Father Geek here taking a few minutes out of the grinding Heart of Texas Screenwriter's Conference and Austin Film Festival to post a couple of updates since tonight is the Friday the 13th all night horror program and Harry and I will probably not return to post again until the wee morning hours of Monday's dawn. We'll be viewing such hard to see (on the big screen) genre classics as THE HUNGER, THE TENANT, THE TOXIC AVENGER, FRIDAY THE 13th PART 3: 3D, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, and a handfull of others. Tobe Hooper and other fright fans and pros will be joining us out at Austin's WESTGATE Theater for the orgy of horror and gore starting around 7:30 tonight and continuing till the crack of dawn. It's NOT a lock-in like BUTT-NUMB-A-THON so you can come and go at will all night long. See you there! You DON'T have to hold an expensive festival pass for this event, individual tickets are available at the door. Now to Capone's report from the Windy City...
Capone in Chicago here, basking in the glory that is the 36th Annual Chicago International Film Festival. Unlike previous years, I have yet to see a bad film in the bunch, but we're only half way through it, so give it time. Here's the first of my two part report; 11 films either coming out soon or desperately searching for a place on a release schedule.
DR. T AND THE WOMEN
DR. T AND THE WOMEN
To describe the story and lessons of director Robert Altman's latest film, you may be best to talk not in terms of what it IS but what it IS NOT. DR. T AND THE WOMEN is not about a philandering gynecologist (played very nicely by Richard Gere) in Texas having affairs with all of his patients. Quite the opposite: Gere's Dr. T (for Travis) is the perfect husband to his mentally disturbed wife (Farrah Fawcett) and great father to his two grown daughters (Kate Hudson from ALMOST FAMOUS, and Tara Reid from AMERICAN PIE). He is even accused at one point of being two perfect and husband and actually causing his wife's mental problems due to her never lacking love and affection. I'll buy that.
What I didn't by about DR. T AND THE WOMEN was a plot that, as it progresses, become increasingly ridiculous and improbable, while trying to convince us that it exists in reality. There are some nice touches here to be sure: the perception it gives us of the women of Texas (blonde and leggy about covers it, according to Altman) seemed pretty dead on (and even if it wasn't accurate, it was very funny). Most of the performances are credible and well realized, especially those done by Gere, Hudson, Laura Dern, and Shelley Long as the doctor's head nurse. One of the best played (albeit ill-conceived) characters in the film is the one played by Helen Hunt as Bree, a golf instructor at Dr. T's country club, with whom he has an affair. The way this storyline plays out is probably the most frustrating thing about the film, but it's only a symptom, not the whole disease.
All of Altman's old tricks are well-represented here: the multitude of characters, over-lapping dialogue, the multiple storylines that intersect in ways that reveal things about the characters with each new intersection. But something about DR. T felt tired and forced. Altman is not one to force a message down your throat, but a vague but powerful one typically ends up surfacing regardless. Sometimes it's about human nature, Americana, relationships, etc. Here, there is nothing. About the only thing that I got from DR. T was "damned if you do, damned if you don't." Dr. T is a good husband, but that causes suffering to those he loves; so he cheats when his wife's illness forces her into a mental hospital, and he gets hurt in the process. Altman doesn't make feel-good movies, to be sure, but usually someone in his stories learns something positive even if they have to go through hell to get there. A case could be made, I suppose, that that happens to Gere in this film, but by the time the ridiculous end of DR. T rolled around, I gave up caring. No, I'm lying...I gave up way before that.
GEORGE WASHINGTON
The biggest (but far from the only) surprise about GEORGE WASHINGTON was that it was made by a 23-year-old and it wasn't some grainy digital video movie blown up to look washed out and jerky on the big screen. The film is a lush, widescreen gem from first-time director David Gordon Green. Set in rural and impoverished North Carolina, GEORGE WASHINGTON is a film that blurs the line between adult problems and kids stuff; when you're poor, problems are simply problems. The film spends an extraordinary amount of time just showing people living in these conditions; these are not homeless people, just people finding day-to-day living a struggle with the tensions of close quarters and little in the way of distractions. A group of these bored kids ends up playing in a deserted public bathroom and a tragedy occurs that turns these good kids into hurt and scared adults in a hurry. This isn't one of those movies of the week, where the children shut down emotionally; these kids change, especially the title character, who decides to make it his mission to save lives by becoming a makeshift superhero.
Using a cast of unknown non-actors speaking largely improvised words, Green has created something that is both hauntingly realistic and beautifully surreal. The film is far from plot driven, but it's filled with the strange and unflinching things of the everyday. I believed every word of this. A couple years ago, I saw a similarly themed film called THE MIGHTY; this is much better and more believable work
HARRY, HE'S HERE TO HELP
There seem to be no bigger fans of Alfred Hitchcock than the French. It seems that every year, a small handful of crime dramas come out of France that bring to mind Hitchcock's spirit and love of mixing the criminal and the psychological. HARRY, HE'S HERE TO HELP is a wonderfully fun and thrilling movie that begins as a story of two old acquaintances meeting coincidentally at a highway rest stop and turns into a nightmarish story of obsession and murder. Michel is a family fan who, while not struggling, finds it difficult at times to make ends meet and to find time to complete the many things that need to be accomplished in his life. While on a stress-filled family trip, he runs into Harry. They went to the same high school together, but Michel doesn't remember him. But Harry remembers you, my friend, a little too well. Harry has memorized a 20-year-old poem that Michel wrote for a literary journal; Harry remembers old girlfriends of Michel's better than Michel does. Eventually Michel and his family and Harry and his girlfriend end up at Michel's run-down vacation home (which he's never found the time to restore properly). Michel doesn't find Harry's behavior (or memory) unnerving at first; he's flattered to be reminded of his glory days of high school. But in true Hichcockian form, troubling things start to happen as the group get to know each other and Harry's true motivations come to light. HARRY, HE'S HERE TO HELP is classic guessing game. There are no cheap thrills here; they're all the real deal. The film manages to turn dark without sacrificing a few wicked laughs, or becoming campy and self-aware. I hope to God this movie gets as wide a release as a foreign film does in the this day and age, because HARRY rocks.
BUS RIDERS UNION
The latest directing effort of Academy-Award-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler (and credited co-director Johanna Demetrakas, who actually editing the film) is the well-made and politically charged documentary about a group of mostly poor Los Angelian bus riders who are watching their sole means of public transportation being sacrificed to fund the scandal-ridden and largely useless L.A. rail system. By organizing as a group of loud and angry protesters, the Bus Riders Union took the city's Metropolitan Transit Authority to court to get more buses and lower fares and won...sort of. Their struggle and the union continue the fight today but concession have been made. The city government (led by a mayor who is rightfully abused in this film) has been taking revenue from bus riders and applying it to the new rail system despite the fact that more than 90% of the public transportation users ride the bus. Accusations of mismanaged money fly around in this movie, which is one of the best "us vs. them" tales I've ever seen told on film. Wexler filmed almost all of the movie by himself using a consumer video camera, and the result is an exciting and poignant story of a grass roots battle worthy of Frank Capra himself. We meet the leaders of the BRU, all with their own stories of hours-long travel to work, overcrowded buses, and basically getting the shaft. I'm a huge fan of documentaries like this, that take a side and aren't afraid to become a part of the proceedings.
INNOCENCE
Roger Ebert called this the best movie he saw at Cannes, and while I don't know if I'd go quite that far, I will say that Paul Cox's INNOCENCE is one of the best love stories I've seen in years. What makes it all the more interesting is that the love affair in question is between two people in their 70s. Andreas, a retired music teacher and widow of 30 years, misses his wife immensely (he still has highly sexual dreams about her). He learns that his first love, Claire, lives in the same town as he does. The two haven't seen each other in more than 50 years, but he writes her and they meet. Surprisingly enough, the attraction still exists. Claire, however, is still married in a loveless marriage that she probably would have let go on until her death because she never believed anything better could ever come along. But it does. What I like best about INNOCENCE is that it isn't just about happy cutesy love between to old-timers (this ain't GRUMPY OLD anybody); this is about fully realized adults rediscovering not only love but lust. An even better turn is that Claire's husband is not made out to be a mean bastard; he's a fairly nice guy who just forgot how to pay attention to the little things. But once the affair is brought to light, he reacts and tries to atone for his sins as a husband. The situations and issues raised in INNOCENCE are troubling and believable; Cox's writing is top-notch despite his tendency to turn much of his dialogue into grand speeches about love and age; the performances are absolutely wonderful; and Cox's direction is a joy.
BEST IN SHOW
If you haven't seen the comedy masterpiece WAITING FOR GUFFMAN stop reading this now, go rent it, and come back after you've done so. If you have seen it, read on. BEST IN SHOW written, directed, and starring every single person responsible for GUFFMAN (and most of THIS IS SPINAL TAP for that matter) is an equally brilliant look at the world of dog shows and the freaky people that own and handle these award-winning mutts. Like GUFFMAN, BEST IN SHOW is done in a mockumentary style. We meet the various dog owners as the prepare for and travel to the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. The final 30 minutes of the film is the show itself, and by the time we get there, we know everything we need to about the dogs and the people they represent. The movie is a classic example of talented comedic actors showing off their improvisational skills. Director and co-writer Christopher Guest, co-writer Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard, Michael McKean, and others, make me laugh by just being on the screen. I won't even go into who they all portray because describing them wouldn't do the film any kind of justice. Suffice it to say, the movie my not be as biting as GUFFMAN was at portraying Americana gone horribly sideways, but it's close. And if you don't laugh long and hard at BEST IN SHOW, you need to get out more. Come on, there's a guy with two left feet here...literally.
It may be overstated at this point, but Guest even found a way to make a dog show funny: insert Fred Willard. He steals the show every time he opens his mouth as a ESPN-like moderator for the televised broadcast of the dog show. He obviously is playing a guy that knows nothing about dogs and everything about baseball. Just go!
SALTWATER
This better-than-average coming-of-age Irish drama is the feature directorial debut of playwright Conor McPherson. Brian Cox is the father of three who is trying to keep his meager fish and chips shop above water financially. He's been forced to borrow money from a bookie (Brendan Gleeson) and is, not surprisingly, having trouble keeping up his payments. His son Frank (Peter McDonald, most recently seen in THE OPPORTUNISTS) decides to take matters into his own hands and rob the bookie at gunpoint to settle all accounts. More moving, however, is the story of Frank's younger brother Joe, who befriends a trouble-making new student at his school. Joe also has and almost wordless relationship with a girl that is tainted by his bad-news new friend. I remember liking this film a great deal right after I saw it, but today (a few days later) I'm having trouble recalling the details. Draw your own conclusions. I DO remember thinking after the screening how glad I was to see a film abo! ut! the Irish that did not involve the IRA or make the Irish out to be cute, wit-spouting drunken comic relief.
BROTHER 2
My favorite Russian director working today is Alexei Balabanov, whom I was first exposed to at the Chicago Film Festival in 1997 with his film BROTHER. Last year, the festival screened his follow-up film OF FREAKS AND MEN, probably the most disturbing film I saw in 1999, about a group of circus freaks essentially inventing pornographic films. His latest is BROTHER 2, a sequel to BROTHER, which brings back Danila (Sergei Bodrov Jr., from PRISONER OF THE MOUNTAINS and EAST-WEST), a former Soviet soldier who is both sweet and cold-hearted. The plot of BROTHER 2 is too complicated to get into here, but the bottom line is that he travels to Chicago (go figure) to avenge the death of a good friend. Balabanov is so sure-handed here in telling a cross-cultural action film that comparisons to Scorsese and David Lynch are well warranted. And I think it's only a matter of time be American audiences discover Bodrov's charm and gift as an actor. Since BROTHER never got much of a release ! in! the states, you're going to have to keep an eye out on the festival circuit if you want to catch it. A strong recommendation.
GREENFINGERS
Apparently ever actor working in the U.K. today is required to be in at least one of feel-good, happily ever after working class comedies. In the wake of THE FULL MONTY, SAVING GRACE, and WAKING NED DEVINE comes GREENFINGERS (slang for someone with a talent for gardening, a la Green Thumb). Clive Owens (currently kicking ass in CROUPIER) stars as an inmate placed in an experimental minimum security prison (more like a college campus if you ask me), where inmates engage in work that eventually gives them skills that they can turn into a trade once they're released. Owens discovers his talent as a gardener thanks to his cell mate (played by the chicken-legged, Oscar-nominated David Kelly from NED DEVINE). Soon Owens and a few other inmates because local celebrities and are allowed to enter a prestigious gardening show. A huge boost to their cause is given by famous gardening writer and commentator Georgina Woodhouse (the always wonderful Helen Mirren). GREENFINGERS is 90 minut! es! of pure silly fluff that is both entertaining and completely dispensable. Based on a true story, we're told, this story of finding beauty in the most unlikely of places ends with the prisoners meeting the Queen. Who knew hard time could be so much fun?
YI YI (A ONE AND A TWO)
It may be totally impossible for me to explain why YI YI is one of the best movies you're likely to see all year. Simply put, this film is about everything: pain, loss, birth, death, first love, lost love, money, power, friendship, second chances, no chance, alienation, doubt, loyalty. In other words, it's about life.
Director Edward Yang won a Best Director Award at Cannes this year and rightfully so. I've never seen one of his films before, but I'm dying to after experiencing YI YI. The film revolves around a successful business man named N.J., and opens at his brother-in-laws wedding (a happy occasion). Right after the wedding, his mother collapses from a stroke and he bumps into his first love from 30 years ago. It may sound like YI YI throws everything but the kitchen sink at you, but it doesn't feel that way. Every character in the film, including N.J.'s children, wife, and his business partners, all have their own storylines and serious of emotional and spiritual journeys. But the core story about N.J. meeting with his first love is the heart of the movie. Yang even finds a way of directly paralleling remembrances of this love affair with N.J.'s daughter tale of first love in the present. It's a brilliant technique that is used very effectively here.
The film actually reminded me of some of my favorite Bergman movies, such as SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE and CRIES AND WHISPERS. There are no close ups here; the camera keeps its distance like a hidden observer of the unfolding dramas. I guarantee that some part of this movie will touch you deeply as you see a part of yourself in one of the characters; and all of the movie will move you something fierce. I don't know when YI YI is getting a wide release but look for it and prepare yourself for a powerful film.
BEDAZZLED
I made a startling discovery while watching the new Harold Ramis-directed comedy BEDAZZLED (actually a remake of a very funny 1967 British film starring Dudley Moore and Peter Cook): Brendan Fraser is the best comic actor working today who didn't come up from the stand-up circuit. I've always known the guy could act; one look at GODS AND MONSTERS is all you need to prove that. But ever since he made the very funny GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE, I've had my suspicions about Fraser as comic genius. BLAST FROM THE PAST wasn't a particularly memorable film, but he was good in that too. BEDAZZLED seals the deal.
Fraser is Elliot, a computer dweeb who is disliked by his co-workers and generally shunning by the world at large. His biggest crime is not that he's a jerk or a social misfit; he just tries too hard. He invites himself out with the "gang" from work and is extremely uncomfortable around women he's interested in. Fraser plays this guy just right; he's not the stereotypical nerd with big thick glasses and bad skin. By simple adjustments to his facial expressions and eyes, Fraser makes Elliot look eager and excited, with an undertone of sadness for each expected social failure. At the mean-spirited prompting of his co-workers, Elliot finally approaches a fellow office worker, Allison (MANSFIELD PARK's Frances O'Connor, looking a lot like Mariah Carey but not as dumb) whom he's had a crush on for four years. After failing to make a real connection with Allison, Elliot vows that he would do anything to have her. Enter: the Devil like you've never seen her before.
Elizabeth Hurley's oozes sex to lull her victims into a false sense of security. For the mere price of Elliot's soul, Hurley promises she will grant him seven wishes. Naturally, he jumps at the chance to be rich, powerful, and the object of Alison's affections, but the Devil knows how to mess up a perfectly harmless wish. I don't want to ruin any of the surprises resulting from Fraser's wishes, but he is basically turned into completely different people during the course of the film, each one funnier and more ridiculous than the last. Fraser is able to jump from being a Colombian drug lord to a 7-foot-tall basketball player to a suave author with no trouble. Hurley is the star of BEDAZZLED's ad campaign (especially those sexy bus-side billboards I've seen around Chicago), but the movie is all about Fraser.
Credit also needs to go to Ramis. The guy has a real tough time doing anything wrong as a writer (ANIMAL HOUSE, MEATBALLS, CADDYSHACK, GHOSTBUSTERS) or a director (VACATION, GROUNDHOG DAY, ANALYZE THIS). Okay, CLUB PARADISE and MULTIPLICITY weren't that good, but I confess that STUART SAVES HIS FAMILY made me laugh. The only real flaw in BEDAZZLED is the rather abrupt and way-to-neat ending. I was actually kind of shocked how quickly and easily everything wrapped up. Ramis opted for speed over cleverness, I guess. Still, it's not necessarily an unsatisfying conclusion and it definitely isn't an unsatisfying film.
Capone out
