Heat (1995)

Director: Michael Mann

Starring: Al Pacino, Rober De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd

The story goes that we are in our teenage years the person we’re going to be for the remainder of our lives. I don’t know how true that actually is, but I do know that routine is a hard habit to break. The characters in “Heat” are also fully aware of this. In the most highly publicized scene from “Heat,” the first ever scene shared by modern screen legends Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, their characters illustrate this point quite clearly. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) is the L.A.P.D. lieutenant who has been tracking professional thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro). As is the case with most movies’ greatest scenes, this one takes place in a coffee shop/diner.

Hanna and McCauley sit across from one another, knowing full well what they represent to each other, but in this short space of time they also come to notice that they’re not so different. Each man has his own relationship problems, Hanna closing in on the end of his third doomed marriage. McCauley’s problem is that he so strictly follows a maxim handed down to him that he is unwilling to commit to anything he can’t break free of in thirty seconds flat. Neither man might have these problems with women if they weren’t already married to their chosen paths. Each takes his turn admitting that they wouldn’t know how to be anything else, nor would they be willing to try. It is this stubborn recipe for loneliness that makes these natural born enemies closer to each other than with any friend or family member in their lives.

Equally as important to the story as its men are the women whom they string along. As both Hanna and McCauley’s chosen paths dictate that their lives run according to a certain established order, it is with the women in their lives that order turns to chaos. Hanna’s wife, Justine (Diane Venora) detests having to wait for hours for her husband to come home to a long-since cold dinner, and then share their bed with the deceased from his cases. His stepdaughter, Lauren (Natalie Portman, in only her second feature film role) is a troubled teenage girl in desperate need of a father figure. Her biological dad wouldn’t have the first clue what troubles his child since he never bothers to pay her a visit, even when he says he will. Vincent (though he certainly cares about Lauren) is no help either, consumed by his work at the L.A.P.D.

Unless I’m missing a key line of dialogue (which is plausible with a film that runs almost three hours long), I don’t think McCauley came into the events of “Heat” having ever truly been in love. That’s about to change once he meets Eady (Amy Brenneman). Like so many criminals who choose to keep their loved ones in the dark about who they truly are, McCauley allows Eady to believe he’s just a salesman. Such strong feelings develop between the two of them that McCauley will eventually have to decide if he can still abide by his “thirty seconds flat” rule. His partner in crime, Chris Shiherlis (Val Kimer) finds such a concept entirely impossible. He has a wife (Charlene, played by Ashley Judd) and son, and he can’t envision a scenario that would ever cause him to leave them. This, too, is a chaotic situation for McCauley, especially when he learns of Charlene’s indiscretion and demands that she make things right with her husband.

On the subject of chaos, so meticulous are the heists in this movie that the inevitable showdown between Hanna and McCauley would never have a chance of taking place if it weren’t for one poorly chosen accomplice, in the form of the loose cannon known as Waingro (Kevin Gage). McCauley is against killing anyone who doesn’t get in his way, a sentiment not shared by Waingro, whose decision to kill a couple of police officers during a heist is what initially draws the attention of Hanna and his subordinates. Actor Kevin Gage does a great job of projecting an overall creepy personality for his character. Waingro is the sort of guy who needs to be taken out of this world.

The movies of director Michael Mann can all be instantly recognizable for their soundtracks. Each one, “Heat” included, has an almost laid back, calming effect that runs contrary to the violent nature of the story (and making said violence all the more horrifying as a result). An exception to this would be the inclusion of “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” at the climax of “Manhunter.” My favorite part of the soundtrack to “Heat” is “God Moving Over the Face of the Waters” by Moby, an instrumental track which can be heard at the film’s end.

“Heat” ranks as one of the all-time great crime dramas. It’s a can’t-miss for the big shootout scene which concludes the second hour. By the end of that amazing exchange of gunfire, even Allstate insurance won’t help Dennis Haysbert’s character. But, in the end, “Heat” is such a big success because of its impeccable casting. Everyone here seems like fully realized characters. The actors playing them really know their shtick. None better than Pacino and De Niro, men who have been playing these types of roles since the 1970’s. Actors just beginning their craft today who take on the cops/robbers roles are undoubtedly well-versed in the films of Pacino/De Niro. Because of his turn towards comedy, it was the last time I was able to take Robert De Niro seriously untill 2012’s “Silver Linings Playbook.” Sad as that sounds, it at least demonstrates that (like his “Heat” character) he is a man who is willing to break from tradition, take a risk and try something new, whether it is the right decision or not.

Dark City (1998)

Director: Alex Proyas

Starring: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Richard O’Brien, Ian Richardson

Almost without fail, I can tell fairly early on whether or not I’m going to like a given film. I call it the “15 minute rule,” although it is probably closer to 20 minutes. I’m that generous. With “Dark City,” I was ready to write this one off as soon as it had begun. The opening narration, provided by Dr. Daniel Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland), does nothing to warn us of the character’s speech impediment which is the cause of his breathless delivery. As Dr. Schreber tells us of the Strangers, an alien race with unusual mental powers referred to as “tuning,” it is difficult to process the information when all one can focus on is that damn voice. Even the characters in the movie have a hard time understanding what’s going on. If you are patient enough, you will learn as they do that nothing is what it seems.

John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) starts things off more confused than anyone. Waking up in a bathtub inside of a hotel room to find the dead body of a hooker, murdered possibly by his own hand, is the least of John’s problems. He has no memory, not just of how he got to his present location but of anything or anyone else. An urgent phone call from Dr. Schreber cues him in on the group of Strangers headed his way. Most unexpected (and never completely explained) is the revelation that John can “tune” just like the Strangers do. For the Strangers, this power means that they can change both the city and its inhabitants into whatever form they please. In John’s case, because he doesn’t understand his power at this stage, it merely provides a convenient means of escape.

John does learn his real name, and also that he has a wife named Emma (Jennifer Connelly). She is alleged to have had an affair that was the reason for John being in that hotel room instead of their home. Without any memory of these events, or even their marriage, it’s hard for John to work up any anger towards this woman. He does however eventually develop true feelings for her. He also learns that he’s the prime suspect in a serial murder investigation headed by Frank Bumstead (William Hurt). However, the most important thing weighing on John’s mind is the little bits of information he’s collected which are leading him to recollect his birthplace, Shell Beach, a place he would very much like to visit. The trouble is that no one seems to remember how to get there.

At any given moment, one half-expects Rod Serling to come popping out of the shadows. “Dark City” does possess a certain “Twilight Zone”-ish quality to it, especially in the big reveal moment at the end of the third act. But more than anything, it shares the most in common with Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” and the question of what makes us human, a question which has the Strangers completely baffled. The Strangers’ bald heads, albino skin and dark leather attire makes them resemble the Cenobites from “Hellraiser,” minus the pins and needles. One of them even chatters his teeth a lot.

Director Alex Proyas continues to show his affection for film noir which he displayed in “The Crow,” only this time he’s all-in. Everything from the cars to Jennifer Connelly’s (obviously dubbed) nightclub scenes, William Hurt’s coat and fedora, and the fact that it’s always nighttime… It’s all very 1940’s. Although I’m fairly certain that Humphrey Bogart never had to deal with reality-bending aliens.

“Dark City” was one of the very first movies I ever bought direct from Amazon.com. I remember I had originally sought it out for Jennifer Connelly, for whom I can watch in just about anything. If I had never seen him in another movie after this, I would never have guessed that Rufus Sewell is English (although, right off-hand, I can’t think of any Americans I know named Rufus). I’ve seen him in a lot of bad guy roles since “Dark City,” but I always come back to his vulnerable amnesiac John Murdoch… my favorite of his characters… and cheer him on his hero’s quest. Once you get accustomed to his character’s look and speech, Kiefer Sutherland is as easy to follow as either Sewell or Connelly. Dr. Daniel Schreber may have a handle on his identity but he is as isolated as John is, and is as paranoid as his real-life namesake.

The real scene-stealer may be Richard O’Brien. Best known for writing the musical “The Rocky Horror Show” and co-writing the screenplay for the 1975 cult classic film adaptation “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” In actuality, it is O’Brien’s character Riff Raff from that 1975 film which served as the basis for the overall look of the Strangers, according to director Proyas. Here, O’Brien plays the evil Mr. Hand (no relation to the Ray Walston character from “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”). Contrary to the rest of the Strangers, Mr. Hand is less curious than he is sadistic.

Somehow, as seems to always happen with superb science-fiction, “Dark City” slipped so far under the radar in 1998 as to come and go without much notice or fanfare. Critics really dug it, though. It’s the only other movie I know of besides “Citizen Kane” which includes a commentary track from Roger Ebert on the DVD. There’s a lot more going on in this movie that beg for a second viewing, as well as a third, fourth, fifth, etc. This is one of those movies that you don’t just enjoy. If you’re a true film aficionado, you analyze a movie like “Dark City.” Eventually, you’ll come to know all there is to know about what makes this film tick, and be the wiser for it.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Director: James Gunn

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel (voice), Bradley Cooper (voice), Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin

And now for something completely different. Since 2008, Marvel Studios has had no trouble in introducing its characters to a wide audience. One thing that has aided the Marvel Comics Universe is finding writers and directors that know how to blend action with comedy. Taken too seriously, the superhero genre would fall flat on its face, and not in the good pratfall kind of way. Just as important, they have a knack for humanizing their protagonists, making them relatable people worth rooting for. Even with all the action flying around the screen, “Guardians” is very character-driven. With the exception of Thor and his two solo films, these movies have all centered around human heroes. But even Thor, who has the physical appearance of a human, has had mostly Earthbound adventures. In “Guardians,” we’re not in Kansas anymore. We’ve stepped through the looking glass. We’re beyond Thunderdome. Yet, we’re in a galaxy not so far, far away at all.

The film stars Chris Pratt (TV’s “Parks and Recreation”) as Peter Quill, a human who has been away from Earth since 1988. He was taken from our world on the day of his mother’s death by Yondu (Michael Rooker), an alien with little resembling morals or common decency. In his adulthood, Peter, who from this moment on I’ll refer to by his outlaw name of ‘Star Lord,’ has become adept at the criminal lifestyle, betraying even Yondu. No honor among thieves! Like Han Solo and Malcolm Reynolds before him, Star Lord is a terrific smuggler and a scoundrel, but not too bright. His latest prize, an orb of some importance and power that he knows not what, comes highly sought after. In particular, a murderous individual known as Ronan (Lee Pace) wants it very badly. The mere mention of Ronan’s name on the planet Xandar causes Star Lord’s buyer to back out of the deal, and that’s when he meets the people who will become his best friends in this or any other world. If you’ve already been enjoying the movie up to this point, it’s also the moment when “Guardians” truly kicks into high gear.

Star Lord’s new friends don’t exactly ingratiate themselves to him right away. The green-skinned assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana) has been sent by Ronan to Xandar to retrieve the orb. She intends to betray Ronan and sell it to someone who doesn’t intend to use the powerful stone that lies inside it. To accomplish this, she steals the orb from Star Lord just after his deal goes south. During the ensuing fight, Star Lord is bagged (literally) by two bounty hunters: Rocket Racoon (voice of Bradley Cooper), whose surname explains what kind of creature he is, and Groot (voice of Vin Diesel), a walking, talking tree. Rocket is an ill-tempered, at times mean-spirited little fellow, but you would be too if you were the product of several genetic experiments. Groot is really handy in a fight, but it’s difficult to carry on a conversation with him since his entire vocabulary consists of the sentence “I am Groot.” Actor Vin Diesel may not get much to say, but he makes up for that by emphasizing the words differently to express multiple feelings and to show us that he really isn’t just saying the same thing over and over. Rocket, who has been with Groot for long enough that he can translate for him, helps out with the rest. Before the end, Star Lord will need everyone that isn’t trying to kill him (and some that are) on his side if Ronan is to be defeated.

There was still one “Guardian” left to introduce after the incident with the orb. Xandar’s security force, the Nova Corps, breaks up the fight and arrests and incarcerates Star Lord, Gamora, Rocket and Groot. In prison, they meet Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) whose wife and child were killed by Ronan, and whom will be instrumental in the group’s escape from prison. Knowing full well that the other actors could handle their roles, I was the most interested in Bautista’s performance. A professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Bautista has not had much acting experience outside of the ring, and certainly no starring roles. He’s chiseled enough that he provides the physicality necessary for Drax, but Bautista also brings a highly emotional performance to the role. Drax is single-minded when it comes to seeking the death of Ronan, and this often causes him to act before thinking. He’s got friends now who can help in that area… when they have more than just part of a plan. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson he ain’t, but Dave Bautista’s highly honorable Drax is every bit as lovable as that of Andre the Giant’s Fessik from “The Princess Bride.” He’s also in a much better movie than Johnson has ever participated in.

Although some of the supporting cast does not get as much screen time as maybe they should, I recognize that it’s hard for this big a cast to get the attention they need with a running time of approximately two hours. For example, Glenn Close’s role of Nova Prime could probably have been played by just about anyone. Others do just fine with the time that is given to them. Karen Gillan, recognizable for TV’s “Doctor Who” but thoroughly unrecognizable here, is cast completely against type as Nebula and seems to have enjoyed playing a baddie for once. Her character also takes part (unwillingly so) in one of the movie’s funniest moments. Maybe one of the more impressive things this movie does is with John C. Reilly. Ordinarily, Reilly’s near the top of my list of least favorite actors, in part for his goofy roles. When he is “normal,” as he is in “Guardians,” Reilly can be tolerable. This is the most tolerable I think he’s ever been. Kudos. In addition to the supporting players, there are also cameos to look for. There’s the usual appearance from Stan Lee, still with us at age 91, bless him. Look fast for Troma Entertainment co-founder Lloyd Kaufman as an inmate at the prison, and be sure to sit through the end credits for the triumphant (albeit brief) return to the big screen for a certain Marvel Comics character since his 1980’s solo film tanked and became regarded as one of the worst films of all-time.

Just as important a character as any in the film is the music. Peter’s mother had given him a mix tape, which he still listens to on a Walkman, and he has made it the soundtrack to his life. Comprised of hit pop songs from the 1970’s, it emphasizes as well as anything ever could the fact that the writers are laughing right along with us. Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling” and Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” are among the highlights, and any movie that has Marvin Gaye in its soundtrack is okay in my book. If it teaches us anything, it’s that it’s okay to dance to the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” just as long as nobody is watching you.

This is one of Marvel’s best efforts thus far, and the best one that doesn’t feature Robert Downey, Jr. It’s the one that has taken the most direct route to comedy, and certainly the only true outer space adventure, complete with giant spaceship battles. Inevitably, comparisons with “Star Wars” and other science fiction franchises will come to mind. For example, one can watch the scene where Ronan receives instructions from the disembodied head of his boss, Thanos (Josh Brolin, whose part will only grow larger in future Marvel films) and recall a similar scene between Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine in “The Empire Strikes Back.” Ronan’s ship is even referred to as the Dark Astar, which isn’t that far removed from “Death Star.” But, as much as “Guardians of the Galaxy” has in common with those and other films, it is definitely its own animal and will continue to be, with a sequel scheduled for 2017. When the time comes, there ain’t no mountain high enough to keep me from getting to the theater.

The Crow (1994)

Director: Alex Proyas

Starring: Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott

On several occasions, I have found myself sitting down to watch a good movie, only to learn of the passing of a high-profile celebrity… one who has touched the hearts of millions… as soon as the movie is over. I was watching my VHS copy of “Friday the 13th” on February 18, 2001, instead of watching that year’s Daytona 500. That was the day of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash. I was at the theater enjoying “The Hangover” on June 25, 2009, when word got out that Michael Jackson had passed. Flash forward to August 11, 2014. The world has lost actor/comedian Robin Williams. Eerily enough, the news broke while I was watching “The Crow,” which just so happens to be a movie surrounded by a dark cloud concerning the on-set death of its lead actor, Brandon Lee. Consider me sufficiently creeped out.

Storywise, “The Crow” is not overly ambitious. It follows Eric Draven (Brandon Lee), who walked in on a gang of thugs raping and murdering his fiancée, Shelley, only to join her in death when he is stabbed, shot, and falls through their apartment window. It seems Eric and Shelley were to have been married the very next day, on Halloween. Precisely one year later, Eric returns from the grave to exact his revenge on those who did him wrong. His soul is connected somehow with a crow, which remains ever watchful and intervenes as needed. It has also granted him invincibility. Eric can get shot full of holes, but his wounds heal themselves almost instantaneously. That’s a skill that can come in handy when your mission involves charging into the proverbial hornet’s nest.

Joining Brandon Lee in this movie are a superb bunch of supporting players. There is Ernie Hudson as the cop who was on the scene the night Eric was murdered, and is one of his few allies in this world. Rochelle Davis is Sarah, the young tomboy who was friends with Eric and Shelley. She’s the movie’s narrator. David Patrick Kelly, known well for playing the weasel, is the arsonist T-Bird, one of the men on Eric’s hit list. Kelly isn’t in the movie for as many scenes as I would have liked him to be. Michael Wincott is half crime boss, half swashbuckling pirate as Top Dollar. He’s so evil that you can’t wait for Eric to kill this guy, and Bai Ling, as Top Dollar’s half-sister (“You don’t see the resemblance?”), demonstrates an intelligence most of the other villains lack, and a sadistic side to match.

Also notable in the cast is Michael Massee as Funboy, albeit for an entirely different reason. On March 31, 1993, Brandon Lee was shot and killed on the set of “The Crow.” The gun that was used, unbeknownst to anyone, had a dummy round lodged in the barrel of the .44 Magnum revolver. This round was dislodged when a blank was loaded and fired, the combination resulting in the same effect as a normal Magnum round. It was Massee who had the misfortune of being the actor to fire the gun at Lee. Though he was not truly at fault in the incident, Massee has been haunted by this ever since. For a time, there was question as to whether or not it would be proper to finish the movie. Alex Proyas, the film’s director, did thankfully make the decision to see it through with the support of Brandon’s surviving family members.

The movie has one glaring weakness, and perhaps appropriately it is in the reveal of Eric’s weakness. Every superhero’s got to have his Kryptonite. I can accept that, as tired a plot device as it is. If you keep your hero playing on God Mode for too long, your audience could lose interest. Except I wasn’t, and the way the villains discover Eric’s weakness (he will only remain invulnerable so long as the crow remains alive/uninjured) is particularly unsatisfying. Nothing happens to help them learn of it at all… They just make a 1,000,000 to 1 guess that happens to be exactly right.

A cult favorite, “The Crow” is not just a great revenge flick that happens to be based on a comic book. It’s also a beautifully rendered noir film that recalls those crime dramas of the 1940’s, as well as owing some to Ridley Scott’s modern sci-fi classic “Blade Runner” (1982). I’d like to pretend that it didn’t also spawn three abysmal sequels, each one worse than the last.  Being a movie made in the early half of the 1990’s, it’s a creature born of the grunge/alternative era of rock music. The soundtrack echoes this, including metal bands Pantera, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, and the anti-establishment group Rage Against the Machine.

The influence of “The Crow” in popular culture is also evident. Professional wrestler Steve Borden, who since sometime in the late 1980s has performed under the ring name of Sting, abandoned his surfer gimmick in the autumn of 1996, to be replaced with one which was quite clearly based on Brandon Lee’s makeup and attire in this movie. Other than a recent brief detour, it’s a gimmick that Sting has been using ever since.

It’s a shame that Bruce Lee didn’t live to see his son rise to fame with “The Crow,” but it’s even more depressing that Brandon did not either. What’s perhaps the most tragic thing about this is how closely life imitated art. Like his character, Brandon Lee is temporarily resurrected from the grave for one last hurrah. Also, like Eric Draven, Lee was soon to have been married to his fiancée, Eliza Hutton… but alas, it was not to be. As his father was twenty years earlier, Brandon Lee was only just beginning to show the world what he had to offer when circumstance robbed him… and us… of seeing where his path might have led him next. But what a legacy he has left behind!

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)

Director: Rob Cohen

Starring: Jason Scott Lee, Lauren Holly, Robert Wagner

There will never be another figure quite like Bruce Lee. Without him, it is very likely that the martial arts genre of film would not exist as the entity it is today. Lee was a great philosophical man, and an innovator to match. During a time when it was accepted that those within the Chinese community did not teach non-Chinese, Lee dared to share his culture with “outsiders.” Lee founded Jeet Kune Do under the principle that combat was too spontaneous for any one particular “style” of martial art to be effective enough for one to anticipate their opponent’s every move, merely to respond to them (“Using no way as way. Having no limitation as limitation”). The son of a famous Cantonese opera and film star, he was an actor since early childhood, eventually bringing his talents to American television (“The Green Hornet” and various guest-starring roles) and film (most notably “Enter the Dragon”). No motion picture could ever do Bruce Lee the proper justice… and so it is that none ever has. Yet, still, there is always the conceit that a dramatized biography, however lazy it is with historical accounts, is still quite capable of providing quality entertainment. Case in point, “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.”

The film follows Bruce Lee (Jason Scott Lee) from early childhood to his arrival in the United States, his meeting with future wife Linda (Lauren Holly) and the birth of their children, Brandon and Shannon, through his work on “The Green Hornet” and founding of Jeet Kune Do, and his all-too brief film career (highlighting “The Big Boss” and “Enter the Dragon”). “Dragon” does not paint Bruce’s life in a completely rosy picture. With the triumphs, there are also the failures… among them his crippling back injury in 1970 and his struggle for acceptance as an actor of Chinese heritage, which included being passed over in favor of David Carradine for the lead role on TV’s “Kung Fu.” Sadly, like most biopics, the story must end with the subject’s demise at a young age, leaving behind quite a legacy but also much unfulfilled potential.

Purporting to be based on Linda Lee Cadwell’s book, “Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew,” this movie receives a considerably low grade on historical accuracy. A large percentage is either made up entirely, or is presented out of its correct chronological order. Bruce did compete in a no holds barred match for the rights to teach whomever he pleased (a match he won in all of three minutes), but his fallen opponent did not cause his back injury out of spite. The two also did not have a subsequent rematch. The real Bruce caused his own injury in a weight-lifting accident. Bruce could not have learned of his father’s death while watching the premiere episode of “Kung Fu” (which aired in 1972), because Lee Hoi-chuen died less than a week after the birth of his grandson, Brandon, in February of 1965. Also, these events are depicted as transpiring before the release of “The Big Boss,” Bruce’s first starring vehicle. This is also faulty, since “The Big Boss” was a 1971 film. There was no impromptu fight on the set of that movie, and certainly not with the brother of the guy he beat in the aforementioned match. The stuff about the Reaper-like Samurai/Demon haunting Bruce’s dreams? Complete bullshit, especially considering the real Bruce’s stance on religion.

The only thing that Bruce’s hallucinations of the demon does is creep you out, especially when you consider the scene where Bruce imagines himself protecting his young son from the shadowy figure, and then you remember that Brandon tragically died in an accident on the set of “The Crow” less than two months before “Dragon” was released to theaters. That is why both Lees are mentioned in the dedication at the film’s end.

Grading the entertainment value is another matter, because this is the factor that is of more importance to a martial arts action film. In this area, “Dragon” delivers most satisfactorily. The fight sequences are, to put it mildly, outstandingly choreographed. Whatever screw-ups the writers made in Bruce’s timeline, they obviously are fans of his on-screen work. There are whole sequences that feel as though they could have fit right into one of his movies. There was no way anyone could completely duplicate Bruce Lee’s charisma, his lightning quick reflexes, or that infamous battle cry, but dammit, Jason Scott Lee comes ever so close. Lauren Holly is naturally sweet and tough (and sharply dressed) as Linda. Just as beautiful as the lead actress is the soundtrack. “Bruce and Linda” is another of those musical tracks that, admittedly, got overused by numerous movie trailers over the years. But that was only because it was recognizied as the nice piece of music that it is! And the sets! Perfectly re-imagined are the ice factory from “The Big Boss” and the mirror room from “Enter the Dragon,” as well as a set from a non-existent episode of “The Green Hornet,” notable because Jason Scott Lee trashes it in the same over-the-top manner as Bruce Lee did with James Garner’s office in the movie “Marlowe.” He tells the show’s producers that he figured it’d be more exciting that way. He was right.

It is imperative that one go into “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story” seeking the adrenaline rush that any good action movie provides. To truly understand who Bruce Lee was, one should either read one of the many books written about him or, better still, look up archival footage of interviews he gave. He was an interesting man, and is still fascinating to listen to. That he was the same age as I am now when he died really puts into perspective all that he was able to accomplish in the short time that was given to him, and the impact that his teachings and his other creative works continue to have some forty years after his passing. We should all be so fondly remembered for how we lived.

Donnie Brasco (1997)

Director: Mike Newell

Starring: Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby, Anne Heche, James Russo, Andrew Parks

Like the country song, Al Pacino says it best when he says nothing at all. Certainly, his monologues at the end of movies like “…And Justice for All,” “Scent of a Woman,” and “The Devil’s Advocate” are always fun to listen to (and do much themselves to demonstrate the caliber of his skills as an actor), but it’s when Pacino is telling a story with his eyes (re: “The Godfather”) that you see the true genius of this man. He is given another such scene to perform during a crucial moment in “Donnie Brasco,” and it helps spare this from being just another gangster film. That his co-star is Johnny Depp, and that they have an equally terrific supporting cast, doesn’t hurt things either.

“Donnie Brasco” is based on the very real story of FBI Agent Joseph D. Pistone (Johnny Depp), who in 1978 was tasked with the assignment of infiltrating New York’s Bonanno crime family. Assuming the identity of jewel thief Donnie Brasco, Pistone befriends “Lefty” Ruggero (Al Pacino), a hit man who would like to have been much higher up in the chain of command at this stage in his life, after 30 years as a wiseguy. Lefty steers him on the right path whenever Donnie isn’t quite acting as a member of a mob family should. He sees a chance to live vicariously through Donnie Brasco, to make up for his failings both as a criminal and as a father.  Never once does Lefty actually believe his friend is working for the law.

Pistone’s family life is as crappy as Lefty’s, even if he doesn’t have a drug addict son. His relationship with his wife (Anne Heche) becomes horribly strained because of the time away from home his new assignment demands. He misses his daughter’s birthday for this job. He comes home at late hours after several weeks, staying only just for a few minutes, and then he’s gone again. To make matters worse, Pistone gets a little too comfortable in the role he’s playing, participating in a few gruesome activities. One particularly bloody event has Pistone helping to discard of three dead bodies with the help of a hacksaw. Above all, Pistone fears either being found out or pulled from his assignment, as in either scenario it’s likely to result in the death of someone he cares about.

Although the best decade of Al Pacino’s career is unquestionably the 1970’s, he’s put on several great shows in more recent times, his performance as Lefty being one of them. Despite the fact that we know he’s a monster, Pacino plays Lefty as a very sympathetic monster. Here is a man for whom life has passed him by, as have the younger men in the crime family, and it leaves him to ponder what might have been. Johnny Depp, like Pacino, is someone you can watch no matter the quality of the movie he is in. Pairing the two of them up really kicks it up a notch. They also get a great supporting cast, in particular Michael Madsen and Bruno Kirby, both of whom, like Pacino, feel right at home in a movie like this (Kirby played the young Clemenza in “The Godfather Part II”).

It’s a good thing the cast is so exceptional because, to be honest, the story is somewhat ordinary. It seems somewhat cliched to say, but if you’ve seen one story about an agent of the law infiltrating a criminal organization, you really have seen them all. Inevitably, the hero starts to sympathize with the people he’s supposed to be bringing to justice, flirting with his own dark side before coming to his senses (or not). It’s extraordinary to think that the director of the fall-down funny “Four Weddings and a Funeral” could turn around and create this serious crime drama. If “Donnie Brasco” isn’t offering anything new, it does present the familiar material extremely well. A lot can be forgiven if you’ve done your job well… just as long as you aren’t pretending to be something you’re not.