doubt

Milk
$19.98
Senator Dianne Feinstein has distanced herself from "Milk", stating publicly that she did not even intend to see the film. This struck me as an odd attitude since she was present when the murders of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were committed in City Hall and shortly afterwards the ex-Supervisor Dan White turned himself in and was arrested. Perhaps Feinstein did not want to re-live that period in her life which must have been painful and perhaps a little embarrassing. (The fact is she was the President of the Board of Supervisors at the time, and the up-and-coming White was her prot���g���.) At any rate, the movie pretty much ignores her presence: she is seen in the genuine newsreel at the beginning, announcing the deaths to a stunned congregation, and there's a couple of "Hello, Diannes"s to an off-screen personage. (In the Board of Supervisors sequence, she's just a blur in the background.) Then again it could be that Feinstein had an inkling of how superficial and misleading the tragedy was going to be presented on the screen and decided she wanted to stay as far away as possible. The problem is not just Dustin Lance Black's screenplay, though that is certainly problematic, but the unfortunate choice of director. With all the good directors working today (Peter Jackson, Antonia Bird, et al), why in the name of Griffith did the umpsteen producers hand this project over to the shallow Gus van Sant, unless they were certain of a predisposed audience and so the directorial talent didn't really matter. At least a competent director could have made the material seem a little less trivial. Of course, Harvey Milk has become a cult hero in the Castro (and this is a Seventies Castro that Randy Shilts would barely have recognized: there's one brief interior shot of a bar) and therefore Milk's character has been somewhat softened. The lover who committed suicide is played on the screen like a dithering neurotic, whereas at the time he was seen as a very dependent person who just couldn't deal with Milk's cold indifference. (Also at the time Senator Briggs was asked for a comment on the suicide and issued a very humane statement, a sympathetic note that this screenplay has censored.) Later in the film when Milk is projecting his "outing" campaign one of his colleagues brings up the right to privacy and Milk's response is "Privacy is the enemy". Is this suppose to be praiseworthy? It sounds dangerously close to demagoguery. (In fact, at one point Moscone asks "Do you know who you sound like? Boss Tweed!") The truth is Milk must have been a very scary specter to a mentality like Dan White, a narrow man with the anxiety of his convictions. The film's moods, bolstered by the type of biopic music that's usually described as "soaring", fluctuate between murky (Milk is suppose to have some sort of affinity with "Tosca") to maudlin (Milk gives hope to a wheelchair-bound boy right out of Leo McCarey), but the climax is revisional history at its worst. White, of course, could not pass the City Hall's main entrance metal detector with a pistol in his pocket. In real life White rapped on one of the basement windows, told a building inspector who he was and that he had misplaced his keys, and the building inspector opened the window and let him in. This discomforting bit of history has been "forgotten" over the decades, but there it is on the front page of the San Francisco Examiner dated November 28 1978. In the movie version White simply pushes open the unlocked window and enters, talking fast when he's challenged by a City Hall employee. I suspect the film crew was allowed to do location work at City Hall with the official stipulation "Don't make us look bad!". Unfortunately, there's a great deal in "Milk" that looks bad. Probably the film was meant to be an epic of inspiration; but, like the Castro itself, this is just a big show with very little substance.

Doubt
$29.99
As with all art forms, the perspective bought into the mix totally defines the impact. This was an excellent screen adaptation of the award-winning play by director, John Patrick Shanley which ultimately resulted in a uniquely liberating, somewhat painful, yet truly thought-provoking viewing experience. Kudos goes to the principal players, Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis and Joseph Foster, all of whom gave wrenching award-worthy performances.

The story is set in the mid-sixties, not long after the assassination of JFK. A Catholic school in the Bronx accepts its first black student, Donald Miller, beautifully portrayed by Joseph Foster. The priest, wonderfully realized by Phillip Seyour Hoffman, is truly empathetic and realizing what a struggle it must be for the student, keeps an eye on him to make sure he adjusts well to this new and very intricate situation. Because of his attention, one sister, a very effective Amy Adams, initially becomes slightly suspicious of his motives and, unfortunately, reports her suspicions to the principal, an exceedingly pedagogical nun, exquisitely played by Meryl Streep. She, of course, confronts the priest with her suspicions which he vehemently denies and she steadfastly refuses to believe. She even confronts the boy's mother, portrayed by Viola Davis who gives a wrenching performance. The encounter between these two is as taut and revealing as those between the accusing nun and the outraged priest. The overall dialogue is crisp, biting, poignant and positively riveting.

Certain aspects of this whole scenario evoked poignant memories making it rather easy for me to relate to. Moreover, certain revelations the mother made to the nun re the boy's home life raised VERY serious questions. These questions will be at the focal point of any discussions about the play for the simple reason the author wisely neither confirmed or denied those suspicions which, obviously, was pivotal to the whole theme. Any "doubts" you find yourself faced with while watching this further fuels the profound impact the film makes because in the final analysis, it will be up to the viewer to draw his/her own conclusions - as well it should be. The ending is little short of devastating.

With such a riveting and important play being realized by a positively flawless cast, this could hardly miss. Just eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeescellent. I hiiiiiiiiihgly recommend!!!!

The Reader
$19.95
Twenty and more years since a young and illiterate woman was an SS guard,
she is put on trial. Christianity is the basis of most western morality
that has become law, but forgiving people hasn't made it past the 2000
years of civilization since Jesus? Did this woman take advantage of the 15 year old boy
or did he take advantage of her? When he held the key to her
being delivered from an unjust prison sentence, he withheld the knowledge he had
because it would have brought out his shame?
Who were the victims, those who died a relatively quick death
in the camps or the people who had to live long lives knowing what they had done?
This film makes more questions than can be answered.
One mad monster of a man drove a nation to inhumanity
with his speeches and millions of Jews died as a result.
I think maybe that taking revenge on guards in the camps
is not a Christian act, even if entirely legal.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
$29.98
I did not expect much from this movie. Mostly because it stars Jesse Metcalfe and Amber Tamblyn. Amber is ok but Jesse Metcalfe clearly needs some more practice. He's so emotionless. This movie would have been even better if he were replaced with a better actor. Sorry, but the guy needs work. I was definately wrong about the film though. This is actually a pretty good film. It's about this reporter that decides to frame himself for murder so he can expose the dirty D.A. played by the great Micheal Douglas. This movie has a really strong script. I don't think anyone with common sense would frame themselves for murder but this movie had me going. It also has this surprise ending that will make your jaw hit the floor. I would definately rent this one. If you can find it cheap on DVD it might even be worth buying. Decent actors,good story, and a surprise ending, you can't ask for much more than that. At least not from a straight to dvd movie. HOLLA