August 23 - August 29, 2009
TV film fare -- week of August 23
The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of Aug 23. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.
Sunday, Aug. 23, 7:30-10 p.m. EDT (AMC) "Firewall" (2006). Tense, noirish thriller of upstanding bank security executive (Harrison Ford), his architect wife (Virginia Madsen) and two young children (Carly Schroeder and Jimmy Bennett) held hostage by a master criminal (Paul Bettany) and his gang who force the banker to break into the bank's computer system, which the executive designed, and extract millions. Director Richard Loncraine maintains a white-knuckle pace throughout, the performances are good (including Mary Lynn Rajskub as a loyal secretary), and, though the movie may be too protracted for many, the violence is handled with relative discretion, making this a plausible "Desperate Hours" for the cyberspace age. Some profanity, rough and crude language, violence, intense suspense and murder. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Monday, Aug. 24, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. EDT (TCM) "Mary of Scotland" (1936). Literate adaptation of Maxwell Anderson's play recounting the political intrigues against Scotland's Catholic Queen Mary Stuart (Katharine Hepburn), driving her protector Bothwell (Fredric March) into exile and Mary to the execution block under England's Queen Elizabeth (Florence Eldridge). Director John Ford puts a fine cast through their dramatic set pieces, with occasional flourishes of pageantry to supply the historical atmosphere. Stylized violence and complicated motivations make it unlikely fare for young children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.
Monday, Aug. 24, 8-9:45 p.m. EDT (TCM) "Les Miserables" (1935). Classic screen version of Victor Hugo's novel set in early 19th-century France where a former convict (Fredric March) is inspired by the kindness of a bishop (Cedric Hardwicke) to turn his life around and become a highly respected citizen, though relentlessly pursued by a legalistic policeman (Charles Laughton). Directed by Richard Boleslawski, the narrative is well-paced and convincingly acted, with the theme of justice based on human dignity triumphing over that of the letter of the law. Stylized violence and an unwed mother. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 8-9:30 p.m. EDT (TCM) "The Lodger" (1944). Suspenseful tale in 1880s London where a couple (Cedric Hardwicke and Sara Allgood) rent a room to a mysterious stranger (Laird Cregar), then come to suspect he's Jack the Ripper and turn to a Scotland Yard inspector (George Sanders) to protect their niece (Merle Oberon). Directed by John Brahm, the sinister proceedings are heightened by Cregar's creepy performance and Lucien Ballard's moody photography. Off-screen murders, menacing situations and a psychopathic character. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.
Saturday, Aug. 29, 8-10 p.m. EDT (ABC) "Flightplan" (2005). Smartly crafted Hitchcockian thriller set aboard a jumbo jet en route from Berlin to New York in which a recently widowed passenger (Jodie Foster) questions her sanity as she desperately searches for her young daughter who mysteriously disappeared midflight, leaving no trace she was ever on board. Directed by Robert Schwentke with a top-flight performance by Foster, the tautly paced nail-biter maintains a high-suspense altitude, though the script experiences increasing turbulence in its story logic and plausibility, leading to a more conventional action climax. Several intense sequences, some violence including the bad guy meeting a fiery end, minimal crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Saturday, Aug. 29, 8-10:15 p.m. EDT (HBO) "Pride and Glory" (2008). Powerful but often brutal drama of a family of New York police officers (Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Noah Emmerich and Jon Voight, all solid) torn apart by a major corruption scandal. Though director and co-writer Gavin O'Connor's absorbing drama starts out noisily frenetic as a drug bust goes fatally awry, the family elements eventually come to the fore, taking on the dimensions of genuine tragedy, with that age-old conflict between right and wrong in vivid play. Strong violence with bloodshed, pervasive rough language and profanity, some crude sexual expressions, drug use and suicide. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Saturday, Aug. 29, 10-11:45 p.m. EDT (Cinemax) "Nights in Rodanthe" (2008). Sensitively played but synthetic tale of a betrayed wife (Diane Lane), mulling her errant husband's (Christopher Meloni) surprising request to return to her, and a troubled plastic surgeon (Richard Gere), coming to terms with the death of a patient, who connect at a North Carolina waterfront inn, offer each other comfort and, of course, fall in love. Stage director George C. Wolfe makes his feature-film debut with this gauzy adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' best-seller which, though it has little overtly objectionable content in terms of graphic sex or language, romanticizes an objectively adulterous affair. A few expletives including one use of the F-word, mild innuendo, a nongraphic sexual encounter, and the acceptance of nonmarital sexual relationships and divorce. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
TV program notes -- week of Aug. 23
Here are some television program notes for the week of Aug. 23 with their TV Parental Guidelines ratings if available. They have not been reviewed and therefore are not necessarily recommended by the Office for Film & Broadcasting.
Sunday, Aug. 23, 10-11 p.m. EDT (EWTN) "Pilgrim Churches of Rome." Passionist Father Victor Hoagland hosts this tour of seven of the most famous and historical churches of Rome, hallowed places of worship that have been frequented by pilgrims for centuries.
Monday, Aug. 24, 10-11 p.m. EDT (History) "Odysseus." A profile of the Greek poet Homer's archetypal hero and his 20-year journey to return home from battle and reclaim his wife and kingdom. This two-part episode of the "Clash of the Gods" series concludes Monday, Aug. 31, 10-11 p.m. EDT.
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 9-10 p.m. EDT (History) "The Day the Moon Was Gone." This episode of the series "The Universe" looks at the extreme effects on earth's atmosphere that would result if the moon, which plays a vital role in making life on our planet possible, were suddenly to disappear.
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 10-11 p.m. EDT (PBS) "This Way Up." Filmmaker Georgi Lazarevski's documentary examines the effect the security wall being constructed by the Israeli government on the West Bank has had on the Catholic-run Our Lady of Sorrows nursing home outside Jerusalem, as its residents are forced to face old age in the throes of one of the world's most bitter conflicts. A "P.O.V." presentation (TV-PG -- parental guidance suggested).
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 8-9:30 p.m. EDT (PBS) "Harlem in Montmartre." This documentary, based on a book by William A. Shack, uses archival material from both France and the United States to recreate the experience of the African-American expatriate community in Paris between World War I and World War II, a colony which included such prominent figures as singer-dancer Josephine Baker, and seminal jazz musicians Sidney Bechet and Django Reinhardt. Part of the series "Great Performances" (TV-PG -- parental guidance suggested).
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 10-11 p.m. EDT (PBS) "Once Upon a Coup." A look at some mysterious goings-on in the tiny West African nation of Equatorial Guinea, where a failed attempt to topple the government may have involved an international plot to control the country's vast oil resources. A "Wide Angle" presentation.
TV REVIEW
Which Way Home
Of all the undocumented migrants trying to enter the United States each year, about 5 percent are children traveling alone. The perils they face and the widespread social ills that motivate them are captured in the documentary "Which Way Home."
Filmmaker Rebecca Cammisa's deeply moving, sometimes heart-rending account premieres on the HBO pay-cable service Monday, Aug. 24, 9-10:30 p.m. EDT.
The starting point for some of the youngsters Cammisa profiles is the boundary between Guatemala and Mexico, 1,450 miles south of U.S. territory. There, they surreptitiously climb aboard freight trains, hiding inside the boxcars or perching on top.
In addition to the dangers inherent in this illegal but common means of travel -- falling asleep for even a moment could mean falling off and being dragged under the wheels -- the youngsters face exploitation by corrupt officials and, farther along, by the greedy smugglers they have to rely on to guide them across the desert. Such abuse ranges from robbery and beatings to rape.
One teenage traveler tells of his solitary, aimless life on the streets of his native city and the despair that has pushed him into drug addiction. A companion dreams of being adopted by an American family, and says he wants to cross the border "to be born again."
The pain of separation from their families is a frequent topic, as when a 9-year-old girl breaks into tears when she mentions the sisters she had to leave behind. And expressions of Catholic piety are heard constantly, from the young people and their relatives, as well as from some of the adults who try to assist and protect them.
The obviously grave subject matter -- as well as some language of a less edifying kind -- marks this humane and valuable examination of a tragic phenomenon as adult fare.