REEL CRITICS -- Tricia Behle and Gay Wassall-Kelly

“Iris” is based on the life of Iris Murdoch, the British novelist and

philosopher. Rather than show her whole life story in chronological

order, the film concentrates on two particular points in her life and

tells them in an interweaving fashion. We meet Iris both as a young,

exuberant woman before she is famous and as an old woman long respected

and praised for her books.

Kate Winslet is compelling as Iris during her days as a young bohemian

intellectual who has just finished writing her first novel. Iris is so

charismatic and free-spirited, people are naturally drawn to her. One of

Iris’ many admirers is John Bayley (Hugh Bonneville), an awkward and shy

young professor. They initially seem completely mismatched but find in

each other compatible intelligence and eccentricities.

Judi Dench is excellent as always as Iris in her later days as a

revered writer and lecturer. Iris and John Bayley (Jim Broadbent) have

now been married for many decades and have a settled, if quirky,

existence. Iris is writing the latest of her many novels and finds

herself struggling for the right words. She is diagnosed with

Alzheimer’s, and she and her husband begin the long, painful downward

spiral of the disease.

By interweaving Iris at these two different stages, the film shows the

bitter irony of a brilliant intellectual being stricken with the

mind-destroying disease. Unfortunately, the two stages don’t feel

balanced. The older story line drags after awhile and could have used

some editing. The main supporting characters are vague and could have

been fleshed out for better effect.

More could have been added to explain what made Iris Murdoch such a

celebrated writer. We are told that she wrote a lot of highly praised

books and what their themes were in very general terms, but one still

leaves the movie without being able to name the title of a single one of

her books.

Iris Murdoch is such an interesting person that this film may inspire

people who have never heard of her to seek out her books. The film

itself, however, never seems to have found its heart. “Iris” has many

good qualities that are worth watching but somehow the film as whole is

lacking.

“Iris” is rated R

* TRICIA BEHLE lives in Newport Beach and works as a software

validator.

‘We Were Soldiers’ shows inside of war

“Daddy what is a war?” Lt. Col. Hall Moore (Mel Gibson) answers, “It’s

when . . . some people try to take the lives of other people. And then

soldiers like your daddy have to . . . it’s my job to go over there

(Vietnam) and stop them.”

This true story is told by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret.) through his

book “We Were Solders Once . . . And Young,” co-written by veteran

journalist Joseph L. Galloway (Barry Pepper), who was with Moore in that

Valley of Death.

In 1965, Lt. Col. Moore, a student of history and a master of tactics,

led his men into combat at Ia Drang Valley. Unlike other Vietnam War

movies, we were privy to the shocking information that this battle was

top secret. This was one of the first major attacks upon North Vietnam.

Moore had nearly 400 men going into battle, landing on a garrison of more

than 2,000 men. He lost 200 of them. The U.S. had no intelligence that

told them the number they were up against. Their orders were simple:

“Find the enemy and kill them.” He knew they were in trouble the moment

they landed. Huge hoards of enemy kept coming, cutting off his troops and

surrounding them. Only his tactical skills, willpower and superior

technology in weapons allowed them to escape to tell the story. “Broken

Arrow” echoed over the lines of communication, a call identifying

complete slaughter by the enemy eminent -- call out for every form of

aircraft to defend the area. If they had not made that request, the

slaughter would have been even more. Washington’s top brass bellowed,

“Now the whole world will know!”

Able-actor Sam Elliot, as the inflexible Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley,

stole the show. Add the overconfident helicopter pilot Jack Geoghegan

(Chris Klein) and Moore’s wife, Julie (Madeleine Stowe), who acts as the

leader for the wives on the base, and you may have Academy Award nominees

for 2002. The characters became lifelike more so than in another recent

war picture, “Black Hawk Down.”

Since Sept. 11, Hollywood is producing superb war movies -- films that

heave you into the disorder and ferocity of battle, honor and heroism.

Writer/director Randall Wallace (writer of “Braveheart”) was able to toss

our emotions from suspense, tears, horror and exhaustion.

“Soldiers” is not for the faint of heart. Gay was taken with the

courage of the men and spirit of loyalty to their mission, including

realistic juggling of home and family. She kept saying and brushing away

tears, “I never knew what went on over there. What a hideous waste of

lives.”

“We Were Soldiers” is worth your time, especially to honor those who

fought and lost their lives and loved ones in that senseless war.

“We Were Soldiers” is rated R.

* GAY WASSALL-KELLY is the editor of a Balboa newspaper and is active

in the community. BILL KELLY is an industrial engineer, and he wrote most

of this review.