The Painted Veil - 2006

 WIP, Stratus Film Co.,  Bob Yari Productions

Directed by John Curran

Cast:

Walter Fane – Edward Norton

Kitty Fane – Naomi Watts

Charlie Townsend – Liev Schreiber

Waddington – Toby Jones

Mother Superior – Diana Rigg

Story: Set in the 1920's, W. Somerset Maugham's novel comes to life in an exquisite and exceptional creation for the cinema. Walter Fane is your stereotypical proper Englishman, a well-mannered, decent sort working for the British government. He is a laboratory scientist assigned to study diseases in China, where he works in Chaing Hai alongside Chinese scientists. Kitty, his young and pretty wife, becomes enamored and falls in love with Charlie Townsend, who is attached to the British Embassy. When Walter discovers she is having an affair, he volunteers to travel inland to an area where a cholera epidemic has broken out. Kitty accompanies him, and on the way they begin to discuss what will be done about the affair. Kitty is lonely and alone most days, and they sleep in separate rooms, but as they begin to fall into the routine, they start to discuss things in a more civilized manner.

Review: Classic films should be remade now and then, if for no other reason than to remind us of what true literature is all about. The Painted Veil is one of those incredibly compelling films which deals directly with the human condition, specifically under conditions which warrant reaction. Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, and Liev Schreiber create an ensemble fitting of a Maugham novel, and their performances are flawless.

Flawless as well is the cinematography and photography in this wonderful adaptation of the novel. Filmed entirely in China, the scenery is breathtaking and lends to the authenticity of the film. This also enhances the “illusion of the first time” which is so critical in any film, since the novel is set in China. A huge cast of extras is included.

The Painted Veil is a film which may not be suitable for the entire family (Rated PG-13 for some scenes of sexuality, partial nudity, disturbing images and brief drug content), but I don't believe it will offend older children, and I know it will entertain anyone who likes a well-acted film.

Red Dragon - 2002

Universal Pictures, Dino De Laurentiis Company, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Directed by Brett Ratner

Cast:

• Will Graham – Edward Norton
• Dr. Hannibal Lecter – Anthony Hopkins
• Francis Dolarhyde – Ralph Fiennes
• Jack Crawford – Harvey Keitel
• Reba McClane - Emily Watson
• Molly Graham - Mary-Louise Parker
• Freddy Lounds – Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Nurse Barney Matthews – Frankie Faison
• Dr. Frederick Chilton - Anthony Heald

Story: Will Graham is a retitred FBI agent who is called back to the BAU to help Jack Crawford catch “The Tooth Fairy”. Graham is a 'profiler' of criminal behavior, and tries to think like the killers he profiles in order to capture them. While searching for clues to the Tooth Fairy's identity, Will meets with Dr. Hannibal Lector, an incarcerated serial killer who Will captured years earlier. His early dealings with Lector nearly drove him insane, and almost cost him his life. He discovers secret communciations are being routed in newspaper personal ads between Lector and the Tooth Fairy, and Lector may be behind a plot to kill his family for revenge.

Review: This remake of Manhunter is the first of two prequels to the Hannibal Lector saga, and there are some marked differences in the visions of Ratner and Mann. Hopkins reprises his role as Hannibal Lector, and his viscious and brutal nature are more pronounced here that in the previous two films. Perhaps it is his hatred of Will Graham, played brilliantly by Edward Norton, perhaps it is his blossoming hatred of Dr. Chilton, the second appearance of Anthony Heald in the role. Frankie Faison also reprises his role as Barney, the nurse. Harvey Keitel's vision of Jack Crawford is an interesting shift from Scott Glenn's portrayal, with Keitel being a more emotional agent, but that may be a sign of maturity from the days of this film to SOTL. While I am a big fan of Michael Mann, I have to say this film is a more complete picture of the events, and a much more in depth look at the characters, particularly of Lector. Ralph Fiennes gives a spectacular performance as the Tooth Fairy, and Emily Watson's portrayal of the blind Reba McClane is passionate and very human. We have a glimpse also of Lecter before he was incarcerated in the flashback scenes between Hopkins and Norton, as well as the interaction of the two in Lecter's exercise room. Rated R and they mean it. Much too grisly and bloody for the little ones, and some teens and adults will find the settings and the gore disturbing. Collectible for lovers of Hopkins, Hannibal Lector, and anyone who loves a good horror story.

The Italian Job - 2003

Paramount Pictures, De Line Productions

Directed by F. Gary Gray

Cast:

• Charlie Croker – Mark Wahlberg
• Stella Bridger – Charlize Theron
• John Bridger – Donald Sutherland
• Handsome Rob – Jason Statham
• Lyle – Seth Green
• Left Ear – Mos Def
• Steve – Edward Norton

Story: A crew of hi-tech thieves executes a very slick robbery of a safe filled with gold from a townhouse in Venice. They travel out of the city and gather in a circle drinking bottles of Dom Perignon, talking about the things they will do from now on. Suddenly a crew of men with guns rushes in and steals the gold, and one of the crew shoots the safe cracker, and is about to shoot the others then they escape by driving the van off a bridge into the deep water of reservoir. A year passes, and the daughter of the murdered man gets a call from the leader of the heist. They've found the man who betrayed them. Since she is a professional locksmith and security expert, a legal version of her father, she tells Charlie no at first, but soon calls him back and says she is in. The crew plot to recover their gold and to teach the betrayer a lesson he won't soon forget.

Review: Sometimes remakes are a good thing, sometimes they're not. This one is very loosely based on the film of the same name in the 1960's starring Michael Caine and Noel Coward with Benny Hill as the comedy relief. That film was a so-so farce, but this one is a runaway hit. The action starts at the beginning and keeps the pace throughout the film. Mos Def and Seth Green are our comics in this film, but their abilities to shift from comic to dramatic are well played. Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron are well suited to their roles and come off with a very reserved but appropriate sexual tension to add interest to the already interesting hi-tech portions of the film. Sutherland's role, while brief, is the perfect set up for the remainder of the film. Statham does what he does best, and his character is a mix between The Transporter and The Mechanic, with a splash of smooth to balance it out. As always, whether good guy or bad guy, Ed Norton's presence is perfect to create the correct tension in the movie. Good plot, great scenery, and exceptional photography make this a film the entire family can enjoy together, despite the PG-13 rating. Collectible if you like action adventure, although you will probably pull it out as an afterthought.