July 2010 posts
Let’s Talk About…Inception
INCEPTION (2010/IN THEATERS)
To: Rebecca Lenzini
From: Brian McClelland
How’d Inception work for you, Becky? After a single overwhelming/exhilarating viewing—one which immediately leaves you anticipating the next viewing, if only to help tie all of the plot strings together in your exhausted brain—I was knocked out by this sucker. I’m a fan of what director Christopher Nolan has done thus far (minus allowing Christian Bale to nearly ruin one of the strongest franchises going with that *shudder* “voice”), but the wholly original world he has created here is a bold, artistic, and thrilling achievement. The crazy dream world effects—which I was expecting to overwhelm the story, or perhaps BECOME the story, Avatar-style—were integral to the action and plot in such a way that has rarely been achieved in film. One of the strongest Best Picture contenders so far, I’d say.
I was also impressed with Leonardo DiCaprio for once! His performance as a dream thief that infiltrates the dreams of others in order to steal their secrets (and why go further than that in explaining this plot? Yes, it sounds stupid, but go with it) worked for me in a way that most of his performances do not. I am just never able to buy that guy as an actual character, which tends to leave me cold toward many of his films that friends of mine tell me I should like but don’t. (I’m always like DUDE! Those are SO not *great* Martin Scorsese films. And they’re always like Whaaaat!) Maybe his performance was aided somewhat by this cracking ensemble support cast. While Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s dapper turn as DiCaprio’s unflappable right-hand man was my fave of the bunch, there is simply not a single weak link in this chain of Oscar winners and noms. (Btw, did you remember that Tom Berenger, who has a smaller but pivotal role, was once an Oscar nom? I barely remember there was a Tom Berenger.) Read more »
Let’s Talk About…Cyrus
Reilly patiently listens to Tomei list the benefits of Winsor Pilates, again.
CYRUS (2010/IN THEATERS)
From: Brian McClelland
To: Kimberly Faulhaber
So, Cyrus. I think this one pleasantly surprised us both, yes? I was kind of expecting this Bizarre Love Triangle™—between John C. Reilly’s sad and lonely Nice Divorced Guy, his new long-single gf (Marisa Tomei), and her strange, slightly creepy, and veryclose relationship with her weirdo 21yo son Cyrus (Jonah Hill)—to go the pitch black indie flick route and have Tomei schtupping junior. I was pleased that it focused instead on something even more shocking that ye olde Oedipus Sex: good dialogue! And likeable characters you care about! I know!
John C. Reilly is pretty wonderful here! Props to Jonah Hill, who I think is one of the funniest actors working today, but I felt this was definitely John C. Reilly’s flick—Reilly’s take on this character was sad, kinda pathetic, and ultimately pretty real. The fact that he only meets Tomei’s son by basically stalking her home after their one night together should tell you something about his character’s headspace. Read more »
Let’s Talk About…Winter’s Bone
WINTER’S BONE (2010/IN THEATERS)
To: Kimberly Faulhaber, Hugger of Animals
From: Brian McClelland, Proud Missourian
I’m a little worried, Kim. After the intensely bleak and harrowing hollerdrama of the excellent Ozarks-based Winter’s Bone, many viewers will likely add Missouri to their lists of PLACES THEY WILL NEVER EVER GO, NOT EVEN TO USE THE BATHROOM, wedged uncomfortably between the entire country of China and the late great state o’ ‘bama. Being landlocked Miz-oo-ree-ans ourselves, we should try our best to inform moviegoers that, NO, not all of Missouri is populated with toothless meth makers/takers armed to the, well, gums, with double barrels and all the ammo they can fit in their overalls. No way. It’s only MOST of Missouri that matches that description. (Tidbit! How do in-the-know locals know which areas to avoid? Simply shun the counties that didn’t vote for “that black feller.” EASY PEASY!)
Anyway, tourist dollars be damned, ‘cuz director Debra Granik’s adaptation of Missourian Daniel Woodrell’s novel feels excruciatingly real, and scary as hell. As you know, Kim, BECAUSE YOU JUST SAW IT, the story follows dirt-poor 17yo Ree Dolly (all blackening desperation and defiant pride, underplayed perfectly by Jennifer Lawrence) and her search for her seemingly disappeared meth cooker daddy Jessup, whose missed court date is leaving his family in a bind—the family homestead, which he’d used to cover his bail, is about to be turned over to the friendly neighborhood bail bonding folks. Left in charge of her two young siblings and nearly catatonic mother, Ree has no choice but to keep moving forward from bad guy to badder guy, trying to find her father, or what’s left of him, before her family is forced to live “out in the field, like dogs.” Read more »
The Kids Are All Right…and The Theater Is Packed
The cast of The Kids Are All Right
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (2010/IN THEATERS) My local Landmark Theater in Denver is running The Kids Are All Right on every single one of its screens–which I thought was weird until I realized, hey! This is great programming from Landmark since my neighborhood is liberal and full of lovely gay and lesbian folks just waiting to see this film which portrays an honest-to-God normal lesbian-headed family of four in the midst of a mid-life crisis showing us funny but honest trials and tribulations. And sure enough, every show last weekend at my local Landmark was packed and the audience was having a great time—laughing, groaning, applauding—very engaged. No surprise. This film has so much going for it: the dialogue is funny and real, the performances the same. Annette Bening is Nic, who brings home the bacon in this particular house, while Julianne Moore as Jules stars as the softer partner in a long lesbian marriage. It’s a real family with two children, a 15 year old boy (well played by Josh Hutcherson as the quiet but observant jock) and an 18 year old girl getting ready to head to college (very well played by Mia Wasikowska of “Alice in Wonderful” fame). The plot goes like this: each of the mothers gave birth to one of the children but, as it turns out, they took advantage of the same sperm donor (Mark Rufalo as Paul, very earthy and masculine). The kids decide to meet this guy and lo and behold, they like him and want to see more of him. The moms likewise are intrigued, Jules moreso than Nic but his presence seriously complicates what is already a complicated summer. There are mixed feelings out there on the net about the ending and about some of the complications, but personally, I felt the film moved well and I admired all the actors. Bening and Moore are pretty much shown with no make-up which is brave, don’t you think? Mark Rufalo could not possibly look more attractive. The two kids give very nuanced performances and the dialogue is truly fun. I say…don’t miss this one, either in a packed theater or later at home on DVD. And kudos to director and writer Lisa Cholodenko who as I understand it, lives this very life for real.
Grade: A
Recommended Movie Pairing: Laurel Canyon, also from Lisa Cholodenko, featuring Frances McDormand as another non-traditional mother to a straight-laced Christian Bale.
Wasted Weekend: Underwater Makeout Session Edition
Sarah and Kimberly (at left; the Rest of the World, at right) are nothing if not “gals on the go.” They barely have time to honor each other via Luna bar and pick up a new pair of jeggings, let alone finish watching Center Stage for the tenth time. They are dancing as fast as they can! Wasted Weekend is a weekly discussion of the films they watched, half-watched, or turned off in disgust during the previous few days. We hope you still respect them after reading this.
Kimberly: So Sarah. I did something over the weekend that I swore I would never do, let alone admit to our large and loyal international audience (Greetings, reader from Poland who searched for “real rapee” and found us!). Here goes…I watched The Ugly Truth. It was streaming on Netflix and curiosity got the best of me, OK? Believe me, I learned my lesson. The lesson being that Gerard Butler may have the worst agent. How many terrible romantic comedies will this guy have to karaoke through before they realize he is best at bellowing, throwing people into pits, and having abs? Synopsis! Butler is a piggish local news personality in the vein of Howard Stern. (Side note: Why can’t any movie get a Howard-esque character right? Either the charm or the humor is always absent.) Katherine Heigl is his bad-tempered news producer foil. For some reason I cannot hate Heigl. Maybe it’s leftover goodwill from Knocked Up, or maybe this—I find her uptight act kind of charming in small doses and with the right script. 27 Dresses was not awful! (Please follow the jump so I can redeem myself.) Read more »
Let’s Talk About…Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK (2010/IN THEATERS)
From: Sarah Gremillion
To: Kimberly Faulhaber
So, Joan! I’m so glad we were able to get out and see this fun documentary. I hope some people who weren’t fans of Joan gave it a shot and saw why she is one of our favorites. Seemed like the movie was filmed around the time we saw Joan perform at one of our area’s classiest casinos — the act was familiar, and the venue was certainly right on par with some of the rooms she’s working in A Piece of Work. I thought Joan came off exactly as I expected her to: honest, hilarious, driven, fierce (in both the traditional and Tyraspeak definitions of that word). I was interested to hear the details of her history with Johnny Carson and of her family life leading up to her husband’s suicide. Probably the most illuminating to me was watching her participate in her Comedy Central celebrity roast, where we can hear the director off-camera cutting Joan’s own jokes and trying to tell her how to be funny (as if this person has a better idea than she does how to make people laugh!). I’ve never understood how those are supposed to be an “honor” for the victim, and it turns out they’re not at all. Just another heard-earned paycheck. Should we discuss our not so great impressions of Melissa? For a grown woman, she came off a little bratty maybe?
High fives,
Sarah Read more »
Middle Film of Millennium Trilogy Leaves You Ready for Finale
Lisbeth Salander in The Girl Who Played with Fire
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (2009/ IN THEATERS) Like most middle films in trilogies, The Girl Who Played with Fire is building up a back-story and heading toward its finale. The leads actors from the first movie (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) are back—Mikael Blomkvist, the crusading journalist/investigator (played solidly and well by Michael Nyqvist) and Lisbeth Salander, 88 pound ball of fire and ace computer hacker (played by Noomi Rapace, wonderful and mesmerizing again). But there is a change in the pacing and feel of this movie which focuses on Lisbeth and explains more of her tortured childhood to us, staying very true to the book. In the first film, it’s Mikael whose life is on the line. This time it’s Lisbeth and Mikael is determined to be there for her, whether she wants him or not. Some writers have already mentioned that this film is less of a thriller and more a detective story, with slower pacing and less “gotcha” action. There is a change-up in directors as well for this one and for the third which will follow in October. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely action and violence, but I personally felt this film was much less graphic than the previous one. Thankfully, the horrific rape of Lisbeth from the first film is only heard, not seen, as Blomkvist plays the DVD and turns it off quickly—who wouldn’t? That scene alone made the first film graphically violent. My fellow movie-goer, Be, and I were happy we had read the book as we watched—there are loads of new characters introduced, all with difficult Swedish names, natch, and this will clearly continue into the third film (just a warning to those who haven’t read the books!) The concluding big scenes were great—played realistically and very suspenseful, I felt. And we left the theater excited for more—bring on The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest!
Grade: A-
BTW: David Fincher is tapped to direct the American version of these novels, as everyone knows. One commenter on IMDB pointed out the similarities in pacing between Fincher’s Zodiac (which I loved) and this series: “slow paced, character driven detective story.” Let’s hope Fincher can at least match the solid filmmaking we’re seeing in the Swedish versions.
Wasted Weekend: All God’s Creatures Edition
Sarah and Kimberly (at left; the Rest of the World, at right) are nothing if not “gals on the go.” They barely have time to honor each other via Luna bar and pick up a new pair of jeggings, let alone finish watching Center Stage for the tenth time. They are dancing as fast as they can! Wasted Weekend is a weekly discussion of the films they watched, half-watched, or turned off in disgust during the previous few days. We hope you still respect them after reading this.
Sarah: Kimberly! It’s been a while since we talked about our weekend viewing habits. I’ll get started by telling you that I flipped to Ratatouille on Disney and was unable to turn it off for the remainder of the film. Have you seen this? Perhaps the thought of a rat cooking food seems unappetizing to you? Wrong. This movie is delightful AND makes me very hungry. The title dish in particular is mouth-watering. And Patton Oswolt, whose stand-up act is ridiculously profane, is very sweet and funny as our hero rat chef. I had a couple of problems with my viewing experience, however. First, why do all the Parisians speak English with French accents, except the main doofy human and the rats? I found this very confusing. Second, the commercials on the Disney Channel are probably the most irritating commercials I have ever seen outside of a Golden Girls marathon on Hallmark. So many weird shows full of bad adolescent actors trying to be wacky. Kill me. Read more »
Polanski’s Brilliant Directoral Debut
KNIFE IN THE WATER (1962/DVD) With Roman Polanski back in the news in a major way today, you might want to Netflix his first film, as I did last week, to see exactly what put him “on the map” as a young director. He was 29 when he made Knife in the Water, the only film he shot in his native Poland. (He emigrated to France shortly after its release. Polanski, as you probably already know, was born in France of Polish parents and holds dual citizenship even now. We can picture him back in Paris soon.) The movie features only three characters: a middle-aged husband, his attractive younger wife and a handsome hitchhiker they pick up and decide to invite aboard their sailboat. The film is in B&W, with subtitles and a fabulous jazz score. It lasts only 94 minutes—most of the action is on the boat and the elapsed plot time is one afternoon, one night, plus a bit of the next morning. The film opens with the husband and wife driving down a narrow-ish country road; they don’t speak. Out of nowhere, a hitchhiker appears and the husband barely misses hitting him—deliberately? Looked that way to me. Once the trio reaches the lake, the husband and wife perform what are obviously familiar routines related to their boat—they change into sailing clothes, bring aboard canvas bags which hold a nice lunch and dinner along with a bottle of wine, and hoist the sails. The hitchhiker, at first reluctant to get aboard (he claims he can’t swim), quickly changes his mind when the wife makes a point of asking him to join in. There are lovely shots of the threesome sailing on a large lake, having a glorious time but, not unexpectedly, tension begins to mount as the two men – particularly the husband—start to show off to each other in order to impress the one woman aboard. And of course, we are always aware of that word in the title—“knife”—as, sure enough, it appears and the plot begins to thicken. Plot?? Well, maybe not so much….I’ll say no more about that but will say– if you like older, classic B&W suspense films, this one will not disappoint you. Not much action, but plenty of noir. I was impressed at the amount of tension Polanski can create out of almost nothing— a fabulous first film that definitely shows the way to his future works
Grade: A
Nominated for Best Foreign Film Oscar in 1963, this one put Polanski on the cover of Time and is still seen as one of his greats. Available from Netflix or for purchase from Criterion (Essential Art House)
Let’s Talk About…I Am Love
I AM LOVE (2010/IN THEATERS)
Sarah: Kimberly! So. I Am Love. Um, what an unusual movie. It was not at all what I was expecting. I went into it knowing that every review I had read about it was a rave. Not just like, “Hey, good movie,” but like “WOW AMAZING BEST MOVIE EVER!!!” So, based on that early opinion, I was sort of disappointed. It’s true that it really is an amazingly gorgeous film. The clothes, the scenery, the Milanese villa, the countryside, the mouth-watering food, and beautiful cast. All incredible. And Tilda Swinton, wow. I don’t speak Italian, so I can’t say for sure that the Italian spoken with a Russian accent she learned for this role was accurate, but I was sure convinced. You’d never guess this was an English-speaking actress in a million years. What I wasn’t prepared for was the CRAZY melodramatic plot twists. Our moviegoing companion likened it to a Spanish-language telanovela, and that’s exactly right. I generally prefer my character-driven films to fall into more of the “nothing really happens, but aren’t people interesting” category. I’d say the first half of this one felt like it was heading that direction, and then went totally off the rails. By design, I’m sure. And there’s a point being made, no doubt, but I won’t spoil anything for readers who are planning to see it. And also, what would that point be exactly? Anyway, on the drive home last night I was feeling pretty crabby about I Am Love. But then this morning, I find that most of my bad feelings have melted away and all the pretty images are left floating around in my head. So I’d say not as good as I was hoping, but very lovely visually. I feel like it would be just as enjoyable, maybe even better, without any speaking at all. Maybe a rental to watch on mute with something pretty playing on the stereo.
Grade: B-
What are your thoughts this morning?
Kimberly: Sarah! My half is after the jump, and will therefore be full of spoilers. Read more »
