Hidden Treasures - Week of Dec. 31st
BOUND (1996)
BOUND, the directorial debut of brothers Andy and Larry Wachowski, would trumpet the arrival of two innovative filmmakers, exposing an unsuspecting public to the immense talent and vision they would later bring to their most popular film to date, THE MATRIX. Caesar (Joe Pantoliano) is a Mafioso who lives with his girlfriend Violet (Jennifer Tilly) in a lavishly furnished apartment. When Corky (Gina Gershon), an ex-con who also happens to be a lesbian, begins working next door, she and Violet embark on a passionate affair, and together they devise a plan to steal money that was entrusted to Caesar by the “family”. While all three leads do a remarkable job, the real star of BOUND is the Wachowski’s camera, which they employ so expertly. If there was one thing I took away from BOUND, it was that convention could not hold the Wachowski’s back. Theirs was a talent that needed to burst free, which it did in their very next project, THE MATRIX, easily one of the most ingenious, original films of the 90’s.
STEVIE (2002)
In the early 1980’s, filmmaker Steve James was a volunteer in the Big Brother program, working as friend and counselor to 11-year-old Stephen Fielding, known to everyone as Stevie. Stevie was a troubled child who was in and out of many foster homes, sometimes facing terrible abuse, and even spent some time in a mental hospital. Steve James decided to track Stevie down after 10 years to see what had become of his former “little brother”. What he found formed the basis of this fascinating, yet disturbing documentary. With STEVIE, director James goes to great lengths to paint as even-handed a picture as possible, introducing us not only to those who love Stevie, but those who dislike him as well. This will not be an easy film to watch, but I feel it’s an important one. There have been volumes written on the fragility of youth and how deep-seated traumas suffered as a child can affect a person throughout their life. With STEVIE, James reveals, sometimes painfully, just how true this can be.
FELLINI’S ROMA (1972)
When discussing the many films of Federico Fellini, titles such as LA STRADA, NIGHTS OF CABIRIA, LA DOLCE VITA and 8 ½ usually spring to mind. For my money, ROMA deserves a place right alongside these other cinematic gems. Fellini’s love letter to the city of Rome, ROMA is a visual explosion, with many memorable scenes (such as when an amateur night at the theater is interrupted by an air-raid siren, or the visit to an underground construction site where a beautiful fresco from ancient times has been discovered). A semi-autobiographical film, Fellini also fills ROMA with moments that could only have come from his imagination, resulting in a motion picture for the ages, one that pays tribute to perhaps the most important city in European history.
OWNING MAHOWNEY (2003)
Based on an actual event that occurred in Toronto in the early 1980’s, OWNING MAHOWNEY is the detailed study of a man who lived two lives. By day, Dan Mahowney (Philip Seymour Hoffman) was an assistant manager for a Toronto-based bank, and those who worked with him believed he was the consummate professional. Outside the bank, however, Mahowney was a compulsive gambler, one who embezzled over $10 million from his employers to feed a habit he could no longer control. Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a remarkably reserved performance as a man who had so perfected his poker face, he was able to wear it 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and while there’s little along the lines of traditional action in OWNING MAHOWNEY, the extremes to which Mahowney goes for the thrill of gambling will doubtless have you on the edge of your seat.
