WARNING: This review has more spoilers than usual, so don't read any further if you don't want a detailed plot description of the movie!!
Every now and then I have the privilege of seeing a movie that is special, a movie that touches and connects in ways that most movies do not. I thought The Secret Life of Bees was a beautiful film, one of the best I’ve seen all year.
Adapted from the book of the same name, The Secret Life of Bees features a gifted ensemble cast including Dakota Fanning (Man on Fire), Queen Latifah (Mad Money), Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda), and Alicia Keys (Smokin’ Aces). Fanning is Lily, a melancholy, sensitive teenager burdened with the guilt of having accidentally killed her own mother at the age of four. She lives with T-Ray, her physically and emotionally abusive father. He is devoid of all love and affection, and punishes Lily for perceived misbehavior by forcing her to kneel in grits on the kitchen floor until her knees are raw. Lily escapes her sorrow by sneaking out to the peach orchard behind her house and looking up at the stars, talking quietly to her mother in heaven. Her only friend is Rosaleen, her housekeeper and nanny. On her fourteenth birthday the two travel into town together, only to be harassed by some racist locals. The year is 1964, and the Civil Rights Act has just been signed into law. This doesn’t sit well with some Whites, and Rosaleen refuses to swallow her pride when provoked, ending up in the hospital and facing jail time for a violent incident. When T-Ray finally gives Lily all she can stand, she makes a break for it, taking Rosaleen with her. They end up in Tiburon, SC – a town Lily’s mother visited at least once before. The odyssey proves to be one that will change the course of their lives forever.
At a local store Lily notices a jar of honey with a picture of a Black Virgin Mary. Intrigued, she learns that one August Boatwright (Queen Latifah) produces the honey. With Rosaleen in tow, they set out for August’s house. Nothing about the Boatwright home is ordinary, from its color (think Pepto Bismol) to its inhabitants. August resides with her sisters June (Keys) and May (Okonedo), tending to a large apiary which yields the honey that sustains them. The Boatwright sisters are refined and cultured, unlike any Black women Lily and Rosaleen have ever seen. When the two wayward souls show up on August’s doorstep she welcomes them with open arms, much to June’s chagrin. May has developmental issues, but is a kind soul. Soon Lily and Rosaleen settle into a routine, with Lily helping August tend the bees and Rosaleen assisting May in the kitchen. Lily finds the solace and love she craves, and all seems to be well for a brief time, but a White girl living with three Black women in 1960’s South Carolina will only go unnoticed for so long. Eventually T-Ray discovers Lily’s whereabouts and comes to the Boatwright property to retrieve his daughter. I won’t tell you how it ends; you’ll have to see for yourself.
The Secret Life of Bees was enchanting, from start to finish. It dealt with significant themes, including guilt, redemption, forgiveness, grief, and most importantly: love. Love is the thread that held the movie together. Lily believed that she was unlovable. The Boatwright sisters, as surrogate mothers – showed her that everything wants to be loved, and through their collective kindness and nurturance they lifted Lily’s burden and enlightened Rosaleen, all the while dealing with their own personal tragedies. The movie will undoubtedly appeal to women, but I hate when people put creativity in a box. It’s just a good film, period. I think everyone should see it. It was wonderfully directed, capturing the beauty of the Southern, rural landscape and the essence of each character. Dakota Fanning continues to add to a stellar career, already having accomplished more than many of her older counterparts. Kudos to all involved with such a lovely film.
This article first appeared on Poptimal and can be found at http://poptimal.com/2008/10/the-secret-life-of-bees/. The article was reprinted with permission.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Appaloosa
“Life has a way of making the foreseeable that which never happens…and the unforeseeable that which your life becomes.” I knew when I heard that line that Appaloosa was gonna be a great movie, and it was.
Ed Harris (A History of Violence) impresses in front of and behind the lens as both star and director of Appaloosa, a Western tale about a pair of most unique lawmen. Harris is Virgil Cole, a “clean up” man of sorts. He and his partner Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortenson, A History of Violence) make their living by cleaning up small towns when law enforcement becomes overwhelmed by the local criminal element. Virgil and Everett’s services are required in Appaloosa after the sheriff is murdered by outlaw Randall Bragg when he tries to apprehend some of his men. Bragg and his men treat Appaloosa like their playground, wreaking havoc and menacing the townspeople. Virgil and Everett arrive on the scene in big boy fashion and get to work cracking down on Bragg and his gang. Viggo Mortenson is wonderful as Everett, Virgil’s quiet but lethal sidekick. He and his 8 gauge shotgun are all the muscle Virgil requires. Things seem to go well enough initially, but there is a tension throughout the movie. The town is like a bubbling cauldron, and you know that eventually that pot is going to overflow. Virgil is stoic and appropriately dispassionate. In order for him to be successful at what he does, he must have no fear of death, and no ties to anything or anyone that can be used against him. All that goes out the window when Allison French rolls into town, played by the heavily botoxed Renee Zellweger. She seems harmless enough, but as it’s been said, a woman can be more dangerous than a pistol. When a witness testifies against Bragg, Virgil appears to have rid Appaloosa of his nemesis, but alas, if you look back at the quote which starts the movie, things are never that simple. Virgil’s love for Allison is used against him, and he and Everett are put in a position where they must make some tough choices.
Appaloosa was a compelling movie. Every facet of the film was superbly acted, from beginning to end. Harris and Mortensen exude a quiet yet powerful air of confidence without seeming like rogue lawmen, though in many respects that is what they are. There is something attractive about their plain, salt-of-the-earth manner. Jeremy Irons made a dastardly cowboy, amoral and unapologetic. Just a good old-fashioned Western and a great movie. Even if you don’t think Westerns are your thing, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Ed Harris (A History of Violence) impresses in front of and behind the lens as both star and director of Appaloosa, a Western tale about a pair of most unique lawmen. Harris is Virgil Cole, a “clean up” man of sorts. He and his partner Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortenson, A History of Violence) make their living by cleaning up small towns when law enforcement becomes overwhelmed by the local criminal element. Virgil and Everett’s services are required in Appaloosa after the sheriff is murdered by outlaw Randall Bragg when he tries to apprehend some of his men. Bragg and his men treat Appaloosa like their playground, wreaking havoc and menacing the townspeople. Virgil and Everett arrive on the scene in big boy fashion and get to work cracking down on Bragg and his gang. Viggo Mortenson is wonderful as Everett, Virgil’s quiet but lethal sidekick. He and his 8 gauge shotgun are all the muscle Virgil requires. Things seem to go well enough initially, but there is a tension throughout the movie. The town is like a bubbling cauldron, and you know that eventually that pot is going to overflow. Virgil is stoic and appropriately dispassionate. In order for him to be successful at what he does, he must have no fear of death, and no ties to anything or anyone that can be used against him. All that goes out the window when Allison French rolls into town, played by the heavily botoxed Renee Zellweger. She seems harmless enough, but as it’s been said, a woman can be more dangerous than a pistol. When a witness testifies against Bragg, Virgil appears to have rid Appaloosa of his nemesis, but alas, if you look back at the quote which starts the movie, things are never that simple. Virgil’s love for Allison is used against him, and he and Everett are put in a position where they must make some tough choices.
Appaloosa was a compelling movie. Every facet of the film was superbly acted, from beginning to end. Harris and Mortensen exude a quiet yet powerful air of confidence without seeming like rogue lawmen, though in many respects that is what they are. There is something attractive about their plain, salt-of-the-earth manner. Jeremy Irons made a dastardly cowboy, amoral and unapologetic. Just a good old-fashioned Western and a great movie. Even if you don’t think Westerns are your thing, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Miracle at St. Anna
Spike Lee (She Hate Me, Inside Man) presents his first epic film since 1992’s Malcolm X. Miracle at St. Anna is an ambitious undertaking; a project that I think was near and dear to Lee’s heart. It is the story of an infantry of Buffalo Soldiers fighting the Nazis in Italy during WWII. The three leads are Derek Luke (Catch a Fire) as Stamps, Laz Alonso (This Christmas) as Hector, and Michael Ealy (Barbershop) as Bishop.
The movie opens in NYC in 1983(?), in the apartment of Hector Negron, a man of about 80 years. We see him go to work at the post office, quietly carrying out his duties. When a male customer approaches him to buy stamps, he withdraws a gun and inexplicably shoots the man at point-blank range, killing him instantly. As a young reporter tries to uncover Negron’s motive, as well as the mystery behind an ancient artifact discovered in his home, the story of St. Anna unfolds in flashback. We next find Hector in Italy, approximately forty years earlier. He, along with the rest of his infantry tries to advance across a river under heavy fire. When they are pinned down and attempt to radio their coordinates and the enemy’s position to their superior, their requests are ignored. This is only one incident in a series of racially-tinged affronts levied against the soldiers by White civilians and military alike. Eventually they encounter an abandoned shelter where one of them finds a young Italian boy, disoriented and mumbling to an imaginary friend in his native tongue. What follows is an intriguing, disturbing, and inspiring depiction of the soldiers’ brave struggle against an American foe, and in many ways, against America herself. Lee tends to be heavy-handed in his portrayal of race-related issues, but I have to trust that his ostensibly fictional account belies painful accuracies as well. His well-publicized feud with director Clint Eastwood over the latter’s lack of African-American representation in the WWII-based Letters From Iwo Jima probably served as motivation to explore the injustices endured by Black soldiers as they battled the Nazis abroad but were unappreciated at home.
Miracle at St. Anna was daring - grand in its budget, location, and duration. Despite its most intriguing opening, it got off to a slow and somewhat muddled start. There are extensive subtitles as well as the presentation of many plot points that are tied up much later. When we finally discover the “miracle” at St. Anna, we may have forgotten that we were supposed to be awaiting a big event. However, this was one of the most memorable scenes of the movie, and answered a lot of questions, if you are patient enough to wait for it. The performances were very good, and it’s hard to pick a favorite, though Laz Alonso makes a compelling case. This is a difficult movie to review, because it is such a detailed, layered film about both revenge and redemption. To call it a “war movie” makes it feel small and reduces it to the confines of a particular genre. It is a war movie, but is much more. Beware that it’s long as hell, and there are some excruciating scenes not for the faint of heart. It is definitely one to see, and a nice addition to Lee’s already impressive catalogue.
The movie opens in NYC in 1983(?), in the apartment of Hector Negron, a man of about 80 years. We see him go to work at the post office, quietly carrying out his duties. When a male customer approaches him to buy stamps, he withdraws a gun and inexplicably shoots the man at point-blank range, killing him instantly. As a young reporter tries to uncover Negron’s motive, as well as the mystery behind an ancient artifact discovered in his home, the story of St. Anna unfolds in flashback. We next find Hector in Italy, approximately forty years earlier. He, along with the rest of his infantry tries to advance across a river under heavy fire. When they are pinned down and attempt to radio their coordinates and the enemy’s position to their superior, their requests are ignored. This is only one incident in a series of racially-tinged affronts levied against the soldiers by White civilians and military alike. Eventually they encounter an abandoned shelter where one of them finds a young Italian boy, disoriented and mumbling to an imaginary friend in his native tongue. What follows is an intriguing, disturbing, and inspiring depiction of the soldiers’ brave struggle against an American foe, and in many ways, against America herself. Lee tends to be heavy-handed in his portrayal of race-related issues, but I have to trust that his ostensibly fictional account belies painful accuracies as well. His well-publicized feud with director Clint Eastwood over the latter’s lack of African-American representation in the WWII-based Letters From Iwo Jima probably served as motivation to explore the injustices endured by Black soldiers as they battled the Nazis abroad but were unappreciated at home.
Miracle at St. Anna was daring - grand in its budget, location, and duration. Despite its most intriguing opening, it got off to a slow and somewhat muddled start. There are extensive subtitles as well as the presentation of many plot points that are tied up much later. When we finally discover the “miracle” at St. Anna, we may have forgotten that we were supposed to be awaiting a big event. However, this was one of the most memorable scenes of the movie, and answered a lot of questions, if you are patient enough to wait for it. The performances were very good, and it’s hard to pick a favorite, though Laz Alonso makes a compelling case. This is a difficult movie to review, because it is such a detailed, layered film about both revenge and redemption. To call it a “war movie” makes it feel small and reduces it to the confines of a particular genre. It is a war movie, but is much more. Beware that it’s long as hell, and there are some excruciating scenes not for the faint of heart. It is definitely one to see, and a nice addition to Lee’s already impressive catalogue.
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