Proper Eyes-Movie Review
PROPER EYES
(Por Sus Propios Ojos)
Starring: Ana Carabajal, Mara Santucho, Luisa Nunez and Maximiliano Gallo
Directed by: Liliana Paolinelli
Unrated
In Spanish with English Subtitles
By John Delia
Entering a world that is seldom seen by the camera, Paolinelli takes us on a dramatic look at prisoners through the eyes of a documenter in Proper Eyes, an interesting docudrama that’s unsettling while it entertains. If you like films that depict the edgier side of life, then don’t miss this film.
For her college thesis, film student Alicia (Carabajal), along with her best friend Virginia (Santucho), sets out to make a documentary about women in the lives of prisoners at a local jail. The only problem is no one is willing to be interviewed on camera. Along comes Elsa (Núñez), a desperate woman, whose son, Luis (Gallo), has recently been arrested for a petty crime. Elsa will grant Alicia an interview, only if she visits Luis in jail. Alicia feels this is blackmail and tries to get
out of it, but reluctantly agrees to Elsa's proposition. When Alicia's visits Luis in jail, her world collapses.
The movie, a mix of documentary and fiction is touching yet disturbing as it works its way through some very thought-provoking moments. With local jails holding both misdemeanor and major crime inmates, women visitors are still allowed into the cells but only after thorough searches. If you are not a relative of a prisoner it is almost impossible to enter their world to get the data needed for a thesis. Determined to make her film, Alicia finds herself traveling to Elsa’s home on a number of occasions only to get a weak excuse as a refusal to be filmed on camera. Over and over again, Alicia returns to her house until she finally sees a ray of hope when Elsa makes a bargain with her that is not only challenging but also dangerous.
The acting by Carabajal and Nunez is extremely good with the two of them occupying most of the screen time. I was especially enamored with the believability of Nunez’s character that is crafty and coy. Directing her with a cunning hand Paolinelli allows us to see the trappings of the woman as she sucks Alicia into her world and feeds on her sense of compassion.
The film is unrated but deals with adult situations, language and a scene of partial nudity. The movie was filmed in Spanish and has English subtitles.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A very good film for fans of the edgier side of life. (3.5 of 5 Palm Trees)
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Management-/Text Movie Review
MANAGEMENT
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Steve Zahn, Woody Harrelson, Fred Ward and Margo Martindale
Directed by: Stephen Belber
Rated R for language
By John Delia
There is a very quirky romantic comedy on the screen called Management and I liked it a lot. The characters are charming, interesting and real (even a little crazy and pathetic). The film treats with a sense of imagination that we sometimes forget that exists.
The movie centers on Mike Cranshaw (Zahn) and Sue Claussen (Aniston) who have a chance meeting when Sue on a sales trip to Arizona takes a room at a hotel owned by Mike’s parents. On a lark or complete desperation to meet someone, Mike brings a bottle of wine to Sue’s room. A little frightened at first, Sue feels Mike means well and the two strike up a conversation brining out their enigmatic desires they did not realize existed. When Mike takes a trip to Maryland where Sue works, his stalking charm puts a damper on their relationship and Mikes dream. But that only triggers Mike’s determination to conquer love.
I love the acting by Aniston and Zahn and the chemistry between them, even though their characters are questionable at times. You just have to let your imagination prevail on this one so you can enjoy the strange romantic relationship between the two. Zahn takes Cranshaw and shows how oppressed the man is by parents that never let him see the world. Having no notion of how to find a true love and then grasping at straws to make it happen is moving yet bizarre. In return we get a great performance from Aniston as a woman who has been stripped of her sense of purpose and we find Claussen falling for this weird and wonderful man.
The direction by Belber makes the film work by taking the bizarre story and making his two stars provide us with this couple that becomes entwined on a chance meeting. He makes his camera work for him with angles that give us a closer look into the sole of the couple. Although there are some abrupt scene changes, the damage that they do is not enough to dispel the believability of the storyline.
The film has been rated R for language, but also has brief sexuality so take this into consideration when deciding to take immature youngsters to see the film.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A good date flick that should create a lot of dinner talk following it. (3.5 of 5 stars)
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