Kim’s Movie Picks

giving minimalist life to his stunning portrayal of Ennis Del Mar, a lonely cowboy who finds himself inexplicitly and unexpectedly in love with his friend and fellow cowboy, Jake Twist, played by Jake Gyllenhaal.  This is one of the most agonizing, modern love stories that I have ever seen played out on a movie screen. 

Director Ang Lee gives this story a rare dosage of stark realty as well as painful poignancy, as we follow these two lovers across the decades.  Through two marriages, the birth of respective children, and various love affairs with others, these two, truly star-crossed lovers keep coming back to their favorite mountain retreat to grasp at the happiness they know they cannot have within the confines of their own, separate, contemporary lives.

Jake Gyllenhaal gives a solid performance, as does Anne Hathaway, who plays his wife, as well as Michelle Williams, in her role as Ennis’ wife.  Both women’s roles could have easily been toss-aways , but they both hold their own in pivotal and dynamic scenes with these two, powerful, male performers.

One pleasant surprise was the addition of Linda Cardellini (who plays a recurring role on TV’s ER, as nurse Sam Taggart), who gives a wonderful, heartfelt performancce as a waitress who unsuccessfully tries to romance Ennis after his marriage ends.

Much has been made of the ‘gay love story’ quotient of this movie. However, at its very core, this film chronicles a basic story of two tortured romantics who know what they want and also know, just as well, that they can’t have it. While many will tag this story as tragic, Lee presents it as just plain sad.

The cinematography, as in most of films that Lee directs, is stellar. The landscape of the West is breathtakingly beautiful and adds to the overall melancholy and sense of longing that both characters endure throughout their relationship.

That being said, the pace of the movie matches the scenery and the cadence of the West. At times, we East Coasters felt that scenes could have been shorter. Dialogue is sparse and emotions boil beneath the surface. People walk away in silence to endure.

Bottom line: Three out of four stars. Rated R for sexuality, nudity, language and some violence. Warning: There is a fair amount of nudity in this film (more than half of it, ironically, female), and there is one brief scene of sexual intercourse between the two men. And while that scene is edited very tightly, there is no real doubt as to what is taking place. Not recommended for anyone under age 15. An interesting note: The day we saw this movie, half the theatre was made up of couples, many of them older than I would have expected (so probably not Heath Ledger fan club members). So there is a real buzz out there for this film, deservedly so.

the film’s pace left me wanting.

Yes, it stirs the pot on current political intrigue and reality in the Middle East and should be lauded for telling multiple truths.

 But as a film, it’s pace and editing left alot to be desired. I found I had to truly pay attention in order to follow the plot.  And it is not necessarily a bad thing to have a complex plot, but when viewers have to struggle to stay interested, to me, that is not a good thing.

The film tells three, interconnected stories, all centered on America’s role and interests in the Middle East oil trade and its resulting politics. Not a new story, but one told, finally,  in a very clear and direct way. And not unbiased in the least.

The story deserved better direction.

The director, Stephen Gaghan, should have kept a firmer pace, and the editing could have been tighter as well. The film is shot in stark contrasts, almost bordering on film noir, but lacks any moodiness or texture. It tells a good story, I just felt it could have been told better. (And it fact, it has been. If you like modern spy stories, I recommend you check out 2001’s Spy Games starring Brad Pitt and Robert Redford. Better pace, tighter editing and the characters’ motivations are clearer.)

Performances in Syriana are high caliber: George Clooney is very good in the ‘spy brought in from the cold’ main character role, but with so much of his emotional state internalized, that, I think, the director missed an opportunity to turn this into an outstanding performance. Matt Damon gives one of his best performances since his breakout role in Good Will Hunting in this film, but the writers could have given him more. Without giving away too much of the plot, there is a point at the end of this film when you begin to believe that Damon’s character might also have a dual role…but the storyline doesn’t give you enough to follow that line of thought, and I think the film would have been stronger if more of those suggestions had had follow through.

Jeffrey Wright is wonderful as an attorney walking the fine line between questionable ethics and outright fraud, with Chris Cooper giving a crusty performance as his blustery and shrewd client. And William Hurt and Christopher Plummer round out the cameo/supporting cast roles admirably.  Even Amanda Peet gives a short, tart turn as Damon’s wife.

And one of my current favorites, Alexander Siddig (late of TV’s Deep Space Nine, and one of the only reasons to rent the recently released DVD, Kingdom of Heaven), has a pivotal, and sympathetic Arab role in this film that he carries admirably – okay, full disclose time– I also think he’s stunning to watch on the big screen.

Three stars, mostly for the storyline and performances. I have to admit a tad of disappointment over the pace, direction and editing, since the buzz on this movie has been so strong. But I still recommend it; I just don’t think it is a must-see. Note that this movie is rated R for violence and language.  The violence is stark, real, and often, unexpected,  so be warned. Not a movie for grandma, unless she is into political intrigue. Not for children over 14, mostly because they won’t be able to catch, and understand, all the nuances of the plot. A good date movie if you like to debate topical subjects.

But aren’t we all getting just a bit tired of this story? Yes Keira Knightley plays a much more lively, lovely, and assertive Elizabeth Bennett, but honestly, there is very little new to this story, or its telling in this most recent film.

Is it an enjoyable experience? Yes.  Is it worth the price of admission, yes, if you like Jane Austin or a solid, classic love story.  And is it entertaining? Well, that’s where I am stuck. Having seen quite a few, already solid, if not classic, tellings of this story on film (of which my favorite still remains Gurindera Chadha’s 2004 Bollywood tale of Bride and Prejudice), I am not certain for those of us who know this story more than well enough, that this film entertains us fully.

For me it was just too predictable, despite Knightley’s solid performance.  There was very little that was fresh here. And this film completely wastes the talents of Donald Sutherland who plays the Bennett’s father figure — Sutherland had to laugh all the way to the bank on this one – as he is given a supporting role that borders on a cameo appearance. He has only truly two pivotal scenes and I could have recited the dialogue from one by rote.

There was not much new here for me. For those of you who have not yet seen a classic telling of this tale, then by all means, go see this one. Two and a half stars. Safe for all ages, as most of Jane Austen’s tales are. Rated PG for some mild thematic elements. An okay date movie, and yes, grandma will like this as well. Any young girl over the age of 11 may also find it enchanting.