Restrepo

I hadn't wanted to see any other films about either the Iraq or Afghan wars because this one is a documentary which I trust to be fairly accurate, and it didn't disappoint. I hope it will be nominated for an Oscar. The two filmmakers (Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger) spent a year with a platoon stationed in a very dangerous valley in Afghanistan. I didn't know what to expect from the film - too much horror? - but I found myself glued to the screen. "Restrepo" is the name of one of the soldiers who was killed fairly early on in the platoon's 15-month deployment. When they were assigned to set up an outpost, they named it "Restrepo" after him. Watching this film strengthened my opinion that neither the US nor any other foreign army has any business being in Afghanistan, that there's no way the continuing battles/skirmishes in various valleys with the locals can be doing any good. Of course both sides are going to be suspicious of the other, of course they're going to want revenge when members of their group or family are injured or killed, of course the locals aren't going to report on the Taliban in their areas. They need to work out their problems for themselves, especially since the original reason for the US being there after 9/11 has long passed. The American soldiers shown, including many of their heart-felt personal statements, are not vicious or in any way unusually violent young men. A full range of feelings are displayed: fear, shock, exhilaration, playfulness, boredom, expertise, strength, caring, and above all, the close-knit connection with other members of the platoon.

Barney's Version

I liked this film much more than a few reviewers whose columns I read did. We all agree that the performances are stellar - especially Paul Giamatti in the title role (I can't imagine anyone else playing it) and Rosamund Pike as his third wife Miriam, with whom he falls in love at his second wedding. I didn't recognize her as having been Helen in the wonderful film An Education from 2009 or the second Bond girl to Halle Berry in Die Another Day from 2002. Dustin Hoffman, Minnie Driver and others were also very effective. The film is based on Mordechai Richler's last novel, and the character of Barney resembles what I know of this well-known Canadian author, icon and curmudgeon who died in 2001. Beyond the great performances, I found the film to be very sweet, quite funny in spots, and an interesting story that held my attention as to the various characters and their lives. I had no trouble with the chronology of going back and forth between Barney's young and old life as I guess some reviewers did. Maybe this film is just too Canadian for some!

The King's Speech

This is a superb film. I wasn't surprised at how good it was, based on everything I've read and heard about it, and the fact that Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush (the two principals) are among my very favourite actors. But I was surprised at its very moving and emotional effect on me and others. This is not just about how King George VI overcame his stammer with the help of an eccentric and uncredentialed speech therapist from Australia. Whether or not the story is completely true in content, personalities and relationship of these two characters, it's such an inspiring demonstration of courage, friendship, perseverance and rising to the occasion and embracing a life that turns out to be precisely what one was hoping to avoid. Needless to say, performances by Firth and Rush are both outstanding, as well as that by Helena Bonham-Carter as Queen Elizabeth, the King's always supportive and loving wife and partner. Other performances were also good, the screen play by David Seidler excellent, and Tom Hoper's direction impeccable as the beautiful and compelling scenes unfolded. The film has already received some awards in Europe, is nominated for seven Golden Globes and I have no doubt will also have numerous Oscar nominations. All deserved, in my opinion. Not to be missed.

The Wackness

This 2008 film was recommended to me by "This Hour Has 22 Minutes" TV show/film star and friend Cathy Jones - thanks Cathy! - and I finally got around to watching it yesterday. It's rare that I like and am amused by American comedies but this one was truly funny as well as being very sweet. The main character Luke, a teenage marijuana dealer consumed by youthful angst, is wonderfully played by Josh Peck, someone I'm pretty sure I'd never seen in anything before. As well, an almost unrecognizable bearded and long-haired Ben Kingsley as a marijuana-smoking New York psychiatrist as well as Luke's client/therapist is hilarious. For a really enjoyable time, rent this DVD.

Fair Game

I felt pretty much the same at the end of this film as with the last one I reviewed (Inside Job), discouraged and chilled by the situation in the US. And as with that previous film, I pretty much knew the story of this one, as will anyone who was paying attention to the news during the time when Valerie Plame was outed as a CIA agent. But there were some insights and details that were new to me. As it's based on books by both Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson, her husband and equally part of the whole situation, of course it's from their perspective. And that perspective, laid out in the film, is that the White House had received many reports, both written and verbal, saying there was no evidence either that Niger was shipping uranium to Iraq, or that Iraq had any WMDs, and yet Bush and others went ahead and announced exactly the opposite and, as we all know, went to war based on supposed intelligence confirming it. The film was very well done and well acted, especially by Naomi Watts and Sean Penn in the two main roles. Despite the fact that we basically know the story, it still kept my attention throughout and had the feeling of a thriller. The personal side of their lives was also revealed more than it was in the news, showing Valerie Plame's life and work before she was outed, and how their marriage was strained almost to the breaking point afterward.

Inside Job

Toward the end of Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, about global warming, he sounded fairly hopeful and optimistic as he outlined some things that could be done, in his mind, fairly easily to help that situation. Inside Job, about the recent and still ongoing worldwide economic crisis, isn't like that. So if you don't want to be even more discouraged and depressed than you may already be about unemployment, Wall Street, bankers, investment bankers, mortgage brokers, etc., don't go see this film. However, it's an excellently made documentary, describing and explaining many familiar and not so familiar things about how we got here and where we are now, in a clear and concise manner. And although it has many "talking heads", it's also visually interesting in many parts. Those talking heads, by the way, utter some truly jaw-dropping statements reminiscent of the tobacco industry executives swearing under oath that nicotine isn't addictive. Many of the key players, however, not surprisingly didn't agree to be interviewed for the film. I won't spell out any more specifics, except to say that if this film is accurate, it looks like we haven't gone through the last worldwide crisis that could cause a complete economic meltdown.

Never let me go

This is the most moving film I've seen in some time, because of a combination of a compelling story; wonderful performances; and great cinematography, directing and musical score. I hardly know how to write about it in a way that will get across just how powerful I found it to be in every aspect. It's based on a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, best known for another wonderful film The Remains of the Day. It takes place in England and could be called science fiction as it's about a society that's different from our own in that clones are created for the sole purpose of donating their organs as young adults so that other older people can live longer. This sounds quite freaky but in fact what makes the story so effective is that in most ways the people and society seem so normal. The story begins, looks and unfolds like any number of films taking place in the lovely English countryside with cute children being brought up in strict but expected residential schools, except for a few unusual details. All three of the main actors -- Carrie Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield -- are excellent, though I'm especially partial to Carrie Mulligan from last year's An Education. The director, Mark Romanek, amazingly has mainly directed various video documentaries in the past. The only previous film of the cinematographer, Adam Kimmel, that I'm familiar with is Capote. The wonderfully poignant and evocative music was written by Rachel Portman, whose name wasn't familiar to me but she's done the music for many other excellent films. So what can I say to give some idea of why you should not miss this film? It's true, poignant and thought-provoking even though it's about a fictional society, but how different actually are the lives, hopes and dreams of these young people/clones from those of all of us, who know we're going to die too soon no matter how long we live?