Review of The Magdalene Sisters (2002) by Jennifer A — 24 Sep 2006

[b][i]Down in the Valley[/i][/b], directed by David Jacobson, stars Edward Norton as a thitysomething year old cowboy drifter named Harlan who winds up in the valley near Los Angeles where he meets a teenaged city girl named October (Evan Rachel Wood). A romance ensues, much to the chagrin of Rachel's father (played by David Morse). Norton's Harlan immediatly reminded me of the Jon Voight character in [i]Midnight Cowboy[/i], at least in a fish out of water kind of way. However I could never really buy into Norton as a "cowboy" which probably doomed this picture for me from the start. However if Norton's unconvincing cowboy act didn't completely ruin the film for me, the absurd last third of the film certainly did. Revisionist Western? Hah! This isn't a hidden gem folks, it's a rightfully ignored dud.

[b][i]Lord of War[/i][/b], directed by Andrew Niccol, is a dark satire of an American Arms dealer played by Nicholas Cage. Inspired by a true story, the film follows Yuri Orlov, played by the deadpan Cage, who is in top form here, as he travels to war-torn Third World countries making deal after deal, seemingly insulated from the carnage which surrounds him. Yuri's brother Vitali (Jared Leto) is his sometimes partner-in-crime, but is more found of drugs than arms dealing. Yuri marries the beautiful Ava (Bridget Moynahan) and showers her with gifts, never revealing how he makes his money. Ethan Hawke plays an INTERPOL agent pursuing Yuri. [b][i]Lord of War [/i][/b]is often funny, and yet often deeply disturbing because similar dealings continue to occur (including our own government) as if War is just another business, and to arms dealers it is. This is definitely Nicholas Cage's movie and he shines, it's a perfect role for him. However the rest of the cast isn't given much to work with, and the plot is sometimes muddled, meaning Cage has to carry the entire film. He does, but what could have been a great film is simply a good film that leaves you asking "what if.....".

[b][i]Syriana,[/i][/b] written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, the man who won an Oscar for the screenplay of [i]Traffic. [/i]Similar in scope to [i]Traffic[/i], multi-layered and multi-national, this time focusing on oil instead of the drug trade. However it's not nearly as cohesive as [i]Traffic, [/i]nor is it as compelling. The American Film Institute named this the best film of 2005, and the Academy awarded George Clooney the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. I was unimpressed. I didn't find the film stimulating or enertaining. One of 2005's big disappointments.

[b][i]The Magdalene Sisters[/i][/b], directed by Peter Mullan, takes a scathing look at one of the Catholic Church's most controversial institutions, the Magdalene Convent. Set in the early 1960's, it is here that young women are sent for sins ranging from being an unwed mother, flirting, or being the victim of a sexual assault. The women, mostly young, are treated like prisoners, stripped of their dignity, and forced to endure long hours of manual labor. Those who rebel are punished and degraded in wicked ways by the Nuns who run the institution. The film focuses on four young women: what they did to end up there, the ways they cope and endure, and how they plan on getting out. It's a shocking film, and a good one.