The time is right to watch '3:10'
By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, January 06, 2008
If Martin Scorsese sticks his name on something, it's got to be pretty good, right?
"Golden Door" is. Directed by Emanuele Crialese, the drama follows an Italian family as it crosses the ocean to America. There, the Sicilians hope to find the doors open and a new world waiting to embrace them. But all is not as it seems.
While on the boat, an English-speaking woman (Charlotte Gainsbourg) asks one of men in the family (Vicenzo Amato) to serve as her fiance so she can ease the immigration process. A different kind of romance blossoms and "Golden Door" becomes much more than a tale of coming to America.
Crialese has a few head-scratching moments (particularly when the characters are still in Greece) but doesn't flinch when the action shifts to New York. The scrutiny the family withstands is intense; the drama, natural.
While there are patches of English in the film, it's largely done in Italian. The acting, however, is so good you don't need the subtitles.
"Golden Door" is accessible to anyone who still believes in dreams.
Also: '3:10 to Yuma'
Russell Crowe was great as a warrior in "Gladiator." Now, he's pretty darn good as a western outlaw in "3:10 to Yuma."
Responsible for more than 20 attacks on Pinkerton coaches, he's the kind of man who sends a cold wind through town when he rides in. Naturally, the folks who finally capture him don't know what to do. They're convinced retaliation is at hand. They know they can't kill him outright. So, they get a war vet (Christian Bale), a veterinarian and one of the Pinkerton honchos to lead him to the train station where, presumably, they'll wash their hands of the whole mess.
Naturally, Crowe's cronies aren't going to let him go without a fight. Led by the high-strung Ben Foster, they stir up plenty of trouble, hoping to free their leader.
Crowe, meanwhile, bonds in an unusual way with Bale. As much as he's determined to live up to his own legend, there's a streak of goodness -- one that emerges when Bale's son (Logan Lerman) decides to join dad on the trip. The two talk a lot about their lots in life and, since Bale lost a leg in the war, how those lots changed.
Director James Mangold plays by most of the western rules. His film has a "High Noon" sense of dread, but plenty of action to make it worth the wait.
Bale, too, is pretty strong as the oh-so-silent sharpshooter. Like Clint Eastwood, he measures his words, making each one count. When he's in play with his son, time flies. The relationship is key to the film (and Crowe's actions), setting up the audience for a powerful ending.
Because we haven't seen a good western in years, it's almost like a new genre. Peter Fonda turns up to lend a bit of dirt-street cred. And Luke Wilson makes a cameo that ends as surprisingly as it begins.
While Gretchen Mol (as Bale's wife) and Vinessa Shaw are token women, Foster is interesting as the sidekick and Alan Tudyk is nice as the veterinarian.
"3:10," however, is timed for Crowe. He plays on his natural surliness, letting a smile break every now and then. When he's with Bale, the acting train picks up speed. He handles guns well, too, and knows just how to make a bad guy sympathetic.
Also this week:
Film:"Boogeyman 2"; "Dans Paris"; "Day of Darkness"; "Death Sentence"; "Eagle vs. Shark"; "Eye of the Dolphin"; "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter"; "Joshua"; "Klimt"; "Payday"; "Smiley Face"; "Sunshine"; "Tell Me a Riddle"; "White Noise 2"; "Zodiac"
TV "The All-New Superfriends Hour," season one; "Gunsmoke," season two; "Lovejoy," season two; "Naked Brothers Band," season one; "The Riches," season one; "Rob and Big," seasons one and two; "The Tudors," season one; "The Waltons," season six; "What's New Scooby-Doo," season three.
"Golden Door" is. Directed by Emanuele Crialese, the drama follows an Italian family as it crosses the ocean to America. There, the Sicilians hope to find the doors open and a new world waiting to embrace them. But all is not as it seems.
While on the boat, an English-speaking woman (Charlotte Gainsbourg) asks one of men in the family (Vicenzo Amato) to serve as her fiance so she can ease the immigration process. A different kind of romance blossoms and "Golden Door" becomes much more than a tale of coming to America.
Crialese has a few head-scratching moments (particularly when the characters are still in Greece) but doesn't flinch when the action shifts to New York. The scrutiny the family withstands is intense; the drama, natural.
While there are patches of English in the film, it's largely done in Italian. The acting, however, is so good you don't need the subtitles.
"Golden Door" is accessible to anyone who still believes in dreams.
Also: '3:10 to Yuma'
Russell Crowe was great as a warrior in "Gladiator." Now, he's pretty darn good as a western outlaw in "3:10 to Yuma."
Responsible for more than 20 attacks on Pinkerton coaches, he's the kind of man who sends a cold wind through town when he rides in. Naturally, the folks who finally capture him don't know what to do. They're convinced retaliation is at hand. They know they can't kill him outright. So, they get a war vet (Christian Bale), a veterinarian and one of the Pinkerton honchos to lead him to the train station where, presumably, they'll wash their hands of the whole mess.
Naturally, Crowe's cronies aren't going to let him go without a fight. Led by the high-strung Ben Foster, they stir up plenty of trouble, hoping to free their leader.
Crowe, meanwhile, bonds in an unusual way with Bale. As much as he's determined to live up to his own legend, there's a streak of goodness -- one that emerges when Bale's son (Logan Lerman) decides to join dad on the trip. The two talk a lot about their lots in life and, since Bale lost a leg in the war, how those lots changed.
Director James Mangold plays by most of the western rules. His film has a "High Noon" sense of dread, but plenty of action to make it worth the wait.
Bale, too, is pretty strong as the oh-so-silent sharpshooter. Like Clint Eastwood, he measures his words, making each one count. When he's in play with his son, time flies. The relationship is key to the film (and Crowe's actions), setting up the audience for a powerful ending.
Because we haven't seen a good western in years, it's almost like a new genre. Peter Fonda turns up to lend a bit of dirt-street cred. And Luke Wilson makes a cameo that ends as surprisingly as it begins.
While Gretchen Mol (as Bale's wife) and Vinessa Shaw are token women, Foster is interesting as the sidekick and Alan Tudyk is nice as the veterinarian.
"3:10," however, is timed for Crowe. He plays on his natural surliness, letting a smile break every now and then. When he's with Bale, the acting train picks up speed. He handles guns well, too, and knows just how to make a bad guy sympathetic.
Also this week:
Film:"Boogeyman 2"; "Dans Paris"; "Day of Darkness"; "Death Sentence"; "Eagle vs. Shark"; "Eye of the Dolphin"; "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter"; "Joshua"; "Klimt"; "Payday"; "Smiley Face"; "Sunshine"; "Tell Me a Riddle"; "White Noise 2"; "Zodiac"
TV "The All-New Superfriends Hour," season one; "Gunsmoke," season two; "Lovejoy," season two; "Naked Brothers Band," season one; "The Riches," season one; "Rob and Big," seasons one and two; "The Tudors," season one; "The Waltons," season six; "What's New Scooby-Doo," season three.
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