Tonytanzio Reviews

Dogville (2003)

"'Dogville' makes it's point, while nearly going to the dogs"

[7/10 · 27 November 2005]

"Dogville" is a sprawling tale of a woman on the run. Nicole Kidman who gives a strikingly reserved performance is Grace, a girl with a secret on the run from gangsters. She seeks refuge in a small Colorado town called "Dogville." Many of the townspeople fail to welcome her with open arms. For her to stay, she had to work tirelessly for most of the townspeople. Grace's one protagonist is Thomas Edison Jr, (played with sensitivity by the talented Paul Bettany). Thomas serves as an solid bridge between Grace and the rest of "Dogville," as he looks out for her and the needs of town simultaneously. This union proves to be unstable, resulting in an emergence of harsh situations. "Dogville" is an overlong film that may not be for all tastes. Running at an exhausting 2 hrs 57 min, which includes a snail's pace prologue, this story could have been told in no more than 2 hrs 15 min. However, the film's goal was to give a detailed analysis on every facet of the story. It did achieve this on occasion, however during other times the flow of the story became muddled. There were however some good points. Lars Von Trier's direction was very organized, considering the amount of characters. The cinematography is striking. And the sets or lack there of establishes the town setting very well as a well-adapted stage play. However, unless you have an appreciation or a divine love for the theater, the overall presentation of "Dogville" could easily be painfully dull for some. While "Dogville" does have its fair share of flaws, it is an interesting display of work that is not seen too often.

Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)

David Stratharin has good night without needing any good luck.

[9/10 · 16 November 2005]

"Good Night and Good Luck," is a landmark film about the constant intertwining of the media and politics. The movie greatly depicts the early, pioneering days of television, while fears of red Communism haunted the nation. The film focuses on Edward R. Murrow's CBS newscasts surrounding Senator Joseph Mc Carthy's crusade against Communism. Director & co-writer, George Clooney brilliantly and accurately display all of these elements from start to finish. Some of the finest living actors today have been assembled for this masterpiece. It was great to see Robert Downey Jr (who was excellent), back in business again. There was also great acting delivered by Jeff Daniels, Patricia Clarkson, & Clooney himself. Another notable, and a potentially comeback performance was from Frank Langella, as Edward R. Murrow's boss. However, the aspect of "Good Night & Good Luck," which deserves the most honor, is David Strathairn. As great as he was in every role he ever had, David Strathairn blew all of those previous roles miles away. He has completely out done himself. Stratharin is flawless. Every mannerism, vocal pitch, facial expression, you name it is perfect. Even the way he holds his cigarette is noteworthy. "Good night..." may not be a movie for all tastes, but this film should be marveled for going where only a few films have gone before. There are plenty of indications that this film will have a good night come Oscar time.

Taxi Driver (1976)

"Taxi Driver" takes us on the ride of a lifetime

[10/10 · 20 January 2005]

Robert De Niro is Travis Bickle. An angry, insomnia-stricken taxi driver who is fed up with the way New York City has become. He decides to act upon his anger when we crosses paths with a teenage prostitute, and decides to rescue her from her bleak lifestyle.

The ever resilient Martin Scorsese did a masterful job directing this film from a dark, and brilliant script by Paul Schrader. The most powerful thing about "Taxi Driver," is that it has the impeccable ability to enter Travis Bickle's psyche while interacting with his inner demons. Robert De Niro is flawless in a performance that arguably established him as one of the all-time most gifted actors. Jodie Foster (Iris) at age 12 gave the mature performance of a 40-year old, in her harsh, real depiction of a teenage prostitute. There are other fine supporting performances from Peter Boyle, Cybill Sheppard, Albert Brooks, and Harvey Keitel as Iris's pimp. Finally there is one other facet of "Taxi Driver" that is as essential to the film as its characters. This is the score. Bernard Hermann, wrote a hauntingly unforgettable soundtrack that would be his final masterpiece. Once you hear his music, it will never escape your imagination. If you never saw "Taxi Driver," you don't know what you are missing. This film will take you on the ride of a lifetime.

Joe (1970)

An Unlikely Friendship

[8/10 · 11 January 2005]

Wealthy businessman Bill Compton (played by Dennis Patrick) accidentally kills his daughter's hippie boyfriend after an argument. Panic-stricken, he retreats to a bar, and meets Joe Curran (played by Peter Boyle): a loud-mouth, angry, bigot who is bitter over how his beloved country has become. Unintentionally, Bill allows Joe to find out that he just killed a hippie. And this is only the beginning. "Joe" is a classic film of an unlikely friendship. A bond between two men, one of a white-collar background, the other of a blue-collar background. Bill & Joe have one thing in common, they are disgraced over how crazy the world has become. Dennis Patrick & Peter Boyle have both given very realistic portrayals of their characters. Director John G. Avidsen with this "pre-Rocky" effort, directs this low-budget gem with the same finesse as a movie with a $100 million budget. The script is loaded with excellent character development and very snappy, realistic dialog. In spite of its strengths this film does have its weaknesses. The script falls asleep roughly 3/4 of the way through, but it wakes up just in time for the jarring climax. This film also features a very early and uninspiring performance by a 24-year old Susan Sarandon as Bill's daughter Melissa, along with her hippie boyfriend Frank, portrayed very blandly by Patrick Mc Dermott. One could only be thankful that he was killed off early in the film. In spite of its few flaws this is one of those forgotten films of the 70's that should not be. Even though "Joe" is very dated to today's standards, the chemistry between Dennis Patrick & Peter Boyle is completely relevant today, and it is the glue that holds the whole film together.

The Aviator (2004)

Scorsese & Di Caprio fly in "The Aviator."

[10/10 · 9 January 2005]

Martin Scorsese's latest work, "The Aviator" is a stunning masterpiece. It gives a brilliant depiction of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes as he was in his prime. This film is a complete joyride from start to finish. It is a well rounded character study of one of the most interesting Americans of the 20th century. The script gives us very fine avenues to observe Howard Hughes for the man he was without trying to show us as viewers the morality of his character. The movie is a very strict observation of what it was to be Howard Hughes. Leonardo DiCaprio has outdone himself as an actor. As great as he was in Steven Spielberg's "Catch me if you Can," DiCaprio gives a performance in "The Aviator" that is ten times more powerful & fulfilling. Dicaprio delicately captures every one of Howard Hughes quirks and patterns of odd behavior, without making it obvious. It is in the opinion of your's truly that this performance by Leonardo DiCaprio has officially solidified him as one of the finest actors of this and probably more generations to come. Other notable performances were Cate Blanchett, who was near-perfect as screen legend Katherine Hepburn, and the ever reliable John C. Reilly as Howard Hughes business manager. Jude Law was prominent in a brief scene as Errol Flynn. But it is Scorsese's direction that deserves much of the attention. This film at over 2 1/2 hours never has a dull moment. It never drags on. Every scene segues perfectly from one to the next. Hopefully the Oscars will finally honor one of our true film-making giants at this year's Academy Awards. "The Aviator" soars to perfection.