Keeping It Reel

English-less

Jet Li's "Fearless" was marketed as his final martial arts film epic.  In this day and age where the retirement of entertainers is rarely permanent, who knows if that really is the case.  Regardless, that wasn't the reason I wanted to check this out anyway.  The previews had it looking like it would probably be one of his best films yet.

"Fearless" hit me with another surprise when I discovered that it was based on a true story.  It tells the tale of Chinese Martial Arts Master Huo Yuanjia who was the founder of the Jin Wu Sports Federation.  He overcomes personal tragedy to take on a bout that will pit him against the major foreign powers in China.  Huo could overcome any adversary yet couldn't overcome the politics that led to his demise.

I was sincerely hoping this wouldn't be another film with subtitles.  Li has seemed to move in that direction in an effort to maintain authenticity to his films.  Either that or he got tired of trying struggle with speaking English.  The problem I have with subtitles is you get to so busy reading that you don't get a chance to soak in the acting that's also taking place.  It breaks up the continuity a bit.

Li has made it a point to infuse martial arts scenes in his movies that are second-to-none.  Not since the days of Bruce Lee has anyone else ever done it so successfully.  Li even made it a point to cut down on some of the ridiculous hour-long levitation stances that had become common in the more modern martial arts flicks.

My guess would be that they went out of their way to call this his final martial arts film because Li's going to focus more on non-action films?  I can admire him for that if that actually is the case.  No one wants to see a 50-year-old man still trying to do karate (...cough...Jackie Chan...).  I can also appreciate him leaving us a film like this to call his last if that's how he chooses to go out.

My rating:  B

 

Philly's New Inspiration

What is it about the city of Philadelphia being a focal point for so many feel-good stories?  First Rocky, then the lesser-known "Fish That Saved Pittsburgh" and now "Invincible".  I guess it stands to reason that these type of stories would come from a place called "the city of brotherly love".  Not to mention the original home of our country's foundation of democracy.

I had never heard of the story of Vince Papale until "Invincible".  It happened during a timeframe when the NFL wasn't near the media juggernaut it is today. Who outside of their respective team's cities even knew many of the players' names?  We all knew the all-stars from the Steelers and the Cowboys but besides them it would be a stretch to name other players.

Greg Kinnear has pretty much channeled Eagles head coach Dick   Vermeil for this role.  The only thing that was missing was them to find some way to have him do a trademark Vermeil moment where he breaks down crying for some reason.

We all know that when Hollywood transforms a real-life story, they are going to take some liberties on factual events.  I thought one of those moments was when Papale made a crucial tackle that forced a fumble which he ran back for a touchdown.  That was until they showed the actual game footage where the real Papale did do that.  Interestingly enough, it also showed that the real Papale was much larger than Wahlberg.

The best moments are when they show Papale and his friends playing pick-up football a backlot.  I didn't even realize 30-year-old men did that.  Regardless of the age, we all choose different ways to bond and that was theirs.  When Papale comes back to play after he's already made the Eagles, you can see that he realizes that it was the love of the game itself that gave him his passion.   

This is now the third movie I've seen in less than a few weeks where it marks someone in dire straits having to find a legitimate way to get out of poverty.  At least their way out is always legit though instead of focusing on a criminal escape.  Besides, at Christmas time, you want to see stories like these to give you that warm and fuzzy feeling.

My rating:  B+

Where There's a Will, There's a Way

Years ago when a then Fresh Prince first hit the scene, he was already in a class all his own.  Most of the people that knew of his Grammy win from his "Parents Just Don't Understand" days didn't realize that even before then he was making classic hip hop cds.  As far as acting, few people gave him the credit he deserved for his breakout performance in "Six Degrees of Separation".  Personally, that's when I knew that he was destined for greatness.

"The Pursuit of Happyness" is a biopic featuring Will Smith as Chris Gardner.  Chris takes custody of his son during the most tumultuous time of his life and is determined to make make a better way for his family.

This is one of those films where you would find it hard to believe one person could overcome so much adversity had it not really happened.  By the time he does succeed, I defy anyone to not feel genuinely appreciative for him after witnessing the hardship he had to go through.  Smith does an excellent job in making the audience feel that emotional connection with the character.

The major piece in making "Happyness" work was the casting of Smith's real-life son, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, as Gardner's son.  I was a little leery that he wouldn't fare so well in his first role and that it was another case of Hollywood nepotism.  Fortunately, I was wrong.  Jaden was phenomenal in every bit of screen time he was given.  I'm sure it didn't hurt that he was playing opposite his real father so the chemistry was foolproof. 

Gardner brings up a good point in the movie when referencing Thomas Jefferson's inclusion of "the pursuit of happiness" in the Declaration.  He indicates that "pursuit" was put in there to indicate that happiness is possibly something that can never truly be attained which is why there's always a chase for it.  I don't know about all that, but thanks to another outstanding performance, the pursuit of a great film this year has just ended.

My rating:  A

A Friendship That Goes Both Ways

I initially thought this movie was going to be a comedy for some reason.  I hadn't heard much about "Eight Below" but when you look at just the cover you see Paul Walker cheesing on the front with a bunch of dogs.  The fiasco "Snow Dogs" comes to mind so I thought this was just a similar flick.  Thankfully, I was wrong.

In "Eight Below", Walker is the owner of an Antarctic dog team hired to help some scientist find some rock from outerspace.  They get back just in time to evade one of the season's worst storms thanks to the dogs.  When everyone's forced to evacuate the Antarctic base and leave the dogs behind, Walker becomes consumed with finding a way to get back no matter how much time had passed.

These dogs they used in this movie were absolutely phenomenal.  I'm sure as with any animal movie, there were actually several dogs used for different stunts.  With that being the case, every single one of them did an outstanding job.  They draw you in to the point where you are even forming a bond with them, hoping that nothing  happens to them when they are abandoned.

At first, I was thinking that Walker's character was going thru an awful lot just for some dogs.  That feeling didn't last long at all.  Maybe if it was just one dog, I couldn't see him being so obsessed.  However, these were eight dogs that not only had he groomed and nearly raised, but probably saved his life on numerous occasions.  With that being said, his desire to go back for them was an obligation he couldn't overlook.

The only problem here, and it's a small one, is the liberty they take with what happens to the dogs while they are abandoned.  Since no one was there but the dogs, of course we don't know what actually happened.  So basically they're showing us what they think the dogs were doing while no one was around.  That's fine with me.  I would think the people on this film had enough knowledge to make some educated guesses and they made it look believable enough for me.

I dare anyone who's not a dog-lover to watch this movie and still not have an affinity for them.  They are easily the most personable pets a person can have.  Walker may have gotten top-billing but they were the real stars of "Eight Below".  This one is one the whole family will appreciate.

My rating:  A-

 

The Original Rocky

The entire time I'm watching "Cinderella Man", I keep thinking of another Chris Rock joke.  He said the further down on the socio-economic ladder you go, the better the boxers get.  As with most of his satire, it's funny because it's true.

"Cinderella Man" is the story of Depression Era fighter Jim Braddock.  He was once a decent fighter in his prime but got out of the game after repeated injuries and subsequently fell on hard times.  He gets a second chance and this time has a new fire due to his fact that he wants to do everything he can to get his family out of poverty.

I had put off watching this movie for far too long.  I had for some reason forgotten that Ron Howard was the director.  He has yet to make a movie that I haven't liked.  His specialty seems to be biopics and with every one able to capture the spirit of its respective time period. 

As for Russel Crowe, there' s really not enough that can be said about him.  Ever since "Gladiator", he has proven that there's no role he can't master.  As with Howard, he seems to specialize in period pieces as well.  Personally, I never would have watched "Master and Commander:  The Far Side of the World" had Crowe not been in it then I was glad when I did.  I don't remember anything about Jim Braddock and that's the beauty of it.  Crowe plays him so convincingly that throughout the movie, you feel like you do know Braddock.

I kept thinking the guy that played Max Baer looked familiar so I did some quick research and I was right.  Craig Bierko is the new character on one of my favorite shows, "Boston Legal", and was also the lead in "Scary Movie 4".  I had at least heard of Baer though also not known much more about him.  Bierko did a marvelous job in portraying him as the egotistical villain who deserved to lose.

This is one of those flicks that if it hadn't really happened, it would seem just too incredulous.  An over-the-hill fighter rising up from poverty to become champion during the Depression?  There couldn't have been a better Hollywood-scripted sports movie. Be prepared to have many different emotions stirred within you as you view this masterpiece.

My rating:  A

The Man in Black

I knew at some point I would find myself watching this movie.  After hearing my buddy Jack go on and on about how much he liked it (even though he is a diehard Johnny Cash fan), I felt compelled to see it to see if it was overrated or worth the accolades it was getting.

The way I see it was even though I'm not a country fan, I enjoy a good movie.  To this day, one of my favorite biopic's is Kurt Russell's version of Elvis and I CANNOT stand Elvis.

Anyway, "Walk the Line" traces the highlights of the story of Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter.  I guess it gives us their younger years as they met and how they eventually got together to show the magic that tipped off what would eventually be a love affair that spanned several decades.

Joaquin Phoenix has been tha man ever since "Gladiator".  Even though he may have been a bit incestuous in his depiction, he OWNED that role.  I've been a fan ever since.  Without having seen Cash in concert, he seemed to me to be pretty believable at least as a country star.  I was even more impressed that he did his own singing in this movie.  Although I don't know what to compare it to since I've never heard an actual Johnny Cash song.

As far as Reese Witherspoon, what has happened to her?  It seems like the better she's been getting at acting, the worse she's starting to look.  She looked TERRIBLE in this movie. Like she desperately needed a meal or two.  And teeth that went on for days.

All in all, it was pretty decent.  I'm thinking I probably could have appreciated it more if I really was a Cash fan.  However, being a movie fan, I do enjoy good performances so kudos.

My rating:  B

Slam Dunk Verdict

Apparently, the Lucchese mafia trial was one of the biggest in history.  I don't know how I never heard of it, being such an aficionado of everything mafia.  It's funny that it took until now to make a movie out of it with "Find Me Guilty".

Even though he constantly gets knocked by critics, I've always admired Vin Diesel's work.  "Boiler Room" remains one of my all-time  favorite flicks and it's due in part to his contribution.  He put on extra weight for this role so his trademark physique wouldn't be disracting for a change.  It actually worked.  TERRIBLE hair piece, but his acting was right on point.

The short guy who I'm sure you'll remember from other movies when you see him, Peter Dinklage, does an exceptionally good job here as well.  Every role he's in, at least as of late, has him playing in a position of authority.  It's as if he purposely tries to go against the typecast of his stature.  Good thing for him that it always pays off because of his skills.

The thing that gets me here is the D.A. is upset because he can't figure out why the jurors like Diesel's character.  He argues that don't they know the mafia's criminal activities are the reason consumers pay more for merchandise?  Please.  Guess what...even if it wasn't for them, retailers would find another reason to jack up the prices.  So it all evens out in the end.

My rating:  B+

Black-ballin'

Since I was already on the kick of checking out the "based on a true story" themed movie, I decided to keep the trend going.  I really should have went with a comedy or something else that wouldn't be so draining.  However, at least I chose an option that had some moments of levity in it so it wasn't such a bad choice.

That brings us to "Glory Road". It's the true-life story of Coach Don Haskins of the Texas Western University men's basketball team.  He went on a mission to recruit the best players available, regardless of color, which caused him to have a team composed of 7 brothas and 5 white guys.  He broke barriers and made history when he started 5 brothas in the NCAA Championship game for the first time in NCAA history AND defeated the heavily favored Kentucky Wildcats.

Many people that have seen this movie don't know it, but his famed win against the Adolph Rupp led Wildcats had even more historical significance than the movie portrayed.  Rupp was known for publicly stating that he would never recruit a Black player to Kentucky.  Then he goes and loses the championship to 5 brothas.  As the movie points out at the end, in a bitter twist of irony for him, he ended up finally recruiting a brotha a year before he retired.  Looks like he finally began to see the writing on the wall.

Derek Luke is fast becoming, if he hasn't already, the actor of choice for "based on true story" movies.  He got his start with "Antwone Fisher" then "Friday Night Lights", now this.  He's gotten the niche of "angry, Black youth" down.  Might want to expand a little more now, D.

This movie reminded me even moreso of the knock I get for liking so much 60s/Motown music.  I would sometimes think I must have been born in the wrong era since I enjoy that music so much.  Then I get a glimpse of all the racism, bigotry and discrimination our folks also went thru during that era and I realize how good I really have it.  Sure, it still exists today, but it wasn't near as overt as it was then.

"Glory Road" falls into the trap of hitting a lot of the sports movie cliches.  Watching it was like watching bits of pieces of flicks like "Coach Carter", "Remember the Titans" and "Hoosiers".  Because of that, it really didn't do much to stand on it's own.  It almost relies solely on the legend of similar movies that preceded it as well as the legend of the story it's based on, hoping that would be enough to carry it.

Something else that folks may not have known was that the season in question didn't actually occur during the course of one season.  It actually took Haskins three seasons to win the national title.  And the year that he won it, he had been starting the 5 brothas all season long.  That version isn't as anti-climatic or dramatic as how Hollywood made it.  In addition, they had to also condense the story in the interest of time so I won't knock them for that. 

They also tried to stay true to the style of basketball that was played in that era.  It was pretty accurate for the most part.  They lost me on the part when dude threw an alley-oop off the backboard and his teammate caught it for a leaner dunk.  Pretty sure they weren't pulling off stuff like that in the 60s.

I did like how Haskins came to the realization that the brothas needed to be playing their way instead of his way if they wanted to win.  That realization came in their game against Iowa.  And why would Haskins think he could harness them to play his way anyway?  I don't know about back then but in more recent years, it wasn't that implausible since Dean Smith for North Carolina had the same philosophy.  Jordan didn't really begin to reign until he was gone from UNC and the harness was off.  The same can be said for a lot of UNC products.

One of these days, I will do a post on my favorite sports movies of all-time.  Although "Glory Road" was a decent flick, it's very doubtful it will make the list.  As we say on the hardwood, nice shot, too bad your team still lost.

My rating:  C

Hunting the Hunters

If there's one thing I enjoy more than reading non-fiction, it's watching a movie based on a true story.  Yeah, they're going to interject the Hollywood-ism to it and parts of it may sometimes not fit, but you still can't miss with being educated while you're being entertained.  One director who has a proven track record of being rather skilled at those type of flicks is Steven Spielberg.

"Munich" is the story of the aftermath of the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany where Palestinian terrorists abducted Israeli athletes and killed 11 of them.  Of course, the month in which this occurred was labeled "Black September".  This movie follows the tale of Eric Bana's character, Avner, an Israeli secret agent and his five-man crew that are recruited to take out the Palestinians responsible for the event.

Bana was a good choice for this part.  "Hulk" didn't really do his acting skills justice.  Actually, the movie itself was unfairly criticized.  Anyway, Bana had proved to me he had skillz with his turn in "Troy" so I wasn't surprised that he excelled here.  There were a couple of spots he could have kept the accent going since it came and went at times.  Other than that, he was right on the money.

I particularly like the timing at which this movie came out when you realize what the movie represents.  Essentially, it's a revenge flick.  The Palestinians took out innocent Israeli citizens and the Israelis want revenge for that.  Sound familiar? There are so many parallels in this movie to our current national situation.  They not only touch on the financial cost that it tolls on the country, but the emotional burden it puts on the men involved.

It shows that revenge is a vicious cycle.  Even with only the first one that Avner and his crew take out, the Palestinians retaliate.  With more that are taken out, the more the retaliation grows.  In essence, they may have gotten to the people who were responsible for those September events, but at what cost? Sometimes, revenge doesn't taste so sweet.

This is another flick with accents so thick that the subtitles had to be on most of the time.  In addition, like most foreign-themed movies (unless they are comedies), it was shot so drab that most of the colors all blend together.  That also made it difficult to differentiate some of the characters from one another so there were several times I found myself going "wait...who was that guy again?"

Also, for Avner and his crew to be national intelligence, they weren't very inconspicuous about their actions at all.  I'm surprised they didn't get found out sooner than what they did.  And given how obvious they always were, I don't see how they could have possibly been shocked about it when they were discovered.

This isn't the first time that Spielberg's hit us up with a bona fide summer release (in this case "War of the Worlds") then followed it up with a powerful thoughtful drama.  You may recall he did the same thing in 1993 by dropping "Jurassic Park" in the summer and closing out the year with "Schindler's List".  No doubt he does it at that point in the year so it's more fresher on the minds of those people doing the Oscar nominations.  Whatever the reason, "Munich" is definitely worthy of such an honor. 

My rating:  A-

U.S., We Have a Problem

Where do I even start.  Several thoughts have been racing thru my head thanks to dormant feelings this movie has now stirred up.  What hasn't been said about September 11, 2001 by now?  Maybe a better question after seeing this movie is what still hasn't been said that we don't know about?

"United 93" is the real-time depiction of the single hijacked plane of the four that day that didn't hit its mark.  It focuses on the viewpoints of the passengers and ground control.  Keeping the vantage point confined to those parties allows us to view the experience as if we were there.

I can't remember the last time a movie had me so worked up and so overcome with varied emotions.  At the end, I was literally in my seat sweating in a very well air-conditioned theater.  Pissed.  Sad.  Concerned.  Pretty much everything but amused.

How in the world did they get knives and boxcutters on board?  What kind of piss poor security scanners were there?  And it took this fateful day for the FAA to mandate rules regarding cockpit entry?  I can almost understand the military not being prepared for an attack on New York, but how are they so ill-prepared for an attack on our nation's capitol to not have armed fighter jets ready?

It's amazing that for as organized as the terrorist's plan was for a mass synchronized attack on our nation, how disorganized they were on this one flight.  At least that's what I thought at first.  After this, I got the definitive feeling that it's more due to the courageous and selfless acts of the passengers on the plane.  As a matter of fact, you begin to wonder how come the other flights couldn't have mustered the same zeal.

Wahl pointed out that we really don't know how accurate it could be since no one survived.  That's true to an extent, but in this rare case, we have the benefit of their play-by-play.  There were SEVERAL phone calls made from the plane during the whole ordeal.  There was also limited communication that ground control intercepted from the cockpit.  It was real enough for me.

I've said this after 9/11 and I'm even more behind it now.  I normally don't endorse profiling; however, EVERY middle eastern person now should be profiled.  So what if it's unfair.  Our country was founded on these perceptions.  If they don't like it, so what.  I'd tell them its your turn now so deal with it.

You want so much for this movie to have a happy ending but we all know the final result.  One does have a greater admiration for the average schmoes on the plane.  In fact, when they do overtake the hijackers, you can't help but feel whatever punishment they inflict couldn't possibly be enough.

My rating:  A