Unlike most people, I have nothing against VIn Diesel. Their is a huge part of me that feels he can carry a film wether it's mind-numbing(Fast and the Furious, Triple X) or at least thought provoking(Boiler Room, Pitch Black). Arrogance that matches his bite, he proves to be a connisseur of theatrics with his recent involvement with attaing the rights to "Guys and Dolls". A child raised on broadway musicals, he knows the score and can deliver, with a helmer as Sidney Lumet(fan-favorite) you can't go wrong. My infatuation with Vin Diesel came to me when I was in high school and "Fast and the Furious" came out. THe way Vin Diesel presented himself in that movie with really memorable one-liner had impersonating him in the high school locker room. "Ask any racer, any real racer. It's doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning is Winning", wow, that was pretty cool to some degree. Now here he is playing rambuctious in tone, but subtle in character, gangster in "Find me Guilty". THe true story of Jack DiNorscio, gangster who defended himself in a trial with 20 defendants and 4 prosecuters that led into a long, long ass trial. You get the sense of that while watching the endurance of what everybody had to goe through. I'm a big fan of courtroom dramas, two of my favorite sub-genres are "Post-apocalyptic" and "court-drama". I was sucker for this, but unlike most court room dramas this didn't play by the books, as it favored the usual bad guys as honorable good men and the prosecuter as sniveling tyrants. This had me howling at the screen and Lumet has made the most inventive film of the year. A courtoom drama with serious intent, but takes comedic turns. It's as if in the beginning of the violent opening turns into a Chaplin ordeal. It worked. Recently last year Lumet, won the Oscar for lifetime achievement and quoted Godard as a major influence. What way to show his appreciation by making this movie. Courtroom drama that isn't a courtroom drama, but a comedy about loyalty and not ratting on your friends!
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
The DIESEL is at it Again, With a Huge Straight-no-Chase Comeback from Sidney Lumet!
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Von Trier Experiment that Leads Towards Satirical Entertainment!
After the viewing of Von Trier's "Dogville" I was left disappointed and wasn't looking forward to his U.S.A. Trilogy. Supposely a trilogy steeped in controversy due to the fact that Von Trier criticizes the state yet he hasn't been due to "fear of flying. Nonetheless, the provacoteur and auteur is not without entertainment rights and its interesting to see what he has to say about the our red, white and blue. I had low expectations and came out surprise and really looking forward to the completion of this trilogy. It won't happen for another time now since Von Trier and put down "Washington"(The last in the trilogy) and did an office comedy "The Boss of IT All". Their is a camp of people who loved "Dogville" and hated this because of it's searing undermining lecture on democracy. Then their is the other side of people who hated "Dogville" and love this because of it's step forward and non-pandering to the masses. I'm one of those people. I don't believe that "Dogville" didn't pander to the anti-american masses, but just really thought it was a bad movie. For those with low expectations and hope, "Manderlay" is on the way.
A digital visual Beckett-esque that reaches out to the forage of Pasolini and Fassbinder. Pasolini because of it's moral storytelling political-cant. Fassbinder because of it's use of colors and feminist repertoire you see in the "Marriage of Maria Baun". I'm probably talking out of my ass, but this movie is that good where one can see these two connections. Von' Trier said in his book "Von Trier on Trier" of the influence of these two "homo-sexual" directors. He pointed out the fact of their lifestyle because somehow they had an understand of a female character.
Von Trier's understanding of these two artist is evident of Grace(Bryce-Dallas Howard) in "Manderlay".
Oh yes, the story. The story picks up exactly where the last one left with Grace back with her mobster dad after the massacre in "Dogville". They stop at a southern mansion that still practices slavery even though it has been abolish. Grace has taken upon herself to set these overseers right by capturing them with her father gang and switching the roles of slave and master. That's right cracker!!
It was a pleasant to watch, but a lot more complex to find out everyone's motive behind this experiment. Thus it's an experiment within an experiment, where Von Trier all on a sound stage here he adds a lot more props and cleaner transfer. Making it a lot more beautiful than "Dogville". Same experiment, but different motive.
Probably int he next installment it will be taken out of the soundstage and a lot more live props and shot on film. Who knows, maybe Von Trier might break his own rules and still make something original.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Back Again at the Video Verite Showing Movies. It's My Birthday Month and soon this site will Be Called "20 year-old cinephile"!
Here is the New Listing for the Month of March, and I'm Only doing Twice a week because I'm so burnt out from last Month!
March 1st, Wednesday-Bernardo Bertolucci Night
7.50 Intro
8.00 The Conformists
March 4th, Saturday Aliye’s Birthday Party WOOORRRD! I’m turning 20
Saved By the Bell Party
7.50 Intro
8.00 Saved by the Bell
March 8th, Wednesday Luis Bunuel Night
7.50 Intro
8.00 Los Olvidados
March 11th, Saturday- Tony Jaa Double Feature
6.50 Intro
7.00 Ong-Bak
8.45 Tom-Yun Goong
March 15th, Wednesday Pier Paolo Passolini Night
7.50 Intro
8.00 Salo: 120 Days in Sodom
March 18th, Saturday R. Kelly Tribute Night
7.50 Intro
8.00 Two Music Videos
R.Kelly “Down Low”
R. Kelly “Feelin’ on Yo Booty”
R. Kelly’s Magnum Opus “Trapped in the Closet”
March 22nd, Wednesday Luis Bunuel Night Again
7.50 Intro
8.00 The Exterminating Angel
March 25th, Saturday Ilsa Double Feature(Great Euro-Sleaze Entertainment! If You want to be sick to your stomach)
6.50 Intro
7.00 Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS
8.36 Ilsa: Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks
March 29th, Wednesday Last Night of the Month On Aliye’s Top Ten Films of All Time
6.50 Intro
7.00 Emir Kustrica’s Underground
Yep, Mark wanted me back again. You can bring beer, and on my birthday I'm gonna bring cake. The first Month was such a fluke month that I know what days work and what movies work! So come check it out, you'll have a blast!
Monday, February 20, 2006
FOR THOSE WHO DON"T KNOW........
B.E.T. has a white owner! Nah, just kidding but it's true. For those 1 and a half people who visit this site, I have postponed "EARLY 80's SOFT-CORE PORN DOUBLE FEATURE" Next Sunday due to horrible weather and the PIFF( whose kidding me, no one didn't want to watch those films anytime of the day). Instead on that night I went, of course, to the Portland International Film Festival and got my "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance". I went to other screenings this weekend and will be posting up reviews for them later this week. STAY TUNED PLAYER HATERS!
Monday, February 13, 2006
Review for "Tsotsi", part of the Portland international Film Festival!
Just went down to the Portland International film festival, and realized I screwed my self out of a deal to go see as many movies as possible. Thinking that it was going to happen in spring, before I got the whole "Video Verite Bargain Basement Theatre" situated and flyers printed out. The guy at kinkos announced to me a week before I was hosting at the "Basement Theatre" saying,"Man, you're really competing with the Portland International Film Festival",I'm like,"What are you talking about man, that happens in spring,"he replies," Nah it's happening on Feb. 10th", and once again I'm like", What, you tell me now". He goes off on me saying," Fool I don't even know you", and that conversation ended. So I'm going to try to get as many people who have free time to go to the PIFF and write reviews for me. Until then, I will try to find time and finally did. On Sunday I went over there to watch a South African film called 'Tsotsi" directed by Gavin hood.
Seeing a trailer for this recently in theatres at the Fox Tower insinuates that it is coming out soon, but I guess you can say I got a sneak peek and looking at this year roster for the PIFF I really screwed myself out by doing this theatre thing. They got the new Lars Von Trier "Manderlay", the third in the revenge trilogy of Chan-wook Park called "Lady Vengeance". The latest film from Terry Zwigoff call "Art School Confidential" and the second film apart of Yoji Yamada's samurai trilogy called "Hidden Blade". Also the Palm D'Or winner at last years Cannes film festival the latest from the Dardenne brothers(The Son, La Promese, Rosetta). Yep, I screwed myself for sure!
Anyway, on with the review of a film that I got my hands on last Sunday called "Tsotsi". Rarely, African films are distributed to America because I'm still waiting on the release for a film I saw 2 years ago called "Moolade". Now I got to see another African film, and there is still some on my list that I have not yet checked out. "Tsotsi" the latest opus from Gavin about a gangsters living Johannesburg, not taking on the violent element in recent fares like "City of God" and Altman eradicated storytelling. It's truly a story about redemption of oneself, but not really conscious about it and doesn't turn out to be a fable. The main gangster that is named after the title of the film "Tsotsi" is played a young South African Presley Chweneyagae. A rapid opening that might enlist as another gangster film from another country showing true poverty, but it doesn't take its toll on that. Instead, opening up with an awesome South African rap soundtrack and handling the the violent apparitions by these kids is like Luis Bunuel in "Los Olvidados". It takes a sort of surreal turn into a story about redemption, that doesn't eschew a sentimental gesture.
The story about a hood named Tsotsi, who leads a pack with three other homies that run the night and steal, kill and gamble there way. Tsosti is portrayed as cold-blooded killer, and from the start of the film it felt another entertaining glorification of gangster life in another country. Even when it feels that way, it still gives more humanity in its more violent scenes as to its most cherish ones. It still doesn't make Tsotsi look soft though. Of course the leader of the pack isn't nice to the rest of his crew and mistreats them and they all accept it. You always get the one who isn't going to take it and when he does step up to the plate he gets his ass knock down, even as not so meaningless the action is, it still does not come to bite Tsotsi in the ass. After leaving his neighborhood to go to township and rob from rich people. He comes by to an African woman who rolls up to her mansion and ask her husband to open the gate. This allowing Tsotsi to come up and while her keys are in the car and rob her. With a gun pointed on her, she stays still but something in her comes and chases Tsotsi while he stealing the car. Once how our hood can get more dangerous, Tsotsi shoots the woman in the belly and drives away.
How can a man redeem himself from that, the movies proves succeeds with good character development and exhibition and it prides itself from not restraining from harsh subjects. It's not extreme, but not mean-spirited. As Tsotsi is driving he finds out that her baby is in the backseat. Now we got a gangster with a baby. Is this fool so cold-blooded that he will kill a baby? No, but he takes it with him. Leaving no choice but to take care of him, but all the wrong ways. He takes the baby back to his place in the slum, in a shopping bag with food and clothes. He takes care of the baby in a way that is some what laughable, to down right harsh. I'm not saying he gets abusive or anything, but this is a gangster trying to play the role of a father. While all these tribulations happen, Tsotsi looks to woman nearby to breast feed the baby and show him how to clean him.
While all this happen we get an insight into Tsotsi's childhood and coming to grips to the wrongs he has to make rights. A premise that could have been a after school special and handled cheesy is actually done with flair and but excessive on style. The movie invokes the spirit of South Africa as not just a back drop but a culture with a cool South African rap music. It's blend the bleak with the colorful, but doesn't sugar coat it, that allows the audience question Tsotsi's own redemption. It doesn't speak of redemption from one end to the next, but it allows it to unfold through the eyes of Tsotsi. Eh is the main focuses, but the film seems to somewhat rely(not saying it is a bad thing) on how Tsotsi development effects those around him and the rest of his crew, not to the extent of hating him but just moving on.
This Aliye Nyoka saying "SEE YOU LATER MASTURBATER!"
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
I'm Hosting and Screening at Video Verite, 3 Nights a Week!
Yeah, Mark Mohan writer for "Beyond the Multiplex" is letting me present movies at his basement theater in Video Verite. Mark owns Video Verite and is happy with the selection I chose and I will be giving 10 minutes intros to films that are my favorites from my personal collection and some not from personal collectin. I will have themed nights of arthouse films, exploitaion flicks, spaghetti westerns, soft-core porns and just films you can hang out with a crowd! Come check it out! If you miss a screening, come talk to me and I'll try and see if I can show it again personally! Here is the list(with commentary)! Others will be presenting too...like Joe Dixon and Scott Binkley. They will be doing Tuesdays!
"First of tha Month, Wake up, Wake Up",Feb. 1st, Wednesday
Charles Bronson Double Feature Night!
6.50-10 minute intro
Feb. 3rd, Friday
Feb. 4th, Saturday
Feb. 8th, Wednesday
Feb. 10th, Friday
Feb. 11th, Saturday
Feb. 15th, Wednesday
Feb. 17th, Friday
Feb. 18th, Saturday
Feb. 22nd, Wednesday
Feb. 24th, Friday
Last Night for the month of February
Reflective, Small, Quiant Masterpiece Courtesy of Steven Soderbergh!
Top: Steven Soderbergh bottom: A Creepy ass Doll Head
Another crowd pleaser from a man that pushes the boundary for cinema from a small scale to a big Hollywood epic scale. Either way you really don't notice and could care less, because Soderbergh is a man finding a level for cinema. Is latest as been said to be "daring" and "innovative". A movie that is being banned from certain theatres because the way it is being released. It's giving the option of the audience to choose the way it wants to be seen. A movie released simultaneously in theaters and HDnet. On the web and later released on DVD. I rather like the ideas that are behind it, but if the movie is good. While surpassing it's innovation on releases it has done the same in film, story and character. After signing to a deal for directing 6 movies for HDnet, he begins with "Bubble" and carries the responsibility of doing it his own way.
All shot on digital, but not meek shaky handi-cam but with really drawn out cinematography. Mostly used with natural lighting, it's like a "Dogme 95" but without the "Dogme". Soderbergh uses non-professional actors that are neither bad or good but hits their mark for what Soderbergh was going for. The notion of using non-professional actors and the seemingly digital photography is that of a New Wave Robert Bresson. Running on 76 minutes, it's not overlong or too short but right on the nose where it wants to be. It is small masterpiece!
The movie takes place in a small town in Ohio where three people work in a doll factory. Martha(played by unknown Debbie Roechener), the oldest worker, as a fond crush on one of her fellow young co-workers Kyle(played by Dustin Ashley). Soderbergh looks like he was going for realism that later turns poetic. While not having any condensation towards these characters and no small detailed humor to point at their small town existence. Soderbergh doesn't go for those conventions, but instead shows it as is! Kind of like a cinema verite style driven piece, but takes an unexpected turn into a murder mystery.
During Martha's work relationship between somewhat develops, Rose a new girl comes into work who is more Kyle's age. You see Martha's eyes flare, but not to extremities for her actions towards her are for you to decide. Rose played by another unknown Misty Wilkins gives small sinister depth to her character but to the point of taking advantage of people. The main focus isn't on these three but mostly on Martha, before and after a murder investigation piles up when Rose is found dead in her apartment. Before, it shows Martha going through her daily tasks while taking care of her sick old father that is not used for sentimental cliche or sympathy, but rather depth to Martha but no piece into her actions. If you watch the extra features and watch the deleted scenes that Soderbergh took out, there is a scene that gives an answer. I think Soderbergh didn't want that, but rather gave a question and a true mysterious ending.
The other thing I noticed hen I watching it with my mom(yeah, that's pretty sad), she pointed out that through the montages with Robert Pollard's score in the background and shows Martha having a dense stare into the camera with a blue lime light surrounding her. My noticed that she looks like the dolls she makes in the factory. Rather not dull or bland and lifeless like the dolls, those orchestrated montages give depth to Martha that is neither creepy or relentless. Through the end of the movie Soderbergh shoots another closing montage of sculptures for baby dolls that is quite creepy. After the murder, Martha is still consistent that she was not involved in the murder even having evidence proving she did. Even when she is jail, we still don't know if she does believe or not....we are left another question and more!
This is Aliye Nyoka saying "PEACE OUT, PLAYA!"
A Hidden Creepiness that allows you to endure it, not just let it pass by!
Top: Michael Haneke. Bottom: Danny Auteuil and Juliette Binoche. 
Caught a Sneak peek of Michael Haneke's latest psychological
Terror!
Not as in "your face" as Haneke's previous films like "The Piano Teacher", "Time of the Wolf","Code Unknown" and the dubiously great "Funny Games". It still carries those tones that Haneke expresses in his films. While not as overt as those films are, it still isn't as subtle as other people say. I really shouldn't and couldn't compare this film to his others. Haneke doesn't consist of terror that is in your face or let alone visceral but really psychological. Other will just pass it off as being a spectacle and not really getting under your skin, but it really does! He doesn't play the numbers as a thriller where you know where it gonna go because you really don't know where it's gonna turn. It is a movie not told through a single narrative, not even a non-linear narrative but rather a loose narrative implied though random shots. It's a pure chapter in mise en scene. It's not a movie you wait for the jump moments and its not consistent of just having moments of pure shock. Even in its moments when it is displayed as "quiet" leaves you in suspension. Each scene and dialogue is not plot motivated because the film is not worried about plot, but their not wasted only to add more to the momentum to the film. It is not minimalistic, that's one thing for sure or buried in detail because it shows a grand picture throughout the whole movie. Nothing against minimalism, but it doesn't have the tone as Wim Wenders but one of Polanski!
Let's begin about the movie, let's start with the opening shot that instills the movie's display of physiological horror. Then we I will begin with the plot of the movie. The opening title card is a continuous shot on digital video, you see the a house and a street and you watch the title cards go in a row and afterwards its just goes on for about a while. This shot here is the fore front of what this movie represents and more...As our days of the French New Wave of Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut heavily influenced the use of long takes for other directors to come like Scorsese. Others don't extend those point of views and instead tend to copy and imitate it for their use to be somewhat cocky and pretentious. Others use it to prolong a scene and add sense of quietness and not do anything with the long take. It's like when you watch a movie and you know when a director uses the "long take" and you know it. Here Haneke takes it to a another level, rather having the audience knowing you are using it the audience is somehow involved and doesn't notice! He also plays around with it and rather than the camera being the voyeur its the character's point of view looking at the tape that enables the film to have this "long take".
The other note to consider of this opening scene is that one of Haneke's favorite films is by Michelangelo Antonioni. The choice is eminent in his influence for this opening title card but not a mere imitation. It instills fear and creepiness but also beauty within its location. While it is not as minimalistic as Antonioni films are, this movie may have a slow preparation for scene to display visceral shock. But the movie is not all about that. Haneke uses the long takes after a scene of mutilation has happen to allow the actors breakdown! Now that I have talked a plethora about the opening shot let's get on with the movie! It unfolds into overt narration told from the characters point of view and their reaction to watching this tape that is taken in front of there house.
The story about a family getting mysterious videotapes sent to them via on there doorstep. They all appear nameless but are covered around a paper with a picture of weird images of a chicken or human being mutilated. Their all hand drawned like from a little kid and the couple can't seem to find where the camera is being placed and who is sending these tapes. The husband played by Danny Auteuil from the great "Girl on the Bridge", gives great performance same goes for the fine Juliette Binoche who also collaborated with Haneke on "The Code Unknown" and also gives a bleak performance as with that one. As that previous effort was use of the long take, here it gives to Binoche and Auteuil to just break down in front of the camera and it sometimes feels like it was improvised. As the movie progresses it digs deep into Georges(Auteuil's character) past and his growing up with a boy who is Algerian. A kid during his youth that he despised and starts thinking of him only when these tapes start appearing. Is it something that he regrets? It's not like I'm lazy and don't want to give the details into the plot, but I feel if the less you know the more it won't disrupt the experience. That is me being lazy and probably a lame excuse to not give a huge detailed explanation of a one note premise that unfolds into a realm of unpredictability. It's not a huge twist like in a M. Night Shymalan film that I'm giving away, but I feel better if you don't know what turns it takes. "Cache" gives no correct answer or a resolution but just more questions. Only leaving another last long take that leaves you to stay during the credits and engraves a creepy voyeur in your brain. I can see why Haneke won the best director award at the Cannes film festival, because his craft for macabre and keeping the audience suspended is something that has to be seen!
This Aliye Nyoka saying "PEACE OUT!"
Friday, January 27, 2006
Review of Masters of Horror 12 (Last Episode of the Season): John McNaughton's "Haeckel's Tale"
Holy Crap! A Zombie Orgy! Literally.
The picture and headline for this review should give you an insight into the latest and last entry to "Masters of Horror" season 1. Don't worry they gonna come back again in later this fall will some old directors line-up and possible some new ones. Originally they were gonna show the Takashi Miike's short called 'Imprint", but of course I was like that will be awesome. It was to be Miike first English language film and another venue to get him into the homes of America by the great people at cable. Well Showtime didn't give in, and we all know why. Miike's short was disturbing and deemed inaccessible for even cable's standards. I some what knew this would happen, but was so excited to see it. Instead they made John McNaughton's short the last and end of this season, and what an ending this one has. Probably not as gruesome or more shocking as Miike, but you got make due with what you got. Miike's short will be released by Anchor Bay, as so the rest of the shorts will be released through Anchor Bay, but for Miike's film it will be hard unrated special edition! Awesome!
So McNauhgton("Henry:Portrait of a Serial Killer","Mad Dog and Glory", "Wild Things") is the last on the roster and what a conclusion. Originally for George Romero and Roger Corman, but both dropped out on the last minute and McNaughton was a replacement. And Why Not? He deserves to be on that roster as much as anyone. Based off a short story from the weird Clive Barker and written teleplay from "Masters of Horror" creator Mick Garris. The short starts out with "In Association with George A. Romero", like it was some kind of disclaimer. I can see why, because it wasn't a rip-off or homage to him, but McNaughton taking Romero ideas and Barker's and giving his all.
The story is simple. A tale set in old England where church belief and science was still debated openly and ran the democracy of scientist tryin to have test on dead bodies. McNaughton has worked with this actor on ABC short lived one-hour show that was scripted and produced by Ben Affleck. The show being "Push, Nevada" starring Derek Cecil, McNaughton used him to play the role of the budding scientist Ernest Haeckel who has an interest of re-animating the dead and the magic that is used by a local merchant called Montesquino. Played by none other than the seemingly character actor Jon Polito who shows Haeckel his magic and is still unimpressed. After learning that his father is dying from a illness he is set to travel and visit him on his death bed. He is later stopped by and old man who offers him shelter and is introduced to his young wife who he makes a move on.
The whole trappings with a set design that echoes a Hammer films and a smoke machine on a grave site. The dialogue is fare on the English wording that eschews a B-movie late night horror film, but the performances are really good especially the woman who plays the wife of the farmer. As the atmosphere gives you that tingle you wonder how this old man got such a young woman. The movie goes more into at what she does at night to be pleasured since she can't by the old farmer. Haeckel, of course, is a curious young chap and wants to know the answers to everything since he is an arrogant scientist saying goes of curiosity killing the cat, cliche it may be, but the proof is in the twist! I saw it coming, but didn't think they were actually gonna do it.
Haeckel try to find answers and is sworn by the old man to stay in the house, no matter what noises you hear. He later ask the old man what's going on and why is the miss out side making all those noises. He finds out that she had a husband who died and she visits the site periodically!YEAAHHH! We all know where that's going to. SO he follows the voices all the way to the grave site and sees Montesquino(of course) resurrecting the dead. What he also sees is the old man's wife having sex with her dead husband, but not just him. Their is just a slew of zombies all waiting their turn to have sex with her. It's necrophilia to the max! It's like a gang-bang zombie orgy, I was sitting there in the house just saying "I can't wait to die!" it was true horror erotica!
Haeckel tries to stop this madness, what a fool, and accidentally kills a few people in the process. The ending or twist which is predictable but such a crowd pleaser, I won't give away but all I can say is "Zombie Baby". Throughout all the mayhem that played out like "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things", directed by Bob Clark, it just fades out with a "THE END". Like that's it, that's the whole season, like it was a whole 12-Hour movie with different narratives but one true passion for horror. I gotta say it was a great way to the season, it was the 'Decalogue" for horror fans. If it ended with Miike's short that would have been a great ending, but McNaughton beat him to the punch and he knew what he was doing!
I'm gonna keep this one short and just give an actual criticism, that McNaughton displayed a treatment of macabre that was eminent in a lot of Hammer and Amicus films and daring as a Pasolini film. McNaughton say he doesn't work in any genre and it is true at his work because this movie is rather not horror, comedy, transcendental genre mixing, erotica or even a zombie film. It's just a true master executing a unique story without being mere excess and shockability. It's true macabre and McNaughton knows what the hell he's doing(the Same with rest of the directors who are enlisted with the series)! This is Aliye Nyoka saying "See You Next Season for Masters of Horror, until then PEACE!"
Not A Movie You'll Find Comedy In, But It's There!
Bottom: Kevin Zegers and Felicity Huffman in "Trans America".
A movie that treads in hard subject and dark territory that it still finds a sense of humor throughout the whole ordeal. Not talking about being a transexual and trying to get an operation, not that whole factor. But discovering you have a son whose mother you had a long time fling with back in college who died and left a boy out on the streets and ended up tricking for a living. Then you're gender confused and realize you want to a woman and suddenly find out you have a son and not tell him you're his actual father until the time was right. As a concept that could have played out as a melo-drama or serious dram for that matter instead Duncan plays with it and makes sweet road comedy. He doesn't tiptoe around those facts but finds some sort of laid back humor that is found in a road comedy. It's road movie with re-awakening characters that you find in a Wim Wenders movie except without the minimalism.
I have nothing against transexual, let alone their culture related to cinema. Regularly I'm use to them as cliche's in an after school special type movie about the favored that wants to be a woman. That's pretty sad, but I don't go out and check out a lot of movies relating transexuals. As serious this movie gets with harsh subject matter, that isn't all that bad, but for the characters because you end up liking them. You don't pity them, but want them to get better. That's the trapping for a road movie and it consist of running into trouble and crazy characters and finding oneself. This whole is not just a road comedy, but can be looked at that way. Instead it's just pure character study.
Felicity Huffman gives a great performance, being a human playing man who wants to be a woman. A lot actresses wouldn't touch this role, let alone an actor who wants to play a man trying to be woman. Well actually, their would be some male actors to take that challenge, but instead they went a woman. Who cares of the actual gender of the actor, Felicity Huffman fills this persons shoes. It is a daring role and she gives it with great detail that it looks real.
The story of transexual of Bree who is undergoing psychiatry to get a finalize okay on a operation to turn him into a woman. He gets the okay(it's funny I'm calling Bree "he") but then a egg drops on him and discovers through social services that he has a son. Bree later takes the boy and tries to get some answers out of him and leaves out the fact that he is the father and a transexual. Bree discovers that his son is living under a rut and is tricking out on the street and wants to be an aspiring gay porn actor. Kevin Zegers plays Toby, and gives straight forward performance that isn't outlandish and exploitive given the facts of Toby. He literally does a good job. He gives Toby more realism than a trite cliche, given his background some would know how his character was going to play out. Duncan Tucker doesn't go that way and instead let's Toby make his choices that doesn't give him pity but reason.
The movie goes from Bree taking a cross country from New York to Los Angelos to get her operation and to find a place for Toby. Possibly his old town, since he learns Toby has a step father. That doesn't go as planned and they go all over the country when Toby discovers the truth about Bree. He doesn't discover Bree is his father, but that he is man.
Through their cross country adventure I like when they stop by so-called "stealth" transexual's house referred by Bree's psychiatrist. They happen to stop by when their having indoor transexual party celebrating peers' operations. Toby stops and talks to a couple of transexuals(still under the impression that Bree is a nun), real transexuals that had complete operations and look like the real deal. They even fooled me! Nah, I'm joking I could tell. Actually I didn't! One of the transexuals he was talking to was woman who became a man giving his philosophy of trans gender and how it is praised in many cultures and could be the stepping evolution to mankind. Toby stops and ask"You use to be a woman. I thought you were a real guy". He actually did look like a real, he was probably an actor, but if he was they did good job. The guy had more facial hair than I did. Hurt my manhood! Nah, just kidding. I like his reply to Toby's comment, he looks at him and just says"We walk among you!" That's some scary stuff, and kind of cool!
That philosophy isn't expanded throughout the whole movie because it tackles more quaint subjects and gives a whose new aspect to a father and son relationship. Toy doesn't fully accept Bree as a father, but still does not look her/him...Whatever. It's not a sugar coated happy ending, but one with almost sick twist that still as a resolution. The other thing about this growing road movie is on the characters they meet on their journey. Bree falls in love with a man and doesn't tell him her secret but by the looks of it he wouldn't mind. After their car is stole they are invited and greeted by a Native American Calvin played by the type-cast underrated Native American actor Graham Greene("Christmas in the Clouds","ThunderHeart"). I love that actor, but in this one he gets to display more of his acting chops than the usual cliche Native American character he plays. He is a good actor and Duncan Tucker allows him to expand Calvin than just a crazy character Bree meets on this adventure. He turns up being the real deal and nice man.
I really liked this movie and just know that Huffman will be passed on a Oscar nod, then again who cares. She deserves at least a little recognition for a good performance. That may sound cliche, as I have been using that word as a cliche, but as you watch the movie you'll believe me! A concept that could have turn dark and into a serious drama was road movie that didn't fall prey to the trappings of a road movie and played with it's concepts to literally have a good time no matter what your opinion stands on transexuals! This is Aliye Nyoka saying 'Catch Y'all On the Flip Side!"
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