tim.halkin Reviews

Naked Highway (1997 Video)

Beware!

[8 February 2003]

Based on the two reviews I read, I decided to buy this on video.

Granted, personal taste is subjective, however, let me offer this piece of advice: If you're looking for a gay-themed story, then you'll be disappointed. If you're looking for a pornographic film, you won't be satisfied with this either, since it doesn't go that far. As the German's say: it's neither meat nor fish.

Basically this film has the level of story and acting that one expects in a porn flick without the explicit sex. A let down on all fronts, and poor production quality on top. Bottom line: a true waste of time and money.

Before Night Falls (2000)

133 minutes of brilliant film-making

[8 February 2003]

One doesn't need to know who Reinaldo Arenas was to appreciate this film. By the time it's over you can't wait to read Arenas' books (or re-read them as the case my be). Julian Schnabel has created a rich and multi-layered film about freedom and art - how staying true to the art of expressing yourself (even in the face of adversity) is the only truly liberating thing in life.

For non-Spanish- (or French-) speaking film audiences, Javier Bardem and Olivier Martinez are the acting-Finds of the decade! Bardem is as well known to Spanish-speaking audiences, as Martinez is in France. We can only hope to see them both more often in English-language films that get widespread releases internationally. It's only a shame that Bardem didn't win the Oscar he was nominated for at the 2000 Academy Awards - seldom have I been so moved by an acting performance. Johnny Depp is lots of fun as "Bon-Bon" - the smuggling drag queen, but looks somewhat out of place in his double role as a Cuban police inspector (it's probably the glued-on mustache that doesn't work for me!). Keep an eye out for Sean Penn, too.

The film is an extraordinary masterpiece! A "Must-See"!

Donnie Darko (2001)

This film has just entered my top 10!

[8 February 2003]

Remember the feeling you had the first time you read "Catcher in the Rye" or saw David Lynch's film, "Blue Velvet"? Well, this experience should be right up there!

Ultimately, this is an esoteric piece that will make you want to re-watch it the second it's over to try and figure it out - á la "Sixth Sense". That said, it's a wonderful coming-of-age story (the likes of Salinger's "...Rye") of a cynical adolescent, Donnie Darko. Donnie is a sort of a comic book high school hero, who tells everybody where to get off in such an intelligent way, that even his parents have to congratulate him on being expelled from school.

The twist that will "knock you flat" (as Jan Stuart of Newsday put it) is almost superfluous in light of what the rest of the film has to say for itself. This is almost two films in one: a highly spiritual film about time and space; destiny versus free choice - and one that is very earth-bound about having the courage to be your own person, and about questioning everything before excepting blindly. The two themes are magnificently bound together in a visually stunning, and breathtakingly acted film. Keep an eye out for Jake Gyllenhaal - he's right up there with Toby Maguire.

One of the best films I've seen in the past few years.

No One Sleeps (2000)

It's like a bad accident - You don't want to look, but ...!

[8 February 2003]

Let me start by saying something nice: Tom Wlaschiha, the film's lead, valiantly held his own in this muddled bit of tripe. Wlaschiha was not just up against the fact that he was having to perform in English, which is not his native language, but some of the worst writing, directing, editing and acting from the supporting cast (actually, calling them supporting is a contradiction of terms!) that the film industry has ever put in the can.

The list of what's wrong with the film is actually much too long to analyze completely here, but it's starts with the lame attempt to force a modern-day, urban story into an opera plot - how many times will film makers try this, before they realize that it's silly at best? Trying to link Puccini's Turandot with a murderous cover-up conspiracy of the theory that the US government was doing testing with the HIV virus that had been found in sheep on prison inmates is akin to linking Queen's song "We are the Champions" to the Watergate cover-up...in other words: hammering a square peg into a round hole. The only conspiracy that seemed to be going on was the fact that everyone in San Francisco, where the film is set, seemed to know this opera by heart, breaking into its catchy tunes at a drop of a hat. When the Italian tenor breaks into "Nessun Dorma" at the end of an opening night party, simply because some guy tells him that his performance was good, I rolled off my couch laughing! This only topped by the fact that the serial killers hums the ditty while killing his HIV+ victims.

The idea of using this theory as a cover-up conspiracy plot is not the problem here. In the hands of a good writer and director, this could actually make a thrilling plot along the lines of "JFK". Jochen Hick, who wrote, directed and produced the film (probably sewed the costumes, too), didn't seem to know if he wanted to make this a crime/thriller, or a character study of his lead character. Ultimately, he tried both and failed at both, ending up making just about every mistake a writer, as well as a director, could make - this all in just 104 minutes!

One thing I have to give Hick credit for: as much as I wanted to turn the damn DVD player off, I watched this baby to the bitter end, but please don't take that as a recommendation to do the same!

A film that every film school should use as a glowing example of: "don't let this happen to you!"

Pandaemonium (2000)

This is a poem, not a documentary!

[8 February 2003]

I am not a historian, and have not read either William Wordsworth's accounts of his relationship with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, or visa versa. Before going into this film I was vaguely aware of their friendship, turned rivalry. Based on the 2 reviews available on Amazon.com, I almost didn't buy the DVD.

However, I weighed the facts: I love both the poems of Coleridge and of Wordsworth that I have read. They are epic and broad in scope, as well as eloquent and lyrical. I am also an admirer of both Linus Roache and John Hannah's work, and find Julian Temple an interesting director to say the least. I thought: how bad could this combination be? My didactical reasoning won out and I bought and viewed this film, and I'm glad of it. And I can only recommend that others follow my lead.

Is it historically accurate? As far as I know, which is not a lot, in this matter - no! That said, it is trying to make a statement, not be a documentary. Is Wordsworth displayed as an ogre in favor of praising Coleridge's drug-assisted genius? Not really. Wordsworth's opinion - that Coleridge's genius was not worth every price - was fairly portrayed in the film. Coleridge's drug addition is also not prettied up, or made to look romantic. Fair is fair. They were both geniuses in their own right, but - like us all - mortals as well, with all the flaws that go with it. They obviously became rivals, which is also - unfortunately - very human; we the audience have the opportunity to recognize that we don't need to choose between them.

Panning this film for its historical inaccuracies is like the Maritimer shooting the albatross...it goes against the nature of the thing. Experience the film as a poem, and relax about the details. Isn't that what both of their poetry tried to teach us?

Beautifully acted and magnificently filmed. Please give this little gem a chance!

The Dish (2000)

A Perfect Little Film!

[8 February 2003]

Most of us who were over 5 years old at the time, remember where they were when Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon. This monumentally emotional moment for mankind, albeit thoroughly superfluous scientific achievement, is the background for this beautifully constructed film.

The thing that makes this film so special is the fact that there isn't a character that appears on screen that you don't care about, regardless how small the role. That takes true writing and directing talent!

The entire small town of Parks, New South Wales, Australia is all atwitter, because their radio observatory dish has been chosen to be NASA's official link to the Apollo 11 mission in the southern hemisphere. The mayor's wife comments, while serving her joint of lamb, that man being moments away from landing on the moon makes their problems seem mundane... That's the beauty of the film, you care so much about these people; their problems are anything but mundane - you cheer-on the techno-nerd asking the town beauty to go out with him; you ache inside because the head of the observatory lost his wife a year ago and she can't be there to revel in his glory; you love the fact that the out-of-place NASA official is the only one who realizes that all the mayor's rebellious teenage daughter really needs to chill-out is an ounce of respect.

This is the best kind of feel-good film. An absolute jewel that you'll want to watch more than just once.

Urbania (2000)

Urbania = Urban Legends = Urban Fears!

[8 February 2003]

They say that urban legends are created by people trying to deal with fear and anxiety - like the gruesome fairytales from the Brothers Grimm are supposed to help children work out their worst nightmares. In Urbania, we watch Charlie (brilliantly played by Dan Futterman) stumble out of his sleepless bed into a series of seemingly unrelated vignettes: some of these tales we know (the dog in the microwave number, for example), some of them our hero is living through at the moment - or is he? He is after something - or someone, but what? Could it be that beautiful and sexy man on the street?

We meet through him friends, lovers, strangers - all with a tale to tell - but what exactly is Charlie's tale?

Sounds confusing? Well, it is, and it's supposed to be, and it's wonderful. You get lost in a fever-dream, beautifully written, directed, filmed and acted. When you wake up from the dream, the surprise is substantial. An urban legend that has something to say for itself. Bravo!

Just One Time (II) (1998)

Ah, the Frailty of Manhood!

[8 February 2003]

There is potential here, and it shines through occasionally, but unfortunately not consistently.

Despite the fact that the ultimate effect is cute (isn't that a terrible word to describe a film?!) and charming, I found myself scratching my head once or twice about the basic premise of this sometimes enchanting little ditty. I guess Janger is trying to warn us that no fantasy lives up to the reality. OK...an age-old piece of wisdom...no arguments here, BUT he never REALLY lets his two lead characters experience their fantasies. They just seem to get lost and frustrated on the road leading up to it.

Anthony (Janger's character) wants to see his beloved fiancée, Amy (played by a very winning Jennifer Esposito), have sex Just One Time with another woman before they get married and HAVE to put their fantasies to bed. That's where the first question arises: why do married couples have to stop having fantasies? OK, small detail, let's move on...

Amy does not want to grant her beloved Anthony his somewhat cliché, pubescent, masturbatory fantasy, and tries to get around the problem by one-upping him: if he has sex with a man for her, she'll give herself to a woman for him. Now pride and egos start getting in the way of anyone calling the nonsense off. Enter Guillermo Diaz: your excuse for a romantic comedy's gay sidekick. Not to say that Mr. Diaz plays his role poorly; he's actually very winning! That said, his role is no more than a convenient plot devise: the sweet, non-threatening, virginal gay neighbor, who enters on cue, but never causes too much discomfort, either for Anthony or the viewer. Same goes for the conveniently lesbian neighbor played by Joelle Carter, who is planted there to give Amy her brush with homosexuality.

Whereas Amy at least gets a lesbian kiss of free will out of it all, before she throws up her hands and screams, "bring on the bands and ring the wedding bells", Anthony stays annoyingly heterosexual. Oh, he does have a kiss, but it's aggressive and full of anger and frustration. When he wakes up the next morning next to his token gay friend, he's horrified at the idea that something might have transpired. Thank God, his bedmate is able to clear that fright up within 30 seconds!

Actually, a rather insulting bit of tripe, but if even the more emotionally self-assured and mature homosexuals were generous enough to forgive heterosexual men their occasional lapses of taste and decorum for the sake of defending their obviously fragile manhood, then everyone might actually enjoy the 94 minutes that this film has to offer.

David Searching (1997)

An Uneven Indi Film, but Rewording

[8 February 2003]

It starts out bumpy, and the low-budget feeling doesn't help, but stay with this ultimately charming film. Anthony Rapp, who we've watch growing up since he worked for Disney in "Adventures in Babysitting" to become a Broadway star in "Rent", plays the brooding, still-needs-to-grow-up, David - searching for a deeper meaning in life.

If David were only to get off his high horse at the end of the day, he'd realize that he's searching for the very things that we are all searching for: love, sex and a feeling of satisfaction in the broader scheme of things.

His constant brooding over deeper meanings is made trivial by his constant blunders with the simplest things in life: like listening to other people, observing and understanding. His self-absorbedness gets him in one sticky situation after the next, deriving in the end, what the absolute truths of life are: you are born, you somehow have to get by and then you die. Everything else is what you make out of it.

The Twilight of the Golds (1996)

Not Perfect, But Important

[8 February 2003]

I was about to turn the video recorder off after about 10 minutes, but something kept me going, and I'm glad it did.

Feye Dunaway is thoroughly annoying as the Jewish Mama (talk about an unfortunate piece of casting! Sorry, Ms. Dunaway - you've done brilliant work in your life, but you shouldn't have taken this role). Garry Marshall should also stick to producing and directing and not venture in front of a camera. Thanks to the talented Brendan Fraser and Jennifer Beals, I stayed with it, despite the - at times - heavy-handed writing and the over-the-top acting of Ms. Dunaway and Garry Marshall.

The script is a disaster, but at the end of the day, it actually has something very important to say for itself. I have never seen the subject of homophobia dealt with so directly and with such bravado as in this film. It's in your face; you can't escape it...and that's exactly the intent of this film. It asks uncomfortable questions, and gives uncomfortable answers. I just wish that Jonathan Tolins and Seth Bass had given their script to a good script doctor. They were definitely going in the right direction, and deserve praise for the effort - just didn't quite capture it on the page.

Again, Fraser and Beals are brilliant, and there are additional bon bons: Rosie O'Donnell and Jon Tenney also give memorable performances.

Bottom line: an important film that should be seen, although not perfect, but hey, what is?!

Touch (1997)

A Refreshing Look at God, Faith, Love and Media

[8 February 2003]

Don't be fooled by the subject matter - an ex-monk, who can heal the sick by touching them, but suffers stigmata each time and gets caught up in a whirl of religious fanatics, big-business evangelists and ratings-hungry media - this is a sweet and touching romantic comedy!

Leave it to Paul Schrader to find a way to do some heavy soul-searching without getting heavy-handed, yet always remaining quirky as we know him from his dramas. A wonderful supporting cast (Christopher Walken, Tom Arnold, Janeane Garofalo, Lolita Davidovich and Gina Gershon) adds color and texture to the story without detracting from the quiet chemistry going on between Skeet Ulrich and Bridget Fonda. When Ulrich says without grandeur that he believes in God and miracles, you don't even think twice about it - you believe every word he says at face value. A rare performance.

Different for Girls (1996)

Different For ... Just About Everything

[8 February 2003]

What a brave and unusual romantic comedy. Thank God the BBC is still open-minded enough for such projects, which are not only important, but ultimately wonderfully entertaining.

At the core of the boy-meets-girl, who used to be one of his mates at school, now transsexual, love story is Steven Mackintosh, who portrays Karl-now-Kim with such dignity and style that this film never feels sticky or cumbersome, as one might fear going into it.

Rupert Graves plays the bad-boy "Prentice" with such charm that one thoroughly understands why Kim allows her new-found, quiet life to be turned upside down. He shows Kim that finding the right gender doesn't necessarily make you a whole person...That comes from conviction and caring. It requires passion - something he's full of and is able to rekindle in his old schoolmate. And who knows...maybe she'll get him to change his socks daily!

Thoroughly charming!

Total Eclipse (1995)

Disturbing & Brilliant

[8 February 2003]

Friends of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan romantic comedies beware! This is a love story, but not your usual Hollywood fare. This pre-Titanic film reminds us that DiCaprio is truly a fine actor, who was willing to take risks for the challenge of a good role. And boy, did he find one here: Arthur Rimbaud. Joining DiCaprio in this tale of 19th century French poets is the brilliant David Thewlis as Paul Verlaine.

There is actually not a single character in this film who is really likable, and that's what separates it from the rest of the pabulum that we tend to get as a daily diet. There are moments that you adore them, then minutes later they couldn't be more loathsome. How like the real world! How like ourselves!

The psychological roller coaster ride of a relationship between two brilliant, but - through their genius - thoroughly disturbed, people is fascinating and never for a second boring.

It's not warm and fuzzy, but it will move you all the same.

It's My Party (1996)

Please God, Let Me Die So Dramatically!

[8 February 2003]

Theoretically one should hate this film...it literally makes dying of AIDS look like chic fun. My experiences with friends and loved ones over the past 20 years have been somewhat less glamorous, to say the least. Given the reality that many of us have had to go through, you might find yourself getting angry at times. That said, if you are a romantic at heart, you will ultimately be caught up in the sentiment of this piece. Yes, you might even get a lump in your throat...however, the same one you got the last time you watched "Dark Victory". A wonderful cast, in a misguided, yet ultimately moving film.

The Fantasticks (2000)

This Remains One of the Best Musicals of All Time

[8 February 2003]

There is a reason why this show is still playing off-Broadway after over 30 years - it's just down-right brilliant. What makes the show work so well is it's intimacy, but it's intimacy only works when it's scaled for a small audience. Try and make this bigger, and it suddenly becomes pale, even silly at times.

I was horrified to hear that an attempt was made to film this, and glad it was shelved for 5 years. Unfortunately, it has now been released, after being re-edited. Don't get me wrong - the cast is more than respectable; even NKOTB-ex, Joseph Mulrey McIntyre is sweet as Matt. Jonathon Morris as El Gallo is also a wonderful piece of casting, not to mention Joel Grey and Bernard Hughes as the feuding parents. Even the settings are wonderful, but at the end of the day, the magic of this show is created in a 300 seat theatre with 2 pianos and a harp...anything more is less.

To add insult to injury, someone obviously got cold feet about the song "Rape", and exchanged one of the show's highlights for a banal ditty. If you don't know "The Fantasticks", please don't watch this film, because it will make you hate the musical. If you know the musical, you might want to see it out of curiosity.

Great Performances: The Lost Language of Cranes (1991) Season 20, Episode 17

Honesty has a Language of its own

[8 February 2003]

The film offers two metaphors for the suppression of expression - young twins, who have never been taught an established language, and hence create one of their own; and a neglected child, who's only company is the view it has of a building site with several large cranes from the window: the child begins to imitate the cranes' movements and noises in an attempt to communicate with them. No fear - the symbolism is kept to a minimum.

At the film's core, are three people, all of whom have been suppressing their real feelings (their real selves) from the others for fear of change - for fear of disrupting the balance of their existence. This lack of expressing themselves in language, causes them to create their own "language of cranes".

They're terrified that the truth will rip apart the world as they know it, which it does. The viewer is left with their loose ends, wondering if honesty really was the best. Everything they feared about honesty comes to pass. The family is torn apart without a way back. The mother is left feeling like the punch line of a bad joke and the father will be left with 30 years of remorse and guilt. But they're free. They're alive and free - and they still have time to take advantage of their second chance at life.

There are no action scenes here, but this film is more suspenseful than a thriller. If you have ever kept a secret from someone you loved - beware - this film might make you feel very uncomfortable.

Bottom line: a wonderful script, excellent acting and well directed on a small budget. A must see!

Edward II (1991)

14th Century Gay-Bashing á la Derek Jarmam

[8 February 2003]

Definitely Derek Jarman's most refined film. That said, refined for Jarman is bizarre for most.

Based VERY loosely on Christopher Marlowe's play from 1592, however, should be view in its own light / right. Whereas it does tend to capture the wonderful Marlow language, this is no "Shakespeare" here! It's a brilliantly acted ensemble piece, set in Jarman's abstract vision of the world, with a core message that is as valid today as it must have been shocking then.

Jarman "paints" his film - as he always did - not in any logical manner or order, but like a mosaic of images, creating a whole and a statement - a strong statement about intolerance in this case.

This one might even be palatable for non-Jarman fans.

Valmont (1989)

The Lack of Suspense is Made Up for by the Cast & the Look

[8 February 2003]

Neither Jean-Claude Carrière's screenplay, nor Milos Forman's direction could capture the suspense felt in the stage play by Choderlos de Laclos ("Les Liaisons Dangereuses"), or Stephen Frears' film "Dangerous Liaisons" with Glenn Close and John Malkovich in the two leading roles.

Notwithstanding, "Valmont" is a lush and beautifully filmed adaptation of this piece with a cast well worth watching the film for. Visually, I think I prefer Forman's film to Frears', and certain performances are more layered in "Valmont". Annette Bening's smile is so winning that you can truly believe how people are duped by it, which makes it all the more shocking when she shows her ugly side. This is not to say that she's better in the role than Glenn Close was - just different. Both performances are brilliant.

Colin Firth's Valmont is a killer: his charm and sex appeal are like a Venus flytrap...you know they're dangerous, but you can't help being sucked in by them. He ultimately plays this very difficult role with more subtle layers than the brutally devastating performance that Malkovich gave. His Valmont is ultimately more likable as a person, despite his dastardly doings. This makes it easier to forgive him in the end.

No offense to Ulma Thurman, but I really did like the young lovers in Valmont better than in Dangerous Liaisons: Fairuza Balk as Cecile is perfect. Thurman (who is a wonderful actress) looked a tad too old to play a 15 year old and therefore her naivety comes across a being slightly dumb. Balk looks the right age and just comes off as one would imagine a teenage girl of that time and stature would be. Henry Thomas as Dancey is just heads over Keanu Reeves.

One does sorely miss Michelle Pfeiffer as Madame de Tourvel, since Meg Tilly is just so unfortunately miscast in the role. Whereby you can certainly understand why she throws all precaution to the wind and starts an affair with Colin Firth's Valmont, you simply can't understand what he possibly could see in her bland approach to this complex character.

Dangerous Liaisons just has a better script with much more tension and suspense than Valmont, but give this one a look - you won't be wasting your time.

An Early Frost (1985 TV Movie)

Way Ahead of its Time - and Still Valid!

[8 February 2003]

We're now well into the new millennium, and I'm angry at myself that I'm only now getting around to seeing this 1985 milestone AIDS film! I work in the television industry, and I must say that I feel proud that a major US network like NBC had the guts to produce a film this sensitive and revolutionary for its time. It truly makes a valiant attempt (and succeeds for the most part) to make AIDS an every-day, living room topic without ever getting too sticky or maudlin about it. Even though this was really in the stone age of AIDS, it's amazing how right-on it was in so many areas. The only thing that feels dated now, is the lack of therapeutic possibilities, which we have today, but my God, we just all lived through over 20 years of Hell, and only now - recently - have a shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. The writing team had great insight and foresight.

That said, I do wish that the script had gone one round with a good dialog doctor. There are moments, where - despite the AMAZING cast - that I did have to cringe. It was always a matter of sticky dialog, but - believe me - not the heart, soul, or deeper truth of the piece.

This film might be somewhat older, but it is still incredibly valid, and is heads-and-shoulders over most films of its genre. I'm sure that the executives at NBC who gave the green light for this production are long gone, but I raise my glass to you for your courage and for your vision. Bravo!

The Ritz (1976)

"Noises Off" in a Gay Bathhouse

[8 February 2003]

A well crafted, door-slamming comedy ala 'Noises Off' with a wonderful cast. Rita Moreno playing a no-talent bathhouse singer gives the performance of her lifetime (we all know how talented she really is, so seeing her 'off' is a lot of fun). Treat Williams is delicious as the soprano detective. Jack Weston, Paul B. Price, F. Murray Abraham, Kay Ballard and Jerry Stiller add their spices to this wonderful ensemble. It makes you wish that the days of the Continental Baths would come back - at least the wonderfully tacky shows at poolside!

Voodoo Academy (2000 Video)

You Do That Voodoo so Well?

[7 February 2003]

A high-concept, homoerotic, genre film that - for all its bare chest rubbing, hair gel and glossed-lipped poutiness - falls flat on its face. Even worse acting only tops a lousy script.

That said, if you're into barely 20-something boys in spanking white boxer shorts and white socks touching themselves incessantly all over while having a mutual wet dream, well this one's for you! Frankly, I find doing my grocery list more exciting. Surprisingly enough, the production quality is halfway decent, though.

Those of us, who like high-concept horror, will hate this one. There's barely an attempt at plausibility, and the level of horror tends to bend more towards cute than scary. Those of you who like homoerotic, this is about as erotic as a PBS film. Is it soooo bad that it's good? No. It's just silly and boring.

Bent (1997)

I saw this 20 years ago on Broadway with Richard Gere as Max.

[7 April 2001]

Unfortunately, there is only one review on this film in IMDb, and the reviewer found it to be a piece of tripe. Well, every one is entitle to his opinion; it just so happens that my opinion is thoroughly the opposite.

I saw this piece on Broadway 20 years ago with Richard Gere in the lead, and was blown away. I almost was afraid to watch this film for fear that it could never live up to the play, but it does. You don't have to be gay to appreciate the psychological implications of this piece. Bent allows us to observe the human psyche under extreme pressure: like the prison experiments that took place (and got terribly out of control) in America. We see how strong the human will to live, even when it is horribly demeaned. We see that this will to live can drive us to acts that are beneath the diginity we would all like to have. We see, however, that love is the one emotion that can lead us to dignity even under the most extream situation. Love is the one emotion that can make us humans honorable. This is a subtle and moving film that extends all boundaries. Bravo!