Category Archives: movies
Haiku Review: 18 April 2010
So, I’m posting this something like 12 days after I intended, but it’s April and that means Screnzy + soccer + more soccer, and I’m busy. So sue me. But please keep reading my blog. 
Also, if there’s one thing that can be learned from my Haiku Reviews, it’s that I like Cary Grant. So here’s a picture to make up for the super-lengthy delay.
Aw, Cary! A flower and smoldering gaze for me? You shouldn't have!
Notorious (4 stars): Hitchcock delivers / Cary Grant’s best performance / plus great female role
The Cove (4 stars): surprisingly fair / with huge amounts of research / hard to watch at times
Lethal Weapon 2 (3 stars): the toilet bomb scene / is worth price of admission / on its very own
Precious (3 stars): good performances / but too melodramatic / for my normal tastes
Butterflies are Free (3½ stars): flighty hippie chick / befriends and falls for blind guy / in sweet funny film
The Bounty Hunter (2 stars): wanted to be like / His Girl Friday but failed / so miserably
HouseSitter (3½ stars): Steve Martin flustered / by Goldie Hawn’s odd antics / makes hilarity
My Man Godfrey (5 stars): like Easy Virtue / happy and before the war / kooky and awesome
The Big Sleep (4 stars): whodunit and why / Bogey and Bacall trade barbs / and light up the screen
She Done Him Wrong (3 stars): pre-code scandalous / plus a young suave Cary Grant / yes please I want more
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (2½ stars): kind of cute in parts / swimming pool number is weird / never quite grabbed me
Casablanca (5 stars): doesn’t get better / if you haven’t seen this film / please fix right away
Gone With The Wind (4 stars): i loved the first half / second was quite a downer / a gorgeous epic
How to Train Your Dragon (4 stars): like Lilo & Stitch / at turns poignant and so fun / want a dragon now
Chloe (3 stars): first half got five stars / but the end went off the rails / not in a good way
People Will Talk (3 stars): lighthearted movie / about serious issues / plus it’s Cary Grant
The Guild, Seasons 1, 2 & 3 (5 stars): hilarious look / at collisions of real life / and online networks
She’s Out of My League (3½ stars): a sweet knee-slapper / one of the better rom-coms / of the past few years
Desert Island DVDs
Over at the Fandango Groovers Movie Blog, Andy has challenged movie bloggers and bloggers who love movies to come up with the eight movies they’d want if they were stuck on a desert island and somehow miraculously had a working DVD player. You can find a list of participants here, along with Andy’s own picks here.
When considering the films I’d want, I found I wasn’t particularly interested in the films I consider to be critical bests so much as movies I can watch over and over again. So, while some of these movies might not stand up as the greatest films of all times, for me, they do stand up as some of the most watchable. And if you’re stuck on a desert island with no end in sight, I think that’s what matters. In no particular order, here are my picks.
Elizabethtown: Depending on whom you ask, this movie’s either a guilty pleasure or just a pleasure. Either way, it’s a movie I’ve come back to again and again. And its theme of dealing with failure seems pretty appropriate for being stuck on a desert island.
The Princess Bride: Probably don’t need to explain this one. Whether or not you’re a fan, you probably already at least know how fans feel about it. I’m a fan.
Easy Virtue: I’ve talked at length about my love of this movie. It’s layered, it’s funny, it’s dramatic, it’s poignant, and it’s got a great soundtrack, too. I’ve watched it something like five times in the past year, so I think it’s a safe desert island pick.
Lilo & Stitch: My second favorite Disney movie of all time. The quirky humor is right up my alley, so much so that I named one of my dogs after Lilo. Her name is Lilo. She’s awesome. So’s this movie. It’s not your typical animated Disney fairytale, so, if you’ve been steering clear of it because of that, stop. See it. You might want to take it to your own desert island some day.
Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame: My favorite Disney movie of all time. Perhaps the darkest of all animated Disney tales, it also has an extremely underrated soundtrack, and it sports some of the most gorgeous animation of the modern era.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: This fulfills the eye-candy requirements for my island, and it also provides some inspiration for how to get off said island. As a bonus, it can act as a sympathetic companion when I run out of rum.
Now, I’m sort of cheating for my last one, but since they were filmed all at once, I think it’s OK to compromise and count it as my last two. So, for my last choice, I choose…
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (preferably the extended editions with appendices): For the record, if I had to choose two of these films, I’d choose The Two Towers and The Return of the King, but I’d really like to not have to make that choice. I mean, come on. I’m already stuck on a desert island. Cut me a little slack. These movies hit all the targets at varying times: funny, epic, gorgeous, inspiring, etc., etc. Plus, they take up a nice, big chunk of desert island life, and that’s probably a good thing.
Those are my picks. What are yours?
Haiku Review: 4 April 2010
I’m way behind on my movie recaps, so I’ll do half today and half tomorrow. Off we go!
The Awful Truth (3 stars): a husband and wife / suspect worst of each other / bring on the hijinks
How to Marry a Millionaire (3 stars): some pretty ladies / try to land themselves rich men / but find love instead
Easy Virtue (5 stars): i love this movie / i’ve said so a few times now / but it’s still quite true
Shutter Island (5 stars): Scorsese directs / another cinematic / thriller tour de force
The Wolfman (2 stars): i wish i had watched / an american werewolf / in london instead
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (5 stars): if the writer’s strike / brings entertainment like this / let’s strike more often
The Illusionist (4 stars): underrated film / about illusion and love / and the force of each
Girl With a Pearl Earring (4 stars): a study of art / and the way artists connect / in their unique way
Coco Avant Chanel (3 stars): stubborn as a mule / that was one of Chanel’s traits / and it served her well
Crazy Heart (4 stars): a country singer / trades his dignity for booze / but learns his lesson
Cop Out (2 stars): I wanted to laugh / they should have hired Abed / to write it instead
Pulp Fiction (3 stars): innovative, sure / but i wanted more of uma / and a bit less bruce
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (3 stars): John Krasinski gives / an interesting showcase / of why most men suck
Don’t Bother to Knock (3 stars): Marilyn Monroe / gives an edgy performance / in unsettling role
Alice in Wonderland (4 stars): i saw some heart here / where a lot of folks did not / in Alice’s arc
Haiku Review: 15 February 2010
This week I’m buckling down on what will hopefully be my last round of revisions on TDPU. Last week I finished a short script I’m hoping to film in the next couple of months, and I’ve got another short script I’d like to write whilst planning my next feature to be written in April for ScriptFrenzy.
I’m also trying to see as many Oscar-nommed movies and read as many Oscar-nommed scripts as possible before the big night on March 2nd. I know there are a lot of folks out there who say the Oscars don’t matter unless you’re nominated for one, or they’re not in line with what the public thinks is good, but I still enjoy them. And I don’t know — it is a jury of one’s own peers voting, and that has to count for something I think. Generally, I’ve found that, even if I don’t agree that the Oscar picks are the best of the best, they’re still films worth seeing. Now, onto the Haiku Review…
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (4 stars): visual stunner / in the Gilliam archetype / I miss Heath Ledger
Dorian Gray (3½ stars): lovely to look at / a worthy adaptation / please come to the States
Adam (4 stars): an autistic man / struggles with love and himself / moves the audience
La Jetée (3½ stars): a film in still shots / mind-bending and heart-breaking / check out 12 Monkeys
Food, Inc. (5 stars): eye-opening doc / helps us make informed choices / when choosing our food
Cry-Baby (3 stars): so bad it is good / ’50s spoof with fun music / and young Johnny Depp
Charade (5 stars): murder and deceit / but Cary Grant charms us so / can Audrey trust him?
America’s Sweethearts (3 stars): a guilty pleasure / an atypical rom com / about Hollywood
An Education (3½ stars): naïve girl wants more / older man shows her the world / and opens her eyes
The Hurt Locker (4 stars): detonation team / fights against bombs, hate and angst / can’t defeat the thrill
Un Chien Andalou (3 stars): unrelated scenes / but the brain makes connections / that do not exist
New York, I Love You (3 stars): it wanted to be / charming like Paris, Je T’aime / but can’t quite get there
Valentine’s Day (2½ stars): too many stories / to tell any of them well / but some parts are fun
A Serious Man (2 stars): life is difficult / for the man in this movie / not sure of the point
Pretty Woman (3½ stars): for Valentine’s Day / iconic rom coms are good / even when single
Dorian Gray on Film
Having finally gotten to see the movie I was most anticipating for 2009, the most recent film version of my favorite novel, and because I’ll take any opportunity I can get to discuss Dorian Gray in any way, shape, or form, I thought I’d take some blog space to look at the two most well-known attempts to turn Oscar Wilde’s only novel into a cinematic experience. Obviously, spoilers abound, both for the novel and the specific films.
I’ll be looking at what I consider key elements in telling of the story of Dorian Gray, which include: Sybil’s Fall, Dorian’s Arc, Hedonism, The Portrait, Lord Henry as the Devil, and the Opportunity for Salvation.
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1945)
Writer/Director: Albert Lewin
Dorian: Hurd Hatfield
Lord Henry: George Sanders
Basil: Lowell Gilmore
Sybil: Angela Lansbury
3rd Act Love Interest: Donna Reed (as Gladys Hallward)
Sybil’s Fall: Taken by her beauty and her voice (in this version, Sybil is a chanteuse rather than a Shakespearean actress), Dorian is enthralled by this first love experience. He’s ready to commit to the fantasy and to Sybil, until Lord Henry suggests that he test her chastity. Dorian agrees, and Sybil, albeit reluctantly, fails that test. By giving herself to Dorian, she proves her unworthiness to him. He drops her; she commits suicide. While different and a bit more crude (but perhaps necessarily so for a cinematic version), this cut-and-dry destruction of the relationship is effective as Dorian’s first foray into manipulating those around him.
Dorian’s Arc: My issue with this version of Dorian is that we never really get to see any reaction from him. He never seems all that fazed by anything. He’s always wearing a mask, and he never shows his cards to anyone — not even the audience. In the novel, Dorian is extremely emotional and impetuous. When Lord Henry first needles him about the fact that he will age and his painting will not, Dorian petulantly throws himself onto the divan and has himself a good cry. We never get to see this sort of emotion from Hurt Hatfield’s Dorian. Whether by actor’s interpretation, writing or direction, he appears bored most of the film. As a reader, Dorian’s journey was of foremost interest to me. In this film version, we don’t get to go on that journey with Dorian; we only get to witness the events as they happen to him.
Hedonism: One aspect of the novel that is particular hard to translate to cinema is Dorian’s hedonistic lifestyle. The 1945 version takes the approach of the novel: it doesn’t show much at all, leaving the worst of Dorian’s sins to our imagination. In the novel, this is very effective. It’s less so in the film. However, considering the social climate at the time this film was made, the approach was appropriate. It pushed no boundaries on screen, but perhaps it did it the minds of the audience.
The Portrait: The only thing shot in technicolor in 1945′s otherwise black & white version, the portrait is certainly striking if a bit cartoonish.
Original
Defiled
Lord Henry as the Devil: In the 1945 version, Lord Henry gets the quips of the novel without as much of the bite. He’s not quite the master manipulator of either the novel or the 2009 version. For his role in Sybil’s fall, he simply tells Dorian what to do. He remains blissfully unaware of most of Dorian’s atrocities. He gives Dorian a philosophy, but it’s Dorian who runs with it full tilt.
The Opportunity for Salvation: Here we find Dorian also having grown bored with life, though his demeanor is not significantly changed from his youth. When he finds the opportunity for love with Basil Hallward’s niece, Gladys, he decides he must destroy the painting once and for all, so as not to fall back into temptation. Unfortunately, in doing so, he destroys himself. He dies as the man in the picture. The picture returns to its state of eternal, youthful beauty. Because we never saw the depths of Dorian’s despair, it was hard to feel the tragedy in his end. It felt neither earned or unfair; it was simply another event in the strange tale of Dorian’s life.
DORIAN GRAY (2009)
Writer: Toby Finlay
Director: Oliver Parker
Dorian: Ben Barnes
Lord Henry: Colin Firth
Basil: Ben Chaplin
Sybil: Rachel Hurd-Wood
3rd Act Love Interest: Rebecca Hall (as Emily Wotton)
Sybil’s Fall: In this version, Sybil once again gives herself to Dorian, though it’s worth noting she doesn’t take much convincing. (Who could blame her?) It’s not this that leads to Dorian’s shunning of her. Instead, it requires a bit more finagling on the part of Lord Henry, who takes Dorian to an opium den where he experiences both the pleasures of opium and the ladies selling it — an experience which also causes him to miss Sybil’s play. After the performance, when Sybil is already suspicious of Dorian’s whereabouts, Lord Henry pushes another thorn into Dorian’s side by asking Sybil when they plan to start a family. Her answer of “soon” causes a bit of hemming and hawing from Dorian. Lord Henry takes his leave (to the balcony to watch the fallout he’s masterminded). Dorian is extremely cold to Sybil, who begs him to make her his wife rather than one of his “whores.” At this point, Dorian walks away, lured by a life of new and unlimited experience rather than one of constancy.
If Sybil had been written as she was in the novel, Rachel Hurd-Wood would have been perfect casting. However, in the 2009 version, they make her much less of a wilting flower. It was never clear whether she was truly in awe of Dorian, as she was in the novel, or whether she simply wanted to make a good catch, so to speak. In some ways, they make her character much stronger, such as when she yells at Dorian to make her his wife instead of one of his whores. Because of this, we never see her crumble, never see her so fully crushed as we would need to to believe she would throw herself off a bridge.
Dorian’s Arc: One of the things I liked best about the 2009 version is that we followed Dorian’s journey much more closely. Ben Barnes as Dorian was as emotional as I’d hoped he’d be. We got to see him be frustrated with Lord Henry one moment and charmed by him the next. In one of his last scenes with Basil, we see him flip the switch from annoyed and cruel to the picture of innocence in one take. In that scene especially, we understand how hard it is for people to reconcile the rumors of Dorian’s lascivious lifestyle with that of his appearance. In contrast with Hatfield’s Dorian, Barnes’ Dorian runs the emotional gamut. He is constantly searching for more, both horrified by his actions but even more impressed by his own achievements. Only when he returns after a 25-year absence do we see that he has become bored with a life of hedonism. As he puts it, “pleasure is very different from happiness.”
Hedonism: The 2009 version takes the opposite approach of the 1945 version. It attempts to showcase Dorian’s hedonism: from an opium den threesome to engaging in a little “double or nothing” bet at a debutante ball to bisexual orgies and finally forays into sadomasochistic sex. The problem with such an approach, of course, is that this sort of behavior, visually sanitized for a UK rating of 15, is not quite as shocking as it perhaps should be. That being said, what was more effective than the actual events themselves was seeing their effects on Dorian. Seeing his reactions go from shocked and uncomfortable to manipulative and obsessed with consumption was much harder to watch than the shock-value sex scenes themselves. The occasional glimpse of clarity for Dorian (the news of Sybil’s death, the realization that he’s killed Basil, the moment of Jim Vane’s demise) are truly heartbreaking. It’s an emotional ride that isn’t present in the 1945 version.
The Portrait: Perhaps the aspect that has received the most criticism in the 2009 version is the heavily CGI portrait. This painting not only decays and devolves, but it also groans, moves, and is infested with maggots. In essence, it is supposed to be a living, breathing manifestation of Dorian’s soul: his unfortunate, trapped doppelganger. When Dorian attempts to kill it, it tries to escape from the confines of the canvas. It’s a good thought, but it’s not really all that effective. But again, with a modern audience, would a stationary painting really have provided the shock and awe required? There’s no denying that the CGI goes over the top, but the effort to visualize the incident is impressive in its gusto if not in its success.
Original
Defiled
Lord Henry as the Devil: Lord Henry is a much more active figure in the 2009 version. He not only provides the philosophy, but he pushes Dorian to explore it. He introduces him to gin, cigarettes, opium and sex. He opens Dorian’s eyes to the world of pleasure and encourages him to explore it to the fullest: “People die of common sense, Dorian, one lost moment at a time. Life is a moment; there is no hereafter. So make it burn, always, with the hardest flame.” At times he is explicit in his guidance, as when he places the “double or nothing” bet at the debutante ball. Other times, he is more serpentine, as in his role in the demise of Dorian & Sybil’s engagement. Dorian is everything he wishes he could be, and he enjoys pushing him. Only when he has something of his own to lose — his daughter, Emily — does he chastise Dorian for his actions. Even so, he never truly admits to his role in Dorian’s demise. Dorian, in some ways, finds his redemption. Lord Henry never does.
The Opportunity for Salvation: After having exhausted even his own depths for hedonism, Dorian returns to London, bored with life, cut off from the world he used to know both by rumor and by appearance. The society he knows has aged; internally, he has aged perhaps more than anyone, but none of that is visible. He has a notion that he might try to be good at this point — after all, what’s left? — but even that is an effort void of any joy. He is finally beginning to see the consequences of his actions, to truly feel them, and it’s not a pleasant experience. At a charity piano performance that hearkens back to his day as a true innocent, he is interrupted by the shouts of a man angry that his daughter has attended. He bellows to the crowd how absurd it is that such a cruel and morally decrepit man has received “a babe’s face.”
Later, Dorian finds himself accosted by Jim Vane, his mind ravaged by the loss of his sister 26 years ago. He escapes him once by way of his youthful looks and finally by a cruel twist of fate resulting in Jim’s death. Though he avoids bodily injury, the incident shakes him, perhaps for the first time since Sybil’s death. In a moment of panic, distraught, searching for some bit of salvation, he finds himself on the doorstep of his old friend, Lord Henry. Emily answers, and she comforts him, having already begun to fall for his tortured soul in the weeks since his return. She is the first source of comfort he’s had in years, and he seems to begin to understand the concept of love once again.
Despite Lord Henry’s understandable objections, the pair make plans to leave London so Dorian can start over. Lord Henry throws a party as a diversion so he can sneak into Dorian’s attic where the painting resides. This leads to a showdown between Lord Henry and Dorian. Emily arrives to find Dorian locked in the fiery attic with his painting. He has the key, and she begs him for it to unlock the door. Knowing what she will see, and knowing that he has the opportunity to spare her, he refuses. He professes his love and then sends her away, finally understanding what it is to put someone’s needs above his own. He turns to face his portrait, and thus his own demise. The last scene of the film shows the portrait, having survived the fire, returned to its innocent, youthful state, being locked in Lord Henry’s attic.
For me, 2009′s DORIAN GRAY has surpassed 1945′s THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY as the pre-eminent film version of Wilde’s novel. While the 1945 take is perhaps more faithful to the events of the novel, the 2009 version is a far more effective take on the heart of the novel. In the places where the 2009 version fails, it does so because it attempts to do more. I have a soft spot for films that are earnest in their endeavors, even when they’re not entirely successful. 2009′s DORIAN GRAY falls into that category.
Haiku Review: 12 January 2010
I’m tired of doing normal mini-reviews, so I’m going to try my hand at doing haiku reviews instead. If you’d like to know what I thought about a particular movie in more detail, just ask.
Arsenic and Old Lace (4 stars): screwball comedy / with a bit of slapstick, too / Cary Grant is hot
District 9 (5 stars): men v. aliens / against odds, two join forces/ one of the year’s best
Blind Date (4 stars): a tragic story / hopeful yet melancholy / captivating leads
Nine (2½ stars): pretty to look at / A few enjoyable songs / otherwise empty
Nosferatu (3 stars): vampires are scary / and can haunt your dreams with ease / when they’re not sparkly
The General (4 stars): a silent movie / with a delightful story / and Buster Keaton
Up in the Air (4 stars): a story about / the worth of what we carry / or leave behind us
What’s Up, Doc? (3 stars): Barbara Streisand / plays a screwball heroine / who gets what she wants
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (5 stars): revenge fantasy / and unknown consequences / not for claustrophobes
Statuesque [short film] (4 stars): Neil Gaiman directs / a short, silent film about / statues come to life
Avatar (4 stars): we’ve seen this before / but it’s still a good story / with gorgeous visuals
Shaun of the Dead (4 stars): a zombie movie / that spoofs but has lots of heart / Simon Pegg is great
The Bicycle Thief (2 stars): black, white, and silent / an Italian classic film / I hate the ending
Rebel Without A Cause (4 stars): a James Dean movie / that was surprisingly great / holds up against time
The First Wives Club (2½): so-so comedy / about fed-up ex-spouses / who get their revenge
Leap Year (2½): guilty pleasure film / rom-com clichés left and right / Ozymandias
My Most Anticipated Movies of 2010
I’m going with movies that actually have a wide release date attached, so as not to get my hopes up like last year (DORIAN GRAY and NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU , I’m looking at you!). These are listed in order of release date.
__________
VALENTINE’S DAY
February 12
IMDBI’m a sucker for large ensemble romantic comedies, OK? I loved last year’s HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU, and I expect to love this year’s entry into the genre as well.
__________
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
March 5
Tim Burton films are always must-see for me these days. So are Johnny Depp films. And to finish out the triad of reasons why this is must-see, it’s Disney, too.
__________
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
March 26
IMDBOne of the people behind this film is Chris Sanders, who brought the world LILO & STITCH, which currently holds the title of My Second Favorite Disney Movie Ever. I’ve been waiting for quite a while to see what he’d do next after being, ahem, let go from the cookie cutter animated film BOLT. Apparently his vision for it was too quirky and too dark, which is exactly what makes me a fan of his work.
__________
OCEANS
April 22
IMDBDisneyNature’s first entry, EARTH, was gorgeous but suffered a bit from its narrative presentation. That being said, it was still a pretty amazing documentary film. If OCEANS lives up to EARTH, it’ll be great. If they can provide a better narrative, it’ll be awesome.
__________
SEX AND THE CITY 2
May 28
IMDBHaving taken in the entire series and movie last year, I’m now quite a fan of SEX & THE CITY. I certainly wouldn’t call myself rabid, but I’ll still be there opening weekend to see the second film.
__________
KNIGHT AND DAY
July 2
IMDBI’m a bit surprised to find myself spotlighting this, to be honest, since action isn’t generally my thing, but the trailer completely won me over. The fact that this is an action comedy, and maybe even an action romantic comedy (which is apparently the new black), certainly ups the Anticipation Factor. It looks like it’s going to give Tom Cruise the opportunity to play the sort of morally gray, slick, quick-talking character I think he does best.
__________
EAT, PRAY, LOVE
August 13
IMDBLoved the book. Love Julia Roberts. Not sure how they’ve made it cinematic, but I’ll definitely be seeing it to find out.
__________
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
November 19
IMDBDo I really need to explain this one?
__________
RAPUNZEL
November 24
IMDBDisney’s next animated offering presents a new watercolor-esque CGI. Doesn’t it look pretty? I think it looks pretty. Bonus: Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi are voicing the leads.
__________
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
December 10
IMDBThis one gets three pics because it’s the one I’m most excited about. After the disappointing (but still profitable!) performance of PRINCE CASPIAN at the box office due to poor timing of the release (the film itself was actually an improvement over THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE), it looked for a while like the Narnia franchise was in trouble. Luckily, 20th Century Fox swooped in and saved the day. DAWN TREADER is many people’s favorite in the series. A roving adventure story set on the high seas of the Narnian world, it has potential to be the most visually stunning and narratively exciting film in the series so far.
__________
Those are the mainstream films I’m most looking forward to in 2010. What are you anticipating this year?
Ditty’s Favorite Movies of 2009
Death, taxes, and end-of-year faves lists. Here’s mine.
[Amended Dec. 29 to add DISTRICT 9.]
11
STAR TREK
Writers: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Director: J.J. Abrams
Is this film perfect? No. Does it have logic gaps? Yes. Does it go off the rails a bit with the snow monster scene? Sure, I’ll give you that one. Did any of these things lessen my enjoyment? Not a bit. In hindsight, I probably should have rated this one four stars, but I didn’t, and here’s why. This is as perfect a summer popcorn flick as we’re ever likely to get. It’s crazy amounts of fun, it’s got some smart elements, it’s got great characters, a little romance, and a solid emotional core behind all the action. It may have made some die-hard Trekkies (or Trekkers) a bit angry because it’s definitely not a traditional prequel (Sorry, Mom!). But for me, as someone who enjoyed but wasn’t fanatical about the Original Series, I thought it was an extremely creative way to be able to rewrite history without erasing it. My mom will probably wring my neck for saying that, and if they ever did something like this with The X-Files, I’d probably be out there with torches and pitchforks, but I have to be honest. I thought this relaunch was great, and I’m looking forward to the next installment.
10
AWAY WE GO
Writers: Dave Eggers & Vendela Vida
Director: Sam Mendes
Some might say this movie is pure indie bait, but I’d say, who cares? For me, this was an amusing and tender look at a couple who doesn’t really fit into any traditional mold trying to find out where they belong in the world. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph turn in wonderful performances, both dramatic and comic.The supporting cast is also full of talented character actors who deliver time and again. It was enlightening to see director Sam Mendes turn in a dramedy rather than an outright drama. As much as I love AMERICAN BEAUTY, this film has a warmth and a hope to it that lifts it just above Mendes’ past darkness.
9
THE HANGOVER
Writers: Jon Lucas & Scott Moore
Director: Todd Phillips
I’m not generally a huge fan of super-broad, outright comedy, but this movie just blew me away. Absolutely hilarious, completely outrageous, and a sweet buddy comedy underneath all that. It also features The Black Suit. Any woman who’s seen this movie knows what I’m talking about. Any woman who sees this movie will know what I’m talking about. (And if you say you don’t, you’re either blind or lying.) If you need more than that, my friend Matt (check out his Faves of 2009 here) also pointed out that it’s a farce on noir films. As he put it, “Wake up with a ‘blow to the head’ and a gap in the memory and a missing body on a time limit.” That pretty much sums up the plot of the movie, except the body is the groom, and the time limit is his impending wedding. Despite all the hilarity, the film would suffer greatly without the anchor of the developing friendship between the three guys looking for the groom. Luckily, this is never sacrificed, making the film surprisingly well-rounded. It’s also worth noting that this, too, is a very nice film to look at, visually speaking, even beyond The Black Suit. The cinematography here is something that’s usually overlooked in this genre, so it was nice to see some effort put into that area, too.
8
WHATEVER WORKS
Writer/Director: Woody Allen
Ah, Woody Allen, how I have come to love you this past year. This is exactly the film I would expect the creator of such neurotic and obsessive characters such as Harry Block, Joe Berlin, and Alvy Singer, smack dab in the middle of his ’70s. There’s always a little Woody Allen in each of his movies that I’ve seen, even when he’s not on screen. Sometimes you have to look hard for it (It’s Vicky in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, Terry in CASSANDRA’S DREAM, and Nola in MATCH POINT, for instance), but it’s always there. In WHATEVER WORKS, there’s no need to guess. That being said, Boris Yellnikoff, played perfectly by Larry David, is not a role Woody himself could have played. It needed the edge, the biting bitterness, and the eff-all swagger that seems to comprise Larry David. The rest of the cast is fantastic as well: Evan Rachel Wood is hilarious as Southern hick turned belle Melodie St. Ann Celestine, Patricia Clarkson is fabulous as put-upon housewife turned avant garde artist Marietta, and Ed Begley Jr. is great as the traditional Southern Baptist patriarch who gets his world and world-view turned upside down. All in all, this film speaks to a mellowing of sorts, a letting go of expectations, and just taking what life gives you for what it is. In short, whatever works. And this does.
7
UP
Writers: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson & Thomas McCarthy (story); Bob Peterson and Pete Doctor (screenplay)
Directors: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson (co-director)
Disney-Pixar delivers again. This movie makes my Faves of ’09 list for the silent montage at the beginning alone. I’ve been known to let the tears flow freely at the theatre anyway (<ahem>Time Traveler’s Wife<ahem>), but this one was so well done, so touching, bittersweet and heartbreaking, that I was done for. The story of a grumpy old man who is befriended against his will by a plucky young boy is lifted into the fantastical as only Disney can do. The story veers into purely kid-pleasing territory at times (the airplane-flying dogs might have been overkill), but it never strays too far from the heart of the story. It’s no surprise that the film is absolutely gorgeous as well. I’m not sure Disney-Pixar is capable of making a film that isn’t. The first time the house takes flight is a magnificent study in color and wonder. Disney-Pixar films are always must-see in my book, and this one is no different.
6
DISTRICT 9
Writers: Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell
Director: Neill Blomkamp
This film ruined my nice, even Top 10 list by blowing me away after I’d already posted my Top 10. This technically knocks STAR TREK out of the Top 10, which will make my mother happy. I’d not prioritized seeing this because no one told me it was character-driven. There was all this talk about social statements and comparisons to Apartheid, which I found interesting certainly, but not enough so to see it in theatres. If someone had told me what this movie is really about at its core, I would have been there in a heartbeat. Social commentary aside, this film is about a man who is forced by circumstances to find the humanity in a creature he’s always considered sub-human. The irony there is that such prejudice is, in itself, subhuman. [A little spoilerish] By becoming himself biologically subhuman, hunted by his own race, he finds himself becoming more human, able to see the sentience in the alien race. [end spoilerishness] Now that I’ve probably confused you and myself, you’ll just have to take my word for it. This film is about a guy learning what it means to be human. Do see it.
5
MOON
Writer: Duncan Jones (story); Nathan Parker (screenplay)
Director: Duncan Jones
Bleak, trippy, claustrophobic, and completely mesmerizing. I can’t say too much about this film without giving things away, so I’m going to be brief. I’m admittedly not too well-versed in science fiction outside of The X-Files and a few classic Twilight Zone episodes, but this film blew me away. Sam Rockwell’s performance was a revelation for me. Do seek out this film. It’s most definitely worth your time.
4
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
Writer: Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
Director: Marc Webb
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER is one of the most interesting and novel romantic comedies I’ve seen in a number of years. From the nonlinear method of storytelling (which follows an emotional journey rather than a chronological one) to the characters and story, this film is anything but cookie cutter. While indie darling Zooey Deschanel is perfectly charming and incredibly infuriating all at once, it’s really Joseph Gordon-Levitt who turns in a performance that is both full of humor, heartbreak and hope. As for the criticism that the film caters too much to hipsters, I’ll say once again that it is a film about two characters who *are* hipsters. (Also, only hipsters could get their panties in a wad about a film being *too* hipster.) (500) DAYS manages both the wry bitterness of Woody Allen and the sly sweetness of Richard Curtis when he’s on his game. Among all the schmaltzy, seen-’em-a-thousand-times romantic comedies out there, this one is a huge breath of fresh air.
3
THE BROTHERS BLOOM
Writer/Director: Rian Johnson
This movie seems to have gone through every level of distribution hell that exists short of not getting distribution at all. Usually this signals trouble, but there’s none to be found here. In Rian Johnson’s follow-up to high school noir BRICK, he delivers a fairy tale about con men (in his own words). On the surface, it’s a story about two orphaned brothers, one of whom wants to find love, and the other who loves the art of being a con man — specifically, the storytelling aspect of it. The older brother (played by Mark Ruffalo) is cast as the designer, the weaver of fates, very early on, leaving the younger (Adrien Brody) to feel like nothing more than a pawn in his brother’s games. If that’s not enough, you’ve got Rachel Weisz in her quirkiest and most captivating role to date, playing a reclusive heiress who takes up odd hobbies to keep herself busy. I don’t want to give away too much of the story, but it’s not revealing too much to say that things get complicated when the younger brother falls for their latest (and potentially last) mark, the heiress. Much like EASY VIRTUE, this film is light and frothy with a sort of dark underbelly to it. Also like EASY VIRTUE, it’s a beautiful movie. Johnson used the same cinematographer (Steve Yedlin) as he did for BRICK, which is also striking in a very different way, and he delivers a unique and gorgeous picture once again. This one’s available to rent but not yet to buy (another level of undeserved distribution hell).
2
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
Writer/Director: Quentin Tarantino
My knowledge of Tarantino’s work currently doesn’t extend beyond KILL BILL. I thought Vol. 1 went a little overboard by the time it got to the Crazy 88s, but was otherwise solid. I adore Vol. 2, though. Hype like INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS was getting makes me nervous, so I went in almost expecting to be let down. Boy, was I wrong. As I said in my original mini-review, the opening sequence is a master class in building tension. Having an entire theatre on the edge of their seats watching two people sitting at a table and talking? Masterful. There’s really no other word. The rest of the film alternates between comic and dark, much like you’d expect from Tarantino. Of course there are complaints about it not being historically accurate — and it’s most certainly not — but I’d venture to say that anyone lodging that complaint is missing the point. What Tarantino has created here is a fantasy, a story that ties up loose ends that were left undone in reality, and, in some ways, a big middle finger to the Nazis as well as a love letter to cinema in general. As manic and wonderfully ridiculous as the story is at times, the film itself is shot beautifully, too. The use of color, the costumes, the sets — they’re all amazing. If you were skeptical of the hype and are still holding out, you need not worry. Get thee to your Netflix queue right away.
1
EASY VIRTUE
Writers: Stephan Elliott & Sheridan Jobbins
Director: Stephan Elliott
Here we have a film loosely based on a lesser-known Noel Coward play. This is a hard movie to describe. On one hand, it’s a satire of staid British period pieces (helmed by a tricksy Australian, of course). On the other, it’s a light frothy comedy with some hilarious musical twists. On the third hand, it’s a drama dealing with the dark side of family heritage, duty and sacrifice. I most often describe it as a sort of British MEET THE PARENTS set in the 1930s, but it’s really so much more than that. The non-movie geeks I’ve shown it to have said things along the lines of “I’ve never seen anything quite like that before.” I think it’s a strange but entrancing film for a lot of folks because the characters are so complex. You feel for everyone, but you also want to smack everyone. You understand why they’re doing the things they are, but you really wish they’d rather not. You know you’re watching a group of characters go through some dark stuff, but it’s presented in such a light, comic manner for the most part that it’s certainly palatable if not downright delicious. On top of all this, it’s an absolutely gorgeous film — the colors, the use of mirrors, the countryside, the cast… Speaking of the cast, it’s filled with British heavyweights Colin Firth and Kristen Scott-Thomas alongside Ben Barnes, who is delightful, and Jessica Biel, who turns in a career-changing performance. Some critics have said she doesn’t hold her own against Scott-Thomas, but I couldn’t disagree more. There’s a coldness and an awkwardness to their scenes that is perfectly appropriate for the characters and the story. Biel is both devastating and hilarious in turns. While this movie isn’t my critical favorite of the year (that would probably go to MOON or INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS), it is my personal favorite.
And that wraps it up. It’s worth nothing that these were simply my favorites out of the approximately 210 movies I saw in 2009. I didn’t get a chance to see some of the films critics are calling “best,” including UP IN THE AIR, PRECIOUS, THE ROAD, A SINGLE MAN, or A SERIOUS MAN, all which would have been potential contenders for my list. They still have the chance to make next year’s, of course. But that’s why this is a “Ditty’s Faves” list and not a “Best of.”
So, what were your favorite films of 2009? What do you think of mine?
Recap: 28 December 2009
Hey, look! A normal-sized movie round-up! I know, I know. It’s hard to believe.
Also of note, I’ve started a tumblr. I consider it a place for things that are more than a tweet and less than a blog. It’s also a a place I plan to use more for pointing things out (like good dialog, quotes that strike a chord, particularly interesting images), rather than original content. So, feel free to check it out if you feel so inclined.
Now, off to…
What I Watched
Fargo (4 stars): Part black comedy and part thriller, this now-classic Coen Bros. movie lives up to its reputation. Frances McDormand is delightful as the surprisingly on-the-ball and pregnant police woman of a small Minnesotan town. She’s the heart of this at-times surprisingly sweet movie, but it never loses its bite.
The Ramen Girl (3½ stars): This fish-out-of-water tale starring the late Brittany Murphy is about a girl stranded in Japan after being more or less unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend. Unfulfilled by her boring job and drowning in loneliness, she decides she’s going to learn the art of Ramen, which is very different than your Cup O Noodles. What follows is a battle of wills: Girl against herself, Girl against her teacher, Girl against culture hurdles. The result is a surprisingly charming film with a touch of magic to it .
The Last Temptation of Christ (4 stars): This film is a portrait of Jesus as man. Willem Dafoe is captivating as the titular figure, displaying a human side to Jesus that is rarely touched upon in any real way. The film starts with a disclaimer that it is not based on the gospels, and that’s true, but I didn’t find it heretical either. It’s most certainly a film that makes you think, and one that warrants discussion, and any film that can do that is worth seeing.
Empire Records (3½ stars): This movie is sort of the embodiment of the ’90s for me. The fashion, the emo-grunge-punk scene, the intensity and hilarity of life as a teen in that era — it’s all there. You also get early performances from the likes of Liv Tyler and Renée Zellweger plus some of the most quotable dialog ever. Super-fn and touching with an edge.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (4 stars): I saw this when it came out in theatres, and it was my first experience with Quentin Tarantino. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen, and, even though I was annoyed by the Crazy 88s sequence at the end (the blood was a bit much for me, not in a squeamish sort of way, but in an, “OK, I get it” sort of way), I definitely knew I’d seen something special. VOL. 2 blew me away, and now, coming back to Vol. 1, I find it’s grown on me as well. I’m planning in digging in to the rest of QT’s films next year, but, based on my experience, KILL BILL isn’t a bad place to start if you’re looking to.
Sherlock Holmes (2½ stars): I’ve never read a Sherlock Holmes story, so I had no preconceived literary expectations going in. Even so, I found myself a little disappointed. There was so much action and so many different twists and turns and layers of story that the characters — which should be the best part of a Holmes adaptation, right? — sort of got lost in the shuffle. That being said, I found Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law to be hilarious and charming and extremely enjoyable when they got the chance to really interact with each other. There’s plenty of room for sequels down the line, and I’d be up for seeing them because those two are so darn likeable. But they’ve got to give us more Holmes and Watson and less everything else.
Duplex (3 stars): This extremely dark romantic comedy, directed by Danny DeVito and starring Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore, has always been an odd sort of favorite of mine. It’s the story of a married couple who move into a (you guessed it) Duplex, in which an elderly woman inhabits the second floor. At first she appears to be very sweet if innocuously annoying, but things escalate quickly and the couple finds themselves in an all-out war. Part of me wonders what Woody Allen might have done with this story — it has strains of MATCH POINT and SCOOP — but it’s an interesting film as is. Certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s also certainly not the cookie cutter rom com you might expect from Stiller and Barrymore.
It’s Complicated (4 stars): I went in with pretty high hopes to this romantic comedy starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, and I’m happy to say they were met. Unlike your average romantic comedy, it felt emotionally authentic. The three leads are great (when is Streep not great?), and John Krasinski, playing the son-in-law, steals every single scene he is in. Definitely worth seeing.
Arsenic and Old Lace (3 stars): This one’s a classic screwball/slapstick comedy starring Cary Grant as a slightly neurotic newlywed who finds out that his two sweet-as-syrup, spinster aunts have been offing old men and burying them in the cellar. It’s great fun, and I think it would be even more fun to see on stage (where the story was originally performed).
The Maltese Falcon (3½ stars): I’m not sure if it’s because the genre has been parodied so much in recent times or what, but this classic noir film starring Humphrey Bogart played at times like a comedy for me. That’s certainly not a dig, because it worked even then. I wasn’t playing as close attention as I should have been, so I missed a lot of the double-, triple-, and quadruple-crosses. So, my advice is to watch it with full focus. Even though I missed some of the details, the wordplay among the characters was still enough to earn it high marks in my book.
That’s it on the movie round-up. Stay tuned this week for my Faves of 2009 List. Hope you all are enjoying and making the best of the last few days of 2009!
Recap: 22 November 2009
Holy geez, I’ve got a lot of movies I haven’t posted here. I blame NaNoWriMo (even though I’ve been slacking pretty hardcore this year compared to my normal pace). Oh well. Off we go.
What I Watched
From Hell (2½ stars): Simply put, there’s too much going on in this retelling of the Jack the Ripper legend. It’s never really as horrific as it should be, and the confusing storylines make it hard to really invest in the characters. That said, Johnny Depp looks great in it. So there’s that.
The Strangers (3 stars): This would have been a 4-star movie had it not been for the let-down of an ending. It starts as a thrilling psychological study of what fear causes people to do. When it was operating on that premise, it was different and terrifying. When it devolves to standard horror movie fare, it was just that: standard.
The Edge of Love (4 stars): This is the story of two women, played beautifully by Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller, and their unique relationship with each other, their children, and their significant others, all set in the backdrop of wartorn London in the 1940s. This is sort of an ATONEMENT with a dose of personality, if you will. It would have been easy to focus on the men’s version of this story, but, for me, the choice to focus on the women made it fascinating and compelling.
A Christmas Carol [2009] (3 stars): The first 10 minutes of this movie get five stars from me. They are chilling and scary and spooky and amazing. Sadly, once the Christmas ghosts show up, the story loses its charm. It’s visually striking — no question about that. But, for me, it’s emotionally empty. Scrooge’s conversion didn’t have the weight that it does in SCROOGE or THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL. It was all OK, but there are simply much better versions out there. Sadly, the film wasn’t able to sustain the energy of the first 10 minutes.
Whatever Works (4 stars): Woody Allen’s latest hearkens back to some of his ’70s films, like ANNIE HALL and MANHATTAN, where bewilderment is the driving emotion. The difference here is that Allen has lived quite a life in the 30-some-odd years since those films, and he’s less frustrated and more amused at his bewilderment. At least that was my take. I’m still working my way through the Woody Allen canon, but this ranks up there in at least my top three, I think, along with VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA and HUSBANDS & WIVES.
Blue Velvet (2 star): I didn’t get the point of this film. Not at all. The only reason it gets two stars instead of one is that there are some really great performances from Kyle MacLachlan and Isabella Rossellini. But the way the film moves between serious and compelling character study and satirical, goofy parody means that it never fully achieves either one of those things. It’s just a really frustrating film on a variety of levels. Roger Ebert does a good job crystallizing the things that struck me as just plain wrong: “I was absorbed and convinced by the relationship between Rossellini and MacLachlan, and annoyed because the director kept placing himself between me and the material. After five or 10 minutes in which the screen reality was overwhelming, I didn’t need the director prancing on with a top hat and cane, whistling that it was all in fun.”
Christmas in Connecticut [1945] (3 stars): This is the cute if superficial story of a Martha Stewart-esque magazine writer who, in reality, is basically the opposite of the image she portrays. She’s forced by her editor, who knows nothing about her deception, to host a soldier home from war for Christmas. Chaos ensues. It’s cute and fluffy and set at Christmas, so I liked it but didn’t love it.
Star in the Night [short film] (4 stars): This Oscar-winning short was included on the CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT DVD. It’s a lovely retelling of the Christmas story set in a rundown inn in the American southwest. Definitely worth checking out if you have the opportunity.
The Great Buck Howard (3½ stars): The always-likeable Colin Hanks (who continues to look just like his father, Tom) plays mildly and comedically abused road manager to a washed-up illusionist/magician, played amusingly by John Malkovich. If that sounds like your cup of tea, it probably is. If not, it probably isn’t. I, for one, wasn’t completely charmed until the end, but I think I would watch Colin Hanks in anything.
Network (5 stars): I can’t say anything about this one that hasn’t already been said. It lives up to its reputation, and it should be required viewing for all journalism students. I’ll leave it at that.
A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy (2½ stars): This struck me as sort of a Woody Allen fever dream. It’s amusing but all over the place, so, unless you’re a Woody Allen fan, it’s probably one that’s safe to skip.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2½ stars): I find Kevin James entirely likeable, and so I wasn’t all too surprised by how well this did at the box office when it came out amid a particularly lackluster schedule. This is pretty cookie-cutter material here. It delivers exactly what the trailer is selling you. It’s cute, but that’s about it.
Christmas Story (3 stars): To be fair, I think there’s a good chance I would have rated this movie higher had I not been forced to watch a dubbed version. It’s a Finnish film recounting the story of how St. Nickolas came to be. It’s a captivating story, but, because of the poorly acted dubbing, I think much of the charm was lost. I’d be willing to revisit this one if ever a version comes out in the original language.
We’re No Angels [1955] (4 stars): This film, starring Humphrey Bogart as one of three escaped convicts, manages to strike that hard-to-find balance between dark humor and sweetness. The story follows these convicts to the home of a shop owner, whose business is about to go under. They originally intend to swindle them, but then, due to the sad circumstances and the fact that the shop owner and his family actually seem to be good people, they decide to do what they can to help them. Once again, chaos ensues. And it’s hilarious and sentimental without being gooey. This one’s going to be a new Ditty Christmas favorite.
Management (3 stars): Your typical sort of quirky indie romantic comedy. Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn are cute but also what I’ve come to expect from this sort of movie. And that’s OK; it just keeps it from rising above what’s expected. It goes a little all over the place in the second act (as indie romantic comedies are wont to do), but it never veers so far off course that I was put off. Enjoyable and sweet, but not anything particularly special.
The Way We Were (3 stars): If Carrie Bradshaw had come of age in the 1940s, she would have been Katie Morosky. It’s a classic romance that in some ways reminds me of a more effective version of 2006′s THE BREAK-UP, in that it’s an objective if slightly heightened look at love in the real world. Robert Redford and Barbara Streisand are captivating, even if the story itself left me feeling a bit cold. (And yes, I watched this because it was mentioned in that episode of SEX & THE CITY. So there.)
New Moon (3 stars): You can read more about my feelings on the whole Twilight phenomenon here. As for the movie as a standalone piece of cinema, it’s entertaining enough. It delivers what’s expected. From what I’ve heard, fans of the books were happy. As someone who has read the books but isn’t really a fan, the movies continue to be a better experience for me than the books. For what it’s worth, I was in the mood for exactly this sort of movie when I went to see it: a melodramatic romance with a side of pecs and abs. As I said, it delivered, but not anything more than that.
And that’s finally it. This post was sponsored by Sunday Night Insomnia. On that note, I will leave you with this:
