Living for the Cinema

Welcome to the LIVING FOR THE BOYLE review series!  Daniel Francis Boyle originally hailed from Manchester, England and his filmmaking career took off thirty years ago in 1995 with the release of acclaimed cult thriller Shallow Grave.  And ever since then, Danny Boyle (as he’s officially known) has carved out a uniquely successful career not only achieving box office success several times but also winning a few Oscars along the way.  During this time period, he has also become one of MY personal favorite directors, having helmed excellent ORIGINAL stories spanning several genres including children’s fantasy, science fiction, crime drama, horror, and biopic.  Over the next few months, I will be reviewing some of my favorite entries from his filmography in the lead-up to the long-awaited sequel to one of his more successful films….28 Years Later which will be released in the U.S. on June 20!

It's the future, our sun is dying, and we have a crew of relatable scientists and astronauts on a mission to get to the Sun and re-ignite it so that our planet doesn't freeze.  The crew of the Icarus II includes a physicist (Oscar-Winner Cillian Murphy), a horticulturalist (Oscar-Winner Michelle Yeoh), an engineer (Chris Evans), a navigator (Rose Byrne), a sun-drenched psychologist (Cliff Curtis) and is lead by fearless Captain Kaneda (Emmy-Winner Hiroyuki Sanada).  This space adventure received strong reviews back in 2007 but sadly never received much of a theatrical release and was a box office bomb.  However since then, it has developed a solid cult following not the least of which is due to its iconic score from composer John Murphy.  Let's find out if this crew travels too close to the sun....

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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This is the story of Monica and Quincy who both grow up next door to each other in Southern California, apparently enamored of two things: the game of basketball and each other.  And as they grow up, they both develop into excellent basketball players and we also watch as their relationship develops.  Omar Epps (Higher Learning, Juice) eventually plays Quincy who is the son of a retired pro basketball player (Dennis Heysbert) and has aspirations of following in his father's footsteps.  And Sanaa Lathan (Brown Sugar, Alien Vs. Predator) eventually plays Monica who is trying to develop into a pro basketball player despite her mother's (Alfre Woodard) concerns about there being no future in it.  What results is both a love story and sports drama which spans over fifteen years and has built quite up a devoted following since it was first released in the Spring of 2000 to solid reviews and box office.  What better time to review this beloved basketball drama directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King) than JUST in time for March Madness? :) 

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Twenty-five years ago, director Curtis Hanson (8 Mile, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle) followed up his widely acclaimed crime drama classic LA Confidential with this quirky adaptation of the Michael Chabon novel of the same name.  This tells the simple story of Professor Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas) who wrote ONE great novel several years and is having.....some difficulties....writing the follow-up.  Beyond that, he has one headmaster's wife (Frances McDormand) who he's been having an affair with, a highly impressionable much younger student (Katie Holmes) who is enamored with him, a nebbishy editor/publisher (Robert Downey Jr.) who keeps hounding him for that next book, and.....a wayward student James Leer (Tobey Maguire) whom he gets mixed up with in some incident involving a dog that gets shot.  James Leer also looks up to Grady and also just might be The Next Great American Writer.  And there's more plot and several more characters to boot....plot is almost incidental as this Pittsburgh-set character comedy has more to it than plot.  How about interesting characters, comical situations, and loads of fun dialogue to boot!

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Brady Corbet (Vox Lux) has directed a three and a half hour sprawling tale of a Jewish architect named Laszlo (Adrian Brody) who has escaped religious persecution in World War II Europe to come to America.  This epic drama kicks off with him arriving at Ellis Island in epic fashion, then restarting his career in Pennsylvania where he encounters a local industrialist named Van Buren (Guy Pearce) who hires him to take on increasingly larger projects.  Complications ensue as Laszlo achieves success but also struggles to adapt to an environment which can often be hostile to him, even more-so after his wife Erzsebet (Felicity Jones) is finally able to emigrate from Europe to join him.  Since being screened throughout the festival circuit last year (initially without a distributor), this film has received wide acclaim.  It has also recently received ten Oscar nominations including for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor.  But is it WORTHY of such acclaim?    

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Director Nisha Ganatra (Late Night) delivers a throwback to big studio romantic comedies from twenty years ago with this frothy musical tale of Maggie (Dakota Johnson) who is the beleaguered personal assistant to legendary pop diva Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross)...yet has a good ear and aspirations of becoming a music producer.  And while trying to help produce new music for her boss, she also happens to meet a talented young vocal artist David (Kelvin Harrison Jr) whose music she also wants to produce....they strike up a romance and things just get more complicated from there.  Also co-starring Ice Cube and Bill Pullman, this delightful gem features great music though also had the misfortune of being released five years ago during the early days of COVID, so it never had a proper release.....maybe it's time to spread the word.

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Edward (Richard Gere) is a wealthy industrialist who is feeling lonely one night while on a business trip.  While cruising Hollywood Boulevard, he meets a prostitute named Vivian (Julia Roberts) and he decides to hire her for the week to stay with him....what he didn't count on was falling in love. :o And what resulted was one of the most popular romantic comedies of all time, a worldwide phenomenon which launched Julia Roberts into the stratosphere.   It was directed by the late, great Garry Marshall (Beaches, The Princess Diaries) and also co-starred Jason Alexander, Laura San Giacomo, and Hector Elizondo.  It had a hugely popular soundtrack and features several iconic scenes.....but how does it hold up?  On the eve of its 35th Anniversary AND Valentines Day, let's head back to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and Rodeo Drive, and find out.....

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh (The Ocean's Trilogy, Erin Brockovich, Contagion) returns to the big screen with a simple tale about one suburban family which has just moved into a new home....only to find out that they might not be alone. :o Not only that but they each have their own share of personal issues, mostly depressed teenager Chloe (Callina Liang) who has suffered a recent personal tragedy and ends up being the focus of the story.  This film has been promoted as an intimate "ghost story" but it is as much a family drama...and let's leave it at that.  The rest of the cast includes Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, and Eddy Maday.

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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How do you remake a classic?  Well in the case of trying to bring back the LEGENDARY Private Detective John Shaft of the 1971 Gordon Parks cult hit starring Richard Roundtree, acclaimed director John Singleton (Boyz N The Hood, Poetic Justice) teamed with acclaimed writer Richard Writer (The Color of Money, Clockers) to....NOT remake it, they decided to "re-imagine" the character as a former NYPD cop trying to exact justice in late '90's New York City.  Oscar-nominee Samuel L. Jackson now plays the titular character with Roundtree returning to play his uncle.  This time around, Shaft is determined to bring justice for the racially-charged murder of an innocent young man at a NYC club.  The murderer is played by Oscar-winner Christian Bale (The Fighter), the witness whom Shaft has to find is played by Oscar-nominee Toni Colette (The Sixth Sense).....and beyond that, Shaft also has to combat corrupt local cops PLUS local drug kingpin Peoples Hernandez played by Oscar-nominee Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction).  Throw in some high-octane action, Busta Rhymes as Shaft's driver, AND....the iconic Oscar-winning theme song from Isaac Hayes and what do you get?  

Besides several Oscar nominees, you happen to get a surprisingly enjoyable (and very timely) action thriller to kick off Black History Month.  Can you dig it? :)    

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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On January 15, the entertainment world lost a truly unique and highly influential talent….David Lynch (Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man, Twin Peaks) who passed away at the age of 78 from emphysema.  Over his illustrious career, he directed twelve feature films and was nominated for four Oscars including Best Director for this acclaimed classic released in the fall of 2001.  Considered by many fans and critics to be Lynch's best film, this mind-bending mystery has since garnered a devoted following from cinephiles who have enjoyed developing and sharing theories regarding its complex plot.  The overall story mainly focuses on two women, one an amnesiac nick-named Rita (Laura Harring) and the other an aspiring actress named Betty (Naomi Watts) who is new to town.  The town is Hollywood, where dreams of fame and fortune sometimes come true....though more often they lead to bad things. :o And as these two ladies develop a relationship.....well as most other Lynch stories go, let's just say that they get pretty strange.  Also included among the stellar cast are Justin Theroux, Jeanne Bates, Robert Forster, Brent Briscoe, Patrick Fischler, Dan Hedaya, and Billy Ray Cyrus. (Yes you read that right.) 

Rest in Peace Mr. Lynch….your legacy will live on WELL beyond your time on this earth. 

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Director Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead & Spider-Man trilogies) just seemed born to apply his skills to a send-up of a spaghetti western and back in the mid '90's he got his chance.  You've got Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct) at the PEAK of her star-power playing the strong-but-silent type, a gunslinger coming to the town of Redemption seeking revenge and getting roped into a gun-duel tournament....Hackman taking his Oscar-winning thug sheriff role from Unforgiven up to 11 as the main villain....journeyman players like Lance Henricksen, Keith David, Pat Hingle, and Tobin Bell all having a blast.  PLUS you have a truly baby-faced Leo DiCaprio and youthful-looking Russell Crowe (in his American film debut) both bringing the heat with interesting supporting characters who form different types of bonds with Stone's protagonist.  What results is a high-energy genre hybrid which was a flop on initial release but has since built up a cult following as it now approaches it's thirtieth anniversary.  Let's find out who is the quickest....

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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