Category Archives: 2003

2003, Drama, Not Feel Good, Nudity, Redemption, Sports, Violent

Undefeated (2003)

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From NetFlix:

Lex Vargas (John Leguizamo), a Latino boxer from the mean streets of Jackson Heights, Queens, discovers that his success with his fists (and the big financial payoffs) alienates his friends. Question is, can he balance victories in the ring with life outside the squared circle? Robert Forster co-stars in this film, which marks Leguizamo’s directorial debut (he also co-scripted).

“Undefeated” is an unimportant, unexceptional, acceptable film. For this reason I might say it is a “B” film. However, there are no inconsistencies, all the actors do well, the story makes sense and offers a tale of partial redemption. For this reason I might say it is an “A” film.

There are many, many boxing scenes which prompted the “violent” category.

I don’t regret seeing the film, but then as a retired person I have a lot of time to do so.

2003, Could Be Hard To Watch, Not Feel Good, Suspense, Violent, War

Beyond Borders (2003)

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From NetFlix:

Nick (Clive Owen), a medical student turned international disaster relief worker, and Sarah (Angelina Jolie), a philanthropist socialite, gradually fall in love after meeting time and again against the backdrops of disasters and wars throughout the world. Teri Polo plays Sarah’s sister Charlotte, a globetrotting journalist.

It’s a Hollywood movie!

It’s also violent. Clive Owen is his usual f_____g forceful self (he certainly like to curse). Angelina Jolie is her usual beautiful self (but sometimes it seems to me that every now and then she delivers her lines like a high school sophomore).

One by one the story visits various disaster spots: Ethiopia, Cambodia, Chechnya in which our heroes for the most part overcome adversity. For this reason the film could be hard to watch: vultures wait for starving Ethiopian children to die, The Khmer Rouge arbitrarily shoot people and place a hand grenade in the hands of an infant, the Chechens shoot just about everybody.
But through it all our Angelina manages to be the well-manicured and well-dressed Hollywood startlet she deserves to be.

It’s a Hollywood movie!

2003, Drama, Not Feel Good, Suspense, Unusual, Violent

It’s All About Love (2003)

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From NetFlix:

In this futuristic thriller about love and fate, professional ice skater Elena (Claire Danes) and her estranged husband, John (Joaquin Phoenix), live in different cities. When John heads to New York seeking a divorce from Elena, he finds her life has gone askew: Her friends and family appear to have their own plans regarding her future as a skater, and those plans depend on John’s cooperation. Can he and Elena escape their clutches … alive?

Joaquin Phoenix has never played in a bad film in my experience, and this is no exception. However, he is willing to take chances in unusual films. Consider this film an art film of sorts. It claims to take place in the future but for a while those aspects seem to have nothing to do with the suspenseful plot. Ignore the slow start and stay with the story for awhile. Eventually the extreme weather changes (it seems like just the opposite of global warming) enter into the plot. There is some violence. Since I watch many films, I have the time to spend on such unusual films, but perhaps you might choose another film to watch.

2003, Could Be Hard To Watch, Docudrama, Sports

Touching the Void (2003)

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From NetFlix:

Mixing interviews with dramatic re-enactments of the event, this gripping
docudrama retells the mountaineering trek gone awry of Simon Yates (Nicholas
Aaron) and Joe Simpson (Brendan Mackey). While climbing in the Andes,
Simpson falls and breaks his leg. Yates, who’s tethered to him, attempts
to lower him to safety but fails. He makes a pivotal decision that may or
may not save both of their lives. Was he right?

Mid-May 6 of us (wife Kathy, daugher Kate, her boyfriend Nigel, brother-in-law Jack, sister-in-law Nel, and I) had spent 2.5 hours walking up a mountain path in England’s Lake Discrict to the summit. Almost as soon as we started down, I stepped on what looked like firm soil only to have it collapse under me. My leg and ankle twisted, I heard a “pop” and felt pain. My first thought was “How will I ever get down this mountain ?” By putting my arms around the necks of Kate and Nigel I hopped down on one foot to an awaiting volunteer rescue team with ambulance. Upon returning to the U.S.A. I discovered I had broken my fibula. While helping me down Nigel tried to calm me by talking about the film “Touching the Void”.

So: contrast my minor inconvenience with the story in “Touching the Void”. It is a true and tensely scary story. In the filmed docudrama the three narrators are actors replacing the actual climbers. But it is not just talking heads. The horrors are re-enacted quite effectively. This is not a film for the squeamish. I was glued to my broken-bone sick-bed throughout. At the end you see photos of the real climbers as well as some printed notice of what happened later, including the controversy.

If you can stand it, don’t miss it!

2003, British Mystery Series, Conspiracy, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Gritty, Suspense, TV Series

State of Play (2003)

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From NetFlix:

Powerful politico Stephen Collins (David Morrissey) is embroiled in a scandal when his
research assistant dies in a freak accident and his former campaign manager Cal McAffrey
(John Simm), now a reporter, realizes the incident may be linked to the death of a drug
dealer. As McAffrey digs deeper, he uncovers a dangerous connection between government
and big business in this exciting conspiracy thriller from the BBC.

This version is a 2-disc, 6-episode British TV series that predates the Hollywood film. Reviews for the film have been lukewarm, but they recommended this TV series that I got from NetFlix. Kathy and I could not wait to see each exciting installment. Acting is excellent. Details are well worked out. But pay attention in this conspiracy thriller. From time to time we would pause the DVD player and confer on whether we really understood what was happening. Even toward the end when things seem to be settling down you should hang on for more surprise.

I cannot recommend this British TV series highly enough.

2003, Could Be Hard To Watch, Detective, Revenge, Violent

Mystic River (2003)

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From NetFlix:

Three childhood friends, Sean (Kevin Bacon), Dave (Tim Robbins)
and Jimmy (Sean Penn) are reunited in Boston 25 years later when
they are linked together in the murder investigation of Jimmy’s
daughter. This taut thriller from director Clint Eastwood won
two acting Oscars (for Robbins and Penn) and was nominated for
several more in its exploration of human behavior when faced
with pain just beneath the surface, justified rage and scars
that never heal.

Set and filmed in Boston, this recreation of Dennis Lehane’s novel (which is a really good read) met with great success. It is a dark plot complete with child abuse, murder, and revenge. Sean Penn becomes the character completely. I think it was this film that first made me appreciate Marcia Gay Harden. Do not expect this “don’t miss it” film to end happily.

2003, FilmReview, Imperfect, Suspense, Violent

Cold Creek Manor (2003)

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From IMDB

From NetFlix:

    Location, location, location. A loving couple (Dennis
    Quaid and Sharon Stone), along with their son and daughter,
    relocate from the city to the country, where they put the
    down payment on their dream home — a sprawling farmhouse.
    But home sweet home quickly becomes a nightmare when the
    house’s previous owner (Stephen Dorff) returns from
    prison … and wants his house back  badly. Directed by
    Mike Figgis.

The trailer to this film misled me to expect a horror film.
It is not horror, but rather a suspense film. The acting is
good throughout. The beginning is well done. Unfortunately
the ending in my opinion is weak. I give this film a B. It
is fun to watch despite its imperfections. There is a lot of
sometimes scary violence, and one not-too-explicit sex scene.
Probably not for children. Do you like snakes ?

Could have been better.

2003, Could Be Hard To Watch, FilmReview, Violent

Veronica Guerin (2003)

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From NetFlix:

    Veronica Guerin (Cate Blanchett), a real-life reporter for
    Dublin’s Sunday Independent, delved into the netherworld
    of drug lords in pursuit of a great story — but her zeal
    put her life in grave danger. Gerard McSorley and Brenda
    Fricker co-star in this Joel Schumacher-directed drama based
    on events in the acclaimed Irish journalist’s life.

Lately I have lucked out and inadvertently chosen really good
films. Most films don’t deserve a rave. So if I seem to be
raving (mad) lately, it is for a reason.

“Veronica Guerin” is a powerful, tense, inspiring film. Cate
Blanchett is a warm, justifiably frightened, brave reporter.
This is a true story complete with vicious, unscrupulous drug
lords. It’s not a western but the bad guys are easy to spot.

The violence excludes children from watching. The tension
might not be easy for some viewers. I will refrain from
giving away the true ending which as usual in the real
world is a mixture of horror and triumph.

Keep a watchful eye. Colin Farrell gets a 15 second walk-on
discussion with Cate about soccer. By 2003 his career was
well established. I wonder why he would do the walk-on or if
they even paid him for it. The walk-in added nothing  to the film.

I won’t keep saying this but in this case:
DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!

2003, FilmReview, Western

Open Range (2003)

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From NetFlix:

    Kevin Costner directs and stars in this Western drama about
    four free-grazing ranchers — Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall),
    Charley Waite (Kevin Costner), Mose Harrison (Abraham Benrubi)
    and Button (Diego Luna) — whose cattle meander close to a
    small town ruled by a greedy sheriff and his cronies. Forced
    to defend their way of life, the cowboys take on the corrupt
    leaders, while Charley, a loner, is surprised by a newfound
    love (Annette Bening).

As a young boy I saw a western just about every Saturday. My weekly allowance was 30 cents:
20 cents for the movie, then go  next door to  the 5-and-dime and read every  comic book except
one (Captain Marvel Junior) and then  spend the remaining 10 cents for that comic book.

 The wonderful thing about westerns is that they are usually so black and white. It’s easy to spot
the villains (always wore black in the past movies). And Hopalong Cassidy (and possibly the Lone
Ranger)  wore white as I recall. By the way, Lone Ranger’s Indian sidekick was named “Tonto” which
is Spanish for “fool”. Could this have been racism ?

At any case “Open Range” is fairly black and white although Kevin Costner wrestles with his
violent  past. The very end of the film might be considered a tad maudlin. Costner and Duval
speak tersely throughout the film. But at the end Costner and Bening get to talk smoochy (that’s
where the maudlin starts).

Cheers and hisses to Michael Gambon (born in  Dublin and uses brogue in the film) for being such
a great villain.

And what fun seeing all the bad guys getting shot in a wonderful gun battle.

It took me awhile to recognize Annette Bening. Somehow her role  here was different than
any of  her past efforts.

“Open Range” is somewhat old-fashion (meant as praise) [except that the young sidekick is
a Latino. Could this be an attempt at being current ?]  There are no wonderful psychopaths
as in “3:10 to  Yuma”. There is no treachery as in “The Assassination of Jesse James”. Just
plan old shoot-em-up fun. And don’t forget to see Clive Owen in “Shoot  ‘Em  Up”.

If you like westerns, you will love this film,

2003, Feel Good Not For Children, Italian

Facing Windows (2003)

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From NetFlix:

Feeling overwhelmed and stuck in a dull marriage, Giovanna
begins refocusing her attention (or repressing her emotions)
by caring for the Jewish Holocaust survivor her husband brings
home one day. As Giovanna reflects on her life, she turns to
the man who lives across from her and whose window faces hers.
Stars Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Massimo Girotti, Raoul Bova,
Filippo Nigro and Serra Yilmaz. Directed by Verzan Ozpetek.

Once again I have stumbled onto a good film. This time it was a coming attraction on another disc from NetFlix.

“Facing Windows” is a warm Italian film with good acting, surprises, music, and human values. It has some discrete sexual scenes which is why I rated it “Feel-good possible not for children”. But the human values, especially the ending could provoke a great family discussion. I feel really lucky to have discovered this gem.