RTK & LOL
Bill Murray is a national icon. If someone was to propose to make a biographical film about Murray or any President from the last 50-years hands down the movie people want to see would be the Murray biopic.
The good news is that Rock the Kasbah (the phrase obviously taken from the song of the same name from The Clash) has Murray in a flurry of what made him a household name in the ‘80s. Murray oozes charm even while being a disgusting con artist posing as a talent manager. Taking his one half decent client, a singer played by Zooey Deschanel, on a USO tour of Afghanistan, Murray finds himself stranded without money or his passport.
The bad news is that after setting up the premise Rock the Kasbah seems to pull over to the side of the road and just tops. More often than not co-stars that include Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Scott Caan and Danny McBride either act with badly written motives or completely disappear after providing a joke or two. Rock the Kasbah, opening this weekend in wide release, is a case where the cool looking Day-Glo styled poster is the best thing to be said about the whole affair.
Labyrinth of Lies examines holocaust denial on a national basis. An austere German film that repeats its theme over and over, Labyrinth of Lies follows a real life storyline of a public prosecutor who tried former Auschwitz officials in a series of court cases that began in the late-50s and lasted for years.
Compounding the trials and investigation are high-ranking German politicians who succeed in blocking many of the attempts to bring justice to the proceedings. For instance, the lead lawyer finds that Josef Mengele is allowed to travel freely between Argentina and post-war Germany.
Labyrinth of Lies works best when it creates period detail but gets bogged down in its own maze of trying to make paperwork look fascinating. The film is dedicated to actor Gert Voss who plays a supporting role as the attorney general, and who died after production. Labyrinth of Lies unwinds in an exclusive engagement at the River Oaks Three.
— Michael Bergeron
