DAVID EAT WORLD

FROZEN RIVER, ****/5

2008-08-29T08:50:00.001-07:00

****/5

Written and Directed by Courtney Hunt

Melissa Leo
Misty Upham
Michael O'Keefe
Charlie McDermott
Mark Boone Junior

97 Minutes

There's something extra special you get from small indie films that you can't get with big budget blockbusters--real life. Big films take you to the heart of New York City or Los Angeles and show unreal people living very unreal lives. It's entertainment but it never really connects with the majority of people who pay to see it. People do enjoy escaping their own lives for someone else's more exciting life on the silver screen, which is fine, but when a small little film enters our lives which deals with real issues and real people, it feels like a breath of fresh air. Frozen River is such a film, a chilly reminder (in more ways than just the title suggests) of the lives we rarely see depicted inside a movie theatre. It is about the lives the majority of us live day-to-day, paycheck-to-paycheck.

The picture opens with the beaten down face of Ray Eddy (Melissa Leo), dressed only in a nightgown, smoking a cigarette, barefoot in the snow. The tears streaming down her face are the direct result of her husband’s betrayal of their family. He has taken all the money they were saving up for a doublewide trailer and disappeared. An obsessive gambler, he has left his wife and two kids with nothing. Ray and her children, T.J. and Ricky, live in upstate New York at the U.S.-Canadian border where the snow is deep and the people are poor. They also border the Mohawk Indian reservation where Ray will go in hopes of finding her deadbeat husband, most likely gambling away their nestegg. Despite finding his car there, Ray discovers he’s nowhere to be found until an Indian woman drives the vehicle away. In pursuit, Ray follows her to a camper in the woods and finds out there that the woman had found the car with keys in it at the bus station and took it home with her.

What Ray also discovers is that the woman, named Lila (Misty Upham), is as desperate as Ray because outside of menial jobs, Lila is an immigrant smuggler who needs a car to ply her trade. She smuggles illegal immigrants in the car’s trunk over the frozen St. Lawrence River into America because the work is easy and the money is very good. In exchange for use of the car, she offers Ray a job, which is out the question for Ray for legal and moral issues. But Ray's desperation gets the best of her and she reluctantly agrees to help, but only until she makes enough money to buy her family that doublewide trailer. As well, Christmas is right around the corner and without any extra money, her kids will continue to eat popcorn and drink Tang for breakfast.

Outside of being an amazing film filled with terrific performances, Frozen River is a story about poverty in America and the depths desperate but otherwise normal people will go to in order to survive. This film never once glamorizes what Lila and Ray do for living but it also never dismisses what they will do to survive. Breaking the law and driving a beat-up old car over a frozen river with illegal immigrants stuffed away in a truck are only a part of it. It is an extremely dangerous occupation they’ve chosen filled with even more dangerous people. But Ray does what she can for her family because not doing anything or playing by the rules will get her nothing.

The film centers on a strong script and fine direction by first time filmmaker Courtney Hunt. She has made a strong, powerful movie about a very controversial subject in America today. The other great thing about Frozen River is Melissa Leo. She is fantastic and the heart and soul of the picture. Her performance is perfect and she never for minute feels out of place here. The rest of the supporting cast, from Upham and the kids to Michael O'Keefe, who plays a border officer, are all perfect, too, and make this small little film feel much bigger in the grand scope of things.

This is an America we don't see much on the big screen or on the nightly news. It is about real people desperate to survive in the "greatest country in the world" and about people in terrible predicaments, trying to make things better. The sad truth is that people come to our country in hopes of a better life only to find themselves in similar surroundings with a bunch people many times just as or even more desperate than they are.

HAMLET 2, ****/5

2008-08-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

****/5

Directed by Andrew Fleming
Written by Pam Brady and Andrew Fleming

Steve Coogan
Catherine Keener
David Arquette
Amy Poehler
Elisabeth Shue

92 Minutes

My friend Jeff has a joke for every occasion, for any subject you can imagine. Granted, most of these jokes aren't funny to everyone but they are to me. He's got a million of them and I think I've heard them all another million times. One of my favorites is when he explains that he’s never seen Shakespeare's Henry V because he hasn’t seen the other four chapters. That’s funny stuff if you ask me. Stupid and ridiculous, yes, but funny. Unfortunately, I'm afraid Jeff won't go to see the film I'm reviewing this week entitled Hamlet 2 because, obviously, I don't think he’s read or seen Hamlet 1.

For me, Hamlet is the benchmark for all dramatic works. It is my favorite work of art of all time. It is a tragedy with a capital T and Shakespeare's defining work of brilliance or maybe Christopher Marlowe's, but that's a whole different subject.

In addition to it being my favorite play it is also Dana Marschz's, played by Steve Coogan, favorite. It is the role Dana was most destined to play and the reason he became an actor. But, unfortunately, Dana is a horrible actor who has only landed roles during his career in TV commercials, infomercials, and as a stand-in. His one big role was playing a villain on Xena: Warrior Princess and being a stand-in for the likes of Richard Dreyfus and Dustin Hoffman. He soon realized that acting would never be his calling so he moved to the place where dreams go to die: Tucson, Arizona. Following the mantra that those who can't do, teach, he gets a job teaching drama at the local high school where he has only two students, Rand (Skylar Astin) and Epiphany (Phoebe Stole). Together the three produce plays based on movies like Erin Brockovich and The Lake House performed before empty houses and panned by a 14-year old drama critic who writes for the school newspaper.

Dana's failures go beyond his acting and drama career, though. His wife, Brie (Catherine Keener), is desperate to get pregnant but can't. They’re also broke and can't afford a car so Dana rollerskates to work. Out of necessity, the two rent out half the house to a stranger named Gary (David Arquette) just to make ends meet. Dana’s life is floundering until he decides to finally write an original play for a school production, which he titles, Hamlet, Part 2. He always felt the original Hamlet was a real downer where everyone dies in the end. So in his play his Hamlet finds a time machine and comes back to save everyone from death. But that’s just the beginning because Hamlet also brings along with him in his machine Jesus Christ and the Bush administration. His play also features the music of Elton John, pays homage to Grease and Star Wars’ light sabers, and, oh yeah, it's a musical with a centerpiece song entitled "Rock Me Sexy Jesus".

Needless to say the school will have nothing to do with this offensive, politically incorrect play and fires Dana immediately. These actions are called to the attention of the ACLU, which sends Cricket Feldstein (Amy Poehler) to the rescue who saves the play from ruin. The show must go on with or without the high school involved and ultimately becomes the 21st century’s version of Springtime For Hitler in the desert.

Hamlet 2 is a hilarious, laugh-out-loud film that is so over-the-top you can't help but fall in love with it. Steve Coogan is terrific in this film. It is his finest work yet on American shores. This British comic made a name for himself on the BBC and in small indie films like Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story and 24-Hour Party People. He can also be seen in the current release Tropic Thunder where he plays alongside Ben Stiller and Robert Downey, Jr. He is the heart and soul of Hamlet 2 and portrays the best, failed actor on screen since Christopher Guest’s performance in Waiting For Guffman. The rest of the cast is also great from Catherine Keener and Amy Poehler to David Arquette who barely says a word in the film. I have never liked Arquette--that is until now. The other highlight performance of the film is from Elisabeth Shue who plays herself in the film. She has given up acting and become a nurse in Tuscon. She doesn't miss Hollywood but she does miss kissing cute actors for a living.

Hamlet 2 is one of my favorite films of the year so far and I can't wait to see it again. It's rude and crude, smart and funny, and everything that other recently released comedies like The Love Guru and Zohan aren't. I hope my friend Jeff makes it to see Hamlet 2. I hope he will someday either read Hamlet or see the original or see the other four Henry films.

VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, *****/5

2008-08-15T08:36:00.002-07:00

*****/5

Written and Directed by Woody Allen

Javier Bardem
Scarlett Johansson
Penelope Cruz
Rebecca Hall
Patricia Clarkson

96 Minutes

The house lights dim and the jazz music starts under the opening credits: stark, white text over a black background. Without hesitation, the film’s main title appears along with the cast of characters listed in alphabetical order followed by the crew credits. Finally, as that ends those words that I adore appear—“Written and Directed by Woody Allen.” Fade to black. Fade in: Scene 1.

Allen has begun each and every one of his films that way for nearly 40 years. Now it’s 39 films later to be exact and it feels like home every time. Those opening credits feel the same way you do when you sit down to a favorite meal. That moment when the plate is set before you, eagerly grab your utensils, and give your plate one last wide-eyed look before it's all gone. That opening scene to a Woody film is like the first bite of a well-prepared dinner. Open mouth, insert food, chew slowly, swallow.

For this feast, we head to Spain for Allen’s latest work titled, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. It is rich and delicious and worth every succulent bite. Upon arriving in Barcelona we meet Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) en route for two summer months in Spain with a friend of Vicky's family (Patricia Clarkson). Vicky has just completed college where she studied Catalan culture and Spanish architecture and plans to spend her summer seeing all the amazing work done by Gaudi. At the end of her vacation she plans to head back to New York and marry her fiancé, executive (Chris Messina). He’s everything she thinks she wants in a man. Her life is planned out and perfect. Cristina, on the other hand, is just along for the ride. Recently heartbroken and searching for her place in the world, she is in Spain for the life experience and is up for everything and anything.

While out for dinner their first night, the two girls are approached by Jose Antonio (Javier Bardem), an artist, who invites Vicky and Cristina to travel with him to Oviedo to see great works of art and have sex. Vicky, of course, is appalled while Cristina couldn't be more intrigued by the proposition. Needless to say, Cristina somehow convinces Vicky to go and the adventure begins. While in Oviedo, Jose Antonio seduces these beautiful American girls with architecture, art, Spanish guitar, food, and wine. If you are going to see Spain, this is the way to do it. While Christina is putty in Jose Antonio's hands, Vicky refuses to let her guard down until Christina becomes ill one night. Having had too much food and wine, she leaves Vicky alone with Jose Antonio.

Upon returning to Barcelona, Cristina begins a love affair with Jose Antonio and moves in with him for the summer. Everything is great until Jose Antonio's ex-wife, Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz), a half-crazed passionate artist herself, reappears in his life. With nowhere else to go, she moves in with Jose Antonio and Christina and this happy twosome becomes a “Three's Company.” At the same time, Vicky's impatient fiance comes to Spain to marry her there and start the honeymoon. But Spain has changed Vicky. She is not the woman she was when she left the States.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is one of Woody Allen's greatest films, definitely his best since Match Point. He excels with his artistry in this film. Between his steady direction and smart, witty (Woody) script, he could have only made a film like this now at 70. Much as been made in the hype building up to the release of this film of the onscreen kiss between Penelope and Scarlett, and their relationship with Bardem. But Woody never for a minute exploits the titillation of the girl-on-girl kiss or the menage-a-trois that ensues. There is far too much depth and sexuality already in place to turn this into something like that. Woody's use of narration in the film works wonderfully much like it did in the film, Little Children. It keeps us in the story and gives it a feel of a fable. It all works beautifully. The performances are all terrific. Scarlett continues to do her best work under Woody's direction; Bardem is great as always; and Cruz gives her best performance ever in an American film. This is definitely her best work since Volver.

To top everything off, in addition to the fine acting, and the writing and directing, there is Spain and all its beauty displayed so vividly on screen. The country is breathtaking and intoxicating. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is like an amazing Spanish meal with a bottle of Rioja on the side and the sound of Spanish guitar in the distance.

MAN ON WIRE, ****/5

2008-08-09T14:08:00.005-07:00

****/5

Directed by James Marsh

94 Minutes

In the very early morning of August 7, 1974 in the middle of morning rush hour in New York City, commuters witnessed a man walking on air in-between the newly constructed World Trade Center towers. He wasn't really walking on air, of course, but from below, looking110 floors above and at well over 1,300 feet above them it looked to people on the ground as if he was. This man was Philippe Petit, a Parisian street artist performing the impossible and still considered by many as the artistic crime of the century--a high-wire act at the top of the world. For 45 minutes, Petit crossed between the north and south towers eight times before he was taken off and arrested for his actions.

Man On Wire is the new documentary telling the story of that moment in time and the events leading up to Petit’s execution of the daring feat. Director James Marsh has made a beautiful film that is part docudrama, part heist film because what Petit and his team pulled off was nothing short of a fantastic caper. His team consisted of his girlfriend, Annie, and best friends Jean-Francois and Jean-Louis, along with an Australian, two Americans, and an insurance executive who had an office in one of the towers. This last team member played the role of the “inside man.”

On August 6, these folks made it to the top of WTC, all the way up lugging a 450-pound cable and a 26-foot balancing pole along with them. Avoiding security guards and construction workers, they attached the cable in the dark and by dawn Petit was dancing on it without a safety net or safety harness high above a crowd of stunned onlookers, causing a huge sensation that stopped traffic in lower Manhattan. While Man On Wire tells this part of the story it also cuts away to tell the other incredible story of its planner and mastermind, Philippe Petit.

Nothing more than a street performer in France who rode unicycles, Petit did magic and pantomime. He also taught himself how to walk on a wire. He confesses that he has the mind of a criminal but has no mind to commit crimes (outside of trespassing, etc.). While sitting in his dentist’s office in 1968, he read about the construction of the World Trade Center and instantly knew what his life's work would be. He felt as if those towers were built for him to conquer and for the next 6 1/2 years would stop at nothing to do it. In preparation for New York he high-wired the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris while Mass was being performed and did Sydney, Australia’s Harbor Bridge during rush hour. He was making a name for himself but no one outside of his close-knit team would have ever thought the World Trade Center was next.

But he did it just as he had always planned and succeeded beyond anyone's expectations. After they arrested him, he was forced him into a series of psychological evaluations that he passed with flying colors, eventually prompting authorities to drop all charges. His actions astonished and delighted people and made him a celebrity, which he still maintains to this day at his home in France. Part of what makes this film so wonderful is Petit himself. He is terrific; a man full of life even while the grip of death is looming for him on the wire. The other great thing about this film is Marsh's choice not to bring in any talk of the demise of the WTC. The words “September 11th” are never spoken nor ever seen in this film. These towers are celebrated right along with the man who crossed them.

Man On Wire is a fascinating, perfectly told story that feels more narrative at times than documentary. It is one of the best artistic films of the year about one of the great artistic feats in modern history and it gives a front row center seat--1,300 feet above the ground.

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, ****/5

2008-08-06T07:14:00.003-07:00

****/5

Directed by David Gordon Green
Written by Ethan Goldberg and Seth Rogan

Seth Rogan
James Franco
Danny McBride
Gary Cole
Rosie Perez

111 Minutes

Do you know that cannabis, or marijuana, has been around for thousands of years? There's evidence that people have been smoking it since the Neolithic age back in 10,000 BC. In addition to pot there is also hemp. Hemp is made from the male seed of cannabis while marijuana is made with the female seed. (Hmmm. Once again, women making us high on life.) Those against the use of cannabis would rather see the world rid of the plant because of smoking the female seed but it's the male seed that could make the world a better place with its many by-products, including paper, textiles, plastics, food, and yes, even fuel. We need cannabis in our lives and we best come to grips with it because if we don't things don't look good for our future. We are just going to have to accept the female seed’s existence in exchange for the male seed’s uses, which could very well save this doomed planet. So light one up and deal with it for the sake of the future.

For the record, I don't smoke marijuana. I have done so in the past but I haven’t in a very long time. I do prefer pot to cigarettes (of which I smoke too much) because it tastes better and definitely smells better but I just never really bought into the marijuana culture. Folks need an escape at the end of a long day and things like alcohol and marijuana help people in different ways. I guarantee you that if corporate America could find a way to make marijuana profitable it would be legal in a second. They found a way with alcohol and cigarettes. Marijuana would be a goldmine compared to those two cash crops. Since corporations really are the ones running the world, it'll all just be a matter of time, I suspect. But don't hold your breath too long.

The new film Pineapple Express is about marijuana--lots and lots of marijuana. It is the latest dope comedy following in the footsteps of Cheech and Chong's stoner comedies of the late 70's and early 80's and also the modern classic, Half Baked (1998). Just this year there have been a small handful of pot-themed films like Harold & Kumar and The Wackness. Even on television Weeds continues to be successful despite its taboo subject. This time around the comedic genius behind The 40-Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad, Producer Judd Apatow, is back with yet another winner about two stoners running for there lives from a drug dealer. Dale (Seth Rogan) is a process server by day and a pot enthusiast by night. He also has a business relationship with his friend Saul (James Franco) his drug dealer. Saul sets Dale up with a brand new strain of marijuana called Pineapple Express, the best weed for the money. Dale couldn't be happier until one night on the job he witnesses a murder and flees the scene, leaving behind a half smoked Pineapple Express joint.

The murder Dale witnesses was done by drug kingpin, Ted (Gary Cole), and his lover, Carol (Rosie Perez), who also happens to be a dirty cop. While Dale gets his pot from Saul, Saul gets his from Red (Danny McBride) who gets his from--you guessed it--Ted. The Pineapple Express joint gets traced back to Saul and Dale and a bounty is put on their heads. A pair of hit men (Kevin Corrigan and Craig Robinson) is sent out to get these clueless slackers and the adventure begins.

Pineapple Express is really two films in one: an uproarious comedy in the vein of Knocked Up and Superbad, and a tense, violent caper taken out of the handbook of Quentin Tarantino. For as many laughs as you get in this movie it is also neatly entwined with some pretty violent action that would make Tarantino proud. Ethan Goldberg and Rogan, who also did Superbad, co-wrote the film. Rogan may never win an acting award but his writing with Goldberg is top notch. But to me the biggest surprise is the direction of David Gordon Green. This is Green's biggest film to date, his most mainstream yet. Green is a terrific director who in the past made small indie dramas like All the Real Girls and George Washington. Pineapple Express is the complete opposite of those two films.

The acting star of the film, however, is James Franco. He is terrific and hilarious. His role of Saul was originally planned to be played by Rogan but upon the read through it was obvious that Franco was the man for the part. Danny McBride is also very funny here and definitely someone to watch for in the future. All around, Pineapple Express works. It is very funny and smart and will go down as the quintessential dope comedy of its generation. I do think the other Apatow comedies are better than this film but as a group they are all terrific. And, you see, cannabis can serve a good purpose. It can help save the world, can save a day from ruin, and can even help make comedies funnier than ever.

THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE, ***/5

2008-07-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

***/5

Directed by Chris Carter
Written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz

David Duchovny
Gillian Anderson
Brian Connolly
Amanda Peet
Xzibit

105 Minutes

The most important thing, I think, a film critic should be for his readers is truthful. Since I started writing film criticism in 2004 I have been nothing short of completely honest with my comments in my reviews. I may not be the greatest writer in the world but I have purposely tried to be a truthful and straightforward writer. Sometimes my frankness, though, has gotten the newspaper and me in some hot water but at least I wasn't just blowing smoke to get a reaction out of people. I have taken this job very seriously in the last 4 years and I hope that point shows more than anything else.

Having said that it is important for me to tell you that I have never seen one TV episode or even one second of The X-Files. Was it a smart move on my behalf to see the last two hours of something that has been going since 1993 and now comment on it? Perhaps not, but I did and hopefully I will make some sort of sense of it all by the end of this review. By the time I was remotely interested in finding out what The X-Files was all about the story was too far along to catch up. The show was a pop culture phenomenon during the 90's for everyone, perhaps except me. I knew the names, Mulder and Scully, and the gist of what the show was about but that's where it began and ended. I avoided the first X-Files movie in 1998 because it seemed useless for me to review but I’ve changed my mind with the final chapter of the saga, I Want To Believe.

I went to the new movie for some alien abduction/science fiction adventure but, sadly, that's not what this film is about. In fact, I didn't really need to know much of anything regarding the last 15 years of the story line to understand this film. This is more of a police procedural movie than a science fiction, double feature. Imagine there was a script lying around in the vein of The Silence of the Lambs and they decided to rename the main characters Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. No aliens to be found or weirdness lurking around, just missing persons and body parts. I Want To Believe is more CSI than X-Files and I'm not so sure this finale is going to make longtime fans happy.

Scully (Gillian Anderson) is a doctor in a Catholic hospital long detached from her paranormal past of playing skeptic to Mulder's (David Duchovny) believer. Mulder is now holed up in the middle of nowhere, bearded and alone and living the life of a hermit. That is until an FBI agent goes missing and a pedophiliac priest with ESP named Father Crissman (Brian Connolly) appears with visions of the abduction. With nowhere else to turn Federal Agents Whitney (Amanda Peet) and Drummy (Xzibit) find Mulder to help them with their case despite the fact that their agency destroyed and discredited Mulder years earlier. And despite the fact that no one believes the priest, Mulder of course does, so he reluctantly agrees to help. Scully, however, is less enthused but does so out her love for Mulder.

Outside of some twists and turns and some sicko Russians on the loose, that is pretty much the story of I Want To Believe. I wanted to believe there was something more going on or happening but I was mistaken. One rabid fan of the show told me after the screening that if this would have been an episode back in the 90's it would have been considered a bad week. Instead, they lure the fans back for a finale that feels worse than a bad week. This is not a terrible film by any means but it has little do to with anything related to the characters or the franchise. It's a mystery/thriller that never needed to have characters named Mulder and Scully in it to make sense. In fact, it would have probably been a more interesting film had Anderson and Duchovny not been in their X-Files characters. It would have worked merely as an unrelated reunion of two beloved stars. Why they felt this film needed to be made is beyond me especially now during this super hero summer. I don't think anyone really cares about this and would rather go see the Joker for the fifth time instead. Unless of course . . . you want to believe.

THE DARK KNIGHT, ****/5

2008-07-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

****/5

Directed by Christopher Nolan
Written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan
Based on the DC Comics

Christian Bale
Heath Ledger
Aaron Eckhart
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Michael Caine
Morgan Freeman
Gary Oldman

150 Minutes

The anticipation for the release of The Dark Knight has been palpable. Ever since the tragic and untimely death of the film’s co-star Heath Ledger earlier this year, the anticipation has been even more rabid. It has been the most talked about movie in 2008 and will probably be the highest grossing film of the year right along side Iron Man. But hey, no pressure, right? A piece of cake.

The Batman franchise was one nail away from having its coffin sealed until British-born director Christopher Nolan and fellow countryman actor Christian Bale took over in 2005 with Batman Begins, one of the best films of that year. It was the Batman film we had wanted but never got from Tim Burton or Joel Schumacher. Bale was a terrific choice to play the Dark Knight, especially when you compare him to former caped crusaders George Clooney and Michael Keaton. Nolan and Bale’s Batman Begins told the creation story of Bruce Wayne and his journey from orphan to super-hero, and now Part Two, The Dark Knight, kicks things into high gear.

The Dark Knight is perhaps the darkest and moodiest super-hero film ever made. This film may be PG-13 but the underlining tone is very adult. It is all about how actions always have consequences. It is a film about madness, power and sacrifice, so much so I think Shakespeare would even have approved. In Gotham City, it isn't always easy to know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are, and that even goes for Batman himself. But despite all the drama, it still is an all-out action adventure film, the likes of which we haven't seen before. It is a film that embodies nearly everything a Bat-fan would want and gives it to you on a silver platter.

This film picks where the first one left off--we've got Bruce Wayne and his people, Alfred (Michael Caine), and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), keeping both him and his alter-ego in check. There's also Batman's guy on the inside, Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman), keeping Gotham City safe. The only change this time around is with the Rachel character, played by Katie Holmes the first time around and replaced here with the even better Maggie Gyllenhaal. Apparently, Tom Cruise only lets her make bad Diane Keaton movies nowadays instead of artistic blockbusters. New additions to Batman are District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), and, of course, The Joker (Heath Ledger) whose performance I'll talk more about in a minute.

Harvey Dent is cleaning-up Gotham City one criminal at a time. He's become Gotham City's super-hero without a cape. Batman seems to do the dirty work for the city while Dent makes sure they are prosecuted and sent to jail. Without meaning to, these two have become quite a pair, especially considering Bruce Wayne's dear Rachel is now happily engaged to Dent.

Attacking the goodness of Gotham City, the bad guys join forces in order to succeed. They pool all their money and stand firm until The Joker shows up to help. Considered a freak by the other villains, The Joker is the smartest of the bunch and vows to not only beat the system but also anyone who gets in his way. Thus begins good versus bad versus worse.

Despite the fact The Dark Knight is a Batman film let me tell you that Heath Ledger in the role of The Joker turns it into his film to excel. Remove any vision you have of earlier Jokers from your mind. Ledger’s version is neither Cesar Romero nor Jack Nicholson by any measure. This is a completely new Joker, one with more charisma and terror than anything you have ever seen before. It's nearly impossible to out shine a Jack Nicholson portrayed character but Heath Ledger has schooled him here. Every scene he is in is amazing and magical and, regrettably, every scene he isn't in is not. You pay to see Batman in a Batman film and all you want in this one is more Joker. Ledger's performance sparkles here and rivals his performance in Brokeback Mountain. He is the Dark Knight. Don’t let the top billing fool you.

The opening scene of the film is as good any opening scene you’ll experience. The problem is that the film doesn’t keep the incline going. The Dark Knight is a very good film, worthy of the hype, but it is not the masterpiece I was hoping for nor was sold on by the pre-release hype. There are some amazing scenes mixed in with some not-so amazing scenes and, during the last act of the film, it seems as if they are throwing everything at us plus the kitchen sink and, quite frankly, it's dizzying. It is worth the price of admission and worth its weight in gold but only slightly rivals Iron Man for the coveted super-hero film of the year.

Nonetheless, the franchise is in good hands and I'm already anticipating Part Three.

THE WACKNESS, ****/5

2008-07-18T06:55:00.003-07:00

****/5

Written and Directed by Jonathan Levine

Josh Peck
Ben Kingsley
Olivia Thrilby
Mary Kate Olsen
Jane Adams
Famke Janssen
Method Man

95 Minutes

I was giddy, downright excited, to go see the new indie film, The Wackness. Now I know that I see 3-4 films a week but for some strange reason I couldn't wait to get to the theatre. I purposely knew little about this film except for the fact that it won the Audience Award at Sundance in January. I knew Ben Kingsley was in it and has a make-out scene with one of the Olsen twins but that was all I knew. What really got me excited about seeing this film was the fact that there were no super heroes to be found anywhere and Mike Myers and Adam Sandler weren't in it either. Did I mention that I was giddy? In a summer full of explosions and spectacles, finally there was a small intimate film about real people living real lives. See, now I've gotten you excited. Haven't I?

The Wackness is the story of a boy named Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) and the months between high school graduation and college. Luke by no means was one of the popular kids in school. Depending upon how look at things, he was either the least popular kid in school or the biggest unpopular kid in school. But Luke was revered among his peers because instead of flipping burgers for a living he sold marijuana, lots of marijuana, the high-grade stuff you don't mind paying extra for. Luke did his business out in the open by pushing an ice cream wagon around New York City in 1994 at a time when Mayor Giuliani made things difficult for drug dealers. This was the era when Times Square was turning into Disney World and neighborhood jails were filled with graffiti artists and homeless people.

One of Luke's best customers was Stephanie (Olivia Thrilby), a beautiful young girl who Luke adored but never dared approach. Stephanie's stepfather was also one of Luke's best customers. Dr. Squires (Ben Kingsley) kept Luke in business and repaid his pot debt with free therapy. Luke really didn't need a psychiatrist but welcomed the opportunity to be able to talk to someone openly and honestly. Through frequent visits they become fast friends and eventually drug partners--Luke has the goods and Dr. Squires has the connections.

Dr. Squires is married to Mrs. Squires--better known as Stephanie's mom (Famke Janssen)--lives her life in a prescription drugged haze and is never without a cigarette in her mouth. Her marriage to Dr. Squires is dead. She knows it and he knows it but they continue to act as if nothing is wrong. Luke on the other hand finally strikes up a friendship with Stephanie who frequents him on his drug dealing deliveries to his many clients. Two are an ex-musician named Eleanor (Jane Adams), who never leaves her apartment, and a young Deadhead named Union (Mary Kate Olsen), who hangs out in Central Park for a living. Eventually Luke and Stephanie grow closer together but Luke knows that autumn is approaching fast and it will all end when they both head off to different colleges.

The Wackness among many things is a coming-of-age tale about a boy becoming a man and finding his place in the world. In his first real starring role, Josh Peck does a fine job of playing the tough complicated role of Luke Shapiro. His young age and looks work for him in this film because he spends the entire time playing a grown-up boy living in the big city. Innocence and street smarts all rolled into one. Olivia Thrilby as Stephanie gives another fine performance. She is most well known for being Juno's best friend in last year's mega-hit by the same name. With her role in Wackness she is showing signs of a fine young career.

But the highlight of The Wackness is Sir Ben Kingsley in one of his best performances ever and one of the best supporting roles of the year to date. Kingsley is magical in this role and worth the price of admission alone. He is amazing. His Dr. Squires role is so flawed and complicated it is hard to imagine anyone besides Kingsley in it. He is deep and funny and thanks to the smartly written script by Jonathan Levine makes the memorable movie character for the year.

The Wackness is not a perfect film by any means but it is a nice detour in a summer filled with big budgets and even bigger disappointments. It is a smart film filled with characters you genuinely care for and love. It is also a film filled with great music from the Notorious B.I.G., A Tribe Called Quest and the Wu-Tang Clan. It all feels real and legit in a summer that has felt little of either.

BLACK POINT FILM FESTIVAL

2007-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Learn about David's past with the Black Point Film Festival
at http://bpff.blogspot.com/