Giant Robots take an alternate 1940's Manhattan, siphoning off both science and technology, and a string of missing scientists by a dark and mysterious force. New York's greatest hope lies in Sky Captain (Jude Law) and his mercenary flying squad. When his best friend and inventor-mechanic, Dex (Giovanni Ribisi) is kidnapped, he takes it upon himself to track down Dex and save him. Already on the trail of the missing scientists, Polly Perkins (Gwynth Paltrow), a reporter for the New York Chronicle, hitches a ride, hoping to get the story of her career. Teaming up with Francesca "Franky" Cooke (Angelina Jolie), an aircraft carrier commander, the unlikely duo gets to the bottom of the mystery and find answers of a bizarre nature.
There is a sub-genre of science fiction known as Steam Punk, where technology is based on metal, hydraulics and gears. Very few films and television shows use Steam Punk because it requires setting and precision for each unit of technology, plus it nearly always is a bit on the side of ludicrous side of appearance. So, the choice for the writers is whether or not to explain the workings of the tech or just to use it and spare the explanations. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow uses the second approach and does so with distinction, leaving the narrative to do what makes the film great: its cheeky humor and film noir cinematography with a production design that is jaw-dropping and simply beautiful.
As I understand it, this film began as a student project, but ended up beginning the popularity of a film style used by Zach Snyder in 300 and the upcoming action film Sucker Punch. Shot purely against a green-screen and sparsely utilized props and set pieces, it's a great exercise in acting for our cast, and they do it wonderfully. Especially done well is the Giant Robot attack, as Polly runs from the wake of the crushing metal feet: Paltrow's Polly feeling the quakes (that were never there physically) and reacting to tremors that don't physically exist. Green-screen is useful in the film for the many places Sky Captain and Polly travel to, from Manhattan to Shangri-La, Also in the creation of new settings such as Franky's aircraft carrier, which is quite literally an aircraft carrier flying around the world's airspace.
Now the story. Hmmm? Well it reads slightly like an Indiana Jones-caliber adventure film, complete with the red line on the map as our hero pair fly all over the world looking for Dr. Totenkopf (Laurence Olivier) and his assassin accomplice. Each turn has some fantastical setting and the action is campy, smooth and cheeky. The humorous exchanges between Polly and Sky Captain in their romantic tension as they work out their backstory brilliantly layers out the bizarreness that surrounds the rest of the plot making it a human drama with human emotion allowing us to relate to our main cast effortlessly. The overall plot is fun and humorous with great action, witty dialogue and an over-the-top concept that is "fun for the whole family."
****
In: Giovanni Ribisi
Out: Jude Law
Coming Soon: Sleuth
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Mod Squad
Julie Barnes (Claire Danes), Pete Cochran (Giovanni Ribisi), Lincoln Hayes (Omar Epps) are three infamous teenage criminals who were set to serve serious prison time until Detective Adam Greer (Denis Farina) recruited them to work as an undercover unit in order to infiltrate the club scene. When Greer is murdered during a drug sting, they take it upon themselves to solve the murder and clear his name, they end up uncovering something deeper.
Being that it's a remake of the vintage TV show, unfortunately never seen by me, so there's no comparison; this one feels just like a cop show from around that time evidenced by cinematography which clearly is an homage to Dirty Harry and The French Connection eras. With a rough combination of urban locations and depressed colors with urban fashion and grungy set designs, The Mod Squad offers a deep homage to classic police dramas. And the music selections fill out the rest, with a fabulous assortment of disco ballads and cool chill tracks.
As far as the story goes, it plays like a classic police drama: teaser (including setting and character intro), inciting crime, investigation, derailment, sting and arrest. It's a simple formula and this one follows faithfully. The writers went simple and kept everything clean, the film is honest and keeps the pacing tight. The mechanics are simple, non-stylized and hail from a time where the suspense ruled the screen. It feels like classic James Bond: muscle and plot.
The only thing with a film that follows formula so faithfully is that sometimes the performances fall emotionally flat. And such is the case with this film, unfortunately; however, it helps the film's honesty alive because this is not some deep existential film. What this film is, however, is comical; in the best way. The timing at each joke is perfect keeping the film light, as it's supposed to be, creating an effortless watching experience.
****
In: Steve Harris
Out: Giovanni Ribisi
Coming Soon: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Being that it's a remake of the vintage TV show, unfortunately never seen by me, so there's no comparison; this one feels just like a cop show from around that time evidenced by cinematography which clearly is an homage to Dirty Harry and The French Connection eras. With a rough combination of urban locations and depressed colors with urban fashion and grungy set designs, The Mod Squad offers a deep homage to classic police dramas. And the music selections fill out the rest, with a fabulous assortment of disco ballads and cool chill tracks.
As far as the story goes, it plays like a classic police drama: teaser (including setting and character intro), inciting crime, investigation, derailment, sting and arrest. It's a simple formula and this one follows faithfully. The writers went simple and kept everything clean, the film is honest and keeps the pacing tight. The mechanics are simple, non-stylized and hail from a time where the suspense ruled the screen. It feels like classic James Bond: muscle and plot.
The only thing with a film that follows formula so faithfully is that sometimes the performances fall emotionally flat. And such is the case with this film, unfortunately; however, it helps the film's honesty alive because this is not some deep existential film. What this film is, however, is comical; in the best way. The timing at each joke is perfect keeping the film light, as it's supposed to be, creating an effortless watching experience.
****
In: Steve Harris
Out: Giovanni Ribisi
Coming Soon: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Minority Report
In the near future, crime is not paid for after the fact; it is prevented. An elite division of police officers for The Pre-Crime Division, led by Chief John Anderton (Tom Cruise) and his team, solve crimes before they happen using three genetically altered people known as the Precogs: Art, Dash and Agatha (Smantha Morton). And they're never wrong, until one day during a federal inspection, the murder is premeditated and perp is one of their own, Chief Anderton himself. Only problem is, he's never met his victim.
With a style both borrowed from and enhanced from Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, Minority Report is a well designed film. The jargon spewed by the Pre-Crime Division personnel fits very comfortably in each performer's delivery, rolling off with clarity and educated expertise; a credit to quality preparation. The photography, including all the extra effects, is perfectly detailed, but not overdone, and beautiful. I'm comfortable in this world and it's completely believable.
The wit of the film is manifested in its action sequences, and they're clearly designed out of the 80's and are reminiscent of Indiana Jones and Star Wars. The first fight after Anderton is discovered both in the streets with his own men and in the car factory is a classic western train fight. It's brilliant and innovative.
The story premise is also innovative and paradoxical in a thought-provoking way. It questions the metaphysics of how someone prevents the inevitable destiny awaiting a person's future, especially if they are aware of the end event. And it's a great thinking film in that it never answers the question, allowing the audience to answer on their own and that's the sign of a good writer.
The personality of a film is partially defined by the performers of the piece. And the lead performer is enhanced by those who surround him or her. Tom Cruise is a powerhouse who requires a supporting cast with enough strength to balance the personality into a round presence that fills the screen and allows us to relate to the writer through each of the characters. This film has some powerful actors in the supporting roles. Samantha Morton, publicly unknown at this point, counters Cruise with subtlety and meekness and adds a beautiful presence to the screen both in conscience and horror. Her final monologue to Anderton and his ex-wife is heartbreaking and beautiful as she tells Anderton's son's probable future before the tactical team sweeps in. Steve Harris, Neal McDonough and Colin Farrell each add power to the scenes they share with Cruise. Harris, as the capable technician whose timely information is relayed to the tactical team, adds a calm smoothness to Cruise's ballistic performance. McDonough adds an almost loving touch, a brother's touch, as he has to put his friend and commander down. And Farrell adds an educated and cocky spin to the Red Herring "bad guy" in his fight and pursuit of Cruise's Anderton. These four provide a great springboard for the power that is in Tom Cruise's high-velocity emotional roller coaster. And Tim Blake Nelson, Max Von Syndow and Peter Stormare make the best of their time on screen with memorable performances each.
Overall the film is a great ride. It never slows down in speed, tension, musicality, pacing, action or performance: a brilliant package and a great story. Such a beautiful emotional piece.
****
IN: Colin Farrell
OUT: Steve Harris
Coming Soon: The Mod Squad
With a style both borrowed from and enhanced from Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, Minority Report is a well designed film. The jargon spewed by the Pre-Crime Division personnel fits very comfortably in each performer's delivery, rolling off with clarity and educated expertise; a credit to quality preparation. The photography, including all the extra effects, is perfectly detailed, but not overdone, and beautiful. I'm comfortable in this world and it's completely believable.
The wit of the film is manifested in its action sequences, and they're clearly designed out of the 80's and are reminiscent of Indiana Jones and Star Wars. The first fight after Anderton is discovered both in the streets with his own men and in the car factory is a classic western train fight. It's brilliant and innovative.
The story premise is also innovative and paradoxical in a thought-provoking way. It questions the metaphysics of how someone prevents the inevitable destiny awaiting a person's future, especially if they are aware of the end event. And it's a great thinking film in that it never answers the question, allowing the audience to answer on their own and that's the sign of a good writer.
The personality of a film is partially defined by the performers of the piece. And the lead performer is enhanced by those who surround him or her. Tom Cruise is a powerhouse who requires a supporting cast with enough strength to balance the personality into a round presence that fills the screen and allows us to relate to the writer through each of the characters. This film has some powerful actors in the supporting roles. Samantha Morton, publicly unknown at this point, counters Cruise with subtlety and meekness and adds a beautiful presence to the screen both in conscience and horror. Her final monologue to Anderton and his ex-wife is heartbreaking and beautiful as she tells Anderton's son's probable future before the tactical team sweeps in. Steve Harris, Neal McDonough and Colin Farrell each add power to the scenes they share with Cruise. Harris, as the capable technician whose timely information is relayed to the tactical team, adds a calm smoothness to Cruise's ballistic performance. McDonough adds an almost loving touch, a brother's touch, as he has to put his friend and commander down. And Farrell adds an educated and cocky spin to the Red Herring "bad guy" in his fight and pursuit of Cruise's Anderton. These four provide a great springboard for the power that is in Tom Cruise's high-velocity emotional roller coaster. And Tim Blake Nelson, Max Von Syndow and Peter Stormare make the best of their time on screen with memorable performances each.
Overall the film is a great ride. It never slows down in speed, tension, musicality, pacing, action or performance: a brilliant package and a great story. Such a beautiful emotional piece.
****
IN: Colin Farrell
OUT: Steve Harris
Coming Soon: The Mod Squad
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Miami Vice
Based on the vintage television show, Miami Vice, our story tells of undercover Miami-Dade Police Detectives Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Fox) and their operations in the seedy underground in Miami. With their support unit, Crockett and Tubbs investigate a drug smuggling ring, whose ruthless connections include a sadistic cadre of skinheads whose MO is a brutal death to those who cross them. Things go sideways when Crockett falls for the cartel banker (Gong Li) and their mark finds out they're cops.
Sleek and sexy with hot and exotic locations: gotta be Michael Mann. The details are all in: Crockett's hair, mustache, racing boat and Tubbs' ultra-slick coolness. And the different story locations are fleshed out with local flair, especially notable is the trash-heap that is the middle of the night in the down-town Haitian village. Mr. Mann knows how to find a beautiful locale for shooting and enhancing realism. Also beautiful, brilliant and well-done is the photography for each location, distinguishing each locale from each other allowing the audience an easy recall as to where the story's sitting for each leg of the story.
The minimalist tenor, including the score and music selections, pulls at the nerves in a slow methodical manner. And the realistic action scenes are conducted in a raw, efficient fashion; true to Mann's preparation and study into his subject. Also the performances by Farrell and Fox are, on the whole, comprehensive and real and well-prepared, including Farrell's hairstyle. These assists bring an audience to fully engage and are, as always, well done in a Mann film.
While love connections between characters complicate and layer the plot. The one between the banker and Crockett seems a bit borderline. Part of me likes its presence because of the conflict between Crockett's sense of duty and his growing feelings for her, something Colin Farrell portrays very well here; but a larger bit of me feels this love connection isn't necessary as we already have one with Tubbs' Trudy, it’s a strong one which leaves our team desperate, shooting our plot into the climax of the film with clinical precision. It's the only thing that's unsettling during this time around. But, then again, it's a sleek and sexy premise and the setting is fast and hot; love connections nearly always follow these things, so Crockett's connection is practically inevitable.
As an overall picture, this film is elegantly penned, performed, shot and edited. It's a film I can watch over and over several times. I'm very comfortable engaging emotionally and physically, as this film’s very easy on the senses. Very masterfully done.
****
IN: Gong Li
OUT: Colin Farrell
Coming Soon: Minority Report
Sleek and sexy with hot and exotic locations: gotta be Michael Mann. The details are all in: Crockett's hair, mustache, racing boat and Tubbs' ultra-slick coolness. And the different story locations are fleshed out with local flair, especially notable is the trash-heap that is the middle of the night in the down-town Haitian village. Mr. Mann knows how to find a beautiful locale for shooting and enhancing realism. Also beautiful, brilliant and well-done is the photography for each location, distinguishing each locale from each other allowing the audience an easy recall as to where the story's sitting for each leg of the story.
The minimalist tenor, including the score and music selections, pulls at the nerves in a slow methodical manner. And the realistic action scenes are conducted in a raw, efficient fashion; true to Mann's preparation and study into his subject. Also the performances by Farrell and Fox are, on the whole, comprehensive and real and well-prepared, including Farrell's hairstyle. These assists bring an audience to fully engage and are, as always, well done in a Mann film.
While love connections between characters complicate and layer the plot. The one between the banker and Crockett seems a bit borderline. Part of me likes its presence because of the conflict between Crockett's sense of duty and his growing feelings for her, something Colin Farrell portrays very well here; but a larger bit of me feels this love connection isn't necessary as we already have one with Tubbs' Trudy, it’s a strong one which leaves our team desperate, shooting our plot into the climax of the film with clinical precision. It's the only thing that's unsettling during this time around. But, then again, it's a sleek and sexy premise and the setting is fast and hot; love connections nearly always follow these things, so Crockett's connection is practically inevitable.
As an overall picture, this film is elegantly penned, performed, shot and edited. It's a film I can watch over and over several times. I'm very comfortable engaging emotionally and physically, as this film’s very easy on the senses. Very masterfully done.
****
IN: Gong Li
OUT: Colin Farrell
Coming Soon: Minority Report
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Hannibal Lecter: Series Analysis
The man, the character, is a cult icon; AFI's number one villain and star of a series saturated with wit, charm and violence with a supporting cast eclipsed by the master thriller. The four-part novel series by Thomas Harris displays a snapshot of four stages in the life of prolific serial killer Hannibal Lecter. Hannibal Rising shows his childhood, youth and young adulthood as he revenges his family in a brutal and merciless revenge drama. Red Dragon features the story of Special Agent Will Graham and his collaborations with Lecter, both which nearly cost him his life but the first which facilitates Lecter's capture and imprisonment. Silence of the Lambs brings forward FBI Cadet Clarice Starling as she interviews Dr. Lecter, who helps in her profiling serial killer Buffalo Bill. In the end, Lecter manipulates his way outside of his cell and disappears for over a decade. Disgraced Agent Starling returns to the hunt for a man who continues to haunt her, determined to bring him in and save him from Sadistic Lecter-Victim, Mason Verger, initiating an international manhunt in Hannibal.
In the only movie installment written by author Thomas Harris, Hannibal Rising is a bit out of place with the rest of the series, due mostly because of its origin-story status. As an origin story it thrives in a beautiful narrative way as it unfolds while de-humanizing a young and impressionable boy. As well, it is a coming of age story as it informs all of what the character will be: ruthless, manipulative, violent, vigilant, scientific, stylish and sophisticated. We see each person, from Grutas the Cannibal (Rhys Infans) to Lady Murisaki (Gong Li,) has a hand in his craft and his modus operandi. And this installment is elegant in performance and production. The writing, despite all his knowledge and the fact that he's the father of the series, is a bit disjointed and has a bit of a rocky start. However, to his credit, Harris does stabilize the plot from the discovery of the first of the soldiers, who kidnap Hannibal (Gaspard Ulial) and cannibalize his sister, toward the end. The performances are each elegant and full, despite the uneasy story-line. Ulial's Hannibal is seductive and vicious and graceful. Li's Murisaki is soulful and heartbreakingly sorrowful as well as capable, independent, and instructive. Infans' Grutas is acidic in every way, but he is in full control of his character's essence, inhabiting his character with a fullness of malice, greed and evil. And my favorite, Dominic West's Inspector Popil, feeling responsible for keeping Hannibal on his side of the law issuing heart-felt warnings, but unwittingly educating his charge on evading the law. West fills Popil with horror at what Hannibal is capable of and how much his young life has changed him, once saying that Hannibal is "monstrous." The finesse in the film belongs to its production design. The photography, set pieces, costumes and locations are married with such precision and detail that we are transported back fifty years allowing for a comfortable and effortless viewing experience.
The unease of it's series predecessor highlights the operatic beauty which the next installment holds. Red Dragon eclipses Hannibal Rising in every way. The color, performance, writing, music and overall development is excellent. Of course the presence of Hannibal's iconic performer, Sir Anthony Hopkins, helps; but as Hannibal's been relegated to the sidelines, Hopkins makes due with his little precious time, with great effect. Every performer gives a full performance and breathes a lifelike and equally brilliant performance into each character introduced. The presence I appreciate much is Ralph Fiennes' Francis Dollarhyde. He is imposing physically and emotionally, but shy, tender, confused and split. I enjoy the plot-line involving Reba McClane (Emily Watson) and Dollarhyde's romance. He is shy, while she is confidant, passionate and open. Watson and Fiennes' chemistry is so believable that it's heartbreaking when he chooses to spare her life, but embrace his killer nature. The later exchange between Special Agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) and Reba after Dollarhyde abandons her is warm and very pleasant. As far as filmmaking craft is concerned, I'm impressed and inspired with Danny Elfman's score as he brings soul, sorrow, passion and horror, to equally enhance and edging the suspense of the plot as it unfolds. This installment fits very well into the myth-arc for the series as it plugs into the next installment with poise and smoothness, presenting a comfortable ride through a very full and beautiful film.
Then, there's the magnum opus, the first and best: Silence of the Lambs!! Every actor and filmmaker should see this staggeringly spine-tingling and stingingly sensual experience. I remember being so captivated ten years ago when I first met Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) and Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) and felt my nerve endings quiver during their tense game of quid pro quo. Hopkins' iconic performance, seducing everyone as our soul sighs in agony as we give in and fall helpless to give him what he wants, just as Starling does, as Lecter--a caged bird--sings his song and that song was so beautiful. And, as a woman, I am inspired by Starling's empowerment courtesy of their conversations. Buffalo Bill, however, is a weak character, not scary to me at all: as a fan of CBS' Criminal Minds, entering the mind of this type of killer is nothing new to my sensibilities. Of course, Bill's not the one that is destined to make my heart race: he's the prize for winning the game. The framing, staging and blocking involved was brilliant. The casting of the extras in the funeral home scene alone was fantastic: Clarice is surrounded, nearly in a neat circle, by local law enforcement officers and they all tower over her by at least six inches, all wearing green uniforms against her baby blue jacket making her drown in sea of green masculinity...stunning!! Also the photography surrounding Lecter's cell during his escape, creating a beautiful picture. I've always loved this one over all the others, and of course it sits well in the series as the four jump off from its base.
The fourth, chronologically, is also the most bizarre. It seems to be rather unfocused, as it deals with several themes: love, corruption, revenge, survival, freedom and the classic criminal fugitive hunt. Whereas the technical aspects and design details are stunning, the story stumbles. However, it stumbles rather smoothly. The package is blunt, but passionate, as Hannibal lures Clarice (Julianne Moore) into confessing her affection for him, which she never does and can never do because she's a hero and cannot cross that line. The makeup is the most stunning aspect of the film, besides the entirety that is the package. Especially the job done on Mason Verger (Gary Oldman) who's facial makeup hides his face so well, I was unable to recognize one of my favorite actors beneath the first time I saw it. Ridley Scott, the director, is famous for going the full distance, whether creating a futuristic wasteland or recreating the 1960's or The Colosseum of Ancient Rome. And here, he takes no exception: when his pawn dies, Rinaldo Pazzi (Giancarlo Gianni) has blood all over his own hands and must wash it off, so he does in a fountain featuring a large boar foreshadowing the death intended by Verger for Hannibal Lecter. Until this time, I failed to notice this; one of the perks of the practice of multiple viewings. The package is brilliant, passionate and sensual; so beautiful, but so bizarre.
The films in this series are related, but they're related only by the character of Lecter, with the exception of Hannibal's Starling (and even that differs because of the performance change between Foster and Moore) and the mention of her in Red Dragon. The relationship is not drawn by style, as there are four distinct production designs and four very differing directors. The scores don't sound similar, the photography is not similar, so the series doesn't flow smoothly. Unlike the original three Star Wars films or the original six Star Trek films, the style does not match. It makes our journey a bit unsettled and unbalanced. And, just because the directors differ, doesn't mean the style cannot match; after all the Harry Potter film series has four separate directors and they flow pretty smoothly. However, this diversity doesn't mean that the series is less interesting, because each film represents a very different stage in the life of our chief character, Hannibal Lecter. The series is interesting to me; I can watch each over and over again because they each have excellence within.
****
IN: Anthony Hopkins
OUT: Gong Li
Coming Soon: Miami Vice
In the only movie installment written by author Thomas Harris, Hannibal Rising is a bit out of place with the rest of the series, due mostly because of its origin-story status. As an origin story it thrives in a beautiful narrative way as it unfolds while de-humanizing a young and impressionable boy. As well, it is a coming of age story as it informs all of what the character will be: ruthless, manipulative, violent, vigilant, scientific, stylish and sophisticated. We see each person, from Grutas the Cannibal (Rhys Infans) to Lady Murisaki (Gong Li,) has a hand in his craft and his modus operandi. And this installment is elegant in performance and production. The writing, despite all his knowledge and the fact that he's the father of the series, is a bit disjointed and has a bit of a rocky start. However, to his credit, Harris does stabilize the plot from the discovery of the first of the soldiers, who kidnap Hannibal (Gaspard Ulial) and cannibalize his sister, toward the end. The performances are each elegant and full, despite the uneasy story-line. Ulial's Hannibal is seductive and vicious and graceful. Li's Murisaki is soulful and heartbreakingly sorrowful as well as capable, independent, and instructive. Infans' Grutas is acidic in every way, but he is in full control of his character's essence, inhabiting his character with a fullness of malice, greed and evil. And my favorite, Dominic West's Inspector Popil, feeling responsible for keeping Hannibal on his side of the law issuing heart-felt warnings, but unwittingly educating his charge on evading the law. West fills Popil with horror at what Hannibal is capable of and how much his young life has changed him, once saying that Hannibal is "monstrous." The finesse in the film belongs to its production design. The photography, set pieces, costumes and locations are married with such precision and detail that we are transported back fifty years allowing for a comfortable and effortless viewing experience.
The unease of it's series predecessor highlights the operatic beauty which the next installment holds. Red Dragon eclipses Hannibal Rising in every way. The color, performance, writing, music and overall development is excellent. Of course the presence of Hannibal's iconic performer, Sir Anthony Hopkins, helps; but as Hannibal's been relegated to the sidelines, Hopkins makes due with his little precious time, with great effect. Every performer gives a full performance and breathes a lifelike and equally brilliant performance into each character introduced. The presence I appreciate much is Ralph Fiennes' Francis Dollarhyde. He is imposing physically and emotionally, but shy, tender, confused and split. I enjoy the plot-line involving Reba McClane (Emily Watson) and Dollarhyde's romance. He is shy, while she is confidant, passionate and open. Watson and Fiennes' chemistry is so believable that it's heartbreaking when he chooses to spare her life, but embrace his killer nature. The later exchange between Special Agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) and Reba after Dollarhyde abandons her is warm and very pleasant. As far as filmmaking craft is concerned, I'm impressed and inspired with Danny Elfman's score as he brings soul, sorrow, passion and horror, to equally enhance and edging the suspense of the plot as it unfolds. This installment fits very well into the myth-arc for the series as it plugs into the next installment with poise and smoothness, presenting a comfortable ride through a very full and beautiful film.
Then, there's the magnum opus, the first and best: Silence of the Lambs!! Every actor and filmmaker should see this staggeringly spine-tingling and stingingly sensual experience. I remember being so captivated ten years ago when I first met Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) and Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) and felt my nerve endings quiver during their tense game of quid pro quo. Hopkins' iconic performance, seducing everyone as our soul sighs in agony as we give in and fall helpless to give him what he wants, just as Starling does, as Lecter--a caged bird--sings his song and that song was so beautiful. And, as a woman, I am inspired by Starling's empowerment courtesy of their conversations. Buffalo Bill, however, is a weak character, not scary to me at all: as a fan of CBS' Criminal Minds, entering the mind of this type of killer is nothing new to my sensibilities. Of course, Bill's not the one that is destined to make my heart race: he's the prize for winning the game. The framing, staging and blocking involved was brilliant. The casting of the extras in the funeral home scene alone was fantastic: Clarice is surrounded, nearly in a neat circle, by local law enforcement officers and they all tower over her by at least six inches, all wearing green uniforms against her baby blue jacket making her drown in sea of green masculinity...stunning!! Also the photography surrounding Lecter's cell during his escape, creating a beautiful picture. I've always loved this one over all the others, and of course it sits well in the series as the four jump off from its base.
The fourth, chronologically, is also the most bizarre. It seems to be rather unfocused, as it deals with several themes: love, corruption, revenge, survival, freedom and the classic criminal fugitive hunt. Whereas the technical aspects and design details are stunning, the story stumbles. However, it stumbles rather smoothly. The package is blunt, but passionate, as Hannibal lures Clarice (Julianne Moore) into confessing her affection for him, which she never does and can never do because she's a hero and cannot cross that line. The makeup is the most stunning aspect of the film, besides the entirety that is the package. Especially the job done on Mason Verger (Gary Oldman) who's facial makeup hides his face so well, I was unable to recognize one of my favorite actors beneath the first time I saw it. Ridley Scott, the director, is famous for going the full distance, whether creating a futuristic wasteland or recreating the 1960's or The Colosseum of Ancient Rome. And here, he takes no exception: when his pawn dies, Rinaldo Pazzi (Giancarlo Gianni) has blood all over his own hands and must wash it off, so he does in a fountain featuring a large boar foreshadowing the death intended by Verger for Hannibal Lecter. Until this time, I failed to notice this; one of the perks of the practice of multiple viewings. The package is brilliant, passionate and sensual; so beautiful, but so bizarre.
The films in this series are related, but they're related only by the character of Lecter, with the exception of Hannibal's Starling (and even that differs because of the performance change between Foster and Moore) and the mention of her in Red Dragon. The relationship is not drawn by style, as there are four distinct production designs and four very differing directors. The scores don't sound similar, the photography is not similar, so the series doesn't flow smoothly. Unlike the original three Star Wars films or the original six Star Trek films, the style does not match. It makes our journey a bit unsettled and unbalanced. And, just because the directors differ, doesn't mean the style cannot match; after all the Harry Potter film series has four separate directors and they flow pretty smoothly. However, this diversity doesn't mean that the series is less interesting, because each film represents a very different stage in the life of our chief character, Hannibal Lecter. The series is interesting to me; I can watch each over and over again because they each have excellence within.
****
IN: Anthony Hopkins
OUT: Gong Li
Coming Soon: Miami Vice
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Hannibal Lecter and Character Archetypes
In his screenwriting manual, Story, Robert McKee says, "The function of Character is to bring to the story the qualities of characterization necessary to convincingly act out choices. Put simply, a character must be credible: young enough or old enough, strong or weak, worldly or naive, educated or ignorant, generous or selfish, witty or dull, in the right proportions, Each must bring to the story the combination of qualities that allows an audience to believe that the character could and would do what he does." The character is not only the conduit from which we learn the message and meaning of a well-written story, but he also forces a relationship with the audience and the writer. And there are many types, archetypes, which define the morality of their side of the plot and inform our love or hatred toward them. And, like all literary tools, there are some misconceptions of how to apply the different labels. So, I've chosen to have the horrible saga of Hannibal Lecter teach us the proper classifications of Character Archetypes.
His is a famous story, spanning four volumes: Hannibal Rising, Red Dragon, The SIlence of the Lambs and Hannibal. After a harsh winter during World War II, Lithuanian aristocrat, young Hannibal Lecter has repressed his time in his family cabin as a hostage of mercenary soldiers. As he discovers those who are responsible for his sister's death, he begins to remember and embarks on a road of revenge; the building blocks of his rise toward infamy. Many more years later, he is a forensic psychologist assisting in the investigation of a series of murders pursued by FBI Agent Will Graham. When Graham deduces that his quarry is eating his victims, he proposes his theory to Lecter and while observing, realizes too late that Lecter is the man he's looking for. Gravely wounding each other, Lecter is caught and incarcerated at a mental hospital for the criminally insane. Years later Graham returns to ask for Lecter's help in solving another serial murder. And, soon after, helps FBI Cadet Clarice Starling on another, and facilitates his escape from custody after pointing Starling in the right direction. After having an old friend for dinner, Lecter disappears for nearly a decade. He later surfaces, having packed away the curator of a museum, in Rome after drawing the attention of the FBI and a disgraced Agent Starling. Chased by law enforcement and an old enemy, Hannibal is cornered, and narrowly escapes with his own life.
And so, in this saga, who do we relate to? To whom is granted our pity; our sympathy? Who do we favor? Most would favor law enforcement: the heroic hunters who stalk our notorious serial killer, because they represent truth and justice and give so much for the sake of stopping him; but I don't. My favor rests with this charming, polite, and proper sociopath due to his character's construction. Also because, regardless of it sounding twisted, we're meant to favor him. And why is this? Because the series is about him. And so we'll study four basic archetypes in our examination of the saga of Hannibal Lecter: The Protagonist, The Antagonist, The Hero and The Villain.
The protagonist is the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel or other fictional text. From the greek word protagonistes meaning "first in importance," the protagonist has the will and capacity to pursue the object of his conscious and/or unconscious desire to the end of the line. The protagonist must be empathetic, we must be able to relate to him on the most basic and human level as he is portrayed realistically; however, he may or may not be sympathetic: we may not share his feelings or proclivities. For all intents and purposes, I believe Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins and Gaspard Ulliel) is the protagonist of the series we study this week. The four films, on their own, each have their own protagonist, as well and we'll see how they differ from the fact that Lecter is the series' protagonist. For two of the four films, he is clearly the protagonist, but is he for the other two? Hannibal Rising is a fictional biopic and, as the title suggests, the birth of the character we love to fear. After the death of his sister, he drives the plot as he hunts his five targets and systematically eliminates each according to his pleasure. He is central to the plot and it is for him and through him we travel the length of the story. Red Dragon, however, focuses on someone else. It seems that Will Graham (Edward Norton) is the protagonist. We focus our thoughts and feelings toward him, and Lecter takes a more supporting role as he is incarcerated for the entire plot, save for the teaser which tells us of Graham's capture of Lecter and their strange relationship. We feel for him, his family, his suffering and his feelings. But in the series, he is not a protagonist, in fact he's the opposite. Similarly, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster and Julianne Moore) is the protagonist in Silence of the Lambs, but in the last film, Hannibal, she is the opposing force for the series' protagonist as well as in the film.
Contrary to popular belief, the protagonist is not necessarily The Hero. The Hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. This individual, in the face of danger and adversity, displays courage and the will for self sacrifice. Hannibal Lecter, regardless of his command of presence in the series and polite intentions, boasts none of these things; thus, he cannot be a hero no matter how helpful he is. We must turn to some of his opposition for this, from those who pursue him: Hannibal Rising's Inspector Popli (Dominic West) and Lady Murisaki (Gong Li); Red Dragon's Will Graham and Jack Crawford (Harvey Keitel); Silence of the Lambs' and Hannibal's Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster and Julianne Moore). Usually coming from law enforcement, chosen to follow him, sometimes to their destruction; Graham, for instance. The series exception being, Lady Murisaki, who is an emotional opponent offering the conscience and soul Lecter does not have and cannot cultivate. A hero, our protagonist is not; he's something else.
Villains are evil characters. An effective villain is not just pure evil: he has what Aristotle called "goodness" in him, a sense of morality, appropriate to the needs of the plot. The word comes from the 15th century, defining a person of less than knightly status, eventually coming to mean a person who was not chivalrous. A villain represents the opposing values of a hero. Because of this, a convincing villain must be given a characterization making his or her motive for doing wrong convincing, as well a being a worthy adversary. Conversely to most plots, our protagonist is also our primary villain. But there are other villains in the series, too. Hannibal Rising is populated by those he hunts, the men who kidnapped Lecter and his sister, Misha, and also ate her in the harsh winter. At some point, they cease being the hunted and start hunting him and intend on killing him. Rhys Infans' Grutas is a perfect example of someone who is not an effective villain, but is an effective antagonist. He's pure evil, nothing is endearing and his motives are not portrayed. However, Red Dragon's Francis Dollarhyde (Ralph Fiennes) is the perfect example of an effective villain. He's loving toward his love interest and could easily forsake the evil path, but in the end choses his alter-ego's persona and tries to kill Graham's family. Therefore the moral choice is in him, but he choses the evil path. Our series' protagonist, unconventionally, is a villain. When offered the choice to sacrifice his vengeance and begin a life with Lady Murisaki, Lecter chooses the evil path and says, "Never."
What villains tend to be is the antagonist. From the Greek word antagonistes meaning "opponent, competitor or rival," an antagonist overtly clashes with the protagonist and, in equal will, strives against the conscious or unconscious desire of his counterpart. Around the mid-point of any season of Fox Television's series 24, the heroes of the United States Government agencies become the antagonists and protagonist and hero, Jack Bauer, is forced to go the distance of the rest of the season alone. These agents aren't evil, per se, they just actively oppose the protagonist. The antagonists for this series include Grutas and his crew, Fredrick Chilton (Anthony Heald,) Inspector Popli, Clarice Starling, Paul Krendler (Ray Liotta), Inspector Pazzi (Giancarlo Gianni) and Mason Verger (Gary Oldman.) An antagonist seems to be the simplest to classify, due to the simplicity of being an opponent to the protagonist.
Character archetypes help a viewer choose to be a fan of, or be a "hater" of, any certain character. Archetypes assist writers in defining who each member of their story is and where they fit in the moral tone, and action inside the plot. I love unconventional applications of anything, whether it be a story paradigm or plot formula or a new way to prepare and serve macaroni and cheese. Whomever said, "Variety is the spice of life," was absolutely spot on. This series is brilliant in its unconventional application of these four major character types nailing each with clarity and finesse.
***
Coming Soon: Hannibal Lecter: Series Analysis
His is a famous story, spanning four volumes: Hannibal Rising, Red Dragon, The SIlence of the Lambs and Hannibal. After a harsh winter during World War II, Lithuanian aristocrat, young Hannibal Lecter has repressed his time in his family cabin as a hostage of mercenary soldiers. As he discovers those who are responsible for his sister's death, he begins to remember and embarks on a road of revenge; the building blocks of his rise toward infamy. Many more years later, he is a forensic psychologist assisting in the investigation of a series of murders pursued by FBI Agent Will Graham. When Graham deduces that his quarry is eating his victims, he proposes his theory to Lecter and while observing, realizes too late that Lecter is the man he's looking for. Gravely wounding each other, Lecter is caught and incarcerated at a mental hospital for the criminally insane. Years later Graham returns to ask for Lecter's help in solving another serial murder. And, soon after, helps FBI Cadet Clarice Starling on another, and facilitates his escape from custody after pointing Starling in the right direction. After having an old friend for dinner, Lecter disappears for nearly a decade. He later surfaces, having packed away the curator of a museum, in Rome after drawing the attention of the FBI and a disgraced Agent Starling. Chased by law enforcement and an old enemy, Hannibal is cornered, and narrowly escapes with his own life.
And so, in this saga, who do we relate to? To whom is granted our pity; our sympathy? Who do we favor? Most would favor law enforcement: the heroic hunters who stalk our notorious serial killer, because they represent truth and justice and give so much for the sake of stopping him; but I don't. My favor rests with this charming, polite, and proper sociopath due to his character's construction. Also because, regardless of it sounding twisted, we're meant to favor him. And why is this? Because the series is about him. And so we'll study four basic archetypes in our examination of the saga of Hannibal Lecter: The Protagonist, The Antagonist, The Hero and The Villain.
The protagonist is the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel or other fictional text. From the greek word protagonistes meaning "first in importance," the protagonist has the will and capacity to pursue the object of his conscious and/or unconscious desire to the end of the line. The protagonist must be empathetic, we must be able to relate to him on the most basic and human level as he is portrayed realistically; however, he may or may not be sympathetic: we may not share his feelings or proclivities. For all intents and purposes, I believe Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins and Gaspard Ulliel) is the protagonist of the series we study this week. The four films, on their own, each have their own protagonist, as well and we'll see how they differ from the fact that Lecter is the series' protagonist. For two of the four films, he is clearly the protagonist, but is he for the other two? Hannibal Rising is a fictional biopic and, as the title suggests, the birth of the character we love to fear. After the death of his sister, he drives the plot as he hunts his five targets and systematically eliminates each according to his pleasure. He is central to the plot and it is for him and through him we travel the length of the story. Red Dragon, however, focuses on someone else. It seems that Will Graham (Edward Norton) is the protagonist. We focus our thoughts and feelings toward him, and Lecter takes a more supporting role as he is incarcerated for the entire plot, save for the teaser which tells us of Graham's capture of Lecter and their strange relationship. We feel for him, his family, his suffering and his feelings. But in the series, he is not a protagonist, in fact he's the opposite. Similarly, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster and Julianne Moore) is the protagonist in Silence of the Lambs, but in the last film, Hannibal, she is the opposing force for the series' protagonist as well as in the film.
Contrary to popular belief, the protagonist is not necessarily The Hero. The Hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. This individual, in the face of danger and adversity, displays courage and the will for self sacrifice. Hannibal Lecter, regardless of his command of presence in the series and polite intentions, boasts none of these things; thus, he cannot be a hero no matter how helpful he is. We must turn to some of his opposition for this, from those who pursue him: Hannibal Rising's Inspector Popli (Dominic West) and Lady Murisaki (Gong Li); Red Dragon's Will Graham and Jack Crawford (Harvey Keitel); Silence of the Lambs' and Hannibal's Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster and Julianne Moore). Usually coming from law enforcement, chosen to follow him, sometimes to their destruction; Graham, for instance. The series exception being, Lady Murisaki, who is an emotional opponent offering the conscience and soul Lecter does not have and cannot cultivate. A hero, our protagonist is not; he's something else.
Villains are evil characters. An effective villain is not just pure evil: he has what Aristotle called "goodness" in him, a sense of morality, appropriate to the needs of the plot. The word comes from the 15th century, defining a person of less than knightly status, eventually coming to mean a person who was not chivalrous. A villain represents the opposing values of a hero. Because of this, a convincing villain must be given a characterization making his or her motive for doing wrong convincing, as well a being a worthy adversary. Conversely to most plots, our protagonist is also our primary villain. But there are other villains in the series, too. Hannibal Rising is populated by those he hunts, the men who kidnapped Lecter and his sister, Misha, and also ate her in the harsh winter. At some point, they cease being the hunted and start hunting him and intend on killing him. Rhys Infans' Grutas is a perfect example of someone who is not an effective villain, but is an effective antagonist. He's pure evil, nothing is endearing and his motives are not portrayed. However, Red Dragon's Francis Dollarhyde (Ralph Fiennes) is the perfect example of an effective villain. He's loving toward his love interest and could easily forsake the evil path, but in the end choses his alter-ego's persona and tries to kill Graham's family. Therefore the moral choice is in him, but he choses the evil path. Our series' protagonist, unconventionally, is a villain. When offered the choice to sacrifice his vengeance and begin a life with Lady Murisaki, Lecter chooses the evil path and says, "Never."
What villains tend to be is the antagonist. From the Greek word antagonistes meaning "opponent, competitor or rival," an antagonist overtly clashes with the protagonist and, in equal will, strives against the conscious or unconscious desire of his counterpart. Around the mid-point of any season of Fox Television's series 24, the heroes of the United States Government agencies become the antagonists and protagonist and hero, Jack Bauer, is forced to go the distance of the rest of the season alone. These agents aren't evil, per se, they just actively oppose the protagonist. The antagonists for this series include Grutas and his crew, Fredrick Chilton (Anthony Heald,) Inspector Popli, Clarice Starling, Paul Krendler (Ray Liotta), Inspector Pazzi (Giancarlo Gianni) and Mason Verger (Gary Oldman.) An antagonist seems to be the simplest to classify, due to the simplicity of being an opponent to the protagonist.
Character archetypes help a viewer choose to be a fan of, or be a "hater" of, any certain character. Archetypes assist writers in defining who each member of their story is and where they fit in the moral tone, and action inside the plot. I love unconventional applications of anything, whether it be a story paradigm or plot formula or a new way to prepare and serve macaroni and cheese. Whomever said, "Variety is the spice of life," was absolutely spot on. This series is brilliant in its unconventional application of these four major character types nailing each with clarity and finesse.
***
Coming Soon: Hannibal Lecter: Series Analysis
Friday, March 04, 2011
Bobby
In the Spring of 1968, Robert Kennedy ran for President. After his brother's death in 1963 and the following murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, the climate of the nation was sustained by chaos. Kennedy's life ended at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 4, 1968 by an assassin's gun while awaiting the results of the California primary. Bobby is the multi-layered chain of events chronicling the lives of the people inhabiting The Ambassador Hotel that infamous day.
From a woman (Lindsay Lohan) marrying a soldier (Elijah Wood) in order to be able to send him to Germany instead of Vietnam and save his life, to the Kitchen Staff, headed by a racist (Christian Slater,) being able to vote to a pair of socialites (Helen Hunt and Martin Sheen) looking for the perfect pair of black shoes to wear to the gala, Bobby is a brilliantly woven yarn. It's loaded with perfect pacing, a great music selection and top acting (yes, even Ms. Lohan) featuring both award-winniners and newbies. And the editing is stunning: with selections from footage of interviews and speeches given by the real Robert Kennedy and news footage from the coverage of the vietnam war and its accompanying protests intercut with the action of the cast. The atmosphere of hope surrounding the anticipated victory is built by degrees as the emotion rises and crashes hard as the bullets fly. It woos this jaded film-watcher, stirring my emotions, pulling my heartstrings and I weep, inspired by the care, love and soul this story holds profoundly.
And the theme of duty, honor, love and brotherhood, compounded by tragedy of failure in hope lost: it's painfully beautiful. The remorse felt by two young campaign workers who choose to engage in a drug-induced haze rather than work the campaign is felt keenly as they realize the waste of the day: the tragedy being real because we know it wouldn't have made a difference. And the special gift of a radio by one of the kitchen staff to his co-worker, so that he could listen to the baseball game he's missing, adds a glimmer of hope following such a crushed dream. Wood and Lohan's wedding couple is my favorite story alongside Hunt and Sheen's socialite couple, as they offer hope, love and they way we all wish life could be. But all is shattered by the killer's gunfire, not only ending the hope of the nation, but shattering the lives of five others who were injured that night. But there is hope still for us, even if the past wasn't healed by the rise of the hope of the people inside The Ambassador, the chorus which becomes a motif says, "never gonna break my faith," adding a defiant prayer of sheer will. This film is truly inspiring, inviting us to take a stand and put all divisions between us and our brother human beings aside to heal our surroundings.
When I purchased this film several years ago, it was an pure impulse buy: but I'm grateful that the moment was not passed over, because I love this film. I learn so much about filmmaking from the elegant package and the brilliant story told, every time I watch it; whether it be the inspirational personal stories or the stunning use and staging in the juxtaposition between the stock footage of the event and the performances by the cast and crew. The final montage, underscored by one of Kennedy's speeches, shows the aftermath for each of our cast as they mourn, seek help and reconnect, stealing my tears and inspiring duty, honor, brotherhood and love and the hope to carry on in any situation as the film comes to a close.
*****
IN: Shia LaBeouf
Out: Anthony Hopkins
Coming Soon: Hannibal Lecter and a Study on Character Archetypes: The Villainous Protagonist
From a woman (Lindsay Lohan) marrying a soldier (Elijah Wood) in order to be able to send him to Germany instead of Vietnam and save his life, to the Kitchen Staff, headed by a racist (Christian Slater,) being able to vote to a pair of socialites (Helen Hunt and Martin Sheen) looking for the perfect pair of black shoes to wear to the gala, Bobby is a brilliantly woven yarn. It's loaded with perfect pacing, a great music selection and top acting (yes, even Ms. Lohan) featuring both award-winniners and newbies. And the editing is stunning: with selections from footage of interviews and speeches given by the real Robert Kennedy and news footage from the coverage of the vietnam war and its accompanying protests intercut with the action of the cast. The atmosphere of hope surrounding the anticipated victory is built by degrees as the emotion rises and crashes hard as the bullets fly. It woos this jaded film-watcher, stirring my emotions, pulling my heartstrings and I weep, inspired by the care, love and soul this story holds profoundly.
And the theme of duty, honor, love and brotherhood, compounded by tragedy of failure in hope lost: it's painfully beautiful. The remorse felt by two young campaign workers who choose to engage in a drug-induced haze rather than work the campaign is felt keenly as they realize the waste of the day: the tragedy being real because we know it wouldn't have made a difference. And the special gift of a radio by one of the kitchen staff to his co-worker, so that he could listen to the baseball game he's missing, adds a glimmer of hope following such a crushed dream. Wood and Lohan's wedding couple is my favorite story alongside Hunt and Sheen's socialite couple, as they offer hope, love and they way we all wish life could be. But all is shattered by the killer's gunfire, not only ending the hope of the nation, but shattering the lives of five others who were injured that night. But there is hope still for us, even if the past wasn't healed by the rise of the hope of the people inside The Ambassador, the chorus which becomes a motif says, "never gonna break my faith," adding a defiant prayer of sheer will. This film is truly inspiring, inviting us to take a stand and put all divisions between us and our brother human beings aside to heal our surroundings.
When I purchased this film several years ago, it was an pure impulse buy: but I'm grateful that the moment was not passed over, because I love this film. I learn so much about filmmaking from the elegant package and the brilliant story told, every time I watch it; whether it be the inspirational personal stories or the stunning use and staging in the juxtaposition between the stock footage of the event and the performances by the cast and crew. The final montage, underscored by one of Kennedy's speeches, shows the aftermath for each of our cast as they mourn, seek help and reconnect, stealing my tears and inspiring duty, honor, brotherhood and love and the hope to carry on in any situation as the film comes to a close.
*****
IN: Shia LaBeouf
Out: Anthony Hopkins
Coming Soon: Hannibal Lecter and a Study on Character Archetypes: The Villainous Protagonist
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
The Autobots have claimed Earth as their new home and have forged an unstable alliance with the members of a multinational military unit called NEST, led by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) and Major Lennox (Josh Duhmel) in order to curb the increasing Decepticon presence on the planet. And in the shadow of this intergalactic war, Starscream, Megatron's (Hugo Weaving) second in command, plans to raise his former commander in order to unleash the silent menace behind the rise of the Decepticons: The Fallen. Meanwhile, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) wanting to live a normal life, leaves for college and hopes to leave the robotic war behind.
Sequels nearly always fall short of their parent films and this one's no exception. This one's full of juvenile sexual humor, flashy action sequences and tired story-lines which populate the two-hours. Gone is the tension that makes each scene anticipated in order to drive and fuel the story. Frank Capra (of It's a Wonderful Life fame) says this of spectacle: "You can only involve an audience with people. You can't involve them with gimmicks, with sunsets, with hand-held cameras, zoom shots or anything else. They couldn't care less about those things. But you give them something to worry about, some person they can worry about, and care about, you've got them." This film's main concern is the story's dressing, it's embellishments, rather than the compelling human drama of the previous installment. Even the peril to our robotic heroes fails to be worth watching due to the lack of goodness, appropriateness, like-ability and consistency in character. And without the human element, regardless of the fact they are non-human in essence, the Cybertronians mostly exist as screen space only. Granted, slick and sexy screen space, but not enough for an emotional connection.
As exceptions go, however, the presence of one of my favorite story motifs is probably why I don't chuck this one on the pile of discs (some which I plan to shed from Click's Flix after this project) affectionately named "The Stack." This is the motif where the hero, or heroes in this case, is sacrificed for the greater good making all the difference for the plot. In this film's case, Optimus Prime (regardless of the fact he's the only one that can kill The Fallen) sacrifices himself to save Sam, whose purpose is to find the Matrix of Leadership in order to keep it from the Decepticons and save the world. Seemingly, all is lost at that point. But in order to obtain The Matrix, capable of starting any form of Cybertronian Tech, Sam himself must die for his mission. Because of this, it inspires in the audience a full measure of devotion as well as the will to fight for what is righteous and good with the will to sacrifice all for the greater good. This film executes this motif flawlessly and does what the majority of its package should have: puts the needs of the plot forward and uses the mechanics of filmmaking to enhance it instead of showcasing the spectacle.
So it's not the best film of all time; I must be honest, though, it's not the worst. Perfect to iron to, work out to, read to, study to or anything else that requires less concentration because there's little profundity. So, Chill-ax, and take it for what it is: spectacle only; a good story it is not.
****
In: Tyreese Gibson
Out: Shia LeBeouf
Coming Soon: Bobby
Sequels nearly always fall short of their parent films and this one's no exception. This one's full of juvenile sexual humor, flashy action sequences and tired story-lines which populate the two-hours. Gone is the tension that makes each scene anticipated in order to drive and fuel the story. Frank Capra (of It's a Wonderful Life fame) says this of spectacle: "You can only involve an audience with people. You can't involve them with gimmicks, with sunsets, with hand-held cameras, zoom shots or anything else. They couldn't care less about those things. But you give them something to worry about, some person they can worry about, and care about, you've got them." This film's main concern is the story's dressing, it's embellishments, rather than the compelling human drama of the previous installment. Even the peril to our robotic heroes fails to be worth watching due to the lack of goodness, appropriateness, like-ability and consistency in character. And without the human element, regardless of the fact they are non-human in essence, the Cybertronians mostly exist as screen space only. Granted, slick and sexy screen space, but not enough for an emotional connection.
As exceptions go, however, the presence of one of my favorite story motifs is probably why I don't chuck this one on the pile of discs (some which I plan to shed from Click's Flix after this project) affectionately named "The Stack." This is the motif where the hero, or heroes in this case, is sacrificed for the greater good making all the difference for the plot. In this film's case, Optimus Prime (regardless of the fact he's the only one that can kill The Fallen) sacrifices himself to save Sam, whose purpose is to find the Matrix of Leadership in order to keep it from the Decepticons and save the world. Seemingly, all is lost at that point. But in order to obtain The Matrix, capable of starting any form of Cybertronian Tech, Sam himself must die for his mission. Because of this, it inspires in the audience a full measure of devotion as well as the will to fight for what is righteous and good with the will to sacrifice all for the greater good. This film executes this motif flawlessly and does what the majority of its package should have: puts the needs of the plot forward and uses the mechanics of filmmaking to enhance it instead of showcasing the spectacle.
So it's not the best film of all time; I must be honest, though, it's not the worst. Perfect to iron to, work out to, read to, study to or anything else that requires less concentration because there's little profundity. So, Chill-ax, and take it for what it is: spectacle only; a good story it is not.
****
In: Tyreese Gibson
Out: Shia LeBeouf
Coming Soon: Bobby
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Transformers
When Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) buys his first car, he inadvertently is recruited into an ancient extraterrestrial civil war from a dead planet. His car, a classic Chevy Camaro, is not your typical clunker. In fact, he's been around for a while, and his name is Bumble Bee, an Cyborobotic organism from the planet Cybertron. Along with Mikaela (Megan Fox,) a girl from his class, he agrees to help search for the Allspark, the building block of all life on Cybertron. Along with Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) and his team, the Autobots, Sam, a special forces squad, a secret government division and a pair of computer hackers work together with the Secretary of Defense (Jon Voight) to hide the Allspark from Megatron (Hugo Weaving) and his band of Decepticons.
When I first saw the trailer for this one, fifteen months before its release date, I was thrilled to the point of goosebumps because I loved the cartoon as a child. I remember sneaking Transformers, X-Men, Spiderman, GI Joe and Batman on Saturday mornings when my parents were not home and loving the action and the simple idea that simple items like cars and trucks and tanks that change into robots. This film met all of my expectations for what the Transformers looked like, their vehicle choices, the action and the hybrid nature of a human-based story with computer generated characters. The pacing is upbeat, lively and inspiring. The fight between the Scorpion Decepticon and the US Forces is especially memorable with its hybrid special effects (physical and CGI,) music, authenticity and editing. Gives me goosebumps every time, inspiring me to love our military and making me so incredibly patriotic. A beautiful sequence!!
I am amazed with the realism portrayed in the effects of this film. And I am impressed by the art department's work on each of the Cybertronians. Barricade, the police car, is my favorite. He has everything from the 911 Emergency Response decal to the Decepticon police badge symbol, including sinister embellishments such as the motto "To Punish and Enslave" on the body of the police car. And the subtle irony that one of the bad guys is a police car. As I understand from the special features, the animation required a special algorithm the decide where each part of the automobile would be stored and displayed in the body of the robot when in "Transformed" mode. For instance, Barricade's tires become fists and shoulders and Bumble Bee's are elbow joints and shoulders. Also, due to Bumble Bee's muteness, he talks through the car's stereo using a digital radio. And Optimus Prime's cab becomes his chest and pectoral muscles. The results are stunning and add to the realism of the piece, authenticating it, drawing us in engaging us completely.
Not only does the technology draw its audience to engage, but the performances inspire loyalty, friendship, honor, duty and sacrifice. The cast was perfectly picked from newcomer (at the time) Shia LaBeouf to veteran Voight and the brilliant comedic cadence of John Turturro. The chemistry between the audio cast, as with the live actors adds to the smoothness and personality of the piece. The geek in me, of course, is tickled to hear the tones of Peter Cullen, the original performer for Optimus Prime. I enjoy LaBeouf's performance especially, he has the balance of the cute boy with the emotional depth of an up and coming power-actor including some comedy to balance.
A beautiful package; absolutely brilliant!!
*****
Coming Soon: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
When I first saw the trailer for this one, fifteen months before its release date, I was thrilled to the point of goosebumps because I loved the cartoon as a child. I remember sneaking Transformers, X-Men, Spiderman, GI Joe and Batman on Saturday mornings when my parents were not home and loving the action and the simple idea that simple items like cars and trucks and tanks that change into robots. This film met all of my expectations for what the Transformers looked like, their vehicle choices, the action and the hybrid nature of a human-based story with computer generated characters. The pacing is upbeat, lively and inspiring. The fight between the Scorpion Decepticon and the US Forces is especially memorable with its hybrid special effects (physical and CGI,) music, authenticity and editing. Gives me goosebumps every time, inspiring me to love our military and making me so incredibly patriotic. A beautiful sequence!!
I am amazed with the realism portrayed in the effects of this film. And I am impressed by the art department's work on each of the Cybertronians. Barricade, the police car, is my favorite. He has everything from the 911 Emergency Response decal to the Decepticon police badge symbol, including sinister embellishments such as the motto "To Punish and Enslave" on the body of the police car. And the subtle irony that one of the bad guys is a police car. As I understand from the special features, the animation required a special algorithm the decide where each part of the automobile would be stored and displayed in the body of the robot when in "Transformed" mode. For instance, Barricade's tires become fists and shoulders and Bumble Bee's are elbow joints and shoulders. Also, due to Bumble Bee's muteness, he talks through the car's stereo using a digital radio. And Optimus Prime's cab becomes his chest and pectoral muscles. The results are stunning and add to the realism of the piece, authenticating it, drawing us in engaging us completely.
Not only does the technology draw its audience to engage, but the performances inspire loyalty, friendship, honor, duty and sacrifice. The cast was perfectly picked from newcomer (at the time) Shia LaBeouf to veteran Voight and the brilliant comedic cadence of John Turturro. The chemistry between the audio cast, as with the live actors adds to the smoothness and personality of the piece. The geek in me, of course, is tickled to hear the tones of Peter Cullen, the original performer for Optimus Prime. I enjoy LaBeouf's performance especially, he has the balance of the cute boy with the emotional depth of an up and coming power-actor including some comedy to balance.
A beautiful package; absolutely brilliant!!
*****
Coming Soon: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Friday, February 18, 2011
Legion
Again grieved by mankind, God has willed that the world's population be wiped out wholesale so that Earth might begin anew. One child could change all that, the problem is, he's not been born yet. And so, the Heavenly Host is dispatched to Earth to destroy his mother, a waitress named Charlie (Adrienne Palicki) who tends a diner called Paradise Falls along with Jeep (Lucas Black) and his father, Bob (Dennis Quaid). The situation is dire and hope is nowhere, and the diner is besieged. Reluctant to carry out his Master's plan, Michael (Paul Bettany) rebels and stands with the band of misfits for one last stand. As time comes down and the baby is born, God sends a replacement, Gabriel (Kevin Durand,) the only one who can destroy the child.
Apocalyptic stories come in all forms. And my collection has a fair share of those: Resident Evil, The Happening, The Day the Earth Stood Still, 28 Days Later, Terminator, Cloverfield, Planet Terror and Daybreakers. And Legion is one of those. The typical formula for an Apocalyptic film is that there is a pestilence that comes to wipe out mankind, sometimes supernatural (as in this case and in The Happening) and sometimes viral (Resident Evil, 28 Days Later, Daybreakers, Planet Terror.) And rarely, it's a creature (such as is the case with Cloverfield.) This pestilence is fought by a small group of humans, such as our diner patrons. Someone usually shows up, like Resident Evil's Alice, who knows everything about what's coming and has a short time to recruit, train and fight with the small band against the onslaught. The film usually spans the time of a day or a night and the small band overcomes the creatures attacking with the help of a secret weapon of sorts. In this case the baby is the secret weapon: when he's born, the lesser Host cannot come near. But there's a last "Big Bad" who's got all the advantages and none of the weaknesses of the horde, in this case Kevin Durand's Gabriel. In one last battle with the believer (the one who equips our heroes to fight,) the most experienced warrior is usually killed fighting The Big Bad, leaving the real hero to prove himself.
This film follows the formula to the letter; however, the story itself is weak. Its main concern is a slam and slander upon the Christian Christmas story and a perversion of the Christian God where He is the villain and his Host is as well. So concerned were the writers to be overly preachy, that they failed to construct a tightly woven plot. The action is routine, the mechanics capably executed, but the story lags and, as my Dad would say, is "flopping around like a dead fish" whereupon one of my college roommates would remind me that "dead fish don't flop." However, a dying fish does, and so does this plot.
So where is the excellence? Every film has a redeeming point, and this one is in the performances brought by Kevin Durand and Paul Bettany and their chemistry as reluctant enemies. After his stunning stint on ABC's Lost, Kevin Durand has become someone I am inclined to follow. His physicality hides a soulful creature, passionate in performance. Here, with one of my favorite method actors, his Gabriel doesn't want to kill his brother; in fact he's grieved that he must. But he must; thus pushing his will to achieve his Master's purpose. And Bettany, always brilliant from ship's doctor to intelligent mainframe, brings a wisdom to Michael who accepts he's not to survive; as long as the baby does. And is willing to let his brother, Gabriel, kill him to prove his faith as righteous. And this brilliance between our two angels comes from pristine preparation by our two performers, whose work boosts the overall performance of the piece to a tolerable level, despite the material provided. This film is a fantastic example of great acting, despite bad writing.
****
In: Paul Bettany
Out: Tyreese Gibson
Coming Soon: Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Apocalyptic stories come in all forms. And my collection has a fair share of those: Resident Evil, The Happening, The Day the Earth Stood Still, 28 Days Later, Terminator, Cloverfield, Planet Terror and Daybreakers. And Legion is one of those. The typical formula for an Apocalyptic film is that there is a pestilence that comes to wipe out mankind, sometimes supernatural (as in this case and in The Happening) and sometimes viral (Resident Evil, 28 Days Later, Daybreakers, Planet Terror.) And rarely, it's a creature (such as is the case with Cloverfield.) This pestilence is fought by a small group of humans, such as our diner patrons. Someone usually shows up, like Resident Evil's Alice, who knows everything about what's coming and has a short time to recruit, train and fight with the small band against the onslaught. The film usually spans the time of a day or a night and the small band overcomes the creatures attacking with the help of a secret weapon of sorts. In this case the baby is the secret weapon: when he's born, the lesser Host cannot come near. But there's a last "Big Bad" who's got all the advantages and none of the weaknesses of the horde, in this case Kevin Durand's Gabriel. In one last battle with the believer (the one who equips our heroes to fight,) the most experienced warrior is usually killed fighting The Big Bad, leaving the real hero to prove himself.
This film follows the formula to the letter; however, the story itself is weak. Its main concern is a slam and slander upon the Christian Christmas story and a perversion of the Christian God where He is the villain and his Host is as well. So concerned were the writers to be overly preachy, that they failed to construct a tightly woven plot. The action is routine, the mechanics capably executed, but the story lags and, as my Dad would say, is "flopping around like a dead fish" whereupon one of my college roommates would remind me that "dead fish don't flop." However, a dying fish does, and so does this plot.
So where is the excellence? Every film has a redeeming point, and this one is in the performances brought by Kevin Durand and Paul Bettany and their chemistry as reluctant enemies. After his stunning stint on ABC's Lost, Kevin Durand has become someone I am inclined to follow. His physicality hides a soulful creature, passionate in performance. Here, with one of my favorite method actors, his Gabriel doesn't want to kill his brother; in fact he's grieved that he must. But he must; thus pushing his will to achieve his Master's purpose. And Bettany, always brilliant from ship's doctor to intelligent mainframe, brings a wisdom to Michael who accepts he's not to survive; as long as the baby does. And is willing to let his brother, Gabriel, kill him to prove his faith as righteous. And this brilliance between our two angels comes from pristine preparation by our two performers, whose work boosts the overall performance of the piece to a tolerable level, despite the material provided. This film is a fantastic example of great acting, despite bad writing.
****
In: Paul Bettany
Out: Tyreese Gibson
Coming Soon: Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Young Victoria
From Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo to the horrors of the opera house in Phantom of the Opera to ABC Television's Alias and the WB's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and within the pages Shakespeare and JK Rowling's Harry Potter, the love triangle has been one of the most effective tools for drama utilizing manipulation, politics and seduction. Of course, the most controversial and fought over love triangles of our time comes from the pages of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga. Defined, it is a situation involving three people in an emotional relationship involving a couple and a third person with whom one of them is involved. For instance, in Alias' season two finale, Michael Vartan's Vaughn goes to retrieve Jennifer Garner's Sidney from a yet unknown location after a vicious fight that knocked her unconscious for an as of yet unrevealed period of time. She wakes and calls in, meeting him at a safe house. And, in one of the series' most shocking points, he reveals his left hand and on the ring finger clearly sits a wedding ring. And so, for season three, she finds her world rocked to her discontent and the drama is so brilliantly stretched that their love triangle is one of the most memorable on television in the last decade.
And for Victoria, young queen of England, an unconventional love triangle brews for the novice queen. After the death of her uncle, the King of England, Victoria (Emily Blunt) is crowned queen with little to no experience. Seduced by the sitting Prime Minister, Melbourne (Paul Bettany), into trusting him alone, her choices seem all controlled. However, she is being advised by Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), a poor prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who must wait for her to decide whom she will choose.
Granted Melbourne is not in love with her, nor does he compete with Albert in the same way that Albert competes with Melbourne. Nor is Victoria aware of this behind-the-scenes competition, waiting to wisely make the choice of her lifetime, which history tells us lasted only 20 years of her 64 year reign, the longest in British history. And they were so in love. And for this film, Albert does not seduce; he serves and provides a balance to her work that supports her in every way. He is exactly the counter to Melbourne and makes for a smart match for her, providing wisdom and confidence that makes him the clear choice for her trust, winning her over completely.
And for this piece, this story, the love triangle serves its purpose well, creating a beautiful love story against a very turbulent and dark time in the historical landscape of England. The rich colors speak the passion of the story as the perfect counter to the times. The music is emotional, as are the performances. And the calculating coolness that is the British style of cinema sculpts the emotional landscape with richness and depth, recalling the exact reason why I love British Films. The creative way that the writers utilized the Love Triangle paints a beautiful way to balance personal and political choices, making for a wonderful and stunning love story. And, as you may recall, I am very picky whenever I engage a love story; The Young Victoria is one of the best I've encountered in the last five to ten years.
****
IN: Mark Strong
OUT: Paul Bettany
Coming Soon: Legion
And for Victoria, young queen of England, an unconventional love triangle brews for the novice queen. After the death of her uncle, the King of England, Victoria (Emily Blunt) is crowned queen with little to no experience. Seduced by the sitting Prime Minister, Melbourne (Paul Bettany), into trusting him alone, her choices seem all controlled. However, she is being advised by Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), a poor prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who must wait for her to decide whom she will choose.
Granted Melbourne is not in love with her, nor does he compete with Albert in the same way that Albert competes with Melbourne. Nor is Victoria aware of this behind-the-scenes competition, waiting to wisely make the choice of her lifetime, which history tells us lasted only 20 years of her 64 year reign, the longest in British history. And they were so in love. And for this film, Albert does not seduce; he serves and provides a balance to her work that supports her in every way. He is exactly the counter to Melbourne and makes for a smart match for her, providing wisdom and confidence that makes him the clear choice for her trust, winning her over completely.
And for this piece, this story, the love triangle serves its purpose well, creating a beautiful love story against a very turbulent and dark time in the historical landscape of England. The rich colors speak the passion of the story as the perfect counter to the times. The music is emotional, as are the performances. And the calculating coolness that is the British style of cinema sculpts the emotional landscape with richness and depth, recalling the exact reason why I love British Films. The creative way that the writers utilized the Love Triangle paints a beautiful way to balance personal and political choices, making for a wonderful and stunning love story. And, as you may recall, I am very picky whenever I engage a love story; The Young Victoria is one of the best I've encountered in the last five to ten years.
****
IN: Mark Strong
OUT: Paul Bettany
Coming Soon: Legion
Friday, February 11, 2011
Stardust
In the sleepy town of Wall, so named for the mysterious wall that separates the world of fact and the world of fantasy, a land called Stormhold, a boy named Dunstan Thorne (Ben Barnes) crosses the forbidden border and has a one-night stand with a salve princess: his son, Tristen, is delivered to him by the keeper of the wall shortly after his birth. Futilely trying to woo the object of his affection, Victoria (Sienna Miller), he promises to catch the falling star they see fall and bring it back before her birthday in order to ask for her hand. He journeys into Stormhold in search for the star; little does he know that the star is a beautiful girl, Yvane (Claire Danes,) and not just a rock. And he's not the only one looking for it, Prince Septimus of Stormhold (Mark Strong) and a witch, Lamia (Michelle Pfiffer,) are also hunting for her, intending to kill her and remove her heart to consume it. Befriending a queerish pirate called Shakespeare (Robert Di Niro,) Tristen discovers what love is all about, having the adventure of a lifetime and becomes a man along the way.
Seasoned with rock-solid performances and a wickedly hilarious cast (including a sidesplitting performance by Mark Williams (of Harry Potter fame) as a literal man-goat), Stardust is truly a fantastic story, in every way. Fairy tales are tricky stories as they require a formula, adhere to genre rules, have a great cast of characters, as well as coming up with something unique with a clever twist. This one has it all, including blue blood for our royal family. This one has sword fights, lightning pirates, witches, magic and murder most foul. And it's brilliant, captivating from the beginning 'til the flourish of the plot twist.
The storytelling is done so well in this film, with brilliant filmmaking trade-craft. Especially good is the pirate ship montage at the midpoint, confidently shot, cropped and scored to keep the pacing of the story, relieving the boredom that happens in the midpoint of most movies. Also helpful is the ballistic nature of Mark Strong's Septimus, creating a percussive force that rocks the boat in a violent and dramatic pulse. I'm also tickled by the humor afforded Robert Di Niro's Captain Shakespeare. This character development deepens the plot and adds depth to the setting and credibility to the land created; like Tolkein's MIddle Earth, it's a place believable and attractive to visit and making all the characters real. Fantasy worlds must be carefully created and each inch and surface must be planned out and calculated; Stardust is constructed with the greatest care in development, creating a timeless story which delights and moves its audience.
Stardust is beautiful, stunning, fabulous and performs with finesse. It ranks high on the my list of the greatest fairy tales in film. In the top ten alongside Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty. It's the kind of tale that could come out of The Arabian Nights or Grimm's Fairy Tales. I'm impressed every time I pop it in the DVD player. And I highly recommend it to anyone who borrows movies from my library, it's just so much fun!!
****
IN: Claire Danes
OUT: Mark Strong
Coming Soon: The Young Victoria
Seasoned with rock-solid performances and a wickedly hilarious cast (including a sidesplitting performance by Mark Williams (of Harry Potter fame) as a literal man-goat), Stardust is truly a fantastic story, in every way. Fairy tales are tricky stories as they require a formula, adhere to genre rules, have a great cast of characters, as well as coming up with something unique with a clever twist. This one has it all, including blue blood for our royal family. This one has sword fights, lightning pirates, witches, magic and murder most foul. And it's brilliant, captivating from the beginning 'til the flourish of the plot twist.
The storytelling is done so well in this film, with brilliant filmmaking trade-craft. Especially good is the pirate ship montage at the midpoint, confidently shot, cropped and scored to keep the pacing of the story, relieving the boredom that happens in the midpoint of most movies. Also helpful is the ballistic nature of Mark Strong's Septimus, creating a percussive force that rocks the boat in a violent and dramatic pulse. I'm also tickled by the humor afforded Robert Di Niro's Captain Shakespeare. This character development deepens the plot and adds depth to the setting and credibility to the land created; like Tolkein's MIddle Earth, it's a place believable and attractive to visit and making all the characters real. Fantasy worlds must be carefully created and each inch and surface must be planned out and calculated; Stardust is constructed with the greatest care in development, creating a timeless story which delights and moves its audience.
Stardust is beautiful, stunning, fabulous and performs with finesse. It ranks high on the my list of the greatest fairy tales in film. In the top ten alongside Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty. It's the kind of tale that could come out of The Arabian Nights or Grimm's Fairy Tales. I'm impressed every time I pop it in the DVD player. And I highly recommend it to anyone who borrows movies from my library, it's just so much fun!!
****
IN: Claire Danes
OUT: Mark Strong
Coming Soon: The Young Victoria
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Romeo + Juliet
In perhaps the best known romantic tragedy of all time, passion flows as the heat rises in love and war while weapons flash and blood pools; two erstwhile enemies put their parents feelings aside to romance each other. And while the enmity rises, and lives fall on both sides, their love affair is cut short and no side passes through unscathed.
This film's cousin, we've already seen and we've studied its seduction and sorrow. And while Moulin Rouge is Baz Luhrman's magnum opus, this one's charm is no less beautiful; its direction to cause the sigh within my soul for deep feeling to move and heave is effective and so brilliant. Regardless that the package's soul lies in better form than its counterpart from the 1960's, the emotion is drawn out and given a younger feel complete with modern costumes and upgraded weaponry and transport: I'm forced to compare the opera that is Moulin Rouge to Romeo and Juliet's rock-epic and say that I'm not as deeply affected by the passage of this film as I am of its cousin. But the package is deeply beautiful on its own, still giving me goosebumps at the pinnacle of each plot point, remaining in my sentiment one of the best adaptations of the story.
As far as the story goes, the presentation is beautifully done. The language fits well with the setting and the actors are very comfortable, all of them, with its complexity and meaning. I enjoy the banter between the Capulet and Montague boys, Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mercutio, and Tybalt (John Leguizamo) and Mercutio (Harold Perrineau). The casting is very well done, each are very comfortable with their characters, pouring the full measure of themselves. Leguizamo's Tybalt posesses everything needed for a hot-headed, arrogant master duelist, including stance and swagger and poise. DiCaprio's Romeo has the perfect balance of passions in love and in rage and in sorrow; his energy equally spent with each, proving even at this point his dedication to the art. And Perrineau's Mercutio has a bright flourish of righteous madness, my favorite scene being the fight that leads to Mercutio's end.
The only fault lies with the position of the strongest emotional release. It's found in the circumstances that separate Juliet (Claire Danes) and Romeo when it should fall to the suspense in the passing and near miss of their ending, and with the missing vicious duel and brutal death of Paris the Rival (Paul Rudd) which, if it weren't so hasty, might have saved our lovers. While the desperation remains, the personal touch is lacking; we do not fear for him as much. His only peril lies in the lawful manhunt by the prince's men and of course arriving too early to poison himself. All of the personal emotion is therefore transferred to Pete Postlethwaite's Friar Lawrence and his failed message delivery. As well, the final monologues are missing or truncated, failing to assist the suspense of the finale. As is the choice to have Juliet's suicide be with a gun, for it buries the pain of her despair; the climax is too quick, robbing us of the explosion of catharsis.
My affection still remains for this film, regardless: because of its comprehensive understanding of the dialogue, the performance and the cinematography, production design and the musical choices. The package itself is still beautiful, despite the story development and transmogrification from the play proved to be the least cared for. The story itself is still one of the most beautiful, suspenseful and tragic love stories of all time.
****
IN: Leonardo DiCaprio
OUT: Claire Danes
Coming Soon: Stardust
This film's cousin, we've already seen and we've studied its seduction and sorrow. And while Moulin Rouge is Baz Luhrman's magnum opus, this one's charm is no less beautiful; its direction to cause the sigh within my soul for deep feeling to move and heave is effective and so brilliant. Regardless that the package's soul lies in better form than its counterpart from the 1960's, the emotion is drawn out and given a younger feel complete with modern costumes and upgraded weaponry and transport: I'm forced to compare the opera that is Moulin Rouge to Romeo and Juliet's rock-epic and say that I'm not as deeply affected by the passage of this film as I am of its cousin. But the package is deeply beautiful on its own, still giving me goosebumps at the pinnacle of each plot point, remaining in my sentiment one of the best adaptations of the story.
As far as the story goes, the presentation is beautifully done. The language fits well with the setting and the actors are very comfortable, all of them, with its complexity and meaning. I enjoy the banter between the Capulet and Montague boys, Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mercutio, and Tybalt (John Leguizamo) and Mercutio (Harold Perrineau). The casting is very well done, each are very comfortable with their characters, pouring the full measure of themselves. Leguizamo's Tybalt posesses everything needed for a hot-headed, arrogant master duelist, including stance and swagger and poise. DiCaprio's Romeo has the perfect balance of passions in love and in rage and in sorrow; his energy equally spent with each, proving even at this point his dedication to the art. And Perrineau's Mercutio has a bright flourish of righteous madness, my favorite scene being the fight that leads to Mercutio's end.
The only fault lies with the position of the strongest emotional release. It's found in the circumstances that separate Juliet (Claire Danes) and Romeo when it should fall to the suspense in the passing and near miss of their ending, and with the missing vicious duel and brutal death of Paris the Rival (Paul Rudd) which, if it weren't so hasty, might have saved our lovers. While the desperation remains, the personal touch is lacking; we do not fear for him as much. His only peril lies in the lawful manhunt by the prince's men and of course arriving too early to poison himself. All of the personal emotion is therefore transferred to Pete Postlethwaite's Friar Lawrence and his failed message delivery. As well, the final monologues are missing or truncated, failing to assist the suspense of the finale. As is the choice to have Juliet's suicide be with a gun, for it buries the pain of her despair; the climax is too quick, robbing us of the explosion of catharsis.
My affection still remains for this film, regardless: because of its comprehensive understanding of the dialogue, the performance and the cinematography, production design and the musical choices. The package itself is still beautiful, despite the story development and transmogrification from the play proved to be the least cared for. The story itself is still one of the most beautiful, suspenseful and tragic love stories of all time.
****
IN: Leonardo DiCaprio
OUT: Claire Danes
Coming Soon: Stardust
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Inception
When subconscious thief Dominick Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) fails his recent assignment, his mark offers one last job to square things. Initially refusing, Saito (Ken Wantanabe) sweetens the pot by fixing the charges against Cobb, allowing him to return home to his family. Along with Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt,) Ariadne (Ellen Paige,) and Eames (Tom Hardy) the team sets out to plant and idea inside their mark, Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy,) a concept, Cobb explains, is called Inception. Cobb harbors a dark secret, however, that threatens the job and everyone involved.
While this film is deeper than the typical heist film, it shares the basic elements: employment, intelligence, construction, execution and resolution. The key to creating a great heist movie is chemistry, conflict, casting and execution. These components, when properly utilized, fill the piece with meaning and make it memorable. And a memorable movie always lasts.
Inception has great chemistry between the cast and the mechanical elements, as well as the characters with each other. For instance, Dicaprio's voice and performance coupled with the sound editing, the feeling and the emotion inside the dream world emotes the sensation felt when waking suddenly from a deep sleep: hearing is enhanced sound louder, the atmosphere is drier and surroundings are disorienting. The characters and their actors are perfectly comfortable with each other, leading the audience to relax and engage easier. Even the relationship between the Villain of the piece, Moll (Marion Cotillard) and Cobb, our protagonist and hero. She offers, not evil deeds or practices, but shirking responsibility and giving into the freedom of the dream, driving the pain within to manifest within her husband which threatens the security of the mission.
The conflict, construction and execution is done with finesse, with well-planned development and care. Most memorable is the kick sequence, including the fight scene which Entertainment Weekly called "Zero Gravity Fisticuffs." Also the tension in the pacing and editing draws out the desperation as each level is completed, entered and exited. Part of the execution is in the performance, including the humor most of which comes from Hardy and Gordon-Levitt and some from Paige, each who turn in flawless, real and emotional performances. Also the execution, whether in a comic or tragic story, emotional release is necessary connecting the audience to the action and the characters. Especially potent is the emotional resolution played between Maurice Fischer (Pete Postlewaite) and his son, that scene is incredibly lovely; gives me goosebumps every time.
This package is deserving of the credit it earned. It brilliantly helps the audience in its escapism, allowing us to live different lives for a while. The colors and atmosphere are rich and emotional and deep. The casting is pristine and attractive...and I love a great cast. This film is wonderful in all its components; it's gonna be an ageless film.
***
In: Marion Cotillard
Out: Leonardo Dicaprio
Coming Soon: Romeo and Juliet
While this film is deeper than the typical heist film, it shares the basic elements: employment, intelligence, construction, execution and resolution. The key to creating a great heist movie is chemistry, conflict, casting and execution. These components, when properly utilized, fill the piece with meaning and make it memorable. And a memorable movie always lasts.
Inception has great chemistry between the cast and the mechanical elements, as well as the characters with each other. For instance, Dicaprio's voice and performance coupled with the sound editing, the feeling and the emotion inside the dream world emotes the sensation felt when waking suddenly from a deep sleep: hearing is enhanced sound louder, the atmosphere is drier and surroundings are disorienting. The characters and their actors are perfectly comfortable with each other, leading the audience to relax and engage easier. Even the relationship between the Villain of the piece, Moll (Marion Cotillard) and Cobb, our protagonist and hero. She offers, not evil deeds or practices, but shirking responsibility and giving into the freedom of the dream, driving the pain within to manifest within her husband which threatens the security of the mission.
The conflict, construction and execution is done with finesse, with well-planned development and care. Most memorable is the kick sequence, including the fight scene which Entertainment Weekly called "Zero Gravity Fisticuffs." Also the tension in the pacing and editing draws out the desperation as each level is completed, entered and exited. Part of the execution is in the performance, including the humor most of which comes from Hardy and Gordon-Levitt and some from Paige, each who turn in flawless, real and emotional performances. Also the execution, whether in a comic or tragic story, emotional release is necessary connecting the audience to the action and the characters. Especially potent is the emotional resolution played between Maurice Fischer (Pete Postlewaite) and his son, that scene is incredibly lovely; gives me goosebumps every time.
This package is deserving of the credit it earned. It brilliantly helps the audience in its escapism, allowing us to live different lives for a while. The colors and atmosphere are rich and emotional and deep. The casting is pristine and attractive...and I love a great cast. This film is wonderful in all its components; it's gonna be an ageless film.
***
In: Marion Cotillard
Out: Leonardo Dicaprio
Coming Soon: Romeo and Juliet
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Public Enemies
In the golden era of bank robberies, a crack batch of gangsters gave birth to the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the controversial leadership of J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup.) The planner and kingpin of the group, a man of charisma, fashion, and prowess, confounds law enforcement until Hoover appoints Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) an expert lawman and visionary investigator. Purvis' team hunts down and captures or kills every one of their targets' friends and associates while climbing their way to the top of the organization. It's the time of Tommy Guns and fedoras, a time where money was tight and crime was high. It is the time of the Public Enemies, and John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) is Number One.
Warm is how I'd describe this film. The photography, coloring, costumes and film score are beautiful; the acting, fluid; the action smart and savvy creating a comfortable and full tone granting the audience a savory and hearty emotional experience. Even the famous 1930's gray suits offer a warmth in their authenticity, fit and color coordination matching each character's portrayer perfectly. The lighting offers a classic feel as do the acting styles of our lead six actors. The package is seductive, charismatic, comfortable and real, everything John Dillinger personifies.
Mr's Depp, Bale, Crudup and Ms. Cotillard all perform with exceeding finesse, providing the film with great emotional content, making you wish the chase never ended. And the romance between Marion Cotillard's Billie Frechette and Depp's Dillinger is heartbreaking, a tribute to their immersion into the characters and their work into the brilliant chemistry between Frechette and Dillinger. Mr. Depp's sadness as he must leave her and escape speaks edges of sorrow and is quite wonderfully done. As is the horror of Billie's interrogation. And there's the obsessive hunter, Purvis, who history says took his own life after the end of his famous pursuit, is soulfully but coldly embodied by Mr. Bale to perfection. And Mr Crudup's Hoover is perfectly slimy, only wishing for the political gain the rise of the FBI brings him.
However, it's Dillinger and Purvis' seconds which caught my eye. The tactical and duty-bound Special Agent Winstead (Stephen Lang) is ironclad and comprehensively rock-solid. He's hardened, the perfect soldier and he's a soul-filled, making him human especially the scene where he tells Billie that Dillinger is dead, passing on the last thoughts. Red Hamilton (Jason Clarke) seems to be Dillinger's conscience, balancing out the clinical and efficiency that is his friend. He's soft, soulful and wise, everything Dillinger is not.
As I understand, at least three of the locations used are the actual locations where the events of the film took place and each feels different from each other. The prison at the beginning is bright and open and free: no pressure, no one hunting. The inn in the woods is a maze, where the chase could lead anywhere. And the alley, where Dillinger is tracked down to and eventually shot, offers no way out.
Overall, Public Enemies is brilliant, beautiful and cinematically stunning. The tension expands fantastically, keeping the audience appropriately on edge. Each shootout is performed with little to no music accompanying the furious gunfire, presenting an edge to the action removing the silliness of stylistic gun-fighting, giving off an air of authenticity and enhancing the experience of the piece.
****
In: James Russo
Out: Marion Cotillard
Coming Soon: Inception
Warm is how I'd describe this film. The photography, coloring, costumes and film score are beautiful; the acting, fluid; the action smart and savvy creating a comfortable and full tone granting the audience a savory and hearty emotional experience. Even the famous 1930's gray suits offer a warmth in their authenticity, fit and color coordination matching each character's portrayer perfectly. The lighting offers a classic feel as do the acting styles of our lead six actors. The package is seductive, charismatic, comfortable and real, everything John Dillinger personifies.
Mr's Depp, Bale, Crudup and Ms. Cotillard all perform with exceeding finesse, providing the film with great emotional content, making you wish the chase never ended. And the romance between Marion Cotillard's Billie Frechette and Depp's Dillinger is heartbreaking, a tribute to their immersion into the characters and their work into the brilliant chemistry between Frechette and Dillinger. Mr. Depp's sadness as he must leave her and escape speaks edges of sorrow and is quite wonderfully done. As is the horror of Billie's interrogation. And there's the obsessive hunter, Purvis, who history says took his own life after the end of his famous pursuit, is soulfully but coldly embodied by Mr. Bale to perfection. And Mr Crudup's Hoover is perfectly slimy, only wishing for the political gain the rise of the FBI brings him.
However, it's Dillinger and Purvis' seconds which caught my eye. The tactical and duty-bound Special Agent Winstead (Stephen Lang) is ironclad and comprehensively rock-solid. He's hardened, the perfect soldier and he's a soul-filled, making him human especially the scene where he tells Billie that Dillinger is dead, passing on the last thoughts. Red Hamilton (Jason Clarke) seems to be Dillinger's conscience, balancing out the clinical and efficiency that is his friend. He's soft, soulful and wise, everything Dillinger is not.
As I understand, at least three of the locations used are the actual locations where the events of the film took place and each feels different from each other. The prison at the beginning is bright and open and free: no pressure, no one hunting. The inn in the woods is a maze, where the chase could lead anywhere. And the alley, where Dillinger is tracked down to and eventually shot, offers no way out.
Overall, Public Enemies is brilliant, beautiful and cinematically stunning. The tension expands fantastically, keeping the audience appropriately on edge. Each shootout is performed with little to no music accompanying the furious gunfire, presenting an edge to the action removing the silliness of stylistic gun-fighting, giving off an air of authenticity and enhancing the experience of the piece.
****
In: James Russo
Out: Marion Cotillard
Coming Soon: Inception
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The Ninth Gate
Dean Corso (Johnny Depp,) an unscrupulous rare book hunter, is hired by a wealthy occultist (Frank Langella) to authenticate a book reputably written by the Devil having the power to open the gates of hell, raising the Prince of Darkness himself. And he's not the only one chasing the myth, a dark order is seeking to use the book and will stop at nothing to obtain it. Corso soon finds that he's out of his depth when the mystery surrounding the book manifests and he both fears for his life and considers damning his soul.
Dry, dusty and slow is how I would initially describe the tenor of The Ninth Gate. The film's setup and introduction lacks a hook to draw in the audience, relying on its musical score, photography and main star to draw attention rather than a compelling story: it's blase, simply. The action, meant to thrill and heighten interest, fails to do so, coming off campy. And the characters, with whom we're to connect, are strangely "cardboardy," failing to have the real depth that allows for the emotional release needed at the climax.
And granted he's fantastic in every role he's played (it's really a puzzlement why he keeps being passed over for the Oscar Podium) and here is no different: Mr Depp's work fails to stir me as he usually does . It's really not his fault, the sufficient material to work from is lacking. The photography and framing is exquisite; a frozen frame from any part of this film might be printed for any photo collection or created into a fabulous coffee table book. The production designer is the best part of the whole picture. The film score, is above average--not inspiring, nor boring--simply filling in the necessary silence in dialogue with a delicate efficiency. The mechanics of the package aren't to blame.
And while I haven't read the book upon which this film is based, I'm guessing something was lost transmogrifying the story to screen; not all stories belong on celluloid, perhaps this one should have remained in the pages where inspiration breathed.
***
In: Johnny Depp
Out: James Russo
Coming Soon: Public Enemies
Dry, dusty and slow is how I would initially describe the tenor of The Ninth Gate. The film's setup and introduction lacks a hook to draw in the audience, relying on its musical score, photography and main star to draw attention rather than a compelling story: it's blase, simply. The action, meant to thrill and heighten interest, fails to do so, coming off campy. And the characters, with whom we're to connect, are strangely "cardboardy," failing to have the real depth that allows for the emotional release needed at the climax.
And granted he's fantastic in every role he's played (it's really a puzzlement why he keeps being passed over for the Oscar Podium) and here is no different: Mr Depp's work fails to stir me as he usually does . It's really not his fault, the sufficient material to work from is lacking. The photography and framing is exquisite; a frozen frame from any part of this film might be printed for any photo collection or created into a fabulous coffee table book. The production designer is the best part of the whole picture. The film score, is above average--not inspiring, nor boring--simply filling in the necessary silence in dialogue with a delicate efficiency. The mechanics of the package aren't to blame.
And while I haven't read the book upon which this film is based, I'm guessing something was lost transmogrifying the story to screen; not all stories belong on celluloid, perhaps this one should have remained in the pages where inspiration breathed.
***
In: Johnny Depp
Out: James Russo
Coming Soon: Public Enemies
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Nightmare on Elm Street
A killer stalks the neighborhood children in the quiet suburbs of a sleepy town. He tortures before he kills, playing with his prey before finally savoring his kill; nobody can stop him and nobody is looking, because he's hunting on his turf. His prey come to him every night in their dreams while they sleep fast in the silence on Elm Street.
This film, and its subsequent series, fought the box office turf war in the '80's and has a few distinctions. First, it saved New Line Cinema from bankruptcy, leaving us to wonder where Lord of the Rings would have turned to had Freddy not saved New Line. The second being that it gave rise to the career of last decades People's Choice winner for Actor of the Decade, a little known performer named Johnny Depp, who's death called for a geyser of stage blood to rise from his bed in a very memorable scene after it has swallowed him whole. Also, Robert Englund, who portrays Freddy Kruger, held the longest-running slasher villain for two decades, regardless of the Friday the 13th series having more films because Jason is played by several actors.
Wes Craven, our director, is the master of drawing tension with long cuts and employing a contemplative and minimalist score. The dreamscape sets are brilliant with their metallic, industrial, sewage-caked and dilapidated states against idyllic suburbia, so bright, clean and and innocent. The film's jump-cuts and ballistic action scenes create the ideal adrenaline rush for the time period. Today, however, it's ludicrous in its hysterical unintentional comedy. I actually have trouble not laughing at most points.
The recent remake, starring Jackie Earle Haley, who coincidentally lost out on a role in this film, has a bit smoother and darker run. And whose madness is felt a bit more keenly. In the remake, Freddy's attacks and revenge are personal and perverse and we don't want to connect, not really, because our skin, and our soul, crawls to think of his reasons and we turn away. The tension mastery is still ever present, with quality performances unlike the original (even young Johnny Depp, despite him being one of my boyz: now and forever) and presents a better package.
So you may wonder: why oh why did I watch this film before bed last night? Well, it was next, for one, and because it's pretty hysterical, with its overacting and comical performances all around, so it's easy to detach my thoughts from the subject, regardless of the quality had for its time. Also because I engaged in something else between the viewing and sleeping: something I recommend when seeing something that is outside your usual comfort zone.
****
In: Fail-safe choice
Out: Johnny Depp
Coming Soon: The Ninth Gate
This film, and its subsequent series, fought the box office turf war in the '80's and has a few distinctions. First, it saved New Line Cinema from bankruptcy, leaving us to wonder where Lord of the Rings would have turned to had Freddy not saved New Line. The second being that it gave rise to the career of last decades People's Choice winner for Actor of the Decade, a little known performer named Johnny Depp, who's death called for a geyser of stage blood to rise from his bed in a very memorable scene after it has swallowed him whole. Also, Robert Englund, who portrays Freddy Kruger, held the longest-running slasher villain for two decades, regardless of the Friday the 13th series having more films because Jason is played by several actors.
Wes Craven, our director, is the master of drawing tension with long cuts and employing a contemplative and minimalist score. The dreamscape sets are brilliant with their metallic, industrial, sewage-caked and dilapidated states against idyllic suburbia, so bright, clean and and innocent. The film's jump-cuts and ballistic action scenes create the ideal adrenaline rush for the time period. Today, however, it's ludicrous in its hysterical unintentional comedy. I actually have trouble not laughing at most points.
The recent remake, starring Jackie Earle Haley, who coincidentally lost out on a role in this film, has a bit smoother and darker run. And whose madness is felt a bit more keenly. In the remake, Freddy's attacks and revenge are personal and perverse and we don't want to connect, not really, because our skin, and our soul, crawls to think of his reasons and we turn away. The tension mastery is still ever present, with quality performances unlike the original (even young Johnny Depp, despite him being one of my boyz: now and forever) and presents a better package.
So you may wonder: why oh why did I watch this film before bed last night? Well, it was next, for one, and because it's pretty hysterical, with its overacting and comical performances all around, so it's easy to detach my thoughts from the subject, regardless of the quality had for its time. Also because I engaged in something else between the viewing and sleeping: something I recommend when seeing something that is outside your usual comfort zone.
****
In: Fail-safe choice
Out: Johnny Depp
Coming Soon: The Ninth Gate
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Bored by the lull of the same thing every year, Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon, sung by Danny Elfman) tires of his job as The Pumpkin King, ruler and leader of Halloween Town in the land of Holidays. He dreams of doing something more, and by chance he finds what he's looking for when he stumbles across Christmas Town. Seeing it as a sign, he decides to take over the preparations for Christmas. And while it makes him feel better, he remains ignorant of the true meaning of Christmas and the great responsibility on Santa's shoulders; and of a prophecy which foretells a disaster if he persists.
The Nightmare Before Christmas presents as a cross-genre masterpiece having all the components of horror, musicals, dark comedy and family films. It flaunts all the conventions of Halloween and equally all those of Christmas presenting a brilliant irony that works so cohesively, it's difficult to locate anything in its tightly wound plot and brilliant mechanics that can derail and destroy the performance. In its era, this film debuted on the cusp of the genesis of our current animation king, Pixar. However, this one's technique (stop-motion) is so antiquated, it's pure genius; a classic.
The central conflict is so well plotted: Jack is uncomfortable with who he is and is unwilling to find satisfaction in himself, that disaster is sure to strike if he fails to realize that being the Pumpkin King is who he is and what he's meant to be. And causing us to think about who we are and examine our destiny while we watch him find his, all wrapped in a fun package. The songs, with their wit and wisdom invite us to sing along and entertains while we learn the lessons this film is teaching us. Danny Elfman, our composer and the singing voice for Jack, completes a shining performance that can be simply described as brilliant.
My father and I watched this film when I was home recently for Christmas: he said that he'd wanted to see it for years. And, while he said it wasn't his type afterwards, he did acknowledge that the film was done well, understanding why I, my sister-in-law and my brother like it so much. Not for everyone, sure; but a great film nonetheless.
****
In: Danny Elfman
Out: This is the first time I'm unable to connect this film to another through performers. Therefore, the fail-safe (alphabetical selection) is needed...and I'm sure we'll use it again very soon.
Coming Soon: Nightmare on Elm Street
The Nightmare Before Christmas presents as a cross-genre masterpiece having all the components of horror, musicals, dark comedy and family films. It flaunts all the conventions of Halloween and equally all those of Christmas presenting a brilliant irony that works so cohesively, it's difficult to locate anything in its tightly wound plot and brilliant mechanics that can derail and destroy the performance. In its era, this film debuted on the cusp of the genesis of our current animation king, Pixar. However, this one's technique (stop-motion) is so antiquated, it's pure genius; a classic.
The central conflict is so well plotted: Jack is uncomfortable with who he is and is unwilling to find satisfaction in himself, that disaster is sure to strike if he fails to realize that being the Pumpkin King is who he is and what he's meant to be. And causing us to think about who we are and examine our destiny while we watch him find his, all wrapped in a fun package. The songs, with their wit and wisdom invite us to sing along and entertains while we learn the lessons this film is teaching us. Danny Elfman, our composer and the singing voice for Jack, completes a shining performance that can be simply described as brilliant.
My father and I watched this film when I was home recently for Christmas: he said that he'd wanted to see it for years. And, while he said it wasn't his type afterwards, he did acknowledge that the film was done well, understanding why I, my sister-in-law and my brother like it so much. Not for everyone, sure; but a great film nonetheless.
****
In: Danny Elfman
Out: This is the first time I'm unable to connect this film to another through performers. Therefore, the fail-safe (alphabetical selection) is needed...and I'm sure we'll use it again very soon.
Coming Soon: Nightmare on Elm Street
Monday, January 17, 2011
Battlefield Conditions
It's been a while!! Christmas really zapped my willingness to continue this project, but I'm a fighter and I'm prepared to continue the journey and fight filmwatching fatigue. I received and purchased several new films for my collection which I'm looking forward to seeing what they can teach filmmakers and filmwatchers (especially this watcher) and storytellers when they pass through the queue.
I'm tired: physically, intellecually and emotionally due to the events of the past two months and it reflected in my last entry. As a result, I'm going to share some tips on preparing the best conditions for the art of watching films. These will be brief, I'll cover the details in future essays.
Be Prepared (great song from the Lion King, by the way!!) -- whenever you engage a film, prepare you mind, body and soul for what the film will do to you. I can't count how many times I've tried to engage with a film while tired, vulnerable or ill prepared to take the spiritual (the damage done from lacking discernment) consequences. Last entry, for instance, I wrote from home at 1:30 in the morning at the beginning of my trip there. My usual theater rests at an elevation of 500ft above sea level and my hometown rests at 3000ft. So I was oxygen deprived and not accustomed to the fatigue it would give me. Plus it was 1:30 in the morning and I was tired anyways. Therefore I failed to be at my best and the response suffered the consequences.
Pay attention. Nothing should distract you. If you are planning to engage critically, it's best that you are alone, fed, and physically well when you do so. However, if you are going to share the experience, talking with your companions will ruin your concentration and also distract them from their journey through the story. In my experience, thus far, I've found it difficult to critique while talking on the phone, as the hearing is impaired and attention elsewhere. Illness also will impare your concentration as you are distracted by the disease of your body. Be sure you eat, either before you begin or during in a non distracting manner. If your filmwatching lab, like mine is, is located at your home, and hunger finds you, getting up to fix yourself something disengages you from your object of study and destroys any concentration you've had up to this point, so remember to eat. If anything does distract you, go back a few chapters on your DVD until you are past the point of the distraction, then reengage.
These "battlefield conditions" will give you the best watching experience. Happy watching and I'll see you sometime this week with Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas!!
I'm tired: physically, intellecually and emotionally due to the events of the past two months and it reflected in my last entry. As a result, I'm going to share some tips on preparing the best conditions for the art of watching films. These will be brief, I'll cover the details in future essays.
Be Prepared (great song from the Lion King, by the way!!) -- whenever you engage a film, prepare you mind, body and soul for what the film will do to you. I can't count how many times I've tried to engage with a film while tired, vulnerable or ill prepared to take the spiritual (the damage done from lacking discernment) consequences. Last entry, for instance, I wrote from home at 1:30 in the morning at the beginning of my trip there. My usual theater rests at an elevation of 500ft above sea level and my hometown rests at 3000ft. So I was oxygen deprived and not accustomed to the fatigue it would give me. Plus it was 1:30 in the morning and I was tired anyways. Therefore I failed to be at my best and the response suffered the consequences.
Pay attention. Nothing should distract you. If you are planning to engage critically, it's best that you are alone, fed, and physically well when you do so. However, if you are going to share the experience, talking with your companions will ruin your concentration and also distract them from their journey through the story. In my experience, thus far, I've found it difficult to critique while talking on the phone, as the hearing is impaired and attention elsewhere. Illness also will impare your concentration as you are distracted by the disease of your body. Be sure you eat, either before you begin or during in a non distracting manner. If your filmwatching lab, like mine is, is located at your home, and hunger finds you, getting up to fix yourself something disengages you from your object of study and destroys any concentration you've had up to this point, so remember to eat. If anything does distract you, go back a few chapters on your DVD until you are past the point of the distraction, then reengage.
These "battlefield conditions" will give you the best watching experience. Happy watching and I'll see you sometime this week with Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas!!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Corpse Bride
Arranged to marry, Victoria (Emily Watson,) the daughter a penniless aristocrat and Victor (Johnny Depp) the son of a wealthy merchant are both nervous of their circumstance. When the wedding rehearsal is a disaster, Victor flees to the woods in order to practice his vows. He mistakenly concludes his vows placing the ring on the finger of the Corpse Bride, Emily (Helena Bonham Carter) becoming cursed to marry her and join her in the land of the dead. In his absence, Black Widower and Gold-Digger Lord Barkus (Richard E. Grant) makes a pass at Victoria and Victor must find a way around the curse in order to return to wed Victoria.
In typical Tim Burton fashion, this witty musical is chock-full of twisted humor and appropriate dark themes. The characters are well written and the story and themes are quite touching. The story is a touching romantic fling full of potent meaning about how marriage should be, being who you're supposed to be and loving the right person and finding true love.
Emily's heartbreak after her brutal murder by her former lover is well handled as is Victor's intended sacrifice as he's accepted his fate. And Emily also sacrifices her happiness with Victor in order to secure his happiness. And this speaks to what marriage is: sacrifice. And this one has it in spades.
And it's also very cute, I find.
***
In; Helena Bonham Carter
Out: Danny Elfman
Coming Soon: Nightmare Before Christmas
Friday, December 10, 2010
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore,) a poor and simple, but kind, boy whose imagination and love of chocolate alongside his loyalty to his family create enough wealth to sustain him, finds within a chance piece of chocolate a golden ticket and the chance to tour Willie Wonka's (Johnny Depp) Chocolate Factory. WIth the chance at a special reward, Charlie and his companions are tested as they tour the factory together. And, meanwhile, Willie Wonka recalls his childhood and finds he's missing something.
Usually Tim Burton is known for his uses of the many shades of the color black as evidenced in Sleepy Hollow, Nightmare Before Christmas and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He's known for his twisted sense of humor and for the brilliant tour he gives into the realm of darkness. But here, it's color that reigns richly from the costumes to the sets and each Oompa Loompa sequence. Most memorable for the set designers is the candy garden. And the characters are well fleshed out by their acting counterparts, so beautifully cast. Not to mention the complete joy that is the compilation of Johnny Depp, Tim Burton and Danny Elfman (architect of each of the Oompa Loompa musical numbers.) Their performances and story craftsmanship apply an agelessness which will stand as excellent for years to come. And this three-way marriage is so poetic and perfect that the other elements (especially the multi-facial Deep Roy as the Oompa Loompas) make for a great family inside this great family film.
I am impressed also by the social commentary as each child succumbs to their vices, reaping appropriate comeuppance as we travel through the Chocolate Factory. The stage for Agustus' gluttony is equally horrific and cartoonish allowing an audience of any age to understand completely. And each number, wickedly performed by Deep Roy's Oompa Loompas, speaks with a cautionary voice and strikes a chord entertaining us and teaching us at the same moment. And this is why the story will remain ageless.
****
In: Edward Fox
OUT: Helena Bonham Carter
Coming Soon: Corpse Bride
Usually Tim Burton is known for his uses of the many shades of the color black as evidenced in Sleepy Hollow, Nightmare Before Christmas and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He's known for his twisted sense of humor and for the brilliant tour he gives into the realm of darkness. But here, it's color that reigns richly from the costumes to the sets and each Oompa Loompa sequence. Most memorable for the set designers is the candy garden. And the characters are well fleshed out by their acting counterparts, so beautifully cast. Not to mention the complete joy that is the compilation of Johnny Depp, Tim Burton and Danny Elfman (architect of each of the Oompa Loompa musical numbers.) Their performances and story craftsmanship apply an agelessness which will stand as excellent for years to come. And this three-way marriage is so poetic and perfect that the other elements (especially the multi-facial Deep Roy as the Oompa Loompas) make for a great family inside this great family film.
I am impressed also by the social commentary as each child succumbs to their vices, reaping appropriate comeuppance as we travel through the Chocolate Factory. The stage for Agustus' gluttony is equally horrific and cartoonish allowing an audience of any age to understand completely. And each number, wickedly performed by Deep Roy's Oompa Loompas, speaks with a cautionary voice and strikes a chord entertaining us and teaching us at the same moment. And this is why the story will remain ageless.
****
In: Edward Fox
OUT: Helena Bonham Carter
Coming Soon: Corpse Bride
Thursday, December 09, 2010
A Bridge Too Far
General Horrocks (Edward Fox) begins what may be my favorite pre-mission briefing, thus: "This is a story you will tell your grandchildren, and mightily bored they'll be." The story is of a vast and multi-layered nature, it's the tale of Market-Garden, the largest airborne operation mounted. It is the operation designed to take and hold the bridges running from Holland into Germany across the Rhine River. It was big and ambitious and severely costly.
In true seventies fashion, in a story told by a British director (Academy Award Winner Richard Attenborough,) the story unfolds slowly and stiffly, but has its moments. The landscape is salted appropriately with humor and bad accents, but it remains something likened to one of today's four-hour epic tales, the kind you need to purchase the special edition to experience. Unfortunately humorous in tone, however littered with some of the best actors of the time including Sean Connery, Edward Fox, Michael Caine, James Caan, Elliot Gould, Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins and Laurence Olivier. Have I ever mentioned how much I love a great ensemble cast? Well, let me say again, then: I LOVE A GREAT ENSEMBLE CAST and this one is one of the best.
After having the rug pulled from beneath my feet by HBO's Band of Brothers, this one is a bit watery, but considering the time and the fact that the social climate was still recovering from Vietnam, this one is still very well written, charging forward until brutally stopped in Arnham, Holland, the tragedy slowly taking its toll on the men in front of the lens. And the layers, each individual plot line, grant the viewer a sort of episode by episode series of events which allow us to choose our favorites and be fans. I am fond of Robert Redford's charge across a part of the river, the line involving James Caan's character and the bit with Elliot Gould's 101st Airborne's rebuilding of the Son Bridge. They highlight beautifully what an ensemble piece is supposed to be, a blending.
My problem is that there is too much set dressing and not enough substance; during this viewing, either because of my fatigue after the events of this week at work or simply because of the length of this film, I fell asleep in the middle of the slump between hours one and two. And its not because a three hour film is incapable of keeping my attention (because it did for four consecutive Christmas Eve afternoons with films by Peter Jackson at the beginning of this decade,) I simply am able to better devote my attention during an epic-sized film when the pacing is quicker. A friend of mine is fond of perusing Jackson's epic trilogy by leaving out half of the plot, the one involving two hobbits and a parasite named Gollum. This film-watching tactic may be applicable here, as well. But in order to get the scope, I'm afraid I watch all of it all the time.
The opening narration breaks down the hope of the operation as "so many plans in so many wars." And, like some of the best laid plans, this one fails to the cost of thousands of lives. The desperation is keenly felt in each place, but none as severe as the razing of Arnham. Mr. Attenborough presents a very realistic level of cost of life, not glorifying nor criticizing war and war efforts, but simply presenting the facts, almost to the level of a documentarian. The film is cut and dry and simply honest; a bit long, but true to its nature. A fine example of a well-constructed film presentation.
****
In: Gene Hackman
Out: Edward Fox
Coming Soon: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
In true seventies fashion, in a story told by a British director (Academy Award Winner Richard Attenborough,) the story unfolds slowly and stiffly, but has its moments. The landscape is salted appropriately with humor and bad accents, but it remains something likened to one of today's four-hour epic tales, the kind you need to purchase the special edition to experience. Unfortunately humorous in tone, however littered with some of the best actors of the time including Sean Connery, Edward Fox, Michael Caine, James Caan, Elliot Gould, Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins and Laurence Olivier. Have I ever mentioned how much I love a great ensemble cast? Well, let me say again, then: I LOVE A GREAT ENSEMBLE CAST and this one is one of the best.
After having the rug pulled from beneath my feet by HBO's Band of Brothers, this one is a bit watery, but considering the time and the fact that the social climate was still recovering from Vietnam, this one is still very well written, charging forward until brutally stopped in Arnham, Holland, the tragedy slowly taking its toll on the men in front of the lens. And the layers, each individual plot line, grant the viewer a sort of episode by episode series of events which allow us to choose our favorites and be fans. I am fond of Robert Redford's charge across a part of the river, the line involving James Caan's character and the bit with Elliot Gould's 101st Airborne's rebuilding of the Son Bridge. They highlight beautifully what an ensemble piece is supposed to be, a blending.
My problem is that there is too much set dressing and not enough substance; during this viewing, either because of my fatigue after the events of this week at work or simply because of the length of this film, I fell asleep in the middle of the slump between hours one and two. And its not because a three hour film is incapable of keeping my attention (because it did for four consecutive Christmas Eve afternoons with films by Peter Jackson at the beginning of this decade,) I simply am able to better devote my attention during an epic-sized film when the pacing is quicker. A friend of mine is fond of perusing Jackson's epic trilogy by leaving out half of the plot, the one involving two hobbits and a parasite named Gollum. This film-watching tactic may be applicable here, as well. But in order to get the scope, I'm afraid I watch all of it all the time.
The opening narration breaks down the hope of the operation as "so many plans in so many wars." And, like some of the best laid plans, this one fails to the cost of thousands of lives. The desperation is keenly felt in each place, but none as severe as the razing of Arnham. Mr. Attenborough presents a very realistic level of cost of life, not glorifying nor criticizing war and war efforts, but simply presenting the facts, almost to the level of a documentarian. The film is cut and dry and simply honest; a bit long, but true to its nature. A fine example of a well-constructed film presentation.
****
In: Gene Hackman
Out: Edward Fox
Coming Soon: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Friday, December 03, 2010
Superman II
Before the destruction of Krypton, Genreal Zod (Terrence Stamp) and his followers were caught in an act of sedition and sentenced to imprisonment for eternity in the Phantom Zone, an alternate reality floating in space. When Superman (Christopher Reeve) detonates a terrorist group's hydrogen warhead in space far from earth, the shock-wave causing the portal to shatter releasing Zod who comes to Earth seeking revenge against Kal-El's family for condemning him to the Zone. Meanwhile, the romance between Clark Kent and Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) is heating up and Clark wants to reveal his secret to Lois, who is torn between her love of Superman and starting a life with Clark. And Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) has discovered The Fortress of Solitude.
Superheroes' lives hinge on choice. Every possible path is measured and weighed: whether to expose or hide the extraordinary abilities granted by chance or design, to walk away from the fight surrounding them, to fold themselves completely in the arms of the person they've chosen to love or to live in solitude and fight the fight alone. And these are the choices a warrior must make in order to succeed in the task placed before them. As a result, the life of most superheroes is littered with loss, as well as a gaping hole they can never fill, they can never have what they desire most: a normal life.
This film is a prime example of this motif. Here, Kal-El choses to be with Lois and choses a mortal life in order to be with her, giving up on his calling and being unable to fight the good fight when called out. And, so he has the choice to run and be normal with her or to give up his chance at a normal life, reopening the hole in his being and embracing the task placed before him. And it has been so for most of this archetype. For instance, Buffy (of Vampire Slaying fame) is unable to be a normal high school (and later college) girl: to be homecoming queen, go to parties and date the quarterback. She can't, because she's a hero with a great work to do, something she dies for twice. For Superman, Clark Kent and Kal-El, the defense of Earth is a great work which requires an even greater sacrifice which he willingly gives in the fact that he'll never settle down because he's needed to not look back and never to back down. And so that normal life superheroes desire is not possible and the hole is what drives them. and that sacrifice is what makes us love them so much.
****
IN: Terrence Stamp
OUT: Gene Hackman
Coming Soon: A Bridge Too Far
Superheroes' lives hinge on choice. Every possible path is measured and weighed: whether to expose or hide the extraordinary abilities granted by chance or design, to walk away from the fight surrounding them, to fold themselves completely in the arms of the person they've chosen to love or to live in solitude and fight the fight alone. And these are the choices a warrior must make in order to succeed in the task placed before them. As a result, the life of most superheroes is littered with loss, as well as a gaping hole they can never fill, they can never have what they desire most: a normal life.
This film is a prime example of this motif. Here, Kal-El choses to be with Lois and choses a mortal life in order to be with her, giving up on his calling and being unable to fight the good fight when called out. And, so he has the choice to run and be normal with her or to give up his chance at a normal life, reopening the hole in his being and embracing the task placed before him. And it has been so for most of this archetype. For instance, Buffy (of Vampire Slaying fame) is unable to be a normal high school (and later college) girl: to be homecoming queen, go to parties and date the quarterback. She can't, because she's a hero with a great work to do, something she dies for twice. For Superman, Clark Kent and Kal-El, the defense of Earth is a great work which requires an even greater sacrifice which he willingly gives in the fact that he'll never settle down because he's needed to not look back and never to back down. And so that normal life superheroes desire is not possible and the hole is what drives them. and that sacrifice is what makes us love them so much.
****
IN: Terrence Stamp
OUT: Gene Hackman
Coming Soon: A Bridge Too Far
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Superman
On a small red planet in the distant blackness of space, a family prepares for the destruction of the world they called home. And from the eruptions from the planet core, a small escape pod is launched against the orders of the high council carrying the son of Jor-El (Marlon Brando) of Krypton, Kal-El (Christopher Reeve,) toward Earth in order save him. Crash-landing in Smallville, Kansas, he is raised by a childless and compassionate couple as Clark Kent. Discovering as a young man when he is called by the power of a crystal Jor-El packed in the pod which contains the building materials for The Fortress of Solitude, he begins his education into his true nature. Returning to civilization, he takes a job at the Daily Planet, Metropolis' long-running newspaper. Partnered with tenacious reporter Lois Lane (Margot Kidder,) he discovers who he's meant to be as he saves lives and rights the injustices and terrors of criminal mastermind Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman.)
I must say this: they don't make superhero movies like this anymore. The closest anybody came recently was Iron Man a few years back. Audiences lack the patience involved with engaging with a genuinely great superhero backstory and first adventures. These classic films either tend to cause us to digest the story slowly and get to know the package intimately, including all of their charms or they bore us, we who are used to instant gratification in a world where the news is uploaded to the internet on the fly and we can send videos of our activities by text, email and post them to YouTube. Superman never bores me, it's charms, wit and the strange way it allows us to time-travel back to the polyester era. And I really don't mind the strange geek bravado because of its quality emotional sculpture. With John Williams' iconic score and Christopher Reeves' brilliant dual performance both as the stuttering Clark Kent and the suave and (without needing to say it, but I will anyways) heart-stoppingly gorgeous Superman, everything is presented with finesse and class. I can't say that for most of the superhero movies today.
And I must mention Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor, he's charming enough to soothe the edges of his malice. But he is nowhere close to my favorite for the role. I am quite attracted to Michael Rosenbaum's performance as Luthor on the CW's Smallville. His presentation is seductive, conflicted and brazenly blunt and as I am fond of saying: 49% good, 51% evil, the perfect villain. Hackman's Luthor fails to toe the line; his malice overcomes his charm making him less of an antagonist and more akin to furniture for the plot. The real antagonist is Jor-El's principle of meddling with history, because there is a finite amount of time for Kal-El to save the girl and the rest of the lives in jeopardy. And, while I understand the romantic reason for saving the girl, despite breaking that principle, the violation also makes Superman a bit soiled in the annals of superheroes, as the persona of the hero must remain spotless. But it also makes him one of us: human in every way, with all our flaws. Therefore, it does make him relatable to the audience, allowing us to love him for all he is, as is required for an enduring devotion to any character.
This film is in my top twenty favorite films of all time, if for nothing more than it makes me fall in love, giving me hope that mankind is better than the news presents. That we have a "capacity for good" and we're worth the fight for justice and truth. And this film touches that spot in my soul that makes me wish that superheroes existed during my lifetime and that, by some lucky coincidence, one of my childhood daydreams became true and I am one of them.
****
Coming Soon: Superman II
I must say this: they don't make superhero movies like this anymore. The closest anybody came recently was Iron Man a few years back. Audiences lack the patience involved with engaging with a genuinely great superhero backstory and first adventures. These classic films either tend to cause us to digest the story slowly and get to know the package intimately, including all of their charms or they bore us, we who are used to instant gratification in a world where the news is uploaded to the internet on the fly and we can send videos of our activities by text, email and post them to YouTube. Superman never bores me, it's charms, wit and the strange way it allows us to time-travel back to the polyester era. And I really don't mind the strange geek bravado because of its quality emotional sculpture. With John Williams' iconic score and Christopher Reeves' brilliant dual performance both as the stuttering Clark Kent and the suave and (without needing to say it, but I will anyways) heart-stoppingly gorgeous Superman, everything is presented with finesse and class. I can't say that for most of the superhero movies today.
And I must mention Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor, he's charming enough to soothe the edges of his malice. But he is nowhere close to my favorite for the role. I am quite attracted to Michael Rosenbaum's performance as Luthor on the CW's Smallville. His presentation is seductive, conflicted and brazenly blunt and as I am fond of saying: 49% good, 51% evil, the perfect villain. Hackman's Luthor fails to toe the line; his malice overcomes his charm making him less of an antagonist and more akin to furniture for the plot. The real antagonist is Jor-El's principle of meddling with history, because there is a finite amount of time for Kal-El to save the girl and the rest of the lives in jeopardy. And, while I understand the romantic reason for saving the girl, despite breaking that principle, the violation also makes Superman a bit soiled in the annals of superheroes, as the persona of the hero must remain spotless. But it also makes him one of us: human in every way, with all our flaws. Therefore, it does make him relatable to the audience, allowing us to love him for all he is, as is required for an enduring devotion to any character.
This film is in my top twenty favorite films of all time, if for nothing more than it makes me fall in love, giving me hope that mankind is better than the news presents. That we have a "capacity for good" and we're worth the fight for justice and truth. And this film touches that spot in my soul that makes me wish that superheroes existed during my lifetime and that, by some lucky coincidence, one of my childhood daydreams became true and I am one of them.
****
Coming Soon: Superman II
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Daredevil and Elektra
Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck,) blind since childhood has fought for justice all his life, inspired by his accident and his father's death at the hands of a mafia enforcer. During the day, he's a talented lawyer, using his blindness to sense the truth of those he questions. During the night, he's something else: a dark avenger who cleans up the streets when the court fails. His blindness leaves him stronger in his other senses, and he's almost able to see again. And now, someone wants him dead, the new power in town, Wilson Fisk aka The Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan) who is in the middle of cleaning house. And Matt's finally met someone, Elektra Nachios (Jennifer Garner,) a wealthy socialite who's father has ties to The Kingpin. When Daredevil fails to protect her father from the assassin Bullseye (Colin Farrell,) Elektra goes hunting and ends up in deeper that she expected, fighting for revenge and for her life. But will Daredevil be able to save her from herself and from Bullseye?
The expectations of comic book movies today is that they be smooth, sensual and stylistic. Although recently, with the new Batman series, more visceral and harder styles are "the norm." However, for a superhero who's weapon is his senses; smooth, sensual and stylistic is precisely what is called for in this film. Emotional is also something that describes it, too. As with most superheroes, Daredevil has sorrow in his heart painted with rage, passion and righteousness. But it's the sorrow that is the soul of Daredevil and his alter ego, Matt Murdock, because his love is deeper than that of some of the others, both for his father and for Elektra; so when he loses them both his pain is what triggers true justice and he joins the few superheroes who leave their antagonists alive in the denouement.
And I've said, sorrow drives this one, just as it did The Punisher. This is highlighted by solid soulful performances by Ben Affleck (who usually fails to stir me, but succeeds this time) and Jennifer Garner with support from wonderfully chosen music, including breakout (at the time) Indie Band Evanescence, who's track "Bring Me to Life" personifies both Elektra's sorrow and the danger she's in, as well as a call to arms for Daredevil. The attention given their love story as well as Daredevil's back story and his devotion to his father and to the cause of justice tilts the balance away from the darkness and malice that is brought brilliantly by Farrell and Michael Clarke Duncan. Not an opera like The Punisher, but well done regardless.
However, it's not over for our love interest, Elektra...
Revived straight after her encounter with Bullseye by the head of an ancient warrior order (Terrence Stamp) and trained to sense the future, Elektra is now a contract killer escaping her past and filled with rage. She is contracted to find and kill the warrior capable of tipping the balance between the fight of good versus evil. When she finally sees her target, she notices something about her and decides to save her instead of killing her. Meanwhile, the army of darkness calling itself The Hand, is searching for this warrior and has connections to Elektra's past.
Whereas the emotional journey of the last film saturates and drives the plot forward, there's nothing here but an episode by episode spectacular piece of eye candy. The story is hectic and badly constructed, like the writers wanted to piece together a collection of fan favorite episodes and characters. I don't feel for any of the characters, including the little girl. In fact, the little girl drags the film and interferes with the emotional connection, as there really is nothing sympathetic about her. I cannot connect with Elektra's character as well as I did in Daredevil either, the beauty in her character and in her performance simply is missing.
Sequels and spin-offs are difficult to pull off. This one struggles greatly, as its parent film was a knockout. Spin-offs have a harder time succeeding because their parent's success was a fresh, breakthrough piece. Daredevil fits this bill because all the pieces fit so beautifully. Elektra lacks sufficient development, freshness and care, displaying ill-deserved bravado and failing to inspire.
***
IN: Michael Clarke Duncan
OUT: Terrence Stamp
Coming Soon: Superman/Superman II
The expectations of comic book movies today is that they be smooth, sensual and stylistic. Although recently, with the new Batman series, more visceral and harder styles are "the norm." However, for a superhero who's weapon is his senses; smooth, sensual and stylistic is precisely what is called for in this film. Emotional is also something that describes it, too. As with most superheroes, Daredevil has sorrow in his heart painted with rage, passion and righteousness. But it's the sorrow that is the soul of Daredevil and his alter ego, Matt Murdock, because his love is deeper than that of some of the others, both for his father and for Elektra; so when he loses them both his pain is what triggers true justice and he joins the few superheroes who leave their antagonists alive in the denouement.
And I've said, sorrow drives this one, just as it did The Punisher. This is highlighted by solid soulful performances by Ben Affleck (who usually fails to stir me, but succeeds this time) and Jennifer Garner with support from wonderfully chosen music, including breakout (at the time) Indie Band Evanescence, who's track "Bring Me to Life" personifies both Elektra's sorrow and the danger she's in, as well as a call to arms for Daredevil. The attention given their love story as well as Daredevil's back story and his devotion to his father and to the cause of justice tilts the balance away from the darkness and malice that is brought brilliantly by Farrell and Michael Clarke Duncan. Not an opera like The Punisher, but well done regardless.
However, it's not over for our love interest, Elektra...
Revived straight after her encounter with Bullseye by the head of an ancient warrior order (Terrence Stamp) and trained to sense the future, Elektra is now a contract killer escaping her past and filled with rage. She is contracted to find and kill the warrior capable of tipping the balance between the fight of good versus evil. When she finally sees her target, she notices something about her and decides to save her instead of killing her. Meanwhile, the army of darkness calling itself The Hand, is searching for this warrior and has connections to Elektra's past.
Whereas the emotional journey of the last film saturates and drives the plot forward, there's nothing here but an episode by episode spectacular piece of eye candy. The story is hectic and badly constructed, like the writers wanted to piece together a collection of fan favorite episodes and characters. I don't feel for any of the characters, including the little girl. In fact, the little girl drags the film and interferes with the emotional connection, as there really is nothing sympathetic about her. I cannot connect with Elektra's character as well as I did in Daredevil either, the beauty in her character and in her performance simply is missing.
Sequels and spin-offs are difficult to pull off. This one struggles greatly, as its parent film was a knockout. Spin-offs have a harder time succeeding because their parent's success was a fresh, breakthrough piece. Daredevil fits this bill because all the pieces fit so beautifully. Elektra lacks sufficient development, freshness and care, displaying ill-deserved bravado and failing to inspire.
***
IN: Michael Clarke Duncan
OUT: Terrence Stamp
Coming Soon: Superman/Superman II
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