Elegy

Elegy is a perfect example of the acting excellence that Sir Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz exude time and again. I am more and more impressed each time I see them. Take a look...





An adaptation of the novel The Dying Animal by Philip Roth, it does not stay particularly true to form but that is not a bad thing here. Essentially, this movie is about an aging college professor with a fear of commitment, and basically a fear of getting old. Sir Ben was perfect for the part. There are but a few "older" actors that could pull off the womanizer successfully and he is one of them.

His life is turned upside down when he falls for one of his students, the always stunning Ms. Cruz. I have gushed time and again about her, and I won't be shy to do it again. She is an absolute gem of a talent. Amazing skills and simply beautiful to look at. She is fresh off a win for Best Supporting Actress in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, but I strongly believe that this was a stronger performance. Perhaps this release was delayed as to not interfere with her run?

Dennis Hopper also makes an appearance as Kingsley's best friend and fellow womanizer. I've always liked Hopper, and he does do a pretty good job with this but I just don't see him in that role. No matter, as this was all about Kingsley and Cruz.

The movie can be summed up in a number of ways, and I would imagine that a woman's point of view will be much different than the man's here. Big surprise, right? It's ironic, perhaps sleazy, sometimes sentimental, but always poignant. It's a good look into the mind of an aging man. I recommend giving this one a watch. It's a pace that is slow at times, but it's one of those rewarding journeys that should be savored. 4 stars.

A quick shout out to the Class of '89 from MHS. It was really good seeing everyone. And to Petros, TJ, Louise, and anyone else out there reading me from time to time, a big THANKS! Hit that little comment button below and leave me a note about what you think.

Apocalypse Now Redux

It seems a bit odd to review a movie that is about 30 years old. But what the heck, why not? Apocalypse Now is a ground breaker.

It deserves another look from time to time, and the Redux version deserves a viewing as well. It seems daunting at a running time of 3 hours and 15 minutes but it moves quickly.





A star studded cast directed by Francis Ford Coppola broke down all kinds of barriers and changed the way war movies were made. However, this isn't really a war movie. It's a story about a Captain, played by Martin Sheen, who is sent on a dangerous mission into Cambodia to kill a renegade officer during the Vietnam War.

Did I mention how much Martin Sheen looked like Charlie Sheen? My goodness it was scary to watch. It was as if I was watching Charlie in Platoon.

The renegade officer is played by Marlon Brando but the amazing cast does not stop there. Laurence Fishburne, Harrison Ford, Dennis Hopper, and Scott Glenn all take their turns wowing the viewer.

As I mentioned this is a great film and it has the awards to prove it. The problem you are likely to have is that if you are watching this for the first time you will feel as if you have already seen it. And you have. It's the most copied war movie of all time.

My only problem with the film is the final 30 minutes. You will go through about 2 hours and 45 minutes of fabulous work. But the ending is something out of a hallucination. It just does not make sense to me and quite simply, does not work at all.

I don't want to dive into it and spoil it but I would love to hear some thoughts.

This is a must see for any war movie buff.

4 stars. I just couldn't go for a 5 with that ending.