With Icky Thump, Detroit duo The White Stripes release their sixth album and their most enjoyable since number three The White Blood Cells. The Stripes are consist of drummer and occasional vocalist Meg White and her ex-husband—guitarist, song-writer, and lead vocalist Jack White. Kicking off with the title track, Icky Thump serves notice that Jack and Meg are back to doing what they do best—she, study, no-frills banging, and he, searing and heavy blues guitar rock. Throw in an old-school Casio keyboard and signature odd, rhyming lyrics and this is classic White Stripes even as it is a significant step forward with some industrial elements.
This album finds Jack again mining heavy seventies guitar riffs a la Elephant, most notably on stand-outs Little Cream Soda, 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues, and the largely instrumental Catch Hell Blues. They also throw in Mariachi horns on Conquest, a song seemingly recorded for a Tarentino film, and bagpipes on the oddly bland Prickly Shorn but Sweetly Worn, and St. Andrew (This Battle is in the Air).
Still, there aren’t many disappointing moments here. White’s lyrics, clever and underrated, step to the forefront on several cuts including A Martyr for My Love for You and You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As Your Told).
Maybe the most interesting piece of the White Stripes puzzle is the bizarre innocent fun song (or two) they place on nearly every album. The White Blood Cells has We’re Going to be Friends; Elephant, It’s True that We Love One Another; and Icky Thump has the infectious Rag and Bone. Top to bottom, another excellent, idiosyncratic album from the most interesting Rock band working today.
Downloads: Icky Thump, You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do as Your Told), Little Cream Soda, Rag and Bone, A Martyr for My Love for You, Catch Hell Blues.
Monday, July 9, 2007
The White Stripes Icky Thump A-
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Live Free or Die Hard - B-
In theaters. Rated PG-13, 130 minutes.
Had I known this was directed by Len Wiseman, helmer of one of my top 5 worst movies of all time (1998's Godzilla), I never would have seen this in the first place. The fourth installment of the Die Hard franchise, this film is a good summer blockbuster: lots of explosions and cool gunplay, witty sidekick banter, and an aging but spry baby boomer saving the day.
The plot begins with John McClane (Bruce Willis) being asked to pick up a hacker named Matthew (Justin Long - the 'cool' guy from the IMac commercials), who turns out to be an unwitting participant in a techo-armageddon. Said techno-armageddon has been engineered by Thomas Gabriel (the always cool Timothy Olyphant) in response to being ignored by the government when he warned them that the entire US economy was vulnerable to cyber-terrorists. McLane and Matthew track down the bad guys and save McClane's daughter, with much fanfare.
The interactions between Willis and Long are genuinely funny, with Long playing the jaded young guy impatient with Willis for his decidely untechnical ways and with Willis playing the wiser and more old-school badass.
I have mentioned before that I am not a plausibility wet-blanket on films, especially Die Hard, but about 4/5 of the way through it got a little ridiculous. Willis ends up sparring with a fighter jet while driving a semi on a double-decker freeway, ultimately jumping from the burning semi onto the tail of the spinning out of control jet, and then hop onto the broken highway. It was too much, even for Die Hard. Absent that scene and the dumb FBI storyline, this would've probably been a B or B+.
Viewer note: Thanks so much to the idiot baby boomer guy behind me who explained the movie to his wife as if he had also ramped a police car up a tollbooth to take out a helicopter.
Layer Cake - A
On DVD (2005). Rated R, 104 minutes.
To call Layer Cake a thinking man's Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels begins to describe it, but doesn't do it justice. This film is a modern day movie about high-level drug trafficking in London. It stars Daniel Craig as the affluent and educated 'middle-man' for a narcotics operation, with additional great performances from Sienna Miller, Michael Gambon, Tamer Hassan and Colm Meaney.
The film tracks Craig's character through a classic Greek arc. He is initially shown to have everything figured out, including his retirement, but as he tries to finish his last score all of his personal and business infrastructure falls apart and leaves him scrambling to survive. He emerges on top after a skillful combination of business savvy and ruthlessness allows him to survive and prove his mettle.
First time Director Matthew Vaughn (previous producer of Snatch (B+) and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (B+)) shows impressive skill with multiple unconventional but not showy camera moves and angles. There are several scenes to rave about, notably the scene where Freddie gets put into a coma in the diner, with
Duran Duran's 'Ordinary World' in the background and then jumping to the foreground during the beating to mask any sound. The scene where Craig calls the ridiculously attractive Sienna Miller and she comes to his room, set to the Rolling Stones' 'Gimme Shelter' is also especially great. The soundtrack is pitch perfect throughout, and the transitions between scenes are perfect. Whereas Guy Ritchie's films are gimmicky to a fault and his camera tricks have no relevance to the film or plot, Vaughn's use of unconventional direction is not distracting and fits perfectly into the film.
This film is just under The Departed as the best crime drama in the past several years. I can't believe I waited until now to see it.
Viewing note: As with any British film, I highly recommend using subtitles to catch all of the dialogue. The violence in the film is all shot in a way that isn't disturbing or even shown; even those with a low tolerance for gore (me) won't be bothered by this one.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
New Show - Flight of the Conchords
First season now showing on HBO (3 episodes have aired).
Flight of the Conchords is a show about a 2 man rock band from New Zealand trying to 'make it' in the United States. The show was created by the stars, who have a real band named Flight of the Conchords, and their music is integrated into the show.
The show has the same sensibilities as Bottle Rocket and Napoleon Dynamite. The show is original and unique in that this type of humor has not been tried on TV (to my knowledge), and it works well here. The lines are all deadpanned and are consistently funny, as are the running New Zealand gags and 'band meetings.' Each show features at least one musical interlude interspersed into the show, and, surprisingly, it works very well.
This is a must watch show for anyone that appreciated Bottle Rocket, Napoleon Dynamite, or Arrested Development.
For those without HBO, below are links to a couple of clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN59lpFmvbc
http://www.hbo.com/conchords/video/index.html
Amadeus - B
On DVD (1984). Rated PG, 160 minutes.
Amadeus tells the story of one of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's (Tom Hulce) rivals, Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), and how he is driven mad by Mozart's genius. The film is set in the 18th century Vienna but features modern dialogue. The film starts with Salieri's attempted suicide and commitment to a mental institution. He then visits with a priest, which provides the narrative flashback device through which director Milos Forman (Oscar winner for best director) tells this story.
Unfortunately, I didn't get 'hooked' by this Best Picture winner. The movie is beautiful, and Forman saturates the screen with the ornateness of the time and the music. The story is lacking, however, and I found F. Murray Abraham's performance to be showy and shallow. Hulce, on the other hand, was great in portraying the infantile Mozart (which reminded me of Elton John). The scenes with the Emperor (Jeffrey Jones, pre-Ferris) and his Cabinet are funny and effective, especially when Mozart is around, and I liked the Mozart/Salieri composition/death scene.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Born on the Fourth of July – B+
As a teenager, Ron Kovic dreamed of serving in the military as his father did in World War II. He decides to join the infantry after a military recruiter visits his high school. His experiences before, during, and after the Vietnam War is the basis of his book and this film. This is perfect material for director Oliver Stone – the 60s, Vietnam, and political activism are all represented by large segments of the movie.
The pre-Vietnam scenes are a little overcooked with Tom Cruise running in the rain to dance with a high school crush and “Moon River” playing on the soundtrack. But Stone captures the chaos and confusion of Vietnam even better than he did in Platoon. The third sequence involves Kovic’s stay and rehabilitation in a VA hospital after a bullet leaves him paralyzed from the chest down. In many ways, these scenes are more disturbing and alarming than the war scenes. The fourth part of the film is about Kovic’s return to his hometown. He’s not sure which has changed more: himself, the town, or his old friends. He can only relate to those who went to Vietnam. The final scenes involve Kovic struggling to find meaning in Mexico before turning into a political activist and speaking to cameras (off-stage) at the 1972 Republican National Convention. He would later speak on stage at the 1976 Democratic National Convention.
Stone basically holds an overlong and complicated movie together. A great choice is placing the Vietnam scenes on the beach instead of the jungles he used in Platoon. Tom Cruise gives a great performance as Kovic – he would later top himself with Jerry Maguire and Frank TJ Mackey. Interesting casting choices include Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe who are basically playing versions of the characters they played in Platoon. The cinematography by Robert Richardson is first-rate, but just a rehearsal for his dazzling work in JFK and Casino. John Williams’s first score for Stone is not as interesting or groundbreaking as his other two (JFK and Nixon), but the same could be said of those films. Still, you can see Stone on the verge of a major artistic breakthrough here. B+Footnote: Stone has recently been rejected by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to make a documentary about him.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
New Trailers
Bourne Ultimatum: (longer and better trailer): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY7CnUY2EWk
Lions for Lambs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbO2FWn-q_s (The trailer makes it seem like a Redford rant against the war...we'll see)
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXLAR0yR5Mw (Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, and Marissa Tomei)
Eastern Promises: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khbcf4ghdkY (Director David Cronenberg, Starring Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts)
News - The Verve Reunion
The Verve (Richard Ashcroft, Nick McCabe, Simon Jones and Pete Salisbury) have reunited and are recording a new album. They will be playing 6 shows in the UK this fall. Go here to listen to a couple of their best: www.myspace.com/thevervetv
Friday, June 29, 2007
The Shining - in 10 Pictures
I think they had it coming.
A completely appropriate response, Danny.
A triumph of sound and imagery.
Jack takes a break from writing.
My compliments to the interior decorator.
“Pretty please, place the bat in my hands, Wendy.”
And the money shot.
“Shine this, Hallorann!”
I’m still not sure what the hell this is.
Jack takes a break from living.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Daniel Day-Lewis - A Tribute
Daniel Day-Lewis is my favorite actor working today, maybe of all time. Here's a list and comment on his notable films (in chronological order) and why he's my favorite:
My Left Foot (1989): DDL's portrayal of Christie Brown, the Irishman that overcame Cerebal Palsy to be a successful writer, is nothing short of a revelation. The brooding performance captures the essence of his condition and the complexities of emotion and rage he feels. This marks the first of 3 collaborations with director Jim Sheridan.
Last of the Mohicans (1992). In this one, DDL plays the virile and passionate Hawkeye (the adopted caucasian raised as a Mohican). His intensity and understanding of the love story and sadness underscoring the film combined with Michael Mann's direction (not to mention one of the best scores of all time) get my blood flowing.
In the Name of the Father (1993). Returning to his Irish roots with director Jim Sheridan, DDL plays Gerry Conlon, in the true story of Irish kids wrongfully convicted in 60's bombings in London. Here he goes from cocky youth to worn out and boldened young man, along the way learning to respect the quiet dignity of his father (Pete Postlewaithe). His march out of the courthouse in the last scene gives me chills.
The Crucible (1996). In an otherwise forgettable movie, his portrayal of the principled and flawed John Proctor is (again) intense and moving. He knows when to be quiet and when his flashes of anger need to come. Favorite scene is the one wherein he refuses to (falsely) admit his sin. In order to get into character, he helped build the sets with the crew prior to filming.
The Boxer (1997). Ireland is to DDL as New York is to Robert DeNiro. In The Boxer he plays a boxer that has his career robbed by IRA injustice. Once released from prison he quarrels passionately with the old IRA hoods and fights to protect other innocents from his same fate. Again...his restraint and rage are perfect pitch and he imbues the story with authenticity. Directed again by Jim Sheridan.
Gangs of New York (2002). After a 5 year hiatus, DDL tackled the role of Bill the Butcher, a ruthless survivor of the 19th century New York streets. The accent, walk, and attitude all come together to provide a picture of a ruthless and jaded soul. Every scene he is in is tense, and the final stage scene when he burns Leo is genius. This marks his second collaboration with Martin Scorsese (Age of Innocence).
There Will Be Blood (2007). Not out yet. But his presence in the trailer and his collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson point to another classic performance.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Twenty Movies I Like More Than Anyone Else, Part 2
The first half of the list (previously posted) was as follows: Robin Hood, Carlito's Way, The Caine Mutiny, Rope, The Age of Innocence, Holiday Inn, Moulin Rouge!, To Catch a Thief, The Fog of War, and Unforgiven.
Minority Report (2002) Spielberg may not be at his best in science fiction, but sci-fi is at its best with Spielberg. In 2054 Washington DC has a “Pre-Crime” unit headed by Tom Cruise that can predict crimes and make arrests before they happen through the use of three “pre-cogs”. The chase sequences are classic Spielberg, and the robot “Spiders” that search a seedy hotel are worth the price of admission. Still, Spielberg has bigger fish to fry. Namely, free-will and the foreknowledge of God. The religious imagery is ubiquitous, the most important being the “trinity” of pre-cogs that may know the future or may only know possible futures. If you know all future murders, are you doomed to live them all constantly? If so, doesn’t that make God’s job a particularly sucky one?
The Maltese Falcon (1941) Directed by the great John Huston, I almost pulled this one because of it’s inclusion in the (original) AFI list. But I couldn’t. In much the same way Casablanca feels like a movie of cliché’s until you realize the clichés are based on the movie, The Maltese Falcon is the blueprint for every hard-boiled private dick pic(Bogey at his greatest) to follow. Also co-starring Casablanca players Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet, The Falcon twists lies on top of lies on top of half-truths on top of lies. But forget the plot, it’s Bogart’s ice cold Sam Spade that makes this one dynamite to watch.
Munich (2005) While many people want to lump Munich with the Clooney duo of Syriana and Goodnight and Good Luck to form a trifecta of political films from 2005, I think they miss the point. Spielberg’s real interest here isn’t politics. It’s religion. “I thought we were suppose to be the righteous ones,” says Eric Bana as the spiral of retribution and violence begins to spin out of control. Righteousness isn’t a political category, it’s a theological one, but nowhere is the overlap as thorough or in such need of analysis as the Middle East. Plus, the bombing-as-triggered-by-a-phone-call scene has tension you can cut with a knife.
Rio Bravo (1959) Directed by Howard Hawkes, this would be worth watching if only for the seemingly unrelated 50’s icons that star: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Rick Nielson, and Angie Dickenson. John Wayne plays a sheriff with Dean Martin, the alcoholic with girl problems as his number two. They’ve locked up an outlaw who’s friends are coming. Rick Nielson is a young hired gun they pick-up, and a smokin’ hot and unbearably sexy Angie Dickenson’s the showgirl who falls for the sheriff. Dean, Rick, and John have a sing-a-long in prison that is pop-culture Zen.
In America (2002) is the true story of an Irish immigrant family of four (mom, dad, and two girls) who illegally move to New York City to chase the father’s (Jim Sheridan) dream of working in American theatre and to run from the memory of the tragic death of their son. Making a home in an old tenement housing vagrants, addicts, and prostitutes, the family seems to be just holding on for the summer. The startling thing about this film is how much it makes you feel. The heat of the summer. The frustration of a father who couldn’t save his son and can’t feed his family. The pain of an undesired wife. Loss. And hope. Directed, produced and co-written (with his daughters) by Jim Sheridan (In the Name of the Father, The Boxer), it is a love letter to America. Something we could all use about now.
A Place in the Sun (1951) Based on the play “An American Tragedy” (the studio was concerned the original title wasn’t upbeat enough). Similar to Gatsby, this movie showcases the defunct side of the American dream. Montgomery Clift’s character comes from poverty to work his way up from the mailroom. Elizabeth Taylor (proving why she’s famous in the first place) is the boss’s daughter who falls for Clift. Unfortunately, his hag of a girlfriend’s got one in the oven, leaving him trapped between marrying a woman he now hates or killing her to join the good life he’s worked so hard to attain.
Out of Sight (1998) (Steven Soderbergh) based on the Leonard Elmore novel, this stars Clooney before he was Clooney and Jennifer Lopez before she was J. Lo. George is a prototype of the suave con man he (and Soderbergh) rode to a much larger payday in Ocean’s 11. Lopez is the federal agent who is sent to capture him, and Steve Zahn has me rolling as the dumb-as-a-sack-of-batteries sidekick. But it’s a scene between Lopez and Clooney (with George wearing a rip-off of the grey flannel suit Cary Grant made famous in North by Northwest) in the lobby of a hotel where they pretend, for a night, to be two strangers that pushes this one over the top. Smokey and subtle, it’s grown-up love and grown-up desire at its best.
Collateral (2004) The most accessible Michael Mann film is also one of my favorites. Jamie Foxx served notice he was for real here just months before everyone believed him (and he became insufferable) in Ray. Foxx is a taxi driver saving for someday when he picks up hit man Tom Cruise, in town to take out five targets in a night. When a body falls several stories onto his taxi, Foxx’s unwittingly pulled in. But when he realizes that the last name on Cruise’s list was an earlier fare (Jada Pinkett Smith) he’s in a dilemma. Cruise is great as the cold-blooded murderer who doesn’t flinch, just reacts; but it’s the City of Angels shot at night that steals this picture. I love the image of a dead Cruise, sitting on a subway forever circling.
Blade Runner (1982) Recently named to the new AFI top 100 (I compiled this list previously), this is Ridley Scott’s first great film. Taken from a Philip K. Dick (Minority Report, In a Scanner Darkly, Total Recall) short story, Harrison Ford stars as a blade runner, a man sent to hunt down and destroy rogue cyborgs made to be so human they sometimes don’t know they aren’t. Every science fiction film since has ripped off the dystopic visuals (see especially The Fifth Element and AI), but what makes this great is that the issues it deals with (what makes us human, do ethics apply to artificial intelligence, the nature of the soul) continue to fuel movies such as IRobot and The Island and are the major issues among bio-ethicists today.
Sabrina (1954) Directed by Billy Wilder, this Audrey Hepburn film is probably my favorite love story. A Chauffer’s daughter (the exquisite Hepburn) has forever loved her father’s employer’s lothario of a son, (a great William Holden), but he finally notices her upon her return from a couple years in France. Humphrey Bogart is the older, more business-savvy brother who steps in to head-off the inappropriate love by making Hepburn fall for him instead (the plan is to break her heart). The scene where Bogart lets Audrey down easy, and she decides she best ought to pack and return to Paris is one of my favorites. The point of any romance is really to fall in love for an hour or two, and no one is easier to fall for than Audrey.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Gandhi - B
On DVD (1982). Rated PG, 188(!) minutes.
Being relatively ignorant about Gandhi and out of respect for its 1982 win for Best Picture, I watched Gandhi, the movie starring Ben Kingsley (in a powerful performance).
This film is a sprawling epic that tracks Gandhi's adult life and struggle for human rights and the independence of India. He begins as a dapper English lawyer travelling in South Africa, and there he fights against apartheid. He then returns to India and adopts the 'diaper' look to show simple Indians that acceptance of the British way of life is not necessary for happiness. The remainder of the film shows his work with a group of Muslim and Hindu leaders to work against the colonial British government to obtain independence. Ultimately, the conclusion of World War II provides the necessary catalyst to produce such independence. The split of India (Muslims into Pakistan, Hindus remain in India) broke Gandhi's heart, and has ultimately led to instability in the world, even today. He is ultimately assassinated by a militant Hindu group for his continued fair treatment of Muslims.
I have to assume the facts as portrayed in the film are true; I don't have a deep base of knowledge about his life and travels. The power and impact of his method of non-violent civil disobedience is explored and (very) gently critiqued. The director (Richard Attenborough) presents an almost Messianic portrait of Gandhi, although he is shown throughout the film rejecting such notions.
The most interesting aspect of the film for me was the portrayal of Gandhi's shrewd use and partnership with the media to bring pressure upon the British to accomplish his goals. The best scenes are with Ian Charleson (Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire). Their friendship and partnership in the cause is the most authentic and deeply played in the film. The worst scenes are with Candice Bergen. They were intended to provide an American summary for the film, but they are contrived and uninteresting.
Viewer note: My favorite actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, makes a 25 second appearance in what may have been his debut film as a prejudiced South African 'street tough.'
The Painted Veil - A-
On DVD, 125 minutes, PG-13.
If I have seen a more beautiful film than The Painted Veil in the last two years, I can’t think of what it is. Set primarily in a Chinese village during a Cholera outbreak in 1925, the story begins in London when a bacteriologist, Dr. Walter Fane (Edward Norton), falls in love with Kitty, an impetuous, spoiled, beautiful woman (Naomi Watts). She is the type of woman F. Scott Fitzgerald made his reputation writing about. Kitty agrees to marry Dr. Fane to escape her mother even as she views him with indifference shading towards loathing. They leave immediately for Shanghai where the good doctor works and Kitty finds another man to occupy her time. The fallout from this indiscretion drive the young couple into the Chinese backwater where Fane attempts to stop the epidemic, leaving his punished wife alone. It is here, among piles of corpses and gorgeous hills that rise up like uneven, moss-covered teeth, that the effects of betrayal, hatred, and love are played out.
Naomi Watts is perfect as Kitty. Edward Norton, disappointing in The Illusionist, is back at the top of his game here. He is impressive in playing a detached and analytical man while nailing the emotions that lie deep below the surface.
“We didn’t mean to hurt anyone, but we fell in love,” Kitty cries, but this film sneers at that line just as Norton does. There are no “free love”, watered-down romantic notions here. Similar to Waitress, this film explores the effects and causes of infidelity. But, unlike Waitress, it holds a hard line, blaming both parties even as it holds out hope of redemption. And then there’s the cinematography of Stuart Dryburgh (The Piano), stunning and intrinsic to the plot as we are reminded that death and life and beauty and pain lay side-by-side in this world—and change from one to the other in a heartbreaking second. The Romantics argue that life’s too short to get caught up on fidelity and rules. The Painted Veil counters that it’s too short not to. This is a lovely film that captures the feel of Hollywood’s golden age. A-
Monday, June 25, 2007
10 Mediocre Movies I Love (Guilty Pleasures)
With some lists and films becoming distant and esoteric, I’ve decided to dial it down. Here are 10 I hope I don’t find flipping channels, because I’ll drop everything. Not surprisingly, you may need a Y chromosome to enjoy most of these.
Point B. They don’t know other people are paying a lot of money to hunt them. After killing the wrong guy, a horrible actress convinces a horrible actor (Jean Claude Van Damme) to check it out, even though he’s not a private investigator. Good thing he can kick all kinds of ass. What makes this the best Van Damme movie is not the mullet, it’s the direction. This was John Woo’s first (and best) American movie and he hasn’t yet fallen that far from the dizzying heights of his Hong Kong films The Killer and Hard-Boiled. The great Lance Henriksen provides sufficient badness as the main baddie.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997): Most series start the self-parody on the third film (Return of the Jedi, Lethal Weapon 3). As with Indiana Jones, Spielberg has the confidence to do it in the second film. The Godzilla ending is way too much but the sequence where the cabin is hanging on its side in mid-air and Julianne Moore is trying not to break through the glass as it is cracking is one of the very best action sequences in the 90s.
Man on Fire (2004): If you 
were bothered by the scene where Denzel duct tapes a guy’s hands to the steering wheel and begins cutting his fingers off and cauterizing the bleeding with the car’s cigarette liter, you’re probably a better person than me. Like Commando, another young girl-in-peril story where the protagonist will break all the rules for results. The ending is much too messy to consider this a good film, but I love the first 90 minutes. As for Denzel’s statement that “a bullet never lies”, that’s complete crap – I’ve personally seen a bullet be untruthful 6, maybe 7 times.Real Genius (1985): Genius teenagers are sent to live with other geniuses to learn about science, but it’s all really an evil scheme to make lasers and money for William Atherton, the bad guy from Ghostbusters. Val Kilmer is truly great here as the care-free genius who mentors the new boy genius, who looks like a more
feminine version of Sarah Jessica Parker. Sorry, Mr. Broderick, it’s true. The climax involves a house exploding from cooking popcorn. You read that right. Cue Tears for Fears and roll credits. Awesome.
Rocky III (1983): This movie has a lot to answer for: the rise of pro wrestling in the 80s, the A-Team, Rocky IV. But I still love the last half of the movie beginning with Apollo Creed’s proposal to “win it back together”. The inevitable training montage gets a little (i.e. very) homo-erotic on the beach (Are those close-ups of the thighs/crotches really necessary?), but that’s part of the beauty of it all. I even like some of the dialogue. “I’m gonna bust you up.” “Go for it.” Wait a second- this movie might be gayer than Top Gun.
Murray as a TV executive learning life lessons and reconnecting with humanity. Nearly all of it is way over the top from Bobcat Goldthwait and his shotgun to the three ghosts. But Bill Murray droll, sarcastic performance keeps it grounded. He doesn’t quite nail the sincerity scenes (it would be another decade before he perfected those), but he’s hilarious when he’s telling people off.
several days while their parents are visiting a sick grandparent. The two younger kids (including a pre-Home Alone MacCauley Culkin) love his shtick, but the teenage girl isn’t buying it – until the final reel. Candy is at his very best trying to use the elementary school urinal and talking back to the teenager’s loser boyfriend. And the freeze frame ending is surprisingly touching.Under Siege (1992): Die Hard on a boat. The only good
Steven Seagal movie has him taking on the bad guys with the occasionally topless Erika Eleniak. The knife fight with Tommy Lee Jones is great and Jones and fellow villain Gary Busey have a lot of fun chewing up the scenery. Harrison Ford watched dailies of this and got director Andrew Davis on The Fugitive. After this, Seagal became a full-blown douche-bag.Saturday, June 23, 2007
Sicko - B+
In theaters starting June 29th. Rated PG-13, 113 minutes.
Michael Moore is a talented filmmaker with a penchant for straw men and hyperbole. In Sicko he takes aim at the healthcare system in the United States, comparing and contrasting it with socialized medicine in Canada, England, France and Cuba. His basic premise is that the US should provide universal health care paid for by the government, and claims that we are the only Western democracy that does not do so. The film argues that the country should pull together and 'think in terms of we, not me' on this issue, and, presumably pay higher taxes and pay our doctors less and we'll have a perfect universal healthcare system. As with all of his films (Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine, and Fahrenheit 9/11), there is some truth to parts of the picture that he shows, which makes for an entertaining yet skewed movie experience.
Like a magician, he takes leaps and hides things to accomplish his illusions. The primary foils in Sicko are US HMO's and the politicians that helped establish them (Nixon) and perpetuate the system (all of them). As you might imagine, there are myriad tragic anecdotal health care stories in the United States, a country of 300 million people. Surely there are similar tragic anecdotal stories in all of the countries he shows as shining lights of healthcare, but he doesn't worry with that inconvenient truth (rim shot). The stories Moore uses are compelling and moving. While I agree that HMO's are terrible and that a system that incentivizes denial letters over people's health is inherently flawed and needs to be changed, I don't agree that socialized health care is a perfect system (although it might work in the US in some form).
The juxtaposition of someone being denied a medically necessary procedure and free healthcare from attractive and smiling physicians and nurses obviously leads you to the conclusion that governmental health care is better than the US system, which leaves 45 million uninsured and several million afflicted with an HMO. The scenes in the other countries are funny/sad because of the excellent care that is being shown at no immediate cost to the recipient.
Another downfall of Moore's films is the tendency to overreach on his points, which ultimately hurts the overall impact of the film. He has two of these moments in Sicko. The first is a dinner party in France with Americans living there. They gush about the free health care, the 5 weeks of paid vacations, the state provided nannies (who even do your laundry), the 35 hour work week, and all of the other perks of living in France (never mind the banlieus and Islamic demographic trends). He goes on and on showing the greatness of this system without showing the real cost it has, either in taxes or in national productivity. The second overreach is his use of 3 people who went to ground zero on 9/11 to volunteer. They have been denied care from the $50 million fund set up for volunteers (Moore fails to explore why) and he takes 
them to Guantanamo Bay to get the same care (state of the art) that the prisoners there do. That stunt is actually funny and drives home his point. Where he goes askew is when he takes them to Cuba for world class healthcare and has them go to a firehouse as returning heroes. The fawning and sycophantic portrait of a communist country is a joke.
I will admit to having my viewpoint on this issue challenged. Moore says repeatedly that a society is judged by how it treats its less fortunate, and I agree. He also quotes De Toqueville in saying that America's greatest strength is its ability to correct its course. The most effective scenes are with Michael Benn, a former member of British Parliament, who speaks knowledgeably about democracy and healthcare and the confluence of the two.
This is definitely worth seeing, and I am really looking forward to Doctor's comments or separate review of this one.
Viewing Note: I had the odd experience of talking in person to President Bush and seeing this movie with a sold-out house of hard core liberals in the same week. The pitcher in the gay couple sitting in front of me was a 'yepper', who nodded vociferously and said 'yep' or purred an emotional 'wow' at every single possible point. The GWB potshots were met with cheers and it got long applause at the end.
The Panic in Needle Park: B / Looking for Richard: B
Both recently released on DVD for the first time.
Al Pacino first gained national notice in 1971 in The Panic in Needle Park where he played a heroin addict. The title refers to addicts freaking out about the lack of heroin supply around town. The father of Requiem for a Dream, this film is less focused and effective, but does feature a relaxed, charismatic, and raw performance by the pre-Corleone Pacino. Somehow he remains likable even when he gets his pure girlfriend hooked and encourages her to start turning tricks so they can keep their habit. The documentary style shooting is appropriate. Long lenses are used to great effect and you can really feel the New York streets. Surprisingly, there are no lessons learned or redemption found. It’s just an honest, gritty portrayal of addicts in early 70s New York. B
Burned out by films in the mid 70s, Pacino returned to the theater and performed tours explaining Shakespeare to college students. In Looking for Richard (1996) - his only directorial effort - he tries to make Richard III more accessible to a modern audience. The movie is part documentary as Pacino and his producers talk about their goals, casting, and the meaning of the play. The movie is also part stage play where actors, including fellow Glengarry Glen Ross alums Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey, perform full scenes from the play. One of the most interesting points in the movie is how Americans (including actors) are overly reverent when it comes to Shakespeare and British actors aren’t quite as fearful. The editing is effective and the music by Howard Shore serves the film well.The film was made over a 4 year period and you can see both Ricky Roma and Vincent Hanna during the documentary part. You also see Pacino in a beard where he appears to be straight off the set of Carlito’s Way. Clearly a labor of love, it’s great to see a huge movie star follow their heart and finance their pet project. It’s even better to see a film that actually works and achieves its goal. B
Friday, June 22, 2007
Best of 2007.....So Far
As we reach the halfway point of the year, I thought I would rank my top 6 films of the year to date. I didn't really like anything else enough to rank it.
1. Once
2. Knocked Up
3. King of Kong
4. Away From Her
5. Zodiac
6. Waitress
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Most Anticipated Films of 2007 (2nd half)
The first half of the year has not yielded a large crop of great movies (I'll post my top picks next week), but the second half seems promising. The following are ranked in order of my anticipation, with the actors/directors/writers causing my anticipation in bold:
1. There Will Be Blood (November 21). Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia). Starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano. Plot: A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century Texas prospector in the early days of the business. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYW2ltW5SPo
2. No Country For Old Men (November 9). Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem. Plot: Llewelyn Moss, while hunting antelope near the Rio Grande, stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRNxZKisSC0
3. American Gangster (November 2). Directed by Ridley Scott. Written by Steven Zaillian. Starring Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington. Plot: True story of Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, who smuggled heroin in the caskets of soldiers killed in Vietnam and was eventually caught by NY detective Richie Roberts, who used Lucas to catch the cops and drug dealers who profited from his scheme. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOSOYSLDuQE
4. The Bourne Ultimatum (August 3). Directed by Paul Greengrass (the other Bournes, United 93). Written by Tony Gilroy. Starring Matt Damon. The third in the series. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmqbY39kuV4
5. Fred Claus (November 9). Directed by David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers). Starring Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, and John Michael Higgins. Plot: Santa Claus' deadbeat & jealous older brother, Fred (Vaughn), must put his bitterness aside when he is forced to move into Santa's home at the North Pole. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d94SlI54e2Q
6. The Darjeeling Limited (Christmas Day). Directed by Wes Anderson. Written by Anderson and Jason Schwartzman. Starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Schwartzman. Plot: The death of their father sends three brothers on a journey through India.
7. Charlie Wilson's War (Christmas Day). Directed by Mike Nichols. Written by Aaron Sorkin (boo). Starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Plot: Based on the life of Texas congressman Charlie Wilson, who survived a scandal that almost ruined his career and went on to oversee the largest CIA operation which funded and armed the mujahideen in Afghanistan.
8. Shine a Light (September 21). A documentary about the Rolling Stones from Martin Scorsese.
9. Sicko (June 29). Documentary about the US healthcare system by Michael Moore. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joaAfBr9tAE
10. Walk Hard (December 14) Directed by Jake Kasdan, produced by Judd Apatow (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up). Written by Kasdan and Apatow. Starring Jenna Fischer (Pam from the Office), John C. Reilly, and Kristen Wiig. Plot: The second half of the 20th Century is given a send-up in this eye-opening romp, as we witness the rise and fall of music great, the wonderfully conceived Dewey Cox.
11. The Mist (November 21). Written and directed by Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile). Starring Andre Braugher and Marcia Gay Harden. Plot: Everyday-guy David Drayton is caught up in a freak storm that unleashes a species of blood-thirsty monsters in his small town.
12. Reservation Road (November 9). Directed by Terry George. Written by George and John Burnham Schwartz. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, and Jennifer Connelly. Plot: A compelling tale of the lure of revenge and the power of redemption. The drama revolves around two fathers whose families and lives tragically converge with the death of a child. In the aftermath, Ethan (Joaquin Phoenix) and Dwight (Mark Ruffalo) each react in unexpected ways as their families struggle to cope and an emotional reckoning looms. Jennifer Connelly plays Grace, Ethan's wife; Mira Sorvino plays Ruth, Dwight's ex-wife.
13. Lions For Lambs. Directed by Robert Redford. Written by Matthew Michael Carnahan. Starring Redford, Tom Cruise, Michael Pena and Meryl Streep. Plot: Injuries sustained by two Army ranger behind enemy lines in Afghanistan set off a sequence of events involving a congressman (Cruise), a journalist (Streep) and a professor (Redford).
14. The Heartbreak Kid (October 5). Written and Directed by the Farrelly Brothers. Starring Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan and Jerry Stiller. Plot: Single and indecisive, Eddie (Ben Stiller) begins dating the incredibly sexy and seemingly fabulous Lila. Upon the urging of his father and best friend, Eddie proposes to her after only a week, fearing this may be his last chance at love, marriage, and happiness. However, while on their honeymoon in sunny Mexico, Lila reveals her true beyond-awful nature and Eddie meets Miranda, the woman he realizes to be his actual soul mate. Eddie must keep his new, increasingly horrid wife at bay as he attempts to woo the girl of his dreams. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-I6oRjR4LQ
15. 3:10 To Yuma (October 5). Directed by James Mangold (Copland, Girl Interrupted and Walk the Line). Written by Stuart Beattie and Michael Brandt. Starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Plot: A small-time rancher agrees to hold a captured outlaw who's awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. A battle of wills ensues as the outlaw tries to psych out the rancher. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeroJ1BK6GQ
16. The Assassination of Jesse James (September 21). Written and Directed by Andrew Dominik. Starring Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck and Sam Shepard. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91mg2zgfI8M
17. Michael Clayton (September 28). Written and Directed by Tony Gilroy (writer, Bourne Identity/Bourne Supremacy). Starring George Clooney, Sydney Pollack, and Tom Wilkinson. Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house "fixer" at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. A former criminal prosecutor, Clayton takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen's dirtiest work at the behest of the firm's co-founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack).
Trailer: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809423158/video/3095320
18. Superbad (August 17). Directed by Greg Mottola. Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Golberg. Starring Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill (Knocked Up), and Michael Cera (George Michael Bluth). Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP74GjzgfdM
19. King of Kong. (August 17). I saw this earlier this year (see review here: http://dlpreviews.blogspot.com/2007/03/king-of-kong.html) and loved it. It is a documentary about the video game subculture and the personalities therein. Trailer: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809834006/video/3053794/
AFI Greatest Movies - Update
1. "Citizen Kane," 1941.
2. "The Godfather," 1972.
3. "Casablanca," 1942.
4. "Raging Bull," 1980.
5. "Singin' in the Rain," 1952.
6. "Gone With the Wind," 1939.
7. "Lawrence of Arabia," 1962.
8. "Schindler's List," 1993.
9. "Vertigo," 1958.
10. "The Wizard of Oz," 1939
Here are some facts and trivia about the American Film Institute's new list of top-100 U.S. movies, with some comparisons to the institute's first such list in 1998:
— Out of the 43 newly eligible films released from 1996 to 2006, only four made the new top-100 list: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," "Saving Private Ryan," "Titanic" and "The Sixth Sense."
— Nineteen other movies that failed to make the cut in 1998 landed on the list this time: "The General," "Intolerance," "Nashville," "Sullivan's Travels," "Cabaret," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," "The Shawshank Redemption," "In the Heat of the Night," "All the President's Men," "Spartacus," "Sunrise," "A Night at the Opera," "12 Angry Men," "Swing Time," "Sophie's Choice," "The Last Picture Show," "Do the Right Thing," "Blade Runner" and "Toy Story."
— Twenty-three films on the 1998 list dropped out of the top-100 this time: "Dr. Zhivago," "The Birth of a Nation," "From Here to Eternity," "Amadeus," "All Quiet on the Western Front," "The Third Man," "Fantasia," "Rebel Without a Cause," "Stagecoach," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "The Manchurian Candidate," "An American in Paris," "Wuthering Heights," "Dances With Wolves," "Giant," "Fargo," "Mutiny on the Bounty," "Frankenstein," "Patton," "The Jazz Singer," "My Fair Lady," "A Place in the Sun" and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner."
— The earliest film represented is 1916's "Intolerance" and the newest is 2001's "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring."
— The 1970s is the most-represented decade, with 20 films. (San Jose Mercury News)
For the rest of the list, go to the comments section.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The Prestige - A
On DVD. 130 minutes. Rated PG-13.
Against any plausible odds, two movies came out this past year starring Victorian magicians. The other, The Illusionist, was okay and already reviewed on this site. This one, however, is truly great. I watched it in the theatre originally (with Lawyer, actually) and truly enjoyed it, but the second viewing really opened it up for me. Directed by Christopher Nolan who co-wrote with his brother Jonathan, this marks an impressive string for these siblings who also worked together on Memento (A) and Batman Begins (B+). Christopher also directed the English version of Insomnia (B+) during that time. The direction by Christopher here is flawless. While he continues to play with chronology, the structure of this film mirrors the structure of a magician's trick. The pledge, which is the set-up; the turn, in which an ordinary objects does something extraordinary (such as disappear); and the prestige, in which the original object is brought back or restored. The film comes back repeatedly to particular images and themes (a bird in a cage, the necessity of death or sacrifice to pull off a big trick, what happens to the pledge while the prestige is taking the bows) to bring continuity to the film and remind you, gnawingly, that a filmmaker of this power isn't going to go through this much trouble just to entertain you.
The plot is as follows. Two magicians, both well-played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, have a rivalry which, due to the accidental death of Jackman's wife in an underwater trick in which Christian Bale was involved, turns sinister. Bale's character marries, driving Jackman to jealousy and violent attempts at retribution for the death of his own wife. As the rivalry escalates and becomes more deadly, both men risk more and more in an attempt to best the other. Eventually death and even their souls are not off limits. The twists are constant but never cheap. And the ending, or endings more like it, have so many dimensions and enough open question that I'm still not sure what all transpired.
The cast is superb. Michael Caine narrates and figures heavily in the plot as a designer of illusions. Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly?) does a pretty good job as Bale's depressed and confused wife. David Bowie is here as well as eccentric American inventor Tesla (wikipedia that dude, and, yes, the rock band is named after him), and Andy Serkis (Gollum) has a nice turn as his assistant.
What really sticks with you after this, though, are the recurring images of being caged and either escaping or dying trying to. Tied to this are the recurring themes of glory, sacrifice and death. The film not only explores filmmaking through the categories of the pledge, the turn, and the prestige, but also life and, ultimately, issues of the existance of God and the afterlife. I say once more, this is a great film. After watching it again, I would put only The Departed before it of the films that were made last year. That it was nominated for only two Oscars, and in technical categories, is a travesty. A.