Crossing Delancy (1988) - Amy Irving

Saturday, September 17, 2011 8:28 PM Posted by PolitiJim
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The Links:
IMDB | RottenTomatoes 


Streaming: Amazon, Netflix


Genre: Sweet Romantic Comedy Pitting Jewish Tradition against Urban and Worldly pursuits


STUFF:
PG, 1 hr. 37 min.


The Short Story
(Some Kind Of Wonderful meets Annie Hall)
The first Mrs. Spielberg - Amy Irving - is in love with her bookstore job where she gets to meet the most influential literary thinkers in Manhattan.  Her Bubbie, (Reizl Bozyk) hires a matchmaker who is pushing the very glamorous but quick witted pickle peddler (Peter Riegert).  


The Best Review You've Never Read
It isn't very often I like a movie that was WELL reviewed by critics (90% on Rotten Tomatoes) but not as well by the public (74%).  Maybe it's because there were less blogging reviewers and thus less morons in print.  Who knows.  It should be a sign of my love for this film that I compare it to SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL.  I don't compare ANYTHING to that masterpiece of romantic comedy.  And, while this is a much more subtle film in every way - it has a charm and sweetness to it leaves you hopefully, happy and contented.


It opens with Amy Irving's character Izzy, obviously mesmerized by the attention of a leading author and the hob nob world of upper Manhattan in which she lives.  Irving still shows a softness and femininity enhanced by an obvious love for her grandmother.  And Bubbie "makes" the film with her loving, scheming and traditional ways.


When set up with the Peter Riegert character, Izzy is not just facing the fear of a mismatch in social class, style and education, we also see her biggest fear is the lack of REAL romance.  And we are continually surprised by the depth of this pickle seller. The writer (thankfully) did not make him a closet Whitman or Joyce, but showed how often we underestimate those who are the very ones to best make our lives better. 


It's not a WOW, tear-jerking love story and not a terribly complex story.  But for those who like tradition, core values and seeing the good guy actually win - this might be one of the best movies you've never seen.


Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

The Great Raid (2005) - Joseph Fiennes, Benjamin Bratt

Friday, August 26, 2011 4:18 PM Posted by PolitiJim
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The Links:
IMDB | RottenTomatoes | FilmCritic 


Streaming: Amazon, Netflix


Genre: Action Adventure War Pic with Romantic Drama subplot


STUFF:
R,  2 hr. 12 min..




The Short Story
(Shining Through meets To End All Wars)
Star studded prisoner rescue film where Benjamin Bratt, James Franco (yeah, I know), Mark Consuelos plan a very quick rescue of hundreds of American prisoners in a Philippine prison held by sadistic Japanese tormentors under orders to fight to death - and leave no one alive.   Meanwhile, Connie Nielsen (Gladiator) fearlessly spearheads the Manila underground in part to get drugs to her true love, prisoner Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love).

The Best Review You've Never Read
I'll warn you up front.  The critics hated it.  Only got a 36% on Rotten Tomatoes.  It was panned by a LOT of people.  From reading the reviews you would think it was STRIPTEASE or GIGLI.  I remember really, really liking it the first time I saw it, late at night, on Pay-Per-VIew in a hotel room travelling somewhere.  But, with no expectations (I'd never even heard of the film) and no recollection of how sleep deprived or alcohol influenced - who really knows if my recollection was accurate?  Some people have a mind like a steel trap, others like a Styrofoam cooler that has been submerged in a polluted lake for 2 summers.  I leave it up to you which I am more prone to be categorized.


But, on an early AMC cable showing, despite having a backlogged call list, time critical work to do and a blog to plan, I put down everything and watched it all over again.  In my home abode, during non-libation hours.  And I loved it.  Remember - this blog is not THE BEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME, but THE BEST MOVIES YOU HAVEN'T SEEN.  And while not, anywhere near SAVING PRIVATE RYAN or DEFIANCE, I was thoroughly captivated for the rest of the movie.  72% of the public agreed with me at Rotten Tomatoes.  (Isn't it funny that critics LOVED the Clint Eastwood film LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA 91% but the public somewhat less.)   The movie did so bad at the theater - (IMDB says it made only $10 Million - basically the budget for a chef and masseuse on a Julia Roberts film) - that it was only shown on about 800 screens for 2 weeks.


This is taken from a real story which, in fact, remains the most successful rescue mission in U.S. military history.  One hundred twenty one, mostly inexperienced Army Rangers, went up against a seriously larger Japanese military force to rescue over 500 POW's.


I think what set this apart from other war films for me was the subplot involving the Manila underground.  Not only was Fiennes woman desparate to help him, she was incredibly strong and selfless why doing so.  This real life character, Margaret Utinsky, went on to receive the Medal of Freedom from President Truman. 


The film looks beautiful and while critics said it dragged, it did NOT at all for me.  And I like war films - but it's not my first choice unless I've been bottled up on a LA or Houston freeway for 3 hours going 15 m.p.h. behind Grandma "I love my brakes more than Geritol".


I didn't know it was a film based on a true story, but footage of the real characters added one a dimension that held me to through credits.  I love my country.  I love our armed forces.  I love it that we stand for good in the world and WANT to win for the underdog - or in the role of the  underdog.


Maybe some people didn't like it because the film depicts sacrificial love, honor, and the superiority not just of the land I love, but of the ideals it stands for.


For me this is a movie I would watch over and over again.  Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Ramen Girl (2008) Brittany Murphy

Sunday, August 14, 2011 4:15 PM Posted by PolitiJim
Labels: , , , , , , , 0 comments

The Links:
IMDB | RottenTomatoes | FilmCritic 


Streaming: Amazon, Netflix


Genre: Sweet Small Romantic Comedy with Foreign overtone


STUFF:
PG-13, 1 hr. 42 min.




The Short Story
(Karate Kid meets Like Water for Chocolate)
Anyway, Brittany's character follows worthless boyfriend to Japan and finds kindness from a couple that make ramen soup in their corner restaurant.  The 'ramen chef' is an art/science to be achieved and this ramen chef has no son to whom he can pass his legacy.  A rival chef will force him to sell, and the Brittany character is a total screw up


The Best Review You've Never Read
Whenever I see "sub-titles," my heart locks up like the brakes on a bad 1972 Ford Pinto. I want to be sophisticated, urbane and hip but let's face it - I'm not.  And more often than not - I'm watching this flicks to get away from pressures of life - not the challenge of catching the action on the screen, facial response and still trying to catch the words.  It takes commitment.


And the next studio/producer to release a film with WHITE subtitles against a white robe or black subtitles against the inside of a cave should have their Producers Union card revoked, shredded and fed to the Snakes on a Plane.


But I digress.  I really, really liked this film.


The Japanese subtitles are probably about 50% of the film but I didnt FEEL like it was much of an effort.  There was only one scene between two Japanese characters where I had to actually rewind to catch the dialogue, but that was only because I got distracted by my PDA.  (Damnit Sandra Bullock!  Quit calling me!! hehe).


I've NEVER been a huge Brittany Murphy fan but had no idea she was capable of this kind of work.  She is vulnerable, likeable and although there a few uneven responses - her acting never took me out of the movie.  If this movie had been built up as a something as good as NOTTING HILL or something - I probably wouldn't have liked it.  But it hit all the right buttons for a small, duck-out-of-water, romantic comedy for me.


What I liked most was the identification with someone who felt like life was screwed up, wouldn't give up (although sometimes even WE don't know why we don't), often we find the kindness and love of others packaged in ways we NEED  - rather than what we want.


And for those who need a happy ending - you get it. 

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