The story of my life, again

DIE HARD 2 (1990)

Reviewed By Jerry Saravia

The subtitle for "Die Hard 2" is Die Harder. Thankfully that was omitted but it wouldn't have mattered. "Die Hard 2" is an exciting, nail-bitingly suspenseful action flick that is as good as, if not better, than the claustrophobic original.

Bruce Willis is back as John McClane, seen in the opening scene at Dulles Airport where he gets a parking ticket and his car towed away. It is the beginning of a bad day for McClane, the police detective who foiled a terrorist plot at Nakatomi Plaza in the original film. This time, some nasty, murderous mercenaries are taking control of Dulles flights thanks to Colonel Stuart (William Sadler). Stuart's objective is to allow a Fidel Castro-type drug lord, Esperanza (Franco Nero), to land safely at Dulles without intervention. McClane catches wind of these mercenaries up to some dirty business, and it begins with a fight scene that involves not only luggage and a ten-speed bicycle but also a spray can! Naturally, when McClane fails to foil the terrorist plot, nobody believes one word he says. This includes the airport chief of police, hilariously played by Dennis Franz, who thinks McClane is making it up as he goes. The leader of the air-traffic control tower (Fred Dalton Thompson) has his doubts but then there is a disturbing plane crash, caused by the terrorists, that is about as horrific as plane crashes get, at least back in 1990.

For action scenes, there are slow-motion gunfights, a chase scene involving snow mobiles, a fiery exit from a plane by ejector seat, and a fistfight on a plane wing. As directed by Renny Harlin, there are also some gory bits of violence, including clever uses of a propeller and an icicle. Some of this may seem relatively tame today but back in 1990, an audience I saw this with found it a tad too violent for its own sake. If you recall, the summer of 1990 was full of ultraviolent action pictures like "Total Recall" and "Another 48HRS."

"Die Hard 2" is a highly improbable action-thriller with a few too many neat coincidences and contrivances. And watching John McClane running around an airport using underground tunnels in freezing temperatures may produce unintentional chuckles. And yet this movie is spectacularly entertaining, concentrating more on dialogue to further its narrative than on various large-action set pieces of which this film has blessedly few. Bruce Willis makes for an invigorating John McClane and William Sadler is an appropriately cold-blooded villain. There is a nicely extended cameo by Bonnie Bedelia, reprising her role as McClane's wife who is aboard a flight that may be in danger. There are also some precious digs at the press, including another reprisal by William Atherton as the reporter who hopes to get a Pulitzer. Like I said, it is fun but you won't believe a moment of it.

Hit me with your best shot

BEYOND THE MAT (1999)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

There are two things I dislike more than anything: rap and wrestling. Well, at least my feelings of rap were true ten years ago. Since then, I have enjoyed some of Eminem's music but I do not pretend to be a rap fan. Wrestling, however, is a sport that never interested me. I do not see the fun in watching barechested guys throwing each other around a ring (and boxing is not any better). But watching guys not only throw and pummel each other but also fling chairs and use barbed wire and fire as tortuous devices doesn't make it any more exciting to watch. I have seen some underground live wrestling shows recently but nothing can compare to what I have witnessed in this documentary. "Beyond the Mat" is a compelling document of what goes on behind the scenes at wrestling shows such as the WWF and the ECW, and how it affects those who participate in entertaining the audience.

Director Barry Blaustein, an active Hollywood producer, shows us the roots of his interest in wrestling. We see a California wrestling school where wrestlers may make 25 dollars in one day, and that is if their promoter likes what he sees. The main purpose of this school is to establish experience in the ring, and the promoter need not be nice in their criticisms. Some of these wrestlers may get a lucky break if they show up on the WWF.

The main wrestling event exposed is WWF. We see the WWF owner Vince McMahon, a smooth-talking man who has his enemies in wrestling as well as his supporters. He has fired executives and particularly wrestlers who can't make it to one of their shows. The job of being a wrestler, as explained by Jake "The Snake" Roberts, is grueling and occupies most of your time. The average wrestler works 26 days out of the month, twice on weekends. It is no wonder that Jake admits crack use is what keeps him going. Never mind that he has slept with many women, admonishes his father (an ex-wrestler), and has limited communication with his daughter whom he sees once every four years. This man can only take so much abuse but when wrestling, he feels anew and knows enough about "ring psychology" to keep fans watching.

Jake's story is the dark side of wrestling with his own demons to battle outside the ring. Then there is Mick "Mankind" Foley, a man who can absorb more pain than anybody. He has a beauitful wife and two wonderful children. When he is around them, he is playful and polite. On the ring, he is an animal who takes quite a bit of abuse, especially in his match with "The Rock." A tough scene to watch is when he invites his wife and children to ringside seats at the event. The kids have been told that the match is scripted and rehearsed. Nevertheless, there is Mick getting hit on the head severely with a metal chair while the kids cry profusely. When Mick sees the footage, he decides to stick to his "sock" routine than getting heavily beaten by objects. No kid should have endure watching their dad get beaten.

"Beyond the Mat" is at its best dealing with Jake and Mick, the polar opposites in terms of how wrestling infects and affects their lives. I also found some interest in the 50-year-old Terry Funk, a legend in the business who decides to quit (though we later learn he continued to wrestle afterwards). His reasons for quitting are mostly because of bad knees and his family's pleas. Yet Terry is unstoppable and proves to be as adept as any fresh young wrestler. There is some brief enjoyment watching Chyna, a female wrestler, trying to convince her parents she is not a lesbian. Sadly, little is said of her status as a wrestler and we barely get to see her strut her stuff on the ring.

"Beyond the Mat" raises the question of why wrestling is so popular. It is a show with millions of fans who pay to see their favorites get bloodily beaten and abused on the ring, the modern-day equivalent of gladiators. It is all spectacle and all entertainment but it is decidedly not a show for kids. There are injuries and sometimes near-death struggles, but is it really worth it? I can't say I know for sure but the wrestlers, shown as average human beings with families to support, must get something out of it besides the paycheck.

What a difference a day makes for Lola

RUN LOLA RUN (1999)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Original review from 1999)

German director Tom Tykwer's "Run Lola Run" is the first truly great pop fantasy since Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," a high-octane, bizarrely moving, sensual, energetic film of such distinct purity that it is impossible to put it out of your mind.

The film stars Franka Potente as Lola, a flaming red-haired drug dealer's girlfriend whose life always seems to be on the go. Within the first couple of minutes, Lola is engaged in a frantic search for 100,000 marks to save her boyfriend, Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), from getting killed by gangsters. It is money that Manni owes to a gangster but he inadvertently left it in a subway, where it might have gotten in the hands of a homeless person! Lola has precisely twenty minutes to come up with the money. She tries to consult her father, who works as an executive at a bank, and he may or may not be of any help to her. In the meantime, Manni considers robbing a supermarket, which is a post-Tarantino cliche to be sure...but writer-director Tykwer has some sly tricks up his sleeve.

"Run Lola Run" is not content with all things formal and conventional, and so in a shrewd move, the 20-minute event is repeated twice. What? How can this be interesting? Well, instead of just merely repeating the timely events at random as "Pulp Fiction," "Go" and the noir classic "The Killing" did, we get different outcomes, realizations, and coincidences with each interval. Tykwer operates under the theory that Lola imagines there are alternating time lines, and likewise, so does Manni. In a sense, it closely resembles "Groundhog Day"...avoiding the same problems and sidestepping others each time the desperate Lola runs trying to find the inordinate sum of money.

"Run Lola Run" has plenty of visual tricks and superbly crafted camera moves in every frame, and plenty of surprises along its festive way. We get the homeless man who becomes a major character in one event, Lola (who does enough running to qualify for the Olympics) always managing to run past a group of nuns, and there are the people on the street she almost runs into. Each time Lola marches past them, a different life is mapped out shown in unobtrusive flash cuts. There is Manni's decision to rob a supermarket if Lola does not make it on time, though something always manages to occur to intrude upon that possibility. So we get car accidents, animated intervals of Lola running, banks held up, fierce dogs, astonished casino gamblers, shootings, lifelong decisions involving parentage, bicyclists trying to pitch bike sales, and plenty of heart-pumping songs and sounds to emphasize Lola's fervent task at hand. Each timely event is played out with unpredictable twists and at the end, there is a greater sense of optimism that supersedes that of "Go."

Franka Potente is a startlingly alive newcomer, brimming with a substance and energy unseen in cinema screens this year. Her flame-red hairdo has already inspired may German girls - even the title has proved inspiration for Hillary Clinton's race for senator. Ponette has sweet, delectable chemistry with the soft-spoken Moritz Bleibtreu - their bedroom chats highlighted by bright red hues is as touching and heartrending as any Julia Roberts romance. Those scenes comfortably reminded me of some of the flashing red color flashes at the beginning of Bertolucci's "The Conformist."

From the incredible overhead shot where a crowd forms the title of the film, "Run Lola Run" is a masterpiece of cinematic invention and circumstance - actively playing the audience like a piano. It is indeed the most pleasurable pop film of the year. And Potente is the shining moral force of the film - in her desperation and her surefire confidence, she makes us believe there are alternatives to any life-threatening event. Bravo, Lola, Bravo!

Past as prologue in film blanc

DEAD AGAIN (1991)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

"Dead Again" is one of the most eccentric of all noir thrillers I've seen. It's a crafty, cunningly suspenseful thriller, but its climax rushes and ends abruptly. It's a great movie but that ending vexes me.

Kenneth Branagh is an L.A. private detective named Mike Church, always on the lookout for missing heirs - he also has a knack for parking on the wrong side of the road. He also hates his loud piano-playing neighbor. Church's latest assigment is to identify an amnesiac (Emma Thompson) whom he calls Grace - she had been cared for at a church. Mike can't divulge much from her since she doesn't talk and has consistent nightmares. He asks his newspaper contact and friend, Pete (Wayne Knight), to publish her picture in the hopes that someone can identify her. Mike gets nowhere until a hypnotist, Franklyn (Derek Jacobi), offers to help mostly by hypnotizing her and discovering any hidden secrets from her past. She has secrets alright, though they are not her own - they belong to a 1940's woman named Margaret Strauss (also played by Thompson). In great detail, she tells the story of Margaret's marriage to Roman Strauss (played by Branagh), a famous, distinguished composer who hated writing music for the movies. Then we also learn of Roman's financial troubles, his maid and her son, and of a gossip-mongering reporter (Andy Garcia) who misses the war.

To be fair to those who have not seen this film, I will not reveal much more. "Dead Again" is full of surprises and clever twists. It is a film noir where daylight plays a more central role than a nocturnal setting, hence "film blanc." The movie plays like a thriller with a noir feel only in name. It is more of a love story between Mike and Grace juxstaposed with the Strauss couple. "Dead Again" also contains some of the most offbeat characters in quite some time. I will not reveal who plays an ex-psychiatrist who works at a grocery store, but it is an odd type of character. There is also the aforementioned hypnotist, Franklyn, who mostly runs an antique shop and hypnotizes his clients to find where their antique items are hidden. And there is the loudmouth Pete who says memory doesn't fade for long, using the story of an axe murder as evidence. We also see a decadent party in the 40's sequence with masked dancers and the like - those who loved "Eyes Wide Shut" might appreciate this sequence in its ornate quality.

Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson do a brilliant job at playing their dual characters. Branagh is especially good at a German accent and an American accent. At times, Thompson may struggle with her American accent but she certainly is convincing as the modern amnesiac and as the distressed Margaret. Their relationship works and we want them to be together, but her past and the possibility that Margaret Strauss has been reincarnated threatens it.

As I said, I will not reveal much more about "Dead Again." The movie has great atmospheric detail and little clues strewn throughout that suggest the parallels between the past and the present. I also like the use of color to dictate the present, black-and-white for the past (a cliche to be sure but it still works). I'll also say there are red herrings galore and enough melodrama for ten thrillers, but as the movie builds for more surprise and revelations, it ends in a slightly cheap way. Having seen the film three times, "Dead Again" has such terrific, rhythmic flow that it ends in a way more reminiscent of "Fatal Attraction" than a sophisticated noir thriller. The violent climax has several close-up shots of scissors everywhere (a nod perhaps to Hitchcock's own "Dial M For Murder" and also the film's motif) but instead of dwelling on the plot, it ends crudely and unimaginatively. Watching Wayne Knight uterring "Whew!" after a crucial character meets his demise had me cowering in disbelief. The movie deserves a more fitting resolution than something as hackneyed as a slasher film finish.

Don't get me wrong. "Dead Again" is a wonderful film and a beautifully mounted production as only Kenneth Branagh can make. As a love story, it is exquisite and very moving. But its rush to settle and finalize its surprising revelations in a frenetic mode weakens the narrative somewhat. Despite getting lost in its profundities and its excessive melodramatic strokes, it is still a thrilling ride getting there.

A Confluence of Comic-Book Movies

A CONFLUENCE OF COMIC-BOOK MOVIES: DC vs. MARVEL

By Jerry Saravia

So at the San Diego 2013 Comic-Con, more news broke about the plethora of future comic-book movies (in addition to TV's "Breaking Bad" - what does that have to do with a comic-book convention? - and more sci-fi movies than one can count, such as 'Ender's Game" with Harrison Ford). A new "Amazing Spider-Man" movie with villains Electro and the Rhino have emerged fighting against our favorite web-slinger (Electro being among my favorite of Spidey's foes) in a new, startling teaser with a blue-hued Electro (Jamie Foxx) strapped to some gurney with dozens of electrical wires attached to him (Incidentally, Rhino will be played by Paul Giamatti). "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" has emerged as the sequel to the "First Avenger" (among my favorite of the current crop of Marvel films). Expect a new "X-Men" flick from director Bryan Singer called "Days of Future Past" with a young Magneto confronting his future older self (Ian McKellen).

Jamie Foxx as Electro

And that is just Marvel - lest us not forget the surprising union of the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel in the Zack Snyder-directed sequel, "Batman vs. Superman." At Comic-Con, Zack Snyder made the announcement by having introduced it with a line of dialogue by actor Harry Lennix (who played General Swanwick) and a logo on the screen, namely the S sign and the Bat signal merged as one which made the audience go bananas. The Batman vs. Superman flick interests me because it was an on/off again project for many years, and who wouldn't want to see these two DC titans share the screen (no doubt a team-up that is in direct, obvious competition with "The Avengers" - DC and Marvel battling for mega box-office dollars). Also, it will be interesting to see who plays the Dark Knight since Christian Bale swore off donning the suit after three terrific Batman flicks. And will Christopher Nolan still be producing after he also swore off making any more Batman flicks, despite his prodigious involvement in "Man of Steel" (a review of that is coming soon)? As for the competing rival Marvel, the first "Amazing Spider-Man" flick was cumbersome and mediocre and completely unnecessary so I have little interest in seeing a sequel, at least in theaters (wait for DVD is a definitive despite my love for the web-slinger and Electro). 

Jennifer Lawrence in X-Men: Days of Future Past

My issue with comic-book movies is that there are too many glutting our cinemas, virtually on the heels of one that is released comes another ("Iron Man 3" this past May, "Man of Steel" in late June, a new "Wolverine" flick in July of 2013, followed by November's new "Thor" sequel). Don't get me wrong: I enjoy most of the comic-book films out there but seeing every one of them in a theater might prove to be much of a good thing. 

Even new comic-book-type films like the very entertaining "Pacific Rim" by Guillermo Del Toro (the sci-fi monster flick is an homage to the kaiju flicks from the Far East rather an actual comic-book per se) bears little distinction visually from say "Thor: The Dark World." (The preview I saw for it was in 3-D and looked reasonable but nothing earth-shattering or new from what we have seen this Norse god do). I do not know how many more of these movies I can take in such a short amount of time - how many Thors can we handle after already seeing this stubborn Norse god wield a hammer in the first "Thor" and "The Avengers" in the last two years? Same with "Captain America 2" - couldn't they have just eradicated a stand-alone sequel in favor of seeing him suit up with his armored shield in the hotly anticipated "Avengers 2: Age of Ultron" in 2015? I am sure some of these filmmakers and writers will find new ways to keep our interest from waning but the surprise element might disappear. Beware because if the writing and direction are not up to par beyond wowing us with dozens of special-effects and techno-super-duper explosions, these movies will become interchangeable rather than distinct.   

Sparrow and company in flat swashbuckler

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: 

THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Maybe I never liked pirates. I have a fondness for Captain Blood, memorably played by Errol Flynn. I also enjoyed Disney's animated version of Peter Pan. I also liked "The Crimson Pirate." But then there was the horrendous "Pirates" by Roman Polanski, a film that was as dimwitted as its characters. The less said about "Cutthroat Island," the better. "Pirates of the Caribbean" is a horribly boring picture with a boorish bore as its central character. It is full of razzle-dazzle effects and it is as ear-splittingly loud as any picture, but it crashes and burns long before the last reel is unspooled. All I could ask myself was why the Disney theme park ride was more fun?

Johnny Depp, wearing deep black eyeliner, is Captain Jack Sparrow, the former captain of the Black Pearl ship. He is a revered pirate, but his exploits have been exaggerated. Nevertheless, he wishes to reclaim his ship but it is now run by the undead and its leader, Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). That is right, the undead. You see, once upon a time, these pirates were placed under an ancient curse and if they can find a relative of a former pirate, they can use the relative's blood and some ancient medallion to restore their humanity, or something like that. Meanwhile, Captain Sparrow is intent on reclaiming his ship and runs afoul of the blacksmith Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and there's some sort of sword duel, and many more to follow. The undead pirates, by the way, can be seen in all their ghostly, cadaverous glory when the moonlight shines on them.

"Pirates of the Caribbean" is chock full of adventure and swordsmanship, but it falls short of being a spirited swashbuckler. There is no joy to be had from one frame of this atrocity, not even with Depp's praised performance that shockingly earned him an Oscar nomination! Depp is an actor I admire more for his daring than for truly inhabiting his characters - with the exception of "Donnie Brasco," he seems to play characters with no inner life. At least in Jim Jarmusch's underrated and existential western "Dead Man," he was a wanderer who had no idea where he was headed. But in this fiasco, he plays a pirate who seems to think he is a pirate. That conceit works for the inept Jack Sparrows but, for me anyway, it is a waste of an actor who seems to be in drag and waves his arms when he has nothing else to do. Sadly, a line like, "Are you a eunuch?", is less funny when Depp says it. He is a vapid cartoon caricature that keeps reminding us he is in the movie.

Orlando Bloom has the look of a dashing blacksmith, if there is such a thing, but it is a look, nothing more. Even Keira Knightley, the brightest spot in "Bend it Like Beckham," is mostly on automatic pilot as Elizabeth, the typical damsel in distress - her main distinction is that she occasionally collapses from exhaustion? Narcolepsy? Only Geoffrey Rush has the right attitude as Captain Barbossa - you feel his lust for evil dripping from his corroded mouth. Jonathan Pryce as Elizabeth's mother is reduced to another background stick figure, like most of the cast.

As directed by Gore Verbinski ("The Ring"), "Pirates of the Caribbean" is gorgeously shot but it is as spiritless and nonsensical as any gibberish from Disney these days. Overlong to the point of dragged-out, tedious, joyless and frenetic with cannon blasts and gunfire every few seconds, "Pirates of the Caribbean" makes me long for the simplicity of Errol Flynn.

Tell her I am old-fashioned

THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (1993)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Original review updated from 1993 viewing)

Martin Scorsese's "The Age of Innocence" did not sweep at the Oscars back in 1994 as I had expected. "Schindler's List" and "The Piano" stole some of its thunder, not to mention the similar tale of repression, "The Remains of the Day." "Age of Innocence" was also a major departure for Scorsese, who is known mostly for the whirling intensity of "Mean Streets" and "GoodFellas." What the hell is this raging bull doing making a film about the social class structure of the 1870's by way of Edith Wharton? Good question, yet Scorsese has proven to be diverse in the past, from filming concert footage of the Band to dealing with a feminist heroine like Alice from "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore." "The Age of Innocence" is ironically among Scorsese's greatest films, a sumptuous, delicate tale of repression and repressed emotional violence.

Daniel Day-Lewis stars as a New York lawyer, Newland Archer, who romantically yearns for the sexy, open-hearted Countess Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer) despite his plans to marry her cousin, the childlike, innocent May Welland (Winona Ryder). But problems arise such as Olenska's unsettled scandalous divorce, and Newland's inability to cope with his deep feelings because of the strict class order of practically all of New York. People seem to repress their feelings because of fear of being ousted from family and friends - Olenska comes dangerously close to being one of these people. As a tearful Olenska says in one scene, "Does nobody want to hear the truth Mr. Archer? Everyone asks you to pretend." She then follows that line with: "Does nobody cry in New York? I suppose there is no need to."

I wasn't sure how Scorsese would direct this tale, or why he wanted to do it. This is a director who seems to deal with characters that let go of their emotions rather than keeping them bottled up. A tale of this kind is often handled by the Merchant Ivory production team or David Lean. I think it is finally the elements of tragic love, repressed feelings, and internal emotional violence that attracted Scorsese to the project, and he fuses those elements flawlessly. There are the minute, carefully chosen details such as the three-course dinners, manners of etiquette, and paintings that illustrate the bravado of certain characters, such as Beaufort (Stuart Wilson), a playboy that shames the family - his selection of nude paintings directly reflects his character. Not to mention the grandly ostentatious gossip-monger Mrs. Mingott (Miriam Margoyles), and her plethora of paintings of dogs and a savage "Last of the Mohicans-type" painting.

Scorsese brings this world alive as he did with the world of gangsters in "GoodFellas" - you almost feel as if you went back in time to a more innocent era and a sumptuous lifestyle. The cinematography by Michael Ballhaus captures every single nuance and is particularly attentive to subtle details, even in human behavior. There are throwaway moments that capture glimpses of character, such as May Welland making a quick glance at Newland when he says his goodbyes to Countess Olenska at Mrs. Mingott's house. There is also the tender, touching, underplayed scene where Newland is told by his son that May knew all along about his love for the Countess. Any other director might have played up the symphonic score or used distracting close-ups, but Scorsese films it in one long take and as a two-shot. Less is definitely more in terms of finding the right visual cues for this story.

The actors are all perfect and understated, probably more than they ever will be. It is a romantic tale of society that warrants such restraint, though some may feel bored. I mean, we are not talking about the bawdy adventures of Tom Jones here. Daniel Day-Lewis astutely captures Newland's longing and growing sense of desperation for what he cannot have. Michelle Pfeiffer is both sensual and far more pragmatic than at the onset - she magnificently captures Olenska's frail side and her need to be accepted, though her behavior is unconventional. But the biggest surprise is Winona Ryder, capturing the innocence of the title - the seemingly naive May Welland who provides the emotional center. Her frozen smile of recognition is haunting in the film, suggesting that she is far more knowledgeable of her surroundings than she lets on. There are also colorful supporting turns by the aforementioned Miriam Margoyles, Richard E. Grant as the sarcastic Larry Lefferts, Alec McGowen as the expert on gossip regarding all the families, and Michael Gough as the important head of the van der Luyden family who orchestrate a formal dinner to matriculate Olenska into society.

There is so much to love and take in from this film that you have to see it more than once. See it once for the beautiful settings, the elegant music score by Elmer Bernstein and the extraordinary camerawork, and the second time for the finely tuned acting and the emotions that threaten to explode in every one of the characters. A brilliant tragedy in the style of Orson Welles's "The Magnificent Ambersons," "Age of Innocence" will sweep you off your feet and it will stay with you.