Qs Reviews – October 31, 2011

Not In Our Town- Light In The Darkness. A first class documentary explores the issues of bullying, prejudice and violence not as a preachy lesson but as a practical problem to solve. Unfortunately it took the violent death of a Latino immigrant in Patchogue, New York to let that community see the issue and come together to solve it. The film makers extensively interview the family of the victim, community leaders and especially the Town’s Mayor, Paul Pontieri. Through these interviews we can see that the whole town and even the bullies are victims of the prejudice and attitudes that lead to acts of violence as sport. The documentary quietly and effectively lets the townsfolk tell their stories. The key is to allow everyone to feel respected and involved in their community. The documentary is being shown on PBS and can be ordered at www.niot.org. Suitable for family viewing.  It is a Peggy’s Pick.

The Rum Diary. It is 1960 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The rum is flowing and The Caribbean is hot and sticky. Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) arrives to write for the local rag as a reporter. His editor (Richard Jenkins) wears a bad toupee and is ineptly trying to save the failing newspaper. Paul falls in with a Sala a news photographer who has the good sense to drink a lot of rum and drive a Fiat 500. Paul’s other crony is Moberg (Giovanni Ribisi) who has gone beyond rum drunk to drug addled as he listens to recordings of Hitler’s speeches. Paul is recruited to write a puff piece for shady developers with ties to the mob. The film’s story line is chaotic. But the story is really the characters and their drunken exploits. Fortunately the acting is quite good as Depp captures the spirit of his buddy, gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. The film is based on Thompson’s auto-biographical book. Rated R for language and adult content.

Anonymous. A beautifully photographed muddle of Elizabethan history and lore. Did William Shakespeare write his plays and poems? The film’s answer is definitely not. Will Shakespeare is an illiterate lout who enjoys drink and is a grand performer – but no author. The real author is the Earl of Oxford who is much entangled with the Tudors and dynastic intrigue. The film is historical bunk but is beautifully presented. It brings alive Tudor London and we should be grateful we cannot smell it, seeing it is enough. Vanessa Redgrave plays the old Queen and is a joy to watch as she captures her spirit. The film shuttles between two time periods and at times is hard to follow. It is worth a see as many snippets of Shakespeare’s plays are presented as they likely were in his time. Rated PG-13 for violence and adult content.