10
ENTERTAINMENT
The Epoch Times
April 18 - 24, 2007
Adam Sandler plays it straight... and succeeds
Film review:Reign Over Me (15)
Sweetly sad story of love, loss, grief and friendship
that proves beyond doubt Adam Sandler can act.
Director: Mike Binder
Cast: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada
Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows
By CARY & CHRISTINE DUNST
Epoch Times New York Staff
Do you remember the days of your youth
when you spent countless hours with a
close friend playing video games, discussing your favourite band or perhaps
that love interest? Now imagine trying to
recreate that while your spouse and kids
are waiting for you at home.
Reign Over Me is a compelling drama
that takes you into the lives of two former
college room-mates reunited by chance at
a time when they both need a friend.
Charlie Fineman (Adam
Sandler) has
withered into
a
socially
awkward recluse five years
after losing his
wife and three
daughters to
the terrorist
attacks of 9/11.
He attempts
to fill the void
with classic
rock albums,
video games, and a compulsion to continually remodel his kitchen. His character is
constantly immersed in Captain America
comics, listening to Bruce Springsteen or
The Who, and playing hours of the Shadow of the Colussus video game.
Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) dedicates himself to helping his old friend
through the pain by throwing himself
into Charlie’s world of Mel Brooks movie-marathons, late night Chinese meals,
and scooter rides through New York City,
even though he also has the responsibility
of a family and a career. As the two spend
more time together, it becomes clear that
Alan equally needs a confidant in Charlie
to help him cope with the stresses of his
own seemingly perfect life.
Written, directed, and co-starring
Mike Binder (The Upside of Anger), Reign
Over Me incorporates style and substance
without complicating the story. Themes
of friendship, communication, and healing after tragedy play out within the context of Charlie and Alan’s friendship, with
understated laments on 9/11, the war on
terror, and mental wellbeing.
Most notable is Sandler’s gripping,
Oscar-worthy performance. He perfectly blends comic and heartbreaking moments to bring Charlie’s character to life.
He goes well beyond his two earlier attempts at drama (Punch-Drunk Love and
Spanglish) and is hardly recognisable as
the star of over 15 comedies. His mannerisms, walk, and speech are completely
original, negating the occasional criticism that he’s one-dimensional. Yet underneath the intensity of his role, is a likeability that makes you side with Charlie
even when his actions cause pain to those
around him.
Balancing out Sandler is Don Cheadle, whose streak of quality films, such as
Hotel Rwanda, Traffic, and Best Picture
Oscar-winner Crash, is leading me to believe that his mere participation equates
to a must-see film.
Though the film focuses on the friendship of Charlie and Alan, every performance is excellent. The strength of Binder’s
rich characterisations attracted an accomplished ensemble cast, including Jada
Pinkett Smith as Alan’s wife, Liv Tyler
LONELY CITY: Adam Sandler finds solace in a rekindled friendship in Reign Over Me. Liv Tyler (left) co-stars
as a wise-beyond-her-years therapist, and
the beautiful surprise stand-out Saffron
Burrows.
If there’s one flaw, it can be found in
Oscar-nominated
drama finally hits UK
gratitude, and touch your heart.
Reign Over Me is released April 20th nationwide.
It’s like the ‘80s all over again!
Film review: Pathfinder (15)
Director: Marcus Nispel
Cast: Karl Urban, Russell Means,
Moon Bloodgood, Jay Tavare
Film review:Half Nelson (15)
By JAMES CARROLL
Director: Ryan Fleck
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps,
Jeff Lima, Nathan Corbett
Epoch Times UK Staff
By MATTHEW RODGERS
Epoch Times UK Staff
Half Nelson finally arrives in British cinemas after Ryan Gosling’s Academy Award
nomination. Don’t let surface similarities
to Dangerous Minds, Freedom Writers
and any number of cliché-ridden inspirational teacher tales stop you from seeing
this superbly understated character study.
Gosling plays Dan Dunne, a disillusioned 20-something eighth grade teacher
in a rundown Brooklyn
school. He ignores the
scheduled curriculum,
choosing to make sure
that the kids understand
the history instead of
just learning it. Dan is
a lost soul, a metaphor
for his misplaced generation, and a character
who wears his liberal heart on his sleeve.
The only problem is that he can’t change
anything, so in order to escape from his
existence he uses drugs. It’s this habit that
leads to him forming a bond with one of
his students Drey (Shareeka Epps) when
she catches him smoking crack in the
school changing rooms.
Selling any film on a single performance is a risky move but with Half Nelson
it is fully justified. Gosling’s performance
never asks to be appreciated like many Os-
the script as the plot develops to something of a contrived crossroad.
Ultimately, though, Reign Over Me
will make you laugh, think of your own
car-baiting roles that elicit vein-straining
monologues from statue-starved individuals. Dan is a three dimensional character
created with a natural turn of effortless
ease and it is credit to the script and actor
that he remains a sympathetic character
despite his many flaws. Dan doesn’t right
any cinematic wrongs and lives in a world
where not everything is a bed of roses.
N e w c o m e r
Shareeka Epps is also
fantastic as the wisebeyond-her-yearsDrey
and her relationship
with Dan is always
utterly
convincing.
At separate turning
points in their lives,
instead of finding their
places in society they discover each other.
She has someone to look up to in a life absent of patriarchy, and he has someone to
save, which for the meantime suffices on
a realistic narrative level. It’s not surprising that the film’s standout scenes are the
minimalist exchanges of dialogue between
them.
The film-makers are brave to offer
such a bleak but satisfying moviegoing
experience. Don’t expect an inspirational
life changing lesson, but an expertly con-
TEACH THIS: Ryan Gosling rules in Half Nelson, but newcomer
Shareeka Epps (left) gives him a run for his money
structed, superbly acted antithesis of the
usual blackboard background rubbish.
Half Nelson is released April 20th nationwide.
Ryan Gosling delivers a captivating
performance in this straight A’s movie
See this
if you liked...
25th Hour
In America
Leaving Las Vegas
The Pledge
CULTURE CLASH: Moon
Bloodgood & Karl Urban
Pathfinder is one of those movies that
portrays what can kindly be called “Hollywood history”. Based around the supposition that Vikings visited the Americas
waaaaay before old Chris Columbus discovered it, Pathfinder takes the (admittedly original) image of a Viking and a Native
American together as its starting point and
runs with it.
An unashamed action film that forgoes
historical fact in favour of spectacle, Pathfinder tells the story of a young Viking boy
left behind by an aborted expedition and
raised by a Native American tribe. Years
later the invasion begins anew, leaving
him with the difficult decision of whether
to fight for his original clan or adoptive
family.
Visually driven with sparse dialogue,
Pathfinder is dark, desaturated and gritty,
and an incessant action-assault upon the
senses. It truly never lets up from start to
finish, and with no plot to speak of, if you
can’t get on board at the beginning then
you’ve no chance of catching up.
Featuring a few invigorating and impressive set-pieces – including a silly sled
chase, some Predator-style booby traps
and a mountain-top scrap which matches
Cliffhanger for precipitous heights – Pathfinder is directed competently by Marcus
Nispel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake) without ever offering anything particularly noteworthy. The ‘80s action references aren’t unintentional either, with the
overall feel of the movie harking back to
the heyday of Arnie & Sly and their oneman-army movies.
Starring the charismatic Karl Urban
(Doom) as Ghost, the cast also features the
brilliant bad-guy-for-hire Clancy Brown
(in sword-wielding Highlander mode) as
villain Gunnar the Viking, and the fantastically named Moon Bloodgood (Eight
Below) as Starfire, the object of Ghost’s affections. It’s B-list but, for once, brimming
with talent likely to go onto bigger and better things.
Described by Nispel as a graphic novel in film form, Pathfinder is an enjoyable romp through the mythic history of
Vikings versus Native Americans, if you
can disengage your brain and go with the
flow. But what was a compelling concept
is unfortunately largely squandered in execution. Maybe Nispel should take a few
lessons from Zach Snyder (300) or Mel
Gibson (Apocalypto) on how to successfully transfer a minimalist plot and BIG
action to the big screen.
Pathfinder is released April 20th nationwide.
Dumb but fun Vikings versus Native
Americans tale
Bryan Ferry apologises for ‘deeply insensitive’ Nazi remarks
LONDON (Reuters) – Singer Bryan
Ferry apologised on Monday for remarks
he made in an interview with a German
newspaper in which he praised Nazi iconography as “just amazing” and “really
beautiful”.
The 61-year-old lead singer of Roxy
Music told Germany’s Welt Am Sonntag
newspaper last month: “The way that the
Nazis staged themselves and presented
themselves, my Lord!
“I’m talking about the films of Leni
Riefenstahl and the buildings of Albert
Speer and the mass marches and the
flags – just fantastic. Really beautiful.”
In a statement, Ferry said he was
“deeply upset” about the negative publicity the interview triggered, and added:
“I apologise unreservedly for any offence caused by my comments on Nazi
iconography, which were solely made
from an art history perspective.
“I, like every right-minded individual, find the Nazi regime, and all it stood
Still in cinemas:
Perfect Stranger (15)
for, evil and abhorrent.”
Jewish leaders in Britain, some of
whom had condemned Ferry’s comments and questioned whether he should
be dropped by the Marks & Spencer retail chain that employs him as a model,
welcomed Ferry’s clarification.
“We do welcome the fact that he has
issued a swift comment that there was no
intention to condone the Nazi regime,”
said Jeremy Newmark, chief executive
of the Jewish Leadership Council.
What’s Hot... What’s Not
“Nevertheless, his choice of language
was deeply insensitive,” he added.
Lord Greville Janner, vice-president of the World Jewish Congress, told
Reuters: “His apology was total, appropriate and absolutely necessary. I hope
that he will never make the same mistake again.”
Marks & Spencer sought to distance
itself from the row.
“We do not make comment on the
private lives of any individuals that we
Getty Images
work with nor does our commercial relationship with them mean we endorse
any views they may hold,” the group
said in a statement. It had no further
comment.
Riefenstahl was Adolf Hitler’s official film-maker who was both admired
and condemned for her documentaries
that pioneered film techniques but glorified Nazism.
Speer was an architect who served
under Hitler.
‘GREASE’ PARTY CD GIVEAWAY!
by Joanne Wong
Halle Berry and Bruce Willis in a thriller that’s
shocking for all the wrong reasons.
Wild Hogs (12A)
More mild than wild, Hogs is humour for the 40plus-somethings.
TMNT (PG)
A new breed of CGI turtles dropkick their way successfully back onto the big screen.
Amazing Grace (PG)
It should have been a noble biopic, but it’s as substantial and significant as a Big Mac.
Sunshine (15)
A flawed but thrilling and intelligent sci-fi from
talented Brit trio Boyle, MacDonald and Garland.
Blades of Glory (12A)
Will Ferrell in a sometimes side-splitting sporting
satire that never quite delivers on its exquisite setup.
The Namesake (12A)
Moving, lively and well performed family drama
spread across India and New York.
Hot on the heels of Simon Cowell’s latest talent show
Grease is the Word, comes the ultimate Grease party
pack, We Love Grease!
The album features 20 new versions of all the classic
songs from the film plus a Grease Party Megamix. The
bonus DVD has choreographed dance routines for you
to learn, plus karaoke versions of ten of the songs and
handy tips on how to plan your very own Grease party
and achieve the all-important Danny and Sandy look to
wow all your friends!
We have three copies of We Love Grease to give away.
Just email your name and address to:
[email protected]
Winners will be drawn at random. The closing date is
Thursday April 26th. Good luck!