Spike Lee’s intention with Miracle at St. Anna is to
rectify the lack of recognition that’s been given to African-American
soldiers regarding their participation in World War II. More than once, the
film grinds to a halt for one of the four principals to rail against the
injustices they’ve had to put up with as soldiers forced to serve
behind the scenes for a country that regards them as second-class citizens.
This point needs to be made, but it becomes such an overt message that the
production at times resembles a sermon rather than a movie.
This is only one of many problems with this
well-intentioned but flawed movie which sports far too many subplots and a
jagged pace to be engaging. Tepid and dull, this tale of four
African-American soldiers stranded behind enemy lines in the Italian
village of St. Anna lurches along in fits and starts, teasing the viewer
with the occasional engaging moment that’s ultimately undercut by
needless exposition. The four in question, Stamps (Derek Luke), Cummings
(Michael Ealy), Negron (Laz Alonso) and Train (Omar Benson Miller) find
themselves dealing with Italian partisans, frightened civilians, vicious
Nazis and Angelo (Angelo Torencelli), a boy they’ve saved who may or
may not be good luck.
There’s a good two-hour movie lurking about in
this bloated 160-minute mess. Many scenes and subplots could have easily
been cut to give Miracle the sense of urgency it desperately needs. What’s so
frustrating about the film is that it contains many potentially moving
moments, including its fantastic climax. However, the boredom Lee allows to
blossom stifles any emotional resonance or connection. In the end, you
can’t help but wish that the soldiers who died in St. Anna had been
given a better tribute.
Crude, offensive and altogether unpleasant, Howard
Duetch’s My Best Friend’s
Girlfriend gives comic Dane Cook another
chance to achieve film stardom, an opportunity he attacks with gusto. Too
bad this material isn’t worth his effort, as his role of Tank is one
of the most conflicted and unlikable characters to hit the screen in some
time. He hires himself out to desperate men who ask that he take their
estranged girlfriend’s out on the date-from-hell so that they will
gratefully run back to their ex’s arms. The lout-for-hire decides to
help his best buddy Dustin (Jason Biggs), by giving this treatment to the
object of his affection, Alexis (Kate Hudson), a woman of seemingly
contradictory behaviors and experience.
When the young woman finds herself attracted to
Tank’s misogynist maneuvers you know the film’s jumped the
tracks and that we are dealing with three psychotic individuals who each
need year’s of therapy. Tanks’ crisis of conscience when he
experiences love is unconvincing, Dustin’s sense of desperation
becomes creepy and Alexis’ erratic behavior convinced me she got what
she deserved during the movie’s tacked on, nonsensical ending. Trust
me, you’ll feel like you need a shower after sitting through this
abrasive disaster.
This article appears in Sep 18-24, 2008.
