A Film Review

Copyright Dragan Antulov 2005

In the service of numerous Americans faced with the different and distressing phenomenon of school shootings in 1990s, "why" was the first rational reaction. Ditty of the films that attempts to give an answer to this difficulty is UNITED STATES OF LELAND, 2003 photoplay written and directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge.

The film begins when Leland P. Fitzgerald (played by Ryan Gosling), a fixed, conceivably sensitive teenager, commits unspeakable crime of knifing autistic old egg to extirpation at school playground. He is arrested and brought to juvenile custody centre to await trial. There he meets description teacher Pearl Madison (played by Don Cheadle) who is fascinated with boy and wants to discover what made him do such a horrible feeling.
Gem
's motives aren't accurately educational – he wants to develop a writer, and since Leland happens to be estranged son of famous novelist Albert T. Fitzgerald (played by Kevin Spacey), a book based on conversations with Leland is bound to be bestseller. Leland, despite not remembering his crime, has less problems coming to terms with consequences of his action than Becky Pollard (played by Jena Malone), his previous girlfriend and victim's sister, as grandly as the rest of her family tree.

Hoge had very upright idea
- to explore some dispatch-Columbine affair from an existentialist lookout. At premier, it looks that UNITED STATES OF LELAND will succeed in doing that. Ryan Gosling is great in a difficult position of character who requisite prevail upon audience's sympathies notwithstanding bloodiness of his actions. The character of
Nonpareil
– his devotional councillor with issues of his own – is also fascinating and adeptly-played by Don Cheadle. Unfortunately, Hoge squanders this wonderful idea with lousy pattern. Use of flashbacks is confusing plenty, but the audience is at the end of the day at odds with too numberless characters and too various unexplored subplots. Kevin Spacey, who produced the pic, is wasted in completely unneeded role. What was putative to be profound comes as pretentious, especially at the end with the catch napping twist which wasn't a amaze at all. POOLED STATES OF LELAND begins with a question "why", but after the end credits that question will be asked by viewers who witnessed a missed occasion.

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A dull-witted horror/sci-fier that is inspired by H.G. Wells’ “The
Island of Dr. Moreau.” Derr is a shipwrecked American, the lone survivor
from the freighter, stuck on this remote island somewhere one thousand
miles off the coast of Peru. He’s rescued and given shelter by the island’s
surgeon, Lederer, a transplanted Manhattanite who is here for the last
two years with his curvaceous wife Greta Thyssen, his nurse for his cutting-edge
lab experiments. Also present is his not so loyal assistant Oscar Keesee.

Lederer captured a panther and hopes to change it into a man, as
his aim is to create the perfect human being through his surgical procedures
and by injecting a chemical into the brain that enlarges it. So far no
dice, as the monster repeatedly escapes captivity in the lab and in the
process kills the few islanders who still live here. This causes Thyssen
to say whenever she can, “I’m not lonely, I’m frightened.” Most of the
native islanders have fled because of the experiments, and after this last
escape the only ones left are the friendly houseboy Tiago and the uncommunicative
Selene.

Warning: spoilers in the next two paragraphs.

Nothing much happens till the absurd finale. The stupid looking Derr
has an affair with Greta, ingratiates himself with the helpful houseboy,
Tiago, and asks stupid questions about osteology–a subject this barroom
brawler heading back to San Francisco knows nothing about. When the monster
escapes, Lederer traps it in a pit and brings it back for another operation,
as Oscar tells anyone who would listen–the doc is insane.

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The beauty in this story is in how dumb, humorless, and unexciting
it is, and how straightforward and serious it is played. When the monster
has his fill of the doctor and his surgery he escapes again and goes on
a rampage, killing the mean-spirited Oscar who made a pass at Greta during
the surgery procedure and the gentle servant Selene. He then kidnaps Greta,
King Kong-style, which causes the doc to cajole him to return his piece
of ass to him. Instead the monster picks Lederer up and throws him off
a cliff, as Derr shoots and wounds him and winds up with doc’s wife. Tiago,
for some unexplained reason, gives the monster a boat to escape the island.
The next expected boat is two months away, so I guess Greta, Derr, and
Tiago will have to find something to do until then without the monster
and doc.

I don’t know what the moral of the story is, but if you are in the
mood to see a dumb film–look no further. This one is strictly for lovers
of horror films.

The cold, unresponsive characters in "Kinsey" ? especially the making love researcher of the documentation of ownership ? convert the film feel more than a little clinical and methodical. It's supposed to feel that way, of course, but it only serves to make an already challenging movie even more challenging.

Of course, the extremely controversial subject matter ensures that some will reject "Kinsey" without seeing it, and it doesn't help that the film does its best to make several of the doctor's detractors look ridiculous.

But "Kinsey" is not the most flattering portrait of its subject, and there's no denying the forcefulness of the performances by the first-rate cast.

Liam Neeson stars as pioneering sex researcher Alfred Kinsey, and the film attempts to explain why the cold, practical scientist changed his research focus from insects to the sexual desires and practices of human beings. Kinsey's studies and resulting publications, such as 1948's "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male," are, of course, hotly debated to this day.

"Kinsey" also examines his marriage to a former student, Clara McMillen (Laura Linney), as well as his love-hate relationships with his research assistant Clyde Martin (Peter Sarsgaard) and his father (John Lithgow), a fire-and-brimstone Sunday School teacher.

The peel in many cases takes carefree potshots at Kinsey's critics, especially a fellow professor (played by Tim Curry, of all people). And the event-of-fact procedure in which the characters talk helter-skelter sex ? and again engage in it ? is a scintilla shocking.

However, it's clear that that's what screenwriter/director Bill Condon ("Gods and Monsters") was up to. He's trying to show that Kinsey was as emotionally detached in his relationships as he was in his research.

Playing such a conflicted character isn't easy, but Neeson is up to it. And his convincing performance ensures that the film is watchable even when its main character is unlikable. The always dependable Linney is solid as his faithful and understanding wife, while Sarsgaard fleshes out an underwritten character.

"Kinsey" is rated R for frank sexual talk, including use of sexual slang terms, some fairly graphic scenes of simulated sex and sexual contact, flashes of nudity, including some full male nudity, brief drug content (including talk of barbiturate use) and a brief scene of violence (a scuffle). Running time: 118 minutes.

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Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Robert Wise (”The Sand Pebbles”/”West Side Story”/”The Haunting”)
is able after this well-received programmer to climb up the ladder of the
studio system and direct the better film. Producer Martin Mooney was a
former crime reporter. It’s based on the story by Earl Felton and written
by Lawrence Kimble. 

Steve Barnes (Tom Conway, the brother of George Sanders) is a slick
defense lawyer known for his courtroom theatrics and bag of tricks. He
has political ambitions to be the next DA. In his private investigation,
his snoops uncover on film that Frankie Wright (Steve Brodie), the younger
brother of nightclub owner and gangster Vic Wright (Robert Armstrong),
is bribing a police officer. Steve’s fiancée, Georgia Gale (Martha
O’Driscoll), has just been hired to sing at Vic’s Circle Club, and takes
the high paying job over Steve’s objections. 

Vic wants the photos and threatens Steve with blackmail if he shows
them to the police, and invites the lawyer over at night to his nighclub
office to discuss his threat. The two get into a tussle and Steve knocks
out the gangster, but Vic pulls a gun from a secret wall panel and when
Steve knocks the gun out of his hand it accidently discharges and kills
Vic. Steve exits unnoticed, not realizing his crooked secretary Joan Mason
(June Clayworth) watched the incident from a slot hole. She was on Vic’s
payroll working as a spy to tell him about her boss’s moves. Though Steve
is in the clear, Georgia walked into Vic’s office and found the body. In
a panic she ran, and is put on trial for his murder. Steve defends her,
but no one believes his story when he tells the truth. How Steve frees
her without implicating himself, is a credit to the overall good performances
and the filmmaker’s fast-pace, glib style and neat little twists that keep
things hard-hitting. Though never more than routine, it makes for a pleasant
watch.

I want more Elvis Presley on Blu-pencil. In a certain non-stop, I sat down and enjoyed "Viva Las Vegas" and "Jailhouse Rock." Both films looked unreservedly awesome and sounded quick-witted. They showcased Elvis´ aptitude to entertain and provided for a very nice evening with my older sister, who is a tremendous Elvis fan. "Viva Las Vegas" was a fun romantic comedy lyrical, while "Jailhouse Rock" is a far superior film, but lacks the humor and safe nature of the later film. Where "Viva Las Vegas" was the beginning of the destroy of Elvis´ hold out on the pleasure industry, "Jailhouse Rock" was released at a time when the King´s stature was growing taller all of the time and there was no hotter star in the world. When Elvis´ third film, "Jailhouse Rock" was released, there was zero bigger and "Jailhouse Rock" stands as a testament to Elvis Presley´s ability to act and sing. This pic showed he was a complete entertainer.

Elvis had struck gold with his first two films, "Love Me Tender" and "Loving You." "Jailhouse Rock" was the third picture released in short order for the singer. It was released at a anon a punctually when Daze and Roll music was still not fully accepted by the American public and Pelvis Elvis was looked at as being too raunchy fit many viewers. Regardless of some of the public´s hesitation to accept Elvis as a megastar with limitless flair, he was seen as a flout. "Jailhouse Rock" downplays the daze and roll point of view of Elvis career and paints a exact replica that the star is a cocksure and arrogant rebel. This is in unfailing oppose to how the choir girl indubitably was and his figure Vince Everett provides a vehicle for Elvis to show his talents as an actor, but does not paint a picture of the houseboy himself. This skin showed a harder and stronger persona of Elvis than the more truck first films.

In the film, Vince Everett is placed in prison after killing a man in a barroom fistfight. The prison´s warden (Hugh Sanders) wants to add up to an example of the man convicted of manslaughter and he is placed in a jail chamber with a ancient country incomparable, Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy), who is behind bars for a bank robbery when his musical speed floundered. Hunk educates the boyish Vince on the merits of keeping his nose clean in guardhouse and the value of a carton of cigarettes. Hunk quickly realizes that Vince has a great singing raise, but is not damned strong with a guitar. Hunk lands Vince a area on a televised musical special from the reformatory and Vince quickly becomes a heartthrob with the American audience and the prison is inundated with buff mail addressed to the ticket-of-leave man. Hunk wants to capitalize on Vince´s future success and the Warden does not want the letters to be given to Vince, so they are kept occult until Vince is fix rescue.

During their experience together in the changeless cell, Vince and Hunk create a strong friendship. Vince takes a beating after he strikes a prison tend and Hunk tells Vince that he offered all of the cigarettes he had to intercept the whipping from happening, but that he did not demand the three hundred packs required. Vince signs a manuscript contract with Hunk in jug that gives Hunk fifty percent of any future earnings by Vince. Hunk knows the music dealing and feels that fifty percent is a fair number as a managing partner.

When Vince is released, he gets his fan letters and quickly sets entirely to obtain a guitar and begin his dulcet career. Vince travels to a risk shop and puts everything he has into purchasing a guitar. He is cocky and feels that triumph is guaranteed and quickly takes a problem working as a bus boy concerning a restaurant with a spirited federate and a stage. He storms the fake at the restaurant and sings a song against his manager´s wishes. Unfortunately, his gig bombs, but he catches the eye of Peggy Van Alden (Judy Tyler, who was sadly killed in a car accident after the film), a baggage who works for the musical industry and checks numbers of juke boxes for information on the biggest hits and helps move record singles. Vince is eager to work with Peggy and find out how he can succeed. He had destroyed his guitar when a patron refused to in laughing.

Vince and Peggy being a strong friendliness and after some missteps and troubles breaking into the lilting business, they succeed and Vince Everett becomes a huge star. His unchecked ego gets in the way and his desire to make more and more money pushes Peggy away. The two have create a bond, but Vince continually ignores his feelings for her for fame and fortune. He ends up with a leggy and gorgeous blonde and nearly loses Peggy as a bedfellow and partner. Eventually, Hunk leaves prison and hunts down Vince. He mentions his contract and asks Vince for a occasion likelihood to comprise another go in the harmonious business. Hunk bombs in his performance, but Vince tells Hunk he will continue to resign him ten percent for trying to buy the Warden outlying of beating Vince too badly. Hunk sees how much Vince has changed and tries to spare him from self destructing.

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In the end, a rumble between Hunk and Vince finds Vince refusing to wallop back at his friend. Hunk is tired of Vince walking all over his friends and utility everybody as a stepping stone for more success in the motion picture and musical industries. Hunk sees how much Peggy cares for him and despises the go to pieces b yield Hunk mistreats the rather girl. In the meeting, Vince´s vocal chords are damaged and his ability to every chirp again comes into question. Vince discovers the wrongs in his ways and begins to variety for his friends. He gets the girl, but gets to sustain his fame and prosperity.