Before Night Falls (2000)
Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas (Javier Bardem) was an early supporter of the Castro revolution, but his homosexuality led to his imprisonment and exile.
This was Bardem’s first major success, but he’s at his best playing cold-hearted killer’s like Anton Chigurh or Raoul Silva.
Jonny Depp is good in the dual roles of Bon Bon and the sadistic Lt. Victor. This was pre-Jack Sparrow, when Depp’s work was more subtle and complex.
Julian Schanbel’s later film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), about a paralyzed author who communicates by blinking his left eyelid, is a more interesting and original film.
The movie is well made, but feels like very other biopic: misunderstood artist struggles against a culture which does not recognize or accept his genius.
The Booze Hangs High (1930)
Another Looney Tunes short featuring Bosko. This time, he’s a farmer who once again finds unusual ways to make music.
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000)
Mark Addy, best know as Robert Baratheon in Games of Thrones, is a perfect Fred Flintstone, Stephen Baldwin turns in a career best performance as Barney Rubble; and Kristen Johnston is very good as Wilma Flintstone.
The only weak link in the main cast is Jane Krakowski’s Betty Rubble.
Both Johnston and Krakowski rose to prominence as supporting players in comedies dominated by someone else. Johnston’s post 3rd Rock from the Sun career has been nonexistent outside of a memorable scene in the first Austin Powers film as Ivanna Humpalot. Besides 30 Rock and Ally McBeal, this is the most visible thing Krakowski’s done.
Has Joan Collins every played anything but a snobby, rich woman?
It was a wonderful gesture to cast Harvey Korman as Wilma’s grandfather since he voiced The Great Gazoo in the original series.
This remains faithful to the spirit of the source material and is better than most episodes of the original series. Unlike the previous adaptation, which came across as stunt casting, this movie benefited immensely from its lesser known cast.