Jellyfish (ISRAELI) DVD

(Meduzot)

DVD Review by Kam Williams



Headline: Serendipitous Feminist Adventure from Israel Released on DVD



Some of the most intriguing, feminist dramas continue to come from Israel, including this surreal adventure which whimsically intertwines the lives of several women whose paths crisscross in present-day Tel Aviv. The fulcrum of the plot is provided by the plight of heartsick Batya (Sarah Adler), a waitress working at the wedding of Karen (Noa Knoller) and Michael (Gera Sandler).

Just past the point of departure, the couple’s plans for a Caribbean honeymoon are ruined when the bride accidentally breaks her ankle. So, they opt to take a room right on the ground floor of the beachfront hotel hosting their reception.

Elsewhere, we find Joy (Ma-nenita De Latorre), a Filipino nurse missing her five year-old son she had to leave behind in Manila. It doesn’t help any that although she asked for a childcare assignment, her agency hired her out to Malka (Zaharira Harifai), an elderly woman who is not only grouchy, but bigoted to boot. Despite Joy’s exhibiting the patience of a saint, Malka would prefer to live with her daughter, an actress busily preparing to appear in a production of Hamlet directed by an Arab.

These assorted threads are woven together ever so subtly via the meanderings of Batya, a forlorn soul who besides being left by her boyfriend has had the rent recently raised on her dilapidated apartment. The carefree slacker reacts by drinking water dripping from a hole in the ceiling, and by adopting a naked, freckle-faced, five year-old (Nikol Leidman) she finds frolicking alone along the Mediterranean shore.

Always of more consequence here than the give-and-take of any of the superficial personal dramas are the complicated cultural and psychological issues simmering just under the surface. Like Amelie with an attitude, the sinister Jellyfish links strangers serendipitously, but with an almost shocking absence of naivete.



Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

In Hebrew, French and English with subtitles.

Running time: 78 minutes

Studio: Zeitgeist Films

DVD Extras: New anamorphic master enhanced for widescreen TVs, video interview with filmmakers Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen, filmmaker statement, plus the U.S. theatrical trailer.



To see a trailer for Jellyfish, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auYqkwrnOho

Redbelt DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams



Headline: Disappointing Mamet Martial Arts Adventure Arrives on DVD



A mediocre movie like this is a major disappointment coming from David Mamet. The picture represents his first foray into the martial arts genre, although his character-driven script still boasts the basic trademarks for which the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright’s is known.

This means the screen is littered with an ensemble of street-savvy con artists delivering raw dialogue staccato-style, And among the actors are some familiar faces from the Mamet repertory company, including his wife Rebecca Pidgeon, Joe Mantegna, Ricky Jay and David Paymer.

The story revolves around Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the cash-strapped sensei of a jiu-jitsu dojo located in downtown Los Angeles. He’s a purist who has thusfar staunchly resisted any temptation to fight on the mixed martial arts circuit, preferring to rely instead on financial help from his Brazilian wife’s (Alice Braga) fabric business to keep his fledgling studio afloat.

A disturbing chain of events is triggered the day that a distraught attorney (Emily Mortimer) shows up at the academy unannounced. For Mike’s most promising student, an off-duty police officer named Joe (Max Martini), inadvertently invades the fidgety female’s personal space, not knowing that she’s a recovering rape victim. The paranoid woman reflexively grabs his gun lying on a counter and shoots out the place’s pricy plate glass window. Already behind in rent, now Mike has this added expense to deal with.

As his money woes mysteriously mount and he finds himself indebted to loan sharks the question is no longer if, but merely when, he will break his code of honor and enter the ring to raise some much-needed moolah. Like an unnecessarily confusing and convoluted cross of Rocky and The Karate Kid, Redbelt is a flick that’s a tad too smart for its own good, given the simple message it is designed to deliver.



Fair (1 star)

Rated R for profanity and violence and drug use.

Running time: 99 minutes

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

DVD Extras: Fighter profiles, Q&A with director David Mamet, commentary by Mamet and Randy Couture, plus several additional featurettes.



To see a trailer for Redbelt, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFrHNaq-6qE

Tasha Smith: The Longshots Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: Tasha’s Back in Town

Tasha Smith, this critic’s pick as the best African-American actress of 2007, toned down her trademark act for her new movie, The Longshots, a wholesome family flick featuring Ice Cube and Keke Palmer, and based on a young girl’s real-life triumph as a quarterback who led her team to the Pop Warner Superbowl. As Claire Plummer, the mother of the history-making football phenom, Tasha got a chance to prove her versatility by exhibiting a relatively-subdued side of her emotional range.
Rising to the occasion, she proved herself to be every bit as compelling in this capacity, which means we have every reason to expect to see this rising cinematic star in more pure dramatic roles. Here, the statuesque beauty shares her thoughts about this refreshing change of pace from playing her typical sassy sister with an attitude.

KW: Hey, Tasha, thanks for another interview.
TS: Kam, are you kidding me? What’s up? How’re you doing?
KW: I’m great. How’s life been treating you?
TS: Wonderfully! I’m great, thank God. I’m so good, and I just moved into a new house.
KW: Well then, on behalf of “Realtor to the Stars” Jimmy Bayan, I have to ask you where your place is located.
TS: In the Woodland Hills area.
KW: How’s your equally-stunning twin sister, Sidra?
TS: She’s great! She’s busy.
KW: How’s your acting school doing?
TS: It is so good, Kam. I have been touring it, going to different cities. I was in Atlanta and New York. And I’m going to Chicago in October, and then D.C., and Miami. And I have my ongoing classes in Los Angeles. It’s just been amazing and such a blessing. That is my heart. I love all the actors and doing the three-day workshop-seminar.
KW: How would you describe your teaching style?
TS: I like to be really transparent with my students, so they can know the true experience of an up-and-coming actor. Sometimes, they only see the finished product and have no idea about the reality of the journey, because a lot of celebrities like to hide and to keep their journey a mystery. But I feel that that approach doesn’t help anyone else, especially since part of my calling is to my community. I hope that my transparency will help inspire and encourage the next person.
KW: How did you enjoy playing Claire Plummer in The Longshots? The character was certainly a change of pace for you.
TS: You know how people always have a certain expectation of what you’re going to do in every role?
KW: Yep.
TS: Well, I enjoyed being able to create something different, and showing a different part of myself. But at the same time I missed that energy. You follow me?
KW: Yeah, your trademark explosiveness.
TS: [Laughs] Yes. This character is definitely not like that. She’s a type of parent that we do see in the world, and I thought it was very important to show that kind of human spirit. Still, I’m definitely looking forward to giving people who admire my explosiveness, as you say, something that they enjoy watching me do as well.
KW: Do you ever feel like you’re being typecast?
TS: I don’t feel like that. When you have a fan base, you like to give them something that they want. It’ll be interesting to see how people respond to this character, because I know it’s not what people normally like to get from me.
KW: You know how I always ask people: Is there a question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? Last time, your answer was, Are you ever afraid. Well, I liked your question so much that I ask everybody that now.
TS: My publicist [Joseph Babineaux] showed it to me and I was so shocked. How have people been responding?
KW: It’s interesting because it forces them to reflect and to be real.
TS: Who do you feel you got one of the best answers from?
KW: Recently, from Philippe Petit, the man who made history in 1974 by walking on a tightrope between the roofs of the Twin Towers. He admitted that he’s deathly afraid of spiders. Who would’ve ever figured that?
TS: Cool.
KW: Is there any other question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
TS: Yes, Are you ever disappointed? And here’s another one: How important are your friends to you?
KW: Those are both deep emotionally questions. Why do you think reporters don’t ask questions like that?
TS: Maybe it’s because entertainers don’t usually like to get too personal. So, the journalists tend to keep things on the surface and not really get to deep into the heart of the individual that they’re dealing with by asking about discouragements, disappointments or internal roadblocks, maybe. For example, they never ask, what’s been some of your obstacles in life? You know what I mean?
KW: Yep.
TS: Maybe it’s just me, but I always like the kind of communication which could possibly touch the life or heart of someone reading, especially because the world is going through so much right now in terms of gas prices… imprisonment… drug addiction,,, finances… teenage pregnancy… and HIV in the black community. The world is definitely going through a lot. People are really discouraged, and are suffering from a great deal of internal turmoil. Even our industry is going through changes. The only African-American shows on TV right now are House of Pain, The Game and Lincoln Heights. Think about that. Remember, there was a time when we had so many shows on television. Black actors and casting directors were working. But now, it is so scary. Most black actors are unemployed. And not only are they unemployed, but their mortgages and finances are in trouble. Do you know how discouraging it is for a celebrity who used to work regularly to have to host at a restaurant? And it’s that kind of stuff that we don’t talk about.
KW: Bookworm Troy Johnson wants to know again, what was the last book you read?
TS: I don’t read many novels. I’m more into self-help books. I’m reading two right now. They’re both by Dr. Creflo Dollar. One is called, “8 Steps to Create the Life You Want.” And the other is, “Lord, Teach Me How to Love.” They’re very good. I picked up “Lord, Teach Me How to Love” because I was having some personal problems, and I didn’t want unforgiveness to set into my heart. You know how it’s easy for seeds of unforgiveness to sit there when you’ve been disappointed with people? And if you don’t pay attention to it, it can kind of grow into something else. So, I read this book to try to consistently be active in forgiving and walking in love. I was doing that for myself, because unforgiveness is worse for you than the person that you’re mad at.
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What’s music are you listening to nowadays?
TS: Wow! I have different stuff that I like to listen to at different times. I like quiet gospel music, if I’m just chilling in the house. I probably need to be a little bit more diverse musically, because I can get stuck listening to the same songs over and over again. I have more of a movie collection than I do music. I’m still on Mary’s [Mary J. Blige] album. I’m still on Jill’s [Jill Scott] old album. And I’m loving Alicia [Keys] , Rhianna, and Anthony David who’s this guy out of Atlanta who’s really good. And I love old school, too. I could listen to the Isley Brothers and Marvin Gaye forever. Forever!
KW: How do you want to be remembered?
TS: As someone who loved her community, loved her students, loved her family, and would try to just please God on this Earth realm.
KW: Thanks Tasha, and good luck with The Longshots.
TS: Thank you for all your support.
KW: We’ll talk again soon, I hope.
TS: That sounds great. You take care of yourself.
KW: You too.

To see a trailer for The Longshots, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WM6w6hTfHE

Traitor

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Don Cheadle Stars in International Potboiler as Possible Manchurian Muslim Mole

Provided you haven’t seen the trailer for Traitor, you’re likely to enjoy this edge-of-your-seat political potboiler immeasurably. However, if you have already caught the commercial, then you are already aware of the picture’s otherwise cleverly-concealed plot twist revealed only towards the end of the picture.
Left unspoiled, the film is a taut, international thriller revolving around the 007-like exploits of Samir Horn (Don Cheadle), a U.S. Special Forces Agent serving solo overseas on a covert, counterespionage operation. The point of departure is a flashback to the moment in his childhood when he witnessed his father being blown up by a car bomb.
Fast-forward to present-day Yemen, where Samir is attempting to imbed himself inside a cell of Arab religious fanatics. He is only able to gain their confidence after being arrested in a round-up of suspected terrorists.
While behind bars, the bilingual poser manages to convince the gang’s ringleader, Omar (Said Taghmaoui), that he is a devout Muslim born and raised in Sudan. The two bond after embarking on a spectacular death-defying jailbreak which leaves them blood brothers sworn to perform crimes against humanity together in the name of Allah.
Then, it’s not long before the pair is masterminding a series of attacks not only in the Middle East, but in Europe and America, too. Samir, as an Army-trained explosives expert, is able to train suicide bombers while outfitting them with detonators. This development is not lost on the interagency task force led by Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce) and Max Archer (Neal McDonough), crack FBI agents who just happen to be monitoring his every movement.
They, of course, are curious about the identity of this ostensibly-disloyal American, and wonder whether he’s truly a traitor or merely an al-Qaeda infiltrator on a secret mission. Determining the answer without blowing Samir’s cover proves to be easier said than done, and writer/director Jeffrey Nachmanoff is very adept at keeping his audience guessing for almost as long as the investigating officers themselves remain in a quandary.
Also Credit Don Cheadle’s masterful performance for making Traitor riveting for the duration. For he ever so convincingly plays Samir as a sympathetic, seemingly-conflicted soul who just might be a Manchurian Muslim mole afterall. Perhaps of more significance is how the movie simultaneously seeks to serve as a sophisticated appeal to tolerance by its deliberate differentiating between radical Islam and the moderate version of the faith practiced by the overwhelming majority of Muslims.
A curious whodunit which has you far more concerned with the mindset than the apprehension of a mass murderer.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for brief profanity, mature themes, and intense violence.
In English and Arabic with subtitles.
Running time: 113 minutes
Studio: Overture Films

To see a trailer for Traitor, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjq4PNev838

Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams



Headline: Bio-Pic Revisiting Cinematic Career of Unrecognized Genius Released on DVD



Jack Smith (1932-1989) was an uncompromisingly experimental innovator in the field of cinema whose name might not be known to the general public despite the fact that he has been credited as an influence by such fellow avant garde filmmakers as Federico Fellini, Jean-Luc Godard, Jim Jarmusch, Andy Warhol and John Waters. This unrecognized genius is finally receiving a measure of respect, even if belatedly, with the release of this uncritical bio-pic which mixes snippets of his flicks in with the reflections of colleagues, actors and friends who were fond of him and his work.

We learn that Smith was born in Columbus, Ohio where he passed a decidedly unhappy childhood, perhaps due to his being gay in the breadbasket of America. As a young adult, he made his way to New York City’s Greenwich Village where he embarked on a career in the fields of photography, performance art and film.

There, the irreverent iconoclast made daring movies deemed pornographic in their day, such as Flaming Creatures which was banned in 22 states. Watching some of his censured scenes now, it is apparent that times have certainly changed. Yes there’s plenty of male and female nudity, especially homoerotica featuring flamboyant drag queens, but nothing hardcore that would warrant the implementation of drastic legal sanctions.

In fact, the most alarming aspect of the production might not be any of the images, but the intermittent voiceover of Jack Smith himself. In a rambling rasp, he can be heard railing against the mercenary nature of capitalism and bitterly raising a litany of other complaints about the state of American society.

Alternately bizarre and inspired, but an appropriate tribute to a visionary impossible to pigeonhole.



Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 95 minutes

Studio: Arts Alliance America

DVD Extras: Nine interviews and two featurettes.



To see a trailer for Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwk7xoyjo1Q

Chicago 10 DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: DVD Revisits Historic Free Speech Trial of Anti-War Activists

During the summer of 1968, thousands of protesters descended on the Democratic Convention in Chicago in order to voice their displeasure with America’s involvement in the Vietnam War at the. But Mayor Richard Daley, determined to discourage the assembled activists by any means necessary, ordered the police to arrest the organizers of the demonstration on trumped-up charges of conspiracy and crossing state lines with intent to riot.
The tactic ultimately backfired, because the jailed leaders became something of a sympathetic cause celebre since they were essentially only attempting to exercise their right to Freedom of Speech. Dubbed the Chicago 8, their ensuing trial was covered by the national press on a day-to-day basis. The indicted political activists behind bars included such well-known figures as Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Black Panther Chairman Bobby Seale.
Chicago 10, a novel docudrama directed by Brett Morgen, revisits the events surrounding the case via archival footage augmented by word-for-word, animated recreations culled from the transcripts of the contentious courtroom proceedings. Perhaps the movie’s most memorable moment arrives when an exasperated Judge Julius Hoffman, in a highly-unusual measure, orders Seale, the only African-American defendant, gagged, bound, shackled, and held in contempt of court on account of his repeated outbursts.
Later, a couple of defense attorneys, William Kunstler and Leonard Weinglass were slapped with same charge, hence the change to the Chicago 10. Though it would take years, all were ultimately vindicated. However, the state had ostensibly achieved its aim, namely, to discourage youth at the dawn of the hippie era from feeling free to voice their discontent with society.
Director Morgen earns high marks for finding a most innovative way to illustrate a regrettable chapter in American history.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for profanity and brief sexuality.
Running time: 90 minutes
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Chicago 10 remix video contest winner and Paramount Pictures previews.

To see a trailer for Chicago 10, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9uJL7lWdFg

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 September 5, 2008



BIG BUDGET FILMS



Bangkok Dangerous (R for violence, profanity and sexuality) Action thriller about an anonymous assassin (Nicolas Cage) sent to Thailand to execute four contract killings who ends up both bonding with a local street urchin (Shahkrit Yamnarm) and being intoxicated by the beguiling beauty of a young deaf girl (Charlie Yeung).



Passengers (PG-13 for mature themes, sensuality and scary images) Horror flick starring Anne Hathaway as a grief counselor to survivors of a plane crash who falls in love with one (Patrick Wilson) of her patients just before the others start disappearing mysteriously, one by one. Ensemble cast includes Andre Braugher, David Morse, Clea DuVall and Dianne Wiest.



INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS



August Evening (PG-13 for brief profanity) Immigration drama about an aging, undocumented farm worker (Pedro Castaneda) from Mexico who finds himself forced to retire and increasingly dependent on his widowed daughter-in-law (Veronica Loren) for support after the sudden death of his wife.



Everybody Wants to Be Italian (R for sexuality) Romantic comedy, set in Boston’s North End, and revolving around a case of mistaken ethnicity where a Polish guy (Jay Jablonski) pretends to be Italian because he thinks that his blind date (Cerina Vincent) would otherwise never give him the time of day.



Mister Foe (R for nudity and sexuality) Dysfunctional family comedy, set in Scotland, about an anguished teenager (Jamie Bell) who runs away from home after being seduced by the stepmother (Claire Forlani) he comes to suspect of killing his birth mom. The lad then takes a job working in a hotel where he becomes obsessed with his boss (Sophia Myles) who resembles his dearly-departed mum.

Ping Pong Playa (PG-13 for profanity, sexual dialogue and drug references) Sports comedy about an irresponsible, Chinese-American slacker (Jimmy Tsai) who dreams of becoming an NBA star until he finds his true calling playing table tennis. Cast includes Roger Fan, Shelley Malil, Khary Payton and Andrew Vo.



The Pool (Unrated) Coming-of-age drama, set in the East Indian city of Panjim, and revolving around a boy (Venkatesh Chavan) working at a hotel who becomes obsessed with a nearby swimming pool never used by its wealthy owners. (In Hindi and English with subtitles)



Save Me (Unrated) Sexual-preference drama about a gay drug addict (Chad Allen) who falls in love with a male counselor (Robert Gant) at a Christian rehab where he was supposed to be cured of both his substance abusing and homosexuality.



A Secret (Unrated) Dysfunctional family drama, set in Paris in 1955, about a lonely 15 year-old boy (Quentin Dubuis) with a vivid imagination whose guilt-ridden Jewish parents (Patrick Bruel and Cecile de France) successfully spared their sickly son the details about how they survived the Holocaust until the day he starts to uncover their deep, dark secret while digging around in the attic. Cast includes Julie Depardieu, Mathieu Amalric and Ludivine Sagnier. (In French with subtitles)