The Architect
| The Architect |
Manufacturer: Magnolia
UPC:
876964000697 Retail Price: $34.98 #Deals:
Avg. Rating:
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| Product Name | The Architect |
| Manufacturer | Magnolia |
| Retail Price | $34.98 |
| EAN-13 | 0876964000697 |
| EAN-14 | 00876964000697 |
| UPC | 876964000697 |
| Specifications | |
| Release Date | 2006-12-05 |
| Format | DVD |
| Actor(s) | Anthony Lapaglia |
| Director(s) | Matt Tauber |
| Rating | R, R (MPAA) |
| Genre | Dramas |
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 "Fantastic urban drama" | 2008-03-28 |
| - Reviewed By i1iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii |
The Architect is directed by Matt Tauber, and stars Anthony LaPaglia, Viola Davis, Isabella Rossellini, Hayden Panettiere, and Sebastian Stan. It is based on a play written by David Grieg. ***
The Architect, based on the play of the same name, follows the life of an architect who has constantly designed buildings for the Chicago area. However, one of the buildings he designed two decades ago has seen better days, has become run down, and become a center of gang and drug activity. A woman from a family that couldn't be more different has started a petition to have the complex torn down, and the confused architect must decide whether or not to sign something to demolish a complex he designed. The movie jumps back and forth between both families, their stories, and conflicts. ***
Despite being made on a low budget, The Architect stands as a solid urban drama. It's not a great film, and doesn't pretend to be. But what it does serve up is terrific performances from all of its players, a believable premise and setting, and a human feeling throughout that never feels contrived or over-the-top. ***
Easily the greatest thing about the architect is its cast. Anthony LaPaglia absolutely steals the show as the title character. Over the years, this is a man who has played people from all walks of life, rarely failing to please. He's certainly come a long way from playing the store manager in Empire Records! And equally impressive here is better half, played by Isabella Rossellini. The other true stand-out performance comes from the equal-yet-opposite petitioner, played by Viola Davis. Her acting paints a picture of a totally different world from LaPaglia's title character, and yet the entire experience on both ends of the spectrum is believable, and always feels authentic. ***
The only real issues I had with the film were its obvious low budget and far-too-short length. It's clear from beginning to end the filmmakers didn't have a whole lot to work with, but they definitely make the best of what they have at their disposal. The other issue is the run time, which only narrowly exceeds 80 minutes - very short for a motion picture by today's standards. Flaws aside, there's still enough to recommend the film. ---
Image And Sound:
My review is based on a screener copy, so it doesn't represent the final released product. ---
Special Features:
None on the screener disc I watched.
Final Words:
There are some issues with The Architect, but the good outweighs the bad here. You'll feel for these characters, due to the strong acting and direction throughout. Definitely an urban drama worth your time. |
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 "Waste of Money" | 2007-09-29 |
| - Reviewed By sharma_ny |
| Absolutely zero benefit from Blu-Ray on a movie like this, not to mention this movie just flat out stinks. I am all about the serious drama, but this was the serious sleeper, as in I could not stay awake... |
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| "A Small Independent Film with a Big Message" | 2006-12-07 |
| - Reviewed By gradyharp |
THE ARCHITECT is a film based on a play by David Grieg that deals with social class dichotomy, lack of communication in families, gender confrontations in youths, and coming to grips with decisions of the past that later haunt. Made on a budget less than a million dollars and shot in twenty days, this unique little movie packs a wallop in the most secretive and subtle way. Directed by Matt Tauber, who also wrote the screenplay with Grieg, it has a fascinating, if at times disconcerting, format of quick scenes flashed before our eyes like simultaneous conversations - and some of the power of the film is piecing those snapshots together as the film ends.
Leo Waters (Anthony LaPaglia) is a successful architect, married to a wife Julia (Isabella Rossellini) who seems on the edge of mental instability. They have two teenage children - Christine (a very fine young actress Hayden Panettiere) who at age 15 is aware of her body and yet fearful of its implications in her interactions with boys and men, and Martin (Sebastian Stan) who has returned home from school as a drop out whose mind is preoccupied with soul searching. The discord at home is matched by the incipient calamity ongoing at a Project Leo designed early in his career, a Project now physically crumbling under the weight of drug dealing, crime, and discontent tenants - all led by activist Tonya Neeley (the superb actress Viola Davis) who has one daughter at home with an early conceived baby and another daughter who has stepped out of the Projects to better her education (her twin brother committed suicide in despair of his plight in the Projects). Two families in conflict over different reasons on the surface but sharing a similarity that is demonstrated as the story proceeds.
Christina naively begins to frequent bars and is protected by a truck driver Joe (the very fine actor Walton Goggins) who kindly introduces her to the realities facing hormonally charged yet fearful young girls. Martin, in an attempt to understand the Projects problem as explained to his father and family by Tonya, visits the Projects and meets Shawn (the very fine and handsome young actor Paul James) who cautiously helps Martin discover his sexuality only to succeed in allowing Martin to discover his true sexual proclivity but meets a sad ending when he is rebuffed.
At the peak of tensions Tonya succeeds in winning over Leo's understanding of her activist dilemma, Julia breaks and leaves her family and both of Leo's children discover life lessons that will imprint their psyches permanently. Minor victories rise out of major turmoil - and the writer and director have the courage to leave the story for us to resolve.
It is refreshing to encounter a cast of actors so sensitive as this one. From the leading roles to the most minor of characters the acting is absolutely first rate. We need more films of this caliber to remind us that one of the purposes of art is to allow us to see the problems of our world. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 06
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