Because I have gotten oh-so-behind with my moviegoing, I treated myself to a duet today. I even almost snuck in to the second one....but sadly, I am just too nerdy.
300 is an absolute visual treat. Certainly it's a tale of heroism, idealism and morality, but spending 2 hours' time with Gerard Butler's King Leonidas is time well spent. From the cinematography to the action sequences to the costuming to the nearly tangible love story expressed between the King and his Queen - it all serves to offer an amazing experience. Be aware that there's lots and lots and lots of blood (and sometimes it seems you can touch it), but there's also lots and lots and lots of abs (which you wish you could).
There's also some blood in The Lookout, a contemporary tale of victimization and independence. I had to double-check Joseph Gordon-Levitt's date of birth or else some of the things I thought while watching this film could've been kinda pervy. Luckily, he's 26, so I'm only like a creepy aunt.
I wasn't a 3rd Rock From The Sun watcher, but JGL has taken on some very challenging characters since then. In this film, he's cast as a young man - Chris Pratt - 4 years out from a terrifically tragic car accident, who is living with a frontal lobe head injury. He has a wealthy family, was a local hockey hero; yet the ties that bind him to his hometown, are the same ones that allow him to suffer in grief every day. The center for independent living from where he learns life skills has paired him in an apartment with Jeff Daniels, a middle aged man blinded as a young adult from cooking meth.
The story that evolves doesn't really hold any surprises; bad guys find a mark in the disabled guy, indoctrinate him into their plot by playing on his insecurities, disabled guy wants to prove he's no sucker, disabled guy prevails. But Joe is able to portray Chris in such a way that, as an audience member, you think "geez...there's something about that guy...he reminds me of someone I know." He becomes familiar to you. Which makes you care. Which, in the end, is really the point of most stories, right? Oh. And he has the most kissable-looking lips. Those kind of made me care a little too.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Sonata for A Good Man
The Lives of Others is another film that can have a lasting effect. While easy to draw parallels between its story of government spying and our contemporary cries of Big Brother, I think it remains critical to realize that one of our European allies was keeping tabs on its citizens as recently as just 18 years ago. That a government whom we now know to be friendly and modern and civilized was routinely enlisting the help of an absurdly organized Stasi force to squelch the free expression of art.
Characters include the necessary fat-pig bureaucrat, the ass-kissing middle manager, and the easily likable playwright. Yet somehow they don't become caricatures of themselves. The star and unlikely hero is the Stasi officer who moves from paid eavesdropper to fierce protector. A man who is so completely committed to his country's propaganda that he can never imagine changing the pattern of his life to allow familial attachment.
While you know how much I loved Pan's Labyrinth, I was thrilled this movie was chosen as Best Foreign Film at this year's Oscars. It is a lovely story using the stark backdrop of a country still in many peoples' memory to remind us all about the power of emotion and just how much can be accomplished with creative thought.
Characters include the necessary fat-pig bureaucrat, the ass-kissing middle manager, and the easily likable playwright. Yet somehow they don't become caricatures of themselves. The star and unlikely hero is the Stasi officer who moves from paid eavesdropper to fierce protector. A man who is so completely committed to his country's propaganda that he can never imagine changing the pattern of his life to allow familial attachment.
While you know how much I loved Pan's Labyrinth, I was thrilled this movie was chosen as Best Foreign Film at this year's Oscars. It is a lovely story using the stark backdrop of a country still in many peoples' memory to remind us all about the power of emotion and just how much can be accomplished with creative thought.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Unknown
Was anyone else aware of this movie? I stumbled upon it last week on Netflix; with a dreamy cast (local hero Jim Caviezel, Greg Kinnear, Barry Pepper, Jeremy Sisto) and a story about amnesia & a kidnapping heist, I could imagine no downside. And yet.
As the characters flail around in a desert warehouse trying to determine which of them is on which side (victims or kidnappers) they must work through some clumsy dialogue, curiously placed f-bombs, and face punches. The screenplay feels like an adaptation of a stage play. If it's not, maybe it should be; it might be better. And why does Peter Stormare always play the bad guy? Sure he's good at it, but a few more surprises would have been welcome in this movie.
Thankfully it's a short film, and the last third is the most interesting. But getting there is hard.
As the characters flail around in a desert warehouse trying to determine which of them is on which side (victims or kidnappers) they must work through some clumsy dialogue, curiously placed f-bombs, and face punches. The screenplay feels like an adaptation of a stage play. If it's not, maybe it should be; it might be better. And why does Peter Stormare always play the bad guy? Sure he's good at it, but a few more surprises would have been welcome in this movie.
Thankfully it's a short film, and the last third is the most interesting. But getting there is hard.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Kings of Scotland
It seems like Forest Whitaker has been around forever. And even if he had to work in s--t like Species or Body Count, the quality of his performances have rarely been questioned. But how hard must it have been to play a wildly infamous African president who seamlessly shifts between humanity and psychosis?
The Last King of Scotland is loosely based on the novel of the same name - which is itself loosely based on the historical events of Uganda and its leader in the 1970s, Idi Amin. While Whitaker seems like the perfect choice for Amin (those of you who were actually aware of world affairs in the 70s would be more qualified than I to agree or not), equally compelling for me was the job turned in by James McAvoy as a newly minted physician from Edinburgh who decides to snub his stodgy doctor dad and take his medical talents on an adventure to the first (well, second) place his finger hits a spinning globe. It begins well for him: saving the lives of young tots with the miracle of vaccines, making googly eyes with a blonde-streaked Gillian Anderson, playing football with the schoolboys. His luck then takes an unfortunate turn when he becomes enamored with the idea of a budding democracy in his distant new home.
The absolute subtlety & intensity these two actors are able to bear when together in scenes is astounding. Furthermore, as McAvoy is a relatively nascent big-screen talent compared to Whitaker's veteran presence, his ability to unfailingly meet Whitaker's skill is a statement to his enormous capabilities. Leo DiCaprio is certainly a crowd favorite; but I wish his Oscar nom this year had instead been given to young McAvoy so that he may share his costar's Academy recognition.
The Last King of Scotland is loosely based on the novel of the same name - which is itself loosely based on the historical events of Uganda and its leader in the 1970s, Idi Amin. While Whitaker seems like the perfect choice for Amin (those of you who were actually aware of world affairs in the 70s would be more qualified than I to agree or not), equally compelling for me was the job turned in by James McAvoy as a newly minted physician from Edinburgh who decides to snub his stodgy doctor dad and take his medical talents on an adventure to the first (well, second) place his finger hits a spinning globe. It begins well for him: saving the lives of young tots with the miracle of vaccines, making googly eyes with a blonde-streaked Gillian Anderson, playing football with the schoolboys. His luck then takes an unfortunate turn when he becomes enamored with the idea of a budding democracy in his distant new home.
The absolute subtlety & intensity these two actors are able to bear when together in scenes is astounding. Furthermore, as McAvoy is a relatively nascent big-screen talent compared to Whitaker's veteran presence, his ability to unfailingly meet Whitaker's skill is a statement to his enormous capabilities. Leo DiCaprio is certainly a crowd favorite; but I wish his Oscar nom this year had instead been given to young McAvoy so that he may share his costar's Academy recognition.
Friday, February 9, 2007
I know it's a book
I've read lots of books in my life that I've zipped through in 3 days; some, even in 2. But rarely do I happen across a story that I'll suck down in a single day. Get your mitts on The Wheelman by Duane Swierczynski. I found it on a whim, while at the library browsing the stacks, killing time with a coffee. I'm not even going to say it's about bank robbers, or getaway drivers, or mafioso - cos it's so much more than that. If this author doesn't give us more fiction, he'll be the criminal.
Hail A Film Festival
I've only been a regular festival-goer for 3 years in my fair city, but I can not recommend the experience enough. Before I knew better, I thought these things were simply previews of movies to come or showcases of foreign films; certainly those are two functions of a festival. But beyond that is the experience of magically being exposed to films not only of different countries, but of different cultures, of different times (silent films, film noir detective stories, historical works) and of different treatments (home movies, documentaries, hand-held filming).
While I enjoy the quality (and sometimes the homogeneity) of American movies, I think the corporate business of filmmaking in this country does us a disservice by making it so difficult for auteurs to bring their work to an audience. And for this, I loves me a film festival crowd.
Some of my faves from last year (2006):
Snow Cake - Sigourney Weaver as a high-functioning autistic and Alan Rickman as a survivor of a horrific traffic accident in a small Canadian town.
Half Nelson - I couldn't be more excited about Ryan Gosling's about-face from the sappy ickiness of The Notebook (sorry girlfriends) to this dirty drama about a golden-hearted junior high school teacher with a crack habit.
Hard Candy - Before Patrick Wilson was an adulterous young father in Little Children, he played a probable pedophile unlucky enough to trade messages on the Internet with a scheming teenage girl. Warning to guys: you'll be sitting cross-legged for a few scenes.
Familia - A French-Canadian film about women & daughters & friendship & addiction. Beautifully believable.
Pierrepoint - based on the true story of Britain's most successful hangman in the 1920's - 1950's. Simple and riveting, I thought about it for days afterward. [Not yet available on video - but look for it]
Wordplay - a no-brainer for those of us who are fans of Will Shortz and crosswords in general. A look at players in the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament - word nerds unite!
The World According to Sesame Street - an amazing but humble glimpse into the house that Big Bird built. The Sesame Project is a global campaign aimed at educating children on the basics while providing them with a sense of community in locales ravaged by war, poverty and disease. If it takes a village to raise a child, Sesame Street should be the elders.
The Power of Nightmares - Apparently the BBC felt it was up to them to school us Americans on why 9/11 happened to us. It's a good thing they did. Utterly compelling. 3 hours will whiz by before you've even eaten half your popcorn. [Also, not yet available on video]
While I enjoy the quality (and sometimes the homogeneity) of American movies, I think the corporate business of filmmaking in this country does us a disservice by making it so difficult for auteurs to bring their work to an audience. And for this, I loves me a film festival crowd.
Some of my faves from last year (2006):
Snow Cake - Sigourney Weaver as a high-functioning autistic and Alan Rickman as a survivor of a horrific traffic accident in a small Canadian town.
Half Nelson - I couldn't be more excited about Ryan Gosling's about-face from the sappy ickiness of The Notebook (sorry girlfriends) to this dirty drama about a golden-hearted junior high school teacher with a crack habit.
Hard Candy - Before Patrick Wilson was an adulterous young father in Little Children, he played a probable pedophile unlucky enough to trade messages on the Internet with a scheming teenage girl. Warning to guys: you'll be sitting cross-legged for a few scenes.
Familia - A French-Canadian film about women & daughters & friendship & addiction. Beautifully believable.
Pierrepoint - based on the true story of Britain's most successful hangman in the 1920's - 1950's. Simple and riveting, I thought about it for days afterward. [Not yet available on video - but look for it]
Wordplay - a no-brainer for those of us who are fans of Will Shortz and crosswords in general. A look at players in the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament - word nerds unite!
The World According to Sesame Street - an amazing but humble glimpse into the house that Big Bird built. The Sesame Project is a global campaign aimed at educating children on the basics while providing them with a sense of community in locales ravaged by war, poverty and disease. If it takes a village to raise a child, Sesame Street should be the elders.
The Power of Nightmares - Apparently the BBC felt it was up to them to school us Americans on why 9/11 happened to us. It's a good thing they did. Utterly compelling. 3 hours will whiz by before you've even eaten half your popcorn. [Also, not yet available on video]
Ol' Blue Eyes
Shame on the naysayers who opposed Daniel Craig's assignment to her majesty's secret service; obviously they had not witnessed his performance in Layer Cake. Had they, they would have known the Bond franchise was in perfectly capable hands. And oh...those hands. And those eyes. And that voice. Put him in a suit and you can take him anywhere.
As the drug dealer formerly known as "X," Craig is whipsawed in Cake by triple crosses and his early retirement plan. Sienna Miller has a bit part as a baby faced city girl in her next best role since Fast Eddie's roommate [which was tragically axed] on FOX's small screen, and Colm Meany almost makes you think it's normal to have a soundproofed refrigeration room in your home.
That same year, Daniel Craig made an interesting film with Bill Nighy and Rhys Ifans called Enduring Love, a discomfitting story about an ordinary man who becomes the object of obsession for another man who believes they shared a life changing moment.
As an audience of one, I've really only made a small dent in Daniel Craig's filmography; one look at his performance history and you see a man who's worked steadily and purposefully for quite some time. He's done smaller roles in large films (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Road to Perdition, Munich), and larger roles in smaller films (The Jacket, Infamous, I Dreamed of Africa, Sylvia, Obsession, Some Voices, The Mother); graphic animation (Renaissance); TV drama (Archangel, The Young Indiana Jones, Moll Flanders).
In this moment, I can't think of an American actor who's been as good for as long in as many different showcases. I will be paying my $$ for Bond for as long as Daniel Craig decides to keep the camera rolling.
As the drug dealer formerly known as "X," Craig is whipsawed in Cake by triple crosses and his early retirement plan. Sienna Miller has a bit part as a baby faced city girl in her next best role since Fast Eddie's roommate [which was tragically axed] on FOX's small screen, and Colm Meany almost makes you think it's normal to have a soundproofed refrigeration room in your home.
That same year, Daniel Craig made an interesting film with Bill Nighy and Rhys Ifans called Enduring Love, a discomfitting story about an ordinary man who becomes the object of obsession for another man who believes they shared a life changing moment.
As an audience of one, I've really only made a small dent in Daniel Craig's filmography; one look at his performance history and you see a man who's worked steadily and purposefully for quite some time. He's done smaller roles in large films (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Road to Perdition, Munich), and larger roles in smaller films (The Jacket, Infamous, I Dreamed of Africa, Sylvia, Obsession, Some Voices, The Mother); graphic animation (Renaissance); TV drama (Archangel, The Young Indiana Jones, Moll Flanders).
In this moment, I can't think of an American actor who's been as good for as long in as many different showcases. I will be paying my $$ for Bond for as long as Daniel Craig decides to keep the camera rolling.
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