The Beasts of the Southern Wild

When two minds collide, a debate is born. But what if it's one mind divided? That was where I found myself shortly after viewing The Beasts of the Southern Wild, a film I find difficult to critique. On one hand, it is a wonderfully envisioned tale of magic realism, a movie that relishes in its creativity, and relies heavily on its visual aesthetic. However, through an objective lens, the film's visual achievements are marred by, among other things, a thin story lacking narrative flow.

This is, of course, nothing new. Anything that we evaluate will lead us to draw pros and cons, to balance our decisions and arrive at a conclusion. And I'm not even really sure why this film has divided me? There have been many films (and books, and albums) that I can honestly say were, from an objective viewpoint, problematic. But I gave the middle finger to objectivity because subjectively, I absolutely love them: be they a poorly written book with amazing ideas and characters, or a band that lacks musical chops but generates a powerful and raw energy that pulses through your veins.

Perhaps there's the distinction and I've answered my own question. I love those works, but I can't say I love The Beasts of the Southern Wild. I really liked it, but it's harder to disregard the flaws when you only like something. For love, we'll overlook pretty much anything.

The Beasts of the Southern Wild
Score: 75%

Lincoln

This is one of those films that has Best Picture Oscar written all over it, and I don't mean that as a compliment. I just mean the Oscars are predictably boring. Feel free to come back here and point your finger and scream, "HA!" if Lincoln doesn't walk away with Best Film at the Banality Awards.

Don't get me wrong, Lincoln is a good film, a beautifully shot film, it's just not a film worthy of best of the year.

Daniel Day-Lewis embodies the role of Lincoln in a very believable performance that is (and should be) the anchor for this film that is less a biopic of Lincoln and more a film about the passing of the 13th Amendment. The film often veers from historical accuracy in favor of fictional storytelling, but this isn't a hindrance to the overall experience as it mostly creates necessary dramatic tensions; however, there are moments where the fictionalization detracts, mostly in scenes played for comic relief that do more to undermine the serious tone of the film than it does to complement it.   
 


Lincoln
Score: 68%

  

Leolo

Director Lauzon's Leolo is a darkly comic, surreal coming of age story, blurring the boundaries between reality and fantasy. Leolo creates an imaginary world to escape his real life: the insanity of his family (literally) and his own battle to keep the crazy at bay. The film does an excellent job blending the the two worlds until the viewer is no longer sure what is real anymore. There is tremendous beauty in Lauzon's film; it is poetic and disturbing, surreal and painfully real, walking a line between conflicting worlds--visually and symbolically--much like Leolo does as he struggles to maintain his fantasy world as his real life tries to drag him down. The film is expertly directed, gorgeously shot, and has the added bonus of an amazing score by Tom Waits.

Leolo
Score: 85%

  

Secret World of Arrietty and Pirates! Band of Misfits

The Secret World of Arrietty is a Studio Ghibli production penned by the great Hayao Miyazaki and based on the novel, The Borrowers, by Mary Norton. Visually beautiful like everything Studio Ghibli creates, The Secret World of Arrietty is a wonderful film for both children and adults. The artistry and attention to detail is amazing, and it's very easy for the viewer to be transported into this beautiful but dangerous (and secret) world of Arrietty.

Much like Studio Ghibli, Aardman has a strong reputation for excellence when it comes to crafting animated films that appeal to adults and children alike. Although The Pirates! Band of Misfits isn't Aardman's strongest effort, it is a solid film with Monty Python-esque humor, quirky characters, great voice acting and impressive-as-always stop motion animation. 




The Secret World of Arrietty
Score: 80%

The Pirate! Band of Misfits
Score: 69%

The Raid: Redemption

The Raid: Redemption is visceral action at its violent best. There's not much by way of story or characterization, but if you're hungry for some ass-kickery, this film will more than sate your appetite. The movie is well-paced with impressive choreography, and boasts some of the most frenetic and accomplished martial arts fight scenes I've seen in a while.

With that being said, there's little else here to appeal to anyone who doesn't enjoy pure, mindless action; if not all the time, at least once in a while. Sometimes it's just nice to turn your brain off, sink back into a comfy chair, and watch bloody mayhem unfold in an unrelenting swirl of fists, knives and guns. A few good beers wouldn't hurt, either.

The Raid: Redemption
Score: 70%

Juan of the Dead

For starters, this is a zombie movie, so my priority is to be entertained, and my inclination to analyze is somewhat lessened by the minimal expectations I've developed over the years for a genre that tends to produce wretched crap by the truckload. Which is not to say there haven't been some very good zombie movies (and a few great ones) but for every Night of the Living Dead there are 500 mind-numbingly bad Gangs of the Dead. With that being said, Juan of the Dead falls somewhere between the two. I've read reviews suggesting that one needs to be Cuban to understand the sociopolitical satire, which is not the case. Sure, being Cuban will allow one to pick out the more subtle expressions, but most people will get the bigger messages here, which hit you on the head with as much blunt force as Juan's oar.

Story and plotting are not the movie's strengths, and at times the film shuffles along as painfully as the zombies; but it still manages to work, thanks in part to its satirical bent, as well as the newness of the setting. There's just something about the combination of urban decay, a constant stream of jokes about how nothing works, and the mostly immoral cast of characters, that not only complements the movie, but really helps deliver the sociopolitical icepick to the forehead.

And it's those things, as well as some new and interesting kills (e.g. Havana's Revolutionary Square) that separates Juan of the Dead from the average zombie movie. Some critics and reviewers complained about the immoral actions of some of the characters, but I don't share their viewpoint because those moments were played for laughs. It's called dark humor, people! However, I did take issue with the homophobia in the movie, which was too obvious and too vicious to be considered dark humor.     

Like Shaun of the Dead, for which this movie borrows heavily, this is a comedic zombie movie. So for fans of comedy movies that can't handle a lot of horror and gore, this one should fit the bill. Which is not to say it doesn't splatter some blood...it is a zombie movie, after all.




Juan of the Dead
Score: 61%

      

Long Overdue Short Reviews

Hugo 
Overrated Scorsese blockbuster; like most of the films comprising his career since Casino, it leaves me longing for the days of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. A lot of people love this film, and I have yet to figure out why. With that being said, a lot of people also loved The Departed, which I thought was a mediocre effort and inferior to the original film, Infernal Affairs.
 

Take Shelter 
A well-crafted, haunting film with superb performances, I really felt this movie deserved a larger audience. It's deliberately paced, like the film's slow roiling black clouds on the horizon--ominous and frightening--slowly drawing near. The sense of dread the film conveys is palpable. Intelligent and thought provoking, it's a social allegory for these troubled times. 

Midnight in Paris
Not sure why everyone was cooing with delight when this film arrived in theaters. Which is not to say it's a bad film, it's just that much like Scorsese, Woody has been disappointing me for quite some time. There's just nothing here to really sink your teeth into; it's like a dream filled with wonderfully delicious foods, only to wake with an empty stomach.
 

 
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Excellent performance from Elizabeth Olsen, one that garnered her well-deserved attention and nominations for Best Actress, even though her name was shockingly absent from the ballots for the Globes and the Oscars. As if that should surprise anyone. An unnerving psychological thriller, you will undoubtedly be thinking about the film long after the movie ends.

Hugo

Score: 53%

Take Shelter

Score: 85%

Midnight in Paris

Score: 62%

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Score: 73%

Moonrise Kingdom

Moonrise Kingdom is Wes Anderson's seventh film, and his best since Rushmore. As much as I like Royal Tenenbaums and Fantastic Mr. Fox, it seems Anderson is truly at his best when his cinematic dioramas are inhabited with kids. Probably because Anderson is a Peter Pan-esque man-child who flies around in a world of his own creation: a pastiche universe built from the influences of his usual favorites--Ashby, Salinger, and all things French New Wave--and then mixed with some new flavor (here, a heaping helping of Norman Rockwell). When done right (as is the case here) he creates a world that is equal parts fantastical and real, and one that beautifully melds together the dead pan wit of his scripting, his unique characterizations, the meticulously detailed mise-en-scene, and the careful and deliberate camera work.

Of course, it's his unique style that tends to split people into two camps, the lovers and the haters; and although I am a fan of the films mentioned above, I'm not opposed to pointing out the many problems I have with his inferior works, Life Aquatic and Darjeeling Limited. The thought of those two movies just makes me shrug my shoulders and mumble a quick "meh." I just can't "love" all the works of an artist without considering the merit of the individual works themselves. And let's not discount the role subjectivity plays in all opinion, whether it's coming from a casual moviegoer, a film-loving blogger or a paid film critic. Some people just don't like quirky and whimsical, regardless of how well accomplished a film is...and other people love it, regardless of how inept a production is. 

Moonrise Kingdom is a fairy tale romance of young love set in the 60's, which is all anyone needs to know before seeing the film. It features an impressive cast, with very good performances from Bruce Willis and Edward Norton, as well as solid turns for Bill Murray and Francis McDormand, who aren't really asked to do too much here. And the two young leads, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, put together surprisingly impressive performances, conveying emotional depth beneath Anderson's requisite stilted and pause-filled dialogue.

Moonrise Kingdom definitely borrows from past Anderson films, and at times that familiarity detracts from the film's unique experience; I don't want to be reminded of Life Aquatic when I'm  fully engaged in something far superior. But it's a minor complaint and only relevant to those familiar with his previous work and who are also disappointed with Life Aquatic as a whole. I had some other minor issues with the film, particularly with the third act, but none of that lessened my overall experience.

Additionally:

Anderson and Music Supervisor Randall Poster always seem to marry music to their movies in such brilliant ways, combining diverse mixes of styles that, despite how completely different one song is from the next, manage to fit together, like the myriad shapes that form a jigsaw puzzle. Moonrise Kingdom continues that tradition of excellence in yet another unique convolution of styles.

 

Moonrise Kingdom

Score: 80%

Recent Flicks and a Little Rant

I'm really not going to go into too much detail with the reviews, just looking to share some films I've seen recently and let off a little steam about some idiot's comment. And as always, I link the reviewed movies to their trailers, but if you really want a true experience, avoid the trailers. Most trailers lack any creativity and instead are terrible, condensed versions of the films, complete with spoilers.

OK, there are a million reasons to hate the Oscars but really no point bringing it all up here; I just wanted to comment on something that rubbed me wrong. I read on the Onion's AV Club (of all places) that Albert Brooks was snubbed (for a nice turn in Drive) to make room for Max Von Sydow. My problem has nothing to do with Brooks' snubbing and everything to do with the blame Sean O'Neal laid on Max Von Sydow for his role in Extremely Blah Blah Blah, which, by the way, I have absolutely no desire to see. Sure, the movie has been panned, but when has a bad movie kept an actor from being nominated? I assure you, it's happened...a lot. Hell, Streep and Close are nominated this year for Albert Nobbs and The Iron Lady, respectively, and both of these films have received mostly negative reviews. OK, maybe those movies aren't as atrocious as Extremely Blah Blah Blah, but still, bad is bad. So why does O'Neal blame Sydow? I mean, Nolte, Plummer, and Branagh have chops, but I would throw them under the bus before Sydow. And then there's the REALLY OBVIOUS CHOICE of Jonah Hill, the fat kid who plays the fat kid for laughs (look at me, I'm fat and that's funny). Yes, I know he's no longer fat, but that doesn't mean he can act now. I also realize not everyone is saying Sydow stole Brooks' nomination, that it's just one silly writer...because everyone else is as equally and rightfully perplexed at the inclusion of Jonah Hill to the category as I am...but still! Ugh!

Since we're talking about Brooks' snub, let's jump into Drive. This is a great flick that probably could have been given a little love from the Academy, if the Academy wasn't a bunch of old white guys with soggy Depends and a distaste for anything that exists outside their extremely narrow, extremely safe view. Nicolas Winding Refn's excellent direction and the great performances by the cast makes this a joy to watch, even if some of the joy is splattered all over the place in chunks of bloody viscera. Refn is certainly a director that keeps getting better and I'm looking forward to seeing more from him in years to come.



Tell No One is an excellent and suspenseful thriller murder mystery from French director, Guillaume Canet. A very solid film with great performances that does have its missteps and flaws, but they never detract from what ultimately is a thoroughly entertaining film.  
 

I Saw the Devil is a brutal film...and I'm an American viewer! We are raised on violence here; it's as American as apple pie. And yet I cringed several times during this movie. There, I said it. And no, that doesn't make me a wuss, it just means I will always give a wide berth to a Korean filmmaker...I'm not going anyway near those psychopaths! But seriously, this is a pretty good film as a visceral experience, if you can appreciate the direction, visuals, and its uncompromising violent bent. Of course, in doing so you must overlook a script with a repetitive plot, a total lack of characterization, some impossible-to-suspend disbelief, and a good dose of misogyny. So, for those not paying attention, this is not a date movie. I repeat, not a date movie.

Drive

Score: 81%

Tell No One

Score: 79%

I Saw the Devil
Score: 69%

Documentary Bender (Quick Hits)

Intimidad is small in scope, but I like its intimacy, and I'm moved by the blood, sweat and tears shed by the young couple as they chase their dream. 

Devil's Playground offers an interesting glimpse into a rite of passage for young Amish kids, but lacks any real scope, partly due to the secretive nature of the Amish, who don't like to be photographed.

Murder on a Sunday Morning exposes the credibility of our police forces, from the initial racial profiling to the complete lack of any investigation despite innumerable red flags that clearly exonerate the suspect. It also exposes our judicial system for the broken mess that it is.

Intimidad

Score: 65%

Devil's Playground
Score: 60%

Murder on a Sunday Morning
Score: 75%

Attack the Block

Why can't Hollywood invest some of its trillions of dollars into smart, funny, genre-mixers like Attack the Block? That's pretty much my only real issue with the film: its low budget shows. Not terribly so, but enough to make me think, why can't Hollywood invest in this kind of film? Why are they always throwing hundreds of millions of dollars at laughable sequels (and prequels) and unnecessary remakes? Sadly, it says far more than any of us wants to admit about the movie-going audience. So I guess the real question isn't why won't Hollywood feed these creative projects, but why is the American audience not demanding more?  Or the non-PC version: why are American movie-goers a bunch of mouth breathers? 

OK, that's off topic and a sore subject (and better left alone). I'd blame the booze, but I haven't had that many beers. Guess I should have gotten properly pissed before I set out to write this review. Certainly would be a good excuse for anyone crying about how I just called American movie-goers stupid. "I was wasted at the time, barely remember a thing...no idea I even said it, really."

And then he remembered he was reviewing Attack the Block, and began typing.... OK, fine, Americans aren't stupid, they know that Hollywood will remake any successful foreign film...oh wait, it's because Americans are too lazy to read sub-titles or piece together a British accent. Damn, I thought I was getting myself out of that one but it seems I've dug myself in a little deeper. But it's true, and I wouldn't doubt it for a second if someone told me that Hollywood was remaking this film. Of course, the Hollywood version would cost $50 million dollars more and be a mere shell of the original, albeit a pretty, shiny expensive shell. Yay for Hollywood!

Anyway, Attack the Block is in simplest terms, an alien invasion movie. But it is filled with elements from many genres: horror, sci-fi, comedy, action and even adds in some social commentary for good measure. And the genres mesh well in a very solid script from writer/director Joe Cornish. The pacing has a quick tempo and keeps the action moving along nicely. The cast of mostly non-professionals do a good job carrying the movie and get a little help from some professional actors, including Nick Frost in a bit role that adds just enough without stealing the thunder from the main characters.

This movie isn't going to scare you much, if at all, (unless you are someone who is frightened easily) but it will make you laugh and it does entertain on multiple levels.

Attack the Block
Score: 75%

Animal Kingdom

Hell, I'm sitting here drinking--a little buzz blurring the old Gulliver--and having just finished watching Animal Kingdom, I can't help but talk about it. Of course, talking means typing, and I know it's been a long time since I dropped an entry, but sometimes the right film pushes the right buttons...and then there's the alcohol. I think it has more to do with the alcohol to be honest, as I've seen a lot of films since my last entry, although I don't mean to suggest the film lacks punch, or isn't worthy of a late night drunken ramble. It clearly is, and a recommended film for those of discerning tastes.

Yes, I'm immediately giving the finger to all the jackasses out there who will complain about the slow pace, or the lack of action every 2.4 seconds to fuel the 21st Century phenomenon known as cultural ADD. OK, maybe it's not a known phenomenon...perhaps I just made it up. And no, I'm not poking fun at the real ADD (or ADHD) but commenting on the...forget it, if you don't know what I'm talking about, you might be one of them...or dead! So please stop reading if you suffer from cultural ADD or are in fact, dead. (Side note: if you're dead and reading this, I'm A) excited to know zombies exist, B) surprised the undead are accessing the web, and doubly surprised they're reading this blog, which has been deceased perhaps as long as they have, and C) I'm not home, try the neighbors.

Is anyone at this point questioning the legitimacy of my earlier statement that I've been drinking? Sure, it's pretty damn obvious I'm smiling away to the wonderful effects of a choice Pinot Noir, which sadly tapped out an hour ago. Fear not, I've shifted over to an equally robust and tasty...beer; sure it's an entirely different species, but isn't that the whole point of Animal Kingdom? Somehow I made it back around to the movie I watched, which is probably a good thing for anyone reading this blog.

It's great. Check it out. You'll love it.

Seriously speaking, and without spoiling too much (assuming you haven't clicked on the link and viewed the trailer) this is a crime story set in Melbourne. Some critics have likened it to Goodfellas, probably because they're lazy, or because they assume their readers are. Of course there are similarities, but this isn't an Australian Goodfellas, so don't expect Scorsese-style flash...or the Mafia.

Influenced by true crime stories out of Melbourne in the 1980's, writer and first-time director David Michod crafts an ambitious tale of the decline and fall of a criminal family. The film has a gritty realism, with great performances all around. It manages to avoid a lot of the cliches of the genre, but of course, some manage to seep in no matter how hard one tries. But they certainly don't detract, and for most part Michod crafts a well-paced, tense crime story that will stand the test of time...except that damn Air Supply scene. I understand the influences for the story comes from Melbourne in the 1980's, but Air Supply....really? "I"m all out of love, I'm so lost with--ack, gluck, blechhh! Sorry, that song makes me throw up.

Animal Kingdom

Score: 79%

Documentary Films

Bus 174 is part investigative journalism, part tragic mirror held up to Brazil’s societal illnesses. A must see for fans of documentary films. 













Stevie is one of those films that sits on the fence between exploitation and interesting character study. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but am still uncertain as to the director's intentions. It's an engrossing portrait of how one man's childhood of neglect and abuse (mental and physical) creates the ticking time bomb he becomes as an adult.













The Garden is about fighting for justice, and sadly, about how little politicians and our courts care about the rights of impoverished people. It is a living document to the sad reality that justice is not for all. The power, perseverance, and dignity of the farmers is inspiring.

Bus 174

Score: 85% 

Stevie

Score: 75%

The Garden

Score: 83%

The Edge of Heaven

The Edge of Heaven

Score: 72%

Sunset Story

An emotionally gripping and often funny documentary about the friendship between two elderly women in a retirement community for free-thinking elders. Irja is upbeat and optimistic, Lucille dry and cynical. The documentary humanizes old people--a group that our society seems perfectly content to stow away in retirement centers and ignore--and shows that they still have much to offer.

Sunset Story

Score: 70%

The Vicious Kind

Sure, it's another indie film about a dysfunctional family. How original, I know. But I like dysfunctional. And I like self-destructive characters. The Vicious Kind is pretty basic, story-wise. Nothing new to see here, I suppose. And there are issues with the script, to be sure. But the movie's magic comes from its characters, the bulk of which can be attributed to Adam Scott’s turn as the "vicious" self-destructive misogynist, Caleb Sinclaire. The rest of the cast is also very good, but this movie is nothing without Scott.

It's not a great film, but the performances make it a good film and definitely worth watching, especially if you enjoy dark comedies.
 
The Vicious Kind
Score: 62%

The White Diamond

Visually impressive documentary from the incomparable Herzog, The White Diamond begins as a scientific exploration but then transforms into a spiritual one. Herzog often documents humanity's struggle with nature, sometimes with tragic results. Although the film is a little aimless at times, Herzog's The White Diamond is still a poignant and beautiful film, capturing natural wonders at their most breathtaking, and mining the depths of his subjects' souls.

The White Diamond

Score: 77%   

Inglourious Basterds

I've never been a big fan of Quentin Tarantino, so QT lovers can stop reading now. Not that I plan to tear down your idol, but I will not be hoisting him up high as so many others seem to, regardless of what he makes. Inglourious Basterds is certainly his best film since Jackie Brown, but doesn't say much in my opinion, since those films ranged from crap to slightly entertaining.

Tarantino has a flair for dialogue, but can no longer discern the difference between good and bad anymore. The same can be said of his direction and editing. It's as if the voice(s?) inside his head just keeps saying "that's brilliant," or "yes, more of that." His love for his own dialogue and his self-indulgence drag out the film and are, at times, terribly boring. Case in point is the bloated run time of 2 hours and 32 minutes for what is essentially a B-movie revisionist history action film where Jews get to kick some Nazi ass and take out Hitler.

The movie has some amazing parts, but as a whole isn't all that great. It just doesn't deliver fully; we're left with only moments, some great scenes, but wishing for a whole lot more.

Inglourious Basterds

Score: 60% 

Broken Embraces

Not his best film, but a very enjoyable experience and head and shoulders above most of the films Hollywood craps out. Broken Embraces is visually and aurally stunning, well-acted, and, in typical Almodovar fashion, effuses an enormous love for movies and moviemaking. A film lovers filmmaker.

And then there’s Penelope Cruz. In her Hollywood films, she is merely cute, an inconsequential actress making inconsequential films. But with Almodovar, and most specifically with his last two films, Volver and Broken Embraces, Cruz has been inducted into the pantheon of luminous European actresses.

Score: 78%