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!

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.

Fright Fest: It's all in the gory details

With a little over two weeks until Halloween, now is the time to move all those horror movies to the top of your queue. Every year I watch "Beetlejuice" and "The Worst Witch" in honor of the day. "Beetlejuice" is one of my favorite movies (and arguably one of Burton's best) that I watched so often I erased the tape. Oh yea, we're talking VHS. When I bought a new copy, I discovered it had been edited. WTF?! The horror! The entire brothel scene was deleted. Dear Disney: That is not cool!

When I was very little, HBO played "The Worst Witch" every day, every year in October. I finally found a copy online and am sad to say it has not held up. Fairuza Balk goes to an all girls school of witchcraft (a la Harry Potter), where she is the worst student. Throw in Charlotte Rae as the headmistress and Tim Curry (I just LOVED Rocky Horror at the time too) as the grand wizard, a bit of impromptu song and dance, and you have a big 80s mess. Oh well, it's now hilarious and I can't help but watch it.

Whether you need a fright, have little ones, or love a good psychological thriller, I don't discriminate! Over the next week, I will give you my picks for this Halloween:

For the Gore Hounds:

"Hostel: Part II"- Eli Roth's gory sequel to his hit "Hostel", follows three girls studying abroad who decide to take a break in Prague. Poor Prague, it gets all the heat. They check into the same hostel and needless to say, chaos and death ensues. Roth sprinkles homages to some of horror's greats throughout (you can find out who and what in the bonus features), and plunges into what would entice another person to pay to kill.

Sure I fell asleep during part 1, I really am going to try and watch it again I swear; but I really loved part II. Maybe it's because we get to see the clients and their motives for the first time. Maybe it's because this time it's a bunch of female co-ed's getting tortured and regaining control. Whatever the reason, it's gross and bloody and I like it!

"Event Horizon"- Laurence Fishburne leads a rescue mission into deep space to track an SOS signal. Once aboard, he and his crew realize something sinister has happened and they must get home if they are to escape the same fate. Of course, Sam Neill is there to muck it all up.

Baby bear!!! God I love scary space movies. I saw this in the theatre with my Dad and sister and fell in love. So scary! My sister may still have nightmares. It's everything you love about "Alien" except here the monster is the human mind.

"The Ruins"- Again some co-eds (this time in Mexico) get into a world of trouble when they hike out to a mysterious Aztec temple that happens to be cursed. Trapped atop the ziggurat, the kids are taunted by local tribesman and picked off one by one by an unforeseen force. Based on the book of the same name by Scott B. Smith.

Who knew plants could be so scary? Director Carter Smith crafts an elegant and edgy movie from a premise that is laughable at best. Still, good performances and special FX can save anything. I expected this movie to be more gory based on what I was told by friends, but either I have no concept of gore anymore (quite possible) or they don't (also possible). There are moments when this movie could have turned into more traditional "torture porn", but instead they reigned it in and played it cool. PS- I heart Jonathan Tucker & Jena Malone. Who would have ever cast them in a horror flick? Someone pat the casting director on the back, please.

"House of 1,000 Corpses"/"The Devils Rejects" Double Feature- Musician Rob Zombie translates his Universal Studios Funhouse into two truly enjoyable homages to 70s grindhouse horror. In "Corpses", more co-eds (I see a theme here) pull over to Captain Spauldings fried chicken shack and gas station to visit his museum of oddities. Next thing they know, they've blown a flat and are taken to the dilapidated Spaulding mansion to wait out the storm (think "Texas Chainsaw Masacre"). There's always a storm, old house, and weird tow truck in these kinds of movies. Who will survive? In "Rejects", the Spaulding clan are on the run from the law following a shoot out at their house. The movie has more of a Western feel and casts the villains as the protagonist. It is a mark to Zombie's brilliance that you find yourself rooting for the serial killer by the end of the film.

Love. Love squared. I saw both in the theatre and remember being the only person impressed by "Corpses". If you grew up on these kinds of movies, you should too. With "Rejects", I went to an advanced screening and people got a lot more into it. It helps when you know what to expect I guess.

"Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight" - The Cryptkeeper's first movie (and only good one) is another Western-feeling film about a small town that unwittingly invites the Devil into their midst. At the old hotel, a wanderer stumbles in and soon after the Demon's appear. They're after a key, or a bottle really, that houses the blood of Christ. Oh yea, they went there. Billy Zane is the Collector, a demon/devil tasked with stealing this key and bringing it to Hell.

Let me tell you about my love for Billy Zane (bald Billy only please). He was probably the hottest Devil character until Viggo Mortenson in "The Prophecy". This movie is at times funny and gory, just like the TV series. There are some great actor's here to and hilarious one-liners. I was a bit torn whether to include this here or later in my Hilarious Horror post. I think the scene with the kid and the comic firmly places it here though.

"Book of Blood" - Based on a book by Clive Barker, "Blood" takes a page from "The Haunting" as we follow a paranormal expert and her team investigating a haunted house. Needless to say, the spirits are annoyed by this and start carving their story into the skin of one of the investigators.

Is this the best movie ever made? Not hardly. However, there is something mesmerizing about it. You have to leave your brain at the door, other wise you'll spend the who hour and a half yelling, "Just get the hell out of there idiot!" at the TV. There are some good gross outs and FX.

"In My Skin" - After an accident, a woman develops body dysmorphic disorder and begins mutilating her body in more and more dangerous a fashion. In French.

I don't know how I got turned on to this movie, it must have been on a best weird list; but it's not at all what I expected. Thank god it's only 93 minutes. I don't know if I could ever watch it again as it is deeply disturbing yet relatable. That's the scary (and brilliant) part of the movie. You identify with her psyche and rationalization of what she is doing to herself. Again, I thought this was going to be more gory, but like a great psychological thriller; you don't need it to be.

"Trick 'r Treat" - A series of vignette's silently narrated by a child in a scary pumpkin costume, everyone tries to stay alive on Halloween night.

It took forever for this film to make it to your house, but don't be quick to judge. While that is usually a bad thing, the circumstances here were different. While not necessarily scary, there is a lot to be disturbed by in this movie. A lot of people, children included, are killed in creative and bloody ways. I particularly liked the stories with Anna Pacquin and the one centered on a young gang of misfits.

"May" - In the vein of "Carrie", May has been bullied and misunderstood her whole life. She seeks solace and friendship in a toy doll and cannot maintain real human relationships. That doesn't stop her from trying though, with disastrous results.

I think I unfairly rated this movie (I gave it 3 stars) because I paid to see it in the theatre, promptly spilt wine on myself when I sat down, then saw it for rent at Blockbuster the next day. Ugh! Anyway, I remember a scene towards the end with Jeremy Sisto that totally creeped me out.

See Also: Dead Alive, Saw 1-3, Cannibal (2006), Hatchet, Dahmer, High Tension, Jason X, Anatomy, Black Christmas, Blood Feast, Demons, Dead Girl, Cube, Suicide Club

Never Let Me Go

***** 5 stars

Based on the Man Booker Prize nominated book and bestseller of the same name, Mark Romanek's adaptation of Kashu Ishiguro's novel may be one of the best movies to come out this year.

Many reviewers have quibbled over the revelation of the "twist" that comes much sooner in the movie than the book, but I think that's nonsense. What works in a novel would often appear slow and dull in a movie. If anything, I think it helps engage those viewers who come into the film with a naivete not unlike the characters in the film. That being said, I'm not about to ruin the surprise for anyone!

"Never Let Me Go" is the story of Kathy (Carey Mulligan); or really the story of how she grew up at a boarding school, Hailsham, and the close friends who share her journey in both body and soul. Ruth (Keira Knightly) has been her best friend since they were children, however she is an unusually spoiled girl who takes advantage of Kathy's kindness. In the middle of all this is Tommy (Andrew Garfield) who goes with Ruth while secretly longing for Kathy. The story is entirely from Kathy's perspective though we at no point doubt the sincerity of her narration. Separated for years, she reunites with Tommy, but is it too late?

The beauty of the book, and indeed the movie as well, is that while the subject matter may be science-fiction the actions are incredibly realistic. Book shelves and movie houses view sci-fi as something involving aliens or supernatural powers (clearly fantasy). It seems most of what you find is now Fantasy, with Science Ficiton going the way of the buffalo (or a Philip K Dick novela). Wikipedia defines science fiction as "dealing with the impact of imagined innovations in science or technology, often in a futuristic setting. It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically established ... laws of nature". It is in this truest sense of the word that "Never Let Me Go" resides. I can't imagine seeing it in video stores sharing the same space as "2001: A Space Odyssey" or "Star Trek". Instead, it focuses on the reality and questionable humanity of science and human beings.

Mark Romanek's primary art is music video and it is with that knowledge that he captures the subtle emotions that his actor's give him. Where other director's may be more comfortable with quick cuts or master shots, Romanek lingers. He creates truly unsettling images of nothing more than a face, albeit a face in pain. The soundtrack is sparse and subtly supports the loneliness our characters feel.

Mulligan and Garfield give subtle and pained performances that are certainly deserving of nominations come award season. In a particularly brilliant scene, the trio embark on a road trip to see an old ship stranded on the beach. Tommy has never lost the curiosity of his youth and runs to the ship while Kathy and Ruth watch. He crawls over the bow all gangly arms and legs; pausing only to catch his breath, grinning from ear to ear. In the context of the film, the scene becomes even more haunting as the inevitability of their situation bares down on both them and the viewer.

Although I had read the book and therefore knew what the outcome of the story would be, I found myself close to bawling towards the end of the film. I can't remember the last night a movie effected me on such a primal level. In particular, I think I began to lose it when Kathy and Tommy, now together, search for a way to maintain their relationship in the face of certain desolation. It's impossible not to be moved. I loved this movie, but I'm afraid to watch it again. The next time I won't be in a packed movie theatre with the shame and embarrassment of actually crying out loud to keep me in check. It's a pain that feels so good yet is scary as hell. On the path to "completion", what is our purpose?

I would recommend this movie to any and everyone. It is a landmark in cinema as the book was to the publishing world. Dealing with universal themes of growing up, falling in and out of love, living up to responsibilities, and the acceptance of fate; it is sure to cause a cavalcade of emotion in any view. Bring a tissue. Actually, make that three or four.