Weekly Review -- Julian Sands week

So I discovered Julian Sands through "24", where he played Vladimir Bierko, a terrorist bent on reversing the arms treaty signed by the Russian and the American presidents. He made for a threatening and charismatic villain, so I researched his filmography and rented some impressive films this week. This man is an awesome, versatile actor and I cannot wait to see more of his work.


A Room with a View (1985) -- One of the most popular Merchant-Ivory productions is a lush romantic drama with an intelligent screenplay. Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter) is on holiday in Florence with her aunt and chaperone, Charlotte Bartlett (Maggie Smith). Through a set of circumstances, they meet Mr. Emerson (Denholm Elliott) and his quirky son George (Julian Sands). Soon it is time to return to England, where Lucy becomes engaged to uptight Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis), but cannot forget about George. Will she make the right choice? The dialogue of the film breezes through the beautiful locations, from the ancient cathedrals of Florence to the green richness of the English countryside. The acting is superb all around. As the fiery Lucy, Bonham Carter shows enormous early potential, which would explode in 1997's Wings of the Dove. Sands is endearing as George Emerson, a quiet young man who happens not to mince the few words he utters. The supporting cast does not miss a beat. Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Denholm Elliott -- need I say more? Smith and Day-Lewis are particularly memorable as the conservative chaperone with a huge heart and the too-stiff-upper-lip fiancé, respectively. Simply put, the characters are well drawn out and there is not one actor who fails to leave an impression. It should be added that the film functions not only as a period piece, but also as a commentary on Europe in the Edwardian era, examining the role of class and conventions in British society through the lens of subtle and sharp wit. This is a cleverly written, refined production with classy actors, that should not be missed.

10/10


Werewolf Hunter: The Legend of Romasanta (2004) -- The werewolf sub-genre of horror has not fared well in recent years. Not too many films were made about this topic; the rare ones that were released, like Cursed, flopped unceremoniously. This could be due to the fact that either a) the films took what were meant to be campy stories too seriously or b) the films did not delve fully into the mythology. Enter Werewolf Hunter, which tells a true tale of Manuel Romasanta, Europe's first serial killer who had based his defense on the claim that he was afflicted by lycanthropy. In the 1850's Spanish village of Allaríz, a series of murders is committed. The residents first believe they were committed by wolves, as indicated by the distinct look of the wounds. As it turns out, though, they are the work of traveling salesman Romasanta (Sands), who has most recently been linked to a local woman, Bárbara (Elsa Pataky) and had previously been romancing her sister, María (Maru Valdivielso), who mysteriously disappeared. Once Bárbara realizes the truth about Romasanta, she vows revenge. Many viewers have been unfairly comparing this film to Le pacte des loups (Brotherhood of the Wolf), when the only thing these two films have in common is the historical legend of a beast terrorizing a region. While Le pacte relies mostly on the adventure and fantasy elements, Werewolf Hunter attempts to glimpse inside the mind of a killer whose human instinct is compromised in more ways than one. The problem is, the film is too condensed for the psychological dimension of Romasanta to be explored completely. It gains the audience's interest, but does not deepen its chosen focus. Sands successfully portrays a man who is torn between his impulses and normal outward appearance; whose deeds are violent and unforgivable, but whose plight is dismal and poignant. Pataky is sweet and innocent enough as Bárbara, whose character arc is another part impacted by the film's length. Although the character of Antonio (John Sharian) was one of the pivotal parts of the real-life investigation, I do not think it was necessary for this film. It should have been either developed further or left alone; as it is, the character is underdeveloped and merely a sidenote to the main story. Overall, there are two paths this film could have taken -- the path of a werewolf horror film or the one of a psychologically charged character study -- and it does end up as one of the best entries from the werewolf category. As a character study, it does not exactly fail, but it does not live up to its own concept, since it does not dedicate enough space or time to its protagonist.

8/10


Stephen King's Rose Red (2002) -- As far as eerie places and unsavory human beings go, Stephen King is the master of the domain. Some film adaptations of his novels and stories did not go far (e.g. Thinner, Pet Sematary and Sleepwalkers), but, when they are set in mysterious locales with actors who can pick up all the character nuances, miracles happen, as in the case of The Shining, Carrie and The Green Mile. Rose Red was actually written directly for the screen, and it achieves two things. First, it shows King's inventiveness with characterizations and makes you sorry that it is not based on a novel, where you could re-visit the characters and read more about them. Second, it shows King's familiarity with the television medium and his grasp of the screenplay format, which is very different from the literary one. The series proves yet again that King is a writer through and through. This time, he weaves a tale about a haunted house that murders its inhabitants. A group of psychics, led by parapsychology professor, Dr. Joyce Reardon (Nancy Travis), go on an expedition to Rose Red, a supposedly haunted Gothic mansion in the heart of Seattle. The mansion has interested Reardon for a long time, and she wants to provide the elusive proof of paranormal phenomena by "awakening" the house's spirits. To do that, she needs the psychics' collective energy, but Rose Red has other plans... Being that this is a TV film, the production values are surprisingly good. A low budget often hinders a film's credibility, but it does not do so with this story, in which the sets are exquisite and the effects are convincing and satisfyingly bizarre. I loved the Mirror Library and the Perspective Corridor, but all the rooms were very imaginative. Travis is very good as Reardon, alternating between academic zeal and blind ambition. Other stand-outs are Kimberly J. Brown as the autistic psychic Annie Wheaton and Matt Ross as whiny Emery Waterman. The film's atmosphere is rustic, the house is gorgeous and evil and the screenplay keeps you guessing. Watch it on a stormy night and enjoy.

9/10