Onwards and upwards!
Cloud Atlas
Sometimes a movie forces its audience to work for their reward. I like when this happens. It's a change from the usual movie going mode, which is to sit back and be a lazy sponge. Not that there's anything wrong with lazy spongeness, it just gets boring if that's the only thing you're doing for long stretches of time. You need a brisk workout now and then. Along comes "Cloud Atlas", based on the novel by David Mitchell. Making a movie out of something so sprawling and ambitious would be a monumental task for any director, so it's a good thing that three directors decided to take on the challenge. The Wachowskis ("The Matrix" trilogy) and Tom Tykwer ("Run Lola Run", "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer") took on the challenge and created something truly special. Everyone I know who's seen this movie, love it or hate it, has had a completely unique emotional reaction to the film. But as I said earlier, it requires and investment from the audience to fully reap its philosophical and emotional benefits. After all, when you have a movie which alternates among six different time periods and features the same actors playing a different character within each of those periods, well. . . it requires a bit of an attention span. Thankfully there's enough variety and spice to make it entertaining, even if you're lost. Historical fiction, drama, love story, comedy, horror, futuristic sci-fi, post apocalyptic sci-fi, detective thriller, even action movie - it's all there. And every time I see this movie, I see some previously unnoticed new detail that makes me want to watch the whole dang thing over again. Sure, some of the special makeup jobs are kind of crappy, but it isn't a big deal. When are you ever going to see a movie where Hugh Grant plays a post apocalyptic cannibal king? When you watch "Cloud Atlas", that's when. Every time I see this movie, it affects me, emotionally. Transcendental stuff.
Django Unchained
Now for a remake that has almost nothing to do with the original - except that is has the same theme song, and the main character's name is the same, and the original star (Franco Nero) makes a brief appearance. And it's a Western. Otherwise, it's yet another revisionist remake from Quentin Tarantino, much like his last flick "Inglorious Basterds". Jamie Foxx is fine in the lead role as a freed slave turned bounty hunter trying to find and rescue his enslaved wife, but it's those who surround him who really stand out. Christophe Waltz is charming and bad ass and enigmatic as King Schultz, the ultimate standout character of the film. Leonardo DiCaprio makes a great villain, even though he gets out-villained by Samuel L. Jackson. And, like all Tarantino films, the supporting cast is peppered with numerous familiar faces from cult and classic film and television history. Mix them up with Tarantino's over-the-top sensibilities (cartoony blood explosions) and his trademarked ear for dialogue and pace (the slow burn which suddenly explodes with fury), as well as his respect and love for obscure cinema ("Mandingo", anyone?) and you have a film that's quite unique, yet totally Tarantino. Every time I see this movie, I forget how damn funny it is, too. It's a dusty, blood stained grab bag of surprises.
ParaNorman
From Laika, the animation studio which brought us the fantastic film version of "Coraline", comes a new venture into the realm of stop-motion. This movie is quite beautiful looking. . . ghoulishly beautiful, that is. Taking its cues from 100 years of horror cinema, "ParaNorman" is a love letter to scary movies. At the same time, it's also a great story about the long-term effects of bullying. Don't worry, though, it's not preachy at all. It's a really good time. This movie makes me crack up quite a bit, largely from the hilarious dialogue. "When I'm nervous, I get mouth diarrhea." I can relate. "Promise me you'll do it. Swear!" "You mean like the F-word?" Bwaaahaha! "Don't make me throw this hummus! It's spicy!" Actually, I think I've used that one before. Besides its stellar animation and cinematography, spot-on sense of humor, and deep love for the horror genre, it also boasts a great cast. In particular, I'd like to single out Tucker Albrizzi, who plays my favorite character in the film, Norman's buddy Neil. It's an endearing performance. Kudos to Casey Affleck as well, who plays what, to my knowledge, is the first non-stereotypical gay character I've ever seen in a 3D animated movie. What a surprise! Thank you, Chris Butler and Sam Fell, for this highly entertaining flick.
Hitchcock
I'm not a big fan of biopics. Thankfully, "Hitchcock" isn't a biopic. It doesn't encapsulate the life and career of Alfred Hitchcock into a tight, easily-digestible narrative, it concentrates merely on one slice of his life - the making of "Psycho". Beyond being one of my favorite movies of all time, I find the circumstances around the creation of "Psycho", as well as the groundbreaking effects of its release, absolutely fascinating. "Hitchcock" doesn't cover all of those bases, but only because it's not a comprehensive behind-the-scenes piece. Thematically, it's the story of Hitch's relationships (or lack thereof) with women, and the parallels those relationships have with his own creative abilities. In particular, the movie concentrates on his marriage to his longtime wife Alma. Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren are the two leads (as Alfred and Alma, respectively) and their performances are the heart of the film. Surrounding them are a bevy of great actors, far too many to list, but I'd like to single out Scarlett Johannson, who does a fantastic job portraying Janet Leigh. Michael Wincott also does a creepy job in a very odd subplot regarding Hitch and a dream relationship he has with killer Ed Gein, the inspiration for the original "Psycho" novel. At first this subplot seemed out of place, but I came to enjoy it greatly for what it is - a dark reflection of Hitch's issues with the ladies. All-in-all, director Sacha Gervasi took what could easily have been a dry recitation of the facts and made something fun, something infused with the eccentricity and playfulness that the Master of Suspense himself possessed. Because of that, this movie gets a lot of replay in my house. In fact, this is one of my most-watched movies on this list.
The Hunger Games
Have you heard of this movie? It's a little, hard-to-find indie flick that came and went without making much of a splash at the box office. . . obviously I'm kidding. At the time of this movie's original release, I found it to be rather over hyped and not as creatively original as fans seemed to think it was. I still feel that way, yet I've watched and enjoyed it multiple times and will continue to enjoy it in the future. Director Gary Ross and the rest of the filmmakers have made the effort to craft a solid, honest piece of work that never feels like a studio-driven cash cow, even though it is. In some ways, namely in the whole "rebels vs. evil empire" theme (via a Reality TV Competition Show of the Future twist), it reminds me of a bare-bones version of "Star Wars", and that ain't a bad thing. Jennifer Lawrence deserves a lot of credit for her grounded portrayal of main character Katniss Everdeen. It's refreshing to find a kick-ass lead female character whose entire story arc doesn't revolve around the backwards cliché of "whichever man she chooses to love will determine her fate". There is a love triangle in "The Hunger Games" (a requirement of all Young Adult novels, apparently), but it's not the main emphasis. Overall, it's smart, timely, exciting and thoughtful, and leaves you wanting more, which is a good thing in this instance. The sequel, "Catching Fire", is even better.
See you next time for swords, spies, scouts, psychics, and sinister stuff.
No comments:
Post a Comment