Beauty and the Beast

Release Year: 1991

Director: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise

Review: At the very peak of classic Disney lies 'Beauty and the Beast', garnering not only near universal praise, but also a rare Academy Award nomination for an animated film.  It's a film that I look back on as being a pillar in my adoration for Disney films.  A tightly packaged, well paced drama full of heart with just enough humor thrown in to keep it light.  From the music to the richly envisioned cast of characters the film draws you in and invests you in the unlikely romance of Belle and the Beast.  It may not be the fist take on the classic story, but Disney gets it right.  So many times memories of beloved films from childhood are tarnished when they are re-watched as an adult, but Disney films are different.  They are quality movies that don't pander, and can be enjoyed by any audience.
Rating: 4/5

Lee Rock (Wu yi tan zhang: Lei Luo zhuan)

Release Year: 1991

Director: Lawrence Ah Mon

Review: A new cop recruit goes from the bottom to the top in a span of just a few years, and loses all his morals along the way.  This is the first part of a trilogy following the rise and fall of Lee Rock.  Rock has to choose between sticking to his convictions about bribes and corruption, or join in to succeed.  While at first he resists, once he becomes desperate for money while trying to marry his love interest, he caves in and becomes as bad as the rest.

The biggest problem I had with this was that I'm not entirely sure why I should be rooting for Rock.  He is arrogant, greedy and not even all that charismatic.  It doesn't take much for him to go from the guy who would never take a bribe, to the one demanding the most money.  It seems the film is trying very hard to be the Hong Kong Godfather, only it doesn't work in the least.  There doesn't seem to be any values in Rock whatsoever, and there are no consequences for his decisions.  If I am to side with the "bad guy", at least make him complex enough to hold my interest.

Perhaps the lack of dimension in the plot could be excused if I was having a good time.  But, it really was a pretty dull movie.  The few fight scenes were not all to great and usually featured Rock being beaten to a pulp before someone else came and rescued him.  I really was enjoying the first 20 or so minutes where we were first starting to be introduced to Rock, but then they went in a completely new, and entirely uninteresting direction.

This was a thrills action movie which reached to high and came out empty.  The corruption and inner police conflict was a mess which never really amounted to anything of consequence.  Perhaps the series is saved in the sequels, but based on the first movie I can't get behind Lee Rock, and thus the movie fails.

Rating: 2/5

The Commitments

Release Year: 1991
Review: About the formation of an Irish soul band, 'The Commitments' is an endearing, entertaining and often funny ride full of great music. While the story isn't anything all that new or interesting, having the expected ups and downs dealing with bands, the movie is mesmerizing to watch none the less. Using real musicians as the leads it feels like you are watching the creation of an actual band. This turns out to be partly accurate since many of the actors in the film took part in band of the same name and are still playing today. The music is fantastic. The vocals by Andrew Strong are incredible. It's the believability and sincere performances that make this one of the best 'band movies' ever.
Rating: 4/5

The Up Series

Release Year: 1964-2005
Review: A documentary following the lives of fourteen children from Britain coming from various walks of life in attempt to measure the impact of social class on their lives. The series starts introducing the kids at the age of seven, and revisits them every seven years for updates on their lives. The series is a fascinating, voyeuristic, view on how average people live, work and age. It is engrossing to be able to watch the lives of these people unfold. Expectations from the childhood are either realized or go tragically awry. The every day struggles that face everyone, such as the struggle to find steady work, marriage problems, and raising a family are all explored in the film simply by taking a look into these people's lives. The 'Up Series' is an important documentary which sheds light on human growth, the impact of class background and a slew of other human behavioral issues. Besides its importance, the documentary is also sheer entertainment. Once you watch one you will want to watch the entire series out of curiosity. The participants are all unique and interesting in their own way, its hard not to have a favorite. This is a monumental documentary and should be required viewing as so much can be learned about life from it.
Rating: 5/5

Raise the Red Lantern

Release Year: 1991

Review: A moving film, by director Yimou Zhang, about a young girl forced into the life of a concubine after her father dies. Gong Li is magnificent in her role, playing the emotionally torn concubine, Songlian, beautifully. The cinematography is simple, yet beautiful, showing how powerful the use of color can be. This is a great film and shouldn't be overlooked.

Rating: 4/5