Ed's Review Dot Com

Rafran Cinematografica, Euro International Film (EIA), San Miura

Rod Steiger, James Coburn, Romolo Valli, Maria Monti, Rik Battaglia, Franco Graziosi, Antoine Saint-John, David Warbeck, Giulio Battiferri

This is the story of two John’s. Sean (James Coburn) and Juan (Rod Steiger). Sean is an Irish Revolutionary and an explosive expert on the run in Mexico and a wanted man. Juan is the head of a bandit family who’s dream is to accomplish what his father failed to do, to rob the bank of Mesa Verde. This is an odd pair, as they each look for what they want and disregard the other. Of course if helping each other is to their benefit, they will do it, and these guys keep bumping into each other.

Every now and then I like to throw in an odd tidbit or hidden gem. This is certainly one. In the 1971 the Spaghetti Western (old west films done in Europe, mostly Italy, but some of the greatest western stories ever told) was king of the box office. These Spaghetti Western films made mega stars from the likes of Clint Eastwood, but also made household names of the Terrance Hill/Bud Spencer guys from They call me Trinity and brought some of the classics like A Fistful of Dollars, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, and many, many others. This is much lesser known, but is also a very classic and quite funny western. James Coburn became really big, and did a great job as the IRA fugitive Sean, on the run, riding his motor scooter around blowing things up. But the real master of this film is Rod Steiger, not so Mexican, but able to play the role of a bandit leader with the best of them. What a fantastic job. Some of the funniest segments of this movie are Rod Steiger talking to himself and trying to figure out how he got roped into something that he didn’t mean to. He’s like Ricky Ricardo when Lucy is on her game, or Oliver Hardy when he says, “Well this is another fine mess you got me in to.”

This film was renamed “A Fistful of Dynamite” for some odd reason, and there is also a short version with more than 1/4 of the film cut out. Be sure to watch the original 2 1/2 hour version if you get the chance. It’s a very enjoyable film, and one that gives you a lot of reason to laugh for weeks afterward. I saw this film in 1971 when it came out. It started a life long admiration of James Coburn’s work. But it is available on Netflix “Watch Instantly” and they have the full 2 hour 1/2 version that I saw in the Philippines in 1971. I have not been able to see the original full length version in all these years, and it was like revisiting an old friend. If you’ve ever been a fan of the Spaghetti Western genre, this is a must see. It may be one of those hidden classics that you missed. If so, it’s a great Saturday afternoon instant queue filler. Great film. Great statement on “revolution” in general.

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Caruso / Mendelsohn Productions

Embeth Davidtz, Edie Falco, Elias Koteas, Rachel Resheff, Kathryn Erbe, Ann Arvia, Jessica Bernard, Nicole Brending, Peyton R. List, Dana Eskelson, Antonio Ortiz, Randi Kaplan

3 Backyards is the story of 3 families in the same neighborhood over the course of one long autumn afternoon. The is a couple who’s relationship is struggling. The man finds his flight is cancelled and instead of going home, decides to take up the airline on their offer to put him up overnight in a hotel to avoid doing home. There is a lady who realizes that the new person in the neighborhood is a minor celebrity. This makes her obsessed and wanting to become her best friend overnight. But she finds the lady is not so willing to talk about what’s bothering her. The third personal is a young girl who witnesses something accidentally that she not have seen. This sets off an obsession for her to one of the neighborhood boys. The three stories really never intertwine and there is no resolution. Just a day in the life…..

This was a Sundance Film Festival entry, and that’s what it looks like. I’m sure there is a tiny market for movies like this to keep film scholars busy talking about the incredible beauty and strong visual message of the film, and the nuances of the shot selection and so on, and so on. But I have to say that this film did not impress me much. I like films to have either interesting subjects or some kind of plot. This was neither, and there is no real reason why these three stories would go together other than they just happened to live in the same town. I’m sure you could find 3 people in any neighborhood and come up with just as interesting a story. So with no great character development, no particular story or resolution, and nothing to tie the three stories together, I don’t have much on which to recommend this movie. I think it was a nice idea that just didn’t go anywhere. I wanted it to get interesting and it never did. All of the actors were pretty decent, but no one had anything to say. So I will stay it for them. Just skip it!

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CBS Films, Storefront Films

Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Neil Patrick Harris, Dakota Johnson, Erik Knudsen, Mary-Kate Olsen, Peter Krause, Lisa Gay Hamilton, David Francis

Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) is a pompous ass. His Dad is a TV anchor and Kyle is beautiful. He knows it and is very conceited and a real jerk, judging people only by their looks and power. Running for president of the school Green project, Kyle readily admits that he is not the least interested in the cause, and should only be elected because he’s very rich, and handsome and it would look good on his college applications. He steps on and humiliates the school goth chick Kendra (Mary-Kate Olsen) who puts a curse on him. She turns him hideously ugly and he has but one year to find someone who will love him for what he is on the inside despite the outside and who will pledge their love to him, the ugly guy. His Dad moves him out of the house and sets him up with a tutor and an apartment of his own so he will not disgrace the family and he’s on his own to find a person who can love him for the changed person he has come to know after he learns his lesson. Up steps Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens) who has always had a soft spot for the handsome Kyle, but who never had a chance with him as he was far too popular. This modern day telling of Beauty and Beast is a fairy tale brought into today.

Not a blockbuster film by any means, but nicely done and well performed by the young actors and actresses who played the parts. It feels a lot contrived, but when you’re retelling a fairy tale, it’s bound to come off that way. Still it’s a cute little story, and a nice change of pace. I would certainly give the edge to the Disney version 100%. Vanessa Hudgens is no Belle by any means, but she gave it a good try. Unless you’re a fan of sappy love stories, you’ll probably do good by giving this one a pass, but if you are in the mood for a campy new twist on an old tale, here it is. Beauty and the Beast(ly) is worth 3 1/2 stars.

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Samuel Goldwyn Films, Sony Pictures International, Destination Films

Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline, Halley Feiffer, William Baldwin, Alexandra Daddario, Eli Gelb, Henry Glovinsky

Bernard Berkman (Jeff Daniels) is a troubled and cranky Brooklyn professor who’s well past his prime, and his wife Joan (Laura Linney) is an up and coming writer on the brink of stardom in Noah Baumbach’s honest look at the disintegration of a marriage. Their lives are headed in distinctly opposite directions, the two can’t help but dig and pick at each other in their impending separation. But that leaves their two children Frank and Walt(Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline) stuck in the middle of an emotional war. The boys pick sides, Frank, the older siding with his Dad, and Walt, the younger siding with his mother. But the chaos and pandemonium continue until basically everyone is broken.

This is a sad movie. It’s an older film (from 2005) but I was asked to watch it again, and give my $.02 on it, so I did. I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. Jeff Daniels is certainly playing an annoying character. The whole family think they are “more intelligent” than everyone else and live in this sort of “university-like existence” where everything is based upon your degrees and the books you have written and read. Even the kids are caught up in this, even the more they act out. Frank breaks up with a girl he really likes because he thinks he can do better. Bernard is a penny pinching dude, perhaps needfully so, but always judges things by the cost. Meanwhile Joan is on top of the world after her book sells and she wants to live the life. The kids are caught in the middle and it causes them a lot of pain which messes up their existence. There is heavy drama here, and some funny moments, but this is a dark and tragic film. There is no doubt that this film is nothing more than a look at a disintegrating marriage and how it affects everyone in the family. Through the process, you’re probably not going to end up liking any of them. I enjoyed the story for what it is. This is not a great film, but it’s a good psychological film, strong on character development and very well performed. It has the feel of a play rather than a movie, but is very well done. I enjoyed it while I squirmed uncomfortably. (Note: This is seriously rated R. There are some disgusting conversations and actions in this movie that make it well worth the R rating!)

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Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios

Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Eddie Izzard, John Turturro, Brent Musburger, Joe Mantegna, Thomas Kretschmann, Peter Jacobson, Bonnie Hunt, Cheech Marin

Cars 2 is, of course, the sequel to Pixar’s Car Story (2006). The same characters are back with a few more. Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) has left Radiator Springs behind and become a world famous race car leaving Tow Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) behind to tell stories of his friend’s adventures. Now, to promote a new green fuel, McQueen has been invited to participate in a World Grand Prix in different countries including Tokyo and London, among other places. McQueen wants Mater to come along to be part of his pit crew. But as much as the backdrop is racing, the real story is a spy adventure. Someone is out to kill the racers in the attempt to disgrace the renewable fuel that is the sponsor, and since McQueen decides to stay in the race, he must be killed as well. Mater is mistaken as a spy, and given credit for acting stupid as a disguise when they really don’t know he’s just being Mater.

I can certainly understand why Disney/Pixar made this film. Disneyland is opening Radiator Springs next year at the new Carsland in Disney’s California Adventure, and with all these popular characters, how could they not make a sequel. Additionally they wanted to make it really different and not rip off the same story as the first one, but to keep the characters and the feel, but bring it in a whole new directions. But I feel they made some mistakes, and I feel some of the criticism is valid. First, it doesn’t go in a new direction, it goes to Spy Kids, Cars Edition. Secondly, the number one demographic for this film is little boys who love Mater and McQueen and buy lots of happy meals. My 3 year old Grandson is a huge Cars fan, and wanted to bring his toy Lightning McQueen with him to the theater. But it’s hard for a 3 year old to follow the complicated and very adult storyline of murder, betrayal, greed, and all kinds of other evil that this movie is full of. I don’t think 3 year olds enjoy seeing attempts to kill Mater and McQueen. That’s not excitement, that’s scary. Also Disney has come out against the criticism of the cars in a bar drinking cocktails by saying it’s clearly oil, but it is in martini glasses with bubbles and it sure looks like cars drinking to me. I am not sure about the G rating with all the violence, crime, and downright evil in this film. So I can understand the purists who don’t like the dark place this movie took us. I think that was really unexpected, and it turned off a lot of people.

Still, I loved it. I saw it with NINE grandchildren. We filled up the entire row of the theater from side to side filling every seat. We all had a great time, and loved seeing our friends again. I just wish they had taken a bit more time to tweak the story without so much “Spy Kids” and more “Cars”. Should you take you kids to see it? Well, I guess so, as they are going to be happy to see their friends again. But be expected to provide answers to questions like “Why are they drinking alcohol” and “Why do the bad cars want to kill Lightning McQueen”, as they are bound to pop up. Thanks Pixar for bringing Cars back home to visit us again, but next time, give a bit more thought the age appropriateness of the fans, and tone it down a little.

Also the Toy Story cartoon at the beginning of the movie was excellent. I hope it will be on the DVD as well. Enjoy!

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