When a nervous, failing aspiring actor (Dave Franco) meets the indescribable, bizarro, and independently wealthy Tommy Wiseau (James Franco), they form a quick friendship which leads to the production of The Room, one of the most notorious and successful cult movies, which the oblivious Wiseau approaches the making of with tyrannical cruelty and reckless abandon. James Franco's The Disaster Artist is amusing and off-putting, like the movie and subject it's chronicling, with an uncanny impersonation by the director at its center. Questionable choices are made, especially in the prologue and epilogue, begging the question of whether there is enough here to support a feature film and is there too much meaning being invested in the success story of one of the worst feature films ever produced. As for the The Room itself, I didn't really understand the midnight movie cult classic so bad its good hype (although I didn't watch it in a theater) and mostly just thought it unfathomably bad though it does contain some laugh out loud moments.

A young comedian (Jason Biggs) with a fledgling career and a guilt complex that prevents him from ditching his useless analyst and loser agent (Danny DeVito) takes up with a high maintenance wreck of a woman (Christina Ricci) while taking advice from a deranged teacher and fellow struggling comedian (Woody Allen). Allen's rambling and aimless Anything Else is moderately involving with Biggs making a fair Woody stand-in, Ricci is extremely grating, and Allen himself stealing the show and making the movie.

*** out of ****

Two lonely and depressed people, an aging movie star (Bill Murray) and the young wife (Scarlett Johansson) of a busy photographer (Giovanni Ribisi), meet and connect in Tokyo, finding themselves platonic companions in the strange city for a few fleeting days. Light, observed, and well-made, Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation is. in turns, amusing, melancholic and poignant (though I'm not sure its as transcendent as its reputation) with Murray ideal for the role and Johansson tremendous and just as affecting.

*** 1/2 out of ****

Werner Herzog documents the annual Buddhist pilgrimage of thousands to Bhod Gaya, India, a place  where the Buddha is thought to have earned enlightenment, and where the Dalai Llama addresses the faithful and symbolically distributes the minutely constructed colored sand object of the title to the wind. Herzog does an excellent jobs documenting the voyage but things really start to drag after the destination is reached. Also, an interview between the filmmaker and the Llama seems really poorly thought out and only adds the tedium of the concluding half of the documentary.

*** out of ****

To defend the realm from Napoleon's growing forces, Captain Jack Aubrey (Russel Crowe) leads his modest vessel the HMS Surprise on patrol of the high seas while often consulting with his trusted friend, the ship's physician and naturalist (Paul Bettany). After catching a rogue and superior French craft on their trail, the brazen but principled commander decides to change course and take the enemy head on. Condensed from a series of Patrick O'Brian novel's, Peter Weir's Master and Commander is a rousing naval saga, brilliantly directed, plotted, and with painterly cinematography, that still maintains a touching, beautiful human sentiment. Crowe, in a career performance that was unfortunately overlooked, leads an impressive cast with Bettany as a Darwin inspired doctor, quite brilliant as well.

**** out of ****

From its start as a Dutch trading post through the immigrant experience up until present day, covering formative politicians including Boss Tweed, Al Smith, and Fiorello Laguardia, and other visionaries that shaped its mindset and the physicality such as Walt Whitman, Frederick Law Olmstead, and Robert Moses, New York: A Documentary Film is a lengthy, comprehensive, informative history of the incomparable metropolis by Ric Burns, told with the same rigor and craft associated with the works of his brother Ken. There are many passages of note and a great use of footage though I somehow wished the film had time to slow down to focus on smaller stories instead of on the hustle and bustle and constant progress and forces shaping the city. The documentary is also hurt by chest thumping New Yorkers, historians and celebrities alike, constantly harping on the vast greatness of the city while adding little to the experience. Lastly, following the 9/11 attacks, a final episode was tacked on detailing the monotonous history of the World Trade Center buildings, which was mostly overlook during the first run.

*** out of ****

In the late 1980s, the patriarch and youngest son of a respected middle class New York family are charged, arrested, and convicted of a series of odious, unthinkable crimes which caused a local media uproar and continue to divide the community and Friedman family to this day. Like he did in his riveting miniseries The Jinx, with Capturing the Friedmans Andrew Jarecki presents its grey area, tragedy laced case study remarkably well and reserves judgement for the viewer, shedding one revealing strand of light on the subject just when you think you're mind is made up. Furter, excellent, eerie use of home video footage is incorporated into this morose documentary.

*** 1/2 out of ****

In 1903, after accepting a $50 bet, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson set off from San Francisco with associate Sewell Crocker and his pit bull to traverse the continent all the way to New York in a minor episode which would quickly evolve into an all-out publicity war waged by the major car companies in what would eventually come to be known as the country's first cross country commute by way of the newly invented automobile. Horatio's Drive is a nice, brief change of pace for Ken Burns in which he and cowriter Dayton Duncan effectively reveal an impressive and amusing little known story.

*** 1/2 out of ****

A Nigerian doctor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) exiled from his own country and living illegally in London, drives a cab by day and works a hotel front desk by night, turning a blind eye to the various vices he encounters while performing simple medical procedures under the table and living with a Turkish maid (Audrey Tatou). His life gets thrown into chaos when one sleepless, ordinary night, a prostitute friend asks him to check the clogged toilet in her room. From a script by Steven Knight, Dirty Pretty Things is a thriller with an immigration agenda, telling a seamy tale of the underbelly of London and while it is not as shocking as its subject matter would indicate, it is nonetheless intriguing with exacting direction from Stephen Frears and a brilliant performance from Ejiofor.

*** 1/2 out of ****

The Blues is an seven part series presented by several accomplished filmmakers including Martin Scorsese, Wim Wenders, Charles Burnett, Mike Figgis, and Clint Eastwood who document the distinct American art form from its origins in West Africa which made its way through the slave trade to the Mississippi Delta and continuing right up until the present day. Each episode takes a different approach on the same subject, which tends to grow redundant as the series progresses, but is worth watching for its wealth of performances which range from B.B. King, Ray Charles, Dave Brubeck, Dr. John, and Van Morrison in addition to the amazing archival footage. 

Two cowboys, one aged and content (Robert Duvall), the other a troubled Civil War vet (Kevin Costner) roam the prairies and carry out their duties as the last of a dying breed. When their sweet-natured cohort (Abraham Benrubi) rides into town for supplies and a go-round at the local saloon, he is beaten within an inch of his life by the hands of a ruthless land baron (Michael Gambon). When his men storm later storm their camp and finish the job they started, the two cattlemen swear vengeance on all held accountable. Open Range is imperfect, longish, and not as gritty and violent as most westerns of the modern era, but features beautiful scenic photography and has the same meditative, thoroughly becoming quality as did Lonesome Dove. Duvall fits his role like a glove, Annette Bening's tender character does add to the picture though I'm not sure her subplot was entirely necessary, and I especially like Costner's thoughtful work here as both director and star.

The storyline surrounding the famous title painting, which involves a new maid in Johannes Vermeer's household who quickly becomes his muse while stirring his wife's ire just as fast, are fictitiously filled in in this adaptation of Tracy Chevalier's bestselling novel, penned by Olivia Hetreed and directed by Peter Webber. The film features amazing photography and wonderful detail which serve to faithfully depict the artist's craft and match the film to his gorgeous canvasses. Colin Firth gives a fine, measured performance as Vermeer, Scarlett Johansson is off, succeeding only in becoming a replica of her character, and certain story elements feel somewhat strained.

After butchering her wedding party and leaving her inexplicably clinging to life, The Bride (Uma Thurman) seeks revenge on the colorful and treacherous members (Vivica A. Fox, Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, and Michael Madsen) of her former hit squad led by the wily and enigmatic title sage (David Carradine). Quentin Tarantino's passion project, written with his leading lady then severed and distributed in two parts after the initial insane notion of showing it as a five hour roadshow, retains a lot of the fun it provided when first viewed, for me during a less discriminating time. Although much of this is egregiously over-the-top (the infamous Crazy 88 massacre all but takes you out of the film) and some scenes worked as self-contained bits but not within the context of the movie (the animated origin story of Liu's character for one), the movie soars when you let go and let it take over. So many scenes are remarkable (Liu's exit and the trailer park brouhaha are both knockouts), Carradine is unforgettable, and I liked how the picture slowed down a bit for its concluding halve. Thurman, while occasionally irksome, is most impressive while alternating between kicking ass and generating sympathy for her character.

In a monastery situated in the middle of a lake deep in a vacant wilderness, a monk raises a young boy to take up his trade, and we are shown the evolution of their relationship through five of life's seasons. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring is a contemplative, beautifully crafted film with excellent performances from Yeoung-Su Oh as the teacher and the five actors (one being the film's writer/director Ki-duk Kim) who play the pupil.

When it comes to the attention of the great wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) that his old dear friend Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) is in possession of the One Ring, he determines it must be destroyed in the cauldron whence it was formed before the evil being Sauron can attain it and wreak destruction. Charging Bilbo's nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood) and his loyal friend Sam (Sean Astin) with this task, a fellowship consisting of two men (Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean), two more hobbits (Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd), an elf (Orlando Bloom), and a dwarf (John Rhys-Davies) forms to guard the ring's passage, as the aforementioned embark on a battle to save Middle Earth.  I was going to treat these films as three separate entries but i wanted to spare myself the writing (and you the trouble of reading) what is already widely known of what is essentially one, expansive film anyway. Peter Jackson's magnum opus is an overblown adaptation of the beloved J.R.R. Tolkein fantasy trilogy, which was a sequel to his equally successful (and forthcoming as another Jackson adaptation) The Hobbit. These first installments continue to achieve endless amounts of acclaim, but I find them unnecessarily overlong and incredibly corny efforts to please the Tolkien fanboy minority. They are most notable for their spectacular visuals, which by no means deserve to be downplayed considering, in my opinion, that they buoy a nearly ten hour film. Of the three films ("The Fellowship of the Ring", "The Two Towers", "The Return of the King"), none is far superior to any other, although the first installment has the unenviable task of being the set-up film and the last's multiple endings conjured nightmares of my bladder exploding when I first viewed it during the theatrical release. Ian McKellen (you almost need an actor of his breadth to take some of this shit seriously), Viggo Mortensen, and Sean Bean are in fine form although the hobbits (with the exception of Holm) are completely insufferable, especially Astin who is in all out Rudy mode. I thought Andy Serkis' Gollum was phenomenal, and that Jackson and co. are to blame for not clearly explaining the CGI process to Academy voters in efforts to garner him an Oscar nod. Detours also detract from the overall effect (I was bored to tears every time an elf was on screen) and many segments are beyond mawkish to the point of laughability. Still, the virtuoso filmmaking, breathless photography, and seamless CGI make this trek worth enduring.

Prime Suspect 7: The Last Act (2006)
On the cusp of retirement, Jane draws the case of a missing teenager which she refuses to let go until the killer is brought justice. Simultaneously fraught with personal strife, including her father's illness and her own alcoholism, Jane becomes drawn to a young girl central to the case, a smart and fiercely independent sort that reminds her of herself. With "The Last Act", Prime Suspect and star Helen Mirren go out on a high note, one that could have been a masterful one had it not been for some tacky plot choices, the kind of which have marred other episodes in this series. It goes without saying that Dame Mirren is excellent once more here, and its superfluous that I'm even stating so.  Director Philip Martin does an excellent job directing, which sort of continues the new style employed by Tom Hooper in the previous outing. There is also a really nice touch in the return of series veteran Tom Bell (who died before release and to whom this installment is dedicated) and his prickly, chauvinistic chief inspector. In closing, Prime Suspect was a series that both revolutionized the modern crime series while also inspiring the cliched, unworthy elements that plague it today. In also never featured anything less than perfection from its inimitable star.
*** 1/2

Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness (2003)
Jane once again finds herself bucking her superiors, who now try to force her into retirement, as she investigates the murder of Bosnian refugee, leading her on a journey to the Balkans and a ruthless war criminal. The sixth entry is the Prime Suspect series doesn't break any new ground as far as material is concerned, and follows the same blueprints as its predecessors, but is notable for the exceptional direction of Tom Hooper, who brings his distinct visual style to the series. Of course, Helen Mirren is excellent once again, following a long gap since the previous installment.
***

Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgement (1996)
Jane has been reassigned to a high crime district, but is being underused in her commission as a community liaison officer. When an aboveboard drug execution presents itself, she sees it as an opportunity to impress her commander. Things, of course, are not as straightforward as they seem, and the lead suspect proves extra wily and it soon becomes apparent there is a mole in the police department. "Prime Suspect 5" is more of the same with Helen Mirren carrying the rest of the overwrought and routine affair. An engaging supporting performance from Steven Mackintosh as the mad dog suspect help keep things in order as well.
** 1/2


Prime Suspect 4 (1995)
Part I - The Lost Child
Part II - Inner Circles
Part III - Scent of Darkness
The fourth series of "Prime Suspect" is divided into three sub-parts, with Jane working three independent cases. The first part is entitled "The Lost Child" and deals with the search for a missing child and a rush to judgement based on a prior sexual history. "Inner Circles" details the investigation into the murder of a bereft country club manager which leads to a scandal involving a housing complex. The final segment, "Scent of Darkness" follows Jane as a copycat murderer causes her to reopen the file for the case depicted on "Prime Suspect 1". Although Helen Mirren is quite good once again here, the redundant formulas have become glaring where a suspect is identified while Jane is harrassed who goes on to identify the correct perpetrator, usually the most ludicrous person imaginable. And still, "PS4" is nonetheless entertaining with Mirren standing triumphant at the center.
***


Prime Suspect 3 (1993)

Jane has transferred to head a vice squadron where the murder of a young male prostitute leads to a child sex ring implicating a devious sex solicitor, a transvestite, a seemingly noble head of a youth center, and possibly a disgraced recently retired police captain. The third installment in the "Prime Suspect" series is steeped in histrionics and replete with irritating gay stereotypes as well as outdated gay themes, yet it still remains an intricate and powerful series, with Helen Mirren continuing to lead the way with her dazzling knockout performance. I also appreciated the plotting here, and how you can't exactly pin down the plot or foresee where its going. Additions to the cast are strong as well which include David Thewlis, Ciaran Hinds, and Mark Strong, as well as the return of Tom Bell who appeared in the first installment and deftly again plays that oily character. Though maybe not quite on par on the first two entries, "Prime Suspect 3" continues to set the bar for quality television criminal procedurals.

*** 1/2

Prime Suspect 2 (1992)

As racial tensions gather over accusations of police brutality, Chief Inspector Tennison has earned the respect of her peers when a decomposed corpse is found in the backyard of a black neighborhood. To make matters more complicated, a black detective whom Tennison has had a fling with is brought over to work the case for PC reasons. "Prime Suspect 2" is a fine followup to the groundbreaking British series. Helen Mirren is as towering, excellent, and believable as ever and the incendiary plot plays out extremely well (although I though they didn't play fair with the identity of the perpetrator). "Prime Suspect 2" is a gritty and engaging film continuing the trend from its predecessor.

*** 1/2

Prime Suspect (1991)

Police procedurals have always been a standard on television, but especially today crime shows, particularly grisly forensic oriented crime programs, are dominating the airwaves. With the Prime Suspect, an excellent British series revolving around a criminal investigation, we see the bar being set for modern shows of the same nature, few of which succeed in meeting it. In a dynamic performance from Helen Mirren, we follow her character Jane Tennyson, a London investigator who has been passed over for promotion two many times due to her sex. When the beloved lead detective on a brutal homicide has a heart attack and dies, it is finally her chance to head an investigation. As things begin to point in a different direction than the original detective was heading, and the case begins to widen, she faces hostility from her colleagues both out of loyalty to the deceased and shear sexism. "Prime Suspect" functions excellently on several levels: as an investigatory program, as a character study, as an examination of sexism in the workplace, and finally as study of how bureaucracy places barricades in the way of a successful police investigation. Mirren here demonstrates her unmatched abilities as an actress and again the fact that they don't make women like her anymore as she demonstrates grit, determination, and elegance. Also making early acting appearances in the movie are Tom Wilkinson as her husband and Ralph Fiennes in a small part. "Prime Suspect" is a fine example of an intelligent cop movie that many modern ones could learn from.

*** 1/2

In a small village outside Seoul, South Korea in 1986, a little girl is found raped and murdered in a drainpipe, with another one found in a field nearby soon thereafter. With the first apparent serial killing in the country's history, the local police staff seems ill-equipped to handle the investigation, with the two lead detectives (Song Kang-ho, Kim Rwe-ha) preferring brutal interrogation techniques over criminal profiling and thought. As a few more murders take place, a detective from the city joins the case and the three begrudgingly work together to try to solve the increasingly frustrating case. "Memories of Murder" is an excellent true crime story from director Joon ho-Bong that tells its difficult story with great style and flare. So many of the scenes are pitch perfect, such as one involving a  miscommunication during a stakeout in the rain, or the shocking finale, and the actors so greatly inhabit their complex roles. Real life crime stories are hard enough to tell, to begin with, and especially grisly ones like this would leave many storytellers steering for happy endings. "Memories of Murder" is a thriller that refuses to offer easy answers, and conducts itself with impeccable tone and style.

Gore Vidal, who died this past week, as an American author, historian, critic, screenwriter, attempted politician, and irascible iconoclast who swum against the current at times when it was not popular to do so. Born into high society, the son of a business magnate and grandson of Oklahoma Senator Thomas Gore, Vidal was able to see the "inner workings of the Republic" which he used as ammunition for much of his own work and which helped contribute to the own denouncement of his own society. He wrote successful plays ("The Best Man"), novels (Myra Breckenridge), films ("Ben-Hur", "Suddenly Last Summmer"), and many historical novels (Burr, Lincoln,  Julian). In this American Masters installment, Gore Vidal takes us through his own life as he publishes The Golden Age, the final installment in his Narratives of Empire Series, and sees over a Broadway Revival of "The Best Man". The Education of Gore Vidal is an intriguing documentary of one of the great dissenting minds of the 20th Century, which gives a fair version of events the controversial stalwart's life. The film's commentator's also help bring insight into his life and work and several of his celebrity friends including Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Tim Robbins, and Susan Sarandon. Gore Vidal lived a versatile and complete life, refused to accept things as they were, and in the process helped to spearhead the change in public perception and left behind an immensely impressive body of work.

After being gravely wounded at the Siege of Petersburg, a southern farmhand abandons the hopeless Confederate cause and begins a perilous trek back home to North Carolina to reunite with his woman, a beautiful preachers daughter tending the land only with the help of a pugnacious friend. "Cold Mountain" is sumptuous film that captures the cruelty and bleakness of war, on several fronts, as well as the longing for love, and places them against the beautiful backdrop of the south. Many have complained that the film keeps its stars apart for too much of the film, but this provides director Anthony Minghella the opportunity to make not one, but two great films: one showing the arduous life of a rebel soldier then deserter, and the other depicting life on the homestead, and the hardships faced by those beset by the vultures that times of war bring. Adapted from Charles Frazier's novel and featuring an absolutely stunning palette (much of which was shot in Romania) including the extraordinary opening battle sequence, the film is a wonder on several different levels. Jude Law and Nicole Kidman are excellent in the leads and Renee Zellwegger turns in a winning, if somewhat over the top performance in her Oscar winning role. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Giovanni Ribisi, Natalie Portman, and Ray Winstone are memorable in supporting roles, and the soundtrack is likewise excellent featuring Alison Krauss and Jack White, the latter of whom appears in the film. The late Minghella had a gift for crafting superior romances that transcended the soppy muck we've been accustomed too. "Cold Mountain" is a transcendent, heart rending film that functions superbly on so many different levels.

Marianne addresses the camera directly and asks whether or not she should visit her ex-husband Johann, whom she has not seen in almost 30 years, and answers almost immediately in the affirmative. Travelling to his cabin in the woods where he now resides, the couple picks up where they left off as if no time has passed and begin to ruminate their lives while becoming involved in a scenario with Johann's son and his unhealthy relationship with his prodigious teenage daughter. In the final statement of his abounding career as a director, Ingmar Bergman reunites his characters 30 years following "Scenes from a Marriage". Now in the twilight of their lives, Liv Ullman and Erland Josephson once more give tender and consummate performances as a couple who long ago ended their marriage but have still managed to maintain their friendship and even attraction. When Ullman and Josephson grace the screen "Saraband" is wonderful and intelligent film, and a touching tribute to the legendary director whom they both worked under at length. When the story involving Johann's son and grandaughter takes center stage, it is (unsurprisingly) less engaging as we await for the two stars to reappear. "Saraband" is a moving and fitting both to a wonderful story as well as an unsurpassed career.