furrydad Reviews

The Sex Movie (2006)

Another interesting indie film - strong acting

[8/10 · 20 September 2009]

This is kind of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" meets "Friends". As IMDb points out, much of the movie was actually filmed in sequence, and it kind of shows. The male actors start off kind of rocky, but by about 15 minutes in, they're quite believable. Michelle Mosley and Eleese Longing are spot on from the very first mark.

While the situation seems bizarre, it does kind of remind me of the intense passion of being in your early twenties, where people aren't always kind with their emotions or those of others and manipulation just for the fun of it isn't unknown. When there's a lot of hurt inside and not a good language or forum to safely get it out, these things actually do happen. If you've ever lived through anything like that, then you'll recognize these characters.

Overall, I liked the film. The production value is oddly in tact with the bizarreness of the film. At first it really feels stilted, but as the action speeds up, the film making becomes really quite good. Since I am seeing the same thing as with the male actors, I'm wondering if there's some hidden point here - or if it just got better because it was in sequence.

It's worth seeing if you like character driven films that reflect the idea that no matter how sure of ourselves we look on the outside, there's always an inner frailty.

Crash (I) (2004)

What Dickens would have written and directed today

[10/10 · 18 September 2005]

I am a passionate student of Dickens, preferring his more somber works such as Bleak House to his sillier fare. But even that sillier fare (Great Expectations, Oliver Twist ...)somehow managed to find the human truth of each character, and explore the important social themes of his day, among the improbable and unexpected plot twists. Crash, written and directed by Paul Haggis, is a film that Dickens would have made if he were alive today.

The negative reviews I have read on this clearly have missed the point - "Crash" was overtly trying to be Dickenesque while taking-on a major social issue of today - internal and external racism among black, white, Asian, Hispanic, Persians and various other Americans. Yes, at times it's improbable, but never illogical or impossible. And isn't that like the after effect of a real crash? You never know where the pieces are going to end up, sometimes in the most unlikely of place, but that they got to their destination is a simple and undeniable fact of physics.

Just like Dickens, but in less than 2 hours, you come to intimately know 8 major characters and 10 minor characters. But more importantly, each of these characters give you an insight into your own thoughts, prejudices and self-delusions. The bottom line here is that racism exists because we are sure we know exactly who and what the "other" is; however, that "other" is always far more complex than our racism will let us admit. The secret truth to this movie is that we may think we know who we are as well, yet our own racism is far more complex and affecting than we will ever admit.

Haggis gets the best from his actors. Matt Dillon gives the performance he's been wanting to do for 20 years, as does Sandra Bullock and Brandon Frasier. And Crash answers the question which no one would ever have dared to ask ... Tony Danza actually can act, and act well. Who would have thought? Don Cheadle proves that Hotel Rwanda was not just a one-shot acting triumph. Even better, Haggis gets sterling performances out of a number of actors, many of whom you'll recognize from phoned-in performances from other lesser films and TV experiences who suddenly flower and deliver under this director's attention.

The pace and editing of the film is amazing.

This is probably the best film I have seen yet this millennium. It's worth seeing at least twice.

School of Life (2005 TV Movie)

Pleasantly Surprised - a balancing act that actually works

[10/10 · 18 September 2005]

I only watched this film because I was on a flight back from Europe and I had already seen the other two studio releases. From its high placement on the airline's priority of movies, it appeared to be a studio release which I had just missed. Imagine my surprise when I found out though IMDb that this is a TV Movie.

But Continental is right - this deserves studio release - it's quite good. This film is cliché after cliché, but like another film that successfully negotiates this trap ("Casablanca"), "School of Life" finds new truth in each tired cliché and presents it with a freshness that makes you realize that there are (amazingly) still aspects of these themes to explore.

As the title clearly states, this is a Bildungsroman -- but not the one you think it's going to be about. While it employs a remarkably overused cliché in the middle of the film, it does it so well that you don't care. Indeed, I can think of a number of other "feature" films that are far higher rated that have employed this same tired cliché with far less grace, far more commonality and descending into melodrama without providing the slightest moment of insight. This film, much to its credit, pulls it off.

The dramatic transition of the main character (David Paymer) is actually believable. At first this character is just half a step removed from the cliché of a frustrated modern buffoon -- someone that you recognize from your life, but just slightly over-accentuated so that you know a personality like this would probably not exist in the real world. However, his dramatic transition is actually believable and not overdone. Again, while this secondary theme has been explored a hundred times, this film does it with a precise balance that makes it believable, enjoyable and meaningful.

Ryan Reynolds pulls off a feat that is remarkable in this film. He truly captures the aspect of being the "cool" person that everyone wants to know and who excludes no one from his aura of coolness. This characterization is so tenuous that any false move and it falls apart. And yet never do we not believe that this man is precisely whom he appears to be - someone that you get to meet once or twice in your life and you're thankful for the chance. I believe that there is a Mr. "D" somewhere in Ryan Reynolds. Stealing a line from another favorite movie ("My Favorite Year") - there must be a bit of Mr. "D" in Ryan Reynolds because no one can act that good.

Why to watch this movie? It is occasionally hilarious, always thoughtful and realistically explores the emotional responses of middle-aged adults, young adults and middle schoolers. It is an excellent "family" film that you can actually talk about with your wife and kids when it's done. This coming from a reviewer that believes that nearly 100% of family films are banal, saccharin tripe and wasteful of the celluloid the films are printed on. For me to recommend a film as fine for the whole family means it's really a good film.

This film does what films are supposed to do - it entertains while challenging you at the same time. Bravo for a film well done.