Costa-Gavras a Go-Go

I've been too poor to go to the theatre lately, so we'll be throwing it back this rainy and overcast afternoon. Between the Kenneth Anger shorts i've been consuming (and of course requisite episodes of Gossip Girl, Modern Family, and Park & Recreation) I watched two Costa-Gavras films. My co-workers were aruging as to which was better, so i watched both, and concluded that both are amazing in their own ways. Depicting politically charged events without seeming preachy is kind of a feet, but both films are just so remarkably engaging that it's hard to feel they are talking at you.

Z (1969)
Based around the murder of a leftist politician during a crowded and heated situation between the followers of the politician and the protestors against him. I liked that the murder was during the begining yet the film didn't lose any momentum. I remember when I saw the murder, I felt so outraged. I wanted to yell at my TV screen. That alone would prove a successful film, but it is to stylisically advanced that it really deserves it's criterion release. The depiction of the wife's grief was a highlight.

Missing (1982)
Probably more accessible than Z, Missing stars Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek. The story revolves around the "true events" of the dissapearance of American jouralist Charles Horman, and depsite the fact you pretty much know at the begining he is dead, you can't help but wish and hope with the father and wife. I enjoyed how Lemmon's character, a Christian scientist, sat in almost complete ideological opostion to Horman's wife, played by Sissy Spacek. Missing is equally engaging as Z, but some of the scene are overwhelming and heart breaking, the helpless feeling by the end when Horman's coffin slides from the airplane edges it ahead.

Ultimately, if your interested in watching a movie that really envelops you but not in an escapist way, both Z and Missing are good choices. Actually, watch them both.

2012: Don't worry, it looks cool when you're doomed

First and foremost, I should say that 2012 is not ostensibly a "good" film, in fact it's complete schlock, but in the best way. As an avid fan of disaster cinema I couldn't help but pick out all the references to other movies (*cough* Posiedon Adventure) though it doesn't do so in a smart way, but i'm easy. Though more disaster porn than disaster cinema, I couldn't help but share in Woody Harelson's aw at the distruction of our planetin 2012. Throw in lots of non-sensical plot points and a reaffirmation of the nuclear family and you've got a high concept film. Oh, and just so you're sure to fill the theatre, base it around not leaving Joe Shmoe behind in the midst of a recession. Well, actually only one family so don't all come running at once.

Feminist FlashBack: Born In Flames

As part of my independent higher learning, I'm ghost taking a course. By that I mean, I have the syllabus, and I am just going through it myself by watching the films and doing the readings. Most of it 've already done in previous classes but there are a few films I haven't seen, one of them being Born In Flames. From the title song that plays throughout to the seemingly found footage implanted at opportune times, Born In Flames caputres the feeling of a movement in one of the most provocative ways i have seen to date. Since I usually concern myself with as many female filmmakers, women's films, and anything of feminist interest, I figured there was a reason i hadn't seen this yet. Midway through, and after I cleaned up all the drool from being so enamored with it I asked myself WHY haven't I seen this? And furthermore, is that Kathryn Bigelow? The answer is, yes it is, and not seeing this film must be a fluke. Born in Flames put all of the femnist film theory, particularly that of constructing a women's history through it's own filmic means, into perspective. Watch and learn, ladies (and gentleman), watch and learn.

Zombieland

Horror-Comedy tends to be a pretty interesting genre because it seems to be easy to mess it up since you have to turn horrific events into something comical. Zombieland takes a nerdy kid, turns him into a reluctant killer and pairs him with the complete anti-thesis to him. The hilarious rules, mixed with well-placed narration over pretty gorey zombie killings is perfect. I knew i'd like it from the opening credits, and the film upholds throughout, though falling a little too sentimental for my tastes about a 3/4 of the way through. The BEST part for me was Emma Stone in a pretty breakout performance and of course the Bill Murray cameo. Seriously, i laughed until I cried at that part. Add in the "Zombie Kill of The Week" and you realize that the writers had just as much fun writing the film as you did watching it.
4.5/5

Jennifer's Body V.S Sorority Row

First off, clearly Jennifer's Body is the best written/shot etc. of the two. I saw Jennifer's Body and the opening night of Midnight Madness at TIFF, so the experience was prime. However, Sorority Row had the entertainment value of a "bad film", so instead of giving you a few psuedo-funny lines about both, i'd suggest at some point SEE both and take into account the following grading system. What am I saying they'll be some lines, let's face it, i can't NOT.

Jennifer's Body
Eye Candy:A-
I'm not a Megan Fox fan looks wise as most, in fact I found Amanda Seyfried quite cute in it. The grade would have been lower if it wasn't for the fact they make out.
Gore Factor: A
Pretty awesome, though a little cheesy at times.
Witty Lines: A
Diablo Cody wrote it, enough said
Special Add-Ons: Midnight Madness experience with the whole cast, directors and Diablo Cody in attendance.
Overall: A
Tightly written and darkly funny, Jennifer's Body put women in the Horror genre in a smart an interesting way. The Heathers references were ablaze which would probably only irk hardcore Heather fans, but Cody is obviously very schooled in the genre.

Sorority Row
Eye Candy: A
Briana Evigan turns out to be quite the babe by the end.
Gore Factor: C+
Unnecessary stuff, not fun, already overdone .
Witty Lines: B+
Sorority Row is ostensibly a pretty poorly written film, but in the best way. Actually, the Jessica character says pretty tasteless things throughout the film. It was thoroughly entertaining.
Special Add-On: We snuck in some Rum for our coke. It's a group movie thing.
Overall: B-
Okay, it's not the best film, or a good one at all, but its so much FUN to see, and I swear it wasn't just the alcohol. Did i mention Briana Evigan is a babe in it?

Summer Hours

Summer Hours is a film that reminds me why I love modern French films, and I would categorize it as quintessentially French. There's a certain subtlety i really enjoyed, as well as the Renoir-esq setting. At first glance, not too much particularly happens after the death of the matriarch passes on, but the question of what to do with her worldly possessions engrosses each character in their own way. Summer Hours is an interesting character study worth emersing yourself in.

Exracting a decent plot

We went with a couple friends to see Extract, the new Mike Judge film, in hopes of being entertained for a couple hours. Thankfully, all four of us generally were. There were a few laughs, cheap stoner jokes, and the suspicion that either Judge's humour is lacking or i've just outgrown it. I loved B&B growing up, HATED King of The Hill and completely praise Office Space, but Extract is kind of all three in detention. It seemed like he was supplementing gloriously childish humour for a more refined sense of comedy. Unforunately for Judge, there is a reason why not every kid gets an A in the class. Bateman and Wiig who are usually on point, turn into dodgeball dropouts in this mess of a film.

The Inglorious Hills

Okay, so I was lazy with the title.

I've been failing as a video store clerk lately, and haven't been watching too many movies, and by that I mean i've only watched 4 this week. Mostly all my spare time has gone to writing and watching the Hills. At first I thought, what a bunch of rich mindless girls concerning themselves with the most minute things, and I watched it because I wanted to watch something light. It became sort of a guilty pleasure, and i've been watching it (on DVD) until pretty late at night. I think, for me, being in basically the complete opposite position it was kind of like watching people at a zoo, which sounds pretty condescending, but it's because i can't identify with most of it. THEN i sort of realized, they arent as stupid as they initially sound, and sometimes they would say things I would say or use certain phrases etc. This is not to say I identify with the girls of the Hills, it just became more fascinating than revolting. I especially like Whitney. I read she got a degree in Gender Studies, which made me feel less bad about finding her the most interesting character/person. I still don't know where I stand on the show or it's characters, but I do know that it can be fascinating stuff. At hte very least, it has the best establishing shots of any TV show. Seriously, despite all the ipod billboards, they are beautiful.

I spent so much time talking about the Hills, and sort of defending my interest that i haven't talked about seeing Inglorious Basterds.

Everytime I try to hate Quentin Tarantino, he makes a movie like this. I don't dislike him as a director per se, mostly how he is taken up. I do dislike how much he "creatively borrows" from other films. Putting Uma Thurman in the exact same outfit in Kill Bill as Bruce Lee in Game of Death is more than just a nod, considering half-wits now identify it with Uma instead of Bruce. Not quite his fault, but still, pretty lame. Back to the film , I love violence nuanced with nonchalant humour, and Tarantino pulls it off so well. Cinematography wise it was really good, too. He just seems to have a humour about himself through film that I can't help but like. You win again, Quentin, you win again.

Last Days of Disco

I recently watched Last Days Of Disco, which is a new addition to the criterion collection. Starring a stunning Chloe Sevigny and a deliciously bitchy Kate Beckinsale, the film chronicles the life/nightlife of a group of intertwined upper class characters during the fall of Disco. What I liked initially was the banter, and how identification with it kind of wavered. Sometimes I'd think, these people are terrible and other times I'd agree with what they were saying, and identify with their passion in a musical movement no matter how fad-laden. I think Wit Stilman wanted that to happen since the characters are not heroicised, but you can't help to feel a bit sorry for them when Disco Dies and they refuse to accept it. Not being a recent Harvard grad, in fact a debt ridden post grad, I couldn't help but like the fact that everything they've scrutinized and invested so much pretension in ultimately breaks down and dies. I guess that's what happens when you take yourself too seriously.

so...

oh hey blog, what's up? I haven't seen you in a while, how have you been? Just kidding, but really i'm slacking on this thing! What is humorous is that i've been doing very little except watching movies but without the internet it's difficult to update. I could type it out on my Blackberry, but that's too arduous, and plus the typos would run more rampid than herpes at an ACDC concert, but I digress.

District 9
I scored free passes to see this one early, which already put me in a good mood. The movie itself did not disappoint, even though we had to wait 20 minutes before they got the thing running. The first half of the film is plot heavy, while the second half is action heavy which ended up working out quite nicely. The plot works to humanize the aliens, and the decision to yield on the action only works to build up the latter half. This build up and amazing execution renders pretty much the best results imaginable. It's like a roller coaster ride, and if I would have had to pay $13 to see it, it would most definitely be worth the it.

Well its late and I work, so I am going to shoot off 5 recommendations before I go:

Code Unknown
Juliet of The Spirits
House (Japanese)
Badlands
Towering Inferno

okay the last one isn't a good film per se, but it's so much fun to watch 70's disaster flicks! Did I just say "Shoot Off"? Yeah..i'm leaving...

Only and The Education of Charlie Banks

First up is the Canadian film Only. Premiering in Toronto last night, Only is an independnt movie on a shoestring budget with a close-knit crew. The story revolves around one day in Parry Sound when two young kids meet and wander for the duration of the day. First off, the look of the film turned out pretty well considering the lack of funds, especially apparent in the exterior shots. Like most Canadian films it's a gem, but nothing ground breaking. I'd still give it a chance though if you're flipping through the newspaper wondering what to see, since you'll probably never get the chance again. 3.5/5

The Education of Charlie Banks is the second film from Fred Durst. Yes, Fred Durst. People keep trying to tell me he's a smart guy, but I just can't get the image as him in Limp Bizkit out of my head. The film is no Longshots, that's for sure. The movie though raw and engaging, especially because of the acting ability of Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Ritter, plays like Durst read "Film Directing For Dummies". All the shots are basic and absolutely nothing is new. I did enjoy Charlie Banks, but mostly because of the interplay between the two lead characters. 3.5/5

Altman Diaries

Recently I've emerged myself into all things Robert Altman. With each movie I grow more and more sad of his demise. Still, watch more Robert Altman! Yeah you've probably seen the big/more recent stuff - Gosford Park, M.A.S.H, Nashville etc. but here's five more you should check out.

1 - Ready-To-Wear: The humour in this movie is definetely unique and refreshing. Also, it's cool to see al the wicked fashion from the 90's
2- The Player: With tons of cameos you'll find yourself saying "hey that guy!" but don't let that overpower the brilliantly self reflexive plot and the inspiring cinematography.
3 - 3 Women: I've said it before, it's a weird film, but in the best way.
4 - California Split: You can't help but love Elliot Gould in this movie, with all his sceems to win and all his short comings he still remains so resiliently positive.
5 - Short Cuts: more to come on this gem later!

Adventureland and Doc Suggestions

hey hey, so i got caught up with my watchmen list that I haven't posted in awhile. my bad. I've seen a lot of movies since my last post. We've been on a bit of a doc frenzy, some suggestions if you are in the mood are: Our Daily Bread (the lack of narration nuances the images of how farm rendered food is made perfectly). Gimme Shelter is another triumph for the Maysles brothers. Hell House is a Christian fundamentalist doc that is both humorous and frightening. Killer at Large is a doc that focuses on America's obesity problem. Ganja Queen had the whole store stop to watch the outcome of an Australian woman's trail for being caught with several pound of marijuana in Bali. Admittedly I watch the last one a bit ago but it blew my mind.

Adventureland was an enjoyable film. If you were looking for something as funny a Superbad, you'll be disappointed, but the soundtrack makes the film. I kind of have a crush on Kristen Stewart, so seeing her in Lou Reed tees added to the fact that I liked watching this movie. The acting was decently executed, and I left the film being glad I saw it but it's not something I would try to see again.

8 Things That SUCKED About the Watchmen

i should preempt this by saying that I SNUCK into the Watchmen, and I wish I could take it back. I know what you're thinking, too much film snobbery, but this is the most conservative right wing comic book adaptation i've ever seen. I don't care how true to the graphic novel it's supposed to be, it's 2009, it's not cool to present such a problematic film. So the list.

1) The sound track. Leonard Cohen for a raunchy less than romantic sex scene? Really? I feel the soundtrack was basically somebody's ipod left on shuffle.
2) Okay, "Pink Triangle" company being evil. The gay characters are either villains or are killed. What a positive representation. Also, thanks for saying "indecent life style" when talking about lesbians. Don't try to argue Rorschach meant it in a good way, because he was going on a rant about how awful and morally corrupt the city was becoming.
3) Too much blue penis. We see it, it's there, but seriously the au naturale thing is no fun on the big screen. Yeah, i don't like penis in general but this was too much.
4) Malin Akerman sounds like Drew Barrymore, and nobody likes her voice. She also looks like every other Hollywood starlet, but not in a good way.
5) The really cheesy sex scene, what is this 300? (edit: Oh man Zack Snyder directed that too...)
6) The script was trying too hard to sound film-noir-esq but came off as an excerpt from a 15 year old emo kid's diary.
7) At first I like the slow motion effect, but it got to be way too much. The effect was like watching my grandmother attempt to open a jar. You just want to take from her and do it yourself, but you can't.
8) I probably would have paid NOT to see it.

The Wrestler , Ben X

I FINALLY saw the Wrestler, and it's a bit later so a lengthy review would most likely be redundant. At work the review were mixed. Most people really loved it but a couple people detested it, especially a guy I work with who loves wrestling and Aronofsky. I end up being thoroughly entertained, especially by Mickey Rourke's portrayal of a two parts sad one part well-meaning Randy "The Ram" Robinson. We all (should) remember the wrestling craze of our childhoods if it was in the 80's or 90's, and even may remember a few mock WWF matches with siblings or neighbors, so a depiction of the life of a wrestler today is an interesting topic. The humor is really interesting. Also, Marisa Tomei does a good job as a stripper, she really thew herself into the role. I should give her props for being nude most of the film at 45 years old, she looks amazing. And the acting, well lets just say she looks amazing.
<4/5>

Ben X is a Belgian film about an Autistic boy who uses an online video game to escape the constant bullying. Films that attempt to delve inside mind with such a diagnosis often times get tripped up in the barrier that linear filmaking often puts up. Non-linear films to match non-liner thinking are almost the only way to be somewhat realistic, but at the same time loses touch with its audience. Ben X juggles this issues pretty well, despite the fact Ben is either victimized or vilified for the first half of the film. The ending has a compelling twist, which make us for some messing editting directly beforehand.
<3.5/5>

Fired Up!

Obviously Fired Up is not a film that should be taken seriously, but what is so great about it is that it doesn't take itself seriously. It's terribly quotable, and a lot of fun to watch. Yes, I'm predispositioned to the inclusion of a lesbian character, but the writers are careful that we are not laughing AT her but with her. It's not a homophobic film, though admittedly, it is problematic at times. By the end credits, where the laughs aren't over yet, it's a solid and satisfying film and worth my seeing it TWICE. Yes, Twice. what? there were CHEERLEADERS!
<4.5/5>

It's Not Me, I Swear!

A lot of good films have been coming out of Quebec in the past five years or so (read: C.R.A.Z.Y) and It's Not Me I Swear is no exception. It's both charming and heartbreaking, with such an adorable lead actor, it's hard to hate him for his evil deeds. Like most Canadian movies, it's hard to see so if you ever get the chance definitely check this one out! <5/5>

Working Girl

It's been 11 years and boy does it show. The writing is pretty campy by today's standards, but if you can get passed it's pseudo feminist efforts that fail miserably the writing is entertaining. While watching this movie I kept thinking that my parents dressed and partied this way and I couldn't stop laughing. The actors must look back on this movie an laugh too while simultaniously blushing from embarassment, except Melanie Griffith, it was a high point for her. Poor Melanie. It's stupid but it's ridiculous in a the best way. Come on: "I am not steak, you can't just order me." Or " I got the head for business and the bod for sin" golden.

March 8th, 2009

This week: Wendy and Lucy, Rachel Getting Married and Battle in Seattle.

First up, welcome to a new conception of an old blog. I figured that being a video store clerk gives me access to a lot of films, and clearly I'd make the most of said free films. I also go to the theaters quite a bit, and don't really have a canvas for my opinion on them. Well, until now at least. Anyway, enough with intros

Wendy and Lucy
There was a certain amount of hype surrounding this movie, so I went into it thinking i'd stumble upon a gem. It wasn't quite it, but I was happy to have seen it. Michelle Williams has flowered into quite the actress since Dawson's Creek, and I loved her in Synecdoche, New York. Her acting is quiet well done in a film where very little happens, but that's the point. It was interesting though arduous. I was glad that it wasn't one of those slow for art sake films, that relishes too much in itself. It was gritty and bare in such an acute way, which is very rare. Of course, one has to go into this film knowing that its not an entertainment film, but it is still worth a gander. So many horrible things happen to William's character (Wendy) and yet I left the film thinking about roadtriping in a car by myself.
<3.5/5>

Rachel Getting Married
I have to start this off by saying I strongly dislike Anne Hathaway as an actress. Her voice/face annoys me, which I realize is horribly pejorative. That said, I really liked Rachel Getting Married not despite of Ms Hathaway but because of. Play a bitchy, self involved drug addict is an easy route to being annoying no matter who you are. Hathaway's complaining, her constant need for attention and constant personal turmoil that pulls her whole family into the tornado with her leaves an unsettling feeling. I didn't know whether to cheer for her or wish she'd off herself initially, but once I let the film take me in I sat back and watched Jonathan Demme present an interesting and ultimately realistic character exist on screen. By the end, I felt thankful for the privilege.
<4/5>

Battle in Seattle
Rarely do films come out where I actually remember new casts about them happening (save 9/11) so I was interested on seeing a dramatic take on the Battle in Seattle. I watched This Is What Democracy Looks Like a couple weeks before I watched this film and in the end, Battle in Seattle is a completely inflated and overly indulgent movie. It takes individual people, gives them ridiculous story lines and throws them into a protest in an effort to show how dire the situation was. Actually, the only time I really got that were from the documentary clips put into the film. Somehow the movie managed to take away the spirit of unity that was so obviously evident in the footage of the battle in Seattle. Read the wikipedia entry, it's more enlightening.
<1/5>

Added Original Score:
New Metric Leak: http://www.zshare.net/download/566081108fe401ad/

(thanks amanda)