- The Truth About Cats and Dogs
Great cast with Uma Thurman and Jeanne Gerafolo (be patient while I check on that spelling) playing an odd couple - one "tall and beautiful," the other "short and..." Well, not ugly, but definitely funny! An unlikely friendship between a ditzy model and a veterinarian/radio personality, complete with mixed identities and a goofy photographer as a love interest. This movie is a great twist on the classic play Cyrano de Bergerac and on Shakespeare's early comedies.
Link: Movieweb Page- summary and photo stills
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- Looking for Richard
I was dubious when I saw Al Pacino attempting to tackle Shakespeare, and nothing less than his character Richard III (a villain surpassed only by Iago). The film is a documentary, a sort of series of vignettes attempting to understand the play, the playwright, and his characters. Pacino pulls in scholars, notable Shakespearan actors like Kenneth Branagh and John Gielgud, as well as, literally, people off the sidewalks. Especially exciting for me was the appearance of the James Madison University Semester in London Shakespeare teacher, Patrick Spottiswood, discussing the rebuilding of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. Other actors featured include Alec Baldwin, Wynona Ryder, and Kevin Spacey. An amazing film, great for teachers at the high school or the university level.
Links:
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- Michael Collins
A film about the Irish revolution against Great Britain in the 1930s and the formation of the Irish Republican Army, beginning with the Easter Uprising masterminded by Michael Collins. The film portrays Collins as human and flawed, choosing between ideology and compromise, betrayed by the people he loved best, a paradox of peaceful man and ruthless leader. Some of the best acting I've seen out of Julia Roberts and Aidan Quinn; Liam Neeson, in the title role, is riveting and convincing. A thorough historical and personal understanding of the people and the times.
Links:
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- Kenneth Branagh's Shakespeare
Henry V
Branagh's first Shakespeare on film, this is definitely his strongest adaptation. As a political leader, Henry is larger than life, but Branagh creates "flashback" scenes to Henry's irresponsible adolescence in Henry IV, Part 2 that lend a little more insight into the young king's character. Emma Thompson has a brief scene as the French princess Branagh convinces to take his hand in marriage in one of Shakespeare's brilliantly straightforward, charmingly unsentimental verbal seductions. The pre-battle speech is stirring with added strength from camera work.
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Much Ado About Nothing
A really fun movie. Emma Thompson finally comes into her own in her ex-husband's Shakespeare as an amazing, intelligent Beatrice. The musical scoring (which, among other things, ruined Branagh's Frankenstein) almost pushes the film over the edge of cheesiness, but doesn't. The "swing and fountain" scene is decidedly tongue-in-cheek. Denzel Washington is dignified and touching, Keanu Reeves passable. Michael Keaton's comic cameo is weakened by superficial directing and unclear diction, so most of Shakespeare's hilarious verbal doubleplay is lost. Beautiful setting, nice camera work.
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Hamlet
I will admit up front, I have only seen half the movie because I ran out of time, had to return it to Blockbuster, and haven't had the chance to re-rent it. The first half, however, was disappointing. The film is visually beautiful but the acting is second-rate. Branagh put all of his energies into creating an epic film that's vast in scope and missed the small stuff, which is the most important: the language, the nuances, the character motivation. In every scene the most you can see behind any character's actions is the thought, "Ok, I have to act angry/sad/lustful/annoyed here." It's too bad because Branagh obviously had a lot of money and a great cast to work with. Robin Williams' cameo is disappointing, though Nicholas Farrell's Horatio does well. I'll update this when I finish the movie.
Links:
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Othello
This film is especially strong because Branagh didn't direct it (Oliver Parker did). Acting-wise, his Iago is villainously amazing. Iago's a tough role - he actually has more lines than Hamlet does, and he's not even the title character of the play. Laurence Fishburne's Othello does what few Othellos do - makes his journey to madness believable, because he's not sane one moment and irrational the next, with no obvious reasons why (this is something even Orson Welles couldn't accomplish in his black and white version of the play). Branagh, as Iago, brilliantly moves back and forth between openly warm and trustworthy and ultimately villainous - as a result, the audience doesn't end up wondering what in the world Othello is thinking, trusting his obviously shady (in other productions) servant.
Link: Summary, Cast, Links
- More Shakespeare
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- The House of the Spirits
Based on South American writer Isabel Allende's book of the same title, this film combines a great cast with a great story. Wynona Ryder, Glenn Close, Antonio Banderas, Vanessa Redgrave and others portray three generations living in mid-20th century Chile - a family split by political coups and the labor party's takeover of government. Like so many South American writers, Allende combines the supernatural with the literal in a convincing, understated believability. Compare to Like Water for Chocolate. This movie came out some years ago and went unnoticed by the general population, surprisingly and unfortunately.
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- Paradise Road
Director: Bruce Beresford
Based on a true story, Paradise Road depicts the experiences of a group of women prisoners-of-war in Singapore during the second World War. Glenn Close, Pauline Collins, Julianna Margulies and Frances McDormand all give intense performances. The women rise above the brutality and madness that surround them, recognizing war for the excuse for violence that it is, by creating a "vocal orchestra." The women scribble down music from memory and rehearse in secrecy, finally giving their first performance - and more to follow - and in doing so, transform their hell on earth. The film uses the actual scores which were created by these women sixty years ago and survived the war. The film combines unbearable griefs with heavenly joy.
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- The Perez Family
Director: Mira Nair
Underrated actress Marisa Tomei and relative unknown Alfred Molina co-star in this story of Cuban immigrants who have come to the United States in search of freedom. Molina plays Juan, a man imprisoned for 20 years who is coming to America to be reunited with his wife and daughter. Tomei plays a young, wild girl who is starry-eyed from seeing American movies. Of course, the inevitable romance happens. The film is visually beautiful, full of color, a truly sensual experience.
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- As Good as It Gets
Link:
Stills, Movie Information
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- Movies I Shouldn't Like as Much as I Do
Director: James Cameron
Composer: James Horner
Link:
Interviews, Movie Info, Stills, etc. etc. etc.
X Files: Fight the Future