Family is a bundle of twigs

THE STRAIGHT STORY (1999)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally review from 1999)

After the decadent mania of "Lost Highway," one of my favorite films of the 1990's, I never expected director David Lynch to make a peaceful, simplistic film thriving on simple pleasures. Sure enough, Lynch always manages to surprise audiences, and "The Straight Story" is no exception - a wonderful film that is as illuminating and introspective as Laura Palmer's descent into hell or the duality of human nature in "Lost Highway."

Based on a true story, Richard Farnsworth plays Alvin Straight, a stubborn old man living with his slow, loving daughter, Rose (the amazing Sissy Spacek) in a small Iowa town. One day, Alvin learns that his brother is sick, and decides to travel on a 1966 John Deere lawnmower from Iowa to Wisconsin to see his brother. You see, Alvin does not have a driver's license and has no one to drive him there, so, yes, a lawnmower might do the trick.

Alvin himself is not in perfect health - he has to walk with two canes and has bad eyes. But the stubborn, eccentric soul must travel against all odds on that damn lawnmower with an oversized trailer (chock full of Indian coffee beans and American wieners) and get to his destination. He must overcome speedy monstrous trucks, a paranoid deer lady, a runaway pregnant teenager, burning houses, dozens of bicyclists, and so much more. Alvin will be kind to strangers, but insists on sleeping outside or in his trailer, never in anyone's house.

And that is it. No time warps, no truly outrageous characters or elephant men, and no Agent Cooper or mystery men. David Lynch plays it straight, as it were, never opting for stereotypes or condescension - this Midwestern world is presented simply and without artifice. That in itself captures something which Lynch has only briefly pinpointed in the past - a heartland of emotions and embraceable humanity. The reason may be that the screenplay is written by Mary Sweeney, Lynch's long-time skillful editor, who once read an article about Straight's long journey in Time magazine and ever since wanted to make a film about it. Smart move

"Straight Story's" humanity comes from the strength and vigor of Richard Farnsworth, a veteran stuntman who has also given fine performances in "Comes a Horseman" and "The Grey Fox," and here gives a performance of rare dignity. He is essentially a face wrinkled with memories of times past, as when he recounts the horrors of World War II as a sniper, or when he relays the importance of family as a bundle of twigs. Moments like this are priceless, especially for Farnsworth, and he embodies the film with quiet grace and panache. The Academy Awards should recognize this man, as did the Cannes Film Festival with a standing ovation.

David Lynch also gives the film the needed pace and style to match a simple slice of Americana. There are numerous high-angle shots of the farm fields, and the grain elevators working its way through them. These shots are repeated by Lynch to emphasize that life in these parts moves slowly because that is the way of life - there is no need to hurry. In a scene of extraordinary calmness and solitude, Lynch shows Alvin on his lawnmower traveling at 5 miles per hour, and then Lynch pans to the sky followed by a mini dissolve as he pans down and shows that the vehicle has only moved a few feet ahead. This journey may take a while, but Lynch understands that these people can appreciate a good sunset and the aesthetic beauty of the farmlands, or to have a campfire without rushing through deadlines or last-minute events.

Is "Straight Story" such a departure for Lynch overall? Well, a G rating and the fact that it is a Disney picture may put off those accustomed to mutant babies and car accident victims. Don't fret over the choice of material because Lynch certainly has an affinity for these people in the Midwest - the opening scenes unravel much in the way as they did in the famous opening moments of "Blue Velvet." The buildings, the hardware stores, the empty streets, and the woman lying on her lawn chair next to Alvin's house - all beautifully framed and composed by cinematographer Freddie Francis. The lingering shots of Alvin's lawnmower against a desolate landscape will resonate long after the film is over.

1999 has produced more end-of-the-world, millennium thrillers than one cares to count. It is suitably ironic that the Master of Weirdness produced one of the gentlest, most humane films of the 1990's, and Farnsworth's performance beautifully manifests in this world of Midwestern calmness and sincerity. "The Straight Story" is a haunting, touching, poetic film - unforgettable in its sincere attitudes towards the simple aspects of life.

A code not worth decoding

THE DA VINCI CODE (2006)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally reviewed in 2007)

At 159 minutes, "The Da Vinci Code" wears out its welcome at about the forty minute mark. This is unfortunate because the movie establishes some suspense within its murder mystery - the notion of unraveling demonizing codes and symbols - that evolves into an overdone and, frankly, not very enthralling conspiracy theory. I love conspiracy theories, even if some cause disbelief, but this movie becomes more absurd and pointless as it reaches its anticlimactic ending.

Tom Hanks is Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist with a hairdo that belongs to an animated character or one of the Three Stooges (yep, it is a distraction). He is recruited to the Louvre where a grisly murder has taken place, with symbols like pentagrams and phrases like "So dark the con of man" gracing the walls and floors. Langdon finds all kinds of clues, thanks to the victim, the Louvre's curator, who has orchestrated these clues in such a way that no mortal, aging man could ever do who is dying from a gunshot wound. He gets help from a French policewoman, Sophie (Audrey Tautou), who is not quite what she seems (well, she is a cryptologist). Something is suspect and thanks to some red herrings, of which this movie possesses quite a few, Langdon and Sophie are branded suspected killers in the death of the curator! Now the whole French police, which includes the determined Inspector Fache (Jean Reno), chase them from France to London and back to the Louvre.

The most fascinating section of the film involves the grand, majestic Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing, an authority on the Holy Grail and anything related to the Knights Templar. He explains that the codes Langdon and Sophie are trying to decipher reveal who, not what, the Holy Grail really is (let's just say it has nothing to do with a carpenter's cup but rather Mary Magdalene herself). All of this is thrillingly realized in superb dialogue by McKellen as he debunks the myths of Christianity, Jesus' divinity and so on.

Unfortunately, just when the film picks up a little steam, it is back to running around from town to crypt to a London bus as Langdon keeps trying to decipher the clues to this major puzzle. If Mary Magdalane was married to Jesus (hello "Last Temptation of Christ" detractors!) and fathered a daughter who became royalty in the Merovingian Dynasty of France, then that means the bloodline exists to the current day. This is what the Catholic Church, the Vatican and some albino, self- flagellating Opus Dei member (played by Paul Bettany who seems to have wandered in from the "Passion of the Christ") are trying to protect, but to what end? Is it because it would reveal that Jesus was a man who could marry, and not just some prophet who had a firm understanding of spreading peace and love? That Jesus is not the Son of God? Ah, maybe that is it. Sorry, people, the Kazantzakis novel of "Last Temptation of Christ" sort of revealed the possibility that he would want to lead such a life, even if he hadn't.

Based on the controversial novel by Dan Brown, "The Da Vinci Code" never musters enough excitement with its story because the actors are practically all dull. Tom Hanks looks so placid and unconvincing as a symbologist that he feels like a distraction. Amy Tautou, so wonderful in the film "Amelie," is so flaccid and devoid of personality that it seems like a crime (don't just watch "Amelie" for proof of her dynamic acting potential, see "Dirty Pretty Things" as well). Even reliably hammy Alfred Molina as a Vatican priest seems to be coasting by on menacing stares and nothing more. Not even the truly reliable Jean Reno musters much energy. Practically everyone in this movie, with the exception of McKellen, is sleepwalking through a hazy, cheerless script. I never thought the pairing of director Ron Howard and actor Tom Hanks combined would make me snooze but I think, in time, "The Da Vinci Code" will be called the most boring controversial film ever made.

Fearlessly Combatting AIDS

DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (2013)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

I have watched sad, despairing films about the AIDS virus before, such as "Longtime Companion," the forgotten "Parting Glances" (with an early, earthshakingly-brave performance by Steve Buscemi) and the critically acclaimed, watchable yet overly sanctimonious "Philadelphia." There are many others but it is really "Dallas Buyers Club" that hits the right chord and strikes a more honest, devastating impact than most others of its ilk.

The mid-1980's around the world was hit with a major blow - AIDS had ravaged and taken the lives of many (not just homosexuals). A stigma was attached to this disease, alluding to a misrepresentation of what the disease was and who it could affect. Electrician and part-time rodeo cowboy Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) had unprotected sex with many women and shared many intravenous needles. An accident at work lands Ron in the hospital where he is told by the doctors that he has AIDS. Woodroff can't and won't believe he has the HIV virus because he mistakenly believes that homosexuals get the virus only, not heterosexuals. When he flashes back to his sexual proclivities, he realizes he is wrong.

Unfortunately, Woodroof cannot procure the drugs necessary to combat AIDS and live longer than expected. Dr. Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner, in one of the most tender roles she has played) cares for many AIDS patients and tells Woodroof to take AZT, a drug Ron later discovers is more poisonous than helpful. When Ron makes a trip to Mexico to find alternatives, Dr. Vass (Griffin Dunne), a doctor who lost his American medical license, suggest the antiretroviral drug ddC and the protein Peptide T - both, however, are not FDA-approved. In scenes that have an air of polished wit that is never overplayed, Woodroof disguises himself as an international businessman and a priest as he travels to other countries to smuggle these sought-after medicines and proteins for his own market - the Dallas Buyers Club. Operating out of two motel rooms, Woodroof only asks for 400 dollars to join the club and get the medication needed for AIDS patients to stay healthy. Naturally, after snatching patients from Dr. Saks and her superior, Dr. Sevard (Dennis O'Hare), the FDA comes calling and confiscates the medications that were illegally smuggled into the U.S.

Directed with a galvanizing raw feeling and a near-hallucinatory charge by Jean-Marc Vallée ("The Young Victoria"), "Dallas Buyers Club" has no pretensions nor does it judge the hero of the movie, Ron Woodroof who is depicted as homophobic and straight (some actual sources who knew Ron say he was not homophobic, and that he was definitely homosexual). Regardless of the accuracy of his sexual orientation, it shows Ron developing compassion and sympathy for those afflicted with the disease because he himself is going through pure hell. Most telling is his relationship with the HIV-infected, transgender (and fictional) Rayon (Jared Leto), who is high quite often yet she develops a respect for a man who defends her. It is a business partnership and Rayon knows how to get the clients.

Woodroof never loses sight of his sexual needs, masturbating to pictures of women or having sex with a "full-blown AIDS" patient (a scene some may scoff at but, I have to admit, it is shockingly funny). McConaughey gives ample strength and pure heart of mind to Woodroof, never fearing that his character may be tough to like yet easy to admire. Woodroof can be reckless and fearless but those are qualities that hold him as something other than a saintly icon of the AIDS movement. Leto, an actor who can be as fearless as McConaughey, shows such sensitivity and beauty of mind and soul as Rayon that it becomes an extraordinarily moving performance - Leto holds you in his grasp as Rayon and you can't turn away. That is also the heart and soul of "Dallas Buyers Club" - don't turn away and never forget.

Flashback to the past

THE LIMEY (1999)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally reviewed in 1999)

I don't know about any of you but I can live without seeing another crime picture, especially in this post-Tarantino age. A story about a criminal avenging the death of his daughter from other criminals should not inspire much thought or excitement. But in the hands of the extraordinary director Steven Soderbergh ("Out of Sight," "Sex, Lies and Videotape"), "The Limey" transforms its paper-thin premise into pure excitement and examines it up close with an extraordinary actor at its center, Terence Stamp.

Stamp stars as the "limey" (slang for a British person, particularly a sailor) otherwise referred to as Wilson, a former criminal released from prison who comes to L.A. in search of his daughter, Jenny (introduced in Wilson's voice-over at the beginning). She is presumed to be dead, possibly killed by a former record producer named Valentine (Peter Fonda, thriving on his "Ulee's Gold" streak). Stamp is relentless in his pursuit, actively waging a war to find the truth. He is lean, mean and vicious...and apparently ignorant of modern society. There's a wonderfully sly scene where he discovers that the men outside of Valentine's grand palace are not bodyguards but valets.

"The Limey" could be a late-night movie of the week or an HBO drama at best if it were not for Soderbergh's flashy direction or Stamp's vulpine charms. He is the heart and soul of the film, supplying both subtle humor and crafty, suggestive mannerisms. Stamp has one great scene after another: whether he is smoothly speaking to an old flame, bashing heads at a factory, throwing people over balconies, or having flashbacks of his daughter, or trying to explain in a thick Cockney accent the turmoil of his life to a police investigator. There is nothing this man can't do - he makes the film eminently watchable.

As in "Out of Sight," Soderbergh cleverly and astutely flashes back and forth between one scene to the next, utilizing freeze-frames and different backdrops while whole conversations take place. This is not a new feat of cinematic interpretation - think back to Godard's wildly jump-cutting scene-shifting in the groundbreaking "Breathless." It is also an added plus to insert footage from Stamp's 1967 film "Poor Cow" throughout, not to mention allusions to Peter Fonda's "Easy Rider" by playing the song "Magic Carpet Ride." "The Limey" is all about allusions to the past, as we follow Wilson on his path to discover the truth of his daughter's possible demise.

"The Limey" also benefits from a great supporting cast, always a necessity in a L.A. noir story. There is the Lesley Ann Warren as the old flame, the terrifically funny Luis Guzman, and, aging like fine wine, Barry Newman as a corrupt aide to Valentine. With a stirring conclusion, wonderful compositions, and a full fledged character study at its center, "The Limey" stands alongside "Jackie Brown" as an exemplary look at the seedy, laid-back lifestyles of Los Angeles.

Time-twisting fun

OUT OF SIGHT (1998)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally reviewed in 1998)

Next to Tarantino's "Jackie Brown," "Out of Sight" is the best Elmore Leonard film adaptation yet with the most energetic cast imaginable. And it also helps that the stylish director Steven Soderbergh is also on board.

George Clooney, in his best role by far, is the suave yet none too bright bank robber serving time in prison for a botched robbery attempt. It is there where he meets an assortment of criminals and lowlifes played by such top-notch actors like Ving Rhames (the moralistic friend who steals cars right in front of their owners), Steven Zahn (a clueless pothead), and Don Cheadle (a more cunning villain than I've seen in recent crime films). Together they conspire to rip-off a rich attorney (Albert Brooks) who may be hiding valuable diamonds in his house. Problem is a devastatingly beautiful federal marshal (exotic Jennifer Lopez) is on Clooney's tail.

"Out of Sight" varies from other Leonard adaptations in its time-twisting narrative and brisk, comical dialogue that lends an extra punch to the proceedings. Soderbergh often shuffles sequences out of order creating a universe of disorder - an editing staple that he later took further in 1999's "The Limey." It is a directive that would make Tarantino blush in its exquisite smoothness. My favorite sequence is the Clooney-Lopez sex scene where they are talking intimately as we are shown scenes of their eventual coupling.

Add to that the flashy direction by Steven Soderbergh ("Sex, Lies and Videotape") and a marvelous cast (including the funny cameo by Nancy Allen) and you've got one hell of an entertainment, and one of the best crime films in quite some time. There's also the sizzling chemistry between Clooney and Lopez who manage to swelter the screen as much as Gable and Leigh did. And for major laughs, Albert Brooks and Steve Zahn fit the bill perfectly. An outstanding picture that would make Hollywood blush in its seamless blend of violence and comedy.

Extra bonus: Don't miss the superb cameos by Michael Keaton (reprising his role from "Jackie Brown" as a DEA agent) and Samuel L. Jackson.

Lumet's Big Bad and Funny Turd

GLORIA (1999)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
(Originally reviewed in 2000)

"Gloria" is unbelievably funny and so rottenly made that you can't help but like it, for the sheer audacity of it being so bad. Only director Sidney Lumet is not a director who can fail and muster such idiocy with an unrealistic East Coast tale - after all, Lumet is a New York director who has crafted realism in many of his best pictures. This film is directed by someone who has no idea what to do with a project that has the pedigree of John Cassavetes. 

Sharon Stone plays Gloria, a gun moll who attempts to run all over New York City with a supposedly tough yet tender kid (Jean-Luke Figueroa) who is the survivor of a family that was gunned down (he assumes he is the "man"). Gloria also takes along a diskette that contains crucial information needed by the mob (headed by George C. Scott with his main henchman, incredulously played by Jeremy Northam). Gloria runs around in high heels and sexy clothes that scream loudly, yet she manages to outwit her pursuers at every turn (this made me laugh throughout).

A high-speed car chase is actually thrilling at one point and keeps you on edge. But there is not one note that is believable at all. Cassavetes' original 1980 flick by the same name possessed authority with the casting of Gena Rowlands. The original "Gloria" also felt grounded in some reality - it was also thrilling and edgy and it was probably the late master's most accessible film. Here, we just have Sharon Stone with a bad Big Apple accent and turgid villains that utter the same old phrases we have heard at least ONE MILLION times before. Lumet's picture is never really boring, but it is never really much of anything and one wonders what prompted Lumet to remake it. Still, there is Sharon Stone and she is a looker, no matter what she does. 

Police corruption like you've always seen before

NIGHT FALLS ON MANHATTAN (1997)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
(Originally reviewed in 1997)

We've been accustomed to seeing Al Pacino play loud, unruly lawyers so it is quite refreshing to see Andy Garcia as a smart, tough lawyer in one of his best roles since "Internal Affairs." The movie may not be great but it is a well-crafted, watchable piece of entertainment.

Garcia stars as Sean Casey, a tough New York City lawyer who has been trying minor cases such as freak accidents, drug dealers, petty thieves, etc. He's no ambulance chaser but he's trying to get ahead by playing the rules, and he was a former cop so he "knows the streets." His father, Liam Casey (Ian Holm), is an undercover cop trying to catch a big-time heroin dealer and is subsequently shot while on a stakeout. Sean is upset by this and so is the whole city since two cops were previously killed by this psycho dealer. The D.A. Morgenstern (Rob Leibman) screams bloody murder and wants the dealer found who managed to escape in an NYPD car! The D.A. makes Sean the leading prosecutor, much to everyone's chagrin, but he's also risking his political future when the defense attorney turns out to be a brilliant shyster, Sam Vigoda (Richard Dreyfuss). It is, theoretically, an easy case and one that could launch Sean's career, but is there police corruption at the core? What do you think? Have you seen movies about corruption before or is this something entirely new to you?

"Night Falls on Manhattan" is not an original film nor should you think that director Sidney Lumet hasn't made similar films before. This time, Lumet has made it fresh by instilling a sense of humanity and making his characters invigorating and real. Garcia's Sean Stone is the moral center of the film - a lawyer who uncovers a hotbed of corruption and lies and people who mask the truth. Could his father, Liam, be concealing evidence? And what about Liam's partner, Joey (James Gandolfini)? And how did all three precincts manage to arrive within seconds after Joey calls for backup during the stakeout? If you haven't heard the disturbing news of New York City cops lately, then you must be residing on a mountain top in Tibet somewhere.

Lumet's problem as a writer is his frequent lack of credibility. For example: why would a psychotic dealer turn himself in to a defense attorney when he could have skipped town? Why would the D.A. assign such a media crazed event over to a small-time lawyer who has no experience trying such cases? Because the lawyer's father is a cop who was badly injured? I don't think such cases occur in New York City but what do I know. This movie was written for the screen by Lumet and based on a pulp novel by Robert Daley. Maybe that explains it.

As usual, Lumet's casting is impeccable. Garcia is strong and believable as Sean, a lawyer who by chance becomes D.A. in a movie full of miraculous chances. Richard Dreyfuss is superbly witty as the Alan Dershowitz-type who is trying to reveal the corruption himself. The great British actor Ian Holm is quietly understated as the wise old cop who may or may not be involved, and adores his bewildered son and his partner. James Gandolfini, who has appeared in a slate of mediocre movies, shines brightly and evocatively as Liam's partner - his scene with Ian Holm and Garcia crackles with energy as he begins to admit his involvement. This is an actor to watch for in the future. Veteran actor Rob Leibman shouts and spews with relish in several great scenes as Morgenstern, the D.A. who is always looking for a fight. The one performance that doesn't ring true is Lena Olin ("Unbearable Lightness of Being") as Peggy, a legal assistant to Sam Vigoda. Her frivolous romance with Sean exudes little charisma or excitement and takes up too much screen time.

"Night Falls on Manhattan" falls short when compared to Lumet's great, intelligent police movies such as "Prince of the City" and "Serpico." Nevertheless, it is a fine film and uniformly well acted but it ends with a silly anticlimax that diminishes the power of the first three-quarters (a similar problem pervaded Lumet's "Family Business"). Still, how can you resist a great cast in a generally vivid, exciting picture when we are mostly bombarded by superfluous hogwash nowadays. Don't resist.