AWN Blogs

This is one of the best and most honest films I’ve seen on how infidelity affects the cheated on. Erica (Jill Clayburgh, SILVER STREAK) and Martin (Michael Murphy, SALVADOR) seem to have a fairly stable marriage until one day he drops the news that he is having an affair with a younger woman. Erica is shocked and goes through a range of emotions trying to deal with the situation.

At first she leans on her friends – Sue (Patricia Quinn, CLEAN AND SOBER), Elaine (Kelly Bishop, DIRTY DANCING) and Jeannette (Linda Miller, TURNER & HOOCH). Each of them has their own problems, some worse off than Erica. The film also deals with how the breakup affects Erica and Martin’s daughter Patti (Lisa Lucas, HEART AND SOULS). Eventually, Erica starts seeing a psychiatrist named Tanya (Penelope Russianoff, real psychiatrist in only film performance), who tells her the things she already knows, but needs to hear from the outside party.

Director Norman Jewison has never been shy when dealing with issues of race on the big screen as he did in IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT and THE HURRICANE. The only thing that lessens the importance of A SOLDIER’S STORY, a little, is that IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT come before. When it comes to cinematic stories about race relations this is one of the important films.

Set on a Southern military base during WWII, the film chronicles the investigation surrounding the death of a black sergeant named Waters (Adolph Caesar, THE COLOR PURPLE). Capt. Davenport (Howard E. Rollins Jr., TV’s IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT) is assigned by Washington D.C. to handle the case. However, the situation is tense because of the area’s racial climate and the fact that Davenport is the first black officer that many people there have ever seen. Capt. Taylor (Dennis Lipscomb, UNDER SIEGE), white, who oversees the black troops, is very reluctant to allow Davenport much freedom for fears of starting a race riot.

Based on 1/3 of John Irving’s novel A WIDOW FOR ONE YEAR, this film chronicles the turbulent marriage of Ted (Jeff Bridges, THE BIG LEBOWSKI) and Marion Cole (Kim Basinger, 8 MILE) after their two sons die in an accident.

Ted is an author and illustrator of children’s books, who has hired an assistant for the summer from the private school where he and Marion teach. Eddie O’Hare (Jon Foster, LIFE AS A HOUSE) is a wanna-be writer who finds it a privilege to be working for Mr. Cole. However, he quickly discovers that he has been hired mainly to cart Ted around. Ted and Marion are trying a separation where the couple trade off staying in their house and an apartment in town. Eddie soon develops a crush on Marion, which turns into an affair.

Anyone who has listened or read coverage of the Iraq war in any depth has at least heard of Al Jazeera – the Arab CNN. You’ve probably heard U.S. Secretary of Defense call it pro-terrorist, anti-American and as he does in this documentary “willing to lie to the world to make their case.” This film is a pretty objective, fly-on-wall look at the channel and its reporters.

At varying times, the station at best looks more objective and dedicated to journalistic integrity than anything on in the U.S., and at worst looks as biased as Fox News. To some comparing Al Jazeera to Fox News might be like calling them twisted propagandists, but in reality, Fox News is just slanted to its audience, which hold a patriotic, conservative view of America and Al Jazeera does the same, only its target audience is Arabs. Due to the fact that I have never seen Al Jazeera, I cannot comment on their reporting practices. The film actually shows very little footage of the station, which I would have liked to see.

This is the best heist movie I have ever seen. A true test of a classic is one that can still retain its power and freshness after years of being imitated and copied.

Tony the Stephanois (Jean Servais, LA ROUE) has just been released from prison for a robbery. His former partner Jo le Suedois (Carl Mohner, HE WHO MUST DIE) feels indebted to him for not ratting him out. Their old friend Mario Farrati (Robert Manuel, THE RAZOR’S EDGE) has a plan to rob a jewelry store and knows the perfect safe cracker Cesar le Milanais (Jules Dassin, director of the film). Tony discovers that his old flame Mado (Marie Sabouret, THE TOY WIFE) is now going with a nightclub owner named Pierre Grutter (Marcel Lupovici), who has a drug-addicted brother named Louis (Pierre Grasset).

I am an avid fan of director Billy Wilder’s work. THE APARTMENT is my favorite, but his other films include DOUBLE INDEMNITY, SUNSET BLVD., STALAG 17, SABRINA, THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH, WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION and SOME LIKE IT HOT. That’s a resume any filmmaker should be jealous of. I have never disliked a film of his that I’ve seen. Now I can add Wilder’s first Oscar winning feature to my list of favorites from him. And to think that Paramount had no faith in the film to the degree that it wasn’t planning on releasing it. The film gained new life when it received praise through private home screenings around Hollywood.

The story takes place over one weekend. Wanna-be writer Don Birnam (Ray Milland, THE UNINVITED) and his brother Wick (Phillip Terry, BATAAN) are planning a long weekend at a cabin. Don has stopped drinking for 10 days, but tries to sneak a bottle into his bag. Don’s girlfriend, Helen St. James (Jane Wyman, ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS), stops by and Don tries to get her and Wick to go to a concert so that he can “rest.” This starts the manipulative and destructive spiral that Don takes during a weekend of binging.

The only word to describe this film is preposterous. Now I’ve seen three American films from director John Woo and let me tell you I’m not all that impressed. The films are just a bit better than something Michael Bay would make. Style without substance.

Sean Archer (John Travolta, Woo’s BROKEN ARROW) is a veteran FBI agent whose son was killed by terrorist-for-hire Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage, THE ROCK). Six years afterward Archer is doggedly seeking to capture or kill Castor. Early in the film Archer succeeds, however, Castor is in a coma and his brother Pollux Troy (Alessandro Nivola, JURASSIC PARK III) is the only person who knows the location of the dirty bomb Castor planted.

This is one of the more bizarre thrillers I have ever seen. I was confused, but fascinated by the film the first time I saw it in film school. Now having seen it a second time, I understand it more and am awed by its power and intelligence. Director Nicolas Roeg – a former cinematographer – creates films of rich imagery and bizarre mood. His first film WALKABOUT is a strange tale of an aborigine who helps two white children survive in the Australian outback. That film deals with cultural differences and the inability to communicate. In a way, DON’T LOOK NOW deals with survival and communication problems as well.

Laura (Julie Christie, MCCABE & MRS. MILLER) and John Baxter (Donald Sutherland, KLUTE) suffer the death of their child Christine (Sharon Williams, MISSISSIPPI MASALA). But it seems that John had a premonition about it, but was too late to save her. Then the couple moves to Venice where John works at restoring a cathedral. He keeps the death inside and soldiers forward. Laura becomes introverted and takes pills to cope. Then Laura and John have a chance meeting with a blind woman named Heather (TV’s 1986 DAVID COOPERFIELD) and her sister Wendy (Clelia Matania, 1956’s WAR AND PEACE). Heather claims to be psychic and has seen Christine laughing. Laura is calmed by this news, but John thinks it's hogwash.

This film is how biopics are supposed to be made. The only thing keeping this off the Oscar list is an early release date allowing time for buzz to wear off and the controversy drummed up by the religious right, who like to demonize anything that has anything to do with Kinsey.

If you don’t know who Alfred Kinsey (Liam Neeson, SCHINDLER’S LIST) is then let me tell you. He was a biologist who first tackled the topic of human sexuality in a scientific way. His two ground-breaking books SEXUAL BEHAVIOR IN THE HUMAN MALE and SEXUAL BEHAVIOR IN THE HUMAN FEMALE opened people’s minds to what others where doing sexual for real not what was assumed. The film brilliantly delves into what made Kinsey tick as a human being and why he did what he did.

I have seen Greta Garbo in only one other film and that was NINOTCHKA, which I absolutely love. After seeing this film, I am quickly becoming a Garbo fan. Ranked at #33 on the AFI's 100 Years… 100 Passions list, the film has been copied so many times that its originality has been lost, however Garbo commands the screen and brings layers to the character of Marguerite Gautier. Garbo simply is the character.

Marguerite is a courtesan in 1847 Paris. Because this film was made in 1936 the fact that see is a prostitute is not made overt, but it works because it makes the characters dance around the issue. One night at the theater, she meets young, handsome Armand Duval (Robert Taylor, MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION), whom has loved her from a far since the moment he first saw her. However, Marguerite thought she was meeting the wealthy and arrogant Baron de Varville (Henry Daniell, WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION). It doesn’t take long before the hardened heart of Marguerite is softened by the passion of Armand. Still, Marguerite is reluctant to jump into love, because her past haunts her. But others stand in the way of the romance as well. Armand’s father (Lionel Barrymore, KEY LARGO) is not so keen on the romance and Marguerite's backstabbing friend Prudence (Laura Hope Crews, GONE WITH THE WIND) has sabotage on her mind.

Hollywood meets Bollywood in director Gurinder Chadha’s newest film. It’s not as good as her two previous films WHAT’S COOKING? or BEND IN LIKE BECKHAM, but it is 100% fun. Loosely based on Jane Austen’s much filmed PRIDE & PREJUDICE, the film’s setting is shifted from England to India (making stops in London and L.A. as well). Actually it's more than set in India, the country is like a character.

Mrs. and Mr. Bakshi (Nadira Babbar, MEENAXI: TALE OF 3 CITIES, & Anupam Kher, BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM) have four unmarried daughters, which Mrs. Bakshi desperately wants to marry off. At a wedding, her oldest daughter Jaya (Namrata Shirodkar) meets best man Balraj Bingley (Naveen Andrews, KAMA SUTRA), who is from London, and an instant attraction is struck. Now that moves second daughter Lalita (Aishwarya Rai, former Miss World) in line for suitors. Lalita is attracted to Balraj’s American friend Will Darcy (Martin Henderson, THE RING), but finds him arrogant, prejudiced and snobby when she talks to him. Other suitors include Mrs. Bakshi’s favorite – the rich Indian-American businessman Mr. Kholi (Nitin Chandra Ganatra, TRULY MADLY DEEPLY) -- and Will’s archrival Mr. Wickman (Daniel Gillies, SPIDER-MAN 2), who also gains the attention of the youngest sister Lucky (Peeya Rai Chowdhary).