Movie Loner

I’m kicking off sci-fi week at Movie Loner with an overlooked prize from last year, Sunshine. Director Danny Boyle seems to run hot and cold. Shallow Grave, Trainspotting and 28 Days Later are minor classics. A Life Less Ordinary and The Beach are almost unwatchable. The talented, genre-jumping Boyle scores a bullseye taking aim at a tried-and-true sci-fi storyline: the doomed space mission.

The sun is dying. The Icarus Project sends a ship but it disappears. Seven years later Icarus II is dispatched, a crew of eight astronauts armed with a stellar bomb designed to reignite the fading star. On approach to Mercury they pickup a distress signal from Icarus I. A heated debate among the team leads to a decision to change course and rendezvous with the lost ship. An omission by the navigator sets off a disastrous chain of events that jeopardizes the operation.

The crippled vessel docks with Icarus I. Oxygen, food, and water are abundant offering the crew hope. But evidence of sabotage and the disturbing death of Icarus I’s astronauts raise suspicions. A curious mechanical failure proves fatal for two and traps the remaining crew aboard a sinking Icarus II. As bodies drop the surviving team discovers they are not alone on their ship. A strange presence threatens to terminate the mission before its completion.

Sunshine accurately depicts the strengths and weaknesses of humans. Our ability to think, or over-think, often lands us in a shitload of trouble. But it’s our willingness to sacrifice ourselves and our determination to do what’s right that makes us unique. The film also correctly portrays us to be a bunch of meddlers. Should we screw with forces beyond our control and comprehension? Most great science fiction poses this question. There is no simple answer. Watch Sunshine and you’ll understand what I mean. Stay tuned tomorrow for episode two of sci-fi week.

A scene from Sunshine:

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Kicking back on a dreary Sunday afternoon I thought I’d do something a little different for the coming week. I love science fiction movies, especially lesser-known ones gone unnoticed by the masses. So starting tomorrow I’ll review one film a day that celebrates the sci-fi genre. Get ready for action, romance and intense drama set in deep space and bleak future societies.

This should whet your appetite:

Remember: “In space no one can hear you scream.”

The Movie Loner

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I was really looking forward to Southland Tales, Richard Kelly’s follow-up to the sublime Donnie Darko. My first impression is not very good. I know there is a coherent narrative somewhere to be found but it comes across as an overwrought mishmash of David Lynch and Strange Days. It probably deserves a second viewing. Right now I can’t recommend it, although it does have its moments.

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Cotton candy, tilt-a-whirls, house of mirrors. Well, it’s not that type of carnival but head on over to Scott Nehring’s Good News Film Reviews and peruse his latest Carnival of Cinema. He was gracious enough to include my post Top 5 Indie Actors.

Here’s the link.

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In a business severely lacking female Directors, Allison Anders is one of the finest. Overcoming a rough childhood Anders honed her craft at UCLA film school and has since gone on to write and direct Gas, Food Lodging, Mi Vida Loca, and Sugar Town to name a few. Her best film, Things Behind the Sun, is also her most personal, drawing inspiration from an adolescent trauma.

Kim Dickens plays Sherry, a singer/songwriter whose latest single is a hit on college campuses. The emotional song, about Sherry’s preteen rape, catches the ear of writer Owen (Gabriel Mann), who convinces his bosses at a trendy L.A. music mag to do a story on her. Being from the same Florida town Owen thinks he can convince Sherry to open up to him. Turns out Owen has an ulterior motive in his pursuit of Sherry. The two of them are connected by a past tragedy.

Owen meets Sherry at bar to conduct his interview, but Sherry is preoccupied with her nightly ritual of getting drunk and going home with the nearest guy or guys. Sherry’s manager Chuck (Don Cheadle) is very protective of her and warns Owen to be careful not to damage her fragile psyche. Owen puts aside his job and attempts to get closer to Sherry, looking to unburden his guilty conscience. The scarred Sherry soon deduces that Owen may be able to help rid her of the demons that have tortured her since the day she was raped.

Anders maturely handles the delicate subject matter minus the after-school-special melodrama. Her characterization of Sherry is both sad and hopeful. Sherry carries her childhood love of music into adulthood and uses it to maintain her sanity in the face of nightmarish impediments. Dickens is a revelation as Sherry, giving the performance of her career. The always good Cheadle is flawless portraying Chuck, Sherry’s sole protector who loves her unconditionally. Things Behind the Sun is an impressive film that somehow slipped through the cracks.

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It’s a cliche, but they don’t make movies like The Fabulous Baker Boys anymore. No special effects, no massive explosions, no prolonged car chases, no inane plot twists, and no costumed superheroes. Instead there is an original script, sharp direction, and superb acting. One of my favorite films features one of the truly great performances I’ve ever seen courtesy of the alluring Michelle Pfieffer.

Frank and Jack Baker (Beau and Jeff Bridges) have been playing piano at small clubs and lounges for thirty years. Times are tough and the gigs aren’t bringing in crowds like they used to. To jump-start their ailing business the Baker brothers decide to hire a singer. A painful day of auditions comes to a promising end once Suzie Diamond (Pfeiffer) arrives. The unrefined former escort wows the boys with her silky voice. A duo becomes a trio and soon after the money and audiences start flowing.

A road trip to a luxurious mountain hotel has the bickering Baker brothers at odds. Dorky family man Frank clashes with brooding loner Jack. Stuck in the middle is Suzie, a headstrong young woman with a bruised past. A mutual attraction between Jack and Suzie develops, much to Frank’s chagrin. Frank warns his little bro to stay away from her, but a family emergency calls him home, leaving charming Jack and sexy Suzie alone on New Year’s Eve. Will their budding relationship destroy thirty years of success for the Baker brothers?

I’ve praised Writer/Director Steve Kloves before in my review of Flesh and Bone. It’s hard to believe he’s only directed two movies. A master at crafting broken characters with veiled demons, Kloves possesses a savvy wit as well. The interaction between Beau Bridges and Pfieffer scores big laughs. Jeff Bridges kills playing the immensely gifted but damaged Jack. However, Pfeiffer is the real star; she’s striking as Suzie, boasting a dynamite singing voice. The Fabulous Baker Boys deserved much more attention when it was released. Take the opportunity to discover this extraordinary film.

A scene from The Fabulous Baker Boys:

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Sometimes you have to disconnect the critical part of your brain when you go to the movies. Just kick back and enjoy the show. Steady pacing and well-placed action sequences can cover for what’s lacking. No need to dwell on improbable plot points and campy acting. Heaven’s Prisoners is one of those movies. I still find it to be an entertaining crime-thriller despite its obvious flaws.

Ex-cop Dave Robicheaux (Alec Baldwin) has left behind The Big Easy and retired to New Iberia where he runs a bait shop with his wife Annie (Kelly Lynch). Dave and Annie’s quiet life is interrupted after witnessing a plane crash in the bayou. Dave manages to rescue the sole survivor, an orphaned girl from El Salvador. Unable to locate the girl’s family, Dave and Annie take her home. A DEA agent pays Dave a visit and probes him about the crash. Dave plays it cool, but the detective in him won’t let it go, so he starts asking his own questions. His snooping gets him tuned-up by a couple of thugs who work for local drug lord, and Dave’s childhood pal, Bubba Rocque (Eric Roberts).

Bubba promises Dave he’s not involved, but Dave has his suspicions. Against Annie’s wishes, he digs deeper, becoming a one-man-gang in search of the truth. Dave’s hotheaded behavior makes him a target. One rainy night three killers descend on Dave’s bayou home with tragic results. Pushed over the edge, Dave unleashes a reign of vengeance leaving a trail of bodies. The end of the trail leads back to Bubba Rocque and his sultry, power-hungry wife, Claudette (Teri Hatcher).

Based on James Lee Burke’s pulp novel, Heaven’s Prisoners is reminiscent of the hard-boiled crime dramas from the 40s and 50s. Alec Baldwin is effective playing a relentless tough-guy who won’t stop until he gets what he wants. Mary Stuart Masterson offers much needed comic relief portraying Dave’s ex-flame, Robin. Teri Hatcher also prances around nude, shrewdly drawing attention away from her brutal Cajun accent. The film doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. If you’re looking for mindless fun give it a shot.

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I’ve always been a Campbell Scott fan. I first saw him in Singles and even though I didn’t really dig the movie I thought he stood out. Satisfied with making his mark in the Indie world Scott has delivered promising performances in The Spanish Prisoner, The Secret Lives of Dentists, and co-directed the lauded Big Night. His best and most challenging role to date is in Roger Dodger, an acerbic study of relationships between men and women.

Scott plays the title character, Roger, a New York advertising plebe who fancies himself an expert on women. He looks and dresses the part with a disarming wit to match. A surprise visit from his 16-year-old nephew Nick puts his skills to the test. Nick, desperate to lose his virginity, becomes Roger’s eager student in the art of seduction. Quick lessons on how to look at and approach women are lost on Nick, so Roger sneaks him into the lion’s den, a bar. He then enlists the aid of Andrea (Elizabeth Berkley) and Sophie (Jennifer Beals), two attractive singles, to teach young Nick what women want.

Nick’s honest sensitivity score points with the ladies, while Roger’s primitive cynicism proves offputting. The die is cast. Roger, convinced his method is foolproof, leads Nick on a turbulent journey into the NYC nightlife. Ruptured attempt after ruptured attempt to get Nick laid forces Roger to resort to what he calls the “fail-safe.” A trip to a sordid underground brothel with an inebriated Nick in tow evokes Roger’s dormant conscience to awaken. He quickly grasps that he doesn’t have all the answers and has much to learn about women and life.

Writer/Director Dylan Kidd doesn’t pull any punches. His frank, graphic script is a frontal assault on relationships and sex. He attacks the prevailing attitudes of both men and women; men’s inherent immaturity collides head-on with women’s unreal expectations. I can’t think of a recent movie that has dealt with these issues with levity and intelligence. Cheers to Jesse Eisenberg for deftly tackling the character of Nick. His innocence holds the story together. I don’t write this often, but Roger Dodger is a near-perfect film.

The trailer for Roger Dodger:

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