The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)

You don't have to be a fan of Jane Austen's novels to enjoy Robin Swicord's "The Jane Austen Book Club", but after spending 106 delightful minutes with some of the most likable people you'll ever meet, you may want to grab "Pride and Prejudice", and start a club of your own!

This IS another film where the women are all beautiful, and the men, hot, but, to Swicord's credit (working from Karen Joy Fowler's terrific novel), she establishes each character with a humanity that transcends appearance. Working mom, Syl (Amy Brenneman), has it all, with a great job as a librarian, a radiant, if klutzy, lesbian daughter (Maggie Grace), and a devoted husband (Jimmy Smits)...until he announces he was cheating on her, and asks for a divorce. Oft-married, ever-optimistic Bernadette (Kathy Baker) decides to create an Austen club to provide emotional support for both Syl and their best friend, ever-single dog trainer/matchmaker Jocelyn (Maria Bello), who is grieving over the loss of a beloved dog. Bernadette meets young, uptight French teacher/Austen devotee Prudie (Emily Blunt), who has her own baggage, with an inattentive husband (Marc Blucas), an ex-hippie mom (Lynn Redgrave), and a sexy student (Kevin Zegers), whose attentions are sparking her barely-repressed lust. The older woman quickly railroads Prudie into her plan, finalizing a book club that will be "all-women, all-Austen", focusing on a different Austen novel, each month. Ah, but then Jocelyn meets handsome young computer geek, Grigg (Hugh Dancy), and decides to pair Syl with him, using the club...so a male member joins in the mix, and the fun really begins...

With each major character a 21st century variation of an Austen one, the story unfolds around the monthly meeting/book discussions, allowing the entire cast opportunities to shine. Will Syl recover from her failed marriage? Will Prudie give in, and have her forbidden tryst? Will Jocelyn ever figure out Grigg loves HER? Swicord succeeds in making every subplot both involving, and entertaining!

Great bonus features make "The Jane Austen Book Club" even better. The Austen prototypes of each character are explained, there is a terrific biography of the writer (far better than the one offered in "Becoming Jane"), and an affectionate behind-the-scenes look at the production all truly expand the enjoyment of the film.

Is this a 'chick flick'? Certainly! But with it's well-written male roles, I prefer to think of this as an ideal 'date' movie, and an experience guys can enjoy, too!

"All Austen, all the time" never sounded better!

Five women and one man decide to start a book club, reading the works of Jane Austen. Bernadette (Baker), the organizer of the club, is a woman looking to add one more to her many marriages. Jocelyn (Bello) is single and happy with her dogs. Sylvia (Brenneman) is in a failing marriage to Daniel (Smits). Allegra (Grace) is their lesbian daughter. Prudie (Blunt) is unhappily married, and attracted to one of her students. Lastly, there is Grigg (Dancy), a science fiction fan who is in the club because he is interested in Jocelyn. Their lives all contain elements that echo Jane Austen's stories, so their choice of reading is appropriate.

"The Jane Austen Book Club" is a female bonding movie that will also appeal to fans of Jane Austen. The acting is capable, but nothing outstanding. There is a little of everything relationship-wise here, and all the stories are handled pretty well. Jocelyn and Grigg's story is probably the most appealing though. To the story's credit, knowledge of Jane Austen isn't necessary, but it helps. In all fairness, the title of the film is going to draw in the appropriate audience, and they will probably enjoy it.

Buy The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) Now

Warning: This is a major "Chick Flick", no testosterone required.

Chick flick or not, the '07 release `The Jane Austen Book Club' is a delightful film exploring the possible application of the six books comprising the "Jane Austen Bible" into the everyday lives and loves of five contemporary women. What was supposed to serve as a carefree diversion from the constant angst of male female relationships becomes the epicenter of their emotional venting and the Gospel of Jane the rule by which all relationships are judged.

The cast displays an infectious chemistry, the storyline solid and consistent from beginning to end and the dialogue is believable, containing a number of quotable lines that will stay with you. `The Jane Austen Book Club' is a terrific film for the females audience. As far as the guys are concerned, come on and give it a try, you know you have to give in once in a while. This one is not as painful as most within this genre.

Read Best Reviews of The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) Here

This film opens with a montage of modern day, mundane technological snags, which sets the stage for busy and varied lives among working people. I thought this was a brilliant way to begin, to show just what kind of people form a book club and how random it all really is. The cohesiveness of these seemingly mismatched individuals, a free-spirited, serial bride, a recently discarded wife and her lesbian daughter, a socially awkward, pretentious French teacher, a control-freak dog breeder and a bicycling techno-geek (albeit a very CUTE techno-geek) centers around the six novels of Jane Austen. This story really isn't about the work of Jane Austen, but rather, it's about the people of the club coming from many different directions to form a believable bond. Sure it has some Jane Austen-esque subplots, but so many modern stories do and I, for one, never grow tired of them.

Very enjoyable, well-cast and well-acted film, and I recommend it to anyone who likes a good story of group dynamics--regardless of whether or not you liked or disliked the book.

Michele Cozzens is the author of It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club

Want The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) Discount?

"The Jane Austen Book Club" (TJABC) was a 2004 novel by author Karen Joy Fowler. I acquired the novel last spring and relished the thought of reading a contemporary version of Austen's romances, with each character and each chapter tying into one of Austen's novels. A clever premise, some interesting characters....but I found the overall effort to be a tad on the lackluster side and kept picking the book up, and putting it down before eventually managing to end it all.

Robin Swicord tackled the job of getting this book to film; and it opened to very little fanfare last summer. As the members of the book club, the cast is a director's dream. It's always a joy to see Amy Brenneman (Of the TV Show, "Judging Amy", on the screen, and we've had too little of her in the world of film. Brenneman is devastated and devastating as an unwilling divorcee, Sylvia, who was married to Daniel (Jimmy Smits in an unfamiliar role) who has fallen in love with the other woman. Maggie Grace (Shannon from the TV Show, "Lost") is suitably cast as Allegra, Sylvia and Daniel's grown daughter. Much of Fowler's book centered on the oddities of Allegra...thankfully, the movie only touches on them.

Kathy Baker plays flamboyant, much-divorced Bernadette and does so with a satirical air. Maria Bello is Jocelyn, a dog breeder who is afraid of commitment. Bello is no surprise; she's done a credible job with every one of her big screen roles -here we are caught up in her draw towards Grigg, the only male member of the club, although initially she attempts clumsily to "matchmake him" to Sylvia.

The outstanding turns belong to Hugh Dancy, as Grigg. He's a science fiction fan who accidentally meets Joceyln and accepts her invitation to join a book club reading a genre he has no idea about. He's subtly charming and has a way of 21st century hero about him; he and Bello are drawn like moths to flame. Also a stand out is Emily Blunt, so good in whatever she brings to the screen, as Prudie. Prudie's character is audacious -an obsessive French teacher married to the wrong man, she's eager to find romance in any way she can.

Tying in Austen's novels and characters to the ensemble is easy, and a little tedious, but by film's end, you're glad you made the attempt. TJABC is kind of a "little film that could"...not excellent by any stretch of the imagination, but still a worthy contemporary treatise on Austen's themes.

Set in Sacramento, the surroundings are lovely and bracing, and the DVD has a full complement of extras like deleted scenes, the casting dilemma, and a lively conversation about the filming between Swicord, the producers, Maggie Grace and Hugh Dancy.

For once, a film that improves upon the material it was derived from. Worth a viewing!

Save 25% Off

Read More >>

Withnail & I (1988)

Somewhere in the tenebrous recesses of our souls is the saving ability to laugh in recognition at our most forlorn circumstances. The funniest films mine this trove of despairing exigencies in an urgent, played-for-real mode. And none do it better than WITHNAIL & I, now available in a superb uncut version on DVD.

Bruce Robinson, the sometime actor and screenwriter ("The Killing Fields"), made his 1986 directorial debut with his semi-autobiographical screenplay that is widely considered the greatest neglected comedy of all time. The slender plot is simple. Flatmates Richard E. Grant (Withnail) and Paul McGann (& I) are two stoned, hungry, broke, and out-of-work actors wallowing in self-made squalor. When they get an opportunity to spend a weekend in the country cottage of Withnail's three hundred pound Uncle Montague, they go, hoping to "rejuvenate." What ensues is an extraordinarily deranged weekend of drunken delusion and distraught discovery that you will never forget. To reveal any more story details would be a gross disservice to those who have not yet found this wonderfully twisted, honest and perfect film.

Richard Griffiths is unsettling as the campy, dissolute predator cousin Montague and Ralph Brown is spot-on as Danny, the slow-talking, menacing but philosophical dope dealer. Hard to believe this was Richard E. Grant's first film. Even harder to believe is that he is a non-drinker who doesn't smoke.

Perfectly cast, nearly every spoken line is unfiltered emotional truth and most are quotable -especially the caustic diatribes of drunken, acerbic Grant. And the scenes themselves are brilliant set-pieces that unfold like diamonds in the rough being cut to gem-stone perfection.

After experiencing this unblinking look back at the end of the 60s in a London suburb where a tenuous friendship, high expectations and unfulfilled dreams collide during a disastrous weekend getaway, you too will laugh when you next hear the opening riffs of Jimmy Hendrix's "Voodoo Child." And you will understand when someone blurts out in a restaurant, "We want the finest wines available to humanity. We want them here and we want them NOW!. And cake."

This new Criterion widescreen version is clean and sharp and there's a too-short bonus interview with Robinson, Brown, Grant and McGann.

You must trust me on this one, so right now, get on line and order this extraordinary movie. It's one to own and watch at least once a month. It will put everything in the proper perspective and cure what ails you. Highest recommendation.

Criterion has done a wonderful job with this DVD release of WITHNAIL & I. The picture looks sharp, the sound is clear, and the extras are a lot of fun. The biggest difference for me was that the only video version of this film I owned was the full-screen version that contains numerous edits. Watching this film uncut for the first time in years really pointed out how much I had been missing with the video version. Getting this DVD is definitely worth the money.

The film itself is a joy to experience. While the plot cannot be accused of being overcomplicated, this simplicity is more than made up for in the wonderful characters and brilliant dialogue (virtually none of which can be quoted in an all-ages forum such as this). Loosely narrated by Paul McGann's "I" character, this film depicts a brief period in the life of two struggling actors as they attempt to find booze, drugs and jobs in the dying days of the 1960s. The movie covers a wide spectrum from some scenes featuring the funniest lines that you'll ever hear to small touching moments that are surprisingly moving. This is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys good moviemaking.

Every character in the picture is superbly acted and written for. It's a testament to Bruce Robinson's directing skills that the characters compliment each other so well instead of clashing and overbearing the others as could so easily have happened. The secondary characters work as well as the leads and each one adds their unique flavour to the mixture. Robinson doesn't make the mistake of giving the smaller parts too much on-screen time and having them overstay their welcome. Each character says and does no more than they need to and leaves everyone wanting more.

Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann are perfectly cast in their roles. Each bile-covered insult roles off of Grant's tongue as if he'd been swearing at McGann all his life. It's amazing that Grant is a teetotaler in real life and was relying on pure skill for most of his inspiration. Excellent acting.

The documentary that is included on the DVD is 30 minutes long and quite excellent. There are interviews with Richard E. Grant (Withnail), Paul McGann (...& I), Bruce Robinson (writer/director), Ralph Brown (Danny) and a host of other people related to the production. It's a funny and enthralling look at the people and ideas behind the film. Just fast-forward through the trainspotters.

Buy Withnail & I (1988) Now

This is not, as others have mentioned merely a vapid view of the 1960s or a drunken homoerotic frolic in an English countryside. It represents all those men and women who have battled long and hard to achieve some sort of authenticity. Withnal wants to act in something worth while, 'I' wants to do the same but has much more class and is not locked into a decaying and fluid so called post modern world, represented by collapsing buildings they both visit and live in, decayed old pubs inhabited by violent drunken louts who want to hurt and maim in their pain of loss. Then there is their old Jaguar one eye one window wiper and two very drunk survivors. This is a meditation on the qualities of past values and modern chaos. The end leaves one sad and uncomfortable as Withnal speaks from Shakespeare 'what a piece of work is man', the irony is almost too hard to bear as Withnal speaks to a wolf behind the zoo bars and as rain upon rain washes away the old world. This a film everyone should watch and is for anyone who wonders about the old, the nostalgia for the past and the new modern and careless world of today. The wolf pacing in front of the zoo bars mirrors the human pacing outside the fence, both are locked into their worlds. Withnal is beautiful in his aloneness and 'I' works to represent those that can make transitions from old values to new worlds, but does he lose something in the process? The musis is also fantastic and I wish I could buy and album of the music, the initial saxaphone rendition of a whiter shade of pale is beyond beautiful. Watch it at least 10 times.

Read Best Reviews of Withnail & I (1988) Here

Withnail & I is one of the greatest films ever made funny, poignant and superbly written, acted and directed.

So, it is such an appalling shame that this NTSC VHS version is so poor. It is hideously cut in places leaving out parts of scenes and some of the funniest dialogue. This leaves you confused when the narrative shifts suddenly when you were expecting the uncut version. For me, this rendered this version unwatchable.

Buy a PAL compatible VHS player and buy the uncut European version from amazon.co.uk, wait for the DVD or wait for the full version to be shown on the Independent Film Channel and record it, but stay away from this turkey!

Want Withnail & I (1988) Discount?

Another cult movie has just entered the Criterion collection : british writer-director Bruce Robinson's 1986 WITHNAIL AND I starring Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann, both excellent. Richard Griffith as the cousin Montague and Ralph Brown as " The Hippie Philosopher " are hilarious. This film is a valuable addition to your library if you like english comedies, the sixties or simply a smart movie.

WITHNAIL AND I is greatly autobiographical. Bruce Robinson's 25 minutes interview featuring home movies and photographies shot in London in the mid-sixties is very instructive ; one understands soon that Withnail and ("I") Peter's life pictured in the movie has been the normal life of a large number of the english teenagers of the sixties. The character of "Withnail" played by an hallucinated Richard E. Grant, who in the real life doesn't drink alcoholic beverages, will certainly stay in the annals of Movie History.

If WITHNAIL AND I moves us so much, it's because this nostalgic movie is about lost hopes, about the green pastures of our youth when the world was ready to be conquered and waiting for us. Withnail is a pathetic character who could have been a genius in any artistic domain but who didn't create anything because, after all, it wasn't so important.

Apart of the Bruce Robinson interview ( look carefully at the level of the red wine in his glass... ), one will also find in this Criterion presentation a limited-edition of a poster, a theatrical trailer, liner notes by Robinson, various pre-production photos and english subtitles.

A DVD zone nostalgy.

Read More >>

Good Luck Chuck (Unrated) (2007)

Having seen Dane Cook as a stand-up comedian and been entertained by his humor and delivery, GOOD LUCK CHUCK seemed like an innocuous brainless evening entertainment. Unfortunately the story and script and direction are so sub par that even the most devoted of potty mouth movie fans will likely find this dud a bore. Hopefully Cook will be given better material for his next outing.

The story is meager but deals with a childhood hex placed on Cook's character, dentist Charlie Logan, which prevents him from finding lasting love: every woman with whom he sleeps (and there are countless encounters in the buff on endless multi-screen images) will marry the man she meets after her liaison with 'good luck' Charlie Logan. His obnoxious breast augmenter best friend Stu (Dan Fogler) sees Chuck's hex as a godsend for open sex, but when Chuck meets Klutz penguin trainer (Jessica Alba) and falls in love, there are problems the solutions of which are so disgusting and unfunny that hardly need repeating.

This is a film, apparently with an audience (!), that is gross and so over the top that it completely wastes the talents of Cook and Alba. The film is being advertised as the 'chance to extensively see Dane Cook in the buff', but even that is an overstatement. Maybe if the viewer is on strong drugs....No, probably not even then. Pass on this one. Grady Harp, January 08

Crude? Yep! So what! The movie was hysterical. My boyfriend AND my 62 yr old mother were laughing, and so was everyone in the theater. Its fun! The 1st thing my mom said when the credits started to roll was, "I'm buying that THAT was funny, and not the stupid funny either really funny!"

Buy Good Luck Chuck (Unrated) (2007) Now

"Good Luck Chuck" is not a romantic comedy, but rather a raunchy comedy that is sort of about romance. If there was some notion of romance at the heart of this movie, it would have a chance of working, but of the different organs and body parts that are prominent in this 2007 film, the heart would not be one of them. When we get to the big moment at the end of "Good Luck Chuck," compare it to the same scene in "The Wedding Singer," and you can see how short this one falls of the mark. In other words, this is really not a date film, because first-time director Mark Helfrich's final product is slanted way towards the male of the species. You might check this film out for Jessica Alba, but the focus is on Dane Cook and that along should tell you this movie is going to favor comedy over women, and comedy that favors men over women.

That is not to say that the premise is not promising. The titular Chuck is Charlie Logan (Cook), and, no, the film is not bothered by the fact that nobody calls him Chuck. Because of what happened during an adolescent game of Spin the Bottle, Charlie is cursed: any woman he loves will leave him and immediately find and marry the man of her dreams. As Charlie comes to realize his peculiar situation there is good news--women are throwing themselves at him in order to leap out of his bed and find the guy for them--and bad news--he meets Cam Wexler (Alba), who is cute, a klutz, and works with penguins, allowing the film to show how far the penguin fever of "March of the Penguins", "Happy Feet," et al., has fallen. More importantly, she looks like Jessica Alba, so we instantly understand why Cam is a keeper from Charlie's perspective, even if his best friend Stu (Dan Fogler), a plastic surgeon whose practice is limited to boob jobs, probably thinks too little of her. This creates the ultimate paradox for Charlie, because to love this woman is to lose her, which is a pretty interesting Catch-22.

I am sure that if I added up the minutes that Charlie really does spend more time with Cam than he does with Stu, but it sure does not feel that way. But the real problem in this film comes in the sequences that it is proudest of: the sex montage. There is a whole special feature devoted to it as the "Sex Matrix." My immediate reaction to all of this was to wonder if I had ever seen a motion picture with more naked women in it than this one, and while I am sure I have this is a concerted effort in "Good Luck Chuck" to prove otherwise. But when you are watching a guy have sex with dozens of women, it is hard to lend credence to the idea that he is really in love with the woman he is not having sex with. To offer a rejoinder to Stu, while it is true that sex without love is still sex, it is still without love, and love is supposed to be at the heart of a romantic comedy, which is why this film is not one.

My favorite romantic comedy of recent vintage is probably "50 First Dates," and I gave that one only four stars because the raunchy stuff with Rob Schneider took away from the wonderful stuff happening with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. But "Good Luck Chuck" is following more in the steps of contemporary comedies like "Knocked Up" and "Superbad," where the goal is to produce a unrated DVD edition. So "50 First Dates" is now looking more like a classic romantic comedy to me. If "50 First Dates" had been made the way they made "Good Luck Chuck," then the opening montage of past lovers in the former would have been in the middle, in which case they are no longer past lovers and the decks are not cleared for a real romance. By the time Charlie and Cam get to anything remotely like the romantic part, it is too little too late. When you get to the last in a long line of women, it is hard not to focus on the long line rather than the last woman. The screenplay by Josh Stolberg ("Kids in America") does come up with a decent enough way of resolving the dilemma, but given everything that has come before it, the ending fails to redeem this movie.

Read Best Reviews of Good Luck Chuck (Unrated) (2007) Here

Mr. Bernabo and Ms. Richards wrote all the true words in their reviews to warn me away, but the opportunity to see more "on-screen Jessica Alba" was so overpowering, I went on and watched it anyway. Was I ever sorry!

Dane Cook and Dan Fogler are two of the worst actors I've ever seen. As best as I can remember (I'm trying hard to forget this movie) all of the humor was based on two guy sidekicks saying the most inappropriate words at all the most inappropriate times imaginable. I cannot think of a role either actor would be suited for. It's not even worth a review -think of this as a warning to your entertainment welfare.

The writing for this movie was just awful. And lord knows I adore Jessica Alba, but even that darling couldn't make this movie worth watching.

An overall abysmal effort.

Want Good Luck Chuck (Unrated) (2007) Discount?

I thought the movie was funny. Paced a bit fast, and the jokes could have been written a bit better, but I thought the movie was actually fun to watch. I was expecting Jessica Alba to be horrible in her perfomance (ie Honey), but I liked her acting in this movie, she fits the romantic-comedy genre better than anything she's done thus far. And Dane Cook was also funny, albeit sometimes over did some of his reactions. All in all, it's a fun movie, nothing you'll go telling your friends to go out to buy, but still worth a watch!

Save 47% Off

Read More >>

The Last Word (2008)

Another excellent production from ThinkFilms, where the past is dragged along as the future becomes epigrammatic and silent.

Evan (Wes Bentley) chances to earn a modest living writing suicide notes for clients who no longer have the desire or the strength to live. His poetry is in dissonance with his imperturbable and aloof demeanor, which deadens the aura of every frame he is involved in, even the more erotic and moving. However the plot hits a high note when Charlotte catches a glimpse of him at her brother's funeral, whose suicide note was authored by Evan. She does not become acquainted with the nature of Evan's poetic engagements and amid strife and guilt becomes endeared and ultimately enamored with the numb introspective intellectually brooding Evan. Charlotte here played by Winona Ryder with effortless wit and sophistication, teeming with energy and spontaneity chases after Evan, for what initially seems to be a means of making amends and an effective way to grieve, only to eventuate into a full-blown passionate love affair which Evan fails to repel intent on keeping his stoic persona, for his resolve is overwhelmed by the appeal of his ex-client's beauty and joy de vivre, her flair and her impulsive absorption into a life she is emotionally engaged in, and one which, to the contrary, Evan distrusts and lives only at a distance, removed from the exuberance it excites in Charlotte.

Matters are further complicated as Evan befriends a client (Ray Romano), whose honest pitiful and cynic character offers many of the laughs in this production amid the torture of a numbness that echoes in the hollow inner lives of the prospective suicides.

We increasingly become aware of the pain Evan has been repressing and silencing and the cathartic effects he gleans from his sinister job. Amid quotes of terrifying darkness, and an emotional vacuum we find the impetuous Charlotte and the humor-twisted friend-client wrest Evan from the lull of his life which implodes when threatened by a thief with words reminiscent of his abusive father's violence. The cold and detached protagonist is played to perfection by Bentley whose acting style lends him agreeably to such roles.

The writing is extraordinary, on par with Being John Malkovich and The Eternal Sunshine, but the directing is rather impervious to the brooding feel of the movie, and tends to contrast with the dark comedy which opportunely offers relief and gut wrenching laughter. Sinister but philosophically deep, eloquent and scintillating whenever Ryder is on the set, we become stirred and jolted as we recognize how emotionally retarded human beings are and how much pain must be suppressed to live as socially integrated human creatures. The end sizzles with raw energy and emits an overcharged tone of loss and redemption deadened just enough to dispel despair, blunted by the sterility of a love affair that spurs Evan to new horizons however hopeless and alienated from desire they may be. The quiet remains and pierces deepest when Charlotte turns her back on an affair that is impossible, unhealthy and warped. The acting and the script make this an exceptional viewing, if only the directing was as able we'd have a masterpiece.

This production, is described indelibly in one of Evan's note, where we linger on drifting away from memory's shore...

"The Last Word" tells the improbable story of a standoffish suicide-note writer (Wes Bentley) falling in love with the sister (Winona Ryder) of one of his clients. The more she learns about him, the more she likes him--until she discovers what he does for a living. The best performance in the movie comes from Ray Romano (and I've never been a huge fan of "Everybody Loves Raymond") as a prospective client who works doing background music for schools.

If you can get past the improbability of the basic premise, there is much to enjoy in this movie. Bentley makes his character believable (as much as any one person could), and Ryder gives a lively performance. A good rental with a Sundance pedigree.

Buy The Last Word (2008) Now

Romantic comedy??? Perhaps a romantic dark comedy without too much romance or comedy...although I did find myself laughing a few times. Wes Bently stars as Evan Merak, an aloof person with his own issues. He professionally composes suicide notes like a Russian novelist. He attends the funerals of those who actually go through with the deed, mostly to hear and critique his own composure read out loud.

While attending a funeral he meets the moody Charlotte (Winona Ryder) the sister of a victim. They end up dating. Evan tries to keep his specific relationship with her brother a secret and lies to Charlotte. Charlotte is comparatively unsophisticated, and like Winona she thinks a good date is one that doesn't try to "steal my credit card." (One of my several LOL moments.) In one early scene at a diner she has on no make-up or jewelry then in the next scene she is driving Evan home from said diner and has on her painted face as well as wearing pearls...something she wears later on in the film...Geoffrey Haley,another Ed Wood academy graduate. Here's your card.

While Evan is trying to keep things a secret, he is aiding other clients which raises Charlotte's curiosity level. You wait for the climax scene when he confesses everything to her. Decent film for quirky indie lovers.

F-bomb (thank you Winona), no on screen sex or nudity

Read Best Reviews of The Last Word (2008) Here

Winona Ryder is great in this film, as is Wes Bentley. What really caught me was the way downtown LA is the backdrop for the story along with a couple of other interesting LA neighborhoods. Downtown has always struck me as a vast wasteland and an easy place to get lonely or killed, which ever happens first. Winona nails the role of an LA Woman perfectly. She comes on really strong then fades away just when you think you can capture her... No one plays a dry personality as well as Wes Bentley and he's as dry as the desert in this movie.

Want The Last Word (2008) Discount?

Lovely Winona Ryder excellent as ever! I recommend this DVD to everyone! Great movie, great cast, script and the direction!

Save 47% Off

Read More >>

He Was a Quiet Man (2007)

HE WAS A QUIET MAN echoes the all too familiar news item of irrational killings in public places here, in this country, by seemingly 'normal indistinguishable people'. Writer/director Frank A. Cappello has a good grasp on his subject matter and probably intended the rather slow movement of the film to underline the 'ordinary' situations that in a flash become extraordinary. And he has a fine cast to demonstrate his thoughts.

Bob Maconel (Christian Slater in fine distorting makeup) is a nerd, an ordinary geek who checks numbers form his sterile cubicle in a massive corporation, heckled by the 'fast guys' like Scott Harper (Jamison Jones). He loathes his life, his crumby house and unkempt lawn, and most of all the loathes the people with whom he works except for one Vanessa (Elisha Cuthbert) who has a 'smile that lights up a room', but pays no attention to the geeky Bob. Bob is deranged, talks to his goldfish at home (and they answer back!), and plans to kill the most offensive of his fellow workers. But in the adjacent cubicle there is a like mind who beats him to the show and one morning opens fire killing five people and wounding Vanessa with a bullet to her spine that leaves her paralyzed: Bob serendipitously uses his own gun to kill the assailant and becomes a hero for the corporation.

Though Bob is unchanged in appearance or outlook he is elevated to VP of Creative Thinking under the head boss Gene Shelby (William H. Macy). He visits Vanessa in the hospital, suffers her tantrum at being a quadriplegic, but finally is called back to her bedside and sweet-talked into being her hero life-saving guardian and more. Once Bob feels needed and perhaps 'loved' by Vanessa he begins to change, only to have unfortunate reminders of reality enter and alter his life yet again.

Though the subject matter is rather terrifying, Cappello elects to present this tale as black humor. In the hands of less competent actors it would like have been a dud, but with Christian Slater's finely nuanced performance the film takes on a powerful sheen. The line between madness and normalcy is a thin one indeed and there are many disturbing lessons to be gained from watching this small but well-done film. Grady Harp, February 08

Count me as one of those that really admire (most) of this film.

My disappointments: I don't like the fire hose volume of profanity and don't believe it represents real life as much as those justifying it want to pretend it does. And there is one rather disturbing sex scene that could have been handled differently to make the same point. These kinds of scenes aren't "real" and certainly can't compete with movies made to arouse. So, why have them?

Christian Slater is terrific as the deeply disturbed Bob Maconel. He is a cipher and used as an office whipping boy by a couple of low-level low-quality bullies passing for managers. Like many office drones, he dreams about a woman at the office. His dreamgirl is named Vanessa who notices the ceramic bobble hula girl he keeps on his cubicle, but she is too absorbed in her blazing rocket of a career to even pay attention to real people in anything but a passing manner. But she has a smile that lights up a room, as the movie keeps noting.

Bob takes his lunch on a spot where he has a view of the company skyscraper and has a little plastic box with a button so he can fantasize blowing the building to kingdom come. More disturbingly, he has a real gun with real bullets that he ritualistically loads by naming who each bullet is for. But he hasn't been able to bring himself to pull the trigger. During one performance of his rite he drops a bullet and while he is on the floor a gun is fired and people start dropping while others scream. An old man has carried out Bob's fantasy and they strike up a conversation that ends up with Bob emptying his gun in the old man.

The rest of the movie teases out how Bob is treated as a hero, is promoted, and his connection with Vanessa who was made a quadriplegic in the shooting (the shooter thought she was someone else). So, Bob has this secret that others approach but no one will really confront. Even the company shrink appears only to be be circling the core issues.

William H. Macy plays the CEO, Gene Shelby. Vanessa was an up and coming VP who reported directly to him and their relationship combined the very personal with the professional. Gene isn't really a bad guy, but just a ordinarily flawed guy running a company. Others project their own fantasies and frustrations onto him and that is a quite realistic aspect of the film. One funny aspect of the film is that Gene's desk is made up of multiple tables that are, together, somewhat larger than Rhode Island.

The way the movie is filmed handles the madness and melting realities very well. I had not seen these kinds of visual symbols before and thought they were quite effective.

Why some call this a comedy or a black comedy is beyond me. Yes, there are some comic moments, but the overall intent of the movie is serious. True, Bob carries on mutual conversations with his goldfish, but what do you expect such an isolated man who has drifted into madness to do?

I think this is a very effective movie and recommend it for the right audience (keeping my caveats in mind). For me, it was a Christian Slater tour-de-force.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

Buy He Was a Quiet Man (2007) Now

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This movie wasn't bad for a Slater film. "He Was A Quiet Man" (the title refers to those comments by neighbours, after they discover that kindly Mr Jones at number 23 was actually an axe murderer) is the role of a lifetime for Christian Slater, who almost disappears into his character. It's hard to believe that this watery-eyed dork is Clarence from True Romance. Bob is quite possibly the most ineffectual man you could wish to meet he just lacks a cruel mother to make the picture complete.

And yet Bob actually isn't, in the world of the film, any worse that the dreadful people who surround him. It's an excoriating portrait of corporate culture; happy hour at the bar over the road, a few rounds at the driving range at the weekend, pointless, demeaning work. The film is no gentler on the treatment of the disabled. In particularly when Vanessa returns to the office in her wheelchair, her former colleagues talk down to her as if she was a toddler. Director Frank A Cappello frames the film to exaggerate Bob's sense of alienation in the world. Bob trudges slowly out to lunch as speeded up cars roar past him. He is often shot in extreme close-up, sweating, with a particularly attractive pimple glowing on his forehead.

In the end, though, the film fails to say anything terribly original about alienation and the modern world, other than that it's enough to drive some people crazy. And I think we knew that. A moderately entertaining oddity.

Read Best Reviews of He Was a Quiet Man (2007) Here

I had the pleasure of being invited to watch the screening of "He Was A Quiet Man" in LA the 15th of March at the Wilshire Fine Arts Theater. I am not a film critic therefore I can't really dissect the film and all its cinematic attributes. I can only say that the story was very cohesive and consistent. The characters were completely believable and the dialog, camera work, music, editing and special effects were first rate. The story itself is what makes this film special. I don't even want to start to recap any part of it for the readers because being a "dark comedy" requires fast transition from being taking down a serious and dramatic path only to be presented with dialog and/or visuals that instantaneously transition to comedy. That takes witty dialog, perfect timing in presentation and results in audience spontaneous reaction with laughter. This film does all those things and very well. Therefore, if I "preview" any of the film's action or twists and turns, it will utterly ruin it for you when you see it for the first time.

What this film does not do is wrap everything up in a neat package in 100 minutes. Nor do I think it is supposed to. The film and its story is very complex but not in a confusing way. What I mean is that when you walk out of the theater, the film literally continues in your head for the next 24 hours. As you will process what you saw and experienced and remember details that you might have missed or overlooked in the theater and you will experience what I call "Ah Ha" moments of understanding. I recommend that you see it with a friend that you can talk to about it over the next several days and compare impressions and observations with. Frank Cappello who wrote, directed, co-produced and even wrote the music for the movie has given his best work yet. The cast and crew responded in kind and created a real work of cinematic art for us to enjoy. If you enjoy a film that is a bit quirky, contains lots of nuance, makes you think and at the same time may expose a little of your own insecurities, I highly recommend the film as a must see not just once but several times.

Want He Was a Quiet Man (2007) Discount?

Christian Slater takes on the role of the bullied office worker hopelessly infatuated with a young female colleague. His boss is verbally abusive, his colleagues remote and his personal life lonely. Other than his pet fish and TV he has no other activities once he leaves his miserable office. Even his next door neighbors are hostile.

This film is a cross between many movies we have seen in not so recent past. I keep thinking about "The Machinist" film about a man who is so delusional that he is unable to distingish his thoughts from reality. In this role, Slater brings performance that is absolutely amazing. Even his physical appearance makes him a whole new persona. I was mesmerized by the film but the ending left me wondering. That is until I saw film extras and realized that director himself had difficulty deciding on the ending. There were three alternate endings.

Performance and story are compelling. Fans of the actor William H. Macy will be delighted too. While this film may not have a mass appeal of box office smash, it is definitely worth watching.

Save 52% Off

Read More >>

Copacabana (1947)

Groucho Marx and Carmen Miranda star in this rather humorous movie entitled Copacabana. Although Amazon states that not all the material is first rate, I personally liked it very much. The plot moves along at a good pace and the action never stops in this zany, funny story.

Lionel Q. Deveraux (Groucho Marx) and his fiancée of ten years Carmen Novarro (Carmen Miranda) simply can't make it in show business despite years of trying their best. After they get kicked out of the famous Copacabana nightclub they must face the hotel night clerk who threatens to kick them of their hotel as well because they can't pay their bills. Lionel has a brainstorm: he'll become Carmen's manager and book her at The Copa no matter what!

At first, the owner of the nightclub, Steve Hunt (Steve Cochran), doesn't want to even try out Carmen--until she magically appears doing her number. Steve likes her after all; and trouble ensues when Steve asks Lionel if he has other acts to spice up the nightly entertainment at the Copacabana. Lionel gets very flustered but in another moment of good quick thinking he tells Steve Hunt he has another client, Mademoiselle Fifi. Steve orders Mademoiselle Fifi to appear at the club for an audition the next day--and Carmen and Lionel go into a panic.

Lionel and Carmen must figure out a way for Carmen to appear nightly as both Carmen and Fifi. It sure gets rough--and when Steve Hunt falls in love with Mademoiselle Fifi things become REALLY rough! To complicate matters further, Steve's secretary Anne (Gloria Jean) has a crush on Steve and can't get up the nerve to tell Steve. Meanwhile, every so often, singer Andy Russell, playing himself, sings a ballad--that's the only part of this movie that could have been cut. Andy sings wonderfully; but it doesn't really fit into the plot very well.

Many questions arise: Will Carmen be able to keep up the frantic pace, changing costumes every five minutes so that she can be Fifi and Carmen at the nightclub at the same time and not have anyone suspect anything? What if really big time agents hear of the glamorous Fifi--could this complicate matters? What will Steve Hunt and the rest do if big time agents want Fifi to star in a movie? Ultimately, will people come to believe that Fifi and Carmen are truly the same person? Or will Carmen and Lionel pull the whole thing off and never have them find out the truth? No spoilers here, folks--you'll just have to get the movie and watch to find out for yourself!

The choreography works well for the stage show numbers at The Copacabana; and the cinematography never falters either.

The DVD comes with no extra features--but the film is so good I'll ignore this disappointment anyway.

Overall, if you want a good Groucho Marx flick from his later years in movies, you can't go wrong with Copacabana. Carmen Miranda turns in a marvelous performance that would make most Hollywood screen goddesses green with envy! The supporting cast bolsters the antics as the plot moves along; and the film provides plenty of good laughs.

Enjoy!

Copacabana(May/47)stars the irrepressible Groucho Marx and the beautiful and talented Carmen Miranda.This movie was a first of sorts for both of them.It was Groucho's first film foray since his split with his brothers and this was Carmen's first strut before the cameras since leaving 20th Century Fox.If it wasn't for the talents of these two the film would be completely forgettable.

The story here involves a "talent agent" Lionel Deveraux(Marx) whose sole client is Carmen(Miranda).Desperate for a job for Carmen he goes to the Copacabana club,owned and run by Mr.Cochran(Steve Hunt)with his faithful secretary by his side Anne Stuart(Gloria Jean).He manages to weasel a quick audition for Carmen which seems to go well.However Cochran is not quite satisfied ,as he had more of a singing chanteuse in mind.After a quick change(she has her face partially covered with a veil) Carmen comes back as Mademoiselle Fifi and wows Cochran with a number in French.He tells Devereaux he will take BOTH the girls,which leaves Carmen and her agent trying to figure how to accomplish it without getting caught.As Carmen only has to travel from one floor of the Copa to the next all goes well until Devereaux crazily sells Fifi's contract to a competing agent for $5,000.Trouble is the new agent is going to get Carmen about $100,000 for starring in movies in Hollywood! Devereaux finds out and wants to get his client back but when that doesn't work he comes up with a scheme to get rid of Fifi.This also back fires as the police get involved and Devereaux is now a suspect in Fifi's murder.In the end Carmen and Devereaux fess up and they along with Cochran and his secretary live happily ever after.

The plot here is so threadbare and mundane that if it wasn't for the talents of Marx and Miranda it would be a total wipeout.Marx here is certainly entertaining but he always appears a little antsy and not quite comfortable with his role throughout the film.Though there are a few cute moments,in general the gags and jokes are just not what one would expect from him.However in his defense Groucho was working from a script which was weak to begin with.The glue that really holds this picture together is Carmen Miranda and she actually amazes me at times.She shows just how under appreciated a talent she was.Her acting is marvellous as she holds her own with everyone including a clowning Groucho and she sings not only in English and Portuguese but in French;and beautifully!Her first number is the famous "Tico,Tico" then she does her French number "Je Vous Amour".Her final number is at the end as she sings "Let's Go to the Copacabana".

Groucho even gets in on the singing routine with "Go West Young Man" surrounded by a bevy of beauties from the actual Copacabana club in NYC,who are seen throughout the film.In fact they open the film with a completely lifeless and forgettable "Hollywood Bound" number. Popular singer of the mid to late 40s Andy Russell(a Capitol recording artist of the day)is on hand and does well with the four main numbers he sings.He also does a nice turn with Carmen singing "He hasn't got a thing to Sell".

Technically the film has been transferred well.In fact this print is very good to excellent throughout.It is generally very crisp and clear.The DVD however has no extras of any kind to speak of.

As a trivial aside,you might have noticed,or will notice when you watch the film,that an assistant to the producer is one David Sebastian.David was the producer's brother in law and David was given the task of sussing out Carmen before production began because of rumours she was temperamental and hard to work with.Of course nothing could have been farther from the truth and in fact as circumstances would have it,David and Carmen married before the picture finished shooting! And as a tie in for the NYC premiere of the movie,Carmen appeared at the real Copacabana before its' release singing songs from the movie and performing for appreciative crowds.It certainly boosted attendance and improved what otherwise would have been even more lackluster reviews.

Certainly not a bad movie but far from great.The plot is thin and the gags weak and don't expect Marx to be up to the level he was at with his brothers.Carmen shines throughout and is the glue that holds this entire "model" together.Miranda fans will want to get this DVD for that alone,if for nothing else.

Buy Copacabana (1947) Now

I have always been a fan of the Marx Bros. and have most all their movies, This movies has only Groucho but it also has Carman Maranda. The plot is based around what might be a Marx Bros. adventure with Carman Maranda easly making up for the lack of the other brothers. I think this is an exelent movie for those who want to see Carnam Maranda and how talented she is. This movie is light harted fun and adventure and a peek into the styles of the time.

Read Best Reviews of Copacabana (1947) Here

Putting Groucho Marx and his cigar in a movie with Carmen Miranda and her fruit basket headdress certainly seems like a good idea, but nobody bothered to write a decent script for this 1947 musical comedy (and you can only think of all the Groucho one-liners that must have ended up on the cutting room floor). The plot, such as it is, has Groucho as Lionel Q. Deveraux, an agent who has one client, Carmen Novarro (Miranda). To make money he has her pose as both a Brazilian bombshell and a French chanteuse to fool nightclub owner Steve Hunt (Steve Cochran). There are some minor subplots involving romance, but they are of tertiary interest at best.

Of course for me the only worthwhile moments are when Groucho is on screen and making with the jokes. The musical numbers are okay, but nothing memorable. If all you have seen are parodies of Carmen Miranda in action then this exposure to the real thing has its value as well. She also works well as a foil for Groucho, which is not really that surprising. You can either be totally flustered or joyfully oblivious to Groucho's zingers and Carmen goes with the later strategy to good effect. "Copacabana" is no substitute for a "true" Marx Brothers film, but despite that inherent limitation it is not a bad film. It would rate a 3.5 but we round up because, after all, it is Groucho.

Want Copacabana (1947) Discount?

Carmen Miranda with French Accent? Yep, and she's even better than Groucho. 2013 BD release

First a note that Amazon groups ALL releases of a film together and you will see reviews of DVDs going back to 2007 here. I always recommend to folks that they sort reviews by "newest first" and note the date of the review. Thisone is the 2013 BD release from Olive Films

This 1947 film the first that Groucho Marx made without his brothers is being reissued by Olive Films as part of their license from Paramount Pictures. It's a fun film with a standard "mixed identite;s" plot but there is enough music here to make up for it (as well some very attractive Copa girls. Groucho is very underused (you'll note the screenplay had THREE writers) but Carmen Miranda fans will love the fact that she sings her trademark "fruit hat" numbers as well as some with a French accent! Crooner Andy Russell gets a few too, as well as Gloria Jean.

The Blu-ray print is especially sharp and the original 1.37:1 aspect ratio is retained in the screen image.

There are no bonus features on the BD, not even the trailer. Thank you Olive for making the Paramount catalog available to movie fans.

I hope you found this review both informative and helpful.

Steve Ramm

"Anything Phonographic"

Save 24% Off

Read More >>

Let's Make a Movie (2012)

But as a filmmaker I feel connected to this story, as a viewer I love it even more. It's a cute film about the process of making movies when you have no money and your crew is incompetent. I really enjoyed it!

Big fan of indie films, I do my best to watch as many as possible. I admit that its great walking away from the Blockbuster cinema every once in a while and watch a good movie. This indie is about a young college dropout student who took the risk to quit her dead-end job and make a movie with her friends. While there are no surprises in this film it is pretty funny and I just love the story of the young struggling filmmaker.

Buy Let's Make a Movie (2012) Now

Just a fun movie on the trials & tribulations of making a movie without a giant budget. A cute movie that any family could watch together. My grandson just loved it & will begin his future movie productions at age of nine.

Read Best Reviews of Let's Make a Movie (2012) Here

Read More >>