Spanglish

James L. Brooks' "Spanglish" is told via voice-over by Christina, who is in college and given the task of writing a report on the most influential person in her life. That would be her mother, she says, and the rest of the film explains why.

Christina's mother is Flor (Paz Vega,) and hard-working Mexican woman whose husband leaves both she and her young daughter. To keep an eye on Christina (played as a child by Shelbie Bruce,) Flor moves the two to America where she hopes to get a less time-consuming job.

That's how Flor comes to work as a maid for the Klansky's, an affluent family consisting of a couple, the two children, the Grandma and a pet dog. As soon as she comes into the house, Flor bangs her face against the spotless sliding glass separating the living room from the deck. This gives one a good idea of the struggles that of each different culture understanding the traits of the other.

John (Adam Sandler) is the low-key and retiring patriarch, who works as a cook at a popular restaurant. Bertie (Sarah Steele) is the overlooked and underappriciated pre-teen daughter. Her younger brother, Georgie (Ian Hyland) fades into the story's background among the presence of the others, as the alcoholic grandmother (Clovis Leachman) tries to keep things in check. The deeply bored lab, Chum, simply waits desperately for someone to drop what they're doing and play ball.

The center of the chaos is mom Deborah (Téa Leoni,) a manic manipulator who rushes frantically around the house as if she's a twitch away from a nervous breakdown. She resembles a caricature of people one knows whose pitiable and desperate antics make you wonder how the people close to them remain out of the psych ward.

Deberah, intentionally or not, puts her family on edge and emotionally degrades her daughter, as well as treating her bewildered husband as if he is the sole cause of her neurosis. Most bewildered of all is Flor, who folds herself placed directly in American familial dysfunction.

Leoni, whose character feels the need to have constant attention, must do good job, since the viewer wants someone to force a couple valium down her throat at the worst of her depressive episodes.

The film's strong point is the dynamics between the two families, but the script has a problem with subtlety. One example of this is a a scene preceding Deborah's grotesque manipulation of Bertie, which she rationalizes as motivation rather than abuse.

In the next part, Brooks insults our intelligence by having Sandler's character yell loudly and dramatically the exact thing the audience is thinking, as the relationship with Flor is awkwardly developed.Spontaneous character-viewer reactions can be funny, this was only frustrating. Did the director add moments of surprising unsubtltey because he felt the audience was not clever to draw their own conclusions?

The acting and the interactions were interesting, as was the surprising use of humor combined with the drama, but the final stand over our country's consumerism unsettled me. I am not an American with a chip on my shoulder, nor does this have much to do with America at all.

Vega's character was strong and good-natured, but her fierce pleading for her daughter to be culturally "Mexican" did not seem heroic. It was may have been ultimately for the good, but in a way seemed almost similar to Deberah's creepy attempt to coddle her 'ideal' daughter.

Do you fight manipulation toward children by trying to make them feel bound to their parents, to pushing them in the opposite direction toward where your morals stand? Do you tearfully beg them to be their 'mother's daughter?' Whether her moral stance is best for her or not, the way she got there was disturbing to me, and didn't seem so different from Deborah's manic cries for respect.

"Spanglish" was worth watching, but ultimately too obvious to get a very high review. I consider Brooks' other movie, "As Good as it Gets," to be the superior film. Both have interesting characters, but "As Good as it Gets" has an easier time slipping moral lessons into the viewer's brains carefully (Rated PG-13.) ***

Note: I get the impression that "Spanglish"'s director has a special fondness for dogs. Between "as Good as it Get"'s ewok-like Verdell and the supremely playful lab Chum, his canines have more screen time and personality than the average character's pet.

Recommendation- For another look at the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship set within the latino culture, watch Real Women have Curves.

Stardust

When it comes to genres, there's always a market for fantasy. directors of kitchen-sink realism and dark dramas do not appeal to the masses as fantasy does, because- let's face it- the majority doesn't so much care to watch troubled people go on with their lives, which is too real. The multiplexes are crowded with tickets to see cool FX effects, epic battles, and computer-generated wonders galore.

If you are one of those people, please avoid the crappy blockbuster sequel to "Transformers" and rent this instead. "Stardust" is no longer at theaters, but go to the rental place and get it. Make your own popcorn and invite your family. People will thank you (Well, Michael Bay won't) and the story itself has more inspiration than "Let's see how many toys we can sell to boys under the age of 10."

The story revolves around Tristan (Charlie Cox,) a young man living in the British village of Wall some years back. He is completely infatuated with Victoria, a manipulative young woman his age. Actually, Victoria is in love with herself- but since solo courtships are generally not custom, she has settled on the equally egotistical Humphrey, who has a tendency to bully his girlfriend's admirer.

When he discovers that Victoria and Humphrey are preparing for nuptuals, he, in a desperate attempt to stop the upcoming marriage, promises to bring her a star she has seen falling across the sky. She could care less about him, but she is intrigued by the prospect of having her own servant boy to do her bidding, and agrees that he leave to fetch it for her. With dreams of romance with the self-obsessed but pretty neighbor, Tristan sets off.

After a bizarre sequence of events, Tristan discovers two reasons to cross the legendary spot that lies on the other side of his village; as well as getting the wayward star, he is told by his father that his biological mother lives there. The space beyond Wall, however, is seen as a blank area of land by onlookers, and is guarded by a elderly but pysically able villager with no patience for lovelorn young men. As luck would have it, however, his mom left him a babylon candle, a magical device used for transporting the user at their mind's will.

With his brain caught between Victoria and his mother, he lands himself in a crater and discovers, in fact, that the 'star' is not a inanimate object at all but, rather, a living woman. This is smart-alecky Yvaine (Claire Danes,) who is not in any way pleased to be suddenly thrust out of the heavens. Moreover, he has put himself in a magic land where there is a long-going feud between princes and some very nasty witches, lead by Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer.)

The witch sisters are obsessed with youth, malevolent, and they do things involving animal entrails that would give a PETA member a panic attack. Their main goal, however, is to fetch Yvaine's heart in order to rid themselves of their decrepid bodies and prolong their life. That is how the inexperienced, incompetent Tristan becomes the protector/captor of Yvaine, who is unaware of the witch's presence and miffed at Tristan's kidnapping of her as a 'present for Victoria.'

Naturally, a romantic attraction develops between the two, and Tristan begins to consider the idea that running errands for Victoria may not be his ideal. Meanwhile both ruthless prince Septimus and Lamia have their own agendas for finding Yvaine, and they find themselves the captives of Shakespeare (Robert De Niro,) a seemingly sadistic captain of a flying boat that distributes lightning to shady dealer Ferdy (Ricky Gervais.)

Roger Ebert is correct when he says that there are a lot of people and situations in "Stardust-" it takes several veiwings to get used to everything that's going on- but so it is with many fantasy films; a enormous stack of ideas crammed into a several-hour format. But one can hardly complain when the ideas are good ones. The whole enterprise is chock full of funny situations and lines, interesting characters, and the pure joy of the fantasy world it has created.

One of the more unexpected of the humorous scenes is the one involving De Niro's character, which is funny without being cruel. I will not reveal this plot point, and it should be a surprise to those who have not read too many reviews (including Ebert's) or are unfamiliar with the original Neil Gaiman book.

I have found that despite my recent interest in dark psychological dramas, I still have a place in my heart for imaginative fantasy movies, as "Stardust" and the slightly superior "The Fall" prove. As plot points and characters unfolded abound, I enjoyed a story that hardly took itself seriously. One knows, to some extent, where the plot is going (especially with Yvaine and Tristan, will they be love interests? hmm...) but the cast, and the viewer, has fun getting there (Rated PG-13.) ****

Note: This is probably a good movie for kids twelve and up that aren't too sensitive. I think the occasional violence and weird imagery may be too much for the kindergarten set.

Recommendation- If by any chance you have not watched the film at least once in your life, rent The Princess Bride.

Also try Tarsem's The Fall for a more subtle fantasy movie (which has no special FX! My God, do they do that anymore?)

All the Little Animals

British filmmaker Jeremy Thomas made his debut with this adaptation of Walker Hamilton's novel. A young Christian Bale, in his pre-Batman days, was cast as Bobby, who is mourning the death of his mother. Bobby narrates his story from the beginning, signaling that something life-changing occurred some time after her death.

Bobby lives with his coarse step-brother Dean and step-dad Bernard, who quickly changes from merely cruel to sadistic. They seem less than fond of his presence, though his step-brother seems less so than Bernard.

Bobby has been mildly retarded since he was hit by a car as a child, and Bernard sees his vurnerbility as a way to convince him to sign the family business over. Bobby, however, remembers that his mom told him that the company should not be given to her husband.

He refuses, even when threatened with a mental institution. So, in retaliation, his little pet mouse Peter is killed. After discovering the creature's fate Bobby makes a run for it and leaves his family's estate, planning to head somewhere Bernard can't find him.

The level of Bale' character's retardation is never made clear. His speech skills seem good, and amounts of time can pass where he almost seems normal. It is not as much his intellectual abilities, it seems, as it is his difficulties in treating difficult situations with the mind of an adult.

When he cannot handle his step-dad's torrents of abuse or something else, he simply throws himself on the floor and has a crying fit. He is more childlike than lacking in cerebral skills, and his immaturity effect his reactions to life.

After running away from home, a strange sequence of events leaves a fatal truck accident and Bobby quite arguably the cause. He is picked up by Mr. Summers (John Hurt,) an older man with a dispassionate look on the human race.

He has dedicated his life to picking the corpses of animals off the road a giving them proper burials. With the fervor of a manic-depressive PETA member, Mr. Summers lives as a hermit and has no purpose in his existence but treating deceased road kill with the respect he feels they deserve.

Mr. Summers does not feel the need for human connection, but after much begging on Bobby's part he is allowed to live in the old man's shack and help him with his work. But Bobby's new friend is not telling his whole story, and catastrophe strike when the two decide to settle the problems between Bernard and Bobby once and for all.

"All the Little Animals'" dark story is elevated by Bale's impressive performance, which is intense, emotional, and utterly real. While he and his step-dad's positions of 'good' and 'evil' are relatively defined, Hurt's character, Mr. Summers, is harder to read. He veers in the eyes of the viewer between eccentric and simply insane. Even as the answer to this becomes clearer, we still, to some extent, understand Bobby's trust in him.

The whole film's story is very interesting, and the switch in atmosphere from the dark rooms of Bobby's family's home to the shack in the middle of the woods, with walls covered in ocean shells and pebbles, is pleasingly defined.

The films is so adept in it's beginning half, in fact, that I continued to admire it as the minimalist plot turned to a violent revenge melodrama. The end result is not as plausible, but hardly impossible, and though I agree with the Netflix reviewer who said 'things got weird' I don't think this is nearly enough to destroy what it had created. At the end, I was puzzled by some aspects but wanting a copy of the Walker Hamilton novel to discover the details behind the story.

Sure, "All the Little Animals" is manipulative, but it's a well-done kind of manipulative, genuinely original and well-acted as well as being often overtly melodramatic. It will leave people who are somewhat tolerant of the 'emotional' factor more moved than cheated. Although hardly anybody's heard of it, they probably should (Rated R.)

Movie Recommendation- For another example of animal rights gone amok, watch writer/actor Mike White's directorial debut, Year of the Dog.

For another sensitive portrayal of a young man with mild mental retardation, watch Dominick and Eugene.

Trailer Not Available

Kinky Boots

At the beginning of "Kinky Boots," a friendly Brit comedy-drama, we are introduced to bits form two distinctly different childhoods. In the first, a cute androgynous little kid is at a pier on a cold day. After trying on and dancing in a borrowed pair of lady's boots, the child is quickly changed into suitable footwear by an angry father and rushed home. "Stupid Boy."

The latter is a solemn-eyed boy whose father owns a popular shoe factory. He is told that the business will be passed down to him when the time comes, and he should continue the family job. We are fast-forwarded to the second kid, the now-grown Charlie (Joel Edgerton,) around the time that his aging father unexpectedly dies. He is in grief, and although not keen on devoting his life's work to shoes, it's not as much his displeasure as it is his controlling girlfriend Nicola's, who has dreams of leaving the factory town for good and leading him on her whims.

Unfortunately, he finds a store of papers hidden in a desk drawer which proclaim that the factory's bankruptcy is imminent. Although Nicola wouldn't half mind a chance to get away from the Price shoe factory, Charlie feels compelled to attempt to borrow money from the nearest similar business in order to hopefully keep his many worker's jobs. He gives fellow shoe-seller Harry (Leo Bill) a visit, and is told politely to solve his own problems. So, he begins canning employees.

On the edge of desperation, he is told by the practical Lauren that coming up with a plan to change the products to something more unorthodox for catching consumer's attention would be a more sound plan than sitting and moping. This makes Charlie remember a strange event that took place in Harry's neighborhood, when he tried to defend a cross-dresser from thugs.

He hurries over back to the town, not to heckle Harry, but rather to pop an idea to Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor,) a playfully flamboyant crossdresser who does shows at a night club. Remembering s/he made a comment about the difficulty of getting women's shoes on a male foot, he suggests the ultimate change in the Price factory- begin designing boots for "women... who are men."

Lola finds this intriguing, but decides to get a few things straight. First- he gets his own share of their creations. Second, he explains the difference between 'transvestites' and 'cross-dressers.' "A drag queen puts on a frock, looks like Kylie. A transvestite puts on a frock, looks like... Boris Yeltsin in lipstick." Charlie goes along with this, and the two team up with a plan to save the Price's business.

As Charlie stress increases, Lola finds herself fighting against his partner's own prejudices (he sneaks Lola through a back door so that his conservative co-workers won't catch on) and those of some of the factory workers, including dim-witted homophobe Don (a typecast Nick Frost,) and the community struggles toward saving the business and acceptance.

"Kinky Boots" is the kind of film described as a 'crowd-pleaser.' It is liked by most of the general public, whereas many professionals consider it mediocre. The reason for disliking it is not because it is badly acted and incompetent, as much as it is formula- the director gets a good cast, keeps a consistently amusing pace, but tries not to take risks.

It even has a strong-willed female friend of the hero, and if you know anything about this kind of thing you know where the relationship is going. If you like movies that are not particularly original, are sweet without dripping and entertaining, you'll probably like this. If you don't take it to seriously and watch without expecting a cinematic tour de force, you'll probably like it. Ejiofor adds spark to the screen, which, considering the story and Edgerton's melancholy Charlie, makes sense.

If you are, though, one of those people who detests formulaic sweetness in their films, you can skip this one over to go watch Neil Jordan's grim psychodrama "The Butcher Boy" and avoid wasting 1 hour 40 mins of your life. Maybe you'll enjoy that more (if 'enjoy' is the right word.) If you see this, expect few surpises, some chuckles, and a couple of entertaining drag (musn't say 'transvestite') song-and-dance sequences (rated PG-13.)

Transamerica

"Transamerica" is a perfect example of a departure from the norm- it will leave some people cheering, some more conservative people feeling sick to their stomachs, and others scratching their heads, knowing they certainly saw something effectively made and original, but not exactly sure what to think.

Felicity Huffman of the popular soap "Desperate Housewives" plays a character I have spent much time considering for my review. Calling another person an 'it' is certainly not humane, but what?

'Bree," or Stanley, is Male-to-female transgendered, and halfway though the process of changing one's sex. Although in most ways appearing female (Huffman is,) Bree has a set of male genitals not yet taken care of, which is likely to be disturbing to many viewers. For me, it got some getting used to.

Being transgendered is something many more progressive people try to accept, but is uncomfortable when it is forthright. not necessarily because it is wrong, but because the sexually conventional have a 'not normal' button that bleeps in our brain.

Most people try to treat Bree with respect, but her parents, especially her mom, who practically has a panic attack every time she sees her darling boy on his way to going to the other end of the gender scale.

Bree/Stanley is quietly preparing for the final surgery when she gets phone call from a police department, claiming they're holding a seventeen-year-old kid that she fathered. This comes as quite a shock, being that such a person was thought to have not been born, despite a fling in college.

Bree would like to forget that part of her life and leave the boy, Toby, to solve his own problems, but her therapist insists that she needs to face up to that part of her life. That, or she'll see to it that the all important surgery is not completed till it's done.

After much time preparing for something she's wanted for all her life, she agrees, although she's afraid of her son's reaction to his dad-turned-mom. When she arrives at the police station, she finds out Toby has not fared well in the parent's absence. Simply put, he's a mess.

He abuses drugs, pimps himself out to older guys, and has hardly any life plans other than getting a job in adult entertainment. This disturbs straight-laced Bree, who is actually a religious, moralistic person, and would prefer to get him on the right track.

Although many would be inclined to say that Bree is the reason Toby has become like this, perhaps one can hardly place blame on a person who had no clue about their son's existence. Bree, in following her own driving ambition, inadvertently helped throw another's person's life for a loop.

As far as Toby knows, Bree is a primarily female church member, unrelated to him, and out to save him from his sins. She wants to simply ship him to live with his stepfather, who she hopes can sort him out, and get back to the operation. But things aren't as simple as that, and she finds herself on a road trip with a messed-up teen, and put into a sudden series of situations that challenge the keeping of her secret.

Felicity Huffman does a good job as Bree, and her interactions with delinquent Toby keep this drama afloat. Both characters are interesting, with off-sets Bree's other family, particularly her mom, who seem to have come out of a broad situation comedy.

The problem was, for me, that I didn't expect the crippling ick factor that popped up later in the film. This isn't really "Transamerica"'s fault, it's just that I would have liked to be prepared for some intensely uncomfortable scenes that played out. I've seen worse, It's just that I expected a little less creepy stuff, for instance, the borderline underage boy having sex with an old guy in the back of a van.

"Transmerica" is still a good movie, although it probably won't appeal to many people (chicks with dicks? eew!) The viewer needs to try to be open-minded about the trans angle and prepare themselves for the icky directions the story eventually takes.

Despite some of the over-the-top pleas for tolerance (Bree's conservative mom being a little too much of the intolerant irritating poster child) and the aspects that it never quite brushes itself off in the eyes of the unsuspecting viewer, One is left with a respect for the handling of the characters and a fall from convention (Rated R.)

The Life Before Her Eyes

Based on the novel of the same name, written by Laura Kasichke, "The Life Before Her Eyes" is a seriously depressing drama about the harsh aftereffects of a high school shooting, concentrating on the relationship between two female best friends.

It uses the flashback method, at once intriguing and infuriating because we know that the film is manipulating us, dragging us around the disjointed sequence of events to keep our interest. The difficulty is, the meat of the story is genuinely thought-provoking, and the lead's acting so convincing, that we let it play it's games, not nearly as resentful as should be expected.

Uma Thurman portrays the adult Diana Mcfee, a haunted middle age woman living with her husband and young daughter. Wherever she goes, the memories of the defining instant in her teenage life follow. it doesn't help that it's memorial day, and the TV and radio are talking incessantly about the incident that took place that day.

In between sequences of the grown Diana's sullen grief, we are shown fragments of her younger self (Evan Rachel Wood,) especially her friendship with her much different friend, Maureen ( Eva Amurra.) Back then, Diana was a rebellious, smart teen, infamous as a slut at the local high school for her fling with an older man.

Maureen, straight-laced, sweet, and devout, spent time with Diana though they couldn't completely understand each other. Although their draw to one another is never completely explained, I think it stems from their wish to break past their surface impressions and become more than 'slut' and 'good girl' in the eyes of their peers.

Every time the adult Diana begins thinking, the events lead up to one day at school. Diana and Maureen are touching up their makeup and chattering, when gunshots and screams are heard down the hall. "Probably just a prank." Within twenty seconds, a very dangerous, very unbalanced teenage misfit comes into the women 's bathroom, holding a loaded gun and standing in front of a teacher bleeding to death in the halls.

He eyes the two, crying and begging. At first nervous, he gathers himself up and points the weapon at their heads. To simply kill them, though, is not enough. First he deliberately, sadistically messes with their head, forcing them to make decision that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

It is at this point that the situation becomes fogged in Diana's mind, forcing her back to her current reality. As she nearly processes, again and again, what happened that day, the effects of the shooting appear clear enough. But as she struggles with her guilt and tries to handle her strong-willed daughter's actions, the line between what really happened and the naturally assumed begins to fade.

Frustratingly, the interesting scenes between the teenage Diana and Maureen, leading up to the inevitable tragedy, are interlaced with Uma Thurman's Diana simply moping through her life. This may very well be necessary, but it doesn't stop the annoyance. The film clearly wants to keep our attention, but it seems to try much too hard. This is a blow that injures the whole enterprise.

Working against the temptation to hate the confusing, often rambling style of "The Life Before Her Eyes," however, are the good points. Ever since her tour de force performance in the indie drama "Thirteen," Evan Rachel Wood has been the often-hired actress to play serious teenage roles.

Here, she continues to impress with her shockingly realistic acting. Eva Amurri is respectable as well, and the interaction between the two is what keeps us caring how the story ends up, although we think we know.

Lastly is the gasp-inducing, disturbing conclusion that the whole story has slowly been leading up to. Judging from reviews, I had expected a twist, but was not prepared from the glaringly simple end revelation. In some ways, it is simple, and even hinted by the melancholy title, but there are certain aspects I am still trying to process.

This has all the aspects of a good movie- acting, characters, story- and ultimately it is, but some thing goes dangerously wrong in the presentation. Although the twist is adept, it is clearly compensation for the confusing, occasionally rambling structure of the storyline. This is not Thurman's fault, just something that deters an essentially good movie from becoming great (Rated R.)

Movie Recommendation- For a another dark drama about teenage relationships starring a younger Evan Rachel Wood, watch "Thirteen."

Trailer Not Available

Two Men Went to War

Based on a true story, after Raymond Foxall's nonfiction book 'Amateur Commandos,' "Two Men Went to War" tells about the weird real-life incident (apparently mostly real- things have been inevitably changed) of two hapless wanna-be heroes during WW2 who become bored with the roles assigned to them by the military and take matters into their own hands.

Kenneth Cranham and Leo Bill play Peter King and Leslie Cuthbertson, two very different people with questionable talent. Peter (Cranham) is an aging soldier awarded a medal for bravery in the past who inexplicably recruits Leslie (Bill,) a scarily inept dentist with dreams of heroism and a minimal supply of common sense. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't let the guy within three feet of my teeth, let alone a hand grenade.

Both men leave their posts and steal a boat, heading for Germany. Their reasoning- with nobody to push them around and a bag of explosives, they'll deal with the Nazis alone. Peter is straight-faced and completely dedicated to his cause, while Leslie treats the situation with the detached amusement of a new video game, stopping every now and again to flirt with a sweet British girl, eat everything he comes into contact with, and argue with his newfound partner.

After this, what unfolds is both improbable and very interesting. After all the soldiers who died during World War II, the fact that these two men, who deserted and planned to go at it alone, survived, is bizarre. Probably Peter was a big factor in the fact that they didn't end up dead, although it was his idea to leave with a young, incompetent dentist in the first place.

Good premise doesn't have quite enough humor to totally sustain it, but is entertaining throughout, with interesting characters and situations. It's the kind of film that leaves you asking "Did they really do that?" and "Was Leslie actually that clueless?" and curious about the whereabouts of a copy of Foxall's book, for back up details. On the downside, the emotional moments with the two men bonding were a bit forced, and the duration of the film was disappointingly long.

Looking at the reviews of "Two Men Went to War," there seemed to be general consensus. Few people loved it, few people hated it. That pretty much sums it up- it's a perfectly likable film, worth renting but not providing anything jaw-droppingly incredible. It was rarely hilarious, but hardly ever boring, enough so that it gives the viewer an interest in the actual story (Rated PG.)