Doc, please don't click on this one. A pop gem with lots of attitude and the incorporation of pretty much every current vocal trend. 38 million views can't be wrong.
Continue reading this postMonday, February 8, 2010
Third Anniversary
I'm about a week late with this, but mazal tov to my collaborators for another great year.
Temple Grandin - A-
On HBO (premiered February 6th). Unrated. Trailer. Schedule.
Temple Grandin is an autistic female cattle scientist that revolutionized the cattle industry with her analysis and writings. The film that bears her name shows her struggles with the disease from childhood through adulthood and the extraordinary burden and reward borne by her mother. Doesn't sound like an A-, but it is. Anchored by a career-best performance from Claire Danes as Grandin and a soulful rendering of her resourceful mother from Julia Ormond, with solid supporting work from David Strathairn. Click below for the best film so far of 2010:
Temple's coming of age occurred in the 1970's, which makes for lots of very interesting societal issues to chew up along with her story. She begins at a normal school then goes to a boarding school, all along the way fighting gender and disability bias and ignorance. Then she moves to college and grad school and starts working at feed lots and developing her theories. Through it all she and her mother fight through each obstacle with grit and grace.
Danes' performance is especially great because of the balance she has to strike to avoid being a caricature and not be too over the top (Robert Downey Jr's discussion of this in Tropic Thunder is on point here). I found the film to be very well done, with interesting progressions and music to complement the great performances.
It is a testament to hard work and a stubbornly loving parent. The scene at the autism conference near the end of the film will be powerful for any parent, and Ormond nails the reaction shots.
A great film about an interesting subject that mostly steers (rock me) clear of sentimentalism.
Edge of Darkness - C+
In theaters. Rated R. 106 minutes. Trailer.
With Edge of Darkness, Mel Gibson returns to the familiar aggressive/paternal role that has made him a star. Written by Departed scribe William Monahan and directed by Casino Royale director Martin Campbell, the film has some decent action scenes and taut sequences, but the script and characters never come together to form a cohesive film. Gibson is Thomas Craven, a straight laced Boston detective that has a grown daughter that he raised on his own. After she is killed under unusual circumstances, he goes on a vengeful tear to find out who is responsible. Click below for more Darkness:
Gibson is strong in his by the numbers character - even though we know how the film will work out (mostly) it is still fun to watch a vengeful father with nothing to lose chew up scenery and super generic bad guys. Danny Huston plays the diabolical owner of a shadowy nuclear arms maker where Gibson's daughter worked in a top-secret facility. Ray Winstone (Frenchy in the Departed) is the super-shadowy henchman with a conscience that gets to somehow decide what conspiracies the government takes part in.
The plot is a total mess, with major leaps and ridiculous conspiracies throughout. I expected more from this creative team.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Weekend Box Office: 2/5-2/7/10
Avatar finally dropped from the top spot due to something starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. How was it, Priest? Travolta takes it in the pants and Mel falls sharp after rightfully calling a TV idiot an A-Hole. Crazy Heart, The Blind Side, and Up in the Air received Oscar bumps.
Title/Gross/%Change/Total
1. Dear John: 32.4 mil / (-)
2. Avatar: 23.6 mil / -25% / 630 mil
3. From Paris w/ Love: 8.1 mil / (-)
4. Edge of Darkness: 7 mil/-59%/29 mil
5. Tooth Fairy: 6.5 mil / -35% / 34 mil
6. When in Rome: 5.5 mil / -55% / 21 mil
7. Book of Eli: 4.8 mil / -46% / 82 mil
8. Crazy Heart: 3.7 mil / +58% / 11.2 mil
9. Legion: 3.4 mil / -53% / 35 mil
10. Sherlock Holmes: 2.6 mil/ -42% / 202 mil
11. The Blind Side: 2.6 mil / -14% / 242 mil
12. Up in the Air: 2.4 mil / -16% / 77 mil
SNL - "Burn Notice"
Without a presidential election, SNL has been struggling all season. Last night, this game show sketch had me laughing out loud, mostly because it's exactly how I felt when I was recently bombarded with "Burn Notice"'s advertising campaign. Love Sudeikis giving the camera the number "4" with his fingers. The rest of Ashton Kutcher's hosting job was OK, but Jon Hamm's gig last week was the best hosting job of the year. Especially, "Sergio"
Continue reading this postFriday, February 5, 2010
Snap Judgments - a Quick Review of 5 Movies
Cold Souls
Paul Giamatti plays a version of himself, who's struggling with Chekhov's Uncle Vanya for the stage on Broadway. He sees an article in the New Yorker about soul extraction which interests him since he thinks having less soul will help his performance. But after the procedure (performed by the great David Straitharn) and the subsequent stealing of his soul by a soap opera actress in Russia, Giamatti just wants to return to normal. The slapstick comedy doesn't work at all and Giamatti's changes in acting styles (when he has different souls) is not impressive - just indulgent. The other main character (a Russian mule who transports souls across borders) is dull and lifeless. It's nice that you're ripping off the best (Charlie Kaufman), but his films are about so much more than the plot. Here, there's no subtext, subtlety, or charm. C
Bright Star
The main problem certainly isn't Paul Schneider, who's excellent in support. I've only seen one of the Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actor (Waltz), but each of the other 4 could not have been as important to their films as Schneider. The main problem also isn't entirely director Jane Campion, who composes shots exquisitely with lots of symbolism (stairs, door frames, windows) and gives great imagery with the outdoor settings. I will blame the pacing on her, but my main issue lies with Ben Whishaw (who was superb as the "poet" Dylan in I'm Not There). As the poet John Keats, Whishaw has a very difficult role as a troubled, struggling artist who's snubbed by society. As Keats's love interest Fanny Brawne, Abbie Cornish fares a little better, particularly toward the end, but the all-important on-screen chemistry between the 2 would-be lovers just isn't there. C+
Drag Me to Hell
Sam Raimi's first non-Spiderman film since 2000's The Gift is startlingly effective at providing the jolts and frights. Bank loan officer Alison Lohman denies an old lady's request for refinancing who immediately puts a curse on Lohman. Lohman is then haunted the rest of the film and enlists the help of her boyfriend (Justin Long), a seance expert (Babel's Adriana Barraza), and local ghost expert to rid her of the bad spirits. The real star is Raimi who is at his Evil Dead 2-level of expert horror direction. He even has the guts to attack the plot holes ("Why didn't you tell me this before?") head-on and nicely allows characterizations (Lohman's food obsession) to surface. I don't know if this is "better" than A Simple Plan or the first 2 Spiderman films, but this is the most fun I've had watching Raimi work in a long time. B
District 13: Ultimatum
From the left wing mind of Luc Besson comes the sequel to the influential District 13, which had none other than James Bond imitating its excellent stunts in Casino Royale. That film held together for the majority of the running time, but crapped out when its cops-bad, criminals-good message came out. The sequel is a disaster from the very first scene and lets its ridiculously simplistic politics blind any coherence or rationality. The French equivalent of the Dept. of Homeland Security teams with Harriburtion (a subtly named, malevolent global corporation) and local politicians to kill cops and take over the slums (or something like that). In a huge conspiracy full of smart (and evil!) people, you'd think someone would bother to change the incriminating license plates. Worst of all, the action is mindless, repetitive, boring, and repetitive. It played early this week on HDNET movies, which is now charging $5 per month. I'm starting to wonder about the investment. C-
Zombieland
Priest had a blast during its theatrical run and maybe the audience atmosphere contributed to the fun. As the crazed, zombie-killing hillbilly, Woody Harrelson is at his looney-tunes best and is obviously having a great time which is endearing. Jesse Eisenberg is terrific counter-programming as the cautious survivor who over-thinks every situation. There's a moment when Zombieland almost becomes the best film of the year as the 2 men each threaten a shotgun blast to newly infected Abigail Breslin's face. Alas, my ultimate dream is not to be and they don't carry through with it. The plot contrivances do the film in with a paper-thin story barely connecting set-pieces. The power wouldn't be on anywhere and they'd have trouble traveling in a Hummer from Texas to California. Gas stations do have a cut-off switch. But this is a zombie movie, for crap's sake, and you can't let reason and common sense get in the way. Bill Murray has a couple of priceless lines worth the 80 minute running time alone. B-
Song of the Day - Wheels, Foo Fighters
Their most recent single is a great mainstream sing-songy rock song.
Continue reading this postThursday, February 4, 2010
Cyrus Trailer and Aziz on NPR
This John C. Reilly/Jonah Hill comedy looks really funny. I laughed out loud at the shot of Jonah in only a t-shirt holding a big knife.
Aziz Ansari was on NPR today. Listen here. Great Parks and Rec tonight - DJ Roomba and the Aziz heavy open were the highlights.
Song of the Day - Monkey Man
By the Rolling Stones
For something that feels so loose, it's amazing how precise the band members fit their parts together. The middle part almost goes too far with that epic feeling, but Mick's voice brings it back to the funky, syncopated masterpiece that it is - led by Keith's guitar.
I'm a fleabit peanut monkey
All my friends are junkies
That's not really true
I'm a cold Italian pizza
I could use a lemon squeezer
Would you do?
But I've been bit and I've been tossed around
By every she-rat in this town
Have you, babe?
Well, I am just a monkey man
I'm glad you are a monkey woman too
I was bitten by a boar
I was gouged and I was gored
But I pulled on through
Yes, I'm a sack of broken eggs
I always have an unmade bed
Don't you?
Well, I hope we're not too messianic
Or a trifle too satanic
We love to play the blues
Well I am just a monkey man
I'm glad you are a monkey, monkey woman
Monkey woman too, babe!
I'm a monkey! I'm a monkey!
I'm a monkey man! I'm a monkey man!
....
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Song of the Day- Dinner at Eight
Discovered this rough, rough, oedipal father/son song by Rufus Wainright on a "What's on My Ipod" segment for David Bowie. You might want to check the lyrics.And here is the rest of it.
Continue reading this postTuesday, February 2, 2010
Best of 2009, Update
1. Hurt Locker
2. Inglourious Basterds
3. Crazy Heart
4. Precious
5. An Education
6. Public Enemies
7. In the Loop
8. Adventureland
9. Up in the Air
10. Taking of Pelham 123
11. Up
Nomination List
List below and after the jump. Analysis later tonight.
Best picture
"Avatar"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
"Up in the Air"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Up"
"The Blind Side"
"District 9"
"An Education"
"A Serious Man"
Actor
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
Actress
Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Supporting actor
Matt Damon, "Invictus"
Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"
Supporting actress
Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique, "Precious"
Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
Penelope Cruz, "Nine"
Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Crazy Heart"
Director
Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
James Cameron, "Avatar"
Lee Daniels, "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"
Animated feature
"Up"
"Coraline"
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"The Princess and the Frog"
"The Secret of Kells"
Original screenplay
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"The Messenger"
"A Serious Man"
"Up"
Adapted screenplay
"District 9"
"An Education"
"In the Loop"
"Precious"
"Up in the Air"
Best foreign-language film
"Ajami"
"El Secreto de Sus Ojos"
"The Milk of Sorrow"
"Un Prophete"
"The White Ribbon"
Best film editing
"Avatar"
"District 9"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Precious"
Best documentary feature
"Burma VJ"
"The Cove"
"Food, Inc."
"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers"
"Which Way Home"
Art direction
"Avatar"
"The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus"
"Nine"
"Sherlock Holmes"
"The Young Victoria
Cinematography
"Avatar"
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"The White Ribbon"
Monday, February 1, 2010
Song of the Day- Time to Pretend
I thought we'd already posted this one by MGMT, but I guess we didn't. Not exactly brand new, but still super awesome. A Lawyer special circa 1998.
Continue reading this postDVD and Blu-ray Releases 2/2/10
Amelia - #
House of the Devil - #
Love Happens - #
More Than a Game
New York, I Love You - #
Ong Bak 2: THe Beginning - #
Planet Hulk - #
Triangle - #
Universal Soldier: Regeneration - #
Zombieland - #
Click below for this week's Blu-ray releases.
An American in Paris - *
Bonnie and Clyde - *
Casablanca - *
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Gangs of New York - *
Gigi
Gone with the Wind - *
The Last King of Scotland
Maid in Manhattan
Mona Lisa Smile
The Music Man
Mystic River - *
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior
To Live and Die in LA - *
Walk the Line - *
# - also on Blu-ray
* - Doctor approved
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Weekend Box Office: 1/29-1/31/10
Mel Gibson's 1st starring role since Signs looks promising since it's set in Boston and co-written by The Departed's William Monahan. Avatar is still sucking money out of people's purses and wallets. Avatar is still blowing box office records out of the water. Avatar is still stinking of cash.
Title/Gross/%Change/Total
1. Avatar: 30 mil / -14% / 594 mil
2. Edge of Darkness: 17.1 mil / (-)
3. When in Rome: 12.1 mil / (-)
4. Tooth Fairy: 10 mil / -29%) / 26 mil
5. Book of Eli: 8.8 mil / -44% / 74 mil
6. Legion: 6.8 mil / -61% / 29 mil
7. Lovely Bones: 4.7 mil / -44% / 38 mil
8. Sherlock Holmes: 4.5 mil/ -32% / 198 mil
9. Alvin & Chipmunks 2: 4 mil/-38%/209 mil
10. It's Complicated: 3.7 mil / -36% / 104 mil
11. The Blind Side: 3 mil / -28% / 238 mil
12. Up in the Air: 2.7 mil / -31% / 73 mil
Kathryn Bigelow takes DGA
Kathryn Bigelow won the Director's Guild of America Award a few hours ago, the first female to do so and I certainly couldn't agree more. Other worthy winners included The Cove, Taking Chance, and Mad Men. Occasionally the awards go the right way. The DGA is the best precursor for the Oscars which puts The Hurt Locker and Bigelow in the pole position. Here's hoping for a Na'vi-free all-English Oscar acceptance speech.
Friday, January 29, 2010
The Messenger B-
2009, In theatres, Rated R
In Oren Moverman’s directorial debut, Iraq War movie The Messenger, he manages to line-up A- talent for his stars and supporting players and coaxes fine performances out of them all. Unfortunately the script he co-wrote is a mess, and the film, which starts off steadily enough, veers wildly off course at about the 45-minute mark. The remaining hour is a series of individually compelling scenes that seem to have no cohesion between them or little link to what’s gone before.
Ben Foster (the guy with the blue eyes in 3:10 to Yuma) stars as returning war hero Will Montgomery who is asked to serve out his time representing The Secretary of War to the next of kin for the Army’s dead. He’s met at the plane by his ex-girlfriend (Jena Malone), who’s got herself a new man in his absence, but still feels compelled to give him a welcome-home-bonk. Woody Harrelson’s Tony Stone is assigned to be his partner and to show him the ropes. Initially, the film consists of these notifications, with most families reacting violently or hysterically to the news. These scenes are gut-wrenching at first before becoming a bit formulaic. Stone has rules in place to keep himself emotionally and physically distant from the next of kin, which Montgomery follows for awhile, eventually electing a more personal approach. Samantha Morton is one such grieving widow Foster reaches out to. What begins as kindness quickly evolves into something more complex. Unfortunately, at about this juncture, the recovering alcoholic Stone falls off the wagon, as does the film. What follows is a seemingly endless set of alcohol-fueled scenes, from Foster’s ex-girlfriend’s engagement party, to a run-in with some frat boys at a lake, to Foster’s decision to seduce Morton, to a tearful coming-to-terms with the past for both soldiers.
A number of things about the film work. The decision to show war through the eyes of these messengers is novel and works well for awhile, mainly because Moverman resists the urge to blame the military for the deaths. Foster is a marvel, more then holding his own with Harrelson, who nicely walks the line between straight nuts and stressed-out soldier. Samantha Morton as a grieving widow gives the best performance of the film. Unfortunately, this is partially wasted because she is now 5 years and 20 pounds wrong for the role. It’s impossible to believe that Foster, a young, muscled-out war hero would fall hard for an over-weight, older mother. It pains me to write that in that I love Morton, but it’s simply not believable in the film. The issues explored, in particular the place of women and alcohol for returning soldiers and the inability of battle-scarred soldiers to form and keep meaningful relationships, are interesting if unevenly covered. Ultimately, though, this one feels like a good 45-minute short-film with another 60 minutes tacked on to get it in the theatre. Interesting but not must-watch territory. B-
Song of the Day - Sweet Jane
By The Velvet Underground and Cowboy Junkies
I prefer Velvet Underground's version since it has an unbeatable groove and Lou Reed at his playful best ("Just watch me now!"). But the Cowboy Junkies version is awfully good, if a little too moody and downbeat. VU's version also seems more timeless and not stuck in the Reality Bites- Gen X navel gazing mid 90s.
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