Secret Agent Gal Movie Reviews

Ides of March: George Clooney runs for president - 3.5 stars

 

Is old-style politics obsolete? George Clooney directs an all-star cast in The Ides of March, a political corruption drama that’s been eclipsed by Occupy Wall Street and worldwide activism. As history speeds up, this film about seeking political office feels dated.

Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck.; Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) loves exploring politics on film. Directing his fourth movie, he evokes deep, honest portrayals of political personalities.

Ryan Gosling is ambitious idealist Stephen Myers, press secretary and strategist for the presidential campaign of Gov. Mike Morris (Clooney). “I’ll do or say anything if I believe in it,” Myers says.

Meanwhile real-life activists call for fundamental social change and a democracy that serve the people. Myers’ allegiance to one politician who will save us seems foolishly naïve. Does anyone really believe that anymore?

Philip Seymour Hoffman is dead on as Paul Zara, Morris’ shrewd campaign chief. Paul Giamatti plays Tom Duffy, the opposing campaign’s strategist who tries to steal Myers. Giamatti is excellent as a hack who’s risen to the national level by playing dirty while managing to stay likeable.

Morris seems to be progressive (Clooney is a Democrat), but the film barely mentions political parties. Can candidates win public office and still maintain their ideals? The choice to ignore money in politics takes the story out of context. The Ides of March becomes more emotional exploration than political story.  

 

Clooney is strong, sure and stoic. Morris deflects a question about religion, declaring his allegiance to the Constitution. Behind the scenes, he is fallible and forced to compromise his principles.

In one of her best roles, Marisa Tomei plays Ida Horowicz, a New York Times reporter. Ida believes so strongly in the system and “the way things are” that she covers nothing but the horse race. Horowicz has completely lost touch with the issues and with voters. She reports instead on behind-the-scenes campaign maneuvers. Tomei’s portrait of a burned out, obsolete journalist is devastating.

In this game there are only foes and allies who can further your interests. Horowicz and Myers joust over their “friendship” with a satisfying turnabout in the end.

Evan Rachel Wood plays Molly Stearns, daughter of the head of the Democratic National Committee. As a campaign intern, her sexcapades reveal a stunning lack of self-esteem. Senator Thompson (Jeffrey Wright as petulant power-broker) threatens to withhold his Ohio delegates unless he’s promised the Secretary of State spot in a Morris administration. Jennifer Ehle (always moving) briefly appears as Morris’ loyal wife.

See it for the acting. The larger-than-life cast is intense. Still, The Ides of March is no Michael Clayton. There are no real surprises. Public officials are corrupt. They’re compromised by special interests. The pressure of running for public office is overwhelming.

Nothing new is revealed. The screenplay is solid, but lacks originality. There is good a plot twist as Myers is indelibly changed by what he sees. Still the movie needs more oomph. It’s based on Beau Willimon’s play Farragut North (2008). Clooney, his frequent collaborator Grant Heslov and Willimon wrote the screenplay.

Horowicz’s words are prophetic: “Mike Morris is a politician. He’s a nice guy. They’re all nice guys. He will let you down sooner or later.”

How will citizens take back their democracy? We’ll have to stay tuned to real life to find out.

If you like The Ides of March, you might enjoy:  The American; Up in the Air; The Men Who Stare at Goats.

[email protected]

 

The Ides of March    2011  /  R (language, sexual situations)  /  1 hour, 41 min

Cast Overview:  Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Mantell, Gregory Itzin  

Director:  George Clooney

Genre:  Drama, Political Drama

 

 

 

The Gloucester 18: teen moms choose rough road - 4 stars

 
 

The Gloucester 18 reveals the true story of teens who got pregnant during the 2007-08 school year at Gloucester High School in Massachusetts. Controversy erupted amidst rumors of a “pregnancy pact.” This documentary tells the girls’ less sensational, but still troubling story.

Director John Michael Williams’ film has no narration or overt editorializing. Aside from brief tirades by Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly and a local radio host, the tone is intent and balanced. This is a documentary that explores a hot-button issue with objectivity and genuine concern.

The Gloucester 18 debunks the myth of a “pregnancy pact” which was widely reported by national and international news programs. The pact story was also exploited in a made-for-television film that upset many Gloucester residents.

Most of these girls did not know each other when they became pregnant, we are told. Some became friends afterwards and shared mutual support, according to nurse practitioner Kim Daley.

New moms and dads, grandparents, counselors and health providers speak in a series of interviews. By skillfully excerpting interviews around an issues-based narrative, Williams creates a sense of urgency.

Wisely, the director also visits the cities of Lowell and Springfield. Teen pregnancy rates were higher there in 2009. The film asserts that this is not just Gloucester’s issue, but a continuing national dilemma.

Teen moms interviewed are upbeat at first. Some are quiet. One girl is coached by her mom on how to answer the interviewer. Eventually, they share mixed feelings and regrets.  

Seventeen-year-old Leslie from Lowell got pregnant at age 15. She never went to high school. “It’s hard,” she says, smiling through her tears. “It’s not fun changing diapers, waking up.” Her son’s father abandoned them. Leslie braids hair to pay for diapers.

“It’s the new thing” says Leslie of her friends in Lowell. “Everyone’s havin’ kids.” Young moms are isolated from the teen community as they are required to stay at home to care for their babies, says Dr. Brian Orr.

High school counselors and health providers speak out. “I needed somebody to love me unconditionally, and someone who I could love unconditionally,” pregnant teens often tell them.

Several counselors say they were required to follow an “abstinence only” model. They were not allowed to prescribe contraceptives to high school students. Some teens used birth control from their own physicians, and became pregnant anyway.

The Gloucester teens beam before the camera. It is their moment. They hold their babies. It’s rough but they get by, they say. Motherhood gives their lives meaning and purpose. It’s their business, a friend of one mom says. The teens are just starting their families sooner than most.

Sarah smiles radiantly, holding her second baby. She lives in a cooperative household with her children’s father and his brother’s family. Another girl works part-time at Dunkin’ Donuts. A teen father works in a bait yard to support his new son.  

Two of the girls are second generation teen mothers. Another faces her family’s legacy of domestic violence. Some new moms finish high school. Others drop out.

Williams intersperses frames of smiling girls with sobering statistics. As of 2009, 750,000 teenage girls become pregnant in the United States every year. Teenage pregnancy costs the U.S. more than $9.1 billion a year. The U.S. has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy of any developed country.

The Gloucester 18 covers a controversial issue with unique objectivity and insight. It avoids political and religious debate. “Doing the right thing” and making the best of difficulties is a common theme.

The fate of several teens and their babies is revealed. Some girls live with their parents after giving birth, grateful for the back-up child care. One teen without family support seeks public assistance. Several babies suffer health problems.

Tiny babies nestle in their mothers’ arms as the camera rolls. Concern for their well-being and future drives this powerful human interest film.

If you like The Gloucester 18, you might enjoy:  Precious; Mother and Child.

[email protected]

 

The Gloucester 18    2009  /  NR  /  1 hour, 7 min

Cast Overview:  Dr. Brian Orr, Kim Daley, Ray Lamont, Gail McCarthy

Director:  John Michael Williams

Genre:  Documentary

Moneyball: game changer Brad Pitt hits home run - 5 stars

 

Brad Pitt brings Billy Beane to life in the exciting drama Moneyball. Not just for baseball fans, the film tells a true sports rebel story. Beane, the Oakland Athletics general manager, changes the sport and recruits a winning team on a tiny budget.

Bennett Miller (Capote, Doubt) directs with a fantastic script from Oscar winners Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List) and Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network).

After 11 losses, the team sets a major league record during the 2002 season. Actual game footage from the A’s 20-game win streak adds excitement. Moneyball sweeps you up with an inside look at managing a ball team. I didn’t glance at my watch for over two hours.

Teamwork is built on and off the field. Business deals are wrangled. Underdogs are valued and given a new start. Players give their best – and sometimes not.

Beane shocks back room baseball elders and know-it-all sports commentators by reinventing baseball. His street smarts and out-of-the-box thinking will thrill you. On a personal note, he’s a divorced dad who wants to be his daughter’s hero.

All these themes center around the GM as heroic everyman. Beane recognizes whiz kid Peter Brand (Jonah Hill, perfect here) instantly, enticing him to become his right hand man. It’s a bold decision that will change everything.

Beane must rebel by trying a new approach. His best players get poached by the big money teams all the time. “Adapt or die” becomes his motto.

With the help of the Yale-trained economist, Beane upsets multi-million dollar teams by using sabermetrics in baseball. Brand tells him, “You aren’t trying to buy players. You want to buy wins.”

Brand loves baseball as much as he loves numbers. He identifies standout players based on their runs and on how they fit into an equation. Talent isn’t enough. The players must perform in ways that make major league success likely.

Beane forges ahead with courage and gut instinct. The film is based on the ground-breaking book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis.

A former baseball prodigy, Beane decided to become a professional talent scout. He always wondered why he didn’t have more success in the majors. With sabermetrics, he understands why.

Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffmann is convincing in his brief but weighty role. Ornery Art Howe, the Oakland A’s coach, doesn’t trust Beane or his new boy wonder one whit. Other great performances include Kerris Dorsey as Beane’s daughter (impressive singing and guitar strumming here), and Robin Wright as Billy’s ex-wife.

 
 

There’s a turning point where Beane trades several players to overcome a plateau. Brand advises against this, but the GM takes charge. Pitt excels in a very funny scene where he and Brand juggle calls from general managers calling back.

This is one of Pitt’s best performances. Billy Beane is as gutsy and street smart as Tyler Durden in Fight Club, Lt. Aldo Raine in Inglourious Basterds, and Mr. O’Brien in The Tree of Life. Pitt has worked with directing legends like David Fincher, Quentin Tarantino and Terrence Malick.

Pitt also produced Moneyball. The star often produces his own movies. He’s backed spiritual genre greats such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Eat Pray Love. Lending his sense of fun and box office appeal to B movies, he played Rusty Ryan in Ocean’s Eleven and John Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Academy Awards are likely because Moneyball transcends the screen. It’s a movie for our time where humanity triumphs over big money. It speaks to our fascination with science, but stays grounded in heart and soul.

More than anything, Beane wants to change an unfair game. He builds success with an unlikely group of misfits. Even when you know how this story ends, his victory is no less impressive and sweet.

If you like Moneyball, you might enjoy:  The Blind Side; Hoosiers; Win Win.

[email protected]

 

Moneyball     2011  /  PG-12  /  2 hours, 13 mins

Cast Overview:  Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt, Stephen Bishop, Reed Thompson

Director:  Bennett Miller

Genre:  Drama, Biopic, Drama Based on the Book

 

 

50/50: Gordon-Levitt fights Big C in Oscar contender - 4.5 stars

 

The smart, uplifting cancer dramedy 50/50 stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Adam Lerner, a 27-year-old with spinal schwannoma. Comedy writer Will Reiser wrote the outstanding screenplay based on his own diagnosis and struggle with the Big C.

In Oscar-worthy fashion, 50/50 rises to the top of its genre. Depression and anger are dealt with matter-of-factly, but the film never becomes sappy or a prolonged melodrama. The movie is just long enough at 100 minutes. Jonathan Levine directs with deft insight.

Gordon-Levitt plays a soft-spoken Seattle radio producer who lives carefully. Adam jogs. His new girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) is just moving in. Adam doesn’t even have a driver’s license because he fears traffic accidents, “the fifth leading cause of death.”

Gordon-Levitt is wonderful throughout, even shaving his head for real on screen. This measured performance contrasts sharply with his wild, deranged character in Hesher.

Friendship is the healer. Adam’s best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen, excellent as a loyal, rollicking dude) helps him cope and make life changes. Rogen, who also produces here, infuses humor into the story seamlessly, even during Adam’s worst moments.

Adam meets two new friends at chemotherapy, Alan (Philip Baker Hall) and Mitch (Matt Frewer). The trio enjoy pot-filled macaroons courtesy of Mitch’s wife.

 

Rachael vows to stand by Adam when he breaks the news, but won’t go with him to weekly chemotherapy at the hospital. Dallas Howard sensitively portrays a flawed girlfriend with cool realism. Rachael simply can’t muster the strength to face Adam’s illness.

Adam goes through the phases of healing with the help of his doctoral student-therapist Katherine (Anna Kendrick of Up in the Air, sincere and memorable). Mostly Adam compartmentalizes rage and grief as he watches TV, not even calling back his smother-love mom (Anjelica Huston).

Kyle insists that Adam’s odds are not that bad. He urges his pal to keep seeking the right girl. Even walking Adam’s plaintive pooch Skeletori becomes an opportunity to cruise. Adam isn’t that enthusiastic. “I look like Voldemort,” he quips.

Surgeons are portrayed spot on here, with robot-like Dr. Ross (Andrew Airlie) and a somewhat warmer female neurosurgeon Dr. Walderson (Donna Yamamoto).

Adam finally grows closer to his parents. In one of Gordon-Levitt’s best scenes, he bonds with his dad (Serge Houde) who’s suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Casting by Francine Maisler (also casting director for Moneyball and The Tree of Life) is superb. Michael Giacchino composed the fine score.

We all must face death, Adam tells Katherine. He confronts her, insisting that she drop the feel good talk. Hope isn’t sugar coated in 50/50’s great ending.

If you like 50/50, you might enjoy:  Happy; I Am; Love & Other Drugs.

[email protected]

 

50/50     2011  /  R  /  1 hour, 40 min

Cast Overview:  Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston, Philip Baker Hall, Serge Houde

Director:  Jonathan Levine

Genre:  Dramedy, Bromance

 

Contagion: Soderbergh directs cool, tense pandemic thriller - 5 stars

 
 
 
As a deadly virus spreads, Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion tracks personal stories of survival and activism around the globe. The thriller reveals exactly how a pandemic could happen. Freedom, responsibility and control are explored.  

If you’re seeking terror or melodrama, you may not like Soderbergh’s latest. It’s moving yet thoughtful even when mass hysteria erupts. A handful of citizens and government officials fight the good fight against lethal MEV-1, which spreads through the air and on surfaces. It kills one out of every four people exposed.

With great ensemble acting and a docudrama feel, the film is similar to the director’s drug war drama Traffic (2000). Suspense is heightened with a frenetic soundscape by former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Cliff Martinez (who also composed the score for Traffic).

Civilization and public services are strained as looting and panic spread. U.S. forces are deployed. Mass graves are dug.

In the name of public safety, we’ve given much power to Big Pharma and government. Contagion raises awareness about the limits of our national preparedness as values, profit and politics clash. 

As a soulful everyman, Mitch Emhoff (Matt Damon) is a husband and father who loses his wife and son to the virus. Emhoff locks down his own teenage daughter in order to save her life, burying the pain of his wife’s infidelity.

 

Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) first contracts the virus on a Hong Kong business trip. She stops over in Chicago to cheat on Mitch with an old flame.

Back home, Beth thinks she has jet lag. She develops seizures and foams at the mouth. Within hours, she is gone. Mitch is quarantined at the hospital, where doctors confirm that he has developed immunity.

Best Actress Marion Cotillard is fascinating as Dr. Leonora Orantes, a World Health Organization epidemiologist who is kidnapped while she explores the virus’ origin in Hong Kong. Orantes develops a Stockholm Syndrome-like devotion to her captors, who are sure that the U.S. is hoarding a cure.

Laurence Fishburne is excellent as Dr. Ellis Cheever, director of the Centers for Disease Control. Cheever follows protocol, but struggles when he has the chance to save his own fiancée by breaking confidentiality.

Jennifer Ehle (fantastic as Dr. Ally Hextall) and Elliott Gould (Dr. Ian Sussman) are gutsy researchers who break rules to expedite a cure.

 

Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet) is sent by Cheever to coordinate emergency preparedness. As soon as she develops symptoms, Mears believes she is doomed. Lying in a stadium of sickbeds, she offers her raggedy quilt to a nearby patient.

The most fascinating and misunderstood character in Contagion is Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law), a blogger who criticizes Big Pharma’s profit motives and government bureaucracy. Krumwiede plays an important adversarial role as he reveals the limits of institutional effectiveness.

What Law brings to light is health freedom and the use of nature to stay healthy. When Krumwiede drinks a glass of water with a few drops of Forsythia essence in it, he tells his on-line audience of millions, “If I’m still here tomorrow, it worked.”

The blogger survives. He wants to inform and help others while making his own profit. A run on a San Francisco pharmacy ensues for the healing essence. (In reality, there are many reputable sources for complementary and traditional Chinese medicines. Krumwiede could not corner the market on it.) 

A vaccine becomes available 90 days later. Survivors must vie in a national lottery for the scarce cure. The scene evokes Waiting for Superman, where students draw numbers to win the chance for a quality education.

As cinematographer, Soderbergh uses middle-distance shots, close ups and color to achieve master effects. Contagion is his first IMAX film. Especially vivid are microscopic images of the mutating virus, and the fateful flight of an Asian bat.

Soderbergh has made a cautionary classic for our time.

If you like Contagion, you might enjoy: 2012; The Debt.

[email protected]

 

Contagion     2011  /  PG-13  /  1 hour, 42 mins

Cast Overview:  Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Bryan Cranston, Elliott Gould 

Director:  Steven Soderbergh

Genre:  Thriller

 

 

The Whistleblower: sex trafficking exposed in dark thriller ****

 

If you are able to watch sex trafficking, cruelty and torture, see The Whistleblower. Rachel Weisz stands up to sex traffickers in this fact-based thriller about human rights violations in postwar Bosnia. Director Larysa Kondracki relays horrible truths using noir and cinema verite in her feature debut.

The Whistleblower does not let you look away from war atrocities. With a docudrama feel, it is suspenseful, violent and jarring. There is a graphic rape scene. Female slaves are kept in filthy, torture-chamber barracks. Nebraska cop Kathryn Bolkovac is the real whistleblower.

In the opening, Ukrainian teen Irka (the director’s sister Rayisa Kondracki) urges Raya (Roxana Condurache) to travel with her to a job opportunity in Bosnia. Neighbors and even family members lure young women like these. Desperate to escape struggle and poverty, Raya accepts.

A divorced mom, Bolkovac arrives in Sarajevo in 1999 for a six-month contract. The $100,000 tax-free paycheck will allow her to move closer to her daughter. Soon Bolkovac finds herself confronting police, local thugs, and even her fellow United Nations peacekeepers-for-hire.

Bolkovac is outraged to find that her co-workers are complicit or participating in the prostitution slave rings. Diplomatic employees have full immunity, and locals are unlikely to be prosecuted. Bolkovac’s employer at the time, security contractor DynCorp International, works for the United States today in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.

Best supporting actress Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener) conveys the soul of the film. Bolkovac is urged to look the other way. She refuses.

Glib acceptance reigns. “Those girls are whores of war. It happens,” an agency commander says.

The ferocious activist faces off against peacekeepers and investigates brothels in the night, often alone. Unafraid, Bolkovac does her job. It’s a portrait of a true hero with no need for a costume or special effects.

 

Bolkovac backs the first successful post-war court decision for a domestic violence victim. She gets noticed. Vanessa Redgrave appears briefly as the real Madeleine Rees, then head of the U.N. Human Rights Commission. Rees offers Bolkovac a position in the U.N. Gender Affairs Office, where she will investigate sexual assaults. Bolkovac accepts as her peacekeeping contract runs outs.

Other U.N. officials ignore Bolkovac’s revelations about the international sexual assault on girls. The activist eventually was fired from her U.N. position. She won a wrongful termination suit in 2001. Bolkovac co-wrote the screenplay with Eilis Kirwan based on her book The Whistleblower: Sex Trafficking, Military Contractors, and One Woman’s Fight for Justice.

David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck) is brooding and shifty as Peter Ward, an internal affairs officer who offers to help the whistleblower. Monica Bellucci plays a diplomatic burnout who sees a bit of herself in the idealistic American.

The Whistleblower is a Third World Erin Brockovich. It provokes questions that demand answers. It shows the war within war, violence against women, on a massive scale.

In a respite from violence, Bolkovac has an affair with one of her co-workers Jan (Nikolaj Lie Kaas). In real life she later married her co-worker.

This film conveys important information. I felt honored to watch a woman dare to stand up for justice. I also noted that The Whistleblower does not depict forgiveness from any party. Leaking information to the BBC seems to be Bolkovac’s only option.

Spiritual teachers including Marianne Williamson advocate brief meditation while surrounding horrific situations with light and love. Personal power can be exercised by imagining and intending a better world.

The Whistleblower is roughly hewn in a way that suits its ugly subject. It was filmed quickly on a low budget, mostly in Bucharest, Romania.

One important scene feels staged. The screenplay is choppy and sometimes preachy. Yet great performances from Weisz, Strathairn and others animate this relentless movie. Plato’s Cave comes to mind during a particularly tragic turning point.

A twisty ending provides little relief. The film closes with statistics about continued sex trafficking worldwide.

According to Foreign Policy’s Turtle Bay blog, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon invited Kondracki to show the film at U.N. headquarters “to top U.N. officials and representatives of governments that supply peacekeepers to U.N. missions.” The screening is scheduled for the week of October 10.

If you like The Whistleblower, you might enjoy:  A Call Girl; Miral; Lemon Tree.

Subscribe to Secret Agent Gal Movie Reviews.

  

The Whistleblower     2010  /  R  /  2 hours

Cast Overview:  Rachel Weisz, David Strathairn, Vanessa Redgrave, Monica Bellucci, Roxana Condurache, Rayisa Kondracki

Director:  Larysa Kondracki

Genre:  Drama, Thriller, True Life, Drama Based on the Book

Languages:  English and Croatian with English subtitles

 

The Insider: Russell Crowe fights Big Tobacco in real-life thriller *****

 

A whistleblower (Russell Crowe) forces Big Tobacco to reveal the dangers of cigarette smoking in the fact-based thriller The Insider (1999).

With non-stop suspense, the film follows tobacco scientist Jeffrey Wigand (Crowe) and CBS news producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino) as they create a 60 Minutes expose. Wigand faces death threats and loses his job and family. Bergman challenges the network and legendary newsman Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer) to air the segment despite litigation.

Director Michael Mann’s film is in the spotlight this week as five tobacco companies filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday. They are challenging part of the 2009 law which imposed federal regulations on the tobacco industry. The F.D.A. has mandated that they print graphic warning images on cigarette packages as of September 2012.

The Insider is an iconic look at American journalism. Like All the President’s Men (1976), it explores moral dilemmas in journalism and in life with outstanding character development and pacing. The relationship between a journalist and his source is intimately explored.

Wigand reluctantly tells his story and is sued by Big Tobacco for breaking a confidentiality agreement. Bergman assures Wigand that he is making a tremendous difference by speaking out. According to HealthNews.com, “Tobacco smoke contains a deadly mixture of more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds, of which hundreds are toxic and at least 70 cause cancer. Smoking causes more than 85 percent of lung cancers. . . . One in three cancer deaths in the U.S. is tobacco-related.”

A whistleblower on the edge of nervous exhaustion, Wigand cannot ignore the serious public health hazard. Before speaking with Bergman he warns a tobacco company executive about “ammonia chemistry.” He’s incredulous when the company chooses profit over safety.

Crowe’s acting is raw and fully dimensional, foreshadowing his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Dr. John Nash in A Beautiful Mind (2001). Wigand loses virtually everything: his career, his reputation, his wife and children, and his home.

Crowe becomes the consummate hero as The Insider never flinches from looking at personal agony and danger. Wigand rails against Bergman. “I have to put my family's welfare on the line here, my friend! And what are you puttin' up? You're puttin' up words!” he shouts.

 

Pacino is a pit bull here as Bergman fights to air the 60 Minutes interview. “You pay me to go get guys like Wigand, to draw him out. To get him to trust us, to get him to go on television. I do. I deliver him. He sits. He talks. . . . Is it newsworthy? Yes. Are we gonna air it? Of course not. Why? Because he's not telling the truth? No. Because he is telling the truth.”

Privately, Bergman worries that his source has sacrificed in vain. His wife (Lindsay Crouse) prompts him to re-examine his personal and professional values. Forced to take a leave from work, Bergman walks along the beach near his vacation home. Ocean waves roll in. It’s a timeless image of a man with all the perks of success pausing to breathe and re-evaluate his career. This is one of Pacino’s many memorable characters, reminiscent of Lt. Vincent Hanna in Heat (1995) and Arthur Kirkland in … And Justice for All (1979).

Plummer portrays Mike Wallace as ego-driven and power-hungry, a journalist whose will to investigate powerful special interests is compromised. Plummer conveys charisma and gravitas as the 60 Minutes star. Wallace objected to how he was portrayed when the film was released.

Diane Venora (who played Al Pacino’s wife Justine in Heat), gives a brief but moving performance as Liane Wigand. Philip Baker Hall plays legendary investigative journalist turned CBS executive producer Don Hewitt. Hewitt died in 2009.

Finally the full interview appears on 60 Minutes, but only after The New York Times reveals CBS’ financial motives to suppress the story. The Wall Street Journal clears Wigand’s name after a tobacco industry smear campaign. Wigand reveals that the manipulation of ammonia causes addiction as nicotine is more rapidly absorbed into the lung. This boosts its affects on the brain and central nervous system, he said.

Mann wrote the excellent screenplay with Eric Roth. Dante Spinotti’s cinematography is superb, especially during a scene where a suicidal Wigand sits alone in a hotel room. In a panoramic shot, the mural-covered walls swirl around the hero. Music is used as dialogue to convey deeper meanings.

The Insider was nominated for seven Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor (Crowe) and Best Director. Wigand went on to teach high school science and was nationally recognized for his work in the classroom. Bergman became a producer for the PBS show Frontline. He’s also a professor at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley.

If you like The Insider, you might enjoy: Page One: Inside the New York Times; The Soloist.

Subscribe to Secret Agent Gal Movie Reviews.

 

The Insider     1999  /  R  /  2 hours, 35 min

Cast Overview:  Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer, Michael Gambon, Diane Venora, Bruce McGill, Philip Baker Hall, Lindsay Crouse, Gina Gershon

Director:  Michael Mann

Genre:  Thriller, Drama, Biography

 

Terri: John C. Reilly feeds teen's big, hungry heart ****

 

Terri stands apart from The Art of Getting By and Submarine for one reason: John C. Reilly. The coming-of-age dramedy hinges on Reilly’s Mr. Fitzgerald, a vice principal who cares about kids in trouble. Jacob Wysocki stars as Terri, a huge oddball with a confused, hungry heart.

Reilly’s straightforward, unforgettable character walks his talk. He owns his own disappointments and shortcomings. Mr. Fitzgerald doesn’t pretend to have it all together, but he knows enough to share his homespun philosophy. When obese Terri lands in his office for daily tardiness, he sets up a weekly meeting to mentor the pajama-clad, good-hearted teen.

Terri’s inner monster is big, odd and misunderstood. He lives in a messy old house with Uncle James (The Office’s Creed Bratton, very good here) who’s in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Terri takes care of his uncle tenderly.

Trapping mice in the attic is necessary and gives Terri something to do. Glum and bored, he loiters in the woods each morning, watching his offering of dead mice on a log. When a raptor arrives, Terri yelps with excitement. It’s the first revelation of the big boy’s spirit.

An encounter with the bird of prey also sets this movie apart. The raptor is said to symbolize vision, power and guardianship. Connecting with nature is another way the boy heals. Mr. Fitzgerald suggests a new life perspective: “I like this person. I look forward to these days.”

Wysocki is extraordinary, an actor of imagination and warmth. Terri makes slow and painful progress. He aches, stumbles and has wise insights. He wants to fit in as he struggles to be himself. Patrick Dewitt’s understated dialogue rings perfectly. “The feeling is no feeling,” Terri tells his mentor.

 

Terri hangs out with two other outcasts, publicly shamed Heather (Olivia Crocicchia) and hair-pulling misanthrope Chad (Bridger Zadina). The trio reveals risky delight, a weird foray into friendship and experimentation. All three succeed with plain-spoken honesty. Director Azazel Jacobs captures odd beauty in this and other scenes.

Mr. Fitzgerald talks about life and possibilities from his heart and his gut. Reilly makes the character unique as a caring, competent man who admits his own shortcomings. The unapologetically odd vice principal grows on us throughout the film.

Terri finds Mr. Fitzgerald passed out in his car one Sunday morning in the school parking lot. He’s had another fight with his wife. The two share quality time, raiding aspirin from the nurse’s office and shooting hoops. The school’s motto towers above them in the gym: Pride. Tradition. Excellence.

In The Art of Getting By and Submarine, mentors are marginal and never fully developed. Here youth and age are both honored. Mr. Fitzgerald throws Terri a lifeline, and the teen gives him the opportunity to practice his life’s calling. There’s a boy within the man, and a man within the boy.

When Fitzgerald betrays the boy’s trust it’s devastating. He transforms the moment by apologizing. “Life’s a mess, dude, but we’re all just doing the best we can.”

In an imperfect world, Terri ends with a quiet, transcendent moment. This is not a feel-good movie, but one that celebrates flawed humanity and hope.

If you like Terri, you might enjoy:  The Art of Getting By; Submarine; Cedar Rapids.

Subscribe to Secret Agent Gal Reviews.

 

Terri     2011  /  R  /  1 hour, 27 min

Cast Overview:  Jacob Wysocki, Creed Bratton, Olivia Crocicchia, Bridger Zadina, John C. Reilly

Director:  Azazel Jacobs

Genre:  Drama, Dramedy

 

A Better Life ****1/2

 
 

A gang-bound son explores honor with his illegal dad in Chris Weitz’s drama A Better Life. In a rare drama told from the blue collar perspective, Demian Bichir is outstanding as Carlos Galindo, a Mexican illegal in East Los Angeles.

The best actors convey much with their eyes, facial expressions and movements. Bichir (Che; Weeds) paints desperation, patience, wisdom and confusion. From these contradictions emerges a decent and hard-working gardener who lives in the United States illegally. Frequent close-ups of Bichir propel the drama.

In his day-in-the-life existence, Carlos works long hours and sleeps on the couch. He shares a few minutes of quality time with his son Luis (Jose Julian). The man lives to work, scarcely realizing when it’s Saturday. Carlos wears the same jacket throughout the movie, but he is clean. Their meals aren’t homemade, but they are filling. Luis’ mother is gone, but it’s not until late in the film that her absence is explained.

Luis shows growing interest in the gang members he meets at school. His girlfriend Ruthie (Chelsea Rendon) is related to a few of them. Since his father has little money for Luis’ needs, the gangs’ wealth and social standing are enticing. An early death in the streets is sure to come with that wealth. Weitz portrays the gang members as human and even cautious about recruiting Luis.

Julian gives an excellent, understated performance, especially during a scene in a police station where his future seems inevitable. When Luis gets suspended it’s “no biggie,” he tells his father. The boy considers making a wrong choice for the right reasons just as his father did.  

Weitz shows an America of the affluent who are happy to look the other way and employ reasonably priced yard workers (who happen to be uninsured). Carlos and Luis seem invisible in society-at-large. In one scene Carlos rides home from work, surveying many cultures and ages mingling on the L.A. sidewalks. His sense of belonging and his isolation are palpable.

 
 

Contemporary American features often show immigrants in moral struggles.  Ben Kingsley gave a powerhouse performance as an Iranian suburbanite in House of Sand and Fog. In The Godfather, Part II, Robert De Niro plays Vito Corleone, a Sicilian immigrant in New York City’s Little Italy. Ramin Bahrani expertly explores moral complexity. In Man Push Cart, a former rock star from Pakistan becomes a coffee cart vendor in New York City. In Goodbye Solo, a Senegalese immigrant attempts to dissuade an old man intent on jumping to his death.

Prosperity drives these characters. Carlos’ turning point comes when his friend insists that he buy a truck which he cannot afford. Carlos doesn’t even have a driver’s license. A truck is a necessity though. Without it, he must wait for hours in a crowd to compete for day jobs. Carlos finally appeals to his sister, who raids her family’s savings on his promise to make good, succeed and repay her someday.

When the truck is stolen, honor and future are at stake. In one very uneasy scene, Carlos gazes mutely at a police officer, unable to ask for help. The emergency gives father and son a chance to bond. How Carlos pursues the thief demonstrates a gentle fairness. Gabriel Chavarria plays Ramon.

A Better Life is a pleasant surprise coming from Weitz, who is known for mediocre The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Weitz also directed About a Boy with his brother Paul.

The film’s predictable ending gives a sense of “huddled masses,” a seemingly endless stream of people who head to America to improve their chances and their children’s opportunities. Eric Eason wrote the script based on a story by Roger L. Simon.

The socio-political story is simplified here. Weitz sidesteps hot button issues including controversial state measures to punish Mexican illegals. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but Weitz could have reached for even more in this film. Certainly his cast was capable of handling it.

If you like A Better Life, you might enjoy:  Goodbye Solo; Man Push Cart; Welcome.

Subscribe to Secret Agent Gal Reviews.

 

A Better Life    2011  /  PG-13  /  1 hour, 38 min

Cast Overview:  Demian Bichir, Jose Julian, Dolores Heredia, Joaquin Cosio, Chelsea Rendon, Nancy Lenehan, Tim Griffin, Gabriel Chavarria

Director:  Chris Weitz

Genre:  Drama

 

Buck ***

 

The real Horse Whisperer recovers from an abusive childhood as he trains horses and their owners in the documentary Buck.

Buck Brannaman consulted on Robert Redford’s The Horse Whisperer (1998). Nicholas Evans’ 1995 novel of the same name is based on the sensitive, gifted horse trainer. Buck won the Audience Award at Sundance 2011.

An excerpt from Redford’s film is shown. Buck’s guidance was instrumental in helping to calm a jittery horse for an important scene. In that scene Grace (Scarlett Johansson), who lost part of her leg in an accident while riding her horse Pilgrim, approaches the traumatized animal. Pilgrim shudders and jolts. Gradually, he calms down and allows Grace to touch him.

Redford was impressed with the horse trainer’s politeness and humanity when they first met. Interviewed here, Redford calls Buck “no nonsense” and “authentic.” Nevertheless, Cindy Meehl’s documentary about this extraordinary individual falls flat.

Buck travels 40 weeks out of each year to give four-day horse clinics. He misses his wife and daughter, he says. Meanwhile he restores calmness and serenity to the horses. Buck is known for his keen insights into the animals.

Brannaman schools horse owners, advising them how to approach and treat the animals with respect. “There’s a difference between firm and hard,” he notes. His approach is “90 percent mental and 10 percent physical.” As a young man, Buck attended a clinic given by Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt. The two were promoting a gentle approach called “natural horsemanship.” Buck had found his calling.

Yet this movie never captures a warm connection between Brannaman and the horses he trains. Where is the magic? First-time director Meehl is so intent on covering the breadth and scope of Buck’s work that she neglects its all-important depth.

Buck appears at event after event. He rides a jittery horse. The horse quiets and trots obediently. Owners comment on the miraculous transformations. They praise Buck’s special gift. What we don’t learn: Who are these horses? What are their stories? How does Buck calm them? What happens after they return home? Have they truly healed?

Focusing on Brannaman and paying scant attention to horses is a curious misstep. The creatures of great dignity, power and freedom are given only cursory treatment. For example, when Buck and his daughter compete in a lasso competition, their horses perform perfectly but look unhappy.

Had Meehl highlighted and developed several encounters between Buck and the horses, this film would truly satisfy. There’s a heartfelt connection between animals and people in movies like Born to be Wild and Water for Elephants. That connection is missing here.

 

Only at the end of Buck is one horse featured. Brain-damaged at birth and raised incorrectly, he has become violent. The horse maims a rider on screen. He has become “a predator,” Buck warns. Finally the owner decides to put him down.

Buck’s painful early years are slowly revealed. At age three, Buckshot (originally named Dan) began performing rope tricks with his older brother Smokie (Bill) under the management of their father Ace. The youngest stars on the circuit, the boys often performed blindfolded. They became famous, appearing in a Sugar Pops commercial.

The two were driven hard and often whipped by their alcoholic dad. Their mother had passed away. One day a coach noticed the bruising. The boys were removed from their home and adopted by a loving couple, the Shirleys. Brannaman still visits with his adoptive mother to this day.

Many horse lovers will enjoy this film, while others will yearn for more. Buck tells the story of a quiet, gentle man, but doesn’t reveal too much. Buck’s brother never appears in the film. His absence is not explained.

If you like Buck, you might enjoy:  Born to be Wild; Water for Elephants; Secretariat.

Subscribe to Secret Agent Gal Reviews.

 

Buck    2011  /  PG  /  1 hour, 28 min

Cast Overview:  Buck Brannaman, Robert Redford

Director:  Cindy Meehl

Genre:  Documentary, Animals