Boys Don't Cry - stars Hilary Swank

Wow, don't walk into this one with a closed mind and the expectation of small-town soap box drama.  No siree!  Hilary Swank won an Academy Award for best actress and a Golden Globe for best actress back in 1999 for this flick, and though these awards are taken with a grain of salt at the best of times, this one is bonafide!

Boys Don't Cry tells the true story of Teena Brandon (Swank), a woman who chose to live her life as a man, Brandon Teena.  Constantly in and out of trouble and avoiding a court date for car theft, she moves from Lincoln to a small town, Falls City, even despite warnings of the closed minded inhabitants.  She becomes accepted as one of the guys in a local group of tearaways and finds love in the arms of local girl Lana.  But somehow you just can't feel that everyone's going to live happily ever after, its a bad crowd and she's playing a tough game of hiding her true identity.

Swank is so believable in this as male that at first, if I didn't know it was her, I would've just thought it was a guy and been completely confused by what was happening on screen.  On one hand you have this street smart woman with her convictions firmly established, and on the other there's this throwaway side of her that begs a jolt of reality.  Very frustrating to watch from that point of view, some of the decisions she makes just have you asking "WHY???".  Swank pulls it off brilliantly.

As I said, its a true story, and where the truth is always stranger than fiction, its also a lot more painful.  This was Kimberly Peirce's directoral debut and in fact started out as the subject of her thesis film for her graduate film study at Columbia University.  So intrigued was she by the strength of character and conviction of Teena Brandon that she travelled to Nebraska to watch the court case unfold.  While there she befriended a court reporter who got her access to court documents, and from there she took the story to film.

The support cast is very good, with Chloe Sevigny also getting nominated for best support actress in 99's Golden Globes and Academy Awards, and Peter Sarsgaard and Brendan Sexton Jr playing the extremely volitile John and Tom, "I'm the only one that can control him."  Its pretty scary stuff and these guys go a long way to making that happen.

Lots of issues to put you through your paces, the sheer intolerance of people will astound you.  4 stars.

Arlington Road - stars Tim Robbins, Jeff Bridges, Joan Cusack

I saw this on the big screen originally and recall being incredibly impressed.  It was the box office hit that never was, I believe it was horribly underrated.  It translates very nicely to video, but I can't tell you how much Jeff Bridges' character annoyed me.  I don't remember this annoying me the first time around and can't work out why.

David Faraday teaches a history course focussing on terrorism.  His recently deceased wife was an FBI agent who died needlessly at the hands of suspected terrorists and his course serves to carry on her work in some way.  This dude is paranoid!  Across the road live the Langs, a quiet family who have kept to themselves until Faraday saves the their son's life and they finally meet.  For some reason Faraday thinks they have something to hide and starts persuing the issue much to the chagrin of his new girlfriend.  Not only does she put up with his coping with his wife's death and the conspirancy theories he concocts, he now thinks the neighbours have something to hide.  Faraday is constantly pushing the people close to him away as a result, but is he really onto something here?

Seriously, Jeff Bridges spends the entire film yelling and whining and complaining.  To everyone!  It really grated on me and took my attention away from what is basically a great movie.  I recall being so impressed with everything about it.  Its still fantastic to watch, director Mark Pellington (Mothman Profecies) shines behind the camera, some great techniques and segues to keep the most hardened cinemaphile raising an eyebrow.  Fantastic cast too, Tim Robbins is brilliant, Joan Cusack has really stepped out of herself for her role.  And whoever played the Lang children, man did they graduate from the school of acting dark and brooding with distinction.  Tops.  3 and a half stars, it'd get 4 but for Bridges.

The Runner - stars Ron Eldard, John Goodman, Joe Mantegna, Courtney Cox

One of those vids you see on the shelf, ignore, see on the shelf, ignore, then at 5 minutes before closing time on a Tuesday night you can't find anything else and you pick it up and think to yourself "Self, this might be alright, you may as well give it a shot caus' there's nothing else here."

And that's the category it stays in I'm afraid.  I can't say I was impressed by any of it, although John Goodman as an all-business-take-no-shit-accept-no-failures-gambling-mobster is very good.  It'd be nice to see Goodman step out more often and explore more sinister characters, he pulls it off great.  Unfortunately he's the big cuddly good guy who might eat too much but still has a heart where the gold out-weighs the cholesterol.

The Runner see's a young man who is addicted to gambling running up too many debts.  His uncle, in all his wisdom, gets him a job as a runner for a faceless gangster in order to repay those debts.  But the job entails placing bets for said gangster in gaming houses all over town, "that's like getting an alcoholic to tend bar".  Indeed.  This isn't the kind've business where you take liberties with other people's money, however our wayward hero finds the lure too much and what ensues is somewhat tedious and slightly predictable.  Unless of course Goodman is in the scene and that spruces things up a bit.

David Arquette pops up in this yet again just out of interest.  Why is it that every movie Courtney does, he's compelled to do a cameo.  Rediculous!  And for the record, Eldard appears to be this B-grade actor with destination: nowhere.  Despite this however he's actually appeared in some decent flicks including "Mystery, Alaska", "Sleepers" and "Blackhawk Down".  Why then he insists on taking roles like this is anyone's guess.  Mine is, he's just lazy.  <SLAP>.  2 and a half stars.

Chicago - stars Rene Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere

The big screen adaptation of one of the coolest stage shows ever made.  Probably.  I've seen very few stage shows I must confess, was most impressed with Phantom though.  So yeah, heard of Chicago but have never known much about it, and how nicely surprised was I.

My first impression is that this doesn't translate as well to the screen as it would on stage, and this from someone whose never seen either before.  That said, its very enjoyable, and somehow you can feel a song coming on just about all the way through it.  Facetious little shit aren't I, lol.

Surprisingly everyone can sing although they did mime for the cameras to a previously recorded blip.  No way they'd be singing that clearly whlist pole dancing at mach 3 and jumping off tables.  Its very good and any complaints I had with the lip sync jobs are far outweighed by some great performances and some great music.  My favourite was Mr Cellophane, poor little bloke, couldn't help but feel for him.  Good guys always come last, dammit!!!  3 and a half stars.

Ravenous - stars Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle

I dig Robert Carlyle, whether he's playing a violent scottish drunk, a highway robber or the world's most evil criminal he pulls it all off with class.  This performance is no different.  Set in 1847, Captain John Boyd has been banished to a Californian military outpost due to an act of cowardice in the Mexican-American War and is received by the less than military soldiers currently inhabiting it.  Then a stranger happens upon the outpost appearing to be near death from the cold.  They revive him and afterward he tells a story of lost travellers turning to canibalism and how he escaped.  Or did he?

This movie ain't for the squeamish, seriously, don't watch it if the sight of blood and guts puts you off.  Caus' they've taken that element to the enth degree here.  I recall the first time I watched it almost being physically ill myself, second time around has been no different.  Then again, the idea of eating someone else might appeal to you, far be it from me to make it sound bad.

Carlyle is fantastic in this, the swings between his personae is genuine and believable.  Pearce is going through the motions a little but the support really do make up for that.  Arquette's cameo here (though surprisingly not with Cox) is refrained which makes it copable...not sure that's a word but I'm going with it for now.

The setting is nothing out of the ordinary but its the music here that definately sets it apart.  It sounds like they've taken a regular toot toot of a military piece from that era and tuned it down so straight away you're feeling pretty uneasy, I mean something's not quite right here.  We're also blessed with a decent ending which when you're going out on a limb with a theme like this, always nice to bring it home strong.  Leaves a couple of unanswered questions (one screaming sequal, see if you pick it up) but all up we love it.  4 stars.

BH