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. Friday, February 03, 2006
Constant Gardener, The (2005)
Following from the acclaimed City of God, director Fernando Meirelles' latest has been the subject of numerous nominations and a contender in several publications' top ten lists. Based on the John Le Carré novel, The Constant Gardener stars Rachel Weisz (The Mummy, About a Boy) and Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient) as a British couple becoming increasingly estranged on a visit to Northern Kenya. Beginning with the gruesome murder of Weisz’ character, Tessa, the film is driven by a confused husband who begins to unravel both a corporate secret as well as mounting evidence of his wife’s possible infidelities. This dual purpose sets forth an energetic thriller and is one of the best in conspiracy films. As with most suspense films of this type, there are numerous characters in the background, many of whom are complicit in the plot and others who are sympathetic to Fiennes’ Justin Quayle. Set amidst the increasingly popular backdrop of poverty-stricken Africa, Meirelles’ film is but one of many dealing with capitalist initiatives in third world countries.Visually, the monochromatic scenes help to set moods: despair, remembrance, and increasing helplessness. Making good use of the oft-dreaded shaky camera lends the film an interesting addition: the semblance of a documentary. The feeling is only there for short bursts, and especially scenes taking place in the African villages, where many look into the camera, staring into the eyes of Quayle and the viewer. Thankfully, the camera never becomes as nauseatingly bad as in 2004’s thriller, The Bourne Supremacy. Where the film lacks focus is in keeping the viewer up-to-date with the various background figures. The Constant Gardener suffers from the horrible syndrome that is the “novel adaptation”; attempting to fit nearly 600 descriptive pages into a two-hour visual treat is nearly as hard as conveying wordless emotions in a novel. The various co-conspirators that likely had more development space in the novel are only briefly grazed over in the film, to the point where would-be shocking revelations may be lost on viewers who do not sport pristine memories. Of course, this is nothing a second viewing should not remedy – a repeat trip worth taking.
Apart from a few romantic stints no doubt stemming from his success in The English Patient, this marks Ralph Fiennes greatest role in years (though some may have recognized him as Lord Voldemort in Goblet of Fire underneath the hideous makeup). As the cool gardener who desperately loves his flight-risk wife, Fiennes plays admirably. However, the real star here may be in Rachel Weisz, who for a dead character finds a surprising amount of time in the limelight. Her secrets and intentions are expertly hidden beneath her bubbly exterior, and Weisz must be commended for keeping viewers in the dark. The Constant Gardener serves as both a good thriller as well as a critique on the role of
pharmaceuticals and leading governments in third world countries. My only recommendation to those who watch this film would be to grab a feel-good one to watch immediately after, as the subject matter is obviously heavy.Thursday, February 02, 2006
Lord of War (2005)
In an industry that has been brimming with socialistic enthusiasm and leftist political ideology, it takes a relative unknown to release a smart film that proves to be an entertaining watch whilst delivering a provocative message to the viewer. Directed by Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, S1m0ne), Lord of War tells the story of Ukrainian-born Yuri (Nicholas Cage) who eagerly tries to escape the slums of Little Odessa and, in doing so, joins the thriving arms business. The film jumps from America to the crumbling U.S.S.R. to the African state of Liberia. While the obvious direction for a film depicting rich merchants suppyling arms to the third world would be an emotionally-stricken drama filled with grief and fury, Niccol takes a surprisingly fresh turn by delivering a semi-satirical film that paints Cage's character as a different kind of monster: a brilliant entrepeneur.While the constant narration may grate some viewers, Cage's monotone voice matches his performance on screen. He's like a used car salesmen; cool and persuasive, manipulating the strings from his icy exterior. Proving to be valuable foils to Cage's largely emotionless performance, his unstable brother Vitaly (Jared Leto) and the Liberian "lord of war", Andre Baptiste (Eamonn Walker) even out Yuri's virtues and vices. The other performances, however, are secondary to Cage's solid performance. As an actor who never impressed me in the past, his recent films, including Adaptation and even National Treasure have proved him to be a more quirky, if not more versatile, actor.
The film itself is of the slow variety. As in Ted Demme's Blow, the film progresses in a linear fashion, demonstrating Yuri's growing business from year to year. The opening scenes of the film are among its most powerful; we see Nicholas Cage standing amidst a sea of bullet casings, and as a fly on a wall, we are placed on the back of one bullet, tracing its path from his warehouse, being traded and carried across the seas and ending up in a firefight in Africa, until it is shot into the skull of a young boy. Swallowing the relative slow pace of the rest of the film after this heavily stylistic intro is made an easier task due to the satirical nature of each scene, similar to Three Kings. One particular scene has Yuri evading a persistent Ethan Hawke and dumping his weapons cache into the arms of enthusiastic African peoples; the image parallels the UN food deliveries in the third world, and is one of the greatest examples of satire in the film. Despite a tone that mimics the sombre figure of Cage, Niccol manages to include a few moving images that highlight the reality of third world living (following the weapon drop, a brilliant fast-forward scene depicts an entire cargo plane scavenged
for parts). There are also enough twists and betrayals to keep any viewer glued to their screens. Lord of War will not go down in history as one of the greatest films of 2005, but any film enthusiast would be amiss to give it a pass. 