Screen Scenes

  Fox Searchlight Pictures Kate Winslet
plays a chambermaid who sees Geoffrey Rush’s true
genius in "Quills."

“Quills” Starring Geoffrey Rush, Michael
Caine and Kate Winslet Directed by Philip Kaufman

In the late 17th century, the Marquis de Sade stunned the world
with his scathing language and scandalous novels concerning
shocking subjects like necrophilia and pederasty. Two hundred years
later, the Marquis de Sade comes to life in “Quills” to
rattle and arouse audiences once again. Set in post-revolutionary
France, “Quills” tells the tale of de Sade (Geoffrey
Rush), a prolific and legendary author of provocative and erotic
tales. Locked up in an insane asylum, de Sade lives in relative
comfort, writing his novels of seduction and scandal as madness and
insanity go on around him. Rush is amazing at conveying the many
dimensions and stages that his character goes through in the film.
With every word and gesture, he masterfully portrays the madman and
conveys the genius that lights the fire behind his eyes. With the
consent of Abbe de Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix), de Sade purges
himself onto the page, writing out his fantasies in the hopes that
his thoughts won’t rule over him in reality. Using the help
of Madeleine (Kate Winslet), a chambermaid who sees de Sade’s
real genius, his novels are smuggled out of the asylum and
published, infiltrating the world and lives of others. When the
writer’s words reach Napoleon, the Marquis is silenced. The
king calls on Dr. Royer Collard (Michael Caine) to treat de Sade
and put an end to his writing. Nevertheless, the effects of de
Sade’s writing continue influencing and changing lives
forever. Winslet gives a moving performance as Madeleine, a girl
torn between fantasy and reality. Caine’s Dr. Royer Collard
is also notable, but the character lacks the villainous depth of a
man truly looking to cleanse the soul of de Sade.
“Quills” is full of both heartache and love, making a
film that evokes the senses and moves the audience from laughter to
tears. The themes of the power of expression and the freedom that
comes from it are deeply rooted in the story, showing the triumph
of the human spirit. Although not in the same vein as the
traditional feel-good fare that abounds in the holiday season,
“Quills” is a good movie that has its moments, often
digging deeper into its audience with its images and content,
giving them something completely original and fascinating to watch.
Jaqueline Maar Rating: 8

“Unbreakable” Starring Bruce Willis, Samuel
L. Jackson and Robin Wright Penn Directed by M. Night
Shyamalan

The intriguing trailers for the film would lead audiences to
believe that “Unbreakable” would match the critical
acclaim of writer/director M. Night Shyamalan’s last film,
“The Sixth Sense.” Unfortunately, however,
Shyamalan’s latest contribution to Hollywood falls short of
expectations. In “Unbreakable,” Bruce Willis plays
David Dunn, the sole survivor of a devastating train wreck. Given
this second chance at life, Dunn reexamines the purpose of his
existence and finds that his chosen occupation as a security guard
is very appropriate given his keen and uncanny protective
instincts. Questioning the turn of fate that allowed him to walk
away unharmed from a horrific accident, Dunn is offered a bizarre
explanation from the eccentric and enigmatic Elijah Price (Samuel
L. Jackson), a comic book art dealer who suffers from a rare
condition that leaves his bones as fragile as glass. Both men
undergo journeys of self-discovery, attempting to find a place in
life for their unique characteristics. Along the way, Willis
repairs his relationships with wife (Robin Wright Penn) and
12-year-old son (Spencer Treat Clark). What ensues is a less than
edge-of-your-seat suspense movie that can be reduced to a simple
and predictable conflict between good and evil. Besides this
conflict, a number of other contrasts surface throughout the film:
weakness and strength, imagery of dark and light, confusion and
clarity. Though the movie tries to carry a thought-provoking theme
by motivating the audience to reconsider their own roles in life,
the power of the delivery is lost in a confusion of comic book
references that Shyamalan relies on to tie the plot together. In
the wake of his first box-office smash, it seems as if Shyamalan
has found his winning formula and decided to reproduce it: Willis
plus an earnest young actor (Clark) who can deliver sincere,
tear-filled lines, combined with an eerie, supernatural power and a
few sensational plot twists, and ““ boom! ““ you’ve
got yourself a hit. Even without comparing the film to its superior
predecessor, “Unbreakable” still doesn’t manage
to deliver. For the most part, it moves too slowly, up until a
major plot twist fails to shock the audience after its significant
build-up. The film’s saving grace proves to be the powerful
performances by Willis and Jackson. Shyamalan, however,
demonstrates that there’s a fine line between having a
signature style and merely repackaging something old and passing it
off as original. Kristen Lara Rating: 5

“Yi Yi” Starring Nienjen Wu, Jonathan Chang
and Elaine Jin Directed by Edward Yang

Even with they are a prosperous middle-class family, the
characters of “Yi Yi” feel trapped by life and
relationships. This profound film by Edward Yang surpasses cultural
boundaries by displaying universal truths. Symbolic of the path
each one of us must take alone, the title itself translates from
Chinese to “one-one” or “individually.”
“Yi Yi” immerses audiences in the lives of a
middle-class family and the various adventures they encounter in
their journeys through life. Mortality, spirituality and humanity
are the themes behind the emotional tale of regret, sorrow, hope
and love. NJ Jian (Nienjen Wu), working for a computer hardware
firm, takes a journey that enables him to realize the true meaning
of second chances and loyalty in both work and love. His wife
Min-Min (Elaine Jin) views her life as empty and meaningless, and
goes off to a religious retreat, only to find that everything she
needed was right at home. She realizes that she must change her
perception of things and take control of life in order to enjoy it.
Min-Min’s younger brother Yang-Yang (Jonathan Chang) must
deal with school troubles. In addition to trying to identify the
truth of life and people’s psyche, he must also survive his
first crush. In many ways, Yang-Yang is a miniature sage who
represents the truths in life. Upon receiving a camera from his
father, he makes an innocent statement about how people cannot see
from behind them, so they only know half the truth. Therefore he
feels he must help them see the other half. NJ Jian’s teenage
daughter Ting-Ting (Kelly Lee), realizes the hard facts of love and
betrayal, while Min-Min’s irresponsible brother A-Di,
(Xisheng Chen) wrestles with ongoing debt and his choice for a
bride. The movie makes a statement about the petty problems that
consume the characters’ lives ““ school bullies, debt
and lost opportunities. Lost in life’s daily chores, they
don’t realize that the greatest mystery lies in life itself.
Yang has created a film that speaks to the to the very core of
humanity. It is a story about finding truth in life and in death.
Aphrodite Manousos Rating: 7