WCBE 90.5 FM: "Breach," "Children of Men"

WCBE 90.5 FM
It's Movie Time: "Breach," "Children of Men"
Co-hosted, produced & directed by John DeSando & Clay Lowe
Air Time: Friday, 3:01 pm and 8:01 pm, February 16, 2007
Streaming live on the web and on-demand at http://www.wcbe.org .

Clay

"Breach" is based on the true story of a religious zealot turned traitor . .

John

"Children of Men" is the Central Ohio Film Critics Association pick for best picture of 2006

HIT THEME MUSIC

Richelle:

"It's Movie Time" in Columbus with John DeSando and Clay Lowe. .

MUSIC BRIEFLY UP THEN SLOWLY DOWN AND OUT

John

I'm John DeSando . . .

Clay

I'm Clay Lowe . . .

John ("Breach")

Clay--go figure: FBI agent Robert Hanssen was the most notorious spy in American history. How could you make a dull movie out of this setup? Director Billy Ray has achieved the impossible:  Robert Hanssen’s capture in Breach is less interesting than Paris Hilton partying with Britney Spears, even with panties.

Clay

I prefer my LAMBCHOPS with panties.

John

Breach provides little character motivation or excitement.  If you consider getting Hanssen’s palm pilot contents or electronically sweeping his car exciting, then you haven’t seen Casino Royale or even The Good Shepherd, a slow thriller but a veritable potboiler by comparison.

Breach does succeed in depicting a depressing world of lies, failures, and conversations centering around whether or not an FBI career is worth it.  I suppose “Yes” if your job is going through X Files.  Otherwise, drive a truck.

Clay ("Breach")

Depressing world of lies and failures, John?  Well, of course - the movie's set in Washington.

But instead of being another political thriller about betrayal in high places - think this year's [2006 ?] The Sentinel with Michael
Douglas.  "Breach" is a colorless rendition of  Hanssen's real-life story of misplaced trust.

Fault not Chris Cooper, however, for failing to get a handle on what it was that made Agent Hanssen tick.  Fault the movie's writers instead. And fault the director who turns this intriguing tale into something dullish and bland.  Unfortunately, the movie's visual ambiance is also as dull and lifeless as  is the movie's narrative.

However, Ryan Phillipe is quite good as the young agent who outfoxes the fox.

John

And you—he’s as dull as the movie itself.

Clay (continues)

You're wrong . . .

And, Laura Linney turns in an impressive (ouch) imitation of Jodie Foster's character in Silence of the Lambs.

John ("Children of Men")

In 2027, women have been infertile for 18 years.

Clay

Someone fell asleep at the wheel.

John

An excellent addition to the sci-fi canon, Children of Men shows how everyone is out for  numero uno, except former British freedom fighter, Theo (Clive Owen), who tries to save the only surviving pregnant woman.

As always, it seems only one man can bring salvation, a scenario getting a bit worn by now.  Children of Men opened, after all, on Christmas day.

Director Alfonso Cuaron’s bleak visual design is inspired by Mad Max and Blade Runner; it is also the work of production designers keeping Theo in garbage, battered buildings, and burned-out vehicles.

Children of Men doesn’t nurture the big themes as much as I’d like because of the emphasis on visual design and sparse substantive dialogue.

Clay ("Children of Men")

Well, folks, director Curon, who also brought us Harry Potter and the Prisoner of  Azkahban, has turned his "Children of Men" into an equally fabulist film.  What a year this has been for the Mexican magical-realists - think also Pan's Labyrinth and Babel.

So, though set in and around London in environs that echo the earlier worlds of Dicken's Oliver Twist, Children of Men's real setting is in an imaginary world of darkling plains where human beings act out their final scene.

Clive Owens is brilliant as the movie's hero/anti-hero.  Michael Caine is superb as the hobitt-like wiseman whose forest retreat is the only sane place left in the world.

And special praise to Claire-Hope Ashitey, whose character carries within her womb the last great hope for humankind's survival.

But enough of gray walled FBI offices and end-of-the-world-scenarios, John, because it's grading time.

John

Holy Jalapenos,  Hooray.

"Breach" earns a C for not CARING about DRAMATIC intrigue . . .

Clay

"Breach" gets a "C"  because we never find out why COOPER's CHARACTER betrayed his COUNTRY . . .

John

"Children of Men" earns an A for ASTONISHING APOCALYPSE . . .

Clay

"Children of Men" gets an "A" because there ARE moviemakers who care . .

John

Clay, Hanssen’s doing 23 hours a day in solitary.   I doubt if ANYONE in the current Bush administration will do an hour of solitary for the BREACH in the Libby case.

“Once more unto the breach, dear friends.”

I’m outta here.

Clay

Solitary would be too good for them, John. They should be forced to share one cell, and one bar of soap.

I'm outta here too.

See you at the movies, folks.

HIT MUSIC, THEN UNDER FOR:

Richelle:

The Award-Winning "It's Movie Time" with John DeSando and Clay Lowe is written and produced by John DeSando and Clay Lowe in conjunction with 90.5 FM, WCBE in Columbus, Ohio.

HiT MUSIC, THEN DOWN AND OUT

Copyright 2007 John DeSando & Clay Lowe