Spike Lee's Jungle Fever

My favorite director after Martin Scorcese, I revisit Spike Lee films whenever I get the chance. Do The Right Thing is my favorite film of his, and I see Do The Right Thing as often as I can. Then there's Summer of Sam, another one of my absolute favorite of his films.

And then we come to Jungle Fever. Jungle Fever deals with the taboo relationships between different races - in this case, black and italian. Wesley Snipes (looking fiiiiiinnneee!!!!) plays Flipper, a happily married man living in Harlem with his wife and daughter. A new secretary Angie is hired to work at his firm, and eventually, the two begin an affair. Flipper confides in his friend (Spike Lee), and eventually Flipper's wife learns about the affair. Angie also tells two girlfriends, and her father and brothers also find out about the affair.

Angie and Flipper attempt a mixed race relationship, which doomed from the start, eventually fails.

Another part of the story deals with Samuel L Jackson as Flipper's brother Gator - a hopeless crack addict.

The dialogue in the film is quick, direct and pulls no punches. Spike Lee writes the best dialogue, he is incredibly inciteful. I always imagine Spike Lee to be a great listener. His seems to know what people in a particular situation would really say. He has incredible vision into his characters. They are as real as you or me.

Samuel L Jackson is brilliant brilliant brilliant as Gator, the hopeless crackhead. He delivers his line with venom and heartbreak at the same time. He is soooo good in this role.

The supporting cast is equally outstanding and full of Spike Lee Regulars: Ossie Davis, John Turturro, Ruby Dee to name but a few.

There are many very powerful scenes in this film, one that comes to mind is Flipper going to the crack den to look for Gator with Stevie Wonder's In the City playing in the background. Strong stuff.

This is a genius film by a genius director. Beautiful to look at, with a powerful message to tell.

8/10

Harry Brown

I read that Michael Cain was really keen to play Harry Brown, a pensioner vigilante avenging the death of his best friend. I cannot imagine this movie being as good without him. Michael Cain is at his best in this - speaking with his natural accent - he is menacing and serious and tough.

Set it tenament housing, overrun by thugs and drug dealers, Harry Brown is alone, mourning the death of his wife, and unable to reconcile the senseless, violent murder of his best (only) friend. He exacts a systematic and methodical revenge. The setting of this movie reminded me very much of Keno Loach movies - Sweet Sixteen or the incredible My Name is Joe. The poverty and depression of the council housing are characters in themselves.

This is a graphic, serious, violent adult movie in which Michael Cain shines. He is very very good in it. It is very confronting, and not at all enjoyable.

All vigilante movies are a little bit 'moralistic and preachy' but the difference between a British film and a movie like Gran Torino is huge. American villains can be very cliched and one dimensional, while British villains are much less contrived, much grittier, much realer. Different circumstances seem to motivate them. The moral viewpoint in Harry Brown is not as transparent. You can see the poverty and the violence as existing outside the characters. Really impressive film. Really good work.

8/10

Big Russ as Robin Hood!

Robin Hood, I forgive you...

This is the film I had been most anticipating this year! I even used my Gold Class Tickets...

In Robin Hood, you have:

A fantastic director: Ridley Scott - Alien(s), Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, American Gangster - i love these movies. He is one of the great action film directors.

A great supporting cast: William Hurt (love!), Max von Sydow, Danny Huston and some other people who looked familiar ...

My favorite actor of my generation: Russell Crowe.
+
Cate Blanchett - don't love her, don't hate her. but she is a good actress isn't she?

It was also:
Beautifully filmed - every frame is gorgeous and lush.
Action packed - lots of it

But.... my issues were:
1. There were many liberties taken with the story telling here, and I suspect history was re-written quite a bit. The big battle at the climax of the film was done like D-day in Saving Private Ryan. Ridiculous. Unecessary.
2. Combining romance and battle is never a good look.
3. Complete lack of any chemistry between Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. I suspect these two are such good actors, that they can't do sexy.
4. Screaming "Noooooooooooooooooo!" really killed it for me. There is no bigger cliche than the slow motion "Nooooooo".
5. The tie in between Robin's history and his present situation was too coincidental and unbelievable. The story was lame all over really.

My biggest issue with this movie, is that it didn't necessarily need to be about Robin Hood. We don't see any stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, and there was not nearly enough archery. The archery sequences were fantastic, and Russell can fire a bow very very well. But there wasn't enough! More! I wanted more!

This is a prequel to Robin Hood as we know it, and therefore not known to us. I kept thinking to myself that this movie could have just been an adventure/action movie about a soldier and how his live changes with one decision, and be much better for it.

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Ok, so having said all that, I still loved it! Cinematography was beautiful, costumes were great, I love Russell Crowe as an actor, and I maintain that no actor does sadness in his eyes better than Russell Crowe (and Robert De Niro), and I always consider watching Russell being good in a movie a privilege. Cate Blanchett is good too, although kinda androgynous. The acting was very good, the action was good, the archery was great, the horses were gorgeous, the forests were lush.

I think that in order to enjoy this film, you would have to leave your 'critical' brain at home, and just enjoy the acting, the action and the cinematography. I want to see this movie again, just to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Iron Man 2

I was looking forward to this, but afraid that I would be disappointed. Needless to say, I wasn't. I enjoyed every minute of it. While I think the middle bit was a little slow, and the 1st Iron Man film was better, I liked this sequel a lot too.

Robert Downey Jr is really good in this role, as is Gwyneth Paltrow. They have such a good rapport on screen, the banter flows so easily between them, I wonder if they are good friends in real life... She is beautiful and her red hair really suits her.

...and the rest of the cast:
Don Cheadle as 'Rhodey' - I prefer Terrence Howard in the role, but DC wasn't too bad.
- Scarlett Johannson is so cute in this role, she has a fantastic figure, and her hair is amazing. I am generally not a fan of hers, but I really liked her in this.
- Mickey Rourke is always good, and he is at his element as the heavily tattooed bad guy with a grudge Ivan Vanko.
- Samuel Jackson set up the 'Avengers' movie with lots of lead-ins. Not a big role but very cool nonetheless.
- Sam Rockwell annoyed the crap out of me. I didn't like him in this at all. He is just not cool enough to play the flippant rival to Robert Downey Junior. Not even close.

So, in conclusion, I laughed and cheered along to this movie and can't wait for The Avengers and Iron Man 3!!!

Hot Tub Time Machine

Not a lot to say about this one, but it was not as funy as it was advertised to be. Ya, we laughed out loud in bits, but not 'roll off the couch laughing" as the poster says.

The cast was good, John Cusack is still cute (although hello plastic surgery, his face looks a bit frozen, not good), there are some funny running John Cusack jokes throughout the movie ("I want my 2 dollars" - see if you can spot them). Another running joke throughout the film is Crispin Glover's arm - you'll see what i mean when you watch the film.

My problem with this movie was that while it was funny, I kept comparing it in my mind to "The Hangover" (buddies in trouble) and it was in no way as funny as The Hangover.

In conclusion - funny enough, not as good as The Hangover. 6/10

The Book of Eli

This movie has generally received poor reviews (rottentomates has it at about 44%) but I know a few people who really liked it.

I had an afternoon to myself, so decided to go check it out.

It's set in a post-apocalyptic world, Eli (denzel washington) has the only copy of a book which he is protecting until he finds the right purpose for the book. Carnegie (Gary Olman) plays the leader of a lawless town who is looking for the book. This book is of course, the bible. Eli wants the book to be used to give people hope, Carnegie wants the book for its ability to give him power.

The movie looked good, but not as good as the road.
The violence was graphic, but not as realistic as the road.
There was very little food and water, but hunger and thirst were not portrayed as well as in the road.
The conclusion, unlike the road, was about as positive as it could get away with. It really was a bit too tidy..

Denzel Washington did a good job, he looks great. And for me, watching Gary Oldman in anything is a treat. He is one of my favorite actors, and nobody yells quite like him. He is the consummate villain. I just love him.

In conclusion, the movie, while being entertaining enough, was just too "fundamemtally christian" for me. I can imagine this movie being played at Christian Gatherings for many years to come. The movie was a massive advertisment for the power of the 'word' of God, and was kind of embarassing. 5/10