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reel reviews |
Breakin' All the Rules
Godsend Her Majesty
Kitchen Stories
The Last Place on Earth Troy
Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself
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Kitchen
Stories
If quirkiness alone were enough to make a film successful, then Kitchen Stories would be settling in for a long run. An eccentric little comedy from Scandinavia, Kitchen Stories has a plot that is inarguably unique. The story takes place in the years following WWII, and concerns a scientific researcher and the reluctant subject of his study. Folke (Tomas Norstrom) is an employee of the Swedish Home Research Institute. In an effort to design the most efficient kitchen for the modern home, the institute embarks on a project to record the traffic patterns of people in their kitchens. Folke is sent to Norway to observe an elderly farmer named Isak (Joachim Calmeyer) as he goes about his daily routine. Isak has second thoughts about his decision to volunteer (he wrongly thought he was going to get a free horse out of the deal) and initially refuses to cooperate. Although he eventually acquiesces and allows Folke to erect an awkward observation perch in his kitchen, Isak takes to cooking his meals in his bedroom. He even drills a hole in his bedroom floor in order to observe the frustrated Folke in his perch below. The research begins in earnest when Isak eventually returns to using his kitchen. Due to the rigors of the scientific methodology, the men are supposed to ignore one another's presence. Slowly but surely, they begin to interact. First, it's a cup of tea, then a bit of tobacco for the pipe. Eventually this interaction leads to conversation and, ultimately, a warm friendship. Director/writer Bent Hamer and his co-writer Jorgen Bergmark have a bit of fun with the button-down seriousness of the researchers and take great delight in exposing the whole enterprise as a bureaucratic joke. (The head of the project is depicted as flying around Scandinavia in a private plane loaded with champagne and a shapely mistress.) There is also sly humor to be found in the art direction that depicts the extraordinarily neat convoy of compact trailers on their way to their various assignments. But to say that the approach is subtle is a considerable understatement. Waiting for the relationship of Folke and Isak to grow is like waiting for the Norwegian winter ice blanket to melt. But we do slowly warm to the chilly characters and, also, the movie. Kitchen Stories may be understated, but this peculiar and unassuming
film eventually reveals its modest charms. (Not rated) Rating: 3; Posted
5/17/04 |
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Troy condenses Homers ten-year war into a couple of months. Trojan prince Paris (Orlando Bloom) steals away the drop-dead gorgeous Helen (Diane Kruger) from the Greek brute Menelaus (Brian Gleeson) and whisks her away to Troy. Menelaus brother Agamemnon (Brian Cox) sees this as the perfect opportunity to be greedy and naughty, so he sends the entire Greek army to do battle with Troy. Each side has its champion. Greece has the bigheaded Achilles who has no loyalty to Agamemnon or to Greece; he just loves to fight for honor and glory. As a result, Achilles is either sticking his sword into someone, jutting his chin up in the air with an expression reminiscent of Popeye, washing the blood from his muscular frame or doing anything he can to get the Greek army to chant, Achilles! Achilles! The character of Achilles does develop throughout the film though. As he finds love and faces personal tragedy, his cheeks puff out more and his breathing becomes quick and huffylike a bull: in short, another standard portrayal by superstar Brad Pitt. In contrast, Troys champion Hector (Eric Bana), the heir to the kingdom, wants what is right for all his people and his family. Banas performance is extraordinary, because he captures the pain, sorrow and loneliness of one who is aware that he is in the midst of a tragedy that others do not recognize. The morose Hector remains the most charismatic character in the film. One hopes that Bana will soon find a role that matches his craft, because his performance, sadly, is as out of place in Troy as James Lipton would be at Wrestlemania. Please dont misunderstand. Troy is entertaining. Director Wolfgang Petersons dynamic direction keeps things going at a steady pace. Troy as a locale is beautifully realized, and the battlefields are almost as important as the battles. Slopes, hills and beaches play important roles in every skirmish. Scenes of thousands of ships sailing, armies clashing, and fiery night attacks are beautifully executed. Unfortunately none of these diversions disguise this melodrama that offers no insights or ideas on war itself. Mind you, Troy throws out lots of questions. Is war glorious? Is combat dehumanizing? Is conflict fun? Are wars necessary? Are people who chose to recklessly go to war unjust? These questions are tossed out, marched over and thrown away without ever fully being explored. And all that we are left with is the overwhelming feeling that if Achilles had seen this movie he would have been pissed. (R) Rating: 2; Posted 5/14/04 |
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Breakin'
All the Rules
Breakin All the Rules is a lighter-than-air romantic comedy
that will not affect the face of humor or filmmaking. This comedy
of errors is not exactly groundbreaking, and the movie provides
insights into the nature of romance, love and sex that are about as profound
as an Ann Powter self-help book. Yet, there is something quite refreshing
about this ball of fluff. |
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Wilbur
Wants to Kill Himself
The best film currently playing in Kansas City also has
the worst title. |
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Godsend
Sadly befitting a film about cloning, Godsend is a carbon copy
of so many sci-fi/horror flicks that have gone before. Riddled with clichés
and junk science, there is nevertheless a sustained element of creepiness,
mostly through the performance and physical presence of Cameron Bright
who plays the young clone. This looks to be 11-year-old Brights
breakout year, with two more major releases pending. |
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Her
Majesty
Back in 2002, Panorama Entertainment, a film distribution
company, took a chance on Kansas City. They decided that one of their
films, the romantic comedy The Bread, My Sweet starring Scott Baio,
would begin its theatrical run here. |
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