When a tight shot of freshly caught fish gasping
for air on the puddled floorboards of a small fishing
boat is saturated with all the aesthetics of a Renoir
painting ... you know you're in for an artistically
filmed production. Well "Cedars" won't let you down.
Scrupulously, meticulously, caringly exposed on the
negative, this picture is one of the richest
cinematographic efforts of the year.
The art doesn't stop with the image. Attentive and
crisp sounds accentuate the visual buffet. The
crackling ignition of a match, the pouring of hot
tea: this is an abundantly textured film.
Additionally, the score refreshingly fuses new age
with traditional movie music composition.
Oddly, this love story is really more of a
courtroom drama; however, as soon as we realize this,
the artistry and the plot line unfortunately take off
in different directions.
We view this 1930-1950's story mostly through the
eyes of hesitant reporter Ishmael Chambers (Ethan
Hawke) who as a child and teen shared a secret
romance with a Japanese girl from his small town.
When the woman's husband is accused of murder,
Ishmael has to battle his 20-year-old obsession in
order to decide if he should help defend the man that
stole his girl.
One of the film's finest moments finds the widow
on the stand, attorney mouthing muted words while
passionate memories of her husband play out on screen
to screaming violins.
The leads aren't particularly strong, but Richard
Jenkins as the Sheriff gives a great supporting
performance and Max Von Sydow is charming as the
defense lawyer. Fine casting.
I was trembling with excitement over this film
until the halfway mark when the art became more than
a tad indulgent neglecting its responsibility to
story, making the film rather disproportionate.
"Cedars" toys with a love fable, toys with making a
statement of Japanese suffrage (the concentration
camps for Japanese-Americans during W.W.II), spends a
lot of time in the courtroom, but is ultimately a
tale of one man's wrestle with an obsession recorded
on film in a fashion far superior to its story.
Still, it is simply the most beautiful courtroom
drama you'll ever see.
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