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sarvananda
Reviews
Hurlyburly (1998)
A brilliant intelligent film with an outstanding cast
Had no idea what this film would be like and chose it because of the stellar cast. It is not upbeat but it is powerful and reminds me of the work of the late Paddy Chayevsky. Every player in this film is real and immediate. Chaz Palmintieri is frightening and real. Sean Penn is a lost character in the power broker world of Hollywood. Kevin Spacey is the dry and cynical voice of reason. Anna Paquin shows that she simply cannot play a role badly--ever. It is strange to see a film where the dialogue is the most important aspect. There are no significant effects. Yet the direction is tight. Despite the minimum of "action" the powerful interaction of the main characters keeps interest throughout.
The Fallen Idol (1948)
A surprisingly good film
This film was made in the days when child actors were saccharine sweet and monumentally fake. Thus the portrayal of eight year old Philippe by Bobby Henrey was somewhat of a phenomenon. Fact is that the entire film is incredibly authentic. Of course, Ralph Richardson brings the whole thing into three dimensions. But the direction of Carol Reed puts him once more in the realm of the greats. Even the music, so annoyingly pervasive in films of this era, is subdued by and large. Each one of the main roles, and most of the minor roles, are real.
I suspect that even a generation that grew up on color films and who see black and white as quaint and obscure would love to see this film.
All in all this is a film worth seeing more than once.
Nirgendwo in Afrika (2001)
One of the best films I have seen in the last decade
I saw this film twice, once on Saturday and once on the following Tuesday. I never do this.
"Nowhere in Africa" is one of the most authentic films I have seen in a long time. Like a good John Irving novel, "Nowhere in Africa" is not made up of heroes and villains. It is made up of human beings who go through their difficulties and evolve. The characters grow in the course of the film. Particularly incredible are the two actors who play the daughter at age eight and then in adolescence. It is one of the most remarkable feats of casting and acting that these two become one. They are a "seamless" being who is never cute but very real.
This film is a breath of fresh air in a media that is not particularly known for its freshness.
The Recruit (2003)
Totally predictable
As I went into the movie, the usher whispered to me confidentially, "remember, things aren't what they appear". Ahah! I thought. A suspenseful film. Unfortunately, things were entirely what they appeared and you could figure things out in the previews let alone the film. Pacino is in a rut. Did he once know how to act? It's been so long. He's becoming a caricature of himself. "The Recruit" is another example of how Hollywood seems to fear originality. This thing was written with a slide rule. Boooorrrring. Seems like only David Mamet can create films where things really aren't what they seem.