Misa Shikuma – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com Breaking news from the Farm since 1892 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 08:04:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://stanforddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-DailyIcon-CardinalRed.png?w=32 Misa Shikuma – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com 32 32 204779320 Reviews: ‘Amour’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/06/01/reviews-amour/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/06/01/reviews-amour/#comments Fri, 01 Jun 2012 07:51:00 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1067952 In refreshing contrast with some of the more ambitious, high concept or just plain abstract films playing in competition at Cannes, Michael Haneke proves that less is more with “Amour,” a simple yet emotionally rich story of how a sudden stroke affects an aging couple and their daughter.

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Reviews: 'Amour'
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

In refreshing contrast with some of the more ambitious, high concept or just plain abstract films playing in competition at Cannes, Michael Haneke proves that less is more with “Amour,” a simple yet emotionally rich story of how a sudden stroke affects an aging couple and their daughter.

 

Hooking the audience with an opening sequence that shows firefighters breaking into an upscale Parisian flat to find the deceased body of Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) lying in bed as though merely resting, the majority of “Amour” takes place in the recent past leading up to her death.

 

A first stroke leaves Anne partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, leading her to feel increasingly guilty and depressed about both the sudden loss of autonomy and the sense that she has become a burden to her husband Georges (Jean-Louis Trinignant), despite his protests to the contrary. And no matter how optimistic the couple tries to be in adapting to this new lifestyle, Anne’s health stubbornly continues to decline. Visits from their grown daughter Eva (Isabelle Huppert) provide fleeting comfort and distraction, but even she is not oblivious to the ineffable decay in her parents’ once vibrant morale. As Anne loses control over her own body she expresses her desire for it to all be over, putting her family in the most difficult position of all.

 

Haneke makes no attempt to break with convention, as he does in some of his better-known works, but his execution of “Amour” is superbly elegant. Taking a slow, almost documentarian, approach, the film feels as though it unfolds in real time, relishing the precious few moments that Georges and Anne have left together and making each weighty decision and development that much more poignant.

 

Reviews: 'Amour'
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

What is simultaneously touching and terrifying about “Amour” is its unflinching realism, largely achieved by making the protagonists so nondescript. Georges and Anne could very well be anyone’s parents or grandparents, and the ordeal shared by the couple and their daughter is exactly what most of us have in store at some point in our lives. Growing old, losing the dignity in being able to care for oneself, watching the ones we love slowly fade away, making decisions for them when they are no longer capable of doing so themselves – these things are all a part of the modern human experience.

 

Through its portrayal of family relationships, “Amour” explores how the strength of these bonds and the depth of companionship allow people to carry on despite the unfortunate complications of aging. The end is bittersweet when it comes, but to be able to hold onto the good memories and not the tragedy of death, to feel utterly fulfilled by the time spent together – that is love.

 

This article is dedicated to my grandmother who, on May 23, 2012, passed away at the age of 97.

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Reviews: ‘The Paperboy’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/06/01/reviews-the-paperboy/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/06/01/reviews-the-paperboy/#respond Fri, 01 Jun 2012 07:48:10 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1067930 “The Paperboy,” Lee Daniels’ dreamy 1960s drama about a pair of reporters determined to revoke a prison inmate’s death sentence in small-town Florida is more style than substance, foregoing a rich historical and cultural context for a messy adaptation of Pete Braxton’s novel that not even a brave performance by veteran actress Nicole Kidman can save.

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Reviews: 'The Paperboy'
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

The Paperboy,” Lee Daniels’ dreamy 1960s drama about a pair of reporters determined to revoke a prison inmate’s death sentence in small-town Florida is more style than substance, foregoing a rich historical and cultural context for a messy adaptation of Pete Braxton’s novel that not even a brave performance by veteran actress Nicole Kidman can save.

 

In the summer of 1969, Miami journalists Ward James (Matthew McConaughey) and Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo) return to Ward’s hometown to investigate the case of death row inmate Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack), whose trial appears to have been a harried case of redneck justice. Desperate to help them in any way she can is Charlotte Bless (Kidman), a troubled and hypersexual woman who devotes her free time to writing inmates; it is through this exact correspondence that she and Van Wetter become engaged. Ward’s younger brother Jack (Zac Efron) tags along as well, although his motivation lies more in his infatuation with Charlotte than any particular interest in the case.

 

The deeper the investigation gets, the more personalities and interests clash. Whereas Ward tackles the assignment from an attitude of idealistic righteousness, Yardley only wants a salacious story to further his career. The townsfolk are vocally unhappy about the intrusion into the community’s past, and talks with Van Wetter in prison raise more questions than they answer. Determination to the point of recklessness seems to run in the family, as Ward decides to press on without Yardley and Jack continues to pursue Charlotte with dangerous consequences for all.

 

Reviews: 'The Paperboy'
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

Kidman delivers a mesmerizing performance as the conscientious Charlotte, the sort of woman who sucks all the air out of the room when she enters. The rest of the cast is nowhere near as on target, although it’s difficult to say whether the script or the actors are to blame. Cusack’s blank-faced interpretation of the convict is so out there that he’s practically playing the part as if he’s off in his own movie. Efron amounts to little more than a pretty face, and Oyelowo is equally bland as Yardley, save for a well-delivered one-liner that makes his character’s pure self-interest clear for the first time.

 

Published in 1995, “The Paperboy” has spent years in development, with Pedro Almodovar originally set to helm the adaptation, however it ended up being directed by Daniels, an American who previously directed “Precious.” Daniels tries to capitalize on the story’s sociopolitical undertones, and indeed the black-white divide in the wake of the Civil Rights movement is one of the strongest plot threads to emerge, thanks to the strong supporting role of the James family housekeeper, played by Macy Gray.

 

Unfortunately, the director’s style is too heavy-handed over the film’s form, with gratuitous montages and an over-reliance on voiceover. Key pieces of information are dictated rather than portrayed, detracting from what otherwise could have been a rich characterization. (Ward, whom we are told is secretly gay, comes to mind here).

 

“The Paperboy” ricochets between tones and genres in a way that never quite comes together to feel cohesive. It tries hard, but ultimately doesn’t dig deep enough to rise above melodrama.

Reviews: 'The Paperboy'
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

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Reviews: ‘Cosmopolis’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/06/01/reviews-cosmopolis/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/06/01/reviews-cosmopolis/#respond Fri, 01 Jun 2012 07:34:06 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1067926 Following in the dense intellectual style of last year’s “A Dangerous Method,” David Cronenberg’s “Cosmopolis” is heavily dialogue- and theory-driven, only this time the psychoanalysis has been replaced with economic and financial jargon in an eerily dystopian retelling of James Joyce’s “Ulysses.” Adapted from Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name, this riveting commentary on capitalism could not have come at a more appropriate time.

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Reviews: 'Cosmopolis'
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

Following in the dense intellectual style of last year’s “A Dangerous Method,” David Cronenberg’s “Cosmopolis” is heavily dialogue- and theory-driven, only this time the psychoanalysis has been replaced with economic and financial jargon in an eerily dystopian retelling of James Joyce’s “Ulysses.” Adapted from Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name, this riveting commentary on capitalism could not have come at a more appropriate time.

 

Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) is a 28-year-old Wall Street hotshot whose determination to get a haircut across town turns into an unexpected all-day ordeal. Delaying his journey through Manhattan is the president’s visit to the city, a celebrity funeral and an anarchist protest that bears strong resemblance to the Occupy movement (although any similarity is purely coincidental since production ceased before Occupy Wall Street became a phenomenon).

 

Isolated from the outside world in his custom-built white stretch limo, Eric’s only real links to reality are the brief interactions with his employees, advisors, wife and would-be assassins. Through these conversations, much more of Eric’s character is revealed than his cool, unaffected demeanor outwardly belies. His refusal to heed advice from both his workers, who urge him not to bet against the yuan, and his head of security, who wants him to take threats against his life more seriously, only hint at Eric’s simultaneous reckless ambition and indifference to his own destruction.

 

Reviews: 'Cosmopolis'
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

Eric’s encounters with his new wife Elise (Sarah Gadon), an aspiring poet from a wealthy family, reveal a different side as well. Not only is it evident that their loveless marriage was essentially a business merger, but also that, as the wealthiest characters, they are both woefully out of touch with society. Eric has his limo to shield him from the outside, but even Elise, who allegedly spends her free time wandering the city, remains equally aloof and disengaged. Despite their similarities, they simply cannot relate to each other, making self-aware references that they know that couples are supposed to communicate and yet they are unable to. Of course, Elise withholding sex doesn’t help the relationship either.

 

What are the true values of time and money? This question constantly rears its head as it becomes increasingly apparent that Eric cannot possibly make it to the barber before closing and as he watches his fortune dwindle thanks to his stubborn investment decisions. Protestors brandishing dead rats and vandalizing his limo don’t faze him, and it is only when a former employee points a gun at his head that Eric begins to show an inkling of emotion.

 

“Cosmopolis” undoubtedly has a lot to say about the current state of society – the economic crisis, the self-interested business culture, the unrest of the lower classes – but Cronenberg’s approach to the material has already proved divisive. Early promotional footage emphasizes the sex and action of the story but, like “A Dangerous Method,” the film has a distinct literary sensibility with much of the dialogue being lifted straight from the book. It’s a thinking fan’s film, but worth the effort because, after all, how often is it that life imitates art?

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‘Lawless’ Cast talks dynamics https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/25/lawless-cast-talks-dynamics/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/25/lawless-cast-talks-dynamics/#respond Fri, 25 May 2012 07:52:31 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1067461 Based on Matt Bondurant’s historical novel “The Wettest County in the World,” the latest collaboration between director John Hillcoat and screenwriter Nick Cave brings to life the story of a bootlegging family during the final years of the Prohibition era. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy and Jason Clarke as the Bondurant brothers, “Lawless” is an action-packed yet character-driven tale of gangsters, corruption and survival in the backcountry of Virginia.

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Based on Matt Bondurant’s historical novel “The Wettest County in the World,” the latest collaboration between director John Hillcoat and screenwriter Nick Cave brings to life the story of a bootlegging family during the final years of the Prohibition era. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy and Jason Clarke as the Bondurant brothers, “Lawless” is an action-packed yet character-driven tale of gangsters, corruption and survival in the backcountry of Virginia.

 

“I had been looking for a gangster film to do, and couldn’t find any new take on it,” said Hillcoat, who first read the novel while in production on his 2009 film “The Road.”

 

The Bondurants’ compelling story was full of potential, and the director immediately sent it to Cave.

 

“The book is amazing,” agreed the writer. “It was really about the foot soldiers and worker bees that create the very beginning of the whole process of this wave of corruption that goes up and up and up into the cities and the glamour and into the pinstripe suits.”

 

And indeed, the film’s title is a reflection of those very rural outlaw enclaves, and especially the Bondurants, that dared to defy the corrupt lawmen who demanded protection money in order to continue the illicit whiskey trade. In the film, the brutal Agent Rakes (Guy Pearce) is sent by Chicago’s district attorney to bring the bootleggers in line with the law, but instead incites small-scale warfare within the community. Forrest Bondurant (Hardy), the eldest brother, leads the opposition.

 

For an American-set period piece, “Lawless” has a surprisingly international cast. So were those pesky Southern drawls difficult to master?

 

“I couldn’t tell you whether my accent in [Lawless] is truly genuine or authentic,” said Hardy, who hails from London. “Nor do I really give a shit.”

 

“What I care about is the character that comes across—whether you care about him, whether you identify with him, whether he can get away with doing some heinous stuff and still [have] you feel for him. [Forrest] cut somebody’s balls off! Would you want to sit in a room with someone who cut a man’s testicles off?”

 

“Not while he still had the testicles in his hand,” interjected Pearce with a straight face.

 

Like Hillcoat’s previous films, “Lawless” is graphic, bloody and violent—and not in a stylized, Quentin Tarantino sort of way. In the film, both the bootleggers and the law enforcers are utterly brutal and unapologetic. The director cited classics like “Bonnie & Clyde,” “Scarface” and “Goodfellas” as inspiration.

 

“Gangster films nowadays are more about pure action, not character,” he said. “So it was a special treat to have such rich [material].”

 

For the actors, however, bringing the violence to the screen isn’t always so easy.

“It’s kind of therapeutic in a way,” said Pearce, although he was quick to separate real life from the “safety of the film circus.”

 

“Violence in reality is truly fucking horrific,” Hardy agreed. “And truly pedestrian. And when it comes sometimes, it comes out of nowhere and it’s shocking.”

 

 

As antagonists, their characters share quite a few charged, and sometimes violent, interactions. Yet by their account, all of the tension disappeared when the cameras stopped rolling.

 

“We just chilled,” said Hardy. “We’d sit in the makeup trailer and chat and play Angry Birds.”

 

“That’s how we connected to our [characters’] anger,” added Pearce. There you have it: Acting 101.

 

Mia Wasikowska and Dane DeHaan, who have supporting roles in the film, had nothing but praise for their co-stars—even those with reputations for being difficult on set.

 

“Well they are big personalities,” said Wasikowska. “But they’re hard-working as well.”

 

“Shia really runs the set,” said DeHaan. “Because he’s so used to playing that leading man role.”

 

“But he comes prepared and ready to go, and he’s [always] cheering everyone on.”

 

When asked what contemporary audiences might glean from a historical drama like “Lawless,” both cast and crew gave similar answers.

 

“I feel like the core themes of that time are sort of always recycled and are seen under different names throughout history and even present day,” said Wasikowska, who plays the love interest of LaBeouf’s character.

 

Cave was slightly less diplomatic, likening Prohibition to “the great embarrassment of [current] American policy: the war on drugs.” Together, they represent “two great failures” in history.

 

So, uh, did anyone actually try any moonshine (the traditional name of the clear whiskey produced in the region)?

 

“Oh yeah!” said DeHaan enthusiastically. Since his character distills the liquor for the Bondurants, it was only natural for the actor to do his proper “research.”

 

“If you can get a blackberry or a peach moonshine, that’ll taste a little better,” he advised. “But if it’s just straight moonshine, that pretty much tastes like rubbing alcohol. It’s strong—you don’t need much of it.”

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An American Stanford student in Cannes https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/25/an-american-stanford-student-in-cannes/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/25/an-american-stanford-student-in-cannes/#respond Fri, 25 May 2012 07:47:57 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1067385 For the average cinephile or celebrity gawker, the word “Cannes” probably conjures up images of svelte actors and gowned actresses posing on the red carpet silhouetted against a blue sea, speckled with fancy yachts, and the occasional renegade director.

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An American Stanford student in Cannes
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

For the average cinephile or celebrity gawker, the word “Cannes” probably conjures up images of svelte actors and gowned actresses posing on the red carpet silhouetted against a blue sea, speckled with fancy yachts, and the occasional renegade director. Sure, world premieres, photo calls and press conferences are just part of the everyday happenings, but what the photo-shopped images don’t reveal is the less than glamorous behind-the-scenes scrambling that truly makes the Cannes Film Festival the prestigious event that it is.

 

As a lowly student journalist I’ve been a bit of a fly on the wall, enjoying the people watching almost as much as the films. And believe me, there can be a lot of downtime. With thousands of accredited journalists attending the festival, Cannes has a hierarchy to manage who gets in to what screening. My yellow badge puts me just above the photographers, but at the bottom of the ranks of the rest of the journalists. Depending on the venue, blue, pink and white badges all have priority access before me. Just the other night, I waited in line for an hour—outside, in the rain—for the new Abbas Kiarostami film that debuted in competition, only to be turned away when the theater became full with higher-ranked press. (Granted, it could have been worse. Entry to last year’s “The Tree of Life” was so competitive that it resulted in actual physical fights.)

 

However, for each minor setback Cannes has something redeeming to offer, like the time some friends and I crashed a party hosted by Firefox for their new Flicks platform. Unfortunately we missed the guest of honor, actor Edward Norton, but the open bar, fireworks over the water and excellent DJ made up for it. The chances of a celebrity sighting at Cannes are also considerably high—possibly even more so than in metropolitan Meccas like Los Angeles and New York. In fact, my first night here, I took the bus back to my apartment and noticed Bonnie Wright (aka Ginny Weasley) standing a few feet away with a group of friends.

 

Balancing work and play can be a bit of a challenge, especially when press screenings begin as early as 8:30 a.m. and continue on until 10 in the evening which, for some films, means getting out of the theater past midnight. The Palais des Festivals, the central hub for press and industry members, offers free Nespresso stations to recharge between screenings, but as you might guess they only serve espresso. In tiny cups. Maybe my palette just isn’t refined enough, but even with sugar, the experience of drinking espresso the French way is not unlike how I would imagine taking a shot of battery acid would feel: unpleasant, yet highly stimulating.

 

An American Stanford student in Cannes
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

As a seasoned journalist advised me at a press junket, the more you accept that Cannes, despite its golden reputation, isn’t actually all that well organized, the more you can relax and enjoy yourself. So having come to terms with the fact that I can only fit so much into a single day, I’m back to feeling that same sense of awe that I had the day I first checked in. For someone like me, just being here is a dream come true.

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Reviews: ‘Rust and Bone https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/25/reviews-rust-and-bone/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/25/reviews-rust-and-bone/#respond Fri, 25 May 2012 07:37:52 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1067380 One of the hottest In Competition films so far is Jacques Audiard’s “Rust and Bone,” a dynamic relationship drama centering on a whale trainer and a struggling single father who moonlights as a small-time boxer. Starring Academy Award-winner Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts as the leads, this atypical love story is set to make waves once it reaches overseas.

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Reviews: 'Rust and Bone
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

One of the hottest In Competition films so far is Jacques Audiard’s “Rust and Bone,” a dynamic relationship drama centering on a whale trainer and a struggling single father who moonlights as a small-time boxer. Starring Academy Award-winner Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts as the leads, this atypical love story is set to make waves once it reaches overseas.

 

Trying to make a fresh start, Alain (Schoenaerts) leaves Northern France with his young son Sam (Armand Verdure) to stay with his estranged sister in a beach town on the Riviera. Taking a job as a bouncer at a night club, he first meets haughty whale trainer Stephanie (Cotillard) while working one night. She gets into a fight; he breaks it up and drives her home, forgetting about her until much later.

 

After losing both legs in an accident at a marine park, Stephanie calls Alain out of the blue. By now his life is relatively on track, having moved on from his post as a bouncer to one as a night guard at a warehouse. During the days he keeps Stephanie company, gradually reintroducing her to the outside world that she shunned in her depression following the accident. Their relationship grows more complicated as Alain, accustomed to feeling that what he has to offer is more physical than intellectual, agrees to help Stephanie rediscover her sexuality. Meanwhile, his professional life takes a turn when a new employer convinces Alain to get involved in some off-the-books security details and amateur fights, both of which lead to unforeseen circumstances.

 

Reviews: 'Rust and Bone
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

At its core, “Rust and Bone” is a story about love. Stephanie and Alain continue to evolve and learn from each other, but never in a way that feels contrived and formulaic like many relationship dramas. Instead, the personal hardships that they endure serve as a de-romanticizing force, not unlike fellow French director Cédric Kahn’s gritty 2011 film “Une vie meilleure” starring Guillaume Canet.

 

Yet the film would be nothing without the astounding performances of its two leads. Cotillard shines as a vulnerable woman constantly fluctuating between self-acceptance and insecurity in adapting to life as an amputee. In the press conference for the film, the actress merely said of her performance, “One simply pretends that one doesn’t have legs any longer.” And indeed, her restrained yet poignant performance already has Best Actress buzz swirling.

 

Schoenaerts is equally strong as the volatile but good-hearted Alain. Despite having worked steadily in his native Belgium for over a decade, including a starring role in this year’s Academy Award-nominated “Bullhead,” “Rust and Bone” is sure to be his breakout role on the international scene. Hollywood, take note: in addition to French and Dutch, he also speaks flawless English. Needless to say, American cinema could use more actors like him, who are not only capable of pulling off the macho swag but also the nuanced character beneath.

 

Organic, beautifully crafted and supremely acted, “Rust and Bone” is a film that packs a powerful emotional punch without ever venturing into melodrama.

 

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Review: ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/25/review-moonrise-kingdom/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/25/review-moonrise-kingdom/#respond Fri, 25 May 2012 07:36:52 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1067440 Part coming-of-age story and part comedy of manners, Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” chronicles the adventurous romance of two young lovers on a fictional island off the coast of New England. Newcomers Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman lead a star-studded supporting cast including Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton.

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Review: 'Moonrise Kingdom'
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

Part coming-of-age story and part comedy of manners, Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” chronicles the adventurous romance of two young lovers on a fictional island off the coast of New England. Newcomers Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman lead a star-studded supporting cast including Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton.

In the summer of 1965, precocious 12-year-old Sam Shakosky (Gilman) executes a well-planned escape from his Khaki Scout troop in order to rendezvous with his pen pal and crush, Suzy Bishop (Hayward). With the help of Sam’s superior wilderness skills, the two fugitives make their way across the island while evading the clutches of the various locals out to reign them in, which include Scout Master Ward (Norton) and the rest of Troop 55, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop (Murray and McDormand) and local police Captain Sharp (Willis).

Review: 'Moonrise Kingdom'
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

Alone together, Sam and Suzy bond over a mutual penchant for getting in trouble and feeling like an outsider — he as a foster child and she for getting into fights at school. She shares with him her favorite books (stolen from the library, no less) while he, a budding renaissance man, paints watercolors of her against the beautiful New England scenery. Yet just as they realize their true love for each other, the search party catches up and forces them apart. But, as young people are wont to do, Sam and Suzy scheme up ways to be reunited, even in the face of an aggressive social services agent (Swinton) who threatens to take Sam away. Meanwhile, a hurricane brews just off the coast and promises to shake things up even more for the tiny, insular community.

Awash in the vintage, sepia-toned look that Anderson favors, “Moonrise Kingdom” is less of a period piece than merely an extension of the quirky, off-kilter realities that the director brings to the screen. (His previous works include “The Darjeeling Limited” and “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.”) But as kitschy as his latest film is, it feels more grown up and thorough than anything else he has produced to date, perhaps, in a way, representing a certain coming of age for the director as well as the characters.

As a twist on the “Romeo and Juliet” forbidden love story, “Moonrise Kingdom” succeeds in capturing the playful earnestness and awkwardness of budding romance without being overly sentimental. Juxtaposed with the adults in the film, who are portrayed as incompetent, inept and forever loveless (the failure of the Bishops’ marriage is a recurring theme), Sam and Suzy make admirable heroes for taking their fate into their own hands. So if they take themselves a little too seriously, it’s only because, well, they’re a lot more adult than the real grown-ups around them.

Anderson fans will be satisfied with the impeccable ensemble casting and the evolution of his storytelling, and as for everyone else — here’s your chance to jump on the bandwagon.

 

“Moonrise Kingdom” hits theaters June 1.

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Review: ‘Lawless’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/25/review-lawless/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/25/review-lawless/#respond Fri, 25 May 2012 07:36:19 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1067422 As anyone who ever had to endure AP U.S. History knows, Prohibition was a brief period in post-WWI America when the sale, manufacture and transport of alcohol were illegal. What the textbooks probably didn’t elaborate on was how, well, badass the bootleggers who defied the law were. Enter “Lawless,” an adrenaline rush of a film inspired by the real-life Bondurant brothers, who made a killing in the illicit whiskey trade during the Great Depression.

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Review: 'Lawless'
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

As anyone who ever had to endure AP U.S. History knows, Prohibition was a brief period in post-WWI America when the sale, manufacture and transport of alcohol were illegal. What the textbooks probably didn’t elaborate on was how, well, badass the bootleggers who defied the law were. Enter “Lawless,” an adrenaline rush of a film inspired by the real-life Bondurant brothers, who made a killing in the illicit whiskey trade during the Great Depression.

 

In 1931 rural Virginia, Forrest, Howard and Jack Bondurant (played by Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke and Shia LaBeouf) do what all enterprising young men would to make living—distill whiskey, pay off local cops for protection and turn a nice profit selling the goods up and down the countryside. With family friend Cricket (Dane DeHaan, of “Chronicle”) crafting the brew to perfection, the family business runs like a well-oiled machine; that is until a special agent sent by Chicago’s district attorney rides into town hell-bent on stopping the flow of moonshine out of what has by now earned the moniker “the wettest county.”

 

Agent Rakes (Guy Pearce), however, proves much more sinister than just an officer on a power trip. Led by the Bondurants, the struggle to keep producing whiskey escalates into all-out warfare, and it won’t stop until one side backs down.

Review: 'Lawless'
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

 

“Lawless” is easily director John Hillcoat’s most accessible film to date. Although often grim and violent, it still has moments of humor and levity, unlike Hillcoat’s previous two films, “The Proposition” and “The Road,” which a critic rightfully described as “misery on misery on misery.” This is not to say that the latest is by any means family-friendly — it’s still quite dark and graphic — but just not as bleak.

 

Using the historical novel “The Wettest County in the World,” written by Matt Bondurant (grandson of one of the famous brothers), as inspiration, screenwriter Nick Cave crafts a complex story of gangsters and corrupt lawmen almost as crooked as the crooks they make deals with. It’s almost too ambitious at times, with many promising characters receiving disappointingly little screen time. Gary Oldman’s brief cameo as fearsome gang boss Floyd Banner comes to mind, as do Mia Wasikowska and Jessica Chastain as Jack and Forrest’s respective latent love interests.

 

Review: 'Lawless'
Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

Instead the film is anchored by the bond between the Bondurant brothers and rides on their performances and fraternal chemistry. Hardy, as the clan’s de facto ringleader, is all cool swag as usual, while Clarke is the brawny Howard who boozes by day and provides the muscle for the operation by night. LaBeouf is pleasantly sympathetic as the runt of the family trying to prove his toughness to his older brothers as much as to himself; in other words, encouraging proof that the actor has a shot at a successful post-Transformers career. Opposite the Bondurants, Pearce is absolutely terrifying as the sleazy, almost maniacal agent.

 

So while “Lawless” doesn’t quite push any boundaries and probably won’t spur any deep discussions afterward, it will undoubtedly be a fun, action-packed alternative for those burnt out on superheroes and CGI extravaganzas to close out summer movie season with panache.

 

Catch “Lawless” in theaters this August.

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Reviews: ‘On the Road’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/25/reviews-on-the-road/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/25/reviews-on-the-road/#respond Fri, 25 May 2012 07:31:56 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1067395 Under the guidance of director Walter Salles, Jack Kerouac’s monumental beatnik novel “On the Road” finally comes to the screen after spending decades in development. Capturing the transience of youth and search for meaning that defined a generation of Americans coming of age in the mid-20th century, the film takes its time struggling to straddle the line between nostalgic period piece and refreshing meditation on growing up.

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Under the guidance of director Walter Salles, Jack Kerouac’s monumental beatnik novel “On the Road” finally comes to the screen after spending decades in development. Capturing the transience of youth and search for meaning that defined a generation of Americans coming of age in the mid-20th century, the film takes its time struggling to straddle the line between nostalgic period piece and refreshing meditation on growing up.

 

Aspiring writers Carlo Marx (Tom Sturridge) and Sal Paradise (Sam Riley), Kerouac’s autobiographical self, first meet Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund) and his teenaged wife Marylou (Kristen Stewart) in New York City in the late 1940s. Carlo and Sal are immediately infatuated with Dean’s voracious appetite for life and easygoing, almost careless, manner, and the trio become fast friends, spending their days and nights drinking, smoking, dancing, having sex, doing drugs and waxing philosophical about everything from love to literature. So when Dean and Marylou decide to return to Denver, Carlo and Sal follow.

 

Infected with Dean’s wanderlust, Sal begins a meandering journey back and forth across the country. Although Dean’s companionship throughout the next several years is punctuated by half-hearted attempts at settling down, he maintains a constant presence and influence in Sal’s life, as evidenced by an increasing tendency toward recklessness. Taking note of the people he meets and the experiences they share during his travels, Sal finally overcomes his writer’s block and produces a manuscript.

 

Riley, Hedlund and Stewart are perfectly adequate as the film’s central characters, but it’s often the cameo roles of the people whose lives intersect so briefly with theirs who are the most memorable. Viggo Mortensen and Amy Adams play an eccentric couple who accommodate the trio as they pass through the South, while Steve Buscemi briefly appears as a lonely man seeking companionship.

 

At over two hours long, Sal and Dean’s unfettered determination to feel alive via their nomadic lifestyle becomes tiresome, affecting the audience long before the characters. The cinematography of the wide-open country is gorgeous, but gradually loses its sheen as one begins to wish that they could just stay in one place long enough to accomplish something—a relationship in Dean’s case, and a piece of writing for Sal.

 

The tone sometimes flip flops between self-discovery and coming of age to a study in self-absorption, as Sal and Dean tend to operate with little regard to the consequences of their actions. But at the same time, perhaps this is what gives Kerouac’s story such longevity. Youthful is as youthful does, and the kind of reckless abandon that “On the Road” depicts (some might even call it irresponsibility) still feels fresh and relatable.

 

In the end, we, like Kerouac, want to find meaning in all that we’re seeing, but all too often it seems to hover just beyond the frame.

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Director Tanya Wexler on ‘Hysteria’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/11/1066032/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/11/1066032/#respond Fri, 11 May 2012 10:00:02 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1066032 You’ve probably heard this story before: An uptight but well-meaning professional slowly but surely falls in love with his boss’ sharp-tongued, fiercely independent daughter. Such is the premise of Tanya Wexler’s newest film, “Hysteria,” starring Hugh Dancy and Maggie Gyllenhaal as the reluctant lovers. The catch? Set in Victorian England, Wexler’s uproarious film boasts an unlikely historical backbone that most romantic comedies lack: the invention of the vibrator by Dancy’s character, Dr. Mortimer Granville.

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Director Tanya Wexler on 'Hysteria'
Courtesy of San Francisco Film Society

You’ve probably heard this story before: An uptight but well-meaning professional slowly but surely falls in love with his boss’ sharp-tongued, fiercely independent daughter. Such is the premise of Tanya Wexler’s newest film, “Hysteria,” starring Hugh Dancy and Maggie Gyllenhaal as the reluctant lovers. The catch? Set in Victorian England, Wexler’s uproarious film boasts an unlikely historical backbone that most romantic comedies lack: the invention of the vibrator by Dancy’s character, Dr. Mortimer Granville.

“It was a movie I wanted to see, and it didn’t exist,” said Wexler of why this particular project drew her out of the 10-year filmmaking hiatus she took to start a family. “It made me laugh instantly, [but] it’s also an empowerment narrative.”

For those who aren’t quite up to speed on their, ah, history of sex accessories, the vibrator was invented in late eighteenth-century England and adopted as a treatment for “hysteria,” a catch-all diagnosis for women of the era. Doctors like Granville associated their symptoms (including weeping, nymphomania, frigidity and anxiety) with problems with their uteruses and, in a completely nonsexual way, treated them with “massages.”

“Neither men nor women really had a concept of women having orgasms,” explained Wexler. “There was no guys-taking-advantage-of-ignorant-women. Everyone was kind of equally naive in thinking, ‘Something’s wrong with women – apparently most of them – and it’s because their uterus is wandering around in their body and, if we just give them a massage, they will feel better.’”

“It’s a pretty good massage, I would guess,” she continued. “And if you don’t think there’s anything naughty, and that’s what you’re supposed to do to function, then it’s much better than getting leeched or whatever else.”

So, yes, Victorian doctors doled out “manual massages” as legitimate medical treatments, which is why the vibrator gained popularity as a time- and energy-saving device.

“The vibrator was invented for a man,” Wexler said. “And in that, I mean it was a labor-saving device for a guy because his hand got tired.

Director Tanya Wexler on 'Hysteria'
Courtesy of San Francisco Film Society

“If you read Rachel Maines’ book ‘Technology of Orgasm,’ she says that these treatments often went on for an hour or sometimes more,” she added.

Now that is one hell of a massage. But I digress. As much as “Hysteria” might appear to be about sex from my enlightening discussion with the film’s director, it also has a lot to offer in the form of social and political commentary. Gyllenhaal’s character, for example, denounces her upper-class privilege in favor of charity work and supporting women’s rights.

“People want things that are new and fresh, but at the same time they’re scared because they don’t know how to put it out there in the world,” Wexler said of her seven-year struggle to get the film into production.

“I think the reason ‘Hysteria’ is tricky is that it’s set in Victorian England but it’s not a period piece,” she said. “It’s a pretty contemporarily paced and thought-through romantic comedy that, because of the facts of history, happens to be set in [the past].”

Having viewed the film at its premiere last year at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was one of my personal favorites, I can attest that it feels refreshingly relatable.

“I don’t think Victorian people sat around thinking, ‘Aren’t we quaint in our cute little dresses and our silly ways?’ Wexler said. “They thought, ‘Electricity is coming! We’re on the cutting edge of medicine and women’s rights and science! This is the most exciting time to be alive!’

“Well that sounds very familiar to me,” she added. “It sounds like now.”

Indeed, many of the attitudes expressed in the film toward changing technologies and social mores are sure to hit pretty close to home in a way that manages to feel simultaneously humorous and poignant. Who knows, maybe in another century, some new generation of bright young filmmakers will be satirizing us in 2012.

Director Tanya Wexler on 'Hysteria'
Courtesy of San Francisco Film Society

“My friend calls this film the ‘thinking woman’s romantic comedy,’” said Wexler, who studied psychology at Yale University before receiving her M.F.A. in film at Columbia.

“[I’m] not trying to solve all the problems of gender inequality and whatever; I’m just trying to have a laugh and have something that includes me.”

“Hysteria” hits theaters on May 25.

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Review: ‘Sound of My Voice’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/04/review-sound-of-my-voice/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/04/review-sound-of-my-voice/#respond Fri, 04 May 2012 07:49:40 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1065464 Zal Batmanglij’s provocative debut feature and Sundance hit “Sound of My Voice” follows a young pair of documentarians seeking to infiltrate an underground cult. Starring indie “it-girl” Brit Marling as the cult’s enigmatic leader, the film’s exploration of the boundaries between knowledge, faith and trust prove that it doesn’t take a big budget to drive a high-concept story.

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Review: 'Sound of My Voice'
Courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Zal Batmanglij’s provocative debut feature and Sundance hit “Sound of My Voice” follows a young pair of documentarians seeking to infiltrate an underground cult. Starring indie “it-girl” Brit Marling as the cult’s enigmatic leader, the film’s exploration of the boundaries between knowledge, faith and trust prove that it doesn’t take a big budget to drive a high-concept story.

By day, twenty-somethings Peter (Christopher Denham) and Lorna (Nicole Vicius) are a substitute teacher and a writer, respectively, but by night, after weeks of preparation, they are finally close to realizing their goal of exposing a local cult. Following explicit instructions, the couple scrubs down and changes clothes before being blindfolded and taken to the basement of a safe house, where they meet their fellow members and leader Maggie (Marling).

Shrouded in white and hooked up to an oxygen tank, Maggie is like a modern-day Madonna whose mesmerizing aura resonates with even the staunchest disbelievers like Peter. Claiming to be from the distant future, she promises to protect her disciples from imminent catastrophe in exchange for their faith and trust. As Maggie’s demands escalate, pressuring the converts to prove their worthiness, Peter and Lorna begin to question just how far they are willing to go in pursuit of the truth; that is, if they even know what truth means anymore.

Marling anchors the film as the manipulative Maggie, who constantly fluctuates between wise sage and petulant superior, relying on others to bring her items from the outside world that her condition prevents her from setting foot in. The performance is a study in calculated charisma, such that, by the end, it matters less whether Maggie’s story is true but rather that her power to elicit such blind faith is a force to be reckoned with.

While this may all sound quite heavy, co-writers Marling and Batmanglij infuse the story with moments of levity that prevent the film from taking itself too seriously. The elaborate handshake that designates membership seems silly at first, but, by the end, becomes emblematic. In another memorable scene, Maggie performs “Dreams” by The Cranberries in a botched attempt to impress her followers with a song from the future.

Review: 'Sound of My Voice'
Courtesy of Fox Searchlight

“Sound of My Voice” leaves plenty of loose ends and unanswered questions that suggest it would have perhaps functioned better as a television pilot (and indeed, the writers originally conceived of the story as a web series), but nonetheless manages to please and intrigue as a film. Viewers who prefer their movies neatly wrapped up with a bow should take note and proceed with caution).

An engrossing and haunting examination of the lengths to which individuals will go to in order to hold fast to something they believe in – no matter how rational or irrational – this is a film that doesn’t shy away from testing conventions and suspending disbelief.

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SFIFF: Author to Auteur https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/04/sfiff-author-to-auteur/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/05/04/sfiff-author-to-auteur/#respond Fri, 04 May 2012 07:35:17 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1065455 I’m seated across from acclaimed graphic novelist and filmmaker Marjane Satrapi in a smoky (thanks to her) suite in San Francisco’s ritzy Fairmont Hotel. The author of the autobiographical “Persepolis” is every bit an extension of the outspoken, headstrong young heroine portrayed in the books, so I suppose it should be no surprise that our conversation, which began with her latest film “Chicken with Plums,” has gradually migrated into uncharted territory, encompassing death, creativity and, at the moment, the American Dream. Satrapi, as I quickly discover, has an opinion on everything.

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SFIFF: Author to Auteur
Courtesy of San Francisco Film Society

“I don’t think I would be very happy having two dogs, three kids, a house, a car and an evening supper – I would be the most miserable person in the world!”

I’m seated across from acclaimed graphic novelist and filmmaker Marjane Satrapi in a smoky (thanks to her) suite in San Francisco’s ritzy Fairmont Hotel. The author of the autobiographical “Persepolis” is every bit an extension of the outspoken, headstrong young heroine portrayed in the books, so I suppose it should be no surprise that our conversation, which began with her latest film “Chicken with Plums,” has gradually migrated into uncharted territory, encompassing death, creativity and, at the moment, the American Dream. Satrapi, as I quickly discover, has an opinion on everything.

“What is happiness?” she mused. “That happiness is to have a car and a beautiful house…this is the image that [America is] selling us. And sometimes, I have to admit, this American way of living is really boring.”

Those familiar with “Persepolis” will know that Satrapi has lived anything but an ordinary life. Born and raised in 1970s Tehran by political activist parents, she witnessed firsthand the effects of the Iran-Iraq War. After receiving her high school education in Vienna, Satrapi returned home to attend university before leaving Iran for good in her twenties and settling in France, where she currently resides.

The volumes depicting her early life were adapted into the successful 2007 film “Persepolis,” which Satrapi wrote and co-directed. And while this level of creative control would probably seem like a dream come true to most writers, the way Satrapi tells it makes auteurism seem oddly fortuitous.

“‘Persepolis’ [the film] was not my idea,” she said. “I never wanted to make cinema at all. It was a friend of mine, who wanted to become a producer, [who] said ‘Let’s adapt that!’”

“The language of cinema is very different from the language of books,” she continued. “At the same time, there was a small voice in my head saying, ‘They’re going to give you a couple million dollars – are you dumb to say no?’

“And I really did everything for this film not to happen,” she added. “I [insisted] that the film be black and white, hand drawn, etc., and then they said yes to all of it. And then I was like, ‘Shit! Now I have to do it.’ But I [actually] had lots of fun.”

“Chicken with Plums,” the live-action, magical-realist adaptation of her 2004 graphic novel of the same name, reunites her with co-director and fellow artist Vincent Paronnaud. The story centers around a talented musician – loosely based on a late relative – who loses his will to live after his wife breaks his beloved violin in a fight.

SFIFF: Author to Auteur
Courtesy of San Francisco Film Society

“I [had] just seen a picture of the uncle of my mother, and he looked extremely [handsome] and melancholy,” recalled Satrapi. “And that was a moment in my life that I was very, very obsessed with the idea of death and art and love and life, etc., etc.

“But the only thing I [knew] about this man was that he was a great musician. So what is true [in the film] is that, and the rest…are things I have made up.”

The protagonist of the film is married with two children but, as we later learn, never fully recovered from losing his first love as a young man. His mentor encouragingly claims that pain and suffering foster creativity, but Satrapi insists that this was more for satirical effect than anything else.

“I don’t think suffering is necessary for creation,” she said of her experience as an artist. “But I have to admit that the day that I wake up [feeling pretty], and the sun is shining, and I’m very happy – this is not the day that I go to my studio and create something.”

Speaking candidly of the surprising turns in her career path, Satrapi maintains an admirable open-mindedness toward the future.

“Everybody thinks [having an artistic life] is cool, but you have to understand that when you work as an artist, there are years that [you] don’t make one penny,” she said. “If I have no security, then at least I have the freedom to do things that I like. So right now I feel like making cinema. Maybe in two years I might want to become a dancer. Who knows?”

One thing is certain, however: Even if she continues to write, we shouldn’t expect any more movie adaptations.

SFIFF: Author to Auteur
Courtesy of San Francisco Film Society

“Economically, it’s interesting,” said Satrapi, “But for the brain, it’s very boring, so I would never do it again.”

Chicken with Plums” opens in theaters later this summer.

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Reviews: SFIFF Top Picks https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/27/reviews-sfiff-top-picks/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/27/reviews-sfiff-top-picks/#respond Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:40:05 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1064924 We’ve been buzzing over the San Francisco International Film Festival and here are a few more of our top picks from the fest, which continues until May 3. No time to make the trek up to the city? Not to worry, these films will all be making their way to a theater near you in the next few months.

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Reviews: SFIFF Top Picks
Courtesy of The San Francisco Film Society

We’ve been buzzing over the San Francisco International Film Festival and here are a few more of our top picks from the fest, which continues until May 3. No time to make the trek up to the city? Not to worry, these films will all be making their way to a theater near you in the next few months.

 

Chicken with Plums”

From graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi and writing/directing partner Vincent Paronnaud, the team that brought “Persepolis” to the screen in 2007, comes a new visual masterpiece. Steeped in Satrapi’s family history and infused with magical realism, “Chicken with Plums” is the tragically comic story of Nasser-Ali (Mathieu Amalric), a gifted musician who loses the will to live after his wife smashes his beloved violin during a quarrel. Set in 1950’s Tehran during Nasser-Ali’s last days, the film frequently travels back and forth through time examining his life and loves, offering insight and explanation into why he chose to leave this world. A sentimental elegy to a talented but troubled artist, the film raises the question of whether one must be unhappy in order to truly succeed in his craft.

 

Reviews: SFIFF Top Picks
Courtesy of The San Francisco Film Society

Somebody Up There Likes Me”

Bob Byington’s quirky comedy follows Max (Keith Poulson), a mysteriously ageless and dispassionate restaurant server whose budding romance with co-worker Lyla (Jess Weixler) leads to a series of unexpected positive outcomes. Over the course of the next several decades, Max goes from being a dejected divorcee just scraping by to the co-owner of a successful pizza and ice cream business. The characters’ perpetual emotional muteness contrast with the bizarrely improbable situations they find themselves in, resulting in an offbeat and sometimes unsettling tone. But as the narrative slowly and disjointedly unfolds, it reveals a surprisingly heartfelt message true to its title. The film’s soundtrack, featuring original music by Vampire Weekend’s Chris Baio, is also worthy of note.

 

The Do-Deca-Pentathlon”

Sibling rivalry reaches new heights in the latest film from filmmaking brothers Mark and Jay Duplass. In 1990, Mark (Steve Zissis) and Jeremy (Mark Kelly) held an exclusive 25-event competition to decide who was the “better” brother. Thirty years later and still at odds with each other they decide to re-match, time has placed only new obstacles in their way. Not only are the brothers spectacularly out of shape, but Mark also now has a wife and young son that prevent him from dropping everything to indulge in random acts of pettiness. Or do they? Just as sure as boys will be boys, “The Do-Deca-Pentathlon” is a humorous look at people who just never quite seem to grow up.

 

For screening and ticket information, visit festival.sffs.org

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Review: ‘The Five-Year Engagement’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/27/review-the-five-year-engagement/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/27/review-the-five-year-engagement/#respond Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:37:56 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1064797 Feeling more grown-up than their first collaboration, Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller’s newest film “The Five-Year Engagement,” about a near-perfect couple that can’t quite seem to tie the knot, still maintains that delicious mix of awkward realism, raunchy jokes and sentimentality sans cheesiness that made 2008’s “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” such a hit.

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Review: 'The Five-Year Engagement'
Courtesy of MCT

Feeling more grown-up than their first collaboration, Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller’s newest film “The Five-Year Engagement,” about a near-perfect couple that can’t quite seem to tie the knot, still maintains that delicious mix of awkward realism, raunchy jokes and sentimentality sans cheesiness that made 2008’s “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” such a hit.

Unlike most romantic comedies that culminate in happily-ever-after marriages, “The Five-Year Engagement” begins with sous-chef Tom’s (Segel) proposal to girlfriend Violet (Emily Blunt) and charts the ups and downs that follow. The couple’s first hurdle comes in the form of Violet’s acceptance to a post-doc psychology program at the University of Michigan, which forces them to uproot from their comfy Bay Area for what initially promises to be only two years. But, as the title suggests, it isn’t quite that simple.

While Violet flourishes in her new academic environment, Tom struggles to find his niche in the gastronomically under-developed college town. The more he feels as though his career has stalled, having settled for making sandwiches at a local delicatessen, the more dissonant their lives seem to become. Faced with constant pressure to wed from friends and family alike, Violet and Tom can’t help but wonder themselves if their special day will ever come.

As much as the movie focuses on Tom and Violet, the all-star supporting cast should be reason enough to see it. Alison Brie (“Community”) steals scenes as Violet’s unintentionally upstaging younger sister, while Mindy Kaling (“The Office”), as a snarky post-doc, never fails to deliver on laughs every time her character tells it like it is. Tom’s newfound Midwest friends, including a pickle enthusiast played by Brian Posehn (“Just Shoot Me”) and an emasculated stay-at-home dad played by Chris Parnell (“Saturday Night Live”), are equally memorable.

Although the third act is somewhat overextended, it’s still enjoyable because, having seen the relationships flourish early on, you care about the characters and want to see them through – whether it means marital bliss or going their separate ways and being content in the knowledge that they gave it a go. And to their great credit, Blunt and Segel carry the film with aplomb, managing to be charismatic leads who still feel relatable.

As the screenwriters, Segel and Stoller go to town on gender roles, poking fun at who wears the pants in the relationship and why. More generally, though, they explore how one finds that balance of maintaining self-fulfillment while keeping the other person happy. Life is messy, as is demonstrated again and again, with a tendency to get in the way of what often seem like the best-laid plans. But, borrowing from Violet’s psychological experiments (which, meta alert, figure prominently in the story), in the end, even the worst of situations is what you choose to make of it.

 

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Joss Whedon on ‘The Avengers’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/20/joss-whedon-on-the-avengers/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/20/joss-whedon-on-the-avengers/#respond Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:00:08 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1064031 Joss Whedon, the mastermind behind cult hits like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Firefly,” kick-starts post-Oscar blockbuster season this weekend with the long-awaited Marvel spectacle “The Avengers.”

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Joss Whedon on 'The Avengers'
Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Joss Whedon, the mastermind behind cult hits like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Firefly,” kick-starts post-Oscar blockbuster season this weekend with the long-awaited Marvel spectacle “The Avengers.” He recently spoke to us on the phone about what it was like to assemble a dream team of superheroes and movie stars and why his movie should be your top summer movie priority.

 

Although he is best known for his original works, Whedon was no stranger to dealing with established universes thanks to his work as a script doctor on other franchises, including the original “X-Men” adaptation.

 

“I think Marvel has a great nose for a director who has a passionate vision,” says Whedon, “who’s not famous for churning out big budget hits but will bring something a little bit fresh to the concept of the superhero movie.”

 

Indeed, over the past several years the studio has attracted such a broad range of directors for their individual superhero films that determining where “The Avengers” would fit was one of Whedon’s greatest challenges.

 

“There’s no way you could make a movie that would look like a Jon Favreau-Kenneth Brannagh-Joe Johnston movie,” admits Whedon, citing his directorial predecessors.

 

“I tend to be a tiny bit florid with my camera work and my dialogue, but hopefully, in a way, that feels [realistic]. The way that I can reconcile the difference in styles is that my own style is actually kind of smack-dab in the middle of what all those guys do.”

 

While the complexity of the “The Avengers,” arguably the first interlocking-universe picture of its kind, meant dealing with a slew of practical and creative challenges, the pay-off was being able to work with such star-studded cast.

 

“I felt very much like Nick Fury,” Whedon jokes. “He is [the] director of S.H.I.E.L.D. And that puts him kind of removed from everybody, even if he likes them.”

But at the same time, having so many characters to work with required a careful budgeting of screen time.

 

“Everybody is so interesting up against each other,” he says. But if he had to choose, “I would say I love the Bruce Banner-Tony Stark relationship.”

 

“Bruce Banner is the first guy Tony Stark has come across, really, who operates on his level intellectually who isn’t a villain. And the way Tony nudges him is endearing and cool.”

 

And although he worked with some of Hollywood’s hottest stars, Whedon insists that none of the on-screen rivalries carried over once the cameras stopped rolling. Instead, with the candid enthusiasm of a fanboy, the director gushed about how the experience was like a dream come true.

 

“The Avengers” is the kind of movie that I grew up wanting to make and thought they had stopped making,” says Whedon, insisting that despite all the CGI and special effects, his film is really just “an old-fashioned movie.”

 

“When I grew up, the summer movie was literally created as a concept. And all my life, I wanted to do something like the first Indiana Jones—something that was steeped in character, in love with the genre that it was portraying, had intelligence, had real acting, had a story that unfolded and wasn’t just a big premise that you already knew going in.”

 

If anyone could pull off a big-budget studio picture while maintaining creative integrity, it’s Whedon, whose passion and enthusiasm for the source material is nothing short of infectious. But even so, that’s not to say that “The Avengers” was all play and no work. When asked what his ideal superhero power would be, the director didn’t bat an eye.

 

“I would have the power of invisibility,” he says. “And then I wouldn’t have to show up for as many shooting days.”

 

“The Avengers” hits theatres May 4.

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SWL: HBO’s ‘Girls’ is more sex than city https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/20/swl-hbos-girls-is-more-sex-than-city/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/20/swl-hbos-girls-is-more-sex-than-city/#respond Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:39:32 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1064028 The Internet has been abuzz for weeks now with girl talk: that is, speculation surrounding HBO’s new Judd Apatow-produced comedy “Girls.”

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SWL: HBO's 'Girls' is more sex than city
Courtesy of HBO

The Internet has been abuzz for weeks now with girl talk: that is, speculation surrounding HBO’s new Judd Apatow-produced comedy “Girls.” Created, written and directed by wunderkind Lena Dunham, who made waves with her 2009 debut feature “Tiny Furniture,” the show has been touted as our generation’s “Sex and the City.”

 

Having seen the highly anticipated pilot, I can tell you that while “Girls” centers on the personal lives of four female friends living in New York City, the similarities end there. Dunham’s cast is younger, less fixed into static archetypes and have interactions and misadventures reminiscent of you and your best friend. Not to mention they live in Brooklyn, not Manhattan. If anything, “Girls” is more like a love letter to all of us who grew up watching Carrie Bradshaw and company cavorting around as over-glamorized manifestations of female empowerment, only to enter the messy world of adulthood and realize that it’s not all shiny Manolos, high-powered careers and glitzy parties.

 

SWL: HBO's 'Girls' is more sex than city
Courtesy of HBO

Trying to find themselves in the midst of those terrifying years of post-college limbo are Hannah (Dunham), an aspiring writer who loses both her unpaid internship and the financial support of her parents in the pilot; her responsible and uptight roommate, Marnie (Allison Williams); their newly returned bohemian friend, Jessa (Jemima Kirke); and the latter’s bubbly and naive cousin, Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet). While at the outset, these may just seem like tropes reformulated for the hipster set, Dunham’s writing reveals the nuances of identities not yet fixed, since, after all, the girls are only in their early twenties.

 

The thirty-minute pilot alone tackles head-on issues that are all too familiar for those in my cohort, like body insecurity, settling for unpaid internships in the current economy, guys who start treating you like crap just as soon as the sex is over, pregnancy scares and staging friend-interventions. And don’t be fooled by the network’s billing of the show as a comedy; the humor tends to be subtle and, at times, “Girls” hits so close to home that it’s almost uncomfortable to watch.

 

“I think that I may be the voice of my generation,” says Hannah to her parents in a tragically comic, opiate-induced attempt to regain their financial support.

 

“Or at least,” she qualifies, “A voice of a generation.”

 

“Girls” definitely won’t resonate with everyone, but it succeeds in capturing something of what it’s like to be newly cast out into the real world in a way that feels organic rather than reductive and trivializing (ahem, all those other shows with “girl” in the title). But unfortunately for Dunham, the greater the hype, the harsher the backlash.

 

SWL: HBO's 'Girls' is more sex than city
Courtesy of HBO

Although the racially homogenous casting does little to prevent interpretations of the show as a study in #whitegirlproblems, as a non-white viewer I would argue that the characters’ issues have less to do with race than with being from a liberal arts-educated, upper-middle-class background in the same way that Christian Lander’s “Stuff White People Like” pokes fun at a particular slice of the socioeconomic strata rather than consumers’ actual skin color.

 

So while the lack of onscreen diversity in a show set in present-day New York City is frustratingly dissonant, there is no denying that “Girls” is thematically and narratively honest in a way that many shows, especially those targeted at young women, simply aren’t these days. Baby steps, people, baby steps.

 

“Girls” airs Sunday nights at 10:30 p.m. on HBO. Catch the first few episodes for free on YouTube via HBO’s channel.

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SFIFF Preview https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/13/sfiff-preview/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/13/sfiff-preview/#respond Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:54:21 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1063218 Beginning April 19, the San Francisco International Film Festival will once again bring an eclectic mix of both world cinema’s rising stars and veteran filmmakers to the Bay Area. With 200 films in 41 languages, panels, master classes and more, the 55th edition has something for true cinephiles and casual filmgoers alike. So straight from the programmers themselves, here is your guide to the films and events not to be missed.

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SFIFF Preview
Courtesy of Lumiere

Beginning April 19, the San Francisco International Film Festival will once again bring an eclectic mix of both world cinema’s rising stars and veteran filmmakers to the Bay Area. With 200 films in 41 languages, panels, master classes and more, the 55th edition has something for true cinephiles and casual filmgoers alike. So straight from the programmers themselves, here is your guide to the films and events not to be missed.

 

 

Opening night showcases director Benoît Jacquot’s “Farewell, My Queen,” starring Diane Kruger as Marie Antoinette. This fresh take on the events leading up to the French Revolution tells the familiar story through the eyes of the reader to the queen.

 

 

The following weekend, Lynn Shelton’s excellent improvisational dramedy “Your Sister’s Sister” takes the stage for the Centerpiece screening. Emily Blunt, Mark Duplass and Rosemarie DeWitt star in this touching story about testing the bonds between friends and family.

 

 

SFIFF Preview
Courtesy of Lumiere

The World Cinema Spotlight, which runs throughout the festival, highlights a diverse range of literary adaptations, ranging from classics such as “Wuthering Heights” (dir. Andrea Arnold, starring Kaya Scodelario) and the “Tess of the d’Urbervilles”–inspired “Trishna” (dir. Michael Winterbottom, starring Freida Pinto) to more abstract fare such as “Patience (After Sebald),” Grant Gee’s take on W.G. Sebald’s genre-bending novel “The Rings of Saturn.” Literary enthusiasts should also look out for “Chicken with Plums” from Iranian graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi, the Chilean comedy “Bonsái” (dir. Cristián Jiménez) and Joachim Trier’s “Oslo, August 31,” loosely based on “Le Feu Follet.”

 

As always, SFIFF packs a strong documentary lineup, with several this year focusing on notable and inspiring women. “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel,” directed by the late fashion editor’s granddaughter-in-law, pays homage to the chic and witty legend, while Rory Kennedy’s “Ethel” chronicles the life and times of the matriarch of one of America’s most formidable political dynasties. “Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present” (dir. Matthew Akers) follows the 2010 MOMA retrospective celebrating the so-called “grandmother of performance art.”

 

 

Closing night features “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey,” directed by Stanford alum Ramona Diaz. The documentary chronicles the unlikely story of Arnel Pineda, who was plucked from obscurity in his hometown of Manila by the band Journey to be the lead singer on their upcoming world tour.

 

 

Novelist, essayist and short story writer Jonathan Lethem will deliver the State of Cinema Address for the Live and Onstage segment, which seeks to engage festival-goers with filmmakers and the cinematic experience in new ways. Porchlight: True Stories from the Frontiers of International Filmmaking brings industry insiders to speak candidly about their craft. The musically inclined may enjoy Merrill Garbus of Oakland’s tUnE-yArDs for an evening of reinterpretation of film scoring to accompany Buster Keaton shorts, or the live documentary presentation at SFMOMA featuring Yo La Tengo.

 

 

The festival continues until May 3. Visit festival.sffs.org for complete program and location details.

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Review: ‘Mirror, Mirror’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/06/review-mirror-mirror/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/06/review-mirror-mirror/#respond Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:00:19 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1062467 “Mirror Mirror,” the first of two Snow White adaptations slated to hit theaters this year, is a sumptuous visual feast featuring all of the typical style of director Tarsem Singh, but little of the substance that made his previous films (“The Fall,” “The Cell”) tick. Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer and Lily Collins star in this lackluster yet occasionally humorous retelling of the classic fairy tale.

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Review: 'Mirror, Mirror'
Courtesy of Relativity Media

Mirror Mirror,” the first of two Snow White adaptations slated to hit theaters this year, is a sumptuous visual feast featuring all of the typical style of director Tarsem Singh, but little of the substance that made his previous films (“The Fall,” “The Cell”) tick. Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer and Lily Collins star in this lackluster yet occasionally humorous retelling of the classic fairy tale.

 

After the mysterious disappearance of her father, Princess Snow White (Collins) is placed under the neglectful eye of her evil stepmother, the kingdom’s de facto queen (Roberts). While Snow dreams of a life beyond the confines of the castle walls, the Queen cares only about fueling her vain and lavish existence. Unfazed by her aide’s repeated protests that the once prosperous land has fallen into complete financial ruin, the Queen sets her sights on marrying the handsome Prince Alcott (Hammer), who hails from a neighboring kingdom.

 

When a chance encounter between Snow and the Prince sparks an undeniable mutual attraction, the Queen attempts to remove her romantic rival from the picture for good. And yet, Snow finds refuge with a band of renegade dwarves, who grudgingly take her in and train her to fight. Bereft of his true love, Alcott tries to stave off the Queen’s advances, which only drives her to use powerful dark magic that threatens to destroy all.

 

Although “Mirror Mirror” is in many ways an inventive take on the familiar story, the screenplay never manages to overcome its biggest shortcoming: the dialogue. Perhaps the writers would have had better luck simply going all-out for parody, rather than continually falling short of funny with lines that feel forced and, more often than not, awkward. The delivery is passable, at best, but given the lack of depth afforded by the script, it seems almost unfair to assess the actors’ performances.

 

Roberts is on point bringing out the gold-digging, conniving side of the queen like a tyrannical Marie Antoinette, but her evil sorceress alter-ago is far less compelling, and even confusing. Opposite her, Collins’ Snow is a drab, passive and weak heroine more akin to Bella of “Twilight” than Katniss of “The Hunger Games,” even after being trained by the dwarves. Hammer’s performance rides largely on his good looks and winning smile, instilling a sense of disappointment that the talented actor wasn’t given more material to work with beyond, well, being Prince Charming.

 

The classist undertones in the kingdom’s destitute society are relevant to today and yet vastly unexplored, much like the Queen’s mysterious magic powers. But if the film possesses any redeeming gimmicks, they come in the form of the stilt-walking, ass-kicking dwarves, who between the seven of them manage to accrue all the most memorable lines.

 

Overall, “Mirror Mirror” is disappointingly vapid, presenting a pretty picture devoid of the emotional substance that could have compensated for its other faults. Case in point: even a surprise celebrity cameo toward the end barely registers.

While some children’s movies can be enjoyed by the whole family, this is one that is far more likely to leave parents and chaperones twiddling their thumbs until the closing credits.

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Review: ‘The Kid with a Bike’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/06/review-the-kid-with-a-bike/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/06/review-the-kid-with-a-bike/#respond Fri, 06 Apr 2012 07:59:48 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1062444 In “The Kid with a Bike,” directing duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne present a vivid snapshot of lower-class urban life in their native Belgium through the eyes of the precocious young protagonist. True to the brothers’ naturalistic, documentary style, the film’s simple yet poignant story manages to pack a powerful emotional punch while still leaving many questions unanswered.

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In “The Kid with a Bike,” directing duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne present a vivid snapshot of lower-class urban life in their native Belgium through the eyes of the precocious young protagonist. True to the brothers’ naturalistic, documentary style, the film’s simple yet poignant story manages to pack a powerful emotional punch while still leaving many questions unanswered.

 

Having been abandoned in foster care by his father, twelve year-old Cyril (Thomas Doret) is an insolent and unruly ward. Refusing to accept that his father is not coming back for him as promised, Cyril ditches school and evades his counselors in his efforts to return to his former home, an apartment complex where he encounters the good-natured but no-nonsense hairdresser Samantha (Cécile De France). Touched by Cyril’s vulnerability, she tracks down his treasured bicycle, the only remaining link the boy has to his absent father.

 

Cyril cuts a lonely figure biking around his old neighborhood, aimlessly looking for signs of his father until Wes (Egon Di Mateo), a small-time drug dealer, decides to take him under his wing. Despite Samantha’s warnings, Cyril easily falls under the older boy’s sway, seduced by the attention that he never received growing up. But as Wes’ influence grows, Cyril is forced to choose between him and Samantha, the one person who has ever offered him a true home.

 

Doret gives a candidly innocent performance in his feature film debut, infusing Cyril with both the outward defiance and quiet desperation of a newly orphaned child. And because the camera rarely gazes directly upon his face, choosing instead to follow alongside or behind Cyril as he traverses the city, the rendition is equal measures dialogue and body language.

 

In anyone else’s hands the film could easily feel dull and uninspired, but thanks to the Dardennes’ fast-paced editing and close framing, it becomes a raw emotional journey. Their ability to make the most out of little, both visually and in the narrative, is a true testament to minimalist filmmaking. Fluid shots of Cyril gliding across the pavement on his bike are interspersed with moments of stillness and silence that speak louder than words, like the young boy’s hunched shoulders in response to the emptiness of the apartment he once shared with his father.

 

The Dardennes are so adept at pulling you in that all the questions that should have manifested immediately won’t catch up with you until after the credits roll. Where is Cyril’s mother? Why is the father so bent on starting over without his son? Although the plot gets resolved, all that remains unaddressed serves as a reminder that the film is merely a cross-section of these characters’ intricate lives in which past and future stubbornly remain nebulous.

 

A tender story about life’s misfortunes and finding personal meaning in a harsh and sometimes unforgiving world, “The Kid with a Bike” is a film that lingers and, even rarer for this time of year, instills a sense of wonderment.

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Review: ’21 Jump Street’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/06/review-21-jump-street/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/06/review-21-jump-street/#respond Fri, 06 Apr 2012 07:56:56 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1062442 Clever, hysterical and surprisingly full of heart, “21 Jump Street” proves that reboots don’t necessarily equal triteness. Inspired by the ‘80s television drama that made Johnny Depp a household name, the movie stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as fledgling cops sent undercover to a local high school in order to bust a deadly new drug operation.

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Review: '21 Jump Street'
Courtesy of MCT

Clever, hysterical and surprisingly full of heart, “21 Jump Street” proves that reboots don’t necessarily equal triteness. Inspired by the ‘80s television drama that made Johnny Depp a household name, the movie stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as fledgling cops sent undercover to a local high school in order to bust a deadly new drug operation.

 

In the year 2005, Schmidt (Hill) is a nerdy Eminem wannabe relentlessly teased by the dim-witted jock Jenko (Tatum). Fast-forward six years and the former high school classmates are reunited at the police academy. Schmidt agrees to help Jenko study for the written exam in exchange for extra physical training, and together the pair graduate and join the force. But instead of the exciting life of crime fighting they anticipated, the duo is tasked with patrolling parks on bicycles. Their overzealous attempt to bust a motorcycle gang for drug possession lands them in the 21 Jump Street undercover unit headed by the formidable Captain Dickson (Ice Cube).

 

Under the new identities “Brad” and “Doug,” Jenko and Schmidt pose as high school seniors to track down the source of a new drug responsible for the death of a student. Dickson encourages his team to embrace teenage stereotypes to fit in, but Jenko and Schmidt quickly realize that the social scene has changed drastically since they graduated. Rather than the letterman jacket-sporting crew of their glory days, the new in-crowd is the hipsters, led by the suavely nonchalant and environmentally conscious dealer Eric (Dave Franco). With the clock ticking as the drug spreads to other schools, the undercover cops must quickly acclimate to the unfamiliar social zone of today’s youth without losing themselves in their false identities.

 

While the film shares the name and basic premise of the original television series, the similarities end there. Under the direction of Phil Lord and Chris Miller (“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”), “21 Jump Street” is full-on, balls-out action-comedy at its best and most satirical, thanks to a witty screenplay penned by Michael Bacall (“Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”). The millennial setting adds another dimension to the story, parodying contemporary pop culture as much as it elevates it.

 

Even so, it is the well-rounded cast that embraces and pushes the boundaries of the otherwise would-be archetypal characters. Hill and Tatum’s excellent comedic timing creates bro chemistry, while for his part Franco excels at blending stoner affability with pretentious hipster douchebaggery. Ice Cube’s character, a self-described “angry black man,” never disappoints, but the best celebrity cameo comes much later in the film’s final moments. (It’s so good, in fact, I can’t bring myself to spoil it.)

 

Feeling slightly drawn out at 109 minutes, “21 Jump Street” isn’t perfect, but it nonetheless hits its mark in making you laugh while experiencing twinges of nostalgia for long-lost teenage years. It restores a certain level of optimism toward Hollywood’s undying love of recycling old ideas and, moreover, won’t make you cringe with its sequel-suggestive ending.

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Will Ferrell talks man-child characters and cowboys https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/14/review-casa-de-mi-padre/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/14/review-casa-de-mi-padre/#respond Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:00:01 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1061249 . “Casa de mi Padre,” however, casts him in an entirely different light: as a naïve Mexican cowboy who gets caught in the crossfire between two rival drug lords. Although the film pushes boundaries for its genre, the greatest departure for Ferrell fans will be seeing the comedian act entirely in Spanish.

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Will Ferrell talks man-child characters and cowboys
Courtesy of Pantelion Films

Will Ferrell first made a name for himself in the 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch show “Saturday Night Live” before embarking on a successful film career with hits like “Elf,” “Anchorman” and “Talladega Nights.” As an unofficial member of the critic-dubbed “Frat Pack,” he is best known for his juvenile man-child characters and prolonged comedic timing. “Casa de mi Padre,” however, casts him in an entirely different light: as a naïve Mexican cowboy who gets caught in the crossfire between two rival drug lords.

 

Although the film pushes boundaries for its genre, the greatest departure for Ferrell fans will be seeing the comedian act entirely in Spanish.

 

“I didn’t want the joke of the movie to be that I spoke Spanish poorly,” the actor said in an interview with The Daily. “I wanted it to be a thing where halfway through the movie it sneaks up on you—‘Oh my god! I forgot he doesn’t speak Spanish.’”

 

For a month before filming Ferrell worked extensively with a tutor to master his character’s Mexican accent, and even during the shoot would practice his lines relentlessly on the way to and from set. But aside from the preparation, acting in a foreign language presented other challenges, especially for someone used to improvising.

 

“It [was] kind of an out of body experience,” he recalls. “Acting almost came third because it was all I could do to memorize in Spanish and then my focus was on pronunciation.”

 

Even so, Ferrell and his cast mates relished the opportunity to be completely over the top.

 

“[Co-star] Diego Luna described it as we’re all characters playing characters,” says Ferrell. “We’re like really bad actors trying to win an Academy Award with every scene.”

 

Set just south of the border, “Casa de mi Padre” toys with the issue of transnational drug trafficking, replete with bumbling DEA agents dispatched from the Department of Justice. But as Americans, the creative team, which also includes writer Andrew Steele and director Matt Piedmont, was sensitive to how the trade and the characters were portrayed.

 

“We wanted this movie, while also being outlandish and funny and different, be a little satirical in the way that we comment on our cliché views of Mexico and vice versa,” says Ferrell. “The fact that I’m an American playing a Mexican talking about the crazy ‘shit-eating monster babies of America’—that shows that we have an understanding.”

 

The film’s style exhibits a similarly shrewd irreverence, continually breaking the fourth wall and reminding audiences that they’re watching a film. While creating continuity errors and visual gags became like a game for the cast, getting the crew to cooperate was another matter.

 

“In a business where you’re not supposed to make mistakes, it was so hard to get [the crew] to mess up on purpose,” laughs Ferrell. “So in some ways I think we could have even had more mistakes.”

 

Of course, the film’s many quirks and subversive elements have come at a price. Sensing that the material would be much less accessible than Ferrell’s previous films, studios have been slow to reach a distribution deal. This doesn’t seem to faze the actor at all, who is proud of the finished product and optimistic about its future.

 

“It’s like any of these movies we’ve done, whether they’re commercial successes or not,” he said breezily. “We firmly believe in what we’re doing, but we have no idea if it will work.

 

“It’s a bigger release in Mexico, actually, than it is here,” he continues. “So what would be great is if it were a big hit in Mexico and not so here [in the States]. That would make me laugh harder than anything.”

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Review: ‘Casa de mi Padre’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/14/review-casa-de-mi-padre-2/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/14/review-casa-de-mi-padre-2/#respond Wed, 14 Mar 2012 07:39:46 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1061272 Will Ferrell portrays a simple-minded Mexican cattle rancher in the Spanish-language “Casa de mi Padre,” a kitschy telenovela-meets-Spaghetti Western written and directed by fellow “Saturday Night Live” alumni Andrew Steele and Matt Piedmont.

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Review: 'Casa de mi Padre'
Courtesy of Pantelion Films

Will Ferrell portrays a simple-minded Mexican cattle rancher in the Spanish-language “Casa de mi Padre,” a kitschy telenovela-meets-Spaghetti Western written and directed by fellow “Saturday Night Live” alumni Andrew Steele and Matt Piedmont. Co-starring Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal as rival drug lords who get caught up in the American Drug Enforcement Administration’s schemes, the film’s surprising charm lies in its sheer implausibility.

 

Armando Alvarez (Ferrell), an affable yet dim-witted young man, finds his livelihood threatened when his family’s beloved cattle ranch teeters on the brink of financial ruin. The sudden return of the elder and more successful Alvarez brother Raul (Luna) and his Sports Illustrated model of a fiancée Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez) initially promises to restore the family to its former prosperity, but Armando quickly discovers that the sibling he idolized is not all that he seems to be.

 

Family drama and drug warfare collide as Armando begins to fall for Sonia in the midst of escalating tensions between Raul and the fearsome local overlord Onza (Bernal). But little do the Alvarez brothers know that Sonia has secret ties to Onza’s drug cartel. When the DEA steps in to orchestrate a fatal standoff between Raul and Onza in order to prevent Mexican drugs from crossing the border, it is up to Armando to try to rectify the situation. But naturally, nothing goes quite according to plan.

 

Viewers with at least first-year proficiency in the Spanish language will notice the unrealistic and almost inauthentic quality of the dialogue, a product of Steele writing the script first in English and then deliberately translating each line. The subtitles at the bottom of the screen only call more attention to the intentionally poor writing, with riotous results. But of course, even the cheesiest of lines would be nothing without the over-the-top, telenovela-style delivery.

 

Luna and Bernal, established dramatic actors in their native Mexico who first burst onto the international scene with 2001’s “Y Tu Mamá También,” prove their comedic chops beyond doubt. Bernal, as the two-timing Onza, takes the villainous caricature to new extremes, while Luna, perpetually dressed in gaudy suits with his fingers dripping with jewels, is all sleaze and slicked-back hair.

 

Although under Piedmont’s direction the actors push the boundaries of their stock characters in inventive ways, “Casa de mi Padre” is not merely a parody of genre but rather a parody of moviemaking itself. Much like the script, the camera has no qualms about revealing the inherently contrived nature of cinema. From painted backgrounds to choppy editing, the film refuses to passively offer the viewer an alternate reality to sink into.

 

Despite an undertone of social commentary, “Casa de mi Padre” is arguably more subversive when it comes to style than content. The portrayal of Raul, Onza and the DEA offer a subtle message that the drug war is a universal problem unfettered by geographic boundaries, and yet the film’s attitude toward Mexican stereotypes seems to be more self-aware than self-righteous.

 

And while I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the film proves that Ferrell has range, his performance is nonetheless refreshingly hilarious, perhaps because for once his physical awkwardness as an actor matches his stilted speech as a non-native Spanish speaker. Either way, by the time the credits roll, it’s clear he’s done his job well—kept us laughing the whole time and wanting more.

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Review: ‘The Secret World of Arrietty’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/17/review-the-secret-world-of-arrietty/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/17/review-the-secret-world-of-arrietty/#respond Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:38:47 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1058622 “The Secret World of Arrietty,” the long-awaited adaptation of Mary Norton’s popular children’s story “The Borrowers” from Studio Ghibli (“Spirited Away,” “Ponyo”), finally received its North American release. Directed by newcomer Hiromasa Yonebayashi from a screenplay by legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, the film is a beautifully hand-drawn and touchingly crafted coming-of-age story.

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Review: 'The Secret World of Arrietty'
Courtesy of MCT

The Secret World of Arrietty,” the long-awaited adaptation of Mary Norton’s popular children’s story “The Borrowers” from Studio Ghibli (“Spirited Away,” “Ponyo”), finally received its North American release. Directed by newcomer Hiromasa Yonebayashi from a screenplay by legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, the film is a beautifully hand-drawn and touchingly crafted coming-of-age story.

 

The 14-year-old Arrietty (Bridgit Mendler) lives with her parents Pod and Homily (voiced by real-life couple Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) beneath the floorboards of an old country house. As members of the miniature Borrower race, they subsist on items gleaned from their larger human counterparts. But despite living right under the humans’ noses, the Borrowers manage to maintain a low profile; that is, until Shawn (David Henrie), a sickly young man, comes to rest up at the house before he must receive a life-threatening operation.

 

Shawn spots Arrietty one night while she is out on a borrowing mission, simultaneously breaking the cardinal rule of her kind and sparking a mutual curiosity between the two. Against her parents’ will, Arrietty and Shawn form an unlikely friendship founded upon a shared sense of uncertainty toward the future; she because her family may be among the last remaining Borrowers and he because of his poor health. When the vindictive housekeeper Hara (Carol Burnett) finds evidence of the Borrowers’ secret existence, it is up to Shawn and Arrietty to save her family.

 

Review: 'The Secret World of Arrietty'
Courtesy of MCT

As is always the case with Studio Ghibli films, attention to detail is paramount. Each painstakingly hand-illustrated frame is like its own exquisite painting, creating a refreshing contrast with the majority of contemporary, digitized animation. From the Borrowers’ miniscule home to the country house’s luscious garden, the sheer artistry is consistently breathtaking.

 

The dialogue seems to falter at times, although whether this is merely a function of the translation into English or an inherent problem with the script is unclear. And although the relationships between characters, particularly Shawn and Arrietty, are fully fleshed out, certain elements of the story seemed forced<\p>–<\p>such as Hara’s sudden shift toward villainy. The conclusion verges on overly sentimental territory, but since this is a trend within Ghibli films, perhaps some things are merely lost in translation or across cultural boundaries.

 

Despite the fact that Miyazaki wrote the screenplay, “The Secret World of Arrietty” is much more in line with the studio’s most recent works, continuing the trend of straightforward children’s movies. Although the animator’s earlier projects, such as “Totoro” and “Princess Mononoke,” also tend to be categorized as children’s films, they possessed darker undertones that lent a certain complexity, which allowed for older and younger viewers to interpret different meanings. Perhaps this shift is indicative of Miyazaki’s perpetual promise to retire, but in the event that he finally does, we can rest assured that Studio Ghibli is in good hands with new talent like Yonebayashi to take the helm.

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Review: ‘The Woman in Black’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/03/review-the-woman-in-black/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/03/review-the-woman-in-black/#respond Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:51:22 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1056622 In his first big screen, post-“Harry Potter” role, Daniel Radcliffe trades wizard robes for Victorian coattails in director James Watkins’ “The Woman in Black.” Adapted from Susan Hill’s gothic novel of the same name, the lackluster thriller thrives on cheap scares, but never quite manages to tap into the pathos of the story about a family’s dark secret.

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Review: 'The Woman in Black'
Courtesy of CBS Films

In his first big screen, post-“Harry Potter” role, Daniel Radcliffe trades wizard robes for Victorian coattails in director James Watkins’ “The Woman in Black.” Adapted from Susan Hill’s gothic novel of the same name, the lackluster thriller thrives on cheap scares, but never quite manages to tap into the pathos of the story about a family’s dark secret.

 

Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) is a young, widowed lawyer forced to leave his son behind in London on a weekend visit to the countryside in order to settle the estate of a recently deceased client. Plagued by memories of his wife, who died during childbirth, Arthur’s inner demons are no match for what he soon discovers in the dreary town of Crythin Gifford, where the reticent locals make no effort to conceal their displeasure at his arrival.

 

At the aptly named Eel Marsh House, a secluded estate accessible only during low tide, Arthur begins sifting through the late Drabslow family’s personal effects. He gradually pieces together their tragic story, beginning with the untimely death of little Nathaniel Drabslow, who drowned in the marsh surrounding the house and was never found. Predictably, strange things begin to appear around the abandoned house, yet they are not enough to deter Arthur from doing his job.

 

With the help of Sam (Ciarán Hinds), the only person in town who doesn’t seem to mind his presence, Arthur gets closer to solving the mystery connecting both the Drabslow family’s fate and the mysterious deaths that plague the town’s children. The only question is whether he can remedy the situation in time to save his own son.

 

While Radcliffe is arguably a much better actor when not portraying a boy wizard carrying the weight of the magical world on his shoulders, even with a suit and five o’clock shadow he does not quite make a plausible father. But fortunately, scenes with Arthur and his son are sparse, and instead Radcliffe grapples for most of the film with balancing the pesky combination of terror and compassion that the genre demands.

 

On that note, “The Woman in Black” is filled with well-timed little scares sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats, but in general relies too much on gimmicky shots (the cinematographer seems to have a penchant for close-ups of creepy dolls) to make much of a lasting impression. Watkins is clearly adept at building suspense, but the overall effect is often sabotaged by silly-seeming dissonant elements, such as a grieving mother who spoon-feeds her two small dogs at the table in lieu of babies. At other times, the mood is disrupted by unintentionally humorous moments.

 

Most viewers probably won’t see the shocking conclusion coming, but unfortunately, by that point it’s moot. The identity of the titular woman in black is the story’s trump card, and once it’s out on the table, little else is offered to keep the viewer engaged.

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Review: ‘A Separation’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/27/review-a-separation/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/27/review-a-separation/#respond Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:45:27 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1055850 Loosely centered on one couple’s messy divorce, Iranian writer-director Asghar Farhadi’s “A Separation” deftly weaves together class, religious and gender issues to create a narratively simple yet morally complex story set in contemporary Tehran.

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Review: 'A Separation'
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Loosely centered on one couple’s messy divorce, Iranian writer-director Asghar Farhadi’s “A Separation” deftly weaves together class, religious and gender issues to create a narratively simple yet morally complex story set in contemporary Tehran.

 

After 14 years of marriage, Simin (Leila Hatami) files for divorce from husband Nader (Peyman Moadi) so that she and her 11-year-old daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi) can leave the country in search of a better future. Nader, however, insists upon staying in order to take care of his aging father, who suffers from Alzheimer’s and lives with the family in their upper-middle class urban high-rise. But when the judge deems the couple’s problems insufficient to warrant divorce, an angry Simin decides to move out.

 

Following his estranged wife’s advice, Nader hires Razieh (Sareh Bayat), a young pregnant woman and poor devout Muslim, to care for his father during the day. Despite Razieh’s best intentions, she soon finds herself overwhelmed by the work. Tension between Nader and Razieh reaches a boiling point when he returns home to find her gone and his father unconscious on the floor with one arm tied to a bedpost. A heated argument ensues when Razieh returns, resulting in Nader angrily shoving her and Razieh falling on the stairs in the midst of a hasty exit.

 

When Razieh ends up in the hospital shortly thereafter to be treated for a miscarriage, Nader becomes embroiled in even greater legal troubles. Razieh and her hot-headed husband accuse Nader of causing the miscarriage, an act punishable by several years in prison, while Nader maintains his innocence and suggests that Razieh neglected his father. Simin attempts to negotiate a settlement, but by now the he-said-she-said situation has begun to spiral out of control.

 

Like a metaphor for the tacit social rules that govern the characters’ lives, the film’s set consists almost exclusively of interiors. From Nader’s spacious apartment to the cramped court hearing room, “A Separation” is a heavily dialogue-driven vehicle, with the camera tightly framing the actors’ faces, allowing us to feel every look and gaze. This strong sense of intimacy, coupled with its quiet realism, makes the film wrenching, but at times frustrating.

 

Farhadi ensures that his characters are multi-faceted, such that by the time all the evidence surrounding the miscarriage is revealed, not one person seems completely innocent. Each one has a set of scruples, whether resulting from social class or religious views, that makes for a highly ethically nuanced story. A less generous interpretation, however, would suggest that none of the characters are particularly sympathetic.

 

At slightly over two hours, “A Separation” is a film that truly feels its length, dragging sometimes but usually managing to keep the viewer engaged through its highly charged verbal exchanges. And while the conclusion leaves much unanswered, the journey that precedes it offers a rare, uncensored look at Iranian culture while putting a fresh spin on traditional narrative themes of justice, honor and pride.

 

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Review: ‘Haywire’ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/20/review-haywire/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/20/review-haywire/#respond Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:59:07 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1054811 Former mixed martial arts champion Gina Carano stars in Steven Soderbergh’s “Haywire” as an ex-marine turned contract killer whose life is on the line when her boss, also her former lover, turns on her. While the script often fails to deliver, in a world where ever-shrinking starlets no longer look capable of throwing a convincing punch, it is both refreshing and admirable to see an actress like Carano doing all her own stunts and fighting her way through such an A-list cast.

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Former mixed martial arts champion Gina Carano stars in Steven Soderbergh’s “Haywire” as an ex-marine turned contract killer whose life is on the line when her boss, also her former lover, turns on her. While the script often fails to deliver, in a world where ever-shrinking starlets no longer look capable of throwing a convincing punch, it is both refreshing and admirable to see an actress like Carano doing all her own stunts and fighting her way through such an A-list cast.

 

We first meet Mallory (Carano), who bears an uncanny resemblance to a beefed up version of Minka Kelly, as she’s on the run from both the authorities and her two-timing boss, Kenneth (Ewan McGregor). After leaving former colleague Aaron (Channing Tatum) beaten and bruised on a diner floor, Mallory makes a quick getaway in a bystander’s car, and over the course of the drive relates the events leading up to the present.

 

One week earlier, Mallory was in Barcelona, allegedly to rescue a hostage. With the mission narrowly completed, she returns home only to be immediately dispatched again by Kenneth. He makes the job sound too easy–posing as the wife of freelance hit man Paul (Michael Fassbender), yet her faux husband has ulterior motives. Mallory manages to escape alive, but this sudden turn of events calls all of her professional relationships into question, causing her to embark on a journey hell-bent on retribution.

 

The film throws you into the fray with little explanation, but any confusion regarding the story falls to the wayside when Mallory springs into action. Carano is more than convincing as an action star because there are no illusions; she actually did what her character does. Unlike the Lara Crofts and Cataleya Restrepos of franchises past, Mallory needs no weapons. She can legitimately beat the crap out of anyone through sheer force and skill, and it is quite a sight to behold.

 

Unfortunately, Soderbergh lets the inertia drag on too long between action sequences, which is when the façade slips and Carano’s non-acting background becomes obvious. Although to be fair, she is not given much substance to work with. The writing is weak and poorly scripted around Carano’s physical capabilities, which is a shame because the premise–a woman who can kick ass and doesn’t need to be subordinate to the male protagonist–has a ton of potential.

 

While a lack of character depth is practically a convention of the genre, in this case, it is as though there is not enough action to fill in the story’s gaps. Soderbergh seems to have tried to go for realism, which is admirable as far as action flicks go, but in between the fight scenes, things simply fall apart and the audience’s interest wanes. Without the dreaminess of “Drive” nor the kitschiness of “Kill Bill,” “Haywire” is merely caught in the middle ground of being different but not distinguishing.

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The awards rodeo kicks off https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/13/golden-globes-predictions/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/13/golden-globes-predictions/#respond Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:00:29 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1054218 It’s that time of year again. Now that the myriad film critics associations have had their say, it’s the industry’s turn to speak. As the guilds finalize their nominee shortlists, the public turns its attention toward the televised ceremonies and infamous gold statues.

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The awards rodeo kicks off
Courtesy of Warner Bros. France

It’s that time of year again. Now that the myriad film critics associations have had their say, it’s the industry’s turn to speak. As the guilds finalize their nominee shortlists, the public turns its attention toward the televised ceremonies and infamous gold statues. The Golden Globes, presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, kicks off awards season this Sunday, followed two weeks later by the Screen Actors Guild Awards. On Feb. 12 the British Academy of Film and Television Arts has their big night, to be answered by our own Academy Awards at the end of the month. For the next six weeks Hollywood, even more so than usual, will become an absolute media frenzy surrounding who won, who lost and, thanks to Joan Rivers, who wore what.

 

For even the most reluctant of viewers, this season’s lack of clear frontrunners is astounding, especially considering that by this time last year, the playing field for the major awards categories (i.e. best picture, acting, writing, direction) had already been narrowed down to an elite group (“Black Swan,” “The Social Network,” “The King’s Speech,” “The Fighter”) plus a few wildcards (“The Kids Are All Right,” “True Grit”). (And in the animated race, Pixar had not yet tarnished their reputation with “Cars 2”). But dark horse or not, all of these esteemed 2010 releases had the same thing going for them: the complete package. Looking at the current list of Golden Globe nominees, it seems that there are few who possess the same consistency as their predecessors.

 

Let’s start with an overall trend in the Best Actress race: a standout performance in an otherwise lackluster film. Meryl Streep (“The Iron Lady”) and Glenn Close (“Albert Nobbs”), especially, suffer from this syndrome, but the other leading ladies in the mix–Michelle Williams (“My Week With Marilyn”), Tilda Swinton (“We Need to Talk About Kevin”) and Viola Davis (“The Help”) also experience it to a lesser degree.

 

The awards rodeo kicks off
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

“The Iron Lady’s” critical reception has been so disappointing that many are drawing comparisons to “J. Edgar,” a film that I personally enjoyed but whose overall panning has all but ruined Leonardo DiCaprio’s shot at recognition for his remarkable performance as the FBI’s founding father. Both Streep and DiCaprio stand to continue receiving well-deserved nominations throughout the season, but because their films were DOA, wins are unlikely. (But with that said “The Iron Lady” seems to be trending higher than “J. Edgar,” so there might be hope for Streep after all).

 

On the flipside of actors overshadowing their movies, we have movies that managed to achieve overall distinction despite lacking singular performances. Examples include high concept pictures with ensemble casts like Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse” and Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.” Expect these to be serious contenders for categories like art direction and costume design.

 

Every year, without fail, there are films that get caught in the no man’s land of being great enough to receive recognition, yet too aloof for traditional mainstream tastes. Call it the pity nomination or the passion vote of the minority, but either way these rarely win. The NC-17-rated “Shame” and antagonist-centered “Young Adult” currently occupy the “too controversial” slate, while at the other end of the spectrum “Bridesmaids” and “50/50” are struggling against an age-old tendency to overlook comedy.

 

“The Descendants,” “The Artist” and, perhaps, “Moneyball,” are among the few that managed to hit all the targets. The critical reception has never wavered, and the films possess writing, acting and direction nearly head and shoulders above the rest. “The Artist,” especially, is one to watch, since it has managed to ride out the hype surprisingly well since its debut in Cannes last May. (In comparison, other Cannes contenders like “The Tree of Life” and “Melancholia” both seem to have fizzled out). For this reason, the Best Actor race will probably boil down to George Clooney (“The Descendants”), Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”) and Brad Pitt (“Moneyball”).

 

But sometimes it is useful to forget about the movies as a whole and focus on the talent. Fresh faces like Rooney Mara (“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”) and Shailene Woodley (“The Descendants”) could very well emerge as this year’s equivalent of Jennifer Lawrence (who didn’t win last year for “Winter’s Bone” but, as a red carpet fixture and Best Actress nominee, jumpstarted her career). Other times voters favor established veterans who have not yet won a major award, á la Christopher Plummer, up for Best Supporting Actor for “Beginners,” but occasionally like to reward those making a comeback, like Alexander Payne (director, “The Descendants”).

 

It goes without saying that predicting awards is never an exact science, but even if you haven’t seen (m)any of the movies, hopefully this rundown provides enough fodder to sound like a credible film buff at the next dinner party.

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Review: ‘War Horse’ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/25/review-war-horse/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/25/review-war-horse/#respond Sun, 25 Dec 2011 08:00:55 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1053535 Inspired by Nick Stafford’s play of the same name, “War Horse” is a rare film capable of touching viewers of all ages, but its over-zealous appeals to pathos are often off-putting.

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Review: 'War Horse'
Courtesy of Touchstone Pictures

Grounded by the bond between a young boy and his pony, Steven Spielberg’s sweeping World War I epic takes audiences from the remote English countryside to the heat of battle, examining the many ways in which war taints lives. Inspired by Nick Stafford’s play of the same name, “War Horse” is a rare film capable of touching viewers of all ages, but its over-zealous appeals to pathos are often off-putting.

 

The year is 1914, when Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine), a Devon youth, first befriends the thoroughbred Joey after father Ted Narracott (Peter Mullan) wins the horse at an auction. The Narracotts are struggling tenant farmers who quickly become the town’s laughingstock when word gets out that they purchased a thoroughbred to plough their rocky fields. But under Albert’s gentle guidance, Joey eventually gets the job done. Inclement weather later destroys the crops, forcing Ted to sell Joey in order to pay the rent.

 

By this time, the British Empire has officially entered the Great War, and Joey’s new owner, Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston), assures a heartbroken Albert that he will do his best to ensure that the horse returns to Devon. Thus begins Joey’s remarkable four-year journey, during which he serves both the British and German armies as fate takes him through rural France all the way to the trenches of no-man’s land. Unfortunately, not all of Joey’s various keepers are lucky enough to make it out of the war alive. Meanwhile, Albert comes of age and enlists to serve his country, and even in the bleakest times, he never gives up hope of being reunited with his beloved horse.

 

As much as “War Horse” is a love story of sorts, it is also a parable of how war touches people, particularly the young. The tragic loss of childhood and innocence is a constant theme, prominent not only in Albert’s saga but also in the lives of others who encounter Joey – the German brothers who use him to try to escape back home from the frontlines and the young French girl who cares for the horse until the German army raids her family’s farm for supplies.

 

Spielberg doesn’t scrimp on the horrors of war, yet tasteful editing keeps the film at a PG-13 rating for some violence. Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski wisely opted for film over digital format, resulting in a beautifully rich palette and scenery practically vivid to the point of seeming tangible. John Williams, another frequent Spielberg collaborator, provides the epic score that, like the movie itself, is often too sentimental.

 

Kudos to Spielberg for making a film that isn’t afraid to be emotional, but his heavy-handed approach often detracts from its potential effect. “War Horse” has a tendency to yank, rather than pull, at the heartstrings, erring on the side of sappy earnestness rather than poignancy. Movies ought to make audiences feel something, but when the emotional manipulation lacks subtlety, it undermines the magic and upsets the artistry that is the ideal cinema.

 

“War Horse” is, ultimately, a powerful story, but its execution leaves room for desire.

 

 

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Review: ‘We Bought a Zoo’ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/23/review-we-bought-a-zoo/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/23/review-we-bought-a-zoo/#respond Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:00:31 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1053519 After six years away from the big screen, director Cameron Crowe returns with “We Bought a Zoo”, an adaptation of Benjamin Mee’s memoir of his family’s efforts to revitalize a Southern California wildlife park. Boasting a starry cast that includes Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church, the net result is disappointingly average mainstream fare; heartwarming but not thought-provoking, emotional without poignancy.

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Review: 'We Bought a Zoo'
Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

After six years away from the big screen, director Cameron Crowe returns with “We Bought a Zoo”, an adaptation of Benjamin Mee’s memoir of his family’s efforts to revitalize a Southern California wildlife park. Boasting a starry cast that includes Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church, the net result is disappointingly average mainstream fare; heartwarming but not thought-provoking, emotional without poignancy.

 

Benjamin (Damon) is a thrill-seeking journalist coping with single fatherhood following the death of his wife. While the couple’s precocious young daughter Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) sympathizes with Benjamin’s rough transition, elder son Dylan (Colin Ford) is less patient. Every bit the angsty teen, Dylan skulks around with headphones perpetually glued to his head, producing brilliant yet sinister artwork that eventually gets him kicked out of school.

 

Seizing upon the opportunity for his family to start afresh, Benjamin quits his day job as a writer and uses his life’s savings to purchase a run-down zoological park, against the advice of his sardonic older brother Duncan (Church). Predictably, Rosie is pleased with their new living arrangement while Dylan sours at the thought of moving miles away from his friends. The Mees move in during the spring, determined to get the zoo up and running by summer. Luckily the park comes with a small but motley crew headed by zookeeper Kelly (Johansson), who despite initial misgivings regarding Benjamin’s inexperience, combines forces to protect their home from a despotic safety inspector.

 

Unfortunately it’s Crowe’s misfortune that his film comes out of the gate on the heels of a similar and already highly lauded feature – Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants.” The latter stars George Clooney, also as a distant father suddenly thrust into double-parent duty. Both tackle themes of love, loss and family, but Crowe’s pales in comparison to Payne’s when it comes to depth and wit. Instead, “We Bought a Zoo” feels forced and twee, occasionally even like a sitcom sans laugh-track. The Jónsi score doesn’t help matters either, as the film relies on its overt sentimentality far too often.

 

What Crowe does capture, however, is the sense of wonder inherent to living at a zoo. As if seen through young Rosie’s eyes, some of the movie’s most memorable moments are of the exotic animals and their interactions with the humans who tend to them. For this reason, younger audiences may get more out of a screening.

 

It is a shame that “We Bought a Zoo” never quite seems to hit its stride, not least because of its incredible claim to veracity. But the fact remains that even such a stellar cast cannot rescue the film from its own floundering script.

 

If you’re looking for a family drama this holiday that captures life’s bittersweetness without tipping the balance into “too cheesy” territory, skip this one and go for “The Descendants.”

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Review: ‘Young Adult’ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/10/review-young-adult/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/10/review-young-adult/#respond Sun, 11 Dec 2011 02:55:32 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1053459 Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody, the director-writer duo behind 2007’s surprise hit “Juno,” re-team for the wickedly hilarious “Young Adult”, starring Charlize Theron as a prodigal Midwesterner who returns to her hometown from Minnesota’s Little Apple determined to win back her high school flame at any cost.

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Review: 'Young Adult'
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody, the director-writer duo behind 2007’s surprise hit “Juno,” re-team for the wickedly hilarious “Young Adult”, starring Charlize Theron as a prodigal Midwesterner who returns to her hometown from Minnesota’s Little Apple determined to win back her high school flame at any cost. The catch? He’s married, with a newborn baby.

 

 

Mavis Gary (Theron) is a recently divorced thirty-something living like a sloppy college freshman in a Minneapolis high-rise when she receives word of ex-boyfriend Buddy (Patrick Wilson) and his wife Beth’s (Elizabeth Reaser) new baby, and immediately decides that, new family be damned, she and Buddy are meant to be together. Packing up her fire-engine-red Mini Cooper, Mavis pops a relic mixtape from their courtship in the tape deck and hits the road for the small town she fought so hard to escape.

 

 

Disgust drips from Mavis’ face as she sneers at suburban life and its inhabitants while parading herself around as a successful author, though in reality she’s only the ghostwriter of a modestly popular series of young adult fiction books. And while Buddy seems cordial enough about his ex’s unexpected arrival, their other peers are less than welcoming and rightfully suspicious of Mavis’ motives. Former classmate Matt (Patton Oswalt), left crippled after a hate crime their senior year, is the only person who accepts Mavis for the deranged psychopath she is, and the two form an improbable friendship founded upon a mutual penchant for drowning life’s disappointments with liquor.

 

 

Like an overgrown version of the teen girls she writes about, Mavis shuffles around in jeans tucked into UGG’s, her face obscured by oversize sunglasses and toting a bag inhabited by a tiny Pomeranian slung over her shoulder. Sound familiar? At times “Young Adult” seems equal measures black comedy and parody of young women in contemporary society – i.e. the girls who worship the E! network and the celebrity industrial complex, and whose idea of happiness can probably be measured in USD. Throughout the film, Mavis unfailingly criticizes others for not being more like her, but either can’t see the flaws in her own life or simply chooses to overlook them.

 

 

To simply write Mavis off as a bitch is to discredit both Cody’s unflinching wit and Theron’s thespian ability to make such an unapologetically unlikable character appear three-dimensional. (The word also doesn’t even come close to encapsulating some of the deliciously appalling things the character does.) For Mavis occasionally reveals glimmers of humanity and weakness that seem to point to the more fundamental question of whether people actually change. Matt, for all his punctuated appearances, seems to bring out both the best and worst of her.

 

 

But despite amounting to a surprising meditation on what we might call the “modern” human condition (that of failed marriages, alcoholism, and one-night stands), “Young Adult” never quite manages to transcend the character study because stories about a person’s inability to change mean, well, just that. So while Reitman and Cody very nearly succeeded at producing a film centered on such a flamboyant antagonist, the story gradually loses steam as Mavis runs her course, thus leaving viewers looking for closure out to dry.

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Bringing ‘Tinker Tailor’ to the big screen https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/07/tinker-tailor/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/07/tinker-tailor/#respond Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:56:42 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1053008 Sweden’s Tomas Alfredson makes his English-language directorial debut with “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” an adaptation of John le Carré’s popular British spy-novel featuring an all-star cast including Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Tom Hardy. Fresh off of wrapping production on “The Dark Knight Rises,” Christopher Nolan’s conclusion to his celebrated Batman trilogy, Gary Oldman recently joined Alfredson in San Francisco to talk about careers, homoeroticism and why contemporary audiences will still enjoy their Cold War-set story.

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Sweden’s Tomas Alfredson makes his English-language directorial debut with “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” an adaptation of John le Carré’s popular British spy-novel featuring an all-star cast including Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Tom Hardy. Fresh off of wrapping production on “The Dark Knight Rises,” Christopher Nolan’s conclusion to his celebrated Batman trilogy, Gary Oldman recently joined Alfredson in San Francisco to talk about careers, homoeroticism and why contemporary audiences will still enjoy their Cold War-set story.

 

For Alfredson, the journey all began in 2008 with the unprecedented international success of his vampire flick “Let the Right One In.” The scripts came pouring in, and yet he doubted whether he could execute any of them–daunted, in part, by directing in a language other than his native Swedish.

 

“I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing for me to do,” Alfredson confessed, “so I just rejected everything that came up until someone said that Working Title [Films, a British production company] had retrieved the rights to this book.” The director had read the book and watched the mini-series years ago, so when he expressed interest in the project, everything fell into place–well, almost.

 

Casting the role of protagonist George Smiley proved to be the biggest hurdle.

 

“In the book, he’s described as someone that you would immediately forget,” Alfredson elaborated, “so the problem was to find an actor not uninteresting, but to play uninteresting.”

 

After six months of deliberation, his team began to get a sense of “If we can’t find this man, let’s not do this film.” But fortunately, when casting director Jina Jay came up with veteran actor Gary Oldman, it was an instant fit, after which they simply cast the rest around him.

 

Oldman remembered Alfredson’s worries on the set as he complained that “50 to 60 percent of his [linguistic] tools were taken away.”

 

However, “when you’re working on a film set with actors for 12 hours a day and that is your only way of communication…you get into a shorthand really quickly,” the actor continued, emphasizing that the language of film is universal.

 

Linguistic barriers aside, Alfredson enjoyed quite a bit of freedom in crafting his version of the story.

 

“John le Carré said in the beginning of the process, ‘If you need me, I will answer the phone, but I won’t call you and I won’t interfere,’” the director recounted.

 

“Since he himself was a spy in the ‘60s, he was a great help to have, because he knows and remembers everything about all the details, documents, how stuff looked and so on and so forth,” Alfredson said.

 

The author also proved a valuable resource to Oldman, who added that, “A lot of the history of George was from [le Carré’s] own experience.”

 

When asked about his extraordinary, chameleon-like performances, Oldman, in contrast with known method-actors who notoriously stay in character day-in and day-out, merely said that, “Once you’ve got a character and you’ve done the work, then you can switch it on and off.”

 

With that said, the lead-up to a shoot can be more intense.

 

“I always scare the dogs and the kids when I’m doing a role that’s slightly more [energetic] than George,” Oldman joked.

 

“They have play-dates that come over and say [in hushed voice] ‘Is your dad alright?’ ‘Oh yeah, it’s just rehearsal,’” he added.

 

In addressing the film’s appeal to today’s moviegoers, both reached first for the story’s broader themes.

 

“I’m not particularly interested in the Cold War or espionage,” Alfredson said bluntly. “I mean, it’s interesting, but for me, this film is not about those things.”

 

“It’s about love, love lost, friendship, betrayal,” Oldman agreed, adding that, “the politics are almost like a backdrop to it.”

 

Yet at the same time, the setting is what enables it to be so profoundly character-driven in a way that many movies these days simply are not.

 

“It took a different kind of soldier,” Oldman continued. “These men that were in MI-5, MI-6, are more like the Bill Haydons [Colin Firth’s character]–there was a lot of closet homosexuality going on because it was absolutely not accepted.” (Though homosexuality was punishable by law until 1967, the stigma remained long afterward).

 

“Within the secret service it was forbidden because you would expose yourself to blackmailing,” Alfredson confirmed, “and yet the people that were recruited very often were [gay], and to sacrifice that, as we see in the film–it’s so cruel and heartbreaking [in] a very strong motive.”

 

Also crucial to the film’s ‘70s vibe is the fear so atmospheric it’s practically tangible.

 

“I remember the ‘70s,” Oldman reminisced. “I mean…I was more interested in girls and David Bowie at that time, but I do remember that sort of threat.” Referencing current global events, he hinted that perhaps every generation, to a certain extent, experiences some form of zeitgeist that will enable them to connect with the story. Thus, even though the Cold War itself is “a thing very much in the mists of time,” the apprehensive wait-and-see of what moves the world’s political players will make it quite similar to today.

 

Venturing back into less controversial territory, I wonder whether there might be any memorable moments from the set to share. After thinking a moment, Alfredson recalls shooting a small scene early on as Oldman’s character adjusts to retired life.

 

“It’s a really, really boring situation which everyone can relate to,” the director said. “I said ‘cut,’ and [Oldman] came to me and said, ‘Can I watch that?’ We played it back, and he was looking at the monitor and said, ‘I used to play [Sex Pistols bassist] Sid Vicious.’ He saw this gray man with an apron frying an egg!”

 

But perhaps this side of the character is closer to the real Gary Oldman than he would care to admit. His sons, of whom he spoke quite lovingly, popped up several times in the course of our conversation.

 

“When I’m not working,” the actor said, “I’m a dad–it’s book reports and science projects.”

 

And is there anything on the table for Alfredson?

 

“It’s a very emotional thing,” he mused, “to choose a project. I think it’s [that] you read something and if your body reacts on it, it’s probably a good project. Like if you laugh or cry or something happens in your heart.”

 

When pressed, Alfredson added, “I deliberately haven’t read anything since we opened with this film in London. I need to rest a little and see what happens.”

 

Well, sir, we eagerly await your next move.

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Best movies of 2011 https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/07/best-movies-of-2011/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/07/best-movies-of-2011/#respond Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:56:39 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1053005 In a February article that appeared in GQ ominously titled “The Day the Movies Died,” eminent film-writer Mark Harris dubbed 2011 the year of sequels, prequels, reboots, adaptations and endless permutations of the above. Not that any of these are inherently problematic, but when studios repeatedly churn them out instead of coming up with something new to show us, well, it’s frustrating to say the least. Despite Mr. Harris’ dismal movie forecast, 2011 had its share of standouts, with even a few more still to come.

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Best movies of 2011
Courtesy of Merie Wallace

In a February article that appeared in GQ ominously titled “The Day the Movies Died,” eminent film-writer Mark Harris dubbed 2011 the year of sequels, prequels, reboots, adaptations and endless permutations of the above. Not that any of these are inherently problematic, but when studios repeatedly churn them out instead of coming up with something new to show us, well, it’s frustrating to say the least. Despite Mr. Harris’ dismal movie forecast, 2011 had its share of standouts, with even a few more still to come.

 

Top Picks:

 

Best Chick Flick: “Bridesmaids”

“SNL” spotlight-stealer Kristen Wiig takes on her first starring role in what many have dubbed the female equivalent to “The Hangover.” Centered on a struggling pastry chef whose best friend’s wedding instigates a tense rivalry with a fellow bridesmaid, the movie isn’t afraid to show women being just as bawdy as men. It’s refreshing, hilarious, awkward and oftentimes all three at the same time.

 

Best movies of 2011
Courtesy of Merie Wallace

Best Coming-of-Age: “Pariah”

Writer/director Dee Rees’ poignant debut feature focuses on a Brooklyn teen not only struggling to come into her own as a young woman, but also trying to come out to her fractured family. Aided by a strong cast dominated by newcomers, this is powerful, intimate storytelling at its best.

 

Best Fantasy: “Midnight In Paris”

In Woody Allen’s time-traveling story, a struggling American writer discovers a portal back to 1920s Paris, where he finds inspiration in the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and Pablo Picasso. Equal parts romantic comedy and historical drama, even the kitsch factor can’t stop its undeniable charm. Plus, you can give yourself and your liberal education a pat on the back for recognizing all the members of the Parisian glitterati and catching the film’s pop-culture references.

 

Best Psychological Thriller: “Take Shelter”

Set amidst the rural cornfields of Ohio, “Take Shelter” follows a working-class family man as he experiences a series of increasingly graphic nightmares revolving around a violent storm. Shaken by these visions, his erratic behavior soon begins to take a toll on his wife and young daughter. With the suspense rising as you can no longer be certain of whether he is glimpsing the future or merely losing his mind, this is the thought-provoking answer to all the overblown apocalypse and disaster duds of recent years.

 

Best Romantic Comedy: “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”

Writer Dan Fogelman sets a new standard for the genre by showing the ups and downs of relationships while deftly avoiding the pitfalls of being overly trite and campy. Featuring an outstanding ensemble cast that includes Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore and Emma Stone, it pokes fun at love while reminding us that it’s attainable at all ages.

 

Best Sci-Fi That Isn’t a Sci-Fi: “Another Earth”

Upon being released from prison for her involvement in a fatal car crash, a young woman attempts to make amends with the man whose family she killed. Things get even more complicated when a contest opens to win a trip to Earth Two, the planet that first became visible on the night of the accident, and both characters begin to question if their parallel lives still result in tragedy. Made on a shoestring budget by Georgetown University grads Mike Cahill and Brit Marling, “Another Earth” stays grounded by its haunting portrayal of how the choices we make stay with us forever.

 

Best Sequel: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”

The decade-long saga based on J.K. Rowling’s beloved book series finally comes to its thrilling conclusion. Except for some questionable prosthetic makeup at the end, this diehard fan of the series found the adaptation to be a surprisingly adequate tribute.

 

Best Superhero: “Captain America: The First Avenger”

Although there were many comic book adaptations to choose from this year, only one had the winning combination of containing a plethora of loud explosions and being emotionally affective. In other hands, the noble Steve Rogers (the man beneath the superhero getup) could have easily become sappy, but Chris Evans balances the character’s earnestness, courage and sensitivity remarkably well.

 

Not Your Average Foreign Flick: “Attack the Block”

From the producers of “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz” comes a new side-splitting saga centered on a gang of South London youths who must protect their working-class housing development (aka “the block”) from an alien invasion. The dialect may be a bit of a shock for those used to hearing proper Colin Firth-like accents in British movies, but by the end you’ll be wishing you could say, “Believe, broth-a,” with the same swag as these street kids.

 

Best Overall: “The Descendants”

Alexander Payne makes a triumphant return to the screen with this alternately hilarious and tear-jerking story of a distant father (George Clooney) trying to hold his family together in the wake of a tragedy. Clooney has never been better, and the film’s gorgeous Hawaiian scenery will provide a nice respite from whatever cold climate you might be going home to this break.

 

 

Worst Picks:

 

Worst Sequel: The Hangover Part II”

As the title suggests, “The Hangover Part II” is merely “The Hangover” redux, albeit less funny and with more male genitalia. The physical setting may be different, but when the novelty of the franchise is the novelty itself, using the same storyline doesn’t quite cut it. Fingers crossed that there isn’t a “Part III” in the works.

 

Worst Adaptation: “Atlas Shrugged”

A thousand-page book about trains that features two-dimensional characters, which are all stand-ins for an overarching ideological agenda, is one thing. A low-budget movie adaptation whose script consists of passages cut and pasted together from said book is quite another and, for most people, far worse. If “Atlas Shrugged” succeeded at anything, it’s to prove that one can, in fact, be too loyal to the book.

 

 

But is the best still to come?

On Dec. 16, controversial director Roman Polanski returns with “Carnage,” an adaptation of the play centered on two sets of parents whose children fought earlier that day in the park. At just under 80 minutes, it unfolds in real-time and stars Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly.

 

Dec. 21 sees three big-budget heavy hitters: David Fincher’s self-proclaimed “feel-bad movie of the year” “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” Steven Spielberg’s 3D performance-capture epic “The Adventures of Tintin” and Brad Bird’s “Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol.”

 

On Christmas Day, Stephen Daldry’s adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s 9/11 novel “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” hits screens, followed several days later by Spielberg’s other epic–the World War I drama “War Horse.”

 

Finally, on Dec. 30 watch Meryl Streep takes on the role of the legendary Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.”

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Review: ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/07/review-tinker-tailor-soldier-spy/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/07/review-tinker-tailor-soldier-spy/#respond Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:40:53 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1053010 Swedish director Tomas Alfredson’s take on John le Carré’s popular British spy novel “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” is an expertly crafted return to old-school filmmaking set against the backdrop of the Cold War. Much like the story’s taciturn protagonist George Smiley (Gary Oldman), the taut espionage thriller shows much but says little, keeping viewers on their toes as the British secret service elite scrambles to uncover the mole in its midst.

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Review: 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'
Courtesy of Focus Features

Swedish director Tomas Alfredson’s take on John le Carré’s popular British spy novel “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” is an expertly crafted return to old-school filmmaking set against the backdrop of the Cold War. Much like the story’s taciturn protagonist George Smiley (Gary Oldman), the taut espionage thriller shows much but says little, keeping viewers on their toes as the British secret service elite scrambles to uncover the mole in its midst.

 

After being dispatched by MI-6 leader Control (John Hurt) on a private mission to Hungary, agent Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) is shot and left for dead. Back in London, the division is thrown into an uproar, resulting in the forced retirement of many, including Control and his second-in-command Smiley. Yet just as Smiley begins to adjust to his new life, the government–aware that its biggest secrets are somehow finding their way to Soviet intelligence–reins him back in to investigate his own former colleagues.

 

With the help of junior agent Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch), Smiley embarks on the arduous task of delving into MI-6’s murky records. Although rogue field agent Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy) comes forward claiming to possess an informant with valuable information, Smiley’s biggest breakthrough arrives in the form of Control’s estate. Prior to his untimely death, Control was not only fully aware of the presence of a double agent but had already narrowed it down to a handful of the most powerful men in MI-6, including the ambitious Percy Alleline (Toby Jones), code-named Tinker; the suave Bill Haydon (Colin Firth), known as Tailor; the dedicated Roy Bland (Ciarán Hinds), dubbed Soldier; the self-important Toby Esterhase (David Dencik), called Poorman; and Smiley. In order to catch the mole, Smiley must deconstruct the pack’s complex social network, all the while trusting no one but himself.

 

As a period piece, watching “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” is like flipping through an album of vintage sepia photographs, replete with badly cut ‘70s suits and even worse hair (case in point: Tom Hardy’s character). But the look is secondary to the zeitgeist–the fear that pervaded society then and defines many of the actions taken in the story. We may be many years removed from the Cold War today, but each generation of moviegoers certainly has their own touchstone stemming from global conflict.

 

Those entering the theater expecting standard action fare will be sorely disappointed, as Alfredson’s approach is much more understated. Rather than flashy explosions and chase scenes at every turn, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” comes together like a jigsaw puzzle–through heavily charged dialogue and subtle glances–that forces you to either follow along or get left behind. Unfortunately, as the story reaches its climax, the direction becomes increasingly heavy-handed, gradually losing its previously cool touch and drifting into melodrama.

 

For the most part, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” is a film that will fully engage the mind rather than just aimlessly wash over it, but, if nothing else, it is worth the price of admission to see such a crop of today’s best English actors working united on the screen.

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No ‘Shame’ in NC-17 https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/02/no-shame-in-nc-17/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/02/no-shame-in-nc-17/#respond Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:00:08 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1052806 On the surface, “Shame” is about a man with a sex addiction but taps into the paradoxically isolating nature of modern, high-tech society in surprising ways. Unfortunately, it’s the first part that’s been getting the most attention, and having seen the film, I can’t say that I blame people.

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No 'Shame' in NC-17
Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

My mind was reeling as I left the theater in early September after a screening of British director Steve McQueen’s newest feature, a provocative drama entitled “Shame.” On the surface, “Shame” is about a man with a sex addiction but taps into the paradoxically isolating nature of modern, high-tech society in surprising ways. Unfortunately, it’s the first part that’s been getting the most attention, and having seen the film, I can’t say that I blame people. Oscar-worthy performances by stars Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan aside, my initial reaction was to wonder who would be brave enough to distribute it in a climate much friendlier toward heads being blown off than a hint of below-the-belt nudity. Fortunately, Fox Searchlight Pictures stepped up to the plate, and “Shame” hits theaters today in limited release under an NC-17 rating.

 

No 'Shame' in NC-17
Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

Short for “No One 17 and Under Admitted,” NC-17 joined the ratings ranks in 1990 after then-president of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) Jack Valenti decided that a growing number of films possessed content too strong to merit a mere Restricted (R) rating. As for the lengthy moniker, “X” had already been embraced by the pornographic industry. The irony here is that despite the film industry’s attempt not to conflate NC-17 and X, the stigma remains, giving rise to phenomena like Unrated, usually given to an uncut version of a film whose filmmakers have surrendered an initial NC-17 rating, and Not Rated, when a film is not submitted to the MPAA at all and thus is likewise an evasion tactic.

 

There have been some 200 films rated as NC-17, although this number is slightly skewed by those that subsequently appealed to receive R status. The point is that the number is intentionally low, because for a majority of filmmakers and distributors, NC-17 is like a death sentence with limited prospects for advertising and exhibition. Speaking to the Associated Press recently, John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, reported that, according to a survey, 97 out of 100 theaters would play an NC-17 film and further stressed that the fear of the rating is unwarranted. So what makes “Shame” a potential game changer?

 

First of all, McQueen is a true artist who was recently awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his decades-long career in London’s art world prior to making his acclaimed feature-film debut in 2008 with “Hunger.” In the past several months, Shamehas generated plenty of buzz on the festival circuit, beginning with a strong debut at the Venice Film Festival that earned prizes for Best Film as well as the Volpi Cup for Fassbender as Best Actor. Critics continue to laud the film heading into awards season, and so far, the team has been promoting it as though on campaign. In addition to the requisite press engagements, just days ago, Fassbender was on hand at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards along with other Oscar hopefuls sent by their respective studios. If Fassbender were to receive a nomination, it could be a big step in revitalizing the image of a rating that never should have gotten such a bad rap in the first place.

 

Furthermore, where others would have appealed or re-cut the film, McQueen and Fox Searchlight have embraced the picture’s NC-17 status. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter during their annual directors roundtable, McQueen stated that he found Shameto be “not particularly” shocking.

 

“We all have sex, we all see what Michael and Carey have, as far as being naked,” he elaborated. “What’s unfamiliar, at least to me, is someone with a gun shooting someone in the head. I think we made a film that was responsible. I don’t care–NC-17? Brilliant! Fantastic! Bring it on! I take full responsibility for it. I think most violent films are not responsible…Films should reflect real life. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

 

In an interview with New York Magazine, Fassbender similarly defended his character’s nudity, saying that, “Yeah, and some of us have [penises] and most of the rest have seen them, so what’s the big deal?” Going a step further to address the sexism intrinsic to the ratings system, he also complained that, “Women can parade around naked all the time, but the guy conveniently has his pants on.”

 

Just last year, Derek Cianfrance’s “Blue Valentine,” backed by the venerable Weinstein Company, appealed to get its NC-17 rating reduced to an R. The content in question? A scene in which a man goes down on his wife. The filmmakers were successful, but just think about how many unquestionably R-rated movies you’ve seen in which a man receives a blowjob.

 

It also deserves to be noted that the sexual acts depicted in both “Shame” and “Blue Valentine” are decidedly un-erotic. Yes, the scenes are graphic and reveal more skin, but unlike their campy R-rated counterparts, these portrayals are disturbing and uncomfortable to watch–perhaps because they appear to be so eerily realistic rather than merely performances. Still, for those who still equate NC-17 with X, the rating makes the material seem more titillating, and, in this instance, undeservedly so.

 

Of course, change won’t come all at once, but at the very least, “Shame” promises to expand the ratings discussion. If it can play well to audiences outside the industry and help legitimize the NC-17 rating, the effects could be far-reaching. Many have commented upon the “ratings creep,” a trend in which the amount of harsh content (language, nudity, violence, etc.) in each ratings category increases over time, but in truth, these broad ranges, particularly in the R domain, result from hasty re-cuts in avoidance of what might actually be the more appropriate rating. Not just the portrayal of “taboo” subjects, but the very artistic integrity of the medium itself is at stake.

 

“I think NC-17 is a badge of honor, not a scarlet letter,” Searchlight President Steve Gilula declared to The Hollywood Reporter just last month. Speaking highly of McQueen’s work, he added that, “It’s not a film that everyone will take easily, but it certainly breaks through the clutter and is distinctive and original.”

 

Here’s to hoping that “Shame” carries that badge all the way to the Academy Awards in February and perhaps, along the way, encourages other filmmakers not to compromise their vision.

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Review: ‘Shame’ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/02/review-shame-2/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/02/review-shame-2/#respond Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:53:30 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1052815 Director Steve McQueen reunites with actor Michael Fassbender for his sophomore feature "Shame," a grim story of a closeted sex addict whose carefully controlled private life is thrown off balance with the arrival of his wayward younger sister.

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Review: 'Shame'
Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

Director Steve McQueen reunites with actor Michael Fassbender for his sophomore feature “Shame,” a grim story of a closeted sex addict whose carefully controlled private life is thrown off balance with the arrival of his wayward younger sister.

 

Brandon (Fassbender) is a 30-something bachelor living in New York City who frequently engages in casual sex, pornography and masturbation; anything, really, that can get him off, as it immediately becomes apparent that he needs it just to feel something. A successful business executive by day, Brandon is almost Patrick Bateman-like in his meticulous privacy and lack of affect. The title reflects the vicious cycle he puts himself through wherein, unable to connect with others on a personal level, he juggles a myriad of physical relationships to try to fill the void inside.

 

Review: 'Shame'
Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

But when Sissy (Carey Mulligan), an aspiring singer and full-time drifter, shows up unexpectedly on his doorstep with nowhere else to stay, Brandon becomes even more withdrawn. His sister’s presence makes Brandon more self-conscious of his perverse nature, and her repeated attempts to strengthen their sibling bond only push him further into the city’s underbelly in order to get the satisfaction he craves. Neither sibling can afford to continue living as they have been, and it is only a matter of time before tensions reach a boiling point.

 

Fassbender gives a restrained and almost-menacing performance as Brandon, a man who seems to act on his moment-to-moment thoughts rather than responding to normal psychosocial stimuli. Mulligan, through roles like Sissy, is growing up and breaking out of the girlish mold that first put her on the map with the success of 2009’s “An Education,” for which she earned an Oscar nomination. But not only does “Shame” showcase Mulligan’s acting chops, her character’s haunting rendition of “New York, New York” at a nightclub is also one of the film’s most memorable scenes.

 

Just like his debut feature “Hunger” (2008), “Shame” brings out McQueen’s uncanny ability to speak volumes without words, no doubt a product of his background as an artist dealing in experimental film. Relying on powerful imagery and brilliantly crafted montages, the director establishes Brandon’s New York City as one that is sparse and cold, a marked departure from the urban pinnacle that usually graces the screen.

 

The minimalist aesthetic carries over into the depictions of the sexual act, giving off a raw carnality sans passion and emotion. Sex is not sexy for Brandon; there are only his primal needs and desires that need be satiated. Fassbender boldly bares all for the role, a refreshing change from Hollywood’s strong tendency toward female objectification. This is not to say that Brandon’s conquests are spared by the camera, but rather that McQueen treats his actors more fairly across gender lines than other directors (I’m talking to you, Michael Bay).

 

While “Shame” has enjoyed positive critical responses on the festival circuit, it remains to be seen how its decidedly NC-17 material will influence a distribution deal in America, where extreme violence is much more tolerated than extreme sexuality. One can only hope that McQueen will not be asked to compromise his artistic vision, and if the film finds its way to a theater near you, I would highly encourage giving it a chance.

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Review: ‘My Week with Marilyn’ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/25/review-my-week-with-marilyn/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/25/review-my-week-with-marilyn/#respond Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:00:22 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1052110 Michelle Williams channels Hollywood’s most notorious blonde bombshell in director Simon Curtis’ “My Week with Marilyn”, an account of the late star’s collaboration with Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) through the eyes of his young assistant.

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Review: 'My Week with Marilyn'
Courtesy of Entertainment Film Distributors

Michelle Williams channels Hollywood’s most notorious blonde bombshell in director Simon Curtis’ “My Week with Marilyn”, an account of the late star’s collaboration with Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) through the eyes of his young assistant. Replete with vivid reinventions of well-known personalities by an impeccable cast and a decadently vintage aesthetic, the film is a welcome respite from the action and CGI-heavy fruits of last season that will undoubtedly make you long for a bygone era of moviemaking.

 

In 1956 Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), a 23 year-old cinephile, leaves his wealthy family’s country estate to try his luck in London, where weeks of persistence finally land him a job with a production company set to begin shooting “The Prince and the Showgirl” – a light-hearted comedy co-starring Sir Laurence and Marilyn Monroe. Already off to a bumpy start due to complications with husband Arthur Miller’s (Dougray Scott) passport, the production has the added pressure of being Marilyn’s first non-Hollywood gig as well as Sir Laurence’s directorial debut.
Once the cameras finally begin to roll it immediately becomes apparent that, despite her innate magnetism, Marilyn sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the English acting elite. Having achieved sex-symbol status, she tries desperately to be taken more seriously as an actress, even bringing method-acting pioneer Paula Strasberg (Zoë Wanamaker) to set every day, much to Sir Laurence’s annoyance. Tensions escalate as all the rumors about working with Marilyn prove to be true (including consistently arriving late to work, being perpetually doped up on drugs, etc.), when Sir Laurence finally decides to send Colin to Marilyn’s dressing room as an intermediary. But instead of galvanizing the unruly actress, the two form an unlikely bond: Colin, a boy infatuated for the first time, and Marilyn, looking for love as her marriage to Miller crumbles.
Williams is by no means an impressionist, but rather portrays the title character in a way that breathes new life into what records we have left of the star. And while she never quite achieves the same sensuality that made Marilyn famous, Williams does capture the fragile spirit that existed beneath the buxom surface – the vulnerable woman-child longing to be loved and looking to mature in her career even if it meant denying her own strengths as a comedienne. Branagh, as the pompous leading man and tyrant of the set, provides much of the laughs while Redmayne, his foil, is all wide-eyed earnestness. The real treat, though, is when “Action!” is called on the set of “The Prince and the Showgirl” and we get to see the actors acting; not just Williams as Marilyn and Branagh as Sir Laurence, but also Judi Dench as the regal Dame Sybil Thorndike.

 

Rooted in reality by the real Colin Clark’s memoirs, “My Week with Marilyn” is a bittersweet, nostalgic love story that reminds us why, decades after her death, we can never forget her. While the scope of the story only hints at the tragedies that would later befall the actress, it points to the early signs, quirks and insecurities that no one else seemed to understand about her. And so, like Colin, all we are left with are memories and questions.

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Review: ‘Hugo’ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/25/review-hugo/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/25/review-hugo/#respond Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:59:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1052112 Shot in vibrant 3D, “Hugo” is a curious mix of old and new; a quirky fairytale that highlights the tension between tradition and innovation, but nevertheless reminds us of the enduring magic of the movies.

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Review: 'Hugo'
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

With “Hugo”, the masterful Martin Scorsese trades his usual gritty crime dramas for a sweeping epic of another sort – a fictionalized historical account of one of cinema’s most underrated pioneers based on Brian Selznick’s book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret.” Shot in vibrant 3D, “Hugo” is a curious mix of old and new; a quirky fairytale that highlights the tension between tradition and innovation, but nevertheless reminds us of the enduring magic of the movies.

 

Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) is a young, wide-eyed orphan living in the walls of a bustling train station in 1930s Paris. Aside from his self-appointed duty of maintaining the station’s many clocks, Hugo keeps a ghost-like presence; rather than making friends, he prefers to peer down on the colorful characters that frequent his home, which include an injured war veteran turned police inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), Lisette (Emily Mortimer), the sweet-natured flower girl, and Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley), the enigmatic and cantankerous toy shop owner. Relying mostly on parts stolen from the latter, Hugo devotes his free time to repairing a delicate automaton, the sole link he has to his late father (Jude Law).

 

When Georges’ apprehends the vagabond one fateful day, it leads to an unlikely friendship between Hugo and the elder’s bookish yet spunky goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloe Moretz). Together the two youths embark on an adventure to unlock the automaton’s secrets, and along the way discover hidden relics from Georges’ colorful past as an early champion of narrative film and special effects. With the help of an eminent film scholar, Hugo and Isabelle help restore both Georges’ reputation and his love for a livelihood once lost.

 

Bolstered by a strong cast, rich art direction and a sentimental score by Howard Shore, there is no doubt that “Hugo” is a formidable addition to the director’s already impressive resume. But while Scorsese’s infectious passion for cinema shines through in each frame, his choice of medium opens up a whole new dialogue. Since its inception, the 3D movie has largely been a gimmick intended to lure bigger audiences to the theaters, but now that heavyweights like Scorsese and Baz Luhrmann (currently hard at work on his 3D adaptation of “The Great Gatsby”) have jumped onboard, the industry seems poised for a major shift. Big studio action/adventure flicks aside, the question on the table is: live-action 3D, yea or nay?

 

As stunning as “Hugo” is, there are few instances in its two-hour-plus run that would not have been just as equally effective in two dimensions. (Certain scenes, in fact, seem to consciously amplify the imagery in order to compensate for moments of weak writing.) Where the technology serves the story best is the manner in which it breathes new life into the archival footage of the real Georges Méliès’ work, but alas, this comes quite late and too fleetingly in the story.

 

For film buffs familiar with Méliès, “Hugo” is a winning tribute to the origins of cinema, and for those capable of fending off the nausea often intrinsic to the 3D format, it reinforces the joys of suspending disbelief to let the story take hold.

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Judy Greer: That one girl you know from that one movie https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/18/judy-greer-that-one-girl-you-know-from-that-one-movie/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/18/judy-greer-that-one-girl-you-know-from-that-one-movie/#respond Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:00:20 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1051899 In town to promote her latest project, Alexander Payne’s highly anticipated “The Descendants,” actress Judy Greer traipses into the press-reserved seventh floor suite of San Francisco’s Ritz-Carlton in towering platform heels, looking fresh-faced and chic in black skinnies, blouse and velvet blazer.

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Judy Greer: That one girl you know from that one movie
Courtesy of MCT

In town to promote her latest project, Alexander Payne’s highly anticipated “The Descendants,” actress Judy Greer traipses into the press-reserved seventh floor suite of San Francisco’s Ritz-Carlton in towering platform heels, looking fresh-faced and chic in black skinnies, blouse and velvet blazer. As one of the youngest writers in the room, my peers have bestowed me with the opening question, but almost as soon as I open my mouth Ms. Greer cuts me off in order to close the windows and blinds – concerned, you see, about any ambient noise that might make its way onto our recording devices. As if we weren’t already charmed by her effusive manner, her candidness made for a lively discussion that felt decidedly less like work and more like catching up with an old friend.

 

“I would have played any character in an Alexander Payne movie,” Greer cheerfully admitted, citing the acclaimed director as the main draw to the project, which stars George Clooney as Matt King, a Haole patriarch who tries to reconnect with his two daughters in the wake of a tragic accident that leaves his wife Liz in a coma. A poignant mix of drama and comedy, Matt’s mourning is complicated when he discovers his wife’s infidelity. Greer plays Julie, the wife of Liz’s lover.

 

While Julie doesn’t get a whole lot of screen time, she’s much more nuanced than typical media portrayals of the victimized spouse, which is precisely what Greer honed in on.

 

“It’s hard to have a role that size be that compelling,” the actress noted, before adding with a laugh that, “I would know since I play a lot of supporting characters – basically all supporting characters.” And yet, this doesn’t faze her at all. As far as Greer is concerned, the material is what is paramount.

 

“It’s not my job to stand out,” she conceded, but rather to “be part of the story that I’m telling.” (Although working with the likes of Payne can’t hurt, either.)

 

Judy Greer: That one girl you know from that one movie
Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

Despite filming on location in Hawaii, Greer was unable to fully enjoy the island’s attractions as she was simultaneously working on Mark and Jay Duplass’ “Jeff Who Lives at Home” (set to be released next spring). Flying back and forth between New Orleans and Honolulu was a challenge in and of itself but, worst of all, the Duplass brothers informed her that for continuity purposes she “better not come back with a fucking tan.”

 

Through numerous post-screening Q&As as awards season gets underway, Greer has observed plenty of audience reactions firsthand. By her account “The Descendants” seems to leave people in an emotional state of shock, adding that the film will make you laugh, cry and sometimes both at the same time.

 

“I think people will really love seeing George play this role,” Greer continued, “His fans will connect with him in a way they haven’t before because they’ve never seen him play [such a] vulnerable role.” Critics, likewise, have already pegged his performance for an Oscar nomination, with some even hailing it as his best to date.

 

As for her own career, Greer is currently finishing up season three of animated series “Archer,” enjoying a stint on “Two and a Half Men” and developing a new show for ABC. She’d like to branch out more from comedy, even half-jokingly suggesting that her dream role would be “Matt Damon’s love interest in a Jason Bourne movie.” While we can’t make any promises on that one, her turn as a conflicted mother and wife in “The Descendants” ought to bring more dramatic roles her way.

 

 

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Review: ‘The Descendants’ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/18/review-the-descendants/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/18/review-the-descendants/#respond Fri, 18 Nov 2011 08:59:10 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1051774 Adapted from Kaui Hart Hemmings’ novel with a script co-written by Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, “The Descendants” introduces Matt King (George Clooney), lawyer and heir to a sizeable Hawaiian land trust, as he copes with his comatose wife in the aftermath of a speedboat accident.

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Review: 'The Descendants'
Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

The following is an honest testament to the strengths of this film, as the conditions under which I viewed it were less than ideal (the screening inexplicably began an hour late, and during it I was surrounded by grumbling middle-aged press and industry folk who resented having to stand in line for a good 30-40 minutes before being seated.) But as Alexander Payne’s comical yet poignant family drama “The Descendants” unfolded, I quickly decided that it was well worth the wait.

 

Adapted from Kaui Hart Hemmings’ novel with a script co-written by Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, “The Descendants” introduces Matt King (George Clooney), lawyer and heir to a sizeable Hawaiian land trust, as he copes with his comatose wife in the aftermath of a speedboat accident. With Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie) in the hospital on life support, Matt, the self-proclaimed “back-up parent,” is suddenly thrust into the driver’s seat when it comes to taking charge of the couple’s two daughters: the potty-mouthed 10-year old Scottie (Amara Miller) and the angsty teenager Alexandra (Shailene Woodley), who immediately butts heads with her father upon returning home from boarding school.

 

But the family’s grieving process is thrown for a loop when Alex reveals the source of the rift between her and Liz – that for weeks now, she has been aware that her mother was having an affair. From then on, Matt and Alex (for the most part) set aside their differences and embark on a hilarious quest to discover the Other Man that, surprisingly, brings the family together in a way that never was prior to Liz’s accident. And as if Matt didn’t already have enough on his plate, as head trustee he is under extreme pressure from corporate buyers and extended family alike to make a decision about what to do with the 25,000 acres of land the Kings own on Kauai before the government intervenes.

 

While “The Descendants” is certainly less cynical and more accessible than Payne’s other films to date, it still bears the writer-director’s signature dry wit. That being said, the sharp writing is merely the foundation for an impeccable cast. In particular, Clooney, despite being far from a family man in real life, makes a thoroughly convincing distant father trying to reconnect with his children. Woodley also holds her ground against the veteran actor, starting out as combative opponent before transitioning to partner-in-crime. In the press conference for the film Clooney commended his younger co-star, citing the scene in which her character first finds out about Liz’s dire state as something that’s both “never been done before” and “takes real talent.”

 

But the unsung character that also deserves an honorable mention is Hawaii itself. Set against the backdrop of the island’s lush greenery and gorgeous landscapes, the family’s misfortunes almost seem incongruous to the physical perfection that surrounds them. Coupled with the local music used in lieu of a traditional score, the sights and sounds of the film draw the viewer deep within the island paradise.

 

At times funny, sad and uncomfortable, “The Descendants” is a beautifully crafted and touching story about family, love and how to piece the two back together when we need each other most.

 

 

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Review: ‘J. Edgar’ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/11/review-j-edgar/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/11/review-j-edgar/#respond Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:58:25 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1051673 Paying homage to film noir of a bygone Hollywood era through its low-light aesthetic and dramatic voiceovers, Clint Eastwood’s ambitious biopic “J. Edgar” is a complex character study of the notorious founding director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover, the film recounts both his achievements and abuses, interspersed with glimpses of a little-known personal life, in order to form a meditation on that grey area between morality, justice and power.

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Review: 'J. Edgar'
Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Paying homage to film noir of a bygone Hollywood era through its low-light aesthetic and dramatic voiceovers, Clint Eastwood’s ambitious biopic “J. Edgar” is a complex character study of the notorious founding director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover, the film recounts both his achievements and abuses, interspersed with glimpses of a little-known personal life, in order to form a meditation on that grey area between morality, justice and power.

In 1919, a 24-year-old Hoover (DiCaprio) living in Washington, D.C., is inspired to join the Department of Justice after witnessing the incompetence of the investigators at the scene of a terrorist bombing. Ambitious, smart and socially awkward, Hoover quickly rises through the ranks to become the FBI’s founding director–a position he would hold for the next 37 years until his death. Loosely framed by an elderly Hoover dictating the history of the institution to a younger agent, the story of “J. Edgar” unfolds like a web, constantly jumping back and forth across his long tenure but always linked by DiCaprio’s booming, authoritarian voice.

Review: 'J. Edgar'
Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Early in his career Hoover champions the widespread practice of fingerprinting, and under his leadership the bureau transforms from a nominal threat lacking proper jurisdiction to a political powerhouse. But with time his actions are marked by a constantly intensifying determination bordering upon lunacy, leading him to tap President Kennedy’s phones, attempt to blackmail Martin Luther King Jr. out of accepting the Nobel Prize and even manipulate the careers of his own agents when they threaten to outshine him. Hoover’s personal life is equally controversial, with the film paying particular attention to his ever-evolving relationships with his straight-laced mother Annie (Judi Dench), devoted personal secretary Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts) and close colleague Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer). Thus, bit by bit, Hoover’s many facets gradually come into focus.

DiCaprio commands the screen as the unflappable and unscrupulous pioneer, even under varying layers of prosthetic makeup, which, for the record, is the most convincing use this reviewer has witnessed to date. While his rendition of Hoover’s distinct diction may seem jarring and forced in voiceover, it thankfully flows more naturally as scenes play out. As Tolson–Hoover’s second in command, best friend and, according to rumors, gay lover–Hammer provides a decent foil. But if there is a supporting actor nomination to be earned, it likely belongs to Watts, whose subtle performance as Gandy is more affecting.

It would be easy to attribute Hoover’s more distasteful actions to the old adage “absolute power corrupts absolutely,” but in this case the situation is not clear-cut. Thoroughly engrossing and more thoughtfully crafted than most biopics, “J. Edgar” merely provides hints and suggestions regarding its subject while leaving the viewer to piece together the final portrait.

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