dhaufrect

The film, "Ishtar" is a great comedy that was directed by Elaine May. Her casting is perfect. Warren Beatty plays Lyle Robers of "Rogers and Clarke". And Dustin Hoffman plays Chuck Clarke his partner in song. Together they travel from New York to the fabled land of Ishtar to perform a musical act in The Casablanca, a hotel nightclub. An act is actually way too kind. It is hard to imagine the cacophonous sounds that emanate from their mouths. The attempt on Beatty's part to reproduce the word, schmuck, with perfect intonation is hysterical. And Hofffman's instructions are just as belly splitting. There is a very memorable scene in the desert with a blind camel when Dustin Hoffman's character, Chuck Clarke, is requested to translate in Arabic some detailed instructions without any knowledge of the language. Jack Weston plays Marty Freed, their entertainment promoter. He too is entertaining in his portrayal. One should not miss this movie from 1987. It is truly a classic.

"Up" is well worth seeing in 3D. It utilizes the polarized glasses that were first released in 1952 with the black and white film, "Bwana Devil". However, this cartoon has enhanced the quality of presentation with effects that were unavailable in the 1950's. The storyline is one that is bent more toward the adult, and true empathy for the characters is unique to this film. The kids may enjoy the special effects and cartoon animals, however, the adults will appreciate the kind and gentle approach to the elderly that is a welcome change in the cartoon world. Edward Asner is the perfect voice for the protagonist. And Christopher Plummer is pleasure to listen to as Mr. Charles Muntz. I highly recommend this film for old and young alike.

Billy Ray has directed a smash hit with "Breach". The pre-release hype is fulfilled in this spy thriller that literally glues one to the seat in the theater. It was definitely worth the wait, and the marketing has been highly successful in that our entire theater was packed to the very last seat. Chris Cooper gives a commanding yet convincing performance as the counterspy who was responsible for the greatest breach in our intelligence security. He is well studied, and shows the hyper religiosity that this man used in his daily life. The greatest line in the film is delivered by his character when he says "I do matter". Ryan Phillipe plays Eric O'Niel, the young, agent to be who aptly fills his character with the innocence of a novice in the secretive business of his career. Even David Huband plays a gay photographer in an extremely believable way, and he does his best to occupy Hanssen while O'Niel attempts to retrieve a Palm Pilot that belongs to his "Boss". Bruce Davison plays O'Niel's dad, John, in a scene that is most tender when he offers advice to his son in his occupational endeavors. Kathleen Quinlan is also convincing as the hyper-religious wife, Bonnie Hanssen. And Laura Linney plays Kate Burroughs, the dominant authority who is the true "Boss" in the compelling spy drama. It is early in the year for nominations of best film, but it should be high on the list of films in one's "must see" category. Don't miss it.