Drama

Delta of Venus

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 30th, 2003

Synopsis

Audie England plays Elena Martin (i.e. Anais Nin), an American living in Paris at theoutbreak of World War II. She has a passionate affair with Costas Mandylor (the poor man’sAidan Quinn), but when he is unfaithful, she leaves him. Desperate for money, she undertakes acommission to write erotic stories for an anonymous collector. So begins her sexual and literaryblossoming.

This is all very high-end stuff, with sumptuous cinematography and jazzy editing. King…
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How To Deal

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 28th, 2003

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Synopsis

Mandy Moore plays Halley, a teen having a rough year. Her parents have just gottendivorced, and her DJ father (Peter Gallagher) is about to marry a weather bimbo. Her best friendhas suddenly fallen in love, her sister is getting married, and she feels very alone. Enter theexaggeratedly cute Trent Ford, who slowly will turn Halley’s cynical heart around. Though everyconceivable teen trauma is bundled into the plot, solid performances, a more mature look at teensexuali…
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Brush with Fate

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 19th, 2003

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Brush With Fate is not a film in any traditional scenes. Based on Susan Vreeland’s novel, “Girl In Hyacinth Blue” this is in reality an anthology of vignettes. The common thread in these stories is that a certain painting is passed down through 300 years. The stories are overly simple. Some of the locations in the Netherlands shot for this film offer the only redeeming quality to be found. Some of the vistas are breathtaking.

Audio

The Dolby Digital 2.0 track is simple. Some enchanting music offers the best use of the digital sound.
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Darling

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 15th, 2003

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Synopsis

The opening credits set the tone, as we see a Relief for Africa billboard being replaced byone advertising the tell-all autobiography of the glamorous Diana Scott (Jule Christie). Yup, it’sall very symbolic, folks: all kinds of close-ups ram the point home just in case we missed it. Therest of the film is no more subtle. See! Diana sleep her way to the top of the modelling world.Feel! John Schlesinger’s contempt for horrible rich people pretending to do good for the ThirdWo…
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One Christmas

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 14th, 2003

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This 1994 Hallmark film is based on an obscure Truman Capote story. It’s loaded with the usual heavy sentimental trappings of a Hallmark film. The film attempts to create atmosphere through its 1930’s period setting. The trouble is I found it very hard to relate to or care about anyone in the film. The young Buddy appears to have each emotional turn literally forced out of him. Even the lovable Fonz, Henry Winkler, never gets a good foothold on his character. Katherine Hepburn’s age has obviously robbed her of the abilities she has so often displayed in her vast body of work.
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Sonny

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 4th, 2003

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Synopsis

Nicolas Cage is a fantastic actor. I will be the first to admit that he has had some mistakes (“Face/Off” and “Snake Eyes”, to name a few), but for the most part, his performances are gutsy and honest, with just a hint of cool 60’s Rat Pack style smoldering underneath the surface. My favorite Cage performance came in the fantastic film “Leaving Las Vegas”, where he brought the struggles of a dying alcoholic to life in beautiful and tragic detail.

Unfortunately, “Sonny” is no “Leavi…
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Ship of Fools

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 2nd, 2003

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Synopsis

In 1933, a luxury liner sails from Mexico to Germany. On board: Vivien Leigh, who is bitterat the loss of her youth; Simone Signoret, a Spanish countess who is being deported; OksarWerner, the ship’s doctor with the bad heart condition who falls in love with Signoret; JoseFerrer as the rude, crude, stupid Nazi mouthpiece; Lee Marvin as the washed-up ball player; andso on and so on and so on. The format of big stars and their multiple interlocking tales was firstperfected in…
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Sopranos – The Complete Fourth Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 31st, 2003

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Not since the height of the American Western has there been a film genre where we find ourselves rooting for the bad guys and booing the good guys. Yesterday’s Jesse James and Billy The Kid have become Michael Corleone and Tony Soprano. Add to the mix that The Sopranos have totally revolutionized the face of the television drama. It’s no fluke that this show dominates nearly every Emmy category there is. The cinematography is feature film quality. The cast is high end and the writing is gutsy and tight. Make no mistake about it.
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Charlotte Sometimes

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 23rd, 2003

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Synopsis

Michael Idemoto plays Michael, an introspective bookworm and mechanic. His tenant isEugenia Yuan, who has a boyfriend, but spends most of her evenings with Michael. Theirrelationship is platonic, but Michael clearly has strong feelings for her. Then he meets Darcy(Jacqueline Kim), a distant but alluring young woman. In fact, Darcy is Yuan’s sister Charlotte.Our protagonist is a man of few words, and the same can be said of the movie. The mostimportant elements are the thing…
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All The Real Girls

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 14th, 2003

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All The Real Girls is an attempt to delve deeper into the emotional landscape involved with being young and in love. Most movies that try to tackle this very complicated issue often only so a very superficial job. The main thrust of this movie is to examine what it’s actually like to be smitten i.e. not being able to think straight, how desperate our emotions can make us feel and doing things we hadn’t planned and facing the consequences.

Paul (Paul Schneider) is the 22 year old town heart-throb who is wo…
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Sweet Sixteen

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 11th, 2003

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Synopsis

Liam (Martin Compston) is about to turn 16. His mother is in prison, taking the fall for hisbrutal drug-dealing father. (And his grandfather is just as bad.) Thrown out his home fordeliberately messing up a drug exchange which would have spoiled his mother’s chances forrelease, Liam sets about creating not just a new life for himself, but trying to provide for hismother when she gets out. His quest won’t be easy, to put it mildly. Strong, naturalisticperformances, and an un…
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Once In The Life

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 9th, 2003

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A double crossed drug deal goes bad and two half brothers 20/20 Mike (Laurence Fishburne) and Torch (Titus Welliver) retreat to an abandoned New York warehouse. When Mike calls his friend Tony the Tiger to help them out, tension erupts and not everything is as it seems in this story of loyalty and love. This is a well written, well shot and very well acted film, Titus Welliver is riveting as the dope fiend half brother. Written and Directed by Laurence Fishbourne this film is raw and gripping.

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Gas Food Lodging

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 1st, 2003

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Three women in small town Texas deal with their complicated lives. Nora Evans (Brook Adams) struggles with being a single mother raising two daughters. Trudi Evans (Ione Skye) is a rebellious trouble maker and very promiscuous much to the dismay of her mother, after getting pregnant and the father disappearing she moves to Dallas to have the baby and give it up for adoption. Her sister Shade (Fairuza Balk) justs wants everyone to be happy and does whatever she can to find her mom a man, including tracking down her re…
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Better Luck Tomorrow

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 1st, 2003

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MTV film’s Better Luck Tomorrow is a chilling look in the high schools of today. It starts out like an 80’s teen comedy but by the middle of the film quickly turns into a Guy Ritchie style movie with quick cuts and even faster action.

The movie follows the story of 4 Asian high school students in Orange County California who are preparing to enter college. They all excel in academics and during the first half of the movie try to “pad” their college applications by engaging in many extra curricular a…
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Regarding Henry

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 27th, 2003

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Synopsis

Harrison Ford first appears with slicked-back hair (now oddly, but not inappropriately,reminiscent of Christian Bale’s look in American Psycho) as a top-flight lawyer andworld-class SOB, inconsiderate toward his wife and daughter. Then he’s shot in the head.Recovery is long and slow, and he has lost his memory. As he returns to his life, he is now amuch nicer person, and discovers that he doesn’t like the man he used to be. Director MikeNichols and writer Jeffrey Abr…
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Expiration

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 26th, 2003

Synopsis

Gavin Heffernan is told by best pal Erin Simkin that she is pregnant, and that the child is his.Convinced that he hears destiny calling, Heffernan drives Simkin to Montreal for an evening out,intending to propose. He’s right about destiny being just around the corner, but it doesn’ttake the form he thought. Stopping in a convenience store to pick up some stomach medicine forSimkin, he gets caught by a robbery, and his engagement ring is stolen. So is a bag that belongsto Janet Lane…
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Silkwood

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 23rd, 2003

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Synopsis

Meryl Streep copped another Oscar nomination for her performance as Karen Silkwood, low-level employee at an Oklahoma nuclear power plant. She is driven to activism once she realizeshow her life and those of her fellow employees are being endangered by the shoddy safetystandards. Streep is backed up by fine performances from Kurt Russell and Cher, but Nicholstakes his own sweet time with the direction.

Audio

A mono soundtrack, and this is a film fro…
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Big Girls Don’t Cry

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 20th, 2003

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Synopsis

Kati and Steffi are best friends, and each relies on the other to get through the trials andtribulations of high school. Challenges arise, such as when they discover [x]’s father is cheatingon her mother. They plot an elaborate revenge. Boy trouble also figures prominently, of course,as these two girls painfully reach toward adulthood.

Audio

The sound is first-class. The music has good, pumping energy in its mix. The dialogue isclear and distortion-…
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Fargo

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 18th, 2003

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Synopsis

Terminal loser William H. Macy hatches a scheme to get out of his debt problems: hire SteveBuscemi and Peter Stormare to kidnap his wife, then get the ransom from his father-in-law.Naturally enough, everything goes spectacularly wrong. Bodies pile up, and hugely pregnantSheriff Frances McDormand investigates. All the elements of prime Coen work are present:wonderful character turns from a top cast, dialogue to die for, cinematography that will take yourbreath away, and a sc…
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Cat’s Meow, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 16th, 2003

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Synopsis

In 1924, a mysterious death occurred on a yacht owned by newspaper tycoon WilliamRandolph Hearst. This story imagines what might have happened amongst the variousHollywood luminaries who were aboard that ship. Along with Hearst and his young lover MarioDavies (Kirsten Dunst) are (among others) Charlie Chaplin (Eddie Izzard), writer Elinor Glyn(Joanna Lumley) and up-and-coming gossip columnist Louella Parsons (Jennifer Tilly). Jealousyand deception are the order of the day a…
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Nicholas Nickleby

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 10th, 2003

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Synopsis

At the at of 19, Nicholas Nickleby loses his father. He, his sister Kate and their mother go toLondon to seek the help of a rich uncle, played with villainous gusto by Christopher Plummer.Plummer packs Nicholas off to be teacher at a hellish Yorkshire boarding school, while keepingthe women in London under his thumb. At the school, Nicholas befriends the crippled Smike,and soon begins to stand up against the tyrants. So begin his adventures, during the course ofwhich he gat…
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Men With Guns

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 8th, 2003

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Synopsis

In an unnamed Latin American country, an elderly doctor decides to leave the city to visitseven former students. He had trained them for work in the countryside, with the idea of bringingmodern medicine to the underdeveloped regions. His journey becomes one of disillusionment, aseach student he seeks turns out to have been killed by “men with guns” (the army). As he movesfurther and further into the countryside, he witnesses more and more evidence of barbaritysanctio…
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Sunday Bloody Sunday

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 4th, 2003

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Synopsis

Glenda Jackson is a job placement consultant who wants to resign. Peter Finch is a doctorwho has more than his fair share of neurotic patients. Both Finch and Jackson are in love withMurray Head, a young artist who really loves himself more than either of his two lovers. Jacksonand Finch know about each other, and try to reconcile themselves with having to share Head. Asensitive character study, Sunday Bloody Sunday rivets with its superlative performancesand …
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Casablanca

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 26th, 2003

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Synopsis

Surely you know the story. It’s WWII. France has fallen. Refugees from Europe are flowing into Casablanca. Humphrey Bogart is the cynical owner of Rick’s Cafe. His life is disrupted byt he reappearance of former lover Ingrid Bergman, who is married to Resistance leader PaulÂ Henreid. They need to escape to the US. Which way will Bogart go? Will he obey the demands of his heart? His greed? His honour? The film hasn’t aged a day since its release, its grip is as powerful as …
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Forbidden Fruit

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 12th, 2003

Synopsis

Michael Kremko plays Adam, dashing young priest. Nadia Mansouri is a young woman whohas a crush on him. Her name is Eve. Get it? If you don’t, Jake Simons as a gay dancechoreographer helpfully points out the symbolism for us. Sure enough, Adam is tempted from thestraight and true path and begins a torrid affair with Eve. The jealous Simons starts underminingthe two characters. The dialogue is banal, even as it has pretensions to deal with Really BigIssues of faith and free …
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