The Rachel Papers: 1989 British romantic comedy directed by Damian Harris and starring Dexter Fletcher, Ione Skye, James Spader, and Jonathan Price. Charles (Fletcher, who played John Martin in Band of Brothers) is a dating chameleon, changing his personality, tastes, even how his apartment is decorated, to land his conquests. Skye is Rachel, his Mount Everest. If you’ll forgive the pun. Sadly, the perfect girl already has a boyfriend. And when he does finally get her, he discovers that—surprise, surprise—she has quirks and annoying tendencies like every other girl he’s dated. It was fine. I was happy with the ending, at least. Which is rare for romcoms. I wanted to see more of the lesser characters. Price is hilarious as the insane brother-in-law. Spader was barely present, and dammit, I just want all the 1980s Spader you can throw at me. Jared Harris also has a small but decent role.
The Atomic Café: 1982 documentary directed by Jayne Loader and Kevin & Pierce Rafferty. Using government propaganda films, old news reels, Army films, and the like, they piece together a history of the atomic age with a bit of snark. I thought it was pretty interesting, especially the recommendations for supplies in your family fallout shelter and the whole Duck & Cover nonsense, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re really into the Cold War.
The Debt: 2011 thriller directed by John Madden and starring Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Martin Csokas, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, and Jessica Chastain. The movie is split between the past and the present. Past: It’s 1965, and three Mossad agents have been tasked with capturing a Nazi war criminal and returning him to Israel for trial. Present: It’s 1997, and despite being hailed as heroes for the last 30 years, things didn’t really turn out as planned. There’s been a cover up, and now it’s up to the agents to do some damage control.
First I would like to say that Martin Csokas is a joy in my life, and whenever I see him in a movie it makes me happy. You may remember him from a bit part in The Bourne Supremacy. Or if you’re a total nerd, you may remember him from the LOTR movies, in which he played Celeborn, husband of Galadriel, Lord of the Galadhrim, co-ruler of Lothlorien. He’s delightful. But I digress.
This sounded like my cup of tea: Mirren, Mossad, retribution, the Csokas. But it was utterly predictable until one of the very last scenes, and even then the shock of something unexpected was temporary. I would say skip it.
Stevie: 2002 documentary by Steven James. James returns to Pomona, a small town in southern Illinois, to reconnect with a man he used to be a Big Brother to. They have a brief reunion, then the movie picks up again two years later after Stevie is charged with child molestation. I’m torn on this one, I have to say. I like James. I really enjoyed Hoop Dreams, and I’m looking forward to seeing The Interrupters. It’s an excellent documentary, but holy shit is it depressing. And while I think it’s very honest, it also felt a little exploitative at times, of Stevie and his family and the victim, who is sort of glossed over. The guilt James feels is clear, you get that he’s trying very hard to be fair, but on occasion it starts to drift over that line.
But it IS excellent. It shows all sides to the questions it raises. What is the responsibility of Big Brothers/Big Sisters and similar organizations to those they help? Is it fair or appropriate to beat yourself up if someone you mentor makes the wrong choices later in life? Does being a victim excuse victimizing others? Could you continue to support someone who is guilty of child molestation? Should you? Do sex offenders need punishment or treatment or both?
If there is any light in the DARK PIT OF DESPAIR that is this movie, it is seen only briefly in Stevie’s former foster parents, whose sympathy for this seriously fucked up man is so genuine and pure that it almost almost restores your faith in humanity or the system or whatever.
Tangled: 2010 Disney animated family movie directed by Nathan Greno and Bryon Howard and starring Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, and Donna Murphy. OK, think Rapunzel with several cute animal sidekicks. Also her hair has healing powers. I skipped most of the songs (the one in the tavern was worth watching) because Alan Menken wears on me sometimes. I mean, I love Newsies, don’t get me wrong. But there’s only so much I can take. Anyway. It was cute! It was fluffy and funny! And the Dashing Hero character reminded me of Craig Horner from Legend of the Seeker. Miss that dude.
In the Company of Men: 1997 “black comedy” (really Wikipedia? I beg to differ) directed by Neil LaBute and starring Aaron Eckhart, Matt Malloy, and Stacy Edwards. Two middle-management dickwads decide it would be a lark to simultaneously date and then simultaneously dump their shy, self-conscious deaf coworker. The acting is great all around, but I didn’t care. It was awful. It made me hateful. People suck.
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil: 2010 Canadian horror/comedy directed by Eli Craig and starring Alan Tudyk, Tyler Labine, and Katrina Bowden. Tudyk and Labine are Tucker and Dale, two buddies working on their vacation cabin in West Viriginia. A group of college kids decide to camp nearby and due to a series of mishaps, coincidences, and perhaps seeing Deliverance a time too many, the kids start to believe that Tucker and Dale are backwoods psychos intent on murdering them all. A theory that is reinforced when they start dying in freak accidents. Think Shawn of the Dead, but with hillbillies instead of zombies. I’m sorry, that’s insensitive. I believe we prefer the term “yokel.” It was hilarious, definitely see it.
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