All  Things
 Video 

by Carol Lane Patterson 

Banger Sisters

Banger Sisters is a fresh and unselfconscious look at a couple of women with an unusual history. Without a doubt, revisiting the sixties has been done. Even if you didn’t live it, you’ve heard the music, the highpoints of the dogma and know of the Vietnam War. If you did live it, the manner in which that cultural revolution is portrayed, in print or on the screen, becomes difficult to endure when it over glorifies, underrates or misrepresents the ambience and innate belief structures of the participants. An era known for its political explosiveness and kaleidoscopic lifestyles is strongly identified with its proliferation of musical expression. Even then, only a very small percentage were groupies—people following and interacting with the rock and roll bands—as was the case with Vin and Suzette, affectionately known as the Banger Sisters. However watching this film invokes forgotten feelings that accompany the lyrical vignettes. The humor and charm of Banger Sisters is subtle. A couple of fifty-something’s colliding with the results of their choices, flavored by the romantic spiciness of their flower child pasts, reconnect, then gather themselves up for another rush of passing time. Maybe we’ll get to see them again at the next bend in their lives—at one of those life milestones when time slows to the pace of a summer day. Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon imbue their characters with the force and power of their own seasoned personalities, weaving their artistic interpretations with Bob Dolman’s light, airy script and direction. Not so incidentally, Geoffrey Rush is sterling as the oddball Harry—truly not to be missed. Gran Via, Fox and Elizabeth Cantillon Productions, distributed by Twentieth Century Fox.

METAPHYSICAL OVERVIEW
We have all learned—life happens—time rushes by until a defining moment causes the whole façade of our reality to slip over a bit and we briefly glimpse ourselves. We may or may not find the awareness pleasant; the moment simply is the crucible in which our choices are burned to personal, often soggy, tea leafs for scrutiny. We read them as best we can, taking stock and reflecting—sometimes making little course corrections along our heart-guided vectors—before catching the fast train back into our lives.

FALL COMEDIES 
Barbershop provides ensemble comedic pleasure with Cedric the Entertainer, Sean Patrick Thomas and Ice Cube. MGM distributed and collaborated with Cube Vision and State Street Pictures. Simply enjoy and laugh out loud, as you will with The Tuxedo, Jackie Chan’s personal genre of action comedy. His winning personality allows one to forgive much just to catch his impish antics. Dreamworks distributed and collaborated with Blue Train, Vanguard. Reese Witherspoon is back in Sweet Home Alabama, to amuse in her own winsome and engaging brand of comedy. D&D, Original, Pigeon Creek, distributed by Buena Vista.

FALL DRAMAS 
Four Feathers examines the motivations of young people playing at war, then finding themselves sent off to war in Africa. Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley and Kate Hudson render their version of this third remake. Paramount and Miramax distributed this Jaffilms production. Mark Romanek’s One Hour Photo showcases Robin Williams, once again eerily unfunny, this time as the career photo lab clerk with an odd coping mechanism. This movie does hit the adrenaline button a bit. However, the cinematic statement offsets that addiction somewhat—and this is no spoiler—to reassure you it does not deteriorate into a blood splattered horror flick. Produced by Catch 23, Killer, Laughlin Park, Makjak collaboration; distributed by Fox Searchlight and 20th Century Fox. Ballistic Ecks vs. Sever is an action movie with a twist—the ‘lethal loner’ (this writer’s genre label) is Lucy Liu as Sever. She divests herself strongly as a thoroughly believable vigilante who has major issues with the bad guy, inexorably cinching the noose with lethal force, while saving the good guy (Antonio Banderas’ character Ecks) and his family. Warner Brothers distributed this Chris Lee, Dante, Franchise, MHF Erste Academy, SuperMega collaboration