Starring: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris Directed & Written By: Sofia Coppola Release Year: 2003
There are two scenes in Lost in Translation that delightfully bookend the relationship between its two main characters. In both scenes, Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray meet at a bar in the hotel they are staying in. They sit at opposite ends of the frame, leaving empty space between them. She sits on the left, and he on the right. However, there is a difference in mood and feeling that they experience in the two scenes. When they have their first conversation, they ask each other what brought them to Tokyo and where they are at in their lives. Johansson’s character Charlotte nurses her glass of vodka tonic while Murray’s Bob Harris casually sips his cup of Suntory whiskey. Behind them reveals the nighttime Tokyo skyline from the window. The empty space between them conveys the gulf in age and experience between the two, as well as their mutual emptiness. The dim, cool lighting articulates their initial lack of knowledge of each other; their relations have yet to warm.
Near the end of the film, Bob and Charlotte are at the same bar again, but by this time, they have developed a deeper connection. As with their first conversation, they occupy the same edges of the frame, but the space between them is much smaller. The lighting is warmer from the golden glow of the light bouncing off their table, and Bob gently holds Charlotte’s hand. Bob isn’t eager to leave Tokyo behind, and Charlotte suggests that he should stay. Most other movies would use this exchange as an opportunity for predictable romantic proclamations and sentiment, but it is obvious from the film’s first moments that melodrama is not in this story’s nature.
Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation was one of the most critically lauded films of 2003, earning much deserved accolades in several awards circles, including the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, BAFTA awards for Best Actor and Actress, four Independent Spirit Awards for Actor, Director, Film, and screenplay, and the César Award for Best Foreign Film. Coppola’s achievement is made with an ingenuous and perspicacious sensibility, working as an exploration in matters of loneliness, listlessness, finding one’s purpose in life, and cultural/lingual isolation. This is not a film driven by grandiose plot contrivances or scene-chewing performance pieces. Instead, it is a film driven by and about feeling. Certainly, the results are not for everyone, and some may even write Coppola’s work of art off as high-brow pretentious twaddle. These people would be grossly mistaken, though. All of us, regardless of perpetual confidence levels, have felt lingering and heavy loneliness many times. Lost in Translation enables us to recall our sense of lonesomeness with an introspective lens.
Arriving in Tokyo to film advertisements for Suntory whiskey, Bob’s life is in a period of uncertainty; a “midlife crisis” as Charlotte puts it. Despite getting paid a handsome $2 million to hock booze, Bob finds himself emotionally separated from his wife Lydia and their children. After 25 years of marriage, the energy in their marriage has long since dissipated. Career-wise, Bob perceives his status as a star equally diminished, lamenting that he could be “doing a play somewhere” instead of having his face plastered on Tokyo billboards with hard liquor – though the product does make things relatively bearable for him.
Meanwhile, the younger and also despondent Charlotte accompanies her celebrity photographer husband John (Giovanni Ribisi) to Tokyo, though they spend far more time apart than not. A Yale Philosophy graduate, she spends much of her time in their hotel room, sitting on the windowsill overlooking the city skyline. She wanders through the bustling streets and subways, swept in the rush of residents while being unable to form any human connections. Charlotte feels stuck; she does not know what she wants to do or what she is “supposed to be.”
Bill Murray’s role as dejected movie star Bob Harris is a shimmering example of perfect casting. Operating in deadpan mode for the majority of the film, Murray derives more smiles and outright laughs from a staid glance and forlorn frown than some comedians do in exhausting physical routines. Portraying the detached seriousness of deadpan in a magnetic way is an acting challenge, requiring innate charisma for the performance to be truly effective. This is why Murray makes Lost in Translation so downright captivating.
Two small but pretty amusing instances in particular demonstrate Murray’s subtle yet striking appeal. Take a look at the scene where Bob is shooting the first of two Suntory whisky commercials. The Japanese director is blustering at Bob with long-winded commands for the actor to follow, and the interpreter reduces his diatribes to “Slower, more intensity.” (Perhaps this is a rib at George Lucas’s directorial style)? In the second take of the commercial, as Bob is in the middle of delivering his line, he pauses and his eyes dart around as if to say, “What is this? How did I get from shooting movies to shilling Suntory?” The moment is so small that one would probably not notice it at first. It is a genuinely funny moment that communicates Bob’s amusement and perhaps incredulity.
One other instance occurs when Bob meets Charlotte in her hotel room as they prepare to hit the city nightlife. He notices one of her self-help CDs entitled “A Soul’s Search: Finding Your True Calling.” She asks Bob, “Did it work out for you.” Bob, appearing stunned by the question, replies, “Obviously.” Here, his startled pause and response implies his current outlook on his own life. On one hand, he has achieved his calling as a successful actor, yet the tone in his voice when he says “obviously” also sounds defensive and wry. He is proud of his accomplishments, though the satisfaction from his career pales in comparison to the joy he used to gain from his own family. This tiny moment along with his first commercial shoot are just tiny flashes that we would normally not dwell on in any other film, yet it is these brief instances that sum up the essence of Bob’s personality.
The title Lost in Translation also refers to the miscommunication and lack of understanding between Bob and Charlotte’s partners. Charlotte’s husband John is entirely ignorant of his wife’s loneliness. His mind is focused on pressing matters like photographing vapid celebrities, as evidenced by Anna Faris’s ditzy blonde starlet Kelly who gives inane, empty-headed answers at a press conference for her latest movie. We do not get the impression that John is a jerk – on the contrary, he does seem polite and well-intentioned. The responsibilities of being an empathic romantic partner are totally lost on him. He tells Charlotte not to smoke cigarettes without any conviction, sounding instead like an annoyed father reprimanding his child. She replies with apathy, “I’ll stop later.”
Even Charlotte’s intelligence acts as a barrier between her, John, and his own buddies. While John is enraptured at Kelly’s sincere yet shallow tales of personal tragedy, Charlotte tries to feign interest in her husband’s friend’s discussion about hip-hop production. She shuts the conversation down when she tells him that she doesn’t understand what he means. To summon a clichéd yet apropos saying, it is only Bob that legitimately “gets” her.
Bob and his wife Lydia, unseen yet heard via telephone, deal with emotional translation issues of their own. We are not made privy to the full history of their marriage, yet from what we are shown, Lydia sounds insensitive and even uncaring towards Bob’s literal and figurative distance. He tries to explain his desire to become healthier, referencing Japanese food as an example. All she does in response is shoot him a terse wisecrack about him just staying in Japan instead. Bob definitely loves their children, and maybe they are the only reason why Bob and Lydia are still together in the first place.
Lost in Translation is a thing of beauty, not only thematically and emotionally, but especially visually. Cinematographer Lance Acord presents the magnificent urban sleekness of Tokyo with an appreciative and reverent eye. He employs repeat shots in a few occasions to convey the deepening connection between Bob, Charlotte, and the city itself. One of the earliest shots in the film sees Bob staring out in awe at the neon lights of the buildings illuminating the nighttime as he rides in a cab. Later, Charlotte also looks out of a cab window with a newfound appreciation for Tokyo, in contrast to her tearful frustrations from earlier. Prior to their cab ride, Bob and Charlotte hang out with some acquaintances of hers and rock out to some karaoke. Bob, clearly having more fun than he has ever had in who knows how many years, sings to Charlotte, “There’s nothing more than this.” And it is true. After their karaoke session, they chill outside in a quiet, narrow hallway. She rests her pink-wigged head on his shoulder as they cigarette. Words aren’t exchanged. There is no need.
Since the release of the film, a slew of questions have been raised about what Bob whispered in Charlotte’s ear before his departure. Whatever they have said is irrelevant to the rest of us. It is for them and them alone. Besides, after all the time we have spent empathizing with Bob and Charlotte, we can and should allow them one shared moment of “privacy”, even if it is on screen. Their presence in the moment articulates everything that words would only make redundant. We are left with the feeling of their goodbyes, and we won’t forget the impression they leave on us as they have made on each other.
The 83rd Academy Awards are tonight, the results of which will be on the tips of many tongues in the succeeding weeks ahead. However, let us take some time to highlight the results of an equally esteemed ceremony: The Razzie Awards! Now 2010 was not a totally strong year for the art of cinema, though there have been several quality films as evidenced by this year’s batch of Oscar nominees. But leave it to the fine folks of the Golden Raspberry Awards to pick up the rest of the slack. Raise a toast to the following “champs” below.
WORST PICTURE The Last Airbender The Bounty Hunter Sex and the City 2 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Vampires Suck
I have only seen one of the above nominees, and the award is sweet vindication for me. M. Night Shyamalan’s botched retelling of Avatar: The Last Airbender takes the cake of his quality-challenged post-Unbreakable filmography, bereft of convincing acting, a gripping plot, semi-decent visual effects, and entertainment value. This celluloid stain is the type of flick that ends careers. Utter garbage well deserving of its “accolade”.
As for the other nominees, a friend of mine told me that The Bounty Hunter was so awful that he shut it off 10 minutes in. Because I’m not a teenaged girl lacking taste, the third addition to the popular vampire/werewolf romance series missed my purview. At this point, nominating a Jason Friedberg/Aaron Seltzer movie (Vampires Suck) is par for the course.
I have no idea what this “Sex and the Townspeople” movie is.
WORST ACTOR Ashton Kutcher – Killers and Valentine’s Day Jack Black – Gulliver’s Travels Gerard Butler – The Bounty Hunter Taylor Lautner – The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and Valentine’s Day Robert Pattinson – Remember Me and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Noah Ringer’s star debut as Aang in The Last Airbender was an egregious snub, to say the least. Seriously, I’m wracking my brain as to why his plywood performance went unnoticed by the Razzie committee. The boy was a sure lock for this category!Then again, it's possible that not nominating him was a way to push him out of memory. I can certainly appreciate that.
WORST ACTRESS Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis & Cynthia Nixon – Sex and the City 2 Jennifer Aniston – The Bounty Hunter and The Switch Miley Cyrus – The Last Song Megan Fox – Jonah Hex Kristen Stewart – The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
I couldn’t tell you what my thoughts are of any of these actresses since I haven’t seen any of the aforementioned movies. I wonder, though, is The Bounty Hunter as awful as critics say it is? I’m intrigued by the fact that my friend stopped the flick 10 minutes in. Perhaps I should Netflix it and see if I can surpass the record. Hmmm…on second thought, I should heed the 7% warning on Rotten Tomatoes instead.
WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR Jackson Rathbone – The Last Airbender and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Billy Ray Cyrus – The Spy Next Door George Lopez – Marmaduke, The Spy Next Door and Valentine’s Day Dev Patel – The Last Airbender Rob Schneider – Grown Ups
Jackson Rathbone scored a double whammy with his Supporting Actor “victory”. Look at just one episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender and watch how the character of Sokka is presented. Full of personality, vibrant, jocular, always armed with a snappy one-liner or two, right? Then look at Mr. Rathbone’s live-action interpretation. As you may no doubt concur, he earned his award with flying (into a flaming ditch) colors.
As for Dev Patel, he of Slumdog Millionaire fame, I’m pretty sure he would have done a stellar job had he worked under a much more competent director. Still, getting a paycheck never hurts. Lord knows I need one. Fraking economy…
WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Jessica Alba – The Killer Inside Me, Little Fockers, Machete, and Valentine’s Day Cher – Burlesque Liza Minnelli – Sex and the City 2 Nicola Peltz – The Last Airbender Barbara Streisand – Little Fockers
Aside from Miss Peltz’s efforts as Robo-Katara, I have no opinion on the other nominees.I'm sensing that Valentine's Day is one to avoid, though.
WORST SCREEN COUPLE/SCREEN ENSEMBLE The cast of Sex and the City 2 Jennifer Aniston & Gerard Butler – The Bounty Hunter Josh Brolin’s face and Megan Fox’s accent in Jonah Hex The cast of The Last Airbender The cast of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
How about M. Night Shyamalan and a screenplay? Oh you’re so fresh, Victor…
WORST PREQUEL, REMAKE, RIP-OFF OR SEQUEL Sex and the City 2 Clash of the Titans The Last Airbender The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Vampires Suck
Alright, why have a category such as this when it’s a carbon copy of your Worst Picture roundup? Bit of a waste there, no? Crap is crap, I suppose. In any case, Clash of the Titans was a remake that nobody was clamoring for in the first place. The original 1981 version was no world-shaker itself, primarily beloved by nostalgic fans for the great Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion animated creatures. All the 2010 edition gave us was shoddy post-converted 3-D and another stankified movie-based video game to boot.
WORST DIRECTOR M. Night Shyamalan – The Last Airbender Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer – Vampires Suck Michael Patrick King – Sex and the City 2 David Slade – The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Sylvester Stallone – The Expendables
Nominating Sly for Worst Director? Really? That’s just mean. The Expendables was dumb 80s action for the new millennium, and it had no aspirations beyond machismo, machine guns and Eric Roberts. Plus, it featured five minutes of honest-to-goodness acting from the awesome Mickey Rourke (Youtube his monologue if it’s there). In short, it was fun.
You know what isn’t fun? Witnessing the decline of a once-promising talent in Mr. Shyamalan. Comebacks have been made before, and maybe one day we’ll see his. In the meantime, Shyamalan’s Razzie win acknowledges past failures such as the diabolical foliage horror The Happening, the self-indulgent Lady in the Water, the idiocy of The Village, and the three-quarters-good-until-the-bollocks-ending Signs.
WORST SCREENPLAY The Last Airbender – M. Night Shyamalan Little Fockers – John Hamburg & Larry Stuckey Sex and the City 2 – Michael Patrick King The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – Melissa Rosenberg Vampires Suck – Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer
In a just world, Friedberg & Seltzer would be scrubbing toilets and Port-A-Johns. Because money speaks louder than quality in Hollywood, however, they remain gainfully employed and unreasonably rich. You know what; maybe I’ll throw my hat in the scriptwriting arena so I can strike paydirt and rid myself of these damned student loans. *sigh.Now that I think about it, perhaps the writers of Avatar were trying to tell us what to expect from Shyamalan…
With the 83rd Academy Awards just around the corner, it has been customary for film blogs and other cinema sites to post lists of their “tops”, “favorites”, and “best of’s” of Oscar-winning flicks and latest predictions. In that spirit, I’ve chosen four Best Picture winners that are among the true jewels of the category. Cop ‘em or Netflix ‘em if the films below haven’t shown up on your radar for some reason.
1. The Apartment (1960) Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Jack Kruschen, Naomi Stevens, David Lewis, Joyce Jameson, Johnny Seven Directed By: Billy Wilder Written By: Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond
Billy Wilder has crafted plenty of terrific films in his day, such as Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, and Some Like it Hot. His 1960 Best Picture winner The Apartment ranks as my favorite Wilder work. Jack Lemmon stars as the affable CC. Baxter, a lowly office grunt who, with promises of bigger promotions, rents out his apartment to his bosses and their mistresses. Meanwhile, he has his eyes and affections set towards Fran Kubelik (MacLaine), a pretty elevator operator who happens to be seeing head honcho Jeff D. Sheldrake (MacMurray).
I.A.L. Diamond and Wilder’s screenplay is a thing of beauty, providing abundant wit and genuine emotion to the comedic drama. The Apartment earned 10 Oscar nominations, winning for Best Director, Original Screenplay, Art Direction and Film Editing.
2. Casablanca (1943)Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Dooley Wilson Directed By: Michael Curtiz Written By: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch & Casey Robinson
Casablanca is so deeply ingrained in American popular culture, that one may be inclined to feel as though one had already seen it considering its countless references in other movies and TV shows. After watching the film itself, one will come away knowing that this Bogart & Bergman-powered noir is a perfect picture. Putting aside the film’s myriad of unforgettable quotes, one will find that Casablanca stands the test of time. Nominated for eight Oscars, winning three for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay.
3. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Ted Levine, Scott Glenn, Brooke Smith, Anthony Heald Directed By: Jonathan Demme Written By: Ted Tally
This absorbing horror-thriller is currently the last film to win in the top five Academy Award categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. FBI agent Clarice Starling (Foster) seeks advice from the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins) to capture the enigmatic killer known as Buffalo Bill (Levine). The Silence of the Lambs is an achievement on all levels, from Demme’s choice of close-up compositions, the efficiency of the storyline, to its fascinating study of its indelible characters.
4. In the Heat of the Night (1967) Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oats, Lee Grant, William Schallert Directed By: Norman Jewison Written By: Stirling Silliphant
Upon his arrival in a small Mississippi town, Philadelphia detective Virgil Tibbs (Poitier) is reluctantly called upon to assist in a murder investigation alongside Bill Gillespie (Steiger), a bigoted police chief whose incompetence in the case threatens to get the better of him. Sidney Poitier is a commanding presence in the film, adamant in his refusal to buckle underneath the rampant prejudice that surrounds him. Rod Steiger’s nuanced performance and the gripping script by Stirling Silliphant lend power to this 1967 Best Pic victor. Nominated for a total of seven Oscars, including Best Actor (Steiger), Editing, Sound, Adapted Screenplay, Directing, and Sound Editing.
Presenting my 15 favorite films of 2010, in alphabetical order. Why not ranked order? Because it’s just an exercise in hair-splitting and needless kvetching. “Why come is X film number one, but Y film number 7, and Z 13, huh? HUH?” Recognizing quality movies is not a competition; here, these films deserve equal appreciation. Happy New Year, peeps!
127 Hours Starring: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara, Clémence Poésy, Lizzy Caplan, Treat Williams, Kate Burton Directed By: Danny Boyle Written By: Simon Beaufoy & Danny Boyle
In 2003, mountain climber Aron Ralston trekked alone in Utah’s Robbers Roost canyon when he became trapped by a boulder for over five days. Having told no one else where he would be beforehand, his right arm pinned underneath a rock too heavy to budge and limited provisions, Ralston faces only one option for possible survival.
127 Hours is not only a harrowing tale, but also a challenge in filmmaking. Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle and his Slumdog Millionaire collaborator Simon Beaufoy transform this one man, one location story into a visually vivacious wonder, smartly edited and briskly paced. James Franco’s amazing performance commands attention. As Ralston, he runs the emotional gamut of incredulity, fear, optimistic flashes and resigned gallows humor. Boyle’s lens is so keen that during the moment of Ralston’s grisly escape, the little of it he actually displays is enough to generate blood-chilling responses. Coupled with A.R. Rahman’s exciting score and 127 Hours is an ebullient endurance test.
Black Swan Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder, Benjamin Millepied, Ksenia Solo Directed By: Darren Aronofsky Written By: Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz & John McLaughlin
Darren Aronofsky’s doleful retelling of Swan Lake is very much an ideal companion piece to The Wrestler. Like Mickey Rourke’s Randy “The Ram” Robinson, Black Swan’s ballerina Nina Sayers (Portman) etches every fiber of her identity with her chosen craft, and journeys on a self-destructive path toward perceived perfection. A dark parable of repression and vicariously influenced pressures, Black Swan is the year’s most haunting film. Natalie Portman gives the strongest performance of hers to date, and her character’s arc from start to its brilliant finish will glue itself into one’s memory for years to come.
Buried Starring: Ryan Reynolds Directed By: Rodrigo Cortes Written By: Chris Sparling
After being attacked and kidnapped by unknown forces in Iraq, truck driver Paul Conroy (Reynolds) wakes up bound and gagged in a wooden coffin buried underground. With a zippo lighter, glow sticks, a flashlight, flask, knife and a half-charged cell phone, he must do whatever he can to get rescued before he runs out of oxygen.
Buried is in some sense a complimentary relative to the non-fictional 127 Hours, but it is as every bit as edge-of-your-seat gripping. Unlike Boyle’s film, Rodrigo Cortes employs no flashbacks or visual trickery; it is 90 minutes of Reynolds and disembodied voices on the other end of his phone. The inventive screenplay by Chris Sparling deserves major kudos for its creative efficiency, and Ryan Reynolds formidably carries the film. Buried is a thriller with no fat to trim.
Exit Through the Gift Shop Directed By: Banksy
Exit Through the Gift Shop does not ask the question, “What is art?” but rather “What makes an artist an artist?” If anyone has the capacity to create art, does it necessarily mean that they should? And even if one’s work receives acclaim, does one have the right to call oneself an artist if there is no artistic history to speak of?
These are questions that were at the forefront of my mind when I watched this quasi-documentary of Thierry Guetta, a Los Angeles clothing store owner and avid amateur videographer who documented hundreds of hours of footage on graffiti art. After meeting with the popular British street artist Banksy, Guetta’s aimless project leads to his own transformation into Mr. Brainwash, the overnight talk-of-the-town on the LA art circuit. Questions have been raised about the authenticity of the Banksy-handled documentary, but whatever the case may be, Exit Through the Gift Shop is a fascinatingly subversive query into the various dimensions of the art world, targeting both artists and connoisseurs alike.
The Fighter Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee, Frank Renzulli, Mickey O’Keefe Directed By: David O. Russell Written By: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
Three Kings director David O. Russell presents the utterly magnetic biopic The Fighter with some of the year’s best performances. The real-life drama of Lowell, Massachusetts-bred prizefighters and brothers Micky Ward (Wahlberg) and Dicky Eklund (Bale) is a redemption yarn that satisfies. As charming as Mark Wahlberg is, The Fighter is bolstered by its pedigree supporting players. The always fantastic actresses Amy Adams and Melissa Leo serve as the antagonistic yet mutually influential forces behind Ward’s march to success.
The showiest but mightiest acting effort belongs to Christian Bale. A part of me thought that Bale was overplaying his role with his hyped-up Massachusetts accent, but after watching the real Eklund in the end credits, Bale actually does channel Eklund with uncanny precision as a cracked-out has been ne’er do well.
I Am Love Starring: Tilda Swinton, Flavio Parenti, Edoardo Gabbriellini, Alba Rohrwacher, Pippo Delbono, Maria Paiato, Diane Fleri, Waris Ahluwalia, Marisa Berenson, Gabriele Ferzetti Directed By: Luca Guadagnino Written By: Luca Guadagnino, Barbara Alberti, Ivan Cotroneo & Walter Fasano
Picturesque and enthralling, the Italian feature I Am Love is wonderfully led by its centerpiece performance by Tilda Swinton. In Milan, the Recci family begins to undergo some significant changes that affect each of its members in unforeseen ways. The love in Emma Recci’s (Swinton) marriage has cooled to uneventful space-occupying, and her grown children collide with the generational issue of change versus tradition. A synopsis of the film’s narrative is unnecessary, as it is better to allow yourself to be swept in by its energy and its excellent score composed by John Adams.
Inception Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy, Tom Berenger, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Dileep Rao, Michael Caine, Peter Postlethwaite Directed & Written By: Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan is a master at weaving multiple complex narrative structures in a way that is deeply engaging without being obtuse. Inception is another masterwork in science fiction filmmaking, remixing the enthralling heist genre with a layer cake plotline that guarantees and rewards multiple viewings. Dreams, memory, hazy boundaries between reality and the subconscious, unresolved guilt made manifest – all weighty themes that the film juggles without convolution. Other revolutionary sci-fi films, such as The Matrix in particular, have often seen its elements imitated time and again. Inception is a film with an approach that will be very difficult to replicate.
The Kids Are All Right Starring: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson, Yaya DaCosta, Kunal Sharma, Eddie Hassell, Rebecca Lawrence, Lisa Eisner Directed By: Lisa Cholodenko Written By: Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
The Kids Are All Right centers on an unconventional family with traditional family trials, filled with genuine heart and humor. Annette Bennig and Julianne Moore are remarkable, and Mark Ruffalo’s go-with-the-flow charms are fun to see. Lisa Cholodenko’s film doesn’t try to make any political statements, though some pundits would accuse her of doing such a thing. What she delivers is an intelligent comedy-drama that goes for the head and shirks the easy jokes.
The King’s Speech Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Jennifer Ehle, Derek Jacobi, Eve Best, Timothy Spall, Anthony Andrews, Ramona Marquez Directed By: Tom Hooper Written By: David Seidler
Colin Firth is on a bit of a hot streak at the moment, previously earning praise for his effort in 2009’s A Single Man, and now with the excellent period drama The King’s Speech. Firth stars as King George VI, who must overcome his lifelong stammer with the aid of his unorthodox speech therapist Lionel Logue (Rush). Tom Hooper brilliantly brings to life the sharp script of David Seidler’s, and manages to direct a richly funny biopic that bounds with as much delight as it has pomp. Grade-A turns from Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce and Michael Gambon add to the flavor.
Leaves of Grass Starring: Edward Norton, Keri Russell, Tim Blake Nelson, Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Sarandon, Melanie Lynskey, Steve Earle, Lucy DeVito, Lee Wilkof, Ken Cheeseman, Josh Pais, Maggie Siff Directed & Written By: Tim Blake Nelson
This under-the-radar feature by director and co-star Tim Blake Nelson is a whip smart and outrageous romp that echoes the feel of a Coen Brothers production. Ivy League professor Bill Kincaid (Norton) is called back to his rural hometown in Oklahoma upon news of his twin brother Brady’s death. As it turns out, however, the hash harvesting Brady (Norton) plans to hatch a scheme to get even with a rival drug lord.
Leaves of Grass shifts its tone in ways that may seem haphazard, but the film manages to keep the proceedings grounded through its dabblings in straight comedy and shocking violence. As a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Nelson avoids shaping his characters as typical dumb okie stereotypes, and their perceptions are more discerning than at first sight.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Ellen Wong, Satya Bhabha, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, Mae Whitman, Shota Saito, Keita Saito, Jason Schwartzman, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Aubrey Plaza, Tennessee Thomas Directed By: Edgar Wright Written By: Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright
More than enough mainstream action movies and comedies exhibit style over substance. For Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, the style is the substance. Edgar Wright’s adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim comics is a wild smattering of genres that takes a step further than his zombie-rom-com Shaun of the Dead and the buddy cop homage Hot Fuzz. If anything, it is the definitive video game movie.
Michael Cera is the self-absorbed, mincing, indecisive douchebag title character who falls in luuuuv with Ramona Flowers (Winstead), and subsequently becomes the target of her seven deadly ex-boyfriends – her emotional baggage in the flesh. Pilgrim is a straight up riot, from the spot-on comedic timing of the cast to its numerous video game references from the 8-bit era to the present (there’s a duel that parodies Soul Calibur). The movie is definitely not for all stripes, but as a piece of entertainment that knows exactly what it is and is damn proud of it, big ups to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Shutter Island Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Max Von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson, Jackie Earle Haley, John Carroll Lynch, Elias Koteas, Ted Levine Directed By: Martin Scorsese Written By: Laeta Kalogridis
In 1954, U.S. Marshals Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Ruffalo) investigate the disappearance of a mental patient at the secluded Ashecliffe Hospital on Shutter Island. Head psychiatrist Dr. Cawley (Kingsley) suspiciously appears to impede their investigation, and Daniels’s own traumatic history begins to bubble to the surface. Dennis Lehane’s novel Shutter Island is proficiently realized by the great Martin Scorsese, and its numerous twists reel you in from scene to scene. A fine noir thriller.
The Social Network Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Max Minghella, Rooney Mara, Brenda Song, Joseph Mazzello, Rashida Jones Directed By: David Fincher Written By: Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin’s gift for quick-witted dialogue combines with David Fincher’s sleek cinematic flair to produce The Social Network, the dramatized account of Mark Zuckerberg and his creation of Facebook. Adapted from Ben Mezrich’s non-fictional The Accidental Billionaires, the film depicts Zuckerberg (deliberately played mechanically by Jesse Eisenberg) and his ingenuity in developing the world’s premier social networking website. His success in bridging millions of gaps online belies his inability to fundamentally connect with others personally, unless they possess expertise he can use to his advantage.
This year has delivered a breadth of tip-top soundtracks, and Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross add to the mix. Critics have declared the film as “Definitive of this current generation,” or something to that effect. Personally, I would not go so far as to make or agree with such a bold claim, but overall, The Social Network cleverly creates a compelling narrative in its 120-minute runtime.
Toy Story 3 Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, John Morris, Jodi Benson, Emily Hahn, Laurie Metcalf, Blake Clark, Teddy Newton, Timothy Dalton, Bud Luckey, Jeff Pidgeon Directed By: Lee Unkrich Written By: Michael Arndt
Pixar’s Toy Story 3 is the perfect conclusion to the 15 year-old series that put the animation studio on the map. Michael Arndt’s incredible script frames the film as a prison tale, paying homage to classics such as Cool Hand Luke. The film’s eye-opening third act and closing moments leave the proceedings on the finest note possible. Toy Story 3 is further evidence as to why it’s always wise to bet on Pixar.
Winter’s Bone Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Lauren Sweetser, Garret Dillahunt, Dale Dickey, Shelley Waggener, Kevin Breznahan, Ashlee Thompson, Tate Taylor, Sheryl Lee, Cody Shiloh Brown Directed By: Debra Granik Written By: Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
When her missing father puts their house up as his bail bond, 17 year-old Ree Dolly (Lawrence) is forced to track him down through the bleak highlands of the Ozarks. With her mother incapacitated and two younger siblings to care for, Ree has no choice but to tangle with the region’s most dangerous and hostile inhabitants that no one else would dare encounter.
Winter’s Bone is a stone cold trial of resilience, driven with confidence by Jennifer Lawrence’s stoically heroic portrayal. Co-star John Hawkes is startling as Teardrop, a hard-hearted piece of work who could scare the black off of a raven. The rural setting of the film is also alluring in a disturbing sort of way, resembling a post-apocalyptic landscape that time forgot.
Six films that are worth your time and consideration.
Boy Starring: James Rolleston, Taika Waititi, Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu, Moerangi Tihore, Cherilee Martin, RickyLee Waipuka-Russell, Haze Reweti, Rachel House, Waihoroi Shortland Directed & Written By: Taika Waititi
This sweet New Zealand film centers on 11 year-old Boy (Rolleston), whose absent father Alamein (Waititi) makes a sudden visit to his family. Having long imagined his dad to be a rock star hero on par with Michael Jackson, Boy instead sees him for what he really is: a two-bit criminal looking for some money he buried in their backyard some years ago. Boy is a lighthearted flick which is gorgeously shot, having filmed near the coasts of Waihau Bay. Like the 2003 feature Whale Rider, Taika Waititi’s movie possesses its own magic.
The Ghost Writer Starring: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, Kim Cattrall, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Hutton, James Belushi, Robert Pugh, Jon Bernthal, Eli Wallach, Tim Preece Directed By: Roman Polanski Written By: Robert Harris & Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski directs this Hitchcockian mystery/political thriller smartly scripted by himself and co-writer Robert Harris. An unnamed ghostwriter (McGregor) is commissioned to write the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Brosnan), but soon finds that the politician has buried some incriminating secrets that would forever tarnish his legacy.
Night Catches Us Starring: Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Jamie Hector, Jamara Griffin, Amari Cheaton, Wendell Pierce, Tariq Trotter Directed & Written By: Tanya Hamilton
The past inevitably catches up to the present in Tanya Hamilton’s debut drama Night Catches Us. Years after the height of the Civil Rights Movement, former Black Panther Marcus (Mackie) returns to his Philadelphia neighborhood to iron out some unresolved tensions. His friend Patricia (Washington) continues to carry their old party’s banner by fighting instances of injustice in their community. Hamilton’s film is a subtle story powered by measured performances and a boss soundtrack by The Roots.
Somewhere Starring: Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning Directed & Written By: Sophia Coppola
Sophia Coppola’s fourth feature is a spiritual successor of sorts to her critical darling Lost in Translation. Hollywood star Johnny Marco (Dorff) shuffles through a pampered existence at the Chateau Marmont coddled by publicists and numbed by meaningless sex and prescription drugs. Due to some issue from his ex-wife, Marco’s daughter Cleo (Fanning) visits him, and from there his attitude begins to see some much needed changes. Somewhere is an observant film that takes an un-relatable character on the surface and spotlights his humanity within.
The Town Starring: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Blake Lively, Slaine, Peter Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper Directed By: Ben Affleck Written By: Peter Craig, Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard
The Town is an entertaining crime flick, marking Ben Affleck’s second directorial effort after the superior Gone Baby Gone. Quality characterizations, kick-ass action and “Bahston” accents galore.
True Grit Starring: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper, Elizabeth Marvel Directed & Written By: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
A remake of the 1969 film of the same name, the Coen Brother’s version of True Grit is a very fine straightforward Western carried by hefty performances. Hailee Steinfeld is absolutely impressive as the stubborn-minded heroine out for justice and revenge. I enjoyed the film, though I found it to be a mite overpraised by critics. Apparently, seeing the names “Joel & Ethan Coen” cause some to go bananas just a little bit. Still, True Grit is worth a look-see.
Another year has come and gone, and the annual supply of “Best of/Top” movie lists are making the rounds once more. There is no question that 2010, like any of the previous years, has hosted a trove of top-flight filmmaking. Nevertheless, the majority of the year felt strangely underwhelming, with knockout releases spaced few and far between and a glut of statuette contenders crowding the marquee in December. Even this year’s summer movie season underachieved to a degree unseen since 2003 (who remembers the summer champions of that year)?
Since I do not earn an income for this blog of mine, I am fortunate to not have to go out of my way to watch asstastic flicks on a regular basis. Essentially, the flicks below may not be the worst of the worst compared to many other releases, but by stealing time from my day, they have ended up on my hit list. So here they are, ranked from absolutely horrible to the least-terrible-yet-not-let-off-the-hook worthy.
1. The Last Airbender Starring: Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Toub, Aasif Mandvi, Cliff Curtis, Seychell Gabriel Directed & Written By: M. Night Shyamalan
Entrancing characters, a wonderfully visualized world, and fine writing that vaulted over expectations combined to position Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender among the upper echelon of stateside animated shows.
Then M. Night Shyamalan came along and decided to flip the bird to the fans by writing and directing a live action adaptation which woefully lacked the awe and intrigue of the series. Just about every element of The Last Airbender (and I hope it lives up to its title) careens head-first into a ravine of wrong. You know you are in for a treat when you cringe at the awkward and charisma-averse performances just two minutes into the film. Noah Ringer, the portrayer of Avatar’s hero Aang, was cast solely for his martial arts acumen…and boy is that obvious. Ringer plays the role with such staidness that it borders on sedate, and his co-leads Nicola Peltz and Jackson Rathbone perform as if they made a bet on who can act with the least amount of conviction possible.
Then there’s Shyamalan’s script which condenses the entirety of the show’s first season into a two-hour film. Subsequently, we’re left with a live-action highlight reel which offers a slew of undeveloped characters, an unintelligible plot, and atrocious dialogue that would make you want to Vincent Van Gogh yourself for being within earshot of it all.
With the casting of The Last Airbender, Shyamalan chose to practice Ethnicbending when selecting his actors. Disregard the fact that the TV series unfolds in an unmistakably East Asian influenced world, and that all of the main, supporting, and peripheral characters are subsequently Asian and Inuit inspired. Let’s Caucasianize ‘em up so us ethnically-ignorant Amurricans can muster up the interest in watching the damn movie. Oh, and let’s make all of the villainous antagonists Southeast Asian, since brown skin is pretty scary to look at nowadays. And as another example of Miscasting 101, we get Aasif Mandvi as the film’s arch villain. Yes, because when I think of tyranny and destruction, I automatically picture The Daily Show’s Aasif Mandvi.
The Last Airbender is shameful on all levels. The days of The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable are a long time ago, and after a streak of awful films, it is evident that Shyamalan does not have what it takes anymore. M. Night, you embarrass me. You embarrass yourself.
2. Monsters Starring: Scoot McNairy & Whitney Able Directed & Written By: Gareth Edwards
I have an idea for a cool monster picture. Picture an alien invasion with the extraterrestrials looking like ten story tall octopi with bioluminescent qualities. You barely get a glimpse of these creatures, and they don’t do much of anything except make strange whale-like noises and flip over pickup trucks. Set the film in Mexico and follow two of the dullest protagonists we can find to carry this story. Make sure the both of them lack any speck of chemistry or appeal.
Why Mexico? It’s allegorical; you know, illegal immigration, aliens, commentary on humanity’s inhumanity to each other, all that. Think District 9 with a dash of Cloverfield minus the entertainment value…or the “Monsters” for that matter. How does Monsters end? I’ll put it this way: it’s an ending that is difficult NOT to dislike. That’s something, right?
3. Kick-Ass Starring: Aaron Johnson, Nicholas Cage, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Lyndsy Fonseca Directed By: Matthew Vaughn Written By: Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn
Who hasn’t at one time or another pictured themselves as a superhero, donning a flashy costume, wiping the floor with dastardly reprobates and saving the world in style? Kick-Ass, based on the comic series by Wanted creator Mark Millar, should have worked in theory. Instead, we are left with a disappointing hero flick full of missed opportunities. It has an intriguing setup, briefly highlighting the influence of Youtube as a tool for instant celebrity fodder, for instance. There could have been some wild thematic directions that the film could have traveled, but it’s too content with settling for the low-brow. The film is never as funny as it pretends to be.
As the film blazes toward its final act, the story strays so far away from its original premise that it winds up as being yet another outrageous live-action cartoon, and a bland one at that. Plus, the idea of a foul-mouthed 11 year-old girl who racks up more murders than The Punisher is not as cool and entertaining as it sounds. Mix that with a complete tool shed of a main hero and a love interest of his that might as well be a sex doll, and you’ve got a time waster on your hands. Remove the word “Kick” from the title, and you’ll understand the movie’s level of quality.
4. The American Starring: George Clooney, Violante Placido, Paolo Bonacelli, Johan Leysen, Irina Björklund, Thekla Reuten Directed By: Anton Corbijn Written By: Rowan Joffe
I wanted to appreciate Anton Corbijn’s The American, but I found it to be too minimalist. Minimal engagement, minimal storytelling, minimal value beyond aesthetic pleasures. As a piece of art cinema, there are much more compelling like-minded films in circulation. There are only three scenes in the entire film that show any signs of life, and the effect is jarring in light of the relative aimlessness of the overall plot. It may have functioned better as a short feature as opposed to a near two-hour slog. The American is a bore – a pretty looking bore – but a bore nonetheless.
5. For Colored Girls Starring: Kimberly Elise, Janet Jackson, Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Loretta Devine, Phylicia Rashad, Kerry Washington, Whoopi Goldberg, Tessa Thompson, Macy Gray, Michael Ealy, Omari Hardwick, Richard Lawson, Hill Harper, Khalil Kain Directed & Written By: Tyler Perry
Full disclosure: I am not a Tyler Perry fan. Even though I understand the popularity of his movies and ghastly sitcoms (if you can sit through two episodes of House of Payne without unplugging your TV in anger, you are a trooper), his works are way too cloying, melodramatic, and JAYZUS-preaching for my tolerance. So for Mr. Madea to deliver the least bad film on this list is saying quite a bit.
For Colored Girls, adapted from Ntozake Shange’s 1977 Obie-winning and Tony-nominated play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, is easily the best film Perry has ever produced. This is a backhanded compliment because Perry’s best is a good director’s mediocre, and a great director’s autopilot.
The film spotlights the lives of nine black women and their heart-wrenching and spirit-tearing emotional trials, touching on issues ranging from domestic abuse, to prostitution, to rape, to abortion, love, and relationships. Because the original play is structured as a tone piece with separate poems, Perry enfolds Shange’s poetry into an interconnected narrative, and the end result feels forced. The women mix the play’s soliloquies with their regular dialogue, but unlike a musical, the handling is too clumsy to fully invest in.
It is a testament to the abilities of the film’s actresses that they still manage to convey wonderful performances in spite of Perry’s direction. Thandie Newton, Kimberly Elise, Anika Noni Rose, and the renowned Phylicia Rashad provide incredibly moving characterizations that are the stuff of awards recognition. Watching these actresses and the others in the film reinforce the ignominious truth that even today, vast numbers of talented black actors are still not granted an equal amount of quality roles as their white counterparts.
Perry’s handling of black males is, typically of him, one-dimensional and nonredeemable to the point of parody. With the exception of Hill Harper’s role (who is ineffectually milquetoast), all of the men in For Colored Girls are either Palpatine Evil, trifling tail-chasers, down-low brothers, or well behaved gentlemen seeking to get their rape on. Michael Ealy’s role as a troubled war veteran is unsettlingly absurd; he has the tendency to slap objects out of people’s hands. Because he is ANGRY AT HOW THE WORLD WRONGED HIM! Perhaps Perry is trying to say that, as a black man, I am supposed to hate myself for my abhorrent nature. Should I don a fat suit, a sun dress and a tacky wig to excise my personal demons?
Perry’s take on Shange’s play feels like an extended elegy, unconcerned with uplift or inklings of brightness. According to reviews from those who have seen or read the original play, it provided a sense of optimism for audiences to take away with. In For Colored Girls, we are left with a Deborah Downer. When the credits roll, I get the impression that Perry is saying, “Look at these black women and how they suffer…so…nobly. *cue tears.”
If there is one positive I can ascribe to For Colored Girls, it’s that I am eager to read Shange’s play as intended. The film could have functioned more naturally as a series of vignettes instead, perhaps with Shange herself in the director’s chair. At the end, Perry’s film has good components (performances and Shange’s prose), but the whole is deficient.
Starring: Penelope Cruz, Lluís Homar, Blanca Portillo, José Luis Gómez, Rubén Ochandiano, Lola Dueñas, Angela Molina, Rossy de Palma, Carmen Machi Directed & Written By: Pedro Almodovar Release Year: 2009 (BD March 2010)
The visually resplendent Pedro Almodovar reunites once again with his muse Penelope Cruz in 2009’s Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos), a melodramatic paean to the art of filmmaking wrapped in a twisted tale of forbidden love. Blind writer Harry Caine (Homar) is paid a visit by a mysterious young filmmaker Ray X (Ochandiano) who wants to employ him to write a screenplay based on X’s life. Caine soon realizes exactly who X is, and his recollections lead him to revisit his glory days of years past when he was known as Mateo Blanco, cocksure and celebrated film director.
An illicit tryst between Blanco and his star actress Magladena Rivas (Cruz) while filming his awaited feature “Chicas y Maletas” ushers in a torrent of regrets, long-ignored yearnings, anger, and enough emotion-wrangling drama for the soapiest of operas.
Almodovar’s latest is a thoroughly entertaining picture, brush-stroked with lively humor and engaging feeling. The ensemble cast of Broken Embraces is nothing short of splendid, and the story’s audacious eccentricity reels one in as only Almodovar’s projects can.
Bonus materials for Broken Embraces include:
The Cannibalistic Councillor, a short film by Pedro Almodovar
Pedro Directs Penélope, a behind-the-scenes featurette
On the Red Carpet: The New York Film Festival Closing Night
Variety Q&A with Penelope Cruz, an interview with Cruz by film critic Todd McCarthy
Starring: Algenis Perez Soto, Rayniel Rufino, Andre Holland, Michael Gaston, Jaime Tirelli, Ann Whitney, Richard Bull, Ellary Porterfield, Alina Vargas Directed & Written By: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck Release Year: 2008 (BD September 2009)
Rags-to-riches stories are as predictable as the day and night cycle, but Sugar inhabits a far superior class. One of the most criminally overlooked films of the last couple of years, this affective drama centers on an up-and-coming baseball player Miguel Santos (Soto), better known as “Sugar” to his friends and family. Earning notice from professional baseball agents, Sugar is transplanted from his native Dominican Republic to the baseball fields of Midwestern America, striving to achieve success in the minor leagues.
Enormous pressure strikes Sugar from all conceivable angles. Culture shock, high hopes from his family and native community at large, expectations from his coach and handlers, and never being completely certain of his security on his American team are intimidating barriers the upstart must deal with alone. Directors and writers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, originators of 2006’s indie drama Half Nelson, present Sugar with raw honesty and true humanity. Algenis Perez Soto leads the film in his first-ever acting opportunity, and his inexperience is masked with a magnetic charisma and earnestness that makes his character’s journey all the more engrossing.
Extras include:
Making 'Sugar:' Run the Bases
Play Béisbol! The Dominican Dream, explores the significance of baseball in the Dominican Repulic, with interviews from MLB players Pedro Martinez, Sammy Sosa and others.
Casting 'Sugar:' Interview with Algenis Perez Soto, a screen test with the lead actor.
Starring: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris
