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Cradle Will Rock

List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]

Review by Earl Cressey | posted June 18, 2000 | E-mail the Author
Review:
Movie:
Directed by Tim Robbins, Cradle Will Rock is a Depression-era drama set in New York City and stars a lot of Hollywood's top talent. Quite a few different plots run concurrent with each other during the course of the film. The main one is about the play Mark Blizstein (Hank Azaria) writes and Orson Welles (Angus Macfadyen) directs – "Cradle Will Rock," a play which speaks out about the "prostitution" of one's soul in everyday life, along with censorship, and the unions; a play that the government tries to shut down before it opens. Other storylines include: Nelson Rockefeller (John Cusack) hires Diego Rivera (Ruben Blades) to paint a portrait of "crossroads" in the lobby of the Rockefeller Center; Tommy Crickshaw, a ventriloquist (Bill Murray), tries to tutor two students and meets Hazel Huffman (Joan Cusack), a woman who is determined to speak out about the communists in the Federal Theater Union; and Hallie Flanagan's (Cherry Jones) attempt to keep the Federal Theater Union going despite Congressional hearings determined to shut it down.

While occasionally an overabundance of characters and events bog down the film, it is never confusing, and stays entertaining until the end. The set pieces look incredible, and add to what is already a very well put together movie. All of the actors involved in the film do a great job, especially Hank Azaria, John & Joan Cusack, and Emily Watson.

Picture:
Cradle Will Rock is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The print used is virtually flawless; there is occasionally some shimmer, but it is easy to miss with the astounding visuals that are crisp and detailed.

Sound:
Cradle Will Rock is presented in Dolby Digital 5.0 surround. The music and score of the film sound terrific in DD5.0, and the dialogue during the movie is clean.

Extras:
Extras include trailers for Cradle Will Rock and Guinevere (which plays when the DVD loads up), a short eight-minute featurette with a few interviews, and the option to turn on English captions for the hearing-impaired.

Summary:
Cradle Will Rock features an all-star cast and a terrific storyline; those interested in Depression-era dramas shouldn't miss it, and even fans of the actors should give it a try.

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