To Die For

Gus Van Sant, 1995 (8.9*)
For director Gus Van Sant, (My Own Private Idaho, Drugstore Cowboy, Elephant) this is about as light as he's ever gotten, and this is still a black comedy. Nicole Kidman wonderfully (and hilariously) plays a woman who will do anything to get ahead in her television job, including recruiting some local teens to off her boring husband so she isn't involved directly.

She plays a local weather lady, who often changes her appearance to remain fashionable, as she has her sights set on bigger jobs, such as news anchor. One gets the feeling that she'd like to change husbands or men about as often; when one becomes a tired accessory, and divorce is so messy.. This is not a deep movie, but it is a refreshing comedy about murder, with a perfect cast. Buck Henry adapted Joyce Maynard's novel for the screen.

The supporting cast is pretty good: Matt Dillon, Joaquin Phoenix, Casey Affleck, Illeana Douglas, and Dan Hedaya.

I was quite surprised that Kidman didn't get an Oscar® nomination for this part, which was equal parts comedy and homicidal madness, as her character seemed genuinely lost in a reality of her own imagination. She showed more versatility and spunk than any other part she's had. She did win a Golden Globe, for best actress in a comedy or musical, and won seven awards overall for her performance.

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Milk

Gus Van Sant, 2008 (8.9*)
Terrific and inspiring film from Gus Van Sant (Drugstore Cowboy) about politician Harvey Milk, brilliantly played here by Sean Penn, who really captures his mannerisms. I was in SF when all this happened, and I was appalled by U.S. voters. The U.S. Constitution protects the state from religious domination - religions have freedom but cannot interfere in government, and vice versa; just the way you want it. Democracy does not give a majority the right to suppress the rights of minorities; we set up our system to protect all individuals in spite of their beliefs. The Webster definition of bigotry begins "opposing someone primarily on the basis of religion". Anita Bryant is featured in Milk in documentary footage, and seems to preach the religion of bigotry and hatred (and sounds eerily like the Nazis). Milk realized all this and fought for gay rights as an American Constitutionalist, so he was either going to win or American was going to lose its foundation.

First an aimless corporate worker in New York when gay men were forced into the closet, he moves to San Francisco, looking for a more open attitude. There he becomes a storeowner and facing daily bigotry even there, decides to try to change at least the city government, so that at least one city would be safe for homosexuals. We see him start his political trail by gaining the support of other minority groups, and eventually becomes the first openly gay politician to get elected, to a city council seat.

This is based on the Oscar winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk, but Van Sant makes it into a mythic fable of freedom and American democratic folklore, as it should be. Much of this is due to the cast: Sean Penn won an Oscar® for best actor. Oscar®-nominee Josh Brolin as Dan White, was terrifying as the voice of middle-class morality, who resort to guns and violence when they fail to get their way. Milk has the ring of a Capra film, with normal citizens taking steps to make government listen to their rights. Best of all: it’s a true story. Everyone who believes in freedom or just great films should see this one!

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Drugstore Cowboy

Gus Van Sant, 1989 (9.8*)
[Our 400th review - I was saving a great one]

This is just about the perfect anti-drug film. Matt Dillon, really in his element here as a disaffected youth without any goal in life other than getting high, leads a small group of junkie friends, including girlfriend Kelly Lynch in her best role, in robbing pharmacies in order to get the drugs. They use a number of ruses to pull some robberies, and they’ll take anything within reach, then later swap the stuff they don’t want with other drug users in their network.

This is a sordid and grisly story, but is somehow made hypnotic (the perfect cast helped a lot) by director Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting), in his masterpiece, adapted from an unpublished manuscript that he bought from a convict in prison which recounts his life on the outside as a habitual drug user. This also has some funny dialogue revolving around the everyday delusions and phobias of the characters, such as Dillon’s paranoia about a hat on the bed, his ultimate harbinger of bad tidings. This has the look of a small indie film, yet sends a more powerful jolt than big budget projects. Along with Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream (2000), the best films about drug abuse ever made.

Quote: Didn’t I always tell ya, never put a hat on the bed?

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Good Will Hunting

Gus Van Sant, 1997 (9.0*)
Superb acting and an Oscar-winning screenplay by co-stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who wrote the screenplay to get parts for themselves as actors, and they end up with an Oscar apiece for writing – now that’s Hollywood! Damon plays a janitor at MIT who solves a difficult math problem left on a hallway blackboard just because he can.

When discovered, the professors get psychologist Robin Williams, in an Oscar winning supporting role, to attempt to pull Damon out of his shell and use his potential. Minnie Driver is excellent as the romantic interest, receiving an Oscar nomination, as did Damon for Best Actor). Affleck is funny in a supporting role. Director Gus van Sant (Drugstore Cowboys, My Own Private Idaho) has made a small masterpiece, and his most appealing film. Two Oscars (would've been more in any non-Titanic year)

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