Jason goes to Jewfest South--Wednesday, Oct 27

Just one film, down at the Camera 7, and that film was JUMP, starring Patrick Swayze in one of his final roles. It's the story of Philippe Halsman, one of the most famous photographers of all time, with over 100 covers of Life magazine. As the movie opens he's in his Manhattan penthouse studio taking pictures of Marilyn Monroe jumping. He did a whole series of celebrities (even Richard Nixon) jumping, and he talks about how when someone jumps you get all of their natural, unguarded, "real" movements (as opposed to the mask we wear the rest of the time). An interview is the framing device to take him back to the traumatic events of his earlier life in Austria. While on a hiking trip with his father, they had a fight and later his father fell after a heart attack and died (or was murdered while Philippe was going to get help). However, as antisemitism was on the rise in the area, he was accused and put on trial, what some claim is the first Nazi trial of a Jew. Swayze plays his lawyer, and does an admirable job. And there are quite a few very good scenes in the movie. But there are also far too many overly melodramatic, unsubtle monologues. I can't help but think there's a better movie to be made about the same story.

That feels unfair. This really is a good movie, just with a few scenes that I felt were overdone.

Running Time: 102 minutes

My Total Minutes: 213,386