Volume 79, Number 13 | September 2 - 8, 2009
West and East Village, Chelsea, Soho, Noho, Little Italy, Chinatown and Lower East Side, Since 1933

FILM

Koch on Film

By Ed Koch

Photo by Jessica Miglio

Larry David, John Gallagher Jr., and Evan Rachel Wood in ‘Whatever Works’

“Whatever Works” (+)

I’m a Woody Allen groupie, and even his failures amuse me.  This film didn’t totally work for me, but it is interesting and often funny.

Boris (Larry David) is an idiosyncratic, know-it-all, genius physicist who meets and later marries a homeless woman, Melody (Evan Rachel Wood) — who is young and beautiful. Her mother, Marietta (Patricia Clarkson), shows up unexpectedly and ends up in a ménage a trios. Melody’s Mississippi near-hillbilly father, John (Ed Begley Jr.), also travels north to find his daughter.

The main problem I had with the film is that Larry David, who occasionally as in a Shakespeare play steps out of his role and addresses the audience, was not convincing in his role. He has an HBO show, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” for which he writes his own terrific scripts. His performances are marvelous on his own show, week after week, but not so outstanding in this movie.

Woody Allen is always exploring new avenues. While “Whatever Works” isn’t close to his best films, it is far better than most of the current crop of romantic comedies, most of which are schlock.

HS said: “The movie is aptly titled. It worked for me, although I was turned off somewhat by the Woody Allen character’s egomania. I realize Allen was satirizing himself, but why at such length? Overall, I enjoyed the film, which is the purpose of paying to see it. I particularly liked the numerous location shots, which were very New York. The plot was preposterous, but so what? Woody Allen’s work attracts and holds your attention. See for yourself.”

1 hour, 42 minutes; Rated PG-13 (comedy); at City Cinemas Village East Cinema (181-189 Second Avenue). For screening times, call 212-529-6799. For Box Office, call 212-529-6998.

Photo by Christine Plenus

“Lorna’s Silence” (+)

I tried getting tickets for “Inglourious Basterds” on a Friday night after my Bloomberg Radio Show, which airs from 6:00-7:00 p.m., 1130 on the AM dial. The show had sold out by noon that day so I had to wait a few more days to see it. After reading a blurb in the New York Post on “Lorna’s Silence,” I decided to see it. The reviewer, who gave it four stars, wrote:  “From Belgium’s revered Dardenne brothers, the story of a young woman who becomes involved in an immigration scam.”

The picture is good, but far from a blockbuster. It is a Belgian film noir that lacks the sensuality for which the French are famous. I didn’t identify with any of the characters, but the story is interesting.

An Albanian woman, Lorna (Arta Dobroshi), fraudulently acquires the right of legal Belgian residency by marrying a Belgian drug addict, Claudy (Jeremie Renier). Claudy is paid by a crime syndicate for the arrangement. Lorna intends to divorce Claudy and marry a Russian involved in organized crime who also wants Belgian residency. The head of the criminal ring with whom Lorna is involved is Fabio (Fabrizio Rongione). Fabio’s enforcement thug is Spirou (Morgan Marianne).

Fabio, wanting to shorten the process allowing Lorna’s marriage to the Russian, opts to kill Claudy with an overdose — but Lorna prefers to wait a month for the divorce to take effect. You’ll have to see the film to find out who wins out. The movie is well acted but lacks soul.

HS said: “The movie was well done and well acted, but it was a real downer. Every actor was a thug or junkie, except for the one who became a psycho. The sudden ending left the audience unaware of what befell the unsavory characters in the film. We learned how immigration laws are circumvented, and how little human life means to gangsters and musclemen. The title character had the face of a boy. You couldn’t be sure until she stripped for action.

In French, Albanian and Russian, with English subtitles.1hr 45minutes; Rated R (Drama); at Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street. For screening times, call 212-924-3363. For the Box Office, call 212-924-3364.


SKIP IT ON DVD
The disappointing “Cheri” was out of area theaters before we could get Ed Koch’s review into print — but let the below serve as a warning to anyone who might consider renting the film upon its inevitable, and unfortunate, release on DVD.


“Cheri” (-)

All of what was necessary to come up with an interesting and entertaining movie was available here.  Instead, those in charge produced a boring movie which was so slow, it called up that old phrase, watching grass grow.

The movie is based on a book by the French novelist Colette. She herself was the talk of Paris as Manohla Dargis of The New York Times reports, having “lovers of both sexes.” The movie concerns itself with the lives of courtesans — a nice word describing what today would be very high-priced call girls (perhaps the word “mistress” would be more accurate).

One such courtesan is Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer), who is in her 40s or 50s.  She becomes infatuated with Cheri (Rupert Friend), now 19-years-old, the illegitimate son of another courtesan, Charlotte (Kathy Bates), who is now retired.  Lea and Cheri have an affair for six years before he leaves her to marry a younger woman. 

The French have always touted relationships between young men and older women. This one doesn’t work for me. The director is Stephen Frears, who has had many pictures that were exciting and sexual such as “Dangerous Liaisons,” “The Grifters,” and “High Fidelity.”  This movie is not one of them.

Those wanting to immerse themselves in the feel of the Belle Epoque period, preceding the first World War, may want to go just to see the clothing and housing.  But if you are into sensual experiences, this is not for you.

Rated R; 95 minutes.