Review: "In America" is Powerful and Heartfelt (Happy B'day, Jim Sheridan)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 77 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

In America (2003)
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – R for sexuality and brief language
DIRECTOR: Jim Sheridan
WRITERS: Jim Sheridan, Naomi Sheridan, and Kirsten Sheridan
PRODUCERS: Arthur Lappin and Jim Sheridan
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Declan Quinn
EDITOR: Naomi Geraghty
COMPOSERS: Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring: Paddy Considine, Samantha Morton, Sarah Bolger, Emma Bolger, Djimon Hounsou, Merrina Millsapp, Juan Hernandez, and Ciaran Cronin

In America is a 2003 semiautobiographical drama from director Jim Sheridan. This Irish/British film tells the story of an immigrant Irish family’s struggle to survive in New York City, with the story told through the eyes of the older daughter. Although gritty and dark, In American is actually an enchanting story about the bonds of family.

An out of work Irish actor takes his family to America for a fresh start. Johnny (Paddy Considine) and his wife Sarah (Samantha Morton, who received an “Best Actress” Oscar® nomination for this role) leave Ireland with their two daughters, Christy (Sarah Bolger) and Ariel (Emma Bolger), in toe and head for New York City via Canada. While Johnny pursues his acting career and Sarah works at an ice cream parlor, the children take in their new world with eyes that may be innocent, but are also world weary. When things seem most down for them, the family gets help from one of Sarah’s co-workers and Mateo (Djimon Hounsou, received an “Best Actor, Supporting Role” Oscar® nomination) an artist dying of AIDS, who brings magic and hope to the family.

Jim Sheridan and his daughters, Naomi and Kirsten, received “Best Screenplay, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” Oscar® nominations for writing In America, one of the best films of 2003. While the financial plight and wellness of the parents are riveting (although I found Considine and Ms. Morton’s performances a bit flat at times), the film is the daughters’ story. Christy narrates while Ariel steals one scene after another, and, in doing this, the Bolger girls (especially little Emma) give two of the best performances by young artists in the last year or so.

Although In America is a gritty tale, in a lot of ways it is told as if it came from a children’s book (albeit a dark, downbeat children’s book). Through Christy’s eyes we see the real world, but we see it through a character determined to survive and make the best of things. In Emma, the supernatural, the fantastic, and magic are possible; their presence in the real world isn’t an intrusion. It’s the just the way things are; they belong. I heartily recommend this beautiful and heartfelt drama. In America is a little more magical than it is honest, but to see Jim Sheridan weave loveliness from all this despair and sorrow is itself magic.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2004 Academy Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Djimon Hounsou, “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Samantha Morton), and “Best Writing, Original Screenplay” (Jim Sheridan, Naomi Sheridan, and Kirsten Sheridan)

2004 Golden Globes: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Bono, Gavin Friday, and Maurice Seezer for the song "Time Enough for Tears") and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Jim Sheridan, Naomi Sheridan, and Kirsten Sheridan)

2004 Black Reel Awards: 1 win: “Black Reel Film: Best Supporting Actor” (Djimon Hounsou)

2004 Image Awards: 1 nomination: “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture” (Djimon Hounsou)

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Review: "North Dallas Forty" is Proud to Be a Muck-Racking Drama

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 122 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

North Dallas Forty (1979)
Running time: 118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: Ted Kotcheff
WRITERS: Peter Gent, Frank Yablans, and Ted Kotcheff (from the novel by Peter Gent)
PRODUCER: Frank Yablans
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Paul Lohmann
EDITOR: Jay Kamen

DRAMA/SPORTS with elements of comedy

Starring: Nick Nolte, Mac Davis, Charles Durning, Dayle Haddon, Bo Svenson, John Matuszak, Steve Forrest, G.D. Spradlin, and Dabney Coleman

North Dallas Forty is a 1979 sports movie that is set in the world of 1970s professional football. The film is based on the 1973 novel of the same name by former NFL-player turned novelist, the late Peter Gent.

Phillip “Phil” Elliot (Nick Nolte) is a pro football player – specifically a wide receiver on the Dallas franchise (a thinly veiled version of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys). Elliot smokes marijuana, sleeps around with sports groupies, drinks a lot, but he plays through injuries. His rebellious attitude and his tendency to ask the kind of questions that the team management doesn’t want to answer have him in hot water. His coach, B.A. Strothers (G.D. Spradlin), won’t put him in the starting lineup, and his best friend, Seth Maxwell (Mac Davis), the team’s star quarterback, thinks that Phil should just shut up sometimes. There’s a big game coming up in Chicago that will decide if Dallas gets in the playoffs, and it just may also decide Phil’s future.

North Dallas Forty remains a gritty football flick, a gridiron classic that is timeless in its portrayal of the Machiavellian front office maneuvering, favoritism, and politics of big-time professional football. This film’s unvarnished look and its rough portrayal of football life may not resemble the glitzy pro football that the NFL and its media cohorts sell us, but North Dallas Forty is about the NFL’s brand of football.

The acting isn’t all that great, but works in the context of this movie; the film also gets preachy towards the end. However, the film’s portrayal of how the players strive to win and the gut-wrenching physical pain they endure to keep playing makes North Dallas Forty a riveting sports flick. When you see team owners and management bullying and extorting players to take dangerous drugs and horrid shots of painkillers so that they can play through pain and injury (which actually makes it worse), you’ll know that you’re watching honest-to-goodness, in-your-face, muck-racking cinema.

7 of 10
B+

Friday, June 02, 2006

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Happy Anniversary, Jay and Megan

Two years already!

Black Film Critics Circle Choose "The Help" as the Best of 2011

When I posted my monthly welcome a few days ago, I mentioned that February was Oscar month.  It's also Black History Month.  How could I miss that? (Girl, he ain't nothin' but a Tom).  Anyway, this month I'll also post old reviews I wrote of Black Films.  In the spirit of Negro-centricness, I discovered another film critics of color group.

The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC) was founded in 2010 and is a membership organization comprised of film critics of color from daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines, radio, television and qualifying on-line publications.

2011 Black Film Critics Circle Awards:

Best Picture: "The Help"

Best Director: Dee Rees, "Pariah"

Best Actor: Olivier Litondo, "The First Grader"

Best Actress: Viola Davis, "The Help"

Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks, "Drive"

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

Best Independent Film: "Pariah"

Best Adapted Screenplay: "The Help"

Best Original Screenplay: "Pariah"

Best Animated Film: "Rango"

Best Documentary: "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey"

Best Ensemble: "The Help"

Pioneer Award: Harry Belafonte

Rising Star Award: Adepero Oduye

Special Mention: "Attack the Block"

Top 10 Films (in order):
1. "The Help"
2. "The Artist"
3. "Pariah"
4. "Drive"
5. "The Descendants"
6. "Attack the Block"
7. "The Tree of Life"
8. "Hugo"
9. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
10. "Warrior"

Review: "Creepshow" is Still Fun (Happy B'day, George Romero)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 165 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Creepshow (1982)
Running time: 120 minutes (2 hours)
DIRECTOR: George A. Romero
WRITER: Stephen King (also partly based upon the short stories “The Crate” and “Weeds” by Stephen King)
PRODUCER: Richard P. Rubinstein
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Gornick
EDITORS: Pasquale Buba, Paul Hirsch, and Michael Spolan with George A. Romero (segment “The Tide”)

HORROR/COMEDY/SCI-FI/FANTASY

Starring: Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver, Leslie Nielsen, Carrie Nye, E.G. Marshall, Viveca Lindfors, Ed Harris, Ted Danson, Stephen King, Warner Shook, Robert Harper, Gaylen Ross, and Tom Savini with Tom Atkins

Inspired by the legendary E.C. horror comics of the 1950’s, director George A. Romero and international best-selling horror novelist Stephen King created the horror movie anthology, Creepshow. Five tales of terror: “Father’s Day,” “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill,” “Something to Tide You Over,” “The Crate,” and “They’re Creeping Up on You,” make up the film, and a framing sequence (prologue/epilogue) bridges the five tales.

In “Father’s Day,” a family patriarch comes back from the grave (literally) on the seventh anniversary of his murder, by his daughter, Bedelia’s (Viveca Lindfors) hand, and he’s looking for his birthday cake. In “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill, Jordy Verrill (Stephen King), a country bumpkin cursed by bad luck, finds a recently fallen meteor, and it affects shocking change upon Jordy’s body. In “Something to Tide You Over,” Richard Vickers (Leslie Nielsen) takes a gruesome revenge upon his wife Becky (Gaylen Ross) and her lover, Harry Wentworth (Ted Danson), but revenge is a two-way street and comes back from a watery grave for Richard.

In “The Crate,” Professor Henry Northrup (Hal Holbrook) takes advantage of a murderous ape-like beast found in a 150-year old crate to deal with his bestial nag of a wife, Wilma “Billie” Northrup (Adrienne Barbeau). In the closing tale, “They’re Creeping Up on You,” a wicked, wealthy man, Upson Pratt (E.G. Marshall) with a fear of germs and bugs gets his comeuppance when he goes against thousands of cockroaches.

Creepshow is delightful horror fun – a combination of thrills, chills, and cheese. Two of the tales, “Something to Tide You Over” and “The Crate” are excellent revenge tales, but all of the shorts capture the spirit of the old E.C. comics with their shock and surprise endings. Director George A. Romero (Dawn of the Dead) and screenwriter Stephen King knew exactly what they were going for and how to get it. Makeup effects artist Tom Savini ably creates the gruesome denizens that make this film sparkle, and the production elements are the finishing touch in capturing the right look and mood.

6 of 10
B

Monday, October 31, 2005

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Board Game, "Candy Land," to Become Adam Sandler Movie

Sweet! Adam Sandler to Play “Candy Land”

Columbia Pictures, Happy Madison and Hasbro Team Up to Bring the Classic Game to the Big Screen

CULVER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Columbia Pictures, Happy Madison and Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) are in final talks to develop Candy Land, a live action movie based on the bestselling Hasbro board game with Adam Sandler attached to star, it was jointly announced today by Doug Belgrad, President of Columbia Pictures, Hannah Minghella, President of Production for Columbia Pictures, and Brian Goldner, Hasbro President and CEO. Kevin Lima (Enchanted) is attached to direct the project for the studio with Sandler and Robert Smigel are in talks to write the screenplay.

Commenting on the announcement, Belgrad said, "Candy Land is more than just a game. It is a brand that children, parents and grandparents know and love. The world of Candy Land offers an extraordinary canvas upon which to create a fantastical, live-action family adventure film with a larger than life part for Adam. We are thrilled to partner with Hasbro and Happy Madison on this project."

“The creative talent on board for this movie is amazing and we are excited to bring alive the world of Candy Land for kids and families everywhere,” Goldner added. “Sony/Columbia has been a wonderful creative partner as we develop another of our games, Risk, for the big screen. We are looking forward to working with Sony/Columbia and Adam Sandler and his team at Happy Madison Productions on this film.”

Candy Land is one of the most beloved and best known games of all time. Created in 1949, it has been played by generations of families. In the game, players go on a magical journey through fantastical lands made of candy, sweets, and ice cream: the Peppermint Forest, the Gum Drop Mountains, and the Lollypop Woods. Along the way, players encounter such iconic characters as Princess Frostine, Lord Licorice, Mr. Mint, and King Candy.

The project will be produced by Goldner (Transformers) and Hasbro’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Motion Pictures, Bennett Schneir (Battleship) along with Happy Madison Productions. At Columbia, development of Candy Land will be overseen by Sam Dickerman.


About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; worldwide television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com/.

Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) is a branded play company providing children and families around the world with a wide-range of immersive entertainment offerings based on the Company’s world class brand portfolio. From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, video games and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its customers through the strategic leveraging of well-known and beloved brands such as TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF, PLAYSKOOL, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and MONOPOLY. The Hub, Hasbro’s multi-platform joint venture with Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) launched on October 10, 2010. The online home of The Hub is www.hubworld.com. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.

Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com/.

Review: Craig, Ford are Cool Cowboys in "Cowboys & Aliens"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

Cowboy & Aliens (2011)
Running time: 118 minutes; MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of western and sci-fi action and violence, some partial nudity and a brief crude reference
DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau
WRITERS: Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, and Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby; from a screen story by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, and Steve Oedekerk (based upon the Platinum Studios graphic novel written by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg)
PRODUCERS: Johnny Dodge, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Roberto Orci, and Scott Mitchell Rosenberg
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Matthew Libatique
EDITORS: Dan Lebental and Jim May
COMPOSER: Harry Gregson-Williams

SCI-FI/WESTERN/ACTION

Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach, Paul Dano, Keith Carradine, Clancy Brown, Walton Goggins, Abigail Spencer, Noah Ringer, Buck Taylor, Ana de la Reguera, and Raoul Trujillo

Cowboys & Aliens is a 2011 Western and science fiction movie. This alien invasion film is based upon a concept created by former comic book publisher, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, who also turned it into a graphic novel. Cowboys & Aliens is set in the Old West and pits a group of cowboys and Apaches against invading aliens. Steven Spielberg is also one of this film’s executive producers.

The story is set in the Arizona Territory, 1873. A man wakes up and discovers that he is injured and also cannot remember who he is. He stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution, where he learns that he is Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig), a wanted outlaw. He meets Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde), a mysterious woman who acts as if she knows Lonergan. Also coming to town is Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). Apparently, Lonergan stole a large cachet of gold from Dolarhyde.

Lonergan’s punishment will have to wait, however; alien aircraft attack Absolution and abduct several citizens. Dolarhyde leads a posse into the desert to track the ships, and Lonergan only reluctantly goes along. He is somehow connected to the aliens; so says the strange metal band around Lonergan’s left wrist.

Movies that blend the Western genre with science fiction, fantasy, or horror are box office and/or critical disappointments. The two best examples are the science fiction/Western, adaptation of an old TV show, Wild Wild West (1999) and the horror/Western, comic book adaptation Jonah Hex (2010). Cowboys & Aliens is not so much a sci-fi Western as it is an alien invasion movie set in the Old West. The film never pretends to be a Western. Cowboys & Aliens is about a group of people who live in a time different from our own fighting invaders the way Attack the Block is about people in a place different from what many of us know who are fighting invaders.

Like many action movies, I found the first hour of Cowboys & Aliens to be mostly a misfire. By the second half, when the movie focuses on what it is about, the technologically disadvantaged humans versus the technologically very advanced aliens, the story slips into the comfort zone of fights, pursuits, and escapes. And the movie is very entertaining when you just sit back and let the sci-fi stuff thrill you. Yeah, this movie doesn’t require you to do a whole lot of thinking.

The performances are pretty good. Cowboys & Aliens affirms once again that Daniel Craig is a leading man; his interpretation of Jake Lonergan as the man-of-few-words and stoic cowboy makes the character more interesting than the screenplay does. Still, the biggest surprise may be Harrison Ford. Col. Dolarhyde is practically a villain, but there are moments in which Ford subtly uses emotion and Dolarhyde’s prejudices to create a complicated character that engages the imagination.

Cowboys & Aliens is not a classic Western or even a classic science fiction movie. It is an amusing film – at least half of it is.

5 of 10
B-

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

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