Dir. Josh Trank
Being a teenager is complicated. It seems even more so, now, with so many social media and technological outlets available. Still, a lot of the problems faced 20 years ago are still happening now: people get picked on for being different, kids try to find where they belong, family life can be difficult. The movie Chronicle, though undeniably a fantasy/action film, is so timely because it puts bullying on the center stage, something that has been so prevalent in the media as of late.
The film begins with Andrew (Dane DeHaan) filming his life for his own social media project. He lives in an abusive household where his father, an alcoholic without a job, frequently beats Andrew psychologically and physically. Meanwhile, his mother, suffering from a terminal illness, struggles to connect with her son as her health slips away. At school, Andrew is an outcast. He has no friends and his classmates tease and taunt him at the sight of his camera. His one point of contact is his cousin Matt (Alex Russell) that takes him to school everyday and seems to relate to Andrew with a tinge of obligation and pity. After being convinced to go to a popular kid’s party, the two, accompanied by popular kid Steve (Michael B. Jordan) investigate a mysterious crater. The object ostensibly grants the three telekinetic powers as well as super-human strength and abilities. As their powers grow, however, Andrew begins to change as he begins to fight back at those who wronged him.
The entire movie is part of the rapidly expanding “found footage” genre started by The Blair Witch Project and most recently popularized with the Paranormal Activity films. Though gimmicky, and a bit stomach churning, it gives the film a very autobiographical tone. Andrew, alienated and invisible, feels like he can only exist if the cameras are on him. For once, all eyes are on him and the camera can never judge him. As the trio’s abilities grow, the start to become more reckless. What begin as high school pranks (pushing around shopping carts in stores, lifting up cheerleaders skirts) quickly become dangerous where people’s lives are at stake. I think what is most effective in the film is the very real and rational decent Andrew takes into the “villain” role. These kids are beat up, called horrible slurs, degraded and abused. Sadly, many of them take their lives. But what if they had the ability to fight back? They’d probably rip the teeth out of their abusers just like Andrew does.
Eventually, it all comes to a climax that combines the supernatural with the everyday. The final 20 minutes is a thrilling action set piece set in downtown Seattle – an uncommon choice for an action film that further cements one foot set in reality. If anything, the action gets a little repetitive and it seems like the filmmakers were making up for the 1st hour where Andrew and Matt experiment with their powers (read: kinda slow moving) rather than go all out with them.
I’m most impressed with Chronicle because there is so little fanfare around the movie. There are no huge, budge crumbling explosions (ok, maybe one), or computer generated marketing tie-ins, and it balances the fantastic with an important message about today’s youth. It’s a movie that never forgets its entertainment, but believes that it can be something more.
Grade: A-
Monday, February 6, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The Innkeepers
Dir. Ti West
The setting of the haunted house is nothing new. The setting of the haunted hotel is also well-worn. The haunted hotel that employs a droll, hipster blogging duo, however, is a little less familiar. Such is the premise of Ti West’s (The House of the Devil) newest chiller, The Innkeepers.
Set in the all but vacant Yankee Pedlar Inn just a few short days before it is to be shut down, the only people in the hotel is the young, spunky Claire (Sarah Paxton) and her slacker coworker Luke (Pat Healy). The two are determined to find evidence of ghostly happenings while mysterious guests check in.
The Innkeepers is much like a ghost story told over a roaring fire in the woods. There’s a lot of spooky and build up. It’s all about how the story is told that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. What’s notable is that most of the movie has your typical jump scares, but they are pretty far between. Things happen just frequent enough to catch you off guard. The story mostly follows Claire as she wanders around the hotel interacting with the bizarre guests. It’s safe to say that very little happens in the first hour or so of the film. The deliberate pacing lets you know that something is coming, and when it does it’s going to be a doozy. What eventually comes is so fast and, admittedly, frightening, you’re barely left with any time to catch your breath.
Much has been said about Ti West’s low-tech approach to filmmaking. His previous film, The House of the Devil, was lauded as a return to the twitchy, suspenseful horror movies of the 60s and 70s. If that’s the case, then The Innkeepers owes a debt of gratitude to the 50s haunted house pictures from scholckmeisters William Castle and Vincent Price.
Paxton’s plays Claire with the right amount of spunk and naiveté of that 20-something sales associate that rolls her eyes at your every request. Ultimately, though, as we follow Claire around and as the horrors begin to increase in intensity, that sarcastic exterior sheds and the frightened little girl is exposed.
I often wonder if audiences will respond to character-driven movies. It may be my own skewed perception, but it seems like movies nowadays are geared to adult ADHD. I think with the success of the Paranormal Activity series (films in which nothing happens for broad swaths of time), people would be more inclined to give a movie like The Innkeepers a chance.
Grade: B+
Note: The Innkeepers is making it's theater debut February 3rd but has been available on iTunes since early January. That's how I saw the movie, my pre-screening privileges have not returned.
The setting of the haunted house is nothing new. The setting of the haunted hotel is also well-worn. The haunted hotel that employs a droll, hipster blogging duo, however, is a little less familiar. Such is the premise of Ti West’s (The House of the Devil) newest chiller, The Innkeepers.
Set in the all but vacant Yankee Pedlar Inn just a few short days before it is to be shut down, the only people in the hotel is the young, spunky Claire (Sarah Paxton) and her slacker coworker Luke (Pat Healy). The two are determined to find evidence of ghostly happenings while mysterious guests check in.
The Innkeepers is much like a ghost story told over a roaring fire in the woods. There’s a lot of spooky and build up. It’s all about how the story is told that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. What’s notable is that most of the movie has your typical jump scares, but they are pretty far between. Things happen just frequent enough to catch you off guard. The story mostly follows Claire as she wanders around the hotel interacting with the bizarre guests. It’s safe to say that very little happens in the first hour or so of the film. The deliberate pacing lets you know that something is coming, and when it does it’s going to be a doozy. What eventually comes is so fast and, admittedly, frightening, you’re barely left with any time to catch your breath.
Much has been said about Ti West’s low-tech approach to filmmaking. His previous film, The House of the Devil, was lauded as a return to the twitchy, suspenseful horror movies of the 60s and 70s. If that’s the case, then The Innkeepers owes a debt of gratitude to the 50s haunted house pictures from scholckmeisters William Castle and Vincent Price.
Paxton’s plays Claire with the right amount of spunk and naiveté of that 20-something sales associate that rolls her eyes at your every request. Ultimately, though, as we follow Claire around and as the horrors begin to increase in intensity, that sarcastic exterior sheds and the frightened little girl is exposed.
I often wonder if audiences will respond to character-driven movies. It may be my own skewed perception, but it seems like movies nowadays are geared to adult ADHD. I think with the success of the Paranormal Activity series (films in which nothing happens for broad swaths of time), people would be more inclined to give a movie like The Innkeepers a chance.
Grade: B+
Note: The Innkeepers is making it's theater debut February 3rd but has been available on iTunes since early January. That's how I saw the movie, my pre-screening privileges have not returned.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Haywire
Dir. Stephen Soderbergh
Mallory Kane will kick your ass. She may not share many words with you, but she will beat you into submission. As played by mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano, Mallory Kane could be the long-lost sibling of the Driver, played by Ryan Gosling, from last year’s Drive. Both are silent, strong-willed assassins that are no stranger to violence and blood.
Soderbergh’s movie has a very cool sheen to it, mixing warm warmer hues in Barcelona and cooler tones in upstate New York to give the film a very modernist feel. He also employs a tilting and panning camera that he employed in Ocean’s 11 that provides a sort of voyeuristic, security cam feel to the movie. The film zips along across the globe accompanied by a bopping jazz score to help move things along.
Accompanying Carano is an expansive list of leading men including current IT guy Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas and Michael Douglas. What’s lacking, however, is a unique and coherent plot. In effort to highlight Carano’s fighting skills, which are impressive, the decision was made to limit a cohesive story. It’s basically about a agent being double crossed and sold out by her employer, or something. Dialogue seemed to be a thin glue holding together action sequences which, disappointingly, happened all too infrequently.
Much publicity has been directed to Carano’s acting ability, or rather to her lack of acting history. I personally feel like she casts an aura about her that intrigues and invites questions. You wonder who she is and what she’s plotting. When she speaks, however, she sounds like a regular person acting rather than embodying the character she’s aiming to portray. It’s a bit distracting, but her sheer physicality tends to overcome any of her acting shortcomings.
Haywire is a relatively zippy film, clocking in at just around 93 minutes and serves as kind of a “Best of” in terms of Soderbergh’s skills and themes. It’s nothing that is mindblowing in terms of narrative or even action, but it’s interesting to see the arthouse director extending his range to include some action.
Grade: C+
Mallory Kane will kick your ass. She may not share many words with you, but she will beat you into submission. As played by mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano, Mallory Kane could be the long-lost sibling of the Driver, played by Ryan Gosling, from last year’s Drive. Both are silent, strong-willed assassins that are no stranger to violence and blood.
Soderbergh’s movie has a very cool sheen to it, mixing warm warmer hues in Barcelona and cooler tones in upstate New York to give the film a very modernist feel. He also employs a tilting and panning camera that he employed in Ocean’s 11 that provides a sort of voyeuristic, security cam feel to the movie. The film zips along across the globe accompanied by a bopping jazz score to help move things along.
Accompanying Carano is an expansive list of leading men including current IT guy Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas and Michael Douglas. What’s lacking, however, is a unique and coherent plot. In effort to highlight Carano’s fighting skills, which are impressive, the decision was made to limit a cohesive story. It’s basically about a agent being double crossed and sold out by her employer, or something. Dialogue seemed to be a thin glue holding together action sequences which, disappointingly, happened all too infrequently.
Much publicity has been directed to Carano’s acting ability, or rather to her lack of acting history. I personally feel like she casts an aura about her that intrigues and invites questions. You wonder who she is and what she’s plotting. When she speaks, however, she sounds like a regular person acting rather than embodying the character she’s aiming to portray. It’s a bit distracting, but her sheer physicality tends to overcome any of her acting shortcomings.
Haywire is a relatively zippy film, clocking in at just around 93 minutes and serves as kind of a “Best of” in terms of Soderbergh’s skills and themes. It’s nothing that is mindblowing in terms of narrative or even action, but it’s interesting to see the arthouse director extending his range to include some action.
Grade: C+
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Video Review
Midnight in Paris
Dir. Woody Allen
It may be me, but I feel like the days of the auteur director are gone. I remember thinking that the name of the director meant something. For some, just hearing who the director was could be reason enough to see a movie (in the same way my mom is pretty much on board for any Harrison Ford movie). It seems like these prestige days of film have been steadily waning since the 70s and nowadays it looks like studios are really just pushing whatever can yield returns. I’m not trying to take an elitist stance on the matter as I thoroughly and routinely enjoy my fair share of Hollywood dreck, but once in a while a movie comes along where you really feel the director’s passion, perspective, and motivation. Midnight in Paris is one of those movies.
Midnight in Paris tells the story of Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a Hollywood screenwriter disillusioned by his high-paying yet unfulfilling job. He’s vacationing with his fiancé Inez (Rachel McAdams) in Paris while her father negotiates a big business deal. While in Paris, Gil sneaks out nightly to get inspiration for a passion project of his, a semi-autobiographical novel about a man who cannot escape thinking about the past – and wouldn’t you know it, every night at midnight a cab appears that magically transports Gil to 1920s Paris. Here, he meets all sorts of literary figures such as F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleson), Salvador Dali (Adrien Brody), and Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates) all of whom help him sort out his predicament.
What sounds like a rather whimsical premise is really Woody Allen’s way of showing the romantic and sensuous nature of Paris. I’m kind of liking Allen’s recent tour of the world. Though the director is most well-known as using New York as a character (Annie Hall, Manhattan, etc.), recently he’s made stops in London (Match Point, Scoop), Spain (Vicky Christina Barcelona), and now Paris. I’d argue that the change of scenery has yielded some of Allen’s strongest works yet. Midnight in Paris is a sweeping romance, but interestingly not between Wilson and McAdams. In fact, Inez is a shrill harpy that berates and insults Gil at every turn. Instead, the romance exists within the streets and buildings of Paris. This deep affection is felt within every inch of Allen’s film. The soft antique lighting, the crowded, smoky Jazz club, the wistful Cole Porter tune in the background – everything just has a quiet, slow-paced elegance of days gone by. Everything, as well, has the touch of vintage Woody Allen and Wilson embodies the self-deprecating, insecure protagonist Allen would have played some 30 years ago.
Now the film isn’t without its flaws. There are numerous historical characters packed in, some of which appear only to be name-checked. As mentioned before, Rachel McAdams’s Inez is whiny and cloying as Gil’s fiancé and you wish someone would just push her in the Seine already. That being said, though, Midnight in Paris evokes a feeling that you rarely get in movies nowadays. There is no violence, there is little profanity, plot points are forced along by transforming robots or mile-high explosions. The audience is allowed to relax and follow the gentle current along as a story is told. Allen has shown that he’s a fan of letting a story blossom and unfurl at a gentle clip, like a leisurely stroll through the city of lights.
Dir. Woody Allen
It may be me, but I feel like the days of the auteur director are gone. I remember thinking that the name of the director meant something. For some, just hearing who the director was could be reason enough to see a movie (in the same way my mom is pretty much on board for any Harrison Ford movie). It seems like these prestige days of film have been steadily waning since the 70s and nowadays it looks like studios are really just pushing whatever can yield returns. I’m not trying to take an elitist stance on the matter as I thoroughly and routinely enjoy my fair share of Hollywood dreck, but once in a while a movie comes along where you really feel the director’s passion, perspective, and motivation. Midnight in Paris is one of those movies.
Midnight in Paris tells the story of Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a Hollywood screenwriter disillusioned by his high-paying yet unfulfilling job. He’s vacationing with his fiancé Inez (Rachel McAdams) in Paris while her father negotiates a big business deal. While in Paris, Gil sneaks out nightly to get inspiration for a passion project of his, a semi-autobiographical novel about a man who cannot escape thinking about the past – and wouldn’t you know it, every night at midnight a cab appears that magically transports Gil to 1920s Paris. Here, he meets all sorts of literary figures such as F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleson), Salvador Dali (Adrien Brody), and Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates) all of whom help him sort out his predicament.
What sounds like a rather whimsical premise is really Woody Allen’s way of showing the romantic and sensuous nature of Paris. I’m kind of liking Allen’s recent tour of the world. Though the director is most well-known as using New York as a character (Annie Hall, Manhattan, etc.), recently he’s made stops in London (Match Point, Scoop), Spain (Vicky Christina Barcelona), and now Paris. I’d argue that the change of scenery has yielded some of Allen’s strongest works yet. Midnight in Paris is a sweeping romance, but interestingly not between Wilson and McAdams. In fact, Inez is a shrill harpy that berates and insults Gil at every turn. Instead, the romance exists within the streets and buildings of Paris. This deep affection is felt within every inch of Allen’s film. The soft antique lighting, the crowded, smoky Jazz club, the wistful Cole Porter tune in the background – everything just has a quiet, slow-paced elegance of days gone by. Everything, as well, has the touch of vintage Woody Allen and Wilson embodies the self-deprecating, insecure protagonist Allen would have played some 30 years ago.
Now the film isn’t without its flaws. There are numerous historical characters packed in, some of which appear only to be name-checked. As mentioned before, Rachel McAdams’s Inez is whiny and cloying as Gil’s fiancé and you wish someone would just push her in the Seine already. That being said, though, Midnight in Paris evokes a feeling that you rarely get in movies nowadays. There is no violence, there is little profanity, plot points are forced along by transforming robots or mile-high explosions. The audience is allowed to relax and follow the gentle current along as a story is told. Allen has shown that he’s a fan of letting a story blossom and unfurl at a gentle clip, like a leisurely stroll through the city of lights.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Young Adult
Dir. Jason Reitman
I think as humans it’s one of our goals in life to avoid responsibility. Something about waking up and thinking about the bills that need to be paid, that rattling noise coming from the car or that call to the doctor you keep putting off that just seems so…lame. Growing up, I had romantic notions of being an adult. I could buy all the video games and Dunkaroos my little heart desired! You come to find, however, that there is precious little time to play video games and Dunkaroos have so many carbs. I think that’s why Charlize Theron’s character Mavis Gary in Young Adult struck such a chord with me. She is a woman hell-bent on recapturing her glory days of adolescence and she will do just about anything to get it.
As we’re introduced to Mavis, she’s passed out in her bed. She carries around a tiny Pomeranian named Dolce in a pink bag. She writes, or rather ghostwrites, young adult novels about the lives of prep school students and gains inspiration from eavesdropping on real students. Frankly, Mavis’s life is a mess. She did, however, escape the clutches of her small town upbringing and tells herself each and every day how fortunate she is to go on to bigger and better things. One day, though, an email announcement about a former flame’s baby triggers something inside of her and she races back to her hometown to win back the heart of her high school sweetheart Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson).
Young Adult is basically an extended character study on the broken, sad, and bitter Mavis Gary. As played by Charlize Theron, Mavis is utterly engrossing and often times you wince at the things she does and says. In her mind, she’s a hot, irresistible seductress yet on the outside she may be hot, but she is really just pitiful – and frankly the woman is batshit crazy. There was a certain suspension of belief with Mavis; she certainly didn’t exist in the real world as we know it, but in her own crazy fantasy world. Luckily for the audience we have Matt Frehauf (Patton Oswald), a high school classmate of Mavis’s, that not only deflects her shallow insanity back at her, but provides us with a nice dose of cold reality. In high school, while Mavis was prancing around as one of the most popular kids in school, oblivious to the world, Matt was accused of being a homosexual and savagely beaten by those who ran in the same circle as Mavis. As a testament to Mavis’s ignorance, she simply recalls him as “Hate Crime Guy”. The two make for a strange pairing yet ultimately bond over their love of liquor and the fact that they are both outcasts for very different reasons.
The picture painted in Young Adult is dreary. I think we’re programmed to think that the popular jocks and cheerleaders in high school that make our lives miserable will end up being failures at life – but when you actually see what that looks like it kind of breaks your heart. As I watched the movie, I was reminded of a similar themed movie that came out this summer starring Cameron Diaz. In it, Diaz played almost the same character but instead aimed for low-brow guffaws and that film ended up a mean-spirited, hollow mess. Young Adult avoids this trapping by making Mavis a very complicated, three-dimensional character. It doesn't hurt that the acting is several grades higher too.
There are moments during Young Adult where I laughed out loud. There are moments where my mouth was agape in utter shock. There are also moments of strange tenderness as well. There was a moment towards the end of the movie where Mavis teeters on an epiphany. She may have been caught up in a moment, but she really began to think about her life. She receives some words of advice from another character that tips her scale in one direction – at this moment you see just how fragile and broken Mavis truly is and you pray that she’ll change but she probably won’t. Well, I guess that’s growing up.
Grade: B
I think as humans it’s one of our goals in life to avoid responsibility. Something about waking up and thinking about the bills that need to be paid, that rattling noise coming from the car or that call to the doctor you keep putting off that just seems so…lame. Growing up, I had romantic notions of being an adult. I could buy all the video games and Dunkaroos my little heart desired! You come to find, however, that there is precious little time to play video games and Dunkaroos have so many carbs. I think that’s why Charlize Theron’s character Mavis Gary in Young Adult struck such a chord with me. She is a woman hell-bent on recapturing her glory days of adolescence and she will do just about anything to get it.
As we’re introduced to Mavis, she’s passed out in her bed. She carries around a tiny Pomeranian named Dolce in a pink bag. She writes, or rather ghostwrites, young adult novels about the lives of prep school students and gains inspiration from eavesdropping on real students. Frankly, Mavis’s life is a mess. She did, however, escape the clutches of her small town upbringing and tells herself each and every day how fortunate she is to go on to bigger and better things. One day, though, an email announcement about a former flame’s baby triggers something inside of her and she races back to her hometown to win back the heart of her high school sweetheart Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson).
Young Adult is basically an extended character study on the broken, sad, and bitter Mavis Gary. As played by Charlize Theron, Mavis is utterly engrossing and often times you wince at the things she does and says. In her mind, she’s a hot, irresistible seductress yet on the outside she may be hot, but she is really just pitiful – and frankly the woman is batshit crazy. There was a certain suspension of belief with Mavis; she certainly didn’t exist in the real world as we know it, but in her own crazy fantasy world. Luckily for the audience we have Matt Frehauf (Patton Oswald), a high school classmate of Mavis’s, that not only deflects her shallow insanity back at her, but provides us with a nice dose of cold reality. In high school, while Mavis was prancing around as one of the most popular kids in school, oblivious to the world, Matt was accused of being a homosexual and savagely beaten by those who ran in the same circle as Mavis. As a testament to Mavis’s ignorance, she simply recalls him as “Hate Crime Guy”. The two make for a strange pairing yet ultimately bond over their love of liquor and the fact that they are both outcasts for very different reasons.
The picture painted in Young Adult is dreary. I think we’re programmed to think that the popular jocks and cheerleaders in high school that make our lives miserable will end up being failures at life – but when you actually see what that looks like it kind of breaks your heart. As I watched the movie, I was reminded of a similar themed movie that came out this summer starring Cameron Diaz. In it, Diaz played almost the same character but instead aimed for low-brow guffaws and that film ended up a mean-spirited, hollow mess. Young Adult avoids this trapping by making Mavis a very complicated, three-dimensional character. It doesn't hurt that the acting is several grades higher too.
There are moments during Young Adult where I laughed out loud. There are moments where my mouth was agape in utter shock. There are also moments of strange tenderness as well. There was a moment towards the end of the movie where Mavis teeters on an epiphany. She may have been caught up in a moment, but she really began to think about her life. She receives some words of advice from another character that tips her scale in one direction – at this moment you see just how fragile and broken Mavis truly is and you pray that she’ll change but she probably won’t. Well, I guess that’s growing up.
Grade: B
Friday, December 30, 2011
The Adventures of Tintin
Dir. Steven Spielberg
Few directors have that instant name-recognition like Steven Spielberg. My mom can probably name at least one or two of his movies which is quite a feat. Also, I think Spielberg is very assured in all the films that he does. Themes, set-pieces, even music flow through all of his works and tie them together. When Spielberg makes a movie it can usually be classified in one of two groups: Important “message” type films (Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, this year’s War Horse) and Rollicking adventure films (Indian Jones movies, War of the Worlds). The Adventures of Tintin is firmly in the latter category. In fact, other than the search for a lost treasure, and maybe touching on some themes of vengeance, The Adventures of Tintin is almost all straightforward action with little subtext.
We’re introduced to our character Tintin (Jamie Bell) while he is shopping in his native Brussels. Most of the world is familiar with the titular hero, as he is star of his own long-running comics by author Herge. After purchasing a mysterious model ship, Tintin is suddenly thrust into a treasure-seeking journey that takes him across the globe and where he meets future partner Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis). That’s pretty much all there is to it. Tintin and Haddock follow clues and trail a meanie played by Daniel Craig who, like Spielberg, is making his second appearance of the holiday season following The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
The action scenes are bright and lively and cartoonishly over-the-top. In particular, a dizzying chase through the fictional Middle Eastern city of Bagghar that begins as a simple “follow that man!” scene and results in the decimation of the entire city. I admired the way the camera loops and flies and swivels around the action in a way that would be nearly impossible in live action. Every action-packed segment is thrilling and jaw-dropping yet ultimately feels hollow because the plot is so thin.
This brings me to the topic of the motion-capture element. Motion capture has its fair share of detractors, most of which lie in the “uncanny valley”, that is that no matter how good the animation, the characters will always have a lifeless, eerie, robotic quality. I can firmly say that Tintin boasts some of the most impressive computer animation of the year, yet it’s true, there is something oddly disconnecting about the characters. I mostly noticed it in the way Tintin’s face never quite emoted like a real person, his forehead was always a little stiff. I think, however, this didn’t affect my enjoyment of the movie, and as motion capture becomes more and more prevalent in films we become more and more adjusted to the off-kilter quality of the characters. Actor Jamie Bell does a fine job capturing the optimistic and sunny Tintin and veteran motion-capture actor Andy Serkis fits easily into the role of the alcoholic Captain Haddock.
All said and done, The Adventures of Tintin is an interesting combination of newfangled, modern cinema blended with an old school yarn about treasure seekers. Though the movie is entertaining enough, I left the theater with a sense that I might have been satisfied with the meal, but not necessarily wanting more.
Grade: B
Few directors have that instant name-recognition like Steven Spielberg. My mom can probably name at least one or two of his movies which is quite a feat. Also, I think Spielberg is very assured in all the films that he does. Themes, set-pieces, even music flow through all of his works and tie them together. When Spielberg makes a movie it can usually be classified in one of two groups: Important “message” type films (Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, this year’s War Horse) and Rollicking adventure films (Indian Jones movies, War of the Worlds). The Adventures of Tintin is firmly in the latter category. In fact, other than the search for a lost treasure, and maybe touching on some themes of vengeance, The Adventures of Tintin is almost all straightforward action with little subtext.
We’re introduced to our character Tintin (Jamie Bell) while he is shopping in his native Brussels. Most of the world is familiar with the titular hero, as he is star of his own long-running comics by author Herge. After purchasing a mysterious model ship, Tintin is suddenly thrust into a treasure-seeking journey that takes him across the globe and where he meets future partner Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis). That’s pretty much all there is to it. Tintin and Haddock follow clues and trail a meanie played by Daniel Craig who, like Spielberg, is making his second appearance of the holiday season following The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
The action scenes are bright and lively and cartoonishly over-the-top. In particular, a dizzying chase through the fictional Middle Eastern city of Bagghar that begins as a simple “follow that man!” scene and results in the decimation of the entire city. I admired the way the camera loops and flies and swivels around the action in a way that would be nearly impossible in live action. Every action-packed segment is thrilling and jaw-dropping yet ultimately feels hollow because the plot is so thin.
This brings me to the topic of the motion-capture element. Motion capture has its fair share of detractors, most of which lie in the “uncanny valley”, that is that no matter how good the animation, the characters will always have a lifeless, eerie, robotic quality. I can firmly say that Tintin boasts some of the most impressive computer animation of the year, yet it’s true, there is something oddly disconnecting about the characters. I mostly noticed it in the way Tintin’s face never quite emoted like a real person, his forehead was always a little stiff. I think, however, this didn’t affect my enjoyment of the movie, and as motion capture becomes more and more prevalent in films we become more and more adjusted to the off-kilter quality of the characters. Actor Jamie Bell does a fine job capturing the optimistic and sunny Tintin and veteran motion-capture actor Andy Serkis fits easily into the role of the alcoholic Captain Haddock.
All said and done, The Adventures of Tintin is an interesting combination of newfangled, modern cinema blended with an old school yarn about treasure seekers. Though the movie is entertaining enough, I left the theater with a sense that I might have been satisfied with the meal, but not necessarily wanting more.
Grade: B
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Dir. David Fincher
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is one of the most highly anticipated films of 2011. The novel, published posthumously by author Steig Larson, ignited with American readers and has resulted in a trio of films in the author’s native Sweden. It was only a matter of time before the American film rolled into theaters. Questions flared up, however. Would the American version shy away from the brutal violence and explicit sex? The answer is, mostly no. The film is a movie for grown-ups and never placates to the audience.
At its heart, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a murder mystery. It’s one that is about on par with a really good episode of Law and Order: SVU. The hunt for a serial killer of women, though, is only a small portion of the pie. Another slice is Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), the shamed reporter of a tabloid magazine looking for vengeance and an opportunity to clear his name. Elsewhere, punk/sleuth Lisbeth Salander (Roony Mara) is trying to survive/kick ass despite the obstacles, um, obstacles placed by her sleazy guardian (Yorick van Wageningen). The two heroes, for lack of a better word, team up to untangle a mystery involving a dysfunctional family that includes incest, Nazis, and pretty much all things unsavory.
So we have all the pieces of the pie. Rooney Mara’s daring portrayal of Lisbeth Salander is the whipped cream that makes the dessert so delicious. The role of Lisbeth is one that caused quite a lot of input from fans. Many believed that Noomi Repace’s Lisbeth from the Swedish films was perfect; some even calling her to take on the role in the American films. Natalie Portman was an original frontrunner, whispy, beautiful, Natalie Portman. I must say that Mara’s Lisbeth is a nuanced, complicated, and thoroughly rich performance. Fierce and strong yet damaged, she commands the screen with her icy intensity. The supporting characters, including Craig’s Blomkvist, turn in strong performances as well, though in my mind I pictured Mikael as a little more doughy and everyday, not the James Bond-ian hero embodied by Craig.
David Fincher brings a dark, cold atmosphere perfectly set in the frigid Swedish landscape and proves most effective when the characters are trying to figure something out or in mortal danger. Some of the quieter, emotional moments feel a bit uneven amidst the dreary industrial feel of the film.
I liked Lisbeth and Mikael’s partnership although at one point, the tone of the relationships shifts and becomes sort of clumsy. The film rapidly loses steam after the tense climax and is punctuated with a mini Oceans 11-type caper that really seemed a bit silly.
In the end, though, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a deft, dark and well-crafted mystery supported by strong performances.
Grade: B+
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is one of the most highly anticipated films of 2011. The novel, published posthumously by author Steig Larson, ignited with American readers and has resulted in a trio of films in the author’s native Sweden. It was only a matter of time before the American film rolled into theaters. Questions flared up, however. Would the American version shy away from the brutal violence and explicit sex? The answer is, mostly no. The film is a movie for grown-ups and never placates to the audience.
At its heart, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a murder mystery. It’s one that is about on par with a really good episode of Law and Order: SVU. The hunt for a serial killer of women, though, is only a small portion of the pie. Another slice is Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), the shamed reporter of a tabloid magazine looking for vengeance and an opportunity to clear his name. Elsewhere, punk/sleuth Lisbeth Salander (Roony Mara) is trying to survive/kick ass despite the obstacles, um, obstacles placed by her sleazy guardian (Yorick van Wageningen). The two heroes, for lack of a better word, team up to untangle a mystery involving a dysfunctional family that includes incest, Nazis, and pretty much all things unsavory.
So we have all the pieces of the pie. Rooney Mara’s daring portrayal of Lisbeth Salander is the whipped cream that makes the dessert so delicious. The role of Lisbeth is one that caused quite a lot of input from fans. Many believed that Noomi Repace’s Lisbeth from the Swedish films was perfect; some even calling her to take on the role in the American films. Natalie Portman was an original frontrunner, whispy, beautiful, Natalie Portman. I must say that Mara’s Lisbeth is a nuanced, complicated, and thoroughly rich performance. Fierce and strong yet damaged, she commands the screen with her icy intensity. The supporting characters, including Craig’s Blomkvist, turn in strong performances as well, though in my mind I pictured Mikael as a little more doughy and everyday, not the James Bond-ian hero embodied by Craig.
David Fincher brings a dark, cold atmosphere perfectly set in the frigid Swedish landscape and proves most effective when the characters are trying to figure something out or in mortal danger. Some of the quieter, emotional moments feel a bit uneven amidst the dreary industrial feel of the film.
I liked Lisbeth and Mikael’s partnership although at one point, the tone of the relationships shifts and becomes sort of clumsy. The film rapidly loses steam after the tense climax and is punctuated with a mini Oceans 11-type caper that really seemed a bit silly.
In the end, though, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a deft, dark and well-crafted mystery supported by strong performances.
Grade: B+
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