pollhouse

Sol Nazerman is asked what the numbers tattoo on his am means. "Do you belong to a special Club? How can I join?" "You have to walk on water!" Nazerman replies. The pawnbroker is one of those engrossing films that moves along somewhat slowly but for me as the viewer I couldn't get away from it. It sucked me in and wouldn't let go until the final scene is run and the credits rolled by. This is a very powerful film about a Nazi death camp survivor who has immigrated to New York after his camp was liberated and his life was saved. Now with the 25th anniversary of his incarceration approaching Nazerman is having flash backs of the horrors the death camps and of the deaths of his family at the hands of the Nazi's. Images he thought he had erased from his mind forever. But even more horrible than seeing his own wife children die along with countless thousands is the fact the he did not die.

Now, 25 years later he is running a pawnshop in New York's Spanish Harlem, which is also a money-laundering front for the local crime boss. Along with the flash backs he also coming to realize that in New York life is nearly as cheap as it was in the death camps. The blacks and Hispanics are persecuted much like the Jews were in Nazi Germany. The crime bosses own people and abuse and terrorize the people they own like the Gestapo. I felt that "The Pawnbroker" was a very powerful film I can't imagine the power it must have had 41 years ago.

The acting performance of Rod Steiger was brilliant. The emotion that he displayed on the screen gave me a real taste of what life was like for Sol Nazweman. Rod Stieger has got to be one the most underrated actors of Hollywood. When acting greats are mentioned, Bogart, Tracey, Gable, Stewart, Fonda, Hepburn, Betty Davis, just to name a few Rod Stieger's name rarely comes up. Just think of all of the great performances this man has done. Dr. Zivago, The Heat of the night, On the Water Front, his portrait of Napoleon in Water Loo, even his role on Oklahoma was all stellar. Now that he is gone I hope is legend will grow like the greats that have gone before him.

Being a "Star Trek" fan I was surprised to see Brock Peters in the role of Rodriguez the local crime boss. Brock Peters played Admiral Cartwright in two of the "Star Trek" feature films. I did not know that career went that far back and covered so many films.

The musical score is terrific as well as the cinematography. It gave the audience a taste of the dark side of New York in the 1960's. Sidney Lumet must have had cameras in vans or tucks as they shot sidewalk scenes on city streets. This gave the picture a realistic look and feel. "The Pawnbroker" is a must see!

It was that time again for me to sit down and watch another chick film with my wife. She got the popcorn and I got the bamboo shoots for my fingernails. The movie was better than I expected, however. It was about this bored guy who was happily married with two teenage children. Everyday he went to the same job where he was a lawyer at a small firm and every evening he rode the same commuter train home. He loved his wife and children but was asking himself that eternal question that haunts all of us from time to time, is this all there is? Is there anything more? Until one night on his way home he looked through the train window and noticed a strikingly beautiful women looking out the window of a dance studio. Intrigued he began to look for her every night on his way home and low and behold she was there every night. Until one night he decided to get off the train in attempt to meet this woman. He signed up for dance lessons figuring that she would be his instructor unfortunately his instructor turned out to be the owner of the studio, and old bag who needed a little nip from her flask now and then to make it through another session. Until one night his opportunity came when the old lady was gone and Paulina (Jennifer Lopez) taught his lesson for that night. He seized the opportunity when upon walking her out of the studio he asker her out for dinner for which she harshly rejected him.

After the rejection he soon discovered that it was the dancing that was filling the void in his life and not so much the fascination he had for Paulina.

Richard Gere was good in his role as John Clark. From the movies "The Cotton Club" and "Chicago" we all know Gere's talent as a musician and a dancer. (Both "The Cotton Club" and "Chicago" were far superior films; "Shall We Dance" is not in the same league. Gere's performances in those pictures were standouts compared the movie I am reviewing here. If you have not seen either one of those films get out and rent them. If you liked Richard Gere in "Shall We Dance" you will love him in "The Cotton Club" and "Chicago." The surprise for me in this movie was the performance of Jennifer Lopez. After being lamb basted by the late night talk shows for her performance in "Gigli" and "Maid In Manhattan" she did redeem herself a little here. Her talents as a dancer is undeniable and it was show cased beautifully here. She is without a doubt a very beautiful woman. I think her creditability suffers from her, self-inflicted off screen troubles, the on and off again marriages and romances, the see through dresses etc. We get a lot of J-Lo over kill from the media as well, if she changes brands of toilet paper Diane Sawyer has a 10 minute piece on "Good Morning America" the next day.

Susan Sarandon is always solid and has that ability to make even a bad film mediocre. Stanley Tucci is good in everything I have seen him in and he has been in a lot of movies and did a good job here as well except that his role was a week one. His Character was responsible for the comedy relief unfortunately it was not funny. Embarrassing may be a better word. The wig and fake wash off suntan just did not work.

All in all I have to give "Shall We Dance" two bamboo shoots.

I saw this movie when it was released twenty-four years ago and I am happy to say that it has not aged at all. It is just as funny and delightful today as it was then. "Hopscotch" is a diamond in the rough and a real gem. Walter Matthau plays an experienced CIA agent, Miles Kendig, who is sentence to a desk job by his idiot boss, for disciplinary reasons.

If you are a Walter Matthau fan then this is a must see movie. If you are not familiar with Matthau then `Hopscotch' will be a great introduction to one of the most talented actors in Hollywood history. Even though `Hopscotch' is based from a novel the role of Miles Kendig must have been written for Walter Matthau. He was brilliant!

I certainly don't want to over shadow the terrific supporting cast. Ned Beatty and Glanda Jackson were superb. You will also get to see a very young Sam Waterston. Pay special attention to CIA agent `Ross' played my Matthau's son David.