Last Day of "Summer"

Haven't updated in a while. I have a Bright Star review sitting on my computer. That'll be up soon, but in the mean time I have a random thought- the Lord of the Rings fucking rock. Okay, not the most sophisticated comment ever. But seriously. I recently rewatched Return of the King. I've decided to do a retrospective on the series soon. In the mean time, go watch them again.

Mel Gibson's Ego

I put "The Passion of the Christ" on my Netflix queue thinking, at best I would be witness to Mel Gibson's cinematic genius and, at worst it would be delightfully ironic.

"The Passion" is the worst kind of ego trip. Like Wagner's operas, Gibson demands the audience's full... attention is inadequate... existence. Instead of glorious orchestrations, we are subjected to 2 hours of torture porn.
There is nothing 'renegade' or remotely interesting about how the film itself is shot. While Gibson and others have intimated that the film's real purpose is to encourage people to 'find Jesus' (I vaguely recall some asshole confessing to a murder after watching the 'movie'), it did a superb job inducing nausea.

Gross. Definitely avoid.

Review: Alien- Director's Cut

"Don't worry Parker... you'll get what's coming to you."
90 minutes later, Ripley's words prove unfortunately accurate as an alien life-form makes mincemeat out of Parker's jugular.

Before he started making prestige period pictures, Ridley Scott made one of the most frightening movies of the 70s.
"Alien" (1979) tells the story of the deep-space miner Nostramus and its ill-fated 6-man (or is it 5...) crew. Midway through the ship's journey back to earth, the computer intercepts a signal from a mysterious planetoid and wakes up the crew to investigate the source. They discover a brand new organism known as Facius Succubus and bring it back on board. I don't want to go into too much detail, but if you have ever seen any American horror movie made in the last 40 years, you know where this is headed.

As a part of the film's 30th anniversary, Chicago's Music Box is screening a brand new print of the Director's Cut. It was a complete treat to catch "Alien" on the big screen. Even though I had already seen it twice on TV, this time I thought about the sexual/rape subtext less as the immediate terror took a hold. See for reference- Dallas' demise in the airshafts. One member of my party even let out a little yelp (Ensuing chuckles let us know that unlike space, in a movie theater everyone can hear you scream).

In some sense, it is surprising how effective the film is. At its core, "Alien" is a slasher film, as the audience watches one crew member after another fall prey to the Xenomorph. Even in 1979, one would be hard pressed to argue for the film's originality. Further, the alien itself has become a pop-culture icon, mitigating its ability to be a truly terrifying creature. In a post-AVP cinematic world, can we really be that scared?

What makes "Alien" effective 30 years later is not the creature design or the crew members' deaths. Rather, it is the sense of complete isolation that builds over the course of the film. Scott does a beautiful job of combining atmosphere and characer to achieve this goal. From the first interior shot of the Nostramus, it feels dark, dirty and neglected, roaming through deep space. Although it sports a fantastically creepy score courtesy of Jerry Goldsmith, the most effective sound in the movie is silence. Even before the face-sucker arrives on the ship, the crew (and audience) are threatened by the absence of light and sound, waiting for a monster who may or may not be there. The film is often praised for only showing part of the Xenomorph, rather than giving it all away. Just by virtue of Alien's position in the pantheon of American culture, this effect is somewhat lessened. Rather, the best and most tense parts of the movie are the segments between the attacks.

This brings us to the importance of character. Even at their most antagonistic, the crew of the Nostramus are written as recognizable human beings (with one obvious exception) rather than cutouts to be thrown to the monster. The way the characters interact with each other conforms less to forced Hollywood cliches and more to expected behavior in deep-space isolation (take for example the hostility Parker and Dallas show Ripley after she refuses them entry on board the ship). Sigourney Weaver is, of course, essential to the film's success. As Ripley slowly becomes aware of how completely alone she is, Weaver allows her character to become vulnerable while retaining her essential aggression.

This movie was originally going to be called "Star Beast", but after watching it on the big screen, it's pretty clear why they changed their minds. Above anything else, "Alien" is about our absolute terror when faced with the unknown.

2009 so far

Since I have probably been to the movies for the last time before prestige-season kicks in (unofficially, the beginning of October), it's time to start thinking about the films of 2009 so far. Despite missing the pop culture masterpiece known as "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", my film-going year has been fairly active. Along with my Netflix account...well... let's just say we've been watching a lot of film this year.
2009 standouts for me are-

"The Hurt Locker"
I'm a sucker for a good war movie, and this definitely does not disappoint. Kathryn Bigelow builds up the tension so well that my nails were digging into the arm rests. The movie works though because it ditched the pretension that bogged down other Iraq films (Lions for Lambs, I'm looking at you) and concentrated on delivering the goods again and again. Bonus points for Jeremy Renner being a crazy motherfucker. My favorite of the year so far.

"Moon"
Science Fiction that does not rely on convoluted plot points, CGI or Megan Fox's female assets. That already makes "Moon" a stand-out, but it is also packing some interesting ideas and fantastic acting by Sam Rockwell. Plus- it's directed by Duncan Jones who just happens to be David Bowie's son.

"Star Trek"
The only official "blockbuster" I saw this summer that was worth a damn. Despite the fact that the plot felt like a poor rehash of "Wrath of Khan", the Enterprise crew was a lot of fun to hang out with for 2 hours. It kind of made me wish that JJ Abrahms had rebooted it as a TV series so we could get more character development, but hopefully we'll get a bigger and better sequel. I also liked that it managed to side-step the over-wraught cynical bullshit with the tormented hero that Hollywood has been churning out post-Bourne. The movie is relatively light-hearted and ridiculously entertaining.

"District 9"
This has obviously been a good year for science fiction. I highly recommend you check this out. It works best if you see it without a lot of background information.

"Still Walking"
See below for my take.

Best Non-2009 films seen in 2009

Talk to Her - The first film that made me cry in recent memory. Almodovar is a master of making you feel compassion for his characters, no matter how heinous their behavior. Also, the kiss between Benigno and Lydia is incredo-hot.

Tokyo Story- I'm glad I saw this before watching any Koreeda. I've heard a lot of people compare him to Ozu. The younger filmmaker seems to get some archetypes from this film (most explicitly, the blameless daughter-in-law). It seems that Koreeda is more of a humanist, while Ozu is a bit more cynical and concentrated on his technique.
Its influence aside, Tokyo Story is a perfect exercise in understatement and exploration of a quietly broken family. While the gradual abandonment of the parents has traces of Lear, Ozu makes his characters completely recognizable (even 57 years later and a culture apart) which makes them all the more heartbreaking.

Days of Heaven- You could watch this with the sound off and still be awe-struck. Malick is a master of capturing the natural world. Stand-outs include copious footage of Texas wheat fields and the fire scene.

Film Review: Still Walking

Near the end of "Still Walking", the latest gem from Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda ("Nobody Knows"), we watch an elderly man walking toward the sea followed by his middle-aged son Ryu. The shot captures Ryu's feelings of inadequacy and deference toward his father. Meanwhile, the step-grandson rushes eagerly toward the beach, unaware of the tension.

The plot is fairly straightfoward- the Yokoyama family gathers to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the eldest son's death who perished while saving a drowning child. Unfolding during a 24 hour time period (with the exception of the epilogue, set several years later), the film bears witness to strained familial bonds through routine actions such as preparing lunch and taking a bath.

The acting is uniformly excellent across the board. It was a bit odd to see the actress You, who played the irresponsible mother in "Nobody Knows" in a much different role. It should be mentioned that the actors playing Ryu and his wife are particularly attractive.

Like Ozu before him, Koreeda is interested in exploring a certain breakdown between generations in Japanese society. Yet, while Ozu was clearly pointing a finger at a younger, disinterested generation in the 1950s, Koreeda avoids assigning blame. His ambivalence is made clear when the long-suffering mother tells Ryu why she insists on inviting the child her son died to save every year to his death anniversary. Meanwhile, the father spends much of the visit avoiding conversation ("There is nothing to talk about") and insulting Ryu's profession and decision to marry a widow. Their relationship is defined by the father's insistence on comparing Ryu unfavorably to his deceased son, and Ryu's inability to separate his self-image from his father's expectations. Both matriach and patriach are petty and unfair individuals. And yet, we see that 15 years has done little to diminish their grief over their son's death. This is made painfully clear in a scene where a butterfly makes its way into the house and the mother convinces herself that it is, in fact, her son.
None of this is to say the film is overly melancholy. Nor is it overly sentimental or hopeful for the future, though there are moments of grace for each member of the family (notably a scene between Ryo, his wife and his step-son Atsushi). Rather, Koreeda proceeds at a careful, almost natural pace (the film runs just shy of two hours) and avoids hyperbole and judgment over his characters. In this way, the Yokoyama family becomes recognizably human.
An audience member would be forgiven for feeling the need to call their parents after watching this simple but amazing film.

Netflix Queue

What's on yours?
Right now I'm waiting on
Infernal Affairs
Bad Education
The Fall

Cad Picks: Gattaca

After A.O. Scott picked this last week, I know this is going to make me look like Johnny-Come-Lately, but "Gattaca" is a film that I find myself coming back to over and over again.

"Gattaca" (1997) tells a story set in the "Not Too Distant Future" where human reproduction has become perfected to a science. Parents no longer worry about birth defects or diseases. Rather, they hand pick their child's traits--a process which guarantees a sort of perfection of the human race. Your whole future is given to you at birth. Unsurprisingly, not everyone is lucky enough to have been born through this genetic manipulation method. Society has evolved to a point where class is determined by how good your genome looks. The film revolves around an unfortunate 'de-generate', Vincent (Ethan Hawke) who wishes to be an astronaut despite his heart problems. After failing to over come the urine samples, blood analyses and other road blocks, Vincent decides that he will take on the identity of a disabled ex-swim star, Jerome (played by an excellent Jude Law in a role that helped introduce him to American audiences).

The film points to the importance of an individual's work ethic and determination in the face of insurmountable odds. Vincent's willingness to give up everything (including his family, identity, and ultimately, perhaps his life) to reach the stars is the driving force of the film. By setting the film in a 1950s version of the future (look at those cars! and the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired architecture!) director Andrew Nicchols points to the McCarthy-era subtext of the story (at one point, a group of de-generates are rounded up by the police) while making the proceedings feel timeless. An unfortunate side-effect of making science fiction is that your movie looks dated 5 years after it's made.
The sets all look magnificent, particularly the apartment that Vincent and Jerome share, a nightclub they frequent, and Gattaca itself (the astro-exploration company where Vincent is hired as Jerome). Slawomir Idziak deserves credit as cinematographer for creating some extraordinary shots. Some stand-outs include Vincent (at this point still a janitor) scrubbing the roof of Gattaca and watching a shuttle launch, Irene and Vincent crossing a street amid heavy traffic, and the ending (more below).
Giving a heavy helping hand to the gorgeous cinematography and set design is Michael Nyman's music. The score uses a lot of strings with minimal percussion, which helps the film to avoid feeling too much like a suspense flick (judging by the trailer on my DVD, this is how it was sold when it came out). The result is that the film feels propelled by a sense of longing that can never quite be fulfilled.
A downpoint is the acting and dialogue. Jude Law is definitely the high-point here, as he brings some much needed warmth and comedy to an otherwise cool and antiseptic film. With Law's guidance, Jerome becomes an affable and self-destructive playboy. His dynamic with the square Ethan Hawke is one of the highlights of "Gattaca", and has some serious homoerotic undertones. By contrast, the Hawke/Thurman dynamic has absolutely zero chemistry. Perhaps this is not Uma Thurman's fault, as Irene seems to be struggling for a reason to exist in the film past the obligatory love interest plot point. The exception to this, of course, is her scene with Law which beautifully demonstrates the cost of Vincent's decision to abandon his identity. Still, clunky lines such as "Come on Irene, you're just like the rest of us!" and the script's attempts to come up with clever names of the genetically-challenged often get in the way of the film's cool aesthetic.
These shortcomings aside, the film is remarkable. The sleek look is, in some sense, ironic given the humanistic message of the film. The ending, while uplifting (helped by a last minute play by Gattaca's in-house doctor) is also somewhat sad. Vincent's final test of acceptance in the world is to abandon it for the stars. Jerome, the 'ideal' man, abandons it altogether after a lifetime of expectation and inadequacy. The rise and demise of these two characters offers a fittingl poignant close to a film about individual struggle.