Week 03

This week was a good week for new movies, I think. The Ritz Theaters got three new ones for me to enjoy, and I look forward to seeing them. I’ve seen trailers for all of them already, so I feel informed. They are:

• Cassandra’s Dream
• Persepolis
• Steep

Persepolis is the one I look forward to the most. It’s an animated film about a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. It looks powerful and I hope uplifting. Cassandra’s Dream is a dark family drama that is more of the same as we’ve been getting for the last month or so. I do like Tom Wilkinson, though, and I think this movie will be okay. The other represents the first documentary of the year thus far, a film called Steep, which explores the world of big-mountain skiing. There are some amazing shots of people jumping out of helicopters on skis onto pristine mountaintops, as often as not with avalanches of snow cascading after them. I know this is something I’ll never try, but maybe I’ll get some understanding as to why anyone would risk their lives for the thrill of it.

Atonement

There are many levels of truth. Some things are true for all people all the time. Others are true only for us. And sometimes the truth we think we know turns out to be false. It is this perception of truth that drives the movie Atonement.

Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) is a precocious 13 year old. Already she has proven herself an able writer and a budding intellectual. With her older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightly) she lives in an idyllic country estate in England during the peace between the two World Wars.

One day Briony is shocked to discover Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) embracing Cecilia. He’s the son of one of the servants who has used his connections to make his way through college and over his class boundaries. Briony doesn’t understand but the two are fiercely in love, a fact unknown by anyone, even each other.

Due to some unfortunate and mysterious circumstances, Briony becomes convinced that Robbie has committed a despicable act. On her testimony he is thrown in jail and ultimately forced into soldiering when the war starts. Years later, we follow him and some fellow soldiers sneaking across France toward England. Cecilia takes up life as a nurse, tending to the wounded as they return from battle.

This is the point where the movie really takes an unexpected turn. We in the audience find that while some of the story we’ve been viewing has actually happened, some of it is just made up from the imagination of Briony, now aged and dying, writing the final edition of a long series of books.

Upon first watching this scene, I was actually angry. For me, the entire film lost any consistency it had. I wasn’t watching a story of two lovers, separated by a lie and a war, but rather the imaginings of a grown up woman who never really found a way to stop being the spoiled child she once was. Suddenly I felt like I was not watching a movie, but someone’s dream unfolding, with all the inherent vagaries and impossibilities. Some part of my subconscious cannot accept it, though I can think of no reason why this knowledge should make it so. I think it’s just frustration, really, at such a relativistic viewpoint. Sure, many movies are made thus. This just feels egregious for some reason. Maybe in the future after some more contemplation I’ll come up with something that I can explain.

What I liked: The first 40 minutes of the movie. It really set up to be a fantastic movie. The music was quite interesting, too, especially the way the typewriter clicks morphed into one of the persistent themes for the film. Briony’s theme, maybe. The fantastic scene where Robbie arrives into the camp of soldiers and he navigates the entire scene in one amazingly long and complex take. I don’t know what computer graphics might have been involved in creating and fixing that, but I was aware of the moment and it caught my breath.

What I disliked: Being tricked. The story always doubling back upon itself and doing scenes that we just watched over again. What’s the point, really? Some of those were completely superfluous. The way the tenor of the movie abruptly changed. I understand the symbolism behind such a change, but I don’t feel that it worked. It still feels too much like a gimmick.

Rating: 8 of 10

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

I feel like I keep writing reviews of depressing films. Do studios release the downers in December and January to keep our spirits low? The daylight is gone by the time we get out of work, college football is over and it’s pretty cold all the time. So let’s release some movies about the hopeless and lost. Seems like a great recipe for depression. I walked into this one really looking forward to seeing a couple of my favorite actors—Philip Seymour Hoffman and Marisa Tomei. In the end I walked out tired and sad.

Andy Hanson (Hoffman) has problems. His relationship with his wife Gina (Tomei) is on the rocks, he hates his job, and he’s got serious money problems because of his drug habit. Everything is moving in the wrong direction. In order to turn it around, he convinces his brother Hank Hanson (Ethan Hawke) who’s also depressed with his family life to rob their parents’ jewelry store. The plan for this has been worked out completely—hit the store on the weekend before it opens, sell off the stolen goods for cash, and let the parents collect the insurance. Hank is too timid to back out once he’s tricked into assent. But, he’s too afraid to do it on his own, so he picks up an accomplice. Together they hold up the store, but things take a terrible turn.

I won’t give away the entire story. People get killed. The family is thrown into chaos. The boys’ father, Charles Hanson (Albert Finney), is beside himself with grief. But he slowly uncovers what has happened and chases down Andy, who panics and tries to get out of the country.

This film takes us into the very dark home of addiction. It’s not easy to get distance yourself emotionally from the stark atrocities people commit against their own kin. Maybe this film will serve as a deterent for someone to avoid drugs. Maybe not. But it’s not a place I ever want to go. I would recommend you see the movie once, but it’s not one you want to revisit.

What I liked: Strong performances by some very good actors. Intense drama. I felt quite strongly the tottering on the edge of the impending fall of Andy Hanson, and was moved by it.

What I disliked: The overly dramatic ending. Some of the story was a bit overboard, and some of the characters didn’t seem to act consistently throughout the film.

Rating: 7 of 10

No Country For Old Men

Most people follow the rules. They go to work, pay their taxes, raise a family, and abide by the law. We have built our society upon the bedrock of this simple truth. There are certainly exceptions, like when we run a red light in the middle of the night or go five miles per hour over the posted speed limit on the highway, cheat on a homework assignment or call in sick to enjoy a warm spring afternoon. That’s all pretty mundane stuff.

But there are certain rules that are inviolate. Murder. Rape. The rules that, if broken, will ultimately lead to the collapse of our gentle civilization. No Country For Old Men is about exactly that.

While hunting out in the desert, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon a grisly scene—several dead men, some bullet-ridden pickup trucks, a large pile of drugs and a suitcase full of money. He grabs the stash of money and runs, headed out of town. Not far behind him, though, is Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). He’s a mercenary sent to retrieve the stolen loot. But he’s more than that—he’s evil incarnate. He’s ruthless. Wherever Llewelyn tries to run, Anton cleverly tracks him down. This despite the fact that Llewlyn is an able individual. He evades capture and even manages to strike back at Anton. Ultimately, it isn’t enough.

Throughout this cat and mouse chase, though, there’s another main character following the scene. Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is the aging Sheriff who begins to piece together what’s happening. He is quickly aware of the ruthless killer on the loose, but is always several steps behind. At one point he nearly catches up to Anton, but is so terrified of what Anton represents, that he lays off and doesn’t pursue matters to the end. He’s a good cop. His understanding of people and life have served him well in his long life, but he’s part of the system now. He cannot get too close to the nihilism that is Anton Chigurh. That either gets you killed or sends your life spiraling into the abyss.

What I liked: The intensity. A really captivating chase between Llewlyn and Anton. Some interesting camera work.

What I disliked: The disregard for order. The gratuitous on screen killings. The inevitable hopelessness that permeates the entire fabric of this film. Are we to sometimes look beyond the brutal nihilism? To soak it up, bathe in it and let it rise over us? I can’t say I care to contemplate that.

Score: 7 of 10

Week 02

There aren’t as many new releases coming out as I had thought. Maybe it’s just the time of the year, or maybe the good movies already showing are too strong to give up. Either way, I’m not falling as far behind as I thought I might. The new films for Week 02 are:

• Diva
• The Orphanage
  

There Will Be Blood

Tonight was one of those nights at the movies where I walked away a little unsure. An hour ago we left the theater after seeing “There Will Be Blood.” I keep wondering did I just not like the film or did I not understand it. Was there a subtext I just wasn’t picking up on? Did it just zip right over my head?

The story follows Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he takes advantage of his experiences and curious nature to make himself into a rich oil man in the early 1900’s. He travels the old west building up his oil empire with brains and care but also ruthless determination and conniving. Ultimately he succeeds—his oil business makes him a fortune and he eventually builds a dream house to live out his life.

Most of the gravitas comes from the darkness within Daniel, though. He harbors a deep hatred for everyone and sees all people as competitors and enemies. Throughout the film he struggles with everyone who tries to get close to him or works for him. In an early scene he adopts a young boy whose father dies in a freak accident, and acts as if he loves him. But we’re left to think that it’s all for show, that he merely uses the young boy as a prop to weasel his way into the lives of others, disarmed by the gentlemanly father. Despite this, though, he never abandons the boy.

Daniel struggles most openly with the local reverend Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), an emphatic young preacher who is suffering from some psychological issues of his own. Through some deft manipulation, Eli uses his constituents against Daniel to procure donations for his church. Daniel is maneuvered into cooperating with Eli and it drives his anger tonew levels.

What I liked: On some level the movie was quite beautiful. The recreations of those environments and items used by settlers distant from much of civilization is quite breathtaking. Raw intensity from Daniel Day-Lewis, who displays his legendary ability to stay in character while delivering a powerful performance.

What I disliked: Every individual in the story. I don’t often enjoy movies that have each and every lead characters who are downright unlikable. Yes, I understand that there is some bit of misfit in everyone who is successful. Yes, I understand that these people exist now and have had profound lives in the past. Yes, it’s perfectly fine to explore the darker side of our existence. I just don’t find it particularly interesting.

Rating: 5 of 10

Week 01

It’s a slow start to the new year, both for me and the Ritz Theaters. My family and I have severely broken our budget. Between having twin daughters and buying a new house at the very edge of our price range we’ve clearly over extended. We’re trying to cut back on spending, and I can’t bring myself to drop even $7 on a movie as often as I’d planned. Instead I will focus on writing reviews of movies that I watch on DVD and catching up on DVD rentals when these new releases eventually become available.

This week has only one new movie at the Ritz. It is:

• There Will Be Blood

I have observed a certain buzz about this movie through oblique mentions on the web, but nothing directly. I look forward to catching up to this film sometime in the upcoming months.

On other fronts, I’m quite pleased to see “Juno” making waves in the box office. This past week it pulled in an amazing $15.9 million, only bested by “National Treasure”. A couple of other movies I’d be interested in seeing that aren’t showing at the Ritz are “Charlie Wilson’s War” and “P.S. I Love You” which I have now added to the To Do page.

Week 00 - The Starting Point

I hadn’t originally planned on including the movies that started the year showing at the Ritz Theaters. But, since there are only a few movies showing, and I’ve already seen a good portion of them, I am going to include them. Here they are:

• Atonement
• Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
• Blade Runner: Final Cut
• Diving Bell and the Butterfly
• I’m Not There
• Juno
• The Kite Runner
• No Country for Old Men
• The Savages

The Savages

My life is ending. It is something I know with tremendous certainty. I have a little control of some things, and absolutely none over others. I also know this to be true for those around me–my mom, my siblings, my wife, my children. We’re all going to die. With hope that time is far off. Some day in the future, though, I’m going to get the bad news.

For Wendy Savage (Laura Linney) it started with a message on her answering machine. Her father, Lenny (Philip Bosco), had been acting out, and people were starting to worry. They lived across the country from each other, and weren’t close, but she sensed trouble coming. She reached out to her brother Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) for support. Quickly, though, things unraveled. Their father’s partner died. He needed a new home, new support. He needed his family.

So the two siblings work together to find a new home for their ailing father back on the East Coast and attempt to resume their lives. This is where the movie really shines. Wendy and Jon are not close, but their father’s condition forces them together, caring not only for their dad but for each other. They share intimate details of their lives. They struggle and fight with their problems, their sadness and grief. When their father eventually dies, their lives continue moving forward.

When I see a film like this one, though, I’m often torn. I enjoy the effort of the filmmakers and appreciate the great attention to detail that is obvious. All the hard work and skill that makes a movie great is there, but I can’t shake the feeling that I wish I didn’t get that close. It’s like the death of a distant relative you didn’t know enough to mourn yourself, but you sense the grief from others around you who did.

What I Liked: The specter of mortality hanging over everything in the entire film. Each scene, every moment conveys the gravity of knowing that death lurks around the corner for us all. The dialog is very sharp and feels authentic, not overly polished or unnatural.

What I Disliked: The underdeveloped father character. Why cast a solid actor like Philip Bosco unless you’re going to use him? The lack of any real connection between the kids and their father, which I didn’t think was fully explained away by his dementia.

Rating: 7 of 10

A Love Song for Bobby Long

The most interesting character in the movie “A Love Song for Bobby Long” isn’t Bobby Long. It isn’t Purcy Will or Lawson Pines, either, though those three characters are central to pretty much every scene. No, the most interesting person in the story is someone we never even see as she doesn’t appear on screen even once. Her name is Lorraine. Oh, and as the movie opens, she’s dead.

Honestly I’m not entirely certain the movie was supposed to be that way. It is setup as “The Redemption of Bobby Long”, the down-and-out alcoholic erstwhile English Professor (John Travolta) who made some drastic mistakes in an otherwise glorious life. His companion and former teaching assistant, Lawson Pines (Gabriel Macht), keeps him company and on occasion keeps him in line while purportedly penning the life story of his mentor. The shanty at the end of the block these two share belonged to Lorraine, and it’s unclear whether the house or the inhabitants will expire first.

Until Purcy (played by Scarlett Johansson) comes home. Purcy is Lorraine’s estranged daughter, who makes it back to town the day after the funeral. For some reason she decides to stay and share the place with the drunken teachers. There are lots of plot elements to carry the story forward, like the fact that the house will belong to Pursy a year after her mother’s death and she can evict the deadbeat pair, and a few red herrings about who her father might be. There’s even a tease in the middle about the relationship between her and Lawson, who take a liking to each other and flirt with something approaching affection.

But it’s all irrelevant in the end. The only truth in the movie is that Lorraine is gone, and everyone else is simple left to pick up the pieces. Every interesting thing done by any character in the film is manipulated by the clothes, the house, the writings, the singing or the memory of her. How bright must her candle have burned. Unfortunately, we’ll never know. Maybe that’ll be another movie.

What I liked: Lots of beautiful scenery of New Orleans. Funny accents by actors who sometimes even seem to try.

What I disliked: Making a movie revolve around a character like Bobby Long, who himself is in the shadow of one far more compelling yet mysteriously dead. Stiff and clumsy use of characters as props. Unnecessary over-dramatized early scenes that exaggerate everyone’s faults, instead of taking the time to write in more realistic or practical character discovery.

Rating: 4 of 10