The Sly Fox Film Reviews

2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:39:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Roland Emmerich Releases Another Apocalyptic Adventure

Roland Emmerich’s name is closely associated with overblown apocalyptic adventures like Independence Day (1996) and The Day after Tomorrow (2004). Regrettably, the German-born director’s latest, 2012, fails to measure up to his earlier offerings, despite its being filled with his trademark bombastic special effects coming courtesy of a quarter-billion dollar budget.
Stripped of its pretense, the picture is basically a stock disaster flick which relies on trite dialogue while recycling a host of the genre’s groan-inducing clichés. On top of that, the production features frame after frame of blatant prominent ad placements, shamelessly hawking everything from Fruit Loops to Jack Daniels to Rice Krispies to Sony to Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer to Marriott Hotels to Virgin Atlantic Airways to Bentley to Caesar’s Palace to Sugar Frosted Flakes to Kellogg’s All Bran.
Still, those crass commercials are a minor annoyance compared to the preposterous plot designed to hold the attention of grade school children. The story was ostensibly inspired by a mythical Mayan prophesy predicting that the world will end during the winter solstice of 2012, which falls on December 21st. Why someone would put any stock in the pseudo-scientific claims of an ancient civilization is beyond the ken of this critic.
In any case, at the point of departure in 2009, we’re introduced to Jackson Curtiss (John Cusack) the underappreciated author of “Farewell Atlantic,” a book which ostensibly forecast the global crisis. By no means is Jackson the only person aware of the impending catastrophe.
There’s Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson), a burnt-out hippie issuing dire warnings over the airwaves from a makeshift radio station inside an RV parked atop a mountain in Yellowstone National Park. Although his broadcasts are being dismissed as the unsubstantiated rant of the lunatic fringe, there are plenty of scientists and politicians secretly taking the problem seriously.
For instance, Dr. Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) ventures 11,000 feet below sea level down an abandoned copper mine only to discover that “the Earth’s crust is destabilizing.” Soon after he urgently reports back to President Wilson (Danny Glover), bizarre events start the countdown to Armageddon, including every disaster imaginable from tsunami-triggering earthquakes to mass suicides in Guatemala. President Wilson subsequently somberly informs his staff that, “The world as we know it, will soon come to an end,” while continuing to hide the truth from the general public.
Fortunately, Jackson is wise enough to jump into action, grabbing his kids (Liam James and Morgan Lily) and his ex-wife (Amanda Peet). With the help of her amateur pilot boyfriend (Tom McCarthy) they fly off in the nick of time as the runway crumbles beneath the wheels of their rickety, rented propeller plane.
No hackneyed line proves too stale for these intrepid survivors’ lips as the take on one death-defying challenge after another. Brace yourself for inane banter uttered against the backdrop of incessant, blue screen pyrotechnics and explosions, tired exclamations such as “Don’t look back!” “It’s a brave new world!” “Life isn’t fair!” “Are you kidding me?” “Hit the deck!” and even (and I am not making this up) “Hold hands and sing Kumbaya.”
Besides the principal characters, we have an ensemble filled with the sort of ill-fated support players needed to feed the proverbial beast of the typical, high body-count affair. Among the A-list actors whose talents are squandered in dumb subplots here are Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt and George Segal.
An eye-popping, insult to the intelligence strictly for the kiddies and crackpot doomsday enthusiasts.

Poor (0 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity and intense disaster sequences.
Running time: 158 minutes
Studio: Columbia Pictures

Star Trek DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:41:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Franchise-Reviving Prequel Arrives on DVD

This entertaining adventure not only resuscitates a flagging franchise but it just might be the best Star Trek yet. Brilliantly-conceived by director J.J. Abrams as an origins prequel, the picture is a practically-perfect blend of the nostalgic and the new. Baby Boomers are apt to appreciate the intricate back story reintroducing the central characters from the original TV-series, including Spock (Zachary Quinto), Sulu (John Cho), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Bones (Karl Urban), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Chekov (Anton Yelchin) and, of course, Captain James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine).
Meanwhile, youngsters simply interested in an escapist summer blockbuster will undoubtedly find the scintillating, state-of-the-art action sequences riveting, most of which pit Kirk and company in an epic, intergalactic battle against a tattooed race of alien creatures called Romulans. It is absolutely delightful discovering the derivation of each of the crew member’s trademark tics, gestures and idiosyncrasies, especially since so much tension is generated by the contrast in personas of the mercurial Kirk and the relatively-introspective, ever-logical Spock.
At the point of departure, James’ dad (Chris Hemsworth) dies a hero shortly before the birth of his son, when the spaceship he is commanding is destroyed by Nero (Eric Bana), the nefarious ruler of the Romulans. Fast-forward twenty years and we find that Kirk has grown into a rudderless rebel more interested in booze, women and fast cars than in following in his father’s footsteps.
But following a bar fight with cadets enrolled at the nearby Starfleet Academy, he is challenged by one of his late father’s admirer’s, Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), to make something of his life. That dare kickstarts Kirk’s metamorphosis. He immediately enrolls in the astronaut school and while in training, one-by-one befriends Spock and the other classmates who will soon join him on the maiden voyage of the Starship Enterprise.
A splendid space saga so spellbinding, you won’t even complain about their resurrecting that grammatically-incorrect, infinitive-splitting catchphrase, “To boldly go where no one has gone before!”

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action, violence and brief sexuality.
Running time: 126 minutes
Studio: Paramount Home Video
DVD Extras: A New Vision: director Abrams' take on the sci-fi series and his efforts to make the prequel feel real, To Boldly Go: the director, writers and producers talk about the challenges of stepping into the closely watched franchise, Casting: about the search for look-alikes who could handle the acting and capture the essence of these mythic characters, Aliens: designers Neville Page and Joel Harlow talk about their new species and the reimagining of the Vulcans and Romulans, deleted scenes: includes "Spock birth," "Klingons take over Narada" and "Prison Interrogation and breakout," optional commentary, and trial games for Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation Net.

Ballast DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:08:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Monosyllabic Meditation on Coming-of-Age in Mississippi

New developments arrive fast and furiously in this contemplative character study before it finally settles down into an examination of the motivations of James (JimMyron Ross), a very troubled, black, poor and criminally-inclined 12 year-old coming-of-age in a rural region of the Mississippi Delta. At the point of departure, we meet Lawrence (Michael J. Smith, Sr.), a middle-aged black man despondent over news of the death of his identical twin by drug overdose. Larry is then caught in the midst of his own suicide attempt by a kindly neighbor (Johnny McPhail) who has no idea he’s distraught enough to shoot himself in the chest.

Also grieving Darius’ demise are his monosyllabic son, James, and his ex-wife, Marlee (Tarra Riggs), a former substance abuser. Larry survives his self-inflicted gunshot wound, and returns form the hospital only to have his nephew darken his doorstep, literally and figuratively. For James’ unique means of mourning involves asking to hear all the gory details about how his daddy died, before robbing his uncle at gunpoint.

The felonious-intentioned kid then hops on his moped and uses his ill-gotten gains to kickstart a career dealing drugs. This doesn’t sit well with his mother, even though she’s been fired from her job as a maid, which means she’s now free to wonder where she went wrong raising a son who doesn’t have a lick of sense or compassion.

As preposterous as this plot probably sounds, Ballast is actually a perverse pleasure to watch because it morphs into this ethereal mood piece with virtually no dialogue. Mostly, we’re treated to the specter of James buzzing about on his motorbike against the stark backdrop of acre after acre of sparse winter farmland. Otherwise, the picture is punctuated by his mom and uncle working out their issues, and bursts of terrifying violence, like when a couple of teenagers run a car off the road to deliver a vicious beatdown in a backwoods version of a bloody turf war.

In sum, Ballast is a compelling slice-of-life adventure with a gritty naivete featuring a talented cast comprised primarily of non-professionals. They manage to imbue the production with a palpable sense of super-realism which allows you to forget you’re watching actors. That amounts to movie magic in my book, even if it is in service of an infuriating display of black-on-black dysfunction.

Very Good (3 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 96 minutes

Studio: Kino International

DVD Extras: Ballast Scene Development, a 37-minute “The Making of” featurette charting the evolution of several scenes through the improvisational conflict sessions and two-month rehearsal process that gave form to the final film, the theatrical trailer, and a new essay by film critic Amy Taubin.

My Sister's Keeper DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:14:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Little Miss Stem Cells Sues for Independence in Dysfunctional Family Drama

When their daughter Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) is diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 2, Sara and Brian Fitzgerald (Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric) decide to do whatever it takes to save her life. And once her doctor explains that her best chance at beating the disease lies in finding a stem cell donor, they opt to harvest an exact genetic match via in vitro fertilization.

From birth, the test tube baby’s life becomes intertwined with that of her sickly sibling when tissue is taken from her umbilical cord. As time goes on, Anna (Abigail Breslin) is subjected to a series of increasingly-invasive procedures as she is stuck, poked and prodded for assorted extractions of platelets, blood and bone marrow.

By the time she’s 11, Little Miss Stem Cells is asked to donate one of her kidneys because her big sister’s are already failing. However, the surgeon warns that after this operation Anna will never be able to be a cheerleader or play soccer again for the rest of the life.

Fed up with being expected to make so many sacrifices, she enlists the assistance of an attorney (Alec Baldwin) to sue for Medical Emancipation. The lawsuit creates a rift between her parents which pushes the couple to the brink of divorce. For her mother, who abandoned her own legal career to care for Kate 24/7, suddenly sees Anna as selfish, while her father, a hard-working fireman, proves far more understanding.

Based on Jodi Picoult’s best-seller of the same name, My Sister's Keeper is a character-driven morality play of deceptive emotional depth. This remarkably-rich screen version was directed by Nick Cassavetes who went to great lengths to develop each of the principal player’s perspective of the fundamental, ethical life-or-death question at hand. Faithfully-adapted, except for the ending, this poignant, dysfunctional family drama marks the maturation of Cameron Diaz into a consummate thespian capable of handling the most challenging of material.

Furthermore, her powerfully-grounding performance is matched in intensity by those of Abigail Breslin as the taken for granted Anna; Sofia Vassilieva as the wasting away Kate; Jason Patric as the stoic family patriarch; Evan Ellingson as the brooding big brother; Alec Baldwin as a vulnerable crusader for the underdog; and Joan Cusack as a judge concerned about the best interest of the plaintiff.

A gut-wrenching tearjerker with a decent chance of landing on this critic’s annual 10 Best List.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated PG-13 for profanity, sensuality, mature themes, disturbing images and underage alcohol consumption.

Running time: 109 minutes

Studio: New Line Cinema

DVD Extras: Deleted scenes and trailers.

Skills Like This DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:52:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Wacky Sitcom about a Writer-Turned-Bank Robber Comes to DVD

Sick and tired of being a starving writer and having to support himself in a never-ending series of temp jobs, Max (Spencer Berger) decides to mull his options. Then, while being consoled in a diner by his best friends, Tommy (Brian D. Phelan) and Dave (Gabriel Tigerman), he impulsively walks directly across the street to pull off a brazen bank robbery in the middle of the day.
Not only does he disarm the guard like a veteran criminal but he’s even calm enough to flirt with a cute teller (Kerry Knuppe). After successfully making his escape, Max is elated to have found his true calling. Not surprisingly, Tommy and Dave don’t exactly agree and aren’t thrilled about becoming accomplices after the fact.
This is the wacky setup of Skills Like This, as charming a sitcom as one could hope to make on a micro-budget. The movie marks the remarkable directorial debut of Monty Miranda, who collaborated on the project with first-time actor/scriptwriter Spencer Berger.
The further the picture unfolds, the more complicated the plot becomes. First, Max picks up Lucy the bank teller at a nightclub, and brings her home to meet the parents. On his birthday, their lusty liaison blossoms into love, and she’s so smitten with the easily-identifiable outlaw that she’s willing to risk her career to be around the notorious bad boy with the exploding Jew fro.
Meanwhile, as Max continues to rob other establishments, the burning question becomes whether such a self-destructive path could possibly lead to a happy ending? Certainly, when you consider the fact that the clever screenplay was the brainchild of the star himself, a promising wunderkind clearly quite capable of writing himself out of any corner.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 86 minutes
Studio: New Video
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, cast and crew interviews, theatrical trailer and a biography of the filmmaker.

A Wink and a Smile DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:50:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: DVD Chronicles Semester at Striptease Academy

On the few occasions I’ve been to strip clubs to attend bachelor’s parties, I’ve always left depressed over how unappetizing the dancers were. Invariably, they’ve struck me as godawful actresses rather than the nymphomaniacs they pretended to be in order to separate me from my money as fast as possible. Furthermore, I could see right through their lame acts to the sad truth that many of these desperate drug addicts needed to sleep with customers to support their habits. Not my fantasy.
Those hardened whores cut a sharp contrast to the relatively-refreshing females to be found in A Wink and a Smile. Directed by Deirdre Timmons, this revealing documentary follows ten students as they learn the art of striptease over the course of a semester at Seattle’s Academy of Burlesque. Who knew there was even a school for this?
What makes this film fascinating is that the class is comprised of ordinary-looking, attractive women if you know what I mean, appealing but not the airbrushed models you would expect to find in Playboy. Most of these girl-next-door types are in their twenties and come from all walks of life, including a housewife, a college student, an opera singer, a physician and a taxidermist.
So, anyone watching A Wink and a Smile would naturally want to know, what makes the stars of the movie interested in exposing themselves. Director Timmons does an outstanding job at allowing each to explain both her motivations and her reservations in this regard, as they get closer to graduation. Surprisingly, their reasons turn out to be as diverse as their professions.
Besides the deep psychological analysis, the film does feature a lot of instruction about stripping, showing the girls learning everything from how to dance dirty (“Make believe you’re trying to draw on the ground with a pen stuck in your crotch.”) to what to do if a pasty falls off (“Never break the illusion.”). These students prove to be quick, if occasionally hesitant, learners of the bump and grind. The film culminates with their final exam which involves performing a carefully choreographed routine at a local burlesque house in front of a very appreciative audience.
Lovely ladies summoning up the courage to deliver some delightfully erotic, if simultaneously wholesome, adult entertainment. I just pray none of them are tempted to quit their day jobs.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 90 minutes
Studio: First Run Features
DVD Extras: Director’s interview, bonus scene, burlesque photo gallery and more.

Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:53:00 +0000

OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
by Kam Williams
For movies opening November 20, 2009

BIG BUDGET FILMS

The Blind Side (PG-13 for sexual references, drug use and brief violence) Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw co-star in this true, overcoming-the-odds tale about a wealthy white couple who adopt a homeless black teenager (Quinton Aaron) and help him pursue his dream of playing football in college and the pros.

Planet 51 (PG for mild action and suggestive humor) Animated sci-fi comedy about an astronaut (Dwayne Johnson) who lands on a planet inhabited by little green people living in a world eerily reminiscent of suburban America in the 1950s. Featuring voicework by Jessica Biel, John Cleese, Justin Long, Seann William Scott and Gary Oldman.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (PG-13 for violence and action) Second installment in Stephenie Meyer’s fantasy series finds 18 year-old Bella (Kristen Stewart) brokenhearted but in a budding relationship with her mysterious childhood friend, Jacob (Taylor Lautner), after her vampire lover Edward (Robert Pattinson) and the rest of the Cullen clan leave town to protect her from their craven bloodlust. Cast includes Dakota Fanning, Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene and Billy Burke.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (Unrated) Nicolas Cage handles the title role in this remake loosely-based on a 1992, NYC crime thriller, now set in post-Katrina New Orleans and chronicling the efforts of an amoral cop to solve the murder of several Senegalese immigrants. Cast includes Val Kilmer, Michael Shannon, Eva Mendes, Xzibit, Jennifer Coolidge, Fairuza Balk, Denzel Whitaker and Brad Dourif. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

Broken Embraces (R for profanity, sexuality and drug use) Magical drama dealing with themes of love and betrayal, and revolving around a grieving writer (Lluis Homar) left blind by the car accident which claimed the life of his lover (Penelope Cruz). With Blanca Portillo, Jose Luis Gomez and Tamar Novas. (In Spanish and English with subtitles)

Defamation (Unrated) Incendiary documentary directed by Israeli Yoav Shamir investigates the recent reemergence of anti-Semitism around the world to determine whether we’re on the verge of another Holocaust or just dealing with rumors being circulated by right-wing Zionists as a scare tactic. (In English and Hebrew with subtitles)

Fix (Unrated) Fact-based drama about a documentary filmmaker’s (Tao Ruspoli) desperate race to get his brother (Shawn Andrews) into rehab hours before he’s slated to start serving a three-year prison sentence for a drug violation.

Mammoth (Unrated) Cross-cultural drama, about a NYC website developer (Gael Garcia Bernal) with misgivings about cheating on his wife (Michelle Williams) with a struggling single-mom turned prostitute (Run Srinikornchot) he met while in Thailand on business. (In English, Thai and Tagalog with subtitles)

The Missing Person (Unrated) Neo-noir about a private detective (Michael Shannon) hired to track down a married man presumed dead since the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11. Cast includes Amy Ryan, Margaret Colin and John Ventimiglia.

Red Cliff (R for graphic warfare) John Woo directs this historical drama, set at the dawn of the 3rd Century during the final days of the Han Dynasty, depicting the epic Battle of Red Cliff in which the prime minister (Fengyi Zhang) led a million man army against rebel forces in Southern China. With Tony Leung, Chen Chang, Yong You and Wei zhao. (In Mandarin with subtitles)

Staten Island (R for profanity and violence) Crime saga, set in NYC, about a septic tank cleaner (Ethan Hawke) a MafiA boss (Vincent D’Onofrio) and a deaf deli worker (Seymour Cassel) whose lives become intertwined in the wake of a botched mob hit. (In English, French, Italian and sign language with subtitles)

The Good Soldier

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:38:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Pacifist Documentary Asks Tough Questions about the Meaning of War

Who do you think said, “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility?” You might be surprised to learn that these weren’t the words of a disgruntled GI gone AWOL but of Dwight Eisenhower, a five-star general who as president would also one day warn of the dangers of the Military-Industrial Complex.
Thus, it is fitting that his quote should appear emblazoned onscreen during the opening of The Good Soldier, a controversial documentary which takes a frank look at war through the eyes of five combat veterans. What is striking about these men who served in WWII, Vietnam and the Middle East conflicts is that none speaks in lofty platitudes when describing the nasty job they had performed more for self-preservation than for freedom or out of a love of country.
The subjects of this shocking expose’ uniformly describe the soldier’s lot as a soul-draining trap which exacts a heavy toll that lasts long after the return to civilian life. Consider Private Edward Wood, who earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart in France in 1944. You can still sense the aftereffects of his having fought in Europe permanently etched on his furrowed brow. “War is about one thing only,” he reflects in quiet contemplation. “It is about killing or being killed yourself, which is why I have come to loathe it.”
Then there’s Staff Sergeant Will Williams, a black man who recounts enlisting in the Army in 1966 because he “needed to get out of Mississippi” to avoid getting lynched over the bitter resentment he felt about racism. So, he married his high school sweetheart just before his deployment, and ended up spending his honeymoon in a foxhole in Vietnam. He admits to being driven by misplaced revenge over there where “the hate I had experienced growing up in the South expanded. I became an animal who could kill with no remorse.”
Captain Michael McPhearson, an African-American from Fayetteville, North Carolina, talks about how he and a buddy dropped out of high school to serve in Iraq after being treated to pizza and taken to see a fireworks display by a local recruiter. McPhearson recalls subsequently seeing “young men turn into psychopathic killers” while in the Middle East. As for himself, however, he held onto his humanity only to be unfairly labeled a conscientious objector for refusing to shoot innocent civilians.
Marine Staff Sergeant Jimmy Massey, a white guy who grew up in a trailer park, has a similar story. He regrets his tour of duty in Iraq, given that he hasn’t had a good night’s sleep since the day he followed orders to kill some unarmed Iraqi women and children. Finally, there’s Warrant Officer Perry Parks, a good ole boy from Rockingham, North Carolina who volunteered for Vietnam where he was “ordered to blow up houses with women and children inside.”
If you know any kid contemplating enlisting in the Armed Forces based on watching commercials with misleading slogans like “Accelerate your life,” or “Be all that you can be,” you might want to suggest that they watch The Good Soldier prior to making any life-altering decisions. For co-directors Lexy Levell and Michael Uys deserve a 21-gun salute for fashioning a sobering antidote to all that patriotic claptrap about serving God, country and apple pie.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 79 minutes
Studio: Artistic License Films

Step Out on Nothing (BOOK REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Step Out on Nothing:

How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges

by Byron Pitts

St. Martin’s Press

Hardcover, $24.99

310 pages, illustrated

ISBN: 978-0-312-57766-7

Book Review by Kam Williams

“We all have those defining moments in our lives. Moments of great joy. Moments of unspeakable sadness and fear. We usually think we’re alone. But if we look into the corners of our memories, we’ll find them—those people who had faith in us. Those times when a grace beyond earthly understanding touches us.

This is a story of those times. Those people. And the lessons they taught me.”

-- Excerpted from the Introduction (page 5)

Earlier this year, Byron Pitts became the heir apparent to Ed Bradley’s coveted spot on 60 Minutes when he was named a contributing correspondent to the long-running, television newsmagazine. While many might have deemed Mr. Pitts’ ascension to the plum position a natural outgrowth of his Emmy-winning work covering such major stories for CBS as the 9/11 Attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the Afghan War, the truth is that this talented reporter had to overcome a host of seemingly-insurmountable childhood challenges en route to turning himself into a great success story.

Byron and his siblings were raised in Baltimore by a single-mom who had the foresight to make the sacrifice to send him to the local Catholic school on her modest seamstress’ salary, even though they were Baptists who went to Church every Sunday. The teasing was already tough enough for her shy, sensitive, freckle-faced son, between his scrawny build and his thick, Coke bottle eyeglasses, so adding a parochial school uniform to the mix only served to make him more of a mark as he passed through the ‘hood.

For on top of that nerdy image, Byron not only suffered from a bad stutter, but for years hid the fact that he was also functionally illiterate. Fortunately, with the guidance of several critical mentors, he managed to turn all those stumbling blocks into stepping stones. He eventually mastered reading, writing and speaking without stammering, and went on to earn a BA in journalism and speech communications from Ohio Wesleyan University before embarking on his enduring, TV career.

Pitts humbly recounts these admirable achievements in Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges. The moving memoir proves to be as inspiring as it is sincere, with the potential to serve as a source of motivation for any individual who dares to dream big in the face of overwhelming learning disabilities.

He drives home the point that if he could do it, anyone can, via the matter-of-fact conclusion that, “There is nothing remarkable about my abilities or my intellect. I was simply blessed to be born in the greatest country on earth and blessed to have been surrounded by wonderful people who stood in the gap at every vital moment in my life.”

Congrats to Byron Pitts for having the guts to go public with such an intimate testimonial to the power of passion and persistence, especially when one has faith in God and strategic help along the way from some loving role models.

Gabby Sidibe: The "Precious" Interview

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:22:00 +0000

with Kam Williams

Headline: Gabby’s Precious Gabfest

GABOUREY "Gabby" SIDIBE was born in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn in 1983 to R&B/Gospel singer Alice Tan Ridley, and Ibnou Sidibe, a cab driver from Senegal. After her parents separated, Gabby was raised in Harlem by her mother who supported the family by teaching Special Ed and by singing in the subway.

A graduate of Washington Irving High School, Gabby was pursuing a degree in psychology at Mercy College and working as a telephone company customer service representative when she decided to try out for the title role in the movie Precious. Her audition so wowed director Lee Daniels that he had no hesitation about picking her over the 400 other actresses answering the casting call.

Here, Gabby talks about the film and her critically-acclaimed performance, both of which have Hollywood humming with early Oscar buzz.

Kam Williams: Hi Gabby, I loved the film and was blown away by your performance. .

Gabby Sidibe: Thank you!

KW: Tell me a little about your background.

GS: My dad’s from Senegal, and my mom’s from Georgia. But oddly, her roots trace back to Senegal, too. I was born in Bed-Stuy, and I lived there until right before I turned 8. That’s when we moved to Harlem.

KW: Do you know where Medgar Evers College is in Bed-Stuy?

GS: Yeah. My mom went to Medgar Evers.

KW: What a coincidence! That’s where I went to high school before it was turned into a college. Where did you go to high school?

GS: I attended Washington Irving High School.

KW: Another coincidence, that’s where my mother went.

GS: Really?

KW: Yep. What interested you in auditioning for the role of Precious?

GS: I’m not sure I had a serious interest. To be honest, my mom had told me to go audition for the part. In a weird way, I think I just kind of ended up there. Just the thought that I could be in the film was really, really interesting. I guess that’s part of the reason why I auditioned. But I auditioned with the absolute belief that I wasn’t going to get it.

KW: Lee told me that he had to audition over 400 actresses before he found you, and that the role of Precious was the most challenging one to fill. What do you think sold him on you?

GS: He said that he saw a lot of girls who were just like Precious, and that the difference with me was that I wasn’t anything like her, and that I was obviously acting. He didn’t want to be seen as possibly exploiting a girl similar to Precious, so I think that played a part in his decision, along with my giving a really good audition.

KW: What was it like acting opposite big stars like Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz?

GS: It was amazing! I felt very fortunate to get to work around people that I idolized.

KW: Did they live up to your expectations?

GS: As it turned out, every one of them was so much more awesome than I expected.

KW: And how’d you like being directed by Lee?

GS: Lee is just adorable, cute and so much fun! He’s a disarming genius with a very creative mind.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

GS: No one’s ever asked if I like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

KW: Okay, do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?

GS: Yep.

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

GS: [Chuckles] Yeah, I’m afraid of a lot of stuff, although I’m not really the nervous type. Like, I want to see the movie Paranormal Activity, but I’m afraid to go because I’ll believe it’s real. [Laughs]

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

GS: Earlier today, after reading to grammar school students with Paula Patton and Mariah. As we were leaving, a little girl yelled at me from across the schoolyard, “Gabby, I saw you on Ellen. You’re a really good dancer.” I thought it was just the cutest thing how she was so excited. That made me laugh pretty hard, and I’ve been doing impressions of her all day.”

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

GS: “Addicted” by Zane.

KW: I met Zane on a party aboard a boat recently. She’s really nice.

GS: Oh, I bet she is.

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What music are you listening to nowadays?

GS: At the moment, I’m listening to a lot of R&B. I really like Trey Songz. I also like Lady GaGa a lot. She certainly helps on car rides when I’m on my way to an interview or a photo shoot. I listen to a lot of what’s on the radio. I’m afraid I don’t stray away from the popular.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

GS: Ooh! I see myself! Usually, I’m really happy with what I see when I look at myself. I look into the mirror and I give myself pep talks, and coach myself to make it through the day, which isn’t hard to do. I congratulate myself for making it this far in life and for being the person I want to be.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

GS: There’s this weird thing that I’ve been doing lately. I live with roommates who are all boys, and if I ever do cook, it’s usually Top Ramen. Isn’t that terrible? [Laughs] I’ll add an egg to it, or maybe hamburger meat, and peas, or corn, or broccoli to go with it. But Top Ramen is pretty much always the starch dish. I like to tell people I’m a good cook, but I’m probably not. Sometimes, I make breakfast for everyone, and my roommates say they like it, but I’m not sure.

KW: The Flex Alexander question: How do you get through the tough times?

GS: By counting my blessings.

KW: The Mike Pittman question: Who was your best friend in childhood?

GS: My best friend still is Crystal Hawthorne. She and I met in the 5^th grade, and we’ve been best friends ever since. I have an endless amount of memories with her, and I know for sure that she’ll always be there for me.

KW: Lester Chisholm asks, why did you agree to portray this role?

GS: The short answer is to get out of college. [Giggles]

KW: Laz Lyles asks, when did all of this become real for you? When did it hit you that Precious was really taking off?
GS: I try to not let it become real to me. Because whatever state I’m in right now, is the best feeling ever. It doesn’t feel real to me. What does feel real is when people who’ve seen the film, like at the premiere the other day, come up to me and thank me. I don’t feel like I’ve done a service, but I appreciate that they think I’ve given them something. And then I’ll see Will Smith walk by and it becomes unreal again.

KW: Laz also asks, was there a kind of kinship among all the actors?

GS: Yes, we absolutely loved each other. I certainly had the best time of my life making some great relationships while filming this movie.

KW: Carmela Reimers asks: where does your happiness come from?

GS: From naps, sushi and watching “Oz.”

KW: Carmela has a follow-up. How do you think this sudden success will influence your future?

GS: I don’t know. I hope positively. I hope I can continue to act. I hope that I’ve shown Hollywood that even though I’m not blonde or a size 2, I’m still worthy of carrying a film.

KW: Do you consider yourself an intellectual?
GS: Intelligent? Yes, thank you. But an intellectual? Probably not. I’m way too goofy to be an intellectual.

KW: Carmela’s final question is, do you intend to pass on your good fortune? And by that she doesn't mean money.

GS: That’s cool, because I have no money. I absolutely do intend to. First of all, I have younger sisters. It’s amazing for me to be able to show them that someone from our neighborhood can achieve anything.

KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls was curious about what kind of internal emotional resources came into play when you created the character of Precious?

GS: Compassion. I had a lot of compassion for the character.

KW: Attorney Bernadette was wondering whether you read the book before reading the script.

GS: Yes, I read it about 4 years prior, and it split me open, emotionally.

KW: Bernadette asks if you think your studying psychology impacted your performance.

GS: I hope so. I hope I got something out of those 4 years I spent in college. I had read some books about the anatomy of a victim, and I certainly tried to carry that knowledge into Precious.

KW: Reverend Florine Thompson asks, how did you prepare spiritually to do this role?

GS: We prayed every day on the set. And I even prayed alone by myself during every moment of downtime on the set. I was actually on the worship team at my church, but had to take a leave of absence while making the film.

KW: Reverend Thopson asks whether you could see yourself as a spokeswoman on the issue of domestic violence.
GS: I don’t really have any experience as a spokesperson, but I’m willing to help out that cause in any way I can. I’m very fortunate not to have any experience in that area, but I do have experience in learning how to love myself and knowing what makes me happy.

KW: What is your long-term career goal?

GS: [Laughs] My goal is just to have a career. I hope to be able to do a lot of different types of films. To do a comedy, to play a romantic lead, and to do a lot of other different things.

KW: The good Reverend’s last question is: what is your source of inspiration?
GS: A lot of times it’s music. It’s also life in general: my friends, my roommates, my mom, my family.

KW: Marcia Evans asks: how have you matured from making this film?

GS: [Giggles] I’m pretty much about as mature as I was before. I operate on the level of about a 19 year-old. So, I probably haven’t matured much at all, which I think helps.

KW: Marcia also asks whether you were emotionally affected by the role.

GS: No, what I felt most was a responsibility to tell this girl’s story the best way I could. The fact that Lee Daniels chose me spoke volumes, and I wanted to measure up to what he thought I could be.

KW: Marcia concludes by saying that Precious will help to heal many young women who have been abused. She asks, if you realize that you are now a voice for the unspoken?

GS: Oh, “thank you” is all I can say to that.

KW: How do you feel about all the Oscar buzz Precious has been getting?

GS: It’s scary, and a tad premature. I’ve never been here before, so I don’t really know what it’s like to be in an Oscar-worthy film. It’s unnerving, but I’m also so grateful that anyone would consider associating our film with an Oscar or any other award.

KW: Well, best of luck with Precious, and I hope to speak with you again during awards season.

GS: Thank you so much.

The End of Poverty?

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:06:00 +0000

Headline: Globalization Documentary Discusses Paradox of Poverty in Era of Unparalleled Wealth

Why have so many Third World countries remained impoverished and underdeveloped even after gaining their independence from the European nations which had conquered and colonized them? This is the basic question addressed by The End of Poverty, an incendiary expose’ directed by Philippe Diaz. In essence, this damning documentary is a history lesson about the ugly underbelly of Western Civilization from 1492 up to the present.
For not long after Columbus “discovered” America, European countries began descending on the so-called New World, using both the bullet and the Bible to bend assorted indigenous peoples to their will. The Dutch focused primarily on Asia while the English assured themselves that the sun would never set on the ever-expanding British Empire. Even the Pope got into the act, awarding Africa to Portugal and South America to Spain by papal decree.
The basic thesis of the luminaries lending their insights to this thought-provoking project is that for 500+ years, white people have extracted the resources and oppressed the natives living in lands located in the planet’s Southern hemisphere. And that unfair economic relationship never changed substantially at the end of the era of colonization, since in most countries a handful of families continued to own the bulk of the business interests and the majority of productive real estate.
Former CIA consultant Chalmers Johnson indicts that Agency for serving as the private army of a succession of American presidents. He specifically alleges that the CIA was behind the assassination of a long list of populist leaders, like Lumumba in the Congo, Arbenz in Guatemala, Roldos in Ecuador, Torrijos in Panama, Qasim in Iraq and Mossadek in Iran. Similarly, John Perkins, author of “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man,” owns up to his role in the overthrow of numerous Third World rulers in order to replace them with corrupt puppets handpicked by the U.S.
The situation has degenerated to the point where over a billion people around the world are currently trying to survive on less than a dollar a day, and their prospects are only getting worse, given that the ownership of natural resources has become increasingly concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. In concluding, the picture suggests that this imbalance can only be corrected if the poor rise up and insist on reforms like the nationalization of land, mineral and water rights, and the taxation of the $11.5 trillion hidden by the rich in offshore accounts.
Solutions seemingly incompatible with capitalism, an economic system dependent on escalating expansionism and the incessant exploitation of cheap labor. So, why does poverty persist in the midst of unparalleled wealth? In a word, greed!

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In English, Spanish, Portuguese and French with subtitles.
Running time: 106 minutes
Studio: Cinema Libre Studio

Four Seasons Lodge

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:21:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Moving Documentary Chronicles Annual Gathering of Holocaust Survivors

I have a couple of friends with parents still alive who survived the Holocaust but have never written their memoirs or even spoken much about the host of horrors they had witnessed while interned in the concentration camp.
But after watching Four Seasons Lodge, I now fully understand why there just might not be words to describe what it was like to escape the mass genocide which claimed the lives of one’s entire family.
Just such a predicament is repeatedly recounted in this poignant picture directed by Andrew Jacobs. He shot his heartbreaking documentary on location at the aforementioned Four Seasons Lodge, a bungalow colony in the Catskills Mountains where a tight-knit group of Holocaust survivors have gathered ever summer for decades.
The season during which he shot was shaping up to be their final reunion, not only because their numbers were dwindling due to advanced age, but because the owner had finalized plans to sell the 46-acre, Borscht Belt resort to a real estate developer. Although director Jacob’s subjects seem concerned with more mundane matters like dancing, playing cards or the impending loss of their beloved retreat, he gently prodded them to reflect upon their World War II experiences.
Lola Wenglin recounts how she was liberated at the age of 19 after 5 years in the death camps only to discover that her parents, brothers and sisters had all gone to the ovens. Tobias Buchman says that his being a teenager probably saved him, since younger children and older folks were the first to be exterminated.
When Genya Boyman finds it difficult to speak, Basie Adelman immediately comes to her defense, protectively stating that she “doesn’t like to talk about it, because it affected her in a different way.” The best Genya can muster up is a story about how her granddaughter Jennifer always asks, Tell me a story… tell me a story! ”I tell her, ‘one day…” Then Genya’s voice trails off as she futilely shrugs in frustration, “All of us live with it.”
Ostensibly scarred by Hitler for life, each deals with the ongoing trauma in his or her own way. This one is still angry. “I am swallowing the tears. I cannot show them.” Meanwhile, that one wistfully asks why, “Of my 300 relatives, did only I survive?” Another wonders aloud “Why did God let it happen?” Yet another shares papers retrieved from Auschwitz detailing how Dr. Mengele had experimented on him.
Perhaps most poignant is the piercing wail of Cesia Potok emanating from a bedroom at dawn as her husband Carl patiently explains that this is how she often awakens. By contrast, Hymie Abramowitz probably proves the most eloquent when matter-of-factly summarizing why Four Seasons Lodge has so much meaning to him after so many years. “We survivors, we stick to each other. We just want to be together. We need it.”
Pack the Kleenex. One of the most emotionally-evocative documentaries about Holocaust survivors.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In English, Yiddish, Hebrew and Polish with subtitles.
Running time: 96 minutes
Studio: First Run Features

The Men Who Stare at Goats

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:16:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Reporter Uncovers Top Secret Psychic Unit in Conspiracy Theory Comedy

If you listen to the radio in the middle of the night, perhaps you’ve tuned in to Coast-to-Coast AM, that nationally-syndicated, radio talk show which gives credence to guests with wild theories about all sorts of paranormal activities. Well, if you’re entertained by patently preposterous discussions of ESP and mental telepathy, then The Men Who Stare at Goats is likely to be right up your alley.
The movie is based on the best seller of the same name by Jon Ronson, a British journalist claiming to have uncovered a top secret U.S. Army unit comprised of psychics capable of walking through walls and killing animals simply by staring at them, hence the self-explanatory title. The film version, directed by Grant Heslov, has been adapted to the screen by scriptwriter Peter Straughan as more of a comedy than a piece of investigative journalism.
The picture features a stellar cast, starting with Ewan McGregor as Bob Wilton, a depressed reporter desperate to find the meaning of life after being unceremoniously left by his wife (Rebecca Mader) for his boss (Todd La Tourrette). Then, while covering the war over in the Middle East, Bob stumbles upon a big scoop, when he encounters Lyn Cassady (George Clooney).
For Cassady reveals via both demonstrations and a series of vivid flashbacks that he is a member of the New Earth Army, a motley crew of metaphysical monks first founded by Vietnam vet Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) as a force for peace, not war. Over the course of the ensuing improbably adventure, Lyn explains the powers they have attempted to harness, such as communicating telepathically with submarines, seeing into the future, optimal trajectory, phasing, cloud bursting and psychic projection. Bob remains impressed, despite the fact that Lyn meets with varying degrees of success, proving better at predicting the flip of a coin, than at subduing the enemy with his mind after they’re kidnapped by terrorists.
The Men Who Stare at Goats is a one-trick pony, or should I say one-trick goat, which relies heavily on a slight variation of a running theme which gets stale pretty fast. What we have here is basically a bunch of delusional wackos being indulged by the U.S. government on the remote chance that they might actually be onto something. But how many times can you expect an audience to laugh at different versions of the same joke, whether the wannabe psychics are trying to bend a spoon, walk through a wall, drive blindfolded or elsewhat?
A flawed flick strictly for the paranoid conspiracy theory crowd.

Fair (1 star)
Rated R for profanity, drug use and brief nudity.
Running time: 93 minutes
Studio: Overture Films

William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:01:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Bio-Pic Chronicles the Life and Times of Late Civil Rights Lawyer

William Kunstler (1919-1995) was one of the most reviled figures of the 20th Century. For he was an attorney who not only represented controversial causes and unpopular people, but his approach in the courtroom involved exposing the racism and classicism permeating the legal justice system.
Always ahead of his time, Kunstler’s lifelong commitment to civil rights began when he went to Mississippi to defend Freedom Riders being arrested for trying to integrate lunch counters and other public accommodations. No hypocrite, he cared just as much about equality in his hometown of Rye, New York, where he successfully sued on behalf of a black couple trying to move into the lily-white enclave in 1960.
Over the course of his career, his services were retained by everyone from Malcolm X to Dr. Martin Luther King to H. Rap Brown to Stokely Carmichael to Abbie Hoffman to the American Indian Movement to Adam Clayton Powell to the Berrigan brothers. But he really first became a household name in his own right during the trial of the Chicago 8 who were arrested in the wake of the 1968 Democratic National Convention. That’s when he grew his hair long to match the manes of the hippies being railroaded, and when he was held in contempt of court for calling the judge a bigot.
Kunstler hated racism, and fundamental to his political philosophy was the notion that “lawyers shouldn’t be immune from the oppression” affecting their clients. Consequently, he gave his all, and was willing to put his own life on the line. Unfortunately, this approach took a toll on his family, especially his daughters, Emily and Sarah, the co-directors of William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe.
In this bittersweet bio-pic they not only recount their father’s exploits, but how they had to grow up with the specter of daily death threats and demonstrations in front of their home. Sadly, their father would only be posthumously vindicated for his spirited representation of innocent Harlem teens accused of raping the Central Park jogger.
But it is of little comfort to the African-American defendants that their names were belatedly cleared only after they’d already served lengthy prison terms. There had been a rush to judgment at the time of the trial which had the boys tried and convicted in the court of public opinion by everyone from Mayor Koch to Donald Trump who called for the death penalty in a full page ad in the New York Times.
A very moving tribute to an underappreciated hero who spent his life as a tireless defender of the defenseless.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 85 minutes
Studio: Arthouse Films

Pray the Devil Back to Hell (LIBERIAN) DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:22:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Documentary Chronicling Pacifist Feminists’ Triumph in Liberia Arrives on DVD

Liberia was founded in 1847 by former U.S. slaves shipped back to Africa by the American Colonization Society. Unfortunately, these repatriated blacks considered themselves superior to the indigenous peoples they encountered, and so they formed a society in which the descendants of African-Americans enjoyed elite class status.
The tensions which ensued between the two groups essentially remained unaddressed until everything came to a head in 1989. That was when the first of two civil wars erupted which combined would claim over 200,000 lives and last until 2003.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell recounts the story of how a ceasefire was finally achieved, namely, through the determined efforts of a coalition of Christian and Muslim women fed up with having to beg for food and to raise their children amidst incessant slaughter, raping and looting. Led by Leymah Gbowee, a mom with a toddler, and armed only with T-shirts, signs and a willingness to die for their cause, this intrepid sisterhood stood toe-to-toe with both President Charles Taylor and with the Sierra Leone-based rebels attempting to topple his oppressive regime.
What makes this documentary so compelling are the reams of archival footage which allow us to witness, firsthand, the fighting, the peace demonstrations and the negotiations which led to the ouster of the corrupt Americo-Liberian Taylor. Ultimately, he was replaced by native Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, sub-Saharan Africa’s first elected female head of state.
A salute is in order to director Gini Reticker for this glorious tribute to a bi-partisan band of unarmed women who succeeded where government and UN intervention had failed miserably. For against the odds, they somehow managed to turn chaos into calm by marching en masse and refusing to compromise on their non-negotiable demand that the madness end once and for all.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 72 minutes
Studio: Fork Films
Distributor: Passion River Films
DVD Extras: Leymah Gbowee on Billy Moyer’s Journal, her acceptance speech receiving the JFK Profile in Courage Award, and a theatrical trailer.

The Ugly Truth DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:21:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: “Ugly” Sitcom Comes to DVD

Abby Richter (Katherine Heigl) is the producer of a TV morning show in Sacramento suffering from poor ratings. Morale in the studio is so low that crew members have begun bickering with each other, even co-hosts Georgia (Cheryl Hines) and Larry Redding (John Michael Higgins) who happen to be married to each other.
Faced with the prospect of having her program cancelled, Abby grudgingly agrees to let her boss (Nick Searcy) make several programming changes. But she would never have guessed that the first person he’d hire would be a sexist like Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), a womanizer with a popular relationship advice show on public access television.
It turns out that just the night before, Abby happened to tune in to an episode of “The Ugly Truth” by accident. And she’d been so outraged by Mike’s misogynistic musings that she was prompted to call in to confront him on the air about his pronouncement that all men are shallow and only interested in a woman’s looks. Unfortunately, he got the better of the exchange, putting the anonymous caller on the defensive by insinuating that she was a lonely spinster.
Romantically-challenged Abby’s love life has admittedly been a disappointment, between focusing on her career and saving herself for the sort of perfect gentleman that macho Mike claims doesn’t exist. Of course, the two butt heads from the moment he arrives at the station the following morning, especially when he goes over her head to get approval for segments featuring everything from female Jello wrestling to a couple of brainless bimbos billed as “The Fun Bag Twins.”
So unfolds The Ugly Truth, a predictable battle-of-the-sexes comedy directed by Robert Luketic. Only in a formulaic Hollywood fairytale could an infuriated feminist like Abby eventually fall for a creepy cave man like Mike. The script (written by a trio of ostensibly self-hating females, by the way) has her going gaga over a date-rape advocate who believes that “Just because she says no doesn’t mean she means no.”
But worse than the implausible and patently offensive plotline is the picture’s relentlessly-raunchy brand of humor designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator in a decidedly-coarse fashion. Ugly, and that’s the truth!

Fair (1 star)
Rated R for sexuality and profanity.
Running time: 96 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: 6 deleted scenes, 2 alternate endings, gag reel, select scene commentary by the director and producer, and a couple of featurettes.

Enlighten Up! DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:45:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: DVD Follows Cynic’s Search for Inner Peace through Yoga

29 year-old Nick Rosen was already a little skeptical about the value of yoga when he decided to embark on a personal quest to find out whether it could transform his nagging discontent into a state of bliss the way it seems to do for so many others. So, he agreed to allow his friend, filmmaker Kate Churchill, an avid yoga enthusiast, to follow him around with a camera as he traveled from New York to India, stopping at a variety of gyms, clubs and ashrams along the way in search of inner peace.

Were the yogis they encountered really capable of cosmic healing, or was the industry just a sham scamming millions of Westerners inclined to consume spirituality in the same way they way buy sneakers and hot dogs? I think Nick was half-hoping to find a legit alternative to the life he’d been leading, since the Quebec-born journalist freely admitted to being unsatisfied with his current, mainly materialistic path.

The upshot of his half-year endeavor is this charming little documentary called Enlighten Up!, an alternatively funny and revealing flick which dares to knock some seemingly sacrosanct gurus off their lofty pedestals. The movie succeeds primarily because of the contrast between the approaches to yoga taken by ever-battling Nick and Kate, the former being an irreverent Doubting Thomas, while the latter is decidedly deferential to the shamans they seek out.

In the end, alas, neither one’s attitude changed much, leading the viewer inexorably to the conclusion that the answer to the question of whether the practice of yoga holds the key to nirvana just might be in the eye or the soul of the beholder. Ommmmm….

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 82 minutes

Studio: Docurama Films

DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, photo montage of Northern India, filmmaker biography and extended interviews.

Bruno DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:23:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Bruno DVD Doesn’t Measure Up to Borat

Borat, a shock comedy chronicling the misadventures of a crass journalist from Kazakhstan as he traveled across the U.S., was, in this critic’s opinion, the funniest film of 2006. Its star, Sacha Baron Cohen, landed an Oscar nomination for writing that faux documentary which employed a controversial bait-and-switch casting style to dupe a series of unsuspecting straight men to unwittingly make absolute fools of themselves.

Wonders do cease. For Cohen’s is back as Bruno, an aggressively-gay Austrian who comes to America to conquer Hollywood. But where Borat brilliantly employed an experimental approach to guerilla moviemaking, that cinematic innovation already feels played out in this derivative sequel. The film’s fatal flaw rests in the fact that, this time around, virtually all, if not all of the participants were obviously in on the joke.

This begs the question, if Cohen is not posing as gay here to elicit authentic, homophobic responses to expose bigotry, what exactly is his reason for filling the screen with the feigned reactions of folks pretending to be outraged by Bruno’s flamboyance? Unfortunately, the character’s over the top antics seem designed more to inflame passions and thus encourage gay-bashing than to teach any sorely-needed lessons about tolerance.

For example, very effeminate Bruno takes an orphan he’s adopted overseas onto a Jerry Springer-ish TV talk show and informs the host that he has given the toddler a traditional African name, “O.J.” In addition, the child is dressed in a shirt emblazoned with the word “Gayby,” suggesting that he plans to raise the boy to be a homosexual. Such a deliberate provocation proves to be red meat for the mostly black audience which predictably erupts into rage.

Because such scenes seem staged, one has to wonder exactly what emotions they are supposed to evoke, for Bruno is neither funny nor clever, just a terminally-annoying jerk. An over-indulgence in vulgarity of no redeeming social value apt to set back gay-straight relations.

Poor (0 stars)

Rated R for profanity, sexuality, pervasive crude humor and graphic nudity.

Running time: 82 minutes

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

DVD Extras: An hour of alternative, deleted and extended scenes, enhanced commentary by Sacha Baron Cohen and the director, and an interview with Hollywood agent Lloyd Robinson.

Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:27:00 +0000

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

by Kam Williams

For movies opening November 13, 2009

BIG BUDGET FILMS

2012 (PG-13 for profanity and intense disaster sequences) Epic adventure about the heroic efforts of an academic researcher (John Cusack) to lead a group of survivors to safety in the wake of an apocalyptic global event which devastates the planet, leaving humanity on the brink of extinction. Ensemble cast includes Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover and Woody Harrelson.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox (PG for action, smoking and slang) Wes Anderson directs this animated comedy about three mean farmers (Michael Gambon, Robin Hurlstone and Hugo Guinness) who join forces to catch the clever fox (George Clooney) that’s been raiding their chicken coops. Voice cast includes Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe and Jason Schwartzman.

Pirate Radio (R for profanity, sexuality and brief nudity) Raucous musical comedy, set in the Sixties, revolving around a crew of eight rogue DJs illegally broadcasting rock and roll from a renegade radio station operating on a ship in the North Sea, much to the chagrin of the British government. Cast includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Dare (R for profanity, sexuality and underage alcohol consumption) Coming-of-age drama revolving around a high school senior (Emmy Rossum) who becomes embroiled in a love triangle when she and her gay best friend (Ashley Springer) both become infatuated with the same mysterious classmate (Zach Gilford).

The End of Poverty? (Unrated) Globalization expose’ examines why so many people all over the world continue to suffer at a time of unparalleled corporate wealth. (In French, Spanish, English and Portuguese)

Four Seasons Lodge (Unrated) Borscht Belt documentary chronicling what might be the final gathering of a rapidly-dwindling group Holocaust survivors who have reunited at a resort in the Catskills every summer to celebrate their lives.

The Good Soldier (Unrated) Postwar documentary poses the question “What makes a good soldier?” to five veterans of WWII, Vietnam and the Middle East conflicts.

The Hand of Fatima (Unrated) Mystical documentary about the friendship forged between NY Times critic Bob Palmer and a legendary band of Sufi musicians from Morocco.

The Messenger (R for profanity, sexuality and nudity) Romance drama about a wounded, U.S. Army veteran (Ben Foster) who finds himself facing an ethical dilemma when he gets involved with a war widow (Samantha Morton) he’s just informed about the death of her husband. Supporting cast includes Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi and Yaya DaCosta. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

Oh My God (Unrated) Chicken or egg documentary asking folks from all walks of life “Did God create man or did man create God?” Interviewees include Hugh Jackman, Ringo Starr, David Copperfield, Bob Geldof, Seal and Baz Luhrmann.

Uncertainty (Unrated) Bifurcated drama featuring a pair of parallel tales detailing the divergent fates which await a young couple (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lynn Collins) following their outcome of a flip of a coin on the Brooklyn Bridge on July 4^th.

William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe (Unrated) Political bio-pic about the life and times of the late civil rights lawyer whose controversial clients included Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, H. Rap Brown, Stokely Carmichael, Abbie Hoffman, Adam Clayton Powell and the Berrigan brothers.

Women in Trouble (R for sexuality and profanity) Ensemble comedy chronicling an eventful day-in-the-life of ten women living in L.A., including a pregnant porn star (Carla Gugino) and a pair of strippers (Adrianne Palicki and Emmanuelle Chriqui). With Dolly Parton, Simon Baker, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elizabeth Berkley, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon and Marley Shelton.

Endgame

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:20:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: South African Docudrama Chronicles Demise of Apartheid

While most people are well aware of the years of civil unrest which led to the demise of Apartheid in 1994, not as many know about the secret talks that simultaneously transpired for almost a decade between the South African government and the African National Congress (ANC), the political party spearheading the independence movement. Since the racist regime officially opposed the notion of negotiating with terrorists, President P.W. Botha (Timothy West) couldn’t let the white minority know that he had, in fact, dispatched an emissary to England to meet with a representative of the outlawed ANC.

A series of clandestine meetings were set up by Michael Young (Jonny Lee Miller) an executive with Consolidated Goldfields, a British mining company with financial interests in the region and thus a big stake in a smooth transition to majority rule. So, Young enlisted Professor Will Esterhuyse (William Hurt) to serve as an intermediary between the two warring factions. Esterhuyse reluctantly accepted the assignment and would play a pivotal role in getting ANC leader Thabo Mbeki (Chiwetel Ejiofor) to speak on behalf of imprisoned Nelson Mandela (Clarke Peters) while Dr. Niel Barnard (Mark Strong) did the same for the Boer-Afrikaners.

The ensuing intellectual confrontation is the focus of Endgame, a powerful docudrama directed by Pete Travis (Omagh). Given that the movie revolves mostly around discussions, don’t expect much n the way of action and you won’t be disappointed. The picture is nonetheless fairly intriguing, especially when presenting the contrast of what politicians were saying in public at a time when they were simultaneously so desperate to cut a deal.

For instance, F.W. de Klerk (Matthew Marsh) is shown arrogantly dismissing Mandela’s words as “existential ramblings about universal suffrage,” despite being frightened by the escalation of attacks on whites, such as the bombing of a shopping center in Johannesburg which claimed the lives of a number of civilians.

But Mbeki kept his pedal to the medal, making no concessions on equality, insisting that “only when we can fully participate in a democratic process will armed struggle become obsolete.” The popular movement ultimately prevailed, of course, which proved to be no mean feat, given that Apartheid enjoyed the military backing of the United States, particularly over the course of the Reagan administration.

Yet, Mbeki, who would later follow Mandela as President, sought reconciliation rather than revenge once the hostilities ceased, saying “If we are to truly win our freedom, we must first banish bitterness,” An inspirational tale chronicling the contributions of a few unseen players in the South African struggle for independence.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated PG-13 for violence, profanity and disturbing images.

In English, Afrikaans and Xhosa with subtitles.

Running time: 109 minutes

Studio: Monterey Media

The Conversation (BOOK REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:07:00 +0000

The Conversation:

How Black Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships

by Hill Harper

Gotham Books

Hardcover, $22.50

288 pages, illustrated

ISBN: 978-1-592-40475-9

Book Review by Kam Williams

“One of the things I’ve heard a lot from young brothers and sisters during my recent travels is ‘I want a woman like Michelle’ or ‘Why can’t I meet a together brother like Barack?’ In truth, they might be that person every day. These young people are seeing the finished product, the result of years and years of work and struggle…

I jokingly remind sisters that when Michelle met Barack, the car he was driving around in had a hole in the floor of the passenger’s side so big that you could see the street… People tend to look for status in a mate when they should be looking for potential… and that means looking beyond the external.”

-Excerpted from Chapter 9 (pages 103-104)

After winning NAACP Image Awards for his best-selling children’s books “Letters to a Young Brother” and “Letters to a Young Sister,” Hill Harper decided to write one for adults. The Conversation: How Black Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships does dole out plenty of practical love advice, even though the author’s never been married and freely admits to a checkered past in terms of dating.

Half how-to tome, half intimate memoir, The Conversation is divided

between the battle-of-the-sexes and Harper’s frustration at his own failure to find a lifemate. The latter aspect of the text proves more compelling than trite, ubiquitous maxims like “Let your feelings show” and “Think outside the box,” since Hill eventually falls for Nichole, a single-mom from D.C. he first met years ago at a friend’s wedding.

In this ill-conceived opus, however, he makes the tactical error of going public with his feelings, announcing to the world that “This beautiful Black queen is my great blessing here on earth.” And in his concluding chapter, he waxes romantic about their solid future together, despite the odds against long-distance liaisons when one person’s on the East Coast while the other lives out in L.A.

Regrettably, the couple has reportedly already called it quits, which makes you wonder why Hill’s editors didn’t try to talk him out of mixing business and pleasure on the pages of his book, especially given his spotty track record. Sorry, it’s kind of hard to take any advice from a bachelor-turned-relationship guru who didn’t see this safe falling from the sky or at least have the common sense to keep his private life private.

Precious

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:48:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Lee Daniels’ Long-Anticipated Sundance-Winner Lives up to the Buzz.

Precious is finally arriving in theaters after being the beneficiary of practically a year’s worth of buzz since winning a trio of trophies at Sundance, including that prestigious film festival’s equivalent of Best Picture. I’m happy to be the bearer of the good news that the movie more than lives up to the critical acclaim.
Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire, that relentlessly-raw best seller has been faithfully adapted by Lee Daniels, the producer of Monster’s Ball, the flick for which Halle Berry won her Academy Award in 2002. There’s a good chance that Daniels is about to repeat that historic feat, for he has coaxed an Oscar-quality performance out of comedienne-turned-actress Mo’Nique, who is riveting here as one of the most monstrous screen villains in memory.
Set in Harlem in 1987, this remarkably-realistic tale of woe is narrated by Clareece “Precious” Jones (Gabby Sidibe), an overweight and illiterate, 16 year-old still in junior high. She claims to enjoy Math class because, instead of opening her textbook, she simply sits there fantasizing about sleeping with her teacher, Mr. Wicher (Ean Sheehy). However, as the film further unfolds, being behind a few grades turns out to be the least of the portly pepperpot’s problems.
Over the protests, ”I do my work,” and “My grades is good,” Precious is still suspended from school for being pregnant. We also learn that she is not only expecting, but already has a daughter with Down Syndrome. So, between the absentee-father who impregnated her, and the relentlessly-abusive mother (Mo’Nique) who insists she’ll never amount to anything, it’s no surprise that Precious frequently escapes into a parallel universe where she daydreams about being rescued from her nightmarish existence by “a light-skinned boyfriend with good hair.”
But while desperately awaiting that proverbial “knight in shining armor” to materialize, Precious finds herself repeatedly slapped in the face, whether literally, by her mom, or figuratively, by a social service bureaucracy way too willing to let her slip through the cracks. The all but lost teen is shuttled back and forth between well-meaning, if ineffective lifelines, like her clueless welfare case-worker (Mariah Carey) and a kindly nurse (Lenny Kravitz).
Tragically, no one seems to have any answers until Precious’ goes back to school where her compassionate GED teacher (Paula Patton) takes a special interest in her well-being. Nonetheless, nurturing the self-esteem of a life-long doormat calls for a Herculean effort that might prove beyond the resources of resolute Ms Rain.
As poignant as it is shocking, Precious stands as an undeniably authentic contrast to those ghetto fabulous adventures celebrating macho, misogynistic, malevolent and misanthropic behavior presumably of no emotional consequence. A searing, inner-city saga of transformation and triumph, and a masterpiece not to be forgotten during awards season.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for child abuse, sexual assault, violence, pervasive profanity, ethnic slurs and mature themes.
Running time:110 minutes
Studio: Lionsgate Films

Lee Daniels: The “Precious” Interview

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:09:00 +0000

with Kam Williams

Headline: Euphoric Lee

Lee Louis Daniels was born in Philly on December 24, 1959.

The iconoclastic director/producer’s own life story is every bit as raw as the films he creates. Overcoming assorted childhood adversities, he founded and was running his own health care agency by the age of 21, providing nurses to private homes and hospitals while simultaneously trying to become a scriptwriter.

After selling his business, and abandoning screenplays, Lee began managing such actors as Loretta Divine, Michael Shannon, Natassja Kinski, and Aishwarya Rai. As a consequence of the frustration he encountered while searching for great projects for his clients, he later turned to producing, and the natural leap to directing soon followed thereafter.

Monster’s Ball, for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002, was the initial offering of Lee Daniels Entertainment. The movie also marked Mr. Daniels as the first solo African-American producer of an Oscar-winning film. He subsequently produced The Woodsman, made his directorial debut with Shadowboxer, and then produced Tennessee.

Here, he talks about new movie, Precious, the critically-acclaimed screen adaptation of Sapphire’s best-selling novel, “Push.” The picture stars Gabby Sidibe in the title role, along with an all-star cast which includes Mo’Nique, Mariah Carey, Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz and Sherri Shepherd. The movie has been the beneficiary of considerable Oscar-buzz since winning three awards at Sundance Film Festival last January, including best picture.

Kam Williams: Lee, I loved the film, and I have lot of questions, but they told me I can only have 10 or 15 minutes with you, so I have to ask you to keep your answers brief in order to touch on everything.

Lee Daniels: To hell with the minutes! We can delve deeply into it. Don’t think about the time.

KW: Great! What inspired you to adapt “Push” to the screen?

LD: Its truth. I read the book, and it just left me gasping for air. I couldn’t believe it. My mouth was open as I turned page after page. I was like, “What the [bleep]?” And yet it was so truthful. I had never seen truth written in such a way. So, I had to have it. I became obsessed with it like a lover. I slept with it under my pillow.

KW: I assume the abuse issues struck a nerve because you had experienced that as a child yourself.

LD: I did. That’s part of the film, and it’s certainly something that I identify with. But through the abuse and through the darkness, I actually identify more with the sense of loving yourself, of finding self-love and ultimately loving yourself. That’s what I identify most with, because it took me a long time to love myself and not be so hard on myself. That’s what makes the movie not just a black film, but a universal story.

KW: One of the questions I routinely ask in my interviews is, What has been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome in life? And I’m always surprised at the number of celebrities who answer something like “self-acceptance” or “self-love.”

LD: That’s deep, isn’t it?

KW: Yeah. How are you enjoying all the critical acclaim the film is receiving?

LD: I don’t read the reviews, the blogs, or anything else. Instead, I feel the audience when I show the film. And that’s my only experience with connecting to people around Precious. I cry inside when people are standing and clapping for me, and sometimes I even cry on the outside. And I often just have to walk away from it, because I have my own issue with accepting people’s embracing the film. It’s hard for me to accept love. I wish I could lie to you and tell you that it’s easy for me, but it’s not.

KW: How was it collaborating with Sapphire on bringing her book to the screen and having her on set during the shooting?

LD: It took me forever to talk her into letting me have the book. She was fine with it remaining solely in the literary form, and didn’t want anyone to throw it onto the screen. She’s a scholar and true artist who doesn’t really care about Hollywood. She’d already been courted by Hollywood. I think she believed that a bad screen version would reflect badly on her novel. She finally came around when she finally realized that whether the film was good or bad wouldn’t affect her great piece of literature one way or another.

KW: Why was she so protective of the book? Is it autobiographical?

LD: No, not in the least! I thought it was, because it was so real. How could anybody make all this up? But Sapphire’s a teacher, and Precious is a composite of many of her students’ lives.

KW: Why did you change the title from Push to Precious? Because of that Djimon Hounsou film Push that came out in February?

LD: Yeah, we had to. I didn’t feel good about it at first, but I accepted it. However, now I love the title, because the word “precious” has a couple of great double meanings.

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks, do you think the film will open a new dialogue about child abuse, incest and teen pregnancy in the African-American community?

LD: It better! I certainly hope so. That’s my objective here. That people will see the film and walk away from it open to discussion. But like I said before, it’s not just about abuse. It really is about learning to love yourself. And it’s also about literacy, and homophobia.

KW: It also touched in a subtly-powerful way on issues having to do with skin color, hair and class within the black community.

LD: Yeah, I’ve had all types of beautiful girls tell me that they ugly when they look in the mirror, as if it’s someone else’s reflection they see. So, yes we see it through Precious’ eyes, because she’s this black girl, but I think the film can resonate with anyone. You know, it was adapted into a play in London, and the whole cast was white.

KW: Where did you find the confidence to cast comediennes like Mo’Nique and Sherri Shepherd, and singers like Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz?

LD: They’re all friends, and I really like working with friends. I’m always more comfortable and in a good place when I’m with friends because I know they trust me. I’m able to get great performances from people who trust me.

KW: How about casting Gabby Sidibe in the title role?

LD: It was the hardest role to cast. I interviewed over 400 girls before I found her. She blew me away. Her smarts is what did it. She’s so smart!

KW: What was it like to win at Sundance?

LD: Out of body! I felt so honored even to be there. So, when you end up winning, it’s an out of body experience. I can’t even describe it to you. There’s no word to describe it. I felt, “Oh my God, I’m not worthy of this. All these other filmmakers have worked just as hard as I have.” I saw some other films that I thought were as good, but I guess people connected to Precious on another level.

KW: What were the biggest challenges you faced in making this film?

LD: Really, there were none. This was the easiest movie I’ve made. I don’t know how I found Gabby. It was almost like we had angels over us. And then to have Oprah Winfrey call me! I think God has been looking over me, because I decided to talk about a girl that we never see, to focus on a face that we see everyday, yet we don’t REALLY see her.

KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks, did you have any hesitation about bringing Push to the screen, since it’s, in many ways, a salacious story that ties into all the negative stereotypes many people have about the black family?

LD: I did. When I first put the film together, it was in front of some white people. I thought, “I don’t know about this,” since it’s such a personal story. But not long thereafter, when I had this Chinese lady cry in my arms after watching it, I realized that I needed to get over myself because it was a universal story where the characters just happen to be black.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

LD: Yeah. No one picks up on the irony of the picture’s hero, the teacher [played by Paula Patton], being a lesbian which is someone Precious has been told all of her life is a bad person by a mother [played by Mo’Nique] who’s been sexually-abusing her. That’s crazy!

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

LD: Yeah, sometimes, but I have true faith in God. So, I step out of my fear through prayer. I’m afraid for my kids sometimes, for their safety running the streets of New York and on the subway by themselves. Because there are some sick [bleeps] out there, so I get nervous. That’s my biggest fear. But they’re okay.

KW: Do you still live in Harlem? That’s where you were living the last time we spoke.

LD: No, I moved to midtown Manhattan.

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

LD: [Chuckles] Yep, I’m happy! I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

LD: [LOL] Just minutes ago, with this African-American journalist. After seeing the movie, she came right up to me and said, “Lee, there you go being naughty again.” I laughed so heartily.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

LD: The Bible. That’s mandatory reading for me. I wish I could say something more profound, but I’m finishing up the Bible. I’m in the Book of Revelations right now. Otherwise, I’m constantly reading scripts, which doesn’t leave me any time to get to my pile of books. I need a vacation! But I want to hurry up and get to Pete Dexter’s “The Paperboy.” I’m very anxious to read that.

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What music are you listening to nowadays?

LD: I’m sort of obsessed with Nona Hendryx right now, who was one of the members of Labelle. She’s no joke. She’s incredible. I’m sort of feeling her right now, now that I know who I am.

KW: What has been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?

LD: Knowing that my father loved me. I had a lot of issues with him. Not until recently, when I was already in my 40s, did I realize how much he loved me. Is that too personal? As for ordinary obstacles, I have never taken “no” for an answer, so I’ve always been blessed enough to get what I want.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

LD: I see a little bloat from last night’s alcohol that I’d like to figure out how to drop, because I have to be on TV in a couple minutes. [Laughs] How vain is that?

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

LD: I cook an incredible potato salad, incredible fried chicken and incredible cornbread.

KW: Southern soul food staples.

LD: Those are the three things that my mom taught me to cook that I’ve been commended on.

KW: The Flex Alexander question: How do you get through the tough times?

LD: With prayer and by leaning on the shoulders of friends. I have a couple of really great friends who support me and help me deal with my neuroses.

KW: The Laz Alonso question: How can your fans help you?

LD: [Shouts] My fans? I don’t know. Do I have fans? By coming out and supporting my film. That would be nice.

KW: The Boris Kodjoe question: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?

LD: My kids. I’m just really, really, really, really, really proud of them.

KW: Yale University grad Tommy Russell asks, what do you think about Iran’s tentative agreement to export enriched uranium to Russia and France. Do you think Iran will continue to enrich uranium secretly?

LD: Oh my God! [Laughs] I don’t have an answer for that. I’m not adept to answer that intelligently, but I clearly disagree with it. I’m not a politician. I just make movies and raise kids.

KW: Tommy was also wondering what’s your favorite scary film, and film overall?

LD: My favorite scary film is Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte. That scared the [bleep] out of me, even more than Rosemary’s Baby or The Exorcist. There’s something really disturbing about what happens to Charlotte. It’s really a sick film. I’d say my favorite film of all time is Gone with the Wind.

KW: Producer Dianne Cleare who was at the Lincoln Center Film Festival's premiere of Precious, also attended the director's dialogue session with you afterwards. She said she enjoys your work but was most inspired by your graciousness and realness, and would love to work with you in the future.

LD: Really? That’s so sweet. Tell her to get in touch with me at Facebook.

KW: Will do. The Rudy Lewis question: Who’s at the top of your hero list?

LD: Oprah Winfrey.

KW: How do you want to be remembered?

LD: For my work, and for my honesty. As a good, honest man who tried to do the best that he could at whatever he did. I’m currently doing cinema. If I decide to give this up for teaching, I hope people remember me as a good teacher.

KW: What’s your next movie, Selma, about?

LD: It’s a moment in time, about what happened there between Lyndon Johnson and Martin Luther King.

KW: Thanks for the time, Lee, and best of luck with Precious.

LD: All right, man, have a good one.

How to Seduce Difficult Women

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:48:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Womanizer Teaches Nerds in Battle-of-the-Sexes Comedy

Philippe (Louis-Do de Lencquesaing), a charming Frenchman living in Manhattan, feels free to have his way with women, since he’s married to a bitchy wife. So, he’s currently carrying on a steamy affair with Betty (Opal Alladin), an attractive black woman who has no idea her husband Tiger is coming home from a business trip earlier than expected. Philippe lets himself out of the couple’s townhouse just as her spouse is about to enter, leaving it to his disheveled mistress to explain exactly who the handsome stranger he just passed was.

Rather than worry about her awkward predicament, he simply moves on to his next conquest, namely, Mercedes (Ann Hu), his Asian-American dentist. But when she wisely rejects the hopelessly horny philanderer, he next takes a shot at Maureen (Alexa Havins), a sultry Southern Belle. He even has the nerve to fantasize about his shrink during a session with her about his sex addiction problem.

Convinced that what the world needs now is more creepy womanizers like himself, Philippe decides not only to write a how-to book delineating his modus operandi but also to teach a course on it as well. The text, the course and this movie chronicling his students’ ensuing misadventures are all entitled “How to Seduce Difficult Women,” a battle-of-the-sexes comedy which is basically a sloppily-edited, series of unfunny, disconnected sketches adding up to far less than the sum of its parts.

The movie marks the writing/directorial debut of Richard Temtchine, a cosmetologist whose prior claim to fame was having the late Grace Kelly as a client. His flick essentially revolves around the dates and fates of the ten men who enroll in Phillipe’s class, a motley crew of romantically-challenged losers.

The knuckle-dragging Neanderthal suggests that his socially-awkward pupils adopt an aggressive, cave man approach, as if females are uniformly docile and desire to be dominated. He even supplies a blow-up doll, Sabrina, for them to practice on. His advice subsequently works for them to varying degrees, however the overriding sexist theme doesn’t work for the audience, given that we’ve come a lot farther in terms of relating than merely dragging women off after conking them on the head with a club.

Memo to Richard: don’t quit that day job as a hair stylist.

Fair (1 star)

Unrated

Running time: 90 minutes

Studio: Zipline Entertainment

The Betrayal (LAOTIAN) DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:38:00 +0000

(Nerakhoon)
DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: DVD Chronicles Laotian Refugees’ Assimilation in America

Few people knew during the Vietnam War that the CIA was simultaneously financing and backing a puppet government in nearby Laos. In order to eradicate pockets of Viet Cong in the country, the previously-neutral nation proceeded to allow the U.S. to drop more bombs inside Laos than had been used in WWI and WWII combined.
Among the traitors selling out his homeland was the father of Thavisouk Phrasavath, a military man whose job involved directing B-52s on their missions. However, following the fall of Saigon, the GIs high-tailed it out of Southeast Asia, leaving the local collaborators holding the bag.
After Thavisouk’s father was arrested and imprisoned, most of the family emigrated to America including him, his mother and seven of his siblings. When they were brought directly to the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, they actually panicked, fearing that they had somehow been mistakenly relocated to Africa since so many of their new neighbors were black. But they adjusted to life in their new environment, despite having to share a two-bedroom apartment with eight strangers from Cambodia and Vietnam.
Their whole challenging ordeal is recounted in The Betrayal, a documentary that’s difficult to stomach on a lot of levels. For, not only did these lost souls suffer the loss of their beloved patriarch, which led to the crumbling of the family structure, but they had to deal with the cultural shock of the melting pot to deal with, too. And there was no turning back, because they couldn’t return to Laos because of Papa P’s having collaborated with the enemy.
One of those overcoming the odds tales which you could easily see adapted into a touching feelgood saga, if stripped of its sorrowful and sobering elements. No such luck, here, as this warts and all expose’ is designed to leave you outraged about the way America treats naive allies and about the unresolved, ugly fallout of the Vietnam conflict.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In English and Laotian with subtitles.
Running time: 92 minutes
Studio: The Cinema Guild
DVD Extras: Director’s commentary, Q&A with the director and co-director, conversation with the director and composer, archival footage and newsreels, montage of Laos, additional scene, theatrical trailer, photo gallery, filmmaker biographies and more.