The career path of a filmmaker or actor is often an interesting thing to track. The choices of what films to direct or what roles to play reveal something of the filmmaker or actor’s artistic abilities, desires, or, in some cases, financial necessities. I doubt that many directors have experienced the creative arc that Chinese-American filmmaker Wayne Wang has. Many viewers may not recognize his name, but they will certainly remember a few of his recent films, Maid in Manhattan... Read more

It has been well over a year since I read the news that the Coen brothers would be filming Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men. While that year went by fast enough, it was an excruciating wait. Fortunately, the wait paid off this weekend as the film opened to limited release in the U.S. In the film, the Coen brothers have grasped the essence of all Cormac McCarthy’s writing. Faithfulness to the story be damned: the Coen brothers have... Read more

I have never really been a big fan of Ben Affleck’s acting. I enjoyed him in Dogma but only because of Kevin Smith’s irreverent script, and as much as I love comic book films, Daredevil‘s read leather cat-suit, though appropriate, was simply a campy distraction. However, I certainly cannot say the same about Affleck’s directing. After a three week hiatus from the theater, my return was blessed by what will hopefully be the first of many successful turns in the... Read more

Thanks to Alexander Carpenter for pointing me to this article, Seven Degrees of Bob Dylan . I am anxiously awaiting the Bay Area release of the new Bob Dylan biopic, I’m Not There. I am intrigued by the director’s (Todd Haynes) use of seven different actors (from Cate Blanchett to Heath Ledger) to play different parts of Dylan’s life. I have heard positive reviews from a couple of people that have already seen the film. Much like the author of... Read more

There are many striking elements to George Stevens’ The Diary of Anne Frank. William C. Mellor’s stunning cinematography consistently captures the claustrophobia and mental/emotional degeneration of two and a half years in an attic. Unfortunately, Mellor does not employ his skills to shed light on the horrors of the Holocaust. Cynthia Ozick’s focus on Otto Frank’s submersion of some of the more disturbing or scandalous elements of the diary finds cinematic parallels in George Stevens’ film version. With Peter Novick’s... Read more

During his speech at St. Mary’s graduation service, Father O’Malley (Bing Crosby) tells the assembled, “St. Mary’s is founded on faith, hope, and charity.” He might as well have added lies to this list of building blocks. Throughout the course of the film, the major characters lie to one another and others they encounter. Father O’Malley lies to Sister Benedict (Ingrid Bergman) about his knowledge of Patricia’s background. Father O’Malley and Sister Benedict constantly lie to (or hoodwink) Mr. Bogardus... Read more

Having been a fan of Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man, I have always wanted to read John Krakauer’s Into the Wild, and I want to do so even more now that I have seen Sean Penn’s cinematic adaptation of it. Chris McCandless’ enigmatic existence makes for an epic film full of important questions concerning society, life, love, and relationships. Never in my film-watching have I wanted so badly to connect with a character and never has it been quite so difficult.... Read more