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Gael Garcia Bernal in "Bad Education"
courtesy of Columbia Home Video
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"The Spanish Contingent"
Hollywood is drawing more and more on the box office power of actors and directors from south of the border. Director Pedro Almodovar is one of the most talented of these "imports" and has already won two Academy Awards for his work. One of his favorite actors is Gael Garcia Bernal and the two men do good work together as is evidenced in "Bad Education" which is now available on DVD.
This film tells the story of a filmmaker (Fele Martinez) who is visited by a young actor (Bernal) who claims he and the moviemaker were in school together. He has written a story about their childhood and the life they led at a Catholic School. This story gets made into a movie and tells about a young man and the priest he attempts to blackmail.
Later the real priest shows up and relates his story to the filmmaker and the two stories are altogether different. The question for the audience is which version is true.
The presentation of these stories in the movie make up the core of the film and despite the he said/he said quality of the stories, the plot is easy to follow. Almodovar once again shows his brilliance and in Bernal he has his perfect actor to bring his movies to life.
Another Almodovar film is out on DVD and it is titled "The Flower of My Secret." This is the story of a romance that blossoms between a writer of romance novels and a person who is the antithesis of the life she lives. This time out Almodovar emphasizes the romantic comedy elements of his story and does it with much success.
This movie is another Almodovar hit but one that is lightweight and easy to enjoy. But it is also still a powerful movie that will keep you enthralled.
In "Runaway Daughters" we get a reminder of why that old saying about "there's no place like home" is so true. Set in the 1950's this movie, now on DVD, tells the story of three young women and the adventure they encounter while chasing after one of their rotten boyfriends. Julie Bowen, Holly Fields and Jenny Lewis play the three girls and Paul Rudd is the scoundrel they chase.
The movie also features Dee Wallace Stone as well as appearances by Fabian, Roger Corman and John Astin. All of these actors combine to make this movie as funny and enjoyable as possible. Some of their efforts work and some don't, but the movie is light-hearted and light-headed entertainment.
Also available this week is "Steal" which is a movie that features extreme sports activities. Stephen Dorff and Natasha Henstridge star in this exciting movie that tells the tale of a crime caper and the gang that pulls it off.
Dorff plays the leader of the pack and Henstridge is his girlfriend, and unknown to him an undercover detective. That makes things more interesting. The fun of the movie is in the action and there is action aplenty on view.
For an amazing look at Frank Sinatra, the singer and the legend, check out "All the Way." This movie, now on DVD, is supposedly based on a true incident. It involves Sinatra (Dennis Hopper), his girlfriend and future wife Barbara Marx (Melanie Griffith), and the staff at a club where he is working.
Sinatra becomes a virtual hostage at the club, unless he apologizes for some of his hostile statements about the place and the workers there. And you know Sinatra is not about to say he was wrong. Sound weird, well it is - but it is supposed to be true. Watch it and decide for yourself.
And finally there is "Bound By Lies" which is a suspense drama about two cops and the woman they are assigned to protect. Kristy Swanson is the woman and Stephen Baldwin and Charles Malik Whitfield play the cops. It is all about murder and possible murder so the chills are potentially there.
Kristy Swanson is always good and she can even make Baldwin better than usual. So tune in and see what all enfolds. |
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©2005 Jackie K. Cooper |
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