Amid the spare, verdant scenery of the Wyoming wild, Ang Lee has
created another gem.
The director, along with lead actors Heath Ledger and Jake
Gyllenhaal, have made an unabashed gay film -- a mainstream gay
film that does not try to hide its motivations or intentions. For that,
they should be commended. That the film turns out to be a
literate, moving experience for gay and straight audiences alike is
especially rewarding in these culturally conservative times.
The clandestine relationship between Ennis (Ledger) and Jack
(Gyllenhaal) digs in to the social, romantic, and personal
frustrations that all of us have experienced in our disparate lives.
The defeat of honesty and expression between the pair is painted
with a deep brush that reaches collective truths about the
consequences of -- as the cliche would have it -- forbidden desire.
That the pair's story is set in the 1960s Mountain West does not
negate its universality.
What starts out as an unexpected fling erupts into full-fledged
devotion, and as Ennis and Jack's lives drift further apart their
obvious need for each other is never more apparent. The private
aggravation, denial, and shame that comes to exist is nothing short
of tragic.
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My grade: A-
Screened: December 7
"Meet the Parents" succeeded because you were always on the side
of Ben Stiller. Who were these annoying assholes that didn't like
this klutzy male nurse? In many respects, "The Family Stone" fails
because Sarah Jessica Parker is the annoying asshole. She can't
take a hug? A recipe tip? A joke?
Her fiance's family keeps the movie humming. Diane Keaton is
luminous, Luke Wilson is hilarious, Craig T. Nelson is touching, and
Rachel McAdams is her acerbic, witty self. There's a deaf, gay son
-- about to adopt a baby with his black partner -- that apparently
writer-director Thomas Bezucha couldn't cram any more subplots
into.
Despite the pic's implausibility and skittishness of tone, it works
because you care about 95% of the characters, including Claire
Danes as Parker's sister, who swoops in and saves the movie just
as it's about to veer into tear territory. She adds a further
dimension of implausibility along the lines of "Hannah and Her
Sisters," but the appeal of the actress overrides it.
All in all, if you have to see one "Home for the Holidays" clone this
year, make it "The Family Stone."
My grade: B-
Screened: December 13
"The Squid and the Whale" is nothing like its title: It's quick, loopy,
and minor-key. But the story of a raucous divorce between two
writers circa 1986 couldn't be told any other way.
Noah Baumbach, who co-wrote last year's so-so "The Life Aquatic,"
scores major points with this thinly veiled account of his parents'
break-up. Like "The Royal Tenenbaums" with the artifice turned
down to a 3 or 4, "Squid" smartly blends a caustic tale of adultery
with a charming teen coming-of-age tale. With the sturdy Jeff
Bridges and the vibrant Laura Linney in the title roles, no crater of
emotion, embarrassment, or dishevelment is left unmined.
"The Squid and the Whale" is rightfully kicking up dust this awards
season, and it deserves all the accolades it can muster.
My grade: A-
Screened: December 15
