Due to a viral outbreak in the year 1997, the human population of Earth has retreated underground to survive. The animals rule the planet surface. Convict James Cole (Bruce Willis) is assigned "volunteer" duty, a survey of the surface. He is able to return from the surface, and meets with the ruling council of scientists, who are working on a way to return the human race to the surface. They send him back in time to stop the spread of the virus. First they send him back to 1990, a mistake that puts him in a mental institution with Jeffrey Goins (Brad Pitt) with whom he shares about the fate of the human race. This meeting sets off a chain reaction that ends, in one possible future, with the creation and release of the virus responsible for the outbreak. Or does it?
Terry Gilliam's bleak world is felt throughout the picture. For instance, the film takes place during winter, underground during the future sequences. The sets, costumes, and photography paint a hopeless universe as Cole fights against the odds to right the world and stop the virus. The color schemes are earth tones, metallic shades, painting a cold world, along with the winter landscape. However, as the film goes on and Cole begins to hope for a life outside of his mission, Kathryn Railey (Madeline Stowe) and Cole's costumes take on a brighter color scheme.
Very notable is Brad Pitt's Jeffrey Goins. Pitt struts with a powerful presence oozing with insanity. He easily steals each scene from whomever he shares the screen with. It's this film that put him on my radar in the first place, and it's his performance that makes this movie one of my brother, Adam, and my favorite films. In fact we quote some of his lines quite frequently. Also brilliantly done is Bruce Willis' James Cole, he's perfectly disoriented and wonderful. His child-like performance when he arrives in the past paints a wonderland of ideas and thoughts. In another nicely-executed part, is Dr. Goins' assistant, played chillingly by David Morse.
Time travel films are an interesting adventure. Wrapping your head around the causal nexus of events and figuring out who is the cause has the potential to drive the audience as insane as Jeffrey. However, this is the reason this film intrigues me. I enjoy the reconstruction of events in the end. And 12 Monkeys allows just that in the conclusion.
***
IN: Bruce Willis
OUT: Brad Pitt
Coming Soon: Interview with the Vampire/Queen of the Damned
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Sixth Sense
After being shot by a former patient (Donnie Wahlberg,) Dr Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is having trouble relating to his wife, Anna (Olivia Williams) and their marriage is off track. Dr. Crowe takes his first new patient since the shooting in a young boy, Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment,) a disturbed soul who claims he sees dead people. His mother Lynne (Toni Collette,) a single parent is protective and scared their small family is falling apart. Things surrounding them are not all they seem and Cole is afraid to tell her the truth, and he doesn't want to be scared anymore.
This film is built from its foundations to make its audience feel off-kilter with the photography, music, acting direction and long cuts. James Newton Howard's score is partially an homage to old hysterical thrillers, the screeching violins and minimalistic scope. The tension in the score with long codas and discordant outbursts assists the audience (me in this case) to jump at the right places and engage in Cole's terror. The etherial combination of the strings and the piano drives the audience to believe Cole's story and also to hope for help.
The prolonged silences between edits draws out the frustration in the story releasing the emotion needed to connect the audience to the story and the character's in it. I'm drawn to hope that Cole gets through his terror and confronts the problem, I'm also drawn to see Dr. Crowe and his wife get back on even footing. The beautiful mechanics of this film is what engages the soul.
The crux of this film is in the acting direction, photography, editing and acting. There are wonderful subtleties with the way the film is shot, certain angles are only revealed at the beginning while others are used in the denouement to reveal more, cluing the audience into what's really going on. The acting and directing is equally clever, hiding the true nature of the universe director Shaymanlan has created. What something looks like may not be what it really is, so look carefully.
As much as I am not a "child" character lover, nor a big fan of child actors, I fully respect the work put into Mr. Osment's Cole. He captures both frightened child, but gives him an adult wisdom which allows he and Mr Willis' Dr. Crowe to switch roles sometime during the second half. Bruce Willis' Crowe is both warm and savvy, but also childlike and innocent. His chemistry with Osment flows between the two actors connecting them emotionally, clicking together so well. Also great is how the chemistry fits with Ms. Collette and Osment. Their mother-son relationship is completely solid, credible and beautiful.
The Denouement is something I cannot discuss. For all you newbies; you must see it for yourself. The twist is all the point. And, in typical Shaymalan fashion, it stings with finesse, beauty and skill.
****
In: Toni Collette
Out: Bruce Willis
Coming Soon: 12 Monkeys
This film is built from its foundations to make its audience feel off-kilter with the photography, music, acting direction and long cuts. James Newton Howard's score is partially an homage to old hysterical thrillers, the screeching violins and minimalistic scope. The tension in the score with long codas and discordant outbursts assists the audience (me in this case) to jump at the right places and engage in Cole's terror. The etherial combination of the strings and the piano drives the audience to believe Cole's story and also to hope for help.
The prolonged silences between edits draws out the frustration in the story releasing the emotion needed to connect the audience to the story and the character's in it. I'm drawn to hope that Cole gets through his terror and confronts the problem, I'm also drawn to see Dr. Crowe and his wife get back on even footing. The beautiful mechanics of this film is what engages the soul.
The crux of this film is in the acting direction, photography, editing and acting. There are wonderful subtleties with the way the film is shot, certain angles are only revealed at the beginning while others are used in the denouement to reveal more, cluing the audience into what's really going on. The acting and directing is equally clever, hiding the true nature of the universe director Shaymanlan has created. What something looks like may not be what it really is, so look carefully.
As much as I am not a "child" character lover, nor a big fan of child actors, I fully respect the work put into Mr. Osment's Cole. He captures both frightened child, but gives him an adult wisdom which allows he and Mr Willis' Dr. Crowe to switch roles sometime during the second half. Bruce Willis' Crowe is both warm and savvy, but also childlike and innocent. His chemistry with Osment flows between the two actors connecting them emotionally, clicking together so well. Also great is how the chemistry fits with Ms. Collette and Osment. Their mother-son relationship is completely solid, credible and beautiful.
The Denouement is something I cannot discuss. For all you newbies; you must see it for yourself. The twist is all the point. And, in typical Shaymalan fashion, it stings with finesse, beauty and skill.
****
In: Toni Collette
Out: Bruce Willis
Coming Soon: 12 Monkeys
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
SHAFT
After an assault-turned-homocide by a playboy, Walter Wade (Christian Bale,) who walks and jumps bail, John Shaft (Samuel L Jackson) is transferred to narcotics. Two years later, Wade returns to a pair of handcuffs. During an unscheduled drug bust in Peoples Hernandez's (Jeffrey Wright) territory, he comes up empty due to Peoples being tipped off by an insider in the unit. When Shaft insults Peoples, and arrests him, he ends up sharing a cell with Wade. After Wade walks again, Shaft quits the force and tracks down the only witness to the murder, Diane (Toni Collette). But Shaft isn't the only one searching for her. Wade is hot on her trail with Peoples backing his play.
From the furious drumsticks to hi-hat that signifies the start to Issac Hayes' soulful ballad, to the all-busines-all-attitude swagger of Samuel L. Jackson's John Shaft, the vintage action show feel is all there, man. And this one feels smooth from the beginning. The photography is clear, sleek and gritty, just like our titular character. The music is sleek, sexy and soulful illustrating the emotion of the piece and the attitude of the main character.
The characters are well fleshed out. Samuel L. Jackson, as much as Richard Roundtree before him, was born to be John Shaft. His ever-present sense of cool, with a great wardrobe (I want his jacket!!!) and the right cadence to line delivery is off the hook!! Christian Bale's chilling, apathetic performance of Wade is a bit of Jack Kelly (holla back, Newsies fans!!) shaken over Bruce Wayne (Batman) with more than a slice of Patrick Bateman (American Psycho.) Jeffrey Wright's Peoples is brilliantly researched, the accent alone is brilliant. So different to the other roles I've seen him in, adds a splash of color to his resume.
This one's not deeply meaningful, nor does it explore any aspect of humanity and it does not inspire some personal change. What it does do, with distinction, is give the audience that respite, inviting us to kick up our feet and unplug. From start to finish, the action is compelling, the story is tight and the package is smooth. It's cool, baby...can you dig it?
****
In: Samuel L. Jackson
Out: Toni Collette
Coming Soon: The Sixth Sense
From the furious drumsticks to hi-hat that signifies the start to Issac Hayes' soulful ballad, to the all-busines-all-attitude swagger of Samuel L. Jackson's John Shaft, the vintage action show feel is all there, man. And this one feels smooth from the beginning. The photography is clear, sleek and gritty, just like our titular character. The music is sleek, sexy and soulful illustrating the emotion of the piece and the attitude of the main character.
The characters are well fleshed out. Samuel L. Jackson, as much as Richard Roundtree before him, was born to be John Shaft. His ever-present sense of cool, with a great wardrobe (I want his jacket!!!) and the right cadence to line delivery is off the hook!! Christian Bale's chilling, apathetic performance of Wade is a bit of Jack Kelly (holla back, Newsies fans!!) shaken over Bruce Wayne (Batman) with more than a slice of Patrick Bateman (American Psycho.) Jeffrey Wright's Peoples is brilliantly researched, the accent alone is brilliant. So different to the other roles I've seen him in, adds a splash of color to his resume.
This one's not deeply meaningful, nor does it explore any aspect of humanity and it does not inspire some personal change. What it does do, with distinction, is give the audience that respite, inviting us to kick up our feet and unplug. From start to finish, the action is compelling, the story is tight and the package is smooth. It's cool, baby...can you dig it?
****
In: Samuel L. Jackson
Out: Toni Collette
Coming Soon: The Sixth Sense
Friday, September 17, 2010
Pulp Fiction
Smooth tunes and chopped story-lines paint this film including the tales of a date gone horribly wrong, a fight not thrown, a diner stick-up and a strange briefcase. The stories interweave, but do so in a shuffled fashion. They're all connected to the business of Marcellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) a local Los Angeles hood. The film opens with a couple's robbery of a diner at gunpoint. We follow two patrons, Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta) as they collect a briefcase from a bunch of slackers who owe Wallace some money. As the film drives on, we see a night between Wallace's Wife, Mia (Uma Thurman) and Vincent, ending in a near-fatal overdose. We follow Butch (Bruce Willis,) a boxer who is in debt to Wallace and is supposed to throw his final fight, a decides not to, prompting Wallace to pursue him for vengeance for his betrayal.
In trying to describe this film, I am lost. Mostly due to its fractured nature. The story line is not told in the correct order, and when the characters cross paths, it's made to look as if the meeting is a chance-meeting. Therefore, as my film watching books encourage, a second or third viewing is needed. It is vital, as well, to pay attention and ask questions in order to ascertain meaning and clarify structure. This fractured nature mirrors the film's creator and director, Quentin Tarentino, whose demeanor during interviews is chaotic and hyperactive. But his stuff works out pretty well, and this film is now a cult classic.
The dialogue is what makes this film memorable. The one liners are what makes it a conversation piece, more fun to quote and talk about than to see. As well, the content of the briefcase; which is never revealed and has had fans baffled for over a decade.
This film must be experienced to be understood, and taken in the right frame of mind and emotional state. There's not much interpretation to be said, this film just functions and runs its course. Its contribution to cinema is the fractured storytelling, memorable dialogue and great casting. But it's hard to explain, extrapolate and examine, and I'm sorry: I'm lost, overwhelmed and this is just one of those movies.
***
In: Uma Thurman
Out: Samuel L. Jackson
Coming Soon: SHAFT
This film contains very adult content, please examine my essay "On Discretion" (Here on Click's Flick on a Stick) and check yourself before plunging into any of the films on this blog.
In trying to describe this film, I am lost. Mostly due to its fractured nature. The story line is not told in the correct order, and when the characters cross paths, it's made to look as if the meeting is a chance-meeting. Therefore, as my film watching books encourage, a second or third viewing is needed. It is vital, as well, to pay attention and ask questions in order to ascertain meaning and clarify structure. This fractured nature mirrors the film's creator and director, Quentin Tarentino, whose demeanor during interviews is chaotic and hyperactive. But his stuff works out pretty well, and this film is now a cult classic.
The dialogue is what makes this film memorable. The one liners are what makes it a conversation piece, more fun to quote and talk about than to see. As well, the content of the briefcase; which is never revealed and has had fans baffled for over a decade.
This film must be experienced to be understood, and taken in the right frame of mind and emotional state. There's not much interpretation to be said, this film just functions and runs its course. Its contribution to cinema is the fractured storytelling, memorable dialogue and great casting. But it's hard to explain, extrapolate and examine, and I'm sorry: I'm lost, overwhelmed and this is just one of those movies.
***
In: Uma Thurman
Out: Samuel L. Jackson
Coming Soon: SHAFT
This film contains very adult content, please examine my essay "On Discretion" (Here on Click's Flick on a Stick) and check yourself before plunging into any of the films on this blog.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Paycheck
Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) is the worlds greatest reverse engineer. Top corporations hire him to improve the design of their competitor's products in order to out-do the market. In order to keep his work secret, his memories of the project are erased to provide maximum deniability. His technician and physical therapist Shorty (Paul Giamatti) is his only real friend, those he meets during his projects disappear with that erasure. That is until his friend Jimmy (Aaron Eckhart) hires him for a new project, one that will make much money and will be longer than any of his other projects. While working for Jimmy, he meets Dr. Rachel Porter (Uma Thurman) and falls in love with her. However, due to the memory wipe, he doesn't remember her or what he's done for Jimmy's company. He does, however, have an envelope full of common, everyday items that he's exchanged for his compensation for the project and he is clueless to what they'll be needed for. Pursued by Jimmy's relentless security chief (Colm Feore) and two FBI Agents (Michael C. Hall and Joe Morton), Michael must stay alive long enough to figure out the clues.
In his usual hybrid-speed, hyper-stylized, adrenaline-packed ride, director John Woo presents a science fiction world in which memories can be erased and extracted without serious side effects. The package is seamless with the present world and the present world's rules. Yet it's high-concept enough to keep our interest. And filled with a message that inspires, even if it's only routine.
The players are all quality: Eckhart, Feore, Hall, Morton, Giamatti, Thurman and Affleck give solid performances with characters that are as routine as the message. But it's their chemistry that makes it good. Thurman and Affleck's chemistry is warm, witty and emotional. Feore and Eckhart give chilling performances with a Machiavellian flair, but with equally reasonable motivations to provide a credible adversary to Affleck's Jennings. Hall and Morton provide the quintessential incompetent law enforcement contingent, with balancing humor and wit. And Giamatti's quirkiness rounds out cast to balance the talent and blend the atmosphere that surrounds our characters.
A change from his other works, Woo's Paycheck lacks his usual staple of a hero who is stricken by an over abundance of tears. This one is realistic in emotion, fueled by the puzzle instead. The everyman feel is also a welcome respite to hyper-emotion and overplayed action. The concept blends together with the plot, picture and setting quite well and I'm very comfortable with the package, in fact it doesn't get old or tiresome. This one's good, no doubt about it.
***
In: Paul Giamatti
Out: Uma Thurman
Coming Soon: Pulp Fiction
In his usual hybrid-speed, hyper-stylized, adrenaline-packed ride, director John Woo presents a science fiction world in which memories can be erased and extracted without serious side effects. The package is seamless with the present world and the present world's rules. Yet it's high-concept enough to keep our interest. And filled with a message that inspires, even if it's only routine.
The players are all quality: Eckhart, Feore, Hall, Morton, Giamatti, Thurman and Affleck give solid performances with characters that are as routine as the message. But it's their chemistry that makes it good. Thurman and Affleck's chemistry is warm, witty and emotional. Feore and Eckhart give chilling performances with a Machiavellian flair, but with equally reasonable motivations to provide a credible adversary to Affleck's Jennings. Hall and Morton provide the quintessential incompetent law enforcement contingent, with balancing humor and wit. And Giamatti's quirkiness rounds out cast to balance the talent and blend the atmosphere that surrounds our characters.
A change from his other works, Woo's Paycheck lacks his usual staple of a hero who is stricken by an over abundance of tears. This one is realistic in emotion, fueled by the puzzle instead. The everyman feel is also a welcome respite to hyper-emotion and overplayed action. The concept blends together with the plot, picture and setting quite well and I'm very comfortable with the package, in fact it doesn't get old or tiresome. This one's good, no doubt about it.
***
In: Paul Giamatti
Out: Uma Thurman
Coming Soon: Pulp Fiction
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Lady in the Water
At The Cove Apartment Complex, there's someone living in the pool. And she's all alone, terrified of something living in the grass. A chance meeting, when she's caught in the pool by Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatii) the caretaker of the complex, propels us into the realm of children’s stories as we come to know this mysterious girl. The girl introduces herself as Story (Bryce Dallas Howard) and she has a mission to complete: to be seen by the one person who is chosen for her; and seeing this person will spark change in the world. Assisted by the colorful tenants of The Cove, Cleveland searches for this chosen person in order to help her fulfill her destiny.
This haunting tale is rich with emotion, assisted beautifully by Giamatti and Howard, who each give knock-out performances. Assisting Giamatti and Howard is a brilliant cast with Bob Balaban, Jeffrey Wright, Bill Irwin, Sarita Choudhury, Freddy Rodriguez and featuring M. Night Shyamalan, in his usual cameo appearance; this one being the longest. I am drawn to feel with Cleveland in his loss and also in the hope that Story draws out of him. James Newton Howard's haunting and powerful score breeds an ease to surrender to the mystery of the tale engaging the audience in Story's mission.
Impressive is Sarita Choudhury and Shyamalan's chemistry as brother and sister. I really believe that they are brother and sister. When Vick asks Story if his writing would eventually spark his assassination, his concern is for her and I empathize, being a sibling myself. I also thoroughly enjoyed the smoking guys; they are the perfect snapshot of apartment life. I just met my neighbors last night, and I can tell you these guys are a perfect representative of the quirkiness of apartment life. As is Cindy Cheung's Young-Soon Choi, also a knockout performance, I enjoyed her completely.
But of all the talent which is spot on, it's Shyamalan's pen and revealed vision which touches me. The theme of purpose is especially potent. As nobody in this life knows who they are and what effect they, as individuals, will apply to history, we must live our lives with meaning and touch the lives around us every day, every moment, and cherish our own lives with hope. Cleveland's sorrow has masked his life and clouded his purpose and destroyed his hope, until he's forced to confront his life and release the hope hidden deep in his soul, restoring his purpose. The package is what makes this film so beautiful, the direction, characters, plot and score; it's catharsis is released every time this film crosses a screen raising the goosebumps on the back of my neck and shoulders, stopping my heart, weighing my breath and glistening my eyes. Films like this come along so rarely for me (when a film raises and completely captures my emotions to the level of tears due to its beauty) that I am inspired to believe some stories are true, which allow me to feel like a child again.
****
In: Bob Balaban
Out: Paul Giamatti
Coming Soon: Paycheck
This haunting tale is rich with emotion, assisted beautifully by Giamatti and Howard, who each give knock-out performances. Assisting Giamatti and Howard is a brilliant cast with Bob Balaban, Jeffrey Wright, Bill Irwin, Sarita Choudhury, Freddy Rodriguez and featuring M. Night Shyamalan, in his usual cameo appearance; this one being the longest. I am drawn to feel with Cleveland in his loss and also in the hope that Story draws out of him. James Newton Howard's haunting and powerful score breeds an ease to surrender to the mystery of the tale engaging the audience in Story's mission.
Impressive is Sarita Choudhury and Shyamalan's chemistry as brother and sister. I really believe that they are brother and sister. When Vick asks Story if his writing would eventually spark his assassination, his concern is for her and I empathize, being a sibling myself. I also thoroughly enjoyed the smoking guys; they are the perfect snapshot of apartment life. I just met my neighbors last night, and I can tell you these guys are a perfect representative of the quirkiness of apartment life. As is Cindy Cheung's Young-Soon Choi, also a knockout performance, I enjoyed her completely.
But of all the talent which is spot on, it's Shyamalan's pen and revealed vision which touches me. The theme of purpose is especially potent. As nobody in this life knows who they are and what effect they, as individuals, will apply to history, we must live our lives with meaning and touch the lives around us every day, every moment, and cherish our own lives with hope. Cleveland's sorrow has masked his life and clouded his purpose and destroyed his hope, until he's forced to confront his life and release the hope hidden deep in his soul, restoring his purpose. The package is what makes this film so beautiful, the direction, characters, plot and score; it's catharsis is released every time this film crosses a screen raising the goosebumps on the back of my neck and shoulders, stopping my heart, weighing my breath and glistening my eyes. Films like this come along so rarely for me (when a film raises and completely captures my emotions to the level of tears due to its beauty) that I am inspired to believe some stories are true, which allow me to feel like a child again.
****
In: Bob Balaban
Out: Paul Giamatti
Coming Soon: Paycheck
Friday, September 03, 2010
Gosford Park
In the English countryside, where the rich are haughty and their servants are equally pretentious, a weekend gathering filled with teas, suppers and shooting begins. Tensions are already high as the guests arrive and nobody can stand each other, really, and pretenses are at their highest. In the middle of the weekend, the host, Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon,) is found dead with a knife in his chest and everyone has a motive for his death. From his wife Lady Sylvia (Kristen Scott Thomas) to his brother-in-law, Commander Anthony Meredith (Tom Hollander) to a visiting valet, Robert Parks (Clive Owen.) When the bumbling local detective inspector (Stephen Fry) shows up to investigate, he finds his hands full; but everyone else has their own explanation of the crime.
In a classic whodunnit, Robert Altman's brilliant ensemble drama is a real who's who for British Actors with heavy hitters including Jeremy Northam, Alan Bates, Clive Owen, Derek Jacobi, Michael Gambon, Richard E Grant, Stephen Fry, Maggie Smith, Kristen Scott Thomas, Emily Watson and Tom Hollander. Accompanying them are equally brilliant non-British players Ryan Phillippe, Bob Balaban and Kelly Macdonald, who plays our protagonist. The production design, cinematography and editing are equally well performed making this a exceptionally well done film. And Patrick Doyle's perfectly balanced score, bright, warm and haunting, is well cut with Jeremy Northam's performance of the real-life crooner Ivor Novello's ballads.
With a massive 32-part speaking cast, Gosford Park's story-line is complex and multi-layered with each character having their own story-arc. My favorites are that of Robert Parks and Mrs Wilson, The Meredith's, Elsie (Emily Watson) and Mabel Nesbit's. We've got one of revenge, one of finance, one of freedom and that of unrequited love. Mrs. Nesbitt's (Claudie Blakely) story involves her domestic abuse at the hands of her husband and the general scorn from everyone in the house, aside from Mr. Novello who comes from a meager upbringing, too. His treatment of her gives her strength to stand up to her husband and the rest of the guests. Ms Blakely and Mr. Northam's chemistry is so comfortable, there's room to consider if Mr. Novello carried that much compassion in real life. Elsie's story involves the tipping point of impatience with the upstairs snobbery and household gossip and she speaks out of turn, liberating herself. I am particularly fond of the romance of The Meredith's, Anthony and Lavinia. Their heavy financial burden begins in desperation, Anthony's business is failing and Sir William's death makes the investment secure. After an evening conversation with one of the kitchen maids in the pantry, he realizes that love is important and he returns to his wife with a new purpose. Wonderful exchanges between Helen Mirren's Mrs. Wilson and Clive Owen's Robert Parks is so subtle that the dark tension that is their history is clear. Such a brilliant cast!!
The story is so well told, and is one of my favorites in my collection. Kelly Macdonald's Mary Maceachran tells our story so very well. I enjoy her innocence and her role as our eyes, she does what we're supposed to be doing: solving the crime and figuring out the politics of service. But in the end, it's not the whodunnit that's important, it's that it was done...and this is the reaction.
This is such a rich piece, well written and fantastically acted, along with a fabulous score. It has everything a classic murder mystery wears: plenty of suspects, torrid affairs, gossip and poison on every windowsill, perfect recipe for a beautiful film..and, I can't help it, it's so incredibly British!!
****
In: Jeremy Northam
Out; Bob Balaban
Coming Soon: Lady in the Water
In a classic whodunnit, Robert Altman's brilliant ensemble drama is a real who's who for British Actors with heavy hitters including Jeremy Northam, Alan Bates, Clive Owen, Derek Jacobi, Michael Gambon, Richard E Grant, Stephen Fry, Maggie Smith, Kristen Scott Thomas, Emily Watson and Tom Hollander. Accompanying them are equally brilliant non-British players Ryan Phillippe, Bob Balaban and Kelly Macdonald, who plays our protagonist. The production design, cinematography and editing are equally well performed making this a exceptionally well done film. And Patrick Doyle's perfectly balanced score, bright, warm and haunting, is well cut with Jeremy Northam's performance of the real-life crooner Ivor Novello's ballads.
With a massive 32-part speaking cast, Gosford Park's story-line is complex and multi-layered with each character having their own story-arc. My favorites are that of Robert Parks and Mrs Wilson, The Meredith's, Elsie (Emily Watson) and Mabel Nesbit's. We've got one of revenge, one of finance, one of freedom and that of unrequited love. Mrs. Nesbitt's (Claudie Blakely) story involves her domestic abuse at the hands of her husband and the general scorn from everyone in the house, aside from Mr. Novello who comes from a meager upbringing, too. His treatment of her gives her strength to stand up to her husband and the rest of the guests. Ms Blakely and Mr. Northam's chemistry is so comfortable, there's room to consider if Mr. Novello carried that much compassion in real life. Elsie's story involves the tipping point of impatience with the upstairs snobbery and household gossip and she speaks out of turn, liberating herself. I am particularly fond of the romance of The Meredith's, Anthony and Lavinia. Their heavy financial burden begins in desperation, Anthony's business is failing and Sir William's death makes the investment secure. After an evening conversation with one of the kitchen maids in the pantry, he realizes that love is important and he returns to his wife with a new purpose. Wonderful exchanges between Helen Mirren's Mrs. Wilson and Clive Owen's Robert Parks is so subtle that the dark tension that is their history is clear. Such a brilliant cast!!
The story is so well told, and is one of my favorites in my collection. Kelly Macdonald's Mary Maceachran tells our story so very well. I enjoy her innocence and her role as our eyes, she does what we're supposed to be doing: solving the crime and figuring out the politics of service. But in the end, it's not the whodunnit that's important, it's that it was done...and this is the reaction.
This is such a rich piece, well written and fantastically acted, along with a fabulous score. It has everything a classic murder mystery wears: plenty of suspects, torrid affairs, gossip and poison on every windowsill, perfect recipe for a beautiful film..and, I can't help it, it's so incredibly British!!
****
In: Jeremy Northam
Out; Bob Balaban
Coming Soon: Lady in the Water
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Emma
Wit, gossip, charm and marriage are the pillars of the plot driving a story of a meddling socialite, Emma (Gwyneth Paltrow) who believes her calling is to secure a marriage for an unfortunate girl, Harriet Smith (Toni Collette) to the local vicar, Mr. Elton (Alan Cumming.) Emma believes that she is the expert in matters of station, class and lovemaking. However, she is mistaken, as her friend Mr. Knightly (Jeremy Northam) already knows. When the mysterious and charming Frank Churchill (Ewan McGregor) comes into town, she falls into the trap she usually sets, but not all is what it seems.
From the outset, Jane Austin's wit and jest is clear from the soft tones of Rachel Portman's score to the first introduction to our cast. The dialogue is quite well written and delivered with such excellent cadence by the players. The blend that the cast produces allows for the prime comfort of the audience in between the space that fills the tactically-placed uncomfortable silences, and comically-aimed heartache. But equally well done is the soft photography and picturesque color palette as love flies everywhere, dripping its juice on every aspect of the film.
The sword plunge as Emma insults poor Miss Bates and Knightly rebukes her is perfectly executed. The casting of Sophie Thompson as Miss Bates is superbly done, she executes the scene against Jeremy Northam and Gwyneth Paltrow exceptionally well discomforting the audience with great efficiency. Comprehensively splendid!
I am always impressed with the wit of Ms. Austin's characters and their interactions with each other. This one is particularly witty and the humor works so well for me, as both comedy and love stories are the wrench of my literary experience, as I am completely hard to please. My mother knows: I am a "chick flick" snob, and a comedy connoisseur. And this one reaches high above the bar.
****
In: Ewan McGregor
Out: Jeremy Northam
Coming Soon: Gosford Park
From the outset, Jane Austin's wit and jest is clear from the soft tones of Rachel Portman's score to the first introduction to our cast. The dialogue is quite well written and delivered with such excellent cadence by the players. The blend that the cast produces allows for the prime comfort of the audience in between the space that fills the tactically-placed uncomfortable silences, and comically-aimed heartache. But equally well done is the soft photography and picturesque color palette as love flies everywhere, dripping its juice on every aspect of the film.
The sword plunge as Emma insults poor Miss Bates and Knightly rebukes her is perfectly executed. The casting of Sophie Thompson as Miss Bates is superbly done, she executes the scene against Jeremy Northam and Gwyneth Paltrow exceptionally well discomforting the audience with great efficiency. Comprehensively splendid!
I am always impressed with the wit of Ms. Austin's characters and their interactions with each other. This one is particularly witty and the humor works so well for me, as both comedy and love stories are the wrench of my literary experience, as I am completely hard to please. My mother knows: I am a "chick flick" snob, and a comedy connoisseur. And this one reaches high above the bar.
****
In: Ewan McGregor
Out: Jeremy Northam
Coming Soon: Gosford Park
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Black Hawk Down
"Only the dead have seen the end of war," says our opening title card quoting Plato. A ruthless warlord, Mohamed Farrah Aidid, controls Mogadishu, Somalia, and is terrorizing UN Peacekeepers and Red Cross relief workers who are delivering food to the starving people. General Garrison (Sam Shepard) hatches a plan to capture several of Aidid's top lieutenants hiding out in the Bakara Market in Dountown Mogadishu. The entire mission is scheduled to begin and finish in under an hour; however, the best laid schemes never go according to plan and one of the most vicious firefights in American military history ensues.
Ridley Scott, our director, is a stickler for details. From the facsimile of arial video of the actual event spliced together with second unit photography, to each of the featured soldiers' personal ticks including Ewan McGregor's Grimes' coffee fetish, enhanced by snapshots of the Somalian people caught up in battle. Private Blackburn (Orlando Bloom) falls, foretelling the tragedy to follow as the lid to the powder keg blows off and the first fatality as well as the titular chopper hits the deck and the team loses the initiative.
The sound design, along with the music enhances the tension and desperation allowing the viewer to experience the battle in a sensual way. The massive cast adds to the chaos while providing some quality emotional content through spectacular performances. Chock-full of heavy hitters including Sam Shepard, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, Josh Hartnett, Jason Issacs, Ewan Bremmer, Ewan McGregor, William Fichtner, Glen Morshower, Zeljko Ivanek, Orlando Bloom and Matthew Marsden, this film provides a brilliant ensemble bringing us a list of characters so real, we can't help but admire the courage of the men they channel. Especially notable are performances by Shepard, McGregor, Bana, Issacs and Hartnett bringing every angle and philosophy, as well as the innocence, naivete, and battle savvy brought to the skirmish. Each point of view, from accepting the fight as part of a job or seeing it as a higher calling, is portrayed allowing the viewer to choose which philosophy is best.
The photography represents the gritty nature of urban warfare. The "shaky cam" is definitely borrowed from the D-Day opener in Saving Private Ryan, and works just as effectively, in portraying the desperate nature of the battle, as well as the chaos and the odds the soldiers are up against. The night coverage is brilliantly color-corrected to show which foxholes each group is a part of. The pyrotechnic effects, coupled with the sound, and location adds to the realism of the piece deepening my respect for the Americans who left their blood and lives in Somalia and the ones who are away from home fighting now.
I love a good ensemble piece; I love an emotionally-charged battle movie, especially one historically accurate. This one is both, in spades, and is wrapped into a beautiful package that both honors the dead and inspires the soul.
****
In: William Fichtner
Out: Ewan McGregor
Coming Soon: Emma
Ridley Scott, our director, is a stickler for details. From the facsimile of arial video of the actual event spliced together with second unit photography, to each of the featured soldiers' personal ticks including Ewan McGregor's Grimes' coffee fetish, enhanced by snapshots of the Somalian people caught up in battle. Private Blackburn (Orlando Bloom) falls, foretelling the tragedy to follow as the lid to the powder keg blows off and the first fatality as well as the titular chopper hits the deck and the team loses the initiative.
The sound design, along with the music enhances the tension and desperation allowing the viewer to experience the battle in a sensual way. The massive cast adds to the chaos while providing some quality emotional content through spectacular performances. Chock-full of heavy hitters including Sam Shepard, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, Josh Hartnett, Jason Issacs, Ewan Bremmer, Ewan McGregor, William Fichtner, Glen Morshower, Zeljko Ivanek, Orlando Bloom and Matthew Marsden, this film provides a brilliant ensemble bringing us a list of characters so real, we can't help but admire the courage of the men they channel. Especially notable are performances by Shepard, McGregor, Bana, Issacs and Hartnett bringing every angle and philosophy, as well as the innocence, naivete, and battle savvy brought to the skirmish. Each point of view, from accepting the fight as part of a job or seeing it as a higher calling, is portrayed allowing the viewer to choose which philosophy is best.
The photography represents the gritty nature of urban warfare. The "shaky cam" is definitely borrowed from the D-Day opener in Saving Private Ryan, and works just as effectively, in portraying the desperate nature of the battle, as well as the chaos and the odds the soldiers are up against. The night coverage is brilliantly color-corrected to show which foxholes each group is a part of. The pyrotechnic effects, coupled with the sound, and location adds to the realism of the piece deepening my respect for the Americans who left their blood and lives in Somalia and the ones who are away from home fighting now.
I love a good ensemble piece; I love an emotionally-charged battle movie, especially one historically accurate. This one is both, in spades, and is wrapped into a beautiful package that both honors the dead and inspires the soul.
****
In: William Fichtner
Out: Ewan McGregor
Coming Soon: Emma
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Ultraviolet
"My name is Violet; I was born into a world you may not understand," muses Violet, the titular character of Ultraviolet. And its a completely foreign world, one of zero-space devices and entire medical facilities in shipping container section of a semi truck. Of soldiers who launch into buildings as giant ball bearings, and of clothing that changes colors based on the mood of the wearer. Of zero-gravity car chases and of photography belonging on the television during the Tank Girl days. And this one's dazzling.
The story is dystopian in nature: a virus is created in a government lab to accelerate the abilities of soldiers. It mutates and causes its subjects to develop heightened senses, sensitivity to light and a shortened lifespan; the infected are called hemophages, the disease is vampirism. Shunned by the public and hunted by the government, the hemophages fight a revolution they cannot win. When the resistance intercepts the government's latest weapon against them, their courier, Violet (Milla Jovovich), discovers it's not a piece of machinery, but a boy who calls himself Six (Cameron Bright). Unable to bring herself to kill him, she goes on the run from both the government and her own kind in order to save him and redeem herself before she dies from the disease she carries.
Eye candy describes this film the best. It's visuals are comprehensively spectacular. From the fighting style, a rendition of the gun-kata from Equilibrium, Director Kurt Wimmer's cult classic, which we'll cover at a later date, to the costuming: ever changing, ever dynamic. The richness of the comic-book style photography, combined with the set design and color schemes gives birth to a world complete and real, no discredit can befall the production design.
The story needed more time, at least another half an hour and perhaps another rewrite. The realism of our main character's anger is credible, however, her interpersonal performance lacked smooth edges. Granted, her character is not that smooth, outside of the battlefield; however, it feels as flat as the pages of the comic-book it should have come from. The character that is the better written one, along with a seamless and rock-solid performance, is Garth (WIlliam Fichtner). His love for Violet, compassion for Six's condition and his passion for the work he is doing comes across as the only relatable aspect of the piece. I feel for Garth; therefore, Mr. Fichtner did his job well.
Klaud Badlet's score is stunning, particularly the final dual between Daxus (Nick Chinlund) and Violet. The cross between choral descants and a tango brilliantly enhances the dance between these titans. The emotional level rises to the action and highlights the themes of the piece so beautifully, it's hard not to become emotionally attached or to be enhanced with the adrenaline needed to keep up with the action and the processes needed to consume the eye candy.
Every once an a while, I need to unplug and this is the perfect film to facilitate that; as the package is presented generally well making it genuinely relaxing to take in.
****
In: Milla Jovovich
Out: William Fichtner
Coming Soon: Black Hawk Down
The story is dystopian in nature: a virus is created in a government lab to accelerate the abilities of soldiers. It mutates and causes its subjects to develop heightened senses, sensitivity to light and a shortened lifespan; the infected are called hemophages, the disease is vampirism. Shunned by the public and hunted by the government, the hemophages fight a revolution they cannot win. When the resistance intercepts the government's latest weapon against them, their courier, Violet (Milla Jovovich), discovers it's not a piece of machinery, but a boy who calls himself Six (Cameron Bright). Unable to bring herself to kill him, she goes on the run from both the government and her own kind in order to save him and redeem herself before she dies from the disease she carries.
Eye candy describes this film the best. It's visuals are comprehensively spectacular. From the fighting style, a rendition of the gun-kata from Equilibrium, Director Kurt Wimmer's cult classic, which we'll cover at a later date, to the costuming: ever changing, ever dynamic. The richness of the comic-book style photography, combined with the set design and color schemes gives birth to a world complete and real, no discredit can befall the production design.
The story needed more time, at least another half an hour and perhaps another rewrite. The realism of our main character's anger is credible, however, her interpersonal performance lacked smooth edges. Granted, her character is not that smooth, outside of the battlefield; however, it feels as flat as the pages of the comic-book it should have come from. The character that is the better written one, along with a seamless and rock-solid performance, is Garth (WIlliam Fichtner). His love for Violet, compassion for Six's condition and his passion for the work he is doing comes across as the only relatable aspect of the piece. I feel for Garth; therefore, Mr. Fichtner did his job well.
Klaud Badlet's score is stunning, particularly the final dual between Daxus (Nick Chinlund) and Violet. The cross between choral descants and a tango brilliantly enhances the dance between these titans. The emotional level rises to the action and highlights the themes of the piece so beautifully, it's hard not to become emotionally attached or to be enhanced with the adrenaline needed to keep up with the action and the processes needed to consume the eye candy.
Every once an a while, I need to unplug and this is the perfect film to facilitate that; as the package is presented generally well making it genuinely relaxing to take in.
****
In: Milla Jovovich
Out: William Fichtner
Coming Soon: Black Hawk Down
Friday, August 20, 2010
Resident Evil - Story and Series Analysis
In my study of the cultural artifact medium of cinema, I have discovered that my least favorite "creature feature" is that of the Zombie Flick. I'm about as jaded a film watcher as anyone can be, but something about zombies really turns my stomach. I think it's the part about what zombies eat and who they used to be. I was curious about this sub-genre of horror, so I Netflix'ed the entire "Of The Dead" series, including the British installment starring a slacker named Shaun; we'll cover him sometime in the future. I've also checked out a documentary titled The American Nightmare which featured horror masters Wes Craven, John Carpenter and zombie-master George A. Romero. This film chronicled their rise to cinema greatness during a time history displays an era of national hopelessness and moviegoers flocked to watch other people suffer unspeakable horrors in order to escape their own lives. This film series, while giving homage to the Zombie Patriarchs, is not a product of a culture of hopelessness.
Resident Evil speaks up against oppression by a corporation whose monopoly saturates its customers lives. The film travels from a lab to the entire world, scarring the planet with a pestilence that destroys all life. Along with the pestilence is the negligent Umbrella Corporation who considers anything against their interest expendable assets. The greatest example is when they decide to destroy Raccoon City with a tactical nuclear warhead, leaving hundreds of people, Umbrella employees and security forces behind to die. Commando Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr) is one of those left in Raccoon City and he speaks for the masses, saying, "we are assets, Nikolai, expendable assets...and we've just been expended." While the world fends off the hordes of undead, the corporation sits below the surface in their bunkers, safe. For once, an entity is completely human; only living on the wrong side of the moral compass.
I did say their was hope, didn't I? Well it comes in our hero, Alice (Milla Jovovich) and her many friends. Last post, I mentioned that she's a perfect audience proxy, in the fact that she begins the series with amnesia. She possesses an innocence almost childlike which is gradually drained as the series progresses and as she increases in abilities, intensified at the end of each film when captured by Umbrella and released. She fights each film to maintain her humanity regardless of whatever "upgrades" Umbrella's given her. The conclusion of each film ends in resolve more potent than how it begins. Through the bleak hopelessness that serves as a landscape, humanity still reigns: love, loyalty, heroism and sacrifice. And in the end, the evil monster bites the dust.
This film series is brilliantly executed. Despite the undead subject matter, and the fact that it's based on a video game, I find it more than competent film work; the third installment is beautiful. Its sets, costumes, make-up and photography, as well as some solid performances by Fehr, Ali Larter and Jovovich, all made for a classy post-apocolyptic road-trip movie. The first film's score is edgy and intoxicating; Marilyn Manson's hard-edged and ethereal score adds to the action with character, depth and an edge that speaks, in a way, for the machine that is the Umbrella Corporation.
The story, like video games, is meant to be episodic; the action going incrementally more intense as each film goes along. And the stakes grow more dire as each film finishes. And the films are honest about what they are: as a result, I'm able to engage fully every time any of the films enters my player unlike the times when a film tries to be something else.
So, despite the zombies; I'm a fan.
****
In: Colin Salmon
Out: Milla Jovovich
Coming Soon: Ultraviolet
Resident Evil speaks up against oppression by a corporation whose monopoly saturates its customers lives. The film travels from a lab to the entire world, scarring the planet with a pestilence that destroys all life. Along with the pestilence is the negligent Umbrella Corporation who considers anything against their interest expendable assets. The greatest example is when they decide to destroy Raccoon City with a tactical nuclear warhead, leaving hundreds of people, Umbrella employees and security forces behind to die. Commando Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr) is one of those left in Raccoon City and he speaks for the masses, saying, "we are assets, Nikolai, expendable assets...and we've just been expended." While the world fends off the hordes of undead, the corporation sits below the surface in their bunkers, safe. For once, an entity is completely human; only living on the wrong side of the moral compass.
I did say their was hope, didn't I? Well it comes in our hero, Alice (Milla Jovovich) and her many friends. Last post, I mentioned that she's a perfect audience proxy, in the fact that she begins the series with amnesia. She possesses an innocence almost childlike which is gradually drained as the series progresses and as she increases in abilities, intensified at the end of each film when captured by Umbrella and released. She fights each film to maintain her humanity regardless of whatever "upgrades" Umbrella's given her. The conclusion of each film ends in resolve more potent than how it begins. Through the bleak hopelessness that serves as a landscape, humanity still reigns: love, loyalty, heroism and sacrifice. And in the end, the evil monster bites the dust.
This film series is brilliantly executed. Despite the undead subject matter, and the fact that it's based on a video game, I find it more than competent film work; the third installment is beautiful. Its sets, costumes, make-up and photography, as well as some solid performances by Fehr, Ali Larter and Jovovich, all made for a classy post-apocolyptic road-trip movie. The first film's score is edgy and intoxicating; Marilyn Manson's hard-edged and ethereal score adds to the action with character, depth and an edge that speaks, in a way, for the machine that is the Umbrella Corporation.
The story, like video games, is meant to be episodic; the action going incrementally more intense as each film goes along. And the stakes grow more dire as each film finishes. And the films are honest about what they are: as a result, I'm able to engage fully every time any of the films enters my player unlike the times when a film tries to be something else.
So, despite the zombies; I'm a fan.
****
In: Colin Salmon
Out: Milla Jovovich
Coming Soon: Ultraviolet
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Resident Evil: Character Analysis
A biological agent is stolen from a top secret facility run by the Umbrella Corporation and, in the process, is released into the facility, triggering the artificially intelligent security system to kill everyone inside. The problem is this: the biological agent regenerates non-living or diseased tissue and the recently dead don't stay that way. So an elite commando unit infiltrates the base to assess the damage and to contain the aftermath following the incident. And the aftermath is much larger than the corporation anticipated....
Our protagonist, Alice (Milla Jovovich) is initially a perfect example of an audience proxy. Alice loses her memory during the security breach. She is our eyes to the adventures; information is explained to her as the narrative plays out and she also regains her memory part of the way through. Jovovich's Alice has a certain innocent quality about her; and, as she starts to remember, her innocence fades and we're left with her true nature, which is consistently and incrementally released from innocent, amnesiac to hardened, jaded revenge-warrior. The outside world reflects her change. The global environment changes from lush, variable ecosystems to global deserts and urban wastelands.
The main villain is not a person, its a corporation whose play for world domination through business creates the apocalyptic condition their primary customers become. Their operatives are expendable; their lieutenants and leaders are cowards, living miles underground, away from the consequences. Then there's the infected, the consequence, which our heroes must fight, kill, or become part of on their way through the journey. They are the embodiment of what the Umbrella Corporation is, a gluttonous machine. Says a bit about massive corporations, I wonder if that's the point. Each film has a personification of the corporation, a main lieutenant, so to speak, and it's handled fairly well.
Alice is supported by some well fleshed-out characters through her journey. They provide a wide cadre of people to break up the mundanity of a single character going through the adventure. It's all right for video games, from which this series is based because it's a single-player game and the object is to simulate that the player is Alice. For instance, my dad has been Lara Croft, the Prince (of Persia fame,) Batman (in Lego form,) The Fellowship of the Ring, The Master Sergeant, and many others. However, he still looks like my dad, even after all of that. This approach, however, is not good for movie stories. Granted, it has worked before: Cast Away, I Am Legend, for instance. But, not for me. It's in human relationships that a story thrives. And a supporting cast is perfunctory for a story to work for me. This series has this in spades.
Audiences connect with people, so characters are required to act that way, whether they are human or not. In this case, the zombies are not characters, they are weapons and thematic elements. The Red Queen, in the first film, is a character, regardless of the fact she is a computer; she is purely logical and purely evil, something humans can be. The rest of the characters are human, so we definitely relate to them; and they are written well enough in this series for a relationship to form between the audience and the people in the series and for Alice, our hero.
The characters work well, their chemistry is well written and well delivered; a nice transition from a statically written medium.
***
Coming Soon: Resident Evil - Story and Series Analysis.
Our protagonist, Alice (Milla Jovovich) is initially a perfect example of an audience proxy. Alice loses her memory during the security breach. She is our eyes to the adventures; information is explained to her as the narrative plays out and she also regains her memory part of the way through. Jovovich's Alice has a certain innocent quality about her; and, as she starts to remember, her innocence fades and we're left with her true nature, which is consistently and incrementally released from innocent, amnesiac to hardened, jaded revenge-warrior. The outside world reflects her change. The global environment changes from lush, variable ecosystems to global deserts and urban wastelands.
The main villain is not a person, its a corporation whose play for world domination through business creates the apocalyptic condition their primary customers become. Their operatives are expendable; their lieutenants and leaders are cowards, living miles underground, away from the consequences. Then there's the infected, the consequence, which our heroes must fight, kill, or become part of on their way through the journey. They are the embodiment of what the Umbrella Corporation is, a gluttonous machine. Says a bit about massive corporations, I wonder if that's the point. Each film has a personification of the corporation, a main lieutenant, so to speak, and it's handled fairly well.
Alice is supported by some well fleshed-out characters through her journey. They provide a wide cadre of people to break up the mundanity of a single character going through the adventure. It's all right for video games, from which this series is based because it's a single-player game and the object is to simulate that the player is Alice. For instance, my dad has been Lara Croft, the Prince (of Persia fame,) Batman (in Lego form,) The Fellowship of the Ring, The Master Sergeant, and many others. However, he still looks like my dad, even after all of that. This approach, however, is not good for movie stories. Granted, it has worked before: Cast Away, I Am Legend, for instance. But, not for me. It's in human relationships that a story thrives. And a supporting cast is perfunctory for a story to work for me. This series has this in spades.
Audiences connect with people, so characters are required to act that way, whether they are human or not. In this case, the zombies are not characters, they are weapons and thematic elements. The Red Queen, in the first film, is a character, regardless of the fact she is a computer; she is purely logical and purely evil, something humans can be. The rest of the characters are human, so we definitely relate to them; and they are written well enough in this series for a relationship to form between the audience and the people in the series and for Alice, our hero.
The characters work well, their chemistry is well written and well delivered; a nice transition from a statically written medium.
***
Coming Soon: Resident Evil - Story and Series Analysis.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The Punisher vs Punisher: War Zone
"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves," says an ancient Asian proverb. Grief and sorrow fuel the anger and action in these two films. The Punisher and Punisher: War Zone tell the stories of Frank Castle, former government agent-turned-vigilante, and his loss. In both, Frank loses his family in a gangland assassination; in both, he turns to crime-fighting as revenge and in both he regains his soul in the process. Both stories are different, however. The soul stays the same, but the methods of delivery are drastically different.
The Punisher feels like any revenge action flick, mostly due to the rock-solid performances by Thomas Jane, John Travolta, Will Patton and Ben Foster. They bring a vintage, muscle-car, testosterone-fueled swagger that was famous back in the Dirty Harry and Steve McQueen days of the 70's and 80's. Completely masculine, the way that I wish men were portrayed today. Even Foster's Spacker Dave is masculine to the bone, even if Dave starts out weak. It also has an old-school western feel that I grew up watching in my childhood and still love today. The action is is dry and gritty with very few theatrical style points. The sound design makes it so. And it makes it as beautiful as the Carlo Siliotto’s film score, sounding like old-school Ennio Morricone's spaghetti-westerns. And you'd expect this film to feel like it belongs in the Marvel Family, but it doesn't. The "based on a comic book" design is absent, with the exception of one scene. With dynamic photography and its story penned like a classic revenge tragedy, it's the "black sheep" of the Marvel Family. But overall it's got a brilliant mix of sorrow and anger, which cuts down into the soul and makes it worth seeing.
Punisher: War Zone from the start makes amends with the family and restores the comic book tone. From its credits sequence to its main villain, its fighting style and photography, it belongs in the Batman Forever era in the Batman franchise. However, its redeeming feature is the plot line involving the Punisher's accidental slaying of an undercover FBI agent with Ray Stevenson's chilling performance as Frank Castle. Colin Salmon and Wayne Knight also offer solid performances as the FBI agent revenging his partner's murder and Castle's weapons-master, Micro. It's very clear, from the retroactive continuity elements in Castle's backstory, that this installment is not related to the other film whatsoever. In this one, Castle's already lost his soul and the FBI agent's death draws him to nearly lose his resolve. Guilt drives this one, just as sorrow drove the other. Stevenson seethes powerfully, allowing the character's emotions to fill him as he radiates guilt and remorse, both for what he's done and what he's lost. "Who punishes you?" Julie Benz' widow shrieks, for which Castle has no response, because it's clear: he does. The part that feels like a comic book, is Doug Hutchinson's Looney Bin Jim and Dominic West's Jigsaw. The pair of brothers are so incredibly ludicrous, they don't work against Stevenson's Castle; as they fail to be worthy targets for Frank's vengence. The stylistic action and photography, as well as cheese-ball cliche lines makes this installment less elegant that its counterpart. However, Stevenson's worth watching.
Of the two, Jane's Punisher is an opera. Everything from the music to the stunts to the performances shines above Stevenson's installment. Stevenson and Jane both portray Frank Castle with deep, compelling emotion making it difficult to choose whose face I'd rather see him wearing. However, it's the package that matters and I've got to choose Jane's. Director Jonathan Hensleigh's labor pays off high above Lexi Alexander's. The emotional release is better, the characters are more credible and I found I connected better with them, even Travolta's Howard Saint and Patton's Quentin Glass. The package is better and that's enough.
****
In: Thomas Jane
Out: Colin Salmon
Coming Soon: Resident Evil
The Punisher feels like any revenge action flick, mostly due to the rock-solid performances by Thomas Jane, John Travolta, Will Patton and Ben Foster. They bring a vintage, muscle-car, testosterone-fueled swagger that was famous back in the Dirty Harry and Steve McQueen days of the 70's and 80's. Completely masculine, the way that I wish men were portrayed today. Even Foster's Spacker Dave is masculine to the bone, even if Dave starts out weak. It also has an old-school western feel that I grew up watching in my childhood and still love today. The action is is dry and gritty with very few theatrical style points. The sound design makes it so. And it makes it as beautiful as the Carlo Siliotto’s film score, sounding like old-school Ennio Morricone's spaghetti-westerns. And you'd expect this film to feel like it belongs in the Marvel Family, but it doesn't. The "based on a comic book" design is absent, with the exception of one scene. With dynamic photography and its story penned like a classic revenge tragedy, it's the "black sheep" of the Marvel Family. But overall it's got a brilliant mix of sorrow and anger, which cuts down into the soul and makes it worth seeing.
Punisher: War Zone from the start makes amends with the family and restores the comic book tone. From its credits sequence to its main villain, its fighting style and photography, it belongs in the Batman Forever era in the Batman franchise. However, its redeeming feature is the plot line involving the Punisher's accidental slaying of an undercover FBI agent with Ray Stevenson's chilling performance as Frank Castle. Colin Salmon and Wayne Knight also offer solid performances as the FBI agent revenging his partner's murder and Castle's weapons-master, Micro. It's very clear, from the retroactive continuity elements in Castle's backstory, that this installment is not related to the other film whatsoever. In this one, Castle's already lost his soul and the FBI agent's death draws him to nearly lose his resolve. Guilt drives this one, just as sorrow drove the other. Stevenson seethes powerfully, allowing the character's emotions to fill him as he radiates guilt and remorse, both for what he's done and what he's lost. "Who punishes you?" Julie Benz' widow shrieks, for which Castle has no response, because it's clear: he does. The part that feels like a comic book, is Doug Hutchinson's Looney Bin Jim and Dominic West's Jigsaw. The pair of brothers are so incredibly ludicrous, they don't work against Stevenson's Castle; as they fail to be worthy targets for Frank's vengence. The stylistic action and photography, as well as cheese-ball cliche lines makes this installment less elegant that its counterpart. However, Stevenson's worth watching.
Of the two, Jane's Punisher is an opera. Everything from the music to the stunts to the performances shines above Stevenson's installment. Stevenson and Jane both portray Frank Castle with deep, compelling emotion making it difficult to choose whose face I'd rather see him wearing. However, it's the package that matters and I've got to choose Jane's. Director Jonathan Hensleigh's labor pays off high above Lexi Alexander's. The emotional release is better, the characters are more credible and I found I connected better with them, even Travolta's Howard Saint and Patton's Quentin Glass. The package is better and that's enough.
****
In: Thomas Jane
Out: Colin Salmon
Coming Soon: Resident Evil
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Dreamcatcher
Four friends, Henry (Thomas Jane,) Pete (Timothy Olyphant,) Jonesy (Damian Lewis) and Beaver (Jason Lee,) who are gifted with special abilities when they help a seemingly autistic boy, Duddits (Donnie Wahlberg,) escape the school bully, get together for their annual hunting trip in the woods. Their timing, however, couldn't be more unsuitable. Their weekend is gravely disturbed by an extraterrestrial invasion, with a corresponding military quarantine overseen by a psychotic commander (Morgan Freeman) and his war-horse lieutenant (Tom Sizemore.) When one of the alien life forms possesses one of the quartet and kills two others, they discover their friend Duddits is not all he seems and their lives are all in peril, regardless in whose hands they find themselves.
It's a regular "frat boy" sleepover in this supernatural thriller by Stephen King in a story you shouldn't take without some kind of wacky external influence, like lack of sleep or too much coffee. The overall strangeness is an acquired taste, much like the rest of King's work. However, it is a study on human behavior during a crisis, also like some of his work, brilliantly contrasted with the reactions of the military and the quartet. With high-concept supernatural thrillers, in this vein, I enjoy watching the human relationships and this one is abundant.
The Duddits story-line is particularly potent. The quartet's devotion and affection for this person is as life and love is to be, sacrificial and loyal. Their love for each other, as well, is so well written and performed, it's easy to taste their sorrow and celebrate their triumphs. The quartet Jane, Olyphant, Lewis and Lee mesh together so well, it's entirely believable that they grew up together and fought injustice together with a bond that is unbreakable. So when two of them fall, it's genuinely heartbreaking.
Two performances make this film something to see. Damian Lewis' dual performance as New Englander Jonesy and Mr. Gray, Duddits' Bristish-accented (Lewis' own) nemesis. It's both horrifying and hilarious. The other is Donnie Wahlberg's Duddits. He's an emaciated, cancer-ridden man who's on his last mile. Wahlberg's dedication to the role is astounding, including his appearance, and he nails the autism tick with precision. In his other roles, it's hard to see the same man featured here.
Every movie collection needs the obligatory Stephen King adapted flick and this one's mine...and not a bad choice, just one that goes down funny when consumed, which is why I choose well when doing so.
***
In: Timothy Olyphant
Out: Thomas Jane
Coming Soon: The Punisher/Punisher: War Zone
It's a regular "frat boy" sleepover in this supernatural thriller by Stephen King in a story you shouldn't take without some kind of wacky external influence, like lack of sleep or too much coffee. The overall strangeness is an acquired taste, much like the rest of King's work. However, it is a study on human behavior during a crisis, also like some of his work, brilliantly contrasted with the reactions of the military and the quartet. With high-concept supernatural thrillers, in this vein, I enjoy watching the human relationships and this one is abundant.
The Duddits story-line is particularly potent. The quartet's devotion and affection for this person is as life and love is to be, sacrificial and loyal. Their love for each other, as well, is so well written and performed, it's easy to taste their sorrow and celebrate their triumphs. The quartet Jane, Olyphant, Lewis and Lee mesh together so well, it's entirely believable that they grew up together and fought injustice together with a bond that is unbreakable. So when two of them fall, it's genuinely heartbreaking.
Two performances make this film something to see. Damian Lewis' dual performance as New Englander Jonesy and Mr. Gray, Duddits' Bristish-accented (Lewis' own) nemesis. It's both horrifying and hilarious. The other is Donnie Wahlberg's Duddits. He's an emaciated, cancer-ridden man who's on his last mile. Wahlberg's dedication to the role is astounding, including his appearance, and he nails the autism tick with precision. In his other roles, it's hard to see the same man featured here.
Every movie collection needs the obligatory Stephen King adapted flick and this one's mine...and not a bad choice, just one that goes down funny when consumed, which is why I choose well when doing so.
***
In: Timothy Olyphant
Out: Thomas Jane
Coming Soon: The Punisher/Punisher: War Zone
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Hitman
At an early age, Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant) has known little more than the art of war and the sculpture of death. Raised by a covert organization whose sole purpose is the training and conditioning of professional killers and chosen from the world's destitute children, Agent 47 is the best. The Organization has ties to all governments, but prefers none. When he is hired to execute the Russian President, the job runs smoothly until he is told of a witness, and goes to intercept her, walking straight into an ambush. Having seemingly failed, his employer cuts all ties and orders a free-for-all for all its agents on his head. Pursued by his relentless, longtime nemesis, Interpol Agent Mike Wittier (Dougray Scott,) as well the head of Russian Intelligence, Yuri Markov (Robert Knepper.) Things are not as they seem, and Agent 47 is prepared to kill his way through the conspiracy and get his life back...but will he get the answers before his pursuers catch up to him?
Video games have a certain epic quality to them. I've spent hours beginning to watch (and usually falling asleep at certain time intervals) my dad play anything from Tetris Worlds to Lego Star Wars. I've played a few, myself, as well. It's not really my thing, but my dad likes it, so I watch...and he's way better than me, too!! However, the epic quality does tend to cross over into the movies that they're based upon. However, it doesn't feel epic here...it feels personal, emotional.
"You don't want to have me and you don't want to kill me; I've never felt so much indifference in my entire life." Olga Kurylenko's Nika describes in beautiful clarity Olyphant's performance. She also quips, "you know you really are charming when you're not killing people." This is also true. He has a disarming quality about him, that does melt the heart and weaken the knees. But he also has the ability to return that melted heart to ice with his soulless and icy performance. His humor also blends in quite nicely with his quiet serious nature. Absolutely stunning and completely flawless.
Our two agency pursuants are portrayed perfectly by Scott and Knepper. Scott perfectly has the balance of awe and chess-play for his target. He also is a man of cause and purpose and justice. And Scott fills his heart with it and it becomes him nicely. Knepper's Yuri is perfect as the pawn who wants so badly to succeed, but who is still a tough, suspicious, driven cold-war relic. He's not weak, just powerless and fearful.
The action is routine, the story a bit cliche, playing a bit like the typical heist film. However, in the end, the film doesn't feel like it's based on a video game. It feels like an assassin film, an action movie with some quality acting to compliment. Olyphant's Agent 47 is perfectly executed, as are his antagonists. His sidekick and allies are also solidly written and performed. All around, this film is brilliant and stands well on its feet.
***
In: Robert Knepper
Out: Timothy Olyphant
Coming Soon: Dreamcatcher
Video games have a certain epic quality to them. I've spent hours beginning to watch (and usually falling asleep at certain time intervals) my dad play anything from Tetris Worlds to Lego Star Wars. I've played a few, myself, as well. It's not really my thing, but my dad likes it, so I watch...and he's way better than me, too!! However, the epic quality does tend to cross over into the movies that they're based upon. However, it doesn't feel epic here...it feels personal, emotional.
"You don't want to have me and you don't want to kill me; I've never felt so much indifference in my entire life." Olga Kurylenko's Nika describes in beautiful clarity Olyphant's performance. She also quips, "you know you really are charming when you're not killing people." This is also true. He has a disarming quality about him, that does melt the heart and weaken the knees. But he also has the ability to return that melted heart to ice with his soulless and icy performance. His humor also blends in quite nicely with his quiet serious nature. Absolutely stunning and completely flawless.
Our two agency pursuants are portrayed perfectly by Scott and Knepper. Scott perfectly has the balance of awe and chess-play for his target. He also is a man of cause and purpose and justice. And Scott fills his heart with it and it becomes him nicely. Knepper's Yuri is perfect as the pawn who wants so badly to succeed, but who is still a tough, suspicious, driven cold-war relic. He's not weak, just powerless and fearful.
The action is routine, the story a bit cliche, playing a bit like the typical heist film. However, in the end, the film doesn't feel like it's based on a video game. It feels like an assassin film, an action movie with some quality acting to compliment. Olyphant's Agent 47 is perfectly executed, as are his antagonists. His sidekick and allies are also solidly written and performed. All around, this film is brilliant and stands well on its feet.
***
In: Robert Knepper
Out: Timothy Olyphant
Coming Soon: Dreamcatcher
Friday, August 06, 2010
Good Night and Good Luck
A smoky room; a stock reel pulling celluloid through a projector overlooking a conference room; smooth jazz supporting the smooth voices of Edward R Murrow (David Strathairn) and his crew led by Fred Friendly (George Clooney.) It is the reign of Joe Mccarthy and the war against communism, and CBS News are resistance fighters; and they are both afraid and brazen. After coming across a news story, the sparks fly as the line between investigating and persecuting grows thinner and the CBS crew defends the country through investigative reporting.
Tension describes the tenor of this film from the dry sound design, black and white photography and to the editing between the stock footage of the proceedings by the real Joe McCarthy to the smooth jazz performed beautifully by Dianne Reeves to the foxhole moments in the bullpens, the elevators and the pubs late in the night, illustrate how paranoid people were at that time and how engaged the conflict between the news and the senator became.
Strathairn's Murrow is brilliantly constructed, both as a soldier in the cause of excellence in media and as a combatant for justice for the persecuted. He is single minded, and has his eye on the prize, with little sympathy for the others in his foxhole, especially the newscaster that follows his show. Clooney's Friendly is savvy and warm, despite the lack of color on the screen. I am particularly awed by the juxtaposition between the actual stock footage and the main action in the story, as if I've been a fly on the wall for 93 minutes.
As a reflection, this kind of excellence in the news is hardly seen today. Sensationalism, as well as instant reporting through YouTube, Twitter and Facebook has limited our expectations; as well, our taste. We're also unwilling to expect excellence on both the big screen and our televisions. This film does not fit in with expectations today, it outstrips them. Perhaps we should expect more than an instrument that merely entertains, amuses and insulates...perhaps we should expect illumination, education and inspiration.
****
In: Robert Downey Jr
Out: Robert Knepper
Coming Soon: Hitman
Tension describes the tenor of this film from the dry sound design, black and white photography and to the editing between the stock footage of the proceedings by the real Joe McCarthy to the smooth jazz performed beautifully by Dianne Reeves to the foxhole moments in the bullpens, the elevators and the pubs late in the night, illustrate how paranoid people were at that time and how engaged the conflict between the news and the senator became.
Strathairn's Murrow is brilliantly constructed, both as a soldier in the cause of excellence in media and as a combatant for justice for the persecuted. He is single minded, and has his eye on the prize, with little sympathy for the others in his foxhole, especially the newscaster that follows his show. Clooney's Friendly is savvy and warm, despite the lack of color on the screen. I am particularly awed by the juxtaposition between the actual stock footage and the main action in the story, as if I've been a fly on the wall for 93 minutes.
As a reflection, this kind of excellence in the news is hardly seen today. Sensationalism, as well as instant reporting through YouTube, Twitter and Facebook has limited our expectations; as well, our taste. We're also unwilling to expect excellence on both the big screen and our televisions. This film does not fit in with expectations today, it outstrips them. Perhaps we should expect more than an instrument that merely entertains, amuses and insulates...perhaps we should expect illumination, education and inspiration.
****
In: Robert Downey Jr
Out: Robert Knepper
Coming Soon: Hitman
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Charlie Bartlett
"There's more to High School than being well liked," quips Charlie Bartlett's mother. To which the titular character retorts, "Like what, specifically?" To which there's no reply. And I agree. It was the height of importance to be popular, especially at Nevada Union High. And I must say, popular was not my middle name. On the flip-side, I wasn't "uncool" either: I didn't spend the majority of my four-year tenure as a Mighty Miner with black eyes and toilet-bowl hair.
However, Charlie Bartlett's (Anton Yelchin) first day had him wearing both. After being expelled from every ivy-league prep school for near-criminal behavior, he enrolls in West Summit High School, the local public school. Needing to feel comprehensively liked, he becomes an expert on teenage psychological and behavioral issues and sets himself up as the school shrink. Complete with office, in the main hall boys bathroom, and pharmacy, run by school bully, Murphy Bivens. He takes his patients' sessions in the stalls and dishes out the proper medication. However, after one of his patients' suicide attempts, he must use his influence and popularity for more positive uses.
This film harkens back to great school flicks like Dead Poets Society, Ferris Beuler's Day Off, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High and other movies Robert Downey Jr (Charlie Bartlett's Principal Gardener) started his career exploring. It clearly is written by people from my generation, people who weren't sure who they were in high school. Who agree that high school can be a bit like Western Summit High's spring play "Hell Comes with Your Own Locker." Life is chaos and there's no sense to it.
I enjoyed the wit, wisdom and intelligent gimmicks. This film has the feel of an indie and punch-packed with the force of a blockbuster with rock-solid performances from Anton Yelchin, Hope Davis and Robert Downey Jr. Robert Downey Jr's Principal Gardener is brilliant as a man torn between giving up and fighting for his soul. His performance is brilliant in Gardener's obligatory confrontations, as most school flick principals perform; however, Downey Jr makes it very clear that Gardener does not want to be stereotyped as such. Yelchin's Charlie Bartlett is one step into adulthood and the other wanting to stay in high school a bit longer. And he is the typical school flick protagonist, played to perfection.
Complete with a student demonstration, a dance-party complete with indie rocker, romantic hook-ups between unlikely characters, a denouement that makes you feel fuzzy: yep, totally the quintessential school flick, this time with an education. And that totally rocks!!
****
In: Anton Yelchin
Out: Robert Downey JR
Coming Soon: Good Night and Good Luck
However, Charlie Bartlett's (Anton Yelchin) first day had him wearing both. After being expelled from every ivy-league prep school for near-criminal behavior, he enrolls in West Summit High School, the local public school. Needing to feel comprehensively liked, he becomes an expert on teenage psychological and behavioral issues and sets himself up as the school shrink. Complete with office, in the main hall boys bathroom, and pharmacy, run by school bully, Murphy Bivens. He takes his patients' sessions in the stalls and dishes out the proper medication. However, after one of his patients' suicide attempts, he must use his influence and popularity for more positive uses.
This film harkens back to great school flicks like Dead Poets Society, Ferris Beuler's Day Off, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High and other movies Robert Downey Jr (Charlie Bartlett's Principal Gardener) started his career exploring. It clearly is written by people from my generation, people who weren't sure who they were in high school. Who agree that high school can be a bit like Western Summit High's spring play "Hell Comes with Your Own Locker." Life is chaos and there's no sense to it.
I enjoyed the wit, wisdom and intelligent gimmicks. This film has the feel of an indie and punch-packed with the force of a blockbuster with rock-solid performances from Anton Yelchin, Hope Davis and Robert Downey Jr. Robert Downey Jr's Principal Gardener is brilliant as a man torn between giving up and fighting for his soul. His performance is brilliant in Gardener's obligatory confrontations, as most school flick principals perform; however, Downey Jr makes it very clear that Gardener does not want to be stereotyped as such. Yelchin's Charlie Bartlett is one step into adulthood and the other wanting to stay in high school a bit longer. And he is the typical school flick protagonist, played to perfection.
Complete with a student demonstration, a dance-party complete with indie rocker, romantic hook-ups between unlikely characters, a denouement that makes you feel fuzzy: yep, totally the quintessential school flick, this time with an education. And that totally rocks!!
****
In: Anton Yelchin
Out: Robert Downey JR
Coming Soon: Good Night and Good Luck
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Terminator: Final Thoughts
The Terminator series is one of my favorites. I believe I first encountered it during my short tenure at Hollywood Video after I graduated college. I also remember my dad renting the first one for a movie night (with the fellas) before I was a teenager. I am fond of the story with its tale of ordinary people rising above apocalyptic circumstances to save the world. And so, my final thoughts on the series.
The Terminator has one thing the others don't, the basis of the mythos. However, it has the awkwardness of being first base. I, personally, have a particular fondness for this installment and for one character in particular: Kyle Reese. It's not due to the overall good looks on his portrayer: My fondness for this one is due to the fact that the protector (Kyle) is human, therefore he has something to lose. The fight is seemingly a suicide mission, and he knows it...but he does his duty anyways. Honor, dedication, love, loyalty, sacrifice; the stuff of which heroes are made.
T2: Judgement Day has the popular distinction of being one of the few "sequels" that outshines its parent film. The effects are definitely better, and the camerawork shines more. But the gimmicks are similar, the formula is the same, and there are more of the same characters from the previous installment than any of the others. The technicality of the piece outstrips it predecessor, but the story's not better, nor are the performances. I also have a problem with the "hero" being a machine who's humanity is never shown.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is as sleek and sexy as its villain machine. Fate is an interesting antagonist, as the hero of the series isn't interested in fulfilling his destiny to lead the human race. Nick Stahl has the perfect balance between what Furlong began in T2 to what Connor will eventually become. His brooding nature along with hidden compassion, coupled with a credible street-savvy, gives us a window into what Connor's destiny will require. However, the biggest downside is that there is no brain or heart to this installment, merely filler.
Terminator Salvation returns to the bleak future in the aftermath of Judgement Day. The production design paints the devastation and hopelessness brilliantly, complete with low-tech guerilla tactics and high-tech enemies. The gimmicks are similar, but not mirror images of the previous installments. Pristinely cast, especially in Anton Yelchin's Kyle Reese, Christian Bale's John Connor and Sam Worthington's Marcus Wright. Each bring a level of heart and soul to their characters that makes them worth our concern. Marcus' character works as a written character, however, in the grand scheme of the mythos...he's a bit far fetched.
The series is well mapped, well cast, and well delivered. The mythos is clearly laid out and executed. I look forward to seeing the events surrounding the deploying of each protector in the future.
****
In: Lance Heinricksen
Out: Anton Yelchin
Coming Soon: Charlie Bartlett
The Terminator has one thing the others don't, the basis of the mythos. However, it has the awkwardness of being first base. I, personally, have a particular fondness for this installment and for one character in particular: Kyle Reese. It's not due to the overall good looks on his portrayer: My fondness for this one is due to the fact that the protector (Kyle) is human, therefore he has something to lose. The fight is seemingly a suicide mission, and he knows it...but he does his duty anyways. Honor, dedication, love, loyalty, sacrifice; the stuff of which heroes are made.
T2: Judgement Day has the popular distinction of being one of the few "sequels" that outshines its parent film. The effects are definitely better, and the camerawork shines more. But the gimmicks are similar, the formula is the same, and there are more of the same characters from the previous installment than any of the others. The technicality of the piece outstrips it predecessor, but the story's not better, nor are the performances. I also have a problem with the "hero" being a machine who's humanity is never shown.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is as sleek and sexy as its villain machine. Fate is an interesting antagonist, as the hero of the series isn't interested in fulfilling his destiny to lead the human race. Nick Stahl has the perfect balance between what Furlong began in T2 to what Connor will eventually become. His brooding nature along with hidden compassion, coupled with a credible street-savvy, gives us a window into what Connor's destiny will require. However, the biggest downside is that there is no brain or heart to this installment, merely filler.
Terminator Salvation returns to the bleak future in the aftermath of Judgement Day. The production design paints the devastation and hopelessness brilliantly, complete with low-tech guerilla tactics and high-tech enemies. The gimmicks are similar, but not mirror images of the previous installments. Pristinely cast, especially in Anton Yelchin's Kyle Reese, Christian Bale's John Connor and Sam Worthington's Marcus Wright. Each bring a level of heart and soul to their characters that makes them worth our concern. Marcus' character works as a written character, however, in the grand scheme of the mythos...he's a bit far fetched.
The series is well mapped, well cast, and well delivered. The mythos is clearly laid out and executed. I look forward to seeing the events surrounding the deploying of each protector in the future.
****
In: Lance Heinricksen
Out: Anton Yelchin
Coming Soon: Charlie Bartlett
Monday, August 02, 2010
Terminator: The Formula
Form, as defined in the glossary in one of my film textbooks, is the general system of relationships among the parts of a film. Therefore, story form is the relationships among the parts of a story. The American Oxford Dictionary defines formulas as a fixed form of words especially one used in particular contexts or as a conventional usage; a stock epithet, phrase or line repeated for various effects in literary composition. Genre films usually follow formulas as a rule. Genre films refer to film stories that have been repeated again and again with only slight variations. Formulas can also bleed over from genre to films in a series.
Terminator is one of those film series. As far as what genre it is: science fiction, simply put. The science fiction genre is fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets. However, the distinction here is that each of the series' four installments follows a separate formula independent of the science fiction genre. The plot, characters and thematic elements are virtually identical. Archetypes exist in each installment. Archetypes are typical examples of a certain person or thing. Here, we have four in characters with a fifth in the form of a thematic element. The plot is similar in each because of these five.
The first character is the machine. In this series, this is in the form of two things: three in the form of Terminators and the final in the form of Skynet itself. The T-101 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is the first to arrive in the first installment, relentless, but sloppy, unable to integrate into the flow of humanity. Played, unfortunately, to perfection by the actor, but to no less success. Skynet, when it fails, sends another. The T-1000 (Robert Patrick) is sent later and infiltrates much easier and smoother as its liquid metal abilities allow. The third, the T-X, or Terminatrix (Kristanna Loken), is able to infiltrate a bit better than it's predecessor, however, still contains the awkwardness of the T-101. However, it's been built as a response to the past two T-101 protection models, so its sleek and sexy human persona is matched by equally fatal weapons beneath. The last machine is Skynet itself (Helena Bonham Carter.) Because we've joined the past with the present, Skynet cannot be compared with its predecessors as it is, in fact, part of its predecessors. The fact that all fail to do what their objective is, to infiltrate and eliminate or die in the process, clearly reiterates the theme.
Next we have the protector. Their job is to protect the machine's target. They have the same mission as the machine, find a target and eliminate a threat. Only the threat is the machine. They have the same mindset, complete the mission or die in the process. They have, consequently, little humanity or sympathy for their protectant. Half of the protectors cannot help this, while half can. The two T-101 Terminators are the two who cannot. Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) is one of them who can, John Connor (Christian Bale) is the other.
The protector is joined by the believer. This is the person who is completely convinced Skynet is real, the threat to the target is real and that the future depends on the success of the protector's mission. They, like the protector are prepared to die for that success. Unlike the protector, their humanity is usually intact. I say usually; half of the believers start hardened and then at a sudden point, their humanity bursts through with a tender moment with the target. The other half have humanity with abundance, their heart is so exposed that they cannot be anything else. Only after confession of his feelings combined with an intimate night with Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton) does Kyle Reese lose his hardened shell...but this night is so important, because it's the night that John Connor is conceived. Sarah Conner, after her experiences with the T-101, losing Kyle, and after a time being her son's drill-sergeant is committed to a psychiatric hospital, turns from loving mother and innocent to a hard, driven soldier. The two who keep their humanity during their term as "believer" are John Connor (Nick Stahl) and Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) who remind the protector and the innocent of the score and the importance humanity plays in the series.
Our final character is the virgin, an innocent to the war with the machines. Usually this person is the target and is the case with three of four of the installments. They're unaware of John Connor and his importance to the human race. They get tied into the war by coming across the believer and/or protector and join in the fight, usually to help protect themselves against the machine's mission. Our first innocent was a target, Sarah Connor. Being the mother of the future messiah of humanity, she takes it upon herself to be prepared for the future and loses her innocence along the way. John Connor (Edward Furlong), in the second installment, really might not count as an innocent. He's been told, by his mother, for his whole life, that he's the future leader of humanity, but it's too much for him and he denies what he's been taught. When he's told by his protector that it's all true, he genuinely reacts with surprise. Kate Brewster Connor (Claire Danes) is the perfect example of the virgin for the series as is Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) although he accepts much faster than she does. Kate denies up until the protector T-101 allows her to shoot him. Marcus, on the other hand is shown by believer Kyle Reese (who's also the target) the moment they meet and he agrees to help the "heroes" side. However, the bigger denial comes from his encounter with Skynet later. Plus, this virgin is not a target, so his survival must come at the hands of John Connor, the protector.
Our final archetype is one of our themes: the danger to John Connor and his family. Each installment of the series has a target. And that target is a member of John Connor's family. Skynet targets his mother, himself, his wife and chief lieutenant, and finally, his father.
The formula for the plot is simple: Skynet sends an assassin to kill a member of John Connor's family in order to reset future events to have an alternate timeline free of the presence of John Connor and his lieutenants, so that Judgement Day is successful and the human race is annihilated.
Formulas are tricky to spot in a series, our minds disengage for formula films, because we're already fans. And because we're already fans, we don't care if the same thing passes from film to film. It works, and that's all.
****
Coming Soon -- Terminator: Final Thoughts
Terminator is one of those film series. As far as what genre it is: science fiction, simply put. The science fiction genre is fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets. However, the distinction here is that each of the series' four installments follows a separate formula independent of the science fiction genre. The plot, characters and thematic elements are virtually identical. Archetypes exist in each installment. Archetypes are typical examples of a certain person or thing. Here, we have four in characters with a fifth in the form of a thematic element. The plot is similar in each because of these five.
The first character is the machine. In this series, this is in the form of two things: three in the form of Terminators and the final in the form of Skynet itself. The T-101 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is the first to arrive in the first installment, relentless, but sloppy, unable to integrate into the flow of humanity. Played, unfortunately, to perfection by the actor, but to no less success. Skynet, when it fails, sends another. The T-1000 (Robert Patrick) is sent later and infiltrates much easier and smoother as its liquid metal abilities allow. The third, the T-X, or Terminatrix (Kristanna Loken), is able to infiltrate a bit better than it's predecessor, however, still contains the awkwardness of the T-101. However, it's been built as a response to the past two T-101 protection models, so its sleek and sexy human persona is matched by equally fatal weapons beneath. The last machine is Skynet itself (Helena Bonham Carter.) Because we've joined the past with the present, Skynet cannot be compared with its predecessors as it is, in fact, part of its predecessors. The fact that all fail to do what their objective is, to infiltrate and eliminate or die in the process, clearly reiterates the theme.
Next we have the protector. Their job is to protect the machine's target. They have the same mission as the machine, find a target and eliminate a threat. Only the threat is the machine. They have the same mindset, complete the mission or die in the process. They have, consequently, little humanity or sympathy for their protectant. Half of the protectors cannot help this, while half can. The two T-101 Terminators are the two who cannot. Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) is one of them who can, John Connor (Christian Bale) is the other.
The protector is joined by the believer. This is the person who is completely convinced Skynet is real, the threat to the target is real and that the future depends on the success of the protector's mission. They, like the protector are prepared to die for that success. Unlike the protector, their humanity is usually intact. I say usually; half of the believers start hardened and then at a sudden point, their humanity bursts through with a tender moment with the target. The other half have humanity with abundance, their heart is so exposed that they cannot be anything else. Only after confession of his feelings combined with an intimate night with Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton) does Kyle Reese lose his hardened shell...but this night is so important, because it's the night that John Connor is conceived. Sarah Conner, after her experiences with the T-101, losing Kyle, and after a time being her son's drill-sergeant is committed to a psychiatric hospital, turns from loving mother and innocent to a hard, driven soldier. The two who keep their humanity during their term as "believer" are John Connor (Nick Stahl) and Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) who remind the protector and the innocent of the score and the importance humanity plays in the series.
Our final character is the virgin, an innocent to the war with the machines. Usually this person is the target and is the case with three of four of the installments. They're unaware of John Connor and his importance to the human race. They get tied into the war by coming across the believer and/or protector and join in the fight, usually to help protect themselves against the machine's mission. Our first innocent was a target, Sarah Connor. Being the mother of the future messiah of humanity, she takes it upon herself to be prepared for the future and loses her innocence along the way. John Connor (Edward Furlong), in the second installment, really might not count as an innocent. He's been told, by his mother, for his whole life, that he's the future leader of humanity, but it's too much for him and he denies what he's been taught. When he's told by his protector that it's all true, he genuinely reacts with surprise. Kate Brewster Connor (Claire Danes) is the perfect example of the virgin for the series as is Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) although he accepts much faster than she does. Kate denies up until the protector T-101 allows her to shoot him. Marcus, on the other hand is shown by believer Kyle Reese (who's also the target) the moment they meet and he agrees to help the "heroes" side. However, the bigger denial comes from his encounter with Skynet later. Plus, this virgin is not a target, so his survival must come at the hands of John Connor, the protector.
Our final archetype is one of our themes: the danger to John Connor and his family. Each installment of the series has a target. And that target is a member of John Connor's family. Skynet targets his mother, himself, his wife and chief lieutenant, and finally, his father.
The formula for the plot is simple: Skynet sends an assassin to kill a member of John Connor's family in order to reset future events to have an alternate timeline free of the presence of John Connor and his lieutenants, so that Judgement Day is successful and the human race is annihilated.
Formulas are tricky to spot in a series, our minds disengage for formula films, because we're already fans. And because we're already fans, we don't care if the same thing passes from film to film. It works, and that's all.
****
Coming Soon -- Terminator: Final Thoughts
Friday, July 30, 2010
The Terminator: On Continuity
A war is fought in the near future after a nuclear holocaust. A defense network called Skynet went online and decided the human race was unworthy to survive and annihilated the world in an afternoon. Years later, the human survivors, used as slaves to help with the disposal of their kind, rise up in revolution and form The Resistance. Their leader is John Connor (Edward Furlong, Nick Stahl, Christian Bale). The fight is long and hard, losses on both sides and the machines begin a brilliant strategy, fight the future in the battlefields of the past. The machines learn the theories of time travel and send back their most deadly weapon, The Terminator, to eliminate Connor before he can fulfill his destiny and destroy Skynet. First they send one (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) before John can be born...they fail. John Connor is born and twelve years later, Skynet tries again. They send their newest model (Robert Patrick) to kill John as a child. Again, they fail. John grows up off the grid, Skynet begins to target his resistance lieutenants starting with Kate Brewster Connor (Claire Danes, Bryce Dallas Howard,) his second in command, later his wife. They send the next lethal model (Kristanna Loken) and fail again. This is because the resistance has discovered the time traveling machine, too and has sent back protectors, starting with Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn, Anton Yelchin,) a human and John Connor's father, and several different Terminator 101 models (Schwarzenegger.) Together, the targets and protectors, work to avert Judgement Day: the day the machines destroy mankind. Judgement Day is fixed and the bombs fall regardless, and Connor survives again. In the year 2018, John struggles against the machines, but the future is not what he's been expecting...and this time Kyle's in danger, number one on Skynet's hit-list. And a mysterious stranger (Sam Worthington) who's also not what John's expecting may be their only hope.
Continuity in a series is vital to maintain the tightness of plot, allowing for a gradual plot arc to occur with little effort. The writing must be consistent, the tone must be similar, even if the scriptwriter is not the one who wrote the previous installment. Casting in serial films may not always secure the same performer for serial roles, so the writing and tone set the pace for the performer. The characters may also change story to story but the world remains the same, so it's important that Continuity be kept. Keeping continuity straight adds an air of credibility to the series.
This series has has four installments: The Terminator, T2: Judgement Day, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Salvation. The films themselves span 25 years in production...and it seems they are not finished. And so, I'll review this series in three or four installments, in order to break up the length of the response, conforming to project rule number three.
The writing is consistent almost down to a formula, which I will cover next time. The story tells of a target being hunted down for extermination. He or she is safeguarded by a resistance-sent protector, who takes his job very seriously. The protector and the Terminator battle to the death, leaving the target to finish them off with an almost accidental plan.
It's in the characters that the consistency is most solid for this series. John slowly turns from an immature, empathetic child to a weary, battle-hardened warrior, as he is meant to. And Furlong to Stahl to Bale was perfectly cast. Furlong still has the tough nature he needs to become who he's supposed to become; however, he is only twelve and his performance says it clearly. Stahl performs street-smart with class and attitude, but still has the empathetic nature within and allows it to come out every now and again. Bale still has enough heart and humanity left, the moments between him and Howard are tender, but just tough enough to show that they are still warriors, and they're serious about this fight.
The tone is our Kryptonite. The first and second installments feel as if they could bleed into each other as two halves of a whole. Some of the same gimmicks are played out...and the formula is pretty much the same. The third becomes removed and comes off a bit corny, the humor is flat, the production design is too bright, and the score less militant. The performances were a bit awkward, despite Schwarzennegger's remaining in the role that defined him...and still does. Salvation tries to get back on track and does a good job in returning the dark militant nature to the series. The score by Danny Elfman, as well as the picture design and casting, especially with Yelchin as Kyle Reese, who brilliantly channels Biehn's original performance, maintains the feeling of the first two installments with the modernity of the third. As well, a good feeling like the beginning of a second trilogy with the air of a prequel. Three out of four, a solid majority in the positive...it's not perfect, but it does generally feel right; it's the same score, the same game.
Terminator's a smooth series and I'm looking forward to the rest, whenever that may be.
****
Coming soon: Terminator - The Formula
Continuity in a series is vital to maintain the tightness of plot, allowing for a gradual plot arc to occur with little effort. The writing must be consistent, the tone must be similar, even if the scriptwriter is not the one who wrote the previous installment. Casting in serial films may not always secure the same performer for serial roles, so the writing and tone set the pace for the performer. The characters may also change story to story but the world remains the same, so it's important that Continuity be kept. Keeping continuity straight adds an air of credibility to the series.
This series has has four installments: The Terminator, T2: Judgement Day, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Salvation. The films themselves span 25 years in production...and it seems they are not finished. And so, I'll review this series in three or four installments, in order to break up the length of the response, conforming to project rule number three.
The writing is consistent almost down to a formula, which I will cover next time. The story tells of a target being hunted down for extermination. He or she is safeguarded by a resistance-sent protector, who takes his job very seriously. The protector and the Terminator battle to the death, leaving the target to finish them off with an almost accidental plan.
It's in the characters that the consistency is most solid for this series. John slowly turns from an immature, empathetic child to a weary, battle-hardened warrior, as he is meant to. And Furlong to Stahl to Bale was perfectly cast. Furlong still has the tough nature he needs to become who he's supposed to become; however, he is only twelve and his performance says it clearly. Stahl performs street-smart with class and attitude, but still has the empathetic nature within and allows it to come out every now and again. Bale still has enough heart and humanity left, the moments between him and Howard are tender, but just tough enough to show that they are still warriors, and they're serious about this fight.
The tone is our Kryptonite. The first and second installments feel as if they could bleed into each other as two halves of a whole. Some of the same gimmicks are played out...and the formula is pretty much the same. The third becomes removed and comes off a bit corny, the humor is flat, the production design is too bright, and the score less militant. The performances were a bit awkward, despite Schwarzennegger's remaining in the role that defined him...and still does. Salvation tries to get back on track and does a good job in returning the dark militant nature to the series. The score by Danny Elfman, as well as the picture design and casting, especially with Yelchin as Kyle Reese, who brilliantly channels Biehn's original performance, maintains the feeling of the first two installments with the modernity of the third. As well, a good feeling like the beginning of a second trilogy with the air of a prequel. Three out of four, a solid majority in the positive...it's not perfect, but it does generally feel right; it's the same score, the same game.
Terminator's a smooth series and I'm looking forward to the rest, whenever that may be.
****
Coming soon: Terminator - The Formula
Thursday, July 29, 2010
On Discretion...
Entertainment is defined by the American Oxford Dictionary as the action of providing or being provided with amusement or enjoyment. It's a conscious act, chosen by the entertained, deliberate and intentional. Because it's deliberate, it, therefore, makes entertainment a moral issue. And, so with the available choices out there and the ones displayed here on my blog, I thought I might touch on the subject of discretion.
British Judge Lord Scarman defines discretion as the art of suiting action to particular circumstances. The American Oxford Dictionary defines it as the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation. Discretion is situational, unique and subjective. Therefore it all spins on choice.
To exercise discretion it's important to know yourself. What are you like? What are your limits? Your constitution? It's also important to know what may cause you emotional, mental and spiritual discomfort. Conversely, what makes you happy, fulfilled, and spiritually uplifted. When you know who you are, your choices are easier to make and it becomes simpler to say "no." There are many tools to help you avoid painful situations. The rating system is one of them.
The MPAA is a collective of parents, teachers, clergy members and other community members who review and decide the appropriateness of films for children. It's a good start, but the ratings themselves are a blanket statement. The important thing to look for is the "why." Why is this film rated this? Am I comfortable with the reasons? If not, "just say no" and don't buy the ticket or rent that DVD.
When I was young, my parents decided what was best for me. They knew me, knew what they wanted for me and they chose what went through my head. And my brothers and I listened, for the most part. There are websites out there who's sole purpose is to make a laundry list for parents and unsure adults to peruse in order to ascertain what is objectionable in any given movie. As both a writer and a film watcher, I can say these sites present a level of hyper-clinicality that destroys the beauty of the story told. I rely on my family and friends' recommendations for what is good, because they know me. For example, my nephews can handle more tense content than my niece, she's very sensitive, and I know what not to select when she's an audience member.
In the last five years, I've only chosen a handful of films to view that have been too much to handle, and it was all due to lack of research. Trailers, IMDB.com and Wikipedia are tools that may have assisted in protecting me from the exposure to the subject matter that left my heart disturbed. I'll be honest, it takes practice to know if a movie is right for you without these things.
Know yourself; it's so important you do, because it's your greatest defense. There are movies out there designed to harm you, and if you fail to know what you're able to handle, the cost is innocence and the damage will be irreparable.
British Judge Lord Scarman defines discretion as the art of suiting action to particular circumstances. The American Oxford Dictionary defines it as the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation. Discretion is situational, unique and subjective. Therefore it all spins on choice.
To exercise discretion it's important to know yourself. What are you like? What are your limits? Your constitution? It's also important to know what may cause you emotional, mental and spiritual discomfort. Conversely, what makes you happy, fulfilled, and spiritually uplifted. When you know who you are, your choices are easier to make and it becomes simpler to say "no." There are many tools to help you avoid painful situations. The rating system is one of them.
The MPAA is a collective of parents, teachers, clergy members and other community members who review and decide the appropriateness of films for children. It's a good start, but the ratings themselves are a blanket statement. The important thing to look for is the "why." Why is this film rated this? Am I comfortable with the reasons? If not, "just say no" and don't buy the ticket or rent that DVD.
When I was young, my parents decided what was best for me. They knew me, knew what they wanted for me and they chose what went through my head. And my brothers and I listened, for the most part. There are websites out there who's sole purpose is to make a laundry list for parents and unsure adults to peruse in order to ascertain what is objectionable in any given movie. As both a writer and a film watcher, I can say these sites present a level of hyper-clinicality that destroys the beauty of the story told. I rely on my family and friends' recommendations for what is good, because they know me. For example, my nephews can handle more tense content than my niece, she's very sensitive, and I know what not to select when she's an audience member.
In the last five years, I've only chosen a handful of films to view that have been too much to handle, and it was all due to lack of research. Trailers, IMDB.com and Wikipedia are tools that may have assisted in protecting me from the exposure to the subject matter that left my heart disturbed. I'll be honest, it takes practice to know if a movie is right for you without these things.
Know yourself; it's so important you do, because it's your greatest defense. There are movies out there designed to harm you, and if you fail to know what you're able to handle, the cost is innocence and the damage will be irreparable.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Dog Day Afternoon
August 22, 1972. On a hot day, at 3 in the afternoon, two men sit in a parked car: Sonny (Al Pacino) and Sal (John Cazale). They begin their planned bank robbery, something that was supposed to last less than a half an hour, and it turns into a local media circus and a spectacle after four hours. After eight, it became a nationwide phenomenon. By the end of the day, the event was all history. Based on a true story.
I honestly find little to care about concerning this one; from Sonny's whining wife, to the whole premise, and that the movie lacks significant motion. With little direction from when the two gunmen enter the bank to when it's all over, I'm completely apathetic about the characters and, worse, for the story. The camera work is too static, inciting random yawning episodes. To top it off, there's no music score to keep the slow points moving and for distraction. When I began the project, I surveyed my choices and I dreaded the day I found myself involved with the two-hours torture that is this movie. I may test out how it is selling things to Secondspin.com with this one…who knows?!
I'll say a few things "nice" about this one, to pay for the insult. Al Pacino is fairly decent, he worked enough to be believable. The antics with the crowd are funny enough. And the lady hostages are credible. But the rest, is just the rest. A bit like chicken noodle soup, Walmart brand...enough spice and substance to know it's chicken noodle soup, but not enough to hit the spot.
****
IN: Marcia Jean Kurtz
OUT: Lance Henricksen
Coming Soon: The Terminator
I honestly find little to care about concerning this one; from Sonny's whining wife, to the whole premise, and that the movie lacks significant motion. With little direction from when the two gunmen enter the bank to when it's all over, I'm completely apathetic about the characters and, worse, for the story. The camera work is too static, inciting random yawning episodes. To top it off, there's no music score to keep the slow points moving and for distraction. When I began the project, I surveyed my choices and I dreaded the day I found myself involved with the two-hours torture that is this movie. I may test out how it is selling things to Secondspin.com with this one…who knows?!
I'll say a few things "nice" about this one, to pay for the insult. Al Pacino is fairly decent, he worked enough to be believable. The antics with the crowd are funny enough. And the lady hostages are credible. But the rest, is just the rest. A bit like chicken noodle soup, Walmart brand...enough spice and substance to know it's chicken noodle soup, but not enough to hit the spot.
****
IN: Marcia Jean Kurtz
OUT: Lance Henricksen
Coming Soon: The Terminator
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Inside Man
"My name is Dalton Russell. Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself. I've told you my name; that's the "Who." The "Where" could be readily described as a prison cell, but there's a vast difference between being stuck in a tiny cell and being in prison. The "What" is easy. Recently I planned and set in motion events to execute the perfect bank robbery. That's also the "When." As for the "Why?" Beyond the obvious financial motivation, it's exceedingly simple: because I can. Which leaves us only with the "How." And therein, as The Bard would tell us, lies the rub." Our film begins with a narrative teaser explaining the conceit of the "two-hours traffic of our scene."
In New York City at one of the oldest elite banks near Wall Street, a group of bank robbers dressed as painters infiltrate and hold the clientele and staff hostage. The police dispatch a second string negotiator (Denzel Washington) and his partner (Chiwetel Ejiofor) when their primary is on vacation. Meanwhile, the owner of the bank (Christopher Plummer) hires a professional fixer (Jodie Foster) to make a deal with Dalton Russell (Clive Owen). As things heat up, the SWAT commander (Willem Dafoe) prepares to take the bank. In the aftermath, when the tear-gas clears, something is wrong: somehow the hostage-takers are nowhere to be seen. So, what really did happen?
The style is definitely intriguing...part narrative and slightly documentary. The coloring clearly conveys a different time. It's far less cinematic than the narrative in a very raw sort of record-keeping way. The editing and the story beats are clinical and efficient, but not without weight. The opening sequence alone was incredibly well directed and previews what the future holds for the audience.
The performances are all very solid, including the speaking extras. I particularly enjoyed Mr. Owen's mercurial character, Dalton Russell, his bi-polar cross from menace to mischief. Mr. Washington's Keith Frazier proved a powerful foe; so was Mr. Plummer's Arthur Case, two perfect matches against Mr Owen's Russell and each other. Each scene is incredibly comfortable to watch, with its wit, character and charisma. The actors' chemistry with each other interlocks the flesh of the story so smoothly, it adds so much realism that relating to the characters is not difficult.
In every hostage or terrorist story, there's a "why for" for the characters to answer. In our case, as Mr. Russell put's it, "all lies, all evil deeds stink. You can cover them up for a while, but they don't go away." Mr. Case's past is very sordid...and the delivery was well done. Leaked ever so slowly throughout the story allowing for the showdown against Mr. Case to become so much "sweeter."
The third act begins with a bang, literally, and things spiral out of control brilliantly and driving toward the end, finishing with a flourish. The writing is impeccable; the timing so well developed and executed, it's difficult to call the game before the coup de grace falls.
Comprehensively excellent!!
****
In: Denzel Washington
Out: Marcia Jean Kurtz
Coming Soon: Dog Day Afternoon
In New York City at one of the oldest elite banks near Wall Street, a group of bank robbers dressed as painters infiltrate and hold the clientele and staff hostage. The police dispatch a second string negotiator (Denzel Washington) and his partner (Chiwetel Ejiofor) when their primary is on vacation. Meanwhile, the owner of the bank (Christopher Plummer) hires a professional fixer (Jodie Foster) to make a deal with Dalton Russell (Clive Owen). As things heat up, the SWAT commander (Willem Dafoe) prepares to take the bank. In the aftermath, when the tear-gas clears, something is wrong: somehow the hostage-takers are nowhere to be seen. So, what really did happen?
The style is definitely intriguing...part narrative and slightly documentary. The coloring clearly conveys a different time. It's far less cinematic than the narrative in a very raw sort of record-keeping way. The editing and the story beats are clinical and efficient, but not without weight. The opening sequence alone was incredibly well directed and previews what the future holds for the audience.
The performances are all very solid, including the speaking extras. I particularly enjoyed Mr. Owen's mercurial character, Dalton Russell, his bi-polar cross from menace to mischief. Mr. Washington's Keith Frazier proved a powerful foe; so was Mr. Plummer's Arthur Case, two perfect matches against Mr Owen's Russell and each other. Each scene is incredibly comfortable to watch, with its wit, character and charisma. The actors' chemistry with each other interlocks the flesh of the story so smoothly, it adds so much realism that relating to the characters is not difficult.
In every hostage or terrorist story, there's a "why for" for the characters to answer. In our case, as Mr. Russell put's it, "all lies, all evil deeds stink. You can cover them up for a while, but they don't go away." Mr. Case's past is very sordid...and the delivery was well done. Leaked ever so slowly throughout the story allowing for the showdown against Mr. Case to become so much "sweeter."
The third act begins with a bang, literally, and things spiral out of control brilliantly and driving toward the end, finishing with a flourish. The writing is impeccable; the timing so well developed and executed, it's difficult to call the game before the coup de grace falls.
Comprehensively excellent!!
****
In: Denzel Washington
Out: Marcia Jean Kurtz
Coming Soon: Dog Day Afternoon
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Crimson Tide
During a state of high alert, the USS Alabama is deployed to monitor a nuclear crisis. When her executive officer falls ill, her captain (Gene Hackman) is forced to draft a new one, Commander Hunter (Denzel Washington.) Following a shootout with a Russian submarine which damages the radio buoy in the middle of a transmission, a disagreement splits the crew in half. Half loyal to Commander Hunter and half loyal to the captain, the situation becomes volatile as the line is drawn between loyalty, mutiny and common sense.
I'm very certain the players for this palace drama were chosen very carefully and very well. With names that add power and presence to this piece, goosebumps line my shoulders and the back of my neck with good reason. Washington and Hackman are well balanced by solid performances by James Gandolfini, Matt Craven, Rocky Carroll and Viggo Mortensen. Mr Mortensen plays the seduced courtier with power, pathos and subtlety. The direction, both in production and post-production, were handled with finesse and dignity. My favorite episode being the Akula attack. Its tension is supported by the casting of Danny Nucci, his acting and the sound levels as he calls the plays from the sonar desk; as well, the swelling cues from Hans Zimmer's sweeping score. The editing was simple, but solid.
My only concern comes from the racial subtext after the disagreement by Gene Hackman's Captian Ramsey. It tries to infer something that is clearly not the point of the piece. This argument leads the viewer to believe the film is about race, but it clearly is not. This film is meant to be a tension-filled drama about two men who differ in their philosophy of war while in command of a deadly arsenal. It's a palace drama with political intrigue and deadly weapons. Also a picture of the modern nuclear submarine. It's not meant to be a "thinking" picture, it's meant to be a hair-raiser...and it is for the most part.
Overall the picture is indeed just that and is well executed, something that never fails to raise the goosebumps that cause my arm hairs to sit vertically for the duration of this story.
****
In: Rick Schroeder
Out: Denzel Washington
Coming Soon: Inside Man
I'm very certain the players for this palace drama were chosen very carefully and very well. With names that add power and presence to this piece, goosebumps line my shoulders and the back of my neck with good reason. Washington and Hackman are well balanced by solid performances by James Gandolfini, Matt Craven, Rocky Carroll and Viggo Mortensen. Mr Mortensen plays the seduced courtier with power, pathos and subtlety. The direction, both in production and post-production, were handled with finesse and dignity. My favorite episode being the Akula attack. Its tension is supported by the casting of Danny Nucci, his acting and the sound levels as he calls the plays from the sonar desk; as well, the swelling cues from Hans Zimmer's sweeping score. The editing was simple, but solid.
My only concern comes from the racial subtext after the disagreement by Gene Hackman's Captian Ramsey. It tries to infer something that is clearly not the point of the piece. This argument leads the viewer to believe the film is about race, but it clearly is not. This film is meant to be a tension-filled drama about two men who differ in their philosophy of war while in command of a deadly arsenal. It's a palace drama with political intrigue and deadly weapons. Also a picture of the modern nuclear submarine. It's not meant to be a "thinking" picture, it's meant to be a hair-raiser...and it is for the most part.
Overall the picture is indeed just that and is well executed, something that never fails to raise the goosebumps that cause my arm hairs to sit vertically for the duration of this story.
****
In: Rick Schroeder
Out: Denzel Washington
Coming Soon: Inside Man
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Poolhall Junkies
My grandparents babysat my great-uncle's pool table for twenty years while I was growing up and I learned the game on that table. My brothers were gifted in angles, velocity and control. Me, I fell short of those, but I still enjoy the game.
Johnny (Mars Callahan) never wanted to be a pool-hustler, but he trusted the wrong backer. His handler, Joe (Chazz Palminteri,) blocks his way to the pool-hall professionals, and when Johnny finds out, he quits. After a few dead-end jobs, trying to be honest, he quits and returns to the pool-hall. His brother Danny (Michael Rosenbaum) is following close on his brother's footsteps, but he's not hip to the game and ends up losing hard to a big-shot hustler. Danny breaks into a pawn shop to cover his debt and gets arrested. So Johnny's got to play to save his brother and pay off the debt.
This movie fits well for the Saturday afternoon movie on Ion Television at 3pm; one of those obscure films you pass by on a lap around the dial. The story is a bit disorganized with some elements that add credibility. Writer-Director-Star Callahan knows his material well and how to shoot compellingly. His casting is credible with stars like Palminteri, Rosenbaum, Rick Schroder and Christopher Walken each with pretty solid performances. However, his writing needed just a little more time and his dialogue some work. The jargon works, but the actors just aren't comfortable. The only player totally comfortable is Callahan himself. The movie's not a bad concept; however, the execution is a little rocky. The sub-sub-plot with Danny's friends, for instance, freezes the main plot like an ancient parking lot speed bump, the kind you always take at 5mph no matter what kind of hurry you're in. This knocked the credibility and beauty off so much that the film is a bit like Danny and his friends, a bit naive and immature.
****
In: Alison Eastwood
Out: Rick Shroeder
Coming Soon: Crimson Tide
Johnny (Mars Callahan) never wanted to be a pool-hustler, but he trusted the wrong backer. His handler, Joe (Chazz Palminteri,) blocks his way to the pool-hall professionals, and when Johnny finds out, he quits. After a few dead-end jobs, trying to be honest, he quits and returns to the pool-hall. His brother Danny (Michael Rosenbaum) is following close on his brother's footsteps, but he's not hip to the game and ends up losing hard to a big-shot hustler. Danny breaks into a pawn shop to cover his debt and gets arrested. So Johnny's got to play to save his brother and pay off the debt.
This movie fits well for the Saturday afternoon movie on Ion Television at 3pm; one of those obscure films you pass by on a lap around the dial. The story is a bit disorganized with some elements that add credibility. Writer-Director-Star Callahan knows his material well and how to shoot compellingly. His casting is credible with stars like Palminteri, Rosenbaum, Rick Schroder and Christopher Walken each with pretty solid performances. However, his writing needed just a little more time and his dialogue some work. The jargon works, but the actors just aren't comfortable. The only player totally comfortable is Callahan himself. The movie's not a bad concept; however, the execution is a little rocky. The sub-sub-plot with Danny's friends, for instance, freezes the main plot like an ancient parking lot speed bump, the kind you always take at 5mph no matter what kind of hurry you're in. This knocked the credibility and beauty off so much that the film is a bit like Danny and his friends, a bit naive and immature.
****
In: Alison Eastwood
Out: Rick Shroeder
Coming Soon: Crimson Tide
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