Reviews

The seamen are in a frenzy of blood, slaughtering whales as fast as they can be processed, when Ahab recalls them to the ship. They do not hear him when first he beckons- they are in such a state that, as Starbuck states, "we would not hear the last trump!" "Then hear me now," replies Ahab. Thus does an obsessive quest for a single rogue whale become a battle for the souls of men. Distilled from one of the most stultifyingly boring books ever written is the pure, engrossing tale of Ishmael and his shipmates, enthralled by their enigmatic captain, chasing the accursed Leviathon Moby Dick. Gregory Peck is riveting as Ahab, but the entire cast is superb and the direction flawless. Steeped in symbolism and shot in black and white, it is a truly memorable film experience. I consider it a must-see movie.

I like droll films; I like satires; I also like movies with heart. "The Life Aquatic" is all three. Bill Murray (Steve Zissou) is improving with age like a fine wine, and his emotional depth is finally finding vehicles for expression. Steve Zissou is a low-rent Jacques Cousteau who has fallen on hard times. His wife (Angelica Huston, stunning as always) is unhappy enough with him to leave him for his arch-rival (Jeff Goldblum) who also happens to be her ex-husband- and may or may not be gay. Steve's films are not making money, his backers are backing out, his equipment and ship are old and malfunctioning - and his best friend has just been eaten by what may or may not be a jaguar shark. As he struggles to put together an expedition to kill the shark that ate his friend, he is joined by a pregnant journalist (Cate Blanchet) who plans to trash him in the press and a young man (Owen Wilson)- who may or may not be his only biological child (Steve Zissou, it is believed, shoots blanks). The writing is wonderful, the story quirky and funny, and the cast is superb. Rivalry, loyalty, piracy, courage, dignity, mixed with self-doubt, yearning,and closure make "The Life Aquatic" the very adult comedy it is. I don't think too many adolescents will get it. They haven't suffered enough loss or experienced enough love.

Daryl Hannah has very little to do in this featurette, except look puffy, but this is a drolly written, well acted gem of a "movie". I really enjoy Amazon's theater feature, particularly the end credits in which the props are listed in order of appearance among the cast list, with one-click links should you wish to purchase them. "Careful what you wish for" is one of the better offerings to date. While it is not a Christmas story per se,it fits well with the season. The ending is too perfect to discuss without spoiling the surprise, but what a lovely little Christmas gift this is, a really positive message about the meaning of giving and love and revenge. Even Grinches will like it.

This is Jane Austen's most adult work, and therefore most subtle. The movie adaptation is faithful to her story, taking it's time to develop the characters, and it is beautifully acted and staged. The strange changes to the Mr. Eliot story from book to screen make no sense whatsoever but are hardly a detriment to the story as a whole. This is one of my favorite Austen books and Austen adaptation. The casting is perfect; particularly fine are Ciaran Hinds as Wentworth, Amanda Root as Ann, Sophie Thompson as Mary and Corin Redgrave as Sir Eliot, but truly, the entire cast is flawless. I consider this a must-see movie for anyone who loves Jane Austen, or intelligent screenplays.