New DVD review: "Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut"
Film: C+
DVD: B
OK, hold up -- relax -- before the army of "Donnie Darko" disciples descends upon me, allow an explanation of this, a seemingly blasphemous rating, of one of the holy cinematic texts of our generation.
See, it's very simple. "Donnie Darko" is a cult film. And, unfortunately, it's a cult that I've been unable to join.
I saw it years ago when it was first in theaters, just watched the director's cut, surveyed the bonus features and the commentary with writer/director Richard Kelly and "Clerks" director Kevin Smith, and I'm sorry to say it, but it just does not come together for me.
It just seems too much like the kind of movie that an angst-ridden, high school movie geek would make if he somehow acquired $5 million. That's probably the reason why so many teens and college students love it.
The director's cut adds about 20 minutes to the film, clarifying some of the more mysterious elements of the story. It's up to debate whether the greater ambiguity of the first theatrical cut is preferable to the director's cut's relative straightforwardness.
The DVD is truly a gift for the fanboys and diehard Donnie devotees. In that way, it's reminiscent of many of Smith's DVDs such as the special editions of "Dogma" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." In both cases, a fair amount of behind-the-scenes footage --- of interest only to cult-members --- is included.
For example, the bonus disc of this new release of "Donnie Darko" features an hour-long "production diary" of material shot throughout the making of the film. It's truly a Darko fan's wet dream.
For the more casual viewer, the disc's true gem is the "Darkomentary" --- the winning entry in a fan contest to try and prove who the film's No. 1 Fan is. This amateur documentary has to be seen to be believed. The guy is nuts.
I'll resist making the "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog"-style slam about his probable sex life. After all, I'm a high priest in the church of "Requiem for a Dream" and most people have their own geeky obsessions. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't.
New DVD review: "The Motorcycle Diaries"
Film: A
DVD: B
Last year was loaded to the brim with top notch biopics and films based on actual events: "The Aviator," "Ray," "Hotel Rwanda," "Finding Neverland," "Kinsey," and of course, "The Passion of the Christ."
One that slid under many people's radar is the superb "The Motorcycle Diaries" by acclaimed Brazilian director Walter Salles.
The film stars Gael Garcia Bernal of "Amores Perros" and "Y Tu Mama Tambien" fame as a 23-year-old Ernesto Guevara de la Serna in the days before he would become the Marxist revolutionary known as Che Guevara.
One need not agree with Guevara's future politics to find the film tremendously enjoyable and entertaining. The focus of the film is much more universal. It's a coming of age story about two friends who embark on an adventurous journey across South America.
Almost anyone who's ever been on a road trip with a best friend can relate to the sense of discovery and excitement as one explores and meets new people. Thus, the film contains almost every conceivable emotional experience.
In a way it mirrors another of the year's best films --- "Sideways," the story of two middle-aged best friends who spend a week together in the California wine country before one of them gets married. Both films depict two very different friends on a continually engaging trip.
As far as the DVD goes, a solid 20-minute featurette answers plenty of questions and talks to not only the filmmakers and actors but also Guevara's children and Alberto Granado, Guevara's friend who accompanies him on the journey across the continent.
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