Paradise Reel

It has come to my attention (thanks Di!) that one of my beloved theater hangouts in Singapore is finally reopening! Cathay Cinema along Bras Baseh Road is undergoing urban renewal and will unveil its new facade in March 2006! This has got to be one of the best Christmas news ever for me as I (amongst many other film geeks) had many fond movie memories there. Cathay cinema first opened its doors in the mid 1930s and has been screening films till 2000 when it finally closed to much disappointment. But a full 5 years has passed and Cathay organisation has decided to revamp the place with multiple screens, 24-hour movies, film festivals, the Picturehouse (woohoo!) and dig this, film seminar rooms! Its a good sign that they are actually making provisions for filmmakers to give workshops and talk about the filmmaking process. Small step to making Singapore a film hub but at least its one eh?

There is a short commercial for the new cineplex up on the Cathay website that showcases whats in store. Click here to view! Now the next thing they need to figure out is what they are going to do with the Capitol building…

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with this little bit of info on Studio Ghibli’s upcoming project. Happy Holidays from Cineaste!

Studio Ghibli website has reported that the next project to be given the Miyazaki treatment is none other than Ursula K. Le Guin’s beloved novel “A Wizard of Earthsea”. The company has acquired the rights of “Gedo Senki” (which is the Japanese title of Le Guin’s novel and roughly translates to “Gedo’s War History”) and has tasked Hayao’s son, Goro, to manage the directorial duties. There was the dismal Sci-Fi channel miniseries a while back based on the same set of novels so lets hope that Japan’s premiere animation studio will be able to set right the series whilst lending its magical touch. The animated feature will utilise a combination of hand drawn cels and computer manipulation to bring the story to life. The teaser site has only one image to speak of but it still gives you an idea of how this little fantasy tale is going turn out. Click here to view the website! The site is in Japanese so unless you’re either from that country or watched a little too much anime while growing up, we probably will not understand a single thing there. An english version of the site should be up shortly.

Memoirs of a Geisha

This would probably be the fastest turn around for me yet. I just got home from the theater and am already banging away at my pale vanilla, slightly worn out key(board). I welcomed the news that DreamWorks/Columbia would be adapting Arthur Golden’s celebrated novel “Memoirs of a Geisha” into a film. The first piece of rumour that surfaced six years back was that Steven Spielberg was slated to direct and then it got stuck in development hell for another good five years. Then it passed from the hands of Spielberg to that of Brett Ratner (”Rush Hour 1&2″) and to even Spike Jonze (”Three Kings”) and then it disappeared from the media radar. It was only around a year ago that Rob Marshall, hot off his Oscar winning “Chicago”, stepped up to the plate with any true intentions of actually completing the film.

I have to admit that in the wake of inferred movie titles (ie. “The Squid and the Whale”; “The House of Sand and Fog”), it is rather refreshing to have a straight forward a title as this one. “Memoirs” is the story of a nine-year-old named Chiyo (played by newcomer Suzuka Ohgo) who is sold to a geisha house in Kyoto’s Gion district. It chronicles her life starting as a mere servant and then rising above her rank and status to become the most famous geisha in all of Kyoto and Tokyo. The courtesan then falls in love with a kind and charismatic business man but geishas are not allowed to love. They are “objects” of art and objects do best to render all feelings null. The story is a very simple one actually and one that we have encountered before but interestingly enough, it is set at a very complex time in history and in a very culturally rich society. ( “Moulin Rouge” anyone?)

The true sign of a good director is one who understands the strengths and weaknesses of his/her troupe of actors. Dir. Rob Marshall seem to have not lost his impeccable eye for detailed characters since his directorial debut in 2002 “Chicago”. In “Memoirs” he has strategize a role for Zhang Ziyi that not only suits her but allows her to vent some acting promise. She has a doggedly look of determination etched on her face which fits this role like a glove. It also helps that the actress playing her younger self is just as endearing. The director chose to introduce the main character Chiyo at age nine as it allows us to immediately establish an emotional connection with her because of all the hardships she had to endure. Introduce Zhang Ziyi’s older Chiyo slightly later and whatever emotional bonds we developed with young Chiyo are shifted over to Ziyi. She still sports the look of a young upstart but this time she is able to ensnare the audience’s heartstrings.

I have not seen Gong Li in a role such as this one but on the flip side I still have yet to watch half of her movies to date. She plays the vixen of vengeance, Hatsumomo, who is the head geisha of where Chiyo resides with deadly precision. She encapsulates everything that a geisha should hope to be yet she is able to reflect a suppressed childlike pettiness deep within. Michelle Yeoh once again reminds us how she won the 1983 Miss Malaysia pageant. Her character Mameha is regal and statuesque. Although we do not see her in full geisha gear, she is still able to convince us (sans makeup) that she is one of famous geishas in Kyoto. One thing that surprised me was the fact that this story centers on three female, and very Japanese, geishas. Yet, all the three lead roles are played by Chinese actresses.

Another masterpiece is in the cinematography and the set production. There is an ornate amount of attention to the detailing of the Kyoto city streets circa 1930. They were not able to film on location in Japan as the city itself was deemed too modern so they actually built an entire set to mimic the Gion district. They even had real cobblestones roads, wooden bridges and an actual working river. Director of Photography Dion Beebe (“Chicago” and “Equilibrium”) saturates each scene with vibrant colours that takes its cues from Zhang Yimou’s “Hero” but never going overboard. There is some cunning use of overlapping imagery to transit from one scene to another which adds just the right touch to keep the composition interesting. John Williams left the composing duties of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” for this stint and it only goes to show what the latest potter film’s lost was “Geisha”’s gain. With cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma and Violins by Itzhak Perlman, Williams has created a score that is haunting and exotic.

Rob Marshall has fashioned another adaptation, this time from a novel, that is in many ways his own and yet respectful of the source material. While some may contest certain customs and cultural discrepancies, the world that the film creates feels a lot more believable than anything “The Last Samurai” tried to do. This film manages to capture the essence of a young girl thrown into a world that has no place for her and forced to confront the unforgiving realities of life for the sake of her own survival. Gong Li (“Red Sorghum” and “Raise the Red Lantern”) has been an icon for Chinese cinema for as long as I can remember, and Michelle Yeoh (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Police Story 3”) is always a treat to watch. Throw in the rising dragon of Zhang Ziyi (“Hero” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) and you have found justification for the ticket price. Besides, we have been waiting to see Zhang Ziyi in a kimono and act all demure and delicate for the longest time…

First off, I have to apologise for the lack of updates of late. Due to some server problems with blogsome.com, I have been unable to upload anything till recently. Anyway, they assured me that they are on top of the problem (like that means anything anymore…) so hopefully the site will load a lot smoother from now on. So now back to the post!

For all you 80’s children (me included), the cartoon “The Transformers” has been gaining a cult following throughout the globe in the form of rabib toy enthusiasts and new incarnations of the series. It is no surprise that Hollywood would have come calling for a full fledge live-action film to bank on its popularity. Dreamworks is the parent company funding this vehicle and has tapped MTV offspring Michael “Product Placement” Bay as the director. I was a fan of his earlier films (”The Rock” and “Bad Boys”) for his cinematic style but his recent offerings have were just special effects drivel. I honestly hope that he can remember that all the fanfare in the world will not save you lest you have a solid story to begin with. The “Hollywood North Report” states that a Feb shoot date has been planned and sets are already being constructed in Vancouver.

The following synopsis was provided by Darkhorizons:

In the first draft of the script there were four main Transformers on each side but the plans are to expand that to five on each side in the next script revision. The characters of Optimus Prime, Jazz, Ratchet, Bumblebee and Arcee for the Autobots and Megatron, Soundwave and Starscream for the Decepticons. The remaining 2 Decepticons are yet to be determined.

The story is set in Southwest, USA and will be about Autobots who have been on Earth for a long time, (possibly as far back as biblical times) and are engaged in hidden war with other Transformers. It will told from human perspective. There are currently no plans for a second or third film but if the first film does well, two more are likely to follow.

King Kong

In the year of films that were either “based on a true story”, literary adaptations and contemporary re-envisions of classics, Universal’s latest remake of the film “King Kong” has stood out solely for the reason that it was Peter Jackson’s follow up to his Oscar winning “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and also the fact that it was on his pot boiler ever since he first saw the 1933 version. Originally planned to be produced after his stint on “The Frighteners” (a totally underrated film starring Michael J. Fox about a con artist who enlists the help of ghosts to cheat folks out of their hard earned cash. Go rent it!), the rights to the film were not available and then LOTR came along to divert his attention. After the success of the ‘One Ring’ trilogy, he is now able to devote the time and technology to finally realize his vision of the once and future Kong.

As with all film icons, we should have at least encountered a rendition of this tale at least once in our lives but for those who are not as fortunate, “King Kong” is a classic retelling of the age old concept of the “Beauty and the Beast” just that this time the ‘beast’ lives on a remote island (presumably near Sumatra) and is a 25ft silver back gorilla that could rampage a city into a smoldering mess faster than Tokyo’s Godzilla on a good day. Peter Jackson has taken that very premise and expanded upon the relationship between the monkey and the maiden; to almost an extreme point where the rest of the characters are relegated to being merely cursory pawns in Peter’s grand scheme. There seem to be an imbalanced amount of attention devoted to Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts of “Mulholland Dr.” and “Tank Girl”) and “The 8th Wonder of the World”. Given that the title to the film is attributed to that giant ape, it still serves to remind us that the ultimate enjoyment of a film does not rest solely on the shoulders of a 20 ton gorilla, even if those shoulders can lift a bloody building.

And that is not to say I did not enjoy the movie at all but I honestly felt that it could have been a better, not a lot, but better. The first hour was rather uneventful as we traipse through the introductions of the different players of this lavish screen piece. We encounter Ann Darrow, struggling vaudeville performer in need of new work, Carl Denham (Jack Black in his most miscast role) renegade filmmaker in search of his ultimate vision and Jack Drescol (Adrien Brody of “The Piano Player” and “The Jacket”) budding playwright and potential love interest of Ann. There is an exceptional amount of screen time allocated to the setup which gives us an extended opportunity to attach ourselves to the characters.

It is only after they crash onto the fabled Skull Island that things start to get intriguing. And boy does Peter Jackson really pick up the pace there. From here is the start of the veritable roller coaster ride that he painstakingly setup in first hour. The ascension may have been long and tedious to the top but the fall is everything you would expect it to be.

A mainstay of Jackson’s films, which he brilliantly illustrated in “Heavenly Creatures” and “LOTR”, is the detailed characterization of his players. You can observe his master touch as he engages us in the interaction of Ms. Darrow and her feral friend. Although initial of a primal nature, Kong and Ann develop a humanistic bond that goes beyond the simplistic mistress and pet routine. There are some very tender moments between the two that would even make one tear. And that is the triumph of this film, which is not only being able to ensnare the audience into this woman-ape-man love triangle, but that the character of Kong is completely computer generated. Here we are, investing our emotions and heart into a character that speaks no words, is not entirely human and communicates mainly in grunts and huffs which results in one of the most touching ending of any of the previous Kong incarnations.

Naomi Watts indeed shines in this film as a lot of the film hinges on her ability to create a relationship with an invisible character (most of her scenes required her acting to thin air) and still make it look believable. And she pulls it off remarkably as we feel for her character, Ann Darrow, as much as we do for Kong. Adrien Brody is non-assuming as Jack Drescol and he tries his best to provide the third wheel in this love triage. Granted that the role is not at meaty as some of his other ones, he is still unable to provide a stronger opposition to Kong, emotional or otherwise. Andy Serkis (”LOTR: The Two Towers” and “The Return of the King”) provided the live action movement and mannerism of King Kong for the animators to mimic in the creation of the gorilla and he manages to capture all the little idiosyncrasies that made the ape so endearing. The one gripe I had was Jack Black as maverick film producer, Carl Denham. His character is supposed to be single minded in his pursuit of the ultimate movie but he comes off more comical than convincing.

It has been a tradition of sorts for the “Kong” films to push the boundaries of technical advancements in film. The 1933 original had arcane stop motion animation and some ingenious film trickery. The ‘76 Jessica Lange version had huge animatronics and some stop motion combined with blue screen to make it work. This time round they employed the award winning computer-animation house, WETA, who were responsible for suspending our disbelief in “LOTR”. The CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) is seamless as it is breathtaking. Very few films have utilized CGI as effectively as they have in King Kong. The emphasis was made for the effects to serve the story rather than the other way round (i.e. “Stealth”) and it shows in the final screens.

Peter Jackson has crafted a mammoth of a film with this year’s “King Kong” that is filled with grand visuals and cunning adventure. There may have been some weak characterization on the token cast members but somehow I have the suspicion that it was done on the deliberate. My initial reaction to the film was quite mixed, on one hand I enjoyed it but the film was littered with stereotypical characters and cheap caveats. It could be very well that Mr. Jackson wanted to create a film that took place in the 1930’s and was actually filmed DURING that era, without the notion of political correctness nor a need to explain everything that transpires the film. If that is the actual case then it would be sheer brilliance on Peter Jackson’s part. If not, then another great artist goes misunderstood. For those who are a little thrifty on the financial side, this is definitely a film for you to stretch your money’s worth. Three full hours of some of the best filmmaking Hollywood and New Zealand has to offer, all for the price you would normally pay for a regular 90 minute film. Go watch Kong and feel like a King.

I know I have been cramming a tonne of trailer sightings down your throats but The Da Vinci Code trailer debuts today (midnight actually!) and its just too good to resist. Sporting an international cast list that would make even Spielberg purple with envy, this is one of the most anticipated and controversial films of the coming summer. “The Da Vinci Code” is the film adaptation of the book of the same name by conspiracy spinner Dan Brown that deals with the supposed bloodline of Jesus Christ himself. Needless to say the Christian and Catholic communities are in uproar over this matter and have even refused the production to film at some of their locations (can’t say i blame them…). But at the end of the day, it is still a work of fiction and best be taken with a bucket of salt. Any how, on with the trailer!!

Check it out here!

All trailers require Quicktime 7.0 or higher to view. Click here to download!

UPDATE: Secret Da Vinci code site! Comingsoon.net was the first to piece together the clever puzzle set forth by the producers of “The Da Vinci Code” film. At the end of the trailer the word “SEEK” and the letters “THSECDEO”. Unscramble the jumbled mess and you get the words “THE” and “CODES”. Put them all in a nice grammatically correct sentence and you get the phrase “Seek the codes”. Plonk that into the URL field in your web browser and you’ll be whisked away to blog site about cracking codes with a lot of references to the film itself. Probably marketing tie-in to drum up some publicity in the same vein as the “LOST” TV series. Anyway, Check out the site here!

More Trailer sightings this week as a recent “teaser” for the upcoming Mission Impossible 3 has been hosted by Yahoo! movies. It has all the stayle and bang of the previous one but lets hope that they can an actualy storyline this time. The one thing I loved about the television series was that it was a TEAM effort and not just a one man solo effort. Wonder when they will do a REAL Mission Impossible remake. Anyway, check out Cruise in all his impossible glory here…Click here to view the clip!

The second trailer/teaser is actually a flash animation for the “Silent Hill” video-game movie adaptation. But before any of you dismiss it as another film destined to languish on the video shelf at your local Blockbuster, it is directed by none other than Christopher Gans. Yup! The same Frenchman who helmed “Brotherhood of the Wolves” and the Japanese Manga adaptation “Crying Freeman”. The creep factor seems to be retained and hopefully Mr. Gans will be able to finally break the video-game-to-film curse… Click here to view the flash teaser! or here for the mpg version! Special thanks to Twitch for hosting the downloadable video.

This third film is something quite intriging with a cast list of Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster. And its directed by Spike Lee to boot. Frankly, having Jodie Foster and Denzel in the same movie is enough for the price of admission for me. This one sees Mr. Washington returning to his staple role of a cop (hostage negotiator this time) on the hunt. Clive Owen plays the antagonist and Jodie Foster is the character of dubious agendas. Just check out the trailer to the “Inside Man”! Click here to view the trailer!

All trailers require Quicktime 7.0 or higher to view. Click here to download!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

Honestly, I am not that avid purveyor of books and literary classics. My head was firmly buried in the pulp pages of a certain caped crusader and a bunch of merry mutants while my peers were sneaking quick reads of the Lord of the Rings novels under their tables during class time. Although “Rings” has been held by purists as the definitive fantasy novel, C.S. Lewis’s venture into his fantasy wardrobe predates J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy by a good five years. But to compare “The Chronicles of Narnia” to “Lord of the Rings” is like trying to compare apples and oranges. It all depends on what whets your palate.

The Chronicles of Narnia spins the tale of the Pevensie children, sent to live with a friend of the family to avoid the blitz bombings of London during World War II. The youngest of the quartet discover a hidden wardrobe which is a portal to the magical realm of Narnia and they soon discover that the four of them are part of an age old prophecy that will unravel the tyranny of Jardis, the White Witch who has cast the entire land into a never ending winter. Sounds rather familiar to many of the fantasy incarnations over the years eh? Well, that is because this is the one that start it all. So, fortunately for us, Lemony Snicket can finally retire his “Unfortunate” series to the bookshelf and Potter can kick his Goblet of Teenage Angst back to Hogwarts 90210, for here is a tale that manages to blend the innocent curiosity of childhood with that of a massive fantasy world which results in one of the few, and true, adventure films to ever grace our screens in a very long while.

Director Andrew Adamson was first offered this film to helm solely based on his ability to create engaging, life-like computer generated characters in Shrek 1& 2. And come to think of it, Mr. Adamson would be the perfect choice to captain this novel into reality. His first two Shrek films were both fantasy adventures governed by a strong theme of chivalry and nobility and his has manage to apply that to his latest offering. One of the highlights of my Narnian adventure was how the non-human characters interacted, physically and verbally, with the human ones. At times one does forget that we are watching computer generated images mixed in with the live action footage (who in the theater did not want to just give Aslan a big hug?) not just because of the advancement of technology but the way in which these animated actors are directed to behave and react. Most of the non-human casts are created by computer animation but they are all imbued with little humanistic nuances that make them just as lifelike as their human counterparts.

Opting for relative unknowns to fill the roles of the Penensie kids, the producers were able to utilize actors who not only look the part but are able to capture the characters perfectly. I must confess that I did not read the novel but the four children (well, one of them is 18) are able to portray their individual characters convincingly which allows them to find their own niche in the film. What I found interesting was that each of the four heroes possesses a characteristic that we, the audience can identify with. Georgie Henley plays 9-year old Lucy Pevensie who is the youngest amongst her siblings and she represents the childlike wonderment of discovery. Susan (Anna Popplewell) is the voice of reason while Edmund (Skandar Keynes) is the underdog. Peter (William Moseley) rounds up the foursome as the moral centre, the one who bears the burden of doing what is right.

Ms. Swinton seems to favour playing memorable villains of late as we last saw her as the holier-than-thou Angel Gabriel in the smoker’s love affair hit, “Constantine”. Now we are treated to yet another healthy dosage of now classic Swinton wickedness in the form of the oversized ice-pick wielding White Witch. Her rendition of Aslan’s (voiced by Sean Connery) main nemesis is stylish yet menacing, slender yet vicious. There is an alluring quality to her façade but her eyes speak in diabolical tongues. Tilda Swinton’s portrayal would suffice the price of admission for me.

Although clocking in at 20 minutes past the two hour mark, it honestly does not feel the least bit draggy or that you have just witnessed one of Peter Jackson’s mammoth of a movie (ie. 7 minute introduction to “Fellowship of the Ring”). It is truly amazing how the scriptwriters (Dir. Andrew Adamson was one of them) managed to distill the essence of that five hundred plus page novella and still craft a cinematic experience for us to enjoy (hint, hint Mr. Columbus). And I stress on the word ‘experience’ as some viewers have pointed out to me that there are some instances where the special effects fail to suspend disbelief. But to do so would be just nitpicky as at the end of the day, “The Chronicles of Narnia” does deliver what it set out to do which is a solid, enchanting tale of magic and gallantry.

It is rather cunning of Disney to be the last studio to lay their cards down on the fantasy poker table. New Line started it with the Tolkien’s “Ring” trilogy and Warner Bros. has the J.K. Rowling Potter cash cow. The House of Mouse chimes in with a film that has one foot in each camp as “Chronicles” really is a clever mixture of the two. “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” will also appeal to the fans of the previous generation of fantasy films (“Willow”; “Legend”; “The Princess Bride”) as this is done in the same vein with adventure poised at the tip of their swords and chivalry at the hem of their cloaks. You can lay your wallets down for this one for this is the kind of film I have to watch in a theater.

A slew of trailers debuted last week and I thought I would share them with you wonderful folks. First up is the latest offering from Uwe Boll (the utterly deporable “House of the Dead” and “Alone in the Dark” adaptations), a swords and sorcery epic based on the computer game “Dungeon Siege” (which was a seminal hit in the computer game industry). For those fantasy fanboys who cannot get enough of LOTR, mark your calendars! Click here to view the trailer!

The second highlight is the highly graphic horror film “Hostel” from “Cabin Fever”s Eli Roth. The film is about a bunch of backpackers who bunk over at a local hostel for travellers, only to discover that once they “check in, they can never check out”. (sorry, couldn’t resist using the age-old horror hotel catch phrase…) Click here to view the trailer!

I guess the men in suits at Disney got wind of the bootleg trailer for Pirates 2 and decided to release an official trailer/teaser via Yahoo! Movies. Jack is back and he seems to be in a slight pickle with Davey Jone’s locket… So for those who did not have the benefit of catching the bootleg trailer, Click here to view the official one!

All trailers require Quicktime 7.0 or higher to view. Click here to download!

Good Night, and Good Luck

I have been a behind with my reviews but I wanted to dedicate a more thorough understanding of events depicted in this film before committing an opinion to it. I knew little of the McCarthy era and what actually transpired during that period of history as my books on dated events were filled of Sang Nila Utama rowing his boat to a semi deserted island in the straits of Malacca spotting what probably was Aslan the Lion on his journey to the west. For those like me who have little exposure to American political history or who think the McCarthy era was Jenny’s reign over Playboy, the actual McCarthy era was a period of time between 1950 and 1956 when State of Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy waged a anti communist witch hunt that griped the whole of the United States in what was coined, “The Red Scare”. Television news broadcaster Edward R. Murrow in a bold attempt to distill the truth for the public, challenged the policies of Senator McCarthy and the Un-American Activities Committee over live radio. “Good night and Good Luck” is the film that is based on what transpired before and during that fateful broadcast.

The film is as much about journalistic integrity as it is about a society governed by fear. In our post 9-11 world with the invisible face of terrorist casting its’ shadow of doubt on every single thing that we once considered safe and secure, the topic is as relevant as it was back in the middle of the 20th century as is it at the beginning of the 21st. It was a time when a government official was able to stir the society into a paranoiac frenzy with just the notion of a potential communist invasion of the United States. Does not seem too far fetch in our current time if you replace the threat of communism with that of a hidden terrorist cell just waiting to detonate their payload of Jihad, no?

The plot is a rather gripping one too. A popular television network CBS is about to embark on a crusade of truth and justice against a senator with anti communist ideals who is capable of incarcerating anyone found even remotely sympathizing with the enemy. The screenplay was penned by George Clooney and Grant Heslov and they managed to streamline the events that led to the confrontation and present us with a film that is precise in its purpose.

Shot entirely in black and white (actually it was shot in colour and then converted to B/W in post production), the focus of the film is directed solely onto the actors and the story that propels it. There are no lush colours, nor breath taking scenery to beautify the image or distract us from the events at hand. It adds a sense of gravity and a natural tension to the situation a la “Schindler’s List”. On hindsight, I honestly believe the film could have been shot otherwise. An interesting sidenote, the jazz band that played throughout the film is Rosemary Clooney’s band and the musical arrangements were done by her. Rosemary Clooney is none other than George Clooney’s aunt.

David Strathairn (“Sneakers” and “L.A. Confidential”) is journalistic integrity poster boy Edward R. Murrow. Mr. Murrow has been known throughout the news reporting business as a man of bold decisions and steadfast determination and Strathairn plays it with dignity yet with a hint of uncertainty in his eyes as to what might happen if he decides to venture this journey. Clooney (Television’s hit medical drama “E.R.” and “Ocean’s 11 & 12”) plays Murrow’s producer/ friend Fred Friendly the same cool demeanor that we have come to know him for. Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels, Frank Langella and Tate Donovan fill out the rest of this star studded cast.

George Clooney second directorial effort after his critically acclaimed “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” is a well packaged, straight to the point film. There is characterization but there is little character development. Given the 90 minute run time, he has crammed all the relevant points into it and still managed to craft a cinematic experience for us. It may be a tad word heavy which some might defer for the more visceral action movie in the next theater. I guess it is a good sign that I was left wanting to know more about the characters when the film ended so perhaps some back story would have been a nice addition. This is recommended for anyone who has an interest America’s past and present socio-political climate as it supports the maxim that history, does actually repeat itself.