Category Archives: True Story

2006, Biographical, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Feel Good Not For Children, Redemption, Religious Theme, Slavery, True Story, Underdogs win

Amazing Grace (2006)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

Based on actual events, this historical drama from acclaimed director Michael Apted tells the story of William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd), an 18th-century English politician who fought for the abolition of slavery. Despite staunch opposition, Wilberforce waged an aggressive campaign using boycotts, petitions and slogans to bring the British slave trade to a decisive end. Albert Finney, Michael Gambon and Rufus Sewell co-star.

Worthwhile but not maudlin feel-good films can be hard to discover. “Amzing Grace” is such a jewel.

For an historical reality check please read the Wikipedia article.

England, through the efforts of Wilberforce, abolished the slave trade in 1807, a half-century before the American Civil War. Stay for the final credits which add that Wilberforce and William Pitt are buried side by side in Westminster Abbey.

Although it is eventually a feel-good film, you will be subjected to unsettling descriptions of the treatment of slaves.

In the film I saw many familiar British actors whose names I have never known. To give some of them credit, you will see:

  • Benedict Cumberbatch was William Pitt. He is currently the Masterpiece Mystery Sherlock Holmes.
  • Michael Gambon was Lord Charles Fox. He was Dumbledore in “Harry Potter”.
  • Rufus Sewell was Thomas Clarkson. He was Alexander Hamilton in “John Adams”.
  • Ciarán Hinds was the evil Lord Tarleton. He was Gaius Julius Cesar in “Rome”.
  • Toby Jones was the cretinous Duke of Clarence. He was Karl Rove in “W”
  • Nicholas Farrell was Henry Thornton. I will always remember him as the young runner Aubrey Montague in “Chariots of Fire”. His screen credits roll on for pages.
  • Albert Finney was John Newton and IS British acting.

DO NOT MISS THIS FILM !!!!

2009, Crime, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Italian, Mafia, Redemption, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, True Story, Violent

The Sicilian Girl (2009)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

In this taut drama based on a true story, 17-year-old Rita (Veronica D’Agostino) is leading a privileged life when her father and brother are slain by rival Mafiosi. Bent on revenge, she turns to a sympathetic magistrate (Gérard Jugnot) and breaks the code of silence. In her journey from self-centered teenager to fearless advocate for justice, Rita enrages Sicily’s most powerful men, putting her life in jeopardy.

Probably the biggest impression I got from this amazing enactment of a true story was how all-encompassing and soul-destroying is the Mafia cult. For Rita the real stumbling block was accepting the fact that her adored father was no less a brutal and cruel assassin than all the other animals. Her own mother did her best to convince Rita to not testify even though the Mafia had killed Rita’s father and brother.

Also awe inspiring was the bravery of Rita and the prosecutor and all the other law enforcement staff. Human life means nothing to the Mafia.

Be prepared for a surprise (and true) ending.

2004, Docudrama, German, Military, Nudity, True Story, Violent, War

Downfall (2004)

1 Comment

From NetFlix:

After introducing audiences to Adolf Hitler’s stenographer, Traudl Junge, in the gripping documentary Blind Spot: Hitler’s Secretary, director Oliver Hirschbiegel brings Junge to life in this Oscar-nominated drama. With painstaking realism, Hirschbiegel’s Best Foreign Language Film contender adopts Junge’s (Alexandra Maria Lara) point of view to recreate Hitler’s (Bruno Ganz) final 12 days in his Berlin bunker.

Before watching this entrancing recreation of Hitler’s last days, you will benefit greatly by reading the Wikipedia article. What is important to appreciate is that after reading this Wikipedia article you can believe that what you see is very close to what actually happened. The film begins and ends with a filmed interview with the real and elderly Traudl Junge whose accounts as a witness form the basis of much of what we know. Above all else, praise is heaped upon Bruno Ganz’s painstaking and near perfect imitation of Hitler’s voice with its Austrian accent. Ganz worked for months with recordings of Hitler’s voice.

Ignore the politics and the complete horror of what happened. Instead see if you can comprehend (and I find it difficult) the extent to which those involved were blindly loyal to the end to “Der Fürher”. He was revered as a god even while he was obviously unbalanced and out of touch with reality. It is chilling to watch Frau Goebbels poison her six beautiful children after which Joseph and Magda Goebbels shoot each other.

Stay to the end to see captions telling us what happened to many of the main personalities (for example, when and how they died). For me it was difficult attaching a name to each of the many many characters. This last recap fortunately provides photos of the actors as a reference.

Two hours and 36 minutes make a long film, but I couldn’t tear my eyes from the screen.

2010, Animated, Biographical, Drugs, Explicit sexual discussion, Gay theme, True Story, Vulgar

Howl (2010)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

James Franco steps into the shoes of famed Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in this star-studded biopic centered around Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” — and the widely publicized obscenity trial that followed its publication in 1957. Documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (The Times of Harvey Milk) direct, with an A-list ensemble cast that includes Jon Hamm, David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels and Mary-Louise Parker.

“Howl” is probably not for everyone (but what film is ?). Indeed it contains many words conventionally considered vulgar. That, in fact, is what the film is about: a courtroom trying to decide if the publisher of Howl (Ferlinghetti) must go to jail on obscenity charges.

So what is there to like about this “documentary” ?

  • No dialogs are invented. Every single word that you hear came from someone in the past.
  • Much of the original poem “Howl” is recited by the actor portraying Ginsberg. This is done is two ways: Either the actor is shown reciting his poem in a coffee house, or you hear the lines while watching very imaginative and appropriate animation.
  • You get to hear pro and con courtroom discussions about Ginsberg’s work.
  • You can see photos and film clips of the past and even see Ginsberg himself doing a small bit of recitation.
  • Don’t miss the final screen notes (just before the credits) that tell us what happened to the personalities (Ginsberg, Cassady, Kerouac, Orlovsky, etc).

For a really good history of that era see the Wikepedia article

Of course the film was slanted in favor of Ginsberg: you wouldn’t make such a film if you objected to his work. But I was annoyed at coffee house scenes in which the audience acts in a way to make it clear they are “moved”. It just seemed phony.

Biographical, Drama, Italian, Not Feel Good, True Story

Vincere (2009)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

Ida Dalser (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) falls for young Benito Mussolini (Filippo Timi) in Milan and sells everything she has to help the future dictator fund his newspaper, Popolo d’Italia. But when World War I separates the newly wedded couple, Mussolini marries another woman. Ida demands to retain her rights as Mussolini’s wife and the mother of his son, but the Fascists have other plans for the dictator’s dark secret in this gripping biopic.

Start by reading the Wikipedia article on Ida Dalser because it makes certain details in the film a bit more clear. We will probably never know if Ida and Mussolini were legally married. But that is almost irrelevant in the fim which concentrates almost entirely on Ida’s obsessive view of her relationship with Mussolini. Her son and Mussolini have secondary parts. Both parts (son and father) are well-played by Filippo Timi.

See this film in a theatre if possible because it is essentially an art film that is devoted to striking scenes and images.

English subtitles accompany the Italian script which is fairly easy to understand.

I particularly enjoyed all the old film clips of WWII and especially the moronic rantings of Mussolini himself.

2009, Acceptable for children, Feel Good For All, Sports, True Story

The Blind Side (2009)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

Oversized African American Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), the teen from across the tracks and a broken home, has nowhere to sleep at age 16. Taken in by an affluent Memphis couple, Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) and Sean (Tim McGraw), Michael embarks on a remarkable rise to play for the NFL. Bullock’s performance garnered a Best Actress Oscar nomination and Best Actress Golden Globe Award. Kathy Bates co-stars.

Yes, of course it is maudlin and a bit too goody-goody, but so what ?

There is at most one “uncomfortable” scene in the entire film (Michael fights with some gang-bangers). Note the school dropout in that scene because he figures in newpaper articles toward the end of the film.

This is a standard Sandra Bullock film. Moreover it is actually a feel-good for everyone. Quinton Aaron is NOT an actor. They tried to give him a part in one “Law and Order” episode which was a total disaster.

It pleased me that the Wikipedia article on Michael Oher shows that the movie was very accurate historically.

2003, Biographical, Drama, Explicit sexual discussion, Gay theme, Lawyers, Mostly About Sex, Nudity, True Story, Unusual

Angels In America (2003)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

Tony Kushner’s groundbreaking, Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play about love, loss and loneliness — the basis for this six-hour HBO miniseries — took more than 10 years to make it to the small screen. Starring Al Pacino (as real-life legal counsel Roy Cohn) and Meryl Streep, the drama examines the first few years of the AIDS epidemic in the mid-1980s, set against the moral absolutism and unresponsive backdrop of the Reagan Administration.

After doing my best to discourage you from watching this long two-disc, six chapter theatrical production turned into a film, persist if you must. Although definitely not for everyone, I enjoyed this film. If nothing else, it is certainly original.

Why you should NOT see this film:

  • Much of the dialog is just psycho babble or worse. Sometimes it just doesn’t make much sense.
  • The lines are said as though you were watching a play on stage, that is to say, it is a declamatory style of speaking. It makes Meryl Streep seem wooden.
  • The plot centers on AIDS. Oh yes, and it is all about AIDS. Moreover there is a lot of discussion about AIDS.
  • Talk about Magic Realism. Emma Thompson as an angel is over the top. Have you even seen an angel have lightning bolt sex with a human ?

Still not convinced, hey ? Then Padre Antonio will give you a brief historical background. An excellent summary of the life of Roy Cohn may be found in the Wikipedia article.. For this film you only need to know that:

  • Roy Cohn is despised by the left as a conniving, self-serving bastard. Read ALL the Wikipedia article to see why.
  • Roy Cohn is closely associated with the anti-communist Senator Joe McCarthy and the FBI’s J. Edgar Hoover (enough said ?)
  • Roy Cohn was instrumental in convicting Ethel Rosenberg.
  • Roy Cohn was an active, closeted gay man who hypocritically persecuted gays in public offices.
  • Roy Cohn, though never convicted of a multitude of accusations, was eventually disbarred for many reasons.
  • Roy Cohn died of AIDS while protesting that it was liver cancer.

And now for Ethel Rosenberg. Again see the Wikipedia article. Notable items:

  • It is still debateable that Ethel was guilty.
  • Roy Cohn was instrumental in convicting Ethel Rosenberg.
  • Meryl Streep really was made to look just like Ethel.

OK, some reasons why you SHOULD see this film:

  • Al Pacino is pitch-perfect as Roy Cohn.
  • You get to see each actor play several parts. Can you spot them?
  • If you have a special place in your heart for Mormons, you will love this trip. Patrick Wilson is pitch-perfect as a gay Mormon who seems to have stepped out of Gentlemen’s Quarterly.
  • And where else could you see an angel having electric sex with a human ?

HAVE FUN !

2007, Documentary, True Story, Violent, War

Last Stand of the 300 (2007)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

With factual heft and epic zeal, this informative History Channel documentary chronicles the true story of some 300 Spartan soldiers who held their ground against an onslaught of Persian adversaries — an event that inspired director Zach Snyder’s sleeper hit 300. Digital animation combines with vivid, live-action footage to produce a stirring account of a pivotal battle that would change the course of the Western world

What a difference between this History Channel presentation and the Hollywood version “300” ! Truth is stranger (or better) than fiction. Somehow the History Channel version really comes alive using not only expert historians but also well-drawn maps and troop movement diagrams.

Several things stand out in my mind:

  • Spartan culture was more dehumanized than I realized. There was neither family nor individual. Everything was done for the benefit of the city-state. At birth male babies were inspected and the slightest imperfection doomed them to be left outdoors unprotected until they died. Young boys were forcibly removed from their homes for training. Trainees were taught steal, fight, and kill. They were not considered men until they had secretly killed a slave. Boys were flogged at pillars in a contest to see who flinched.
  • No one really knows how the Persians discovered the rear path to the position in the pass of the Greeks led by Leonidas. Hollywood invented a traitor.
  • I had not appreciated the important role played by the Athenian navy under Themistocles.

Well done!

2008, Biographical, Docudrama, Drama, Feel Good Not For Children, Redemption, Sports, True Story, Vulgar

The Damned United (2008)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

Arrogant Brian Clough (Michael Sheen) helms England’s soccer champs Leeds United in 1974 alongside confidant and assistant manager Peter Taylor (Timothy Spall), but he manages to bungle the deal in a mere 44 days, winding up fired. Written for the screen by Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) and based on David Peace’s critically acclaimed novel, this fictionalized account of the notorious sports legend co-stars Jim Broadbent.

You don’t have to be a soccer fan to enjoy this well-made and well-acted film. Possibly the Wikipedia article might help. In fact that article claims that much of the film is fictional. Hopefully the barebones historical facts are accurate.

During the film we do see Leeds cheating during the soccer matches. One of Brian Clough’s contentions was that in fact in the past Leeds did a lot of that sort of thing. There is a lot of soccer slang that went right past me, but it did not really matter.

During the film you don’t see that much soccer playing. Rather the emphasis is on Clough’s arrogance and his relation with other managers and players. In a certain sense the film ends on a happy note.

At the end of the film you get to see actual film clips of the real Brian Clough and Peter Taylor. Indeed I saw a similarity in looks between the actor and the real Clough.

Perhaps the cursing is not appropriate for children.

2008, Biographical, Documentary, Fashion, Gay theme, Italian, Love Story, True Story, Unusual

Valentino: The Last Emperor (2008)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

Tracing Valentino’s life from his 70th birthday to his final couture show, this fashionable documentary captures the spirit of the legendary designer’s influence on the style and substance of the way we look. Highlights include an intimate, behind-the-scenes peek at his relationship with longtime business partner and lover Giancarlo Giammetti, as well as an up-close and personal look at the designer’s creative process.

"Tony, I want to see 'Valentino: The Last Emperor"
"Kathy, you mean that fashion film ?"   "Yes"
"Why would anyone want to watch an hour and a half about a fashion designer ?"
"You get all those NetFlix DVDs that I don't even care about, and I really want to see this one"
"Ooooooookay, if you insist"

Had this fashion documentary not been made, we would have lost some notable moments in a part of the world’s culture that I certainly did not know even existed. It’s a bit like a tour of Machu Picchu or seeing the exquisite terracotta army of the first Qin Dynasty ruler Shihuangdi. Who knew ?

One of the dominant themes of this documentary is the 50 year relation between Valentino and his life partner Giancarlo Giammetti. Kathy’s comment is “Giancarlo must be some kind of saint”. It was fun watching the two bicker about trivia, as in “you have applied too much tan today”. But what came through loud and clear was that they truly love and need one another. Valentino is the impractical dreamer, the creative force, but without Giancarlo’s gentle guiding hand, Valentino would have gone nowhere.

In fact the minutiae involved with fashion must be daunting. There are an awful lot of unsung heroes. In a certain sense everything depends on the skill of the seamstresses. It’s a lot like computer programming: omit a semi-colon and the program stops working. Today it would be impossibly costly to sew by hand thousands of sequins on a gown. I buy my clothes at Target (pronounced “Tar-jay”).

Every now and then I see a fashion photo of some female model. Quite often they are made to look like freaks. Not so with Valentino. Of course, all his beautiful models are stick thin (dare I say anorexic ?). But his trademark was long flowing gowns that really made the models beautiful.

I copied the following paragraph from the internet:

Produced and directed by Matt Tyrnauer, Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair magazine, Valentino: The Last Emperor provides a first-time glimpse into Valentino’s world of bygone glamour. Filmed from June 2005 to July 2007, the crew shot over 250 hours of footage with exclusive, unprecedented access to Valentino and his entourage. The resulting non-fiction film is a portrait of an extraordinary partnership, the longest running in fashion, and a dramatic story about a master confronting the final act of his celebrated career.

Indeed the film leads up to Valentino’s sensational farewell celebratory show and party in Rome. It’s fun seeing how many celebrities you can recognize (Princess Di, etc). But the circumstances are not entirely happy. Valentino’s company is purchased by a giant corporation in which only the bottom line is important (sound familiar ?). His world has changed so much that Valentino retires. Little by little his former group of loyal workers are replaced.

And don’t miss his five pugs!