You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
thrums<br />
]HOPSUEY •••<br />
—<br />
—<br />
Starring Peter Johnson, Frances Fare,<br />
tickson Grade and Diana Vreeland.<br />
directed by Bruce Weber. Written by Bruce<br />
Weber and Maribeth Edwards. Produced by<br />
San Hush. A Zeitgeist release. Documentary.<br />
Not yet rated. Running time: W min.<br />
Part memoir, part gay-hunks calendar.<br />
'Chop Suey" is Bruce Weber's rambling<br />
et sweet-natured documentary about anyhing<br />
that interests him. The noted phoographer's<br />
last film, the Oscar-nominated<br />
Let's Get Lost." was a profile of jazz<br />
nusician Chet Baker. This time around.<br />
he focus is fuzzier. The late cabaret singer<br />
-ranees Faye shares the spotlight with<br />
ashion maven Diana Vreeland and a<br />
landsome teenage wrestler/male model<br />
rom the Midwest who agrees to pose<br />
indlessfy for Weber's Chop Suey Camera<br />
Dub. This is a gathering of unnamed,<br />
inseen shutterbugs that like to shoot cute<br />
bung fellows romping around in cute cosumes.<br />
The film makes pit stops to consid-<br />
:r other celebrities: Jan-Michael Vincent,<br />
lobert Mitchum (in a lovely duet with Dr.<br />
ohn). Brazilian jujitsu champion Rickson<br />
jracie. Dusty Springfield, and explorer Sir Joe Craven, Jim Kewin, Rob Bleetstein,<br />
Vilfred Thesiger. to name just a few.<br />
Y'assur Clements, Dave Dennison, Bela Fleck,<br />
Abetted by the fast-talking Weber's Deborah Koons Garcia, John Goddard,<br />
:ontinual explanations and commentaries, Monroe Grisman, Pamela Grisman and Sam<br />
he loopy autobiographical film zips along Grisman. Directed and produced by Gillian<br />
it such a rigorous pace that it's often<br />
Grisman. A Sony Pictures Classics release.<br />
diffi-<br />
:ult to digest the images or information. Documentary! Concert Film. Rated PG-13<br />
["his is a guy who has lived large publishing<br />
16 books, displaying his work in<br />
lozens of exhibits, snapping pictures for<br />
tlmost every top magazine, making music<br />
ideos and' shorts "yet he's still in a<br />
)reathless rush to create. Susan Green<br />
: IDEL •••1/2<br />
Starring Fidel Castro. Che Guevara,<br />
jahriel Gareia Marquez, Alice Walker,<br />
Sydney Pollack. Harry lielafonte, Nelson<br />
Mandela and Wayne Smith. Directed and<br />
vritten by Estela Bravo. Produced by<br />
Eiizabetb Beer. In I rbanworld release,<br />
documentary. Sot yet rated. Running time:<br />
13 min.<br />
Yankees beware: Estela Bravo 's "Fidel"<br />
s not a very balanced portrait of the conrovcrsial<br />
Cuban leader, who has conbunded<br />
American intelligence operatives<br />
jut to kill him ever since the 1959 revoluion.<br />
While it lacks opposing perspectives,<br />
he documentary presents remarkable<br />
botage. A rather flabby C astro swimming<br />
Mih his bodyguards in the warm waters of<br />
he ( arihbcan might just be the most starling<br />
image among many. Second place<br />
lUrel) goes to the moment, during a victo-<br />
•> speech lour decades ago. when hundreds<br />
of white doves were released over the<br />
ffowd ami one chose to land on his shoulder.<br />
Superstitious people saw il as a sign<br />
There's also an early Edward R.<br />
Vlurrou television interview with a chaining<br />
Fidel in pajamas, sitting next to Ins<br />
.ouii!'<br />
nappy<br />
.mi of the same name, who holds a<br />
REVIEWS<br />
—<br />
Warm and fuzzy gives way to the<br />
loquacious, angry guerrilla commander in<br />
a requisite military uniform. Are U. S. citizens<br />
ever provided with any information.<br />
visual or otherwise, that would suggest the<br />
human being inside the fatigues' 1<br />
Bravo's credentials stretch back some<br />
30 years, with extensive nonfiction work<br />
broadcast on PBS and CBC She had<br />
unique access to Castro, seen in a reflective<br />
mood and displaying a keen sense of<br />
humor. World leaders such as Nelson<br />
Mandela warmly embrace him. There are<br />
also commentaries, generally disapproving<br />
of American foreign policy, from novelists<br />
Alice Walker and Gabriel Garcia<br />
Marquez. director Sydney Pollack, singer<br />
Harry Belafonte and former diplomat<br />
Wayne Smith. But the critical voice of the<br />
exile community is missing. At the very<br />
least, it would have been appropriate to<br />
once again hear the shrill cries of little<br />
Elian's infamous Miami relatives. Susan<br />
Green<br />
GRATEFUL DAWG ••*<br />
Starring Jerry Garcia, David Grisman,<br />
for some language. Running time: 81 min.<br />
As detailed in this enjoyable little fan<br />
film, the collaboration between legendary<br />
Grateful Dead founder Jerry Garcia and<br />
well-known musician/composer/recording<br />
artist and friend David Grisman began as<br />
early as 1964, when Garcia and Grisman<br />
were neophytes on Bluegrass circuit, hoping<br />
to open for their mutual hero. Bill<br />
Monroe. In the mid-'70s they joined again<br />
to perform as Old and In the Way. expanding<br />
and deepening their musical relationship.<br />
Grisman and Garcia culminated their<br />
musical odyssey during the five years prior<br />
to Garcia's death, recording and performing<br />
as Grateful Dawg.<br />
This documentary is a film by Gillian<br />
Grisman, David Grisman's daughter and<br />
Garcia's goddaughter Shot mostly on<br />
digital video (which provides that authentic<br />
documentatrian verile that used to be<br />
the province of the 16mm film!. "Grateful<br />
Dawg" is a loving chronicle intended to<br />
do oothing more than bung fans of<br />
Grisman and Garcia another facet of<br />
these two performers ami then unique<br />
collaboration.<br />
The film lakes fans of Grateful Dawg<br />
winch is named aiiei the two strands of<br />
musk Grisman and Garcia developed<br />
individually over theii careers into then<br />
inner-circle of friends, family and process<br />
rhere are inten iews ol band members and<br />
family, along with < rrisman and ( rarcia<br />
themselves, "< (rateful )awg" is also a con<br />
l<br />
cerl film, capturing performances at San<br />
Francisco's Warfield fheatre and the<br />
—<br />
Sweetwater m Mill Valley. But the best performances<br />
are in Grisman's home studio,<br />
where the band plays everything with an<br />
enthusiasm only found during the process<br />
of learning something new.<br />
The interview segments of the film tend<br />
toward the overly reverent nothing but<br />
praise and admiration for Grisman and<br />
Garcia— while the portions of the film<br />
involve the these two men talking to<br />
that<br />
and playing alongside each other are<br />
extraordinary. They reveal a couple of old.<br />
fat, overly-hairy rockers, content to play<br />
their songs, sing their melodies and lose<br />
themselves in the satisfaction and sheer<br />
bliss of what they create: absolutely amazing<br />
music Tim Cogshell<br />
•••<br />
SERENDIPITY<br />
Starring John Cusack. hate Beckinsale<br />
and Jeremy Piven. Directed by Peter<br />
Chelsom. Written by Marc Klein. Produced<br />
by Simon Fields, Peter . and Robert<br />
L. Levy. A Miramax release. Comedy!<br />
Drama. Rated PG-13 for a scene of sexuality,<br />
and for brief language. Running time:<br />
K6 min.<br />
As predictable as romantic comedies<br />
go, "Serendipity" is nonetheless a fun ride,<br />
mostly because the actors give it their all.<br />
The always reliable John Cusack ("Being<br />
John Malkovich") plays Jonathan Trager<br />
who, while Christmas shopping for his<br />
girlfriend, meets up with Sara Thomas<br />
(Kate Beckinsale). also shopping for her<br />
significant other. They spend some time<br />
together and make a connection, but nisi<br />
as Jonathan reaches for the slip of paper<br />
with her phone number on it. il blows<br />
away. As Sara believes in serendipity, she<br />
decides to let fate take its course and has<br />
them each write their names on specific<br />
objects and send those objects out into the<br />
world. If each finds the other's name, she<br />
says, then they are meant to be together.<br />
flash forward a few years later, with the<br />
pair on the verge o\~ commuting to new<br />
mates hut unable to forget each other<br />
That's when the story clicks in. as<br />
Jonathan, accompanied by his best friend<br />
Dean (Jeremy Piven), decides to track Sara<br />
down.<br />
"Serendipity" is. ol course, an utterly<br />
preordained movie in terms o\' whether the<br />
pair will get together, but while contrived,<br />
n nevei feels calculated. Director Peter<br />
Chelsom ("Hear My Song") has a pleasingly<br />
light touch, and he orchestrates the<br />
coincidences and little moments when<br />
ion. ah. in and s.ua iic.nK meel with style<br />
and panache Ihcy'ic believable and SUSpenseful<br />
in equal measure<br />
Cusack and Beckinsale throw themselves<br />
into then roles. giving conviction to<br />
characters who would have been cardboard<br />
cutouts in anothei movie, and<br />
they're ablj aided bj a strong supporting<br />
cast, iiu hiding Piven, who is .> real-life<br />
chum of Cusack's, and I ugene I evy, who<br />
nearl) steals the show as an anal store<br />
clerk Sklomo Schwartzberg
Change language