1. Into the Wild (releasing September 21)- Written and Directed by Sean Penn, starring Emile Hirsch with Vince Vaughn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikPZdpGDmOg
2. Sunshine (released today)- Directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNZwrgFo3GE
3. Fred Claus - Longer trailer than previously posted: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMC0zuVeTIg
4. The Walker (releasing this fall) - Written and Directed by Paul Schrader (Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, American Gigolo, Affliction): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ffkyMbAioQ
5. Untitled JJ Abrams Movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQWFOgvPE20
6. Bee Movie: Jerry Seinfeld's new kids project (this one has the priest/doc mancrush in it): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm8EuE36rZA
Friday, July 20, 2007
New Trailers
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Climates– B-
On DVD
Set in Turkey, this movie is about the difficult break-up of college professor Isa and his much younger TV director girlfriend Bahar. They break up at the beach while on vacation but he obsesses about her over the following months. He has a short fling with a former girlfriend before tracking Bahar down.
To say it’s leisurely paced would be a compliment. Turkish actor/writer/director Nuri Bilge Ceylan spends many minutes on the girlfriend’s face (played by his real life wife). Dude, we get it, you think she’s pretty. His other directorial touches are hit or miss. Before the break-up, while sleeping on the beach, she dreams that he smothers her with sand. Subtle. Did they teach that on the first day or the second day of film school? His use of the changing seasons as a metaphor for the complex feelings in all of us is nice, though. The use of snow is beautiful.
Ceylan has obviously watched a lot of Ingmar Bergman films with his camera angles and pacing. But the plot feels like Woody Allen (think Manhattan or Hannah and Her Sisters) – without the humor. It may only be that the Turkish culture is changing or modernizing into ours, but some common ground should be acknowledged in times like these. B-
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Snap Judgments - a quick review of 5 movies
After the Wedding (2006) - Nominated for Best Foreign Language film a few months ago, this Denmark drama stars Mads Mikkelsen as a Dane working in an orphanage in India. He is summoned back to Denmark by the orphanage's sponsor. The film takes unexpected twists when he gets there and nothing is as it seems. The film continues to surprise right up until the last scene. Mikkelsen played the cartoonish poker-playing bad guy in Casino Royale last year and displays great depth and humanity here. One minute he's (literally) busting James Bond's balls, the next he's teaching orphans. Crazy world. A little long and the songs suck, but there are great moments of raw emotion here. B
Night at the Museum (2006) - 250 million bucks in North American money can't be wrong, 
can it? Of course it can. Ben Stiller is a divorced loser trying to prove worth to his son. He won't be able to see his son regularly unless he's employed. He takes a job as the night watchman at the Museum of Natural History. Everything comes alive after hours and Stiller must follow certain rules to survive. The special effects have been done to death and Stiller's mugging grew tiresome 4 movies ago. Worst of all, Ricky Gervais is wasted and Carla Gugino keeps her top on. C (for Crap)
Bridge to Terabithia (2007) - Two uncool 
rural pre-teens create a magical world in the woods behind their homes. Bullies at school get their comeuppance, parents realize they've been too harsh, and rays of sunlight are stolen from church and used to kill really horrible "special" effects. If you didn't like Chronicles of Narnia, you'll really hate this. C-
Spoiler alert - The lead female pre-teen falls to her death shortly after saying she didn't think non-believers will go to hell if they are good. Hmm. Have fun with Hitler and Stalin, sweetie.
Old Joy - (2006) - Every year a really terrible movie ends up on dozens of critics' top ten lists. 
Old Joy is about two old friends who get together for a camping trip. One is a hippie environmentalist wacko with a creepy gay stalker streak. The other has sold out to the man by getting married and working at a regular job. What a bastard. The "film" was apparently shot on a VCR camera made in 1984. I'd give it an F, but it only wasted 76 minutes of my life. And the dog was pretty cool. D
Venus - (2006) - Peter O'Toole plays the dirtiest old man i
n film history. He meets a teenager and uses his status as a legendary actor to remain close to her. I'm sure that was quite a stretch. O'Toole is very funny here and it's sometimes startling how profane he gets with his friends. The movie is watchable enough but not spectacular. Director Roger Michell showed some flair with Changing Lanes (2002), but goes through the motions here. B-
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Rescue Dawn - A-
In theaters. Rated PG-13, 120 minutes.
Rescue Dawn is a story of survival and the triumph of will. The film tells the true story of Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale), a US pilot shot down in Laos during a top-secret bombing raid. Writer/Director Werner Herzogg (a widely known German auteur and the director of the documentary Grizzly Man (B)) structures the film in three acts: First the pre-mission setup, mission, shoot down and transport to a POW camp, Second the camp experience and plans for escape, and Third the struggle for survival in the jungle.
The Second act, set entirely within a small rattan compound in the jungle, shows the bonding and gallows humor that must occur in such a situation. When Dieter arrives, he learns that the other captives (notably Steve Zahn (Out of Sight, Reality Bites) and Jeremy Davies (Saving Private Ryan)) have been there for up to 2 years and are either broken (Davies) or nearly broken (Zahn). Zahn's performance is phenomenal. his eyes communicate the character's desperation and hunger, while his overall 
manner exhibits the impacts of such harsh treatment and fragility. He should be nominated for this performance. Davies is strong as well, playing the paranoid and rail-thin weak link in the group's escape plans.
The escape, orchestrated by the ever-dynamic Dieter, ushers in the rewarding Third act. The jungle, the vegetation, the leaches, the snakes, and the natives all play a role in wearing down Dieter and Zahn to within inches of their death. The relationship between the two men (Dieter as big brother and caretaker and Zahn as helpless) is powerful and authentic. The rescue scenes are stirring, even for a jaded guy like me.
Herzogg is a 60-something German native, so his perspective on the Vietnam war and conflict allow the film not to get bogged down on typical Vietnam fare like playing 'Fortunate Son' or having some weird drug-induced interlude. This film focuses on Dieter and his determined and upbeat approach to his captivity and pursuit of rescue.
Overall, this is the best film of the year so far for me, displacing Once. The score is by Klaus Badelt(Miami Vice, The Thin Red Line), and is excellent without being over the top. Bale is good in the film, and I think he's a likely Oscar nominee for best actor, but I am keeping my powder dry for that category for now.
Schindler's List - in 10 Pictures
Schindler's plan.
Meet Amon Goethe (and actor Ralph Fiennes)
Coppola did this in 1982 with Rumble Fish – but who saw that?
An old man saved by the grace of God.
Goethe pardons himself.
The most powerful film image of the 90s – this picture is worth 1000 pictures.
“What’s a person worth?” “No, no, no, no. What’s one worth to you?“ The pivotal question in a perfectly blocked, lit, and acted scene.
And the money shot.
Brilliant lighting. You could infer a higher power approving (or inspiring) the list.
Schindler’s revelation.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Street Fight - B+
On DVD (2005). Rated PG, 82 minutes.
Street Fight is an Oscar nominated documentary about the 2002 Mayoral election in Newark, New Jersey. The race pitted two black democrats against eachother: the 16 year incumbent, Sharpe James, against the first term city council member, Cory Booker.
The 66 year old James is an old-time corrupt politician, while Booker is a 32 year old Yale educated lawyer. Their styles and campaigns couldn't be any different, and the conflict the election reveals is a picture of how the new generation of black leaders is being held back by the old generation. Ultimately the thuggish and corrupt tactics prevail and James wins re-election.
Those of you who know me will understand why I watched this one. For me the film was riveting, but I wasn't blown away. The filmmaker, Marshall Curry, has a fascinating and layered subject, but leaves some of the side stories and poignancy of the election out.
20 Movies I like Better Than Anyone Else, Part 2
The first 10: http://dlpreviews.blogspot.com/2007/06/20-movies-i-like-better-than-anyone.html
Election (1999). Written and Directed by Alexander Payne, the starkness of the dialogue and frank treatment of Mr. McAllister (Matthew Broderick) are so strong that I love this movie. Reese Witherspoon is great as the insipid and driven Tracy Flick. 
The Castle (1997). This little seen film is a Waiting for Guffman-esque comedy with a heart. The struggle of a man to keep his 'castle' from an eminent domain action of the Australian government is chock full of quotes we still use at our house "This is going sssstraight to the pool room", "Ah the serenity". This is a must-see.
My Left Foot (1989). The first of Director Jim Sheridan's collaborations with Daniel Day-Lewis is a powerful story of family, adversity and inner-demons. Brenda Fricke (as Christy Brown's mother) and Hugh O'Connor (as the young Brown) both put in delicate and underrated performances. The scene when Christy writes Mother is one of my top 10 movie scenes of all time.
Hands on a Hardbody (1997). This documentary is set in the parking lot of a Longview, Texas auto dealer. The film tracks the contest (whoever keeps their hand on the truck the longest wins the truck) and the contestants. The Director, SR Bindler, stumbled onto a goldmine with this one. The Texas culture and bizarre and poignant people involved make for a classic. At the time of his death, Robert Altman was working on a fictional adaptation of this.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985). 
Tim Burton's directorial debut was a revelation to me at 9, and still holds up after all these years. Written by Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman, the film is goofy but biting and its sensibility is moral and admirable. This is the one film I can't wait to watch with my kids (I've already cheated a little and watched the opening breakfast sequence with them). Favorite line...Frances: "Pee Wee, Listen to reason." Pause. Pee Wee puts his hand to his ear. Frances: "Pee Wee!". Pee Wee: "Shhhh. I'm listening to reason." 
Love Actually (2003). For some reason, I cannot get enough of this. Hugh Grant is at his finest as the single and self-aware Prime Minister and Keira Knightley does a great job as the object of unrequited love. I can't stand the Liam Neeson storyline or the Colin Firth storyline, but the others make it all worth while. One of my absolute favorite Christmas movies.
Rushmore (1999). Wes Anderson's films all take place in the present day, but he creates his own reality. In Rushmore, a 15 year old competes with a brilliant Bill Murray for the affections of a teacher. The soundtrack and screenplay are impeccable, and this was shot when Wes hadn't made it yet and couldn't get lost in the details of the set wallpaper. Murray's performance and the unique but clever story combine to make this one of my favorite movies. Favorite lines: "Oh, are you?", "Q: Were you in the sht? A: Yeah, I was in the sht.", "Harvard's my safety."
The Breakup (2006). Panned by most critics, I thought this was the funniest movie of last year. The relationship and the fighting involved were very real and well done, and the interplay between Vince and everyone else in the film is classic. Favorite lines: "Elephant Hog", "jumping, dancing sprite", "Band of Brothers, you should watch it", "come Gary, on the kick drum, come come!"
In the Name of the Father (1993). Besides the fact that I saw this with Doctor in the theater along with 3 other future doctors at the time, this is the rare movie that can stir me up. The father/son relationship between Pete Posthelwaithe and Daniel Day-Lewis is the core of the film and shows that relationship in a raw and meaningful way. The feelings and performances in the last scene are intense.
UHF (1989). This Weird Al Yankovic movie still makes me laugh. Some of the gags are really stupid, but some are genius, like Conan the Librarian and Michael Richards' first film role as the Forrest Gump of Janitors, Stanley Spadowski. You can't beat the show "Wheel of Fish."
Thursday, July 12, 2007
The Fog of War - A-
On DVD (2003). Rated PG-13, 116 minutes.
The Fog of War explores Robert S. McNamara's (US Secretary of Defense 1960-1967) impact on the world through a 2003 interview and archival recordings and footage. Widely villified and blamed for the war in Vietnam, McNamara is a controversial figure in recent US history. In this film he essentially makes the point that he, along with all humans, is fallible, and morality and ethics are not clear cut when you lead the largest and most powerful military force in the history of the world.
I was most struck by the humanity and fragility revealed in the film. Many people assume that high level leaders, such as McNamara or presidents or senators, are super-human and have some special insight or magical ability. The truth of the matter is, they're just smart folks that fate put in those positions, just like you or I. The recordings of McNamara talking with Kennedy and Johnson about the Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam are scary and revealing. They don't know the answers and aren't sure about the outcomes.
One of the highlights for me was McNamara's discussions on the dangerous intersection of nuclear power and human fallibility. He discusses in detail how close we really were to nuclear war in Cuba, and seems generally convinced that such a conflict is an eventual certainty. Another highlight was his discussion of whether he was responsible for the firebombing of Japanese cities during WWII (when he was an adviser to the Pacific theater general). He gets into the 'greater good' and asks the question why something is moral only if you win; he hypothesizes that had the US lost he and his commander would've been guilty of war crimes for the firebombings. Is killing 100,000 Japanese civilians in one night morally justified if it helps the US win the war?
The film also underscores the randomness, chaos, and inter-relatedness of seemingly small events in the world. McNamara talks at length about how LBJ only started bombing on North Vietnam after an erroneous report of a bombing. The filmmakers play the audio from the boat captain that reported the false torpedo attack, and it is amazing to think that an error by a couple of sonar techs on a boat in the Pacific ushered in a conflict that killed more than 50,000 Americans and tore apart the most powerful country in the world.
This is a must-see for anyone with even a passing interest in history and ethics.
5 From Bob Dylan
Favorite lyrics: Better jump down a manhole/Light yourself a candle/Don't wear sandals/Try to avoid scandals
Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright – A perfect early song about a young relationship break-up.
Favorite Lyrics: I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind/You could have done better but I don't mind/You just kinda wasted my precious time/But don't think twice, it's all right
Visions of Johanna – Lost love this obsessive and depressing has never been this beautiful. Replace “Johanna” with anyone or anything and you’ve got a timeless message.Favorite Lyrics: The ghost of electricity howls in the bones of her face/Where these visions of Johanna have now taken my place
Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) – For those who think Dylan never had any pop sensibility, I point to this one.
Favorite Lyrics: Come all without, come all within/You've not see nothing like the mighty Quinn.
Favorite lyrics: I’ve been double-crossed now for the very last time and now I'm finally free/I kissed goodbye the howling beast on the borderline which separated you from me.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Breaking and Entering - C-
On DVD (2006), 120 minutes, Rated R.
Wanting so badly to make statements on the complex nature of male-female relationships, forgiveness, and redemption, Breaking and Entering ultimately feels like one long apologetic from Jude Law for cheating on Sienna Miller. Jude plays Will Francis, long-time (10-year) boyfriend of Liv (Robin Wright Penn) and surrogate father to Liv's troubled daughter from a previous relationship. Will would like to marry, but Liv can't let him in. Meanwhile, the downtown London architecture firm Francis is partner in is repeatedly burglarized by local youths. He hides and chases one home one night to his mother (Juliette Binoche), a seamstress. Smitten, he starts bringing her pants to hem, then begins a liaison with her. Her son ultimately recognizes Will from pictures in Jude's laptop, which he still has from the robbery, and outs him to mom.
Relationships, of course, are tricky, but there's nothing that strikes true in this film. Will's actions are, well, creepy and non-sensical. And where is the woman that refuse to marry Jude Law after ten years (but want to stay in the relationship, mind you) when he's successful, loving, and caring towards her troubled child? And when is cheating okay, anyway? Leave. You're not married. In the end, the relationships all seem hollow and unreal-- making any solutions they pretend to point to the same. C-
Prairie Home Companion - B+
On DVD (2006), 105 minutes, PG-13.
Robert Altman's final film is a fitting meditation on death punctuated by life. With Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, John C. Reilly, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Maya Rudolph, and Virginia Madsen, there's star power enough here to make me nervous. No reason. Each performance is finely nuanced and dead-on with Streep and Tomlin's Johnson Sisters so good it's scary. Still, the real star here is Garrison Keillor, who acts and adapted the screenplay. As in some Woody Allen works, Keillor can be heard in every line spoken by every player.
The film, shot primarily in real time, is the final installment of a no-longer-profitable old-time radio show (the same type of show, and with the same name, that Keillor brings to NPR audiences each week). The entertainers take turns singing songs and contemplating their next move until one of their own passes between numbers. Similar to Garrison's weekly show, the plot is a little beside the point. It's the cumulated effect of dozens asides, pithy sayings, pitch-perfect accents, and small-town America wisdom perfectly rendered. There's nothing shockingly new here and nothing that really sticks out, but what it is is executed perfectly. It is a rare thing to watch a national treasure at the top of his game. Between Streep and Keillor, Companion brings us two. B+
As an aside, I had the opportunity to watch films on back-to-back nights dealing with death-- this and The Fountain (B for me, sorry lawyer). Both films try and make sense of mortality through the lens of religion, with the Fountain using Buddhism and a Mayan myth and this one using Christian hymns and scripture. Their styles are as contradictory as their messages, with Fountain ornate, beautiful and philosophical and Companion deceptively simple, but packing the joys and sorrows of life. They work nicely together, both illuminating the stories that serve as lenses for us as we try and make sense of this life and its ending.
Monday, July 9, 2007
The Transformers - B-
In Theatres, 144 minutes, PG-13.
Just after Cabbage Patch Kids on the toy continuum and before Super Mario Brothers and the first Nintendo system were The Transformers. These toys, the hot toy circa 1983, were robots that, through a series of twists, bends, and turns, transformed into planes, cars, and, eventually, dinosaurs. For a generation (of which I am a part) they were the coolest toy in any kids arsenal, sitting heads-and-shoulders above G.I. Joe, He-Man, and even Legos. Add a sweet cartoon series to boot, and you’ve got a Gen X touchstone.
Leave it to that purveyor of FX smut Michael Bay to see the potential goldmine here and bring these toys to the big screen—and does he bring them. I’m no fan of Michael Bay, although I did like Bad Boys and the first half of The Island—and the man does understand spectacle, but this flick is decidedly better than his usual. The Transformers themselves are phenomenal visual treats. Every time they change it’s a site to behold, and not just because a twenty-five foot tall robot manages to squeeze into a sports car. You can see the vehicle components in the robots and they look, in their robot form, very similar to the toys we played with as kids. At the same time in their vehicle form this generation transformers often appear nothing like their original vehicle counter-parts. This is because General Motors, for what I can only guess was an extravagant sum of money, managed to get each of the Autobots (good guys) in the form of a GM car. Money well spent. The cars look great, and goodness knows GM could use some sex appeal.
The human stars don’t all fair as well. It seems if you were young enough to play with these toys you still understand how to play in this film, but if you weren’t, 
you don’t. This latter group includes such usual dependables as Jon Voight and Jon Turturro, both lost here. Meanwhile Shia LaBeouf, proving again that he is the real deal (see Disturbia), plays slightly nerdy high school student Sam Witwicky He is the smart, anti-jock who knows his time is coming but isn’t quite sure when. Providing cleavage in a mini-skirt is Megan Fox who does a much better job with the very little character she has to work with than would be expected. Josh Duhamel is also solid as Captain Lennox until his character becomes too unbelievable to legitimately ask anyone to embody. There’s no Oscars here, but no Razzie’s either.
The plot is this: LaBouf’s grandfather, arctic explorer Captain Witwicky inadvertently discovered Megatron (leader of the bad guys, the Decepticons) frozen in the ice, along with a giant cube (think Rubic’s) called the Allspark (no idea, honestly, but it appears to be important and lead to life). These items are quickly commandeered by the U.S. Government, but not before Megatron encodes the coordinates of the Allspark on Witwicky’s spectacles, which subsequently are handed down to Sam. Via an ebay sale, both the Autobots and Decepticons become aware of these glasses, leaving Sam in the middle of a war to find the Allspark and
The battle scenes are great until the climax, which gets overly long, too complicated, and way too unrealistic (even assuming the fictional world of the film). The young leads are as delightful as the plot is ridiculous. Still, the coolest toy around remains unbelievably cool. Michael Bay manages to not mess that up, not always an easy feat. B-
The White Stripes Icky Thump A-
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.
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