Video Review |
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Video Review |
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Last Updated 04/17/01
Email: robitai@our-town.com
If you have March 25th circled on your calendar, then
you're probably a movie enthusiast. At the very least, you're curious about who'll be
walking away that night with the Oscar, the most esteemed award in the movie industry. With so much attention on celebrity glitz and the
revealing dresses, you might find yourself distracted from the real business at hand: the
nominated movies.
Two movies on the list of nominees share a similar topic: drugs. They both take
disturbing looks at the wreckage left in the wake of addiction. Neither one of these movies glamorizes drug use. On the contrary, both look at the underbelly of
the problem. If you prefer "feel good" movies that celebrate the beauty in life,
then watch something else.
These two movies have upsetting scenes that capture the ugliness
of drug use in sordid detail. Although I don't suggest doing a marathon viewing of these
two movies back to back, if you missed them on the big screen, rent "Traffic"
and "Requiem for a Dream" to see what Hollywood's doing for the war on
drugs.
"Traffic" landed five nominations, including one for best picture.
Relying on a stable of stars whose names you'll recognize (Michael Douglas, Benicio Del
Toro, Dennis Quaid, and Catherine Zeta-Jones), it’s a movie that assumes you're savvy
to visual plot acrobatics. This movie comes
together through a staccato bombardment of scenes.
Just when you start to feel comfortable following the story, the
action jerks to another group of characters who have another story to tell. The three pieces of plot never play off each
other, but they're related by the general idea that drugs ruin lives.
One puts a key
player in the war on drugs Judge Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) under scrutiny. While he fights South American drug czars, his own
daughter falls victim to the allure of heroin.
Another isolates the traumatic life of a local policeman Javier
Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro) who struggles to overcome corrupt law enforcement officials
in Mexico. Benicio Del Toro's movingly unconstrained performance gained him a nomination
for best supporting actor. I think that Del
Toro's the one you'll see on stage making the acceptance speech.
A third vignette
looks at socialite Helena Ayala (Catherine Zeta-Jones) whose husband's business in cocaine
trafficking makes possible her luxurious lifestyle. She's
thwarted by relentless DEA agents who just quit. Ultimately, it's just as much their story
as hers.
It won't matter that the plots don't align themselves in traditional patterns. You'll still be able to follow the action, become
completely engaged, and lose yourself in the intensity of the moment. It's not a pretty picture, and you won't feel
complacent when it's over.
"Requiem for a Dream" stars Ellen Burstyn who has been nominated
for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Her
portrayal of Sara Goldfarb highlights the dilemma that occurs when loneliness,
desperation, and the need to be loved converge.
When Sara receives a call that she's been selected to appear as a
contestant on a local television show, she sees it as a chance to reaffirm her importance
in life. The process of reinventing herself
turns deadly when she becomes addicted to diet pills.
No less tragic is her son Harry (Jared Leto) whose life becomes equally
ridden with the demons associated with addiction.
The unusual repetitive camera treatment of the drug abuse scenes
and the point of view shots make this movie stunningly different in its presentation. It's worth the pain of viewing. In some scenes,
the needle is the star. In others, we're subjected to grim reminders that
nothing—absolutely nothing—overrides the addict's need.
Both movies available in DVD and Video