10-03-2008, 04:57 AM
At the Theatre:
Spike Lee's new film - Miracle At St. Anna
Not a bad film (which is akin to damning with faint praise) but as with many of his films it is a mixed bag.
Lee has an eye for good casting and an ability to elicit strong performances from his cast -- he does so again here. With the exception of the German characters (typical stereotypes) the acting is excellent.
The story...well that's another story.
No new ground is broken here (see the The Black Brigade or A Soldier's Story for example). This is not a landmark film, but rather a standard issue Hollywood WWII film. The opening is strong, giving it a hint of mystery, and there are bits of magic, the kind we have all encountered at some point in our lives and which make the film seem all the more real. However much is ham handed, obvious, and manipulative. Lee, much like Spielberg, seems not to trust his own visual eloquence. He feels the need to announce what we are about to see, show it to us, and then tell us again just in case we missed it. Spielberg did the same thing in Saving Pvt Ryan, and like that film, the conclusion here is obvious.
Both directors have a strong visual sense and style but they need to trust it and to trust us to understand what we see.
:?
Narukami
Spike Lee's new film - Miracle At St. Anna
Not a bad film (which is akin to damning with faint praise) but as with many of his films it is a mixed bag.
Lee has an eye for good casting and an ability to elicit strong performances from his cast -- he does so again here. With the exception of the German characters (typical stereotypes) the acting is excellent.
The story...well that's another story.
No new ground is broken here (see the The Black Brigade or A Soldier's Story for example). This is not a landmark film, but rather a standard issue Hollywood WWII film. The opening is strong, giving it a hint of mystery, and there are bits of magic, the kind we have all encountered at some point in our lives and which make the film seem all the more real. However much is ham handed, obvious, and manipulative. Lee, much like Spielberg, seems not to trust his own visual eloquence. He feels the need to announce what we are about to see, show it to us, and then tell us again just in case we missed it. Spielberg did the same thing in Saving Pvt Ryan, and like that film, the conclusion here is obvious.
Both directors have a strong visual sense and style but they need to trust it and to trust us to understand what we see.
:?
Narukami
David Reinke
Burbank CA
Burbank CA
