The Sly Fox Film Reviews

Rain: The Ninja Assassin Interview

2009-11-21T09:47:00.000-05:00

with Kam Williams

Headline: Rain in the Forecast

Jeong “Rain” Jihoon was born in Seoul, South Korea on June 25, 1982 where he and his younger sister were raised in poverty by their single mother after their father abandoned the family for Brazil. Rain was a very shy child who developed an interest in dancing while in junior high. He continued to pursue that passion at Anyang School for the Arts, where also added acting and singing to his repertoire.
He began neglecting his studies to go out on auditions during his junior year when his mom could no longer support the family as a street vendor due to a debilitating diabetes condition. Unfortunately, he found himself being repeatedly rejected for supposedly being unattractive, because he didn’t have double eyelids.
When his mother died while he was still a teenager, failure was no longer an option. Dedicating his career to her, Rain persevered, and eventually blossomed into a handsome hunk popular enough to go by just one name. In fact, the striking, 6’ tall actor/dancer/model/singing sensation subsequently landed on both Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People Who Shape Our World” list and on People Magazine’s “100 Most Beautiful People” list.
He made his musical debut with the 2002 album “Rain,” and subsequently starred on the TV series “Sang Doo! Let’s Go To School.” His second CD, “How to Avoid the Sun,” was followed by “It’s Raining,” which sold over one million copies in Asia. And his “Rainy Day” concert tour featured sold-out dates in Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan and the United States, including a couple of shows at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. His fourth album, “Rain’s World,” was released in 2006 and kick-started another highly-acclaimed world tour.
So, it’s no surprise that Rain became the first Asian artist invited to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards. His other music industry honors include the MTV Asia Grand Slam, being named Favorite Korean Artist by MTV, and winning the Most Popular Asian Artist Award in Thailand, as well as the Best Buzz Asia Award at MTV Japan’s Video Music Awards and the Best Korean Singer Award at the Mandarin Music Honors in Beijing.
Here, Rain talks about playing the title role in Ninja Assassin, a martial arts action flick likely to turn the versatile pop icon into a bona fide Hollywood box office attraction.

Kam Williams: Hi Rain, thanks so much for the time.
Rain: Hi, how are ya?
KW: Great, and you?
R: I’m fine. Have you seen my movie?
KW: Yes, I loved it, and I thought your performance was great.
R: Oh, thank you.
KW: What interested you in Ninja Assassin?
R: Actually, Andy and Larry Wachowski offered me the role when we were working on Speed Racer, and I said, “Yes!” I just couldn’t say, “No.”
KW: I heard you had a very serious training regimen for this part.
R: Yes, I trained 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 8 months to try to make body look like Bruce Lee’s. It was hard, and studied a lot of martial arts: I learned tae-kwon-do, aikido, kung-fu, kickboxing, sword, double-sword, chain and shuriken.
KW: Did you have a special diet?
R: No sugar, no salt, and I ate only chicken breast and vegetables.
KW: The character you play in Ninja Assassin had a difficult childhood. Did you identify at all with Raizo because you had a rough childhood, too?
R: No, it was very different from mine, but I loved playing him.
KW: I saw an interview with the actress Megan Fox where she said she saw you without your shirt on, and that she’d like you to sing to her. She also said that she wants to have a date and that she could see herself falling in love with you? Did you hear about her having a crush on you?
R: Yes, I heard about it from my agent.
KW: So, are you willing to go on a date with her?
R: Of course! [LOL]
KW: Have you ever seen the Japanese, reality-TV series Ninja Warrior? I was wondering whether you’d ever like to compete on the show and see if you could master the obstacle course.
R: Ninja Warrior? I’m not familiar with it.
KW: Maybe the show has a different name in Korea. How did it feel to make People Magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People in the World List?
R: It was amazing! I couldn’t believe it. That was good news.
KW: Maybe more importantly, you were also named one of the 100 Most Influential People Who Shape Our World by Time Magazine. What did you think about that?
R: I was really surprised because I didn’t think I was that influential.
KW: The Rudy Lewis question: Who’s at the top of your hero list?
R: My mother passed away when I was young, because we were so poor. It is because of her that I’m here. She’s my hero. I love her. I miss her.
KW: Is it true, that you visit her gravesite every time before you leave the country?
R: Yes, always.
KW: You sing, dance, act, model and design clothes. Which is your favorite thing to do?
R: You know what? That’s like asking someone if they prefer their mother or their father. I love all of them, singing, dancing, acting…
KW: Ling-Ju Yen says that you are famous for your dance moves. She was wondering whether you were inspired by Michael Jackson and how you felt about his death.
R: Yes, when I was young, I loved Michael Jackson. He was my idol. I loved him, and I’m still so sad about his passing.
KW: Ling-Ju also asks, do you think that Ninja Assassin will create more opportunities in Hollywood for actors from Asia?
R: Hopefully.
KW: Yale Grad Tommy Russell would like to know: What do you think the likelihood is of a reunification of South and North Korea?
R: I’d very much like to see a reunification.
KW: Tommy has another question: who is your favorite Asian actress?
R: I think Gong Li is the most incredible actress.
KW: Larry Greenberg says that his Korean friends show him great warmth and hospitality. But he has never met any who are like the ninjas he sees in the movies. He asks if ninja assassins are common in Korea?
R: [Laughs] No, that’s just in the movies.
KW: Marcia Evans asks if you are familiar with a Korean jazz singer named Insooni?
R: Insooni? Yes, I know her. She’s a very beautiful and talented diva.
KW: Why did you launch your own clothing line last year?
R: It was always my dream to design a clothing line. So, I did it.
KW: How would you describe it?
R: My clothing line, Six to Five, is very casual.
KW: I know you are pals with a lot of hip-hop icons who also go by one name. Guys like Diddy, Omarion and Tyrese have appeared onstage with you in the U.S. Do you have plans for another concert in America soon?
R: Yes, I have a concert in Las Vegas on Christmas Day. It’ll be huge.
KW: I have to admit that I had been unfamiliar with your music, but preparing for this interview I checked out a lot of your videos, like “The Way to Avoid the Sun,” “I’m Coming,” “I Do” and “Any Dream,” and I was quite impressed. They’re tremendous! Now, I’m a big fan, too!
R: Thank you so much. That is my honor.
KW: No, it is my honor. Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
R: Yes, do you have a girlfriend?
KW: Okay, do you have a girlfriend?
R: I don’t have a girlfriend, but I need a girlfriend. So, I hope to find one very soon. I’m very lonely.
KW: Well, I might be able to help by spreading the word. I have a lot of female readers. What type of woman are you looking for?
R: I love all kinds of sexy girls.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
R: Un-huh.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
R: Yes, I’m so happy to be here, traveling all around the U.S.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
R: 5 minutes ago.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
R: A Korean book about sports.
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?
R: I love rap music. Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac and Eminem.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
R: The future… Just the future… a better future ahead.
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
R: I never cook. I’m always too busy too cook.
KW: Thanks again, Rain, and best of luck with Ninja Assassin and all your many other endeavors.
R: Thank you, sir.

Funny People DVD

2009-11-21T09:44:00.000-05:00

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Bittersweet Buddy Flick Starring Adam Sandler as Terminally-Ill Comic Arrives on DVD

This bittersweet buddy flick revolves around a terminally-ill, middle-aged, Hollywood icon (Adam Sandler) who decides to give an aspiring, young comic (Seth Rogen) the big break he’s been waiting for. Written and directed by Judd Apatow, the semi-autobiographical adventure marks a macabre departure from the superficial scatology and sophomoric slapstick with which the bottom-feeding filmmaker’s name has come to be associated.
By contrast, this relatively-cerebral indulgence amounts mostly to a maudlin meditation on the meaning of life which simultaneously attempts to pay homage to every comedian who ever tried to make it in Hollywood. The dialogue relies heavily on a flip brand of humor reminiscent of the inside industry banter popularized by the hit HBO series Entourage.
At the point of departure, we find George Simmons lounging around his sprawling mansion where he’s dividing his time between making phony phone calls and perusing script proposals poolside. The shallow Romeo also has his pick of the litter from among the adoring throngs of groupies who throw themselves at him, although it’s clear that he’s only interested in one-night stands.
Everything changes the day he receives a sobering diagnosis of late-stage leukemia from his Swedish doctor (Torsten Voges). With less than a year to live, friendless and estranged from his only sibling (Nicol Paone), George becomes desperate for a shoulder to lean on. So, he offers delicatessen counterman Ira a job as his joke writer and opening act, secretly hoping to find a confidante he can count on in the process.
Together virtually 24/7, George and Ira prove to be good for each other and gradually bond, with the former grudgingly showing his protégé how to hold an audience in the palm of his hand, while the latter helps his boss appreciate what really matters in life. Proof positive that when bad things happen to funny people, they might not be all that funny anymore.

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Unrated with profanity, ethnic slurs, sexuality and pervasive crude humor.
Running time: 146 minutes
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
2-Disc Unrated DVD Extras: Gag reels, deleted, extended and alternate scenes, feature commentary by director Seth Rogen, Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, 3 documentaries, music by James Taylor, RZA, Adam Sandler and Jon Brion, plus 4 more featurettes.

Defamation (ISRAELI)

2009-11-20T19:10:00.000-05:00

(Hashmatsa)
Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Incendiary Israeli Traverses Planet in Search of Anti-Semitism

Being a Jew raised in Israel, Yoav Shamir had never personally experienced any anti-Semitism. Although his people were decimated by Hitler and the Holocaust, he nonetheless wonders, “How does anything that happened 60 years ago have any relevance today?” So, since he was raised in a country where he was shielded from discrimination against Jews, he decided to venture out into the world to try to find out whether the allegations he often hears of the persistence of such practices elsewhere were even warranted
The upshot of his travels is Defamation, as controversial and as thought-provoking a piece of investigative journalism on the subject as you’re ever likely to find. For Mr. Shamir masks his true motivations with an innocuous, nebbishy persona, in order to ingratiate himself with his subjects, mostly fellow Jews, who have no idea he is very suspicious of their claims of mistreatment on account of their religion.
For example, Abe Forman, Chairman of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), cooperated with the project, ostensibly giving the agent provocateur full access to the organization’s NYC headquarters. Little did honest Abe or his employees know that they would be accused of flaring up as much anti-Semitism as it eradicates.
The intrepid filmmaker argues that the ADL operates 27 offices on a $70 million annual budget which might disappear in the absence of hate crimes against Jews. He coaxes one of the charity’s benefactors to concede on camera that “We need to play on that guilt. That’s the American Jewish way.” An ADL staffer assigned to investigate everything from denigrating statements to genocide sheepishly admits that the bulk of the 1500 incidents of the past year have been minor, like the complaints from people not being allowed to take off from work for the Jewish holidays.
Shamir also talks to some Israeli teens who are uiniformly presented as totally paranoid. One says, “Everybody knows that Jews are hated. We were raised that way.” Another asserts, “What makes us special is that no one can stand us. But we are proud of it.” Then, there’s the girl on a high school outing to Auschwitz, who comes off as callous when she says she feels nothing while standing at the spot where more Jews are buried than anyplace on Earth.
Director Shamir undoubtedly gets some of his chutzpah from his shrewish mother, a shrill character who never minces her words while shouting some ugly stereotypes such as “Jews are crooks!” and “Jews love money!” She tries to rationalize her self-hatred with, “I am the real Jew! Money does not blind me” and by explaining that good Jews return to Israel rather than live elsewhere and wait for another Hitler instead of the Messiah.
Her chip off the old block son succinctly summarizes, “I think putting so much emphasis on the past, as horrific as it has been, is holding us back. Maybe it is time to live in the present and look to the future.” An incendiary documentary likely to generate quite spirited conversations about whether Jews remain victims of ongoing persecution or if right-wing Zionists are simply circulating rumors in order to leverage sympathy for the nation of Israel.
Borat hunts for neo-Nazis!

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In English and Hebrew with subtitles.
Running time: 92 minutes
Studio: First Run Features

Humpday DVD

2009-11-19T19:28:00.000-05:00

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Straight Guys Do Gay Porn in Homoerotic Comedy Coming to DVD

During their college days, Ben (Mark Duplass) and Andrew (Joshua Leonard) had a reputation on campus as party animals. But that was a decade ago and since then Ben has started a career, settled down and married, while slacker Andrew has remained as wild as ever and never really amount to anything. So, it’s no surprise that the two would have drifted apart and lost touch over the intervening years.
But then Ben and his wife (Alycia Delmore) get the shock of their lives one evening when Andrew shows up at their house unannounced, looking for a place to stay. Understanding Anna agrees to let her husband’s old pal crash at their place, and even encourages them to hang out.
However, Andrew takes Ben to an orgy being run by a lesbian named Monica (Lynn Shelton) where people are into very kinky stuff like a woman who’s letting a dog lick peanut butter off her. Ben knows not only that Anna is home cooking dinner but that they have an after-dinner date since she’s ovulating and they’ve been desperately trying to have a baby. This makes what he does next all the more bizarre.
For, under the influence and egged on by the rest of the degenerates to express their longtime love for each other, Ben and Andrew on a mutual dare decide to co-star in “Tender is the Butt,“ a gay porn flick, and to enter it into competition at the so-called Humpfest. And despite being straight, they kiss each other before making plans to rent a motel room to shoot what they refer to as a homoerotic art film.
Needless to say, Anna is furious when Ben stays out late, so he doesn’t let on that he’s about to cheat on her with another man. This is the wacky point of departure of Humpday, an offbeat farce directed by Lynn Shelton. Riveting, if not exactly realistic, the sitcom’s shocking subject-matter alone makes the picture strictly for the very open-minded.
Provides enough laughs along the way to make the raunchy ride worth it while waiting see whether Ben and Anna’s marriage can survive man-on-man infidelity once he and the truth come out. Gives ‘bosom buddies’ a whole new meaning!

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated R for graphic sexuality, pervasive profanity and a scene of drug use.
Running time: 94 minutes
Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, commentary by the director and crew, a “Behind the Scenes” featurette and a commentary by co-stars Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard.

Angels & Demons DVD

2009-11-19T12:50:00.002-05:00

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Disappointing Da Vinci Code Sequel Due on DVD

Between its preposterous storyline and its blasphemous revisionist history, the highly-anticipated screen adaptation of The Da Vinci Code was the most over-hyped disappointment of 2006. Although there was a lot less buzz surrounding this sequel, Angels & Demons, nonetheless, proves to be equally underwhelming.

Based on the Dan Brown best-seller of the same name, the film was directed by Ron Howard and stars Tom Hanks who reprises his role as Harvard symbologist Dr. Robert Langdon. Howard assembled an international ensemble which included Scotsman Ewan McGregor, Prussian Armin Mueller-Stahl, Israeli Ayelet Zurer, Dane Nikolaj lie Kaas, Italian Pierfrancesco Favino and Swede Stellan Skarsgard.

At the point of departure, we learn that the Pope has just passed away and that the College of Cardinals is convening in Vatican City to pick his successor. However, before the conclave can arrive at a consensus, the four favorites to ascend to the papacy are abducted by a madman who announces plans to execute them one-by-one, beginning at 8 PM.

With time being of the essence, Dr. Langdon is summoned to Rome by the Vatican which suspects the crime to be the work of the Illuminati, a vengeful, secret society of heretics who have been at odds with the Church for hundreds of years. Soon, Professor Langdon lands in Europe, where he teams up with veteran Inspector Olivetti (Favino) and a beautiful, if vapid scientist named Vittoria Vetra (Zurer).

Again and again, the terminally-loquacious Langdon proves to have an uncanny knack for deciphering precisely what every inscrutable mark and message means, as each discovery invariably only confirms another one of his cockamamie conspiracy theories. The only question is whether they’ll be able to crack the case in time to save lives.

A farcical, farfetched, patience-testing, 2½-hour insult to the intelligence.

Poor (0 stars)

Rated PG-13 for violence, mature themes and disturbing images.

In English, Italian and Latin with subtitles.

Running time: 146 minutes

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

2-Disc DVD Extras: Separate discussions by Dan Brown and the screenwriters, by the filmmakers and by the cast, “The Making of” and several other featurettes.

A Passion for Giving

2009-11-19T11:12:00.002-05:00

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: PBS Documentary Extols Virtues of Philanthropy

The Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu once said, “He who obtains has little, he who scatters has much.” That sentiment is the recurring theme of A Passion for Giving, an inspirational documentary marking the brilliant directorial debut of Robin Baker Leacock. Accompanied by her husband, Robert, who served as her cameraman, Ms. Leacock crisscrossed the planet chronicling the selfless efforts of generous individuals dedicated to alleviating the suffering of the less fortunate.

To its credit, the film doesn’t limit itself to highlighting the admirable work being done by billionaire philanthropists like Bill and Melinda Gates. Perhaps more significantly, it addresses the often astonishing achievements of folks with fewer dollars at their disposal. For the movie’s prevailing message is that it doesn’t necessarily take a heavily-endowed foundation to make a difference. Furthermore, it’s clear that practicing compassion proves as beneficial to the donor, spiritually, as it might be for the recipient on the material level.

For instance, there’s Alexandre de Lessups who, with just $15,000, reconstructed an entire village of 160 homes which had been wiped out by the Indian Ocean Tsunami. And because he fell in love with the people and culture of Burma, he built several schools and orphanages for children who had lost their parents, observing, “We got things done for very little money.”

Closer to home, we meet Gael Greene, long-time food critic for New York Magazine. In 1981, she and the late Chef James Beard co-founded Meals on Wheels to address the needs of the housebound elderly who could no longer shop or cook for themselves. “We raised $35,000, and 6,000 people had a Christmas dinner who otherwise wouldn’t have,” she recalls. Over the intervening years, the charity has blossomed into a solid service organization which now delivers over two million meals a year.

Then there’s Darryl McDaniels, better known as rapper DMC of Run-DMC. He reveals that he only learned that he had been adopted at the age of 35 and has since become committed to the causes of foster care, urging people to at least become a mentor if they can’t make more of a commitment. Elsewhere, we are introduced to a Brenda Combs, a schoolteacher who used to be homeless. This helps explain why she gives hugs, food and hygiene items to people living under a bridge.

Also weighing-in eloquently are Jeff Flug, CEO of Millennium Promise, Louise Mellon Stephaich of the Albert Schweitzer Clinic in Haiti, Henry Buhl of the Soho Partnership, John Sykes of VH1 Save the Music, Missy Hargraves of the Wildlife Rescue Center, AIDS researchers Bob Colocello and Ross Bleckner of ACRIA, various volunteers from groups such as Doctors without Borders and Habitat for Humanity, and celebs ranging from hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons to CNBC’s Ron Insana to fashion designer Donna Karan to author Fran Lebowitz to Virgin Atlantic’s Richard Branson.

In sum, if Robin Baker Leacock undertook this project to raise awareness about the value of any act of kindness, however seemingly insignificant, then it must be deemed a most successful endeavor indeed. For anyone with a heart who watches A Passion for Giving is likely to be left asking him or herself whether they’re really doing the best they can do for the least of their brethren.

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 50 minutes

Studio: Robin’s Films

To see a trailer for A Passion for Giving, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1ASaWuY5o4

A Passion for Giving is set to debut on WNET in NYC on 11/21 at 1 PM.

(Check local listings)

Here is a partial list of the film’s play dates on PBS stations around the country

WNETDT	New York	11/21/09	1:00 PM
WLRNLRN	Miami	11/22/09	10:00 PM
WNSCDT	Charlotte	11/22/09	5:00 PM
WUNEDT4	Charlotte	11/22/09	1:00 AM
WUNEDT4	Charlotte	11/22/09	8:00 PM
UNCMX	Raleigh-Durham	11/22/09	1:00 AM
UNCMX	Raleigh-Durham	11/22/09	8:00 PM
WNEHDT	Greenvll-Spartan	11/22/09	5:00 PM
WNTVDT	Greenvll-Spartan	11/22/09	5:00 PM
WRETDT	Greenvll-Spartan	11/22/09	5:00 PM
WUNFDT1	Greenvll-Spartan	11/22/09	1:00 AM
WUNFDT1	Greenvll-Spartan	11/22/09	8:00 PM
WRJADT	Columbia, SC	11/22/09	5:00 PM
WRLKDT	Columbia, SC	11/22/09	5:00 PM
WCNYDT	Syracuse	11/22/09	3:00 PM
WCNYOFF	Syracuse	11/22/09	3:00 PM
WJWJDT	Savannah	11/22/09	5:00 PM
WITVDT	Charleston, SC	11/22/09	5:00 PM
WPSUDT	Johnstown-Altoona	11/22/09	7:00 PM
WHMCDT	Myrtle Beach	11/22/09	5:00 PM
WJPMDT	Myrtle Beach	11/22/09	5:00 PM
WEBADT	Augusta	11/22/09	5:00 PM
WQLNDT	Erie	11/22/09	3:00 PM
WUSFDT	Tampa	11/23/09	1:00 PM
WTVSDT	Detroit	11/24/09	4:30 AM
WUSFDT	Tampa	11/26/09	12:00 PM
KBTC	Seattle/Tacoma	11/26/09	7:00 PM
WKNODT	Memphis	11/26/09	9:00 PM
WKNODT	Memphis	11/27/09	2:00 AM
WKNODT2	Memphis	11/27/09	9:00 PM

Between Good and Ghetto (BOOK REVIEW)

2009-11-18T19:55:00.000-05:00

Between Good and Ghetto:
African-American Girls and Inner-City Violence
by Nikki Jones
Rutgers University Press
Paperback, $22.95
228 pages
ISBN: 978-0-8135-4615-5

Book Review by Kam Williams

“The lives of the inner-city girls and young women profiled in this book are deeply influenced by violence of various kinds. It is not uncommon for adolescent, inner-city girls to witness or directly encounter gun violence associated with drug dealers’ disputes, threats of interpersonal violence, or sexual and dating violence. The everyday world that shapes their ideas and actions is not, however, likely to be familiar to many readers...
[Their] unapologetic expression of female strength which contrasts with traditional, White, middle-class conceptions of femininity…was considered necessary for Black women’s survival… In today’s inner-city, where the culture of ‘The Code’ organizes much of social life, what a girl has got to do to survive has taken on new meanings.”
 Excerpted from the Introduction (pages 17-19)

The recent murder of an African-American honors student brutally beaten
to death right outside of his high school by a mob of fellow teenagers failed to generate as much outrage as one would expect. To be honest, the only reason it even became national news is that a classmate had videotaped the whole incident and posted it on Youtube. Otherwise, 16 year-old Derrion Albert probably would only have been mentioned in passing as the latest addition to the ever-escalating statistics on black-on-black youth violence.
Why didn’t any pundits publicly question the wisdom of President Obama’s flying to Copenhagen that same week to make a sales pitch for the Olympics on behalf of Chicago instead of attending the funeral of the innocent youngster just slain in his beloved hometown? And when the Windy City’s bid was so quickly rejected, you have to think that the International Olympic Committee must have factored into their hasty decision a concern for the basic safety of the athletes to walk in public without having a close brush with death every five minutes.
In this country by comparison, we’ve become so blasé about violence that such attacks are taken in stride and nobody notices that the fastest-growing sector of the prison population are black females, as confirmed by a Pew Center study released last year. Fortunately, Professor Nikki Jones, who teaches Sociology at the University of California at Santa Barbara, has dedicated her research to understanding and reversing the alarming phenomenon. And the fruits of those labors are revealed in Between Good and Ghetto: African-American Girls and Inner-City Violence.
Although Jones limits her focus here to Philadelphia females, the sample she relies on is really representative of what you’re likely to encounter in a typical slum area anywhere around America. There, residents must abide by “The Code of the Street,” including “a credible reputation for vengeance that works to deter aggression and disrespect.” These unwritten rules are a set of people’s laws which come into play where the influence of the police ends.
The author argues that, in the ghetto, an adolescent girl’s survival revolves around the three R’s, not reading, writing and arithmetic, but reputation, respect and retaliation. And a well-adjusted female has learned how to negotiate her way daily through dangerous waters ranging from personal battles at school to fights with boyfriends and baby-fathers to sexual assaults to robberies, drive-bys, even the coincidence of being at the scene of an unfolding crime.
Thus, it makes sense that Nikki Jones should conclude that, “If I have learned anything from my years of researching and writing this book, it is that the battle for respect, dignity, and positive life chances is not one these girls should have to fight on their own.” A sobering discourse on the growing problem of social inequality which must be addressed before our rapidly decaying, urban infrastructure turns the prospect of the fall of American Civilization into a culturally-irreversible fait accompli.

Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

2009-11-18T17:38:00.001-05:00

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

by Kam Williams

For movies opening November 25, 2009

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Ninja Assassin (R for profanity and graphic violence) Korean singing sensation Rain stars as the title character in this high body-count, martial arts saga about a renegade from a secret society of trained killers forced to fight his former comrades when they trail him from the Far East to Berlin. With Naomie Harris, Rick Yune and Ben Miles.

Old Dogs (PG for crude humor) Disney family comedy about a couple of freewheeling bachelors and business partners (John Travolta and Robin Williams) who get a big lesson in what’s really important in life when they’re suddenly left in charge of the 7 year-old twins (Ella Bleu Travolta and Conner Rayburn) one of them never knew he’d fathered with his ex (Kelly Preston).

Ensemble includes Seth Green, Matt Dillon, Ann-Margaret, Amy Sedaris, Tom Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson, and features the final screen performance of the late Bernie Mac.

The Princess and the Frog (G) Animated, musical tale, set in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter, where a jazz-loving frog (Bruno Campos) gets turned back into a prince with the help of a fateful kiss from a beautiful waitress (Anika Noni Rose). With voiceover work by Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard, John Goodman, Keith David, Jenifer Lewis and Randy Newman.

The Road (R for violence, profanity and disturbing images) Viggo Mortenson and Kodi Smit-McPhee co-star in this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a father and son’s post-apocalyptic, cross-country road trip in the wake of a nuclear disaster which has transformed America into a barren wasteland where starving scavengers resort to cannibalism to survive. Supporting cast includes Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall and Guy Pearce.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Brooklyn’s Finest (R for pervasive profanity, nudity, drug use, gory violence, and graphic sexuality) Gritty crime saga, directed by Antoine Fuqua, about three NYPD cops (Don Cheadle, Richard Gere and Ethan Hawke) whose paths cross serendipitously despite the fact that they work in three different outer boroughs. With Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin, Will Patton and Vincent D’Onofrio.

Gigante (Unrated) Uruguayan romance drama revolving around a Montevideo mall security guard (Horacio Camandule) whose infatuation with an attractive, overnight janitor (Leonor Svarcas) escalates from salivating while watching her on supermarket surveillance cameras to stalking her during the day when he’s off-duty. (In Spanish with subtitles)

Home (Unrated) Eminent domain drama about a back-to-nature family which refuses to move when bureaucrats build a new highway across from their rural property, thereby threatening to ruin their idyllic utopian existence. With Isabella Huppert, Olivier Gourmet and Adelaide Leroux. (In French with subtitles)

Me and Orson Welles (PG-13 for smoking and sexual references) Zac Efron stars in this screen adaptation of Robert Kaplow’s historical novel, set in 1937, about the ill-fated love affair between a young actor cast in a NYC production of Julius Caesar and an ambitious stage assistant (Claire Danes) who’d just as soon sleep with the play’s womanizing director, Orson Welles (Christian McKay).

With Eddie Marsan as John Houseman and James Tupper as Joseph Cotten.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (R for profanity, sexuality, drug use and brief nudity) Dysfunctional family drama, based on the Rebecca Miller best seller about a miserably-married, middle-aged mom (Robin Wright Penn) who has an affair with a younger man (Keanu Reeves) to deal with the adjustment to her new humdrum life after her 80-year old husband (Alan Arkin) forces the family to move from a luxurious Manhattan apartment to a quiet retirement village in suburban Connecticut. With Winona Ryder, Maria Bello, Julianne Moore and Zoe Kazan, Elia’s granddaughter.

Up & Monsters, Inc. DVD

2009-11-18T17:37:00.001-05:00

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Disney Releases a Couple of Charming Animated Adventures on DVD

Although they first arrived in movie theaters 8 years apart, Walt Disney has a darn good reason to release Up and Monsters, Inc. on DVD simultaneously. After all, both these heartwarming modern fairy tales are fun for the whole family, and are animated adventures written and directed by Pete Docter.

Up, a big hit earlier this year, chronicles the death-defying, intercontinental trip taken by a 78 year-old widower (Ed Asner) with his 8 year-old neighbor (Jordan Nagai) in need of a father figure. Curmudgeonly Carl is mourning the death of his wife (Ellie Docter) with whom he had never gotten around to enjoying that dream Venezuelan vacation to Paradise Falls.

Now Carl belatedly comes up with an unorthodox way to get there, namely, by attaching thousands of helium-filled balloons to his house until it lifts right off the foundation. What he doesn’t know, however, until he’s already airborne and drifting away, is that there’s a stowaway aboard, Russell, that chubby Cub Scout intent on earning his elderly assistance badge.

Over the course of their ensuing, eventful journey, the two appreciate and rely on each other as they survive a series of harrowing ordeals. More importantly, by the end of this poignant fairy tale, they’ve not only bonded and become true friends, but have learned a priceless lesson about what really matters most in life.

Monsters, Inc, for those who might need a quick reminder, is a visually-captivating comedy about a two year-old (Mary Gibbs) who turns the tables on a couple of monsters (John Goodman and Billy Crystal) whose job it is to generate energy for the power company by scaring the bejesus out of children.

Priceless cartoon classics coming courtesy of successful collaborations by the good folks at Disney and Pixar.

Up details:

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated PG for peril and action.

Running time: 96 minutes

Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

4-Disc DVD Extras: Blu-ray and digital versions of the film, alternate scenes, 8 documentaries, a multi-layered geography game, “The Making of” featurette and much more.

Monsters, Inc. details:

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated G

Running time: 91 Minutes

Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

4-Disc DVD Extras: Blu-ray and digital versions of the film, original DVD bonus features, new bonus features, including: Ride and Go Seek, 100-Door challenge game, and much more.

Uncertainty

2009-11-16T14:43:00.002-05:00

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Alternative Tales Unfold Following Flip of a Coin on Brooklyn Bridge

Kate (Lynn Collins) and Bobby (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a carefree young couple living in NYC, are weighing their options about how to spend 4^th of July as they walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. On the one hand, they could attend her tight-knit, Argentinean family’s picnic, although that would probably involve dealing with pressure from her parents to settle down and get married. On the other hand, they could simply saunter into Manhattan for whatever serendipitous adventure might lay in wait.

The lovebirds impulsively agree to base their decision on a fateful flip of the coin, blissfully unaware of just how much is riding on its landing head versus tails. For, while the duty-bound barbecue will basically be an uneventful, if socially-awkward, annoyance, a day in the city will morph into a harrowing, never-ending nightmare.

And how do we know this? Because Uncertainty is a bifurcated drama depicting exactly what will transpire, depending on which direction Kate and Bobby take off the bridge. The picture was co-written and co-directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, the same brains behind The Deep End (2001), an equally-compelling whodunit starring Tilda Swinton.

To make it easy for the audience to keep the two strands straight, one story features the protagonists wearing yellow and heading into Chinatown, the other, wearing green and going to Kate’s folks’ place in Brooklyn. There’s no reason to reveal the details of the family picnic at all, because it essentially serves as mundane counterpoint to the riveting alternative.

Meanwhile, the plot of the former thickens right off the bat when they find

a cell phone left behind on the seat of their taxicab by the previous passenger. The desperate owner calls to retrieve it, and Bobby unwittingly arranges a meeting in a nearby Chinese restaurant.

But the guy happens to have mob connections and is shot dead on the street just as he’s approaching the place. Suddenly, instead of a leisurely lunch, Bobby and Kate find themselves on the run with a gangster in hot pursuit. Soon, they’re hopelessly embroiled in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse with a shadowy figure offering as much as a half-million dollars for the phone when he’s not threatening to kill them.

A brilliantly-conceived, well-executed, micro-budgeted, action-packed thriller which gives a whole new meaning to 4^th of July fireworks.

Excellent (3.5 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 105 minutes

Studio: IFC Films

Mariah Carey: The “Precious” Interview

2009-11-15T16:15:00.001-05:00

with Kam Williams

Headline: Mariah Makes It Happen

Forget the JFK assassination, I can actually remember where I was the first time I heard that beautiful voice so many moons ago. I was sitting on a hilltop, high above a sprawling dairy farm, having a picnic with a friend who played “Make It Happen” for me on a big boom box which echoed down into the valley below. Of course, I was blown away and I’ve been a fan of Mariah Carey’s ever since. That unforgettable introduction flashed through my memory and flooded my thoughts while preparing to conduct this interview.

Mariah was born in Huntington, Long Island on March 27, 1970 to Patricia Hickey, an Irish-American opera singer, and Alfred Roy Carey, an engineer of Afro-Venezuelan descent. Her parents separated when she was just 3 years-old, which was also around the time that Mariah took to singing like a fish to water.

She got the nickname Mirage during high school, because she skipped so many classes to hone her craft at local recording studios. After graduation, she moved to Manhattan where she bounced around between jobs, supporting herself as a beautician and a waitress until her big break arrived when Columbia Records’ executive Tommy Mottola heard her demo tape. Mottola soon signed Mariah, thus launching a storybook career which has netted the silver-throated songbird 5 Grammys and 18 #1 hit singles over the years.

During our tete-a-tete, I couldn’t help but notice the enchanting, musical lilt to Mariah’s voice, as if she can’t help but always be musical. I asked her many of my stock questions, learning that the last book she read was a delightful tale she and her co-stars Gabby Sidibe and Paula Patton shared aloud with kids during a visit to an inner-city grammar school. She also told me that her favorite meal to cook was a linguini dish that her late father liked to make, and that she’s listening to a lot of different hip-hop nowadays.

But far more significant than any of the factual answers she gave was the overall sense I got of Mariah, the person. She came across as a grounded, sincere, vulnerable and deeply spiritual soul truly interested in having a quality conversation, not as a vain diva who expected to be placed on a pedestal. When I focused narrowly on her vocal talents during our conversation, she gently reminded me that she is not merely a singer, but equally proud of her work as a songwriter who composes virtually all of her own tunes.

As for her private life, in 2008, Mariah married Nick Cannon, star of such movies as Drumline and Roll Bounce. Here, Mariah discusses her new movie, Precious, Lee Daniel’s tour de force where she is very impressive as a NYC social worker investigating a serious case of child abuse.

Kam Williams: Thanks for the time, Mariah, I’m honored to be speaking with you.
Mariah Carey: No, thank you.
KW: I loved the film. You did such a great job.
MC: Thank you.
KW: What interested you in Precious?
MC: Well, I’ve been a film of Sapphire’s and “Push” which I’m sure you know is her novel that inspired Precious. I read the book a really long time ago. A friend gave it to me, and I read it twice in a row. It was tough but it was also so incredibly inspiring and amazing.
KW: This wasn’t your first time collaborating with Lee Daniels.
MC: He and I had just worked together on a film called Tennessee, which didn’t get the right shine, but I don’t think it was the right project for either of us. He wasn’t directing, only producing it. So, I couldn’t listen to him as a director, The thing is, I ordinarily can’t help but listen to Lee, except he couldn’t really fully direct me in this case, because he was the director. I don’t think the country thing was necessarily either one of our bags, if that make sense.
KW: Yeah. I understand Lee was lucky to get the rights to Precious, because Sapphire didn’t care if it was ever adapted to the screen.
MC: Before he got “Push,” she had basically turned everybody down. When he got it, I was so excited for him because we had become really good friends, not thinking, “Oh, I’m going to be in this movie.” Do you know what I mean?
KW: Yep. How did you end up playing Mrs. Weiss, then?
MC: He said, “Look, I’m going to make you under and over, your hair and whatever, and you’re just going to have to deal with it. I’m going to put you under fluorescent lighting. That overhead lighting was not my friend, and neither was the hair. Someone who normally does my makeup described it as a Maria Carey nightmare. But in the end, it turned out to be a great gift Lee gave me to be able to go that far away from who I really am.
KW: How did you get along with Gabby [Sidibe], who played Precious, and the rest of the cast?
MC: Working with that talented young lady, and then to add Mo’nique who is such a powerhouse in the film was incredible. I really have to thank Lee for giving me this opportunity.
KW: Speaking of powerful, talk a little about the revealing scene you share with Mo’Nique towards the end of the picture.
MC: That scene is really the culmination of everything that’s transpired before in the movie. It’s when we come to learn how long the abuse has been going on. My character’s not really that likable, but I had to stay strong as an actor, because she does bring all the abuse to the surface.
KW: We’re you at all affected emotionally while shooting that scene?
MC: Yes, we connected on a very deep level. We were crying between takes. It was very emotional.
KW: Well, thanks again for the time, Mariah, and best of luck with your movie and new album.
MC: Thank you, Kam.
KW: I really appreciate it.
MC: Likewise, take care.

2012

2009-11-14T13:39:00.000-05:00

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Roland Emmerich Releases Another Apocalyptic Adventure

Roland Emmerich’s name is closely associated with overblown apocalyptic adventures like Independence Day (1996) and The Day after Tomorrow (2004). Regrettably, the German-born director’s latest, 2012, fails to measure up to his earlier offerings, despite its being filled with his trademark bombastic special effects coming courtesy of a quarter-billion dollar budget.
Stripped of its pretense, the picture is basically a stock disaster flick which relies on trite dialogue while recycling a host of the genre’s groan-inducing clichés. On top of that, the production features frame after frame of blatant prominent ad placements, shamelessly hawking everything from Fruit Loops to Jack Daniels to Rice Krispies to Sony to Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer to Marriott Hotels to Virgin Atlantic Airways to Bentley to Caesar’s Palace to Sugar Frosted Flakes to Kellogg’s All Bran.
Still, those crass commercials are a minor annoyance compared to the preposterous plot designed to hold the attention of grade school children. The story was ostensibly inspired by a mythical Mayan prophesy predicting that the world will end during the winter solstice of 2012, which falls on December 21st. Why someone would put any stock in the pseudo-scientific claims of an ancient civilization is beyond the ken of this critic.
In any case, at the point of departure in 2009, we’re introduced to Jackson Curtiss (John Cusack) the underappreciated author of “Farewell Atlantic,” a book which ostensibly forecast the global crisis. By no means is Jackson the only person aware of the impending catastrophe.
There’s Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson), a burnt-out hippie issuing dire warnings over the airwaves from a makeshift radio station inside an RV parked atop a mountain in Yellowstone National Park. Although his broadcasts are being dismissed as the unsubstantiated rant of the lunatic fringe, there are plenty of scientists and politicians secretly taking the problem seriously.
For instance, Dr. Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) ventures 11,000 feet below sea level down an abandoned copper mine only to discover that “the Earth’s crust is destabilizing.” Soon after he urgently reports back to President Wilson (Danny Glover), bizarre events start the countdown to Armageddon, including every disaster imaginable from tsunami-triggering earthquakes to mass suicides in Guatemala. President Wilson subsequently somberly informs his staff that, “The world as we know it, will soon come to an end,” while continuing to hide the truth from the general public.
Fortunately, Jackson is wise enough to jump into action, grabbing his kids (Liam James and Morgan Lily) and his ex-wife (Amanda Peet). With the help of her amateur pilot boyfriend (Tom McCarthy) they fly off in the nick of time as the runway crumbles beneath the wheels of their rickety, rented propeller plane.
No hackneyed line proves too stale for these intrepid survivors’ lips as the take on one death-defying challenge after another. Brace yourself for inane banter uttered against the backdrop of incessant, blue screen pyrotechnics and explosions, tired exclamations such as “Don’t look back!” “It’s a brave new world!” “Life isn’t fair!” “Are you kidding me?” “Hit the deck!” and even (and I am not making this up) “Hold hands and sing Kumbaya.”
Besides the principal characters, we have an ensemble filled with the sort of ill-fated support players needed to feed the proverbial beast of the typical, high body-count affair. Among the A-list actors whose talents are squandered in dumb subplots here are Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt and George Segal.
An eye-popping, insult to the intelligence strictly for the kiddies and crackpot doomsday enthusiasts.

Poor (0 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity and intense disaster sequences.
Running time: 158 minutes
Studio: Columbia Pictures

Star Trek DVD

2009-11-14T09:41:00.000-05:00

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Franchise-Reviving Prequel Arrives on DVD

This entertaining adventure not only resuscitates a flagging franchise but it just might be the best Star Trek yet. Brilliantly-conceived by director J.J. Abrams as an origins prequel, the picture is a practically-perfect blend of the nostalgic and the new. Baby Boomers are apt to appreciate the intricate back story reintroducing the central characters from the original TV-series, including Spock (Zachary Quinto), Sulu (John Cho), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Bones (Karl Urban), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Chekov (Anton Yelchin) and, of course, Captain James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine).
Meanwhile, youngsters simply interested in an escapist summer blockbuster will undoubtedly find the scintillating, state-of-the-art action sequences riveting, most of which pit Kirk and company in an epic, intergalactic battle against a tattooed race of alien creatures called Romulans. It is absolutely delightful discovering the derivation of each of the crew member’s trademark tics, gestures and idiosyncrasies, especially since so much tension is generated by the contrast in personas of the mercurial Kirk and the relatively-introspective, ever-logical Spock.
At the point of departure, James’ dad (Chris Hemsworth) dies a hero shortly before the birth of his son, when the spaceship he is commanding is destroyed by Nero (Eric Bana), the nefarious ruler of the Romulans. Fast-forward twenty years and we find that Kirk has grown into a rudderless rebel more interested in booze, women and fast cars than in following in his father’s footsteps.
But following a bar fight with cadets enrolled at the nearby Starfleet Academy, he is challenged by one of his late father’s admirer’s, Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), to make something of his life. That dare kickstarts Kirk’s metamorphosis. He immediately enrolls in the astronaut school and while in training, one-by-one befriends Spock and the other classmates who will soon join him on the maiden voyage of the Starship Enterprise.
A splendid space saga so spellbinding, you won’t even complain about their resurrecting that grammatically-incorrect, infinitive-splitting catchphrase, “To boldly go where no one has gone before!”

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action, violence and brief sexuality.
Running time: 126 minutes
Studio: Paramount Home Video
DVD Extras: A New Vision: director Abrams' take on the sci-fi series and his efforts to make the prequel feel real, To Boldly Go: the director, writers and producers talk about the challenges of stepping into the closely watched franchise, Casting: about the search for look-alikes who could handle the acting and capture the essence of these mythic characters, Aliens: designers Neville Page and Joel Harlow talk about their new species and the reimagining of the Vulcans and Romulans, deleted scenes: includes "Spock birth," "Klingons take over Narada" and "Prison Interrogation and breakout," optional commentary, and trial games for Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation Net.

Ballast DVD

2009-11-12T18:08:00.001-05:00

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Monosyllabic Meditation on Coming-of-Age in Mississippi

New developments arrive fast and furiously in this contemplative character study before it finally settles down into an examination of the motivations of James (JimMyron Ross), a very troubled, black, poor and criminally-inclined 12 year-old coming-of-age in a rural region of the Mississippi Delta. At the point of departure, we meet Lawrence (Michael J. Smith, Sr.), a middle-aged black man despondent over news of the death of his identical twin by drug overdose. Larry is then caught in the midst of his own suicide attempt by a kindly neighbor (Johnny McPhail) who has no idea he’s distraught enough to shoot himself in the chest.

Also grieving Darius’ demise are his monosyllabic son, James, and his ex-wife, Marlee (Tarra Riggs), a former substance abuser. Larry survives his self-inflicted gunshot wound, and returns form the hospital only to have his nephew darken his doorstep, literally and figuratively. For James’ unique means of mourning involves asking to hear all the gory details about how his daddy died, before robbing his uncle at gunpoint.

The felonious-intentioned kid then hops on his moped and uses his ill-gotten gains to kickstart a career dealing drugs. This doesn’t sit well with his mother, even though she’s been fired from her job as a maid, which means she’s now free to wonder where she went wrong raising a son who doesn’t have a lick of sense or compassion.

As preposterous as this plot probably sounds, Ballast is actually a perverse pleasure to watch because it morphs into this ethereal mood piece with virtually no dialogue. Mostly, we’re treated to the specter of James buzzing about on his motorbike against the stark backdrop of acre after acre of sparse winter farmland. Otherwise, the picture is punctuated by his mom and uncle working out their issues, and bursts of terrifying violence, like when a couple of teenagers run a car off the road to deliver a vicious beatdown in a backwoods version of a bloody turf war.

In sum, Ballast is a compelling slice-of-life adventure with a gritty naivete featuring a talented cast comprised primarily of non-professionals. They manage to imbue the production with a palpable sense of super-realism which allows you to forget you’re watching actors. That amounts to movie magic in my book, even if it is in service of an infuriating display of black-on-black dysfunction.

Very Good (3 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 96 minutes

Studio: Kino International

DVD Extras: Ballast Scene Development, a 37-minute “The Making of” featurette charting the evolution of several scenes through the improvisational conflict sessions and two-month rehearsal process that gave form to the final film, the theatrical trailer, and a new essay by film critic Amy Taubin.

My Sister's Keeper DVD

2009-11-12T11:14:00.002-05:00

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Little Miss Stem Cells Sues for Independence in Dysfunctional Family Drama

When their daughter Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) is diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 2, Sara and Brian Fitzgerald (Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric) decide to do whatever it takes to save her life. And once her doctor explains that her best chance at beating the disease lies in finding a stem cell donor, they opt to harvest an exact genetic match via in vitro fertilization.

From birth, the test tube baby’s life becomes intertwined with that of her sickly sibling when tissue is taken from her umbilical cord. As time goes on, Anna (Abigail Breslin) is subjected to a series of increasingly-invasive procedures as she is stuck, poked and prodded for assorted extractions of platelets, blood and bone marrow.

By the time she’s 11, Little Miss Stem Cells is asked to donate one of her kidneys because her big sister’s are already failing. However, the surgeon warns that after this operation Anna will never be able to be a cheerleader or play soccer again for the rest of the life.

Fed up with being expected to make so many sacrifices, she enlists the assistance of an attorney (Alec Baldwin) to sue for Medical Emancipation. The lawsuit creates a rift between her parents which pushes the couple to the brink of divorce. For her mother, who abandoned her own legal career to care for Kate 24/7, suddenly sees Anna as selfish, while her father, a hard-working fireman, proves far more understanding.

Based on Jodi Picoult’s best-seller of the same name, My Sister's Keeper is a character-driven morality play of deceptive emotional depth. This remarkably-rich screen version was directed by Nick Cassavetes who went to great lengths to develop each of the principal player’s perspective of the fundamental, ethical life-or-death question at hand. Faithfully-adapted, except for the ending, this poignant, dysfunctional family drama marks the maturation of Cameron Diaz into a consummate thespian capable of handling the most challenging of material.

Furthermore, her powerfully-grounding performance is matched in intensity by those of Abigail Breslin as the taken for granted Anna; Sofia Vassilieva as the wasting away Kate; Jason Patric as the stoic family patriarch; Evan Ellingson as the brooding big brother; Alec Baldwin as a vulnerable crusader for the underdog; and Joan Cusack as a judge concerned about the best interest of the plaintiff.

A gut-wrenching tearjerker with a decent chance of landing on this critic’s annual 10 Best List.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated PG-13 for profanity, sensuality, mature themes, disturbing images and underage alcohol consumption.

Running time: 109 minutes

Studio: New Line Cinema

DVD Extras: Deleted scenes and trailers.

Skills Like This DVD

2009-11-12T06:52:00.000-05:00

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Wacky Sitcom about a Writer-Turned-Bank Robber Comes to DVD

Sick and tired of being a starving writer and having to support himself in a never-ending series of temp jobs, Max (Spencer Berger) decides to mull his options. Then, while being consoled in a diner by his best friends, Tommy (Brian D. Phelan) and Dave (Gabriel Tigerman), he impulsively walks directly across the street to pull off a brazen bank robbery in the middle of the day.
Not only does he disarm the guard like a veteran criminal but he’s even calm enough to flirt with a cute teller (Kerry Knuppe). After successfully making his escape, Max is elated to have found his true calling. Not surprisingly, Tommy and Dave don’t exactly agree and aren’t thrilled about becoming accomplices after the fact.
This is the wacky setup of Skills Like This, as charming a sitcom as one could hope to make on a micro-budget. The movie marks the remarkable directorial debut of Monty Miranda, who collaborated on the project with first-time actor/scriptwriter Spencer Berger.
The further the picture unfolds, the more complicated the plot becomes. First, Max picks up Lucy the bank teller at a nightclub, and brings her home to meet the parents. On his birthday, their lusty liaison blossoms into love, and she’s so smitten with the easily-identifiable outlaw that she’s willing to risk her career to be around the notorious bad boy with the exploding Jew fro.
Meanwhile, as Max continues to rob other establishments, the burning question becomes whether such a self-destructive path could possibly lead to a happy ending? Certainly, when you consider the fact that the clever screenplay was the brainchild of the star himself, a promising wunderkind clearly quite capable of writing himself out of any corner.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 86 minutes
Studio: New Video
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, cast and crew interviews, theatrical trailer and a biography of the filmmaker.

A Wink and a Smile DVD

2009-11-12T06:50:00.000-05:00

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: DVD Chronicles Semester at Striptease Academy

On the few occasions I’ve been to strip clubs to attend bachelor’s parties, I’ve always left depressed over how unappetizing the dancers were. Invariably, they’ve struck me as godawful actresses rather than the nymphomaniacs they pretended to be in order to separate me from my money as fast as possible. Furthermore, I could see right through their lame acts to the sad truth that many of these desperate drug addicts needed to sleep with customers to support their habits. Not my fantasy.
Those hardened whores cut a sharp contrast to the relatively-refreshing females to be found in A Wink and a Smile. Directed by Deirdre Timmons, this revealing documentary follows ten students as they learn the art of striptease over the course of a semester at Seattle’s Academy of Burlesque. Who knew there was even a school for this?
What makes this film fascinating is that the class is comprised of ordinary-looking, attractive women if you know what I mean, appealing but not the airbrushed models you would expect to find in Playboy. Most of these girl-next-door types are in their twenties and come from all walks of life, including a housewife, a college student, an opera singer, a physician and a taxidermist.
So, anyone watching A Wink and a Smile would naturally want to know, what makes the stars of the movie interested in exposing themselves. Director Timmons does an outstanding job at allowing each to explain both her motivations and her reservations in this regard, as they get closer to graduation. Surprisingly, their reasons turn out to be as diverse as their professions.
Besides the deep psychological analysis, the film does feature a lot of instruction about stripping, showing the girls learning everything from how to dance dirty (“Make believe you’re trying to draw on the ground with a pen stuck in your crotch.”) to what to do if a pasty falls off (“Never break the illusion.”). These students prove to be quick, if occasionally hesitant, learners of the bump and grind. The film culminates with their final exam which involves performing a carefully choreographed routine at a local burlesque house in front of a very appreciative audience.
Lovely ladies summoning up the courage to deliver some delightfully erotic, if simultaneously wholesome, adult entertainment. I just pray none of them are tempted to quit their day jobs.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 90 minutes
Studio: First Run Features
DVD Extras: Director’s interview, bonus scene, burlesque photo gallery and more.

Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

2009-11-11T18:53:00.001-05:00

OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
by Kam Williams
For movies opening November 20, 2009

BIG BUDGET FILMS

The Blind Side (PG-13 for sexual references, drug use and brief violence) Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw co-star in this true, overcoming-the-odds tale about a wealthy white couple who adopt a homeless black teenager (Quinton Aaron) and help him pursue his dream of playing football in college and the pros.

Planet 51 (PG for mild action and suggestive humor) Animated sci-fi comedy about an astronaut (Dwayne Johnson) who lands on a planet inhabited by little green people living in a world eerily reminiscent of suburban America in the 1950s. Featuring voicework by Jessica Biel, John Cleese, Justin Long, Seann William Scott and Gary Oldman.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (PG-13 for violence and action) Second installment in Stephenie Meyer’s fantasy series finds 18 year-old Bella (Kristen Stewart) brokenhearted but in a budding relationship with her mysterious childhood friend, Jacob (Taylor Lautner), after her vampire lover Edward (Robert Pattinson) and the rest of the Cullen clan leave town to protect her from their craven bloodlust. Cast includes Dakota Fanning, Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene and Billy Burke.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (Unrated) Nicolas Cage handles the title role in this remake loosely-based on a 1992, NYC crime thriller, now set in post-Katrina New Orleans and chronicling the efforts of an amoral cop to solve the murder of several Senegalese immigrants. Cast includes Val Kilmer, Michael Shannon, Eva Mendes, Xzibit, Jennifer Coolidge, Fairuza Balk, Denzel Whitaker and Brad Dourif. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

Broken Embraces (R for profanity, sexuality and drug use) Magical drama dealing with themes of love and betrayal, and revolving around a grieving writer (Lluis Homar) left blind by the car accident which claimed the life of his lover (Penelope Cruz). With Blanca Portillo, Jose Luis Gomez and Tamar Novas. (In Spanish and English with subtitles)

Defamation (Unrated) Incendiary documentary directed by Israeli Yoav Shamir investigates the recent reemergence of anti-Semitism around the world to determine whether we’re on the verge of another Holocaust or just dealing with rumors being circulated by right-wing Zionists as a scare tactic. (In English and Hebrew with subtitles)

Fix (Unrated) Fact-based drama about a documentary filmmaker’s (Tao Ruspoli) desperate race to get his brother (Shawn Andrews) into rehab hours before he’s slated to start serving a three-year prison sentence for a drug violation.

Mammoth (Unrated) Cross-cultural drama, about a NYC website developer (Gael Garcia Bernal) with misgivings about cheating on his wife (Michelle Williams) with a struggling single-mom turned prostitute (Run Srinikornchot) he met while in Thailand on business. (In English, Thai and Tagalog with subtitles)

The Missing Person (Unrated) Neo-noir about a private detective (Michael Shannon) hired to track down a married man presumed dead since the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11. Cast includes Amy Ryan, Margaret Colin and John Ventimiglia.

Red Cliff (R for graphic warfare) John Woo directs this historical drama, set at the dawn of the 3rd Century during the final days of the Han Dynasty, depicting the epic Battle of Red Cliff in which the prime minister (Fengyi Zhang) led a million man army against rebel forces in Southern China. With Tony Leung, Chen Chang, Yong You and Wei zhao. (In Mandarin with subtitles)

Staten Island (R for profanity and violence) Crime saga, set in NYC, about a septic tank cleaner (Ethan Hawke) a MafiA boss (Vincent D’Onofrio) and a deaf deli worker (Seymour Cassel) whose lives become intertwined in the wake of a botched mob hit. (In English, French, Italian and sign language with subtitles)

The Good Soldier

2009-11-10T19:38:00.000-05:00

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Pacifist Documentary Asks Tough Questions about the Meaning of War

Who do you think said, “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility?” You might be surprised to learn that these weren’t the words of a disgruntled GI gone AWOL but of Dwight Eisenhower, a five-star general who as president would also one day warn of the dangers of the Military-Industrial Complex.
Thus, it is fitting that his quote should appear emblazoned onscreen during the opening of The Good Soldier, a controversial documentary which takes a frank look at war through the eyes of five combat veterans. What is striking about these men who served in WWII, Vietnam and the Middle East conflicts is that none speaks in lofty platitudes when describing the nasty job they had performed more for self-preservation than for freedom or out of a love of country.
The subjects of this shocking expose’ uniformly describe the soldier’s lot as a soul-draining trap which exacts a heavy toll that lasts long after the return to civilian life. Consider Private Edward Wood, who earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart in France in 1944. You can still sense the aftereffects of his having fought in Europe permanently etched on his furrowed brow. “War is about one thing only,” he reflects in quiet contemplation. “It is about killing or being killed yourself, which is why I have come to loathe it.”
Then there’s Staff Sergeant Will Williams, a black man who recounts enlisting in the Army in 1966 because he “needed to get out of Mississippi” to avoid getting lynched over the bitter resentment he felt about racism. So, he married his high school sweetheart just before his deployment, and ended up spending his honeymoon in a foxhole in Vietnam. He admits to being driven by misplaced revenge over there where “the hate I had experienced growing up in the South expanded. I became an animal who could kill with no remorse.”
Captain Michael McPhearson, an African-American from Fayetteville, North Carolina, talks about how he and a buddy dropped out of high school to serve in Iraq after being treated to pizza and taken to see a fireworks display by a local recruiter. McPhearson recalls subsequently seeing “young men turn into psychopathic killers” while in the Middle East. As for himself, however, he held onto his humanity only to be unfairly labeled a conscientious objector for refusing to shoot innocent civilians.
Marine Staff Sergeant Jimmy Massey, a white guy who grew up in a trailer park, has a similar story. He regrets his tour of duty in Iraq, given that he hasn’t had a good night’s sleep since the day he followed orders to kill some unarmed Iraqi women and children. Finally, there’s Warrant Officer Perry Parks, a good ole boy from Rockingham, North Carolina who volunteered for Vietnam where he was “ordered to blow up houses with women and children inside.”
If you know any kid contemplating enlisting in the Armed Forces based on watching commercials with misleading slogans like “Accelerate your life,” or “Be all that you can be,” you might want to suggest that they watch The Good Soldier prior to making any life-altering decisions. For co-directors Lexy Levell and Michael Uys deserve a 21-gun salute for fashioning a sobering antidote to all that patriotic claptrap about serving God, country and apple pie.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 79 minutes
Studio: Artistic License Films

Step Out on Nothing (BOOK REVIEW)

2009-11-10T14:20:00.002-05:00

Step Out on Nothing:

How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges

by Byron Pitts

St. Martin’s Press

Hardcover, $24.99

310 pages, illustrated

ISBN: 978-0-312-57766-7

Book Review by Kam Williams

“We all have those defining moments in our lives. Moments of great joy. Moments of unspeakable sadness and fear. We usually think we’re alone. But if we look into the corners of our memories, we’ll find them—those people who had faith in us. Those times when a grace beyond earthly understanding touches us.

This is a story of those times. Those people. And the lessons they taught me.”

-- Excerpted from the Introduction (page 5)

Earlier this year, Byron Pitts became the heir apparent to Ed Bradley’s coveted spot on 60 Minutes when he was named a contributing correspondent to the long-running, television newsmagazine. While many might have deemed Mr. Pitts’ ascension to the plum position a natural outgrowth of his Emmy-winning work covering such major stories for CBS as the 9/11 Attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the Afghan War, the truth is that this talented reporter had to overcome a host of seemingly-insurmountable childhood challenges en route to turning himself into a great success story.

Byron and his siblings were raised in Baltimore by a single-mom who had the foresight to make the sacrifice to send him to the local Catholic school on her modest seamstress’ salary, even though they were Baptists who went to Church every Sunday. The teasing was already tough enough for her shy, sensitive, freckle-faced son, between his scrawny build and his thick, Coke bottle eyeglasses, so adding a parochial school uniform to the mix only served to make him more of a mark as he passed through the ‘hood.

For on top of that nerdy image, Byron not only suffered from a bad stutter, but for years hid the fact that he was also functionally illiterate. Fortunately, with the guidance of several critical mentors, he managed to turn all those stumbling blocks into stepping stones. He eventually mastered reading, writing and speaking without stammering, and went on to earn a BA in journalism and speech communications from Ohio Wesleyan University before embarking on his enduring, TV career.

Pitts humbly recounts these admirable achievements in Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges. The moving memoir proves to be as inspiring as it is sincere, with the potential to serve as a source of motivation for any individual who dares to dream big in the face of overwhelming learning disabilities.

He drives home the point that if he could do it, anyone can, via the matter-of-fact conclusion that, “There is nothing remarkable about my abilities or my intellect. I was simply blessed to be born in the greatest country on earth and blessed to have been surrounded by wonderful people who stood in the gap at every vital moment in my life.”

Congrats to Byron Pitts for having the guts to go public with such an intimate testimonial to the power of passion and persistence, especially when one has faith in God and strategic help along the way from some loving role models.

Gabby Sidibe: The "Precious" Interview

2009-11-09T16:22:00.002-05:00

with Kam Williams

Headline: Gabby’s Precious Gabfest

GABOUREY "Gabby" SIDIBE was born in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn in 1983 to R&B/Gospel singer Alice Tan Ridley, and Ibnou Sidibe, a cab driver from Senegal. After her parents separated, Gabby was raised in Harlem by her mother who supported the family by teaching Special Ed and by singing in the subway.

A graduate of Washington Irving High School, Gabby was pursuing a degree in psychology at Mercy College and working as a telephone company customer service representative when she decided to try out for the title role in the movie Precious. Her audition so wowed director Lee Daniels that he had no hesitation about picking her over the 400 other actresses answering the casting call.

Here, Gabby talks about the film and her critically-acclaimed performance, both of which have Hollywood humming with early Oscar buzz.

Kam Williams: Hi Gabby, I loved the film and was blown away by your performance. .

Gabby Sidibe: Thank you!

KW: Tell me a little about your background.

GS: My dad’s from Senegal, and my mom’s from Georgia. But oddly, her roots trace back to Senegal, too. I was born in Bed-Stuy, and I lived there until right before I turned 8. That’s when we moved to Harlem.

KW: Do you know where Medgar Evers College is in Bed-Stuy?

GS: Yeah. My mom went to Medgar Evers.

KW: What a coincidence! That’s where I went to high school before it was turned into a college. Where did you go to high school?

GS: I attended Washington Irving High School.

KW: Another coincidence, that’s where my mother went.

GS: Really?

KW: Yep. What interested you in auditioning for the role of Precious?

GS: I’m not sure I had a serious interest. To be honest, my mom had told me to go audition for the part. In a weird way, I think I just kind of ended up there. Just the thought that I could be in the film was really, really interesting. I guess that’s part of the reason why I auditioned. But I auditioned with the absolute belief that I wasn’t going to get it.

KW: Lee told me that he had to audition over 400 actresses before he found you, and that the role of Precious was the most challenging one to fill. What do you think sold him on you?

GS: He said that he saw a lot of girls who were just like Precious, and that the difference with me was that I wasn’t anything like her, and that I was obviously acting. He didn’t want to be seen as possibly exploiting a girl similar to Precious, so I think that played a part in his decision, along with my giving a really good audition.

KW: What was it like acting opposite big stars like Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz?

GS: It was amazing! I felt very fortunate to get to work around people that I idolized.

KW: Did they live up to your expectations?

GS: As it turned out, every one of them was so much more awesome than I expected.

KW: And how’d you like being directed by Lee?

GS: Lee is just adorable, cute and so much fun! He’s a disarming genius with a very creative mind.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

GS: No one’s ever asked if I like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

KW: Okay, do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?

GS: Yep.

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

GS: [Chuckles] Yeah, I’m afraid of a lot of stuff, although I’m not really the nervous type. Like, I want to see the movie Paranormal Activity, but I’m afraid to go because I’ll believe it’s real. [Laughs]

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

GS: Earlier today, after reading to grammar school students with Paula Patton and Mariah. As we were leaving, a little girl yelled at me from across the schoolyard, “Gabby, I saw you on Ellen. You’re a really good dancer.” I thought it was just the cutest thing how she was so excited. That made me laugh pretty hard, and I’ve been doing impressions of her all day.”

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

GS: “Addicted” by Zane.

KW: I met Zane on a party aboard a boat recently. She’s really nice.

GS: Oh, I bet she is.

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What music are you listening to nowadays?

GS: At the moment, I’m listening to a lot of R&B. I really like Trey Songz. I also like Lady GaGa a lot. She certainly helps on car rides when I’m on my way to an interview or a photo shoot. I listen to a lot of what’s on the radio. I’m afraid I don’t stray away from the popular.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

GS: Ooh! I see myself! Usually, I’m really happy with what I see when I look at myself. I look into the mirror and I give myself pep talks, and coach myself to make it through the day, which isn’t hard to do. I congratulate myself for making it this far in life and for being the person I want to be.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

GS: There’s this weird thing that I’ve been doing lately. I live with roommates who are all boys, and if I ever do cook, it’s usually Top Ramen. Isn’t that terrible? [Laughs] I’ll add an egg to it, or maybe hamburger meat, and peas, or corn, or broccoli to go with it. But Top Ramen is pretty much always the starch dish. I like to tell people I’m a good cook, but I’m probably not. Sometimes, I make breakfast for everyone, and my roommates say they like it, but I’m not sure.

KW: The Flex Alexander question: How do you get through the tough times?

GS: By counting my blessings.

KW: The Mike Pittman question: Who was your best friend in childhood?

GS: My best friend still is Crystal Hawthorne. She and I met in the 5^th grade, and we’ve been best friends ever since. I have an endless amount of memories with her, and I know for sure that she’ll always be there for me.

KW: Lester Chisholm asks, why did you agree to portray this role?

GS: The short answer is to get out of college. [Giggles]

KW: Laz Lyles asks, when did all of this become real for you? When did it hit you that Precious was really taking off?
GS: I try to not let it become real to me. Because whatever state I’m in right now, is the best feeling ever. It doesn’t feel real to me. What does feel real is when people who’ve seen the film, like at the premiere the other day, come up to me and thank me. I don’t feel like I’ve done a service, but I appreciate that they think I’ve given them something. And then I’ll see Will Smith walk by and it becomes unreal again.

KW: Laz also asks, was there a kind of kinship among all the actors?

GS: Yes, we absolutely loved each other. I certainly had the best time of my life making some great relationships while filming this movie.

KW: Carmela Reimers asks: where does your happiness come from?

GS: From naps, sushi and watching “Oz.”

KW: Carmela has a follow-up. How do you think this sudden success will influence your future?

GS: I don’t know. I hope positively. I hope I can continue to act. I hope that I’ve shown Hollywood that even though I’m not blonde or a size 2, I’m still worthy of carrying a film.

KW: Do you consider yourself an intellectual?
GS: Intelligent? Yes, thank you. But an intellectual? Probably not. I’m way too goofy to be an intellectual.

KW: Carmela’s final question is, do you intend to pass on your good fortune? And by that she doesn't mean money.

GS: That’s cool, because I have no money. I absolutely do intend to. First of all, I have younger sisters. It’s amazing for me to be able to show them that someone from our neighborhood can achieve anything.

KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls was curious about what kind of internal emotional resources came into play when you created the character of Precious?

GS: Compassion. I had a lot of compassion for the character.

KW: Attorney Bernadette was wondering whether you read the book before reading the script.

GS: Yes, I read it about 4 years prior, and it split me open, emotionally.

KW: Bernadette asks if you think your studying psychology impacted your performance.

GS: I hope so. I hope I got something out of those 4 years I spent in college. I had read some books about the anatomy of a victim, and I certainly tried to carry that knowledge into Precious.

KW: Reverend Florine Thompson asks, how did you prepare spiritually to do this role?

GS: We prayed every day on the set. And I even prayed alone by myself during every moment of downtime on the set. I was actually on the worship team at my church, but had to take a leave of absence while making the film.

KW: Reverend Thopson asks whether you could see yourself as a spokeswoman on the issue of domestic violence.
GS: I don’t really have any experience as a spokesperson, but I’m willing to help out that cause in any way I can. I’m very fortunate not to have any experience in that area, but I do have experience in learning how to love myself and knowing what makes me happy.

KW: What is your long-term career goal?

GS: [Laughs] My goal is just to have a career. I hope to be able to do a lot of different types of films. To do a comedy, to play a romantic lead, and to do a lot of other different things.

KW: The good Reverend’s last question is: what is your source of inspiration?
GS: A lot of times it’s music. It’s also life in general: my friends, my roommates, my mom, my family.

KW: Marcia Evans asks: how have you matured from making this film?

GS: [Giggles] I’m pretty much about as mature as I was before. I operate on the level of about a 19 year-old. So, I probably haven’t matured much at all, which I think helps.

KW: Marcia also asks whether you were emotionally affected by the role.

GS: No, what I felt most was a responsibility to tell this girl’s story the best way I could. The fact that Lee Daniels chose me spoke volumes, and I wanted to measure up to what he thought I could be.

KW: Marcia concludes by saying that Precious will help to heal many young women who have been abused. She asks, if you realize that you are now a voice for the unspoken?

GS: Oh, “thank you” is all I can say to that.

KW: How do you feel about all the Oscar buzz Precious has been getting?

GS: It’s scary, and a tad premature. I’ve never been here before, so I don’t really know what it’s like to be in an Oscar-worthy film. It’s unnerving, but I’m also so grateful that anyone would consider associating our film with an Oscar or any other award.

KW: Well, best of luck with Precious, and I hope to speak with you again during awards season.

GS: Thank you so much.

The End of Poverty?

2009-11-09T07:06:00.000-05:00

Headline: Globalization Documentary Discusses Paradox of Poverty in Era of Unparalleled Wealth

Why have so many Third World countries remained impoverished and underdeveloped even after gaining their independence from the European nations which had conquered and colonized them? This is the basic question addressed by The End of Poverty, an incendiary expose’ directed by Philippe Diaz. In essence, this damning documentary is a history lesson about the ugly underbelly of Western Civilization from 1492 up to the present.
For not long after Columbus “discovered” America, European countries began descending on the so-called New World, using both the bullet and the Bible to bend assorted indigenous peoples to their will. The Dutch focused primarily on Asia while the English assured themselves that the sun would never set on the ever-expanding British Empire. Even the Pope got into the act, awarding Africa to Portugal and South America to Spain by papal decree.
The basic thesis of the luminaries lending their insights to this thought-provoking project is that for 500+ years, white people have extracted the resources and oppressed the natives living in lands located in the planet’s Southern hemisphere. And that unfair economic relationship never changed substantially at the end of the era of colonization, since in most countries a handful of families continued to own the bulk of the business interests and the majority of productive real estate.
Former CIA consultant Chalmers Johnson indicts that Agency for serving as the private army of a succession of American presidents. He specifically alleges that the CIA was behind the assassination of a long list of populist leaders, like Lumumba in the Congo, Arbenz in Guatemala, Roldos in Ecuador, Torrijos in Panama, Qasim in Iraq and Mossadek in Iran. Similarly, John Perkins, author of “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man,” owns up to his role in the overthrow of numerous Third World rulers in order to replace them with corrupt puppets handpicked by the U.S.
The situation has degenerated to the point where over a billion people around the world are currently trying to survive on less than a dollar a day, and their prospects are only getting worse, given that the ownership of natural resources has become increasingly concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. In concluding, the picture suggests that this imbalance can only be corrected if the poor rise up and insist on reforms like the nationalization of land, mineral and water rights, and the taxation of the $11.5 trillion hidden by the rich in offshore accounts.
Solutions seemingly incompatible with capitalism, an economic system dependent on escalating expansionism and the incessant exploitation of cheap labor. So, why does poverty persist in the midst of unparalleled wealth? In a word, greed!

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In English, Spanish, Portuguese and French with subtitles.
Running time: 106 minutes
Studio: Cinema Libre Studio

Four Seasons Lodge

2009-11-07T18:21:00.000-05:00

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Moving Documentary Chronicles Annual Gathering of Holocaust Survivors

I have a couple of friends with parents still alive who survived the Holocaust but have never written their memoirs or even spoken much about the host of horrors they had witnessed while interned in the concentration camp.
But after watching Four Seasons Lodge, I now fully understand why there just might not be words to describe what it was like to escape the mass genocide which claimed the lives of one’s entire family.
Just such a predicament is repeatedly recounted in this poignant picture directed by Andrew Jacobs. He shot his heartbreaking documentary on location at the aforementioned Four Seasons Lodge, a bungalow colony in the Catskills Mountains where a tight-knit group of Holocaust survivors have gathered ever summer for decades.
The season during which he shot was shaping up to be their final reunion, not only because their numbers were dwindling due to advanced age, but because the owner had finalized plans to sell the 46-acre, Borscht Belt resort to a real estate developer. Although director Jacob’s subjects seem concerned with more mundane matters like dancing, playing cards or the impending loss of their beloved retreat, he gently prodded them to reflect upon their World War II experiences.
Lola Wenglin recounts how she was liberated at the age of 19 after 5 years in the death camps only to discover that her parents, brothers and sisters had all gone to the ovens. Tobias Buchman says that his being a teenager probably saved him, since younger children and older folks were the first to be exterminated.
When Genya Boyman finds it difficult to speak, Basie Adelman immediately comes to her defense, protectively stating that she “doesn’t like to talk about it, because it affected her in a different way.” The best Genya can muster up is a story about how her granddaughter Jennifer always asks, Tell me a story… tell me a story! ”I tell her, ‘one day…” Then Genya’s voice trails off as she futilely shrugs in frustration, “All of us live with it.”
Ostensibly scarred by Hitler for life, each deals with the ongoing trauma in his or her own way. This one is still angry. “I am swallowing the tears. I cannot show them.” Meanwhile, that one wistfully asks why, “Of my 300 relatives, did only I survive?” Another wonders aloud “Why did God let it happen?” Yet another shares papers retrieved from Auschwitz detailing how Dr. Mengele had experimented on him.
Perhaps most poignant is the piercing wail of Cesia Potok emanating from a bedroom at dawn as her husband Carl patiently explains that this is how she often awakens. By contrast, Hymie Abramowitz probably proves the most eloquent when matter-of-factly summarizing why Four Seasons Lodge has so much meaning to him after so many years. “We survivors, we stick to each other. We just want to be together. We need it.”
Pack the Kleenex. One of the most emotionally-evocative documentaries about Holocaust survivors.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In English, Yiddish, Hebrew and Polish with subtitles.
Running time: 96 minutes
Studio: First Run Features

The Men Who Stare at Goats

2009-11-07T18:16:00.000-05:00

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Reporter Uncovers Top Secret Psychic Unit in Conspiracy Theory Comedy

If you listen to the radio in the middle of the night, perhaps you’ve tuned in to Coast-to-Coast AM, that nationally-syndicated, radio talk show which gives credence to guests with wild theories about all sorts of paranormal activities. Well, if you’re entertained by patently preposterous discussions of ESP and mental telepathy, then The Men Who Stare at Goats is likely to be right up your alley.
The movie is based on the best seller of the same name by Jon Ronson, a British journalist claiming to have uncovered a top secret U.S. Army unit comprised of psychics capable of walking through walls and killing animals simply by staring at them, hence the self-explanatory title. The film version, directed by Grant Heslov, has been adapted to the screen by scriptwriter Peter Straughan as more of a comedy than a piece of investigative journalism.
The picture features a stellar cast, starting with Ewan McGregor as Bob Wilton, a depressed reporter desperate to find the meaning of life after being unceremoniously left by his wife (Rebecca Mader) for his boss (Todd La Tourrette). Then, while covering the war over in the Middle East, Bob stumbles upon a big scoop, when he encounters Lyn Cassady (George Clooney).
For Cassady reveals via both demonstrations and a series of vivid flashbacks that he is a member of the New Earth Army, a motley crew of metaphysical monks first founded by Vietnam vet Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) as a force for peace, not war. Over the course of the ensuing improbably adventure, Lyn explains the powers they have attempted to harness, such as communicating telepathically with submarines, seeing into the future, optimal trajectory, phasing, cloud bursting and psychic projection. Bob remains impressed, despite the fact that Lyn meets with varying degrees of success, proving better at predicting the flip of a coin, than at subduing the enemy with his mind after they’re kidnapped by terrorists.
The Men Who Stare at Goats is a one-trick pony, or should I say one-trick goat, which relies heavily on a slight variation of a running theme which gets stale pretty fast. What we have here is basically a bunch of delusional wackos being indulged by the U.S. government on the remote chance that they might actually be onto something. But how many times can you expect an audience to laugh at different versions of the same joke, whether the wannabe psychics are trying to bend a spoon, walk through a wall, drive blindfolded or elsewhat?
A flawed flick strictly for the paranoid conspiracy theory crowd.

Fair (1 star)
Rated R for profanity, drug use and brief nudity.
Running time: 93 minutes
Studio: Overture Films

William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe

2009-11-06T10:01:00.002-05:00

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Bio-Pic Chronicles the Life and Times of Late Civil Rights Lawyer

William Kunstler (1919-1995) was one of the most reviled figures of the 20th Century. For he was an attorney who not only represented controversial causes and unpopular people, but his approach in the courtroom involved exposing the racism and classicism permeating the legal justice system.
Always ahead of his time, Kunstler’s lifelong commitment to civil rights began when he went to Mississippi to defend Freedom Riders being arrested for trying to integrate lunch counters and other public accommodations. No hypocrite, he cared just as much about equality in his hometown of Rye, New York, where he successfully sued on behalf of a black couple trying to move into the lily-white enclave in 1960.
Over the course of his career, his services were retained by everyone from Malcolm X to Dr. Martin Luther King to H. Rap Brown to Stokely Carmichael to Abbie Hoffman to the American Indian Movement to Adam Clayton Powell to the Berrigan brothers. But he really first became a household name in his own right during the trial of the Chicago 8 who were arrested in the wake of the 1968 Democratic National Convention. That’s when he grew his hair long to match the manes of the hippies being railroaded, and when he was held in contempt of court for calling the judge a bigot.
Kunstler hated racism, and fundamental to his political philosophy was the notion that “lawyers shouldn’t be immune from the oppression” affecting their clients. Consequently, he gave his all, and was willing to put his own life on the line. Unfortunately, this approach took a toll on his family, especially his daughters, Emily and Sarah, the co-directors of William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe.
In this bittersweet bio-pic they not only recount their father’s exploits, but how they had to grow up with the specter of daily death threats and demonstrations in front of their home. Sadly, their father would only be posthumously vindicated for his spirited representation of innocent Harlem teens accused of raping the Central Park jogger.
But it is of little comfort to the African-American defendants that their names were belatedly cleared only after they’d already served lengthy prison terms. There had been a rush to judgment at the time of the trial which had the boys tried and convicted in the court of public opinion by everyone from Mayor Koch to Donald Trump who called for the death penalty in a full page ad in the New York Times.
A very moving tribute to an underappreciated hero who spent his life as a tireless defender of the defenseless.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 85 minutes
Studio: Arthouse Films