By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

When I posted the review of 300 on my blog seven years ago, the views were outstanding. The first responses that I received were complimentary, especially from an individual claiming to be in the military. Eventually, the responses turned sour, nasty and insulting. The Iranian government banned 300 due to the depiction of the Persian Army. Seven years later, this entry still receives a regular dosage of spam.

While not as good as its predecessor, 300: Rise of An Empire has opened with a strong box office, revealing that ticket buyers enjoy watching history taught by comic books. Based on Frank Miller’s graphic novels, this new 300 is more of a companion piece than a direct sequel to the old 300.

The film opens a generation before the events of the first movie. King Darius is killed by an arrow shot by Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) in battle. The late King Darius was the father of Xeres (Rodrigo Santoro), a deluded individual who proclaims himself a god. While the delusional King seeks the spotlight, behind the scenes Artemisia (Eva Green) pulls the strings of Persian politics. Undefeated as the Admiral of the Seas, Artemisia seeks to avenge the glory of King Darius.

As a ragtag selection of city states, Greece is a bickering democracy awaiting to be conquered. Themistocles, an Athenian, is fully aware of these political problems and desperately seeks cooperation with the Spartans, especially Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey). Gorgo is the widow of the king, whose army of 300 Spartans were slaughtered by the Xeres and his Persian Army of thousands. Themistocles is fully aware that Artemisia has topower to crush the bickering Greek Isle.

Like the first 300, the computer graphics create vivid action scenes involving navy battles. Unlike the first 300, this new movie seems sloppy in direction. Utilizing the 3-D technology, 300 Rise of an Empire features too many scenes of splattered blood floating in the air.

Despite some disappointing visuals, this film is a fun movie to learn about Greek and Persian history. While Stapleton is a likeable leading man, it is the women who rule this empire. While reprising her role from the first movie, Headey gives a stoic performance with simmering rage. As the angry Artemisia, Green is given many memorable moments with a sword.

As the title role in Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill

For Green cements her image as today’s femme fatale.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

While best known for her Oscar-winning leading role in Gone With The Wind, Vivien Leigh earned her second Oscar as Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire.

A reliable British actress on both stage and screen, Leigh’s award-winning performances created an indelible image of a young and aged Southern belle.

Last Sunday night, Australian actress Cate Blanchett earned her second Oscar for playing a DuBois-inspired character in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine. While Jasmine (Blanchett) is no Southern belle, she does suffer from similar delusions with that of Blanche Dubois.

The film opens with Jasmine flying into a San Francisco airport to spend time with her sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins). During the long flight, Jasmine annoys the people around her with constant chattering. We learn that the selfabsorbed Jasmine was once married to a Bernie Madoff-like character, Hal (Alec Baldwin), a successful money manager. Being a trophy wife, Jasmine lives a charmed life in the Hamptons, while ignoring Hal’s indiscretions.

Blue Jasmine shares DNA with A Streetcar named Desire. In a way, the travails of Blue Jasmine seem to be the back story of DuBois. After enjoying the debutante’s life for so long, both women’s fall from grace is tragic to watch.

While his family scandals from 21 years ago are still vivid, there is no denying that Woody Allen is a very literate filmmaker. When inspired by the literary masters. Woody Allen’s humor is at its sharpest … with films like Hannah and her Sisters influenced by Chekhov’s 3 Sisters and Crimes and Misdemeanors influenced by Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment …

The Woody Allen ensemble of New York actors (Alec Baldwin, Bobby Carnvale) are appropriately cast. Best Supporting actress nominee Sally Hawkins provides the most transitional performance as Jasmine’s sister. Yet, Blue Jasmine is Cate Blanchett’s movie from beginning to end. Jasmine is an unlikeable character, but Blanchett creates a unique sympathy for the fallen woman.

Oscar season is now officially concluded, but a new season has begun. The Miami International Film Festival opens this weekend with 100 films from 40 countries. Of note, the 2013 Oscar winner for best documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom, premiered at the Miami International Film Festival last year.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

August Osage County is your typical Hollywood contender for an academy award. It features serious award-winning actors like Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Chris Cooper. The story is based on a Pulitzer Award-winning play and it has the Weinstein Brothers marketing machine behind it. The film is finely directed by John Wells with an emphasis on symbolic cinematography, contrasting the beautiful landscapes of Oklahoma with the spider’s lair of the Weston Family.

We are introduced to Pa Weston (Sam Shepard), who has hired a caregiver. Pa disappears and Ma (Streep) summons her family. With children portrayed by Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis and Julianne Nicholson, one can expect shouting matches around the subjects of drug abuse, suicide and incest. In between this dysfunctional family feud, this film features moments of comedy and laughter.

The problem is that it does not feel like a slice of life. For all of its technical beauty, it’s an ugly film to watch. Streep and Roberts reveal their inner barnacles and give excellent, but disturbing, performances.

Disturbing best describes the ensemble cast in Dallas Buyers Club. Directed by Jean- Marc Vallee, this film features extreme close-ups of the AIDS epidemic from the perspective of both patient and caregiver. Yet given its gloomy premise, it has many redemptive moments.

Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) is a roughhousing rodeo cowboy. After an orgy, Ron contracts the HIV virus and is given 30 days to live. During this month, he runs afoul the medical community and dislikes being associated with the homosexual community. When he survives past his original death sentence, he challenges the medical community when he learns about AZT – a drug that can postpone full blown AIDS. McConaughey gives the performance of his career and is likely to take home an Oscar Sunday night.

Dallas Buyers Club and August Osage County are performance- driven movies with the best actors of the age.

For 31 days, Turner Classic Movies has been presenting Oscar-nominated and winning films from the previous 85 years. Given the distance of time, one can see that performances can become outdated. Though Oscar-nominated, Sir Laurence Olivier gave an unintentionally comic performance as Othello complete in blackface minstrel. How I wish I caught James Earl Jones’ performance in Othello at Parker Playhouse 30 years ago. Christopher Plummer, who portrayed Iago in that stage production, will be honored at the Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), which begins March 7. Mike Myers, Shirley MacLaine, John Turturro and Andy Garcia are expected to attend.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

With Black History month wrapping up and the Academy Awards looming, 12 Years a Slave is the film to see. With 9 Oscar nominations and a Golden Globe winner for Best Picture in Drama, this film is a wellcrafted motion picture that stands side by side with previous Best Picture Oscar winners like Gandhi, Schindler’s List and All Quiet on the Western Front. Like the previous mentioned winners, 12 Years a Slave will not invite repeat viewings — one viewing is enough to make this film memorable.

The title speaks for itself. It is based on the autobiography written and published by Solomon Northup before the Civil War. Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a black musician from New England who is kidnapped and sold into slavery on a Southern Plantation. In his 12 years as a slave, Northup is sold by conniving rat (Paul Giamatti), brutalized by an entitled rich kid (Paul Dano) and performs brutal acts under the orders of an alcoholic overseer (Michael Fassbender). Yet Northup is given moments of beautiful grace from a fellow slave (Lupita Nyong’o), while learning Christian values from Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) and practical carpentry from Bass (Brad Pitt).

Director Steve McQueen (no relation to the actor who died 34 years ago) has created a human motion picture with brilliant artistic and technical detail. McQueen takes his time to let the story unfold. He fills scenes with shot composition inspired by Old World Master Painter Francisco Goya, scenes that are brutal and beautiful at the same time. The Hans Zimmer musical score is not intrusive, yet will lead people to an appreciation for acoustic music, especially bluegrass, blues and gospel.

Win or lose the Oscar race, 12 Years a Slave is one of the best pictures of 2013.

Based on a stage play by Neal Bell, In Secret opens tomorrow in Ft. Lauderdale and Boca Raton. The cast is an intriguing matchup between young and experienced talent. Elizabeth Olsen portrays Therese, a sexually-repressed young woman under the thumb of her husband (Tom Felton, Harry Potter’s nemesis “Draco Malfoy”) and domineering aunt (Jessica Lange, on break from American Horror Story). Set in Paris, circa 1860, Therese is besotted by Laurent (Oscar Isaac), a friend of her husband. With this kind of setup, you can guess what happens in In Secret.

On a lighter note, the UltraCon of South Florida commences this weekend at the Ft. Lauderdale Sheraton Suites at Cypress Creek. The brainchild of local comic book entrepreneur Irving Santiago, this con has invited actors from The Walking Dead, Star Trek as well as UFC Fighter Mike “the Wolverine” Rio. The demented clown duo from Orlando, Giggles & Thug, also plan to terrorize Cypress Creek this weekend.

By Dave Montalbano

www.cinemadave.livejournal.com

The Jewish Holocaust was the primary theme of two recently-released motion pictures, Aftermath and The Last of the Unjust. When Comedy Went to School takes a look at the lighter side of Jewish Culture, proving the old adage that “living well is the best revenge.”

This documentary features some of the most influential comedians of the 20th Century: Sid Caesar, Jerry Lewis, Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen and Jerry Seinfeld. Using concert footage of these comedians in their youth, the audience will receive an education in how to develop a comedy, from the set-up to the punch line.

Buried under the multi-million- dollar Oscar marketing of The Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle and Saving Mr. Banks, Lone Survivor has quietly broken the $100 million threshold at the box office. Based on the New York Times nonfiction best seller, Lone Survivor made my Top 10 list for presenting an epic, yet human, movie within a twohour time frame.

In the summer of 2005, Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg) and his Navy SEALs team accept the assignment to eliminate al Qaeda leader Ahmad Shah in the mountains of Afghanistan. During the mission, the special forces team runs into mountain herders, who may, or may not be, sympathetic to the al Qaeda leadership. Caught in the crosshairs of choosing survival or following the rules of engagement set in motion by Washington politicians, the team makes a choice that ultimately leads to tragedy. (One of the SEALs who died, James Suh, was a Deerfield High graduate.)

Watching what happens to the team is a teeth-grinding experience. Yet, in the midst of the brutality, you will see moments of grace from our brave military volunteers, as well of Afghan Muslim leaders whose code of honor is mightier than the iron command of al Qaeda.

With the exception of a few technical awards, it is too bad that Lone Survivor is being ignored by the Academy Awards this year. It is truly one of the best motion pictures released in 2013.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

The Last of the Unjust opens tomorrow. It is an almost four-hour interview conducted in German with English subtitles about “Theresienstadt,” Adolph Eichmann’s plan for the “Jewish Ghetto” in Germany during World War II. If you long for an in-depth interview from a wise old man who experienced both horror and compassion first hand, then The Last of the Unjust is the film for you.

The central figure is Benjamin Murmelstein, the last Elder of the Theresienstadt Jewish Council. For six years, Murmelstein negotiated with Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann for the survival of the Jewish people. As Hitler increased the extermination of the Jewish people with the Final Solution, Murmelstein witnessed the lynching of his kinsmen in the courtyard of Theresienstadt.

The film is too long for its own good, with many lingering shots of European modern architecture. Critics have condemned Murmelstein’s deadpan delivery about the horrors he witnessed. Yet, if you take time to watch the film, you will be rewarded by a pure intellectual experience. By not wearing his heart on his sleeve, Murmelstein’s stoic delivery enhances his eyewitness testimony.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Sixty-nine years ago this week, the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated. As that generation of survivors leave us, the responsibility of this brutal history falls upon future generations. Filmed in Poland with English subtitles, After math (Poklosie) tackles this theme about generational responsibility to the truth.

After making a living in Chicago for 20 years, Franc (Ireneusz Czop) the prodigal brother returns to his hometown in Poland. His brother, Jozek (Maciej

Stuhr) has stayed behind, buried their parents and maintained the farm. Feeling guilty for being away, Franc notes the strange behavior between the village people and Jozek.

Aftermath unravels like a good mystery, enhanced by writer/ director Wladyslaw Pasikowski’s concise direction and clear cinematography. The revelation is horrifying and personal, but is a worthy climax, guaranteed to inspire discussion. Aftermath opens tomorrow in local theaters.

Saving Mr. Banks wraps up its theatrical run shortly with a lukewarm box office. A muchanticipated Christmas Day release, this film has been a disappointment on the awards circuit, with Emma Thompson garnering most notice for her work as P.L. Travers, the author of the children’s classic Mary Poppins.

For almost three decades, Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) attempted to produce Mary Poppins as a piece of cinema for his daughters, but P.L. Travers did not want to see her books be corrupted. Facing financial difficulties, Travers finally relents and flies to California to workshop Mary Poppins. With her nose high in the air, Travers creates continuous obstacles for the Walt Disney Imagineers. Underneath her frosty exterior, lies the pain of Travers’ tragic childhood.

Saving Mr. Banks is a film full of historical and subtle details. Given that Walt Disney died of lung cancer, he is introduced in the film with an offstage cough, later he is caught smoking a cigarette. During one dramatic scene in his office, a map of Florida is seen in the background with little flags placed around the Orlando region.

Twenty-two years ago, my buddy Bonnie took her daughters to go see Turner & Hooch, only to traumatized by the ending of this Tom Hanks movie. She told me that Saving Mr. Banks sabotaged her original feelings for Mary Poppins, which means that Aftermath would be too intense for her. However if one is seeking pure drama as an alternative to this Super Bowl weekend, then Saving Mr. Banks & Aftermath will provide a fine diversion.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

When I was 16, I watched the Steven Spielberg all-star comedy 1941 twice, awed by the impressive visuals and John Williams musical score. I implored my surrogate grandfather, Ed Herma, to see this movie. His response was something like, “What would John Belushi and his friends know about World War II?” Now that I am member of the Half Century Club, I think about Ed Herma’s words when I watch movies from my personal history, most notably American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street.

Both films are dominating the awards’ circuit this season. Both are revisionist history, both contain appropriate soundtracks of forgotten songs and both films are entertaining, if a bit long for their own good.

American Hustle opens with our protagonist (really can’t call him a hero) Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) tending to his comb-over. With government agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) and girlfriend Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), Rosenfeld is participating in a sting operation to bring down New Jersey politicians. Eventually, the list of suspects grows bigger and bigger and includes fake Arab sheiks, organized crime lords and members of the 96th session of the United States Congress.

“Some of this actually happened” are the opening words of writer/director David O. Russell’s current opus. Russell recruits actors from his previous award-winning features (The Fighter –Adams, Bale, Silver Linings Playbook – Cooper, Lawrence) and creates a refreshing homage to the malaise of the Carter Administration. American Hustle is not about the facts, but contains truthful moments about 1978, from the hairy chested machismo influence of Burt Reynolds to psychological revelations inspired by Dr. Wayne Dyer.

The Wolf of Wall Street feels like the spiritual continuation of American Hustle, only with more in-your-face-decadence directed by Martin Scorsese. We see the rise of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a stock broker who makes a fortune selling penny stocks to naive investors. With each financial success, Belfort descends into spiritual decline so symbolic of the exuberance of the roaring ‘90s.

This film is fascinating, with plenty of debauchery. DiCaprio played a similar role in The Great Gatsby, but, this time, the actor performs slapstick in a scene worthy of Jerry Lewis or Jim Carrey. As one of Belfort’s wives, unknown Margot Robbie shines in an ensemble cast that features Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler and Jonah Hill.

Gimme Shelter opens tomorrow. Vanessa Hudgens portrays a homeless teenager who discovers she’s pregnant. Based on a true story, Hudgens is supported by Brendan Fraser, James Earl Jones and Rosario Dawson, who plays the mother-fromhell.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

The Steve Martin/Eddie Murphy film Bowfinger was my first Observer movie review 15 years ago. It was a positive review, but I noted the tepid box office and how this film would have been a bigger hit a few years prior when the duo were stronger in the box office. The same could be said about Grudge Match, the Robert DeNiro & Sylvester Stallone boxing comedy.

Despite a shaky beginning, Grudge Match is an entertaining motion picture and both actors spoof their iconic images with gravitas. The story has some depth; the ensemble cast consisting of Kevin Hart, Kim Basinger & Alan Arkin give Grudge Match a warm heart. As time has been good to Bowfinger, when it plays on TV, time will also be a friend to Grudge Match.

This weekend, the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival and Cinema Paradiso (Ft. Lauderdale and Hollywood) begin 2014 with a tribute to Keir Dullea, the actor best known as astronaut Dave Bowman from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Dullea made his film debut as a juvenile delinquent in Hoodlum Priest in 1961. Through the ‘60s, he drew critical notice for his performances in Bunny Lake is Missing and David and Lisa. In later years, Dullea could be found in motion pictures with a distinctive cult following, most notably Black Christmas, DeSade and The Good Shepherd directed by Robert DeNiro. He and his wife, Mia Dillion, often perform on the New York stage.

This Saturday, film historian Foster Hirsch will host a Q & A with Dullea, who will also receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. It is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., but double check as the times have fluctuated … 954-525- FILM or www.fliff.com.

The inaugural Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival begins Friday at the Hyatt Regency Miami with an awards ceremony held on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Oscar-winning special effects producer Dean Lyon (Lord of the Rings) will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Of the many films being shown this weekend, NI-28 Strate-1 is one to mark on the calendar. Filmed in the Pacific Island nation of New Caledonia, NI-28 Strate-1 is independent filmmaking at its best, basically a “chase” film with a dark message about the zombie apocalypse. For schedule and pricing, visit http://miscifi.com.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Top 10 films of 2013

(in reverse alphabetical order)

Still Mine

One Chance

Lone Survivor

The Lone Ranger

Gravity

Frozen

42

The Conjuring

CinemAbility

American Hustle

Honorable mention:

(These might not have been technical masterpieces, but these films had something to say…)

Wolf of Wall Street

Star Trek Into Darkness

Philomena

Metallica Through the Never

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The Great Gatsby

Flight of the Butterflies 3D

Comedy Warriors

Bianca Nieves

Before Midnight

All is Lost

2014 looks like a tentative year compared to the franchise blockbusters planned for 2015, with the release of Star Wars: Episode VII, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Avatar sequel and a James Bond movie. Yet, when the award season wraps up after the Winter Olympic Games, there will be some fascinating movies opening up (maybe not as dramatic as Florida State Seminoles Championship Game, but fascinating nonetheless).

George Clooney directs and leads an all-star cast in The Monuments Men, in which a team of soldiers rescue art from the destruction of World War II. 300: Rise of an Empire is graphic artist Frank Miller’s story about the Spartan’s ancient conflict with Persia before Jesus Christ was born. Frank Miller’s much anticipated film noir anthology, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For opens in August with most of the ensemble cast returning.

Comic books and graphic novels have proven to be reliable box office hits, with 2014 exploiting full potential. X-Men Days of Future Past combines the ensemble of actors from all six of the XMen movies. April sees Chris Evans return in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, with Robert Redford as a government liberal.

For non-comic book aficionados, Clint Eastwood steps behind the scenes to direct Jersey Boys. Based on the Broadway hit show, Jersey Boys details Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons’ rise in the music industry. Christopher Walken portrays a mobster/ mentor.

In terms of local events, the 19th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival will resume the first week in April, while Fatality Fest is scheduled to compete with the 29th Annual Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival in October. The locally-produced Fright Asylum has completed its 7th year. With founder Woody Meckes and co-host Manny Colon, I have joined Fright Asylum as a semi-regular inmate.

Reporting on films for 15 years for the Observer has been a joy that has allowed me to branch into a variety of projects in public performance and writing. Besides funding Steve Hunter’s The Manhattan Blues Project, my latest book Davy Jones & the Heart of Darkness would not have been created without the discipline of writing a column each week. This month, I have begun editing my latest book, a Christian horror novel about an aging actress, that I hope to publish this year. As long as I keep receiving positive feedback from my neighbors, I will keep writing in the South Florida community.

Thank you, dear reader, for sharing the ride.