A review by Pamela Garza
A review by Pamela Garza
A review by Pamela Garza
Directed by: John Tatoulis
From the first frame of this movie, the haunting music by composer Tassos Ioannides sets the mood for the story of the Silver Stallion. Thara, the King of the Brumbies, was named after the wind.
Mrs. Mitchell, played by the versatile Caroline Goodall, is a writer in the process of penning a short story about Thara. As her daughter, Indy, (Ami Daemion) reads what her mother's written every day, we get to see the story of the young colt unfold in the Australian high country.
Before long, real life merges with the short story. Indy finds out that there really is a Man on a black horse, who'll stop at nothing to possess Thara because of his creamy coat and silvery mane and tail. The Man on this quest is not given a name in the story. He is not an evil man, only one who makes his living catching and selling the brumbies of the mountains, and realizes a 'catch' when he sees one.
Caroline Goodall plays the writer, who is inspired by a violent storm to write the story. She's one of the most underrated actresses, it is this reviewer's opinion. Her performance is rightfully low key, almost hypnotic, because of the mood portrayed throughout the movie.
Russell Crowe is the Man. Even before he became the rave, he had presence on the screen, and it shows in this part from his horsemanship to the emotion he shows when things don't go his way.
You can't ignore the mechanics of this movie. One can truly sense the heart that went into making this flick. The photography in this movie is spectacular; the beauty of the passing seasons, breath-taking; the power of the brumbies, awesome; and the acting, superb. The music and the script (written by the author of the book), all contribute to an all-expenses-paid vacation to the Australian high country, a trek that you'll want to take again and again.
The ending brings a satisfied smile to your spirit, but don't leave until you hear the last whinny on the wind.
THE SILVER STALLION is rated PG for a graphic fight scene between two stallions. These actors are so good that this scene is not for the faint-hearted or the young. But the animal trainer and 4 veterinarians on the set guarantee that NO animals were harmed during the filming of this movie.
Caroline Goodall: other movies: 'Hook' with Dustin Hoffman/'Cliffhanger' with Sylvester Stallone.
Russell Crowe: other movies: 'Insider' with Al Pacino/'Gladiator' with Richard Harris
Directed by: Antonio Fuqua
Movie Fun Recipe with THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS
1 strong, silent type anti-hero
Mix above ingredients with some pomp-and-spark special effects. And serve while relaxing with friends or by yourself.
John Lee (Chow) is a soldier of fortune, who is coerced into the assassination trade by Terence Wei, the head honcho of Chinatown. He keeps John in line by keeping a tight hold on a threatening-life line to John's mother and sister in Shanghei.
When John just cannot fulfill the last job in his commitment, he knows he's got little time to save his family. In his quest for a forged passport, he seeks out Meg Coburn (Sorvino). But before she can cook him one, Wei's men storm her place, destroying her home and her equipment.
Now, John and Meg team up to outsmart their common enemy, while Wei calls in the Replacement Killers (played with steely nonchalance by Danny Trejo and Til Schweiger). These cold-to-the-bone killers are in town to get rid of John and to finish the job he couldn't complete.
Seakoff (Rooker), the cop who has been after Wei for years, brings a flavor of stability to the irratic world of John and Meg, which makes the happy ending all that more satisfying.
Yun-Fat plays the strong, silent type with grit and jaw-flexing tension. He's got the moves of the classic action hero that Antonio Fuqua captures with slow motion, close-ups, and by inserting his tall, lean body into designer clothes.
And no role is more suited for Sorvino than this reluctant-hero small-timer. Her skill convinces us, by the way she handles a gun and confronts danger. Her independant character exudes an I-can-take-care-of-myself mentally that is consistent throughout the movie, which is exciting to watch. (Remember my stupid-heroine taboo!) And yet, in the next scene, she is capable of bringing tears to your eyes in a tender moment.
The director (Antonio Fuqua) extracts so much talent from these 2 stars that they eclipse the special effects of the shoot-em-up scenes, a la John Woo (one of the executive producers). Lots of bullets and sparks fly, sometimes in slow motion, from start to finish in this an action flick that cooks up mmm..mmm good.
Enjoy!
Chow Yun Fat: Other movies--ANNA AND THE KING/with Jodi Foster; THE KILLER/with Sally Yeh and Kenneth Tsang (and also written and directed by Jack Woo)
Mira Sorvino: Other movies--MIGHTY APHRODITE/for which she received numerous awards, including Oscar and Golden Globe; ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION/with Lisa Kudrow; FIRST SIGHT/with Val Kilmer
Micheal Rooker: Other movies--CLIFFHANGER/with Sylvester Stallone and Caroline Goodall; BACK TO BACK/with Ryo Ishivashi
Trivia: Call Chow Yun Fat 'Fat' because 'Mister' Chow is an insult in the Chinese culture. This was his first film in which he spoke English. He says that Sorvino helped him out a great deal during the filming, because of her knowlege of the Chinese language.
Starring: Caroline Goodall
Russell Crowe
Rated: PG
Length: 94 minutes
a Skouras Pictures Release in 1992
Inspired by the book-The Silver Brumby by Elyne Mitchell
A review by Pamela Garza
A review by Pamela Garza
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat
Mira Sorvino
Michael Rooker
Executive Producer: John Woo (and others)
Rated R for language and violence.
(makes several servings)
1 intelligent, reluctant heroine
4-5 unique characters
1 visionary director (preferably one who knows what he can extract from his actors)
A satisfying ending
A review by Pamela Garza
A review by Pamela Garza
A review by Pamela Garza