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Reviews
The Last Samurai (2003)
So good I had to eat sushi after seeing it
Norman's Mark: 4 stars `The Last Samurai' is best Hollywood epic since `Lawrence of
Arabia,' with battle sequences equal to the classics of cinema.
Yet, in its own focused and Zen way, this wonderful, admirable film
also brings the audience inside the smallest of life's moments
the curiosity of enemies, the slow-growing relationship between
the outsider and the tribe that has him as their captive, and the
quiet tensions at the dinner table. Tom Cruise, who simply gets better with each film, plays a drunk Civil War hero who finds redemption in Japan. He
is hired to create a modern army to fight the samurai, warriors who
are holding out for the old values and who battle rifles with swords.
The marvelously smart director, Ed Zwick, who gave us `Glory'
(the Civil War story that got Denzel Washington an Oscar),
understands how to put the audience inside battle scenes. We
see the dozens of stunning one-on-one fights in brilliant montages
with no overload or confusion. Zwick and his writers, which included John Logan, who wrote
`Gladiator,' brilliantly communicate the gradual change in Cruise,
who is captured by the samurai and who learns to admire their
way of life. After nearly 2 1/2 hours, I didn't want the film to end. I loved the
scenes that were filmed as if they were a cinematic poem to
ancient Japanese values. I reveled in the humor, humanity and
intelligence of `The Last Samurai.' In fact, the film was so good that, when it was over, I desperately
wanted to eat sushi.
The Cooler (2003)
Let us sing the praises of William H. Macy
Norman's Mark: 3 stars
`The Cooler' stars William H. Macy as a man so unlucky that he
brings snake eyes to casino patrons on winning streaks by just
standing next to them. Let us sing the praises of Macy, an actor who holds the patent on
the portrayal of whining, downtrodden guys with repressed anger
who have been overlooked by the world since birth (see Macy's
outstanding performance in `Fargo'). Macy has the sad eyes of a misunderstood Bassett hound, the
hesitant approach of a loser and the ability to communicate infinite
pain and loneliness in long suffering silence. He is one of our
best actors. And he is in top form in `The Cooler,' although Maria Bello as the
cocktail-waitress/love interest does a fine job exploring the female
side of similar psychological territory. An excellent production is marred by one completely unnecessary
sex shot involving Bello's hand and Macy's genitals. By the way,
Macy the New York Times, `it's the first real, rootin'-too-tin' sex
scene that I've done. Why do they wait until I'm 50 years old to ask
me to take my clothes off?' Alec Baldwin plays the tough casino owner who wants to do things
the old fashioned way. Despite his excellent portrayal, I didn't
quite buy the theme of protecting the so-called ancient Las Vegas
`heritage' against the new fangled, family-centered, G-rated ways
the town now operates. In the end, I accepted `The Cooler' as a fairy tale about lonely
people finding love amid nudity and knee cracking. With that, I
could enjoy Macy's amazing, Oscar-worthy performance.
Now & Forever (2002)
"The Sixth Sense" plus lyrical spirituality
The sleeper of the year, perhaps the decade, "Now and Forever," which won t he audience award at the Festival of Festivals in Cathedral City, CA., is a movie waiting to be discovered. A story of cross-cultural love, prejudice and eternal commitment, the film was expertly directed by Bob Clark ("A Christmas Story"). He kept things simple, involving and on track every minute. Casting: perfect. Location: marvelous. Emotional pull of the story: overwhelming, flawlessly combining elements of "Romeo and Juliet," "The Sixth Sense" and "Ghost" to keep the audience constantly involved in the drama. And the ending is a total surprise. When I saw it, people of all ages loved this film and demanded to know when they could see it again. And that is another story: Bob Clark is literally betting the ranch, putting up his own money to distribute the film himself to prove to major studios that a film which has his total support is also a viable commercial product. A film that demands to be seen. Four stars.
Outpatient (2002)
Is the patient insane or is the system?
AN ABSOLUTELY incredible film, which makes a complex story fascinating and thoroughly understandable. The director-writer, Alec Carlin, in his first stint as director, effortlessly moves from a hospital setting to flashbacks of the patient's life to imagined tango scenes from the patient's novel--each switch of scene filmed with different colors, cameras and techniques so the audience is never once confused. Although a tad long (necessitated by the analysis of the patient), this movie boasts flawless casting, acting worthy of award nominations and a story that combines mystery with romance. Morris Monk, as Justin Kirk, the novelist-patient, successfully combines threat with innocence. Catherine Kellner, as Dr. Patricia Farrow, the shrink, offers youthful enthusiasm that gradually turns to horror. Claudia Mason, as Raven, the dancer-neighbor, makes the tango the seductive dance it is, while Ely Pouget is perfect as Justin's long-missing mother. Highly recommended. Now why doesn't this memorable film have a distributor?
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
A royal stinker
A film that is supposed to be wacky just sits there on the screen and I sat there in the theater waiting for laughs. The script is howlingly defective and the acting, which is supposed to convey depression and neurotic behavior, is a huge turn off. Yes, Gene Hackman does a fine job, but his character is neither humorous nor interesting. Gwenyth Paltrow is told to work against her natural charm with disastrous results. So much is just not funny including: stomach cancer, dogs killed by drugged up writers, Hackman's relationship with his wife and children, Danny Glover's unfortunate character. I'd laugh a little and then go back to looking at my watch while I waited for the next laugh in what was a very dull alleged comedy. Only two positive notes: the coming attractions for this film were terrific and the way Hackman's character was resolved was humorous. Meanwhile I do have two questions: who decided to green-light this script before it was ready and why are so many critics claiming that this film is so good? Adam Graham in the Desert Sun newspaper thought that "The Royal Tenenbaums" was reason to "stand up and cheer." For me, it was more like sit down and nap.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
The impossible movie to make becomes a triumph!
Films are supposed to be moving pictures. Here is a terrific movie about a genius stuck in his own mind who becomes insane and further inhabits his mind. Ron Howard and Akiva Goldsman have done the impossible. Although I found it difficult to root for John Nash when the character was in the deepest throes of schizophrenia, Russell Crowe brought out the man's essential humanity, giving me several levels of shyness and madness at the same time. The double tear-jerker ending, which I loved, made this a movie to remember. And, by the way, special praise to the make up for Crowe and Jennifer Connelly, who were both seamlessly aged so expertly that the process barely called attention to itself. Bravo!! Four Stars! When I left the theater, the audience stayed in the lobby and talked loudly about how much they loved this film--high praise indeed.
The Shipping News (2001)
Terrific! Four Stars! A sure oscar contender!
Oh, just let me count the oscar nominations that will surely come to "Shipping News" if there is any justice or intelligence in Hollywood. First, for director Lasse Hallstrom, then for Robert Nelson Jacobs for an excellent adaptation of the novel. Nods to Kevin Spacey, whose contained Quoyle adds yet another memorable role to his resume; to Julianne Moore, whose Wavey was always hit the right notes. The story of a man slowly finding a reason to interact with life was done as creatively and as imaginatively as this excellent book required. I could have accept one fewer drowning in a dream scene -- I got it, the guy was drowning. But that should not take away from the excellence of this film. And to think the New York Film Critics, who have often shown that they are mentally challenged in the past, ignored "Shipping News."