TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY

TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY - (1980)

RATING-NR but probably PG. A brief scene of female back nudity from waist up while pulling on a dress, an intense chase scene and later you see the brutal scars on the back of the victim from torture after he is captured.

STARRING - ALEC GUINNESS

THEME-Cold War espionage, double agent.

STORY - BBC made for TV miniseries based on John le Carre's book by the same title. There's a mole (traitor) in the upper echelon of the Circus (the British intelligence agency) and they must get to the bottom of who it is without anyone involved knowing they are being investigated. There are four main suspects, code named Tinker, Tailor, Soldier & Spy. To lead the investigation they bring back retired intelligence agent, George Smiley (Alec Guinness) to smoke out one of his former colleagues who has been a double agent for over 20 years. This is NOT James Bond. This is the opposite. As you watch you feel that this must be what real spy work is like-often lonely, methodical, analytical and frustrating. The acting, especially Guinness is truly outstanding. The story will keep you engaged until the very end. Many feel this is the finest TV miniseries ever produced. If not, it certainly ranks right up there. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 9/29/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD

RABBIT-PROOF FENCE

RABBIT-PROOF FENCE (2002)

RATING-PG for emotional thematic material.

THEME- Racism, Eugenics. Courage, Justice.

STORY- Set in 1930's Australia, the film is fiction based on fact. The Australian government official policy with respect to half-caste Aboriginal children is to steal (literally) them from their mothers (the white fathers were usually long gone) and put them in training schools where they were trained for menial work in white society. A.O. Neville (rhymes with devil) is the official government overseer of this program and believes that if assimilated into white society the half-castes will lose their Aborigine traits within two generations and his goal is to rid Australia of any trace of the half-castes. How many times in history do we look back and say, 'WHAT WERE THEY THINKING'? and this is certainly one. What's even more incredible is this policy continued until 1970 and, apparently, the Australian government has never offered an apology to this 'Stolen Generation. The film's story centers on three half-castes (Molly-14, Gracie-11, Daisy-8) who are stolen literally from their mothers' arms and hauled 1500 miles away to the training school. Unhappy and angry, Molly leads the other two out of the school determined to find her way home. No one has ever escaped and not been found by 'The Tracker', ironically a father with a daughter in the school. The girls discover that the Rabbit-Proof Fence (the world's longest fence is designed to keep the pestilence of rabbits out of farmers' fields) is not far away and by following that it will lead them home. What follows is an adventure you have to see to appreciate as they make their way across the outback pursued by The Tracker and Australian Police. A fascinating look at a very low point in Western culture. Very suitable for family viewing. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews 9/29/2007

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD, TRAILER, ROGER EBERT (3.5/4.0)

THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS

THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS - (1956)

RATING - NR but probably PG

STARRING - Clifton Webb, Gloria Grahame

AWARDS - BAFTA 1957 BEST FILM NOMINEE, BAFTA 1957 BEST BRITISH FILM NOMINEE. WINNER, BAFTA 1957 BEST BRITISH SCREEN PLAY.

STORY - Based on a true story that took place in 1943 during WWII, The British want to deceive the Germans into thinking they are really going to attack Greece. If successful, it will save hundreds, if not thousands of British soldiers' lives. The plan is to find someone already dead and create a 'fictional officer' who drowns carrying secret fake orders to invade Greece and have the Germans discover the body and the orders. Easier said than done, they go about creating a 'life' for this MAN WHO NEVER WAS. The plan seems to be working until the Germans decide they need to send a spy to England to verify this person's history. The plan starts to unravel. Can they convince the Germans this person was for real and the orders are legitimate? If you're a WWII buff (or even if you're not) and you enjoy espionage, this is a very entertaining and interesting slice of WWII history. Very suitable for families. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 9/27/2007

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD

UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY OF LIFE

UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY OF LIFE - (2001-NR)

THEME- DOCUMENTARY, WHERE DOES LIFE COME FROM?

STORY-Where did we all come from. Did life originate from a single simple cell with 'Natural Selection' as proposed by Charles Darwin in THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES? With our knowledge today of DNA and amino acids and protein, would Darwin write that book today? We'll never know, of course, but based on his own words regarding the foundation of his system based on the simple cell concept, it would seem not. The film features world class scientists and state of the art computer graphics to present the case for an Intelligent Designer rather than random chance. Showing that life cannot be reduced to a simple cell based on DNA evidence, it proposes that information (DNA) requires Intelligence. It does not make the case for Who or What might be the Intelligence, just that the overwhelming scientific evidence today points to an Intelligent Design. It is not preachy, it does not mention the word God and concentrates on the science behind ID. While I have not heard a convincing argument AGAINST ID, perhaps someone reading this review has one. Are scientists today being honest if they reject ID? Isn't science the pursuit of truth wherever that may lead without any presuppositions? Is the path of Natural Selection a cold trail and we should be pursuing the lead of Intelligent Design, wherever that may end up? While science has not 'scientifically proven' the case for an Intelligent Being as the source of life, the evidence is mounting and the question is what will science do with it. Very educational for all levels and worth watching no matter what perspective you follow. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 9/25/2007.

LINKS- AMAZON, IMDB

THE LOST CHILD

THE LOST CHILD (2000-TV)

RATING-NR but probably G/PG

STARRING-Academy Award winner Mercedes Ruehl

THEME-RELATIONSHIPS, CULTURE & HERITAGE

STORY- All of us have to deal with the great questions of life such as 'who am I?', where did I come from?, 'where am I going?'. But what if you're adopted and you're not just thinking in the abstract but you really want to know where you came from? What if your adopted parents were white and Jewish and you found out you were born to Navajo Indian parents? That's the story of this HALLMARK film based on a true story. Can your marriage survive when your husband finds out? Can your children handle the ridicule? Obviously made on a lower made-for-TV budget than Hollywood, this is a very entertaining as well as informative movie about the Navajo culture, both the good and the bad. Can Becca take what's best from her Indian heritage and also bring 'the white man's solution' to an area of great pain in the Navajo culture? A wonderful family movie.

LINKS: AMAZON, IMBD

TOMORROW

TOMORROW (1972)

RATING-PG for thematic elements. There is one intense scene of pain during childbirth but nothing explicit. A murder happens on-screen but nothing graphic or closeup.

STARRING-Robert Duvall. Screenplay by Horton Foote.

THEME-Unconditional love and compassion.

STORY-Based on a short story by William Faulkner, the film opens with the brief flashback of a night scene where a young man and woman are apparently trying to elope without her parent's knowledge. The family is aroused and the young man is shot and killed by the father. The camera then moves to the courtroom of a small Mississippi town where a murder trial is in its final argument stage. As the defense wraps up its final argument, the camera pans the jury zooming in on Jackson Fentry (Duvall). When he casts the lone vote against acquitting the father resulting in a hung jury, the defense attorney wonders why would this man vote against 11 of his peers, in this his first trial as a lawyer. The rest of the movie tells us why by taking us back 20 years in the life of Fentry. Duvall is at his best in his role of Jackson Fentry, an introverted cotton farmer who leaves his father's farm to be the watchman at a rural sawmill about 30 miles from home. We see a tragic and touching love story between Duvall and a young, pregnant woman who has been deserted by her husband. In Duvall you see man's capacity for love and to do good. In the end we also experience man's capacity for evil and to do harm to his fellow man. This is not a fast-paced action film with lots of special effects but the acting is outstanding and well worth watching. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews 9/15/2007.

LINKS-IMBD, AMAZON

SALT OF THE EARTH

SALT OF THE EARTH (1954)

RATING-NR but probably PG

AWARDS-National Film Registry, Library of Congress (1992) and the only blacklisted film in American history.

THEME-Civil rights and feminine rights.

STORY-Based on the true story of the strike against the Empire Zinc Mine in New Mexico. The Mexican-American miners are fighting for equal wages and equal safety conditions with the 'Anglo' miners. When there is a serious injury caused by lack of safety precautions, the Mexican-American union decides to strike. Ironically, there is a 'strike' brewing on the home front of these workers as well. As bad as these men are treated at the mines, they don't do much better with their own families. Living in the 'company owned' town (we own the flowers-the company owns everything else) the wives are forced to live without indoor hot water, forcing them to chop wood 4-5 times a day for cooking, washing, etc. Several bold wives dare to show up at the union meeting and suggest they make hot water part of the bargaining. The men reject their proposal and a long, ugly strike ensues. When the miners are ordered off the picket line by a federal judge, the wives realize that this doesn't apply to them. This creates a whole new dimension of friction among the miners and their families as many of the men refuse to allow their wives to enter 'their' world. It also creates some humorous times as the men try to handle the home responsibilities and soon realize firsthand what their wives were complaining about. Because the producers and directors had refused to participate in the Congressional anti-Communist inquiries, they were 'blacklisted' and the film was banned by the government, the only blacklisted American film in history. A powerful film that anticipated the civil rights and feminist movements by nearly 10 years. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 9/15/2007.

LINKS-IMBD, AMAZON

MURDER ON A SUNDAY MORNING

MURDER ON A SUNDAY MORNING (2001)

RATING-NR but probably PG

AWARDS-ACADEMY AWARD BEST DOCUMENTARY

THEME-IS THERE LIBERTY & JUSTICE FOR ALL?

STORY-This is amazing story of 15 year old Brenton Butler of Jacksonville, FL who was wrongfully accused of murder. On a Sunday morning, an elderly white couple were returning to their motel room after breakfast. They were confronted by an armed robber. Something went wrong, the thief panicked and shot and killed the woman. As the police set up a man hunt in the area, Brenton happened to be walking in the area. The police picked him up, believing he matched the description of the killer (he didn't come close) and the husband identified him in a lineup. This began the worst nightmare any citizen could experience. Not only were the police incompetent, they were prejudiced and anxious to get 'their killer'. While, this is certainly not the norm for all police work, this is a MUST WATCH to see how our system can and does work for some people. The public defender assigned to this case is amazing. What an example of what a public servant should be and can be. Watch this along with DEADLINE, a documentary of those mistakenly living on death row. One reviewer commented that this should be required viewing at every police academy. I would agree. MURDER ON A SUNDAY MORNING is easily one of the best documentaries I've ever watched. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 9/12/2007

LINKS: AMAZON, IMBD

TURTLES CAN FLY

TURTLES CAN FLY (2005)

RATING-PG-13 For violence, disturbing images and mature thematic material, all involving children

AWARDS-14 wins and 3 nominations at many prestigous film festivals.

STARRING-Kurdish Iraqi children, none of whom had acting experience.

STORY- TURTLES CAN FLY is not a feel good movie. It's a movie about children and about war. It takes place on the Iraqi-Turkish border right before the start of our Iraq war. The children are mostly orphaned and many maimed from the attacks on the Kurds by Saddam Hussein. The film centers around 'Satellite', a 13 year Kurdish boy, so named because of his ability to install satellite dishes and translate news of the pending US invasion. Satellite is a natural leader and controls teams of children who earn a living by clearing fields of land mines and selling them to the UN. The missing hands and feet among the children are also hazards of the trade. It even shows one boy with no arms disarming a mine using his teeth. The tensions and excitement mount in this village of mostly tents and a huge dump of rusted out used weapons as the time for the war to begin draws closer. Into the village wander another 13 year old boy with no arms and a younger sister with an illegitimate child. The girl is very pretty and obviously very troubled (you learn the tragedy she and her brother lived through in a flashback scene). The brother has had visions since losing his arms and is able to predict the future, something Satellite wants to exploit. While many of the children are cute and great on the screen (none were actors before the film) and there are some very funny scenes, it is not an easy film to watch. Watching 6 & 7 year olds without parents dismantle bombs for a living is not the way children should grow up. They are old way beyond their years. The ending is not happy, in fact, some might say shocking, except for knowing the tragedy many of them have already endured. This is not a film about the politics of war but the results of war (specifically Saddam's ethnic cleansing of the Kurds) on children. How many other parts of the world could this same story be reproduced. Could be very appropriate for mature teens but you might want to watch it first. The violence is not graphic as the film builds up to the violence and then cuts away and leaves it to your imagination. A fascinating story of a tragic slice of life in the Middle East. -Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 9/10/2007.

LINKS- IMBD, TRAILER, AMAZON

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (1988)

RATING-NR but probably PG for thematic material.

STORY-GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES is a 1988 animated film about the firebombing of Japan near the end of WWII that leaves two young Japanese children orphans. Roger Ebert gave it 5 stars. Don't let the animation stop you. It is one of the most powerful films about the horrors of war, particularly the innocent victims of war. AMAZON summarizes it this way, "Isao Takahata's powerful antiwar film has been praised by critics wherever it has been screened around the world. When their mother is killed in the firebombing of Tokyo near the end of World War II, teenage Seita and his little sister Setsuko are left on their own: their father is away, serving in the Imperial Navy. The two children initially stay with an aunt, but she has little affection for them and resents the time and money they require. The two children set up housekeeping in a cave by a stream, but their meager resources are quickly exhausted, and Seita is reduced to stealing to feed his sister.
The strength of Grave of the Fireflies lies in Takahata's evenhanded portrayal of the characters. A sympathetic doctor, the greedy aunt, the disinterested cousins all know there is little they can do for Seita and Setsuko. Their resources, like their country's, are already overtaxed: anything they spare endangers their own survival. As in the Barefoot Gen films, no mention is made of Japan's role in the war as an aggressor; but the depiction of the needless suffering endured by its victims transcends national and ideological boundaries. --Charles Solomon " Lu G. for Lu's Reviews 9/9/2007

OTHER REVIEWS- ROGER EBERT (5 of 5)

LINKS- AMAZON IMBD TRAILER

EVE & THE FIRE HORSE

EVE & THE FIRE HORSE (2005)

RATING-PG (Canadian). Family friendly but some content may go over the heads of young children.

STARRING-Vivian Wu (The Last Emperor & The Joy Luck Club) & two very cute and talented Chinese girls.

THEME-A child's quest for spiritual meaning. A very traditional Chinese Buddhist immigrant family struggles to deal with a clash between culture and religion.

AWARDS-Numerous awards and nominations at various film festivals including Sundance.

STORY-At home this Chinese family with Grandmother, Mom & Dad & two daughters, 9 and 11, and Uncle & Aunt with teenage cousins practice their ancient Buddhism, speaking Chinese and making amends to the gods when they are offended. At school, the two young girls are learning what it means to be a good Roman Catholic. Karena, the 11 year old takes the Catholicism very seriously and brings it into the home where crucifixes start showing up next to Buddha. Eve, who was born in the year of the Fire Horse (children born in that year are notorious troublemakers according to traditon) tries to deal with the guilt she feels when Grandma dies and she feels responsible. She and the rest of the family are caught between Buddha & Jesus. Eve also has a wild imagination when it comes to spiritual things. This is a wonderfully done and very sensitive film. It does not glamorize or demonize either religion. I can imagine this playing out exactly like this in thousands of homes across Canada (they live in Vancouver) and America where culture and religion are clashing. One scene is a great example. Dad comes home after an extended trip home to China. At dinner he begins to eat and Karena stops him, 'Dad, we have to say grace before we eat' and prays the prayer she's learned at school. Dad looks at the family and says, 'How long have I been gone'? The two scenes where Karena tries to convert two of her friends to Catholicism are priceless and alone worth watching. You'll laugh and cry at the same time. While many may want to debate the theological implications of the film, it is arguably as good a depiction of children and faith as has been produced in a long time or maybe ever. An outstanding film.

OTHERS- Roger Ebert: 'Luminous! One of the most beloved films at Sundance.' Globe & Mail: 'One of the most enchanting and memorable films made in this country.'

LINKS- IMBD AMAZON

A BEAR NAMED WINNIE

A BEAR NAMED WINNIE (2004)

RATING-PG for thematic elements & brief language. A VERY FAMILY FRIENDLY FILM.

THEME: A true story

STORY: Did you ever wonder where the beloved Winnie the Pooh stories originated? I confess I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about that but now I know. Winnie (short for Winnipeg) became a mascot of the Veterinary Division in the Canadian Army during WWI. On their way to training in the Canadian wilderness, the train stopped in a small town and one of the soldiers saved Winnie, a cub at that time, from being killed by the hunter who killed her mother. The rest of the movie is about the adventures of Winnie and her unit and the Colonel who tries to get rid of her before they leave for England to train with the British and eventually on to France to fight the Prussians. How Winnie ends up at the London Zoo and becomes world famous is tied into the story. It's a wonderful story and a terrific period piece about this particular slice of WWI and the Canadian contribution. While mostly fun and heartwarming there is the element of war and not all the main characters survive. Fun for the whole family. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 9/5/2007

LINKS: IMBD AMAZON

GREYFRIARS BOBBY

GREYFRIARS BOBBY (1961)

RATING: Not Rated but VERY FAMILY FRIENDLY

STARRING: One very cute dog and a host of excellent actors.

STORY: Based on a true story, the film begins with the owner of a farm in rural Scotland giving the 'pink slip' to a long time employee, a lovable old shepherd who had really become a part of the family, but there just wasn't any money to keep him on any longer. The master took 'Old Jock' into Edinburgh where he hoped he could find some work. BOBBY, the family terrier had become very attached to 'Old Jock' but he was now put in the care of the youngest daughter. BOBBY, however, wasn't going to let his old friend Jock go that easily. He managed to escape from the farm and find his way over the 20 miles to Edinburgh. He showed up at the cafe where the Master and Old Jock had eaten lunch Tuesdays on their weekly trip to town. The rest of the film is about the undying loyalty of a dog for his master and some wonderful lessons in love and caring on the part of people in the community in the face of a very stubborn caretaker at Greyfriars and a new law intended to eliminate the average person from being able to keep his best friend. This is a WALT DISNEY classic. The whole family will enjoy this one, including your dog. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 9/4/2007.

LINKS: IMBD, AMAZON

ABSENCE OF MALICE

ABSENCE OF MALICE (1981-PG),

AWARDS: 3 Academy nominations including Best Actor.

STARRING: Paul Newman & Sally Field

RATING: PG for language and a scene where Newman loses his temper and roughs up Field, ripping her blouse accidentally.

THEME: Ethics and power in journalism and government. How easily a life or career is destroyed by unscrupulous or even well intentioned but thoughtless people with the power of the press or the power of the subpoena. How many lives have been ruined or disrupted because of the arrogance and unscrupulousness of the power of the press. Is 'Absence Of Malice' the only criteria??

OTHER REVIEWS: ROGER EBERT gave it 3 out of 4 stars.

STORY: The movie opens with Field, an up and coming, zealous newspaper reporter, overhearing a conversation about an ongoing investigation by a special FBI unit investigating the mob and, in particular, an unsolved murder case, for which they have no real suspects. She makes an appointment to see the lead FBI agent. They have a person of interest (Newman) that they believe can lead them to the perpetrators. The agent plants a 'fake' file on his desk knowing that Field will look when he leaves the room. She takes the bait and runs a story about Newman's 'involvement', falling right in to the FBI's trap. She's shocked when Newman shows up at her desk the next day demanding to know the source and having a retraction printed. Field refuses but is intrigued by Newman's claim of innocence (he really is) despite his father's mob connections and other family members still having 'Mafioso' ties. She tries to trap Newman during a lunch meeting but he outsmarts her and she starts to be personally interested in him-obviously unethical and compromising to her work. But she's conflicted between her professional responsibilities and personal feelings. She's already ruined Newman's business (a liquor distributor) and reputation. In trying to repair the damage, she destroys another person's life. In the meantime, the FBI and the Federal Attorney keep pursuing Newman, trying to make him crack. This all leads to a surprising and, if you like to see unethical, arrogant and power-hungry prosecutors get what's coming to them, very creative ending. Wilford Brimley does a great job in his brief but powerful performance at the end. Lu G for Lu's Reviews. 9/2/2007

LINKS: IMBD TRAILER AMAZON