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)
S: The Score, Scotland PA, ShadowMagic, Shipping News, Shower, Shrek, Simone, Small Time Crooks, Solomon& Gaenor, The Son's Room, Spirit, State & Main

THE SCORE (PLUS/NEUTRAL)

"The Score" is one of this summer's most anticipated thrillers withFrank Oz directing an all-star cast, including Robert DeNiro, EdwardNorton, Marlon Brando, and Angela Bassett. The film's title refers tothe motherload of heists that all of the characters hope will be thesolution to all of their problems: for DeNiro's character it is the keyto a secure retirement, for Norton's character it is the key to a lifeof luxury, for Brando's character it is the key to getting out of debt,and for Bassett's character it is the key to her lover's heart, sinceit would mean an end to his life of crime. To their disappointment,what initially starts out as an easy hit, turns into a bag ofchallenging worms.

As one would expect, the entire cast gives excellent performances andthey all portray interesting characters. However, only Norton has theopportunity to flex his acting muscles and demonstrate once again hisversatility; DeNiro and Brando play roles that they have played before,and Bassett has a small supporting role.

Contrary to what I had anticipated, the film moves at a dreadfully slowpace. I actually found the first two-thirds to be so slow-paced that itirritated me. The first two acts could have been thirty percent shorterand the character development and storyline would not have suffered abit.

Towards the end, the contrasting meter of slow and fast, depending uponthe narrative, worked to increase the suspense. I think "The Score"would have benefited, if the director had allowed the editor to varythe pacing more throughout the entire film. One of the interestingaspects of the narrative was the tension between the young Norton'simpetuous, quick-fix style, and DeNiro's methodical, play-it-saferoutine. Contrasting editing and musical scores would have reinforcedtheir clashing personalities and heightened the drama.

I think that audiences will enjoy "The Score" overall because the lastact makes up for the turtle-like first two, and the cast will satisfytheir loyal fans. It is with pleasure that I say that the film is notas violent as most summer thrillers, so it may be enjoyed by a familywith children over eight (the cast does curse); in fact, the charactershave a very critical and cautious attitude towards guns. "The Score"opens wide Friday, July 13th and I think it will have a lucky boxoffice weekend. This film would be equally enjoyable on video.

SCOTLAND, PA (PLUS)

Funny, twisted... not words one would commonly use to describeShakespeare. Yet, SCOTLAND, PA unleashes a lot of self-reflexive humorat the expense of the fast food industry and small towns [trivia: BillyMorrissette, the director, worked at a Dairy Queen in the 1980s andthought of setting Shakespeare's "MacBeth" in a fast food restaurantback then]. Not only does the film poke fun at people who takethemselves too seriously, but much of the humor stems from theliberties this modernization takes.

Shakespeare's "MacBeth" travels through time to 1970s Scotland,Pennsylvania, a time of fondue parties, Yahtzee marathons, and rockblocks. The kingdom becomes a fast food empire, actually one crappyrestaurant, owned and operated by Norm Duncan (James Rebhorn: THETALENTED MR. RIPLEY, SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS, INDEPENDENCE DAY,SILKWOOD, and MY COUSIN VINNY). Duncan loves three things in thisworld: his two sons, Malcolm (Thomas Guiry: TIGERLAND and RIDE WITH THEDEVIL) and Donald, and his fast food burger joint. His older son'sdisdain for the burger empire baffles Duncan, who intends to bequeathhis legacy to his boys. Duncan and the older son, Malcolm, fightconstantly and on one instance, he lays down the law "I'm not going tosay this again- hair net or hair cut", to which Malcolm replies "Iwanna rock!" The younger son tries to stay out of the conflict andinstead takes pleasure in singing show tunes with his glee clubboyfriends.

James Legros (ALLY MCBEAL, LIVING IN OBLIVION, and ER) and MauraTierney (ER, LIAR LIAR, PRIMARY COLORS, and NEWS RADIO) portray Mac andPat (a.k.a MacBeth and Lady MacBeth). As in the Shakespearean play,their eyes are bigger than their stomachs need to be to stomach thecarnage that unfolds. Their greed also overwhelms them, as do theirfeelings of guilt. Pat justifies their murderous acts: "We're justunderachievers that have to make up for lost time." Of course theirguilty consciences get the best of them, leading others, including themurder investigator, McDuff (Christopher Walken: PULP FICTION, THE DEERHUNTER, PENNIES FROM HEAVEN, THE DEAD ZONE, and TRUE ROMANCE), to beginto get suspicious. "I envy you- by the time I get to my customersthey're usually dead." McDuff says jokingly to test Mac's reaction.

SCOTLAND, PA proves that a strong script and a solid cast makes a filmas pleasurable to view as any high budget film. The audience will enjoywatching SCOTLAND, PA as much as the cast and crew enjoyed making thislabor of love. [trivia: most of the cast and crew are long time friendsand co-workers. The director Billy Morrissette is married to MauraTierney and business partners with the producer Richard Shepard aka thestreaker, James Legros appeared on ER and so did Maura Tierney, AndyDick worked with Maura Tierney on NEWS RADIO, and Christopher Walkenand Kevin Corrigan both appeared in TRUE ROMANCE).

SCOTLAND, PA would be my pick of comedies to see in 2002 as ofFebruary. There is some suggestive but thankfully not graphic violence(for example: frying Duncan and hacking off Pat's hand). Those who haveread the play will enjoy the film more, so if you have not readShakespeare's "MacBeth", I recommend that you do. SCOTLAND, PA willstart a platform release starting February 15th. This film would beequally enjoyable on video since the witty dialogue and performancesare what make this film fun to watch.

Shadow Magic (plus)

East meets West to create "Shadow Magic". This film tells the story ofhow westernization influenced the birth of the motion picture industryin China. This film is a collaboration of the modern Eastern (Chinese)and Western (American) motion picture industries. Producer, SandraSchulberg ("Tango", "My Generation", "I Shot Andy Warhol", "Tango", and"Quills"; she also created the international division of AmericanPlayhouse and served as the Founding Director of the IndependentFeature Project) describes some of the cultural differences as theypertained to filmmaking: "In China, where the tradition in the lastfifty years has been government-supported filmmaking, people are usedto being able to take as much time as needed to shoot a great movie. Itwas quite a shock when we (American film crew) realized that theschedule was not broken down into a certain number of scenes to be shoteach day. There was no sense of a daily goal or what speed you neededto move through the day". (press notes Sony Picture Classics).

In addition to Schulberg, the filmmakers include a long list ofdistinguished producers whose credits testify to their ability to spottalent and a compelling story when they see one. The producer teamincludes: Zhang Xia ("Farewell My Concubine"), Lee You-Ning ("TheWedding Banquet" and "Eat Drink Man Woman"), Chiu Shun-Ching (CEO ofthe Taiwan Central Motion Picture Corporation, "The Wedding Banquet"and "Eat Drink Man Woman"), Ulrich Felsberg (Partner and GeneralManager of the German Road Movies Vierte Produktionen, "Buena VistaSocial Club"), and Han Sanping (CEO of Beijing Film Studio, "FarewellMy Concubine", "The Last Emperor").

In common with Schulberg, the director, Ann Hu ("Dream and Memory"), aChinese native who fled to American during the Cultural Revolution,also found herself clashing with some of the Chinese crew members.

While Hu also worked closely with the crew at the Beijing Film Studio,she occasionally found herself at odds with both the productiondesigner and the prop masters assigned to 'Shadow Magic'. Even thoughshe wanted the film to look authentic, she did not want it to besuffocated by historical facts. (press notes Sony Picture Classics)

Howard Shore, the Music Consultant ("The Silence of the Lambs","Philadelphia", "Ed Wood", "Seven", "Dead Wringers", "Naked Lunch", "M.Butterfly" and other David Cronenberg films), also contributed to thefeelings of authenticity with his moving soundtrack.

Hu, who also co-wrote the film based loosely on the facts of the birthof cinema in China, does an excellent job of telling a story that putsforth an argument in favor of China's need to move forward. Along withHu, the writing team includes Kate Raisz (senior writer for NationalGeographic documentaries, the Discovery Channel, and PBS), and BobMcAndrew (who has worked as a drama coach for a number of years withcelebrities who include Liza Minelli, Tom Selleck, Richard Dreyfuss,Raul Julia, Corbin Bernsen, Sela Ward, Sam Elliot and ChristopherWalken). The argument in favor of change is timely considering therecent increased desire to bring democratic ways to China and toincrease trade with outside nations (such as the US, includingincreased importation of Hollywood films into Chinese theaters). Thefilm presents the contrasting views towards tradition versusmodernization that were held in China at the turn of the century; thesesame opinions are probably still widely debated today. I commend thefilmmakers for creating a film whose argument is as subtle andpersuasive as Uncle Tom's Cabin was on the controversy surroundingslavery and abolition.

The film is not star-studded, however their are a few faces who will befamiliar to American audiences like Jared Harris ("Smoke", "NaturalBorn Killers", "The Last of the Mohicans", and "Far and Away") whoplays Raymond Wallace, a British entrepreneur who hopes to get rich byopening the first movie theater in China. Xia Yu, who gives acompelling performance as Liu Jinglun, a young man caught betweentradition and ambition, is one of China's young rising stars. Liu PeiQi ("The Story of Qui Ju") plays the owner of a still photographystudio who identifies with Liu Jinglun's dreams, but avoids risk at allcosts. Li Yu Sheng plays Lord Tan, the diva of traditional Chineseopera, who is a distinguished Peking Opera Performing artist in reallife.

If you enjoy Chinese culture and want to learn more about the people'searly reactions to westernization through film, then you willappreciate the dramatic and educational value "Shadow Magic" has tooffer. I would also recommend the film for the sympathetic andcomplicated characters, as well as the example the film provides tothose who would like to use film as a medium to persuade. My onecriticism is with the people who decided that only members of theChinese press could participate in interviews; after all, a film thatonly preaches to the choir, will never educate anyone. "Shadow Magic"will have a platform release starting April 13th.

THE SHIPPING NEWS (PLUS/NEUTRAL)

Based on a popular book, this film also does a fine job of creatingmoving characters and communicating their inner pain to the audience.The film and the book get their titles from the name of the newspaperthat the lead character works for when he moves back to his nativeland. He comes to learn more about his relatives, living and dead, ashe learns the tricks of the trade that pertain to the life of areporter. The biggest lesson that he and the other characters learn ishow to tell a story with compassion for the subjects but also with adegree of objectivity, not an easy task. Kevin Spacey plays the leadand heads up an all star cast. The all star cast truly shines in THESHIPPING NEWS. In addition to Spacey, the cast members include:Julianne Moore, Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, and Scott Glenn. Spaceyproves that his earlier recognition by the Academy of Motion Arts wasno fluke, as he brings to life a character not like any other characterhe has portrayed. Although the film drags a bit, the characterdevelopment, emphasis on strong story telling, and superb acting, makethe film interesting and compelling to watch. If you enjoy characterstudies, you will find THE SHIPPING NEWS interesting; if however, youget restless in slow paced movies, you may want to pass. THE SHIPPINGNEWS opens wide on December 21st, in time for Oscar consideration, andI have a feeling that at least one of the cast members will receive anomination for his/her performance. This film would be equallyenjoyable on video.

SHREK (PLUS!)

How often can you say that the first three minutes were worth the priceof admission? Not often. If there ever were a film in recent historythat I would say this about, it would be "Shrek". Rarely have I seen afilm with an opening sequence that completely sutures the audience, andmakes you want to see more. In fact, the opening credits sequence is aseffective in setting the tone of the overall movie as the opening of "ATouch of Evil" (despite the obvious contrast in tones and genres).

"Shrek" takes a comic and somewhat poignant look at what the behind thescenes life of nursery rhyme characters would be like. With all therecent exploration into the real lives of the idealized characters ofyesteryear, like the Bradys and other fictitious characters; thisfilm's expose of the nursery rhyme characters is both timely andhilarious.

Mike Myers provides the voice for the main character, Shrek, a grumpyoutcast ogre. As one might expect, Myers brings life and humor to thecharacter that no else could have done better. (There were some talksvery early on with Chris Farley. Yet, the casting of Myers was destinyfor this film). Eddie Murphy gives his voice to the comic donkeysidekick. (I think someone like Chris Rock, Richard Pryor, or RobinWilliams would have been equally effective, since all of them have anuncontrollable, off-the-wall quality to their comic style). JohnLithgow does an excellent job of bringing melodramatic life to thevillain with a Napoleon complex (basically a combination of the Queenof Hearts from ALICE IN WONDERLAND and Pinky from PINKY AND THE BRAIN).Cameron Diaz provides the last of the A-list name voices to anidealistic princess; however, I think many others would have beenequally effective (someone like Drew Barrymore or Calista Flockhart mayhave provided more interesting voices).

The primary story unfolds when Shrek goes on a quest to rescue aprincess so that the villainous king can marry her and become the rulerof the fairy tale land. The majority of the humor arises not from themain storyline, but rather from the side adventures and numerousone-liners. "Shrek" benefits tremendously from a script that is aswitty and clever as "Toy Story" (but not quite as deep as "Toy Story2"). This film will appeal to both parents and children, and will makeall age groups laugh, but for different reasons. (Children may not theget the jokes about the scandalous nature of Snow White living withseven little men, but they will recognize the tale). Also in commonwith the Toy Stories, "Shrek" debuts the best of new 3-D animationtechniques.

"Shrek" opens wide on May 18th, and will probably still be in theaterslong enough to give Pixar's "Monsters, Inc." a run for its money (but Ihave high hopes for "Monsters, Inc." too). I think that the licensingwill also compete with the product line of the future "Monsters, Inc."I would strongly recommend this film to everyone because it is fun,funny, and full of fantasy. I am actually going to see this movieagain, and that is rare for me. This film is worth seeing in thetheater and renting (and it would be enjoyable in either form).

Small Time Crooks (plus)

The quirky Woody Allen of the 1970s is back, at least in regards to thewitty dialogue in "Small Time Crooks". This film has some hilariouslines such as when Lovitz character, an ex-con explains, "I am anarsonist. I burn everything; that's how I put four kids throughcollege". "Small Time Crooks" features an all-star cast, including:Woody Allen, Tracey Ullman, Michael Rapaport, Elaine May, John Lovitz,Hugh Grant, George Grizzard, Tony Darrow, and Elaine Stritch. Allen didan excellent job of selecting the cast for this film, all of whom gavestellar comedic performances and generated convincing on-screenchemistry. I also commend Allen for adapting the pace of the film formodern-day audiences. Even though I would recommend this film becauseit is funny both in terms of dialogue and narrative situations, I dohave to criticize its somewhat predictable story and anti-climaticending. "Small Time Crooks" opens wide in theaters May 19th. This filmwould be equally enjoyable on video as it is on the big screen.

Solomon & Gaenor (neutral/plus)

Set in Wales around 1911, "Solomon and Gaenor" tells the familiar taleof forbidden love. Although this film is somewhat predictable due toits "Romeo & Juliet" storyline, the strong performances by theyoung lovers, gives "Solomon and Gaenor" a life of its own. PaulMorrison directs an ensemble of veterans and rising stars in his firstnon-documentary feature film. Ioan Gruffudd("102 Dalmations","Titanic", "Wilde", and "Horatio Hornblower"), Solomon, and Nia Roberts(first time feature role as leading lady), Gaenor, generated a dynamicon-screen chemistry that is so sincere and captivating, that therescenes together genuinely moved me (and that is rare for me). Therescenes together are so emotionally charged that I felt true compassionfor their individual and joint situations. Other members of the cast,who include Maureen Lipman as Solomon's mother, David Horovitch asSolomon's father, William Thomas as Gaenor's father, and Mark LewisJones as Gaenor's frustrated and protective brother, all added to thedrama by bringing their respective characters prejudices to life withcomplexity and compassion.

My primary criticism with the film is the course it took to come to itsfinal conclusion. The film had several scenes that seemed to be thefinal scene and in my opinion that detracted from the actual end, eventhough the final shot struck me both narratively and visually. I thinkthe film would have been stronger, if the director had shortened oromitted three scenes that lead up to the final moments.

"Solomon and Gaenor" does capture some nice scenery, however the film'sprimary stengths lay in the chemistry between the to leads; with thatsaid, I think this film would be equally enjoyable on video. "Solomonand Gaenor" opens in key cities (NY, LA, and SF) on Friday, September8th and will continue to platform to larger metropolitan areas startingFriday, September 15th.

THE SON'S ROOM (PLUS/NEUTRAL)

Nanni Moretti (SOGNI D'ORO, BIANCA, CARO DIARIO and APRILE) writes,directs, and stars in THE SON'S ROOM, the Italian film about copingwith loss of a loved one. THE SON'S ROOM explores the life of a family:two parents and two siblings before and after the death of one of thechildren.

2001 and the beginning of 2002 seems to be the time of films abouttragic and sudden loss of a loved one; with movies like IN THE BEDROOMand LANTANA, THE SON'S ROOM joins the list of films that depict thedifferent grieving styles of men and women. This not to say that womennever withdraw when attempting to cope with a death, or that men neverseek out a sympathetic ear to alleviate the pain; however, genderbecomes the key factor for difference in all three films. In commonwith many Western European films, THE SON'S ROOM has a slower pacedstyle of story-telling than the American IN THE BEDROOM or theAustralian LANTANA. The value of family takes center-stage in this filmas in many other Italian dramas, as opposed to mystery and action inthe American IN THE BEDROOM or man versus nature, including humannature, in the Aussie LANTANA.

Even though the story lacks originality or a timely release, the actingmakes THE SON'S ROOM as moving and as humane as the other criticallyacclaimed films that address the same emotions and reactions. Visually,this film combines a nice blend of interior and exterior shots thatshed light on the characters' full lives with and separate from theirfamily members.

For those seeking light entertainment, you may want to pass on THESON'S ROOM. However, for those seeking a powerful Italian drama withsolid acting, and a moving, somewhat heavy story, you will probablyappreciate THE SON'SROOM. Although this film is somewhat heavy, it hasa more optimistic ending than its counterparts from America orAustralia. THE SON'S ROOM will start a platform release on February15th.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (Plus)

Looking for an exciting action adventure that the whole family canenjoy together? Then prepare to stampede theaters this Holiday weekendto see "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron". If you thought animation wasonly for children and comedies, you will change your mind. Thebreathtaking animation in this film has the same impact as a liveaction film.

Although certain elements will remind you that you are watchinganimated feature, like a blonde-haired mare and 98% perfect horsemovement, the picturesque backgrounds and innovative soundtrack willmake you forget. The filmmakers at DreamWorks made the unusual decisionto avoid personifying the animal characters. In fact we only hear themain character's voice, the stallion named Spirit (Matt Damon), at keymoments to provide narrative explanations. Their decision preserves theuntamed nature of the animals and allows the character development tooccur through physical expression, which is more realistic. Instead,the filmmakers give the animals a voice through music. Byran Adams andHans Zimmer create songs and a musical score that effectively expressthe sentiments of the non-speaking characters at various moments. Theaudience does get to hear the horses voices, but as they actually soundto humans, since the filmmakers incorporated authentic horse soundsinto the soundtrack. The filmmakers reserved the dialogue for the fewhuman characters: a stubborn US Calvary Colonel (James Cromwell) and anequally determined Native American (Daniel Studi). Inevitably, the twohuman characters take opposing positions to the matter of taming theWild West.

Although "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" does have a happy ending asmany family films do, this film also hints at the fleeting nature ofhappiness, since we all know what modernization did to the wildernessand it's inhabitants. This poignant suggestion alludes to the hopes ofthe cast and crew to educate audiences to appreciate the wildernessthat remains, and advocates kinder treatment of our four-leggedfriends. [Trivia: Daniel Studi is a member of the Cherokee Indians inreal life. James Cromwell supports a number of animals causes and theLakota Indians; he is also a vegan since finishing "Babe"].

This film does have some gripping moments that may be a little toonerve-wracking for children under five. In fact, the relentlessresurfacing of the Colonel throughout the film reminded me of KathyBates in "Misery". Overall, this film avoids tragedy and violence,especially considering the amount of adventure "Spirit: Stallion of theCimarron" has to offer. I would strongly recommend this film forfamilies and animation fans.

STATE AND MAIN (Plus/neutral)

"State and Main" takes a light-hearted look at small town American andcityslicking Hollywood moguls. The script is filled with wittyself-reflexive humor that pokes fun at anyone and everyone who takesthemselves too seriously. The film hosts and all-star cast and big namedirector (David Mamet, Alec Baldwin, Sarah Jessica Parker, and WilliamMacy) which accounts for its Holiday Season release. Unfortunately, theclimax is too predictable and anticlimatic. Yet, for anyone who haslived in a quaint New England town or worked in Hollywood, thecharacters and dialogue will delight you. "State and Main" would beequally enjoyable on video. Opens wide December 2000.

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