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Reviews by Matt Heffernan <matt@filmhead.com>
This week my picks are
Mifunes sidste sang (Mifune)
(1999 - 
) and
Rain Man
(1988 - 
).
The first film this week is part of a new movement in Danish filmmaking: Dogme95.
Director Søren Kragh-Jacobsen and several other top Danish directors (including
Lars von Trier) have agreed to make "pure" films that use no artificial lighting,
constructed sets, or special effects. Kragh-Jacobsen's Mifune is the third
Dogme film, telling the story of a Copenhagen businessman (Anders W. Berthelsen)
who must take care of his retarded brother (Jesper Asholt) in the country after their
father dies. Iben Hjejle joins the cast as a former call girl who is hired to be
their housekeeper. It's a simple, touching story about family and trust that
fits rather well with the minimalist style.
Full review from April 4, 2000
The plot of Mifune is certainly not original. The current Chinese film Shower is quite similar, but most Americans will recognize the premise from Rain Man, my second pick. This film has Tom Cruise playing the successful businessman, who doesn't even know about his autistic brother (Dustin Hoffman) until after his father dies. It's a pleasing mixture of comedy and emotion, thanks mostly to Hoffman's Academy Award-winning performance as a man who can barely dress himself, but can memorize the phone book. Oscars were also won for Best Original Screenplay (Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow), Best Director (Barry Levinson), and Best Picture of 1988.
For more information, visit the Internet Movie Database:
Mifunes sidste sang (1999)
Rain Man (1988)
Here's some merchandise for sale at
| Mifune (1999) - English subtitles | -- VHS |
| Mifune (1999) | -- DVD |
| Rain Man (1988) | -- VHS |
| Rain Man (1988) | -- VHS Widescreen |
| Rain Man (1988) | -- DVD |
| Rain Man: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | -- Compact Disc |
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