1995, Violent

The Basketball Diaries (1995)

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From NetFlix:

Jim Carroll’s autobiographical novel chronicles a young basketball player’s
descent into addiction. As Jim’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) experimentation gives
way to a heroin habit supported by prostitution, he’s unable to face his
mother (Lorraine Bracco) or his demons at home, and former addict Reggie
(Ernie Hudson) may be the only one who can save him. Haunting and real ,
director Scott Kalvert’s drama is a powerful portrayal of chaos and redemption.

I almost hesitate to recommend this almost-B movie which I put in the VIOLENT category. A very young Leonard DiCaprio shows what a promising actor he was. There is a moment in which he realizes how much of his life he has thrown away that is just stunning. Will you recognize the bald Bobby dying of leukemia as Michael Imperioli who together with Lorraine Bracco were characters in “The Sopranos” ? Also very young was Mark Wahlberg as Mickey.

The treatment of sex is crude, unrestrained, and explicit. But then part of the joy of this movie is the unrestrained approach to living enacted by this band of soon-to-be hoodlums. It is this lack of restraint that eventually is their undoing. But if I cannot stop watching a film, then I only hope there is something worthwhile for others to see as well.

You stand warned!

2007, Feel Good Not For Children

The Edge of Heaven (2007)

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From NetFlix:

When his father (Tuncel Kurtiz) accidentally kills a prostitute
(Nursel Koese), Nejat (Baki Davrak) seeks out the woman’s 27-year-old
daughter, Ayten (Nurgul Yesilcay), to make amends. Nejat focuses his
search in Turkey, but Ayten, part of a closely scrutinized activist
group , has already fled to Germany. Lives intersect in unexpected ways
in writer-director Fatih Akin’s multilayered drama, which won Best
Screenplay at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

Because the film’s philosophy is that most people are forgiving and loving, I have classified this film as “Feel-good but not for children”. I am learning from my Spanish (Joaquín) and Italian (Vincenzo) teachers that we Americans are much more prudish than other countries. I was taken aback when two of the women characters fell in love with one another. Joaquín says the gay culture is taken for granted in Mexico City. At any rate, not for children.

When the dialog is not English (i.e. German or Turkish) there are subtitles. The action takes place in Germany (Bremen ?) and Istanbul. I enjoyed getting a view of narrow German streets, and what Istanbul looks like.

As with all these films that intermingle several stories, the coincidences can sometimes seem forced. I agonized over the ending which leaves unresolved a discovery that the characters must make. If this were a Hollywood film, that discovery would be made and the violins would play. I nearly flipped when the final screen credits rolled without the resolution I was dying to see.

The film is slower than a Hollywood romp. But it held my attention.

1000NYTimes, 1001BeforeDie, 1989, DO NOT MISS, Feel Good Not For Children

My Left Foot (1989)

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From NetFlix:

Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar for his portrayal of Irish writer
Christy Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy. Misdiagnosed
as mentally disabled for the first 10 years of his life, Brown
learned to write using his left foot, the only body part he
could control. The story unfolds in flashbacks, with Hugh O’Conor
as the young Christy equaling Day-Lewis’s performance as the adult.

“My Left Foot” is one of those classics that you should see at least once
before you die. Somehow Daniel Day-Lewis never seems to age. To me he looks practically the same in each of his films. Not only his performance but also that of the young Christy and Christy’s mother are phenomenal. I had seen this film years ago. It is ageless and I enjoyed it probably more the second time. Do not miss this movie!

2006, Revenge, Unusual

Daratt (2006)

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From NetFlix:

As the Chadian government declares nationwide amnesty after years
of war, 16-year-old Atim (Ali Barkai) sets out to take revenge on
the man who killed his father. After traveling to the capital, Atim
locates the man, but instead of finding a coldhearted murderer, he
comes across something entirely different. From the director of Bye
Bye Africa, Daratt is a compelling moral standoff as piercing for its
visuals as it is for its narrative.

The NetFlix raves a bit too much. This is one S L O W W W W W film. Acting is more than understated. It is a chance to see Chad. I can only hope that the characters behave in a manner that real Chadians would do. I don’t regret watching Daratt, but it is definitely not for everyone. In some African language plus French. English subtitles.

2007, Musical, Revenge, Unusual, Violent

Sweeny Todd (2007)

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From NetFlix:

Johnny Depp (in an Oscar-nominated role) reteams with director
Tim Burton for this adaptation of the hit Broadway musical
about the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Depp plays Sweeney
Todd, a man who becomes a deranged murderer seeking revenge
after being falsely imprisoned. To add to the macabre nature
of his crimes, he enlists the help of his lover, Mrs. Lovett
(Helena Bonham Carter), who disposes of the victims by baking
them into meat pies — sought after by all of London.

Only Stephen Sondheim could write a musical about slitting people’s throats. This is one literally bloody film with an R rating. If any of you out there are under 17 then you will have to have your mommy or daddy accompany you to see this slaughter. I felt compelled to put this film in the “not for everyone” category.

If you can divorce yourself from appropriate squeamishness, all the very positive reviews of this film are justified. Everything about the film is electrifying.

My daughter Kate tells me that Johnny Depp after making this film vowed never to make another musical. And while we are on the topic of music, I offer you this challenge: After watching the film, can you remember and sing even one song from the film ? No fair taking notes during the watching.

1000NYTimes, 1001BeforeDie, 1996, Unusual, Violent

Trainspotting (1996)

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From NetFlix:

Danny Boyle’s explosive 1996 film tracks the misadventures of
young men (played by a cast that includes Ewan MacGregor, Robert
Carlyle and Jon Lee Miller) trying to find their way out of
joblessness, aimless relationships and drug addiction. Some are
successful, while others are hopelessly not . Based on Irvine Walsh’s
novel, Trainspotting melds grit with poetry, resulting in a film of
harsh truths and stunning grace.

I am not so sure “stunning grace” is what would come to mind if you were daring enough to watch this film which offers the following delights:

o Drugs
o Sex
o Filthy hovels
o Disgusting bathroom scenes
o Crude language
o Degenerate amoral characters.

Now with all that to offer, how could you not see this film ? 1996 was 12 years ago. I am sure that this film was a shocker 12 years ago, and it still can shock. But to tell you the truth the characters were such moral idiots, and the dialog and (possibly disgusting) sight gags were so clever that I just kept laughing out loud. After awhile you start to cringe at how hideous these 4 boy-men were and you wonder just how would Ewan MacGregor (who really tries to go straight) ever get away from the other 3. It was just this question that kept me riveted to the end.

No doubt this film will become a cult classic.

NOT FOR EVERYONE. NOT EVER FOR CHILDREN.

2000, French, Not Feel Good

Under The Sand (2000)

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From NetFlix:

A long-married Parisian couple (Charlotte Rampling and
Bruno Cremer) takes a vacation at the beach. But Rampling’s
life is suddenly thrown into turmoil when Cremer goes for a swim
and never returns. A penetrating character study into the nature
of denial, Under the Sand showcases Rampling at her very best in a
role that most comparable American actresses would kill for in
Hollywood.

The NetFlix review can be believed. This is a film for adults who want
to see adults act well. I highly recommend this film.

1993, Explicit sex, Unusual

The Buddha of Suburbia (1993)

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From NetFlix:

Naveen Andrews (TV’s ‘Lost’) stars in this satirical
coming-of-age tale as Karim, a half-English, half-Indian
teenager who struggles to find his own identity while growing
into adulthood in 1970s London. Adapted by Hanif Kureishi from
his Whitbread Award-winning novel, this BAFTA-winning miniseries
also stars Brenda Blethyn (Secrets & Lies) as Karim’s loving
mother, Margaret.

This TV series (2 discs) takes place in the Thatcher-Beatles era and may be a bit dated for you (bell-bottoms anyone ?) This is the last of the films by Hanif Kureishi that I will watch. His writings always ring true and the story is interesting and well-acted. It could stand some editing. There is a surprising amount of explicit sex. NOT FOR CHILDREN. I felt I had to put this film in the “weird” category only because you really have to want to watch an Indian in anti-colored England find himself. For my money, the best of all the Hanif Kureishi films was “My Beautiful Laundrette”.

1000NYTimes, 1986, Not Feel Good

My Beautiful Laundrette (1986)

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From NetFlix:

Hanif Kureishi received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay
for My Beautiful Laundrette, a stunning portrait of two boyhood
friends struggling to survive in racially tense Thatcher-era
Britain. Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a Pakistani, and his old school
chum Johnny (Daniel-Day Lewis) use stolen drug money to renovate
a laundrette in a squalid London neighborhood. But conflicting
interests and loyalties soon threaten their newfound success.

I continue to work my way thru the films of Hanif Kureishi. Recall that the previous film was “My Son The Fanatic”. “My Beautiful Laundrette” is 13 years older. I saw this film 20 years ago but was too “young” to appreciate it. At that time Daniel-Day Lewis meant nothing to me. But his role in this film is outstanding. He has the skill to become the character completely. The difference in characters between this film and “There Will Be Blood” is a tribute to his talent. One theme in the film is the gay relation between Omar and Johnny. It was stunning to watch a young, smiling, naive Omar transform into a cunning businessman. The actor who plays Omar’s father was the paedofile in “Monsoon Wedding”.

The film is inspired by the policies and attitudes of Margaret Thatcher’s England. How sad and ironic that Margaret Thatcher now has Alzheimer’s disease.

There is also some violence and nasty behavior. NOT FOR CHILDREN.

This is a really well-done film. The films of Hanif Kureishi are hard to get from NetFlix. They seem to be very popular now.

This one is a “don’t miss it”

1999, Not Feel Good

My Son The Fanatic (1999)

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From NetFlix:

Parvez (Om Puri), a Pakistani immigrant working as a cab
driver in England, feels increasingly estranged from his home
life as his marriage begins to crumble and his college-age
son (Akbar Kurtha) turns to Islamic fundamentalism. A burgeoning
relationship with a prostitute (Rachel Griffiths) and involvement
with a German businessman (Stellan Skarsgard) further complicate
matters. A humorous yet thoughtful film from screenwriter Hanif
Kureishi.

I am working my way through the films of screenwriter Hanif Kureishi. I already reported on “The Mother”. Despite the Net Flix comment, “My Son The Fanatic” is NOT humorous. The father Parvez has not been a success in England. In fact I was almost turned off at the start of the movie by his ineptitude. But stick with it. I hope and assume that this film tells it like it is for many immigrants. Parvez is a very conflicted man. He is essentially someone with good family and moral values. But by the time the movie opens he is unfortunately a taxi-driving pimp. Why his son turns toward Islamic fundamentalism is well portrayed in this film. This is NOT a happy film. This is NOT for children. This is NOT a Hollywood film.

Expect to squirm and think a bit.