Dug

"Squirrel!"

A Couple of Quirky Coms

I love both of these movies. Call me a sucker for the quirky comedy but I simply cannot resist. Call them pretentious, unrealistic, and silly but I'm always enamored with these types of movies. The Brothers Bloom and Away We Go are no exceptions.

The Brothers Bloom starts out like a Wes Anderson flick and then morphs into something much much more. Adrian Brody and Mark Ruffalo are both well suited for the snappy dialogue required by Rian Johnson. And Rachel Weisz turns in probably my favorite performance of hers. Parts of the movie were cheesy as it seems Johnson is trying to almost be more conventional but there were so many memorable parts: Penelope trying to steal the artifact, Bang Bang's karaoke, Bloom's attempts to get to know Penelope, etc.

I think something major missing from Johnson's previous work, Brick, was a cinematic touch. Too often it looked like a jumbled mess. His second feature is much more layered and regal. The cast as previously mentioned is top notch and he manages to separate himself from the Wes Anderson niche by actually having an interesting plot. Like Duplicity before it, this film takes many twists and turns and sometimes overstays its welcome (I really thought it could have ended when Penelope uncovers the initial plot) but never ceases to entertain. On a side note, seeing Adrian Brody attempt to be happy when Bloom starts to enjoy life freaked me out. He needs to always have that scared, nervous look on his face.

Grade: A-

2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:

Best Picture
The Real Deal
Best Comedic Performance: Rachel Weisz's blissful Penelope
Best Scene Stealer: Rinko's mysterious Bang Bang
Best Music
Best Line: "I think you're constipated...in your fucking soul!" and "Oh fuck"
Best "Best Moment of the Film": Penelope's description of her hobbies

Away We Go, on the other hand, attempts to basically do an adult Juno. A woman becomes pregnant and tries to figure out a sense of who she is and what she should be doing with her life. Constantly trying to be a balancing act between absurdity and stark realism, this is probably Sam Mendes' best since American Beauty. As Jim Halpert(he will never be different to me) and Maya Rudolph travel around trying to find where their home is and whether they really are "fuck-ups," I became genuinely concerned and invested in where they would end up.

Essentially, the movie is a series of vignettes with a title card before each new location indicating what stage of their travels the couple is on. I take issue with people calling the movie pretentious. Basically, what critics take from the movie is that the couple only learns that they are better than everyone else. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Both Jim and Maya have their own separate quirks that endear them to the audience but also make the audience wonder whether this couple really should be in charge of a child. Sure every new person they meet is a complete caricature and is meant to show the audience that the couple is better off than them but the caricatures mean so much more to the couple. They represent the continuing journey home that the couple is trying to find. It's not so much that the couple is better than every family they meet, but rather that they wouldn't fit in to the environment that their friends are a part of.

Overall, Away We Go is anchored by strong performances by Jim Hapert and Maya Rudolph and make the caricatures seem almost plausible. Reminiscent of a good Woody Allen comedy, the film juxtaposes comedy with drama and asks serious questions about true love, one's true home and true hilarity.

Grade: B+

2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:

Best Picture
The Real Deal
Best Actor: Jim Halpert
Best Actress: Maya Rudolph
Best Original Screenplay: Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida
Best Music
Best "Best Moment of the Film": The emotional climax on the trampoline

The Hangover

I've seen The Hangover twice now. The first one doesn't count since it was with a free preview audience. They automatically suck. They're so excited to be at a free preview of a movie that they'll laugh at anything. Upon second screening with an actual paying crowd, I found that this movie is pretty hit or miss. As far as performances go, I don't think there will be a funnier performance this year than Zach Galifianakis shows in this film. Ed Helms has shown me he can get out of his Office bubble while Bradley Cooper firmly establishes himself as a comedic force to be reckoned with in the future. I don't think an asshole has ever been so likable as him.

In terms of plot, it seems like an uproarious idea. Trying to remember and piece together the events of the previous night. However, I'd rather the film also shown what the guys did to make their apartment so messy. Sure the ending credits were clever in showing the events through pictures. However, we never get a firm sense of what a good time they had throughout the night. And after all, isn't the movie an excuse to show a giant party. Also, the reason for Doug's absence fell flat with me. By having him be on the roof the entire time, you basically make their entire recollection null and void. If Doug was in the room when they woke up, the movie would never have a purpose. I would have even been fine with Doug being kidnapped by the mob. Instead, we allow Ed Helms to pick up on a stupid line like "You're more likely to end up on the roof than the floor." That didn't make sense.

Overall though, the hype for the movie is pretty well deserved. In an age where raunch is being tried by pretty much every comedy, The Hangover succeeds by combining strong performances with some sufficiently ridiculous events like stealing Mike Tyson's tiger. The music is consistently interwoven throughout the movie (sometimes incessantly) and works well in transitioning from essentially one comedic sketch to another. I kind of wish Ken Jeong wasn't given such major moments to perform because he's best in subtle moments where he steals the spotlight from someone else. The Hangover is pretty funny but to be honest, I don't want to see a sequel.

Grade: B

2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:

Best Comedic Performance: Zach Galifianakis
Best Montage: Rain Man sequence in the casino
Best Scene Stealer: Ken Jeong
Most Surprising Moment: Was that really Galifianakis in all his glory?
Best Music
Best Use of a Song: Making Phil Collin's "In the Air Tonight" relevant again
Best Trailer
Best Use of a Song in the Trailer: Rihanna's "Live Your Life"
Best "Best Moment of the Film": The kid in the police station getting back at Alan with tazer theatrics

When I Grow Up I Wanna Be Famous

Two movies. Both sports themed. Both sports posing as metaphors for fame and fortune. Two very different interpretations of athletes. And I loved both of them for very different reasons.

Rudo y Cursi has been on my radar since Sundance and with the Three Amigos as producers and the writer of y tu mama tambien in tow, I was expecting some kind of human drama with a soccer background. Instead, Carlos Cuaron has delivered an immensely fun and light fable of two brothers who both make it to the top of Mexican soccer and end up in a do or die game at the end of the movie. This movie does not take itself seriously and I love it for it. Luna and Bernal exude an excellent energy and chemistry together as usual and convey the right amount of wacky and fun that is needed for a fun movie like this. Sure the metaphor of soccer and rivalry and pleasing one's mother is completely bogus, but it still resonates despite the ridicule. A typical rise and fall with a brotherly twist, Rudo and Cursi both entertain and, ultimately, pay for their idiotic actions in life.

On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, the titular figure of Sugar makes it no where near the top of his sport. Several time during the movie, you expect him to finally pick up his game and make it to the majors. Instead, reality hits. He simply does not have enough talent for the big times. As he watches his aging friend get black balled because of his diminishing skills, the reality sets in that he has to quit the game he used to love in order to think about the future. As an opposition to the other movie in this post, Sugar makes it clear that sport does not make a life but rather distracts one from the reality of it. Filled to the brim with genuine pathos, I left the theater concerned about Sugar's life ahead and the lives of many immigrants struggling in the United States.

Rudo y Cursi: B-

2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:

Most Ridiculous Moment: They shot his leg off!
Best Use of a Song: "I Want You to Want Me" as performed by Gael Garcia Bernal

Sugar: B

Drag Me to Up

I have so much to catch up on. So this is probably the most interesting double feature I have and ever will see in my life. As midnight showings would have it, neither Up nor Drag Me to Hell offered me a chance at sleep deprivation so, instead of choosing one of the two to watch on a
Friday night, we went to both with Sam Raimi's thrill fest up first:

















Drag Me to Hell

I hate horror movies. They are usually stupid, unrealistic and ultimately provide me with zero thrills or entertainment whatsoever. I've become recently a little less stiff towards the prospects of watching a horror movie but the fact that Orphan will probably make a shit ton more money than a wonderfully quirky film like The Brothers Bloom scares me more than than the former probably would if I saw it.

That being said, Drag Me to Hell is maybe the most fun I've had at a movie in a long time. It is utter brilliance. I really mean that. Sam Raimi has once again managed to subvert the genre much better than some silly Wayans could by simply setting out to scare you and then making you laugh at the fact that he scared you. The entire sequence in the parking lot is haunting and yet ridiculous.

I think it's awesome that the plot is so thinly drawn. Woman gets angry, sets curse upon woman who pissed her off, woman tries not to go to hell. Ha! That's so unrealistic that you can only have fun at a movie like this. When I kept recommending it to my friends, they would basically scoff at me because they think it's just another horror movie. They have a point. The trailer is indicative of another Haunting in Connecticut but the movie itself is so much better and essentially a fun ride. It's kind of sad that it takes cinephiles with extensive knowledge of Raimi's previous work to enjoy a movie like this but maybe the future of horror movies can learn something from this movie because it's, in a word, awesome.

Grade: A-

2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:

Best Picture
The Real Deal
Best "Best Moment of the Film": The possessed donkey
Best Scene Stealer: Reggie Lee's caricature of nervous and conniving Stu
Most Surprising Moment: She still ends up being dragged to hell


Up

Wall-E is probably one of the best animated pictures ever and maybe the most daring. To follow that up (pun intended) is no easy task. Overall, I think Pixar has provided another solid entry but one that cannot rival the previously mentioned masterpiece they produced last year.

Up is great. By any standards it's one of the best movies of the year. But, as I already said, it followed an unrelentingly fun film so it was handicapped from the beginning. I'm sure that I'll like it more when I see it again but upon first glimpse, I was not blown away by the film. The montage sequence of Carl Fredrickson and his wife was as touching as everyone had said it would be. The juxtaposition of the two leads was hilarious and was accentuated by the hilarity of the talking dogs.

I think my only problem with the movie is that the villain, Charles Muntz, falls flat for me. He was Fredrickson's idol but now he's trying to prove to the world that the tropical bird is real? I don't know. Overall, it seemed a little forgettable as far as Pixar movies are concerned but then again, I did see after the catharsis of Drag Me to Hell. I don't know. Either way, it will probably still be better than most movies this year.

Grade: B+

2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:

Best Animated Picture
Best Montage: The life and relationship of the Fredricksons
Best Scene Stealer: Dug the dog. "I have just met you and I love you."
Best Use of a Song: The Habanera as Carl is getting out of bed