"The Road" *** (119 minutes)

Monday November 2, 2009

Off to the AFI Silver Theater again for another special preview with a post-screening Q&A with Australian Director John Hillcoat, who burst on the scene with one of my favorites from 2006, "The Proposition". This post-apocalyptic tale, first scribed by American novelist Cormac McCarthy (for which he received a Pulitzer in 2007), is a nice, but flawed, 2nd effort.

The story is basically a tale of love between a father & his son, and their effort to survive an unnamed event that has made rubble of our cities, and burned-out embers of our forests, while the populace is reduced to archaic roving gangs in desperate search for food and water.

The film opens with The Man (earnestly played by Viggo Mortensen) and his pregnant wife (sparsely utilized Charlize Theron) witnessing the beginning of the end of civilization from their bedroom window. The action quickly skips forward some 10 years later where The Man and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee, "Romulus, My Father") are living on the street pushing a cart carrying what's left of their belongings. For the next 2 hours, the story involves them avoiding capture for purposes of slavery or as a meal, while following "the road" that will take them to the coast-where, supposedly, life will be better.

And that's the main problem-that 2 hour running time where there is virtually no suspense build up to the scenes of fury. In-between we see, and get, the love connection between the two principals but the repetition of the relationship gets tedious-especially when there is no substantive oomph to the action scenes.

So why the respectable 3 star rating? Namely the acting, especially by Mortensen (look for a possible AA nod); the outstanding production values by production designer Christopher Kennedy ("The Proposition) & art director Gershon Ginsberg; the effective dreary cinematography created by Javier Aguirresarobe ("The Others", "Talk to Her", & "The Sea Inside"): all make it worth recommending. A nice score by Warren Ellis and Nick Cave complements the visuals.

However, the series of scenes never come together to form a cohesive whole; and Theron is somewhat wasted in the scant flashback scenes that are supposed to signify The Man's sense of longing for a happier time and help to explain why she flew the coop. Although the story does offer some semblance of hope in the end, be prepared for a totally grim experience that, unfortunately, might be closer to reality than we'd like to think.

The film goes nationwide on November 25th.

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After the screening, AFI Silver Programmer Lori Donnelly moderated the Q&A with Director Hillcoat who revealed that he got Cormac's manuscript before it was published. He also stated that although Cormac was on set with his son, he never asked to review the script. John noticed that their father and son interraction was source of inspiration for the 2 fictional characters.

Some of John's interesting revelations:
-His directorial style involves giving utmost attention to the details.
-Kodi's 6'6" father was an extra (he played one of the cannibals).
-One of the references he used for the film was the Italian classic "The Bicycle Thief".
-The film presented technical challenges where at times he had to resort to CGI to block the sun, jet streams, birds, & blue sky.

Viggo Mortensen & Kodi-Smit McPhee ponder their
reflection in a scene from "The Road"

AFI Programmer Lori Donnelly & Director John Hillcoat

The documentary "The Horse Boy" (***) OPENS 11/6 IN BALTIMORE

I screened this film at this year's AFI SILVERDOCS Film Festival last June. It opens at The Charles for what will probably be a limited run. Here is a repeat of my review:

There always seem to be stories in the news about the lengths people take to try and find a cure for an illness when conventional medicine fails. "The Horse Boy" (***-94 minutes), based on Rupert's book, is one of those stories-and the illness is autism. The parents of autistic child Rowin are Rupert and Kristin Isaacson who are an engaging couple, he from Liverpool, she from Texas where the couple met and married. Their 2 1/2 year old son was first diagnosed with the mysterious ailment which the medical community has no consensus as to cause and treatment. They sought out all of the available resources but saw no sustaining progress. Currently he was a social worker who had professionally trained horses while Kristin was a psychology professor. Rupert had also written about the African Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert and he had witnessed several shamanic ceremonies. When he saw how Rowan had calmly taken to Rupert's horses and how much joy he exhibited when riding horseback, he got the idea that maybe a trip to Mongolia to seek out a shaman or 2 might be the key to unlocking the autistic mystery and help cure his now 5- year-old son-something conventional doctor's in the States couldn't accomplish. To his classically schooled wife this idea seemed preposterous. It took a ton of convincing on Rupert's part but off they went with fellow Texan and novice film maker Michel Orion Scott to record the 4-week journey. And what a journey it was! The film shows progress and setbacks everyone encountered along the way and, in the end, there, indeed, seemed to be major changes in Rowin. Questions are raised such as whether these positive changes were due to the spiritual healings of Shaman, the affects of undertaking such incredible journey never experienced by the child, his interactions with children along the way. Combinations of these or other reasons, or were they just imaginary short-term results? Whatever the reason or reasons, the visual and spiritual journey is amazing and well worth the trip. The stunning cinematography is utterly captivating as most viewers will enter a world far removed from their usual habitat & experience. At the Q & A the film maker stated that Rowin is making progress but still suffers from the malady. However, but both parents believe that the trip was life-changing for all involved. The film has been picked up by Zeitgeist Films with a September 11th limited U.S. release date.

"Good Hair" ***1/2 (95 minutes)

Wednesday October 13, 2009

Who would have thought that a comedic take on hair would be so controversial? Or that anyone could actually fill out 95 minutes on the topic? Leave it to Chris Rock to raise the ire of such a large class of humans (the female black population) while being so informative and entertaining at the same time.

Rock (who co-wrote the script along with director Jeff Stilson, Lance Crouther, Chuck Sclar) is front and center of the action as he takes us into this "secretive" culture which is a 9 billion dollar industry. Secretive, because who knew the expense, pain, and trauma black women (and children) endure to obtain straight hair &/or hair extensions?

The doc takes a while to get going, and I kept wondering if the topic would hold my interest, but when it finally hits its stride, there are as many eye opening revelations as laughs to be had. The film is centered on the 60th (!) annual event held in Atlanta that is sort of a combination hair products show & American Idol for hair stylists. The theatrical contest (which occupies the last part of the film) is the highlight of the Bonner Brothers International Hair show that is also a convention showcasing hair product companies.

Early on, Rock and his crew take us into the black -owned Dudley Products in Atlanta, (considered the industry's world leader), then over to India, where women, who have their heads shaved in a religious ceremony, ship the locks off for a profit. We are taken to a lab to show the effects sodium hydroxide has on a soda can (not pretty!)-especially noteworthy since this is the chemical women and children place on their head-and would explain the burning sensation these humans experience when using the hair products that contain it. And we visit a barbershop where black men humorously discuss their take on the whole subject with hilarious and revealing dialogue.

Interspersed throughout are entertaining interviews with such notables as Maya Angelou , Nia Long, Ice-T, Salt-n-Pepa, Al Sharpton, & Raven Symone, among others (where was Don King?).
All the while Rock provides the narration and one-liners that is his trademark.

But it is the final contest in Atlanta, that curiously has no relation to hair styling, that neatly wraps up the proceedings and feature an under water act and upside down hair cutting! And who would have thought that the favorite to win each year was a white dude!!

The documentary has been in limited release since October 9th & opens in Baltimore on Friday October 30th.

"Where The Wild Things Are" *** (141 minutes)

Tuesday October 13, 2009

There is a lot to recommend about this filmic adaptation of Maurice Sendek's 1963 beloved children's picture book. Writer/director Spike Jonz' ("Being John Malkovich", "Adaptation", "3 Kings") has expanded the extremely sparse narrative (the book contains a handful of sentences comprising 338 total words!), while using Jim Henson's creature shop & CGI to recreate the fanciful drawings of the original source. The result is an intriguing, yet overlong, look into the mindset of most pre-teens who are striving to be accepted and loved by everyone around them.

Max (Max Records, who first appeared in 2008's "The Brothers Bloom") is a precocious hyperactive kid who just can't seem to connect with friends, siblings, & mom (Catherine Keener-a Jonze fav). After a run-in with his single parent, Max wanders off in his wolf suit and his imagination wanders off in a boat that takes him to a wondrous island inhabited by fascinating creatures who, at first, want to eat the dude. After Max stands his ground, they quickly decide to anoint him king.

What happens next is . . . well, not much to be honest. Each of the creatures has voices of famous actors (James Gandolfini, Paul Dano, Catherine O'Hara, Forrest Whitaker, Chris Cooper, & Lauren Ambrose) that, if you close your eyes, you can picture their human form. The middle third of the film has them cavorting, constructing a fort, being jealous and vindictive. All the while Max tries to maintain control and keep together his new-found subjects.

The soundtrack by the talented Carter Burwell is original for this kind of film, & the Australia locations are breathless and beautifully integrated into the visuals-but after a while, I started to zone out. Although the creatures were initially intriguing, the paper thin plot doesn't hold up as well over the 141 minute running time.

I get the angst that Max experiences that translate into the imaginative "story" of trying to gain acceptance, and finally realizing that "there's no place like home". The real question is what minimum age should the child be to see the darkness that is on the screen? Well, the answer is, it depends. It depends on the emotional level of the child to recognize that Max's imaginary world is sort of a microcosm of the real world and hopefully won't be totally freaked out when there is talk of devouring a little child.

"More Than A Game" (****) OPENS TODAY IN BALTIMORE & D.C.!!!

ONE OF THE BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES I HAVE EVER SEEN IS OPENING TODAY, 10/16. HERE WAS MY REVIEW OF THIS PHENOMENAL DOC THAT OPENED THIS YEAR'S AFI SILVERDOCS FILM FESTIVAL ON JUNE 15th:


Time for my favorite festival, the AFI SILVERDOCS Documentary Film Fest. And, being the sports nut that I am, I'm really looking forward to the opening night as the U.S. premier of "More Than a Game" (****-102 minutes) kicks off the 7th annual festival in a big way.

"Hoop Dreams" (1994) is not only considered one of the best sports documentary of all time, in some circles it is argued that it may be one of the greatest docs. Steve James' personal and emotional account of 2 teens, William Gates & Arthur Agee, from Chicago's inner city, resonates on many levels. James followed both talented basketball players for 5 years as each was eying a future in the NBA.

I may be going way out on a limb, but Kristopher Belman's stunning doc compares in every way with what is considered the standard in sports docs. Belman's amazing initial effort (he wrote and co-produced it as well) chronicles, over a 9 year time span, the "Fab Five". These were 5 African-American youths from Akron Ohio, 4 of whom have been playing basketball together since they were 11, who went to great lengths to stay together at any cost to win a championship. For example, when one of them decided to attend the elite St. Vincent-St. Mary school, a predominantly white school, the rest of them passed up going to a closer predominantly black school, so as not to break up their longtime chemistry-to the dismay and scorn of their community. Oh, and one of those players happens to be LeBron James-who went straight to the NBA from that same high school to become one the most famous NBA players on the planet.

However, even though most of the media ads will no doubt prominently display James' mug, don't be mislead. This is not his story alone. In fact, he was merely one fifth of the equation. It is more a story about their assistant coach, Dru Joyce II, who replaced SVSM's already successful head coach who suddenly left for greener pastures during their junior year, and who instilled valuable life lessons both on and off the court. Father of little Dru, the diminutive point guard, Dru Sr. would try and right the ship after the head coach's defection to try and lead the team to a championship. All the while, James was being touted as "The Chosen One" by Sports Illustrated placing him on its front cover (the first high school player ever to achieve that honor) and their games were being nationally televised on ESPN because of it.

Belman has created an extraordinary achievement as he and co-screenwriter Brad Hogan have structured this film like a narrative and have successfully made it dramatic enough, despite its known ending, to make it seem fresh and exciting. The score by producer Harvey Mason Jr. is superlative and "today".

The best compliment I can give to it was by 2 ladies sitting next to me. Prior to the screening, they gave me the impression they didn't know a basketball from a marble and I don't have to tell you they had never heard of LeBron. After the screening they turned to me and exclaimed "Wow! What a film!!"

The post screening discussion was as outstanding as the film. The sold-out audience (the 3 AFI Silver theaters and the Round House Theater next door were all filled to capacity) was treated to a terrific interview hosted by NPR's "All Things Considered" host Michelle Norris. Present were producer and music director Harvey Mason Jr., Director Belman, all 5 of the Fab Five, and coach Dru Joyce. Of course the audience was buzzing when LeBron graced the stage, but the comments by the other players were equal to the task.

Belman revealed that the full length feature sprung from his 13 minute college project and his decision to continue following the team ended up being a stroke of great luck. Producer Mason said he corroborated with Belman on the music. LeBron, who was raised predominantly by his mom, said that his house was like a "Chuckie Cheese for kids" with the constant visitation of his friends. And huge Sian Cotton said watching it with an audience was a thrill and admitted he started to cry a one point. The audience laughed when he commented that the film was so suspenseful that even he wasn't sure how it was going to turn out in the end. When each was asked by Michelle to make a comment to the young people who want to be the best that they can be, the soft spoken LeBron, who was the last to speak, imparted wisdom from the perspective of a superstar that perfectly wrapped up the half hour dialogue.

The after party, as it has been since 2003, was held in the beautiful Discovery Communications headquarters. The catered food was geared to the theme of the night, complete with gourmet hot dogs and bags of peanuts and popcorn, and wonderful musical entertainment was provided by D.C. rappers, Tabi Bonney and Wale.

"More Than a Game" is scheduled for limited nationwide release by Lionsgate on October 2nd. Put it on your calendar!

"A Serious Man" ***1/2 (104 Minutes)

Thursday October 1, 2009

In terms of religion, how interesting to follow my last film ("The Invention of Lying") with this one, the latest offering by the brilliant & highly successful brothers Joel & Ethan Coen. Where Ricky Gervais considers a universe where everything appears to be morally correct and is devoid of religion, here is a narrative that immerses itself in it-more specifically the Jewish faith.

It reminds me of my hometown boy, Barry Levinson, who really made his mark and started to became bankable after working with Mel Brooks writing 1976's "Silent Movie" then Directing 1977's "High Anxiety". Then he won an Oscar for directing "Rain Man" in 1988. This success over the years allowed him the time/money to pursue his more personal "Baltimore" films ("Diner", "Tin Men", "Avalon", & "Liberty Heights"). In a way, this seems what the Coens have done; creating a film that you can tell comes as much from their heart and history than any of their previous works.

I ventured down to the fabulous AFI Silver to attend the screening complete with a wonderful Q & A (more on that later) with Michael Stuhlbarg who plays Larry Gopnik-the main character in the film whose entire world is about to crumble. Before we're introduced to him, though, we get a curious prologue set in a Polish shtetl where it seems the husband has invited a dybbuk (a demon) into the household. When his wife recognizes the dude for what he is (or may be) he is promptly dealt with that may, in its own way, be a curse or salvation-something we never know. However the tone of what follows is set: what happens to all of us during our lifetimes is never fully explained or understood.

This modern version of the Story of Job then flashes to 1967 in a northern town in Minnesota (both brothers grew up Jewish in St. Louis Park, a suburb of Minneapolis) where our hero, Larry, is dealing with a multitude of problems. You know how people say that tragedies seem to come in 3's? Well for him, it seems that figure is multiplied by multiples of 3's. No matter where he goes or what he does, a dark cloud is above his Keppie (head for those of you not well versed in Yiddish) and storming over his brow.

How's this for starters: one of his pupils (Larry is a physics professor at the University of Minnesota) is concurrently bribing & blackmailing him(!); someone is trying to sabotage his attempt to get tenure by sending anonymous damaging letter to his superiors; his about to be bar-mitzvah son is more concerned about getting high than high grades; his teenage daughter is stealing money for that nose job she desperately "needs"; his immediate next door neighbor on one side hates Jews; the one on the other side is sex-crazed; not to mention his wife wants to leave him for his best friend, Sy Abelman. All the while, Larry, trying to keep stoic through all of this, starts seeking out advice/answers from the local rabbi's. How can the Almighty Being allow all of these travails from happening to such a "serious" man?! Like real life, no easy answers/explanations can be found. Larry is just trying to get by as best he can.

The brilliant script is matched by the Coens' forte: for the most part using little known or recognizable character actors that are incredibly believable. Michael Stuhlbarg is so perfect in the role that you'd think he was born to be Larry Gopnik. Known more for his theater work (Michael was nominated 4 years ago for a Tony for his role in "The Pillow Man", appeared on TV, and had a couple of minor roles in the films "Body of Lies" and this year's "Cold Souls"). While Fred Melamed (as Sy), Richard Kind (as Larry's live-in brother, Arthur who's constantly dealing with a draining neck cyst), Sari Lennick (as Larry's wife Judith), and Adam Arkin (the most famous name in the cast who plays Larry's divorce lawyer) are spot-on perfect!

The Coens' outstanding Director of Photography, Roger Deakins (who lately was also the DP for "Doubt", "The Reader", "Revolutionary Road", & "In the Valley of Elah") and their art department have created a 1967 suburban milieu that is stark and barren and I'm certain taken right out of their childhood. I love the look of the neighborhoods with the tiny lawns devoid of trees and shrubs. And the original music by their long time corroborator Carter Burwell is perfectly entwined with the music of the 60's that is craftily inserted throughout.

And don't feel you have to be Jewish to fully appreciate the movie, any more than you needed to be Italian to enjoy "The Godfather". Just sit back and let Joel & Ethan take you for a wild ride into situations & predicaments that, unfortunately, are common to us all.

The film is being platformed beginning October 2, opens in D.C. on October 9th, and probably in Baltimore on October 16th.
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Following the film the audience was treated to a entertaining Q&A with Michael Stuhlbarg moderated by CBS News' Dan Reviv. Brought out during the interview and Q&A:

Michael revealed that his very first pre-professional performance was in "Bye Bye Birdie", ironically at the Long Beach Jewish Community Center. He has also appeared in the stage and film version of "The Grey Zone"-so there might be some type casting here.

He's currently working on the pilot of HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" which Martin Scorsese is executive producer & directing, about the birth & high times of Atlantic City.

Eleven months before being hired, he tried out for the husband's part in the prologue and even got a Yiddish coach to learn Yiddish and to help in the dialect. However, the Coens ended up using actors from the Yiddish Theater Company in New York City instead. Six months later, he was called in to try out for the parts of Larry & Arthur and found out months later he received the lead role.

In talking about the Coens, he said that they actually are the editors and use the alias Roderick Jaynes ("Jaynes" was actually Oscar nominated for "No Country For Old Men"); they act as "2 sides of the same head" on the set often agreeing and never fighting; Joel does the actual directing while the slightly younger Ethan "holds his head down and paces around in the back of the room and just listens listens listens very carefully"; they storyboard every scene and are so totally prepared that the 2 month filming came in ahead of schedule and under budget.

Michael revealed that the 3rd head on the set was clearly their long time DP Roger Deakins who was quite the perfectionist (the results are clearly seen on the screen).

As for whether the film was biographical, Michael revealed that the Coens' parents were both professors (their father taught economics at the University of Minnesota) and that several of the character names were actual names from their past but, overall, the main story was somewhat fictional.

Sy (Fred Melamed) tries to confort Larry (Michael Stuhlbarg)

after informing him of his affair with Larry's wife

Joel & Ethan Coen on the set

CBS News' Dan Reviv (l) & actor Michael Stuhlbarg (r)

Actor Michael Stuhlbarg

"The Invention of Lying" *** (99 Minutes)

Tuesday September 29, 2009

Comedian Ricky Gervais (creator of BBC's "The Office") co-wrote and directed (along with Matthew Robinson) this parable of a world where everyone tells the truth and literally speaks their mind as if there was a microphone attached. Gervais asks the question: What if some average bloke of a loser decides to change his fate by not telling the truth in this alternate universe? And that is the premise for this inventive tale that goes far beyond the telling of a little white lie.

Mark, a fat dude with a pug nose, is about to lose his job and his home. When he tries to withdraw money from his bank to cover his rent, something goes haywire in his brain (this is not fully explored but, like other aspects of the plot, you are asked to ignore a lot and just run with the concept) and, instead, tries to withdraw more than he has. Of course, the teller, whose computer is down, hands it over with no questions asked since no one tells a lie in this world. This sets in motion all kinds of possibilities for our protagonist, who proceeds, knowingly and unknowingly, to change his world and everyone else's around him.

The plot is helped along with some fabulous supporting roles from Jennifer Garner (as Mark's love interest who is clearly "above his league"), stand-up comic Louis C.K. (as Mark's main drinking bud), and Rob Lowe (as his ex co-worker who tries to win over Garner); and includes wonderful cameos by Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Tambor, Jonah Hill, & Jason Bateman. The cinematography is somewhat lacking but, hey, you're not going in to this one for the scenery.

As with any one-joke premise, there are some bits and ideas that don't work as much as others, but, for the most part, the marks are hit right on that bulls-eye and should have you reflecting on religion, relationships, sex, & truths that this satire incessantly ribs with great success.

The Warner Brothers film opens nationwide on October 2nd.

Ricky Gervais, Rob Lowe, Jennifer Garner, & Louis C.K.

Jennifer Garmer & Ricky Gervais

"Bright Star" ***1/2 (119 minutes)

Thursday September 17, 2009

E-X-Q-U-I-S-I-T-E! The first word that comes to mind to describe this stunning biopic of the Romantic English poet, John Keats. New Zealand born writer/director Jane Campion, whose 1993's "The Piano" won 3 major Academy Awards, has done the near impossible: she's seamlessly combined the beautiful language of poetry with the visuals of the 19th century and the results is one of the most mesmerizing competent films of the year.

The film begins in 1818 when Keats is a young man of 21-full of promise and unrecognized talent. Three years later, he would be dead-stricken by tuberculosis-the disease which also claimed his brother. John is immediately smitten when his neighbor, Fanny Brawne, a beautiful seamstress who lives next door, creates an embroidered pillowcase for Keats’ brother.

Clearly Franny became the crux of Keats’ inspiration that follows and, sadly, their romance is never consummated because, John Keats was poor and his conscience would not allow him to marry the first love of his life. Enter into this equation is Keats’ friend and mentor, Charles Armitage Brown, who views Franny’s presence in his life as a major distraction. Although the rest of the world didn’t, he recognized Keats’ enormous ability & genius and didn’t want anything to sabotage it.

The players are magnificent. Ben Whisaw (“Brideshead Revisited”) gives a perfectly muted angst to his role. You believe he is fully capable of creating the literary beauty of the words that sing throughout the script. Paul Schneider (“Lars and the Real Girl” and more recently in Sam Mendes’ “Away We Go”) as Brown, displays a wonderful range in his performance as Keats’ confidant. But it is Australian actress Abbie Cornish (“Stop-Loss”) as Fanny that delivers the presence and spunk that captivates the audience as well her suitor. And her reaction on hearing of the poet's demise is so chilling that it will surely help to garner her an Academy nomination early next year.

The cinematography never seems artificial while the overall effect is one of entrancement. And by all means stay through the credits to hear Whishaw’s recitation of Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” which seem a fitting tribute to what has been superbly portrayed on the screen for the previous 2 hours.

Paul Schneider as Charles Armitage Brown

Writer/Director Jane Campion

"The Burning Plain" **1/2 (106 minutes)

Wednesday September 16, 2009

I really wanted to love this movie which was Mexican writer/director Guillermo Arriaga's initial foray into directing. As a screenwriter, he's a talented veteran, penning several of my favorite films of the last 8 years. He burst onto the scene in 2001 writing the critically acclaimed "Amores Perros". He followed that success as the scribe for 2003's "21 Grams", Tommy Lee Jones' "The 3 Burials of Melquiades Estrada" (2005), and one of my favorite films of 2006, "Babel". Other than "The 3 Burials", his director for these films was the famed Alejandro González Iñárritu.

However, it's been reported that he was upset that he wasn't given his proper due for "Babel" so he decided to split with Iñárritu and direct his own film. And the results are mixed at best. Using a structure similar to the more successful "Amores Perros", "21 Grams", & "Babel", the story is non-linear in time and space as it conveys a story of tortured souls who must sort out their demons and try to rise up from the despair they helped to create.

The film begins with a brief shot of a lone trailer in the middle of a New Mexican wilderness totally engulfed in flames. The next shot is in a bedroom in an urban city with a pensive Charlize Theron starring out a window while her male companion (John Corbett) is lying in bed. Another scene shifts to Kim Basinger, who plays a mother of 4, including the fetching Mariana (nicely played by first-timer Jennifer Lawrence) who is having a love interest with Santiago (JD Prado) whose father (Joaquim de Almeida) happens to be having an affair with Mariana's mother. Then the scene shifts to a young girl whose father is injured when his crop dusting plane crashes in a field. We are introduced to these & other characters at both these varied locations as the film continuously jumps back and forth in time. How they may be related and how their lives intersect is a hallmark of most of Guillermo's previous tales.

However, the construction of the script is either getting old, &/or lacking the solid execution of his previous scripts and I found myself not as emotionally involved as I would have liked considering the weight of the subject matter. Totally devoid of any humor (even black would have been welcomed), "The Burning Plain" will maintain your interest, if only to see how all the pieces fit-but, like me, you might not even care by the time the end credits roll. And that is another flaw of the film: that ending is just too neatly wrapped up considering the heaviness of all that went before it.

There are some things to recommend; namely the superb acting by the 2 Academy Award winning actress, and the production values are top notch including some splendid cinematography. However, the film left me as cold and barren as these characters' lives.

The film opens in limited release (including the Washington area) on September 18.

The mysterious Jose Maria Yazpik followingCharlize Theron

Kim Basinger with her lover Joaquim de Almeida

"THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE" OPENS FRIDAY 9/11 IN THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON AREA!

Here was my review from 6/19 below after I screened it at this year's AFI SILVERDOCS Documentary Film Festival:

We go from inside Oklahoma prison walls to the inside walls of the fashion industry with award winning producer/director R.J. Cutler's "The September Issue" (***-90 minutes). This is mainly a portrait of Anna Wintour, the editor of "Vogue", who is one of the most powerful, influential, and elusive figures in the fashion world, as she prepares for the year's most important edition that is literally 9 months in the making. Cutler was given unprecedented access to Wintour and her staff for the doc that allows one to witness what it really takes to produce an issue of high fashion that is hundreds of pages in length and nearly 5 pounds in weight. Wintour is credited for pumping new life in her mag when she opted for putting celebrities on the cover-something unheard of previously. Most people got a glimpse of her earlier this year via a CBS "60 Minutes" feature, but it is this film that allows us to see her in action-a rare event afforded to a film crew. Included are scenes of Wintour at home with her daughter (who wants nothing to do with pursuing a career in the fashion industry). However, the real joy for me was the presence and influence of 14 year "Vogue" creative director and visionary Grace Coddington, who is constantly at odds with Wintour. Each respects the other, yet, there is an underlying tension as to what should ultimately appear in the issue-of which Wintour always has the final say. Grace, a former 60's model and the junior fashion editor of London "Vogue", who survived a horrible automobile crash in her 20's, has as much influence and artistic vision (if not more) as her editor. In the end I was craving to know more and more of the personable and talented Grace instead of the dour Wintour. However, Cutler chose to concentrate mainly on what it took to create the issue that featured Sienna Miller on its cover. A kind of fluff piece that skims the surface of its subject, "The September Issue" does deliver entertainment-I just wanted to know more about the personalities involved-especially Grace. A fabulous discussion and Q & A with Cutler was moderated by Pulitzer Prize-wining fashion writer Robin Givhan. Roadside Attractions is releasing the film in theaters on August 28th.