Change Your Image
rzusman
Reviews
The Man from Earth (2007)
Boring and not very original
I'm not sure why this is (currently) rated an 8.1 I've seen this theme done at least twice before - once as a Twilight Zone episode (and far better, I should add), and once as a Star Trek TOS episode (Requiem for Methuselah). There are some interesting ideas, but the wooden acting and glacial pacing make it hard to watch. I guess if you haven't seen either of the previous, superior shows, than you might think that this was something special. As it is, it's pretty sophomoric. At least Bixby didn't give in to some of the most obvious plot temptations, like injuring John to watch him heal. Of course, he couldn't resist killing off the only character to finally change his mind.
(Untitled) (2009)
What is Art? What is Music? This film looks at those questions insightfully.
We saw this at the 2009 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Adam Goldberg plays a composer whose music is as far from commercial or accessible as possible. His brother is a very commercially successful artist who longs for recognition by the art community. They are both attracted to Madeleine, the beautiful and smart owner of an art gallery, who understands the difference between the artistic and commercial worlds in both art and music. The two brothers use Madeleine as the pivot of their balance, as each tries to achieve what they desire - commercial success for one and artistic appreciation for the other. Set in the heart of the art scene in New York, this film has the ring of truth - from the artist with Asperger' who labors over where to hang his work (a single pushpin placed on a blank wall), to the rich, clueless art collector who buys work he doesn't understand and doesn't enjoy - merely because his spreadsheet says it's underpriced. The characters are portrayed with compassion - the director has thankfully resisted the temptation to turn them into easy caricatures. Highly recommended, especially if the viewer has an interest in the modern art or music scene.