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Reviews
Something New (2006)
Watchable, but annoying sometimes
I will have to start by saying, I have never been in an interracial relationship but I am not opposed to them. However, I do have friends who have been an IR, so I'm not completely unexperienced with them. That said, some of the things in this film are unbelievable, or maybe its just me. Her girlfriends act as if having sex with a white man was some outlandish thing, like she had had sex with an alien or something. And the whole while I'm going---Jesus, the man is Caucasian, not a martian. I don't know any black women who would be like that, but again, that could be just me. And if it had been the other way around, if the white guy's friends had been like that, wide-eyed and shocked (which probably isn't untrue in actuality) I guarantee that would have been perceived as racist. Rightfully so.
I can't say that I rooted for Sanaa Lathan's character either. Don't get me wrong, I think she's a nice actress, but she was irritating in this film, so was her mother. Some of the issues addressed though in the film ring bitterly true, such as how a black woman might feel in white-dominated corporate America and how it might be difficult for her to find a man on her level, or man who truly wants her for her and not her money. All that said, I watched it until the end because I am a fan of Simon Baker. Its overall a good film, but the best IR flick remains "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner."
The Tudors (2007)
Rome is better, but this is a decent replacement despite its many inaccuracies
I am a huge fan of the HBO series "Rome" and I was practically devastated when the miniseries ended. And I was skeptical at first, but "The Tudors" proved a rather fine replacement.
One of the reasons I preferred "Rome" was because it was full of so many colorful characters (Atia, Pullo, Octavian and Octavius, Marc Anthony, Caesar, Brutus's mother). "The Tudors" carries a significantly lesser number of interesting people, but the ones who are compelling are enough to keep you watching. As a short, brown-haired Irishman, Jonathon Rhys Myers as Henry VIII is certainly an unconventional choice---at least appearance-wise. He also lacks the overwhelming presence you might associate with a domineering king such as Henry and one can't help but think one of his co-stars (Callum Blue or Henry Cavill) may have been a much better suited in that respect. However, he does make up for it with charisma and solid acting skills. He manages to pull off the passionate, temperamental king effectively, although sometimes he comes off as little more than a spoiled brat...which Henry VIII was in actuality. That being said, Maria Doyle-Kennedy as the pious Queen Catherine and Sam Neill as the conniving Cardinal Wolsey, hands down, deliver the two best performances out of the series. If the Emmies fail to at least give them a nod, I will be sorely upset (not that they would or should care, but whatever).
Still, I would like to see much better character development with the supporting players in the future. Sir Anthony Knivert (Blue) and Charles Brandon (Cavill) are merely Henry's handsome cronies, wrongly reduced to little more than bit players in his entourage, but they led interesting lives too, particularly Charles. Understandably, the supporting cast seem a tad bored in their one-note parts. Knivert does...nothing. And Brandon is there as pretty wallpaper, his interests span as far as lifting up random ladies' skirts. In the same breath, aside from Henry's love story with Ann Boleyn, everyone else's romances suffer and are rife with historical inaccuracies. For instance, Thomas Tallis in a homosexual relationship with another of Henry's friends, Sir William Compton (Kirsten Holden-Reid?)? Okay, seriously...did they pull that one from the sky? Where is there ANY evidence of that? And I could have sworn it was Henry's younger sister Mary who married Charles Brandon (and the King of France, not the King of Portrugal but thats minor), not Margaret Tudor (the older sister, I believe) who went on to marry King James IV of Scotland, and thus began the Stuart line which produces one of Elizabeth I's most infamous enemies---Mary, Queen of Scots. In doing that, the writers screwed themselves. They missed the chance to really draw out the series. Without Margaret, there's no Mary and no James VI of England. And by killing off the Margaret, Charles's wife, on the show, without having any children, there's no Lady Frances to have Jane Grey, queen of England for nine days.
Although, the show is certainly rife with historical inaccuracies, its still quite watchable. Between Henry's sporadic bitch fits and the hot guys on the show shamelessly shedding their clothes to bare those sexy bodies (winking at Charles Brandon here for the best nude scenes), it should keep you interested. If you are easily annoyed by the inaccuracies though, this isn't the show for you. But if you're interested in the time period, a fan of any of the actors on the show, you shouldn't be disappointed.
The Prestige (2006)
An awesome and magical film
I have to say, when I walked into my local theater to see "The Prestige" I did not expect this film to be anything special, but I was taken for a huge surprise and I walked out with an indelible experience.
The plot was wicked and suspenseful and fun to watch unfold, but even more watchable were most of the performances that rounded out the film, making it all the more worthwhile. My main reason for seeing this film was Christian Bale, who totally delivered, but so did Hugh Jackman (although I would have preferred if he kept an English accent the first half of the film), Michael Caine (no surprise there), as well as David Bowie (who did surprise me) and Rebecca Hall. Everyone was solid, except Miss Johansson who dished out an utterly unfulfilling and dull performance which went nowhere and did nothing for the movie.
At any rate, the film was great and I'll definitely be going back to see this.