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On this page: THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE | PARTY MONSTER | HUMAN NATURE | I THINK I DO | THE TRIO | |
| THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE | |
Throughout the film there's a strange dynamic at work that draws out Tammy's drag-queen glamour ("My eyelashes are my trademark") and still makes her a fascinatingly complex woman--funny, self-deprecating, sharp and, most of all, authentic. She is perhaps the only prominent Christian to truly embrace fringe members of society that other religious leaders shun, most notably homosexuals. In this way she puts others to shame, demonstrating a grounded, honest faith that's more than a little surprising considering her outward outrageousness. And Bailey and Barbato make the most of this camp value. The film is colourful and silly, both laughing at and with Tammy (usually both at the same time) with RuPaul's dry narration and pointed insight from the likes of filmmaker-turned-priest Mel White. They also find a solid narrative line in the Bakkers' struggle with villainous evangelist Jerry Falwell, who of course refused to be interviewed. But the archival footage is comprehensive and telling, and the filmmakers follow Tammy Faye on meaningful journeys reuniting with people and places from her past. The puppet chapter headings are a bit unnecessary, but otherwise this is a knowing and funny, yet warm and honest portrayal of an intriguing, strong woman. Essential! [themes, language] 9.Aug.03 | |
| PARTY MONSTER | |
The filmmakers use title cards instead of narration, and then simply let the people tell the story firsthand. This makes it feel thoroughly authentic, especially since much of it is told my Alig himself, either in interview footage from prison or videotaped interviews before his arrest. It's a story of excess and hedonism, shaking off the inhibitions of society to create one of the most outlandish club scenes in American history. And the film smartly refuses to become a preachy treatise on drug excess, opting instead to merely report the events with style, humour and a cast of astonishingly interesting "characters", most of whom seem to be lying at various points out of sheer self-interest (and self-promotion). Frustratingly, you feel there's an even stronger story in here than Bailey and Barbato have managed to tell (either here or in their narrative feature), but it's certainly gripping and profoundly sobering stuff! [themes, language, drugs, violence, nudity] 19.Aug.03 | |
| HUMAN NATURE | |
Told in flashback, we have no question how it will end (Robbins narrates from a white-out afterlife version of his childhood home!). But Kaufman and Gondry have several surprises up their sleeves, mostly clever riffs on the nature versus nurture debate. This is smart, witty filmmaking, although you hardly notice it since the film is so profoundly ridiculous! Under the goofy surfaces are astonishingly astute observations, mostly in the throwaway dialog ("It's an animal urge, it's nothing to be ashamed of", and "When in doubt don't ever do what you really want to do"). The acting is superb: Ifans cleverly traces a man taken out of the depths of depravity ... to all-new depths of depravity. Arquette travels from woodland bliss (complete with a sweet musical number) to muscle-bound action woman. And Robbins is superb as the overachieving nerd who knows he's right ... and yet can't explain (or resist) his animal urges. Don't get me wrong: This is a very silly movie! But the way it juggles provocative, important issues makes it well worth seeing. [15 adult themes, language, nudity, vulgarity] 5.Aug.03 | |
| I THINK I DO | |
There's a nasty edge to the dialog that undercuts the otherwise corny antics and sweet romance. This helps a lot! As do the sharply tuned performances; these are believable people--perhaps a bit perkier than most--who are trying to cope with self-doubt inner, desires and the fact that they're on the brink of the future at the "ripe old age of 26". Most of these actors are so good they deserve to be much bigger stars by now, especially Maelen and Corman! All of them cleverly handle the script's underlying sexual tension, and writer-director Sloan keeps things colourful and entertaining from start to finish, with perhaps a bit too much Partridge Family on the soundtrack (which gives away the film's autobiographical roots; Arquette is clearly his alter ego). The story struggles quite a bit to resolve every plot thread and give each character a tight resolution, but it's so sweet that you hardly mind. [15 themes, language] 13.Aug.03 | |
| THE TRIO [Das Trio] | |
Predictably, things get more and more wacky until it all blows up in their faces. There's nothing terribly subtle about the story, but the lively characters keep it watchable. The acting is a bit too broad all around (for a thief and two-timer, Rudolf has the worst poker face you've ever seen!). While the plot drags us through emotional wringers and romantic quagmires, it's the con-job scenario that's much more interesting, mostly because all of these people are shallow and duplicitous, so why should we care about their love lives? As a result, the conclusion comes across as corny and meaningless, especially after some of the serious plot turns that went before. [15 themes, language, nudity] 17.May.03 | |
 See also: SAFE | THE ANIMATRIX
© 2003 by Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall |
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