Read my first weekly column on Film Threat here.
Let me know what you think.
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Oh. My. Gawd.
In a fit of uncontrolled narcissism I decided to google my name (you know, for kicks) and discovered that I am now included in the Rotten Tomatoes database of Internet Film Critics. Weird.
Sunday, March 28, 2004
I HAVE A COLUMN!!!!
i don't know how i did it, but i seem to have talked film threat into giving me my own regular column.
details to follow.
details to follow.
Monday, March 22, 2004
Still More Reviews...
I still recommend Jersey Girl if only for Mr. Number One Man-Crush himself, Ben Affleck.
Jersey Girl [2004]
I have a confession. I actually feel kinda sorry for Ben Affleck. I realize this isn’t a very popular opinion in these “post Bennifer” days, but you gotta admit, he really is an easy target. Part of the reason we enjoy picking on him so much is because he is something most of us are not: rich, charming, good looking and most surprisingly of all, genuinely talented. True Mr. Affleck has not had many opportunities to exhibit said talent (although I have not seen “Gigli” myself, I will take everyone’s word for it) and part of the blame should go to him for choosing his opportunities so poorly (although we can take relief in his recent vow not to make any more action movies), but when he was good (“Chasing Amy”, “Daredevil” eventhough the rest of the movie was extremely disappointing) he showed the potential to be great. With “Jersey Girl”, although he may not quite be there yet he comes the closest he has yet and best of all he finally seems to be going in the right direction.
This is very easily his best film since “Chasing Amy”, and had the potential of be Kevin Smith’s best film period had it not been sunk by contrivance in the third act. However, I am willing to overlook this for the sheer amount of heart this film contains. As corny as is sounds, and inevitably is, one cannot help but love this movie and its big sloppy message about the importance of family. The jokes are sharp, the tone is earnest and the supporting cast is also very good, particularly Stephen Root.
The film opens with Kevin Smith’s take on “kids say the darnedest things” as the students of a first grade Catholic school class take their turns reading essays about their familes. This is where we are introduced to Gertie Trinke (Raquel Castro) who tells the story of how her father Ollie (Ben Affleck) and mother Gertrude (Jennifer Lopez) met and fell in love. We learn that Ollie was a very successful music publicist living big in New York City who was forced to give it all up when Gertrude died during childbirth with Gertie, and he had a total meltdown causing him to lose his job. We also learn of how he moved back to Jersey with his functioning-alcoholic father Bart (a marvelous turn by George Carlin) who ass-kicked him into taking responsibility for his little girl.
We rejoin the story in the present day with Ollie now a street cleaner like his father, who has devoted his entire life to his little girl. But, despite this seeming domestic bliss Ollie still yearns to return to the big life in the city, continually going for meaningless interviews with people who have absolutely no intention of hiring him. There are some amusing scenes which illustrate Ollie’s straightforward style of parenting and Raquel Castro is the perfect child actor with a sense of comic timing far beyond her young years. The rapport that she and Affleck have in this film is so effortless and natural that it is possible to forget that they are not actually related.
This also is where Liv Tyler gets added to the mix as Maya, the ultimate fan-boy dream girl (she works at a video store, is incredibly smart, looks like Liv Tyler and has a mouth like a sailor) the inevitable love interest for Ollie. Ms. Tyler too proves her comedic chops, although it is not hard to understand how it would be greatly amusing to see Liv Tyler talking about how often she masturbates. Unfortunately this is where things start to fall apart a bit as the rest of the story starts to devolve into “standard-dramedy-routine-where-imature-male-figure-must-choose-adulthood-and-family-over-himself”, complete with rushing to get to the school play in time. Although the ending was subverted slightly by the fact that the school play they were participating in was “Sweeny Todd”, the payoff had been telegraphed so far in advance that any comedic teeth it may have had were filled down to nubs. Yet despite all of this predictability, I still found myself moved by the performance of Mr. Affleck.
This is a movie about growing up and taking responsibility for one’s actions and Affleck does a wonderful job of taking his usual “smarmy jerk” character, and turning it into an honest study of a grown man’s “coming of age”.
Jersey Girl [2004]
I have a confession. I actually feel kinda sorry for Ben Affleck. I realize this isn’t a very popular opinion in these “post Bennifer” days, but you gotta admit, he really is an easy target. Part of the reason we enjoy picking on him so much is because he is something most of us are not: rich, charming, good looking and most surprisingly of all, genuinely talented. True Mr. Affleck has not had many opportunities to exhibit said talent (although I have not seen “Gigli” myself, I will take everyone’s word for it) and part of the blame should go to him for choosing his opportunities so poorly (although we can take relief in his recent vow not to make any more action movies), but when he was good (“Chasing Amy”, “Daredevil” eventhough the rest of the movie was extremely disappointing) he showed the potential to be great. With “Jersey Girl”, although he may not quite be there yet he comes the closest he has yet and best of all he finally seems to be going in the right direction.
This is very easily his best film since “Chasing Amy”, and had the potential of be Kevin Smith’s best film period had it not been sunk by contrivance in the third act. However, I am willing to overlook this for the sheer amount of heart this film contains. As corny as is sounds, and inevitably is, one cannot help but love this movie and its big sloppy message about the importance of family. The jokes are sharp, the tone is earnest and the supporting cast is also very good, particularly Stephen Root.
The film opens with Kevin Smith’s take on “kids say the darnedest things” as the students of a first grade Catholic school class take their turns reading essays about their familes. This is where we are introduced to Gertie Trinke (Raquel Castro) who tells the story of how her father Ollie (Ben Affleck) and mother Gertrude (Jennifer Lopez) met and fell in love. We learn that Ollie was a very successful music publicist living big in New York City who was forced to give it all up when Gertrude died during childbirth with Gertie, and he had a total meltdown causing him to lose his job. We also learn of how he moved back to Jersey with his functioning-alcoholic father Bart (a marvelous turn by George Carlin) who ass-kicked him into taking responsibility for his little girl.
We rejoin the story in the present day with Ollie now a street cleaner like his father, who has devoted his entire life to his little girl. But, despite this seeming domestic bliss Ollie still yearns to return to the big life in the city, continually going for meaningless interviews with people who have absolutely no intention of hiring him. There are some amusing scenes which illustrate Ollie’s straightforward style of parenting and Raquel Castro is the perfect child actor with a sense of comic timing far beyond her young years. The rapport that she and Affleck have in this film is so effortless and natural that it is possible to forget that they are not actually related.
This also is where Liv Tyler gets added to the mix as Maya, the ultimate fan-boy dream girl (she works at a video store, is incredibly smart, looks like Liv Tyler and has a mouth like a sailor) the inevitable love interest for Ollie. Ms. Tyler too proves her comedic chops, although it is not hard to understand how it would be greatly amusing to see Liv Tyler talking about how often she masturbates. Unfortunately this is where things start to fall apart a bit as the rest of the story starts to devolve into “standard-dramedy-routine-where-imature-male-figure-must-choose-adulthood-and-family-over-himself”, complete with rushing to get to the school play in time. Although the ending was subverted slightly by the fact that the school play they were participating in was “Sweeny Todd”, the payoff had been telegraphed so far in advance that any comedic teeth it may have had were filled down to nubs. Yet despite all of this predictability, I still found myself moved by the performance of Mr. Affleck.
This is a movie about growing up and taking responsibility for one’s actions and Affleck does a wonderful job of taking his usual “smarmy jerk” character, and turning it into an honest study of a grown man’s “coming of age”.
More Reviews...
Good bye, Lenin! [2004]
For a film about the fall of the Berlin Wall, there sure are a lot of laugh’s in Wolfgang Becker’s surprising fourth feature, Good bye, Lenin!. That he is able to deliver a film as intelligent and ultimately heartwarming based on such a seemingly contrived plot is a true testament of his ability as a director. Alex’s mother Christiane (Katrin Sab) has a heart attack and falls into a coma shortly before the fall of the Berlin wall. A socialist enthusiast since her husband defected to the West when Alex (Daniel Bruhl) was a child, Alex feels very protective of his mother. So when mom miraculously emerges from her coma eight months later and the doctor explains that any surprises could be fatal to her, Alex decides that the best strategy is to pretend that the Wall never fell.
Although the results are not nearly as slapstick as one might expect, there is still a feeling of surreality to plot which both heightens the comedy and underlines the basic absurdities of any strict political system. Most of the political observations are based on how politics affect day to day life: what kinds of food are available, what kind of clothes you wear, how families are divided. This is made particularly clear in the way that Alex’s treasure hunt for old jars and labels of socialist food in which to repackage the new cornucopia of Western delights that fill the store shelves (so as not to pique his mother’s curiosity) turns into an epic quest.
But that’s as strong as the political commentaries get, director Wolfgang Becker preferring to focus specifically on the Kerner family and the changes they undergo. Both Alex and his sister Ariane (Maria Simon) are nurturing new found romances in the midst of all this deception, Alex with a pretty student nurse from Russia named Lara (Chulpan Khamatova) and Ariane with her Western boss at her new job working at Burger King, Rainer (Alexander Beyer). Both of these relationships would be considered nontraditional, however they are presented as loving and supportive without the need of a “payoff”(i.e. marriage or a proposal of marriage) to validate them. Becker instead uses their compliance with Alex’s bizarre scheme as proof of their commitment to the Kerner family as they also acknowledge that his deception is driven by his deep love for his mother.
Also embroiled in this plot are Alex’s coworker Denis (Florian Lukas), a would be filmmaker who’s deadpan delivery during the fake socialist news reports they create add to the innate silliness of the entire proceedings; and the elderly residents of the apartment complex where the Kerner’s live. For them the elaborate game of make believe is a kind of solace from the real world where the system that had promised to care for them for the rest of their life has vanished.
One might think that it is odd that a film based on such a loaded historical event would be so warm and comforting, but in presenting a rewritten version of history Becker is able focus on what ultimately keeps us going in times of political uncertainty: family, love and togetherness.
For a film about the fall of the Berlin Wall, there sure are a lot of laugh’s in Wolfgang Becker’s surprising fourth feature, Good bye, Lenin!. That he is able to deliver a film as intelligent and ultimately heartwarming based on such a seemingly contrived plot is a true testament of his ability as a director. Alex’s mother Christiane (Katrin Sab) has a heart attack and falls into a coma shortly before the fall of the Berlin wall. A socialist enthusiast since her husband defected to the West when Alex (Daniel Bruhl) was a child, Alex feels very protective of his mother. So when mom miraculously emerges from her coma eight months later and the doctor explains that any surprises could be fatal to her, Alex decides that the best strategy is to pretend that the Wall never fell.
Although the results are not nearly as slapstick as one might expect, there is still a feeling of surreality to plot which both heightens the comedy and underlines the basic absurdities of any strict political system. Most of the political observations are based on how politics affect day to day life: what kinds of food are available, what kind of clothes you wear, how families are divided. This is made particularly clear in the way that Alex’s treasure hunt for old jars and labels of socialist food in which to repackage the new cornucopia of Western delights that fill the store shelves (so as not to pique his mother’s curiosity) turns into an epic quest.
But that’s as strong as the political commentaries get, director Wolfgang Becker preferring to focus specifically on the Kerner family and the changes they undergo. Both Alex and his sister Ariane (Maria Simon) are nurturing new found romances in the midst of all this deception, Alex with a pretty student nurse from Russia named Lara (Chulpan Khamatova) and Ariane with her Western boss at her new job working at Burger King, Rainer (Alexander Beyer). Both of these relationships would be considered nontraditional, however they are presented as loving and supportive without the need of a “payoff”(i.e. marriage or a proposal of marriage) to validate them. Becker instead uses their compliance with Alex’s bizarre scheme as proof of their commitment to the Kerner family as they also acknowledge that his deception is driven by his deep love for his mother.
Also embroiled in this plot are Alex’s coworker Denis (Florian Lukas), a would be filmmaker who’s deadpan delivery during the fake socialist news reports they create add to the innate silliness of the entire proceedings; and the elderly residents of the apartment complex where the Kerner’s live. For them the elaborate game of make believe is a kind of solace from the real world where the system that had promised to care for them for the rest of their life has vanished.
One might think that it is odd that a film based on such a loaded historical event would be so warm and comforting, but in presenting a rewritten version of history Becker is able focus on what ultimately keeps us going in times of political uncertainty: family, love and togetherness.
Friday, March 19, 2004
Jim Carrey is sooooo good, I forgot it was him!!!
At last, fresh new review. And about damn time. To answer everyone's question: yes, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is everything we hoped it would be. So good. The boy was in tears.
Read all about it:
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND [2004]
Although much has been made of Jim Carrey’s ability or lack there as a dramatic actor, the truth is he hasn’t really had much chance to prove it. With the exception of “Man on the Moon” most of his performances (“Truman Show” included), have really just been ‘ol Jim toning it down a notch while everyone else around him seems to pander to his wackiness. At best he was “Jim Carrey” with fewer facially contortions. At worst he was downright boring. I certainly had my doubts as to whether he was capable of playing someone who wasn’t just “Fire Marshall Bill” with less volume. However, it can safely be said that in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” Jim Carrey has actually crafted a character from his soul and his performance is truly remarkable. Carrey’s Joel is shy, nervous and introverted, but not in a neurotically twitchy way like Nicholas Cage in “Adaptation”. We generally care about him and aren’t just waiting for him to do something funny. By getting Carrey to dispose of his usual schtick director Michel Gondry has exposed a beautiful and vulnerable side to the man who introduced “ass talking” to the multiplexes.
Also a revelation is Gondry’s direction. After teasing us with his numerous insanely clever music videos, “Eternal Sunshine” puts him in a league with Wes Anderson, Spike Jonze and Sofia Copola as one of the most refreshing directors in working in Hollywood right now. Although very entertaining and genuinely funny, his first feature “Human Nature” was a little too mired in the outlandish to be truly brilliant and ended up feeling too much like a retread of his Bjork collaborations. “Eternal Sunshine” instead is fresh, heartfelt and ultimately heartbreaking in it’s honest portrayal of a modern relationship.
I won’t give away too much of the plot as the true impact of the film is found in navigating the intricacies of the story and the way in which it is told. Joel (Jim Carrey) has just found out that his girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has erased her memory of him on a whim after a particularly nasty fight. Heartbroken and defeated Joel decides that the best way to get over her is to have the procedure done as well. Now, this is where things get a little bit harder to relate as the film deftly oscilates between the story of Joel and Clementine’s relationship (told backwards, mostly), Joel’s own feelings towards Clementine as related through his memories, Joel’s memories and their psychological ramifications, Joel’s consciousness of the procedure being performed on him during his memories, and the relationships between the people performing the procedure (Elijah Wood, Kirstin Dunst, Tom Wilkinson and a completely unrecognizable Mark Ruffalo) and their relationships to Joel and Clementine.
Being that the film was scripted by Charlie Kaufman one might not expect the film to have as uplifting an ending as it ultimately does, as most of his films could hardly be accused of extolling human virtue. Yet somehow, because of how painful it does get in fact, the final twist resonates that much stronger and we are left with a film that has quietly and powerfully lived up to it’s potential.
Read all about it:
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND [2004]
Although much has been made of Jim Carrey’s ability or lack there as a dramatic actor, the truth is he hasn’t really had much chance to prove it. With the exception of “Man on the Moon” most of his performances (“Truman Show” included), have really just been ‘ol Jim toning it down a notch while everyone else around him seems to pander to his wackiness. At best he was “Jim Carrey” with fewer facially contortions. At worst he was downright boring. I certainly had my doubts as to whether he was capable of playing someone who wasn’t just “Fire Marshall Bill” with less volume. However, it can safely be said that in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” Jim Carrey has actually crafted a character from his soul and his performance is truly remarkable. Carrey’s Joel is shy, nervous and introverted, but not in a neurotically twitchy way like Nicholas Cage in “Adaptation”. We generally care about him and aren’t just waiting for him to do something funny. By getting Carrey to dispose of his usual schtick director Michel Gondry has exposed a beautiful and vulnerable side to the man who introduced “ass talking” to the multiplexes.
Also a revelation is Gondry’s direction. After teasing us with his numerous insanely clever music videos, “Eternal Sunshine” puts him in a league with Wes Anderson, Spike Jonze and Sofia Copola as one of the most refreshing directors in working in Hollywood right now. Although very entertaining and genuinely funny, his first feature “Human Nature” was a little too mired in the outlandish to be truly brilliant and ended up feeling too much like a retread of his Bjork collaborations. “Eternal Sunshine” instead is fresh, heartfelt and ultimately heartbreaking in it’s honest portrayal of a modern relationship.
I won’t give away too much of the plot as the true impact of the film is found in navigating the intricacies of the story and the way in which it is told. Joel (Jim Carrey) has just found out that his girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has erased her memory of him on a whim after a particularly nasty fight. Heartbroken and defeated Joel decides that the best way to get over her is to have the procedure done as well. Now, this is where things get a little bit harder to relate as the film deftly oscilates between the story of Joel and Clementine’s relationship (told backwards, mostly), Joel’s own feelings towards Clementine as related through his memories, Joel’s memories and their psychological ramifications, Joel’s consciousness of the procedure being performed on him during his memories, and the relationships between the people performing the procedure (Elijah Wood, Kirstin Dunst, Tom Wilkinson and a completely unrecognizable Mark Ruffalo) and their relationships to Joel and Clementine.
Being that the film was scripted by Charlie Kaufman one might not expect the film to have as uplifting an ending as it ultimately does, as most of his films could hardly be accused of extolling human virtue. Yet somehow, because of how painful it does get in fact, the final twist resonates that much stronger and we are left with a film that has quietly and powerfully lived up to it’s potential.
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Sorry for the Prolonged Absence
More reviews soon, I promise.
In the meantime, this is my new favourite thing ever. Thanks to Owen for turning me on to it.
In the meantime, this is my new favourite thing ever. Thanks to Owen for turning me on to it.
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