It has been freezing in Dallas, so I've been relegated to rental and Video On Demand fare of late. This episode of Quick Hits covers A Mighty Heart, High Fidelity, The Heartbreak Kid (1972), and Miller's Crossing.
1. A Mighty Heart - B+ (On DVD (2007), Rated R, 102 minutes). Trailer - This looked like an insufferable movie with a plot and ending that everyone already knew. It turned out to be a taut thriller with interesting political overtones. The film tells the story of the Marianne Pearl (Angelina Jolie), the widow of kidnapped and beheaded journalist Daniel Pearl.
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The Pearls are a cosmopolitan journalist couple with a baby on the way. They are in Karachi, Pakistan in connection with Daniel's foreign correspondence responsibilities for the Wall Street Journal. He goes to an interview and never comes back, eventually being graphically and crudely beheaded by Islamic radicals. The film focuses on Marianne's amazing strength during the monthlong kidnapping and fight to save Daniel, all the while being 5 months pregnant. Jolie's portrayal of Marianne is restrained and she pulls off the French accent. The bulk of the film focuses on the search for Daniel, carried out by the US Consulate and the Pakistani security forces, trying to save face for their country. The cultural and political difficulties encountered in their search are a micro-cosm of the state of geo-politics. Director Michael Winterbottom stays away from overt political messages, except those voiced by Mariane Pearl herself, and balances a 'think-piece' with quick cuts and shots of the bustling city to keep the film moving. Worth the rental, and in my current top 20 for this year.
2. The Heartbreak Kid - B- (On DVD(1972), Rated PG-13, 106 
minutes). Trailer. The recently panned Ben Stiller remake piqued my interest in the original, starring one of my favorite comedic actors, the sublime Charles Grodin. Grodin is Lenny a New Yorker newly married to Lyla. On their drive to Florida, she reveals several undesirable traits that make him doubt his marital decision. A chance meeting with the radiant Cybil Shepherd on the beach causes him to divorce his new wife and pursue his new love all the way to Minnesota. There were several funny scenes, most notably Grodin's lying to his wife to spend time with Cybill, but overall it was about 1/5 as funny as I thought it would be. There are some darker themes at play, such as disillusionment, youth and beauty, but the scenes felt thrown together and reaching beyond the material for something that just wasn't there. It probably gets better with each viewing.
3. High Fidelity - B (On DVD(2000), Rated R, 113 minutes. Trailer. John Cusack loves the sensitive man-boy roles, and High Fidelity is perfect for him. A cross between Say Anything and Empire Records, this focuses on the inability of his character, a slacker record store owner, to settle on a career and set goals instead of always 'keeping his options open.' Great supporting performance from a young Jack Black and lots of overbaked record guy talk equal an enjoyable film. 
4. Miller's Crossing - B+ (On DVD(1990), Rated R, 114 minutes. Trailer. Hailed as a masterpiece by critics (including Doctor), I revisited this last week and wasn't enthralled. I acknowledge the greatness of the Gabriel Byrne character and enjoy *some* of the dialogue, but the setting and adherence to the 20's dialogue turned me way off. The cutesy 'what's the rumpus' and other similar gags throughout just about ruined it for me. Not one of my favorites.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Quick Hits
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4 comments:
1. Mostly agree with A Mighty Heart, including the Jolie perf. Here's the last part of my unposted review: The “documentary-style” handheld cameras have worn out their welcome by now. And there’s not enough insight or spark here to make this gut-wrenching experience worthwhile to sit through again. Still, in an America stricken with Alzheimer’s, a reminder such as this is never a bad thing. B
2. Heartbreak Kid: C territory for me. I probably need to see it again. I remember being annoyed (as I usually am) about characters making one bad decision after another. Love the Grodin though.
3. Agreed on High Fidelity. My favorite Jack Black performance.
4. Curious argument against the film. Did Hamlet say "thee" and "thou" too much? Was the Fargo characters saying "You betcha" and "Darn tootin'" annoying?
I'll admit the Coens hadn't quite learned the perfect restraint seen in Fargo and NCFOM (particularly in the overdirected scene where the Dane gets one in the brain), but I think the dialogue is first rate:
Tom: Think about what giving up Bernie gets us. Then think about protecting Bernie loses us.
Leo: Tom, you know I don't like to think.
Tom: Well, think about whether you should start.
A perfect ending to a perfect first scene. And it's the most exquisitely plotted movie in recent history.
HK: I originally had it a C, but when I was describing it to my wife, I started laughing, so I raised to a B-. An incomplete until I watch it again (in 2040 when I have time).
MC: I don't think the 20's dialogue takes away from its merit as a film, just my enjoyment of it. The humor feels like a Bugs Bunny cartoon...clever, but annoyingly so. The scenes where the hapless Mayor and Police Commissioner switch sides are my favorite.
Interested to see your take on Bourne and Once...
high fedelity gets a b+ from me. i love the format and hornsby books just nail the male tension between being a complete jerk and a nice guy in relationships (see also about a boy). this is the last time i really like a jack black performance.
also, watched once (b+) and i did love it. there might have been a little more singing than i needed, but the ending is perfect and i love the interplay between the characters.
editorial note, i'm waiting until the end of the year to formally state my top films of the year, but i also two films this weekend that look like they'll make the list (once and atonement). i'll get the review of atonement up this afternoon.
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