by Kam Williams
Headline: Top Ten DVD List for April 19th
The King’s Speech
Rabbit Hole
Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster
Gas Hole
A Royal Romance: William & Kate
If God Is Willing and da Creek Don’t Rise
Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure
Gulliver’s Travels
Born to Raise Hell
Falco
This Week’s DVD Releases
by Kam Williams
Headline: Top Ten DVD List for April 12th
Tracy & Hepburn: The Definitive Collection
Behind the Burly Q
The Third Reich
Antarctic Mission: The Complete Series
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The Last Continent
The Inheritance
Highwater
The Incredibles [4-Disc Combo Pack]
A Summer in Genoa
Honorable Mention
Country Strong
Harvest
Goodnight for Justice
Dallas: The Movie Collection
The Speed of Thought
Blood Junkie
Let’s Talk about Sex
The LXD: Seasons 1 & 2
Whitney Cummings: Money Shot
Blood Oath
DVD Review by Kam Williams
Headline: Best Picture Oscar-Winner Arrives on DVD
When England’s King George V (Michael Gambon) passed away in 1936, he was first succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VIII (Guy Pearce). But Edward would abdicate less than a year into his reign, capitulating to the mounting public pressure to pick between the throne and his scandalous plans to marry his mistress, Wallis Simpson (Eve Best), a two-time divorcee’ and an American to boot.
This development left Prince Albert (Colin Firth) positioned as the next in line, but the heir apparent was reluctant to replace his brother because of his own inability to control a crippling stutter. After all, he was well aware of radio’s rising importance as a means of communication, and that periodically addressing the masses on the air would be among his critical duties as a high-profile figurehead.
Furthermore, having embarrassing himself in front of a large crowd in Wembley Stadium over a decade earlier, Albert had already consulted a world-renowned speech therapist for help with his condition. However, Dr. Bentham’s (Roger Hammond) best scientific efforts had failed, leaving the beleaguered Prince’s saddled with a lack of self-confidence and a disinclination to serve as monarch.
Finally, a ray of hope arrives when word of an Australian rumored to be curing speech impediments reaches Albert’s supportive wife, the Duchess of York (Helena Bonham Carter). Adopting an alias, she surreptitiously goes slumming around a seedy side of London in search of the highly-recommended Dr. Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush).
As animated as he is eccentric, the self-assured therapist confidently lays out his non-negotiable ground rules prior to agreeing to take on “Mrs. Johnson’s” mysterious husband as a client, including an understanding that all the sessions will be conducted right there on the premises in his modest home studio. And even after learning the identity of his new pupil, Logue insists on referring to Prince Albert by “Bertie,” His Majesty’s lofty stature outside the office notwithstanding.
Although initially infuriated as much by the cheeky commoner’s presumptuousness as by his unorthodox methods, Albert gradually develops a grudging fondness for the foreigner when his stammer starts showing signs of dissipating. The arc of their strained relationship serves as the fascinating focus of The King’s Speech, the winner of four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor (Colin Firth), Best Director (Tom Hooper) and Best Original Screenplay (David Seidler).
The film is reminiscent of The Queen (2006) in that it offers a plausible peek at the intimate affairs of members of the Royal Family during a defining moment of emotional and political upheaval. In this instance, the period in question covers the turbulent years after Albert’s coronation leading up to England’s entry into World War II in 1939.
The movie is at its best when highlighting the delightful badinage between Colin Firth as the recently-crowned King George VI and Geoffrey Rush as his not so humble servant, a charming rogue if there ever was one. Still, the sobering specter of Hitler looms over Europe, making Logue’s appointed mission to prepare Albert to deliver a rousing declaration of war without stuttering as much a patriotic duty as an individual achievement.
Firth and Rush are nothing short of magnificent here, delivering inspired performances in a moving masterpiece made for the ages.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for profanity.
Running time: 119 Minutes
Distributor: Anchor Bay Entertainment
DVD Extras: Audio commentary with director Tom Hooper, “The Making of” featurette, Q&A with the director and cast, speeches by the real King George VI and highlights of the real Lionel Logue.
OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
by Kam Williams
For movies opening April 22, 2011
BIG BUDGET FILMS
African Cats (G) Disney nature documentary, narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, chronicling events in the lives of a trio of felines running free on the savannah: a little lion cub learning to imitate its mother, a momma cheetah patiently teaching her five mischievous newborns how to survive, and a fearless lion protecting his pride from a rival.
Madea’s Big Happy Family (PG-13 for profanity, mature themes and drug use) Tyler Perry’s back in drag for the 6th time as the trash-talking, pistol-packing granny. This installment of the morality play franchise revolves around a niece (Loretta Devine) in failing health who has just received a distressing diagnosis. Ensemble includes Bow Wow, David and Tamela Mann, Cassi Davis, Lauren London, Cheryl “Pepsi’ Riley, and popular, Old Spice pitchman Isaiah Mustafa.
Water for Elephants (Unrated) Robert Pattinson stars in the screen adaptation of Sara Gruen’s Depression-era novel of the same name about a vet student who drops out of school to join the circus after his parents perish in a car accident. With Reese Witherspoon and, Christoph Waltz and Hal Holbrook.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
The Bang Bang Club (Unrated) South African saga recounting the daring exploits of a quartet of intrepid combat photographers (Taylor Kitsch, Ryan Phillippe, Frank Rautenbach, Neels Van Jaarsveld) determined to document the fall of the country’s Apartheid regime. With Malin Akerman, Patrick Lyster and Russel Savadier.
Cougar Hunting (R for nudity, profanity, drug use, crude humor and pervasive sexuality) Buddy comedy revolving around three losers at love (Robin Blazak, Matt Prokop and Randy Wayne) who try to improve their odds by dating desperate, older women at an Aspen resort. With Vanessa Angel, Jillian Murray and Lara Flynn Boyle.
Dumbstruck (PG for suggestive humor) Dummy documentary featuring the highlights of the annual ventriloquists’ convention staged in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. With appearances by Bob Ashman, Willie Brown and Jennifer Burdette.
Exodus Fall (Unrated) Dysfunctional family drama, set in Texas in 1974, about three teenage siblings (Jesse James, Adrien Finkel and Devon Graye) grieving the death of their father (Christopher Atkins) who decide to run away from home when their abusive mom (Rosanna Arquette) mistreats her son with autism. With Dee Wallace, Leo Rossi and Duane Whitaker.
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (PG-13 for profanity and sexuality) Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) wrote, produced, directed and stars in this documentary exposing the widespread corporate financing of movies via prominent product placements and other forms of advertising.
Incendies (R for profanity and graphic violence) Oscar-nominated, return to roots drama about a twin brother (Maxim Gaudette) ands sister (Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin) born in the middle East who travel from Canada back to their homeland to fulfill their late mother’s (Lubna Azabal) last request that they find the presumed-dead father they’ve never met and a sibling they never even knew existed. With Remy Girard, Allen Altman and Mohamed Majd. (In French, Arabic and English with subtitles)
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (Unrated) Martial arts adventure, set in Japanese-occupied Shanghai in the Twenties, and revolving around a mysterious stranger (Donnie Yen) who infiltrates a gang of mobsters in order to assassinate everyone collaborating with the enemy. With Shu Qi, Anthony Wong, Huang Bo and Kohata Ryu. (In Mandarin, Japanese and English with subtitles)
Stake Land (Unrated) High body-count horror flick about a vampire hunter (Nick Damici) accompanied by an orphaned teen (Connor Paolo) on a perilous trek across a post-apocalyptic America in search of a monster-free sanctuary. Cast includes Danielle Harris, Kelly McGillis and
St. Nick (Unrated) Survival drama about sibling runaways (Tucker and Savanna Sears) who take refuge in an abandoned house in the woods to escape from the elements during harsh Texas winter. With Riley Cole, Monique Byars and Brooke Devenney.
Tied to a Chair (Unrated) Screwball comedy about a miserable housewife (Bonnie Loren) who leaves her husband (Richard Franklin) of 25 years to resume the acting career she gave up to marry him. The plot thickens at her first audition when she’s left bound to a chair in a hotel room by a kinky cult film director (Mario Van Peebles) who subsequently turns up dead. With Robert Gossett, Kim Cristo and Daniel Farag.
What on Earth (Unrated) Whodunit documentary examining the mystery of crop circles as debated at an annual convention in England by scientists, farmers, philosophers and paranoid conspiracy buffs baffled by the phenomenon.
DVD Review by Kam Williams
Headline: DVD Asks: Does the GOP Even Want the Black Vote?
Have you ever noticed how few African-American Republicans there are? At any Grand Old Party gathering you see on TV, there are generally so few blacks in attendance that they tend to stand out like a sore thumb.
That sorry state of affairs inspired Tavis Smiley to remark that “You can fit all the black Republicans with any clout into a phone booth.” And they’re probably also about as hard to find as a phone booth is nowadays.
This phenomenon was not lost on Kevin Williams, a white Republican from Trenton, New Jersey, who felt frustrated by the fact that the Democrats had a stranglehold on all the political positions in his predominantly African-American hometown. So, as a filmmaker, he decided to shoot a documentary getting to the bottom of why blacks aren’t represented in the Republican Party.
Is it that the GOP would prefer to remain lily-white or are African-Americans simply short-changing themselves by remaining so loyal to the Democratic Party? That fundamental question rests at the heart of Fear of a Black Republican, an eye-opening expose’ supplying a variety of intriguing answers.
In order to unravel the mystery, Williams approached some of the black Republicans crammed into the aforementioned phone booth, from recently-deposed RNC Chairman Michael Steele to former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Ed Brooke who warns of “corruption where there’s no two-party system.” Yes, there’s that danger in districts where a Democratic nomination assures a candidate of victory. Still, there’s probably truth to Tavis’ suggestion that once the Republican Party figured out that it could win national and statewide elections without blacks “then the needs of that constituency never rose to the top of its agenda.”
Among the other pundits weighing-in here are Princeton Professor Dr. Cornel West, right-wing journalists Michelle Malkin and Ann Coulter, and possible Presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. Yet, the most meaningful interviews are with rank and file black Republicans, average folks who make heartfelt pitches for their fellow African-Americans to abandon the Democrat Party which they indict for taking the black vote for granted.
Whether it’s up to white Republicans or jaded black Democrats looking for an alternative to make the first overture, Fear of a Black Republican might serve as a great conversation breaker to encourage both camps to bury the hatchet and to give each other serious consideration as a viable political partner. However, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for the GOP to reflect the all-inclusive rainbow the Party envisioned during more enlightened times when Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves and a plethora of black Republican candidates ran successful campaign for political office.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 111 Minutes
Studio: Shamrock Stine Productions
Film Review by Kam Williams
Headline: Autistic Teen at Center of Poignant Coming-of-Age Drama
As the mother of a rapidly-maturing child with autism, Jeanne (Beth Broderick) finds herself torn between being overprotective and encouraging Mandy’s (Ashley Rickards) independence. Presently, the rambunctious 15 year-old attends a regular public school with a program for special needs kids.
However, her principal recently suggested that Mandy might be better off institutionalized in the wake of a game-changing outburst which simply couldn’t be ignored. For throwing a desk at a classmate during a temper tantrum means that she isn’t just a danger to herself, but to others as well.
Even though it’s clear that Mandy’s becoming a greater and greater burden, Jeanne is reluctant to surrender the responsibility of raising her daughter to strangers. After all, as a single-mom she’s made compromises in terms of her career, working at home in order to be available 24-7.
It doesn’t help matters that her ex-husband Pete (J.R. Bourne) fails to engage with Mandy emotionally during visitation, and that he is already inclined to have her institutionalized. The trouble is that Jeanne has to admit that the right program could actually do her daughter a world of good, especially since there will ultimately come a day when her parents will no longer be around.
Thus, when to let go is the theme of Fly Away, a poignant coming-of-age drama directed by Janet Grillo. The mother of a child with disabilities, Ms. Grillo approached the semi-autobiographical adventure more as a consciousness-raising labor of love than as a money-making enterprise.
What makes the film special is its delicate handling of such sensitive subject-matter in realistic fashion without ever pandering via cheap sentimentality. The net result is a sobering slice of cinema verite which paints a plausible picture of a family dealing with the dilemma of how to care for a loved one when it’s clear they’re in over their heads.
An authentic tale of survival offering insight, hope and wings!
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 80 minutes
Distributor: New Video
A Reason to Believe:
Lessons from an Improbable Life
by Governor Deval Patrick
Broadway Books
Hardcover, $21.99
238 pages, Illustrated
ISBN: 978-0-7679-3112-0
Book Review by Kam Williams
“My life is often described as ‘improbable’ because I grew up in a broken home and in poverty… Of course, I acknowledge the unlikelihood of my good fortune. I also recognize the hard work and discipline that have made it possible.
But above all, I cherish and celebrate the many people who have taken moments to enlighten me, to renew my ideals, and to spur me to action. There have teachers and preachers, supervisors and colleagues, friends and family… who through their words or deeds have delivered transcendent messages about life, faith and friendship… They have made all the difference.
This book is a tribute to them.”
-Excerpted from the Preface (pgs. 3-4)
Deval Patrick and his sister Rhonda were raised on the South Side of
Chicago by a mom who’d been abandoned by their deadbeat dad for the proverbial “other woman” and a “love child.” Life is tough enough for a young boy growing up in the ‘hood without a father, but it must been even more challenging when he’s a famous jazz musician (saxophonist Pat Patrick) always on tour who rarely visits or sends any child support.
This was precisely Deval’s plight during his formative years, a predicament which undoubtedly lowered his odds of ever making it out of the ‘hood. Nonetheless, thanks to his applying himself academically combined with the support of a devoted mother, grandparents and teachers, he managed to earn a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school by the time he graduated from junior high.
Deval subsequently attended Harvard College and then Harvard Law School, before working as an attorney for the NAACP and in the Clinton Administration. In 2006, he ran for political office for the first time when he entered the race for Governor of Massachusetts.
Although a virtual unknown, he emerged victorious at the end of a hard-fought campaign. And he repeated that unlikely feat just last fall when he made history by becoming the first African-American ever reelected the governor of any state in the union.
All of the above achievements and many more are recounted in glowing detail in A Reason to Believe: Lessons from an Improbable Life, an autobiography which essentially amounts to an exercise in humility. For at every turn, the appreciative author credits this or that relative, teacher, mentor or benefactor for playing a pivotal role at each step as he scaled the ladder of success.
Along the way he also married and had a family, carving out the sort of quality time for his daughters that he had himself never enjoyed with his estranged dad. The icing on the on the cake is that, ultimately, Deval not only forgave his father before he died but took him into his home when he was down on his luck.
A moving memoir by an unassuming overachiever-turned-altruistic role model well worth emulating!
