Film Review Update
Hello everyone! I have time for a quick update of what I have seen before I have to do some more work so here you go! Here are some very informal reviews.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): 9/10
I am not sure the last time I have had this much unadulterated fun at the movies. Whether or not you are a Wes Anderson fan, his take on Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox is impossible to hate. Its charm exudes from the screen and it perfectly captures the spirit of the author and the sparse story. The visuals are astounding and that is an understatement. Anderson and crew decided to go for a more old school style of claymation, almost the opposite of Coraline’s pristine and beautiful work. The result is perfection in imperfection with every frame feeling hand crafted but no less beautiful. I’ve never been this taken aback by the animation in any film. Every shot is a wonder with sights to take in on all sorts of planes. I actually missed a lot of dialogue in the first part of the film because I was so blindsided by the visuals. The film racks up a ton of re-watch potential from that standpoint alone.
Anderson and fellow director and colleague Noah Baumbach have done something special with this script, creating a variety of characters that interact in a realistic manner and have depth without any noticeable efforts to give them any. This film could be the physical representation of joy. It never hits a dull note and it simply lets scenes play out instead of adding a bunch of plot complications.
Something I love about this is that it feels in every way shape and form like a Wes Anderson film; but animated. His style is present in every scene. Every frame in fact oozes his aesthetic. The film is complete with his trademark overhead shots, tracking shots, diagrams, insane detailing, color scheme, etc. It is all there; especially the soundtrack which is typically great. Anderson uses the underrated “Heroes and Villians” to open in a stroke of genius and has what is possibly the least talked about Disney song of all time, “Love” from Robin Hood subtly playing in the background of one scene. He favors The Beach Boys and Burl Ives giving each multiple songs which enhance the specificity of the world and film, a little like what he did with Seu Jorge in Life Aquatic. Alexandre Desplat’s score is also infused with the director’s style taking cues from Mark Mothersbaugh’s brilliant Rushmore score which I would guess has a lot to do with what Anderson himself wanted. Topping the music fixation off is the much welcome presence of Jarvis Cocker, front man of seminal BritPop band Pulp who plays Petey whose song is a sort of centerpiece to the film. All in all while this film will gain a cult status in the years to come and it is already making critics top ten lists this is an unfortunately under seen gem from Anderson that represents pure joy and should be seen by anyone who has an immense love for animation or filmmaking in general.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009): 8/10
What a trashy blast. Herzog has done the seemingly impossible here. Films that have a tone like this confound me when they are successful. The film gives us reasons not to take it seriously and yet it wants us to and it works. Werner Herzog and Nicolas Cage have combined to create a psychotic miracle. Cage has been using his eccentricities to apparently giving some of the worst performances in recent memory (I have not seen said films but have seen scenes and yeah…). I don’t think anyone can pin Cage down if they try. I think a lot of it has to do with his performances taking more of the fall than it should probably as the piece of shit films themselves fall by the wayside in comparison. I think some of it is his inability to create performances that work within shit movies even if he gives a valiant effort. Maybe some of it is not taking himself seriously and giving into massive heaps of self parody. I’m not sure what it is but here he takes all of that whacked out energy and gives one of the weirdest, self-parodic (in a good way) apeshit performances I have ever seen. The genius of Herzog though is that he simultaneously creates a fascinating character study that works as serious drama amidst the insanity of Cage’s work. Despite Cage’s incomprehensible accent switch midway through the film where he begins to sound like Jimmy Stewart this is a performance of freedom and pathos being shown from the inside out. Cage’s stance and walk is different, his essence is fused with the character to create it; his eyes burn with hate and longing. It is an endlessly fascinating performance that will never get Oscar recognition for its level of insanity but at least it is getting the critical acclaim.
With the rest of the film Herzog uses a crime drama background for the basis of a character study. The plot is never really important because its purpose is to enhance the character. The director is using the genre to experiment essentially with its possibilities and we can see him testing the waters in several scenes. I honestly would need to see the film again to comment on what Herzog is doing with it because the film really is all about Cage and how the character functions with others and in the world. He is surrounded by an incredible ensemble cast including the great Brad Dourif, Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes (actually quite good here), Shawn Hatosy, Fairuza Balk, Jennifer Coolidge, Michael Shannon and Xzibit.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is a hypnotic film that is a different take on a familiar genre as seen through the eyes of Herzog led on by an endlessly entertaining, bat-shit crazy performance by Nicolas Cage that also functions as an intense character study.
Goodbye Solo (2009): 8/10
In a world where things were fair, this would be getting Oscar attention. But I should know better than to expect anything fair to happen when talking about the Oscars. At least the Indie Spirit Awards recognized it to some extent. This film directed by Ramin Bahrani of Man Push Cart and Chop Shop fame (been meaning to see both) takes the familiar plot of two unlikely people who connect through strange circumstances and injects life and meaning into it. Solo is a Senegalese immigrant who works as a cab driver. He picks up an elderly man who offers him a sum of money to take him to a place called Blowing Rock in two weeks. Solo learns that this man whose name is William, is going to kill himself. Through circumstances, the two end up being near each other a lot in the time between their initial conversation and the fateful day of William’s trip and their interactions lead into an examination of Solo’s life in particular as he has to reevaluate himself through his experience.
Souleymane Sy Savane is incredible here and should be in serious consideration for the big awards. He is endlessly enthusiastic and uncommonly natural on screen. Red West as William is standout here as well looking eerily like Richard Farnsworth. The film is short and penetrating in its observations which don’t go into sentimental territory but clearly has a love for the characters. You would be a fool to miss this one.
Food Inc. (2009): 7.7
An important and effective look at the food industry from all angles and addressing all sorts of issues including some I have never even thought about. While the film feels a little crowded it is necessary because the film serves as a brief overview of all of the issues of the food industry and since there are a ton of them, the film has to be split up into many parts. The films purpose is simply to make the viewer aware of what is going on and hopes to provoke more interest to that others will continue to explore these issues. The film does a great job of letting the viewer know that what brought on the film was this idea that somehow a barrier was set up between the consumer and the companies and our blind acceptance of the ignorance is natural because it has always been that way. The film suggests that this is an odd relationship and they want to figure out how this has happened and what is taking place beyond the barrier. While I still prefer Anvil: The Story of Anvil, this is a great and informative introduction to the problems of the food industry and should be seen by everyone.
Julie and Julia (2009): 7/10
I did not want to like Julie and Julia but so help me I did. I really did. Ok so there is not a lot of conflict. Okay so the Amy Adams character is annoying. I don’t care. People are annoying. We may hate her but most of us are like her. I think we just don’t want to admit it. What I like about this is that it is a film made for women that does not function as a romance. Films for women are all about the romance because apparently that is all we care about; we just want to see films about women who are “incomplete” until that perfect dude comes along. Fuck that. Both Julia Child and Julie Powell are both married at the start of this film and in stable marriages’ at that. Their stories are driven by a need for purpose and self identity and each finds it in their own way, both involving food of course. The film is sumptuous and really puts anyone who watches it in the mood to cook all the time. Sure the film can be unsubtle but honestly I found this refreshing and purely charming. Meryl Streep is of course incredible but I would actually say Stanley Tucci is the standout. Between this and The Lovely Bones he should be around during awards season. Overall this is a refreshing and delightful film that serves as pleasant entertainment.
The Girlfriend Experience (2009): 6/10
First of all I am pro Sasha Grey. Everyone is split on this issue but I am unwavering in my approval of her. Yes she degrades herself in hard core pornography. Yes she enjoys it and yes she is outspoken about it and yes she has changed the porn industry at 21. Yes it’s unfortunate that she enjoys doing these things for mass consumption. It has nothing to do with what she enjoys doing that I have a problem with, just the idea of doing it for millions to see. However am I going to bash her? No. I find it fascinating that people take such offense to a woman who actually enjoys doing porn. Porn is going to exist until the world explodes people so we might as well have people doing these things that actually want to be doing it. People are more offended by her enjoyment than they are about the women that are desperate enough to degrade themselves to make a living who despise it. There is something wrong with that. Richard Roeper spends his entire review of this film attacking the woman. It’s hilarious; seriously Roeper? Apparently women are not supposed to feel this way. I wasn’t aware. It’s fine for all the men who love doing hard core porn because they are men but a woman enjoying it? No, of course the answer is that she is just deluding herself. Poor unfortunate girl everyone thinks. Oh God people are hilarious. If you aren’t watching then who cares what she does? Her uninhibited sexual agency makes people understandably uncomfortable but does she have to take the shit for it? I had no idea that people took such issue with women admitting their deep desires and being that comfortable with them. Granted, the circumstance through which she releases these desires is unfortunate but the people who are offended because of their own repression need to seriously find something else to complain about.
So that is out of the way and we can talk about the film which I actually have less to say about than that lovely rant. Soderbergh cast Sasha Grey to play a high class escort woman who offers what is called The Girlfriend Experience, which is something that does exist in which the escort provides more than just sex; she provides well…the feigned experience of having a girlfriend. Chelsea, Grey’s character is seen in a number of scenarios which jumps around in time. These include her interactions with her boyfriend, her interview with a journalist, her efforts to expand her clientele and so on. Overall the film is slight but never boring like others find it. Anyone who has seen any of Soderbergh’s independent stuff knows what they are in for here. The present economy is a huge presence here as most of Chelsea’s clients complain about it and we see taped footage of Chelsea’s boyfriend and his friends discussing the situation. Overall the film explores issues of connection and desire, questioning what is authentic and inauthentic. Even though Soderbergh is unsubtle in some of the stuff he is doing here, he does a nice job with it. Grey is adequate; not great. A lot of people thought she was very good and some thought she was dreadful. I stand in the middle. The last scene is by far the best moment in the film so thankfully it ends on a good note. All in all an interesting watch even if it ends up being a bit forgettable.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984): 3/10
A fascinating piece of shit. This film jumps all over the place from being hilarious to being geniuenly creepy to being really messed up to being hilarious again and so on and so forth. It made for a very enjoyable ride and one of the most fascinating horror films I have seen simply n the basis of having never seen anything quite like it. The pacing s very different as is its tone. There was a lot of potential here but I do not think the film ever really decides what it wants to be.
A Christmas Tale (2008): 8.6/10
A melodrama with no melodrama; that is how I describe this two and a half hour French film which received the Criterion treatment this past week. Arnaud Desplachin’s film from last year stars a bevy of French actors including Catherine Deneuve and Mathieu Amalric. This film could not have been made in this country in that the director steers clear of every single direction that a Hollywood film would have gone in. He decides to give us moments and few arcs to follow. We are given questions and only some answers and few resolutions. He uses everything imaginable; a fake puppet show, irises up the wazoo, split screens, breaking the fourth wall; all of the cinema tricks that could never work together. They do though because it never feels like a gimmick; it flows with the film an we never question any of it. The techniques somehow fuse with the disjointed narrative to make for a wholly enjoyable treat. All of the actors work together beautifully and the genius in the film lies in the fact that characters reactions are at times completely the opposite of what you would expect. The director knows that every single person in the world will not react that same exact way as we have seen in so many films before. We are more puzzling and complex than that and the fascination lies with the way it complicates character and makes for less predictable viewing. A Christmas Tale is a treat and a joy from start to finish; a different sort of Christmas film indeed.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): 9/10
I am not sure the last time I have had this much unadulterated fun at the movies. Whether or not you are a Wes Anderson fan, his take on Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox is impossible to hate. Its charm exudes from the screen and it perfectly captures the spirit of the author and the sparse story. The visuals are astounding and that is an understatement. Anderson and crew decided to go for a more old school style of claymation, almost the opposite of Coraline’s pristine and beautiful work. The result is perfection in imperfection with every frame feeling hand crafted but no less beautiful. I’ve never been this taken aback by the animation in any film. Every shot is a wonder with sights to take in on all sorts of planes. I actually missed a lot of dialogue in the first part of the film because I was so blindsided by the visuals. The film racks up a ton of re-watch potential from that standpoint alone.
Anderson and fellow director and colleague Noah Baumbach have done something special with this script, creating a variety of characters that interact in a realistic manner and have depth without any noticeable efforts to give them any. This film could be the physical representation of joy. It never hits a dull note and it simply lets scenes play out instead of adding a bunch of plot complications.
Something I love about this is that it feels in every way shape and form like a Wes Anderson film; but animated. His style is present in every scene. Every frame in fact oozes his aesthetic. The film is complete with his trademark overhead shots, tracking shots, diagrams, insane detailing, color scheme, etc. It is all there; especially the soundtrack which is typically great. Anderson uses the underrated “Heroes and Villians” to open in a stroke of genius and has what is possibly the least talked about Disney song of all time, “Love” from Robin Hood subtly playing in the background of one scene. He favors The Beach Boys and Burl Ives giving each multiple songs which enhance the specificity of the world and film, a little like what he did with Seu Jorge in Life Aquatic. Alexandre Desplat’s score is also infused with the director’s style taking cues from Mark Mothersbaugh’s brilliant Rushmore score which I would guess has a lot to do with what Anderson himself wanted. Topping the music fixation off is the much welcome presence of Jarvis Cocker, front man of seminal BritPop band Pulp who plays Petey whose song is a sort of centerpiece to the film. All in all while this film will gain a cult status in the years to come and it is already making critics top ten lists this is an unfortunately under seen gem from Anderson that represents pure joy and should be seen by anyone who has an immense love for animation or filmmaking in general.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009): 8/10
What a trashy blast. Herzog has done the seemingly impossible here. Films that have a tone like this confound me when they are successful. The film gives us reasons not to take it seriously and yet it wants us to and it works. Werner Herzog and Nicolas Cage have combined to create a psychotic miracle. Cage has been using his eccentricities to apparently giving some of the worst performances in recent memory (I have not seen said films but have seen scenes and yeah…). I don’t think anyone can pin Cage down if they try. I think a lot of it has to do with his performances taking more of the fall than it should probably as the piece of shit films themselves fall by the wayside in comparison. I think some of it is his inability to create performances that work within shit movies even if he gives a valiant effort. Maybe some of it is not taking himself seriously and giving into massive heaps of self parody. I’m not sure what it is but here he takes all of that whacked out energy and gives one of the weirdest, self-parodic (in a good way) apeshit performances I have ever seen. The genius of Herzog though is that he simultaneously creates a fascinating character study that works as serious drama amidst the insanity of Cage’s work. Despite Cage’s incomprehensible accent switch midway through the film where he begins to sound like Jimmy Stewart this is a performance of freedom and pathos being shown from the inside out. Cage’s stance and walk is different, his essence is fused with the character to create it; his eyes burn with hate and longing. It is an endlessly fascinating performance that will never get Oscar recognition for its level of insanity but at least it is getting the critical acclaim.
With the rest of the film Herzog uses a crime drama background for the basis of a character study. The plot is never really important because its purpose is to enhance the character. The director is using the genre to experiment essentially with its possibilities and we can see him testing the waters in several scenes. I honestly would need to see the film again to comment on what Herzog is doing with it because the film really is all about Cage and how the character functions with others and in the world. He is surrounded by an incredible ensemble cast including the great Brad Dourif, Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes (actually quite good here), Shawn Hatosy, Fairuza Balk, Jennifer Coolidge, Michael Shannon and Xzibit.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is a hypnotic film that is a different take on a familiar genre as seen through the eyes of Herzog led on by an endlessly entertaining, bat-shit crazy performance by Nicolas Cage that also functions as an intense character study.
Goodbye Solo (2009): 8/10
In a world where things were fair, this would be getting Oscar attention. But I should know better than to expect anything fair to happen when talking about the Oscars. At least the Indie Spirit Awards recognized it to some extent. This film directed by Ramin Bahrani of Man Push Cart and Chop Shop fame (been meaning to see both) takes the familiar plot of two unlikely people who connect through strange circumstances and injects life and meaning into it. Solo is a Senegalese immigrant who works as a cab driver. He picks up an elderly man who offers him a sum of money to take him to a place called Blowing Rock in two weeks. Solo learns that this man whose name is William, is going to kill himself. Through circumstances, the two end up being near each other a lot in the time between their initial conversation and the fateful day of William’s trip and their interactions lead into an examination of Solo’s life in particular as he has to reevaluate himself through his experience.
Souleymane Sy Savane is incredible here and should be in serious consideration for the big awards. He is endlessly enthusiastic and uncommonly natural on screen. Red West as William is standout here as well looking eerily like Richard Farnsworth. The film is short and penetrating in its observations which don’t go into sentimental territory but clearly has a love for the characters. You would be a fool to miss this one.
Food Inc. (2009): 7.7
An important and effective look at the food industry from all angles and addressing all sorts of issues including some I have never even thought about. While the film feels a little crowded it is necessary because the film serves as a brief overview of all of the issues of the food industry and since there are a ton of them, the film has to be split up into many parts. The films purpose is simply to make the viewer aware of what is going on and hopes to provoke more interest to that others will continue to explore these issues. The film does a great job of letting the viewer know that what brought on the film was this idea that somehow a barrier was set up between the consumer and the companies and our blind acceptance of the ignorance is natural because it has always been that way. The film suggests that this is an odd relationship and they want to figure out how this has happened and what is taking place beyond the barrier. While I still prefer Anvil: The Story of Anvil, this is a great and informative introduction to the problems of the food industry and should be seen by everyone.
Julie and Julia (2009): 7/10
I did not want to like Julie and Julia but so help me I did. I really did. Ok so there is not a lot of conflict. Okay so the Amy Adams character is annoying. I don’t care. People are annoying. We may hate her but most of us are like her. I think we just don’t want to admit it. What I like about this is that it is a film made for women that does not function as a romance. Films for women are all about the romance because apparently that is all we care about; we just want to see films about women who are “incomplete” until that perfect dude comes along. Fuck that. Both Julia Child and Julie Powell are both married at the start of this film and in stable marriages’ at that. Their stories are driven by a need for purpose and self identity and each finds it in their own way, both involving food of course. The film is sumptuous and really puts anyone who watches it in the mood to cook all the time. Sure the film can be unsubtle but honestly I found this refreshing and purely charming. Meryl Streep is of course incredible but I would actually say Stanley Tucci is the standout. Between this and The Lovely Bones he should be around during awards season. Overall this is a refreshing and delightful film that serves as pleasant entertainment.
The Girlfriend Experience (2009): 6/10
First of all I am pro Sasha Grey. Everyone is split on this issue but I am unwavering in my approval of her. Yes she degrades herself in hard core pornography. Yes she enjoys it and yes she is outspoken about it and yes she has changed the porn industry at 21. Yes it’s unfortunate that she enjoys doing these things for mass consumption. It has nothing to do with what she enjoys doing that I have a problem with, just the idea of doing it for millions to see. However am I going to bash her? No. I find it fascinating that people take such offense to a woman who actually enjoys doing porn. Porn is going to exist until the world explodes people so we might as well have people doing these things that actually want to be doing it. People are more offended by her enjoyment than they are about the women that are desperate enough to degrade themselves to make a living who despise it. There is something wrong with that. Richard Roeper spends his entire review of this film attacking the woman. It’s hilarious; seriously Roeper? Apparently women are not supposed to feel this way. I wasn’t aware. It’s fine for all the men who love doing hard core porn because they are men but a woman enjoying it? No, of course the answer is that she is just deluding herself. Poor unfortunate girl everyone thinks. Oh God people are hilarious. If you aren’t watching then who cares what she does? Her uninhibited sexual agency makes people understandably uncomfortable but does she have to take the shit for it? I had no idea that people took such issue with women admitting their deep desires and being that comfortable with them. Granted, the circumstance through which she releases these desires is unfortunate but the people who are offended because of their own repression need to seriously find something else to complain about.
So that is out of the way and we can talk about the film which I actually have less to say about than that lovely rant. Soderbergh cast Sasha Grey to play a high class escort woman who offers what is called The Girlfriend Experience, which is something that does exist in which the escort provides more than just sex; she provides well…the feigned experience of having a girlfriend. Chelsea, Grey’s character is seen in a number of scenarios which jumps around in time. These include her interactions with her boyfriend, her interview with a journalist, her efforts to expand her clientele and so on. Overall the film is slight but never boring like others find it. Anyone who has seen any of Soderbergh’s independent stuff knows what they are in for here. The present economy is a huge presence here as most of Chelsea’s clients complain about it and we see taped footage of Chelsea’s boyfriend and his friends discussing the situation. Overall the film explores issues of connection and desire, questioning what is authentic and inauthentic. Even though Soderbergh is unsubtle in some of the stuff he is doing here, he does a nice job with it. Grey is adequate; not great. A lot of people thought she was very good and some thought she was dreadful. I stand in the middle. The last scene is by far the best moment in the film so thankfully it ends on a good note. All in all an interesting watch even if it ends up being a bit forgettable.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984): 3/10
A fascinating piece of shit. This film jumps all over the place from being hilarious to being geniuenly creepy to being really messed up to being hilarious again and so on and so forth. It made for a very enjoyable ride and one of the most fascinating horror films I have seen simply n the basis of having never seen anything quite like it. The pacing s very different as is its tone. There was a lot of potential here but I do not think the film ever really decides what it wants to be.
A Christmas Tale (2008): 8.6/10
A melodrama with no melodrama; that is how I describe this two and a half hour French film which received the Criterion treatment this past week. Arnaud Desplachin’s film from last year stars a bevy of French actors including Catherine Deneuve and Mathieu Amalric. This film could not have been made in this country in that the director steers clear of every single direction that a Hollywood film would have gone in. He decides to give us moments and few arcs to follow. We are given questions and only some answers and few resolutions. He uses everything imaginable; a fake puppet show, irises up the wazoo, split screens, breaking the fourth wall; all of the cinema tricks that could never work together. They do though because it never feels like a gimmick; it flows with the film an we never question any of it. The techniques somehow fuse with the disjointed narrative to make for a wholly enjoyable treat. All of the actors work together beautifully and the genius in the film lies in the fact that characters reactions are at times completely the opposite of what you would expect. The director knows that every single person in the world will not react that same exact way as we have seen in so many films before. We are more puzzling and complex than that and the fascination lies with the way it complicates character and makes for less predictable viewing. A Christmas Tale is a treat and a joy from start to finish; a different sort of Christmas film indeed.
