Nights In Rodanthe

First Hit: Generally I liked this film and thought Lane and Gere worked well together.

This is a love story and a nice one. Richard Gere plays Dr. Paul Flanner who has a patient die during an operation and drives out to a bed and breakfast on the North Carolina Outer Banks to meet with the husband of the person who died on his surgical table.

The family is suing him and he is distraught because he didn't make any mistakes during the surgery, his wife has left him and his son has run off to Central America. Diane Lane plays Adrienne Willis whose husband had an affair, left her 7 months earlier, but now wants to come home.

At the beginning of the film Adrienne is shuttling her kids out of the house to spend time with their dad while she stands in as innkeeper for her friend. A storm threatens the inn and Paul is the only guest. They both are struggling with internal issues and they become each other’s teachers.

They fall in love and begin to find their path to be together and to live life more fully.

What didn’t work for me is that Gere seemed to make, not so subtle, romantic moves too early in their getting to know each other phase. However, the lesson he learns is one that many need to learn and it is about being more compassionate and her lesson is to dare to be the person she wants to be. From a chemistry point of view these two work well together. I loved Scott Glenn in his two brief scenes as the husband of the person who died while Paul was operating.

Overall: Based on the Nicholas Sparks novel this is a nice love story and fairly well acted.

Righteous Kill

First Hit: What a waste of talent.

In the last few years, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro have made some very poor choices in films they’ve chosen to make.

Is it that no one is offering them good scripts? Do they charge too much? I don’t know; but is sad is to see these storied actors, yet again, take on mediocre roles in this very mediocre film.

The plot is simple; there is a serial killer on the loose and these police officers Turk (played by De Niro) and Rooster (played by Pacino) are assigned to find the killer. As the film unfolds, the audience sees testimony on a grainy video tape giving you the illusion that Turk is really the killer.

The script is weak. The actors, I trust, did their best with the poor direction of this sorry script. The one bright spot was Curtis Jackson who does a good job as drug dealer, pimp, and night club owner.

Overall: This film will die on a vine and should have never been planted.

Pineapple Express

First Hit: Although some of the graphic violence seemed over the top, there were some very funny bits in this film reminding me of old funny Cheech and Chong bits.

Dale (played by Seth Rogen) is a very creative process server who drives around in a used dirty old Cadillac with lots of costumes and makeup in the trunk allowing him to serve his subpoenas in ways others fail. He is good at it and he likes to smoke pot – lots of it.

He is in his mid-twenties and his girlfriend is in high school. His dealer Saul (played by James Franco) captures the flow of a stoner and dealer who doesn’t deal anything but pot. When Dale comes over to Saul’s house to pick his stash, Saul turns him on to Pineapple Express which is this very rare high powered pot which only Saul is selling.

Dale leaves and while smoking his Pineapple Express outside a house where he will be serving his next subpoena he witnesses a cop shooting another man in the house. Freaking out he tosses his roach out the window and leaves the scene of the crime. However the man he was to serve is the producer of the Pineapple Express and when he picks up the roach he knows who the dealer is and by finding the dealer he will learn who watched the killing.

From there the rest of the film is one chase after another.

Seth does a really good version creating a paranoiac story from the events happening around him and then acting on this paranoia. James does a great job of being a laid back dealer who comes up with some very quirky and funny lines. The more difficult part of the film was the uneven direction and story line. At times it’s a buddy film, other times a hard core assassination film, and other times a pure comedy.

Overall: I enjoyed the film because of the laughs, but didn’t think it had a cohesive story line and its violence, although it could have been taken tongue-in-cheek, took away from the thoroughly funny film it could have been.

Elegy

First Hit: A wonderful textured romantic film.

Consuelo (played by Penelope Cruz) is a sophisticated college student in a class taught by David Kepesh (played by Ben Kingsley).

At the end of each class he invites all his students to his house for a party. As an aging professor, he finds his sexual thrills by having an affair with his young women students but only after grades are submitted – hence the party.

He had been scoping out Consuelo during class and now at the party he seeks her out for conversation and showing off an original letter by Goya. Because Consuelo is sophisticated and doesn’t fall for overnight flings, David realizes he will have to “woo” her. As a side story to this film is his relationship and friendship with George (played by Dennis Hopper) who also is a serial dater but still married.

In their meetings George gives David advice about is budding relationship with Consuelo. However, at first he doesn’t heed George’s advice, falls in love Consuelo and can’t bring himself to say so or acknowledge his feelings. He also discovers something new; jealousy and experiences this emotion whenever they aren’t together.

When David decides he cannot meet her parents because of his age (he is 30 plus years older than her) she stops the relationship. However, in the end their true feelings for each other find a way to be expressed.

Kingsley is staid and powerful yet he lets the audience see his feelings which are right underneath the surface. As the film progress they become more accessible and we, the audience, get to see a wonderful subtle shift. Cruz is a revelation. This is the second film I’ve seen her in, in the last month. She has become a powerful actress staking a claim to being a great actress. In this film she is seductive, intelligent, beautiful, and powerful. I cannot say enough about her performance. Additionally, the director, Isabel Coixet, got very strong acting from her actors and her interpretation of the novella “The Dying Animal” by Philip Roth was extraordinary.

Overall: This is a strong romantic film with Cruz giving a powerful performance.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

First Hit: Woody Allen makes another well acted wonderful film.

The latest resurgence of Woody Allen films don’t have Woody Allen acting in them which I think is very helpful.

Although his distinctive writing is all over this latest film, it is the interpretation by the actors under Allen’s direction which make this film excellent.

We are introduced to two of the main characters as they arrive in Barcelona and are riding in a cab to a friend’s home. Vicky (played by Rebecca Hall) is a student of Spanish architecture and is doing an in-depth study of Gaudi buildings.

Cristina (played by Scarlett Johansson) is her dear friend who decides to tag along for the adventure and because her latest life fling failed. These girls are very different. Where Vicky plans things, feels settled with her life, and is not very adventurous, Cristina’s life is filled with ups and downs and passion. While at an art opening the notice Jose Antonio (played by Javier Bardem).

Later he comes up to their table at a restaurant and suggests that they go with him to another town for the weekend where they will drink wine, see the sites, and all sleep together. Cristina wants to go with the proviso she may not sleep with him but Vicky is shocked and doesn’t think they should go.

However, because Cristina wants to go she joins her friend to keep her company. The girls learn that Jose has a former wife named Maria Elena (played by Penelope Cruz) who is wild, un-abandoned, and still crazy in love with her former husband. With this premise, all the characters get to learn something about themselves and all the while, we the audience are fully entertained.

Often the technique of using a voice over during a film takes away from being engaged with the film. It isn’t always used very well and sometimes is used to make up for the shortcomings of the actors, director, or script. Although I noticed it when it was first used, later I found it well integrated into the film slid in and out without distracting the viewer from the characters and story. Additionally, Allen gets a wonderfully relaxed performance from Johansson, a funny performance from Bardem, and full and wide ranging performance from Cruz.

Overall: This was another really good film by Allen who seems to have found a new stride these past few years.