Existentialism on film is a risky proposition: while the theme can be incorporated throughout different types of scenes, it is challenging to construct a conclusion that does not ring hollow. Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life debates the meaning of life well, combining a unique method of storytelling with stunning visuals, but wanders slightly into the realm of cliché as it reaches its climax. Juxtaposing concrete scenes of life with abstract visions of creation, real-life moments and natural metaphors, Malick captures the attention of the audience without overwhelming them. On one hand, life is precious and fleeting but on the …
Capote
Capote chronicles the life of author Truman Capote as he chronicles the murders in Holcomb, Kansas which would become the basis for his book In Cold Blood. The quadruple-homicide may have permanently damaged the innocence of the country as the task of researching and writing the book harmed the conscience of the author. The Kansas scenery comes to life, albeit in the drab colours of winter. Instead of a stark conflict between good and bad, black and white, there are many varied interests at play. The contrast between the values of the upstanding citizens of Holcomb and those of Perry …
In Cold Blood
Unlike the film Gangs of New York, which adapted a spell-binding text and rendered it into conventional Hollywood tripe, In Cold Blood enhances the true crime novel by Truman Capote and brings it to life on the silver screen. The events which permanently altered life in tiny Holcomb, Kansas – and perhaps throughout all small towns in the United States – have been the subject of a true crime novel by Truman Capote, a documentary, television movie and the first widely-distributed American film to use profanity. Capote devoted six years to the project, compiling records and minutiae in order to …
Hot Docs ’11
Attendance at any film festival needs to be supported by a philosophy of zero expectations. The tenets of such a philosophy are a hope for the best possible outcome (a memorable screening of a film that would have otherwise been missed) tempered by little emotional involvement ahead of time and no entitlement to anything beyond ninety minutes of entertainment. Grinders seems to be inspired by Sportnet’s incessant coverage of poker events. The tales of anonymous Toronto poker players are balanced with an interview with superstar Daniel Negreanu about the life he lives in Las Vegas. Negreanu has long since outgrown …
Scorsese Retrospective
I decided to catch up with some films by Martin Scorsese that I had not recently viewed in their entirety. Casino: Very similar in structure to GoodFellas, Casino remains an excellent work. The similarities are evident: Robert DeNiro playing a leading role supported by Joe Pesci, a true organized crime story written by Nicholas Pileggi, and a detailed soundtrack which brings the film to life. Brutal violence illustrates how seriously casino boss Sam “Ace” Rothstein and his backers from the Chicago Outfit take the business of running the Tangiers Hotel and Casino in the 1970s. Although Rothstein seemed to have …
A Handful of 2010 Films
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 …