Recently in Charlize Thereon Category

Directed by George Tillman, Jr. Starring: Robert DeNiro, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Charlize Thereon, Powers Boothe, Aunjanue Ellis, Hal Holbrook,David Keith, Michael Rapaport, Carl Lumbly, Lonette McKee. Drama/Biographical/Historical. Synopsis: The story of Carl Brashear, who enlisted in the Navy as a teen shortly after World War II and rose up through the ranks to become the first African-American Navy diver, Master Chief Diver, and also the first amputee to serve in that capacity.

Anytime you have a story that focuses on the true life triumph of the human spirit and shows the kind of determination that makes the impossible possible, you have a good chance for a good flick. Its not a given though, the film still has to be well acted and directed. Men Of Honor is well directed, and when you throw in a cast with multiple Oscar winners, past and future, the recipe for success is complete.

Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Wrong Turn At Tahoe)  plays Carl Brashear, Jr., a man who came from the fields of Kentucky, enlised in the Navy in the post WW-II years, and was determined to better himself in all ways through his time in the service. He had an indomitable spirit and never quit attitude, which he got from his parents (Lonette McKee Jungle Fever Carl Lumbly Pacific Heights The Alphabet Killer) in general and his father in particular.

As some may know, the Navy and its department (U.S. Marine Corps) were likely the most inhospitable branches of the service in the post military, pre-Civil Rights era and that is portrayed vividly throughout this film, with one memorable scene being where Carl decides to jump in the Pacific for a swim on a day when only whites were allowed off the ship and into the ocean. Of course, he is pursued but swims so fast he beats everyone to the buoy. After landing in the brig, his speed in the water leads the ship's Captain (Powers Boothe Southern Comfort) to make him one of the ship's rescue swimmers an unprecedented position for an African American. Brashear quickly decides his ultimate goal in the Navy is to become a Navy diver after seeing the rescue heroics of one such Master Chief Diver, Leslie Sunday (Robert DeNiro Casino), an elite position that, at that point in time.

And, through the magic of creative license, when Brashear finally is accepted at diving school, guess who his class instructor is? Give yourself a pat on the back if you said Chief Sunday who is, lets just say, less than enthusiastic to have an African American diving student in his course.

Brashear's time in the diving school is the heart of the film, as Tillman does a good job of making clear the hurdles he faced, not only because of racism, but due to his severe lack of education. We do have some stereotypical characters, likely composite characters like Deniro's Chief Sunday, but that does not mean they aren't effective. Michael Rapaport (Grilled) plays Snowhill, the 'liberal' sailor who offsets the bigotry and prejudice Carl experiences in diving school by befriending Carl and being the only sailor to stay in the barracks when the rest are urged to move out by Sunday.

Also standing out in a smaller role is the legendary Hal Holbrook (Magnum Force) as 'Mr. Pappy', the outwardly bigoted and near senile Commander assigned to the diving school whose distaste for Carl remains steadfast even as those around Carl, including Sunday, begin to soften with appreciation of Carl's work ethic and courage.

Neither Brashear nor his chief protagonist, Sunday, are shown one dimensionally, they both have love interests, Carl has his future wife (Aunjanue Ellis Freedomland) and Sunday has a much younger wife, Charlize Thereon (North Country) who is both the enabler and possible hope for his drinking problems. Its not a huge role for Thereon, but she knocks it out of the park, as does Ellis, an actress whom I've long thought was an underappreciated talent.

The film follows Carl's career in the Navy, going directly from his trying time in diving school to his assignment as a diver on a ship in which he becomes a national hero by recovering a lost Russian explosive from the bottom of the sea, and then tragically suffers a serious injury to his leg shortly thereafter which seems to put the end to his diving career. But, Carl demands his leg be completely amputated so a prosthetic can be attached so that he might continue his career. The reluctance of the Navy and the reemergence of Sunday into Carl's life mark the second portion of the film. Its hard to be a Navy diver with two legs, to see Brashear do it with one is nothing less than inspiring.

As with any great film, there are several iconic scenes, the standouts for me being the bar room challenge between Brashear and Sunday to see who could hold his breath the longest, with the stakes being Carl's spot in the diving school versus the readmittance to diving school of Carl's buddy Snowhill (I read an interview with the real Carl Brashear in which he said the scene was true, except they did not use the water filled apparatus shown in the film, but merely dunked their heads into fish tanks); Carl's final test in diving school in which there were deliberate steps taken to ensure his failure and he remained underwater for twenty hours until his task was complete; and the stirring finale, when Brashear, with Sunday as his coach, demonstrates his physical prowess with his prosthetic leg before a high ranking Naval board.

The film follows 20 + years of Brashear's life and Gooding is believable both as the teen aged character and as a 40 year old navy veteran. With all due respect to his Oscar winning peformance in Jerry Maguire , to me this is his outstanding peformance to date. As for DeNiro, what can I say that hasn't been said? Incredible as Chief Sunday.

Understand this genre, though it shows both the ugly side and honor in our military, its not a military movie per se , but the story of an incredible man who happened to live his life in the service.

Great story, great acting, great film.        

Starring Charlize Thereon, Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Richard Jenkins, Sissy Spacek. Drama. Synopsis: A story set in the Iron Range of Minnesota and based loosely on the first successful class action sexual harrassment lawsuit. A fictionalized account of the lives and circumstances surrounding female mine workers in the Iron Range of Minnesota, the setting for the first successful class action law suit alleging sexual harrassment in the workplace.  

North Country is set against the drab, economically depressed backdrop of the "Iron Range" of Minnesota, and tells the story of a single mother (Charlize Thereon Monster Hancock) who, looking to brighten her economic prospects after leaving her abusive husband, takes a higher paying job in a mine during a time when such jobs are hard to come by and they are offered to women only because they have to be.

Needless to say, Charlize's presence, and that of the other few females working in the mine, does not go over too well with most of her male coworkers and advisors. This includes her own father (Richard Jenkins), who sees his daughter's presence in the mine as shame on his family and, most importantly, shame on himself.

The story is told in flashback, in the opening scene we see Charlize on the witness stand in court, so we have a clear foreshadowing of where this is going, even if we aren't familiar with the true story. The film progresses with preriodic flashbacks to incidents in the mine and in Charlize's background. This includes the revelation of the true parentage of her oldest child, a son played wonderfully by Thomas Curtis.

The depiction of the abuse that the women endure while working is detailed, graphic, and probably shocking to some. The crude jokes, sexual innuendo, and vulgar double entendres are to be expected, as they probably exist in many working enviroments to this day, despite our "compassion" and "enlightenment". But, it goes much further than that in this movie as see the sex toys left in the lockers of the women, the groping, and a disturbing couple of scenes where Charlize's character is both physically and sexually assaulted.

As you would guess, Charlize is not willing to take this type of abuse and goes to her superiors, who, of course, are unsympathetic and ultimately decides to hire a lawyer (Woody Harrelson Seven Pounds). Of special mention to me is Frances McDormand, who plays the toughest, highest ranking female employee in the mine and befriends Charlize from the outset and is a Union rep. Her character is tough, witty, lovable, and pulls off the difficult feat of being the ultimate "tom boy", yet maintains her femininity. You can't help but like her, and the most emotional part of an emotional movie comes when we learn of her fight against a rare disease.

The film does a good job of giving solid depth to all the major elements of the story: Charlize's life at the mine; her relationship with her parents and children; and her dealing with her tragic past, an event that is ultimately, if unbelievably, revealed in the court room scenes near the end of the movie.

I had a major problem with the last portion of the film, however. Having substantial experience and education in the law, I've been in more than a few courtrooms and tried my share of legal cases. And, as I'm sure many people who see their profession depicted on screen often (doctors, police officers etc.)  might say, Hollywood rarely sets it forth with complete accuracy and realism. That's understandable. But this is so far over the top in terms of its total disregard for the most basic rules and procedure of law in the court room scene as well as reality of this actually happening, even if you did have a case where a judge knew less law than a sixth grader and the lawyers were either viper-like or effectively engaging in personal put downs of the witnesses.

Woody Harrelson, good and likable as always, can't get a high mark from me solely because of his role. He is the reluctant lawyer, of course, the only type that movies seem to portray these days. He is returning home from a (presumably failed) career as an attorney in (where else) New York City, and he takes the case only after first refusing to do so....well, you know the rest. And, of course, the other lawyers depicted in the film are, simply, disgusting. O.k., that vent off my chest, the courtroom scenes also end in the cheesy Hollywood manner of Woody making his speech to the world, asking rhetorically who will stand with Charlize, and, slowly but surely for dramatic effect, one by one almost everyone in the court room stands. C'mon.

I'm a believer that truth is almost always more interesting than fiction and, while I don't know anything about the actual case, I can assure anyone it did not unfold like this. Why would a film so dedicated to showing the reality of what sexual abuse can do to the victims and those close to them, have to finish such fine work with scenes so unrealistic as to be cartoonish?

However, although the ending was a downer to me, it doesn't make me forget how could the rest of the film was nor does it tarnish it too badly. This is an issue that is out there in our society, and will be dealt with, from many different angles, by this generation more than any other. North Country is not a masterpiece, just a very good film with flaws and some powerful actors. Frances McDormand is outstanding, Charlize Thereon is proving she might just be the best actress consistently working who is not named Meryl Streep, Sissy Spacek (Carrie) reminds us, once again, how good she is and makes us wish we could see her more, Woody is Woody, and the rest of the cast is very good. If you like movies that deal with serious issues from more than a one dimensional view, and you can overlook the last fifteen minutes, you'll like this flick.

 

Directed by Karyn Kusama. Starring Charlize Thereon, Martin Csokas, Johnny Lee Miller, Frances McDormand.  Synopsis: A futuristic movie based on an MTV cartoon, resistance fighter Aeonflux resists against the ruling Goodchild Dynsasty in the last city on Earth in the 25th century. 

In talking about this movie, I need to tell you two things: 1) I'm not a big Sci-Fi fan 2) I am a Charlize Thereon (Monster) fan. I say that not because I am a reviewer who is under the mistaken impression that people I do not know even remotely care about my personal opinions, but so you can keep that in mind when reading what I have to say about this movie.

The only reason I picked up this film was because of Charlize, and I know the men reading this are snickering, the women frowning, but I really wanted to see her take on an action hero role. And, she does it very well.

The story is set in 2415 in the only city on Earth to have survived a plague of 2011, the survivors being the recipients of an antidote created by a scientist named Goodchild, the patriarch of the ruling Goodchild dynasty. Although the city is neat, beautiful, and serene on the surface, there is an unease and mistrust of government that most citizens cannot put their finger on. The resistance movement is dedicated to the overthrow of the Goodchild dynasty, and Aeonflux (Charlize Thereon) is one of the most able bodied and effective resistance fighters. She seeks to avenge the murder of her sister as well as carry out her duties for the resistance as given to her by the resistance leader (Frances McDormand). However, she is hampered in this by her strange feelings for one of the Goodchild descendants who now rules in the 25th century, Trevor Goodchild (Martin Csokas).

It is difficult to talk in depth about the plot of the film without giving away the movie's twist, but I will say that it involves the repercussions of an issue that is here and on the table, so to speak, for those of us living in the early twenty-first century. 

I think sci-fi fans will be pleased with the look of the movie, the futuristic and pristine look and feel of the city, as well as the emphasis on the beauty and preservation of nature. Also, there are the obligatory sci-fi effects, we see a fellow resistance fighter (also female, as all of the fighters seem to be) who has had a "modification" which replaces her feet with hands, giving her and advantage in her duties, the ability of Aeonflux and the other resistance fighters to meet with their leader via some sort of telepathy, which also allows them to converse with each other during this time, as well as the futuristic weapons.

Charlize drives the film, of course, and if you don't empathize with her character, you will not be interested in the film because it is not clear until the last fifteen minutes or so what is really going on. Fortunately, I believe you will because Charlize, again, reinvents herself and you believe she is a sleek, agile, and acrobatic resistance fighter even if the last time you saw her was playing the dowdy, hard drinking, chain-smoking serial killer in Monster. More importantly, you empathize with her feelings of frustration and angst, and appreciate her hidden feelings for the poster child of the hated government (Martin Csokas). Csokas was unknown to me prior to this film, but he also does a very good job, as it is important to buy and understand his character ot fully  appreciate the conclusion, especially as it relates to his more nefarious brother, Oren Goodchild (Johnny Lee Miller)

I think a big part of appreciating this film will be whether or not you are familiar at all with the MTV cartoon. I was not, and so I focused more on the story itself, without having to critique whether or not they stayed true to the character. The DVD contains several neat special features, and you will see some clips of the cartoon, which seems to be grittier, more violent and more sexualized than the PG-13 movie version.

The last thing I would say is that this is a film that has to be seen in one sitting to be fully appreciated, in my opinion. The plot is too vague and abstract for you to do the "watch- a- few minutes- then- do something else and come back to it later or tomorrow thing". Fortunately, it is a relatively short film and fast moving, so resolve to see it through when you begin watching it.