Cinema-Scene.com > Volume 6 > Number 03 |
Capsule Reviews: Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary, Camp, Ken Park, May, No Good Deed, Open Range, Secondhand Lions, Sonny, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Underworld.
Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary
The thoughtful, articulate secretary to Adolf Hitler attempts to make
amends with her connection to one of the world's great atrocities without
bearing a single tear. The acrobatics of such a stunt is often
mesmerizing in Blind Spot even if the film edits her comments into small
vignettes that lack any thread other than being part of one person's
lifetime. What Traudl Junge, the only person in the entire film, which
is setup as a reflection of Shoah, has to say is amazing, which gives an
otherwise lackluster film its strength. |
Director: André Heller Othmar Schmiderer Starring: Release: 24 Jan. 03 |
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©2004, David Perry, Cinema-Scene.com, 16 January 2004 | ||
Camp
Director/writer Todd Graff may be attempting his own story in Camp, a film
somewhat about a down-on-himself stage director/writer who turns to kids at
a drama camp to find his muses. Too bad the kids are cloying
stereotypes who have no emotional fervor and even less musical talent (rare
is the musical that makes one miss Paint Your Wagon). Aside from one
song ("Here's Where I Stand" performed
by a terrific Tiffany Taylor) and a nice 'Night Mother joke, Camp is a waste. |
Director: Todd Graff Starring: Release: 25 Jul. 03 |
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©2004, David Perry, Cinema-Scene.com, 16 January 2004 | ||
Ken Park
Larry Clark, purveyor of teenage hedonism, is best known for
his abysmally overrated Harmony Korine project, Kids. Even
though the 1995 trades depth for shock,
it comes off as strikingly mature beside Clark's latest, Ken Park.
Even though his co-director is the massively talented cinematographer Edward
Lachman (The Limey, The Virgin Suicides), the whole ordeal
offers nothing in terms of story. It's Raising Victor Vargas
without an ounce of personality. Ken Park is like sitting
through Korine's ugly Gummo with pretty camera framing. |
Director: Larry Clark Edward Lachman Starring: Release: N/A |
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©2004, David Perry, Cinema-Scene.com, 16 January 2004 | ||
May
May, a
dark and gruesome study of dependency on one's friends and family, could be
one of the year's most ineptly put together dramas. Wearing its
meanings on like one of the Megasale signs hung from the necks of homeless
men on the highway, director Lucky McKee rams every idea with a
sledgehammer, upping the gore without every establishing anything more than
vagueness and shoddy filmmaking. |
Director: Lucky McKee Starring: Release: 6 Jun. 03 |
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©2004, David Perry, Cinema-Scene.com, 16 January 2004 | ||
No Good Deed
For Bob
Rafelson, just a few years after his career return with Blood & Wine, to
make a film as bad as No Good Deed is a wholly depressing reminder that some
directors (whether it be Wim Wenders or Peter Bogdanovich or John
Schlesinger) are destined to spend the latter years of their time making
films completely below their artistic abilities. The cast, many of
whom probably came into the picture based solely on the chance to work with
the director of Five Easy Pieces, are mostly wasted in a bastardization of a
Dashiell Hammett story. |
Director: Bob Rafelson Starring: Release: 12 Sep. 03 |
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©2004, David Perry, Cinema-Scene.com, 16 January 2004 | ||
Open Range
The
classic Hollywood western died many years ago, and Open Range is unlikely to
reawaken it. Although Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall are two men who
should seem perfect in these roles, neither completely sell a story that
continues far too long and features plot threads that serve little purpose.
Annette Bening appears through much of the film's "civilization" sections,
although one would be hard pressed to fully comprehend why. |
Director: Kevin Costner Starring: Release: 15 Aug. 03 |
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©2004, David Perry, Cinema-Scene.com, 16 January 2004 | ||
Secondhand Lions
Simple, careful family filmmaking that may seem a little too cheesy at
times, Secondhand Lions takes pride in its adherence (near celebration) of a
bygone era of family programming that isn't pandering or vulgar. For
what it's worth, the film isn't more than simplest of its elements, but it
does offer a strong, affable diversion from the rest of its genre.
Nevertheless, Holes is the superior film. |
Director: Tim McCanlies Starring: Release: 19 Sep. 03 |
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©2004, David Perry, Cinema-Scene.com, 16 January 2004 | ||
Sonny
Long,
tedious, and ridiculous, Nicholas Cage's adventure behind the camera with
Sonny may be one of the great unintentionally funny dramas of the decade.
Filled with overwrought melodramatics and flaccid characters, the whole film
moves with the ease of a downed elephant. James Franco's emoting makes
things especially bad, and Brenda Blethyn has never been worse. The
only good thing is that Sonny isn't half as bad as Spun. |
Director: Nicholas Cage Starring: Release: 27 Dec. 02 |
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©2004, David Perry, Cinema-Scene.com, 16 January 2004 | ||
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
I am admittedly not a fan of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but it is
thoughtful and subtle compared to the remake it has spawned. Taking
young, nubile actors and actresses and placing them in a story of horrendous
gore isn't anything new, and this film adds absolutely nothing other than a
completely false, abhorrently mean-spirited attitude to the original story,
at least what remains of it. |
Director: Marcus Nispel Starring: Release: 17 Oct. 03 |
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©2004, David Perry, Cinema-Scene.com, 16 January 2004 | ||
Underworld
Vampires and werewolves have never seemed as boring as they are in
Underworld, an amalgam of Dark City and Blade without either of those film's
cinematic achievement or storytelling prowess. Kate Beckinsale, a
wonderful actress, in unrecognizable as a tight-leather vamp without the
least amount of spirit. Gone are the days of Interviews with the
Vampire, now we must shuffle in the era of Queens of the Damned. |
Director: Len Wiseman Starring: Release: 19 Sep. 03 |
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©2004, David Perry, Cinema-Scene.com, 16 January 2004 |