WCBE 90.5 FM - "Sideways," "Vera Drake," "The Polar Express"

WCBE #191-FINAL
IT'S MOVIE TIME with John DeSando & Clay Lowe
Producer/Director: Richelle Antczak, WCBE

Reviews:“Sideways,” “Vera Drake,” “The Polar Express”
Taped: 4:30 pm, November 10, 2004
Air Time: 3:01 pm and 8:01 pm, November 12, 2004
Streaming live on the web at http://www.wcbe.org.

The Script:

Clay
“Sideways” is the story of two buddies cross-ways with love . . .

John
"Vera Drake” is the best abortion debate in years . . .

Clay
“The Polar Express” will break the ice in order to get to Santa . . .

MUSIC UP AGAIN, THEN UNDER FOR:

Richelle Antczak
“It's Movie Time” in Mid-Ohio, with John DeSando and Clay Lowe . . .

MUSIC UP, THEN UNDER AND SLOWLY DOWN AND OUT

DeSando
I'm John DeSando

Clay
And I'm Clay Lowe.

John (“Sideways”)
Clay—Here's a performance topped this year only by Jamie Foxx’s “Ray”:  Paul Giamatti as Miles in “Sideways.”  He’s the essence of everyman with too many “miles” already logged on his middle age.  Miles is lost in his wine, for which he has an impressive palette.  

Miles and his buddy, Jack, embark on a picaresque journey to the wine country in a variation of the ritualistic “bachelor party” for Jack.  He wants this to be a celebration for Miles as well—he says, "My best man gift to you will be to get you laid."

Miles’ explanation of his interest in pinot noir reveals director Alexander Payne’s carefully figurative parallel to Miles’ character. Miles says, "It's a hard grape to grow. It's thin-skinned, temperamental. It's not a survivor like Cabernet that can grow anywhere, and thrive even when neglected. Pinot needs constant care and attention."

That's wine and character in an impressive script.

“Here’s looking at you, Kid,” "In vino veritas," and all that.

Clay (“Sideways”)
And here’s to inebriant truth to you too, John. But I must confess, I share not your taste for fine wine nor fine food. I do, however, share your literary affection for old Dionysus and his Latin cohort, that great drunken god, Lord Bacchus. Oh the passions they have aroused, where would we be without them? [Not here on WCBE, that’s for sure, because we’re in LOVE with what we’re doing.]

And I do share with you, and my grandson, your passion for the films of Alexander Payne, who has now brought us, not one, but two great misanthropic performances. That of Giamatti in “Sideways,” and that of Jack Nicholson, in “About Schmidt.” Has any director ever had the the pleasure of directing two more lovable grouches?

So, folks, if fine wine and the chance for romance is the kind of thing your looking for, then you’re going love taking this droll stroll with grumpy Giamatti, and his delightful friends, as they drink, think, and leisurely make on their way through the vineyards of Santa Barbara.

John (“Vera Drake”)
Clay, Mike Leigh's" Vera Drake" is about an abortionist who is a care giver for young women "in trouble," her neighborhood, and her family. Abortion propels the plot, but family is the heart of the tale.

Imelda Staunton will be nominated more than once for her incomparable performance as a London charwoman in 1950 so honest that when she performs her abortions, in between her regular care giving duties, I felt there was nothing amiss in this perfect world. Only the most discerning and detached audience could consider she is too oblivious to the danger of what she does and the felony she has been committing for almost 20 years.

The arguments for and against abortion are subtly and briefly made; "Roe vs. Wade" is still in danger despite this film.

But Leigh's real genius is in the character of the family, which struggles between generations to understand abortion but must stand behind this loving mother.

HIT CD: “THE POLAR EXPRESS” (CUT 14: “SUITE FROM THE POLAR EXPRESS”), ESTABLISH, THEN UNDER FOR

Clay (“The Polar Express”)
Well, folks, there’s no loving mother in “The Polar Express,” but there is a loving Santa. And if you’re a young boy, who has begun to suspect that that jolly old man simply doesn’t exist, then you might be willing to hop on board when The Polar Express comes rumbling to a stop one cold and snowy night, [right outside of your bedroom window]. “All Aboard,” you hear from the conductor, and all aboard you go. Direction due north, destination, North Pole.

That the young boy, the father, the conductor, and Santa himself all bear a strange resemblance to Tom Hanks, is not the fault of your imagination. For the animation in this movie was based on capturing the facial characteristics of this multi-talented actor. That it doesn’t all work is not the fault of the acting. Something there is about surface reality, no matter how accurate, that is unable to reflect the nuances of human characters.

“The Polar Express” is faithful to the visual surfaces of the book’s original illustrations, but the magic released in children’s minds when they hear the words read aloud, has not been matched by the images they see on screen. The moral: don’t trade in your book for the DVD.

But enough of my CGI bashing, John, it’s grading time.

MUSIC DOWN AND OUT/HIT DRUMS

John
Hooray!

"Sideways" earns an "A" because I "ALWAYS" put my bottles "SIdeways" . . .

.

Clay
“Sideways” gets an “A” because its the CALL of the wild that keeps ALL of us coming AROUND . . .

John
"Vera Drake" earns an "A" because ABORTION is a divisive AMERICAN ARGUMENT . . .

Clay
“Vera Drake” gets an “A,” because her ANGST is long and dark . . .

And “The Polar Express” gets a “B” because one single sleigh--BELL is worth more than a thousand CGI elves . . .

John
If your Polar Express will deliver me to French wine country, get me a ticket. To hell with kids' presents. I'm outta here.

Clay
You are a Big Bad Santa, DeSando, and your Bi-Polar Express is bound to take YOU to hell.

See you at the movies, folks.

HIT CD: “THE POLAR EXPRESS” (CUT 3: “ROCKIN’ ON TOP OF THE WORLD” - STEVE TYLER), ESTABLISH, THEN UNDER FOR

Richelle:
The Award Winning "It's Movie Time" with John DeSando and Clay Lowe is produced by Richelle Antczak in conjunction with 90.5 FM, WCBE in Columbus 106.7 FM in Newark, WYSO, etc.

MUSIC UP AND OUT

Copyright 2004 by John DeSando & Clay Lowe