Currently Watching Pushing Tin see related

Good evening,

This evening we will do a terse review focusing on the early spring 1999 film called Pushing Tin, which is written by Glen and Les Charles, the brothers that presented the classic "Cheers," and Mike Newell, the director who embraced us with Four Weddings and a Funeral, but more recently, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

The movie takes place on an airport located on Long Island. And there's lots of talking. Not random New York chatter, but this random jargon that air traffic controllers use from time to time. Even though I cannot exactly coin the term that they use, I would have to say it is wildly idiotic and could drive a man to suicide.

The protagonist, "The Zone" Nick Falzone (played by the irresistible John Cusack) figures he is the hot shot and the popular air traffic controller there at the local Long Island airport. Everyone figures he is the smartest, greatest guy to look up to. The tables are eventually turned when Russell Bell (everyone's beloved Billy Bob Thornton), who comes right in with his impeccable, ideal record of being one of the best air traffic controllers when it comes to "pushing tin." This pisses The Zone off in more ways then one. Eventually, their ideas for competiton become a bit too much and things get out of control when both get their families involved. It gets so heated at one point that "The Zone" feels the need to sleep with Russell's wife, Mary (played by the delicious Angelina Jolie). Things get even crazier, lives get torn apart, and the competition for seeing who the best man is remains strong.

Now, I do not know what most of your feelings are in terms of competiton, but I am a firm believer in the golden rule, and that is to steer clear of one man's territory when one is threatened. If one does not choose that direction, then the consequences become dire.

The plot seemed a bit too steamy, and the Charles' brothers script was an outrage. I would have had higher hopes in indulging a better script, but their writing seems a bit cluttered years after "Cheers" ended. I would have expected a lot more from the script.

Newell always had a unique way of captivating audience members with his unique camera techniques. There were so many beautiful shots of Long Island that should have been taken into consideration; of course, the airplanes and the sky shots were ultimately better and projected a sense of reality with the audience. And Newell opens the audiences' eyes as they partake in random scenes of the plot, where they actually feel they could relate to the characters. By not making the direction remain entirely credible would be like giving a steak to a dog, and no one does that anymore. Newell's way of projecting a story into the format of a film allows immense credibility on behalf of the audience.

Overall Grade: 80/100 (B-)

On Tuesday, please anticipate the review of the Disney box office flop Out Cold. Until then, take care.

Currently Watching Saving Grace see related

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, this is the first film review that I will be composing, considering it's been awhile. For reviews every Friday, please refer to this website and I promise you there will be one weekly.

The film I intend on reviewing today is Saving Grace, an enchanting British comedy released in British and American audiences in the summer/fall of 2000. A popular comedy to many, we don't know where to begin...

The story sets place in a small, beautiful fishing village located off the coast of southwestern England, particularly around Cornwall. The scene starts out rather dismal with a light touch of laughter, for there is a funeral that takes place, a funeral that affects the protagonist, Grace Trevathan (played by Brenda Blethyn, a wonderful Kent actress). We find that her husband jumped out of a plane without a parachute, leaving Grace in the midst of his financial debt. Owing more than half a million pounds for her home, she remains in shock with no idea of what to do.

Then there is Matthew (writer/co-producer Craig Ferguson): funny, loving, terrible gardener, prolfic pothead. He faces a dilemma of his own when he realizes that his marijuana plants that he brought with him from Glasgow cannot even grow in the vicar's garden. So, he corners Grace about growing these hemp plants. Amazed at Matthew's hobby, she agrees to grow the plant for him. At one point in the film, Matthew tells his girlfriend that he calls it "brilliant and that it's compensation without getting laid off." Eventually, Matthew and Grace come up with the clever scheme of growing and selling the weed, something that Matthew's girlfriend Nicky (played by adorable Valerie Edmonds) as "a large scale cultivation."

Grace, being afraid and finding that Matthew's girlfriend is pregnant, decides to go and sell the weed herself. As we find more twists and turns within the plot, all the results remain highly comedic. Ferguson and Crowdy crafted the script so wonderfully they want you to think, "Where does this wind up going?"

Also, mind the beautiful "bright lights" at Grace's house, for as a marijuana growing expert would consider "tropical plants need a lot of light." Even the characters are absolutely charming and will warm your heart the minute you see this. The town seems so quaint but simultaneously nosy, so everyone knows what your up to (this remains evident at the end of the film, when the police officer finds a huge stack of marijuana, does not arrest them, but rather says, "It's better than that crap you grew at the vicarage.").

So, to wrap it up, we got a great setting, a wacky plot that could possibly deemed logical, wonderful characters, and the music is so beautiful. I wish the soundtrack would be available in the United States, because trust me, it is certainly a treat to listen to.

This should have been praised at the British Academy Awards, and why they all kept a "blind eye" toward this film, we'll never know. Taking into consideration "drugs are bad for the British," it should have been a comic delight for the British. It was certainly a gem in the United States and it lasted in theaters for nearly four months! Hard to believe, but certainly popular.

Should any of you choose the DVD instead of the VHS, please listen to Ferguson, Crowdy, and director Nigel Cole's commentary. It is absolutely prolific and not another moment is truly wasted!

I suggest to watch this on a boring weekend or even for a possible spring break. Give it a shot, I don't think you'll regret it.

Overall Grade: 92/100 (A-)

Next week, stay tuned for the Disney box office flop Out Cold and on Wednesday, I'll give a matinee review for Pushing Tin, a charming comedy written by the boys that brought you "Cheers." Until then, take care.

Neal Curtis