R.I.P. Carrie Fisher: Postcards From The Edge Had So Much Potential!

The Good: Good performances, Some wonderful lines (both funny and dramatic), Good direction
The Bad: Glosses over much of the complexity of recovery and narcissism
The Basics: The moments of insight and wit make Postcards From The Edge a worthwhile film to watch, even if it is not nearly as complex in its resolution as the set-up indicates it might be.


When news broke that actress Carrie Fisher had suffered a heart attack on December 23, my heart sunk. 2016 has been a brutal year for deaths of beloved celebrities, writers, musical artists, and actors and while I joined my voice to wish for the best for Carrie Fisher and her speedy recovery, I had no reason to believe that 2016 would alter its momentum and Fisher would recover from her good health. So, when I awoke yesterday to the news that Fisher had died, I was very sad, but not surprised. The days between the two major news stories gave me time to consider what I would write as a tribute to Carrie Fisher.

Like most people, my first and enduring encounter with Carrie Fisher came from her iconic portrayal of the strong-willed Princess Leia Organa in the Star Wars Saga (reviewed here!). Fisher also delivers brilliantly the lines that help create my favorite moment in When Harry Met Sally . . . (reviewed here!) and that got me thinking about how much I came to enjoy watching interviews with Fisher over the years for her candid nature and wry wit. So, when Fisher was hospitalized, it occurred to me that the greatest tribute to Carrie Fisher I could provide would be in reviewing something new (to me) that illustrated Fisher's humor, honesty, and creative skill. For that, I decided it was time to watch Postcards From The Edge.

Postcards From The Edge was released cinematically when I was a teenager, shortly after I had discovered and become obsessed with Star Trek and was fully immersed in that culture. Ironically, a film that addressed in a straightforward manner mental illness probably would have served me better at that time in my life, but Carrie Fisher's cinematic adaptation of her own novel on the subject of substance abuse and living in the shadow of parental pressures is worthwhile and smart. This review is of Postcards From The Edge, which Fisher loosely based upon some of her own life experiences; while some might belabor making the connections between the art and the reality, I am opting for a pure review of the film as it stands on its own.

Actress Suzanne Vale is working on the set of a film, where she is having a rough time of getting through her lines because she is high and the director she is working with tries to avoid cuts in his shots. Shortly thereafter, Vale is unresponsive in bed with Jack Faulkner, who rushes her to the hospital. After her stomach is pumped and she regains consciousness, Vale has to confront her drug abuse. Her celebrity mother comes to visit her in rehab, whose narcissistic tendencies make it difficult for Suzanne to confront her issues. Coming out of rehab, Vale discovers that it is hard for her to get work again because of her history with drugs.

Vale is given the chance to act again if she stays with "a responsible party" during the shoot. Drug tested on the set, Vale is forced to live under her mother's roof where she is subjected to her mother's expectations and pressures. Doris (Vale's mother), puts Suzanne on display and pressures her to perform publicly at a party she throws for her daughter and it becomes clear that Doris is trying to remain relevant and active through Suzanne. Returning to the set the next day, Vale gets a lot of notes on her performance and overhears people talking about her physique, which make it tough for her to give a good performance. After her second day of work, she runs into Faulkner, who starts to pursue her. When Faulkner visits Vale's home, Doris hits on him, but Vale willingly gets into a relationship with him. But, when she learns that Faulkner is sleeping around and she tires of her mother's drinking around her, Vale begins to fight for her own identity and stand up for her own hopes and dreams.

Postcards From The Edge is tough to discuss without some references to Carrie Fisher because Meryl Streep's portrayal of Suzanne Vale so perfectly captures some of the cadences of Carrie Fisher as to make it painfully obvious that the character, or Streep's performance, is based upon her. Streep adapts a speech pattern virtually identical to Carrie Fisher's in many of Vale's most potent deliveries of irony and exasperation. Streep makes Vale accessible and interesting, even as viewers become more and more frustrated with the environment she is in and the people who surround her.

When Vale starts to realize that Doris is her "x-factor" that brings her the stress that begins to make her tempted to use drugs and alcohol, Streep is able to break out and make Vale seem vital in a way that the first half of the movie does not. When Vale asserts herself, Postcards From The Edge starts to take on a richness and level of intrigue that turns the uncomfortable comedy into a potent drama. Streep succeeds more as Vale when she can be heard - there are a number of scenes where she and Shirley MacLaine talk over one another - and Postcards From The Edge works best when it is focused on her.

It is not long into Postcards From The Edge that it becomes obvious that Suzanne Vale is struggling under the yolk of pressure and expectations from her narcissistic mother, Doris. Doris hijacks the party thrown in Suzanne's honor and flirts with Faulkner in a troubling way. Postcards From The Edge does an excellent job of creating a narcissistic character in the form of Doris Mann, but glosses over the complexity of confronting and surviving toxic people in order to deliver a "feel good" ending.

Postcards From The Edge does a rare thing in confronting familial alcoholism and substance abuse and creates a vivid portrait of a horrible narcissist . . . but to get the film into a hundred minute run time and be easily classifiable, the movie creates a situation that is complex and realistic, but then resolves it remarkably simplistically. That makes Postcards From The Edge a bit less satisfying than it ought to be, especially given how good all of the performances are and how decent the characters are when they are allowed to breathe and develop.

Perhaps that is the most fitting epitaph for Carrie Fisher, who railed against having to look a specific way in order to appear in the newest Star Wars films; she worked in an industry that values style over substance and Fisher had a mind for complexity and realism where consumers buy into flash and simplicity. The sad truth is that Carrie Fisher might well have been better as a writer and human being than she was ever allowed to be as a performer and she (and her audience) deserved better.

For other 2016 tribute reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Blackstar - David Bowie
Mother's Day - Garry Marshall
Strangers - Merle Haggard
Firefly Soundtrack - Ron Glass

6/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my Film Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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A Freakish Childhood Makes One Want To Be Running With Scissors Far And Away!

The Good: My gosh, it finally ends!, Moments of acting
The Bad: Much of the acting, The characters, Lack of plot, Plodding pace, Tone, Message, DVD extras
The Basics: In an overrated and terrible movie, Augusten Burroughs relates his traumatic childhood spent in the company of a crazy adopted family.


Augusten Burroughs is a boy growing up in the 1970s with a poet mother who desperately dreams of stardom and a father who is an alcoholic. Augusten's mother, Deirdre, soon divorces Norman at the recommendation of her psychiatrist, Dr. Finch. Finch encourages Deirdre's selfish behavior and Deirdre soon abandons Augusten to Dr. Finch and his family while she goes off to explore poetry and lesbianism.

Augusten, then, finds himself trapped within the hell that is Dr. Finch's household. Surrounded by children who poop behind the Christmas tree (which has been up for years), a mother-figure who eats dog food, a disco-dancing girl and a religious zealot, Augusten soon falls in with a schizophrenic older man who might just kill them all. Augusten works to survive by writing in a journal, becoming truant from school, and limiting his exposure to the craziness of his new family.

Augusten Burroughs, sadly, is not a fictional construct. The lone bonus feature I could bare to sit through (there were three featurettes and a bunch of previews on the DVD release of this film) introduced the author Augusten Burroughs who sits in denial telling the viewer how he survived and overcame his crappy childhood, which Running With Scissors is a memoir of. I write "sits in denial" because almost thirty years after the events that shaped his life from his childhood, he is still working through it by creating a movie. Regardless of what Burroughs declares in his on-screen endorsement of the film, this is not a celebration of a universal struggle that is immortalized on film.

Running With Scissors fails utterly because it is so insular, specific, and disturbing as to rob it of any real entertainment value. Some years ago, I wrote one of my first reviews on the book Lilliane: Resurrection Of The Daughter (reviewed here!) where I postulated that what made the book so pointless and difficult to read was that it captured reality too well. In the case of Running With Scissors, Burroughs and screenwriter-director Ryan Murphy create something that may accurately recreate the reality of Augusten's youth but is so outside the normal, interesting or entertaining as to be painful to watch.

As this film plodded on - the pacing is disastrously slow - scene after scene was agonizing to watch. After a slow start wherein Norman and Deirdre break up, partially at the behest of the quack Dr. Finch who insists he must observe the couple for five hours a day in order to save their marriage, Augusten and the viewer become condemned to a series of slow deliveries that agonizingly draw out a pointless experience that results in nothing so satisfying as a laugh.

Whatever niche Running With Scissors is trying to fit into, it fails. It's not funny, though moments of the film have the elements to be horrifying in a way humor can be when one steps away from the joke and thinks about what has actually happened or been said. It's not comedic, it's not so much dramatic as it is dull. That is to say that great character drama has a tension to it that absent from Running With Scissors. It does not take long before the viewer simply does not care about Augusten or his fate.

The reason is simple; Augusten is not a compelling character. All due respect to the real Augusten Burroughs (if this is a strict memoir, wow, t.f.b.), Augusten Burroughs from Running With Scissors is dull, uninspired and uninspiring. He is a youth who never takes control of his own destiny. Instead, he takes all the sh*t that is flung at him and he accepts it as the way it is. It's ironic because my mentor and I were debating social mobility this past weekend and after seeing Running With Scissors, I'm almost forced to concede the point that people trap themselves far too often within their own hells. In this context, Augusten is never so motivated by all of the factors that torment him to actually make the changes he would like, that he needs. The result, unsurprisingly, is that (author in reality) Augusten Burroughs is still processing his crappy childhood twenty years later. Condemning the viewer to share his crappy childhood is not entertaining and it is not revealing of the human condition.

Similarly, Deirdre is wholly unsympathetic and unempathetic. She is played by Annette Bening with little differentiation between Deirdre and her more compelling character from American Beauty (reviewed here!). Bening is a quieter form of crazy in Running With Scissors, but much of the performance feels the same or similar.

At this point, I believe it is relevant to compare Running With Scissors with a film that has a similar sensibility to it, but was vastly better. If Running With Scissors is at the bottom of the scale of the dysfunctional family drama, the foil movie is The Royal Tenenbaums (reviewed here!). The Royal Tenenbaums tells the story of the three children of Royal Tenenbaum as their adult lives collapse and his estranged wife looks to remarry. Much of the movie, like Running With Scissors happens in the confines of one house and neighborhood but what The Royal Tenenbaums does well is create characters that are empathetic. They are motivated by their pasts and their quirks embody their reactions to their stimuli. The assemblage of Running With Scissors is portrayed as crazy and esoteric for the sake of weird and shocking. So, for example, Gwyneth Paltrow plays Hope Finch in Running With Scissors, a religious zealot whose origins and motivations are never explained. She is crazy for the sake of crazy. Ironically, Paltrow also appears in The Royal Tenenbaums and even with years since I last saw it, I can easily recall that her character in that film was depressed and dysfunctional because her adopted father treated her different from his biological children, her plays had fizzled commercially and her marriage to a listless psychoanalyst had encouraged her to renew her addictions. There is nothing so deep from any of the principles of Running With Scissors.

As I watched this film last night, I was considering that this is Gay Pride Month and films like Running With Scissors were among the assemblage of flicks that just didn't help the cause. Deirdre, the character not whatever real poet exists outside the film, is a weak-willed doped up mother whose irresponsibility, drug use and ability to be influenced by Dr. Finch lead her to a witless exploration of lesbianism that is almost as canned as Augusten's own homosexuality. Augusten, getting a leap on his sexuality by having sex with his older brother-figure, Neil Bookman, a schizophrenic also adopted by Dr. Finch, is an entirely uninspiring role model for homosexuals of any age.

Granted, gays and lesbians - like ANY population - come in a wide array of heights, weights, skin colors, hair colors, and states of health (physical and mental). I recall going to a LGB community meeting when in high school and being mildly surprised to see a blind person there. Yes, it opened my eyes - pun intended - to the whole idea that the LGB community truly was like any other when I saw a blind lesbian. As a matter of gay pride, Running With Scissors is just abysmal and it opens the community up to a plethora of the worst, most stereotypical, arguments that most of us would like to see buried.

So, for example, throughout the movie, there is a strong incestuous relationship between Augusten and his mother, Deirdre. He brushes her hair, fawns over her as she practices poetry reading and emulates her. The film goes so far as to suggest that Augusten knows his mother so intimately as to effectively and realistically role play her when playing doctor with Natalie. As well, the film opens itself up to the tired comparisons of gays as pedophiles when Neil has sexual contact with Augusten when Augusten is fifteen (or less).

As well, all of the gay or lesbian characters in Running With Scissors are either crazy (Neil is schizophrenic), weak-willed (Deirdre's neighbor and lesbian practice toy Fern), opportunistic (Dorothy), idiotic (Augusten's lack of escape initiative can only be traced to innate stupidity) and/or drug addicted (Deirdre is both mentally ill and drug-addicted). As far as seeing characters from the community, Running With Scissors is terrible and frightening to any young people. As well, it showcases only the worst about these people. None of them have anything remotely redeemable about them. The other characters might be crazy, but most are defined by the idea that they are crazy by what they eat (dog food and a long-dead cat, in case you're curious). The most seriously ill characters in this film also happen to be the ones who are gay.

Finally, the problem is exacerbated by the lack of on-screen chemistry between Joseph Cross (Augusten) and Joseph Fiennes (Neil). Cross has more on-screen chemistry with costar Evan Rachel Wood who is relegated to a sisterly role as Natalie. But even more damning than the connection between Wood and Cross is the character interactions between the two. When Augusten becomes most desperate, he calls on Natalie to help him. Somewhere, there's a young hick saying "He's only gay because he's crazy." Sigh.

My point in all this is that Augusten Burroughs and Ryan Murphy create or recreate a story of a boy's witless adventures in growing up where he is pushed around by family members into a situation where he is simply stuck. It's made worse by the negative messages and themes which are so backwards and terrible that if they were happening to any other minorities other than gays and lesbians and the mentally ill, the film would have never been made (make a movie with a black mother eating dog food or a Japanese girl cooking her dead cat for joy and see how quickly the Anti-Defamation groups leap up!). I would say the writers and director ought to feel ashamed, but if I learned anything from Running With Scissors it was that Augusten Burroughs has already been in situations that were shaming enough; it is regrettable that he chose to share his insular and damaged experiences rather than seeking to truly survive them. Running With Scissors simply immortalizes them and it is not worth your time or attention.

For other works with Evan Rachel Wood, check out my takes on:
The Ides Of March
True Blood - Season Three
True Blood - Season Two
Across The Universe
Once And Again - Season Two
Once And Again - Season One
Practical Magic

2/10

For other film reviews, be sure to check out my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The American President: The American Intellectual, Sorkin Hits The Big Time!

The Good: Intelligent dialogue, Interesting characters, Romantic, Quality acting
The Bad: Standard plot, Light on DVD extras
The Basics: A fun romantic comedy that is intelligently written and wonderfully acted and foreshadows more greatness to come from writer Aaron Sorkin, The American President is still worth seeing!


Aaron Sorkin, the literary brains behind the brilliant Sports Night (reviewed here!) and the television blockbuster The West Wing (reviewed here!), started off with plays and films and this is one of his. When I first saw the movie, I enjoyed it so much I watched it a second time immediately. Seriously. I can count on one hand the number of times that I have seen a movie and sat and rewatched it right away.

President Andrew Shepherd is finding life as President less than stellar when a political rival begins to publicly attack his policies as a ramp up to election season and his own bid for the presidency. As Shepherd tries to ignore Senator Rumsom's sabre-rattling, he marshals his staff to try to pass a gun control bill which he watches steadily get gutted of all meaning. At the same time, the environmental lobby puts pressure on Shepherd to pass a strong environmental bill.

The environmentalists hire Sydney Ellen Wade, one of the best lobbyists in the business and she begins to work her magic of drumming up support for the bill. Wade and Shepherd collide and the president finds himself instantly attracted to her. As the two begin a relationship, Sydney's past, Shepherd's widowerhood and the ambitions of Rumsom all begin to get tremendous media attention. When Shepherd's chief of staff sees an opportunity to get the gun bill passed while burying the environmental one, a conflict is set off between the new lovers that threatens both of their careers and their agendas.

The plot is fairly simple: Michael Douglas plays the widowered president of the United States who falls in love with an environmental lobbyist. In the course of their courting, political adversaries fight the president and personal rivals attack Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening) and their budding relationship is threatened. Pull out the social roles and it's just about every other romantic comedy ever written. The plot is not at all original. Indeed, the plot is terribly formulaic and director Rob Reiner seems to know that. He directs The American President with a very safe look, such that it appears as virtually every other romantic comedy does.

But that is where the conventionalism of The American President ends and it comes back to the genius that is Aaron Sorkin. Sorkin has an amazing knack for dialogue and characters. Sorkin's Shepherd, Wade, and staff members Lewis, Robin, and Leon all speak like we wish our American politicians and public servants would speak. They use a level of diction that makes them seem like they know what they are doing. They sound convincing and they take principled stands. But the level of dialogue, the sheer volume of words spoken in this film so truly captures the reality of human interaction and conversation like too few films do.

And the thing is, Sorkin does not shrink away from this. He even acknowledges it. One of the funniest moments in the film involves Shepherd watching Rumsom on television doing a campaign speech and critiquing his closing line. It's great and it acknowledges for the audience that Sorkin understands he is creating an ideal world that fills the viewer with some sense of hope and yet roots it with a realism that is just on the recognizable side of fantasy.

The characters are niche characters that manage to overcome their niches. So, for example, First Daughter Lucy acts like the docile daughter who has lost her mother, but also is able to confront her father in a way that is realistic and not bratty. The few scenes she is in humanize Shepherd like none of the rest of the scenes do. Similarly, Lewis Rothschild could easily be seen as the generic young upstart as one of the President's aides. But when one would expect him to be motivated solely by personal ambition, he takes an ethical stand and works with the president rather than to usurp him.

And Shepherd and Wade are not the typical romantic comedy lover characters. For sure, their jobs define much of what makes them different and unique, but Wade's past and her sense of ethics makes for a compelling character. Similarly, Shepherd's refusal to mudsling, even in the face of Rumsom's attacks, makes him a truly compelling character that is unlike most politicians we see on screen. He has a very Capra-esque quality to him.

And Wade and Shepherd make for an intriguing couple that works. Their romance may be somewhat predictable, but the characters work well with one another and there is a very real sense of chemistry between them. It helps that Shepherd is quite presidential and Wade is quite self-motivated, making for two strong, opinionated characters to come together, which usually works quite well for a story.

Shepherd is played by Michael Douglas and for an actor who seems to be relegated to many roles with action and adventure subtexts, he pulls off being presidential in this with amazing quality and consistency. Douglas is nothing like, say, his performance in The Game (reviewed here!). He is rational, dignified and always in control. Even while Shepherd's poll numbers slip, Douglas maintains a strong backbone and the sense that he is ready to accomplish anything. He infuses the character with a true sense of fighting spirit, despite the almost complete departure from anything resembling a physical role in this part.

Similarly, Annette Bening gives another phenomenal performance as Sydney Ellen Wade. A tremendous departure from her neurotic, stressed out role in American Beauty (reviewed here!), Bening is articulate, collected and surprisingly normal as Wade. Indeed, the strength of her performance is that she takes the character who - on the page - could be fiery and overshadow the leader of the free world and instead tempers her performance with a very realistic quality of deference. Bening's strength is illustrated in her scenes where she plays Wade as a tough lobbyist and her humanity is illustrated by the way she softens - especially her facial expressions - when Wade and Shepherd begin their courting. Bening makes much of the film seem realistic as a conduit into the unreal world of Capitol Hill politics!

But more than that, the supporting actors are wonderful. The American President has a tremendous supporting cast which includes Martin Sheen, Richard Dreyfuss and Michael J. Fox. The actors are astounding and believable. They were perfectly cast and the film is just packed with talent.

They come together under the writing of Aaron Sorkin who has a ridiculously amazing control of the American English language. He knows how intelligent people speak and he creates a situation filled with intellectuals speaking fast and smart to each other. A fair number of the lines are packed with double meaning or deeper meanings or understandings. And the film holds up well over multiple viewings, even when you watch it one time right after another.

On DVD the film suffers from a lack of genuine bonus features. Sure, there's the trailer and a few production notes, but there are no commentaries, no featurettes, no flair. This is a film that deserves a better DVD treatment.

But this is an occasion where the strength of the material makes it easy to recommend, despite the limitations of the media it is presented in.

For other works with David Paymer, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Bad Teacher
In Good Company
Bounce
State And Main
Payback

9/10

For other film reviews, be sure to visit my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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After Years Of Waiting, I Check Out The Pre-9/11 The Siege And Love It!

The Good: Great acting, Wonderful story and social message, Interesting character dynamics, Educational.
The Bad: No DVD bonus features, Pacing
The Basics: Clever, well-acted and intense, The Siege has Denzel Washington and Tony Shalhoub at the forefront of investigations into terrorist attacks on New York City!


There are few films that have come so highly recommended to me in recent years as The Siege, a film about terrorism in the United States that predates the September 11, 2001 attacks to New York City, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. It came to me recommended because of my politics and my appreciation of the works of Edward Zwick, who was one of the co-creators of one of my favorite canceled television shows, Once And Again. Given Zwick's adeptness as a writer and director, I had no doubt going into The Siege that I would be entertained at the very least. And given how much I learned during the Bush Administration about international law, counterterrorism methods and intelligence agency turf wars, the only real unfortunate aspect of taking so long to watch The Siege was that a lot of the information was known to me, so it did not have the educational impact I hoped it might have.

Even so, The Siege reminds viewers of the principles upon which the United States was founded and the importance of both civil rights and maintaining national identity based on principles over slogans. Like the two-part Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes "Homefront" (reviewed here!) and "Paradise Lost" (reviewed here!), The Siege explores terrorism in the United States (or an evolved society based upon it) as a hypothetical, with the idea of inherent human rights at the forefront of the plot and character issues. As a result, the essential character conflict throughout The Siege is one between those who stand for freedom versus those who stand by the enforcement of law and social order at all costs.

FBI agent Tony Hubbard is working the streets of New York City dealing with an odd crime with his team when all hell breaks loose. Accompanied by his partner, an Arab American agent named Frank, the FBI works to negotiate for the safe release of a busload of hostages who are suddenly covered in blue paint when the bomb goes off. The weird crime, if it is a crime, is soon mirrored by the abduction of a bus filled with people which is detonated with most of the people inside, as the FBI and media crews watch. Tony and Frank work to piece together who is behind the terrorist attacks and stop the next one.

Unfortunately for the FBI, the terrorist cells which have sprung up in New York City seem to be working for a cause and with the knowledge of some of those within the U.S.'s intelligence community. As Tony and Frank investigate the bombings, they encounter Elise Kraft, an N.S.C. agent who has a vested interest in the case, as she is the handler for a prominent asset, Samir. As well, Tony develops a relationship with Major General William Devereaux, a high ranking army officer who has contempt for the President's soft policy on terrorism and has a history with a Sheik allegedly captured by U.S. forces years before. As the situation in New York City degenerates as the result of more terrorist attacks, Tony races to prevent chaos and insure freedom as Devereaux declares martial law and effectively takes over the City in search of the final terrorist cell.

The Siege reminds the viewers what the last several years seem to have caused many of us to forget: that individuals are responsible for their actions and that groups working against the United States often have surprisingly rational reasons for their actions, even if their methods are surprising and incomprehensible. In the first scene in The Siege, the motivation for virtually everything that comes after is given when Devereaux is part of an operation that captures a Sheik. Of course, the tensions go deeper than that; the Sheik is captured for prior acts of terrorism.

What Edward Zwick does exceptionally well with this film is illustrate how proud Americans - especially the naturalized ones - are of their heritage as Americans. At the same time, he creates a piece that has a density to it and is not likely to give easy or convenient answers. So, just as Frank is an obvious and proud American who is part of the FBI's counterterrorism unit and has a clear love for the principles of the United States, Samir's status as an informant and agent for the terrorist cells keeps his true allegiances murky. And while Frank is tested when his son is inadvertently put in the internment camp, his desire to uphold the principles of the United States never waver. Instead, he is always fighting the good fight and he makes for a great partner for Anthony.

Zwick spends a good amount of time illustrating the fundamental problem with intelligence agencies in the United States with the first half-hour or more of The Siege. As Anthony and Frank hunt for the criminals responsible for the first bus hijacking, they encounter Elise, who works for the NSC. The way the FBI, NSC and military trip over one another becomes a contributing factor to the declaration of martial law in New York City and their inability to share with one another helps the terrorist cells operating in New York City to gain strength.

But largely, what Zwick does best in The Siege is illustrate the importance of defending essential human rights in the United States. The U.S. suffers when we discriminate and profile and the result is an ugly situation that is anything but American. By establishing the multiethnic task force well before the declaration of martial law, Zwick uses The Siege to show how the ideal works and what happens when it becomes corrupted. The wonderful foil for a post-9/11 world is that Zwick illustrates how terrorism can be dealt with without giving into fear. Unfortunately, The Siege seems more like an ominous foreshadowing, a playbook for the U.S. government on how to exploit the fear of the populace, as opposed to rallying against it.

The Siege is also remarkably well-cast and Zwick uses all of the actors in the film extraordinarily well. Bruce Willis gives a strong performances as Devereaux and Willis's best moments are not realized until one reflects upon the film. Anthony references Elise and Devereaux, who has an apparent ax to grind with her, plays the scene cool and later when one of Elise's secrets comes out, Devereaux looks surprisingly cool. Willis deserves a lot of credit for that earlier moment as he makes the payoff later in the film truly work. Similarly, Sami Bouajila (Samir) and Annette Bening (Elise) are wonderful and have great on-screen chemistry which keeps the viewer guessing as to all of the angles their characters are playing.

Denzel Washington leads the cast and from his performance here, it is easy to see how and why he was cast for The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3. Essentially, he is playing the same character in this earlier work, a man who is cool under pressure and fights the good fight day in and day out. Here Washington is utterly convincing as a professional counterterrorist agent and he flawlessly sells the role.

But it is Tony Shalhoub who completely rocks The Siege. From the moment he first appears on screen, Shalhoub is badass. He carries a gun (convincingly!), investigates the crimes and speaks multiple languages flawlessly. For those used to seeing him as Monk or the other hapless sidekick characters he has played, this is a strong departure and he is completely at home in the role of an efficient investigator who is smart, funny and occasionally menacing.

The Siege continues Zwick's tradition of socially smart films with a message that is timely and pro-American. All that truly drags this one down is that it takes a while to get to its point. As well, the DVD was originally released with only the film's trailer. For such an important film, we'd like more in the way of bonus features (the Blu-Ray now has them!). Still, this remains a great film that should be watched by all Americans, if for no other reason than to remind us that fear need not be the only response to horror.

For other works Edward Zwick is associated with, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Dangerous Beauty
Traffic
i am sam
Once And Again - Season 1
Once And Again - Season 2
Love And Other Drugs

9/10

For other film reviews, be sure to check out my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the films I have reviewed!

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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You Can Love The Ladies, But The Women Still Has Drastically Mixed Messages.

The Good: Decent acting, DVD bonus features, Message
The Bad: Aimless plot, Unlikable characters, Simplistic resolutions and arcs
The Basics: In another remarkably average "chick flick," a woman left by her philandering husband learns to stand on her own two feet with the help of her closest friends.


Early in my relationship with my wife, I was given a lot of information which I quickly assimilated. One of the things I learned right off the bat was that she had a particular loathing for "chick flicks." So when, last New Year's Eve, she was raving to me about the chick flick she was watching, I was instantly intrigued. What film could be so great as to completely upset her prejudice against the entire genre? Well, it was The Women and until she came into my life, everything I had heard about the film was homogeneously bad. So, when we were taking a night away from my Best Picture project (check that out here!), I was surprised when the film she truly wanted to see was The Women. She was so eager to share it with me and given that I had subjected to many films that she had had no interest in seeing, I felt it was the least I could do.

Unfortunately, while there were elements to admire in The Women there were sufficient problems with it to leave me feeling disappointed in the movie. The Women is a remake of a film by the same name and the first element to praise about it is also the first gripe about it. The entire cast of the film is made up of women; there is not a single man in the entire film. The concept of this is wonderful . . . until one considers that the characters are walking around the city of New York. New York City has men in it and even in places like Sak's Fifth Avenue, one is likely to see men, even if they are just being tugged along by their shopping women. As well, the "woman power" ideal of casting only women for the film is completely undermined when the credits roll and it is clear director Diane English was not able to get all of the production work done using only y-chromosome free help. As well, The Women uses far too many stereotypes about women and while there is a decent amount of character development throughout the movie, some of the elements are disappointingly stereotypical as opposed to genuine.

Mary Haines works for her father, making clothes she would never wear, while married to a famous stockbroker whom she seldom sees. Her best friend, Sylvia, a magazine editor, is getting her nails done when the beautician mentions in smalltalk that her friend is having an affair with Steven Haines. Sylvia opts not to tell her friend and instead tries to figure out what to do next, confiding only in their mutual friend Edie. Following a soiree at which Mary, Sylvia, Edie and Alex (the token black and lesbian of the bunch) network, Mary is fired by her father and she soon discovers her husband's infidelity (ironically the same way Sylvia learned of it). Separating from her husband, Mary and her daughter struggle to find their place. This is made even more difficult for Mary by the fact that Sylvia - in an attempt to keep her own job - confirms a story about Steven's mistress to a gossip magazine.

As Mary attempts to launch her own clothing line, the strain of not having Sylvia in her life builds. At the same time, Sylvia experiences pressure from work and actually takes on something of a mentor role to Mary's daughter. As the unveiling of her line of clothes nears, Mary has to choose whom to forgive and whom to cut out of her life.

There is strangely little ambiguity in The Women; the film mostly just reinforces that there are all different types of women, just as there are all different types of men and people of different ethnicities. Yes, "people are people" seems to be the enduring message of this film, even if they are all women. Not all women are victims, women who have been cheated on get over it and women do their fair share of cheating on men, too. These are all pretty obvious and The Women does not add anything new to the concept. This is also why I am so down on the film.

The Women has ample opportunity to make a statement, to say something about women and how they treat one another and what makes women great. Instead, more often than not, the movie reinforces the Hollywood (and male) ideal of woman. So, while Mary insists that her daughter does not need to go on a diet, she is thin enough, the film reinforces the ideal that, well, thin is ideal. There's not a big woman in the film, they all look Hollywood beautiful. The closest exception is Bette Midler and she's accepted in Hollywood because she is a diva and at her age, she can get away with it. While The Women is decent about including a wide variety of age ranges for the women - Cloris Leachman, Bette Midler and Candice Bergen work alongside the younger cast of Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith and Eva Mendes - Diane English is not so charitable to women who are not below size ten. Nowhere is this more clear than when Mary's clothing line is revealed. Mary utilizes the typical skinny models . . . what does that say to her daughter, who is in attendance? Moreover, the clothes she designs are equally as impractical as the idealized women who are modeling them.

The Women is a comedy and most of the humor is derived from situations and a sense of over-the-top outrage to them. So, for example, when Mary learns of her husband's affair the four women present begin talking over one another and Mary's whole part is to look exasperated and react. I don't, actually, recall laughing once, though I know I smiled.

The Women has a strong cast, with the likes of Meg Ryan (Mary) and Annette Bening (Sylvia) leading them, but there is no standout performance that makes the viewer feel like they are seeing something new from any of the actresses. So, for example, having only seen a few episodes of Will & Grace, Debra Messing's idea of comedy where she bugs her eyes out and looks frazzled was utterly unimpressive to me; like Meg Ryan playing a generally strong female protagonist, this was nothing new.

On DVD, there are two deleted scenes, a commentary track and a featurette comparing this new version to the original. But none of these are enough to make me recommend the film or truly see the spark that excited my partner so much about this movie. As one who sees a lot of films, this was, at best, average.

For other “chick flicks” be sure to visit my reviews of:
Ghost Of Girlfriends Past
Easy A
Dear John

5/10

For other film reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The Kids Are All Right Is A Clever, Depressing, Complicated Film Worth Seeing!

The Good: Great acting, Interesting characters, Generally decent plot, DVD bonus features.
The Bad: Oppressive plot and mood overall, Some predictability.
The Basics: The Kids Are All Right is worth seeing, but is hard to get excited about seeing multiple times.


As the Oscars race to air, I am catching up on the last few Best Picture nominees that I did not manage to see this past year. Arguably, the one that I was actually the most excited about was The Kids Are All Right. The film got good buzz when it came out, so much so that I was surprised it did not stay in theaters locally long enough for me to see it there and so much so that I was surprised by how quickly the film came to DVD. Even so, when my library got it in and my wife and I had a chance to watch it, I was enthusiastic about the experience. And now that the film is over . . . I am glad I saw it, but I am not eager to see it again, well, pretty much ever.

The thing about The Kids Are All Right is that it is almost completely depressing in a way that accurately captures real life. The truth is, after finishing the movie, I had a similar reaction to my reaction upon seeing Brokeback Mountain, which was simply to think, "At some younger, more depressed part of my life, I probably would have loved this." As it stands, The Kids Are All Right is a wonderful movie for those who are enthusiasts of independent film, LGBT films or simply complicated dramas. But what The Kids Are All Right does so well is mimic real life in a way that makes it almost unnecessary and it is hard to imagine getting excited about watching the movie a second time.

Nic and Jules are a lesbian couple living with their daughter, Joni, and son, Laser in a pretty normal life. When Joni turns eighteen, she has the right to get information on the sperm donor who helped create her. While Joni is not at all curious or interested in such things, Laser is and rather than have him wait years more to find out, she looks up Paul. Paul is an organic farmer who is fine with meeting the kids and their meeting is cordial and awkward for all three. As Nic, who is uptight, and Jules try to parent Laser - whom they fear is getting into an experimental relationship with his overbearing friend Clay - and Joni, who is leaving for college at the end of summer, their relationship begins to feel serious strain. That sense of strain is exacerbated when the pair meets Paul.

Paul, for his part, is pretty laid back, but in his attempt to be supportive to Jules - by supporting her landscaping business by throwing some work her way - he finds himself deeply entangled in Nic and Jules's family, not just getting to know the children he never knew were made using his donation. The addition of Paul to the family upsets the balance and soon the impending departure of Joni is not necessarily the worst the family has to deal with.

First, what The Kids Are All Right does exceptionally well is illustrate the complicated nature of human sexuality. Unlike simplified versions of human relationships, the characters in The Kids Are All Right are not set as absolutes. So, Nic and Jules have gay male porn they use to get aroused together with when they watch porn and Paul is not a soulless guy who is just having sex with any of the young women around him without any sense of growth or complication. None of the characters are archetypes and as a result, some who reject a more Kinsean notion of sexuality might be deeply upset by how Jules behaves as the film goes on. For my part, I was more upset by her lack of fidelity than the person she has an affair with. Either way, writers Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Bloomberg have a mature sense of the complicated nature of both relationships and human behavior.

Cholodenko, who also directed the film, has a pretty strong idea of how to capture great acting without telegraphing it. She focuses on characters without lingering so long as to make the viewer uncomfortable. So, while there are plenty of uncomfortable moments in The Kids Are All Right, they are thematically uncomfortable, not visually difficult to watch. Unlike many recent films that utilize multiple annoying techniques to try to shake up the viewer, Cholodenko filmed The Kids Are All Right in an appropriately straightforward way to allow the story to tell itself.

And while the characters may do some things that make the viewer cringe - this is a film with infidelity and graphic enough sex to make those squeamish about such things squirm - what is unassailable is the acting. Mia Wasikowska continues to deliver as Joni with a performance that clearly differs from her performance in Alice In Wonderland (reviewed here!). Similarly, Josh Hutcherson does well as Laser, with a perfectly awkward sense of body language that perfectly characterizes a teenager.

As one who has seen Annette Bening in a lot of movies, it was hard not to see her playing Nic as an update or derivation of her performance in American Beauty (reviewed here!), but she plays the uptight, on-edge woman so well it is easy to see why Cholodenko would want her for the role and how she would get nominated for her performance. Julianne Moore is fearless as Jules and her portrayal giver her the opportunity to go through almost the full range of human emotions, which she embodied wonderfully. Moore gives moments where she plays Jules as so conflicted it is impossible not to have one's heart ache for her character.

It is Mark Ruffalo who shines in The Kids Are All Right. I have seen Ruffalo in several things, but this is the first work I recall actually liking him in. Ruffalo abandons the role of Hollywood good-looking guy for a role with substance as Paul. Paul is nervous, quiet and often unassuming and Ruffalo delivers each aspect with a simplicity and realism that makes one feel like they are watching their grocer or next door neighbor on the screen. Ruffalo's deliveries are distinctive for their awkward, nervous quality and the viewer honestly feels they are watching a real person who is struggling with the changes he is going through. Ruffalo makes great use out of the fact that his character has an arc and it is a real journey watching him.

On DVD, The Kids Are All Right features a commentary track and featurettes on the making of the movie. Honestly, I was so depressed after watching the film once I would not sit through it the second time, even to review the commentary track. The Kids Are All Right is very well-made and it tells an engaging story, but the realism of the complicated relationships make it difficult to watch and almost pointless for those who are in actually complicated relationships in real life!

For other works that focus on LGB characters, please check out my reviews of:
Strawberry And Chocolate
Six Feet Under
But I'm A Cheerleader!


7/10

For other film reviews, please be sure to visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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After A Long Rut, American Beauty Was A Worthy Winner Of The Best Picture Oscar!

The Good: Characters, Plot, Acting, Direction, Soundtrack, SCRIPT!
The Bad: None.
The Basics: American Beauty is a perfect film wherein one man's mid-life crisis spirals out of control. Visually impressive and populated by intriguing characters, perfectly acted, what more could you want from a film?


There was a long period before and after American Beauty won the Best Picture Oscar that I lived with disappointment. Until The Return Of The King won, there was a stretch of winners following American Beauty that both left me disappointed and poorer (yea, betting on the Oscars!). As well, following the disgrace of Gladiator winning and my annoyance that Shakespeare In Love (a fine film in its own right, but not at all superior to Magnolia or The Red Violin) won over my two favored films of that year, I felt quite pleased that when American Beauty won the best picture Oscar, I felt it deserved it. How rare is that?

American Beauty is the story of Lester Burnham, American Loser. He's a middle age man having pretty much the typical mid-life crisis. He and his real estate agent wife, Carolyn, have not made love in a long time and it's clear the love is long gone from their relationship. It's quite sad, truly. Lester is also feeling quite alienated from his daughter, Jane. Jane, for her part, has become the target of intrigue of the next door neighbor, Ricky Fitts. Ricky lives with his oppressive (and repressed) Colonel father. Lester attempts to relate to Jane, but instead finds himself attracted to her friend, Angela. And right now, it probably sounds like I'm describing a soap opera.

It's not.

It's not at all. Lester finds himself noticing Angela and as a result, he comes to understand just how much of himself he's lost. So, he extorts his boss at work for a generous severance package and starts work at a fast food restaurant so he can have fun with his life without real responsibility. Carolyn, reacting to Lester's sudden revival, takes a different turn. She begins an extramarital affair and target practice. Of all of them, Jane is probably the most pure, articulating her instantaneous desires, but understanding most of them well enough to know they are not necessarily healthy actions.

There are few films that so vividly capture the importance and vitality of individual characters and, in truth, the film is about the way one life may cause so many others to spiral out of control. Lester's mid life crisis has drastic consequences on Carolyn, Jane, and Ricky. The end is somewhat shocking and yet, understandable.

All of the characters have so much backstory they are bringing to the film and it comes out so well, with a genuine sense that each of the characters is vital and real. It's impressive. The thing is, none of them are particularly nice. And that's the magic of the film: it's an escape for us from the responsibilities of reality. Alan Ball writes a series of characters all of whom have character traits that most of us would find reprehensible in people in our own family and yet, here they appear perfectly accessible and almost normal. Lester is a loser and an extortionist, Jane expresses homicidal disrespect for her father, Carolyn is an adultress, Ricky is a drug dealer and Angela is a habitual liar.

But they work.

The story is woven together perfectly and directed wonderfully with a strong eye for color, movement and stylistic grace. Alan Ball's characters have depth, the story is narrated well with excellent pacing. I'm actually surprised the film is as long as it is; it feels much shorter than 121 minutes.

And the acting. Kevin Spacey deserved his Oscar for best actor, hands down. His portrayal of Lester Burnham is perfect. He plays Lester with a wonderful transformation of slouching and mumbling to upright and eyes perfectly visible. Lester's story is the understanding of appreciating that which is around us. Annette Bening is wonderfully over the top Carolyn. Thora Birch is mature and simplistically beautiful as Jane and Wes Bently was perfectly cast as Ricky. He has a face that makes a first impression as intense and creepy and yet he is able to soften it at critical moment. He's quite wonderful.

The film is a wonderful exploration of a man with a midlife crisis who wakes up to the idea that all around him there is a wonderful amount of beauty. And life. And we, watching it, we can appreciate that. We're not Lester.

As a winner of the Best Picture Oscar, this film is part of W.L.'s Best Picture Project, by clicking here!

For other works featuring Allison Janney, please check out my reviews of:
Lost – Season 6
Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip
The West Wing

10/10

For other film reviews, please be sure to visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2010, 2009, 2002 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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