Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace - 2006

Amazing Grace is the story of William Wilberforce's 20 year British political fight to end the business of slavery. The slave trade was a very lucrative money maker and intrenched in the British economy. During the early 1800's, slavery was integrated into the economies of Britain, France, the West Indies, America, Austria and Portugal - primarily to fuel the sugar industry.

Wilberforce has a promising career ahead of him in the British Parliament when he has a Christian conversion. Convinced by his friend William Pitt to remain in government service instead of church service, he takes on the formidable challenge of taking on the slave trade. To William, the moral imperative of stopping the horror of slavery surpasses any economic concerns that may ensue. Surely many will see economic ruin, jobs will be lost and businesses will crumble. None of these concerns stop William for even a pause.

William's wife Barbara, played by Romola Garai, illustrates the wonderful adage that behind every good man is a good woman. She encourages him, supports him and loves him throughout hid life. At one point when William feels as if his work is going nowhere she tells him: "It seems to me, that if there is a bad taste in your mouth, you spit it out. You don't constantly swallow it back."

It was interesting to see Rufus Sewell in the role of Thomas Clarkson, Willberforce's colleague in the war on slavery. I last saw him 1998's Dark City. He does a powerful job here and is mesmerizing to watch.

The movie shows an interesting molding of history and faith working together. There is an appearance from John Newton, a slave trader turned monk, and writer of the song and movie title, Amazing Grace. He plays a pivotal role in William's life by persuading him to serve God where he was instead of entering the ministry.

History is never boring when told well and this story is never boring. Having watched the movie has prompted me to research the era further. Explaining my new interest in abolition history to my coworkers has caused a few quizzical looks.

But above all this is a movie with strong messages about struggle in life, about staying the course, fighting the good fight and about being salt and light in the world.

Subscribe to Oliver 40274

TGIF Famous Shamus

Famous Shamus from down the lane-us

AFI Announces 2007 Awards

The American Film Institute has released their 2007 Film Awards. They named 10 this year.

• BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD
• THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
• INTO THE WILD
• JUNO
• KNOCKED UP
• MICHAEL CLAYTON
• NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
• RATATOUILLE
• THE SAVAGES
• THERE WILL BE BLOOD

I'm not sure how Knocked Up got in there. But at any rate, their picks are always worth checking out. Look for Oliver 40274 reviews on these movies during the coming months.

How about you? Do agree with these picks?

Subscribe to Oliver 40274

TGIF Think Spring

Sure its Christmas time... but colorful spring is only 4 month away...

Horror Movie Preview

This is a trailer for a Spanish language horror movie. The trailer is brilliant. We don't see any of the actual movie. We see instead the looks on people's faces that are watching the movie...

 

 

Even if you are not a fan of horror movies you can see how this would be an effective grab for those who are.

 

Subscribe to Oliver 40274

Fellini's Juliet of the Spirits

Juliet of the Spirits - 1965

"For 8 1/2, I wanted to do a polydimensional portrait of a man. For Juliet of the Spirits, I am getting closer to what interests me. The cinema is the unique and perfect tool to explore with precision the inner landscapes of the human being. I've always wanted to do an extrasensorial tale, born entirely of the imagination. This should be it."

---Federico Fellini

Fellini's 1963 masterpiece, 8 1/2, was (arguably) an autobiographically inspired work. When Juliet of the Spirits arrived it aroused much of the same controversy. "Is this based on the Fellini marriage?" critics asked. In fact, the films star, Giuletta Masina, is Fellini's actual wife. Autobiographical or not, Juliet of the Spirits showcases many of Fellini's recurring cinematic themes; complex viewpoints, subjective shots turning into objective shots, dream sequences that reveal character and the fixation on long parades of characters. The dream sequences show a representation of what Juliet is thinking and feeling.

This is Fellini's first film in color, and he uses it to paint the film on the screen. Color is a character in this film. Consider how some characters are presented at various times with a completely unreal color to their face. This is intentional, taking the viewer in and out of reality and waking fantasy.

Juliet, the main character, is a shy, chain smoking, romantically naive housewife. The movie utilizes quick cutting scenes and a nervous tempo to show Juliet's disordered state of mind. Her neighbor is the flamboyant Suzy (Sandra Milo), who is Juliet's personality opposite. As Juliet is drawn to Suzy's company, she is tormented by it as well.

At one point, Fellini doesn't show us Juliet's face until her husband, Giorgio, steps into her presence. Symbolically, she doesn't exist outside of her husband. Juliet knows he is a philanderer but emotionally she cannot become Juliet.

Roger Ebert and others consider this movie to be the beginning of the decline of Fellini's mastery of filmmaking. I'm a big Ebert fan but I disagree. This is the first Fellini film I saw and remains my personal favorite.

It is hard to imagine anyone who has seen Juliet of the Spirits will ever forget the images and the sets, costumes and color. The sheer beauty of this movie is the movie.

 

Related posts:

Fellini's 8 1/2

 

Subscribe to Oliver 40274

Monkee Embarassment

How many of you remember the Monkees? If you understand what Oliver 40274 means then you were probably a Monkees fan. But watch the show lead in below and be embarrassed, very embarrassed...

TGIF Friendship

Ribaue, Mozambique, Africa

Fellini's 8 1/2

Fellini's 8 1/2 - 1963

"8 1/2 is meant to be an attempt to reach an agreement with life... an
attempt and not a completed result."

---Federico Fellini

Fellini's 1963 masterpiece, 8 1/2, is suggestive of an autobiographical work. Consider these:

1. Fellini made 8 films prior to this one and one half unit for Variety Lights.
2. The movie is about a film director.
3. The film director is creating a follow up to a successful film.

In 8 1/2, the focus is on Guido, a well known director, who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He is attempting to complete the script for his picture about the escape to outer space for the survivors of WW III. Guido fears of making a meaningless picture and he cannot explain his thinking to an endless parade of producers, critics, actors, intellectuals and writers. He eventually realizes that it is impossible for him to turn out a simple picture with a message for mankind but must instead produce a complicated story about his own confusions, uncertainties, and compromises.

What we end up seeing - as the movie viewer - is the movie that Guido intends to make, or more precisely, did make.

In 8 1/2, Fellini brilliantly manages complex shifts in viewpoint. Sometimes we are seeing the world through Guido's eyes. At other times we are watching him. Alternating subjective and objective perspectives leaves us seeing a stream of Fellini memories and associations. He uses flashbacks, daydreams, nightmares and fantasy to project the world that Guido is traveling in. The ride is exhilarating!

Guido's dream ideal woman is played by the beautiful Claudia Cardinale. She appears in dream sequences as his muse, offering reassurance. But she is fleeting and elusive. He must come to terms with his intellectual wife Luisa (Anouk Aimee). Luisa is as mad at him at one point in the film - after an affair - as much as for who he chose as for the infidelity itself.

8 1/2 followed Fellini's successful La Dolce Vita. [see point 3 above] His next film was Juliet of the Spirits, his best film and included in my Top 100 Movie List. But 8 1/2 won over 60 international awards, including an Academy Award for best foreign film and seven Silver Ribbons (Italy's equivalent of the Oscar).

In the end of the film, Guido's rebirth as an artist is complete and he comes into terms with his emotional past. Guido has an artistic triumph with his film - as does Fellini with his.

 

Related Posts:

Juliet of the Spirits

Subscribe to Oliver 40274

TGIF Yellow Tree, Yellow Light

Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA

  Subscribe to Oliver 40274

Apocalypto

Apocalypto - 2006

I had to send my teenage daughter out of the room and up to bed. This movie is dripping with violence, death and destruction. If you got the squeemies about that kind of thing then you will be turned off... way off.

Mel Gibson's portrayal of the Mayan culture and civilization is considered by some to be over the top and unnecessarily cruel. While undoubtedly there is director creative license going on here, it is a historical vision worthy of consideration. We read about American Indian culture and savagery in works like Allen Eckert's Winning America series and understand that the early world was not always a pleasant place. And indeed the white men that came over were just as cruel and savage.

Apocalypto is at its heart a prolonged jungle chase vehicle. Jaguar Paw's village is decimated by the Mayans. He is pursued by his captors after his escape through the jungle - in a effort to get back to his pregnant wife and son who are hiding in a cave. As Jaguar Paw and several other village men are led up the long climb to the Mayan sacrificial alter, we see the heads of his predecessors tumbling down the steps in the distance.

The set detail and costumes are so rich and realistic that we are driven to watch and experience this spectacle, even when we are driven to turn away. Gibson is as masterful behind the camera as in front of it. Much like his Passion of the Christ a couple years ago, he takes the viewer to the edge of what they can take, then pulls back and gives us a rest. Then dives in for more, then gives a rest. His camera angles and methods are so engaging, we know we are in the hands of a master.

The performances of the actors are spot on as well. Gibson used only ethnic actors so you won't see a big name white actor in the bunch. The acting MUST be good enough to inspire hatred of the Mayan mercenaries in the viewer - so that we accept all the violence and carnage.

I'm not giving this movie 4 stars because it is a fine documentary of the late Mayan culture. It is getting 4 stars because it is a memorable ripping good action adventure. It lost a point because of the contrived ending but this is a worthy addition to the Mayan jungle chase scene genre.

  Subscribe to Oliver 40274

Berkeley Protester Falls From Tree, Blames School

In the stupid news department comes this story from the San Francisco Chronicle.

A protester fell out of a tree last Sunday and fortunately only broke a wrist and ankle.

The protester thinks its the school's fault for the accident because the school put up a fence to keep the protesters out of the tree.

I'm not making this up folks...

As reported in the article:

Protesters have been illegally occupying a grove of oak trees next to the stadium since December. They seek to block construction of a $117 million athletic training center for Cal football players and other athletes.

"It's a really regrettable accident but, to state the obvious, completely avoidable," Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof said. "Things like that wouldn't happen if the people who are illegally occupying university property were abiding by the law."

Protester Hill said that if UC hadn't put fences around the site, then there would have been no need for the traverse line that he'd been trying to reach. [emphasis mine]

How long before we see Mr. Hill suing the school for causing the accident? Bets anyone?

  Subscribe to Oliver 40274

TGIF Rest Stop

Pennsylvania Rest Stop, somewhere in the Pa Wilds

  Subscribe to Oliver 40274

Dan in Real Life

Dan in Real Life - 2007

*** Spoilers ahead - this is a POST movie watching review ***

Steve Carell's job in this movie is to underplay his character. From what I've seen of him, this isn't an easy task. As Dan Burns, though, Steve creates a character that is subdued from what we expect and shows some real acting craft.

In this romantic comedy, Dan Burns, a newspaper advice columnist, is raising three girls as a widower. Apparently, giving advice is far more easier than living the advice. The girls - at various stages of maturity - see their dad as a bit of a loser. After breaking up a budding romance happening in the life of the middle daughter ("You're a murderer of love.."), the family is off for a weekend with the extended family at a summer cabin in New England.

The movie is refreshingly different in its portrayal of this large family. It is not dysfunctional. It is not broken. It is not mean spirited. In fact it is overflowing with affection and love. I'm always ready to recognize the film that breaks the stereotypical mold and this is that. When Dan realizes that he is in love with his brother's girlfriend, it troubles him greatly and he sincerely tries to get beyond it.

Going back to Steve Carell's performance here, we get a character played with humility and restraint. We don't get Michael Scott from The Office (OK, maybe just bit out on the dance floor...). We feel Dan's heartache and frustration. You go into this movie thinking Michael Scott, you come out thinking Dan Burns. Obviously, Steve Carell won't have any trouble being typecast as Michael Scott when The Office comes to and end.

Juliette Binoche plays the love interest, Marie. Although we can see very early on that she is right for Dan and not the brother Mitch, she is much to conventional to switch sides overtly. Binoche is known for shying away from the big Hollywood blockbusters. And that is appropriate here. Although the movie has a big budget and a big cast, it steadfastly refuses to look like a big Hollywood movie. It feels like that small gem of a movie that only a few have discovered.

This is a movie about family and for family. There is no irony or hidden agenda. The family wins in the end.

Research the movie at Amazon here.

Subscribe to Oliver 40274

TGIF Ribaue

Ribaue, Mozambique

  Subscribe to Oliver 40274

2007 Hugo Awards

The 2007 Hugo Awards were announced recently in Japan. The Hugo awards recognize the year's best science fiction and fantasy writing.

The Hugo is named after Hugo Gernsback, a magazine publisher credited with publishing the first science fiction magazine.

Some of this year's winners are:

 

Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge

Set in the future of 2025, computers have become ubiquitous and connect people in ways not possible today. In a genre sometimes referred to as cyberpunk, this novel from Vinge looks to be an interesting addition to his Fast Times at Fairmont High collection of short stories.

This next three novellas were published in the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction.

A Billion Eves by Robert Reed

Robert Reed tells us the following tale “It is a brutal reworking of a story that I first wrote in my mid-twenties. What remains from that earlier attempt is the flashback sections with the sorority house . . . except that I changed the point-of-view and the general tone, and, hopefully, I bring to bear the wisdom of a couple of decades of life experience.”

 

The Djinn's Wife by Ian McDonald

“The Djinn’s Wife” shares the same background of near-future India as Ian’s last Asimov’s story, “The Little Goddess” (June 2005), and his most recent novel, the 2005 Hugo-nominee River of Gods (Pyr). The author’s current book-in-progress is Brasyl. Ian works in television program development, and lives just outside Belfast in Northern Ireland with the hills behind him and the sea before.

 

Impossible Dreams by Tim Pratt

Tim Pratt’s stories have been published in Best American Short Stories, The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, and other places. His first novel, The Strange Adventures of Rangergirl (Bantam Spectra), appeared in 2005, and his next collection, Hart & Boot & Other Stories, will be out later this year from Nightshade Books. Tim co-edits a little literary ‘zine called Flytrap with his wife, Heather Shaw. They live in Oakland, California. In his new story for Asimov’s, he takes a fresh look at that mysterious little shop we’d all like to find once again, and offers us a tantalizing glimpse of some . . .

  Subscribe to Oliver 40274

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - 1974

Sam Peckinpah is well known for big, blockbuster movies like Pat Garret & Billy the Kid, The Wild Bunch, and Straw Dogs. And he certainly didn't shy away from some bloodshed in his projects. As William Holden says at the beginning of The Wild Bunch, "If it moves, kill it". Peckinpah lived life to its fullest, abusing drink and drugs, and that plays out in his scripts.

During a period in the early to mid 1970's, Peckinpah went through a severe period of alcoholic fear and loathing. From this mindset we get this film. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia was immediately panned by many film critics. But understand the context in which this movie was born of, and you will feel Peckinpah's life coursing through this movie. The movie's hero, Bennie, has a haunting demon, an exhaustion, and a sense of utter desperation that is certainly a picture of where Peckinpah was at the time.

The film stars Warren Oates, a grizzled character actor of the 60s and 70s. I grew up on a staple of this era's TV shows and probably have seen him in the likes of Gunsmoke, Bat Masterson, The Rifleman and Rawhide. Here he plays Bennie, a seedy American expatriate, playing piano in cheap bars and Mexican brothels. When a rich and powerful industrialist offers a large reward for the head of Alfredo Garcia for impregnating his daughter, Bennie sees a way out of the bottom of life. He teams up with a prostitute (and former lover of Garcia) to find Garcia and collect the reward, along with other enterprising bounty hunters. The odyssey to get the body part, and get it back to collect the reward is riddled with violence and desperation.

For most of the film, Bennie carries around the burlap sack with the severed head of Garcia in it. Much like Bogart's Fred C. Dobbs in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, the personal mission provides the emotional unraveling of the character. There is no joy in this life and this quest is undoubtedly not the best path towards happiness.

Under a scorching Mexican sun, a bagged head doesn't preserve well. Bennie however protects it over all else that might be of value in his life. Oates masterfully shows the desperate emotion required of the part. After a period he calls the head Al and chats about the woman they both loved.

This movie is what it is because of Peckinpah's emotional state. It seeps into the film at its core and the actors are part and parcel of it.

There is a scene where Bennie and Elita stop on the road for a rest under a tree. Elita talks of marriage and commitment after all this is over. Bennie is initially taken aback with the thought. A happy marriage is as foreign to him as any life joy. But they both run with the thought and pay proper respect to it. Although they agree to the commitment, and tears are shed, we all know that it is not in the cards.

This has become a cult classic - but it represents so much more. It is a slice of wild life of one of America's best film directors.

Research the movie at Amazon here.

  Subscribe to Oliver 40274

TGIF PPG Place

Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Place

  Subscribe to Oliver 40274

Mystery Train

Mystery Train - 1989
 
Mystery Train opens with two young Japanese tourists pulling into Memphis on an Amtrak train. The girl adores Elvis and her boyfriend adores Carl Perkins. They are experiencing Memphis as a great American city - ignoring its obvious run down flaws that we viewers see - and as a shrine to the music they love. As Jun says during their night in Memphis, "Its cool to be here in America, right now, with you".

The movie plays the same evening time period over in 3 different vignettes. We see the same events happen from different perspectives. There is a gunshot in the distance and an all night blues station that link the three stories. All three find themselves staying at the same tacky Arcade hotel.

Jim Jarmush only puts out a movie every couple years but they are absolute gems. In Mystery Train, the New York filmmaker, a member of the late '70s/early '80s art-punk band Del-Byzanteens, knew his musical history. He chose Memphis, home of Sun Records, the storefront sound studio at which Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison rockabillied their way to stardom. Memphis, where bluesmen Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters played for change in the parks along Beale Street. Memphis, home of Elvis - and home of Elvis' home, Graceland.

In fact you'll find music personality presence throughout the film: John Lurie, Tom Waits, Joe Strummer, Rufus Thomas and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

These themes - especially the ghost of Elvis permeate through the three stories. As Elvis's Blue Moon is played on that all night blues station, we feel as if we are experiencing a bit of after hours Memphis that is uniquely American.

Mystery Train is not a conventional story. It is not about how the story ends but how the lives go on. It is populated with dozens of small, meaningful moments - slices of life.

This exchange between the Japanese couple and Hawkins as the hotel night clerk gives us a glimpse into the lives of both...

Mitzuko: Hi! Good night!
Night Clerk: Good night. How may I help you?
Mitzuko: Umm... We would like most cheap room please do you have?
Night Clerk: All our rooms for two people are the same rate.
Mitzuko: Oh.
Jun: (speaking in Japanese) What'd he say?
Mitzuko: (speaking in Japanese) I'm not exactly sure. (In English) I'm sorry, that is too expensive.

This is a movie that is more enjoyable with each viewing. You will love it as much on viewing 50 as number 1.

Put this movie on your to do list. Again. And again. And again.

Research Mystery Train on Amazon here.

  Subscribe to Oliver 40274

TGIF Glass

Near PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

  Subscribe to Oliver 40274

25 Great Websites for Film Buffs

What are the best sites on the web to scratch your itch for movie information? Look no further - here they are. Each of these sites satisfies a particular film niche that make it stand out from the crowd.

Forums

1. Movie Forums - This forum site is a great place to unwind and chat a bit with other movie fanatics.
   
2. Talk-Movies - Talk Movies has discussion boards broken down into various genres such as Westerns and Sci-Fi.

Databases

1. IMDB - everyone knows IMDB, but it remains the big daddy of movie information. Check out the external reviews section of a movie for a great cross section of opinion on a movie.
   
2. All Movie - Part of the All Media family of websites, the All Movie site allows you browse movies by genre. It also has articles and spotlight features.
   
3. Bollywood Movie Database - Simple database that gives you pertinent details on Asian films. Has many references that IMDB doesn't. No browse feature - you must know what you are looking for to find this site useful.
   
4. Yahoo Movies - Yahoo always does websites right and their movie site is top notch. It especially excels at keeping a list of movies that you rate, review, etc.
   
5. Rotten Tomatoes - a dependable, objective resource for coverage of movies and videos

Movie Reviews

1. Critical Critics - They bill themselves as having the most poignant reviews on the web, penned by the most acclaimed film critics on the planet. They may just be right... (Oliver 40274 excluded). Their reviews are brutally honest and are not to be missed
   
2. Reviewing Whatever - Written by a journalism student, her reviews are witty and fun. Laura doesn't just do movies, check it out see what else she is reviewing.
   
3. Shhh.. The Movie's Starting - Read Tava's intro for why she writes reviews. She gets 5 stars just on her intro. Her reviews are great reads and way too far apart.
   
4. Oggs' Movie Thoughts - Smart, talented review writing from the Philippines
   
5. The Guru's Movie Reviews - More than movie reviews, here you'll find reviews of TV shows and stay updated on the latest DVD releases.
   
6. Nehring the Edge - One of the best places to visit on the Internet for a quick take on whether or not to rent that movie... [site moved to Good News Film Reviews]
   
7. Roger Ebert - Roger has taught America how to love movies. His pulls things out of movies that you missed and give you a greater appreciation for the craft.
   
8. Horror Movie a Day - Hard to believe that this guy could watch a horror movie a day - but the site is alive and doing well. This site is so well put together that I'm tempted to steal some of his layouts...
   
9. Christian Spotlight - Their goal is to provide accurate, biblical answers on a wide variety of questions asked by Christians and non-Christians about today's movies.
   
10. Flickhead - OK, I admit I don't know how to describe it but its one of my favorite movie sites on the web.
    
11. Oliver 40274 - Hey, you're already here! Check out these movie reviews: Oliver 40274 Movie Reviews

Independent Movies

1. IFC - If you don't get this station call your cable company immediately. IFC shows independent films, uncut and unedited, 24 hours a day - without commercial interruption. IFC also has exclusive live coverage of special events including the Independent Spirit Awards and Cannes Film Festival, creative on-air festivals and one-of-a-kind original series and specials.
   
2. Underground Film - Underground Film is a content framework for film distribution. Here you can watch films direct from the filmmakers themselves.
   
3. Indiewire - indieWIRE is the leading news, information, and social networking site for the international independent film community.

Movie Information

1. Film Ratings - Find out why movies got the rating they did and learn everything you ever wanted to know about the film rating system.
   
2. Film Sizes - No really, this is a very interesting site.

Fun & Games

1. Movie Quotes - Test your movie knowledge by identifying famous movie quotes
   
2. Mr MovieTime - Find times for movies at a theatre near you.
   
3. Movie Posters - Hang a movie on your wall.
   

  Subscribe to Oliver 40274

Deja Vu

Deja Vu - 2006

Spoilers ahead... this is a post - movie review...

There was a time, during the first, say... 25 minutes of this movie that I thought I hated this movie. Or perhaps more accurately... really disliked this movie. They were actually trying to tell me that they had all this sophisticated technology to show a detailed combined video montage of four days ago - they could rotate around objects - but we can't yet save it to disk and rewind it. Of course we find out a bit later that it is indeed sophisticated technology and is much more complicated than originally thought.

OK - I'm not saying that I bought everything I saw here, the movie was not without its flaws. But my wife kept saying to me, "Let it go Glenn, just enjoy the movie." Well I took her advice and went with it and went along for the ride. And by the end of the movie you realize what a fun ride it was.

I'm a fan of time travel movies (Back to the Future, Time Bandits, The Terminator). Its interesting how the writers and directors juggle the conflicting logic of turning time back on itself. In this movie, they bend time backwards, forwards, upwards... I'm thinking I have to rewatch it to get my head around it fully.

My wife TIVO'ed this movie solely on the strength of Denzel Washington. He doesn't disappoint here. He grounds the movie in everyday reality with his honest portrayal of Agent Doug Carlin. Paula Patton plays Claire Kuchever so well that she had me speculating that she was not exactly who she was (not an accidental outcome). And Jim Caviezel as the Satan character was brilliant. Just the opposite of his Jesus character a couple years back in the Passion of the Christ. Hows that for range?

I'm not sure how to classify this movie... science fiction thriller... procedural crime drama... love story... I think I'll classify it: "Damn fun movie to watch on a Saturday night"

Research the movie at Amazon here.

  Subscribe to Oliver 40274