N is a Number, 3 stars

Any comments I have on this film must be prefaced by the fact that I am not the target market for this film. It is a modest, charming documentary about the mathematician Paul Erdos, of whom I was vaguely aware before seeing this film. I suppose I know more about him after seeing it, though it would have been difficult for me to know less.

I will give the film credit for being as layperson-friendly as possible in the segments where Erdos himself is not speaking. The filmmakers try to drum up interest in Erdos' love life and curiously vagrant lifestyle, which are indeed charming peculiarities of the man himself. Erdos, when he speaks, is witty, expansive, and curious. However, he simply does not make for a compelling screen presence. Those viewers who tune out at the more technical segments will not find much between those segments to hold their interest. As someone with a passing and general interest in mathematics, I found this to be a serviceable documentary that is unlikely to convert anyone to a life in math. However, if you too have a general interest in getting to know more about one of the leading figures of modern mathematics, this is a perfectly fine place to start.

Gunner Palace, 3 stars

Sheepishly I admit to being among the majority of the American public who have shown little tolerance for films, fictional or documentary, dealing with the second Gulf War. I skipped "In the Valley of Elah", "No End in Sight", "Taxi to the Dark Side", and many of the other media portrayals of this conflict. The only other Iraq documentary I had seen was "Voices of Iraq", which has risen in my estimation since I saw "Gunner Palace." "Voices of Iraq" was made by editing footage taken by Iraqis who had been given digital video cameras and told to record their experiences. This resulted in a level of access and candor that would almost certainly not have been given to a white/American/British cameraperson.

In contrast, "Gunner Palace" seems to have been made by a cameraman embedded with a particular company of soldiers who have their base in a run-down pleasure palace that once belonged to Uday Hussein. This interesting change of use is not particularly well-addressed, despite the movie being named after the place. Some context or history, or perhaps records of events that had happened there under Hussein, would have provided contrast. Instead we come in after the American forces have already repurposed the palace. We tag along on raids and daily patrols, and here the film actually does a serviceable job of conveying the monotony of these tasks. Soldiers are asked to alternate instantly between boredom and taut alertness when suspicious packages show up on the road, and the stress of this lifestyle expresses itself in impromptu music and rap from the soldiers. Besides conveying this state of mind, however, the film seems to have little reason for being. No new information is conveyed and the territory seems familiar. The subtitling is irregular, sometimes accompanying spoken English for no reason, and the camerawork (as might be expected in such a hostile environment) is workmanlike. I'm sure there are better documentaries out there; "Voices of Iraq" is one, and if I had not joined the American public in avoiding this topic in film, I would probably have futher recommendations.

Gunnin' For That #1 Spot, 2 stars

Either I am old or this movie has an attention deficit problem. (I refuse to entertain the notion that both might be true.) Here we have a documentary about the crème de le crème of high school basketball players and an exhibition game they play in Harlem. This is all well and good, the boys are talented and the game itself is fluid and hypnotic. At least, it is so when the editor of the film has not stepped all over the footage. My chief gripe with the film's style is twofold. First, the editing of the actual game is choppy and showy, and from the score progressions we see it is clear that some pivotal shots have been cut out. Occasionally we see the shot that ties the score or causes a lead change, but at other times that shot has clearly been left on the editing floor. A more comprehensive, flowing editing style would have served the material better. Secondly, when we are introcuced to each player we are shown a mock Googling of the player, with multiple windows opening and showing us an overview of media coverage of this or that young man. I am by no means a Luddite. All told, I probably spend five hours or more online each day. That being said, I do not go to a film to see the browsing experience recreated onscreen. Have we learned nothing from "The Net"? It is still not exciting to watch people use cmputers onscreen, despite the advances in Internet technology since then. When these montages begin, you can almost hear the worries of the filmmakers that skillful sportsmanship alone will not be enough to hold the attention of younger viewers.

Those of you who know me well may think this an odd choice of material for me. I admit that this was watched on one of the nights when it was not my turn to pick the movie. However, I was interested in Adam Yauch's filmmaking technique, as I am generally intrigued when artists from other disciplines decide to dabble in film. The topic seemed to have potential. Unfortunately, clearly visible pandering took the film down several notches and left me wishing someone had just turned on a camera from the bleachers of Rucker Park and let these kids play.

Shakespeare Behind Bars (3.5 stars)

I feel a bit ashamed for never having heard of the prison Shakespeare program detailed in this small, thoughtful documentary; after all, the prison where it takes place was a 2-hour drive from my birthplace, and as a theater obsessive I probably should have been aware of such an affecting, unusual use of theater happening in my own backyard. My own shame aside, however, this is a documentary worth viewing. As with many documentaries of its size and scope, this is more due to the subject matter than the filmmaking, but both are parts of a worthwhile whole.

The Luther Luckett correctional complex in La Grange, KY apparently allows its inmates to perform a selected Shakespeare play every year, once for inmates and once for friends and family. The documentary follows a season in which "The Tempest", with its appropriate themes of forgiveness and redemption, has been chosen. It is unusual to watch this production unfold, since we see almost none of the trappings of a traditional backstage documentary about theater. There are no costume fittings, prop selections, or demands for pay raises. Instead, the company confronts entirely different and unique problems, such as what happens when a role must be recast because an actor is sent to "the hole" for obtaining illicit tattoos. The men filmed are open with their feelings in that mediated, slightly psycho-babbling way indicative of learning how to talk about themselves by listening to therapists. Let's just say they are all eager to tell us about their issues with their parents. Many of them choke up when describing their crimes; surprising no one, these are the men who have parole chances arising in the near future. The 2-term lifer we see is a bit more matter-of-fact when describing his crime. The revelations come in the scenes where these hardened men, practicing in a prison cafeteria, create geniune moments of thrilling emotion from the words of Shakespeare. Even the man pressed against his will into playing 15-year-old Miranda eventually begins altering his walk and carriage, and enjoys contemplating the body language changes he will employ to portray an adolescent girl. The inmates seem incredibly grateful for the imaginary journey this program allows them to take, and we learn at the end that it may be the only journey of any kind that they will undertake for some time.

I admit that as well as being biased toward this film as a former theater geek, I was also quite interested to see the countryside around La Grange. I was probably favorable toward the film as well because it reminded me of dating and hanging out in that area, where it was popular to stroll around the prison boundary on dates. (It was probably the most isolated place imaginable, which appeals to high-school couples.) It appears that the area has not changed much since I was there last, much like the words of Shakespeare that are probably still being practiced inside.