Biutiful: To me, this was a disappointing work. The idea of a contemptible criminal with little regard for the health and well-being of others developing loyalty towards those closest to him as he confronts cancer was appealing but the execution is lacking. Javier Bardem is once again on the other side of the law but he shows far more empathy than he did as Anton Chigurh but he is unable to engender the sympathy of the audience. So fate strikes those on both sides of the law but what is the lesson? Perhaps Biutiful meant to show how anyone can …
Somewhere
Somewhere merits its own film genre. Not really a drama, not quite a comedy; more a character study than an actual moving plot. Consequently, it’s limited to being charming and not much more. Post-modern Minimalist? Not that there’s anything wrong with that but it’s closer to half of a film than the whole thing. In many ways, it is a sequel to Lost in Translation. Stephen Dorff plays an irrelevant actor who lives in a hotel. Oddly, he is much more popular abroad than in the United States. The actor, Johnny Marco alternates between relishing the absurdity of his situation …
Best Films of 2010
I wasn’t able to see all the 2010 films that I wanted to because of late Canadian release dates and there were some films that I didn’t catch until this year (although they were released earlier in other countries). Here is my best effort to rank the best films of 2010. Oddly, I seemed to have seen the same amount of new films as I did last year. 2010 List: The Big Picture **** Irony and film. The King’s Speech **** Everything you would want in a film. Easy Money **** It’s not so easy as it seems. Black Swan …
Mesrine: Public Enemy #1
After a long delay, I was finally able to view the conclusion of the two-part series about French gangster Jacques Mesrine, thanks to Bay Street Video. Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 follows the criminal as he moves in and out of custody and the police move ever closer. The true crime drama captures the last two years of Mesrine’s career, culminating in a violent shootout in the Parisian suburbs. Unlike the prequel, the tone of this work more like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or Public Enemies. Like Mesrine: Public Enemy, the film is excellent and shares many of the …
Barney’s Version
Initially apprehensive about how the narrative structure of Barney’s Version would translate to the screen, I was presently surprised. The film mixes flashbacks with events occurring in the present day, jumping forwards years and months at a time without jarring the audience. Brief moments of forgetfulness and showing the protagonist through mirrors or translucent surfaces illustrates the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease before Barney is completely stricken in the final quarter of the film. On the other hand, I thought that the book included more of a Rashomon-type vibe than what was featured by the film. The work was entertaining – …
True Grit
A remake of a the film which earned John Wayne his only Academy Award, the Coen Brothers’ True Grit makes the most of modern filmmaking technology while remaining faithful to its western roots. Thanks to excellent performances and fine cinematography, the film takes its predecessor out of the studio and into the real world. Wayne’s original may have been considered a classic at the time it was released but this version shows how badly it has aged badly. Both are based on the same 1968 novel by Charles Portis but it has taken until the Joel and Ethan Coen adapted …
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer
So often, documentaries are praised because they bring interesting information to light, not because of the director’s craft or production values. The documentary combines interviews with archival footage, mixing objective facts with subjective opinions. Viewers leave the theatre believing that they have been totally informed about the latest crisis which is about to erupt when in fact they were only shown highlights of one side of the issue. The works can still be a productive use of two hours but one must keep their critical thinking filters on at all times. At first glance, Client 9: The Rise and Fall …
Rabbit Hole
Not every film must conclude with a happy ending. For some works, permitting the protagonists to achieve some progress is more satisfying than any Hollywood ending. Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart star in Rabbit Hole, playing Becca and Howie, two parents grieving over the loss of their young child. Both parents navigate their grief in different ways, encountering other characters who have also lost a child like Becca’s mother and Gaby from their support group, in addition to Jason, the teenaged driver involved in the car accident which killed their son. In one sense, Rabbit Hole is another one of …
The King’s Speech
Over the course of a given year, only a handful of elite films are released. Hollywood has diluted most of the major genres and most works are shallow copies of something that succeeded previously. The King’s Speech is a shining example of the contrary: a film that balances drama and comedy, features a stellar cast that honours their craft with skilled performances, and a plot that is relevant and informative. The topic – the speech impediment of King George VI and how it is threatening his ability to lead the United Kingdom following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII …
Black Swan
Ballet may not be an art that holds wide appeal but this fact should not prevent filmgoers from viewing Darren Aronofsky’s latest work, Black Swan. The director meant for this to complement The Wrestler, another film about a performer sacrificing themselves for the sake of their art. The series is significant and sophisticated so it can be enjoyed even if the subject is totally ignored. Natalie Portman plays Nina, a ballerina growing into her first major role, the lead in Swan Lake. Nina is technically gifted but dispassionate, unsure about what she wants for herself. Portman took this role because …
Brock and the Deathly Hallows (1/2)
As innovative as J.K. Rowling’s books have proven themselves over the years – pairing a self-contained universe which parallels Star Wars in terms of detail and scope with fictional characters struggling with the same obstacles as their real life counterparts – they have also hosted a number of flaws. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I may attempt to tell an epic tale but it is ultimately tripped up by archetypal characters and lazy narrative techniques. It is somewhat ironic that Hermione Grange constantly espouses the benefits of the logic throughout the film only to be let down by …
127 Hours
Although he won an Oscar two years ago for Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle delivered a much better film with his latest work, 127 Hours. The film chronicles five days in the life of Aron Ralston, a climber who was trapped in a canyon by a heavy boulder and only survived by amputating his own right arm. Despite the grim subject-matter, 127 Hours boasts a fair amount of energy, suiting the personality its protagonist. The opening montage captures the hectic pace of modern life well, the very lifestyle that Ralston seeks to escape by climbing. Boyle described the film as something …
Discourse on Documentaries, Part II: Education and Finance
The good documentary will chronicle the events which comprise an important issue, explaining exactly what is happening and outlining its significance. The excellent documentary will not only accomplish those goals but determine how the events transpired and suggest how the issue might be resolved. Due to the visual medium, it does not hurt to grab the audience’s attention with a hint of humour or a drop of drama. Two films – Waiting for Superman (**½) and The Inside Job (***½) – entertain and inform viewers. While both raise interesting questions, only one provides answers and proposes the next steps to …
The Girl Who Kicked a Hornet’s Nest
If the original Star Wars saga unfolded like the Millennium Trilogy, Luke Skywalker would have still destroyed the Death Star at the conclusion of A New Hope. However, the battle would not have continued on Hoth, Bespin, and Endor; rather The Empire Strikes Back would have consisted of Darth Vader’s meticulous attempts to frame the rebel pilot and The Return of the Jedi would have been Luke’s return after an acquittal. The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo proved to be an atypical and intriguing film that was overwhelmed by two tepid sequels. The Girl Who Played with Fire was tolerable …
The Social Network
In my mind, the best attribute of The Social Network is the screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. The rest of the film may have been interesting and intriguing at times but most of the work was more solid than stupendous. Sorkin’s contribution, based on a real story and making use of rapid-fire dialogue and a unique narrative structure, shines. Sorkin has always been able to take the real world and render it remarkable and witty on-screen. The film recounts the creation of Facebook, is a pop-culture phenomenon. At this time, it is uncertain whether it will remain relevant over the years …
Bell Lightbox Screenings, Part I: The Godfather
The reason that we screen films at the Bell Lightbox is so we can better appreciate today’s films. It’s not solely a matter of enjoying the film that is shown – although that is also a significant factor – but to understand its impact on the films that followed it. The Godfather is one of the best films of all time and it is always satisfying, despite the condescension dripping from Lightbox staff and the crowd of jackanapes who had smuggled six-packs into the theatre and insisted on quoting every famous line aloud. Those drawbacks were trivial relative to the …