A Pair of Star-Crossed Lovers

Every once in a while, I get on a genre kick. Sometimes it's horror, sometimes comedy or foreign. This week I was all about biopics.

First up:
"Bright Star" (2009)
Director: Jane Campion
Starring: Ben Whisaw (Keats), Abbie Cornish (Fanny), Paul Schneider (Mr. Brown)

** (2 stars)

Based on the poet John Keats secret love affair with Fanny Brawne near the end of his life. Fanny comes from a somewhat established family and is of the age when she must think about marrying, and more importantly, marrying a man with money. Her best prospect is family friend and failed poet Mr. Brown, who teases her life a child on the playground. Enter young Keats- poor, mysterious, talented. Fanny is immediately drawn to him and their secret rendez-vous commence. Tragedy strikes when Keats contracts TB and is sent off to Rome to convelese. Months later, he is dead at 25- a failed poet.

If this sounds like spoilers, I apologize. However, history tells us these things so I don't feel I'm ruining anything. That you know the romance is ultimately tragic was part of the marketing campaign.

The film has a great premise. Part biography, part history, part love affair; how could it go wrong? But, wrong it does. The film feels overly long dispite coming in just under two hours long. The acting is good, Cornish and Schneider especially. Cornish displays the naivity and ideality young woman possess, and that many a heroine of romantic lore have been written around. Schneider, perhaps best known for independent films "All the Real Girls" and "Lars and the Real Girl", has a fantastic Scottish accent and teases Miss Brawne as if it's an Olympic sport. Whisaw is fine as Keats, but it does not compare to his "star making" turn in "Perfume" or more recently on BBC's "The Hour".

Furthermore, the film is boring. Too much film is spent on voice over's of letters written and poems being tried out when it could have shown the action to a much better result. Campion is the champion (pun intended) of quite, moody, romantic fare. Her approach is no different here, though I feel she was far more interested in her subjects personally than she was at making us fall in love with them.

The movie did make me want to know more, mostly because I was left knowing so little, so I jumped to Wikipedia for an overview. Five minutes browsing the internet left me with a much better taste in my mouth. Why didn't they play up the secrecy of their affair? No one knew until Fanny's death when she bequithed the love letters to her children. Her life was far more intersting during and after her time with Keats, I wish the film had focused more on her.

Next, I finally say Cronenberg's "departure" film.

"A Dangerous Method" (2011)
Director: David Cronenberg
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel
Awards: Golden Globe nomination, Best Supporting Actor- Viggo Mortensen, London and Los Angeles Critics Association Best Actor- Michael Fassbender, Venice Film Festival Golden Lion- David Cronenberg

****(4.5 stars)

Just after the turn of the century and prior to World War I, a destraught Russian woman, Sabina (Knightley), is delivered to Jung's Zurich clinic. She is histerical and fights help with every fiber of her being. Jung begin's what was then refered to as "the talking cure" on her, based on his readings of Freud's papers. As Sabina gets better, so does the relationship between student and teacher, both of Jung and Freud and Jung and Sabina) developes. Together, Freud and Jung work to develope and create what becomes psychoanalysis. As Sabina gets better, she begins a long-term affair with the married Jung that releases him from his own mental confines. She goes back to school and becomes a therapist herself. However, this love triangle soon becomes toxic to many involved ending in the infamous rift between these two masters of the mind.

The biggest surprise in this film may be Knightley. She physically embodes a woman suffering from past trauma's and guilt. The opening scenes in which her whole body fights her revelations is brilliant. Fassbender may be the most exciting actor of his generation. Jung could easily become an unsypathetic character, yet he creates a man flawed and accepting of his own flaws. Mortensen and Cronenberg should have a contract, along the same lines as Time Burton and Johnny Depp, and make as many films together as possible. Both bring the best out of the other and the unscene relationship that must be evident off camera bleeds into the performance.

The film makes clear the stylistic differences between Freud's and Jung's approach to the psyche that is easy for the layman to grasp. Again, it is the female character that is almost more interesting. Sabina graduates and becomes a respected psychoanalyst. During the war, she moves back to Russia with her husband and family. During World War II she refuses to leave her home and is killed, along with her children, by the Nazi's. That she is no longer forgotten is wonderful.

I would certainly recommend this movie to anyone interested in the birth of our understanding the mind, to those with a major crush on the actor's or director (guilty!), or to anyone interested in a movie that makes them think. I certainly understand you may need to be in the right mind set for such a film, but try to get there!

Cronenberg is a director that continues to grow even though he doesn't need to. Having made his name as the Canadian father of horror, he know puts that same eye to detail, destruction, and psychology to more realistic forms. His next project, "Cosmopolis", takes him back to the future armed with the character development he has perfected in recent years. Not even the presence of Robert Pattinson is enough to turn me off this film.

The Adjustment of Desire

**** (4.5 stars)

Film makers have been enamoured with love and life lost since the beginning of film. Whether it be Chaplin's Little Tramp in "City Lights" or Goddard's tragic prostitute, the sacrifice's we as a people make for the love of another or even ourselves has lead to our greatest triumph's and most horrible loses.

While watching "The Adjustment Bureau" yesterday, I kept thinking about those themes as well as Wim Wenders "Wings of Desire" and subsequent American remake "City of Angels". Remember when Nicholas Cage was good?

Wender's "Wings of Desire" (available on beautiful Criterion) is about a "melancholy" angel named Damiel who watches over Berlin, Germany; listening in on the populations thoughts. Eventually, he finds himself drawn to an equally lonely circus performer and makes the decision to become human. It is then that he begins to understand the subjects he has been observing and what it means to be alive. In the American version, the trapeze artist is a doctor played by Meg Ryan. It is refreshing to see a an American film that does not feature a happy ending, particularly a romantic one. Here, the love story ends tragically, as life often does; but the lessons and life lived by the Angel, even in such a short period of time, will forever change him. When asked if he would do it all again, knowing the outcome would be tragic, would he? The answer is immediately, "yes". To quote Nat King Cole and Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge"- "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return".

"The Adjustment Bureau" takes a slightly different, more sci-fi than metaphysical approach to the same themes. Matt Damon plays a young, up and coming politician in New York who seems to have everything until he loses the big race. It is then that he meets a beautiful and mysterious stranger, the equally mesmerizing Emily Blunt, who instantly charms him with her laissez-faire attitude and provides the spark he needs to get back into his life. But, it's supposed to end there, in the Men's bathroom just before he gives his speech of defeat. Chance intervenes and they meet again, except they were never supposed to. Someone was sleeping on the job, literally. A group of mean dressed like J. Edgar Hoover's G-Men, are tasked with carrying out a master plan that involves preempting chance and keeping the world and human choice in balance. Once Damon sees behind the curtain, his life is forever changed.

Based on a short story by Philip K. Dick (love him!), it's a hard film to summarize without giving too much away. It's the kind of movie you want your friends to see so you can discuss and analyze it more fully. I do not envy the man who's job it was to cut the trailer! This is an important movie about life, love, destiny, and choice. It ponders the questions philosophers have been asking or aeon's- What is free will? Is there such a thing as destiny? Who created and controls the universe?

Veteran writer and first time director George Nolfi ("Ocean's Twelve", "The Bourne Ultimatum"), does an amazing job keeping the balance between action and emotion. Fast paced car chases dissolve into personally touching moments. One that will stick with me forever comes after Damon has been lectured by the Second in Command (How do I love thee, Terence Stamp). He reveals "The Plan" to Damon in hopes he will give up on his quest for the girl he shouldn't have and get back on the track his life is supposed to take. Like many of us when faced with hard truths, he is stubborn and runs from his planned destiny to see Blunt dance with her modern ballet company. It is after he see's her there that Stamp reveals the other half of The Plan- That everything we do, our choices effect those around us. Can we be unselfish enough to give up our own desires if we know it will kill someone elses? Can love conquer all? The answer awaits you at the end of this film and I won't spoil it here. Needless to say, I'm totally blaming the wine for why I became a slobbering mess by the end. A must see!

Backyard Movie Making: Super 8

**** (4.5 stars)

Sometimes I think it would be nice to relive old memories. The ones from childhood you often think about in times when being an adult is rough. There's my first birthday party to see "The Land Before Time", or the homemade Twister game at my Kindergarten Halloween party. The year I was Catwoman for Halloween, or when a deer walked within three feet of me at my Grandmother's house. It seems obvious that is exactly what writer/director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg were doing when they conceived of "Super 8".

Set in 1979-1980, a group of boys entertain themselves in small town Ohio by making 8mm movies about zombies. What none of them expect is that the fantasy world they've created will suddenly show up on their door step. After witnessing a horrific train crash, their sleepy town of Lillian undergoes several strange events from lost phone lines, to missing car engines, to missing people. The U.S. Air Force shows up to take control of the wreckage as well as the town. The fate of the people lie in the youthful audacity and curiosity that only children have. What they find is at times funny, moving, scary, and cheesy.

It would be unfair to say too much about this movie. The trailers, some of the best in recent years, have done a good job of building suspense and excitement for the film without giving anything away. The audience I was with jumped three times, but laughed along with the jokes twice as often. And, that's the thing. This isn't really a sci-fi film, it's a coming of age movie that everyone regardless of how they grew up can relate. In the band of geeks, there's the chubby one, the dictator, the quiet one, the crazy one, the passive one, and the hot one. These actors, many of whom have few to zero credits to their names, capture what it was like to be adolescent. The dialog rings true because they were free to ad lib where need be. Another testament to Abrams power as a director. I would love to see him dial it back a bit and make a really personal (even more so) film. Something that reminds us this is the guy who created "Felicity". It's time for his "first feature" and not another blockbuster. Of course, with the estimated earnings of this movie, that dream will probably never come to pass.

It's easy to make comparisons to Speilberg's early work, especially "E.T." and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", but that really diminishes the film that is Abrams creation. Certainly he was influenced by these films, but what filmmaker working in this genre isn't? There was a lovely quote by Spielberg in this weeks "Entertainment Weekly" that talked about how all films influence us and it's impossible to make a movie that doesn't draw on those influences, whether it be a complete rip off, homage, or tone. [side note: I wish I had the article with me, it was really good, but I'm writing this away from the house so I suggest you just go out and get you a copy!] Someone should wake up M. Night Shamylan and tell him this is how you make a movie.

I'm not sure this is the summer movie to trump all summer movies, but it is enjoyable on many levels that other blockbusters are not. A perfect double feature: "X-Men: First Class" and "Super 8". We could subtitle it: "A lesson in what the summer could be".

Aaah! Zombies!!

**** (4.5 stars)

AKA "Wasting Away" is one of the best zombie/horror/comedy movies I have seen in a long time. The perfect blend of blood, brains, catchy one-liners, and decent plot really set this movie apart. I would love to have a mini-movie marathon with this, "Shaun of the Dead" and "Grindhouse: Planet Terror". It would be epic!

New Year's was an interesting occasion this year and thankfully I had this movie to get the party started. A planned cab strike meant ample time for a movie while waiting. I mean, what's a girl to do but watch a zombie movie and drink a bottle of champagne (with a little help of course)?

Matthew and Sean Kohnen suffer no loss of the imagination; just when you thought it was impossible to attack the zombie genre from a new angle. You have the typical (a group of 20-something hang abouts) with the unusual (they're all zombies). "Aaah Zombies" asks the question, "What's it really like to be a zombie?"

Tim (Michael Grant Terry, TVs "Bones") works at the local bowling alley with dreams of middle management. He's in love with his co-worker and best friend Cindy (Betsy Beutler, TVs "Scrubs" after it went downhill) but is afraid to tell her. His polar opposite and other best friend Mike (Matthew Davis, TVs "The Vampire Diaries") is loud, crude, funny, and self proclaimed ladies man. His ex, Vanessa (Julianna Robinson) dreams of becoming a lawyer and leaving all the juvenile antics behind. Meanwhile, on a secret government base (there's always one of those), a tragic science experiment results in the patients becoming zombies and they must dump the chemical compound and quick. In a twist of fate, one of the barrels rolls off the truck and is mistaken for a beer keg at the bowling alley. Best idea ever- Beer flavored ice cream. Unfortunately, the beer is actually poison and everyone dies and becomes a zombie. After they've scarfed the dessert, the picture turns from black and white to color and our gang of misfits is on their way. Everything they seem appears normal, though slightly sped up. What the world actually sees, and in black and white no less, is a group of raving slacker zombies. Problem is, they don't think they're the ones infected and they must find a cure for all their friends and family. With the help of Nick Steel (Colby French, the man's been in everything!), retired military, they begin to battle the 'dark" forces at play. Oh, and it's seriously funny.

All I kept thinking was, "I hope we get to see what these jokers look like when they think they're being cool and romantic. I want to see some zombie kissing!" Cut to black and white and what they think is a friendly wave or passionate kiss is actually awkward and a bit disgusting.

I find myself not wanting to say too much about this film. Not that there's much to give away or that you won't predict much of it, you will; instead I feel like it should be experienced with the same trepidation that I felt watching it. After "Mad Cowgirl" was an utter disappointment, I prayed that this movie would not let me down and ruin the start of my New Years Eve celebrations. I never really wondered before if zombies had thoughts, I just assumed they didn't, or if they could be anything more than mindless wanderers out for brains.

"Aaah! Zombies!!" is yet another great example of what low budget film making can and should be. I can't wait to see what's next.

PS- I find it's best, when speaking to someone about this movie, to really use the exclamation points in the title to their fullest effect: Aaah! ZOMBIES!! Really shout that last bit out.

The Kids Are Alright

**** (4.5 stars)

I love Lisa Cholodenko's style of writing and directing. It sounds like how real people talk to one another and looks like real life. That is not to say it's boring in any way, it isn't, only to say she is a truly talented director. “High Art” and “Laurel Canon” are two fantastic, and very different, films. Why is it that female directors only seem to make one movie every 5-10 years but Ben Stiller keeps cranking out the crap? Get on it ladies!

“The Kids Are All Right” (nominated for multiple Golden Globe, Spirit, and SAG awards) tells the story of a married couple Nic and Jules (Annette Beining and Julianne Moore) during the last summer before their daughter goes off to college. Now that she’s 18, Joanie (Mia Wasikowska, “Alice in Wonderland”) can finally petition to find out who is the donor daddy to her and her half brother Laser. Said daddy turns out to be beatnik-y Paul (Mark Ruffalo) who personifies our ideas about Los Angeles. He owns an all local restaurant and farms his own organic produce. He rides a motorcycle and likes fine wine. He’s a stud. The ménage-a-trois that results between the adults is at times heartbreaking and funny.

Cholodenko recognizes the differences in this family ("Joanie has two mommies"), but keeps it focused on the bigger picture of family as opposed to making it cliché. Nic is a bit overbearing and seems to love her wine more than she does her partner at times. Jules is the free spirit, kept at home to raise the kids, she starts and stops businesses with the whimsy most of us pick out an outfit. Together they are ying and yang, and that’s why it works. Feeling alone and frustrated with the everyday familiarity that comes with a long-term relationship, Jules steps outside the marriage in an attempt to save it.

The big surprise for me here was the kids. Wasikowska didn't impress me much in "Alice in Wonderland", but she has that perfect 70s vibe that's all the rage these days. Even under all the long hair she wears as a mask over her face, her pixie like innocence is staggering. She’s happy with what is and doesn’t want to rock the boat. Her brother, on the other hand, is at the age when a male figure would be welcome and he pushes his sister to explore their more true identity. Hutcherson looks so familiar to me but I realized I've never really seen any of his films (“Zathura”, “Bridge over Terabitha”). It's mostly kiddie stuff. In this film, he gets to grow up and find his voice. The look of excitement on his face on the way to meet their donor, the deep seeded pain when he realizes his family is falling apart; are signs of burgeoning genius. I hope he sticks with the more adult fare.

In her now traditional style, the film doesn’t so much end as she simply stops filming. We don’t know what happened before the movie started, so why should we know what happens in the end? This is a family still growing, still learning, still recovering. It is a wonderful movie and still my pick for Best Comedy at the Golden Globes.

[side note: Attention ladies with an unhealthy addiction to "America's Next Top Model". (Of course you're only watching it to make fun of Tyra. We believe you. You may recognize the hostess at Paul's restaurant as YaYa from cycle 3, the snobby runner-up. Well, we get to see a whole lot of her in this movie. FYI.]

[side side note: Have you seen the trailer for the latest remake of "Jane Eyre"? It looks fantastic. I loved the Zefirelli film with Charlotte Gainsbourg, but the book made me want to kill myself. I'm holding out hope for Wasikowska now that I know she can act. Throw in Michael Fassbender and I'm sold!]

The League of Evil Exes Strikes!

**** (4.5 stars)

I’m a little behind. Where I once went to the movies every weekend, sometimes more; now, I find myself struggling to find the time to watch even my Netflix rentals. Chuck & Beans put this beautifully in a cartoon published recently:

You know the feeling- I work all day for little pay, but at least there’s the weekend. It sounds like a country song. But, what if you work weekends? How are you supposed to indulge your greatest desire, to see every movie that comes out as soon as it comes out? I missed “Scott Pilgrim vs the World” when it hit theatres. It’s especially sad as it was a movie I was super excited about. Edgar Wright is the reigning master of the odd blend of low and high-brow comedy England is famous for. From the TV series “Spaced”, to his mock-u-genre pictures “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz”, I think the man is brilliant. When my Dad and I went to see “Hot Fuzz” in the theatre, we were a bit dismayed by the fact we were the only ones laughing, and laughing loud and hard. Surely the comedy wouldn’t be lost on Americans who didn’t grow up watching “The Thin Blue Line”. What? They weren’t addicted to PBS like we were? Oh well.

Based on a series of comic books by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Scott Pilgrim follows the titular character on his quest for the girl of his dreams Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, “Wolf Lake”, “Final Destination 3”). Unfortunately, Ramona has some serious baggage in the form of The League of Exes- 7 Evil Exes who try to control the fate of Ramona’s love life. In order to be with her, he must defeat (i.e. kill) them all. How exactly is a scrawny sad sack and deluded Lothario supposed to do that? Why, with all his years of video game training of course! Each fight resembles something straight out of Nintendo with the defeated villain worth points and coins. When a fist or foot connects, it resembles Adam West’s “Batman”. Ka Pow! Will Scott win his lady love? Will his band Sex Bob-Omb win the Toronto Battle of the Bands?

                              Computer: You've got mail.

                              Scott Pilgrim: Dude, this thing claims I have mail.

                              Wallace Wells (Keiran Culkin): It's amazing what we can do with

                                                                                computers these days.

                              Scott Pilgrim: Dude, now I'm totally reading it.

Scott Pilgrim is almost too smart for mainstream audiences. It’s heavy pop culture references are lost on anyone under 25 and even then it’s a slippery slope. One scene plays like an episode of “Seinfeld” complete with theme music and laugh track. Another opens with the Universal Studios’ (the distributor of the film) theme music playing. The winks and nods to Hollywood movie and comic book culture are all over the film. On second viewing, it became a bit of a game to identify them all.

Cera steps out of his comfort zone a bit here, even if it’s only a foot outside. He is less bumbling and awkward, a little more confident. We have to believe that Scott could defeat these evil exes and that a girl would be interested in him. He has depth that has previously been under the covers before. That we do believe it is, I hope, testament to the growth of Cera as an actor and I hope the direction he will be using going forward in his career.

Each evil ex has their own personality and sad story (often shown as animated cells from the comic book). Ex #1 Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha) fights with the full force of a Bollywood number behind him. Ex #2, Lucas Lee (Chris Evans, “Fantastic Four”, “London”) uses his stunt doubles to do his dirty work. Ex #3 turns out to be a girl, Ex #4 (Brandon Routh, “Superman”) harnesses the power of veganism in a seriously hilarious scene also featuring Scott’s ex Envy (Brie Larson, “United States of Tara”). After defeating a set of twins, Scott must now face the ultimate evil- Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman, "Rushmore") who is also the record producer they’ve been tracking since the beginning of the film. Get the girl or the record contract?

Scott’s band mates and roommate provide much of the comic banter and inside jokes strewn throughout the movie. Each character is introduced by a title bubble that pops up on the bottom of the screen giving their basic information (Name, age, position in the band, etc). Mark Webber (“Storytelling”) is the singer, Alison Pill (“Pieces of April”) the drummer and Scott’s ex. Her acerbic wit and deadpan delivery account for many laughs. Stuck on the sideline is Young Neil (Johnny Simmons, “Jennifer’s Body”) who is the perfect groupie and lackey combined. Keiran Culkin ("Igby Goes Down") is Scott's gay roommate who eggs him on in battle and steals everyone's boyfriends. He's also hilarious and has many of the best one-liners in the film. Personally, I like Keiran a lot and hope he continues to make interesting, indie movies.

"Kick her in the balls!" - Wallace Wells

I really loved “Scott Pilgrim vs the World” and plan to buy it soon if for no other reason than the special features are not available on the rental disc. Blast!! All I want to do is watch some bloopers.

Centurion

**** (4.5 stars)

It makes me nervous to say that Neil Marshall has never let me down. Having written and directed some of the most interesting horror films of the past 10 years, he continues to push the boundaries of what defines him as a filmmaker. His first feature film, “Dog Soldiers”, is on all of my personal lists: Best Horror, Best Movie You May Have Never Seen, etc. It is without question one of the best werewolf movies ever made. Following that, he took us spelunking in “The Descent” which managed to creep me out even though I watched the making of first! “Doomsday” is an underappreciated homage to apocalypse films like “Mad Max” and “The Road”. His newest release, “Centurion” departs from the unapologetic gore that earned him membership in the “Splat Pack”.

[side note: Other members of the “Splat Pack” include Alexandre Aja, “High Tension”, Darren Lynn Bousman, “Saw 2-4”, Greg Mclean, “Wolf Creek”, Eli Roth, “Hostel”, James Wan, “Saw”, Leigh Whannell, executive producer of the “Saw” franchise, and Rob Zombie, “Devil’s Rejects”. You can read more about them here.] 

“Centurion” tells the fabled story of Rome’s 9^th Legion, one so deadly and feared, they were considered unstoppable. As with all things given such a grand title; they were eventually lost in the woods of Scotland and believed defeated by the Picts. Quintus Dias (the always amazing Michael Fassbender) is a Centurion who escapes capture by the Pict leader Gorlacon and joins up with the 9^th while on the run. Shortly after, they are ambushed and General Titus Virilus (Dominic West) is captured. What is left of this great army must now fight to retrieve their fallen leader and escape back to the Roman stronghold. The Picts are not a passive people, and they hunt the Romans with equal virile and the help of their best scout, Etain (Olga Kurylenko). Kurylenko shrugs off any patina from her Bond girl days to play this tortured and mute tracker.

This film got a lot of attention due to its violence level (something we can surly expect from Marshall) and not for the interesting story, great camera work, and fine acting. The complexities of the relationships between the soldiers often mirror that between the Romans and the Picts. Of course its violent and gory, but much of it appears just off screen or from behind: A sword connects with a man’s head, but the camera is behind him so we never really see it connect. Here we have the Roman’s, a civilization that at that time controlled most of Europe and parts of Asian, up against the one enemy they can’t seem to tame, the Picts (Rome met equal resistance from all of the Celtic people). Is it any bloodier than “Glory” or “Saving Private Ryan”? Not really. The difference here is we are fighting with swords and bow and arrow. It’s always unsettling to me how a movie about war can be bloodless. Is this what we should be teaching our children? Not that children should see this movie per se, there is a lot of profanity and gore. (Don’t even get me started on the frequent use of the word “fuck” which was not recorded until the 16^th century).

Filmed on location in Scotland, the cinematography of Sam McCurdy (Marshall’s longtime collaborator) is breathtaking. No establishing shot is wasted (*cough* *cough* Harry Potter), and is instead used to transport the viewer to the freezing tundra, dark and damp woods, or through a raging river. When coupled with Chris Gill’s editing (“28 Days Later”) it creates a tight 90 minutes of action and suspense. Make-up artist Paul Hyett (another frequent Marshall contributor, “Hunger”) has outdone himself as well. Legs are wacked off, heads severed from their body, gashes carved into the torsos of fallen soldiers. Bloody and disgusting.

If you haven’t already seen “Centurion”, I highly recommend you add it to your queue today!

127 Hours

**** (4 1/2 stars)

Last night I had the opportunity to see an advanced screening of "127 Hours" with my buddy Lauren. The show was completely sold out but we got good seats none the less! It was a lot of fun.

Academy Award winning director Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire", as well as "Trainspotting", "28 Days Later", and "Millions") tackles the real life story of Aron Rolston (played by James Franco), the climber who made headlines in 2003 when he cut his own arm off to save himself after becoming trapped in a crevice. The script was based on Rolston's book "Between a Rock and a Hard Place", and was co-written by Boyle and Academy Award winning screenwriter Simon Beaufoy ("Slumdog Millionaire", as well as "The Full Monty", "Blow Dry", and "MIss Pettegrew Lives for a Day"). Many of the same Slumdog people are back as well: A.R. Rahman provides the original music which seems a bit Slumdog-lite. Anthony Dod Mantle (AA for "Slumdog Millionaire", as well as "28 Days Later") and Enrique Chediak ("Repo Men", "28 Weeks Later") do an amazing job on the cinematography. I'm sure we can expect to see them again come awards season, but more on that later. Production Designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb (also from "Slumdog") had her work cut out for her. The majority of production was shot on location in the same valley's and mountain's the real Rolston climbed in Utah.

If not for Boyle and Franco, I'm not sure I would have ever considered seeing this movie. Maybe on Netflix, but not in the theatre. I'm certainly curious about what happened in that canyon in April '03. I remember hearing the story and seeing Rolston on Letterman. I know what happened in a round about sense, but I clearly never cared enough to get his book or look into it fully. Climbing, canyoning, etc. holds no interest to me.

When I head Franco had been cast, I knew I was screwed and would have to see this movie. He has proven himself quite the gifted actor, abandoning the heartthrob/bad boy image ("Freaks & Geeks", "Annapolis", "Spiderman") in favor of rich character studies and independent cinema. See: "Milk", "Howl", "Tristan + Isolde". Even his turn on "General Hospital" seems logical and a big F-you to mainstream Hollywood. The daily shoots and last minute scripts would surely help an actor, and it seems as if it has. Franco's performance of Rolston is cocky, sincere, heartbreaking, and devastating. His hunger induced fantasies play in split screen, the colours pop from the near darkness he was in before. We find ourselves longing for a Mountain Dew or the need to escape the bathroom. Unfortunately, we are glued to our seats and cannot move for fear we will miss one moment of his performance.

[side note: Fuck you James for making me watch episodes of GH. I have no idea what is going on. I do think it's hilarious that your character was named Franco, but that could have easily been an attempt from the writers to help you remember your name on the show. Grrr!]

Speaking of the use of split screen, it was a bit annoying at times but made sense as the film progressed. We are assaulted with images of urbanism, consumerism, and traffic. Bright colours of red, yellow, and green (a wink at the upcoming red desert?) flash across the screen. At times, we are unsure where to look or what we are seeing. This continues off and on until the pivotal scene where Aron is trapped. Now, these editing tricks play out in his mind. One of the best scenes in the film comes when Rolston has been trapped for over 3 days in the canyon. He imagines himself on an interview show and he plays the part of both host, guest, and caller to the small camera he brought with him on the trip. We cut back and forth from the low res handheld to a movie camera slightly askew stage right and another stage left. It is a brilliant scene for both actor, director, and editor.

Also cropping up in the film (no pun intended) are Kate Mara ("Shooter") and Amber Tamblyn ("Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants") as two fellow hikers who met Rolston right before his accident, his parents played by Treat Williams (!!!) and Kate Burton, and his ex-girlfriend (Clémence Poésy, "Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire", "In Bruges") whom he often reminisces about.

Boyle has long been a director impossible to peg or categorize. His filmography reads like my perfect wish list: horror, suspense, comedy, non-fiction, foreign, sci-fi. He seems to follow his heart and doesn't allow anyone to tell him what type of movies he should be making. It is impossible to tell a Danny Boyle film just by looking at it, and I mean that as the ultimate compliment. I remember seeing his first film "Shallow Grave" when it came out. It introduced me to Ewan McGregor and Christopher Eccleston, and was the kind of dark British humor much beloved in our house. He followed that up with "Trainspotting" and "A Life Less Ordinary" (slightly less successful). "The Beach" paired him with future collaborator Alex Garland from whose novel the film was based. They would go on to work together on "28 Days Later" and "Sunshine" (one of my top little appreciated films and a must for horror/sci-fi nerds like myself). Just to throw them off, he left zombies behind to make a small and uplifting Irish movie called "Millions". Finally, the Oscar's came calling with "Slumdog Millionaire". Personally, I didn't think it would win or even that it was the best picture of the year (I would have given that to "The Reader" or "Milk", but the Academy has long loved these kinds of films. See:"Crash" beating "Brokeback Mountain", "Good Night and Good Luck", and "Munich".)

[side note:While I understand the desire to work with the same people, especially those who won awards along side you; it is important not to lose focus on who is best for the job. A fair warning to Mr Boyle: Lay off the Indian music and references for a bit, please.]

But back to the movie at hand. I recommend "127 Hours" for everyone. There are scenes that may be a bit gory for children (it is rated R for language and brief gore), so use your best judgement. It is a well crafted film that takes us on a journey no one would choose for themselves, but which leaves us with a sense of hope and impressive awe at the man who lived it.

An Open Love Letter to Australia, or What I Thought About "Avatar" 3D

ARCHIVE from 12/24/09

Dear Australia,

I would like to thank you for what ever genetic operation you have going on down there. I understand that many attractive actors I consider Australian were in fact born elsewhere, usually England (hola Sam Worthington), I assume the air or the water in Perth or Brisbane or Melbourne is the cause of their good fortune. So, keep up the good work and keep sending them stateside.

Last night, a bunch of buddies and I went to see "Avatar" in 3D (not IMAX, I just can't spend $15 on a movie just yet. Sorry). I wasn't expecting much. Depending on who you read/trust, it was either cheesy/juvenile dialog/boring waste of 3 hours (reviewers) or the greatest thing since sliced bread (entertainers). I've gotta lean more towards "awesome", let me explain.

Was the dialog sometimes a bit over the top, cheesy even? Sure. Was the movie, and the creators of the movie, totally aware that was what they were doing? Absolutely. Show me a war movie that doesn't cash in on one cliche and I'll give you a nickle. On the same note, what SciFi movie isn't rife with absurd one-liners and winking glances? Not a one.

"Avatar" is a message film you don't mind, even if you don't agree with it's message (which would make you a war-mongering, anti-environment, racist). So... If you have been living in a cave, or simply hate movies (and therefore are probably not reading this entry), "Avatar" is about a joint military-science mission to Pandora, a plant rich with a fuel source we desperately need on Earth as we've used all of ours up. The problem is, Pandora is home to the Na'vi, a tribal culture who is not keen on the "skywalkers" making a muck of their planet. The whole thing is underlined with thoughts on god, life, religion, race. Humans can't breath the air on Pandora, so they've designed these Avatar's that look, move, are, just like the indigenous people. Through a bio-link, humans upload themselves into these creature shells and try to interact with the Na'vi.

Pretty standard story, you can imagine what happens, but you get sucked into the beauty of the world, the decent to great acting, and the overall joyful spirit of the movie.

Cameron has spent years trying to develop the technology needed to bring this story to life. He finally succeeded in what is the most brilliant 3D images I've ever seen. this new tech brings the whole picture to multi-dimensional life with out the bells and whistles usually reserved for 3D. rarely does anything leap out at you or go running right for you. It happens, but very organically, not for wow factor. It takes about 15-20 minutes for your eyes to totally adjust to the glasses (which is fine as the movie is 3 hours- side note: even I couldn't find where to make cuts. 3 hrs probably IS the edited time). The tech isn't perfect yet, objects moving faster than a walk tend to blur unnaturally and other objects that move too close to the camera get lost and actually take you out of the 3D experience, but that's not much of a criticism.

The way the trailer looked online/TV/2D lead to the bummed feeling I had going in. However, and there's a lovely quote from Worthington about this somewhere, the movie was meant to be seen in 3D, in IMAX, it doesn't translate well to your computer. I thought, like my friend Phillip, that the animated portions would look like an extended video game trailer. They don't. Period. However, this 3D only thing will become a big problem when DVD sales roll around, though we are supposed to have 3D HD televisions come spring (but I'm sure I won't be able to afford one). They'll have to sell the movie with multiple glasses and make spares available for purchase as well.

A big congrats to Stephen Lang for his Golden Globe nomination. I guess this proves you can be in an FX latent movie and get recognized. He did a great job, and it's only a shame some of the other actors weren't as well. It must be hard if your performance is entirely motion capture (Zoe Saldana) or at least majority (everyone else). Oh well... baby steps.

With that, I'm off. I hope you all enjoy your free day/holiday tomorrow. May I suggest you see Avatar 3D during the boredom that is Christmas afternoon? I will be at Sherlock Holmes. Here's hoping it isn't as rubbish as the reviews are making it out to be.

The Social Network

**** 4.5 stars

I spent my day off yesterday at the movies with my favorite movie buddy, word of the day Jennie. It was down to "Easy A" ("No comedy," was Jennie's only stipulation), so we went with "The Social Network" instead. In case you've been living under a rock:

"The Social Network" is based on the novel "The Accidental Billionaires" by Ben Mezrich and directed by David Fincher. It follows the rise and subsequent lawsuits surrounding the founding of Facebook. Jesse Eisenberg (perennial nebish nerd) stars as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. He is later sued by fellow Harvard students (Armie Hammer pulling CGI double duty as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, and Max Minghella) as well as his former best friend and CFO Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield).

Screen writer Aaron Sorkin ("The West Wing", "A Few Good Men") doesn't try to answer the question that plagues the movie- Who's idea was Facebook?- but instead focuses on what can be known and that is the instances leading up to and following the websites success. Instead of saying the film is inter cut with scenes from the multiple depositions Zuckerberg attended, I would say the depositions are inter cut with scenes from their life. From the dorm rooms at Harvard to the crewing down the Charles River to Silicon Valley to the crescendo that is Facebook gaining 1 million followers, we are there like a fly on the wall witnessing it all. Sorkin will not reveal all of his sources (though it has been well publicized that Natalie Portman, Harvard alum, met with me), only to say that they had details down to what kind of beer they were drinking at what time. That sounds pretty accurate. Still, he never demonizes any one party. Everyone seems to blame in some way for their part in the whole mess.

Eisenberg does a great job as the "asshole" Zuckerberg. I couldn't help but wonder, if this portrayal is in anyway accurate, why no one has raised the argument that he might not be an asshole but rather suffers from Asperger's. He is unable to control what comes out of his mouth, is unaware of how what is said effects others, and further more; doesn't seem to care. He doesn't care about money, but works hard to control and edge out those who helped him rise to billionaire status. His only real relationship was with Saverin whom he reportedly pushed out of the company. Infamous Sean Parker (creator of Napster and part owner of Facebook, here played by Justin Timberlake) comes across as money hungry and stupid. He has the genius to recognize good ideas and get them to the right people, but he can't organize his own life. Meanwhile, Saverin never quiet understands the demon that Facebook is becoming and gets left in the dust. Who is to blame? Does it even matter?

My personal demi-god Trent Reznor makes his big screen debut with a score that highlights and supports every scene without drawing attention to itself. You will immediately recognize his signature, but he is smart enough to know when and how it will work in the context of the film.

The Oscar buzz is certainly worthy. Fincher delivers a well crafted film that is just enough outside what we would expect from him to make it refreshing without making his name above the line meaningless. Sorkin weaves fact, fiction, and humor into every scene. With his background in television it is no wonder he has an ear for dialog and it has never been more on display than in this work. Eisenberg may be left behind. The character is too similar to ones he's played before, though I don't fault him that: Know what you do well and do that. The only difference is in his likability. Either you do or you don't. Garfield has had a banner year so far, though I'm still concerned about him as the new Spiderman. I wish that movie would fall apart and he would be forced back into (somewhat) anonymity and carefully chosen "serious" work. Timberlake gets to show off his acting chops and I cannot wait to see what else he has in store for us. I would also recommend Reznor's score and Jeff Cronenweth's cinematography (he also shot "Fight Club" and several well known music videos).