Splice – by Vincenzo Natali, Antoinette Terry and Doug Taylor 4/10/07
Now that cooking is my newest hobby, I try to seek out some “food” or “restaurant” films. Big Night is still enjoyable after all these years. Exit Through the Gift Shop is fun but feels a bit like a prank on the viewer, but it led me to Orson Welles’ F for Fake, which is definitely mischievous.
It is not an easy task to elicit sympathy being a constantly drunk man-child who has pretty much everything in the world, but Dudley Moore pulls it off quite beautifully in Arthur. It helps to have a funny screenplay and be surrounded by a cast of wonderful actors and. I supposed Russell Brand would be a logical choice to play Arthur in the remake, but he will have his work cut out.
Objectified
Industrial design is an area that I have always been interested in, and objects that are as sleek and cool as those featured in Objectified do get me excited. Gary Hustwit’s first film, Helvetica, is a fascinating look at typography, which I really enjoyed. His second film, Objectified, is equally nerdy, stylish and entertaining. What can I say, I am his target audience.
10
10 is now mostly being remembered as that movie with Bo Derek running on the beach in slow motion, but it is actually a good and funny movie about a man facing mid-life crisis with Bo Derek running on the beach in slow motion. Who are we kidding here? She is absolutely gorgeous in the movie!
The Karate Kid
The original Karate Kid was so sweet and charming that none of the sequels measured up to it. Now comes a remake of the original, set in China, with Jackie Chan playing the Mr. Miyagi role. After seeing the trailer, my expectations were extremely low. There are plenty of flaws in this version – it’s way too long for sure, the kid is probably a bit too young to be doing that kind of fighting, and it’s too unbelievable for someone who has only practiced martial arts for a short period to do those moves in the tournament – but I must admit, I don’t hate it.
Knight and Day
I was pleasantly surprised that I was quite entertained by Knight and Day, perhaps because the initial expectations were so low. Maybe that’s the trick – just expect everything is going to be rubbish. Tom Cruise turns on his mega movie star charm and makes you forget his real life weirdness for a couple of hours.
Iron Man 2
Most comic book/action movie “franchises” tend to want to up the antes, and make everything bigger and louder. Iron Man 2 is not any different. But the problem is it is too in love with all the fancy visuals. Arbitrary conflicts are conjured up as excuses just to showcase flashy CGIs.
Mr. Mom
Another 80′s movie that I missed back then. A pre-Batman Michael Keaton stars in this adequately entertaining albeit sitcomish movie about a reluctant stay at home dad. It relies too much on the likability of Keaton and Teri Garr rather than any genuine jokes.
Get Him to the Greek
Reprising his scene stealing character in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Russell Brand is funny in Get Him to the Greek whenever he gets to do his thing. Brand is so over-the-top and has such a distinctive voice as a comedian, it is always difficult to fit him into a conventional movie without either stifling him or risk him running riot. I think Get Him to the Greek does a fine job of utilizing Brand’s talent with a cast of interesting supporting characters.
The Paper Chase
The Paper Chase has an intelligent script about smart people, but the real reason to see it is John Houseman. Houseman got an Oscar and a TV series for his portrayal of a tyrannical law professor. Even though he is a supporting character, everything in the movie centers around him.
Once – Shooting script (January 2006) – written by John Carney
Films:
Crossing Delancey
Crossing Delancey is a predictable romantic comedy. Within the first fifteen minutes we know exactly where the story will go, and some of the dialog sounds manufactured. The main male character is one dimensional. He is a typical chick flick fantasy character – single, generous, patient with old ladies, good looking, polite, understanding (geez, what more can you ask for? Just marry him already!).
BUT, despite all these flaws, this little movie has charm. And the characters have charm (but of course they would be even more charming if they had better lines). It’s an enjoyable romantic comedy, which is a high praise considering how bad most movies are in this genre.
La nana (The Maid)
As a modern take of the master/servant genre, La nana (The Maid) has a simple premise. But the story and the characters are complex and unpredictable. Catalina Saavedra (who plays the title character) doesn’t give much away for most of the film and keeps us guessing of her character until the third act, which pays off surprisingly well at the end.
Triangle (鐵三角)
The title “Triangle” not only refers to the three main characters, but also to the three iconic Hong Kong directors who helmed this film. The three directors deliver basically what is expected of them: Tusi Hark’s first act is narratively incoherent, a trait he has no intention of changing after all these years; Ringo Lam’s second act is the most violent; and Johnny To’s third act turns the film into an absurd dark comedy and is ultimately the most enjoyable of the three acts.
Red Cliff - Part I & II (赤壁)
Romance of the Three Kingdom (三國演義) is one of the four classic novels of Chinese literature, and the “Battle of the Red Cliff” is probably the most famous chapter of the novel. But the film Red Cliff(Part I & II) (赤壁) is actually based on the historical account of the period, Records of Three Kingdoms (三國志). The major difference between fiction and fact is, the main character Zhou Yu (周瑜) is portrayed as a jealous and tragic figure in the novel, even though the real Zhou Yu was a brilliant strategist who really was a hero. While I applaud the filmmakers’ effort to be historical accurate, I couldn’t help but wish that they had gone with the fictional version of Zhou Yu, simply because he is a much more complex and multi-layered character. The novel is successful because its characters are all so colorful. The Zhou Yu in the novel, while still a brilliant general, is always one step behind the god-like Zhuge Liang (諸葛亮), and it is his jealously that makes him so tragic and interesting (much like the fictionalized rivalry between Salieri and Mozart in Amadeus).
I chose to watch the “International” version of this film, which has two parts, and has a combined running time of close to 5 hours. The U.S. version cuts it down to 2hrs and 38mins, and I read that it focuses on the battle scenes and leaves out a lot of the “talking” scenes, and therefore makes the film more confusing to people who are not familiar with the characters. And there are a lot of characters.
The battle scenes look grand and amazing, and it shows the potential of the Chinese movie industry in terms of producing big budget blockbusters that can rival Hollywood productions. The talkie scenes, never a strong suit for director John Woo, are hit and miss. Probably more misses than hits. Especially the love scenes, and the “romantic” scenes. But still, I enjoyed this epic a lot and the 288 mins running time did not bother me at all.
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Non-linear narrative became a bit of a fad in the 90′s when Pulp Fiction inspired a flock of wannabes, but few applied the technique in an appropriate fashion where it adds to the narrative rather than simply being a gimmick. Christopher Nolan’s Momento is one rare example of perfectly utilizing the strength of non-linear narrative as it is the best way to tell that particular story.
Written by Kelly Masterson and directed by Sidney Lumet, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is another superb film that really takes advantage of non-linear storytelling to build one sharp suspenseful moment after another. It is also done seamlessly without drawing attention to the technique. As for the actual film, it is a superb family melodrama/thriller/heist movie all rolled into one big Greek tragedy. I highly recommend this one.
The Male Animal
Caught this on TCM. I am always interested in films set in universities. The Male Animal is about a quiet, untenured English professor (Henry Fonda) who must overcome academic pressure to teach what he believes in. Though it is about academic freedom, but the real human issue is about fighting like a man, physically and metaphorically.
The Duchess
The Duchess is elegantly shot, with gorgeous costumes and everything. A definite “A” in art direction. Much like having realistic CGI in action movies, beautiful art direction is pretty much a minimum requirement for this genre of movies. The big revelation here is the emergence of Kiera Knightley as a leading actress.
Niagara
Niagara is a minor Marilyn Monore work and she is the only reason to see it. She is, as usual, the center of attention in every scene she is in. Unfortunately, the movie is just a run of the mill noirish thriller with unmemorable characters, coupled with an indistinct protagonist.
For All Mankind
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1990, For All Mankind (directed by Al Reinert) uses real NASA footage and audio recordings to compile a “Best Of” collection of all the Apollo missions. Looking at the now primitive looking spacesuits and equipments (not much different than those in old sci-fi movies), I marvel at their determination and bravery to take on the danger of space travel. The visuals (in and from space) alone is worth seeing the film.
For Your Consideration
Considering the quality of Christopher Guest’s previous works (Waiting for Guffman, Best of Shows, A Mighty Wind), For Your Consideration is a bit of a disappointment. Hollywood is an easy target for satire, but at the same time, the whole movie industry is so famously wacky, so integrated into our everyday consciousness, that it is actually very difficult to satirize it in a way that we haven’t seen before. While this film doesn’t offer any fresh insights, Guest and his usual ensemble are always enjoyable to watch.
Screenplays:
Once - screenplay written by John Carney
Once (the film) has such an improvised feel to it that got me interested in reading its script. With so many songs in the film, it’s not a surprise that the screenplay is pretty short (only 62 pages). It is also written in a way that is distinctively not “Hollywood”, which means that it probably would not get any attention in the industry as a script. It could only be a low budget indie film, and I am very glad that it got made the way it did.
Winner of the 2007 Oscar in the Foreign Language film category, this Austrian World War II drama delves into the moral quandary of surviving the Holocaust. The Counterfeiters is a cool, tense, suspenseful film that could easily be filled with melodramatic scenes. But writer/Director Stefan Ruzowitzky simply presents us with the situation and carefully stays clear of any overt statement. There just isn’t a simple answer to the questions. Instead of branding the characters “good” or “bad”, Ruzowitzky chooses to be sympathetic to his characters. It is up to the viewers to decide (if they so choose) on the “goodness” or “badness” of the characters.
Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman
I love modern architecture. And Julius Shulman has shot some of the most iconic photographs of modern architecture, such as the photo above of Case Study House #22. His photos tend to have a singular perspective that either comes right at you or pulls you in. However, while the documentary Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman is a feast for the eyes with brilliant photography and architecture, and though Shulman is an interesting character, it lacks a narrative drive that moves the film forward and compels us to keep watching. Having said that, it is still a film worth watching just for the visuals.
Greenberg
Writer/Director Noah Baumbach’s The Squid and the Whale was one of my favorite films of 2005, but I didn’t like Margot at the Wedding at all (even with the presence of Nicole Kidman). Greenberg is somewhere in between. I like Greta Gerwig’s performance and her character, even though her romance with Ben Stiller’s character isn’t entirely convincing. I am lukewarm towards the protagonist. He’s messed up, and unlikable (why would someone like Gerwig go for someone like him?), but semi-interesting enough for me keep watching. There are some subtle moments and perceptive dialog, but at the same time, the film doesn’t really flow. Baumbach doesn’t try to make us like Greenberg, which I appreciate. But then again, I wish the character has more redeeming characteristics. In the end, I’m still not quite sure whether I like the film or not.
Youth in Revolt – Screenplay by Gustin Nash – Based on a novel by C.D. Payne
Films:
Tadpole
With a low budget and shot on a hurried schedule, Tadpole is a witty and charming film with some rough edges. Although its short running time (only 78 mins) leaves its plot and characters underdeveloped, it nonetheless demonstrates the talent of the filmmakers. Director/Producer Gary Winick would later produce one of my favorite Thanksgiving films: Pieces of April.
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Films about subcultures always fascinate me. And people who are obsessed about achieving something are usually the most interesting people on screen. Well, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is an absolutely compelling documentary about the obsession of being the best Donkey Kong player in the world. This is a documentary with a very strong narrative drive. We have a likable everyman underdog that we root for, versus the current champ – a formidable villain in the form of a Machiavellian hot-sauce mogul. It is Rocky about video games (Eye of the Tiger is even featured in the film). I actually found myself caring about the outcome. It’s absorbing, entertaining, heartbreaking, and hilarious. It’s a great film!
A Single Man
Who knew fashion designers could make good directors? Fashion icon Tom Ford really shows his artistic talent in A Single Man. The film is stylish and beautiful to look at, especially for someone who appreciates “design”. Ford’s use of color – from dull to vibrant and back – to express emotions is a powerful technique. Colin Firth’s restraint performance is the best that I have seen of him.
Special
The superhero genre is usually a big money opportunity for movie studios. Think Spiderman, Batman, Ironman, etc. They are usually big budget, special effects filled affairs and they all pretty much follow the same formula. But every once in a while, we get something interesting. M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable is a fantastic example of how to expand the boundary of this genre.
Special attempts another new take on the superhero genre, which is commendable. Michael Rapaport portrays the deluded superhero with such sincerity that it’s difficult not to feel for him. However, the plot is rather one note and the tonal change in the second half of the film is a bit awkward. Overall, the film is a decent experiment with the genre without quite pulling it off.
Looking for Eric
I like Ken Loach’s films, but Looking for Eric is a bit different from his usual style. There is still the understated realism, but there is also a fantastical and farcical element, especially towards the end. It is probably the most mainstream of his film. My main complaint, though, is the gun subplot, which I think drags the film down.
Screenplay:
Youth in Revolt
This version of the Youth in Revolt script differs from the film quite a bit. I think I prefer the film version. François, the alter ego, has more presence in the film, which I like. Not that the movie is entirely coherent, but the narrative in this draft of the script is even less so. Even so, there are still some funny moments that I enjoy.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Even though Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (how bad can a title be?) is obviously aimed at kids, it is no excuse for the lazy screenwriting. e.g. When a character sees something nasty, and the best he can utter is “That’s nasty”, it’s obvious that the screenwriters were not too concerned with coming up with memorable lines. Another beef I have with the script is the prologue - Poseidon appearing as a giant god in NY to meet Zeus is unnecessary, purely expository and takes away the potential suspense. I guess it’s supposed to make us go “whoa, he’s gigantic!” but it just doesn’t make any sense for Poseidon to do that. A better script would begin the movie with Percy Jackson and allows us to find out with him what he has to do. The CGI is good, but isn’t that a minimum requirement nowadays?
Teeth
I’ve been dreading to see this indie horror film for obvious reasons (vagina with teeth!? that can’t be good for anyone). As it turns out, I enjoyed it a lot. Yes, there are a few scenes that would make all men wince and grimace, but the female protagonist (a very well casted Jess Weixler who won an acting prize at Sundance) invites such sympathy and empathy that it gives the story a kind of sweet and innocent feel. Overall, it’s an entertaining and original dark comedy.
Word Wars
I like movies about subcutlures that I don’t know much about. Word Wars follows four hardcore Scrabble players through their journeys to the National Scrabble Championship. Unfortunately, although the obsession of devoting your life to be the best at Scrabble is interesting, none of the characters is charismatic enough to really engage the viewer, and this lessens the emotional payoff at the end.
84 Charing Cross Road
84 Charing Cross Road has a charming, if a bit corny, premise. It’s based on a play, which in turn is an adaptation of the epistolary memoir of the same name by Helene Hanff. I can’t help but feel that the material is more suited to text more than film. While Ann Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins are both very likeable, the film is constantly slowed down by the long voice-overs of letter reading.
The Informant!
The Informant! is a humorous character study of a complex character. I also love the exclamation mark in the title, which is pretty much the tone of the movie as well. There are a multitude of twists and turns in the unraveling of the plot, and it is aided by Matt Damon’s excellent portrayal of the surprising protagonist.
Tron
Tron was another iconic 80′s movie that I missed in the 80′s, but since there’s a new version coming out soon, it’s a good time to finally “catch up”. When it was first released, people hailed it as a huge breakthrough in CGI. And they weren’t kidding, it’s CGI all the way (which I didn’t expect, since I just remembered that famous chase scene, and thought that was the only “CGI” thing in the movie). While the special effects certainly looks primitive today, there is still a certain silliness and coolness about it that makes the movie quite interesting to look at. On the other hand, the movie seems to be too in love with its visuals that it neglects the story and dramatic tension.
River of No Return
River of No Return, directed Otto Preminger, has some amazing scenery. But even the beautiful mountains and river have to play second fiddle to the star quality of Marilyn Monroe, as she commands our attention whenever she is on screen.
Buny Lake is Missing
Another Otto Preminger directed film. Bunny Lake is Missing starts out promisingly with a hook that could go in several directions, but it soon runs into predictable dead ends, and leaves us with only two possibilities. The villain is therefore obvious, and whose motivation and plan are both unconvincing (and too crazy). I do however like Preminger’s detached style of storytelling.
Tenure
I believe Tenure is a straight to DVD release. Luke Wilson plays an English professor who is struggling to get tenure at a small college. With some knowledge of the tenure system, I must say that the film’s depiction lacks authenticity. It tries a bit too hard to be the kind of “quirky, interesting” indie film. The friend and the whole Big Foot thing just doesn’t work. A rather disappointing film. Come to think of it, considering how many movies are set in university campuses, there just aren’t that many good ones about professors and their profession.
Little Children
Little Children the film inherits most of the characters from the novel. Most novel-to-film adaptations try to streamline the plots by sacrificing the supporting characters, but screenwriter/director Todd Field, in collaboration with the original author Tom Perrotta, manage to retain the depth of the supporting characters in the film version. Therefore, even though Kate Winslate and Patrick Wilson are the main characters, it is the world around them (which the supporting characters inhabit) that gives the film its full texture.
Headhunter
Headhunter is a wonderful Danish thriller about a recruiter who is caught in the middle of a brutal and bloody corporate political struggle. It has style. It has suspense. And it has action. Hollywood will probably remake it.
Quills
Marquis De Sade is an interesting character for movies. Quills is a fictionalized account of his final days. While director Philip Kaufman supplies some style to the film, it runs into the same old problem to depicting literature on film. Watching people read (or read out loud) on film is just not absorbing cinema, not matter how great the prose is (same problem as 84 Charing Cross Road).
Jesus Camp
Another subculture film. The documentary, Jesus Camp, is scarier than Teeth. It’s frightening to see these extremists with their battle-ready view of religions “educating” the children.
Books:
Little Children - a novel by Tom Perrotta
A bit like a modern day American suburb version of Madame Bovary (which is the book of choice in the story’s book club), Tom Perrotta’s highly enjoyable Little Children paints a satirical picture of love and marriage. Several parallel stories going on at the same time makes it a challenge to adapt to the screen, but I think the filmmakers pull it off admirably.
Screenplay:
Hot Tub Time Machine - written by Josh Heald
I laughed out loud quite a few times reading this screenplay. It has some inappropriately hilarious stuff. If there is a minor critique, it’s the over the top Lou character stealing the story completely from the supposed main character.
Soccernomics – by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski
Screenplays read: None
Films:
Man on Wire
Man on Wire is a great heist movie, but the goal is not to steal anything, which is why it’s so great. The goal is to walk from one World Trade Center tower to the other tower on a wire. It’s crazy! The guy is crazy! The gang who help him? They are crazy too! But I can’t help but admire the beauty of their obsession. They are all driven to do something extremely dangerous because it’s beautiful. Even though you know the ending of the film, there isn’t a single dull moment in the build up to the climax. And the climax is definitely worth the wait. A terrific real life story!
Maxed Out
After Enron, after Michael Moore’s Capitalism, Maxed Out shows us that greed and selfishness permeates not just at the highest level of the corporate world, but at every level of society. Young debt collectors have no qualm in making life absolutely miserable for their targets, and they feel righteous doing it. People in debt have no way out. Their lives are basically owned by their creditors. It is a depressing look at our very loosely regulated capitalistic society, and this new form of “slavery”.
Art & Copy
The pleasure of watching Art & Copy is seeing people use their creativity to make a (very good) living. These are some of the brightest minds behind some of the most iconic and innovative advertising campaigns in our time. I love their workspace, their style of work, and I love their love of “design”. Unlike in so many other documentaries I saw recently, where the characters’ ways of making money enrage me, the people in Art & Copy make me envious of their jobs.
Books:
Soccernomics - by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski
There is no movie version of Soccernomics (I wish there was!), so it doesn’t count as one of the 24 books that I have to read this year. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t mind it taking up my “normal” reading time. Using economics and statistical methods to explain football, it is a insightful look at the concept of sports, and it sheds away a lot of the romance (unfortunately). It is also timely for the upcoming World Cup. England supporters are typically optimistic of their chance of winning, but empirical data seems to suggest that they will be heartbroken again. But then, there is always this unknown variable called luck, which can make anything possible. So why not be optimistic after all?
Despite the almost universal acclaim, I didn’t enjoy Let the Right One in as much as I would like. The cinematic techniques impress my head more than my heart. After thinking about it a bit more afterwards that I came to like it a bit more with the interpretation of the “dad” as a former lover, who knew Eli when he was a kid (like Oscar)… and this would be the eventual fate of Oscar. Other than this interpretation, I find the film slow, and the emotional conflicts uninvolving.
The Cheat
The commercial success of The Cheat (1915) helped propel Cecil B. DeMille to the big time. The film is significant because it was a rare early American film with an Asian male as a romantic lead. A young Sessue Hayakawa (who would later receive an Oscar nomination for his role in the David Lean epic, The Bridge on the River Kwai) steals the film, and emerged as probably the first Asian male film star in America.
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
One sure thing that would get people mad is seeing rich people getting outrageously rich by running their business to the ground. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is a thoroughly absorbing account of a complicated financial scam that ruined many people’s lives. Seeing how these guys get away with so much, the current banking debacle really shouldn’t have been a surprise.
Capitalism: A Love Story
The Enron documentary got me into a hate-the-rich-scums mood. Made a few years after the Enron documentary, Captialism: A Love Story gives us yet another story of the greed and absolute selfishness of the business world. Love him or hate him, Michael Moore can tell an engaging story. Unless the banking industry is regulated, I have a feeling we will have many more of these financial scams documentaries in the future.
Books:
The Grifters - by Jim Thompson
Con men stories are always fascinating. The Grifters gives us a glimpse of a short-con man’s life. Unlike the film adaptation, the novel focuses on a single protagonist, which is more of a character study than the film.
