The Adventures of Tintin is the film that Steven Spielberg has always aspired to make. Combining 3-D and motion capture technology, the director actions action scenes which defy physical and leap from the screen in the realm of absurdity. The film cannot capture the audience’s imagination because it goes well beyond that; Tintin is action for the sake of action, innovative because it showcases scenes few had conceived before. Though many current films may follow the same mantra of “watch now, think later”, they cannot replicate Spielberg’s panache. For better or worse, the film entertains consistently throughout its concise 144 …
Defending Jeremy Lin
In contrast to how Toronto defended a Jeremy Lin on February 14th, Miami caused significant problems for the Knicks point guard by blitzing New York’s ballscreens. The Knicks are running “Short” (Steve Novak is coming up behind the screen but since Lin is off-balance and unable to see the entire court, he cannot make a good pass and turns the ball over.
Linsanity in Toronto
Toronto was entirely unprepared for Jeremy Lin’s first visit to the Air Canada Centre. On the final play of the game, with the score tied and the clock winding down, Jose Calderon backs off in case Lin drives but he should note how little time is remaining. It is unlikely the Lin will make it to the rim so Calderon should play the shot. Furthermore, Toronto did not demonstrate good team defense. What was the plan? They would have been better to help more aggressively and force Lin to pass to a weaker shooter, such as Landry Fields or Iman …
Can 2:11 Define a Season?
Toronto led Los Angeles 88-84 with 2:11 left in Sunday’s game. Unfortunately, after the Lakers took timeout, the game took a turn for the worse for the Raptors, much like many other games this year. Consistent decision-making, toughness and teamwork is required to succeed throughout the season.
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The Toronto Raptors without Andrea Bargnani
The Toronto Raptors face many obstacles while Andrea Bargnani is out with a calf strain. This podcast is devoted to strategies the team can employ in order to succeed without their key player.
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Monsieur Lazhar
After an elementary school teacher hangs herself in the classroom, a school is left shaken. The principal cannot find a substitute teacher to take over the assignment and the students are coping with their grief over the death of their popular teacher. Monsieur Lazhar, claiming to be a teacher from Algeria who is a permanent resident in Canada but cannot obtain a permanent job, arrives and is tasked with restoring some order to the class.
Scoring and the Shot Clock
A recent study by University of Minnesota physics professor Brian Skinner suggesting the it is better for N.B.A. players to shoot early in the shot clock. Skinner mentions that shots taken within first eight seconds of the shot clock generate 1.05 points each shot whereas those taken in the final two seconds of the clock produce 0.85 points. The expected point value of each shot declines very slightly from the beginning of the possession until the final eight seconds when shots become progressively worse. 911 shots as the clock winds down provide the lowest expected value.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Part II
Remakes sometimes prove weak derivatives of the original film but The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo deserves to stand on equal footing as the Swedish original. The strengths of the original film – an enigmatic title character, dark themes and a cold setting which is not often portrayed on film – remain intact as do the weaknesses, such as the stilted plot and anti-climatic conclusion. The first chapter of the Millennium Trilogy is more suited to film, where it can be edited and altered to retain the audience’s interest, than a 631 page tome. Many films follow Akira Kurosawa’s model …
Consistency
Consistency – over the course of a game, a season, a career – is one of the toughest obstacles faced by competitive athletes and teams. Over the course of an event or a meet, individuals may experience highs and lows; one poor race can dash one’s dreams of glory. In order to be consistent, different combination of players must maintain the same level of intensity and quality; diverse people must perform as one. Since it is so challenging to achieve, consistency is often associated with greatness. Dwane Casey keeps a 1,300 pound rock in the Toronto Raptors locker room, which …
The Artist
An ode to silent films and the Golden Age of the Silver Screen, The Artist could easily become camp yet manages to rise above the novelty of black and white scenes, dialogue replaced by caption cards and a 4:3 aspect ratio. The film succeeds because it preserves the magic of Hollywood, not the techniques of 1920s filmmaking. Ultimately, the purpose of films is to entertain; silent films became obsolete when viewers wanted to see “talkies” and black and white films were replaced when colour was demanded. The Artist aspires to entertain the audience with a simple and charming story and …
Carnage
Carnage, based on the play God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza, is a brief but charming comedic film. Much like Reza’s other Tony award winning play ‘Art’, it features a group of people who come together for a seemingly innocuous reason only to slowly annoy, provoke and antagonize each other. Instead of three friends coming together to view an all-white painting, Carnage describes how two set of parents meet after their sons get into a fight at a nearby playground. Penelope and Michael Longstreet – played by Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly – host Nancy and Alan Cowan – …
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
The problems with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows began with the poster prominently displayed outside the theatre, featuring the protagonist grasping a revolver. This is a misunderstanding that envelops the entire film, substituting explosions, MMA and cross-dressing for the thoughtful detective work of the novels. The film looks fantastic and brings Europe at the turn of the twentieth century to live but neglects to do likewise for the titular character. Unfortunately, the eccentricities of Sherlock Holmes are exaggerated far too much by Robert Downey and he is made to be a comedic figure. While Arthur Conan Doyle created a …
Margin Call
More than one audience member felt that the reason Margin Call seemed so depressing was that the events depict on-screen actually occurred, a small group of traders leaving the economies of the world to deal with their reckless actions. Like the real word, the film a large financial firm is populated by a myriad of people some who are very well-paid and do very little and others who are very effective but wield little influence. Margin Call recounts a thirty-six hours period when a risk management analyst realizes the precarious position that the heavily-leveraged firm has created for itself and …
The Pyramid of Success
Comprised of multiple blocks, John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success could be distilled into five main levels. The top level “Competitive Greatness” generally means success on the court, achieving one’s potential and living a positive life as a student, athlete and person. The top of the pyramid is supported by terms which equate to Relationships, Mindfulness, Fundamental Skills and Self-Confidence. At the 2011 Eastern Commerce Holiday Classic, great teams demonstrated these qualities in abundance. Some might say these are the basic criteria for success in any endeavour. Great teams support each other. When someone hits the floor, a teammate picks them …
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
This past weekend, two films opened that allowed views to choose between their amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Those who wanted to react could watch Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and relish the ceaseless action and those who wished to reflect could screen Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and revisit the intrigue of the Cold War. There is nothing wrong with explosions and fisticuffs but I wanted conspiracies and mysteries so I chose the latter. I was happy with my choice but others in the theatre were not, believing that there was not sufficient violence for their liking. Based on the 1974 novel …
Shame
Shame exemplifies a recent trend in cinema to portray an emotion – or a moment in time – rather than a narrative or a story. Dialogue and plot development may be minimum but the audience is shown a realistic and intense exposé about the effects of addiction on individuals and relationships. There really is no moral, other than the message: “this is out there, it is what it is and we need to be aware of it and deal with it.” Michael Fassbender stars Brandon, initially a seemingly successful executive whose life gradually comes apart after his sister Sissy, played …