film: review

> FALL 2006 REVIEW ROUND-UP– PART TWO
Babel, The Fountain, and Deja Vu

By John C. Lyons
Film Critic

BABEL
8/10

Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu tackles the same basic themes in Babel as in his previous works (21 Grams and Amores perros, both highly recommended); mainly the connections human beings have to one another and the effects an action or accident has on other’s lives. While showing a similar theme may yield repetitive in less capable hands, Inarritu continues to perfect the concept and create powerful, dramatic stories.

Here we find Richard and Susan (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) on a vacation in Morocco that goes bad, and we discover how it came about from all sides of the story. While a little lengthy in runtime, and with a Tokyo thread which I initially felt could have been better served as its own movie (I have since changed my opinion for the most part), Babel’s strengths lie in its powerful performances, beautiful cinematography, and well-constructed story which keeps things interesting until its final frame. If you’re looking for a strong drama full of intense performances, you can’t go wrong here.

THE FOUNTAIN
10/10

Wow. Each year there are a few movies I read about and have high expectations for, most never live up to them. The Fountain however is one of those rarities that surpassed my expectations. Darren Aronofsky, like Inarritu, is now 3 for 3 in feature films, but the difference with Aronofsky is that his films each follow very different themes.

At its core is a story of love and death between two people, spanning a thousand years, and one that I really connected with. While there are a few theories as to which versions of Tom and Izzi (Jackman and Weisz) are in the “present” and which may be metaphorical representations of themselves, there’s a lot to chew on no matter how you interpret the specifics yourself. The experience of seeing this film in the theater (which, sadly, doesn’t look like it will be shared by too many people) is one which is indescribable. There aren’t many movies made with this much thought and ambition.

Kudos to the leads for pulling off some strong, emotional work; it’s great to see Jackman especially have a chance to succeed in a different kind of role then we’re used to seeing him in. Aronofsky has proven himself as one of the great visionaries of our time and although it won’t be for everyone, as the polarized critical response proves, those open to a unique treat for both the mind and the eye shouldn’t be disappointed. In my opinion, it doesn’t get any better than this.

DEJA VU
7/10

When Denzel Washington re-teamed with director Tony Scott in 2004’s Man on Fire, it was a perfect match for the material. Scott’s adrenalized-style and Washington’s intensity meant a solid couple of entertaining hours for us. So what happened with Déjà Vu?

The film isn’t a bomb by any means, but it all feels very pedestrian compared to Scott’s last couple films. The concept is decent on paper (an ATF agent goes back in time to try and prevent a disaster), and the cast is pretty good, but a lot of the supporters (Val Kilmer) and opportunities the story provides seem wasted on trying to make it a typical action film. When there’s a hole in the plot they seem to sneak right on past it (how’s that laser pointer work again?) relying on Denzel throwing something or smashing through traffic without a care (ok, so you’re going to save the woman, but how many other people are you running over in the process?)

Overall I was pretty disappointed. And in the end I keep thinking maybe Scott and Washington weren’t the right people for this project. Hopefully if and when they team-up again the material carries a bit more weight so they can stretch their creative legs a bit more.

I saw these films at Cinemark’s Tinseltown 17 Theatres on Peach Street in Erie, PA.

(06-1208)