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October 2007
The best Russell Crowe role is …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here are a few movies you could have seen Russell Crowe in — if he hadn’t turned them down: “X-Men” (as Wolverine), “Collateral” (opposite Jamie Foxx), “Black Hawk Down” and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy (can you say Aragorn?).
On Friday, Crowe co-stars with Denzel Washington in the national debut of “American Gangster.” And Crowe does exactly what you expect, swaggering on screen and embodying a character who’s a kind of walking timebomb.
Here are my favorite Crowe performances:
1. “L.A. Confidential” (1997) — As the cop with the dynamite temper, he frequently explodes onscreen.
2. “Gladiator” (2000) — His Maximus won him his only Oscar and has become a film icon.
3. “The Insider” (1999) — As a whistleblower against Big Tobacco, Crowe takes a difficult — and decidedly quiet — role and delivers a master class in acting.
4. “The Quick and the Dead” (1995) — Sharon Stone delayed the making of this eye-opening Western so Crowe could be in it. Smart move.
5. “A Beautiful Mind” (2001) — The movie may seem a bit forced, but Crowe is steady and good throughout.
What are your favorite Russell Crowe movies? “Cinderella Man”? “3:10 to Yuma”? “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”?
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The best Denzel Washington role is …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“American Gangster,” which opens Friday, isn’t the first time Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe have gone mano-a-mano in the movies.
Anybody remember 1995’s sci-fi thriller “Virtuosity” with Washington as a futuristic detective investigating Crowe’s virtual reality serial killer? Yes, it worked better on paper than on the big screen, though, in the battle of the superactors, I kind of side with Crowe as the victor. He had the juicier part.
Washington and Crowe also competed head-to-head twice for best actor at the Oscars - in 2000 with Washington’s “The Hurricane” versus Crowe’s “The Insider” (Kevin Spacey actually won for “American Beauty”) and in 2002 with Washington’s “Training Day” versus Crowe’s best picture-winning “A Beautiful Mind” (Washington was the victor).
While I think Washington is particularly good in “American Gangster,” it’s not my favorite of his performances.
I think these are where he’s been at his best:
1. “Malcolm X” (1992) - A biopic from Spike Lee sadly overlooked at the Oscars. At least Washington got a best actor nomination. But that he lost to Al Pacino for the outlandish “Scent of a Woman” is a travesty.
2. “Glory” (1989) - Matthew Broderick might have had the lead role, but Washington’s dynamite supporting performance stole the film and won him his first Oscar.
3. “The Hurricane” (1999) - I’ve always remembered the prison scene when the young boy walks into the waiting room to meet boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter for the first time, and without a word, Washington’s facial expression absorbs the entire scene.
4. “Philadelphia” (1993) - From start to finish it is Tom Hanks’ movie, but even Hanks told me he would steal ideas from Washington’s performance every single day on set.
5. “Remember the Titans” (2000) - The film’s almost too rah-rah, but I’ve met the real-life coach and Washington nailed his unending determination.
On Wednesday, I’ll blog about favorite Russell Crowe performances.
So, which Denzel Washington roles have you liked? “Training Day”? “Man on Fire”? “Devil in a Blue Dress”?
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‘Blade Runner: Final Cut’ now playing in Kennesaw
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner: The Final Cut,” the Oscar-nominated director’s definitive version of the landmark sci-fi film, is now playing at the AMC Barrett Commons 24 in Kennesaw.
The film, first released in 1982 and then in altered form in 1992, has been recut and remastered for its 25th anniversary. “Final Cut,” starring Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer (right and left, respectively, in photo below) includes added and extended scenes as well as clearer special effects.
This new version debuted earlier this fall at the Venice Film Festival. It opened in New York and Los Angeles on Oct. 5 and has moved across the country in limited theaters. Warner Bros. announced over the three-day weekend that “Final Cut” would be shown in digital projection at Barrett Commons starting Friday.
In the film, Ford plays a futuristic hunter - or blade runner - of genetically made replicants of human beings. Also co-starring is Darryl Hannah.
In 1993, “Bade Runner” was named to the National Film Registry by the National Film Preservation Board. Among other films inducted that same year: “An American In Paris,” “Badlands,” “The Godfather, Part 2” and “It Happened One Night.”
Three separate DVD versions of “Final Cut” - on two discs, four discs and five discs - with various extras will be released on Dec. 18.
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Just a smattering of musicals worth bothering with
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dear Mr. Smithee,
I noted there were no musicals on your recent list of favorite movies. I have only one on mine. Are there any which were close to making your list? How about Westerns?
JOE TRIONE, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Dear Astute Observer,
I recall many years ago when Grandfather Smithee sat down in his most comfortable chair and, at the insistence of feminine female members of the Smithee clan, deigned to watch “West Side Story.”
The film’s opening progressed ever so slowly. There was the majestic New York skyline in various hues and, eventually, a camera above the city moving along at inchworm speed.
Then the Jets and/or Sharks made their entrance. And, suddenly, these young men broke into balletic dance moves.
At that very moment, Grandfather Smithee rose from his most comfortable chair, walked briskly to his black-and-white television set and turned the channel.
In other words, musicals have not been very prominent in my life.
Certainly, I like some of them.
But I’d rather watch “The French Connection” than “Funny Girl.” Or “Seven” without the added “Brides for Seven Brothers.”
I hate “Moulin Rouge!” and every other musical with an exclamation point at the end of the title. That’s right, I’m talking about you, “Oliver!”
I don’t relish “Singin’ in the Rain” (though parts of it are very good), and I’d rather rip out my own eyeballs than be subjected to one second of “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.”
But I do like some musicals. Here they are:
1. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) —- Smart, funny, inventive.
2. “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) —- Somebody explain to me why Bert Lahr did not win a supporting-actor Oscar.
3. “White Christmas” (1954) —- Bing Crosby is in some kind of other movie, calling Danny Kaye’s character a “weirdsmobile.”
4. “Viva Las Vegas” (1964) —- Anytime I or my once-wee sons D.W. and Cecil B. arrive in Sin City for poker and blackjack, the title song is on our I-Pods and car stereo.
5. “Top Hat” (1935) —- Fred Astaire is the Man.
6. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975) —- You have to admire a film made for next to nothing and ends up having a life of its own.
7. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937) —- Best animated musical ever.
8. “Beauty and the Beast” (1991) —- Second best animated musical ever.
9. “Dancer in the Dark” (2000) —- Anybody who knows me knows how much I admire Lars von Trier.
10. “The Sound of Music” (1965) —- A perfect piece of movie fluff.
As for Westerns, I am a big fan of these: “The Searchers,” “Red River,” “The Wild Bunch,” the original “Stagecoach,” “The Magnificent Seven” and, most definitely, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”
ALAN
P.S. You get an “Idlewild” flask and an “Ask Alan Smithee” T-shirt.
Dear Mr. Smithee,
What is your favorite Deborah Kerr movie and why?
JIM ANDERL, St. Paul, Minn.
Dear Getting To Know You,
You seem to presume that there’s been a Deborah Kerr movie I have liked.
I do understand her popularity in her day, her professionalism and her ability to make well-known films. But I don’t know that I’ve ever thought to myself, “Let’s see, which Deborah Kerr movie would I like to watch today?”
That said, I will honor her recent passing by remarking on a couple of instances where I found much reason to respect her work.
My favorite Kerr films are (in order) “The Night of the Iguana” (1964), “The Innocents” (1961) and “The King and I” (1956).
Note that the latter isn’t on my list of top musicals.
I think I prefer “Iguana” most of all —- it’s dark, brooding and sexually charged.
“From Here To Eternity”? I’m not a big fan of big-screen soap operas.
There may be a huge fan base for “An Affair to Remember,” but I can’t bring myself to watch it. I just can’t.
ALAN
P.S. You get a “Grindhouse” T-shirt and an “Ask Alan Smithee” T-shirt.
HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. SMITHEE?
E-mail him at alansmithee@ajc.com or go to accessAtlanta.com and click on Movies. Please include your name, city and daytime phone number. Mr. Smithee can’t reply to every request, but inquiries chosen for publication will receive movie-related prizes.
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Movies worth kicking to the curb
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Maybe it’s me (which would certainly be a first) but this fall is definitely having its fill of ridiculously overacted, dull, inert movies.
Reese Witherspoon, you know what I’m talking about. Your “Rendition” is a plodding bore. Feel lucky that after your Lifetime-worthy breakdown scene in front of Meryl Streep that the Academy hasn’t asked you to return your Oscar.
New this weekend is “Reservation Road” with a host of actors I respect — Joaquin Phoenix (pictured below), Jennifer Connelly, Mark Ruffalo and Mira Sorvino. Folks, don’t get too excited. It’s about child death, grief, depression, obsession, revenge. And lots of typing on a computer, which we all know makes for breathlessly invigorating viewing.
Here are other movies I really don’t like — “Things We Lost in the Fire,” “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” “30 Days of Night,” “The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising,” “The Hunting Party” and “Trade.”
Worst of all is “The Darjeeling Limited,” a train wreck of storyless self-indulgence by a filmmaker (his name is Wes Anderson) who has lost any sense of inspired artistry.
…AND NOW THE GOOD FILMS
But of course there are a few movies worth seeing, movies worthy of your hard-earned $10, movies that will recharge your brain. Wonderful movies like “Lars and the Real Girl,” “Gone Baby Gone,” “Michael Clayton” and “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.” And laugh-out-loud funny movies like “Why Did I Get Married?”
Which films do you think this fall are particularly bad? And what films are you recommending friends, co-workers and others to go see?
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When big stars collide on screen
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Funny thing about “American Gangster,” which debuts Nov. 2 — though there’s promotional heat with big-time actors Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe appearing in the same movie, the two aren’t even on screen together in this two-hour-plus drama till very near the end.
Still, their pairing is one of the biggest and most anticipated events in modern acting.
Oftentimes pairing big-name stars doesn’t work. I suppose you’ve heard of Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman’s “Ishtar.” I was also mostly disappointed in Robert De Niro and Al Pacino’s “Heat” (though I could watch the street gun battle every day).
Coming to theaters Christmas Day is “The Bucket List” with Oscar winners Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson (both pictured below).
Here are a few of my favorite films that put equally enormously talented actors together:
— “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” with Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
— “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
— “Rain Man” with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise.
— “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” with Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.
— “The Lion in Winter” with Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn.
What films have you liked that put together two or more powerhouse actors?
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No. 1 movie in Atlanta is still ‘Married’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The vampire-laden “30 Days of Night” may have won the national weekend box-office race, but the No. 1 movie in metro Atlanta is still Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married?”
Perry’s film took in roughly $709,087 over the weekend here, nearly tripling the take of “30 Days,” which earned $276,444 and finished second locally.
In just 10 days, “Married” has earned $38.86 million in North America. In its first weekend in metro Atlanta, “Married” garnered more than $1.35 million.
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The best woman in Tyler Perry’s ‘Married’ is …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Before I ever saw Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married?” I envisioned posting a blog asking who moviegoers preferred in the film — Janet Jackson or Jill Scott?
It made sense at the time. Then I saw the movie. And when it comes to a performance in “Married” the only person I think about is Tasha Smith (pictured below with co-star Michael Jai White).
As Angela, Smith steals every single scene she’s in. And she’s in the movie a lot.
Perry wrote her a dynamite role with sass and smart-mouth lines. She delivers.
Who’s your favorite female performer in “Why Did I Get Married?” Sharon Leal? Janet Jackson? Jill Scott? Or the obvious choice, Tasha Smith?
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Movies to see: ‘Gone Baby Gone’ and Gosling’s ‘Lars’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s my indubitable advice about what matters most about new movies this weekend:
1. “Gone Baby Gone” — Ben Affleck can’t really act, but he sure can direct. And little brother Casey can sure lead.
2. “Lars and the Real Girl” — Ryan Gosling (pictured below) is just about perfect in this strange and remarkably sweet indie fable.
3. “Rendition” — Meryl Streep’s on fire, but everything else in this tepid drama induces pure boredom.
4. “Things We Lost in the Fire” — And the overacting awards go to Halle Berry and, especially, Benicio Del Toro.
5. “30 Days of Night” — Vampires speak their own language, requiring subtitles. Can Josh Hartnett’s career sink any lower?
6. “The Darjeeling Limited” — From start to finish it is pretentious crud.
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Which rapper is the best actor?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just about every rapper, it seems, wants to be a movie star. Ice Cube has certainly made the crossover. With “ATL” and the upcoming “American Gangster,” Atlanta’s T.I. is making his move. His big potential roadblock: his arrest over the weekend on charges of possession of illegal weapons, including machine guns.
I can easily list my favorite movie performances by rap and hip hop stars turned actors:
1. Will Smith — “Ali,” “Six Degrees of Separation,” “The Pursuit of Happyness.”
2. Mark Wahlberg — “The Departed,” “Three Kings,” “Four Brothers,” “Invincible.”
3. Ludacris (Chris Bridges) — “Hustle & Flow,” “Crash.”
4. Mos Def — “The Woodsman,” “The Italian Job,” “16 Blocks,” “Bamboozled.”
5. Queen Latifah — “Chicago,” “Hairspray.”
6. Andre Benjamin — “Four Brothers,” “Idlewild.”
Which rapper do you think is the best movie actor? LL Cool J? Bow Wow? Eminem? Big Boi (Antwan Patton)?
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Watching T.I. in ‘American Gangster’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In a pivotal moment in “American Gangster,” Atlanta rapper T.I., who plays a promising baseball pitcher, tells his drug overlord uncle, played by Denzel Washington, why he wants to abandon sports: “I want what you got, Uncle Frank. I wanna be you.”
The scene plays somewhat oddly now in the wake of T.I.’s weekend arrest on federal charges of possessing illegal weapons, including machine guns. “American Gangster” opens in theaters nationwide on Nov. 2.
In the film, T.I. — whose screen credit is listed as Tip Harris (his real name is Clifford Harris Jr.) — plays the unnamed nephew of Washington’s character, Frank Lucas, the real-life New York kingpin who in the 1970s became the most powerful drug pusher in the city.
“Gangster” is a big film — it features not only Washington but fellow Oscar winner Russell Crowe as the detective investigating him — and a major Academy Awards contender with a running time of 157 minutes. T.I.’s part, though, is rather small. He appears in a handful of scenes with minimal lines.
He sits at Thanksgiving dinner with Washington, is seen playing catch at a family gathering and, later in the film, appears as part of Lucas’ organized crime family.
Here are other aspects of “American Gangster” that audiences will likely be talking about after the film opens:
Actor vs. actor: Washington and Crowe don’t have a scene together until late in the film. But when they meet, sparks fly. Both actors employ testosterone-fueled acting to their advantage.
The coffee cups: Two small paper cups of java are the main items on a table separating the two main actors when they finally meet. Both are used by the actors with dramatic flair to enhance the scene.
The cast: It’s big and full of recognizable faces — Ruby Dee as Lucas’ mother, Chiwetel Ejiofor as a Lucas relative, Armand Assante as a Mafia member, Josh Brolin as a corrupt cop and Ted Levine (“The Silence of the Lambs”) as a police official. Others in the film include Joe Morton, Cuba Gooding Jr., RZA, Idris Elba and Carla Gugino.
The brutality: Washington has at least two gruesome scenes. The first involves a street assassination by gunfire. In the second, he uses part of a grand piano like Robert De Niro used a baseball bat in “The Untouchables” to pummel an out-of-line associate.
The fur: At a boxing match, Washington shows up in chinchilla coat and hat, gifts from his character’s Puerto Rican girlfriend. It gets him noticed and his response in what he does with the coat is memorable.
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Perry’s “Married” is No. 1 movie at the box office
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
More than just Atlantans dig a Tyler Perry movie. His latest relationship comedy “Why Did I Get Married?” finished No. 1 at the box office in North America over the weekend, amassing an estimated $21.5 million, according to Boxofficemojo.com.
“Married” was not screened for newspaper critics and some of the earliest reviews appearing over the weekend were not entirely kind. The Detroit Free Press’s John Monaghan complained how “the film drags through its second hour.”
The Chicago Tribune’s Geoff Berkshire said flatly, “Perry’s films are review-proof and he knows it.”
“Married” did not match the opening of “Madea’s Family Reunion,” which took in a healthy $30.03 million its first weekend in February 2006. “Married’s” earnings were also slightly less than the $21.9 million pulled in by “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” its opening weekend in February 2005.
Here’s the complete list of the nation’s Top 10:
1. “Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?” - $21.5 million.
2. “The Game Plan” - $11.50 million.
3. “Michael Clayton” - $11.01 million.
4. “We Own The Night” - $11 million.
5. “The Heartbreak Kid” - $7.42 million.
6. “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” - $6.18 million.
7. “The Kingdom” - $4.56 million.
8. “Across the Universe” - $4 million.
9. “Resident Evil: Extinction” - $2.65 million.
10. “The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising” - $2.15 million.
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‘Why Did I Get Married?’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tyler Perry’s new movie, which was released Friday, wasn’t screened for reviewers. But the AJC’s movie critic Bob Longino did catch an early peek at the film (See ‘First Look’). Now that it’s on the big screen, tell us what you think. How was it? Is it a great date movie? Would you send a friend?
Athens teen’s tale among favorite documentaries
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dear Mr. Smithee,
We enjoy reading your column every week. Lately you have had several columns that list your favorite (insert type here) movies. My family went to see “Shadow of the Moon” recently and thought it well done.
What documentaries do you recommend?
ALLYCE MACON, Atlanta
Dear Fact Finder,
Over the years I’ve seen hundreds of documentaries - mostly for film festivals.
But there are dozens each year that also get theatrical releases.
One of the best I’ve seen this year is “Darius Goes West,” about an Athens teen with muscular dystrophy who travels with a group of friends to California in hopes of having his wheelchair upgraded by MTV’s “Pimp My Ride.”
“Darius” won the audience award at the Atlanta Film Festival and has picked up dozens of honors in other festivals.
Overall, I’d say these are among my favorite documentaries of the past few years:
“Capturing the Friedmans” - Explosive tale of family and abuse, much of it filmed by the family as members face child sex charges.
“The Journey” - From Atlanta filmmaker Eric Saperston, it features remarkable conversations with successful people talking about touchstones in their lives.
“Grizzly Man” - The tale of a totally bizarre man risking life and limb to hang around grizzly bears.
“4 Little Girls” - Spike Lee’s engrossing look at the 1963 Birmingham church bombing.
“The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till” - Brooklyn filmmaker Keith Beauchamp’s look into the 1955 slaying in Mississippi of the Chicago teen helped urge authorities to reopen the case.
“Southern Comfort” - A haunting love story about a female-to-male transgender and a male-to-female transgender.
“The Filth and the Fury” - Everything anyone needs to know about the Sex Pistols.
“Tarnation” - An amazing film that comes as close as anyone can to putting schizophrenia on celluloid.
“Dig” - A terrific look at the music and fights among the American bands the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre.
“The Story of the Weeping Camel” - Forget all those penguins. This is the most touching animal documentary out there.
And, by the way, here are a few other documentaries you should see as soon as possible: “Woodstock,” “Shoah,” “Nanook of the North,” “Sherman’s March,” “The Thin Blue Line,” “Hoop Dreams,” “Bowling for Columbine” and Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will” and “The Olympiad.”
ALAN
P.S. You get a baseball sleeves shirt from “The Final Season” and an “Ask Alan Smithee” T-shirt.
Dear Mr. Smithee,
I rented “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised by it.
I’m a huge Dustin Hoffman fan, and even though his was a small role in it, I thought it was a very unique film with an intriguing plotline.
I had never heard of it before and was wondering what your thoughts were on this film.
BRYANT HENDRICKS, Atlanta
Dear White Shoulders,
You probably didn’t hear about “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” because it didn’t last too long in theaters.
It was made by one of my favorite directors, Tom Tykwer, who also made “Run Lola Run” and “The Princess and the Warrior.”
“Perfume” wasn’t nearly as good as those two films, and many critics didn’t like it at all.
Hoffman, in my humble but most learned opinion, is probably the best thing about “Perfume.” He plays a perfume maker and does a splendid job of it.
While I tired of the murderer - who hunted women and condensed them, extracting their essence to create a stupendous perfume - I certainly was brought awake by that orgy scene.
Looks to me like it was one of the largest if not the most populated one ever on film.
ALAN
P.S. You get a blue wind jacket from “The Kingdom” and an “Ask Alan Smithee” T-shirt.
HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. SMITHEE?
E-mail him at alansmithee@ajc.com or go to accessAtlanta.com and click on Movies. Please include your name, city and daytime phone number. Mr. Smithee can’t reply to every request, but inquiries chosen for publication will receive movie-related prizes.
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This weekend it’s Tyler Perry or ‘Michael Clayton’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My indubitable list of what matters most among new movies this weekend:
1. “Why Did I Get Married?” — Atlanta audiences love Tyler Perry’s movies and, though this one starts slow, it’s very funny and one of his best.
2. “Michael Clayton” — George Clooney leads a workin’-it cast in a watchable drama about lawyers and, of course, greed.
3. “Lust, Caution” — Ang Lee’s sex drama is a finely etched, operatic eye-opener.
4. “We Own the Night” — Has all the makings of a big movie, yet comes off quite small.
5. “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” — The word’s out. It’s long. Real long.
6. “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” — The word’s out: It’s dull. Real dull.
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The best movie made in Georgia is …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This fall marks a convergence of sorts in old and new made-in-Georgia movies. Just a couple of weeks ago came the debut of a 35th anniversary DVD edition of “Deliverance.” On Friday, Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild,” filmed partially in Atlanta and on the Emory University campus, opens in theaters here. That’s followed Oct. 12 by the national debut of Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married?”
Since the early 1970s more than 200 big-screen films have been made or partially made in Georgia.
Among my favorites:
“Deliverance.” Not just the best Burt Reynolds movie made here, but the best Burt Reynolds movie period.
“Driving Miss Daisy.” It won Oscar’s best picture.
“Glory.” This is the film in which Denzel Washington proved he would be a formidable movie actor.
“School Daze.” Spike Lee’s captivating homegrown homage to college.
“Remember the Titans.” A solid, memorable football movie.
“Manhunter.” Just a surprisingly good movie with Hannibal Lecter before “The Silence of the Lambs.”
Among other movies made in our state: “Sharky’s Machine,” “Smokey and the Bandit,” “The Longest Yard,” “Fried Green Tomatoes,” “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” “We Are Marshall,” “Stomp the Yard,” “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Drumline.”
What’s your favorite made-in-Georgia movie? Will you go see “Why Did I Get Married?” or “Into the Wild”?
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Is Atlanta ready for an NC-17 Ang Lee movie?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With a title like “Lust, Caution,” should we be surprised that Ang Lee’s new movie contains multiple sex scenes so graphic that the film has been rated NC-17 (no children under 17 admitted)?
“Lust,” which opens Oct. 12 in metro Atlanta, is about young Chinese students joining the resistance during the Japanese occupation of China and one young woman in particular whose role is to become the mistress of a vile political figure.
She does. And we see it all. The passion. The sexual positions. The lust.
The intrigue is centered on the psychological effects of intense physicality.
The shocking part may not so much be the sex scenes but that Ang Lee is the man behind the camera. This is material he’s not explored before. Not even with “Brokeback Mountain.”
Not too long ago, the late Stanley Kubrick attempted to explore sex in “Eyes Wide Shut.” He also avoided an NC-17 rating by placing black bars across naked performers during graphic sex scenes. I’d say it wasn’t such a bright move.
There are no black bars in “Lust, Caution.” But enough visual detail to keep eyes wide open.
Are you planning on seeing “Lust, Caution”? Are movies too explicit?
Permalink | Comments (44) | Categories: Alan Smithee
