Oscars tomorrow. We all know what's going to take out best picture, but we'll talk about that in a moment. First of all, I've seen the last two best picture nominations that I'd up til now neglected,so lets have a look see.
The Help
Set in deep south of the USA during the early 60's, The Help tells the story of African American maids working for white snotty rich folk, well before the current times when Americans lost every racist bone in their body and became tolerant of everyone....... (cough.) Um, yeah, well, at least half the appeal of the film for the high and mighty "tolerant" folk to get on their high horses and look down their noses at this time in history, proudly talking about "how far we've come"and such. Rant over. Emma Stone's character is a budding writer and decides she wants to write a book about the experiences of these women, although the civil rights moment has only just begun so she has to be very careful how she goes about sympathetically portraying African Americans.
Anyway, this movie is actually really good. The trailer would trick you into thinking Emma Stone's character is main focus, but she isn't really. She actually almost serves as a narrator through which the story of the maids are told. And wisely so, as in turn it becomes their story, and not a story about a brave pretty white lady helping out these poor simple Negros (just to be ABSOLUTELY clear - that last part was meant as sarcasm at the expense of people who think in such a manner. Just covering my arse from the PC Nazis.)
The performances of the two maids at the centre of the piece are fantastic, playing strong, sympathetic and courageous women. Emma Stone just keeps getting better, the story is very masterfully told in what is a pretty classical approach to film making. All of the other characters are also very strong, from the town racist that you love to hate to the naive but caring lady played by Jessica Chastain. I don't know what more to say except I liked it alot. See it.
**** out of *****
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
So, this one was kinda a bummer. A boy who is clearly suffering from Aspergers (although according to the film the tests to confirm it were "inconclusive") loses his father in September 11.Through a series of flashbacks we see glimpses of their relationship, and how the boy's father liked making riddles for him to solve. When the boy comes across a key with the name "Black" on it he decides that his father set this up as a puzzle for him to solve before he died, and sets out to find what the key opens.
And that's the story. Sound kinda dumb and pointless? Probably because it is. With Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock staring, this was obviously intended as the wholesome, tug at the heart strings of a nation Oscar bait that everyone would raving about and taking their families to see. Instead what's on offer is a whole lotta over the top sappiness and sentimentality without offering any genuine emotion, a storyline that goes nowhere and has an unsatisfying pay off, and a un-spythametic and, I'm sorry to say, annoying protagonist.
On the other hand, the film is very classily made, the story is told in an engaging manner, and the relationship between the boy and the old man that lives with his grandma is kinda nice. But the movie as whole is just kinda, bleh. Skip it.
**1/2 out of *****
So with that out of the way, lets talk about Oscar best picture. I'll start by making two lists;
Best picture nominees, best to worst
1. The Tree of Life
2. Hugo
3. The Descendants
4. Moneyball
5. The Artist
6. Midnight in Paris
7. The Help
8. War Horse
9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Best picture nominees, most likely to win to least likely
1. The Artist
2. The Descendants
3. Hugo
4. The Help
5. Moneyball
6. The Tree of Life
7. Midnight in Paris
8. War Horse
9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
In the past it often seems to have come down to a two horse race for the cup. Last year was The Social Network vs The Kings Speech. The year before was Avatar vs The Hurt Locker. This year is The Artist vs Nothing. The Artist will win, end of story. You can put your house on it and it will be the easiest money you'll make all year. I've ranked the other films likelihood of winning merely as formality. It's such a foregone conclusion that The Artist will win I may not even bother watching the ceremony (I probably will.)
I would love to see Hugo or The Descendants win. I'd love love LOVE to see The Tree of Life win. But I'll settle with The Artist winning, as in honesty it's not a bad choice for the prize. And seeing a silent French film take out the glory is kinda cool. The only film that really doesn't deserve it's spot amongst the nominees is Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, although I'm a little disappointed that War Horse got nominated as well.
I was planning to a top 10 of 2011 list to coincide with the Oscars, however I'm putting it off for a week or two so I can watch more movies I've missed. But that's coming soon.... probably. Enjoy watching people walk down a red carpet and talk rubbish about who designed what and how much they enjoyed making some film they've already forgotten they were in. I'll skip that part thanks.
Sunday 26 February 2012
Tuesday 14 February 2012
The Muppets & Others
The Muppets
The Muppets according to Jason Segel (he wrote the script and stars) is apparently the first film in the franchise for 12 years. I can't exactly say The Muppets were a massive part of a my childhood, so the appeal to nostalgia wasn't a great one for me, however I've seen the likes of The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan numerous times, and enjoyed them, so I'm well familiar with Kermit and co and what goes toward making a good Muppet tale.
Our journey begin with a look back at Jason Segel's character growing up with his brother Walter, who for some reason is a Muppet. They are both massive fans of The Muppet Show, and Walter dreams of one day meeting The Muppets and visiting Muppet studios. When he gets the change, he finds out that an evil rich dude is planning to tear the studios down to drill for oil, and when Walter convinces Kermit to get the gang back together for fund raiser to save the studios we've got ourselves a run o' the mill Muppets story (which is a great thing).
But never mind all that, actually. What it enjoyable about The Muppets, of course, is all the over the top fun and silliness, musical numbers and self referential humour (even if they do go a bit overboard with it.) The secondary romance storyline about Jason Segel being torn between his friendship with his brother and his love for Amy Adam's character is also a very nice addition, and doesn't feel at all tacked on. A movie that pretty much everybody can enjoy, which is something that doesn't come along all that often.
**** out *****
The Iron Lady
Another year, another biopic contending for Oscar glory. However, while last years film The King's Speech took out the glory, The Iron Lady will probably have to contend with a best actress nod for Meryl Strep (in fact, The Iron Lady hasn't even been nominated for best picture.) This account of the life of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is told as series of flashbacks, cutting back and forth constantly between the past and Thatcher's current state of dementia. While this format is at first interesting it soon becomes annoying, and while the approach to classical film making is very capably handled and the story well told, it feels as though we're merely being presented with Thatcher's life in dot point form, with nothing really being fleshed out. Streep's performance alone, however, is worth the price of admission alone, as she approaches the role with this almost reckless abandon that she does all her roles, fully embracing every aspect of her character. Some people don't see to like her much, for what reason I have no idea, as she is without a doubt one of the best of her generation.
***1/2 out of *****
Young Adult
The second collaborative project between director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody, who previously worked together on Juno, Young Adult tells the story of a thirty something woman, played by Charlize Theron, who is the author of a once popular series of books aimed at, well, take a guess (I''ll give you a hint, the answer's in the title.) She lives like a sloth in a apartment with her dog, and her life is going nowhere. When she finds out her ex-boyfriend and his wife have had a baby she decides she wants him back for some reason and sets out on a road trip to see him in her old home town.
What ensues is a fairly tragic and sometimes hard to watch character study about a woman who was popular and the centre of attention during high school and is subsequently still a self indulgent brat well into her 30's, with nothing to show for it but a ghost writing credit on books headed for the bargain bin. Young Adult was a bit hit and miss for me, it was funny, but not THAT funny, it was a solid character study but a bit like watching a car crash, and Theron is very good but can't produce much sympathy for her character. This is probably Reitman's weakest effort so far, but with his other credits being Thank You For Smoking, Juno and Up in the Air that's not really a knock. Good, but not great.
***1/2 out of *****
Crazy Stupid Love
For a lot of people, Crazy Stupid Love seems to be THE romantic comedy of 2011. So lets have a look at why. Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, Marisa Tomei, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (who is THE actor of the moment.) So we've good a great cast there. It's very funny. The story is a long way off following the normal romantic comedy formula, is actually quite fresh and original. So with all that considered this one is a sure winner, right? Well, yes, but it's not without it's flaws. The storyline may be original and somewhat unpredictable, however it has a of plot contrivances and massive coincidences which are a bit hard to swallow. Also, the romance between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone's characters feels a bit tacked on. Still, the mix of good characterisations and legitimate humour should mean this is one of those few rom coms that guys can feel ok about liking. I know I did.
***1/2 out of *****
Win Win
Paul Giamatti is a lawyer/high school wrestling coach struggling to make ends meet for his wife and two daughters, who after kinda screwing over an elderly client of his to make a bit of extra money for his family meets the old man's grandson. The boy is a bit troubled and detached as result of having a drug addicted mother, however Giamatti takes the boy under his wing and as he bonds with him learns is he is an excellent wrestler. He then uses the boy's talents to boost his under performing wrestling team. Win Win is essentially a study of human behaviour and relationships, and while the plot is a bit formulaic and some elements are far fetched, the characters a good, there a few laughs thrown in for good measure and the overall result is a success.
***1/2 out of *****
The Muppets according to Jason Segel (he wrote the script and stars) is apparently the first film in the franchise for 12 years. I can't exactly say The Muppets were a massive part of a my childhood, so the appeal to nostalgia wasn't a great one for me, however I've seen the likes of The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan numerous times, and enjoyed them, so I'm well familiar with Kermit and co and what goes toward making a good Muppet tale.
Our journey begin with a look back at Jason Segel's character growing up with his brother Walter, who for some reason is a Muppet. They are both massive fans of The Muppet Show, and Walter dreams of one day meeting The Muppets and visiting Muppet studios. When he gets the change, he finds out that an evil rich dude is planning to tear the studios down to drill for oil, and when Walter convinces Kermit to get the gang back together for fund raiser to save the studios we've got ourselves a run o' the mill Muppets story (which is a great thing).
But never mind all that, actually. What it enjoyable about The Muppets, of course, is all the over the top fun and silliness, musical numbers and self referential humour (even if they do go a bit overboard with it.) The secondary romance storyline about Jason Segel being torn between his friendship with his brother and his love for Amy Adam's character is also a very nice addition, and doesn't feel at all tacked on. A movie that pretty much everybody can enjoy, which is something that doesn't come along all that often.
**** out *****
The Iron Lady
Another year, another biopic contending for Oscar glory. However, while last years film The King's Speech took out the glory, The Iron Lady will probably have to contend with a best actress nod for Meryl Strep (in fact, The Iron Lady hasn't even been nominated for best picture.) This account of the life of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is told as series of flashbacks, cutting back and forth constantly between the past and Thatcher's current state of dementia. While this format is at first interesting it soon becomes annoying, and while the approach to classical film making is very capably handled and the story well told, it feels as though we're merely being presented with Thatcher's life in dot point form, with nothing really being fleshed out. Streep's performance alone, however, is worth the price of admission alone, as she approaches the role with this almost reckless abandon that she does all her roles, fully embracing every aspect of her character. Some people don't see to like her much, for what reason I have no idea, as she is without a doubt one of the best of her generation.
***1/2 out of *****
Young Adult
The second collaborative project between director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody, who previously worked together on Juno, Young Adult tells the story of a thirty something woman, played by Charlize Theron, who is the author of a once popular series of books aimed at, well, take a guess (I''ll give you a hint, the answer's in the title.) She lives like a sloth in a apartment with her dog, and her life is going nowhere. When she finds out her ex-boyfriend and his wife have had a baby she decides she wants him back for some reason and sets out on a road trip to see him in her old home town.
What ensues is a fairly tragic and sometimes hard to watch character study about a woman who was popular and the centre of attention during high school and is subsequently still a self indulgent brat well into her 30's, with nothing to show for it but a ghost writing credit on books headed for the bargain bin. Young Adult was a bit hit and miss for me, it was funny, but not THAT funny, it was a solid character study but a bit like watching a car crash, and Theron is very good but can't produce much sympathy for her character. This is probably Reitman's weakest effort so far, but with his other credits being Thank You For Smoking, Juno and Up in the Air that's not really a knock. Good, but not great.
***1/2 out of *****
Crazy Stupid Love
For a lot of people, Crazy Stupid Love seems to be THE romantic comedy of 2011. So lets have a look at why. Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, Marisa Tomei, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (who is THE actor of the moment.) So we've good a great cast there. It's very funny. The story is a long way off following the normal romantic comedy formula, is actually quite fresh and original. So with all that considered this one is a sure winner, right? Well, yes, but it's not without it's flaws. The storyline may be original and somewhat unpredictable, however it has a of plot contrivances and massive coincidences which are a bit hard to swallow. Also, the romance between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone's characters feels a bit tacked on. Still, the mix of good characterisations and legitimate humour should mean this is one of those few rom coms that guys can feel ok about liking. I know I did.
***1/2 out of *****
Win Win
Paul Giamatti is a lawyer/high school wrestling coach struggling to make ends meet for his wife and two daughters, who after kinda screwing over an elderly client of his to make a bit of extra money for his family meets the old man's grandson. The boy is a bit troubled and detached as result of having a drug addicted mother, however Giamatti takes the boy under his wing and as he bonds with him learns is he is an excellent wrestler. He then uses the boy's talents to boost his under performing wrestling team. Win Win is essentially a study of human behaviour and relationships, and while the plot is a bit formulaic and some elements are far fetched, the characters a good, there a few laughs thrown in for good measure and the overall result is a success.
***1/2 out of *****
Friday 10 February 2012
A whole bunch o' stuff
Ok, so here's everything else I've been watching lately. Some of these will be pretty short as in some cases it's been about a month since I saw the movie.
Of Gods and Men
French movie that won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2010 (Grand Prix being the second highest prize after the Palme d'Or) Of Gods and Men documents a true story about a group of Christian monks living in peace with Muslim majority in Algeria until they start to face threats for Islamic extremists. Beautifully shot and paced, the film explores with passion yet without sentiment the test of faith and character these men go through in their decision whether or not stay and honor the commitment they have made. Perhaps lacking slightly in character development, although an exploration of each individual character isn't really the name of the game here, rather a reflection on how the men bond together to make their decision and an exploration of the inner most part of the human psyche. Haunting, inspirational and highly recommended.
****1/2 out of *****
Hesher
Hesher, the title character of the movie, is a crazy, violent heavy metal fan who one day decides to forcibly move in with a young kid and his family, who are grieving the loss of a family member, by threatening the kid he will hurt him if he tells his dad he doesn't really know him. Yep, bizarre movie which at times feels to be lacking any serious point and the concept alone makes no sense, however the exploration coming to terms with grief and character relationship dynamics is oddly compelling and original. Certainly worth a look.
***1/2 out of *****
Friends with Benefits
The second film of 2011 about a relationship between male and female which they agree will be just sex between friends and no romance (the other being No Strings Attached, which I haven't seen) Friends with Benefits starts out as a comedic send up of the romantic comedy genre, and is actually quite funny. By the end, though, it has of course turned into a pretty standard rom com. The chemistry between Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis however lifts it above your average rom com fare, so this little film is not bad at all. I kinda hope JT keeps making movies as he's really not a bad actor.
***1/2 out *****
Rango
Oh, man, this is probably the film I've left the longest to write about. So er, what do I remember? It's an animated film about a lizard who gets appointed the sheriff of a town running low on water. It's very cleverly written, and has pays homage to a lot of old Western movies. And it's very good. How's that? Good enough I think. Rent it.
**** out of *****
The Troll Hunter
Norwegian film shot in the style of The Blair Witch Project, being that it's presented as being real footage that was discovered after the filmmakers disappeared. Hunting trolls. Hence the, er, title. The trolls look pretty cool and there's plenty of action, so it should be pretty accessible to anyone deeply rooted in Norwegian folklore and subtitled. Apparently there's an American remake planned. Seems pretty pointless, just watch this one.
***1/2 out of *****
Rare Exports: A Christmas Story
A Finnish Christmas movie in which Santa Claus is actually an evil monster thing and his elves are a bunch of crazy old naked dudes.... Still reading? Original idea, yes. Entertaining and well executed? Only kinda. It was really a strange, silly movie, and only mildly recommended.
*** out of *****
The Beaver
Directed by and staring Jodie Foster, The Beaver features Mel Gibson playing her husband who, dealing with depression and separation from his wife, comes across a beaver puppet and takes on it's personality to help deal with his pain. Silly concept as in the above film, however it's dealt with in such a serious manner that you can (almost) entirely accept it. Quite a nice story about dealing with damaged family relationships, The Beaver really does come close to overcoming premise to be a genuine character study, if perhaps just not quite getting there.
***1/2 out of *****
We Need To Talk About Kevin
Probably the less known about this one before seeing it the better, so all I will say is that it explores a mother's (Tilda Swinton) experiences dealing with a son who is not only extremely difficult to handle but displays violent and manipulative tendencies. Played out like any mother's worst nightmare, this incredibly disturbing account of human behaviour is presented in a very stylish yet frenetic manner, constantly flashing back and forward between past and present. The acting is brilliant, both from Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller, who plays Kevin, and Swinton especially should have gotten more recognition during award season. I found some elements of Kevin's behaviour quite difficult to believe, however despite this We Need To Talk About Kevin is a very engaging and almost realistic horror story. Prepare yourself for one crazy roller coaster ride of emotion if you do check it out.
**** out of *****
Arrietty
I missed the first few minutes of the newest Studio Ghibli film to hit Australia due to a long line at the cinema and, apparently, barely ads before the film, the one time I actually wished there was an abundance of them. Bit annoying, buy oh well. Arrietty is a tiny person, belonging to a race known as the borrowers, who live under the floorboards of house and "borrow" things from inside the house for their own use. She soon forms a relationship with a terminally ill boy living at the house, who has heard about Borrowers from his auntie, and he wants nothing more than to protect Arrietty and make sure she is safe from the other crazy old hag who lives in the house with them. As with most Ghibli film Arrietty is original, creative and heartfelt. Do I need to say more, it's a Ghibli film. Of course it's good.
**** out of *****
The Artist
It's been a while since a film has looked so certain to win the Best Picture Oscar. In fact, The Artist may be the surest lock to take the gong since Titanic almost 15 years ago. When you consider that The Artist is a French film that is in black and white and, for the most part, silent, it's almost perplexing. But here we are. So, is it really worth all that hype? Well, no, but it is still very good. The Artist does struggle to rise above it's gimmick (I don't see how anyone could say it's not a gimmick) with a fairly formulaic story about a silent movie star's fall from the spotlight with the birth of the talkie (sounds similar to the storyline of a certain musical about singing during a certain weather pattern, doesn't it?) and a tired morality story about not letting success get to your head. This isn't to say that the storyline isn't engaging, because it is, very much so, and where The Artist DOES rise above it's gimmick is in it's gorgeous black and white cinematography and a number of impressive sequences, in particular a dream scene where all of a sudden sound effects exist. To conclude, The Artist probably doesn't deserve to win the Best Picture Oscar, but it will, and it won't be a travesty in any way, shape or form.
**** out of *****
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Sequel. Not as good as the first. Still some good action and comedy. Still stylish. Overall ok. Meh.
*** out of *****
Now that's all off my chest... Seeing how long this catch up took it should motivate me to post more regular updates (we'll see). Also, I've decided to stop writing about older movies I watch for the first time and just stick to newer ones, from the past 2 - 3 years or so. But I have seen a bunch of older movies lately, with the highlights being Persona and Wild Strawberries by Ingmar Bergman, Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa and Taste of Cherry by Abbas Kiarostami.
Of Gods and Men
French movie that won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2010 (Grand Prix being the second highest prize after the Palme d'Or) Of Gods and Men documents a true story about a group of Christian monks living in peace with Muslim majority in Algeria until they start to face threats for Islamic extremists. Beautifully shot and paced, the film explores with passion yet without sentiment the test of faith and character these men go through in their decision whether or not stay and honor the commitment they have made. Perhaps lacking slightly in character development, although an exploration of each individual character isn't really the name of the game here, rather a reflection on how the men bond together to make their decision and an exploration of the inner most part of the human psyche. Haunting, inspirational and highly recommended.
****1/2 out of *****
Hesher
Hesher, the title character of the movie, is a crazy, violent heavy metal fan who one day decides to forcibly move in with a young kid and his family, who are grieving the loss of a family member, by threatening the kid he will hurt him if he tells his dad he doesn't really know him. Yep, bizarre movie which at times feels to be lacking any serious point and the concept alone makes no sense, however the exploration coming to terms with grief and character relationship dynamics is oddly compelling and original. Certainly worth a look.
***1/2 out of *****
Friends with Benefits
The second film of 2011 about a relationship between male and female which they agree will be just sex between friends and no romance (the other being No Strings Attached, which I haven't seen) Friends with Benefits starts out as a comedic send up of the romantic comedy genre, and is actually quite funny. By the end, though, it has of course turned into a pretty standard rom com. The chemistry between Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis however lifts it above your average rom com fare, so this little film is not bad at all. I kinda hope JT keeps making movies as he's really not a bad actor.
***1/2 out *****
Rango
Oh, man, this is probably the film I've left the longest to write about. So er, what do I remember? It's an animated film about a lizard who gets appointed the sheriff of a town running low on water. It's very cleverly written, and has pays homage to a lot of old Western movies. And it's very good. How's that? Good enough I think. Rent it.
**** out of *****
The Troll Hunter
Norwegian film shot in the style of The Blair Witch Project, being that it's presented as being real footage that was discovered after the filmmakers disappeared. Hunting trolls. Hence the, er, title. The trolls look pretty cool and there's plenty of action, so it should be pretty accessible to anyone deeply rooted in Norwegian folklore and subtitled. Apparently there's an American remake planned. Seems pretty pointless, just watch this one.
***1/2 out of *****
Rare Exports: A Christmas Story
A Finnish Christmas movie in which Santa Claus is actually an evil monster thing and his elves are a bunch of crazy old naked dudes.... Still reading? Original idea, yes. Entertaining and well executed? Only kinda. It was really a strange, silly movie, and only mildly recommended.
*** out of *****
The Beaver
Directed by and staring Jodie Foster, The Beaver features Mel Gibson playing her husband who, dealing with depression and separation from his wife, comes across a beaver puppet and takes on it's personality to help deal with his pain. Silly concept as in the above film, however it's dealt with in such a serious manner that you can (almost) entirely accept it. Quite a nice story about dealing with damaged family relationships, The Beaver really does come close to overcoming premise to be a genuine character study, if perhaps just not quite getting there.
***1/2 out of *****
We Need To Talk About Kevin
Probably the less known about this one before seeing it the better, so all I will say is that it explores a mother's (Tilda Swinton) experiences dealing with a son who is not only extremely difficult to handle but displays violent and manipulative tendencies. Played out like any mother's worst nightmare, this incredibly disturbing account of human behaviour is presented in a very stylish yet frenetic manner, constantly flashing back and forward between past and present. The acting is brilliant, both from Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller, who plays Kevin, and Swinton especially should have gotten more recognition during award season. I found some elements of Kevin's behaviour quite difficult to believe, however despite this We Need To Talk About Kevin is a very engaging and almost realistic horror story. Prepare yourself for one crazy roller coaster ride of emotion if you do check it out.
**** out of *****
Arrietty
I missed the first few minutes of the newest Studio Ghibli film to hit Australia due to a long line at the cinema and, apparently, barely ads before the film, the one time I actually wished there was an abundance of them. Bit annoying, buy oh well. Arrietty is a tiny person, belonging to a race known as the borrowers, who live under the floorboards of house and "borrow" things from inside the house for their own use. She soon forms a relationship with a terminally ill boy living at the house, who has heard about Borrowers from his auntie, and he wants nothing more than to protect Arrietty and make sure she is safe from the other crazy old hag who lives in the house with them. As with most Ghibli film Arrietty is original, creative and heartfelt. Do I need to say more, it's a Ghibli film. Of course it's good.
**** out of *****
The Artist
It's been a while since a film has looked so certain to win the Best Picture Oscar. In fact, The Artist may be the surest lock to take the gong since Titanic almost 15 years ago. When you consider that The Artist is a French film that is in black and white and, for the most part, silent, it's almost perplexing. But here we are. So, is it really worth all that hype? Well, no, but it is still very good. The Artist does struggle to rise above it's gimmick (I don't see how anyone could say it's not a gimmick) with a fairly formulaic story about a silent movie star's fall from the spotlight with the birth of the talkie (sounds similar to the storyline of a certain musical about singing during a certain weather pattern, doesn't it?) and a tired morality story about not letting success get to your head. This isn't to say that the storyline isn't engaging, because it is, very much so, and where The Artist DOES rise above it's gimmick is in it's gorgeous black and white cinematography and a number of impressive sequences, in particular a dream scene where all of a sudden sound effects exist. To conclude, The Artist probably doesn't deserve to win the Best Picture Oscar, but it will, and it won't be a travesty in any way, shape or form.
**** out of *****
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Sequel. Not as good as the first. Still some good action and comedy. Still stylish. Overall ok. Meh.
*** out of *****
Now that's all off my chest... Seeing how long this catch up took it should motivate me to post more regular updates (we'll see). Also, I've decided to stop writing about older movies I watch for the first time and just stick to newer ones, from the past 2 - 3 years or so. But I have seen a bunch of older movies lately, with the highlights being Persona and Wild Strawberries by Ingmar Bergman, Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa and Taste of Cherry by Abbas Kiarostami.
Tuesday 7 February 2012
The Descendants & Hugo
Oh man I've been slack, again. I'll start my catch up by writing about the two best movies I've seen which are currently out at the cinema.
The Descendants
The Descendants recently won the award for best Drama at the Golden Globes, although it would probably better fit into the category that is sometimes referred to as "dramaedy", or comedy drama. Anyone who has seen director Alexander Payne's other movies such as Election and Sideways would be familiar with his seem less blend of the two genres. We start the film with George Clooney's character presented with a decision about what to do with a section of Hawaiian land his family has inherited from their DESCENDANTS (hence the film's title, right?) all the while trying dealing with the fact that his wife is in a coma from a water skiing accident and his two daughters playing up like brats.
The story is then turned on it it's head with the revelation that Clooney's wife had been cheating on him, and what follows is his journey to locate the guy she'd been sleeping with whilst attempting to re-connect with his daughters (the later of which probably comes about a bit too easily given the original setup.)
Unlike other movies similar to The Descendants the story never loses any momentum, remaining engaging from beginning to end. The characterisations are all extremely strong, the script is intelligent and funny, and yes, George Clooney probably does give the performance of his lifetime, while the rest of the cast are also good. It does suffer slightly from some mild formulaic elements and unusually fast transformation of his daughters behaviour, although for the most part it actually rises above these issues with it's wholly unsentimental approach to a story about family being able to rise above the worst situations when they bond and work together.
**** 1/2 out of *****
Hugo
When I heard that Martin Scorsese's new picture was going to be adapted from a children's book and in 3D I really didn't know what to think. The trailer didn't really help things either, however I shouldn't have known not to doubt Scorsese, who has made one of his best films in a while. In fact, what the trailer makes look like a whimsical, kids fantasy could be better described as a love letter to cinema set amongst beautiful production design and cinematography, and the best use of 3D since Avatar.
We start by following Hugo, who lives at a railway station in France operating the clocks. He spends the rest of his time stealing food and other items to fix a broken automaton (or robot). We soon find out that through his back story that he has been abandoned at the train station by his uncle after his father dies, and Hugo keeps the clocks running under the belief it will help him evade the station inspector (played by Sacha Baron Cohen in his usual humorous manor). When Hugo meets Isabelle (played by Chloe Grace Mortez) they make a discovery that changes the course of the movie, and I wont say any more to avoid spoilers.
As mentioned above, Hugo is a visually stunning movie, and the opening sequence alone is almost worth the price of admission. On top of this the movie has a very strong emotional heart and good message about finding your purpose in life and never letting go of your dreams, which is presented in a completed organic and un-cliched fashion. There are loads of references to classic cinema scattered throughout which blend very nicely into the narrative, and while these and other elements may put Hugo a bit above the heads of the audience trailer would be have you believe the film is targeting, this is certainly one of the most original and best films of 2011.
***** out of *****
Coming next, all the other movies I've been watching lately.
The Descendants
The Descendants recently won the award for best Drama at the Golden Globes, although it would probably better fit into the category that is sometimes referred to as "dramaedy", or comedy drama. Anyone who has seen director Alexander Payne's other movies such as Election and Sideways would be familiar with his seem less blend of the two genres. We start the film with George Clooney's character presented with a decision about what to do with a section of Hawaiian land his family has inherited from their DESCENDANTS (hence the film's title, right?) all the while trying dealing with the fact that his wife is in a coma from a water skiing accident and his two daughters playing up like brats.
The story is then turned on it it's head with the revelation that Clooney's wife had been cheating on him, and what follows is his journey to locate the guy she'd been sleeping with whilst attempting to re-connect with his daughters (the later of which probably comes about a bit too easily given the original setup.)
Unlike other movies similar to The Descendants the story never loses any momentum, remaining engaging from beginning to end. The characterisations are all extremely strong, the script is intelligent and funny, and yes, George Clooney probably does give the performance of his lifetime, while the rest of the cast are also good. It does suffer slightly from some mild formulaic elements and unusually fast transformation of his daughters behaviour, although for the most part it actually rises above these issues with it's wholly unsentimental approach to a story about family being able to rise above the worst situations when they bond and work together.
**** 1/2 out of *****
Hugo
When I heard that Martin Scorsese's new picture was going to be adapted from a children's book and in 3D I really didn't know what to think. The trailer didn't really help things either, however I shouldn't have known not to doubt Scorsese, who has made one of his best films in a while. In fact, what the trailer makes look like a whimsical, kids fantasy could be better described as a love letter to cinema set amongst beautiful production design and cinematography, and the best use of 3D since Avatar.
We start by following Hugo, who lives at a railway station in France operating the clocks. He spends the rest of his time stealing food and other items to fix a broken automaton (or robot). We soon find out that through his back story that he has been abandoned at the train station by his uncle after his father dies, and Hugo keeps the clocks running under the belief it will help him evade the station inspector (played by Sacha Baron Cohen in his usual humorous manor). When Hugo meets Isabelle (played by Chloe Grace Mortez) they make a discovery that changes the course of the movie, and I wont say any more to avoid spoilers.
As mentioned above, Hugo is a visually stunning movie, and the opening sequence alone is almost worth the price of admission. On top of this the movie has a very strong emotional heart and good message about finding your purpose in life and never letting go of your dreams, which is presented in a completed organic and un-cliched fashion. There are loads of references to classic cinema scattered throughout which blend very nicely into the narrative, and while these and other elements may put Hugo a bit above the heads of the audience trailer would be have you believe the film is targeting, this is certainly one of the most original and best films of 2011.
***** out of *****
Coming next, all the other movies I've been watching lately.
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