Neve Campbell in "The Company"
courtesy of Columbia Home Entertainment
"Company To Keep"

Robert Altman is still one of the most masterful directors in Hollywood today. His latest movie "The Company," shows his skills haven't deteriorated with time. He handles this story of a ballet company with tenderness and strength.

Neve Campbell, James Franco and Malcolm McDowell star alongside many real ballet artists. They blend seamlessly to show us the world of the ballet and the conflicts that reside there. This is a different world that most of us have never seen and it is astonishingly interesting.

Ballet may not be your thing but this movie will make you have an interest you never thought you had. Pick up "The Company" and see the story behind the world of dance.

By now most of you should have seen "Mystic River," the Clint Eastwood directed Oscar winning movie of last year. It is a movie that gets better with each viewing so on video you can watch it over and over and over.

You can study the beauty of Sean Penn's performance as the tormented father whose daughter is killed. You can marvel at Marcia Gay Harden's amazingly prefect acting as she delineates a woman who feels betrayed and then betrays her husband. And you can feel sorrow for Tim Robbin's character as he makes his walk towards doom.

All of these performances and more await you in this epic film. It is better than good. It is great. Most movies stay with you only while you are viewing them, but "Mystic River" will haunt you for days

If you like hard-hitting drama then check out "City of God," a realistic movie about the mean streets of Rio de Janeiro., Brazil. This is a film that makes you feel you are there in the slums and the squalor and the desperation that the youth of this area feel.

At first you are just repulsed by the look of the film and the characters it incorporates, but then you get caught up in the stories of the individuals living there and begin to understand them. This is when the movie has you hooked.

"City of God" is not an easy film to watch, but it is a movie that should be seen. Make sure you do.

The original "Starship Troopers" inspired a cult following of sorts which is probably why the sequel; got green-lighted. It doesn't have any of the original cast but it does have those big bugs, and that makes it worth a viewing. 

Richard Burgi and Kelly Carlson are the lead actors and they are okay. The actors weren't important in the first film and they aren't important in this one either. It is the buggy creatures, the special effects, and the overall fun of the plot that make us want to watch the "starship troopers" in action.

The first original dramatic series on ESPN was "Playmakers." It was a hard-hitting look at the personal and professional lives of football players, and it alienated the powers-that-be of the NFL. For this reason there will not be a second season, but you can watch the entire fist season on DVD.

Make sure you check out the acting talent of Omar Gooding, Cuba's brother, and see that talent runs throughout that family. Also notice how varied the storylines are as they deal with a group of players individually. You get up close and personal in this series. It's a shame it won't be back!

 

 

 

 

 

©2004 Jackie K. Cooper

Click above to find out more about Jackie's books!