RESURRECTING THE CHAMP

RESURRECTING THE CHAMP - 2007

RATED - PG-13 for boxing violence (in and out of the ring) and brief language.

RATINGS - 17 Amazon (4/5), 85,188 Netflix (3.5/5), Roger Ebert (3/4), 4,973 IMDB (7.1/10).

STARRING - Samuel Jackson, Josh Hartnett, Alan Alda, Kathryn Morris.

THEMES - Forgiveness, redemption, role model, ambition.

STORY - Based on a true story, Eric Kernan (Hartnett) is the son of a famous boxing broadcaster and is trying to get his career as a sports reporter, assigned to the boxing beat with the Denver daily paper, off the ground. His editor (Alda) is always on him about being lazy and sloppy. He is also trying to reunite with his son and wife, from whom he is separated. His wife (Morris) is a star journalist at the same paper. He literally falls into a career changing story about an ex-boxing great (Jackson), now homeless, an alcoholic and living on the street. The story propels him to the top of his career overnight. The rest of the story centers on some disturbing things he learns about the 'Champ' and ultimately about himself. Jackson is superb in his role as the 'Champ'. Hartnett could have been better but the overall performances and the story make this an entertaining and thought provoking film. For some reason, many of the best movies about human nature and ambition and greed are boxing stories. Add this to your list as one worth watching. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 11/29/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, ROGER EBERT, TRAILER

BLEAK HOUSE

BLEAK HOUSE - 2005

RATED - NR but probably G/PG. Very family friendly but probably for teens and up.

RATINGS - 128 Amazon (5/5), 87,013 Netflix (4.2/5), 1,574 IMDB (9.1/10). One of the highest (if not highest) overall ratings I've seen.

AWARDS - Nominated for 2 Golden Globes including Best Mini-Series for TV and won/nominated for 24 others including several Emmys.

THEMES - Justice, relationships, forgiveness.

STORY - Charles Dickens is arguably one of the best at using the power of the story to attack injustice in society. The BBC is arguably one of the best at turning a novel into a miniseries for TV. Combine the two and you have BLEAK HOUSE. The injustice in this case is the legal system that was known for dragging out the settlement of wills and estates until there was nothing left for the rightful heirs. The story begins in the Court of Chancery where the lawyers would meet regularly to give the court updates on their cases and get their fees approved. The heirs would be there, also, in hopes of some good news about their case, only to hear that 'progress was being made' and here's your invoice for services. The case in the story is Jarndyce and Jarndyce, a very large estate that has been contested for decades because there is a dispute over the will. Many have been ruined by the cost of the suit and many have given up, including John Jarndyce, an independently wealthy heir. He brings into his household a young man and woman, orphans and cousins, who are heirs and still hopeful of a settlement. Along with them comes a young lady who will be their personal attendant. From there the story takes many twists and turns as the lawsuit 'progresses' and so do their lives. It takes you from the country estates of the aristocrats to the squalid slums of the homeless as the plot emerges and expands. You experience the entire social strata of England during the story and how they are affected by the law. The acting is superb as well as the costumes, the music and the sets. It is 7.5 hours long so it is a commitment to watch but yet you can hardly stop watching. It is well worth the investment of time. A great story told by some of the best in the business. If you enjoyed the high quality of the HBO mini-series on John Adams, I think you will appreciate this, also. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 11/29/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, WEBSITE

THE DAY OF THE JACKAL

THE DAY OF THE JACKAL - 1973

RATED - PG -There is some non-explicit violence and two very brief scenes of rear nudity after a sexual encounter which is unseen and it is in a very dark room.

RATINGS - 137 Amazon (5/5), 159,393 Netflix (3.8/5), 10,816 IMDB (7.9/10), Roger Ebert (4/4).

STARRING - Edward Fox (The Jackal), Michael Lonsdale (Investigator Lebel).

AWARDS - Nominated in 1974 for an Academy Award, 4 BAFTA Awards, including Best Film, and 2 Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture.

STORY - This political thriller, based on the novel by Frederick Forsyth, begins with a failed assassination attempt by the OAS, an organization angered by President DeGaulle's liberation of Algeria. They realize they are now under intense surveillance by French security and intelligence and must go outside France to hire a professional killer. His code name becomes Jackal. When the French kidnap and torture a member of the OAS, they get the word 'jackal' out of him before he dies. With that slim clue and Investigator Lebel they go to work to track down this apparent assassin. The film runs two parallel tracks between the French security forces and The Jackal, who always seems to be one step ahead. While the film covers in great detail the plans of The Jackal to carry out the perfect plot and the painstaking intelligence work on the part of the French government (before computers and cell phones), it never seems to bog down or be boring. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, building to the climactic 'Day of the Jackal' when DeGaulle is to be assassinated. You don't have to suspend logic to believe this film. It is based on the cleverness and genius of the assassin as well as the intuition and perseverance of Investigator Lebel. Both are obsessed with their jobs and are up to the challenge. A top notch thriller. Roger Ebert calls it 'spellbinding'. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 11/22/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, TRAILER, ROGER EBERT

WE ARE TOGETHER

WE ARE TOGETHER - 2006

RATED - PG for some thematic elements.

RATINGS - 2 Amazon (5/5), 453 Netflix (2.6/5), 121 IMDB (8.6/10).

STARRING - The children of the Agape Choir as themselves, Alicia Keys, Paul Simon.

AWARDS - 12 Wins at various film festivals.

THEMES - Relationships, spirituality, racial reconciliation.

STORY - Paul Taylor, writer and director, opens this beautiful documentary with a group of African children being awakened in the morning like kids anywhere, the difference being that these children live in The Agape Orphanage in South Africa. Their parents were the victims of AIDS. It is estimated there are 1.2 million AIDS orphans in Africa. Agape serves about 50 of these children. Music is a big part of the life of Agape as it is all throughout South Africa. As we enter the story, the children are rehearsing for a trip to England where they will perform to help raise money for the home. The story takes several turns as the trip to England is cancelled and two tragedies strike the home and the children during the three years of filming. Along the journey we get to meet and know 12 year old Slindile and her siblings along with many other children and get to know a culture so much different from our own. The music will inspire and uplift you as well as the infectious personalities of the children. The film is worth watching just to see the recording session in the studio of 'O Happy Day'. If you somehow feel we are suffering in our country because of the economy, etc., watch this movie. It will make your day. I believe you will realize how much we have in comparison to the rest of the world, even with our challenges. Highly recommend. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 11/22/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, TRAILER, SOUNDTRACK, WEBSITE

TORA! TORA! TORA!

TORA! TORA! TORA! - 1970

RATED - G

RATINGS - 208 Amazon (4.5/5), 177,964 Netflix (3.8/5), 8,252 IMDB (7.5/10).

AWARDS - One ACADEMY AWARD for Best Visual Effects in 1971 plus four nominations.

THEMES - War, relationships.

STORY - TORA! TORA! TORA! is the Japanese signal to attack and this epic film co-produced by American & Japanese interests shows both sides of the story as it builds to the climatic attack on Pearl Harbor which ultimately brought America into WWII. The film does a terrific job of alternating back and forth between the Japanese and American stories so that the viewer gains a good understanding of the circumstances on each side as well as the sequence of events leading up to the attack. The story, by most accounts almost documentary like, is very accurate in depicting the mistakes made by the U.S. military in being caught off guard but it could have been much worse had any of the aircraft carriers been in port which were the real Japanese targets, knowing they had to try to defuse America's air superiority in the Pacific. In the end the Japanese realize they may have won the battle but 'they had awakened a sleeping giant' which they will now have to deal with. The battle scene is spectacular and even more so when you consider it is before computerized graphics and deservedly won the Oscar for visual effects. This is a history lesson that is both entertaining and family friendly. The commentary and additional documentaries with the special addition are excellent. Highly recommend. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 11/16/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB

AFTER THE TRUTH

AFTER THE TRUTH - 1999

RATED - NR but probably PG for some language and a shadowy image of an elderly man getting out of the shower.

RATINGS - Amazon - none, 2 Netflix (4/5), 476 IMDB (7.6/10).

STARRING - Gotz George (Dr. Josef Mengele), Kai Wiesinger (Attorney Peter Rohm)

AWARDS - Many nominations including EUROPEAN FILM AWARD for Best Actor (George).

THEMES - Justice, truth, eugenics, social Darwinism.

STORY - The Holocaust continues to haunt the world with the unbelievable evil and atrocities that occurred. This is the 'what if' story of Dr. Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz 'Angel of Death'. What if Mengele had turned himself in and was tried for his crimes. Who would defend him? Attorney Peter Rohm (Wiesinger), who grew up in Mengele's home town and is fascinated (obsessed?) with his story must decide whether to accept that challenge. He has wanted to write a book about Mengele but has been holding off because he can't understand why someone who was a former neighbor could be responsible for the deaths of some 400,000 individuals. He wanted to title the book 'One of Us'. In addition to believing everyone is entitled to legal representation, he wants to find out the truth so he accepts. What follows is a sobering and fascinating look at the mind of Mengele as he stands trial. First, we learn he was not alone. In 1920 the book The Permission to Destroy Life Not Worth Living was published and set the course for German medicine for the next 25 years. This is part thriller, part courtroom drama, part moral question. Was Mengele a psychopathic monster or just your neighbor gone wrong? In his closing argument Rohm says, 'The road to Auschwitz isn't so long, as long as you take it one step at a time.' As the end of the film is fading out, Mengele looks directly at the camera and asks, 'Do you see at least a bit of yourself in me?' Don't answer too quickly. A powerful film about evil that still haunts us today. Very highly recommend. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 11/15/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, WIKIPEDIA, CHILDREN OF THE FLAMES, IGNATIUS PRESS

BLACK MAGIC

BLACK MAGIC - 2008

RATED - NR but probably G.

RATINGS - 3 Amazon (5/5), 251 Netflix (2.4/5).

STARRING - Earl 'The Pearl' Monroe, Dan Klores (Director), many players and coaches as themselves.

THEMES - Relationships, racial prejudice, justice.

STORY - The first thing viewers have to understand is that this is NOT simply an ESPN basketball highlight film. It is that, too, but much, much more. It is a serious, historical documentary about race and sports, particularly basketball, in our nation as seen through the eyes of those athletes who attended Historical Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU). HBCU's were formed after the civil war to give African-American young people the opportunity for a college education that they were denied at the public & private segregated schools. Examples would be Howard, Grambling, Tennessee A & I, Southern University, etc. There were about a hundred schools. For many decades they produced outstanding students and athletes whose careers were limited by the racial situation in our country after they graduated. This film concentrates on those basketball players who played at one of the HBCU schools. Many you have never heard of and some went to become stars such as Earl Monroe, Bob Love, Avery Johnson, etc. The film moves back and forth between three main tracks: 1) letting the athletes tell their stories about growing up black and trying to succeed in a white world, 2) the civil rights movement that was happening parallel to their careers (including clips from various high and low points in that movement), and 3) their successes on the basketball court as players and coaches (lots of highlights-some of the footage is older and not of high quality but is all that is available). Hearing their stories always makes one wonder 'what if' our world had been different then....? These were some of America's greatest athletes hidden behind the curtain of racial prejudice from ever getting the recognition they deserved. It's a lot like the Negro Baseball League. Ironically, when integration finally happened it became the downfall of the HBCU's as white schools swooped in and recruited many of the best athletes. If you've watched any of Ken Burns's documentaries, this has the feel of one of those. The music is excellent and appropriate. If you really want to understand where much of black American has been, this is an important addition to that conversation and if you like basketball, that's icing on the cake. Enjoy. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 11/8/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, NBA, TRAILER