Reviews

Rarely does a motion picture capture an era with such nostalgia and reverence, as Woody Allen's "Radio Days". Set in New York City as World War 2 breaks; "Radio Days" captures the mood of the times through the music, drama, news, sports - and even the commercials that entertained and informed listeners in the days when radio ruled the media roost. Seen through the eyes of a young Jewish boy and his extended family in working class Brooklyn, the movie is really a series of well crafted vignettes, based on fact mixed with fiction. Some are hilarious, some touching, but always entertaining and filled with the great "Swing" music of the era. As usual, Allen's ensemble of actors deliver terrific turns as they recreate those great old days. Mia Farrow, Diane Wiest, Julie Kavner, Michael Tucker, and Seth Green are standouts, while Woody Allen narrates as only he can. A triumph in every respect, "Radio Days" will leave you, as the final scene does; longing for a more innocent time, while sadly knowing it is gone forever.

A beautifully realized documentary,that follows a herd of African elephants as they search for food and water on the great plains of Africa, led by their indomitable matriarch. Once the continent teemed with this magnificent species; but now encroaching civilization, poaching and drought are moving wild elephants to the edge of extinction. Filmed by a husband and wife team who specialize in nature documentaries, Reflections on Elephants combines incredible footage with a touching script that is enhanced by Narrator Stacy Keach. Sentimental, but never maudlin; this is a first rate production on all fronts, and a compelling look at a magnificent and intelligent species, that we as fellow inhabitants of this planet, cannot let slip away.

What a beautifully crafted cinematic experience this is. Joe Gould, as played by the inimitable Ian Holm; is at once sweet, crass, full of rage, and teetering on the edge of madness. While Gould stands front and center,his "secret" is much, much more than we are led to believe. While wandering the city in quest of an "oral history" from thousands of New Yorkers, Joe Gould meets Joe Mitchell, a writer with the New Yorker magazine. Mitchell is drawn to this strange man who strides through Greenwich Village demanding donations to his "Joe Gould Fund". While we have to wait until the very end of the movie to find out Joe Gould's Secret, it's worth the wait. Director and Star, Stanley Tucci(Joe Mitchell),has evoked pre-WW2 New York as we would want it to be. His actors are first rate and fill out their characters to perfection. As the movie progresses, we become aware of the sadness and anguish that leads to the final understanding, and the clues we didn't see along the way.