A Trivial Matter

We thought it'd be fun to throw a little trivia your way to see how smart you are about the movies you watch and we review. Or could possibly review, someday.

Here are 20 trivia questions plus a bonus question. Write your answers in a comment for this post. In a week or so, I'll leave the answers in a comment, once I've given everyone who wants to play a chance to play. Depending on the level of participation and the skill at which we judge how much your mind is filled with useless crap - er, movie knowledge, there may be a prize involved. Maybe.

Are you ready?

1) What movie involves poison, cold breath and Dr. Malcom Crowe?

2) What movie used this tag line: "Trust is her weapon, innocence is her opportunity and revenge is her only desire?"

3) In 1999, this actress portrayed a queen. In her acting debut, she was a young girl who befriends a hit man. Who is she?

4) Name the first movie Scribe and Green reviewed on this blog.

5) Name the actress who appeared in all of the following films: Jumanji, Jerry Maguire, The Green Mile and Rain Man.

6) Name the artist who sang the title track for and starred in The Rose.

7) Upon winning an Oscar for Best Actress, who said: "You like me. You really like me?"

8) Who is the actor who was set to portray Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark but backed out, citing loyalty and commitments to his television show?

9) Name the actor to appear in all of the following films: A Few Good Men, The Lost Boys, Young Guns and Mirror.

10) "In space no one can hear you scream" was the tag line for what film?

11) Who was the actress who was romantically linked to Emilio Estevez, Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt?

12) Name the actress who shares a birthday with actor Burt Reynolds, singer Sheryl Crow, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and whose godfather was actor Telly Savalas.

13) What movie involves an Irishman, a lottery ticket and a nude motorcycle rider?

14) One tag line for this film stated: "If Nancy doesn't wake up screaming, she won't wake up at all." Name the film.

15) Name all seven of the dwarfs in Snow White.

16) Which two films did Morgan Freeman not appear in: Unforgiven, Driving Miss Daisy, Batman, Glory or Philadelphia?

17) What was the year of the first Academy Awards?

18) Who sang the title song to the James Bond film Octopussy?

19) Name the actress to appear in all of the following films: House of Wax, The Girl Next Door, The Quiet and Love Actually.

20) This actor starred in three films directed by Frank Capra. In two of those films he starred with actress Jean Arthur. Name the actor and the three films.

BONUS: President Barack Obama is the 44^th President of the United States. Name the 44^th film reviewed by Scribe and Green on this blog.

5/11 UPDATE: The answers have now been posted in the fifth comment, so skip over that one if you still want to guess.

We Own the Night

SCRIBE'S CAN'T I KEEP THE HOT PUERTO-RICAN GIRLFRIEND? REVIEW:

Hopefully Joaquin Phoenix’s decision to quit acting in pursuit of a hip-hop career will be short-lived. We are truly missing a great actor right now.

“We own the Night” is another in a string of intense and passionate performances by Phoenix. This time he is Bobby, a late 1980’s New York nightclub manager who comes from a family of police officers. But Bobby isn’t crazy about that fact, preferring to live the partying life with his exceptionally hot Puerto-Rican girlfriend, portrayed with surprising depth by Eva Mendes.

If you’re able to suspend disbelief enough to accept that Mark Wahlberg is his brother and Robert Duvall is his father, the rest is utterly realistic. Bobby’s boss, a Soviet (remember this is the 80’s) immigrant has a nephew whose involvement in the Russian mob has caught the attention of his father’s task force.

What follows is an interesting and compelling take on a man whose resistance to his family is challenged at every turn. Once the inevitable raid led by his brother shines a spotlight on his club, Phoenix finds himself embroiled in an investigation that will eventually result in tragedy.

The attention paid to authenticity in this film is nothing short of astounding. According to the DVD extras, the clothing worn in the film is actual vintage attire from the late 1980’s. My initial confusion over why early 80’s music is playing in 1988 is explained in the extras as well since it is assumed that a 30-year old man would be listening to music from his youth: Well, that’s not the Eighties I remember. If you listened to something that was even six months old you were considered a joke but it’s a small inconsistency.

It’s rare that a screenplay truly surprises me, but this one does. This is partially due to the fact that the early portion of the film makes it intentionally difficult to figure out where all this is going. Like life, this is a movie that doesn’t throw all the answers at us the moment we sit down in front of the screen.

A film like this depends heavily on believable character growth, which is where Phoenix comes in. His subtle changes from narcissistic club manager to responsible family member are handled so well one might not even notice it happening at first. Wahlberg is his usual dependable self in an ironic twist on his brooding, tough guy character. Duvall is…well, come on. Would I have the right to try and criticize Pavarotti? Well, yes, but I created him so that’s not really a fair question.

Each spring sees the release of several gritty cop dramas the studios stupidly feel won’t garner any attention from audiences during other parts of the year. This was one of them. See it~

*** out of *****

GREEN’S “HOW COME YOU GOT MATCHES AND A LIGHTER?” REVIEW:

Bert and Joe Grusunsky (Robert Duvall and Mark Wahlberg) are father and son together in the family business - law enforcement in 1980’s Brooklyn. When they get set to raid a popular nightclub filled with drug dealers, they courteously let Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix), the club manager know what’s coming, because he’s part of the family, too. But Bobby doesn’t take his family seriously and the advice is blissfully ignored. Life goes on as usual until the nightclub is raided by the police and he becomes a target of both the police and the scum and villainy who do ‘business’ in the club. Once his family starts getting hurt by the masterminds of the crime ring going on in his club, Bobby is faced with and must make the most important choice of his life: Become an informant for the police or help run the crime ring inside the club.

This is a movie that I don’t recall seeing the previews for when it came out in 2007. Surprising, considering there’s such a high powered cast leading this film. Joaquin Phoenix gives his usual intense dramatic performance. Scribe hits the mark when he laments Phoenix‘s decision to retire from acting at such a young age to pursue the music business. There aren‘t many actors as intense and focused as Phoenix is. (aaah, what a long way since “Space Camp.”) Mark Wahlberg is again solid with his performance. There’s not many films he’s been in that I haven’t liked. And well, Robert Duvall is well, Robert Duvall. ‘nuff said. The man hasn’t been in many bad movies or ever given a bad performance, as far as I can recall. Eva Mendes, who I think is a decent actress, didn't wow me as Phoenix’s hot girlfriend.

Over all, James Gray’s script is well written and has a good pace to it. I believe that when you’re also the director, as Gray is here, it helps the story immensely because there is continuity, in that he knows better than anyone what he wants to get out of his actors and how he sees the story going. I like his use of dark lighting and darker colors which help set the mood when Bobby is managing the club and how the lighting changes on par with Bobby as his attitude toward his family changes. The only scene I was really disappointed in was the confrontation between Bobby and Nezhinski in the wheat field scene toward the end of the movie. Sort of anti-climatic.

The special features included on the DVD are excellent and informative.

***½ out of *****

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

SCRIBE'S "YOU MUST BE ONE OF DEM FELLERS WHAT LIKES OTHER FELLERS" REVIEW:

Every great once in a while, a film comes along with literary merit. In some cases, that film comes from a literary source. Such is the case with (and I’m only gonna type this title once!) “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.”

Based on the novel of the same name, the film follows the final days of the infamous Jesse James as his luck slowly begins to run out. Brad Pitt is James in an intense, disturbing performance. Casey Affleck, a man swiftly becoming one of the better character actors in the industry, is the so-called “coward” Robert Ford.

When we first meet these characters, James comes across as affable and introspective while Ford seems like a deranged, homo-erotic stalker. It’s obvious Ford has idolized James for a long time and their scenes together reek of demented idol worship and thinly concealed attraction.

This is the time of the dissolution of the James gang. Jesse’s older brother Frank (the always cool Sam Shepherd) is tired of the bank robbing life and wants to go straight. The so-called “glory days” behind him, Jesse seems to be in a daze, unable to function in this new environment. But Ford is in love with him, platonically I’m sure (wink-wink) and has no intention of allowing the Great Jesse James, heroes of the Rebel Movement, to fade away.

What follows is a deeply introspective tale of hero worship and mortality. Somewhere along the way, thanks to Pitt’s incredible performance, James goes from likable to frighteningly psychotic. As James disintegrates into paranoia and betrayal, Ford matures. This is, after all, Ford’s tale more than it Is Jesse’s.

Ford is never taken as seriously as he believes he should be, but nobody can deny he has changed when he kills a man. Sam Rockwell also shines as his older brother as the two men realize they are the only ones left Jesse thinks he can trust. The ensuing tension is so thick, the film is often difficult to watch in its final hour.

This is not a short film, nor is it one to be watched while reading the paper or telling lil’ Greggers he’s a good boy. A recurring narrator reminds us we’re watching a novel on film. One must pay attention to this one to understand what’s going on. The performances are understated and intense. Pitt, Affleck and Rockwell are simply amazing in this film. They don’t so much portray these characters as inhabit them for the entire running time of the film.

Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in history.

****½ out of *****

GREEN’S “I’VE SORTA GOT STAGE FRIGHT WITH A STRANGE MAN IN THE COMMODE WITH ME” REVIEW:

In brief, this film tells of the idolization of Jesse James (September 5, 1842 - April 3, 1882) by one young Robert Ford and his desire to join the James Gang and befriend his boyhood hero. Once in the gang, Ford and his older brother Charlie become close to James as the rest of the gang gets killed or arrested. Then one fine spring day, BLAM!! Hence the most exciting part of the movie takes all of four seconds to view.

I wrote this review a few days ago but I’ve delayed posting it until today, which coincidentally happens to be the 127th anniversary of Jesse James death. Trust me, it wasn't originally planned this way (hence the coincidence).

But I have to level with you. Can a movie possibly be any more slow, tedious and boring than this? I have a healthy respect for history but watching paint dry is more fun than watching this snooze-fest. With a run time of two hours and forty minutes, this film is about an hour too long. I had to make myself sit up in a chair to watch this movie to avoid falling asleep. As it is I had to scan back on the DVD several times to rewatch parts I missed. The one chance this movie had to be interesting (but only for a moment, however) was gone with the all too brief blowing out of the candle, “And you thought I was a lady” scene.

Brad Pitt is either hit or miss with me. Most of the time miss, I’m afraid. I just don’t see why this guy is so in demand in Hollywood these days. Certainly there are other actors who could have easily played James and done it just as good, or better. In my opinion, Pitt just doesn't have the look for the role, no matter how scruffy and stubbly he looks. Grudgingly I'll admit that Casey Affleck did a decent job portraying the star-struck kid in the presence of his idol and deservedly was nominated for an Oscar.

Obviously, I thought the script was way too long. I’ve never read the novel on which the screenplay was based and it seems like the writer strives to be as historically accurate as possible, which is always a good thing. The instrumental music soundtrack was hauntingly moody, which seemed perfect for the tone of the film and livened up the tedium just a tad.

I did find it visually interesting that in the scene where James gets his brains blowed out, that we see a shot of him looking into the glass of the picture he was messing with on the wall and that he could see the reflection of Ford with the gun pointed at his head in the background, yet does nothing to stop what he must know is coming.

BTW, what’s up with the use of that annoying voice over narration to tell parts of the story? Couldn’t they have found some way of incorporating those nuggets of expositional information into the rest of the film?

Wasn't it the good old scribester who said not long ago that not every novel should be made into a movie? This is a classic example of that inescapable logic. You’ve got better things to do than sit through this movie, believe me. I know I’ll never need to watch it again, so I’m going to donate my copy of the DVD that I bought for the review to one of my local libraries, unless you can think of a better idea.

*½ out of *****