The art of the Art-House

(Part 1)

What I love most of all in New York City – or pretty much any US metropolitan – is not the Statue of Liberty, not Central Park, not the museums, not Broadway, not Time Square, but the little art-houses scattered throughout Manhattan. These art-houses, ambiguous to the regular moviegoer but very distinct and common for an art-film addict, only play indies, foreign films, and pretty much anything with subtitles and a low budget. Now, every time I have a chance to catch something at the local art-house, I go for it, skipping The Matrix Reloaded, playing on every screen at the mall’s multiplex, for, say, The Human Stain, playing on only one screen.

When I get home to the Philippines, with a sense of inconspicuous naïveté, I wait for those art films to be released here: I wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, till I am convinced they’ll never get here. Besides, the only time art films and indies get to be remotely seen by the Philippine audience is either when a film festival is held, if it earns a surprisingly huge amount in the US (i.e. My Big Fat Greek Wedding and The Blair Witch Project), or when it’s shown in Greenbelt 1’s ArtFilm Theater, a place in desperate need of a renovation or relocation (to the Greenbelt 3 cinemas, so the film may be seen by a more mainstream audience in a better – and cleaner – theater). And after all this waiting, two (Veronica Guerin and Whale Rider) of these films have been shown in this country, but today, I’m reviewing three art films and/or indies and/or foreign films, three that are some of the most high-profile of their kind (one’s produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, one received an Oscar nom, one stars two Oscar winners and its director has won three), and have been waiting to be reviewed for at maximum, a little more than a year. Also, this is the first of two parts; in two weeks, I’ll be releasing part deux, in which I’ll be reviewing five others.

Veronica Guerin

In 1996, Irish journalist Veronica Guerin was murdered in her car while waiting for the green light. But before her assassination, Guerin (played magnificently by Cate Blanchett) was already in the headlines; she had been attempting to expose the drug lords of Dublin’s crime underworld, investigating in slums and run-down tenements for answers.

Released in 2003 (I named it the 10th Best Film of 2003), Veronica Guerin is an incredibly powerful biopic of an incredibly powerful woman, a woman that gave up her life for the illumination of truth and is now considered a national heroine. The film also succeeds in showing the audience what a courageous, strong person Guerin was, and in return, you’ll end up admiring her. But it’s Cate Blanchett’s explosive, striking tour de force performance that tops this Joel Schumacher-directed film; her Meryl Streepian ability to immerse – and ultimately, transform – herself into her role is remarkable. This Jerry Bruckheimer production may not have his signature visual effects, but is his best film yet.

Bottom Line: Powerful and moving, Veronica Guerin is an amazing achievement for the astonishing Cate Blanchett.

Grade: A-

Whale Rider

Based on the novel by Witi Ihimaera, Whale Rider stars then 11-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes in her Oscar nominated role (she’s the youngest Best Actress nominee ever at 13) as Pai, a little girl born into the patriarchal Maori tribe of New Zealand. Even though Pai is the next heir as the new chief of her tribe, her grandfather, Koro (Rawiri Paratene), chooses to follow tradition and pick a male leader. Frustrated, Pai sets off to prove to her grandfather – and her tribe – that she has what it takes to lead her tribe.

Juxtaposing ancient Maori tradition with the ubiquitous "girl power" themes of the new millennium, Whale Rider is a heartwarming, uplifting tale of a determined little girl defying the odds. Writer-director Niki Caro is able to create a cast of layered, flawed characters full of depth and emotion, and her dialogue laced with subtle poignancy. But just as in Veronica Guerin, it’s the female lead’s stunning performance that steals the entire production. Castle-Hughes, though youthful, has a quality of cinematic maturity that transcends mediums; although her Oscar nomination was a complete shock, it wasn’t undeserved, and her performance in Whale Rider promises something even bigger for her in the future.

Bottom Line: Whale Rider is a heartwarming, stirring celebration of the girl power spirit that will leave you cheering in your seat even as the credits roll.

Grade: A-

The Human Stain

Though The Human Stain is set in 1998, in the midst of the Clinton-Lewinsky sex scandal, the titular "stain" has nothing to do with Monica’s infamous blue dress from the Gap. Based on Philip Roth’s novel, Stain follows Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins), a white African-American college professor who has always kept his past a secret. But when he calls two black students "spooks," and is interpreted out of context, he gets entangled in a racial controversy that gets even worse with the sudden death of his wife. Longing for a place of solace amidst trouble, Coleman befriends Nathan (Gary Sinise), a writer’s block-ridden author, and begins a torrid affair with Faunia (Nicole Kidman), a local cleaning lady half his age.

Oscar-winning director Robert Benton (Kramer vs. Kramer) deserves praise for being able to adapt Roth’s novel, once thought un-filmable. The Human Stain is emotionally literate, thanks to Nicholas Meyer’s contemplative, thoughtful screenplay and the leads’ brilliant performances. Hopkins portrays Coleman with a relentless surge of powerful vitality, and Kidman, in a role perfectly suited for her, gives a performance showcasing the emotional fragility of her character. Supporting players also do well: Sinise is skilled, but it is Ed Harris who gives the explosive, scorching performance as Faunia’s volatile ex.

Bottom Line: The Human Stain is a film that is well-acted, intelligent, and erotic, though ultimately forgettable.

Grade: B+

To Do List

Movies • Watch Spider-Man 2. Though I disliked the first and have no great expectations for its sequel, I believe it’s still required viewing as a pop cultural cornerstone rather than an actual good film; however, my mind is still open for at least a good time (remember how surprisingly fantastic X2: X-Men United was?).

•Watch Kill Bill, Volume 2. Released July 7th, Volume 2 of Quentin Tarantino’s epic splatter opera is even better than its first half, and considering how inconceivably thrilling Volume 1 was, that already is a great achievement.

TV

• Watch the series finale of Buffy The Vampire Slayer on Studio 23. After six season of dusting vamps in the streets and graveyards of Sunnydale, Buffy ends with a bang in one of the best series finales ever on television: a sad yet satisfying ending to one of TV’s most revolutionizing series. It will be shown on July 5th, Monday, at 8 p.m.

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For comments, e-mail me at lanz_gryffindor@yahoo.com.