Strawberry and Chocolate (1994)

This is a fantastic movie about friendship and all that friendship can accomplish. It is set in Havana, where David, a young communist and university student, meets Diego, a cultivated, artistic gay man with many ideas about how life should be lived.

David is interested in Diego only because he might be a counter-revolutionary. At one point he tells Diego that his parents are at fault for his gayness, that something must have happened in his childhood to make him gay. Because of this, perhaps an absentee father (David suggests), Diego now has a "glandular" problem.

Despite this kind of attitude, Diego enjoys David's visits, and eventually they become close friends. The ending is not happy, but it is wonderful.

Watch this and think about friendship, and then watch the Social Network. What accounts for the difference in people? Why do some people have the ability to be a friend, while others do not?

Monster (2003)

Well, there are great performances in this film. Watch it to see the acting and to see a woman who never had a chance in life. Do you need to see something like that? I think sometimes it is helpful to remember that there are people who are born without any chances, and never get any opportunities. It is dismal to see, but eye opening.

Anyway, watch it for Charlize Theron. She becomes Aileen Wournos, one of the rare women serial killers put to death in the US. Aileen was put to death at age 46, and she had been hooking since she was 13. Do not watch if depressed.

Movies That Haven't Aged Well

I have watched two movies recently that have not aged well at all.

Think of 80's fashions, for example. They have not aged particularly well, although parachute pants are fun for costume parties. Movies can be the same way. You may be able to appreciate the cinematic equivalent of neon miniskirts, but you wouldn't want to actually wear one (or watch them regularly).

When I was in high school, I really liked Time After Time (1979), starting Mary Steenburgen and Malcolm McDowell. I thought it was very romantic and very clever - please remember I was 15 or so. The movie starts with HG Wells showing his newly completed time machine to his gentlemen friends - intellectuals, etc. Unbeknown to him, one of his friends, Dr. Stevenson, is actually Jack the Ripper. When the police get wise to Jack, he jumps in the time machine and takes off for 1979. HG has to follow to save the future from the Ripper. He meets Amy (Mary S), who soon becomes a pawn in the tussle between HG and the Ripper.

It actually sounds pretty good when I write the plot out. However, the blood is totally fake, the dialog is lame, the sets look like Mary Poppins, and HG really seems to be gay. (There is that problem with British men and the illusion of gay-ness. I must have not noticed at 15.) Plus he runs in the film (to find a pay phone!) and he runs like a girl. This is common in film - Peter O'Toole, whom I consider very sexy, also ran like a girl. So I cannot recommend this! Now, Animal House and Jaws (totally fake shark) and No Way to Treat a Lady (outdated social and sexual roles) are still perfect in every way, so why didn't this movie work out? Crappy sets and dialog would be my quick answer.

Next I watched The Hunger, with Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon. This is a movie for gorgeous actors only. And gorgeous scenery. Most of the movie is shot in the gorgeous three (at least) story home of Miriam (Catherine D), an extremely old vampire. There are constant shots of sheer white floor length curtains blowing in the wind, the vampires in bed asleep or trying to sleep, and unrecognizable images. For the first ten minutes, I swear I kept asking myself - what does the monkey have to do with anything? Eventually you find out, but it's that kind of show. Anyway, eventually you don't care.

Miriam has been making herself companions over the years, promising them immortality, but they all eventually die. It may take a couple of hundred hears, but they do get old and die. Watching David Bowie go through that process is the best part of the film.

Miram next sets her sights on Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan S). The movie is mostly known, I believe, for the lesbian sex scene between Catherine and Susan. They are both very beautiful, but you have probably seen more lesbian sex on after-school specials by this point. It's a very chaste sex scene.

I regularly watch Nosferatu, which was filmed in 1922, and it still scares me. Why is The Hunger so silly? All syle and no substance. Tony Scott directed. He did Man on Fire, etc. Explains a lot.

Shoot the Moon (1982)

This is a total downer - just pass unless you like depressing movies and your copy of There Will Be Blood has gone missing.

Faith and George (Diane Keaton and Albert Finney) are married, but George is having an affair with Sandy (Karen Allen). So after another crappy night of pretending, he leaves (Faith has already packed his bag). Then we get to watch the divorce. At one point George starts spanking one of his kids with a wire hanger, plus he breaks a couple of doors. At another point, they get in a ridiculous, forced argument in a restaurant and then have sex. This is just no fun. Who wants to watch a divorce? And of course, the actors are great, so you really feel the pain.

The worst part is watching the kids, because they have a hard time. The parents behave so badly that it's torture to watch the kids. The kids are also the best part, because Tina Yothers (Family Ties) and Traci Gold (Growing Pains) and Dana Hill are all here. Those kids grew up on TV and in movies. They're really incredible. But I would pass. The ending is insanely depressing.

Perrier's Bounty (2009)

Holy CRAP!! I would watch that shit Edie Sedgewick movie before I watched this thing again. I cannot believe how bad this movie was. And it has such a great cast! Cillian Murphy is the guy who owes the loan shark, Brendan Gleesan is Perrier (loan shark), and Gabriel Byrne narrates. Jim Broadbent plays the dad, but he sucked! His Irish accent is really bad. Each one of these guys is carrying a gun; each is hit in the head with a baseball bat or a wrench, but gets back up.

Cillian's character commits robbery to get the money to pay the loan shark, gets betrayed, his best friend shoots one of Perrier's guys, and then they're on the run. There is non-stop shooting and wrench swinging. I think this movie was going for a Guy Ritchie anarchy type feel, but you need humor to pull that kind of movie off. This movie is just violent and NASTY. Nothing works. Rent a Guy Ritchie film, or a Tarantino film, or In Bruges, or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Pass on this one.

The final straw? The movie is full of huge fighting dogs. A couple get shot, but the dogs get revenge. Perrier meets a bad end. Who needs to watch (or in this case - hear) crap like that?

Factory Girl (2006)

This is a formulaic biopic about Edie Sedgwick, famous as a socialite, but mainly for being part of Andy Warhol's Factory.

It is unwatchable. Watch Cheers re-runs instead, or do your laundry.

Sienna Miller is Edie, and she might be OK, but the show is unwatchable. Guy Pearce is Andy Warhol, and he sucks. Just last week I watched him in that Houdini film (he was bad), and said I normally liked him. Well, I'm changing my mind.

The Hidden Blade (2004)

I haven't liked a movie this much in a long time! I watched it twice and liked it even more with the second viewing. I love that feeling!

The Hidden Blade is a samurai film, directed by Yoji Yamada, but not a typical samurai film. There is not much fighting. It reminds me of The Seven Samurai in its attention to character development and willingness to let a story evolve at its own pace.

Katagiri is a lower caste samurai whose family situation was made even more difficult by his father having to commit harakiri over a public works project. His family's household includes a maid, Kie. Katagiri and Kie are in love, but she is of a lower caste than Katagiri, and nothing between them is ever acknowledged or even contemplated. They are very proper, and it is lovely to watch.

Another samurai, Hazama, is sent to Edo for an assignment. In the years he is gone, Hazama becomes involved in a rebellion, is caught, and sent back to Katagiri's village in a prison basket. He escapes. Katagiri and Hazama were the best swordsmen in the clan, so Katagiri is assigned to fight Hazama to the death.

This movie takes place in about 1860, when Japan was feeling the need to update its military with guns and cannons in order to keep up with the West. Yamada takes the time to show us samurai trying to learn to run, march, load weapons, etc. This is comical, but also a view of changing culture, changing times and changing treatment of people. Katagiri is trying to deal with all this, and with possibly killing a friend, and he also is shaken by the behavior of his superiors. They are not acting with the honor of samurai. He eventually has to determine how much he can handle and what he can do about any of the rest. That is when we see the hidden blade.

Yamada is great. There are different story lines, but they all movie together well and smoothly - the mark of a great director. There are not neat answers, and he doesn't try to force a happy ending. He does, however, take the time to show us beautiful scenery, the close up of a face, and stressed out samurai trying to catch a chicken.

If you like great films, or samurai, or a good story, or interesting characters, pick this one up. And watch Seven Samurai too.

Memory of a Killer (2003)

There are certain classic film story lines, and this movie uses one to very good effect. The protagonist is a contract killer with a strong value system. One day, when he is over 60, he runs up against a job he cannot complete (think the first Bourne movie or The Professional). As a result, his co-worker is required to kill him, and he turns on his co-worker and the people who hired him.

What makes this film different and fun is the age of the killer, and the fact that he is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. The story may be well traveled, but it has an interesting twist.

Also, the supporting cast is fun, and the police corruption portrayed is just amazing. I was entertained.

Jan Decleir plays the killer - he's fantastic. The movie is in French and Dutch.

Death Defying Acts (2007)

This is not a good movie. While watching it I enjoyed certain parts, but I also had time to catalog several faults. I feel if I can do that while watching, it's not a good sign.

Guy Pearce plays Harry Houdini right before his death. I love Guy Pearce - he's a great actor. But he's really forced and false in this role or for this director. Catherine Zeta-Jones is the love interest (because she looks like Houdini's mother supposedly - ick), and she doesn't work here either, although she remains gorgeous.

Saoirse Ronan is Catherine's daughter in the film, and she does the best acting, but her role doesn't ring true at all. She is way too sweet - and should be more of a street urchin.

Mother and daughter are trying to fleece Houdini. Does it work? I didn't care too much. At least the movie was really short.

The Road Home (2000)

Zhang Yimou is a great director - in particular, his earlier movies are awesome. Raise the Red Lantern and The Story of Qiu Ju are two of my favorites. I like his later work much less - big budget affairs like Hero (although I love Jet Li) and House of Flying Daggers. His earlier stuff had more heart and less flash. FYI - I was trying to figure out where I had seen the son in this movie before, and I suddenly remembered he was the crooked cop in A Woman, A Gun and a Noodle Shop. I didn't like that one much either. The review is below somewhere.

This one, The Road Home, has too much heart. It is a sappy love story (romantic love, familial love) that I found a bit tiresome. His cinematographer is fantastic, though, and the detail about Chinese country life 70 years ago is amazing. I am glad I watched this just for the very quiet scene involving a traveling pottery repairman. He repaired a pot, and it was beautifully shot, plus I loved watching it. It was fascinating.

Zhang Yimou used to date / live with / be married (I'm not sure which) to Gong Li. She is considered to be one of the best actresses in the world and one of the most beautiful. While directing Zhang Ziyi in a movie, he fell in love with the younger actress and left Gong Li for her (or so the story goes). It is possible that this is that movie. I don't want to research and find out - too discouraging. Zhang Ziyi is fine, but nothing special. She's no Gong Li.

The Tillman Story (2009)

If you need to be more disappointed in the government, or watch political ass-kissing, or see Congress do nothing, pick up this movie. Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire. The government used Pat's death as propaganda for the enlistment office and to further its agenda in Iraq, all the while lying to Pat's family. The details are just too discouraging to hear.

This movie leaves me feeling about the same as I do after reading yet another article about the Catholic Church transferring pedophile priests from church to church. To feel better I keep reminding myself that at least in America this movie can get made. We get to complain and protest and write letters. In other countries the people don't get to complain about the government, much less make a movie like this.

Afterschool (2008)

This movie is creepy and disturbing and it gave me an upset stomach - all in a good way. Rob, a high school sophomore attending a tony prep school in NY, is a total loner who watches random video clips online rather than making friends. His taste varies from cute baby clips to super violent porn.

He joins the audio - visual club and accidentally videos the overdose death of the school's most popular girls. In an effort to help him and help the school, the principal / headmaster decides Rob should work on the memorial video for the girls and their parents. That goes well. Rob's view of the world does not coincide with the view the school wants to present.

The school is chock full of drug users, drug dealers, rich kids with inside info about rules, and teachers who are more concerned about keeping the money rolling in than in what's going on. The continued shot of the kids lining up for their daily meds at the nurse's office is chilling. The headmaster in particular is a piece of work. Nevertheless, when he says that "We're all responsible for the death of the girls", he is more correct than anyone knows.

I would label this as suspense with a touch of horror. Plus it's a super dark teen flick. It is shot with a handheld camera most of the time, and much of it is what Rob captures in his role as audio - visual geek. The style totally works. This was the director's (Antonio Campos) first feature length film. He has another in post production now; I'm excited to see what he does for a follow-up.

Chasing Amy (1997)

I had never watched this! I think I had dismissed it as a Ben Affleck flick, and he is weak. So is Joey Lauren Adams, who plays Alyssa Jones, the mythical "Amy" to Ben's Holden. As a lead couple they are pretty bad actors, but I liked this movie a boatload nevertheless. The supporting characters are great (Jason Lee and Dwight Ewell in particular), but the dialog is the star here. When Kevin Smith is on, he is hilarious.

Jason Lee gives a great speech about the physical perils of going down on a girl. Kevin Smith, as Silent Bob, gives a tragic and well thought out oration about chasing Amy, which is NOT believable - but it's supposed to be unbelievable, so that's OK. The two leads give long romantic speeches, and while these are fantastic romantic dissertations (thank you Mr. Smith), they needed better vehicles to deliver them.

So Holden falls in love with a lesbian. This isn't a movie about converting a lesbian (a male fantasy); Alyssa is open to love wherever she finds it. But what about Holden? How much can he tolerate? I'm going to watch this again. I'm laughing just thinking about Holden's solution to all the couple's problems.