Fri. November 14, 2014
By Gregg Shapiro
Jon Stewart goes out of his way to prove that he has a serious side, without losing his sense of humor, with his directorial debut Rosewater (Open Road). Based on the memoir by Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari, Rosewater is a timely story of paranoia, freedom of expression and religious fanaticism.
Following his coverage of the 2009 Iranian presidential elections in Tehran, including an interview he did with hot Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones, Bahari (Gael Garcia Bernal) is arrested at the home of his mother Moloojoon (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and subsequently imprisoned, interrogated and tortured for 100 days. The son of a deceased communist, Akbar (Haluk Bilginer), who was imprisoned during the reign of the Shah (and whose "ghost" visits and strengthens Bahari during his own imprisonment), and the brother of Maryam (Golshifteh Farahani), who was similarly jailed by the Khomeini regime, Bahari and his mother are accustomed to this kind of mistreatment.
Bahari's torturer Rosewater (Kim Bodnia), who regularly sprays himself with the titular scent, is determined to get some sort of confession out of Bahari, a man who doesn't really have anything to confess. Using the limited tools at his disposal, including threats regarding long-suffering Moloojoon and Bahari's pregnant wife Paola (Claire Foy) in London, Rosewater is as much under the gun as Bahari.
Bahari sees the humor in the senselessness of some of the torture and interrogation tactics, and thankfully, so do we. With Rosewater, Stewart has found a way to make a political statement in line with his style of social commentary.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw is a long way from her career-defining performance in Belle, playing the vaguely Rihanna-esque hip-hop diva Noni, in Gina Prince-Bythewood's Beyond The Lights (Relativity). Beginning at a 1998 South London talent competition where a young Noni wows the audience with an a cappella version of a Nina Simone song, only to disappoint her driven, single, stage mother Macy (Minnie Driver) with a first runner-up trophy, Beyond The Lights flashes to present day where Noni is a big winner at the Billboard Music Awards.
But all is not beaming in Noni's world, leading her to attempt suicide on a hotel balcony. When she is saved by LAPD officer Kaz (the sizzling, and often shirtless, Nate Parker), Noni wants to make the most of her second chance. On the surface, Noni and Kaz are complete opposites, given their chosen vocations. But Kaz is also being pushed by a parent – his police captain father David – into politics, a career that has its own kind of spotlight. As you might expect, this leads to all kinds of drama for the young lovers.
Far more sophisticated than any Tyler Perry production, the rom-dram Beyond The Lights (Relativity), marks the return of Love and Basketball's Prince-Bythewood as (original) screenwriter and director. Flashier than its hoops-themed predecessor, Beyond The Lights glows due to the talents and chemistry of lead actors Mbatha-Raw and Parker, as well as Prince-Bythewood's direction.
Maleficent (Disney), a movie that belongs in the same Disney trash heap as 2013's Oz The Great and Powerful and 2010's Alice In Wonderland, is a malfunctioning reimagining of a classic character's beginnings. A derivative and clichéd story that takes far too many liberties, weighed down by tired special effects (haven't we seen these mythical creatures somewhere before?), Maleficent raises a frightening question. Has Disney run out of fresh ideas?
Intending to tell an "old story anew" (because who would actually want to see a new story told anew?), Maleficent begins with the discord between two kingdoms, lazily described through narration. One kingdom, occupied by humans, wants nothing more than to add to their empire. The other kingdom, The Moors, bursts at the seams with peaceful and magical creatures basking in the glories of nature.
As a young girl, the winged and horned Maleficent encounters her first human, Stephan. An unlikely friendship develops. As they grow older, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie, born, I say, born to play this part) remains true to her spirit, while Stephan (a miserably miscast Sharlto Copley) goes the way of many humans (take your pick from bad, wrong, greedy or evil). When an embarrassed and dying king (whose attempt to invade the moors was halted by Maleficent) offers his kingdom to whomever can slaughter the fairy and avenge his crown, Stephan uses his established relationship with Maleficent to trick her, drug her and then clip her wings.
With Maleficent's wings in hand, Stephan ascends to the throne. Meanwhile, Maleficent convalesces in agony. When King Stephan and his wife have a baby – a girl named Aurora – Maleficent gets her revenge by cursing the baby. On her 16th birthday, Aurora will prick her finger on a spinning wheel's needle and fall into an endless sleep, thus becoming Sleeping Beauty.
Wouldn't this be a good place to put an unlikely and unexpected friendship? That's what develops between Maleficent, who has been keeping a watchful eye on the future princess, the teenage Aurora (Elle Fanning), who mistakenly thinks that Maleficent is her fairy godmother (cute, huh?). The introduction of the very handsome Prince Phillip (Brenton Thwaites), turns out to be a red herring. The true love's kiss that awakens Aurora from the sleep of her irrevocable curse comes from the most unpredictable place (yeah, right!).
First-time director Robert Stromberg probably hoped that Maleficent would have the same appeal as say, the stage musical Wicked. The closest it comes is to that is that it's wicked awful. Included in the Blu-ray combo pack bonus features are several deleted scenes, numerous featurettes including "Classic Couture," focused on Maleficent's fashion accessories, and more.
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