Elizabethan Theatre

Off we go with the Mega-est Movie Recap Ever.

Lost in La Mancha (4 stars): I’m not sure who had the foresight to document the making of the ill-fated THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE, helmed by sometimes-out-of-control visionary Terry Gilliam (see the next entry), but whoever it was is a genius.  This documentary is both hilarious and heartbreaking.  Highly recommended for anyone interested in what goes into making a film, Terry Gilliam, or train wrecks. (Bonus: It features Johnny Depp, too.)

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (3 stars): Terry Gilliam’s imagination is a truly amazing thing, but he strikes me as a director who needs to be reined in at times.  It’s obvious that no one was reining him in for this film.  This film is sort of like a train wreck that starts out hideous but ends up in a glorious display of fireworks.  It’s epic and nutty and quirky, and I don’t really know how to explain it.  It’s certainly an experience.

The Lady Eve (3 stars): A classic screwball comedy.  Snappy dialog.  Unbelievable but charming premises and events.  A love story. Fun and frothy, but not very deep.

The Blind Side (3 stars): This film was admittedly better than I thought it would be.  It’s a bit too sentimental for my tastes, and, in some ways, seems like an uncontroversial version of PRECIOUS (which I haven’t seen).  This is the sort of movie that delivers pretty much exactly what you’d expect.  It’s a nice, feel-good, family flick, but it doesn’t ask the audience for too much.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2½ stars): I’m a fan of Wes Anderson in general, but I thought this film in particular suffered from the whole style over substance problem for which he is often criticized.  It was very interesting to look at (hence, the style), but the story never really grabbed me.  THE DARJEELING LIMITED remains my favorite of his films.

Seven Up! (3 stars): The first in a series of documentary films following the same group of people.  This is the weakest of the ones I’ve seen, but only because there’s not as much ground to explore.  This one’s short and worth checking out to meet the seven-year-olds, but I think they get exponentially more fascinating as they go on.

7 Plus Seven (4 stars): At 14 years old, the children are starting to develop personalities of their own.  This one’s also fairly short, but seeing how much the kids have changed in seven years is quite intriguing.

21 Up (4 stars): And this is where things really start to get interesting.  Caught between that weird middle ground between the teen years and true adulthood, this is where the kids are just starting to reconcile what awaits them with the dreams they had.  The interviews and observations are handled with care by director Michael Apted (who recently wrapped production on THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, the next Narnia film).  He is neither cruel in his questions nor too delicate.

The Bishop’s Wife (3 stars): This Christmas-themed film was remade back in 1996 as THE PREACHER’S WIFE, starring Whitney Houston as the titular wife and Denzel Washington in what was originally Cary Grant’s role.  The story centers on a religious figure who is too wrapped up in his duties to realize his marriage is suffering.  An angel is sent to deliver the bishop/preacher’s help, though not in the way the bishop/preacher expected, of course. What fun would that be?  My only issue with this film is that the wife seems oblivious to the fact that the angel is Cary Effing Grant, who has fallen in love with her.  When he hints at this, she’s horrified instead of being like, “No, I love my husband, but, well, you are Cary Grant. No, no. I do love my husband.”  I think THE PREACHER’S WIFE does a better job of that actually, but the rest of the story beats go to THE BISHOP’S WIFE.

Let's be honest.

How to Be (2 stars): Being a fan of quirky, dark, indie comedies, I had high hopes for this Robert Pattinson vehicle.  Sadly, it failed to live up to those hopes.  I was really trying to find a place to latch onto this film, but there just weren’t any handles.  The characters weren’t likeable or realistic or really all that quirky.  The whole film just felt very, very flat.  I was hoping for something in the tonal vein of BIGGA THAN BEN (why is this movie still not available on DVD stateside?), but I just couldn’t find anything charming at all.  I don’t blame the actors here either; they just didn’t have much to work with unfortunately.

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (3 stars): Quirky Woody Allen comedy about a supernaturally-enabled jewel heist. Enjoyable, but not mind-blowing.  Helen Hunt is a riot, though.

Moonstruck (4 stars): I was pleasantly surprised by this classic romcom.  I didn’t really know what to expect going in — I mean, we’re talking Cher and Nicolas Cage here, who are sometimes great and sometimes, well, not — but I have to say I really, really enjoyed it.  It’s an unusually frank but still sweet look at love past its generally-assumed prime.  And it’s written by John Patrick Shanley, who wrote DOUBT. Yes, the nun-priest movie. Definitely worth checking out.

The Princess & the Frog (3½ stars): Disney animation is back, folks.  The only thing that keeps this movie from being a 4-star or higher review from me is the music, which doesn’t live up to previous standards.  Alan Menken is reportedly coming back for the next Disney musical, and it will be a very welcome return.  That being said, the story is lovely, and the animation is gorgeous.  It’s not quite back to THE LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY & THE BEAST, or ALADDIN standards, but it’s a definitely a huge leap in the right direction.

The Seven Year Itch (1 star): What is there to like about this movie? Honestly, can someone please enlighten me? Marilyn Monroe is pretty, but that’s about the only nice thing I’ve got to say about this one.

Deconstructing Harry (3½ stars): Another Woody Allen flick about an author whose novels are very thinly veiled versions of his life.  This, of course, does not please the people who come and go in said author’s life.  It’s a comedy, but it’s also got dramatic strains as the author comes to terms with what he’s done to his life.  It’s not my favorite Woody Allen movie, but it’s definitely one I’d say is worth checking out.

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (3 stars): If you’re interested in a French farce about the ridiculousness of the upper middle class in the 1970s, then this film is for you.  If not, then, this film would probably bore the heck out of you.  Personally, I found it amusing, but slow.

Sex & the City: The Movie (3½ stars): With this film, I have now completed my Sex & the City education.  I fell in love with the series, and the movie didn’t let me down.  I’m interested to see what they do with the second movie because this one wrapped things up pretty nicely.  If you’re unfamiliar with the series, the movie would probably still be enjoyable, but this movie is clearly for the fans.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (4 stars): This poor movie’s climactic scene has been stolen so many times, and often by lesser movies (the enjoyable enough GET SMART remake and the abysmal EAGLE EYE come to mind).  And in a list of Hitchcock’s great films, this one often seems to be forgotten.  That being said, I found it to be a compelling thriller with great performances from Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day.  Having only seen Doris Day in romcoms ’til this point, I was especially impressed by her.  Definitely one to check out.

Two Lovers (2 stars): Also known as, The Last Movie Joaquin Phoenix Made Before He Went Nuts. The problem with this film is that not a whole lot happens.  You’ve got a whiny baby of a main character who doesn’t know what to do with his life, a vapid but pretty woman who steals his lust, and a dim but sweet girl who genuinely cares for the whiny baby of a main character even though he treats her more or less like dirt.  The performances are all very good, in that they made me really dislike the characters, I suppose.  But there was no arc, and movies with no arc frustrate me.  So, there you have it. Too bad this had to be Phoenix’s apparent last film, as I think he has/had the potential to do better.

The Girlfriend Experience (3½ stars): This film follows the life of a trying-to-be-high-class call girl.  It’s filmed in a stark, documentary style, and it starts out fairly slow.  The main character, Chelsea, is so closed off at first that it’s hard to connect with the story.  But eventually the cracks start to appear in her seemingly empty façade, and we learn there’s more than meets the eye.  There’s little nudity, especially considering the subject matter, but none of it struck me as gratuitous.  It’s an evenhanded look at a profession most people like to pretend doesn’t exist.

The African Queen (3 stars): If it had been anyone other than Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, I probably wouldn’t have cared much for this film.  But these two stars of yore can make just about anything compelling, and they do a solid job here, too.  This is the story of two complete opposites — one the merchant captain of a tiny boat who’s a bit too fond of alcohol and the other an “old maid” missionary help-mate to her preacher brother — who end up fleeing in said boat after the village is attacked by Nazis.  Hijinks ensue as the Hepburn’s Rosie convinces Bogart’s Charlie to attack a Nazi ship down river.  I’d call it a fun drama rather than a comedy, if that makes any sense.  Certainly worth seeing if you’re a fan of either lead.  (And if you aren’t, what’s wrong with you?)

Did You Hear About the Morgans? (3 stars): I’d put this about on par with THE PROPOSAL, minus the benefit of Ryan Reynold’s abs.  The most interesting part of the movie for me was the brief look at a marriage on the rocks, but it had gotten pretty cliché by the last third of the movie.  That being said, if you’re in the mood for a more or less brainless romantic comedy among all the heavyweights out this time of year, this is a decent way to go.

A Christmas Tale (2½ stars): This would have made a really fantastic novel, methinks.  As a film, it’s way too long for its subject matter, which is a dysfunctional family brought together by Christmas and the matriarch’s battle with cancer.  There’s some interesting stuff here, certainly, but again we have the lack of any real arc, or at least that’s how it seemed to me.  I never really felt moved by any of the character’s plights, maybe because there were so many that none was given proper focus.

Wow, did I really get through all those? Note to self: Do not let 23 movies pile up without doing a recap post ever again.

So, it’s been a while. Sorry about that.  It’s been a busy few weeks, and I actually haven’t even seen that many movies, compared to my usual intake.  But, after a creative glut last week, culminating in 8 hours of rewriting/editing/tweaking yesterday, I hereby declare this week CONSUMPTION WEEK.  As in book/movie/TV show consumption.  Not tuberculosis.

What I Wrote

I spent last week (and the weeks prior) working on ‘TIL DEATH PARTS US.  It’s been an interesting journey.  All my normal readers are having the opposite reactions to my work that they usually do.  Those who generally like my stuff haven’t liked this.  Those who are usually meh about my stuff have liked this better.  Frankly, I was really thrown because I’ve really enjoyed this script.  But anywho, I’ve taken the advice I thought would improve the script whilst still staying true to the heart of the story I’m trying to tell, and we’ll see what happens.  I submitted it to the Screenwriting Expo contest last night after burning the midnight oil to finish tweaking and do one last read-through. Once that’s done, I’ll probably send it off to The Script Department or Lucy V to see if they can make heads & tails of it when my friends couldn’t.

What I Watched

• Inglourious Basterds (5 stars): Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece.  My experience with QT is actually limited to the Kill Bill movies, which I enjoyed (Vol. 2 more than Vol. 1).  Much to my surprise, QT seemed rather reigned in with this film, in a good way.  Where Kill Bill was often about the spectacle, Basterds was more character-focused.  And this film is a master class in building tension, by the way.  It’s worth noting that this movie plays out as a fairytale; it’s what we wish would have happened, so don’t go in expecting anything resembling a history lesson.  It’s a gorgeous film, too, with excellent performances.  I’d venture to say it’s definitely worth a trip to the theatre even if you’re not usually a QT fan.
• Secretary (4 stars): Wrapped inside this dark tale of a sadist boss and his masochist secretary is an incredibly sweet and affirming love story.  It asks some excellent questions.  What’s normal? Is abnormal bad? Does being abnormal mean being alone and unhappy?  Fair warning, it’s a bizarre film, and it’s a very dark film, but I adored it.  Also, if you didn’t have a thing for James Spader (or Maggie Gyllenhall, for that matter) before this movie, you likely will after. Just saying.
• Love Me If You Dare (4 stars): If Amélie were a twisted dark romantic comedy instead of a whimsical fairytale, this would be it. Starring Marion Cotillard of La Vie En Rose (amusingly, a song which plays as a recurring theme in this film) & Public Enemies fame and Guillaume Canet of the fantastic Joyeux Noël, it’s the story of two childhood best friends who play an escalating game of dares throughout the course of their lives. I actually went to amazon to purchase this right after watching it, but it’s not available.  So, if you’re a lucky Netflix subscriber and a fan of either Amélie or dark romantic comedies, check it out.
• Extract (3½ stars): That extra ½ star might be more out of sentimentality for writer/director Mike Judge and Jason Bateman, but it’s my blog and I can do what I want. Extract is not as good as Office Space (could anything be?), but it’s better than Idiocracy (which I didn’t hate).  Jason Bateman’s character Joel is a really pathetic version of Arrested Development’s Michael.  Really, really, really pathetic.  So much so that the amount of pity you feel for him starts to boil over into downright annoyance at how pathetic he is.  That’s the main problem with the film.  But it’s Jason Bateman, so it never quite crosses the line where you’re willing to give up on him.  The supporting cast is lovely as well, and there are some great moments. Definitely one to catch on DVD if not in theatres.
• Divorce American Style (2½ stars): This 1967 film started out really interesting but never quite lived up to its premise.  It gets a little complicated, but the basic idea is this: Man and Woman get pushed into divorce via bad advice from friends and lawyers; Man and Woman see other people and get pushed into relationships via selfish motives of other divorcés; Man and Woman end up thrown together via coincidental circumstances, forcing them to acknowledge feelings left unresolved.  The film should have played as dark comedy (hm, I’m starting to see a theme in my picks over the past couple of weeks…), but instead it dissolved into an unfortunate melodrama in which I ended up annoyed at everybody.  That being said, in the right hands, this one might make for an interesting present-day remake.

What I’m Reading

Did I ever mention I finished The Witch of Portobello? Well, I did.  And I really liked it. The way the story was told, through interviews of other people about the main character, was very interesting and effective.

Now I’m reading a fascinating novel called A Rebours (or Against the Grain or Against Nature, depending on how your publisher of choice chooses to translate it).  This is a novel with no plot.  It’s simply one long character study of a misanthrope who’s had enough of life, more or less.  It should be boring.  It should feel pointless.  But it doesn’t, and I’m not really sure why.  Also worth noting, this is the morally poisonous book that Lord Henry Wotton gives to Dorian Gray in The Picture of Dorian Gray.  Yes, that’s why I’m reading it.  Yes, I know I’m a huge, huge nerd. And it also gives me a (not very good) excuse to post this picture.

(I’m very jealous of all you folks in the UK who have the opportunity to see DORIAN GRAY tomorrow.  Here’s hoping this one gets picked up for U.S. distrib at TIFF.)

That’s it. Have a lovely week.

Ahem.

*points to the progress bar at the right*

First draft of ‘TIL DEATH PARTS US is officially complete.  And it feels pretty good.  This sort of thing usually does, unless I hate what I’ve written, which isn’t the case with this one.  So that’s a plus.  I don’t think I’m going to let this one sit as long as I usually do.  I’ll probably leave it a week and then try to get back into it.

This will also give me time to do research for my next project, affectionately working-titled LAID.  Yup, sweet, innocent Ditty is going to write something called LAID.  (And yes, I know I’m not all that sweet and innocent, but I like to pretend I am sometimes.)  Research will entail watching lots of romantic comedies.  Rough life I lead, eh?

Speaking of, let’s tackle my short list of…

What I Watched

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (4 stars): I saw the midnight showing, as is tradition, and I’m happy to report my ensuing 4 a.m. bedtime was well worth it.  The sixth installment of the Harry Potter is a very complex and inconsistently cinematic book, and I thought screenwriter Steve Kloves and director David Yates did a very solid job adapting it.  Did I have quibbles?  Of course.  But that’s to be expected.  It’s a visually stunning film, per usual, and the actors gave their best performances yet.  It was especially nice to see both Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint showcase some comedic talent.  And seriously, how gorgeous is Emma Watson these days?
• The Ugly Truth (3 stars): I went in really expecting (and, admittedly, wanting) to hate this movie, but it just wouldn’t let me.  I didn’t love it, but I laughed a lot and wasn’t completely covered in cheese.  It’s not going to go down as a classic romantic comedy, but I think it’ll do pretty good business when it opens next week.
• Bringing Up Baby (3½ stars): Now, here we have an actual classic romantic comedy.  The plot was a little scatterbrained; I wasn’t exactly sure what motivation was driving the characters’ actions most of the time.  That being said, the characters, thanks to the actors playing them, were a joy to watch.  Also, I kind of want a leopard now.

It’s also worth noting that my Existential Crisis lasted about as long as I expected it would.  I consoled myself with carrot cake and red wine, and per Joselyn‘s recommendation, I also bought some red lipstick.  Pretty amazing what a little red lipstick can do for a girl’s confidence.  Joselyn and I were both rocking it at our Saturday write-in.  Brittany was not rocking the red lipstick, but she was rocking the super-cute, all-natural, ponytail & headband look, and that works, too.  Bet you all are sorry you missed the write-in now, huh? 

All right, that’s it.  As always, have a lovely week, everyone!

Hello, dear readers!  Thanks for following me over to my new home.  I’m still tidying the place up, so things may be a little wonky for a while.  Additionally, all of my old links go to the old blog, which is fine since it’ll be sticking around for a while.  I just won’t be updating there because I’ll be updating here!  I don’t know how to transfer RSS, so, if you were subscribed to the old blog and you’d like to continue to get my posts in your reader, please subscribe to this blog, too.

Thanks again for reading, and have an absolutely lovely weekend!

This week marked the arrival of the highly-anticipated Tropic Thunder. It didn’t open to spectacular numbers on Wednesday, but that just means there are more people to see it this weekend.

Of course, I thought Pineapple Express would knock TDK out of the top place last week and was wrong then, too, but it has to happen some time. At least I think it does…

Also opening are Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which is set between Episodes II and III of the saga, and horror flick Mirrors starring Kiefer Sutherland.

There are also a smattering of semi-wide releases, including Henry Poole is Here, Brideshead Revisited, Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Woody Allen’s latest), and Bottle Shock (which I’ll be seeing this weekend).

While none of these will break the Top 5 obviously, they could draw some of the audience away from the bigger releases. So, I’ve gotta tell you, I’m pretty stumped this week. Oh well, here goes.

Official Predictions:
1. Tropic Thunder
2. The Dark Knight
3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

I’ve been vastly unproductive this week, but it’s not all my fault. Our monthly write-in was rudely interrupted by a wall cloud that decided to form in uncomfortably close proximity to a couple of our houses. In all honesty, I’d been procrastinating for the first hour of the write-in, but I swear I was about two minutes from tapping out my first word when some benevolent patrons informed us of the imminent doom promised by the weather. As I was walking out the door of the coffee shop, the sirens started blaring. Consequently, I drove 60 miles an hour home on mostly 35 mph streets to ensure that my two long-haired chihuahuas were taking appropriate precautions. I spent most of the remainder of the evening huddled in a closet in the basement with my two puppies and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Luckily, I was in good company. As, as you might assume from me writing this post, we were not swept off to Oz.

Meteorologists have been forecasting the end of the world for tonight, which led to me skipping a birthday party to hunker down. Somewhat unsurprisingly, it’s been rather calm so far, though the radar suggests that could change soon enough. The upside is that I have managed to get a bit of writing done. Nothing extensive at only four pages, but I did break into Act Three. I’d like to finish the first draft by the end of the weekend; I don’t know if that’s entirely plausible, but I hope to make a valiant effort in that direction.

The wind’s picking up a bit, so I’m going to wrap up. I’m hoping to have some more focused posts soon, so stay tuned!

Sticking to a defined purpose for a blog is a tough thing to do, I’ve found. This one has run the gamut from corporate life rants/advice to movie reviews. I’ve recently been inspired by a couple of friends to put my blogging beret back on and give it another shot. This time around, I’m going to try to focus on all things writing, reading and movie-watching, since those are things I consistently enjoy doing.

So, let’s recap what I’ve been doing this year.

Reading
I’m shooting for 24 books again this year. I’m just past the halfway mark.

Books Read:

• The first six books in A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
• The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser
• The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (free at Project Gutenberg)
• The Energy of Prayer by Thich Nhat Hanh
• Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh
• The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson

Currently Reading: Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins (by fervent recommendation, I might add). Not sure what’s next after that. I have a few options.

Movies
I watch a lot of movies. Case in point: I’ve seen seven out of the 11 movies currently showing at my local 20-screen theatre complex. And I’ve read the book version of one I haven’t seen. According to my counts, I’ve seen 30 movies this year, and tonight it’ll be 31 with a sneak preview of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull thanks to an invite from a friend. Don’t worry; this tally isn’t just new releases. It also includes movies I rent or catch on movie channels. As I twittered yesterday, there are advantages to being the lone movie freak in your circle of friends. So, if you’re looking or a movie recommendation, you now know whom to ask.

What I saw last week:

• Iron Man (3 stars out of 5)
• Prince Caspian (3 stars)
• What Happens in Vegas (4 stars, which was a complete surprise)
• Capote (3 stars)
• Lars and the Real Girl (5 stars)
• The Golden Compass (a generous 3 stars)

Nothing that’s been released this year has grabbed that coveted fifth star from me yet, but with summer gearing up and a mere 67 days ’til the next X-Files movie, I’m hopeful.

Writing
I discovered the world of screenwriting in August of 2007. I wrote my first screenplay that month and spent the next couple of months editing it until NaNoWriMo hit. I managed to hit my personal goal of 60k in November, despite the fact that I realized about a quarter of the way in that my story really wanted to be a screenplay. We’ll start the recap post-November.

December: first draft of “The Affair of Monsieur Valentine”
January: Rewrite of “Don’t Forget,” which was my first screenplay. Chopped out 30 pages.
February: Attempted adaptation of “Mute,” which was my 2007 NaNo. Didn’t plan as I should have, and thus puttered out around page 75. Will attempt again at a later date.
March: Subsequent drafts of “The Affair of Monsieur Valentine” culminating in registration with the WGA and submission to two screenwriting competitions (results due back mid- to late-summer).
April: ScriptFrenzy! I must admit, though I finished, I did struggle with the story I chose (working title: “Tea”). I never did figure out if I was just suffering from the crash after a writing/editing high with M. Valentine or if there was an issue with the story I couldn’t pinpoint. Is currently simmering. I’ll pick it back up for a read-through at a later date and decide where to go from there.
First week of May: Did a read-through of “Don’t Forget.” It’s very obvious this was my first screenplay. I still like the characters, and I still like the overarching storyline. But it needs major help. So, it goes back to the sit and simmer pile until I’m up for sufficiently replotting it.

Current Project: Working title of my new screenplay is “Sounds of Silence,” which I think is a little too on the nose for its final title. But it works for now. I’ve been taking this one slowly, which has helped me avoid the normal motivation pitfalls. Of course, I just broke into Act Two over the weekend, which is when things usually start to get murky for me. So we’ll see. Here’s the logline if you’re interested.

After undergoing a life-changing experience at a zen retreat, the director of a very talented high school orchestra creates controversy and challenges minds when he insists on performing John Gage’s “Four minutes, thirty-three seconds” at contest.

And here’s a wiki link if you’re unfamiliar with “Four minutes, thirty-three seconds.” The logline makes it sound all cheesy-inspirational (and thus probably needs some work), but I really imagine it filmed mockumentary-style à la Christopher Guest.

So that’s what’s been going on. I’ll keep you posted on how I fare in the depths of Act Two this week.