Whilst the cinetrix collects herself, here's Hizzoner Ed Koch to tell you about livin' in the cities.
Avenue Montaigne
This is kind of a roundelay -- recurring theme -- involving a number of people living in Paris who interact with one another. Two of the people are Jacques (Claude Brasseur) and his son, Frederic (Christopher Thompson), who are interested in the same woman. Through it all walks an exuberant young woman, Jessica (Cecile de France), who dazzles everyone with her beauty and personality.The film contains no violence, no intimate scenes and little interesting dialogue; nevertheless, I give it a plus rating because it is well acted, provides some enjoyment, and there aren't many interesting movies available at this time to see. If you understand French, this film will undoubtedly have a greater impact on you.
The best recent love story on the glories of Paris is Before Sunset starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. If you haven't seen it, you would be better off renting and watching it than trotting to the theater to see Avenue Montaigne. (In French, with English subtitles).
Ed's a Linklater fan? Is there no bottom to his bag of tricks? Apparently not. Read on as he schools A.O. Scott.
Reign Over Me
Normally I would not see a movie starring Adam Sandler. He is a good actor, but I think of his films as being of the slapstick genre joyously viewed by children. The plot of this film, however, is totally different than his usual movies.Alan (Don Cheadle), a well-to-do dentist who lives in a large apartment on Park Avenue, is very conservative in manner and dress. He has a beautiful wife, Janeane (Jada Pinkett Smith), and two daughters.
Alan's college and dental school roommate, Charlie (Adam Sandler), has suffered a terrible loss. His wife and three daughters were killed on one of the 9/11 planes that was hijacked. Charlie, who has not gotten over his grief, has become a recluse, appears to be psychotic, suffers from paranoia and is prone to fits of rage. We meet Charlie's mother-in-law (Melinda Dillon) and father-in-law (Robert Klein) who are concerned about him, notwithstanding his total rejection of them. An incident involving Charlie's violent behavior ends up in court presided over by Judge Raines (Donald Sutherland). All of these actors are excellent in their roles, and Sandler and Cheadle are outstanding.
Alan tries to help his friend by spending time with him. They ride around on Charlie's motorized scooter, and the local scenes rival those in Woody Allen's Manhattan film.
Alan has problems of his own at his dental office with a patient, Donna (Saffron Burrows), who is also a patient of a psychiatrist/neighbor, Angela (Liv Tyler). I won't ruin the hilarious situation for you by revealing it here. If you respond to this movie as I did, you will lose yourself in it. The tragedy suffered by Charlie and his sad response are overwhelming and ring true. His plight will cause the tears to flow, but the film is in no way a soap opera.
The New York Times film critic, A.O. Scott, wrote critically: "The delicate insights toward which 'Reign Over Me' at first seems headed, and the psychological subtlety of much of the acting, are squandered in revelations and confrontations that belong in a made-for-TV weepie. Mr. Binder can be a smart writer and a fluent director, but he can't quite keep his dumb ideas from getting in the way of his good ones. He's a bit like Charlie without Alan, spinning his wheels and lost in his own head."
Scott is wrong on this one. Bravo to Adam Sandler for expanding his horizon.
HS, with whom I saw the movie, said: "From watching this film, you would never think Adam Sandler is a comic actor, and the 9/11 tragedy is treated sensitively not visually in this unusual movie."
