Movie Reviews

An Underrated American Classic - Breathless (1983)

It is a remake of a French film, sure. But watch this film and you will get an insight and understanding of the American male pathos and the American male soul. 

Richard Gere plays Jesse Lujack, a petty criminal and wanderer/nowhere man who becomes caught up in unfortunate set of circumstances that leaves him running from the authorities. Jesse is the type of guy who is always in search of excitement or action because that is who he is; he is your typical handsome, good natured love child, transplanted in the American underbelly. And because of this, tragedy is never far behind.

On the run, Jesse meets up with Monica, a beautiful, French exchange student, played by the lovely Valerie Kaprisky, whom we might assume he has met in some dance club, bar or even a shopping mall. Jesse and Monica are both attractive people, so we understand how they are drawn to one another- it's purely physical. The problem, however is that Jesse is from a different world than Monica. She is a college student who appears to come from money and privilege; she is more comfortable with stability and therefore is respected in society. Jesse is, well, the other kind. We can clearly see that this relationship is doomed. 

This movie is a brilliant slice of American life in the 1980's, the focal point being L.A. It has a wonderful pace, thanks to director Jim McBride. The music is fantastic; various pop songs and surfer jams are placed throughout. The writing by Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut is excellent because it is very accurate to how real people communicate; this is true with not only the lead actors but with the small roles as well. 

Yet, when it's all said and done, this is Richard Gere's movie. He is an absolute tour de force. He embodies Jesse; he knows how he thinks, how he acts and how he moves. It is quite the achievement. Arguably the best film of Gere's career. 

There are many sequences that highlight the film. My personal favorite is the scene in the pool between the two leads. Gere and Kaprisky are young, in their prime, and playing off each other; attracted, repelled, and attracted again. The chemistry here feels true to life. This is a hidden gem of a film. Well worth a rental. 



Uplifting and Inspiring - Freedom Writers (2007)

On the surface this movie looks like your typical formulaic school film. Don't be fooled. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. 

The acting, led by Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, not to mention the other dozen or so actors (Particularly April Hernandez) who play the students, really make the characters authentic and their plight believable. The movie takes place in Long Beach, California, during the aftermath of the L.A. riots, where the tensions among the four main racial groups (Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Whites) in the L.A. districts, are at an all time high. This fact coupled by the emergence of inclusion in the public school system no doubt made for an extremely difficult challenge for any teacher. 

What we see here is an inexperienced, beginner teacher come into this difficult situation and flourish; a woman, perhaps a bit too idealistic, perhaps a bit too naive at first, but through perseverance, dedication, and kindness, steps up and helps guide a group of at risk teenagers into a more positive direction, and more importantly, helps them find out who they are. How could anyone deny such a positive film?

Being a teacher myself, I can honestly say that many of the issues that take place throughout the film with regard to the teaching profession are realistic - the issue of being underpaid (especially true in the United States), an administrator or tenured teachers resentment or bullying of a new teacher (the majority are good but some aren't), how teaching is a lot more than a 9-5 job (it cuts into your social life very much). You really get the feeling that those involved in making the film took great respect and did their research. Credit goes out to the screenwriter, Richard LaGravanese and the teacher herself, Erin Gruwell.

My only complaint about the movie would be how it portrays the area of Long Beach, California. Viewers will get an image of the area being an extremely violent place to live, where drive-by shootings and gang wars are as common as the mail being delivered to your door. This simply is not true. I've spent some time in Long Beach and I can honestly say it seemed like a really safe place to live, where the people seemed very friendly. At no time did I feel I was out of place, mistreated, or discriminated against by any other ethnic groups there. Although these problems may arise from time to time, you have to understand it is not the norm. To the credit of the director, it was probably used to affect plot and such.

Aside from this minor complaint, this is a wonderful film. It's funny, warm-hearted, and inspiring, which is pretty rare in a lot of movies today.