danddinmont Reviews

Embarque Imediato (2009)

A young man who wants to see the world beyond Brazil and the older woman who helps him

[8/10 · 9 February 2010]

I know very little about the culture of Brazil, and even less about its films, so I readily accepted the invitation of friends to a screening at a Brazilian film festival. "Now Boarding" (translation) is the story of a young (twenty something) man, who when we meet him has a girlfriend of about the same age; although they are a mixed race couple (apparently a more common partnering than in the U.S.), they are both so attractive they look they just stepped out of a Ralph Lauren ad. As I understood their circumstances they both work at Rio's main airport as plane cleaners, and when the film opens they are trying to stowaway on a flight to New York; they are however prevented from doing so by the intervention of Justine, an older woman and airline supervisor, who has a "thing" for Wagner, the young man. From the looks of her residence, Justine has seen better days financially (probably as a singer), but has still managed to hang on to some of the "finer things" from her palmier days. She realizes Wagner wants to raise himself up, and sets out to help him. She gets him a job as, for a better word, an "assistant" to her boyfriend, who may also be a pimp. She sees Wagner rapping at a street fair, and decides to teach him how to sing, he makes enough progress, in Justine's eyes to enter a singing contest with a cash prize large enough to get him to New York, things don't work out quite as planned, but the ending is bitter sweet and satisfying. There is quite a bit of comedy, but the film is in Portuguese with English subtitles, and there were conversations that drew laughs, which didn't translate to the subtitles. This was the film makers first feature, made on a very tight budget; he and Alan Fiterman the film's director have assembled a remarkable cast and shot a film that has the values of a much more lavishly funded enterprise.

Up in the Air (I) (2009)

It's scary, there are probably companies like Clooney's in existence...or people who think that starting would be a brilliant idea

[9/10 · 14 January 2010]

My primary complaint about the movie is what Alex's job is, and why it requires so much travel is never revealed; this of course makes a good starting point for a post film discussion, but the friends I saw it with and I all wished her character had been more fleshed out, to help give us a better understanding of her character.

Just checked, could not believe "As Good as it Gets" came out about seven years ago! There's a cute scene in that movie in which Nicholson and Keeton are in separate beds, (not even in the same room?) texting each other on their MacBooks; a scene repeated in "Up in the Air", except on (I assume) iPhones...cute, but it does raise the question, homage or product placement?

Thought the the aerial photography was superb, and really brought home the point how homogenized the on the ground airport environs are, irrespective of the surrounding terrain. Another nice touch the little homage cum history lesson at the airport in St.Louis

La danse (2009)

Wiseman, as usual challenges the viewer with an overload of information, presented via breathtaking images.

[8/10 · 31 October 2009]

I learned about the screening of this film in a newspaper insert that appeared a week after free tickets became available for AFI FEST, courtesy of Audi. Applicants were permitted ten pairs of tickets! so not surprisingly no more were available...however there would be a "rush" prior to each screening in the series. When the lights in the the theater went down, this morning at 10:00 AM, it was less than two thirds full. The audience was probably made up equally of ballet and Wiseman film fans, and I think both may have come away with some dissatisfaction. It is one of Wiseman's stocks in trade not to offer explanations, and although there are some fairly obvious clues about scenes from the "Nutcracker", if there were any about the less well known ballets, they went right by me. Unlike his earlier ballet film we learn very little about any individual dancers. Much of the dialog is in French, with English subtitles with the speakers not always identified by name, adding to my confusion. The scenes with the company's artistic director are brilliant, especially the planning session for the visit by a group of major American donors. Transition shots whether of the Parisian cityscape or the curve of a staircase are always gems; and the inclusion of the opera house's beekeeper, again without comment, is an absolute delight. Over all, my quibbles are minor, I think this is a film that fans, both of the ballet and of Frederick Wiseman films will find worth viewing.

Hats Off (2008)

A film that is easily overlooked, but definitely worth seeking out.

[8/10 · 7 May 2008]

Mimi Weddell is, at age 90, a working actress, and the star of this biographical documentary. Numerous people with whom she has worked are interviewed, and they are all in agreement, Mimi works very hard at her craft. We follow her to various classes, which include among others, gymnastics, (she does three somersaults in succession!), and tap dancing. She is blessed with a patrician visage, which was used to excellent advantage in Sex and the City, (the series), in which she played Stanford Blatch's aristocratic grandmother, who was addicted to Chanel suits. Weddell is proud of being able to trace her family back to the Mayflower, although her Pilgrim ancestor apparently made the trip as an indentured servant. However, her adult children seem to find the Mayflower legacy bordering on being an embarrassment. At a time when so much of the news about older people is about illness and loss of capacity, it is refreshing and encouraging to see a woman of Mimi Weddell's age living so full a life, and obviously enjoying it. We should all be blessed to reach age 90 with her"joie de vivre".

Young@Heart (2007)

Seven weeks till opening night, the trials and triumphs of a chorus of over 70's

[9/10 · 20 March 2008]

JUST saw this film for the SECOND time! Liked it even better! Friends who were also at the screening in unison had just one word for the film...GREAT!

For openers, this is a film about a group of people whose average age is about eighty, during the course of the film which covers slightly less than two months, several of the group die; I won't reveal which ones.

At the age of the groups' members, imminent death is a constant, and the death of fellow member is a sad experience but whether it's due to the legendary New England fortitude of the members, the strength of the group, or the power of the music they are all able to accept the inevitable with equanimity, and return to the task at hand, preparing for a performance.

And what a performance! Several members in interviews state that their favorite type of music is opera, but what they're singing with the group includes James Brown, Jimmy Hendrix and forward...this group is not about nostalgia!

I would have liked more information about the backgrounds of some of the singers, because although they now all reside in Mass., there are reasons, (such as regional accents) to think this was not always thus.

This film will probably end up under the microscopes of gerontologists, who should glean considerable information about the learning abilities, energy and enthusiasm of a group of people not generally noted for these qualities.

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical Treasure (2008 TV Movie)

Does not compare favorably to "That's Entertainment" (Parts I thru III)

[3/10 · 15 March 2008]

Because this was shown during a PBS fund drive, and all the other "specials" that were being shown were more than five years old, I thought this show was another that had been dragged out of the archives.

What a surprise, it's new! But how fresh can a show be when it uses the same, limited material that has been used so many times before, and it should be added, has been presented so much better than this effort. I had never heard of any of the "experts" who are seen on camera, and again because this material has previously been under so many microscopes, all of more acutely focused than that employed here, sorry effort.

That such continuity as there was, was frequently interrupted by pleas for funds finally proved so distracting to me, I simply turned the show off and put on a DVD of "Top Hat"

PBS in thinking this rehash would send viewers into a frenzy of checkwriting. exhibted not only unbridled arrogance, but total disrespect for its audience...two traits PBS displays more of during fund drives than either challenging or entertaining programs.

Happy Feet (2006)

An audio-visual treat for adults and children, keeping in mind the film is PG not G rated

[9/10 · 2 January 2007]

We saw the film in a small theater with stadium seating and a projection system that had all the bells and whistles, this of course heightened the scary scenes, enlarging the size of the monsters and raising their noises to truly fearsome levels; following one of these scenes a family with two youngsters in the four to eight year age range, were unable to control the children's crying and left the premises, never to return. However when it becomes available on DVD, the monsters won't be as large, and the scary bits can be skipped, so it would be suitable for younger children. The filmmakers are obviously in love with the musical genre, there are numerous touches that might be considered homages to the MGM musicals of the legendary "Freed Unit". However, my highest praise is for the artists who so seamlessly translated the distinctive footwork of Savion Glover from real life to animation, superb! This, aside from the above caveat, is definitely a film worthy of a first viewing in a state of the art theater, and a DVD to be looked forward to with happy anticipation.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

This is a real movie lovers movie!

[10/10 · 24 July 2006]

It was a hot and steamy night, the screening line was long and even if we didn't get in we'd still have to pay for the parking. I've already sprung for a couple of iced Starbucks, and I'm wondering, why did I invite the friend who's with me...she doesn't like, anything. I needn't have worried, the good nature of this film embraces you early, and never lets you go. The characters all ring true and the actors are faithful to that truth. Some people might complain about the films sentimentality and that it is somewhat manipulative...but what the hey, when you're having this much fun, who cares? I do wonder though about the people who rate films, here is a warm, funny story about a family which, though dysfunctional, is caring and loving and it's rated R for language, and some drug use, while films featuring maiming, murder and a buffet of bloodletting slips by with a PG 13...go figure. The writer's take on the road picture is refreshing, the action stems from the cast's reaction to the vagaries of travel, rather than relying on chance encounters with unusual people.

Wordplay (2006)

And the answer is...Malcolm X

[9/10 · 10 July 2006]

The week after seeing "Wordplay", I solved the Sunday NPR puzzle, (name a famous American in eight letters, six are consonants, all of which are Roman numerals); I didn't submit my answer because I figured if I could solve it as quickly as I did, it had to be pretty easy...there were more than 1200 correct answers sent in. My interest in seeing the film stemmed from my curiosity about Will Shortz, unfortunately the movie just rehashed most of his CV that has been previously published, with nothing new added. Absent that, I think the film makers did an excellent job in choosing to follow some pretty disparate puzzle addicts. I attended the movie with two friends, one who is no longer able to do puzzles because of failing eyesight; the other for whom doing the Sunday New York Times puzzle has become a religious experience; we were all equally enthusiastic about the film, although we were all rooting for different people to win the contest. Caveat: people who do not do crosswords themselves, and have seen one or more of the recent movies about spelling contests may find this less interesting than those who do puzzles. A definition that's been around for awhile, "Optimist: A person who does a crossword puzzle in ink".

The Puffy Chair (2005)

Style over substance

[2/10 · 9 July 2006]

Although the film does have a fairly stylish look for an indie made on a really low budget, that's not what I go to movies for. There wasn't one character I found sympathetic, they all seemed to be absolutely clueless losers. Everything they attempt ends badly, it's all too hopeless for me. Reviews refer to the Puffy Chair as a black comedy...comedy? The brother Rhett behaves like an escapee from an institution. When Josh talks to girl friend Emily about his brother, he almost hints at Rhett not playing with a full deck. Nonetheless Josh performs a "wedding" for Rhett and a woman Rhett met just a few hours before. There were a few interesting performances by some of the characters encountered on the road. However for me the most telling thing was that people were walking out of the film...and I saw it at a free screening.