The
Reel Deal
In Theatres
by
Amy Patrick
Children,
today we will discuss:
"Saving
Grace"
"Cecil
B. Demented"
&
"The Cell"
"Saving
Grace"
Dir.
Nigel Cole Act. Brenda Blethyn, Craig Fergueson; Tcheky Karo
This
is one of the best movies I’ve seen all summer. For about the past month
I have a seen a lot of mediocre films. Nothing to write home about. But,
this one had me leaving the theater with a smile on my face. I really enjoyed
it. It’s nothing more than a small British comedy about Grace (Brenda Blethyn),
a widow who discovers that her husband has left her high and dry. She has
to team up with her gardener (Craig Fergueson) and start growing marijuana
to make some money. To say more would ruin the film. Needless to say, it
is loaded with a lot of charm and some very funny set pieces. Two old women
from Grace’s gardening group drink some special tea and Grace herself has
to go to London to try to sell her wares. This is a sleeper comedy like
"The Full Monty". I was happy with the ending. It was all very neat and
tidy, but that’s the British for you.
"Cecil
B. Demented"
Dir.
John Waters Act. Melanie Griffith, Stephen Dorff, Alicia Witt
John
Waters is one of my favorite directors. He is also one of the most influential.
The Farrelly Brothers, Kevin Smith, Todd Soldonz, many of these guys would
not be around if it wasn’t for the "Pope of Trash" John Waters. John is
getting older and he’s turning into a gentler shock king. I love most of
his later work when he did "Hairspray" and "Cry Baby", but a lot of his
earlier stuff seems a little out dated today. But, his first mainstream
film "Polyester" gave him a certain amount of success. He pursues his muse
and sometimes succeeds and sometimes does not. "Cecil B. Demented" is minor
Waters. I laughed at a few places, but for the most part wanted more. My
two favorite parts involved karate fans and porno fans. I would still recommend
the film because a failed John Waters flick is still better that 80% of
what’s out there. Drugs, gerbils, and self-immolation add to the fun. Also,
the teamster violence is priceless. "I’m stuck in a K-hole."
"The Cell"
Dir.
Tarsem Singh Act. Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn, Vincent D’Nofrio
"What
is you major malfunction boy?" "That’s me in the corner…that’s me in the
spotlight" Okay, sorry. I just got a little weirded out by the film. This
movie was the perfect example of wasted talent. The script was a sub par
"Silence of the Lambs" rip-off. There was a very interesting morsel in
the plot that could have been explored and turned the movie into something
of genius. Tarsem is a music video director and it shows. The opening five
minutes are genius. Too bad, the film doesn’t follow through. It’s too
scared to be an allegory and goes instead for a paint by numbers serial
killer plot. I hope in his next film Mr. Singh gets a better script and
can be reined in a little. There is a great movie hidden in this film.
It’s just not worth looking for. Go to the video store and rent "Altered
States", "Brainstorm", or "Dreamscape". I promise that you will be more
entertained and provoked.
Take
me back, cabbie.
