The Critical Filmmaker

Film:   Little Fish Starring :  Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Dustin Nguyen, Sam Neill, Martin Henderson, Joel Tobeck Director:   Rowan Woods   Screenwriter :  Jacqueline Perske Based on a short film by Rowan Woods called Tran the Man , Little Fish is about a woman trying to turn her life around after beating her drug habit, but no matter what that life keeps rearing its ugly head and she must take extreme measures to start fresh. Cate Blanchett is Tracy, a manager at a local video store who dreams up the idea of expanding the business to the internet.  Sadly, she doesn't have the money to do it.  Her brother, Ray (Martin Henderson) meanwhile, is still involved in drug dealing, despite her best efforts to steer him otherwise.  Then there's Lionel (Hugo Weaving), an addict who finds himself cut off from his supplier (Sam Neill) who claims to be retiring from the business.  Tracy as a thing for Lionel, but his drug habit gets in the way. Enter Jonny (Dustin Nguyen) a

Film:   Pope Joan Starring :  Johanna Wokalek, David Wenham, John Goodman, Ian Glen, Edward Petherbridge Director: Sönke Wortmann   Screenwriter :  Donna Woolfolk Cross (novel), Heinrich Hadding (screenplay), Sönke Wortmann (screenplay) Although not released in the US yet, I was able to obtain a DVD from Germany and see this film.  Mired in controversy, Pope Joan is about a woman (played by German actress Johanna Wokalek) who apparently became Pope without anyone realizing that she was female until she gave birth to a child. The film and the novel carry the story a bit further by introducing a love interest named Gerold (David Wenham), who would do anything for her, including keeping her dark secret. The film depicts Joan's life from childhood through to adulthood where she is often met with resistance from her peers when she demonstrates her knowledge for the Catholic teachings.  The idea of a female going to school, especially a Catholic one, was forbidden in those t

Film:   Angel-A Starring :  Jamel Debbouze, Rie Rasmussen, Gilbert Melki, Serge Riaboukine Director:   Luc Besson   Screenwriter :  Luc Besson French with English Subtitles Luc Besson is one of those filmmakers who can really surprise you.  Some of his films are truly amazing, while others feel a little flat.  One thing's for certain, he always experiments with this work and never restricts himself.  Angel-A is one of those films. Angel-A is a fairly recent film (2005) shot entirely in black and white, giving it a 1940's film noir appeal to it. The film is about a man whose at the end of his rope and in debt to the mob when out of the blue a woman enters his life and changes it.  And we soon learn why.  As the title suggests, she's an angel, but it's not as easy as all that as the movie reveals. Jamel Debbouze is terrific as the troubled André.  I found his first scene amusing, because as he's trying to buy himself from time to acquire the money he n

Film:   City Island Starring :  Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Steven Strait, Dominik García-Lorido, Ezra Miller, Emily Mortimer, Alan Arkin Director:   Raymond De Felitta   Screenwriter :  Raymond De Felitta Sometimes before I write a review I'll troll around the internet to read others views of the film.  It doesn't influence what I write about.  Instead it inspires me to forge ahead with my own views. A few critics complained that this film was too overloaded.  I disagree.  When you have a dysfunctional ensemble cast, and when the plot synopsis tells the audience that each family member has a secret, you're bound to have to follow a lot of subplots.  In this day and age of Lost , Heroes , Flash Forward and all the other ensemble works out there, this is an inevitable path to be taken. Ironically, I had a much harder time getting into the TV shows above than I did this movie.  The multiple characters and their stories didn't bother me as much as some of

Film:   Winter's Bone Starring :  Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Kevin Breznahan, Dale Dickey, Garret Dillahunt, Shelley Waggener, Lauren Sweetser, Ashlee Thompson, William White, Casey MacLaren, Isaiah Stone, Valerie Richards, Beth Domann, Tate Taylor, Cody Brown, Cheryl Lee Director:   Debra Granik   Screenwriter :  Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini Novel: Daniel Woodrell There's a sense of desolation watching Winter's Bone, but also a strong determination and a feeling of solidarity and community in this back country area, where people keep to themselves, but still lend a hand when one of their own is in need. Rees, a seventeen year-old who is left raising her two siblings and ailing mother, while her father has disappeared after putting up her home toward his bail, which means that if Reese doesn't find him, her family will be homeless. So she must track him down for the sake of her family, finding herself deeper and deeper into the seedy world where her

Film:   Lucky You Starring : Drew Barrymore, Eric Bana, Robert Duvall, Robert Downey Jr., Deborah Messing Director: Curtis Hanson   Screenwriter : Eric Roth and Curtis Hanson Why?  What prompted Drew Barrymore to play yet another naive innocent in some vacuous film?  I ask this question of Robert Duvall and Robert Downey Jr. although neither of these two were naive innocents, and the latter Robert's role was only about 5 minutes long. The premise of the film is the analysis of the life of Huck (yes, as in Huckleberry) Cheever (Eric Bana), a full-time gambler who can win successfully, but doesn't know when to stop.  Compulsive is the word.  He falls for Billie (Drew), who is in town visiting her sister (Deborah Messing), who warns Billie against Huck.  She falls for him anyway, thinking him a lost soul who can be changed. It doesn't matter that when she tells him that she got a job and he offers to celebrate, he takes her $1,000 in traveler's checks and has

Film:   Solitary Man Starring :  Michael Douglas, Susan Sarandon, Danny DeVito, Mary-Louise Parker, Jenna Fischer, Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg Director:   Brian Koppelman and David Levien   Screenwriter :  Brian Koppelman Do you ever get the feeling that if films didn't have a moral, they'd be totally different? Solitary Man is the story of a man whose indiscretions lead to loads of problems.  This is what they want us to believe.  This sixty year-old, divorced man, who prefers his women of the late-teens-to-early-twenties variety, is a true charmer.  He's charmed his entire family, his work contacts and - of course - any woman that he sees as a potential sex partner.  Unfortunately for him his actions cause him to lose all the things that once meant something to him. The problem is that by the middle of the film, despite his steady decline, I sat there asking myself if rather than being shown the repercussions of Ben Kalmen's (Michael Douglas) lascivio

Film:   New York Street Games Starring : (as themselves) Keith David, Joe Pantoliano, Ray Romano, Hector Elizondo (also narrated), Regis Philbin, Whoopie Goldberg, Mike Starr, David Proval, Robert Klein, Robert Costanzo, Vinny Vella, Robert Moresco, Mark R. Harris, C. Everett Koop, Curtis Sliwa, Butch Barbella and Beverly R. Kahler Director: Matthew Levy   Official Site : http://www.newyorkstreetgames.com/ Where were you in the 1950's, 60's or 70's?  Did you hang out with your friends playing stickball, hopscotch or handball?  Then this film is for you. If you have never experienced what it was like playing street games as a kid, you'll enjoy this film because it might even inspire you to grab your friends together for a friendly game of Stoopball. This documentary is a fun nostalgia trip back to a time when playing in the streets of New York was considered a safe thing to do.  There was a mutual respect between drivers and kids, and there was no feeling of

Film:   Letters to Juliet Starring : Amanda Seyfried, Vanessa Redgrave, Gael García Bernal, Christopher Egan, Franco Nero Director: Gary Winick   Screenwriter : Jose Rivera and Tim Sullivan The title sounds endearing enough, and even the premise sounded good.  A woman on vacation in Verona, Italy stumbles upon the "Secretaries of Juliet" who write advice to the lovelorn.  Being a writer herself and a bit of a romantic, she joins in, because her fiance is too busy darting around the country getting tips, treats and cooking lessons, as well as making contacts for his new restaurant which he is opening in New York.  She stumbles across a 50 year old letter and decides to reply to it, which leads her on an adventure helping a woman find her lost love. Sadly, that's where the fun ends.  If you're into saccharine, chick-flick romances, then this is your kind of film.  No one dies at the end, thankfully.  That would have been too much for me.  I lost interest in c

Film:   Harry Brown Starring : Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Charlie Creed-Miles, David Bradley, Iain Glen, Sean Harris, Ben Drew, Jack O'Connell, Jamal Downey, Lee Oakes, Joseph Gilgun, Liam Cunningham Director: Daniel Barber   Screenwriter : Gary Young   Vigilante films have been around for several years, so it's hard sometimes to make ones that can be considered unique.  They're really designed to tap into our sense of fantasy justice.  While the methods are illegal, we all secretly wish to exact revenge in some way shape or form.  An eye for an eye, and all that.  And since we can't do that within the realms of reality, it's a great release to see someone do it on screen.  This film is no exception to both situations:  being cliche and tapping into a fantasy.    Like most films in this genre, this film is a bit predictable in places.  For one thing, you know that one day Harry Brown (Michael Caine) will avenge the wrongdoings done to his friend.  Bei

Film: A Shine of Rainbows Starring: Connie Nielsen, Aidan Quinn, John Bell, Jack Gleeson, Tara Alice Scully, Niamh Shaw Director: Vic Sarin Screenwriters: Vic Sarin, Catherine Spear, Dennis Foon   Adapted from the novel by Lillian Beckwith.   I've always liked Aiden Quinn.  He brings a lot of depth to his characters and always makes them interesting to watch.  This film is no exception.  He plays a gruff, hard working man who doesn't openly show his emotions, except to his wife, played by Connie Nielsen, who charms us with her "colorful" view of life.  There are layers to this man, but it seems only she is able to bring out the best in him.   It is she who brings life to those around her, and happiness to an orphan boy she rescues from the city and brings home to an island off the Irish coast.  The boy, Tomas, who is portrayed by John Bell, is adorable as the shy, stammering ten year-old, struggling to be accepted by his adoptive family.  The new mothe

Film: Up in the Air Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, and Jason Bateman. Director: Jason Reitman Screenwriter: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner   An Oscar nominated film sparks so many thoughts in my mind, including the key one:  "Well, it must be good!"   Was it?   I'm not sure.  When first asked what I thought about the film, I said tentatively that I liked it.  The theme had taken me by surprise a bit,  and I wasn't sure what kind of message it was sending.  But after I thought about it for a few hours I came to realize that while the film was entertaining, the contradictions within it were too perplexing for me to give it a whole-hearted positive response.   Let's take Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), a young woman, fresh out of Harvard, who creates a computer program that promises to save her company money by delivering bad news via the internet rather than in person.  You see, Natalie works for a firm that's hired by

Film :  Handsome Harry   Starring : Jamey Sheridan, Steve Buscemi, Mariann Mayberry, Aidan Quinn, John Savage, Campbell Scott, Titus Welliver, Karen Young   Director : Bette Gordon   Screenwriter : Nicholas T. Proferes Handsome Harry is in fact very attractive.  So much so that he's managed to become somewhat of an iconic figure in the town where he lives.  The locals at his favorite cafe seem to live vicariously through him.  And women can't seem to get enough of him. But a violent act from his past haunts him and his ex-Navy friends, as he honors the deathbed request of one of them to ask forgiveness from the unfortunate victim of their actions from thirty years ago. And so it begins, and very well, I might add.  I really liked Harry from the beginning and was very interested in his story.  In fact all the characters in this film are played with such depth, I couldn't help but want to know more about all of them. But it is Harry's journey we are followin

Film :  The City of Your Final Destination Starring :  Anthony Hopkins, Omar Metwally, Laura Linney, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Hiroyuki Sanada, Norma Aleandro, Alexandra Maria Lara Director : James Ivory Screenwriter : Ruth Prawer Jhabvala Novelist : Peter Cameron Produced and Distributed by : Merchant Ivory Films I watched this film the other night at a preview screening, and I felt like I was watching something I had seen before.  The opening credits looked so familiar to me.  However, once the action started I realized it wasn’t something I had seen, and yet the familiarity remained. The plot is one that’s been played out before.  A stranger intrudes into the lives of a family who in this case have shut themselves away from the outside world.  Other films may depict these people as being trapped only in their own minds, while this one shows them locked away – either by choice or by circumstance – in a remote mansion in Uruguay.  Granted, these people are wrapped up with th

Hello and welcome to Rice Paper's Film Reviews.  I developed this place because my friends told me I should start a blog to share my reviews with others after reading them in e-mails and message boards. So here I am. I'm not a professional critic, so I don't get any preview screeners.  That said in addition to going to movies like everyone else I attend some screenings at events in my area.  These screenings focus mainly on independent, foreign and/or art films or major studio films that are in limited release. From time to time I might post some reviews on films that have already been out for a while, both major studio releases, as well as independent films.  I might also toss out one that's out on DVD.  This is purely to spark some discussion.  For example, I'm eager to chat with you and get your feedback on Up in the Air, which I saw a few weeks ago. Lurkers and readers who prefer not to comment are welcome as well.  Everyone is invited to read or read an