Category: Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Masterpiece Theater’s “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”

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Remember Oxford edition books from college?

 

When Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles was first published, readers debated whether or not the main protagonist, Tess Durbeyfield, was a “pure” woman.  Her purity was of great debate among friends at dinner parties (Laura Linney said before the film began on Masterpiece Theater).  Tess is a young, simple, and honest woman who endures several tragedies, but has a bit of happiness, too.  Though many evils befall her, she takes life into her own hands in the end.   

 

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Tess (Gemma Arterton), a beautiful young girl in her teens, has a simple life in the countryside of Southern England.    Her father consoles himself with drink, and is often jobless.  Tess, who is hard-working and good in school, hopes to someday become a teacher.  Her mother has a big brood to raise, and feels that Tess should swallow her pride for the sake of the family.  So, Tess goes to work for her distant relations, the D’Urbervilles, on a big estate several miles from home. 

 

Her wealthy, older, crafty cousin Alec D’Urberville (Hans Matheson) is instantly struck by her beauty and simple ways.  Tess is given the job of “poultry manager” and her own little house to live in on the estate.  Her cousin gives her a lot of attention, gifts (such as a new dress), and promises to do something for her poor family.   Tess is unprotected and in danger, the viewer quickly learns.  Alec’s mother, a blind sickly old lady close to death, can’t protect Tess from her son’s advances.  She lets him run everything, even though she knows about his dissipated ways (drinking, gambling, and running after women). 

 

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When they see the pair together in Alec’s carriage, Tess’ sister Liza Lu asks “Is that the man who will make Tess a lady?”  In Thomas Hardy’s mind, Tess is already a “lady.”   She has a lot of pride and (natural) honor- something that a man like Alec can never understand.  A girl, the former poultry manager, ran off before Tess arrived!  The other servants gossip and laugh about Tess.   The young housemaids are jealous because they no longer have their master’s attention.   

  

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Alec “takes her by force” in the woods late one night.  She is bewildered, ashamed, and has no one to talk to about her situation.  (No one told her that such things could happen!)  Tess quickly returns to her family, has a baby boy, and deals with that baby’s death (as well as the disdain of her community). 

 

She appeals to the local pastor to allow her dead son, who she named Sorrow, to be buried “on consecrated ground.”   He refuses (of course) because the baby was born out of wedlock.  Tess is angry and hurt, feeling that the church is not doing the right thing.  She decides to seek out a new job.  You wonder if she’ll ever get a break!

  

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Tess begins work as a dairy maid on a family-like farm peopled with a kind group of individuals.  She becomes friends with the other milkmaids, and catches the eye of a young gentleman, Angel Clare (Eddie Redmayne), who’s trianing to be a farmer alongside the others.  Slowly, Tess and Angel become good friends.  He is taken aback by her goodness.  Angel is a decent guy who loves working the land, though he is the son of a parson (and thus middle-class).  He doesn’t care for money or status, but highly values honesty. 

 

All the girls on the farm are in love with Angel, but he (noticeably) prefers Tess.  She is afraid to let herself be happy, but eventually admits that she’s deeply in love.  However, she feels she is “ruined” and “will never marry” someone so good like Angel.  What will happen next? 

 

Gemma Aterton does a terrific job showing the many sides to a “simple” girl; she is not only a victim, she has a lot of toughness.   How else would Tess have survived her life?  Hans Matheson, dark and a bit dangerous in appearance, makes Alec a complex, interesting villain.  He’s not always easy to figure out.  Eddie Redmayne goes through a wide range of emotions, and truly fits into his role of idealistic young man.  When Angel becomes disappointed in life, he does an even better job.   

 

This is a very effective film because it has these elements: a  very committed cast of characters (who are not well-known), fitting music and lighting (to set a mood Hardy could approve of), and appropriate costumes, scenery, and sets.   The film elaborates on the themes: innocence, honesty, shame, questioning of established religion, unconditional love, betrayal, and (eventual) forgiveness.  It’s true to Hardy- it’s dark, moody, and (sometimes) unexpected.  You will be quickly drawn into this film!  

 

 

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Gemma Aterton is one of the newest Bond girls, believe it or not!  She can be seen in Quantum of Solace (opposite Daniel Craig).  

 

 

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Hans Matheson can be seen in The Mists of Avalon (where he plays another villain) and the BBC version of Dr. Zhivago (opposite Keira Knightly). 

 

 

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Eddie Redmayne, an actor fans of Brit films  may be familiar with, has been in Elizabeth: The Golden Age (with Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen), Elizabeth I (with Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, and Hugh Dancy), and  The Other Boleyn Girl (with Scarlett Johanssen, Natalie Portman, an Eric Bana).  Not bad for a guy who’s just 26!  

 

Links you may like: 

 

A photo of Thomas Hardy’s house, Max Gate:

http://www.victorianweb.org/photos/hardy/11.jpg

 

More about this film:

www.bbc.co.uk/tess

 

More about actress Gemma Aterton:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2605345/

 

A web site dedicated to actor Hans Matheson:

http://www.hansmatheson.org/

 

A web site dedicated to actor Eddie Redmayne:

http://eddie-redmayne.net/

 

1998 UK version (starring Justine Waddell)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126100/

 

The famed 1979 version- Tess (starring Nastassja Kinski); directed by Roman Polanski

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080009/

Movie Review: “Gone Baby Gone”

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Sorry to you Mystic River fans, but this film (also set in Boston) is much, much better!  I watched Gone Baby Gone last week, and was on the edge of my seat (for most of the time).  Ben Affleck is the director/co-writer of the screenplay, and his little brother, Casey Affleck is the (unassuming) star.  Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris just melt into their roles, as usual.  Rising young star Michelle Monaghan, though dressed quite drably, looks sweet and has a strong/quiet presence.  She and Casey looked like the real couple next door (if you happen to live in the working-class, Irish Catholic suburb of Dorchester).  The casting is superb; all the main characters are individual entities.  Each of them gets a moment to shine in their role.  

 

 

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As the film opens, 31 y.o. Patrick Kenzie (Affeck) can’t seem to tear his attention from the news coverage of a local missing girl  (5 year-old Amanda McCready).  He feels like “someone from the neighborhood” can contribute to the police investigation.  He and Angie Gennaro (Monaghan) live together and work as private detectives.  Then suddenly, the aunt and uncle of the girl show up at his door looking for help. 

 

 

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The detectives tell the couple that they have little experience with this type of case, but the family wants them; they’re not cops and know the ‘hood. Patrick, though hesistant at first, thinks he can “supplement” the official investigation, as he tells Capt. Jack Doyle (Freeman).  Doyle (who lost his own daughter in a kidnapping) thinks that Patrick is too young, not to mention inexperienced, to get himself into something like this.  In no time, baby-faced Patrick and the reluctant Angie are neck deep into some serious stuff!  They meet up with drug dealers, addicts, and pedophiles.  There is also a mysterious Cajun cop named Remy Bressant (Harris) to deal with. They’re in way over their heads, but committed to finding Amanda. 

 

 

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 When Patrick and Angie solve the case, life gets even more difficult!  They are faced with a moral problem that may change their lives.   Who do you agree with- Patrick or Angie?  (It’s not so easy!)   This is a very thought-provoking film- it stays with you.  Check it out ASAP!

 

 

 

      

Holiday Movie Reviews

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Ironman

 

            I didn’t know Gwyneth Paltrow was in this film!  I was surprised by that.  Though this is a superhero movie, it’s a smart and funny one.  Robert Downey Jr. is older (and more buff) than you’ve seen him in the past.  RDJ plays Tony Stark, a weapons inventor/millionaire/playboy, who creates an iron suit to escape from a group of terrorists in Afghanistan.  This experience changes him, and he decides to upgrade the suit (in secret).  

 

Jeff Bridges (looking good, even with a shaved head and graying goatee) is his partner/nemesis.  Tony’s true friends are Navy weapons inspector (Terence Howard) and Gwyneth, his loyal PA/potential love interest.  RDJ is a naturalistic actor, so he brings gravity to his character (like Christian Bale did with Batman).  He gets some serious moments and some REALLY funny lines, too.  Not to mention- RDJ has great eyes!               

           

 

 

Slumdog Millionaire

 

I saw this (new) film w/ the fam this past weekend in the Indy suburbs.  (My mom knew many folks who’d seen it already at the local uni.)  It was only playing at 3 theaters in the Indy area, so the place was packed!  I was a little surprised, but many people are visiting during the holidays.  And this particular theater (inside a new high-end mall) is very nice.  The previews were interesting; I learned re: Two Lovers, an upcoming drama/romance starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joaquin Phoenix.  It was shot in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn and Manhattan.  Here is more info from IMDB:

 

Two Lovers is a romantic drama set in New York City. It tells the story of Leonard (Joaquin Phoenix), an attractive but depressed young man who moves back in with his parents following a recent heartbreak. An aspiring photographer, Leonard works part-time at his father’s dry-cleaners. His concerned parents try to set him up with Sandra (Vinessa Shaw), the sweet and caring daughter of a close family friend. A big family dinner serves as their introduction and Leonard arranges to see her again. Then late one night Leonard looks out his bedroom window and notices a ravishing young woman he’s never seen before. Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow) recently moved into an apartment in his family’s building – an apartment paid for by the wealthy married man she’s seeing.

 

            Unlike Bolly flicks, or even most indie films, Slumdog gives a wider view of modern India (particularly Mumbai).  There are many heavy moments, but some light ones as well.  You see slums, poverty, violence, and all the things that Bollywood NEVER shows.  (This film is a collaboration btwn folks from the UK as well as India.)  It’ll remind you of the world of Charles Dickens, b/c orphans are: begging on the streets, scavenging for food, and dealing with (very shady) elements of society. The child and teen actors in Slumdog are cute and very easy to relate to, BUT they are not actor-y or cutesy in ANY way.  

 

The central character, Selim Malik, is played by 3 actors, including Brit desi (Dev Patel).  One of Bollywood’s biggest names (Anil Kapoor) is the smarmy host of the game show 18 y.o. Selim is on- an Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?  Respected indie film actor (Irfan Khan) is the no-nonsense police inspector who interrogates young Selim.  The show’s host and the cops think that Selim, a wide-eyed tea boy for a call center, is cheating on the show.  They take him away after the 1st night of competition.  How can someone like him (called a “slumdog”) have SO much general knowledge?  But the events of his (very difficult/painful) young life have been leading to his big moment.  Selim doesn’t care for the money (20 million rupees = $4 million); he wants to be on TV to reconnect with his one friend/true love, Latika.  Check it out for yourself- it’s an unpredictable, action-packed film!  

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3:10 to Yuma (1957)

           

            Even though this is a classic Western film, it comes off as VERY contemporary!  At the center of the story are two different men: Dan (Van Heflin) is a serious, quiet rancher, husband, and father; Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) is a cool, smooth-talking career criminal.  Dan needs the money ($200), so he joins up with the men who will escort Ben to another town, then eventually to Yuma (where he’ll be jailed).  Earlier, Ben and his gang robbed a stagecoach and killed its driver.  As they wait for the train, Ben tries various tricks to unsettle Dan.  The characters are slowly developed, and there is NOT a lot of dialogue at times.  The acting is mostly done with the eyes and slight facial expressions.  Check this film out ASAP!  (I can’t wait to see the newer version of this with Christian Bale and Russell Crow.)               

 

 

 

You Can’t Take It With You (1938)

 

            This is a quirky comedy film (dir by Frank Capra) re: 2 VERY different families in NYC.  James Stewart (a young man from a wealthy banking dynasty) and Jean Arthur (his secretary) are the romantic pair; these actors also teamed up later for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.  There is a scene in a courtroom that’ll remind you of the ending of It’s a Wonderful Life.  Jimmy Stewart has some GREAT reactions to the (very wacky) events surrounding “his girl’s” family and friends.  On the down side, this film is a little too long.  The characters seem nutty (at first), but they all have good hearts.     

 

 

 

His Girl Friday (1940)

 

            It’s one of the earliest romantic comedies.  The stars are wily newspaper editor (Cary Grant) and his stressed-out reporter/ex-wife (Rosalind Russell).  He wants her to report on/write about a BIG story; she wants to get married and “have a normal life.”  The dialogue is fast and snappy!  If you haven’t seen this slapstick film, check it out sometime. 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW Movie Review: Oliver Stone’s “W”

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Josh Brolin stars as George W. Bush in this Oliver Stone biopic that traces the head of state’s rise to power from a privileged alcoholic to a born-again Christian whose belief in religious destiny helped move him to the top ranks of political power.  -IMDB synopsis

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Before I saw Josh Brolin’s (quite respectable) performances in American Gangster and No Country for Old Men, I thought the best thing about him was his wife (the fabulous Diane Lane)!  In W, he gets to stretch his acting repertoire (with help from several veteran actors).  The accent, mannerisms, and mistakes of W are on display here.  But Oliver Stone doesn’t create a (overly) negative picture of the president.  My mom commented that the film made her feel “a little sorry for Bush.”

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The heart of this film is the father-son relationship; W never feels like he measures up to H.W. (played with great ease/conviction by James Cromwell).  The grande dame of the Bush family, Barbara (Ellen Burstyn), gets a couple of good moments in the film.  She’s great- I wanted to see more Barbara!  Jeb and other family members are barely there; I wanted to know more about the siblings.

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Believe it or not, W was called “elitist” and “Eastern” when he first ran for office in Midland, TX (his family’s adopted hometown)!  Laura Welch (Elizabeth Banks; she did a fine job in Seabiscuit) was a registered Democrat when she was introduced to Bush at a barbecue.  Laura is as we’d imagine her to be, but her character is not deeply explored.  She’s your typical sweet, supportive, pretty Southern girl.

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Once Bush enters national politics, he’s supported by “Vice” Cheney (Richard Dreyfuss), Condi Rice (Thandie Newton), Colin Powell (Jeffrey Wright), Donald Rumsfeld (Scott Glenn), and “genius boy” Karl Rove (Toby Jones).  My mom wanted to see more of Condi.  I wanted to see more of Dreyfuss and Glenn; they are solid veteran actors, but under-used here.  That’s just sad!  Dimunitive Brit actor, Toby Jones, gets a few interesting moments with Brolin.  Jones has played sneaky political types many times in his acting career.

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I was surprised that the first 20 minutes of the film were so dull.  It showed Bush as a young man acting the fool.  He drinks too much, can’t keep a job, and so forth.  My mind wandered off to other things.  I really liked the two long-ish scenes Brolin had with Stacy Keach (who played an Evangelical pastor from Midland).  Brolin commented in an interview that quitting drinking was one of the things he admired about W.  Unfortunately, there isn’t much to admire about this film.  We already know a lot of the things this film covers!  This is a different Oliver Stone than the one who made Born on the Fourth of July and JFK.  Those movie stays in your mind, unlike this one.

The Duchess

Emma4 Comments

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A chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who reviled for her extravagant political and personal life. She is a vibrant beauty and celebrity of her time. But she is trapped in an unhappy triangle with her husband and his live-in mistress. She falls passionately in love with an ambitious young politician, and the affair causes a bitter conflict with her husband and threatens to erupt into a scandal.  -IMDB synopsis

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Is it me, or are the movies (in general) becoming too simple, predictable, and just plain dull?  I’m not feeling strongly about most of the (mainstream) movies these days.  Many people I know feel the same, too.  However, I went last weekend to see two new films: The Duchess (with a group of ladies from NYBAP) and W (by myself; my mom saw it before me, and said it was interesting).  Though I wasn’t “wowed” by either of these movies, I recommend you see them (when they come out on DVD).  Below is a review of The Duchess; I will soon write about W as well. 

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There is no denying that Keira Knightley has a strikingly beautiful face; she reminds you of Brooke Shields as a very young woman.  She has gotten a lot of exposure, and grown as an actress since making a big splash as a teen tomboy in the Bend it like Beckham.  Not all the projects she’s chosen haven been hits, but I’m sure she’s learned a lot from them.  In The Duchess (based on actual events), Keira plays Georgiana, an independent-minded young lady who becomes the Duchess of Devonshire in 18th century England.  Her husband, the Duke, is played by Ralph Fiennes (his family is distantly related to British royalty).  He is always interesting to watch, both as a hero and villain.  Unfortunately, in the first half of the movie, he comes across as a rather cartoonish villain.  Subtlety is one of the main things missing from modern pictures!         

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G (as she is called by family and friends) goes from being a bubbly teen girl to a troubled married woman before you can say “corset.”  Her husband is nothing like a girl expects- he’s distant, uncommunicative, and has many affairs.  He becomes even colder when G fails to provide a (male) heir.  Her mother, played very well by Charlotte Rampling, says that women must bear many burdens.  (Divorce was very rare at that time.)

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G’s closest friend, Lady Elizabeth Eshton, is one of the bright spots in her life.  Hayley Atwell, who plays Lady Elizabeth, is a well-developed character who brings (much-needed) depth to this film.  She’s a “woman of the world” who has lived through many trials; she cares deeply for her friend.  While Keira is thin and light on her feet, Hayley is very curvaceous and earthy.  G is a wide-eyed “people-pleaser”; Lady Elizabeth is tougher.  She observes others closely with her small, dark, curious eyes.

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G, though unloved by her husband, becomes a popular fashion icon.  The hairdos, costumes, and (especially) jewels in this film are gorgeous.  She also gets involved in politics, supporting men like Lord Fox (who spoke against slavery, among other injustices).  A young lawyer, played by Dominic West, from G’s girlhood is Fox’s right-hand man.  He has strong feelings for G, even after several years apart.  G is torn between her duty (as wife, mother, high society figurehead, etc.) and desire to experience real love. 

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This film does a good job of re-creating 18th century high society and laying down the (often unspoken) rules of the day.  If you are familiar with that stuff (like me), then it won’t be a biggie to you.  (You’ll be bored, honestly!)  I felt sorry for Ralph Fiennes because he’s (obviously) capable of more subtle acting.  He was too much of a baddie in The Duchess; I don’t think many husbands of that day acted like the Duke.  (I won’t give it away, but he does some heinous stuff.)   There was an (obvious) lack of chemistry between Keira and Dominic; if you want to see real sparks of young love, check out Atonement.  Keira looks great with James McAvoy in that film; they feel like a real couple.  There are some bright moments here and there, like the (unusual) friendship between G and Lady Elizabeth.  The sets and scenery are fabulous, and there is a great moment of drama involving G and one of her children.  It wasn’t a great film, but it wasn’t a bad way to spend two hours.