Books and Films
Film Reviews
Treat yourself to an American season with the following titles.
by Ryan Murphy
Based on Elizabeth Gilbert's best-selling memoir, Ryan Murphy's second picture stars Julia Roberts as a prosperous but dissatisfied New Yorker who decides to turn over a new leaf. She walks out on her husband and, subsequently, her young lover and embarks on a year-long sabbatical that takes her to Italy, India and Bali. Initially intended as a self-help manual, Eat, Pray, Love is supposed to recount the narrator's quest for spiritual enlightenment through her various peregrinations across three continents. Unfortunately, we learn precious little about her true personality, aspirations and desires. The dialogues are ridiculously stereotyped and sound like the sort of babble one would expect from a second-rate New Age guru. The portrayal of foreign lands has us wondering when Mr Murphy last travelled abroad – if ever. Italy comes across as a nation of noisy, gesticulating womanizers living in sparsely-furnished flats with no running water. Having been a Roman resident myself for almost two years, I can assure readers that such is not the case. India too abounds with well-worn clichés: the ancient kind-hearted shaman who predicts the heroine's future just made me cringe. The other characters in the script are an insult to developing countries. As for Bali, admittedly, it did feature some pretty landscapes but the original book was hardly intended as a tourist guide. With the camera lingering on Miss Roberts in virtually every single scene, we soon grow tired of her toothy grin and broad Georgian twang. The last straw? Her romance with sensitive divorcee Felipe, which gives the film a sickly sentimental twist. Despite poor directing, Javier Bardem manages to come up trumps, thanks to his immense talent. Two other short but notable performances are those of Viola Davis, the narrator's best friend, and Richard Jenkins, cast as a guilt-ridden Texan staying at the same ashram. Personally, I am not familiar with Elizabeth Gilbert's written work but, if the screen adaptation is anything to go by, I think I shall give it a miss....
by Oliver Stone
This sequel to Oliver Stone's 1987 financial saga has proved to be a moderate success both in Britain and the United States. The story is set in the year 2008. Once again, we are plunged into the murky waters of America's Stock Exchange, albeit on a tamer note. Jake Moore is a young and talented broker hoping to make a fortune in renewable energy. He is engaged to Winnie, the only daughter of Gordon Gekko, a disgraced financier who got an eight-year sentence for insider trading. Winnie is a sensitive girl who has fallen out with Dad, whom she blames for her younger brother's fatal overdose. She runs a left-wing political blog with a bunch of like-minded campaigners. Released from jail in 2001, Gekko is now a successful author who earns his money giving lectures and promoting his latest book Is Greed Good? Despite working for Wall Street, Jake is basically a decent bloke who has developed close ties with his senior partner Lou Zabel. A fatherly figure with old-fashioned ethics, Lou has gradually become Jake's mentor over the years. When the company goes bust due to false allegations spread by rival investor Bretton James, he ends his life in the New York subway. Jake vows to avenge the death of his benefactor by hook or by crook. He seeks out Gekko as a potential ally and the two men decide to join forces. It's a two-way deal: Jake will benefit from Gordon's business acumen while helping him to patch it up with his estranged daughter. The plot unravels at a steady pace, offering us sumptuous views of the Big Apple. The whole cast deserve full praise. Michael Douglas is his usual charismatic self, having lost none of his cynicism behind bars. Shia LaBeouf pulls it off convincingly as the ambitious, self-made trader. His girlfriend is played by Carey Mulligan, who makes the best of a somewhat thankless role. The most moving performance is that of Frank Langella as the gentlemanly Lou Zabel. Susan Sarandon is excellent as Jake's sponging mother, a realty agent who has been badly hit by the spiralling US market - pity it's only a cameo. As for Josh Brolin, his interpretation of the ruthless banker Bretton James is electrifying: his steely eyes, sardonic sneer and insolent demeanour make him the perfect villain. And overwhelmingly sexy to boot... For me, Wall Street 2 is an exciting little piece of entertainment. So why go and spoil it all with a soppy, saccharine ending?
by Woody Allen
I am inclined to believe Woody Allen has lost the sparkle that distinguished his earlier works, such as Husbands and Wives, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Purple Rose of Cairo and Manhattan. America's Jewish movie icon is starting to show his age and his production is getting increasingly repetitive. Once again, he has chosen to dwell on relationships and marital misfortunes. His latest venture follows two London-based couples who experience separation in different ways. Gemma Jones plays Helena, a gullible middle-aged housewife whose regular seances with phony clairvoyant Cristal are beginning to govern her life. Her husband Elfie, pining for his lost youth as well as a male descendent, has left her for Charmaine, a former call-girl whose vulgarity is almost endearing. However, he soon realises that moving in with a younger woman is not the answer to everything: they have very little in common and fulfilling her sexual appetite is a tough challenge. Helena's daughter Sally works for a fashionable art gallery and has a strong crush on Greg, its sleek owner neatly portrayed by Antonio Banderas. Sally is unhappily married to Roy, a struggling writer desperate for news of his second novel. When the ravishing Dia moves in next door, he spies on her from the living-room window, meets her and eventually starts dating her. So there you have it – promising material for a good old-fashioned comedy but, in Woody's hands, it just fizzles out. There is no outcome as such and he doesn't seem to be making a point either. True, I relished a couple of humorous passages – Helena dropping in on her daughter to relay Cristal's invaluable advice or the restaurant scene where Sally and Roy are formally introduced to Charmaine by an embarrassed Anthony Hopkins. These moments, however, can do nothing to salvage the film as a whole. What really annoyed me were the chirpy explanations proferred by an offscreen narrator. Resorting to such a stratagem is unwarranted, except maybe in the case of a documentary. So, in short, the weak plot outweighs fine acting all around. Better luck next time, Mr Allen......
by Ben Affleck
For his second directorial effort, American actor Ben Affleck drew inspiration from Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves, set in Boston's working-class suburbs. The town in question is Charlestown, said to be the bastion of US robbery. Affleck himself is cast as Doug MacRay, a longtime crook who masterminds hold-ups together with three accomplices. One of these is James Coughlin, his old school mate, a dangerous psycho whose sister used to go out with Doug. Over the years the crew have become true professionals: the heists are smoothly planned and executed according to a well-oiled routine that avoids bloodshed. However, the job that kicks off the story goes awry and they end up taking bank manager Claire Keesey hostage while they make their getaway. It turns out she lives just round the corner from her abductors, who fear she might identify them and inform the FBI. Doug arranges a “chance meeting” with her at the Laundromat to find out exactly what she knows. They start dating and, against all odds, fall in love. Doug is now in a quandary, torn between his affection for Claire and loyalty to his fellow gangsters, from whom he hides the new relationship. This unexpected turn of events is a eye-opener for MacRay, who starts dreaming about a new life away from Charlestown. He is seriously tempted to pull out of the game and finally settle down. Easier said than done.... Coughlin spent a long stint in prison for saving his life and he expects his best friend to stand by him. Our hero is also under strong pressure from local crime lord Fergie, to whom he is beholden and who openly threatens to harm Claire. He agrees to do one last job before moving on. No more will be said about the plot as I hope you will all rush off to see The Town at the nearest cinema. Let it simply be known that I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller, which confirms Mr Affleck's talent behind the camera. Tight editing and brilliant directing combine to produce a suspenseful caper flick that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The enthralling car chase down the narrow streets of Boston and the lengthy shootout at the end of the film are two minor masterpieces. I was equally impressed by the acting. Pete Postlethwaite is totally credible as the evil Fergie and Rebecca Hall gives a strong performance as the main female character. As for Jeremy Renner, his interpretation of the hot-headed Coughlin commands our admiration and respect. Widely acclaimed for his role as a bomb disposal expert in The Hurt Locker, Renner manages to play the baddie without overdoing it or lapsing into cheap cliché. Watch out for Chris Cooper's cameo appearance as Doug's bank-robbing father, serving a life sentence at the local jail. Last but not least, Ben Affleck completes the first-rate cast by portraying Doug with both sincerity and conviction. Frequently likened to Heat, Michael Mann's 1995 star vehicle for Al Pacino and De Niro, The Town is a taut drama that might well garner a few awards at next year's Oscar ceremony.
by Gregg Araki
One of the reasons why I chose to see Kaboom was because I had enjoyed Gregg Araki's earlier works, in particular The Doom Generation, an ill-fated road movie reminiscent of Gus Van Sant's 1989 Drugstore Cowboy, The other reason was that the trailer seemed fun and full of wicked promise. I now realise this short compilation was all too deceptive. What I saw as a zany college fantasy turned out to be a disjointed story that hardly does justice to Araki's customary verve. The plot revolves around eighteen-year-old Smith, a cute bisexual student who shares a flat with the perpetually horny Thor, a blond surfer as dumb as they come. Smith's best friend Stella is a ravishing lesbian in love with Lorelei, a psychopathic beauty whose magnetic charm and fiery eyes have cast a spell on her. The film is set on a Californian campus although we see little academic work being done. As is his wont, Araki has opted for a wacky, surrealist approach and myriad themes. His teenage tale of sexual awakening is punctuated by hallucinogenic drugs, sapphic witchcraft, mysterious figures in animal masks, an underground cult, secret rituals, recurring dreams, conspiracy theories, a murder investigation and a heavy sprinkling of science-fiction. But this time, it doesn't quite seem to work. Maybe Kaboom's screenplay is too far-fetched or maybe I'm just growing old.... In either case, I found the whole thing extremely tiresome and was sorely disappointed. My only consolation was Roxane Mesquida, Catherine Breillat's fetish actress, whose dark, sultry looks make her the perfect sorceress. Virtually all the reviews I read referred to Araki's latest venture in glowing terms, with one journalist elevating it to cult status. I beg to differ, as the saying goes.....