What a Jew Does on Christmas: Three Films, One Post

The World's End
The "unofficial trilogy" of Simon Pegg/Nick Frost/Edgar Wright collaborations goes by several names - the Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy, the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy... I could swear I heard a third name for it, somewhere. Regardless, I wasn't expecting much from the film, but a rollicking good time, otherwise I tend to avoid apocalyptic-style plots. I dug it for about half the film... the last half lost me. Not confused-lost, but bored/disinterested-lost. Love Pegg, love Freeman, love the accents - but I think out of the three flavors, Hot Fuzz will be my favorite. Zombies (Shawn of the Dead) aren't my thing.

The Lone Ranger
Curiously, I decided to take notes during the viewing of The Lone Ranger. This is what I had saved on my iPad:

- Questionable story structure - why? Seems like a cop out. Or Night at the Museum. Weird.

- Ruth Wilson! Not nearly as excellent or useful as on Luther. Sad face.

- Armie Hammer, from Mirror Mirror, The Social Network

- Still don't think Depp was right for this, though he was one of the first associated to the project, from early on in his Pirates days.

- Helena Bonham Carter with red hair and a delightful Southern accent that changes her dynamic with Depp. She's actually fun!
- This is about two steps up from Wild Wild West. If that.

- Everything except for Depp is pretty good.

Oy vey. It's a tough one to call, in a way. I really wanted to like it; I had high hopes for Armie Hammer after seeing him in Mirror Mirror, but it doesn't look like leading man is really in his basket. Maybe for a Hallmark Channel romantic comedy. And Ruth Wilson, who is so sexy and such a badass on the BBC's Luther opposite Idris Elba... what a disappointment to have her burdened with a corset and an American accent. Ugh.

I'd like to avoid talking about Depp and all the reasons that he's The Lone Ranger's downfall, so all I'll say is this, about how I think this project happened. Bruckheimer was sitting on the project, and during a wrap party for one of the dozen Pirates of the Caribbean movies, he challenged director Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp to a drinking game, or maybe a some Texas Hold 'Em. Upon winning (there may have been cheating involved), Bruckheimer signed Verbinski and Depp to this back-pocket project called The Lone Ranger. The rest shall be judged by history. And me. Which I've already done.

Saving Mr. Banks
Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks. If that doesn't spell GOOD MOVIE, I don't know what does. Two truly delightful performers in iconic roles - watch their minds go as they spar. With a dynamite supporting cast, Thompson shines as curmudgeonly P.L. Travers, authoress of Mary Poppins. Lauded by critics, the movie delivers on quality, if perhaps coming short of its hype.

As highlighted by Ms. Thompson's outspoken feminism, Mrs. Travers is a delightfully unromantic character, an atypical role for women in Hollywood. She is not a mother, nor does she aspire to be, she has no romantic designs on any of the male characters, she is intelligent, respectable, proud, but not cold. Though there are few roles like this, I have to wonder if the rarity of the role is real reason Ms. Thompson continues to be nominated for high profile awards, but without a win. Much as I love Emma Thompson, I don't think it's an award-winning performance, though I support the nomination in so far as it raises the visibility and validity of positive cinematic roles for women.

Similarly, we know Tom Hanks is very good at suggesting the older Walt Disney - though they bear no likeness to one another, they have been recognized as likeable public figures (Hanks more so than Disney). Still, without the supporting cast, our stars would have little to work with. In flashbacks, Colin Farrell is remarkably charming and paternal (where have you been, Colin Farrell?), with Ruth Wilson as his long-suffering wife. Pay careful attention to what you see, versus what you are told about these people - memory works in funny ways. In 1950s Hollywood, Travers is invited to work with a team of Disney collaborators. Bradley Whitford plays scriptwriter Don DaGradi, subject to the harsh scrutiny of Mrs. Travers' particular eye. I find that Whitford always has a soft spot in my heart, though I have no idea why, but it works in his favor as he endeavors to win over Mrs. Travers. Music and lyrics for the film were to be provided by the brothers Sherman, Robert (B.J. Novak, who may always be "B.J. Novak of The Office") and Richard (Jason Schwartzman). Outside the rehearsal room, Travers befriends her Disney-provided chaffeur, Ralph (an endearing Paul Giamatti). We know the film gets made, so the suspense isn't what keeps us watching - it's the dynamic between the various and gifted performers.

While I may not have been wowed, per say, by Saving Mr. Banks (I think it was a disservice to reveal a plot point in the title), I was quite satisfied and pleased with the result. Perhaps that's my tendency toward an English sensibility coming out.

* Listing as recommended for Saving Mr. Banks.

The Kitchen

I was perusing the Independent category on Netflix and found that a film whose trailer I had seen ages ago was now streaming. I actually enjoy watching films like The Kitchen after they've left cinemas. There's something much more intimate and much less pretentious about them, once they've made their way to my living room.

The Kitchen stars Laura Prepon (yes, that Laura Prepon, Donna from That 70s Show) as Jennifer, a young art manager who's turning 30. Her roommates and friends are throwing a birthday party for her, despite the fact that her boyfriend of two and a half years revealed his infidelity the night before. It's very much what you'd expect from a house-party film, with the saving grace of integrity for a few central characters. Jennifer and her sister Penny (a very funny Dreama Walker) have their own baggage to deal with, never mind a houseful of campy secondary characters with chaotic, if realistic, stereotypical subplots. 

The reason The Kitchen works at all is the perfect dynamic struck between Laura Prepon, Dreama Walker, Matt Bush, and Tate Ellington. Everyone else flows around them like a stream. I actually do buy Prepon and Walker as siblings, with Prepon sporting her naturally blonde locks, and Walker taking on the sassy role, whereas her performance as June on Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 had her playing the doe-eyed country girl. But this is so much more fun! Matt Bush is Stan, the friend hopelessly in love with Jennifer; Tate Ellington (who also costarred on Don't Trust the B, as June's ex, Steven) is charming and adorable as roommate Kenny, whose heart belongs to Penny.

Even with the conceit that the entirety of the action takes place in the kitchen, the film stays fresh, moving the camera and making use of the various entrances and exits - and windows. Director Ishai Setton lets the action play out fast and loose, but keeps a close hold on the reins. 

We've all been to parties like Jennifer's, even if we haven't been at the center of the drama. When it's over, the lack of total resolution actually works - because that's how life is. And at less than 90 minutes, it doesn't last as long as those tedious, high-school, house-party films. You could do worse to have The Kitchen make an appearance in your life. 

Page Eight

Masterpiece Theater has is having a resurgence with the remarkable popularity of Downton Abbey, and has been parodied on Sesame Street since 1978 (who could forget Monsterpiece Theater?), but the BBC has produced some truly excellent material for another relative of the classic: Masterpiece Contemporary. Previously, I reviewed (albeit briefly) The Last Enemy, which premiered as the debut presentation from Masterpiece Contemporary. In November 2011, Sir David Hare wrote and directed Page Eight, an old-fashioned intrigue. If Jason Bourne had been English, and well over the hill, perhaps this would have been his story.

Page Eight starts off like a film noir, introducing Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy) on his way home, accompanied by a slick jazz track. He's a long-time employee of MI-5, the UK answer to the CIA, college classmate of the Director General, Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon - are you seeing the caliber of performers here?). When Benedict dies suddenly, it's up to Johnny to find out what plans Benedict had for the unpopular intelligence he'd just revealed. Who was Benedict's source? Why share the information? The information printed at the bottom of page eight will decide: Who stands for country, and who looks out only for his or her career?

Rachel Weisz features as Nancy Pierpan, Johnny's neighbor. Nancy's brother died recently, and she believes his death may have been covered up by the government. Regardless, her tenuous friendship with Johnny is founded in mutual awkwardness, and grieving.

Johnny explains his work at MI-5 by saying, "Deciding who to trust. That's what the job is." My biggest problem with this piece is my own preconceived associations of the actors in the film. While my tendency to trust the esteemed Nighy and Gambon works in their favor, my desire to trust Ralph Fiennes (as Prime Minister Alec Beasley) and Saskia Reeves (as Home Secretary Anthea Catcheside, but familiar from BBC detective series Wallander and Luther) works against the goal of uncertainty or ambivalence. My recognition of Rachel Weisz from her brilliant role as Evelyn in The Shape of Things makes me distrust her, despite Johnny's decision to trust Nancy. 

Page Eight  is slow, but rewarding viewing. Even though Johnny declares himself impartial party in the political tug-of-war started by Benedict's death, the drama takes a rather anti-establishment stance, finding fault in both American and British leadership. With questionable principles on both sides, even Johnny is less neutral than he would like to believe. Even an old man, whose priority had been the good of the country, is apt to doing what's best for those he cares about.

Notes:
- Sir David Hare was hoping for a trilogy; the success of this first installment means that Johnny Worricker, Alec Beasley, Anthea Catcheside and several of their colleagues are set to recur in two forthcoming episodes titled, "Salting the Battlefield" and "Turks & Caicos." We should see these films sometime in 2014. 
- Ewen Bremner will return for the next two films, reprising his role as journalist Rollo Maverley. If he looks familiar, you probably know him from Trainspotting, Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down, or AVP: Alien Vs. Predator. He also gave memorable performances in Death at a Funeral and The Reckoning.
- Need a good jazz score? Composer Paul Englishby provided the music for Page Eight; he also provided a really fun score for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. He's also written the music for Luther and David Tennant's Hamlet. Seriously, how do I get involved with the BBC? Those folks keep good company.

Performer Profile: Kenneth Branagh

Hamlet was first, for me. I was smitten with the ill-fated Prince of Denmark. The infamous four-hour epic film adaptation brought Shakespeare to life with a vibrancy and a clarity I hadn't fully grasped til then. Some thought it was too lavish, too long;-film wasn't supposed to capture the entire play as such, in so much detail, and with so much... zeal. (I believe the word the critics used was "overacting.") Yet, Hamlet was Branagh's fourth screen adaptation of Shakespeare in seven years - surely, he's onto something.

Branagh's first Shakespearean film, Henry V, garnered Best Actor and Best Director Oscar Nominations, but more importantly won him the BAFTA for Best Direction. I thought Branagh's turn as Iago in the Bard's Othello was overlooked, though Hamlet, Henry V, and Much Ado About Nothing have been standard classroom fare since their VHS releases. Less commonly seen was Branagh's musical adaptation of Love's Labour's Lost, which dared to make one of the most challenging comedies light, accessible, frivolous, and fun. I adored this version. Everyone knows Shakespeare to be a poet and the namesake for top wordsmiths, why shouldn't the great standard love songs be held in such esteem? We need only to look at Twelfth Night for the infamous line, "If music be the food of love, play on." It is apt, even if the performers are less than stellar, and Branagh is clearly ten years older than his princely compatriots. If you're surprised to see Alicia Silverstone and Matthew Lillard amongst the cast, keep in mind that this is the man who put Keanu Reeves and Michael Keaton in Much Ado, and Robin Williams as Osric in Hamlet. No one can say Branagh doesn't know how to take chances. 

Branagh has been a big-screen presence for years, directing Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (with himself in the title role), and taking leads in Peter's Friends (with then-wife Emma Thompson), The Gingerbread Man, and Woody Allen's Celebrity. Not every job had to be Shakespearean, top-notch drama, or even high-brow comedy - how else can we explain Dr. Arliss Loveless, of Wild Wild West? A picture like How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog is much more Branagh-worthy.

Highly underrated and unusual, How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog isn't the instructional video its title would have you believe. As Branagh's character Peter McGowen says, "Maybe that's everything in writing - a catchy title." While it does cater to a particular audience - most indie films do, anyhow - the one-liners are deadly, if you can find them in the desert-dry humor. Peter's not doing well, and the stakes are high. You're only as good as your last play, and this current production is struggling. He's not sleeping, his mother-in-law is losing it, there's a strange man claiming to be him, and his wife wants a baby so desperately that she's offered to babysit the girl next door. At first, little Amy is Peter's nemesis: the child his wife wants, the babysitting responsibility he doesn't want, a distraction from his writing, and a girl (women don't tend to favor Peter). But Amy's got a sassy side that takes Peter by surprise, and they become friends. Their unlikely friendship changes Peter, his work, and his home life. As Peter's wife, Melanie, Robin Wright (still using her surname of Penn at the time) is almost unrecognizable, but a sheer delight. The perfect counter to Branagh's curmudgeonly writer. It took several viewings for me to fully appreciate the film, but it's even funnier if you know/realize that these characters - these people - actually exist, somewhere. 

Despite a number of high-profile roles, the title role in Shackleton, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Franklin D. Roosevelt in Warm Springs, and Sir Laurence Olivier in My Week With Marilyn, excellent performances all, Branagh found a home in playing Swedish detective Kurt Wallander in several series for the BBC, based on the novels by Henning Mankell. An unusual structure for a television broadcast, each series consists of three ninety-minute episodes, each a film in its own right. (Sherlock owes its similar contract to the success of Wallander.) Wallander himself is an uncommon figure on telly screens, as he is not the hard-boiled detective so frequently portrayed on crime series. Damaged, yes, clever, absolutely, but there's a soft side to Wallander. His family life is, of course, complicated, and the obstacles he's forced to endure make it seem like he just can't catch a break. He's got a crack team to help him, and his doggedness is endearing. A fourth series is due out in 2014.

For a long time, the press wasn't quite sure what to make of him: wunderkind, or pretentious sod? Since remarrying in 2003, he seems to have settled down, and with Wallander, found favor with audiences and press alike. After a number of directorial duds (sadly including Love's Labours, a widely panned As You Like It, little-seen adaptation of The Magic Flute, and the modern remake of the Michael Caine/Laurence Olivier film Sleuth), Branagh brought his flair for grand scale theatrics to the big screen with Thor. It's thanks to Branagh that we have the Loki phenom of Tom Hiddleston, who previously costarred as one of the good guys in Wallander. In January, Branagh himself will take on the villain role in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, opposite Chris Pine. But first: the Scottish play. 

Macbeth.  Working with co-director Rob Ashford and a cast of nearly thirty, the production dominated the Manchester International Festival, selling out in nine minutes. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect is the locale: performances were held in a decommissioned church in Manchester. Audience members sat on both sides of a long, dirt hall of a stage; battle waged back and forth, even through rain. When they appear, the Weird Sisters earn their name, and with the church for a backdrop, themes of demonic possession are easily evoked. Alex Kingston (Doctor Who's River Song) is a worthy companion (haha!) for Branagh's Lady Macbeth. It's a testament to the wizened Branagh that he so generously shares the limelight, rather than dominates it. As wonderful as he is in the leading role, it's the supporting cast that makes Macbeth so good. Ray Fearon's Macduff stands out, as soon as he begins to recruit natural heir Malcom (Merlin's Alexander Vlahos) to reclaim his throne. Norman Bowman's Ross reminded me of Willem Defoe (that's a compliment), and Daniel Ings's Porter provided some much needed comic relief. Watching Shakespeare without concurrent study of it can be challenging, but Macbeth is entertaining, at the least. The vocal work is impeccable, from the strange intonations and deliveries of the Weird Sisters, to the variation in cadence from Branagh himself, which is always enlightening.

Leaving the theater, I couldn't help but think, "Branagh's still got it." He's a long way from retirement, and I expect we'll see many more important, creative contributions from him.



Notes:
- The last time I was at the Avon, it was to see Benedict Cumberbatch in Frankenstein. (I called it "FrankenBatch.") This time, it was Kenneth Branagh in Macbeth (I call it "MacBranagh"). Both productions are produced by the National Theatre in London; both men have played Victor Frankenstein.
- Branagh is a real-life Frankenstein. By casting Hiddleston as Loki, he has created a monster. I'm hilarious.
- Wait for it... Branagh's Chamber of Secrets costar Daniel Radcliffe is set to play Igor to James McAvoy's Frankenstein in a January 2015 release. It should go without saying, but: release date subject to change. When's Hiddleston's Frankenstein going to surface? Was he not invited to the club? Is that why he left Wallander? (Just kidding. I'm pretty sure I made that up.)
- With the new Jack Ryan film, both Benedict Cumberbatch and Kenneth Branagh will have played villains opposite Chris Pine. What would happen if we pitted them against each other? What project would that be? Julius Caesar? An all-male cast of All About Eve? Perhaps Branagh would be willing to play Claudius in the (rumored) Cumberbatch Hamlet next fall in the West End.
- Macbeth Composer Patrick Doyle has worked on eleven films with Kenneth Branagh, starting with Henry V. He will be providing the music for Branagh's upcoming Cinderella, starring Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Lily James, and Richard Madden.

Double Feature: Frankenstein and The Fifth Estate

I promise I do not intend to write a love letter. It's true that the primary reason I saw both Frankenstein and The Fifth Estate is Benedict Cumberbatch - but none of my favorite performers have ever been exempt from my critical eye. Liev Schreiber, Marion Cotillard, Lee Pace. No one's perfect.

Except Cumberbatch.

Just kidding.

But seriously: when London's National Theatre produced Frankenstein in 2011, Benedict Cumberbatch had not yet achieved fame stateside, though his renown Sherlock had already made it's mark in the UK. Still, with three huge names to carry the show, it did not require that the 'Batch' (as he is [too?] affectionately known by his fans) carry the entire production. In the screening I attended (Halloween at the Avon in Providence), Cumberbatch played the Creature, while Jonny Lee Miller fulfilled the role of creator, Victor Frankenstein. Directed by Danny Boyle - whose award winning work includes Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, Trainspotting, and the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games - this faithful and dynamic adaptation by playwright Nick Dear has been brought to vibrant life. (Get it? Brought to life? Like Frankenstein's monster? I'm hilarious.)

I'm reticent to apply the word 'visionary' to someone whose best work is composed almost entirely of adaptations of novels, but there's something to be said for the director who encourages his designers to push boundaries, be creative, push the poetry and metaphors of what they're doing. I've just looked up the creative team - the lighting designer's name is Bruno Poet. It is apt. Mark Tildesley's set is exceptionally dynamic, quickly establishing locales, themes, and actively facilitating the incredible performances within. Truly, the emotional impact of those performances was enhanced by the scenic design. Really remarkable work. Equally remarkable is the fact that the superior design work is not lost on screen. While I can't say what influence it bears over a live audience, I know that I am seldom impressed or even satisfied with the filmed version of a staged show. This is the third year that the National Theatre has broadcast or redistributed Frankenstein, the demand is so great. The actual run of the show frequently sold out, and subsequent screenings of the production have been a no-brainer. With something as thematically relevant as Frankenstein, perfect for Halloween capitalization, especially after one of the stars rode a rocket to international fame.

The Batch's costar, Jonny Lee Miller, is no stranger to American audiences either. Whether you liked him in Trainspotting, Dexter, Eli Stone, or most recently as Sherlock Holmes on Elementary, he may strike you as somewhat familiar. His husky voice is an unexpected choice for Victor Frankenstein, but we must remember that Boyle cast Cumberbatch and Miller with the intension of having the actors alternate leading roles. I wonder what Miller's voice would have brought to the Creature. Cumberbatch, on the other hand, is a man you would expect to play a scientist - which he's done, in Hawking. It's more interesting, then, to see him put his lanky frame to use as the Creature. In a pre-show featurette, Cumberbatch says his physicality as the Creature was drawn from footage of stroke survivors, grown men and women re-learning how to use their bodies, a choice that is suddenly so strikingly obvious and relevant, I'm amazed to have not seen it before. Props to Toby Sedgwick, whose guidance as director of movement likely nurtured the development of that choice. Miller, incidentally, indicates that there is much of his two-year-old in his Creature. If the Avon had screened the alternate casting as well, I would have stayed! I envy those who have been able to see both versions.

I laughed, I cried; I was incredibly moved. Whether it owes to Cumberbatch, the material, the production values, the combination thereof - we shall see, as I've since been inspired to catch further broadcasts from the NTLive.

Frankenstein shot Cumberbatch to the fore and earned him an Olivier Award for his performances as Victor Frankenstein and the Creature, Star Trek Into Darkness was completely dominated by him, his AMA (Ask Me Anything) interactive interview on Reddit.com was hugely popular and has been cited in subsequent media, and yet the September release of The Fifth Estate was, by all accounts, a failure. Too much press? Not enough press? Did Assange burn the Batch? (I'm hilarious, how am I still single? But I digress...)

Not going to lie: the movie's a mess. It feels like the team effort of a bunch of film students. The opening sequence, in which we get brief summary of journalism, is stylistically different from the rest of the film. Inconsistent visual style combined with an inconsistent script, a story reliant on men typing away at computers; it's not a good mix. Ideas about Assange's youth wedged into the story via some early bromance scenes with Berg, the screenplay constantly shifts focus between Berg, Assange, and the infamous leak of classified US military documents, all while grasping at big ideas about whistle-blowing, morality, and privacy. I'm not sure if the film wants to be about people or ideas. I attended the film with the understanding that it is a fiction, not a documentary, not a retrospective, but a fiction, yet even the fiction remains unclear.

There's no doubt that the events suggested in the film played out differently, but with such a recent, controversial, unresolved story, I also have no doubt that the film was poorly conceived and executed. The performances are superb, without question, and not just Cumberbatch, whose Assange is fascinating, if not entirely likeable, but Daniel Brühl as Daniel Berg is excellent (though he does have the advantage of being in the bias of the source material). It's almost a shame that Cumberbatch has been the primary press figure, because so much of the film belongs to Brühl. Of course, allowing Brühl to become the face of the film would be to emphasize the bias of the film. Marketing and public relations for the movie were likely counting on Cumberbatch's inherent charm and good favor (with the public) to counter any backlash from Assange or critics as to the films bias. Unfortunately, even in this, The Fifth Estate failed.

So maybe it didn't cement Benedict Cumberbatch as a bankable leading man. All actors have at least one credit they're ready to bury in their résumé.  Cumberbatch needn't worry too much - he's reuinted with Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug as the dragon in the film's title, with roles in 12 Years a Slave and August: Osage County to follow. Plus, there's finally an air date for the third series of Sherlock (January 19th, yay!). 



Notes and trivia:
[Links go to older blog entries unless otherwise indicated.]
- In case you missed it, yes, both Frankenstein leads are playing Sherlock Holmes on television. Cumberbatch stars on the BBC Sherlock while Jonny Lee Miller heads up the cast of Elementary for CBS.
- In another round of "It's A Small World After All," both Cumberbatch and Miller costarred film projects with Robert Carlyle (Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin on Once Upon a Time). Cumberbatch worked with Carlyle on the very excellent miniseries The Last Enemy, while Miller was in Plunkett and Macleane with him. Plunkett and Macleane also featured Liv Tyler, who is lucky enough to have gone a date with Cumberbatch, like, once.
- The Fifth Estate had two cast members whose names were familiar to me, but it wasn't until I got home later that I realized just who they were. Peter Capaldi, who plays the editor of The Guardian, was recently announced as the 12th Doctor. Anthony "Where-Have-I-Seen-Him-Lately" Mackie was also looking handsome in Runner Runner, and someone I recognized from Man on a Ledge and The Hurt Locker.
- Make fun all you want, but at least a good number of people know Benedict Cumberbatch by name. Upon seeing Dan Stevens onscreen in The Fifth Estate, I could only think, "Matthew Crawley!" (That's Stevens's character on Downton Abbey.)
- For more information on what's coming from the National Theatre Live, visit their website. Upcoming productions include Macbeth with Kenneth Brannagh and Coriolanus with Tom Hiddleston.
- Other Double Feature blog posts highlighted films from Greta Gerwig and Mark Duplass. Who's next?



* Listing as Recommended for Frankenstein (obviously).

Runner, Runner

It's rare that I see a film without having first watched the trailer, but Runner Runner was one of those films. My friend assured me that the trailer had been available on IMDB.com, which I realized was true, but I'm not particularly interested in Ben Affleck films, I'm not apt to click on one of his trailers. And for those of us not in the know, what kind of title is Runner Runner anyway? Sounds like a movie about the Boston Marathon, or that tribe of people that run barefoot. Actually, it's a poker term, referencing a hand that makes use of the final two dealer draws to win. I think that's as clear as I can make it without using other, potentially unfamiliar poker jargon... I used Wikipedia to learn that much.

Runner Runner is hardly about poker, though, so if you're there to see Timberlake and Affleck, you'll do fine. If you're there to see Gemma Arterton, you'll do better. She's gorgeous, and infinitely more interesting than the other characters in the film. She's also the one with the least crap dialogue. Somehow, the shoddy script was greenlit, produced by DiCaprio (among others), and handed to relative newcomer Brad Furman for direction. While Furman's Lincoln Lawyer was well received, Runner Runner arrived in theaters with a thud. Big name stars, contemporary premise (online gaming mogul hires young grad student as protege), and an exotic locale (Costa Rica) are not enough to save this tired story.

As a former director myself, I've got lots of ideas for how to improve the film, but most of them would have meant starting from scratch. There are numerous articles perpetuating rumors that the studio pressured Furman to 'soften' Affleck's character, and that Affleck had Argo editor William Goldberg make changes to the final cut of the film - but the real problem is deeper than that. It goes back to the script, some of the choices, and for me, the terrible costuming.

It may sound silly, but I was irritated and distracted by the boring choices that probably came from the actors' own wardrobes. If you're a villain, you wear black. If you're young and innocent, you wear light colors. Plaid stripes to seem boyish, impish, effected by the villain. A green dress for temptation, red dress for seduction. It's boring, textbook, and obvious. It's like watching a moderately assembled student film.

As far as the performance goes, I find Timberlake fun to watch. Most critics fault Timberlake's acting for much of the film's failure, but I beg to differ. He may have picked a lot of terrible projects, but I'm more interested in his films than his music (nothing good since "Sexyback," if you ask me). His character, Richie Furst, is woefully inconsistent (so intelligent, yet so dumb), and I wouldn't know who to blame. Furman? The script writers? Timberlake? The editors - in their choice of which take to use? The doe-eyed surprise he brings to the second act doesn't match the tenacity of the first. As for Affleck, I've never been fan (though I admit I have not yet caught Argo), so it only helped that I wasn't supposed to like him as Ivan Block. Yet audiences seem to have forgiven him for Gigli, so maybe there's hope for Timberlake.

Gemma Arterton plays Block's girlfriend/associate Rebecca, bringing the only real allure to the film, even if the role is contrived. Anthony Mackie is entertaining as the FBI agent pursuing Block, and I rather liked Michael Esper and Oliver Cooper in the thankless roles of Furst's grad school buddies, recruited by Furst to advance the company.

Put any B-list performers in the roles of Furst and Block, and the flop would be less of a surprise. It's mediocre material that will play fine on the small screen, or in a marathon of terrible gambling flicks, but no wonder audiences flocked to Gravity and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. Everything about Runner Runner - from the title to the casting to the fact that it starts out in Jersey - is urging you to stay away.

Music: Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo Tour 2013

You've gotta admire the perseverance and dedication of a couple who have been performing the same songs for thirty five years. I'm pretty sure I would have quit, had a nervous breakdown, and/or shot myself in the foot, at least. Instead Benatar maintains a wizened humor, saying, "I'm not doing 'Heartbreaker' in a walker." My concert companion and I agree that while she may not want to, we're pretty sure she could (if and when she gets there). In the meantime, Benatar looks damn good, having hit her stride in 1979 and still going strong in 2013, chunky black booties and fitted black pants - she's stylish and looking fab, sporting a cropped red 'do that suits her powerful, anthemic rock n' roll repertoire.

At her side, as he has been for the majority of Benatar's career, is Neil Giraldo, aka Spyder. Spyder and Pat recently celebrated their thirty-first wedding anniversary, and they have my vote for greatest love story in rock and roll. Spyder is a force all his own, and the duo complement each other perfectly. In her autobiography Between a Heart and a Rock Place, Pat says that when she met Spyder, it became clear that they had the same vision for the music, a dynamic interplay between strong vocals and driving guitar. It's a signature of their performances, and the reason that my ticket is for Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Tour 2013. It's fascinating, to me, that once Pat finishes singing, she turns around, she walks out of the spotlight, and Spyder is right there to pick it up. They're dynamite, and at Boston's House of Blues it really does have the "Behind the Music" feel Spyder alluded to - an informal, intimate music hour in their domain. To their credit, it truly seems they're having fun. For a first-time concert goer like me, it feels like a warm welcome.

Yet, not all my feelings are mushy, gushy stuff. I can only hope it was a miscommunication that caused the show to start at eight instead of seven-thirty... Pat doesn't seem like a diva. She's still singing all our favorite songs, even when it means staying out of her upper register. Several of the arrangements were altered, keeping them in the lower range of her voice - still brilliant, but not the same. We know she's still got the pipes, hitting those higher notes only rarely, but whether it's for comfort, or sickness, or exhaustion as she nears the end of the tour, I don't know.

All the same, we had a great time rocking out to the greatest of the greatest hits - All Fired Up, Invincible, Hell is for Children, Promises in the Dark, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, and as part of the epic epilogue, the unmistakable Heartbreaker. Catch them while you can: the Benatar/Giraldo tour is a show not to be missed.

Official website: http://benatargiraldo.com/

White House Down

Die Hard goes to Washington, with a hot, young hero. There's not much else to be said about the absurd and bombastic summer blockbuster. John Cale was only trying to win over his daughter's affections by taking her on a tour of the White House. Little did he know that he'd be fighting for his life - and the President's - before nightfall.

Honestly, I didn't even want to dignify the film with a post - it's popcorn fare, what else is there to say about it? One or two decent jokes, and thank God for Aussie Jason Clarke as a black-clad baddie. His American accent is excellent, and his blue eyes are a welcome distraction from... the rest of the film. Seriously, Hollywood, stop making the bad guys so attractive!

That's all.

Man of Steel

This is going to be divisive. I was really excited for Man of Steel. I remember when Henry Cavill's name was being bandied about for the last film, and I thought then that he would make a great Superman. I liked him in The Count of Monte Cristo, which was about all he had done at the time. Look at him, though. He's a perfect specimen, who did a great job with what he was given. But what the crap was that? I think it might have been about twenty pages of dialogue (if you know how movie scripts are formatted, it might be about fifty), and a hundred-fifty pages of flying/fighting/explosions. 

I wanted to like Zach Snyder's Watchmen movie, too, but I had many of the same feelings then as I did with Man of Steel. I wonder if Snyder knows that not every moment in an epic is epic - not every single beat needs to be imbued with self-importance. Man of Steel has a hard line to walk, for sure. It doesn't want to be Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (which I quite enjoyed as a series), or Smallville (about Clark's adolescence and teenage drama), or Superman Returns (I knew not to waste my time on that one), but it never captures the magic of 1978's classic Superman that introduced us to Christopher Reeve as our nation's favorite hero. Not even with Kevin Costner surrounded again by his Field of Dreams cornstalks. 

None of which is to say that the film is without merit. On the contrary, some of the choices were well-made, and the performances were good. How fascinating, that the infamous "S" is not a letter but a symbol, for hope. Things we learn from Jor-El. Russell Crowe is much more comfortable than the last time we saw him onscreen (coughLesMiserablescough), that's for sure. His Jor-El figures more prominently in the story than I'd have imagined, becomes more of a father figure than one might have expected for Kal-El/Clark. As the other father figure, Costner is great as Jonathan Kent. With Diane Lane for Martha, they're apple pie and lemonade, American midwest personified, loving and affectionate parents for a child whose senses are out of this world (har har). 

Before I go further, I should say that I fully and readily admit that I have not read the comics. I do not know exactly what deviations have been made from the canon, but boy do I have some questions I would like to pose to someone who does. Man of Steel poses that Jonathan Kent's demise is an early, formative event for Clark - does he lose his father so soon? Man of Steel also poses that Lois uncovers Clark's secret far earlier than she traditionally has. This may be logical, and an extension of the progress of feminism and a rejection of the idea that an intelligent lady reporter couldn't figure out where the bloke in the cape came from. Not that it seems terribly difficult for her, either. Arctic terrain? No biggie. Lied about his work history and references? Amateur. It's not even supposed to be questioned, or a plot point - she just finds him. Adams's daintiness is a physical complement to Cavill's chiseled physique, but I'm not quite sure I buy her as a reporter apt to get into trouble. But who was our last Lois? Kate Bosworth? Maybe it means I've watched too much television, but Terri Hatcher struck me as a great Lois Lane. Where's the girl with gumption? 

There's no doubt that director Snyder has a taste for visuals and a knack for action scenes, but I do wish someone had done something to rein in that script. Early trailers made it clear that this would be about Superman's past, about growing up to become Superman, but there's so much material here that any pronounced themes are obscured by whatever was going on with the film's timeline. At times, it feels like a stream-of-consciousness thing, free-association, with video. The shadings of light and dark that were promised by the morality questions raised, even in the film's trailer, are all awash. Nothing struck me quite so much as when a young Clark asks his father if he was to let his classmate die, and Jonathan says, "Maybe." What? But Clark's struggle is never about right or wrong, it's unfailingly about identity and self-discovery, and blah blah blah. Don't even get me started on the way things end for our villain. Michael Shannon plays General Zod, and I remember hearing six or seven years ago when he was in The Pillowman that he was very good. Unfortunately, his big threat to "harvest the Codex from [Kal-El's] corpse" and whatever, was totally eclipsed by Khan's "I will walk over your cold corpses to recover my people" in Star Trek Into Darkness. Seen it!

Ah, now there's a movie that knows how to blend action, plot, humor, battle, and sexy, sexy actors into a damn good time. Excuse me, while I go see Star Trek again.


Notes:
- The spaceships are phallic or floral, or they look like Nero's ship from Abrams's 2009 Star Trek. And yet Jor-El rides a dragon? What?
- This Reddit post, or this fact: both of this Superman's fathers (Crowe and Costner) have played Robin Hood.
- Metropolis is a real place, but it's not in Kansas. There is a Superman statue in Metropolis, Illinois, a Supermuseum, and The Weekly Planet. 
- I just read that Stana Katic voiced Lois Lane in a recent animated Superman feature (Superman: Unbound). Anyone who watches Castle will agree: that's brilliant casting. Although it would be tough if not impossible to find a Superman better looking than she. Matt Bomer voiced the hero opposite Katic. He's also been up for the live-action role more than once. 
- Who doesn't love Christopher Meloni? 

What Maisie Knew

I'm fascinated by adaptations. What things were chosen for inclusion, bits left out, details changed - and why? That's the real question. Adaptations are part of our artistic culture; in the Early Middle Ages, performers would adapt scenes from the Bible. Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky is currently in production with his big-screen adaptation of Noah's ark. As we know from the recent Great Gatsby film, the Hunger Games trilogy, etc., people can be extremely sensitive about their adaptations. The more beloved a text, the louder the outcry. This may (partly) explain why Nancy Doyne and Caroll Cartwright chose a lesser-known, rarely adapted Henry James work for their most recent project.

(Note: I haven't read the book yet. I used Wikipedia.)

For the film, Doyne and Cartwright have updated James's 1897 novel What Maisie Knew to modern day, with modern names and values, giving the parents suitable careers, and providing what sounds like a happier resolution (than the novel's). Maisie's mother, Susanna, is an aging rock star, who can't seem to give enough attention to her marriage, her career, and her daughter. Beale, Maisie's father, has business prospects that keep sending him abroad, or providing him with excuses to cover his extramarital affairs. Maisie herself is a happy girl - excepting the times she hears her parents argue, having to fall asleep to the din, waking in the middle of the night to the doorbell after Susanna changes the locks to spite Beale. When they divorce, Susanna and Beale are forced to share custody of Maisie, shuffling her back and forth every ten days. Which, as difficult as this must be for Maisie, seems to be even more of a challenge for her parents. Unable to take responsibility themselves, Susanna and Beale rely on their new significant others (a sexy bartender for Susanna and Maisie's former nanny for Beale) to help keep control of the situation. Maisie, dear, sweet, sensitive, thoughtful Maisie, quietly goes where she's sent, waiting patiently, adrently loving each of her caretakers individually. Maisie tries to make the best of her bad situation. She gets two rooms, two sets of toys - and while it's seems less likely that her parents are trying to buy her love, it does seem that gifts and treats, intended as distractions, are all they are willing give.

The performances are what drive this film. What fun it must have been for Julianne Moore to play a rock star and mother. In an interview with NPR's Terry Gross, Moore says she found Susanna's inconsistency interesting - the duality of the character that she wanted to play. Party-like-a-rock-star mentality juxtaposed with a wholesome love of her daughter. Inspired by Courtney Love and Patti Smith - Moore is excellent, jealously craving both the spotlight and her daughter's affection. What's a woman to do? On the flip side, there's Steve Coogan's Beale, a detatched father figure who seems content to have his little girl around, but not particularly driven to keep her there. Driven to distraction, it seems, by his commitment to his job. After his divorce, after his remarriage to nanny Margo (Joanna Vanderham), he expects Margo and Susanna to look after Maisie. Both Susanna and Beale love Maisie and want custody - until it conflicts with their career opportunities.

As Maisie's secondary caretakers, Margo and Lincoln do what they can to avoid being caught in the middle. It's hard not to fall in love with Maisie; she's precocious, she loves animals, she's friendly and fun. Onata Aprile is a true find, her big, wet eyes taking in her surroundings, knowing and understanding more than she lets on. She's confident with Joanna Vanderham, which helps us think highly of Margo as a nanny - even if she does take up with Maisie's father rather quickly after the divorce. Lincoln, on the other hand, is a little harder to gauge. I wonder if the filmmakers banked on Alexander Skarsgård's popularity with the ladies to tip the scales in his favor. He's not my type, but the friendship that evolves between Lincoln and Maisie is one that will melt any hardened heart. Maisie's affection is something that Lincoln truly earns, simply by bearing the qualities that every little girl looks for in a man - reliability and respect. They're quite a sight, the tall bartender, whose every shirt bears a hole or a frayed seam, and the little bohemian girl.

What Maisie knows is what her priorities are, who her mother is, and what makes her happy. Old as the story is, this update of Henry James's novel still resonates, and if anything, proves that we as people have not changed so much - despite our technological advances. All the great works illuminate the feelings, hopes, and dreams that do not change through the ages. And so, it is not about the originality of the script, or the innovation of the storytelling, but it is the emotive qualities, the experience that make What Maisie Knew into something special.

Notes:
- Ladies, beware. Adorableness ahead: Skarsgård and Aprile.
- Shockya.com interview with Alexander Skarsgård and Onata Aprile, aka more adorableness.
- Mother roles have been very important to Julianne Moore's career. Noteworthy maternal performances include: Nine Months, The Hours, Far From Heaven, The Forgotten, Trust the Man, The Kids Are Alright, and Crazy, Stupid, Love.
- Did you know Alexander Skarsgård was in Zoolander? Skarsgård played "Meekus," one of Derek's model friends. HAHAHA.

Now You See Me

Do you believe in magic?

Summertime films have crept into theaters this year, with less of a bang than Star Trek Into Darkness, Iron Man 3, or really any of the other films probably would have liked. Box office is fine, but nothing has generated much buzz - at least not in my circles, and not that I've noticed. Well, other than making Benedict Cumberbatch becoming a familiar name on this side of the Atlantic. It's not just me, I saw it on E!

I didn't know what to expect from Now You See Me, but it's a pretty good summertime heist movie - and who doesn't love a good heist? Somewhere in the company of Catch Me If You Can, The Italian Job and the Ocean's Eleven series, there's Now You See Me. Not quite as grand, but entertaining, nonetheless. There's a roster of great performers and an elegance that raises Now You See Me above the blink-and-you-missed-it releases of Seven Psychopaths and Hit and Run a few months back. The cast's sex appeal and the whimsical attitude of Now You See Me helped make my Tuesday night viewing a packed house.

Four illusionists - with their powers combined! - team up to pull off one grand illusion, moving from independent obscurity to international fame with a fantastical bank robbery. From the trailer, it seems that this is their M.O., but there's so much more to it than that. Pursued by the FBI, Interpol, and a former magician who has devoted his career to revealing the tricks of the trade, the Four Horsemen (as the illusionists call themselves) put on a heck of a show in Vegas, New Orleans, and New York City.

French director Louis Leterrier's resume is action films: The Transporter and its sequel, The Incredible Hulk, Clash of the Titans... so it's no surprise that this film feels like a couple of action scenes - and the stuff inbetween. There's no denying that the chase and fight scenes are dynamic, but the character scenes are somewhat lacking. Thankfully, the actors are capable of holding their own. As Daniel Atlas, specialist in slight-of-hand, Jesse Eisenberg revisits a more fun version of his Social Network brand of cocky bastard. Isla Fisher's Henley masters physical illusions, having moved on from playing assistant to Daniel, and infinitely more in her element than she was in The Great Gatsby. Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson, ever the imp) uses his skills as a mentalist to call out the sexual tension between Daniel and Henley. And then there's Jack Wilder, manipulator of objects, youngest of the bunch, least confident, played by Dave Franco - edging out from James's shadow. Pursuing The Four Horsemen are FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo, who I kept expecting to Hulk out) and Interpol agent Alma Dray (Wait, that was her name? What kind of name is that?) Mélanie Laurent plays Dray, lovely, French, with most excellent English. Some performers are fluent in English, and yet something about their character feels like they're mentally translating; Laurent does not. I loved her in Beginners, and she does not disappoint here. What can be said of Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine? That these are hardly among the actors' most memorable roles, though they do entertain.

I understand the need to give Daniel and Henley a backstory (otherwise there is very little but the characters' charm to make us root for them, and no time to establish that), but the maybe-maybe-not that's going on between Laurent's character and Ruffalo's character was a little silly and unbelievable. Y'all know I love New Orleans - but the unsteady cam got to feeling excessive, especially in the morning after Rhodes chased Daniel through Mardi Gras. At least the plot twists were interesting, and fun to watch. No single performer steals the film, but all the elements work together for one grand result. For a summertime movie, Now You See Me is certainly worth seeing.


Notes:
- Eisenberg and Harrelson worked together previously on the comedy Zombieland.
- Didja catch that? Leterrier directs Ruffalo in Now You See Me, but he also directed The Incredible Hulk; Ruffalo played Bruce Banner/Hulk in The Avengers. You may also have noticed that the film reuintes Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, the pair having worked together on Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.
- Producer Alex Kurtzman is having a good summer; he also produced Star Trek Into Darkness.

Family Movies: Angels in the Outfield and How to Train Your Dragon

There have been a lot of external stressors in my life lately, so I decided to take a break from the high-octane drama and action to settle down with some family movies.

First in the lineup was Angels in the Outfield. One of the few movies my sister and I could agree on back in 1994, I must have known even then that Joseph Gordon Levitt was the real deal. Have you ever noticed how many soon-to-be-famous-faces were in this thing? I mean, yes, there's Gordon Levitt and Danny Glover, but Dylan McDermott played JGL's father, Matthew McConaughey was an outfielder, Adrien Brody popped up as a pinch hitter, and I now know that Ben Johnson, playing the Angels' owner, was famous in his own right (recently mentioned/seen in The Last Picture Show). And did you know the film was a remake? Based on a 1951 movie of the same title, Roger is a ward of the state whose father pessimistically guesses that they'll be a family again when last-place hometown team the Anaheim Angels win the pennant. Roger longingly makes a prayer for the Angels to be able to do so, and nothing short of divine interference will help. It's good family fun, wholesome, if less-than-secular. If you want to boil it down to something secular, as they do toward the end of the film, it's about believing in something, even if no one else does, and finally, believing in one's self. Now, it feels like watching someone climb the Hollywood ladder. After Dark Shadows and before Third Rock from the Sun, Angels was a major cinematic role for Gordon Levitt. He has, of course, come a long way since then. In his directorial and screenwriting debut, the forthcoming Don John, Tony Danza plays Joseph Gordon Levitt's father. Life imitates art: in Angels, it's Gordon Levitt's character's idea to pull Danza's character off the disabled list and make him an active player.

(Note: I don't mean to imply that Danza's been disabled. Merely... inactive, in a cinematic kind of way.)

Anyhoo, I also (finally) caught How to Train Your Dragon, and I loved it. I remember shelving the books when I worked at Borders, and hoping that when I have kids that they will want to read them. I imagine the series is wonderful, basing this assumption on the fact that books are almost always better than their subsequent films. Ever since I saw the trailer, it was Jay Baruchel's voice work that intrigued me the most. Baruchel voices Hiccup, the weakling child of a viking leader, relegated to working in a blacksmith's shop instead of fighting dragons. Hiccup's entire village is frequently roasted by fire-breathing dragons attempting to steal the local foodstock, making dragon-slaying a matter of utmost importance to the viking culture. Hiccup manages to wound one particular dragon - and in pursing it in the nearby woods, finds it grounded, missing part of its tail, and unable to fly. Hiccup would seize the opportunity to kill the dragon and achieve fame throughout his village, but he recognizes fear in the dragon's eyes, and instead lets it go. They become friends, and Hiccup slowly but surely learns how to train the dragon. Meanwhile, he attends dragon-slayer training with his peers, suddenly the most skilled of the lot. But how will he reconcile his dragon-wielding ways with the viking's dragon-slaying mission? It's a deftly animated story, and Hiccup's experience with Toothless (the dragon) reminds me a bit of my experience with my cat. Except that my cat will not be trained, and is not likely to come to my defense... so maybe they're nothing alike.

I liked How to Train Your Dragon especially for its imperfectly happy ending. I'm interested to see what the already-slated second and third films will be like... hopefully more in the Toy Story vein than The Land Before Time, ie: more of a saga with developments than a straight-to-video, forgettable serial.

"Hey, it could happen!" - JP, Angels in the Outfield.

Notes:
- How to Train Your Dragon was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2011: Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score (John Powell) and Best Animated Feature Film of the Year. It lost to The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) and Toy Story 3, respectively.
- Both films were based on existing stories. Angels in the Outfield was written by Richard Conlin and published in 1951, How to Train Your Dragon is part of the Hiccup Horrendus Haddock III series by Cressida Cowell.
- Baruchel starred in She's Out of My League with T.J. Miller, who voices Tuffnut in How to Train Your Dragon. Miller worked with Jonah Hill (voicing Snoutlout in HtTYD) on Get Him to the Greek. Hill worked with Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Fishlegs in HtTYD) in Superbad and with Kristen Wiig (Ruffnut in HtTYD) in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Any more connections you guuys know of that I missed? I love this kind of thing - with or without Kevin Bacon.

Star Trek Into Darkness

"Hot guys in every scene, Benedict Cumberbatch being a ninja, an epic bromance for the ages - this movie has EVERYTHING." - Katey Schwind

Wowza! A ringing endorsement from my roommate. J.J. Abrams is back with his Enterprise ensemble, all turning in top-notch performances in Star Trek Into Darkness. This time it's got a concise and yet action-packed plot, giving every ensemble member their moment in the lens flare (which really wasn't as predominant as I had expected).

After reading this (very spoiler-y!) article from io9.com, I totally get why some people - actually Trekkies, people much smarter than me, etc - are disappointed and/or frustrated with the film. Yet, this film is an homage, a love letter to a beloved and highly successful series. (See my recent Gatsby review for more elaboration on how I feel about these kinds of things.) It's not in line with the entire, original canon, it's to be considered entirely on its own, as the sequel of a rebooted franchise. And it's a good time, too! Even if the 3D happened in post-production... and was completely unnecessary. After Gatsby, my concept of good 3D use is not falling debris and floating space trash. I mean, I'll take a 3D Benedict Cumberbatch any day, but I'd prefer the real thing.

Ah, Benedict Cumberbatch. Thank you, for being a reliable judge of quality. I take comfort in knowing that one of your projects will be worth watching, enjoyable, and of course, will feature your considerable talent and presence (also your delicious voice and good looks). I used to count on Lee Pace for so much, but alas, while I was willing to follow along with Marmaduke, I draw the line at Twilight. This, I cannot do.

As I was saying, the whole cast turns in dynamite performances, really benefitting from the direct, well-manicured plot, highly specific motivations and goals, with established relationships and backstories long established. Chris Pine is a little blonder this time around, but still the adrenaline junkie/rough-and-tumble renegade, Kirk. Zachary Quinto returns as the ever-logical Spock, and Zoe Saldana's Uhura still loves him. Underrated, scene-stealing Karl Urban has some of the best and funniest dialogue as McCoy, with Simon Pegg's Scotty a close second. If Benedict Cumberbatch was eighty percent of the reason I wanted to see the movie, Chris Pine was at least five percent, but the witty dialogue was the other fifteen percent. Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman have delivered the expected cleverness, continuing their success from the first of the Star Trek reboot franchise.

Abrams is lucky - his cast feels like a real crew, working together, deferring to one another when needed, and supporting each other in the spotlight. I didn't even mention John Cho (Sulu), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), or Alice Eve (new-to-the-franchise character Carol), but they're all excellent additions (even if Eve's role is gratuitously unclad or altogether unnecessary). If you want a sexist analysis, that could take a few years. So it doesn't pass the Bechdel test. It's a summer-fun action-fest with some fantastic villany and risk-taking heroics. Put on your 3D glasses and enjoy the ride.


Notes:
- IMDB.com lists the languages for this film as English and Klingon.
- Anyone else notice the uncommon amount of blue eyes in this movie? Bright blue - and methinks they highlighted Chris Pine's hair to differentiate him, make him different, on the Good Side.
- Video interview with Simon Pegg and Alice Eve - hilarious! ITN via Youtube.com.
- Video interview with Benedict Cumberbatch - I might have died. Of love.
- Fans of Benedict Cumberbatch call themselves Cumberbitches, or per the actor's suggestion, Cumberbabes. Chris Pine has his own fanbase, who call themselves Pine Nuts.
- For Pine Nuts: Chris's interview with Out Magazine.
- Also, thank you to whomever made this.

The Last Picture Show

"I think one of the reasons younger people don't like older films, films made say before the '60s, is that they've never seen them on a big screen, ever. If you don't see a film on a big screen, you haven't really seen it. You've seen a version of it, but you haven't seen it. That's my feeling, but I'm old-fashioned." - Peter Bogdanovich

Recently, I was privileged to a uniquely cinematic experience - a screening of The Last Picture Show, projected from the original film stock.  The last film to be shown at this particular theater (Cable Car Cinema in Providence, RI, one of my favorite places) before the conversion to digital, the film is both emblematic of what could have happened, had Cable Car not been able to afford the digital conversion technology, and the very reason the cinema will not be closing any time soon. Movies are magic, and a good performance transcends the screen to manipulate your heartstrings as you might toy with a marionette.

The Last Picture Show is about Sonny Crawford, growing up in 1950s Texas, and how his declining small-town of Anarene becomes a ghost town. By the film's end, it's not just the town that feels haunted, it's the people of the town, but none more so than Sonny. It's ironic, to me, that the last film shown at the Anarene picture show is a western, because throughout the film, it occurred to me that the citizens of Anarene were a lot like cattle: grazing, bumping into one another, forming friendships, thinking little of monogamy, waiting for some excitement. It also made me think of a song currently playing on country radio, "Merry Go Round," by Kacey Musgraves... I'll link to the lyrics below.

Based on a book by Larry McMurtry, the film features some really strong performances from its cast. The Last Picture Show saw Oscar nominations for the acting alone: Ben Johnson (who won for his performance as Sam the Lion), Cloris Leachman (also won, for her performance as Ruth Popper), Jeff Bridges (in his screen debut as Duane Jackson), and Ellen Burstyn (as Lois Farrow). They are, of course, all great performances, but at the center of them all is Timothy Bottoms, in his first big role. He may not have been recognized by the Academy, but he is very good as Sonny, the not-quite-golden boy who has an affair with his coach's wife, goes along with the misadventures of his buddies, and is forced to grow up when his mentor and hero, Sam the Lion, dies suddenly.

The story is complicated, and I don't want to give too much away - but you should also know that The Last Picture Show was added by the Library of Congress to the National Film Registry. I think this helps to back up the things I feel, emotionally, are important about the film: the choice to shoot in black and white (to enforce a feeling of bleakness), the powerful acting, the cinematography, the representation of a shadowy period of history (rural America between World War II and the Korean War), and the overwhelming feelings evoked by the film.

While you may not be able to see The Last Picture Show in a theater, the DVD is a part of the acclaimed Criterion Collection, restored and enhanced... a different experience entirely. Perhaps I'll see it again, but I doubt it could top the experience of the original celluoid at Cable Car. All the same, at least the DVD means that we haven't missed the final showing.


Notes:
- Cable Car Cinema's official website
- Video for Kacey Musgrave's "Merry Go Round"
- Lyrics to Kacey Musgrave's "Merry Go Round"
- Bogdanovich shot the film in Larry McMurtry's hometown of Archer City, Texas.
- Ellen Burstyn had her pick of all three adult, female leads - Bogdanovich just wanted to work with her. She asked if she could play Lois, because she thought it the most interesting, and Bogdanovich agreed.
- I realized on my way home from the movie that The Last Picture Show doesn't have a score. The only music in the movie is from radios, record players - a very naturalistic style.
- The final scene with Sonny and Ruth was shot with no rehearsal, in one take.
- Randy Quaid makes his film debut as a wealthy kid from Wichita Falls, pursuing Jacey.
- The role of "Billy" is played by Sam Bottoms - Timothy Bottoms' brother.

The Great Gatsby

Ladies and gentlemen, it has arrived. The gilded gift that is Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby has finally hit theaters. I have so much I need to say, and much of which I don't want to have to say. (What?)
 
My friends and family have asked if the film was everything I had hoped, and to answer truthfully, I would have to say no. I had hoped that Luhrmann and company would surpass my moderate expectations, rather than meet them. Yet I had no qualms about seeing the movie twice, (once in 3D, once in 2D,) and managed to enjoy myself on both occasions. I feel very strongly, however, that my background knowledge of both the novel and Luhrmann's approach to it were helpful in my ability to appreciate this latest adaptation.

To begin with, let me express my feelings on a particular subject, and that is the idolization of the original F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Mistake me not! I love The Great Gatsby. I have, however, come to the realization that Fitzgerald's story of disillusionment is what endures and speaks to us today. Since its publication in 1925, The Great Gatsby has inspired five film adaptations, several staged productions, at least one opera, pop songs, pop culture references, and undoubtedly there exists fan fiction. Think of it; as with any great work, or any form of expression, it is an inspiration. Each variation is just that - a variation. As Luhrmann was able to adapt Romeo + Juliet to appeal to contemporary audiences, he has sought to put Gatsby on screen: with bright colors, a driving pulse, popular music, and extraordinary costumes. A great deal of thought and analysis went into the preproduction and filming (if not postproduction, the problems with which I'll get to later).

Ever since the news of the film's release date coinciding with my birthday, I've been closely following the bread crumbs Luhrmann's been offering to the masses. From the news items about casting to the signing of Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter as music producer to the piecemeal publicity distributed via social media, there's an abundance of information. We know from Luhrmann's previous works (that's Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!) that when Baz does something, he does it big, so it's no surprise that the Gatsby website is lavish, extensive, flashy, and even a little burdensome for me and my bandwidth. It does, however, provide ample information to chronicle Luhrmann's creative process and the novel's four year journey to the screen.

I empathize with Luhrmann's desire to share his inspirations and efforts to validate his decisions. It's not always enough to share it with the cast and crew - he's proud of his work, and believes in it, and I have certainly been there. I warmed up to the casting of DiCaprio in the lead role, and indeed he delivers. Carey Mulligan is an especially effective Daisy Buchanan, in that she is likeable, pitiable, sympathetic - the Helen of Troy whose beauty and voice, "full of money," would launch a thousand ships. You know what, I also didn't dispise Tobey Maguire, whose performances usually bore me. Instead I found myself amused and able to relate to his experience.
 

This brings me to my next point. Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce structured their adaptation with flashback, beginning, interspersing, and ending with scenes of Nick Carraway in a sanitarium. Here, he converses with a doctor, whose treatment includes getting Nick to write out the story that burdens him so heavily. Before protesting, consider the source of the concept. Mike Hogan, for The Huffington Post writes:

It was Luhrmann's script assistant, Sam Bromell, who discovered the key to Nick's back story in a draft of Fitzgerald's unfinished novel, "The Last Tycoon." In that early version, the narrator, Cecilia Brady, told her story from inside a sanitarium.
The setting wouldn't have been unfamiliar to Fitzgerald, given Zelda's agonizing struggles with mental illness. "Fitzgerald and Zelda were not strangers to sanitariums," Luhrmann said. "Fitzgerald was not a stranger to being destroyed and decimated by alcoholism."

It makes so much sense. Imagine Nick as a less confident man - someone more likely to be swept up in Daisy's allure, Gatsby's enthusiasm, and overwhelmed by Tom's athleticism. Eager to please, less likely to ration his drinking, more likely to need the alcohol to loosen up and have a good time. A very introverted man, whose writing allows him to freely express his own opinions. I had rationalized and entirely embraced this new (to me) reading of the character - a man needing the respite offered by a sanitarium - prior to seeing the film. I only wish it had been matched on film. Maguire had the hair down, but I do wish his character edged a little more toward George McFly.

 

Not only did Nick seem far too put-together to have a drinking problem (his doctor's notes say he's morbidly alcoholic... we'll have to take his word for it), but I'm not sure I bought into George Wilson's breakdown. Oblivious, yes, but weak and devoted to his wife, I doubt it. Joel Edgerton's Tom Buchanan is a thing of beauty. Attractive, masculine, jealous, proud, and contentedly prejudiced. I also liked Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker, even if the character had to be white-washed and simplified for the film. I found her amusing and genuine, her interest in Nick sweet.

 

Know what else was sweet? Everything about the scene in which Nick has Daisy over for tea. Nervous Gatsby is an adorable Gatsby, knocking over the clock is an understandable accident, and his attempt to fix it is terribly endearing. Though, once in a while, DiCaprio's Gatsby gets this concentrated look, and I can't help but realize what a sociopath he is. Perhaps I've been watching too much Criminal Minds, but the scrapbook he keeps about Daisy is a little creepy. On the flipside, the previous scene, the infamous 'shirts' scene, finally makes sense. It's about so much more than the luxury, it actually contributes to the relationship between Daisy and Jay. Yes, the added dialogue is unnecessary (it's Baz Luhrmann, unnecessary additions is his game, isn't it?), but the scene itself is gorgeous.

 

I've done my best to swallow some Rhode Island pride, but I did rather miss the Newport mansions. There is something to be said, however, for the garishness of Gatsby's sprawling, pointed house. As Tom so cruelly points out, Jay was not born to the upper class, he has achieved his place through criminal practices and bought his way in with new money. He doesn't have the learned taste for restraint, style, and sophistication - he only knows wealth, luxury, and excess. Like Daisy's wardrobe of delicate ballgowns, Jay Gatsby wears white and pink suits, crisp and clean, undisturbed by having to perform menial tasks. His only concern is to please Daisy - he's unaware of or at least unfettered by how absurd he actually looks. The vibrancy of the rest of the costumes - especially in the party scenes - is incredible. Costume/production designer Catherine Martin (also Luhrmann's wife), worked with Prada, Brooks Brothers, Tiffany & Co. to create the fashions throughout the film, which really are incredible.

 

Also impressive is the use of 3D. Having seen the film in both formats, I have to say that the 3D really does add to the experience - as long as your expectations are in line. Allow me to backtrack and elaborate. Luhrmann attributes his decision to film Gatsby in 3D to two other films, Dial M for Murder (1954) and of course, Avatar (2009). Audiences should realize that 3D is actually a rather old technology, used in Hitchcock's case to make the film feel more like a theatrical production than cinema. James Cameron's goal in Avatar was to establish the depth of field that would really support the story. Both of these ideas are evident in The Great Gatsby. 3D glasses have come a long way too, and aren't as cumbersome as I had anticpated they would be. There are no dizzying action sequences, no guns shooting at you, or cars whizzing by - but a tangible difference in the ability to be absorbed by the roaring twenties, Gatsby's decadent parties, and even to better perceive the body language and movement of more intimate scenes (I am thinking of the confrontation, in particular).

 

In this technological aspect, Luhrmann has succeeded. However, a film that spent over a year in postproduction limbo should have better ADR. ADR is Automated Dialog Recording. Most evident in the scene where Jay drives Nick to New York City, the looped dialog is quite obviously out of sync with the image. It's irritating, at the least. Officially, however, the push from a Christmas release to May 10th was to allow more time for Jay-Z's work. A latecomer to the production, all of Hollywood buzzed when Luhrmann chose Jay-Z to executive produce the music for the film. It was less of a surprise when one recalled the contemporary soundtrack for Romeo + Juliet, but unexpected all the same. For traditionalists, it may have been the wrong choice. If you ask me, I think it was a stroke of brilliance.

 

For several days (weeks?) prior to the film's release, the movie's Facebook page posted links to Soundcloud.com, Vulture.com, and NPR.org, slowly feeding song after song to its followers. I love it. From Florence + the Machine to Jack White to Lana Del Rey to Gotye to will.i.am, the whole thing is fiesty and new. In Baz Luhrmann's interactive Gatsby's Journal, Luhrmann writes that even the soundtrack is three-dimensional.

Now in 3D, when you take music, you almost have to think about it in 3D too, the layering of the music. There is one scene in the speakeasy, for example, where we go in a very short time from Jay-Z rapping over a contemporary track, "100 Dolla Bill," into a jazz version of that contemporary track, into a piece of score, back to the contemporary track, back into traditional jazz by the Brian Ferry Orchestra, and then end the scene with a new contemporary track that is jazz influenced.

There's no doubt that the hip hop, jazz-infused soundtrack is a jarring concept for conservative literarians, but when you think about how edgy and hip a Gatsby party is supposed to be, it makes complete sense. And you know what? It's fun.

 

So, no, it isn't perfect, but it's evocative and empassioned, and it's very much alive. It's also different enough from the novel that English teachers will be able to tell when a student didn't read the book. If you're afraid that Luhrmann's style is too over-the-top for the poetic brevity of Fitzgerald's novel, rest assured, this is Luhrmann restrained. He has his moments (we must indulge him a few, I suppose), but by and large it is an exquisite film. Consider this your personalized invitation to join the Gatsby party.

 

 

Notes and bonus links:

- Read the rest of Mike Hogan's article at THP.

- Check out this great interview with Baz Luhrmann.

- Find Gatsby at his mansion in the NES game.

- Try to reach the green light in this game from Slate.com.

- "Is This a Line from The Great Gatsby or an Angsty Tumblr User?" quiz from Buzzfeed.com.

- Sweet article on the soundtrack from NPR.

- Make your own avatar app from the movie's official website.

Twenty Feet from Stardom

I'm finding it difficult to write about Twenty Feet from Stardom, though director/producer Morgan Neville has crafted a finely tuned documentary about backup singers. We get to meet the artists themselves, discover the evolution of their role in music, and learn a cultural and historical context for it. At the center of it all is the voice - that most intimate, raw instrument that we all share. And yet, there are few whose gift is so spectacular that even Sting is humbled. He's one of several celebrities interviewed in the feature, though the focus is actually on the journey of the women behind the stars.

Looking at the contemporary, popular music scene is an exercise in futility for the jaded ones who were lucky enough to catch - or be - the innovators on their way up. I can't imagine what it must be like for Merry Clayton, Darlene Love, or Claudia Lennear to try listening to the radio after having spent years working on the best music, those songs we now consider classic rock, or pop standards. Merry Clayton sang on the Stones' "Gimme Shelter" and Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama," Darlene Love has been singing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on Letterman's shows since the 1980s, and Claudia Lennear provided backup vocals for Ike and Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, and David Bowie. How can you top that?

Twenty Feet from Stardom isn't just about reliving the heyday of rock and roll. Music has changed a lot over the years, this much is true and obvious, but Twenty Feet from Stardom does a great job of balancing the Good Old Days with what's going on now in the industry. Sometimes it's hard to differentiate between the music industry and the entertainment industry - but they could be remarkably different things. How many true singers have come out of American Idol? Singer-songwriter Judith Hill blew audiences away on The Voice, but she's so much more interesting and talented than many of the other performers to have been showcased on any of the current reality series.

It's taken me about two weeks to finish writing this post, because there's so much to think about - without judgment, so much to learn, accept, and understand - please let it suffice that I recommend catching this documentary for the glamor and the shadows, the singers and the music.

Much Ado About Nothing

Yesterday I had the immense pleasure of catching the New England premiere of Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing. Part of the Boston Independent Film Festival, the screening was attended by an enthusiastic crowd and two very special guests: Fran Krantz (Dollhouse, Cabin in the Woods, and this film's Claudio) and Jillian Morgese (an extra in The Avengers whose Skype audition led to her casting as Krantz's love interest, Hero).

What a misnomer. A veritable who's who of Whedon productions, this is easily Much Ado about something. Whedon's film is decidedly fresh, fast-paced, modern, witty, and of course, hilarious. I come to the Whedonverse as a fan of Firefly, Serenity, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and The Avengers, but many if not most of his idolators have been around through the days of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spinoff series, Angel. Most recently, Whedon brought Dollhouse to life for FOX television, and last summer saw the wide release of his Cabin in the Woods. Comedy, tragedy, history - it's all there, just like in the Bard's cannon. It should come as no surprise that Whedon is such a fan of Billy Shakespeare, and yet, for many it does. 

Shakespeare's plays were written to be performed by particular theatre companies, and there is certainly a repertory company for Whedon projects. It's also a passion project for Whedon, whose play-reading-cum-brunch-sessions are a well-known hobby. To celebrate their twentieth wedding anniversary, Whedon's wife Kai Cole suggested making use of his two-week hiatus from The Avengers to film his very own Shakespeare adaptation at their home - a home Cole designed - and the result is a lovingly crafted, crowd-pleasing event. 

For those who don't know, Much Ado is one of Shakespeare's most beloved comedies, with the most sparkling wit (much discussed in the play). The Prince (Reed Diamond) and his company are staying on the Leonato's estate, where love is in bloom. Not only does Count Claudio fancy Leonato's daughter Hero, but there's something of a spark between Benedick (Alexis Denisof) and Leonato's niece Beatrice (Amy Acker). Of course, as the Bard has said elsewhere, the course of true love never did run smooth; the Prince's brother Don John (Sean Maher) would foil any of his brother's plans, including those meant to aid others in the pursuit of love. Masquerade, subterfuge, mistaken identity, pride, and alcohol all play their part in the ebb and flow of events. 

While Kenneth Branagh's 1993 film adaptation has by all accounts been the standard to which all other productions are held, I think it's time the king passed on the crown. An adaptation without the tripe of high school or the burden of  - and this may not be a word - colloquializing the impeccable wit, there's finally an entertaining, engaging adaptation that can be used as an educational reference. No, Conrad isn't traditionally played by a woman (Riki Lindhome), but damn, it works. Whedon makes great use of irony, sarcasm, physical humor, and his camera to emphasize the right jokes, downplay the language and play up the actions. I could go on for days about the scenes and moments I love most, but the fact remains that Whedon has a knack for casting, adapting, directing, and editing - the man has a gift for film.

Highlights:
- Clark Gregg. I love Clark Gregg, and his Leonato is fun, three-dimensional, and interesting. Thank you, CG.
- Alexis Denisof. Hilarious, brilliant physicality, and such a marvelous voice.
- Amy Acker! Wow! Really making Beatrice her own, and so different from Emma Thompson's, a genuine, clever woman, whose physical comedy is entirely unexpected.
- Nathan Fillion & Tom Lenk. Dogberry and Verges can be tedious, indeed, but these guys make it too funny to hate. I'm linking to a great interview below, but Clark Gregg is so right when he says of Dogberry: "This guy is going to straighten things out with about seven brain cells to do it. It’s hard not to root for that."
- Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney of BriTANick as First and Second Watchmen. I knew I recognized those guys! Check out their videos. "The Coach," with Joss Whedon, is linked below.
- Maurissa Tancharoen singing "Sigh No More" at the revelries! Whedon's sister-in-law also performed in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

Bonus links:
- SXSW Interviews: Joss Whedon & 'Much Ado About Nothing' Cast Talk Shakespeare
- "The Coach," via BriTANick
- The Much Ado Party Bus Videos, via Entertainment Weekly, via Brian McElhaney's twitter, via IMDB. Yay internetz!
- For Whedon Fans: Can you name the actors/actresses who appear in multiple Joss Whedon shows? via Sporcle.com