Akeelah and the Bee

Posted on March 16, 2006 at 11:50 am

“Prestidigitation.”

Akeelah (Keke Palmer) has just won her school’s spelling bee and everyone is impressed and proud. But Dr. Larrabee (Laurence Fishburne), who, like Keke, grew up in Compton, pushes her further, with this long word that means magic.

“Prestidigiation.”

And she knows it.

The movie has its own form of prestidigitation, not only in the transformation of its characters as they learn from each other and the experiences they share but on the audience as well. This is one of the best family films in a very long time and one of the best films of the year.

Oh, there are some meanies out there who may groan when the girl from Compton who loves words gets coached by everyone from the gruff but cuddly local drug dealer to the kind-hearted homeless guy. It takes a village, even in the Hood, the movie seems to say. And it all fits together just a little too neatly, so we’re not surprised when a girl with a missing daddy is befriended by a man who is dealing with his own loss as well. And yes, it follows the traditional underdog formula: a show of talent, a lack of confidence, an inspiring but demanding mentor, commitment at first uncertain, then whole-hearted, setbacks, unexpected friendships, an opponent who lacks our heroine’s heart and integrity, and then everything coming together at the big competition.

These themes are eternal, and eternally compelling and appealing, as long as the details are right and the characters are people we care about. And this is where “Akeelah” really delivers, with superb performances and a script filled with heart and humor. KeKe Palmer glows as Akeelah and Angela Bassett is marvelous as the mother who is loving but exhausted and terrified of risking any more loss. Laurence Fishburne is magnificent as Akeelah’s coach, Dr. Larabee, a man who has more in common with Akeelah than he wants to admit. The result is one of the best family films of the year and that spells: E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T.

Parents should know that the movie includes some tense family confrontations, references to sad deaths and marital separation, and a schoolyard scuffle. There is a subtle reference to local gangsters and a young woman has an apparently out of wedlock baby. There are sweet kisses on the cheek and a joke about sexual harassment. A strength of the film is its portrayal of dedicated, talented, devoted, accomplished women and minorities.

Families who see this movie should talk about what made Akeelah not want to enter the spelling bee and what made her decide to do it. Why did her friend not want to be her friend? Why did her mother not want her to participate? What was the most important lesson Akeelah learned from Dr. Larrabee, and what was the most important thing he learned from her?

Families who enjoy this movie will also enjoy Spellbound, the outstanding documentary about the national spelling bee. My interview with Fishburne is in Beliefnet.com. And every family should read the wonderfully inspiring quote from Marianne Williamson (often mistakenly attributed to Nelson Mandela):

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we subconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

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Drama Family Issues

She’s the Man

Posted on March 15, 2006 at 12:08 pm

B+

Lowest Recommended Age:	Middle School
MPAA Rating:	Rated PG-13 for some sexual material
Profanity:	Some crude language
Alcohol/ Drugs:	None
Violence/ Scariness:	Some scuffles
Diversity Issues:	A theme of the movie
Date Released to Theaters:	2006
Date Released to DVD:	2006
Amazon.com ASIN:	B000FIHN84

It worked for Shakespeare, so why not for Amanda Bynes?

Shakespeare had female characters pretending to be male because they were all played by men anyway. While his prodigious heart and brain certainly understood the rich and delightful narrative and comedic opportunities involved in having some characters in on the secret while others were not, even he probably did not understand how subversive and revolutionary the material could be. In his play Twelfth Night, Viola survives a shipwreck and arrives in Illyria. Thinking her brother Sebastian has been drowned, pretends to be a man to protect herself in a world that is treacherous for women who do not have anyone to protect them. She goes to work for a Orsino, a duke, who asks her to press his suit on Olivia. But Olivia has no interest in the duke; she begins to fall for the disguised Viola. As a man, Viola so resembles her brother that when he returns, not knowing she survived, he is mistaken for her, adding to the confusion.

The Viola in this story (Bynes) is a high school girl who loves soccer. The girls’ team is cut, and her boyfriend, captain of the boys’ team, won’t let them try out. So when her brother Sebastian (James Kirk) sneaks off to London with his rock group to play in a festival, she takes his place at at his new school, Illyria. Her plan is to try out for their soccer team as a boy and stay on long enough to beat their #1 rival, her school, with the team led by her now ex-boyfriend.

At first, the boys in the dorm think “Sebastian” is a little odd. But with the help of a friend, she gets a reputation as a hit with beautiful women. And she begins to get the hang of the guy thing, though there are still some challenges, like finding some time to take a shower when there’s no one around and explaining what the tampons are doing in her stuff.

Her roommate, Duke Orsino (Channing Tatum), captain of the Illyria soccer team, offers to help her become first-string if she will put in a good word for him with Olivia. But of course Olivia is attracted to “Sebastian,” especially after she reads the real Sebastian’s lyrics. Meanwhile, the twins’ mother expects them both at the Junior League carnival fund-raiser. Sebastian’s pushy girlfriend has to be kept at a distance so she doesn’t figure out what’s going on. And there’s that big game.

Bynes is a terrifically talented and appealing performer with the true fearlessness and lack of vanity of a born commedienne. This film doesn’t let her show off all she can do, but she handles the predictable complications well, from the quick changes in the carnival’s port-a-john to the faked grimace and moans when she gets hit in the crotch with a soccer ball.

First-time director Andy Flickman and a bright and able cast keep the energy high and the story moving. The opening credit sequence, a soccer game on the beach, sets a bright and brashly kinetic tone that keeps things bouncy as all of the characters and plot points come together for a happily ever after ending. Flickman and first-time writer Ewan Leslie wisely put a solid base of dignity and honesty under the pratt falls and close calls, avoiding the usual teen-movie gags (in both senses of the word). I hope they make a sequel, maybe an update of “Two Gentleman of Verona” set on a college campus?

Parents should know that the film includes some crude language (the b-word, etc.), and some comic implied nudity. There are a few punches and scuffles. But one strength of the film is that while the characters talk a great deal about who is “hot,” the film’s strong point of view is that the priority in relationships is emotional intimacy, not physical intimacy. Another strength of the movie is its casual portrayal of inter-racial relationships. While at first an unattractive character is played for laughs, ultimately, even she is treated with respect and affection.

Families who see this movie should talk about what led Viola to change her feelings about Justin and Sebastian to change his about Monique. What was the most important thing Viola learned? If you wanted to pretend to be the opposite sex, what would be the hardest part? Families should also talk about how important it was that Viola and Olivia valued themselves enough to make sure that they only spent time with boys who would value them, too. And they should compare this movie to Shakespeare’s version to find out, among other things, how Malcolm’s tarantula got the name “Malvolio.”

Families who enjoy this film will appreciate Disney’s High School Musical They will also enjoy the similarly themed gender-switching Just One of the Guys, and Tootsie (both with more mature material). And every family should enjoy the classic named as the American Film Institute’s top comedy of all time: Some Like it Hot. Families will also enjoy comparing this film to its source, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

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V for Vendetta

Posted on March 15, 2006 at 12:02 pm

Lowest Recommended Age:	High School
MPAA Rating:	Rated R for strong violence and some language.
Profanity:	Very strong and crude language
Alcohol/ Drugs:	Social drinking, cigar smoking, prescription drug abuse
Violence/ Scariness:	Extreme violence and peril, characters including young teen killed, torture, scenes of prisoners undergoing scientific experimentation, virus kills children
Diversity Issues:	Very strong female character, tolerance a theme
Date Released to Theaters:	2006
Date Released to DVD:	2006
Amazon.com ASIN:	B000FS9FCG

“Remember, remember, the fifth of November, gunpowder treason and plot. I see no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.”

Who says good-looking, brawny action flicks cannot also have brains to match? “V for Vendetta,” based on Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s ground-breaking comic books from the late ‘80’s, keeps the source’s gnarly moral issues, amps up the explosions and thins out the subplots to delight audiences looking for two-plus hours of solid entertainment who are willing to do some mental work to get there. Trust the combination of director James McTeigue and screenplay writers the Wachowski Brothers (all three of whom collaborated on the Matrix trilogy) to turn in another example of why monosyllabic action movie protagonists must blow things up to keep audiences riveted but their chatty, if insane, brethren can make the words themselves into explosions.

The plot is a complex knot that requires lots of dialogue to frame the scenes of action, which might try the patience of those looking for simpler, shoot-‘em-up fare. The opening scenes give a helpful but brief sketch of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Conspiracy and how on November 5, 1605, Fawkes attempted unsuccessfully to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Fast-forward to a near-future Britain locked down under elected-fascist “Chancellor” Sutler (John Hurt), who came to power after biological weapons reduced the country to chaos. Evey (Natalie Portman, delightfully far from her “Star Wars” role) is a young professional, orphaned by the state when the crackdown on political protesters resulted in mass disappearances of anyone the government considered “different” or rebellious, including her parents.

On Evey’s foray into London after curfew the eve of November 5, she happens across government officers who threaten her. Enter a knife-wielding man in black wearing a Guy Fawkes mask (Hugo Weaving) who saves her then treats her to a rooftop view of the fireworks and explosions as Old Bailey, London’s famed criminal court, goes up in smoke. He is V.

The duration of the movie tracks V as he exacts revenge, Evey as she is hunted for associating with V, and the police officers, Finch (Stephen Rea, as circumspect and jowly as always) and Dominic (Rupert Graves) as they try to sort out V’s history and uncover state secrets in the process. Popular television host, Dietrich (Stephen Fry, stealing scenes with ease and humor) tumbles into the mix but the driving force at the heart of the movie is Evey’s relationship with V, the man and the mask. The ticking bomb of a backdrop is V’s promise to blow up Parliament the following November and the growing rebellion that he incites along the way.

Some audiences will not like the political implications, blurred lines between “revolutionary” and “terrorist,” and the horrific means-to-an-end approach taken by government and V alike; however, there is ample beauty, dangerous ideas, special-effects fairy dust, intelligence and wit to transform the story from a “Phantom of the Opera” meets “Brazil” type melodrama into a high-caliber thinking person’s action film. With a goal that ambitious and the style to back it up, this V will be a victor to many fans.

Parents should know that this movie has mature themes including torture, terrorism, anarchy, fascism, intolerance, hypocrisy and demagoguery. Characters are killed, held in concentration-camp like prisons, tortured and persecuted. Scientific experiments are performed on foreigners, homosexuals, protesters and others. There are fight scenes resulting in much gore, scenes of mass burials of emaciated naked bodies, and vomit-stained corpses. A character is threatened with rape, a committed same-sex couple kisses, and a bishop implicitly hires child prostitutes. There is social drinking, cigar-smoking, and references to a character’s addiction to prescription medication.

Families who see this movie have a lot to talk about. Beyond the theme of fascism versus democracy or even anarchy, there is a deeper question here of whether the ends justify the means in the personal and the political realms. V sees himself as a “revolutionary” and a man looking for vengeance; however others use the term “terrorist” for him.

The original comic books were released during Margaret Thatcher’s second and third terms as Prime Minister and were seen as commentary upon the Tory government’s intolerance of dissent or difference. In them, the very common British comic book theme of chaos versus order is played out with a decidedly more sympathetic than usual approach to anarchy. How does this movie fit itself into the current political environment? What do V’s actions reflect and how would you assess his choices? The dialogue where he calls what was done to him “monstrous” and that he became a monster as a result reflects the belief that actions have equal reactions. Do you think this is true? What do you think happens the day after the last scene in the movie?

Families who enjoy this movie might be interested in the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. The drawing and colors now might seem a little dated but this late 1980’s comic book series milestone, along with “The Watchmen” by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon (now in pre-production), catapulted the reclusive Moore to fame and fundamentally shook up the graphic novel world. Parents should know that the graphic novel contains mature themes and is harsher in tone than the movie.

Families might want to see the 1934 version of The Count of Monte Cristo with Robert Donat, which is a motif throughout this movie. They might also want to see Brazil or Nineteen Eighty-Four (also starring John Hurt, only this time as the victim), two British movies delving into the struggle of the one against a futuristic, powerful state where the individual has no rights. Finally, it would be impossible not to mention the Wachowski Brothers and not to mention and recommend The Matrix.

Thanks to guest critic AME.

Find Me Guilty

Posted on March 15, 2006 at 11:56 am

B-

Lowest Recommended Age:	High School
MPAA Rating:	Rated R for strong language and some violence.
Profanity:	Very strong language
Alcohol/ Drugs:	References to alcohol and drugs and drug dealing
Violence/ Scariness:	Shooting, references to mob killings
Diversity Issues:	Stereotypes of Italians questioned in the movie
Date Released to Theaters:	2006
Date Released to DVD:	2006
Amazon.com ASIN:	B000FFJ826

Director Sidney Lumet revisits the themes of two of his most memorable films in this movie, but with less success. Like Dog Day Afternoon, it is a true story with colorful characters and both comic and tragic overtones. Like 12 Angry Men it is a story of the way justice is — and is not — served by our judicial system. Like both of those films, Lumet convincingly creates the New York setting. Most of the film is set in the courtroom and the grandeur of its aspirations and the grit of its experiences is evocatively portrayed. But an uncertain point of view leaves the story and characters less clear and the resolution unsatisfying.

It is the story of the longest criminal trial in U.S. history, with charges against 20 alleged members of the Lucchese crime family led by Newark, New Jersey mob boss Anthony Accetturo. It took the government two years to present its endlessly complicated case. In the midst of testimony about a tangled web of alleged criminal actions involving gambling, drugs, theft, and murder, one of the defendants attracted the most attention. He was Giacomo “Fat Jack” DiNorscio (Vin Diesel, unrecognizable but for his gravelly voice under a wig and some extra weight). And while the other defendants each had his own lawyer, DiNorsico represented himself, a source of intense frustration for the prosecutor and the judge but welcome comic relief for the jury. “I’m a gagster, not a gangster,” he told them. And they laughed.

The prosecutor was dumbfounded and furious. He could not understand how a jury could be sympathetic to a group of people who not only stole from just about everyone but now and again, actually killed people who got in their way.

And you know, that’s the problem. He’s right. The trial was a circus. It was a mistake to put all of those defendants, each with is own lawyer, into the same case. In the midst of the numbingly complex details, the jury appears to develop some strange offshoot of the Stockholm Syndrome, identifying not with the prosecutors but with the defendants. For all their alleged crimes, they seemed more authentic and relatable than the prosecuting attorneys.

But we are not the jury, tied up with this crowd of “gagsters” for two years. And DiNorsico is not an endearing shlub like Al Pacino’s Sonny in Dog Day Afternoon, holding up a bank to get a sex change operation for his boyfriend. These are guys who stole much more for reasons that were far less romantic.

Lumet does a much better job evoking the time and place than he does making us sympathetic to DiNorsico. All of the performances are excellent, especially Peter Dinklage, superb as counsel for one of the other defendants, and Annabella Sciorra, blazingly hostile in one brief scene as DiNorsico’s ex-wife. Diesel shows us DiNorsico’s Runyonesque charm and his strong, if oftem misplaced, sense of loyalty, but we never feel the sympathy Lumet clearly thinks he deserves. At the end of the movie, we feel, instead, like the jury, that we have spent too much time and understood too little.

Parents should know that this movie concerns the trial of a group of men charged with serious crimes ranging from drug dealing to gambling and murder. Characters use very strong language and there are references to violence and drug use. A character tries to kill another with a gun, shooting him several times. Characters complain about ethnic stereotypes but it can be argued that the film also perpetuates those stereotypes.

Families who see this movie should talk about why the jury found Jackie appealing — and why director Lumet found his story appealing. How did Lumet make clear his own feelings about Jackie?

Families who enjoy this movie will also enjoy Goodfellas and Lumet’s 12 Angry Men and Dog Day Afternoon. Those who want to learn more about the real case should read The Boys from New Jersey.

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Comedy Crime Drama Movies -- format

The Hills Have Eyes

Posted on March 10, 2006 at 12:11 pm

Lowest Recommended Age:	Mature High Schooler
MPAA Rating:	Rated R for strong gruesome violence and terror throughout, and for language.
Profanity:	Frequent very strong language
Alcohol/ Drugs:	Smoking, reference to marijuana
Violence/ Scariness:	Slasher-movie violence including extremely bloody deaths, explicit cannibalism, baby threatened, suicide, dog disemboweled, constant peril
Diversity Issues:	Young girl shows bravery and independent thinking
Date Released to Theaters:	2006
Date Released to DVD:	2006
Amazon.com ASIN:	B000FAOC2W

If these hills only had eyes, it would be one thing but parents should know that they also have mutants wielding pickaxes which results in a disturbingly graphic movie not suitable for sensitive audiences of any age or species.

Even some horror movie fans might be put off by this graphically violent flick about a mutant band of robbing and raping cannibals that make short work of a vacationing family until they push the family dog and the self-important son-in-law too far and end up in a bloodbath. French director Alexandre Aja, who made last year’s ambitious but disappointing “High Tension”, turns out a solid if not outstanding update of Wes Craven’s “The Hills have Eyes” from 1977, which taught the world that family vacations are just not safe.

The fairly disagreeable Carter family, comprising husband, wife, three children, son-in-law, grandchild and two dogs, are driving out to the coast through the desert to celebrate the senior Carters’ twenty-fifth anniversary. When a conflicted gas station owner tells them about a shortcut to the highway, the bickering family set out across the rocky desert and into a trap. With the truck totaled and the sun setting, the family realizes that they are not alone in the hills and that the others out there give new meaning to the phrase “playing with your food.”

Aja expends little effort on altering the script of the original but instead adds in marginally better actors, a few heavy handed political asides, a ponderous explanation, a lot more explicit violence and a slightly jaunty sensibility that seems intended to pass for humor. This is not a psychological thriller – this is a gore fest, so audiences should not be surprised when supposedly sensible characters act irrationally, such as going off alone, calling out in the dark and not warning others that the family dog has been disemboweled. In fact, the most sensible and selfless behavior of all is demonstrated by a mutant girl and a German Sheppard, which means that many audiences will not care much who ultimately survives the escalating body count.

For slasher fans, Aja’s lush style and loyalty to the original will make this a worthy wander but for all others be warned, do not enter them there hills.

Parents should know that this is a graphically violent horror movie with constant peril and the violent deaths of almost all on-screen characters. Most of a family is slaughtered and bodies are eaten onscreen. Even fans of the original might be disturbed by the extremely graphic gore and the rape scene. Parents should know that a baby is taken away to be eaten, that a dog is disemboweled and consumed, that characters are killed onscreen in a range of explicit deaths, many involving pickaxes, and that female characters are subjected to sexual assaults. Characters swear, smoke and refer to marijuana use. Political jibes and name-calling highlight friction between family members.

Families who see this movie might talk about the nuclear testing in the Southwest, which is the back story for the movie and for the rage of many of the characters. Why might the juxtaposition of the 1950’s style family homes and mannequins be an effective horror technique? How does the desert play a part in the story?

Families who are interested in the inspiration for this movie, might like to read more about the legend of Alexander “Sawney” Bean, who supposedly was a Scotsman married to a witch living in the late 1300’s as the head of a cave-dwelling family which survived by robbing English travelers and eating their corpses. The legend is considered by many a boogeyman tale about the Scots, who were in conflict with the English at the time, but generations have been chilled by this bloody story, described in detail down to King James’ manhunt and the ensuing executions of the Bean family.

For families looking for movies with similar thrills and kills, the 1977 original “The Hills have Eyes” helped launch Wes Craven’s fame as a horror-director. Both versions of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” feature people going off the beaten path and being hunted down by a terrifying family.

Thanks to guest critic AME.

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Horror Movies -- format Thriller