Friday, December 16, 2022
Malcolm X - Criterion Edition
- Commentary: Yes, I already own this movie. When I heard, though, that Criterion recently released this movie, complete with its stunning (as usual) restoration work and a slate of Special Features that I can't wait to view, well, I knew I had to add it to my collection, which is probably a good idea, anyway, because, since I first added it to my collection in August of 2016, I've watched it at least once a year, occasionally more. It's one of those movies for which I find myself hungering. So, I have two copies, now. Chances are, I won't view my original copy, again, but I'm going to hang on to it, for awhile, just in case. I don't ever want to be without a copy of this movie.
If the Special Features are intriguing, I'll return here to write about them. The movie, itself, is a wonder to behold, full of amazing acting and Spike Lee's innovative, intriguing auteurism at its best. The design and execution of so many of the scenes grab you by the ears and force you to get each and every moment of this astonishing story of, not only a man, but a people-movement that has yet to achieve ultimate success.
Yes, I've listed it as both a biography and an autobiography. For those of you who are familiar with Alex Haley's and Malcolm X's collaborative book, as well as this movie, you'll understand why I did this.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Denzel Washington Malcolm X Angela Bassett Betty Shabazz Albert Hall Baines Al Freeman Jr. Elijah Muhammad Delroy Lindo West Indian Archie Spike Lee Shorty Theresa Randle Laura Kate Vernon Sophia Ernest Lee Thomas Sidney Christopher Plummer Chaplain Gill Lonette McKee Louise Little Tommy Hollis Earl Little Giancarlo Esposito Talmadge X Hayer Wendell Pierce Ben Thomas Leonard L. Thomas Leon Davis Leland Gantt Wilbur McKinley Roger Guenveur Smith Rudy James McDaniel Brother Earl Steve White Brother Johnson Veronica Webb Sister Lucille Rosary Jean-Claude La Marre Benjamin 2X Debi Mazar Peg Karen Allen Miss Dunne Peter Boyle NYPD Captain Green
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1992
Directed by Spike Lee.
Labels: autobiography, biography3, Criterion5, giancarlo-esposito
Citizen X
- Commentary: I am thrilled that I happened to be reminded of this movie and found it available at a very cheap price. I initially saw this movie when my mother was alive and we were companions. At that time, my mother had a full-tilt subscription to a cable outlet and received, among many, many stations, HBO. I'm sure that my mother also saw this movie. I don't remember her reaction to it because my involvement in it was so intense. My guess is that, being the kind of movie it is, involving the vagaries of working in a hamstrung bureaucracy, which is what the movie is really about, she probably didn't pay much attention. I was riveted by this movie and never forgot it. Doubtless, I probably also watched it more than once through my mother's subscription, which may account for my vivid memories of particular scenes. At any rate, it's been years since I've seen it, so I'm looking forward, with anticipatory pleasure, to it becoming a part of my collection, soon.
Update 12/31/22: After having just finished watching this movie the first time since I added it to my collection, well, it's weird, because it's very easy to spend most of this movie bristling with indignation, frustration and depressing disgust at the situations portrayed in this film in which we humans find ourselves simply by virtue of being human. And, yet, at the end, in the last minutes of the movie, and the last day of the legal detention of Andrei Chikatilo, he is broken by a psychiatrist who uses an innovative and very personal technique for eliciting a full confession of his crimes ... and is, by the way, executed. Somehow, the resolution of this nasty, brutal case, despite the many failures that almost allowed Chikatilo to go free, again, gave me hope for humanity. Not that I believe execution is a good idea. I feel the opposite. Not that I can excuse the beaurocratic nonsense that allowed this man to offend against his fellow humans for so long. But, there is something heartening in the fact that a few people stayed with the task, with true hearts, until it was correctly concluded. A lot of the time it is frustrating as hell to be human, but, sometimes, a few humans get it right and renew the faith in humanity that the rest of us desperately want reason to have. That is the crux of this lightly fictionalized version of this true story.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Stephen Rea Lt (later Cnl) Viktor Burakov Donald Sutherland Cnl (later Gnrl) Mikhail Fetisov Jeffrey DeMunn Andrei Chikatilo Max von Sydow Dr. Alexandr Bukhanovsky Joss Ackland Bondarchuk John Wood Gorbunov Ion Caramitru Tatevsky Imelda Staunton Ms. Burakova
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1995
Directed by Chris Gerolmo.
Labels: detective1, docu-drama, donald-sutherland, TV3
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Minority Report
- Commentary: Roger Ebert was, in his words, so "blindsided" by the "brilliance" of this movie that, aside from his usual write-up (connected to the title of this post), he conducted an interview with Steven Spielberg, the film's director, and Tom Cruise, the film's lead actor, to delve into a variety of topics surrounding the making of the movie and its contribution to its genre. Speaking of which, you might notice that I included it in both neo-noir and melodrama (my film-noir category). I did this because I've seen it listed as both, so, you know, to be fair ...
I saw this movie twice when my mother was alive. She was a fan of science fiction (all types), found this movie thrilling and clamored to see it twice, in the theatre, which we did.
Twenty years later, I remember it as complicated and astonishingly high tech. I was reminded of the movie when I was reading an article about robots in the movies (which I did not, alas, bookmark, but there are so many articles out there about this movie that similar sentiments probably won't be hard to find, if you're looking for them). The article mentioned that this movie is an example of robots that do not engage with humans, do not become friendly with humans, do not react to individual humans, do not, in fact, veer from the purpose for which they were created, which is to identify and, thus, help corral generic humans in various ways, without concern about who the humans are individually, politically and spiritually. This, the article suggested, puts it in a peculiar and somewhat smaller category than those of most movies that feature robots. I was surprised at this article's mention of robots in this movie because my memories of it didn't contain any robots. I have a niggling interest in movies that feature robots, so I decided to obtain the movie. When I receive and rewatch the movie, I'm sure I'll have more to say about this aspect of it, and other features, as well.
Update 12/30/22: Well, I did it, all day today. I indulged myself in the third watching, in my life, of this movie. I also watched all the many special features included on a second disc (I highly recommend them all, but, especially, the interview with Steven Spielberg). Going in, I wondered how much of it would be familiar to me. Coming out, I was breathless. I remembered a lot of it, but what I didn't remember were the tech savvy action sequences and the out-of-nowhere subplots, which continue to thrill me, perhaps because my mother's gasps of surprise, so many years ago, had also been stored in my memory and brought back cozy memories of absorbing her reactions along with my own.
Good movie? Yes, I'm glad I added it to my collection. I hadn't remembered, as well, how much heart the movie has and how much it relies on the slow unfolding of the tragedy at the center of the protagonist's (played by Tom Cruise) life. Nor did I remember the surprising resolution of Anderton's despair, despite the fact that it is prefigured in the characterization of his former wife.
BTW, quite a bit of the characters' dialog in the movie is recorded here by, no doubt, discerning fans.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Tom Cruise Chief John Anderton Max von Sydow Lamar Burgess Colin Farrell Danny Witwer Samantha Morton Agatha Lively Michael Dickman Arthur Arkadian Matthew Dickman Dashiell Arkadian Lois Smith Dr. Iris Hineman Kathryn Morris Lara Anderton Tyler Patrick Jones Sean Anderton Mike Binder Leo Crowe Steve Harris Jad Watson Jessica Harper Anne Lively Tim Blake Nelson Gideon Daniel London Norbert Wallace Peter Stormare Dr. Solomon P. Eddie Neal McDonough Gordon Fletcher
Besides the stacked and noteworthy cast listed above, the movie is teeming with significant actors playing bit parts and walk-ons. There must have been a great deal of industry buzz about this movie as it was being made since it appears that everyone and their dogs were clamoring to be included.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2002
Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Labels: melodramaC, neo-noirC, science-fiction2, steven-spielberg, thriller4, tom-cruise, violence5
