The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers

Viewed: 5 January 2006
Directed by: Stephen Hopkins
Listed in: Movies, Other

Unfortunately forgettable, except for the few scenes with clever homages to Kubrick, the film lack the intelligence that it's subject so richly deserves. A disappointment.

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Sid And Nancy

Viewed: 12 January 2006
Directed by: Alex Cox
Listed in: Movies, Other

Sid and Nancy suffers from the same problem I have with most biographical films. Major events are depicted with too little leading up. It hops event to event and I never get a connection with the characters. I saw was Nancy yelling and “protecting” Sid, who mostly was in a heroin induced hazed. That said Gary Oldman (as far as I know) was Sid Vicious. I could recognize Oldman under the hair, but damn. It’s an interesting follow-up for the director of Repoman.

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A Very Long Engagement

Viewed: 14 January 2006
Directed by: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Listed in: Movies, Other

Almost Amélie at war, Jeunet uses the same conventions to tell the story of Mathilde trying to find her fiancé, who has been listed as a causality in the first world war.

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Walk The Line

Viewed: 20 January 2006
Directed by: James Mangold
Listed in: Movies, Cinema

Walk the Line avoids some of the common biography movie traps. The first half flows fairly naturally, without excessive jumps between events. The second half, dealing with Johnny Cash’s drug addiction is less successful, delving into the same tired musical story, but is decent. Joaquin Phoenix, while not resembling Cash, plays him convincingly. But even with the stellar performances by Phoenix and Whitterspoon, combined with the decent writing, the film does miss the bigger picture. For instance, one of my favorite Johnny Cash songs is “Man in Black”, but Walk the Line never delves into why Cash would write something like that. It never go beyond a reason of being a “Good Christian”. What compelled Cash to play Folsom Prison? The film portrays it like three fan letters from prisoners gave him the idea.

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Robot Stories

Viewed: 21 January 2006
Directed by: Greg Pak
Listed in: Movies, Other

Robot Stories are four shot films, each seemly taking place farther in the future. All revolve around technology interacting with human lives, and making them more or less human. The four films are about adoption, parenting, machine love and finally immortality through technology. The last two are far better then the first two, with the immortality one “clay” being the most touching. They are all well done, but I felt they left something to be desired. At first, I was taken aback by the video quality of the picture. Some of the acting is not up to par and at times the writing is not very good. But I suppose these are trifles with such a seemly low-budget but well produced film. The last two carry the rest of the story beyond the glitches.

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Desk Set

Viewed: 23 January 2006
Directed by: Walter Lang
Listed in: Movies, Other

You’ve heard of the country club set, the station wagon set and now the Desk Set! Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy star in a romantic comedy sure to turn your next coffee break into a Love Break! Snappy dialogue and exchanges, very predictable plot, but damn if you cannot love the 1950’s workplace. Marble hallways, spiral staircases, sensible heavy metal desks and of course booze. Lots and lots of booze.

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The Age Of Innocence

Viewed: 23 January 2006
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Listed in: Movies, Other

The Age of Innocence more then focusing on the salacious forbidding romance in the strict New York high society, shows the implements of its daily life. The film does reminded me of the other detailed Scorsese of the same time period, the Gangs of New York. In both Scorsese seems more interesting in recreating the City at that time, when it was experiencing rapid growth and quickly shedding its old form to become what it is today (or at least what is was until Robert Moses). The 1870’s seems like one of the times of great transition, where the old tradition and the new technology and lifestyles clash. Like the remains of the early 20th century that seemed to be sweep away in the 1970s. Of course the film brings us from carriages to automobiles, and the lens is always focused on dinner plates, paintings and jewelry first, characters second. While he does use the Parker House in Boston (now The Omni-Parker), he also uses the EL’s Hoboken Terminal as a stand in for the PRR’s Jersey City terminal. Jeez, I hope someone got fired for that one.

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Thumbsucker

Viewed: 26 January 2006
Directed by: Mike Mills
Listed in: Movies, Other

The latest in a long line of indie-cult films. That being said, I rather liked it and all it’s nice shots, lovingly picked music and quirky characters played by cool names. Among the various themes the film focuses on, is the lack of parenting by Justin’s (the thumbsucker’s) parents. They themselves pursue dreams or wallow in angst that as beset them from when they were teenagers. And they seem mostly unprepared for dealing with a 17-year who still sucks his thumb. He is left to find his own devices. With a little help from Keanu Reeves’s hippie-psycho babbling orthodontist (a role Reeves is perfect in). The performances from all the actors are what make the film. Without the Vince Vaughn’s High school teacher, Benjamin Bratt’s B-star TV actor, this film would easily be lost in the Lost in Translation, Life Aquatic, Donnie Darko crush.

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Enemy Of The State

Viewed: 31 January 2006
Directed by: Tony Scott
Listed in: Movies, Library

Not anywhere near as bad I as thought it would be. It keeps moving and is edited all quick and over-surveilling like. It also gets most of it credibility from Gene Hackman playing his character from the Conversation (it also lifts one of the scenes). Interestingly all the NSA hacks are played by young comedians; Jack Black & Seth Green. The final mexican standoff is not as implausible as I expected, the movie had just enough smarts to keep me watching throughout. No more then that however.

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The Watcher In The Woods

Viewed: 3 February 2006
Directed by: John Hough
Listed in: Movies, Other

Disney release this scary film for the little ‘ens in 1980. Apparently it developed quite a cult following among children. It scared the hell out of them, but parents would rent it since it was a Disney G rated film. A family moves into Betty Davis’s house, the eldest daughter Jan resembles Davis’s now lost daughter Karen. Karen communicates to Jan through her little sister. Jan figures out she needs to save Karen. Meanwhile in the woods is this watcher, watching and occasionally firing a laser or breaking glass. It’s full of child-like scary imagery, but also lots and lots of jumpy scenes. Through this jumpy atmosphere the film can ignore such things as character development, or good dialogue and acting. But its for the kids, so I really can’t complain.

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The Incredibles

Viewed: 5 February 2006
Directed by: Brad Bird
Listed in: Movies, Other

The Incredibles seemed more James Bond then Superman, in some vague 50�s or 60�s America. Megalomaniacal madman on far-away island, the sprawling compound connected by a monorail people mover and protected by legions of hapless guards (who are fond of drinking games). Pixar has really nailed their look, exploiting the benefits of computer animation (particularly hair and water effects in this film) while still making it animation. Plus it gives them the opportunity for fantastic sets, Dr No�s dream hideaway, Chicago-New York Metropolis.

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Erin Brockovich

Viewed: 7 February 2006
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Listed in: Movies, Library

The film is rather long and I don’t really like the Brockovich character. Julia Roberts plays her well (viewing the bonus interview with Erin Brockovich, shows how well). The movie is designed to pull more heartstrings then get into the inner workings of her detective work and resorts to the exhausted Julia pouring over paperwork, or the throwaway scene of her collecting water samples. Nor does it elaborate on the treating phone call she receives, does anything happen? Are there more phone calls at least? We never find out. But we do get to see plenty of her juggling work, family and relationships which all wraps up nicely in the end. I wanted Erin Brockovich to be more lawyering/detective work drama, then detecting/feel good drama, but I can’t say I was in the target audience.

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Transamerica

Viewed: 11 February 2006
Directed by: Duncan Taylor
Listed in: Movies, Cinema

Fantastic, better then I was expected. Transamerica manage to create a light, at times hilarious film, out of more then taboo subject matter. I had my doubts as to a women playing a man who is undergoing sexual reassignment surgery, but the performance by Felicity Hoffman was superb. The film avoided every cliched lost parent-lost child meeting trap there is, through out (even with the over-the-top parents) it seemed real. It doesn’t even mess up the ending, while keeping it hopeful. Transamerica was a joy to watch.

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Closer

Viewed: 13 February 2006
Directed by: Mike Nichols
Listed in: Movies, Library

A doctor, a writer, a photographer and a stripper walk into a bar and Mike Nichols makes a movie about it. Strangers breakup and cheat on each other and make up, with smarmy dialogue you can only get with true British actors. The result? A film I would call unwatchable. It has the distinction of being a movie I wanted to shut off, but only let continue to play as a result of my stubbornness.

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Closely Watched Trains

Viewed: 17 February 2006
Directed by: Jiri Menzel
Listed in: Movies, Other

Closely Watched Trains involves a shy virginal boy, who becomes an assistant Dispatcher at a sleepy, back-water depot in Czechoslovakia during WWII. It is a sly, slacker film, with no real emphasis on any of the plot lines. Milos Herma starts the film looking for a job that requires no real work, coming from a long line of lazy Hermas. He seems oblivious to the war or the occupation or the resistance, more taken by peeking through keyholes. He is however troubled by his impotence, to the point of a suicide attempt. Afterwards it seems more a technically then a real cry for help. I wanted to be smitten by Closely Watched Trains, but it seems I missed part of it on a level I didn’t even think about. It’s a film I will have to see again.

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Night And The City

Viewed: 18 February 2006
Directed by: Jules Dassin
Listed in: Movies, Library

A small time American Hustler, hustles a bit too much in the postwar London underground. I was surprised how many Americans are in the London of the Night and the City. I suppose its a confort to domestic audiences. Harry Fabian, the hustler, is a man on the run for life. The film opens with him running away from a 5 pound debt (something like $10?), and follows one of his ill conceived attempts to find a life of ease and plenty. He sets of a fragile chain to control the London wrestling, which this being Film Noir, quickly comes apart sending Harry into a dark abyss. The camera masterfully records this dissent, ending with the sweet and simple justice of the street.

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The Iron Giant

Viewed: 19 February 2006
Directed by: Brad Bird
Listed in: Movies, Library

Stunning. Set in the woods of coastal Maine in the Fall, how could it not be? The animation is gorgeous, its like Yogi Bear if they had time, money and really pored their heart into the backgrounds. The character design is fantastic, just the image of the giant was enough to make me want to see it. Then there is the joy of story, it isn’t diminished by being a children’s movie it could barely be told another way. Brad Bird captures the faint details, the minute delicacies of a gesture or the tone of a 50’s red scare comic, that breath life into the film. More life then most live action movies. The Iron Giant is a wonder and a delight.

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Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle

Viewed: 20 February 2006
Directed by: Danny Leiner
Listed in: Movies, Library

I apparently have a soft spot for stupid animal humor, both the puppet raccoon and the cheetah riding in Harold and Kumar go to White Castle made me laugh. It was funny at points, stupid at others, but that was all I expected. I was interested in the fact the two protagonists aren’t white and the movie doesn’t make a (big) point of it. Also it takes place in suburban New Jersey, like much of my youth. Most of the time I avoid stupid comedies, but Harold and Kumar was just smart enough to get my attention.

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Ray

Viewed: 20 February 2006
Directed by: Taylor Hackford
Listed in: Movies, Library

Ray spends two hours before it gets to something truly interesting, when Charles refused to play a segregated show in Georgia. An action which got him banned from the state. Yet the movie treats it as a footnote, to the much more important heroin story. It’s the same musician hard-times, misunderstood, drug addiction and finally redemption before its too late biopic (of course they don’t seem to ever show the time after drugs). Jamie Foxx is excellent as Ray Charles and the film shows actual photographs and footage of Ray Charles at the end (which most biopics avoid like the plague), but it feels like the cliff notes version of Charles’ life.

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Murderball

Viewed: 24 February 2006
Directed by: Henry Alex Rubin
Listed in: Movies, Library

Its a unique look into the world of paraplegic ruby, but ultimately a weak film. It jumps between video and better quality video, it has very good motion graphics in some scene, poor titles in others, the final big game of USA vs Canada was set to a “dramatic” montage that failed miserably. I suppose I should be amazed that the film didn’t go sappy and depressing, instead portraying the players as the jock dude-bros they are. But I don’t like jock dude-bros or movies about them.

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