The Critical Filmmaker

Standard Operating Procedure (or SOP). It was a documentary about the controversial photographs that were taken at the Iraqi prison Abu Ghraib that sparked an uproar about torture and improper interrogation practices at that prison, and caused the arrests of US soldiers there. It was interesting, though it tended to dwell a bit too long on certain aspects. The people interviewed (many of whom are those who are in and/or took the photographs) at times seemed a bit distant and unaffected by what had happened. No one showed any remorse, but part of that was because they were "just following orders" and because many of them "spent time in jail" which could desensitize someone after a while.

A few months ago I reviewed Dangerous Liaisons , the film that starred Glenn Close and John Malkovich.  I chose to turn it off after 20 minutes or so because I couldn't stand John Malkovich's character.  I found his portrayal to be flat. The other night I watched Valmont, another film based on the novel Les Liaisons Dangerous.  This time Colin Firth played the Valmont, and he did so in a much more convincing and fun matter.  It was a joy to watch. Another actor who redeemed a role was Sian Phillips, who is always great in whatever she does.  Swoosie Kurtz was terribly miscast in the other film.  Sian was perfect and portrayed herself with a sense of esteem and nobility, which is what the part called for. And Henry Thomas as Chevalier was perfect, surpassing Keanu Reeve's performance in the other film. Annette Benning was fantastic as Isabelle.  I've always liked her performances, and she doesn't disappoint here. As with Uma Thurmann's portrayal of Ceci

This is a really cute film on Wednesday made by Mike Leigh, who also did Vera Drake among others. Unlike Vera Drake, this film is very upbeat. The acting is excellent. I really sat up and took notice of that. The movie is about a woman (Sally Hawkins) who approaches life with optimism, despite the negativity around her. :) This film rightfully deserved the Oscar buzz it received.  It's a nice little film and the acting is stellar.  Watch out for Eddie Marsan's performance as the frustrated driving instructor.  He does a fantastic job.

Then She Found Me (Helen Hunt, Colin Firth, Bette Midler) Helen Hunt plays a woman whose life is turned upside down when her husband leaves her and her biological mother enters her life. It's got some good scenes and some endearing moments, especially with Colin Firth, but it wasn't anything special. Bette Midler plays her biological mother, and while it's entertaining, the character is no different from her past roles. Matthew Broderick is the soon to be ex-husband, who hasn't grown up. Colin Firth, although very neurotic in this, is the best one and he makes the film worth watching. ----------------------- Before the Rains (Linus Roache) Linus Roache plays a British plantation owner in Imperialist ruled India in the 1930's. When his ambitions get the better of him, he winds up clashing with the local culture and laws, which causes serious problems for him and anyone around him. Good film. ----------------------- Mary Stuart Masterson (Fried Green T

This film aired on TV the other day.  I had wondered why I had not heard of it before, given that it was a Project Greenlight inaugural production.  After watching it, I can see why I hadn't.  It's pretty bad. I'm convinced this film was chosen By Ben Affleck and Matt Damon because they knew it would cause the audience to discuss it afterwards.  Personally, that only works if the subject matter is presented in a logical way, rather than make assumptions and leave out some key details.  The only discussions that came out of this were in the form of disgust over the obvious flaws in the film, and the insensitivity of the subject matter. ~Spoiler warning!  To better explain my views, I'm going to have to give away the ending.  So stop reading now if you'd rather not be spoiled.~ The film is about an 8 year-old Catholic boy named Pete O'Malley, who after constantly hearing from the nuns at school that he was destined for hell asks his brother what he can do to