Sunday, May 17, 2009
Observe and Report...
...is a really fuckin' funny film. Alliteration. I saw it over a month ago and still think it's hilarious. I'll actually write about it when I see it again. It's already been pulled from local theaters because of how many people didn't like it. I'm not one of those.
Hot off the Presses!
I'll just go ahead and group these two movies. After all, the closing credits of State of Play shows the making of newspapers that is continued in the opening credits of The Soloist. They had it coming!
A few thoughts on each. I found both to be excellent examples of the power that newspapers can yield at one time or another. This is especially relevant since this very same business is being threatened at the moment. This threat seems to be alluded to by Russell Crowe when he initially dismisses Rachel McAdams' blogger (by the way, the name Della Frye? the future name of my first born) as nothing more than a sign of the apocalypse. I like my newspaper men rugged and playing against the rules. There's simply nothing better!
State of Play is driven by an excellent conspiracy theory. Coming from a passionate fan of 24, this film hit right up my alley. Crowe is fantastic and McAdams just keeps giving me more reasons to fall in love with her. I actually thought Helen Mirren was underutilized while Ben Affleck either didn't have the talent for the material or wasn't given good material for his talent. I won't give an opinion on that but simply reitorate my love for him. State of Play manages to be both plot driven and character driven and offers a memorable turn by an almost unrecognizable Jason Bateman. Simply put: a taunt thriller.
Grade: B
2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:
Best Actor: Russell Crowe's ruggedness
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Scene Stealer: Jason Bateman's exasperated, hilarious club promoter
Best "Best Moment of the Film": The entire sequence in the garage is intense!
A few thoughts on each. I found both to be excellent examples of the power that newspapers can yield at one time or another. This is especially relevant since this very same business is being threatened at the moment. This threat seems to be alluded to by Russell Crowe when he initially dismisses Rachel McAdams' blogger (by the way, the name Della Frye? the future name of my first born) as nothing more than a sign of the apocalypse. I like my newspaper men rugged and playing against the rules. There's simply nothing better!
State of Play is driven by an excellent conspiracy theory. Coming from a passionate fan of 24, this film hit right up my alley. Crowe is fantastic and McAdams just keeps giving me more reasons to fall in love with her. I actually thought Helen Mirren was underutilized while Ben Affleck either didn't have the talent for the material or wasn't given good material for his talent. I won't give an opinion on that but simply reitorate my love for him. State of Play manages to be both plot driven and character driven and offers a memorable turn by an almost unrecognizable Jason Bateman. Simply put: a taunt thriller.
Grade: B
2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:
Best Actor: Russell Crowe's ruggedness
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Scene Stealer: Jason Bateman's exasperated, hilarious club promoter
Best "Best Moment of the Film": The entire sequence in the garage is intense!
The Soloist on the other hand is a much more complex notion. I liked many parts of it while being put off by many parts of it. I think the film works best as a fight between focus and neglect. Much of the film seems to be very intentionally roughly cut. Many scenes are cut at an unexpected point. If this is done intentionally, this is excellently juxtaposed with sequences of complete focus and centeredness. These are the moments where Jaime Foxx is completely centered on the music. I like the notion of letting the audience feel the schizophrenia of Foxx's character by sometimes not explaining what they are seeing. However, the film often becomes a message about homelessness which I felt was incessant. The movie works solely as a character driven exposition of emotion.
Grade: B-
2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:
Best Actor: RDJ's alcoholic reporter. Another fine turn for this come backer.
Best Use of a Song: Beethoven's 9th Symphony
Best Use of a Song in the Trailer: Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1
Grade: B-
2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:
Best Actor: RDJ's alcoholic reporter. Another fine turn for this come backer.
Best Use of a Song: Beethoven's 9th Symphony
Best Use of a Song in the Trailer: Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1
Angels and Demons
I read this book last year meaning it was inevitable for me to see this movie. My expectations weren't too high (The Da Vinci code was horribly yawn inducing but in print, Angels and Demons has more potential entertainment value). After walking out of the theater with my friends trashing the movie, I was forced to subdue the shear entertainment that the film produced for me. Yes, Tom Hanks essentially phones in his role but the story is just pure entertainment. I will concede one thing though: in print, many things seem to be much more plausible than when you actually see them on screen. And adapting these books to the screen is a doomed cause from the beginning. There is simply too much prose and mythology that there is no time for on screen. Instead of respecting Robert Langdon and believing in him like I did in the books, I found him to be a pompous ass in the few chances he had to display his intellect in the film. Ron Howard seems to have been solely focused on the action and thrill seeking moments of the book when translating them to the screen. In the end, I'm fine with this. The book does offer many moments of edge of your seat thrills that kept me interested in the movie while my friends trashed it from the beginning and never relented even blaming me for the failure of the film at the end.
Perhaps I'm too invested in the book. When things got slow, I was waiting for the next twist that was about to come. When it comes to it, the books are enjoyable for the thrills as well as mythology that come with it (even if it's fabricated, it still compliments the thrill ride you are taken on). Ultimately, it is a breezy film that only half fails.
Grade: C+
2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:
Most Ridiculous Moment: Really? Parachute away from the antimatter explosion? I knew this was coming and still thought it was ridiculous.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
I'm a hungerin...
WOW. There are a million words that could describe this movie and I'm terrible at thinking of one. I'm far behind on writing about recent movies but I just got back from this film (finally reaching the lowly screens of Nashville) and my eyes are still wide open. I have no idea what to do with myself right now. I will never look at food the same way and it will take awhile before I can watch a movie again (ok that's not true). Shit. I can't even function right now. Powerful. Devastating. Disturbing. Heartbreaking. Fucking awesome. That's my general consensus right now. I love when painters make movies. There's always a certain look to them and I'm always astounded by them. (Here's lookin' at you Mr. Schnabel)
I loved the fact that half the movie was silent. In fact, the only real sequence of dialogue is between Bobby and the priest and took far too long. I think I had gotten so used to no dialogue that I was tired of their conversation and just wanted another powerful silent scene. The scene where the SWAT team is brought in to beat the prisoners is one of the best shot, powerful scenes I have ever seen. And the tension that builds with them beating their shields? Crazy good. Man, I want to bottle the feelings I am experiencing right now from this movie and relive it every day. There are very few movies that last with me like this one. I just want to watch it again now. God, I can't even organize my thoughts. Bobby looked like Christian Bale from the Machinist. Creeeeepy. I never get grossed out or shocked from movies and yet again, Hunger surprised me.
His name is Steve McQueen. Steven fucking McQueen! You have earned my eternal gratitude.
Grade: A
Alphabet Film Festival
Keeping track of the movies I see each day with a short blurb of said film and who deserves to eat the proverbial "it".
A is for......The Adventures of Robin Hood
Errol Flynn is a bad ass in a swashbucklingly fun film. (Eat it Ridley Scott)
A-
B is for......Bullitt
A cool little movie ahead of its time. San Francisco rocks. (Eat it Clint Eastwood)
B-
C is for......The Candidate
An amusingly revealing look at just how crappy politics is. (Eat it Chris Rock)
(Note: I still love Head of State though)
B
D is for......Days of Heaven
A wistful, gorgeous, and perfectly crafted tragedy that packs a punch. (Eat it Pearl Harbor (the movie))
A
E is for......Eraserhead
I have no idea. I really don't. I'm going to go clean myself. (Eat it.....me)
C-
F is for......Full Metal Jacket
A cool, hard, often hilarious view of Vietnam. (Eat it Oliver Stone)
A-
G is for......Ghostbusters
Bill Murray steals the show in this fun yet unnecessarily scary comedy. (Eat it CGI)
B+
H is for......His Girl Friday
Epitomizes the screwball comedy with a classic Cary Grant performance. (Eat it Adam's Rib)
A-
*Kramer/Tracy Double*
I is for......Inherit the Wind
Almost comically preachy, Spencer Tracy and Gene Kelly give a humanist touch to a great parable. (Eat it William Jennings Bryan)
B+
J is for......Judgment at Nuremburg
A preachy, lengthy exhibition from a holocaust obsessed Hollywood. (Eat it Stanley Kramer)
C
*Edward G. Robinson Double*
K is for......Key Largo
A breezy crime film with noirish potential falling flat. (Eat it Humphrey Bogart)
B-
L is for......Little Ceasar
A seminal rise and fall film with Eddie G. kicking ass. (Eat it Jimmy Cagney)
B
M is for......Malcolm X
An engrossing, inventive and overall revealing look at a very complex individual. (Eat it biopics)
A-
N is for......Night of the Living Dead
A campy, apocalyptic scrapper with a solemn ending and a plot that actually makes sense. (Eat it Eli Roth/Rob Zombie/Zack Snyder)
B+
O is for......One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
An interesting and odd take on the freedom and rebellion of mankind. (Eat it the rest of Danny Devito's career)
B+
P is for......The Postman Always Rings Twice
An overly complicated yet trademark noir with impeccable acting and characters. (Eat it Barbara Stanwyk)
B+
Q is for......The Quiet Man
A droll and exhausting yet well shot vehicle that lost my interest quickly. (Eat it John Wayne)
D+
R is for......Red Rock West
A tightly wound noir where I actually liked Nicholas Cage. (Eat it the rest of his movies)
B
S is for......sex, lies, and videotape
A mesmerizing, intimate, and seductive look at communication and honesty with fantastic acting. (Eat it Ocean's movies)
A
T is for......The Thing
A quese inducing, shocking, and ultimately fascinating horror film with an eye towards human
nature. (Eat it [see "N"])
B+
U is for......Unbreakable
Manages to reinforce and reinvent all comic book cliches while still being entertaining. (Eat it M. Night's other movies)
B+
V is for......Vanilla Sky
A flabbergasting and confusing experience. I like that though. (Eat it Tom Cruise)
B-
W is for......White Heat
The great, classic gangster film that I've been waiting for. (Eat it Little Caesar)
B+
X is for......Xanadu
I just want to meet the person that thought this would be a good idea. (Eat it Hollywood)
C-
Y is for......Y tu mama tambien
An infectious and frank film that goes where other coming of age films dare not. (Eat it Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
A-
Z is for.......Zathura
Ultimately far too thinly drawn and predictable, if light. (Eat it Dax Shepard)
D
A is for......The Adventures of Robin Hood
Errol Flynn is a bad ass in a swashbucklingly fun film. (Eat it Ridley Scott)
A-
B is for......Bullitt
A cool little movie ahead of its time. San Francisco rocks. (Eat it Clint Eastwood)
B-
C is for......The Candidate
An amusingly revealing look at just how crappy politics is. (Eat it Chris Rock)
(Note: I still love Head of State though)
B
D is for......Days of Heaven
A wistful, gorgeous, and perfectly crafted tragedy that packs a punch. (Eat it Pearl Harbor (the movie))
A
E is for......Eraserhead
I have no idea. I really don't. I'm going to go clean myself. (Eat it.....me)
C-
F is for......Full Metal Jacket
A cool, hard, often hilarious view of Vietnam. (Eat it Oliver Stone)
A-
G is for......Ghostbusters
Bill Murray steals the show in this fun yet unnecessarily scary comedy. (Eat it CGI)
B+
H is for......His Girl Friday
Epitomizes the screwball comedy with a classic Cary Grant performance. (Eat it Adam's Rib)
A-
*Kramer/Tracy Double*
I is for......Inherit the Wind
Almost comically preachy, Spencer Tracy and Gene Kelly give a humanist touch to a great parable. (Eat it William Jennings Bryan)
B+
J is for......Judgment at Nuremburg
A preachy, lengthy exhibition from a holocaust obsessed Hollywood. (Eat it Stanley Kramer)
C
*Edward G. Robinson Double*
K is for......Key Largo
A breezy crime film with noirish potential falling flat. (Eat it Humphrey Bogart)
B-
L is for......Little Ceasar
A seminal rise and fall film with Eddie G. kicking ass. (Eat it Jimmy Cagney)
B
M is for......Malcolm X
An engrossing, inventive and overall revealing look at a very complex individual. (Eat it biopics)
A-
N is for......Night of the Living Dead
A campy, apocalyptic scrapper with a solemn ending and a plot that actually makes sense. (Eat it Eli Roth/Rob Zombie/Zack Snyder)
B+
O is for......One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
An interesting and odd take on the freedom and rebellion of mankind. (Eat it the rest of Danny Devito's career)
B+
P is for......The Postman Always Rings Twice
An overly complicated yet trademark noir with impeccable acting and characters. (Eat it Barbara Stanwyk)
B+
Q is for......The Quiet Man
A droll and exhausting yet well shot vehicle that lost my interest quickly. (Eat it John Wayne)
D+
R is for......Red Rock West
A tightly wound noir where I actually liked Nicholas Cage. (Eat it the rest of his movies)
B
S is for......sex, lies, and videotape
A mesmerizing, intimate, and seductive look at communication and honesty with fantastic acting. (Eat it Ocean's movies)
A
T is for......The Thing
A quese inducing, shocking, and ultimately fascinating horror film with an eye towards human
nature. (Eat it [see "N"])
B+
U is for......Unbreakable
Manages to reinforce and reinvent all comic book cliches while still being entertaining. (Eat it M. Night's other movies)
B+
V is for......Vanilla Sky
A flabbergasting and confusing experience. I like that though. (Eat it Tom Cruise)
B-
W is for......White Heat
The great, classic gangster film that I've been waiting for. (Eat it Little Caesar)
B+
X is for......Xanadu
I just want to meet the person that thought this would be a good idea. (Eat it Hollywood)
C-
Y is for......Y tu mama tambien
An infectious and frank film that goes where other coming of age films dare not. (Eat it Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
A-
Z is for.......Zathura
Ultimately far too thinly drawn and predictable, if light. (Eat it Dax Shepard)
D
Saturday, May 2, 2009
26 Days Later
Thus begins my own personal film festival. 26 days, 26 movies I haven't seen, 26 letters of the alphabet. I'll be making a list of movies I have free access to that begin with each letter of the alphabet.
Wednesday, May 6---A
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Arsenic and Old Lace
As Good As it Gets
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
The Age of Innocence
After Hours
The Awful Truth
Anchors Aweigh
American Madness
Thursday, May 7---B
Barry Lyndon
Bullitt
Best in Show
Boarding Gate
Batman
Breathless
Boxcar Bertha
Broadway Danny Rose
Boyz N' the Hood
The Band's Visit
Barbarella
Friday, May 8---C
Charade
The Constant Gardner
Clockers
The Counterfeiters
Chop Shop
City Lights
Camille
Cape Fear
The Candidate
Cool Hand Luke
Cabaret
Saturday, May 9---D
The Dirty Dozen
Dog Day Afternoon
Deliverance
Days of Heaven
Sunday, May 10---E
Eraserhead
East of Eden
Enter the Dragon
The Exorcist
Elegy
The Edge of Heaven
Monday, May 11---F
The Front Page
The Fortune Cookie
Five Star Final
Foreign Correspondent
From Dusk Till Dawn
The Fugitive
Farewell, My Lovely
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
Full Metal Jacket
Tuesday, May 12---G
The Greatest Show on Earth
The Great Dictator
The Gold Rush
Grand Hotel
Gilda
The Glenn Miller Story
Giant
Get Carter
Ghostbusters
Wednesday, May 13---H
High Sierra
His Girl Friday
Holiday
Hair
Hello Dolly!
Thursday, May 14---I
Inherit the Wind
In Cold Blood
Friday, May 15---J
Joyeaux Noel
Judgment at Nuremburg
Saturday, May 16---K
Key Largo
King Kong
Kramer vs. Kramer
Klute
Sunday, May 17---L
Little Ceasar
The Life of Emile Zola
Love and Death
Lock, Stock, and Two Barrels
Letters From Iwo Jima
The Last of the Mohicans
Lost Horizon
Love Songs
The Lost Weekend
Lifeboat
The Last Temptation of Christ
Letter From an Unknown Woman
Monday, May 18---M
My Left Foot
A Man for All Seasons
Mrs. Minniver
Mutiny on the Bounty
Mildred Pierce
Modern Times
Manhattan
Malcolm X
Monsoon Wedding
The Music Man
The Motorcycle Diaries
Tuesday, May 19---N
No End in Sight
Night of the Living Dead
Wednesday, May 20---O
Oliver!
On Golden Pond
Only Angels Have Wings
Once Upon a Time in America
The Orphanage
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Thursday, May 21---P
The Public Enemy
Pride of the Yankees
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Passion of the Christ
Friday, May 22---Q
Quills (Hulu)
Quest for Fire (Hulu)
The Quiet Man
Saturday, May 23---R
The Road Warrior
Rebel Without a Cause
Revolver
Reprise
Red Rock West
Sunday, May 24---S
Seven Samurai
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Shadow of a Doubt
Sergeant York
Stalag 17
Saboteur
Stardust Memories
sex, lies, and videotape
Strangers on a Train
Superman
The Seven Year Itch
Scarface
Shall We Dance
Swingers
Salo
Monday, May 25---T
They Were Expendable
Torn Curtain
Taxi to the Dark Side
THX: 1138
2 Days in Paris
The Thing
12 Monkeys
Tuesday, May 26---U
Unforgiven
Unbreakable
Wednesday, May 27---V
Very Bad Things (Hulu)
Vanilla Sky
Thursday, May 28---W
Woman of the Year
White Heat
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
The Weather Underground
Water Drops on Burning Rocks
Friday, May 29---X
Xanadu
Saturday, May 30---Y
Young and Innocent
Yeast (Hulu)
Your Friends and Neighbors (Hulu)
Y tu mama tambien
Sunday, May 31---Z
Zathura
Wednesday, May 6---A
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Arsenic and Old Lace
As Good As it Gets
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
The Age of Innocence
After Hours
The Awful Truth
Anchors Aweigh
American Madness
Thursday, May 7---B
Barry Lyndon
Bullitt
Best in Show
Boarding Gate
Batman
Breathless
Boxcar Bertha
Broadway Danny Rose
Boyz N' the Hood
The Band's Visit
Barbarella
Friday, May 8---C
Charade
The Constant Gardner
Clockers
The Counterfeiters
Chop Shop
City Lights
Camille
Cape Fear
The Candidate
Cool Hand Luke
Cabaret
Saturday, May 9---D
The Dirty Dozen
Dog Day Afternoon
Deliverance
Days of Heaven
Sunday, May 10---E
Eraserhead
East of Eden
Enter the Dragon
The Exorcist
Elegy
The Edge of Heaven
Monday, May 11---F
The Front Page
The Fortune Cookie
Five Star Final
Foreign Correspondent
From Dusk Till Dawn
The Fugitive
Farewell, My Lovely
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
Full Metal Jacket
Tuesday, May 12---G
The Greatest Show on Earth
The Great Dictator
The Gold Rush
Grand Hotel
Gilda
The Glenn Miller Story
Giant
Get Carter
Ghostbusters
Wednesday, May 13---H
High Sierra
His Girl Friday
Holiday
Hair
Hello Dolly!
Thursday, May 14---I
Inherit the Wind
In Cold Blood
Friday, May 15---J
Joyeaux Noel
Judgment at Nuremburg
Saturday, May 16---K
Key Largo
King Kong
Kramer vs. Kramer
Klute
Sunday, May 17---L
Little Ceasar
The Life of Emile Zola
Love and Death
Lock, Stock, and Two Barrels
Letters From Iwo Jima
The Last of the Mohicans
Lost Horizon
Love Songs
The Lost Weekend
Lifeboat
The Last Temptation of Christ
Letter From an Unknown Woman
Monday, May 18---M
My Left Foot
A Man for All Seasons
Mrs. Minniver
Mutiny on the Bounty
Mildred Pierce
Modern Times
Manhattan
Malcolm X
Monsoon Wedding
The Music Man
The Motorcycle Diaries
Tuesday, May 19---N
No End in Sight
Night of the Living Dead
Wednesday, May 20---O
Oliver!
On Golden Pond
Only Angels Have Wings
Once Upon a Time in America
The Orphanage
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Thursday, May 21---P
The Public Enemy
Pride of the Yankees
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Passion of the Christ
Friday, May 22---Q
Quills (Hulu)
Quest for Fire (Hulu)
The Quiet Man
Saturday, May 23---R
The Road Warrior
Rebel Without a Cause
Revolver
Reprise
Red Rock West
Sunday, May 24---S
Seven Samurai
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Shadow of a Doubt
Sergeant York
Stalag 17
Saboteur
Stardust Memories
sex, lies, and videotape
Strangers on a Train
Superman
The Seven Year Itch
Scarface
Shall We Dance
Swingers
Salo
Monday, May 25---T
They Were Expendable
Torn Curtain
Taxi to the Dark Side
THX: 1138
2 Days in Paris
The Thing
12 Monkeys
Tuesday, May 26---U
Unforgiven
Unbreakable
Wednesday, May 27---V
Very Bad Things (Hulu)
Vanilla Sky
Thursday, May 28---W
Woman of the Year
White Heat
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
The Weather Underground
Water Drops on Burning Rocks
Friday, May 29---X
Xanadu
Saturday, May 30---Y
Young and Innocent
Yeast (Hulu)
Your Friends and Neighbors (Hulu)
Y tu mama tambien
Sunday, May 31---Z
Zathura
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