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3 Needles
As members of the LGBT community we've all probably seen
our fair share of AIDS-related movies by now. But this ambitious
film attempts to link the stories of the AIDS epidemic on
three continents so that we can recognize how the pandemic
exists on a global scale. Unfortunately, the stories—set
in Canada, China and South America—never seem to gel
and make a cohesive whole. It's got a crackerjack cast of
talents (Stockard Channing, Lucy Liu, Olympia Dukakis), and
some of the shots are simply gorgeous, but this does little
to help connect the three separate stories being told. If
director Thom Fitzgerald wants to educate and make people
aware, he's succeeded, but Needles—while well-meaning
and sometimes powerful—ultimately suffers under the
very weight of its own heavy subject matter. Extras: Interesting
interviews with the cast and a pair of documentaries: one
about AIDS abroad, and the other here in the United States. —Wally
King
 The Queen
Stephen Frears' superb docudrama The Queen offers real insight
to the British royal family, and Helen Mirren injects Queen
Elizabeth with a humanity we would not otherwise be privy
to. Without a doubt, this is Mirren's picture (as her bevy
of awards testify), but Michael Sheen shouldn't be overlooked
entirely for his portrayal of Prime Minister Tony Blair.
There isn't much plot to follow here (the royal family's
varying reactions to Diana's tragic death) but, as viewers,
we're mesmerized, and aspiring thesps should take note: Mirren
offers a master class in acting subtlety. It's surprising
how wrapped up in this film you become—even more so
at home in DVD form—even though you already know the
outcome. Extras: An audio commentary and a “making
of” segment. But what it really needs is a blooper
reel. How fun would it have been to see sassy real-life Helen
Mirren break her regal character and let loose a rip-roaring
laugh or an F-bomb? —W.K.
Volver
Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar continues his unparalleled
winning streak with his 2006 release Volver. At once a rollicking
ghost story and an ode to womanhood, Volver also pays homage
to films as disparate as Arsenic and Old Lace and Two Women
while the plot unfolds like a telenovella. As the protective,
resourceful mother Raimunda, Penélope Cruz gives a
full-bodied (and I’m not just referring to her ample
cleavage and much-discussed padded derriere) performance
that resulted in her first Oscar nomination. The rest of
the mostly female ensemble (including the wonderful Carmen
Maura—reunited with the director for the first time
in nearly two decades—as Raimunda’s possibly
deceased mother) work at the same level. No one else today
writes such interesting, rich roles for female actors, and,
in an unprecedented move, six women from Volver shared the
best actress award at last year’s Cannes film festival.
Extras: The director and his leading lady offer a feature-length
commentary (thankfully, also subtitled) that reaffirms Almodóvar
as a master craftsman and shows how well-considered the screenplay
is. Various interviews including one with Cruz, who reveals
working with Almodóvar was a career-long goal. —Jeremy
Kinser
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