Selma
Paramount Pictures
Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images, and brief profanity
Timely Civil Rights Saga Revisits Historic Dr. King March
I was born in the early ’50s, which means the civil rights movement unfolded over the course of my formative years. And like the average black kid growing up in that tumultuous era, I can distinctly recall having a very visceral reaction to the nightly news coverage, since I had such a personal stake in the outcome of the events.
One of the most consequential flashpoints in memory was when a trio of voting rights marches were staged in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. Launched by locals with the help of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the first demonstration came to be known as Bloody Sunday because of the way the police viciously attacked the 500-plus participants with teargas and billy clubs, all at the direction of a racist Sheriff named Jim Clark (Stan Houston).
Fallout from the shocking media coverage garnered the attention of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (David Oyelowo) who agreed to get involved. And after an aborted second attempt to cross theEdmundPettusBridge, the controversy blossomed into a nationwide cause célèbre with 25,000 people willing to risk their life and limb descending upon tinySelma, including cultural icons like Harry Belafonte, Nina Simone, Joan Baez, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Peter, Paul and Mary.
Three times proved a charm as the third march went off without a hitch, although participant Viola Liuzzo (Tara Ochs), a mother of five from Detroit, was murdered by a quartet of cowardly Ku Klux Klansmen just a few hours later. A couple of other martyrs also made the ultimate sacrifice inSelma, Jimmie Lee Jackson (Keith Stanfield) and Reverend James Reeb (Jeremy Strong). Fortunately, none of them died in vain because, in August, President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signed historic voting rights legislation into law.
All of the above has been evocatively reenacted in Selma, a gut-wrenching civil rights saga directed by Ava DuVernay (Middle Of Nowhere). The picture’s release has proven to be oh so timely, given the resurgence of political activism all across the U.S. in the wake of the failure of grand juries to indict the police officers for the recent deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
Believe it or not, this moving biopic is the first full-length feature ever made revolving around Dr. Martin Luther King. That oversight is only apt to further enhance the film’s stock value when it goes wide in theaters right before Dr. King’s birthday and the eagerly-anticipated awards season.
An overdue tribute to a revered icon and to some unsung foot soldiers who played a critical role at a seminal moment in the courageous African-American struggle for freedom and equality.
Excellent (4 stars)
Running time: 127 minutes
Unbroken
Universal Pictures
Rated PG-13 for brief profanity and intense brutality
WWII Saga Recounts U.S. Olympian’s Ordeal As Brutalized POW
Do you remember how, Infamous, a biopic about Truman Capote, was released right on the heels of the one entitled Capote? But because the latter had already received considerable critical acclaim, including an Oscar for the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Johnnie-come-lately had little chance of making more than a blip on the radar.
The same fate might befall Unbroken, a World War II saga directed by Angelina Jolie. The parallels between this picture and The Railway Man are impossible to ignore, since they both recall the real-life ordeal of a POW tortured by a sadistic, Japanese officer.
The Railway Man, which opened last April, was based on Eric Lomax’s autobiography, and starred the charismatic Colin Firth in the title role opposite Tanroh Ishida as the sick interrogator who seemed to take pleasure in beating him mercilessly. Although Lomax would survive Singapore, he was left traumatized by the grueling ordeal, and ultimately attempted to exorcise his demons by returning to Southeast Asia to track down his abuser.
The correspondingly-themed Unbroken was adapted from the Laura Hillenbrand’s (Seabiscuit) best-seller of the same name recounting bombardier Louie Lamperini’s (Jack O’Connell) struggle to survive a POW camp in Tokyo after his plane crashed in the Pacific during a rescue mission. Because he had represented the U.S. in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, he was singled out for special mistreatment by a cruel prison guard (Takamasa Ishihara). And later in life, he would return to the Orient to try to confront that evil creep who’d singled him out for an extra measure of persecution.
Unbroken, like The Railway Man, even ends with a touching, closing credits photo montage featuring snapshots of both the hero and his tormentor which only added to this critic’s profound sense of déjà vu. An honorable, historical drama that’s primary flaw rests in its being released too soon after a more-compelling biopic revolving around similar subject-matter.
An uplifting tribute to the indomitability of the human spirit.
Very Good (2.5 stars)
In English, Italian and Japanese with subtitles
Running time: 137 minutes
OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam’s Kapsules:
For movies opening January 2, 2015
The Woman In Black 2: Angel Of Death (PG-13 for disturbing images and mature themes) Haunted house sequel, set in the English countryside during World War II, where a group of children evacuated from London unwittingly unleash a demonic force. Ensemble cast includes Phoebe Fox, Helen McCrory, Jeremy Irvine, Leanne Best and Adrian Rawlins.
Leviathan (R for profanity, sexuality and nudity) Legal drama about a humble family man (Aleksey Serebryakov) who retains the services of an attorney (Vladimir Vdovichenkov) to prevent his seaside home with a view from being seized for a pittance through eminent domain by a corrupt mayor (Roman Madyanov). Support cast includes Elena Lyadova, Anna Ukolova and Sergey Pokhodaev. (In Russian with subtitles)
A Most Violent Year (R for profanity and some violence) American Dream drama, set in NYC in 1981, revolving around the efforts of an immigrant couple (Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac) to make it in the corrupt, oil delivery business during one of the most dangerous periods in the history of the city. Cast includes David Oyelowo, Albert Brooks and Alessandro Nivola. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)
[REC] 4: Apocalypse (R for profanity, gore and graphic violence) Fourth and final installment of the horror franchise finds soldiers rescuing a television reporter (Manuela Velasco) unaware that she’s infected with a demonic virus. With Javier Botet, Paco Manzanedo and Maria Alfonsa Rosso. (In Spanish with subtitles)
The Search For General Tso (Unrated) Foodie documentary exploring both who was General Tso and the derivation of the sweet and spicy fried dish that has become so popular with the American palette. (In English and Mandarin with subtitles)
The Taking Of Tiger Mountain (Unrated) Adaptation of the Qu Bo novel of the same name about an intrepid captain (Gengxin Lin) who leads a liberation army to recapture a mountain fortress from a ruthless bandit (Tony Leung). With Liya Tong and Hanyu Zhang. (In Mandarin with subtitles)
