Star Wars Blu-ray Set is a Bestseller

The Force is Strong on Blu-ray - STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA

The Most Anticipated Blu-ray Release in the Galaxy Breaks Global Sales Records with One Million Units Sold and $84 Million in Consumer Spend

The Complete Saga on Blu-ray quickly becomes the #1 pre-order and #1 catalog title since the launch of the high-definition format.

SAN FRANCISCO & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment announced today that STAR WARS is the bestselling catalog Blu-ray Disc of all time with worldwide sales totaling one million units, including 515,000 units sold in North America in its first week alone. This represents $84 million in worldwide consumer spend including $38 million in North America - unprecedented for a nine-disc Blu-ray collection at a premium price.

The thirteen-month campaign to launch the SAGA Blu-ray and engage consumers around the globe began in August 2010. From Darth Vader at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a first look at San Diego Comic Con, a first-of-its-kind partnership with eBay, to creating the world’s largest lightsaber in the UK, the power of the Force continued to resonate around the world as fans came out in droves to have fun with that galaxy far, far away.

"Once again our fans’ enthusiasm to celebrate Stars Wars continues to amaze us,” said Kayleen Walters, Senior Director, Marketing, Lucasfilm. “Our goal was to deliver a premium product that they could enjoy with their family and friends and we are thrilled that they are enjoying it as much as we hoped they would.”

"Star Wars is a franchise with universal stories that resonates as much today as it did 30 years ago," said Mary Daily, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Vincent Marcais, Senior Vice President of International Marketing for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. "With the Blu-ray, audiences can go deeper into the mythology than ever before and reconnect with everything they love about the Saga in the best possible quality."

The comprehensive collection includes the six movies with unparalleled high-definition picture and sound quality, and features numerous deleted, extended and alternate scenes, new documentaries and a cross-section of the countless Star Wars spoofs that have appeared in pop culture over the past three decades. Marking the first time ever that the full Saga is available in one complete collection, STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA ON BLU-RAY also features a coveted peek into the making of the Saga with vintage documentaries, audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, prop and costume turnarounds, retrospectives and more.

Episodes I-III and IV-VI are also available as distinct Blu-ray Trilogy collections.


ABOUT STAR WARS
The May 25, 1977 theatrical debut of Star Wars - on a scant 32 screens across America - was destined to change the face of cinema forever. An instant classic and an unparalleled box office success, the rousing "space opera" was equal parts fairy tale, western, 1930s serial and special effects extravaganza, with roots in mythologies from cultures around the world. From the mind of visionary writer/director George Lucas, the epic space fantasy introduced the mystical Force into the cultural vocabulary, as well as iconic characters such as evil Darth Vader, idealistic Luke Skywalker, feisty Princess Leia, lovable scoundrel Han Solo and wise Obi-Wan Kenobi. Since its 1977 debut, Star Wars has continued to grow, its lush narrative expanding from modest beginnings into an epic, six-film Saga chronicling the fall and redemption of The Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker.

ABOUT TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

Lucasfilm, STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Review: "I, Robot" is a Star Vehicle and a Star Sci-Fi Film (Happy B'day, Will Smith)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 126 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

I, Robot (2004)
Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense stylized action, and some brief partial nudity
DIRECTOR: Alex Proyas
WRITERS: Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsman; from a screen story by Jeff Vintar (suggested by a book by Isaac Asimov)
PRODUCERS: John Davis, Topher Dow, Wyck Godfrey, and Laurence Mark
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Simon Duggan (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: William Hoy, Richard Learoyd, and Armen Minasian
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami
Academy Award nominee

SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER with elements of drama and mystery

Starring: Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, Alan Tudyk, James Cromwell, Bruce Greenwood, Adrian L. Ricard, Chi McBride, Jerry Wasserman, and Fiona Hogan

In the year 2035, U.S. Robotics is about to roll out their most advanced robot, the NS5, when the company’s most brilliant robot scientist and inventor, Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell), commits suicide. Techno-phobic cop, Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) investigates the case with the notion that a robot, specifically an apparently hyper-advanced version of the NS5 named “Sonny” (voice of Alan Tudyk), actually killed Dr. Lanning. Spooner’s investigation earns him the ire of his supervisor (Chi McBride) and U.S. Robotics’ headman, Lawrence Robertson (Bruce Greenwood). Spooner, nevertheless, soldiers on and uncovers an even larger threat to humanity posed by the new robots and a mysterious other.

Directed by Alex Proyas, I, Robot has none of the dark visuals Proyas displayed in his best-known work, The Crow and Dark City. Visually the film looks like Minority Report, and the film story is similar to both that film and the recent Paycheck. Proyas does an admirable job making I, Robot, a very entertaining and thrilling summer action movie. The film seamless flows from one scene to another, which is quite a trick for Proyas to have turned considering the script juggles and discards three major plot points: a murder mystery, corporate intrigue, and technological Armageddon. It’s a disappointment that the film didn’t focus on any one of the three, for it would have better severed the movie; still, the film is very good popcorn entertainment.

I must admit to being a big fan of Will Smith’s work. The handsome, talented, and (clearly) ambitious performer is both a quality actor and a big time movie star. His bravado, charm, endearing personality, wit and sarcasm, and screen presence carry this film and keep it well above mediocrity. Smith is also very good in sci-fi films; they’re a natural fit for him, and he dominates them the way Harrison Ford used to do in action movies or the way Tom Cruise still does in anything. If you’re a fan of Smith’s work, I, Robot is a must-see delight; if you’re an SF fan, you’ll probably see this anyway.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2005 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (John Nelson, Andy Jones, Erik Nash, and Joe Letteri)

2005 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Film, Drama”

2005 Image Awards: 1 nomination: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Will Smith)

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Review: "Ratatouille" is a Tasty Pixar Classic (Happy B'day, Brad Bird)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 107 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Ratatouille (2007)
Running time: 110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR: Brad Bird
WRITERS: Brad Bird; from a story by Brad Bird, Jim Capobianco, and Jan Pinkava with additional story material by Emily Cook and Kathy Greenberg
PRODUCER: Brad Lewis
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Robert Anderson (D.o.P.) and Sharon Calahan (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Darren Holmes
Academy Award winner

ANIMATION/COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring: (voices) Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Peter Sohn, Peter O’Toole, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo, Will Arnett, Julius Callahan, James Remar, John Ratzenberger, Teddy Newton, Tony Fucile, Jake Steinfeld, and Brad Bird

In its latest feature-length, computer-animated gem, Pixar presents Ratatouille, the story of a plucky, ambitious rat and a shy garbage boy who forge a friendship out of mutual need. Directed by Oscar-winner Brad Bird (The Incredibles), the film follows the struggle to keep the bonds of family and friendship alive under the most trying circumstances.

Born with a gifted sense of smell that helps him appreciate the ingredients that go into a great dish, Remy (Patton Oswalt) longs to be a great French chef, but he is a rat, and cooking is a highly rodent-phobic profession. Living in the French countryside, Remy’s dreams put him at odds with his father, Django (Brian Dennehy), and his brother, Emile (Peter Sohn). Fate, however, soon places Remy in the sewers beneath Paris, and he finds himself near Gusteau’s, the restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, the late chef Auguste Gusteau (Brad Garrett), whose motto was “anyone can cook.”

Remy strikes an unlikely bargain with Linguini (Lou Romano), a down-and-out garbage boy at Gusteau’s, and together they become unlikely popular chefs. Remy discovers that by pulling tuffs of Linguini’s hair he can control the young chef as if he were a puppet – Linguini’s clumsy body channels Remy’s creative brain. Their dreams, however, may come to an end thanks to the efforts of Skinner (Ian Holm), the man who now runs Gusteau’s. He has his eyes on Linguini, and he’s planning on denying the boy what is rightfully his.

Ratatouille is everything that makes Pixar animated films so great. The animation is beautifully textured and inventively designed, presenting Paris as a gaslight romance. The characters, sets, art direction, lighting, etc are all outstanding – the hallmark of Pixar. The film is full of physical comedy and acrobatic hijinx with the cast of characters dashing, leaping, chasing, and catapulting. All of it works because of the tightly choreographed comic timing.

Don’t let the witty banter and slapstick comedy fool you. Ratatouille, like the other Pixar films (such as Finding Nemo), touches on emotionally resonant themes that are relatable to the audience, young and old and regardless of socio-economic standing. The film repeatedly hits on the notion of honesty. Don’t steal, and don’t make excuses for stealing. Give credit where credit is due, and look not on others with prejudice so inflexible that you fail to see their gifts. It’s all so simply put and not preachy. Ratatouille is an uproarious comedy, but also a poignant tale about being oneself and loving family and friends, and committing to colleagues. Wrapped up in such a grandly beautiful package, it is thus far on the short list of best films the year 2007 has to offer.

10 of 10

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

NOTES:
2008 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” (Brad Bird); 4 nominations: “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (Michael Giacchino), “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Randy Thom and Michael Silvers), “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (Randy Thom, Michael Semanick, and Doc Kane), “Best Writing, Original Screenplay” (Brad Bird-screenplay/story, Jan Pinkava-story, and Jim Capobianco-story)

2008 BAFTA Awards: 1 win: “Best Animated Film” (Brad Bird)

2008 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Animated Film” (Brad Bird)

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Review: Robert De Niro Leads a Cool Band of Men in "Ronin"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux

Ronin (1998)
Running time: 122 minutes (2 hours, 2 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence and some language
DIRECTOR: John Frankenheimer
WRITER: J. D. Zeik and Richard Weisz (David Mamet), from a story by J.D. Zeik
PRODUCER: Frank Mancuso Jr.
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Fraisse (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Tony Gibbs
COMPOSER: Elia Cmiral

ACTION/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring: Robert DeNiro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Sean Bean, Skipp Sudduth, Michael Lonsdale, Jan Triska, and Jonathan Pryce

Deirdre (Natascha McElhone), a mysterious Irish woman, gathers a team of freelance intelligence operatives to steal an even more mysterious metal suitcase. After her group successfully obtains the package, one of its operatives, Gregor (Stellan Skarsgard, Good Will Hunting), double crosses the others and steals the suitcase for himself. The mission goes awry, and Gregor’s treachery promptly throws the entire situation into confusion. Possible IRA (Irish Republican Army) renegades and ex-KGB (the former Soviet Union’s political police) also seek the case, and it becomes almost every man for himself.

In feudal Japan, ronin were samurai without masters, and a samurai’s purpose in life was to serve and to protect his master’s life with his own if necessary. Because of the strict Confucian caste system of the time, ronin could not get other work as merchants or as farmers, so they became hired guns. The characters in this film are, in a sense, ronin, people involved in the intelligence and espionage community who no longer serve a higher organization and are own their own. Or at least, they appear that way.

Robert De Niro is the Sam, ex-CIA, who from the moment he appears is the most savvy, the most intelligent, the straightest arrow, and the most vicious of the ronin when he has to be. De Niro is an electric presence on the screen and dominates this picture. He is the hero by which we ensure our safety, as we vicariously join this ride. Jean Reno is the sympathetic Vincent, a voice of reason and calm next to De Niro’s smoldering Sam. Vincent is a comforting presence in the rough and tumble espionage world of this movie, and he is the perfect partner for Sam.

Directed by veteran filmmaker John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) makes Ronin a taught, adult thriller sans lots of special effects and eye candy. It’s a thinking man’s action movie – a drama and suspense thriller with action scenes. From the initial meeting of the operatives, an aborted arms deal, the staging and acquisition of the suitcase to a chase through the streets of Paris and the resolution, this is a thrill ride with both adrenaline and intelligence. The pacing of this film is a testament to the filmmaking skill of an under appreciated director.

J. D. Zeik’s story (with work by David Mamet under a pseudonym) is a gem. Smart adult action movies, thrillers, and suspense films are rare. Both writers understand the importance of plot, story, setting, and character as the lynchpins, while so many other movies hang the structure of their films on SFX and the pretty faces of new, hot, young faces.

With a veteran cast that also includes Jonathan Pryce and Sean Bean, Ronin is the joy ride that mature moviegoers need between the critical favorite dramas and the blockbuster trash. At the end the film, enough of this good cast is left alive for a sequel, one of the few times an action drama is worthy of having one.

7 of 10
A-

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New Zombie Movie, "The Dead," Due in October

The Ford Brothers’ African-Set Zombie Horror Film “THE DEAD” Invades U.S. Theaters This October!

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global Cinema Distribution (http://www.globalcinemadistribution.com/) announces the national theatrical release of the Ford Brothers’ West African–set zombie feature THE DEAD. After its successful U.K. run, THE DEAD lurches across the pond and into more than 20 cities across the U.S. beginning October 7th in Los Angeles and October 14th in New York and everywhere else in-between.

Shot on 35mm in life-threatening regions of Burkina Faso and Ghana, THE DEAD takes audiences on a horrifying road-trip through a now zombie-dominated terrain. An American mercenary, the sole survivor of a violent plane crash, maneuvers through the hostile, arid landscape while battling against the newly risen living dead. Almost losing all hope, he encounters an African soldier desperately searching for his son amongst the chaos. The mercenary and the soldier rise up together to forge their way through the unstoppable assault of the ever-hungry undead and forward into an uncertain future.

Along with its overseas theatrical run, THE DEAD, co-directed and written by U.K. natives Howard J. Ford and Jon Ford, has been a festival favorite since its debut last year, garnering rave reviews from horror fans and mainstream media alike.

“Out of nowhere a fan base for THE DEAD rose up, much like the zombies themselves, demanding to see it,” explains co-director and writer Howard J. Ford. “We had hundreds of zombies down at the Cannes Film Festival carrying banners for our movie and turning up as the undead for festival screenings. Now Global Cinema is bringing our movie to the big screen throughout the U.S. I’m thrilled to be traveling with the film and meeting American audiences that have been so supportive of THE DEAD over the past year.”

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJVdqZww9aE

“A balls-to-the-walls awesome ZOMBIE Film…the gore is frankly jaw-dropping. And these are full-on Romero rules zombies. And they’re scary as f*ck.” - Harry Knowles, Ain’t It Cool News

THE DEAD opens on Friday, October 7th, 2011, in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Boston, Austin and Seattle (to name a few) and continues its theatrical rollout throughout the month of October. For a complete list of theaters visit http://www.globalcinemadistribution.com/2010-film-releases/the-dead/the-dead-theatrical-release/

Review: John Singleton Shepherds "Four Brothers"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 144 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Four Brothers (2005)
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence, pervasive language, and some sexual content
DIRECTOR: John Singleton
WRITERS: David Elliot & Paul Lovett
PRODUCER: Lorenzo De Bonaventura
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Menzier, Jr. A.C.S.
EDITOR: Bruce Cannon, A.C.E. and Billy Fox, A.C.E.

DRAMA/ACTION/CRIME/MYSTERY

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, André Benjamin, Garrett Hedlund, Terrence Howard, Josh Charles, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sofia Vergara, Fionnula Flanagan, Taraji P. Henson, Barry Shabaka Henley, and Jernard Burks

The Mercer Brothers – hotheaded ex-con Bobby (Mark Wahlberg), ladies’ man Angel (Tyrese Gibson), family man and businessman Jeremiah (André Benjamin), and rock musician Jack (Garrett Hedlund) – return to the mean streets of Detroit after their adoptive mother Evelyn Mercer (Fionnula Flanagan) is murdered during the holdup of a corner grocery store. They take the matter of her murder into their own hands in spite of assurances from police Lt. Green (Terrence Howard) and Detective Fowler (Josh Charles) that they are working on the case.

Soon the Mercer boys realize that their mother’s death wasn’t just the tragic result of a simple store holdup. Bobby and Angel use their rough old ways of handling business to track their mother’s killers, but these aren’t the same Detroit neighborhoods they left and their old ways have new consequences. Whatever the result of their own private investigation, the Mercer brothers discover that their brotherly bonds, first forged by adoption, are as thick as those of brothers by birth.

I expected John Singleton’s new film, Four Brothers, to be a very well made action drama, but it turned out to be one of the best films I have seen thus far this year. It has the cool intensity of a 70’s action movie or blaxtiploitation film. While Four Brothers is certainly a straight genre piece, it is also a character-driven film with a lot of action and drama. First credit should go to the script by screenwriters David Elliot & Paul Lovett, long time collaborators. They not only pounded on story structure, but they made very engaging characters out of the protagonists for the most part.

The villains, however, come out on the short end. Some are very interesting, like Chwetel Ejiofor’s Victor Sweet, but in the end he emerges as nothing more than a really evil dude; there’s no The Godfather-like examination of evil here. All the “bad guys” seem to be interesting characters worth developing, but the script never gets that far. That’s one of the things here that keeps Four Brothers just short of being a truly great film.

On the other hand, Singleton’s intense, block-by-block building of this film’s narrative and the frenetic pace he gives it glosses over any script and performance shortcomings (I found Fionnula Flanagan’s Evelyn Mercer to be as creepy as she was sympathetic.), and John Singleton’s masterful directorial performance makes Four Brothers as good as the kind of memorable crime films like Out of Sight. Four Brothers doesn’t miss a beat, and this is one of the year’s best directing jobs.

The four leads really drive this film. All are good: Andre Benjamin, known to many as Andre 3000 of the Grammy-winning musical act OutKast, is a natural acting talent, and here, he doesn’t come across like a fish out of water as is the problem with so many something-else’s-turned-actor. Garrett Hedlund, barely out of high school when he captured the juicy role of Patroclus opposite Brad Pitt’s Achilles in Troy (a film by Wolfgang Peterson), comes across as an affable and energetic co-star. He’s sort of the odd-man-out, but he makes do with the lesser part the story hands him.

The driving force of the brotherly quartet is Mark Wahlberg and Tyrese Gibson. Wahlberg is a very good actor who is rushing towards greatness. He’s a movie star, and his presence can make you want to see the movies in which he stars, regardless of genre. He’s got Hollywood star cool, yet there is a bit of an edge to him – part tough guy, but loner/rebel. Hey, it works on the big screen. Who’d a thunk it? Tyrese Gibson is a damn good actor, and has movie star appeal. He’s the other piece in a matching set with Wahlberg, being every bit the handsome tough guy, but with a bit of softie in him. In this film, he doesn’t come across at all as a supporting player. He plays Angel Mercer so naturally that you’d think he’d been doing the acting thing for at least twice as long as he actually has.

The cast, writers, directors, and crew come together to make this urban action/exploitation film into the consummate gritty Hollywood action drama. Four Brothers might come across at first glance as junk, but it’s really a hamburger recipe turned into a fine steak. Enjoy it on the big screen or make a must-keep date for it on home video and DVD.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2006 Black Reel Awards: 4 nominations: “Black Reel Best Director” (John Singleton), “Best Ensemble” (André Benjamin, Tyrese Gibson, Mark Wahlberg, Sofía Vergara, Garrett Hedlund, Terrence Howard, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Taraji P. Henson), “Best Film,” and “Best Original Soundtrack”

2006 Image Awards: 1 win: “Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film/Television Movie” (John Singleton)

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Felicity Huffman Moves "Transamerica"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 128 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Transamerica (2005)
Running time: 103 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – R for sexual content, nudity, language, and drug use
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Duncan Tucker
PRODUCERS: René Bastian, Sebastian Dungan, and Linda Moran
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Stephen Kazmierski (with Tom Camarda)
EDITOR: Pam Wise
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring: Felicity Huffman, Kevin Zegers, Elizabeth Peña, Fionnula Flanagan, Graham Greene, Burt Young, and Carrie Preston

Sabrina Osbourne or as she likes to be called, “Bree” (Felicity Huffman) is a pre-operative male-to-female transsexual woman who passes herself off as “G.G.,” meaning “genuine girl.” She lives in a poor section of Los Angeles, where she works two jobs (as a dishwasher at a small Mexican restaurant and as telemarketer from home) to make enough money so that she can afford the final sexual reassignment surgery that will make her wholly a woman. An unexpected complication in her plans arrives via a phone call from New York City.

Apparently, in her old life as a man named Stanley Schupack, she fathered a son, Toby (Kevin Zegers), a street hustler whom the police picked up for dealing drugs. Toby, who never met his father, is hoping that his dad will bail him out of jail. Forced by her therapist, Margaret (Elizabeth Peña), to confront her old past and tie up loose ends, Bree flies to New York and rescues the 17-year old Toby, but doesn’t tell the teen that she is his father and pretends to be a Christian missionary concerned about his well being. Toby begs Bree to follow her back to L.A. in hopes of becoming an actor in the adult entertainment industry and perhaps finding his father. Bree reluctantly agrees and buys a car so that the two can journey back to the West Coast. However, Bree is plotting to dump Toby off along the way, but circumstances have a way of helping them discover one another.

At its heart, Transamerica is an indie road movie, and like most road movies, it is a character-driven film in which (usually) two people from different worlds discover a common bond. The twist or hook in this case is that one of the travelers is one is a transgender and the other is the son. One would think that with a concept like this, writer/director, Duncan Tucker, would take the opportunity to make some potent and cogent observations about human nature, yet Tucker’s film spends most of its first half meandering, listlessly trying to find its way – a sure sign of a mediocre road movie. It isn’t until Bree visits the home of another transgender, who is entertaining like guests that the film takes off, allowing an eclectic mixture of characters to shine and give this film a pungent, but inviting flavor.

Transamerica has a lot of wonderful supporting performances, especially Kevin Zegers as the son, Toby. Zegers is spot on a wayward teenager who can’t right his ship, and he juggling numerous options for his future – most of which are simply flights of fancy. Zegers makes Toby a drug addict who is at least able to retain some sense of balance; his addictions don’t entirely ruin his ability to relate well to other people. Fionnula Flanagan (who played the murdered mother in Four Brothers) gives a nice turn as Bree’s frantically disappointed mother, Elizabeth, and Burt Young gives an unusual twist to Bree’s father, Murray, a patient and jovial, if not entirely understanding parent.

Of course, the showcase, the gem of this film, is Felicity Huffman as Bree. She worked on this film before her career received a huge boost from playing “Lynette Scavo,” one member of the star quartet on ABC’s hit comedy/drama TV series, “Desperate Housewives.” Huffman, a woman playing a man who wants to be a woman, gives a transcendent performance as Bree and seems to have absorbed the part in mind, body, and soul. Everything about Huffman as Bree rings with truth and honesty. She makes you believe that Bree knows she is a woman, but when Bree struggles with her past as a man, it’s fun to watch Huffman make the fight to right herself so real. Transamerica may not be anywhere near being a great movie, but Felicity Huffman’s performance is indeed great.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2006 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Felicity Huffman) and “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song” (“Travelin’ Thru” by Dolly Parton)

2006 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Felicity Huffman); 1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Dolly Parton for the song “Travelin’ Thru”)

Saturday, June 10, 2006

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