nation. Like Laine, he too has this internal conflict going on inside.
Kermit - and yes -- without the 'stache Sam Elliot does look like a frog. I still don't understand why this man hasn't made it big. I have yet to meet one woman (ranging from ages 15 to 65) that doesn't find Sam one of the sexist guys in filmland. Plus, I have yet to meet one guy who doesn't think Sam isn't the coolest MO-FO this side of..well, the other "SAM." One word coming from that husky voice of his just scares the hell out of me. I would be scared shitless if I went out on a date with his daughter. It's hard to say who is more intimidating - Sam Elliot or the King of Bad Asses...Clint.
Oh, and one more thing -- Christian, YOU'RE NOT JACK, SO STOP ACTING LIKE HIM, DAMN IT!!!!
The Writing/Directing -- I always found Rod Lurie to be a pompous, yet often amusing film critic when he did his radio show here in LA. However, my opinion of him as a filmmaker has grown more toward admiration and respect. He has done something very few critics have the balls to do - he puts his money where his mouth is. He went out and made a little film called DETERRENCE which nobody saw and then came along and did this spectacular political thriller for Dreamworks. He not only went out there and made a great film, he has made the best film of 2000 thus far. Much like Pakula did with All the Presidents Men (a Lurie Favorite), Rod molded what could have been a plodding film about politics and made it into an intense, "I wonder what's coming up around the corner" political thriller where no blood is spilled other than that on the Constitution...metaphorically speaking. While his dialogue at times seems to have been written directly from a Thesaurus, Rod still manages to not talk over his audiences head. After all, these are all educated people. There are some nifty twists and turns in the script...some predictable...others gleefully surprising. What makes this movie really move is its direction. Rod seems at ease with his actors. It shows on the screen. He lets them loose knowing that they can do just fine at the controls without him. However, when they start go a wee bit overboard, Rod reels them in and saves them from over-bloated theatrics.
Visually, the movie is stunning. On a fairly low-budget, Lurie made this movie look larger than life. You feel as if you're at the White House or in the Capitol Building. There is one shot in particular that will stay with me for years to come. It's a crane shot...Senator Laine, exhausted from her jog, rests as the camera pulls out to reveal her standing in the middle of Arlington Cemetery, rows and rows of stone markers marking the spots of the men and women that have served this country. Perhaps after the Commission is through with her she may find a place here too.
This Fall, instead of seeing something like LOST SOULS or URBAN LEGENDS 2, cast your vote for the most important American Film in Years, THE CONTENDER. Your country may just depend on it!
(How's that for a newspaper quote?)
In all seriousness -- see this film. SEE IT! SEE IT! SEE IT!
Dreamworks has a major "contender" on it's hands with THE CONTENDER. Is this a sure fire bet for Best Picture? - a nomination, yes. A Win? - perhaps. Hell, even West Wing walked away with 9 Emmys! In a year so far filled with crap this rose smells the best. However, we still have the Russian, WWII Epic ENEMY AT THE GATES, Leatherface's The Legend Of Bagger Vance, Survivor: The Movie (aka CASTAWAY), Pay it Forward (aka My Mother the Raccoon dates The Man Without a Face), and Raimi's THE GIFT...amongst others.
T.T.F.N.,
Joe Hallenbeck
And here is Northern Lad's look at THE CONTENDER....
Hey Harry!
I had the good fortune of being able to attend the world premiere of the Contender at the Toronto Film Festival last night. The flick promises to be a big one come Oscar time and did not fail to deliver in terms of acting, story, direction and relevance. The movie stars Jeff Bridges, Joan Allen and Gary Oldman and was directed by Rod Lurie( he directed Deterrence a film I have yet to see but plan to shortly).
I will copy your style Harry and start with giving you an idea of my mind set going into the screening last night. The previous evening I was witness to the crap piece known as the Watcher. I will not even do that particular movie any justice by wasting my time talking about it. I always find it amazing how much I look forward to a decent movie after watching something that was really a waste of my prime time film dollar. The only thing good about a bad movie is it leaves me with the hope that I will one day get the opportunity to direct films. The theory being that Hollywood spends so much on crap they must be willing at some point to give me some pocket change to make something worth seeing.
Well enough about the Watcher lets just say I was in the mood for something that didn't require my leaving my brain at the door and the Contender didn't let me down. I read a review for an early version of the film on your site a couple months back that was very positive. The review at the time referred to the movie as DreamWorks American Beauty come Oscar time next year and this couldn't be more true. While both movies are very different they both share a similar effect of making you think about what is happening in society and also question what is really important and what should we be really thinking and caring about (long sentence I know).
I would not be at all surprised to see the movie get numerous nominations including Best Actor Jeff Bridges, Supporting Gary Oldman and Actress Joan Allen. All of these three fine actors are brilliant in their individual roles and bring a lot of humanity to very public individuals. Well onto the review if I haven't already started that is:-)
The Story:
The best part of a great movie is a great screen play couple with great acting and a competent Director. How many directors out there know how to provide all the sizzle but really have no idea how to work a script. Ridley Scott is often guilty of making things look great but really giving us no substance to care about. Rod Lurie not only directs a great group of actors but this guy knows how to write a damn fine screen play with an intelligent story and great dialogue.
The movie has many twists and turns and manages to make us interested in people that we normally have no idea about. Do Americans love Clinton because he's a great president or do they feel they relate to a guy who committed adultery and got caught. If Clinton had been a woman would he have been treated any differently? The story explores the double standard when it comes to perceptions of sex as it relates to men and women. We are forced to acknowledge that a lot of what becomes public record is really none of our business. The fact that Clinton had an affair on his wife is common knowledge but does it really hinder his ability as President of the United States.
The movie really is about sticking to your moral resolve and what should and should not be topics for public discussion. Joan Allen is a nominee for the Vice President who has died in the middle of office. Jeff Bridges who plays the President nominates her as replacement as part of his swan song towards the end of his term. Gary Oldman is the Senator who feels she is not deserving of the appointment and is willing to stretch what is acceptable in order to get his way.
The fact that Governor Laine Hanson(Joan Allen) sticks to her guns by never lowering herself to her accusers level is really what drives the movie. If someone accused you of something that was really non of their business to begin with could you rise above and ignore them based on principle alone? This coupled with the fact that she is a woman makes for an interesting commentary on what we see everyday in the media. Is it really any of our business if a Senator has an affair or slept with many men while in college? Does any of this have any impact on her ability to be a great Vice President. The answer is of course no but yet these things do matter in how we perceive our public figures.
The Acting:
Again all three of the principles will be nominated for the appropriate Oscars come next March. The supporting cast from Sam Elliot to Christian Slater are all amazing and leaves you wondering how they managed to put together such a great group of people.
The Direction:
While not a movie requiring incredible visuals to get its point across the movie is great to look at. Lurie gets some great performances out of his actors and the editing with the amazing screen play make for a truly great piece of work. I have yet to see Deterrence but I'm now looking forward to it as it must have allowed him the opportunity to make this film they way he wanted.
Overall:
An awesome movie and easily the best thing I have seen so far this year. The cast along with Director were in attendance and you could tell they were all very excited about the overall result. Its awesome to see a great actor like Bridges get a good role in a good movie for a change. He always seems to be the guy busting his ass off in flicks that really don't do him justice. Apparently when Rod Lurie offered Bridges the role he took a second to think and then replied 'the Dude gets to Play President'. If that's not reason enough to go see the movie then I don't know what is!
Northern Lad
Here's an ALMOST FAMOUS review from someone... I just don't understand... and I feel happy for that. His opinion is as valid as any, but... I disagree with it completely. Here ya go with 'Show Me The Money'
Harry,
REVIEW: ALMOST FAMOUS
Crowe should've titled his movie 'Almost Good'
Why should you post my review even though you've had others? Well because I get the feeling these studios are developing strategies to handle you web sites and I don't want you to be taken advantage of. How have their been so many good reviews when this is only an okay movie?
What's right: Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, the writing, and of course P.S. Hoffman (is he ever bad?)
What's wrong: An awkward beginning, a weak motivation for the main character, the kid, a jumbled ending that's too long and a soundtrack that alienates the under-30 crowd.
That last one is the biggest because this is obviously a nostalgia piece and if you don't like the music (70s rock) the movie won't work for you. Imagine the last scene from Last of The Mohicans with the music from Mission To Mars playing.
That said most of the crowd was in their 30s and they seemed to like it. My advice: 32 and over go see this movie. 31 and under go to Blockbuster and rent Jerry Maguire (one of my top 5).
Call me 'SHOW ME THE MONEY!' (cause I want my 9 bucks back)
