Movie/TV Reviews

Sin City

Susan Granger’s review of “Sin City” (Dimension Films/Miramax)

Welcome to Basin City, a.k.a. Sin City. This town with its rain-slick streets beckons to the tough, the depraved, the brokenhearted. Crooked cops. Sexy dames. Desperate vigilantes. Some seek revenge. Others lust for redemption. And then there are those hoping for a little of both. So begins Robert Rodriguez’s stylized, noir translation of writer/artist Frank Miller’s pulpy novels, narrated by Josh Hartnett and blending three plots and a multitude of characters. Bruce Willis is an aging, honest detective. Brittany Murphy is a pistol-packing barmaid. Jessica Alba is an exotic dancer. Carla Gugino is a parole officer. Rosario Dawson is a streetwalker. Jaime King is a doomed hooker. Then there’s Mickey Rourke as macho, vengeance-seeking ex-con, Clive Owen as a rugged psychopath, Alexis Bledel as a perverted prostitute, Nick Stahl as a pedophile, Benicio Del Toro as a corrupt cop and Elijah Wood as a cannibal. Filled with murder and mutilation, it’s not a nice neighborhood, particularly with a severed head rolling around. Robert Rodriguez (“Desperado,” “Spy Kids”) defied the Directors Guild by designating Frank Miller as his co-director with “guest” Quentin Tarantino. The collaboration delivers an authentic comic-book movie. The non-stop barrage of graphic cruelty and violence, along with pushed-up breasts and bondage, is as deliberate as it is shocking. Inspiration credit goes to Mickey Spillane, the E.C. comics of the ’50s and “Pulp Fiction” – with kudos to the computer-generated visuals. Yet it’s such an implausible fantasy that there’s no sense of suspense or peril, and it’s far too long. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Sin City” sizzles with a sullen, audacious 8, evoking Pauline Kael’s allusion to an Italian movie poster that said it all: “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.”

Sin City Read More »

Paper Clips

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Paper Clips” (Miramax Films)

Have you ever wondered if you can make a difference? What if you’re only in 8th grade? This documentary shows, eloquently, how a few kids can make a difference, one paper clip at a time. When the predominantly poor, white, Protestant students at Whitwell Middle School in rural Whitwell, Tennessee, were studying concept of diversity, the Holocaust served as a cautionary tale about how intolerance can lead to genocide. But when they were told that six million Jews were killed by the Nazis, one student asked, “What is six million? I’ve never seen six million.” In order to make that number real, the kids did research and discovered the paper clip was invented by Norwegians, who wore them as a protest to Hitler’s persecution of the Jews. So the kids decided to try to collect six million paper clips, one for each human being who perished. After the first year, students got discouraged but a pair of German journalists picked up the story, followed by the Washington Post and NBC. Within weeks, Whitwell Middle School received 24 million paper clips and 25,000 letters about their project, many from Holocaust victims’ relatives. Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Bill Cosby and Tom Bosley wrote, along with President George W. Bush and former Presidents Bush and Clinton. Eager to refute the “dumb little redneck kids from the South” stereotype, the teachers also wanted to show the world what these Appalachian kids could accomplish to combat prejudice. While first-time film-makers Elliot Berlin and Joe Fab do get quite maudlin and tedious as they chronicle this endeavor, on the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Paper Clips” is a compassionate, inspirational 8. As someone wrote: “You’ve embarked on a journey that begins in the brain but ends in the heart.”

Paper Clips Read More »

Fever Pitch

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Fever Pitch” (20th Century-Fox)

What could be better than teaming two of America’s favorite pastimes? Baseball and romance…in that order, at least for high school math teacher Ben Wrightman (Jimmy Fallon). When successful businesswoman Lindsey Meeks (Drew Barrymore) meets Ben, he seems too good to be true: a perfect catch. He’s charming, gentle and funny – and her friends like him. But they’re suspicious. Why is he still single? Then baseball season begins. Lindsey discovers that Ben’s not only a Boston Red Sox fan, he’s addicted. He’s obsessed with the team. He’s a lunatic. Based on Nick Hornby’s novel, which inspired a soccer-based “Fever Pitch” (1997) starring Colin Firth, writers Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel (“Robots”) pair a workaholic woman with a man-boy sports fan. How much would/should each change to maintain a relationship? The key, as one of Ben’s young students says, is: “You love the Sox, but have they ever loved you back?” Directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly resonate with this romantic comedy that appeals to both sexes. Like, did you know that the Titanic sank the same week that Fenway Park opened? And talk about fortuitous timing: until 2004, in the midst of filming, the Sox hadn’t won a World Series since 1918, after they traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Bye, bye, Bambino! Opening Day was filmed at Fenway with Stephen King throwing out the first pitch against the Texas Rangers, as the Farrellys followed – and re-wrote – during the historic season. Problem is: Jimmy Fallon (“Taxi”) is no Hugh Grant (“About a Boy”) Too bad his limited range of dorky cuteness doesn’t give Drew Barrymore more to play off. Yet on the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Fever Pitch” is a corny yet charming 7. Consider it a dandy, heart-warming, fun-filled date movie.

Fever Pitch Read More »

Bad Education

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Bad Education” (Sony Pictures Classics)

This creepy, dark thriller about two young boys at a religious school in the early 1960s combines autobiography with film noir, blurring the distinction between reality and fiction, and delving into pedophile priests and homosexuality in the Catholic Church. In Franco-era Spain in 1964, Ignacio and Enrique are childhood friends who are sexually abused by a priest (Daniel Gimenez-Cacho) who profoundly affects their lives. Skip ahead to 1980 in Madrid when Enrique (Fele Martinez), now a gay film director, receives a surprise visit from Ignacio (Mexico’s Gael Garcia Bernal), now an actor looking for a job in his next movie. Ignacio has written a short story about their school days and, as the director reads it, we see it acted out with both actors playing multiple roles. To further complicate matters, various versions of the ambiguous, highly disturbing tale are told from different points of view, like “Rashomon.” Written and directed by Spain’s flamboyant Pedro Almodovar (“Talk to Her”), the intricate structure, which slides between time frames, functions on three levels: what is experienced in life, how reality is transformed by fantasy and then how cinema deals with this transformed reality. About the obviously autobiographical revelations, Almodovar has repeatedly said that he is not looking for “revenge” against the clergy or to expose priests as sexual predators. Instead, he is interested in achieving greater understanding of themes like artifice and reality, along with sex and death. The lavish crimson-drenched cinematography and pulsating music complement the concept. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Bad Education” is a grim, unconventional 8. Rated NC-17 for a scene of explicit sexual content, this is definitely a film only for adults.

Bad Education Read More »

Hotel Rwanda

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Hotel Rwanda” (Lions Gate Entertainment)

Actor Don Cheadle delivers an incredibly powerful performance in socially conscious filmmaker Terry George’s powerful depiction of the 1994 genocide during a Rwandan civil war. In Kigali, Paul Rusesabagnia (Cheadle) is the manager of the four-star, Belgian-owned Hotel des Mille Collines, a luxurious oasis for wealthy Africans as well as the European elite. Oozing gracious hospitality, he lives in a suite with his wife (Sophie Okonedo) and children. On-call 24 hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, he not only caters to the whims of the posh guests but makes sure that local outstretched palms get greased and that booze is stashed in the briefcases of the corrupt authorities. Paul knows that, in Africa, one can never tell when one will need a favor. Suddenly, violence erupts as the Hutu militia launches a massacre of the Tutsi minority. Paul is determined not only to keep the hotel open but also to shelter both Hutu and Tutsi fugitives, offering refuge from the machete-wielding militia who, filled with hatred, slaughter more than 800,000 “cockroaches” in just a few weeks. (Eventually, more than one million were killed.) Written by Keir Pearson and director Terry George, it depicts one man’s struggle against overwhelming odds to save lives until a promised United Nations rescue materializes despite the shameful indifference of the rest of the world who dismissed it as “tribal warfare.” Delivering a bravura performance as this brave, real-life hero, Don Cheadle propels the personal drama, while Nick Nolte lends support as a sympathetic yet ineffective U.N. peacekeeper and Joaquin Phoenix surfaces briefly as a photojournalist with a Tutsi girlfriend. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Hotel Rwanda” is a compelling, suspenseful 8, evoking memories of “Schindler’s List.”

Hotel Rwanda Read More »

The Phantom of the Opera

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “The Phantom of the Opera” (Warner Bros.)

Since the late ’80s, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera” has been playing in London and on Broadway – and it’s now a dazzling, spectacular, unforgettable Oscar-contender. Set in 1870 at the Paris Opera House, the tragic love story revolves around a lonely, naive chorus girl, Christine Daae (Emmy Rossum), who steps into the spotlight when Carlotta (Minnie Driver), the temperamental diva, walks out in the middle of a rehearsal. For years, Christine has been tutored by a powerful, unseen mentor, a charismatic musical genius known as the Phantom (Gerard Butler), but now that she is a star, she’s being courted by the theater’s wealthy patron, the Vicompte Raoul de Chagny (Patrick Wilson), whom she knew as a child. The Phantom’s obsessive jealousy erupts and a deadly rivalry develops between Christine’s two ardent suitors. Director/screenwriter Joel Schumacher (“Batman Forever”) has faithfully translated the lavish stage production to the big screen, adding emotional depth and realism while preserving the soaring musical format. Purists may fume over the loss of Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman who created the roles but are no longer age-appropriate. Instead, Scottish actor Gerard Butler (“Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life”) dons the makeup, prosthetics and iconic mask while the lyric soprano of exquisite Emmy Rossum (“Mystic River”) embodies the heroine’s vulnerability. Minnie Driver richly deserves a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Simon Callow and Ciaran Hinds also perform admirably – and kudos all ’round for the sumptuous, awesome production elements. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Phantom of the Opera” is an enthralling, intoxicating 10, one of the best pictures of 2004.

The Phantom of the Opera Read More »

Meet the Fockers

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Meet the Fockers” (Universal Pictures)

In “Meet the Parents,” Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo) took her insecure fiancŽ, Gaylord ‘Greg’ Focker (Ben Stiller), a male nurse, home to meet his future in-laws, Jack and Dina (Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner). Having survived that humiliating ordeal, Greg is ready to take the Byrneses to Florida to meet his parents, Bernie and Roz (Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand). Admittedly, the concept of having Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Blythe Danner and Barbra Streisand on-screen at the same time in a comedy sounds terrific, but its execution falters – badly. Director Jay Roach and writers Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg have no idea how to mine their good fortune, relying on sit-com silliness, raunchy sexual banter and bathroom humor. The Byrneses are obviously an up-tight WASP couple from New England (remember, he’s a former CIA agent), while the Fockers are liberal, laid-back, eccentric Jewish hippies. Years ago, Bernie abandoned practicing law to be an indulgent “Mr. Mom,” while Roz is a highly successful sex therapist who specializes in geriatric couples. And to complicate matters further, the Byrnes visiting brood includes their toddler grandson, Jack, along with their toilet-flushing cat. Given the stereotypical absurdity, the laughs are few and far-between, bearing only a sloppy, derivative resemblance to its predecessor. Nevertheless, the consummate professionals soldier on. Milking the most from her less-than-meaty role, Streisand is delightful, particularly when she gives the exasperated De Niro an unusual massage. Danner’s always sublime but leave it to Hoffman to steal the show. He’s hilarious – as is Owen Wilson in a cameo. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Meet the Fockers” is a flimsy 5, using its star-power to stay afloat.

Meet the Fockers Read More »

The Woodsman

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “The Woodsman” (Newmarket Films)

Remember how in “Little Red Riding Hood” the Woodsman rescued the little girl out of the belly of the big bad wolf? That’s pivotal to this creepy, dubious tale of a convicted pedophile. Walter (Kevin Bacon) has just been released after serving 12 years in prison for child molestation So where does he lease an apartment? Right across the street from a grade school (K-6), so he can look longingly out the window at the children. (Neither his parole officer nor his therapist find this as bizarre I did.) Shunned by his family, except for his genial brother-in-law (Benjamin Bratt), he leads a solitary existence, working at a lumber yard, until he’s befriended and bedded by a co-worker (Kyra Sedgwick) who’s obviously not shocked by his past. But that doesn’t stop him from following a young girl (Hannah Pilkes) after school and asking her to sit on his lap. So will Walter ever be able to control his predilection for preteens and be “normal”? If you can get past the repugnant subject matter (which admittedly I couldn’t), first-time director/writer Nicole Kassel subtly adapts Steven Fetcher’s serious, compassionate play about a psychologically conflicted man. It’s a drama asserting that predatory pedophiles are people too. Kevin Bacon (“Mystic River”) captures the sullen stance of an outcast, Kyra Sedgwick (“Secondhand Lions”) is persuasive, but it’s rapper Mos Def as a police officer who embodies society’s distrust and animosity, voicing an astute awareness that – in serial cases like this – recidivism is often inevitable. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Woodsman” is a sobering, sordid 6. But why would moviegoers want to choose the company of a loathsome convicted sex offender? Surely there are better ways to spend your time and money.

The Woodsman Read More »

In Good Company

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “In Good Company” (Universal Pictures)

Writer/director Paul Weitz (“About a Boy”) takes on 21st century corporate politics and restructuring with witty, thought-provoking, barbed irony despite a detour into sentimentality. As head of advertising sales, 51 year-old Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) has propelled Sports America into the forefront of magazine publishing. Yet when it’s acquired as part of a global conglomerate, he’s demoted to “wing man” for Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), a 26 year-old hot-shot with no sales experience whose wife (Selma Blair) has just left him. Problem is: Dan really needs to keep his job since his wife (Marg Helgenberger) is unexpectedly pregnant with their third child and his older daughter (Scarlett Johansson) needs extra tuition to go to NYU. But there’s just so much Dan can take from Carter when their personal and professional lives collide. Although his first claim-to-fame were the raucous “American Pie” pictures, Weitz is at his best creating rich, three-dimensional characters and placing them in dynamic situations; here, he cleverly captures the competitive, anxiety-ridden ramifications of office downsizing. And his casting is superb – not only Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace and Scarlett Johansson but also supporting players like Marg Helgenberger, David Paymer, Philip Baker Hall, Clark Gregg and an unbilled cameo by Malcolm McDowell as a greedy megalomaniac who tosses around glib buzz-words like “synergy,” which was the film’s far-better, working title. Weitz’s weakness surfaces when he abandons satire and resorts to a conclusion that reeks of conventional sit-com sensibility. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “In Good Company” is a fresh, relevant 7, making a pertinent statement about contemporary business and corporate mergers.

In Good Company Read More »

The Assassination of Richard Nixon

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “The Assassination of Richard Nixon” (THINKFilm)

After winning the Oscar for “Mystic River,” Sean Penn tackles yet another tortured character. This time, he’s Samuel Bicke, a frustrated, pathetic loser who watches his own personal world unravel as the Watergate scandal exposes the political corruption of President Richard Nixon. It’s 1974 when Sam enters the Baltimore-Washington Airport. A tape-recorded message he’s mailing to musician Leonard Bernstein reveals the psychological torment that has propelled him to the breaking point. As Sam puts it, “I consider myself a grain of sand on this beach called America, yet even the least grain of sand has the power to destroy (the most powerful).” At 44, Sam is a novice office-furniture salesman whose boss (Jack Thompson) gives him “The Power of Positive Thinking” and “How to Win Friends and Influence People” in a vain attempt to improve his “people skills.” But dour Sam really wants to get back into the tire business with his mechanic buddy (Don Cheadle) after being fired for dishonesty by his brother (Michael Wincott). Meanwhile, his estranged wife (Naomi Watts) wants nothing to do with him. Inspired by a real incident, writer/director Niels Mueller, co-writer Kevin Kennedy and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezski weave an emotionally sterile tale of a frustrated, alienated man who eventually attempts to hijack Delta flight #523 to crash into the White House. With little to recommend it other than the awkward complexity of Sean Penn’s subtle performance, it’s strictly a bizarre curiosity produced by Alexander Payne, Leonardo DiCaprio and Alfonso Cuaron. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Assassination of Richard Nixon” is a tedious, bleak 4, detailing the frustrations of a despicable, homicidal sociopath.

The Assassination of Richard Nixon Read More »