Country Life adapts Chekov's Uncle Vanya to the Australian outback in the early 20th century. The excellent cast is headed by Kerry Fox, whose Sally is the heart of the film. She toils, unappreciated and with an unrequited crush on the local doctor (Sam Neill), on her father's farm with her uncle (John Hargreaves), while her father (writer/director Michael Blakemore) lives off the farm's earnings as a theater critic in London. Neill's Dr. Askey is an independent, lonely drunk who holds forth eloquently on rejecting the British culture imposed on Australia and celebrating its native flora, fauna, and culture -- not sentiments the loyalist locals appreciate much. All kinds of simmering resentments boil over when the prodigal father returns to assess the money-making potential of the farm, bringing with him his younger, flirtatious wife. With this cast and with the clever notion of combining the emerging culture of Australia with a classic play, the film should have been better than it is; it moves a little sluggishly, and though some scenes are marvelous (you can almost see Fox's heart shrivel when she's rejected), nothing is really outstanding. Still, not a bad rental.
Lord Jim finds Peter O'Toole once again playing a British adventurer who makes the liberation struggle of a foreign people his own. In this dashing adaptation of Joseph Conrad's novel, O'Toole's Jim spends the rest of his life living down one act of cowardice, helping what I think were Cambodians fight against French colonizers. It's a good adventure yarn, if a little overlong and melodramatic.
Enemy of the State's pandering to the lowest common denominator is announced right away in the opening credits, which look like the previews for "World's Greatest Police Chases." It's a shame this is such a stupid movie, because some of the issues it raises (but never resolves) about personal privacy versus national security resonate even more now. But director Tony Scott isn't interested in policy concerns so much as he wants stuff to blow up. He does make use of some unusual DC locations, which is nice to see. Gene Hackman was obviously recruited to star as a surveillance expert to wring comparisons to The Conversation, but rest assured, his presence and his occupation are the only similarities. No one in this movie acquits himself well.
Blood Simple's restored version features a plummy introduction from a (fake) film preservationist that's funny enough to be in a Christopher Guest film. The noir story holds up well and shows the first glimpses of the Coen brothers' artful cinematography and off-beat sense of humor. Definitely worth renting even if you've seen it before.
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