Selig Film News

SANCTUM PREVIEW

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January 21, 2011

SANCTUM PREVIEW

By Gary Murray

Lately, I have not been an advocate of 3D films, especially live action. Where the effect works wonders in the animated world with films like How to Train Your Dragon, Toy Story 3 and Despicable Me, the live action ones haven’t fared well. It has more to do with the control of the image. In a animated film, the focused image can be controlled better than on a live action film. Simply put, the effects just look better when controlled by computer.

Avatar set a very high bar that few have come close to. Over the years, we have had The Last Airbender, The Green Hornet and Clash of the Titans, none of which worked at all with the 3D technology. The problem with all the above-mentioned films was that they were forced 3D, not designed for the technology but added on at the last minute to make more money. Except for Tron: Legacy and Piranha 3D, every film using this technology has been a cinematic failure.

James Cameron, the director of Titanic and Avatar, is also the innovator of the technology. He believes that this is not some gimmick like it was in the 1950’s but a new step forward for the cinema. While others have failed with these films, Cameron has been using the technology to capture documentaries about nature and the ship of dreams. These one hour IMAX flicks have been impressive displays of both cutting edge technology and cutting edge cinematography. He used it successfully with Avatar but that also was almost an animated feature, using motion capture technology.

The latest film to attempt 3D with live action is Sanctum, executive produced by Cameron and directed by Alister Grierson. Using the same technology and cameras that were used in Avatar, James is single-handedly trying to save the struggling format. To promote the new film and the technology, the studio is sending around the US a traveling theater on an tractor-trailer. Don’t call it a drive-in theater but a drive-up theater. This giant home-theater style exhibit holds about 90, with fancy cinema seats. It was recently in Dallas at American Airlines Center, giving visitors to the Stars game a chance to see bits of the latest movie with the latest technology.

The preview started with James Cameron introducing the film and talking about the technology used in making the 3D effects. In his descriptions, it almost feels as if we were seeing this process for the first time. In a way, we were because after the event, it almost feels like that it true.

First we get the trailer. It looks great, with action bits and beautiful people in various degrees of danger. Everyone knows that the trailer is where the makers deliver their best shot, enticing movie patrons to see the flick. Yes, it did look great, but it was only a teaser.

There are three longer scenes about four minutes apiece and this is where the preview comes to life. We get an opening bit where two of the cave explorers take ropes down the mammoth crevasse and one free falls with a parachute. The effect of 3D makes the image feel like one of those old View Master toys from childhood, except that the image is more crisp and moving. The second takes place when a monsoon rain begins to flood the cave. The cascading water feels so real that one imagines getting wet by watching. One is just drawn into the scenes with the immersion technology. The final scene is underwater, with one of the adventurers struggling to find air pockets within the rock formations. It truly feels as if we are trapped in the underground world of Sanctum, fighting to make it back to the surface.

While no one has seen the entire flick, the makers are giving a massive taste of adventure by showing this 15 minutes of Sanctum. If the rest of the movie is as exciting as the few minutes shown, it should be a massive hit and the savior of the fledging technology. Once again it will put James Cameron on top of the world.

Ronnie Faisst, Freestyle Motocross Star from Nuclear Cowboyz, to Rev Up Happy Hour at Rick Fairless’ Strokers Dallas with Autograph Signing

Film News

John Strange

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January 14, 2011

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DALLAS, TX (JANUARY 14, 2011) – Motorcycle enthusiasts will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Ronnie Faisst, one of the true founding fathers of freestyle motocross and one of the stars from the Nuclear Cowboyz Freestyle ChaosSM tour, during an autograph session and meet-and-greet at Rick Fairless’ Strokers Dallas on Thursday, January 20 from 5:00-7:00PM. Strokers Dallas is located at 9304 Harry Hines Boulevard in Dallas.

In addition to Faisst, bikers will be able to meet and receive autographs from former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and current Nuclear Cowgirlz℠ Dancer Amber Strauser, the world’s top motocross and trials riders, who are in town for the all-new Nuclear Cowboyz Freestyle Chaos℠. For more information on the autograph session, please call 214/357-0707 or visit www.strokersdallas.com. The event is open to the general public.

Faisst is a Two-Time X-Game Bronze Medalist and has competed in 12 X Games Events. Faisst recently placed third overall at the 2010 Dew Tour. He also won one silver medal and two additional bronze medals during his run in the Gravity Games. Faisst has competed in more than 60 FMX events worldwide throughout the 11 years he’s been competing.

This year marks the second year that Faisst has toured with Nuclear CowboyzSM. The all-new Nuclear Cowboyz Freestyle Chaos℠, which plays at American Airlines Center on January 22 at 7:00PM, is the legend of two powerful freestyle motocross tribes, the Soldiers of Havoc and the Metal Mulisha™, whose survival in their post-apocalyptic world is told through gravity defying and fearless freestyle motocross aerial feats. The Nuclear CowboyzSM mayhem and chaos is literally set in extreme non-stop motion when the tribes are challenged by a dark underworld that begins the ultimate battle for world supremacy. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 800/745-3000.

In addition to Faisst, the Nuclear Cowboyz Freestyle Chaos tour has the greatest cast of freestyle motocross riders ever assembled, including Adam Jones, Mike Mason, Taka Higashino, and Beau Bamburg. In addition to these world renowned freestyle motocross riders, trials riders Geoff Aaron and Keith Whineland, along with quad riders Derek Guetter and Colton Moore, take their apocalyptic power to the massive ramps, conveying the action-packed narrative through choreographed, synchronized awe-inspiring tricks and the Nuclear Cowgirlz℠ dancers. For more information, visit www.nuclearcowboyz.com.

ROLLING DOWN THE HIGHWAY: Driving Black Beauty

Gary Murray

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January 12, 2011

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ROLLING DOWN THE HIGHWAY: Driving Black Beauty

By Gary Murray

My heart was filled with anticipation and fear as I got behind the oversized wheel of the 1965 Chrysler Impala. Not being afraid of driving but afraid of crashing. This was no ordinary classic car, but one of the actual props used in the new Seth Rogan flick The Green Hornet.

In promotion for the the film, Carl’s Jr and the studio have sent this car on a four month US tour. Thousands of fans of both the original TV show and the new film have been flocking to see this piece of Americana. A few lucky members of the press were invited to take the car on a spin through the fast-food parking lot. Since the car is not street legal, it could not be taken out on the actual roads.

The Green Hornet is the latest action-adventure comic book flick to hit the big screen. The story is of a young man whose father is killed by a group of villains. So, Rogan dons the moniker of The Green Hornet and takes on the forces of evil. Along for the ride is Kato ( ) the martial arts side-kick. The film is one of those popcorn chewing spectacles of action and comedy that appeal to all.

Now, I’ve always been a classic car nut, having both owned and driven many cars from decades past. Cars of today have no personality, while cars from the 1950’s and 1960’s just ooze muscle and style. This car is no exception.

Black Beauty is solid black, with heavy tinted windows and a solid under carriage. On the front and back are fold-down compartments holding rocket tips. In the film, real rockets fire from the lowest levels of the body while these are just props. Twin machine gun props adorn the hood, menacing harbingers of death. The rear tires are fat and wide, making it easier to keep Black Beauty on the road. The front doors swing out backwards, much like the old suicide doors from 1930’s cars. In each door are also rockets, used to a stunning end during the movie.

The most impressive feature of the Black Beauty is the sound of the motor. With the high-performance engine and the muffler system that almost sound like glass packs, the final effect is a loud roar that fills the heavens with dangerous Detroit music.

As I get inside, the first thing noticed is all the movie hardware. There are monitor screens and switches galore, none of which actually work. They are all just movie props, written in Oriental script. Surprisingly, the gear shift also doesn’t work. The actual mechanisms to shift the car are built onto the floorboard, making the actual shifting an act of reaching between your legs.

As I slipped the car into drive, it slowly creep forward. The accelerator went to the floor but the car moved slowly. It is torqued down to a low gear ratio. In other words, it sounds high performance but moves like a boat in the water. At the first right turn, Black Beauty sways, the wide rear tires made more for straight ahead movements than turning maneuvers. The sound of the motor was numbingly loud, filling the cavernous interior of black and gray cloth with sounds seldom heard in modern autos. It was a retro chic moment when hot charged carburetor fueled machines dominated the roadways

I kept thinking about how much fun it would be to that this little gem out on the freeways, letting the barrels open up, suck in the cold air and jump down the highway. The attendant of the car said that he personally had taken the car past 100 mph. I declined to ask him the where and when the event occurred. Just knowing that I had that much power under my petal was enough.

This Black Beauty is one of the actual cars used in the film, a show car from the end of the flick. For the movie, the makers used almost 30 vehicles, in different stages of repair and damage. The one was make for the close-up and not one of the ones crashed during the telling of the tale. While The Green Hornet un-spools, different Black Beauties are used and destroyed. This is one of the final vehicles, before the final action sequences where the car performs above and beyond what any engineer imagined.

To learn more about this impressive vehicle, visit TestDriveTheBlackBeauty.com. The site lets one customize their own Black Beauty and battle others. The best part of this exercise with The Green Hornet is that Carl’s Jr is giving away this piece of automotive art. That’s right, you can win Black Beauty. One can go to a participating Carl’s Jr restaurant or go on-line to enter. If you are the lucky one who gets this car, let me know. I’d love to take this monster machine out on again, but this time I’d like to take it on a real road.

COUNTRY STRONG – A Review by Gary “Red Neck Mother” Murray

Gary Murray

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January 7, 2011

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COUNTRY STRONG

By Gary “Red Neck Mother” Murray

Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Garrett Hedlund, Tim McGraw and Leighton Meester

Written and directed by Shana Feste

MPAA Rating PG-13

Running time 112 min

Selig Film Rating: Matinee

Movies about the music industry have been a part of the cinematic landscape since The Jazz Singer brought in the first ‘talkie’. Not musicals, but films about the music industry have weaved into the fabric of our celluloid history. While Big Band, Rock & Roll, and Opera have long been a part of this tradition, Country and Western has been more of an ignored step-child. The films were treated more as ‘hillbilly flicks’ for the rural south. With Country Strong, the makers try to put a more respectful tinge to the process.

The story of Country Strong is of Kelly Carter (Gwyneth Paltrow) a country music legend who has hit a rough patch. When our little drama opens, she is in a re-hab facility fighting the demons of drugs and alcohol. It is there where she has met Beau (Garrett Hedlund) an up-and-coming pure country boy who hates the way country music has been made into bubble-gum pop. He is a purist and loves just about everything the old guard of Kelly and her ilk have done. Beau also flashes those puppy-dog love eyes whenever he’s around Kelly.

But Kelly is married to James (Tim McGraw) who is also her manager. He is the one who takes her out of re-hab early to get her back on the road. It seems that there was an incident in Dallas where Kelly both lost her way and lost her unborn child. He wants to instantly go back on tour in Texas, back to Dallas just to prove Kelly’s critics wrong. Kelly wants Beau and his band to be the opening act.

In order to get on the bill, Beau has to pass the audition. James is also at the honky-tonk showcase to see Chiles (Leighton Meester) a former beauty queen who has the fire in her eye to get ahead. She is another of those pop princesses of country music that Beau hates. When she struggles on stage, Beau laughs at her but then jumps up in front of the band to help her get over her nervousness. It shows that he is deep down a good guy and that there may be something more between the two of them.

The story of Country Strong is of Kelly’s trip to Houston and Austin before her big come-back gig in Big D. Along the way we see the relationship between Kelly and Beau bloom as she struggles to find her stage legs and not fall back into the old ways of getting high. He is just as much her sponsor as her paramour. We also see Chiles and Beau finding common ground both on and off the stage. Lastly, something may be going on with James and Chiles. We have all the elements of high country soap with Country Strong.

Gwyneth Paltrow overplays her character here and there but still comes across as a winnable heroine in Country Strong. There is this winning quality of the fragile little bird (a blatant metaphor used in the film) who just needs someone strong to help her fly again.

The most surprising performance comes from Garrett Hedlund. Where he was just a walking stiff in Tron: Legacy, Garrett finds a true character to flesh out in Country Strong. The audience cheers for him even when he makes some very bad choices. He’s head-strong and, in the end, right about what is true country.

IN a shock, Tim McGraw does not sing in Country Strong. The country legend has to rely on his acting skills and does more than a passable job going toe to toe with Gwyneth. He is the villain in the play, but never a bad guy. He just has a different mindset, thinking more about money than people. His eventual downfall is fair.

Leighton Meester is almost an unknown but stakes out a giant career pole with Country Strong. Her vapid little pop princess is not some cut-out character but a fully formed individual. She finds both humor and vulnerability in the role. This is the kind of a performance that launches a giant movie career.

Movies about country music never end on a happy note and Country Strong fills that bill. Call it a melodrama with a twang. Writer/director Shana Feste delivers an honest if not over-the-top film. It may not be for all tastes, but it entertains from start to finish. She gets some solid performances and captures the feel of both being on tour and being around artists. There are many strong songs in the frames of Country Strong which should keep the audience toe-tapping on the way out.

SOMEWHERE – A Review by Sybil–The reviewer with seventeen distinct personalities

Gary Murray

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January 7, 2011

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SOMEWHERE

By Sybil–The reviewer with seventeen distinct personalities

Starring Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning and Chris Pontius

Written and directed by Sofia Coppola

Running time 95 min

MPAA Rating R

Selig Film Rating–Get out the torches!

Since so many movies have been released in the last few weeks, the only way to get them covered was to enlist help. The following review is by my buddy Sybil. She is an unfortunate lady who has seventeen distinct personalities trapped in her head. It makes for interesting conversations, but they are not that coherent.

Abil: Not since the making of Citizen Kane has a movie…

Bbil: Wait a tick. You liked this drivel.

Abil: Why yes, Somewhere is a masterpiece.

Bbil: A masterpiece of total crap.

Cbil: Now girls, we must all get along.

Bbil: Shut up Cbil, no one was talking to you.

Cbil: No one ever talks to me.

Bbil: For good reason.

Abil: Sophia Coppola paints a stunning tale of an artist at the crossroads.

Bbil: At the crossroads of boring and dull.

Cbil: I think the crossroads are Hollywood and Vine.

Bbil: Same thing.

DBil: Well, Lordy-Lordy, I do declare that I agree with little Miss Bbil. Nothing happens at all in this little ole film.

Abil: That is the point.

Bbil: What?

Abil: That life is full of ennui.

Jbil: I WAS ROBBED! I WANT MY 90 MINUTES OF LIFE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gbil: I want my M-TV!

Hbil: I want Candy/ Dum-a-bum da-bum-bum

Cbil: We can all agree on that!

Sbil: In Hollywood there once was an actor

Whose life was lacking–a total, dull bore

Takes his daughter from place to place

With an uncaring feeling on his face

Then cries, breaking down to the core

Cbil; Watching paint dry is more exciting!

Rbil: Coming this week on ESPN–The Winter Nationals of Paint Drying. Featuring International Sensation Ismando Puelli!

Dbil: Well, Lordy-Lordy, I do declare that does sound funnier than Hog Slop Sundays!

Mbil: . .-.. .-.. . ..-. .- -. -. .. -. –. .. … –. .-. . .- – .-.-.-

Fbil: Oui, Oui, Elle se bonne!

Cbil: Well, we all can agree on that!

Bbil: Not everyone…

Zbil: Shut up! All of you just shut up!!

Abil: To sum up, Somewhere is a film…

Bbil: …that goes nowhere.

Abil: See it!

Bbil: If you need a cure for insomnia

Cbil: Well, we all can agree on that!

BLUE VALENTINE – A Review by Gary Murray

Gary Murray

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January 7, 2011

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BLUE VALENTINE By Gary Murray Starring Michelle Williams Ryan Gosling and John Doman Written by Derek Cianfrance, Joey Curtis and Cami Delavigne Directed by Derek Cianfrance Running time 120 min MPAA Rating R Selig Film Rating Matinee

There have been relationship dramas since the beginnings of the cinema. Stories of love, won and lost, have been the basic staple of story-telling, on stage and on film, almost since the start of fiction. The ongoing struggle to discover the illusive spark that is love and how to keep the flaying flame going is one of the Ids of man. the latest to make the attempt is Blue Valentine. It takes a very independent path and works most of the time. Dean (Ryan Gosling and Cindy (Michelle Williams) are a couple trying to rekindle their love. The film jumps around cross-cutting between the years, showing the couple from their awkward first meeting to the last moments of the tattered relationship. In this way we see both the hopeful beginnings mashed against the shattered remains. We see the birth of their child and how it affects them in opposite ways. They try and rekindle their relationship in a seedy fantasy hotel, a move that comes across as both comic and pathetic. Others come into the couples’ life, but the biggest problem is the direction of the couple. Where Cindy wants more out of life, Dean seems contend to trudge along with a low paying job a wife and daughter. This is the most impressive role that Michelle Williams has delivered. In a short career that has some major peaks, her Cindy is a mountain of a portrayal. She is as honest as a lightening bolt, thundering down on the cinematic canvas. Raw and unnerving, this is a role that the Academy just love to pour accolades over. Ryan Gosling never matches Michelle here. He seems to be hiding behind the tricks of costume and make-up to show the changing nature of his character. He explodes at times, giving potential rivals harsh bloody beatings but it never feels real. It is a nice attempt but an awkward execution. Derek Cianfrance left much to be desired with his direction. While he captures the ups and downs of the relationship, he misses on the technical aspects of the film. It looks purposefully ugly, giving the entire experience a dark and gritty look. He takes the screenplay that he co-wrote and pulls no punches in the harshness of the relationship between these two crossed lovers. The entire exercise of Blue Valentine is just brutal. Blue Valentine is a hard film to watch but is an honest film. It is the kind of film that will cause discussions between couples and may be the instigation of more than one fight. For those who want to grab hold of an exposed emotional wire, this is your flick.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN: THE NEW MEL BROOKS MUSICAL – A Stage Review by Gary Murray

Gary Murray

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January 6, 2011

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YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN: THE NEW MEL BROOKS MUSICAL

Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meeham

Music and lyrics by Mel Brooks

Starring Christopher Ryan, Preston Truman Boyd, Cory English, David Benoit, Janine Divita, Joanna Glushak and Synthia Linx

Direction and Choreography by Susan Stroman

Mel Brooks made Young Frankenstein, one of my favorite films and one of the best comedies of all time. The tale of making a man out of dead tissue was turned onto its head. The cast of Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Terri Garr, Marty Feldman and Peter Boyle delivered a film that has stood the test of time.

When it was announced that Mel had decided to make his second Broadway musical the story of Young Frankenstein, I was thrilled. But as the play made its way to the Great White Way, there were disturbing rumors. Talk of high ticket prices and a cavernous space almost doomed the play even before it make its debut. After a little over a year, Young Frankenstein the musical version, closed.

Now we are getting a taste of the show in the national tour playing at the great Winspear Opera House in Dallas. In some ways the work is a triumph and in others a mini-tragedy.

The play opens with “The Happiest Town” and introduction to the ensemble in Transylvania and Inspector Kemp (David Benoit). With all the anticipation, this number falls totally flat. Though the costumes are breath-taking, the tune just doesn’t give any push. We meet the good doctor Frederick (Christopher Ryan) with “The Brain” a scene that parallels the opening of the film. Again another missive. It seems that the cast is doing everything to win the audience but fails in the attempt. While Christopher Ryan is charming and has a great voice, he doesn’t have the comic chops needed for the role. At time he just murders his comedic set-ups and distractedly delivers his jokes. In other words, he’s no Gene Wilder.

Frederick takes off to the family home and on the steam ship dock we finally meet his betrothed Elizabeth (Janine Divita). Her number “Please Don’t Touch Me” is meant to be cute and vapid but comes across as shrill. Janine doesn’t seem to have a grip on the role, giving the reading a irritating tinge. But, boy o’boy, what a voice. She fills every space of the Opera house with a timbre that could have been heard in Oklahoma. Later in the show, during the musical number “Deep Love” she lets that stunning beast of a vocal monster out on the crowd, rattling the rafters with the notes.

At the railroad station in Transylvania, the musical takes off. In a classic show-stopper moment, we meet Igor (Cory English) This is the point where the entire musical is saved. He has a duet with Christopher Ryan called “Together Again” where the two become fast friends. It is a jaunty little ditty that just wins over the audience. The two work perfectly together and Cory English just steals every moment he can, from sitting on a chair to driving the stallion team. He is from the original cast on Broadway and finds every beat in the character.

We meet the next cast member in a cute little ditty called “Roll in the Hay” Inga (Synthia Link) just captures the spirit of Terri Garr, while making the role her own. She slinks and turns with an innocent sensuality that never becomes overly crass, The puppet horses are a hoot.

The penultimate character of Frau Blucher (Joanna Glushak). There is the braying horses whenever her name is mentioned. Her “He Vas My Boyfriend” gives her a moment in the spotlight. After that, the first act falls flat as Frederick realizes his Grandfather vision of making a monster.

The Second Act starts with the escaped monster (Preston Truman Boyd) trying to be captured and Elizabeth coming into the Transylvanian world. The monster meets the hermit (David Benoit) singing the song “Please Send Me Someone”. The shtick with the soup and the cigar from the movie miss the mark in the cavernous theater.

The highlight of the second act is “Putting on the Ritz” the Irving Berlin number. In the original film, the number appeared about half-way through, but here it is meant to be the big, show stopping number. It does not disappoint. While it starts almost as a parallel to the film, it soon takes off with the principals joining in. The monster does a fancy back-lit tap dance that harks to Loony Tunes. It is the number of the entire production and while not being the closer, it is close to being the ending number. The play ends its run with the aforementioned “Deep Love”

The sets and scenery are not up to the standards of the Broadway theater version, but for a touring company, they are some of the most impressive sets to grace the boards in Big-D. The massive backdrops are almost a character and the scenes of the monster being created are on a par with a traveling rock show, full of strobes, lights and fog.

The problem with Young Frankenstein The Musical is a problem they can never fix. Young Frankenstein the movie is a part of American culture and the performances are just engrained in the minds of a generation of film patrons. Every time one sees the musical cast, they think that it is not the original actor. While some finds new life in the roles, other are just pale imitations. And imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery.

But the good of Young Frankenstein The Musical outweigh the bad. It works almost all the time and is a play that should not be missed.

Made in Dagenham – A Review by Gary Murray

Gary Murray

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January 3, 2011

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MADE IN DAGENHAM

By Gary Murray

Starring Alice Hawkins, Bob Hopkins, Andrea Riseborough, Rosemund Pike and Miranda Richardson

Written by William Ivory

Directed by Nigel Cole

Running time 113 min

MPAA Rating R

Selig Film Rating–FULL PRICE

I have been a huge fan of Alice Hawkins since her award-winning turn in Happy-Go-Lucky. There was this warmth in her performance that washed over you like a summer day. She brought serious magic to a role that demanded much more than was on the page. Her latest is one of the best films of 2010 and is called Made in Dagenham.

Set in 1968, the story is of equal rights in the Ford Motor Plant in Dagenham, England. Sally plays Rita O’Grady just another woman sewing interior pieces for cars. Her job has been recently been downgraded to unskilled labor. All the ladies in the department are mad about the downgrade. Albert Passingham (Bob Hopkins) is the representative from the union and agrees with the women. After not getting any support from management, they reluctantly go on strike.

With a little help from Albert, Rita hits on the idea that there should be equal pay for equal work. Not only does she want to be skilled labor, she wants the same amount of pay for the same amount of work. This shocks both management and the union. Neither one considers that these ‘domestics’ are as good as the skilled men on the assembly floor. But, the battle lines are drawn as the entire Ford plant comes to a standstill because there are no finished seats for the autos.

The story is expanded with Rosemund Pike playing Lisa Hopkins, a mother who has a child at the school Rita sends her children. She is a college educated house wife who thinks that the idea is worth fighting for. She is also the wife of the head of the company, having to balance her feminist sensibilities with her wifely submissiveness. As the disagreement become more intense, she must decide whom she is to support.

Miranda Richardson is Barbara Castle, the minister in charge of the dispute. She is this tough as nails woman, never afraid to take on anyone. She is not to choose sides in the dispute, just to get it resolved. Even though she knows what is right, Barbara must not show any favors. Her job is to get results. As as woman in a man’s world, there is great sympathy between Barbara and Rita.

Sally Hawkins is just spot-on perfect in an Oscar worthy role. Her character is just an ordinary woman called upon to do extraordinary works. Much like her American movie counterpart Norma Rae, she is another person who sees the obvious wrong and just wants to correct it. She is just another woman called upon to do great things.

Director Nigel Cole gives a perfect sense of both time and place in Made in Dagenham. Both the fashion and the colors of post swinging London abound in every frame. Not only does he give us eye candy in the palate of his lens, Cole delivers a weighty issue without every getting bogged down in the muck of storytelling. We get an easy feel of the elements and the challenges presented without ever being overhanded. It is a deft touch that works magic.

Though to some it may seem silly now, this struggle for full equal rights between men and women was and is of paramount importance. Made in Dagenham shows us just how badly women were treated in the workplace and how in a time of great social changes, the right ideas won out it the end. This is one of my favorite flicks of 2010 and a film that needs to be seen and shared.

RABBIT HOLE – A Review by Gary Murray

Gary Murray

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December 23, 2010

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RABBIT HOLE

Starring Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart and Dianne Wiest

Written by David Lindsay-Abaire

Directed by John Cameron Mitchell

Running time 91 min

MPAA Rating LPG-13

Selig Film Rating Cable

Way back in the old days of the cinema, the studios made “women’s pictures” otherwise known as “weepy’s”. They were filled with challenging stories of sadness, morose and dour. They were designed for ‘a good cry’. Since the advent of television and day-time dramas, the picture has fallen to the wayside. Every once and a while, someone decides to bring the genre back. The latest is the well-acted Rabbit Hole.

Based on the play of the same name, Rabbit Hole is the story of a couple Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart). They live the perfect suburban life but also a very tragic life. It seems that their son Danny has been killed by a young driver. Each deals with the loss in a different way. Where Howie wants to go to group therapy, Becca sees it more as picking at a sore wound. They both seek a degree of solace with others. Howie shows interest in another and Becca begins to talk to the young man, Jason, who was driving the car. The film also brings in the family, including Becca’s mom ( Dianne Wiest) as the empathic elder who also buried a son.

There are moments of bitter acting-out like when Becca slaps a woman at a grocery store. It is a fit of rage that underpins all that is going on inside her mind. We also gets humorous moments when Aaron goes to the group meeting stoned and cannot stop laughing at the tale of another in the grief session. The mixture of comedy and pathos drives to the conclusion of Rabbit Hole.

This a brilliant turn by Nicole Kidman. She wears the emotional scars on her sleeve, trying to cope with an unfathomable loss. It is a measured performance that has little elements of breakout violence, a woman trying to keep herself together while still wanting to scream at God.

Dianne Wiest plays Nicole’s mom and delivers another stunning performance in a career of stunning performances. She is a mother who has also lost her child, though many years ago. As she tries to bond with her daughter, the daughter resents and distances the advance. The tug of war between these two woman is the highlight of the film.

Aaron Eckhart didn’t seem to be on his A-game here. The character is a bit one-sided and flat and he never finds any moment to shine. The drug sub-plot between him and another in the support group never feels honest.

Director John Cameron Mitchell takes the play from David Lindsay-Abaire and gives the audience a true sense of an entire world. Usually plays turned into screenplays have a boxed in feel, trapped by the idea of the stage. Here there is a true feeling of an entire world and not a filmed play

The best way to describe Rabbit Hole is a supremely well-acted soap opera. The job of the film is to generate tears, which the film does in buckets.

TRUE GRIT – A Review by Gary Murray

Gary Murray

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December 21, 2010

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TRUE GRIT

By Gary Murray

Starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and Hailee Steinfeld)

Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

Running time 110 min

MPAA Rating PG-13

Selig Film Rating FULL PRICE

The original True Grit is in my top ten of movie Westerns. The tale of revenge won John Wayne his much deserved and long overdue Academy Award. When I heard that the Coen Brothers were re-making the film, I thought it would be a perfect match. The two film-makers have been giving the audience interesting and challenging works since Blood Simple. With True Grit, they do not disappoint.

The story is of a young girl Mattie (Hailee Steinfeld) who wants to avenge the death of her father. She travels to the city to retrieve the body and find a man to bring the killer to justice. There are a bunch of different men who could do the job, but something about the rough exterior of Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) makes her take notice. When we first see him, he is testifying in a trial, using that tough as leather persona to extract true justice.

She also meets a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) who also wants the killer. The Ranger wants to bring the savage killer (little used Josh Brolin) to justice in Waco. Mattie wants him hanged in her beloved Arkansas. So the two men and the young woman make a trek into Indian country to find the bad man. The bonding between the three as they hunt down all the bad guys is the basic story of True Grit.

The Coens make a true Western and not one of the revisionist tales of late. The film has a classic feel like the greatest flicks of John Ford and at the same time leans toward the basic style that Sam Peckinpah was known for. Even though the directing duo is known for fancy camera tricks and unusual angles, here they stick to straightforward film making, with little flourish. They end-up with a product that is a solid entertainment, with the grit and grime needed.

If Jeff Bridges had not won the Oscar already, this would be the best shot of his career. His Rooster Cogburn is all rough and tumble on the outside but with a strong moral streak that drives him He’s not a perfect man but he is a righteous one. This is yet another memorable role in a memorable career.

Matt Damon under-plays his beats but that stoic lone ranger character is what is needed for the role. With subtle gestures he speaks volumes and his measured timbre is just the balance needed against Bridges’ tough characterization.

The biggest find is Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie. She is a cracker jack reader of lines, putting a needed sizzle in the proceedings. She is neither the total innocent nor the hardened farm girl. The reading she gives to the character is of a young woman at all the crossroads of life without any clear direction of where to go. This is a solid Oscar performance.

The film is much more Clint Eastwood than Roy Rogers. It is brutal, lonely and dark–more a tale of real men than an adventure story. It gives one everything needed to deliver a perfect Western flick. True Grit is a must-see film and one of the best of 2010.

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