Primer

           This indie film is intrigueing. It follows 4 young engineers who spend their free time drinking beer in a garage and attempting to invent new products and innovations to patent. While experimenting with refrigeration and calibration techniques, two of the four stumble on a great discovery. Their chamber has become a particle accelerator. With a different calibration, they can reverse frequency and it becomes a time machine.

            The first 20 minutes or so is extremely disorienting and technical in dialogue and presentation. I believe this is purposeful, you feel like your not an engineer, and the discovery and adventure is perceived through The eyes of engineers. After the technical part, they become philosophers, discussing the implications of their new discovery, questioning the reality of causality, and what the extent of their influence may be. They Begin small, investing in stocks, but soon, seek more, and well, the end is quite crazy.

            Though disorienting, and near impossible to make a tie travel flick without contradiction, this film does an exceptional job, and the lives that go through the experiences are profoundly real. The twists and turns along the way are well crafted. This is a 2 for sure.

Munich

           Steven Spielberg reaches into his Jewish heritage for another heart-rending tragedy of the people of Israel. Like Schindler’s List, Munich is a tale of death and rage, of tragedy, and hapless victims. It is also a look into the roots of modern terrorism, and the way the Israeli Mosad began it’s strike team tactics to assassinate it’s enemies.

            This movie is a great look into international politics and the circumstances surrounding and proceeding from the Munich Olympics massacre of 1972. Afterward, the Mossad began a tactical assassination squad to strike at the perpetrators of the crime in Munich. This movie is their story, and though, loosely based on true occurrences, the candor of the tale is what highly charged politics and espionage and assassination is all about.

            The tale follows one of the teams comprised of 5 jews, all with different skills and different reasons for their involvement. It shows how they are all destroyed or pay a heavy cost for their participation in the defense of Israel. The cost of patriotism and doing things in the means and fashions that the state of Israel has contrived is definitely sordid business and this is a great, and harsh look at the inside, and really captures the brutality of the Israeli existence.

            All in all, it is really touching and intense, and though you can feel what will happen, in the broader sense, it is very suspenseful and intense. 2, for sure.

The Fifth Element

          One of the most exciting and vivid environments created in the 90’s CG era, this really gave rise some of the cityscapes in the Star Wars prequels. The flying cities and vibrant vessels are all part of this futuristic wonderland that provides the backdrop for a few chosen individuals to change the course of history and the universe forever.

            Bruce Willis (Oceans 12) plays his typical fair, a guy with a dirnking and smoking and paying alimony habit, and he sports blonde hair as he drives a space taxi, and chows down on asian cuisine. It is a complete coincedence that LeeLu (Milla Jovovich, Ûltriaviolet) falls into his cab. LeeLu is the fifth element. The one who brings harmony to the universe, or who can destroy everything with the potential energy stored up inside her.

            Throw into the mix a deranged murderous criminal who wants to sell the power (Gary Oldman, Batman Begins) and a complete freak MC and pleasure seeking media hub (Chris Tucker, Money Talks), and an interstellar boat cruise with aliens intent on saving the universe in hot pursuit, and you got yourself a hell of a movie.

            What I loved about this movie: Milla Jovovich is smokin’ hot and really amazing in her characterization and action poise. She brings LeeLu from a sublime and cute character into a full three dimensional persona. Willis is his typical bad ass self, always tough and hilarious. Tucker surprises in his androgenous and flamboyant role, which is atypical for him.

            What I didn’t like, is this is fantasy scifi, not typical scifi, this is like a cartoon, and it’s great that way, but it’s a little over the top. It’s a 2, and I really enjoy Milla Jovovish in her debut.

Miami Vice

            In this adaptation of the 80’s action comedy, Writer and Director Michael Mann (Dir. Collateral) takes a totally new spin on things, and really doesn’t do much to stay true, other than the characters names, and the fact that they wear leisure suits from time to time. Overall, it is a much darker, and more bizarre Miami Vice.

            James “Sunny” Burton (Colin Farrell, Alexander) and his partner Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs (Jamie Foxx, Ray) are Miami’s hottest vice detectives. While on a prostitution stakeout, they get a call from a man they handed over to the Feds 6 months earlier. He had ratted out the Feds to the marks, and FBI agents paid the price.

            Now, the FBI is weary of any other government agency connected to the case, which leaves only Miami’s finest out of the loop and up to crack the case.

            They go undercover, infiltrating a huge crime syndicate in South America, and bearing down into unknown waters. It’s a slower pace than previous Mann movies, and definitely jumps around. Frequently he reverts to the hand held “COPS” cam, and so gives an intriguing feel to much of the onscreen happenings. Overall I expected much more character development between The Vice agents, and not so much with the criminals. It was a cool enough story, but the wrong packaging. Miami Vice was not what I expected, but that worked to it’s detrement. There were also sex scenes which served no purpose. Shame on you Michael Mann. 1. 

A Day in September

            This film was very well done and won an academy award for best documentary of 1999. I really liked it. It is a survey and explanation and personalities surrounding the Olympic Hostage Situation of 1972 in Munich Germany. It’s research, performed by only five people was surpassingly well founded, and proved to be very strong. The interviews as well, were quite well carried out, and those being interviewed offered their perspective in a very strict manor, not pulling their punches or attempting to look good.

            It follows primarily the life of Andrei Pitzer, the Israeli fencing coach up to that point in his life, being wed not two years and having a new daughter. It is a supreme tragedy as the events unfold, and the message is clear. At times I felt very upset at the absolute boobery of the German authorities, and the countless mistakes they made in negotiations, calculations and strategies.

            It began in Munich as they attempted to show a sort of apologetic candor for the Nazi games of 1936, and so they have a very lax security force, and no real enforcement of rules. I also recall the brief account of the event in the movie Prefontaine, starring Jared Leto, another movie set in the early 70’s. But in any case, the film follows the setting of the stage for the September 5^th tragedy when 8 Palestinians took the 13 Israelis hostage, killing two of them in the process, and demanded the release of 200 captive revolutionaries.

            They finagle themselves through negotiations and end up at an airport trapped between 2 helicopters and being pinned down by snipers. Throughout the movie, the theme of conflicting reports rages, as the authorities in question have no clue what’s going on, and have made no effort in terms of contingency. It is almost as sickening to see the German police operate as it is to behold the Palestinian thugs carry out their disturbing mission.

            The Account of the aftermath is one of the most moving and powerful moments in a documentary I have ever seen, and it will probably stick with me for a while. The whole course of the movie is riddled with steady paced and thought provoking information, and employs many elements that keep ones attention riveted. The ending is incredibly strong.

In all, I would rank this film a 2 (on a scale of 1-2, whole numbers only).

W.

           I was really really surprised by the soft touch that this potentially biting biography piece has with the life of one of the most controversial presidential regimes of the last century. Oliver Stone (World Trade Center) has taken a much quiter tone in his recent films compared to his wilder earlier films. Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) portrays the titular George Walker Bush, the 43^rd president of the US, and the author of such famous terms as “axis of evil” and “strategery”.

            This film depicts his path through Yale, growing up in the shadow of George Bush Sr. and a series of screw ups which were covered by his father. Eventually, the man finds his way into politics after landing a wonderful wife and a dream job. His life really took on such strength after he stopped dirnking and came to faith.

            His presidential work was marred by many screw ups, and if anything this movie reviles Dick Cheney (Richard Dreyfus, Jaws) while totally exonerating Colin Powell and really turning Condoleezza Rice (Tandy Newton, RocknRolla) into a mere puppet and yes-woman.

            I’d say this is a must watch for all citizens of the 21^st century, and I look forward to more from Stone, who’s new style has brought back some of his old school fire in a very post-modern packaging which is an easy 2.

The Truman Show

            This movie is the first feature with Jim Carrey that has any serious side to it at all. It showcases a man whose entire, life from birth until the present moment when he is 30 years old, married, and working in the life insurance business, has been secretly televised. It is the biggest show in the history of television, obviously. It’s a really fascinating concept, and establishes a lot of interesting themes.

            Truman (Carrey) begins his days the same, greeting the neighbors, going to the newsstand, going to work, and kicking back a cold one with his best friend Marlin. It’s interesting because Truman begins to finally see through the setting, and the people. A series of mistakes clues him in, and he quickly becomes a manic delusional paranoid. With due cause, naturally. Not only does he discover his wife doesn’t love him, his father didn’t really die, and the entire town is fake, but he soon overcomes the imposed limits of the town, and ventures beyond his normal day by day routine.

            We also meet the shows creator, Cristoph, played by Ed Harris. A man with an obvious God complex, in our only direct dialogue with Cristoph, the theme and thesis of the film are stated quite clearly. It is a very interesting exploration of perceived reality, and the what makes a person human, particularly in relation to the world.

            It is of course, Trumans hidden desires, which are linked to a forgotten tryst known only as Sylvia. She of course was a mere extra, who caught Truman’s eye and was immediately barred from the show. She then headed up the “free Truman” campaign. Truman finally comes to grip with his fears and limitations and goes on to discover the nature of his dogma, and despite the assurity of Cristoph, who looks on Truman as his own son, Truman has nothing to do with him, and it is clear that the treatment of one man is not right. Truman chooses the real world over his plastic dream world.

            Another not-so-subtle plot device is the spectator mentality of the American populace. People watch Truman 24-7, and are living entirely vicariously through him. He dominates the airwaves, and thus dominates culture. It is an obvious reflection of our Roman circus desires. That we will sit in the Coliseum and watch whatever it is in the middle, as lon as it will deliver us from our daily responsibilities. Even in sitting and watching the movie, it makes you wonder how much you resemble the viewers of the Truman Show. A true masterpiece and very thought provoking. Easily a 2.