ffblog

JUST WRIGHT: JUST OKAY

Tue, 25 May 2010 01:09:19 +0100

I was supposed to review this but missed the press screening. Well, at my sister's insistence I finally watched it and it was just as expected...just okay. Now I love Queen Latifah, who doesn't, really? She has as much talent and charisma as any major film star, male or female, regardless of color. But because she is "of color" there is the usual Hollywood problem of what to do with her. She has an atypical body type for the screen, and let's just say it...she's a little butch. But, then again, that's what we like about her. So she keeps getting jammed into romantic comedy types of roles, except when she gets to do female buddy comedy like the severely underrated MAD MONEY and the superb BEAUTY SHOP.

This time she's paired with rapper/actor COMMON, an appealing guy but not a believable romantic partner for her. I liked the the whole thing until they actually got together. But then the whole premise is built around the idea of love built from friendship, as opposed to from first sight I guess. You've seen it all before, the gold-digging or otherwise superficial/bad (light-skinned) girl who dazzles the hero until he wakes up and realizes the one he should be with is the one who is right next to him all the time, taking care of him at that. It's all pleasant enough, beautifully shot, well acted (sort of, except for Common most of the time), with lots of inserts of basketball games. As usual, I left it reminded of how much I still love the Queen, wondering if that good will can ever be exhausted.

LUC BESSON, please, please release I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS!

Sat, 22 May 2010 00:28:46 +0100

I have actually managed to see this, after waiting for over a year and couldn't figure out why there is so much trouble getting it released. Some have speculated it's because of the theme, gay con man, and perhaps it is indirectly. After all it didn't get picked up by Sony Pictures Classics. Turns out there is some problem with the distributor who did pick it up paying what they promised to producer Besson, and he's right, he's got to stand up for right to be paid. Love the film and will post my full review when it does finally open.

I sort of hate to admit I liked LETTERS FROM JULIET

Sat, 22 May 2010 00:23:02 +0100

Why? First it was like reliving my first trip to Italy when I drove to Verona and through Tuscany. Second, FRANCO NERO, plus the whole story about how Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero got back together after something like 40 years.

Another Fan for the STAR TREK reboot

Tue, 12 May 2009 22:02:07 +0100

I'm a fan, not to be confused with a Trekkie. I don't dress up and have never gone to a convention. I have never read nor published any zines or Star Trek inspired novels. I did however watch the original TV series in syndication and was crazy about TNG. I believe I have seen all of the feature film Star Treks. I don't know exactly where that puts me but I know I didn't have any concerns about them violating any sacred rules...I'm much more worried (as you know if you read the last post) about what's going to happen in the american version of ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.

Unfortunately, because I can't get Paramount to invite me to any advance screenings (Benjamin Button being the lone exception) I missed out on actually reviewing the film here as it's my policy to blog about but not review films I'm not invited to. Once I heard the reviews come in I ran right out to the IMAX theater up the street and caught it. Sadly there were no crowds of trekkies, perhaps it was the steep ticket price but the film was wonderful nonetheless.

Abrams and co. rustled up the requisite nostalgia for the original series, hewing to certain aesthetic and thematic details that made me go all soft: the uniforms, the Vulcan mind-meld and that thing Spock does to knock you out, as just 2 examples. The plot was intellectually challenging in a science nerd way but not so confusing that an ordinary non-scientist couldn't follow and enjoy. In fact at the bad astronomy blog, the professionals applaud the film even though it has several misses in terms of accuracy.

And I can't say enough about the new Spock! I have always been drawn to those brain characters, I loved the original Spock (Leonard Nimoy) much more than Kirk, and Data was second only behind Capt. Jean Luc Picard who was the perfect combination of brains and brawn in the hands of Patrick Stuart. Zack Quinto is spot on here without doing any sort of an impersonation - nerd with emotion in a very attractive package, what every girl really wants, at least smart girls. Chris Pine's Kirk is refreshingly so unlike William Shattner that I can stop ignoring him completely the way I used to do on the original show (I have been loving Shattner on BOSTON LEGAL though.) And to think Uhura has more to do including some little bit of romantic entanglement.

My only real complaints would be and this is a big one, please get rid of TYLER PERRY, what's he doing in this movie anyway and replace that hole with more SIMON PEGG who is actually funny and who can actually act AND write!

It's making a mint, it doesn't need any more fans but I'm here to say go see it, you'll love it.

More Gifts from "Down Under": KATH AND KIM

Mon, 04 May 2009 21:43:07 +0100

So the other day I went and asked my local video store geek if there was any chance they'd import the ORIGINAL Aussie KATH AND KIM. He and his associate looked at me like I was crazy probably because they'd seen or heard of the pointlessness of the American version. I'm here to shout from the rooftops: ITS ONE OF THE BEST COMEDIES TO HAVE EVER APPEARED ANYWHERE!

If you've seen the "american version" you know that Kath and Kim are mother and extremely spoiled and clueless daughter who have two goofy men in their lives. Kim is so spoiled in fact that she moves back home about 2 months after her wedding. Part of what makes this show is the dynamic between the women playing the mother and daughter and in the Australian original, these are also the writers, Jane Turner and Gina Riley. The daughter is so clueless and full of herself, in fact, that she doesn't even notice that she's: 1) not really hip and gorgeous 2) not a "hornbag" but rather a chowhound 3) not in fact 25 but probably closer to 35. Of course in America where no one is allowed to get down and dirty humiliating themselves (except on 30 Rock and reality TV) Kim is played by the really beautiful Selma Blair. Kath's boyfriend/husband in the American version played by the very handsome John Michael Higgins lacks the greasy comb-over, and Kim's chubby and lonely second best friend Sharon has gone missing.

The lesson here is that the producers of American TV, always underestimating viewer's intelligence tend to remove the very things that make these shows funny: namely satire. They're also not inclined to let women comics write and producer their own shows as they do more commonly in England and Australia. Then the conclusion becomes that women, somehow aren't funny. We all know better and if you want to see the two funniest women after Patsy and Edina you can watch KATH AND KIM on the web. The Joker is me.

French Gangsters and such!

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:57:06 +0100

The City of Lights/City of Angeles French Film festival runs from April 20-26 in Los Angeles and there will be plenty of excitement, romance et tout ca for the filmgoer who fears not the subtitles. I just watched the sensational Mesrine another in the long entry of anti-hero gangster tales starring the sexy ugly handsome Vincent Cassel in a true tour de force. Other hightlights are sure to be OSS 117 the second pre-Bond spy spoof this time set in Rio De Janeiro but there will lots of other small films worth seeing. I've heard that Mesrine is already sold out so get on the web and get your tickets.