A Single Man (2009)

A Single Man is so morose but so pretty. It makes me sigh just to think of it.

The story follows George (Colin Firth), a British professor teaching at an American university, as he tries to get to the end of his day after the death of his long-time partner. Firth's performance is so intimate and intricate. It's quiet and reserved but deep. And it's really a portrait of love and grief. What do you do when someone who was such a fixture in your life is gone? Every day can be a struggle. It's complimented nicely by the rest of the cast (especially Julianne Moore and Matthew Goode) sliding seamlessly into supporting positions.

But even with Firth's terrific (and Oscar-nominated) turn, he's slightly out-shined by the styling. Directed by fashion designer Tom Ford, the whole movie is like a slick pictorial come to live. It's set in the 1960s but not the neon, flower-power 60s. Instead it's the cool, clean world also seen in TV's Mad Men. In fact, the same production designers worked on both.

Not too many movies anymore can be paused and leave a beautifully composed image on the screen. Not only does A Single Man do that, but it leaves an image worthy of fashion ad.

Rating: 4/5

Recommended for: viewing in your slickest outfit on a rainy day

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

Terry Gilliam likes his movies fantastical and quirky and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is no exception. Despite his successes, Gilliam is also known for his string of unfortunate production problems. Again, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is no exception.

This is the movie where Heath Ledger died during a filming break. Upon Ledger's death production shut down until Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Ferrell stepped up to take over Ledger's role. Magically, this role sharing actually works with the story.

Ledger was playing Tony, a man found hanging from a bridge in London by the gypsy-like performing group of the 1,000-year old Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer). Tony stays with the group as they go around inviting people into Doctor Parnassus' Imaginarium. Like the name implies, inside people can experience worlds of their own imagination, but it's also where Parnassus can collect their souls. Soon the group has to hurry to capture five souls before Mr. Nick (Tom Waits) does. It's an alternate to Parnassus' old deal with Nick that required him to surrender his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole) to Nick on her sixteenth birthday.

No doubt the film is wacky. It's part of the fun. But eventually it flounders before it reaches the end and any concern I had for the characters was gone just when it was called for most. It's really too bad. The cast does a nice job. I especially look forward to seeing more of Lily Cole and Andrew Garfield (another member of the Parnassus group) in other films. And of course there's Ledger. Ledger had reached new levels as The Joker in The Dark Knight and he was still going strong in this movie.

Rating: 3/5

Recommended for: Anyone who wants to see Heath Ledger in one more movie

Extended Review: At certain points it seems like Ledger is channeling Johnny Depp (especially Jack Sparrow Johnny Depp). So when Depp is the first to play Ledger, there's a great symbiosis.

Charade (1963)

Charade is one odd cookie of a movie.

Audrey Hepburn is Regina Lampert, who upon returning to Paris from a holiday plans to ask her husband for a divorce. When she returns to their home though she finds it completely empty and is soon notified that her husband was found dead after someone threw him from a train.

Strangers show up at his funeral and test the body to make sure he's really dead. She then finds out from CIA agent Hamilton Bartholomew (Walter Mathau) that her husband was part of a group of soldiers who buried money that they were supposed to give to the French Resistance during World War II. Mr. Lampert had recently gone back to the site and dug up the money for himself but no one could find it in his possessions. So now Regina and her new randomly-found friend Peter Joshua (Carey Grant) need to figure out where the money is so they can return it to the US before Mr. Lampert's fellow ex-soldiers hunt them down and take it from them.

If it sounds goofy with serious elements that aren't taken seriously, that's because it is. It's also all over the board.

Regina is threatened and intimidated by the ex-soldiers. But then for no apparent reason they don't scare her anymore. Then they follow suit and become more accommodating.

Regina trusts Peter even though she just met him. Then she thinks maybe she can't. Then again maybe she can. Then again, oh look there's Audrey Hepburn managing to be the most fashionable and out-of-nowhere stealthy person in Paris. (Well she was dressed by Givenchy.)

And after all this dated flightiness, I was ready to write it off. But then, in the last fifteen minutes, it becomes this suddenly gripping, really serious, really interesting film. It's as if the film was a balloon floating around Paris and suddenly someone jumped up on a chair, grabbed the string, tied a rock to it and grounded the darn thing. Really it was for the best.

Rating: 3/5

Recommended for: People who like their well-dressed screwball comedies to have sudden moments of gravitas and violence that doesn't involve animals or a man being hit in the crotch

Shutter Island (2010)

When Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese collaborate you have certain expectations. For example, you expect the movie to be good. Maybe you expect it to be a little violent. You might even expect it to not treat the audience like idiots.

Well... Shutter Island at least lives up to the second one. And it has an interesting plot. Or at least it makes you think it has an interesting plot.

Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a US Marshal in 1954 on the case of a missing patient from a hospital for the criminally insane on the allegedly unescapable Shutter Island. With his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), Teddy comes across several roadblocks from the staff to the investigation and begins to suspect that something akin to the sinister activities he witnessed in death camps during World War II is taking place on the island. Things are further compounded by a hurricane, more escaped patients, and Teddy's dead wife.

Unfortunately Teddy and Chuck tell us way too many things explicitly. At some points it wouldn't be surprising if they turned to the camera and relayed the lines. And with the storm and the fireplaces and the men sitting in high-back chairs, you almost expect Teddy to announce it was Col. Mustard who absconded with the missing patient in the library with the candelabra.

There's a fair amount of suspense but it gets tiring after awhile and the story really starts to drag. Eventually, it's just annoying and tempting to fast forward to the end.

The actors do a fair enough job with what they've been given. Patricia Clarkson probably gives the strongest performance, but then again she was just making the most of the 5 minutes she's in the movie. DiCaprio and Ruffalo seem like an odd pairing. I never think of them as being in the same genre of films, but they work well together here.

In the end, only parts of it were the thriller I expected and instead of finding the ending itself clever, I felt betrayed. Looking back I see where all the seeds are sown, I just didn't care any more when it came time to harvest.

Rating: 2/5

Recommended for: People who like to be reminded that sometimes great film people put out a not-so-great movie

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

There should be some sort of rule that movies with foregone conclusions aren't allowed to run past the two hour mark. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford drags for over two and a half.

When just from your title and setup your audience already knows the who (Robert Ford), the what (kills Jesse James), the when (somewhere towards the end of the movie because that'd be more dramatic), and the how (probably with a gun considering the time period and the fact that these guys were train robbers) - all you have left is the why, and even that is partially answered (because he's a coward). The challenge is to fill in the details and the rest of that "why" in a gripping manner for the rest of the film. And that's where this film fails. It's no small undertaking but anyone would be hard pressed to sustain tension with this story for two and a half hours.

It's too bad because it is such a striking film visually. Grain shines in the sunlight and sways in the wind. The sky is full of appropriately threatening and tumultuous-looking clouds. The train lights fall on Brad Pitt's Jesse James creating a perfect silhouette before a moment of action. The men disappear through the steam like ghosts. The cast is an array of familiar and vaguely-familiar faces (Brad Pitt, Mary Louise Parker, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, Jeremy Renner, Paul Schneider). They all do a fine enough job but everything is too subdued for anyone to shine through like the aforementioned grain.

Rating: 2/5

Recommended for: lulling yourself to sleep

The Frisco Kid (1979)

I admit it. I decided to watch The Frisco Kid because it's a western with Harrison Ford. You don't come across that too often (you know, besides his two episodes of Gunsmoke). And I had to know how combing these two elements turned out.

And the result, as you might have guessed, is strange. But it's not just from the aforementioned combo. After all, the tagline is "The greatest cowboy ever to ride into the Wild West. From Poland." The movie also stars Gene Wilder as Avram, a Polish rabbi sent to make his way across the United States (mainly the Old West) so he can lead a synagogue in San Francisco. As Avram makes his way, he crosses paths with Ford's bandit Tommy - except nothing happens the first time. Tommy holds up a train Avram is riding but Avram is in the bathroom and misses the hold-up completely.

Later Tommy comes across Avram trying to stab fish with a huge wooden pole in a stream. He helps the rabbi out by shooting the fish. Then they bond a little and Tommy decides to help Avram navigate the rest of the way. Apparently Tommy has a heart of gold but just considers robbing people his job. They have a few mini-adventures along the way and then eventually their journey is over. And that's pretty much it.

The trailer for The Frisco Kid, builds on Wilder's roles in Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. While slightly endearing this is not the comedy it's built up to be. In fact, it's not a Mel Brooks movie nor is it close to that brand of funny at all. And it certainly doesn't take itself seriously enough to be a drama. It just sort of floats in and out of a few comedic styles and ambles to the end.

I kept thinking "This came out between Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back."

Rating: 2/5
Recommended for: People who wonder what it'd be like if Han Solo was a softer individual from 1850

Vertigo (1958)

Vertigo stars James "Jimmy" Stewart as recently retired, acrophobic police detective John "Scottie" Ferguson. Scottie's been hired as private investigator by an old college friend to follow his wife Madeline (Kim Novak). Despite Madeline's apparent ritualistic behaviors and suicidal tendencies, Scottie finds himself falling for her.

I'm more a fan of Hitchcock's mental thrillers than his more blatant harming people right in front of your face. I'll take Notorious over The Birds any day. So since I knew Vertigo would include an on-screen death, I felt I was getting a little adventurous with this movie choice. And in a way, I was.

This movie is sort of amazing. With the time period in which the movie was filmed I expected some hokeyness - perhaps along the lines of Dial M for Murder which came out four years earlier. While a little hokeyness persisted in Vertigo, it's not enough to make a lasting impression. Instead it's surprisingly deep story. Jimmy Stewart is more known for uttering lines that include the phrase "hot dog!" but here he gradually transforms into a man compelled by one dark notion.

My only gripe is one that transcends this movie into a general Hitchcock gripe. It's the use of glasses to make a girl "unattractive" so the audience can dismiss her as being anything but a character who will be used by our protagonist. In Vertigo it's Barbara Bel Geddes as Scottie's friend (and former girlfriend), Midge. Her big, red frames (and prior Hitchcock knowledge) telegraph right from the beginning that despite her being the most likable character and the biggest help for Scottie, we can't even hope anyone will take stock in her. You could spin it and say the glasses are a sign that only she sees what's happening to Scottie, but with Judy's existence that seems less likely the case. It's too bad because she's a fantastic character and Bel Geddes give a fantastic performance.

I don't want to give too much more away. It's definitely more fun to view it not quite knowing where it's going. But I was impressed - with the story, symbolism, and acting. I guess I haven't seen enough of the films that came out in 1958 to understand why Stewart didn't at least get an Oscar nomination (although he did win the Zulueta Prize at the San Sebastian International Film Festival).

Rating: 4/5

Recommended for: seeing an exquisite Hitchcock balancing act

The Young Victoria (2009)

The Young Victoria is such a pretty movie to view. And sure enough, it won Best Achievement in Costume Design at the 2010 Oscars and was nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Makeup as well. The sets could swallow you whole with their grandeur - no doubt helped by the fact that many of them were real homes and castles.

The film also focuses on a intriguing subject - the British monarchy - in particular Queen Victoria, whose reign began in 1837 and didn't end until 1901. This particular film chose to focus on the events leading up to her coronation and those first few years as Queen.

Victoria (Emily Blunt) is aware that she's next in line for the throne. Her mother (Miranda Richardson) is too, possibly even more so, as she's done everything possible to keep Victoria in a bubble - not just for her protection but in an attempt to mold Victoria into the leader she and the scheming Sir John Conroy would prefer her to be. Victoria is too aware and too smart to be an ideal piece of clay.

Blunt convincingly portrays the complexity of a young woman who refuses to be pushed around and enthusiastically wants what's best for her people while holding the knowledge that she has absolutely no practical experience at her job. She acknowledges duty but chooses to marry Albert (Rupert Friend), a man she loves. Their relationship makes for an endearing core to the story.

The choice to focus on that time is refreshing - since Queen Victoria movies don't usually focus on how she got there. And yet, this choice also makes the film a little awkward. I felt like things were just revving up when the movie ends. Showing the coronation at the beginning also steals some of the thunder. But still, it's an interesting watch with captivating performances by Blunt and Friend. And for the most part, it's even historically accurate.

Rating: 4/5

Recommended for: quiet, rainy afternoon viewing

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

If you've seen a Wes Anderson film, you know his movies are infused with quirkiness. Fantastic Mr. Fox is no exception.

And if you're a big Wes Anderson fan, you'll also be delighted with the homages to his other films. From a tussle and caper planing worthy of Bottle Rocket, to a precocious, multi-talented cousin out of Rushmore, to a compartmental overview of the Fox tree like in The Life Aquatic to the farmer character introduction and segment labeling out of The Royal Tenenbaums, they're all pieces that work in this movie too.

I don't remember ever reading Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox, so my review is based on the movie on its own. And it definitely stands on its own.

Depicted in stop-motion animation is Mr. Fox, who is voiced by George Clooney. He likes to steal squabs, but one time when him and his wife (Meryl Streep) are in trouble during a theft, she tells him she's pregnant and makes him promise that if they get out of this alive, he'll find a less dangerous career. 12 fox years later, Mr. Fox is now a newspaper columnist and the father of the mopey Ash (Jason Schwartzman). Mr. Fox is getting restless though. He moves the family into a tree across the way from the farms of Boggis, Bunce, and Bean and the temptation to return to his old lifestyle becomes too much. Soon he's planning raids of the farms with opossum building superintendent, Kylie (Wallace Wolodarsky), and his visiting nephew, Kristofferson (Eric Chase Anderson - the illustrator of all of the maps, covers, and other packaging of the Criterion Collection editions of his brother Wes' films).

Incredible suspension of disbelief is required to watch this - beyond that of accepting talking animals. Plenty of things that don't quite make sense take place, but if you don't bother questioning it all, it's a fun ride. There's plenty of dry humor but it's also whimsical, amusing, and features some great performances by the voice actors.

Meryl Streep is calm, grounded, a bit more timid than we're used to hearing her. Willem Defoe proves he can be creepy as anyone, especially a rat. Mario Batali even makes an appearance as a rabbit who is also a chef... because of course we need accuracy in our rabbit chef portrayal. Wes Anderson seems to have even pushed George Clooney into the Wes Anderson Line Delivery Method. Anderson had the cast go out to a real farm and record their lines as they were acting out their scenes. So many times animated movies are missing that chemistry that appears when actors are actually performing in the same space. But this technique really helped bring the performances into cohesive ensemble work.

I think this movie even has a broader appeal than his others. Some people might assume with Wes Anderson at the helm, the movie's meant for adults but I think kids can enjoy it too. It carries a message that it's ok to be different. And by the end, no matter what your age, you'll probably find yourself wanting a bandit hat.

Rating: 4/5
Recommended for: Anyone in the mood for fun and bandit hats

An Education (2009)

If you've read some of my other recent reviews, you'll have noticed I've been disenchanted with the lack of freshness in some recent films. Well... consider me refreshed. An Education is a sweetly charming viewing experience with a quiet solidity that keeps it from flying away.

It's a coming-of-age movie and yet it's not corny or silly. It helps that the main character, Jenny, is already fairly mature and intelligent for her 16 years - there's just some things about life that school hasn't taught her. It's the 1960s in the London suburbs and Jenny is waiting in the rain for the bus after orchestra practice when a man about twice her age, David, offers to give her a ride home. Nowadays one might think stranger danger. Jenny does too for a moment, but his sincerity and offer to protect the cello and let her walk along side the car eventually convince her to get in.

They bump into each other some more and she ends up dating him. Her parents are even ok with it. David has a convincing story for everything. He tells them he just wants to expose her to culture. Before she met David, Jenny wanting nothing more than to read English at Oxford. But now the life David presents seems so much more interesting and the Oxford priority fades.

Carey Mulligan plays Jenny. Several critics have likened her to Audrey Hepburn - although I think a lot of that comes from the time period of An Education and Mulligan's vague resemblance. While Hepburn often played the wide-eyed girl experiencing things for the first time, Mulligan is much more coy. We can see her excitement and her sadness but it all plays out on a less extreme spectrum than Hepburn's usually did. Mulligan has this heft to her performance as she balances maturity and self-awareness with surprise and naivete. Jenny knows so much but there's still so much she doesn't know and Mulligan pulls this off so well it's no wonder she's won several awards for the role.

Meanwhile Peter Sarsgaard plays David, pulling off a decent English accent in the process. He clearly knows his own intentions for Jenny but he hides behind a haze of mystery, sweetness, and reasoning for Jenny, her family and the audience. He skates just along the edge of the creepy line and then back into the territory of maybe-he-just-wants-the-best-for-her.

At one point, David gets permission to take Jenny to Paris - a place she always wanted to go. And it's refreshing to see people go to Paris without driving through the entire city for a montage. Director Lone Scherfig and her team capture a carefree, romantic Paris, only popping in a few landmarks without letting them pull the focus. The color of Jenny's time with David stands opposite the appearance of her dreary school life but the contrast is smooth and subtle enough that it doesn't hit you over the head. And the costumes are beautiful and tailored without it becoming a costume drama.

The whole movie is a beautiful balancing act around a compelling story.

Rating: 5/5
Recommended for: Showing Audrey Hepburn how it's done today.

All Through the Night (1941)

Not too long ago I decided I wanted to watch every film Humphrey Bogart made. His characters tend to be similar to each other but, unlike Clooney characters, Bogart's never seem to materialize out of nowhere. Each has a backstory, each has some heavy weight they're carrying.
They're all well-rounded in that way and yet they're all a bit different. I've seen nine so far, but after seeing, All Through the Night I might just be happy with what I've already seen and move on.

All Through the Night came out right after The Maltese Falcon, Bogart's big break as a leading player. But in All Through the Night, Bogart plays a gangster, a role he pretty much always played in B movies before The Maltese Falcon. So all that character depth I previously mentioned? Not so much. In fact, at least three other guys in the movie are playing almost the exact same part as Bogart. And everyone except the Nazis and the women are talking in wise-guy voices that all sound exactly the same. Turn away from the screen and there's a good chance you won't know who is talking.

And yeah, there's that Nazi thing. What starts out as some gambling gangsters trying to figure out who killed their favorite cheesecake baker spins into the discovery of an evil Nazi plot for chaos and destruction. I almost can't even believe it as I type it. It all pops out of nowhere amongst fight scenes that are borderline slapstick.

It's all so ridiculous that the only redeemable part that comes to mind is Peter Lorre, who is as creepy as ever as Pepi, the watchdog/hitman.

Rating: 1/5
Recommended for: People who cannot get enough of the 40s movie gangster accent

Whip It (2009)

Whip It is Drew Barrymore's directorial debut. And I guess I was expecting something amazing. She's been in the movie business most of her life and instead of propelling originality, it seems to be a lot of the classic shots and telling techniques we've seen so many times before. Now what she gave us wasn't bad - it just wasn't what I was expecting.

The story, set in small-town Texas, is about a teenager named Bliss (Ellen Page) whose mother heavy-hands her into local beauty pageant after pageant. Bliss is less than thrilled but goes through the motions until she discovers roller derby. Becoming part of the underdog team The Hurl Scouts becomes her secret passion. She sneaks off to practices and games. Her best friend is in on it. She finds some understanding in her situation with her mother from her father. And she's really good at her sport.

And voila... we have a roller derby version of Bend it Like Beckham.

It's a charming enough movie. It's a well-acted enough movie. The ensemble cast is great. It's about roller derby - a sport that is definitely not over-saturated in the way of movie depictions. And it's predictable in many aspects but not overly-predictable as a whole. In the end though, it just didn't seem distinct enough for me.

Rating: 3/5
Recommended for: Those of you who haven't seen Bend it Like Beckham (especially if you're unfamiliar with British culture).