“Saddam Hussein presents” Fierce Creatures is the quasi-sequel to the great A Fish Called Wanda, a movie I need to revisit as well. More of an excuse for those stars to get back together and have some fun, the film brings out some big laughs with its farce, overacting, and Monty Pythonesque absurdity of events and wordplay. It may not be great comedy, but there is enough heart and enjoyment to have a good time. Really, whenever you can see John Cleese and Michael Palin onscreen together, take it as…
Read MoreMonth: March 2008
REVIEW: Starting Out in the Evening [2007]
“You gave me the courage to live life for myself” In a time of year when most films entering the public arena are either devoid of intelligence or dumped for release in attempts to recoup just a little of their budget, it is nice to know we in Buffalo still get the off the beaten track indies to satiate those looking for an evening of pondering and contemplation. Starting Out in the Evening is one of those movies, despite the fact that it comes to DVD in a little over…
Read MoreBabel brings Buffalo a bit of St. Lucia
If there was one writer on the Babel bill this year I really needed to see, it was Derek Walcott. This is not because I’m a huge fan or anything, I have heard just about as much about him as the other three, namely nothing. However, upon trying to read his book of poetry, I found myself at a true loss of comprehension. Maybe I need a scholastic atmosphere to know I have others around me for interpretations, but no matter how much I enjoy the art, I just have…
Read MoreREVIEW: Singles [1992]
“What took you so long?” Finally I have caught up with all of Cameron Crowe’s films. Like his directorial debut, Say Anything …, Singles brings us great music, a cast of unknowns we all know now, and a story with heart and laughs. Maybe it just goes to where I am in my life at the moment, but this movie really resonated with me. The fact that life relies so much on luck, whether good or bad, to shape our personal relationships, our career, and our loves is quite prevalent.…
Read MoreREVIEW: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day [2008]
“Money or love?” Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day indeed. And quite the day it was. Here is the “governess of last resort,” a daughter of a vicar, raised in a sheltered world of modesty. After butting heads with her previous employers due to their lack of courtesy, manners, and morals, Miss Pettigrew finds herself hungry, penniless, and very desperate. In a moment of need, she steals the address of a prospective client and pops over to pose as the woman sent for the job. Expecting a young boy to…
Read MoreREVIEW: The Air I Breathe [2008]
“Happiness, Pleasure, Sorrow, Love” First-time director Jieho Lee has brought us the next installment of the multiple stories genre threaded together as though fate and coincidence are the name of the game. This type of narrative has been around for a long time, most definitely before Robert Altman’s Short Cuts, but at least there is an example from 15 years ago, and I can’t rack the brains for an earlier one at this time. The most well known to those out there today is of course Oscar-winner Crash. Lee’s The…
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