For some reason Werner Herzog intrigues me as a director. I cannot quite put my finger on why though other than he’s a director that is very interested in not just documentaries but in historical narratives. When I heard he was doing Rescue Dawn with Christian Bale I was incredibly intrigued but I was never able to get to the theatre to check it out.
This movie is based on the true story of pilot Dieter Dengler and based on the documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly also by Herzog. I know that some liberties were inevitably taken to translate this story to film, such as there being seven captives in reality but only six in the film; however, as best I can tell Herzog stuck to his documentary form and tried to keep Rescue Dawn as close to the real events as he possibly could. This story is about Dieter and that was Herzog’s primary concern, that the audience understand Dieter.
What Herzog chose to include in the film is a heck of a story. It begins on Dieter’s ship, just before Dieter is sent off on his first mission over Laos. He is subsequently shot down and follows orders to get rid of his radio and anything else that the Viet Cong can use against his shipmates; as a result he is unable to signal the rescue crew when they fly over his location over the next few days. Eventually Dieter is captured and put through various tortures before finally being taken to a POW camp where he meets other prisoners. Together he helps hatch a plan for their eventual escape.
The driving force of this film is Christian Bale. The only thing I can say is that he is so dang infectious in the role, as an audience member you can’t help but to like him. From opening to end all Dieter wants to do is fly and is so dang loyal to America because they gave him his wings. Bale makes Dieter a man you would follow any where, through any plan because you believe him capable of anything. He is a red-blooded American pilot which is odd as Dieter was German born and Bale is Welsh. Talk about confusing.
However, the surprise factor goes to Steve Zahn as fellow prisoner Duane. Duane is the only other soldier in the camp (the other prisoners worked for Air America) and bonds closely with Dieter. I have never seen Zahn in a dramatic role and he hits it out of the park. Comedians can truly be some of the best dramatic actors and I cannot wait to see more drama out of Zahn.
As a director, one of the most fascinating things for me when I watched Rescue Dawn was knowing that this film was shot in reverse chronological order. Because Herzog knew that the actors had to lose a lot of weight for the roles, and weight is easier to gain than to lose he shot the film starting with the end, and moved back to the beginning so that the actors could lose all of the weight and slowly gain it back through the shoot. Part of why this is so shocking for this film is because this requires your actors to start emotionally with the end of the story which in this case is the most emotionally gut wrenching part, and move slowly backwards to the opening which is much lighter and more idealistic – how the actors managed this I have no idea, but it works so incredibly well.
Director & Writer: Werner Herzog
Dieter: Christian Bale
Duane: Steve Zahn
Gene: Jeremy Davies
Squad Leader: Zach Grenier
Dieter: When I was uhh... five or somethin', I was looking out the window, with my brother... and we see this fighter plane was coming right at us. I was not scared. I was mesmerized! Because for me, this pilot was this all-mighty being from the clouds. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be him. I wanted to be one of them. I wanted to be a pilot.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Eagle Eye
I have loved DJ Caruso’s films since I was introduced to his debut feature film The Salton Sea when I was in college. I see a lot of talent in DJ Caruso and I have been waiting for another film to match the level of talent he showed in his debut feature film. Eagle Eye is not that film, but that does not mean it’s not an enjoyable film. Anything by DJ is worth watching at least once.
What I did love about Eagle Eye is that I finally got to see DJ do a straight out action film; they gave him a budget and let him blow up anything he wanted – and he does. The only problem with the film is kind of the problem with all action films nowadays, the cutting is so chaotic during the action bits that it becomes very muddled and hard to follow. More than once I thought the protagonists had their car crashed, shot or set on fire only to find out that was a different car. It was rather annoying, but most action films have been having this issue since the Jason Bourne series hit the cinemas. This film actually reminds me of very early Michael Bay films - you know, when he still had a plot to his movies.
To me Eagle Eye was a little predictable on one level, because when a certain piece of the plot was revealed I guessed a big chunk of what was going on – but I see more movies than most people so that’s kind of understandable. It felt a little to me like 2001 meets Patriot Games.
What does work is the actors. This is a conspiracy theory that does not have a lot of time to develop deep characters, so your actors have to have the right chemistry from scene one so you as an audience member can wait to learn about the characters as you go along with the story. Michelle Monaghan & Shia LaBeouf have chemistry. They bring a vivacity to the screen that shows one of DJ’s true talents – casting the right people in the right parts.
All in all, Eagle Eye is not a perfect film, but it is what an action movie should be: a smart, fun adrenaline rush that keeps you guessing and makes you want to see what is going to happen next. Just be prepared for the political commentary.
Director: DJ Caruso
Writers: John Glenn, Travis Wright, Hillary Seitz & Dan McDermott
Jerry Shaw: Shia LaBeouf
Rachel Holloman: Michelle Monaghan
Zoe Perez: Rosario Dawson
Defense Secretary Callister: Michael Chiklis
Agent Toby Grant: Ethan Embry
Agent Thomas Morgan: Billy Bob Thornton
William Shaw: William Sadler
What I did love about Eagle Eye is that I finally got to see DJ do a straight out action film; they gave him a budget and let him blow up anything he wanted – and he does. The only problem with the film is kind of the problem with all action films nowadays, the cutting is so chaotic during the action bits that it becomes very muddled and hard to follow. More than once I thought the protagonists had their car crashed, shot or set on fire only to find out that was a different car. It was rather annoying, but most action films have been having this issue since the Jason Bourne series hit the cinemas. This film actually reminds me of very early Michael Bay films - you know, when he still had a plot to his movies.
To me Eagle Eye was a little predictable on one level, because when a certain piece of the plot was revealed I guessed a big chunk of what was going on – but I see more movies than most people so that’s kind of understandable. It felt a little to me like 2001 meets Patriot Games.
What does work is the actors. This is a conspiracy theory that does not have a lot of time to develop deep characters, so your actors have to have the right chemistry from scene one so you as an audience member can wait to learn about the characters as you go along with the story. Michelle Monaghan & Shia LaBeouf have chemistry. They bring a vivacity to the screen that shows one of DJ’s true talents – casting the right people in the right parts.
All in all, Eagle Eye is not a perfect film, but it is what an action movie should be: a smart, fun adrenaline rush that keeps you guessing and makes you want to see what is going to happen next. Just be prepared for the political commentary.
Director: DJ Caruso
Writers: John Glenn, Travis Wright, Hillary Seitz & Dan McDermott
Jerry Shaw: Shia LaBeouf
Rachel Holloman: Michelle Monaghan
Zoe Perez: Rosario Dawson
Defense Secretary Callister: Michael Chiklis
Agent Toby Grant: Ethan Embry
Agent Thomas Morgan: Billy Bob Thornton
William Shaw: William Sadler
Thursday, September 25, 2008
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
Lately, I have had a fascination with watching Robert Downey Jr. movies. I’d forgotten how much I love him as an actor until I picked up Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and threw it into my DVD player a few months ago. Now I am obsessed. Since I opened a Netflix account and now have access to everything I added most of Downey’s catalog and Christian Bale’s to my queue. The latest Downey film I received is A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.
The film is autobiographical about the life of the director/writer of the film and book - Dito. In the film Dito is played by Robert Downey Jr. in the 2005 time line and Shia LaBeouff in the 1986 time line. In the present Dito has just written the book about his life as a teen in Queens and why he left, and his mother gives him a call because his father is sick and won’t go to the hospital so she wants Dito to attempt coming home and taking him. Dito left home in 1986 and hasn’t been back since. The film recounts the events that led up to Dito fleeing home in the flashbacks with Shia LaBeouf.
I enjoyed this movie, but I don’t think that it is one that will appeal to the mass audience. The director has chosen to add some experimental elements into the film that won’t sit well with a large portion of the audience. There is subtitles put in the film when they would not normally be necessary, portions are edited similar to The Limey where you flash forward and backward with characters during a conversation so you don’t see them speaking while you hear them conversing, and the fourth wall is broken multiple times.
It is my opinion that this film worked in this format because it was made by the author of the book. It is obviously not a faithful adaptation to the entire book, but rather focuses on something very specific that Dito needed to work through – his relationship with his father and the life that he wanted for his son. This is actually one movie that really makes me want to learn more about the man behind it and read the book.
Director & Writer: Dito Montiel
Dito: Robert Downey Jr.
Young Dito: Shia LaBeouf
Flora: Dianne Wiest
Laurie: Rosario Dawson
Young Laurie: Melonie Diaz
Diane: Julia Garro
Jenny: Elenore Hendricks
Guiseppe: Adam Scarimbolo
Nerf: Scott Campbell
Young Nerf: Peter Tambakis
Antonio: Eric Roberts
Young Antonio: Channing Tatum
Monty: Chazz Palminteri
Mike: Martin Compston
Frank: Anthony DeSando
Dito: In the end - just like I said - I left everything, and everyone. But no one, no one has ever left me
The film is autobiographical about the life of the director/writer of the film and book - Dito. In the film Dito is played by Robert Downey Jr. in the 2005 time line and Shia LaBeouff in the 1986 time line. In the present Dito has just written the book about his life as a teen in Queens and why he left, and his mother gives him a call because his father is sick and won’t go to the hospital so she wants Dito to attempt coming home and taking him. Dito left home in 1986 and hasn’t been back since. The film recounts the events that led up to Dito fleeing home in the flashbacks with Shia LaBeouf.
I enjoyed this movie, but I don’t think that it is one that will appeal to the mass audience. The director has chosen to add some experimental elements into the film that won’t sit well with a large portion of the audience. There is subtitles put in the film when they would not normally be necessary, portions are edited similar to The Limey where you flash forward and backward with characters during a conversation so you don’t see them speaking while you hear them conversing, and the fourth wall is broken multiple times.
It is my opinion that this film worked in this format because it was made by the author of the book. It is obviously not a faithful adaptation to the entire book, but rather focuses on something very specific that Dito needed to work through – his relationship with his father and the life that he wanted for his son. This is actually one movie that really makes me want to learn more about the man behind it and read the book.
Director & Writer: Dito Montiel
Dito: Robert Downey Jr.
Young Dito: Shia LaBeouf
Flora: Dianne Wiest
Laurie: Rosario Dawson
Young Laurie: Melonie Diaz
Diane: Julia Garro
Jenny: Elenore Hendricks
Guiseppe: Adam Scarimbolo
Nerf: Scott Campbell
Young Nerf: Peter Tambakis
Antonio: Eric Roberts
Young Antonio: Channing Tatum
Monty: Chazz Palminteri
Mike: Martin Compston
Frank: Anthony DeSando
Dito: In the end - just like I said - I left everything, and everyone. But no one, no one has ever left me
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Burn After Reading
Burn After Reading is the latest in the long line or quirky and original films made by the Coen brothers, and hot off their Oscar win for No Country for Old Men. To call Burn After Reading a spy movie does not properly define it, but to call the film simply a comedy undersells it. Like most of the Coen brothers movies there is no simple way to categorize Burn After Reading.
The film begins with Osbourne, a CIA analyst who is told he is being demoted and therefore quits, his wife Katie reacts adversely to this news and chalks up another reason for divorce. Meanwhile, Harry is a ladies’ man who hides his many girlfriends from his wife, and is a paranoid US Marshall who thinks he is being watched. In another section of Washington D.C. Linda and Chad work at Hard Bodies gym; Linda is obsessed with changing her life by getting plastic surgery to change her body, and Chad is blissfully Chad. At the gym one day Chad & Linda stumble on a CD of Osbourne’s memoirs and financial info and make the mistaken assumption that it is “secret intelligence shit” and decide to offer it up to Osbourne thinking that they will get a good Samaritan reward. However, this backfires and they instead try blackmailing Osbourne which is where the plot gets even more complex than it already was.
Hands down the best thing about this movie is Chad played by Brad Pitt. He steals the show. Chad is just so blissfully Chad that is almost beyond description, he exists in his own world. I really can’t describe him to justice – just go see the movie.
However, some of the best lines in the film are given to a more minor character, the CIA supervisor played by JK Simmons. At at least two points in the movie Osbourne’s former boss must go to the supervisor to report on the oddities they’ve noticed since Osbourne quit – namely that Linda and Chad contacted Osbourne and then went to the Russian embassy. No one at the CIA can figure out what is going on or how this random group of people is involved and JK is the voice of that confusion.
If some of the Coen’s audience is new and jumped into their movies at No Country for Old Men they will be surprised by Burn After Reading, this movie is the old school, traditional Coen’s where the Oscar winning film is the mature side of the Coen’s. However, no matter how different their films may be they are all worth watching.
Director’s & Writer’s: Joel & Ethan Coen
Harry: George Clooney
Linda: Frances McDormand
Chad: Brad Pitt
Osbourne: John Malkovitch
Katie: Tilda Swinton
CIA Supervisor: JK Simmons
CIA Superior: What did we learn?
CIA Officer: Uh...
CIA Superior: Not to do it again. I don't know what the fuck it is we *did*, but...
The film begins with Osbourne, a CIA analyst who is told he is being demoted and therefore quits, his wife Katie reacts adversely to this news and chalks up another reason for divorce. Meanwhile, Harry is a ladies’ man who hides his many girlfriends from his wife, and is a paranoid US Marshall who thinks he is being watched. In another section of Washington D.C. Linda and Chad work at Hard Bodies gym; Linda is obsessed with changing her life by getting plastic surgery to change her body, and Chad is blissfully Chad. At the gym one day Chad & Linda stumble on a CD of Osbourne’s memoirs and financial info and make the mistaken assumption that it is “secret intelligence shit” and decide to offer it up to Osbourne thinking that they will get a good Samaritan reward. However, this backfires and they instead try blackmailing Osbourne which is where the plot gets even more complex than it already was.
Hands down the best thing about this movie is Chad played by Brad Pitt. He steals the show. Chad is just so blissfully Chad that is almost beyond description, he exists in his own world. I really can’t describe him to justice – just go see the movie.
However, some of the best lines in the film are given to a more minor character, the CIA supervisor played by JK Simmons. At at least two points in the movie Osbourne’s former boss must go to the supervisor to report on the oddities they’ve noticed since Osbourne quit – namely that Linda and Chad contacted Osbourne and then went to the Russian embassy. No one at the CIA can figure out what is going on or how this random group of people is involved and JK is the voice of that confusion.
If some of the Coen’s audience is new and jumped into their movies at No Country for Old Men they will be surprised by Burn After Reading, this movie is the old school, traditional Coen’s where the Oscar winning film is the mature side of the Coen’s. However, no matter how different their films may be they are all worth watching.
Director’s & Writer’s: Joel & Ethan Coen
Harry: George Clooney
Linda: Frances McDormand
Chad: Brad Pitt
Osbourne: John Malkovitch
Katie: Tilda Swinton
CIA Supervisor: JK Simmons
CIA Superior: What did we learn?
CIA Officer: Uh...
CIA Superior: Not to do it again. I don't know what the fuck it is we *did*, but...
Monday, September 22, 2008
Pride & Prejudice
The first time I heard they were making a feature length version of Pride & Prejudice I was mystified; the book is one of my favorites and after seeing the BBC mini series based on the book I really didn’t see how a feature length version could be made that would rival the BBC version and stay true to the book – it’s a really complex book. Of course, as I loved the book I was hopeful.
I adore this version of Pride & Prejudice. I think that it was brilliantly cast, visually stunning and kept the right amount of imformation in the book and changed certain things in a way that still kept them true to the book but made them work better for a two hour movie. This was an insane challenge for a writer and a director and I think that both mastered it and were able to create a wonderful adaptation.
Pride & Prejudice focuses on Lizzie Bennet and her family in the 19th century. They are a proper British family living in the countryside and are unfortunately burdened by having five daughters and no sons. As such the family is focused on one thing – getting the daughters married and hopefully married well. The two eldest daughters Jane & Lizze fall into the path of a new neighbor Mr. Bingley and his friend Mr. Darcy and their lives are changed forever. Bingley and Jane fall in love but are forced apart by his friends and family who believe her inferior and Darcy falls in love with Lizzie who does not return his affections. This story is classic and one of the romance films I actually enjoy shockingly enough – probably because it is populated with genuine characters that are fully developed.
I cannot review this film without giving props to Joe Wright. I had never heard of him before this film but will undoubtedly try to see his movies more. This film is beautiful visually and as I have already stated spot on in its translation, acting and every other element. This film is so well put together that you forget that it is put together at all – you don’t think about the editing, the score the acting, the costumes, and that is the goal of making a good movie.
Director: Joe Wright
Writer: Deborah Moggach
Lizzie: Kiera Knightly
Jane: Rosamund Pike
Mary: Talulah Riley
Lydia: Jena Malone
Kitty: Carey Mulligan
Mr. Bennet: Donald Sutherland
Mrs. Bennet: Brenda Blethyn
Charlotte Lucas: Claudie Blakley
Mr. Bingley: Simon Woods
Caroline Bingley: Kelly Reilly
Mr. Darcy: Matthew Macfadyen
Mr. Wickham: Rupert Friend
Mr. Collins: Tom Hollander
Lady Catherine de bourg: Judi Dench
Elizabeth Bennet: And that put paid to it. I wonder who first discovered the power of poetry in driving away love?
Mr. Darcy: I thought that poetry was the food of love.
Elizabeth Bennet: Of a fine stout love, it may. But if it is only a vague inclination I'm convinced one poor sonnet will kill it stone dead
Mr. Darcy: So what do you recommend to encourage affection?
Elizabeth Bennet: Dancing. Even if one's partner is barely tolerable
I adore this version of Pride & Prejudice. I think that it was brilliantly cast, visually stunning and kept the right amount of imformation in the book and changed certain things in a way that still kept them true to the book but made them work better for a two hour movie. This was an insane challenge for a writer and a director and I think that both mastered it and were able to create a wonderful adaptation.
Pride & Prejudice focuses on Lizzie Bennet and her family in the 19th century. They are a proper British family living in the countryside and are unfortunately burdened by having five daughters and no sons. As such the family is focused on one thing – getting the daughters married and hopefully married well. The two eldest daughters Jane & Lizze fall into the path of a new neighbor Mr. Bingley and his friend Mr. Darcy and their lives are changed forever. Bingley and Jane fall in love but are forced apart by his friends and family who believe her inferior and Darcy falls in love with Lizzie who does not return his affections. This story is classic and one of the romance films I actually enjoy shockingly enough – probably because it is populated with genuine characters that are fully developed.
I cannot review this film without giving props to Joe Wright. I had never heard of him before this film but will undoubtedly try to see his movies more. This film is beautiful visually and as I have already stated spot on in its translation, acting and every other element. This film is so well put together that you forget that it is put together at all – you don’t think about the editing, the score the acting, the costumes, and that is the goal of making a good movie.
Director: Joe Wright
Writer: Deborah Moggach
Lizzie: Kiera Knightly
Jane: Rosamund Pike
Mary: Talulah Riley
Lydia: Jena Malone
Kitty: Carey Mulligan
Mr. Bennet: Donald Sutherland
Mrs. Bennet: Brenda Blethyn
Charlotte Lucas: Claudie Blakley
Mr. Bingley: Simon Woods
Caroline Bingley: Kelly Reilly
Mr. Darcy: Matthew Macfadyen
Mr. Wickham: Rupert Friend
Mr. Collins: Tom Hollander
Lady Catherine de bourg: Judi Dench
Elizabeth Bennet: And that put paid to it. I wonder who first discovered the power of poetry in driving away love?
Mr. Darcy: I thought that poetry was the food of love.
Elizabeth Bennet: Of a fine stout love, it may. But if it is only a vague inclination I'm convinced one poor sonnet will kill it stone dead
Mr. Darcy: So what do you recommend to encourage affection?
Elizabeth Bennet: Dancing. Even if one's partner is barely tolerable
Hard Eight
Hard Eight is the directorial debut of visionary filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson; like most of the movies I watch I really didn’t know what this movie was about when I popped it into my DVD player, but like most of PTA’s movies the blurb on the back of the cover really wouldn’t have done much to help.
The film is about a father-son relationship between Sydney and John. They are not blood relations but they meet one day at a diner in Vegas and Sydney for no apparent reason helps the down and out John get back on his feet by teaching him how to play the system in Vegas. The film them flashes forward to two years later when the two have established their familial bond and are now in Reno dealing with semi-success in their life style of gambling and a whole new set of problems brought on primarily by Jimmy a casino thug and Clementine a confused but warm-hearted hooker who becomes entangled in John’s life.
PTA excels at taking characters that are unsympathetic and making them sympathetic. Sydney is one of these characters. Though at the beginning of the film he appears to be an angel in waiting who graciously swoops into John’s life, PTA later reveals that Sydney is actually hiding something huge from John – the reason that he found him.
For anyone that enjoys Anderson’s style of filmmaking this is a must see. He uses many of his familiar players, and the work is beautiful. The oddest thing about this film is that while it feels like a PTA film it does hold the earmarks of being a first feature and you can see where he managed to evolve from Hard Eight.
Director & Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
Sydney: Philip Baker Hall
John: John C. Reilly
Clementine: Gwyneth Paltrow
Jimmy: Samuel L. Jackson
Sydney: Tell me something. Are you required to flirt, to behave as you do toward that table of men over there? Maybe... it's some part of your job?
Clementine: Uh, they don't say to do it.
Sydney: But if you don't?
Clementine: Well, then I get questioned, like: "Why were so rude to them?", and, I mean, I can't talk back. I can't tell them to fuck off and leave me alone.
Sydney: As a rule?
Clementine: I'd also lose the tip.
The film is about a father-son relationship between Sydney and John. They are not blood relations but they meet one day at a diner in Vegas and Sydney for no apparent reason helps the down and out John get back on his feet by teaching him how to play the system in Vegas. The film them flashes forward to two years later when the two have established their familial bond and are now in Reno dealing with semi-success in their life style of gambling and a whole new set of problems brought on primarily by Jimmy a casino thug and Clementine a confused but warm-hearted hooker who becomes entangled in John’s life.
PTA excels at taking characters that are unsympathetic and making them sympathetic. Sydney is one of these characters. Though at the beginning of the film he appears to be an angel in waiting who graciously swoops into John’s life, PTA later reveals that Sydney is actually hiding something huge from John – the reason that he found him.
For anyone that enjoys Anderson’s style of filmmaking this is a must see. He uses many of his familiar players, and the work is beautiful. The oddest thing about this film is that while it feels like a PTA film it does hold the earmarks of being a first feature and you can see where he managed to evolve from Hard Eight.
Director & Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
Sydney: Philip Baker Hall
John: John C. Reilly
Clementine: Gwyneth Paltrow
Jimmy: Samuel L. Jackson
Sydney: Tell me something. Are you required to flirt, to behave as you do toward that table of men over there? Maybe... it's some part of your job?
Clementine: Uh, they don't say to do it.
Sydney: But if you don't?
Clementine: Well, then I get questioned, like: "Why were so rude to them?", and, I mean, I can't talk back. I can't tell them to fuck off and leave me alone.
Sydney: As a rule?
Clementine: I'd also lose the tip.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Prestige
The Prestige was on one of the movie channels last night and I accidentally tuned into it – and I could not turn it off. I forgot how brilliant The Prestige really is; it is an enthralling film filled with brilliant performances, a great cast and an amazing sotry.
I cannot tell you that the story behind The Prestige is simple as I do with some of my other reviews, nor can I tell you all about it as that would spoil the surprise. What I can tell you is that this film improves with every viewing because more layers of the story become clear to the viewer.
My favorite thing about the film is actually how it is structured; the film is structured like a magic trick. One of the characters sets up this structure at the beginning of the film; every magic trick contains three parts, the pledge where the magician shows you something ordinary but of course it isn’t ordinary, the turn where he takes the ordinary object and makes it extraordinary, and finally the prestige where the pay off of the magic trick is revealed - without the prestige the trick is worthless.
The pledge in this film seems so very ordinary; Cutter, Alfred, Robert & his wife Julia work for a magician and the Robert & Alfred have aspirations to become magicians in their own right. While performing a trick they have done hundreds of times something goes wrong and Julia is killed. Distraught, Robert blames Alfred for Julia’s death and both men leave their positions seeking to better the other as the world’s best magician a rivalry fueled by Robert’s anger at Alfred. Alfred and Cutter join forces to help bring Alfred’s magic to the public.
The turn is the middle of the film; Alfred has lived up to his word and created what appears to be the world’s greatest magic trick and no one can duplicate it. Alfred becomes massively popular and eclipse's Robert’s glory; the two men begin to compete even more than before and each forsee’s the other’s next step. Angered even more, Robert seeks to discover how Alfred’s illusion is managed and finally has Alfred stopped from performing his trick by having him arrested and tried for murder.
The prestige is what I cannot reveal, but it truly is the point in the movie where Christopher and Jonathon Nolan take what seemed to be an ordinary rivalry and turn it into something you never expected and a masterful bit of writing that makes the entire movie that precedes it more worth the viewing. Just like promised, the prestige of this film makes the entire movie worth watching again and again.
When I tell you that this movie is different I am not exaggerating. The story is more complex and layered that I can explain here without ruining everything for you. I think that this movie surprises and confuses people, but it is so worth your time.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Christopher and Jonathon Nolan
Alfred: Christian Bale
Robert: Hugh Jackman
Cutter: Michael Caine
Julia: Piper Perabo
Olivia: Scarlett Johansson
Tesla: David Bowie
Sarah: Rebecca Hall
Cutter: Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige".
I cannot tell you that the story behind The Prestige is simple as I do with some of my other reviews, nor can I tell you all about it as that would spoil the surprise. What I can tell you is that this film improves with every viewing because more layers of the story become clear to the viewer.
My favorite thing about the film is actually how it is structured; the film is structured like a magic trick. One of the characters sets up this structure at the beginning of the film; every magic trick contains three parts, the pledge where the magician shows you something ordinary but of course it isn’t ordinary, the turn where he takes the ordinary object and makes it extraordinary, and finally the prestige where the pay off of the magic trick is revealed - without the prestige the trick is worthless.
The pledge in this film seems so very ordinary; Cutter, Alfred, Robert & his wife Julia work for a magician and the Robert & Alfred have aspirations to become magicians in their own right. While performing a trick they have done hundreds of times something goes wrong and Julia is killed. Distraught, Robert blames Alfred for Julia’s death and both men leave their positions seeking to better the other as the world’s best magician a rivalry fueled by Robert’s anger at Alfred. Alfred and Cutter join forces to help bring Alfred’s magic to the public.
The turn is the middle of the film; Alfred has lived up to his word and created what appears to be the world’s greatest magic trick and no one can duplicate it. Alfred becomes massively popular and eclipse's Robert’s glory; the two men begin to compete even more than before and each forsee’s the other’s next step. Angered even more, Robert seeks to discover how Alfred’s illusion is managed and finally has Alfred stopped from performing his trick by having him arrested and tried for murder.
The prestige is what I cannot reveal, but it truly is the point in the movie where Christopher and Jonathon Nolan take what seemed to be an ordinary rivalry and turn it into something you never expected and a masterful bit of writing that makes the entire movie that precedes it more worth the viewing. Just like promised, the prestige of this film makes the entire movie worth watching again and again.
When I tell you that this movie is different I am not exaggerating. The story is more complex and layered that I can explain here without ruining everything for you. I think that this movie surprises and confuses people, but it is so worth your time.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Christopher and Jonathon Nolan
Alfred: Christian Bale
Robert: Hugh Jackman
Cutter: Michael Caine
Julia: Piper Perabo
Olivia: Scarlett Johansson
Tesla: David Bowie
Sarah: Rebecca Hall
Cutter: Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige".
Monday, September 15, 2008
Penelope
I watched this again over the weekend because my best friend really wanted to see it. The movie didn't get old for me. I will admit that it probably palys better to girls, but I think this is a fabulous, cute movie.
What I didn't even think about until my friend pointed it out is that there is absolutely nothing objectionable in this film; there is no swearing, no sex, no vulgarity - and yet it plays to adults. I do think that this film really does show that if you make a good movie it is worth watching, even if you're trying not to be flashy and controversial.
I also really love that this movie is set outside reality while somehow keeping "reality" totally in mind. It bends just enough so that there is no specific time or place this film is set in, but that we can believe this crazy mystical world does exist. This movie was brilliantly designed.
Duty Cop: Detailed description?
Jessica Wilhern: Brown hair. Brown eyes.
Jessica Wilhern: A unique... ly pleasant personality.
Franklin Wilhern: Think pig.
Duty Cop: So she's a fat girl?
What I didn't even think about until my friend pointed it out is that there is absolutely nothing objectionable in this film; there is no swearing, no sex, no vulgarity - and yet it plays to adults. I do think that this film really does show that if you make a good movie it is worth watching, even if you're trying not to be flashy and controversial.
I also really love that this movie is set outside reality while somehow keeping "reality" totally in mind. It bends just enough so that there is no specific time or place this film is set in, but that we can believe this crazy mystical world does exist. This movie was brilliantly designed.
Duty Cop: Detailed description?
Jessica Wilhern: Brown hair. Brown eyes.
Jessica Wilhern: A unique... ly pleasant personality.
Franklin Wilhern: Think pig.
Duty Cop: So she's a fat girl?
Less Than Zero
I must admit that because this is the summer of Robert Downey Jr. I am very interested in seeing as many of his films as I can. In light of this I got Less Than Zero from Netflix. I had no idea what to expect from Less Than Zero, I actually thought it was a comedy. Turns out I was wrong, but I was not disappointed.
Less Than Zero follows three high school best friends six months after graduation: Clay is the goodie-goodie who goes to a far away college, his high school girlfriend Blair forgoes college to stay in LA and model, and their best friend Julian is taken up by a series of bad decisions and spirals into a constant state of dependency on drugs and alcohol. Clay returns to LA for Christmas break to discover that Blair and Julian are not faring well without him and Blair and Clay attempt to rescues Julian from the clutches of his addiction and Rip his dealer who he is in great financial debt to.
First and foremost this movie can make you feel bad for the spoiled, rich and beautiful – something that you really wouldn’t think of. None of these characters are feel-good characters, and you end up pitying them all for different reasons. Clay is the nice guy who was wounded by his girlfriend and best friend, and always tries to do the right thing; Blair is the beautiful girl that really wants it all and is hurting because she’s trying to figure out what she wants more now that she knows she can’t have it all; Julian is the great guy that just needs to get clean, but he’s the friend that you’d want in your life no matter how badly he screws up just because he loves you that much. Through the film all of the characters are put through extreme situations that somehow make you relate to them all.
What stands out the most in this movie is Robert Downey Jr.; this movie was made in 1987 and Downey must have been somewhere in the neighborhood of 20. However, his performance shows how much the man truly devotes to his craft and how dang good he is at it. Even as a young performer Downey disappears into the role; you watch Julian with such interest in this film partially because Downey is so captivating and able to produce so much sympathy from the audience.
This is a film that shows the dark side of the fabulous. It is very real, and very sad but to a fan of Downey, or an avid viewer like myself this is a great film to add to your vocabulary.
Director: Marek Kanievska
Writer: Harley Peyton
Clay: Andrew McCarthy
Blair: Jami gertz
Julian: Robert Downey Jr.
Rip: James Spader
Clay: Are you happy, Blair? You don't look happy.
Blair: But do I look good?
Less Than Zero follows three high school best friends six months after graduation: Clay is the goodie-goodie who goes to a far away college, his high school girlfriend Blair forgoes college to stay in LA and model, and their best friend Julian is taken up by a series of bad decisions and spirals into a constant state of dependency on drugs and alcohol. Clay returns to LA for Christmas break to discover that Blair and Julian are not faring well without him and Blair and Clay attempt to rescues Julian from the clutches of his addiction and Rip his dealer who he is in great financial debt to.
First and foremost this movie can make you feel bad for the spoiled, rich and beautiful – something that you really wouldn’t think of. None of these characters are feel-good characters, and you end up pitying them all for different reasons. Clay is the nice guy who was wounded by his girlfriend and best friend, and always tries to do the right thing; Blair is the beautiful girl that really wants it all and is hurting because she’s trying to figure out what she wants more now that she knows she can’t have it all; Julian is the great guy that just needs to get clean, but he’s the friend that you’d want in your life no matter how badly he screws up just because he loves you that much. Through the film all of the characters are put through extreme situations that somehow make you relate to them all.
What stands out the most in this movie is Robert Downey Jr.; this movie was made in 1987 and Downey must have been somewhere in the neighborhood of 20. However, his performance shows how much the man truly devotes to his craft and how dang good he is at it. Even as a young performer Downey disappears into the role; you watch Julian with such interest in this film partially because Downey is so captivating and able to produce so much sympathy from the audience.
This is a film that shows the dark side of the fabulous. It is very real, and very sad but to a fan of Downey, or an avid viewer like myself this is a great film to add to your vocabulary.
Director: Marek Kanievska
Writer: Harley Peyton
Clay: Andrew McCarthy
Blair: Jami gertz
Julian: Robert Downey Jr.
Rip: James Spader
Clay: Are you happy, Blair? You don't look happy.
Blair: But do I look good?
Friday, September 12, 2008
Prey for Rock & Roll
The most interesting thing about Prey for Rock & Roll is that it is a very gritty tale of the life of yet-to-be-successful rockers in LA – and they’re a chick band. This is a very independent film that most people have not heard of, thought it is at least worth watching once.
Prey for Rock & Roll follows the members of Clam Dandy who are all friends, all dedicated to their craft and all hoping that they can fall into their big break. The compelling thing about the story is that at one point or another all of these women admit that they are most likely never going to get that big break, yet that cannot give up because music is what makes them a complete human being. The film follows them through the ups and downs of their life in LA; one is addicted to drugs and needs to clean up, two are in a lesbian couple that deals with the complications of being a couple that lives and plays together, one is becomes a victim of rape, and the lead beings a relationship with the brother of a band member. The film is gritty, dirty and deals with female musicians in a way that I have not seen in another film; in fact I am not sure if there is another fictional film about female rockers out there.
What I greatly enjoy about this film is the frankness with which it deals with its characters and their issues. I don’t know if that frankness comes from the director or the writers, but it is refreshing to see the film deal with things like rape and drug addiction in the case of our female protagonists and not shy away from the emotional turmoil, stress and even the joy they take in their daily lives. These women are not glamorized, and nothing is glossed over because it is too dark or depressing. All of this lends to make very genuine, real female characters.
The music in the film is also a treat as the filmmakers had the actors learn and perform the songs. The actors actually toured through the country performing in an effort to make some publicity for the film. I think that this effort and dedication shows in the soundtrack and makes the entire film feel that much more real.
While I don’t think everyone will enjoy this film I do believe that it has a unique story to tell and unique characters to relay it and is well worth the watch.
Director: Alex Steyermark
Writers: Cheri Lovedog & Robin Whitehouse
Jacki: Gina Gershon
Tracy: Drea de Matteo
Faith: Lori Petty
Sally: Shelly Cole
Animal: Marc Blucas
Jacki: OK, two dykes, a wannabe rock star, and a tequila guzzling speed freak walk into a restaurant. I always imagined it would be a bit more, I don't know, glamorous. I mean we'd be in this big beautiful office, we'd sign on the dotted line, and we'd cut to band on stage, playing to thousands of adoring fans. Wow, I can't believe that my whole future is hanging in the balance at the Big Drip Cafe.
Prey for Rock & Roll follows the members of Clam Dandy who are all friends, all dedicated to their craft and all hoping that they can fall into their big break. The compelling thing about the story is that at one point or another all of these women admit that they are most likely never going to get that big break, yet that cannot give up because music is what makes them a complete human being. The film follows them through the ups and downs of their life in LA; one is addicted to drugs and needs to clean up, two are in a lesbian couple that deals with the complications of being a couple that lives and plays together, one is becomes a victim of rape, and the lead beings a relationship with the brother of a band member. The film is gritty, dirty and deals with female musicians in a way that I have not seen in another film; in fact I am not sure if there is another fictional film about female rockers out there.
What I greatly enjoy about this film is the frankness with which it deals with its characters and their issues. I don’t know if that frankness comes from the director or the writers, but it is refreshing to see the film deal with things like rape and drug addiction in the case of our female protagonists and not shy away from the emotional turmoil, stress and even the joy they take in their daily lives. These women are not glamorized, and nothing is glossed over because it is too dark or depressing. All of this lends to make very genuine, real female characters.
The music in the film is also a treat as the filmmakers had the actors learn and perform the songs. The actors actually toured through the country performing in an effort to make some publicity for the film. I think that this effort and dedication shows in the soundtrack and makes the entire film feel that much more real.
While I don’t think everyone will enjoy this film I do believe that it has a unique story to tell and unique characters to relay it and is well worth the watch.
Director: Alex Steyermark
Writers: Cheri Lovedog & Robin Whitehouse
Jacki: Gina Gershon
Tracy: Drea de Matteo
Faith: Lori Petty
Sally: Shelly Cole
Animal: Marc Blucas
Jacki: OK, two dykes, a wannabe rock star, and a tequila guzzling speed freak walk into a restaurant. I always imagined it would be a bit more, I don't know, glamorous. I mean we'd be in this big beautiful office, we'd sign on the dotted line, and we'd cut to band on stage, playing to thousands of adoring fans. Wow, I can't believe that my whole future is hanging in the balance at the Big Drip Cafe.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Penelope
When I saw Penelope in the theatre I thought that it would be either a pointless chick flick (which I hate) or a guilty pleasure movie; luckily, the film surprised me and turned out to be a thoroughly modern fairy tale.
Penelope follows the plight of Penelope Wilhern who had the misfortune to be born into a family curse; due to the dalliances of a distant relative far back in the aristocratic family line the town witch cursed the Wilhern family so that the next daughter would be born with the face of a pig and would remain that way until she was accepted by “one of her own kind” – another blue blood. Like any responsible parents, the Wilhern’s lock Penelope away from the outside world to help her escape ridicule and as soon as she is of age they begin to work on breaking the curse by finding an eligible blue blood man who will marry her.
Unfortunately, no blue blood can stand the sight of her and all run in terror –but are caught by the butler and made to sign a gag agreement until one day blue blood Edward manages to get away; he then teams up with Lemon a photographer to track down the truth about Penelope and expose her to the public. Along the line they bring in Max, a down and out blue blood to infiltrate the Wilhern’s system and help expose Penelope only something goes terribly wrong with their plan – Max begins to have feelings for Penelope but when she asks him to marry her he refuses. This leads Penelope to run away, discover herself, and continue to break the curse in this thoroughly contemporary fairy tale.
I think my favorite part of Penelope (other than James McAvoy & Christina Ricci) is the production design. I know it sounds little crazy, but there was no part of this movie that was not fully flushed out and created on a visual level, from Resse Witherspoon’s hair and winged vespa to Penelope’s scarf and room every detail was attended to, designed and placed to underscore the special world that Penelope takes place in. The costume designer too needs to be lauded and praised for what they did within the style of this film. All of the elements truly are things of beauty.
I highly recommend this film to anyone that enjoys a fairy tale, young or old. Penelope is a world that should be experienced by a great many people.
Director: Mark Palansky
Writer: Leslie Caveny
Penelope: Christina Ricci
Max: James McAvoy
Jessica Wilhern: Catherine O’Hara
Annie: Reese Witherspoon
Lemon: Peter Drinklage
Frank Wilhern: Richard E. Grant
Edward Vanderman III: Simon Woods
Penelope: Helaborasoreantalis. They're amazing; they bloom even in the winter.
Annie: That's cool.
Penelope: They just pop up without any help from anyone.
Annie: [laughs] Kind of like my ex-boyfriend, if you know what I mean.
Penelope follows the plight of Penelope Wilhern who had the misfortune to be born into a family curse; due to the dalliances of a distant relative far back in the aristocratic family line the town witch cursed the Wilhern family so that the next daughter would be born with the face of a pig and would remain that way until she was accepted by “one of her own kind” – another blue blood. Like any responsible parents, the Wilhern’s lock Penelope away from the outside world to help her escape ridicule and as soon as she is of age they begin to work on breaking the curse by finding an eligible blue blood man who will marry her.
Unfortunately, no blue blood can stand the sight of her and all run in terror –but are caught by the butler and made to sign a gag agreement until one day blue blood Edward manages to get away; he then teams up with Lemon a photographer to track down the truth about Penelope and expose her to the public. Along the line they bring in Max, a down and out blue blood to infiltrate the Wilhern’s system and help expose Penelope only something goes terribly wrong with their plan – Max begins to have feelings for Penelope but when she asks him to marry her he refuses. This leads Penelope to run away, discover herself, and continue to break the curse in this thoroughly contemporary fairy tale.
I think my favorite part of Penelope (other than James McAvoy & Christina Ricci) is the production design. I know it sounds little crazy, but there was no part of this movie that was not fully flushed out and created on a visual level, from Resse Witherspoon’s hair and winged vespa to Penelope’s scarf and room every detail was attended to, designed and placed to underscore the special world that Penelope takes place in. The costume designer too needs to be lauded and praised for what they did within the style of this film. All of the elements truly are things of beauty.
I highly recommend this film to anyone that enjoys a fairy tale, young or old. Penelope is a world that should be experienced by a great many people.
Director: Mark Palansky
Writer: Leslie Caveny
Penelope: Christina Ricci
Max: James McAvoy
Jessica Wilhern: Catherine O’Hara
Annie: Reese Witherspoon
Lemon: Peter Drinklage
Frank Wilhern: Richard E. Grant
Edward Vanderman III: Simon Woods
Penelope: Helaborasoreantalis. They're amazing; they bloom even in the winter.
Annie: That's cool.
Penelope: They just pop up without any help from anyone.
Annie: [laughs] Kind of like my ex-boyfriend, if you know what I mean.
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