Archive for November, 2007

The Darjeeling Limited

Published
by
nathanshorb
on November 15, 2007
in Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Dysfunctional, Family, Road Trip and Trains
. 2 Comments

When I saw the trailer, I had mixed emotions. Part of me was as completely ecstatic as I always am for discovering any movie in which Wes Anderson is involved. The other part of me was a little disappointed to see that it looked exactly like everything else he does.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m an absolute sucker for his unique style. But I just began to wonder how many more movies he could make with the same actors, plot lines, camera techniques, and any other string of details before getting completely redudant and unoriginal. Again, don’t get me wrong, I would keep watching his redudant and unoriginal movies, but I just began to get worried for him.

Well, it turns out, The Darjeeling Limited is a bit of a departure. In Anderson’s world, it’s a simple movie. But keep in mind, to most directors a simple movie doesn’t involve a film shot entirely on location in the country of India.

Gone is the large cast and multiple story lines. Besides one flashback, gone is the detailed backstory. Gone are the elaborate and detailed sets. Gone is the original soundtrack. It’s considerably shorter, too. Even many of the dry one-liners are gone, and the humor feels more subdued, not as dry or dark. Many things are different, and it gives the movie a simple feel.

It turns out feeling like an EP between full-lengths or a short story between novels.

One friend called it his Punch Drunk Love; a simple, straightforward story that follows an epic like Magnolia.

And all of this allows us to focus on the scenery, the brothers, their stories, and their development on this journey.

When you finish watching, you won’t be blown away, and it won’t make it to the top of your list of favorites. But the setting, the characters, and the story, along with the classic Anderson heartbreaking/heartwarming moments are enough to make it a solid, enjoyable movie that you’ll be glad you saw.

The Martian Child

Published
by
Chalupa
on November 13, 2007
in Adoption, Based on a book, Based on a novel, Based on a true story, Drama, Family and Sci-fi
. 0 Comments

I’m always a sucker for a good John Cusack film. I think the first film I saw him in was The Journey of Natty Gann and I’ve been a fan ever since. Another interesting tidbit is how often his actual sister, Joan Cusack, plays his sister or another character in his films. She happens to be his sister again here. They just have such a great brother-sister dynamic.

If you didn’t know, this is based off a book. Liz read it to review for an online magazine she’s the books editor for, Infuze, and really enjoyed it. She did say that there were some noticeable differences between the two, but they were both good.

John plays David, a sci-fi writer, who adopts Dennis, played by Bobby Coleman. Dennis has trouble relating to people and believes he’s from the planet Mars. David was seen as maybe a good fit for Dennis because of his childhood similarities and some of the books he has written. Amanda Peet also plays Harlee, a friend of David’s and his deceased wife.

In a way, this movie was a little manipulative like I am Sam. It’s definitely not easy trying to care for Dennis or help him merge into a social life, but David goes out and achieves anyways. It was also cool to see Peet in a role where she wasn’t the sleazy, crazy or slutty type. I’m not saying she’s type-cast, it was just nice to see her in a different kind of role.

It has also been cool to see Cusack play the roles of a concerned father/parent figure in the past few films he’s done. In 1408 he’s the father of a dead child. In Grace is Gone he’s a recent widower and father, and in Identity they’re all trying to protect the young boy. Even though John Cusack has a long list of very unique films and characters, I always think of him as doing the romantic comedies and it’s cool to see him play different roles.

This might be a good movie to see after reading the book or vice versa. It’s worth your time and could maybe even be considered one of those “feel good” movies like Amelie.

Dan In Real Life

Published
by
Chalupa
on November 13, 2007
in Comedy, Drama, Family and Romance
. 0 Comments

If you liked Pieces of April or About a Boy, you’ll probably love this movie because it was written and directed by Peter Hedges. Dan in Real Life, is about a widower who write a daily column in the local newspaper about parenting, family and life in general. It’s that time of year again when the whole family gets together and Dan accidentally falls in love with his little brother’s new girlfriend.

First off, if you’re any kind of fan of Steve Carell (Anchorman, 40 Year Old Virgin, Little Miss Sunshine, The Office) I think you’ll like this. Lots of comedy. Lots of laughter. Lots of Steve Carell. Another welcomed face would be Juliette Binoche (Chocolat) who plays the girlfriend and even Dane Cook who plays Mitch, the younger brother. I’m a big fan of Dane Cook and his stand-up comedy. I even liked him as The Waffler in Mystery Men and nearly laughed myself to tears seeing him as a line cook in Waiting…, however, he just played Dane Cook in those movies. It was nice to see him branch out a bit and actually act.

One thing Liz and I noticed was Dan didn’t really discipline his kids. Throughout the movie he did things they didn’t like - the oldest wasn’t allowed to drive and the middle child wasn’t allowed to do what she wanted with her boyfriend. In response, the children weren’t very respectful of their father. If I had acted that way towards my mother at that age, I would probably be walking with a limp now; especially if I had done that in front of my grandfather. This kind of seems like a trend in society and movies. Parents are often busy trying to be their kids’ friend instead of being the parent.

Overall, we really enjoyed this one. It has a happy ending and is sure to entertain. You should check it out. I know you’ll love the impromptu song about pig-faced Ruthie Draper.

Lions for Lambs

Published
by
Chalupa
on November 13, 2007
in College, Drama, Government, Middle East, Politics, Thriller and War
. 0 Comments

Liz and I watched Lions for Lambs immediately after American Gangster and even though I liked it, this one wasn’t quite as awesome. In a way it kind of came of as political propaganda and wasn’t always sure what they were trying to make me believe. It also reminded me of Rules of Engagement in the sense that a side-story is two stranded marines but the movie is really people talking about that situation.

Directed by Robert Redford and written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom), you could definitely see similarities in style and theme from some of their previous work. Redford, who also acted in this, plays a college professor trying to inspire one of his slacker-students to greatness in California. At the same time Meryl Streep is interviewing Tom Cruise, an up-and-coming senator aspiring to the presidency, about a new military plan of action in Afghanistan. Thirdly, we are watching this new plan unfold as two marines, played by Michael Peña and Andrew Garfield, are pinned down by enemy gunfire and just happen to be former students of Professor Malley, Redford’s character. So as you can see, this is one of those movies where everything is connected in some way. One thing that was cool about this is everything is happening simultaneously around the world, which is reflected by the time differences between the different situations.

Liz pointed out that Tom Cruise, Sen. Jasper Irving, was really just a cleaned up Frank T.J. Mackey from Magnolia. He used the same tactics and cunning to bend his listener’s will toward wherever he wanted. He was very manipulative and never really said what he meant; all the while trying to control things around him like the Wizard of Oz.

Streep’s character, Janine Roth, represents the media. She sees through the senator’s manipulation, but her editor won’t allow her to write what she really wants because they have to worry about ratings. This is definitely trying to make a point about the media today with how they’ve covered the “wars on terror.” I also liked to see Streep acting again compared with her last performance I saw, The Devil Wears Prada, where she wasn’t really doing much at all. I realize she won awards for it, but I felt like the other nominees were much more deserving.

Redford’s professor seemed just a little bit too forceful to me. It was almost as if he was manipulating his student, but I’m not sure exactly to what. Trying to make him care more about his studies is definitely a positive. However, beyond that I’m not sure what the end goal was.

Overall, I’d say this movie is definitely worth seeing before Oscar time rolls around. It might even get nominated for something.

American Gangster

Published
by
Chalupa
on November 13, 2007
in Based on a true story, Corruption, Crime, Drama, Drugs, Dysfunctional, Family, Investigation, Mob, Racism and Thriller
. 0 Comments

Starring Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas, a real-life American gangster, I feeling like I was watching Training Day, only this movie was much cooler, much classier, and just better all around. According to the film, which was based on claims by Frank Lucas, Frank Lucas was the driver/bodyguard that stepped in after his boss died of a heart attack. What’s different about this mob story is that Frank Lucas is black; he’s not Italian, Sicilian or Russian. He brings in his brothers to help run the business and runs shop like the Italians. He makes sure the public and everyone around him loves him. People even love him when Frank beats the crap out of them for making mistakes.

On one hand, Lucas was kind of like Robin Hood. He took from the rich and gave to the poor. Frank also cut out all the middle-men and worked for himself. He dealt in narcotics and got his good directly from Southeast Asia. He bribed a lot of people to make his operations work and brought a lot of them down with him.

This movie is definite Oscar material. Denzel has been nominated several times for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. He has won two Oscars already and I wouldn’t be surprised if he won again for this film. Some other talented performances would include Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Ruby Dee, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Jon Polito.

I really enjoyed the cinematography. Lately in films we’ve been seeing the wild camera shots and angles. The Bourne series would be an example of this, even though I like it there, and it just wouldn’t work in this film. I didn’t really pay attention to the ASL (average shot length), but it was very easy to follow and the timing and flow of the film went very well.

I think Ridley Scott did quite well directing. You might recognize that name from his previous works such as Alien, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Matchstick Men and who could forget Blade Runner? He’s also produced a long list of movies. One that I’ve been wanting to see in particular would be The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

Even though this is a mob/gangster movie, it also shows a peek into the lives of these people. It’s not just extortion, lies, decent and people getting knocked off in casinos and dark alleys. Definitely a good drama as well as a crime and thriller. I highly recommend this one.

Eastern Promises

Published
by
Neville
on November 6, 2007
in Crime, Drama, England, Graphic Violence, Investigation, Mob, Murder, Mystery, Russian, Thriller and Twist
. 1 Comment

I have a confession to make: director David Cronenburg is one of those critically acclaimed directors I just don’t get.

However, his last film “A History of Violence” was the first one I watched and felt its power. I felt there was something there, even if I wasn’t fully understanding just how complex it was.

Similar to “A History of Violence,” “Eastern Promises” stars the talented Viggo Mortensen and the underrated Naomi Watts in a crime drama revolving around babies, body parts and a sect of the Russian Mafia in London. Written by Stephen Knight, the screenwriter that gave us “Dirty Pretty Things,” another story more specifically about black market body parts, “Eastern Promises” begins with a jolt. True to Cronenburg’s form it seems, the violence in his films is often drawn out–shot without music or edited with stylized style–and it’s also visceral. So are the scenes in “Eastern Promises.” They touch on delicate subjects (underage prostitutes, abortion, homosexuality, pure human deception) and everything seems to be marked by the sins of these Mafia characters (similar to their iconic-like tatoos). The tagline for the film reads: “every sin leaves a mark.” And this is really what the movie is all about. It unpacks this idea through its visuals and asks its audience to be subjected to its darkness (make no mistake about it, it is dark). But can we bear it? Can we endure through it?

I think the film could’ve been more effective (or at least more accessible to mass audiences) if more music was in the film, but I’m quickly learning that this is not Cronenburg’s style. He seems to like revealing things, not as if it’s cinema but as if it’s real life, and this tension is felt continually throughout the film. Do I believe things like this go on? Absolutely. But can I ever see myself as one of them? Probably not.

It wasn’t until the film’s end until I sensed any kind of humanity in the “villian” characters of the film. What distinquishes people as people and people as monsters? This is another question the film asks.

Mortensen and Watts are both strong here and both give convincing performances with convincing accents. But so much darkness is here I wonder if Cronenburg would’ve been wise to have let a little more light in (into the scenes, into the colors, in the images/icons of the film). I know this is neo-film noir from a very experienced and artistic filmmaker but I still can wonder, right?

All in all, worth a rental, not quite worth the $10 cinema ticket price (unless you want to really really feel the violence–then maybe you should go to the cinema and watch it).

Into the Wild

Published
by
Chalupa
on November 4, 2007
in Adventure, Based on a book, Based on a novel, Based on a true story, Biography, Coming of age, Drama, Homeless, Loneliness and Road Trip
. 3 Comments

If you haven’t already read the book this movie is based on, then you should probably go pick it up at your local library. I myself haven’t read it yet, but my wife does own it and has been on me to read it for a couple years. I consider myself lucky to have seen the movie.

Emile Hirsch portrays Christopher McCandless, a recent college graduate who is dissatisfied with society and the business people fall into. He wants to experience nature and live off the land. He doesn’t want to be tied down by a job, money or useless laws and regulations. He wants to live a simple life and enjoy the beauty that can’t be found in bustling metropolises or busy cities. He wants to head North to Alaska where there are mountains, rivers and endless sky. This is a true story that includes many people that encountered Christopher, or Alexander Supertramp as he liked to call himself.

McCandless came from a less than perfect home. A home that can all too easily be summed up partially be Wes Anderson’s commentary on the American family, The Royal Tenenbaums. Christopher wanted to get out and see the world. In a way, maybe he left his family to get back at them. He greatly affected a great number of people he met on his way and befriended everyone in an uncanny Dude-like manner that the Coen’s created in their film, The Big Lebowski. On the other hand, there were also people he hurt like his sister that was abandoned along with his parents.

Throughout the movie though, we see “Alex” hitching rides from town to town, getting jobs to pay for what he needed, and even kayaking from Colorado to Mexico. He did all of this before the age of 25. That seems pretty amazing to me because I’m 26 and I can’t say I’ve accomplished many of those things.

To expound on his Dude-like qualities, I was really amazed how no one was too old, young or culturally different from McCandless to be his friend. Chris was always able to relate to people and be their friend. I think deep down inside everybody feels this way. Everybody wants to be liked. Everybody wants to have friends and be somebody’s friend. However, for some reason, declaring, “I want to befriend everyone I meet” just doesn’t sound very manly or macho. What’s wrong with that? I think it has something to do with being tough, showing emotion and making yourself vulnerable.

I highly recommend this movie and the book, even though I have yet to read it myself. One thing my wife mentioned after the movie was she wished they had shown some of the effects on people Chris had met after they learned of his death. She said everybody took it pretty hard. So I guess if you loved the movie, there’s some motivation to pick up the book and give it a read.

Hitch

Published
by
Chalupa
on November 4, 2007
in Comedy, Dancing, New York and Romance
. 0 Comments

Starring Will Smith, Eva Mendes and Kevin James, this is a movie I remember hearing college students, where I work, talk unceasingly about back in ‘05, along with The Notebook - which I still haven’t seen. I didn’t really know what all the hub-bub was about and after two years it finally found its way to slot #1 on my Netflix list.

This is a movie partly about a man hiring a dating coach to help instill confidence in himself while pursuing the woman of his dreams. The other half is the dating coach also pursuing the woman of his dreams. If you know much about the actors listed above, I’m sure you’ve already guessed that Will Smith is the suave and sophisticated dating coach while Kevin James is the somewhat nerdy and uncoordinated client. James’ character, Albert, is after a woman he used to work for and Smith’s character, Hitch, is after Sara, a woman he met in a bar. Throughout the movie we watch Hitch give Albert tips and lessons on how he should conduct himself in public and around his date. We also see Hitch putting his own advice into action while Sara is after this mystery man that supposedly helped to ruin her best friend’s life.

That man turns out to be Hitch, or so Sara thinks. She eventually exposes him in her gossip column, ruining Hitch’s career and the relationships his clients have made or are in the process of forming. Things turn out in the end though - this is a PG-13 feel good, happy, dating movie after all. The last 20 minutes are so do get pretty cheesy for me, but overall I enjoyed myself while watching this.