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Date Posted: 09:15:42 06/16/05 Thu
Author: The Rhino
Subject: Catching Up: Cinderella Man, The Machinist, Oldboy, High Tension, Lords of Dogtown and Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Cinderella Man

Fantastic movie. Ron Howard is one of the best storytellers making films right now and Akiva Goldsman is an excellent script craftsman. This is the tale of Depression Era boxer James Braddock and his rise from the ashes of an ailing career to World Champion. The ultimate underdog story, Braddock not only captured the title but the imaginations of the destitute Americans who desperately wanted to get back to a fruitful life that didn't involve standing in a soup line.

While the boxing scenes were excellently done and emotional, the most interesting aspect of this film is seeing what it took for people to get by in this era. Early in the film, Braddock promises his son that he will never ship him off to live with anyone because Braddock can't afford to keep him around. But behind his back, Braddock's wife sends the kids to their grandparents house after their electricity is turned off. This leads to a gut-wrenching scene where Braddock begs for money from the high-living boxing commission in a cocktail lounge so that he can pay his bills and bring his kids home. There are several moments in the film that made me thankful for where I am in life right now.

The acting is superb. Russell Crowe does his best work thus far as Braddock. Renee Zellweger is great in her role as Braddock's fierce yet vulnerable wife. Paul Giammatti steals the film though as Braddock's scrappy manager who helps Braddock rise back to boxing fame. Giammatti deserves some recognition for his great work and hopefully he will get it from this film. Must see.

The Machinist (on DVD)

If a man loses 60 lbs for a film, gets down to a dangerously low weight risking his own life in the process you would think that it must be one helluva film, right? I guess I don't know what Christian Bale was thinking here.

The premise is pretty simple. The painfully thin Bale ("If you were any thinner you wouldn't exist") can't sleep and hasn't slept a night in one year, thus his skeletal body. He seeks some sort of solace in the hooker with a heart of gold, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, and courts an airport diner waitress. Why can't he sleep? Seems he has something dark in his past that won't allow him to do so. To make things worse, he's being stalked by a mysterious figure that only he can see. See where this is going? My least favorite (and suddenly all too common) ending follows. And that's a shame because this film had a lot of promise. Not recommended.

Oldboy

Another fantastic film from the ultraviolent Tartan Film series. A nasty drunk is kidnapped from a phone booth and made to live for 15 years in a hotel room converted into a prison cell. His only link to the outside world is a television that plays constantly. From the TV, he learns that his wife and daughter were murdered and that he is the prime suspect. Madness ensues.

While in the cell he trains and toughens up so that when he is released he can put the pieces of his life back together and find the bastards who put him in this prison and avenge the death of his family. And when he does get out, watch your ass, people.

Blisteringly good film with prime action and an excellent plot twist toward the end. This film was ripe with postitive buzz on the internet and for good reason. It lives up to the hype. It should be out on DVD soon and you should rent it twice.

High Tension

Luckily I didn't have to pay to see this turd. This is a French film that is already out on DVD is some foreign markets while just hitting US screens. My buddy borrowed his friend's Korean DVD version.

The plot: A girl with a lesbian crush on her best friend goes to visit said friend's parents on their farm. After arriving, a man who looks like an oversized Van Morrison shows up and starts chopping people up. The friend is kidnapped by Van while the lesbian manages to avoid being seen and hitches a ride in Van's van all the while trying to save her friend.

The ending: The ending is one of the shoddiest pieces of storytelling I have ever seen. It makes no possible sense and the filmmakers don't even try to make it work. You are just supposed to accept it and move on. Hey, it's gory as hell! Isn't that good enough for you? Screw that. Not to mention that the ending is in the same vein as The Machinist, again my least favorite ending in the history of film. Don't even watch this film when it hits your local Channel Four midnight movie. Rent Oldboy and watch it over and over instead.

Lords of Dogtown

This is the dramatized version of Stacey Peralta's documentary, Dogtown and Z-Boys, about the revolution of skateboarding after the invention of polyurethane wheels and a rebellious group of skaters who discovered how to negotiate the new wheels. I have never seen the documentary and from what I understand it's much better than the movie. That's usually the case in this instance. I did enjoy this film though.

The only thing that really struck me as being funny was the fact that the film was also written by Peralta and his character is kind of the "white knight" in the film. He's the responsible one with common sense while the rest of the group either grow big heads after fame beckons or fame alienates them to the point where they recede back into obscurity. Peralta walks that line and is made to look like the only one with any sense at all. Whether there is any truth to that or not I don't know. Peralta really seems to take himself seriously though and that was kind of a turn-off to what was otherwise a pretty enjoyable film. Mildy recommended.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Brad and Angelina star as a couple who moonlight as assassins, something neither know about each other. Their marriage is virtually on the rocks when they are ordered to take each other out by their respective bosses. Oddly enough, hilarity ensues.

This was a surprisingly funny film. Brad and Angelina's chemistry is very noticeable which is likely what is leading to the gossip surrounding them. All that aside, they worked well on screen. The script is tight and funny and the direction (Doug Liman of Go, Swingers and Bourne Identity fame) is spot on. If you like dark comedies in the vein of War of the Roses then you will like this film. Recommended.

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