Friday, October 27, 2006

Pleasantville 9/10

Pleasantville (PG-13) 1998
Reviewer’s Tilt (5)
Comedy-124min
Special DVD Features worth a look-Director commentary

On one level this film is a "back in time" comedy about a boy and his sister coping with 1950’s sitcom values. Looking a little deeper, this film really takes a stab at today’s society and the strictures affecting us all. Do not get me wrong, this is not an incredibly deep film, but the story is good and the points well made. A wacky TV repairman (Don Knotts) gives David (Tobey Maguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) the secret to transporting themselves into the surreal environment of a 50’s sitcom. As we laugh at the cloistered affected mannerisms, we slowly realize how society still subtly censors our own actions. The film separates themes with the adroit intertwining of Color and B&W images.

Upon first blush, the separation appears to be based upon 50’s attitudes and 90’s attitudes. The separation is better viewed, however, as the difference between societal conformity and freewill. The obvious progression of things taking color, first a rose, then an apple, lips, a car and paintings, make it obvious that love, knowledge, sex, technology and art are the themes writer/director Gary Ross feels are stifled in today’s society. Once you have tasted the apple, having it taken away is much more painful than never having tasted it at all. Can knowledge be bad? This film conveys the trite truism knowledge gained through making mistakes and choosing what is right is what makes life worth living. It does so, however, in a way that brings this truth uncomfortably close to home.

Format: Color and B&W, Widescreen anamorphic, Closed captioned.
Sound: (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
Extras: Director commentary, isolated score with commentary, cast and crew bios, Featurette "The Art of Pleasantville," Fiona Apple video, storyboard, color TV set-up, trailer

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

The Limey 7/10

The Limey (R) 1999
Reviewer’s Tilt (9)
Action-89min
Special DVD Features worth a look-Director commentary

Aging cockney street thug Wilson (Terence Stamp) invades Los Angeles in search of the answers in the “accidental” death of his estranged daughter. Powerful music promoter Terry Valentine (Peter Fonda) appears to be the prime suspect, but answers are not easy to come by in this taunt drama. The search for his daughter’s killer purifies and focuses Wilson’s anger, vengeance, love and regret. Director Steven Soderbergh and actor Terrence Stamp add depth and emotion to what would otherwise be a rather trite tale. Although not all of Soderbergh’s artistic flourishes work fluidly into the picture, a solid cast and tight story make this a worthy rental.

Format: Color, Widescreen anamorphic, Closed captioned.
Sound: (Dolby Digital 5.1), (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
Extras: Director, writer and actor commentary, production notes, cast and crew bios, featurette, music score, trailer.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

The Usual Suspects 5/10

The Usual Suspects (R) 1999
Reviewer’s Tilt (9)
Suspense-106min
Special DVD Features worth a look-Director commentary

In what has recently become a popular story format, The Usual Suspects reveals itself through voice-overs and flashbacks. Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey), the only surviving member of a gang of would-be cocaine thieves, spins this tale of being drawn into a score with four other small time crooks. Veteren detective Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) pulls a one-man good cop/bad cop on Verbal throughout the movie. During the interrogation, Verbal begins recounting the events leading up to the explosion and carnage that killed his cohorts and rocked a San Pedro pier the night before.

Intricately woven through Verbal’s tale of criminals, robbery, murder and mayhem are the exploits of the mysterious Hungarian killer Kaiser Soze. So ruthless is this killer that he murdered his own family to prove his resolve to a rival gang. Although this film won an Oscar for its screenplay, the “surprise” ending is the weakest part of the film. The acting and story are intriguing, but the master criminal is really no master if he never gets what he was after all along (trust me, this is not giving anything away).

Watch this film for its curious character interplay and the stellar performances by Spacey, Gabriel Byrne and the enigmatic Pete Postlethwaite as Mr. Kobayashi. Just do not expect a satisfying, or rational, conclusion.

Format: Color, Widescreen anamorphic, Closed captioned.
Sound: (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
Extras: Director and writer commentary, trailer

Brett Trout