Trailer Watch: Where The Wild Things Are

Yahoo! now hosts the second trailer for Where The Wild Things Are. This looks like it will be an incredibly moving, visually stunning, totally original masterwork from director Spike Jonze. The teaser-trailer for the film was one of the best I had ever seen, and this is also a great trailer. I am highly anticipating this film. I love the book by Maurice Sendak, and this looks like it will do the source material justice. This will likely be the greatest adaptation of a picture-book since one of my personal favorite films, The Polar Express. Needless to say, watch the trailer, and start counting down the days until October 16th.

-John C.

Adam

Adam

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/adam/

Release Date: August 7th, 2009

Rated PG-13 for thematic material, sexual content and language

Running time: 99 minutes

Max Mayer (dir.)

Max Mayer (writer)

Christopher Lennertz (music)

Hugh Dancy as Adam Raki

Rose Byrne as Beth Buchwald

Peter Gallagher as Marty Buchwald

Amy Irving as Rebecca Buchwald

Frankie Faison as Harlan

Adam (Hugh Dancy) Eats His Nightly "Mac & Cheese" By Himself in Adam

- A Fox Searchlight Pictures Release

Our reviews below:

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Adam Review By John C.

*** (out of 4)

There is something hauntingly beautiful about the opening scene of Adam. As he stands watching his father be buried, some people have described the look on his face as “cold”. I saw a man overcome with emotion, yet unable to cry, not knowing if it would be the appropriate social response. The newest movie being distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures does have moments of greatness, but on a whole isn’t great, rather just really good.

Adam is the story of a man with Asperger’s syndrome. When someone new moves into his apartment building, Beth (Rose Byrne), the two people start to get to know each other. They form a relationship that is at one time romantic and sexual, but at practically the same time she has to act like his support person.

The biggest problem with the movie lies not in the main storyline, but in a needless sub-plot. I didn’t find that the storyline with Beth’s father worked, it just served as a distraction. He’s going through trial for some sort of business fraud. So we get a lot of screen time devoted to scenes in court. I wish there was more time devoted to Adam’s relationship with his father’s old friend Harlan (Frankie Faison). At one point, Adam is going for a job interview, which we don’t get to see because we are watching her father’s court case. After all, this is a movie called Adam, not Beth’s Father.

Another more minor problem with the film is that the character of Adam has Asperger’s taken to the extreme. He takes almost every little thing literally, and has practically no theory of mind. After ten years at the same job, it’s likely that he would have some learned theory of mind. Hugh Dancy’s lead performance is incredibly believable and realistic, but the character isn’t always written in the most believable and realistic way. Dancy embodies the character perfectly, right down to little twitches and tics.

I also found that the movie doesn’t really explain what Asperger’s syndrome is, it more just shoves the fact that the character has it down our throats for about ten minutes, and than just kind of leaves it there as a plot point.

The biggest thing the movie needed was to show the diversity of people with Asperger’s. The way they could have done this is by having Adam go to a social group. Yes, space is a very common special interest, but it’s not the interest of every person with Asperger’s. It’s just as common a special interest as dinosaurs or movies. They should have shown other functioning young adults with Asperger’s, not make it seem almost like Adam is the only guy in New York that has it. But, this isn’t so much a problem with the movie as much as it is a problem with there not being enough public awareness. I almost wish the film had come with a disclaimer.

At one point Adam tells Beth that “He’s Not Forrest Gump”. I found that the first sexual scene in the film almost seemed like a blatant rip-off of a scene in Robert Zemckis’ 1994 Oscar winning masterpiece.

I liked the characters in Adam a lot. But the movie as a whole isn’t as good as it could have been, nor quite as good as I hoped it would be. The performances by Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne are both excellent, Dancy’s performance in particular, but the movie never elevates to the level it could have reached, because it keeps getting dragged down by that pointless sub-plot.

I do highly recommend you see the film, but after viewing it is important you take the time to read about Asperger’s syndrome. If the film makes people aware than that is a very good thing. If people see the movie, then figure they know all they need to know, then that is not a good thing at all.

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Adam Review By Erin V.

***1/4 (out of 4)

Adam is the story of a man called Adam, who after the death of his father is now living alone in the apartment that they shared. A new woman moves into the building - Beth. He first meets her outside as she is bringing her groceries up the steps. He tells her about space and suggests that maybe they could look at the stars sometime together. Astronomy is Adam’s special interest, and he is excited to share it with his new neighbour. The plot is fairly straightforward, and not all that unique, except for the fact that the main character Adam, has Asperger’s Syndrome. (I am including a short description at the bottom of my review.) Because of his difficulties with social cues he has kind of kept to himself, and is kind of nervous at first around Beth. Gradually though, he comes to really enjoy and want to spend more time with her - and she with him. She helps to support him in the confusing social world, while he introduces her to the natural beauty around us all. A side story which could have been mentioned but not given as much screen time, is with Beth’s father’s ongoing court case.

I found it a slight challenge to rate this movie. On one hand, I am glad to finally see a movie that portrays Asperger’s Syndrome more accurately than some recent attempts, but I also must look at it’s merits as a film. It does have it’s flaws, definitely. In particular, it’s the court case that was kind of distracting. At one point, we see a courtroom scene in place of Adam’s job interview which he has been preparing for. If so much time was spent on the preparation, it feels quite disappointing to see something else completely unrelated instead. Also, I found a few moments when Hugh Dancy (possibly due the script) kind of slipped out of character for a couple of seconds. There were times when it didn’t seem natural for either an Aspie, nor an NT.

But, negatives aside, this film does have many positives. For the most part, this movie, as I said, is quite accurate. Hugh Dancy does a very good job in the role. He is - for the majority of the time - believable as a man with Asperger’s Syndrome. Rose Byrne also is very good in her role as Beth. Adam is shown as a very smart, and mostly positive, character. Like any “neurotypical”, he does have his flaws/obstacles, but he is able to confront them, and ultimately succeed in many ways. I also found the score by composer Christopher Lennertz to be very well done and fitting for the film. You can read an interview with him here.

I would definitely recommend checking out Adam. It is an interesting film.

What is Asperger’s Syndrome?

Asperger’s Syndrome is classed as a form of high-functioning autism. People with Asperger’s, (affectionately refered to within the Aspergers community as “Aspie’s”), often have trouble with reading non-verbal social cues, such as reading complex facial expressions and maintaining eye contact. Sometimes vocal inflections can be misinterpreted as well. Those with Asperger’s also struggle with sensory issues, such as everyday sounds - e.g. traffic noise - sending them into sensory overload. Contrary to what used to be believed, those with Asperger’s do not lack empathy, but often retreat from extreme emotional situations because their feelings come so strongly that they are overwhelmed. Asperger’s Syndrome is not just a list of things people struggle with though. Most people with Asperger’s are very smart, competent individuals. Many have talents in either technical or artistic fields, or both. Asperger’s - just like anything else - has it’s share of gifts as well.

It is important to remember - every person with Asperger’s is different, just as every person with blue eyes, or in a wheelchair is for example. One movie, or one description is not a snapshot of every individual out there with Asperger’s Syndrome. Far from it. Asperger's doesn't define the individual - individuals define their Asperger's.

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Adam Review By Nicole

*** (out of 4)

Adam is a sweet and heartfelt story about a unique relationship. The title character, Adam, (Hugh Dancy), is a lonely bachelor, who is grieving the recent death of his father, (his mother died when he was 8). The unique thing about Adam is that he has Asperger’s Syndrome, a type of high-functioning autism. Adam doesn’t really have any friends, except for a kind, patient man named Harlen, who was a friend of Adam’s father. This is all about to change when a pretty young woman, Beth, (Rose Byrne) moves into Adam’s apartment building. The two meet, and slowly begin to fall in love. Some of the scenes between Beth and Adam are some of the most touching scenes in the movie. Beth, like Adam, is also experiencing the loss of her father, through a prison term for a fraudulent crime. This, while helping give more perspective to Beth’s character, was distracting from the story about Adam.

What really makes this movie work is the excellent performances by Rose Byrne, and in particular, Hugh Dancy. Adam is sweet and charming, without being too childlike. Hugh Dancy is perfectly cast as Adam, as an innocent but mature and highly intelligent young man.

The script is somewhat stereotyped, which is to be expected in a movie. For example, no aspie’ would ever make comments to anyone like what Adam says to Beth in the movie trailer. Most aspies, by the time they are in their twenties, have had enough experience to pass in most social situations. However, Hugh Dancy’s delivery of the line is believable enough to make Adam’s character work. And the simple score by Christopher Lennertz fits this low key film, and Adam’s character perfectly.

Having personal, first hand knowledge of Asperger’s syndrome makes this movie all the more moving. Although this movie has been advertised as a romantic comedy, it is more of a drama. We see Adam’s struggles, as well as successes. The final scene of the film offers hope for Adam, and other adults with Asperger’s Syndrome. Go see this film. Whether you know Asperger’s Syndrome or not, this film is a touching story that will stay with you long after.

‘A note about Asperger’s Syndrome, and politically correct language.

Many people with developmental delays such as Asperger’s are moving away from pathological language to describe members of their own community. People with Asperger’s claim they do not “suffer” from Asperger’s, rather they have it, as a natural part of who they are. “Aspie” is a name that people in the Asperger’s community use to describe themselves. “Neurotypical”, or “NT”, is the name that Aspies use to describe the general (non-Aspie) population.

Being an Aspie can be likened to moving to a foreign country. You have to learn a new language, new social rules, new laws, and perhaps even get used to a different climate. The first few years will be a struggle, but over time, you will fit into the new country, while still maintaining your cultural identity. The transition will be even easier if you have support from successful immigrants from you country of origin to help bridge the gap from the old country into the new. Aspies too, do best when they receive support from both the Aspie and neurotypical communities.

To learn more about the Asperger’s community follow these links.’

www.aspergers.ca

www.autism.net

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Adam Review By Maureen

*** (out of 4)

Adam is a sweet and tender movie about a young man who experiences love and loss. The young man, Adam, also has Aspergers Syndrome.

It’s never easy for a film to accurately portray a character with any disorder or syndrome without resorting to clichés or caricatures. Fortunately this movie managed to accurately portray the essence of Aspergers Syndrome in the short time it had to develop the character of Adam. Since no two individuals with Aspergers present the same way in their challenges and behaviours, Adam had to be a composite of many individuals.

The credit has to go to Hugh Daney for making Adam a truly believable and likeable character. Having recently seen Hugh Daney in ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic” I found it hard to believe I was seeing the same man in Adam.

I really liked and believed the growing friendship and love between Adam and his neighbour, Beth (played wonderfully by Rose Byrne). I laughed and cried with Adam and Beth as they both struggled to understand and accept one another. It was Adam who touched me the most. I wish there had been more scenes showing Adam’s growth as a person and more scenes with his friend Harlen (Frankie Faison).

What took me out of the movie was the whole sub-plot of Beth’s father’s court case. I understand that introducing Beth’s family was important to establishing where Beth was emotionally. However, when Adam was going for his job interview, I wanted to watch the interview rather than having the scene cut to the courtroom. While the outcome of the courtcase is important to the story too much time was spent on these scenes. They were a distraction from the main story.

Overall Adam is a really nice movie. The story is believable and the ending fitting. The acting is excellent all around particularly Hugh Dancy’s Adam. The emotional ups and downs in the story and Adam’s character are wonderfully matched with Christopher Lennertz’ simple, paired down score of mainly piano and guitar.

Adam may not be a perfect movie, but neither is Adam the man. Both however felt real and had a heart, and both touched mine.

Adam is worth seeing if you like a good love story, know someone with Aspergers or are interested in learning more about Aspergers. If Adam is your first introduction to Aspergers syndrome check online to learn more about Aspergers and high-functioning Autism. There are many ways to support adults on the Autism spectrum reach their full potential in this world, just like Adam. Understanding Asperger’s Syndrome is the first step. Seeing “Adam’ is a good place to start.

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Adam Review By Tony

*** (out of 4)

Adam (Hugh Dancy) lives alone in a New York flat after the recent death of his father. With his father’s help he has coped with Asperger Syndrome, and his father’s old friend (Frankie Faison) now looks out for him, but the good job where he was happily left alone engineering voice chips for dolls is coming to an end. With his special interest in astronomy Adam has turned his flat into a planetarium and he likes to go out into Central Park at night to observe nature in the sky and also on the ground. When Beth (Rose Byrne) moves into the same building, they gradually develop a relationship despite, but also partly because of, their differences. Beth is a kindergarten teacher from a wealthy family whose father (Peter Gallagher) is on trial for some shady business dealings. He doesn’t think much of Adam, though Beth’s mother (Amy Irving) appreciates how refreshing Beth must find Adam’s sweetness and guileless honesty in light of her previous relationships.

Adam is a romantic film with two very attractive lovers, one of whom just happens to be an “Aspie” coping in a world of “NT’s” (neurotypicals). As such, it should have a much wider appeal than a film like Mozart and the Whale, which deals sensitively with autism but with its predominantly marginal cast may be dismissed by many as a freak show. Both Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne are brilliant, all the more remarkable for the convincing replacement of their respective English and Australian accents with neutral (not New York) American speech. The film is not perfect. After some touching and amusing scenes of Beth coaching Adam in the job interview skills unfortunately lacking in most Aspies, the interview itself is barely seen, while the father’s trial which is intercut with it runs its course. The title character gives the movie most of its charm, and the trial and a classroom discussion of the Emperor’s New Clothes are distractions from it.

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Adam (Hugh Dancy) and Beth (Rose Byrne) "Look at Sky" Together

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Consensus: Adam is an accurate portrayal of an individual with Asperger’s Syndrome. Overall it is a good film although there is a subplot which is largely unneeded and distracting. *** (Out of 4)

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Beth (Rose Byrne) and Adam (Hugh Dancy) Share An Awkward Moment

To read an interview with music composer Christopher Lennertz about the film Adam, click here.

John Hughes: (1950-2009)

John Hughes, who was so famous for his films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and The Breakfast Club, has passed away at the age of 59. He died of a sudden heart attack on Thursday morning, he was in Manhattan at the time. Hughes became famous for writing the hit 1983 comedy National Lampoon’s Vacation, and made his directorial debut in 1984 with Sixteen Candles. He wrote and directed eight films, while writing and producing numerous other ones, including Home Alone. The last film he was credited on was 2008’s Drillbit Taylor, which he helped write. His films were staples in the comedic genre, and always managed to have a genuine sweetness to them. His 1987 film Planes, Trains and Automobiles was hilarious, but also very poignant and somewhat emotional, which is ground that only a comedic master can walk on. He will be missed by many, may he rest in peace.

Look back over his iconic career on IMDb here:

-John C.

*Photo from IMDb.

New Season of At The Movies Will Yet Again Have New Hosts

A year after taking over the hosting positions of Richard Roeper and Michael Philips on At The Movies, Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz will be replaced by Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune and A.O. Scott of The New York Times. The show, which seems to undergo a "Special Announcement" every August, seems to have trouble locking down the next permanent hosts. Hopefully Phillips and Scott will bring the show back closer to it’s original glory. The announcement came Wednesday. The new season of the show starts the weekend of September 5th.

-John C.

Trailer Watch: The Lovely Bones

The trailer for Peter Jackson’s highly anticipated film adaptation of The Lovely Bones can now be viewed online at Apple Movie Trailers. It is definitely a must-watch trailer.

Having read the best-selling book by Alice Sebold a few months ago in anticipation of the movie, I think that this looks like a very-close, and visually stunning adaptation of the source material. I am expecting this film to have lots of Oscar potential, and will more than likely deserve it. While I found that a few of the scenes in the book didn’t quite work for me, it was still a very strong and powerful read. I personally think that the movie looks quite good, and could easily end up being one of the best films this year. It will be dark, creepy, visually stunning and totally original.

-John C.

The Soloist on DVD Today

Today, August 4th, Paramount home entertainment is releasing The Soloist on DVD. We reviewed the film when it came out in theatres last April 24th. Read our reviews here. As our consensus read:

“ Although the book The Soloist, by Steve Lopez, is more well rounded, this movie is still worth seeing, especially for those into music. If you haven’t already, you should definitely read the book as well. *** ”

I found it to be a very inspiring and thought-provoking film, that I think is definitely worth at least a rental on DVD.

-John C.

Race To Witch Mountain DVD Review

Race To Witch Mountain - A Walt Disney Pictures Release

On DVD: August 4th, 2009

Rated PG - not recommended for young children, violence.

Running time: 99 minutes

Andy Fickman (dir.)

Alexander Key (book)

Matt Lopez (scren story & screenplay)

Mark Bomback (screenplay)

Trevor Rabin (music)

Dwayne Johnson as Jack Bruno

AnnaSophia Robb as Sara

Alexander Ludwig as Seth

Carla Gugino as Dr. Alex Friedman

Ciarán Hinds as Henry Burke

(L-R) CARLA GUGINO, ANNASOPHIA ROBB, ALEXANDER LUDWIG, DWAYNE JOHNSON in RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN “© Disney. All Rights Reserved.”

Our reviews below:

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Race To Witch Mountain DVD Review By John C.

***

When two alien kids appear seemingly out of nowhere in the back of Jack Bruno’s taxi, he ends up on a race against time trying to get them to Witch Mountain. Which is where their spaceship is being held by the government.

Race To Witch Mountain is a fun and fairly entertaining family action movie. While it won’t necessarily hold the interest of adults looking for sophisticated entertainment, I’m sure it will be enjoyed immensely by it’s target audience.

The DVD includes a bunch of deleted scenes, a blooper reel, and a trailer gallery. The two-disc set includes a digital copy of the film. It is also available in 3-disc format which includes the film on DVD and Blu-Ray as well as a digital copy.

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Race To Witch Mountain DVD Review By Erin V.

*** (out of 4)

In Race To Witch Mountain, Las Vegas taxi driver Jack Bruno - after being preoccupied for a moment - discovers that two teenagers have gotten into his taxi without him noticing. The boy and girl, brother and sister, have a huge wad of cash with them, and tell him that they need to head in (pointing) “that direction”. Assuming they are running away, he is unsure of what to do at first, but seeing the cash starts to drive. Pretty soon, there are a bunch of government officials trying to drive his car off the road, and his passengers react rather strangely to this. Turns out, they are aliens. They convince Jack Bruno to help them get to their destination, and he gets further caught up in their mess when an alien assassin shows up to try to stop them from getting what they came for. After a narrow escape, they still have the (maybe not so daunting considering the government security in these kinds of movies) task of recovering their spaceship which is being held in the government facility “Witch Mountain”. And so starts the race to get to Witch Mountain.

Race To Witch Mountain is a fun movie, although undoubtedly to be enjoyed more by kids from 8-14 than adults. Some of the scenes don’t really feel as suspenseful as they should with the score almost trying to power the scenes further than the action will allow. It feels kind of standard, and I felt it just kind of ended. On the disc, there are deleted scenes and a blooper reel. One of the deleted scenes, which has an extended ending, where the government officials kind of show that they are still around and keeping tabs on the situation, would have made the film feel more complete to me. A lot of the other ones which were cut would have just made the movie drag.

Being a movie that had special effects and such in it, it would have been cool to see a little bit more of the ‘making of’ on the DVD. Although one thing I noticed, is that unlike in the recent G-Force, the CGI with the live action wasn’t quite blended properly in a few scenes. I found this particularly evident near the end where there are CGI bullets - I think the lighting wasn’t quite matched which made them not seem like they were in the same room as everything else... Not that it really matters though. The audience that will enjoy this movie will just take it in stride and have fun. I’d say it’s at least worth a rental if you have kids, or are just curious.

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Race To Witch Mountain DVD Review By Nicole

*** (out of 4)

Race To Witch Mountain is a fun, action film. Inspired by two older films, this updated story is exciting, and will engage children 8 and up. When taxi driver Jack Bruno stumbles across two mysterious teenagers, a brother and sister, he presumes they are running away. But mysterious things start happening, and the siblings reveal that they are aliens. They must get back to their spaceship, which is hidden at Witch Mountain, a government outpost, before it is too late. Jack Bruno to a UFO convention, where they meet up with UFO expert, Dr. Alex Friedman. Together they head back to Witch mountain, in order to save the world.

Race To Witch Mountain is fun. The scenes at the UFO convention, with all the geeks, is funny. There is a lot of action and suspense, where the kids must escape from both government agents and an alien assassin. These scenes may be too intense for younger children. The only extras on this DVD include a blooper reel and selected scenes. I would have liked to see a making of feature, as well as commentary. Over all, Race To Witch Mountain is a fun adventure film that children and adults can enjoy.

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Race To Witch Mountain DVD Review By Maureen

*** (out of 4)

Race To Witch Mountain is full of action and adventure for the whole family. Despite it’s title there are no witches in this story. There are however aliens. Two in particular who look like a normal human teenage brother and sister pair. The pair recruit Las Vegas cabdriver Jack Bruno (Dwayne Johnson) to help them recover their lost spaceship that government agents have hidden at a location named Witch Mountain. The aliens are in a race against time to get back to their home planet and save it and possibly Earth from certain destruction.

There’s a nice mix of suspense, spectacular car chases and light comedy in Race to Witch Mountain. The special effects are well-done and the acting believable all around. There is an energetic score that keeps the fast pace of action and adventure going.

Overall, this is a fun movie. Older kids and teens will enjoy all the action and the special effects. Younger viewers will find it too real and scary.

Race To Witch Mountain would make a good choice for viewing in the van or at the cottage. It’s a good length at 99 minutes. Buy it or rent it, this is a fun action/adventure film for the whole family.

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Race To Witch Mountain DVD Review By Tony

**1/2 (out of 4)

Race to Witch Mountain is a remake of an earlier Disney film. It stars Dwayne (formerly known as “The Rock”) Johnson as a Las Vegas cab driver trying to avoid the mob he used to work for. He finds in his cab a pair of young aliens Sara (Anna Sophia Robb) and Seth (Alexander Ludwig) that need to go to Witch Mountain to fetch something that will save their planet and take it back on the flying saucer that is buried there. With the help of an extraterrestrial expert (Carla Gugino) who conveniently is lecturing at a local geek convention, they must evade both the American armed forces and a shape-shifting alien assassin sent to thwart their mission.

As an action movie for kids Race to Witch Mountain is good, despite the conventional plot. Given their stilted Buzz Lightyear speech, super intelligence and special psychokinetic and clairvoyant powers, not to mention their avatar-like appearance (like the kids in Polar Express) the two aliens always managed to act like normal siblings. Dwayne Johnson plays off well against them, Carla Gugino plays her stereotypical role as well as can be expected, and Ciarán Hinds chews up the scenery as the military brass. Look for Garry Marshall in a cameo as the celebrated hacker.

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Consensus: Race To Witch Mountain is a fun, family-action film, that is sure to be enjoyed greatly by it's target audience. *** (Out of 4)

Che: Part 1: The Argentine & Che: Part 2: Guerrilla DVD Review

Che: Part 1: The Argentine - An E1 Films Release

On DVD: July 14th, 2009

Rated 14A for sexual content, and violence.

Running time: 134 minutes

Steven Soderbergh (dir.)

Peter Buchman (screenplay)

Ernesto 'Che' Guevara (writer, memoir "Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War")

Alberto Iglesias (music)

Benicio Del Toro as Ernesto 'Che' Guevara

Demián Bichir as Fidel Castro

Santiago Cabrera as Camilo Cienfuegos

Vladimir Cruz as Ramiro Valdés Menéndez

Alfredo De Quesada as Israel Pardo

Che: Part 2: Guerrilla - An E1 Films Release

On DVD: August 4th, 2009

Rated 14A for violence, and mature theme.

Running time: 135 minutes

Steven Soderbergh (dir.)

Peter Buchman (screenplay)

Benjamin A. van der Veen (screenplay)

Ernesto 'Che' Guevara (writer, Bolivian Diary)

Alberto Iglesias (music)

Benicio Del Toro as Ernesto 'Che' Guevara

Carlos Bardem as Moisés Guevara

Demián Bichir as Fidel Castro

Joaquim de Almeida as President René Barrientos

Pablo Durán as Pacho (Alberto Fernandez Montes de Oca)

Our reviews below:

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Che: Part 1: The Argentine DVD Review By John C.

***1/2 (out of 4)

The first part of Steven Soderbergh’s epic, over 4-hour long saga about the life of Cuban rebel leader Ernesto “Che” Gueverra, serves as a fascinating political-history lesson. Benicio Del Toro is excellent as Che, really making the film interesting and fascinating to watch.

At 134 minutes, the film does, at times, feel a bit too long, but you don’t really notice it during the scenes of action and warfare. I can only imagine how it would have felt watching it at a theatre in it’s original over 4-hour glory. Despite their minor flaws, these are both very well-made and ambitious films.

The DVD has no bonus features. Although it would have been nice to have seen a making-of.

Che: Part 2: Guerrilla DVD Review By John C.

***1/2 (out of 4)

Che Part 2: Guerrilla takes the action to Bolivia, and chronicles the fall of Ernesto “Che” Gueverra. While both films are nearly equally good, I found this one to have a bit more suspense, and be a little more thought-provoking.

Director Steven Soderbergh continues to impress me. Whether it’s his small, experimental films, like Bubble or The Girlfriend Experience, or his mainstream films, like the Oceans trilogy. Each of his films is a unique, ambitious project, and he always rises to the challenge and comes out on top.

This DVD also is void of bonuses, which means there will probably be a re-release of both films together in a special edition set.

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Che: Part 1: The Argentine DVD Review By Erin V.

***1/2 (out of 4)

Che: Part 1: The Argentine tells the story of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara’s time in Cuba, building up his Guerrilla forces to help Fidel Castro lead a revolution for the Cuban people. Che was a doctor from Argentina, and it was his passion for what he believed in that helped him to be accepted by the other countries he helped to fight in. The movie is interspliced with news footage, reenactments of meetings both in the USA and Cuba, and of the battle for liberation from Batista’s armed forces.

We get to see in this first installment, the way that Che became a hero in Cuba for what he had helped to accomplish. It is here that we see his popularity with the people and his promise to continue to liberate other parts of Latin America.

Che: Part 2: Guerrilla DVD Review By Erin V.

***1/2 (out of 4)

In Che: Part 2: Guerrilla, we see Che years later in Bolivia, where he is trying to help free the people there as well. Unfortunately, he is not met with the same success as before. The local people are not readily signing up to join his troops, but rather helping the local army by continually telling them where Che’s rebel group is.

I found this second installment to flow slightly better than the first one, partly because it essentially just focused on the ground mission, rather than cutting back and forth like “part one” did. It also didn’t feel as long, since it had more action in it.

In theatres, these two films where initially released as two separate films, but than later as one. I can see the logic of releasing them separately as it would be too long to watch them both in one sitting. Another reason they did release them as two films was for the aspect ratio, which is more wide-screen for the first part and less for the second. The aspect ratios worked well, and the subtle difference makes for a good effect. Both films are good in their own right, and deserve to be seen one after the other. But just not right after - spread out over two nights.

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Che DVD Review By Tony

***1/2 (out of 4)

Like Donald Sutherland as Norman Bethune and Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo, Che is a role that Benicio del Toro was destined and determined to play. In Part 1 his role in the Cuban revolution is portrayed, while Part 2 covers the last year of his life where his clandestine attempt to repeat his Cuban success in Bolivia was crushed with the support of Vietnam hardened American “advisors”.

Both films begin with an overture (reminiscent of West Side Story) during which respective maps of Cuba (and its provinces) and South America (and its countries) are shown with the places of interest highlighted. The strong musical score by Alberto Iglesias varies from full orchestra to solo Spanish guitar and during moments of quiet suspense an errie high pitched dissonant sound like the melting phone in Fail Safe or what tinnitus must be like to those who suffer from it. In both films we follow the geurillas through the countryside as they maintain honour and discipline despite deprivation. The triumph of the Cuban revolution planned by Fidel Castro and led on the ground by Che with the support of the population is unfortunately not attainable in Bolivia where the army and government propaganda keep the insurgents on the defensive until they are wiped out.

Che: Part 1: The Argentine DVD Review By Tony

***1/2 (out of 4)

Part 1 begins with the young physician from Argentina volunteering to go to Cuba with a small core of followers and despite his asthma share in their struggle, treating them and the peasants medically when needed. The battles of the late 1950s are narrated in flashback by Guevara in a reenacted 1964 American television interview, shown in extreme closeup with cigar smoke curling around him. All the American segments are shown in black and white (before color TV was widely used), and include his appearance at the United Nations where he debated brilliantly against the Americans and their client Latin American ambassadors.

Che: Part 2: Guerrilla DVD Review By Tony

***1/2 (out of 4)

Part 2 has a more linear narrative, beginning with reports of Che’s resignation from Cuban politics and disappearance in the mid 1960s. We then see him a year later entering Bolivia disguised in a suit with a head shaved on top, greying sideburns, fake teeth and Aristotle Onassis glasses. He soon melts into the jungle and joins the struggle with the noms de guerre Ramón and later Fernando, never to come out alive.

Both parts are well produced with strong mainly Spanish-speaking casts. With no upside to the struggle Part 2 is harder to take, particularly if both parts are seen in one sitting.

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Consensus: While it would be to hard to take in one sitting, when both Che films are viewed separately they make for fascinating bio-pics of Ernesto "Che" Gueverra. ***1/2 (Out of 4)

Suzie DVD Review

Suzie - An E1 Films Release

On DVD: August 4th, 2009

Rated 14A

Running time: 93 minutes

Micheline Lanctôt (dir.)

Micheline Lanctôt (writer)

Claude Challe (music)

François Lanctôt (music)

Micheline Lanctôt as Suzie

Pascale Bussières as Viviane - Bibi's mother

Normand Daneau as Pierre - Bibi's father

Our reviews below:

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Suzie DVD Review By John C.

*1/2 (out of 4)

Suzie is the story of a depressed cab driver named Suzie, who finds an autistic ten-year old boy in the back of her taxi, with only an address and a fifty dollar bill. The address belongs to his messed-up father. His father is going on vacation with his girlfriend, so Suzie is told to take the kid to his mother. When they arrive at the secondary address, Suzie realizes that his mother is extremely messed-up. She wanted her ex-husband to take the kid for a week, most likely just so that she can kill herself.

One of Suzie’s many big problems is that it’s not really that interesting. None of the character’s are likable. There is also so much yelling in this film that it would make anyone want to press their ear against a pipe to listen to the rush of water. It meanders it’s way through the entire 93-minute running time just to reach an annoying and unsatisfying conclusion.

The movie isn’t even visually appealing. It’s dark, grainy cell phone/security camera style cinematography gives it a dirty and cheap look. It’s set on Halloween night pretty much just for the sole use of atmosphere. And to justify having people in weird costumes jumping out from behind corners. Also, if it wasn’t Halloween, we wouldn’t have been treated to images of a group of drunk guys wearing rubber breasts.

The DVD doesn’t any bonus features.

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Suzie DVD Review By Erin V.

*3/4 (out of 4)

Suzie is about a taxi driver named Suzie, who one Halloween night discovers a kid all of a sudden in the back of her taxi cab with an address and 50 dollars. (It seems in movies recently, kids just appear in taxi cabs when the drivers turn their backs for a second - it happened in Race To Witch Mountain, [and they usually have a wad of cash with them.]) So, Suzie brings the boy, who utters not a word to her, to the address on the note - his father’s house. His father refuses to take the boy and sends him back to his mother, who is even less stable than he. His mother has a seemingly common breakdown right in front of her kid, and begs Suzie to stay with her for the night, because she has trouble taking care of her special needs child on her own. Then, she yells at Suzie, then Suzie leaves, and the boy’s father shows up, and Suzie comes back, and everyone is yelling, so Suzie takes the boy with her. The parents don’t seem to notice. As a matter of fact, no one really seems to care...

Suzie is a movie that opens with credits with an electronic sounding piano score in the background. Then, we see the title character Suzie sitting/riding on a bus. After about a minute, we see her sitting in a psychiatrists office - interspliced with shots of a ticking clock. She gets up to leave, with only a line of dialogue uttered, and not from her. It feels really slow - and the whole movie follows this pattern. As a matter of fact, the only time it is not this slow, is generally when everyone is yelling at each other. For me, it was no more entertaining.

By the end of the movie, the kid would have seriously been in the custody of children’s aid. His parents need help, yet no one so much as suggests a therapist. He is living with an unstable mother, has an unstable father who comes and goes, was kidnapped by an unstable woman - (doesn’t faze the parents all that much), etc. The boy in the movie is hinted at having autism, which everyone seems to think is why he is the way he is, although his unstable living environment is an added stress that in the real world would really need to be removed.

If you’re really curious about it, rent it, but it’s not really a positive portrayal of anything - it’s more just a downright not-uplifting movie.

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Suzie DVD Review By Nicole

** (out of 4)

Suzie is a slow movie, and somewhat disturbing Canadian film. The title character, Suzie, is a 58 year old taxi driver, who after 20 years, is still haunted by her daughter’s abduction by her Moroccan father. One halloween, Suzie is surprised to find a ten year old boy alone in the back of her cab, with nothing but an address and $50 in his possession. The boy obviously has special needs, and it is apparent that the boy, Bibi, probably has autism. When Suzie arrives at the address, she finds Bibi’s mentally unstable mother, who complains, right in front of Bibi, that he is too difficult, and that the father should have him that night. The father then comes home, and, again, in front of Bibi, complains to his ex-wife that she should have him, as he scares away any girlfriends. Suzie is upset that Bibi should have to hear all this nonsense, so she attempts to abduct Bibi to Morocco. When the police finally find out what has gone down, they do nothing. No charges are laid. After the parents claim that they were almost relieved to see their son abducted by a perfect stranger, the police send Bibi home. This is completely unrealistic. Both Suzie and Bibi’s parents are unstable, so why isn’t Bibi being protected? Bibi is the only likable character in this film. The tragic thing about this film is that we have a highly sensitive, and vulnerable child caught up in a world of unstable adults. While the implication is that it is difficult to care for a child with special needs, it seemed like Bibi was the one with the least special needs. I found Bibi’s character interesting, and very realistically portrayed.

Special needs are no excuse for child abandonment. The message that should have been in this film is that despite the challenges of being a parent of an exceptional child, there is still beauty in being able to share life.

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Suzie DVD Review By Maureen

*1/2 (out of 4)

Set on Halloween night, “Suzie” follows events that unfold when a ten year old boy with special needs is dropped off with reclusive Montréal taxi driver, Suzie.

This is a dark and emotionally intense movie. Having the story take place Halloween night only adds to a very unsettled and disturbing atmosphere. The boy, Bibi, whose special needs are never clearly defined, is implied to be autistic. Bibi is shuttled back and forth between an emotionally unstable mother and an angry, self centered father. Taxi driver Suzie takes Bibi to shield him from his parents’ fighting and to heal her own emotional wounds. In a real world outside of a movie script, Bibi would have been in the custody of a youth protection agency so fast there wouldn’t have been a story.

I couldn’t feel sympathy for any of the characters except of course, Bibi. The underlying message that having a special needs child is so overwhelming that any parent would act irresponsibly is irresponsible to me. I didn't really like this movie. Throwing autism into the mix of the story just seemed to be a plot device to latch onto a current hot topic.

Unless you enjoy any Montréal made film or have a real interest in any of the actors then this is a really negative way to pass an hour and thirty-three minutes.

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Suzie DVD Review By Tony

** (out of 4)

Suzie (Micheline Lanctôt) est une femme de 58 ans qui travaille comme chauffeur de taxi pendant la nuit. Elle souffre d’une dépression, vivant seule et parlant le moins que possible. Le nuit de l’Halloween, elle trouve dans son taxi un garçon de dix ans, un sac sur la tête, nommé Bibi (Gabriel Gaudreault), avec $50 et une adresse. Elle trouve là un couple au point de partir en vacances, dont l’homme (le père de Bibi, joué par Normand Daneau) n’a aucune envie de s’occuper de son fils et donne à Suzie $100 pour le rentrer chez sa mère. On trouve la mère (Pascale Bussières) tout épuisée et fachée que son ex ne voulait pas partager leur fils “difficile”. Plus tard, le père arrive et les deux se mettent à disputer. Suzie prend Bibi dans son taxi et prépare de le conduire loin de tout. Elle lui dit qu’elle ne veut pas le laisser abandonner, ayant elle-même perdu une fille enlevée par son père Marocain il y a presque trente ans.

Jamais n’est mentioné (comme le nom Valdemort) la question de l’autisme, dont Bibi possède les symptomes, partagés en part par Suzie, ce qui la fait comprendre sa peine. Par exemple, il parle peu, et quand il est frustré il a des cris typiques, mais il est doué aux jeux vidéos et à poker. Très sensible aux bruits, il se calme dans la salle de bain en laissant couler l’eau. Trop souvent comme ici, les mariages sont brisés à cause des enfants autistiques.

L’atmosphère du film est sombre et intense, presque sans humeur. On voulait éviter peut être un tone didactique au sujet de l’autisme par ne pas le mentionner, mais pour les gens qui ne le comprendent pas, j’ai peur que les personnages ne seraient pas sympathiques et leurs actions seulement bizarres.

The subtitles are in Quebec English, which includes vocabulary unknown elsewhere, such as “dépanneur” (literally “fixer”) which in French Canada means a convenience store, often run by Corean (sic) immigrants, and the rich reportoire of profanity based on the now largely abandoned Catholic tradition, such as “Calvaire” (Calvary), referring to a particularly miserable situation.

**1/2 (Pour les autistiques et ceux qui les connaissent) ** (pour les autres)

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Consensus: Suzie is not an uplifting movie, it has a lot of problems in it - the characters also have a lot of problems in it. If you are are really curious, rent it. *3/4 (Out of 4)

Trailer Watch: A Serious Man, The Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Coen Brothers’ new film, A Serious Man, now has a near-brilliant trailer to promote it. From the pounding rhythm supplying the background noise, to the quirky humour, this will likely be another great-oddball film from Joel and Ethan Coen. Watch the trailer on Apple here.

The first bit of footage from Wes Anderson’s highly anticipated stop-motion adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, has finally arrived. Though the animation is not as smooth, or as full, as something like Coraline, I expect this film to be very stylized and have that unique Wes Anderson “feel”. While some people will probably be disappointed by the trailer, admittedly I was expecting something a little different, I still think it will be a good film in it’s own right. I don’t think it will really appeal to kids, but I also don’t think that that’s the audience they're going after. With its all-star voice cast and Wes Anderson direction, I’m guessing it will probably have a following in the young adult market. Watch the trailer on Yahoo! here, and form your own decision.

-John C.