Home Media Magazine - January 13-19, 2007 - (Page 18)

REVIEWS I CIELO Street 1/22 Laguna, Drama, $24.95 DVD, NR. In Spanish with English subtitles. Stars Paulina Gaitan, Alan Chávez, Arcelia Ramírez, Giovanna Zacarías. www.homemediamagazine.com I EARLY AMERICA VIDEO ART GALLERY Street 1/22 Victory Multimedia, Special Interest, $19.95 DVD, NR. F ilms about runaway teens usually follow a familiar arc — a threat or upset at home, the first taste of freedom, and the falling in with some bad characters. Cielo runs along the same track, but features characters refreshingly different than the typically shallow depiction of teens. These characters’ innocent streak is stronger than their wild streak, and their adolescent foibles are reactions to adult-sized problems, not bratty explosions of hormones. After his father leaves, his mother dies and his end-of-her-rope sister considers sending him to boarding school, Gabriel (Chávez) takes to the street. A baby-faced 15-year-old, Gabriel finds refuge among the kind-hearted stall owners in the local market. One woman’s daughter, Cielo (Gaitan of Trade), takes a particular liking to him. Cielo’s cruel older brother, Gato, turns Gabriel into a petty crime slave, forcing Gabriel to steal to earn back his mother’s necklace that Gato stole from him. Eventually, petty crime turns into serious crime, and Gabriel is on the run. Though sometimes heavy on the melodrama and sentiment, Cielo wins you over with its realistic cast of characters (outside of Gato and his ridiculous band of pierced and dreadlocked alterna-criminals). Gabriel and Cielo react to their new love with kid-like wonder that thankfully still exists even at 15. Their first peck on the cheek leads to a day frolicking in a park fountain, not American Pie sexcapades. Their later professions of love are surprisingly believable. Gabriel’s sister is just as authentic; her worries and love come out as scolding and nagging. She’s just too young to know another way to deal with her troubled brother, especially when she too has lost her parents. Cielo is an excellent choice for audiences interested in both Mexican cinema and coming-of-age stories. It’s a realistic vision of teenagers that doesn’t pander to stereotypes, cheap laughs or exploitation. – Laura Tiffany here may be a great deal of history buffs with an interest in Early American art, and this DVD is right up their alley. But be warned; It’s not a documentary about the history behind some of America’s earliest art. Rather, it’s a 75-minute slideshow of pictures taken by folk art photographer Carole Holt (www.carolescountry. com), accompanied by a variety of music. Thrown in for good measure are some nature sound effects and an audio clip of Jeff Daniels reading The Gettysburg Address from the film Gettysburg. Interspersed between the portraits and paintings are photos of buildings and a variety of household objects from the period, plus a number of displays of fruit baskets. On its surface, the DVD’s seeming appeal is limited to a selection of art history majors. But anyone interested in using his or her television as living art should consider it too; the pieces should look great on a big-screen TV with a high-def upconverter. The DVD is designed with computer displays in mind as well and includes a link to the online Carole’s Country Store. – John Latchem T I SURVEILLANCE 24/7 Prebook 1/15; Street 3/4 Wolfe, Thriller, $24.95 DVD, NR. Stars Dawn Steele, Tom Harper, Sean Brenden Brosnan, Nicholas Jones, Simon Callow. S urveillance 24/7 is an earnest, well-meaning thriller that takes on far too many issues to be either exciting or comprehensible. The thrills and the plot are so diluted by all the important points trying to be made that none of the messages have any impact. Adam (Harper) has the worst onenight stand ever; his lover ends up dead the next morning, and he’s being pursued by the man’s murderers. Quicker than you can say “walk of shame,” Adam is embroiled in a cover-up that extends to the upper echelons of British government. His friends and family are in danger, his career is ruined by false allegations and he’s being followed at all times. Director Paul Oremland and writer Kevin Sampson had the makings of a decent thriller if only they’d focused on one issue. They’re making statements about the overabundance of surveillance cameras in the United Kingdom, the obscene power of the establishment and the Royal family, media circuses and homophobia. By the time they’re through and have delivered the big conspiracy, everything is so jumbled it feels as if there was no reveal at all. Harper gives a good performance — he ought to be in line for the next Hollywood heartthrob position — as does the rest of the cast. And Oremland’s use of actual surveillance footage is an interesting visual technique, but with a plot this muddled, it only leads to confusion rather than clarity or a meaningful statement on civil liberties. The real controversy of the plot — a Royal homosexual — feels like a non-issue, and perhaps that’s a cultural difference. Would it really be worth murder and cover-ups were a British prince gay? Controversy, media browbeating, harsh words — yes. Murder? We know the Brits take their monarchy seriously, but this seems ludicrous. Surveillance 24/7 is a small notch above many gay-themed, low-budget indies. As such, it may hold interest for gay cinema fans. – Laura Tiffany 18 Home Media Magazine January 13–19, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com

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Home Media Magazine - January 13-19, 2007

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