Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Egypt Provides Setting for Poignant Tale of Female Empowerment

The most interesting films coming out of the Middle East over the past decade have invariably highlighted the plight of women as second-class citizens in the Arab World. For America’s recent incursions into the region in the name of freedom never address the fact that half the population remains utterly oppressed.
The most recent contribution to the female liberation genre is Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story, a poignant tale of empowerment set in Cairo and directed by Yousry Nasrallah. The story revolves around Hebba (Mona Zaki), a popular TV talk show host married to Karim (Hassan El Raddad), an ambitious newspaper editor.
At the point of departure, we find him pressuring his wife to steer away from covering women’s issues, despite their previous agreement to keep out of each other’s business. But he covets the editor-in-chief position and has received a hint that the promotion is contingent on getting Hebba under control.
Unfortunately for him, she reacts with more fervor than ever, announcing that she will henceforth do her own research and reporting in addition to her regular hosting duties. This attitude, of course, puts the two on a collision course which ultimately leaves their marriage in crisis.
Well acted, and exploring a number of sensitive themes of interest to Muslim females under the thumb of Islamic rules about virginity, dowry and deference in general to the opposite sex, the picture delivers its overdue message in uncompromising fashion. The only question is whether the movie will ever be shown in the countries where it’s moist needed.
A clarion call for the Middle East to emerge from the Middle Ages!

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In Arabic with subtitles.
Running time: 135 Minutes
Studio: ArtMattan Productions

Amigo

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Character-Driven Drama Recounts Rise of American Imperialism in the Philippines

You can always count on writer/director John Sayles to produce a socially-relevant film, whether a hilarious comedy ala The Brother from Another Planet, or relatively-sober sagas such as Matewan, The Secret of Roan Inish, Sunshine State or Honeydripper, to name a few. The two-time, Oscar-nominee’s (for Lonestar and Passion Fish) latest offering is no exception, with the inveterate iconoclast tackling yet another intriguing subject in novel fashion.
Set in 1900, Amigo is a character-driven drama unfolding against the backdrop of the Philippine-American War. Shot on location, the film effectively highlights how this ostensibly-unprovoked military engagement marked the United States’ emergence as an imperial power.
Rather than drive home that point via victorious battle sequences like a typical war flick, the story telescopes rather tightly on the treatment of a group of indigenous peoples by a garrison of troops led by a no-nonsense Army Colonel (Chris Cooper). The soldiers under Colonel Hardacre’s command have been assigned the task of holding a Filipino peasant village while flushing out any guerillas who might be lurking in the vicinity.
The mission proves easier said than done, despite the town mayor’s (Joel Torre) assurances of full cooperation. For it soon becomes hard for the locals to understand exactly how they’ve been freed by the GIs once martial law is declared and they’re forced to work the farmland not for themselves but for the benefit of the explotative invaders.
Mayor Rafael especially finds himself on the horn of a dilemma, after observing the bloody brand of justice being dispensed on the spot to anyone even just suspected of being a traitor to the American cause. He ends up between a rock and a hard place because his brother, Simon (Ronnie Lazaro), is a rebel still at large who organizes raids around the region against the occupiers and their collaborators.
Exploring a plethora of themes of Shakespearean proportions ranging from loyalty and betrayal, to power and greed, to love and passion, Amigo employs an intimate approach to deliver a thought-provoking message about U.S. foreign policy while simultaneously subtly suggesting parallels with the country’s recent rationalizations of preemptive aggression. A cinematic history connecting the dots between Manifest Destiny and The Bush Doctrine.

Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated R for violence and profanity.
In English and Tagalog with subtitles.
Running time: 124 minutes
Distributor: Variance Films

Kam's Kapsules: For movies opening August 19, 2011

OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
by Kam Williams
For movies opening August 19, 2011


BIG BUDGET FILMS

Conan the Barbarian (R for nudity, profanity and gory violence) 3-D re-launch of the Arnold Schwarzenegger franchise features Jason Momoa in the title role of a fantasy adventure, set in the mythical Hyborian Age, about a wanton warrior out for revenge after the murder of his father (Ron Perlman) and the plundering and pillaging of his decimated village. With Rose McGowan, Stephen Lang and Said Taghmaoui.

Fright Night (Unrated) 3-D remake of the 1985 horror comedy about a high school senior (Anton Yelchin) who enlists the assistance of a Las Vegas magician (Victor Tennant) to help make the new next-door neighbor (Colin Farell) he suspects of being a vampire disappear. With Toni Colette, Imogen Poots and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (PG for mild action and rude humor) 4-D adventure, the first in the franchise featuring scratch-n-sniff ”aromascope,” finds a pair of precocious, pint-sized twins (Rowan Blanchard and Mason Cook) outfitted with state-of-the-art gadgetry squaring-off against a nefarious nemesis (Jeremy Piven) bent on world domination. Ensemble includes Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Jessica Alba, Antonio Banderas, Danny Trejo, George Lopez, Ricky Gervais and Tony Shalhoub.


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

5 Days of War (R for gruesome atrocities, graphic violence and pervasive profanity) Fact-based drama revolving around an American journalist (Rupert Friend) and a local cameraman (Richard Coyle) who get caught in the crossfire while covering the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008. With Heather Graham, Val Kilmer, Dean Cain and Emmanuelle Chriqui.

Amigo (R for violence and profanity) Two-time, Oscar-nominee John Sayles wrote and directed this character-driven drama, set at the turn of the 20th Century, recounting the start of the Philippine-American War from the perspective of a garrison of U.S. troops under the command of a hard-boiled Lieutenant (Chris Cooper) Cast includes DJ Qualls, Garret Dillahunt and Joel Torre. (In English and Tagalog with subtitles)

Darwin (Unrated) Survival-of-the-fittest documentary about the resilient denizens of Darwin, population 35, a windswept, desert ghost town located in Death Valley, California without any municipal government, schools, or houses of worship in the wake of the demise of the once-prospering metropolis’ mining business.

Flypaper (Unrated) Romantic comedy about a customer (Patrick Dempsey) who tries to protect the teller (Ashley Judd) he has a secret crush on when the bank where she works is robbed by two gangs at once. Cast includes Mekhi Phifer, Tim Blake Nelson, Octavia Spencer and Jeffrey Tambor.

Griff the Invisible (Unrated) Superhero saga about a nerdy office clerk-turned-crime-fighting vigilante (Ryan Kwanten) who falls head over heels for his brother’s (Patrick Brammall) gorgeous girlfriend (Maeve Dermody), a sympathetic scientist sharing his vision. Cast includes Marshall Napier, Heather Mitchell and Anthony Phelan.

Mozart’s Sister (Unrated) Historical bio-pic, set in 1762, examining the early years in the life of Mozart’s older sister, Anna-Maria (Marie Feret), a Classical music prodigy in her own right. With David Moreau as Wolfgang. (In French with subtitles)

One Day (PG-13 for profanity, substance abuse, violence, sexuality and partial nudity) Flashback flick about a couple (Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess) reminiscing about the evolution of their relationship over the years on every July 15th, starting with the one-night stand they shared on that day on the eve of their college graduation back in 1988. With Romola Garai, Rafe Spall and Patricia Clarkson.

Programming the Nation? (Unrated) Mind control expose‘ touting the paranoid conspiracy theory that the mass media have been saturated with subliminal messages since the Fifties. With appearances by Noam Chomsky, Amy Goodman, Congressman Dennis Kucinich and Jerry Mander, author of Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television.

Summer Pasture (Unrated) Tibetan documentary chronicling the efforts of a family of nomads to adjust to the governmental pressures of rapid modernization pushing them off their ancestral grasslands. (In Tibetan with subtitles.

Faith in the Fire: Wisdom for Life (BOOK REVIEW)

by Dr. Gardner C. Taylor
Edited by Edward L. Taylor
Smiley Books
Hardcover, $21.95
240 pages, Illustrated
With a bonus CD featuring an interview with the author by Tavis Smiley
ISBN: 978-1-4019- 2962-6

Book Review by Kam Williams

“Amazingly, many people of faith and members of the reading public have not heard of Gardner Taylor or his accomplishments. Publication of Faith in the Fire attempts to rectify this by providing an accessible introduction to Dr. Taylor’s enduring wisdom...
In 1948, Taylor became pastor of the Concord Baptist Church of Brooklyn, the church where he earned his reputation as a champion fighter for social justice and community uplift, and received acclaim as one of the great preachers in American history… Faith in the Fire: Wisdom for Life adds a unique contribution to Dr. Taylor’s legacy by attempting to gather his philosophical gems and present them in a fashion that readers can easily access.”
-Excerpted from the Introduction (pgs xii-xxi)

Despite being born the grandson of slaves in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on June 18, 1918, Gardner Calvin Taylor earned degrees from Leland College and Oberlin Graduate School of Theology before becoming the legendary pastor of Brooklyn’s Concord Baptist Church at the age of 30. And over the course of his enduring career there, he earned a reputation as one of the best preachers in the nation.
During the Civil Rights Movement, he also served as a mentor and confidant to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with whom he co-founded the Progressive National Baptist Convention. So, it only makes sense that the wealth of cultural contributions made by this eloquent pioneer for social justice, now 93, should be preserved for posterity.
The task of editing six decades worth of sermons and papers fell to Reverend Edward L. Taylor, no relation, a former resident fellow at Harvard University. The upshot of that effort is Faith in the Fire: Wisdom for Life, an enlightening opus distilling Dr. Taylor’s insights on a variety of subjects ranging from love to God to race to politics to motherhood to family.
For example, the author muses about the prospect for a Second Coming of Christ, suggesting that, upon His return, Jesus, “would be assassinated, lynched, or, if you prefer, crucified as before.” Thought provoking pearls of wisdom from the Poet Laureate of Progressive Protestantism.

The Help

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Segregation Era Saga Explores Unquestioned Socialite-Maid Relationships

Kathryn Stockett made an auspicious debut in 2009 with the publication of The Help, a poignant period piece examining the unquestioned relationships of entitled, white socialites and their deferential black maids in Mississippi. Although the story is set in the author’s hometown of Jackson in the early Sixties, her best-selling novel is more fictional than autobiographical in nature.
The screen adaptation unfolds from the point of view of Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis), a long-suffering nanny left bone-weary by a life spent “lookin’ after white babies.” Born in 1911, she is currently raising little Mae Mobley Leefolt (Emma and Eleanor Henry), a recent addition to a prominent Southern family.
As narrator, Aibileen is able to admit to the audience the existence of a “bitter seed” planted deep inside of her soul since the recent death of her only son. Still, she is not one to risk her job by allowing her face to reveal even a trace of that resentment in the presence of her employers. Instead, the grammatically-challenged domestic dutifully nourishes the impressionable toddler in her care by regularly reciting the same spiritual mantra she’s shared with all 17 other children entrusted to her over the years, namely, “You is kind; you is smart; you is important.”
By contrast, Aibileen’s relatively-mercurial best friend, Minny (Octavia Spencer), is not nearly as stoic, which explains why she frequently finds herself fired for insubordination. After all, the strictly-enforced housekeeper code of conduct calling for no spanking, touching or sassing white folks, and especially no using their bathrooms tends to test her patience.
Passive-aggressive Minny is lucky even to be alive after her latest outburst which led to her being dismissed by Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard), an insufferable shrew who only got what she deserved. Minny next lands a position with Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain), a newcomer ostracized by other well-to-do ladies because of her white trash roots.
The plot thickens, upon the arrival back in town of cotton plantation heiress Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone). Having spent time away from the racist region, the aspiring journalist now finds herself offended by a way of life everyone else around her seems to take for granted.
Feeling for the plight of the long-suffering black servants who had raised her and her friends so lovingly despite the discrimination, Skeeter decides to write a book recounting what life in Jackson is like from their perspective. So, starting with Aibileen and Minny, she starts approaching sisters to cooperate with the project, which is no mean feat, given that this is Mississippi at a time when it was often fatal to challenge the status quo.
Truth and reconciliation belatedly achieved, like a dream deferred.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for mature themes and ethnic slurs.
Running time: 111 Minutes
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Top Ten DVD List for August 9th

This Week’s DVD Releases
by Kam Williams

Headline: Top Ten DVD List for August 9th

Meek’s Cutoff


King George VI: The Man behind the King’s Speech


The Fox and the Hound I & II [30th Anniversary Edition]


Jumping the Broom


Paul


The Last Godfather


Somebody Help Me 2


Mars Needs Moms


The Clinic


Music Makes Me Move

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Prequel to Fabled Franchise Again Pits Primates against People

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the seventh installment in the fabled Fox franchise which began way back in 1968 with the legendary Charlton Heston as the leading man. This episode stars James Franco as the protagonist of an origins adventure dedicated to explaining exactly how an antagonistic army of anthropomorphic primates came into existence.
The film unfolds in present-day San Francisco where we find Dr. Will Rodman (Franco) working feverishly on a cure for Alzheimer’s at Gen Sys, a prominent biotech corporation. Besides having an altruistic concern for the general welfare of victims of the disease, the dedicated scientist also has a personal stake in the research, since his father (John Lithgow) has recently started showing signs of senility.
Dr. Rodman meets with some very promising results after testing a genetically-engineered retrovirus he’s developed in the lab. ALZ-112 appears to not only repair damaged brain cells, but the miracle drug even has his favorite chimp, Bright Eyes (Terry Notary), exhibiting several signs of human-like intelligence.
Unfortunately, on the very day that the doctor arranges to announce the exciting news to the company brass, the chimp escapes from her cage and goes on a destructive rampage all around the facility. And when she finally crashes through a plate glass window into the meeting of the board of directors, she is shot to death on the spot by a security guard.
Next, Gen Sys’ mortified CEO (David Oyelowo) impulsively orders Will to euthanize any other animals already administered ALZ-112. However, with the help of a sympathetic orderly (Tyler Labine), he secretly saves Bright Eyes’ newborn by sneaking it out of the suddenly hostile institution.
Will and his gorgeous veterinarian girlfriend, Caroline (Freida Pinto), are able to raise little Caesar (Andy Serkis) like a child because of its ALZ-112 altered DNA. Although the sensitive couple manages to forge a tender bond across species, sadly, the same can’t be said for their neighbors and the rest of humanity which remains cruelly inclined to judge a chimp by the covering of its skin instead of by the content of its elite mind.
Therefore, it’s no surprise when Caesar finally gets fed-up enough to steal some canisters of Will’s new and improved formula, ALZ-113 in order to free and inoculate legions of fellow apes from zoos and labs en route to a bloody showdown on the Golden Gate Bridge. A feel-good flick which proves that primates are people, too!

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for intense violence and frightening images.
Running time: 105 Minutes
Distributor: 20th Century Fox