Curt’s
Corner is a periodic movie review written by Curt Burbach of Mesa, Arizona.
Letters
from Iwo Jima
(Release
Date: Dec 20th, 2006)
Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg collaborated on this project in conjunction with Eastwood’s production of Flags of Our Fathers, which came out earlier in 2006. Apparently, Eastwood shot film for both while visiting Iwo Jima in 2005. Iwo Jima is a sacred shrine for Japan and visitation is restricted. Eastwood received special permission to film there, but the filming was limited. Action scenes had to be shot in Iceland where the same type of volcanic topography exists. Very clever and resourceful of him to film for two outstanding stories at the same time while getting a rare glimpse of a protected battlefield.
This film is one of the best war movies ever made. I think I said the same thing about Flags, a few months ago. If you liked Flags of Our Fathers, then you’re going to love this one. It shows us the other side of the epic battle at Iwo Jima in 1945. This is the story of the 22,000 Japanese soldiers that fortified and defended the island from U.S. invasion, and the challenges that they faced.
I thought this film was very tastefully done. The filming, acting, special effects, editing, writing and directing were absolutely top-notch. Clint Eastwood deserves to win something for this. In fact, as of this writing, Letters has won the Golden Globe award for best foreign language film, and has been nominated for four Academy Awards to include best picture, best director, and best original screenplay. I’m happy to give this outstanding film, four bones out of four.
T
(Release
Date: Sep 29th, 2006)
This is the true story about the behavior and actions of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and those around her, including newly elected Prime Minister Tony Blair, during the days immediately following the death of Princess Diana. I have to believe that all the actions, statements, and much of the dialog are verifiably true.
You have to be old enough to recall these events as they occurred back in 1997 in order to fully appreciate it. I found the story to be pretty darn interesting. And yeah, I can see why it would be nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards along with five other categories including best director and best original screenplay. Lead actress Helen Mirren gives a perfect performance while portraying the Queen. I can see why she won the Golden Globe Award for best actress in a feature film drama, and has been nominated for the ever-popular best actress Oscar.
I really enjoyed the recreation of all the support characters, i.e. Tony Blair, the queen mother, and especially Prince Charles (he’s such a schmuck). I also enjoyed the opportunity to see how the royal family lives at their private Balmoral estate in the Scottish countryside (which is where they spend most of their time).
This was a thoroughly enjoyable film and I am happy to give it 3 ½ bones for being very good.
Pan’s
Labyrinth
(Release
Date: Oct 15th, 2006)
I wasn’t too interested in seeing this film after I saw the movie trailer for it. It looked like just another fantasy film, of which there seems to be a lot of these days. But I was wrong. I decided to see it since it’s rating so high amongst viewers and film critics, and now I’m glad I did. The trailer turned out to be misleading (what a surprise!).
Now, I must embark upon a short history lesson (I love this part). During the late 1930’s, Spain experienced a revolution. The Spanish government invited the Nazi’s to help quell the rebel resistance, and they were only too happy to oblige. The Spanish Revolution turned out to be a proving-grounds for the German army. Field commanders and army units used this opportunity to practice using their newly acquired weapon systems, while perfecting their operating procedures. The rebel forces didn’t stand a chance. By the way – this was the war in which the great American writer Ernest Hemingway worked as a volunteer ambulance driver (the US wasn’t involved in the fighting), which later served as a backdrop for a few of his classic best-sellers. By the time WWII started in 1939, the German army was a seasoned fighting machine. Did you ever notice that during WWII, there wasn’t hardly any activity in Spain? That’s because Nazi Germany had the fascist government of Spain in their hip pocket.
While the rest of Europe was consumed with world war, the Spanish government was struggling to suppress the remaining rebel factions. This is the setting for Pan’s Labyrinth (1944). It’s a story about a young girl’s fascination with fairy tales and how she puts that to work for herself.
I thought the filming and special effects were pretty cool. The story is very unique in that it employs both the violence of war and the imagination of a child’s fantasy world. This is yet another foreign language film (there seems to be a lot of these this season), so look for subtitles. The acting wasn’t anything special except for perhaps the lead villain. I consider the film to be good, but not as good as its ratings. I give it three bones, mostly for the writing and directing of Guillermo del Toro, and the creepy villain he created.
*** (As seen on DVD) ***
Monsters,
Inc.
(Release
Date: Oct 28th, 2001)
This is a fun movie. I wish I had seen when it first came out. It’s a computer animated film created by Pixar (they always do good work) and produced by Disney. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including best animated feature. It did, in fact result in an Oscar for composer Randy Newman for best original song.
I was most impressed with the writing. What a great concept! What a great story! Billy Crystal leads the cast of familiar voices, and he’s always very good at dispensing the quick wit and timely punch lines – although the editor is ultimately responsible for the final product.
If you’ve never seen it before, then I recommend you do. It’s a lot of fun, and I give it three bones for being good.
The
Break Up
(Release
Date: Jun 2nd, 2006)
Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn star in a story about the break-up of a couple that otherwise seemed happy. This is probably the best acting performance that I’ve seen from Jennifer Aniston, and it was refreshing to see Vince Vaughn show anger in a serious, dramatic way (at times). But don’t worry, you’ll still see plenty if his unique rhetorical style of humor. If you are familiar with Vince Vaughn, you’ll know what I mean.
Overall, I’d say the movie was average. The story wasn’t overly compelling, and there just wasn’t anything interesting comment on. Two Bones.
Checking
Out
(Release
Date: Apr 10th, 2005)
Peter Falk stars as an aging father of three adult children whom he brings together under what some believe to be a false pretense. This is essentially a feel good story about self discovery, forgiveness and appreciation. There are some laughs sprinkled throughout the script, and some few very well acted scenes. This had to be a fun role for Peter Falk to play since it required extravagant acting with several long scenes. Other than that, there isn’t much else to say, except that it won some awards at the Phoenix Film Festival when it came out. Two bones for being average.
Talking
to Heaven
(a.k.a.
Living With the Dead)
(Release
Date: Apr 28th, 2002)
I don’t normally review made-for-TV movies, but I will make an exception in this case, because this project could have easily been released as a feature film. The DVD version that I watched was 175 minutes long, so I guess it was easier to play to an audience over the TV airwaves – plus it was produced by CBS. Just for the record, I’m having a hard time thinking of a TV movie that was better than this.
This story was adapted from the autobiography written by James Van Praagh, a medium who can see and communicate with the dead. Hence, the second title list above, for which this film is also known. The script illustrates how Van Praagh comes to grips with his talents and learns to embrace it, in the midst of a few criminal cases.
It is quite an interesting story, filled with intrigue and mystery; the kind of film that creates discussion amongst it viewers. Ted Danson plays the lead role and did a very good job. I feel compelled to point out here, that Ted Danson has been nominated for, and has won, just a boat load of acting awards. His wife, Mary Steenburgen co-stars as the investigative police detective.
The book must make for a wonderfully entertaining read. This is indicative of the fact that the movie was extremely compelling. I give it three bones for being good.
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