Searching for Sugar Man

Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

Biography, Documentary, Music, 86 minutes
Directed by Malik Bendjelloul

I had read so many good things about Searching for Sugar Man, but something stopped me from watching it until yesterday. I was afraid that it just wouldn't be my kind of thing. Would I like the music? Probably not. Would I care about a musician that I had never previously heard of? Doubtful. Furthermore, only a select few documentaries have captured my imagination to the point where I would watch them more than once.

I'm happy to report that all of my doubts were quickly erased within the first few minutes.

Sixto Rodriguez was born in Detroit in 1942, and made two albums in the 1970s. The first, Cold Fact, was released in 1970, and Coming from Reality followed in 1971.

His singing style was raw, along the lines of Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Like both of those artists, the lyrics carry a lot of meaning, and it's obvious that Rodriguez wrote songs that were both personal and authentic. His US sales were almost non-existent, and, like me, most people weren't aware that he existed before this documentary was put together.

Here are a few of his lyrics:

Climb Up on My Music
Have you ever had a fever
From a bitter-sweet refrain
Have you ever kissed the sunshine
Walked between the rain
Well, just climb up on my music
And my songs will set you free
Well, just climb up on my music
And from there jump off with me

I'll Slip Away
And you can keep your symbols of success
Then I'll pursue my own happiness
And you can keep your clocks and routines
Then I'll go mend all my shattered dreams
Maybe today, yeah I'll slip away

This is Not a Song, It's an Outburst: Or, The Anti-Establishment Blues

The mayor hides the crime rate
Council woman hesitates
Public gets irate but forget the vote date
Weatherman complaining, predicted sun, it's raining
Everyone's protesting, boyfriend keeps suggesting
You're not like all of the rest

Garbage ain't collected, women ain't protected
Politicians using people, they've been abusing
The mafia's getting bigger, like pollution in the river
And you tell me that this is where it's at

Woke up this morning with an ache in my head
I splashed on my clothes as I spilled out of bed
I opened the window to listen to the news
But all I heard was the Establishment's Blues

Gun sales are soaring, housewives find life boring
Divorce the only answer, smoking causes cancer
This system's gonna fall soon, to an angry young tune
And that's a concrete cold fact

The pope digs population, freedom from taxation
Teeny Bops are up tight, drinking at a stoplight
Miniskirt is flirting, I can't stop so I'm hurting
Spinster sells her hopeless chest

Adultery plays the kitchen, bigot cops non-fiction
The little man gets shafted, sons and monies drafted
Living by a time piece, new war in the far east
Can you pass the Rorschach test?

It's a hassle it's an educated guess
Well, frankly I couldn't care less
 

A couple of early interviews in the film report that Rodriguez committed suicide. One account states that he set himself on fire on stage, while another claims that he shot himself after his tiny audience ridiculed his performance. But this is not a sad tale; it's actually extremely uplifting. Please trust me on this.

The film explains that Rodriguez was a huge success in South Africa, with a bigger following than Elvis or The Rolling Stones. He was completely unaware of this at the time, and never saw any of the money. His records were initially unavailable, but word spread after bootleg copies were distributed among fans. When the albums were finally released, more than half a million copies were sold. Imagine having all that success without being aware of it. It almost sounds like a hoax or a spoof documentary, doesn't it?

In South Africa, people adopted some of the songs and made them part of the anti-apartheid movement. One fan decided to find out the truth about this mysterious man, and made it his mission to discover exactly what happened. He began by tracking where the royalties went, and also visited places mentioned in the songs. While on the verge of abandoning his search, a blog post gave him new hope and a fresh lead. I don't want to reveal what he ultimately found, because you deserve to find out for yourself if you don't already know how the story ends.

This is a film for music fans, and for anyone who enjoys uplifting stories. I know that I haven't told you why you need to see Searching for Sugar Man, but you'll be glad you did if you do decide to check it out. It may be the best documentary I have ever seen, and I am already thinking about watching it again.

It's not essential to view the film in high definition as much of the 1970s footage is low quality, but the recent interviews do benefit from the Blu-ray treatment, as does the sound quality.

Overall score 4.5/5

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Promised Land

Promised Land (2012)

Drama, 106 minutes
Directed by Gus Van Sant
Starring Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, Hal Holbrook, Rosemarie DeWitt and John Krasinski

There are a number of actors that I trust to give a good performance in almost any movie, and Matt Damon belongs on that list. He's probably best known for playing Jason Bourne, and some of my friends are disappointed that he didn't want to play similar roles for the rest of his life. I thought he was great as Bourne, but my favorite performances came in The Departed, Good Will Hunting, and Rounders. He elevated flawed movies like The Adjustment Bureau, Hereafter, and We Bought a Zoo, and gave excellent performances in several titles that I haven't mentioned.

Why do I like Damon?

I like that he's versatile, but most of all, I admire his understated acting style. He doesn't try to take over a movie, and that makes his performances all the more realistic. If Damon hadn't been cast in Promised Land, I doubt that I would have ever seen it. It's good to see him team up again with Gus Van Sant, who directed him in Good Will Hunting.

Promised Land is about the way in which a natural gas company, Global, attempts to convince a small farming community to sell land and allow it to be exploited for its natural resources. The people are poor and seem like easy targets. Steve Butler (Damon) and Sue Thomason (McDormand) are employed by Global to deliver their sales pitch. Butler grew up in a similar community and carries a lot of credibility as he visits the local farmers. He truly believes that it is in the best interests of the locals to accept Global's offer.

Butler encounters local opposition in the form of Frank Yates, who is played convincingly by Hal Holbrook. Yates is a science teacher and he's been making use of Google to uncover the truth about natural gas. Apparently, there are plenty of risks involved, and not all towns prosper in the way that Butler has implied. Additional problems arise for Butler when environmentalist Dustin Noble (Krasinski) shows up with a tale of how natural gas exploitation ruined his community.

There are a couple of unpredictable twists later in the story, but it would be wrong of me to reveal them here.

It's rare to see a drama of this nature in modern cinema. There are no explosions or action sequences, and although there is a small romantic element, it's not the driving force in the story. So who is this movie for? Well, it would certainly hold your interest if you were a struggling farmer with the option of selling your land. However, I don't fall into that category, and I was engrossed by the story throughout.

The movie tackles real issues and raises questions about who is good and who is evil. It provides moral dilemmas for its characters, and we see how they choose to resolve them. Ultimately, it explores deeper themes about our function in life, and whether we are successes, failures, or creatures capable of questioning our established roles. It also looks at how the decisions of big companies can impact the lives of other people.

I wouldn't say that Promised Land is essential viewing, but it will work for fans of Matt Damon, and perhaps for those who like to see stories that don't follow the usual Hollywood pattern. I'm glad that it's in my collection.

Overall score 3.75/5 

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Triple Headers: Three movies which work well together

Triple Headers Part 1: Animation, Action and Comedy

Do you ever feel in the mood for a movie marathon featuring a particular actor, director, theme, or genre? I plan to write a series covering various genres, and other themes, highlighting movies which would combine well for a triple header. This first entry covers Animation, Action, and Comedy.




Animation, aimed at adults

Most animated titles are aimed at children or families, but some include themes that are not suitable for young children. 

Grave of the Fireflies
Studio Ghibli's tale of two children, caught up in a war. The story doesn't pull any punches, so don't be surprised to see leading characters die in the saddest of circumstances.

Watership Down
Most of the characters are rabbits, but that doesn't mean that they are all cute and fluffy. Villains, death, and hardship dominate this rich story. 

Fantastic Mr. Fox
This one might work for most children because it does contain plenty of visual humor, but the themes, meaning, and adult language will likely be missed by smaller children.


Animation, aimed at children

Here are three animated movies that most children will love.

Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Silly British humor featuring Gromit the wonder dog. It's all in the eyes. I don't think I will ever tire of these characters.

Tangled
The Disney princess theme actually comes up with a few original ideas at last. One of Disney's best modern releases.

Bolt
A Disney movie so good that it's a wonder it wasn't made by Pixar. The three main characters are easy to love, and this is a wonderful adventure full of ideas.


Animation, Pixar

Talking of Pixar, here are my three favorites from the studio.

Ratatouille
Still my favorite Pixar, although some people find the story a little slow. I can't imagine why. Remy has to be the world's most lovable rat.

Up 
Although Up is funny and contains plenty of action, one brief montage might bring you to tears. I think it gives the movie depth.

Monsters Inc.
Heart, action, and plenty of laughs. It's hard to find fault with this one.

Alternatively, you could watch the Toy Story trilogy.



Animation, Hayao Miyazaki

No discussion of animation would be complete without mentioning Hayao Miyazaki. The only difficult thing is limiting my choice to three.

My Neighbor Totoro
Probably the best family film ever made, with the most lovable character (Mei), and a setting that is always pleasant to visit.

Spirited Away
Imaginative and packed full of detail. It's not hard to see why it won an Oscar.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Futuristic, and full of heart. Nausicaa is yet another perfect film from Studio Ghibli.

Feel free to substitute any of these titles with Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, or Ponyo. It depends on your mood and the age of the audience.


Action
 
Die Hard
Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Reginald VelJohnson, Twinkies, explosions, fights, and some pretty good characterization and dialogue make Die Hard one of the best action movies ever made.

Taken
Proof that good acting matters more than muscle when it comes to action. This is a lean tale, with just enough information about Bryan Mills to make us empathize with his situation and consider his actions justified. Neeson is superb.

Collateral
Tom Cruise isn't even close to being one of my favorite actors, but I love every minute of Collateral. Jamie Foxx is effective too.

Alternatively, watch the original Bourne trilogy.


Comedy

This is a tricky genre for me, because my sense of humor is dark. Some of the movies which make me laugh the most belong in other categories, but here are three which clearly fall into the category of humor.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Yes, it's silly, but it's also clever, and easily one of the most quotable movies ever made. The only minor flaw is the abrupt ending, but the rest of the movie more than makes up for it. I can't think of a better comedy team than Monty Python.

The Naked Gun
Leslie Neilsen at his best. I've always liked the Zucker brand of humor.

Animal House
I usually can't stand college humor, but Animal House seemed original at the time and is still hard to match. John Belushi at his best. There's no real plot, but it doesn't really matter.

The next piece in this series will cover Crime, Drama, and Fantasy.

What would be your choices in the categories I covered today?

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The Adventures of Antoine Doinel

The Adventures of Antoine Doinel (1959-1979)

Directed by François Truffaut
Starring Jean-Pierre Léaud
French Language

I didn't see The 400 Blows until 2010, and I've been interested in seeing the other four films featuring the character of Antoine Doinel ever since. When Turner Classic Movies decided to air them all last week, I finally had my chance. I'm not sure why, but I wasn't expecting the sequels to live up to the magic of The 400 Blows. However, I was pleasantly surprised. While the overall tone of the four additional entries in the series is quite different, I found that I was excited about seeing all of them.

Has there been another series of films like this, showing different stages in the life of the main character over 20 years or more? I guess you could count series such as Die Hard, Rambo, or Rocky, but those titles focused more on the genre than on the development of the main character. As a fan of the Harry Potter movies, I'm also aware of how the younger members of the cast played their characters for almost half their lives up to the point that the story ended. While all of those movies are in my collection, none comes close to Antoine Doinel's story, and they are not meant to be serious studies of how someone changes through the course of their life.

Let's take a brief look at Truffaut's five Antoine Doinel stories:

The 400 Blows (1959)
Crime, Drama, 99 minutes

I wrote a short review of this masterpiece in my 100 movies series. It begins Antoine's tale when his is a 12-year-old, living in Paris with his mother and stepfather. It's loosely based on Truffaut's own childhood, and we learn that Antoine's home life is not the easiest of existences. He's a bit of a rebel, and often in trouble at school, when he bothers to show up at all. His real love is cinema, and that's one of his main escapes from his troubled young life. Truffaut doesn't seem to judge Antoine. Instead, he shows us the facts and asks us to think about what we have seen. How would be react if we were in Antoine's situation. Is he good or bad? Should we root for him or not? Unlike the other four movies, this introduction is most definitely a drama. I appreciated it on first viewing, but it took a few more before I came to love the story. Because I'm hoping that you will eventually watch all five movies, I'm not going to ruin the plot of any by going into too much detail. All I will say is that it's one of the best coming-of-age stories I've ever seen.

Antoine and Colette (1962)
Comedy, Drama, 32 minutes

Antoine is now 17, and he's starting to focus on things other than his problems at home and his flirtation with crime. I found myself smiling that his life has taken a turn for the better. It was like meeting an old friend and seeing that they were suddenly thriving. The movie is a short, lasting just 32 minutes and ending rather abruptly, but it accomplishes a lot. At times, it feels closer in tone to The 400 Blows than the remaining three movies, but it has a fair amount of humor nonetheless. Antoine first sees Colette at a classical music concert, and he's immediately drawn to her. It's fun to watch his attempts to gain her attention, and interesting that he is so capable of impressing her parents, after struggling in that department with his own family. Antoine is somehow extremely likable, and it's easy to hope that wins Colette's affection. I felt as if I were in Antoine's shoes as I watched his audacious and inexperienced advances. I would love this to have been a full-length feature.

Stolen Kisses (1968)
Comedy, Drama, Romance, 90 minutes

After being given a dishonorable discharge from the army, 23-year-old Antoine seeks out Christine (Claude Jade), his former girlfriend. Continuing the theme from the previous short, Antoine is well-liked by the parents of the girl he is pursuing romantically. Her father even manages to find Antoine a job as a night clerk. This movie has its serious moments, but it almost plays out like a romantic comedy. The acting is excellent, and it's easy to laugh at Antoine's attempts to succeed as a private detective. He doesn't seem to care what he does for a living, and focuses more on women, and passions such as music. The best moments feature Antoine's meetings with Fabienne Tabard (Delphine Seyrig), and one of her monologues is particularly memorable and effective.

Bed & Board (1970)
Comedy, Drama, 100 minutes

Antoine is now 26, and married to Christine with a baby on the way. His latest job involves dying flowers different colors, but that doesn't last for long. After finally marrying the woman he loves, Antoine still isn't content. He always seems to be searching for something, although he rarely has a definite goal in mind. He's an opportunist, and things usually fall into place for him. Even when he has an affair, and occasionally seeks out the services of prostitutes, we never get the feeling that he means any harm to the women he loves. Why is that, I wonder? Bed & Board features plenty of amusing moments, and more than a few touching scenes. By this point, we know Antoine pretty well.

Love on the Run (1979)
Comedy, Drama, Romance, 94 minutes

What was to be Truffaut's final entry in the Antoine Doinel series is probably the weakest, but it does have some memorable moments. After divorcing his wife, Antoine still lacks focus in his life. He has published a book, which isn't shy about detailing many of his former relationships, and some of the best sequences in the movie happen when he has a chance encounter with Colette, who is now a lawyer. Antoine is fixated on yet another beautiful woman, Sabine (Dorothée), and there's a great scene in which he explains how she first caught his attention. Love on the Run relies too much on flashback footage from the first four movies, but the best scenes still make it a must-watch. It's fun to see two of his girlfriends meet, and characters from the earlier movies making an appearance. One encounter in particular is effective at showing how Antoine has evolved, and how people he once knew now view him differently.

The Adventures of Antoine Doinel is gripping entertainment and, at its best, features some of the most compelling storytelling I have witnessed on screen. Truffaut's way of narrating the story places you right in the middle of the action, except when he deliberately creates distance by placing you outside a room or a store, while concealing dialogue with noise from the street. Antoine is always fascinating, and Truffaut's characters are fully-developed, and often endearing. The five films feature good acting, comedy, drama, romance, and plenty to care about. His leading ladies are all beautiful in their own way, and I am sad that Truffaut's untimely death (from a brain tumor at 52) robbed us of the conclusion to Antoine's story. This is probably the best episodic character study that I've encountered, and I hope that Criterion upgrades the entire set to Blu-ray as it did with The 400 Blows. I'm looking forward to seeing other Truffaut titles that have eluded me thus far.

Overall score 4.5/5

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Whisper of the Heart

Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Animation, Drama, Family, 111 minutes
Directed by Yoshifumi Kondo
Featuring the voices of Brittany Snow, David Gallagher, Ashley Tisdale, Cary Elwes and Jean Smart

Who is Whisper of the Heart aimed at? It's animated, so it must be for children? The lead characters are young teens and there's a strong romantic element, so is it aimed at teens? I'm a 51-year-old man who doesn't have any children, but I love every minute of this film.

If you are a fan of Studio Ghibli, you'll know that Hayao Miyazaki has directed most of the studio's work. Yoshifumi Kondo directed this time, but Miyazaki wrote the screenplay, and his influence can be felt rather than seen. Whisper of the Heart is set in the real world and only contains the tiniest of fantasy references. It's a coming-of-age tale that just about everyone can identify with. Even if you are not a child, a teen, or a parent, you will remember living through similar moments to those depicted in this story.

Shizuku is a 14-year-old girl who focuses most of her attention on school, reading, and studying. One day, she notices that almost every book she borrows from the library has previously been checked out by Seiji Amasawa. She becomes curious about him, and wonders how someone could have such similar tastes to her own. At school, she's a good student, and goes through the typical things that most young girls experience. She talks to her girlfriends about boys, but writing is her real passion. She impresses her friends by writing song lyrics.

Her life changes when she encounters a cat on the train, and she follows it after it gets off at her stop. It leads her to an antiques store, owned by an old man. The man turns out to be the grandfather of the mysterious Seiji, and the two finally meet.

Although Shizuki studies hard, she has little idea of what she wants to do with her life. Seiji and his grandfather provide the inspiration she has been lacking, and she soon realizes that her true passion in life is writing. Seiji's passion is making violins, and the old man spends his time restoring antiques. This new focus means that her studies start to suffer, and she has to decide whether her writing is more important to her.

That sounds like a boring story, but it's nothing of the sort. There are no villains, no explosions, and not a lot of humor, but it's a sweet story with real characters that are easy to like and care about. You might find yourself remembering key moments in your own childhood, or perhaps wondering how different your life would have been if you had chosen a different path.

The film includes well-developed relationships with friends, parents, and siblings. Shizuku's parents are supportive, but realistic about their daughter's choices. There's a lot of respect present in her relationships with family, and the other people in her life. In typical Studio Ghibli fashion, Miyazaki's script includes many instances where characters stop and reflect on their actions. The animation includes little touches which add to the realism. For example, how many animated movies take the time to show someone using a vacuum cleaner?

The story is so realistic that I could imagine it having a positive influence on young teens or even parents. The messages are all positive, and they fit well with the story. My favorite Studio Ghibli films do include strong fantasy elements, but Whisper of the Heart is close to perfect while remaining firmly in the real world. These events could actually happen. It reminds me that Miyazaki must be a keen observer of human nature.

I've seen the film several times, and it always reaches me emotionally. The themes are simple and universal. I urge you to give it a try, even if you think that the genre isn't something you would normally enjoy. It's one for the whole family. If you do end up loving Whisper of the Heart, one of the characters also appears in The Cat Returns, and that's well worth your time as well.

Overall score 4.5/5

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Random Sunday Thoughts

Random Sunday Thoughts 

I haven't reviewed anything for a while because I'm not particularly interested in seeing most of the latest releases. Monsters University is probably worth my time, and I am curious as to whether Man of Steel is in the same league as The Dark Knight Trilogy, but nothing is jumping out at me as a must-see in theaters. I could pour a couple of hours of effort into reviewing an older movie, but the reality is that most people focus on what's new.

So, this morning, I found myself wondering all kinds of things about what makes a movie good, interesting, successful, or unique. That led to thinking about why bad movies get made, and why some of them are among the most popular in cinema history.

Other random thoughts had me thinking about such things as the IMDB Top 250, the best Denzel Washington movies, and catalogue titles that I haven't got around to seeing, which appeal for one reason or another.

I don't have one topic or title that stands out, so I have decided to write down these musings. Make of them what you will.

Observation 1 - An enormous number of people are entertained by a lot of crap

What falls into this category?

Reality TV
Dumb humor
The vast majority of superhero movies
Almost anything involving Michael Bay
More than 90 percent of sequels
Reality TV (I had to mention it twice)
Celebrities who can't act
Movies relying almost completely on special effects
Pointless remakes
Tired ideas that have been churned out dozens of times before

Observation 2 - I used to like some of the stuff in Observation 1

Twenty or thirty years ago, I used to rent stupid comedies, every superhero movie, and the latest Schwarzenegger movies on VHS. Why exactly? I don't find Schwarzenegger attractive, I don't want to look like him, and he can't act. Why did I watch anything that he was involved with? Did I expect things to suddenly improve, or did I actually like that nonsense? How is there a market for Terminator 5?

Observation 3 - The more we waste our time on things in Observation 1, the more likely that such crap will continue to be made

I've almost completely stopped investing my time in things the above categories, so I have done my part.

I have to wonder whether people actually enjoy the things they pay to see. It's one thing to attract a paying audience, but do people go home after Scary Movie 4 and start counting the days to the release of Scary Movie 5? Are they desperately hoping for another Jackass movie? Will every movie in the Transformers franchise make hundreds of millions at the box office?

Observation 4 - Most movies are made for audiences that I will never be a part of again

Twilight falls into this category. I don't care about vampires or teen romances. That said, I'll watch movies featuring those subjects if they are done well.

Do you ever watch a movie and think that the people on the screen are just saying the words? Someone loaned me a copy of Bad Boys recently. I like Will Smith, so I decided to give it a try, despite thinking that I wouldn't like it. It was tempting to stop watching in the first ten minutes, and I eventually gave up after 27 minutes of torture. There was no acting involved. It was like watching porn without the nudity. Characters appeared briefly, spouted a few unoriginal lines of dialogue, and trotted mercifully out of camera range. 

Observation 5 - People watch movies because of the actors involved, without any other considerations

I'm definitely guilty of this one. Over the years, I have mindlessly watched Schwarzenegger, Eddie Murphy, Michael J. Fox, Bill Murray, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, and a multitude of others. Some can't act at all, some have nostalgia value, and a few actually have some memorable performances to their name. Williams was superb in Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting, and effective in Insomnia, One Hour Photo, and even Good Morning Vietnam. But he's also delivered more than his fair share of complete crap.

The casting is a useful guide when deciding what I might like, but there are no guarantees.

So what does make a good movie? I can't give you a definitive answer, but I can tell you what works for me.

The Director

I think this is a far more reliable guide than relying on the main actors involved. For example, I will be entertained by anything Quentin Tarantino releases. He could choose a genre I dislike, cast actors I either dislike or don't know, and yet still produce something I enjoy watching.

Other directors that I feel that I can rely on are covered in more depth in my Top 10 Directors and An Introduction to Foreign Language Film features.

The Story

If the story is strong enough, it can capture my attention even if I hate the genre. For example, religion doesn't interest me at all, but Doubt is a wonderful film with four strong performances at its heart. Politics also bores me, but I cared about Frost/Nixon and The Queen. I loathe films about ancient Rome, but Gladiator is effective entertainment. Biopics don't do much for me at all, but Control is just about perfect.

The Acting

This may sound obvious, but it's amazing how many movies become popular and make money without good acting. In contrast, a strong performance can sometimes save a weak or unoriginal story. I dread to think what Unstoppable might have been without Denzel Washington's performance, but it's actually something I return to often. Imagine One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest without Jack Nicholson, Dog Day Afternoon without Al Pacino, or even M*A*S*H* (TV version) without Alan Alda. Casting is vitally important to me.

The Setting

Sometimes, I want to escape to a completely different world. Avatar has a terrible script with childish dialogue, but it's watchable because of the setting. Films such as Spirited Away, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and My Neighbor Totoro, provide wonderful settings that I am always happy to visit. The Warriors somehow does a similar thing, despite the lack of proven actors and the low budget. David Lynch's worlds are masterful too, and always make me feel as if I am somewhere else.

Clever Humor

This is a tough one to define, and I've always had trouble nailing down exactly why something is funny. I mentioned that I can't tolerate dumb humor, but I do like to laugh. Good writing helps, along with actors capable of delivering lines with proper comic timing. Many of the things which make me laugh involve good actors making witty remarks, even though the general tone of the movie is serious. Nicholson, Eastwood, and Clooney all manage to pull off that delicate balance, although you wouldn't include them in a list of Top 10 comedians. Bill Murray, who appeared regularly in some of the comedies I now despise, has redeemed himself by turning in some of the best work of his career in recent years.

Drama and Emotion

This is the big one for me. I want movies to be serious attempts to tell a story, without looking for cheap laughs every 20 seconds. I want to care about the characters and the outcome of their story. I want to remember the story and feel compelled to revisit the characters and their worlds. I even want those qualities in some measure in genres other than drama. Die Hard works because Bruce Willis is a better actor than most action heroes, and the writing is good enough to pull me into the story. Liam Neeson makes Taken a must-see movie for the same reasons. Christopher Nolan gave us the best superhero trilogy because he chose real actors, and then gave us a reason to care about what was going on. They still have the cool special effects, but it's not an empty story. Ask yourself why you love Heath Ledger's performance in The Dark Knight. Why was it so much better than other entries in the genre? Seriously, why did you care?

I'm not sure what the point of this post is. Maybe there isn't one. I'm just so jaded when I look at release schedules and see a tiny number of movies that I might like. Can we turn this trend around? Is it just me who thinks this way?

One of the most important decisions I ever made was to open up my mind and try foreign language films. There goes 95 percent of anyone who was still reading this post. It's not really that much effort to read subtitles. Do you like Inglourious Basterds? How much of that is in English? The main reason I love foreign film is that there is a chance of seeing something original; something with real ideas that doesn't feel compelled to deliver the expected outcome. The Hollywood machine churns out predictable films. Nolan was allowed to make Inception because of his success with The Dark Knight, but most movies with that level of imagination never come to fruition. Foreign films have their share of predictable crap, but the good ones are worth your time. Amelie is a delight; The Lives of Others is an extremely touching drama; The Three Colors Trilogy looks at life in ways you might not expect; Hayao Miyazaki has produced films with more heart than any other director, and I'm not just talking about animation. You can even see his films without having to read subtitles.

I know people who only buy music that makes the Top 40. I'm convinced that dumb comedies are popular because they are thought of as a safe option, that will surely have something for everyone. I urge you to question your own tastes and the decisions you make. What are your favorite films, and why is that the case? What movies made you feel as if you threw away your money? If you could finance a film, who would you cast, and who would direct it?

I'll leave you with my Top 10 Denzel Washington films (alphabetical order):

Crimson Tide
Flight
The Hurricane
Inside Man
John Q
Man on Fire
Philadelphia
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 
Training Day
Unstoppable

And here's my current Top 50 (alphabetical order):

12 Angry Men
Amelie
American Beauty
As Good as It Gets
The Birds
Blue Velvet
Control
The Dark Knight
The Departed
The Descendants
Dog Day Afternoon
The Double Life of Veronique
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fargo
Gran Torino
Grave of the Fireflies
The Green Mile
Headhunters
I Am Legend
In Bruges
Inglourious Basterds
Inside Man
Juno
Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2
The King's Speech
The Lives of Others
Memento
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
Moonrise Kingdom
Mulholland Dr.
My Neighbor Totoro
No Country for Old Men
Once
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Prestige
Psycho
Pulp Fiction
The Pursuit of Happyness
The Reader
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Philadelphia - Finally available on Blu-ray

Philadelphia (1993)

Drama, 125 minutes
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Starring Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen and Antonio Banderas

There are all kinds of reasons why I might watch a certain movie. It may be the director, the actors, the subject matter, or because of a review or recommendation. What first made me want to see Philadelphia was the casting of Tom Hanks. But now, after broadening my film knowledge in recent years, I wanted to pay closer attention to Denzel Washington's performance, and Jonathan Demme's directorial choices.

Demme has been responsible for one of the best thrillers ever made (The Silence of the Lambs), one of the best concert films (Stop Making Sense), as well as quirky comedies like Something Wild. Philadelphia isn't like any of those movies in terms of feel or genre; it's a serious drama, with an important message.

The story begins with lawyers Andrew Beckett (Hanks) and Joe Miller (Washington) battling each other in court. Beckett wins the case, and is promoted by his firm. He is entrusted with the task of representing one of the firm's most important clients. He's young, successful, and appears set to excel in his field. Miller is exposed as a TV celebrity and opportunist, who is more concerned with winning money for his clients than being ethical.

Beckett is homosexual and contracts AIDS. He develops lesions all over his body, and some of them are visible. One of the firm's partners notices and fears that Beckett may have AIDS. Soon after, Beckett is fired.

Do you remember when you first heard about AIDS? I remember it as a time of great panic. Nobody was immune from the disease, and we learned that it could be passed on by having a blood transfusion or unprotected sex. Imagine being a nurse and having a needle accidentally break your skin, and wondering if you would contract the disease. But, despite the fact that everyone was at risk, AIDS was primarily considered a disease which affected the gay community.

Should someone be fired for having a life-threatening disease? Does it matter whether their current performance is exceptional, even though it will almost certainly deteriorate in the future? This story is about Beckett's fight to sue his former firm for wrongful dismissal. After trying to enlist the help of nine other lawyers, he eventual turns to Miller. We discover that Miller is severely homophobic, and his ignorance of AIDS makes him fear Beckett's very presence. The story educates both the audience and Miller during its two-hour journey. Although we know much more about AIDS now, it was important to hear stories like this when the disease was relatively new on the scene.

Miller's initial instinct was to get as far away from Beckett as he could. In fact, some people will never see Philadelphia for similar reasons. Homophobia is not as common as it used to be, but it still exists. Another reason that the film won't have a large audience is the debilitating nature of the disease. It's uncomfortable to see somebody become ill, knowing that they might well die. I understand the decision to avoid that kind of subject matter, but entertainment comes in many forms. The reason I enjoy Philadelphia is the strength of the central performances from Hanks and Washington.

The second half of the film focuses on the courtroom battle between Miller, representing Beckett, and the firm which ultimately fired Beckett. If you enjoy courtroom dramas, Philadelphia does well with that aspect of the story. Demme makes some interesting choices, occasionally making the actors speak directly into the camera. It has the effect of placing us in the position of the judge or the witness giving evidence, and grabs our attention.

Hanks was at his peak in the 90s and early 2000s, and this Oscar-winning performance is one of his best. Washington has been great for 20 years, and his performance should not be missed either.

Philadelphia also won an Oscar for best song (Bruce Springsteen), and closes with another nominee (Neil Young). The music fits the mood perfectly.

If you enjoy good acting, serious drama, or stories that really matter, Philadelphia is worth your time. Some say that it is dated and overly-manipulative, but sometimes it's good to manipulate the audience when the message is important enough to warrant it. This is one of those times.

The North American Blu-ray release is from Twilight Time, and is limited to 3,000 copies. The picture quality is pleasing and the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track also does the job. It's available from Amazon, or directly from Screen Archives Entertainment, and comes with a small booklet.

Overall score 4.5/5

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