Excellent ....................llll
Very Good .................lll
Good ..........................ll
Fair .............................l
Poor............................ No Stars
Pride and Glory
ll1/2
Honest Cop Tested by Blue Wall of Silence in Gritty NYC Crime Saga
The Tierneys are a tight-knit Irish-American clan with a long
history of service in the NYPD. Family patriarch Francis (Jon Voight) is a highly-regarded,
retired police chief who has preserved his connections to the upper echelons of
the department. Frank, Jr. (Noah Emmerich), is an equally-respected precinct
commander in Manhattan, while his younger brother Ray (Edward Norton) is a
former narc relegated to an inconsequential desk job since an incident in the
Mott Haven section of the Bronx that not only stalled his career but cost him
his marriage. Their brother-in-law, Jimmy Egan (Colin Farrell), is a covertly-crooked
patrolman working under Frank, Jr. whose unlawful ways are about to catch up
with him, big time.
Just past the point of departure, the festive Christmas
season is abruptly spoiled when four officers are murdered during a drug bust
gone bad inside a seedy Washington Heights apartment. Frank, Sr. immediately
urges Ray to return to the streets to join the special task force being formed
to search for the cop killers, since the men who died were all under his big
brother’s command.
Ray does so reluctantly, though reasonably expecting the
trail to lead to some sleazy street punks. But when it instead implicates
fellow officers including his own brother and brother-in-law, he finds himself
facing a crisis in conscience. For the last time he was in a similar situation,
he had compromised his moral code by lying under oath to protect a cop on the
take. That’s why he lost the respect of his wife (Carmen Ejogo) and now lives
alone on a leaky houseboat.
This go-round, the stakes are even higher, for he uncovers a
widespread pattern of corruption indicating that the entire precinct might be in
cahoots with the mobsters wreaking havoc on the local neighborhood. Then, when
he tries to bring the facts to the attention of the department brass, he’s met
with the subtle suggestion that they’d prefer for him not to break the Blue
Wall of Silence.
So, will Ray play ball and participate in another cover-up,
or will he testify truthfully, and thereby risk ripping both his family and the
precinct apart? That is the question waiting to be addressed in Pride and
Glory, a gritty, inner-city saga directed by Gavin O’Connor (Miracle). This high
body-count affair begs to be compared with The Departed but is simply too
formulaic and cliché-ridden to measure up favorably with that Oscar-winning
Best Picture.
Nonetheless, Pride and Glory was fortunate enough to be blessed
with a talented cast, including Noah Emmerich, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, Rick
Gonzalez and Wayne Duvall, that managed to elevate its paint-by-numbers script
to an acceptable level. However, Edward Norton is the standout here, turning in
yet another inspired performance as the anguished Ray, a complicated soul in
search of redemption, and as ready to mix it up with bad guys as to beg his
estranged ex for a second chance.
Rated: R for pervasive profanity, graphic violence and brief drug use.
Running time: 129 minutes
Studio: New Line Cinema
To see a trailer for Pride and Glory, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2Qu80hRoh4
Bolt
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Movie Magic Aplenty In Animated Action Adventure Available In 3-D
Bolt (John Travolta) is a normal dog who mistakenly thinks that
he actually possesses the superpowers he displays as the hero of a TV action series.
The white German shepherd is clueless about the truth because, since he was a
puppy, he’s been raised on a set specially-rigged to trick him into believing
that he really has the ability to perform amazing feats like subduing bad guys
with his devastating bark and melting steel with his penetrating heat vision.
These delusions of grandeur have never been a problem for
the pampered pooch, given that he’s had no contact with the outside world. Consequently,
the only reality he’s ever known is the insulated studio environment in which
he’s the pet of Penny (Miley Cyrus), the actress who pretends to be his
crime-fighting partner. She resents the show’s director (James Lipton) who goes
to such great lengths to keep up the charade that he even denies her request to
take her canine co-star home with her over the weekend.
Everything changes the day Bolt slips out of his cage and, after
a comedy of errors, accidentally ends up in a box being shipped to New York
City where a rude awakening lays in wait. For not only are the streets of
Manhattan mean enough to begin with, but they prove to be tougher still for a dog
who expects to have an array of extraordinary powers at his paw tips.
Thus unfolds Bolt, an enchanting animated adventure that’s
fun for the whole family. Available for screening in either a flat or 3-D
format, it is this critic’s suggestion that you opt for the latter, if you
don’t want to miss an opportunity to appreciate state-of-the-art techniques offering
a visually-stimulating experience that’s substantially-enhanced by the
investment in 3-D glasses. Just don’t be surprised to find yourself ducking to
avoid vehicles hurtling in your direction or reaching up to grab dangling
objects that appear close enough to touch.
Special-effects wizardry aside, this uplifting tale, more
importantly, has a bounty of heartwarming messages to share about honesty,
loyalty, humility, faith and other virtues. The tykes will learn an early
lesson about what matters most in life watching frustrated Bolt adjust to his
diminished status as a mere mortal.
He must grudgingly befriend a lowly alley cat (Susie Essman)
and clumsy hot-house hamster (Mark Walton), enlisting their help to find his
way back to Hollywood. En route, the unlikely trio bond while overcoming the host
of ever-escalating calamities placed in the path between the homesick hound and
a teary reunion with the equally-inconsolable Penny.
Rated: PG for mild action and scenes of peril.
Running time: 96 minutes
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
To see a trailer for Bolt, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDWPsoKQoOs
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
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Post Vietnam Documentary Recounts Laotians’ Attempt To Assimilate In America
Few people knew during the Vietnam War that the CIA was
simultaneously financing and backing a puppet government in nearby Laos. In
order to eradicate pockets of Viet Cong in the country, the previously-neutral
nation proceeded to allow the U.S. to drop more bombs inside Laos than had been
used in WWI and WWII combined.
Few people knew during the Vietnam War that the CIA was
simultaneously financing and backing a puppet government in nearby Laos. In
order to eradicate pockets of Viet Cong in the country, the previously-neutral
nation proceeded to allow the U.S. to drop more bombs inside Laos than had been
used in WWI and WWII combined.
Among the traitors selling out his homeland was the father
of Thavisouk Phrasavath, a military man whose job involved directing B-52s on
their missions. However, following the fall of Saigon, the GIs high-tailed it
out of Southeast Asia, leaving the local collaborators holding the bag.
After Thavisouk’s father was arrested and imprisoned, most
of the family emigrated to America including him, his mother and seven of his siblings.
When they were brought directly to the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, they
actually panicked, fearing that they had somehow been mistakenly relocated to
Africa since so many of their new neighbors were black. But they adjusted to
life in their new environment, despite having to share a two-bedroom apartment
with eight strangers from Cambodia and Vietnam.
Their whole challenging ordeal is recounted in The Betrayal,
a documentary that’s difficult to stomach on a lot of levels. For, not only did
these lost souls suffer the loss of their beloved patriarch, which led to the
crumbling of the family structure, but they had to deal with the cultural shock
of the melting pot to deal with, too. And there was no turning back, because
they couldn’t return to Laos because of Papa P’s having collaborated with the
enemy.
One of those overcoming the odds tales which you could easily
see adapted into a touching feelgood saga, if stripped of its sorrowful and
sobering elements. No such luck, here, as this warts and all expose’ is designed
to leave you outraged about the way America treats naive allies and about the unresolved,
ugly fallout of the Vietnam conflict.
Rated: Unrated
Language: In English and Laotian with subtitles.
Running time: 96 minutes
Studio: The Cinema Guild
To see a trailer for The Betrayal, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFGqNay1lT0
Pray the Devil Back to Hell
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Sisterhood Proves Powerful In Feminist Documentary From Liberia
Liberia was founded in 1847 by former U.S. slaves shipped
back to Africa by the American Colonization Society. Unfortunately, these
repatriated blacks considered themselves superior to the indigenous peoples
they encountered there, and so they set up a society in which the descendants
of African-Americans formed an advantaged elite class.
The tensions which ensued between the two groups essentially
remained unaddressed until everything came to a head in 1989. That was when the
first of a couple of civil wars erupted which combined would claim over 200,000
lives and last until 2003.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell recounts the story of how a
ceasefire was finally achieved, namely, through the determined efforts of a
coalition of Christian and Muslim women fed up with having to beg for food and
to raise their children amidst incessant slaughter, raping and looting. Led by
Leymah Gbowee, a mom with a toddler, and armed only with T-shirts, signs and a
willingness to die for their cause, this intrepid sisterhood stood toe-to-toe
with both President Charles Taylor and with the Sierra Leone-based rebels
attempting to topple the corrupt ruler’s oppressive regime.
What makes this documentary so compelling are the reams of archival
footage which allow us to witness, firsthand, the fighting, the peace
demonstrations and the negotiations which led to the ouster of Americo-Liberian
Taylor. Ultimately, he was replaced by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a native and
sub-Saharan Africa’s first elected female head of state.
A salute is in order to director Gini Reticker for this glorious
tribute to a bi-partisan band of unarmed women who succeeded where government
and UN intervention had failed miserably. For against the odds, they somehow
managed to turn chaos into calm by marching en masse and refusing to compromise
on their non-negotiable demand that the madness end once and for all.
Rated: Unrated
Running time: 72 minutes
Studio: Fork Films
Distributor: Balcony Releasing
To a see a trailer for Pray the Devil Back to Hell, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uon9CcoHgwA
Gardens of the Night
llll
Innocence Stolen Is Theme Of Child Abduction Drama
Donnie (Evan Ross) doesn’t exactly remember how he ended up
in the clutches of Alex (Tom Arnold), but he thinks his mentally-unstable
mother might have sold him to the middle-aged child molester. Leslie (Gillian
Jacobs), on the other hand, was eight years-old when the same sicko abducted
her with the help of a teen accomplice (Kevin Zegers).
For the past nine years, Donnie and Leslie have been
simultaneously imprisoned and left traumatized by the unspeakable sexual abuse
they’ve been subjected to by this pair of perverts. Over that span, the kids
have held onto their sanity only by leaning on each other’s shoulders and by
exchanging promises to always be there for each other. In fact, they’ve grown
so close, they now think of themselves as brother and sister, even though she’s
white and he’s black.
Actually, of far more significance than their shades of skin
tones is the bond which they developed while sharing a small bedroom, There,
they created a fantasy world into which they could escape the never-ending
nightmare. Then, at 17, Donnie and Leslie find themselves suddenly free but
lacking the wherewithal to function normally. In order to survive, they turn to
the only thing they know, namely, sex, so they end up prostitutes on the
streets of San Diego.
So unfolds Gardens of the Night, a meticulously-researched loss
of innocence drama written and directed by Damian Harris. Harris started work
on the project way back in 1980, after being moved by the photo of a missing
girl on a milk carton and reading a Newsweek cover story about stolen children.
But it took him 10 years to write the first draft of his sobering script, this
after speaking with parents and counselors of young kidnap victims, and with
police officers assigned to the child sex crimes unit.
The upshot is a haunting tale which very convincingly conveys
the overwhelming sense of helplessness and dread which
undoubtedly afflicts impressionable souls unfortunate enough to be so exploited
while still in the bloom of youth. Kudos to Gillian Jacobs and Evan Ross for
their powerful lead performances and to Tom Arnold and John Malkovich for
equally-effective outings in support roles...
Rated: Unrated
Running time: 110 minutes
Studio: City Lights Media Group
To see a trailer forGardens
of the Night, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM2I6-D2ah8
Evan Ross
The Gardens Of The Night Interview With Kam Williams
Evan Olaf Ross was born in Greenwich, Connecticut on August
26, 1988 to pop diva Diana Ross and Norwegian shipping magnate Ame Naess. Following
not only in his mom’s footsteps, but in those of three of his sisters (Tracee
Ellis Ross, Rhonda Ross Kendrick and Leona Naess), Evan entered showbiz at an
early age, making an impressive film debut as T.I.’s troubled younger brother
in the critically-acclaimed ATL.
Next, he received rave reviews for his NAACP Image Award-nominated
performance as a troubled teen in the made-for-TV movie Life Support. He then
returned to the big screen for another memorable outing as a stammering swimmer
in Pride. That, in turn, led to his being signed to do eleven more pictures,
including his current release, The Gardens of the Night, a harrowing drama
about kidnapping, child molestation and homeless kids co-starring Gillian
Jacobs, Tom Arnold, John Malkovich and Harold Perrineau.
Here, Evan talks about his new flick, s well as everything
from his budding musical career to Barack Obama to his close relationship with
his mother.
ER: Hey Kam, how’re you doing?
KW: Very well, thanks.
KW: How do you feel about Barack Obama winning election?
ER: I feel like we’ve been saved. I’m happy that we have a
good person as president. I think that’s important.
KW: Your father’s from Norway. Do you speak Norwegian?
ER: Very little. I can understand some. I should have
learned more, because I lived there for a long time. I am sure that I will at
some point take the time to learn to speak it.
KW: Where did you live over there?
ER: Oslo.
KW: And where else did you live growing up?
ER: Let’s see… Switzerland… Greenwich, Connecticut… New
York… Los Angeles… London... And we spent a year in France. My mom lived there
longer when she was trying to make the Josephine Baker Story.
KW: So, what prompted you take on another challenging role
in Gardens of the Night?
ER: Actually, I loved it from the moment I read the script,
because I had just seen a very interesting documentary my mother recommended to
me called Streetwise, about how homeless kids survive on the streets. So, when
I read Gardens of the Night I thought it was an incredible idea and such a
great story.
KW: Your female co-star is white, which had me wondering
whether this was a case of colorblind casting?
ER: The role of Donnie wasn’t originally written for an
African-American, but I kept meeting with them and auditioning because I really
wanted to be a part of the film. I kept fighting for the role, and ended up
doing it. More than anything, this was a passion project for everybody
associated with the film, especially because it was such a tough subject.
KW: I hope that this approach to casting is a sign of things
to come.
ER: Damian [director Damian Harris] was really great about
that issue. He saw that skin color isn’t an issue among kids living on the street.
Their worry is survival. So, I think that it was really great how he handled it
in the movie. Never once was color talked about or made an issue. No one asked,
why was this white girl with me. It never came up, and that’s the way I think
it should be. It’s a non-issue.
KW: How was it working with Gillian Jacobs? You shared so
many haunting scenes together.
ER: Really, really great. It ended up just being me and her
and the director, not only on the set, but we also spent a lot of time with
children in homeless shelters. I had been blind to the fact that there were
that many homeless kids. It was very hard for all of us sitting with them and
having them talk about their lives and share all the emotions of what they’re
going through. Gillian and I really bonded after that to keep each other’s
spirits up because it was such a heavy experience. As a result, we had great
chemistry, so working with her was good.
KW: Was this your most emotionally-challenging role to date?
ER: Of the movies released so far, yes, although I have some
others that will be coming out, like Black Water Transit, which were
equally-challenging, but in a different sort of way... The more I think about
it, Gardens of the Night might have been the toughest, since it took so long to
shoot, and it was heavy being with the homeless kids and in their environment.
KW: Do you think you’re getting typecast as someone who only
plays troubled characters?
ER: No, I’ve been the one kind of choosing to go in that
direction. I like showing reality. But I have a more upbeat film coming out
that I did with Hilary Duff called Greta. I play a more strong-willed character
in that movie. But I like reality, because I think we shy away from showing the
truth when we don’t need to cover up the truth. So, the way I choose projects
is based on what I think is most real and most interesting, not on what’s
paying the most money or what’s most popular.
KW: When did you develop an interest in acting?
ER: I always loved movies, especially watching some of my
mom’s films when I was younger, like Out of Darkness, where she played a
schizophrenic. I always found it interesting that I was still able to see her
in each role, even though she was playing these different characters.
KW: Do you enjoy any other forms of artistic expression
besides acting?
ER: I have many creative outlets. I sing, I like music, I
like art, I paint, I draw. I like buying art. I read a lot, too. I love books. And
I’m working on a clothing line, too.
KW: You already made a movie with your sister Tracee, called Life
Support. Any plans to do one with your mom?
ER: I would love to at some point. I talk to her about it
all the time. I ask her when she’s going to do another movie herself. She says
that because it calls for a serious commitment of time, she’ll only do it if
it’s something special that makes sense and that she’s a big part of creating
it. It’s hard doing these films when you don’t have any creative control, and
you want it to look a certain way because you believe in it. So, I feel that if
it made sense, she would do it. But I would love to do something with her,
whether she’s playing my mom, or another character. I love her work as an
actress.
KW: How about doing music with your mom?
ER: We’re doing that now. I’ve been making music for a long
time, but I’ve been waiting to do it right, because I don’t want people to
think it’s just a stepping stone in my career. A lot of actors go that route as
a way of building their careers. I don’t want it to be seen as that. Because,
like with my acting, my interest is not commercial, but to create something
that I really love.
KW: So, who are you in the studio with?
ER: I’m working with Dallas Austin and some others who are
not only really talented but who I love as people. Plus I’m on the phone with
my mom, Stevie Wonder, and Michael, and getting their input in finding out how
I’d like to do it.
KW: By Michael, do you mean Michael Jackson?
ER: Yeah, I talk to him a lot, advice-wise, musically. But I
speak to mom the most. We go down to the studio and just kind of be creative
and come up with new ideas. We have a lot of great stuff. But I’ve been singing
my whole life, so it’s on its way.
KW: How would you describe your sound?
ER: Vocally, it’s got an R&B soulful sound, but it’s got
a lot of guitars, too. Dallas has a great new sound that he’s working with, and
we’re kinda just creating something new. People will like it and it will work,
but it’s not the same as anything you’re hearing now.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
ER: Yeah.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
ER: Am I ever afraid? That’s a great question. Yes, a lot.
KW: Is there a question no one ever asks you, that you wish
someone would?
ER: I like both Columbus’ and Tasha’s questions. Those are
personal questions that don’t get asked. They might not make sense to a lot of
your readers, but those are actually a couple of great questions. What else
have some people said they’ve never been asked?
KW: In a totally different vein, Taraji Henson said no one
ever asked her what color panties she’s wearing. How about bookworm Troy
Johnson’s question: What was the last book you read?
ER: Woman, a novel by Charles Bukowski. I love his work, and
I find him interesting as a person. He’s quite a character.
KW: Music maven Heather Covington’s question: What’s music
are you listening to nowadays?
ER: A lot of old music, Motown… Marvin Gaye... Rock and
Roll… The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. I still listen to the Donny
Hathaways, and I’m just discovering some lesser-known songs of my mom that I
never heard of.
KW: I still love that album she did with Marvin Gaye with "You Are Everything" and a lot of other classics. It’s one of those perfect
albums where every song is great.
ER: Yeah, it’s incredible. And so many people have never
heard that album. I love those songs.
KW: “Realtor to the Stars” Jimmy Bayan question: Where in
L.A. do you live?
ER: I live in the Hills. Not long ago, I bought my first
house, which is a big responsibility, but I enjoy it. [Laughs] It’s nice, but I
didn’t realize how big a responsibility it was, especially when I’m moving
around so much. But I’m up in the Hills, and close to a lot of friends and
people I work with. I enjoy where I’m at, the Sunset Plaza area. I might want
to be further away at some point, but I know me, and if I spend too much time
by myself, I think way too much. I like being around people.
KW: Does your mom live in Los Angeles, too?
ER: Yes, she does. She lives very close to me. She’s back
and forth between L.A. and Greenwich. It’s more peaceful for her out there. It
can be hard here with the paparazzi around. So, she stays inside a lot or
goes down to Malibu.
KW: Are you able to go to the mall or the movie theater
without getting mobbed?
ER: Of course. I’m not afraid of people, and I do whatever I
want. I think that when you start rolling with an entourage, you attract
attention and you tend to create this whole big thing. My mom taught me that
when you keep a low profile most people tend to totally miss you because
they’re not expecting anything. I was just in Atlanta, working with Dallas, and
it was interesting to see how many people knew me from ATL.
KW: How close are you to your mom?
ER: Me and my mom are extremely, extremely close. And I’m
very close with Tracee and my other siblings. They all look out for me because
they think I’m a little crazy. And I do the same for them. I love that we’re
all very close. And my brother, Ross, who’s ten months older is great. He’s in
college in New York. I go there to spend time with him, and he comes out to
visit, too.
KW: How do you want to be remembered?
ER: That’s hard to say. I want to be remembered for the good
work that I’ve done, for the positive work, and as somebody who was innovative
and who people enjoyed.
KW: Hey, Evan, thanks for the interview, and best of luck
with the movies, the music, and all your other endeavors.
ER: Thank you so much. It was a pleasure.
