Say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud

Talk To Me (directed by Kasi Lemmons)

Kasi Lemmons' film Talk To Me is inevitably about race, but more than anything, it's about keeping your integrity. There's a key scene towards the end of the film where Petey Greene (Don Cheadle) is offered a slot on The Tonight Show, and his long-suffering girlfriend Vernell (Taraji P. Henson) tells his manager and best friend Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofor) that something isn't right. Sure enough, Greene blows his chance at megastardom, and Hughes is left wondering why he would give it all up. Truth be told, Greene never really wanted to be a celebrity--he just wanted to "tell it like it is."

Based on the true story of ex-con-turned-radio-personality Petey Greene, who literally stole himself a spot on Washington D.C.'s WOL radio station, Talk To Me takes a fairly conventional biopic approach, but is nonetheless anchored by Cheadle and Ejiofor's great performances.

Greene is the ultimate anarchist, saying things over the airwaves that no one dared to utter during the tumultuous 60s, and acting off of his own convictions, posing the ultimate threat to "the man," who is initally represented as the WOL station boss (Martin Sheen). While there's been a lot of reference to Greene being the precursor to shock jocks like Howard Stern and the like, Greene's mission was more for social change than to simply stir up controversy.

While Talk To Me at times seems a bit too convenient and feels like we've seen it before, it's the friendship between Greene and Hughes that keeps it going, and it's a story that ultimately needed to be told.

Rescue Dawn

Rescue Dawn (directed by Werner Herzog)

There are great directors, and then there are directors like Werner Herzog, who so embodies the essence of filmmaking that watching one of his movies is more of a life-affirming experience than entertainment. With "Rescue Dawn," he manages to do both.

Christian Bale plays Dieter Dengler, a German-born pilot in the U.S. Navy who simply just wants to fly. Herzog directed a documentary featuring the real Dengler a decade ago, Little Dieter Needs To Fly, and in Dawn, Herzog is able to give his story a full-fledged treatment.

Rescue Dawn is Herzog's first foray into the mainstream, although he also achieved considerable success with 2005's excellent documentary Grizzly Man. It's nice to think that a director as radical as Herzog could break into the system, but his films have always been deeply personal journeys into the inner workings of the human soul--pretty much poison for Hollywood.

Dawn opens with Dengler flying on a mission during Vietnam, when his plane is shot down over Laos, is taken prisoner, and soon finds himself in a seemingly inescapable predicament with two other Americans (Steve Zahn and the annoying Jeremy Davies) and others that were shot down on an Air America mission.

Dengler comes up with a plot to escape, but once he and his cohort Duane (Zahn) make it into the jungle, they realize that their survival is just as compromised. Bale and Zahn are excellent in their respective roles, with Bale proving to be one of the best young actors currently working. Bale has chosen a plethora of challenging/interesting characters since 1998's Velvet Goldmine, ranging from Patrick Bateman to Batman, but as Dengler, it's his best fit yet.

Hairspray (2007)

Hairspray (directed by Adam Shankman)

I've been secretly rooting for John Travolta to get out of the horrible funk he got in after his great turns in Pulp Fiction and as Chili Palmer in 1995's Get Shorty. Although I'm not quite sure what Travolta was trying to achieve with his accent as Edna Turnblad in the new film version of Hairspray, it's safe to say that he's quite brilliant in it, as is Christopher Walken as his husband, Wilbur. Their dance scene together is sure to win audiences over, and it makes you wish that Walken, originally a Juilliard-educated song and dance man, would get more screen time.

Hairspray by all means shouldn't work. It's a remake of the 1988 John Waters film, which was in turn made into a Broadway musical a few years ago. Director Shankman has taken the soul of the original Waters film and put entirely new songs in it, all originally from the musical version, composed by Marc Shaiman. The songs are instantly ingratiating--it's hard not to get caught up in the film's effortless charm and catchiness.

Newcomer Nikki Blonsky plays Edna Turnblad, who along with her lollypop-sucking friend, Penny (Amanda Bynes) wants no more than to get on the Corny Collins show. Michelle Pfeiffer, in full comeback mode this year, plays the evil Velma Von Tussle, whose daughter Amber (Brittany Snow) has every intention of destroying Tracy's dream.

The casting is excellent, with Queen Latifah as Motormouth Maybelle (played by the legendary Ruth Brown in the original film), Allison Janney as Penny's God-fearing mother, not to mention Blonksy, who is wonderful in the lead role.

If anything, Shankman and co. have improved upon the original, although I miss Divine and it's too bad they didn't have room for "the Bug" or "the Cockroach."

Best of TV on DVD

The Sopranos- Season 6, Part 1

The Sopranos Season 6, Part 2, the conclusion of the series, won't be released on DVD until the Fall, so what better time to recap one of the best shows on TV? A lot of Soprano-heads have bitched about this season, mostly because it's more character-driven and less intense--people aren't getting whacked left and right, etc etc. I guess it's ample evidence that the show is split into two types of viewers: those that like the constant stream of tension/action, and those who appreciate the subtleties, dialogue and character nuances.

The first part of Season 6 deals with Tony's struggle to recover from his coma after being shot by Uncle Junior, giving us the best episode of the season, "Members Only," with Tony stuck in a sort of purgatory as Kevin Finnerty. Meanwhile, Johnny Sack (Vince Curatola) is in prison, meaning that Phil Leotardo (the menacing Frank Vincent) is handling all of the family business in his absence. Christopher (Michael Imperioli) is eager to kick off his awful horror movie, Cleaver, which is described as "Saw meets The Godfather: Part II." Vito (Joseph Gannascoli) has dreams about taking Tony's place should he not make it out of his coma, which is quickly dismissed once his homosexuality is revealed, prompting him to move to New Hampshire. Poor Vito tries to reconcile, but Phil Leotardo sees it as a "f****** disgrace" and takes matters into his own hands.

There's a bit of a lag in Part 1, but taken as a whole, it's just as satisfying as any of other seasons.




Big Love- Season 1

Bill Paxton must've had it written somewhere in his contract that he has to show his ass at least once in every episode of the HBO series Big Love. With three houses, three wives, and a business just getting its legs, Bill Henrickson (Paxton) has got a lot on his plate. It doesn't help that the snaky Roman Grant (a superb Harry Dean Stanton), the father of Bill's wife Nicki (the conniving Chloe Sevigny) is trying to complicate matters even more by demanding a cut on the second Henrickson's Home Plus store. Polygamy isn't an easy subject to tackle, but it's done with considerable panache, and although the "perks" of plural marriage are well documented, it also examines the ugly heart of Mormonism.



Extras- Seasons 1 & 2

HBO is setting a new standard for quality shows, what with the success of The Sopranos, and other respected shows like The Wire, Deadwood, Six Feet Under, Band of Brothers, Oz, Carnivale, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Da Ali G Show. Well, I guess it has to. Prime time isn't gonna do it. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's new show, Extras, is a welcome addition to that growing list. Gervais and Merchant had a lot to live up to with the massive success of the BBC show The Office, spawning an (arguably) inferior U.S. version, but they're more than up to the challenge, poking a bit of fun at themselves and recruiting an impressive list of celebrities to do the same.

Season 1 gets off to a bit of an awkward start, with Andy Millman (Gervais) and sidekick Maggie (Ashley Jensen) wallowing in thankless extra roles in big-budget Hollywood films. Millman's intent on moving past the extra world is hindered by his inept agent (Stephen Merchant), who is only able to get him the most menial work possible. The episodes with Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Stiller and Kate Winslet emerge as the clear winners, with plenty of uncomfortable comedy and embarassing moments to spare. Gervais and Merchant have no shame or boundaries to their comedy, which results in some hilarious scenes that are painful to watch, just like many in The Office.

Season 2 is the better of the two. The main difference this time is that Millman has his shitcom "When The Whistle Blows" picked up by the BBC, and much to Millman's chagrin, it is not what he'd envisioned, despite growing popularity as a "catchphrase-based comedy." The episode with David Bowie is destined to become a classic, with the former Aladdin Sane performing an impromptu song on the piano about Millman that starts out with the line "chubby little loser..." and turns into a free-for-all sing-a-long ridiculing him.

The following episode with Daniel Radcliffe (a.k.a. Harry Potter) is just as good. Radcliffe plays a Potter-like boy scout in a fairy tale movie, and a wood elf (Warwick Davis) has his flute restored by the "magical kid with glasses." I was in stitches.

Ian McKellen shows up in an episode, telling Millman of his ingenious method of acting. Millman and Jonathan Ross share a homoerotic moment in another key episode, with a surprise appearance by Robert De Niro. Now that the rest of the world has taken notice, it seems that Gervais and Merchant's options for comedy are pretty much limitless.



Not Just The Best Of The Larry Sanders Show

There would be no Ricky Gervais without The Larry Sanders Show, so it's appropriate that this was finally released on DVD. Garry Shandling was approached about the possibility of filling a late night talk show slot, but instead he created this groundbreaking show-within-a-show that acted as an allegorical dagger through the heart of showbusiness and the trappings of fame and ego. Rip Torn is so hilarious that he could've quite possibly carried the show on his own. It also the marked the beginning of Janeane Garofalo's career, as well as writer-director Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up), who wrote a number of the show's episodes, and X-filer David Duchovny. Plenty of great extras, with Shandling interviewing old stars of the show and offering insight into the show's creation.



Twin Peaks- The Second Season

David Lynch and co. are planning a deluxe Definitive 10-disc Gold Box Edition of Twin Peaks to come out at the end of October, complete with the show's original pilot (both U.S. and European theatrical version), all of the episodes, as well as a bonus disc with special features. Normally, I cringe at this sort of excess, but in Twin Peaks' case, it's entirely necessary and long overdue--Season 1 is already out of print, and Season 2 was released just this April, after a nearly 6-year wait.

What else can be said of Twin Peaks other than it's one of the greatest shows ever to make it on to network television? I have no hesitation in thinking that there's no way in hell that ABC would ever air something this radical now, and it's still completely surprising that it lasted as long as it did back in the salad days of the early 90s.

Kyle MacLachlan totally immerses himself in the role of Agent Dale Cooper, a guy who enjoys the simple pleasures in life, those primarily being a good steaming hot cup of coffee and an irresistible piece of cherry pie. MacLachlan and Lynch created one of the most likeable and bizarre of all characters, one who immediately engages you and makes you laugh at the absurdity of his process.

Season 1 was great and laid the basic groundwork for what was to come. With Season 2, we finally get to see the duality of Bob/Leland Palmer in an episode so frightening that it's a wonder that it ever aired.

There's a lot to like about Season 2, especially the episodes that Mark Frost and/or David Lynch were actively involved in. Forensics expert Albert Rosenfield (Miguel Ferrer) returns for more sarcasm, and Cooper's boss Gordon Cole (David Lynch) makes a few brief appearances, at one point comparing Cooper to "a small Mexican chi-wow-wow."

Season 2 loses focus about halfway through, and the neverending chess game between Windom Earle (Kenneth Welsh) and Cooper gets tiring, as does the random/unnecessary romance between Nadine (Wendy Robie) and Mike (Gary Hershberger), the ongoing soap opera between Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle) and James (James Marshall), and a British fellow (Ian Buchanan) involved with Lucy (Kimmy Robertson) who may or may not be the father of her child, which causes Deputy Andy (Harry Goaz) to become jealous.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

The finale caused a lot of frustration with fans, but my interpretation of it is that Cooper seemed to be the only pure, "good," untainted character on the show- maybe Lynch's intention was to show that evil can inhabit even the purest of souls, who knows. Evil is very allegorical in the show, being represented by Bob/the owl, Leo (Eric Da Re) and others. Lynch likes to deal with the duality of man and the dark side to human nature a lot in his films--as a Lynch fan, it's not surprising to see the way he handled it in the show. Mostly I think he wanted audiences to think the show was going to end on a conventional note and then proceeded to throw scalding hot coffee in our collective faces. Lynch had no intention of even revealing who Laura's killer was--he acquiesced only after network pressure made it necessary.

If you still haven't been welcomed to the wonderful, strange world of Twin Peaks, now would be a good time to start.

Ingmar Bergman: 1918-2007

RIP, ya old Swedish mope.

2006: A Second Chance

2006 gave us some challenging, thought-provoking films. Some of these were acclaimed, some just sorta fell through the cracks and weren't given the credit they so justly deserved, at least in the humble opinions held here at TM. Let's dive in and see what made last year worth living for...

1. The Devil and Daniel Johnston (directed by Jeff Feuerzeig)

The enigma that is artist/singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston is documented in this disturbing, funny and ultimately cathartic film from Jeff Feurzeig. It's quite possibly the best examination of a troubled artist since Terry Zwigoff's infamous 1994 documentary Crumb. Though the comparisons with Brian Wilson and numerous declarations of "genius" are a bit much, it's fascinating to watch, and from a psychological point of view, almost a complete miracle that the schizophrenic Johnston is able to create music (though he still lives with his parents, smokes, and drinks copious amounts of Mountain Dew). Fan of Johnston's music or not, this is one not to be missed.

2. An Inconvenient Truth (directed by Davis Guggenheim)



I'm going to try to save some of our natural resources by not saying too much about this movie. I confess that I also started wearing environmentally-friendly underwear since I saw it. In all seriousness though, what is essentially Big Al's Slideshow is a crucial step in raising awareness about the climate crisis. Unfortunately, it also spawned a little demon called Live Earth and another documentary, The 11th Hour, where Leo DiCaprio narrates us through a similar scenario.

3. The Departed (directed by Martin Scorsese)

Watching The Departed reminded me why I still even bother going to the movies at all. The energy and passion that Scorsese puts into his films is rivaled by very few directors, and the furry-browed one finally got his due, winning Best Director and Best Picture at the Oscars. A remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, it takes the basic elements of that story and adds layer upon layer of Shakespearean drama to it.
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Other essential Scorsese:

Who's That Knocking At My Door? (1967)

Part art film, part gritty drama, starring a fresh-faced Harvey Keitel. A bit patchy, but like any Scorsese film, immensely watchable and well-filmed, with a great soundtrack. Scorsese was only 25 when he made this, which makes it all the more impressive.

Mean Streets (1973)

The firecracker that started it all. There's an intensity to the scenes between De Niro and Keitel that threatens to burn a hole right through the screen. A poolhall fight scene set to "Please Mr. Postman"? Pure genius.

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

A different sort of movie for Scorsese, about an independent woman (Ellen Burstyn) struggling to find herself after her husband's death. Great acting and a sharp script by Robert Getchell. Shot here in beautiful Tucson, Ariz.

Raging Bull (1980)

The movie that should've made Hollywood clutch Scorsese to their bosom. Instead, they gave the Best Picture Oscar that year to Robert Redford's Ordinary People. Go figure. Robert De Niro gives his best performance, with Frank Vincent and Joe Pesci being welcomed into the fold, both later starring in GoodFellas and Casino.

The King of Comedy (1983)



An original satire on the trappings of fame, with Robert De Niro as poor Rupert Pupkin (certainly one of the greatest movie names), who kidnaps a TV host played by Jerry Lewis as an attempt to get his comedy material on the air.

After Hours (1985)

Another detour, this film was Scorsese's return to his low-budget roots after failing to get backing for The Last Temptation of Christ. Griffin Dunne plays a New York computer hack whose night goes from bad to worse in a darkly comic series of misfortunes.



The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

It was a bold decision on the part of Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader to adapt Nikos Kazantzakis' 1951 novel The Last Temptation of Christ, which was not welcomed kindly by the religious faction upon its release. Scorsese had initially tried to make the film in 1983, but financing collapsed and had to start anew. Willem Dafoe had big sandals to fill in the role of Christ, but his performance here is nothing short of outstanding and Harvey Keitel is a bit hilarious in the role of Judas, but also good. Barbara Hershey portrays Mary Magdalene, and David Bowie is in a brief scene as Pontius Pilate (Scorsese originally was going to cast Sting in the role). The beginning of Christ makes it clear that this is an account not based on the gospels, which surely sent heart rates through the roof. Instead, it imagines Christ's life if he had faced the temptations that us mere mortals face, and the final temptation of the film's title imagines the life he could've led by marrying Mary Magdalene and having children. Scorsese's film shouldn't be treated as heresy but as an open, fascinating, respectful look at a well-documented subject.

GoodFellas (1990)

From Jesus to gangsters...Scorsese had been around long enough at this point that you'd think he'd finally get some recognition. Instead, he got snubbed again at the Oscars by Kevin Costner's buffalo ballet Dances With Wolves. Joe Pesci is hilarious and terrifying as Tommy DeVito, a hothead gangster who uses any and every opportunity to whack somebody.

Casino (1995)

A mob epic about the gangsters who ran the casinos in the 70s, Scorsese says on the DVD commentary that this film was also his own personal statement on the bloated ways of Hollywood. Sharon Stone gives perhaps her only worthy perforance as De Niro's loose canon wife, Ginger.

Bringing Out The Dead (1999)

An underrated gem. Nicolas Cage, John Goodman and Tom Sizemore star in this manic tale of paramedics running loose in Hell's Kitchen. Ferocious energy and a great soundtrack, reuniting Scorsese with past collaborator Paul Schrader.

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4. The Prestige (directed by Christopher Nolan)



Rival magicians, a sharp script and direction by Nolan (Batman Begins, Memento), excellent visuals and David Bowie as Nikola Tesla. What more could you want?

5. Borat (directed by Larry Charles)



I like you. Do you like me? Sacha Baron-Cohen takes his character from Da Ali G Show and makes a hilarious, unnerving commentary on America and their "war of terror."

6. Marie Antoinette (directed by Sofia Coppola)



This one was completely overlooked. Those quick to dismiss Coppola on charges of nepotism should take a second look at her films, which have a quiet beauty about them. Oh, and what was the last good movie her Dad made? If you don't like this one, try sitting through the nearly-three-hour 1938 version.

7. Pan's Labyrinth (directed by Guillermo del Toro)



I seriously went into this thinking it was going to be a magical kids movie, or maybe something along the lines of Tim Burton. What a surprise. Wonderfully creative, with one of the best villains in recent years, the diabolical Capt. Vidal (Sergi Lopez).

8. The Lives of Others (directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)



Winner of the Best Foreign Film Oscar, this German tale of cat and mouse before the fall of the Berlin wall is gripping, realistic and powerfully affecting. Sebastian Koch plays a German playwright who's being monitored by the East German Secret Police, under Hauptman Wiesler (the excellent Ulrich Mühe), who eventually becomes sympathetic to Koch and his girlfriend (Martina Gedeck). The Lives of Others seems like a good history lesson until you realize that it's just as applicable in modern times.

9. The Bridge (directed by Eric Steel)



An unconventional documentary, The Bridge chronicles the 24 deaths that occured at San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge in 2004, examining the lives of the jumpers and the dark, complicated subject of suicide and depression. It's a film that sticks with you long after you've left the theatre.

10. Little Children (directed by Todd Field)



I wasn't too fond of Todd Field's previous film, 2001's In The Bedroom, but with Little Children, he chooses just the right tone to tell the story of suburban boredom and dysfunction. Former Bad News Bear Jackie Earle Haley is tremendous as the pedophile who just needs a little bit of love.

The Limburger Awards

Every year, there's a movie that's so bad that you start to lose all faith in humankind. It's a special kind of picture--one whose pure awfulness just emanates from the screen, like a slice of Limburger kept in a storage closet for a couple of years. That's why here at TM, we have the Limburger awards. They usually fall in three different categories: movies that shouldn't have been made, movies that could've been great but sucked, and movies that sucked from the very premise. 2007, I really hope that you don't disappoint, but in my heart of hearts, I know that 2007's Limburger is just around the corner. In the meantime, here are a few past winners...

The Black Dahlia (2006)

Movies like The Black Dahlia are the worst kind of disappointments. Seeing that it's based on a novel by estimable James Ellroy (L.A. Confidential) and has some good actors (Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson), it should be decent, right? Oops. No. A guy named Brian De Palma directed it, and they decided to cast half-chipmunk, half-heartthrob Josh Hartnett in the lead role, who spends most of the movie looking like he really needs a nap. The "romance" within leaves the viewer feeling as cold as if Joan Rivers looked you directly in the eye, and a potentially interesting story gets bogged down with ambiguity, overacting, and just plain foolishness.

Elizabethtown (2005)

After watching this one, I was tempted to issue a warrant for Orlando Bloom's arrest. He may feel right at home in the Pirates of The Carribean and Lord of The Rings movies, but in terms of actually acting? This putz couldn't act if Kirsten Dunst's 2nd assistant's life depended on it! Although I have a special place in my heart for Almost Famous, Singles, and Say Anything, you also have to remember that Cameron Crowe was the guy responsible for the Tom Cruise scheißabbildung Vanilla Sky. Elizabethtown is apparently a loving tribute to Crowe's Kentucky-based family, but if I were related to Crowe, I'd be tempted to attack him with a frozen turd dagger. The soundtrack is overwhelming and unnecessary--I like Tom Petty and everything, but do we really need 40 of his songs in one movie?

Garden State (2004)

"You didn't like Garden State?" That's usually the reply I get when discussing this much-beloved film, along with another 2004 favorite, Napoleon Dynamite. Zach Braff's painful, painful movie is like a 90 minute homage to himself. "Oh, aren't I so edgy, so indie, so hip and so cool?" Perhaps the most uncomfortable scene is when Natalie Portman is listening to her headphones and, when asked what she's listening to, replies "The Shins." Now, The Shins really aren't terrible, but that sort of obvious advertising is just one of many examples of Braff's moronic version of filmmaking. There's that old saying that shit rolls downhill, and Braff apparently is on a mission to gather as much of it as he can before reaching the bottom. Put this one in a time capsule and see if you don't feel guilty in about 20 years....

In The Cut (2003)

This was supposed to be the movie where Meg Ryan finally broke out and gave an arresting performance in a daring role. Sadly, no one told Ms. Ryan that this was quite possibly the last movie she should've tried to do that in. Maybe she's a glutton for punishment, or maybe no one gives two hoots for the former Queen of Cute anymore. A competent director, Jane Campion, tells a story that's so convoluted and boring that it tests your patience by the 15-minute mark. In The Cut is excruciating because, besides all of the killing and the screwing, there really isn't much left. Hey, I likes me a cocktail of sex and violence just as much as the next guy, but I need something else. Y'know, like, a story?