THE LONGEST DAY

THE LONGEST DAY - 1962

RATED - G

RATINGS - 199 Amazon (4.5/5), 193,480 Netflix (4/5), 13,712 IMDB (7.8/10).

STARRING - The list is too long. From Eddie Albert to John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, etc, there were over 40 international stars.

AWARDS - Two Academy Awards and five nominations including Best Picture. AFI Top 100 nominee for Best Thrills and Top Movies. 1963 Golden Globe nominee for Best Picture.

STORY - This is the definitive story of D-Day. It's almost beyond comprehension today to think of the scope of this mission which involved 11,000 planes, 4,000 ships and 3,000,000 men. The logistics of coordinating the attacks, keeping everyone supplied with fuel, ammunition, medical supplies, etc. is mind boggling. This film follows the day from start to finish from a number of different Allied assignments including the U.S., the English, the French and even the Irish contingent led by the ever present bagpipes. It also shows the day from the German side. You get the big picture that is not usually present in most war films. This was an incredible day in history. As big as it was, it was made up of individuals, all trying to fulfill their assignments. As we see, sometimes with humor, not all of them went well. Many ended tragically because of human error or weather conditions. There were also many, many heroes that day and we meet some of them. It was also a day that reminded us that 'war is hell'. There is no other way to describe war, even for the most noble causes-for those on the front lines, it is pure hell. We can all be grateful for the thousands of men from all countries who sacrificed their lives. One of the credits of the movie is that it is G rated and although there is plenty of war violence, it is not graphic. While some may say it is sanitized, and, therefore, not realistic, I think it allows for this film to be shown to a wide variety of audiences who will be able to better understand and appreciate the magnitude of this mission. There are plenty of graphic war films for those interested. This is a classic epic worthy of watching more than once. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/04/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB

SECRET BALLOT

SECRET BALLOT - 2001

RATED - G

RATINGS - 5,048 Netflix (2.9/5), 682 IMDB (6.5/10), 20 Amazon (3.5/5), Roger Ebert (3/4)

AWARDS - 10 wins and 3 nominations at various Film Festivals including Venice and London.

THEMES - Democracy, gender discrimination, politics.

STORY - The film begins with a plane dropping a large crate with a parachute on what appears to be a remote desert area by the ocean. It then pans to a bunk bed in the open by the beach with a soldier sleeping. He wakes and discovers the crate contains all the ballots and voting materials for the upcoming election and a notice that the voting agent will be arriving shortly and his assignment is to chaperon the agent around the island to collect and verify the votes. This is an Iranian island and when he discovers the bureaucratic agent is a woman, that is his first problem. The second is locating all the voters on the island and convincing them that voting is their responsibility and that it does impact their lives. The one day adventure of this odd couple, a reluctant Iranian soldier and enthusiastic, persevering female agent produces some humorous as well as sobering encounters with the reality of life on this island. Is the film primarily about democracy, gender discrimination or life in Iran? Perhaps it's a combination of all three in this documentary-like film. If you're only into action and fast-paced adventure, this movie is not for you, but, if you enjoy learning about other cultures and the people in other parts of the world who may be very different (or maybe not) from us, this is worth the time investment. Enjoy!! Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/03/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, ROGER EBERT.

LET THE CHURCH SAY AMEN

LET THE CHURCH SAY AMEN - 2004

RATED - NR but probably G

RATINGS - 4 Amazon (5/5), 362 Netflix (2.6/5), 24 IMDB (6.1/10).

STARRING - The church members themselves and directed by Academy Award-nominated David Petersen.

AWARDS - OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2004 Sundance Film Festival other film festival awards.

THEMES - Spirituality, reconciliation, hope, justice.

STORY - This highly acclaimed documentary takes place in a small, storefront Black Pentecostal Church in Washington, D.C. in the shadow of the Capitol. While geographically close, the worlds of these two institutions are light years apart. This week our government has proposed hundreds of billions of bailout funds for Wall Street. In the film, church members pass the 'plate' to raise $200 so one of the members can repair their car to get to work. The film follows four members of the church for a year as they pursue their dreams and hopes. Each one faces significant challenges, both of the external variety and those of the self-imposed consequences. It also shows the church going into the community. While they are most of very modest, perhaps even impoverished means, they care as much for others in the community as they do for themselves. They offer free clothes, food shelves, shelter, medical care and counseling and, of course, spiritual healing to everyone regardless of whether they join the church or not. There is nothing subtle about their faith, that it is Jesus who has changed their lives and gives them strength for living each day. Whether you agree with them, you can't help but love these people who are so authentic and genuine in their care for each other and their community. They don't play church. They live it in a way most of haven't experienced who live in nice, neat suburban areas. Director David Petersen does a great job of letting them tell their own story without either glamorizing or putting it down. Perhaps our legislators should visit this church instead of the big cathedrals. It might help to keep life in perspective. Enjoy. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 09/20/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, NETFLIX, IMDB, CT REVIEW, THE FILM MOVEMENT.

KANDAHAR

KANDAHAR - 2001

RATED - NR but probably G.

RATINGS - 25 Amazon (3.5/5), 42,647 (3.3/5), 2,582 IMDB (6.7/10), Roger Ebert (3.5/4).

THEMES - Injustice, Gender Discrimination, Evil.

AWARDS - Many film festival nominations and several wins.

STORY - This is more of a docudrama than a film with a plot and satisfying ending along with character development. Roger Ebert says it well: "KANDAHAR does not provide deeply drawn characters, memorable dialogue or an exciting climax. Its traffic is in images..." It is the images that stick. This was made before 9/11 to show the persecution of women in Afghanistan. It is partially based on a true story involving Nelofer Pazira (Nafas), an Afghan-born Canadian journalist. In the film she has received a letter from her sister who was left behind when the family evacuated Russian-controlled Afghanistan. Her sister, now living under the rule of the Taliban, no longer wants to go on living and has given a date, the lunar eclipse, when she will commit suicide. The letter was delayed in getting to Nafas and she has arrived at the Iranian-Afghan border with only three days until the eclipse. As a woman, she is not free to travel alone into Afghanistan. She must arrange for some male assistance. The rest of the film is about her journey to find her sister. Along the way she meets a Black American disguised as an Afghan medical doctor, a Red Cross camp helping land mine victims who have lost legs. The image of the doctor (he doesn't know she is from Canada initially) asking questions of Nafas thru a third party and being separated by a sheet with a hole to examine her ears, eyes and mouth would be humorous, if not true. A Red Cross helicopter makes a 'leg drop', parachuting artificial legs to the camp below and we are overwhelmed by the image of several dozen amputees with crutches literally racing each other to get a pair of legs. The image of a her young male guide (10-12 years old) pulling a ring off a skeleton in the desert and trying to sell it to her is wrenching. Once again, we are struck by the incredible cruelty that the human race is capable of inflicting on one another, simply because of race or gender. You will probably not remember the plot but you will remember the images, images the reinforce the knowledge that there is both good and evil in this world and we must counter evil wherever we find it. A sobering film. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 09/13/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, ROGER EBERT.

THE PRISONER OF SHARK ISLAND

THE PRISONER OF SHARK ISLAND - 1936

RATED - NR but probably PG.

RATINGS - 5 Amazon (4/5), 793 Netflix (3.3/5), 472 IMDB (7.4/10).

STARRING - Directed by JOHN FORD with Warner Baxter & Gloria Stuart.

THEMES - Justice.

STORY - The film begins with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth jumping on to the stage and making his escape out the back of the theater. In jumping from the balcony, Booth breaks his leg and soon needs medical attention. In the movie he asks for directions to a local doctor and appears unannounced at the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd, who, of course (without the Internet & cable TV) has not yet heard of the assassination. He treats Booth and keeps him overnight until he can travel again. The authorities trace Booth's escape to Mudd's estate and arrest him for being an accomplice. He is tried in what appears to be somewhat of a kangaroo court and sent to Shark Island Prison in the Florida Keys. He tried to escape once, unsuccessfully. A violent outbreak of Yellow Fever in which he heroically saves the lives of many of the prisoners while risking his own, convinces his accusers to rethink his guilt. The question is whether Dr. Mudd was an innocent bystander as the movie depicts or was he, in fact, part of the Booth conspiracy. This movie is well done and entertaining and is a terrific introduction to the whole story of John Wilkes Booth and the conspiracy theories. Like the JFK assassination debate, was this a lone gunman or a conspiracy much larger? A fascinating subject. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 09/07/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IDMB, TCM(Spoilers), WIKIPEDIA

THE LAST HURRAH

THE LAST HURRAH - 1958

RATED - NR but probably G/PG.

RATINGS - 15 Amazon (4/5), 8,591 Netflix (3.6/5), 815 IMDB (7.4/10).

STARRING - Spencer Tracy, Basil Rathbone.

AWARDS - Nominated for 1959 BAFTA Best Foreign Actor (Tracy).

THEMES - Politics, relationships.

STORY - The films begins with Mayor Frank Skeffington (Tracy) coming down the staircase of his large home and stopping to put a fresh flower in the vase under the picture of his deceased wife. He is soon joined in his large home office by his loyal staff who prepare him for the day's activities and getting ready to run for a fifth term. Soon he opens the door and one by one visits with the hundreds of people that have lined up outside his home to see him, a daily event. He's an old time politician, taking in every event in the city that concerns his people. He's got the people on his side but not the establishment whom he regularly 'blackmails' to get things done for 'his' people. They decide to go after him in this election and put up their own candidate backed by the local paper. It's a fresh, young man who knows how to use the 'new' medium called TV. What follows is classic Tracy with humor and drama as the contest turns into a horse race. The film is widely thought to be based on the life of Boston mayor James Curley. If you like Tracy, politics and a good story, this is worth the time. If, as they say, all politics is local, then this is a classic political film. Terrific acting by all involved and a heart wrenching ending. Enjoy. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 09/06/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, TCM(Spoilers)

RECOUNT

RECOUNT - 2008

RATED - NR but probably PG-13 for language. The 'f' word is used quite a bit.

RATINGS - 7 Amazon (4/5), 16,343 Netflix (3.8/5), 2,286 IMDB (7.7/10),

AWARDS - Nominated for 6 Prime Time Emmy's.

STARRING - Kevin Spacey, Tom Wilkinson, Bob Balaban, Denis Leary and Laura Dern. All of them were nominated for individual Emmy's.

THEMES - Justice, democracy, politics, winning at all costs.

STORY - We all know the outcome of the 2000 Presidential race so why would you want to watch this HBO made for TV movie? Like watching a movie about a sporting event or athlete where you know the end, it's about the game itself. This film is about the Florida recount in 2000 as seen mainly through the person of Ron Klain, Al Gore's former Chief of Staff who was dispatched to Florida to head up the Democratic team pursuing the recount. The acting is terrific and so is the writing. Since the event is so recent and all the players are still living, getting the story straight was important and it seems that they did. Even knowing the ending, this movie draws you in so that you almost forget what happened as you follow the events and drama within the inner circle of each party as they fight for Florida's 25 electoral votes and the Presidency. It's really a story about democracy and how it does and doesn't work, about our legal system and how it does and doesn't work and whether a Republic like ours can survive a crisis like that. Whether you think the system works, depends, of course, on what side you were on but our country did survive and I think some credit must be given to the parties involved, particularly Al Gore as the underdog, who could have gotten their supporters all riled up and created a very ugly situation. There were hardly any demonstrations by Democrats. Gore also called off the pursuit in the end when he could have continued to the further detriment of the country. It seems that there was a tangible case of 'Country First'. It is also a reminder that we still don't have this voting thing figured out in our country. We can put the proverbial man or woman on the moon but can't develop a consistent, reliable national voting system for national elections. Maybe there's a case for letting each state and precinct determine its own way, but in an election that affects every one of us, I'd like to think we were all playing by the same rules. This is another outstanding docudrama by HBO. Enjoy during this election year. Who knows, maybe it will be deja vu all over again. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 09/06/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB