Die By The Drop

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 7 - 30 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

The week of neverending screenings is almost at its end...although now there's talk of DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS on the weekend.

Actually, there was a small wrench in the plans this week as I never made it to IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE due to some deceptively inclement weather. Gonna have to make do with renting it instead. Then again, if last week taught me anything, it's that I should check the TV listings for the next week...as it's entirely likely that the moment I go rent this sucker, I'll flip past IFC and find myself fifteen minutes in.

Such was the case last weekend with BOTTLE ROCKET.

By the way - is it just me, or is there precious little coming out in the month of August that looks any good? Something tells me that my summer of hitting up the art house theatres isn't letting up anytime soon. Enough grumpiness for one week. As I put the final touches on the next Matineecast, let's look at what my brethren are up to.

For your reading fulfillment, I give you...

Tonight I'll be watching the second part of The Vengeance Trilogy. As fate would have it, Groovers & Mobsters have dedicated a post to the whole series!

Congratulations to Fletch for the Oddest Top Five Ever.

In all the talk of Christopher Nolan lately, I've noticed that INSOMNIA tends to get almost mumbled as an afterthought. Thus, it's good to hear someone like Jake at Not Just Movies give it some props.

Wunderkind Sebastian Gutierrez has been hosting an event dedicated to all things Jo-Go. Here's his entry on my favorite of the man's movies, BRICK.

The girls are back. After a gap just long enough to work anticipation into a fever pitch, Forager, 1416, Nerd Vampire, and The Final Girl have returned with the second episode of Some Cast it Hot.

Enjoy!

Absolute Beginners: DOTM Reviews

Permit me to reload over the next few weeks.

You see I realize that I've never gone so far as to create any "About This Blog" posts...any little keys to completely detail what's what in this crazy little soapbox of mine. So there won't be too terribly many, but over the next little while I wanted to take a moment here and there to provide some parameters for new readers. And perhaps to even clarify a few things for my twenty-two faithful readers.

So let's start with my reviews.

Each film is given a score on a scale of 1 to 4. It might seem at-a-glance that I tend to give out a lot of high scores, but part of that stems from me only going to watch what I want to watch...thus the bulk of the lesser cinematic offerings are omitted by design.

For now, reviews are confined to films I watch theatrically. My reviews are not exactly what I'd call spoiler-free...but the details that I believe are truly best kept quiet are indeed left out. In many ways, my reviews have started leaning towards my cerebral impression of the film. Whenever possible, I like to zero in on themes, impressions, and meaning. that said, there will be times that I'll spend a few dozen words talking about a stellar performance.

As for format, for the last year, it's gone like so:

• My attempt at a witty introduction
• A page jump
• One to three paragraphs of plot summary with my own witticisms thrown in
• A second still frame from the movie
• My thoughts and impressions of the film all the way to the end of the post.

Each review then ends with an invitation to leave your own reactions to the film.

For a sampling of some of my favorite reviews, please take a look at my thoughts on THE LAST STATION, WALL-E, and SPLICE.

Taste You (SOUL KITCHEN Trailer)

It was yet another happening of the now-somewhat-notorious Toronto Blogger Pub Night last night.

This go-round was fun times yet again, perhaps because we were out on the patio for the first time in what seems like forever...or perhaps because TIFF announced part of their line-up yesterday and we all had that to chatter about. Interestingly, there was not much INCEPTION talk. Guess we've all said what we want to say online!

For me it was a pretty cool time because I put two-and-two together thanks to Kurt and introduced myself to a podcaster who I love listening to. Likewise, I also got to finally meet Sasha, The Final Girl. She seemed to have a good time...though I hope all the conversation about films she hasn't seen (films that I haven't even seen) hasn't frightened her off from coming out to another one of these.

Oh - and I called James from Toronto Screen Shots a dick. He's not one, but it was funny at the time.

Anyway, here's a trailer that looks like if it doesn't at least amuse, it will definitely leave ya hungry...

News of The World ii (TIFF 2010 Galas and Special Presentations Announced)

The clock counting down to TIFF 2010 is ticking a little bit louder this morning with the announcement of many big selections for this year's festival. Among some of the highlites that I for one will be looking forwards to...

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's BIUTIFUL, starring Javier Bardem.
Darren Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN, starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis
Julian Schnabel's MIRAL, starring Frida Pinto
Mark Romanek's NEVER LET ME GO starring Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield
Tran Anh Hung's NORWEIGAN WOOD starring Ken Watanabe
John Cameron Mitchell's RABBIT HOLE starring Aaron Eckhart and Nicole Kidman

And that's just for starters! I've included the full press release behind the jump. Take a peek and comment if something catches your eye as i'm always looking for a tip towards something I might have overlooked.



Galas

The Bang Bang Club Steven Silver, Canada/South Africa
World Premiere
The Bang Bang Club was the name given to four young photographers, Greg Marinovich, Kevin Carter, Ken Oosterbroek and Joao Silva, whose photographs captured the final bloody days of white rule in South Africa and the final demise of apartheid. The film tells the remarkable and sometimes harrowing story of these young men – and the extraordinary extremes they went to in order to capture their pictures. The film stars Ryan Phillippe, Malin Akerman, Taylor Kitsch, Neels Van Jaarsveld and Frank Rautenbach.

Barney's Version Richard J. Lewis, Canada/Italy
North American Premiere
From producer Robert Lantos, Barney’s Version is a film based on Mordecai Richler's prize-winning comic novel. Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti) is a seemingly ordinary man who lives an extraordinary life. Barney’s candid confessional spans four decades and two continents, and includes three wives (Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver and Rachelle Lefevre), one outrageous father (Dustin Hoffman) and a charmingly dissolute best friend (Scott Speedman).


Black Swan Darren Aronofsky, USA
North American Premiere
A psychological thriller set in the world of New York City ballet, Black Swan stars Natalie Portman as Nina, a featured dancer who finds herself locked in a web of competitive intrigue with a new rival at the company. Black Swan takes a thrilling and at times terrifying journey through the psyche of a young ballerina whose starring role as the duplicitous swan queen turns out to be a part for which she becomes frighteningly perfect. Black Swan also stars Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey and Winona Ryder.

Casino Jack George Hickenlooper, Canada
World Premiere
Based on a true story, Kevin Spacey stars as Jack Abramoff, the former high-powered lobbyist whose bribery schemes and fraudulent dealings with Indian casinos ultimately landed him in prison, and stunned the world. It remains the biggest scandal to hit Washington, D.C. since Watergate. The film also stars Barry Pepper, Kelly Preston, Rachelle Lefevre and Jon Lovitz.

The Conspirator Robert Redford, USA
World Premiere
While an angry nation seeks vengeance, a young union war hero must defend a mother accused of aiding her son in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Directed by Robert Redford, the film stars James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood and Tom Wilkinson.

The Debt John Madden, USA
North American Premiere
Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain and Sam Worthington star in this thriller about three Israeli Mossad agents on a 1965 mission to capture a notorious Nazi war criminal. Thirty years later, secrets about the case emerge.

The Housemaid Im Sang-Soo, South Korea
North American Premiere
In this erotic thriller, the housemaid of an upper-class family becomes entangled in a dangerous tryst. A satirical look at class structure, reminiscent of the work of Claude Chabrol, this sexy soap opera is a story of revenge and retribution.

Janie Jones David M. Rosenthal, USA
World Premiere
Aspiring recording artist Ethan Brand gets a stunning surprise on the opening night of a tour – a strung out former groupie appears unexpectedly, pleading with him to care for their daughter while she pulls herself together. Enter Janie Jones.

The King's Speech Tom Hooper, United Kingdom/Australia
North American Premiere
The King's Speech tells the story of the man who would become King George VI, the father of the current Queen, Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George ‘Bertie’ VI (Colin Firth) reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded nervous stammer and considered unfit to be King, Bertie engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). Through a set of unexpected techniques, and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country into war.

Little White Lies Guillaume Canet, France
World Premiere
Despite a traumatic event, a group of friends decides to go ahead with their annual beach vacation. Their relationships, convictions, sense of guilt and friendship are sorely tested. They are finally forced to own up to the little white lies they have been telling each other. Directed by Guillaume Canet and starring: François Cluzet, Marion Cotillard, Benoît Magimel, Gilles Lellouche, Jean Dujardin, Laurent Lafitte, Valérie Bonneton and Pascale Arbillot.

Peep World Barry Blaustein, USA
World Premiere
On the day of their father’s 70th birthday party, four siblings come to terms with the publication of a novel written by the youngest sibling that exposes the family’s most intimate secrets.

Potiche François Ozon, France
North American Premiere
A bourgeois housewife (Catherine Deneuve) takes on a rough union leader (Gerard Depardieu) in François Ozon's sparkling comic war between the sexes, and the classes.

The Town Ben Affleck, USA
North American Premiere
The Town is a dramatic thriller about robbers and cops, friendship and betrayal, love and hope, and escaping a past that has no future. In the Boston neighbourhood of Charlestown, Doug MacCray is the leader of a crew of ruthless bank robbers. But everything changed on the gang’s last job when they took bank manager Claire Keesey hostage. Questioning what she saw, Doug seeks out Claire. As their relationship deepens, Doug wants out of this life and the town, but now he must choose whether to betray his friends or lose the woman he loves.

The Way Emilio Estevez, USA
World Premiere
Martin Sheen plays Tom, an American doctor who comes to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to collect the remains of his adult son, killed in the Pyrenees in a storm while walking The Camino de Santiago. Driven by his profound sadness and desire to understand his son better, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage. Along the way he learns what it means to be a citizen of the world again and discovers the difference between “The life we live and the life we choose.”

West is West Andy De Emmony, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Manchester, Northern England, 1976. The now much-diminished, but still claustrophobic and dysfunctional, Khan family continues to struggle for survival. Sajid, the youngest Khan, is under heavy assault both from his father's tyrannical insistence on Pakistani tradition, and from the fierce bullies in the schoolyard. His father decides to pack him off to Mrs. Khan No 1 and family in the Punjab, the wife and daughters he had abandoned 30 years earlier. The sequel to East is East, West is West is the coming of age story of both 15-year-old Sajid and of his father, 60-year-old George Khan.

Special Presentations

Another Year Mike Leigh, United Kingdom
North American Premiere
A happily married, middle-aged couple are visited by a number of unhappy and lonely friends who use them as confidantes. When an unmarried friend falls for their young son, they watch as events unfold. The film stars Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wight, Oliver Maltman, David Bradley, Karina Fernandez and Martin Savage.

Beginners Mike Mills, USA
World Premiere
When his 71-year-old father (Christopher Plummer) comes out of the closet, Oliver (Ewan McGregor) must explore the honesty of his own relationships. From the director of Thumbsucker.

The Big Picture Eric Lartigau, France
World Premiere
Paul Exben is a success story. He has a great job, a glamorous wife and two wonderful sons, except that this is not the life he has been dreaming of. A moment of madness is going to change his life, forcing him to assume a new identity that will enable him to live his life fully. The Big Picture, an adaptation of the novel by Douglas Kennedy, is directed by Eric Lartigau and stars Romain Duris, Marina Foïs, Niels Arestrup and Catherine Deneuve. It is produced by Pierre-Ange Le Pogam.

Biutiful Alejandro González Iñárritu, Spain/Mexico
North American Premiere
This is a story of a man in free fall. On the road to redemption, darkness lights his way. Connected with the afterlife, Uxbal is a tragic hero and father of two who's sensing the danger of death. He struggles with a tainted reality and a fate that works against him in order to forgive, for love, and forever. The film stars Javier Bardem.

Blue Valentine Derek Cianfrance, USA
Canadian Premiere
Blue Valentine is the story of love found and love lost, told in past and present moments in time. Flooded with romantic memories of their courtship, Dean and Cindy use one night to try and save their failing marriage. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams star in this honest portrait of a relationship on the rocks.

Brighton Rock Rowan Joffe, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Based on Graham Greene's 1938 novel, we follow the odd relationship between a young thug on the rise in the British underground and a tea room waitress who witnesses a crime he has committed.

Buried Rodrigo Cortés, Spain/USA
Canadian Premiere
When Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) wakes up six feet underground with no idea who put him there or why, life for the truck driver and family man instantly becomes a hellish struggle for survival. Buried with only a cell phone and a lighter, poor reception, a rapidly draining battery and a dwindling oxygen supply become his worst enemies in a tightly confined race against time.

Conviction Tony Goldwyn, USA
World Premiere
Conviction is the inspirational true story of a sister’s unwavering devotion to her brother. When Betty Anne Waters’ (two-time Academy® Award winner Hilary Swank) older brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell) is arrested for murder and sentenced to life in 1983, Betty Anne, a Massachusetts wife and mother of two, dedicates her life to overturning the murder conviction.

Cirkus Columbia Danis Tanovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina
International Premiere
After twenty years of exile, a husband returns to his hometown in Herzegovina to settle some scores with his ex-wife, armed with a new Mercedes, a sexy new girlfriend and a mangy black cat.

Dhobi Ghat Kiran Rao, India
World Premiere
In the teeming metropolis of Mumbai, four people separated by class and language are drawn together in compelling relationships. Shai, an affluent investment banker on a sabbatical, strikes up an unusual friendship with Munna, a young and beautiful laundry boy with ambitions of being a Bollywood actor, and has a brief dalliance with Arun, a gifted painter. As they slip away from familiar moorings and drift closer together, the city finds its way into the crevices of their inner worlds.

Easy A Will Gluck, USA
World Premiere
After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, a clean-cut high school girl (Emma Stone) sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne’s in The Scarlet Letter, which she is currently studying in school – until she decides to use the rumour mill to advance her social and financial standing.

Henry's Crime Malcolm Venville, USA
World Premiere
After serving three years in prison for a bank robbery he did not commit, an amiable but aimless man decides to rob the bank for real. His plan involves infiltrating a local theatre company, but his scheme gets complicated when he falls for the company’s lead actress. The film stars Keanu Reeves, Vera Farmiga, James Caan, Fisher Stevens, Peter Stormare, Danny Hoch and Bill Duke.



The Illusionist Sylvain Chomet, United Kingdom
North American Premiere
From the director of The Triplets Of Belleville comes a film of grace and unique beauty. Working from a never-produced script written by Jacques Tati for his daughter, Chomet tells the story of a magician who was pushed aside by rock and roll, yet finds one young girl who appreciates his magic. The film stars Jean-Claude Donda and Eilidh Rankin.


In A Better World Susanne Bier, Denmark/Sweden
International Premiere
The story traces elements from a refugee camp in Africa to the grey humdrum of everyday life in a Danish provincial town. The lives of two Danish families cross each other, and an extraordinary but risky friendship comes into bud. But loneliness, frailty and sorrow lie in wait. Soon, friendship transforms into a dangerous alliance and a breathtaking pursuit in which life is at stake.

I Saw the Devil Kim Jee-woon, South Korea
North American Premiere
A hard-boiled thriller from Korean master Kim Jee-woon, I Saw the Devil is a tale of bloody vengeance against a dangerous psychopath who has committed a gruesome series of murders.

It's Kind of a Funny Story Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden, USA
World Premiere
Stressed-out teenager Craig checks himself into a mental health clinic – where he finds himself in the adult ward. Sustained by friendships on both the inside and the outside, Craig learns more about life, love and the pressures of growing up. The comedy-drama stars Keir Gilchrist, Emma Roberts and Zach Galifianakis.

Jack Goes Boating Philip Seymour Hoffman, USA
International Premiere
Adapted from Bob Glaudini's acclaimed Off Broadway play, Jack Goes Boating is a tale of love, betrayal, friendship and grace centered around two working-class New York City couples. The film stars John Ortiz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Amy Ryan and Philip Seymour Hoffman, with Hoffman making his feature directorial debut.

L'Amour Fou Pierre Thoretton, France
World Premiere
Yves Saint Laurent built one of fashion's most celebrated empires. This moving documentary chronicles his rise, his lifelong partnership with Pierre Bergé and their decision to auction off a lifetime of precious art and objects.

The Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen Andrew Lau, Hong Kong
North American Premiere
In 1920s Shanghai, hero Chen Zhen single-handedly avenges his mentor’s death by killing all the Japanese at a dojo in Hongkou, only to be showered with bullets while making his legendary flying kick. Now, years later, Chen Zhen, who is believed dead, returns in disguise to infiltrate a criminal empire and to dismantle the evil collusion that plagues the country.

Lope Andrucha Waddington, Brazil/Spain
World Premiere
Andrucha Waddington brings famed Spanish playwright Lope de Vega’s passionate life to the screen. The young poet returns to Madrid from war and gets his foot in the door of Madrid's most important theatre troupe – quickly charming his boss's daughter. His childhood friend, Isabel de Urbina, also falls under the spell of his poems. So much seduction eventually brings misfortune and he must flee Madrid.

Love Crime Alain Corneau, France
International Premiere
Dangerous Liaisons meets Working Girl in this deliciously caustic tale of office politics. Starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier as mentor and ingénue, Love Crime is a remorseless clash of two competing egos.

Made in Dagenham Nigel Cole, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sally Hawkins stars as Rita O’Grady, the catalyst for the 1968 Ford Dagenham strike by 187 sewing machinists which led to the advent of the Equal Party Act. Working in extremely impoverished conditions for long, arduous hours, the women at the Ford Dagenham plant finally lose their patience when they are reclassified as “unskilled.” With humour, common sense and courage, they take on their corporate paymasters, an increasingly belligerent local community, and finally the government itself. The film also stars Bob Hoskins, Miranda Richardson, Geraldine James and Rosamund Pike.


Miral Julian Schnabel, United Kingdom/Israel/France
North American Premiere
From the director of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Before Night Falls and Basquiat, comes Miral, the visceral, first-person diary of a young girl growing up in East Jerusalem as she confronts the effects of occupation and war in every corner of her life. Schnabel pieces together momentary fragments of Miral’s world – how she was formed, who influenced her, all that she experiences in her tumultuous early years – to create a raw, moving, poetic portrait of a woman whose small, personal story is inextricably woven into the bigger history unfolding all around her.

Never Let Me Go Mark Romanek, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Ruth (Keira Knightley) spent their childhood at a seemingly idyllic boarding school. When they leave the shelter of the school, the terrible truth of their fate is revealed and they must confront the deep feelings of love, jealousy and betrayal that threaten to pull them apart.

Norwegian Wood Tran Anh Hung, Japan
North American Premiere
Adapted from Haruki Murakami's bestselling novel. Watanabe, a quiet and serious college student, becomes deeply devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman with whom he shares the tragedy of their best friend’s death. When Naoko suddenly disappears, Midori, an outgoing, vivacious and supremely self-confident girl marches into Watanabe's life. The film stars Kenichi Matsuyama, Rinko Kikuchi and Kiko Mizuhara.

Outside the Law Rachid Bouchareb, France/Algeria/Tunisia/Italy/Belgium
North American Premiere
Bouchareb's follow-up to Days of Glory is an epic French gangster movie in the tradition of Once Upon a Time in America. The film follows three brothers from childhood in Algeria through turbulent years in Paris, as their paths diverge towards radical politics and violent crime.

Rabbit Hole John Cameron Mitchell, USA
World Premiere
A family navigates the deepest form of loss in John Cameron Mitchell's screen adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning play by David Lindsay-Abaire. Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart deliver captivating performances as a husband and wife who fight to save their marriage in the life that begins again after tragedy.

A Screaming Man Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, France/Belgium/Chad
North American Premiere
One of Africa's preeminent film artists, Haroun returns to themes of family and loyalty in war-torn Chad. A father and son work together at the pool of five-star hotel, but the civil war forces life-and-death choices upon them.

Stone John Curran, USA
World Premiere
Robert De Niro and Edward Norton deliver powerful performances as a seasoned corrections official and a scheming inmate whose lives become dangerously intertwined. Stone weaves together the parallel journeys of two men grappling with dark impulses, as the line between lawman and lawbreaker becomes precariously thin. The film also stars Milla Jovovich and Frances Conroy.



Submarine Richard Ayoade, United Kingdom
World Premiere
British comic Richard Ayoade delivers his hotly-anticipated feature debut Submarine. One boy must fight to save his mother from the advances of a mystic, and simultaneously lure his eczema-strafed girlfriend in to the bedroom, armed with only a vast vocabulary and near-total self-belief. His name is Oliver Tate.

That Girl in Yellow Boots Anurag Kashyap, India
North American Premiere
Ruth is searching for her father – a man she hardly knew but cannot forget. Desperation drives her to work without a permit, at a massage parlour, where she gives ‘happy endings’ to unfulfilled men. Torn between several schisms, Mumbai becomes the backdrop for Ruth's quest as she struggles to find her independence and space even as she is sucked deeper into the labyrinthine politics of the city's underbelly.

Tamara Drewe Stephen Frears, United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Based on Posy Simmonds’ beloved graphic novel. When Tamara Drewe returns to the village of her youth, life for the locals is thrown upside down. Tamara – once an ugly duckling – has been transformed and is now a minor celebrity. As infatuations, jealousies, love affairs and career ambitions collide among the inhabitants of the neighbouring farmsteads, Tamara sets a contemporary comedy of manners into play.

The Trip Michael Winterbottom, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Follow two good friends in this hilarious road movie as they embark on a tour of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales of Northern England, eating, chatting and driving each other crazy. The film stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon.

Trust David Schwimmer, USA
World Premiere
Safe and sound in their suburban home, Will and Lynn Cameron (Clive Owen and Catherine Keener) used to sleep well at night. When their 14-year-old daughter, Annie, made a new friend on-line – a 16-year-old boy named Charlie – Will and Lynn didn’t think much of it. But when Annie and Charlie make a plan to meet what happens in the next twenty-four hours changes the entire family forever. Charlie is really a 40-year-old serial pedophile (Tom McCarthy) and, once Annie’s rape comes to light, it becomes a touchstone event that reverberates through the entire family.

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger Woody Allen, United Kingdom/USA/Spain
North American Premiere
Woody Allen's latest comic ensemble piece follows a group of Londoners struggling with failing marriages, restless libidos, the perils of aging and desires that drive a series of decisions with unforeseen consequences. The film stars Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Jones, Lucy Punch and Naomi Watts.

Masters

Mysteries of Lisbon Raul Ruiz, Portugal/France
World Premiere
Based on a famous nineteenth-century Portuguese novel, Raul Ruiz's Mysteries of Lisbon follows a jealous countess, a wealthy businessman and a young orphaned boy across Portugal, France, Italy and Brazil where they connect with a variety of mysterious individuals.

Burning Down the House

Through the urging (or guidance?) of my good friend Bob, I saw a film last night that was slightly out of my wheelhouse. And by "slightly" I mean that the pitch was so high and outside that it risks hitting the mascot.

The film in question was HOUSE, a Japanese horror-comedy...and truthfully, I barely know where to begin describing this opus. "Gorgeous" wants to get away from the summer, looking to get some distance between her father and her new stepmother-to-be. She plans to visit her aunt in the country and brings five friends along with her. However, not terribly long after they arrive...they discover that the house they will be staying in is not what it appears to be.

Sounds creepy, doesn't it? Well it's not - not even remotely. Instead, this so-bad-it's-good howler eschews actual freakiness for comedic low bugetedness.

Again, this is usually not my style, but watching it in a rather busy theatre with a crowd that was laughing along at the film's crudeness and absurdity provided me an appreciation for it on a certain level. No word as to whether it's the level director Obayashi was going for.

There's more shots of fluffy cats than a Cottonelle commercial. There's a hungry piano that has an appetite for teenagers. There's a laughing watermelon. There's an introduction of the teenage girls that looks like a Mickey Mouse Club introduction...and I haven't even mentioned the musical numbers.

Watching such a thing alone on dvd would lead me to a state of confusion and bewilderment. Hell, I'd wager that it'd result in a reach for the remote and a muttering of "What the hell?". But getting immersed in it on 35mm lead to a whole other experience entirely. Indeed, it felt like I was drowning in it, rather than cavorting in a splash-pad like I would if I rented the dvd and heckled it with friends. The film is ridiculous...but watching it all so much larger than life, Iwas I able to surrender to its ridiculousness and actually be truly entertained.

Strangely enough, the movie is actually getting a Criterion release this fall, so if you're curious to see the freakshow that this film is, your chance is coming. For now though, I must admit that sitting through something that was "so-bad-it's-good" was indeed good for my filmgoing soul...

...and while it pains me to admit it sometimes, I must admit that Bob was right. Thanks for the tip pal.

Special

Last week I bought myself a copy of THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON on DVD.

Many of you fine folks probably weren't reading this piddling space when I reviewed it back in the Christmas of 2008, but to sum it up I found the film slightly...lacking. So much so that despite it being on dvd for well over a year, and despite it being directed by one of my favorite directors, I only just now picked it up. Even then, I was more prompted by the fact that it was half off than I was by a burning desire to watch it again.

For reasons I can't completely explain, I decided to dive into the extras of this very feature-heavy dvd rather than start by watching the film itself. To my slight surprise, the features are somewhat endless! After hitting 'play all' on the supplements disc, I was amazed to watch the counter on my dvd player get up over the two hour mark, and still know that there was quite a bit to come. Seeing the amount of work that went into the film is enlightening to say the least.

Funny thing. When dvd's first became my vice of choice seven or eight years ago, i used to always insist on buying the most dee-luxe edition I could find. Then, as time went on and those thick spaces on my shelf went less and less reached for, I began to stray away from these "special editions". I mean after all, how much did I really need to know about THERE WILL BE BLOOD anyway?

But in watching what went in to BENJAMIN BUTTON, I find myself with a bit more of an appreciation for the film. Perhaps even enough to watch it again and write a new piece on it. I guess this begs two questions...

Do you actually find yourself watching some or all of the features on the special edition dvd's and blu-rays you buy? And has going through these features ever made you gain a further affinity for a movie you might not have loved??

Review: SALT * * 1/2

As an overdramatic score screams from the soundtrack, a Russian defector named Orlov explains in no shortage of melodrama that a secret Russian plot was put into motion back in the days of the cold war. He explains a long and convoluted plot including brainwashed grieving parents suddenly childless...about those children being stolen...and about said children being trained and brainwashed to serve a greater good.

"You're killin' me, man" is the antsy reaction we get from his interrogator, Evelyn Salt.

Funny, but at the very moment I was thinking the exact same thing.

So after Orlov melodramatically explains a secret Russian past, he reveals that there is a plan in motion to assassinate the Russian President on American soil, and that the name of the assassin is Evelyn Salt. Just so happens, our interrogator is named Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie). A team of experts watching the interview determine that the Russian isn't lying, thus agent Peabody (Chewitel Ejiofor) immediately moves to take Salt into custody.

While her partner Ted Winter (Liev Schreiber) tries to argue in her defense, Orlov happens to escape, and Salt herself manages to slip away. Once she's out, she starts to run...immediately causing legions of CIA agents to chase her. The question then becomes "Why is Salt running?" Is it because she's afraid of being incarcerated for something that isn't true? Or is it prehaps because she is in fact who Orlov says she is?

SALT actually gets quite a few things right. Namely, the fact that the film seldom takes its foot off the gas, and stays all action for most of its 100 minutes. The stunts are daring - though often implausible - and guessing how Salt will weasel her way out of a situation immediately becomes a lot of fun. Indeed, before one particular sequence, Peabody says aloud "If she's gonna do something here - it's gonna have to be something pretty amazing." Suffice it to say, our girl does not disappoint.

The film is a showpiece for Jolie, who has really dug a good groove for herself as an action film star. Her facial expressions automatically lend a haunting quality to shots like her quietly weaving through a crowd. She likewise uses her slight frame in a whirling-dirvish like manner to execute many of her fighting and stunt sequences. Precious little happens in this film without Jolie in the shot, and whether she's standing on a boat deck or taking out federal officers, she tends to command every scene that she's in. And remind yourself, she's playing a part that was originally written for a dude!

Whether she's scaling down apartment building ledges, or leaping from one moving truck to another, the stunts that Jolie performs feel very grounded. This helps take the sting out of their unlikelihood...if marginally. However, the likelihood train finally does pull out of the station in the film's final act, where the story takes a rather preposterous turn. Some films can survive such a turn down Silly Avenue, but after seeing so many 'yeah right' moments already, this last turn feels one step too far. Perhaps it's because this final turn is story driven, rather than action driven.

After seeing it once or twice, I began to actually believe that Salt could outrun legions of federal officers on foot without even being armed. However, revealing out of nowhere that there was a lot more to this terrorist plot than first laid out was just too much. What's worse, is that there are screenwriting decisions that feel like they are made with one eye on the film's franchise-ibility. While I dare not spoil it, I will say that your overall enjoyment of SALT will depend completely on your reaction to the final forty minutes.

Indeed watching Evelyn Salt perform feats of daring-do reminded me of the first time I watched jason Bourne or Ethan Hunt defy the odds. She might be handcuffed by some silly premises, but even handcuffed this film is still quite a bit of fun. It's not a run-don't-walk sort of feature, but for an entertaining night at the movies you might want to think twice before giving the salt a pass.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on SALT.

We're Going Wrong

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 7 - 23 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

Films I'll be watching on a big screen soon:

SALT
HOUSE
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
...possibly OLDBOY?

DVD's waiting to be watched:

BROKEN EMBRACES
BOTTLE ROCKET
BRIEF ENCOUNTER
RASHOMON
LA STRADA
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE MONTERAY POP FESTIVAL

If I complain about being light on material to write about over the next few weeks, give me a smack won't you?

For your reading fulfillment, I give you...

Are y'all listening to The Film Cynics? If not shame. on. you. The latest episode of their podcast - which actually airs on the radio in Victoria - talks briefly about INCEPTION, THE GIRL WHO PLAYS WITH FIRE, and some alternatives to visiting the video store.

Univarn - an all-around swell guy and game show host extraordinaire - dedicated a post this week to a truly wonderful movie quote.

On The Matineecast, Meredith suggested I watch THE FALL. Somewhat co-incidentlly, The Audient has just discovered director Tarsem's other somewhat divisive film, THE CELL.

We're officially into the back nine of 2010, which has Peter at Magic Lantern pausing to consider what we have to look forward to the rest of the way.

CS is barely back from his honeymoon, and already talking about two-timing.

And you didn't really think this week's collection of links would be INCEPTION-free, did you? Click on over to Mike Lippert's space for an interesting take on the film's legacy.

Enjoy!

Elsewhere: Guest Podcasting on The Film Enigma

I've had a lot of movie-related greatness in the last few days...and am coming up on much more movie-related greatness in the next few days. Today though, I feel like it's time to regroup.

Which is why I'm very happy to be plugging an appearance on another film-lovin' site! Grab your doofy-lookin' headphones, and check out The Life in Equinox Film Enigma: A podcast trivia showdown between myself and Miss Forager, hosted by Univarn.

Take a listen to see just how clever I'm not!

Midnight Radio: The Matineecast Episode 17

In what is becoming an amusingly familiar story, it took a few attempts for my guest and I to get our ducks in a row and get this episode to happen. Perhaps because of that we chattered on a little long thins time. Or perhaps it can be chalked up to us being excited about INCEPTION, or grumpy about one particular critic.

Regardless...when I get a Lammy Award Winner in the hot seat, I'm not one to waste the opportunity. Thus, I'll count the long running time as a good thing. I'll work on getting it to a shorter experience next episode.

For now, make a cup of coffee or two, here's the Chris Sabo episode...




Here's what's in store in episode seventeen...

Runtime
79 minutes, 50 seconds

Up for Discussion

1. Introduction
2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY - Q & A with this episode's guest, Meredith Carter from M. Carter @ The Movies. (1:30)
3. COME TALK TO ME - Listeners confess their guilty pleasures. (8:31)
4. WHAT'S GOIN' ON - NY Press critic Armond White just doesn't get it. (16:39)
5. THE NEW SLANG - Review and reaction of INCEPTION (27:37)
6. THE BEST OF YOU - Meredith and I count down our top five southern movies (45:34)

Note: During the 'What's Goin' On' segment, we discuss a conversation from another podcast. If you want to hear that bit of lunacy, it can be found here at /Filmcast.

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

Avalanche

So here's me, home from another fun stop on the ballpark tour, skimming the blogs I follow for people's thoughts on INCEPTION.

Not only do I not read any reviews before I write my own, but writing my post about it was one of the last things I did before hitting the road. Long story short - I haven't read a word any of y'all have written about the film. And since this was one of those event movies that everyone (except Helms) has seen - I honestly don't know where to start.

So I want this review to serve double duty. On the one hand, please leave a comment with a link to your review so I can read it - or any interesting takes on it you've seen out there. Once that's done, I'll treat this as somewhat of a special edition of "Everybody's Talkin'"...linking everyone's posts.

So It begins...

Sebastian Gutierrez - Detailed Criticisms
Simon - Four of Them
Movienut14
CS - Big Thoughts From a Small Mind
Aiden - Cut The Crap
Bryce - Things That Don't Suck

Red & Castor - Anomalous Materials

Jake - Not Just Movies

David, Jandy, Kurt, John, Jonathan, Rot, and Mariana - Row Three

Laura - Best For Film

Peter - Magic Lantern

A Public Affair (THE SOCIAL NETWORK Trailer)

I don't usually post trailers on Mondays, but I'm still on my way back from this summer's ballpark trip, and thus a trailer makes for a nice little stop-gap (especially after how hard I had to wrack my brain for that INCEPTION review!).

Admittedly, hearing about a Facebook movie did nothing to get me excited. Even hearing that it would be helmed by one of my favorite directors - David Fincher - did very little to get me excited.

But now that I've seen this fully realized trailer, I must confess - I am indeed excited. Excuse me while I go post that on my Facebook page...

Review: INCEPTION * * * *

The possibilities of our own dreams are an amazing notion. Not our goals - our dreams. The parts of our brains we barely use while we're awake. In a rested state we can re-write the rules of time and space and witness some truly amazing things. As one character in INCEPTION puts it:

What's the most resilient parasite? An Idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules. "

Problem is, a single idea - unchained from rules of a waking world - can also lead to a freefall into the dark unknown.

Here's the thing - what made me enjoy inception the most was the effort I put into avoiding plot details in advance. So allow me to give you the broad strokes and we'll move on. Cobb (DiCaprio) and Arthur (Gordon-Levitt) are contractors who can exhume secrets from a person's sub-conscience. They are approached by a wealthy and powerful businessman named Saito (Watanabe), with a proposal.

The proposal is simple: If they can get ideas out of a person's mind...is it possible to plant an idea into a person's mind?

INCEPTION will not be all things for all people. It has been built up, almost from the first glimpse, as a beacon of awesome. It has been burdened by many as the hope to save this summer from being a complete write-off at the movies. I'm here to warn you first and foremost:

No - INCEPTION is not the must-see crowd-pleaser that the hype machine would have you believe.

The film is tremendously complicated, very intricate, and deeply metaphysical. It has very little interest in the real, and instead wants its audience to lean back and imagine possibilities to the enth degree. matter of fact - it demands it, since this is where the movie is going to play out. If you aren't interested in going to this very far-reaching recess of philosophy, you're in for a rough ride. I, for one, was fascinated by the construct the film offers, and thus felt very rewarded when the lights came up.

The most fascinating element of this story is the nature of what happens when one finds themself in a dream-within-a-dream. What INCEPTION would have us believe, is that it's not just a matter of waking up twice. That indeed lowering ourselves further and further into our own subconscious, that the rules change and the stakes increase with every step. Rules of physics begin to crumble like sandcastles and time exponentially increases. These may seem like advantages, but the gate swings both ways.

However, worse than either of those two dangers, is the notion that the deeper we dig into those dark dusty corners of our mind, the more powerful our own dark thoughts become. You know those things you put to the back of your brain because confronting them is just too painful? Well like a blip on the horizon, the closer you get to them the more daunting they become.

'Course if that sort of philosophy isn't your beat, you could always just enjoy the cool fights and pretty pictures.

While this might make the film more appealing in these summer months when we all want to shut off our brains and gorge on fluff, to do so is a disservice to the film. On the surface, INCEPTION is a heist film in reverse (the score is putting something in the vault). However, the job becomes so much more difficult when we see just how much Cobb is up against. Worse yet, they are obstacles of his own doing. And in a wink of self deprication, we continually hear a song about a lack of regrets.

Many of the set pieces for INCEPTION are amazing to behold, and the knowledge that so very many of them were practical effects only heightens the experience. While I have refrained from the Christopher Nolan love-fest that has been buzzing for the last few weeks, I must indeed hand the man credit. There are many lesser talents in Hollywood who would see these ideas in a script and immediately think "digital effects". To see real actors on real sets do what we see them do is becoming very scarce in Hollywood...and it takes some real guts to pull it off.

The other key to this film is in the casting. Selling these metaphysical theories is no small task, so INCEPTION has stacked the deck with some of the best actors working. While they all execute, a lot of credit must be given to Leonardo DiCaprio and Marion Cotillard. Their roles required a bit more weight, and a lot more penitence. The core of these characters almost begs the actors playing them to wade into melodrama. Instead, DiCaprio and Cotillard both draw from a place of real trouble, giving the film that much more weight.

So once again - if you are looking for this summer's coolest movie, keep looking. There are moviegoers who will find this movie slow, strange, and confusing as all get-out. If you're prone to such spells, this film is not for you. INCEPTION has no interest in wooing you with sizzle; it's too busy feeding you the steak.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on INCEPTION.

Ohio

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 7 - 16 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

As I ready myself for this summer's ballpark roadtrip, I must admit that I'm happy as hell to be getting out of town and away from a computer. Being the pop culture junkie that I am, and the avid blog reader, it's getting harder and harder to avoid INCEPTION details...and I long ago reached the point of not wanting to know anything else about the film!

Sidenote: is it weird that almost as much as the ballgame I'm headed to, I'm looking forward to finding a Barnes & Noble to buy half-priced Criterion dvds from??

Anyway, as I continue to pack and get ready to see Mr. Nolan's handiwork, take a gander at what my fellow geeks have been up to this week. And doncha worry - there's lots of Matinee goodness set to autopilot to savour until I get back after the weekend.

For your reading fulfillment, I give you...

Been hearing a lot about I AM LOVE for weeks. Might it be another example of the best things this summer being two or three tiles down the marquee? Blake seems to think so.

The Lammy Award winner for best blog has done a swell character study on Shoshanna Dreyfus from INLOURIOUS BASTERDS.

The Movie Mobsters have doubled back to one of my favorite summer films of the decade - Spielberg's MINORITY REPORT.

One film that I'm happy as hell to have finally seen this year is Woody Allen's amazing MANHATTAN. My compatriot The Flick Chick has taken a moment to dissect the film's fantastic finale.

Finally, head on over to Marshall and The Movies. he's been hosting a series for a few weeks now called "The Origins Project" where we learn how a lot of these film blogs in this community of ours got started! In the spotlight at the moment is another Lammy Award winner, Aiden. (PS, the origins of yours truly was posted here).

Enjoy!

News of the World (SCORE! Opens TIFF 2010)

So after last year's "I'm not going-I'm going-I'm not going" ch-cha, it should go without saying that I cannot wait to dig into another autumn at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Well my wait appears to be almost over, as yesterday's news of the day unveiled the film that will open the whole she-bang. Returning to somewhat of a custom, the festival opens with a Canadian film...and quite an appropriate film where this country found itself so untied around our national sport last winter.

SCORE: A HOCKEY MUSICAL is a film written and directed by Michael McGowan. It's the story of a sheltered seventeen-year old boy (Noah Reid) is discovered by a talent scout (Stephen McHattie) and signed to play in a league, much to his parents chagrin (Marc Jordan & Olivia Newton-John). The film features music by Barenaked Ladies, Amy Sky and Hawksley Workman. It likewise features appearances by Workman, Nelly Furtado, Theo Fleury, Walter Gretzky, and George Stromboulopoulus.

Many of my American friends will likely never see this on a big screen - a pity given the fun on display in the film's trailer...



TIFF 2010 runs from September 9th to the 19th

Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow (GET LOW Trailer)

Quick show of hands: Am I the only one who gets excited about a movie, based on an awesome pack of trailers preceding it? A few weeks ago for instance, I sat down to watch WINTER'S BONE, but first was treated to trailers for LEBANON, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED, and this one for GET LOW.

Couldn't have been more jacked...

Another Day: CARS

I've decided to start a new feature. In this space, my thoughts on films I watch on dvd are usually recorded in either my Doubleback series, or in Back to Basics. But I wanted to start an infrequent series, where I take films I see on dvd and express some long form thoughts (sorta combining the formats of Double and Basics). In some ways these will be reviews, but my thoughts might also find themselves wandering towards production, context, and legacy.

So take a look after the jump won't you, for the first in this series - a film widely regarded to be Pixar's ugly duckling.

What did CARS ever do to us?

Every time I read anything about Pixar's canon of work, CARS is always mentioned with a shudder. If Pixar is The Corleone Family, CARS is clearly Fredo. Heck, it might even be the gnocchi-makin', Andy Garcia cousin-lustin' Mary. It is dismissed; barely mentioned...an ugly duckling in a pond full of swans.

Having just watched it for only the second time, I'm left puzzled at the venom.

CARS actually features some of the best animation Pixar has ever done. Yes, really. The film is bookended by animated NASCAR races, and within these sequences is some direction that is subtle, but also truly exciting. Watching these sequences reminded me of footage I see on ESPN on a Saturday afternoon. But there's the rub; It's one thing to say that it looks exactly like stock car footage, and a whole other thing to remember that directing it to look that way takes an amazing amount of skill.

These sequences are more than just high-resolution rendering. They include sweeping and panning camera work. They include cameras mounted to the hoods of cars and nestled at trackside for shots that capture the cars zipping overhead. Hell, they're so detailed they've even included the rubber marbles the cars shed skipping along the edges of the track as races go on. In short, these sequences are as exciting and well-executed as anything Pixar has ever done.

The beauty of CARS doesn't end with these "Rubbin' is Racin'" moments. Indeed, in that long stretch of open road in between those two races, Pixar takes us through some of the most beautiful artwork they have ever created. It rolls down the windows and bombards us with fresh country air and vanilla skies. We zip past lakes so still they could be mirrors, and expansive canyons and valleys usually seen in coffee table books.

These scenes are no accident. This isn't Pixar trying to distract us from a story of talking cars with a "look what we can do" squeaking plush toy. These scenes are the artists who have dazzled us for a decade at their best. They are doing what they do best, to drive home the real point of this story of talking cars.

The story, often overlooked and written off, is one of a town that has been passed by. There are hundreds of towns across America like Radiator Springs - possibly thousands. Dots of hope on a map that sprung up with the great westward and southern expanse that led the country to prosperity in the early part of the 20th century. Sadly though, as Sally Carrera the Porsche points out, the world went and got itself in a great big hurry. People wanted to get from A-to-B faster and faster, and soon interstates were siphoning the heavy traffic away from these heartland highways...and with the traffic, the customers.

Indeed, this story is easy to write off when it's being told by a Fiat that sounds like Monk, and a tow truck that sounds like a Cable Guy...but that doesn't make it any less poignant. Towns like Radiator Springs are still hurting - probably now more than ever. And while CARS is a wonderful ballad for them, the film's product placement doesn't exactly translate to revenue for towns off the interstate.

The only thing I can come up with, is that while this story is steeped in Americana, and includes a lot of funny moments ("He has three Piston Cups!" "He did what in his cups??")...somehow the film's detractors couldn't let go and allow themselves to fall for animated cars. There's something just too unnatural that won't let audiences at large be amused, moved and entertained by a canoodling Porsche and Stock Car. This might be true, but it didn't stop anyone from going headlong for talking fish.

Perhaps the ambivalence towards CARS comes from the fact that something has to be the least-liked Pixar film. Perhaps it comes from people only having watched it once, and then writing it off. In either case it's a pity, because while I came into it with memories of "okayness", I found myself smiling and laughing almost the entire way along...and indeed moved in ways that Pixar has recently gone on to perfect.

Perhaps CARS will never get out of the Pixar basement...but it's a basement I'd gladly revisit often.

Rating: * * *

Roll The Bones

The last few weeks have been interesting for me where my movie-watching habits are concerned.

By now everybody knows that I've been going back a few years and renting titles that got past me, and for the most part I've been wowed. Choosing what films I want to double back on is an interesting process. Sometimes it's one that's mentioned on some sort of list somewhere. Sometimes, it's a film suggested by one of my fellow bloggers and podcasters (thank you all for that by the way). But sometimes, it comes from my habit of going on certain type of bender.

I have a pretty neat habit of coming home from a movie by a particular director, and finding myself wanting to see other titles by that director again - or often for the first time. Last summer for instance, in the wake of THE HURT LOCKER, I immediately re-watched POINT BREAK and tracked down THE WEIGHT OF WATER.

Such has been the case lately. Given that WINTER'S BONE is one of the very best movies I've seen so far, I was quite curious to see the rather well-received debut by director Debra Granik, DOWN TO THE BONE. It actually took a bit of hunting, since it's a smaller film, but I'm happy to report that it was well worth the dig.

The movie features an amazing performance by Vera Farmiga as a lower-class wife and mother of two that is trying to battle drug addiction. The film is very gritty and very honest, and had it not been for a podcast interview with director Debra Granik, I might not have ever heard of it...let alone got all hot & bothered to see it.

It's funny...sometimes my completist tendencies can lead me to a director's junkers that should be left on the shelf...other times, I can get a fantastic surprise like DOWN TO THE BONE.

I've flapped a lot about seeking out the better films to be seen this summer, and likewise been noted that the better films can't always be seen at everyone's local theatre. Perhaps then, in lieu of going out to be disappointed by the thoughtless fare we're being served this summer, I might persuade you to stay in and rent DOWN TO THE BONE. Then when you finally do get a chance to see WINTER'S BONE at a theatre, you can greet the on-screen credit of Debra Granik with a contented "I love her work."

Review: THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE * * *

There are characters in the movies that intoxicate me. Enigmatic people whose story no films can never tell me enough of. People who should be the subject of a Dos Equis commercial. Lisbeth Salander is quickly becoming one of those people, and luckily for us all she's returned to try and skirt danger once again.

After the events of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace)has relocated herself to the Caribbean. However, after snooping on the activities of her guardian she decides to return to Sweden to make sure he keeps behaving himself. Their situation is one where she has her heel on his neck, and she feels she needs to press down a bit to remind him its there.

At the same time, her old friend Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is back in the swing of things and is spearheading an investigative story for Millennium Magazine about human trafficking. However, his whole project is thrown into disarray when two young journalists leading the way on the story turn up murdered one night. In a strange twist, so too does Lisbeth's guardian. What's worse is that all signs point to Lisbeth being the murderer.

Lisbeth and Blomkvist begin taking different routes to the same destination: the truth. he is playing every lead he has already found in his investigation, often doing more detecting than the detectives assigned to the case. Of course, since he isn't a suspect, he can do this out in the open. Lisbeth isn't so lucky, and as if her fearlessness isn't making things tense enough, she has to get to the truth while everyone within sight of a TV thinks she's a murderer.


This story has an amazingly appropriate title. After the events of TATTOO, Lisbeth seems to be living life with a strange Supergirl complex. She has gone to such measures to take control of her life and play a part in others getting control of theirs, that in this film she seems to know no fear. She ducks from one dangerous moment to the next with little regard for her own safety.

It's as if she's become bored of winning at Russian Roulette, and decided that it's high time she loaded a second bullet into the revolver.

In the same way, Blomkvist could be seen as a man with a new found streak of daredevilism. His investigative journalism nearly cost him his life once already, and this time out his journalism once again has him threatening some very dangerous men. By now we know that he shares a special kinship with Lisbeth, and perhaps her appetite for danger has rubbed of on him. Or perhaps, it was in him all along and that's what she gravitates toward.

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE must of course be considered in relationship to THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. In a few ways, I'm sorry to say that it's a slight step back. While the darkness of that first chapter actually made it difficult to write about and praise, it also made it work very well as a movie. This film isn't quite as dark, which gives the overall experience the wrong tone.

One other factor to be considered, is the full knowledge that Lisbeth's story still has one more chapter to go - THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST. Knowing that film is still to come takes away from the stakes at hand in the final act - an unfortunate side effect to what could have been a very gripping scene.

On the whole, Lisbeth Salander is such an engaging character that even a lacking story with her in it is one that I want to hear. Noomi Rapace has taken her performance to the next step in this film, showing her as someone who has obviously evolved from the events she's already endured...but still hasn't evolved into someone who cares that much for the outside world. She is capable of genuine tenderness, but can still shut it all down and detach whenever she wants to.

Can't wait to find out how her story ends!

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE.

Storm Coming

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 7 - 9 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

Dear Miami Heat...

Congratulations on building the closest thing the NBA has to an all-star team. Now about those other six roster spots to be filled with next-to-no remaining salary cap. $100 says you still can't parlay this into a championship, and in eighteen months two of your three studs are bitching about not getting the ball enough.

*end rant*

Moving on, it feels like it's been an endless week up here. I'm gonna be all unoriginal and blame it on the heatwave we're suffering through...though if I hear one more person bitch about said heatwave I'm likely to go postal. Failing that, I could also repeat today's process, and shrug off a stupid work day with some dvd shopping.

There's lots on tap for me over the next week. I've rented DOWN TO THE BONE, heading out to GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE tomorrow, and looking forward to next week when I'll soak in my first outdoor screening - IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (which I've never seen!). Oh yeah, and this time next week - I'll be soaking up the awesomeness that is INCEPTION. Happy Friday indeed!

Y'all know the drill by now...

Let's start with something a little different. Seems as though a historian came across my review of AGORA, and enjoyed my analysis of the film. This historian, Faith Justice, knows her stuff when it comes to Alexandria and has written a three part series on how the film stacks up to the facts.

Remember a few days ago when I urged everyone to look a little harder for some better summer fare? Seems as though there's a big 'ol flaw with my multiplex math...as The Audient found out the hard way.

One film I mentioned in that hidden gems post was SUNSHINE. That film is directed by Danny Boyl; a director whose catalogue our English friend (and birthday boy) Simon Columb is working his way through.

More contributions from across the pond. It would seem as though the questions in the Know Your Enemy section of my podcast has inspired Fandango to remedy a gap in his film literacy.

Listening to enough podcasts yet? (Pssst - the correct answer is "Never!"). Good here's two more for you courtesy of Kai Parker and four fiesty female film bloggers.

I've always had thoughts of watching the entire AFI 100 - well Hal at Forget the Popcorn has done just that (no small feat!).

Enjoy!

Old Time Rock & Roll

I found myself feeling nostalgic today.

First a fellow blogger emailed about a project they are starting. I'll keep the particulars quiet for now, but I will say that what they have in mind has participating bloggers looking back at movies from their past. As I went about my workday, and did indeed muse for a moment or two on films from my own past, I was reminded of one in particular thanks to The Criterioncast.

In their most recent episode, the good lads and lovers of all things Criterion talked about Michael Bay's summer of '96 offering, THE ROCK. Listening to them talk about that flick was like listening to Dolly Parton sing a love song. It reminded me of the guy I used to be, and the simple things that used to make me happy.

THE ROCK is crap...hot, steaming, ridiculous crap. Thing is - it's my kind of crap. I've never been able to get into B movies, wacky foreign action, and other such so-bad-it's-good-properties. But when it comes to overblown, Bruckheimer-produced, flag-waving, 1990's pyromania I'm all over it. I realize I might be shaking any trust you have in my opinion of good cinema, but hopefully I'm regaining points for honesty.

When I was younger, these movies provided me a lot of fun. They'd make me smile on summer afternoons and give me a line or three to endlessly quote and drive my friends nuts. They were to buttered popcorn what brie is to cabernet. And yes, I know that I just compared cheese to cheese.

THE ROCK for instance has Cage overacting, an awesome car chase, Michael Biehn, Harris holding Frisco hostage, a band of blood thirsty mercenaries, some weird green gas beads, and Connery lecturing about what it takes to fuck the prom queen. Tell me where I'm supposed to find good stupid fun like that at the multiplex right now? (Did I mention Michael Biehn?)

I grew out of it all of course. While I've moved on to bigger and better things, I can't deny the movie geek I once was...and in many ways still am.

I also can't help but wonder if my dissatisfaction with many of the summer blockbusters I've seen lately, is that none of them give me the laughs and thrills that TOP GUN, FACE/OFF, THE ROCK, TRUE LIES, and yes even ARMAGEDDON once gave me.

All The old Showstoppers (RED Trailer)

Folks, it's just this simple - any movie that has Hellen Mirren wielding assault weapons is an automatic 'must-see'...

Try a Little Harder

Over the last few weeks, I've been noticing a bit of a trend.

It all begins with an obvious statement that has been talked about quite a bit in recent weeks: This summer has disappointed at the movies. With few exceptions, the big guns have failed to capture audiences' imagination, and very few blockbusters seem to have any staying power. If you want to hear five movie geeks discuss it further, tune in to this week's Lambcast.

So with precious little making me plan double-feature nights at the cinema, I've turned back to dvd. In doing so, I've found myself falling hard for some recent rentals; namely SUNSHINE and 28 WEEKS LATER. What do these two films have in common (besides a loose Danny Boyle connection)? Simple - they were both summer releases. Both from the same summer as it happens.

At the time they were largely dismissed by audiences, and not exactly hailed by critics. But looking back on them now, they're amazingly engaging, thoughtful, and stunning. I haven't been able to shake them since the credits rolled, and they have been what few other movies that summer - or this summer - were: exciting and memorable.

Thinking back, it seems that every year there are half a dozen films like this. Movies next to nobody saw in theatres. Movies next to nobody could find in theatres. But movies that would invariably stick with us and become hailed in the years that pass.

I'm thinking THE HURT LOCKER...BEFORE SUNSET...IN THE LOOP...ONCE...MOON...

Months and years later we will watch these movies and love everything about them, but if/when we have the chance to give them our admission dollars, we choose instead to waste our time with something based on a video game.

Again, I realize not everyone has this luxury, but what I'm trying to say is that if we try a little harder, and dig a little deeper, it is possible even in dreadful summers like this to find some amazing movies. Odds are they're indie, foreign, or a documentary, and odds are they're ones that you'll be trying to chase down in the coming months and years on dvd. Why not chase them down now, be a step or two ahead of the curve, and talk 'em up to your friends...rather than waste two hours of your life that you won't get back on a wickedly forgettable blockbuster?

Midnight Radio: The Matineecast Episode 16

Fair warning folks: The sound on this one is a little off. See, it was such a lovely anarchist-filled day here in Toronto that I decided to open the windows near my microphone and get some fresh air as I podcasted. While this actually made for a lovely touch with the chirping bird you can hear at one point, it unfortunately caused a breezing blowing across my mic throughout the show.

Oh well...if y'all can handle the pedestrian traffic that surrounds Simon & Jo, y'all can handle this.

We're back up to a longer length this week. Here's the Doc Gooden episode...



Here's what's in store in episode fifteen...

Runtime
64 minutes, 16 seconds

Up for Discussion

1. Introduction
2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY - Q & A with this episode's guest, Kai from The List (2:00)
3. COME TALK TO ME - Listener choices for the best film of 2010 so far. (8:36)
4. WHAT'S GOIN' ON - Raimi detours off the yellow brick road, indie films are getting crowds by default, and JAWS turns 35. (12:30)
5. THE NEW SLANG - Review and reaction of TOY STORY 3 (22:03)
6. THE BEST OF YOU - Kai and I count down our top five movie trilogies (33:53)

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

Review: AGORA * * *

I'm a glass-half-full sort of guy. I like to believe the humanity has hope, and that over the course of our history we have all come a very long way towards a better global understanding. Then I watched AGORA...and realized that we haven't come very far at all.

AGORA is the story of the city of Alexandria in 4th century. As our story begins, the city is populated by pagans, Jews, and growing ranks of the budding faith of Christianity. In the city's library, a philosopher named Hypatia (Rachel Weisz) teaches science in the library. Her students include Orestes (Oscar Isaac), her brother who actually has romantic interests for his sister. Likewise, she teaches Synesius (Rupert Evans), a pagan student who has recently embraced Christianity.

Standing off to the side is Davus (Max Minghella), Hypatia's slave who is also crushing on her - guess how much hope that relationship has. When the growing ranks of Christians in the city insult the pagans, civil unrest breaks out leading to riots and slaughter. When the Roman Emperor sends a ruling in favour of The Christians, it forces all pagans to flee, hands the library its destruction, and scatters Davus, Hypatia, Orestes, and Synesius in all directions.

Years later, they all find themselves back in Alexandria, but in different capacities. Hypatia is still studying her sciences - flying in the face of religious doctrine - though she's now doing it far less publicly. Orestes is now the Roaman prefect, and must do what he can to quell the growing tensions between the pagans, Jews, and the ever-rising ranks of Christians. Personal convictions get challenged time after time, and before long each one of these four characters must make tough choices surrounding their beliefs, their allegiances, and each other.


What's amazing about the story of Alexandria is the way it has been echoed throughout our history. Time after time, people of different backgrounds will try to coexist geographically, and sadly time after time, they come up empty and angry. In many ways the story of AGORA could be told in Gaza or Belfast.

Rachel Weisz is the only recognizable face in this film, and she is very well suited to the character. She has a certain poise, and tone to her voice, that gives her an air of understanding. She embodies a very rare type of person - the sort who might disagree with your point of view, but has too much respect for you to call you a heretic and force her beliefs on you.

AGORA poses some tough questions about faith, philosophy, and politics. Orestes embodies difficulties that still face our elected leaders today, since he struggles with how he can possibly be a just ruler of Alexandria, and still appear to all involved as a devout Christian. Where he struggles the most is where many people today still do: what is one to do when the literal text of an ancient gospel contradicts humanity? In Orestes case, he's fighting an uphill battle to explain that a 400 year old Christian doctrine is outdated. What chance does anyone have today with that same doctrine being 2000 years old?

While the film gets a little heavy-handed in it's obvious messages about atrocities committed in God's name, it's worth watching for the way the core characters of Hypatia, Orestes, Synesius, and Davus struggle with the nature of blind faith. Hypatis taught them all, and though their beliefs changed with age, what sticks with them is her stance of never ceasing to ask questions. Our questions might fly in the face of seemingly unchallengeable fact, but they must still be asked.

Our laws, our sciences, and indeed our religions might tell us in no uncertain terms what is right and wrong. However, the variable in all of it, is that law, science, and religion are all human studies...and thus, completely fallible. Throughout human history - indeed since the days of Alexandria - leaders in religion, sciences, and the law have given us reason after reason to exclude, to mislead, and to fear. What AGORA seems to be prompting us to remember, is that time after time these lessons have been wrong, and that we need to make up out own minds before blindly kneeling, accepting, and following.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on AGORA.