I'm Not There, He said

I'm not sure why this film was made other than it was an homage to Bob Dylan. My confusion comes from the fact that this film should have been made about twenty years from now assuming that Bob and everyone important in the story was dead. Instead we witness an amazing film that depicts Bob's life as told by six separate actors portraying different phases of his life.

We open with young Marcus Carl Franklin, Arthur, playing that part of Dylan's life where he is learning about music and his hero is Woody Guthrie. He master this folk form, but realizes that he is singing about things in the past. His genius is the ability to take the form and move the subject matter into the present.

Which introduces us to the phase named Jack, played be Christian Bale. Jack takes us through the early stardom phase to the abandonment of folk style music and the electric Dylan. This is followed by the mature married Dylan, called Robbie, played by Heath Ledger, who abandons his wife and children in the search for... well Bob never figured that out either.

The truly amazing performance is the International Dylan, Jude, played by Cate Blanchett. She impersonates Dylan without being campy and over the top. She shows us his shyness and at the same time exhibits his iron will in the battle with the press to box himself in and categorize his music.
This film is amazing in it's effort to poetically and artistically examine Dylan's career. I applaud the effort, but I'm confused by the overlapping and lack of continuity. I don't believe a story has to be linear in order to be accessible, but in this case we're experiencing the life of a person who did not live or experience flashbacks as another character. this technique bothered me and distracted the viewer from a great tale of an artist who insisted on being what he is on his own terms.

The difference in this effort is not only in the presentation, but as a I mentioned earlier, the timing of the release. Normally we want our hero's to be mythical. We want to know the good and worthy about them. We don't want to see the cuts and scars unless they are healed and can be shown to be character building. by mounting this story before Dylan is even finished his career is invite the kind of tell all reaction that might show our hero to be human rather than the giant we want him to be. Dylan is not a perfect human, but he is one of the great musicians of our time. And even though he might cringe, he will suffice as the Poet Laureate of his generation. Further, if his music did not inspire change, a charge Dylan leveled at himself, it at least serves to embarrass us into the realization that we haven't got the job done

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, He Said

If you've ever disappointed your parents, you need to see this film, because whatever you've done, you more than likely didn't killed them. But then not to many children ever think that getting out of financial problems might include the option of robbing their parents business.

Andrew, the older brother, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, has a lot of problems. In order to keep his wife happy, his drug addiction satisfied and his social image in tack, Andrew has been using his position as accountant for a real estate firm in order to embezzle money. An impending IRS audit, his growing need for drugs and suspicion that his wife is wandering leads Andy to solicit his brother Hank as and accomplice in his plot.

Hank, portrayed by Ethan Hawke is hanging on to his life by a thread. He is also working a the real estate firm. He is deep in debt because of a failed marriage, he is behind in his support payments. He has a serious alcohol problem and he is in love with a women, Gina, who he can't have because she realizes he is a loser. Gina, played convincingly by Marisa Tomei, should know since she is Hank's his brother Andrew's wife.

Andrew in the role of controlling older brother convinces Hank to actually do the deed. All he has to do is go to his parents jewelery store early in the morning when the part time clerk opens the store. They have both worked for their parents. They know the alarm codes, the safe combinations and when the cash will be at it's highest volume. All Hank has to do is walk in take the jewelery and cash and they are both home free. Andrew has already felt out a fence for the jewels and the cash can be laundered through the Real Estate firm.

The problem is Hank hasn't got the stomach for the deed and he recruits a thug, Bobby, he knows through his pub crawling nights. The next problem is that the part time clerk is off and the boy's mother fills in. Bobby doesn't know Hank's mother and during the robbery she pulls a hidden gun on him. She shots and wounds him. He returns her fire and wounds her. She shots him again and kills him.

When the boys their Dad, played by Albert Finny unite at the hospital where the mother is declared brain dead, this comedy of error's becomes a hyper physco drama.

I hesitate to call this dark comedy, because there is no attempt to make the death of two people humorous. However, the situation is so ludicrous and asinine that even Jerry Springer may take pause before airing the survivors of this trip on the avenue of disaster.

The cast is superb and the script is sharp, the story is riveting. Never has so much been invested in trotting out the potential for stupidity when men become desperate.

Reservation Road, He Said

In this thriller, we look at the capacity of man for revenge and the price of the silent burden of guilt. What is worse being a good man who is wronged and a good man who has done wrong? When Michael Dukakis was asked during a presidential debate how he would react to finding out his wife had been raped, the correct answer might have been that he would like to kill the perpetrator. Anyone would feel the urge for revenge, but we live in a society that believes it has solutions under law. The law, while not perfect, is better than each of us having to seek truth and justice on our own. Witness the tale of Reservation Road.

A family returning home stops at a convenience store. Dad, Ethan, played by Joaquin Phoenix, needs to shop and sister, Emma, played by Elle Fanning, needs to use the bathroom. The son, played by Sean Curley chooses to release some fireflies he has captured. During their layover, the boy is killed by a passing car.

The car is driven by an attorney who is returning home with his son. Dwight Arno portrayed by Mark Ruffalo is late delivering his son home to his estranged wife. He is driving too fast. As he swerves to avoid an oncoming truck, hits and kills the boy.

In a world that grows smaller by the scene. Ethan and Dwight cross paths. Dwight's ex-wife is Elle's piano teacher. Ethan hires Dwight and his law partner to assist him in his pursuit of the ht and run driver. Ethan has no idea that Dwight is the man, but of course, Dwight knows exactly who Ethan is.

Dwight is a tortured man. He carries the guilt of his failed marriage, his concern for being the proper father to his son and finally the knowledge that he has killed and run away. His pain is real and Ruffalo does an amazing job of showing us this pain.

Ethan is a also a man in pain. His pain is driving him into unusual and self destructive behaviour. He becomes obsessed with finding the killer, convinced the police have given up their pursuit. He is further incensed by Internet sites that play into his paranoid and pathetic outlook. He becomes remote, turning his back on his wife and daughter. His delusion leads him to accuse the wrong people and alienate him from the police.

Finally, Ethan figures out who the guilt party is and plots to kill him. The ending is not what you might expect, but is satisfying and realistic. Trying to figure out who is hurt most in this tragic tale of carelessness and fear is difficult, but like most great drama it's not who done it that counts. What counts is how you felt about an issue before the story is told and does it challenge your beliefs. The story doesn't have to change your mind but it has to make you think. This film entertains while it makes you think as you jump back and forth across the moral broomstick trying to figure out who, if either, is right and who is wrong.