A Face in the Crowd: The Glenn Beck Story?

There were a couple of comments posted on the TweeterFlix YouTube Channel comparing this movie’s main character to Glenn Beck. Now I’ve never seen or heard his show, but I can’t imagine it’s a compliment. In Elia Kazan’s “A Face in the Crowd,” Andy Griffith plays Larry “Lonesome” Rhodes, a drifter discovered in the drunk tank by a roving reporter from the local radio show (Patricia Neal). Impressed by his natural wit and charm on the air, the station offers Rhodes his own show. He builds a loyal following with friendly conversation and homespun advice and pretty soon big city promoters are knocking on hls door. Eventually Rhodes moves from radio to the new medium of television with products and politicians seeking his “everyman” touch. And as his audience and influence grows, so does his ego. But there are skeptics, like TV writer Mel Miller (Walter Matthau), who believe it’s only a matter of time before Rhodes reveals the boorish, narcassistic hypocrite he really is. So if you believe that’s Glenn Beck or his fate, (or maybe if you're Glenn Beck himself) then “A Face in the Crowd” may be worth adding to your queue. My Tweet (for those familiar with “The Andy Griffith Show”): Small-town drunk becomes a national celebrity and self-destructs before settling down in Mayberry with his son Opie. 7 (out of 10)

Another film by Elia Kazan you might enjoy: “Splendor in the Grass"

“A Face in the Crowd”

Released: 1957

Rating: NR

Length: 126 minutes

Cast: Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, Anthony Franciosa, Walter Matthau

Director: Elia Kazan

Genre(s): Drama, Adaptation

“Running Scared”

I usually find shoot ‘em up movies kind of dumb. (Just see my review of “Shoot ‘Em Up.”) But “Running Scared” is different. There are a lot of flying bullets and resulting blood. But there are also enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you interested. It opens with Joey Gazelle (Paul Walker) careening down the street with a blood-covered boy in the passenger seat of his car, then abruptly cuts to a flashback of the events that led up to that moment. To make a long story short (and not give up too much) the boy, Oleg, (Cameron Bright) got his hands on a gun Gazelle, a mob henchman, was supposed to dispose of and used it to shoot his stepfather (Anzor Yugorsky), who just so happens to be the nephew of a Russian mob boss. When Oleg and the gun disappear. Gazelle desperately tries to find the gun in the world of pimps, hookers, pedophiles, crackheads and other assorted creatures of the night while he’s pursued by a crooked cop (Chazz Palminteri), his crew and the Russian mob. It’s a pretty wild ride. My tweet: Running Scared-Mobster Paul Walker’s frantic search for a cop-killer’s gun. A veritable travelogue of NJ’s less savory locales & locals. 7.5 (out of 10)

“Running Scared”

Released: 2006

Rating: R

Length: 122 minutes

Cast: Paul Walker, Cameron Bright, Vera Farmiga, Chazz Palminteri

Director: Wayne Kramer

Genre(s): Drama, Action, Thriller

“The Visitor”

“The Visitor” is a quiet, thoughtful drama about the difference between living and “living.” In it, Richard Jenkins from HBO's “Six Feet Under” gives a beautifully subtle (and Oscar-nominated) performance as Walter Vale, a college professor who's emotionally dead ever since his wife passed away. But Walter is shaken out of this numbness when he’s pretty much ordered by his boss to deliver a paper at a conference in New York City. Walter returns to the apartment he still keeps in the city, and finds an illegal immigrant couple – the victims of a subletting scam – living there. At first, he puts them out on the street, but has second thoughts and asks them to stay until their living situation is sorted out. During their stay, Walter slowly develops a friendship with Tarek (Haaz Sleiman), a Syrian drummer, and Zainab (Danai Gurira), his Senegalese girlfriend, who sells handmade jewelry at street markets. You can see Walter start to come alive when Tarek starts to give him drumming lessons. And all seems to be going well for the three of them until Tarek is arrested and threatened with deportation. Tarek’s mother, Mouna (Hiam Abbass), comes to the city and Walter offers her a place to stay. Their mutual concern for Tarek’s well-being and feelings about the injustice of it all serves as the seeds for a growing relationship between them. And even though things don’t go exactly how any of the characters in this film would have wanted, seeing Walter at the end of this film made me smile. So while “The Visitor” isn't a “feel-good” movie per se, I did feel good watching it. My Tweet: The Visitor-Uptight widowed college professor befriends an illegal immigrant couple and gets his world groove on. I give it 8 green cards. 8 (out of 10)

“The Visitor”

Released: 2007

Rating: PG-13

Length: 103 minutes

Cast: Richard Jenkins, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira, Hiam Abbass

Director: Thomas McCarthy

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy