ATONEMENT is as close to perfection as mere mortals can aspire to. This translation to the screen of the Booker Prize-winning novel by Ian McEwan flawlessly captures the complex and powerful play of emotions that propel the story while annotating it with a visual component that amplifies rather than distracts. The plot hinges on what… Read More »
THE HELP
THE HELP, based on the novel of the same name by Kathryn Stockett, gently but firmly peels away they dry rot of racism that festered beneath the gracious, etiquette obsessed façade of southern gentility before the civil rights movement. What is remarkable, and a remarkably difficult line to walk, is that it does so while… Read More »
THE DANCER UPSTAIRS
THE DANCER UPSTAIRS is a stunning exploration of passion and delusion, and not just the romantic kind, though the power of Eros is seen here as just as treacherous as the political backdrop of the story. Set in an unnamed South American country in a time specified only as the recent past, an honest man,… Read More »
Alex Gibney Ponders GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON
When I spoke to Alex Gibney on April 8, 2008, the first question was the one that stuck with me from the minute I heard about this documentary. Where do you begin with a man who was larger than life, as was his writing? Gibney, with a succinct erudition, summed up his own struggle with… Read More »
Richard Curtis Captures PIRATE RADIO
Richard Curtis had more than just multiple story lines to juggle with PIRATE RADIO, he also had a cast afloat on a boat that was at the mercy of the whims of the ocean. When we talked on October 21, 2009, the question of seasickness was inevitable. The real topic was music, and the revolutionary… Read More »
R. J. Cutler Opens THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE
There are many things to admire in R.J. Cutler’s astute documentary, THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE. Yet, for all the moments, large and small, of revelation by its subject, Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, the image that most struck me did not involve her at all. It involved Vogue’s creative director, Grace Coddington, a model ensconced in haute couture, and a cherry tart. Such… Read More »
Michael Hoffman at THE LAST STATION
Idealism and living those ideals in the real world is only one of the intriguing issues that screenwriter/director Michael Hoffman wrestled with in adapting THE LAST STATION from the book by Jay Parini to the screen. When I talked to Michael Hoffman on January 6, 2010, he explained how he used Anton Checkov to get… Read More »
Raymond De Felitta Takes Us to CITY ISLAND
For a labor of love like CITY ISLAND, Raymond De Felitta was happy to bide his time, waiting for the right actor, Andy Garcia as his lead, man with a secret Vince Rizzo. When I talked with de Felitta by phone on March 12, 2010, why only a great actor can make bad acting fun,… Read More »
George A. Romero Insures the SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD
When I talked with horror icon George A. Romero on May 13, 2010, it was hard to know where to begin, considering his first feature, 1968’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, earned a place on the Library of Congress’ film register in 1999. I decided to lead with the metaphorical aspect of his latest film, SURVIVAL OF THE… Read More »
Andy Garcia is THE MAN FROM ELYSIAN FIELDS
With THE MAN FROM ELYSIAN FIELDS, Andy Garcia was both the star and one of the producers. Like many actors looking to stretch themselves professionally and creatively, he founded his own production company (CineSon) to make films that he cares about passionately. And it quickly becomes apparent when talking with Garcia that passion is definitely something that… Read More »
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