Friday, August 04, 2006
The Cooler: Great performances, average story
I’m watching The Cooler on cable again. I can’t count the number of times I’ve watched a significant amount of this film in one sitting and I didn’t think it was a particularly good film when it first came out. I still don’t think much of the story. It’s fairly predictable and very derivative of other gambling films.
But this film creates a mood that draws you in and seems to be a lost art in today’s movies. The acting is great with all of the principles turning in performances that are on par with anything else they’ve done. This film has some of the sexiest scenes in recent films, helped by the very attractive Maria Bello. And the soundtrack just enhances the old school Vegas charm.
Not the best film of its year (as some have said) but definitely better than I accessed it the first time around.
But this film creates a mood that draws you in and seems to be a lost art in today’s movies. The acting is great with all of the principles turning in performances that are on par with anything else they’ve done. This film has some of the sexiest scenes in recent films, helped by the very attractive Maria Bello. And the soundtrack just enhances the old school Vegas charm.
Not the best film of its year (as some have said) but definitely better than I accessed it the first time around.
Labels: FilmReview
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Asian Film Festival - Day 1
Today was day 1 of the Fifth Annual Asian Film Festival. (I can’t believe that four years has passed since that very small but very well programmed showing of film over a couple of days at the Magnolia.)
The fest opened with a showing of an American effort Only the Brave. This film is a very pedestrian, clichéd telling of the heroic exploits of an all Asian regiment fighting the Germans. Most of the acting is quite good but the structure, dull staging and awkward use of flashbacks hamper any emotional attachment to the film. I also hate to mention this but I seriously doubt that it is possible to make a war film with lots of action on a limited budget. At least it will need a more creative director than this one.
While this was a very personal story for the director, it ultimately fell short. This, sadly little known aspect of American history, deserves a much better film (like The Tuskegee Airmen) to spur public interest in these men.
The fest opened with a showing of an American effort Only the Brave. This film is a very pedestrian, clichéd telling of the heroic exploits of an all Asian regiment fighting the Germans. Most of the acting is quite good but the structure, dull staging and awkward use of flashbacks hamper any emotional attachment to the film. I also hate to mention this but I seriously doubt that it is possible to make a war film with lots of action on a limited budget. At least it will need a more creative director than this one.
While this was a very personal story for the director, it ultimately fell short. This, sadly little known aspect of American history, deserves a much better film (like The Tuskegee Airmen) to spur public interest in these men.
