Change Your Image
thomascrown00
Reviews
Au revoir les enfants (1987)
A thoughtful and compelling film
When I see films like this one, I can only lament the seeming inability of American filmmakers to create works of this depth and meaning. Perhaps its the lack of an American audience willing to embrace and support films like this, perhaps the over-influence of commercialism on the industry here -- even on most independents -- but the sad reality is that this kind of quality work is so often only to be had from European directors and casts. What is even more remarkable about this film are the stellar performances from the numerous young actors who are at the very heart of this movie, a consequence of a sensitive and masterful director. This is a movie that stays with you.
Match Point (2005)
One of Woody's Finest Films
Sophisticated, urbane, beautifully crafted, shot and scored, this is one of Woody Allen's finest films, although I confess that I by far prefer him behind the camera and not in front of it. There are a few letdowns in the acting (Scarlett Johansson, while beautiful, is not up to the superb acting of the other key players), and a few scenes between lesser characters -- the police, for example -- where the acting falls woefully short, and a digression into the nature of guilt that is gratuitous and distracting, but these are minor quibbles in a thoughtful and compelling film. There are some interesting parallels with Allen's very fine "Crimes and Misdemeanors" as well -- the theme of murdering one's troublesome mistress and getting away with it and the role of luck...in "Crimes and Misdemeanors", in fact, the rabbi tells Martin Landau that "A little good luck is the best plan" or words to that effect. The same might well be said here.
A Walk in the Clouds (1995)
Waste of Talent and Money
This is a film that Frank Capra could have pulled off, with implausible situations and earnest, appealing characters stealing the hearts of the viewers, but with enough character development to actually achieve empathy and caring. Unfortunately, in the hands of this director, this is a saccharine, predictable bore with wooden characters that are more caricature than character. What's worse, the film wastes the enormous skill and potential of a host of seriously great actors, including Anthony Quinn and Giancarlo Gianini. It even wastes the unsurpassed skill of Maurice Jarre as the creator of some of Hollywood's greatest film scores (Lawrence of Arabia, Witness, A Passage to India, among others). The cinematography is excellent, and the settings beautiful, but the movie is a bust.
Band of Brothers (2001)
What Can One Add?
What can one add by way of praise to this stunning and gripping mini-series based on a remarkable factual story of a group of men -- "the greatest generation" - seemingly going beyond human endurance in the fight to liberate Europe from the Nazis. Based very closely on Stephen Ambrose's fine history, which I've now completed after watching the production, this is competent film-making at every level, and serious praise is due to Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg for collaborating to make this production possible. If I have any quibbles at all, they are these: First, I wish that multi-part mini-series would not have different writers for different episodes; no matter how much they strive for uniformity, you can spot the differences of tone and nuance. Second, I truly wish this series was twice as long, so the characters could be more fully developed.
Three Priests (2008)
Excellent acting carries low budget indie film
Director Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, etc) has described Michael Parks as the "greatest living American actor" and this film shows why. Parks' performance is altogether staggering and the kind of thing that, were this a big name, big money film -- rather than a low budget Indie -- would get him an Oscar nomination. And the rest of the acting in this film -- which features veterans like Olivia Hussey (Romeo and Juliet) and Wes Studi (The Last of the Mohicans, The New World) as well as some new faces like Aaron Duffey --is uniformly good. Interestingly, there's a short but exciting performance from James Parks -- Michael's son -- as a bully in a bar. This is also a movie that can easily provide fodder for a few good hours of conversation when it's over.
Sundowning (2005)
Remarkable First Feature Film
This is a rather remarkable first full-length feature film from Jim Cole, a poignant and deeply moving family drama set on an island off the Maine coast. The directing, scoring and cinematography are uniformly excellent and the acting -- especially the three male leads --is extremely strong. A bit long at times, but definitely forgivable in light of the overall quality and power of the film. Especially memorable is the performance of Minor Rootes as the grandfather of the three-generational lobstering family, living together in an all-male household bare of the touches and refinements of women, but Aaron Duffey as young Toby (in a performance strongly resembling Colin Farrell at his early best) and Steve Jones, as the father struggling with both his son and his own father, also give standout performances. This is a demanding movie -- relentless and at times bleak, but definitely worth the effort. I saw this film at the Boston Independent Film Festival (2005), where it deservedly took a major prize.