I should always be a bit wary when I think I may not like a movie Robert Downey Jr. is in...he somehow elevates any script he is given, and he certainly does that in the case of The Soloist (2008).
While the plot (a true story) may not be as deep or as moving as the film intends, Downey, as an LA Times columnist, and Jaime Foxx as mentally disturbed concert cellist Nathaniel Ayers, both play their roles perfectly. Downey plays Steve Lopez as a earnest, but somewhat shallow, columnist hotshot, who tries to help the street musician he hears one day, without really thinking about what help may mean to Ayers.
Ayers was an amazing cellist, studying at Julliard before mental illness overcame his ability to continue, not only at the school, but in "normal" life. Foxx is excellent, skirting the line between totally nutso, and sympathetic, troubled artist. And that is what Lopez has trouble discerning...that line, because he feels like if he just gives Ayers a cello and some stability, things will be fine. And he will be able to go on his merry way to another column.
But it is more complicated than that in dealing with mental illness...stability can be just as hard on someone like Ayers as instability.
What bogs this film down is the story itself. While intriguing and well acted- well made all-around- the story does not inspire particularly. I mean, I feel bad for Ayers, but I didn't feel that he was that much different from any other street person...they all have stories. And Lopez only helps Ayers, while ignoring the bigger, societal problems that let Ayers down in the first place. It is fine to help this man, but what about all the other people afflicted with mental illness and/or homeless. Ayers seems no more deserving than them.
The Soloist is not bad at all, but for me it does not have any bigger message or point.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Movie-March of the Penguins
I will admit it...March of the Penguins (2004) was pretty good. I remember all the hype and discussion about it when it came out, making it sound like the best thing since Titanic. So I was wary as I prepared to watch it.
Like I said, it was pretty good...entertaining, with great visuals, educational, and amazing in many ways. However, I really got annoyed at the amount of anthropomorphising they did in the film. Attributing human emotions to the behavior of these creatures, is OK on a small scale, but they did it so epically in this film, that I wondered why it wasn't OK just to portray these animals as what they are: penguins, instead of making them strange little human beings.
I think in the past the idea that animals do not have any feelings or emotions has been overdone, many animals clearly have emotions and feelings, almost every dog owner in the world will attest to that...so I am not opposed to some of that...but this just took it to another level. And it became cloying and at one point, ridiculous.
Apart from that, I enjoyed the movie, and can see why it became popular.
Like I said, it was pretty good...entertaining, with great visuals, educational, and amazing in many ways. However, I really got annoyed at the amount of anthropomorphising they did in the film. Attributing human emotions to the behavior of these creatures, is OK on a small scale, but they did it so epically in this film, that I wondered why it wasn't OK just to portray these animals as what they are: penguins, instead of making them strange little human beings.
I think in the past the idea that animals do not have any feelings or emotions has been overdone, many animals clearly have emotions and feelings, almost every dog owner in the world will attest to that...so I am not opposed to some of that...but this just took it to another level. And it became cloying and at one point, ridiculous.
Apart from that, I enjoyed the movie, and can see why it became popular.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Book- Blood of Requited Love
Manuel Puig's book, Blood of Requited Love, was not one of my favorite books. The narrator (Josamar) offers a jumbled, untrustworthy monologue about his life, saying things happened one way, and then another, as he recounts his childhood and his current situation as a young man with totally shattered dreams.
He portrays himself as a remarkable boy and teenager, whose prowess at soccer and love know no bounds. But we are given clues first, then recanted accounts of parts of his narrative, and we see that his childhood was really as an abused, lonely and alienated child. And we realize as his brags about his love life, that this is all fantasy and than his current situation, very poor and unable to get ahead, is the reason he tries to imagine a better past.
But the confused narrative did not work well for me, and while I could sympathize with him to a certain extent for his current conditions, I also had a bit of antipathy towards him, finding him annoying and even silly, in a sleazy kind of way. His resentment of his father (and a cow) are overwrought (especially the cow) and ultimately so immature that my annoyance grew even more.
Josamar can find no foothold to fulfill the dreams that once seemed attainable. But those dreams were from a troubled adolescence, and that he still clings to them is troubling. I don't deny that Manuel Puig may have been trying to get these feelings evoked...but that does not make me enjoy the work any better.
He portrays himself as a remarkable boy and teenager, whose prowess at soccer and love know no bounds. But we are given clues first, then recanted accounts of parts of his narrative, and we see that his childhood was really as an abused, lonely and alienated child. And we realize as his brags about his love life, that this is all fantasy and than his current situation, very poor and unable to get ahead, is the reason he tries to imagine a better past.
But the confused narrative did not work well for me, and while I could sympathize with him to a certain extent for his current conditions, I also had a bit of antipathy towards him, finding him annoying and even silly, in a sleazy kind of way. His resentment of his father (and a cow) are overwrought (especially the cow) and ultimately so immature that my annoyance grew even more.
Josamar can find no foothold to fulfill the dreams that once seemed attainable. But those dreams were from a troubled adolescence, and that he still clings to them is troubling. I don't deny that Manuel Puig may have been trying to get these feelings evoked...but that does not make me enjoy the work any better.
Movie-Duplicity
Duplicity (2009) is the kind of spy movie where it is hard to keep track of the twists and turns, to the point of being unsure if it all makes sense. But you have a blast along the way, mainly because of the two stars, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. With Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson both in supporting roles, this cast is about as good as it can get.
Roberts and Owen have good chemistry together, both for love, and for spy vs spy antics. It takes awhile in the flick to know whether they are working together or against each other, and you wonder sometimes if even if their characters are sure of this. They are involved in corporate espionage, seemingly on opposite sides, Roberts working for Wilkinson's corporation and Owen working for Giamatti's.
The twists and turns remind me a bit of a modern age "The Sting," pitting allies in a dance of intrigue that seemingly puts them at odds with one another---but they are prepared for this---or are they? The ending was a surprise, but made me laugh.
Duplicity is fun, but I think there are a couple of twists they could have left out, just so we could ALMOST follow the plot. Roberts and Owens are REALLY good together, and I would like to see them paired in another movie in the future.
Roberts and Owen have good chemistry together, both for love, and for spy vs spy antics. It takes awhile in the flick to know whether they are working together or against each other, and you wonder sometimes if even if their characters are sure of this. They are involved in corporate espionage, seemingly on opposite sides, Roberts working for Wilkinson's corporation and Owen working for Giamatti's.
The twists and turns remind me a bit of a modern age "The Sting," pitting allies in a dance of intrigue that seemingly puts them at odds with one another---but they are prepared for this---or are they? The ending was a surprise, but made me laugh.
Duplicity is fun, but I think there are a couple of twists they could have left out, just so we could ALMOST follow the plot. Roberts and Owens are REALLY good together, and I would like to see them paired in another movie in the future.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Movie- Melinda and Melinda
Woody Allen goes through his ups and downs in movie making, with weemingly more down in recent years, so I honestly did not know what to expect in Melinda and Melinda
(2004).
The movie is set up at a dinner party, with a dramatist and comedic playright discussing whether comedy or tragedy tells a story better. And then they are challenged with an initial premise...and asked, is this better as a comedy or a drama...which medium can better effect a meaningful story out of this premise?
And so, we see a woman crash a dinner party, the guests a bit shocked as Melinda enters the apartment. She is an old friend of the woman of the house. This story goes on a bit and then we see a woman crash a dinner party, the guest are a bit shocked as Melinda enters the apartment. She is a neighbor from down the hall. One a drama, one a comedy.
These two stories continue side by side, one episode after another, similar in many respects, but very different in others. And I was caught up in both!
Will Ferrell, who lately has done really crappy stuff, is actually really good in this film. He captures Allen's spirit and sounds much like him, with some classic Allen throw away lines and observations.
All in all, I really enjoyed this movie. It is smart, with a great cast, including Amanda Peet, Josh Brolin and starring Radha Mitchell as Melinda in both the drama and the comedy.
(2004).
The movie is set up at a dinner party, with a dramatist and comedic playright discussing whether comedy or tragedy tells a story better. And then they are challenged with an initial premise...and asked, is this better as a comedy or a drama...which medium can better effect a meaningful story out of this premise?
And so, we see a woman crash a dinner party, the guests a bit shocked as Melinda enters the apartment. She is an old friend of the woman of the house. This story goes on a bit and then we see a woman crash a dinner party, the guest are a bit shocked as Melinda enters the apartment. She is a neighbor from down the hall. One a drama, one a comedy.
These two stories continue side by side, one episode after another, similar in many respects, but very different in others. And I was caught up in both!
Will Ferrell, who lately has done really crappy stuff, is actually really good in this film. He captures Allen's spirit and sounds much like him, with some classic Allen throw away lines and observations.
All in all, I really enjoyed this movie. It is smart, with a great cast, including Amanda Peet, Josh Brolin and starring Radha Mitchell as Melinda in both the drama and the comedy.
Book- Minaret
I will admit a prejudice I found in myself after reading Minaret, by Leila Aboulela---I am not big on books where the characters find happiness through religious conversion...whether that is Christian or Muslim, I have a hard time with that.
But despite that being a theme in Minaret, there is much that I also liked. The story of a girl who grew up in wealth, and was in a family of political power in Sudan, and is then without means as she has to emigrate to London, is fascinating and has such a ring of authenticity, that it overcame my disdain for the religious aspects of the plot.
Najwa's father was high up in the the cabinet of the president of Sudan, but a coup left him in jail, and later executed, as the family fled to their summer home in London. And suddenly, all the wealth disappeared, and Najwa, her brother and mother have to find a way to cope and live in a place where they do not feel at home. Najwa's brother gets involved in drugs, ending up in jail, and Najwa herself tries to fit in, but ultimately turns to religion.
The novel is told in alternation, with present time taking turns with flashbacks to explain how she got from there to here, and it is mainly an effective way of telling this story. Even her search for meaning at the Mosque is OK, just her ultimate decision on relying on religion, I found grating. That part felt like a religious tract.
Minaret was a good book, but had Najwa simply found a path of her own, I would had enjoyed it better.
But despite that being a theme in Minaret, there is much that I also liked. The story of a girl who grew up in wealth, and was in a family of political power in Sudan, and is then without means as she has to emigrate to London, is fascinating and has such a ring of authenticity, that it overcame my disdain for the religious aspects of the plot.
Najwa's father was high up in the the cabinet of the president of Sudan, but a coup left him in jail, and later executed, as the family fled to their summer home in London. And suddenly, all the wealth disappeared, and Najwa, her brother and mother have to find a way to cope and live in a place where they do not feel at home. Najwa's brother gets involved in drugs, ending up in jail, and Najwa herself tries to fit in, but ultimately turns to religion.
The novel is told in alternation, with present time taking turns with flashbacks to explain how she got from there to here, and it is mainly an effective way of telling this story. Even her search for meaning at the Mosque is OK, just her ultimate decision on relying on religion, I found grating. That part felt like a religious tract.
Minaret was a good book, but had Najwa simply found a path of her own, I would had enjoyed it better.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Movie-Turtles Can Fly
It has been said war is hell, usually by the participants. But it can be hell too, for those living in the midst of war.
In Turtles Can Fly (2005) we are witness to a Kurdish town in Iraq as the American forces are about to cross the border to invade the country. These people are caught in the middle--on one side Saddam Hussein is afraid of them, and so cuts off all communication outlets in the area. He is afraid they will help the U.S. forces. On the other side is the U.S. forces who will come driving through this town, and may treat them as the enemy.
But war is not new to these people, with land mine fields all around the town, there are many children with blown off body parts. These people are not actors, but real kids who encountered these mines.
The movie focuses on a young man, a boy really, nicknamed satellite. He has a knack for getting satellite dishes working, and what the people here want most of all is information. When are the tanks coming, from where, and how many. Satellite is the leader of the seemingly orphaned children...and he tries to keep them safe, and let them earn some money from his business.
Despite the harsh aspects of the film, it is also heartwarming in many ways, as Satellite faces a rival for the kid's allegiance, as he tries to find love. It is also tragic, very much fitting the idea that war is hell. For these people, caught between two forces, it seems like it will get worse before it gets better.
In Turtles Can Fly (2005) we are witness to a Kurdish town in Iraq as the American forces are about to cross the border to invade the country. These people are caught in the middle--on one side Saddam Hussein is afraid of them, and so cuts off all communication outlets in the area. He is afraid they will help the U.S. forces. On the other side is the U.S. forces who will come driving through this town, and may treat them as the enemy.
But war is not new to these people, with land mine fields all around the town, there are many children with blown off body parts. These people are not actors, but real kids who encountered these mines.
The movie focuses on a young man, a boy really, nicknamed satellite. He has a knack for getting satellite dishes working, and what the people here want most of all is information. When are the tanks coming, from where, and how many. Satellite is the leader of the seemingly orphaned children...and he tries to keep them safe, and let them earn some money from his business.
Despite the harsh aspects of the film, it is also heartwarming in many ways, as Satellite faces a rival for the kid's allegiance, as he tries to find love. It is also tragic, very much fitting the idea that war is hell. For these people, caught between two forces, it seems like it will get worse before it gets better.
Monday, October 5, 2009
TV Season- Some Thoughts
Modern Family is a winner! LOL funny!
Cougar Town...second episode was funnier than the first and overall much better. The tequila shot thing...so classic...many of us have been there!
Heroes is rebounding some. Still skeptical, but not too bad so far.
Still not sure about Eastwick, but it is enough to keep me watching.
Community is pretty funny. 2nd episode lost a bit, but the 3rd redeemed it. It is now on my watch list.
Cougar Town...second episode was funnier than the first and overall much better. The tequila shot thing...so classic...many of us have been there!
Heroes is rebounding some. Still skeptical, but not too bad so far.
Still not sure about Eastwick, but it is enough to keep me watching.
Community is pretty funny. 2nd episode lost a bit, but the 3rd redeemed it. It is now on my watch list.
TV Season-First Returning Show Dropped
Buh-bye Dollhouse. As much as I like Eliza Dushku, and think she is smoking...I can't watch this anymore. Joss Whedon usually does such good work, but this show has become...boring and lackluster. It seems to try to find a way to fix itself, but the first episodes of this season have been really bad.
And it is not the fault of Eliza...I think her character is fine. It is EVERYTHING else that is so bad. I wish they could just start over. Good premise, good lead...let's try again.
Aw well...goodbye Eliza!
And it is not the fault of Eliza...I think her character is fine. It is EVERYTHING else that is so bad. I wish they could just start over. Good premise, good lead...let's try again.
Aw well...goodbye Eliza!
TV Season- Series Premier-Hank
OK, I am really big fan of Kelsey Grammar, but his new show, Hank is definately lacking. He plays a big exec of a self-made sporting goods store empire, who gets dumped by his board of directors, and has to downsize his lavish lifestyle.
Part of that is moving back home to his small town roots, with his wife and two kids.
Kelsey provides his usual bravado and bluster, but he needs to even tone that a little. We need to have a reason to like these people, and pure bluster does not do it.
The writing is so-so, and I do not like the supporting characters much either. I will give it three episdoes, but I don't think I will be sticking with this one.
Part of that is moving back home to his small town roots, with his wife and two kids.
Kelsey provides his usual bravado and bluster, but he needs to even tone that a little. We need to have a reason to like these people, and pure bluster does not do it.
The writing is so-so, and I do not like the supporting characters much either. I will give it three episdoes, but I don't think I will be sticking with this one.
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