TONY PORCO’S MOVIE REVIEW NEWSLETTER–SUMMER 2009 EDITION

Hey, folks! This is undoubtedly the last issue until well into the fall, since August is looking very busy (in contrast to this month, which is blessedly slow), and then we’re right back into the school year. I’m working on a lot of non-movie writing, including one project in particular, about which I’ll update people who are interested. I’ve been on YouTube a lot lately, and among other things, I found the short animated film Balance, which is definitely the best and most moving short I’ve ever seen in my life (and therefore one of the best movies of any kind I’ve seen in my life). It says something unforgettable, and also something sad and true, about humanity. You can view it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_2Pwpyye-g

ON FILM:

STAR TREK: OK, let's get a few things straight right now. As many of you know, I've been an avid Star Trek fan for many years. While I like the other Trek shows, my preference is definitely for the original 1960's series, the one with Kirk, Spock, and so on. When I planned to review the new remake, I promised myself that I wouldn't pick on every difference from the original series, and I would approach it with a mind as open as possible. Now, having seen it, I realize that even with an open mind, there's still plenty to criticize, not because of the movie being very different from the original, but because it's just not that good a movie. The story of how the famous Enterprise crew got together is worthy enough, but from the start, there are problems. The casting is just too hit-and-miss; I liked Leonard Nimoy coming back as the old version of Spock (a real highlight of the film), John Cho from the Harold and Kumar movies as Sulu, and the gorgeous Zoe Soldana as Uhura. But Chris Pine as the young Kirk just doesn't cut it, and the rogue Romulan bad guys are downright embarrassing; they make no attempt to seem alien at all, and sound like they just walked in from some mob movie. The effects are stunning, even for these jaded times, and there are some fantastic visuals (especially a sequence where the Enterprise hides in the rings of Saturn). The trouble is that there are just one too many action scenes, and many too many fancy effect sequences, as if the filmmakers wanted to show off, or were convinced that the audience would get restless if they were forced to hear more than 15 seconds of dialogue at a time. If the movie betrays the spirit of its source, it's in that way, not in the differences here and there in graphics and plot details. What made the original Star Trek great was not nonstop-adrenaline action sequences piled on top of each other (although it could be a very exciting show); the things that made it great were story lines, character interactions, and ideas about the future. This may be why it has endured so long, even with its dated effects and legendary overacting. (In many ways, I think the three Star Wars prequels did a much better job of setting up the original movies' characters and plot lines while dovetailing with them well, and did so without sacrificing the action and adventure.) A few pleasant casting surprises, like Winona Ryder as Spock's mother and Bruce Greenwood as the first ship commander, Christopher Pike, and some cute moments, relieve the tedium of the action/effects excess, but don't save the movie. Neither does the head-scratching ending, which could have been so much better. I really shouldn't be looking at my watch until near the end of a movie's theatrical showing. I never thought I'd say this, but Star Trek made my wrist tired. RATING: 4.

ON TAPE:

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED: Rachel and Kym are two sisters who round out an imperfect-but-loving upper-middle-class Connecticut family haunted by a past tragedy. They're both pretty and smart, but where they are in life says volumes about their differences: Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) is engaged to a friendly young Jamaican (Tunde Adebimpe), while Kym (Anne Hathaway) is checking out of a rehab center just in time to attend Rachel's wedding. Their divorced father (Bill Irwin) and his new wife (an underused Anna Deveare Smith) sincerely want everyone to get along and want to keep Kym on the wagon, but of course, complications ensue. What keeps Jonathan Demme's film so taut and memorable is not just its excellent acting (especially Irwin and Hathaway) or its true-to-life script, but above all its humanism and complexity, common characteristics of his movies. If this had been a typical Hollywood movie, the characterizations would be much more unsubtle; we'd be watching Evil, Criminal Kym Versus Her Innocent Family, or much more likely, Straight-Talking, Working-Class (and therefore Heroic) Kim Versus Her Snooty, Rich Family. The interracial marriages of both the father and the daughter, which for better or worse would be the sole subject of a Hollywood movie, are taken for granted here, perhaps in recognition of the increasing diversity of the country in which the movie is set. Indeed, the only recognition that the marriage even is interracial comes from Rachel’s soon-to-be-mother-in-law at the rehearsal dinner, who says, in a totally guileless and moving moment, that this is “what heaven looks like.” (This innocent moment is certainly a great contrast to the conflict which underlies much of the rest of the scene!) The characters are also given their share of individual characteristics, even eccentricities, which makes the movie that much more real, something which has always been a Demme trademark (going back to movies like Something Wild and Swimming to Cambodia). Rachel serves Indian food at her rehearsal dinner and makes the bridesmaids dress in Indian sari dresses, not because she or her fiancé are of Indian descent, but clearly because she just likes those things. This complexity and humanity make applying the often-simplistic word “dysfunctional” thoroughly inappropriate to this family, although they’re certainly far from perfect (a human trait as well, of course). It should be said that not everything about the movie is great; some plot twists near the end of the movie don’t quite work well with the rest of the script, and the wedding reception sequence goes on for far too long, although it also has some interesting surprises (including a well-known 1980's new-wave performer whom I didn’t even think was still alive, playing himself as one of the musicians!) On balance, however, this is one of the best family dramas I’ve seen in many, many years. RATING: 8.

A NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY: Meet the Bhutabi brothers, two L.A. ne'er-do-wells with the beautiful dream of opening their own dance club, partly because they have genuinely clever ideas for the club theme, and partly because a joint they own might just be the only one they'll ever be allowed to enter. While not a great movie, this Saturday-Night-Live act-turned-into-a-feature (like Wayne's World before it) has its share of funny moments. Will Farell and Chris Cattan play the two brothers with their usual verve, and provide many of it best moments, like a hair-blowing sequence that might be one of the funniest montages in movie history and an ending that riffs off The Graduate. The supporting players, like Dan Hedaya (Nick Tortelli from Cheers) playing their Dad and chief nemesis, don't come off as well. It was fun to see the gorgeous Gigi Rice, who was one of the many great things about the John Larroquette Show, in a movie role, but her character is one-dimensional and her talents wasted. In general, however, I did enjoy this movie, and stayed interested until the very-funny ending. RATING: 7.