Curt’s Corner is a periodic movie review written by Curt Burbach of Mesa, Arizona.

 

 

 

The Black Dahlia

(Release date: Sept. 15th, 2006)

   

This is a fictional investigation, with fictional characters and a fictional conclusion to an actual unsolved murder case that took place in Los Angeles, in 1947. I thought the acting, filming, costumes and set direction was pretty darn good. However, I found the murder mystery to be only somewhat captivating.

The script covered many fictional topics, both inside and outside of the murder case. And, I really didn’t enjoy all the unrelated story line, since it was piggy-backing on the tails of an actual murder investigation. But apparently, the writer deemed it necessary to beef up the plot because much of the actual investigation is locked away and kept secret from the public – which of course, allows room for plenty of imagination and creativity.

The filming and replication of cars, streets, police rooms – all the sets, were very good. Some scenes employed a soft lens, just to get that 40’s look. The acting performances, especially by the lead actors Josh Hartnett and Scarlett Johansson, were pretty decent, but not good enough to knock our socks off.

Bottom line; I give this film only 2 ½ bones for being above average, despite its healthy marketing budget.

 

   

Fly Boys

(Release date: Sept. 22, 2006)

   

During the early years of World War I, many young American men volunteered to fly for the French in an organization called the Lafayette Escadrille. The United States was not yet in involved in the war, and this was a way for American fighting men to be involved, and in some cases flee their hometowns. (History lesson here -before the United States became involved in World War II, there was an organization called the Flying Tigers, which flew out of Burma, and operated under much of the same premise). "Fly Boys" is an attribute to the men of the Lafayette Escadrille, and the sacrifices they made.

The artificial computer graphics of the aerial combat scenes were outstanding. Except for a few scenes where only one or two aircraft were actually seen flying, all the aerial filming appeared to be produced by computer. But, I was still very impressed by it, as well as the set direction as they replicated the training procedures, technology and equipment of the time. I was also impressed with the art direction and the costume design. The acting however, was nothing special. James Franco plays the hero, and French veteran actor, Jean Reno portrays the commanding officer. 

I thought this film had all the ingredients necessary for being outstanding.  However, I'm afraid they missed the mark a little bit. The writer incorporated a couple of very cheesy scenes, which I thought diluted the authenticity of the story. Take away the aerial combat, and the realistic replication of the tools that they used, and this film was very weak. I realize that love stories did (only sparingly), occur between American fighting men and the women of Europe, both during World War I and World War II. However, the love story in this film, combined with the action of aerial combat, once again follows a trend in today's moviemaking industry. I believe the writers should have explored the backgrounds and the adventures of the flyers more thoroughly, and lay off the love story.

 I give this film 2 ½ bones for being above average, and that's only because of the technical achievements. The aerial combat between World War I biplane aircraft is the best ever shown in film making.

   

 

 

All the Kings Men

(Release date: Sept. 22, 2006)

   

Sean Penn portrays a man who was raised in poverty and rose to the office of governor of Louisiana, with the platform of "representing the common man." This story closely parallels the real life story of Louisiana Governor Huey Long, who was elected in 1928.  All the King's Men takes place in the early 1950's and is a very close resemblance to the Long story, but not an absolute reflection.

I thought the filming and acting of this movie were very good. Lead actor Sean Penn, once again, gives an outstanding performance - and I wouldn't be surprised if he was nominated for best actor in a leading role. The performance of the supporting cast was adequate, and the set direction, costume design and cinematography reflected a high level of authenticity.

The screenplay was adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name by its author, Robert Penn Warren, and director Steven Zaillian. Zaillian has written screenplays for many familiar movie titles, the most popular being Schindler's List. Mr. Warren first published his novel, All the Kings Men, in 1946. He also helped adapt the screenplay for the film in 1949, as it won the Academy Award for best motion picture. Isn't it interesting that 57 years later, Mr. Warren can help write another screenplay, adapted from his own novel, in the hopes of enjoying great success, yet again? However, I found this story line to be only somewhat interesting. I'm not exactly sure what they could have done to make it more intriguing, since he was trying to stay so close to the real Huey Long story. I just didn’t find this film to be very captivating or compelling.

I give this film 2 ½ bones for being above average, and that is primarily for the filming and a very good acting performance by Sean Penn.

   

 

The Guardian

(Release date: Sept.29, 2006)

   

This film is the story of a Coast Guard rescue veteran who teaches a group of new rescue candidates, as he tries to deal with his own personal crises. It stars Kevin Costner who takes his favorite student (Ashton Kutcher from That 70's Show) under his wing.

I was expecting this film to be just in other action thriller with very good special effects - computer graphics. But, I was surprised. Unlike an "Officer and a Gentleman." or 'Top Gun", this film was not overly dramatic. There were several opportunities during the script, however, that could have resulted in over-the-top drama. But, writer Ron Brinkerhoff toned down these situations as to not make them overly macho and sexy. This made the story more appealing, and I really appreciated that. It was a very good tribute to the men and women in the United States Coast Guard.

Ashton Kutcher is well known for playing a bumbling idiot on TV in "That 70's Show." Yet, this has turned out to be an opportunity for him to show off his acting ability. And, he did it very well, as we also saw in "The Butterfly Effect."

Bottom line; I give this film 2 ½ bones for being above average.

   

 

The Departed

(Release date: Oct 6, 2006)

   

How does Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, and Martin Sheen sound for an all-star cast. Throw in Martin Scorsese as the director and they must have spent a fortune just to hire all these guys. Jack Nicholson portrays a mafia crime boss in Boston, as a story of law enforcement and corruption unfolds.

The film was 2 ½ hours long , which gave the three main stars (Jack, Matt, Leo) ample opportunity to hog the camera and show of their acting abilities. The writers came up with a pretty interesting script, with a pretty compatible conclusion. It wasn’t as powerful as The Godfather, but it was fun to watch Jack Nicholson fill this role because it’s perfect for him. You should have fun trying to keep tract of who is doing what and for whom. And, that’s where this film makes its niche.

I suspect the film may get nominated for best picture, and that’s primarily because this has been such a weak year for good movies. Plus, Jack was allowed to act like a scoundrel, so he may get nominated too (since he usually does anyway). I give this film three bones for good writing and good acting.

 

   

Man of the Year

(Release date: Oct 13, 2006)

   

This film is about a late night comedian talk-show host who runs for, and becomes elected to, the office of president of the United States. I’m surprised we haven’t seen something like this before. Film makers have made several movies over the years depicting the president as an idiot. Plus, we saw Robert Redford run for the U.S. Senate as a joke in The Candidate. But, we haven’t seen a comedian become president before, that I can remember, and who better to fulfill this roll than Robin Williams.

Contrary to the trailers advertising this movie, it’s actually more of a drama than a comedy. It even had a touch of danger incorporated into it. I wasn’t expecting anything like that. I’m also glad to report that there wasn’t a cheesy love story, although the basis for one was laid – I’m comfortable with that.

You will probably laugh several times, although many of the funny scenes have already been shown repeatedly in the trailers. I give it  2 ½ bones for being funny and unique.

   

 

Flags of Our Fathers

(Release date: Oct 20, 2006)

   

This is an excellent tribute to those involved in the WWII battle at Iwo Jima. It was made with the same quality as Saving Private Ryan, and no wonder, it was produced by both Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood.

Clint also directed the film, as it concentrates on the far reaching effects of the flag raising photograph that has become so very famous, and the war bond drive that the flag raisers were required to perform afterwards. Now, the film is not in chronological order, so please try to remember that the flag was raised on the fifth day of the invasion, and the fighting continued for another 40 days afterward. I found the story to be an enjoyable mix of character testimony, combat action and bond drive drama – very tastefully done.

I'm happy to see both Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood combining their talents for such a worthy project. I hope we see them collaborate again in the future. I give this excellent film four bones and I highly suspect it will be nominated for Oscars in several categories; best picture, filming, writing, directing and possibly lead actor for Adam Beach.

 

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