The Angriest Man in Brooklyn with Robin Williams, Melissa Leo and Mila Kunis (2014)

It’s not easy for a film to be charming, poignant and funny all at once; but that’s exactly what this film is. It is the story of a man so infuriated by the hand that life has dealt him that he can longer see beyond his own anger at; well, everything.

On his way to the doctor’s office one day Henry Altman, played by Robin Williams, has a minor car accident with a cab. This is seemingly the last straw for him. His older son died 2 years ago, leaving him and his wife, played by Melissa Leo, in a loveless marriage filled with blame and dissatisfaction. And when he gets to the doctor’s office, where he will be getting the results of a brain scan, things don’t get much better.

With her life spinning out of control, the doctor he sees is forced to give the bad news of a fatal brain aneurysm to Mr. Altman. He literally forces her to do it by screaming at her and taking out all of his life’s inequities out on her. She cracks and tells him he has 90 minutes to live. Infuriated he leaves the office in search of what he should be doing with only 90 minutes left to live.

During the next 60 minutes or so of this movie he chases a dram of piecing his family back together, wondering how it ever went so wrong. Meantime, everyone is chasing him as he darts about Brooklyn looking for his younger estranged son. Even the doctor; who may be in serious trouble for the way she handled the encounter with Mr. Altman, is searching for him. She desperately wants to get him to a hospital.

This movie is a pleasure to watch. It has 2 of my favorite actresses in it; Mila Kunis, who bears watching as her talents grow from film to film; and Melissa Leo, who I have been following since she did theater at Fell’s Point in Baltimore before landing some of her early TV roles. In this film she takes on a whole new persona as the beleaguered wife of a very angry and self-destructive man. That she is able to blend the comedy with the tragedy of the role so well speaks to her abilities as a true actress. Peter Dinklage, as his loving younger brother, is remarkable; as he is in any film. It's also interesting to note that al  the stars in this film first honed their craft working TV sitcoms.

As for Robin Williams; what can you say about a guy whose lines in this film include, “”1951—2014; that’s what it will say on the headstone. It’s not the numbers that count- it’s the dash in between.”  I wonder what thoughts went through his mind; easily as troubled as his character Mr. Altman’s. I know that I am glad he got to make this film. To see him as a fully matured actor rather than an extension of his stand-up routines, as in “Good Morning Vietnam”, is one of the best tributes an actor could ever hope for.

Excellent direction and a lively story and screenplay make this one hell of an enjoyable experience. And it all happens in Brooklyn; my home town.

"Homicide - Life on the Street" Seasons 1 and 2

When the book by David Simon first came out, I was living in Baltimore and working in the area in which the book, and later this TV series, takes place. The book was the result of a years work by the author, riding with the Homicide Unit, seeing the bodies, feeling the streets, and hearing the anguish that had become Southwest Baltimore in the face of the growing drug epidemic of the late 1980's and early 90's. And you know what? It paid off.

This is one of the best of the TV drama series concerning police work. It is also the show which set the standard for all the other series; shows such as “Law and Order”, “NYPD Blue”, and even “The Shield”. It was also one of the first shows where the cops didn’t just joke around while solving cases. These officers, between solving murders, also delved into their own problems and demons, as well as some of the more pressing issues of the day.

With a roster of actors ranging from Richard Belzer, Melissa Leo, Ned Beatty, Yaphet Kotto, Kyle Secor and all the rest, the cast of this series is one of the best ever assembled. Newcomer Andre Braugher is in fine form as the “loner” of the group who finds himself suddenly partnered with another detective. Daniel Baldwin plays his beleaguered partner.

Together, these detectives track down, and hopefully solve, the homicides which seemingly pour into their precinct, located at the end of the tugboat piers in Fell’s Point. Many people have asked me if that was really the police station in real life. I am happy to report that it was. It was also the home to the tugboats of the Moran family business out of New York at the time. The Fell’s Point area is the music and entertainment district in Baltimore which is situated just east of Harborplace. It caters to the college crowd, featuring music and bars with a flavor unique to “Baltimore”.

Directed by Barry Levinson, himself a native of Baltimore and veteran of such films as “Diner”, the show really feels like the city. And, being filmed there, it even has the gritty feel that still lingers from the day when it was a home to shipyards such as Bethlehem Steel. It is, decidedly, a blue collar town.

What I love the most about this series, aside from the writing; which by the way, the whole cast contributed to at one time or another during the series iconic 7 year run; is being able to see the streets where I worked, and even in some cases lived, during my 18 years in that city. At one point, the show became so connected to the city’s image in fighting crime, that on two occasions, criminals who were fleeing the police surrendered to the TV cast when they rounded the corner onto Howard Street where the show was being filmed that day. Talk about realistic…

I was born in Brooklyn, New York but I came of age in Baltimore, where I found myself living while going to school after I got out of the Navy. I met my wife there, and it’s where my daughter was born. More than other city on earth, it contains the essence of who I really am. Perhaps that is why I am so drawn to this show. And that reminds me of an old country song, written by by Tompall Glaser and Harlan Howard in 1966, but best performed by Bobby Bare, about Baltimore. It's used to be on just about every jukebox in the city. Remember, it was, and still is, a decidedly blue collar town;

 

"The Three Burials of Meliquiades Estrada" with Tommy Lee Jones, Melissa Leo and Dwight Yoakam

An illegal ranch hand, Meliquiades Estrada, is shot down by sadistic Border Patrol Agent Mike Norton (played by Barry Pepper)for pure sport, thinking he is an illegal and that no one will even know. But he has not counted on Pete Perkins (played by Tommy Lee Jones)who was the dead mans employer. He wants justice - but first he has to find out who did it. And in the volatile atmosphere of a small Texas border town this is no easy task. No one really cares. Except Pete, a grizzled ranch owner. The two men have formed a strong bond between them and Perkins has pledged that should something happen to Melquiades, he will carry his body back to Mexico and bury him in his home village.

The men have been friends for the entire 5 years in which Meliquiades has been employed by Perkins. They do everything together, including chasing a local waitress(played by Melissa Leo) and her friend. The girls are also "friends" of the local Sheriff (played by Dwight Yoakam) who doesn't really care about another dead Mexican.

When the girls overhear the Border Patrol telling the Sheriff what happened and not to follow up on it, the girls tell Parsons. Parsons then kidnaps the guilt ridden Agent and forces him to dig up Meliquiades decomposed body. He then forces Norton to accompany him across the border by horseback on a journey to fulfill his promise to the dead man. He even makes Agent Norton sleep with the body next to him each night, in an effort to teach him that he has killed more than just another Mexican, but rather another human being.

Along the way things are turned upside down as the Border Patrol seeks to capture Parsons, whom they believe is a Mexican smuggler that has kidnapped a fellow Agent, before he can achieve his goal. Watch for Levon Helms, who plays a blind rancher living out his last days alone in the desert. He plays a small, but not insignificant, part in the story.

By the time Parsons arrives in Mexico with the body, Agent Norton has gone insane from the guilt of what he has done. With the burial of Meliquiades, Parsons has fulfilled his promise, but now has to reckon with the crazed Norton and the Border Patrol as he makes his way back across the border to Texas.

Beautifully filmed in the desert along the US/Mexican border, the film is both timely in it's subject matter, as well as spot on in the message it delivers. No man has the right to take another mans life just for the sport of it. Life and death are closely woven, and one mans hatred cannot go unpunished without diminishing all of our lives as a whole.

At a time when the illegal immigration issue is such a hot topic, this film cannot be ignored. It is a close look into the forces that drive the cycles of corruption and exploitation. While Immigration Laws must be respected, sometimes there is a higher law that we cannot escape or ignore. For fans of Tommy Lee Jones, this film is yet another that showcases his superb ability to play any role he chooses.

"Frozen River" with Melissa Leo and Misty Upham (2009)

This is an absolutely stunning movie. The acting is intense and moving. The script, by Director Courtney Hunt, is tightly woven and seamless in it's direction.

The movie basically concerns two women, marginalized and living on the edge of society. They are both struggling to survive along the US/Canadian border. The film is set in the here and now. The subject matter is real and convincing.

Those who remember Melissa Leo from her earlier work on TV's "Homicide" and her performances in other independent films such as "21 Grams" will not be surprised at the intensity of her acting in this film. And that performance is perfectly matched with the understated, fatalistic acting of Misty Upham. Combined with the terse Direction of Ms. Hunt, this is a powerful cinematic experience.

This film simply does not lend itself to review. It must be seen to be appreciated. I hope that you will take me at my word on this one.