The Messenger is better than The Hurt Locker. Both films express common themes, such as the mental state of army personnel – during and after their deployment – and how people react differently to stressful situations. The films also introduce themselves slowly, using staccato rhythm of individual missions and assignments before reverting to a more traditional Hollywood storyline arc. Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery returns from Iraq after suffering an eye injury. He is assigned to the “Angels of Death” squadron, led by Captain Tony Stone, which is tasked with informing the next of kin after a casualty. Initial encounters with …
Un prophète
Most reviews of Un prophète are either very positive or quite negative. There seems to be no middle ground. I don’t know what to make of it. I would ask any view of Avatar or The Hurt Locker whether each film would have the same impact if it were the fourth or fifth version of that style of film. Unfortunately for Un prophète, it seems like it is one neo-realist film too many. After films like Gomorrah, Sin Nombre, and The Disappearance of Alice Creed have broken down all taboos and shown the gritty omnipresent nature of crime. Relative to …
Crazy Heart
Is it overly cynical to decry an amazing picture because the largely happy ending is somewhat clichéd? On my way out of the theatre, someone said that Crazy Heart was “The Wrestler redux, except with country music.” I actually was hoping for an ambiguous ending similar to that film; it would have suited the storyline arc better. It’s not a repeat of The Wrestler, although the protagonists share the characteristics of well-meaning faded stars who are substance abusers and spectacular screw-ups. This film is perfectly produced. The performances are intense and realistic, the patient direction filled with slow trailing shots …
Best Films of 2009
I see a great deal of films so I decided to rank the forty-four that I had seen so far. These are all films that received their major North American distribution in the past year. I tend to extensively self-select the films which I see and aim to avoid films which are daft, dreary, or dilettante. 2009 List: Leaves of Grass **** Compelling An Education **** Enlightening The Disappearance of Alice Creed **** Innovative The Damned United **** Inspiring La Donation **** Selfless Sin Nombre **** Depraved The Invisible City **** Revealing Up in the Air ***½ Pertinent A Single Man …
In the Loop
A satire mixing Burn After Reading, Thank You for Smoking, and Burn After Reading, In the Loop features one of the best scripts of the year. The satire alternates between vulgar and witty, yet remains engaging. Sometimes, when it comes to politics, the real dialogue seems absurd. Watching CNN, it seems like there are continuous contentious conversations regarding semantics and superficial details. In the Loop exaggerates this to a point where rivalries within the office become as significant as rivalries between nations. Under the pretence of high level meetings, cabinet ministers and their staffs are petty, pejorative, phony, and profane. As …
Up
Of the numerous animated films that I have screened, Up perhaps best combines visual effects with a meaningful yet humourous story. It is incredibly polished and may be the pinnacle of the obviously computer animated feature film if 3-D works such as Avatar are continually released. Yet it falls short of true cinematic greatness. Carl Fredricksen is a widow who is frustrated how the world has changed around him, literally and figuratively. He had fallen in love with his wife because they both imagined explorering the world, like their mutual idol Charles Munz. Despite all of their dreams, they never …
Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day
Two of the main criticisms of the second Trailer Park Boys film, Countdown to Liquor Day are that is isn’t funny enough and that there is not sufficient closure for the franchise. With regards to the former, it is true that the film does not match the laugh per minute ratio of the X-Mas Special or seasons one to four. With regards to the latter, I disagree. Now I will spoil the plot because I don’t have enough artistic criticism of the film. It doesn’t really operate on that level of sophistication anyways. The plot is not much to speak …
Inglourious Basterds
Inglourious Basterds is atypical of Quentin Tarantino films in some regards but similar in many other ways. The film twists traditional archetypes into meaningful characters. The conclusion of the film – which may or may not mirror the actual end of World War II – shows how that each side of the conflict was comprised of individuals, which their own characteristics and choices. The Nazis may have been charming or the Allies cutthroat, although more likely painted in shades of grey. Christoph Waltz won the Best Actor Award at Cannes for his portrayal of S.S. Colonel Hans Landa , “The …
Bright Star
An account of a brief love affair in the brief life of Romantic poet John Keats, Bright Star tells its story deliberately. Director Jane Campion highlights the dialogue by featuring a minimalist soundtrack; there is sparse music between bouts of extensive silence. Costumes and locations suit the film perfectly. The love affair is subtle but the passion between John Keats and Fanny Brawne is evident. The film sets out to deliver a moving love story and succeeds. The question remains as to whether this type of patient film can remain relevant amid countless Hollywood blockbusters which boast higher budgets, bigger …
Sherlock Holmes
To consider the latest Sherlock Holmes film canonical enrages the mind and inflames the soul. Robert Downey Jr. proves to be perhaps the most accurate interpretation of the literary hero but the plot is daft and dilettante. The sophistication and subtlety of Conan Doyle’s short stories are butchered by scenes of excessive violence and bludgeoned by overt symbolism. The atmosphere and setting of the film are sensation. London’s dark side, seen through Holmes Bohemian eyes is spellbinding and the soundtrack suits the action perfectly (the story about the “broken” piano is also fascinating). I could easily enjoy several films in …
Avatar
In his most recent film Avatar, James Cameron reates an amazing, luminous world. Pandora, a planet comprised of rain forests that cover an extremely valuable metal. To mine the ore, the multi-national, multi-planet corporation must displace the indigenous population and their lifestyle. Since humans cannot survive on Pandora, “avatars” have been created to mingle with the native population and attempt to negotiate a settlement. Jake Sully, an ex-marine who joined the mission solely because of desperation (on his part because he has no alternatives and on the part of the conglomerate because they need someone with the same D.N.A. as his …
Double Bill at the Royal Cinema, Part I: The Future of the Planet Seems to Be at Stake
Patrons of the Royal Cinema were treated this week to two esoteric films featuring two extraordinary gentlemen. Collapse: Michael Ruppert was an L.A.P.D. officer in the 1970s who blew the whistle on possible C.I.A. drug trafficking in the city. Since then, he has written several books about public policy and the dangers of excessive consumption. The film is essentially an eighty-minute interview, juxtaposing Ruppert’s thoughts with campy 1950s documentary footage. The reassuring Cold War era footage contrasts with the strong words expressed during the interview. It is a harsher version of Capitalism: A Love Story, taking the rhetoric to an …
Coaching the Players on the Team
ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentaries have been very intriguing. Some of have covered famous events, others have brought intriguing issues to light. Directed by Billy Corben, The U covers the rise and fall of the Miami Hurricanes football program in the 1980s. To me, the Miami Hurricanes program is interesting because of how a small academic school in Coral Gables won four national titles during a span of twelve years. The University of Miami had flirted with the idea of becoming “The Harvard of the South” but decided to place greater emphasis on football as the 1970s came to a close. …
A Single Man
A Single Man seeks to capture a sentiment, an essence, a moment. It seems to be a descendent of French films: certain abstract images are central to the thoughts of the protagonist although this effect is insufferable at times. Tom Ford directs the film in a very visual way, showing English professor George Falconer’s attempt to navigate around past demons and through the perilous present Having lost the love of his life in a car accident eight months previously, Falconer begins the day with the intent of killing himself. As he goes about his daily business, individual scenes trigger memories and emotions. …
Invictus
Invictus is a satisfactory film with two significant flaws which should be addressed. The film does not decide if South African President Nelson Mandela and Springboks captain François Pienaar are equals – different leaders with their own style – or whether Mandela is at the centre of a complicated power structure as he rebuilds his country after Apartheid. If the former is the case, then there is not enough time devoted to the rugby player; he should receive equal screen time as the President. If the intent is to focus upon the latter, there should be more instances showing how …
An Education
Jenny is a bright schoolgirl who is capable of excellent with pen and paper or with her cello. Her parents want her to study at Oxford – as if the university admission would provide symbolic approval of their parenting skills – but she wants more in life. She seeks to broaden her horizons and is frustrated by the strict boundaries at school and at home. An Education is set in 1961 London and based on the autobiography of journalist Lynn Barber; it seems Jenny may follow her intellectual spirit and become a member of the feminist movement in the 1960s. A chance encounter …