Personal Effects (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)This plays more like an indie flick, and you wouldn't think so with a cast like Michelle Pfeiffer, Ashton Kutcher and Kathy Bates, but in order for this picture to be evaluated properly it needs to be understood that this isn't a fast paced Blockbuster movie, but rather a moody, slow character piece with an unraveling beautiful love story in the subtext. Ashton Kutcher plays a young man whose sister was brutally raped and murdered. He's a silent, but tough guy who has trouble with communicating what's really going on underneath. He's a man's man. He does an impeccable job at conveying what he's thinking just by watching his face and his eyes. I've never seen him do more honest acting work than in this film. Michelle Pfeiffer is a true gem in this, not just a stunning beauty, but she brings a great spirit to the screen and with her character, showing raw emotion to charismatic and charming humor. She plays a woman whose husband was killed by a friend with a gun. Ashton and Michelle's characters have that first common understanding between each other when they meet at a group therapy session for those that lost someone close to them. They slowly begin to develop a friendship that later grows more intimate, clinging onto one another in an underlying way to connect with someone they can relate to. Michelle's character has a deaf son who holds a lot of bottled up anger and rage over his father's death, but is befriended and helped by Ashton's character taking him out of pain and into new heights. Ashton has his Mother played brilliantly in a small, but significant supporting role by Kathy Bates who is raising her daughter's daughter. The love story aspect between the two leads is very real, honest and sexy, poignantly done. This is a sleeper, a slow methodical and feel good piece on loss, love, friendship and family. I don't consider my five star giving for this overly generous, it's five stars for the kind of movie that it is, for this kind of genre, a unique film about the human condition.
There's a scene between Michelle Pfeiffer and Ashton Kutcher that is so erotically charged, practically everything, but taking off their clothes that I'm surprised they didn't give this an NC-17 just for that. The three leads show some absolutely incredible dramatic realism. Kathy Bates should've got some kind of award acknowledge for this one, but if only someone could've put it out there and market it.

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Walter (Ashton Kutcher) is a rising star in the NCAA wrestling world until his life is ripped apart by the brutal murder of his sister.Returning home to console his mother Gloria (Kathy Bates) he seeks vengeance on the man who is accused of the crime.A chance meeting with a beautiful mature woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) gives him solace to the situation.Personal Effects is a heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting romance that is a testament to the power of love.

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Last Chance Harvey (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Watching "Last Chance Harvey," I began to think about other such films and realized that I usually referred to them in my reviews as classic romantic comedies. But what exactly do I mean when I say that? In all likelihood, I mean that readers should go easy on the film because we're used to those movies following a very specific formula, and never mind the fact that they're contrived and cliché. I could very well call "Last Chance Harvey" a classic romantic comedy, because goodness knows it adheres to a tried and true structure. In spite of that, this is the one romantic comedy of 2008 that works the best, in large part because of stars Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson; whereas other filmmakers would cast young, energetic actors in a story about sex, writer/director Joel Hopkins has cast two older actors in a story is about love. Because they're more experienced, they actually bring something to the table. They seem genuine as people.
But more importantly, they have chemistry, not necessarily as lovers but definitely as companions. In other words, it seems plausible that such people could meet in real life and fall in love. Hoffman plays Harvey Shine, a jingle writer from New York who always wanted to be a jazz pianist. It was easy for me to empathize with him, a somber, soft-spoken man who always feels ignored in a large crowd. Maybe there's a part of him that wanted it that way; he's been known to embarrass himself and those closest to him, so at a certain point, it's better to just stay out of the way. He openly admits that he wasn't the greatest father or husband, and while there's no hostility between him or his daughter and ex-wife, there is a quiet yet prominent sense of disappointment on all accounts. And now, no one at his music company seems to be taking him seriously. More to the point, he's on the verge of losing his job.
When Harvey flies to London to attend his daughter's wedding, he meets a Heathrow employee named Kate Walker (Thompson), who, as it turns out, is stuck in her own emotional rut. She says she would like nothing more than to meet someone and start a relationship, but since she's been let down so many times, she may be getting used to it. Later on in the film, she admits that being disappointed is more comfortable that being hurt. Much like Harvey, she also feels ignored in crowds, as when she's on a blind date that starts off well but ends up as a social gathering that leaves her off in the sidelines. Her only social outlets are her coworkers and her mother (Eileen Atkins), an interesting character herself; she calls Kate constantly, pretty much to the point of insanity, and she seems to think her Polish next-door neighbor is a mass murderer who burns his victims in a large barbecue shed.
Harvey and Kate spend a wonderful afternoon together, and this is despite the fact that they don't know very much about each other. We don't know if a love is developing at this point, but it's clear that a friendship is. While a bit quiet and reserved, Harvey is kind towards Kate, and he seems genuinely interested in what she has to say. Kate is willing to go along with it, although her nervous smiles and hesitant laughter suggest that she has absolutely no idea why any of this is happening. From out of nowhere comes a charming American man, and even though he has a lot of emotional baggage, there's the sense that she's interested in helping him deal with it. Most likely, that's because she has baggage of her own; after convincing her to join him at his daughter's wedding reception, there comes a point when she feels exactly the same as she did the night of her blind date. It's up to Harvey to make her feel like she can be a part of the crowd.
There are some interesting moments between Harvey and his daughter, Susan (Liane Balaban). Even though they love each other in the strictest sense, they are more good friends than they are father and daughter, which is why she wants her stepfather, Brian (James Brolin), to give her away at the wedding. Harvey is understandably hurt, but he can't stay mad at Brian forever; after all, he did take over for Harvey when his marriage failed, giving Susan the stability and attention she needed. This would be a tiresome story were Brian made to be vindictive and hostile. Thankfully, he isn't--he's decent and accommodating, a fact Harvey most likely has trouble accepting. There are few things worse than disliking someone without having a reason.
So yes, I guess I can call "Last Chance Harvey" a classic romantic comedy. But that doesn't automatically make it a bad movie. What really made it work well was the thoughtful relationship between Harvey and Kate, which isn't based on physical attraction so much as it's based on the need to be loved. We don't get too much of that in romantic comedies these days. Even the entertaining "Definitely, Maybe" and "My Best Friend's Girl" were only committed to catering to younger audiences, which is a shame because the filmmakers missed some great opportunities to develop the characters at a more mature level. "Last Chance Harvey" gives its characters some degree of believability, and this is in spite of the story's formulaic elements. I greatly enjoyed this film, and I'm sure most audiences will also.

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A struggling New York jingle writer (Dustin Hoffman) and a lonely British bureaucrat (Emma Thompson) meet by chane in London and transform one another's lives.

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Welcome to the Rileys (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)WELCOME TO THE RILEYS is a little sign on the garage doors of Doug and Lois Riley in Indianapolis, Indiana. It also serves as the title of this fine little film written by Ken Hixon and directed by Jake Scott that examines how the loss of a 15-year-old daughter Emily in an automobile accident has resulted in the crumbling of the parent's marriage and relationship. Doug (James Gandolfini) has an affair with younger waitress Vivian (Eisa Davis) while Lois (Melissa Leo) becomes so isolated in her agoraphobic state and psychotropic mediations that she is no longer available to Doug. A crisis occurs when Vivian dies in cardiac arrest and in Doug's honest grief he visits her grave only to find that Lois has unilaterally purchased a headstone with Doug's and Lois' names on it beside the grave of their departed Emily, a fact that enrages Doug.
Doug goes to New Orleans on a convention and there encounters stripper/prostitute Mallory (Kristen Stewart), a 16 year old unkempt, foul mouthed runaway from Florida: Mallory sees the kind Doug as a john but Doug's interest is in her plight, not her business offerings. Doug obviously responds to Mallory as though she were his lost daughter, moving into her filthy apartment, trying to improve her view of life. Doug phones Lois that he is going to stay in New Orleans a while, a message that gives Lois the courage to actually leave her home and drive to New Orleans: during Lois' somewhat comedic trip she stops for food and a strange man comes on to her - something that awakens her self esteem before she reaches New Orleans. Once Lois arrives at her destination she is proud of overcoming her agoraphobia and Doug is happy to see the healing Lois. Together they stay with Mallory, facing the fact that for both of them Mallory represents the chance to restore their love for the daughter they've lost. How the three cope is the remaining of the film.
The three leads offer polished performances - some of the finest work we have seen from both Gandolfini and Leo who together make this film better than the sum of its parts. Kristen Stewart immerses herself in Mallory and though she still remains a rather monochromatic actress, this role offers her the ability to stretch her acting chops: she is convincing as the victim of the dregs of society and makes us care about a character who seems to have few redeeming qualities. This trio of actors plays well as a small ensemble and the result is a film that has been far too overlooked by the general public. Recommended. Grady Harp, February 11

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Studio: Sony Pictures Home EntRelease Date: 02/01/2011Run time: 110 minutesRating: R

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The Sweet Hereafter (New Line Platinum Series) (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)I can't fathom anyone watching this movie through without being deeply moved, at times disturbed, and shaken to some degree. It really does delve down into the dark night of the soul, like the cinematic equivalent of a Sylvia Plath poem. It's a film about loss. Innocence lost, the questionability of ideals and motives. The end of childhood. Yet Egoyan doesn't deliver a totally bleak jeremiad here, either. Human beings are flawed, but they also are capable of growth and wisdom, though both are hard earned.
As usual with Egoyan films, nature is at a distance and a remove from human beings and the turmoil brimming over inside them. The beautiful BC vistas are in contrast to the tragic event that occurs. It's a bit like the end of Moby Dick, when the Pequod is smashed and sinks, while the sun smiles down serenely on the calm sea. I think Egoyan's getting at the same thing Melville is, as well. It's an existentialist's way of looking at the universe. If we're looking for a higher power to bail us out, we're out of luck. Our other moral constructs are pretty shaky, as well. We tend to think a little better of ourselves than is often the case.
As is also usual, Egoyan assembles an excellent cast, that feed off of each other's honest performances. No wrong notes here. Cinematography also up to the usual high standard. My appreciation for Egoyan's work increases with each new film I see. Personal thanks to the reviewer who led me to the works of this auteur director, in the best sense of that term.
BEK

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SWEET HEREAFTER - DVD Movie

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