The Music Within (2007)

Premise: A young speaker seeks his destiny, but finds it by losing his hearing.

Stars: Ron Livingston * Melissa George * Michael Sheen * Hector Elizondo

Story: Richard Pimentel (Livingston) discovers he has a gift for public speaking at a young age, but is turned away from a scholarship contest due to a perceived lack of heart. He heads off to Vietnam, getting wounded in the process. Losing his hearing, he works on learning how to pretend he can still hear by reading lips and developing other skills. He befriends a disabled artist (Sheen) who has cerebral palsy and falls in love with a freethinker (George). By defending his friend in various encounters, he learns what was meant earlier - his passion is helping people who can't help themselves. Pimentel becomes one of the chief proponents of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which became law under President George H. W. Bush.

Review: The film is a nice biopic/character study of Richard Pimentel, a famous activist for the rights of the disabled. Livingston is a decent character actor (Office Space, Band of Brothers) and performs admirably, but Sheen's work as Art Honeyman really shines. Melissa George is basically a cypher for Livingston, providing a bridge between his college years and his activist work, but contributes little to the film other than a brief love affair that ends badly.

Unfortunately, as with nearly all biopics, the film is saddled with stereotypes: the friend that dies, the addiction (in this case it's the activism) that destroys a relationship, the failed love, the self-destructive period, the successful ending. These cliches overlay the film with a sense of dullness, making the performance of Livingston and Sheen the only reason worth watching the film. The film becomes almost instantly forgettable otherwise.

Overall: Mediocre

Links: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes

I'm Not There (2007)

Other Sites: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes

Premise: Alternative-style biopic of musician Bob Dylan

Directed by: Todd Haynes

Stars: Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Marcus Carl Franklin, Ben Whishaw

Review: The movie tells a story of the life of Bob Dylan in a pastiche of different eras as portrayed by different actors, filmed in different visual styles and in non-linear fashion. While each actor portrays a character with a different name, such as Pastor John for Bale, Woody for Franklin, etc., the events and happenings are all ascribed to Dylan.

With the songs and lyrics of Dylan's songs framing each section, as well as playing in the background, one becomes immersed in what could be Dylan's own narrative - reminiscing on life as a young runaway calling himself Woody Guthrie, or an older version of himself as an outlaw Billy the Kid. These vignettes are intersticed with scenese from Dylan at his height or on his way up. The discordant notes struck by the switch from scene to scene highlight the nature of Dylan's lyrics which tend to have uneven ups and downs.

It's an interesting movie. I'm not a big Dylan fan, but there are songs I love - "Like a Rolling Stone", "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", a few others. Of course now, it's tinged with a bit of sadness after Ledger's passing (the reason I picked it up) as Ledger plays the part of Dylan's life where he was struggling through a divorce and custody battle with his wife (reminiscent of Ledger's split with Michelle Williams). The movie closes with a scene of Dylan playing the harmonica.

If you like Dylan, watch it. If you like one of the actors, then watch it. If you want to see a film that requires multiple viewings just to comprehend - the movie fights the notion of 'easily digesting in one sitting' as much as it can - then watch it. If you want to watch a movie that will provoke a few discussions, it's for you.

Overall: Good.