KEA Productions: DVD Movie Reviews
from the archives ofNuReel.com, The Berkeley Daily Planet, and Alameda Sun- written byKamala Appel
ratings: Plus(highest)-Neutral (okay)-Negatives (pass & omitted from archive)
P: A Reasonable Man, Rock Star, The Rookie, Royal Tenenbaums, Rush Hour 2
A Reasonable Man (PLUS)
"A Reasonable Man" is a film that should be watched by all lawyers,judges, and potential jury members; in other words, anyone whose lifehas or may be touched by the judicial system. This film explores one ofthe most fundamental legal principles of many Westernizedcivilizations: the meaning of and application of a "reasonable" man'sjudgment and actions in relation to the action of a defendant. Andalthough I would declare this film to be one of the finest courtroomdramas, my praise would be not only for its examination of the law, butmore so for creating a story that delves into the purpose of havinglaws.
I commend Galvin Hood for pulling off what very few filmmakers can do:he succeeds in writing, directing, and starring as the lead in a filmthat will make a worldwide audience think and feel. "A Reasonable Man"teaches without preaching. I have seen a lot of films that attempt toeducate an audience, but far too many take a holier-than-thou approachthat comes across as condescending and pedantic to an audience. Hoodemploys film to present an extremely persuasive argument that will makepeople rethink what they think and why they think some of their mostbasic beliefs. The emotional, multifaceted presentation of an argumentfrom multiple points of view, reminded me of the writing style HarrietBeacher Stowe applied to persuade slave owners to see the light ofabolition.
So, how does Hood succeed where others do not. First, he and the restof the cast, that includes Nigel Hawthorne, Janine Eser, Vusi Kunene,Ken Gampu, Loyiso Gxwala, and Nandi Nyembe; all give performances thatare sympathetic and realistic. Second, he gradually reveals the fullstory so that the audience receives information at the same rate asmany of the characters; this technique heightens both the suspense andthe level of empathy felt for the characters. Third, he writes a storythat explores universal topics such as religion, family, justice, andconflict; so that any audience member would be able to understand theprimary storyline on an emotional level. Yet, his exploration is from anumber of contrasting perspectives, masking whatever biases he may holdas an individual. As a result, Hood's prejudices are not inflicted uponthe audience; instead the audience members must think for themselves.
I enjoyed "A Reasonable Man" for its primary storyline that wassuspenseful and dramatic. "A Reasonable Man" follows the struggle of ayoung attorney who fights to save a young boy from a Murder Oneconviction. The attorney's fervor exists partly to protect the youngboy and partly to save himself from his own guilty conscience. The boy,Sipho, is a herd boy from Zulu land who has killed a one-year-old childfrom his tribe. The boy claims that although he is guilty on an earthlylevel since he did kill the child, he is innocent in the eyes of hisGod. The story does stand on its own for anyone interested in theapplication of the law and the current political atmosphere that existin South Africa.
I greatly appreciated the film and the filmmaker for the underlyingmessage that I hope will make audiences think throughout the world. "AReasonable Man" explores the meaning of beliefs, belief systems, andbelievers. The philosophical underpinnings heighten the impact of thestory by drawing the audience further into the narrative.
"A Reasonable Man" will probably have a platform style release pattern.I recently saw the film at the Mill Valley Film Festival, and I havespoken to people who saw the movie abroad last year. I hope that itgets the recognition it deserves from other critics and audiencesbecause I truly believe that "A Reasonable Man" is a film that shouldbe viewed worldwide for generations to come.
ROCK STAR (PLUS/NEUTRAL)
Are you ready for this? ROCK STAR will surpass your expectations, atleast it was better than I thought it would be. The teasers do not dojustice to the humor and depth that ROCK STAR has to offer. ROCK STARpresents another example of a film that a somewhat critical look atmaterialism and the fast lane life style; a real change of themes inHollywood (PRINCESS DIARIES also presents an argument that there ismore to life than wealth, although I guess that is easy for a princessto say...).
Mark Wahlberg stars as a wannabe who becomes the Man, over night.Jennifer Aniston stars as a his manager/ high school girlfriend.Together they find out that you better know what you want before youpray too hard for your dreams to come true, because a fantasy caneasily become a nightmare. Initially I had some reservations about thecasting since Mark Wahlberg is well-known as a pop hip hop performer,and I thought Jennifer Aniston would be a little too mature to play agirlfriend/groupie. However, to my surprise, they both brought theircharacters to life with compassion, sophistication, and a sense ofhumor.
ROCK STAR is so effective because the filmmakers do not take thecharacters nor the subject matter too seriously. The 1980s flashbackand campy humor will make Gen Xers roar with laughter. The fact thatmost of the humor derives from ridicule of heavy metal rock bands,head-bangers, die hard devotes, and the glamorous life, does notmatter, the bottom line is that the movie is fun to watch.
ROCK STAR opens wide on September 7th. I would recommend this film toanyone who can see the humor in the heavy metal craze thatcharacterized one aspect of the 1980s. This film would be equallyenjoyable on video. ROCK STAR contains some nudity and drug usage so itwould probably not be appropriate for children under the age ofsixteen; in any case I do not think that people under the age oftwenty-five will appreciate the humor.
*Tip: Make sure you stay for the end credits with some outtakes and behind the scenes shots.
ROYAL TENENBAUMS (NEUTRAL/PLUS)
The Wilson brothers certainly have matured since BOTTLEROCKET both interms of character development, pace, and tone. ORDINARY PEOPLE, HAROLD& MAUDE, and THE HOTEL NEW HAMPSHIRE become one unhappy family inROYAL TENENBAUMS. The story revolves around the pain that exists in adysfunctional family, as in ORDINARY PEOPLE. The dry, cynical humorsets the tone in this film as it did in HAROLD & MAUDE. Thequirkiness that permeates the book and film for THE HOTEL NEW HAMPSHIREalso defines ROYAL TENENBAUMS. This is not to say that ROYAL TENENBAUMSis Oscar worthy or will have a cult following like ORDINARY PEOPLE orHAROLD & MAUDE; because this film does not reach either level.However, ROYAL TENENBAUMS is a black comedy that will make people smilethrough the on-screen pain. The pain that exists in humor becomesapparent within the first five minutes of the film, as in many projectsfeaturing Woody Allen and Albert Brooks. Jokes become a cry foracceptance from the other characters and reveal the individualcharacter's need for self-acceptance.
This film has a long feel to it, not because it drags, but because somuch happens in two and a half hours. Not a lot happens in terms ofaction and the film is certainly not fast-paced, as one might expectfrom a film that is primarily a comedy, however, the characters developtremendously. The story takes off when the father played by GeneHackman shares with his family that he only has six weeks left to live.He communicates the desire to make amends for all that he has done toalienate them from him. The bulk of the film revolves around thevarious character's reactions to the father, a.k.a Royal's, news.
The cast members make their characters' development believable. Theall-stars in ROYAL TENENBAUMS include Gene Hackman, Angelica Houston,Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, and supportingroles for Bill Murray and Danny Glover. Hackman and Houston steel theshow as the parents who attempt to hide their own shortcomings anddisfunctionality that exists within the family and on an individualbasis. Stiller plays the high strung, type A personality that hasdefined his career. Paltrow deviates from her normal character roles byplaying a depressed, self-conscious, sexual deviant, who feelsalienated from the other characters.
ROYAL TENENBAUMS will hit theaters December 21st, in time for Oscarconsideration. Although I do not think this film is Oscar worthy, I dothink that audiences will find the film entertaining. This film wouldbe equally enjoyable on video.
RUSH HOUR 2 (PLUS/NEUTRAL)
What should one expect when purchasing a ticket for RUSH HOUR 2?Imagine an ethnic Abbott & Costello with a touch of moo-shoo MISERYand a hearty helping of comic martial arts, and you would have a goodpicture of what is in store for you when you view RUSH HOUR 2. RUSHHOUR 2 may be the first genuine hit of the summer because it may be thefirst film to meet its target audience's expectation. This is not tosay that RUSH HOUR 2 is one of the best films to come out this year,because it is not a filmic work of art, but RUSH HOUR 2 is funny andquite entertaining.
Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker team up again as a bumbling but dynamicduo. Chan and Tucker generate tremendous comic chemistry and do anexcellent job of playing off of one another. Tucker returns to play theBlack buffoon and Chan plays the karate-chopping China man. Althoughthe film contains A LOT of negative racial stereotyping, which I mustadmit makes me cringe on one level, the film derides everyone equallyin a tongue-in-cheek manner that will make just about anyone laugh atleast once in the course of ninety minutes. Even though I found a lotof the jokes quite humorous, it disturbs me that the film resorted toethnic stereotypes to pack the house (and unfortunately, that aspectalong with the action will account for the "asses in seats", so tospeak).
In this sequel, he two get the chance to strut their stuff and getstomped on in two territories: China and Los Angeles. Chan's character,Detective Lee, lures Tucker's character, Detective Carter, to Chinawith promises of a fun-filled vacation. To Tucker's disappointment,Lee's promises of Chinese booty call were actually a ploy to get hisassistance in a major international case. While Tucker makes plans tochase some tail, Lee ends up getting their tails chased byinternational smugglers; together they end up getting their tailskicked and kicking some tail.
I suspect that RUSH HOUR 2 will kick some butt at the box officebecause of the impressive fight sequences that are even more impressivebecause they do not contain a lot of special effects and very few stuntdoubles. (Most people know that Jackie Chan's claim to fame is the factthat he does his own stunts. In this film Ziyi Zhang did a lot of herown stunts too, but not all, and none of them were as impressive asChan's). Chan's cinematic magic is his ability to be comedic whileperforming tremendous physical acts.
Ziyi Zhang (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON and ROAD HOME) plays thefemme fatale/ lead ass-kicker. She does a fine job of making theaudience hate her as the temperamental villain; however, I am unsure ifher acting style or her character annoyed me more (maybe she has playedone too many hotheaded brats for my taste). There are also a few cameoappearances by Jeremy Piven (FAMILY MAN, VERY BAD THINGS, THE CREW andABC's CUPID) and Don Cheadle (TRAFFIC, BOOGIE NIGHTS, MISSION TO MARS,and ROSEWOOD). For the most part, the comedic timing and over-the-tophumor outweighed the call for dramatic ability. Besides therelationship the two may have with the filmmakers, the opportunity toparticipatein a comedy may have also attracted the actors to play suchsmall parts.
RUSH HOUR 2 opens wide on August 3rd. I would recommend this filmhighly to those who liked the first in the possible trilogy, RUSH HOUR.The stunts are beyond compare, and the film hosts a lot of funnysituations and lines. The film is worth seeing on the big screen forthe full effect and to truly appreciate the physical aspect of thework. If you do not like silly humor, then you may want to pass.
*Tip: remember to stay through the credits so you can view the outtakes, which are actually better than the film itself in terms ofhumor. (Those who like gefilte fish or hate ringing cell phones willfind the bloopers hilarious.)
back to Reviews Directory
back to home