Drama helps 'Express' overcome sports-film clichés
"The Express" - It's amazing to think during a week when we inaugurated our first black president that not so long ago, it was a big deal when a black man won the Heisman Trophy for the first time.
"The Express" tells the story of Ernie Davis, a gifted runner who helped bring a football championship to Syracuse University in 1959. A couple of years later, he toppled a significant cultural barrier when he became the first black athlete to win the Heisman, college football's highest award.
Granted, not much in "The Express" is original. You can almost see the storytelling gears moving as the film mines the same territory as earlier examples of the Inspirational Sports Film. Still, "The Express" hooked me. I liked the look of it - the vintage football uniforms, the way director Gary Fleder re-creates late-1950s America. (Interestingly, much of the film was shot in Chicago.) The football scenes are beautifully staged, and the cast, led by Rob Brown and Dennis Quaid, does great work.
It should be noted that while based on a true story, the film embellishes or fabricates a number of incidents for dramatic effect, including a 1959 game against a racially hostile West Virginia team and crowd that never happened. So don't take this "Express" to get a history lesson; take it to enjoy a well-crafted dose of old-fashioned, uplifting Hollywood melodrama.
The DVD comes with a nice array of supplements, including a commentary from Fleder and featurettes that explore both the making of the film and the real story of Ernie Davis (Bob Costas, Dick Stockton and fellow Syracuse alum Jim Brown are among the sports folks who participate.) (PG; Universal, $29.98).
"Vicky Christina Barcelona" - For all of Woody Allen's genius, I'd never describe any of his films as sexy. Until now. His latest, the Golden Globe-winning "Vicky Christina Barcelona," is a lushly photographed, engaging love story with a dark heart beating at its center. Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson play best friends who meet a handsome artist in Barcelona. The artist, played by Javier Bardem, asks them to go with him to a picturesque Spanish town for a weekend of sightseeing, fine dining and, finally, lovemaking. The trip has dire repercussions for all three, who spend the rest of the film trying to understand love and its place in their lives.
Allen is in great form here. The dialogue sparkles, and he has a ball photographing the beauty of Spain and the striking faces of his top-shelf cast: Bardem, Hall, Johansson and Penelope Cruz, who plays the artist's volatile ex-wife. While not a masterpiece like his "Manhattan" or "Annie Hall," "Barcelona" is Allen's best film in years.
Allen has never embraced the idea of bonus features on a DVD, so this one comes without any. The film looks great, though. Note: This title will be available on Tuesday, Jan. 27. (PG-13; Genius Products, $28.95)
Other new releases - Also out this week are "City of Ember" (Fox); "Max Payne" (Fox); "Saw V" (Lionsgate); and "The Powerpuff Girls: The Complete Series" (Warner).