The Last Rites of Joe May (2011)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Joe Maggio

Starring: Dennis Farina, Jamie Anne Allman, Ian Barford

Running time: 106 minutes

Joe May is a low level aging hustler who comes out of a long stay in the hospital for pneumonia to find out that he has nothing left, with his car being taken away and his apartment being rented to someone else. As he tries to find his way back into a productive life, Joe strikes an unlikely friendship with Jenny, the new tenant of his old apartment, and her young daughter Angelina. Jenny lets Joe live with them in exchange for help with the rent. When Jenny’s boyfriend, an abusive police detective, gets too violent, Joe makes a decision that will have serious consequences.

This is a bleak but very compelling film. Dennis Farina is absolutely solid as Joe May. He makes that character of an aging hustler trying to hang on for dear life to finally find his deal come alive on screen. You have no problem embarking on that character’s trek through the later part of his life and you feel for him. Some of the supporting cast was also good, though there were a few weaker performances.

That last fight scene was not the best choreographed fight I have seen, but, overall, this is a very interesting character study brought to the screen by talented folks. I enjoyed it very much.

Rating: ««««

The Fugitive (1993)

Genre: Action / Thriller

Directed by: Andrew Davis

Starring: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward

Running time: 130 minutes

Based on the television series of the same name, The Fugitive tells the story of Dr. Richard Kimble, a vascular surgeon who gets wrongfully convicted of his wife’s murder and sentenced to death. There is a bus crash on the way to the prison, so Kimble manages to escape the authorities. The doctor tries to stay on the loose long enough to prove his innocence, all the while being pursued by Deputy US Marshall Samuel Gerard and his team.

This is such a good action movie. It is long, but it keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way through. Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones are extremely good in their respective roles and it is easy to root for Dr. Kimble in his quest to clear his name.

I have always loved a story where a man that is not necessarily a powerhouse manage to survive and conquer thanks to his brain. This is one of those cases.

Rating: «««««

Wimbledon (2004)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: Richard Loncraine

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany, Sam Neill

Running time: 98 minutes

Peter Colt, a British tennis player on the decline who benefits from a wildcard spot at the Wimbledon tournament, falls for Lizzie Bradbury, an up-and-coming American player. Their relationship seems to motivate him to perform beyond expectations on the court.

This is your middle-of-the-road romantic comedy. Nothing spectacular. Paul Bettany is a decent lead here. Kirsten Dunst was uneven in her performance. She had a few moments where I felt a disconnect. The story itself was okay, with a potable but predictable ending.

Rating: «««

The Perfect Game (2009)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: William Dear

Starring: Clifton Collins Jr., Cheech Marin, Moisés Arias

Running time: 118 minutes

Based on true events, The Perfect Game tells the story of César Faz, who goes back to Monterey, Mexico, after getting let go by the St. Louis Cardinals. As he is wasting his life away, a group of Mexican boys convince him to help them form a baseball team and to coach them. Faz manages to lead these inexperienced kids to the 1957 Little League World Series.

While the ending of this film is predictable, as most underdog tale is, it is such a feel-good movie. And to think it was inspired by true events. The cast is solid here and the storytelling is straight-forward nut really good. I thought it was a nice touch to go from black and white a couple of times in the movie to show that this story was coming alive from the history books.

I really loved this one. I was touched, I was entertained; I smiled, I laughed and I got misty-eyed a little bit.

Rating: «««««

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Mark Herman

Starring: Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Ruper Friend

Running time: 94 minutes

Based on the novel of the same name, written by John Boyne, this film tells the story of Bruno, a young boy who moves from Berlin to occupied Poland with his family during World War II. Bruno’s father is a Nazi soldier who just got promoted. Exploring near his new home, Bruno finds an extermination camp. Across the barbed wire fence, he sees Shmuel, a Jewish boy his age. Not understanding that he is supposed to hate the “enemy”, Bruno strikes up a friendship with Shmuel.

This film was accused of being historically inaccurate, of trivializing the Holocaust for the purpose of a story and of diverting the role of victim in the end. Those are all good points. There is also the fact that you have a mostly British cast playing German characters.

Nonetheless, this is a compelling story that will be sure to pull on the heartstrings. When kids are involved, it that much more emotionally-charged. The cast itself does a good job. I was moved, without a doubt, though this film is certainly not without fault. It remains a nice story about the innocence of youth still uncorrupted by the hatreds of adults. It still applies today.

Rating: «««

A Beautiful Life (2011)

Genre: Romance

Directed by: Andrew Lau

Starring: Shu Qi, Liu Ye, Tian Liang

Running time: 124 minutes

Fang Zhendong, a police officer who also takes care of his adult handicapped brother, meets Li Peiru, a young and beautiful real estate agent with great aspirations. Their personalities are very different, but, after that awkward chance meeting one evening, their paths seem destined to cross more and more.

This Chinese film is a beautiful romance story with good acting and solid storytelling. It required effort from a Western viewer such as myself, as it requires me to read the subtitles. But it is well worth the effort. It felt a little overly long towards the end, but I am glad I made it through.

Rating: ««««

Pawn Shop Chronicles (2013)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Wayne Kramer

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Elijah Wood, Vincent D’Onofrio, Thomas Jane

Running time: 112 minutes

The stories of a group of various odd characters overlap and in all involves objects bought or sold at a pawn shop.

Considering the ensemble cast involved here, this should have been so much better. A time or two, there was a glimpse of hope, where I thought it would lead somewhere. Alas, it was not to be.

Rating: ««