Tap Dancing On The Safer Side Of A Minefield

2002-05-02 - 1:22 a.m.

My mind's still circling around cinema tonight, but perhaps some of today's fodder will be less controversial (and thus get me less hits on my page- which way do I win again?). First off, I saw The Confession tonight, a mid-low budget law drama with Alec Baldwin and Ben Kingsley (for some reason law dramas seem to have huge ensemble casts of high-priced actors in them, but this one only has two, both with a penchant for working for scale, and the rest of the film looks professional, but not Hollywood slick). Of course, every scene with Kingsley is masterful and intense. Baldwin, (whom I enjoy a great deal,) honestly seems to have trouble keeping up at times, even though his performance is quite good in its own right. Kingsley's just one of those guys on a whole different level. That, and he's got the juicier, less-restrained part. Baldwin can do subtle, but he's better at a smolder. Here he's left playing set-up man for Kingsley's intense, highly moral persona (anybody who's seen a little film called Ghandi or Shindler's List knows this is Kingsley's trademark, though he's amazingly versatile when it's called for).

Kingsley. People think it's hard to do the right thing. It isn't. It's hard to know what the right thing is. Once you know, it's hard not to do it.

I'm sure that was the 10-second clip they sent the Oscar people, though it is really a routine role for someone like him; almost everything's at least a non-embarassment if it were to recieve the fifth nomination come awards time. If you come across it on your premium channels some night, it's worth two hours of your Tuesday. I don't think it's big box office and/or dumb enough to hit TNT, even at 4 am when the good stuff comes on, and I'm not sure I'd go so far as recommending a rental. There are so many great films out there to see, and while this is very well done, and pretty interesting, it probably deserves to be in the middle of most peoples' "to see" list- if that's running short for you, go spend your three seventy-five. I'm guessing the director's commentary isn't worth insisting on the DVD, if you're on the fence between that and VHS. It drags a bit when Kingsley's not on the screen, a little easier to sit back and see the formula bits, but on the whole it's considerably less formula than most. On a ten-point scale, probably in the low sevens, in my opinon.

That wouldn't be enough to consitute an entry on its own, but I have more (hands up, who feels priveledged?). Lately I've been finding myself drawn to sifting through atomfilms.com, now that I have this new toy called DSL. Which means that a five-minute short is actually a five minute proposition. There's enough out there, (amongst, admittedly, a vast pile of crap,) that makes it an enjoyable experience for those with the baud rate not to have to invest too heavily in one film. Of course, I'm a big fan of the extra ten short episodes of The Critic which have shown up there, but they don't seem to be making any more. Probably contracted for a nice even ten. Bikini Bandits is not recommended, even to Actionhero, though your tolerence for the series may run higher than mine. Their greatest claim to fame (besides the obvious,) is that a couple of the also-rans in the pantheon of Howard Stern regulars have cameos. Doesn't cut it for me. I'm actually quite a fan of The Investigators, a Lovecraftian serial with well-above-average plot, for a short cartoon, and distinctive if uncomplicated drawing. Oh, and Tim Burton has one that he created and directs, (Danny Elfman did the score- big shocker there,) called Stainboy. You have to be in the right mood for that one, but if you are, it clicks in a wierd kind of way that I'm not sure I can pin down. Bunch of other stuff. A lot of it's very indie, made for little or no money, and has both the charm and the limitations thereof. And a lot of it's just plain dumb. There are a few celebrity-driven projects of whimsey or before-they-were-stars type things, my favorite of which at the moment is here. 6ix is also my cup of tea, if somewhat predictable.

Musical recommendation for tonight is "Under the Boardwalk," 'cause it's in my illustrious fave-o-the-moment. The original is preferred, but there are some interesting covers out there, (The Rolling Stones come to mind).

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