Like many young men in the poverty stricken Dominican Republic, Miguel "Sugar" Santos dreams of using baseball as a pathway to fame, riches, and respect. He's playing for a local team affiliated with the Kansas City Knights, a fictional major league team, when he's invited to spring training, and a chance to fulfill his dream. He impresses the powers that be, enough, to be assigned to a single-A minor league team located in Bridgetown Iowa, and this town may well have been another planet for all the culture shock that this move entails. Unlike many parts of the USA, this town's first, second, and third language is English, and its only diversity on display is hair color. You sympathize with Sugar as he sinks deeper and deeper into isolation, and his portrayal by newcomer Algenis Perez Soto is both moving and effective. One scene in particular where he tries to order breakfast in his limited English is both comical and sad, and pretty much sums up his experience in this small rural town. This is an excellent film with some great performances. The baseball scenes are quite realistic, and the film movingly portrays the hope and longing that all minor league ballplayers must experience. Eventually Sugar realizes his ultimate motivation for playing the game, and like the film itself, it's a joy to behold.Rating - 3 1/2 Stars
I'm not sure if an underground fighting circuit actually does exist in New York, although I suspect it doesn't, but if it does I'm sure that no one who looks like Shawn MacArthur, as played by Channing Tatum is part of it. Shawn is a small town kid who barely gets by selling counterfeit Harry Potter books on the streets. Someone should have told him that the fake Cartier watches do much better in New York. When Harvey Boarden, played by Terrence Howard, spots him defending his wares from thieves, he decides that he has a future as a fighter. Harvey is a down on his luck street hustler, and he sees a white, good looking fighter like Shawn as a ticket to some big bucks. Although the film may seem improbable at times, it was entertaining. The fight scenes are nothing like the ones depicted in the Rocky movies, as anything goes, and they're exciting to watch. Mr. Howard is by far the main reason to see this film, as he skillfully imbues his role with just the right amount of pathos, kindness and menace. He adds a level of class to what is basically just a popcorn movie. Also, the film takes place, and is shot in New York City, and like all such films the city becomes a character itself. Basically, an enjoyable film with some good performances, and one really fine one.
Rating - 3 Stars (Light)
American Violet is the true story of racial injustice in Texas, and it's almost hard to believe that the story takes place in the very recent past and not in the pre-civil rights era south. Michael O'Keefe plays the local District Attorney, who authorizes commando-like drug raids, almost exclusively against African-Americans, and based on the flimsiest of evidence. He plays his role as if a more polite version of Bull Connor was inhabiting his body. Excellent newcomer Nicole Beharie plays Dee Roberts, a young unwed mother of four kids who's arrested as a result of one of these raids. Unlike virtually everyone else in her situation, she decides to fight back by not copping a plea. The ACLU also convinces her to front a lawsuit against the local DA in order to break the corrupt and racist system of arrests and prosecutions. The principle actors, including Alfre Woodard, Will Patton and Tim Blake Nelson all do a fine job. Malcolm Barrett, as another attorney on the ACLU team has a small but important role, and he really grabs your attention when he takes the stage. The film takes place from late 2000 into 2001 and it jumps numerous times to TV accounts of the 2000 presidential election and its controversial aftermath. They were obviously trying to do more than set the time-frame with this device and I thought it was a little heavy-handed. After a couple of these scenes I said to myself, "OK, I get it". In spite of this, I felt that the film told its story simply and well, and to employ an overused phrase, it's an important film. If you're paying attention you'll be be both angry, and entertained at the same time.Rating - 3 Stars (Solid)
This film, although entertaining, blazes no new territory. It's got political and sexual intrigue, an evil para-military organization modeled after the infamous Blackwater corporation, and of course, rumpled reporters, the main one being Russell Crowe. Ben Affleck plays Congressman Stephen Collins, whose congressional sub-committee is looking into Point Corp, the stand in for Blackwater. Point Corp, of course, won't stand for this, as they are apparently behind a series of murders, carried out in order to thwart the congressman's investigation. It's up to Cal McAffrey, played by Mr. Crowe, to uncover who's really doing what, and to whom. Oh, and to complicate things Messrs. Collins and McAffrey were roommates in college, and, McAffrey had a brief fling with Collins' future wife, played by Robin Wright Penn. To say that conflicts of interests abound would be an understatement. In spite of all this, the story was both fun to watch, and relatively easy to follow, just complicated enough to make it interesting and not so to the point where you you have to ask yourself, what just happened? There wasn't a lot of character development, but then again these films generally don't do a lot of that. For instance, we know that Mr. Crowe is a great reporter because he has the messiest desk imaginable, and drinks whisky out of a juice glass. The film also addresses the issue of the desperately troubled newspaper business as Cal has to share the story with his paper's resident website blogger. The film might also make you think about some of this nation's practices concerning it's military as you dig in for that last handful of popcorn.
Rating - 3 Stars
Paris 36 is the story of a Parisian theater told against the backdrop of worker unrest and political upheaval in pre-World War II France. The theater has seen better days and the local mob chief wants to close it down, but he lets them stay open because he's convinced that if he does then he'll be loved as well as feared. Pigoil is the stage manager of the theater, and along with Milou, the local union organizer, keep the theater running, although just barely. Pigoil has also unjustly lost custody of his young son, and to make matters worse his ex-wife manages to thwart all attempts at contact father and son try to make with each other. Later on Douce, a beautiful songstress shows up to further complicate matters. This film although entertaining, spent a little too much time on the goings on in the theater, and not enough on the politics and unrest of the time. We get a few glimpses of the workings of the local fascist group, just enough to wish they spent more time on this storyline. Still, the film does have a few worthwhile production numbers, and for the most part the characters are interesting, and worth an investment of your time.
Rating - 3 (light)
Although Lymelife tackles a familiar subject matter, namely unhappy and unfaithful suburbanites, it does so with both intelligence, and some excellent acting as well. Alec Baldwin shines as Mickey Bartlett, an affluent real estate developer married to Brenda, played by Jill Hennessy. Brenda is as miserable in her marriage as Mickey is insensitive. So insensitive that he decides to buy a new house and move the family in without even running it by his wife. The film takes place in 1979, and even by the less liberated standards of 30 years ago that was pretty uncool. Cynthia Nixon plays Mickey's assistant, and she's equally miserable as she's married to Charlie, played by Timothy Hutton, who had the misfortune to be bitten by a Lyme disease carrying deer tick. Charlie is now chronically ill, unemployed, and , emotionally paralyzed as a result. Kieran and Rory Culkin play Mickey and Brenda's two sons. Kieran is the tough guy and Rory the sensitive brother, and together they show what fine actors they have become as they segue into adult roles. All of the actors grow in their roles, and there are even some tinges of optimism throughout all of the misery. The film reminded me in some respects of Revolutionary Road, another fine film. As good as that film was I thought that this one was even better. Don't miss it.
Rating - 4 Stars
If you were somehow able to combine the DNA of Paul Blart and Travis Bickle you would end up with Ronnie Barnhardt, the character that Seth Rogen plays in Observe and Report. Ronnie is very proud of the fact that he's the chief of Security at his local mall. He's also bi-polar and full of himself, which make for a very dangerous combination. He's also intent on capturing the flasher who's been terrorizing the mall patrons, and at the same time he's equally intent on winning the heart of the makeup demonstration girl played by Anna Faris. This film is not your typical Seth Rogen comedy as it has a real darkside. That's not to say that it isn't hysterical in many instances, it just isn't Knocked Up or Superbad. There are a number of scenes that just as easily could have been placed in a more serious film with equal effect, and the good news is, the mix works quite well. There are times that Mr. Rogen is even a little scary, OK, not Travis Bickle scary, but scary in a Teddy bear kind of way. Ms. Faris plays her usual blond ditz who finally agrees to go out with Ronnie, the results of which are quite hysterical and disturbing at the same time. Ray Liotta plays it straight as a local detective who's also investigating the mall flasher, and who also grows more and more angry at Ronnie for getting in his way. He does a good job in the role, although his obvious hair dye job was a little distracting. The other supporting players, including Celia Weston as Ronnie's alcoholic mother, and the rest of Ronnie's security team add to the enjoyment. See it at your local mall cinemaplex.
Rating - 3 Stars
Joaquin Phoenix has recently indicated that he'll be giving up acting to pursue a career as a rapper. Judging from the brief rap that he does in this film, let's hope that the consensus that it's all a big joke is correct. I personally hope that he is pulling a fast one on us, as his performance in this film only solidifies what a great acting talent he is. The story revolves around Leonard, played by Mr. Phoenix, who's a damaged and depressed soul, and not without reason. He works in his fathers dry cleaning business, but you get the distinct feeling that he's merely drifting along on autopilot. He meets Sandra, a daughter of a family friend and potential business partner, and a hesitant relationship ensues. Leonard also meets Michelle, who lives in his building, and who is troubled due to her own "guy" issues. The relationships he maintains with each are quite different from each other, and complex, and Leonard is not just some cad out for pleasure. This film deals with all the characters in a mature and thoughtful way as the film slowly draws you in, and gets even better as it goes along. Let's hope that the rappers keep rapping and the actors keep acting.
Rating - 3 Stars
Adventureland is the latest film from Greg Mottola, who also directed Superbad. Both films are coming of age stories of a sort, although the laughs in Adventureland tend to be on the sarcastic side as opposed to the big "gross out" kind in Superbad. James Brennan, played by Jesse Eisenberg, has the misfortune of working in an crappy amusement park for the summer instead of taking that summer trip to Europe his parents were going to pay for. His dad has just received a big cut in pay, which means that James has to work instead of travel. In case you're wondering, this film takes place in 1987 and not the present. There he meets and falls for Em, played by Kristen Stewart, and also makes friends with the rest of his low paid co-workers. James is the serious intellectual type, probably a little too serious to be working at a place like Adventureland, and it takes him a while to build up the artificial enthusiasm necessary to be a good "game guy" at the park. This film is very sweet at its heart, as it chronicles the various relationships and almost relationships that occur over the summer. The ensemble cast mesh very well, and Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are both hilarious in their small supporting roles. I actually would have liked to see more of Ms. Wiig as she channels her timid soft spoken character from SNL. The film, although not uproarious, is filled with funny stuff throughout, and it also touches on some serious issues as well, such as adultery. If you've ever had a crappy job then this film's for you.
Rating - 3 Stars
