Will Smith can surprise you, you think a movie won't be that good, and somehow he can make it be good. Not quite like Robert Downey Jr., but he has a talent for finding projects that suit him and make him and it, better.
And so I think Seven Pounds (2007)is better than the material really is. It is about an IRS agent who starts helping a few people, giving them some breaks on their taxes and helping them do better in their lives. He especially is interested in helping the almost dying Rosario Dawson (really, what guy would not be?). But his character has issues, you can tell something is motivating him to do this, but that is a slow reveal.
Smith is engaging, as always, and Dawson is too, as always. But despite that, the film feels mawkish, as it tries too hard to evoke feeling in the audience. It seems to force us to feel sooooo sad for the dying Dawson, and even the surprise ending seems too forced. And the reasons for Smith's actions, while tragic, don't seem to be enough to force this kind of reaction in his character.
I can't say that I disliked Seven Pounds...the actors are too personable and too good looking to really dislike it. But, I don't think it was genuine and heartfelt either. It felt too much like a studio idea, rather than a creative idea. Sometimes that works, sometimes no. But they were very lucky to have Smith and Dawson attached to this, otherwise it could have been a real bomb.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Movie-Junebug
A movie about an odd and repressed family, Junebug (2005) was a showcase for Amy Adams, whose role here really propelled her to stardom.
Madeleine and George are newly married, after a very short courtship, and are crazy about each other. She is an art gallery owner and goes to see a startling new artist in the south. It happens that this artist is also in the same town as George's family, and George (very reluctantly) agrees to turn the working trip into an opportunity for Madeleine to meet his family for the first time.
Now this family is not quite sure how to react to Madeleine, with her European/New York/Artsy manners (she greets each family member with a kiss on each cheek), and while they are used to their own odd manners, they are not accepting of another person's. Accept for Ashely, brother George's very pregnant wife, played by Adams.
Ashely is in permanent wonderment of the world, and cannot see things in a negative light...it simply seems to be contrary to who she is. George is a jerk to all the family, maybe most especially to Ashely, and yet she always sees him in a positive way. She is a ray of sunshine. But you get the feeling that she has to be this way to survive this family to which she now belongs. If she does not live in this manner, she will be consumed by the oddness and darkness that this family gives out.
And Madeleine and George go through their own self realization. Madeleine realizes that their courtship was so fast, she does not know much about George's past....like how much religion seems to be a part of his life. He too realizes that Madeleine will NEVER get the whole bible belt family values thing. She is who he met in New York, and she won't see the world differently. The interesting thing that is shown is what this means to the marriage.
Junebug is sometimes hard to watch, as people are constantly letting each other down and have no ways to pass the barriers that separate experiences have given them. Communication does not seem to be a solution, for they have no vocabulary for this, as embodied by George's taciturn father.
But it is an amazing movie, made more so by Adams' performance. Watch this and you will understand why she is one of the most in demand actresses right now.
Madeleine and George are newly married, after a very short courtship, and are crazy about each other. She is an art gallery owner and goes to see a startling new artist in the south. It happens that this artist is also in the same town as George's family, and George (very reluctantly) agrees to turn the working trip into an opportunity for Madeleine to meet his family for the first time.
Now this family is not quite sure how to react to Madeleine, with her European/New York/Artsy manners (she greets each family member with a kiss on each cheek), and while they are used to their own odd manners, they are not accepting of another person's. Accept for Ashely, brother George's very pregnant wife, played by Adams.
Ashely is in permanent wonderment of the world, and cannot see things in a negative light...it simply seems to be contrary to who she is. George is a jerk to all the family, maybe most especially to Ashely, and yet she always sees him in a positive way. She is a ray of sunshine. But you get the feeling that she has to be this way to survive this family to which she now belongs. If she does not live in this manner, she will be consumed by the oddness and darkness that this family gives out.
And Madeleine and George go through their own self realization. Madeleine realizes that their courtship was so fast, she does not know much about George's past....like how much religion seems to be a part of his life. He too realizes that Madeleine will NEVER get the whole bible belt family values thing. She is who he met in New York, and she won't see the world differently. The interesting thing that is shown is what this means to the marriage.
Junebug is sometimes hard to watch, as people are constantly letting each other down and have no ways to pass the barriers that separate experiences have given them. Communication does not seem to be a solution, for they have no vocabulary for this, as embodied by George's taciturn father.
But it is an amazing movie, made more so by Adams' performance. Watch this and you will understand why she is one of the most in demand actresses right now.
Movie-Asylum
Asylum (2005) is a psychologically twisted movie about twisted psyches.
Starring the late Natasha Richardson as the wife of a shrink taking a new post in mental hospital, the movie is about obsession and lust, as she falls for one of the patients and has a torrid affair with him. Despite being caught and ruining her husband's potential promotions, she continues her affair even after the inmate escapes.
She leaves all behind, including her son, to follow him. And though he at first seems "normal," he was in the hospital for good reasons as soon becomes apparent as he beats her. But her obsession is so strong, clinical even, she still defends him and tries to help him.
Asylum is not a great movie...at some points becoming a bit unbelievable as hospital authorities try to cover their tracks. But Richardson's performance is very brave and makes her loss feel greater. She bares all emotionally and physically. And it is an interesting treatment of sexual obsession.
Starring the late Natasha Richardson as the wife of a shrink taking a new post in mental hospital, the movie is about obsession and lust, as she falls for one of the patients and has a torrid affair with him. Despite being caught and ruining her husband's potential promotions, she continues her affair even after the inmate escapes.
She leaves all behind, including her son, to follow him. And though he at first seems "normal," he was in the hospital for good reasons as soon becomes apparent as he beats her. But her obsession is so strong, clinical even, she still defends him and tries to help him.
Asylum is not a great movie...at some points becoming a bit unbelievable as hospital authorities try to cover their tracks. But Richardson's performance is very brave and makes her loss feel greater. She bares all emotionally and physically. And it is an interesting treatment of sexual obsession.
Movie- The Secrets
The Secrets (2007) is an Israeli film the presents a very un-orthodox set of views. It is about Naomi, from an orthodox family, who has sat at her father's side learning the holy books. It is commonly acknowledged that if she were a man, she would be a highly regarded Talmud scholar. But being a woman, in her society, it means she needs to find a husband, keep her views to herself, and have lots of children. Naomi in very unhappily engaged, and puts that on hold to go to an all women's seminary in Safed.
Here she meets other young women,some of whom are truly spiritual, and some of whom are merely put into the seminary to keep them out of trouble. And she develops a friendship with one girl in particular, Michelle, a rebellious girl who wants to live her life outside of the proscribed box.
They are sent to provide charity to an ill French woman, and decide to try to help this dying woman find spiritual peace. But doing so, they study Kabbala, and that is strictly forbidden. But they feel there is a higher calling than the laws given to them by man. Naomi finds justification for her actions in the holy books, and the two proceed to heal this ill woman, so she can dye in peace with God.
So already there are many aspects that go against traditional orthodox thinking. But the film even goes one farther, developing the relationship between Naomi and Michelle, into one of intimacy and love. But Michelle is less a rebel than she thinks, and Naomi, who again finds justification for her actions in the holy words, is more of a rebel than anyone believes.
This film is very well done...thoughtful and artistic, it is about freedom and love, about God and man. It is a notch below some production standards of mainstream American films, but the storyline and the acting more than make up for it. The actresses that play Naomi and MIchelle (Ania Bukstein and Michal Shtamler) are excellent as is most of the supporting cast. The Secrets is a very good movie.
Here she meets other young women,some of whom are truly spiritual, and some of whom are merely put into the seminary to keep them out of trouble. And she develops a friendship with one girl in particular, Michelle, a rebellious girl who wants to live her life outside of the proscribed box.
They are sent to provide charity to an ill French woman, and decide to try to help this dying woman find spiritual peace. But doing so, they study Kabbala, and that is strictly forbidden. But they feel there is a higher calling than the laws given to them by man. Naomi finds justification for her actions in the holy books, and the two proceed to heal this ill woman, so she can dye in peace with God.
So already there are many aspects that go against traditional orthodox thinking. But the film even goes one farther, developing the relationship between Naomi and Michelle, into one of intimacy and love. But Michelle is less a rebel than she thinks, and Naomi, who again finds justification for her actions in the holy words, is more of a rebel than anyone believes.
This film is very well done...thoughtful and artistic, it is about freedom and love, about God and man. It is a notch below some production standards of mainstream American films, but the storyline and the acting more than make up for it. The actresses that play Naomi and MIchelle (Ania Bukstein and Michal Shtamler) are excellent as is most of the supporting cast. The Secrets is a very good movie.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Movie- Walmart:The High Cost of Low Prices
I have a confession to make. I have never shopped at Wal-Mart. Never been enticed to go, never wanted to go. I know, it almost makes me un-American. Or maybe not...
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices (2005) is a documentary about the famous, or maybe infamous, retailer. It is not complimentary and it is not pretty. Wal-mart destroys many smaller communities in so many ways, and this movie details many of them.
I won't go not all the terrible practises that Wal-Mart habitually uses to give itself huge corporate profits, but they are numerous and they are pretty damn disgusting. And what is worse is the government corporate welfare they get to continue to be the mega discount giant. That is they get money from you and me so they can pay their shareholders.
For all the talk of stopping welfare, corporate welfare is the killer to our taxes. It is the killer of capitalism and free enterprise, and if there is any discussion of cutting welfare it needs to begin at stopping all this money going to corporations. That is not capitalism or the free market system.
But I digress...
Look, Wal-Mart has done some changing since this movie came out...or at least they have a better PR agency. But this film has made my gut feeling of avoiding Wal-Mart a factually based, intellectual decision too. Yeah, they have low prices---by driving out small family owned businesses, by degrading the environment, by underpaying employees and underemploying them, by offering terrible health plans, and by buying cheap goods that offer toxins from China...well you get the drift. those low prices are not worth it to me.
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices (2005) is a documentary about the famous, or maybe infamous, retailer. It is not complimentary and it is not pretty. Wal-mart destroys many smaller communities in so many ways, and this movie details many of them.
I won't go not all the terrible practises that Wal-Mart habitually uses to give itself huge corporate profits, but they are numerous and they are pretty damn disgusting. And what is worse is the government corporate welfare they get to continue to be the mega discount giant. That is they get money from you and me so they can pay their shareholders.
For all the talk of stopping welfare, corporate welfare is the killer to our taxes. It is the killer of capitalism and free enterprise, and if there is any discussion of cutting welfare it needs to begin at stopping all this money going to corporations. That is not capitalism or the free market system.
But I digress...
Look, Wal-Mart has done some changing since this movie came out...or at least they have a better PR agency. But this film has made my gut feeling of avoiding Wal-Mart a factually based, intellectual decision too. Yeah, they have low prices---by driving out small family owned businesses, by degrading the environment, by underpaying employees and underemploying them, by offering terrible health plans, and by buying cheap goods that offer toxins from China...well you get the drift. those low prices are not worth it to me.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Movie- I've Loved You So Long
First off...who knew that Kristin Scott Thomas was so fluent in French? The usually English speaking actress is the star of the French film, I've Loved You So Long
(2008), and as far as I can tell, is perfect in her French.
The movie is quiet in its own way, but holds emotionally devastating secrets. And as it meanders along, the secrets are revealed little by little, and assumptions we held in the beginning hold little value at the end.
Thomas plays Juliette, recently living with her younger sister, Lea, and her family, after being released from prison. Juliette's story is very slowly revealed, but revealed naturally, organically. We find out she has served 15 years in prison, her parents cutting her out of their lives, and her younger sister doing the same at the behest of the parents. Then we find out she served time for murder...the murder of her child...that she was a physician...
The secrets in I've Loved You So Long do not come out easily...they are painful, and hard. And Scott Thomas plays the isolated woman incredibly well. After those years in prison, she is closed to all, not willing to open up because she trusts no one. Especially not the family who isolated her.
The ultimate truth that comes out is excruciating. It is not easy to get to, and the film portrays this so well. One of the most painful scenes is when Juliette meets her mother again, for the first time in many years. Her parents acted like they did not have another child, like Lea was the sole daughter they had. But mom now has Alzheimer's and Juliette goes to the hospital with Lea to visit her. As her mother recognizes Juliette and goes to hug her, you can see Juliette trying to hug back...but the fact that she was abandoned so readily by her mother makes her cringe at the contact, makes her skin crawl at the touch.
Scott Thomas is impressive in this physiologically challenging film. There are no easy answers here, and Scott Thomas portrays this very well, as does the supporting cast of Lea's family, who Juliette comes to live with. The contradictions and uncertainty of assumptions make this a very rich film, layered and emotionally deep.
The performance by Scott Thomas is Oscar worthy, and very textured. I've Loved You So Long is a thoughtful, and a intellectually as well as emotionally satisfying film.
(2008), and as far as I can tell, is perfect in her French.
The movie is quiet in its own way, but holds emotionally devastating secrets. And as it meanders along, the secrets are revealed little by little, and assumptions we held in the beginning hold little value at the end.
Thomas plays Juliette, recently living with her younger sister, Lea, and her family, after being released from prison. Juliette's story is very slowly revealed, but revealed naturally, organically. We find out she has served 15 years in prison, her parents cutting her out of their lives, and her younger sister doing the same at the behest of the parents. Then we find out she served time for murder...the murder of her child...that she was a physician...
The secrets in I've Loved You So Long do not come out easily...they are painful, and hard. And Scott Thomas plays the isolated woman incredibly well. After those years in prison, she is closed to all, not willing to open up because she trusts no one. Especially not the family who isolated her.
The ultimate truth that comes out is excruciating. It is not easy to get to, and the film portrays this so well. One of the most painful scenes is when Juliette meets her mother again, for the first time in many years. Her parents acted like they did not have another child, like Lea was the sole daughter they had. But mom now has Alzheimer's and Juliette goes to the hospital with Lea to visit her. As her mother recognizes Juliette and goes to hug her, you can see Juliette trying to hug back...but the fact that she was abandoned so readily by her mother makes her cringe at the contact, makes her skin crawl at the touch.
Scott Thomas is impressive in this physiologically challenging film. There are no easy answers here, and Scott Thomas portrays this very well, as does the supporting cast of Lea's family, who Juliette comes to live with. The contradictions and uncertainty of assumptions make this a very rich film, layered and emotionally deep.
The performance by Scott Thomas is Oscar worthy, and very textured. I've Loved You So Long is a thoughtful, and a intellectually as well as emotionally satisfying film.
Movie- Ghost Town
OK...I'll just say it here. I think Ricky Gervais is effing funny! At the awards shows, even if those shows are totally boring, when he gets on stage, it becomes funny. He was funnier than Steve Carrell in the original The Office.
But---I was worried about him in a feature film. You know how it is, good TV actor ends up being horrible on film, ruins his career and never recovers. Well, I need not have worried, because he comes through very well in Ghost Town (2008).
He plays Bertram Pincus, a dentist who really REALLY does not like people. He has been known to give extra Novocaine, and big cotton balls to patients to just shut them up. He doesn't even like his colleagues. Bertram dies during a minor operation, and when he wakes up, he can see ghosts, and they can talk to him.
Poor Betram, all the ghosts follow him around trying to get them to fulfill their unfulfilled business, so they can rest in peace. But Bertram likes ghosts less than he likes the living. One ghost in particular haunts him, Frank, played by Greg Kinnear. he wants Bertram to look after his wife.
Gervais is really good in the film...he plays Bertram true to form all the way through. And his sardonic wit shines in this role. He knows how to hit a line in such an understated way (very British) that it becomes even funnier. He also knows how to let it go full force.
Tea Leoni also does a fine job as Franks's ex-wife, and Bertam's love interest.
Ghost Town wasn't a huge movie, and that was probably a good choice for Gervais. But it was very fun, and really easy to watch. Kinnear too, continues his film career with great roles. Can you believe he started on Talk Soup? the whole movie was high quality, funny with some touching moments. Excellent vehicle for Gervais, and excellent watching for us.
But---I was worried about him in a feature film. You know how it is, good TV actor ends up being horrible on film, ruins his career and never recovers. Well, I need not have worried, because he comes through very well in Ghost Town (2008).
He plays Bertram Pincus, a dentist who really REALLY does not like people. He has been known to give extra Novocaine, and big cotton balls to patients to just shut them up. He doesn't even like his colleagues. Bertram dies during a minor operation, and when he wakes up, he can see ghosts, and they can talk to him.
Poor Betram, all the ghosts follow him around trying to get them to fulfill their unfulfilled business, so they can rest in peace. But Bertram likes ghosts less than he likes the living. One ghost in particular haunts him, Frank, played by Greg Kinnear. he wants Bertram to look after his wife.
Gervais is really good in the film...he plays Bertram true to form all the way through. And his sardonic wit shines in this role. He knows how to hit a line in such an understated way (very British) that it becomes even funnier. He also knows how to let it go full force.
Tea Leoni also does a fine job as Franks's ex-wife, and Bertam's love interest.
Ghost Town wasn't a huge movie, and that was probably a good choice for Gervais. But it was very fun, and really easy to watch. Kinnear too, continues his film career with great roles. Can you believe he started on Talk Soup? the whole movie was high quality, funny with some touching moments. Excellent vehicle for Gervais, and excellent watching for us.
Movie- Appaloosa
Whoever has said they don't make westerns like they used to, spoke somewhat truly. Sometimes they make them better. Appaloosa (2008) is one modern western that is as good as any of the very classic westerns, and in some cases, even better.
Starring and directed by the incredible Ed Harris, and co-starring the equally brilliant Viggo Mortenson, Appaloosa is about two lawmen, their bond, their friendship and their enforcement of the law in a western town without much law.
Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch have been partners so long and work so well together as lawmen, they barely need to look at each other to know how to act in tandem. And they ride into Appaloosa as the new Marshalls facing a villain named Randall Bragg (again, a great performance by Jeremy Irons). The way these two men go about their business is classic and pure western. They face down a whole posse of men coming to free Bragg from jail, they get a witness and protect him for a trial, and Bragg is sentenced to die.
What updates this classic western formula is that Bragg does not stay in jail. He is freed by political connections, and comes back to take over the town via economics. He buys the main businesses in town, and becomes the de facto leader of the town because of his economic power.
Another update of the classic western is the girl, played by Renee Zellweger. Usually the girl in the western is pretty damn pure. Hell, even Miss Kitty in the old Gunsmoke was really pure for a madam. But Allie is not very pure or true. She always falls for the top man, more out of a survival instinct than anything else. And if the alpha male changes, she changes who she is attracted to.
Still, the heart of the movie is the pure western relationship between two tough, hard gunmen, between Cole and Virgil. And the two actors are pitch perfect in this. The ending exemplifies this relationship, and surprises the audiences a bit too.
Appaloosa is an excellent western and a really fantastic movie.
Starring and directed by the incredible Ed Harris, and co-starring the equally brilliant Viggo Mortenson, Appaloosa is about two lawmen, their bond, their friendship and their enforcement of the law in a western town without much law.
Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch have been partners so long and work so well together as lawmen, they barely need to look at each other to know how to act in tandem. And they ride into Appaloosa as the new Marshalls facing a villain named Randall Bragg (again, a great performance by Jeremy Irons). The way these two men go about their business is classic and pure western. They face down a whole posse of men coming to free Bragg from jail, they get a witness and protect him for a trial, and Bragg is sentenced to die.
What updates this classic western formula is that Bragg does not stay in jail. He is freed by political connections, and comes back to take over the town via economics. He buys the main businesses in town, and becomes the de facto leader of the town because of his economic power.
Another update of the classic western is the girl, played by Renee Zellweger. Usually the girl in the western is pretty damn pure. Hell, even Miss Kitty in the old Gunsmoke was really pure for a madam. But Allie is not very pure or true. She always falls for the top man, more out of a survival instinct than anything else. And if the alpha male changes, she changes who she is attracted to.
Still, the heart of the movie is the pure western relationship between two tough, hard gunmen, between Cole and Virgil. And the two actors are pitch perfect in this. The ending exemplifies this relationship, and surprises the audiences a bit too.
Appaloosa is an excellent western and a really fantastic movie.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
TV Thoughts
Heroes is on its last legs...rumor has it that it will be cancelled.
Jay Leno rumors have him going back to late night and pushing Conan and Fallon back. Conan could bolt NBC and Fox is saying they want him. NBC is a mess and is trying out 18 new shows in development.
Modern Family is the funniest frickin' show on TV. We were rolling with the new ep this past Wed.
Jay Leno rumors have him going back to late night and pushing Conan and Fallon back. Conan could bolt NBC and Fox is saying they want him. NBC is a mess and is trying out 18 new shows in development.
Modern Family is the funniest frickin' show on TV. We were rolling with the new ep this past Wed.
Movie- Two Men Went to War
This quiet comedy, based on and actual event, tells the story of two British army men who decided to invade Germany by themselves during WWII in 1943. While Two Men Went to War (2002) may not be an accurate portrayal of that event, it is amusing, wry and fun.
A disaffected, gruff sergeant and a young dental officer team up, tired of not "being" in the war, and decide to go to Germany themselves to do some damage. Their antics in the land of the Third Reich are plain funny, and take up much of the movie. Especially as they carry out a raid on a German listening post.
But the end of the movie, though not as long, really provides a punctuation mark to the film. As the two men return to England, they are taken into custody, and are about to be court-martialed for dissertation. No one believes their wild story. Just as the verdict is to be handed down, real evidence of their work comes in...you see, they had not destroyed the facility as they thought, but they did provide a real distraction for the real raiders, the British paratroopers that came in minutes after they started the attack.
Two Men Went to War was just fun, in the understated British way. It is fun, and the characters are lovable. Good film making, good acting and a great story.
A disaffected, gruff sergeant and a young dental officer team up, tired of not "being" in the war, and decide to go to Germany themselves to do some damage. Their antics in the land of the Third Reich are plain funny, and take up much of the movie. Especially as they carry out a raid on a German listening post.
But the end of the movie, though not as long, really provides a punctuation mark to the film. As the two men return to England, they are taken into custody, and are about to be court-martialed for dissertation. No one believes their wild story. Just as the verdict is to be handed down, real evidence of their work comes in...you see, they had not destroyed the facility as they thought, but they did provide a real distraction for the real raiders, the British paratroopers that came in minutes after they started the attack.
Two Men Went to War was just fun, in the understated British way. It is fun, and the characters are lovable. Good film making, good acting and a great story.
Movie- Red Eye
Wes Craven is known for his horror movies but he took on a different type of thriller when he directed 2005's Red Eye.
Red Eye is more of a thriller type movie, but it has feelings of the horror genre, feelings of claustrophobia, of being trapped in a world beyond your understanding or control. And to make it more challenging, the movie is set almost entirely on a jet.
The storyline follows Lisa, played fantastically by Rachel McAdams, a high-end hotel manager, who is trying to get back home to Florida after going to the funeral of her grandmother in Texas. There is a huge storm and delays, and she has a drink with a handsome(ish) (Cillian Murphy) man in the lounge. He is getting on the same flight as her, it turns out, and even more, his seat is right next to hers. Coincidence...yeah right!
All this runs pretty true to form, but Craven's directing and McAdams acting, carry this film beyond the typical. The handsome young man is an assassin, and he wants her help to move a high profile government visitor, who is staying at her hotel, to another suite, where he can be more easily killed. To ensure her cooperation, he has another killer waiting outside her father's house.
Craven takes some time to show little things, expressions, angles and shots that make the tension stronger. And McAdams acts her ass off. She runs the gamut of emotions, each one believable in her character. Murphy too is good, he has a cold menace about him, with those ice blue eyes, the make you think he really could be sociopathic.
Red Eye will not win Oscars, but it was a thriller that filled the bill. The feelings of entrapment while in the air, in those cramped seats, unable to do anything, barely able to move is overwhelming. And the director is the one who does this. The climax of the film is fun, as McAdams tries to save the day once they land, it is a white knuckle ride to the finish. Good stuff!
Red Eye is more of a thriller type movie, but it has feelings of the horror genre, feelings of claustrophobia, of being trapped in a world beyond your understanding or control. And to make it more challenging, the movie is set almost entirely on a jet.
The storyline follows Lisa, played fantastically by Rachel McAdams, a high-end hotel manager, who is trying to get back home to Florida after going to the funeral of her grandmother in Texas. There is a huge storm and delays, and she has a drink with a handsome(ish) (Cillian Murphy) man in the lounge. He is getting on the same flight as her, it turns out, and even more, his seat is right next to hers. Coincidence...yeah right!
All this runs pretty true to form, but Craven's directing and McAdams acting, carry this film beyond the typical. The handsome young man is an assassin, and he wants her help to move a high profile government visitor, who is staying at her hotel, to another suite, where he can be more easily killed. To ensure her cooperation, he has another killer waiting outside her father's house.
Craven takes some time to show little things, expressions, angles and shots that make the tension stronger. And McAdams acts her ass off. She runs the gamut of emotions, each one believable in her character. Murphy too is good, he has a cold menace about him, with those ice blue eyes, the make you think he really could be sociopathic.
Red Eye will not win Oscars, but it was a thriller that filled the bill. The feelings of entrapment while in the air, in those cramped seats, unable to do anything, barely able to move is overwhelming. And the director is the one who does this. The climax of the film is fun, as McAdams tries to save the day once they land, it is a white knuckle ride to the finish. Good stuff!
Book- JFK The Man & the Myth
The author of JFK The Man & the Myth also wrote a book called "It Didn't Start with Watergate." Reading Victor Lasky's biography of JFK made me realize political hack jobs of character assassination did not begin with Rush.
There is no doubt that Lasky uses lots of noted sources in this book, and he indexes every one of them. The trouble is, he uses as sources columnists, who are voicing opinions, and many times voicing pure conjecture. But Lasky uses these as "proof" of his opinion of JFK.
Now I want to interject here, I do not think JFK was some kind of god. I am not of that cult who believes that he was perfect, and the best president we have ever had. So I am not beating a purely ideological drum here. But I do get upset when someone passes off opinion as fact, relying on secondary sources, instead of primary, and uses guesses as the basis for judgement. It is sloppy and dirty and manipulation at its worst. (And I feel that way about too many political pundits today too).
Let me give an example. Lasky starts out with JFK's inauguration parties before backtracking into his background. He talks about how so many people were upset by the glamour of the parties. And he quotes a couple of society columnists, who say with chagrin that it was terrible with all those Kennedy women parading around with all those big smiles and teeth. This was my first big clue that it was a hack job. I mean, c'mon, how does a columnist who doesn't like the Kennedy women help support your thesis? It bears no proof, except this female columnist is just mean or jealous or a prig.
Lasky also bemoans many of JFK's elections, from his house seat, to his Senate seat and to the presidency. He repeatedly says that JFK treated elections like popularity contests. Excuse, what does he think elections are? The one who gets more votes wins, don't they? Not who is the smartest, who has the most money, who is the best looking, who is the best thinker...it is who has the right combo of ALL those things to garner the most votes. Mr. Lasky, an election is a popularity contest, there is no doubt.
He also cries foul that in his opinion, he does not think JFK was a great thinker. And he states many times that because he is not, he should not have been elected to higher office. His opinion is that all previous presidents and even senators, were thinkers who only had the greater good on their minds, never political aspirations. This is so blatantly crap, it ignores history (Adams and Jefferson...Hamilton, Burr, Lincoln and Douglas, Grant...I could go on and on), and points out that Lasky is a terrible historian.
Another misstatement of history that Lasky makes a few times in his book: He talks about a speech FDR gave, and notes with derision that it was the same speech that Roosevelt promised to keep us out of foreign wars, (intimating that FDR broke that promise too). Really? The attack on Pearl Harbor that brought us into WW II was a foreign war? Maybe Lasky thinks Hawaii was part of the Orient, or that the fleet destroyed at Pearl Harbor was Mexico's Pacific Fleet. Again, what crap. Utter crap.
Lasky spends a lot of time on JFK's father and early career, all of which lead up to his quivering attack on the 1960 presidential election, which he says was bought, was crooked, and was done by plying out political favors. True, Kennedy had a TON of money, no doubt about that at all. If Nixon had that kind of cash, he would have used it too, and there can be no doubt about that either. But we know money can't by itself make an election (look recently at Mitt Romney). Kennedy forces knew how to use that resource...they outworked and out prepared Nixon.
As an example, I will go to the debates (which Lasky thinks were BS anyway). The JFK people tested him on camera, under harsh lights. They knew what make-up to use for him, and practised what angles looked best, what expressions were best...in other words, they PREPARED! By Lasky's own admission, Nixon people did not do that, they used the wrong make-up on him and were not prepared for how he would look on TV. That is not just about money, it is about preparation and knowing what to do with your resources.
Furthermore, both Nixon and Lasky are elitists, with Nixon saying after the debates that "unsophisticated" TV viewers could not see through the hype, and Lasky calling TV the idiot box. Neither knew the power of the medium...Kennedy had that figured out, and was prepared to use it to reach people that Nixon called unsophisticated.
There are so many other points I could make about this slanted, political hack job that called itself a non-fictional, well documented, authoritative biography. But I think I have gone on enough. JFK The Man & the Myth was a hack job when it came out just before JFK's assassination, and it still is. The author is a terrible historian, and does a equally terrible job of using secondary sources and opinions as fact, the reasserting them time and again, as true. The only thing I enjoyed reading this was waiting for a chance to blog about it, and rip into it.
There is no doubt that Lasky uses lots of noted sources in this book, and he indexes every one of them. The trouble is, he uses as sources columnists, who are voicing opinions, and many times voicing pure conjecture. But Lasky uses these as "proof" of his opinion of JFK.
Now I want to interject here, I do not think JFK was some kind of god. I am not of that cult who believes that he was perfect, and the best president we have ever had. So I am not beating a purely ideological drum here. But I do get upset when someone passes off opinion as fact, relying on secondary sources, instead of primary, and uses guesses as the basis for judgement. It is sloppy and dirty and manipulation at its worst. (And I feel that way about too many political pundits today too).
Let me give an example. Lasky starts out with JFK's inauguration parties before backtracking into his background. He talks about how so many people were upset by the glamour of the parties. And he quotes a couple of society columnists, who say with chagrin that it was terrible with all those Kennedy women parading around with all those big smiles and teeth. This was my first big clue that it was a hack job. I mean, c'mon, how does a columnist who doesn't like the Kennedy women help support your thesis? It bears no proof, except this female columnist is just mean or jealous or a prig.
Lasky also bemoans many of JFK's elections, from his house seat, to his Senate seat and to the presidency. He repeatedly says that JFK treated elections like popularity contests. Excuse, what does he think elections are? The one who gets more votes wins, don't they? Not who is the smartest, who has the most money, who is the best looking, who is the best thinker...it is who has the right combo of ALL those things to garner the most votes. Mr. Lasky, an election is a popularity contest, there is no doubt.
He also cries foul that in his opinion, he does not think JFK was a great thinker. And he states many times that because he is not, he should not have been elected to higher office. His opinion is that all previous presidents and even senators, were thinkers who only had the greater good on their minds, never political aspirations. This is so blatantly crap, it ignores history (Adams and Jefferson...Hamilton, Burr, Lincoln and Douglas, Grant...I could go on and on), and points out that Lasky is a terrible historian.
Another misstatement of history that Lasky makes a few times in his book: He talks about a speech FDR gave, and notes with derision that it was the same speech that Roosevelt promised to keep us out of foreign wars, (intimating that FDR broke that promise too). Really? The attack on Pearl Harbor that brought us into WW II was a foreign war? Maybe Lasky thinks Hawaii was part of the Orient, or that the fleet destroyed at Pearl Harbor was Mexico's Pacific Fleet. Again, what crap. Utter crap.
Lasky spends a lot of time on JFK's father and early career, all of which lead up to his quivering attack on the 1960 presidential election, which he says was bought, was crooked, and was done by plying out political favors. True, Kennedy had a TON of money, no doubt about that at all. If Nixon had that kind of cash, he would have used it too, and there can be no doubt about that either. But we know money can't by itself make an election (look recently at Mitt Romney). Kennedy forces knew how to use that resource...they outworked and out prepared Nixon.
As an example, I will go to the debates (which Lasky thinks were BS anyway). The JFK people tested him on camera, under harsh lights. They knew what make-up to use for him, and practised what angles looked best, what expressions were best...in other words, they PREPARED! By Lasky's own admission, Nixon people did not do that, they used the wrong make-up on him and were not prepared for how he would look on TV. That is not just about money, it is about preparation and knowing what to do with your resources.
Furthermore, both Nixon and Lasky are elitists, with Nixon saying after the debates that "unsophisticated" TV viewers could not see through the hype, and Lasky calling TV the idiot box. Neither knew the power of the medium...Kennedy had that figured out, and was prepared to use it to reach people that Nixon called unsophisticated.
There are so many other points I could make about this slanted, political hack job that called itself a non-fictional, well documented, authoritative biography. But I think I have gone on enough. JFK The Man & the Myth was a hack job when it came out just before JFK's assassination, and it still is. The author is a terrible historian, and does a equally terrible job of using secondary sources and opinions as fact, the reasserting them time and again, as true. The only thing I enjoyed reading this was waiting for a chance to blog about it, and rip into it.
Movie- The Perfect Crime
The Perfect Crime (2004) is a Spanish film that is a mix of several genres--murder mystery, social satire and pure comedy. And while I would not say that the result is fantastic, it is amusing and often surprising.
Rafael is on top of the world. He is the top salesman in a big department store, overseeing many beautiful clerks, all of whom want to sleep with him, and he is about to get a huge promotion. His only rival is an older man with a bad toupee, so he thinks he has it in the bag. But his life goes amiss when he does not get the promotion, accidentally kills his rival, and has to carry on a relationship with the one witness to the crime, even though she is controlling, mean and ugly.
The film is well-intentioned, but misses some opportunities as it gets into the meat of this farce of a relationship. Rafael does not grow at all, merely tries to outrun the things he has done, always to have his ball and chain a few feet ahead of him. I feel like it could have been a bit deeper and maybe a better social satire had he been the least bit reflective of what got him to this point in the first place.
But, for all that The Perfect Crime is entertaining, especially as you try to keep up with his plan for freedom. It is not a perfect movie, but it is diverting and fun.
Rafael is on top of the world. He is the top salesman in a big department store, overseeing many beautiful clerks, all of whom want to sleep with him, and he is about to get a huge promotion. His only rival is an older man with a bad toupee, so he thinks he has it in the bag. But his life goes amiss when he does not get the promotion, accidentally kills his rival, and has to carry on a relationship with the one witness to the crime, even though she is controlling, mean and ugly.
The film is well-intentioned, but misses some opportunities as it gets into the meat of this farce of a relationship. Rafael does not grow at all, merely tries to outrun the things he has done, always to have his ball and chain a few feet ahead of him. I feel like it could have been a bit deeper and maybe a better social satire had he been the least bit reflective of what got him to this point in the first place.
But, for all that The Perfect Crime is entertaining, especially as you try to keep up with his plan for freedom. It is not a perfect movie, but it is diverting and fun.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Movie- Intolerance
D.W. Griffith is considered the father of movie making. Undoubtedly, without him, movies would have been much slower to develop as an art form.
Intolerance (1916) was one of the first epic sagas put onto film. Griffiths made this after 1915's Birth of a Nation. That first film is considered one of the best films of all time...and also one of the most racist. Now I have not yet watched Birth, but Intolerance was made partially to show that Griffiths was not racist.
For whatever reason it was made, the silent film is still one of the more incredible ever made...with a cast of hundreds at least, this film had huge, magnificent sets with four story lines, each illustrating that intolerance is what killed Jesus, and is still killing people in the modern era.
You can really see the ideas the Griffiths had for film-making...I shudder to think what his capabilities would be if he had today's tools...James Cameron would be eating his hat!
The 3 hour film does take some patience, as we are not used to the pacing of the silents. And if ever a film needed restoration, and full digital enhancements, this is the one. But Intolerance is an amazing film...because we can see what this new medium could be capable of...we could see that film could be more than just recording what was happening, but could record what we imagined was, and could be. And today's filmmakers owe a debt of gratitude to Griffiths for showing that so early in the life of this new art.
Intolerance (1916) was one of the first epic sagas put onto film. Griffiths made this after 1915's Birth of a Nation. That first film is considered one of the best films of all time...and also one of the most racist. Now I have not yet watched Birth, but Intolerance was made partially to show that Griffiths was not racist.
For whatever reason it was made, the silent film is still one of the more incredible ever made...with a cast of hundreds at least, this film had huge, magnificent sets with four story lines, each illustrating that intolerance is what killed Jesus, and is still killing people in the modern era.
You can really see the ideas the Griffiths had for film-making...I shudder to think what his capabilities would be if he had today's tools...James Cameron would be eating his hat!
The 3 hour film does take some patience, as we are not used to the pacing of the silents. And if ever a film needed restoration, and full digital enhancements, this is the one. But Intolerance is an amazing film...because we can see what this new medium could be capable of...we could see that film could be more than just recording what was happening, but could record what we imagined was, and could be. And today's filmmakers owe a debt of gratitude to Griffiths for showing that so early in the life of this new art.
Farmer's Market-Hillcrest
I have written about the Farmer's Market in Hillcrest before, but had to mention a few things again. We had two of our meals today from the FM. There we had our panini sandwiches...oh, they are SO good. And Sharlynn is quite taken with the "cute" panini maker. Yeah...OK. All I care about is that the hand pressed sandwiches are DE-LISH!
We also bought our lunch there...hand-crafted salami, organic raw cheddar and a fresh baguette! With some good red wine...Oooo La La! So yummy! And after that a newish vendor there...410 Degrees, with custom made cookies.
They are right next to the panini stand and have the best cookies EVER! They give samples too...I'm just saying. We got three cookies (they are almost like small muffins): the chocolate chip decadence, the banana and the pancake with maple syrup and bacon. O M G! The last really tasted like pancakes with maple and a hint of bacon...so damn good! They do custom cookies, so if you were partial to blueberry pancakes, the would add that to your cookie dough, to make blueberry pancake with maple and bacon for you. Check them out next time you are at the FM or go to their site. www.410degress.com.
We also got bread and fruit and flowers!
I LOVE the Farmer's Market!
We also bought our lunch there...hand-crafted salami, organic raw cheddar and a fresh baguette! With some good red wine...Oooo La La! So yummy! And after that a newish vendor there...410 Degrees, with custom made cookies.
They are right next to the panini stand and have the best cookies EVER! They give samples too...I'm just saying. We got three cookies (they are almost like small muffins): the chocolate chip decadence, the banana and the pancake with maple syrup and bacon. O M G! The last really tasted like pancakes with maple and a hint of bacon...so damn good! They do custom cookies, so if you were partial to blueberry pancakes, the would add that to your cookie dough, to make blueberry pancake with maple and bacon for you. Check them out next time you are at the FM or go to their site. www.410degress.com.
We also got bread and fruit and flowers!
I LOVE the Farmer's Market!
2 Magazines
The November issue of Playboy was fun...the highlight being another celebrity willing to take her clothes off for the Playboy camera...Yes, Marge Simpson took it all off for Playboy. Homer is a lucky bastard!!! The article in Juarez, Mexico, one of the most violent cities in the world was eye-opening and alarming. How long before the violence spills over onto American soil? Probably not long. The tribute to Farrah was nice, and the new story by Stephen King was excellent too. And in the Forum, the two pieces about coerced confessions and police not allowing photographs of public scenes are thought-provoking and scary.
National Geographic had and especially good cover story, Egypt's Animal Mummies. Everything about this story was intriguing. the text meshed perfectly with the images...and the thought process behind the entombment of the animals is amazing too.
The photo essay on Madagascar's Labyrinth of Stone was simply awe-inspiring. That such places exist on our earth tells more about the diversity of life that can exist than any textbook. Wow! I really look forward to this publication every month!
National Geographic had and especially good cover story, Egypt's Animal Mummies. Everything about this story was intriguing. the text meshed perfectly with the images...and the thought process behind the entombment of the animals is amazing too.
The photo essay on Madagascar's Labyrinth of Stone was simply awe-inspiring. That such places exist on our earth tells more about the diversity of life that can exist than any textbook. Wow! I really look forward to this publication every month!
Movie- Julie and Julia
Ahhh...a movie about cooking, with Meryl Streep as the legendary Julia Childs no less. OK, this has all the makings of being one of my favorite movies. And after watching Julie and Julia (2009), it definitely is.
The movie tells parallel stories, both true. One is about Julie Powell, who starts a blog to spotlight her endeavour to cook all of Julia Childs recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Now Julie is a good cook anyway, but feels like her writing career has come to naught, and also feels like she needs to complete something in her life. So the blog has her cooking all 500 plus recipes in a period of one year.
At the same time, it tells the story of Julia Childs...before she was Julia Childs. Played extraordinarily by Meryl Streep, Julia Childs is reborn. Streep does not conventionally look like Childs, but her acting is so supreme, that she is Childs.
Oh...and the food...oh my goodness, so good!
The story lines running parallel is a effective technique here, and adds layers to the story. Amy Adams as Julie is perfect also...showing the frustration and joy that creating good food can bring. It also captures Julie at a time of her life when she is not as sure about herself, and how she grows into that surety with the project.
OK...so I am a foodie, so this movie really is in my wheelhouse. Julie and Julia is one of my top movies. I could watch it several times, for the food, and the performances by the excellent actresses. Oh, and Stanely Tucci is great as Julia's husband. That is a secure man!
The movie tells parallel stories, both true. One is about Julie Powell, who starts a blog to spotlight her endeavour to cook all of Julia Childs recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Now Julie is a good cook anyway, but feels like her writing career has come to naught, and also feels like she needs to complete something in her life. So the blog has her cooking all 500 plus recipes in a period of one year.
At the same time, it tells the story of Julia Childs...before she was Julia Childs. Played extraordinarily by Meryl Streep, Julia Childs is reborn. Streep does not conventionally look like Childs, but her acting is so supreme, that she is Childs.
Oh...and the food...oh my goodness, so good!
The story lines running parallel is a effective technique here, and adds layers to the story. Amy Adams as Julie is perfect also...showing the frustration and joy that creating good food can bring. It also captures Julie at a time of her life when she is not as sure about herself, and how she grows into that surety with the project.
OK...so I am a foodie, so this movie really is in my wheelhouse. Julie and Julia is one of my top movies. I could watch it several times, for the food, and the performances by the excellent actresses. Oh, and Stanely Tucci is great as Julia's husband. That is a secure man!
Movie- Lakeview Terrace
Lakeview Terrace (2008) is one of those movies that you enjoy when you watch it, but after you are done you wonder why you enjoyed it...like eating empty calories.
Starring Samuel L. Jackson, the movie provides some tension and thrills, but most of it comes from the menacing glower of Jackson, who plays Abel Turner, a LAPD cop who does not like the inter-racial young couple that moved in next door in his suburban neighborhood.
Turner makes it clear first to the white husband that he doesn't think he should be in the neighborhood, and then to the black wife (Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington). He becomes more and more threatening and harassing and things start getting really hairy for the couple. All the while Jackson provides more glare and menacing grins. And they can't do a thing about it because he is a cop.
Now all this makes for some OK entertainment, but you have to suspend a LOT of believe to watch it, and this is what gets to you after. Like eating junk food, you really wonder what you were thinking at the time, and you hope that the richness or grease does not give you acid reflux.
Starring Samuel L. Jackson, the movie provides some tension and thrills, but most of it comes from the menacing glower of Jackson, who plays Abel Turner, a LAPD cop who does not like the inter-racial young couple that moved in next door in his suburban neighborhood.
Turner makes it clear first to the white husband that he doesn't think he should be in the neighborhood, and then to the black wife (Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington). He becomes more and more threatening and harassing and things start getting really hairy for the couple. All the while Jackson provides more glare and menacing grins. And they can't do a thing about it because he is a cop.
Now all this makes for some OK entertainment, but you have to suspend a LOT of believe to watch it, and this is what gets to you after. Like eating junk food, you really wonder what you were thinking at the time, and you hope that the richness or grease does not give you acid reflux.
Movie- Broken Flowers
I will say straight out, I am not a Bill Murray fan. In fact, I kinda dislike him, and most movies he stars in. But I was willing to give Broken Flowers (2005) a try, based on some really good reviews, and I am glad I did, because it was an very good movie. And Murray did an excellent job in it.
Murray plays Don Johnston (with a "t" as he has to keep explaining), a one-time Don Juan, now in middle age and a bachelor. He still seems to be able to get women for a night or two, but has lost a few steps in his game. He receives a piece of mail, saying he has a 18-year-old son out there, from an affair many years ago, but the letter gives him no more information or clues.
With the help of a amateur detective, Murray goes on the road to find the women he had affairs with prior to the kid's birth. And the movie gets really fun from there. The women are played by some great actresses: Sharon Stone, Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy and Tilda Swinton. And each woman is so different, from each other and from Don. Some are angry, some want to rekindle the relationship.
Each meeting has humor, pathos and a strong nostalgia. And Murray plays the role much less snarky than his usual characters. For once he plays it relatively straight.
But as much as Don Johnston does not want a son, Murray now sees every 18 year old boy as a potential son, always wondering if THAT one is his. And this lends an even deeper emotional level to the film.
Broken Flowers is a really good movie, and I was impressed by Murray. It has loads of humor, and yet is warm and kind and sad at the same time. Who woulda thought Murray could pull that off?
Murray plays Don Johnston (with a "t" as he has to keep explaining), a one-time Don Juan, now in middle age and a bachelor. He still seems to be able to get women for a night or two, but has lost a few steps in his game. He receives a piece of mail, saying he has a 18-year-old son out there, from an affair many years ago, but the letter gives him no more information or clues.
With the help of a amateur detective, Murray goes on the road to find the women he had affairs with prior to the kid's birth. And the movie gets really fun from there. The women are played by some great actresses: Sharon Stone, Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy and Tilda Swinton. And each woman is so different, from each other and from Don. Some are angry, some want to rekindle the relationship.
Each meeting has humor, pathos and a strong nostalgia. And Murray plays the role much less snarky than his usual characters. For once he plays it relatively straight.
But as much as Don Johnston does not want a son, Murray now sees every 18 year old boy as a potential son, always wondering if THAT one is his. And this lends an even deeper emotional level to the film.
Broken Flowers is a really good movie, and I was impressed by Murray. It has loads of humor, and yet is warm and kind and sad at the same time. Who woulda thought Murray could pull that off?
Movie- Superman Doomsday
Before I get to my review I just have to mention that this was the first movie I watched on Netflix's Watch Instantly feature on my new BluRay player...and I LOVED it! So freakin' cool!
As I have mentioned before, I love superhero stuff...always have. Yes, big ol' nerd here...superheroes and Star Trek.
So the animated Superman Doomsday (2007) was right up my alley. It was a more adult movie than some of the animated features out there, and dealt with the villains as REALLY evil, with Lex Luthor as a corporate CEO...with no bounds to which he will not go to make money and get Superman.
The animations was quite good, and the voice work by Adam Baldwin (of Chuck), James Marsters and Anne Heche was really good too. And excellent animated superhero feature all around!
As I have mentioned before, I love superhero stuff...always have. Yes, big ol' nerd here...superheroes and Star Trek.
So the animated Superman Doomsday (2007) was right up my alley. It was a more adult movie than some of the animated features out there, and dealt with the villains as REALLY evil, with Lex Luthor as a corporate CEO...with no bounds to which he will not go to make money and get Superman.
The animations was quite good, and the voice work by Adam Baldwin (of Chuck), James Marsters and Anne Heche was really good too. And excellent animated superhero feature all around!
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