The Fighter

**** (4 stars)

Following up his successful collaboration with Mark Wahlberg in "Three Kings" and the critic's favorite "I Heart Huckabees", director David O. Russell is back with "The Fighter". The true story of a down on his luck boxer and his even further down the rabbit hole brother, it has already garnered critical acclaim and several high profile nominations (Golden Globe, SAG).

Mark Wahlberg is Mickey, a welterweight "stepping stone" who gets beat up more than he actually boxes. In his corner is his brother Dickey (sublime Christian Bale) who used to be a notable fighter in his day before succumbing to drugs, and his mother (Melissa Leo) who's also his manager. When Mickey meets Charlene (Amy Adams), he gains the confidence to step out on his own and look out for himself first with family obligations second. Soon he finds he has a shot at the title, but is it worth anything without his brother?

The city of Lowell, Massachusetts plays as much a character in the film as any of the actor's. It's is the picture by which we all imagine the Boston suburbs to be- hard, down on their luck Irish with drinking problems and anger issues. Instead, this film portrays it's residents as equal parts "trash" and hero. They take pride in the few things they've got and don't let anyone mess with them.

Wahlberg delivers much as you would expect him to. He's the perfect toughie with the heart of a lamb. The scenes of him boxing (shot in cinema vérité style by Hoyte Van Hoytema, "Let the Right One In") are brilliant; more in the style of "Raging Bull" than "Rocky", and certainly pay homage to the great boxing films that came before. When we first meet our heros, they are being interviewed by HBO for what they are told is a documentary chronicling Dickey's return to boxing. Each scene shifts from the standard 35 mm format to digital which recreates the televised fights and interviews.

I was surprised by how much this was really Dickey's story and Bale the powerful center of the film. It's his scenes you most look forward to. What is he going to ruin now? How will he regain Mickey's trust? Who is he going to hurt next? Bale famously dropped weight for this movie but it isn't in your face as it was in "The Machinist". Instead, his frail yet powerful body are a map to his triumphs and struggles. It amazes me the amount of stress he puts it through, yet it never fails him. The guy really needs a few films where he can just enjoy a normal weight as I'm sure the frequent fluctuations are not good for his long term health. Dickey can't seem to catch a break, so he lives through his brother. He pushes him and molds him to be what he never was instead of allow him to be his own person. It is an amazing story of brotherhood more so than it is a tale of boxing.

Melissa Leo is genius as their mother. Overprotecting and oblivious to what's going on around her and how she is manipulating her sons. She deserves all the nominations she can get and is my front runner to win the Golden Globe. On the reverse, Mickey's dad (Jack McGee, "Rescue Me", "NYPD Blue") is the caring father, the true Irish standard. He only has eyes for his son and won't let anyone, not even his wife, run him down. Adams looks haggard, which I suppose is on purpose, but I just kept thinking, "She's not going to age well". That really has nothing to do with her performance except it was a bit distracting. She surprised me actually. I think of her as the "cute girl", the chick from "Enchanted" and "Julie & Julia". Even in "Doubt" when she was able to attack a more serious role, she always looked dow-eyed  and sweet. She gets to be dirty here and it's as if for the first time she believes what she is doing and who she is portraying. I can only applaud Russell for his excellent direction as she gives a performance I'm not sure she could have with anyone else.

[side note: I now believe Adams could be Janis Joplin. Well, maybe believe is a bit strong, but I'm certainly less opposed.]

I really liked this movie. Maybe part of it had to do with seeing it in a packed theatre with an audience that applauded during the fights. It is always a better viewing experience when the audience gets wrapped up in the film, when they laugh, cry, cheer. Somehow I always enjoy myself more than if I were at home with a bottle of wine by myself. I recommend "The Fighter". It is not what you think it is. It's about family, and struggles, and triumphs. Oh, and it's also a little about boxing.

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.

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).