AmosL
08-17-2006, 06:38 PM
New on DVD--"Eighteen" and "Imagine Me and You"
Amos Lassen
New DVDs have been released as we head toward the fall season--hard to believe it's almost fall as hot as it is. Coming in September are slews of new films but the summer has had some gems.
"Eighteen" (TLA Releasing) is a story of reaching adulthood--to that age where one is still a teenager but has some of the responsibilities of an adult. Pip (named so because his dad had great expectations for him) receives a gift for his 18th birthday--a tape that his dead grandfather (voice of Ian McKellen) willed to him and to be given to him when he came of age. Granddad retells the story of his fight to stay alive when he was 18 and fighting in WW II. Pip had left home to live on the streets and the hardships he faced were totally different than those of his grandfather, yet, ironically, they turn out to be common to a degree. On the streets and on his own, Pip starts a soul searching odyssey which oddly enough parallels the choices his dad's father had to face. Common to the two is the quest for identity and the need for redemption. Pip (Paul Anthony) receives help in his travails by a local member of the clergy (Alan Cumming). Both Pip and Jason were lost souls at eighteen and as he Pip hears the tape, be begins to see the same forces that his grandfather faced in his own life.
On his way to redemption Pip meets and forms an alliance with a gay street hustler who is constantly on the prowl named Clark (Clarence Sponagle). Torn between the free life style that Clark has on the street and the domestic arrangement he has with Jenny, his girlfriend, Pip bounces back and forth between the two worlds--all the time listening to his grandfather's memoirs on tape. He confides in the priest and tells him of the death of his brother and the horrible acts his brother had to endure at the hands of his father. Nothing can prepare you for the climax of the movie and after witnessing it, you feel emotionally drained.
This is a beautiful drama that has something for everyone, The acting is just fine, the photography is beautiful and the characters are artfully created and the ending knocks you out.
Rachel (Piper Perabo), a prospective bride falls for another woman at her own wedding. By reading this line, you can guess where we are going in "Imagine Me and You". Ol Parker directed and wrote this romantic movie about a bride who leaves her wedding in pursuit of Luce (Lena Headey), the florist who created the flowers for the happy day. Luce is an amazing character and Headey breathes an unbelievable presence into her. All of the clichés about weddings as well as lesbians are thrown into this film, much like tossing a salad of familiar ingredients which taste differently while eating them. The movie has such style and wit, it should not be missed. It has something for everyone, beautiful women, handsome men, a taste for every palate. It is a slick production, held together by hysterical one liners (which are great to use at any function) and wonderful performances. The opening scene is just fantastic and the movie stays on an even keel as it heads toward the expected conclusion--the declaration of "two girls in love". Straight audiences might take issue with the girl-girl love scenes while gay and lesbian audiences might find them to be a bit too mild. "Imagine Me and You" is a wonderful way to spend an evening and it leaves you with a great feeling.
Amos Lassen
New DVDs have been released as we head toward the fall season--hard to believe it's almost fall as hot as it is. Coming in September are slews of new films but the summer has had some gems.
"Eighteen" (TLA Releasing) is a story of reaching adulthood--to that age where one is still a teenager but has some of the responsibilities of an adult. Pip (named so because his dad had great expectations for him) receives a gift for his 18th birthday--a tape that his dead grandfather (voice of Ian McKellen) willed to him and to be given to him when he came of age. Granddad retells the story of his fight to stay alive when he was 18 and fighting in WW II. Pip had left home to live on the streets and the hardships he faced were totally different than those of his grandfather, yet, ironically, they turn out to be common to a degree. On the streets and on his own, Pip starts a soul searching odyssey which oddly enough parallels the choices his dad's father had to face. Common to the two is the quest for identity and the need for redemption. Pip (Paul Anthony) receives help in his travails by a local member of the clergy (Alan Cumming). Both Pip and Jason were lost souls at eighteen and as he Pip hears the tape, be begins to see the same forces that his grandfather faced in his own life.
On his way to redemption Pip meets and forms an alliance with a gay street hustler who is constantly on the prowl named Clark (Clarence Sponagle). Torn between the free life style that Clark has on the street and the domestic arrangement he has with Jenny, his girlfriend, Pip bounces back and forth between the two worlds--all the time listening to his grandfather's memoirs on tape. He confides in the priest and tells him of the death of his brother and the horrible acts his brother had to endure at the hands of his father. Nothing can prepare you for the climax of the movie and after witnessing it, you feel emotionally drained.
This is a beautiful drama that has something for everyone, The acting is just fine, the photography is beautiful and the characters are artfully created and the ending knocks you out.
Rachel (Piper Perabo), a prospective bride falls for another woman at her own wedding. By reading this line, you can guess where we are going in "Imagine Me and You". Ol Parker directed and wrote this romantic movie about a bride who leaves her wedding in pursuit of Luce (Lena Headey), the florist who created the flowers for the happy day. Luce is an amazing character and Headey breathes an unbelievable presence into her. All of the clichés about weddings as well as lesbians are thrown into this film, much like tossing a salad of familiar ingredients which taste differently while eating them. The movie has such style and wit, it should not be missed. It has something for everyone, beautiful women, handsome men, a taste for every palate. It is a slick production, held together by hysterical one liners (which are great to use at any function) and wonderful performances. The opening scene is just fantastic and the movie stays on an even keel as it heads toward the expected conclusion--the declaration of "two girls in love". Straight audiences might take issue with the girl-girl love scenes while gay and lesbian audiences might find them to be a bit too mild. "Imagine Me and You" is a wonderful way to spend an evening and it leaves you with a great feeling.