Rosenbush Cafe

Simone and Biancho

Simone de bon de Bont, foreground, and Bianco Banco Kittery, of the Maine Kitteries, and all members of the Milo Institute for Feline Well-Being, have reserved our banquet room for their Democatic and Republicatic conventions. Topics will include: proposals to boycat products from China until stricter regulations on the level of poisons is reduced to less than 0.0001 percent, health care COLAs, pros and cats of Left Wing and Right Wing catastrophes and the impact on the animal vote, and encouraging all animal owners to vote in the ‘08 Presidential Election. China and the U.S. trade laws need to be changed, says fellow feline, Kitya Coy, who lost fur worrying about the sudden increase in poisons and date rape drugs in products aimed at children, pets and the elderly. “There is something awful screwy around here,” he coyly adds.

Smiling Citizens

When we all said the Pledge of Allegiance following the ceremony to bestow American Citizenship on 24 men and women, November 26 in Charleston, SC, I felt the pride we Americans feel for our country. These immigrants represented 22 countries and all continents except Australian! Democracy may not appeal to all people but when you see the faces of people who wanted to become Americans it is a precious moment. When the new year begins and the fees go from $300 to $1,400 and the waiting period two years with new rules it is unlikely any illegal immigrants will take the arduous journey of legal immigration. Considering the state of affairs in this nation founded on immigrants it is sad to see that division among those who want to be here legally and those who do not. At least for a few hours in late November I saw the dream of continuing life in American reach fruition.

Oscar Worthy perf from Javier Bardem

Hit man Anton Chigurh leaves few survivors in the Coen Brother’s excellent, but challenging, No Country for Old Men Miramax Pictures Photo

Reviewed by Henry B. Rosenbush

In the era of film making when there is too much imitation and overblown sequels and unnecessary remakes overwhelm the marketplace it is always invigorating to find a movie daring to reinvent the genre, in this case film noir with the Coen Brothers film, No Country for Old Men.

One of the many rewards was the Carter Burwell score which, like the the desert setting, is unobtrusive and sparingly involved in the film. It is logical to let the story unfold sans music and indeed many composers would probably have scored something bombastic as is often heard in action movie.

No deception, this an unsubtle movie created ingeniously with all the elements of the best westerns combining film noir equally with everything except a femme fatale, but more on the femme later.

As is often the case in films of this ilk, someone does something unintelligent, lives are lost and every one effected and living at the end credits inexorably changed. Based on the best seller by Pulitzer Prize winner Cormac McCarthy, NCFOM has roots in 1980 Texas, although actually filmed in New Mexico, and begins eerily with two separate stories introduced and anchored by local sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) whose perf evoked the pathos surrounding him.

Photographed by Roger Deakins with attention for even the palette of colors found in the surrounding desert, the cinematography is superb. The natural sounds and sights of the terrain only add to the foreboding and unforgiving world that engulfs the characters.
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Welcome to the Gloom

Anton (Konstantin Khabensky), above, searches the “gloom” for the ‘Chalk of Fate’ capable of rewriting history in Fox Searchlight Picture’s sequel to Timur Bekmambetov’s Russian hit Night Watch, Day Watch. Khabensky plays the rat catcher in Bekmambetov’s Wanted, reviewed in El Cine, June 29. 2008

Some movies are more suited for the small screen experience of television than in theaters; Day Watch (Dnevnoi Dozor) is not one of them. Although frustrating viewing in DVD format (it is at least Letterboxed) here is a film that deserved a bigger American audience than most of the terrible films thrust upon the public. Expect graphic violence, adult themes, profanity, brief nudity and jet black humor.

These films are part of an unfinished trilogy by director Timur Bekmambetov and are those wonderful kind of movies that defy critics and mainstream audiences to categorize and synop them. Both films reinvent well trodden genres such as science fiction time travel, fantasy, vampire flick and sword and sorcery epics while serving visuals that are as beautiful as they are confusing! Both are available on DVD, with DW offered in Russian with English subtitles. NW has a dual disc; one side in English dubbed by Russian actors with good ESL skills and the other side the original Russian language version.

What makes them more than just the usual science fiction film pitting good (Night Watch) versus evil (Day Watch) characters is the depth of folklore and mythology contained within the scenario. Without divulging too, much a truce between the two former warring factions is about to end leading to Armageddon. Smoothly filmed, acted with genuine talent and loaded with enough FX to satiate even the hungriest action fan, both films provide plenty of deeper psychological meaning for serious viewers.

Expect questions left unanswered in NW; much is explained in DW. Plenty of thrills highlighted by a Mazda driving across the windows of a highrise apartment complex, an arresting view of decimated Moscow, a neat transgendered subplot brimming with pathos, humor and romance and the villian bullwhipping cars into the air with electric power lines!

Yes, he does!

As expected in such a massive story line the second film circumvents the beginning and key elements of the first and in doing so creates a satisfying conclusion that is profound and unexpected. A third planned film is now on hold as Bekmambetov prepares for next summer’s Wanted with James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie toplining.

Trevor T'aloof (Pic by Kara Mia Pia)

Trevor T’aloof, our feline football fan this week hails from Greer, South Carolina and is an avid fan of both football and women’s figure skating. He makes a bold prediction in the match up of the 17th ranked Crimson Tide as they host number 3 LSU. Expect a wild weekend in Tuscaloosa as the SEC West Conference is decided by this game. “I’ve heard the hype surrounding the Alabama LSU game this weekend and it appears everyone has given the win to the Tigers. They all have to suit up and play the game and if Alabama is ever going to earn respect in Southeastern Conference and indeed the national spotlight they have to rise up and take control of their destiny. This will be the game. Final score? 38-30 Alabama wins.” Kickoff is 4 p.m. CST in Bryant-Denny Stadium with CBS Televising. We will cover the pre-game tailgating live from The Henry Apartments and Rosenbush Cafe will be serving Ice Cold Beer! Roll Tide.