“A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints”
A film adaptation of Dito Montiel’s memoir of the same name, “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” is a compelling, thoughtful movie based on Montiel’s childhood growing up in 1980s Queens.
Category: Film
“Man of the Year”
A comedy with serious intentions, Man of the Year attempts to challenge the audience’s notions of what is and isn’t real when it comes to politics. Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) is a popular political talk show host. As a lark, he runs for president and wins. The thing is, he’s not any more unqualified than the other candidates, so his victory doesn’t seem quite so outrageous.
“Tap”
With “Tap,” viewers are reminded of the late Gregory Hines’ formidable skills not only as a dancer, but as a dramatic actor. This 1989 film isn’t wholly original–the plot borrows from countless movies where the hero is a flawed man trying to do good. The audience is asked to believe he might revert to his ne’r do well ways, but we’re confident that the ending will reveal his true, heroic colors.
“Kinky Boots”
By Jae-Ha Kim Amazon.com September 21, 2006 When you are a tall strapping man who dresses like a woman for a living, finding a pair of sexy but durable shoes can be worth your weight […]
“Changing Times”
On the surface, “Changing Times” is a love story about a couple that is reunited after decades apart. But unlike many films so desperate for a happy ending that the characters’ development are sacrificed to reach such a goal, this picture concentrates on the bittersweet reality of who they are today.
“The Death of Mr. Lazarescu”
“The Death of Mr. Lazarescu” is a sadly funny film that tells the story of an old man whom no one really knows or cares about. When he falls ill and needs medical treatment, he faces a team of busy doctors who are concerned because they have to be, not because they really care.
“Broken Bridges”
“Broken Bridges,” starring country superstar Toby Keith, is the Country Music Channel’s debut entry into the world of feature films. Though it plays more like a televised movie of the week–complete with an opaque plot, much tears, and a happy ending–“Broken Bridges” is a guilty pleasure, thanks in large part to the surprising likeability (though not believability) of Keith.
“The Proposition”
“The Proposition” at times is a difficult film to watch. But thanks to a compelling story by rocker Nick Cave and a supporting cast (including Emily Watson as the Captain’s gentle wife), the film is a classic in the making.
“Broken Trail”
The lives of two stoic cowboys and five abused Chinese women become intertwined in Walter Hill’s sprawling miniseries Broken Trail. Print Ritter (Academy Award winner Robert Duvall) and his nephew Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church, Sideways) agree to deliver a herd of 500 horses from Oregon to Wyoming. Along the way, they rescue the young women–most of them still just girls–who’re being transported to a brothel to have their virginity auctioned off. When the madam sees she is about to lose the girls, she screams at Tom, “What about my property?” He shouts back, “That’s the price of being a capitalist, lady.”
“Half Nelson”
Sometimes people are attracted to each other because of their differences. When there’s a nebulous attraction between a teacher and a young teenage child–as in the superb Half Nelson–the relationship has all the makings of confused disaster. Though there are a few uncomfortable moments when it’s not obvious whether Dan (Ryan Gosling) and Drey (Shareeka Epps) might cross the line, the attraction between the pair is culled less from sexual tension than desperation.
“L’Enfant”
By Jae-Ha Kim Amazon.com August 7, 2006 A disturbing film about a young Belgian couple and their newborn child, L’Enfant tells a heartbreaking tale that is less about love than about the possibility of moral […]
“Loverboy”
A quirky film about a single mother and the suffocating, tragic love she has for her 6-year-old child, “Loverboy” serves as an answer to anyone who might wonder if you can love your child too much: Absolutely. Emily (Kyra Sedgwick from “The Closer”) is an eccentric, anti-social woman yearning for the affection her parents showered on each other, but never on her.
“On a Clear Day”
An independent film from Britain, “On a Clear Day” tells the story of a man trying to come to terms with his past by setting a goal for the future: to swim across the English Channel. Frank (Peter Mullan) is a stoic man who tells his young grandson, “Things aren’t meant to be fixed nowadays.”
“Bring It On: All or Nothing”
“Bring It On: All or Nothing” is the idealized version of what happens when a rich girl from an elite California school is forced to transfer to an urban setting for her senior year of high school.
“The Warrior”
A beautifully filmed tale set in feudal India, “The Warrior” tells the story of a man who must decide whether to follow the orders of his cruel boss or do the right thing and put his own life in danger.
“Mrs. Harris”
“Mrs. Harris” is HBO’s fact-based tale about the tumultuous relationship between Jean Harris and Scarsdale Diet author Dr. Herman Tarnower, whom she is accused of shooting to death in a jealous fit of rage. But it’s also a cautionary tale about what can happen when a woman is so obsessed with a man she’d rather die–or kill–than be left behind.
“Shadows in the Sun”
Not as subtle as Diane Lane’s “Under the Tuscan Sun,” “Shadows in the Sun” highlights the beauty of rural Italy–and of Claire Forlani, who plays Parish’s daughter Isabella. The warm acting and lush scenery transcend the film’s slow-moving pace and the predictable ending, which, in movies like this, can be nothing other than happy.
“These Girls”
Being the object of three teenage girls’ affections may be some men’s secret fantasy, but Keith Clark (David Boreanaz) finds it’s more than he can handle–or live up to–in These Girls. Keith is the type of guy who doesn’t work, but needs a babysitter to look after his infant when his wife is working. He and the 17-year-old sitter begin an affair, which goes smoothly until her two best friends catch her in the act. Literally.
“End Game”
An assassination whodunit, “End Game” stars Cuba Gooding Jr. as Alex Thomas, a Secret Service agent assigned to protect the president of the United States. When the president is killed during his watch, Alex is wracked with guilt.
“Side Effects”
A well-intentioned film about a young pharmaceutical rep who is torn between earning a good living and living a good life, Side Effects tells the story of Karly Hert, portrayed by Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy, Roswell), who also executive produced the project. Karly works for a company whose motto is “To protect and prolong life.” But what they really mean is prolong their own) lives by making as much money as possible.