"Meet Me In Montauk"

Late in the film when Clementine and Joel meet (for the first time chronologically) we get the feeling that we’re experiencing some strange time of déjà vu. It’s a different time and yet our protagonists are exactly the same. Sure, her hair isn’t the same colour, and sure they’re not on a bus alone but Joel’s good-natured blandness is the same and Clementine’s almost sadistic cheer is still there. In what’s arguably one of the most poignant moments in the film Joel and Clementine watch as Clementine and Joel break into a house. Disconcerted by this unusual woman Joel leaves. As they look on Clementine turns to him and says, “What if you stayed this time?” That, right there, is the core of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Of course it’s decidedly difficult to recreate what you’ve already forgotten but as Joel resists the erasure procedure and as the film reaches its dénouement that piece that is the human in us all realises our love of second tries…or even the third. After all Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is about repetition

I’ve often heard Eternal Sunshine referred to as a romantic comedy, but I’m never that sure that it’s a romance. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind works because it’s completely aware of one thing – its characters. It’s not exactly a character study in the most stringent sense of the word, but from Winslet’s tumultuous Clementine to Dunst’s almost pathetic Mary. There’s no one in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind that falsified and with a plot that focuses on erasure of memories, it can’t be. With his pervasive script Kaufman takes a look at the minds of us all and even more, he looks at the relation we have to fate. Erasing a single thing, even thoroughly, can’t particularly prevent us from our own inclinations as humans. The saying goes; the heart wants what the heart wants – even when the mind doesn’t have a clue. And yet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind doesn’t exactly hit us over the head with its message, if you can call it that.

                   

Whenever I think of the film my mind returns, almost immediately, to that train ride to Montauk. It’s tied to that scene in the erasure as Clementine wanly whispers to Joel, “Meet me in Montauk.” Of course, neither of the two is aware of their past predilection for each other, but the two click, with each other even when they don’t. It’s the sort of chemistry that seems strange, but works. Jim Carey and Kate Winslet don’t exactly cross the mind as a typical couple, but it’s their unusualness that makes them work so well – and the very fact that it’s Joel and Clementine we’re watching on film, not Jim or Kate. It’s the complete self-awareness of Clementine even as she’s self deprecating – “I apply my personality in a paste” – she says, almost as if for reaffirmation. Or, Joel’s very dour opening monologues that Carey plays just right.

            

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is not a film I can extract the best scenes and write a logical analysis of, it doesn’t really work like that. It’s all the odd, idiosyncratic bits and pieces together that make for the excellence that it is. It’s a true gem, and oddly, unlike most excellent films, it’s actually remembered for its goodness. Only yesterday Luke listed it as his 33rd favourite film. It lays just a notch lower at #34 on my own list.

Forgotten Characters 2:9 (Special Edition)

There are some persons I’m not sure if it’s their characters that are forgotten, or just them completely. Ask anyone to name a good musical of the sixties, and though My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music might take a number of votes Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ 1961 piece will turn up invariably. The thing is, everyone remember The Sharks – Rita Moreno (very good), Natalie Wood (similarly good) and George Chakiris (not so much). Everyone forgets The Jets? Why is that? I don’t though, hence the following commemoration…

        

Richard Beymer / Russ Tamblyn in West Side Story (my review)

As Tony and Riff

Along with Tucker Smith as Ice, Gina Trikonis as Graziella, Susan Oakes as Anybodys, Tony Mordente as Action, Carole D'Andrea as Velma & Elliot Field as Baby John

             

I’m a fan of Russ Tamblyn, remembering particularly his work in Peyton Place…I’m always nonplussed to the love for George Chakiris’s uninspired take on Tybalt/Bernardo when Russ’ superior take on Mercutio/Riff is forgotten. Similarly, I often wonder why Beymer isn’t remembered as Tony. Sure, he’s lip synching, but that doesn’t make his performance any worse. Take that early moment where Tamblyn and Beymer discuss the imminent batte. The chemistry between the two is strong as Riff cajoles Tony to attend that fateful dance. Sure, I’d give Tamblyn the edge – he is the stronger of the two, but Beymer’s reticent charm shouldn’t be left unnoticed. I will say, in a decade of excellent lip synchers (Kerr, Hepburn, Wood) Beymer takes the cake. I don’t know if it’s sheer luck on his part that they found a singer who’s voice is so close to his speaking voice, but it all just comes together well. The tentative romance with wood is a beauty to watch, even though I don’t see them as obvious complements to the other. Few romantic moments are as honest as the meeting on the fire escape in “Tonight”.

                      

The Sharks have their moments with “America”, of course it’s more female centred because a large part of the story revolves around Anita. The female Jets aren’t as lucky. Sure, they do their dancing at the dance but they rarely get a moment to shine. Still Trikonis and D'Andrea come off well with the light comedy. I like their cutting remarks at Anybodys.Trikonis’s line-reading is a favourite of mine, “An American tragedy!” she says referring to the adrogynous girl. This soon segues into “Officer Krupke”, an oft forgotten number. It’s not as eclectic as “America” but I love it just as much. The number is sold by Tamblyn who just has a knack for the physical comedy. He completely understands the irreverent leadership of Riff (as opposed to Bernardo’s iron fist), but he’s just as loyal. Riff’s (perhaps, misguided) devotion to Tony is a significant part of his character. As they said at the beginning, “birth to earth, womb to tomb”. It’s for this reason that Riff’s death makes me sad. Bernardo’s death is only one that saddens me incidentally, I know Anita will be hurt and so will Maria. But I feel no connection to Chakiris, which is perhaps, as it should be.

You know West Side Story to inevitable tragedy but Beymer’s (and Wood) innocence still have you hoping something will happen. As honest as “Tonight”, “One Hand, One Heart” takes it just a little further. It’s a striking romantic duet, and measured against the inevitable fallout only makes it more poignant. And of course it only gets sadder, “Somewhere” has to be the most moving bits of lipsynching, and it makes you realise how much work Beymer (and Wood) are putting into it. We may not be hearing their voices, but all the emotions we’re seeing are real and effective. It’s as if all the Jets are saving up their best work for after Riff’s death. Like the way that Smith effectively steps into place as the interim leader. The rendition of “Cool” is the easily the strongest group number of the entire score and placed right there after the heat of the two murder’s makes it more than just an extraneous number. It's Smith's moment to shine, along with all the other Jets - and they do. It’s the same way that the annoying Anybodys becomes more grounded after Riff’s death too. It’s like everything comes into motion. It doesn’t make their coffee shop with Anita any more forgivable, but it’s depressing when we put into perspective. I suppose that moment skewers the narrative in the direction of the Sharks when it comes to sympathy. It’s all leading up to the inevitable tragedy. Beymer’s strongest moment as Doc tells him of Maria’s “death”. It’s unlike the Tony we’ve seen before and it’s the moment of bliss on his face as he spies her in red suspended there as his life expires that most profound.

                  

Sure West Side Story went on to win ten Oscars (the most for any musical) but there seems some injustice that Beymer, Tamblyn and all those other Jets haven’t endured over time…or do you remember them too?

Taylor's College Nordic Film Festival

Yo! So people check it out! My college is organizing a Nordic Film Festival featuring foreign films from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. The festival started yesterday and will be showing two films a night throughout the week. Admission is totally free of charge, so if ya'll wanna go check out some awesome foreign films, drop by our Lakeside Campus in PJS7.

Here's the official movie line up:

ONE EYE RED
Halim has seen through the Integration plan – a secret conspiracy that tries to turn all immigrants into Swedes. Unfortunately he has also seen through his own father, who has fallen victim to the Integration plan. But Halim has his own plan; he is going to be Sweden’s mightiest sultan of the mind and save his father from forgetting his Arabic roots.

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
Oskar lives in the suburb Blackeberg in Stockholm. His parents are divorced and he is being bullied in school, all in all Oskar’s life isn’t ideal for a 12 year old boy. Then one day, a girl called Eli and her father Håkan move in next door. But there is something awfully strange about Eli, she only comes out late at night, she cannot play in the sun and she does not eat food.

The film is based on the book with the same title written by John Ajvide Lindqvist. 

MAMMOTH
MAMMOTH revolves around successful New York couple Leo (Gael García Bernal) and Ellen (Michelle Williams). Leo is the creator of a booming website, and has stumbled into a world of money and big decisions. Ellen is a dedicated emergency surgeon who devotes her long shifts to saving lives. Their 8-year old daughter Jackie (Sophie Nyweide) spends most of her time with her Filipino nanny Gloria (Marife Necesito), a situation that is making Ellen start to question her priorities. When Leo travels to Thailand, he unwittingly sets off a chain of events that will have dramatic consequences for everyone.

DEAD SNOW
With a car packed full of ski equipment and enough beer to fuel their escape from everyday life, eight medical students head out on their Easter vacation. However, isolated in the snowy hills the group begins to realize they came to the wrong resort. What starts out as fun in the snow and sun soon takes a turn for the sinister as the kids find a box full of Nazi gold that definitively doesn’t belong to them. Suddenly, the cabin is surrounded by a battalion of German zombie soldiers, eager to rip them apart. A long night is ahead of them. Can anyone survive this painful ordeal?

LONG FLAT BALLS
Long Flat Balls is a story of six men working together in a garage – the EdGarage, owned by Edgar, the father figure of their brotherhood. All of them except one are big soccer fans. In spite of the garage being threatened by hostile takeover or bankruptcy, they decide to go on a company trip to support the Norwegian national soccer team during the final matches of the World Championship.

FORBIDDEN FRUIT
Two 18-year old girls from a Christian fundamentalist community flee to the city for a summer job. One of the girls, Maria, wants to see what the world is like before going back home and getting married to a boy from the same community. She wants to try out things that are forbidden at home: music, make up, kissing boys and dancing. The other girl, Raakel, is less adventurous and only wants to make sure Maria does return. The summer of temptations changes the life of one of the girls - for good.

FC VENUS
FC Venus is a modern-day romantic comedy of women and men, and the differences between the two. It is a story of success and failure, the joy of winning and the fear of losing – and football. The main characters of the film are Anna (Minna Haapkylä) and Pete (Petteri Summanen), a young couple who live together in Helsinki. Pete plays football in the 7th division, the lowest possible series level, in a lousy but obsessive team. 

KARLA'S WORLD
Karla, 10 years old, has a puzzle to solve: She badly wants her whole family to get together for Christmas. But that's not an easy thing to do, especially when your parents are divorced and on top of that you have two extremely obnoxious and inventive younger brothers who are always acting up.

THE CANDIDATE
Jonas Bechmann, a defence attorney, is a man of the system. Until the day he himself is accused of murder. Taking matters into his own hands, he throws himself into the hunt for a group of blackmailers who threaten to expose him as the killer. But nothing is what it appears to be, and the blackmail links back to his father's death under mysterious circumstances a year and a half earlier.

If ya'll got time, try to drop by and catch these movies lah. Email me if ya'll are interested. Here's the schedule.

5 May Wed

5.30-7.00pm 90 mins Dead Snow
7.30-9.02pm 92 mins Karla's World

6 May Thurs
5.30-7.20pm 110 mins Forbidden Fruit
7.30-9.24pm 114 mins Let The Right One In

7 May Fri 
5.30-7.35pm 125 mins Mammoth

7.45-9.25pm 100 mins Long Flat Balls

I'll be reviewing all the movies, so stay tuned! Muahahahaha.

Staring At the Box

To make up for the TV in my Encore's World...I'm taking some time out to focus on a few television happenings...
             
Jimmy Fallon has been tipped to host The Emmy Awards in August. Fallon is a nice guy, and I like him fine but he often strikes me as bland. But I suppose better him than Jay Leno, right? Neil Patrick Harris would have been nice again, but I guess no repeats...
             
Speaking of Emmy, remember Glenn Close winning that second consecutive Emmy for her excellent work on Damages...well things aren't looking too good for that show. Threats to cancel? I know it wasn't the biggest moneymaker, but I didn't know the situation was so dire. Would you miss it if it leaves?

Oh, yes check out my triple review of Parks & Recreation, The Office and 30 Rock from last week.
             
Anything interesting happened on the television lately? Anticipating Lost's series finale? Can't wait for May sweeps? Sound off below.

Banner

It's a new month, and with a new month comes a new banner. The last banner discussion had some of you foiled even though you eventually realised it was Howards End. This one is simpler - if you've seen the film, at least.  Here's the image without the words. Do you recognise the film?

It's wicked simple.

...Shameless Pimping...

...that's all...

Tim Burton’s (Animated) Masterpiece…

…and I’m not talking about The Nightmare Before Christmas, which he didn’t even direct. I’ve said it before, I’m a fan of Burton even though I don’t love his work wholly. He’s no Scorsese – but, few are. The man has issues, but I think credit should be given where it’s due. It’s ironic somehow that my two favourite Burton pieces are two that I rarely hear people championing. I admitted my love for Big Fish before, and the 2005 magnum opus (I kid you not) that was Corpse Bride appears in my list of favourite films. It holds the distinction of being my favourite animated film. It’s probably not incidental that Corpse Bride features Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp – mainstays of Burton’s filmography. The film introduces us to a young man, something of a simpleton, set to be married. Whilst practising his vows in the forest he mistakenly gives the eponymous Corpse Bride the impression that she is the object of his desire – and thus, the drama ensues.

When we think of things that are Burton-esque thoughts of dark, somewhat macabre humour are evoked. We recall dark and gloomy sets with nary a piece of light, and of course we imagine a fascination with death and such things. Corpse Bride serves up all, and I suppose it’s easy to mistake it for Burton’s lack of wit or unoriginality. Perhaps, but each time I watch this film I’m constantly amazed at the complexity and sensitivity that Burton manages to infuse in an eighty minute animated tale. The atmospheric nature of it probably means that children will be diverted by the look of it, but Corpse Bride is not about the aesthetic – at least, not alone. Helena Bonham Carter is someone I’m very fond of, and her incarnation of the Corpse Bride is the strongest work she’s done alongside Burton – but for the whole animation glitch. There’s something profoundly real about the deliberate self-delusions she yields to and it’s precisely why the film is named after her, even if it takes some time for us to actually meet her. Her poignant departure from the film always moves me, even if it’s just a little too pat.

Speaking of that “pat” ending, I’m well aware that Corpse Bride is not without its glitches – but I suppose the fact that I like it despite them (or maybe because of them) that makes it a favourite of mine. It’s maddeningly short, so that just as you’re about to experience the first swallow of contentment it’s all over. And of course, because it’s animated, there’s the rare penchant to infuse it with some inane form of physical comedy, but Corpse Bride triumphs nonetheless. As someone who’s openly (but not on the blog) disliked Wallace & Grommit I consider it a great disservice to animation and Tim Burton that Corpse Bride lost that Oscar 2005. But, then again, isn’t that the usual? The decade ends and with its apparent sleight of hand in animation everyone remembers Pixar only and the odd Shrek or Fantastic Mr. Fox. When Coraline **came out least year (#3 of 2009) I championed it for its atmospheric similarities to Corpse Bride. Coraline didn’t win the Oscar either, so I guess Corpse Bride isn’t bad company…but it’s unfortunate that it’s rarely remembered when we stop to talk about the aughts and how it changed animation for the better. Corpse Bride is a proud entry in my list of favourite films at #32. Hopefully, I’m not the only one who remembers it with such fondness.