Films Review June
FRIDA (R)
Salma Hayek is absolutely amazing as Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who turned adversity into self expression, using paints and an easel to escape injuries she suffered in a bus accident. “Frida” begins in 1922, where Frida is still a student in Mexico City, a young woman who finds inspiration in painter Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina). When the accident leaves her bedridden, and her boyfriend leaves her to study abroad, Frida finds inspiration in the art supplies her father gives her.
Relegated at first to self-portraits, Frida eventually finds the strength to walk again, and seeks out Rivera for his opinion of her work. Impressed, Rivera introduces Frida to the art world, and eventually marries her. Their life together, filled with happiness and turmoil, is captured with honesty and compassion in this riveting film directed by Julie Taymor. Hayek spent years trying to get “Frida” to the big screen, and her passion is evident in every frame. Not a big film, but a film with a big heart, a heart that pumps life and vitality into scene and line of dialogue. The supporting cast couldn’t be better, with Edward Norton as Nelson Rockefeller, Geoffrey Rush as Leon Trotsky, and Antonio Banderas as painter David Alfaro Siqueiros. (Miramax)
OLD SCHOOL (R)
“Old School” is Hollywood’s latest attempt to have their cake and eat it too. Forbidden by Congress to market R-Rated movies to underage teens, Hollywood’s solution is to make a college comedy about losers in their thirties. It’s a brilliant move to cover their collective butts, knowing full well that the film would appeal to the very market that has been forbidden to see it. Then again, I can’t imagine anyone enjoying this low-brow comedy about a group of emotionally stunted men who decide to open a frat house so they can relive their carefree college days. Not only is “Old School” everything you expect it to be, it’s worse. “Animal House” smartly set its college hi-jinks in the past, where they seemed innocuous at best. Click title for complete review. (DreamWorks)
JUNGLE BOOK 2 (G)
Belated sequel to Walt Disney’s 1967 animated classic isn’t an instant classic, but it is an enjoyable romp and return to a simpler time. Based on Rudyard Kipling’s story, “Jungle Book 2” picks up the story of Mowgli (voice of Haley Joel Osment), now living in the man village with an adoptive family, including younger stepbrother Ranjan. Longing for the rhythm of the jungle, Mowgli fills the village kid’s heads with stories of his adventures with Baloo the Bear (voice of John Goodman), the wise panther Bagheera, and the elephant patrol that helped him defeat the evil tiger Shere Kahn. Forbidden from entering the jungle, Mowgli, fed up with all the human rules and regulations he has to follow, sneaks off to see Baloo. Hot on his trail is Shanti, the young girl who wooed him out of the jungle, and Ranjan, not to mention Shere Khan, anxious to exact revenge for his humiliation in the first film. Once in the jungle, Mowgli and Baloo reunite, forcing Mowgli to decide where he really belongs, in the jungle with the friends he grew up with, or in the human village with his step-family. Filled with colorful characters, bouncy musical numbers, life lessons and admirable animation, “The Jungle Book 2” is a confident and collectible sequel that should entertain generations to come. (Walt Disney)
NEMESIS GAME (R)
Traditional yet baffling thriller stars Carly Pope as Sara, a student who finds herself involved in a mysterious game involving cagey riddles and red herrings. When a classmate is murdered, Sara’s only ally is a comic book store owner (Adrian Paul), who uses his graphic novel sensibilities to help solve the mystery. Director Jesse Warn asks more questions than he can answer, leaving the audience as befuddled as the characters. Unlike David Fincher’s “The Game,” “Nemesis Game” is convoluted without being overly clever. (Lion’s Gate)
TEARS OF THE SUN (R)
Despite good intentions, Hollywood filmmakers cannot resist the temptation to water down demanding subject matter into mainstream entertainment. War films are especially troubling, mostly because writers and directors feel the need to humanize the characters by allowing them to stop dead in their tracks and express their emotions. Real life isn’t like that. Emotions run high in the midst of battle, but never, ever does the war take a breather so someone can share their inner most thoughts and fears. That’s what I liked about Ridley Scott’s “Black Hawk Down.” Except for a handful of obvious theatrical moments, “Black Hawk Down” was an excellent example that war is indeed hell. Click title for complete review. (Columbia-TriStar Home Video)
WES CRAVEN’S THEY (PG-13)
Despite Wes Craven’s name in the title, this horror film is much ado about nothing. Laura Regan stars as Julia, who as a child was haunted by nightmares of strange creatures hiding under her bed. Or were they nightmares? As an adult, Julia’s nightmares return, not only affecting her state of mind, but a small group of friends who start disappearing one by one. “They” only come out at night, but director Robert Harmon (“The Hitcher”) never takes the time to explain what “They” are, where they come from, and what they want with Julia and her friends. Instead, he just sets the attractive young cast up so he can knock them down, and even then their demise is hardly worth getting worked up over. Another PG-13 horror film for the masses that would have been much better if the filmmakers just went for the dreaded R rating. (Dimension)
