Some quick takes on movies I've seen recently ... (oh, and ratings are out of four stars maximum)

A Bronx Tale (1993)
I'm not sure why I had never caught this coming-of-age story, especially since it boasts such an impressive pedigree. In his directorial debut, Robert DeNiro obviously soaked up a lot from his experiences working with Martin Scorsese; the movie is at its most lush and energetic, albeit derivative, when it recreates the Italian-American neighborhoods of the Bronx during the early Sixties. Alas, Chazz Palminteri's semi-autobiographical screenplay (based on his play) is ham-fisted and ultimately burdened with groan-inducing contrivances. Francis Capra Jr. is excellent, however, as the protagonist at age nine.
**1/2

Goodbye, Lenin (2002)
Against the backdrop of the 1989 dismantling of the Berlin Wall, this story chronicles a young man's attempt to protect his mother, having recently emerged from a coma, from knowing that her beloved East Germany has quickly slipped into the funkiness of western capitalism. Director Wolfgang Becker keeps the proceedings clever and crisply paced. The movie was a big hit in Germany, where it resonated with audiences for obvious reasons, but it is also an example of solidly crafted cinema. Becker knows his stuff, and manages to pay quickie homage to Stanley Kubrick, among others.
***1/2

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
I wasn't prepared for this heartbreaking masterpiece of Japanese anime about two children orphaned during World War II and struggling to survive in the countryside. This is about as sad a war story as you are likely to see, but don't mistake this for a finger-wagging morality play; it primarily works on the level of of its own harrowing personal drama. Directed by Isao Takahata, Grave of the Fireflies eschews political concerns, but it is still an important — and eye-opening — perspective for American audiences.
****

Intolerance (1916)
Directed by D.W. Griffith, this three-hour epic silent melodrama ostensibly chronicles intolerance and hatred through four periods (Babylon, Judea, 16th century Paris and then-contemporary America), but all of it eventually boils down to ostentatious sets and Griffith's fondness for wayward girls with big eyes and interesting names (Mountain Girl, the Dear One, etc.) assailed by the mean ol' world (perhaps Griffith was the ancestral soulmate of Lars von Trier). While intolerancee is more interesting as a slice of historical cinema than it is a story — this is a 1916 silent melodrama, after all — it remains impressive for its sheer in-your-face audacity.
***