Mini Review #4: Amour (Love)

Amour (Love), a French film with a ton of critical acclaim and buzz, is one that might have worked better in theater as opposed to a film.  Of course, the film is hopelessly sad and extraordinarily acted, but there is virtually no action.  A wife has two strokes and her wellbeing is left to her almost emotionless husband.  We only learn about what is going on in these subtle actions or sit-down dialogue.  The film is well made, and if you are not bothered by moments of dialogue with boring camera angles and scenes with just two elderly people stumbling around, then this film is for you. 

Directed by: Michael Haneke                       

Written by: Michael Haneke                       

Produced by: Stefan Amdt, Margaret Ménégoz           

Cast: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert, Alexandre Tharaud           

Running time: 125 minutes

Review #4: Struck by Lightning

             Struck by Lightning, directed by Brian Dannelly, is a sad, hilarious, and genuine coming of age tale that sheds light on the hell that is high school in ways other high school based films do not.  Written by and starring Glee’s multi-talented Chris Colfer, the film offers a true look into the woes of a determined 18 year old trying to navigate his way through his senior year.  His only wish is to be successful in the real world, but he finds that hard to accomplish when surrounded by other students who treat high school like the best days of their lives.

            At the start of the film, we see Carson Phillips (Colfer) walking to his car and being suddenly struck by lightning and killed, as papers fly all around him.  This is somewhat jolting to the viewer, but it appropriately sets the stage for the rest of the film.  High school sucks, but sometimes extreme measures must be taken to survive.

            Colfer, who originally wrote the screenplay when he was only 18, provides us with a solid and well-written story.  He also provides us with a solid performance that proves he can be more than a flamboyant musical theater kid.  The character he wrote for himself must deal with his parents’ divorce, getting into college, ignoring the petty mentalities of other students, and rising above the incompetent staff that dictate which activities students are allowed to participate. The lazy staff members like the painfully inept guidance counselor, portrayed by Angela Kinsey, and a stoned principal, are mastered by their respective actors.

Ambitious Carson wants to create a school literary magazine so that he can have that one extra something on his resume for college.  He has applied to Northwestern University, but is left wondering whether or not he has done enough to be accepted.  With the help of his ever-entertaining friend Malerie, played brilliantly by Rebel Wilson, he is able to blackmail the leaders of every stereotypical social group into being involved with the magazine.  The goal is that other students around the school will want to read the magazine because it contains work by all the “important” kids, at least in their respective cliques.

Allison Janney portrays my favorite character of the film.  As Carson’s mother, Sheryl Phillips, she has sunk down into the deepest hole following her split from Carson’s dad, Neal Phillips (Dermot Mulroney).  She must also deal with her ailing mother.  Janney really took her role and ran with it.  She offers both comedy and drama, and brings to life a very real character with more flaws than imaginable.  If nothing else, the makeup and wardrobe department had a field day making Janney look like the epitome of lazy trash.  This attention to detail helps give the film its already very authentic feel.  I never found myself wanting more from any of the major characters.  Colfer did a stellar job at giving the Phillips family depth and emotion.

Some aspects of the film can come off as a bit silly, however.  The whole idea that someone could just be spontaneously struck by lightning and die might be overboard for some films, but it works for this one.  The film is not meant to tell a true or even realistic story.  The whole purpose is just to bring light to the issues that plague regular people: fitting in and finding your own place in the world.  The concept of blackmailing other students into submission also seems rather juvenile, but again, it works.  I found it to be a perfect addition to the story.  The whole student culture of high school with cliques and social strata is silly anyway, so an even sillier exaggeration just seems to work.

I take the film seriously, despite the blackmailing and somewhat insane death scene.  Colfer understood the story he was telling.  This film does not hide behind sappy love stories, potty humor, and forced sarcasm.  It is serious with smart dialogue and natural comedy.  A major comedic force in the film is Rebel Wilson.  Her one-liners steal the show and had me laughing all the way through.  The film is not meant to be overly dramatic or artistic.  The whole point is to get the major message across clearly: try to defy social pressures to make the most out of life because it could end in an instant.  Though this seems like such a simple message, in the context of this film, it really speaks to the everyday issues faced by so many, not just those suffering through high school.

           

Directed by: Brian Dannelly

Written by: Chris Colfer

Produced by: Rob Aguire, Mia Chang, David Permut

Cast: Chris Colfer, Christina Hendricks, Sarah Hyland, Dermot Mulroney, Rebel Wilson, Allison Janney, Matt Prokop, Allie Grant, Carter Jenkins, Polly Bergen

Running time: 90 minutes

Review #3: The Paperboy

            Director Lee Daniels delivers a gritty film with an all-star cast in The Paperboy.  In the summer of 1969, journalist Ward James (Matthew McConaughey) and his writing partner Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo) return to Ward’s hometown of Lately, Florida.  They have returned as investigators to free supposedly innocent convict Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack) from jail.  They are trying to prove he did not kill a police officer, though Hillary does not seem to care much for cooperation.  All of this is done as a request by Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman), an over sexed life sized Barbie who has kept up regular correspondence with Hillary, her fiancée, even though they have never met.  Ward’s younger brother Jack (Zac Efron) also joins in on the investigation process, and falls madly in love with the older Charlotte along the way.  While this may seem like a traditional approach to a not so original story set in the 1960s, I found the film to be far from traditional.  The film incorporates graphic depictions of life that show the true nature of those times and part of the world.  The actors also each deliver solid performances, with Kidman and Cusack standing out.

            The film opens with the James’ family maid Anita (Macy Gray) talking about that summer in 1969 from a time assumed to be the 1980s.  The screen is black and we only hear her voice.  This gives off the impression that Anita is a major player in the film, though this is not really the case.  The beginning sequence did not really flow with the rest of the film.  I feel the introduction could have been done differently so as to not confuse and mislead the audience.  Gray, however, delivers a surprisingly emotional and honest performance.  The interaction between Gray and Efron in one of the opening scenes is one of my favorites from the film.  It shows the versatility of the actors, and introduces some comedy into an otherwise rather dark film. 

Kidman offers quite possibly her best performance in a while as a woman who embodies all that it means to be white trash.  Charlotte is in what can only be described as a very strange relationship with Hillary.  Upon visiting him in prison, Charlotte is forced to do a strip tease and have mental sex with Hillary from across the room.  Though disturbing, Kidman is a first class performer.  She plays off the perfectly set blonde wig and pounds of makeup with flawless ease and never wavers in her portrayal of this troubled, desperate, and lonely woman.  Cusack does a remarkable job at portraying a lower-than-dirt insanity case.

McConaughey’s portrayal of Ward, though well done and perfectly believable, left me wanting a deeper emotional connection.  We never learn much about Ward until the explicit scene that reveals his sexuality.  This scene was one of several that comes off a bit silly and too overdone.  There were already other issues being dealt with (race, gender), that the addition of a gay storyline was not needed.  Though it tied together the rest of the story in the end with how Yardley and Ward became writing partners, the connection between the two could have been explained in a more reasonable way.  There was just a little too much going on once this was introduced.  Similarly, a particularly potent scene involving Kidman urinating on Efron’s face was somewhat unnecessary.  While it was not as bothersome to me as it was to others, I did cringe as it was happening.  It seems Daniels was trying to accomplish too much in the way of artsy.    

            Zac Efron also delivers a solid performance, finally proving his worth on the big screen.  Though he spends a large portion of the film in his underwear or close to it, he manages to captivate and convince.  He convinces the audience that he is actually a directionless 20-year-old former swimmer searching for something more in life.  His “love affair” with Charlotte actually adds some sweetness to certain parts of the film, particularly the dancing in the rain scene.  There is also, however, an intensity to the relationship, particularly after the two engage in sex for the first time.

The film shows a darkness not explored in many other films.  We see nasty and muggy swamplands tucked deep into the woods.  We get a glimpse at the people inhabiting this area: half-naked, filthy, impoverished, and inbred.  These people are the family members of Hillary, and we are first introduced to this nasty crowd as Ward and Jack attempt to ask Hillary’s uncle a few questions about the sheriff’s murder.  There was by no means a welcome reception for them, and McConaughey and Efron effectively give off an air of fear and discomfort.  If you can see past some of the ridiculous plot points and focus on the extraordinary performances by the whole cast, the film should not disappoint.  I was entertained throughout.

Directed by: Lee Daniels

Written by: Lee Daniels, Peter Dexter

Novel by: Peter Dexter

Produced by: Ed Cathell III, Lee Daniels, Cassian Elwes, Hilary Shor

Cast: Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Macy Gray, David Oyelowo, Scott Glenn

Running time: 101 minutes

Mini Review #3: 8:46

                 Though it seems wrong to criticize any work about 9/11, 8:46 does not deliver the intended heart and depth.  The idea seems simple enough: follow fictional families around their daily lives the day before and the morning of the tragedy.  The point is to show the pain and anguish experienced by all who were affected directly, but the acting performances were almost laughable.  I found myself desperate for one person to come on screen and convince me, but to no avail.  The film should have worked.  The stories were very true and honest, and the real news coverage used made an emotional impact, but neither was able to save this embarrassing display.

Directed by: Jennifer Gargano

Written by: Jennifer Gargano           

Produced by: Jennifer Gargano

Cast: Mike Digiacinto, Elizabeth Eggers, Laurie Dawn, Buzz Roddy, Shelly Shenoy, Roland Sands, Todd Lewis, Yoshi Amao, Wesley Tunison, Jzaneen Damji, Amar Srivastava

Running time: 56 minutes

Film Review #2: Detachment

Detachment is a film that hits home, and it hits hard. Though it is set in high school, this is not a high school movie. It extends much further than petty teenage problems. The real issues are very basic ones of love, kindness, affection, and personal human attachment.

At the start, the film introduces insolent students and parents yelling at administrators, an angry group of students brutally murdering a cat, and a whole cast of lonely staff members just trying to make it through the day. Henry Barthes (Adrien Brody) is a high school substitute teacher new to the school who manages to find some semblance of solid ground in this solitary inner-city school. With many of his own issues to deal with on a daily basis, Henry has chosen to be a long-term substitute teacher. It allows him to pick up and move on after a designated period of time, and never have to worry about being attached to anyone or anything. His house is even plain and undecorated. Brody does a spectacular job at creating this troubled character who so desperately wants to escape his own demons. He is haunted by visions of his dead mother and the delusions of his terminally ill grandfather. He takes to offering blunt and profound life advice to his temporary students to help ease his own pain. 

We are also introduced to several other adults around the school as asides to further demonstrate this loneliness. With characters portrayed with such authenticity by Marcia Gay Harden, James Caan, and Lucy Liu, we see how the loneliness extends beyond the students. These people each have wrecked home and work lives. When another teacher, Mr. Wiatt (Tim Blake Nelson), is seen grasping the fence and looking up to the sky, I felt lost. I was not confused. I felt his pain with being lost in the world. He was a nobody at school as a teacher and his family could not care less about him either. One particularly striking scene is when Henry finally acknowledges Mr. Wiatt’s presence at the fence. Mr. Wiatt’s mundane response is “You see me? You mean I’m not invisible?” He then just walks away. Why are these souls so destroyed?

For a man who is self proclaimed to be “inhuman” and detached from all other people, Henry shows a surprisingly large amount of affection for others. He didn't plan on it, but Henry eventually must put down roots both at school and at home.  He takes in and cares for Erica (Sami Gayle), a teenaged prostitute. After removing the roughness, all Erica is looking for is a family. As it turns out, that is not so far from the truth for Henry either. Henry also cares for his ill and forgetful grandfather (Louis Zorich).

The only issue I have with the film is this random appearance of Erica. Though Gayle does a good job portraying the troubled teen, I could not help but wonder if she had any purpose other than to show some more of Henry's humanity. The same goes for Meredith (Betty Kaye, director Tony Kaye's daughter), a suicidal teen who looks to Henry for comfort, even though he is not prepared to offer her any. Though Henry's last meeting with Meredith is brutal and misunderstood by fellow teacher (Christina Hendricks), his actions are understandable to anyone watching the film, though the fatal results are painful to see.

Stylistically, Kaye has created a haunting and visually appealing film. Not only do we watch Henry navigate his way through this school everyday, but we also hear his opinions on people, especially kids, today. He expresses these opinions in a dark, talking-head interview that suggests the presence of a documentary camera crew. He shares his extreme distaste for the idea that a person must be pretty, or fashionable, or rich to be happy. Brody's performance in these dark interviews reveals his talent for grittiness and depth.

Kaye also includes small chalkboard-drawing animated vignettes that help set the tone for the film. At one point, there is a depiction of a simple curtain closing. However, the intensity of certain situations throughout is revealed with such animations as a head being severed from a body and blood splattering the chalkboard. If the superb acting was not enough to demonstrate the anger and frustration in the film, these drawings help.

The film takes us on an emotional roller coaster by forcing us to think about our own lives and the people we see everyday around us. Brody proves himself to be a master of portraying isolation and discomfort.

Directed by: Tony Kaye

Written by: Carl Lund

Produced by: Bingo Gubelmann, Carl Lund, Chris Papavasiliou, Greg Shapiro, Austin Stark, Benji Kohn

Cast: Adrien Brody, Marcia Gay Harden, James Caan, Christina Hendricks, Lucy Liu, Blythe Danner, Tim Blake Nelson, Bryan Cranston, William Petersen, Sami Gayle, Betty Kaye, Louis Zorich

Running time: 100 minutes

Mini Review #2: Fondi '91

In Fondi ’91, a team of teenaged boys travels to Italy to play soccer, and anything happening after that is anyone's guess. The abysmal acting by almost everyone involved leads to stale chattering between characters. I could see in my mind someone off camera shouting every piece of direction. The film as a whole resembles a sixth grade production of Shakespeare: monotonous, stiff, and boring. I found myself wondering why people were crying, or mad, or beating up someone else. The characters are neither developed nor given any real introduction.  The audience is left with no emotion, having not been moved to feel anything.

Direected by: Dev Khanna

Written by: André Bharti, Lenny Foreht, Dev Khanna, A. Sinha

Produced by: Dev Khanna

Cast: Raymond Ablack, Mylène St-Sauveur, Serena Iansiti, Chris Pereira, Kyle Kirkpatrick, Thomas Wesson, Mirko Bruno, Forlenzo Massarone, Fabio Fusco, Remo Girone

Running time: 79 minutes

Review #1: 7 Days in Havana

            7 Days in Havana offers a look into the lives of people in modern day Havana, Cuba.  The film spans 7 days and follows a different group of people each day of the week.  Each episode was directed by a different director who offers his own unique take on daily life in Havana.

            “El Yuma” (Monday), directed by Benicio Del Toro, stars Josh Hutcherson as a young American student attending film school in Cuba.  This is the lightest and simplest of all episodes. It shows him navigating his way around beautiful women and booze in various bars around town.  The directing style allows the audience to see an American’s perspective on how Cubans live and the vibrancy of Havana and those who live there.  I got a feel for what Cuban nightlife might be like and some of the regulations imposed upon residents of the town.

            “Jam Session” (Tuesday), directed by Pablo Trapero, follows the drunken Serbian film director Emir Kusturica (playing himself) as he evades his responsibilities at the Havana Film Festival.  The colors become less vibrant compared to Monday’s episode and the dialogue is significantly reduced, though this does not detract from the entertainment value.  The episode features Kusturica’s friendship with his cab driver, who turns out to be an exceptional trumpeter.  The up tempo music keeps the story moving at a comfortable pace.

            “La temptacion of Cecilia” (Wednesday), directed by Julio Medem, is the only love story in the film, and clichéd at that.  Cecilia has a chance to make something of herself, but is caught in a love triangle between her Spanish lover/talent agent and her husband.  The lover wants to take her to Spain, but she can’t seem to leave her husband, a depressing baseball player wasting his own life.  The actors hit on this tension with masterful and honest talent, and also help bring to attention the glaring differences between slum and rich tourist life. The directorial differences are most evident when Medem uses a cross between slow motion and dream sequencing.  However, the scenes resemble a cheap cologne commercial.

            “Diary of a Beginner” (Thursday), directed by Elia Suleiman, is the weakest link in the film.  Suleiman plays himself as a visitor to Havana who has come for a meeting.  There is little talking, only action.  The idea is a good one: show an observer watching what is happening all around him all around town.  It was even comical at times.  A running gag involved Suleiman waiting for his meeting with President Castro.  We get glimpses of him staring at the television watching the President talk on and on while he stands perfectly still somewhere in the hotel room.  This episode was just too long.  After introducing the film with animated personalities and stories, this was a lag.  The only goal seemed to be to show mundane everyday life, and that it did, almost too well.  It did not keep pace with the rest of the film.

            “Ritual” (Friday), directed by Gaspar Noe, falls into the same category.  It does, however, offer a glimpse into the more traditional aspects of Cuban culture not seen elsewhere in the film.  After being caught in bed with another girl by her parents, a young woman is forced to go through a ritualistic cleansing.  Again, there is no dialogue, but the ritual is depicted with clarity and we get a feel for the intensity of the situation.  It is also a subtle representation of some of the values and customs held so dear in Cuba. 

            “Dulce amargo” (Saturday), directed by Juan Carlos Tabio, is the best sequence for its portrayal of everyday modern life without bothering to deal with major controversial issues.  It shows real people.  A behavioral psychologist/baker rushes to get her pastries and cakes made after the electricity fails.  She makes her family go on a hunt for eggs so that they don’t have to pay for them.  The interactions between the family members are hilarious and I found myself relating to almost every situation.             
            Directed by Laurent Cantet, “La fuenta” (Sunday) shows how an older woman employs all her neighbors to help her renovate her living room for a visitor later that day.  Again, there are some funny moments, but overall the woman is irritating.  It did not leave me with feelings of happiness, satisfaction, and peace at the end, as was the intention.  The final two episodes seek to tie some of the other episodes together.  This is done somewhat sloppily, and it appears to have just been thrown together.

            The film was too long to not take a deeper look into these people’s lives, but it achieves the goal of offering a glimpse into different aspects of Cuban life.  I commend the directors involved for that.

Directed by: Benicio Del Toro, Pablo Trapero, Julio Medem, Elia Suleiman, Gaspar Noe, Juan Carlos Tabio, Laurent Cantet

Written by: Leonardo Padura

Produced by: Laurent Baudens, Didar Domehri, Alvaro Longoria, Gael Nouaille, Fabien Pisani

Cast: Daniel Bruhl, Emir Kusturica, Elia Suleiman, Josh Hutcherson, Vladimir Cruz, Mirta Ibarra, Jorge Perugorria

Running time: 125 minutes

Mini Review #1: The 25th Reich

A group of World War II soldiers from 1943 travel back in time 50,000 years and then forward in time 300 years, where the Nazis rule the world, in director Stephen Amis’ The 25^th Reich.  What should have been a science fiction film that paid homage to classic Hollywood ended up being a poorly executed disaster that insulted genuine war films.  I was forced to bear witness to the most disturbing scene ever on film, fake orange gunshot fire, silly iMovie-esque edits, and CGI work that would have looked hokey in the 1960s.  The adapted storyline was weak, the acting was so-so, and my empathy for the characters was zero. 

Directed by: Stephen Amis

Written by: Stephen Amis, Serge De Nardo, David Richardson

Produced by: Stephen Amis, Tait Brady, Lynne Wilson

Cast: Dan Balcaban, Serge De Nardo, Jim Knobeloch, Angelo Salamanca, Jak Wyld

Novel by: J.J. Solomon

Running time: 88 minutes

Film Review #1: 50/50

50/50, directed by Jonathan Levine, effectively demonstrates some of the physical struggles and inner turmoil that plague those forced to deal with cancer.  

The film opens to Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) jogging through Seattle on a cloudy and rainy day.  Whenever a movie opens with the lead actor running around the city, you know life-changing events are about to follow, no matter how big or small.  Adam is a writer for Seattle public radio.  Shortly after complaining of back pain, we see him sitting before a less than hospitable doctor brusquely telling him he has spinal cancer.  As the scene and sounds blur except for Adam’s face, you can already see the pain in his eyes.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt clearly knows how to convey confusion, disbelief, and shock with just a single look.  Upon further investigation, he learns his chances of survival are only about 50/50.

Adam’s best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) shares in the disbelief, but in his own way.  In true Seth Rogen fashion, Kyle chooses to use mostly profanity, which is just a bit excessive and over done.  However, the language does lend itself to the film being more realistic.  Seth Rogen is essentially playing himself.  The film is based on 50/50 screenwriter Will Reiser’s real battle with cancer in his twenties.  Seth Rogen helped him through his battle the same way Kyle is helping Adam.  For this reason, Rogen’s performance comes off as genuine and sincere, and the character even develops considerably well by the end of the movie, as Adam discovers.

Adam’s less-than-desirable girlfriend Rachael is portrayed with eerie ease by Bryce Dallas Howard.  Though she initially wanted to support Adam, the job soon catches up to her.  Adam must also deal with his mother (Anjelica Huston) who can’t seem to stop worrying.  Huston delivers a heartfelt and emotional performance as a mother coping with severely sick child. 

As he receives treatment, Adam meets his therapist-in-training, Katherine (Anna Kendrick).  Kendrick’s delivery of a sometimes-confused young therapist who means well is also very authentic.  She adds levity to the situation.  As clichéd as a love story might seem in a movie of this nature, it still gives the story a sweet factor that helps develop the emotional turmoil within Adam.

Comedy is masterfully added with a tension-breaking scene fully improvised by Rogen and Gordon-Levitt as they shave Adam’s head.  The small moments of comedy coupled with the actors’ first-rate comedic timing add a special touch to the film that can be lost on other films with similar subject matter.  Life can’t always be so serious.

Adam becomes noticeably gaunt and sallow as the film progresses.  Levine has incorporated these subtle changes without the characters ever having to say anything about the physical changes that result from chemotherapy. Close-ups coupled with masterful acting allow the audience to see the anguish that accompanies cancer.

All in all, it’s a touching film with funny and sweet moments.  While it may not show all the realities of cancer, you still get the point, and that’s just fine.