Moon: Review

Wow this was a very disturbing show. Moon kind of reminded me of Requiem For A Dream because right after the movie finished I was kind of depressed. But I liked this movie man. It was a really ballsy sci-fi drama and given the small budget it worked with, this film is almost as good as District 9. The only difference is, D9 was more of an action film.. Moon is more of a psychological drama.

 

Moon is a story of Sam Bell, a solitary man working on the moon for 3 years harvesting solar energy to be packaged and sent to Earth. Though he does have company in the form of GERTY, his robot assistant, the 3 years alone has taken a psychological toll on Sam. When Sam is 2 weeks from completing his working contract, strange things begin to happen that challenges the very fabric of his humanity and soul.

 

Sam Rockwell is fantastic in this movie playing multiple versions of his character who are slowly losing sanity and will to live after discovering terrible facts about his existence. I really wanna say what those facts are because it will make this review much easier to understand but I can't spoil it. It really is a shocker what goes down with his character in the movie and Rockwell is amazing in the role. He practically carries the weight of the film and he does it incredibly well. He should get nominated for an Oscar.

I liked Kevin Spacey as GERTY. A really nice homage to HAL 9000. What I thought would play out with his character didn't exactly happen here which was a nice surprise but I think Moon would have had much better suspense and tension if GERTY became like HAL and go all SkyNet on Sam Rockwell.

 

I love love love the art direction in Moon. The set pieces of the moon base is gorgeous, really well done and a great throwback to classic sci-fi films like 2001: A Space Odyssey. The cinematography and visual effects were impressive given the budget of the movie.

 

One thing I didn't like about Moon was that it took a bit too long to build up to the big reveal of the movie. So for a good 45 minutes I'm left thinking what on earth is going on and slightly bored. But damn, when it get's there it just blows you out of your seat.

 

Moon is going to be a cult classic I guarantee. It's just that not many people has seen this yet. It's going to get that same status as The Thing and The Fly which weren't popular movies but gained strong fan following after a few years. It's a very disturbing sci-fi drama with a fantastic performance by Sam Rockwell. Moon's worth checking out ya'll! I got the DVD who wants???

RATING: 8/10

Musings On A Serious Man

Someone, who I cannot recall, commented to the chagrin of the majority that A Serious Man was a film for Jews only. I wouldn’t make that claim, as much as I would say that knowledge of the Jews would probably increase you’re appreciation of the piece. In Guyana the religious spectrum is almost evenly divided among Christians, Muslims and Hindus. To my knowledge, I’ve never met a Jew. So my knowledge of the Jews is minimal at best. I say this preamble because watching A Serious Man I couldn’t help feeling that I was missing something that would illuminate the entire film and show some wisdom that the Coen’s were attempting to imbue to the film. But, alas, I can’t be certain what that something is, or even if there is a veritable anything that I was missing form the narrative.

On a superficial level, A Serious Man is competent. Michael Stuhlberg plays our hero [?] college Physics teacher with some serious issues, both professionally and domestically. I can’t fault Stuhlberg, even though I feel that he’s been written into a sort of box. There doesn’t seem to be any significant character arc that the Coens’ have written for him, so it all feels feel rather pointless after the fact, which is not an unnatural feeling after any Coen film. I always feel like their intent is always to make us leave their films thinking “what just happened”. Sometimes it serves the plot, but I just wonder if A Serious Man may have been more successful it had a little more structure. I wish the Coen’s would have done a movie instead of trying to make some [existentialist? Jewish?] point.

                

I’m hitting an impasse trying to write about this film. I wish I could have loved Stuhlbarg physics' professor a bit more, and I wish that Sari Lennick would have been given a real role instead of being relegated to mere prop device - she's sensational at times. I really wanted to at least appreciate it for its merits but it all ends up feeling slightly clunky to me.

C

                    

POST SCRIPT

I wrote the above early January which was a few weeks after actually seeing A Serious Man. Since, I've heard the "explanation" that it's a Jewish account of the Book of Job which only annoys me even more - parallels are there. The issue with the Coen's is that the don't seem to take anything seriously and at the end of the day I look Larry not even with empathy, or sympathy but just exasperation. Perhaps, a C+ in retrospect...then again, no.

A Few Words About Casablanca

Casablanca always saddens me a bit. It is ironic how despite being advertised as one of the greatest love stories of its time it’s really quite depressing. The film is really quite bleak and is all about dealing with what life throws at you. Try as I may I can’t write an adequate review of it; probably because it’s all been said before. Sure it’s not my favourite film, but I won’t deny the sheer gorgeousness of it all. The acting – is spending, and the consummate supporting actor – Claude Rainns – is good here. Of course it all comes down to Ingrid and Bogart. Ingrid Bergman remains as one of the loveliest faces to brighten the screen and she’s exceptional here, but you already know that.

Casablanca ranks with The Godfather, Citizen Kane and Schindler’s List as those films that you have to love…or else. I like two very much, respect one and the other I am not too fond of.. Casablanca I suppose is ranked just a little too low. But the thing with these massively popular films is that it’s often difficult to get that personal feeling for something that everyone is enamoured with. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mitigate the sheer brilliance of Curtiz’s film. Casablanca is good film making, and it’s a classic for a reason. Here it is at #82.

Forgotten Characters 2:2

Often forgotten characters are cameos that enhance their films, even their not remembered long afterwards. If done right I’m always ready for a good cameo even though it’s more common in the comedies. In 2004, though, a favourite cameo and forgotten character occurred with this man:

                         

Jude Law in The Aviator

As Errol Flynn

Jude Law has one scene in The Aviator, a film that towers at just below three hours. It’s no surprise that this is forgotten stuff, it’s not exactly that essential to the plot, but it sure is interesting. Howard and Katharine Hepburn are out on what’s probably their first of dates when Hughes’ press agent and the brash Mr. Flynn crash their table. Jude Law exudes the charm of old Hollywood; it’s the kind of cameo that you wish could become the subject of a film – because he certainly could pull it off. It’s of course just an excuse for us to hear about Old Hollywood, but it is welcome. Errol kisses Kate’s hand praising her turn in Alice Adams whilst simultaneously remarking that she should use Lux on her hands, to which she self consciously looks at her knuckles. He then launches into a hilarious tirade involving his prospective seduction of a “Ms. DeHavilland and her equally luscious sister”. It all culminates in Errol extracting a pea from Hughes’ dinner plate which only ticks the schizophrenic Hughes off. What makes this scene work is that Jude plays it as if he’s the star here, and it’s perfect for what we perceive Hollywood legend Flynn to be like. What’s even more delightful is Scorsese’s directing. As Howard and Kate leave the Coconut Grove we pan over to Flynn beginning a fight with a not-so-innocent patron that hints at – but doesn’t overstate – his anger issues.

                                  It's like he wants her hand for dinner...

Jude Law is an excellent actor, even if he’s hit a slump lately and his bit performance in The Aviator is just proof of his talent, and seeing Cate opposite him [even if it's only for a few moments] is good enough for me.

               

Do you remember Jude’s Errol Flynn? Or did The Aviator leave you cold?

             

Previously Forgotten...

The Ultimate Road Trip

Ridley Scott is a director that doesn’t get enough credit. Sure, he did Gladiator which was the more or less a return to form the epic but he’s no one trick pony. I, for one, am anticipating his interpretation of Robin Hood next summer. In 1992 Scott earned an Oscar nomination for a film that people often forgot he helmed. Thelma & Louise looks like a chick flick, perhaps it is a chick flick. But it is also a thoroughly enjoyable film that features two exceptional lead performances. It’s the story of two friends – Thelma & Louise – one a meek housewife, the other a brash waitress who head out for a bit of fun on a road trip, which goes horribly awry.

I cannot think of Thelma & Louise without affection and even though it’s not exactly a comedy there is that subtle feeling of joie de vivre one unearths from it. Much of that comes from the two lead performances – Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis. I have nothing against Jodie Foster, but I’d not have voted for her on either of her Oscar wins. I often wonder if Susan Sarandon failed to gain an Oscar because of vote-splitting with Geena Davis. The two women are outstanding in their roles and they do some fine bits of acting off each other. The womanly affection they have between themselves is beautiful to see and its an enduring example of cinematic friendship. A young Brad Pitt makes a showing as an intrepid and possibly dangerous drifter and his unlikely chemistry with Geena Davis is lovely to watch.

                              

When we remember Thelma & Louise we often remember than iconic final jump, and that only goes to show how Ridley Scott put his indelible stamp on this film. But above all else Thelma & Louise’s success lies in its story. Callie Khouri is skilled and manages to make all the outlandish occurrences believable and never insincere. It’s a good piece of writing, and I can turn a blind eye to the horrific Mad Money.

                    

Thelma & Louise is a tour de force for Scott. It’s edited wonderfully, features good performances and boasts a top notch script. It’s fun and sometimes even funny and above all else it’s a good piece of film. Not bad for something that people are prone to refer to as a chick flick. It’s #78 on my list of favourites.

The Lovely Bones: Review

The Lovely Bones! The latest love child from the man who brought us Heavenly Creatures, The LOTR series and King muthafuckin Kong ya'll! To bad this movie was shitty. Wait, WHAT? Peter Jackson made a shitty movie? Yes he did people! Yes he did!

 

Based on the Alice Sebold novel, Lovely Bones is about Susy Salmon, played by Saoirse Ronan  who was brutally murdered by her neighbor and is now trapped in a fantasy world between heaven and Earth. From this wonderland she watches over her family as they grieve and her killer as he attempts to hide all traces of the murder.

Interesting story, no? Really the premise is really creative here, so what the hell went wrong?

 

All the stunning visual effects in Susy's fantasy world served no purpose to the story and really threw off the whole focus of the film which is the family drama post-Susy's death. Just when the build up of this story of a family trying to stay together after the death of a loved one and the story of the murderer trying to stay under the radar gets good, the film cuts off to show some effects shot of Saoirse Ronan running around in the fantasy world.

 

And it would have been nice if the sequences in the fantasy world and the sequences in the real world connected with each other but it didn't. You'd think Susy might try to reach out from the afterlife to try and contact her family like in any other ghost movie but it never happens. Which really begs the question of why we are even seeing the whole fantasy world sequence at all. So great visuals, but ultimately served no purpose whatsoever.

 

Mark Whalberg who plays the dad should stick to playing foul mouthed characters like in The Departed cause he was really really annoying here. He overplayed his role by a long stretch. It was like he was talking to a baby throughout the whole movie. You know.. what with the goo goo ga ga tone and all. And when the story goes to when his character has a nervous breakdown following his daughters death, he was kinda one note pulling it off. But then again the mediocre script really didn't give him much to work with.

 

I liked Rachel Weisz and damn she's smoking hot. But she disappears through half the movie and almost with no reason at all. 

My absolute favorite performance from Lovely Bones was Stanley Tucci as the creepy rapist neighbor. This man plays the very definition of a psychotic serial killer. What sold his performance to me was his eyes. On the outside, his character is incredibly silent and composed but when you look into his eyes it just sends a chill down you're spine. I can't really describe what I saw in them but there's just something off about them. If you saw his character in real life, you'd really feel unsafe around that person, that's how great his acting was.

 

So am I saying that Lovely Bones was a complete mess? No not really. I just wasn't satisfied with it coming from someone as great as Peter Jackson. There were some parts I liked a lot. Susan Sarandon gives great comic relief, parts of the Salmon family beginning to suspect their neighbor as the murderer were very well done and I loved the performances from Stanley Tucci and Saorise Ronan.

 

I blame it completely on the fantasy world sequence. It took me out of the really interesting parts of Lovely Bones just so that it can show me some nice effects, which are great eye candy but completely unnecessary. I thought they should have just stuck with the story of the family and the murderer with Saoirse Ronan's narration. Overall, nice idea.. poor execution. Please don't fuck up The Hobbit, Peter Jackson.

RATING: 4/10

The Spy Next Door: Review

Uhhh.. I feel kinda stupid. See I had a reunion with the uni mates, haven't seen them in weeks. We decided to see a movie. We missed Legion so we had no choice but to go for The Spy Next Door. And I was like okay lets be fair to the movie, cause mostly anyone who goes to watch this already has a preconceived idea that this movie is going to suck. So I thought I'd give it the benefit of the doubt. Guess what? It still sucked.

 

The movie is about Bob Ho, who is this top spy on loan to the CIA from the Chinese Govt. on a mission to capture this Russian bad guy. In the suburban life, he acts as a pen salesmen who's dating his next door neighbor, a hot blonde chick who has 3 children from hell played by Amber Valletta. So when Amber Valletta gets called away, Bob volunteers to babysit the 3 demon kids as his Russian nemesis tracks him down for revenge.

 

Tedious set up, completely unoriginal, we've seen this a thousand times with other fallen action heros like Vin Diesel, Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Rock bla bla bla. The movie makes no attempt to cover giant plot holes. I almost felt embarrassed sitting in that cinema thinking to myself "How the hell did I wind up paying to watch this horrible movie."  And I really felt urges to slap the people behind me who were constantly laughing at the lamest jokes in the movie.

 

Spy Next Door's only saving grace was Jackie Chan. Which could make watching this turd of a film tolerable you if you like him. So yeah like Su YSW says. "Only watch it if you are a fan of Jackie" However I still want to punch him out cause that accent is really irritating. you know.. the I'm a Chinese trying very hard to speak good English accent.

 

 

On a positive side.. I think this is the first American film Jackie has done in a long time that actually has some good fight scenes in them. And when I say good, I mean really good. I missed the old Jackie Chan fight movies that were both intense and creatively funny at the same time and yeah Spy Next Door delivered in that. There were some points in the fight scenes that I found myself actually applauding.

 

 

Another thing I will give this movie credit is that it never stooped down to the lowest rung of children comedy. There weren't any fart jokes, poop jokes, pee jokes, baby vomit jokes or pet jokes. There were occasional out of place slapstick but were inoffensive and mostly happens during the fight scenes. But it's still not that funny. 

And damn the villain lady is hot. Her names Katherine Broecher. She was like in the tightest leather outfit with a push up bra and I was like Ooooooohh... I don't think she should have been in this film. Hello? This is a kids movie! You're too damn hot. Later some 10 year old boy will discover that his thing does more than pee hahaha.

 

And like in any kids movie, I really hated the kid actors in this. They were incredibly annoying and they weren't even acting annoying. They were just legitimately truly annoying. Why can't people get good child actors anymore?

Those good fight scenes aside, there's really not much reason why anyone should pay to see this movie.  Still can't believe you paid RM120 to watch this Su hahahaha.

RATING: 2/10

Forgotten Characters 2:1

Forgotten Characters was probably the lone lucid feature that I had on my blog, even if I’ve done nothing to reignite it recently. I’m still ignoring the overwhelming chatter of Oscar predictions that abound but what better way to incite Forgotten Characters fever than by looking at someone who’s probably getting a nomination come Tuesday. A favourite of mine last year:

             

Carey Mulligan in Pride & Prejudice

As Ms. Kitty Bennett

             

I’ve already waxed about my overwhelming affinity to Pride & Prejudice. I remarked that as far as the sisters go the show belongs completely to Ms. Knightley with Rosamund Pike as a worthy ally. The other sisters don’t get that much legwork, which of course is the reason for their forgotten status. Kitty is the youngest of the Bennett girls, most noted for being the ally of her sister Lydia, played by a pleasant Jena Malone [the fourth sister]. The film opens to the two chattering incessantly about the imminent Mr. Bingley. We see them as they shrieking anticipate the ball and along with their similarly vacuous mother go out to see the regiment marching, their own Elizabethan version of watching celebrities, I suppose.

Carey’s significant moment comes somewhere in the middle of the film, and is ridiculously silly. Lydia is offered the chance to go away for a Holiday and Kitty is both annoyed that she’s been denied a chance at this “adult” occasion and the thought of losing he rally. She descends into hysterics as Lydia maliciously chatters about the prospective experience. Carey is a good crier – as we saw in An Education – although here her crying needs to be definitively histrionic. It is. Hilariously so. Pride & Prejudice is the story of Elizabeth Bennett, not of the Bennett girls. However, Joe Wright crafts it all so beautifully that for some moment each of the girls gets their chance to shine. Nevertheless I still can’t think of Carey in it without remembering her and Jena Malone’s irrepressible giggling as Mr. Collins proposes to Eliza. And, I suppose, that’s how it should be.

                    

Can you remember Carey’s Kitty? Or was her Jenny her first impression on you?
          
FORGOTTEN CHARACTERS: Season One
Miranda Richardson in The Hours
Cate Blanchett in The Talented Mr. Ripley
Ethan Hawke in Training Day
Marilyn Monroe in All About Eve
Sean Bean in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

John Castle in The Lion in Winter
Waylon Payne in Walk the Line