Movie/TV Reviews

Broadway: The Golden Age

Susan Granger’s review of “Broadway: The Golden Age”

From the late 1930s to 1960s, Broadway had its heyday. Fortunately, Rick McKay, a theater buff, has interviewed the “legends who were there,” and his documentary offers a glimpse back to when a theater ticket cost $1.10. It’s an amazing anecdotal history of the American theater. Shirley MacLaine tells how she became a star overnight as Carol Haney’s understudy in “The Pajama Game.” Angela Lansbury’s confesses that she and composer/lyricist Jerry Herman secretly collaborated to get her the plum part of “Mame.” Robert Goulet recalls being intimidated by Richard Burton at his audition for “Camelot” and then discovering Burton’s own trepidation about singing on-stage. Carol Burnett recounts how she and her three roommates shared one good dress to wear for auditions. Plus there are words of wisdom from Elaine Stritch, Barbara Cook, Stephen Sondheim, Patricia Neal, Gwen Verdon, Jerry Orbach, Karl Malden, Jane Powell, Carol Channing, Sally Ann Howes, Arlene Dahl, Frank Langella, Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson. Outstanding archival footage includes an excerpt from a live audio recording of Marlon Brando’s “A Streetcar Named Desire,” clips from the original “Bus Stop” and “Mame,”and actress Laurette Taylor’s 1938 screen test for David O. Selznick, the only time she ever spoke on film. Director/producer/cinematographer Rick McKay spent five years on this project and, if it gets a bit redundant, that’s understandable. Laurette Taylor seems to have been everyone’s favorite actress. “The most mesmerizing actress I’ve ever seen,” marvels Gena Rowlands. And if you’ve never seen Taylor, here’s your chance. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Broadway: The Golden Age” is an enthralling, timeless 10. It’s the closest you’ll ever get to actually being there.

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Silver City

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Silver City” (Newmarket Films)

Unpredictable John Sayles (“Limbo,” “Passion Fish,” “Lone Star,” “Sunshine State”) is one of the most inventive and original of today’s independent filmmakers, which is why I was so disappointed to discover that this complex political satire falls far short of the mark. Dickie Pilager (Chris Cooper), the dimwitted heir to a right-wing political dynasty headed by Senator Judd Pilager (Michael Murphy), is Colorado’s grammatically-challenged, born-again candidate for Governor in 2004. As luck would have it, as Dickie tosses a fishing line into a pristine lake while filming an environmental TV ad, his lure snags a human hand. His suspicious campaign manager (Richard Dreyfuss) quickly hires a journalist-turned-private-detective (Danny Huston) to investigate possible links between the decomposing corpse and Pilager family enemies, including Dickie’s estranged, pot-smoking sister (Daryl Hannah). Written, directed and edited by John Sayles, it attacks George W. Bush’s anti-environmental policies but slowly meanders in too many directions to hold audience interest in the way that Michael Moore’s “Farenheit 9/11” did. The pacing is uneven and it’s often difficult to grasp whether a specific scene is black comedy or a bitter commentary on the overall corruption of state and federal government. As always, Sayles’ sense of place – this time: Denver, Colorado – is impeccable and his ensemble (Kris Kristofferson, Maria Bello, May Kay Place, Thora Birch, Tim Roth, Miguel Ferrer, Billy Zane, Sal Lopez) are well chosen, except for Danny Huston (“21 Grams”) whose utter blandness becomes boring very quickly. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Silver City” is a sad, fumbling 5. It’s a laid-back, even lackadaisical lampoon.

Two Brothers

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Two Brothers

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Two Brothers” (Universal)

If you loved Jean-Jacques Annoud’s “The Bear,” you won’t want to miss his newest wild animal tale: a fable set in Southeast Asia during the French Colonial period of the 1920s. As the story begins, two magnificent tigers meet and mate, deep in the jungles of Cambodia. Secure in their mossy sanctuary among the temple ruins, cuddly twin cubs Kamal and Sangha are born. But their idyllic tranquillity is shattered by a ruthless hunter (Guy Pearce) who is searching for sacred statues. The cubs’ father is shot and Kumal is captured and sold off to the Zerbino Circus, where he’s cruelly forced to perform tricks. Meanwhile, Sangha is adopted by the lonely son (Freddie Highmore) of a local administrator (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) who is eager to develop the jungle site into a tourist attraction. For that reason, he needs to curry favor with His Excellency (Oanh Nguyen), and Sangha winds up in the Royal menagerie. Raised separately in captivity, Kamal and Sangha are eventually reunited in a predictably feel-good conclusion. What’s extraordinary is the sensitive and unique way that writer/director/producer Annaud and photographer Jean-Marie Drejou anthropomorphize the tigers and vividly capture their endearing animal behavior, using a combination of high-definition digital (HD) and 35mm cameras. Along with a few animatronics (like for the jungle fire), some 30 live tigers were used – with Sangha and Kumal having several doubles trained by Thierry Le Portier. Unfortunately, the human drama is far less effective and the acting is amateurish except for Guy Pearce and young Freddie Highmore. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Two Brothers” is a stunning, visually spectacular 7, and those wondrous little tiger cubs are irresistible.

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The Notebook

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “The Notebook” (New Line Cinema)

Based on Nicholas Sparks’ 1996 best-seller, “The Notebook” revolves around the tale an elderly man (James Garner) reads aloud to a confused woman (Gena Rowlands) with Alzheimer’s disease who’s confined to a nursing home. Though she’s removed from reality by her fleeting, faded memory, she’s obviously intrigued by the romance he relates. Set in Seabrook, North Carolina, the love story begins in 1940, as 17 year-old Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams), a wealthy girl from Charleston, meets 19 year-old Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling), a local boy, at a Carnival. Impetuously, he implores her to go out with him and pesters her until she agrees. Sparks ignite the intense, overwhelming passion of their idyllic relationship. Horrified that her debutante daughter will wind up with a lumber mill worker, Allie’s mother (Joan Allen) whisks her away to college. Allie’s and Noah’s lives take different directions during World War II., but memories linger and, seven years later, their paths cross again. Allie is engaged to marry a Southern gentleman (James Marsden) and must make a tough decision. Director Nick Cassavetes (son of actor/director John Cassavetes and actress Gena Rowlands) and screenwriter Jeremy Leven (“Don Juan De Marco”) explore haunting, enduring memories, particularly those of one’s first love. Permeating that theme with the lush texture of the historic, plantation-era South, they create an old-fashioned “weeper” that should skew to a nostalgic, older audience. The casting is superb with only David Thornton, as Allie’s father, striking an odd, discordant note. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Notebook” is a sweetly sappy, sentimental 7, a charming summer romance that lasts a lifetime.

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Spider-Man 2

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Spider-Man 2” (Columbia Pictures)

It’s been two years since good-hearted Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) made a sacrificial, noble choice, walking away from MJ, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), whom he adores, in order to pursue “the gift and the curse” of his extraordinary abilities: “With great power comes great responsibility.” College student-photographer by day/elusive, spandex-clad superhero by night, the frustrating conflicts of his dual identity have become overwhelming. Plus, his embittered pal, Harry Osborn (James Franco), holds his alter-ego, Spider-Man, responsible for his father’s death. But then along comes Peter’s fallen mentor, menacing Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), a half-man, half-octopus scientist whose four high-tech robotic arms are permanently fused onto his spine. And stressed-out Spidey’s emotional web becomes even more tangled when MJ becomes engaged to editor J.J. Jameson’s (J.K. Simmons) astronaut son John (Donald Gillies). Written by Alvin Sargent, based on the Marvel Comic by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, utilizing a screen story by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Michael Chabon, photographed by Bill Pope and directed by Sam Raimi, it’s one of those rare sequels that’s even better than the original, primarily because the characters dig in and develop. Tobey Maguire taps into Peter Parker’s vulnerability, while tentacled Alfred Molina is a formidable villain. Not only are the stunts an eyeful (particularly the exciting Manhattan elevated train sequence) but the blend of CGI and puppetry behind Doc Ock is awesome, thanks to John Dykstra’s visual effects team. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Spider-Man 2” spins in with a spectacular, swingin’ 10, an action-packed summer popcorn-picture with “Spider-Man 3” already in the works for May, 2007.

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Before Sunset

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Before Sunset” (Warner Independent Pictures)

Back in 1995, independent filmmaker Richard Linklater scored with “Before Sunrise,” the quirky story of two strangers, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), who meet on a train and decide to stay together, from mid-afternoon to the following morning, in Vienna. Before they separate – he to go back to New York, she to go home to Paris – they agree to meet in Vienna six months later. Not wishing to be “ordinary,” they never exchange addresses or phone numbers. In “Before Sunset,” nine years has passed. Having published his first novel, Jesse is in Paris giving a reading at the famous Shakespeare & Co. bookstore when he suddenly spots Celine, whom he’s wildly romanticized in his book which is based on the night they spent together. Delighted, yet a bit wary, they tentatively rediscover one another. Still single, she’s in a dead-end relationship while he’s unhappily married yet devoted to his four year-old son. Wondering what might have been, they have just a few hours to figure out if they belong together. Reminiscent of Louis Malle’s “My Dinner With Andre,” this is an intelligent, conversation-driven piece, delving into fate, the meaning of life, the nature of love and the significance of sex and relationships, encompassing both regret and despair. Writer/director Linklater filmed for only 15 days with a minuscule budget, and the dialogue often seems improvised. In contrast, Lee Daniel’s cinematography is carefully calculated – with the focus never shifting from Hawke and Delpy, even as the Parisian background changes. Slipping flawlessly back into their established roles, the actors quickly establish a credible emotional connection. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Before Sunset” is a sad, romantic 7 with a suitably ambiguous conclusion.

De-Lovely

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De-Lovely

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “De-Lovely” (MGM Pictures)

The American composer/lyricist Cole Porter is the subject of this musical drama. Rather than a biography, it’s an impressionistic revue, filled with unforgettable songs. As the story opens, 73 year-old Porter (Kevin Kline) is dying in his Manhattan apartment when a mysterious guest, named Gabe (Jonathan Pryce), barges in to whisk Porter off to a theater to view his life story. Pivotal to this reminiscence is Porter’s love affair with his socialite wife, Linda Lee Thomas (Ashley Judd), a Southern divorcee eight years his senior. After meeting in Paris in 1918, she became his confidante, muse and wife until she died. Gifting him with Cartier cigarette cases on opening nights, she endured his numerous, often indiscreet, homosexual liaisons. Directed by Irwin Winkler from Jay Cocks’ episodic script, the stylish, superficial vignettes are framed by Kline’s melancholy narration. While Kline and Judd do sing, the big numbers feature artists like Natalie Cole (“Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye”), Alanis Morissette (“Let’s Do It”), Elvis Costello (“Let’s Misbehave”), Sheryl Crow (“Begin the Beguine”), Diana Krall (“Just One of Those Things”), Robbie Williams (“It’s De-Lovely”) and Mick Hucknall (“I Love You”). Breaking with Hollywood tradition, Kevin Kline recorded his songs – live – instead of lip-synching to a prerecorded track, and he’s really playing the piano most of the time. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “De-Lovely” is a style-over-substance 6, obviously aimed at an adult audience who remembers the delightful, delicious Jazz Age and Tin-Pan Alley. But, frankly, I prefer “Night and Day,” the fanciful – and sanitized – 1946 biopic starring Cary Grant as Cole Porter. If you’re intrigued by Cole Porter’s music, check it out at the video store.

White Chicks

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White Chicks

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “White Chicks” (Columbia Pictures/Sony)

In this drag comedy, Shawn and Marlon Wayans play ambitious FBI agents who go deep undercover as high society debutantes to investigate a kidnapping ring. Predictably, the homeboys exploit not only race, gender and class stereotypes but also sex and etiquette. Kevin and Marcus Copeland (the Wayans brothers) are assigned to transport wealthy Brittany and Tiffany Wilson (Maitland Ward and Anne Dudek) from the airport to a debutante party at an exclusive Hamptons resort because the spoiled hotel heiresses are believed to be the targets of a kidnapping. But when a minor mishap deters the ditsy, demanding divas (obviously modeled on Paris and Nikki Hilton) from attending the soiree, Kevin and Marcus assume their privileged identities. And as the narcissistic celebrities with an attitude, they wreak havoc wherever they go. Director Keenan Ivory Wayans, his co-writers and younger siblings shamelessly “borrow” from cinematic predecessors like “Some Like It Hot” and “Tootsie” in this spoof of dim-witted, dysfunctional behavior, while the ambivalent social commentary dips into themes like insecurity vs. perfection and belonging vs. love. Several of the episodic sketches evoke memories of “In Living Color,” the TV series that launched the Wayans family to stardom. Credit special effects make-up artists Greg Cannon and Keith Vanderlaan with pulling off the visual gimmick of thin African-American men passing as voluptuous Caucasian women, even though the masquerade quickly grows tiresome. That’s when the Wayans brothers, once again, fall back on sophomoric G-string and gross flatulence humor. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “White Chicks” is a sassy, funky 5, aimed primarily at urban audiences.

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King Arthur

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “King Arthur” (Touchstone Pictures)

Apparently the romanticized legend of King Arthur was, in fact, based on a real hero. And this is his coarse, muddled “untold true story.” Ugh! What a disappointment! Back when Rome ruled the world during the Dark Ages, the Empire had a remote outpost in Britain. Lucius Artorius Castus (Clive Owen) was in command with his pagan Knights who met at a Round Table: Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd), Galahad (Hugh Dancy), Gawain (Joel Edgerton), Tristan (Mads Mikkelsen), Dagonet (Ray Stevenson) and Bors (Ray Winstone). Conscripted (i.e.: drafted) into service of Rome for 15 long years, they’re due to be released from the military as free men when a bishop insists they fulfill one last quest: to rescue the Pope’s favorite godson. To do this, they must elude fierce forest warriors, called Woads, led by Merlin (Stephen Dillane), and a Saxon army, led by Cerdic (Stellan Skarsgard). Guinevere of the Woads (Keira Knightly) turns out not only to be pretty but an admirable archer/warrior, eager to fight at Arthur’s side. Obviously influenced by “The Seven Samurai” and “Braveheart,”among others, the clichŽ-filled script by David Franzoni (“Gladiator”) makes little sense, and the direction of Antoine Fuqua (“Tears of the Sun”) can only be called lethargic. The one-dimensional characters bear little or no resemblance to their mythical namesakes, but that’s not the actors’ fault. They have nothing to work with. Instead, Fuqua and photographer Slawomir Idziak (“Black Hawk Down”) concentrate on the brutal battlefield butchery, which also makes no sense. And as for Camelot? Forget about it. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “King Arthur” is a confusing, tedious 2. If this is the truth, give me fantasy anytime! If you’re in doubt, rent “Excalibur” at the video store.

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Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” (DreamWorks)

When you can relate to a comedic situation, you often find it far funnier than it really is. I was the first woman hired to anchor the news at WNHC, which is now WTNH in New Haven, and I’ll never forget the mistrust and disdain with which I was greeted that first day on the job. “There was an age when only men were allowed to read the news…” the introduction claims. It was the ’70s, just when “Anchorman” is set. Narcissistic Ron Burgundy (Will Farrell) is the top-rated anchorman in San Diego, heading an all-male newsteam of investigative reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), sportscaster Champ Kind (SNL alum David Koechner) and weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carrell of “The Daily Show”). Into their smug, egotistical, chauvinistic bastion comes Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), a savvy, ambitious journalist hired by producer Ed Harken (Fred Willard) to bring in some diversity. While Burgundy’s smitten with her, no one takes her seriously until she steps in following a road rage traffic fiasco involving a manic cyclist (Jack Black), a wayward burrito and Burgundy’s beloved dog. She’s an overnight success, which burns Burgundy’s fragile self-esteem, and a goofy battle-of-the-sexes erupts. Written by Will Farrell and director Adam McKay, it’s a campy, extended “Saturday Night Live” skit – but an amusing one. While Ferrell embodies the clueless buffoon, he and Applegate have a cheerful comedic chemistry which is even more apparent in the outtakes that play over the final credits. Ben Stiller, Tim Robbins and Vice Vaughn pop up in cameos, and the soundtrack is a delight. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” is an enthusiastic, harmlessly silly 7, celebrating the emancipation of the TV newsroom.

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