THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST

Movie of the week.
THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST

What determines the character of a man. Is it his memories? Is it genetics? Or is it something that is physically imprinted in the cells of your brain as you develop?

M is a man (M is not his real name. As the title suggests, he's a man without a past - including a name) who has to find out who he is. At the beginning of the film, he is sitting alone at a train station on his way home from work. He's robbed of all his stuff, beaten to within an inch of his life, and left for dead. He wakes up in a hospital with no memory of who he is or anything at all about his life.

There you go - there's the premise. He doesn't even know what kind of person he is. It's only through what he does as the movie progresses that he finds out. Or, alternately, he has the chance to start with a clean slate. We like M. He's a decent guy, even if we find out later that maybe he's not (or wasn't). We actually hope that he doesn't remember his past life.

With no money or identity, M settles in with the homeless on the outskirts of society. He's is helped by female Salvation Army worker. To the film's credit, it doesn't romanticize homelessness. There are none of the stereotypes that would creep into a similar made-for-Hollywood film.

Aside: Those of you who read my entries probably think that I'm totally down on the Hollywood Film Machine. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many many fine and excellent films come out of Hollywood even as we speak. In fact, such future classics as Pulse, Material Girls, Step Up, Zoom, and Snakes On A Plane (my god! Snakes on a Plane?! - I has to see that - I gotsta - The name is eating away at my brain!), are playing at your local theater right now!

I'm going to try something different. I'm going to give you the top reasons not to see THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST.

1. Name not as catchy as "Snakes On A Plane (my god! Snakes on a Plane?! I gotta see it now!).
2. It'll make you feel good. Everyone knows that the evening time is for wallowing in self loathing. Watch TV instead.
3. It's in Finnish with subtitles. Oh, did I forget to mention that it was a foreign language film? Not if you're from Finland.
   
4. It takes time away from doing more important things - like going to the theater to see Step Up.
5. It'll end up costing you tons of money. Why? Because you'll be reading the subtitles and realize, "this would be a lot easier on the eyes if I had one of those big 64" plasma TV's".
6. Look at the picture above. Don't they make a cute couple? It will make you conscious of all the things missing in your own relationship.
7. You're currently learning to speak Norwegian, and you don't want to get confused.
8. You'll say, "This is Helsinki? It looks nothing like the travel brochures!" But it's too late to cancel your Finnish vacation plans without paying a substantial penalty.
   
9. Five years from now, you'll still be thinking about this movie. You have way too many more important things to think about in your life ........... like snakes on a plane (my god! Snakes on a Plane?!).
10. The movie scored a 97% on the tomatometer. That means that 97% of all movie critics praised this film. .............................Screw those guys!

Enjoy.

ZELIG

From the Archive:

Mockumentary of the week:
ZELIG

The fake documentary, or mockumentary (why not the "fakumentary"? or the "fauxumentary" ?) , has been a very rich source of creative ideas for film makers. Some of the better examples are This Is Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, and a virtually unknown film that I watched this weekend called NBT: Never Been Thawed - about a group that collects frozen food entrees. Here is the original that started it all.

This is perhaps the most unusual of all Woody Allen's films. Even if you don't like his movies, you might want to give this one a try. Woody portrays Leonard Zelig, the human chameleon, who is so devoid of self identity, that he literally takes on the appearance and attributes of anyone he comes in contact with. This leads to very funny scenes such as the one where he goes to a nightclub and suddenly appears as a member of the band. His condition is studied by a young psychiatrist (Mia Farrow). She publishes her papers and Zelig becomes an instant celebrity. The old newsreel footage of Zelig with celebrities and politicians from the early part of the 20th century were technical achievements at the time, since they were performed before the advent of CGI, which allowed similar effects to be used years later in Forrest Gump.

So well is the documentary format followed here that, despite the absurdity of it all, many people believed that it was real and not a "mock" documentary.

This is very funny stuff. But, as with most films in this format, the humor comes from the absolutely serious treatment of the most preposterous events and characters imaginable. Don't expect Farrelly Brothers type slapstick. Don't even expect your standard Woody Allen schtick. Woody plays this one straight and he couldn't be funnier.

Here's why I think you might like Zelig.

1. It's funny. Not Porky's kind of funny. More .........well, Zelig kind of funny. Not less funny, just a different kind of funny.
   
2. You could like tell young people that you saw an old documentary about this like chameleon guy, and he like was famous and like he/she should see it to like you know, enhance their knowledge of like historical events and stuff (you have to be ready to like speak their language and stuff). After a year or so, after they've bragged to everyone about how much they know, you can tell them it wasn't real. It was just a joke, and laugh and laugh and laugh.
   
3. Woody and Mia Farrow back in the old days when they were happy ........ before he slept with her daughter.
4. It's considered one of the most important films of the 1980's. ---- OK, that doesn't impress me either.
5. Good special effects.
6. It's not likely to be "out" at the video store. Actually, there may be a good chance that your video store doesn't carry it. This is because there is so much demand for this movie, that it's often stolen from the shelves, or rented and never returned, or on permanent reserve (just in case the queen of England comes in looking for it). Try your public library. If they don't have it, demand that they get it. Most libraries will import materials from other libraries if you ask - however, if it has to come from Peoria Public Library, I 'm not too sure.
   
7. Features rag and Dixieland music from that time period. This is the same music Woody uses in many of his films.
   
8. Quote: "And to the, to the gentleman who's appendix I took out, I...I'm, I don't know what to say, if it's any consolation I... I may still have it somewhere around the house. "
9. To "age" the newsreel footage, they had to either scrunch the negatives up or stamp on them.
10. It makes you use your brain. At least you'll exercise something while you park yourself on the sofa for 2 hours.

Having said all this, I recognize that this movie probably won't appeal to everybody. It requires a certain type of sense of humor that not everybody has. If you like the faux documentary format, chances are you'll like this as well. If not, then you probably won't.

Enjoy.

Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN

Foreign movie of the week:
Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN

This setup of this movie is every teenage boy's wet dream. Best friends, Tenoch and Julio, have just finished high school. They decide to set off, out of Mexico City, and across country in search of a secret and legendary beach called Boca del Cielo (Mouth of Heaven). Before they set out, they meet Luisa, an attractive older woman who, for reasons of her own, decides to go with them. Why does she go with them? Don't ask stupid questions. What does it matter? - She goes. That's it!

Right about now, you're thinking "Oh, I can already see what happens. Teenage shenanigans, wanton sex, etc..... You would be right, of course. Plenty of teenage shenanigans (whatever the hell that means). But their dialog betrays the boy's immaturity and lack of world experience. And there is sex, although not as much as you might think, and not as hot as you might think. There is a sort of real awkwardness when a teenage boy and an older woman get together, that shows through here. It's funny and sad (and quick - real quick) at the same time. No, the crux of the movie is in the "etc....." part.

The boys have a lot to learn, as Luisa points out. They learn some of it on this trip and a big part of the rest, they learn at the very end of the movie. There is a revelation at the very end that makes you realize that you've been watching a very different kind of story than you thought. I won't say any more about it, except that it explains much.

All that said, the questions are:

is it hot? Yes, it is - in ways that are not obvious (I'm purposely being mysterious. It's one of my few indulgences).

is it a feel-good movie? definitely.

is it a comedy or a drama? Yes, and ...... yes.

Is it worth watching? I think so, otherwise I wouldn't suggest it. Steven J Schneider listed this movie in his book, "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die". Film critic Roger Ebert, in his review, talks about the three layers of the film. The coming-of-age journey, the two Mexico's (the affluent Mexico and the impoverished one), and the third hidden layer. Each one on it's own makes the film worth watching.

what does "y tu mama tambien" mean? It means ".... and your mother too", as in, "Yeah, I schtupped your sister ............... and your mother too." I think that's where the shenanigans come in.

Enjoy.

BUBBA HO-TEP

From the Archive: 5/3/2004
BUBBA HO-TEP

This is one of the coolest films of all time!

You sometimes can never predict why you watch some movies. In some cases, the hype is so big that you're compelled to go. Sometimes your favorite actor is in it. Sometimes you see it because all the critics recommend it. And, sometimes maybe it's because I told you so.

But sometimes, the title is so compelling that you just have to see for yourself. Take the current box office hit Snakes on a Plane. "My god, snakes on a plane! I'm just going to have to see for myself." If they had the balls to call it Snakes on a Plane, I'm going to have the balls to go see it.

Other times, the premise of a movie is soooooo unusual ......
.......so out there ........
.......that it causes a little lump in the back of your brain to vibrate ............
.......and this vibration causes it to drip ......... drip ......... drip with curiosity ............
.......and eventually............
.......over time.............
.......it just begins to flood the part of your brain responsible for logic ..............
.......and then - reasoning.............
.......distorting all other thoughts until ..............
.......for the sake of your sanity and peace of mind ...........
.......you have to see the movie or your head will explode!
Such is the case with BUBBA HO-TEP.

The premise: In present-day West Texas, there is a nursing home, whose residents include Elvis and JFK (yes - THAT Elvis and JFK). They're still alive, oh and by the way, JFK is a black man ("They dyed me! That's how clever they are!"). They have to band together to battle an ancient Egyptian mummy who is sucking the souls from the residents.

That ought to get you going.

When I was a kid growing up in the late 50's and 60's, Elvis was cool for two reasons. One, he wore a leather jacket (we're talking "early" Elvis here). All other performers wore a suit or were otherwise dressed up. He was unique - and he was good then - pure Elvis, before Vegas got him. Secondly, in his movies, he could fight and he always got the girls. What more could an adolescent boy want in a hero. Ironically enough, Elvis is as popular today as ever. And there are still those who believe he's alive, even now, as the occasional Elvis sighting suggests.

JFK was the leader of the free world and, for a while, the most powerful man on earth. His speeches were inspirational, even to a young boy, and I genuinely believe he was a good man. The mythology of JFK has increased over the years, mainly due to mysteries surrounding his death. But despite the myth and a number of impassioned speeches, one is hard pressed to list his accomplishments in office. Fact is, he wasn't able to do much other than piss someone off enough to shoot him. Makes you wonder why that doesn't happen today with our current group. Problem is that the people who are pissed off today are not generally the type of people who can make presidents disappear. JFK pissed off the wrong people.

Politics aside, this film is a wonderful opportunity to pair two of my childhood heroes together to save humanity once again. This is a case where you must, for a short time, lower your threshold of lunacy, and just go along with it. The rewards are many. Not once do these actors step out of character or make you doubt for an instant that they are who they claim to be, even if circumstances, at times, suggest otherwise. There are big laughs here and even bigger smiles. If Elvis and JFK were still alive, I would want them to have this one last shot at greatness.

Top 10 reasons to see BUBBA HO-TEP

1. Stars Bruce Campbell as Elvis. He looks remarkably like you would expect Elvis to look if he were alive today. You may remember him as Ash in Army of Darkness. What? You haven't seen Army of Darkness. You go see it right this instant!
   
2. Ossie Davis is JFK.
   
3. They make it seem quite plausible.
4. A BBQ incident changes the course of history. You don't get more Texas than that.
5. JFK finally spills the beans on the whole Marilyn Monroe affair.
6. Bruce and Ossie don't play it up for outright laughs. They play it straight through the whole movie. The laughs come from straight dialog in an absurd situation. That's the charm of this film.
7. Makes you wish the President and the King were still around.
8. Despite the absurd premise, the film is smart and moving, and you won't see another film like it.
9. The mummy takes the time to leave graffiti in the men's bathroom ......... written in Egyptian hieroglyphics!
   
10. T.C.B., baby. Takin' care of business.
    

Enjoy.

REQUIEM FOR A DREAM

Movie of the week.
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM

There has never been a more emotion-provoking, heart-rendering, gut-wrenching movie than REQUIEM FOR A DREAM.

The internet movie database (imdb) lists the genre of this movie as "Crime, Drama, Horror". That sounds about right. This film follows the lives of four totally likeable people, as they lose their battles with drug addiction. I suppose that's the crime part. It's actually rather upbeat through the first half of the movie as you get to know and like the characters. In the second half things really start to go downhill for our heroes. I suppose that's the drama part. The horror part has to do with how far into the depths they sink and you sadly realize that there's nothing anybody can do about it.

I'm talking really really deep.

And it was so easy. That's the scary part.

Although it is reasonably upbeat at first, we know that drugs are a problem right from the start. In the opening sequence, Jarad Leto is wheeling a cart with a TV down the street. It's his mother's TV. He's stolen it and is heading for the pawn shop to sell it. It'll be in his arm before she finds out. It's OK, she won't mind too much, he's done it before - lots of times. Later, she'll just go down and buy it back and everything will be fine. Why doesn't he just ask her for the money? He's ashamed. He doesn't want her to directly support his drug habit. That's the kind of logic addicts use.

This has often been referred to as an "anti-drug" movie. I can see that. If you ever, even in passing, thought about taking drugs, watch this movie. If you want to shock your teenage kids into staying away from drugs, watch this movie with them. And it's not just the obvious drugs (three of the characters are hooked on heroin), one of the characters (the mother), gets addicted to diet pills.

This film made it to the imdb top 250 movies of all time. It comes in at #54, between The Bridge on the River Kwai and Fritz Lang's thriller M.

This is not an easy film to watch, definitely not for the squeamish, but it is unforgettable. It's the type of movie for which there's no middle ground. You'll either love it or you'll hate it (I'm betting most of you will hate it). Either way, it's a must see. Why? I'll tell you.

1. It has a terrific cast: Ellen Burstyn plays the mother. Her best role in years.
   
2. Jared Leto is the main character. He appeared in People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" [1997]. Do whatever you want with that information.
   
3. Jennifer Connelly. Sheeesh. When is she going to make a comedy? Not here! ... but she does take her clothes off. Kudos.
   
4. Marlon Wayans is so good here that you don't even know it's him.
   
5. The film was made by Darren Aronofsky hot on the tail of his success with the movie PI (that will show up soon). REQ had a larger budget and was better produced, but it has a similar visceral quality to the storytelling as PI.
   
6. A lot of people will say this movie is depressing. It's not. It's frightening.
   
7. You'll be both sad and glad when it's over. Sad because you liked it and wanted to stay longer to see the characters turn their lives around. Glad because you realize you can't take much more. You really don't want to know what happens to them after. There is no "turning their lives around".
   
8. You think "It won't go there", but it does.
   
9. If you don't like it, leave a comment here warning others to stay away. Think of the service you'll be providing by pre-screening the film.
10. It's a little over 1 1/2 hours long. What will you miss by watching it? "American Idol" and half of "So You Think You Can Dance", and if you can't bear to miss those, you can always tape them.

Enjoy?

THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH

From the Archive: 5/13/2005
Family movie of the week
THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH

There aren't many movies that you can watch with your kids. Many that you can, you wouldn't want to. Here is a movie that both you and your kids will want to watch ....... even if you don't have kids.

Based on an Irish fairy tale, it has all the necessary elements. Mysterious adventure, mysterious animals turning into humans, mysterious humans turning into animals, crusty mysterious old people, a mysterious island with a mystery, courageous children, and ...........uh ............. boats. Mysterious ones.

Now I know what you're thinking. "This is a kids movie. I don't have kids. I'm not going to watch this." Mysteriously enough, just because you can watch it with your kids doesn't make it a kids' movie. Just because it has kids in it who unravel a mystery, doesn't make it a kids' movie. I don't have any kids at home anymore, yet I watched it and was totally into it. "But Frank", you continue. "I've read your blog. You'll watch anything." True enough, I've watched literally thousands of films (not all of them mysteries), and I assure you that only the very best of them will make it here.

Here's why I think you'll like this movie.

1. It's mysterious.
2. It's a physically beautifully photographed film.
3. Like living in a fairy tale legend.
4. Very satisfying, like eating chocolate, but with half the calories.
5. You won't need to watch another movie immediately after it because you'll be movie full.
   
6. It takes place by the sea. Normally, in this setting, if the director runs out of ideas, the movie would have Godzilla, or Gamera, or some other sea monster rise up and terrorize the village. That doesn't happen here ........... oh no, I just gave it away!
   
7. Finally, a movie you can watch with your kids that doesn't involve talking animals. At least, not a lot of them.
   
8. It registered a 100% on the tomatometer.
   
9. The film is never dumbed-down or made simple-minded for children. In his review of this movie, film critic Roger Ebert wrote,
   

   "Children deserve not lesser films but greater ones, because their imaginations can take in larger truths and bigger ideas"
   

10. I wish I wrote that.

The Secret of Roan Inish - dig it.

Enjoy.

BIG NIGHT

Movie of the week:
BIG NIGHT

I've realized that there's a whole new movie genre, movies that are centered around the preparation of food. Some examples are: Like Water for Chocolate, Eat Drink Man Woman, The Scent of Green Papaya. In these movies, food is used as an art form, or as an enticement, or both. The movies are actually not about food. They're always about something else, but food, and the preparation of food, is the centerpiece.

Why? People love food. People are fascinated with how food is prepared. You just have to look around at the ubiquitous facination with the Food Network on TV to know that that's true. And there's no better medium than cinema, the big screen, to convey these images. You've only to see steam rising from a saute pan to start to salivate. You see the image of chocolate cake on the screen, and you swear you can almost smell it.

Like the movies mentioned above, BIG NIGHT centers around the preparation of food, but it's not about food. It's about the American dream (all cliches aside). Two brothers from Italy run a restaurant in a New York suburb. They lovingly create their dishes as truly authentic Italian cuisine. Unfortunately, this doesn't fly with Americans because we have a expectation to what Italian food should be. The Italian restaurant down the street serves people the Italian food they expect (steaks, spaghetti and meatballs, etc...), and is doing very well. By the way, if you ever go to Italy and order spaghetti and meatballs, they won't know what the hell you're talking about. If you order a "plain" pizza, you get bread, with nothing on it (you did say "plain"). And, in general, Italy doesn't do meat. Stick with the fish.

Our heroes, Primo and Secundo (guess who's the older), are going bankrupt. They have to wrestle with the notion of holding to their ideals or to compromise for the sake of survival. But they may catch a break. They find out that the great singer, Louis Prima (the story takes place in the 50's), is to eat at their restaurant when he's in the area. The brothers gamble everything for one "big night", in the hopes that a recommendation from the great one will turn their business around.

The film is well written and well acted. It's funny and moving. But it's the food that's to die for. That's where the magic is.

Here's why you should see BIG NIGHT.

1. Food
2. When it's funny, it's damn funny.
   
3. For many of you, this is going to become one of your favorite movies.
4. Food ordering tips such as, never order spaghetti AND risotto at the same time!
5. When the rest of us have seen it and you haven't, we'll laugh at you and you'll feel cold and empty inside. Please see it for the sake of your self esteem.
6. 301/302 is also a "food" movie. If you don't want to see BIG NIGHT, I'll make you watch 301/302 and you'll have food-related nightmares for the next 2 weeks.
   
7. If you want to have food-related nightmares for the next two weeks, see 301/302 and 3 EXTREMES as a double feature.
   
8. By the way, #7 doesn't get you off the hook to watch BIG NIGHT.
9. The movies in #7 are not scary. They just have little twists in them that stick with you long after the movie's over. YEAH, Like the TWIST of a blade! - just kidding.
   
10. BIG NIGHT - big schmight!
    

Enjoy.

War Movies Survey

Talking about war movies got me thinking. What are your favorite war movies. Not just recent ones, any that you can remember. I think that if a war movie left a big impression on you, you'd have no trouble remembering it.

• Click on the "# comments" (hopefully the "#" will be a large number) link at the bottom of this post. You can choose "Anonymous" as your identity.
• Type in the list of your favorite war movies.
• If you want, you can sign the list, or initial it so I'll know who you are, or not if you want to remain anonymous.
• When you're done, click on "Publish" to complete.

To get you going, here are some of my favorite war movies (in no particular order). Your list will be different.

• No Man's Land
  
• Catch 22
  
• Saving Private Ryan
  
• A Very Long Engagement
  
• Apocalypse Now
  
• Full Metal Jacket
  
• Lawrence of Arabia
  
• The Killing Fields
• RAN
• Das Boot

By no means complete.

I'll compile the results in a couple weeks. Here's your chance to catch up on some you've missed.

NO MAN'S LAND

From the archive: 4/25/2005

War movie of the week:
NO MAN'S LAND

Think about the best war movies you've seen lately (Three Kings, A Very Long Engagement, Saving Private Ryan for example - What? You haven't seen these films? What the hell's wrong with you?). What do they have in common? For one thing, they attempt to portray war in a very realistic way. War isn't pretty. The war zone is a dangerous place and you'll see things there you wish you hadn't (The opening sequence to Saving Private Ryan is a good example). NO MAN'S LAND takes a different approach.

This movie sets up a situation for which there is no possible resolution, at least none that anyone is willing to try. Taking place at the "front" during the Bosnian war, the two sides sit in trenches at opposite sides of the field. Through a series of events, a Bosnian and a Serb soldier get trapped together in a trench at the center. The trench is not very big so they can't avoid each other. Neither one can escape. If the Serb climbs out of the trench, the Bosnians will shoot him. Likewise, if the Bosnian soldier tries to leave, the Serb army will cut him down. It's a standoff............

.............. then things get complicated.

This movie is movie is more like Mike Nichol's CATCH 22 than the films I mentioned above. It works as a satire, offering very dark humor and pointing out the absurdities of war and hatred and inability of the UN peacekeepers to do anything useful. The ending is very powerful, and you won't soon forget it.

The language is mostly Serbo-Croatian, with a smattering of English, French, etc.. thrown in from the Red Cross and UN forces. This film won both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001.

Favorite quote: "Because I have a gun and you don't."

Enjoy.

TRISTRAM SHANDY: A COCK AND BULL STORY

Movie of the week.
TRISTRAM SHANDY: A COCK AND BULL STORY

Back in the year 2000, director Terry Gilliam attempted to remake the story of Don Quixote. Terry Gilliam, a Monty Python member, made such great movies such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Brazil, 12 Monkeys, The Fisher King, and many more, so it promised to be comic and visually imaginative, and it was to star Johnny Depp. The project was beset by freak weather, illness, and injury, and by cost overruns, and eventually, had to be cancelled. That movie was never made. However, what was made was a documentary about the making of that movie called Lost in La Mancha. It had as much drama, and comedy, and suspense, and character development as you may have found in the original movie. Tristram Shandy is a little like that.

If you were a student of English Lit back in school, you may have read "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman.", upon which this movie is based. Written before rules were established about how to write a novel, it is considered a comic masterpiece. It was also considered to be completely unfilmable. This is because there is no straight line narrative. He describes the events surrounding his birth, but he never gets around to it. The narrative is constantly interrupted by going off into tangents, jumping around in time, and giving his opinions on various subjects. In the movie, this is further complicated, as some of the tangents involve the making of the movie.

In the opening scene, the two main characters are getting their makeup applied while discussing whether the color of their teeth is appropriate for the period, and whether the secondary character should be a supporting role or a "co-". In another scene he tells you that, "This is a postmodern novel before there was any modernism to be post about."

This movie is being compared to This is Spinal Tap, in that it is a mock documentary. Although it has those parallels, Tristram Shandy differs in that the actors come in and out of character throughout the film. It's very very funny, in a "British" sort of way. Steve Coogan, who plays the title role tells the viewers, "This is a cock and bull story. This is the bull (points to a bull in the yard). I'll show you the cock a little later."

What makes this movie so fun to watch?

1. This is going to be one of those quotable movies. Think of Spinal Tap's: "My amplifier goes to 11. It's 1 louder."
2. It's a cock and bull story. Draw your own conclusions.
3. Gillian Anderson plays Gillian Anderson.
   
4. Based on an English Lit classic, so it's bound to make you smarter.
5. The "hot chestnuts" scene.
6. The adaptation is true to the "spirit" of the novel. There were no movie directors or cameramen in the novel because they taken out during editing.
   
7. It's 1 louder than the novel.
8. Steve Coogan in a giant womb .......... yeah.
   
9. This is the perfect format for the material.
10. It's only an hour and a half, what the hell?

Enjoy.

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

From the Archive: 4/18/2005
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

The Bosnian War was a major event on the world stage in recent history, yet here in the United States, it never amounted to more than an occasional side bar on the evening news. Go ahead, think about it. What do remember from the Bosnian War? Chances are that anything you know about the war, you learned about it later on. It just didn't impact most Americans at the time. In Europe, on the other hand, it was big. One of the reasons, is that refugees from the war spread out across much of the continent (except for Bosnia), and made social and economic impact. This movie follows five groups of characters in London whose stories interconnect here and there.

In the opening scene, two refugees, from opposite sides of the conflict see each other on a public bus. One recognizes the other as someone who has commited some atrocity. They start fighting and get kicked off the bus. They continue fighting down the street until they're both injured and brought to the hospital. By some twisted quirk of fate, they're put in the same room in adjacent beds. ......... bad idea.

I liked this film because it depicts an aspect of war that you usually don't see. The movie doesn't spend too long looking at the actual combat. Instead, the characters have to deal with what they've seen, or done, or experienced, and the decisions they've made. I also like the interconnectedness of the story lines. It allows a natural way to segue between one plot line and another.

This movie has been compared to MAGNOLIA, which came out the same year. I would say that any comparisons are very superficial. Ultimately, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE is a much more likeable movie, takes more chances, and is much more memorable.

Hope you like it.
Enjoy.