2005 January

Archive for January, 2005

ELEKTRA

by Bill Henry on Jan.14, 2005, under Bill Henry's Movie Reviews

BILL’S REVIEW OF ELEKTRA

It seems that despite what you may have been led to believe; Jennifer Garnerâ€™s character did not die in DareDevil (and contrary to what you may have hoped her character in 13 Going on 30 is still capable of a sequel). The great minds at 20^th Century Fox took a look at the grosses and Elektra Natchios perked right up. And so a few script scribbles and an Alias hiatus later and we have the Marvel Comics-inspired spin-off Elektra inflicted upon us.

Maybe they thought they could get some mileage out of X-Files vet Rob Bowman. But in this movie (as well as his previous feature efforts including Reign of Fire and The X-Files movie), the resultant feeling is that I do not recall having much fun or a particularly enjoyable experience. One wonders if that is the point of this tedious exercise or are we supposed to be enduring all this for the benefit of News Corp.â€™s bottom line.

Despite the entire corporate crossover from the people behind the two very entertaining X-Men movies, this Marvel screen adaptation is definitely lacking in magic. The problem may be Elektra herself. A dour and high-paid assassin of the sort one only finds in movies and other genre fiction, she only kills bad people (another dubious movie conceit) and blessed with supernatural skills, a vacationing Elektra blanches at the notion of picking up a seven figure payday to waste a handsome fellow (ERâ€™s Goran Visnjicâ€”Alias is not the only show that takes summers off) and his sneak thief teenage daughter.

It seems that Elektra identifies with the girl who like her is eternally mourning a dead mommy and, as it turns out, the pair will have more in common. Add some Asiatic martial arts mumbo jumbo, a slew of poorly-lit action sequences, super villains and assorted henchmen who are invulnerable until the script tires of them at which point they are instantly dispatched, and, voila, one multiplex-filling emotionless picture.

Or at least that is what 20^th Century Fox is trying to sell to all the suckers out there.

MILLION DOLLAR BABY

by Joe Barber on Jan.08, 2005, under Joe Barber's Movie Reviews

MOVIE REVIEW: “MILLION DOLLAR BABY”

Nothing ages as badly-or, at least, seems to age as badly, as a movie star.

Watching a performer who made a name for themselves as a steamy seiren or a
two fisted action hero struggle to hide signs of age, unwilling to admit
that time has taken its natural toll, can sadden the heart of even the most
devoted fan. Walking out of yet another failed effort starring an
actor-in-denial, you can often hear the comment in your head uttered by
bolder souls: “What was he/she thinking?!” Happily for fans of Clint
Eastwood, this rugged symbol of Hollywood star status has turned out to be a

skilled film craftsman, a performer who’s unafraid to tinker with his image,

grow old before our eyes and take chances as both an actor and director with

material that, at first blush, hardly seems “commercial”. Eastwood’s latest

effort, “Million Dollar Baby”, is just such a film. Though it begins with a

“Rocky”-like premise, in Eastwood’s talented hands, it morphs into a deeply
moving character study lost people findiing comnfort and light in each other

at the darkest time of their ives.

Eastwood stars as veteran boxing trainer Frank Dunn. A cautious, soft
spoken man who cares for his fighters, he’s been slowly bringing along a
talented middleweight twoards a title shot while also smoothing out the
rough edges in the fighter’s personal life. The boxer’s grateful, but when
a big name manager offers an immedeate title fight, Dunn loses his prize
pupil. Meanwhile, a determined young woman, Maggie Fitzgerald (Hillary
Swank), approaches Dunn about training her to fight professionally. At
first reluctant and dismissive, Dunn is won over by the young woman’s
determination and the quiet prodding of Eddie Dupris (Morgan Freeman), a
former boxer trained by Frank, now the cheif asssistant at Dunn’s gym.

As Frank works with Maggie, she grows in confidence and skill and begins to
rack up wins and attention against other female boxers. Outside the ring,
the trio becom close, as circumstances test their loyalties to each other.
When Maggie gets a title shot, Frank abandons his customary caution. An
unexpected turn of events leads Frank and Maggie into uncharted emotional
territory and a major test of the bond hey’ve forged and the quirks of fate
and faith.

>From begining to end, “Baby” shines with superior craftsmanship.
Eastwood’s
acting is simple and subtle, as quietly engaging and graceful as any he’s
ever delivered. As in “Unforgiven”, watching him work with Morgan Freeman
is a pleasure. The two veteran actors bring out the best in each other and
Freeman is, as usual, a tremendou asset as the movie’s voiceover narrator
and conscience. Swank brings tremendous energy and credibility to the role
of Maggie. Her warmth, dtermination and courage make her one of the most
appealing protagonists in a major film in years. Eastwood’s direction is as

fluid and richly detailed as the musical score he composed for the movie.
Paul Haggis’ screenplay, based on a short story from F.X. Toole’s
collection “Rope Burns”, flows easily, taking its audience on an emotional
journey that will engage your mind and heart.

“Million Dollar Baby” marks another large step forward in Clint Eastwood’s
career as a filmmaker. It’s a clear statement that, though his days as a
leading man may be numbered, Eastwood still has a great deal to offer as a
total film craftsman. It certainly makes one look forward to his next
project, but it’s hard to see how any film will be better than this
handsomely crafted gem.

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for profanity and boing related violence.
JOE’S RATING:FOUR STARS.