afhick Reviews

Anatomy of a Scandal: Episode #1.6 (2022) Season 1, Episode 6

Henrik Ibsen, Come on Down!

[5/10 · 23 April 2022]

That last scene between James and Sophie was right out of Isben's "A Doll's House." The dialogue (admittedly, in translation) was almost word for word as I remember it. Like Nora, Sophie has to leave her husband to find out who she is. I'm giving this five stars because i stuck with it, even though I spent a lot of time in the kitchen.

Titans: Lady Vic (2021) Season 3, Episode 6

Blood Will Have Blood

[3/10 · 2 September 2021]

I hadn't watched this show in a while, but it strikes me that the violence is more gratuitous than ever. I"m giving it three stars because I like a couple of the characters, plus I remember Vincent Kartheiser from better days. Dick Grayson, on the other hand, is an empty suit. He's no longer Robin. He's no longer Nightwing. He's just another Dick.

Perry Mason: The Case of the Fiery Fingers (1958) Season 1, Episode 31

All in the Family

[8/10 · 21 July 2020]

Fans of Perry Mason may be surprised to learn that Lenore Shanewise (Nora Mae Qincey), born in 1887 in Denver, Iowa, was instrumental in advancing the stage and acting career of Raymond Burr. She was a director of and actor in hundreds of productions with the Pasadena Playhouse, where Burr considered her as a mentor. She co-starred with Burr in two episodes of Perry Mason (her second appearance is in "The Case of the Reckless Rockhound," one of the series best offerings) and in two episodes of "Ironside." She also appeared in the Twilight Zone episode entitled "Kick the Can" (1962). She retired in 1967 and died in 1980. She's easily the most interesting thing about "The Case of the Fiery Fingers," her penny-pinching scenes with Perry and Della being standouts. Otherwise, it's a pedestrian episode, with an overly abrupt conclusion. But the Mason/Hale/Hopper dynamic never fails to entertain. And it doesn't hurt to add a star of Ms. Shanewise's caliber to the mix!

The Blacklist: Gordon Kemp (No. 158) (2020) Season 7, Episode 15

The Trolls Are Ruining Our Fun

[7/10 · 19 April 2020]

Not a great episode, but serviceable. I've noticed lately that every time a series delves into politics, a swarm of angry prigs march over to IMDB and defecate on the User Reviews page. It can't be a coincidence that each and every one of them is singing the same song: "Hollywood is leftist. Politics is boring." Since when? I for one love politically charged dramas. When I was a kid, I devoured "Fail Safe" and "Seven Days in May." The funniest movie I've ever seen is "Dr. Strangelove." The prigs needn't worry. Hollywood is still glamorizing, fetishizing, and monetizing guns.Occasionally, however, they also take sides in the great gun debate. More often than not, the guns win. But once in a while, they shoot blanks. The prigs may not like it, but that's entertainment!

Dracula (2020)

This One Goes in the Recycle Bin

[7/10 · 2 January 2020]

It could have been better. What we're apparently getting set up for is a time-traveling Count who knows James Bond and Doctor Who. Don't get me wrong! I plan to watch the next episode before I decide, conclusively, whether Claes Bang is the count for me. Meanwhile, one wonders why the writers have opted to recycle the same old (and tired) Dracula story. Coppola gave us the definitive version. If someone were to pay me to write a screenplay, I'd think about all the successful variations on the Drac theme that have managed to bring something new to the story (Angel, Vampire Diaries, True Blood) and work a fresh angle. One criminally underrated and original source for a series (whether on TV or film) might be the late Fred Saberhagen's Vampire series of books from a quarter-century or so ago, which as far as I know, have never been translated onto the screen. The series begins with The Dracula Tape and continues with The Holmes-Dracula File, then really kicks into high gear with "Thorn," "An Old Friend of the Family," and "Dominion." Later entries are solid, but these five titles are the crown of Saberhagen's achievement. They represent the most original take on the Dracula character I've ever encountered. So if you tire of the bad puns and tired plot points of the BBC production, you might do yourself a favor and look into Fred Saberhagen's matchless sequence of Vampire books. You won't regret it.

Magnum P.I.: Blood in the Water (2019) Season 1, Episode 19

Oh, my Gawd!

[5/10 · 26 March 2019]

The song is "Lil Bebe" by DaniLeigh and Lil Baby. The episode was so boring, I resorted to Shazam. Wouldn't Higgins have been in agony with an open wound in salt water? Just sayin. I hadn't watched this show in months, and it hasn't improved. With a cast this good, they really need to pick up the pace--or something. Isn't it a bit early for a flashback episode? But it's a pleasant enough time-passer.

Somebody asked about the name of the boat. Riddle me this: I assume it was named for Dudley Sutton's character on Lovejoy, by way of J. M. Barrie, of course. If you still don't get it, maybe you should ask Walt Disney? Magnum is the image of a grown-up Peter Pan, and his crew are the Lost Boys. Does that make Perdita Wendy? Barrie also wrote "The Admirable Crichton," which is about a group of people stranded on an island. But the reference here seems to be closer to "Swept Away." All right, put down your pencils and submit your answers.

The Name of the Rose (2019)

A Renaissance Story for Our Times

[7/10 · 7 March 2019]

A lot of money has been spent on this production, and it shows. John Turturro is great, as always, and the supporting cast includes stalwarts such as Sebastian Koch, Rupert Everett, and Michael Emerson. But you might want to hold off on making the popcorn. The Name of the Rose is a big book, but Jean-Jacques Annaud showed us that it's possible to present it on film in just a couple of hours or so; nevertheless, this series has been expanded to 8 one-hour episodes. You might expect the producers would want to explore plot points from the book in greater detail, but that hasn't really happened. Instead the writers have been busy updating Eco's masterpiece to speak more directly to contemporary issues. In the first two episodes (all I've seen of the series), you can tick off feminism, immigration, torture, gay rights--you name it (perhaps your time would be better spent at the microwave after all). When it focuses on Eco's story, the series can be riveting, and I'm eager to learn more about the library. So what if Damian Hardung as Adso of Melk seems to belong to a different century?--that was also the impression I had of Christian Slater as Adso in Annaud's 1986 film, and it didn't ruin the story for me. John Turturro, on the other hand, is perfect as William of Baskerville, even if we won't be forgetting Sean Connery right away, and there's nary a hint of a Brooklyn accent in his delivery. So I guess I'm in for the long haul.

Destination Wedding (2018)

Taking Pleasure in the Message

[8/10 · 19 September 2018]

These characters remind me of Beatrice and Benedick in William Shakespeare's "Much Ado about Nothing." They've been damaged by relationships in the past and have put up so many walls, it's hard for them to let their armor down. All right, so that's a mixed metaphor. But once the walls come down, audiences will cheer! I've said before that Keanu Reeves has been underused as a romantic lead, and here he demonstrates a considerable amount of charm. And he's matched by Winona Ryder, who appears to be making a comeback of sorts these days (think "Stranger Things"). I liked this middle-aged twist on "Before Sunrise" and wouldn't object to a sequel. I'll be recommending this one to all my more "mature" friends.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

TV fare, but the wrong series

[6/10 · 15 August 2015]

It's hard to imagine who the audience for "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." might be. I went to it expecting a camp homage to the '60s television series that starred Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. Instead I found what looked like an extended episode of "White Collar," with superior special effects and an eccentric soundtrack, awkwardly removed to the decade that gave us the Berlin Wall and the Kennedy assassination. It must be said, however, that everybody looks good, even if they rarely get out of their tight-fitting suits. Matt Bomer-lookalike Henry Cavill's character is known mostly as Solo, presumably because the writers were concerned that modern audiences wouldn't know who Napoleon was (this is NOT the generation that learned its history at the knees of Bill and Ted), and Illya Kuryakin is now a hulking Armie Hammer, whose main asset seems to be that he has the stamina of the Energizer Bunny but can't control his temper. I found it pretty to watch and actually kind of fun. But then I'm hardly the demographic Hollywood is aiming at, even if I did survive the '60s. All of which is to say, I didn't buy the popcorn.

Man of Tai Chi (2013)

Tai Chi Feely

[9/10 · 7 October 2013]

"Man of Tai Chi" arrived with a great deal of fanfare in my present city of employment this weekend, and I rushed to see it. Is it any good? Well, it plays like an unlikely blend of "Fight Club" and "The Wizard of Oz," but if you like chopsocky, this is for you. The action sequences feature a minimum of wire-Fu, and the fight scenes are shot in such a way that you see all the kicks and blows. There's a minimum of blood, but I didn't mind that, especially given that the last film I saw (the abysmal "No One Lives") was awash in it. In addition to being kickass, "Man" is also a meditation on old and new Hong Kong, and traditional versus contemporary values, especially as they apply to the gentle art of Tai Chi--and did I mention that it's kickass?

Star Keanu Reeves has been toying with this project since he first met stuntman Tiger Chen on the set of "The Matrix," and the film was five years in development, with a budget of $25 million. Keanu not only stars in but also directs "Man of Tai Chi," and he acquits himself admirably on both counts. He plays a reclusive billionaire (is there any other kind?), who collects Lamborghinis and Bugattis (not to mention a Bentley or two), but who is lacking the one thing in life that would make him happy: a soulless fighter who doesn't object to killing his defeated opponents.

Enter the Tiger!

Actually, Tiger is a sweet young man, with a sweetheart who works as a Building Inspector, who is still looking for his Tai Chi Master's approval and suffering abuse at his job, where he works as a mail carrier (of some kind). He's often late to work, and, worse still, he can't seem to deliver his packages on time. When his Master's temple is threatened by building inspectors who claim it's a fire trap (have you ever seen a temple that wasn't?), Tiger accepts a mysterious offer from a security firm owned by Donaka Mark (cleverly disguised for box office purposes as Keanu Reeves), to work as a security guard.

Did I mention that Master Yang looks like a watery-eyed cross between Mr. Miyagi and Jim Beavers? It's all part of his charm campaign to keep Tiger on the right path, which put simply is, "Don't Kill Anyone!" But Tiger can't seem to control his chi.

Meanwhile, Tiger's girlfriend is working to save the Temple (did I mention that she's a building inspector?), and Tiger is mopping the floor with his opponents, first at the local championships at what looks like a YMCA and later at Donaka's fight club. At one club, he fights a tag team that looks like the Hong Kong equivalent of Jedward. Most of these guys are much bigger than our boy Tiger, but he has little trouble taking them out. In fact, he's kind of got a thing for ultra-violence.

Well, I don't want to give the game away, but some of you have probably already guessed that Good and Bad will eventually have to duke it out. And Keanu and Tiger do not disappoint. It's great seeing Keanu play evil. He's played nerdy ("Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure"), and he's played sad (see youtube)-heck, he's even played a Shakespearean-inspired call boy ("My Own Private Idaho")—but the last time he got to play pure D evil was in "The Watcher" (we knew he was evil because he danced every time he made a kill), and he's more than overdue. Like Alain Delon before him, he may divide the critics on his acting, but you've got to admit that Keanu is a wonder to behold. Never mind that he's pushing 50, his ruthless take on Donaka Mark is riveting, and reason alone to see "Man of Tai Chi."

Tiger Chen (who plays Tiger Chen) is a bit more problematic. He's a good actor, but he seems to be playing a part that was written for a younger man. Most of the time, it works, but his age and his stature work against him. He has nowhere near the charisma of a Bruce Lee, but, then, who does? As a stuntman, he's mastered the martial arts, and one sees that he's up to all the heavy-lifting in the action department. The only other character who makes an impression is Karen Mok, who plays a police officer intent on bringing Donaka Mark to justice. Most of the other actors manage to grunt on cue and look menacing, although up-and-comer Iko Uwais stands out, in what amounts to a walk-on, as a comely combatant. Perhaps Keanu will make a film with him some day.

Great locations in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Macau. Great score by Hong Kong film veteran Chan Kwong-wing. Keanu has done the genre proud.

Anonymous (I) (2011)

Shakespeare's plays, Shakespeare's movie

[3/10 · 2 November 2011]

I just saw the film and, frankly, I'm surprised it found an audience at all. Oxenfordians are always making the case that Shakespeare wasn't an actor and couldn't even read. The film makes it clear that he was both an actor and a literate (although with limitations as a writer). If you're looking for a thought-provoking two-hours traffic of the screen, you'll also be disappointed. The film plays so loosely with facts that it's really hard to take offense. It might as well be set in Middle Earth for all the similarity it bears to actual events of history. Of course, if you're looking to rehabilitate the Earl of Essex' image, it does take a (very weak) stab at that. As a film, it's actually quite boring. My interest in going was to see what arguments the filmmakers might come up with that a dyed-in-the-wool Stratfordian would be hard-pressed to refute. No such arguments are on offer. Apparently, De Vere started publishing his plays and performing them on the stage (in a very strange sequence) at a very early age, and everyone close to him knew he was the author. If Elizabeth and the Cecils knew, who was there left to offend? The people obviously didn't care, at least to judge from their universal hatred of the Cecils (where does that come from, by the way?). Was De Vere simply a coward? He claims to want to use the plays to make a political statement. Good luck with that. Richard II is replaced by Richard III as the play put on for Essex prior to the Earl's rebellion, apparently just to get in another dig at the younger Cecil. (Everyone from Thomas More on had characterized Richard III as a hunchback. It may have been wrong, but that was the conventional wisdom.) Richard III was also Shakespeare's most popular play in his lifetime and would already have been familiar to the mob. As a cinematic experience, the film also falls flat. It's dark and depressing. I had expected more color and Renaissance attitude from the reviews. The acting is so-so. I liked Redgrave's Queen Elizabeth, and was amused by Mark Rylance's "player." Derek Jacobi sputters his way through a pointless prologue and epilogue. But the most charismatic screen presence, for me, was Ralf Spall's Shakespeare, and I'm sure that wasn't intended. I appreciated his impishness and bad manners, a welcome counter to the appallingly boring De Vere and his fellow Earls. It's been said that Spall belongs in another movie. Would that I had seen that movie! The only thing that got me through this film was the anticipation of the reveal: when and how does De Vere find out he's the Queen's bastard (as well as lover)? But even that was a letdown. Why hadn't Cecil used this information against his arch enemy when he might have gained some benefit from it? And how does De Vere react? By crying. Too many tears, not enough laughs in this risibly bad attempt at revisionism.

Bollywood Hero (2009)

Like a holy fool

[8/10 · 12 May 2010]

A young Dutch actor, Nick (Egbert Jan Weeber), comes to Mumbai to film a Bollywood musical. Once there he is involved in the accidental death of a street girl and discovers that his movie camera is capable of identifying (by way of a penumbra) people who are in need of help. The scenes of Nick on the set and Nick on the street make for an effective contrast--Bollywood vs. The slums of Mumbai. Facing a personal crisis of his own, Nick may be trying to help others in order to compensate for his father's failing memory. With the best of intentions, he only manages to misread the situations of people who are trapped in a rigid caste system. He ends up doing more harm than good. This is a short (80 minutes) film but a very affecting one. Jan Weeber is excellent in the role of Nick. When he shaves his head at the end and goes on a sort of crusade to help a group of children who are being exploited as slave labor, Nick is clearly, by Western standards, a Christ figure. But he is also a lost child himself, in a world that doesn't tolerate saints. The ending suggests an interesting twist, and like all good Bollywood films, this one ends on a musical note. "Bollywood Hero" makes for a strange journey, but a rewarding one.

Alice's Restaurant (1969)

You had to have been there

[8/10 · 10 May 2010]

This is such a beautiful movie. In some ways, Arthur Penn was truly the cinematic voice of the '60s, at least in America. The decade was a mass of contradictions, and, no, I don't think I'm the first to say that. In the face of Vietnam, racism, and political division, young people everywhere suddenly pulled together, until drugs pulled them apart. The casualties weren't all on the battle fields of Southeast Asia, as Penn and Herndon's screenplay aptly demonstrates. Comedy and tragedy go hand in hand in this adaptation of Arlo Guthrie's simple-minded (yet edgy) song. I can still recall the chill I felt at Shelly's funeral--"Songs for Aging Children," indeed! But this is really Alice and Ray's story. Drugs may have been the Trojan Horse that ultimately destroyed the movement, but the sexual revolution put the troops in disarray. It's fine to say that we are free, even in marriage, but somebody always suffers. The iconic final scene, of Alice in her wedding dress standing at the church door, is a haunting reminder of the ambivalence we all felt at the end of the '60s. And what a memorable performance from Pat Quinn!

Inspector Lewis: Allegory of Love (2009) Season 3, Episode 1

Holes in the plot

[6/10 · 21 April 2009]

That's Lawrence Fox's father James as Deering, by the way, and it's always a pleasure to see James ("Performance") Fox on screen, even in a role that is poorly written. But I agree with the previous poster that the Whately/Fox coupling failed to catch fire this time around. Could it be that (given some hints in the last series) the producers got cold feet about making Fox's character gay, leaving the actors and writers with no "chemistry" to play off of? That said, I loved the location shots and the music. It's also good seeing Art ("Jewel in the Crown") Malik again. But a lot of the story just didn't add up. What was the murderer trying to say with the mirror and the cane--er--I mean, sword? What was Hayden's problem? Was Deering bisexual? Like father, like son?

No Night Is Too Long (2002 TV Movie)

Possible Spoiler - But I won't spoil the ending!

[8/10 · 31 March 2008]

This film is based on one of those psychological thrillers by Ruth Rendell writing as Barbara Vine. Like "Gallowglass," and others, it betrays her fascination with all things homo-erotic. Every thing here is ambiguous, from Tim's "love," first, for Ivor, and second, for Isabel. Is he capable of love? Does he even know what it is? The casting of Lee Williams (Seth, from "The Wolves of Kromer") as Tim is a stroke of genius; as anyone can sense his attraction, whether they respond to it or not. Marc Warren as Ivor is a bit more problematic; it was not too many years ago that he was being routinely cast as a street hustler or a cop, and he doesn't fit into a paleontologist's shoe's very comfortably. But he and Williams make a convincing couple. Mickela Mikael is attractive, in a feline sort of way, but her character's motivation is often obscure. The important thing is that she is blonde and seductive enough to be an appropriate stand-in for her brother, who also figures in the plot. The most interesting aspect of the story to me is Tim's self-destructive nature. He is only a kid when the story starts, in his first year of college. Yet he enters into a love affair that obviously has no future. Just as he falls magically "in" love, so does he fall "out." Some of the plot contrivances that follow are hard to accept (Ivo just allows Tim to go traipsing about Cananda and Europe on his dime?), but they all work as counterpoints to Tim's psychological development. This is an intriguing story, one that raises more questions then it answers, but I dare anyone to see it and not be affected by the conclusion.

Tears of the Black Tiger (2000)

A Stylistic Hybrid

[8/10 · 13 January 2008]

"Tears of the Black Tiger" is a stylistic hybrid that brings together the cinematic excesses of Douglas Sirk and Sergio Leone, with a smattering of Quentin Tarrentino. The storyline and dialogue are strictly from hunger, but the voice-over narration can be hauntingly beautiful. It involves a poor boy who falls in love with the governor's daughter. They are separated in childhood and then reunited as adults. In the meantime, the girl has become engaged to a policeman, and the boy has linked up with a band of outlaws and is now known as the Black Tiger. His male-bonding with one of the outlaws is reminiscent of the Monty Clift/Arthur Kennedy relationship in "Red River." It's all very clichéd and yet strikingly original (I half expected a Brokeback angle). The music is folkish, the colors pastel, and the violence over the top. But somehow it makes an impression; this is a film that will continue to haunt me.

Run the Wild Fields (2000 TV Movie)

A Lovely Period Piece with Fine Performances

[7/10 · 6 December 2007]

Somebody asked what the "radio waves" speech was all about. I believe Tom is trying, without reference to Christianity, to say that we are all immortal in the sense that radio waves are immortal. Even though FDR is dead, his words will continue to bounce, forever, like radio waves, from star to star in the universe. This struck me as a quite touching and genuine moment in the film. I was less enchanted with the biography provided for Tom, especially as it became known at the most opportune moment (the scene when Tom is being heroic). But the performances by the three leads were enough to keep me interested in this bittersweet film.

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

What's all the fuss?

[6/10 · 20 September 2007]

I watched the Bourne Ultimatum. Actually, I was hoping for a bit of Daniel Brühl, and that's all I got. Why bother hiring a brilliant up-and-coming young actor like this and then not give him any screen time? The movie itself was okay--pretty standard spy vs. spy stuff. What bothered me was the camera work. Can't anybody in Hollywood hold a camera steady these days? The cuts were so quick, you couldn't really make out what you were watching half the time. I guess that's the point; the loss of detail covers a multitude of sins and is a special boon to the stunt-persons, who can step in and out of the action practically without being observed. Just turn the sound effects up and no one's the wiser. That being said, I did enjoy parts of the movie. Matt Damon is very effective when he doesn't have to act (think of his Thespian turn in last year's The Good Shepherd). Julia Stiles had the best moment in the film, when she finds a reason to smile. The villains were interesting, especially the hit men, all of whom, like Brühl, deserved more screen time. So, I liked the film; I just don't understand why critics think it's the second coming of the spy genre. Producers, please note: three Bournes were at least two too many. That well is now officially dry.

Shakespeare's Sonnets (2005)

A Trailer for the Movie

[5/10 · 13 May 2007]

To begin with, although Samuel Park's novella of the same name is based in part on Oscar Wilde's "The Portrait of W. H." his film makes no mention of Wilde at all. In fact, even Shakespeare gets short shrift. And, although, it has the same title, Park's film is not really based on his novella. The characters names have been changed (from Adam and Jean), for one thing, and the novel covers a lot more territory. The short film does serve as an intriguing introduction to the essential milieu of the book, which is superior in every way. Park has assembled an excellent cast, especially Vincent Kartheiser as Sebastian, and I hope he'll now get the chance to expand his film to feature length. This is just the kind of part a young actor like Kartheiser should be able to get his teeth (no "Angel" pun intended) into.

Un amour à taire (2005 TV Movie)

An Important History Lesson

[7/10 · 26 December 2006]

In a perfect world, all screenplays would be perfect. I'd like to be able to report that the screenplay to "Un amour a taire" (A Love to Hide) is perfect, especially as it covers such an important, and hitherto neglected subject, as the reeducation of homosexuals under the Nazis in Vichy France; but, alas, it is not. There are holes in the plot, and motivation is often unclear. In addition, the viewer is sometimes spoon-fed images that are intended to underscore important themes, but which just seem contrived. I am thinking, for instance, of the moment when Jean's father puts up the sign refusing to serve Jews at the family laundry. Remarkably, a young, beautifully turned out, Jewish woman, and her son, just happen to be about to enter the laundry. Jean then gets a chance to show his humanity when he takes the bundle of laundry she has come to collect out to the woman and lets her have it for free. But even this kind of manipulation cannot undermine the film itself, the lynchpin of which is a riveting performance by up-and-coming French superstar, Jeremie Renier (also so very good in "The Baby") as Jean. He commands attention from his very first appearance, and he maintains it until his tragic last. The entire cast is good, although characters are often underwritten, as in the case of Jean's lover, Phillipe. It's not until the very end of the film that we come to know, and understand, Jean's parents. But I want to recommend this film as a history lesson, one that demonstrates what comes of the kind of hate that takes a particular set of human beings and demonizes them. The tragedy is that this sort of thing is still going on today, particularly in countries like Iran, which recently hanged two teenage boys for being gay. The tendency exists even in America, where hate-mongers like Fred Phelps summarily assign homosexuals to hell. I don't know how much a film like this can do to educate people, but I do know that such education is necessary. In spite of its flaws, "A Love to Hide" performs a service in illustrating, as in "Bent," how overmastering and dehumanizing a force hatred can be.

The Fruit Machine (1988)

"You think you're a man"

[9/10 · 12 September 2006]

The film "Wonderland" (aka "The FruitMachine") is a surprisingly dippy, imaginative romp involving two gay teenaged boys who happen to witness a gangland murder and are forced to flee Liverpool for Brighton. The film takes many inventive turns, several of which involve Eddie's dream lover, a man-dolphin hybrid who actually appears at crucial moments in the film to save Eddie and his partner, Michael. There are many subplots and colorful supporting characters, and the ending, albeit sad, is inevitable. It's worth it if only for the dance sequence at the Fruit Machine, a gay showbar in Liverpool, in which Michael competes for thirty quid. His dance is both erotic and touchingly naive. Both boys, Emile Charles and Tony Forsyth, should have had big careers in film. Apart from one distracting editing lapse that blunts the finale, this is a superior film, in that it refuses to indulge in stereotyping and doesn't condescend to its lead characters.

Shock to the System (2006)

Chad Allen is Donald Strachey

[9/10 · 2 August 2006]

This is a well-plotted, superbly cast follow up to the first Donald Strachey film, "Third Man Out." I personally found the subject matter—-sexual "healing" for gays—-more engrossing than the "outing" theme of the first film. Once again, Chad Allen is fascinating as the macho gay detective. And his back story—-he's an ex-soldier who was drummed out of the service for being gay—-more ably serves the screenplay this time around. The regulars all seem more comfortable in their roles, and it's nice to see Nelson Wong returning as Donald's secretary. Morgan Fairchild appears in a rather thankless cameo, and, although Sebastian Spence is a little less ditsy as Donald's lawyer boyfriend (Nora to Allen's Nick), Timmy, Allen's banter with Daryl Shuttleworth, as Detective Bub Bailey, and the other guys at the precinct is more fun. It's a first-class production, with director Ron Oliver making all the right moves, and Allen's acting is nothing short of brilliant: he does Emmy-caliber work in a surprisingly literate script.

A Waste of Shame: The Mystery of Shakespeare and His Sonnets (2005 TV Movie)

Doesn't Add Up

[7/10 · 7 May 2006]

William Boyd has written some wonderful books and screenplays. I am a bit confused about his intention here. Is he trying to say that the Bard was so disturbed by the death of his son Hamnet that he transferred his affections to William Herbert? In a purely platonic way? Does he see something of the delicate Hamnet in Herbert's feminine good looks? Boyd is walking on eggshells here. He has to play around with the traditional chronology and compress events considerably to have both the young man and the dark lady of the sonnets arrive in Shakespeare's life on practically the same day. Of course, nobody knows for sure what happened, or even if the story told in the sonnets is autobiographical, so Boyd has a perfect right to postulate what he will. But I am disappointed with his treatment. He seems to have thought he was rewriting "Ulysses," with Shakespeare as Leopold Bloom. Here was an opportunity to speculate about the great loves of Shakespeare's life, and Boyd reduces one to a son-surrogate and the other to a working mom. And poor Anne Hathaway is a henpecking shrew. The daughters play no role in this drama. It's also interesting that Boyd exalts Shakespeare to the position of poet-in-residence with the King's Men, without explaining that he also took a hand in the troop's business and acted important roles in his own and others' plays, all the while he was becoming a wealthy landowner in Stratford. This might go a ways toward explaining why the playwright didn't return to live with his family until he was ready to retire. In the film, Boyd would have you believe that everybody he knew was trying to get their favorite cash cow to leave London and effectively retire from the stage.

I also liked a lot of things about "A Waste of Shame," not the least of which was Rupert Graves' dead-on impersonation of the Bard. I also liked seeing the criminally underused Nicholas Rowe as Richard Burbage and Zoe Wanamaker as the Duchesss of Pembroke. It was Wanamaker's father, Sam, who fought to rebuild the Globe Theatre on the south bank of the Thames, where it stands today, as evidenced by its inclusion in this production. The scenes with Ben Jonson and of Shakespeare at the book stalls were also inspired. But Tom Sturridge (as Herbert) looked like a clueless generation X-er in a bad wig, and Shakespeare's attraction to Lucy (the dark Lady) was underdeveloped--what did he see in her, apart from the fact that she was working, as he was, in London in order to support a family in France? I am rating this film as high as I am because William Boyd cannot help but write a literate script, and the acting in this production (with the possible exception of Sturridge) is first-rate. I also like Boyd's use of lines from the sonnets to introduce scenes. But I remain unconvinced by the scriptwriter's major premise, that, rather than take Herbert to bed, Shakespeare only wanted to be his father.

Seven and a Match (2001)

The quilts are lovely

[7/10 · 16 April 2006]

I have watched this film several times now on IFC, and I have decided that I like it. At first, I was put off by the 20-something characters' self-absorption and unwillingness to let go of the past. Then, I realized, these are the sorts of things I don't like about myself either, but I'm really an okay guy. Actually, the film is pretty hopeful. Tim is a really sweet character, Ellie really DOES grow in the course of the film, and Peter and Sid probably have as good a chance as any couple of making a go of it, in spite of Sid's neediness. Nobody is a villain, and nobody is saint--kind of like in real life. The ensemble cast is terrific, and I look forward to seeing the actors in other roles. And I LOVE those quilts!

Supernatural (2005–2020)

And Chevy makes three

[15 November 2005]

This is a really good show, perhaps the best of its kind since "One Step Beyond." Even the back story is interesting: Sam and Dean are the sons of a psychic hunter whose wife was killed by a demon. Separated from their father, the boys continue to hunt spirits. The boys look like models, and this probably sounds like a criticism, but somehow it works here, I think because the writers, for once, take the material seriously. I just finished watching the episode where Sam and Dean return to their childhood home, because Sam has had a vision of bad things happening there to a young woman and her children in a dream, and it was very well done. I hope the writers have the good sense to bring Missouri back in future episodes. My only complaint is that sometimes the lighting is so dark that I miss important details, like plugs pulling out of sockets. But, generally, I like the washed-out look of the cinematography and think it adds to the atmospherics. And the car, a '67 Chevy Impala, makes a great traveling companion.