Posted July 30, 200618 yr SHADOWS ON THE WALL by Rich Cline ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ Howdy once again from London - with apologies that this is a day late. It's been a very busy week with screenings, deadlines and visitors in town. Not to mention the continuing heatwave, which seems to be inflicting the entire northern hemisphere now. At least the screening rooms are air-conditioned. Anyway, packed into this issue... Ø This week's roundup of new film releases and box office stats from both the UK and US. Ø Today's collection of news on films in the works. Ø Miami Vice - Michael Mann's movie version (opens this weekend in the US). Ø John Tucker Must Die - comedy (this weekend in US). Ø Angel-A - French fantasy-romance (this weekend in UK). Ø Plus short comments linked to full reviews of more films opening today: Cars and Stay Alive (in the UK), plus Brothers of the Head, 13 Tzameti and Another Gay Movie (in the US). ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ J U S T R E L E A S E D new films this week... IN THE UK... CARS: animation with voices of Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt; dir John Lasseter ANGEL-A: French fantasy with with Jamel Debbouze, Rie Rasmussen; dir Luc Besson STAY ALIVE: horror with Jon Foster, Samaire Armstrong, Frankie Muniz; dir William Brent Bell RENAISSANCE: animation with voices of Daniel Craig, Romola Garai; dir Christian Volckman WARRIOR KING: Thai action with Tony Jaa, Petthtai Wongkhamlao; dir Prachya Pinkaew OMKARA: Indian Othello with Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor; dir Vishal Bharadwaj. A LION IN THE HOUSE: doc about families struggling with cancer treatment; dir Bognar & Reichert. PROFILES OF FARMERS 2: doc about everyday life in rural life in France; dir Raymond Depardon. IN THE US... MIAMI VICE: action with Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Gong Li, Naomie Harris; dir Michael Mann LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE: comedy with Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell; dir Dayton & Faris SCOOP: comedy with Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Romola Garai, Ian McShane; dir Woody Allen. THE ANT BULLY: animation with voices of Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage; dir John A Davis BROTHERS OF THE HEAD: drama with Harry Treadaway, Luke Treadaway; dir Fulton & Pepe JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE: comedy with Jesse Metcalfe, Brittany Snow, Ashanti; dir Betty Thomas ANOTHER GAY MOVIE: comedy with Michael Carbonaro, Jonathan Chase; dir Todd Stephens 13 TZAMETI: French thriller with George Babluani, Aurélien Recoing; dir Gela Babluani THE BRIDESMAID: French thriller with Laura Smet, Benoît Magimel, Aurore Clément; dir Claude Chabrol. DARSHAN, THE EMBRACE: doc about "hugging saint" Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi; dir Jan Kounen. I LIKE KILLING FLIES: doc about a famous eatery in New York City; dir Matt Mahurin. AMERICA FROM FREEDOM TO FASCISM: doc about the erosion of civil liberties; dir Aaron Russo. DEAR MR PRESIDENT: doc about a New Orleans child writing to George W Bush; dir Dayan & Rue. ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ B O X O F F I C E who's making the money this week... IN THE UK... this (last) week - GBP total/weeks on release = 1 (1) PIRATES 2: DEAD MAN'S CHEST - 33.7m/3 + 2 New THE BREAK-UP - 2.4m/1 - 3 (2) SUPERMAN RETURNS - 9.1m/2 + 4 New STORMBREAKER - 1.2m/1 + 5 New GARFIELD 2 - 0.7m/1 - 6 (3) OVER THE HEDGE - 9.9m/4 - 7 (4) WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY - 2.5m/5 + 8 New LITTLE FISH - 0.1m/1 - 9 (5) JUST MY LUCK - 1.9m/4 -10 (6) FAST AND FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT - 5.7m/6 IN THE US... this (last) week - USD total/weeks on release = 1 (1) PIRATES 2: DEAD MAN'S CHEST - 321.9m/3 + 2 New MONSTER HOUSE - 22.2m/1 + 3 New LADY IN THE WATER - 18m/1 - 4 (3) YOU, ME AND DUPREE - 45.3m/2 - 5 (2) LITTLE MAN - 40.6m/2 + 6 New CLERKS II - 10.1m/1 + 7 New MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND - 8.6m/1 - 8 (4) SUPERMAN RETURNS - 178.3m/4 - 9 (5) THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA - 97.5m/4 -10 (6) CARS - 229.5m/7 = already reviewed in Shadows on the Wall. Ask for a copy of the review or check out the website. ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ S H A D O W S O N T H E P R O W L looking for news on films in the works... Brad Pitt will reteam with director David Fincher for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, based on the F Scott Fitzgerald story about a 50-year-old man who starts aging backwards. Cate Blanchett costars in the film, which was written by Eric Roth. Hilary Swank will star in a remake of the 2003 French thriller LABYRINTH, about a mental hospital patient with split personalities who know something about a serial killer. Ryan Phillippe has landed the role of Harvey Dent/Two-face in the next BATMAN movie, alongside Heath Ledger as the Joker. Christian Bale will be back as the Dark Knight, with Christopher Nolan directing. Nicolas Cage will produce and perhaps star in a biopic about the double life of flamboyant pianist LIBERACE. The script is by Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg (Scary/Date Movies). John Malkovich and Jeremy Sisto will star in the drama GARDENS OF THE NIGHT, about two teens who are released after being held hostage for nine years. Damian Harris (Mercy) is directing. Now that Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence has signed up to adapt and direct FLETCH WON, word has it that Zach Braff may play the journalist-sleuth in the new film. Gregory McDonald's novel, the eighth in the series, traces the character's origins. Amy Adams (Junebug) is joining Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman in CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR, about American government involvement in arming Afghan rebels to fight the Soviets in the 1980s. The script is by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing). Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) may star in RUN, FAT BOY, RUN, a comedy about a guy trying to win back the girl he dumped on their wedding day. David Schwimmer (Friends) is directing. Chris Klein and Freddie Prinze Jr will star in NEW YORK CITY SERENADE, loosely based on the experiences of writer-director-actor Frank Whaley. It's about an aspiring filmmaker and a bar band member trying whose friendship is strained by success. Jon Heder will produce and perhaps star in MR MACHINE, a comedy about three geeks who build a robot that has delusions of taking over the world. ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ MIAMI VICE dir-scr Michael Mann with Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Gong Li, Naomie Harris, Barry Shabaka Henley, Ciarán Hinds, John Ortiz, Luis Tosar, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Justin Theroux, Eddie Marsan, Isaach De Bankolé release US 28.Jul.06, UK 4.Aug.06 06/US Universal 2h13 *** As with the TV series, Mann floods this movie with visual style and moody atmosphere, so it hardly matters that it's both overcomplicated and so humourless that we can't engage with the characters. When Miami detectives Crockett and Tubbs (Farrell and Foxx) stumble into a major drug operation, they go deep undercover as traffickers, jetting back and forth to South America to transport goods for dealer Yero and his boss Montoya (Ortiz and Tosar). But there's a mole somewhere, so their captain (Henley) and a spineless Fed (Hinds) have their doubts. Then Crocket falls for Montoya's wife (Gong). And their colleague Trudy (Harris), Tubbs' girlfriend, is abducted by racists on the receiving end of the drugs. It's going to get very messy. The film looks gorgeous, with stunning cinematography by Dion Beebe and superb editing by William Goldenberg and Paul Rubell. Mann directs each scene with a seductive fluidity that catches emotions and attitude, and makes the action earthy and shockingly real. And the tension between the characters is palpable--from attraction and respect to loathing and jealousy. So it's surprising how essentially shallow the film is. All of these things are useful for the plot, but never add character development. The people in the story are just pretty set dressing. Even with thoughtful performances from Farrell and Gong, and a steely turn from Foxx, there's just nothing that draws us in beyond a vague interest in seeing the complex story play out. Like the TV show, the film is dark and edgy. There's no 1980s kitsch and only hints of that distinctive Jan Hammer sound in John Murphy's score. And there are also two kaleidoscopic sex interludes, both involving steamy showers. But Mann never establishes a singular point of view; he skips around to tell the story from all sides, eliminating any mystery while building up the tension as things go seriously wrong. As it progresses, dialog that would seem brilliant on the page becomes meaningless in the dense sound mix. So the film turns dull and tedious. It's just an endless series of deals and plots and betrayals and aching glances. Cool to look at, but there's nothing to it. [15 themes, violence, language, sexuality] 26.Jul.06 ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE dir Betty Thomas; scr Jeff Lowell with Jesse Metcalfe, Brittany Snow, Ashanti, Arielle Kebbel, Sophia Bush, Penn Badgley, Jenny McCarthy, Fatso-Fasano, Kevin McNulty, Patricia Drake, Taylor Kitsch, Woody Jeffreys release US 28.Jul.06, UK 18.Aug.06 06/US Fox 1h33 *** There's nothing original about this silly revenge comedy, but it has a slightly warped edge that keeps us engaged with the simplistic characters and goofy situations. John Tucker (Metcalfe) is the big man on campus and, as the girls describe him, "Abercrombie model meets Greek god". And he makes the most of this, by dating every girl around, making them feel like they're the only one. Then three of his girlfriends (sassy cheerleader Ashanti, brainy all-rounder Kebbel and slutty Bush) find out. They team up to turn the overlooked Kate (Snow) into John's perfect woman, so they can break his heart. The story is told from Kate's perspective, which gives away whatever surprises might lurk ahead, especially once she meets John's quirky, even more gorgeous younger brother (Badgley). But never mind, this is a story about women on the warpath. And it's briskly energetic, even if the script relies far too heavily on corny dialog and convenient gadgetry like Kate's bra-cam. Director Thomas fills the movie with stylistic touches that are playful (such as the snappy pop song score), nasty (locker-room machismo) and hackneyed-but-funny (the oestrogen joke), plus some dumb gags that work despite themselves, like one involving a frilly thong that just keeps going. And going. There is, of course, the fundamental flaw that supposedly plain Kate is actually more beautiful than the other girls put together, but never mind. Metcalfe throws himself into the film with abandon, bravely poking fun at his eye-candy image, and somehow turning John into a sympathetic character by the end (big surprise). The girls all get strong scenes and character-defining moments to bring them to life. And it definitely helps to have a veteran like McCarthy flouncing it up as Kate's mom. If the film lifts its plot almost entirely from Mean Girls, we can almost forgive it, because it's such fun to watch John deliver those obvious chat-up lines, which the girls fall for, despite themselves. His humiliation has a clever spin. And the fact that this actually provides a whiff of subtext helps us stomach the ludicrously simplistic moralising at the end. [12 themes, innuendo, language] 26.Jul.06 ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ANGEL-A dir-scr Luc Besson with Jamel Debbouze, Rie Rasmussen, Gilbert Melki, Serge Riaboukine, Eric Balliet, Olivier Claverie, Alain Zef, Grigori Manoukov, Akim Chir, Michel Bellot, Michel Chesneau, Jean-Marco Montalto release Fr 21.Dec.05, UK 28.Jul.06, US 29.Sep.06 05/France Europa 1h28 *** Luc Besson shifts gears from his usual action mayhem for this disarmingly sweet romantic fantasy, which is essentially a witty, edgy cross between Amélie and It's a Wonderful Life. André (Debbouze) is a low-life con-man in Paris whose luck has finally run out. In debt to murderous loan sharks (Melki and Riaboukine), he decides to end it all by throwing himself into the Seine. Which is rather ironic, since he was being dangled from the Eiffel Tower by a thug a few hours earlier. As he prepares to leap, he meets Angela (Rasmussen), a leggy blonde who offers to help him get out of trouble and rediscover his self-respect. She's a guardian angel on a mission. And for the short, scruffy André it's love at first sight. Besson films this in fluid black and white, giving the film a classical tone that belies its urban undertones of sex and crime. André and Angela make such a ridiculous couple that it's hard not to like them--both physically and personality-wise, they are polar extremes. And both actors get it right; Debbouze is endearingly chaotic while Rasmussen is a bundle of unpredictability and offhanded attitude. Although she resembles Milla Jovovich far too much with her stick figure, harshly cropped hair and skimpy costumes (which says more about Besson than it does about her). The script is snappy and sharp, although the banter is wearying at times, as it seems like these two won't shut up even for a second. Besson lays on a continuous stream of witty imagery, from a checklist of Paris landmarks to visual nods at otherworldly classics like Orphée and Wings of Desire. He also builds a lovely thematic undercurrent as André is forced to look deep within himself. While the film is essentially cute, silly fluff, these emotional touches offer a nice balance. Snappy gags and spiky adult humour give if even more texture. And Besson somehow manages to bring all of this together into an effective, involving odyssey. The result is both heartbreaking and hopeful, and often hilariously funny as well. [15 themes, language, violence, sexuality] 21.Jul.06 ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ S H A D O W S O N T H E W E B more reviews of new films if you want 'em... CARS **** dir John Lasseter; voices Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt 06/US Pixar continues its unbroken run of hugely entertaining films with this adventure about an America populated only with cars. The animation is jaw-droppingly gorgeous, and the characters are wonderful. But it's kind of odd, really... FULL REVIEW > STAY ALIVE ** dir William Brent Bell; with Jon Foster, Samaire Armstrong, Frankie Muniz 06/US A lack of logic infects this film like a virus. And frankly, that's more frightening than anything the filmmakers come up with in this videogame-themed The Ring knock-off... FULL REVIEW > BROTHERS OF THE HEAD *** dir Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe; with Harry Treadaway, Luke Treadaway 06/UK Based on the Brian Aldiss novel, this surreal mock-doc features gorgeous imagery and strongly moody themes. But the swirling jumble of a storyline means it never quite connects... FULL REVIEW > 13 TZAMETI ***** dir Gela Babluani; with George Babluani, Aurélien Recoing 05/France One of the most unnerving and harrowing thrillers in recent memory, this low-budget French film is an extremely promising debut for Georgian filmmaker Gela Babluani... FULL REVIEW > ANOTHER GAY MOVIE *** dir-scr Todd Stephens; with Michael Carbonaro, Jonathan Chase 06/US This American Pie spoof takes on just about every gay cliché imaginable. And then some. It's rude and chaotic and, for the right audience, hilarious... FULL REVIEW > ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ SHADOWS ON THE WALL Vol 22 No 52 www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk Feel free to FORWARD this message. copyright 2006 by Rich Cline London, England
August 22, 200618 yr Author Greetings once more form London, where things are a little quieter for the summer holiday season, but not much. Most of the action has shifted to Edinburgh at the moment, where Europe’s longest running film festival is underway. But we’re covering that from afar this year (see the website for updates). Here in this issue... Ø Snakes on a Plane - B-movie action (now showing in US and UK). Ø Idlewild - OutKast drama (opens Fri in US). Ø Look Both Ways - Aussie drama (Fri in UK). Ø Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School -ensemble drama (Fri in UK). ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ SNAKES ON A PLANE dir David R Ellis; scr John Heffernan, Sebastian Gutierrez with Samuel L. Jackson, Julianna Margulies, Bobby Cannavale, David Koechner, Nathan Phillips, Todd Louiso, Rachel Blanchard, Lin Shaye, Sunny Mabrey, Bruce James, Flex Alexander, Kenan Thompson release US/UK 18.Aug.06 06/US New Line 1h45 *** Lively and gleefully ridiculous, this B-movie disaster thriller has the thinnest imaginable premise (see the title) and yet manages to be more fun than most big-budget summer blockbusters. Dirt-biker Sean (Phillips) inadvertently witnesses a mob hit in Honolulu, then is coaxed into being a witness by bull-headed FBI Agent Flynn (Jackson). But the bad guys figure out which red-eye flight they'll take to Los Angeles for the trial and load a crate of pheromone-hyped snakes, set free halfway across the Pacific during a conveniently turbulent thunderstorm. Mayhem ensues, during which Flynn and the crew (Koechner, Marguiles, Mabrey, Shaye and James), with the help of an FBI agent (Cannavale) in L.A., try to keep as many people alive as possible. The set-up is brisk, introducing us to passengers with just enough detail that we can feel sympathy for the kids travelling alone, the nervous honeymooners, the stewardesses on the verge of retirement (Shaye) or a new career (Margulies), the spoiled rich girl (Blanchard), the germ-phobic rap star (Alexander), and so on. The cast clearly have a lot of fun adding quirks and playfully delivering the script's joke-filled dialog. Jackson, of course, holds everything together expertly. He's especially entertaining when he gets to the end of his tether ("Oh great: snakes on crack!"). The dialog is loaded with corny innuendo and the goofy, nonsensical logic of 1970s disaster movies, which keeps us chuckling through each ludicrous action set piece. Director Ellis (Final Destination 2) maintains the nutty humour right through the most gruesome sequences, keeping us jumping through the sheer relentlessness as all varieties of crazed snakes attack people in every conceivable way (plus a few hilariously inconceivable ones). He even manages to make the preposterously huge climactic python scary then funny then horrendous. Although the finale feels strangely rushed. It's completely over the top in every way--relentless, gratuitous, implausible and insane. But it's also packed with humour and terror that's both delightfully cheesy and effectively funny or scary. The distributor's decision not to show the film to the press may turn out to be their biggest mistake, because journalists would have loved this. [15 themes, language, grisly violence, sexuality] 18.Aug.06 ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ IDLEWILD dir-scr Bryan Barber with André Benjamin, Antwan A Patton, Terrence Howard, Paula Patton Malinda Williams, Ving Rhames, Ben Vereen, Faizon Love, Jackie Long, Macy Gray, Cicely Tyson, Patti LaBelle release US 25.Aug.06, UK 8.Sep.06 06/US Universal 2h01 ** Ambitious and stylish, this 1930s Southern musical drama feels like a two-hour OutKast music video, which is basically what it is. And while it's visually inventive, the story's too trite and clichéd to be meaningful. Percival and Rooster (Benjamin and Antwan Patton) grew up as buddies in Idlewild, Georgia, hoping for bigger and better things. Now Percival's trapped as assistant to his mortician father (Vereen), while Rooster neglects his family, smuggling moonshine and performing in late-night jazz joints. Then a new singer (Paula Patton) spots Percival's raw talent. While Rooster struggles to fend off an ambitious thug (Howard) who moves in his scene. The plot's as old as the hills, and there aren't any surprises. What gives the film its originality are its visual and musical styles. First-time feature director Barber fills every scene with gimmicky flourishes, camera tricks and digital tweaks. This looks terrific, but most embellishments aren't properly integrated into the plot, such as Rooster's talking hip flask and Percival's wall of cuckoo clocks. The music, meanwhile, is a jazzy collection of OutKast tunes that feel anachronistic to the period. But they're staged with a terrific Moulin Rouge-style energy that's the best thing about the film. Alas, some songs (most notably Paula Patton's big number) disappoint, and Benjamin doesn't get to cut loose until a big closing credits number. At least he gets an intriguing character to play, and superbly brings the slightly mopey Percival to life. Antwan Patton is also good as the more one-note Rooster, while the supporting cast get their chance to shine in various scenes. Howard, naturally, steals the show with sheer intensity--we can't take our eyes off him, even though the character is severely underwritten. The film is busy enough to keep us watching, but since it's so predictable--and Barber's so over-eager to indulge in violent gunplay--we never engage emotionally. The only plot thread with any passion is the romance, and even that runs a well-worn path. So the big finale lacks the necessary pay-off, and the six-months-later coda feels cheap. As a long-form music video, it's seriously impressive, but as a movie it's not even close. [15 themes, violence, sexuality, language] 7.Aug.06 ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ LOOK BOTH WAYS dir-scr Sarah Watt with William McInnes, Justine Clarke, Anthony Hayes, Andrew S Gilbert, Lisa Flanagan, Daniella Farinacci, Andreas Sobik, Sacha Horler, Maggie Dence, Edwin Hodgeman, Alex Rafalowicz, Daniel Whyte release Aus 18.Aug.05, US 14.Apr.06, UK 18.Aug.06 05/Australia 1h40 **** Only an Australian could make such a warm, gentle comedy about how death is all around us. Sarah Watt's remarkable achievement is to make us look at life in a new way. Meryl (Clarke) is a sympathy card illustrator with a pessimistic streak, imagining disaster around every corner. When she witnesses a fatal train incident, she meets newspaper photographer Nick (McInnes), who has lived life to the full and has just been diagnosed with cancer. Meanwhile, Nick's editor (Gilbert) is feeling increasingly disconnected from his family, as is his journalist colleague Andy (Hayes), whose ex-girlfriend (Flanagan) is pregnant. We also meet the train driver (Sobik) and a young widow (Farinacci), both struggling to make sense of their lives. The central idea is that everyone is living on the brink, and no one can really know what anyone else is facing. These issues can be positive or negative, real or imagined, but we cope in our own ways. Watts examines this theme in an artful, effective way that gets far beneath our skin. Her clever editing blends the various story threads, with wonderful fantasy/flashback cutaways that are distinct to the characters (Meryl imagines in moving paintings, Nick in photo montage, Andy in news headlines). These touches, combined with vivid performances, allow us into the characters' heads. Even though all of them are obsessed with death in one way or another, these are people clinging to life--hopeful, yearning, isolated yet engaged with their surroundings. Over the course of one weekend, they all face up to their inner demons with bracing honesty that forces a decision. Fortunately, Watts doesn't wallow in her subject matter. If she did, the film would be unbearably intense. Instead, she cuts through it with sharp wit and blackly comical touches (everyone reacts to Nick by asking, "Is it cancer cancer?"). These things balance the melancholic tone, mixing humour with emotion so that what emerges is an involving, thoughtful examination of how people connect with each other. With the multiple plot strands, it's somewhat scattered and diffuse, and very reminiscent of Magnolia, but it's also thoroughly engaging and powerfully moving. [PG themes, some violence] 15.Jun.06 ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ MARILYN HOTCHKISS BALLROOM DANCING & CHARM SCHOOL dir Randall Miller; scr Randall Miller, Jody Savin with Robert Carlyle, Marisa Tomei, John Goodman, Mary Steenburgen, Sean Astin, Donnie Wahlberg, Elden Henson, Adam Arkin, Sonia Braga, David Paymer,Ernie Hudson, Miguel Sandoval, Patricia Fraser, Tom Dahlgren, Camryn Manheim, Danny DeVito release US 31.Mar.06, UK 25.Aug.06 05/US Goldwyn 1h43 *** Using his 1990 short as a flashback, Miller expands his story of cheeky youth into a examination of adult grief. But strong performances and moving themes are drowned in a sea of sentimentality. When the widower Frank (Carlyle) helps crash victim Steve (Goodman), he gets more than he bargained for. Steve tells him a long story of how, as a boy (Henson) in 1962, he took a dancing class with prim Marilyn Hotchkiss (Fraser) and agreed to meet a girl (Manheim) 40 years later, the night of the crash. So Frank keeps the appointment, and discovers Marilyn's daughter (Steenburgen) now running the class. To Frank's surprise, dance offers the catharsis he needs. And possibly romance with the damaged Meredith (Tomei). There are a lot more characters in subplots involving Frank's grief counselling group (Astin, Arkin, Paymer, Hudson, Sandoval) and the dance class members (including Wahlberg and Braga). And the short edited in as flashbacks is a whole story on its own. But Miller keeps all of these balls in the air with only a few awkward crosscuts. What emerges is a rich, densely populated tale that's both funny and emotionally raw as these sad people struggle to emerge from the gloom of their tragedy-filled lives. The acting is strong across the board, with an engaging anchor performance from Carlyle and stand-out turns from Wahlberg as a slithery hothead, Astin as an obsessive nervous wreck and Henson in a bizarre (unrelated) double role as the young Steve (in the short) and as Frank's work colleague today. Tomei has a few wonderful moments, although her character is badly underwritten. The story is beautifully shot, but it stumbles as Miller and Savin overload it with so much baggage that it can't quite take off. Character quirks, interpersonal issues, back-stories and sideroads emerge at every turn, distracting us from the central narrative and keeping the characters superficial, even though we're dealing with meaty, compelling issues. Worse still is the film's relentless wallowing in nostalgia and corny sweetness. It's full of great stuff but, like the title itself, it's just too much. [12 themes, language, violence] 24.Jul.06
August 22, 200618 yr Author Who would actually read all that? suppose loads of people, as it's e-mailed out to loads of people do you want me to colour it in so the different articles can be seen better :lol:
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