Mamma Mia!

FLICK If you can't find the time or money to go to a Greek island, let Mamma Mia! take you to that happy place. That's the setting for the movie musical about a young woman, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried from TV's "Big Love"), about to be married and who has sent wedding invitations to three men who just might be her father. The film adaptation of the hit stage show is really a prop to on which to hang a string of pop songs by the Swedish group ABBA and is the real reason to go.
With the set up so light there should be no expectation for character depth. Meryl Streep acknowledges this with her whimsical portrayal of Donna, Sophie's mother and owner of the hotel were the guests and friends meet and prepare for the happy occasion. As a denim overall-wearing leftover from the free-love era Donna is not interested in knowing which of three men fathered her daughter. She is self-sufficient even though Donna could use the occasional help of a man's hand to help with the beachside hotel repairs. But she's come a long way without one and Streep conveys all of this with her loose and unrestrained performance.
As Donna's best friends showing up for the big day, Julie Walters, with her spiky haircut and thick glasses resembling Velma from Scooby-Doo and Christine Baranski adding a dash of class leaving you wanting more, they show that you can combine work with having lots of fun. Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard play the possible dads and, particularly Brosnan, shouldn't expect a singing carreer from this jolly holiday.
The choreography is mostly uninspired but the editing and energy keeps things moving and it's hard not to find your toes tapping. You don't have to be the first in line but if you don't take a ch-chance chance you could be facing your Waterloo, in which case send out an S.O.S. My Score: 7.5 out of 10.

14th Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

After the first weekend of screenings at the 2008 Philadelphia International Film Festival, I'm off to a decent start but having watched the opening night film, Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!, things can only get better. Gay Sequel revisits the same over-the-top comedy path as 2006's Another Gay Movie but goes down in flames faster and gets dirtier than the original. Only Jonah Blechman and Scott Thompson bravely return for the second outing, and help from RuPaul, Perez Hilton and Lady Bunny is not enough to lift this sinking mess out of the quicksand. Summer lovin' in Ft. Lauderdale will never be the same. My Score: 4.5 out of 10

La León, a somber film about a lone gay man who lives and works in the Argentine jungle is beautifully photographed in black and white and made me want to know more about the background and the sheltered people who live there. There is no gay culture here but there is homophobia. Though only 85 minutes long, the film takes its time and will pay off for those willing to devote their attention (unlike the two men sitting behind me who huffed and puffed and verbally blew out how impatient they were with the pacing – after five minutes.) My Score: 7.5

Based on the novel by lesbian author Sarah Waters, ("Tipping the Velvet") Affinity is an involving though uneven costume drama that ultimately satisfies. When an upper-class woman, Margaret (Anna Madeley), volunteers as a "Lady Visitor" at a nearby prison, she meets and falls in love with one of its inmates, Selena (the appropriately enchanting Zoe Tapper). As the story unfolds it's easy to get wrapped up in the desire for the women to meet outside of the prison and get swept up in the haunting and unexplainable mysterious happenings never expecting the approaching twist. With Logo as a distributor, it's likely to show up on the gay cable channel. My Score: 7.5

On hand for the Q&A after his film Mulligans was actor-screenwriter-producer Charlie David, who is as charming as he is hot. David stars as the college student who spends a summer with his best friend's family only to spark the interest of the BF's father. Comparisons to The Graduate are a stretch – no one is really seducing anyone and there is no alternate love interest to fall back on. The set-up is fine but as it tries to dig deeper into the ramifications of the tryst portions play out as expected and motivations are never explored as deeply as they should. Thea Gill ("Queer as Folk") plays the cheated-on wife who becomes more understanding than you could ever hope for. It all left me wanting more. If Afternoon Specials and movies of the week are your thing, then this might work for you. My Score: 6

Though there are multiple stories told in a lighthearted, non-linear style Spinnin' never is out of control. This Spanish delight is one of most enjoyable films I've seen in a while. Taking place in 1995 and focusing more on the characters rather than plot, there are many issues raised, such as love, marriage, parenting, HIV/AIDS, which affect both gays and straights equally. With the appearance of working with a low budget, this independent film benefits from the freedom of doing more with less and ultimately projects an infectious optimism that takes you to that happy place. My Score: 8.5

I was really skeptical about going to a movie where the little old ladies are being killed by a real estate agent so he could buy up the property, clean up the neighborhood and turn it into a hip gayborhood. But Boystown had a lot more laughs than expected and a lovable bear couple at its center trying to overcome mother-in-law problems. Boystown isn't just for cubs… My Score: 7.5

You don't have to go over the rainbow to find love because it just might be in your own backyard. This is a theme found in the Israeli film Antarctica, which has its characters searching high and low on the Internet and abroad hoping to make a match. And though their paths crisscross the web ultimately becomes untangled. Likable characters, good acting and smart directing choices combine to make this a comedy-drama that won't leave you out in the cold. My Score: 9

Xanadu and The 39 Steps

THEATER A current trend on Broadway is to turn movies into theater productions. This more likely is meant to fill seats from familiarity than taking a chance on an original idea. But some can succeed by using a familiar film as its basis when its creative forces burst through that fourth wall and think outside the box. Mel Brooks stuck gold when he turned his film The Producers into a smash hit musical though is less successful with the current critical failure of Young Frankenstein. (Actually it's really going for the hard sell with the title The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein and isn't reporting its weekly box office grosses. And the NY Times reported that “Disney’s The Little Mermaid which also received some scathing reviews, is holding up fairly well…") But two film-to-stage shows currently playing that hit a bull's eye are the musical Xanadu and the comedy Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps.

The movie Xanadu is notoriously regarded as bad but the new Tony-nominated stage musical is a 90-minute laugh fest. Set in Venice Beach, CA in 1980, a Greek muse, Kira (Tony nominee Kerry Butler) descends from Mt Olympus to inspire sidewalk artist, Sonny (Cheyenne Jackson), and help him open the first roller disco. With its tongue planted firmly in cheek, Xanadu flaunts the styles of the day (like short denim cut-offs, leg warmers, and roller skates), ups the camp quotient and has Butler using an exaggerated Australian accent that pokes fun at her movie counterpart, Olivia Newton-John.

The pop-rock music incorporates the song "Suddenly" from the film plus Newton-John's singles "Magic" and "Have You Never Been Mellow?" Scenery chewers Mary Testa and Jackie Hoffman (as Medusa and Aphrodite respectively) perform duets on Electric Light Orchestra's "Evil Woman" and "Strange Magic" with cackles so unforgettable you'll be cracking up for weeks. Though the set seems scaled-down for a Broadway production it only puts more focus on a cast that appears to relish every fun-loving onstage moment.

Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 thriller The 39 Steps gets a makeover that would most likely humor the master of suspense by turning it into a comedy. Four actors imaginatively take on what seems to be 100 different roles and sometimes change characters in the blink of an eye. This spoof maintains the plot of an international spy ring out to kill Richard Hannay (Charles Edwards), and playfully keeps stage show "mentalist" Mr. Memory, but heightens the drama to turn it on its end.

The quick costume changes and voice alterations right in front of you are amazing to watch and at some point become almost invisible from the fluidity and ease of the actors. The suspense here is to see how the cast will handle the next illusion. The sparse set can take on multiple locations as when it morphs from the interior of a speeding train to its roof with the use of a few trunks. And how often do you see shadow puppets pop up in a production? (Be sure to look for Sir Alfred!) Edwards stated in a Playbill interview that he doesn't mimic the film's lead, Robert Donat, but rather respectfully "conjure(s) up the spirit of the movie… and that style of acting". With a dozen or so references to other Hitchcock films this 2007 Olivier award-winning import easily deserved its Tony nomination for Best Play.

As these two shows prove, no matter how successful or poorly executed the source movie material, spoofing it is a fresher approach when appealing to today's sensibilities rather than literal translation. And live theater may just be the best medium to view them.

Love Songs

FLICK There are many references to well-known French films in Christophe Honoré's L'Chansons d'Amour (Love Songs) but the tone of this romantic musical feels fresh and original. For those fearful of characters bursting into song, the transitions here are smooth, natural and effortless, reminiscent of the film Once, which is due to Honoré's direction. When the characters are outdoors, the scenes look as if they're happening in the midst of an average day. Nothing ever feels staged.
Lovers Julie and Ismaël (Ludivine Sagnier and Louis Garrel) have added a third, Alice (Clotilde Hesme), to their relationship. That this is more for Julie's delight than Ismaël's perhaps signals the overload, figuratively and literally, on her heart. Julie's mother (Brigitte Roüan) is fascinated with this arrangement and Julie's older sister Jeanne (Chiara Mastroianni) eventually develops a crush on Ismaël that may be an involuntary reaction to a tragedy. Though the girl-boy-girl relationship is presented in a way that's believable and works, the later moments with Ismaël and the young Erwann (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, who gave another fine performace in In the Arms of My Enemy screened at the 2008 Philadelphia Film Festival) has the emotional resonance that we've been waiting for.
The overall story is sketchy and it's this simplicity that lends more weight to the songs. Singer/songwriter Alex Beaupain, who previously worked with Honoré on the films 17 Times Cécile Cassard and Dans Paris targets the emotions of the characters and hits a bull's eye when choosing the words to explain their connections and interlocking moments alternately with meaning and a lighthearted rhyme scheme. His music is never intrusive and eases its way into the scene as if it were meant to be there.
With the looks of a silent screen matinee idol, Garrel easily and appropriately expresses an array of emotions that vary from light and charming to mournful to playful clown. And shows a comfortable ease of loving a man as well as a woman. When Erwann gives off a stalker-ish vibe, Ismaël realizes that he's being offered a love that he's missing. He satisfies them both by telling him: "love me less but love me a long time." This is a film I'll love, and enjoy re-watching, for a long time. My Score: 8.5 out of 10.

Shine a Light

FLICK I've never seen the Rolling Stones perform live, but the next best thing is seeing their documentary concert Shine a Light on an IMAX screen. The rocking charity benefit concert (celebrating Bill Clinton’s 60th birthday) of over 20 songs is lightly interspersed with old film clips of the band most of which showing them speculating on a probable career in music. Martin Scorsese, who directed the performance, is seen at the beginning of the film considering camera placements and his obsessing pays off.

Backed by regulars Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts plus backup singers, a keyboardist and a horn section, Mick Jagger is front and center with cameras covering every angle and every wrinkle on everyone’s face. (And how many things dangle from Richards' hair?) New York's Beacon Theatre may be an intimate setting but the energy is high and the music kicks butt. Though a little commentary and a few interviews would offer insight, it would disrupt the forceful pacing of the music.

Classics like "As Tears Go By", "Tumbling Dice" and "Jumping Jack Flash" sound as fresh today as when they were created. Special guests included blues guitarist Buddy Guy who lends a smoking hand on the Muddy Waters tune, "Champagne and Reefer". Christina Aguilera plays well with the big boys on "Live With Me." And Jack White of White Stripes effortlessly joins Jagger for a duet on "Loving Cup". I'm not sure if White is into older men but the two sounded convincing when singing together, as if to each other: "See your face dancing in the flame, feel your mouth kissing me again, what a beautiful buzz…"

If you’ve not been to a Stones concert, start yourself up and go get some satisfaction.

Judy Garland and The Beatles Redux

MUSIC Popular music styles may change over the years but well-written songs last a long time. Judy Garland and The Beatles were huge in their day and the recent rerecordings I've been listening to are totally satisfying and, like Garland sang, I find them "spinning round in my brain like the bubbles in a glass of champagne."

Despite all of her ups and downs, Garland's voice was strong and she popularized countless standards. Her legendary concert at Carnegie Hall in April 1961 showcased many of them and was a career highlight.

Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright recreated the entire concert several times and his 2006 Carnegie Hall performance Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall is available on CD. (His live show at the London Palladium is available on DVD.) Though his singing style and vocal quality are not the same as Garland's, Wainwright is quite the showman and easily carries off songs like "San Francisco", "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart!" and "That's Entertainment". Several slower songs particularly lend themselves to Wainwright's wailing style like "Do It Again", "A Foggy Day", "If Love Were All" and "How Long Has This Been Going On".

I've usually heard "Come Rain or Come Shine" by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer sung sweetly and in a moderate tempo. But Wainwright flawlessly executes Garland's version that starts a little more up-tempo and transitions to an almost manic frenzy. It drives me crazy and is absolutely my favorite version.

A faithful recreation of the cha-cha sounding version of the 1938 song "You Go to My Head" by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie has catchy and festive lyrics that have hooked me. And Wainwright includes little details as when he sings midway "…and I forgot the god darn words…" reproducing the Garland recording, exactly the way she did.

He enlists familial help from sister Martha Wainwright on “Stormy Weather,” and mother Kate McGarrigle on “Over the Rainbow”. Garland's daughter Lorna Luft appears on “After You've Gone.”

Though at time theatrical, Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall is unlike the revival of a well known musical, like The Sound of Music, but proves how timeless good music can be. The variety of composers Garland used were popular in the first half of the 20th century making way for four fabulous dudes from Liverpool to take over and change popular music and rock and roll in the latter half.

While the orchestrations are very similar to the original Carnegie Hall production, many of the arrangements of songs by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison on the Across the Universe soundtrack are new and maintain the integrity of the original compositions. The movie's storyline may be light but the music is as solid as it should be.

This 2-disc deluxe compilation features, among others actors, Jim Sturgess and Even Rachel Wood as the central love interest in the film and therefore sing a bulk of the songs. Rocking tunes "Hold Me Tight" and "It Won't Be Long" have a relaxed feeling, which Wood carries off just as easily as she handles the sweet yet slightly slowed-down versions of "If I Fell" and "Blackbird". But it is Sturgess' soothing voice that makes the biggest impression overall lending a more personal tone on "All My Loving", an intimacy to "Something" and even making "Revolution" sounding sexy.

T.V. Carpio adds an aching urgency to "I Want to Hold Your Hand" while Dana Fuchs appropriately belts out the songs "Don't Let Me Down" and "Why Don't We Do It in the Road" but blends nicely with the other voices in "Dear Prudence". (She must have been perfect as Janis Joplin in the Off Broadway show Love, Janis.) Bono, Eddie Izzard and Joe Cocker show up but it's the lead actors that are worth listening to.

So if you're nostalgic for timeless pop and rock classics, or just newly discovering them, Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall and Across the Universe harmoniously kick butt and bridge any gap from yesterday to today. Forget your troubles, come on, get happy!

Lost: Meet Kevin Johnson

Another great episode of "Lost" and another bunch of new questions...

So I guess I have to wait almost a month to find out if Rousseau is really dead. (Karl looks to be a goner.) Many think she is but I'm not ready to let go. Are we never going to get her backstory? I still want to know more about what her science team was doing when landing on the island and if it's possible that her crew died not only by the "sickness" but because they actually posed a threat to the Others. She supposedly finished them off because they were dying but could they have contracted the sickness from Ben and his people in the same way that the Dharma people died? And why was she the only one not to become afflicted? I'm thinking that she was spared by the Others because she was pregnant and could bring new life to the island. She is one more mysterious piece of the puzzle and I hate to see her go.

Some think that Ben set up the final scene in this episode but I disagree. I think that Ben did want Alex to reach the Temple safely because she could be used as leverage against him if caught. So I don't buy that he would have Karl and Rousseau killed when they were escorting her to safety. Unless there is some other reason unknown at this time, Karl and Rousseau were victims, but by whose trigger finger? Rebecca would an obvious option but most likely is the least likely suspect.

Michael’s flash was “forward” from the time he left the island, which is a few days after Thanksgiving and around two weeks before Christmas 2004. When Tom, AKA Mr. Friendly, stops Michael from killing himself he tells him the island won't let him. So is it that the island won't let him kill himself because he has "work" to do or the island just doesn't believe in suicide? And is this the same reason that Jack didn't kill himself by the bridge or is that a different circumstance?

Tom realized that the reason Walt won’t talk to Michael because of what he did to Ana Lucia and Libby. And now Michael is having visions of Libby, and disregarding her warning on the boat not to detonate the explosives. Was it just a little silly to see the flag pop up with the words "NOT YET"?

I'm on board believing Tom and Ben saying that the freighter belongs to Charles Widmore and that he's the real bad guy, including the story of digging up the dead bodies and staging the underwater crash site of Oceanic Flight 815. At least for now I am.

And in keeping with the diversity of the characters, it was nice to see that Tom gets to have a little free time with Arturo!
Does Sayid have something up his sleeve when he turned Michael in to the guys on the boat or is he just pissed off?

Another cheery Mama Cass song, "It's Getting Better", plays on the radio of the 70's car that Michael plowed straight into a maritime cargo container and when he is on the boat just before he presses the execute button.

"We kind of, like, knew that forever ago." – Another great Hurley response to Miles' comment that the freighter folk are there to get Ben.

"…Considering a week ago you had a gun to his head and tonight he's eating pound cake, I'd say he's a guy who gets what he wants." – Miles' subtle observation of Locke being manipulated by Ben.

And it looks as if Aaron is part of the Oceanic Six. How will they explain that one since he was not on the flight manifest? Is this going to be solved with a time travel explanation? I fear that many of our questions are going to be unsatisfactorily answered that way.

The Piano Lesson by August Wilson

THEATER If you're interested in the distinctive voice of American theater, then don't miss the Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Piano Lesson by August Wilson now on the mainstage at the Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia. Wilson's classic is one of ten in a cycle chronicling the African American experience in each decade of the 20th century.
Set in 1936 in the Hill District area of Pittsburgh, The Piano Lesson centers around an intricately carved piano owned by Beniece, who lives with her uncle, and her brother Boy Willy, looking to advance his life by purchasing land. When Berniece learns his visit is to take and sell the piano that was handed down from their grandfather, a family dispute begins pitting an emotional hold on the past against moving forward and away from the thoughts of slavery and tradition.
Wilson's lyrical dialogue is delivered with heart by a top-notch cast that is as solid and harmonious as the ever-present upright that sits center stage. Kes Khemnu as Boy Willie keenly reigns his constant energy with determination to draw you into his character's plan to get ahead. Also amazing as Berniece is Kala Moses Baxter who, with one day of rehearsal, scores highly and owns her part. She exudes an appropriate amount of strength that the only negative is that she isn't on the stage more. Director Walter Dallas appropriately shifts the cast around the single set so as to create an appearance of motion within the two-room first floor of the family house that reflects the push and pull squabble of the brother and sister.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary season, Arden artistic director, Terrence J. Nolan, wisely and accurately commented that August Wilson is "a playwright whose exploration of family, community and identity is an unparalleled achievement full of insight, poetry, heartbreak and humor."

LOST: Ji Yeon

TELEVISION If you've been following the TV show Lost, you'll most likely agree that the storytelling in each episode this season is full of depth – for the characters and the labyrinthine plot – and totally engrossing. Here are a few thoughts on the most recent episode titled "Ji Yeon" that contained both a flashback and a flash-forward!
Again, the old cell phone gave away that Jin was not in the present. But if I had been up on my Chinese calendar I would have known when the cashier suggested the stuffed dragon to Jin that it would be very popular during the year of the dragon, the year was 2000.
Jin’s gravestone says he died on 9-22-04, the date of the crash. But it most likely is a false cover story. It suggests Sun lied about when Jin died if he died at all. Most likely Jin is alive on the island as well as many others left behind, which the Oceanic 6 is pretending are dead. When Sun and Hurley visit the grave, she says, "I miss you", which sounds like Sun misses him more than grieves for him. Neither of them was nearly upset enough as they should have been.
And it was nice to see Hurley visit Sun – presumably before his meltdown that sends him back to the mental institution.
So Sun is one of the Oceanic 6, along with Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sayid. In the Season Three finale titled "Through the Looking Glass" the name in the obituary was listed only with a Jo, so it’s a stretch but could it be possible that it’s Michael’s alias Kevin Johnson?
With Harold Perrineau’s name in the opening credits since the season began, and speculation that he was Ben’s spy on the boat, what should have been a truly surprising moment was anticlimactic – like a soufflé falling. This is why I hate spoilers. So we'll most likely have to wait for the next episode to learn what Michael is up to.
On the boat, Regina was reading a book called The Survivors of the Chancellor. According to Wikipedia: "(it) is an 1875 novel written by Jules Verne about the final voyage of a British sailing vessel, the Chancellor, told from the perspective of one of its passengers (in the form of a diary)." Later when Regina appears on deck, seemingly in a trance and wrapped in chains, she jumps off the boat. I doubt it was cabin fever as suggested by Captain Gault.
The captain shows Desmond and Sayid the black box from Flight 815 and suggests that Charles Widmore staged the wreckage that found at sea. What’s up with Widmore and where exactly does one come across 324 dead bodies?
Didn’t you just want to slap Juliet when she blurted out to Jin about Sun having had an affair? We know that it was just to keep her from going to Locke’s camp, and it worked. But that was extreme. It also gave Jin time to talk and reflect with Bernard about karma and how he’s changed since landing on the island. Still it was most touching when Jin said that he would go wherever Sun goes.
Sun’s scene in the OR was weird. The doctor who came in saying that he would be treating her was not her regular doctor. This led me to believe that something was going to happen to the baby, like a switch or kidnapping. And when he said he wanted to do a C-section, the nurse shortly thereafter said Sun was crowning. Neither instance seemed necessary except only to create urgency in the scene.

"Expose" was on the TV at Sun’s house in the background.

10,000 B.C.

FLICK Knowing the kind of lightweight big-budget movies director Roland Emmerich has produced (Independence Day, Godzilla) I had my doubts about going to the screening of 10,000 B.C. But when I lost interest in the film within the first 10 minutes I knew I was in trouble.
The plot centers on a love story. D'Leh (Steven Strait) meets the love of his life, the blue-eyed Evolet (Camilla Belle). When a mysterious and unidentified gang kidnaps her, D'Leh leads a small group of hunters from snow-covered mountain peaks through a tropical jungle and then the dry sand of desert to save her. How long would this take by foot? Then there is some fighting…
My mind drifts: Why do some actors speaking English do so with an accent and some without one? Do the bad guys have to speak in another unidentified language – shown with subtitles – to create more realism?
D'Leh and the dudes try to escape a stampede of mammoths. Their long curvy tusks look pretty good but overall not very scary. It looks as if the makeup department worked overtime draping long, straggly hair on them but given their number they no doubt are computer-generated images.
My mind drifts again: how did they make pants for those guys in 10,000 B.C.?
Though the mammoths, saber tooth tigers and landscapes were visually captivating we should care more about the characters and not be distracted by things like plucked eyebrows and dreadlocks.
My mind wanders to the dark side: Steven Strait occasionally looks like Colin Farrell but with a more buff body. I wonder what his workout routine is. And with his pearly teeth shining brightly, how often does he get them whitened? Did he think health coverage included dental cleanings for cavemen?

And why does the ending take place at the Pyramids when they were built around 1500 BC? Given the lack of drama, suspense and believable acting, caring whether any of this is even historically accurate is prehistoric. My Score: 2.5 out of 10.

Rendez-Vous with French Cinema

If you don't have the time to travel to France this week, do the next best thing and check out the films in the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema series happening in New York City. With 15 US premieres being presented through March 9, you're bound to find a bonbon that will please your palate as well as your eyes. Though my train from Philadelphia arrived in the city a half hour late, the subway trains ran like clockwork taking me cross-town to get tickets and to screenings at the IFC Center in the Village and uptown to Lincoln Center.

The IFC Center, with its exposed brick walls and cushy seats, is a comfortable environment for indie and foreign films. My first screening of the day was the involving Those Who Remain, which warranted more than its half-filled audience. Vincent Lindon and Emmanuelle Devos, who previously costarred in the psychological drama La Moustache, play Bertrand and Lorraine who meet in the cancer ward of the hospital when visiting their bedridden significant others and come to fill an emotional void in each other. Though there is a backdrop of impending death, this drama is rarely bleak or maudlin. Those Who Remain has the feel of an American independent film yet retains a feeling that is distinctly French, taking a simple situation and focusing on the behavior of the characters. Devos (Kings and Queen) lends a lightness to Lorraine that plays well against the concern and guilt of Lindon's Bertrand. Writer-director Anne Le Ny takes a novel approach blurring the lines of love and comfort in a time of need.

Heading to the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center the subway proved to be the best mode of transportation over a cab, as the train pulled into the station just as I arrived and delivered me uptown with a six-minute travel time.

Probably one of the best films shown in the series is A Secret, which deservedly garnered multiple César-award nominations and Best Film at the 2007 Montreal World Film Festival. Adapting the novel by Philippe Grimbert (published as Memory in the US) writer-director Claude Miller casts Mathieu Amalric (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) as François, the story of a man looking back on his childhood during the outbreak of World War II. As a boy, taking an imaginary playmate has deeper meaning when François considers the secret in his family's history and how it continues to affect his life in 1985. Miller conducts the flashback structure with ease, using multiple visual tones for the different time periods. As he stated in a Q&A afterwards, things in the past are recounted in the present and the things recounted in the past are happening now. It's this attention to storytelling that elevates A Secret to its cinematic heights.

Director Cédric Klapisch (L’Auberge Espagnole, Russian Dolls) was on hand to speak about his latest film Paris, which uses a large cast to tell multiple stories from differing neighborhoods in the City of Lights. One of his stars in the ensemble, Romain Duris, makes his sixth collaboration with Klapisch. Playing a young man with a potentially fatal heart condition, Duris easily fluctuates from the sadness of his character Pierre's mortality to incredible glee shown during the happy days as a chorus dancer in a pink and white suit. Juliette Binoche displays a comfortable and natural quality as Elise, Pierre's sister who comes to live with him while awaiting word on a heart transplant. Fabrice Luchini is also captivating as a historian who attempts to woo a much younger woman by sending her anonymous cheezy text messages. Though love is in the air not a lot of new terrritory is covered in this fanciful tale. Yet Paris creates smiles and has enough charm to make any misanthrope say oui oui.

There are a dozen other titles playing at the two salles de cinema during the upcoming week. Be sure to rendezvous with popular young actor Louis Garrel (The Dreamers), director Christophe Honoré (Ma mere, Dans Paris) and other filmmakers scheduled to appear at screenings. Though I'd rather have been in Paris this past weekend, viewing French films in New York proved to be a très pleasant alternative.

My FLICK Scores: Those Who Remain = 8; A Secret = 9; Paris = 7.5

The Other Boleyn Girl

FLICK The story of Anne Boleyn's rise to become Henry VIII's queen and her eventual beheading is somewhat accessible these days with many versions told in movies and on television. The historical fiction novel The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory, speculates on Anne's relationship with her sister, the lesser-known Boleyn, Mary.
Scarlett Johansson as Mary carries the emotional weight of the picture even in her adulterous scenes with the handsome Eric Bana as Henry VIII who is less a focal point than the sisters. Henry appears to have more of a connection with the fair and sensitive Mary rather than with the darker-haired Anne who uses her wits to snare the crown. Though Mary conceives a son with Henry, the little bastard is not considered royal material and is kept hidden. Natalie Portman's performance is strong as the conniving Anne determined to become Henry's queen. Persuading Henry to leave the Roman Catholic Church to divorce Catherine of Aragon is one thing but a male heir is still what matters most. Anne walks on shaky ground when producing daughter Elizabeth and creating the speculation of incest with brother George (Jim Sturgess).
And it's the speculation of Mary where things revolve. The script by Peter Morgan (The Queen) succeeds when contrasting emotion versus intellect, which Johansson and Portman do very well. But the feeling of passion is lacking overall. Kristen Scott Thomas is memorable as their mother who can't convince the men of the family that lives are being destroyed when trading their daughters for financial reward. Though neither wins only one lives with her head intact. My Score: 7 out of 10.

Mario's Movie Moments

In Bruges
FLICK Playwright Martin McDonagh is primarily known for combining wit with dark scenarios in stage productions like The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Cripple of Inishmaan and The Pillowman. This time he adds feature film director to his resume (McDonagh won an Oscar for a short film) as those qualities are displayed in this simple story of two hit men holed up in a hotel room in Bruges, Belgium after a murder goes awry.
It's the rhythm of the dialogue that particularly works here, and Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson spar nicely as the men in hiding and waiting for a phone call from their boss, played by Ralph Fiennes, who completes the mobster triptych. The acting is great all around but it's nice to see Farrell trade up his bad boy image with a character who has a sensitive side and Fiennes doing just the opposite.
There are few boundaries, sometimes at the expense of dwarf jokes and the ugly American, which meander through the story only to come back around presenting McDonagh's unique voice and showing off the actors more than action.
My Score: 8 out of 10

Vantage Point
FLICK Dialogue has less importance in this suspense film showing a terrorist plot from multiple perspectives emphasizing action rather than character background. I can be a sucker for a good gimmick and though I've seen this one before, particularly on television, the sum of the parts doesn't add up as satisfyingly as they should. But that doesn't mean it's not a fun ride.
The twists and turns take place within a half hour on the critical day when the US president is visiting in Salamanca, Spain. The concept is front and center moving the players along as if in a game of checkers - jumping over one another and building on the prior move to find a winning solution. Dennis Quaid looks nauseous as a Secret Service agent back on the job after taking a bullet for the president a few years earlier. Also joining an international cast are William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver and even to a degree Forest Whitaker who all essentially phone in their performances. Matthew Fox shows his lack of range copping the same attitude as his character Jack on "Lost". I was looking forward to Spanish actor Eduardo Noriega's English-language film debut, but while the star of Open Your Eyes (the basis for remake Vanilla Sky) does his part to create urgency he gets less screen time then most in the ensemble.
An extended car chase near the end of the film might have been more believable with more causalities since it primarily takes place in a densely populated area. But since this is a big-budget Hollywood film, there is little time for reality, no matter how many points of view you get. My Score: 6.5 out of 10

Persepolis

FLICK When I think of an animated movie it's easy to expect fantasies like Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle, or fun family movies targeted to kids and adults like Toy Story and Monster House.
Persepolis is an endearing and witty coming-of-age film based on the autobiographical graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi who grew up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. But the story is incredibly involving and has so much heart that there were times I forgot I was watching an animated movie.
Marjane narrates her story beginning when she was a young girl living with her parents and regularly visiting her grandmother, who has strong feminist ideals and offers useful advice. As a teenager (voiced by Chiara Mastroianni, with her real-life mother Catherine Deneuve as Marjane's mother) she is sent away to Vienna to escape the repressive time of Tehran. She rocks out to punk music, learns lessons of love and eventually lives on the streets.
The bold black-and-white drawings have an expressionistic quality that offers a look at a less than joyful past contrasted with the supposed freedom expressed in the colored portions of present day France, where Marjane is today. But the constant motion of the images has a lyrical quality that nicely juxtaposes and makes easier to grasp the growing experiences of a youth within the absurdities of a dangerous political climate. This memoir has a lot of heart without being overly sentimental and I liked Marjane so much that I would have watched if the story continued to have followed her into and through the present. My Score: 9.5 out of 10

LOST and Found

TELEVISION I've been enjoying some of the downtime created by the lack of new episodes of my favorite TV programs. There has been more time for movies, and Medium, Nip/Tuck and Project Runway have kept me busy. But the one show that has kept me waiting since last May is Lost. Even with a reduced season (8 instead of 16 episodes) due to the writer's strike, I am ready to get back to the island and find out what the creators and producers have put together for us. What makes this show work so well is the perfect blend of drama, multi-layered characters, mystery, a dash of science fiction, literary references and detailed storytelling that never ceases to surprise.

Most entertainment sites have recently been posting cast interviews and revealing spoilers but be sure to check out and catch up with the character profiles posted daily at TV Guide until Thursday's premiere. They kicked off with Sun Kwon, then followed with Desmond, Juliet and others with today's highlight being Kate, a character that is as mysterious as that smoke monster-inhabited island. So forget about the past and get ready to flash forward into what should be a thrilling season four. If you need to catch up on the past three seasons, check out Lost in 8:15!

In Treatment

TELEVISION There is nothing I like more than character-driven dramas and HBO is serving up five sessions a week with its new serial In Treatment. Gabriel Byrne is commanding as the therapist, Paul, who offers perspective and ultimately gets involved in his patients' lives. There is no better way to see the multiple sides of these characters than when they're alternately introspective or combative with Paul as he attempts to make them aware of what their behavior means and from where their motivations evolve.
The acting is engaging, diverse and always thought provoking. Patients show up once a week on the same day. Laura (Melissa George) shows up each Monday to discuss her problems with men and complicates matters in the first episode by confessing her fantasies of Paul. Alex (Blair Underwood) is a navy pilot with father issues who challenges Paul every Tuesday. Wednesdays are reserved for Sophie (Mia Wasikowska), a smart teenage gymnast that resists therapy after a supposed accidental injury but may have family issues causing her rebelliousness. The next day a mismatched Jake and Amy (Josh Charles, Embeth Davitz) try to work out the imbalances of their marriage. On Fridays Paul visits his therapist Gina (Dianne Wiest) where we hear not only what is bothering him but his perceptions of the past week and how his own life has influenced the advice he gives, which may ultimately serve his own purposes.
The confinement of the meeting room is the perfect setting for this drama. There is nowhere to go other than to stay focused on the conversations. The camera has more options than you'd think but is best when the discussion heats up and slowly moves in on the characters' faces, not only for inspection but closing in on what may be the realization of their seemingly meaningless stories.
The writing is smart, insightful and becomes more engrossing with each scheduled visit. Make an appointment each night Monday through Friday at 9:30 to catch the next session.

Best Films of 2007

The following choices are based on 124 films I screened in a theater in 2007. Still there are some titles that held a strong interest for me but I didn't get to screen, like "Lars and the Good Girl", "Margot at the Wedding", "In the Valley of Elah" and "Control". And then there are titles on DVD that I’ve screened that make up what I didn't see in the theater. (And I'll save television programs and performances for the end of the season.) In general, it seems a lot of the quality films this year were taken from well-regarded source material and little written directly for the screen. Not sure what that’s saying except that perhaps I better make more time for reading.


There Will Be Blood
Paul Thomas Anderson skillfully oversees the acting, cinematography, and music to give a stunning look at an oilman's greed gone out of control in Southern California at the beginning of the 20th century. It's particularly heightened when contrasted with bible preaching and the emotional bonds of fathers and sons. Every shot is carefully thought out, the music enhances each plot point, and Daniel Day-Lewis has created a new face of evil in epic proportions.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
I was initially skeptical to attend the tale of Sweeney Todd, having seen numerous stage productions of the amazing Stephen Sondheim musical, but was also curious as to how director Tim Burton might pull off material that seemed appropriate for his style. The choices made to tailor the material from one medium to the other suit it perfectly. Eliminating songs sung by the chorus helped a lot. And the dark look of London is the perfect backdrop for a barber seeking revenge and serving up pies with his murdered victims. (Quite the opposite of the sweet tarts served up in this year's confection Waitress.) Though Johnny Depp's voice occasionally sounds a bit thin, particularly when reaching for the high notes, his acting makes up for any shortness of breadth. Nothing's going to harm you in this successful production.

No Country for Old Men
There is yet more bloodshed in Joel and Ethan Coen well-crafted adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel. The Coen’s have found the perfect source material to match their style and sensibility. Their pitch perfect deliberate pacing is involving and adds appropriate tension, particularly when comparing the consequences of moral choices and fate. Lots of great performances here but who can forget Javier Bardem as a professional hit man with a page boy hairdo wielding a stun gun and carrying a tank of compressed air?

3:10 to Yuma
James Mangold’s remake of the 1957 classic based on a short story by Elmore Leonard hits the mark with one of the best shoot-‘em-up action flicks of the year. Thoughtful performances by Christian Bale, as the rancher who hopes to earn a reward for escorting an outlaw (Russell Crowe) to meet the train to Yuma are nicely contrasted with gang member Ben Foster who memorably plays his part with psychopathic gusto. Smart direction, stunning cinematography, lots of subtext and character connections that never miss their mark elevate an otherwise standard cowboy movie and squarely hit a bull’s-eye.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le Scaphandre et le papillon)
Daring in that it's mostly filmed from the perspective of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffered a stroke and lives with "locked-in syndrome" (paralysis affecting most of his body except his left eye) we get a vision of what it may have been like for Bauby to see and hear. The contortions of actor Mathieu Amalric's body are not easy to see nor probably easy to maintain. Julian Schnabel's bio-pic celebrates the human spirit by communicating the importance of connecting no matter how large the odds.

Into the Wild*
Emile Hirsch embodies the spirit of Christopher McCandless in Sean Penn's thoughtful portrait of the idealistic 20-year-old who rejected the materialism he was taught to respect. The title suggests going somewhere savage but it also shows us the mind of a young man that is alternately rebellious and a free spirit happily living an idealistic lifestyle. Penn's direction is ambitious showing vast landscapes from around the country and up to Alaska mirroring the beauty of McCandless' intentions and the extent that he's willing to go to achieve it. The nonlinear structure of the story pits his solitude against a variety of people he meets, ultimately realizing too late that it's the connections we make that are truly valuable.

The Savages
The scars of bad parenting and damaged childhoods are gently revealed when Jon and Wendy Savage need to arrange for their father to be admitted into a nursing home. Director Tamara Jenkins’ script is the perfect combination of wit and perception and is kicked up a notch with nuanced performances by Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the siblings.

Across the Universe*
Julie Taymor's film uses songs by The Beatles to create a simple love story but makes up for anything lacking with lots of great singing, visual splendor and heartfelt entertainment. Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood are the romantic couple that we follow on a journey through a mixture of psychedelia, war protesting and love, love, love.

Paprika
An anime treat bursting with color that blurs the lines between reality and dreams. That's because someone has stolen a dream machine and is playing with the lives of others. It's science against nature, with psychological twists that keep you glued to the screen. And did I mention the colors? Leave the kids home for this one.

Away from Her*
Alzheimer’s is given sensitive treatment in Sarah Polley’s directing debut. The simplicity of her presentation accents the way the disease can suddenly intrude on your life without warning. Involving performances are headed by Julie Christie who portrays a multitude of expressions including confusion, love, recognition and detachment.

Other favorites:

Jindabyne*
Once*
La Vie en Rose*
SiCKO*
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
I'm Not There
Red Road*
The Host (AKA Gwoemul) 괴물

*See full reviews on this site