The Men Who Stare at Goats 2009

     This film is based on a novel written by Jon Ronson.  A reporter in Iraq might just have the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady.  He is a guy who claims to be a former member of the U.S. Army's New Earth Army?  This is a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions.

     Although this film is inspired by John Ronson's Book The Men Who Stare At Goats, it is a work of fiction.  The characters Lynn Cassady and Bill Django are based on actual people.  Sergeant Glenn Wheaton and Colonel Jim Channon plus all other characters are invented or are composites.  They are not portrayals of actual people. The filmmakers ask that no one attempt walking through walls, cloud bursting while driving, or staring for hours at goats with the intent of harming them but invisibility is fine.  

     This offbeat war comedy could be a magnet for teens intrigued by both the loopy humor and the stars George Clooney and Ewan McGregor.  There is drug use and it is presented in a humorous context.  This plays a key role in a couple of significant scenes.  If your children see it, a good talk about using drugs might be in order after viewing.  There's also drinking and smoking, some fighting and war-related violence, a fair amount of swearing and brief partial nudity with topless women and men's bare buttocks.  3* (This movie is OK)

94 min, Comedy directed by Grant Heslov and written by Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan with Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Stephen Lang, Robert Patrick, Waleed Zuaiter, Stephen Root, Glenn Morsower, Nick Offerman, Tim Griffin, Rebecca Mader, Jacob Browne, Todd Lawson LaTourrette, Brad Grunberg.

Note:  Imdb 6.2* out of with 127,224 reviews, Metacritic 54 out of 100 with 33 critic reviews 6.4out of 10 with 191 user scores, Rotten Tomatoes 51% with 217 critic reviews 39% with 100,000+ audience scores, Roger Ebert 3 1/2*, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robledo, age 16+, 3* out of 5*, 1* consumerism, 3* violence, sex, 4* language, drinking, drugs & smoking, collider.com rating B, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 1298 reviews, Letterboxd 2.9* out of 5* with 22 fans.

Special Note:  Jeff Bridges’ character Bill Django is based on Army Lt. Col. James Channon, who wrote the First Earth Battalion field manual.  In the mid-'70s Channon took a leave of absence (with pay) from the army to go on a fact-finding tour of the New Age Movement.  He come back and wrote the First Earth Battalion manual.  This movie combines two or three separate programs: the Army's Remote Viewing program (run by the army's Intelligence and Security Command), the "Jedi" program run by the Special Forces, and Channon's First Earth Battalion (which was a concept and a field manual rather than an operational unit).  George Clooney’s character, Lyn Cassady appears to be based partly on the US military's top Remote Viewer Joe McMoneagle and also on RV Project Database Manager Lyn Buchanan.  A scene where information on a missing general is provided by Cassady in a Remote Viewing session is likely drawn from McMoneagle's partly successful attempt to kidnap US Brig. Gen. Dozier's in Padua, Italy (1981).  The scene where computer systems are destroyed seemingly by Lyn and resulting in his initial recruitment by Gen. Hopgood, is very closely tied to facts.  The "Evolutionary Tactics" field manual shown is the actual one created by James Channon in 1978 for the U.S. Army.

Mistakes:  In the 1980 Ft. Bragg scene, portraits of President Reagan and Defense Secretary Weinberger are hanging on the wall.  Reagan was elected in 1980 but took office in 1981 and appointed Weinberger soon after.  The two songs used in the dancing scene at Ft Bragg in 1980 (by Billy Idol and Billy Squier) were both released at least two years later.  Norm Pendleton shoots at his fellow soldiers on the courtyard at Ft. Bragg.  After each shot, a shell casing drops on the tarmac.  During the last shot, Norm stands on a grass patch, where the falling casing would not make a sound?
 

Everybody’s Fine 2009

     Matteo Scuro is a retired Sicilian bureaucrat, in his job he is mainly responsible for the writing of birth certificates and he is the father of five children.  All of his children live on the mainland and hold responsible jobs.  He decides to surprise each child with a visit to see how they live.  This film is a pictorial travelogue across contemporary Italy as Matteo journeys to Naples, Rome, Florence, Milan and Turin to visit with each of his sons.  

   
     Throughout the movie, Matteo is haunted by dreams of a beautiful Felliniesque day at a beach in which a caravan of horses are destroyed by an ominous descending black balloon that also steals his children.  This isn't the only scene in the film that is inspired by Fellini, there are a LOT of things shown that echo the great Fellini's work.  Including, a shot of a bus driving by our main character, the passengers have their hands on the windows and they are glaringly staring at him.  This a very warm, sentimental film and I thought it was quite wonderful.  Legendary composer Ennio Morricone's extraordinary score fits the film like a glove.  There is another film with the same title with Robert DeNiro, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell and Drew Barrymore also from 2009.

     Tornatore's follow-up to Cinema Paradiso isn't quite so dewy-eyed but will still have cynics throwing up into their popcorn?  Amiable old buffer Matteo (Mastroianni) lives a lonely life in Sicily.  On a whim, he and travels to the mainland.  His aim is to reunite with his family round a dinner table.  His children seem strangely embarrassed by him.  Contrasted with the highly unsatisfactory behavior of his adult offspring are his vivid memories of them as children.  His son Alvaro remains absent and as the old man camps miserably on the doorstep, young Alvaro (the terminally cute Cascio) shimmers into view.  There is a melodramatic plot lurch, a haunting dream sequence, a well-handled autumnal love affair and a neat twist at the end.  Like Cinema Paradiso, it's expertly manipulative and good-looking though a bit darker.  Mastroianni runs or jumps through his scenes.  3* (This movie is OK)


118 min Drama directed and written by Giuseppe Tornatore and also written by Massimo De Rita and Tonion Guerra with Marcello Mastroianni, Michele Morgan Valerai Cavalli, Marino Cenna, Norma Martelli, Roberto Nobile, Salvatore Cascio, Matteo Lo Piparo, Mariangela Randazzo Gaia Restino, Leo Gullotta, Antonella Attili, Nicola Di Pinto, Sylvie Fennec, Christopher Thompson, Ennion Morricone.

Note:  Imdb 7.7* out of 10* with 3626 reviews, 78% with 9 critic reviews 87% with 500+ audience scores, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 14 ratings, Austin Chronicle 3* out of 5*.

Special Note:  This is the final theatrical film of Michele Morgan.  Cameo Ennio Morricone is the music director of La Traviata.  Filmed in Florence, Tuscany; Milan, Lombardia; Rimini, Emilia-Romagna; Rome, Lazio; Turin, Piedmont, Italy.  This is a remake of the 1990 film Connections.  

The Baader Meinhof Complex 2008

      This movie is based on a novel by Stefan Aust.  Filming was done in Germany, France and Czech Republic.  The setting is in Germany of the 1970s.  There are murderous bomb attacks, the constant threat of terrorism and the fear of the enemy inside this country.  These elements are rocking the very foundation of the still fragile German democracy.  The radicalized children of the Nazi generation lead by Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof and Gudrun Ensslin are fighting a violent war against what they perceive as the new face of fascism.  American imperialism is supported by the German establishment and many of them have a Nazi past.  The aim of this group is to create a more human society but by employing inhuman means they not only spreading terror and bloodshed, they also lose their own humanity.  The man who understands them is also the hunting them.  He is the head of the German police force and his name is Horst Herold.  While he succeeds in his relentless pursuit of the young terrorists, he knows he's only dealing with the tip of the iceberg.

     The definition of Baader-Meinhof Complex refers to the difference between something actually happening a lot and something that your awareness of something increases.  This leads you to believe it is actually happening more but that cannot be the reality?  The Baader-Meinhof Group, also known as Red Army Faction (RAF), was a left-wing militant group active in West Germany from 1970 to 1998.  Baader-Meinhof may also refer to the man Der Baader.  This Group was also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang and they murdered 33 people and more than 200 people were injured during their campaign that formally ended in early 1990’s with the RAF disbanded.  Not all cases have been solved or explained.

     This movie illuminates the late 60’s and early 70's political climate of Germany and brings it to life.  The Baeder Meinhof group was very similar to the Weather Underground in the U.S. but much more violent.  In the 1960's there was a lot about the Weather Underground in the news but virtually nothing about the Baeder Meinhof group.  This film goes a step further and can be very educational.  The tragedy of idealism perverted into violence was similar in both groups.  This film is also expertly cast and moves along in a tense, fast-paced fashion.  It will enlighten viewers who want an insight into what the most violent of the young people of Germany tried to achieve.  It is also an object lesson in the failure of violence as a tool of social change.  Finally, it provides an insight into the genesis of modern political terrorism, a movement that still exists in the world today.  4.5* out of 5* (I liked this movie)  

190 min, Action directed and written by Uli Edel and also written by Bernd Eichinger and Stefan Aust with Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek, Jan Josef Liefers, Nada Uhl, Alexandra Maria Lara, Heino Ferch, Stipe Ercg, Niels-Bruno Schmidt, Vinzenz Kiefer, Tom Schilling, Susanne Bormann, Simon Licht, Daniel Lommatzsch, Sebastian Blomberg.

Note:  7.4* out of 10* with 36,102 reviews,  Imdb Roger Ebert 2 1/2*, Rotten Tomatoes 85% with 101 critic reviews 80% with 10,000+ audience scores, Letterboxd 3.5* out of 5* with 7,100 votes, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 566 reviews.

Special Note:  As an immediate reaction to this movie Ignes Ponto, widow of Jürgen Ponto, returned her Federal Cross of Merit.  Jurge Ponto’s assassination is portrayed in the movie.  She was angry that the Federal Republic of Germany has never created a memorial for victims of the RAF.  Instead, they helped to finance films like this one about the members of the RAF.  Also, she said that she had not been warned about the graphic portrayal of Ponto's assassination?  She was invited to the movie premiere and she felt humiliated by the producers for making her sit through this without an advance warning.  About a month later, she filed a lawsuit against the producers and they claimed that every scene is historically accurate.  She told them that the assassination of her husband that she had to witness from the next room, was not portrayed as it happened.   She demanded the scene of the murder be cut from the movie.  The filmmakers claim that they had tried to contact her during production to get the scene right but she had no desire to help them?  Before this movie, there had been no portrayal of Ponto's assassination on film and she felt the staging of the movie was lurid and dishonoring to her husband.  As of this writing, no decision has been reached about the lawsuit.   

Mistakes:  The barbed wire around Stammheim Prison is of a modern type with blades rather than barbs.  For a split second during the bombing of an American military HQ in Frankfurt, a soldier is seen bleeding profusely on a poster for The Dictator's album, Manifest Destiny.  This bombing took place in 1972, Manifest Destiny was released in 1977 and The Dictators didn't form until 1973.  The FEG P9R pistol used by Petra Schelm wasn't invented until ten years after she was killed.  The Croatian Mini Ero used in the ambush and kidnapping of Hanns-Martin Schleyer did not exist at the time the incident took place.   

A Good Woman 2004

      This film is based on a four-act comedy play written by Oscar Wilde in 1892 and titled Lady Windermere’s Fan.  It is also based on a screenplay by Howard Himelstein.  In 1930, Mrs. Erlynne, who describes herself as poor and infamous is driven out of New York City society by jealous wives.  She sees a news photo of wealthy Lord Windermere and his young wife.  She decides to head for the Amalfi Coast to be with the rich and famous for "the season" and to snare Mr. Windermere.  Gossips twitter as he spends his afternoons with her, his wife is blissfully innocent as she blushingly fends off attentions from a young English nobleman and an international playboy who thinks he's in love.  Mrs. Erlynne is also pursued by a worldly-wise older English nobleman.  Mrs. Windermere's twentieth birthday party approaches and these events all play out amidst numerous amoral Wildean aphorisms (a pithy observation that contains a general truth but lacks moral sense).  

     I thought this film was very good.  The major categories of direction, editing, performances, design, make up, costume, music are all included and well done.  There is also attention to detail in the sets.  I especially liked the clothing of this period and the characters attempting to follow or decry the social mores!!  The visual scenery is spectacular at the Italian Riviera.  Of course, a suitcase or two full of money will help you have a very good time!!  5* (I really liked this movie)  

93 min, Drama, directed by Mike Barker and based on a screenplay by Howard with Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Milena Vukotic, Stephen Campbell Moore, Mark Umbers, Roger Hammond, John Standing, Tom Wilkinson, Giorgia Massetti, Diana Hardcastle, Shara Orano, Jane How, Bruce McGuire, Michael Stomme, Antonio Barbaro.

Note:  Imdb 6.5* out of 10* with 11,495 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 37% with 83 critic reviews 49% with 100,000+ audience scores, Metacritic 53 out of 100 with 29 critics 6.5 out of 10 with 18 user scores, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 1321 reviews.

Special Note:  The historic airliner used at the end of this movie is a De Havilland Dragon Rapide biplane, built in Britain in the 1930s. This one is registration D-ILIT, and is privately owned in Germany. It is fully airworthy, as can be seen in this movie and appears at air displays.  Joseph Fiennes was originally offered the role of Lord Darlington but he turned it down to play Bassanio in Michael Radford's adaptation of The Merchant of Venice of 2004.  The instrument being played in the band at the party is not a cornet, but a flugelhorn. In some of the musical selections, the sound heard is that of an unmuted trumpet, in others, it is that of a trumpet with a Harmon mute. The flugelhorn, as shown has an entirely different timbre.

Mistakes:  The band playing at Mrs Windemere's party includes a guitarist playing a Gibson electric guitar (Gibson pearl-inlaid logo is visible). This is 6 years before Gibson released its first commercial electric guitar (the ES-150) in 1936. Electric guitars were an experimental novelty in 1930.  Cast members are shown smoking filter tipped cigarettes which were not available in the 1930s.

Its Easier for a Camel 2003

     As a little girl, Federica fantasized about three things.  Having beautiful long hair that would grow back as soon as she cut it.  Neverending cones of cotton candy.  Countless adventures that took her to the far side of the world.  Now as a charming thirty-something-single woman, Federica's fantasies have evolved.  She added lovers, stardom and eventual motherhood to her waking dreams.  Federica continues to press for her everyday life to be as real as the fantasies that invade her mind.  Unfortunately, her daydreams can only provide a meager distraction from her reality. Her career as a successful playwright is failing, her boyfriend is pressuring her to start a family before she is ready, a former lover wishes to rekindle an old affair.  Her sister is barely talking to her, her brother is self-centered and her loving father is terminally ill.  To make matters worse, Federica is rich, too rich and the guilt that consumes her gradually is pushing her over the edge??

     The character of Federica is based on Valeria Bruni Tedeschi’s real life experiences as the daughter of a rich family.  The guilt comes from the saying, “For a rich man it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to go to paradise.”  Federica goes to a priest to confess that she’s guilty of being rich and he quotes the above Gospel passage.  Director Tedeschi was raised as a rich child and she directs herself as a very insecure, timid woman, who lacks confidence in her own abilities.  Her sister Bianca is always on the verge of hysteria but she has plenty of confidence.  Federica is pushing herself over the edge because of the guilt that consumes her and no one else is doing this to her?  There is certainly plenty of comedy, a bit of drama and even a bit of satire in this film.

     This film is not exactly a comedy, a drama or a satire.  It is instead a mix of all three with possibly a half dozen other genres tossed in.  As a result, the real value of this film could be considered to be questionable?  Can it really be appreciated as an approach where absurdity and off-beat behavior are the foundation for an otherwise average story?  3* (This movie is OK)

110 min, Adventure with Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Chiara Mastroianni, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Denis Podalydes, Marisa Borini, Roberto Herlitzka, Lambert Wilson, Pascal Bongard, Niclas Briancon, Yvan Attal, Emmanuelle Devos, Karine Silla, Alma Samel, Utah Samel, Victor Nebbiolo.

Note:  Imdb 5* out of 10* with 834 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 43% with 14 reviews 28% audience scores with 250+ ratings, Metacritic 53 out of 100 with 8 critic reviews, Letterboxd 3* out of 5*, DVDtalk 4* content, video, audio, 3* extras, replay, recommended.

Special Note:  Valeria is the sister of the wife of the previous leader of France, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Herb & Dorothy 2008

     Herb and Dorothy Vogel chose the National Gallery of Art as the primary recipient of their donated collection.  They chose the National Gallery of Art because it never sells donated works in the future.  Plus, there has always been free admission for visitors.  Both Herb and Dorothy world for governments.  Herb for the Federal Government with the US Postal Service.  Dorothy for for the city government of New York.  They felt they were giving their collection back to the people of the United States.

     Their collection included more than 4782 works of art collected over more than 30 years.  They still continued to collect aggressively with Dorothy in her 70’s and Herb approaching 90.  Herb was born August 16, 1922, unfortunately he died on July 22, 2012 and he would have been 90 on August 16, 2021.  Dorothy was born May 14, 1935 and as of 2/27/2021 she is still living and will be 86 on her birthday.  5* (I really liked this movie)

97 min, Documentary directed by Megumi Saski and written by Abbey Dubin with Paula Antebi, Will Barnet, Robert B Harry, Lynda Benglis, Michael Bloomberg, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Chuck Close, Jack Cowart, Molly Donovan, Carole Hoffman, Sidney S. Hoffman, Sol LeWitt, Joe Libonati, Robert and Sylvia Mangold.


Note:  Imdb 7.5* out of 10* with 827 reviews, Roger Ebert 3*, Rotten Tomatoes 96% with 28 critic reviews 82% with 250+ audience score, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 97 ratings, Slant Magazine 2 1/2* out of 4* Steve Macfarlane, Letterboxd 3.7* out of 5*, Washington Post 3* Michael O’Sullivan, Metacritic 74 out of 100 with 10 critic reviews.

Hannah Takes the Stairs 2007

      Hannah is a recent college graduate interning at a Chicago production company.  She is crushing on two of the comedy writers at work, Matt and Paul.  Hannah and the two men share an office and the men keep her entertained.  Could a relationship with one of the men disrupt the delicate balance of their friendship?  Would it be better for Hannah to look for romance outside of the work place?

     Greta Gerwig plays Hannah, she is a twenty something who appears to have a job in a TV production office.  She's on the verge of breaking up with her muso boyfriend and flirting with the talented but emotionally prickly duo of comedy writers on the show.  A muso boyfriend is a person more obsessed with music than their current girl friend.  Their record collection contains music and artists nobody else has heard of?  If they discover or believe that an artist is becoming popular, they will deny they ever listened to them and dispose of any evidence that they did listen to them??

     This movie was shot without a script!!  It is a Joe Swanberg no-budget film, starring its co-writer Greta Gerwig.  It is a quintessential "mumblecore" movie.  This term means it's very distinctive with performances that are so laid-back they are hardly performances at all.  They have the feel of ultra-casual self conscious improvisations. This is very different from conventional acting but also very different from real life.  Mumblecore also refers to super-low-budget movies.  They are mostly plot less (hence the no script), filled with self-absorbed people in their 20’s trying to find some kind of meaning in their lives.  3* (This movie is OK)


83 min, Comedy directed and written by Joe Swanberg and also written by Greta Gerwig, Kent Osborne, Andrew Bujalski, Ry Russoo-Young, Mark Duplass, Todd Rohal, Kevin Bewersdorf, Tipper Newton, Kris Rey with Greta Gerwig, Kent Osborne, Andrew Bujalski, Ry Russo-Young, Mark Duplass, Todd Rohal, Tippr Newton, Kris Rey, Kevin Bewersdorf, Ivan Albertson.

Imdb 5.6* out of 10* with 1776 reviews, Rotten tomatoes 59% with 46 critic reviews 45% with 2500+ audience scores, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, SF Gate (San Francisco Chronicle) sitting up in his seat means he likes the movie, Slant Magazine 2* out of 4*, Letterboxd 3* out of 5.*