Thursday, June 15, 2006
Match Point (2005)
Woody Allen has a gift. He is able to make the most mundane of movies interesting by simply adding in an extra layer for viewers to ponder. No matter how lengthy certain scenes, even if the first hour is bereft of any major revelations, Allen has a knack of implanting an engaging idea in the first few minutes of film, and keeping the viewer glued to the screen, waiting for the root idea to germinate into an awe-inspiring finale. While critics have blasted the director for regurgitating the same ideas over the years, Match Point proves that an old idea can be injected with new life, brought back from the dead to create a new and exciting experience. Ditching the usual New York locale, Woody Allen takes on London in what is definitely one of his greatest works.Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Bend It Like Beckham), son of the man who was Indiana Jones’ Egyptian sidekick and Gimli in Lord of the Rings, plays Chris Wilton, a man of Irish descent come to London to work as a tennis trainer for company bigwigs. Of modest wealth, Chris quickly makes it big as he starts to date a rich executive’s daughter and is soon asked to work in the company. His new family treats him very well, and has seemed to settle into a luxurious and safe life. This sense of balance is disrupted upon the arrival of American Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson), a sultry wannabe-actress dating a member of the family. What follows is a classic Woody Allen affair scenario, filled with close calls and sexy encounters, soul-searching and the rest. It is in this first portion of the film where viewers familiar with Allen’s work are likely to roll their eyes in knowing boredom. Thankfully, the first few minutes of film introduce a wild card: in the game of tennis, when the ball hits the net, there is a moment of time in which the ball could fall either backwards or forwards; luck decides what course the ball will take. It is this simple idea that makes the first hour more endurable, that creates a need to know where the equation gets plugged in.
Woody Allen makes an excellent move after the lengthy setup sequences. While the affair scenario sparks a quiet interest in the viewer who is constantly waiting for the punchline, Allen makes a twist that changes the entire feel and emotion of the film. The twist is poignant; I found myself glued to my seat in utter confusion, aghast at the turn of events, until the very end of the film where it twists once again to create one of the most satisfying conclusions of any recent movie. The one-two punch breaks the fabric of the typical Allen affair film, and with the usual Shakespearean
overtones, Match Point ends up being one of the most overlooked films of 2005 and signals another classic for Woody Allen’s extensive portfolio. We should count ourselves lucky that there are direct-to-screen filmmakers of his quality still in circulation. 
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
After searching for cheese on the moon, being troubled by a penguin thief and blamed for rustling sheep, Wallace makes his debut on the big screen. This time, the British duo run Anti-Pesto, guardians of vegetable patches from the terrible creatures of the night who would disturb gardens. Coming off the heels of their successful Chicken Run, Aardman Studios returned to what originally made director Nick Park a star in the UK: Wallace is an inventor who loves cheese and whose mind is on the moon, while his silent partner is a dog named Gromit, gifted with common sense. Done entirely in claymation, the series has been awarded several nods for fluidity of motion and excellent comedy. Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit continues Aardman Studios’ track record of excellence, in the Oscar-winner for Best Animated Film of 2005. It is well deserving.The antics are familiar territory for Wallace & Gromit, with Wallace’s wondrous yet inane inventions that cause all sorts of trouble, while Gromit is stuck with solving all the pieces of the puzzle. When a mysterious giant creature begins rampaging the gardens Anti-Pesto is sworn to protect, Wallace finds himself along for the ride, with Gromit playing detective. The silent interplay between Gromit and other creatures in the film are the highlights, while Wallace provides most of the action sequences, including one spectacularly choreographed chase scene. The animation work is without a rival in this field, and it’s a shame to have learned that the props studio burned down shortly after completion of the film. Stars Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club, Big Fish) and Ralph Fiennes (The Constant Gardener) lend their voices as Wallace’s very-English (see: beautiful teeth) love interest and the shotgun-totting man competing for her hand. All in all, the voice acting has a British charm vital for the comedy of the film, though it is perhaps Gromit’s lack of voice that offers the most laughs.
Pixar Animations is noted for creating family films that offer laughs for viewers both young and old; despite years of attempting to renew their success with Shrek, DreamWorks Animation has yet to produce a film on the same level as their competition, but having procured the rights for this film accomplishes such a goal – even though all the credit must be given to Aardman Studios. Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit succeeds in being a worthy fourth edition in the series, though those who have not seen the three short films will have no trouble jumping on the bandwagon with this film. Unfortunately a poor marketing campaign and the lack of computer-generated animation likely means many gave this film a pass; this is unfortunate being that it is the
most fun family film of 2005, filled with quirky humour, action and cute rabbits. One of Wallace’s famous lines best sums up my feelings to the film’s creators: “Oh ho ho, cracking job!” Monday, June 05, 2006
Walk the Line (2005)
Biopics about musical talents are usually a double-edged sword in terms of enjoyment; on the positive side, if that musical talents happens to have incredible music (and Johnny Cash falls into this category) then the least you will get is a decent two-hour soundtrack; however, does good music equate to an interesting life? Johnny Cash was widely known as grizzly bear of a man, rough-edged and with a deep and unknowable chasm of a past. His stint at Folsom Prison forever shaped his image, and the few scenes that deal with the event are among the most powerful in James Mangold’s Walk the Line. Unfortunately, coming off the heels of 2004’s Ray, this biopic treads a path that was too recently trekked; a path too familiar in the biopic genre of film: singer struggles to find talent, upon finding said talent become a star, falls in love, has children who remain out of focus, trudges through years of some form of drug, and comes out a champion. Luckily, Joaquin Phoenix is good enough to fill in the large footsteps created by Jamie Foxx, though the commonalities of the biopic genre are not challenged.June Carter, played by Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde), was a vital force in Johnny Cash’s life. Like a sweeter Jekyll and Hyde, Reese expertly portrays an innocent and naïve Southern dame while on stage, whilst showing off her fiery and relentless devotion in her private life with Johnny. The acting throughout is top notch, with a notable performance by Waylon Payne – Jerry Lee Lewis came alive once more on screen rivaling Dennis Quaid’s 1989 rendition of the partygoer. Like Ray, however, brilliant acting is the saving grace for an otherwise run-of-the-mill movie about a 50s-60s performer.
Walk the Line is worth a watch for Cash’s witty and swinging music and the good performances, but I can’t help but wonder how this movie could have been done differently had director James Mangold taken a few more risks to avoid the biopic outline. While the love interest and drug addiction and their interrelation are an integral part of Cash’s early life, the real reason fans are interested in the man behind the music is the highway man, the wanderer, the man in black, the man who’s been everywhere. Walk the Line provides a textbook portrait of Johnny Cash’s early life without revealing the mysteries of his heart, his soul, his thoughts. Cash’s interest and sympathy for inmates is revealed but in his performance at Folsom, but never finds an equal footing with the addiction and love story. We get the clear idea that June Carter is to be thanked for removing him from a spiraling ring of fire, but we never get a clear indication of what form by which that ring of fire manifested
itself besides what can be seen on the outside. Thus, Walk the Line succeeds in its purpose: making a good biopic, but fails to take enough risks to propel itself ahead of such films such as Ray or Great Balls of Fire!, instead feeling more comfortable lying beside them as an equal. Wednesday, May 17, 2006
The Squid and the Whale (2005)
Apart from a few writing/directing gigs in the mid 90s, Noah Baumbach’s career really started with the co-writing of 2004’s Wes Anderson film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, a quirky but oddly touching film that emoted different feelings than most others films. The Squid and the Whale evokes similar feelings of uneasy humour and dialogue that make watching the film an uncomfortable, yet intriguing experience. Baumbach once said, “I always viewed life as material for a movie” and true to his words, this film is partly based on his childhood in which he “was always plowing through… [novels] I wasn’t equipped to understand.” While The Squid and the Whale is not always easy to watch, the post-film discussions it can spark make it a worthy viewing.This film demonstrates divorce and its outcomes in a family of literati; they play tennis, read Kafka and engage in meta-ethical discussions of ‘dense’ novels. In the relatively short 80 minutes of film, brothers Walt and Frank come to terms with their parents’ divorce in different ways. Older brother Walt idolizes his father, Bernard (Jeff Daniels), who is too familiar a character; a self-proclaimed literati who manages to snub the rest of the uneducated population whilst keeping his nose in Dostoevsky and Nietzche. A belief in his own superiority is passed down to Walt who defends his father’s intellect, and shares his thoughts on life and love. How these thoughts negatively influence his attempts to woo a girl in his school is both funny and sad. There is also a theme of redemption and owning up to certain illusions of his own life that is a joy to see unfold by the end of the film. On the other side, younger brother Frank clings to his mother Joan (Laura Linney). Despite a playful and cheery exterior, Frank’s scenes of inner turmoil are amongst the hardest to watch and the most confusing for viewers. We come to realize early on that Frank is not part of the literati world; he is a philistine, which obviously has an adverse affect on his relationship with his father.
There are scenes that are strange, and a brutal honesty to the characters that is difficult to watch. It watches like a modern-day novel reads, full of strange occurrences and sickening acts that sound good in novels but come across as odd on film. At face value, The Squid and the Whale can be easily dismissed as an oddball flick, but in retrospect it is much deeper and more clever than one viewing can allow. This story is not only about the consequences of divorce, but a character study. There is a father (brilliantly played by Daniels) who deserves to be sucker punched, but who also is deserving of pity, for his narrow-mindedness and delusions of grandeur; an older son, whose blind submission needs awakening; a mother whose physical body needs sustenance; and a younger son,
fighting his own inner demons amongst the turmoil of divorce. Despite the oddities, The Squid and the Whale is worth watching for those willing to put their minds to work even after the credits roll. Sunday, May 14, 2006
Grizzly Man (2005)
There are two sorts of documentaries: those that serve to lecture on historical events in an objective manner, and those that serve to document the lives of specific peoples, who may not have had an impact on the history of the world, but who made an impact on the filmmaker who wanted to share such a story with the world. Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man is not a tale of what is right or wrong, a guide of “what not to do”, nor is it one of a man who serves as an exemplary human being. Instead, this documentary serves as glimpse of Timothy Treadwell’s final summers living among the grizzlies in Alaska; this is a man who lived alone with some of nature’s most predatory beasts, and who managed to live among them for thirteen years before being slain by one in 2003. Edited down from hours of tape filmed by Treadwell himself (and for the last two years, his ‘girlfriend’ Amie Huguenard, who was also killed), Werner Herzog has managed to create a masterpiece in documentary film-making, skimming the fine line between devotion and insanity.There is a dualistic nature to this film: not only does it document the daily life of the grizzly bear, but it also serves as a study on the character of naturalist Timothy Treadwell. The result has been heated discussion amongst those who believed him to be completely out of touch with reality and those who respected him for the love he showed to the animals ‘he swore to protect’. My stance is somewhere in the middle, which is what Werner Herzog seems to have wanted by the end of his film: Timothy Treadwell was completely out of touch with reality, ignoring the obvious dangers of living in extreme proximity to the grizzly population; but one cannot help but admire his love and devotion for the animals, not to mention the fact that he was able to survive close encounters with them for thirteen years. There is a truly a streak of madness in the character of Timothy Treadwell, a trait that immediately related him to children at schools he would attend. His idiosyncrasies only act as a magnet to viewers. I, for one, could not help but admire his passions, despite acknowledging his delusions.
While the character of Timothy Treadwell acts as an immediate draw to the documentary, the editing skills of Werner Herzog and the original music by Richard Thompson craft a hauntingly beautiful portrait of the Alaskan wilderness. The footage caught on tape by Treadwell and Huguenard is some of the finest to be found of the grizzly population, and some scenes are simply astounding. Be it footage of bears fighting for a mate, playful foxes, or Timothy rambling his thoughts on life and love,
Grizzly Man never bores. While a few of the interviews conducted by Herzog for the purposes of this film could have been cut, the core footage leading up to the gruesome demise of Treadwell and Huguenard leaves never a dull moment. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Celebrated as the “gay cowboy” movie that was rumoured to have almost swept the Oscars, Ang Lee’s adaptation of the short story by famed Canadian writer, E. Annie Proulx, is one of those few films in Hollywood that manages to stir up controversy – the last of note being 2004's The Passion of the Christ/Fahrenheit 9/11 duo. Whatever praise and condemnation fell upon Mel Gibson’s and Michael Moore's films is revisited upon Ang Lee’s film in a completely different respect. Brokeback Mountain is not a tale of political or religious debate, but one of romance and human rights. Can two men who fall in love be treated with dignity and without persecution by a community, or must they live their lives as shams, turning their backs on what their hearts desire? While certainly proving to serve as a stable platform for heated deliberation, Brokeback Mountain disappoints as a film.Starring Heath Ledger as Ennis Del Mar and Jake Gyllenhaal as Jack Twist, this film takes place in Texas and Wyoming in 1963, where the two men take up jobs as sheep-herders for one summer and enjoy a sexual relationship that neither expected. Following that year, both separate and start up families, full-well knowing of a void in their everyday lives. As the film progresses, the two meet up secretly and wonder whether to renew their past relationship and whether that would be possible at all. The premise is a good one, and moreso due to the difficulties of fulfilling a gay relationship in the 1960s, but the execution fails to live up to the premise. While Ennis’ story of the gay man who was killed for his ‘sins’ is a shocking reminder of the possible fate that could await them, the only fate for viewers is one of tedium. The slow pace mimics that of a previous Ang Lee film, The Ice Storm, but never manages to hold the viewer’s attention with substantial character development or conflicts to move the film along.
In the end, Brokeback Mountain has served its purpose as an excuse for Hollywood to pat itself on the back in spear-heading the liberal movement in the United States. What should have been considered a decent ‘day in the life’ story of two gay men in the 1960s was blown out of proportion by the modern-day political disputes regarding equal rights for gay partners. The movie never reaches the social impact of To Kill a Mockingbird, Inherit the Wind or even The Passion of the Christ, because it fails to display the insurmountable odds that gay men must have undergone in the 1960s. Instead, the close-mouthed character of Ennis just broods about from Texas to Wyoming in a trance. The purpose of Brokeback Mountain was as enigmatic as Ennis; was it to show prejudice in the face of love? If the purpose of the film was not to
set out such a message (as examples were few), but instead to create a romantic drama starring a gay couple, then it fails to keep up with the plethora of excellent romance/tragedy films already available. It is not a bad movie, but it certainly is not the eye-opener it could have been.Thursday, February 16, 2006
Aliens of the Deep (2005)
Science fiction aficionados were crushed when James Cameron’s Titanic soared both critically and in the box office. Sore that the director of Terminator, Aliens and True Lies would turn to a historical romance flick, fans were quick to find a new science fiction film by the Canadian director would not come for a long while. His new love was the sea, and riding on the success of the terrific (yes, I said it) Titanic, he went on to direct documentary features on the Bismarck and a return to the Titanic. When Aliens of the Deep was announced, initial hopes seemed to tie the title to science fiction. This new Aliens is actually another undersea exploration documentary made for IMAX dealing with the fantastic creatures that live in the depths of the Atlantic and Pacific; creatures that live without sunlight and feed off the heat of volcanic activity. The prospect of strange animals and Cameron’s expert directorial skills are an attractive combination that leads to one of the biggest documentary letdowns of the year.Originally shown in IMAX theaters, Aliens of the Deep takes marine biologists and NASA scientists to the very depths of the Atlantic and the Pacific. The footage of undersea volcanic activity and the creatures that live without sunlight are awe-inspiring. In fact, the images of satin-like creatures made me go “wow” more than once; this was a reaction I realized was not required, as the marine biologists and NASA scientists were saying the same things on film. One would think a marine biologist might try to explain to viewers what kinds of creatures are on screen, to attempt to demystify the creatures and lend a sense of documentary to the film. Unfortunately, the constant “wows” and “oohs” by Cameron’s crew are akin to the reactions seen in Saturday morning kids documentaries on how equipment at construction yards work. For the brief 45 minutes of film, only a minute portion is dedicated to showing the magnificent creatures, and barely any is given in trying to scientifically explain what they are.
Aliens of the Deep ends with the hope that missions such as these on Earth will advance technology to deal with extreme conditions on other planets. The quick shift in focus from those deep-sea creatures to a project proposal for a mission to Europa is confusing and not conducive to the structure of the “documentary”. While space travel is an intriguing subject, the purpose of this film was to document some little-before-seen animals in our seas, and not speculate on what could or could not be found on distant planets. In the end, Aliens of the Deep would have made for a decent hour-long special on the Discovery network, but shows little promise as a documentary feature.
Those interested in marine biology will find little value in Cameron’s latest besides some stunning imagery. Those used to entertaining and informative documentaries will also be disappointed by this outing. Monday, February 06, 2006
Corpse Bride, The (2005)
The setting is a 19th century cobblestone town, and the story begins with a hateful couple living in a ghastly mansion, once luxurious, but decrepit from years of dwindling funds. They intend to marry off their daughter Victoria (Emily Watson) to a rich family and restore their family’s former glory. Thus, Victor (Johnny Depp) meets Victoria and love blooms. Clumsy with his vows, Victor wanders off into the forest only to accidentally marry a corpse (Helena Bonham Carter). Great fun ensues. A co-directorial effort by Tim Burton and Mike Johnson, The Corpse Bride draws various similarities to 1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas due to the use of stop-motion animation and Burton’s involvement in the creative process. These comparisons are unfortunate, as The Corpse Bride is a much different film altogether. The story and content is much more accessible to a wide audience, but it may be argued that the art and music lags slightly behind its spiritual predecessor.Tim Burton is no newcomer to the stop-motion animated forum. Whilst Nightmare was directed by Henry Selick, Burton has had a long history of interest in this realm of animated film. As such, The Corpse Bride is the most perfected of the genre; a little piece of trivia floating around has indicated it took animators twenty-eight shots to make the character’s blink. The careful attention to detail and intensity of the work of the animator’s pays off in a big way; Corpse Bride is a fully immersive world where character’s move smoothly and colors expertly blend together. Some of the character designs, especially in the world of the dead, are comedic: one such being General Bonesapart (Deep Roy), a skeletal image of the historic figure with a blade through his chest. Characters in the real world have accentuated features, such as a depressed face or baggy eyes, portraying the town as a tired place suffering from boredom.
Perhaps an error made with The Corpse Bride was in making it partly a musical as well. The combination worked expertly for Nightmare Before Christmas, which boasts some of the finest examples of animated themes in history. However, apart from a melodic and haunting tune from the Corpse Bride, the music never really engages in the film. Even the singing seemed muddled at parts, making it hard to follow along with the seemingly clever words. Having omitted the musical portions, the feature may have benefited from a few more scenes in the land of the dead, which never came to life quite as convincingly as Halloweentown. What is left are wonderfully composed piano pieces
by Danny Elfman, and a hauntingly beautiful story that only Tim Burton could craft on screen. When viewers can feel pity for a rotting corpse with an eye that falls and uncovers a green maggot who talks, then that is quite a feat in itself. Sunday, February 05, 2006
Fantastic Four (2005)
Comic book fans have been treated with some excellent film adaptations of their favourite heroes and heroines. The Spider-Man & X-Men films, as well as Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins have set a new standard by which future Marvel and DC comics franchises will be tested. As the self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest Comics Magazine”, the Fantastic Four are anything but in this adaptation directed by Tim Story (Barbershop); amidst these other hero films, the Fantastic Four should be ashamed. Where does the film go wrong? The budget was in place, the casting was not terrible and there was plenty of great source material (decades of comics) to work with. Even the director and editors seem to have done decently worked around what seems to be the film’s main failure: the lack of any engaging plot. Fantastic Four is an origin story with an eighties montage and an anti-climactic ending, featuring a villain whose purpose for committing villainy is obscure.The inclusion of fan-favourite Jessica Alba as Sue Storm gives way to pointless fan-service excursions. The creative discussion must have gone as such: Producer: “We need some T&A.” Writer: “Okay, I’ve added this scene where she has to become invisible, but she can only be invisible if she gets naked.” Producer: “I like it, but how are we going to see some T&A if she’s invisible?” Writer: “Well, you know, she’s having troubles adjusting to her powers, so when she’s in her undergarments she’ll temporarily lose her invisibility.” Producer: “Sweet deal.” Obviously, the writers never paid attention to the golden rule of filmmaking: that every scene in some way contributes to the evolving plot or character development. Perhaps the near lack of plot may be at fault here. Clocking in at a mere 100 minutes, the movie still could have used some editing.
Fantastic Four is not all bad. Being a fan of the comic series, the characters and their personalities were not meddled with. Some of the most entertaining scenes in the film involve the ever-famous rivalry between hotshot Johnny Storm (The Human Torch) and the hardheaded Ben Grimm (The Thing). Likewise, the future relationship between blind love interest Alicia Masters and Ben Grimm was introduced in the film. Unfortunately, Ms. Masters’ role was minute; considering the dramatic issue that is Ben Grimm’s transformation into a hideous amalgamation of man and rock, more development between the softness of Alicia and their budding relationship could have added to the film’s potency. Unfortunately, Marvel Comics’ producers were aiming for a more action-packed film. As such, Fantastic Four still falls behind most films in the genre, as the final showdown between the group and Viktor Von Doom (the pointless villain) never reaches the intensity of Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock or Batman vs. Ra’s Al Ghul. For longtime fans of the comics, famous lines such as The Thing’s
“It’s clobberin’ time!” and the Human Torch’s “Flame on!” are but brief excursions from an otherwise dismal attempt at the superhero genre. Despite the obvious borrowing of ideas, Brad Bird’s The Incredibles provides a much more satisfying experience for superhero fans.Saturday, February 04, 2006
Broken Flowers (2005)
Director Jim Jarmusch has a cult following ever since his Coffee & Cigarettes shorts were released, and his popularity as an indie filmmaker has only increased with Dead Man, the wonderful Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and his latest, Broken Flowers. Considering Bill Murray’s recent works with Sophia Coppola and Wes Anderson have been incredible film experiences, Jarmusch’s Broken Flowers seemed like an obvious contender for dark comedy of the year. Unfortunately, this particular case of depressive over-the-hill Murray and enigmatic writer Jarmusch never reaches the beauty of Lost in Translation, nor the subtle humour of The Life Aquatic. Don Johnston (this being probably the most funny part of the film) receives an unsigned pink letter notifying him he has a son. An aging debonair, the realization soon comes that he had numerous lovers during the time in which the child could have been born. What follows is a roadtrip to visit four ex-lovers, all of them quirky and all of them unique.The concept is clever, and the casting is wonderful. Bill Murray once again perfects the depressed American man at this point becoming tiresome for a man of his talents. It takes his neighbour, Winston (Jeffrey Wright), a budding online detective to push him out to the door. The women of Don Johnston’s life are the main attraction in the film. Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, and Tilda Swinton each hold surprises for Johnston, who takes Winston’s advice and acts as a sleuth looking for clues to who may be the writer of his pink letter. Usually, episodic encounters such as those framed in Broken Flowers, especially considering the oddball nature of each woman, would spell success for a film of this type. More often than not, the encounters and fill-in driving portions will leave the viewer in a comatose state, likely coaxed by Murray’s tired eyes and emotionless self.
By the end of the film, Jim Jarmusch’s message is both cryptic and clear. Bill Murray, a man of advancing years, discovers something about himself, whilst discovering nothing. Unfortunately, what he discovers is something the viewer knows from the very beginning of the journey, and the lack of any major revelations make this an ultimately disappointing foray into Johnston’s life. Broken Flowers is still worth watching for both Jarmusch and Bill Murray fans; those coming to it without any expectations may find the roadtrip an interesting experience, but both these film talents have done better work in the past. By no means a bad movie, Broken Flowers does not live up to its high
concept. Newcomers to Jim Jarmusch may want to watch Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai or Dead Man for some examples of his better works. 