Here are some quick reviews for a few things I saw recently.
Once -
everyone has been glowing about this very low-key Irish film about two musicians struggling to make ends meet and fill happiness. I was surprised initially at how much there ISN'T besides singing, because it's not a stage musical, they're just playing songs here and there. But that becomes the main point, and it works. When they pour their souls out, it becomes a touching and deeply emotional story.
Sweeney Todd -
this seemed like the perfect project for Tim Burton. And Helena Bonham Carter. And Johnny Depp, once they were in. It all makes sense... but does it make sense as a film? It's the weirdest musical that comes from a normal musical setting, and Burton embraces that. While visually great, the story wanders a little, and musically... I guess that's how the musical goes. But every player is up to task, especially Sacha and his kid assistant, who has some great cockney numbers. Alan Rickman and the guy from Harry Potter are creepy as the villains, but I think one red herring that keeps popping up gives away too much. It's hard for me to judge, not knowing standard musicals all that well (especially this one), but I like their moxie.
December Boys -
this sweet nostalgia tale may not have gotten far if not for the casting of one Daniel Radcliffe. Yes, Harry Potter is expanding his serious scope, and he's doing good. He's one of four orphaned boys living in a lonely convent in 1960's Australia. He and three others, who have bonded over their near-Christmas birthdays, get to spend some vacation time on the coast. They hear that the ultra-cool young couple nearby might adopt one of them, and they begin amping for their love... but not the older Radcliffe, as he finds a teenage girl with a burgeoning crush. This may be an old standard of a looking-back tale, but it's good.
Film reviews, criticism, discussions, rants, raves, and random pictures of Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
No Country for Old Men & some others in brief
Spartan -
This came out a few years ago, but I don't remember hearing much about it. Now I find out that David Mamet wrote and directed a war movie with Val Kilmer and Kristen Bell????? We had to find out. This is a very good thriller, with Kilmer as a rogue commando set to rescue the president's missing daughter (Bell), even though the president may not want her back... Pretty damn good for a military conspiracy movie, and more action than I ever expected Mamet to be capable of.
No Country For Old Men -
Finally snuck away to the theater to see the Coens get back in the saddle. They didn't disappoint. This is an awesome combination of western motifs and modern thrillers. Everyone is on their game, but Javier Bardem is downright terrifying as the hitman with no rules at all. I'm calling a nom for him. Has to. I was a little curious as to how they handled the last half hour or so, but it doesn't diminish the accomplishment. Who knew they could get serious again, and not only that, but make one of the more suspenseful movies in the past few years - without resulting to easy scare tactics like so many do these days? The silence and the great cinematography added to this great work.
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead -
Also managed to grab this little-seen drama before it went out. It's a sad story of two shmuck brothers (Ethan Hawke, in full sad-sack loser Dead Poets / Tape mode, and the great Phil S Hoffman) robbing their own parents' store, and things going horribly wrong. I liked it, but there are a lot of questions about how Sidney Lumet handled this. He uses multi perspectives for everyone involved, but it doesn't always help, and they end up repeating a lot. The main thing to watch in this movie is to see Phil take an unlikable character and just run with it. He's a total heel, and he doesn't care. For a Phil-phanatic like myself, it's nice to see him back doing stuff others maybe wouldn't. But the rest of the film is just okay at best.
The Number 23 -
I waited for this on DVD after being suspicious of it earlier... and I was right. It's got a compelling visual style and the stigma behind 23 is intriguing. It's got a dramatic murder mystery and a Bud Cort cameo. But the story is so weirdly drawn out. Much of the film is a flashback to the book Jim Carrey is reading, which makes sense (I guess?) in the end but doesn't do much for excitement. It's a decent story, but then it ends up being not about 23 so much as one guy's weird problems. Funny, Joel Schumacher is probably the only guy who can offer so much promise and disappointment in the same film. At least Virginia Madsen is still capable.
And they missed the most obvious connection to that number, one that I've suspected for many years: Michael Jordan has the power of Satan. I knew it!
This came out a few years ago, but I don't remember hearing much about it. Now I find out that David Mamet wrote and directed a war movie with Val Kilmer and Kristen Bell????? We had to find out. This is a very good thriller, with Kilmer as a rogue commando set to rescue the president's missing daughter (Bell), even though the president may not want her back... Pretty damn good for a military conspiracy movie, and more action than I ever expected Mamet to be capable of.
No Country For Old Men -
Finally snuck away to the theater to see the Coens get back in the saddle. They didn't disappoint. This is an awesome combination of western motifs and modern thrillers. Everyone is on their game, but Javier Bardem is downright terrifying as the hitman with no rules at all. I'm calling a nom for him. Has to. I was a little curious as to how they handled the last half hour or so, but it doesn't diminish the accomplishment. Who knew they could get serious again, and not only that, but make one of the more suspenseful movies in the past few years - without resulting to easy scare tactics like so many do these days? The silence and the great cinematography added to this great work.
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead -
Also managed to grab this little-seen drama before it went out. It's a sad story of two shmuck brothers (Ethan Hawke, in full sad-sack loser Dead Poets / Tape mode, and the great Phil S Hoffman) robbing their own parents' store, and things going horribly wrong. I liked it, but there are a lot of questions about how Sidney Lumet handled this. He uses multi perspectives for everyone involved, but it doesn't always help, and they end up repeating a lot. The main thing to watch in this movie is to see Phil take an unlikable character and just run with it. He's a total heel, and he doesn't care. For a Phil-phanatic like myself, it's nice to see him back doing stuff others maybe wouldn't. But the rest of the film is just okay at best.
The Number 23 -
I waited for this on DVD after being suspicious of it earlier... and I was right. It's got a compelling visual style and the stigma behind 23 is intriguing. It's got a dramatic murder mystery and a Bud Cort cameo. But the story is so weirdly drawn out. Much of the film is a flashback to the book Jim Carrey is reading, which makes sense (I guess?) in the end but doesn't do much for excitement. It's a decent story, but then it ends up being not about 23 so much as one guy's weird problems. Funny, Joel Schumacher is probably the only guy who can offer so much promise and disappointment in the same film. At least Virginia Madsen is still capable.
And they missed the most obvious connection to that number, one that I've suspected for many years: Michael Jordan has the power of Satan. I knew it!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
The Darjeeling Limited
At last, I got a chance to see Wes Anderson's latest opus. I was not disappointed. This is a fantastic mix of melancholy family struggles and deadpan humor. It's classically Wanderson styled, and resembles (to me) Royal T-baums, my favorite of his works. The trio of Owen, Brody, and Schwartzman delivers the goods as three brothers with a shaky family history. On top of his usual formula, Wanderson adds an infusion of Indian music (which apparently came from a lot of calssic Indian films) and fantastic imagery. It's soulful and funnt and pretty much perfect. For all lovers of Wes, and movies in general, this is a must.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Matewan: an academic reading
The miners of West Virginia have faced many hardships throughout the years of their service. They have endeared health problems, arguments with business leaders, and even government force in their campaign for better working conditions. Filmmaker John Sayles wanted to make a realistic portrayal of their struggles in the early part of the Twentieth century. Sayles’ film Matewan, for the most part, follows the guidelines of classic film realism. There is, however, an exception, and that makes the film somewhat radical.
The real action in Matewan begins with the arrival of Joe Kenehan, a union backer. Kenehan suggests several ideas and helps the miners organize their union. In this sense, the film follows Hill’s idea of the narrative fairly well. The start of the film, the first equilibrium, has the miners arguing with the company. This is not what we might think of as a stable situation, but it is the regular setting for this era. The next step of the narrative is a disruption in this equilibrium, and that disruption is Kenehan. He is an outsider who comes into the situation and disrupts things. He helps organize the strike and gets the miners to accept the African-Americans and Italians into their union.
For the traditional narrative to continue, this action then requires a force from the other side to bring back a setting equal to the opening. That force is the company’s reaction to the powerful strike. They send in their agents and the shootout ensues. This is their answer to solving the problem. At the end of the film, the setting is indeed close to the original: the miners are still fighting with the company, and Kenehan is gone. In that sense, it seems that the equilibrium has been reestablished. The setting, however, must also be somewhat different, according to the rules of narrative, and it is. Kenehan has left his mark and the fight has intensified. Some of the townspeople are dead, and that is obviously a change from the beginning. Thus, the film follows one idea of Hill fairly well.
Hill also discusses the ideology of affirmation. This idea states that people control the events in their lives. Sayles tries to assure the audience that this is true. The miners fight to deny the idea that they are slaves to the company. They always have had to listen to their employers and follow their orders exactly, or else they would not survive. Kenehan helps convince them that they can fight back; that they can make a difference. There is a great line from James Earl Jones’ character in a conversation with another black miner character, where they realize that they are still basically slaves to the white folk. Their lives have not improved much. When the native miners allow them (and the Italians) to join the union, it is likely the first time in their lives that they have stood up to their superiors. As Jones said of his character, “I saw Few Clothes as an activist in the sense that he only wanted the best for [his fellow outsiders]. He knows that if he talks back [to any white boss], he may get a noose put around his neck.”
Another ideology that Hill discusses is that of containment. This suggests that one person’s attitude is the cause of the problem; on a larger scale, the problem lies with a few outcasts, not many people. In this film, Kenehan is the outsider whose attitude affects everyone else. He does not want violence, he does want the miners to include the African-Americans and Italians, and he even admits his communist ideas. His ideas are radical to everyone involved, especially the company’s agents. They are out to destroy him and defile him in the minds of the workers. Once again, Sayles’ film follows Hill’s idea. The problem (which is the company’s problem) comes from Kenehan. He inspires the miners. He gets help from Few Clothes, Danny, and other people, and the miners are already angry with the company, but he directly causes much of the action. When he dies at he shootout, it solves their problem in a way.
Matewan is very much on the side of the union miners. Sayles has the audience feeling sorry for their plight at all times, while making the agents evil, unmerciful villains. They are ridiculously mean to the townspeople at all times. They laugh at church! Sayles does not take an impartial view in this, and that is why this movie emits left-wing, radical ideas.
Sayles does and does not follow the ideas of classic film realism in his film Matewan. He goes along with most of the ideas, but shows bias and directs the audience’s feelings towards one side of the fight. Matewan is a powerful testament to the struggles of the West Virginia miners, but the radical ideas may turn off conservative viewers. Even so, Sayles has made a strong statement.
The real action in Matewan begins with the arrival of Joe Kenehan, a union backer. Kenehan suggests several ideas and helps the miners organize their union. In this sense, the film follows Hill’s idea of the narrative fairly well. The start of the film, the first equilibrium, has the miners arguing with the company. This is not what we might think of as a stable situation, but it is the regular setting for this era. The next step of the narrative is a disruption in this equilibrium, and that disruption is Kenehan. He is an outsider who comes into the situation and disrupts things. He helps organize the strike and gets the miners to accept the African-Americans and Italians into their union.
For the traditional narrative to continue, this action then requires a force from the other side to bring back a setting equal to the opening. That force is the company’s reaction to the powerful strike. They send in their agents and the shootout ensues. This is their answer to solving the problem. At the end of the film, the setting is indeed close to the original: the miners are still fighting with the company, and Kenehan is gone. In that sense, it seems that the equilibrium has been reestablished. The setting, however, must also be somewhat different, according to the rules of narrative, and it is. Kenehan has left his mark and the fight has intensified. Some of the townspeople are dead, and that is obviously a change from the beginning. Thus, the film follows one idea of Hill fairly well.
Hill also discusses the ideology of affirmation. This idea states that people control the events in their lives. Sayles tries to assure the audience that this is true. The miners fight to deny the idea that they are slaves to the company. They always have had to listen to their employers and follow their orders exactly, or else they would not survive. Kenehan helps convince them that they can fight back; that they can make a difference. There is a great line from James Earl Jones’ character in a conversation with another black miner character, where they realize that they are still basically slaves to the white folk. Their lives have not improved much. When the native miners allow them (and the Italians) to join the union, it is likely the first time in their lives that they have stood up to their superiors. As Jones said of his character, “I saw Few Clothes as an activist in the sense that he only wanted the best for [his fellow outsiders]. He knows that if he talks back [to any white boss], he may get a noose put around his neck.”
Another ideology that Hill discusses is that of containment. This suggests that one person’s attitude is the cause of the problem; on a larger scale, the problem lies with a few outcasts, not many people. In this film, Kenehan is the outsider whose attitude affects everyone else. He does not want violence, he does want the miners to include the African-Americans and Italians, and he even admits his communist ideas. His ideas are radical to everyone involved, especially the company’s agents. They are out to destroy him and defile him in the minds of the workers. Once again, Sayles’ film follows Hill’s idea. The problem (which is the company’s problem) comes from Kenehan. He inspires the miners. He gets help from Few Clothes, Danny, and other people, and the miners are already angry with the company, but he directly causes much of the action. When he dies at he shootout, it solves their problem in a way.
Matewan is very much on the side of the union miners. Sayles has the audience feeling sorry for their plight at all times, while making the agents evil, unmerciful villains. They are ridiculously mean to the townspeople at all times. They laugh at church! Sayles does not take an impartial view in this, and that is why this movie emits left-wing, radical ideas.
Sayles does and does not follow the ideas of classic film realism in his film Matewan. He goes along with most of the ideas, but shows bias and directs the audience’s feelings towards one side of the fight. Matewan is a powerful testament to the struggles of the West Virginia miners, but the radical ideas may turn off conservative viewers. Even so, Sayles has made a strong statement.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The Lives of Others & films in brief
BUG - This came out early in the year as the latest horror/thriller to come in and out of theaters quickly. But it's more than that. This came from a play, which sounds strange for such a genre. It starts out as an indie-type reality drama and then suddenly becomes a paranoid thriller that spirals way out of control. Ashley Judd signed up for this because it's really an acting showcase, believe it or not... if you like acting crazy.
THE LIVES OF OTHERS - I've meant to see this, last year's Best Foreign Picture winner, for a while. It's dynamic. During the Soviet regime in East Germany, a member of the secret police is instructed to spy on a famous writer. The writer hasn't done anything, but a high official wants the writer's girlfriend, and so this drone begins spying. He soon realizes that the writer hasn't done anything wrong, but he knows the boss will push him to make up something, and he has a struggle of conscience.
This is a great film and worth its awards. It's tragic and heartfelt and also a reminder of Communism and the troubles it produced (this may seem obvious to most, but I sometimes need to be assured). Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck is quite a director.
YEAR OF THE DOG - This cute indie dramedy from Mike White, writer of such slacker fare, goes in places you might expect it to but ends with a nice statement. Molly Shannon is a fairly boring single woman who loves her dog and simple life. When it dies, she has a crisis and starts to reach out to new people and places, and finds a new purpose in animal protection. This has a great cast with John C. Reilly, Peter Saarsgard, and Laura Dern on board, and though it doesn't seem that much different from the previous indie films of this nature (The Good Girl, You and Me and Everyone We Know, You Can Count on Me), it works well and finishes on a surprising upbeat. Good for indie lovers, and dog lovers everywhere.
THE LIVES OF OTHERS - I've meant to see this, last year's Best Foreign Picture winner, for a while. It's dynamic. During the Soviet regime in East Germany, a member of the secret police is instructed to spy on a famous writer. The writer hasn't done anything, but a high official wants the writer's girlfriend, and so this drone begins spying. He soon realizes that the writer hasn't done anything wrong, but he knows the boss will push him to make up something, and he has a struggle of conscience.
This is a great film and worth its awards. It's tragic and heartfelt and also a reminder of Communism and the troubles it produced (this may seem obvious to most, but I sometimes need to be assured). Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck is quite a director.
YEAR OF THE DOG - This cute indie dramedy from Mike White, writer of such slacker fare, goes in places you might expect it to but ends with a nice statement. Molly Shannon is a fairly boring single woman who loves her dog and simple life. When it dies, she has a crisis and starts to reach out to new people and places, and finds a new purpose in animal protection. This has a great cast with John C. Reilly, Peter Saarsgard, and Laura Dern on board, and though it doesn't seem that much different from the previous indie films of this nature (The Good Girl, You and Me and Everyone We Know, You Can Count on Me), it works well and finishes on a surprising upbeat. Good for indie lovers, and dog lovers everywhere.
Monday, October 8, 2007
films in brief
Some quick reviews:
The Namesake -
This drama caught attention earlier in the year when people were surprised by how good a movie based around Kumar could be. He's not bad, but the parents (both veterans of Indian cinema) are very good in this tale of immigrants adjusting to America. It's a solid drama, and the only problem is that they perhaps tried to jam too much into one movie (from the book) and may have worked better as a mini-series. Still, Mira Nair is a great director, and this is a fine piece of work on its own.
The Family Stone -
Finally saw this indie comedy from two years ago. I don't know why it took this long, because it's a likable cast... except for the two main lovers, which I'm still curious about. If my family had Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Rachel McAdams, Luke Wilson, and a lovable gay and deaf man, would I even give a darn about Dermot Mulroney? I say no. But they like him, and when he brings home Sarah Jessica Parker as his date, she doesn't fit in, and hilarity ensues.
This was genuinely funny and a solid Christmas / family relationship movie. Luke is on his game, relaxed, but I couldn't feel a moment of sympathy for Parker, and wasn't that the point? And then Claire Danes shows up and Dermot suddenly has a change of heart? Weird plot, but an enjoyable treat.
Urban Legends: Bloody Mary
Did you know that the 1998 semi-successful horror film that featured deaths based on popular urban legends and a young Jared Leto (and Josh Jackson) is still spawning sequels? Did you know that Kate Mara stars in this, even though she already had a breakthrough in Brokeback Mountain and comes from an uber-rich family? Did you know that it was written by the same guys who did X Men 2 and Superman Returns? Did you know that Utah is now considered an acceptable place to shoot a horror film that revolves around murder and date rape? Ah, the things you learn while watching late night cable.
Rescue Dawn -
Really wanted to see this, but it was in and out so quickly. Werner Herzog, one of the most famous German directors, takes a Vietnam movie and focuses on just the escape of one man. That man is Christian Bale, and he went through all sorts of trouble to film this. He and Steve Zahn are toughing it out in a POW camp with Jeremy Davies, when Bale decides to escape. This is shot beautifully and acted well, especially concerning the physical side. It remains a simple, but intense, story of survival. How does Patrick Bateman (I still can't call him Batman) keep doing this crazy stuff?
The Namesake -
This drama caught attention earlier in the year when people were surprised by how good a movie based around Kumar could be. He's not bad, but the parents (both veterans of Indian cinema) are very good in this tale of immigrants adjusting to America. It's a solid drama, and the only problem is that they perhaps tried to jam too much into one movie (from the book) and may have worked better as a mini-series. Still, Mira Nair is a great director, and this is a fine piece of work on its own.
The Family Stone -
Finally saw this indie comedy from two years ago. I don't know why it took this long, because it's a likable cast... except for the two main lovers, which I'm still curious about. If my family had Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Rachel McAdams, Luke Wilson, and a lovable gay and deaf man, would I even give a darn about Dermot Mulroney? I say no. But they like him, and when he brings home Sarah Jessica Parker as his date, she doesn't fit in, and hilarity ensues.
This was genuinely funny and a solid Christmas / family relationship movie. Luke is on his game, relaxed, but I couldn't feel a moment of sympathy for Parker, and wasn't that the point? And then Claire Danes shows up and Dermot suddenly has a change of heart? Weird plot, but an enjoyable treat.
Urban Legends: Bloody Mary
Did you know that the 1998 semi-successful horror film that featured deaths based on popular urban legends and a young Jared Leto (and Josh Jackson) is still spawning sequels? Did you know that Kate Mara stars in this, even though she already had a breakthrough in Brokeback Mountain and comes from an uber-rich family? Did you know that it was written by the same guys who did X Men 2 and Superman Returns? Did you know that Utah is now considered an acceptable place to shoot a horror film that revolves around murder and date rape? Ah, the things you learn while watching late night cable.
Rescue Dawn -
Really wanted to see this, but it was in and out so quickly. Werner Herzog, one of the most famous German directors, takes a Vietnam movie and focuses on just the escape of one man. That man is Christian Bale, and he went through all sorts of trouble to film this. He and Steve Zahn are toughing it out in a POW camp with Jeremy Davies, when Bale decides to escape. This is shot beautifully and acted well, especially concerning the physical side. It remains a simple, but intense, story of survival. How does Patrick Bateman (I still can't call him Batman) keep doing this crazy stuff?
Monday, September 3, 2007
Two popcorn flicks in brief (Die Hard 4, Transformers)
Live Free or Die Hard -
what's the point of Crank or The Transporter when even the standard action franchises aren't even trying anymore? This is... ridiculous. Fun, but really, really ridiculous. Timothy Olyphant got some money this year, and I'm okay with that, but he and everyone in this should be kinda ashamed of themselves... especially The Bruce, who made John McClane so popular as a normal guy who made it through a tough situation, but is now steering trucks while a jet shoots him with missiles, and sending cars into helicopters. Gawd.
Speaking of mindless action....
Transformers -
Yeah, I couldn't resist. I was ready to give this a shot for one of my childhood treats, and, well, it gave us what we wanted. You could say that least Michael Bay is winking at how impossible this is and adding a little humor, but then, of course, he goes too far. Shia LeBeouf is for real, though. He's genuinely good comic relief while others are flailing.
But what is it about these action movies that boils all conflicts down to a few random people in a room? I call it the Independence Day Effect (which, by the way, is ripped off here repeatedly). What if I told you that the fate of the world was in some room in the Hoover Dam, and the only people in that room were Anthony Anderson, Jon Voigt, some British too-hot-to-be-a-nerd girl, and a possibly drunk John Turturro? Why not?
what's the point of Crank or The Transporter when even the standard action franchises aren't even trying anymore? This is... ridiculous. Fun, but really, really ridiculous. Timothy Olyphant got some money this year, and I'm okay with that, but he and everyone in this should be kinda ashamed of themselves... especially The Bruce, who made John McClane so popular as a normal guy who made it through a tough situation, but is now steering trucks while a jet shoots him with missiles, and sending cars into helicopters. Gawd.
Speaking of mindless action....
Transformers -
Yeah, I couldn't resist. I was ready to give this a shot for one of my childhood treats, and, well, it gave us what we wanted. You could say that least Michael Bay is winking at how impossible this is and adding a little humor, but then, of course, he goes too far. Shia LeBeouf is for real, though. He's genuinely good comic relief while others are flailing.
But what is it about these action movies that boils all conflicts down to a few random people in a room? I call it the Independence Day Effect (which, by the way, is ripped off here repeatedly). What if I told you that the fate of the world was in some room in the Hoover Dam, and the only people in that room were Anthony Anderson, Jon Voigt, some British too-hot-to-be-a-nerd girl, and a possibly drunk John Turturro? Why not?
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