Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
by Kam Williams
For movies opening August 29, 2008


BIG BUDGET FILMS

Babylon A.D. (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, action sequences and intense violence) Sci-fi thriller about a mercenary (Vin Diesel) escorting a young woman (Melanie Thierry) from Russia to Canada unaware that her body is host to an organism from which a cult plans to produce a genetically-engineered Messiah. Cast includes Michelle Yeoh, Charlotte Rampling and Gerard Depardieu.

College (R for pervasive sexuality and crude humor, nudity, profanity, and drug and alcohol abuse) End-of-innocence comedy revolving around three high school seniors (Drake Bell, Kevin Covais and Andrew Caldwell) who enjoy a wild weekend at a raucous fraternity house during their visit to a prospective college.

Disaster Movie (PG-13 for profanity, drug references, slapstick violence, crude humor and sex content) Disaster flicks gets the same treatment already accorded the horror (Scary Movie), teen (Date Movie) blockbuster (Epic Movie) and historical (Meet the Spartans) genres in this zany spoof about a bunch of twenty-somethings who encounter a series of calamities over the course of one very eventful night. Ensemble cast includes Kim Kardashian, Carmen Electra and Tony Cox.

Traitor (PG-13 for brief profanity, mature themes, and intense violence) International political potboiler about a former U.S. Special Operations Officer (Don Cheadle) who finds himself subjected to close scrutiny by both FBI (Guy Pearce and Neal McDonough) and CIA (Jeff Daniels) Agents after being implicated in a series of terrorist attacks.


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild (Unrated) Jonah Blechman is the only lead actor to reprise his role in this freaky follow-up to the raunchy gay-themed teensplurt ostensibly-inspired by American Pie. The sequel is set over Spring Break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where the plan is to participate in “buttlove” and “wet package” contests. Principal cast includes Jake Mosser, Aaron Michael Davies and Jimmy Clabots, and features the flamboyant Lady Bunny and RuPaul in support roles.

I Served the King of England (R for nudity and sexuality) Flasback comedy about a social-climbing Czech busboy (Ivan Barnev) who inherits the millions his Nazi wife (Juia Jentsch) had stolen from Jews during WWII only to end up impoverished again and in prison when his fortune is confiscated by the Communists.

Maria Bethania (Unrated) Musical bio-pic chronicles the career of Brazil’s legendary Maria Bethania via a combination of concert footage and interviews with fans, family, friends and the sultry samba singer herself. (In Portuguese with subtitles)

My Mexican Shiva (Unrated) Cross-cultural comedy about the skeletons that come flying out of the closet of a dysfunctional family over the course of the week during which it gathers to mourn the passing of its patriarch (Sergio Kleiner). (In Hebrew, Spanish and Yiddish with subtitles)

Sukiyaki Western Django (R for graphic violence, including a brutal rape) Japanese, spaghetti-style Western, set during the Genpei Wars near the end of the 12th Century, revolving around a lone gunslinger (Hideaki Ito) who rides into town just in time to tame two rival gangs locked in a bloody a turf war. With a couple of quickie cameos by Quentin Tarantino.

Year of the Fish (Unrated) Animated update of Cinderella revolving around a young Asian immigrant (An Nguyen) who, upon her arrival in New York City, is forced by an evil madam (Tsai Chin) to work in a seedy Chinatown massage parlor.

Youssou N’Dour: Return to Goree (Unrated) Roots documentary retraces the route of the slave trade while simultaneously chronicling numerous recording, rap and jam sessions conducted by Youssou N’Dour as the peripatetic, Senegalese singer/percussionist and his jazz band (which includes Idris Muhammad and Pyeng Threadgill) travel from New Orleans back to Africa for a seaside concert in Dakar before a castle’s infamous door of no return. With commentary by Amiri Baraka. (In French and English with subtitles)

Life Is a Game

by Jim Copeland
Living Waters Publishing Company
Paperback, $15.95
64 pages
ISBN: 9780981453279



Book Review by Kam Williams

“The choices we make determine our destiny and whether success or disaster is achieved. We either elevate to greatness or descend to obscurity... The game of life can be played in several ways. Some spend their life chasing dreams. Others spend their life making dreams a reality. Which one will you be?
In life, it is important to use our strengths as assets in achieving our goals. If we focus too much on our weaknesses, we can and will end up average. Focusing on your strengths will allow you to an opportunity to achieve your goals at a faster rate.”
n Excerpted from the Forethought (page 9)

If you know anyone in need of a little inspiration to get their act together, then let me suggest Life Is a Game, an easy-to-read motivational piece offering some simple, straightforward and sound suggestions. Although only 64 pages long, this handy how-to treatise could help a lost soul kickstart a floundering career or find a more appropriate one.
Its author, Jim Copeland, who works as a Special Ed Coordinator for the U.S. Department of Justice inside the Federal Prison System in Texas, has a Bachelor’s in Speech Communications as well as a Master’s in Education from Texas A&M. Despite the degrees, Mr. Copeland doles out his worthwhile advice in plain language.
Each chapter heading essentially functions as a bullet-point which he then proceeds to break down in further detail, with ideas ranging from “Establish a Plan” to “Your Success Lies within You” to “What Kind of Legacy Will You Leave?” For example, he summarizes a talk on taking risks with “Sometimes you have to go where no one has gone or do something no one has done to become something no one has been.”
As for exactly what line of work one ought to pursue, the book leaves that up to you to choose. In a section entitled “Fill a Need” he suggests that you “Do a self-inventory of your gifts and talents. Find a need in society for them, and now market them.”
Believe it or not, a lot of folks don’t have the basic common sense they were born with. And it is for such ungrounded, misdirected members of society that Life Is a Game might serve as a blessing.

Trouble the Water

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Shocking Katrina Documentary Created from Real-Time, Home Movies Shot by Storm Victim

On August 28, 2005, with Hurricane Katrina bearing down on the New Orleans, Scott and Kimberly Rivers Roberts made the fateful decision to weather the storm instead of evacuate. Armed with a video camera, Kim started wandering around their Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood, interviewing friends and relatives who had also chosen to stay in the city.
It is readily apparent from watching the pre-landfall footage that none of them anticipated the dire struggle for survival which was about to unfold. Not only did they expect the levees to hold like they had for every storm since the Great Flood of 1927, but they had no reason to suspect they’d be utterly abandoned by local, state and federal authorities in the event of a massive natural disaster.
But as we all know, that’s precisely what happened, and thousands of suddenly-homeless citizens ended up stranded for days on end without any sustenance. They were forced to fend for themselves during a triple-digit heat wave, while awaiting the proverbial cavalry which never arrived.
Trouble the Water is an eye-opening documentary, which enables the audience to be a fly on the crumbling levee walls as Kim and her husband shift from carefree observers into survival mode. In virtually the blink of an eye, the atmosphere goes from ominous to desperate as the water level rises so precipitously that no one has a chance to make a dash for higher ground on foot.
Although the Roberts lived to tell the tale, the same can’t be said for all the subjects of their home movie. For example, the camera captures the shock and dismay in their eyes two weeks after the hurricane passed, when they enter the house of Kim’s uncle, who had been interviewed earlier, only to find his decomposing corpse lying in the living room. Other horror stories follow, such as the sight of an acquaintance’s aging mother whose body had been left behind with dozens of other patients in a hospital now turned morgue.
Also effectively chronicled is the constant frustration the couple encountered in dealing with FEMA bureaucrats who had the nerve to ask for documents obviously washed away. No wonder so many of the victims ended up broke, depressed, unemployed and no longer able to trust their own government.
There’s a telling scene towards the end of the picture, where a woman talks about how she’s counseled her son who wants to enter the military. “You’re not going to fight for a country that doesn’t give a damn about you,” she declares matter-of-factly. “No way!”
Raw, unfiltered and expletive-laced, but a brutally-honest flick guaranteed to give you an unsanitized picture of what life was like for the least fortunate folks in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 96 minutes
Studio: Zeitgeist Films

To see a trailer of Trouble the Water, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq426VjZD1E

I.O.U.S.A. (One Nation. Under Stress. In Debt.)

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Documentary Explains America’s Financial Crisis in Layman’s Terms

Irrational exuberance to the contrary, all you have to do is look around to see that America is in the midst of a worsening recession. From the precipitous devaluation of real estate to bank failures to the credit collapse to runaway inflation to the price of gasoline to the high unemployment rate to the devalued dollar to the exorbitant cost of waging two wars simultaneously to the bear market, it’s clear that the country has a host of money woes.
But listening to the experts and political pundits weigh-in on the subject is likely to leave you confused about why we’re in this mess. Democrats and Republicans predictably resort to blaming each other, while economists tend to explain the situation using jargon too complicated for the Average Joe to comprehend.
For this reason, director Patrick Creadon is to be commended for making I.O.U.S.A. (One Nation. Under Stress. In Debt.), a nuts and bolts documentary which seeks to explain the burgeoning financial crisis in layman’s terms. The film opens by stating the basic proposition that the most serious threat to the U.S. is our own irresponsibility when it comes to spending. America’s present predicament is then put in perspective via telling analogies of the Roman Empire shortly before its fall.
Next, Creadon cleverly sets about proving his premise by relying on a combination of archival footage and some surprisingly frank interviews with concerned, if not fed-up folks like billionaire Warren Buffett, fired Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill, the late Tim Russert, CNBC’s Jim Cramer, presidential candidate Ron Paul, and former Comptroller General of the U.S. David Walker.
The conservative Congress which ran Washington until recently is referred to as schizophrenic, since it repeatedly lowered taxes while irresponsibly continuing to encourage runaway government spending. The result is an ever-escalating national debt and a record trade deficit which together threaten to burden unborn citizens for generations to come, if the country doesn’t fall apart at the seams first.
Secretary O’Neill whose words fell on the deaf ears of President Bush when he was a member of the current administration, warns that, “When you get extended to the point that you can’t service your debt, you’re finished.” Ron Paul is shown sounding an equally-dire alarm in a videotape from a House hearing in 2000 during which the Congressman tells then Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan to his face that he had so mismanaged the economy that he should start looking for another job.
Greenspan’s replacement takes it on the chin, too, his hit coming courtesy of animated Jim Cramer who shouts that “Ben Bernancke is an academic who has no idea” how bad the crisis is. “The Fed is asleep,” an exasperated Cramer concludes.
Apparently, America’s basic problem boils down to the fact it is a nation which has become addicted to credit in the wake of outsourcing so much manufacturing overseas. To balance the budget we either have to raise taxes or cut spending, because a country which consumes more than it produces is unsustainable.
Tough talk for tough times.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG for mature themes.
Running time: 85 minutes
Studio: Roadside Attractions

To see a trailer for the movie, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBo2xQIWHiM

Gloria Reuben: The Raising the Bar Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: Gloria Reuben, Sandwiched between Performing and Philanthropy

Born in Toronto on June 9, 1964, Gloria Reuben is the second youngest of a half-dozen children born to her Jamaican, gospel singing mother and her architect father. The pretty prodigy was taught piano at an early age, and would grow up to study theory, technique, ballet and jazz at the Canadian Royal Conservatory.
At 18, she won the Miss Black Ontario beauty pageant, although the crown did not come without controversy, as some people questioned whether she was deserving because one of her parents was white. However, Gloria would be vindicated a decade later when People Magazine named her one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world.
Following the pageant, Ms. Reuben began an impressive career in film, on television, in theater and even on tour as a back-up singer to Tina Turner. She is probably best known from her work on the NBC nighttime drama ER where she played Jeanie Boulet, an HIV+ physician’s assistant.
She has also appeared on such shows as Law and Order, Numb3rs, The Agency, The District and Homicide, and in movies like The Sentinel, Shaft and Timecop. Here, she talks about her new series, Raising the Bar, which is set to premiere September 1st on TNT, and will air on Mondays at 10 PM EST (check local listings). Her character on the weekly legal drama is attorney Roz Whitman, the head of the New York City Public Defender’s Office.

KW: Hi, Gloria, I’m honored to be speaking you. What interested you in Raising the Bar?
GR: Three things. First and foremost, [7-time Emmy-winning writer] Stephen Bochko. Secondly, the book that the show was based on, called Indefensible, written by David Feige, who’s one of the writers on the show. He had been a public defender in the Bronx. And thirdly, that the story is structured in such a way as to show three different aspects of the judicial system: the viewpoints of the public defenders, of the district attorneys, and of the judges. I like how, more often than not, these three groups have different perspectives and go after things pertaining to the same human being from different angles. And I also appreciate how it sheds light on the inner workings of the criminal justice system and the corruption that sometimes goes on behind closed doors.
KW: Did you ever have an interest in becoming a lawyer?
GR: No, but I’ve always been drawn to law shows, and I’ve always been drawn to watching programs that have to do with attorneys and the judicial system.
KW: How did you prepare for the role?
GR: I live in New York, and so does David Feige, and the director, Jesse Bochco. A couple of the other cast members came out from L.A. for a research trip. We all actually spent some time up in the Bronx and down at the Centre Street Courthouse in lower Manhattan to observe exactly what happens, not only in the courtroom but during the whole process from someone getting booked, on. My character, Roz, is based on a woman named Robin [Steinberg] who runs the Bronx Public Defender’s Office. So, I spent some time with her. Of course, you want to get down the fundamentals of how she works, and what her work entails, but to me, it’s all about what’s going on emotionally.
KW: Why do you choose to live in New York instead of Hollywood?
GR: Because I lived in Hollywood for 11 years and had my fill. I’m from Toronto, so prefer the East Coast and I missed the change of seasons. I may sound crazy, but I love winter.
KW: I watched the premiere and saw that a lawyer named Richard [played by Teddy Sears] was flirting with you. Is a romantic relationship in the works for your characters?
GR: Well, if I told you the answer and spoiled it, then nobody would watch. When it comes to relationships on television shows, personally, I feel that sometimes things are defined too quickly. Then, where do you go? Nothing is really set in stone in terms of Roz’s personal life, which I like.
KW: When you have an ensemble cast and an open plotline with plenty of possibilities, do you find yourself lobbying for more screen time or certain developments?
GR: I think it’s wise to wait to see how things play out, especially when it’s a show’s first season and it hasn’t even been on the air yet. It’s kind of like shooting in a vacuum. Hopefully, there will be a next season, and we’ll get to develop storylines further or venture off into other arenas. Besides, I’m really not one to lobby, unless I feel that it’s something that very critical for my character. Plus, I have so many other things going on outside the show that I’m grateful for any free time. I wasn’t even there the last nine weekends that they were shooting in Los Angeles. I was always on a plane going somewhere.
KW: I saw that you’re going to Cape Town, South Africa to do a play about human rights, and to do some organizing around the issue of pediatric AIDS in Johannesburg. You’re known for your very extensive philanthropic work. What are some of the other causes you’ve been busy with lately?
GR: If you go to my website, www.GloriaReuben.com , it gives a synopsis of the myriad of charities I’m involved with.
KW: What came first for you, AIDS activism or playing a person who’s HIV+ on E.R.?
GR: Playing Jeanie Boulet definitely came first. And by the time I left the show, I thought my work had been done in a way. But when I recently read that AIDS was the #1 killer of black women between the ages of 25 and 34 here in the United States, I asked, “What the hell is going on?” That kind of spring-boarded me to take action again to raise awareness in our communities all around the country.
KW: Is it true that you left E.R. because you were burn out emotionally by the role?
GR: Yes, absolutely. If you look back, you’ll see that she really didn’t have a lot of fun. Because of the success of the show, which was great, it wasn’t the kind of part that you could leave behind at the end of the day. It was there all the time, which was a lot.
KW: You left the series to sing backup for Tina Turner. How was that?
GR: Amazing! Phenomenal! Fantastic! [Laughs] The best time of my life.
KW: What was the controversy surrounding your being crowned Miss Black Ontario?
GR: Gee, that was so long ago. It’s funny that you asked that. Actually, the timing is kind of perfect, because there was this thing about Obama, “Is he black enough?” That’s all I need to say about that issue.
KW: Did you feel vindicated when you were later named one of 50 Most Beautiful People in the world by People Magazine?
GR: [LOL] That’s so funny. No, I didn’t feel vindicated at all. [Laughs some more] That, too, was a long time ago. I don’t know if they would have me in it now.
KW: I don’t see why not. Time hasn’t diminished your beauty. How did you feel when you were named?
GR: Let’s put it this way, it was certainly a nice compliment.
KW: Bookworm Troy Johnson asks: What was the last book you read?
GR: The last book I read was called On Writing by Stephen King.
KW: Tasha Smith asks: Are you ever afraid?
GR: Well, yeah, just like anybody else is.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
GR: [Pauses] 100% of the time? No. I think I would have to be on some kind of drugs to be happy all the time. But I’m very content and filled with gratitude for the most part. Yes.
KW: The Heather Covington question: What music are you listening to nowadays?
GR: Coldplay.
KW: is there any question that nobody’s ever asked you, that you wish someone would?
GR: [Pauses] That’s a good question. I don’t know how to answer that. [Pauses] The only thing that pops into my mind is: How can I persuade my friends to get tested for HIV?
KW: Okay, how can I persuade my friends to get tested for HIV?
GR: Go with them, and get tested at the same time. It only takes 20 minutes.
KW: How do you want to be remembered?
GR: Just as someone who maybe made a difference in at least one person’s life?
KW: Thanks for the time Gloria, and best of luck in all your endeavors.
GR: Thanks, and the same to you.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Spain Provides Breathtaking Backdrops for Romantic Romp from Woody Allen

Although Woody Allen will forever remain most closely associated with his beloved hometown, the New York City native has proven to be a cinematic expatriate as of late, shooting his last four films over in Europe. Vicky Cristina Barcelona, his first set in Spain, proves to be his most impressive offering since Match Point. In fact, this delightful romantic comedy is easily on par with the best battle-of-the-sexes classics he made in the prime of his career, movies like Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979) and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986).
Now well into his seventies, the legendary actor/writer/director has opted to stay behind the camera, turning to this year’s Oscar-winner, Javier Bardem (for No Country for Old Men), to fill his familiar role as the highly-neurotic leading man in the midst of a relationship crisis. And Allen doesn’t even provide his trademark voiceover here, instead tapping Christopher Evan Welch to serve as an omniscient narrator.
The film revolves around a messy love quadrangle, no pentangle, which unfolds against a variety of visually-bracing Barcelona backdrops. At the point of departure we’re introduced to Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), a couple of American tourists in town for the summer. It is immediately established that these best friends are as different as night and day, especially when it comes to men.
Conventional Vicky is engaged to Doug (Chris Messina), a reliable provider she already finds a bit boring. Relatively-irresponsible Cristina, on the other hand, is an adventurous free-spirit more interested in finding passion than commitment.
So, it’s no surprise that they have diametrically-opposed initial reactions upon being approached by the proverbial tall, dark and handsome stranger who spotted them from across a crowded room. Juan Antonio (Bardem), a local artist and notorious womanizer, simultaneously invites them to join him aboard a private plane for a romantic, overnight escape to Oviedo, proposing that they both might like to share his bed at the end of the evening.
While Vicky reflexively recoils in disgust at the explicit overture, Cristina is flattered and finds herself attracted to all the drama seemingly surrounding the dangerous, Latin bad boy, especially because he’d once been stabbed by his unstable wife. Assured that hot-headed Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz) is now living contentedly with an architect in Madrid, the two accompany Juan Antonio to Oviedo, though with no intentions of being seduced by him.
Shockingly, Vicky lets down her defenses and sleeps with Juan Antonio the first night, though keeping their liaison a secret, since she’s about to be married. Cristina soon follows suit, and even shacks up with him back in Barcelona when their torrid affair takes off.
The plot thickens when crazy Maria Elena shows up unannounced, suicidal and desperately in need of a place to stay. Juan Antonio still has a weak spot for his ex, and lets her move in, too. It’s easy to imagine the sort of hilarious hijinks Woody Allen might script for a trio of frustrated females vying for the attentions and affections of a hapless hunk whose trying to please all three at once. And just when you think the situation couldn’t possibly get any more complicated, fifth wheel Doug decides to fly to Spain to see his fiancée.
Featuring sublime support performances by Patricia Clarkson and Kevin Dunn, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is vintage Woody Allen not to be missed. For it’s not merely a madcap misadventure, but also a thought-provoking cautionary tale juxtaposing blind adherence to American Puritanical values against some more open-minded alternative ways of relating.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for sexuality, smoking and mature themes.
In Catalan, English and Spanish with subtitles
Running time: 96 minutes
Studio: MGM/The Weinstein Company

To see a trailer of Vicky Cristina Barcelona, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gYTEWGVYwg

Freshman Orientation DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: DVD Drama Features Frosh Faking Being Gay to Date Girl of His Dreams

Clay Adams (Sam Huntington) is a freshman from Oshkosh, Wisconsin who has just matriculated at a large state university. The hot-to-trot 18 year-old arrived on campus naïvely expecting to party, drink beer and pick up girls. But he soon finds that coeds won’t give him the time of day, since they sense that he’s on the make and only interested in fulfilling his sexual fantasies.
This proves especially frustrating when it comes to Amanda (Kaitlin Doubleday), the sorority girl Clay soon sets his sight on. So, he comes up with a novel way of worming his way into her heart, namely, by making believe he’s gay. The idea is that girls have no qualms about hanging around homosexuals, because they won’t be pressuring them romantically.
Therefore, Clay comes out of the closet and joins the school’s gay support group, thereby gaining Amanda’s confidence. He even starts frequenting the local gay bar downtown, where he takes lessons on looking the part from Rodney (John Goodman), a genderbending bartender.
The problem is that he does such a great job posing that Amanda can only see him as a friend. To add insult to injury, he finds himself having to fend off unwanted passes, and he even turns into something of a campus cause celebre after claiming to be the victim of a gay bashing by frat boys.
So unfolds the subtly-titled Freshman Orientation, a teensploit turning on a clever twist of the genre’s trademark theme. For while most makeover movies feature a female making herself more attractive, this flick has a male deliberately doing the opposite.
Despite an engaging premise, the promising picture turns out to be surprisingly tame for all its iconoclastic pretensions.

Good (2 stars)
Rated R for sexuality, profanity, female frontal nudity and drug use.
Running time: 91 minutes
Studio: Screen Media Films

To see a trailer of Freshman Orientation, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL7lLCFA1K0