Reviews (48)

One Good Cop
When I bought my first DVD player a number of years ago, Cop Land was one of the films that, I thought about buying right off the bat. I was disappointed though, to discover there were no bonus features on the disc, and I didn't get it. Back then, my rule was simple: no bonus material-no purchase. After a long wait, a special edition for the film, is finally here.

Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone) is the sheriff of a place everyone calls "Cop Land"-a small and seemingly peaceful town populated by the big-city police officers he's always admired. Yet something ugly is taking place below the surface. The sheriff is shocked when he uncovers a large and deadly conspiracy among these local residents. He doesn't know who to trust. Gary Figgis (Ray Liotta) and Ray Donlan (Harvey Keitel) try to persuade Heflin that he is wrong. Soon though, he is forced to take action and make the difficult choice between protecting his own and enforcing the law, as Lt. Tilden (Robert De Niro), an Internal Affairs officer, arrives to begin an investigation of his own.

Writer/director James Mangold assembled a top notch cast that can't be beat. Stallone rises to the challenge and gives his best performance since the original Rocky flick--no really, it's that good. The drama and situations are very real. No over the top, super hero heroics are to be had. It's gritty reality is heightened for me even more, due to Mangold's use of many familiar North Jersey locales, as the story's backdrop.

The DVD showcases a 116-minute "Director's Cut" of film. In this cut, 11 minutes of footage is reinserted, not part of the original theatrical version. For the most part, these scenes are rich in character bits and advance the plot only slightly. Still, the 11 minutes are worthwhile. The audio commentary track from Mangold, producer Cathy Konrad, cast members Stallone and Robert Patrick is a solid one, filled with great insight on how the film came together. Aside from the 11 minutes of inserted scenes, there are a few additional deleted scenes complete with opitional commentary from Mangold, about the editing choices he made. The film's climatic shootout and its corresponding storyboards are detailed for viewers. Pretty cool. Rounding out the bonus material is a featurette called "The Making of an Urban Western" All I'll say is the commentary is better.

The special edition of Cop Land is recommended. And it's worth a re-purchase if you already own the movie only disc. ****1/2 stars.

A memorable movie with an even more memorable cast !
The movie Cop Land combines long lost talent in its leading star, Sylvester Stallone; top notch performances from its supporting cast, Ray Liotta, Robert Deniro, Harvey Keitel, and Annabella Sciorra; wonderful cinematography by Eric Edwards; and brilliant direction of James Mangold who later went on to direct such hits as Kate And Leopold, Identity, and Girl Interrupted.

Cop Land is a fictional tale of crime and corruption in a city run and occupied by New York's unfinest cops. Stallone pulls it off excellently as the city's overweight sherrif, Freddie Heflin, who couldn't get into to the force on account of his deaf ear. When the police force covers up a cop shooting that leaves two innocent men dead and stages a hero story, its up to Sherrif Heflin to reveal the truth and bring order to the city known to everybody as Cop Land.

The movie features an outstanding performance by Robert Deniro as an FBI agent trying to uncover the deceptions and opens Heflin's eyes to the corruption around him.

A memorable film with an even more memorable ensemble cast.

Underrated
Great little movie. Amazing cast, great performances. Nicely underplayed. Will be curiuos to see the directors cut with 11 extra minutes added.

A solid cop thriller in the tradition of Sidney Lumet
Cop Land is a homage to police corruption films like Sidney Lumet's Serpico and Prince of the City. In many respects, Cop Land is also a modern western, complete with a High Noon-style showdown. Miramax previously released this film on a movie-only DVD. This new version is a huge improvement but is it worth the upgrade?

Definitely.

"Cop Land: The Making of an Urban Western" is an excellent retrospective featurette. Stallone to be interested in the role but the actor wanted to something different, to go back to his starving actor roots. After him, came De Niro and then everyone else followed.

Next, there is a "Storyboard Comparison" that allows one to watch part of the film's climatic shoot-out simultaneously with the storyboards for it.

There are two deleted scenes with optional commentary.

Rounding out the extras is a solid audio commentary with director James Mangold, producer Cathy Konrad and actors Sylvester Stallone and Robert Patrick. Not surprisingly, Mangold and Stallone dominate this track. Stallone comes across as a very humble and gracious guy. Mangold keeps everyone talking, acting as an informal moderator and asking everyone questions. This is a really good track and definitely worth a listen if you're a fan of this movie.

Cop Land features a killer cast and allows them to flex their acting chops with a top-notch screenplay. This DVD is a definite improvement over the previous bare bones edition and is worth the upgrade. Miramax has finally done this film justice with an excellent special edition.

SLY IS THE BEST!!!!
I AM A HUGE SLY FAN EVER SINCE I WAS A KID, ANY FILM SLY MAKES I MUST SEE WEATHER IT BE SPY KIDS 3 OR THE NEW MOVIE "SHADE" I HAVE TO SEE IT IF SLY IS IN IT. COPLAND IS A WONDERFUL MOVIE AND WHAT IT DID WAS INTREST ME TO BE A DEPUTY SHERIFF MAYBE IN THE FUTURE. SLY ONCE AGAIN DOES A GREAT JOB AS THE DOWN TO EARTH SHERIFF WHO JUST WANTS A LITTLE MORE CREDIT FOR HIS JOB. APART FROM THE GREAT SLY WE HAVE THE GREAT HARVEY KEITEL, RAY LIOTTA AND OF COURSE ONE OF MY TOP 5 FAV ACTORS ALONE WITH SLY WHO IS NUMBER 3 ROBERT DI NERO. THIS IS A GREAT FILM FOR COP LOVERS I THINK ITS ONE OF THE BEST AND REALISTIC FILMS ABOUT BEING A SO CALLED "COP" AND BEING A "SHERIFF". I WOULD RATHER BE A SHERIFF AND WEATHER MOE TILDEN LIKES IT OR NOT FREDDY HEFLIN IS A COP. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of Woody Allen's best films of the '90s, Bullets over Broadway stars John Cusack as a virtual Woody surrogate, a neurotic, Jazz Age writer whose new play sounds wooden and unrealistic to a low-level mobster (Chazz Palminteri) assigned to watch over his boss's actress-girlfriend (Jennifer Tilly). When the hood starts contributing better story ideas and dialogue than what the official playwright can conjure, questions (not unlike those of Amadeus) about the price we pay to make art at the expense of other responsibilities are intriguingly raised. Palminteri gives a very interesting performance as the enforcer waking up to the desperate (and almost feminine) demands of his own creative psyche, and Dianne Wiest (who won an Oscar), Tracey Ullman, Jim Broadbent, and Jennifer Tilly are very funny together playing the ensemble cast of Cusack's play. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Don't speak, just laugh!
Oh Woody, Woody, Woody. When he is funny, he is one of the best comic writers around, and in this movie his writing is hilarious. What other auteur in the cinema today can poke fun at those little idiosyncracies that we all see in ourselves, and get away with it?
Our hero, in a rare departure is not played by Woody Allen but rather, John Cusack, who gives a subtle performance, rather than the over-the-top pisstake by Kenneth Branagh in "Celebrity". He is trying to get his latest play staged, and can only do so by accepting money from the Mob and having a mobster's girlfriend, with no talent, take one of his lead roles. The humour that ensues centres around each of the plays characters, from the fading diva played by Dianne Wiest to the compulsive eater played by the magnificent Jim Broadbent, as they prepare for the play's debut on Broadway. All the performances are spot on and the only criticism comes in the ham-fisted fashion that the film concludes with a mobsters shootout and its all too happy ending.
Nevertheless this is well worth watching to hear great comic lines and the splendid cast who deliver them.

Pure hilarity
As a die hard Woody Allen fan, I can honestly state that this is one of his best efforts. The characters are so incredibly good (dare I say delicious?) and the actors who bring them to life are equally exquisite. From Dianne Wiest ("Don't speak...Don't speak") to Jennifer Tilly ("Hey, Venus, where's that hooch?") to Chaz Palmentieri("You don't write the way people talk")to John Cusack ("I think I'll go now and get the psychiatric help I need"). The rest of the cast is equally marvelous, especially Tracey Ullman. She really is nothing short of brilliant in everything she does. This movie is just a delight throughout. It is truly droll and clever, never once loosing it's intelligence. The attention to detail is admirable, so much so that the film seemingly leaps out at you from the screen. I've seen this film more times than I care to mention and each time I find myself enjoying it more. Only Woody Allen could have devised such an ironic plot twist. He is, without question, the O. Henry of the cinema. One final note: No one, and I mean no one, can make New York seem more fabulous and intoxicating than Mr. Allen. All his films are love letters to this the greatest of American cities. This is to the person who accused Woody Allen of preaching through the Rob Reiner character: Give me a major break. He was spoofing the tendency of some over-indulgent artists to dramatize and take himself too seriously. Sometimes a cigar, my friend, is just a cigar. Don't read so much into things. It can sometimes get you into trouble.

Funny, funny, funny!!
And funny. Great casting, great script, funny dialogue and good directing. The wonderful thing about this whole flick -- Woody Allen decided NOT to be in it. One of his better decisions he's made in years. (Thanks for giving us a break and breather from your repeatible and stale roles Woody!) Don't miss this little-known gem.

Were they trying to make a movie that makes no sense?
I'm not stupid, but this movie made no sense whatsoever. I didn't understand one bit of the boring, mindless conversations, characters, their purpose, etc. And a plot..? Don't even ask. This "sophisticated" comedy (where they got comedy I'll never know as this wasn't the least bit funny) was dull, shallow entertainment. The theme I got out of this movie was "You're not always who you think you are." A theme that could have easily been told in half the time it took this long, dragged out film. Don't believe what the critics say about this. Siskel and Ebert rated it two thumbs up but what do they know? They gave Gosford Park (warning: stay away) the same rating (Actually, that last one was Ebert and Roeper, but they're basically the same). Take my advice and rent something that wasn't directed by Woody Allen. Every one of his movies I've had the nerve to sit through entirely (without falling asleep or turning it off), have been a complete waste of my time. I kept waiting for the ending thinking (and hoping) it would make the movie. It didn't. Those who enjoyed this movie obviously classify it as a work of art much like Shakespeare: boring, but a masterpiece nonetheless. The only reason to watch this movie (by renting it, NOT buying it) is to see the always brilliant Diane Weist in her Oscar-winning performance.

decent
this movie was enjoyable, but not the best woody allen i've seen. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The films of Hal Hartley, New York's modern beatnik cinema laureate, are not for everyone. His self-consciously clever ping-pong dialogue sounds like a cross between song lyrics and Samuel Beckett, while his deadpan direction gives a wry cast to it all. It's romantic comedy skewed through a thoroughly modern perspective, and it sprung fully formed in his debut feature. Gloomy redheaded pixie Adrienne Shelly, a neurotic high school student fixated on doomsday scenarios, falls for the tall, dark, and mysterious Robert Burke, a black-clad, philosophy-spouting mechanic who is constantly mistaken for a priest and rumored to be a convicted murderer.

An enigmatic, intellectually playful farce played with ironic understatement, Hartley's austere film was shot on the cheap with a handsome, restrained style and directed with an approach straddling verbal slapstick and modernist irony. Shelly mixes the goofy, obsessive distractions of a screwball heroine with smarts, determination, and hardball negotiating skills, while Burke's quiet calm and confidence radiates warmth and sincerity even while playing the loner. Hartley explores the line between truth and rumor, and he takes satirical swipes at the culture of cash and contracts--yet for all his irony he remains an optimist. For all its hip '90s attitude, the unbelievable truth is that Hartley is a romantic at heart. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (10)

...at last, a Hal Hartley feature film on DVD!
When I heard about a year ago that Hal Hartley's "The Unbelievable Truth" is going to be out on DVD in 2001, I feared some low quality production - but this release should prove worthy for this masterpiece. The picture will be 1.85:1 anamorphic and hopefully the image quality is going to be excellent considering Anchor Bay's good reputation... Having been the directorial feature film debut for acclaimed director Hal Hartley, the film does not long for any big extras to be on the disc - an audio commentary would have been illusory - but we do get an interview with Hal, and the theatrical trailer of course. This is definitely a disc to get for all Hal Hartley fans, and the only thing that could make me even happier would be more DVD releases of his movies: Trust, Simple Men, Amateur, Flirt, his short films, etc... I'm desperately waiting!!

The Best Movie My Brother Ever Bought Me
The Unbelievable Truth is the only movie I have ever seen that captures the exact feeling of falling hard in love with someone that you hardly know. Ah, planetary gears and Robert Burke...What's a girl to do?! It's a truly funny film and it turned me into a Hal Hartley [director] fan.

My favorite Hartley Film
If you like Trust and Simple Men then you'll love this film. Personally I love all of Hartley's works, but to me these three films just go so well together. They're all earlier works and in these films you witness an incredibley inspired director do more with a low budget film than most high paid directors could ever dream of doing. I'd also like to say that if you've never seen a Hal Hartley film then this is probably the best point to start out at.

Unbelievable Fun
Fraught with over obvious symbolism, Hartley's early feature is nonetheless a joy to watch. Hal here shows us his uncanny ability to cast his characters perfectly came early in his career.

Adrienne Shelley is a near perfect foil to herself, equal parts annoying teen burgeoning in her sexuality (though using sex for several years); obsessed with doom and inspired by idealism gone wrong she is deceptively - and simultaneously - complex and simple. Her Audrey inspires so many levels of symbolism it is almost embarrassingly rich (e.g., her modeling career beginning with photos of her foot - culminating her doing nude (but unseen) work; Manhattan move; Europe trip; her stealing, then sleeping with the mechanics wrench, etc.)

As Josh, Robert Burke gives an absolutely masterful performance. A reformed prisoner/penitent he returns to his home town to face down past demons, accept his lot and begin a new life. Dressed in black, and repeatedly mistaken for a priest, he corrects everyone ("I'm a mechanic"), yet the symbolism is rich: he abstains from alcohol, he practices celibacy (is, in fact a virgin), and seemingly has taken on vows of poverty, and humility as well. The humility seems hardest to swallow seeming, at times, almost false, a pretense. Yet, as we learn more of Josh we see genuineness in his modesty, that his humility is indeed earnest and believable. What seems ironic is the character is fairly forthright in his simplicity, yet so richly drawn it becomes the viewer who wants to make him out as more than what he actually is. A fascinatingly written character, perfectly played.

The scene between Josh and Jane (a wonderful, young Edie Falco . . . "You need a woman not a girl") is hilarious . . . real. But Hartley can't leave it as such and his trick, having the actors repeat the dialogue over-and-over becomes frustratingly "arty" and annoying . . . until again it becomes hilarious. What a terrific sense of bizarre reality this lends the film (like kids in a perpetual "am not"/"are too" argument).

Hartley's weaves all of a small neighborhood's idiosyncrasies into a tapestry of seeming stereotypes but which delves far beneath the surface, the catalyst being that everyone believes they know what the "unbelievable truth" of the title is, yet no two people can agree (including our hero) on what exactly that truth is. A wonderful little movie with some big ideas.

rereleased at last.
As in The Book of Life, Hartley exaggerates the limitations he's given so that they seem like a style. And, they are. Burke isn't the block of wood he seemed to be the first time I saw this, and Adrian Shelley crawls under your skin and lays eggs that hatch days, weeks, and even months later. And the script? Hard to do it justice, but I will say that this is one for repeated viewings. Don't rent it, buy it! You won't be sorry.

Also available on VHS again. Finally. ... Read more

Description

This widely acclaimed motion picture features outstanding performances from Renee Zellweger (JERRY MAGUIRE, BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY) and Julianna Margulies (TV's ER, THE NEWTON BOYS). Sonia (Zellweger) is a young woman who always did just what was expected: she married the right man, moved to the right neighborhood, and had a beautiful baby. And yet, when she discovers an exciting world beyond her tightly knit community, it sparks a growing desire for independence that threatens the security of the perfect life she knows. See A PRICE ABOVE RUBIES for yourself, and learn why critics and audiences nationwide have praised this passionate movie gem! ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Zellweger Shines in Ethnic Drama; Divergent Viewpoints
...

A carefully and compellingly rendered drama of a contemporary woman's stirring discovery of self, "A Price Above Rubies" is set in the context of a Hasidic Jewish/American community. Beautifully photographed, this film's acting sparkles -- and renders a reasonably accurate portrait of an easily caricatured community.

Renee Zellweger establishes herself as a talent of unlimited possibilities. ...

The film's feminist perspective is gracefully realized without belittling all guys -- which greatly enhances the film's power! (And lowers my blood pressure!)

Production design is exceptional!

Those Orthodox Jewish critics who are angered by this film's portrayal of Jewish Orthodoxy might have us believe that the world of Orthodoxy is monolithically benign. It is not. ...

Traditional thought and practice -- orthodoxy in many settings -- has its beauties and strengths and -- like most things human-- it has its dark, shadow side as well. "A Price Above Rubies" depicts the delicate balance gone awry.

For a very different, also wonderful film which depcts both light and shadow sides of Ameriocan Jewish traditionalism, but less critically of Orthodoxy, try "The Chosen" (1982) (adapted from Chaim Potok's book), with Robby Benson (quite good in this film, to my surprise), Rod Steiger and Maximillian Schell -- available on VHS, not yet on DVD. For me "The Chosen" is a five star, among my all-time top 10 films!

Zellweger Shines in Ethnic Drama; Points of Comparison
REVISED from my earlier review:

A beautifully rendered drama of a contemprary woman's stirring discovery of self, "A Price Above Rubies" is set in the context of a Hasidic Jewish/American community. Beautifully photographed, this film's acting sparkles -- and renders a reasonably accurate portrait of an easily caricatured community. Renee Zellweger establishes herself as a talent of unlimited possibilities. (I wrote these words of promise when the film was 1st released, long before Renee's fame via the fluffy "The Diary of Bridget Jones" and the incredibly wonderful "Chicago"! Now I saw hor on the cover of Cosmo!) The film's feminist perspective is gracefully realized without belittling all guys -- which greatly enhances the film's power! Production design is exceptional!

Those Orthodox Jewish critics who are angered by this film might have us believe that the world of Orthodoxy is monolithic. It is not. In my own family and beyond, many people experience forms of Jewish Orthodoxy which are fulfilling and wonderfully peaceful. On the other hand, abusive conduct does creep in to parts of this world, as exemplified most vividly by the 1999 Amos Gitai film, Kadosh -- a terrifying portrait of the worst side of Orthodox Jewish patriarchy, which makes "A Price Above Rubies" seem like a fairy tale. In my own community, we have learned of an attempted horrific Orthodox shunning and boycotting of a wife and doctor after she reportedly sought a divorce alleging substantial physical abuse. (Who can say whether the woman's charges were true! The vengeful letter writing and attempted boycott are fact, however.)

Traditional thought and practice has its beauties and strengths and -- like most things human-- it has its dark, shadow side as well.

AN INTENSE TALE OF EMANCIPATION. NOT ABOUT RELIGION.
Beyond a touch of sensationalistic Hollywoodisation (over-simplifying the perceived orthodoxy of Jews) the movie is about a woman who is stifled in her relationship with a fanatically devout husband, and in that it etches an intermittently sharp portrait of a subculture caught between a rich historical legacy and a changing contemporary world.

To me, the movie was NOT about the Hasidic way of life. I could see this film holding just about as relevant even if I replaced the community potrayed in it with any other. It is about the marital suffering of two people who are very different in their moorings.

Renee Zellweger, the pivot, does a very convincing job of showing the desperation in a young woman's personal search, Sonia, who embarks on a search for not only herself but also her place in the world -- for the duration of the film Renee gave Sonia the precise dignity and emotion that the role deserved.

The supporting cast were strong, Juliana Margulies certainly showing that she's doesn't always play the 'nice girl'. Christopher Eccleston was convincingly wicked and Glenn Fitzgerald puts in a credible performance as Mendel, the husband, capturing the essence of the role commendably.

Bordering sometimes on being a chick-flick, the movie generally deals with feminine issues, and I would think that the emotional dominion would have it seldom appeal to a male audience. Which is quite evident in the other belittling reviews here.

I recommend this film highly, although it is an intense one and perhaps not for every Joe Blogg. Make sure you're in the mood.

Very high price of individual freedom
What a movie! At the end I had goosebumps and was trying hard to hold back the tears. What a fantastic performance by RZ!

The movie starts off as a slow-as-molasses slice-of-life story about an orthodox Jewish family in NYC. But it ends as the heroic struggle of a Jewish woman yearning to be free -- free of paternalistic controls, free to decide on her own fate, free to pursue beauty in life, a rebellious street-smart and hard-headed woman who wants to be free enough even to judge the wisdom of God, an ultimate heresy for the social milieu she was raised up in. She goes through hell, but at the end she hangs on to her dear freedom. And that has a "price well above rubies" and diamonds.

RZ is a star! She is burning with talent and heart.

Dark Side
Despite the Orthodox Jewish background this movie is really about a womens life and her ways of reaching what she has always wanted. See the movie with an open mind and all will be well. ... Read more

Description

A lingering solar eclipse casts a strange spell on a dead-end New Jersey town and unleashes hidden passions, frustrated dreams and lonely yearnings in this quirky, bittersweet portrait of small-town life. Full of wonder and wit, this award-winning, critically-acclaimed film, shot in luminous black and white, transforms the familiar terrain of suburbia into an eccentric landscape suffused with a dark and unexpected beauty. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Beautiful "Day-in-the-life" Character Study
"Judy Berlin" is one of those tiny films you stumble upon and from which you come away with a whole new respect for acting, the power of good films and...hell...humanity! Everything about this film is small, and all the more powerful for its smallness: the setting, the plot, the time that passes, even the actors. This was made before Edie Falco (Judy) gained fame on "The Sopranos", so she doesn't project the over-confidence many stars do in little "vanity" projects. No, everyone here is real and pitch-perfect, especially the wonderful actress Madeline Kahn in her final role, filmed during her losing fight against ovarian cancer. If you have patience for films you won't find at your local movie theatre, and you appreciate real acting, "Judy Berlin" won't disappoint.

Excellent character study
Eric Mendelsohn's Judy Berlin is, aside from being a Sundance Film Festival award winner, an intelligently observed portrayal of middle class foibles. Set in Babylon, Long Island (not New Jersey as the Description indicates), it views a day in the life of several of its residents as a midday solar eclipse plunges them into an unnatural darkness.

As a mismatched couple, Bob Dishy and Madeline Kahn are superb. He is an elementary school principal; she is his chatty dependent wife who needs, needs, needs. This was, very sadly, Kahn's last film role--she died of cancer shortly after the film finished shooting. She captures this character to a tee. You watch her and realize nobody else could have performed this role. Dishy, normally a comic actor, here gives a touching performance as a man lost in a half childlike state, as is his wife, although in a subtly different way.

In fact, many of the characters are associated with the elementary school. This is Mendelsohn's clever way of aligning their inability to express mature emotionality with their daily routine. Julie Kavner and Anne Meara, in small roles, work in the school nurse's office. Barbara Barrie is a teacher in the school whose somewhat supercilious attitude gives way, ultimately, to an attraction to her principal, who is having a hard time relating to his wife.

The title character is well played by Edie Falco, currently of The Sopranos, a struggling actress planning to make it big in Hollywood. She has a casual relationship with her mother, the schoolteacher played by Barbara Barrie--so much so that she calls her mother by her first name. On the day she is scheduled to leave for California, she runs into David, son of the Golds (Kahn and Dishy). David is a struggling filmmaker with his own agenda that excludes much of life. The two of them hit it off, but Judy has to leave....

What makes this film so resonant and memorable is the writer-director's mature emotional intelligence. He understands that the dreams we all have of how we want to live our lives are almost never fully realized in reality. The eclipse is a potent metaphor for the gap between what we dream of and what we live. And, he says, it is our lack of understanding how to realistically achieve what we want that plunges us into this gap.

The only sticking point in the film is David's (the filmmaker's) overly self-conscious remarks to Judy about filmmaking itself, which do tend to bog things down somewhat. But aside from that, this is a wonderful, beautiful film with heart and intelligence. Note that the DVD includes Mendelsohn's excellent short (23 minute) film Through an Open Window with a great performance by Anne Meara as an aging woman who feels trapped in her house by the presence of a bird that's flown inside on a summer day. She leaves, only to be confronted by others who make her realize just how trapped she really is...

Highly recommended.

We Love "Day In Life" Character Driven Film
Hubby and I both love slice of life filmmaking so giving us a totally character driven film involving only one day in these people's lives, minimal plot and minimal conclusions doesn't trouble us at all. I know many viewers, however, who require more of a plot than this movie has and/or a higher level of tension. The soundtrack is primarily harpsicord music and we enjoyed that too but if you like state of the art avant garde soundtracks, this also isn't for you. This is a very quiet, art house type film with excellent actors. I loved the chance to see the late Madeline Kahn in one last role. She is absolutely luminous here as the wife of the town's principal whose 30 year old son has moved back home and whose husband may be leaving her for another woman. That other woman's daughter and the Kahn character's son are the other couple in the film. Edie Falco plays the title role as that daughter and gets to show a whole other side of her acting talent outside of her role on the "Sopranos." She is leaving for California that night to try to be an actress there. David Gold, the 30 year old, has just returned from California, having failed in the movie business. After seeing Judy Berlin act at a local theme park it is obvious she is never going to make it as an actress. David is at first discouraging of her going and then starts swinging the other way as he catches hold of her dream. Another character is an old woman who used to teach in the school and is now coming down with Alzheimer's but it is just beginning to dawn on her friends and neighbors that she is failing. This is all set against a total eclipse which darkens the town for the day. The film is shot on such glorious black and white that at times I wondered if I were looking at infrared film, known for its otherworldly blacks and whites. You will probably either love this or hate it with not much inbetween.

Good offbeat drama
I read an interview with John Sayles recently where he noted that Edie Falco's performance in this film(not the SOPRANOS) is what made him decide to cast her in his new film SUNSHINE STATE. She really is quite good in this film. I just wanted to see more of her. The rest of the cast is also good-Barbara Barrie(BREAKING AWAY), Bob Dishy and Madeline Kahn. It's pretty easy to feel some Woody Allen influence here, but it's welcome. Eric Mendelsohn's short-THROUGH AND OPEN WINDOW is also included and I liked that too(stars Ben Stiller's mom Anne Meara). ... Read more

Description

Axel Munthe, scientist and architect, is a remote personality so obsessed with the power and beauty of the sun that it drives him to blindnes. Diana Dibianco is a photographer searching for locations on the Italian island of Capri- the island of the sirens, as she is warned. She comes across his villa and discovers the energy held in the mediterranean light that floods it. Slowly their lives become unalterably intertwined as she becomes infatuated with his work and loses sight of where his life ends and hers begins. ... Read more