Ceremony has a delightfully home-made feel, if you make your dad is the Fonz. For a debut film, Max Winkler displays complete confidence in his work - perhaps too much, because Wes Anderson he’s not. In some ways, Ceremony is reminiscent of The Royal Tennenbaums; rather unlikeable characters from the upper middle class, disparaging of their class, full of self-importance and perceived achievement, in love with the wrong person and out for his- or herself.
So why see it? You could be a friend of the Winkler family, or maybe you also hold Uma Thurman on a pedestal. Maybe you’re interested in debut films from up and coming directors. Maybe you’re obsessed with Lee Pace (who, me?). Perhaps you followed the project while Jesse Eisenberg was attached to play the lead role of Sam Davis. Eisenberg would have been interesting, and I have no doubt Michael Angarano would have been a great Marshall (as he was originally cast). That’s not to say that Angarano doesn’t do Sam justice. Even so, I’m not sure I believe Zoe (Thurman) would ever give his adorably sad-puppy face a shot. There is, however, a scene in which it rather seems that Whit (Pace) is willing to do so...
It seems that Winkler was inspired by Ferris Bueller, The Graduate, and the films of Wes Anderson, but the chemistry among the cast is so far off that it’s hard for the elements to gel. One gets the sense that Angarano is playing against type, Whit should be more of a cad, and Reece Thompson alternates between playing Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Kenneth from 30 Rock. I also have to wonder how Winkler managed to snag Thurman as his leading lady. Is it just for her height? Thurman hasn’t had a vulnerable side since The Truth About Cats and Dogs; where is Zoe’s need for Sam? I will grant Winkler this: it’s a bold and confident first move. And look at Jason Reitman. Son of a famous director whose first film, Thank You For Smoking, put him on the map, but it was Juno that made him a household name. What I mean to say is this: I’ve got my eye on you, Winkler. Best of luck on your next project.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
The Tree
I’ll be honest, what also enticed me to catch The Tree was a scene in the trailer, in which eight-year-old Simone (Morgana Davies) says, “Well, you have a choice to be happy or sad, and I chose to be happy. And I am happy.” Like Morgan Lily in Henry Poole is Here, newcomer Davies displays a depth far beyond her years. Must be the name.
I’m not sure if The Tree is a film as much as an exercise in symbolism. Nevermind the fact that Julie Bertuccelli’s film has the misfortune of being released so closely to Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life, potentially losing audience from a confused population. It may have its problems, but I was more interested in the heart of The Tree than the headiness of Tree of Life (which is why I saw one film instead of the other). Still, It’s difficult to think of The Tree as a film. The symbolism is so heavy-handed at time, the fact that Bertuccelli’s inspiration was a novel becomes abundantly clear. One imagines the novel, title Our Father Who Art in the Tree, reads like a Steinbeck or Faulkner saga, with perhaps a touch of Harper Lee in Australia.
It’s not a bad film, nor is it a great one. Morgana Davies is wonderful as a bereft little girl, daddy’s favorite. In a brief but moving performance, Aden Young imbues Peter O’Neill with life and warmth, happiness and dedication. His death blindsides his family and the loss is felt by the viewer as well. Charlotte Gainsbourg is exactly what you’d expect - a fragile and broken French expatriate, widowed mother of four. There’s no denying the love she bears for her children, but one has to question the decisions she makes as the tree next to the house overtakes her yard, her house, her children, her relationships. After eight months of mourning, Dawn meets George (Marton Csokas, who is somehow reminiscent of Richard Coyle) and endeavors to move on, with George’s help. Where do you think the story is going? You’re probably right.
Ingenuity isn’t the point here, though; it’s poetry, something The Tree has in spades. Accepting that, it’s possible to enjoy The Tree and appreciate the Australian landscape. Maybe you’ll even walk away wanting to read the book - I know I did. But I can’t help but think that it could have had a much more satisfying conclusion...
I’m not sure if The Tree is a film as much as an exercise in symbolism. Nevermind the fact that Julie Bertuccelli’s film has the misfortune of being released so closely to Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life, potentially losing audience from a confused population. It may have its problems, but I was more interested in the heart of The Tree than the headiness of Tree of Life (which is why I saw one film instead of the other). Still, It’s difficult to think of The Tree as a film. The symbolism is so heavy-handed at time, the fact that Bertuccelli’s inspiration was a novel becomes abundantly clear. One imagines the novel, title Our Father Who Art in the Tree, reads like a Steinbeck or Faulkner saga, with perhaps a touch of Harper Lee in Australia.
It’s not a bad film, nor is it a great one. Morgana Davies is wonderful as a bereft little girl, daddy’s favorite. In a brief but moving performance, Aden Young imbues Peter O’Neill with life and warmth, happiness and dedication. His death blindsides his family and the loss is felt by the viewer as well. Charlotte Gainsbourg is exactly what you’d expect - a fragile and broken French expatriate, widowed mother of four. There’s no denying the love she bears for her children, but one has to question the decisions she makes as the tree next to the house overtakes her yard, her house, her children, her relationships. After eight months of mourning, Dawn meets George (Marton Csokas, who is somehow reminiscent of Richard Coyle) and endeavors to move on, with George’s help. Where do you think the story is going? You’re probably right.
Ingenuity isn’t the point here, though; it’s poetry, something The Tree has in spades. Accepting that, it’s possible to enjoy The Tree and appreciate the Australian landscape. Maybe you’ll even walk away wanting to read the book - I know I did. But I can’t help but think that it could have had a much more satisfying conclusion...
Monday, August 15, 2011
Beginners
I’d seen headlines buzzing with rumors about the excellent quality of Beginners. Imagining the film crafted from the story outlined in a summary, it’s easy to see where the brilliant performances germinated. What’s unexpected about Beginners is the unique way in which the relationships are revealed and developed. Writer/director Mike Mills has crafted an exceptionally beautiful picture of love and loss in contemporary (2003) Los Angeles. It’s about teaching an old dog new tricks; it’s about facing the challenges posed to the identity a person develops over years of experience, and deciding to change – even when change is difficult and life seems to point in a different direction.
At 38, Oliver Fields (Ewan MacGregor) has lost not one but two parents to cancer. His father Hal spent his last years relishing his revised identity as an openly gay man, despite having spent most of his life married to Oliver’s mother. Despite his concern for his father’s health, or perhaps because of it, Oliver is inspired by Hal’s vitalty and happiness. With Hal’s death Oliver is overtaken by sadness, becoming inseparable with his father’s dog Arthur and devoing himself to his job as a graphic designer. When his friends force him to attend a costume party (with Arthur in tow), one woman sees through his façade to the vulnerable man behind it. They’re made for each other, Anna and Oliver. She’s a French actress living in a hotel, and he’s a commitmentphobe waiting for The Right One. They’ve both run away from previous relationships but now confront the very real possibility of ending up alone.
In many ways, Beginners is an apt companion film to Tom Ford’s A Single Man. Flashbacks, loneliness, life in the fifties, the repression of the gay lifestyle and its effect on love in the now, Beginners as an illustration of what became of Firth’s peers in A Single Man. Stylistically, Beginners is completely different, often inserting documentary-style graphics to depict visually what Oliver is trying to express. But what’s truly exquisite about Mike Mills’ film is the bittersweet moments, the love and loss intertwined, enveloping love juxtaposed with heartbreak and suffering - and laughter. Whether it’s the humor found in an unexpected moment or an awkward truth hitting home, we all turn to laughter at one point or another, as we need a way to cope.
The performances in Beginners are excellent, with each of the starring quartet (Christopher Plummer, Ewan MacGregor, Mélanie Laurent, and the Jack Russell playing Arthur) earning their accolades. Plummer’s masterful navigation of difficult emotions is incredible, and Ewan MacGregor gives a beautifully comfortable performance as Oliver. A man with so much and so little to lose, determined to do better than his parents and unwilling to settle, Oliver is someone with whom most viewers can identify. Mélanie Laurent is both classic and foreign, a blend of Meg Ryan with Marion Cotillard, quite possibly capable of being anybody’s dream girl, nevermind Oliver’s. The dog’s appeal goes without saying - but the accompanying subtitles are priceless. More importantly, the role Arthur plays in the story is too important to be ignored. Arthur is love: undeniable, irrevocable love.
Love is a sort of baptism - once you’ve experienced it, you emerge anew, beginning again. It is eternal, remaining long after the object of one’s affections is gone. In Beginners, Mike Mills proves that you’re never too old to begin again, and that really, in life and in love, you’re never really finished.
At 38, Oliver Fields (Ewan MacGregor) has lost not one but two parents to cancer. His father Hal spent his last years relishing his revised identity as an openly gay man, despite having spent most of his life married to Oliver’s mother. Despite his concern for his father’s health, or perhaps because of it, Oliver is inspired by Hal’s vitalty and happiness. With Hal’s death Oliver is overtaken by sadness, becoming inseparable with his father’s dog Arthur and devoing himself to his job as a graphic designer. When his friends force him to attend a costume party (with Arthur in tow), one woman sees through his façade to the vulnerable man behind it. They’re made for each other, Anna and Oliver. She’s a French actress living in a hotel, and he’s a commitmentphobe waiting for The Right One. They’ve both run away from previous relationships but now confront the very real possibility of ending up alone.
In many ways, Beginners is an apt companion film to Tom Ford’s A Single Man. Flashbacks, loneliness, life in the fifties, the repression of the gay lifestyle and its effect on love in the now, Beginners as an illustration of what became of Firth’s peers in A Single Man. Stylistically, Beginners is completely different, often inserting documentary-style graphics to depict visually what Oliver is trying to express. But what’s truly exquisite about Mike Mills’ film is the bittersweet moments, the love and loss intertwined, enveloping love juxtaposed with heartbreak and suffering - and laughter. Whether it’s the humor found in an unexpected moment or an awkward truth hitting home, we all turn to laughter at one point or another, as we need a way to cope.
The performances in Beginners are excellent, with each of the starring quartet (Christopher Plummer, Ewan MacGregor, Mélanie Laurent, and the Jack Russell playing Arthur) earning their accolades. Plummer’s masterful navigation of difficult emotions is incredible, and Ewan MacGregor gives a beautifully comfortable performance as Oliver. A man with so much and so little to lose, determined to do better than his parents and unwilling to settle, Oliver is someone with whom most viewers can identify. Mélanie Laurent is both classic and foreign, a blend of Meg Ryan with Marion Cotillard, quite possibly capable of being anybody’s dream girl, nevermind Oliver’s. The dog’s appeal goes without saying - but the accompanying subtitles are priceless. More importantly, the role Arthur plays in the story is too important to be ignored. Arthur is love: undeniable, irrevocable love.
Love is a sort of baptism - once you’ve experienced it, you emerge anew, beginning again. It is eternal, remaining long after the object of one’s affections is gone. In Beginners, Mike Mills proves that you’re never too old to begin again, and that really, in life and in love, you’re never really finished.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
The Help
Somewhere in California, Lindsey Lohan is watching Easy A, watching private showings of Crazy, Stupid, Love and The Help, surrounded by the August issue of Vanity Fair, sobbing. A weeping, heaving tantrum in which she cries, “That was supposed to be me!”
It’s hard to ignore the buzz proclaiming Emma Stone the one to watch. She’s decidedly different from previous Hollywood starlets, with her husky voice and – get this – talent. One of the best things a rising young actor can do is put themselves in quality projects with more experienced professionals to take some unofficial acting lessons. In both Crazy, Stupid, Love and The Help, Stone has done just that. The Help brings undeniable talent to the best-selling book. Viola Davis earned an Academy Award nomination for the quiet power she brought to Doubt, and her Aibileen is unbreakable and brilliant. Allison Janney’s Charlotte Phelan is a mother in the 1960s coping with Southern society women, fiercely independent daughter, and cancer; it’s enough to merit her own movie. Instead Janney brings grace and warmth to a difficult role, giving both Emma Stone and her determined Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan a lot to learn from. A mere seven years older than Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard could give a master class in villainy as she turns in a sharp-clawed, venom-spewing performance as society deb Hilly Holbrook, whose sense of propriety is intertwined with deep-seated racism and a purported belief in “separate but equal.” Beyond the core characters, the supporting cast is also phenomenal. Especially Octavia Spencer as Minny. Her sassiness provides comic relief and an understanding of what a person needs to survive hard times.
The production design is exceptional and evocative, so it’s easy for viewers to follow the emotional journey of the film, which is indeed extensive. The Help captures everything from profoundly personal conflict to the much larger social issues, making them accessable and real. A brilliant title, too, encompassing so many forms of help - asking for it, providing it, needing it, taking it unwillingly, trying to help and failing, wanting to help and being unable. Help yourself to a night at the movies and catch Viola Davis, Allison Janney, and Emma Stone in The Help.
It’s hard to ignore the buzz proclaiming Emma Stone the one to watch. She’s decidedly different from previous Hollywood starlets, with her husky voice and – get this – talent. One of the best things a rising young actor can do is put themselves in quality projects with more experienced professionals to take some unofficial acting lessons. In both Crazy, Stupid, Love and The Help, Stone has done just that. The Help brings undeniable talent to the best-selling book. Viola Davis earned an Academy Award nomination for the quiet power she brought to Doubt, and her Aibileen is unbreakable and brilliant. Allison Janney’s Charlotte Phelan is a mother in the 1960s coping with Southern society women, fiercely independent daughter, and cancer; it’s enough to merit her own movie. Instead Janney brings grace and warmth to a difficult role, giving both Emma Stone and her determined Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan a lot to learn from. A mere seven years older than Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard could give a master class in villainy as she turns in a sharp-clawed, venom-spewing performance as society deb Hilly Holbrook, whose sense of propriety is intertwined with deep-seated racism and a purported belief in “separate but equal.” Beyond the core characters, the supporting cast is also phenomenal. Especially Octavia Spencer as Minny. Her sassiness provides comic relief and an understanding of what a person needs to survive hard times.
The production design is exceptional and evocative, so it’s easy for viewers to follow the emotional journey of the film, which is indeed extensive. The Help captures everything from profoundly personal conflict to the much larger social issues, making them accessable and real. A brilliant title, too, encompassing so many forms of help - asking for it, providing it, needing it, taking it unwillingly, trying to help and failing, wanting to help and being unable. Help yourself to a night at the movies and catch Viola Davis, Allison Janney, and Emma Stone in The Help.
Crazy, Stupid, Love
It feels like it’s been a long time since a romantic comedy rolled around that appealed to adults. Larry Crowne was cute, if perhaps a little naïve, so Crazy, Stupid, Love was a welcome addition to local cinemas. I’d been looking forward to this one for a while – Emma Stone calling Ryan Gosling ‘photoshopped’ in the trailer was extremely promising and clever – and was all too pleased to have caught an advance screening of the film.
What I didn’t know was how very close-to-home it would be. Steve Carrell manages two identities in Hollywood: Michael Scott, and Everyman. I prefer the performances in which he demonstrates his finer acting skills (Little Miss Sunshine, Dan in Real Life), as he does in Crazy, Stupid, Love. As a man blindsided by his wife’s request for a divorce, Carrell is heartbreakingly truthful. It’s a grounded performance for what could have been a pathetic make-over movie. Instead the reality of the situation reveals a depth to the story. Why, exactly, he bonds with Ryan Gosling is a little elusive, but it’s something pardonable under the “it’s a movie!” premise. Gosling is suave and charming in a departure role, bringing his trademark honesty to a womanizing bar hound - if it wasn’t for the hideous bling ring he wears throughout the film, I’d completely understand why the women go home with him. Also, why don’t any of the women return the bar, resenting his womanizing ways? Food for thought.
Julianne Moore is lovely, as usual, and not nearly as weepy as the trailer would have you believe. Emma Stone, however, is exactly the ‘contemporary young independent’ factor that the trailer promotes. Seeing as she’s America’s darling right now, it’s natural that Gosling’s character should fall in love with her from one evening in her company. Surely it helps to imitate the kiss from The Notebook, as well.
Producers have populated the film with dynamite and amusing performers. A major plotline features a 13 year old boy and his unabashed, unrequited love for his babysitter, which is very well played by newcomer Jonah Bobo and up-and-comer Analeigh Tipton. Josh Groban makes a surprise appearance as Emma Stone’s first love interest, while Kevin Bacon and Marissa Tomei bring subtlety to some truly ludicrous situations.
It’s an ensemble comedy that comes together in unexpected ways, and just goes to prove what we already know - everything we do is generated by one of three feelings: Crazy, Stupid, Love.
What I didn’t know was how very close-to-home it would be. Steve Carrell manages two identities in Hollywood: Michael Scott, and Everyman. I prefer the performances in which he demonstrates his finer acting skills (Little Miss Sunshine, Dan in Real Life), as he does in Crazy, Stupid, Love. As a man blindsided by his wife’s request for a divorce, Carrell is heartbreakingly truthful. It’s a grounded performance for what could have been a pathetic make-over movie. Instead the reality of the situation reveals a depth to the story. Why, exactly, he bonds with Ryan Gosling is a little elusive, but it’s something pardonable under the “it’s a movie!” premise. Gosling is suave and charming in a departure role, bringing his trademark honesty to a womanizing bar hound - if it wasn’t for the hideous bling ring he wears throughout the film, I’d completely understand why the women go home with him. Also, why don’t any of the women return the bar, resenting his womanizing ways? Food for thought.
Julianne Moore is lovely, as usual, and not nearly as weepy as the trailer would have you believe. Emma Stone, however, is exactly the ‘contemporary young independent’ factor that the trailer promotes. Seeing as she’s America’s darling right now, it’s natural that Gosling’s character should fall in love with her from one evening in her company. Surely it helps to imitate the kiss from The Notebook, as well.
Producers have populated the film with dynamite and amusing performers. A major plotline features a 13 year old boy and his unabashed, unrequited love for his babysitter, which is very well played by newcomer Jonah Bobo and up-and-comer Analeigh Tipton. Josh Groban makes a surprise appearance as Emma Stone’s first love interest, while Kevin Bacon and Marissa Tomei bring subtlety to some truly ludicrous situations.
It’s an ensemble comedy that comes together in unexpected ways, and just goes to prove what we already know - everything we do is generated by one of three feelings: Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)