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DVD De-Lovely
It's astonishing that one man could have written so many memorable songs, but musical gems keep popping up in De-Lovely, about the life and loves of Cole Porter. Played by Kevin Kline (In & Out, A Fish Called Wanda), an elderly Porter is summoned by a mysterious director (Jonathan Pryce, Brazil) to view his own story, which unfolds as a series of theatrical tableaux. The movie is open (if a bit chaste) about Porter's homosexuality, but argues that the love of his life was still his devoted platonic relationship with Linda Lee (Ashley Judd, Ruby in Paradise, Kiss the Girls). Unfortunately, the narrative suffers from the fate of many biographies; by trying to cram in a person's entire life, it ends up a collection of snapshots without depth or context. The parade of celebrity singers (Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow) were apparently chosen for their jarringly modern vocal mannerisms. --Bret Fetzer
I was pleasantly surprised and moved by this movie. The unconventional relationship between Linda and Cole Porter was the essence. Despite Cole's promiscuity with men (as he's got a thirst for life and wanted to experience love in all imaginable shapes and forms), Linda stood by him. In fact, Linda was Cole's muse and inspired him in writing many memorable songs which were depicted in movies and musicals. It's not clear to me if Irwin, the director followed strigently to his real life or that the movie was based upon his life. Still, the movie allowed us to catch a glimpse of the greatness of Cole. I didn't know of Ashley Judd's depth until I watched this movie. For a while, I gave her up for good, as she's always typecasted as a strong-willed woman. In this sense, she's still so in this movie but in a sensitive way. The music that accompanied this was marvellous with appearances by Alanis Morrisette, Sheryl Crowe, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Mick Hucknall, Robbie Williams, Peter Costello. I was even more surprised by involvement of Giorgio Armani who provided his know-how in the tailoring of clothes worn by the cast. Personally, I disagree with some comment about this movie being patchy. Rather, it's quite constructive and it flowed seamlessly. To summarise, this is a rather wonderful musical and love story combined. I wish it could be a better success in the box office but Peter Costello said it wisely that who in this modern days know much about foxtrot? Still, a well-deserved homage movie made to Cole Porter. DVD is a must as it showed us how the movie got made, the interviews with all singers, the rehearsals of the musical numbers, the make-up of Kevin Kline's face which took an average of five hours, et cetera. Highly recommended
De-honest
This is a cynical attempt to present a cynical marriage of social and psychological convenience as a Good Old Hollywood Romance. Haven't seen anything quite this dishonest in a long time.
Excellent, despite some of the music....
a wonderful celebration of the life and music of Cole Porter. A great movie for musical theatre buffs. Wonderful to see a Hollywood movie pull no punches with the homosexual aspect as well. Only slight bad point is the use of some 'current' pop stars to sing some of Cole Porter's songs. But otherwise an excellent movie!
Jamie Foxx's uncannily accurate performance isn't the only good thing about Ray. Riding high on a wave of Oscar buzz, Foxx proved himself worthy of all the hype by portraying blind R&B legend Ray Charles in a warts-and-all performance that Charles approved shortly before his death in June 2004. Despite a few dramatic embellishments of actual incidents (such as the suggestion that the accidental drowning of Charles's younger brother caused all the inner demons that Charles would battle into adulthood), the film does a remarkable job of summarizing Charles's strengths as a musical innovator and his weaknesses as a philandering heroin addict who recorded some of his best songs while flying high as a kite. Foxx seems to be channeling Charles himself, and as he did with the life of... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Jamie Foxx - Kerry Washington - Regina King Director(s): Taylor Hackford DVD Release Date: Released the 01 February 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Sweetness that doesn't turn saccharine is hard to find these days; Finding Neverland hits the mark. Much credit is due to the actors: Johnny Depp applies his genius for sly whimsy in his portrayal of playwright J. M. Barrie, who finds inspiration for his greatest creation from four lively boys, the sons of widow Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Kate Winslet, who miraculously fuses romantic yearning with common sense). Though the friendship threatens his already dwindling marriage, Barrie spends endless hours with the boys, pretending to be pirates or Indians--and gradually the elements of Peter Pan take shape in his mind. The relationship between Barrie and the Llewelyn Davies family sparks both an imagined world and a quiet rebellion against the stuffy forces of respectability,... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 22 March 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Something got lost in translation from 1996's critically acclaimed Japanese comedy, but the American remake of Shall We Dance? is not without charms of its own. In being transplanted from Tokyo to Chicago, the original version's subtle humor is shaken out of its cultural context, but this is an otherwise faithful adaptation in which a weary lawyer (Richard Gere) battles his mid-life crisis with ballroom dancing lessons, while his wife (Susan Sarandon) hires a private detective to see if he's cheating. Those expecting a Jennifer Lopez showcase will be disappointed; her role as the melancholy dance instructor keeps the beautifully lovelorn J-Lo on the sidelines, while a cast of standard-issue supporting characters (especially Stanley Tucci's clandestine faux-Latin dance lover)... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Richard Gere - Jennifer Lopez - Susan Sarandon - Stanley Tucci Director(s): Peter Chelsom DVD Release Date: Released the 01 February 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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From Hollywood's legendary Cocoanut Grove to the pioneering conquest of the wild blue yonder, Martin Scorsese's The Aviator celebrates old-school filmmaking at its finest. We say "old school" only because Scorsese's love of golden-age Hollywood is evident in his approach to his subject--Howard Hughes in his prime (played by Leonardo DiCaprio in his)--and especially in his technical mastery of the medium reflecting his love for classical filmmaking of the studio era. Even when he's using state-of-the-art digital trickery for the film's exciting flight scenes (including one of the most spectacular crashes ever filmed), Scorsese's meticulous attention to art direction... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Leonardo DiCaprio - Cate Blanchett - Kate Beckinsale Director(s): Martin Scorsese DVD Release Date: Released the 24 May 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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From Hollywood's legendary Cocoanut Grove to the pioneering conquest of the wild blue yonder, Martin Scorsese's The Aviator celebrates old-school filmmaking at its finest. We say "old school" only because Scorsese's love of golden-age Hollywood is evident in his approach to his subject--Howard Hughes in his prime (played by Leonardo DiCaprio in his)--and especially in his technical mastery of the medium reflecting his love for classical filmmaking of the studio era. Even when he's using state-of-the-art digital trickery for the film's exciting flight scenes (including one of the most spectacular crashes ever filmed), Scorsese's meticulous attention to art direction...