Cinematic Arias

Could there be a sweeter confection for curmudgeonly cineastes than THE ARTIST?

Nope. Will some people not see this film because it’s silent or black-and-white? Yeah. Are those people stupid? You bet. Are there some scrooges that’ll hate the film for its blatant sentimentality? Yes. Does the film cheapen itself because it uses part of the score to Hitchcock‘s VERTIGO? Yes, but I remind you that this is cinematic candy and that hookers are often called “Candy”, and for good reason. Is this blog post longer than the title cards used in the film? Yup.

Time to exit stage left.

Things fall apart. Tis the nature of the universe. From your own body to our sun, everything will fail. And so we have BLUE VALENTINE, a chronicle of a failed relationship that despite its many marvels still fails to satisfy.

Allow me to back up (yes, I am stealing the filmmaker’s structure). Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are awesome. Their performances are nimble, luminous and harrowing, sometimes all three in a single moment. The filmmaking is assured. This is a rock-solid indie film. Go see this movie and support interesting cinema.

Or at least that’s how I felt walking out of the theater. But with every step furthering me from the silver screen, that afterglow dimmed. Suddenly all that was left were the faults, its failure to satisfy. Why? First, I think it’s the nature of documenting a failure. It’s unsatisfying. Still, that’s not the whole story. The film intercuts the birth and death of the relationship, both of which we’ve seen in other movies. In that respect, this is like a KNOCKED UP meets WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? mash up. It seems fresh, it feels alive, but if we think about it too much the magic quickly evaporates.

Or maybe the romantic in me is dead. Or maybe I’m being too harsh because I see so much of my own film in this one. Or maybe… no, I’m keeping that one to myself.

One final note: the end credits are a great way to leave a downer of a movie on a high note.  I’m gonna steal that for my film.

If you’ve seen one boxing movie, you’ve seen this one. Accept that.

Now, what makes this flick unique? First, the acting. Just about everyone does a great job. Christian Bale gives an Oscar worthy performance and Melissa Leo pairs beautifully with him. And the sisters… wow.

Are they non-actors or did some regional stock players just come in and kick some serious ass? Every performance, from Amy Adam’s tough girl to Jack McGee’s turn as an emasculated father, works beautifully. There isn’t a false note among the bunch.

The second thing that sets this film apart is its exploration of family. It isn’t about a simple sibling rivalry or a maniacal matriarch. It’s about the good, bad and ugly of both our blood relations and the families we create for ourselves.

If you’re a fan of the genre, I absolutely recommend this flick. If you’re looking for a well done bit of the familiar, you could do a lot worse.

First, let me say this right now: this is my kind of trash.

Second, some of this may sound harsh but keep that first thing in mind.

Okay? Here we go…

This might be the most awesome-ridiculous movie of the year.  The story makes no sense (and I’ve seen all the movies and have played one of the games). The one-liners will send you into a spasm of groans and eye-rolling. I’m pretty sure the one direction Ali Larter constantly got was “…and remember, tits out!”

Oh, and did I mention that in a post-apocalyptic, zombie infested Los Angeles the only survivors are a dick of a producer, his Asian underling/intern, a super busty failed British actress that used to be a high school swim champ yet never gets down to her skivvies (FAIL!)…

Where was I?

Oh, right, the cast.

…then there’s what I think is a Mexican (because we need someone that understands cars and can operate a blowtorch) and a Rick Fox stand-in? Oh man, this is awesome, right? Ooh, I almost forgot to mention the zombie/mutant Shaq but he’s so ashamed about playing for the Celtics that he wears a burlap sack to cover his face. I mean seriously, you should be running out to see this movie.

But hold on, I don’t want to be cruel. Yes, this isn’t gonna end up in the Library of Congress but the 3D looks pretty good, the actors give it their all to make the dialog work and there are worse ways to burn 90 minutes of your life. Yeah, it’s not for everyone but it’s a bucket of Halloween candy for me.

I caught INCEPTION when it was released but didn’t get around to writing about it until now because… well, you know why.

First, thank the gods someone made a decent summer blockbuster for adults. This one wasn’t aimed at the MTV or CW crowd. This one was for adults that can hang on to more than one thought at a time.

Chris Nolan, thank you.

So… obviously I have a few criticisms. While the film was a complex puzzle that was never confusing (again, thanks Mr. Nolan) the movie wasn’t mind blowing. Why? Because its emotional center was as cold as the film was visually precise. It’s something I’ve felt (or “not felt”) from just about all his works except for what I think is still his best film, THE DARK KNIGHT.

In short, yeah it was amazing but I’m still waiting for this guy to blow me away–but I’m glad he keeps trying. Bravo Mr. Nolan.

I want to hate Jason Reitman but I can’t.

Why do I want to hate him? Because I really want his career. I would have made those movies. Why can’t I hate him? Because he does his job really well.

Therefore, I don’t have anything bad to say about UP IN THE AIR. It’s very good. Go see it.

But there’s one thing about the ending that’s killing me.

[WARNING: SPOILER ALERT]

I don’t buy the ending. If Clooney has built his solitary life as a shark, why the hell does he decide to think of himself as a Labrador? And it wouldn’t happen during his big moment. It’d happen just before or just after. Plus I get how he’d fall for Vera but why the hell would he listen to Anna Kendrick‘s advice? She’s clearly a selfish child so why would you listen to her? I didn’t buy that.

Still, I’m here venting so clearly the movie affected me but I think I’ve already explained that I’m particularly sensitive at this time.

As a footnote, I saw Jason speak last night along with his editor, cinematographer and composer and I was glad to hear him admit that does indeed rip off Alexander Payne.

Also, John August, I think you’re being modest. One big reason that group shined that bright was because you were moderating that panel. Can you imagine THE CHARLIE ROSE SHOW without Charlie Rose? Right, and I couldn’t imagine that group being that interesting without you. Take the compliment.

(geez, I’m feisty today)

First, allow me this digression; trust me, it’ll make sense.

Up until the credits rolled, I had the backstory all wrong. I thought this was a Paramount movie directed by Matthew Vaughn. I thought Paramount was desperate for a franchise and while Vaughn’s last Paramount outing died at the box-office they were happy to give him another shot with what seemed like a sure fire bet. Once I realized this was a Warners flick directed by Guy Ritchie, my feelings changed. I wasn’t rooting for this to win with quite the same enthusiasm.

This was a pretty good movie with too much of that Guy Ritchie slickness crammed down its throat. I just don’t agree with his choices. I don’t consider them thoughtful, just done for maximum style. There’s one particular moment where any sane person would want to see our lead’s reaction but instead we don’t. Why? Because Guy is intent on imposing his will and his wrong decisions on us.

On the plus side, the chemistry between Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law is palpable which leads me to say something that pains me: they should have cut Rachel McAdams. No, wait, I like her, I really do! She’s charming and talented but she just doesn’t need to be in this movie.

Maybe Guy will settle down with the sequel, I rather liked ROCK N’ ROLLA, but the more I think about this flick, the less I like it.

Bummer.

Somewhere between THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and CLOVERFIELD lies this movie…

…and that’s not necessarily a bad place to be. Yes, many folk want to tear it down (sorta me too) but rather than unleashing my Schadenfreude let me give you my three simple tips for getting the most out of this movie going experience.

First, if you didn’t go opening night, don’t bother now, unless you go with a tremendously hot yet ridiculously cool girl that loves these kind of flicks (like my friend Karina, whom I saw this with). You need a proper audience, the kind that wants this movie to scare them. Go find a revival house or a second-run theater or wait until it comes out on DVD and find a sorority that’ll let you crash for the night.

Second, stop reading about it. No, really, just stop reading this post. Why not read one of my many other post under tags like The Complex, Last Night, Directing, Music, Dark Tony or Travel?

Third, believe. Buy into it. Like Mulder, you have to want to believe.

Me, I’d only done one of those three so I thought it was an interesting exercise in hype but this flick didn’t blow my mind. Mostly I saw the flaws, of which there are many, but that’s part of its charm.

Why do I end up on the outside of these things?  Apparently this might be the most divisive movie of the year.

I think I can understand why there’s such an uproar. This is an incredibly realistic film when it comes to what it feels like to be a little boy struggling with emotions that easily overwhelm, emotions that can’t be expressed rationally. That’s why we break shit, from toys to girls’ hearts. It’s all we know to do to express ourselves.

Is a young child going to learn any lesson from this? No. Will they mimic it and try to kill the family dog with a fork? Maybe, but if they do it’s because you’re a failure of a parent. Was I moved? No. Does the film meander? Yes. Is the plot razor thin? Yes. Will this film improve with time? Probably. Is Dave Eggers an overrated writer? You better believe it. Is Spike an underrated director? For sure. He’s gonna blow us away in the future. I know that doesn’t seem possible with three substantial films already under his belt but he’s only getting better at fashioning emotional resonant works that threaten to strike us at our core.

So why didn’t this win me over? I think it’s because I identified with Max but I didn’t get on his side. And the ending, it felt like a cop-out. I think there might have been a better ending out there and they could have worked harder to find it but instead the film just stopped. Maybe that ending will show up on the DVD. Maybe Warners was scared of that ending.  Only time will tell.

All that said, should you see this movie?

Absolutely.