MUNICH
MUNICH
The world was watching in 1972 as 11 Israeli athletes were murdered at the Munich Olympics. This is the story of what happened next.
Based loosely on historical fact the movie has been adapted by playwright Tony Kushner (''Angels in America") and screenwriter Eric Roth (''Ali," ''Forrest Gump") from ''Vengeance," the 1984 George Jonas book that has already been the source of a solid 1986 HBO movie ''Sword of Gideon."
The subject is the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes by the Palestinian Black September terrorist group at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich and, the response authorised by Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir to carry out a top-secret assassination campaign by the security agency Mossad, aimed at wiping out those who had planned the attack.
Eric Bana plays Avner, leader of the Israeli executioners who after a nod from the Prime Minister connects with his Mossad keeper, Ephraim (Geoffrey Rush) and the killing begins with much blood and gore. Rated M - 4 stars. Available in DVD this month from Video 2000 and Trinity Beach Video.
The Twilight Samurai
Based on the best-selling novel by Shuhei Fujisawa, and directed by Yoji Yamada famous in Japan.
The Twilight Samurai is one of the best contemporary samurai movies.
With a wonderful cast of characters and a touching story of a man outcast by the changing times he lives in, The Twilight Samurai is a surprising piece of art.
The movie explores a part of Samurai history, the fall of the samurai reign, the story is a pure delight to follow. The Twilight Samurai does contain sword fighting; however it is not in that element that he will get recognition. It is not necessary to know Japanese history to understand the context of the story; it’s pretty easy to follow and won’t take you too much time to figure out how life was at the time.
With a beautiful cinematography, an interesting story and great characters to back it up, The Twilight Samurai is another great samurai historical movie from Japan. Rated M
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
“The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe “ is the first instalment (written in 1950 by the legendary author C.S. Lewis) in the bigger work “The Chronicles of Narnia” and this 2005 movie is the first in the intended franchise that will re-visit all of the books in the series.
The movie is set during the Second World War. Four children, Peter Edmund, Susan and Lucy 
are evacuated to a large house in the country owned by a Professor Kirk. While playing hide and seek Lucy hides in an old wardrobe. Suddenly, she finds herself in the magical land of Narnia and meets a fawn called Mr Tumnus.
It turns out that Narnia is ruled by an evil witch who makes it always winter, but never Christmas. Mr Tumnus chooses to betray the White Witch and send Lucy back home, even though it might cost him his own life.
Though the others don't believe Lucy about the wardrobe, they eventually find their way through to Narnia as well to learn that Mr Tumnus has been captured by the witch's secret police. They are helped by Mr and Mrs Beaver and told that Aslan, the true king of Narnia, has returned.
They go to join forces with Aslan and help him to overthrow the White Witch. However, before they can go to him, they are betrayed by someone very close to them...
There are a couple of changes to the plot from the book, but they tended to work. There is a sequence crossing the rapidly melting ice over a river, with wolves on their trail which adds significantly to the tension, though Narnia must be magical enough to be free from frostbite.
The Oyster farmer
The first feature film for writer-director Anna Reeves is an accomplishment and has been given 41/2 stars by the SBS Movie. After a number of short films she spent a number of years studying the subject namely the Oyster farmers of the Hawksbury River near Sydney.
An Australian film in every sense of the word, the use of the more colourful side of the native tongue will break the face of the most stone faced critic. Definitely not a flavour for the kiddies.
There is also an underlying message of concern for the health of the river and the industry it supports. Shot almost entirely on location showing the river in all its glory and natural beauty. This is a truly remarkable film and a must for Australian film enthusiasts. Rated MA
The Interpreter
Directed by Oscar winner Sydney Pollack, The Interpreter stars Academy Award winners Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn in a suspenseful thriller of international intrigue set inside the political corridors of the United Nations and on the streets of New York. 
Nichole Kidman stars as African-born U.N. interpreter Silvia Broome, who inadvertently overhears a death threat against an African head of state scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly. Realizing she’s become a target of the assassins as well, Silvia’s desperate to thwart the plot. If only she can survive long enough to get someone to believe her.
Sean Penn is Tobin Keller, the federal agent charged with protecting the interpreter, who nonetheless suspects she may not be telling the whole truth... 4 Stars.
Ray
Never-before-told biographical story of American music legend Ray Charles. Featuring a remarkable performance from Jamie Foxx in the central role and directed by Taylor Hackford, Ray follows the inspiring story of a one-of-a-kind genius.
This little known story of Ray Charles’ meteoric rise from humble beginnings, his successful struggle to succeed in a sighted world and his eventual defeat of his own personal demons make for an inspiring and unforgettable true story of human triumph. Undoubtedly the best thing about the film is Jamie Foxx's lead performance as Charles.
Foxx's transformation from genial comedic actor to accomplished dramatic leading man over the course of only a handful of roles has been astonishing, and with this role he's nearly a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination. He really embodies Charles, capturing not only his look but also his mannerisms, speech patterns and even his way of playing music. It's almost hard to believe Foxx is lip-syncing to Charles' actual voice, that's how complete his transformation is.
The motocycle diaries
Many know the name “Che” Guevara as a revolutionary that helped Fidel Castro into power in the ‘60s. What most people don’t know is his life before he became a revolutionary.
The Motorcycle Diaries is the story of two young Argentine medical students, Alberto Granado and Ernesto Guevara, who in 1952 set off to discover their continent in an 13,000km journey around South America.
They begin their journey on the back of a beat up 1939 vintage motorcycle, a Norton 500 nicknamed "la Ponderosa" (Power Woman). The experiences they encountered on this journey is the heart of Walter Salles's astonishing film.
What starts out as an adventure gradually takes a different turn as the two friends with the 
social and political realities of the countries they travel through, their perception of the world changes. This experience, at a crucial moment in their lives, fills them with the urge to fight for social justice. Walter Salles directs The Motorcycle Diaries perfectly.
The film is beautifully crafted and it has a National Geographic documentary feel. The journey of two men on a motorcycle could have been a very boring and stiff affair extolling the virtues of Che as he transforms. What Salles does instead is present an engrossing story about personal growth of two individuals and transformation.
From this film, it’s not difficult to see how Che would grow into a revolutionary. In fact it would be interesting to see how his life would have turned out if he hadn’t made this journey.
Screenwriter Jose Rivera has done a wonderful job taking the personal diaries of Che Guevara and transforming them into a psychological exploration of what happened to the young Guevara. He manages to balance the humour of the story with the serious plight of the common man in South America.
The film never tries to hit you over the head with its message. The Motorcycle Diaries is a fascinating journey that explores a country and looks at the psychology of one of the most controversial revolutionaries of the 20th century. With beautiful cinematography, excellent acting and a wonderful story, The Motorcycle Diaries would qualify as one of the best films of the year. 5 Star rating.
Hostage
Devastated by a hostage situation which resulted in the deaths of a young mother and her child, LAPD negotiator Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis) exits Los Angeles for a low-profile job as chief of police in the low-crime town of Bristo Camino in Ventura County.
When three delinquent teenagers follow a family home intending to steal their car, they inadvertently pick the wrong house on the wrong day.
The trio find themselves trapped in a multi-million dollar compound on the outskirts of town owned by an accountant. Panicked, the teenagers take the family hostage, placing Talley in exactly the kind of situation he never wanted to face again.
Soon after, Talley readily hands authority of the hostage situation over to the Ventura County Sheriffs Department and leaves the scene.
After it becomes clear that the Sheriff Department cannot handle the crisis, Talley is forced to resume the command he had abandoned where the stakes quickly evolve into a hostage situation far more volatile and terrifying than anything he could ever imagine. The film is directed by Florent Emilio Siri.
Casanova
Heath Ledger stars as the legendary lover but instead of chronicling his escapades and conquests, this is a love story in which the great lover falls for an independent, brilliant young woman (Sienna Miller) and puts his ladies man ways behind him.
Miller, playing Francesca, is not a strong actress. She comes across as unconvincing, particularly when they disguise her as a man writing about feminism ahead of his time. Casanova tries to take a women’s rights stand, to peel back the layers of the myth of Casanova and find out why women were attracted to him and why an independent-minded woman would fall for him.
But this angle is approached with chauvinism. While the screenplay tries desperately to keep this thread going throughout the movie, the story ends on a lovey-dovey note of a woman caving in to a man, freeing him of inquisition but sacrificing her dreams of defeating a male-dominated world. Although Casanova is marketed to adults who are seeking a period piece love story, this is teenage comedy through and through.
Ledger, who is considered Oscar material for his performance in Brokeback Mountain, does not win over anybody with this smirking version of his character from A Knight’s Tale. Adults might be disappointed.
Memoirs of a geisha
Based on the internationally acclaimed novel by Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha is a romantic epic set in a mysterious and exotic world that still casts a potent spell today.
The story begins in 1929 before WWII when a penniless Japanese child is torn from her family to work as a maid in a geisha house. Despite a treacherous rival who nearly breaks her spirit, 
the girl blossoms into the legendary geisha Sayuri (Ziyi Zhang).
Beautiful and accomplished, Sayuri captivates the most powerful men of her day, but is haunted by her secret love for the one man (Ken Watanabe) who is out of her reach. The film displays beautiful, delicate cinematography and is told as a fable from a disappearing geisha world.
The movie is produced by Steven Spielberg and is directed by Rob Marshall. Banned in China where it caused outrage because many regard geishas as prostitutes. Drama, Romance 3 stars.
I love Huckabees
A group of environmental activists, the Open Spaces Foundation, team up with the American department store chain Huckabees. The deal is that Huckabees will rather pull down old buildings and use those sites to develop new stores than build on formerly undeveloped land. Huckabees’ managers see this as a good way to polish the chain’s image and want to promote their “commitment to nature” extensively.
The idea brought up by Open Spaces leader Albert, acted by Jason Schwartzman, is to use poems he wrote himself for the campaign. However both Open Spaces’ members and Huckabees’ management find an idea brought up by his rival Brad, played by Jude Law, far more attractive.
By coincidence he met Shania Twain and convinced her to be their media figure. Brad gets elected new Open Spaces president and Albert quits his work for the foundation. To present the different concepts the movie employs extravagant special effects like real people in cartoon scenes or parts of the characters’ faces being “swapped”. It examines the opposing belief systems in depths, however it doesn’t preach them and although Albert and one of his friends attack a family of Christians quite openly, it remains neutral towards “mainstream” religions.
I love Huckabees is an enjoyable movie that will get you thinking, and if you don’t find your way into it you might find it boring. Although it’s promoted as an existential comedy it won’t get you to laugh out loud, it will rather put big grins on your face when you find hidden meanings that are quite amusing.
It is enhanced by its original soundtrack (you won’t get blasted with Shania Twain) and the actors do a good job. The only thing that doesn’t seem quite right about the movie is its M rating. High level coarse language is used frequently and there is a sex scene that doesn’t hide much; both fit into the movie perfectly well but should have resulted in an MA15+ rating.
I love Huckabees is a Fox Searchlight movie directed by David O. Russell. Among the cast are Jason Schwartzman, Isabelle Huppert, Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts and (for 5 seconds) Shania Twain.
NEARLY 10 months after Israel withdrew every last soldier, settler, nail and bucket from Gaza, the Hamas-led Palestinians can't seem to let go.
There is something psychologically profound about Hamas abducting to Gaza and holding hostage an Israeli soldier, 19-year-old Cpl. Gilad Shalit. You would think that the very last thing the Palestinians would want to import to Gaza is precisely the emblem of their former occupation: a soldier.
Hamas literally needs an occupier-enemy, just as released convicts who can't seem to make it on the outside intentionally commit crimes in order to be returned to prison, where they feel safer and better understand the rules.
How else to explain the barrage of Kassam rockets from Gaza at Israel's populated areas even after Israel has evacuated the Palestinians' land? How else to fathom the pointless murder of a West Bank settler, 18-year-old Eliyahu Asheri, killed almost immediately following his abduction? Each rocket, each murder, is a painful tap on Israel's shoulder from a frustrated former marriage partner who cannot let go and is threatening homicide. I'm still here, proclaims each explosion. Take me back, each murder demands.
Unfortunately, Israel cannot take out a restraining order against Hamas.
To some Americans, Israel's unfolding military strike on the Gaza Strip in response to Shalit's kidnapping may seem like an overreaction, no less irrational than the behavior of the other side. After all, Americans may think, it's just one soldier. Four and sometimes eight times as many U.S. soldiers die in Iraq and Afghanistan each day, their deaths hardly noted.
But in Israel, the loss by death or abduction of a single soldier is an utterly devastating national event. As a veteran of the Israel Defense Forces who served extensively in the Gaza Strip, I remember how — strolling Jerusalem's streets on leave from my military service — I saw the glow of a television set in every window. I heard the same newscaster's voice — multiplied and amplified throughout the city — as he read the roll call of the day's casualties. Israelis sat huddled and still, with hands over mouths, suppressing shock. Occasionally there were actual cries, as though some mother, in her flat, felt the loss of the soldiers as her very own children.
This is an aspect of Israel that is rarely talked about, a side not portrayed in Steven Spielberg's and Tony Kushner's cynical film, "Munich." Its source is a deeply Jewish perspective that holds that the loss of a single Jewish life is equal to that of an entire universe — the code of a people who, to this day, remember the anonymous graves of 6 million Jews, including 1 million children, killed in the Holocaust.
Where is Shalit? Is he alive? Today, not only Israelis but Jews everywhere, from San Francisco to Paris to Tel Aviv, are praying for his safe return. And there is anger in our prayers, reflected in the Israeli response, which reflects our deep sense of betrayal over the refusal by the Hamas-led Palestinian government to accept the existence of the Jewish state. It has become abundantly clear since the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the advent of the Hamas government, that not even disengagement is enough.
Hamas, like a jilted homicidal lover, will not rest until Israel is destroyed.
If brevity is the soul of wit, no wonder we have so many stupid movies.
Filmmakers don’t know when enough is enough.
It used to be that cinematic diarrhea was most common during the Christmas season. Somewhere along the way Hollywood began equating long with important, and since the holiday season was heavy with Oscar-hopeful titles, we got used to sitting through long movies.
Steven Spielberg’s “Munich,” with a running time of 2 hours 45 minutes, is a perfect example. At least it is a film with something on its mind, so I was willing to forgive the movie for my numbed posterior.
But things have gotten out of hand. Now summer movies — so-called “light” entertainment — are clocking in at more than 160 minutes, and I have to protest.
Not only is that too long for a movie that aspires to mere entertainment, but also excessive running times hurt these films artistically.
Be honest now … was there any earthly reason why Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” had to be three hours long? (Twice the running time of the 70-year-old original “Kong.”) It would have been a vastly better movie at just two hours.
The new “Superman Returns” is a butt-deadening 2 hours 34 minutes, a big chunk of that devoted to a giant f/x pig-out involving giant crystals threatening a luxury yacht on which Lois Lane and her kid are prisoners.
And I say, who cares? Why drag it out? Why not advance the plot quickly and efficiently and get the story back on track? Why subject the audience to an unending chapter of “Look What We Can Do With a Computer”?
“Superman” at least had a plot. The same can’t be said of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” opening Friday. This movie consists of 2 hours and 25 minutes of pointless running around, sword fights and battles with a giant tentacled creature called the kraken. It’s not a movie … it’s the world’s biggest trailer.
And where did moviemakers get the idea that comedy is improved by stretching out the time between solid laughs? No, no, no. Woody Allen’s best movies clock in at 1:30. If your script has a dozen good laughs, isn’t it better to make an 80-minute movie than a two-hour one?
This is why “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” (1963), with a three-hour running time, is minute-for-minute one of the unfunniest comedies of all time.
And apart from all other considerations, it’s simply a matter of good showmanship. Leave your audience wanting more rather than wishing you’d stopped a half-hour ago.