Happy Birthday, Steve Buscemi!

Today we're celebrating the 54th birthday of actor Steve Buscemi. He landed his first role in a feature film in the 1985 film The Way It Is. He worked steadily through the rest of the 1980s, but he really started to gain legitimate attention in the early 1990s. In 1990, he appeared in the films King of New York and Miller's Crossing, and he followed those films with 1991's Barton Fink and Quentin Tarantino's 1992 debut, Reservoir Dogs. He also made appearances in films like 1993's Rising Sun, 1994's Pulp Fiction and 1996's Fargo. He has maintained continued partnerships with Tarantino and the Coen brothers over the years, but it was most prevalent during the 1990s. And while he hasn't had the same kind of success since the new millennium that he had during the 1990s, he's still an instantly recognizable actor who consistently brings fantastic characters to the screen. Most recently, he's starred in the television show "Boardwalk Empire," but his most recent feature film was 2010's Pete Smalls Is Dead. You'll next be able to see him in the 2012 film, Rampart opposite Woody Harrelson. So, to celebrate his birthday, I've listed my five favorite Buscemi performances. I hope you enjoy the list. Once again, happy birthday, Steve!

5. Rockhound
Armageddon (1998)


*****

4. Norther Winslow
Big Fish (2003)

*****

3. Mr. Pink
Reservoir Dogs (1992)


*****

2. Dale Martin
The Messenger (2009)

*****

1. Carl Showalter
Fargo (1996)

Movie Review: JOHN RABE

JOHN RABE

2010
Not Rated

You can watch the trailer here

I found this movie while randomly searching through the foreign film section of NetFlix's Instant Watch films. I'm definitely glad I took a chance on it.

John Rabe (pronounced rah-buh), which was directed by Florian Gallenberger, tells the true story of a German businessman running a Siemens factory in Nanking, China in the late 1930s before the start of the second World War. When the Japanese start to bomb Nanking, Rabe (Ulrich Tukur) decides to aid the Chinese workers in his factory, many of whom he had known for the majority of his twenty-seven years in China. After the initial attacks, Rabe and his wife Dora (Dagmar Manzel) attempt to flee to safety, but John stays behind only to see his wife's boat attacked and destroyed before his very eyes. He falls into a state of depression but maintains his resolve to help the Chinese by creating a "safety zone" within the city that they hope the Japanese will acknowledge. With the help of a college teacher (Anne Consigny), a doctor (Steve Buscemi) and a young German idealist (Daniel Brühl), John Rabe does everything in his power to help the Chinese people while keeping the Japanese forces at as great of a distance as possible.

To start, I'd like to say that John Rabe is as much a foreign film as 2001's No Man's Land - yes, there are scenes in languages other than English, but there's also plenty of screen-time with characters speaking only English. If I had to break it down, I'd say that this film is about forty percent German, thirty-five percent English, twenty percent Japanese and five percent Chinese. We get the whole package when it comes to the languages, so I guess it's fair to call this a "foreign language" film. However, there's no mistaking that this was a German-made and produced feature, so that can't be taken away from it.

That being said, the screenplay is actually pretty good. Despite the constant change in language, I never felt lost with the story or the dialogue. I think that the story was conveyed as best as it possibly could have been, although there were a few scenes that probably didn't need to be left off the cutting room floor. I think that the writers did a decent job giving us some very emotional scenes that expressed the gravity of the viciousness of the situation in Nanking, so that's also a plus. I don't really have any qualms about the screenplay - it's just solid if not fantastic.

The acting is also very good all-around. Tukur is splendid as our lead, a historical figure I had never heard of before seeing this movie (which may be a bit of a shame considering all he did). He conveys his emotions in a very quiet manner, and I think that made his character all the more likable. Tukur made me want to root for Rabe to succeed in his endeavor. Brühl is also very good in his supporting role, and if you recognize him, there's a good reason - he played Pvt. Fredrick Zoller in 2009's Inglourious Basterds. Even Buscemi gives a great performance in a completely surprise role (yes, I was utterly speechless when he showed up on the screen; apparently I need to do a little more research before I watch these movies...).

Overall, it's definitely a film worth watching, especially if you're a history buff or are interested in wartime films. It's an interesting story that made me think about Schindler's List quite a bit, but it's nowhere as good as that masterpiece. Still, John Rabe should be seen if only to advance a little bit of historical knowledge in somewhat entertaining fashion.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: B
Thumb... Mostly Up

Addition to Awards
2010: 1 nomination

Movie Review: SAINT JOHN OF LAS VEGAS

SAINT JOHN OF LAS VEGAS

2010
R


You can watch the trailer here

It really is a shame what gets made into movies these days. Sometimes it's as though anybody with an idea can make a film, which in some cases is a very good thing. However, not everyone's ideas are always "very good." For a film to be successful, you need a good screenplay as well as a good cast. Saint John of Las Vegas, which was directed by Hue Rhodes on got half of that equation.

Let's talk storyline. We open on our titular John (Steve Buscemi), an ex-gambler now residing as an insurance claims operator in Alburquerque, New Mexico. He tells us via monologue that he is a very lucky man, except that he only receives "bad luck." He decides to ask his boss for a raise, and in the process gets himself assigned to a fraud case with a very successful insurance fraud agent (Romany Malco). The two set out on a road trip towards Las Vegas in search of the answers that will prove that the insurance claim in their current case is, in fact, fraudulent.

The problem with this movie isn't the acting. Buscemi is his typical self, and his consistent "bugging out" works very well for the character. Malco plays a bit of a badass whose presence commands the screen. Even Sarah Silverman, John's supposed girlfriend Jill, is convincing. However, if anybody's stealing the show, it's Peter Dinklage, who in very little screen-time stamps himself as by far the funniest character. The film may actually be worth the watch just for his two scenes.

Sadly, none of these actors really had much to work with in terms of a script. The writing is off-key, and although there are a few funny scenes, they are just too few and too far between. Aside from the brief synopsis I already gave, nothing else really happens, although it feels as though there are other plots afoot. The ending also left something to be desired; it makes it seem as though John has come full circle and now knows the error of his ways, but personally, I feel as though he came full circle, back to square one. The final scene can be described as anti-climactic, at best.

Although there are a number of good performances that may be worth your time, the movie just feels empty. It starts out with a very good premise but then slowly starts its descent into mediocrity. It's just too bad that they wasted so much talent.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: C-
Thumb... Sideways