Takeshi
Kitano is an artist. I don’t simply mean this because he is a simple and subtle
actor, able to convey meaning and humor through minimal movement and dialogue.
I also don’t call Kitano an artist because of his unique and creative style as
a filmmaker, or his passion for poetry and Japanese game shows. The reason I
refer to Kitano as an artist isn’t because of one of these things, but rather,
because of all of them. If he were only an actor I would still refer to him as
an excellent actor, but it is his passion for continually challenging himself
in new forms of artistic creation which makes Kitano such a mesmerizing artist
to follow. His unpredictable nature seems to come with the joy of discovery,
the artist obviously enjoying the process as much as the outcome.
The
Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi is a perfect example of this unique need to be
inventively original. Zatoichi is an iconic name in Japanese pop-culture
history, like Robin Hood to England.
Previously played by Shintaro Katsu in 26 Zatoichi films, Kitano adapts the
popular blind fighter to his own unique vision. The plot is traditional in the
basic description, but the presentation is nothing like the film series from
Japanese film history. The action sequences don’t display the abilities of the
actors like the past, but instead are done with lightening speed and CGI
effects to detach the violence from realism (much like Quentin Tarantino’s
method in Kill Bill Vol. 1).
Upon
its release there were some complaints by film fans about the realism of the
deaths in the film. The blood is all created on the computer, as are many sword
blades during the fights. When the sword enters the flesh, blood spurts out
with creatively stylized splatters. Even the high definition presentation
cannot hide the traces of obvious digital effects, but this effect has its
benefits. The film’s action sequences are fast and over quickly, but they
remind the audience that it is simply a film, heavily stylized. This makes the
unusual musical choreography of the film editing much easier to understand.
Throughout the revenge plot in a small 19th century village there is
a building being constructed, and the percussion soundtrack follows in the
pattern of their progression. This all builds to a final dance number which is
spectacularly inaccurate to plot and period.
The
high definition on the Blu-ray may not improve the rustic special effects in
the otherwise violent battles, but the audio on the Japanese track actually
sounds much better than I expected. The back of the Blu-ray says that the audio
for the English dubbing is 5.1 DTS-HD, and yet the Japanese track with
subtitles sounded much better to me, even though it is listed as only Dolby
Digital. The special features include a behind-the-scenes featurette and interview
footage with the crew.
There
was a great deal of fuss over the fact that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan were
collaborating once again with director Nora Ephron on a romantic comedy, but in
hindsight they were destined to disappoint. There was no way that You’ve Got Mail was going to top Sleepless in Seattle, but adapting a
remake of the classic Ernst Lubitsch holiday film, The Shop Around the Corner, was a great idea.
At
the same time, even though I enjoy the chemistry between Hanks and Ryan, You’ve Got Mail doesn’t compare to the
original any more than it does Sleepless in Seattle. It is really a disappointment when
compared to any other film, which is a shame because it actually isn’t half
bad.
Hanks
and Ryan are natural enemies because he works for a large mega-book store and
she owns a small specialty store threatened out of business. They despise each
other, although they are also both unaware they are each other’s online pen
pals. This is only complicated further because they are both in relationships
with other people (Greg Kinnear and Parker Posey in supporting roles), but
things turn out the way they are supposed to in romantic comedies.
The
highlight of the special features is the inclusion of a bonus DVD disc with a
copy of The Shop Around the Corner. The Blu-ray includes a number of special
features, including a commentary track with Ephron and producer Lauren Shuler
Donner. There are also featurettes and music videos.
Zift
is a spectacular Bulgarian film noir, set during a time of political and social
change with a pulp style and somber black-and-white photography. Director Javor
Gardev manages to blend the expectation of genre in a way which provides a
relevant and entertaining film. Zift is fun and fearless, never taking itself
too seriously; a combination which is always a joy to watch. Though many
aspects of the film may seem somewhat familiar; the basic plot resembling
classic noir D.O.A., Zift always
feels original and fresh.
Three
characters with insect nicknames pull a heist together shortly before the
Bulgarian communist coup in 1944, and the most valuable item from the theft
goes missing. Moth (Zahary Baharov) emerges from prison after being convicted for
a murder he didn’t commit, and is immediately picked up by the real killer,
Slug (Vladimir Penev). As Moth is tortured for information in the remote area
of a bath house, he gives somber narration and flashbacks to the audience to
explain.
Like
all great film noirs, the trouble begins with a woman. Ada and Moth begin a relationship. Soon his
gift of a preying mantis to her gives her the nickname Mantis. The fact that
Moth describes the female mantis’ killer instincts after copulation is a
glaring warning sign. Soon Moth, Mantis and Slug are planning to rob a jeweler,
meanwhile after his release Moth attempts to reunite with Mantis before the
night is over.
It
is somehow surprising to see that Zodiac is among the first of director David
Fincher’s films to make its way to Blu-ray. It may be the one film of his least
likely to have a cult following the way many of his others seem to, but it has
also been one of his finest achievements and most critically acclaimed film. There
is a giant flaw in the hugely popular Award season that takes place between
January and March, and it specifically affects the films being released in
theaters during this time. Regardless of whether it is the Academy or the
Hollywood Foreign press, the nominating committees for most of these award
shows have very short memories, making the end of the years a popular time for
films seeking awards. Zodiac was appropriately set for a Fall 2006 release,
perfectly timed for award season, but everything was behind due to delays.
Instead Zodiac was released very early this year, set to compete against all of
the films still fresh in everyone’s mind while nominating.
Even the DVD release,
which is often a recent secondary way of helping encourage nominations,
occurred long before the nomination period. Wisely, Zodiac still made an
effort, however futile it may have been, releasing the 2-Disc Director’s Cut at
the end of 2007, perfectly timed to refresh our memories that it was one of the
best films of the year. A perfect example of how much the timing seems to
matter coincides with the release of Zodiac on Blu-ray, which is Fincher’s
latest film in theaters, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Aside from being
a crowd pleaser, it was released on Christmas Day. The two films couldn’t be
more different, but that simply shows how talented Fincher really is as a
director, though he seems to reign most confident in films of violence, as Zodiac
is dedicated to.
The
reason the film was delayed is not unrelated to how brilliant it is. Director
David Fincher has become infamous for his meticulous nature among other things,
and Zodiac is his most thoughtful and intelligent film yet. It is also his most
meticulous being as it is a period piece and based on actual case files.
Fincher was taking longer than the studio would have liked, and this is also
all the more reason why the release of a director’s cut would seem significant.
Even though I am all for the promotion of the film, the new cut of the film
doesn’t seem all that different from the theatrical version. Even still, this
two-disc is still welcome, with a commentary from Fincher, who is pretty much
non-stop with explanations and details for the entire commentary. He is one of
the most engaging directors to listen to, mostly because of how meticulous he
is.
The
second commentary on the first disc with the film is with actors Jake
Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Brad Fischer, James Vanderbilt and James Ellroy.
Gyllenhaal is essentially the lead character in the film, or at least the one
we seem to stay closest to. He is a cartoonist for one of the newspapers
contacted by Zodiac, a serial killer who has brutally slain at least two
couples. Working at the same paper as Gyllenhaal is a reporter (Robert Downey
Jr.) with a nature predisposed to drugs and alcohol. These two men become
obsessed with the Zodiac murders and the taunting killer, where on the police
side Mark Ruffalo plays a detective with just as strong an obsession.
The rest of the
special features on the two DVDs cover aspects from the case files the film is
based on to featurettes about the actual production. There is a featurette
showing the pre-production work in comparison to the actual final product, to
show how detailed Fincher is in advance. There is also a documentary for the
behind-the-scenes filming experience and a featurette about the visual effects.
There is a feature-length documentary about the real life investigation, as
well as a featurette about Arthur Leigh Allen, the prime suspect who was never
charged.
The
Blu-ray is released in two-discs, just like the DVD release of the Director’s
Cut, and all of the special features and such are transferred directly over
with little change. All of the documentaries are in high definition, but the
real treat is Fincher’s meticulous film, both the soundtrack and the remarkable
images that look even more incredible on high definition. Certain directors are
so careful in their filmmaking process that there are always more details
unveiled watching their work in high definition, whereas a weak director often
shows flaws the more the audience can see. Fincher is an infamous
perfectionist, and is films are art because of it.
When A Bug’s Life was released on DVD it was the first to have a transfer direct from the digital source, making it a special visual treat to those who took the film home, and it makes sense that the Blu-ray release of the second film from the now legendary Pixar Studio should be given special attention. I have come to realize that there is more to be said for high definition in the presentation of animation than nearly any other genre, and this film is a beautiful example. Even though some of the animation is slightly more rustic in comparison to the recent films from the computer animation studio, there is still much that seems groundbreaking about this film today despite the ten years that have gone by since its initial theatrical release.
The film is extremely simple, though it is one that has made its way through several genres besides animation. Whether comedy (The Three Amigos), western (The Magnificent Seven) or Samurai film (The Seven Samurai), there is no questioning the influence of this film, but it isn’t nearly as much about the story as it is the imaginative retelling and the visual spectacle that comes with it. The previous Pixar film, Toy Story, had spent much of the film indoors, but A Bug’s Life takes full advantage of the surroundings of nature. The scenery is spectacularly animated, which makes the animated bugs seem somewhat cartoonish by comparison. The representation of nature looks so real that it is hard to reconcile that the characters exist in the same film, which is only enhanced by the revealing high definition presentation. This is more of a compliment to the realistic presentation of everything from sunshine to raindrops, leaves to grass, than it is a criticism of the characters.
All-new to the Blu-ray release are a couple of Blu-ray exclusive features, though the previous special features were not left off of the release. The particular feature which is spectacular in high definition is the short film, ‘Geri’s Game’, which was shown before the film in North American theaters. There is also the director’s original commentary track and a new introduction to the film. There is also a classic Silly Symphonies short that is included because it is about grasshoppers and ants. The new features include a featurette which brings the filmmakers to a round-table to discuss the film ten years later. There is also a fantastic never-before seen presentation of the original script idea for the film. There are drawings and simple animation sequences to give audiences an idea of what was originally conceived and how things changed.
A
Christmas Story is a classic Christmas film of sorts, but it doesn’t fit in
with most categorizations, and in my opinion is one of the few realist
Christmas films. Studios have tried unsuccessfully to duplicate the disastrous
realities of holiday seasons, and I suppose National Lampoon’s Christmas
Vacation is a close comparison without the nostalgia. The fact that A Christmas
Story is told through the eyes of a child makes it feel like childhood,
including all of the shameful and embarrassing bits along with the wonderful.
There are so many of these realistic moments that A Christmas Story plays like
a series of nostalgic and tragically comical moments in a young child’s winter
trying to convince his parents that he is old enough to get a Red Ryder
200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle.
Based
on Jean Shepherd’s novel “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash,” A Christmas
Story is a narrated tale of nine-year-old Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) during
Christmastime in 1940s Indiana. Ralphie is an average nine-year-old with the
usual troubles and anxieties. He is worried Santa won’t bring him his present
of choice and is dedicated to getting the word out in order to increase his
chances, but this is just one of Ralphie’s misadventures. He has the trouble of
an adorable younger brother that takes the attention away from him and gives
him more responsibilities, especially herding the coat-paralyzed young boy to
school. Ralphie also has the worries of schoolwork and dealing with the hijinks
he and his friends get into, including the famous tongue-on-a-frozen-flagpole
sequence.
What
makes this film so beloved is the ridiculous and embarrassing characterization
of the family, which may be more dead-on than is humorous at times. Ralphie’s
gruff father (Darren McGavin) is usually in a bad mood, which changes when he
wins a prize lamp that his wife (Melinda Dillon) sorely disapproves of. Ralphie
is mostly an observer to his parent’s bizarre behavior, unless he makes a
mistake, such as a slipped swear word, which leads to punishment.
All
of the material from the two-disc collector’s edition DVD are included on the
one Blu-ray disc, which includes a high definition presentation of the film.
Along with a commentary track with Billingsley and director/co-writer Bob Clark
there is a sampling from the book, read by author Jean Shepard. There is also a
20th Anniversary Documentary, previously released, along with a few
featurettes on the iconic leg lamp and the toy gun longed for. There is also an
interactive trivia option and a few other fun gadgets and gizmos to fool around
with on the Blu-ray.
As a coming of age film, A Guide to
Recognizing Your Saints does a pretty great job. As a film in every other
consideration, there is something just quite not right. Everything seems like
it should line up perfectly. There is a heartwarming true story by Dito Montiel
which is acted out by some fantastic actors who fit the roles perfectly, but I
was never impressed by the final product as much as I would have liked. This
may be due to the fact that Montiel is not only stepping into the role of
writer/director for the first time, but he is also telling his own
coming-of-age tale. Aside from the personal attachment to the story, there are
many other elements which can become difficult with a first time director.
Considering all of these external factors, Montiel did a fantastic job. Somehow
I was just left feeling as though there hadn’t been much of anything new in
this mid-1980’s Astoria, Queens
coming of age story.
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
begins with an adult Dito, played by an underused Robert Downey Jr., as a
successful writer who hasn’t been home since he left years earlier. When he
gets a phone call that his father is sick and refusing to go to the hospital,
Dito returns home and must face his past. As he travels we witness the
flashbacks of the time leading up to his departure from Queens.
In the 1980’s Dito (Shia LaBeouf) and his rag tag bunch of friends terrorize
the town in harmless fun. It is a rough neighborhood but they mostly stay out
of trouble, especially because of their toughest friend (Channing Tatum).
During his last summer in his home town Dito falls in love and watches two of
his friends die. When he leaves he cuts ties with his father (Chazz Palminteri)
and must return to finally resolve his past, including a visit to his first
love (Rosario Dawson).
If there is something missing from
the film it certainly isn’t for lack of trying and this is obvious by the
impressive special features on the DVD. There alternate opening and end
sequences, although they don’t change the film in any way. They are great for
comparing how the tone of the film might have changed, even though the story
doesn’t have much room to change dramatically considering it is based on a true
story. There is also a making-of documentary with plenty of the usual
interviews from the stars, and a commentary track with Montiel and the editor
of the film.
Painful unrequited love is
cinematic torture and gold. Television shows love to drag out unrequited love
for an entire season, if not longer. Just look at the tension which was allowed
to build on The Office (the American version) before Jim and Pam were finally
allowed to kiss. The reason that it works so well is because they are finally
given the opportunity to kiss which relives the suspense from the shoulders of
the audiences tuning in each week. Un Coeur En Hiver, or A Heart in Winter, is
intensely successful in the installment of suspense in the audience, which is
left dangling there for nearly the entire film without any promise of relief.
It takes remarkable direction to pull this off without upsetting an audience
from the emotional torment, but Claude Sautet certainly seems capable.
Emmanuelle Beart is absolutely
engaging as a miraculously talented concert violinist, Camille. She is
smothered by her chaperone and although she has become engaged to a man who repairs
violins, Maxime, although she only truly seems interested in opening up to his
reserved business partner, Stephane, who is the one with the real talent with
violins. Maxime and Stephane work together but have little in common except
that they both seem affected by Camille. Maxime’s arrogance and natural charm
overshadows Stephane, who seems to watch the world from a distance. Camille is
slowly attracted to this reserved man, somehow relating to his solitude in
life, which builds inevitable tension between the three of them.
While Maxime seems to have no real
skill other than wooing people, Stephane and Camille have extremely rare
abilities, and they only seem completely at peace with their surroundings when
they are making art; Stephane with his incredibly sensitive violin repairs and
Camille in her passionate violin playing. These instruments are the heart of
the film and all of the emotion which they keep repressed inevitably comes out
through the music in the film. The only difference between the two, who are
each attracted to each other, is that Stephane is unwilling to love. For
whatever reason, whether it is a bad childhood or refusal to hurt his partner,
he rejects Camille’s love, which somehow makes her love him more. It is a
desperately painful sight to watch and even the producer admits that it isn’t a
box-office friendly film in a segment from a documentary in the special
features.
In many ways A Heart in Winter
became less of a romantic film for me because it almost seems at moments as though
Stephane is purposefully manipulating the people in his life. Because of how
little he says it is impossible to know for certain what he is thinking and I
kept expecting some sort of a revealing monologue to provide closure which
would never come. This feeling of anticipation never satisfied brings the
audience into the same position as Camille, an uncomfortable switch to say the
least.
The DVD has a newly restored HD
transfer of the 1992 film, which was personally supervised by the film’s
director of photography. There are also a few special features including an
excerpt from a documentary, Claude Sautet
ou la magie invisible, which covers a lot of examination of the film in
just a short amount of time. There are also three interviews, two of which are
from French television. Two of the interviews are with director Claude Sautet
and the other is with actor Andre Dussollier.
After the buzz Scarlett Johansson received with two career-changing roles (Lost in Translation and The Girl With a Pearl Earring) the following season brought a new film, A Love Song for Bobby Long, which was looked over by many. This sappy southern drama premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, which is fitting for the small scale of the film, which relies heavily upon the characters. This may have seemed forced in the hands of any less able actors, but John Travolta brings southern charm to a new level while Gabriel Macht sneaks up on us with the most subtle performance in the film.
Based on Ronald Everett Capps' then-unpublished novel, Off Magazine Street, Love Song is about a young woman, Purslane Hominy Will (Scarlett Johansson), returning home to New Olreans for the first time in years after her mother’s death. This may sound similar to Garden State at this point, but once she arrives at her mother’s house and finds that she must share it with two other men (Travolta and Macht), things veer drastically.
Love Song is a poetical film which, like an onion, has many layers which are peeled away one at a time. This was director Shainee Gabel’s first feature and he shows without fail that he has an eye for character, knowing when it is okay to stray away from plot in order to give the actor’s their necessary moments. Unfortunately at times it seems that Gabel’s skills at screenwriting are not quite as developed and the film almost has a melodramatic tone to it. The only thing saving some of the dialogue was the dedication and believability of the actors involved. Otherwise Love Song would have sunk quickly. Fortunately dialog was also set on the backburner and much of what we need to know is said with a look from these skilled actors, rather than words.
Most of the film has a sad aura about it, with feeling of regret coming from each character as they swallow themselves whole with addictions. Each one of them has something very dark in their past and they work very hard not to allow themselves to be exposed. Travolta and Macht play Bobby Long and Lawson, a strange professor/student relationship that has a dark past. Lawson is writing a book for Bobby Long about his experiences knowing the quirky poet. Love Song also has an interesting portion of the film devoted to the examination of the well known love affair between writers and alcohol.
A Love Song for Bobby Long has a light feel about it in between the moments of intensity, mostly thanks to the music, which has a nice southern feeling about it. Along with the music, much of the film has many techniques which help us to feel the surroundings in which the film takes place. As the seasons change, we feel what it is like, especially with the use of voice over by Macht.The moments where the film is most poignant are the ones in which Gabel makes his strongest choices as screenwriter; he takes quotes from famous authors. Literary fanatics that Bobby and Lawson are, they can quote authors as if they were telling the time of the day, and many of those quotes give us the mood of the film better than anything else. The quote which sums up the film best is the one by Robert Frost that says, “Happiness makes up in height what it lacks in length.”
Most
mainstream audience members first took notice of Ryan Gosling when he starred
in the relentlessly popular adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ romantic melodrama,
The Notebook, but he quickly began taking roles that allowed him to escape the
pitfalls of most actors who are able to create a career from being on the cover
of teen magazines. Those who have followed him from the beginning of his
illustrious career can see how rarely the actor chooses roles with such broad
appeal, but when he does they manage to catapult his career into all new
opportunities.
A Place Beyond the Pines (2013)
2013
looks to be another stellar year for Gosling, including two reunions with
directors that he previously produced masterpieces with. A Place Beyond the
Pines is now playing in limited theaters (list of theaters: http://bit.ly/172Our4 ), and the trailer for Only God Forgives
was just recently released online. A
Place Beyond the Pines is directed by Derek
Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) and features a performance by Gosling that is so
electrifying that it inspired James Franco to write a blog praising the actor (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-franco/ryan-gosling-place-beyond-the-pines_b_3014853.html).
Only God Forgives is a new collaboration with Danish filmmaker Nicholas Winding
Refn (Drive). The red band trailer is below.
For
the sake of this list I only considered films from 2012 and earlier, and it
should be noted that these are my desert island picks. These are the movies I
would (and in some case do) watch countless times. Occasionally emotional
attachment and personal preference outweighs quality when making decisions in a
desert island list.
5. The Notebook (2004)
[The
following are excerpts taken from a previous review of film]
The
Notebook is one of those films destined to become a classic in the future,
remembered by each generation as it is passed along. There is also a great
chance that this will happen with Titanic, so I don’t mean to insinuate any
statement of worth by claiming this, but I am certain it is true nonetheless.
The Notebook was a phenomenon that reached a remarkably wide number of
audiences, even if many of the men were there because of their date. I worked
at a movie theater when The Notebook was released and I watched the crowds pour
in, cleaning up the many wet tissues after the show was over and the sniffing
customers had vacated the theater. Even I watched the film twice amongst the
mass of couples. Years later I worked at a video store, and once again saw the
popularity of the DVD, even years after its initial release. There is a
timeless quality about the film and the love story that makes The Notebook
accessible to all ages, and doesn’t look likely to grow old.
There is more to
The Notebook than just the
classic love story to make it such a legendary
romance film, although that certainly would seem to be enough. The romance
which developed between the two leading stars, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams,
certainly helps to reinforce its place in history. Both actors were not nearly
as appreciated as their talents seemed to call for before this film, and each
elevated the simple love story to something much more. Gosling is among one of
the most talented actors in Hollywood,
but like Edward Norton and Russell Crowe before him, sometimes he is so good
that he goes unnoticed. Heath Ledger was this type of actor as well, and it is
impossible to find a moment that he seems to be acting. Gosling’s performance
in this film is a perfect example of how he manages to take even the simplest
role and add a bit more to it than is necessary. His dedication is so effective
that he often comes off more as a chameleon rather than an actor, who we expect
to be able to see ‘acting’.
4. Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
Gosling
dons a moustache, a bad haircut and bulky winter clothing for one of the
sweetest romantic comedies that he has made. The premise seems outlandish,
likely to resort to gags within the first minutes. Gosling stars as a man who
is so lonely and cut off from the world that he forces himself into something
of a delusional state. Buying a sex doll off of the internet, Lars (Gosling)
introduces her to his family as his new girlfriend. Treating her with absolute
respect and decency, many are confused about this change in Lars’ behavior, but
the arrival of the inanimate partner allows him to face issues which have long
been keeping Lars from living his life fully.
This
is one of those films that I have yet to tire of, though I have watched it
enough times to know most scenes word for word. Emily Mortimer and Paul
Schneider are wonderfully cast as Lars’ sympathetic and supportive family
members, with Schneider easily at his best since David Gordon Green’s All the
Real Girls. Gosling plays away from the heartthrob personality, even though
this was his first return to the genre since The Notebook. His resistance
towards being a typical romantic lead reminds me of similar paths Johnny Depp
took after escaping “21 Jump
Street” in favor of John Waters and Tim Burton
oddities.
3. Blue Valentine (2010)
[The
following are excerpts taken from a previous review of film]
Blue Valentine follows about 24
hours in the life of couple Dean and Cindy (Gosling and Williams), interspersed
with footage from their past which provides context for the relationship. Their
day begins with the bad news that the family dog has vanished, which is first
discovered by their adorable little girl. Although Dean and Cindy don’t seem to
be getting along very well any longer, we see through flashbacks that their
relationship began very passionately. This makes the inevitability of the
future so much bleaker.
Williams
was honored with a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards, but Gosling
did not get nearly enough attention for this spectacular performance. This is a
crowning achievement in a career already full of some of this generation’s most
honest performances. Painful as this film may be, few films have captured the
rise and fall of love quite so vividly. Gosling may not have received a
nomination, but it doesn’t much matter. He will have many more in his future.
2. Half Nelson (2006)
[The
following are excerpts taken from a previous review of film]
Every so often
there is a movie that affects me so profoundly on so many levels that I have
difficulty pinpointing specifics coherently and that makes it difficult to find
the right words to praise the film properly. Half Nelson is one of these films,
in my opinion one of the smartest and effective human stories put on film in
years, specifically thanks to the wonderful performances by all and Ryan
Fleck’s thoughtful and authentic directing.
Gosling stars as
Dan Dunne, a young impassioned history teacher with the ability to make the
difficult subject seem relevant and real, while also keeping a serious drug
habit after hours. Dunne sees an ex-girlfriend and finds out that she is
engaged and this continues his drug abuse until he begins to spiral out of
control, no longer able to function properly. Half Nelson occurs in a real
world where even the best teachers have students who don’t listen. It isn’t
Dead Poet’s Society and it seems like only a few actually appreciate what a
great teacher he is. One that does notice, and becomes even more interested
after discovering her teacher’s secret addiction, is Drey (Shareeka Epps). Drey
is also on the failing basketball team that Dunne coaches and she forms a bond
with him when he starts giving her rides home after practice. As Dunne grows
more concerned he learns of Drey’s connection to a local drug dealer (Anthony
Mackie), and tries to keep her from becoming involved with him.
1. Drive (2011)
[The
following are excerpts taken from a previous review of film]
On
average, I watch about 600 movies a year. Sometimes it’s more and sometimes it
is less, but I will only watch a small percentage of them more than once. The
truth is, very few of the 600 are altogether memorable. Some are praiseworthy
but I feel no emotional connection to them, while others are indulgent but less
than adequate upon later examination. Then there are the perfect films. The
ones which not only have the ability to keep you thinking for days, but also
grab you in a way which almost feels personal. In 2011, for me, this film was Drive. A culmination of a director I
have long respected, an actor I very much admire, and a promising premise taken
from a book by James Sallis resulted in the best film of the year. 1 in 600.
The storyline is
rather simple, and the filmmaking simplifies it even further. We are not given
lengthy scenes of dialogue to fill us in on back-story, and occasionally we
even leave the scene before the dialogue has even begun. In one amazing
sequence the driver is walking through a grocery store when he notices his
neighbor, Irene (Mulligan). At this point it is clear from his facial
expression when he sees her that he wants nothing to do with her. Perhaps he
wants no attachments or maybe he has another reason, but instead of approaching
the woman and her son, he retreats down another aisle. As fate would have it,
he walks out of the store just as Irene discovers that her car won’t start. As
well as being a stunt driver and a getaway driver, our antihero protagonist
also works with a mechanic (Bryan Cranston), and again we see the look on his
face, hesitating before approaching to help. The film then cuts to a shot of
them in their apartment elevator. We don’t need the unnecessary dialogue. We
know everything we need to know from the images, and with the help of a
pop-electronic soundtrack.
Gosling’s
performance comes as no surprise, however, as he has never been short of
excellent. What truly surprised me was to see how much director Nicholas Wining
Refn has come into his own. He was born and bred amidst the Dogma ’95 movement
of Danish cinema, but while he debut feature was certainly shot in natural
surroundings with mostly non-actors with natural light, Refn’s Pusher was also a stylistic and graphic
gangster film resembling the type of films Quentin Tarantino was making in the
1990s. Followed by two sequels which were each better than the last, Refn
showed promise from the very beginning. His films have otherwise always proven
to be worth watching, though some are more impressive than others. Each
attempts to intellectually approach the art of filmmaking while telling
otherwise straightforward stories. He is one of many filmmakers, including
Tarantino, who have elevated the genre film into an incredible art form. Drive
is Refn’s masterpiece.
Runners Up: The Believer (2001), Stay (2005), Fracture (2007), the Ides of March (2011)
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Dragon is a
blending of genres which plays out something like Rashamon meets Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon. There is a mystery and a lot of spectacular action within
a world of pristine visual fantasy. There is enough eye candy and hard-hitting
action to please the low brow, with a clever screenplay and flawless
choreography to cater to those who want more than just a quota of violence.
Donnie Yen once again elevates his
status as the most enigmatic working Chinese action star playing Liu Jin-xi.
The village craftsman lives a quiet life until the arrival of two wanted
gangsters in the local general store. Jin-xi happens to be shopping when they
arrive, and is pulled into a fight with them, saving the shopkeeper from
certain death.
The event first appears to be an act
of bravery which results in a lucky victory, but a visiting detective named Xu
Bai-jiu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) sees more to the altercation than that. The
detective becomes convinced that Jin-xi is hiding something about his past and
possesses more powers than he admits. In his investigation, the truth about
Jin-xi’s identity comes out, and it brings a dangerous clan of criminals to the
village in the process.
The Blu-ray release includes a making-of
featurette, as well as additional features with Donnie Yen interviews and a
music video. The highlight of the disc, however, is the visual impact of the
high definition. This is easily one of the most beautifully shot action films
of the last few years, and it is paired with an impressively impactful
soundtrack, all of which is enhanced by the high definition presentation.
Repo Man is an
enigma of a film, its very creation as inexplicable as many aspects of the film
itself.It is a film which never seems
to choose a genre, therefore defying any perceptible trajectory in plot, and
also seems to embody the spirit of punk rock music like few other films ever
were capable of. The fact that the soundtrack was far more successful than the
film upon original release speaks volumes, and is part of what makes this film
the quintessential video-age cult classic.
UCLA film
student graduate Alex Cox plummeted out of the gate with this debut feature,
one which was originally meant to be an independent until Universal swooped in
and backed the picture. Even more remarkable was the limited interference the
studio had on the creative vision of the odd counter culture film about Los Angeles, Reaganomics,
Repo-men and aliens.
Emilio Estevez
is at his very best as a middle-class punk with little regard for anything.
This makes him a perfect candidate for the job of a repossession man, which he
is first tricked into doing by seasoned pro Bud (Harry Dead Stanton). Otto
(Estevez) goes through the familiar stages of many other comedic protagonists;
he loses his job (in actuality, he quits his job), he loses his girlfriend, and
he is in danger of being thrown out on his ass. The difference between Otto and
most other protagonists in his shoes is this doesn’t seem to affect him at all.
His attitude is superfluous to most fortune or misfortune alike.
Though there
is a semi-constant storyline involving a car which contains mysterious items in
the trunk which were smuggled out of the deserts of Nevada, Repo Man is mostly a free-flowing
film about Otto’s misadventures in repossessions. He learns different methods
from different repo men. While one dresses in suits to look like a cop, another
does his best to look like a hardened criminal. The desired outcome is always
the same; to be left alone until the car has been repossessed.
Cox went on to
make Sid & Nancy, yet another contribution to punk rock film history, yet
Repo Man still stands as his crowning achievement in my mind. It borrows from
many films. Moments remind me of early Robert Altman comedies in style and
dialogue. The trunk of the car resembles the unseen treasure of Touch of Evil.
There are many other familiar moments, and yet Repo Man still stands as a
distinctly original film.
The
director-approved Blu-ray release has a newly restored 2K digital transfer of
the film, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. The disc also includes an
optional commentary track with Cox, executive producer Michael Nesmith, casting
director Victoria Thomas, and actors Sy Richardson, Zander Schloss, and Del
Zamora. The bonus features also include deleted scenes and trailers, a
roundtable discussion of the film, a conversation between Stanton and McCarthy and new interviews with
musicians Iggy Pop and Keith Morris, as well as actors Dick Rude, Olivia
Barash, and Miguel Sandoval. There is also the TV-edit version of the film,
which altered the language. All of this comes is a fantastic package with a
65-page book insert that has essays and an illustrated production history with
comics and original art that inspired the film.
Language: English (DTS-HD High Res Audio), French (Dolby Digital
5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
Dubbed: French, Spanish
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Number of discs: 4
Rated: PG-13 (Parental
Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Dreamworks
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Run Time: 150 minutes
There
are very few surprises within the biopic of Lincoln. When the announcement of Spielberg’s
decision to make an Abraham Lincoln biopic was made, I basically was able to
imagine what that would be like. The end result is not far from what I imagined,
with the same visual style that filmmaker Steven Spielberg has clung to for the
last decade or so. Just as predictable is the ease with which Daniel Day Lewis
is able to mesmerize us with another flawless performance. There are also a
number of praiseworthy supporting cast members, including a joyful
scene-stealer in James Spader.
With all there is
to praise, however, I felt myself feeling rather emotionally detached from the
entire endeavor, mostly due to the areas of political maneuvering that the film
tends to focus on. We know little about the man, aside from his tendency to tell
long-winded stories, but we see a great deal in his ability to use the
democratic system to create change. There is a lesson in this which is
timeless, especially as correlations between the abolishment of slavery and
current fights for civil equality are sure to be made.
Lincoln does not waste time with the usual
trappings of biopics, including no back-story or scenes of a childhood event
which would shape later decisions. Instead, the film takes places entirely
during the struggle to pass the 13th Amendment during his final four
months in office. The Civil War has already been going on for over four years
at the beginning of the film, but it is still a struggle to convince even the
most liberal politicians to pass a law that will abolish slavery in the United States.
Much of the film focuses on the political maneuvering that Lincoln was forced to use in order to make
the law seem tied to the end of the war, rather than having anything to do with
racial equality.
Moments in the
film are more entertaining than others, like expertly sprinkled confection to
hide the more nutritional aspects of the film’s screenplay. Much of this is due
to the performances in the film. All actors seem appropriately compelling
without too much melodrama being played, but it is impossible to review Lincoln without singing
the praises of Daniel Day Lewis. I will be brief, because I don’t think there
is much left to be said. He is one of the most impressively dedicated actors
working today, and the natural way he seems to embody the 16th
President is so effortless that it would have been easy to overlook the
performance. This is a well deserved third win for the actor.
The 4-Disc Combo
pack includes a DVD and digital copy of the film, as well as the Blu-ray
version. The fourth disc is a Blu-ray with all of the many additional features.
On the first Blu-ray disc and the DVD, there is a making-of featurette. The
Blu-ray also has a featurette about the choice to shoot in Richmond, Virginia.
The second Blu-ray disc has four additional making-of featurettes, each dealing
specific aspects of this particular production. They cover the casting, the
technical aspects of the era, sound design and more.
