Jan 13
It’s taken me a little while to get going with film reviewing this year for some reason. I don’t really have an explanation for it, but I’m hoping to pick up the pace and hit the gas for more writing in the near future. In that regard, I decided to finally check out The Fast and the Furious. I’ve seen bits and pieces of other films in the series on cable and so on, but I’ve never actually seen the 2001 flick that started it all.
A satisfying, well-acted ghost story, The Others is one of the best paranormal pictures I’ve seen in quite some time. Directed by Alejandro Amenábar, this 2001 movie is based somewhat on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw. James’ book was interpreted a number of different ways by a number of different academics, leaving behind a quite obscure impression. It turned the corner from the old-fashioned ghost story clichés, however, winning it considerable support.
The Others takes James’ themes and manipulates them well, turning the screws of the audience in the process. A good thriller has the viewer questioning reality and the sanity of certain characters. The plot’s finer points are never blatantly obvious and the quality performances of the actors keep things moving at a glorious and devious pace.
Michael Mann’s Ali is an interesting but problematic film. It carries an uneven, longwinded tone that is perhaps suited to its legendary subject, but there are moments where a lighter hand might have made the story more human. The picture is concerned with Muhammad Ali’s life for a period of about ten years, beginning with his title win over Sonny Liston and ending with the Rumble in the Jungle fight in 1974.
Mann’s direction runs the risk of being considered heavy-handed and, in many instances, it is. There isn’t a moment of intimacy in the picture that escapes stylized cuts and an overload soundtrack’s interjection, creating a rift that separates us from Will Smith’s dynamic, on-point performance as the titular icon.
Smith is Cassius Clay and we join him after he’s returned from his Olympic victory. He is a bold, outspoken fighter and he speaks in rhymes, something that dazzles reporters and fans. An allegiance to Malcolm X (Mario Van Peebles) and the Nation of Islam impacts his personal life and promises him opportunity in the ring, but Clay is determined to be his own person. He drops his slave name, becoming Muhammad Ali.
There’s also the matter of the Vietnam War and the draft, something Ali opposed. This led to banishment from boxing and, interestingly, a deepening of his friendship with sports journalist Hoard Cossell (Jon Voight) and a coarsening of his friendship with assistant trainer Drew Bundini Brown (Jamie Foxx). Ali’s love life is also a subject, as are his stances on religion and race.
Mann admirably tries to set the stage using music and the political climate, but what we have with Ali is mostly an exercise in style. We are on the outside looking in with respect to personal relationships. The women of Ali’s life just dip in and out with little consequence, almost seeming a waste of some rather good performances from Jada Pinkett Smith, Nona Gaye and Michael Michele.
What we end up with instead is a bunch of scenes that look great, like Ali’s jogging through parts of Zaire in an almost spiritual haze, but they do little to connect us to the personality. Music blasting, Mann sets us up with tremendous visuals delivered in sublime style, but he seems to not care much for the personal details.
Because of the director’s attention to detail, the fights are fantastic. This is where he concerns himself most with minutiae and this is where it actually works, as the way fighters move in the ring is something to behold under Mann’s vigilant, cautious eye. The actors, especially Smith, look every bit the part and can function and move the way they should in the ring.
Smith’s performance is exceptional and, truth be told, it’s hard to imagine another actor in the role. He nails down the assertiveness and conceit of the character and attempts to shine some light on Ali’s transcendent struggles, but it doesn’t seem like there’s much time for that. Even the passionate connections he makes ring hollow, which is a shame.
What could have been a sharp historical film is a mere style excursion from a director who, in all honesty, knows better and is capable of so much more. His other pictures, like the glorious Heat, have balanced elegance with humanity to a much greater effect, but the levels are off with this one and the result is a lethargic, uncharismatic mound of averageness.
The magical world of Harry Potter begins with 2001’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Based on the overwhelmingly popular (and awesome) book series by J. K. Rowling, this Chris Columbus flick introduces a wonderful universe of characters, creatures, magic, and fun that thrills and delights for every single second it’s on screen.
Disney’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire didn’t make much of a splash and kind of came and went as a mediocre film in the studio’s history. The 2001 picture was geared toward an older audience, which for a Disney animated feature means someone in his or her teens. It’s filled with action and a reasonable amount of suspense, along with a good dose of science fiction and fun. I actually enjoyed the movie, but it had me thinking of recycling more than possible lost cities.
