2009. Dir: Wayne Kramer. Starring: Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Jim Sturgess and Cliff Curtis. ●●○○○
I have tried to make allowances for watching the multi-storyline drama Crossing Over on video over the weekend, rather than at the cinema. I know that at home even if you're watching an excellent film your mind can wander off as you look at your bookcase or hear birdsong out of the window. However even being lenient the film, a remake of director Wayne Kramer's previous short, still fails on many levels.
The idea of taking a large number of parallel storylines to illustrate a point have been arond since the beginning of cinema. Grand Hotel with it's "galaxy of stars" and ideas of emotional equality (even with groups who are massively unequal socially) is a good example. The technique was later honed by Robert Altman - look at his masterpiece Nashville which confronts ideas of patriotism as well as cleverly interweaving 20+ rounded characterisations. The last 10 years have seen Crash and Syriana use this tool to highlight particular issues, and it's the critical succes of these films which probably led to Crossing Over being green-lighted.
Crossing Over does not compare well to any of the titles I've listed above. It aims to take a long hard look at U.S. immigration control and the dilemmas facing people at various stages of the process as well as the very essence of what it means to be American, however it shoehorns so many plots and characters in that the central conceit is muddled and many of the performances seem flat.
In a butchered 108 minutes (40 minutes less than Traffic, which it is clearly aiming to be - there must have been a lot more filmed than this) we have actresses selling their bodies for a green card, honour killings, the lure of gang violence, the effect of 9/11 on the freedom of speech, the disparity between immigrants of different cultural and economic backgrounds, I could go on. In reality any single issues addressed could have filled a movie of their own. I want to know understand more about the life experience of Summer Bishil's character, to find out how she has the confidence to speak out at the beginning. The family politics in Cliff Curtis' background would be more than enough to satisfy me.
So why do we get Ray Liotta gurning his way through every line, or sit through lots of time with Jim Sturgess' loveable Jewish rogue; is accent was all over the place, but at least the religion stays contant through the film.
Harrison Ford, clearly the marquee name for this, does an adequate job as a honorable man working for the immigration service but the stand out performances are Bishil and Curtis. Curtis in particular has a lot of heavy lifting to do, however the screenplay lets him go without the payoff he deserves.
Talking about the screenplay this is strictly plotting by numbers. From the first time we meet any of the characters we see virtually every side to them, with no-one going through an arc or showing any depth. Needless to say the end is also nicely resolved with all the loose ends tied off, the bad guys going to jail and the morally questionable ones getting their comeuppance.
Wayne Kramer can be an interesting director, the shoot out in the liquor store is tightly choreographed and the bleached flashbacks with unflinching sex and shocking violence are done with the same hard edge he used in Running Scared and The Cooler, however he needs to find a good thriller plot to hang his technique around and not waste time with passion projects like this.
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Crossing Over
Friday, 31 July 2009
Out this week (31/07/09)
This July has been a fantastic month for films, with some superb and provocative titles seeing the inside of cinemas. It's a shame therefore that the last week is - well, not bad but underwhelming. There are a few wide releases that will no doubt do well financially but little to really spark any creative interest. I'm picking Coco Before Chanel as the film of the week mainly because of the pretty dresses, and because I quite like Audrey Tatou.
Coco Before Chanel
Needless to say the main reason for seeing this, the first of two Coco Chanel biopics due to come out this year, is to see the early designs mocked up and being worn. Not to mention Audrey Tatou and Alessandro Nivola are quite pretty to look at, too.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Crossing Over
Originally part of my top 20 for 2009 the reviews and comments about the Harrison Ford starring immigration film hasn't been good. Might still see it, but won't be travelling far for the opportunity.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
G-Force
Inexplicably this mish mash of animatronic guinea pigs, with a sideline of CIA operations and Bill Nighy planning to take over the world knocked Harry Potter 6 off the box office number 1 in the States. Will it do the same over here? Probably not - there's a lot of competition this week.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Land of the Lost
Although to describe this Will Ferrell turkey as competition seems very generous. All the reviews say the film struggles to find the right tone - too raunchy for children, too cheesy for adults and perhaps too reverential of it's source for everyone. Better luck next time Anna Friel.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Love Aaj Kal
Imagine a world where Romeo and Juliet decided that, perhaps the parent's objections were quite reasonable and they shouldn't marry/enter into a double suicide pact. That seems to be the gist of this UK set Bollywood film as the star-crossed lovers agree that fighting against the system isn't worth it. Sounds flat to me.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Mad, Sad and Bad
Luton-set film about the unique perspective of ethnically diverse brothers and sisters in a multi-racial community. That's right, it's set in Luton. I knew you'd be interested in that.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Rumba
Written, directed and starring a trio of French film makes, who tend to only work together and cast the same people. About a couple of teachers who long to rumba together. Trailer contained one very funny joke.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
Completely unnecessary remake of the week. With John Travolta, looking like a Village People reject (not good when the papers are full of repeated rumours about his sexuality), hijacking a train which slubby Denzel Washington just wants to ensure runs on time. Tony Scott's kinetic, jittery direction just about relieves the film of any tension or excitement. Thanks for that.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Tuesday Trailers - Crossing Over
Going up against Frozen River (as featured in last weeks trailer) is another US immigration story. Although instead of focusing on one woman's hardship and the actions she takes to overcome her situation, Crossing Over takes a multi-stranded approach to the immigration debate including the different experiences as seen by people emanating from different cultures. By the way this is going to be one tricky week to decide the recommended film, Crossing Over was one of my top 20 for 2009 and it's up against the next Harry Potter and Moon both of which look like they're worth a look.
Crossing Over opens on 17 July 2009.
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
20 for 2009 - Crossing Over
Delays in release dates are so tricky to figure out. For every Assasination of Jesse James you get a Southland Tales. So it is with some trepidation that Crossing Over makes it to number 15 on my films to look forward to in 2009.
Originally slated to come out last summer it shifted back to the Oscar season and then was moved all the way into August 2009. August also doesn't bode well - the late summer dumping ground is often devoid of trips to the cinema. Mind you Distribution is being handled by the Weinstein company so quite frankly anything goes.
There are some great actors involved with Crossing Over. Ray Liotta being sleazy, Jim Sturgess being cuckolded, Alice Braga being deported and Sean Penn cameoing. Although topping all of these is Harrison Ford.
Ford doesn't do nearly as many good films as his early career indicated. In the late seventies/early eighties he worked with Spielberg (famously), Peter Weir and Francis Ford Coppola. Over the last 10 years though he's been content to coast in mediocre thrillers and the fourth best Indiana Jones film. I can see Crossing Over as a real opportunity for him to remind all how good an actor he is.
Crossing Over is directed by Wayne Kramer. His biggest success was The Cooler back in 2003, although I'm also a big fan of Running Scared - an undercover cop in over his head flick that was both stylish and tense, and also made me relaise that Paul Walker isn't just a sexy coathanger.
The intercutting stories of Crossing Over may feel like a immigration based rehash of Traffic or Syriana, but it's actually based on Kramers own short film from 1999.
Enough of me though. Here's the trailer. What do you think?
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Harrison Ford
Happy Birthday to
Harrison Ford
66 today
There are few actors who can leave a role for nearly 20 years and then when they return the shadow is all that is needed to get the fan boys excited. It's a shame the film was a mess but Harrison was spot on throughout.
Look out for him next in Wayne Kraner's upcoming immigration drama Crossing Over.
