The Good Shepard (2006)

There's a lot to like in Robert DeNiro's ambitious sophomore directorial effort.

The film features solid acting, strong, confident direction, and impressive production design.

But in the end, the story in The Good Shepard, perhaps feels too distant, and too cold for an audience to fully embrace.

What we are left with is a piece of impressive looking art, but unfortunately nothing emotionally involving or moving to make it remarkable.

The film attempts to tell the story of the birth of the Central Intelligence Agency through the eyes of Edward Wilson. Who according to IMDB is probably based on the life of James Jesus Angleton, the head of counterintelligence at the C.I.A.

The film traces his journey from his humble beginnings as a poetry student at Yale, through his initiation into the Skull and Bones secret society. Which then puts him on the path towards foreign intelligence gathering during World War II.

The story then shifts to the rise of the Agency during the cold war, and all the way through the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba.

If that's not enough, in between all that, the film also attempts to show the strain, and devastating effects that this lifestyle has on Edward's personal, and family life.

Ambitious.

It's a lot on DeNiro's plate, and he almost pulls it off.

Almost.

But it's just too much.

Even for a 2 and a half hour movie.

Any one of the multiple issues, and events tackled in the film can be a whole movie in itself.

The story to me feels like it wants to be a twelve episode H.B.O. television series.

It's just too much, too quickly,for me the film ends up feeling like a cliff notes history lesson.

But at times Eric Roth's script really hits the right notes, and DeNiro's direction almost pulls it all off. He directs with a confidence, and artistry which is admirable.

Specifically.....the spy stuff is really cool.

The code names, the secrecy, the training, the intelligence gathering, the back door deals, and the torture methods employed by the agency, that's all cool to watch.

What's great about the film is that DeNiro doesn't bother telling the movie in a conventional manner. He uses flashbacks, a huge cast of characters, and time jumps throughout the film to assemble parts of Edward's life much like a fascinating jigsaw puzzle.

What's also interesting is that there doesn't seem to be a political agenda for the film. Which is unusual considering the material.

DeNiro seems content with just telling a story.

Actually there seems to be no conventional antagonist in the film. Just situations that characters respond to differently, sometimes in negative or what some would consider evil ways.

Perhaps the strongest political statement in the film is how ridiculous the Skull and Bones society is. It's obvious that the filmmakers have a disdain for the initiation rituals and unusual camaraderie of the group. Several jokes by Angelina Jolie's character really drive that point in.

But overall, the film makes no judgements.

I guess one can look at that as a negative for the film. It's not a text book conventional well-made film. But I found it refreshing that he treated the audience in this manner.

It's mature and demanding material that is treated with thought, and consideration rather than conventions.

In a way, this way of storytelling justifies how a simple person can get swept up and caught in this sort of living.

My problems with the film arise with the examination of Edward's family life.

If one is looking for a marker, for me the film takes a down turn with the arrival of Angelina Jolie's character.

Not that she's bad in the film.

She's actually pretty good. But for me the character's storyline is not really effective.

To begin with, the character of Edward is cold, and distant.

He's not affable, or even very sympathetic, and the audience seems to accept him that way.

But when the characters of Edward's wife, and family are thrown into the story. We are expected to sympathize with his struggles, and the plight of the family.

It just doesn't happen.

The truth is it's hard to sympathize with someone who chooses this life path. I mean what do they think they are signing up for when they choose this profession? Fun and parties?

The title of the film in itself implies that the lifestyle of a C.I.A. agent is one of self sacrifice.

So it feels forced and melodramatic to the story to try, and build sympathy for the characters in this way.

It almost feels like Eric Roth and DeNiro were well aware that the story is not emotionally involving. So they attempted to compensate by showing us Edward's family life.

To try and reel us in.

It's obvious that the story needed an emotional hook. But for me, I would've liked to see them try, and find a different way.

A family neglected, and destroyed by a man's extraordinary profession is not exactly original stuff.

It's material that we've seen before, and done better in movies like Donnie Brasco, the Godfather, Goodfellas, and countless other films.

As far as performances, everyone involved is on their "A" game.

Damon is effective in a restrained performance. William Hurt, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crudup, and Michael Gambon turn in their usual complex and multi-dimensional performances.

But for my money the most memorable character, and performance is John Turturro's Ray Brocco who is Damon's hard nosed and loyal assistant. He's strong willed, effective and willing to do the dirty work in order to help Damon's character achieve his goals.

It seems in order to become a successful and powerful person, there is always a pit bull like this in one's corner to do the dirty work.

It's a wonderful character, one could almost do a whole movie just on this character.

But a lot of the movie feels that way. It's a fascinating and intriguing world we're watching in the film.

I just wish that they could have found that one emotional hook to tie it all together.

Rocky Balboa

Perhaps the greatest underdog in cinematic history returns to the screen for one glorious last time.

The results are impressively entertaining.

Dare I say one of my favorite movies of the year.

Sylvester Stallone has fittingly delivered his greatest directorial achievement, and at the same time has provided a well deserved end for one of the most beloved movie characters of all time.

Perhaps I was overcome by the stirring Bill Conti score, or I got caught up in the inspiring themes of the film, or maybe I just got caught in a huge wave of nostalgia but.... I loved this film.

Loved it.

At one point I even caught myself getting a little misty-eyed.

I know that's not very manly for me to admit, but this film moved me.

I found myself being touched by the memories of the first film, and how I still cared about these characters many years later.

At the start of the film we find Rocky at...pardon the pun....rock bottom. His beloved Adrian has passed away, his friends are all gone, and his son is embarrassed by the huge shadow of having Rocky Balboa as a father.

Life has knocked Rocky down to the point that he is barely able to muster up enough energy everyday to recount his past life with Adrian, and to share old ring stories with customers at his restaurant.

He is a shell of a man trying to pick up the pieces of a broken life.

When a computer simulated fight declares him the winner over the current champion, his competitive wheels start turning, and he realizes that it's time to start fighting life back.

Cue Bill Conti score.

The movie works on a lot of different levels.

Boxing makes a great metaphor for fighting the trials of life, and Stallone really taps into that here.

Rocky is dealing with his place in life, and with the passing of time, and his relevance in it.

He's no longer the young man carving out a path for himself. He's a man that life has brutally swept aside.

He's the old man left to live out his life in obscurity.

In terms of creating an underdog it's a great place to begin.

Unlike the first film, which is a story of an underdog given a chance of a lifetime, and making the most of it.

This film is about an underdog reclaiming one's own life, and legacy against all odds.

It's even more effective when one considers that the character's arc in a way mirrors the actor playing it.

There's a lot of parallels between Rocky and Stallone, and he taps into that here.

His script also points out the inherent problems with the modern athlete.

How talent has gotten them to a point of mediocrity, and how they let success and hype define them, rather than building character through taking the treacherous journey of hard work and adversity .

The movie is also about making a difference in life. It's about taking up, and accepting the challenges that life brings. About being relevant in life, and not being content with being an observer of life.

It's really stirring, emotional stuff.

The movie feels like a call to arms for masculinity. He's calling on a more simple time, when the battles we endure defined the person we are.

It's the stuff of warriors.....and god help me I fell for it.

In terms of story, it's really a good film.

I guess a more cynical person can pick away at the logic of the situations, and the simplistic script. But I found the movie to be engaging, touching, and enjoyable.

I also have to admit that I have a soft spot for the character.

I remember reading the Rocky picture book when I was a kid. I remember that Rocky II was the first movie that I saw without my mother. I loved the song Eye of the Tiger and thought Mr. T was the coolest thing ever in Rocky 3. When I think about the 80's and the Cold war, I remember Ivan Drago and the audience in my Rocky 4 screening chanting U-S-A during the movie.

During this particular Rocky movie I was surprised to feel myself associate with the character in new ways. I found myself associating with Rocky's passage of time, I sympathized with him as a working class father, and lastly as a sports fan who finds it difficult to relate with the modern athlete. I also found myself rooting for Stallone as a performer. I admit, personally it's nice to see him do good work again.

But putting personal feelings aside, the movie really works. It's fun seeing Rocky in his element. The stuff like visiting Adrian's grave, seeing Rocky interact with Paulie (Burt Young), and reliving past moments from the first film was sympathetic, nostalgic and unexpectedly moving.

Honestly there's not a better way to close the book on this character's journey.

It's a perfect ending.

The film is directed well too. I've never been impressed by Stallone's direction, to be honest his track record isn't that impressive. But he hits all the right notes here.

Impressively.

The pacing was good, the use of flashbacks effective. I liked seeing the character in turmoil, and in emotional pain, then fighting back. I enjoyed the slow build towards the big fight. I found the training montage stirring, and I liked the action of the big fight. Surprisingly, the choreography in the film is the most realistic, and impressive of all the Rocky movies.

The film also benefits from solid performances. Stallone does his best work since....well the first Rocky. Real life boxer Antonio Tarver does a good job of making Mason Dixon arrogant, yet strangely affable and sympathetic, while also being a formidable opponent for Rocky. Burt Young returns with his always touching, and humorous performance as Paulie, and Milo Ventimiglia does a good job of playing Rocky's conflicted son.

It's just a good old fashioned well made movie.

No crazy special effects, fancy camera tricks, or complex story.

Just good refreshing fun.

I wasn't the only one enjoying myself either. The audience I was in were clapping, laughing, and cheering throughout the whole film as well.

When the movie ended I heard someone yell encore.

Seriously.

They wanted more Rocky.

It's really an excellent accomplishment for Sly Stallone. I'm sure that not many people were calling for another Rocky movie. But he fought to tell this story, and he pulled it off really nicely, and he provided us with an entertaining, touching story that in retrospect needed to be told.

The character deserved a good ending, and perhaps the audience needed to be reminded of how a character like Rocky can inspire, and move us in our own lives.

It's especially impressive considering that I found this film many times more moving, enjoyable, and artistically superior than other so called important boxing movies like Michael Mann's Ali, Best picture winner Million Dollar Baby, and Ron Howard's soulless and sappy Cinderella Man.

It's an accomplishment for Stallone that shouldn't be overlooked. Hopefully the film's success will open more doors for him to do good work.

Because after making this movie he deserves it.

Make sure to check out this fun, inspiring, and touching film.

Dexter

Ever cheer for a serial killer?

I guess that's a pretty odd question. But make no mistake viewers will find themselves doing so.

Airing on the Showtime network is the excellent television show Dexter, which features a serial killer as the protagonist of the show.

In all fairness he's more of a vigilante than a serial killer, but I guess that's all relative.

I really am surprised that I like this show. It's not really stuff that I usually respond to. I'm not a horror fan, and certainly not a fan of the serial killer genre, but this show has me hooked.

I think that it's really innovative stuff. Maybe even the best show on television.

The series revolves around Dexter Morgan, excellently played by Michael C. Hall. Dexter Morgan is a police forensics expert specializing in blood analysis of murder scenes in the Miami police department. He has a sister who is an ambitious police detective, and he was raised by an adopted father who was a police chief, but has since passed away.

What we learn through the course of the show is that a childhood event has traumatized Dexter to the point where he now has a lust for blood that can only be satisfied by killing people.

In flashbacks, we see his adopted father recognizing his son's mental illness, and rather than committing him to mental hospital, he teaches his son, using the many years of his own police training, to act out against murders and serial killers. To satisfy his son's blood lust.

In effect doing some good, by committing murder.

He's basically like The Punisher. But his tools of choice are a drug filled syringe to disable his victims, and a drill and hand saw to finish the job.

What's great about the show is that Dexter is a extraordinarily flawed character. He's a misfit with very little social skills. The character is obviously insane, but he's learned to create a charming mask that society seems to accept as normal. Even though he's far from it.

The show doesn't back away from the fact that this man is a monster in his own right. But we still find ourselves cheering for him.

Perhaps it's because we recognize his struggle to fit in, his awkwardness in certain situations, or that we simply admire his brand of justice against individuals who deserve to die at the hands of a sadistic killer.

Whatever the case, it's fascinating television.

The major storyline right now is Dexter's relationship with a fellow serial killer known as the Ice Truck killer.

The Ice Truck killer chops up the body parts of his victims, usually prostitutes , drains their blood completely, freezes the parts, then displays them in unique fashion in a public place for all to see.

Taunting the police.

Nice.

Dexter finds himself simultaneously admiring, and being repulsed by the man's work.

Things get complicated when the killer reciprocates his affection by showing his admiration for Dexter's own killing work.

Dexter is torn between feeling a kinship with the killer as a fellow artist, and bringing the man to justice.

Things are even more complicated when we learn that there is some kind of connection between the two of them that only the Ice Truck killer knows....and will reveal in his own time.

Besides the excellent work of Michael C. Hall. The show features an excellent ensemble of actors including Julie Benz as Dexter's previously abused, and slightly disturbed girlfriend. Jennifer Carpenter as Dexter's oblivious and ambitious sister, James Remar as Dexter's complicated, deceased adopted father, and the creepy Christian Camargo as the Ice Truck killer.

It's definitely one of the best shows on television right now, and it might even signify the end of HBO's dominance of subscription television. Combined with Weeds and the L-Word, Showtime may now have bragging rights as the best network on television. Especially after the incredible disappointment of the 3rd season of Deadwood, and HBO's original programming misfires of Lucky Louie, and Dane Cook's Tourgasm.

Make sure to check out the series on Sunday nights at 10.

The season finale airs this Sunday.

I can't wait.

Casino Royale

James Bond begins.

Casino Royale is the much needed reboot of the classic Ian Fleming series.

When last we saw James Bond he was running around with a half naked Halle Berry, in some kind of ice castle, shooting laser beams, and driving in an invisible car.

Needless to say it was time for some old school cooking.

Much of the controversy surrounding the film was with the casting of Daniel Craig.

For whatever reason, people didn't think James Bond when they looked at him.

Although I myself was not terribly excited about the prospect of him taking over the role. (I was hoping for Clive Owen.)

I was looking forward to his performance.

I was aware of his good work from watching Layer Cake, Road to Perdition, and last year's Munich. Although he wasn't my first choice, I knew he was an excellent character actor who would give the role an interesting, grounded spin on the character.

If anything I was worried that the script would not be up to his standards, that it would resemble a Saturday morning cartoon, like the past couple of films masquerading as James Bond movies.

At best, I was hoping for decent fun, some chuckles, and fun eye candy.

I didn't expect to be blown away

How wrong I was.

This may be the best James Bond film in my lifetime.

After seeing Bond get his necessary two kills to become a secret agent, Casino Royale recounts the first mission by James Bond after achieving his double O status.

Fighting terrorism, high stakes poker, breathtaking action, some old fashioned torture, and the breaking of some hearts all follow, with a renewed, fresh, passion for the material.

It's hard to believe, but Daniel Craig may eventually go down as the best Bond.... ever. To be honest after seeing his performance, it's now hard for me to picture anyone else....except of course for a young Sean Connery, play the role so well.

It is a throw back performance that really delves into the dark side of being a British secret agent who has a license to kill....with extreme prejudice.

Make no mistake. This isn't a guy to be messed with.

Daniel Craig's James Bond is affable, yet cold blooded, cruel, and most importantly scary.

He's not someone a person would like to bump into late at night in an alley.

He's more likely to rip one's throat out, then to shake one's hand.

When a bartender asks this James Bond if he wants his Martini shaken or stirred. He replies, "Do I look like I care?", with enough venom that it leaves the bartender shaken.

This isn't joke telling Bond, this is a killer with a black heart.

This is a Bond who'd kick the shit out of Vin Diesel's XXX, while eating his breakfast, and tying his shoes, and not think twice about it.

Being in his presence is like being with the Grim Reaper.

Death is lurking.

Besides Daniel Craig's performance, much credit has to go to the script by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, with a polish by Paul Haggis.

The movie has everything we want in a Bond film.The script is intelligent, suspenseful and action packed all with a fresh perspective.

When it seems like there's too much action, the movie shifts gears and becomes a love story, and suspenseful thriller.

The action is also reality based. Lots of hand to hand combat, old school espionage, and very little gadgetry.

This is a world grounded in reality, rather than fantasy.

The supporting cast is also excellent especially Eva Green as Vesper Lynd, and Mads Mikkelsen as the terrorist Le Chiffre.

Adding a nice dynamic is the return of Judi Dench.

With Daniel Craig's interpretation of a heartless, killer who uses women to obtain his goals. It's nice to see him play off of the strong female authority figure of M. This relationship is not played for laughs like the last couple of films. There is obvious, awkward tension between the two, and an almost disdain for what each other represents.

They don't like each other.

But they realize that they must work together as a team in order to achieve their goals.

Everything is all really tied together well by Martin Campbell's direction.

He has some experience delivering good Bond films.

Pierce Brosnan's best Bond film Goldeneye was also directed by Campbell. The movie has a nice blend of the familiar, and a fresh perspective. Some highlights include an amazing foot chase through a construction site, and a torture scene that is both painful, and hilarious to watch. There's a lot going on in this film, almost too much. There's enough to fill two films, but it all comes together nicely under his fine, tight, direction.

The movie is a definite must see, and looks primed to land on my top ten list for the year.

Make sure to check it out.

Superman II- The Donner Cut

A rather unusual, and dare I say historic event occurs on Tuesday when Richard Donner's cut of Superman 2 arrives on DVD.

Richard Donner, the director of the first Superman starring Christopher Reeve, was fired half way through the filming of the second Superman.

The reason was cited as creative differences.

He was replaced by Richard Lester who delivered an outstanding sequel.

I'll even go as far as saying that it's a superior film than the first Superman.

I'm sure I share that opinion with many others.

But for whatever reason there's been a demand to see the footage that Donner shot, some even claiming that his version was even better than Lester's.

Throughout the years a cult following developed.

It became a full fledge phenomenon when Bryan Singer, in preparation for his film Superman Returns, viewed footage from the Donner cut, and came away singing it's praises.

So Warner Brothers did the unprecedented, and decided to release a version of Superman 2 using the previously unseen footage shot by Donner, and filling in the holes with the footage shot by Lester.

Not only that, but paid for restoration, and according to the special features on the DVD, the creation of some 250 new special effects shots.

Some of the highlights of the new version is a new beginning, ending, and the presence of Marlon Brando.

But is it better than Lester's version?

Spoilers now follow.

First off the film has never looked better.

It's obvious the powers that be has put some money into this DVD.

This isn't some chessy director's cut that inserts storyboards, and cheap narration to fill in the holes.

The video, sound, and color have all been enhanced, and restored.

I threw on the special edition of Lester's version, which is being released at the same time, to compare the transfers, and the differences are obvious.

The Donner version looks, and sounds significantly better.

Which is disappointing for fans of the original version.

In terms of story, the Donner cut is shorter, tighter, and feels more like a sequel.

Events that transpired in the first film directly affect this version.

Specifically, the way General Zod and his crew escape from the phantom zone is from one of Lex Luthor's nuclear bombs in the first film that Superman intercepts on it's way to California.

Instead of the terrorist bomb from Lester's version, the bomb that releases Zod is a nuclear bomb that Superman throws into space.

The ending is also drastically different. Instead of the magic kiss to make Lois forget, Superman simply does what he did in the first film. Which is reverse time to the point where he throws the bomb into outer space.

Which means the whole movie never takes place.

Which makes no sense....whatsoever.

The best, and most refreshing change is having Marlon Brando in the film.

I'm not sure if it's nostalgia, or genuine enhancement of the story, but having Brando in the film seems to really elevate the film to another level

In terms of story, it definitely raises the stakes when Superman decides to become human.

Also seeing Brando pleading with his son to reconsider, enhances the themes of the Superman story. Issues of responsibilty, serving the greater good, and self sacrifice are addressed.

It also brings out a more dynamic performance from Christopher Reeve.

We witness a great moment when we see the little boy in Kal-el come out as he defies his father, and decides to become human. Than another great moment when we see his remorse, and regret when he begs for forgiveness, and pleads for a way to become Superman again. It adds a vulnerability to the character of Superman that we've never seen on film.

It's also tragic when we see that the only way that he can become Superman again, is by the destruction of his father's hologram. Which means he will never be able to interact with the image of his father again.

It provides a rather touching goodbye scene between the two.

The moment is especially poignant when one steps out of the film, and considers that relatively recently both Marlon Brando, and Christopher Reeve have passed away.

But besides those changes the movie is basically the same. The same themes, and plot-line remain relatively intact.

I guess if I had to choose though, I prefer Lester's version.

In terms of story logic, and through-line Lester's version just plays better. There's also more action sequences in his film.

But I'm grateful for this new version. If only to see Christopher Reeve and Marlon Brando's new footage.

After watching Superman Returns, one realizes how excellent Christopher Reeve's performance was, and it's always refreshing to see Brando perform, even in a performance that many consider stilted and distant.

The DVD is available on November 28th.

The Prestige

Swiftly jumping onto my top ten list for 2006 is Christopher Nolan's fascinating, and entertaining movie The Prestige.

The film is a multi-layered tale, which examines the destructive nature of man's inner demons.

It features some of the finest writing, and performances in the past year.

The story is a period piece about two ambitious up and coming magicians, played outstandingly by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, who after a tragic accident become fierce rivals, and eventually bitter enemies.

Jonathan and Christopher Nolan created a script that is impressive because the film's themes creep up on the viewer much like a magic trick.

The movie seems to play out like it's a mystery, or con game when in reality.....it's really not.

It's a character study.

A fascinating, complex study of man's dark side.

To be honest, the actual twist or mystery, in the film is not really that hard to figure out. When it is eventually revealed, it actually becomes an after thought to the real through-line of the film.

The twist is an illusion of what we think is the real story. Which is ironic because the film is about magicians.

It's a interesting, and enjoyable way to frame a story about deception, ambition, obsession and the lengths people will go for revenge.

At several points in the film the movie manipulates who we root for. We switch back and forth between the characters trying to decide who the protagonist is.

Which, in the end has us questioning whether the two characters are different at all.

Along with the excellent script, the film is also backed up with fantastic performances.

In addition to the aforementioned lead performers, the supporting actors Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Andy Serkis and a haunting, elegant David Bowie all shine in complex multi-dimensional performances.

It is sophisticated material that really can't fully be appreciated until some time afterwards.

When the film actually ended, I briefly contemplated whether I even liked it.

The journey 0f the film is so thought provoking, and demanding that the film requires a moment of consideration to fully absorb the story.

So after some thought, and analysis I realized that it's haunting, and powerful themes stayed with me like no other movie this year.

The film is mystifying, haunting, and strangely provoking .

It almost demands a second viewing.

In retrospect, I believe much of the film can't really be fully appreciated until it's watched again. Which I look forward to soon.

It's complex, intelligent, and satisfying like no other commercial movie so far this year.

Easily one of the finest films this year, and confirms to me, what I've suspected after watching Batman Begins, that Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale are the next great cinematic duo, much like DiCaprio and Scorsese, or Spielberg and Hanks.

It's exciting, inspiring stuff, and I can't wait to watch their future collaborations.

Borat: Cultural learnings of America......

The funniest movie.......ever?

A great case can be made.

I don't think there's a way to describe the giddy laughter, and joy I experienced while watching this film.

To be honest it's been a long time since I felt and shared that kind of experience in a movie theatre. I have to think way back to the time I first saw the movie Airplane with a full house. I was pretty young at the time, but the laughter and joy I remember the audience experiencing had a profound, almost traumatic affect on me.

It was laughter that hurt. Rolling laughter that had people gasping for air.

Literally people were in pain from laughing so much.

Walking away from the theatre, I remember people wiping their eyes from the tears of laughter.

To be honest I never thought I'd experience that again.

Until now.

Borat: The Cultural learnings of America for make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan will probably go down as one of the five funniest movies...... of all time.

I feel silly writing a synopsis of the film. The concept of the film is pretty simple.

Borat, a wildly racist, crude, and simple minded reporter from a fictional backwards Kazakhstan is making a documentary about people he encounters...along the way he becomes obsessed with Pamela Anderson.

That's it.

It's amazing how many laughs he's able to illicit with such a simple premise.

I laughed.....hard about every 30 seconds during the film.

Literally.

I wasn't the only one.

At one point during my screening people started to applaud wildly when a hilarious scene concluded, I even saw some people standing up.

For a movie.

We're talking flashing lights here.

A standing ovation for a projected image.

From the moment that the credits started rolling the laughter began. There was never a moment that I felt the audience felt bored or distracted, we were all glued to the screen.

I'm pretty sure that if a fire started in the theatre nobody would have noticed.

No joke.

Besides the genius of Cohen, I think a lot of credit has to go to Larry Charles for his fine direction.

Rather than trying to re-invent the wheel, Charles sticks closely to the format that worked so well on Da Ali G Show.

Borat interacts with unsuspecting subjects who unknowingly share their dark sides in the presence of a seemingly naive Borat.

People think they are informing, and educating the simple minded Borat. When in reality he's uncovering all of American society's dirty laundry.

It's subversive, profound, thought provoking, and just plain funny stuff.

But that's not where all the laughs are, one surprise about the film is how much scripted material is in the film.

I think about 70% of the film is scripted.

The stuff in fictional Kazakhstan is some of the funniest parts in the film. There's also plenty of humorous bits involving Borat and his producer Azmat brilliantly played by Ken Davitian.
They come off as a sort of twisted, racist, crude Laurel and Hardy.

Since Cohen is more of a comedian than an actor one would think this would be one of the weaker elements of the film. But under Larry Charles, who has some experience dealing with this type of free form lightly structured improv material from working on Curb your Enthusiasm, it becomes one of the strongest elements of the film.

Indeed one of the funniest, and raunchiest bits come from the staged material. I won't ruin it here with a description. But trust me, people will know what scene I'm referring to when they watch the film.

It's shocking, crude, perverse stuff. It's also material that'll be talked about for years.

Make sure to check it out before the buzz becomes unavoidable.

Ironically, some genius at Fox, using some stupid fuzzy mathematics, and survey response forms, decided to scale back the number of theatres showing the film. Imagine how they feel now that despite the limited screenings the film still opened at Number one. Imagine how many people were turned away this weekend. I almost missed out when I was initially turned away at one theatre. Luckily I was persistent and found it playing somewhere else.

It shouldn't have been that hard though. I'm know some people who weren't as persistent.

THAT guy is going to get fired.

Anyways by next week the rest of the world will get to see it. Borat will probably be a household name.

Which brings about a depressing note. With so much exposure it'll be impossible for Cohen to play the character again.

At least he's going out with a bang.

A glorious, fun filled, hilarious bang.

Windy City Heat

Available now on DVD is probably one of the funniest movies of the decade.

Windy City Heat is an elaborate practical joke played on Perry Caravelo by his two "friends", Don Barris and Tony Barbieri.

The set up of the film is that Perry Caravelo believes that his chance of a lifetime has arrived by landing the part of Stone Fury in the huge, action film Windy City Heat. He lives out his fantasy with the bonus of cameras rolling at all times to document the suppossed behind the scenes events for the spectacular DVD.

In reality, the filming is just an opportunity to witness his two friends humiliate, ridicule, and embarrass Perry Caravelo at every turn.

I know it sounds mean.

That's because it is.

But after watching Perry in his element for a few minutes, one figures out pretty quickly that this guy deserves all that's coming to him.

He's homophobic, rude, crude, ignorant, and extremely, extremely arrogant.

At one point he remarks, with all sincerity, that he's the new Marlon Brando.

Seriously.

Without spoiling the humor, some of the bits include, a hilarious audition situation, stunt work involving shit, a red baseball bat, mistaken costume fittings, toilet humor (literally), and an accident involving a craft services table.

The only slight problem with the movie is that it's pretty unbelievable that Perry is so ignorant.

Seriously the guy has to be retarded to fall for some of the set-ups.

For example Bobcat Goldthwait is directing this supposed action film.

But somehow it's believable because the guy is such a ignorant, and terrible, yet arrogant actor.

The audience ends up hoping for all it's worth that it is real, and that he isn't in on the joke.

Just to see him suffer.

Which brings up a point that if Perry is in on the joke, Perry Caravelo is a comic genius.

In the mold of Andy Kaufman, and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Which is a scenario which is even harder to believe.

In any case, I highly, highly recommend watching this film.

There are some huge, tears inducing, stomach hurting laughs, that will have one giggling for weeks after just thinking about it.

The Departed

Not much more can be said about how great this movie is.

Which is why I held off on writing my review.

Honestly, what's left to be said?

Besides that, the truth is in my heart, I believe Mr. Scorsese is not capable of making a bad movie.

Even if he tried.

Seriously.

Even his stuff that people considered uneven.....I think is pretty freakin' brilliant.

I thought Gangs of New York and The Aviator were epic.

I liked Age of Innocence, Kundun, Color of Money....even Bringing out the Dead.

Well...... maybe not Bringing out the Dead.

But I recognize that movie is still better than 95% of the stuff that is out there today.

So, as one can see, in my eyes the guy can do no wrong.

I guess I'm not in the minority in my beliefs. Any dumb ass off the street will admit that the guy is a genius.

Which is why it's so strange that he's been unable to win the film industry's most prestigious award.

I think if there's any complaints about his most recent work, it's that they all seemed like they were geared toward trying to win him the Oscar.

Which of course isn't true.

But the way his films were marketed definitely made it seem that way.

So it's refreshing that The Departed at least looks like something more closer to his indie sensibility.

It feels like a movie with no obvious award season ambition.

It feels like Scorsese..... having some fun.

Like he did in Goodfellas, and Casino.

Indeed, the story is not even an original idea. It's based on a rather exceptional chinese film called Infernal Affairs.

I read in an article that one of the reasons Scorsese made the movie was to give back to the chinese film community, which has been so influenced by Scorsese's work.

The Departed is a superior film....but in all honestly not by much.

Andy Lau's movie is stylistic fun, and Andy Lau and Tony Leung's performances are pretty amazing.

Stunning work really.

Especially when watched with a fresh perspective.

Which is a big weakness for the remake.

The film is a faithful interpretation of Infernal Affairs.... almost to a fault.

Many of the plot points are ripped straight from the original.

To the point that I think that, if given a choice, viewers should not watch the original before watching this film.

It will spoil all the fun.

But even if one has seen the original, this movie is still a pretty fun and amazing ride.

Perhaps not surprising, I felt the differences in the two films were what I enjoyed most.

This time around I felt the stand out performances in the film were by the supporting actors.

In particular Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg, who happen to be characters who aren't in the original.

The truth is that they steal this film from Leo and Damon.

Like bandits.

Mark Wahlberg in particular has never been better.

Also getting notable attention is Vera Farmiga, who's character is tweaked so that she's romantically involved with both Leo and Damon's character. It's a nice tweak in the story, and gives the movie even more depth and heart.

Let's not forget Jack...who's great in his role. It's a wild, almost, out of control performance but it's entertaining, enjoyable and pretty damn great.

Perhaps turning in the most intimidating performance of them all is Ray Winstone's Mr. French. Who's a cold blooded, loyal, calculated killer, and second in command to Nicholson's Frank Costello. It fantastic, understated, work that hopefully won't be forgotten come awards season.

So basically it's a great film.... good source material, great adaptation, good performances, great direction, it's a can't miss.....maybe it's the best movie of the year.

What more needs to be said?

A son of many talents!

American Idol watch out.

My wife took some pictures of our little cub the other day, and I was scanning through them on the computer, catching up with his exploits that I miss while I am at work, and to my surprise, I noticed that she captured him displaying some unusual supernatural abilities.....especially for his age.

He's only 7 months, but he's obviously a musical genius.

If one needs proof.......take a look at these pictures.



Yeah, that's right he sings......but unfortunately when I'm not around.

I coyly pressed my wife for some details, but she refused to report any unusual abilities. Perhaps she's afraid that his talents may draw the attention of Julliard who may force her to enroll him in a preschool program to hone his obvious vocal talents so that he may share them with the world.

When I told her it was okay....that I wouldn't share the secret with anyone. She merely looked at me like I was insane....which unfortunately is a look she gives me a lot.

Just when I was ready to give in, and admit that..... maybe..... she may have just caught a moment of unusual coincidence.... I saw this next picture.



Check out that finger placement.

I saw Anchorman.

We all did.

It's obvious what he's doing here.

He's obviously playing the jazz flute.

I'm now in the process of examining ALL his pictures, which is considerable,.....to maybe catch other remarkable moments that my wife is afraid to share with me.

Imagine....here I was thinking that I was just missing diaper changes, and mid-day naps while I'm at work.

When it's obvious there's a prodigy in my midst.

I Pod Madness

I've been busy the last couple of days adding music to my family's new I pod.

I find it to be a strange.... almost...... addictive task.

I've never owned an mp3 player. To be honest I don't really listen to that much music. I don't listen to it often in the car because I'm usually listening to sports radio. The only time I do listen to music stations is because I get bored during comercial breaks, and I start skimming through the fm stations.

It's not that I don't like music....I do. But I hardly ever listen to it. Most of the time when I hear a song I like it's usually because I'm watching a movie or t.v. show and they are using a song during the scene.

On the rare occasion I have music playing, say at home, I have it in the background on my computer as I surf the web. But I rarely do that because it interferes with the video content I'm usually checking out.

But for the last couple of days I've been cramming all kinds of content onto this damn I pod thing.

For what I don't know.

Unlike the commercials on t.v., I don't stroll down the street bouncing to the latest jams. My job requires customer service, so I can't wear it at work, and as far as wearing it at home my wife hates it, because I can't hear her calling me when she needs my help with the little cub.

So it's practically unneccessary.

But it's a freaking fasciniating gadget.

First off the thing can hold a ton of stuff.

7,500 songs.

Seriously.

Don't ask me what I would need 7,500 songs for, but I'm trying my hardest to find out.

I'm going to try and fill it up......just to see if I can.

I've downloaded stuff onto it that I haven't listened to in years.

Like old Run Dmc and Boogie Down Productions songs.

Seriously.

I assume for the day when I get that strange urge to indulge in classic old...... I'm talking OLD school rap.

I've started the strange habit of asking everyone I know about their cd collection, so that I might borrow a cd which interests me so that I can add it to my I pod.

I've even raided my wife's musical theatre cd's. In case someone in the family gets the urge to listen to some Sondheim on the I Pod.

Yeah...seriously.

I've got about maybe 1, 800 songs on there right now.

Insane....in the palm of my hand.

If that's not enough, this particular I pod is able to play video content.

That's pretty crazy.

I remember how when I was a kid, I dreamed that someone would come up with an invention which would allow me to watch tv in the car.

To save me from the boredom of long road trips, and those boring quick drives with my mom as she ran errands.

Now it's possible to play video in the palm of my hand......as I wait in line at the grocery store.

Not because I'm bored.....but simply because I can.

Crazy.

I even downloaded a couple of movies from the I tunes store just to check out the video functions on the gadget.

So now I have Pirates of the Caribbean and Tombstone on this thing......even though I can't imagine sitting in one place watching a whole 3 hour movie on this thing.

Then my co-worker informed me that I can actually rip content from dvd's, and add it to the I pod.

So now I have the First season of Da Ali G show, and 6 episodes of the U.S. version of the Office on this thing.

In case I need a quick laugh....I guess.

The frustrating thing is the gadget isn't even halfway full yet.

I've been adding stuff for several days now, and I haven't even put a dent into the thing's memory. It's almost becoming a burden trying to fill the thing up.

What's ironic is that I'm finding it difficult to actually find time to use the thing.

The device has tons of content, and I'm working my ass off trying to fill it up, and all it does is sit on top of my computer.

Classic.

I don't know what to do with it.

I'm trying to find occasion to use it, but it's rarely come up. A couple of days ago I offered to drive my wife to the store....which shocked her.....until she realized that my intention was just to sit in the car, and watch my I pod as she shopped.

The other day I caught myself laying on my couch........in front of my 46 inch big screen......watching an episode of the Ali G show...... on my tiny I Pod.

Don't ask me why.

I'm obviously insane.

It's bizarre......such an amazing device.......and I can't find an occasion, or excuse to use it.

I just wish I had the thing when I was younger.

I would've worn the thing out.

I would have used it during those bus trips to the beach. On those long walks to the comic book store. In line for the latest blockbuster film. Waiting for my mom to pick me up from school.

Maybe that's why I've worked so hard to add content to this thing, because of those horrible memories of boredom, and frustration when I had nothing to entertain me.

I'm sure it'll eventually come in handy one of these days.

One day I'll be so happy to own this device, and I'll be relieved and grateful that I was able to put plenty of content on the thing to entertain me for hours.

But for now it sits.....sits and waits.