Reviews

The Astronaut Farmer

For all their idiosyncracies, the Polish Brothers are compelling image makers. With stories pitched somewhere between small town Americana and the netherworld, their films (so far) are never boring or labored. While the stories themselves may seem far-fetched- i.e. twin brothers attached at the hip looking for love in a dank hotel in "Twin Falls Idaho" or a Montana town on the brink of extinction due to an impending dam project in "Northfork"- they make for beautiful pictures. "The Astronaut Farmer" is no different, and sadly, that's its greatest weakness. While all of the Polish Brother films examine dying dreams of ordinary small town people, the characters in "The Astronaut Farmer" are far more commercially structured and less interesting than, say, the six excavation experts who ride into "Northfork" and discover this is a town that's too small for its own roots and commonly stands in as a stomping ground for various angels (yes, you read that right!) Decked out in black suits and raincoats, the experts feel more like angels of death than human beings. There's a sense of that governmental distrust in "The Astronaut Farmer" as well, in the visage of Jon Gries and Mark Polish, two FBI men sent to Story, Texas to keep tabs on Charles Farmer (Thornton) because he's threatening to launch a rocket from his barn. When we first see the FBI men, their shadows are cascaded against a yellow sky, and the Polish Brothers are again lamenting the fact that anyone who dares to oppose their dream maker is obviously evil incarnate. But the metaphorical images surrounding these two soon subsides, and actors Gries and Polish become the most entertaining aspect of the film. Like the character Gries inhabited in "Jackpot" and the entire cast of "Northfork", simply waiting and passing time becomes his only objective. The remainder of "The Astronaut Farmer" deals with the tensions and questions as to whether Farmer (a man with a degree in aero space engineering and a dark past to boot) will overcome the naysayers, feed off the unending hope of his picture perfect family (lucky bastard, married to Virgina Madsen) and truly venture into space. Let's just say the idea and uncertainty of the Polish Brother's first hour doesn't compare to the final one. After all, its a film full of nice images, but when the story begins to turn literal, it loses some of its Americana mysticism and turns into a 'gee-shucks' feel good story. Less is certainly more.

The Lives of Others

The newest addition to the slate of Oscar Foreign film winners is Florian Henckel von Donnersmark’s “The Lives of Others”. Sort of a German companion piece to Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 masterpiece “The Conversation”, both films feature an obsessive surveillance expert whose life is drastically altered after identifying with the very people he’s supposed to be gathering intelligence on. There’s even a scene towards the climax of “The Lives of Others” in which a man tears apart his residence and discovers the tiny ears that had been listening to his life play out for many years. And while “The Lives of Others” is certainly more upbeat about its denouement than the paranoid air hanging over Coppola’s closing moments, von Donnersmark’s film is still a finely crafted and well intentioned piece of filmmaking that sustains emotion and intelligence for all of it’s two hour plus running time. In the guise of a political thriller, director Donnersmark has created a small epic that deals with the emotional fissures that must exist within an oppressive regime- both on the civilian side and the governmental. While a few of the East German superiors are shown as militant shadows broadly dishing out evil, there are even more figures who are drawn in naturalistic and humanistic ways. Georg’s progression from good boy socialist to small-time dissenter is handled with care and all of the film’s secondary characters breathe life into their roles as members of the artistic community. And the film’s main cipher, Weisel, is given some great little moments as his humanity begins to shine outward from behind the mounds of electronic equipment placed around him. And through all of this, it’s a pretty damn good suspense film as well, especially in the way “The Lives of Others” gives us glimpses into interrogation techniques and the art of spying. It’s clear that Donnersmark is making a political statement, but he makes it so convincingly in such a well crafted form, that his film doesn’t feel like a statement. It’s good entertainment with a clear message- and wholly deserving of its recent Oscar.

Breach

Don't go into "Breach" expecting fireworks and international intrigue. Instead, director Billy Ray fashions a talky and quiet character drama that takes place within non-descript offices and features low-key but effecting performances from Ryan Phillipe as the FBI officer sent inside the agency to 'unmole' agent Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper). Based on recent events that took place in 2001, director Ray has become the poster boy for designing films that emphasize the procedural actions behind the uncovering of dishonest actions and scandals. His 2001 film called "Shattered Glass", explored similar themes in much the same matter-of-fact manner, detailing the unmasking of a New Republic writer (played by Hayden Christiansen) who falsified many of his stories. While the stakes are much higher in "Breach", it's clear that Ray is much more interested in the bureaucratic rather than the explosive. And there's nothing wrong with that. "Breach" would make a great double-feature with "The Good Shepherd", another recent spy thriller that eschews action for intelligence. Both of these films feel right at home with the 70's thrillers of Alan J. Pakula or Sidney Lumet, and that alone should be worth the price of admission. Don't go into "Breach" expecting fireworks and international intrigue. Instead, director Billy Ray fashions a talky and quiet character drama that takes place within non-descript offices and features low-key but effecting performances from Ryan Phillipe as the FBI officer sent inside the agency to 'unmole' agent Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper). Based on recent events that took place in 2001, director Ray has become the poster boy for designing films that emphasize the procedural actions behind the uncovering of dishonest actions and scandals. His 2001 film called "Shattered Glass", explored similar themes in much the same matter-of-fact manner, detailing the unmasking of a New Republic writer (played by Hayden Christiansen) who falsified many of his stories. While the stakes are much higher in "Breach", it's clear that Ray is much more interested in the bureaucratic rather than the explosive. And there's nothing wrong with that. "Breach" would make a great double-feature with "The Good Shepherd", another recent spy thriller that eschews action for intelligence. Both of these films feel right at home with the 70's thrillers of Alan J. Pakula or Sidney Lumet, and that alone should be worth the price of admission.


These reviews are excerpts from writings that can be read in full here at TalkingMoviezzz.com