Monday, May 30, 2011

Titanic

Who couldn't have guessed that this movie would do well? By 1997, James Cameron had already made a reputation as a director of blockbuster films. Given that, and the tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic, this film was a recipe for success from the get go.

"Titanic" tells the story of Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater, passengers on the prime voyage of Titanic. Dawson, played by Leo DiCaprio, is a poor American who wins his passage onto the Titanic is a game. Rose, played by Kate Winslet, is a wealthy passenger in the first class section of the Titanic.

As Rose reconsiders the life she is about to lead and her engagement to Cal Hockley, played by Billy Zane, Jack finds her and calms her down. This first encounter leads to the formation of a relationship that both of them desire: for Jack, he has found a great girl he can spend time with in America; for Rose, she has found a boy who can break her out of her aristocratic shell.

Naturally, as their love reaches it's peak, Titanic hits an iceberg. I think we all saw that one coming. Struggling to survive, Jack and Rose's relationship is put to the test and their true priorities come out.

"Titanic" is made to make you cry. From the theme "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion, to the romantic connection you can see between Jack and Rose. It is entrancing and the audience is left stunned. How else would a movie where the ending is pretty much known already earn a billion dollars?

The last hour of this film is depressing, as it should be. The sinking of the Titanic was a scary event, after all. But I feel James Cameron took things a little too far. There is literally nothing happy about the last hour of the film. So if that's what you're expecting, I really wouldn't see this film.

"Titanic" is not a great film. It is a good film with an atmosphere that breeds success. It is romantic, it is tear-worthy, and it pulls at our heart strings. With that said, it is at the same time filled with some cheesy writing and predictable twists.

Grade: B

Qualities:
Appeals to many audiences (not children, for nudity) - Box Office
Flawed characters - Oscar
Entrances the audience - Box Office
High-billed actors - Box Office and Oscar

Saving Private Ryan

Steven Spielberg has a record for making films that are fantastical and the stuff of dreams. From the "Indiana Jones" series to "A.I.", many of his films delve into fantasy. And he's very good at that. One of the best for sure. But, to me at least, Spielberg is at his best when his films are more realistic. Films that come to mind are "The Color Purple", "Schindler's List", and of course, "Saving Private Ryan".

Telling the story of a group of American soldiers landing on Normandy, "Saving Private Ryan" captures the most real aspects of war. And war is scary; there's blood and guts everywhere for a good 10 minutes before you even get to learn the character's names.

This group of soldiers, led by Colonel John Miller, played by Tom Hanks, is ordered to locate and return Private James Ryan, played by Matt Damon. Due to the recent deaths of Ryan's three brothers in the war, he has been recalled from duty to return to his mother. The soldiers struggle with the concept that their mission involves the rescue of one soldier. After all, how could one soldier be more important than all of them?

This realistic look at war dives right into the worst of war, leaving no details out for a potentially meek audience. Spielberg knew when making this film that it was truly an experience, even requesting that once the movie started, no more people could enter.

"Saving Private Ryan" is made to make to cringe and feel kinda sick. It is an intense film and that should be made aware before anyone sees it. That being said, it's totally awesome at the same time.

The movie captures the audience and refuses to let go until the very end. You begin to feel for the characters because their personalities and struggles are so realistic. You hardly even notice that the character of Pvt. Ryan doesn't enter the film until there's only and hour left.

One of the things the film does really well is that it is very symmetrical. There is a clear beginning and end, and they mirror each other in a way that clearly states "Yeah, I just blew your mind."

"Saving Private Ryan" isn't just another war film; it doesn't center on one main character, it is brutal, and it truly captures that time period and what it must have been like. Spielberg can add this one to his masterpiece collection, which, at this rate, sooner or later is going to overflow.

Grade: A

Qualities:
Flawed main characters - Oscar
High-billed actors - Box Office and Oscar
Notorious director/writer - Oscar and Box Office
Unique and creative direction - Oscar
Entrances the audience - Box Office

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Raging Bull

Martin Scorsese is a master of character studies. He is able to capture a character's growth (or regression in some cases), while at the same time provide the audience with story they can genuinely care about. Raging Bull is not different. In their fourth collaboration, Scorsese directs Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta, a famous boxer in the forties. LaMotta, managed by his brother Joey (played by Joe Pesci), becomes one of the most feared boxers in the country and becomes the first boxer ever to beat Sugar Ray Robinson. LaMotta then meets with a fifteen year-old girl named Vickie (played by Cathy Moriarty) and develops a relationship with her. As Jake's boxing status begins to heighten, the trials of being such a boxer come through in his relationships. LaMotta faces a serious struggle to keep his family together.

Raging Bull is awesome. Everybody knows it, or should at least. The brilliantly placed fight scenes, which are often in slow-motion, mirror the struggles LaMotta is dealing with throughout the film. The repeating fights with Sugar Ray Robinson represent his inability to move on from boxing and deal with his issues at home. De Niro is perfect in his role of Jake LaMotta, from the tough guy he plays at home, to the sobbing man overcome with emotions, even to the actually boxing. He delivers the whole package. Joe Pesci is also great as always as Jake's brother and manager. One reason I really enjoyed the film was the black and white scheme it was shot in. That, given the fact that the only shots in any color at all were the home videos in the middle of the film, leads me to believe that those home videos were the only times Jake was truly happy; the years the film skips were his happiest. The boxing world in the forties was a tough one and Scorsese depicts that very accurately.

Grade: A

Qualities:
High-billed actors - Box Office and Oscar
Unique and creative direction - Oscar
Notorious director/writer - Oscar and Box Office
Complex concepts and themes - Oscar
Characters are flawed and grow someway throughout the film - Oscar

Monday, May 23, 2011

Barton Fink

By the time Barton Fink was released in 1991, the Coen brothers had begun to put their mark on 20th century cinema. In their fourth feature film, John Turturro plays Barton Fink, a playwright cast into the spotlight after receiving critical acclaim for a play. He is then hired to write scripts for a film company in Los Angeles. When he arrives, he comes to find that Hollywood isn't as glamorous as it appears. He meets Charlie Meadows, an insurance salesman played by John Goodman and the two form an odd sort of friendship. Barton develops many other relationships and soon his world begins to become fuzzy. As he struggles in writing a new script, he is put to the test mentally to withstand the trials of Hollywood and the isolation that comes with it.

Coen brother films are notorious for their depth and levels of metaphors. There are so many different layers to their films that to dissect all of them would take more space than I'm given for this article. These layers tend to been comparable to an onion in that the first layer is simple to see and the further you peel, the more you find. Barton Fink is no different. The levels of this film come from religion and ideologies and even the essence of Hollywood. The concept of the idyllic Hollywood is torn apart in this movie. The people are shown as fake and impossible to trust. Likewise, Barton's room is incredibly lacking in the glamour that is Hollywood; the bed squeaks, the wallpaper peels, even the tip of a pencil is snapped off. Further down is the religious aspect of the film. There is a scene in which Barton reads a segment from the Bible which correlates to his tribulations in Hollywood. Later, Barton asks the elevator operator whether or not he's read the Bible, to which, the operator responds, "the Holy Bible?" This implies that there is some other sort of Bible, possibly a Bible of Hollywood. Further down still are the ideological concepts of Fascism. As in many Coen brother films, there are several illusions to the Holocaust and WWII in this film. Along with the fact that it is set in 1941, this provides clear evidence to the presence of Fascism in the film. There are several references to Jews in a derogatory fashion. There are also a pair of characters, who shall remain nameless so as not to spoil the film, who come together and represent the Axis powers of WWII. One has an Italian last name and one has a German last name. The Coen brothers are experts in weaving such metaphors into their films. They seamlessly integrate the themes they wish to portray. The actors all perform brilliantly in the film. John Turturro probably should have received an Oscar nod, as well as John Goodman.

Grade: B+

Qualities:
Complex themes and concepts - Oscar
Flawed main characters - Oscar
Notorious director/writer - Oscar and Box Office
Unique storyline - Oscar

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Double Indemnity

"How could I have known that murder sometimes smells like honeysuckle?" Double Indemnity is the classic film noir about an insurance salesman who gets seduced into committing murder and insurance fraud. Walter Neff played by Fred MacMurray is a successful insurance salesman in Los Angeles. He pays a visit to a potential client, a Mr. Dietrichson. However, when he arrives, Mr. Dietrichson isn't at home. In his place is his wife Phyllis played by Barbara Stanwyck. Neff becomes automatically entranced by Mrs. Dietrichson and tries his best to make a good impression. When Phyllis shows up at his doorstep after their second meeting, Neff knew he had done a good job. It is at this point though that Phyllis reveals she has had feelings of killing her husband and filling out life insurance in his name before doing so. Eventually Phyllis gains Walter's trust and he says he will help her do the crime. As the film unfolds, the trials and tribulations of committing murder begin to show, and the strains on their relationship may be too much for Walter and Phyllis to handle.

Double Indemnity came out at the peak of the film noir genre in American cinema. After the success of films such as The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca, film noirs were being made rapidly. Double Indemnity was one of the rare few to shine as bright as it's predecessors. It perfected the art of having the story narrated by the main character. It had all the twists necessary in any mystery genre film. And the acting performances were superb. Edward G. Robinson's Barton Keyes, another insurance salesman investigating the Dietrichson claim, is brilliant. Robinson did a great job in stepping back from main roles to provide this supporting character, and his effort shows. I give much of the credit to director Billy Wilder who went out on a limb to obtain the high quality actors this film has. Not many people wanted to be seen as adulterers as the main characters in the film are. But it all came together in the end and the film earned seven Academy Award nominations.

Grade: A

Qualities:
Complex concepts and themes - Oscar
Unforeseeable twist - Oscar
Unique and creative direction - Oscar

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino's much anticipated follow-up to Kill Bill volume 2, Inglourious Basterds tells the story of a fictional troop of Jewish-American soldiers fighting in WWII. Led by Lieutenant Aldo Raine, played by Brad Pitt, this troop called the Basterds is chosen specifically to go into Nazi-occupied France and kill Nazis. They team up with Bridget vom Hammersmark, and famous German actress turned English spy played by Diane Kruger to take down some of the leaders of the Third Reich. At the same time, Jews in Europe are being hunted down by Hans Landa, played brilliantly by Christoph Waltz. As the Basterds plan to destroy the Nazis, Landa does everything in his power to exterminate them before they get the chance.

I would like to take the time in this post to thank Quentin Tarantino for introducing America to Christoph Waltz. Hopefully this isn't their last time to collaborate. But as far as Inglourious Basterds is concerned, this tandem produces a unique kind of movie experience. The audience has a serious problem deciding who to root for because Christoph Waltz's Hans Landa is the perfect type of antagonist. He his charismatic and funny and ruthless as hell. Honestly he'd probably be who most people root for if it weren't for the whole Nazi thing. That shouldn't take credit away from Brad Pitt however. He also shines as the bloodthirsty, Nazi-hating leader of the Basterds. This movie holds true to many of Tarantino's common directing techniques including chapters within the film and the long take. It is clear to see why it took him so long to write. Diane Kruger performs well in her native German as well and she plays the 40's movie star perfectly. The one thing keeping this film from being an A in my book is that there were too many subtitles for my taste.

Grade: A-

Qualities:
Complex themes and concepts - Oscar
High billed actors - Box office and Oscar
Notorious director/writer - Oscar and Box office
Unique and creative direction - Oscar
Original storyline - Oscar

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction is probably the quintessential film in regards to Quentin Tarantino. It contains all the shots and quirks that define Tarantino movies. It also contains Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, and Uma Thurman, all of whom are some of Tarantino's favorite actors. The story of modern gangster life is told through three main stories titled Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife, The Gold Watch, and The Bonnie Situation. The stories revolve around four days in the realm of hit men, betting, and drugs. Hit men Vincent Vega, played by John Travolta, and Jules Winfield, played by Samuel L. Jackson, work under Marsellus Wallace, a mob boss played by Ving Rhames. Bruce Willis plays a boxer who is payed by Marsellus Wallace to dive in a fight. And finally, Uma Thurman plays Marsellus Wallace's mysterious wife. The lives of these people interconnect in a span that leaves their lives altered forever.

By this point a postmodern classic, Pulp Fiction is a great example of the complexity and creativity screenwriters and directors are able to bring. It's movies like this that give hope to people like me, who hope that  films won't devolve into cheap comedies and meaningless blockbusters. The complex timeline provides the kind of mystique that correlates with the circumstances of the film and of course with the contents of the briefcase. Samuel L. Jackson is the clear standout star in the movie. His character mirrors Quentin Tarantino's archetypical character; he is conflicted, vulgar, and goes through a transformation throughout the film. I think vulgarity is the thing Tarantino does in every one of his films that most accurately depicts human nature. People are vulgar. That's simply part of the human condition. We are vulgar in our words for emphasis and true emotion. And Tarantino consistently portrays this throughout all of his films, particularly Pulp Fiction.


Grade: A

Qualities;
High-billed Actors - Box Office and Oscar
Complex themes and concepts - Oscar
Unique and creative direction - Oscar
Notorious director or writer - Oscar and Box Office
Original storyline - Oscar

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

An Apatow Production written by Jason Segel? Sign me up. One of the most under appreciated comics out there, Segel delivers time after time in whatever he does. So obviously this movie had a lot to live up to. Forgetting Sarah Marshall tells the story of struggling musician Peter Bretter, played by Segel, and his attempts to get over his celebrity ex-girlfriend, Sarah Marshall, played by Kristen Bell. He takes a trip to Hawaii where, coincidentally he runs into his ex along with her new boyfriend played by Russell Brand. Along Peter's vacation he encounters some crazy characters typical of Apatow films and he learns to forget Sarah Marshall.

The standards for Apatow productions has gone steadily up since Knocked Up in 2007. His comedies perfectly capture the sense of humor of the ever-important 18-25 year-old range. Having said that, Forgetting Sarah Marshall doesn't disappoint. Jason Segel is brilliant as Peter Bretter, probably because he wrote the part assuming he would play the role. I'll take that with a grain of salt; he still shines in the lead role. Kristen Bell plays the cheating girlfriend character surprisingly well, considering many roles she's payed have been the innocent girl-next-door type. I also view this movie as Mila Kunis' most important role. It establishes her niche as an actress and brought her back into the spotlight after That 70's Show. Russell Brand shines in his role as Aldis Snow; every line he delivers hits hard and is very laughable. This movie absolutely fulfills the Apatow standard and is a constant laugh from beginning to end.

Grade: A-

Qualities:
Some high-billed actors: Box Office
Notorious production/direction - Box Office and Oscar

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Avatar

Avatar. James Cameron. The movie has earned $1 for every three people on the planet. If you haven't seen this movie you are truly missing out on an experience. Jake Sully, an ex-marine played by Sam Worthington, is thrown onto a new planet when he is asked to fill his recently deceased brother's role in the Avatar project. Jake lands on the planet Pandora where he learns from a stern Dr. Grace Augustine, played by Sigourney Weaver, that his mind is going to be put into a make-shift body of one of the Na'vi, the native people of Pandora. He gains the trust of Neytiri, the daughter of the chief of her Na'vi clan, played by Zoe Saldana. Their friendship grows as they learn from each other. Their relationship is put to the test when Colonel Miles Quaritch, played by Stephen Lang, leads the American troops on Pandora in an all-out brawl for Na'vi resources. Jake must decide where his loyalties lie; either with his American military family, or with his new family, the people of Pandora.

I mentioned above that if you haven't seen Avatar you were missing out on an experience. And that's truly what Avatar is. It is a movie going experience. James Cameron creates a world that is so easy to be drawn into and it leaves the viewer in awe and wanting more. This immense and amazing world makes it easy to lose sight of how good the movie actually is. I'm going to ignore the much talked about fact that Avatar is essentially "Dances With Smurfs" because the plot isn't the point of the movie. The point is the time and effort James Cameron put into creating his perfect world. Avatar is not necessarily a plot driven movie. It could effortlessly be driven solely by the world of Pandora. So to me, the fact that the plot is unoriginal isn't as important as it seems. What I find important are the performances of the lead actors. Sam Worthington falls short of the typical American war hero he's played out to be. Part of it comes from his mediocre accent, and part of it comes from his character's slew of stereotypical American catchphrases. On the whole though, Worthington provides a performance that is good enough for the movie, but not as good as it should be for the lead in the highest grossing movie of all time. Zoe Saldana does a great job, especially considering the audience never actually sees her. She had a huge year in 2009 and I think she's found her acting niche in being the harsh female lead who keeps up with the boys.  Sigourney Weaver brought everything she normally does, she makes her presence known and she is clearly in charge. Part of her casting might come from Cameron's familiarity with her, but I'd like to believe even if this past relationship didn't exist she'd have been given this role. With this being said, in any other year this movie would not have been nominated for Best Picture. Unfortunately 2009 was a dismal year for film. Without a doubt, Avatar deserves its status as the highest grossing film of all time. It is a fantastical voyage that anyone can enjoy. But James Cameron is very lucky that Pandora turned out as good as he'd hoped.

Grade: B

Qualities:
Appeals to all audiences - Box Office
Entrances the audience - Box Office
Leaves room for sequels - Box Office
Some high-billed actors - Box Office and Oscar

Black Swan

Swan Lake is as big as it gets in the ballet world. It is a work of beauty and grace. Leave it to director Darren Aronofsky to turn it into a gruesome psychological thriller. Black Swan is Aronofsky's fifth motion picture and it is by far his most acclaimed film. Nina Sayers, a ballerina brilliantly played by Natalie Portman, is given the daunting task of performing the lead in Swan Lake. Her life's ambitions, alongs with her mother's passed on dreams, have come to fruition when she lands this role. As Nina begins to learn both the White Swan and Black Swan dances, she comes into conflict with a rival dancer, Lily, played by That 70's Show's Mila Kunis. As the two dancers become acquainted, their relationship twists into a psychotic mess of dance and deceit.

Black Swan impressed me. When I heard about this movie, two questions came into my head: "Can Darren Aronofsky pull off directing a ballet movie?" and "Do Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis really get it on?" The answer to both these, fortunately, is yes. As far out of the norm as it may be for Aronofsky to delve into the depths of ballet, he pulls it off gloriously. The focus shifts easily from the ballet aspects of the film to the more psychological aspects. As we watch Portman's character expand sexually, we become entranced by the atmosphere of the film. The rawness of Nina's relationship with her mother and her loss of innocence combated with the score of Swan Lake and other classical music, creates a vibe that only Darren Aronofsky could concoct. Also, a shout out to casting director Mary Vernieu, who, in her third Arronofsky film, casts both Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis perfectly. Portman plays the childlike, innocent White Swan to a T, while Kunis provides the carefree Black Swan that she has practically perfected. A more minor casting call I agree with is Winona Ryder as the washed up ballerina, Beth. You could tell that there were some personal thoughts backing up that performance. In all, Black Swan ends as it begins: on point.

Grade: A

Qualities:
Flawed main characters - Oscar
Complex concepts of the mind - Oscar
Psychological; makes you think - Oscar
You want/need to see it again to understand it fully - Oscar
Original storyline - Oscar

Monday, May 16, 2011

Toy Story 3

As I began watching Toy Story 3, I couldn't help but notice one of the first lines of the film: "I always wanted to go out with a bang!" Spoken by an evil Mr. Potato Head (voice of Don Rickles), this line sets the tone for the almost definite end of the billion-dollar Toy Story franchise from Pixar Studios. The usual suspects are back with Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack returning to voice Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie, respectively. The third installment also brings forth some more star power with the voices of Ned Beatty as Lotso Hugginbear and Michael Keaton as Ken. Andy's toys are coming to their end as their owner goes off to college. A series of events leads the toys to be dropped off at the seemingly idyllic Sunnyside Day Care. As the gang meets the resident toys of Sunnyside, their fortunes seem to be picking up. However, the dark side of these new toys soon comes to fruition. Once again, it is up to Woody to save himself and his friends, and get back to Andy in time to say one last goodbye.

I knew I was going to enjoy Toy Story 3 from the opening scene. I was instantly transported back to my childhood, back when I played with toys and the first two Toy Story movies came out. Clearly this was a main point of the film as the producers realized that the kids who grew up with Toy Story were now on the verge of being grown-ups. Because of this, an essence of nostalgia permeates throughout the film, and the desire to have what has long passed infatuates the viewer. In his second attempt directing a Toy Story film, director Lee Unkrich grabs the audience with the familiarity and comfort of Woody and Buzz and he doesn't let go until the very end. Toy Story 3 does exactly what it was designed and intended to do; it gives it's younger audience a fun ride with the twists and turns that Pixar has all but perfected, and it provides it's older viewers with and emotional roller coaster in which they can see themselves.

Grade: A

Qualities:
Sequel of a successful franchise - Box Office
Emotional growth of characters - Oscar
Appeals to all audiences - Box Office
High-billed Actors - Oscar and Box Office

Paper Man

"When the world is imperiled, when evil surrounds you, when danger is lurking, who do you call?" Paper Man, written and directed by husband and wife duo Kieran and Michele Mulroney, tells the story of a washed up author trying to write the follow up to his first book, and the unlikely friendship he forms along the way. Richard Dunn, played appropriately by Jeff Daniels, has been given three months by his publisher to come up with a new book. He and his wife, played by Lisa Kudrow, decide that Richard needs his "solitude" in order to finish (and start) his new novel. Richard moves into a house on the outskirts of Montauk, New York, while his wife stays at their home in the city. However, the solitude isn't as pure as it could have been. Richard's imaginary friend Captain Excellent, played by a bleached-out Ryan Reynolds, is along with him for the ride, whether Richard likes it or not. Captain Excellent provides whatever Richard needs of him, including his catchphrase stated at the beginning of this post. As Richard attempts to write, he is drawn into town where he meets Abby, a teenaged girl played by Emma Stone. It is here that an unlikely friendship begins to form. As the film progresses, we watch both Abby and Richard develop and grow as people and the friendship they have helps along the way.

I truly enjoyed Paper Man, much more than I thought I would. The direction captures the states of the characters' minds very accurately. There are many ideas throughout the movie delving into the concepts and philosophies of the mind. Jeff Daniels provides a stunning performance, which is understandable as I  see many connections between Daniels and the character he plays. Emma Stone also surprised me with the intensity of her performance. Having been used to seeing her in less serious films such as Superbad and Easy-A, it was a great surprise. This film was the directorial debut of Kieran and Michele Mulroney and hopefully they continue to create films as touching as this one.

Grade: B+

Qualities:
The main characters are flawed and grow emotionally as people - Oscar
The film touches on complex concepts - Oscar
High-billed actors - Oscar and Box Office
Original storyline - Oscar

Sunday, May 15, 2011

My Senior Project

For my senior project, I am going to be analyzing films and finding the aspects of a film which determine it's performance both with the box office and with film critics.

I figured the best way to get my thoughts down would be to write reviews for the movies I watch over the next couple of weeks. I'll be watching a ton of movies so I'm not going to review all of them, just the ones I was either moved to write about or helped in answering my essential question.

I've decided to create this blog as an easy way to keep track of all my reviews. Hopefully these reviews come easily to me. At the end of each review I'll make a note of the parts of the film I thought helped my senior project. Let's get to it.