A Creative Portrayal of Bobby Darin
586763
I had never heard of Bobby Darin until I watched a public television special on his life and career. Being a younger viewer, I was hesistant to see another old singer, but I soon discovered the uncomparable talent that Darin posesses. I have anxiously awaited the release of this biopic since its early stages of production, and I was very pleased to see the exceptional performances by Kevin Spacey and his supporting cast. No one will ever be Bobby Darin, but Spacey's superb voice masterfully portrays Darin's style and emotion in each song. I have never gone back to see any movie in the theater before, but I have already seen Beyond the Sea twice and I look forward to owning it. I would highly recommend this exceptional film to anyone, whether you are a loyal fan or a newcomer like me.
1070971
This ain't the Malamud novel put on screen.  Yet this movie is very effective in its own right.  While inspired by the book (many scenes are pretty much out of the book), there is a very different sensibility.  The book is a kind of morality tale, with a dark view of the human condition.  The movie, after an elegaic beginning, also gets dark--but then ends with a dramatic moment and a touching, affecting close.

There are mythical moments in the movie that are most catching--the lightning bolt and the cover coming off the baseball, breaking the clock at the stadium, the climactic closing baseball moment in the film.

Roy Hobbs, though, isn't superhuman, although he is less prone to human foibles than his namesake in the novel.  He is human and very talented.  His life went haywire when he went to try out for a major league team early in his life(with a contract in his pocket).  A meeting with a mysterious woman derailed his baseball career for many years.

He comes back in his 30s and has a brief moment of glory, suggesting what could have been if things had worked out differently.

Thus stated, this sounds like a sad movie.  But the ending, bringing a family back together after a dramatic moment in the playoffs, provides an upbeat ending, testifying to the possibilities that our hopes can be realized.

Robert Redford's acting style plays well in this movie. Glenn Close provides an affecting counterpoint to Kim Basinger's Memo Paris and Barbara Hershey's mysterious woman.  Darren McGavin is wonderful as the gambler and Robert Duvall as Max Mercy, the sports writer. Wilford Brimley is terrific as the gruff old manager. Good acting; nice special effects; wonderful cinematography by Caleb Deschanel.

I know, it's a baseball movie.  But it remains powerful for me after too many viewings.
3309428
I have always been a huge fan of Robert Redford, so I was thrilled to see him starring in another movie. If you rely on dialogue and have trouble connecting with a character's emotions based on body language and actions, this may be a hard watch for you. Think Castaway with no sound... My wife and I had mixed feelings about the movie right after we watched it, but found ourselves talking about it for the next week. The beauty of the film is that the viewers can develop their own ideas about the main character and his background and motives. This movie stays with you and Redford shows his true talents as an actor.
1946972
Just watched the Bobby Darin bio with Kevin Spacey.  Ten times the movie Ray was, made with love and concern and a performance that amazed me.  I'm sorry I missed it on the big screen.  Of course I identified all over the place, but this is a great movie.  Should've beat Million Dollar Baby and Ray for the Oscars.  Definitely a great movie and a terrifyingly honest script (by Spacey) and as silly a movie about music as I have ever seen.  Stupid and powerful as the Glenn Miller Story, but the love, the performance!  Bobby Darin may be a tenth as great as Ray Charles -- hell, I'm not even a fan, but unlike that phony bio, this is a difficult film with solid emotional punch.
3110661
IDLEWILD as conceived, created and directed by Bryan Barber is an all black cast version of the 1930s gangster/prohibition/big crime scene that bubbles over with energy and music and a lot of fun.  While the story is not unique by a long shot, the technique of making it comes alive with some of our most talented actors around.  Barber wisely incorporates hip hop music (a nod to his own career and talents of the two stars Andr Benjamin and Antwan A. 'Big Boi' Patton) resembles the way 'Moulin Rouge' was recently remade using contemporary music for a turn of the century story.  It works and polishes off a snappy evening of entertainment

The story is an old one: two young boys carry their friendship into adulthood, taking over their fathers' businesses (mortician and bootlegging) and encounter crime bosses, speakeasy snags in Idlewild, Georgia, snarls from wives and lovers, romance, loss of friends, surprise stardom, and learned lessons as they discover their own lives.  The cast is overflowing with talent: Ben Vereen, Ving Rhames, Terence Howard, Cicely Tyson, Macy Gray, Malinda Williams, Paula Jai Parker and the gorgeous Paula Patton, to name only a few of the cast of many.  The dance numbers are terrific, the music fits in well, and the exuberance displayed by the actors overcomes the rather weak standard of acting that Barber draws from these bonafide stars.

For a period piece from the 1930s pepped up with some truly fine choreography and musical numbers, this tasty little film is a winner.  Even the added cartooning for once complements the story.  It is a film well worth a visit!  Grady Harp, January 07
2896870
Jamie Foxx does a fine job of impersonating the famous blues/soul/country singer Ray Charles. To the film's credit, it shows both the good and the bad regarding Charles' character and the choices he made, both personally and professionally.

This is a slick-looking film/DVD that provides you with a rich feel of the periods in which the story takes place. Not only does it look good, it sounds good. I only wish there was more music in here. When it's inserted, it's fabulous but there isn't enough of it.

The only negative I had with the filmmakers was the overemphasis of Charles' problems being blamed on one early childhood event.  That tragedy was used as cop-out for all Ray's misdoings as an adult.

Note: There is an extended version with the DVD but word has it that it is so poorly edited that it's not worth watching, so stick with the "theatrical version."
2796080
It's a story that's been told countless times:  a gallant protagonist dealt a stunning blow, who is able to come back against overwhelming odds to triumph over the relentless forces of darkness.  How many times have all of us seen plots like this?  Yet THE NATURAL takes this story, wraps it mythically and magically around the great game of baseball, and provides an entertaining, enjoyable film.
Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) is a 36-year-old athlete who has waited 16 painful years for his chance to play major league baseball.  His past is dubious, ambiguous.  But he posesses a "natural" talent to dominate the game--even at the age of 36.  And he does.  Yet his meteoric success and instant acclaim pit Roy against two adversaries:  newspaper reporter Max Mercy (Robert Duvall), who is obsessed with uncovering the secrets of Roy's past; and The Judge (Robert Prosky), the corrupt owner of Roy's team.  The stage is set--good vs. evil--and the battle ensues, to a mesmerizing ending.
Glenn Close as Iris Gaines, the true love of Roy's life, is terrific in this film, but by far my two favorite characters were manager Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley) and his assistant, Red Blow (Richard Farnsworth), who virtually bring alive the game of Depression Era baseball.  I could have done without the discomfort of watching Redford and Close play 18-year-old lovers at the beginning of this film (talk about suspension of disbelief), but overall director Barry Levinson furnishes a rich, well-told story.  THE NATURAL hits a solid, satisfying double, right up the middle.
403602
This is a made for television western that is on par with many.....70's or 80's style television westerns.  While not deplorable, it is far from what I was looking for, or expected given the high reviews here.  There are some good performances.  And some not so good.  The story-line is interesting but not overly so.  It does get better as the movie progresses.

Lou diamond Phillips does a good job in his role as Bobby Hattaway, decorated calvaryman.  He retires and returns home to find his childhood friend Stu (Vincent Spano good performance) has turned into the classic greedy, corrupt, and power hungry monster without any conscience that is so common for this genre.  As this becomes more evident throughout the film, conflict between the two escalates culminating in the showdown that is always necessary.  Tom Schanley's character Mike Butler, an army bud of Bobby's, adds some needed color and turns in a very good performance, though small as it is.  Timothy Bottoms as the sheriff gives a good performance as well.

Anyway, to me, this was not as good as is implied here, but better than the more critical reviews.  It's worth watching and owning, cheap, say $5 including shipping and should be rated about 3.5 stars.  If you ignore the high praises sung here, and do not expect a stellar western, and view it from that perspective, you will most likely enjoy this and watch it very infrequently as a change of pace.  Thanks!
2776207
John Wayne sends waves of crowd appeal yet again playing the character of, well, John Wayne.

I had never heard of this film before this viewing.  Though Wayne played in lots of westerns and war films, this is neither (OK, so he played in all kinds of films...I know, I know).  But I have to admit that I was interested to see how many times the iconic "John Wayne walk" could appear in a movie set for the most part aboard an airplane.

Spoiler...I counted three conspicuous times the John Wayne walk appeared...the opening scene, and you'll have to watch to find the other two.

I was surprise by the number of prominent character actors that appeared in this film, it was like sitting down and watching a film featuring Wayne and a cast of familiar characters.  You'll see.

The character development was at times loaded with overacting, but was nevertheless quite good.  The small cast contained in a limited space was somewhat reminiscent of the old B/W movie "Lifeboat" though not quite as dramatic.

I have to admit that I was surprised to see that the running time for this film was nearly 2.5 hours.  It was an enjoyable time though, and I'm glad I watched it, adding this memory to my selection of John Wayne experiences.

All in all, a solid 4 stars.
4260200
Despite the title, "David Janssen: My Fugitive" isn't merely another look at David Janssen's most famous starring role. Instead, it is an in-depth, if subjective, recollection of his personal and public life by ex-wife Ellie Janssen.

Overall, the book is an easy, colorful read (due in large part to the yeoman's editing efforts of Ellie Janssen's scribe J.D. Michael Phelps). There are a few typos and syntax errors. But for the most part, Phelps masterly maneuvers them and keeps them from muddying Ellie's already tragic tale: One that is mild by modern Hollywood standards, but nevertheless soars from Ellie's elation of marrying the dashing, debonair David of "Richard Diamond" days to the crashing, crushing agony of dealing with the actor's private demons that forever haunted the Janssen family.

The only downsides to the book are its opening and closing chapters. The opening chronicles Ellie's brief relationship with Frank Sinatra. Though rich in detail, the two chapters read more like a Jackie Collins story-starter than real life--perhaps an ego boost for Ellie? The Janssen's divorce details and David's will at the end of the book seem like padding (to fill out what would otherwise be an 80- or 90- page book).

But given the relative dearth of intimate detail on David Janssen's life, these gaffes are forgivable. It's like finding an artifact from a lost land: You don't mind the cracks, the chips, and dirt because of its greater worth. And this read is worth it! A deeply-layered look into the sometimes dazzling, sometimes dark history of one of Hollywood's unsung hardest-working, hardest-living leading men, David Janssen.
299200
Mr. Leibowitz is a talent.  He layers in a story with well thought out results of what it would be like to have a hero on everyman's side.  His dialogues are linear  and authentic.  However, the characters of Bobby's friends were developed more thoroughly than  'Bobby's villains.  Looking forward to the sequel.
2715129
WOODY: THE BIOGRAPHY is another outstanding success for author, David Evanier. I had been a fan of such Woody Allen classics as, PLAY IT AGAIN,SAM and BROADWAY DANNY ROSE but only recently have really become a fan of Mr. Allen's other works. David Evanier has written an incisive book about a very talented man--- from the viewpoint of the biographer to letting us into his personal connections with Woody Allen. You don't have to be in show business to enjoy this book (though I am and certainly did). In keeping with his other works like MAKING THE WISEGUYS WEEP about JIMMY ROSELLI and ROMAN CANDLE: The BOBBY DARIN biography, David Evanier explores his subject to the point that the reader is fully immersed in that person's life. I am now even more of a Woody Allen fan than I had become before reading this book. A true success!
3161176
Robert Mitchum plays Ben Kane who teams up with  the eponymous Billy Young and they  become lawmen in the town of Lordsburg .He is motivated by personal reasons as well as professional-he believes he will find the slayer of his son in Lordsburg .Young (Robert Walker)is himself on the run and is a former associate of the bad guy ,Jesse Boone(David Carradine)and his vicious father(John Anderson) and part of the movie hinges on Billy's desire for  redemption and  to turn away from the outlaw life .It is no mean feat that Kane sets himself -the rscue of Billy,cleaning up Lordsburg ,avenging his son's death and romancing the delectable Angie Dickinson ,cast here as a dance hall  girl

Andrew V McLaglen directs with style and the performances are uniformly strong .Indeed ,given the importance of family in the story of the movie,it is appropriate that  several offspring of notable stars figure in the cast -Carradine ,Walker Jones(son of Jennifer Jones) Chris Mitchum and Deana Martin also appear

This is not a great Western but it is a good one  and will be appreciated by lovers of the genre .I also strongly recommend the source novel Who Rides With Wyatt by Will Henry -its  very good indeed
4652448
JIM CARREY ventures into new territory in this tragicomedy as a gay con man who uses his lawyer-sized brain to seize the moment and immerse himself in his homosexual side (he's married in a hetero relationship), to look for love while he's serving time in prison. He locks glances with EWAN McGREGOR and comes on pretty strong to the soft-spoken, naive Southern boy who's afraid to go into the prison yard because of his blond good looks.

The story leaps forward with a lot of twists and turns as Carrey uses all of his escape artist techniques to con everyone he comes into contact with. But things get rough for the intimate relationship with McGregor when the naive and simple blond man rebels against the lavish life style Carrey buys for him with his fraudulent schemes.

The acting is splendid from Carrey and McGregor, but the film doesn't get really touching until the last forty minutes when the amazing con artist takes drastic measures to keep McGregor at his side.

Clearly, not a film for a wide public but it's a story that is not only involving, especially toward the end, but is based on an amazing true "catch me if you can" kind of story that has been given some artistic license for minor changes.

McGregor gives a heartfelt performance as the embittered and broken lover who still cannot let go of someone who let him down with lies. His last few scenes are especially moving.

Played for both tragedy and comedy, it's a mixture that doesn't always work but it's certainly not a complete misfire and deserves wider acceptance from open-minded viewers without hearts of stone.
4356369
"The Art of Fielding" blends the comic elements of a classic farce like "Tom Jones" with the mysticism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and just enough graduate-level English major smarts to make you feel like you're missing something. It swirls these elements through a rather simple coming-of-age story about a young baseball phenom and the older, wiser player who mentors him.

It's not a perfect book -- some pieces don't fit -- but it's really entertaining and sometimes quite beautiful.  Even if you don't like baseball, but you have some respect for physical effort in a sport, movement art, or even basic fitness, you'll enjoy the book.

The plot follows two college students.  One is Henry Skrimshander, a simple young man who has a gift for playing shortstop.  He's honed his gift through years of solitary practice, as well as toiling anonymously on teams in his local town, when his gift is spotted by the opposing catcher, Mike Schwartz.  Schwartz is the hard-working star hitter of lousy a Division III college team, Westish.  Schwartz pulls some strings and gets Henry admitted to the school, where Schwartz proceeds over the next two years to push and prod and inspire Henry into greatness as a player. However, it all unravels just as Henry is about to reach his dream of receiving a contract offer from a major league team, and as his inspirational play has pushed Westish to its finest baseball season in more than 100 years.

Along the way, three other major characters interact with Henry and Schwartz.  Henry's roommate, Owen Dunne, makes repeated appearances as a literary genius and preternaturally talented baseball player.  Dunne sits on the bench reading during games, with a book light strapped to his cap, and then pops into the games occasionally to deliver a crucial hit or bunt.  The homosexual Dunne gets wrapped up with the school's president, Guert Affenlight, a former star football player who put Westish on the map when he discovered notes for a lecture that Herman Melville made at the school late in his life.  Affenlight's prodigal daughter, the blindingly brilliant and exotically attractive Pella, pops in halfway through, as she leaves her husband and decides to make a stab at college and reconciliation with her father.  And she winds up toggling back and forth between Henry and his mentor Schwartz.

The best parts of the book are seen through either Henry's eyes or Schwartz's.  Henry is overwhelmed intellectually and socially at college, but he chases his dreams of athletic perfection with exhausting workouts.  Schwartz works equally hard, both as an athlete whose body is just about broken from years playing football and catcher, but also as a great student of the classics. Yet, Schwartz realizes that intellectual greatness (or admission to the upper echelons of society) is probably just out of his reach.

Henry tries to channel the lessons of his hero, star shortstop Aparicio Rodriguez, who has penned a books of fielding tips ("The Art of Fielding") that are Zen-like aphorisms about life.  Schwartz does the same with the great Greek and Latin thinkers of history.

Occasionally, the author tries a little too hard and the book is strained, even for a farce.  For example, the quotes in "The Art of Fielding" are great, but Henry doesn't know what to do with them.  They are sort of wasted on Henry.  And Schwartz does so many painkillers and drinks so much alcohol that it's simply impossible to believe that he could function.  And Owen's uncanny brilliance is a little too much to believe, at least from someone who's only a college junior.

But those excesses are redeemed by the strengths of the book.  It's got likeable characters who leave you smiling on their behalf and wishing you could exchange witty jokes with them.  It's got an underdog-wins plot that's right out of a 1950s movie.  And it occasionally dips into some seriously lyrical writing about the beauty of a sunset, the challenges of figuring out what to do with your life, and, yes, the art of fielding a baseball.
1742771
"42" is the story of Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) who, in 1947, became the first African-American baseball player in the major leagues. The movie focuses mostly on Robinson's rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, a year after being signed by team executive Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford).

The partnership between Rickey and Robinson is the most interesting aspect of this otherwise standard sports biopic. Rickey knew that there was a wealth of untapped talent in the Negro Leagues and needed the right man to break the color barrier.  Robinson would be a pioneer, having to endure insults, indignities, and racial slurs without losing his cool -- in other words, a model of calm and reserve whose prowess on the field would eventually earn him the respect of fellow players, fans, and the general public.

Boseman resembles the young Robinson but lacks the fire and resolve that drove Robinson to persevere.  Ford is terrific as Rickey and really sinks his teeth into a meaty role.

The Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack contains three bonus featurettes.
4936857
Jim Brown is...complicated. On the one hand, he's one of the most legendary football players to ever live, a man who successfully transitioned (at least for a brief time) to being an action movie star, and who has dedicated much of his non-playing life to bringing some measure of peace in the long struggle of gang warfare in this country. On the other hand, he has had multiple allegations of domestic abuse lodged against him, and while almost none have gone to court, such allegations will undoubtedly tarnish his legacy in the wake of the #MeToo movement if they haven't already. He is a polarizing figure, and I honestly hadn't expected that I'd want to read an entire book about him. But I was wrong.

"Jim Brown: Last Man Standing" by David Zirin probably qualifies as one of the more honest biographies I've ever read, in terms of neither brushing under the rug the aspects of Brown's life and character that might be unseemly, but it also doesn't just focus on the (obvious) bad things in his record. It is a full, well-rounded, and incisive commentary not just on Brown's playing career but also on his life (indeed, the focus on his football career is not the most compelling portion of the book; it lies in his Hollywood career, his gang warfare work, and his domestic life). Zirin, a talented sportswriter who goes far beyond the platitudes of most sports-writers, is the perfect foil for Brown, and he breaks down the book into sections that deal with Brown's early life (an idyllic time on Georgia's Sea Islands, amongst his grandmother and great-grandmother, that comes to an end with a hasty move to Long Island with his mother when Brown is still young), his athletic prowess (he may be the best lacrosse player Syracuse University ever saw, much less the best football player), and his life. Through it all, Zirin is tough but fair (which sounds like an oxymoron, but holds true). He's not interested in a one-sided portrait that doesn't account for the aspects that may not suit a narrative (either positive or negative); he digs down to reveal the complicated, multifaceted figure behind the legend. Jim Brown may not be palatable to me personally because of the abuse allegations against him, but Zirin manages to make me see Brown as someone far more than just one or the other side of the coin. And that's what great biographies do, of sports figures or of anyone, really.

Jim Brown is in the twilight of his life, and still making headlines (his statement in support of Trump post-election struck many as a betrayal, though Zirin makes a convincing argument that it would have been unnatural for him to *not support* Trump). He will have a legacy that must account not just for the good but also the bad (and ugly, in terms of the domestic abuse, which I believe him to be guilty of). David Zirin gets beyond the clichs to paint a portrait that accounts for Jim Brown in an honest, open, and critical way.