Public Enemies, Hangover, He’s Just Not that Into You

- PUBLIC ENEMIES -(2009)

Dir: Michael Mann; Star: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard
Cat-and-mouse thriller that never ends, following John Dillinger (Depp) persistently pursued by blank faced fed Bale, who is always just one step behind. A lifeless, hollow shell of a movie that seems more like an excuse to use big names and violence to sell tickets. Features startling high definition digital photography that seems out of place with the period detail, but eventually you realize that this is probably going to be the industry norm from now on (at least until retro becomes fashionable again). Marion Cotillard can’t quite pull off the American accent, but it doesn’t matter since there’s no real reason to care anyway (at least she’s objectively gorgeous). Public enemies is likely to please the male 12-35 year old age group, but doesn’t really offer anything worthy of the long time investment.

- THE HANGOVER – (2009)

Dir- Todd Phillips; Star- Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianackis, Justin Bartha
Four guys go to Vegas for a bachelor party, the future groom gets lost and the other three must use clues from their forgotten night of partying to find him. Genuine, crude hillarity ensues. What makes The Hangover so successful at what it does are the four characters perfectly crafted and embodied by the leads. They fit moulds that are different from the usual comedy but still recognizeable enough to identify with. Galifanackis is great as the partying buffoon with hints of creepy weirdness, Helms is the schmoe trapped in the life of a respectable man, and Cooper is the authoritative glue that holds them together. Their plight is understandable yet outlandish enough to be greatly entertaining. A thoroughly funny movie from beginning to end, which is especially  noteworthy since Judd Apatow had nothing to do with it!

- HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU – (2009)

Dir- Ken Kwapis; Star- Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Connolly, Drew Barrymore, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Justin Long
Star-studded romantic comedy about a group of women and their troubles with men, all hinting towards the title opinion, but following the predictable romantic-comedy formula. It’s easy to understand why this movie is so watchable, as its stars are all naturally radiating their glorious, glorious presence (the lesser known Goodwin is actually the best of the bunch here). Sometimes funny, sometimes emotional, sometimes observant, and always told from the perspective of female empowerment; it doesn’t amount to much in the end, other than an expectable conclusion, but it’s enjoyable enough getting there. Probably worth more to women viewers, but how could I be certain about that?

—-

I’ve also been introducing myself to the marvelous works of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki (apparently he’s the Walt Disney of Japan). Here are star reviews for the three I’ve managed to see so far.

- CASTLE IN THE SKY – (1986)

The original Miyazaki masterpiece is one of his most simple (mythology wise), and one of the most exciting, timeless and breath taking animated films I’ve ever seen.

- PRINCESS MONONOKE- (1997)

This one actually gets lost in it’s mythology and by the end it’s hard to care. Still dazzling though.

- SPIRITED AWAY- (2002)

Miyazaki at the height of his powers creating an absolutely absorbing and charming parallel to Alice in Wonderland that’s so thick with beautiful design, mysticism and artwork that it’s almost universally enjoyable. Creative genius fully realized in a form so often misused.

Summer Movies and Foreign Films

So summer’s been underway and I’ve had a chance to catch up on a lot of movies, and have spent some time at the theater and all that good stuff.I also realized I never wrote a review for Watchmen which I saw long ago. I also managed to watch 3 of the films nominated for Best Foreign Film Oscars, so those are reviewed here also. Yeah.

- THE CLASS – (2008 – French)

Dir: Laurent Cantent  Star: Francois Begaudeau
Real life teacher Begaudeau plays a French teacher in Paris as he goes through a typical year at a rough and diverse middle school. Once there he must compete with his students for his own dignity and to succeed in educating the hard lot. A little film that’s made utterly compelling by its fiery, amateur teenage cast and the real life experience of the lead. Cantent’s approach feels like documentary, and the reality sears with truth. An enlightening glimpse into the teacher’s side of the classroom that shows that they surely don’t have it easy.  A one of a kind film about an often filmed subject.

- DEPARTURES – (2009 – Japanese)

Dir: Yojiro Takita  Star: Masahiro Motoki, Ryoko Hirosue
In Departures, the 2008 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film, an unemployed cellist moves to the countryside with his wife where he is mislead into becoming an encoffiner, placed with the responsibility of putting dead people into coffins as per Japanese tradition. The job is scorned by the townspeople, and he leaves his wife in the dark as to his profession. Over time we begin to realize the beauty and necessity of such tradition as a bridge to further things. Motoki is emphatic in the lead, and Hirosue is delightfully ebullient as his ignorant but loving wife. The film is serious yet humanly warm thanks to the direction and cast, with an undeniable sense of humor and a beautifully memorable musical score by Joe Hisaishi. The only flaw is that its emotional climax seems to peak too early, leaving the ending predictable and less effective. Still, Departures feels like a film to cherish despite its serious nature, putting life into perspective while not diminishing the significance of death.

- WALTZ WITH BASHIR – (2008 – Israeli)

Dir: Ari Folman  Star: Ron Ben-Yishai
An Israeli film director tries to reconstruct his memories of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, slowly revealing the horrors of that conflict and the civilian massacres that resulted. This staunchly anti-war animated film isn’t expressionistic enough to justify the use of animation. It’s essentially constructed like a live action film but with the extra animated layer that removes it from reality rather than augmenting it through artistic license. The only really inspired moment is repeated over and over and worn thin by the end (It’s also used on the poster above!). Had it been filmed in live action, it probably would have been much more effective in dealing with the intimate, personal nature of the story as it was affected by the brutality of warfare, rather than being hidden behind an underused mask of drawings.

- SIN NOMBRE – (2009 – Mexican)

Dir: Cary Fukunaga Star: Paulina Gaitan, Edgar Flores
A quiet Honduran girl tries to make the rigorous journey by train (…sitting on top of, that is) through Mexico to the United States with her father, but troubles arise when local gang strife interferes. A vibrant glimpse at an underappreciated journey made by thousands that is far more difficult than one would initially expect, as well as an organized streetlife that’s hard to ignore. A harrowing story of survival aided by brisk camerawork and field research by the director. A rivetting film.

Tom Hanks is just doing his job

- ANGELS AND DEMONS – (2009)

Dir: Ron Howard Star: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor
Dan Brown’s best selling novel and prequel (although the film treats it as a sequel) to The Da Vinci Code is a strictly standard treatment following Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon as he races to solve a plot to destroy Rome and kill Catholic Cardinals. It boils down to a long series of, “hey what’s this symbol? Oh it’s that, it points here, lets go there, hey what’s this symbol?” etc, with run of the mill production all around. It never ends, and it never really creates a true sense of intrigue. They don’t really do much with the shaky source material; the adaptation seems to make all the wrong decisions. Maybe if Ron Howard tried directing a little more outside of his narrow comfort zone…

- UP – (2009)

Dir: Pete Docter,  Bob Peterson Star: Ed Asner
Disney/Pixar’s 2009 entry is its most sentimental yet; an old man is off to South America on an adventure he had been planning with his late wife. The mode of transportation? His house lifted afloat by thousands of helium balloons! With the company of a boy scout he pursues his life goal in memory of his wife. This one reaches previously unknown depths of emotion for an animated feature, probing new aspects of life only apparent through those old enough to really reflect on it. On top of this is the usual great animation, sense of humor, and jubilantly entertaining adventure that one comes to expect with the Pixar studio. Everything you could want in an animated movie, and the third Pixar film I cried in (with Finding Nemo and Ratatouille).  And that’s saying something.

- TERMINATOR SALVATION – (2009)

Dir: McG; Star:Christian Bale, Sam Worthington
Latest entry in long running series on post apocalyptic earth where machines have taken over the world and humans hide in refuge to prevent their extermination. There are two main story lines here, following John Connor (Bale) and his attempt to destroy Skynet operations in California, and the other following Marcus Wright’s journey to discover his true nature. The story is far more meaningful with some prior Terminator lore knowledge, which fits well with the almost non-stop sci-fi action rendered with impressive CGI effects and wrenching sound editting. The main flaws are the seemingly weak climax (which actually improves before it’s over) and the unnecessarily mushy heart metaphors. Some people will knock this movie because it lacks “humanity,” but I didn’t think that was a severe problem; it’s the era of machines and there isn’t much humanity anyway, and the taut excitement more than makes up for it.

- WATCHMEN – (2009)

Dir: Zack Snyder; Star:Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley
Big, loud, ominously dark superhero movie about a group of “watch-men” investigating a murder and themselves, or something. All of this is set in an amusing alternate reality that is a mix of history and imagination. The universal philosophy at the end was just annoying. An overlong, scattered mess at times that is really best when it’s kicking ass to its great soundtrack, which it does quite a bit.

- RACHEL GETTING MARRIED- (2008)

Dir: Jonathon Demme; Star:Anne Hathaway
Drug addict Hathaway is let out of rehab for the weekend to attend her sister’s wedding, where she must endure the heat of her family member’s dissapointed, watchful gaze. Awkward situations and old conflicts ensue. Hathaway sinks her teeth into this complex character and gives a great performance, expressing her struggling angst and failed interpersonal relationships with ease. It is entirely watcheable, the wedding itself was entertaining a diverse, a good display of family unity that worked well with Hathaway’s troubled character. However, by the  time she goes back to rehab it doesn’t really add up to much other than a portrait of a character and a family in a tight situation.

- W. – (2008)

Dir:Oliver Stone; Star:Josh Brolin, Richard Dreyfuss, James Cromwell
Oliver Stone’s interpretation on the early life and presidency of George W. Bush and his relentless pursuit to please his father, despite all of his personal inadequacies. Stone takes a comedic angle to support his Bush commentary while also displaying the more serious implications of it. Of course, none of this is fair and there’s no way Oliver Stone could know the Bush family’s intimate thoughts and actions, but what’s there is an interesting and often amusing speculation. Filmed with good use of supplemental symbols to aid his message.

Star Trek, 2009, School’s Out!

Now that school is out and finals are over I can continue to devote time to adding things to the good ole movie review blog. I’d also like to encourage all of the people who read this who feel like they have opinions about the goodness of movies they watch to start or restart or get working on their own blogs because movie reviews should be a community thing. With that said, The Dark Knight was a bad movie.

I would also like to take this time to hawk The Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion which is an amazing record that just came out, you should check it out, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. Yet its still recognizeably comforting. Check it out here.

—

I had the amazing opportunity to eat lunch with Ang Lee and producer James Schamus this semester. No, it’s not because I have a movie review blog, it was a raffle that I somehow won. In retrospect it was a good lunch, but I certainly regret not ordering more, as it was all paid for by the College of Letters and Sciences. I should’ve just ordered every entree. Or maybe see if they’d get me wine? Whatever, having free steak for lunch was pretty good. It was in the swank faculty club too, for all I know Robert Oppenheimer used to dine in the seat I sat in. Actually for all I know they just bought that chair. Whatever.

Yeahhhh!! Free food and Ang Lee and some other people. He had tandoori chicken for lunch, with tea, and cherry pie for dessert. I never figured Tiawanese movie directors would be into something as American as Cherry Pie…

And now some reviews

—–

- STAR TREK – (2009)

Dir: JJ Abrams; Star:Chris Pines, Zachary Quinto
JJ Abrams takes control over the long running series, steering it in a new direction with old characters, but with a new outlook. It’s as if the characters we’ve known and loved are simply re-realized with modern sensibilities. The story is clever and sets up an entire new series of films that are separate.. yet similar.. to those of the original series, so really the possibilities are endless. It essentially has to do with Romulans, and the rise of young James Kirk as he meets his friends who we should all recognize. Abrams and the cast really pull through and build off the characters who have already been developed to really build sympathy right from the start. The special effects are outstanding as expected, and Abrams actually tries to simulate the soundless-ness of space, for the first time in a Star Trek movie, although he folds to mainstream appeal and slowly has sound creep in. There’s a surprising amount of humor hear, which works well with the vivid, buoyant characterization and slam-bang action, all with enough back story and reintroduction of past elements that forshadow other episodes of the series. A high caliber entertainment and a great entry to the Star Trek Saga.

- MY WINNIPEG- (2007)

Dir:  Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin’s autobiographical self proclaimed docu-fantasia is really a look at his hometown (Winnipeg) and his childhood which he populates with myth and fantasy creating a sense of nostalgia akin to anyone’s nostalgic affection for their childhood home. Except Maddin’s nostalgia is dark, mystical, and vividly cinematic. A post-modern tour-de-force that blends archival footage, recreation, poetry, and a metaphorical train ride. Maddin tries to film his way out of the town where sleepwalkers walk and horses freeze in the river only to become the destination for star crossed lovers. He utilizes a slew of techniques from a variety of genres to make a film that’s equal parts film noir and surreal, all within the frame of documentary. In doing so Maddin has evoked emotion and mood as never before realized in film, where interesting embellishments are more fascinating than truth and the psyche is blurred with reality. My Winnipeg is a film like none other, one that astounds the mind with its persistent barrage of artistic imagery and determined narration, and one that provokes a mood of mysterious nostalgia that is strangely comforting. A genreless, timeless masterwork by a filmmaker at the top of his creative game.

- FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL – (2008)

Dir: Nicholas Stoller; Star:Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand
Oh Judd Apatow, why are your movies soo good? This is of course no exception, with a perfect blend of comedy and sentimentality that is as fresh as writer/star Jason Segel’s presence here. Segel plays a guy whose girlfriend breaks up with him, so he goe sto Hawaii to recover only to find out that his ex is staying at the same hotel! Brand is fantastic as the ex’s new boyfriend, a silly charicature of British pop stars caught up in their ridiculous extravagance (dats terribOW!). Hits all the right notes, an undeniably funny movie.

- SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK – (2008)

Dir: Charlie Kaufman; Star:Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Postmodern, quirky, internal writer Kaufman takes his hand at directing here, following Hoffman who plays a struggling theater director who reanalyzes his life by producing a lifesize replica of New York City as a theater. Self reflexive as always, Kaufman delves further into the mind by bringing it to the cinematic world. Very interesting, when it’s not getting too lost in its own musings, it’s often hard to maintain interest or follow, but it will probably be more rewarding on repeat viewings. Kaufman’s cinematic genius may just be limited to screenwriting; there’s no doubt that theres a genius behind this work, it just gets muddled in its own efforts.

- NICK AND NORA’s INFINITE PLAYLIST- (2008)

Dir:  Peter Sollett; Star:Michael Cera, Kat Dennings
I’m not quite sure why this movie was made.. It’s essentially about a teenager in New York City who breaks up with his girlfriend and finds a new one in one night while trying to find some band named “Fluffy” which is playing somewhere in the city (A band with that name would never be popular..). Sound like a good plot? No? Well, that’s because it isn’t, if you could even call it that. The characters are underdeveloped, shallow, and predictable, thanks mostly to the terrible screenplay. For all I can tell the film climaxes with a hand job, literally, no pun intended. That’s some good writing, guys.  Gooood writing. The best character here is probably New York City, whose vibrance is somewhat decently captured in this short night. It also features this -faux indie rock soundtrack that plays throughout, yes even over conversations, that makes it all feel like some sort of disgusting prolonged introduction. You can tell the producers were trying to tap into that “Indie”-core audience that Juno snagged last year, and this isn’t one twelfth the movie that was. A waste of time.

- TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE- (2007)

Dir:  Alex Gibney
Oscar winning documentary about the torture of prisoners in US detention camps during the War on Terror, revolving around an innocent taxi driver who was tortured to death in Afghanistan, although grand in its scope covering torture of all kinds and the abuse of human rights by US leadership. Supported by a slew of testimonials and cases that are relentlessly shocking. A frighteningly difficult film to watch that seems all the more so important because it is.

- RELIGULOUS- (2008)
Bill Maher’s documentary against religion attacks the issue by depicting an endless series of various religions at their most ridiculous, allowing his comedic wit to come through all in the effort to promote reason instead of blind faith. Pointed and well conceived, albeit a relatively standard treatment. Maher is equal parts funny and annoying, and the film itself may seem a little lax at times due to his style, but the message is sharp.

- AMERICAN TEEN – (2008)

Nanette Burnstein’s “documentary” following a few stereotypical kids (the jock, the nerd, the artsy girl etc) through their senior year in high school. There’s a certain level of contrivance and manipulation at play, but the emotions feel uniquely real, and the whole thing is compulsively watcheable. Their personalities are so varied but it’s the common bonds between the players  that hits the strongest. If you don’t go into this expecting a hardcore documentary, you’ll probably find it to be a rewardingly different experience.

The Rest of 2008

So 2008 is over and I guess I’ll make a favorite movies list.

So here’s a list of my top 5 favorite movies of 2008:

1. Slumdog Millionaire
2. Let the Right One In
3. Milk
4. The Visitor
5. Encounters at the End of the World

All of these are movies that I think were genuinely “Great” from 2008, without any hesitation I would instantly recommend them to everyone.

Other Movies I Really Enjoyed from 2008:
Pineapple Express, Man on Wire, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Happy-Go-Lucky, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Wrestler, Frozen River

Movies From 2008 That I Think Were Really Overrated:
Wall-E, The Dark Knight, Iron Man

Most Underrated/Unnoticed Performances of 2008:
Richard Jenkins in The Visitor, Melisa Leo in Frozen River, Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road, David Kross in The Reader

My Favorite Music Albums of 2008 (Completely Unrelated):

Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend, Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now Youngster; Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue,  Weezer – Weezer (Red), Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All his Friends, Stephen Malkmus – Real Emotional Trash

—-

2008 was a great year for independent film, I tried to see the ones with the most buzz or hype just to see what it was all about. It was kind of strange how many of these were told in a very matter-of-fact style, in some sort of realist eye to show little bits of life that we wouldn’t have usually considered before. Some documentaries and a foreign film as well. It’s interesting.  So here are the remainder of my late 2008 movie reviews. They’re shorter than usual because there’s a lot, most people haven’t heard of many of them, and it’s getting late..

Reviews:

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

(2008 – Swedish) Dir: Thomas Alfredson; Star: Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson
A modern vampire tale unlike any ever told on screen, this one follows the children Oskar, who is picked on in school, and his new mysterious friend next door. The lore here is as modern as it gets; the mythical have adapted to this new urban world and an unnerving realism pervades even the most bizarre. It’s genuinely frightening, comforting, and creepy with every cue. A cinematic delight from top to bottom, masterfully shot, lit, staged and realized. The climax is one of the most chillingly visceral and… satisfying moments in recent memory. Let the Right One In is a filmmaker’s film and a movie for the imagination to behold; a must-see.

MAN ON WIRE

(2008) Dir: James Marsh
Inspired documentary about french high-wire walker Philippe Petit’s quest to walk on a high wire between the two World Trade Center Towers, and his smaller scale preparations leading up to it. A skillful blend of heist-like recreation, home-made video, and personal recollection. Petit in particular is enthusiastically entertaining in his recollection. Film’s only flaw is the lack of actual video footage of the climactic wire-walk, although the images are astounding. A breathtaking ode to both this unique form of art and the thrilling act of self expression.

ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD

(2008) Dir: Werner Herzog
Outstanding documentary about the scientific residents of Antarctica and the jobs they do, the lives they live, and the land they study. It’s both an astonishing look at the human desire for exploration and a sheer admiration for the natural world. Herzog’s monumental love for nature shines through here, and the product is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

FROZEN RIVER

(2008) Dir: Courtney Hunt; Star: Melissa Leo, Misty Upham
Melissa Leo was nominated for an Oscar for her powerful performance as a single mom who turns to smuggling illegal immigrants across the Canadian border just to support her struggling family and to feed her dream of owning a “double wide” mobile home. A taut mix of suspense, personal struggle, family ties, desperation, and economic woe that seems all too apt these days; a harsh frozen winter surrounds it all. Leo’s performance anchors this superior, little movie.

WENDY AND LUCY

(2008) Dir: Kelley Reichardt; Star: Michelle Williams
Surprisingly memorable extended vignette following the enigmatic yet undeniably identifiable Wendy whose car breaks down and dog goes missing. Her only friend, the dog is her first mission, then the fixing of her car, all to get to Alaska where asylum from whatever she’s running away from waits. Ultra-simplistic, realist story that doesn’t do much, yet it’s somehow inescapably watchable and emotionally involving. Her search reveals something in her own character that we can all find in ourselves, much like Penn’s Into the Wild (although far more understated). William’s performance is perfectly tuned to this note. A bare bones, first rate self reflective meditation.

CHOP SHOP

(2008) Dir: Ramin Bahrani; Star: Alejandro Polanco, Isamar Gonzales
Neorealist piece following an ultra-resourceful kid in the chop-shop-laden Iron Triangle in Queens, as he saves up by using his street smarts for a Taco van for him and his sister. Not much happens, but the film does uncover a little known part of the world, right in our own back yard, that is as vibrant and exciting as any. There’s an inffective sense of optimism and spirit here that quietly beseiges the viewer.

THE WRESTLER

(2008) Dir: Darren Aronofski; Star: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei
Perceptive story of former star wrestler who must balance wrestling and his need for companionship, especially that of his daughter. We soon realize that perhaps wrestling is all he has ever had. A privileged look into the world of wrestling and the physical punishment that the performers go through all for the sake of entertainment. Rourke really is outstanding here.

DEFIANCE

(2009) Dir: Edward Zwick; Star: Daniel Craig
Remarkable story about a group of Jews in eastern Europe who go into hiding in the forests during world war II where they form an armed resistance in a fight for survival. By-the-numbers in most respects, but certainly entertaining for its well executed struggle and fight. It would’ve resonated more, however, without that all-too predictable deus ex machina… Still an enjoyable effort.

GRAN TORINO

(2008) Dir: Clint Eastwood; Star: Clint Eastwood
Eastwood directs himself as his classic bad ass persona, playing an old widower who doesn’t much like the way his Asian neighbors are being treated by a local gang, despite his old school racism. It’s great to see Clint teaching some bad seeds a lesson, but the finale is too predictable and its message feels too forced and standard.

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO

(2008) Dir: Kevin Smith; Star: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks
Best friend roommates, who have always avoided a sexual relationship, turn to producing a porn movie to make a quick buck, while learning that perhaps there is a romantic future for the two. Starts off decently but there are too many emotional holes, flat lines, false steps, and failed gags along the way. Kevin Smith’s screenplay tries to be something like ‘Knocked-Up‘ but fails on both comedic and sentimental fronts, so even the always-funny Rogen can’t keep it afloat.

An Epic Year pt. 1

Okay, so here it is time to finish up all of those mountains of movie reviews that I’ve been needing to do since break started, my god I’ve pretty much seen everything I wanted to… And I had a long list. So here’s part one of those, since it would take too much time to do them all now, part II will have (hopefully) a slew of like-minded independent films from 2008 as well as a best of the year list or something to those ends. School starts on Monday so from then on it’ll be back to the even longer breaks between entries, but who knows, perhaps I’ll revert to using the site here as an actual blog blog on which I will blog more blog like things, surely there’s always something to talk about, hopefully having to do with music or movies, or potentially having nothing to do with those. Feel free to comment on anything, it encourages me to use the site more.

So I won’t talk about anything in the news, even though Israel is tearing it up in Palestine, Barry O is about to be sworn in, and a US Airways pilot just made perhaps the first successful commercial airline crash landing in the Hudson River.. Yes these are exciting times, but we’ve got movies to go over! There are a lot of them, so I’ll try to be concise.

–

- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON- (2008)

Dir:David Fincher; Star:Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton
Meticulous rendition of an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story following curious character Pitt who’s born with the body of an old man and ages backwards, falling in love and living his bizarre life emotionally detached from most of the world. Fincher creates and entrancing aura aided by first rate cinematography,  scoring, and cutting edge makeup and visual effects departments that bring this modern fairy tale to dreamy life. The entire cast is good, especially Pitt who’s role is anything but easy. It’s certainly long (nearly 3 hours), and a modern framing involving Hurricane Katrina at a New Orleans hospital seems unnecessary and contrived.  Essentially a cinematic dream that’s both thoughtful and meditative in examining the lasting effect of human relationships from a new angle, filled with imagery and production magic. An admirable accomplishment by all considering the risks in creating such a film, a lack of conciseness is the main fault here.

The suburban hell is pungently scary

- REVOLUTIONARY ROAD – (2008)

Dir:Sam Mendes; Star:Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio
Young couple moves to suburbia to raise a family and maintain a job, leaving former actress wife at home where she realizes here life isn’t turning out the way she had imagined for either of them. Husband wants to pursue both his prior ambitions and what’s best for his new family amid the conscious eye of the suburban onlooker. Mendes crafts this film beautifully, with an obsessive eye for detail and a masterful command over his players. The dialogue is so finely realized and depicted that this feels more like a stage performance where emotion is presented between characters and between them and the environment. Winslet and DiCaprio both give some of the best performances of their careers with such a gravitas that it makes the ’stage performance’ all the more astounding -every turn is raw and frightening yet somehow inevitable in the polished world of confinement to a social standard that doesn’t mesh with their young ambition. Michael Shannon’s performance is so good in the central role as the “mentally insane,” yet eerily reasonable son of one of the tidy suburbanites that everything seems to click with Mendes’ clear commentary on the harms of such a society. As the social chaos mounts one can revel in the absurdity of the situation, which is somehow humorous, as if it would be ridiculous to let ourselves lose this much control in the first place. These are strange and complex emotions that are rarely tapped so well on screen. Thomas Newman’s provocative score punctuates the tension perfectly, it’s utilized on cue yet infrequently enough to remain evocative. Revolutionary Road skates a fine line; its raw compulsion may be seen as melodramatic or forced by some, but they’re probably missing the key themes and motifs that make the entire work gel into a cohesive whole; a striking statement graced by some of the most powerfully dramatic performances of the year, and an artful work finely shaped into the frightening reality it represents.

-THE READER – (2008)

Dir:Stephen Daldry; Star:Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Kate Winslet
A German man looks back upon an affair he had with a mysterious woman in post WWII Germany which left his young heart on edge; he later learns that his ex-lover is on trial for Nazi war crimes. A film about internal conflict and the confusion of young love with outstanding performances all around, especially by newcomer David Kross. Winslet’s character is as enigmatic as the motivations, yet as the layers are revealed a beautiful picture comes to the forefront. Nico Muhly contributes an emotive score that highlights the character’s struggling emotions and helplessness. The Reader is an internal struggle that is slowly brought to light, giving time for contemplation while leaving room for discussion. It’s an intriguing, dark, and truly powerful film.

'I have a keen Eye for opportunity.'

- VALKYRIE- (2008)

Dir: Bryan Singer; Star:Tom Cruise, Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Brannagh
True story about a group of Nazi elites who plotted a coup d’etat to overthrow Hitler during World War II called Operation Valkyrie that both involved assassinating the Fuhrer and assuming control over the military. Despite the fact that they’re all supposed to be Nazi’s, the entire cast is British (with many familiar faces) and speaks with a English accent, except for Cruise who speaks with an American accent! Despite these blatantly out of place details the film is surprisingly absorbing, maintaining a good level of tension by the climax. If only we didn’t already know the ending.. it could have had a much stronger impact.

Clash of the Titans

- DOUBT- (2008)

Dir:John Patrick Shanley; Star:Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis
Director Shanley adapted his own play about a Catholic school principal (Streep) in 1964 who suspects that the new liberal pastor (Hoffman) has formed an inappropriate relationship with a lonely African American student despite a lack of concrete evidence, and the young and impressionable schoolteacher Adams is on his side. A battle of wills and suspicions, motives and appearances, and the new and the old that presents an ideal opposition for two of the greatest actors alive to duke it out head to head, and when they do it’s absolutely magnetic to watch. Shanley doesn’t try to do too much, just enough to flesh out the roles and to provide the actors with a place to sink their teeth in. An interesting wind motif complements the themes of change, a conflict central to this intriguing drama.

'You're all gonna die..'

- THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL – (2008)

Dir: Scott Derrickson; Star: Jennifer Connelly, Keanu Reeves
Lifeless, pointless remake of the 1951 Sci-fi classic in which an alien.. giant robot.. thing lands on Earth and threatens to destroy it, that is if astro-biologist (*squirm!!*) Jennifer Connelly can’t convince the altruistic, ominous alien Reeves to help save Earth first. Starts with a bang and then becomes an unbearably long sequence of talking and escaping from things despite and potential human sense of reason or necessity, and then ends with some grandiose message about ecological health. Or something like that. A sheer let down for any fan of Cloverfield/Independence Day/I Am Legend type end of the world sci-fi scenarios, or anyone looking for anything else that might be good in a movie.  At least Jennifer Connelly has such pretty eyes. .

Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my GOD!

- BURN AFTER READING – (2008)

Dir:Joel & Ethan Coen; Star:George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Francis McDormand, John Malkovich
Zany CIA/gym employee farce about health nut Pitt who blackmails bad-ass Malkovich for his disc of “CIA shit,” and everyone everywhere gets in way over their heads in a way that only the Coen brothers could imagine. Everyone is completely moronic in an amusing way, Pitt is definitely the best and the most fun to watch due to his ridiculous demeanor which is over the top while remaining somehow natural.. Each character sort of has their own quirks that are good fun to watch in their own way but the movie itself never really amounts to anything. Then again it probably was never meant to.

- GHOST TOWN- (2008)

Dir:David Koepp; Star:Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Tea Leoni
People-hating dentist Bertram Pincus (Gervais) has a near death experience during a routine colonoscopy and can suddenly see ghosts of people in New York City who all want him to help them to resolve their unfinished business. One such ghost (Kinnear) wants Pincus to keep his widow from marrying a hotshot lawyer, comedy ensues.  Gervais, who is otherwise known as the face of the original UK Office series is a freshly welcome source of comedic brilliance that seems to finally be merging over to the US. The amusing situation itself is aided by a sturdy screenplay written by the director, an earnest cast, and an infectiously intelligent sense of humor. A first rate romantic comedy that’s as heartwarming as it is funny. Good stuff.

'I hate everyone.'

- TOWELHEAD- (2008)

Dir: Alan Ball; Star: Summer Bishil, Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette
A Lebanese American girl goes to live with her single father who happens to be a hyperbole of evil over-controlling parents, which certainly isn’t a good thing for his young daughter who is becoming sexually curious. Add in the patriotic pedophile neighbor Eckhart and an African American boyfriend (god forbid…), toss it together and spit it out. Features an awful screenplay that is little more than an endless series of mercilessly awkward events and ridiculous dialogue that seems to show little real insight on anything. Toni Collette is the only likable character here, and she doesn’t really turn up until near the end! An attempt at something more that misses on all counts.

Frosty Slumdogs and Milk

Okay, so with a break from school I’ve finally gotten the chance to catch up on all things art, especially movies and music! hooray you say? good. I got this absurd idea to write reviews from now on that are 100% sarcastic where I say the complete opposite of what I really mean for every movie I see, or some sort of exaggerated thing like that. That would be amusing wouldn’t it? Well I’ll keep that idea open for the future. As for now I feel compelled to get these reviews on cyberink so I can see some more without worrying about forgetting things etc. Regardless there’s a lot of good stuff this time of year both in theaters and now on video, so you should check it out I think. Look for a best of 2008 Movies and Music post soon, as that time of year is approaching and it’s fun to be reflective. Mirrors are exciting. It’ll be fun to do a music post soon to sort of mix things up around here, no? So here are some new reviews.

- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE- (2008)   

Dir:Danny Boyle;   Star: Dev Patel
They do not make movies like this anymore.  Jamal Malik, an 18-ish tea server in India has just gotten to the final question on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire,” but the police don’t believe that someone like Jamal, who was born and raised in the muck of India’s crowded slums without an education could have possibly done it without cheating. Jamal then reveals the story of his life as a boy through which he happened to learn the answers through experience  to the questions he had answered in order to clear his name for a chance to compete for the final question. This clever device is, however, only secondary to the story of Jamal’s troubled past in the slums and the true motives that drive his unlikely quest in the hot seat. The story is timelessly simple,  but the presentation is brilliantly arranged by screenwriters  Simon Beaufoy and Vikas Swarup. Director Boyle’s lightning fast camera brings undernourished India to vivid life like Fernando Meirelles did for Brazil in City of God, but with an eye for both the harsh conditions and the hope-inspiring adaptations to them. The culture presented is both vibrant and exciting, complimented by expert pacing that makes the story absolutely absorbing. The film presents a rapidly modernizing India that hasn’t really been seen before in western cinema, and the cast is littered with native Indian actors who are hardly recognized outside of Asia. This makes the characters all the more real and unpretentious; underdogs to root for the whole way. Slumdog Millionaire feels unlike anything that has hit America in the last 20 years, it’s heart renderingly genuine and blazingly empowering. The story, the characters, and the themes transcend the culture and feel out of time, forever existing and forever fueling the human heart, but it never feels cliche or oversimple thanks to Boyle’s stylish presentation, the marvelous editing of Chris Dickens, and the sincere performance by child and adult actors alike. It  reveals a slice of the world that everyone can relate to no matter how different it may seem. To quote Time Magazine, Slumdog Millionaire is a “buoyant him to life and a film to celebrate;” a movie that blends the traditional with the new in an excitingly real way that opens the eyes and touches the soul, all of which are trademarks of a pinnacle in modern film making.

–

Milk. It does a movie good.

- MILK – (2008)     

Dir: Gus Van Sant; Star: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch
The roller-coaster true story about the rise of San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk in the 1970’s, as he became the first openly gay man elected to major public office.  Along the way we meet a slew of friends and ominous adversaries. Eventually his tumultuous, misunderstanding-laden relationship with fellow supervisor Dan White leads to his inevitable assassination. Milk’s personal relationships are paired side by side with his public campaign, working to give intimate depth to the characters as they play their roles in the movement for equality. It’s skillfully assembled by Van Sant and company with outstanding performances all around. Penn is however, the anchor to it all, giving an utterly convincing performance that garners unwavering sympathy and respect for the character and his alternative lifestyle, while showing that the iconic Harvey Milk was all but human. The performances and direction are so good that the homosexual relationships depicted come across as they have never before in mainstream cinema;  it presents homosexuality not as some deplorable or detestably bestial act but as a loving relationship equal to that between a man and a woman. It’s not some hidden relationship repressed in the characters’ minds (like in Brokeback Mountain), it’s out there and it feels tangibly real. This reality is something that the homophobic sphere of the country needs to come to grips with. Milk comes, coincidentally, at an extremely appropriate time in American history, with the recent passage of CA Prop 8 banning gay marriage among other acts throughout the country. It is clear that a significant portion of America looks down upon homosexuality to an extent where it encroaches on their civil rights. Because of this Milk the film seems to play its own part, however minuscule, in the larger movement that Harvey Milk the person acted upon. Regardless of current politics, Milk is an extremely powerful movie, superbly crafted and expressively realized with slick momentum and passion. The result is one of the best films of the year, and the emotional punch is nothing short of inspirational.

—

- FROST/NIXON – (2008)      

Dir:Ron Howard; Star: Michael Sheen, Frank Langella
Sharp adaptation of Peter Morgan’s award winning Broadway play based upon a series of interviews given by former president Richard Nixon to the young, inexperienced, hot shot journalist David Frost in exchange for a boatload of money in 1977 following the recent Watergate scandal and Nixon’s resignation. Langella towers as Dick himself, imitating with precision and bringing across levels of emotional depth absent from simple public appearance, and Sheen is also good as the popular and enthusiastic Frost. Both actors completely fill out their characters with skill and nuance, partially aided by the fact that both Langella and Sheen starred in the broadway play. Framed with “interviews” with characters in the film (played by their actors) after the fact that seem both informative and a little fake. It does a good job at showing that Frost and Nixon are not all that dissimilar despite their outward differences, drilling deeper into the two personalities as the film progresses. A small, well made character study that’s certainly interesting thanks to the inspired screenwriting, cinematography, direction, and performances.

Almost There…

So, It’s about the time of the year when we get to the goods cinematically, with all the production companies cranking out their heavyweights for Oscar season.  Unfortunately, all the reviews here don’t really reflect it. At least there’s always the reliably quirky British charm. So we can call this update the calm before the storm? They’re not all that badDon’t worry, they’ll get better I’m sure.

Thanksgiving break was an interesting opportunity to see some new movies. I stopped by Hollywood video back home to see what new releases they had, and it turns out that there is absolutely nothing worth renting right now. I don’t know if it’s because there are really just a bunch of bad movies out there from this year or I’ve just seen them all already. Probably a combination of the two. Then I went hunting for some movies to see in theaters hoping to catch Charlie Kauffman’s “Synecdoche, New York” or maybe even the rising star “Slumdog Millionaire,” but to no avail. The only things playing ANYWHERE were sequels to action movies no one gives a hoot about, the new Bond flick, and a handful of family Christmas movies. God I hate all this mainstream commercialism, with the studios telling us what we can watch. Oh well, here are these, soon there will be better times?

I'm in the desert, so I must wear shades.

- QUANTUM OF SOLACE – (2008 – pg13)     

Dir: Marc Forster; Star: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Judi Dench
2006’s Casino Royale was a breadth of fresh air for the long running franchise, injecting new layers of depth to the characters and new potential for the future. And in 2008 it all comes crumbling down. Daniel Craig still makes a great Bond, but the story tries to pick up where the last left off, yet only in theme. For instance, one of the great villains in the last movie was inexplicably killed prior to this release and substituted with a much less frightening or inspired Mr. White. It seems as though the screenwriters wanted to mix substance with explosion, but they got so lost in the process that  they figured there need not be any real reason for anything to take place in the first place. I still don’t know what the hell a Quantum of Solace is. Anyway, this is a no-go, the series has fallen on its face, and the filmmakers need to rethink their strategy before forcing millions to see it on label alone. There needs to be something there. After seeing Quantum of Solace I asked myself, what the hell just happened, and why does it matter? Without an answer to my question I drove home in a sad stupor of spoiled possibility.

Mmm Grey

- CHANGELING – (2008 – R)

Dir: Clint Eastwood; Star: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jason Butler Harner
Clint Eastwood is STILL making high quality movies, and Changeling is no exception. It’s the fairly unknown true story of a Los Angeles mother who’s son is kidnapped, and ‘returned,’ although she is convinced that the boy that she’s given is not really her son. Eventually the LAPD tries to suppress her rather than lose face to the anxious media. Doused in a somber aura, like many of Eastwood’s recent works, the depressing plot revelations hit with force. Cinematographer Tom Stern’s visual style is becoming a trademark with Eastwood’s films, filling the screen with an ominously brooding, yet overly conventional veil of austerity. At times,  it seems almost like a vehicle for Jolie, who is great no less, but her scenes are framed in such a way that it feels at times as if it may spiral into ‘just a sequence of scenes of  Angelina Jolie freaking out,’ which seems a tad underintegrated. Butler Harner is also terrific as the genuinely terrifying man who abducted her son. Unfortunately the film never lets up, getting lost in its overlength while also trying to accomplish too much. It’s at its best when Jolie is confined to a mental hospital against her will -a move which echoes the ire of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but this is only a sidenote in a much larger scheme. By the end some closure is reached but it really doesn’t feel as if anything definitive has been said; there doesn’t seem to be a message or anything to take away. In all, it seem as though it’s but a well crafted bit of LA lore and nothing more.

If it's about the child's perspective, we don't have to try!

- THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS – (2008 – R)

Dir: Mark Herman; Star: Asa Butterfield
Schindler’s List inspired the viewer with the truth, in the process giving them hope by showing what one person can do to resist a great travesty. It told its story with a brutally honest and harsh eye. Life is Beautiful inspired the viewer with fiction by giving them an irresistibly likable character and the innocent son he spared of the violent reality of the holocaust.  Boy in the Striped Pajamas does none of this. It may have worked as a novel, but as a film it’s clearly fictional and every plot device set up to drive a reaction is noticeable and contrived. There is no charm to its characters or reality to its stance. Of course the filmmakers could argue that since it’s told from a child’s perspective (the child of a Nazi concentration camp commandant),then this is all the visual depiction of his innocent viewpoint. This worked in E.T. because we were given great performances and nuanced production (read: genuine emotion). None of this exists here; the performances are either melodramatic or awkward as hell (the child actors’ conversations are as blocky and unnatural as bonfire made out of legos). The production values are on par with a weekend tv movie on the BBC and the son’s delusions with reality don’t seem to have any weight or signifcance. There is also a severe lack of attention to detail that is so glaringly obvious. Why, for example, does the interned Jewish kid who the son befriends appear to weigh a good 20 pounds more than a well-fed son of the commandant? Why aren’t there any guards in the guard towers? Why does the concentration camp look like nothing but a couple of buildings populated by a handful of extras instead of the steaming cesspool it should be? All of these annoyances help to detract from the reality of the film. It is all so calculated, it’s clear that we’re all watching a poorly made movie. This is what makes the shocking finale seem all the more loathesomly melodramatic and pointless. It’s the kind of ending that would ONLY work if the story were either true or we were absorbed enough to give a hoot about the characters. I would applaud the effort if only there were a greater one.

"Oh! What-chu-ma-call-it ding dang dilly dilly da da hoo hoo!"

- HAPPY-GO-LUCKY – (2008 – R)     

Dir: Mike Leigh; Star: Sally Hawkins
Enter the incessantly optimistic, cheerful, fun loving, life-living Poppy played to quirky perfection by Sally Hawkins. Give us a taste of her life and her irresistable outlook on the world. Give us some romance, some good times with the girls, some good old fashioned british charm, and throw in an angry pessimist driving instructor (played amazingly by Eddie Marsan) who never gives up on a student, least of all Poppy, who would rather point out the attractive men on the street than focus entirely on the road. Just as it seems that this Poppy may be too good to be true (in an annoyingly happy way), throw in layers of depth and maturity to reinforce the proceedings. We see that Poppy isn’t a child in an adult’s world. She’s a self aware adult who doesn’t care what other people think, and who is ready willing and able to live life with enthusiasm and gusto. It’s all uniquely entertaining, well written and acted, very British, and infectiously encouraging.

————————————–

- PERSEPOLIS – (2007 – pg13)
Animated rendition of Marjan Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novels following her adolescence in and out of post Shah-Iran. A stunningly creative work and a high quality examination of the effects of a super conservative theocracy on both the free spirited and the female, and the dilemma between personal freedom and family comfort. Laced with disarming comedy and striking imagery. One of the more meaningful animated films to ever reach mainstream audiences.

-1408 – (2007 – pg13)
Writer braves night in haunted room 1408, which tends to cause people to die. Like most Stephen King adaptations it starts out with great intrigue and ends in some confused quest for some supernatural figment of a delusional imagination.

Elections and Some ole Newstuff

So, I can certainly say one thing about college: it’s really hard to go see a movie in theaters. Something about managing your own money makes it just that much more difficult… So I have yet to see a film in theaters! But I expect this to change some way or another, given the exciting new movies coming out in the next couple months (it IS that time of year!). Look out for Clint Eastwood’s Changeling, Charlie Kauffman’s next screenplay and directorial debut Synecdoche, New York, a major feature film for the gay rights movement with Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in Milk, Sam Mendes (of American Beauty fame)’s latest feature Revolutionary Road, the world war 2 era flick Defiance with Daniel Craig and more. It’ll be an exciting season. So all I’ve really got for this are slightly older movies, some from this year, some from before. Look for something about music soon or eventually, given that time of year when it becomes necessary to reflect on the best of the year. There’ve been some good musical releases this year, it should be interesting. On a side note of monumental importance:

Berkeley

So Barack Obama is our new president elect. I must say it was sure something to have been here in Berkeley on Tuesday night, with a good 5,000 people running around everywhere screaming in elation. Ah to be young.

California: Douchebag of the Week

However, it was a bittersweet election night as California voted to enact the descriminatory, prejudice, and selfish Prop 8, specifically targetting the gay community as being deserving of less than the heterosexual community. It was also the first time in California history that rights had been taken AWAY from the people. It’s scary to think that only about half a century ago interracial marriage was still illegal in California. We’ve been noted as a state to be on the edge of American progressivism, and we tend to always vote blue. So we want change. We’re liberal. But not THAT liberal. I have a huge problem, personally, with devisive, horrible measures like Prop 8, and the people who zealously instill fear into the voting public to get their way. It’s clear that prop 8 was religiously motivated, and regardless of my own views about the legitimacy of religion, legislation should not be religiously motivated.
So, as of Wednesday I am immensely proud of America for voting for progress, while I am also immeasurably disappointed in the (once) great state of California. Congratulations guys. Let the homophobia live on.

—-

Reviews

- THE COUNTERFEITERS – (2008 – German)  

Dir:Stefan Ruzowitzky; Star:Karl Markovics
The interesting story of master counterfeiter Salomon Sorowitsch who is imprisoned in a concentration camp where he is enlisted to help counterfeit foreign currency to fund the ailing Nazi war machine. Given special treatment for his services, the ethics of the situation come into play and a great internal conflict arises. Should he fight for survival by aiding that which was out to destroy the world and his people? Markovics is great in the lead; his cryptic stare matches the complexity of thought in the character. It’s a quick moving if conventional drama that’s both emotional and exciting. Won an Oscar for best foreign film.

- ZODIAC – (2007)

Dir:David Fincher; Star:Mark Ruffalo, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr.
Taut, well crafted crime thriller following the manhunt for the Zodiac killer in the San Francisco bay area during the 1970’s. Journalist Gyllenhaal takes the project upon himself the police prove uncooperative. Dark, brooding, well cast, and finely detailed, although it suffers from overlength. Riveting stuff nonetheless.

- ALMOST FAMOUS – (2000)
Teenage boy journalist follows fictional band on US tour where he learns about the rockstar lifestyle against the will of his mother. A vividly unique picture that seems a tad too calculated by the end, but the emotions are genuine.  Patrick Fugit is well cast as the hopeful boy.

- RAISING ARIZONA – (1987)
Those Coen brothers sure are weird, but thats more reason to love them. Especially when they’re as farcically silly as this. Their keen sense of mythical character is in fine form. Surreally attractive.

- SAW- (2004)
Begins with se7enesque sadism, hooks you in, then sort of puts you off in a lull, then the ending slams you in the face so hard it more than makes up for it. Neat.

- 28 DAYS LATER… – (2002)
Frightening, creative, feels real, kudos on the somewhat unique zombie design. A tad on the indulgent side, but a better effort in the modern survival horror movement.

Checking In

Okay, so college has officially started, which is my excuse for the huge prolonged absence here at the blog. Because of said moving in to college, I haven’t really had the time/financial means to see any new films, although plans to do so are certainly in the works. I guess I could add some miscellaneous reviews for kicks. I also plan to do a music oriented blog eventually (after all it does say musical musings in the title…). So I guess I just wanted to say hi to anyone (or no one) who reads this. Oh and I also intend to start a series called “Great Movie Moments” or something like that that features what I consider to be.. great… movie… moments… which I guess I’ll have to define more clearly when the time comes.. eventually. hA. So what have I been up to?

Well I guess I’ve been taking in all of the sights and sounds here at the University of California, which is just so intelectually alive and culturally pronounced. As predicted it is better than high school in every way (they serve Soda here! God forbid…), and I’ve recently noticed how college does for education what field work does for an anthropologist. You can’t truly expand your horizons and your intelectual vitality in the confines of high school. You have to live away to truly experience mental stimulation. Just as an anthropologist must live among a culture to learn about them; books alone simply won’t do.

Brokeback Mountain

So the university has been hyping a visit by film director Ang Lee and his producer James Schamus next spring with a series of seminars and discussions about his work. I was fortunate enough to attend one of these about Lee’s magnum opus Brokeback Mountain; and particularly, how it’s sense of sexuality served as a primal awakening for the American viewing public. It was led by a film professor here who also happens to be the preeminent scholar of pornography in the country (I didn’t even know such a study existed). She’s written books with titles like “Screening Sex” and “Hard Core.” She was predictably quite enthusiastic about the discussion. Needless to say, it was an enlightening seminar that you probably wouldn’t be able to experience anywhere else…

There was also an early screening of the film adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Choke, complete with a Q&A session with screenwriter/director Clark Gregg. I waited in line but, due to the evils of overbooking, was unable to get a seat, which was extremely annoying. There were at least 100 people in line who were not able to get in. Overbooking is evil. Hopefully there will be more opportunities like this…

Sarah Palin - youtube her interview with Charlie Rose and judge for yourself.

Oooh let’s have a politics tangent. Living in Berkeley, I’ve noticed that politics are a huge part of life, and as a first time voter I feel more envolved than ever in the political scene. One thing I’ve noticed that slightly worries me is the general Berkeley consensus that John Mccain has absolutely no chance at winning the election this year. However recent polls have shown that the race is frighteningly close, if not a dead heat. I think many people here have become disillusioned with Berkeley’s diehard liberalism to the point where they underestimate the other party. Mccain’s choice of Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate initially struck me as a very wise if not transparently sinister political maneuver. I still think it was probably the best choice he could have made to help his chances, but I’ve also realized how terrible Sarah Palin is as a candidate. I don’t really think I need to make an arguement about her credentials, or lack thereof, or her other non-presidential attributes, as the internet is loaded with them. All I can say is, if Mccain/Palin do win in November, it will be extremeley interesting to see what Berkeley is like the next day. I don’t know if I’d want to leave my room, but it would be interesting none the less.

—

Okay so how about some random mini miscellaneous reviews for fun? Eh? whaddyasay?

- EYES WIDE SHUT – (1999 – R)
Dir:Stanley Kubrick; Star:Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman
Stanley Kubrick’s final film is a stunning examination of human sexual desire and a scathing yet subtle social commentary. Many viewers and critics panned the film because of its overtly sexual tones, but most of these people were victims of the movie’s shock value; unable to look at sexuality as the vehicle for a message. All of Kubrick’s hallmarks are here in top form, from the ironic sense of humor evident in the use of the camera instead of the dialogue, to the strikingly surreal cinematography bathing the whole picture in an utterly eerie sense intrigue. The cult mansion scene is so meticulously crafted and creepily rendered that it gives me shivers just to write about it. It also features one of the best final lines in movie history. On the whole this is a movie unlike any other that seems to transcend a sense of time or place; instead settling somewhere in the commonest reaches of the mind, which fits its greater message perfectly.

Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, douchebag!

Okay, so here at the end of summer we’ve got some new movies and some notorious douchebaggery. Remember the Dark Knight? Yeah that stupid movie that everyone loved (fortunately it’s only #3 all time on imdb now…) Well, apparently it did kind of well this summer at the box office. So well in fact that it’s publisher Warner Bros realized that it is a much better idea to release a movie in the summer than in say, winter, because kids will be “out of school” and thus more likely to see a movie a million times… And this brings us to our

Douchebag of the week:

Douchebag

Alan Horn! President of Warner Bros and the man in charge of moving the November release of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince back half a year so that it premiers in July of 2009, despite the fact that he says the film is finished and in fine form now. He cites the reason for this move as being for better business. So he’s taking a movie that would likely make a half a billion dollars, pissing off all its fans by moving it back half a year, and hoping that MORE of them would want to see it. You sir, are an utter git, and a total douchebag who cares more about the green, which he already has, especially after Dark Knight, than about the fans, the art, or the betterment of his perceived social image. Enjoy the title you loathesome pretzel. Look at him there, just basking in his doucheyness… ‘Oh I am SoOOO Smug cuz I like RED ties cuz they match the color of my soul, and it makes christmas colors with my favorite color.. GREEN! oOoo I LOVE myself sooOO much’. Normally I’m quite against movie piracy, bootlegging, and clandestine internet distribution, but you pirates out there.. feel free to get your hands on Half Blood Prince as soon as possible, and make sure that every person under 20 with an internet connection sees it this winter for free!

Now some reviews.

–

- TROPIC THUNDER – (2008 – R)

Dir: Ben Stiller; Star: Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr, Jack Black, Tom Cruise, Nick Nolte
Clever, star studded movie within a movie, following the production of the Vietnam war movie “Tropic Thunder,” which is doomed for failure despite its collosal budget. Citing this, the director of the movie sends his actors into the Vietnamese jungle (which is clearly filmed in Hawaii, despite the insistence that the movie in the movie was being filmed in Asia) to live in the conditions the soldiers would have encountered. Then everything goes wrong, and the interesting situation arrises regarding how combat ready these actors are. Among them are the action star (Stiller), the academy award winner (Downey Jr), the drug addict funny man (Black) and others. The characters themselves are funny Hollywood archetypes and are all amusing, although Downey Jr.’s character becomes annoying and undecipherable by the end. It starts off comically, with some clever movie “previews” that help to establish the characters, however the midsection of the movie is hardly funny despite its often inane attempts, and it finishes like the action movie they’d been trying to film! By then there’s hardly a shred of hilarity, and many scenes are unnecessarily and distractingly pointless (can we say Tom Cruise dancing to ‘Apple Bottom Jeans’?). Overall, the action sequences were actually the BEST part of this movie, and even then they’re only as good as say.. those in Forrest Gump, which wasn’t even about the Vietnam war. An initially compelling satire of mainstream filmmaking that doesn’t really fulfill its purpose. Some more intuitive screenwriting, some annoyance ridding, and some directorial focus could have served the clever premise to a greater degree. A shabby effort indeed. Oh, and Ben Stiller, please get a new character.
Keywords:
Star studded, Big Budget, Postmodern, Uneven, Annoying, Clever idea

- PINEAPPLE EXPRESS – (2008 R)

Dir: David Gordon Green; Star: Seth Rogen, James Franco
What a hoot. A stoner movie that is never off putting, pretentious, overly bizarre, disgusting, or dull. Take THAT Harold and Kumar! Everyman Rogan gets caught up in an inter gang drug war with his marijuana dealer Franco, and both are too high to really comprehend what is going on. Hilarity ensues. Seth Rogan is in top form, instantly likeable and continually funny with his ballsy yet believable sense of humor and perfect mix of physical, intellectual, and social comedy. Franco is a perfect, subdued counterpart. The two have great chemistry and it seems as though many of the best gags were the result of a natural and tireless improv. The screenplay is sharp as well, and never stupid for the sake of being stupid (but it can still be ridiculous, in a good way). By the end guns are pulled and chaos follows, like an exciting high school fantasy during a day in the life of your typical pot head. Like other Judd Apatow productions, (including the very funny Superbad and Knocked Up) this one is all based on very moral principals that give the whole subject some weighty resonance even if the characters and their comedy are always high. A hillariously realized fantasy that’s fresh and likeable through and through. Highly entertaining proof that potheads aren’t the only ones that can enjoy a stoner comedy.
Keywords:
Stoner comedy, fantastical, hilarious, dynamic duo, moral values, entertaining, fresh, raunchy

- VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA – (2008 pg13)

Dir:Woody Allen; Star:Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz
Woody Allen’s sexy love letter to Spain and European culture, and his third admirable film featuring Scarlett Johansson (with the outstanding Match Point and charming Scoop). Two American tourists are wooed by a sexually aggressive Spanish artist (Bardem), who manages to convince them to stay in Spain where their relationships develop and other interesting factors are introduced. One of which would be the artist’s homicidal, suicidal, jealous, artist ex-wife, played with violent gusto by Penelope Cruz. Her appearance lends some heavy gravitas to counter the other characters romantic illusions, while she herself is an embodiment of the very extremes that unbridled romance can provide. I shouldn’t really say more about the plot (I don’t even know if I could properly explain it…). Needless to say it has all the turns and developments one should expect from a Woody Allen film, except they all seem to work here (thankfully). An elegant, traditional Spanish soundtrack adds a layer of authentic intimacy as well. In the end it’s more about the process than the product; life lessons from a foreign land and its strange and luring culture, in the same way cultural forces work behind the scenes in many of Pedro Almodovar’s films (see: Volver). A sexy dig into the lives of artists and the human search for something more that isn’t an indulgent statement. This film is also further proof that Javier Bardem is awesome. And yes, there IS a lesbian scene involving Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson. I did say it was sexy, didn’t I?
Keywords:
Spanish culture, sexy, Natural, Scenic, Neopolitan, Fantastical, Melodramatic, Twisted

Here’s a trailer.. Yes, it’s sexy.