Carolina Moon

Product Description

Carolina Moon, starring Claire Forlani (TV's CSI: NY), Oliver Hudson (TV's Rules of Engagement), and Emmy and Golden Globe® nominee Jacqueline Bissett (The Deep, Rich and Famous), debuted on Lifetime Television.

Tory (Forlani), who has a gift for psychic visions, returns to her hometown to make peace with her troubled past and put to rest the ghost of Hope, her brutally murdered childhood friend. She soon discovers that Hope's death was only the first in a string of murders that have continued every year since that terrible day and the sociopath has been waiting patiently for Tory's return. She now has two choices: use her supernatural powers to catch the killer or end up his next victim under a Carolina Moon.

Average customer rating:

Very difficult to watch . . the best part was when it was over.
Ars Longus, Vita Brevis
Venus Arising
o'toole one of the greatest of all time-VENUS
Phillips: "You've been loved Maurice. You've been adored." O'Toole: "Yes. So have you Ian. You just didn't always notice it!"

Venus
Starring: Peter O'Toole , Leslie Phillips , Beatrice Savoretti , Philip Fox , and Lolita Chakrabarti
Director: Roger Michell
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NOKFHG
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Peter O'Toole adds another Great One to his list of indelible performances: as Maurice, a frail but defiantly horny London actor in his sunset, O'Toole lays bare his weathered face and sophisticated soul for a marvelous portrait of mortality. Maurice, who mostly hangs out counting pills and parsing obituaries with his fellow old-trouper Ian (Leslie Phillips), is roused to play Pygmalion one final time... not on stage, but in life, as Ian's gauche, callow niece (Jodie Whittaker) comes to live with her uncle. It would be very easy to turn this set-up into a heartwarming drama, but screenwriter Hanif Kureishi (My Beautiful Laundrette) has never been one to warm hearts. Unless it's on his own terms. As Maurice takes his Venus under his frail wing and imparts a few old-school instructions to this junk-culture lass, Kureishi and director Roger Michell hit just the right notes of clumsiness, grace, and regret. Everybody's good in the film; Jodie Whittaker does nicely by the task of creating a rather ordinary young woman, and Vanessa Redgrave turns up as Maurice's patient, long-suffering ex (about whom there is nothing ordinary). But it's O'Toole's show, and the grand old actor gives a performance without a hint of grandness, except where it might fit. When he sighs a valedictory, "There really isn't anything else," you know a life's experiences and mistakes are distilled in the wisdom. --Robert Horton

Description

Academy Award® nominee Peter O'Toole (2006 Best Actor) leads a powerful cast to deliver a charming and poignant portrayal of Maurice, an aging veteran actor who becomes absolutely taken with Jessie - the grandniece of his closest friend. When Maurice tries to soften the petulant and provincial young girl with the benefit of his wisdom and London culture, their give-and-take surprises both Maurice and Jessie as they discover what they don't know about themselves. Featuring brilliant performances from a superb supporting cast, VENUS is a witty and wise celebration of how the greatest lessons in life can come from the most unlikely places.

Customer Reviews:

Very difficult to watch . . the best part was when it was over........2007-09-12

Peter O'Toole and Vanessa Redgrave are far from youthful, but they are made up to look 15 years older than they really are. Why? Even in the moments that are supposed to portray some tenderness, all that one sees is old age, and attempts at tenderness become a disgusting farce.

Jesse is unabashedly common, with any redeeming features so well hidden as to be practically non-existent. She is so guilt-ridden after she and her boyfriend do their thing in Maurice's home, that any human being would have regrets. This was no particularly warm quality of hers coming to the fore.

All in all this was a very, very bad movie with gratuitous and stereotypical and juvenile portrayals of the elderly. Very difficult to watch . . the best part was when it was over.

Ars Longus, Vita Brevis.......2007-09-07

Venus, starring Peter O'Toole, is like one of those water-filled snowflake globes you buy at an airport gift shop - except that it's made by Faberge. It's a tiny, complete world of exquisite beauty - as your imagination drifts into it the outside world disappears. Most movies have gunfights - this movie has two old man beating each other with rolled up newspapers. Most movies reek with profanity and trash talk - here you can see a surly, provincial young woman transported by the music of an old man reciting lines from Hamlet. Most movies fawn over the advantages of youth, this movie shows you old men, and women, taking inventory at the end of their lives, trying to die with dignity.

Even more remarkable, this movie explores the virtually uncharted terrain of asexual love between a man and woman who are separated by two full generations - a love that is all the same powerful and redemptive for both. The subject matter is risky, and in lesser hands might have become tawdry. But it is handled with such authenticity and dignity that there's nary a smutty schoolyard giggle to be found. The depiction of old people is refreshing. America fears the aged so deeply that they rarely appear in films at all, and when they do, it is usually in cameo roles playing doorstops, table lamps, and magazine racks. But these old people are vital, full of attitude, wit, edge, sarcasm, and wisdom. They're wonderful to be around and we're enriched by watching them interact.

Director Roger Mitchell has an extraordinary touch; the film is simultaneously romantic and tough-minded. Writer Hanif Kureishi, who gave us the masterpiece - My Beautiful Launderette - is characteristically unsentimental and honest about the lonely, yet lovely, places within the human heart. The cast is simply overwhelming. Peter O'Toole speaks the English language more beautifully than any actor I can name, with the possible exception of Jeremy Irons. Considering he is playing an actor, he might easily have turned up the juice too high - but he never does. His portrayal of Maurice is Oscar level. To see O'Toole and Vanessa Redgrave conversing like any old couple is to witness acting royalty in action, they are amazing together. Leslie Phillips, who plays Maurice's fellow actor and dear friend Ian, practically walks off with the film several times, he is that good.

Tiptoe-ing among these giant sequoias is Jodie Whittaker who is extraordinary in her ability to not be extraordinary. Whittaker's gradual unfolding is handled beautifully, and to her great credit, it seems organic and credible. This film reminded me of another wonderful "small" film, 10 Items or Less, with Morgan Freeman. In both movies, people who are worlds apart have very limited encounters with each other that provide them with a rare opportunity to offer and receive profound gifts. They are moments in time that somehow reach out of time and touch something that outlasts time. If I were in an airport gift shop, I would buy them both for you.

Venus Arising.......2007-09-03

This is another movie in a genre that seems to be gaining steam in recent years. The plot centers around a very young woman (Jodie Whittaker) and a much older man (Peter O'Toole) who share a very off-the-wall friendship. There are many parallels between this film & other recent flicks of the same basic genre, such as Lost in Translation (where Bill Murray's character "falls" for Scarlett Johannson's character) and Shopgirl (written by Steve Martin, where he plays the title role of a man who goes after a younger woman, portrayed by Claire Danes). Like both of these movies, Venus is very subtle. It kind of floats along, sort of dream-like. People who need movies with lots of action, or lots of stuff going on @ once, may be rather bored by this film.

Peter O'Toole plays an actor who is way past his prime. Once a storied Thespian, he is now relegated to roles such as that of a corpse. He was also quite a Lady's Man in his time, but now his seductive prowess & power over women is stale. Physically, too, he is wearing down. He is in need of prostrate surgery and his body is basically falling apart beneath him.

When he meets his friend's niece (played nicely by Whittaker), he suddenly finds his sexual urges and romantic passions re-awakened. He projects & idealizes her into the image of Venus, Roman goddess of Love, as she appears in a famous painting. Jodie Whittaker has an unconventional, demure beauty that is perfect for her role as the young siren.

The story tells of how the 2 people try to manipulate each other towards their own ends. He wants small non-sexual favors, and in return she wants him to buy her stuff. Out of this they somehow form a genuine (albeit awkward?) friendship.

For those who have seen LOST IN TRANSLATION and / or SHOPGIRL, those films will likely be a good indicator as to how much (or little?) you will like this movie. One thing that must be acknowledged is that this is a little more "extreme" in its view of the older man / much younger girl. O'Toole is in his Golden Years while Jodie Whittaker is literally barely out of high school. Some may find this a bit vulger, but for those who stick around for the whole story, they will find a certain elegance in watching the Venus on the screen transforming into the vision of Venus in the painting.

o'toole one of the greatest of all time-VENUS.......2007-08-25

Peter O'Toole was wonderful in this movie....especially for those of us over 55 who still believe in life and love....and the possibilities of finding same....i hope someday he wins an oscar for his achievments...i recectly watched "Beckett" again after many years and both he and Richard Burton were "tried and true" actors with out all of the explosive and violent distractions of todays movies....i plan on watching more of the older movies now that i am old enough to appreciate them!!! For a man who is obviously frail now..he still has a wonderful sense of himself, a sexinesss, great beauty and humor...i don't care how old he is, he has class!!!

Phillips: "You've been loved Maurice. You've been adored." O'Toole: "Yes. So have you Ian. You just didn't always notice it!".......2007-08-20

This could have a groan to watch, even pervy (it actually is in places) but it's still an absolute gem.

While Peter O'Toole grabs the lion's share of attention, there are many other reasons why this so works. One of them is a stunning turn from Leslie Phillips who up until now has been all but a National joke in Britain (in the nicest way - he's been acting since the Fifties in light-hearted and often bawdy British comedies). The two together are never anything less than brilliant. Phillips knows he's up against real acting talent, but every time he matches it with his most brilliant and layered performance ever. And he's subtle too. Their scenes together are worth their weight in gold.

Part of the reason is the fantastically funny, observational and touching script from Hanif Kureish which should have pulled a statue. There's a scene where two nurses are chatting over Peter O'Toole - one sticking a needle in his arm in some god-forsaken National Health Service room - and they just don't see him - he might as well not be there - why - because he's old - and therefore doesn't count anymore. It immediately cuts to him in the next scene at home - head lowered - sat on the side of a bed - hurting at the realisation of his aged fate. Then he slaps his own face three times and tells himself to "get up you old fu**er" and get on with life! O'Toole can suggest so much with even a glance. Both scenes are crushingly sad, but say so much by using so little. It's fantastic writing.

There's another scene with Richard Griffiths (superb British actor who played Uncle Monty in Withnail & I) and Leslie Phillips; they're in a London cafe the three dotty cumudgens frequent, when Phillips bemoans the fact that his new girl lodger Jessie (played by Judie Whittaker - dubbed "Venus" by O'Toole after visiting the famous painting in The National Gallery) has drunk all his best booze and eaten him out of house and home. He's frantic. The two boys react - not with sympathy and tea - but by relentlessly taking the piss out of his overreaction! It's just hysterically funny, well paced and packed full of wisdoms.

Maurice's (O'Toole) reaction to Venus is entirely different. She, of course, with her short skirts, Northern accent and lip that knows no subtlety - represents life, youth, woman. And for a man who's been in love with them all from the moment he could ditch his nappy and chase them down the street - she's irresistable. Their romance at-a-distance is slowly boiled and admittedly at times, it seems highly unlikely, but they play it so well together, you believe it. There are slightly pervy moments as I said and awkward scenes where he can't help himself and gets physical, and she calls him "forward". But he is - as a man - dying - and he can't stand it - he has so much to give still, if only someone will stop looking at him as old, and instead see him as a viable human being. It's all beautifully handled, insightful and ballsy - because these things should be/need to be said and addressed.

The music is provided by the lovely Corrine Bailey Rae, a British soul singer (like a softer version of Tracy Chapman meets Mica Paris) - soulful songs and strumming moments pepper the nicely used London locations. Later scenes with his long-suffering wife Vanessa Redgrave are genuinely touching too - another great actress adding class to an already classy project.

There are times when O'Toole looks ill, that this maybe his last role, but then that voice comes through, or he does an "act-or's turn", or he smiles at Leslie Phillips and hugs him - and lifetimes of friendship come through. In another scene Phillips' character Ian says as they sip whiskey in a gentleman's club reminiscing on their pasts, "I love this horrible place. It reminds me, of what I wanted to become." He admires Maurice and is jealous of him, but can say it without fear, because they're real friends. Sipping whiskey and clipping toenails!

Of course the central relationship between Maurice & Jessie goes to crap and a series of events threaten to wreck it. We're not looking at traditional happy endings here, but compromises - as all living is. It ends as it began - on a beach - with the waves of the free sea lapping on the shore - fresh and untamable.

I loved this film. Please don't let the subject matter put you off.
In one particularly touching scene, O'Toole's character Maurice, quotes Shakespeare to Venus - and to finish this review - so shall I.

"So long as men shall live and eyes shall see...
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee".

Put this movie high on your rental/to buy list.

Average customer rating:

A very moved story of a mother toward her daughter's feelings.
Superbly done.
What happened to Lady Windemere's Fan
Wild About Wilde? A Strangely Subdued Retelling Of A Literary Classic Left Me Wanting More "Wilde-ness"
Total ripoff of Wilde's other works

A Good Woman
Starring: Helen Hunt , Scarlett Johansson , Milena Vukotic , Stephen Campbell Moore , and Mark Umbers
Director: Mike Barker
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000F3UAFC
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Amazon.com

Scarlett Johannson and Helen Hunt give Oscar Wilde's popular play Lady Windermere's Fan a lavish jazz-age treatment in A Good Woman. An adventuress (Hunt, As Good as It Gets) flees scandal in New York and lands in Italy, where she crosses paths with a young businessman (David Hasselhoff look-alike Mark Umbers) and his very upright young wife (Johansson, Lost in Translation). Before long, tongues are wagging about the adventuress and the businessman, possibly driving the wife to a rash act. A Good Woman retains Wilde's plot--though its 19th century moral concerns don't have the same punch in 1930s Italy--and tosses aside most of his impeccable dialogue, sprinkling his clever epigrams here and there in the otherwise undistinguished dialogue. Johansson, perhaps the most physically sensual actress since Brigitte Bardot, is miscast as the moral prig; Hunt, looking pinched and austere, is miscast as the jaded courtesan. The movie's great saving grace is Tom Wilkinson as a rich man who hopes Hunt will warm his older years. Wilkinson brings a worldly benevolence to every moment he's on screen, making the lines that weren't written by Wilde sound as crisp and wise as if they were. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

A very moved story of a mother toward her daughter's feelings. .......2007-07-28

A realistic drama about a mother who willing to sacrafice her own future and happpiness to trade or save her daughter's life. The love Is so humongous and noble that people need to write some more stories of human relationship's sacrifices. Sometimes people needs a wake up call to realise how much fortunated they have each others, but never considerer it as a blessing.

Superbly done........2007-05-24

Good acting, witty dialogue, good social critique, superb directing. Had to watch it three times.

What happened to Lady Windemere's Fan.......2007-05-13

I really enjoyed this film, primarily because Oscar Wilde was (is) a master of conversation. However, I didn't realize the source of the screen play until I heard the name "Windemere" and then "Fan", when everything came clear that this was the Wilde play brought to the screen. But only a so-so effort. I thought the lead characters were poorly cast. This doesn't mean they were poor actors, it just means they were not convincing in the parts. Helen Hunt is usually funny and clever but doesn't strike me as a seductress or a "woman of the world". The best and most believeable actors were the supporting cast, who unfortunately mumbled some of the better lines. The Oscar Wilde play was a comedy of manners and a social commentary on the English upper class, but alas this was largely missing in the movie. In fact, the pace and crispness of Wilde's wit was subdued due to the slow pace of the film. However, this was still a fun movie, beautifully filmed and costumed. I thoroughly enjoyed the film because even the flaws in this film couldn't destroy the superb wit and conversation that characterized Wilde's work.

Wild About Wilde? A Strangely Subdued Retelling Of A Literary Classic Left Me Wanting More "Wilde-ness".......2007-03-19

Some people like to skydive or rock climb for adventure. I must admit, at this stage in my life, adventure (for me) is jumping into a movie that I know absolutely nothing about and hoping for the best. Daring, huh? Such is the case with the vaguely titled "A Good Woman." I knew it starred Helen Hunt, Tom Wilkinson and Scarlett Johannson--and that was enough to lead me on the "adventure" of discovering this film. Imagine my surprise, then, (about a third of the way through) when a character named Windermere was purchasing a fan for his wife--and I suddenly realized I was watching a strange modernization of Oscar Wilde's classic play aptly entitled "Lady Windermere's Fan." I felt pretty foolish, I must admit--but I don't entirely blame myself.

Instead of the claustrophobic drawing rooms in 1890's England, "A Good Woman" is fashioned in Italy of the 1930's (an odd choice considering the political climate at the time--which is conveniently never mentioned). The Windermere's are now Americans. And what was once Wilde's comedy of manners has become a rather stilted drama with occasional one-liners that fans of Wilde's works will recognize. I certainly have no problem with re-imagining a classic work, such as this. But "A Good Woman" keeps the storyline of "Lady Windermere's Fan" while jettisoning the elements that make it an effective social commentary. The intimate settings of the play establish a world where gossip is an essential part of daily life, the wicked interactions are all anyone have to occupy their time. By opening things up to the Italian countryside, this seems to be less relevant. It's as if the primary characters are engaged in a different movie from the supporting players who make mockery of them.

"A Good Woman" tells the story of Mrs. Erlynne (Helen Hunt), a seductress that has made a career of manipulating the egos of wealthy men. After being chased from American society, she settles in Italy where her path crosses with a young aristocrat named Windermere and his bride (Johannson). Windermere's relationship with Mrs. Erlynne sets the tongues wagging. It's best not to reveal too much of the plot for those unfamiliar with the play--but again, the film's screenplay loses much of Wilde's language, flow, and intricate comedy. Only the talented and British supporting players, led by the sublime Wilkinson, seem to be trying to maintain Wilde's spirit.

Still, this is a handsome production. But no amount of lush scenery and exquisite costuming can hide the film's truly fatal flaw. No offense to Helen Hunt, or her fans, but her interpretation of Mrs. Erlynne leaves much to be desired. With a stilted cadence to her speech and a pinched expression, Hunt never convinces us that she could be the irresistible creation that she needs to be. Johannson is somewhat vacant in her role, as well, but that is better disguised by her character's naiveté. It is Wilkinson, in particular, that completely saves this production. With much needed humor and charm, "A Good Woman" is inexplicably salvaged by a man! While this isn't terrible by any stretch, it's unlikely to send new viewers to seek out the works of Oscar Wilde--and that's a real disappointment. KGHarris, 03/07.

Total ripoff of Wilde's other works.......2007-03-12

Viturally every other sentence is borrowed/stolen from Wilde's other works. "The Portrait of Dorian Gray" seems to be a favorite of this film's writer. Uninspired, to say the least!

Average customer rating:

"Watch me where I'm unwatchable."
More silly than profound
a hard movie to watch
I am so enamored of Catherine Breillat....
Fine Arthouse Porn

Anatomy of Hell
Starring: Rocco Siffredi , Catherine Breillat , Jacques Monge , Amira Casar , and Claudio Carvalho
Director: Catherine Breillat
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000FZEQCS
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Customer Reviews:

"Watch me where I'm unwatchable.".......2007-09-13

Catherine Breillat (1948) is a brilliant French filmmaker, director and novelist. Her films take us (particularly us uptight Americans) places we've never been before, and usually outside our comfort zones with their depictions of hard sexual truths. As a result, Breillat is often the subject of controversy for her explicit depictions of sexuality and violence. Adapted from her novel Pornocratie, Breillat's Anatomy of Hell (Anatomie de l'enfer) (2004) is perhaps her most controversial film. It stars hunky porn star Rocco Siffredi (Romance) as an Everyman character and willowy Amira Casar as the Everywoman, and basically depicts four nights of sexual politics played out in a sparse bedroom in an isolated beach house. After meeting in a gay nightclub, the woman offers to pay the man to "Watch me where I'm unwatchable," that is, to observe all that he despises in a woman because he is a homosexual. The ensuing dialogue between the two is enlightening and the sexual scenes are primal.

Throughout the film, one wonders: what is Breillat up to here? Ultimately, Anatomy of Hell is not so much a film about four nights of explicit sexuality, as a film about confronting male misogyny, brutality against women, and fear of the female anatomy. For many, this film may be disturbing. Anatomy of Hell is to Breillat what The Second Sex is to Simone de Beauvoir. Thank the French God for these Gallic bad girls. Breillat's interest in exploring hard truths about human sexuality is something I admire about French cinema in general and her films in particular. Certainly, it would be difficult to find this sexual dialogue happening anywhere else in cinema. Like all of Breillat's works, this is a film people should be debating afterwards in cafes, bars, and their bedrooms.

G. Merritt

More silly than profound.......2007-08-12

You probably know the story line: a woman goes to a gay male
club and slashes her wrists in the toilet. A patron of the club finds
her, saves her and they strike a bargain. She will pay him to watch
her expose herself and tell her what he sees and feels. Essentially,
he is to be a reporter and she an audience of one. You get the sense
that Rupert Murdoch is unlikely to buy this channel.

So, with that introduction, we have a string of graphic sex scenes
and pompous pronouncements on the nature of male/female
relationships. It's hard to say which is more boring.You may be a bit
amused that the male protagonist and recipient of all this wisdom is gay.
Or you may find that to be merely another aspect of the overall
bombasticity and pretentiouscity of this thoroughly silly film.

--Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine

a hard movie to watch.......2006-10-12

The film is very thought provoking and doesn't mind pushing buttons or boundaries to achieve this end. Although I agree with another reviewer's (Dexter Tay) assessment that this film certainly pertains to Sartre's "Hell is the Other" view, I do not believe this film is more arthouse porn then art. I find it very interesting that the reviews are fairly divided between the sexes. Females seem to rave about this movie and males seem to find things wrong. Hmmmm. This film is basically two characters, one female and one male (names aren't used because they don't matter - they are ourselves) who are complete strangers and come together to discuss the real view they have of the "Other" as well as themselves. The setting is very bare as there is no need for props - it is the inter-relationship that is front and center and no diversions are allowed. So even though there are several graphic scenes, be prepared for much more dialogue and philosophical discussions between man and woman then actual sexual content. Also, the very graphic content is there for a specific purpose and it is not titillation. For example, the tampon scene is a little too detailed for my comfort but that moment shows the whole point of this amazing film. It was NOT about the female lead's bent toward self-mutilation as one reviewer suggests (sooooo male), otherwise every female who used tampons on a monthly basis would be carrying out a deprived act of self-hatred?! Rather, the diametrically opposed views held by men and women about the most basic and intimate nature of things. Two scenes stand out from all others: (1) when the women opines on the ridiculousness of the sanitary outer covering of a tampon to prevent intimacy. The very act by its nature is intimate. Why are men and women horrified by menstruation? This topic is delved into with such honesty that the viewer automatically shies away. I'll admit I closed my eyes in one scene; and (2) when the man complains to another about the way the woman let him debase her, allowed herself to be made to wallow in her own piss and excrement (no scenes of this, thank goodness) and with every humiliation, she asked for more. All the while he is disgusted by her, he is haunted by his own actions. The whole movie makes compelling comments about us as men and women. Catherine Breillat (director) presents a piece of work (based on her novel entitled, "Pornocrate") that forces the viewer to confront issues buried by morality or social conventions. I applaud her brilliant effort.

I am so enamored of Catherine Breillat...........2006-08-14

I adore Catherine Breillat's films, and I believe this to be her best work. Why do I love her so much? She challenges me, she entralls me, she makes me think, she takes sex seriously. Her films polarize, her films enrage people, but it's the good kind of polarization. None of her films are done for shock value. This is my favorite among her work. The performances are superb, especially that of Rocco Siffredi, who is a real porn star in Italy. Breillat cast him because he was unafraid of the part, and she also added that "most French actors aren't very handsome". He acquits himself quite well, and shows that a porn star can act. More often than not, porn stars are terrible actors, as porn doesn't require any emotions, just stamina. Breillat understands the true complexity of relationships, and it unnerves people. If she wanted me to do a nude scene, I'd do it. I wouldn't ask her about it. Full frontal. She is a great artist, and one of the greatest filmmakers working today.

Fine Arthouse Porn.......2006-05-25

Anatomy of Hell - a metaphorical reference to the nether realm, is, if I'm not wrong, Briellat's adaptation of Jean-Paul Sartre's famous quote "Hell is the Other". The film makes a rather stilted commentary centred around the notion of the Other, and of how as the Subject, we are desperate, if not phenomenally suicidal, to constantly yearn for the look of the Other to reflect upon our physical selves which we cannot escape, which is both a necessary "evil" and self-sustaining as it is tormenting and perpetually unfulfilled. Breillat is only excused by the highly symbolic, theatrical style of the film with a disclaimer that relinquishes the reality of the characters portrayed.

The choice of Siffredi as the male lead couldn't have been more surprising - few mainstream actors would have gone to the extent of no-bars-held in displaying their endowment aroused - close-up and in full glory. Siffredi's portfolio wouldn't stifle audiences more familiar with his pornographic work to boredom; his role in the film is highly restrained in the emotional sense, and there is a certain heightened sense of eroticism that goes with it. Amira on the other hand, plays a dejected Venus fallen from adoration - bordering on the inane and desperately seeking ways to turn the most quietly staunched of misogynists to reconsider sexuality in all its face value.

Unfortunately for all the philosophical postulations, the film is led more by the attempts to revolt and to shock, rather than to make a genuine attempt at examining the relations between the sexes. The man played by Siffredi could have not engaged in torrid sex with the woman - but the film would have lost its focus and the entire point that resolves in mutual sexual gratification, so that in the end, the entire film is more of an arthouse porn than art.

Fans and non-fans of Siffredi alike, this DVD is a collectable tribute to him in his prime.

Average customer rating:

Well Made Biblical Epic But Many Scenes Are Fictitious Additions
Authentic portrayal of life of Abraham
All star cast.
My Favorite of this Series
An Excellent Account

Abraham (The Bible Collection)
Starring: Richard Harris , Barbara Hershey , Maximilian Schell , Vittorio Gassman , and Carolina Rosi
Director: Joseph Sargent
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
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ASIN: B0006J28K0
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Customer Reviews:

Well Made Biblical Epic But Many Scenes Are Fictitious Additions.......2007-08-22

This film offers a serious, respectful and well made treatment of the Bible's story of Abraham. It starts with Abraham being told by God that he should seek out a new land where "I will make you into a great nation". The movie ends with the scene of Abraham offering his son, Issac, as a sacrifice to God. It was shot on location in the Middle East, features some fine acting from Richard Harris and Barbara Hershey and possesses a reasonably high degree of historical accuracy.

However, viewers should keep in mind that many scenes included in this film do not come from the Bible itself. But are instead fictitious stories made up by the filmakers. The chronology of biblical events is also switched around and certain details are changed. For example, in the movie Eliezer from Damacus is given an expanded role as a man Abraham discovers dying of thirst in the desert while trying to escape from slavery. Eliezer then becomes Abraham's closest friend and confidant. However, in the the Bible Eliezer receives only a passing mention - as a household servant who Abraham is worried will inherit his estate if he dies childless. I could offer many more examples where the movie differs from the biblical account.

To some extent this is understandable because the Bible's story of Abraham is quite short, with the first hour of the movie drawn from only a single page of biblical text. However, I would have preferred that the film have shortened it's length from over 3 hours to 2 hours or less in order to follow the biblical story more closely. I am not saying this because I am a biblical literalist. Actually, my interest in religon is more intellectual than faith based. However, I do believe in preserving the integrity of this important, ancient text which countless people throughout world history have believed to be sacred.

This is still a movie worth watching. But I do recommend that you compare the film's scenes to what actually occurs in the Bible.

Authentic portrayal of life of Abraham.......2007-07-06

Joseph Sargent, director of countless TV episodes and movies of everything from `Star Trek' and `Gunsmoke' to the movie `Jaws: The Revenge', does an admirable job of telling the story of Abraham here over 3 hours. It certainly has an authentic feel to it, but critically it scores plaudits for portraying Abraham in such a human, down to earth and easy to understand way.
Richard Harris heads a starry cast, making us really believe in the reality of a man who became the father of nations. All the key moments are shown, through from deciding to leave Haran for Egypt, through to the births of his sons Ishmael and Isaac, and the final altar scene with Isaac. This is an apt place to end, for the underlying theme shown is that of sacrifice and loving God above all. When sacrificing, Isaac is reminded by his father to `pick the lamb you love the most, for in this way you are showing God you put him before all'. It is this underlying understanding of the seemingly old fashioned concept of burnt sacrifice that is all too relevant to us today.
For a TV movie, the production values are not bad, and mostly on location - the only let down moment being the destruction of Sodom which is only glimpsed and what we do glimpse is poorly done.
However, the restrained way in which the other key events are shown are very realistic, and the cast all add significant gravitas to proceedings. Other key performers are Maximillian Schell as the Pharaoh - surprisingly effective, and Barbara Hershey as Sara, Abrahams wife.
Recommended not just for those already familiar with the story, but as a good summary for those discovering the story for the first time.

All star cast........2007-03-24

Very accurate according to the Bible. Great cast and very clean. Would definatly recommend this movie to my family. Actually, most of them have already seen it. Barbara Hershey did such a wonderful job.

My Favorite of this Series.......2007-02-18

This entire series of Bible stories by this Italian production group is simply splendid. These are relatively low cost films but they are very skillfully produced to maximize the quality of the story being told. Of course we Christians and Jews will sit around and pontificate about every little error or short cut the movie script incurs, never the less, it is ultimately left to the actors and directors and their considerable skill to pull off what I consider to be, for the most part, some of the most successfully done Bible story dramatizations that have ever been produced on film, with or without a big budget. My favorite is the story of Abram, the movie Joseph coming in a close second along with the movie, Moses, coming in a close third or even equalling Joseph. All of the rest of these movies hoover in second or third place together as far as I'm concerned. Bravo bravo - Please make more! My five stars applies to this complete series of movies - Obviously some are done a little better than others, but the effort is exemplary.

An Excellent Account.......2007-02-01

I think that this was the first movie made for the Bible Collection. It set a high standard for excellence in terms of presenting a dramatic story and in terms of presenting material from the bible. Most often, when one of these aspects succeeds, the other fails. In this case, both are done well.

The story is of the patriarch, Abraham. He is called by God to leave his home and settle in a new area. He is promised that he will become the father of many nations. Throughout his sojourn, there are times when his faith or that of his followers falters. At these times, they will do things other than what they are commanded by God and generally have problems result from it. In the end, the promise is made good even though both Abraham and his wife are well past the age where these promises would seem realistic. God keeps promises.

The other impressive thing about this presentation is the way it works in a host of details from the biblical story that are rarely dealt with. Since the story of Abraham is not one of the most popular for depiction, this may not be apparent to some but I noticed details which seldom make it into sermons or Sunday School presentations.

The whole, though, is greater than the sum of the parts. It is an excellent account.

Average customer rating:

Brilliant
Big disappointment
A quirky delightful movie
Vintage Shirley!
Dramatic wolf in romantic-comedy sheep's clothing

Carolina
Starring: Julia Stiles , Shirley MacLaine , Alessandro Nivola , Randy Quaid , and Edward Atterton
Director: Marleen Gorris
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0001WTWD8
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Description

Julia Stiles (MONA LISA SMILE) and Academy Award(R) winner Shirley MacLaine (1983 Best Actress, TERMS OF ENDEARMENT) star in CAROLINA, the endearing romantic comedy about a young woman (Stiles) trying to escape the eccentric ways of her wacky Southern family and meet the man of her dreams -- a nice, normal available guy. Finding him appears easier said than done until she meets a handsome and debonair Englishman. Will Carolina's dream turn into a nightmare when she introduces her perfect guy to her less-than-perfect family? And what will her best friend Albert have to say? As funny and charming as SWEET HOME ALABAMA, this Southern belle is sure to sweep you off your ever-loving feet.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant.......2007-06-05

This Movie is fantastic, a real Girl night movie. Ths dvd itself is brilliant!!!! I love it, amozon rocks

Big disappointment.......2007-05-17

I rented this movie because I love chick flicks and have enjoyed some of Julia Stiles' other films (e.g. Save the Last Dance, The Prince and Me, Ten Things I hate About You). Also enjoyed Shirley MacLaine in In Her Shoes. I thought it was unusual that I hadn't heard of this film before, but after watching it, I can see why. The script and plotline are BEYOND cheesey, even for the average chick flick fan. My advice? Get something that better utilizes the skills of these talented actresses. (Even if you are an avid chick flick fan!)

A quirky delightful movie.......2007-05-15

This is a hilarious movie, Shirley MacLaine at her best and darling daughters. Julia Stiles was special.

Vintage Shirley!.......2007-05-14

An enjoyable film --- a bit rowdy and brash --- but it was fun watching Shirley MacLaine a bit over the top in the role of the grandmother. An excellent performance by several young actors and actresses, and in particular, Julia Stiles.

Dramatic wolf in romantic-comedy sheep's clothing.......2006-07-14

Carolina stars Julia Stiles as a young woman named Carolina who has trouble finding love. Her dilemma is ironically underscored by the fact that she works for a television game show called "The Perfect Match." One day Carolina meets a handsome, rich, available Englishman on the set of the game show and she becomes romantically involved with him. Carolina doesn't notice, however, that her best friend--a handsome, eligible bachelor and her next door neighbor--is jealous of her new relationship. One of the running jokes in the film is that the best friend writes romance novels under a pseudonym--using a woman's name. Only Carolina knows his secret and there are a couple of funny scenes in which people talk to the best friend about his books without knowing that he's the author. Carolina's romance problems are further exacerbated by the existence of her eccentric family. How will her new prim and proper English boyfriend react when he meets Carolina's family?

Shirley MacLaine plays the role of Carolina's grandmother who raised Carolina and her two sisters because their dead-beat, drunkard father was not at all interested in raising them. The grandmother herself is quite a character and has unorthodox child-raising methods. In a scene from Carolina's childhood Carolina is arguing with her sister and the grandmother hands them both butcher knives and sends them out to an alley to fight out their differences. When someone questions the grandmother about her decision, she responds "don't worry, they're not that sharp." Despite the grandmother's unusual childrearing techniques, deep down she loves the kids very much. In general the depiction of Carolina's family is over the top. The butcher knife scene ends with the father showing up in the alley with Carolina's newborn youngest sister in a laundry basket. He leaves the baby on the ground for his mother to find and raise and then he drives off in his pick up truck. This Deus Ex Machina prompts the end of the knife fight, explains the introduction of a new character and demonstrates the incompetence of Carolina's father, but the father comes off as being a pathologically incompetent parent.

The biggest problem with the film Carolina is that it seems to be two different films at the same time--on the one hand it is a romantic comedy about a young woman searching for Mr. Right but overlooks her best friend who is secretly in love with her, on the other hand it is a comedy-drama about a young woman coming to terms with her extremely dysfunctional family. Mixing these two different genres could potentially work; sometimes it works in the film Carolina, sometimes it doesn't. The problem is that romantic comedies generally tend to be light and fun, but some of the dramatic scenes involving Carolina's family are serious and/or depressing--more drama than one would expect from a romantic comedy. Finally, the film has a rather abrupt ending.

This is a flawed film, but it has enough going for it to recommend it. While the combination of two different tones can be jarring at times, I think the film makers deserve credit for trying an unusual combination. However, it probably would have been a better film if they dropped the romantic comedy elements and focused more on the characters in the family. Julia Stiles is a talented actress and she is up for all of the different scenes that the script requires from her; I'm just not sure that the audience will be prepared for all of the drama in this film if the audience is expecting a straight-forward romantic comedy.

Average customer rating:

This movie will mess with your head
One of the very best
Essential Mike Leigh
Naked
Great movie on so many levels

Naked - Criterion Collection
Starring: David Thewlis , Lesley Sharp , Katrin Cartlidge , Greg Cruttwell , and Claire Skinner
Director: Mike Leigh
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000A88EV4
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Amazon.com

In between his breakthrough film (Life Is Sweet) and his world sensation (Secrets and Lies), filmmaker Mike Leigh created his most abrasive and daring film, Naked. This "Angry Young Man" for the 1990s follows an acidic wanderer (Cannes award winner David Thewlis) who observes a corrosive Britain. An intellectual, bitter film filtered with debauchery and black humor, Naked follows the bemusing Johnny as he crosses in and out of doorways, drifting into old acquaintances and new lost souls. It is more of a character film than sheer entertainment and thus it can be hard to watch, but it offers one of the great performances of the 1990s. Thewlis would have been an Oscar shoo-in if he'd worn a tuxedo and repressed his emotions. He didn't, and his brilliant work went unrecognized in mainstream America. --Doug Thomas

Description

One of the essential films of the 1990s, Mike Leigh's brilliant and controversial "Naked" stars David Thewlis as Johnny, a charming, eloquent, and relentlessly vicious drifter in London. Rejecting all those who would care for him, the volcanic Johnny hurls himself into a nocturnal odyssey through the city, colliding with a succession of the desperate and the dispossessed and scorching everyone in his path. With a virtuoso script and raw performances by Thewlis and costars Katrin Cartlidge and Lesley Sharp, Leigh's panorama of England's crumbling underbelly is a showcase of black comedy and doomsday prophecy, and was the winner of the best director and actor prizes at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.

Customer Reviews:

This movie will mess with your head.......2007-09-02

The opening scene really dictates the mood for the entire film. It shows the main character, Johnny(David Thewis), in a dark alley raping a woman. The director, Mike Leigh, simultaneously is forcing himself upon you the viewer. He smacks you in the face with this brutality and leaves you dazed and waiting for him to finish you off.
But he leaves you hanging. The film takes a different turn as he embraces you with an intelligent, virtuoso script. I kept waiting for more pieces of extreme violence and brutality, and although there is some, it's really all about the thought-provoking dialogue.
There are moments where you'll forget about Johnny's violent nature. He is a drifter, but he is also intelligent and charming. His lifestyle seemed to be a conscious choice, an act of rebelling against the confines of acceptable human patterns and ordinary tendencies.
To a certain degree, this main character reminded me of Alex from Clockwork Orange. He clamors through his life with a raw sort of bravado and inkling for disaster while also being sort of victimized by his own frenzied manner.
Naked is a intimate look at human nature. It's filled with some bleak outlooks on life, doomsday prophecies, dark humor, and scorching emotional surges. Man, it will wipe you out.
Thewis' performance really stands out in this riveting journey. He was recognized at the Cannes Film Festival with a best actor award, and Leigh accepted one for best director as well. A movie not to be missed.

One of the very best.......2007-08-11

I saw this in a theater when it first came out and left feeling stunned. Saw it a couple more times in the next few weeks and later owned the VHS. Just recently watched this DVD version and it's still the most powerful movie I've ever seen. This has a combination of high levels of intelligence and humor and pain you won't find anywhere else.

As mentioned, Thewlis deserved an Oscar for this performance as he and the propulsive music drive Johnny forward on his desperate search for something not to be found in mainstream society, something he probably couldn't even define even though he knows he needs it. All his fellow actors also do a great job, especially Sharpe as Louise who brought out Johnny's tender side and the late and missed Cartlidge as Sophie, flailing around in her own pain.

Essential Mike Leigh.......2007-07-27

Mike Leigh's dystopian, bleak London is rendered more forcefully in this film than perhaps in any of his others: a sense of hopeless nihilism pervades throughout and one is left empty, disturbed and yet somehow satisfied. None of the characters in the film is actively likeable, and yet one finds oneself rooting for the self-destructive Johnny, a misanthropic semi-fugitive whose story provides the main thrust of the film's plot, to take as many other people down with him as possible. In his subconscious quest to do just that, Johnny starts off in control, encountering and psychologically devastating a sequence of increasingly hopeless characters, each of whom is flawed in a specific way which emphasises their own mental frailty. However, as the film reaches its conclusion, Johnny finally becomes desperate as he encounters his own essential weakness and turns his attacks on himself. He is offered an olive branch: a last-minute way out, but ultimately, he refuses to accept it, preferring instead to continue his journey all the way to the bottom. French nihilism owes a debt here: one sees echoes of this film in the work of Michel Houllebecq, Gaspar Noé and Rémy Belvaux, among others.

Naked.......2007-07-13

Leigh created his most disturbing and loathsome character in the garrulous drifter Johnny, but his brilliance is in making us empathize with this viciously sociopathic personality. Thewlis gives a virtuosic performance as Johnny, spewing abrasive, apocalyptic vitriol about women, God, and bourgeois society, when he isn't simply humiliating those in his immediate vicinity, like Louise and Sophie. Dreary settings and encounters with a variety of sad characters transform Johnny's bleak rants into an indictment of sorts against England's rotting welfare state. Not for all tastes, "Naked" is raw, fierce, and unforgettable.

Great movie on so many levels.......2007-06-26

I highly reccomend this version of Naked. David Thewlis and Mike Leigh are on the extras and they both add a new dimension to the film. My very old VHS version completely pales in comparison.

Buy it, you'll be glad you did!

Average customer rating:

More?
More real than Project Runway...

Seamless
Starring: Anna Wintour , Lazaro Hernandez , Pharrell Williams , Karolina Kurkova , and Arthur Elgort
Director: Douglas Keeve
Manufacturer: Arts Alliance Amer
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000DN5VFS
Release Date: 2006-02-28

Product Description

Having immortalized designer Isaac Mizrahi in his award-winning documentary UNZIPPED, director Douglas Keeve takes another behind-the-scenes look at the intensely competitive world of the fashion industry with SEAMLESS. Like a grittier version of the reality-television series PROJECT RUNWAY, the film follows ten fashion-design hopefuls as they vie for top-prize in a contest created by Vogue magazine and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Focusing equally on the art of fashion design as well as its more cutthroat business demands, Keeve's thought-provoking doc is bolstered by cameos from real-life fashionistas Anna Wintour, Vera Wang, and the irrepressible Mizrahi himself.

System Requirements:

Running Time 75 Mins.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

More?.......2006-09-25

As a fan of Project Runway, I was thrilled to learn about Seamless, a documentary of the fashion world and young designers.

I truly enjoyed Seamless as it did portray the reality of the fashion world and struggles of the young designers to make it. (Like Heidi Klum always say, "one day you're in; the next day, you're out".) These designers are aware that fashion is highly competitive where many don't make it or experience short-lived success before folding. Those that are still existing and struggling, especially after 9/11, are in dire need of finances or mentorship. This is where Vogue, noted fashion designers and other "head honchos" come in to help out, via competition.

I do wish that the documentary was longer by following the other designers or by covering more aspects of fashion designing, production, etc. I liked how the documentary followed their personal lives, which made them like regular people... Doo-Ri and the fire, Alexandre and his transcontinental separation from his wife, and Lazaro and Jack's adjustment to one's relocation.

Overall, I truly enjoyed Seamless as it was educational yet entertaining.

More real than Project Runway..........2006-07-03

I'm a fan of Project Runway and found I liked this little documentary very enjoyable. Seamless gives us a very real look into a struggling fashion designers world, no 8 hour challenges, no making clothes from flowers; just real people trying to get their struggling business to become a thriving, money making business. The 3 featured designers/design partners had all different personalities and made me want to go research them more.

Average customer rating:

If not for the fact that it was based on truth
Almost as Good as the Book It's Based On
Good but sad
Is it OK for child actors to portray sex scenes?
I saw this at MCC

Bastard out of Carolina
Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh , Ron Eldard , Glenne Headly , Lyle Lovett , and Jena Malone
Director: Anjelica Huston
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber/Wellspring
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 1572526807
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Amazon.com

This fine but shocking drama (which Ted Turner paid for and then refused to show on his cable outfits), based on the novel by Dorothy Allison, concerns extensive abuse endured by a girl (Jena Malone) at the hands of her stepfather (Ron Eldard), while her mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) looks the other way. Anjelica Huston made her directorial debut with this film and demonstrates that talent also runs in the family when behind the camera. Difficult to watch but mitigated by Huston's intelligent approach and sense of balance--as well as outstanding performances--this is a significant film best left to the most mature audiences. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

If not for the fact that it was based on truth.......2006-11-18

I was born and raised in South Carolina in 1953 but left when I was sixteen years old...so I thought it might be interesting to watch this movie. I was wrong. This movie is really not a pleasant movie to watch. But for the fact that it is supposed to be based on fact, I am not sure I would find watching it of any worthwhile value. It reminded me of the movie, Rosewood. Truth or not, I mean what's the point to making movies of this stuff.

Almost as Good as the Book It's Based On.......2006-05-25

This movie is based on a semi-autobiographical novel, "Bastard Out of Carolina," written by the famous feminist,lesbian author, Dorothy Allison. Analogous to the book it is based on, this film is a genuinely poignant and disquieting piece of art that was too shocking to be aired as originally planned on TNT. More importantly, the director (Anjelica Houston)does a stellar job of portraying the main events and characters in relation to the actual occurrences described in the novel. Author Dorothy Allison claims that through writing the novel "Bastard," she was able to gain perspective on some of the most horrific events of her childhood.

As a whole, the movie chronicles the life of an illegitimate young girl named Bone, who is born into a close-knit, yet extremely impoverished South Carolina family known as the Boatwrights. Naturally, the character Bone is meant to represent the author as she recounts various memories of her childhood.

Bone's life begins well enough- -she grows up amongst a loving single mother named Anney, a younger half-sister (Reese), and many drunken, flamboyant aunts and uncles. However, Bone's life takes a turn for the worse when her mother marries a man named Glen, whom Bone is later forced to call "Daddy Glen."

In the novel, Glen is a victim of verbal and psychological abuse at the hands of his father and two older, financially successful brothers. While his full motivations are never explicitly stated, Glen begins to use Bone as a scapegoat for his failures as a provider and as a husband. Shortly after marrying Bone's mother, Glen begins to physically and sexually abuse Bone. As is common amongst rape and/or incest victims, Bone is too ashamed to tell her mother or any of her other family members what is happening. Not to mention the fact that Bone comes to blame herself for Glen's behavior.

Although there are many warning signs, Bone's mother either refuses to acknowledge her husband's misconduct, or she is simply unaware of what is going on. Nevertheless, at the end of the film, Bone's mother is forced to admit the truth when she finds Glen in the act of sexually assaulting her daughter.

What's more, Bone's mother has to choose between her daughter and the man she loves. It is a fact-based, and heartwrenching tale of classism, sexism, and most of all- -childhood abuse. Despite the fact that this film is definitely not a "Cinderella" story, it is still a tale that desperately needs to be told.

Good but sad.......2006-04-20

A great, but also sad movie... It's a movie about a poor southern girl that doesn't have a so happy childhood. Her mother has problems choosing men and marries up with a man that ends up being the worst of all. He sexually abuses Bone (Played by Jena Malone) for a long period of time. Some out of frustration over his failure as a father, a husband, and a man that can't live up to his own fathers expectations... But mostly do to his sick and twisted state of mind.

It's a very depressing movie that doesn't really sugarcoat anything... The acting is OSCAR worthy and it's a well shot movie other than at times being alittle to stereotypical of the southern family. It's not really meant to watch over and over again.. Watching it once should be enough for most.

Is it OK for child actors to portray sex scenes?.......2006-03-16

Like so many others, this movie struck a raw nerve with me regarding the graphic detail that was enacted by then 12 year old Jena Malone. Although the movie has a point to make about child abuse and sexual abuse, I, as the mother of a 13 year old, can not understand how another mother could stand by and watch her child being filmed in such graphic detail. I could not watch the whole movie as the car scene was so disturbing I turned it off. What is the difference between a child being molested, and a child actor who is sitting in the lap of a grown man? Why are the laws different for Jena? Yes, these types of movies have a point to make, but sacrificing the innocence of another child is not the way to do it.

I saw this at MCC.......2005-12-21

I saw this in one of my classes in college.I can't remember,though.It was one of the movies my class saw.The step-father was mean. I thoought my father was mean.

Average customer rating:

Something charming about it despite its shortcomings
'Lower City' will wear on you pretty quickly
Not the Brazil the tourists usually see
At least the heat of this film does jumps out at you.
Where's the droop? not in this film

Lower City
Starring: Lázaro Ramos , Wagner Moura , Alice Braga , José Dumont , and Maria Menezes (II)
Director: Sérgio Machado
Manufacturer: Palm Pictures / Umvd
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000GNOGW4
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Description

Plot Outline: From the filmmakers who brought you CITY OF GOD and THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES, comes this sexy Brazilian drama chronicling a love triangle between two best friends, Deco and Naldinho (CARANDIRU's Lázaro Ramos and Wagner Moura), and a sultry, beautiful young girl, Karinna (Alice Braga, CITY OF GOD). Burdened with unbridled passion, the threesome navigates the "lower city" of tropical Salvador Bahia, stumbling through a treacherous landscape of sex and jealousy. Suffocated and unable to go on, the three must accept one another as lovers, adversaries and ultimately friends; learning to overlook the defiance of their actions and joining one another down an unthinkable path. A startlingly intimate debut from director Sérgio Machado, LOWER CITY bursts with a sensuality and energy emanating from the unflinching performances of the vibrant young cast.

Editorial Reviews:

Sara Brady, Premiere Two lifelong friends, Deco and Naldinho, fall for the same lady of ill repute (City of God's Alice Braga) when she hitches a ride on their cargo boat in this steamy drama from Sergio Machado (the 2001 doc At the Edge of the Earth).

The Bottom Line: An even sexier take on Y Tu Mama Tambien, this time in Portuguese.

A.O Scott, NY Times . . the woman in question is Karinna, a dancer and prostitute played by Alice Braga (''City of God''), one of the most forthrightly and powerfully sexual screen actresses in the world. Ms. Braga, niece of the Brazilian actress Sonia Braga, brushes aside any hint of glamour and gives a tough, candid performance.

The look of ''Lower City'' is impressively naturalistic. Toca Seabra's cinematography makes the sweat and grit of Salvador almost palpable, and the music, by Carlinhos Brown and Beto Villares, provides a sweet, lusty throb.

DVD Features: · Making of featurette · Deleted scenes · US theatrical trailer · Palm Previews · Weblinks

Customer Reviews:

Something charming about it despite its shortcomings.......2007-07-16

I have some major misgivings about this (and many other Brazilian) films. Despite that, I genuinely enjoyed this movie. My first misgiving is the setting. I am disappointed by how averse contemporary Brazilian film-makers to focusing on the basics - character development and plot - opting instead for the exotic, usually in the form of films that either are set in exotic locales (usually, but not always, the northeast), or focus on people from "exotic" life paths, or both. It is very easy for the "exotic" to be a shield behind which to hide poor character development or weak plotting - it was a flaw that Emile Zola and his imitators exhibited at their worst moments and has continued in "naturalist"-influenced art ever since. In this case, the Lower City combines both - marginalized young people in "exotic" Bahia (exotic because, despite the fact that there is a real Bahia, in the 21st century, where people of all economic classes, urban and rural, struggle to live lives like anywhere else, there is also a mythical Bahia in the Brazilian national imagination). In this case, I think the exotism of the setting goes a long way towards hiding the mundane simplicity of the plot: friendship of two young men is put in jeopardy and tried by love for the same young woman. Woman comes between them. They both fall in love with her. They fight. In the end, some resolution is achieved (although not clear what).

What keeps this movie alive, besides the exoticism of setting yet another Brazilian movie in the northeast, are the characters. To my surprise, I found them to be quite sincere, authentic and likeable. I know (or rather, knew, since I am an old man now) kids like that. I grew up around kids like that. In their own way, each of the three characters is a variation on a theme: the transition from youth to adulthood, from carefree fun to responsibility, with the added problem that these are people in very precarious material and economic conditions. Each one has his or her own baggage and has to deal with it in his/her own way. The 20 year old prostitute played by Alice Braga gets pregnant. The character played by Wagner Moura, who wants to be able to get ahead economically to be able to offer something more than a "good time" to the woman his in love with turns to robbing pharmacies, only to find himself falling under the control of a local neighborhood kingpin. Lazaro Ramos' character discovers a modest talent for boxing, but discovers that being a boxer doesn't solve his problems at all. Seeing the development of these young people in a tough spot is what gives this movie its charm. Unfortunately, so much of that character struggle is given short attention in this movie at the expense of the rather boring and predictable love-triangle plot.

'Lower City' will wear on you pretty quickly.......2007-03-07

The first six plot keywords in IMDB sum up - in an unintentionally humorous way - the essence of 'Lower City':

* Cockfighting
* Nudity
* Blood
* Sex
* Boat
* Prostitute

Yup, that's basically your entire movie right there. It's not the type of film you want to watch while your mother-in-law visits, because it's a real seat squirmer. In fact, another reviewer on these pages made mention of being at "Lower City's" premiere and passed along the observation that there was a lot of seat-squirming in the audience. No doubt.

While I think the film does a fantastic job showing depicting the squalid underbelly of a teeming Bahia, the 'plot' is sort of a loop of those key words - the characters have a boat; they meet a prostitute; they have sex on the boat; they go to a cockfight; they fight there and there's a lot of blood; they go back to the boat; they have sex; there's a fight; they have sex. At the end of the movie, they fight, there's a lot of blood, and the prostitute cleans them up. You get the idea.

I salute Alice Braga for her bravery here in this role. She really leaves nothing to the imagination. And I really liked Wagner Moura ('Naldinho'), who struck me as a Brazilian Mark Ruffalo, both in terms of looks (a striking resemblance) and acting chops. But, there's not much of a plot here. I think 'Lower City' will wear on you pretty quickly.

Not the Brazil the tourists usually see.......2007-03-06

This movie won awards?? You've got to be kidding, were the judges wearing blinders and ear plugs?? This movie was very good at showing the humid, sweaty, smelly, rancid low life in Lower City (hence the name?) Is Alice Braga related to Sonia Braga?? I didn't care about the characters they were just too stupid, I felt bad for the chickens that had to fight to the bloody death for their sweaty, dumb as dirt, owners. No plot, just humidity and B.O. Don't bother.

At least the heat of this film does jumps out at you........2006-11-10

"Lower City" was quite good. As a whole, I enjoyed this film but was far from being blown away. All three of the leads are give an opportunity to make an impression. The script however, leaves a bit to be desired. After watching this yesterday the movies that came to mine was City of God/ Amores Perros/ Y Tu Mama Tambien simply because it was to be expected. It is one of the good films that had recently came o