The Devil's Backbone

I watched another foreign film recently, this one in the horror genre in order to get those Halloween vibes going last weekend. The Devil’s Backbone is a Spanish film by Guillermo del Toro, director of Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). I remember that movie as being quite violent, and hoped this one, which actually preceded Pan’s Labyrinth by five years, would not be as bad in that regard. The film is rated R for violence, language and some sexuality. Pedro Almodovar produced it; those aware of Spanish filmmaking will recognize his name, a prolific filmmaker himself.

Set during the Spanish civil war in 1939, this was a time when children were sent to orphanages to protect them from the ravages of war or when the opposing party killed their parents and they became orphans.

This is a horror film, one promising the specter of ghosts, secrets to be revealed, and for the boys in the orphanage, their courage to be tested. Early on in the film it is established that the Spaniards are a superstitious people, and the devil’s backbone explained (and shown in graphic detail!).

Carlos (Fernando Tielve), a 12 year old whose father has been killed, is dropped off at an isolated boys’ orphanage by a man he refers to as his tutor, who subsequently leaves him without saying goodbye. Carlos is despondent, but quickly tries to fit in with the other boys, all orphaned and abandoned children who are taken care of by headmistress Carmen (Marisa Paredes) and Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi). Carmen is a tough woman with the boys, but has a soft side, as seen in her fondness for the poetry Dr. Casares recites from memory.

Carlos apparently has “the gift,” because he sees the ghost of Santi, a young boy who has been missing for some time. Santi wants Carlos to know something and pursues him when darkness falls, much to Carlos’ horror.

Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), a man who was an orphan and lived at the orphanage when he was young, has returned and now works there. He has many secrets, some of which he has in common with Carmen, their complicated relationship hidden from Jacinto’s girlfriend and the boys.

The boys hunt for slugs in a cellar where a well draws the creatures in, and the cellar ultimately holds the key to Santi’s disappearance. I found the bleak landscape, and the defused bomb sitting in the courtyard ominous and foreboding, and the ghost of Santi held me spellbound.

The film was less violent than Pan’s Labyrinth I thought, although if you are sensitive to violence, it could disturb you. Even though the ghost of the film is supernatural, the plotline and the events that transpire felt real, as if they could have happened in a country torn by war, where death was everywhere, and innocents had to grow up quickly.

If you’re looking for an adult movie, something creepy and with a good storyline, The Devil’s Backbone may be just the one for you.

Love Is All You Need

Finding a great foreign film is a treasure; I like watching stories about people who live in other cultures and seeing landscapes I have yet to visit. Reading subtitles does not faze me (nor should it deter you from renting a foreign flick). With a little practice, you will find that you can skillfully read the subtitles while still enjoying the visual piece of the movie.

When I came across the Danish film Love Is All You Need, I put it in my Netflix queue and it worked its way up. Set in Copenhagen, Denmark, and more extensively in Sorrento, Italy, the characters speak mainly Danish and British English. The film is from award winning director Susanne Bier, whose film In a Better World won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2010. In 2013, Love Is All You Need was selected as the best comedy film at the 26^th European Film Awards.

Starring Pierce Brosnan and a capable cast of actors who were unfamiliar to me, it is a character driven romantic comedy rated R for brief sexuality, nudity and some language.

Ida (Trine Dyrholm) is a Danish woman who describes herself as unlucky “lately,” her biggest challenge being treatment for breast cancer. Her daughter is marrying a young man Ida has yet to meet. The wedding is to be held on an estate in Sorrento, Italy owned by the groom’s father Philip (Pierce Brosnan), which includes a lemon grove and a spacious seaside villa. The two families of the happy couple soon to be joined, for better or worse, till death they do part, gather for the nuptials, rowdy friends of the bride and groom joining them on the eve of the event for the pre-wedding party at the villa.

This is a sweet story with a subtle, emotional performance by Pierce Brosnan, a widower who has never remarried and who doesn’t quite know how to be supportive of his son. Ida has her own challenges with her husband, and she has somehow stayed positive through everything, showing us this with her enchantingly beautiful smile. Everyone grows in this film, and Ida the most. The young couple appears so young, and it surprised me a bit that no one questions them about marrying after only having met three months ago. They have much to learn.

The landscape of Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast is simply stunning, and figured into the reasons I got this movie. If I’m watching a film with a good storyline, then the icing on the cake is a fabulous setting. You can practically feel the ocean breezes, smell the scent of lemons, and bask in the warmth of the Mediterranean.

That’s Amore, sung by Dean Martin, and other variations on that song, are woven throughout the film, tying together the storyline as much as the characters and scenery. I liked the entire film and it had a realistic ending. I think you will find it as wonderful to watch as I did.

Ghost

My husband’s interest in ghost stories and horror movies peaks this time of year with Halloween looming on the horizon. We discussed getting some appropriately creepy movies to watch as the holiday is now less than a week away. I had been encouraging him for several months to watch Ghost with me, a now classic film from 1990 starring the beloved Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. The film brought screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin an Academy Award win for Best Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen). My husband kept saying it was a chick flick, but finally consented to give it a try, so we turned the TV on to Netflix streaming, and Ghost began with a BAM!

I remembered this film as being a romantic story, not all that scary, with a famous scene between Sam (Patrick Swayze), and Molly (Demi Moore) at the pottery wheel, very sensuous if somewhat tame. (The film is rated PG-13 for some strong thematic and sexual material, language, and some bloody violence.) But I found I hadn’t remembered all the nuances of the story after having only seen it once, 25 years ago!

Molly and Sam are prematurely separated when a mugger kills Sam late one night on a deserted street. Sam, however, chooses not to go to the light/heaven/another dimension, and his spirit remains on earth. He is initially confused by his transformation, and as he lurks around his house where Molly continues to live, he becomes convinced she is in danger.

He stumbles upon a spiritualist/psychic named Oda Mae Brown, famously played by Whoopi Goldberg in her Academy Award winning performance for best actress in a supporting role (she also won a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA award for this role). She lends some humor to what could have otherwise been a very sad, depressing film.

Sam appearing to Oda Mae, or rather speaking to her, throws her for a loop. He’s the first spirit she has had contact with. Sam eventually convinces her to help him speak to Molly.

There’s a hilarious scene of other ghosts visiting Oda Mae; Sam’s coming to her opened the floodgates for other departed souls who haven’t yet left earth, and she is none too happy about it.

All does not go smoothly for Sam in his efforts to protect Molly, and he takes a mentor, a scary, unstable ghost (Vincent Schiavelli) who inhabits the subway. Sam learns about the powers waiting to be harnessed by him now that he is a ghost.

The suspense is good throughout, and Patrick gives a wonderfully emotional performance as a soul yearning to make a connection with his still living true love. The ending is a tearjerker, at least for a woman, and I did shed a tear or two. My husband enjoyed the film, and his only negative comment was about the disposition of evil souls versus good souls depicted.

If you’re searching for a good film for Halloween, something metaphysical, not pure horror, Ghost is the one for you.

The Martian

What initially led me to this film was that it starred Matt Damon, and the trailers I watched for this PG-13, sci-fi adventure looked intriguing. Matt is a favorite actor of mine, and it seemed he was well cast in the role of an astronaut stranded alone on Mars, with nothing to rely on for his survival but his intelligence and what remains of a scientific outpost.

I didn’t go for the 3D show, thinking it would detract from the story. (I liked watching Avatar in 3D, but I didn’t think The Martian would have those beautiful seeds of the sacred tree floating at me like delicate airborne jellyfish, just a lot of hurtling space debris, so passed on that movie technology.)

Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is likable, skilled in critical thinking, with a PhD in botany, and also quite knowledgeable about engineering and the maintenance of mission equipment. He gets left behind during a severe storm that necessitated the abandonment of the mission, and evacuation of the crew. Believing him to be dead, the five remaining crewmembers launch off the planet towards Earth.

Mark, however, has survived. He must bring all his skills as a scientist and rational thinker to his predicament. What to do about food, water, and oxygen on a planet where none of these exists? What good is it to survive if NASA doesn’t know he’s alive? How will communication be restored, and is there any hope for a rescue?

A friend of mine on Facebook said he didn’t go see the movie because he knew how it ended. It’s not the destination, friend, it’s the journey, and what a journey it was. I especially liked that it wasn’t some shoot ‘em up film filled with hate and violence against others. It celebrated the human spirit to survive, scientific inquiry and cooperation, and the exploration of space by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration for those who may have forgotten).

Other main characters were also well cast:  Jeff Daniels as director of NASA (The Newsroom), Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty and The Help) as the commander of the Ares III (she had a great role as an educated woman with a calm presence, a strategist capable of making tough decisions and not unwilling to place her own life in danger in order to save another), mission chief Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), and Kristen Wiig as NASA’s spokeswoman (the only movie I’d ever seen her in was Bridesmaids, so I wondered about her being cast, but it was fine.)

Just a few days prior to the film’s release, NASA announced evidence of water on the surface of Mars. Future exploration of Mars is not that far off, and we can only hope that space exploration, with the coordinated efforts of NASA and the space programs of other nations, will assist us in understanding this complex and wonderful universe we live in. In the meantime, enjoy the journey of Mark Watney as The Martian.

The Host

When I rented The Host, I did so because my husband wanted to watch something creepy, sci-fi, and/or eerie.  I remembered that this movie was filmed in New Mexico in part, so decided to give it a try.  (We like picking out locations from the State we live in when we watch a film.)

What I didn’t realize when I rented it is that it was written by Stephenie Meyer, the woman who wrote The Twilight Saga.  Having just reviewed those films at the end of the year, I thought I’d share my thoughts on this one for my first review in awhile.

In this story, souls from an alien civilization have come to earth to inhabit humans and experience life in a flesh and blood body.  Once they enter a “host,” the human’s memories disappear and therefore they are believed to be gone forever.  But one human, Melanie (Saoirse Ronan), somehow is able to share consciousness with the alien soul inhabiting her body, who is called Wanderer.

The interesting thing about these aliens is that they make earth “better,” less violent, more peace loving and how humans really should be.  But it seems to me their individuality is missing when they inhabit human bodies.  They are all too much the same with wooden smiles and an eagerness to do for others, but not necessarily for themselves.

The Seeker (Diane Kruger) is driven to hunt down Wanderer/Melanie in order to find more host humans for souls from the other planet.  She is as cold as steel and single minded in her pursuit of humans.  Wanderer/Melanie manages to escape her clutches, and makes her way to where her uncle is hiding out, a place in Shiprock in a cave that he has made into a safe haven for other human survivors.

The Seeker eventually shows up in the area hunting down Wanderer/Melanie, who is now being held captive by the surviving humans who are distrustful of her.  Could Melanie really still exist even though another soul has invaded her body?

The thing I couldn’t help but think about during this film is that it’s really not that far fetched as a plot or a concept.  After all, who are we but souls that come to earth to inhabit a body in order to experience this planet and life on it?  Of course we don’t take over someone else’s body, but rather we inhabit a fresh, new one.

We watched the entire movie, which was rather low key, really not that much violence, with enough going on to keep us engaged.  Ms. Meyer has really keyed in on her teenage girl audience once again with a story such as this one. Rated PG-13, there is nothing remotely racy about the relationships in this film.  It is chaste throughout most of it, although lovemaking is shown at one point, very tastefully done.  Would I recommend it to you?  I think so; just don’t expect too much in the way of action sequences. 

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2

I finally got to see this last installment of The Twilight Saga.  I waited until the initial frenzy had subsided and the theater was not even half full for a matinee on a Saturday.  I thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous mountain landscape and forests of the Pacific Northwest on the big screen, majestic in a way my average size TV could not equal.  I was curious by how the story would unfold, given the last image of Bella in Breaking Dawn – Part 1, when she opens her eyes as a vampire.

The infant Renesmee has unusual characteristics, including an accelerated growth trajectory, but then she is half vampire and half human.  We get to see Bella as a vampire, and yet she really doesn’t act that much different from who she was as a human.  She is coached by the Cullens on how to act human to fool her father, but her acting has been such in this series that nothing really changes.  We get to see her hunt, but it’s not really that exciting.

What is interesting is how her father accepts Bella’s physical coldness and lack of an explanation for his grandchild’s apparent age.  His love and acceptance of his unusual daughter is an example for parents everywhere.

It gets complicated when Renesmee is rumored to be an immortal, and she comes to the attention of the Volturi.  A search ensues for other vampire/human offspring from around the world to help vindicate her.  I liked that part a lot; different cultures were represented from this global hunt for others like Renesmee, echoing the diversity of humans on the earth.

The evil vampires want to destroy Renesmee, and as the Cullens prepare for a confrontation by enlisting the aid of other vampires and the werewolves, Bella discovers her gift, soon to be put to good use protecting those she loves.

I really liked the ending, and don’t know if it is the same or different from the book because as I mentioned previously, I haven’t read them.   Remember that Alice has a gift:  the ability to see into the future.  This gift is one that plays prominently in the final scenes of the film.  It’s a gift we all have actually.  We can look into the future by imagining what outcome our choices will inevitably bring to us.  This is the last message Ms. Meyer gives us from this story.  We choose our future with our own free will.

Would I recommend this series to you?  If you are a movie lover, I predict you will like these for the reasons I watch many different types of films.  I want to see how they’re put together, how the story unfolds, what the messages are, enjoy the cinematography, the acting, the dialogue.  They’ll never be in my list of top 100 movies not to miss, but they do entertain.  Let me know what your opinion of The Twilight Saga is if you have seen it.

Swing Vote

Four years ago on the evening of Election Day, my husband and I watched the movie Dave rather than be subjected to the interminable banter of newscasters plying us with the latest election results.  I don’t care for that kind of nail biting, anxiety provoking TV as the ballots are counted, so suggested we see a good political movie.  If you’ve never seen Dave, you really must.  It’s a heart-warming comedy starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver where a look alike to the President fills in as the man in the oval office when illness besets the real President. 

But this year on election night I selected Swing Vote, a PG-13 2008 comedy starring Kevin Costner.  I again didn’t want to subject myself to the above nail biting, anxiety producing network coverage of the election and we had a great time watching Kevin as Bud Johnson, a man who has the unenviable task of casting the sole vote that will decide the next President of the United States. 

The film was shot on location in New Mexico (Belen, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe), so of course I relished picking out landmarks.  But I also loved the story.  Bud is a single parent of a precocious 5^th grader named Molly, who embraces her education and is enthusiastic about everyone’s civic duty to cast his or her vote for President.  Bud is, shall we say, not the brightest star in the sky, and through a chain of unusual events, has both the Republican incumbent and the Democratic candidate courting him for his vote.

What ensues is sheer comedy, with not a little commentary on the current flawed political campaign and lobbying process in America.  The other significant theme of this film is the network news, individual reporters and producers seeing the coverage of Bud and his choice as a ticket to big time network stardom.  Through this unique situation of one man casting the deciding vote, each person has to think about their own personal values, what is important and how much they’re willing to sacrifice for success.

The film also stars Kelsey Grammer as the President, and Dennis Hopper as the Democratic candidate, with supporting roles by Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane as their campaign advisors.  Also appearing are George Lopez, and Judge Reinhold, someone I hadn’t seen in a movie in a long time, but that I’ve heard lives up near Santa Fe somewhere.

I highly recommend Swing Vote and also encourage you to make your own Election night tradition in four years with a political film to pass the time until the results are in.  The two I’ve mentioned are comedies, uplifting with a definite message or moral to the story, but there are many other political themed movies that you could pick.  I wanted something more light-hearted, but another I saw this year was The Ides of March, which was a drama and much more serious.

I’d love comments about your favorite political movies and why you enjoy them.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

Bella and Edward marry in a long sequence of scenes that do not minimize the marriage ceremony in the least, and that focuses on their vows to one another.  It was a dreamy beautiful event (in large part due to Alice's efforts), complete with toasts by family and friends that revealed more about not just the happy couple, but about the guests themselves.

Jacob supports Bella finally in her decision to wed Edward, and they go off on a honeymoon of epic proportions.  I’d be happy with a simpler wedding if I could just have a honeymoon like this on an island paradise (but I’m already married, so just the trip to the island paradise will suffice).  Bella hit it big in that department.

What else she hits big, as you all already know, is becoming pregnant, something she and Edward are surprised about as much as I am.  Really?  How can this happen?  A vampire and a human creating offspring.

Even though a biological explanation is never forthcoming, it makes for a dramatic storyline.  Think about it.  What happens to a mother and child when their blood is incompatible, like in Rh incompatibility?  That’s when the mother is Rh-negative, the father is Rh-positive, and the baby is also Rh-positive.  This can cause serious health problems for the baby if the mother’s blood gets any of the baby’s blood in her womb because she may then create antibodies to kill the foreign blood cells. 

The mother is not at risk in Rh incompatibility, but what if it was reversed?  That would make Bella at risk for serious problems during the pregnancy.  Good drama here.  The other storyline is everyone who is aware of the pregnancy gives Bella advice on what to do.  What that results in is a not so subtle discussion of abortion and a woman’s right to choose.

I thought the preceding episodes of Twilight set up the story in Breaking Dawn quite well.  I told the members of my screenwriting group I was watching these films, and some were, shall we say, amused?  But I am really enjoying this story, which comes as no surprise in a way because I really love movies.  Even if you don’t particularly care for the storyline of vampires and werewolves, I would think you would appreciate the cinematography and the attention given to the sets, costumes and acting that went into this saga.

Breaking Dawn - Part 2 comes out in November as I mentioned in my previous post, and I will have to admit, I am now one of those who are quite interested in seeing the final episode in the theater.  I was at the movies not long ago (The Bourne Legacy which I’ll review later on) and there was a large banner proclaiming a Twilight marathon would be coming soon.  Sitting in a theater for eight hours would stress my body, especially if it was not stadium seating, so I would opt for recommending you have your own marathon at home with Netflix.  And come back in November for my final review of Twilight.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

It appears my questions at the end of my review of The Twilight Saga:  New Moon have been answered in this next installment of The Twilight Saga:  Eclipse.  This movie featured a riveting story with plenty of action segments to further the adventures of Bella, Edward and Jacob.  I was sitting on the edge of my chair it so engrossed me.  Much to my delight, the “good” vampires’ stories were further revealed here.  We find out how Rosalie and Jasper became vampires, what their hopes and fears were, how they really feel about their present existence, and their individual stories just serve to further strengthen our connection to the vampires’ plight.

The evil vampire Victoria seeks to destroy Bella, placing her in danger yet again.  Her father Charlie, unaware of the world Bella inhabits, is worried about the danger of teen pregnancy, just like all other dads of teenage girls.  He is aware of a monster/murderer law enforcement is tracking, but makes no connection of this to Bella or Edward or to Edward’s family.  Charlie has an awkward talk with his daughter about sexuality and pregnancy, a not so subtle plug for saving yourself for marriage.  As an adult viewer though, and knowing that Edward is a vampire, a detail Charlie has not been told, I wondered:  Would vampires need to use condoms?  They’re the undead, neither living nor dead; they’re cold as ice, a fact emphasized in this movie when Edward is compared with Jacob, a warm blooded living creature. How could a vampire conceive a child?  I think traditionally in the vampire legends, the exchanging of blood makes new vampires, not vampires having sex with each other and little baby vampires being born.  I’ll apparently find out the author’s solution to this paradox in the next movie, The Twilight Saga:  Breaking Dawn: Part 1, as the Netflix sleeve states:  Not long after immortal soul mates Bella Swan and Edward Cullen say “I do,” a strange sensation begins to build inside Bella’s burgeoning belly.”

Seems like a story flaw there, but I’ll reserve my judgment.  Thus far I think Bella is making a huge mistake sticking with Edward.  Jacob is a much more compelling, feeling person.  I award kudos to special effects for making the huge, powerful werewolves’ eyes so expressive.  It makes it easy then to stay connected to Jacob even when he’s transformed.  It’s interesting to me how Bella is not afraid of any of the werewolves towering over her when in wolf form.

I didn’t remember when I began watching Twilight that Part 2 of Breaking Dawn would be coming out in theaters on November 16^th.  So I’ll be able to watch one of these Twilight movies on the big screen, the way I really love to watch movies.

As Halloween approaches, are any of you planning on hosting or attending a Halloween party?  Any costume contests?  Will you dress as a werewolf, or a more traditional monster?  Comment and let us all in on your inspirations.

Dracula (1931)

I took a break from Twilight to watch the 1931 classic movie Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi as the infamous vampire from Transylvania.  A nightmare of horror! proclaims a vintage movie poster featuring Dracula with a young female victim.  But I wasn’t so much horrified as intrigued by this early film of the vampire genre.  I wasn’t sure I had ever seen it, and if I had, the years had faded it from memory.

Bela Lugosi certainly defined for moviegoers worldwide the quintessential vampire.  Numerous vampires since have copied his entire walk, his talk, his mannerisms, the look of his makeup and cape.  Would Bram Stoker, author of the 1897 novel, have approved of Lugosi’s Dracula?  I think he would have.  Unfortunately, he had already passed away nearly 20 years prior to this film’s release.

The director, Tod Browning, had previously had a very successful career in silent film and I think that experience lent itself well to the story of Dracula.  There are often long silences, no music even, which gives a somber mood to the events as they are revealed.  Also, there is no blood and gore, which should please some of my readers who may be disgusted by the violence in film that seems to dominate theaters today.  We don’t even get to see the telltale puncture wounds on the victims’ necks.  Dracula comes in for his meal, and the scene cuts to another.  I didn’t mind.  It’s an easy watch, only 75 minutes.  My disc from Netflix included some commentary, and something to note is that a Spanish version of Dracula was filmed at the same time as the English version.  They would film the English Dracula during the day, and once they were finished, the Spanish crew, actors and director came in and shot far into the night.  It is rumored that the Spanish version is even better, so that might be worth looking into.

The fascination with the vampire is evident in Lucy’s initial reactions to Dracula.  She is clearly drawn to him, the slightly dangerous and forbidden aspects of this stranger she hardly knows.  The cheesiest part is the bat flapping around, but it was 1931 after all.  The best performance (other than Bela of course) is Dwight Frye as Mr. Renfield.  His acting is genius.  I’ve never seen a more transformed character in any movie; his madness is absolute.

What little music there is at the beginning of the film is from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and seemed fitting to me for the introduction of the film’s opening credits that older movies always featured.  It was of course, black and white, and the cinematography by Academy Award winner Karl Freund lent an eerie and moody feel to the landscape, both in Dracula’s castle and then in England, where Dracula relocates.

I highly recommend this version of Dracula.  It really set the tone for all subsequent vampire movies, especially Bela Lugosi’s performance of the man in black.  If you enjoy the vampire genre, you will like this film that started it all.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

I watched The Twilight Saga:  New Moon with anticipation, as I knew a werewolf would be appearing (remember in my previous post where I disclosed my fascination with Quentin from Dark Shadows). The Native American legend of werewolves vs. vampires that we heard explained in the first movie plays out well here in New Moon.  I have never heard of a Native American belief in vampires, so that part of the legend is rather far fetched, but then this is fiction after all.  Kudos to special effects for making the werewolves both scary and dangerous and yet, you can see the soul in their eyes and expressions.

Kristen Stewart’s Bella bounces from depression to recklessness in an effort to alternately get over or remember Edward who has left her.  Taylor Lautner’s Jacob Black is her sanity for a while until his werewolf transformation and initiation begins.  That part of the film, their interactions and friendship, is quite touching.

Now she has just traded one Not Good for Her/Not Safe to be Around Her young man for another.  This is so true to life.  It just wouldn’t be quite as dramatic without the paranormal element.  How many of you know teens, or have yourself experienced, picking the wrong one, the one who is dangerous?  At least these two young men realize their propensity for anger and attempt to hold it in check to protect the one they have chosen.

But for Bella, it’s really an attachment she has to Edward I think and not real love.  Same for Edward.  Two star-crossed lovers as Shakespeare might say.  Literally can’t live without the other, individual identity seeming to leave when apart.  Further storytelling will see if I am right.  I haven’t read the books, so I’m going in blind to this entire tale, only going by what appears on my Netflix DVD sleeve and little snippets of information fans have shared with me.

I was happy to see that Alice Cullen (Ashley Greene) was still there for Bella and I think she’s an intriguing vampire.  I hope she is featured in the next films.

There was essentially what amounted to cameo roles for Dakota Fanning and Graham Greene in this segment.  I did like some of the cinematography, especially showing the passage of time for Bella as she mourns for Edward, but other than that I did not like the film as much as the previous one.  Since the other two DVDs are sitting on my end table waiting to be watched, I hope they are better. Taylor Lautner as Jacob is, I found, much more of a presence than Robert Pattinson’s vampire Edward.  I just don’t find Edward that interesting; Jacob is much more vulnerable, and I think that’s what comes through and makes him a more sympathetic character.

I wonder:  Will Jacob and Edward work together eventually like Barnabas and Quentin did in Dark Shadows?  Or will their rivalry persist?  We shall find out together as The Twilight Saga continues.

Twilight

Sometimes I get to movies a little after the buzz about them has subsided.  Twilight is one such film.  I decided to give it a watch, all four of them actually, to see what they had to offer.  I’ll be posting each of my reviews in turn and move on to a few other classic vampire movies, all before Halloween.

I’ve been fascinated with the “Dracula” story for ages.  I probably first read the story in high school. It was the time of Dark Shadows, that eerie soap opera airing in the late afternoons.  I would rush home from high school and turn on the TV to watch Barnabas Collins, not the sexiest vampire (I liked Quentin the werewolf better), but the story fascinated me nonetheless.  (Recently I saw Johnny Depp in the Tim Burton movie Dark Shadows and I would recommend it if you too were a Dark Shadows fan.  Tim Burton does not disappoint, nor does Johnny who makes an intriguing vampire.  It was cleverly set in 1972 New England, just after the time the popular soap opera ended its successful run.)

I enjoy all of the various forms of art the vampire tale has spawned.  Gracing my wall in my home is a poster of Dracula, Ballet with a Bite, as staged by the Eugene Ballet, a performance I remember fondly:  the flowing robes of Dracula as he danced his way across the stage, his red mouth and white face, the crazed ballerinas who were his vampire slaves in their flimsy gowns.  It was a Halloween ballet to be remembered.  Last year in fact, I dressed as a vampire bride for the office annual Halloween party, a costume I had wanted to invent for some time.

Twilight is a very different type of vampire story.  I had heard that it is a romance tale for teens, but I also know that several grown women at work were all gaga over the films as well.   Rated PG-13, I figured it wouldn’t have much sex in it, but that the rating must be for blood-sucking violence.

The story takes place in the Pacific Northwest, present day.  The vampires we meet, as you have probably heard, are attempting to control their insatiable need for human blood.

I found it intriguing and was fascinated by the story, the cinematography, and the idea that vampires are either evil or, much like human beings, attempting to control base instincts or instead allowing them free reign.

The author, Stephenie Meyer, cleverly weaves Native American legend into this story, a brilliant stroke of genius that only adds to the mystique of the whole story.  I felt that the interactions between Bella and Edward were beautifully acted.  It epitomized the young love that teens have for one another when their sexuality has blossomed before their intellect can fully understand the nature of the longings they suddenly have for their beloved.

I’ll be watching The Twilight Saga:  New Moon next.  Stay tuned.

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No Reservations

One of my passions is to a) Bake; b) Cook. That is why the Food Network is on my small list of favorite channels. I love watching chefs whip up tantalizing entrees and exquisite desserts, and then trying a few of those recipes to make them my own. So I was delighted when the film No Reservations was released. What could be better? A romantic comedy where gourmet food is practically a character.

Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) has suddenly become responsible for her young niece Zoe (Abigail Breslin) after their sister/mother dies. While she is attempting to adjust to her new role with Zoe, Nick (Aaron Eckhart) is hired as a chef in the restaurant where Kate has long been the head chef ruling the kitchen with discipline and structure. Initially Nick seems to be her opposite, but what they share in common is their love of food. Zoe quickly warms up to the effervescent Nick, and Kate starts to fall for him too.

Zoe struggling with having lost her mother makes this film more of a drama than what I expected. Abigail Breslin’s performance makes our hearts ache for Zoe as she slowly comes to terms with the turn of events that has changed her life. You may remember Abigail from her role in Little Miss Sunshine for which she earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. She is growing into a fine young actor the likes of which we haven’t seen since Anna Paquin.

As in all romantic comedies (as in life itself), the path to love is never a straight line, and we are kept guessing about Kate and Nick until the end. Aaron Eckhart is appealing and it’s not difficult to see why Kate is attracted to the opera singing, Italian chef. The food does play front and center in many scenes. It’s nourishment, not just for our physical bodies, but also for our souls. The communal table where the waiters and chefs eat and practice their litanies of the ingredients of each new dish of the day, the makeshift tent where Zoe, Nick and Kate eat homemade pizza, the crowded café where friends meet for breakfast, provide more than just food, they bring a sense of belonging to a world where people can grow increasingly isolated and distant if they’re not careful.

Anyone who likes a film that goes deep into the characters and what they’re experiencing will like this one. And if you prefer a sit down restaurant where the food is cooked after you order it instead of before you arrive at the drive through, you will like this film. See it with No Reservations.

Dreamgirls

If you enjoy musicals, you will enjoy Dreamgirls. Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, it boasts a fine cast of actors and singers. The film is nominated for Best Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical at this year’s Golden Globe Awards. There are other film musicals I liked more overall (Chicago comes to mind), but this film has something Chicago never delivered: a really great singer. You may remember Jennifer Hudson from the 3rd season of American Idol. She didn’t even make it to the top two, but beat out winner Fantasia Barrino for the coveted role of Effie in Dreamgirls. She proves that one need not win the title of American Idol to go on to have a lustrous career.

The story follows the lives and dreams of a Supremes-like girl group. The turbulent 60’s with civil rights front and center, and later the 70’s with the movement toward disco are the backdrop for the action. Beyonce Knowles as Deena Jones, Anika Noni Rose as Lorrell Robinson, and Jennifer Hudson as Effie White, are the three young women with dreams of stardom. Effie’s brother C.C. (Keith Robinson) is a songwriter, and the four meet a manager, Curtis Taylor (Jamie Foxx), and the singer James “Thunder” Early (Eddie Murphy), as they navigate the world of entertainment and recording. Danny Glover and Loretta Devine are also featured.

Eddie Murphy received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance in a Supporting Role. I recalled that he had released a single or album in the 80’s (My Girl Wants to Party All the Time) and his performance on stage is fun to watch. It is puzzling that Beyonce Knowles netted a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance in a Comedy or Musical, while Jennifer Hudson was relegated to a nomination for Best Performance in a Supporting Role. From the beginning of the film, it is Jennifer as Effie who steals our attention, not Beyonce. It is Effie’s story, and Jennifer is definitely the better singer, and the one who will be remembered. Her voice is extraordinary, and although I hate to compare her with the other queens of soul, she is up there with the ranks of Aretha and Billie.

I overheard someone say they did not wish to see Dreamgirls as it would be depressing. This person went on to say she had heard the film was based on the Supremes, and thus thought it would be a sad ending. I was happy to discover it did not have a sad ending. It doesn’t stick strictly to the Supremes story, and is the better for it. It is in the end, a story of redemption for the good people in the film. I laughed, shed a tear, enjoyed every minute, and left the theatre feeling great.

The film is rated PG-13 for language, some sexuality and drug content. Bill Condon, who had a hand in writing the screenplay for Chicago, directed. Whereas Chicago is for me about the incredible dance numbers, Dreamgirls is all about the music. See it on the big screen.

Heart of the Beholder

Heart of the Beholder is based on the true story of Mike and Diane Howard, video storeowners in St. Louis in the 1980’s. All is going along well for them until 1988 when The Last Temptation of Christ is released. The Howard’s refuse to pull the video from their shelves, and are targeted for financial ruin by a fanatical religious group, the Citizens For Decency. The group has blackmailed the Prosecuting Attorney to file obscenity charges against the Howard’s for carrying X-rated videos, a move supremely ironic since the Prosecuting Attorney frequents prostitutes. The case is taken to trial, but that is not the end of the difficulties for the Howard’s. Mike becomes very depressed and nearly throws his life away before bouncing back and strategizing a way to bring down the Prosecuting Attorney.

Early on in the film, a comment is made that not all Christians are like these fanatical groups who bomb family planning clinics and ban books. And that is important to remember. However, groups like the Citizens For Decency are still very vocal in their attempts to regulate other people’s lives, often in extreme and violent ways. Their members are damaged, vulnerable people who have found their way into the group, desperate to have a place to belong.

One such person depicted in this film was played by Silas Weir Mitchell as Lester, a mentally ill man easily influenced to commit crimes ranging from arson to intimidation and near kidnapping of a child. I recognized Mr. Mitchell from his playing an equally psycho young man in last season’s hit sitcom My Name is Earl, and his performance is outstanding.

This story is so incredible, I wondered how much was cooked up to make the story thrilling in a Hollywood storytelling way, and how much was truly factual. I found myself shaking my head in disbelief, such as when the movie Splash is presented as a target for banning, because their “rationale” was so ridiculous. But those who ban books and films are not rational. Since I am a lover of story and film and its potential to enlighten, educate and entertain, I feel that we should all protest censorship. It is up to individuals to decide, based on reviews such as mine, whether a film is something they want to watch or not, and leave everyone else to decide for themselves as well.

Heart of the Beholder is an entertaining and engrossing film. I liked the opening sequences as we follow the mighty Mississippi to its banks in St. Louis, but it soon has a made-for-TV movie feel to it. It is still worth renting or buying the DVD as this is a fascinating story that echoes the present as extremist groups still attempt to regulate how people should think and behave in our country today.

Slumber Party

I remember hearing about a slumber party my older sister had where some boys allegedly snuck some beer into their tent that was pitched out under the trees in the orchard. The rest of the details of that night are unknown to me, but Slumber Party, a funny little film I was treated to recently, shows just what lengths a group of guys will go to crash a girls only night.

This is the first film written, produced and directed by Jazmine Bizzoco, Crystal Burdette, and Venice Ventresca. It is not rated, but in my judgment it is probably around a PG-13. I think it is amazing that a group of women in their twenties could pull off a production like this. Its humor reminded me vaguely of Booty Call, a very funny R rated film with Jamie Foxx and Tommy Davidson chasing around two women for you can guess what.

In Slumber Party, four friends go to Palm Springs to help one of them house sit. They deem their weekend as No Boys Allowed. A neighbor, Rufus, sees an opportunity has landed in his neighborhood, and he calls a couple of friends to come crash the party. This is where it gets really funny. I have to give these three writers credit for coming up with some very funny scenes of the guys’ journey to get to the party, and what they do to try to enter the house. Will the guys be successful and gain entrance to the slumber party? I’m not going to give it away.

The only thing that really kind of bothered me was the language. Do people in South Central LA really talk to one another like that? I’ll have to trust the filmmakers that it is realistic. I really can’t say living in the middle of New Mexico. The film is available on DVD only. There were parts that really had me laughing out loud. If you just want to experience something different and light for pure entertainment, give Slumber Party a try.

Lady in the Water

M. Night Shyamalan has written and directed yet another fine film. I have been a fan of his ever since The Sixth Sense, and have carried my admiration for his work through viewing Unbreakable, Signs, and The Village. His most recent work, Lady in the Water, proved to be a complex and ambitious film.

Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) is the stuttering maintenance man/superintendent at The Cove, an apartment complex with a unique swimming pool that leads to the Blue World. Cleveland discovers Story (Bryce Dallas Howard) swimming in the pool one night after hours. Story however is from a fairy tale, and has a purpose to fulfill for the benefit of mankind. A Chinese woman in the building slowly reveals to Cleveland the archetypal tale Story inhabits, and he tries to piece together the clues to deliver a happy ending. To finish the tale he enlists the help of a group of diverse residents in the building. That in itself was the part of the movie that was difficult to believe, that these residents would help him and not simply think him crazy, but this is a fantasy after all, and suspension of disbelief is required here.

The film is shot in a Rear Window like fashion (Alfred Hitchcock is one of Shyamalan’s favorite directors; mine too). Shyamalan himself has a more than cameo acting role in his film this time around as Vick, a young writer with a manuscript that will eventually help change the world. This role Shyamalan has chosen to play seems a bit of a grandiose choice, but he is a brilliant filmmaker after all and everything Vick learns about his writing could be applied to Shyamalan’s own works as well. For who among us really knows the impact our life’s work can have on future generations?

If I could distill the subject of this film into one word, it would be purpose. The mystery that is our world is looked at through the eyes of the residents of The Cove who are trying to figure out their purpose in life the same as any of us are doing in our own lives. This I think is what made Lady in the Water so appealing to me. Shyamalan attempted to tell an archetypal tale to inspire us to think about life, and anyone who likes to go to a film to have their mind challenged and stimulated would appreciate his attempt. I liked how I felt when I left the movie that even if I don’t know what exactly my contributions through my work and life have accomplished, they may be part of a process that helps the planet evolve.

The film is rated PG-13 for some frightening sequences (the world Story comes from has some truly scary creatures in it). If you haven’t seen Shyamalan’s other films, I recommend them all. You can easily rent them from Netflix (see link on this site).

The First Wives Club

The grande dames of Hollywood, Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton, star in The First Wives Club. With divorce in the United States running at 50% or more of all marriages, the fate of the women in this film is not unlikely. What they perpetuate after each of their marriages fail is.

The three were college girlfriends along with another woman, Cynthia Swann Griffin, who is so convincingly played by Stockard Channing in about two minutes of screen time, that the memory of her is indelibly imprinted on our minds just as it is for our three heroines, shocked by her death. The three reunited friends find they all have in common husbands who left each of them for younger women.

Elise (Goldie Hawn) is an award-winning actress with a drinking problem rivaled only by her need for plastic surgery. Annie (Diane Keaton) is separated from her husband, a self-involved businessman and philanderer. Brenda (Bette Midler) has a husband who is going through his second adolescence with younger Shelly (Sarah Jessica Parker) accompanying him. Grieving over the loss of their friend, they decide to join forces to get even with their ex’s. I really like the camaraderie between Annie, Elise, and Brenda, and how they help each other grow. Three heads are better than one.

I find it ironic and very sad that Olivia Goldsmith, the author of The First Wives Club (the book upon which the screenplay was based), died from complications of anesthesia during plastic surgery (I believe she was having liposuction underneath her chin). Is that the risk modern day women will have to take to stay appealing to men? Every woman I’ve talked to who’s seen this film loves it because even if they weren’t dumped for another woman, they know men who are like these husbands, and also know firsthand the attitude our culture perpetuates about youth and beauty which is so detrimental to women’s self-esteem. I recommend you see this film with your closest female friends. This is a very funny movie (rated PG), one that women will relate to, and during which men should be embarrassed as it shows the men here as completely pathetic creatures.

The outcome of The First Wives Club is so satisfying, and the actors’ performances really shine through the witty dialogue and physical comedy. It’s really a film classic for all time. Who hasn’t dreamed of getting even? Here is your chance to live vicariously through the antics of Annie, Elise, and Brenda, along with the help of a gay decorator (Bronson Pinchot), and socialite (Maggie Smith). The film also stars Marcia Gay Harden, Dan Hedaya, Victor Garber, and Elizabeth Berkley among others, and won the National Board of Review award for Best Acting by an Ensemble that year. Sarah Jessica Parker is svelte and beautiful in this pre-Sex and the City role, and Heather Locklear true to form as the woman who helped send Cynthia over the edge. Don’t give up-Get Even!

Governor's Cup Short Screenplay Competition

I entered the above screenplay competition with my 10-page screenplay, A Candle for Spirit Bear. To my delight, it was selected as one of the 12 finalists in the competition out of 433 entries.

It was not selected to be one of the four short screenplays to be filmed, but better luck next time. It was a wonderful learning experience for me and a great honor to be selected as a finalist.

The New Mexico Film Office has a website you may be interested in which I added under my links on the left. It lists films currently in production in New Mexico and all about opportunities in the state to work in the film industry.

I will be away from my computer for about 12 days, and will get back to you with some new reviews once I return. Have a good Memorial Day weekend my faithful readers!