pkarnold Reviews

Secondhand Lions (2003)

Staying with the Uncles in Texas

[9/10 · 27 February 2012]

The first thing I noticed in this film was the farmhouse, a caliche road, and the mailbox--and I knew it was rural Texas. Then I noticed a couple of uncles sitting on their front porch with shotguns, and a young teenage boy not knowing exactly what to think. I was hooked immediately when flipping through the TV channels and seeing Secondhand Lions.

This film was made in Pflugerville, a suburb northeast of Austin, and of course there is a rural road, a farm house, and stock tank (pond). It was the first thing that caught my attention, and it felt like Texas. And then there was Michael Cain and Robert Duval playing characters in Texas. I've seen this movie five times or so, and it is not difficult to imagine Robert Duval playing a character from Texas. However, Michael Cain, well if his Texas accent wasn't perfect, his character was perfectly played! And as brilliant as Cain might have been, Robert Duval was just as good as Robert Duval can be, and that's about as good as it gets. Cain plays Garth, and Duval plays Hub and the 13-or 14-year-old Walter is basically dumped with the uncles by his mother one afternoon. The uncles aren't happy about the situation. Walter's not happy about the stranding with the uncles. But the audience is in for a treat as this story develops.

While Haley Joel Osment played a believable Walter, and Kyra Sedgwick was also excellent as Mae the mom, the movie's writer and director Tim McCanlies has to be given credit for a realistic setting, and an amazing story that allows character development, and what might be a pretty bad situation, child abandonment with strange relatives, to become a wonderful story.

Yes, Cain and Duval play curmudgeonly uncles, but they also play loving and caring uncles who grow so close to Walter, they try to figure out how to protect him from his irresponsible mother. Work in some traveling salesmen, that occasionally succeed in getting past the shotgun blasts from the front porch, to sell garden seeds (in a variety of packages, but only corn grew), or to sell a sickly lioness, and this plot is wonderful.

The lioness is nurtured back to health by Walter, but one day she escapes and heads into the garden of fully grown corn. I probably would have named this movie "Lions in the Cornfield," because that is an extremely strong image from this movie, and seeming ridiculous situation. But Secondhand Lions actually uses the symbol of the uncles as aging, yet protective lions who have had better days, and Jasmine the lioness, to communicate all that is quirky and good in life.

As strong as Duval and Cain may be in their acting roles, the story is equally as idealistic in siding with right, and opposing evil. When a movie is idealistic, and believable, and fun, I can't help but give this film a solid recommendation (9 of 10 stars).

The Last Samurai (2003)

Watch it, smell it, taste it, grasp it!

[9/10 · 15 February 2012]

This is a movie I will stop and watch again, and understand something valuable that I never noticed before. And that fact alone makes The Last Samurai an excellent movie.

First of all, I love cross cultural movies and this is one of the best. You can learn so much from the approaches of people in different cultures, and their interactions. The Last Samurai can be compared to Dances with Wolves. Both movies have an epic quality about them, well directed, wonderfully filmed and scored. Both movies are a cinematic sensual experience. But as strong as these aspects of The Last Samurai are, it is the human life themes that are important. It is the movie's message to the mind that matters.

Lieutenant Nathan Algren, played by Tom Cruise, is a post Civil War cavalry officer who suffers from the guilt of killing women and children on the raid of an Indian village. Ironically, he is recruited by Colonel Bagby who led the raid, and by Mr. Omura of Japan to train a modern Japanese army. Omura represents the modernists of Japan, who wish to wrestle away political control from the remaining traditional Samurai war lords of Japan.

Algren, who would prefer to drink himself into oblivion and at times wishes for death to take him, is actually a wonderful trainer and leader of men. He knows how to communicate and encourage his young Japanese peasants to become effective fighters. But Omura and Colonel Bagby have their own time-line, because Lord Katsumoto is raiding Omura's railroad. They believe Katsumoto's forces cannot stand up against a modern army with rifles. Algren knows his young trainees are not ready, and this fight will be a bloodbath.

If there is a formula for success in recent movies it is action scenes, and this movie has four such action/battle scenes. They are important to the movie's structure, and in the battles many people are killed. Still, the plot structure allows the movie to move to the valleys in between the action scenes, and this is where the beauty of this movie occurs. Characters are explored, and viewers see the growth of people.

In the first battle, Algren refuses to retire to the rear and fights with his trainees against a full-blown traditional Samurai force attack. He sees his friend Sergeant Zebulon Gant killed in the charge, and fights to the very end, somehow avoiding death and taking the life of Katsumoto's brother in a last desperate attempt to survive. Katsumoto is moved, perhaps by the tiger banner of the spear that Algren uses to fight off the Samurai's forces, to take the American prisoner.

As Algren recovers from his serious battle wounds in Katsumato's sister-in-law's (Taka) house, and in the presence of Katsumoto's son (Nobutada), he also begins to heal spiritually isolated in this village from the rest of the world because the mountain passes have been closed by winter snows. He relates well with the children of Taka's house, and these small personal moments help show the normalcy of daily living salving the captain's troubled soul.

He admires the diligence of the people of Katsumoto's village, each seeking to be as perfect in their duties as they are able. He develops a friendship with Katsumoto; Algren understanding the honor and courage of this man, and his people, and Katsumoto and his village admiring the perseverance of this stranger.

At one point in the movie, Katsumoto finds out that Algren knew George Custer, and mentions how marvelous he was to fight to the death. However, Algren counters that 'Custer was a terrible general whose arrogance needlessly cost the lives of 200 men.' In that statement there is the contrast of the two cultures. The Japanese culture valued honor and courage in death, while the American saw honor and courage in life.

Algren is a good student of the Japanese language, and the use of the Samurai sword, so good in fact that he is able to help defend his adopted family, village, and Katsumoto from a band of ninja assassins hired by Omura. The American has gone from being a prisoner to an honored friend, with respect from each party growing into admiration. When he returns to Tokyo, his loyalty has shifted from Omura and Colonel Bagby to Katsumoto and his village.

The third action scene is his helping Katsumoto to escape back to his village, and then Algren organizing resistance against the more highly trained Imperial army that now has cannon and Gatling guns in the dramatic final battle, with Algren somehow again surviving.

This movie is about life and death, and honestly writers John Logan, Edward Zwick (director), and Marshall Herskovitz communicate well the beauty, and sometimes the struggle of life; and the terrible waste of life in war. Tom Cruise does an excellent job of understating his character--he is extremely believable. Ken Watanabe is also excellent as Katsumoto, but all the actors in this movie are believable, particularly the villains.

This movie is not perfect. Some situations seem a little unlikely. But sometimes real life seems unlikely. A viewer can enjoy the scenery, the musical score, the acting, and indeed the entire film. But hopefully the viewer will also perceive the contrasts of the cultural philosophies, and ultimately the complimentary natures of differing cultural philosophies.

Be Cool (2005)

Be Cool is a fun movie

[8/10 · 27 January 2012]

There are occasions when I like a sequel more than the original. Be Cool is one of these. I liked Get Shorty, but it was a little disturbing with some of the violence. I honestly think that Be Cool is much funnier. One way I know I like a movie is if I am channel surfing and I see a movie I know and I stop to watch it again. Well, I did that with Get Shorty the other night, and I realized I like Be Cool better.

I think the main reason is the comic performances by actors like Vince Vaughn, who plays a bumbling, silly gangster wannabe (Raji). He is hung out over the edge of the building and he tries to spell his name and can't do it and that cracked me up. I also like Cedric the Entertainer who plays a movie producer (Sin LaSalle) with hired gangster enforcers that he has to tell to be quiet in his upscale neighborhood because they're playing their SUV stereos too loud.

Dwayne Johnson (The Rock from WWE) plays a recording star-wannabe/enforcer for the Vince Vaughan character, and is very funny. Robert Pastorelli gets a fun appearance as a mafia assassin (Joe Loop), and chokes to death eating a ham and coleslaw sandwich as Vince Vaughan tries to intimidate him with a red aluminum baseball bat.

So maybe I'm the only person that liked this movie, and the comic memories it has for me. Just to give you an idea of other sequels I like better than the originals there's Die Hard II, and Star Trek II.

Add in another good comic performance by Andre' Benjamin (Dabu) and I must say this is a funny, enjoyable movie at least for me. Perhaps people don't like this movie because it seems like John Travolta (Chili Palmer) is pretty much a straight man for Vince Vaughn, Cedric the Entertainer, and Andre' Benjamin, but hey you don't have good comedy without a good straight man. And here's my spoiler, I liked the ending, and the unique way the credits were rolled.

Breaking Away (1979)

Breaking Away Races to the Front

[9/10 · 3 January 2012]

One of my favorite genres of movies is sports movies. Usually there is drama, comedy, and often surprising results. For me Breaking Away is certainly one of my top ten favorite sports movies, and quite possibly on my top five list.

Breaking Away is a story about a teenage cyclist growing up in Bloomington, Indiana. Somehow he has become obsessed with the Italian cycling team. And whether his motivation is a unique way to meet young coeds at Indiana University or something else, he is an incredible cyclist.

The fun part of this movie is his interaction with his mother Evelyn Stoller, who seems very understanding about his Italian cultural ways, and his father Ray Stoller, who doesn't understand why his son thinks he's Italian. Give credit to writer Steve Tesich whose script takes viewers on a humorous and believable adventure in this wonderful small-budget movie.

Add in three friends who just graduated from high school, and this story is a fascinating jaunt with coming of age. Dennis Quaid plays a former high school quarterback, Jackie Earle Haley plays the short and defensive Moocher, and Daniel Stern plays Cyril, a student whose father likes to encourage him when he fails. Each of the supporting actors does a great job in helping to convey the story, but you can really see Daniel Stern's strength in comic acting in his first major movie role.

The sports rivalry is actually established by the city kids called Cutters, competing for dates against the college male students. Eventually, the two rival groups compete against each other in a bike race called the Little 500. But honestly, the joy in this movie is the journey with all of the characters in the Peter Yates directed movie.

As in life, there is humor and sadness, friends and family, rivals and conflict brought out on the big screen. This movie was surprisingly good the first time I saw it, and still enjoyable 30 years after its release. How good is Breaking Away? It won an Oscar in 1980 for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen with Steven Tesich doing a tremendous job in "wordsmithing" the script. The movie also received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Barbara Barrie), and Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score (Patrick Williams).

Perhaps my best recommendation for Breaking Away is that I consider it better than that other famous Indiana sports movie about High School basketball. That's probably a minority view, but if you haven't seen Breaking Away, you have missed a jewel of a movie.

Carousel (1956)

Carousel is dark and inspirational

[9/10 · 30 December 2011]

Billy Bigelow is truly a character in need of redemption. Played by Gordon McRae, the carnival carousel barker needs help, a second chance, well probably more than a second chance, to try to right wrongs he left behind in his life.

So this musical is a combination of dark and inspirational, and that is why it is my favorite musical. It actually moves me to tears because how many of us don't need redemption in one-way or another, and how many of us fail those we love at one time or another.

Billy, the terrible failure in life, is matched up with the seemingly perfect woman, Julie played by Shirley Jones in this story. And despite the fact that he can't express his love for her, he hits her when frustrated, Julie knows he loves her.

So when he dies while trying to rob a rich man, to provide for Julie and their child to come, he fails miserably in his last act on earth. But the story is only beginning because the star keeper in Billy's purgatory location stirs Billy's interest in his daughter, and Julie back on earth. So, this failure in life is given one last chance to help his daughter who is having a tough time growing up without a father.

As you might expect, he struggles with helping his daughter in his return visit. Julie senses his presence although she never sees him, and he is too embarrassed to be visually revealed to her. Julie always could see through him, and knew his heart better than he ever did. So yes, he was a scoundrel, and at best is a bumbling angel, who ends up telling Julie he loved her, and encouraging his daughter.

The wonderful Carousel theme establishes a setting for an earthly tone of temptation. With songs like June is Busting Out All Over, If I Loved You, and You'll Never Walk Alone, Rogers and Hammerstein's music is inspirational, when not effectively setting up the story. The actors besides Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones, who are skilled singers and convincing, are solid, with special acknowledgment going to Cameron Mitchell, Gene Lockhart, and Susan Luckey as Louise Bigelow.

This movie is not for children, and even adults will disagree concerning the darker violent themes. But I know of no other musical that moves me emotionally like Carousel.

Farewell to the King (1989)

Learoyd was not always a king

[9/10 · 30 December 2011]

Learoyd started off in the Philippines, was deserted by his country, so he fled and landed on an island as a deserter, where he was lost in the jungle, and found by head hunters. What happened next was the basis of an amazing story and a wonderful movie.

The man was crazy, and yet was brought back to life by the tribe, the women of the tribe seeing his eagle tattoo and believing he was sent by the gods. Eventually he became king of the village, and the tribe, and life was settled and happy, until the British army parachuted into this seeming island paradise, and drew the king and his tribe into the war against the Japanese.

While the setting of the story is war, this is a psychological drama concerning loyalty, and honor, and courage. The movie is attractive to the eye, and comparisons to a Joseph Conrad story are appropriate. John Milius, who directed the movie and wrote the screenplay, presents this movie in almost a tantalizing, epic manner. The scenery, the musical score are wonderful! And if at times the plot is a little rough, it is easily forgotten because of themes like friendship, and life and death. And of course, what would a tragedy be like without betrayal?

If you can leave your cynicism at the door, and even a few of your sensitivities against violence at the back of the room, then you can enjoy this movie. Ultimately, as good, and sad as this movie is, there are also themes of redemption, especially at a personal level. Nick Nolte is excellent as Learoyd. Nigel Havers is solid as Captain Fairbourne. In fact, I could not spot any poor acting in this movie.

In this movie, the lines between friends and enemies are blurred, but positive human qualities transcend the faces of war, and that is why I suppose I enjoyed this movie so much.

The Jack Benny Program (1950–1965)

Behind the Scenes

[9/10 · 29 June 2009]

Jack Benny is my most missed comic from the 60s. Yes, Bob Hope and Johnny Carson were hilarious and well worth watching. I enjoyed Dean Martin and George Gobel. But of all the comedians of early television, Jack Benny's timing was unbelievable. I don't think any modern comedian can match his subtlety or his timing.

And while Jack Benny could deadpan a gag, usually he was on the receiving end of it, a few shows could give you insight into how much he enjoyed comedy, his show, and perhaps comedy in general.

I saw a you-tube film of him on the Carson show, with Mel Blanc and the "Si gag." And the very thought of Mel Blanc doing an English Horse whinny, or "Si" just cracked him up.

I also saw a video of Foster Brooks roasting Jack Benny, and Benny couldn't help but laugh, laugh, and laugh some more. And if you see the show where Groucho Marx is doing a "Say the Magic Word" skit or was it really on the Who Do You Trust set, it is just hilarious to see what lengths Benny would go to to win that $100 prize.

Another insight was from What's My Line, the game show where the celebrity panel was blindfolded and Benny signed in as Heifitz. He couldn't help but play a gag or two on the host and the panel, admittedly while answering in a falsetto "uh, huh" or "uh, uh." The crowd roared when he entered on the show, and roared at every single comedy gag he came up with.

So while I lament that the Jack Benny show is no longer on the Comedy Channel, any time you can get a hold of an episode of the Jack Benny Show, please do so because this man was truly a master at work. And the main reason was because the guy was genuinely funny, understood comedy, and was as happy to be the butt of a joke as to deliver a punchline.