The Film Chronicles

The Soloist

The Soloist, 2008, Drama
Plot: Based on a true story, the film follows a LA Times reporter who writes a story about a mentally disturbed Cellist who is homeless and ends up being more involved in his life than he thought.

Thoughts: This movie was about as average as average can get. I thought the writing was decent but the acting seemed a little forced. Robert Downey Jr., however, didn’t need to do much acting since his entire character was pretty 2-dimensional. Jamie Foxx played Ray Charles again, except this time he had to be crazy instead of a dope addict.

The story was heartwarming but not much more than a 2 hour mind number.

2.2/5

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

The Manchurian Candidate, 2004, Thriller
Plot: After a soldier single-handedly saves his platoon from a surprise attack during the Gulf War, his commanding Officer and comrades that were there begin to have strange dreams about what really happened that on night.

Thoughts: This was a decent film. I thought that the direction was well done, Demme was really able to catch the eerie feeling that he imagined the soldiers felt and put it through a lens. The story was solid but I think it could have used a little more updating and one more major plot twist.

I thought Denzel was excellent in the role (I just noticed that his pinky finger was jacked up) and Liev Schrieber played his role well, but was uncharacteristically scrawny and walked like a schlub. Meryl Streep’s performance was nothing less than expected, she always delivers a believable character.

Decent film, a tad too long.

3.1/5

School Daze

School Daze, 1988, Comedy (satire)
Plot: This film is about a faux Historically Black College/ University (HBCU) called Mission College during its homecoming weekend as the tension between classmates.

Thoughts: This film displayed the tension between the “real/ darker/ nubian” members of the African American community and the “lighter complexion/ Uncle Toms/ sell-out” members. It was very interesting to see how the people were willing to click up and join one another based solely on complexion or how “real” someone was.

I could have gone without the musical interludes (except for that one guy during the Ms. Gamma Pageant program, he was gettin’ it). Spike Lee shows his creativity again with the “in your face” style of directing.

Another thing of note was the fake fraternity Gamma Phi Gamma which depicted the pledging process before hazing was openly confronted and they changed the name to “membership intake”. It is interesting what people do when in power and what others are willing to do to be accepted into an exclusive organization.

The need for HBCU’s was also put into question and raised legitimate concerns. Spike Lee is a great writer and I enjoy his films.

3.2/5

Dog Day Afternoon

Dog Day Afternoon, 1975, Drama
Plot: Based on a true story Al Pacino stars as Sonny, a man who is robbing a bank so that his husband could afford a sex change operation. The robbery botches and now he is stuck in a standoff with the bank.

Thoughts: I tried to watch this movie a couple of years ago, but the disc that I rented was so scratched up that I couldn’t get past the 1st scene. Thank goodness for Netflix streaming. Since the death of Sidney Lumet about a month ago, I decided to finally watch the film and see what the fuss was about and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the film.

There’s something about the young Pacino’s face that screams “I’ll blow up any second!” that makes this role work for him in both this movie and in the Godfather series. This film co-stars John Cazale (Fredo from the Godfather) who is a remarkable actor that rarely got his time to shine in the Godfather movies.

The film is very edgy and has you on the edge of your seat throughout the last 30 minutes. The ending is typical for a New Hollywood era and it still shocked me. About a third of the way through the film you start cheering for Sonny and hope that his demands are met. Excellent direction with the film.

4.2/5

Ong Bak 3

Ong Bak 3, 2010, Action
Plot: Tony Jaa’s 3rd installment of the film franchise which picks up where the last film left off as Tien (Jaa) tries to escape his captors.

Thoughts: A very below average movie. Jaa once again writes, directs, acts (as the leading role), directs the choreography, etc. It’s pretty annoying because this story could really be made better had it not just been 90 minutes of Jaa showing us his sweetest fight moves.

Besides the final fight with the Crow (a pretty sweet villain), all of the fight scenes are one guy vs. a bunch of idiots. Jaa does a great job of coming up with creative ideas and also utilizing the elephant again but the film is still pretty flat. The cinematography was well done and the film felt very authentic so accuracy was pinpoint. But besides that everything was sub-par and borderline cheesy.

1.7/5

The Human Experience

The Human Experience, 2008, Documentary
Plot: Two brothers travel the world to see life through the eyes of people who are considered outcasts and underrepresented.

Thoughts: I can see and appreciate how this movie could have won best documentary in many award ceremonies, but I really didn’t enjoy as much as I thought I would. I liked how the brothers gave themselves up to understand people that rarely see interaction with another person. They talked and lived with the homeless in New York, cared for and played with physically disabled children in Peru, and also fellowshipped and spent time with a leper colony in Ghana.

I appreciate the seriousness with which they took their task. Most would have given up in New York, but these two young men sincerely wanted to understand and see that people aren’t numbers or percentages but individuals who share a common experience with us all.

4.0/5

All the President’s Men

All the President’s Men, 1976, Drama
Plot: This movie followed the unraveling of the Watergate scandal by two Washington Post reporters.

Thoughts: The authenticity of this film was very impressive, it’s always nice to see films based on true stories more truth than fiction. The film co-stars Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman (two of the biggest Hollywood names at that time) and is full of drama and mystery.

The direction of the film had the feel of the New Hollywood Age era and captured that ruggedness. The cinematographer, Gordon Willis, is best known for his work in The Godfather (my favorite film) and he captures that same dark feeling that worked so beautifully in the Godfather parts I and II. This movie was very engaging and despite knowing the ending, the director kept it fresh for everyone’s mind.

4.1/5

No Impact Man: The Documentary

No Impact Man: The Documentary, 2009, Documentary
Plot: A New York reporter decides to live a life that will leave zero impact on the environment for a year.

Thoughts: The guy, Colin Beavan, had a good idea but the ultimate demise of the film was how much of a couple of jerks he and his wife were. They weren’t too bad, but their bickering got annoying and the subplot about her having another baby was not very entertaining. The only thing good about their family was the daughter, who was extremely cute.

I learned much about being sustainable in this film and seeing what I could go with or without in this fast-paced society. The documentary was good for educating the populace, but not more than that.

2.5/5

Mongol

Mongol, 2007, Action
Plot: A young Mongolian boy named Temudjin escapes his captors and eventually becomes one of the greatest Mongolian rulers ever.

Thoughts: This was a decent film, I felt that there was a bit too much romance. I guess we understood his motivation to do everything, but I think that he didn’t have to dedicate every drink he too to his wife. The historical accuracy was impressive and I really enjoyed the action sequences which were unique. The cinematography reminded me of what was done in Valhalla Rising.

I’ll probably check out the second in this trilogy because I didn’t dislike this movie.

2.8/5

WWE: The Rise & Fall of WCW

WWE: The Rise & Fall of WCW, 2009, Documentary

Plot: A look back at the origins and last breath of World Championship Wrestling.

Thoughts: This was a good film. It was boring until they got to the parts that I recognized. It seems like it was so long ago when the WCW was running the wrestling game, now kids can’t even tell you what a “Steiner Recliner” is or who Ultimo Dragon is. Someone remarked that the acquisition of WCW to WWE has greatly diminshed the quality and I wholeheartedly agree.

2.6/5