When one hears the term "science fiction," images of slam-bang space opera material like Star Wars and its ilk fill the mind's eye. Because the genre slides so easily into the special-effects heavy, blockbuster mold, it's easy for many people to forget that most good-to-great science fiction is founded on ideas and paradoxes. That's where Tom Cruise, director Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy), and Oblivion come in. While the movie contains its fair share of shoot-outs and edge-of-your-seat moments, the narrative is twisty and founded on questions of identity. There are issues with pacing and quite a few holes left unplugged, but this is definitely a more cerebral experience than what the ads promise.
The setup seems familiar enough. The year is 2077, and as protagonist Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) informs us, Earth is a wasteland. We won the war against interplanetary forces but the resulting warfare has left the planet mostly uninhabitable. Survivors have moved on to the planet Titan and established a colony. Jack and Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) are a two-person team tasked with finding and repairing damaged sentry drones. Their missions are complicated by the presence of "scavs," creatures who hang around the remains of the planet and occasionally attack drones. Victoria wants to finish their tour of duty with no complications and go back to enjoying life on Titan. Jack, however, feels an attachment to Earth, as evidenced by the makeshift cabin he has built in a radiation-free zone. His dreams are also dominated by a mysterious young woman (Olga Kurylenko), and Jack's life is turned upside down when he discovers a survivor who looks just like her.
Oblivion freely and liberally borrows from many sources, but where the movie lacks in originality, it makes up for in heart and in mind. Indeed, the question of what makes up a person's identity, whether that something is DNA, memories, compassion, or some combination of the three, is a topic that has obsessed countless writers. The conceit is given its due here with a narrative that contains several genuine surprises. Most of what the characters experience is material we've all seen somewhere before, but Oblivion wouldn't work if we didn't care about the main characters' struggle.
With Tom Cruise's wacky, anti-psychology days long behind him, viewers can finally enjoy watching a movie star in his element (it's also worth noting that at 50, he doesn't look a day over 35). Cruise essays a likable, entirely human character here much the same way he did in Steven Speilberg's brilliant Minority Report. Andrea Riseborough and Olga Kurylenko are beguiling and expressive, albeit in vastly different ways. The former plays a character who is certainly capable of emotion but more often is happy being mechanical in her duties. Jack and Victoria are partners first, but their relationship plays out like a marriage with all of the expected ups and downs. Kurylenko's character has a much more mysterious air about her, and her chemistry with Cruise is an undeniable asset to making the story accessible to more than sci-fi die-hards.
Oblivion isn't a teen-friendly blockbuster. The pace is sluggish early on, but the movie picks up steam not from action sequences-- which are cleanly edited with no shaky-cam in sight-- but from plot developments. Once the battle lines are established, the movie becomes almost conventional; entertaining to be sure, but the momentary rush of shootouts cannot measure up to the fun of trying to figure the narrative out. There are a few gaps in the story as well, but these are really only noticeable after the end credits have rolled and the viewer has time to unwind. Fortunately, for a movie with so much apocalyptic imagery (outdoing even Planet of the Apes with striking shots of a ruined Empire State Building and Pentagon, among others), Oblivion has plenty of positive things to say about the indestructibility of the human spirit.
Rating: *** out of ****
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Review of The Place Beyond the Pines
It's a well-known fact that for "serious" moviegoers, the first three months of the year are threadbare. A complex, sublime drama like The Place Beyond the Pines is typically reserved for the end-of-the-year Oscar rush. So a big thank you goes out to Focus Features for releasing director Derek Cianfrance's (Blue Valentine) movie in March (with an April expansion) so that those with more refined tastes have something to gnaw on. This is a powerful, engrossing drama about the sins of fathers being passed on to the sons, and while it follows the three-act structure to a "T," the path the narrative takes is anything but typical.
The first third of the movie focuses on daredevil motorcycle rider Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling), whose life is dramatically altered when he discovers he fathered a son with a Schenectady, New York-based waitress named Romina (Eva Mendes). Wanting to avoid repeating his own father's negligence, Luke quits his carnival gig and seeks more money by getting a job working for local mechanic (Ben Mendelshohn). But the job is minimum wage, and Luke discovers he can give his son the life he deserves by robbing banks and utilizing his impressive getaway skills.
The second third shifts to police officer Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), who is hailed as a hero after thwarting an armed robbery. He's a law-school graduate who joined the police force to fight injustice, but he receives a rude awakening on how deep the corruption runs in his own unit. He has an infant son of his own, albeit while married to the strong, supportive Jennifer (Rose Byrne), and his conscience ultimately places him in a logjam where he must choose between easy money and the moral high ground.
Finally, there are two high school kids, AJ (Emory Cohen) and Jason (Dane DeHaan), who form a friendship based on Jason's drug-dealer contacts and AJ's ability to score cash. As expected, the relationship between these two is a roller coaster ride, filled with the thrill of doing the taboo while also undergoing some rocky interpersonal conflict. The two share a secret that the audience is fully aware of but both have yet to uncover.
For a movie like The Place Beyond the Pines to work, one has to accept the dramatic license Cianfrance takes with regards to coincidences and cause-and-effect. It's a little like Paul Haggis' Crash, but this is a better developed motion picture with just the right number of characters to avoid spreading each story too thin. Needless to say, I bought it. Both Glanton and Cross decide on actions which they believe are right for their children, but despite their best intentions, they can't avoid the inevitability of mistakes repeating and drama begetting drama. The final third of The Place Beyond the Pines is frought with tension and is emotionally satisfying in bringing the threads together.
The Place Beyond the Pines also deserves a lot of credit for addressing a side of police work one rarely finds in movies. When a cop is hailed as a hero in spite of taking another man's life, how does he cope? Cross is obviously more ambitious and righteous than many of his colleagues, but the inner struggle over morality dominates his mind far more than the pride of saving the day and representing his town. Some facts he learns about the person he killed will have most viewers asking the same questions he does.
The Place Beyond the Pines is an acting goldmine. For most of the movie's first third, Ryan Gosling is in full Drive mode-- not a bad thing at all given how mesmerizing he was in that movie-- but this character has a lot more humanity in him, and it's not a stretch to say that some viewers will be rooting for him in spite of his illegal activities. Bradley Cooper once again continues to expand his range; he has the most screen time of everyone and is most key to the drama working as effectively as it does. He received a deserved Oscar nomination for Silver Linings Playbook, but it's possible to argue he's even better here. The rest of the cast is as solid as ever, although more scenes with Mahershala Ali (who plays Jason's surrogate father, Kofi) would've helped immeasurably since the few scenes he has bring out an interesting question about how adolescents process the idea of a good surrogate father versus an absentee "real" father.
Cianfrance's movie ends on the perfect note, an often-repeated and symbolic shot of a motorcycle driving into the horizon, that provides the ideal mix of closure with a little ambiguity left over to chew on. The Place Beyond the Pines is everything a compelling movie should be; at 140 minutes, it's lengthy, but the time passes so quickly that many will wish there were more minutes to come. All three acts command the thoughtful viewer's attention, and while the movie's sharp change of main character part-way through will disorient some, it is arguably Cianfrance's masterstroke. The Place Beyond the Pines is guaranteed to send viewers away in a reflective mood as they ponder just how close to home this story hits. 2013 has a long way to go, but this one will stay with me.
Rating: ***1/2 out of ****
The first third of the movie focuses on daredevil motorcycle rider Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling), whose life is dramatically altered when he discovers he fathered a son with a Schenectady, New York-based waitress named Romina (Eva Mendes). Wanting to avoid repeating his own father's negligence, Luke quits his carnival gig and seeks more money by getting a job working for local mechanic (Ben Mendelshohn). But the job is minimum wage, and Luke discovers he can give his son the life he deserves by robbing banks and utilizing his impressive getaway skills.
The second third shifts to police officer Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), who is hailed as a hero after thwarting an armed robbery. He's a law-school graduate who joined the police force to fight injustice, but he receives a rude awakening on how deep the corruption runs in his own unit. He has an infant son of his own, albeit while married to the strong, supportive Jennifer (Rose Byrne), and his conscience ultimately places him in a logjam where he must choose between easy money and the moral high ground.
Finally, there are two high school kids, AJ (Emory Cohen) and Jason (Dane DeHaan), who form a friendship based on Jason's drug-dealer contacts and AJ's ability to score cash. As expected, the relationship between these two is a roller coaster ride, filled with the thrill of doing the taboo while also undergoing some rocky interpersonal conflict. The two share a secret that the audience is fully aware of but both have yet to uncover.
For a movie like The Place Beyond the Pines to work, one has to accept the dramatic license Cianfrance takes with regards to coincidences and cause-and-effect. It's a little like Paul Haggis' Crash, but this is a better developed motion picture with just the right number of characters to avoid spreading each story too thin. Needless to say, I bought it. Both Glanton and Cross decide on actions which they believe are right for their children, but despite their best intentions, they can't avoid the inevitability of mistakes repeating and drama begetting drama. The final third of The Place Beyond the Pines is frought with tension and is emotionally satisfying in bringing the threads together.
The Place Beyond the Pines also deserves a lot of credit for addressing a side of police work one rarely finds in movies. When a cop is hailed as a hero in spite of taking another man's life, how does he cope? Cross is obviously more ambitious and righteous than many of his colleagues, but the inner struggle over morality dominates his mind far more than the pride of saving the day and representing his town. Some facts he learns about the person he killed will have most viewers asking the same questions he does.
The Place Beyond the Pines is an acting goldmine. For most of the movie's first third, Ryan Gosling is in full Drive mode-- not a bad thing at all given how mesmerizing he was in that movie-- but this character has a lot more humanity in him, and it's not a stretch to say that some viewers will be rooting for him in spite of his illegal activities. Bradley Cooper once again continues to expand his range; he has the most screen time of everyone and is most key to the drama working as effectively as it does. He received a deserved Oscar nomination for Silver Linings Playbook, but it's possible to argue he's even better here. The rest of the cast is as solid as ever, although more scenes with Mahershala Ali (who plays Jason's surrogate father, Kofi) would've helped immeasurably since the few scenes he has bring out an interesting question about how adolescents process the idea of a good surrogate father versus an absentee "real" father.
Cianfrance's movie ends on the perfect note, an often-repeated and symbolic shot of a motorcycle driving into the horizon, that provides the ideal mix of closure with a little ambiguity left over to chew on. The Place Beyond the Pines is everything a compelling movie should be; at 140 minutes, it's lengthy, but the time passes so quickly that many will wish there were more minutes to come. All three acts command the thoughtful viewer's attention, and while the movie's sharp change of main character part-way through will disorient some, it is arguably Cianfrance's masterstroke. The Place Beyond the Pines is guaranteed to send viewers away in a reflective mood as they ponder just how close to home this story hits. 2013 has a long way to go, but this one will stay with me.
Rating: ***1/2 out of ****
Monday, April 15, 2013
Review of Trance (contains oblique spoiler)
Warning: I reference a certain film later in this review that might give away this one for more astute movie-goers.
Danny Boyle. A movie from the "mind-fuck" thriller genre. Solid cast. Comparisons to Christopher Nolan's brilliant Inception. All signs point to what should be a winner from the Oscar-winning director, but unfortunately, Trance falls short of its lofty goals. I am normally a sucker for this type of storytelling-- films where the concept of reality is multi-layered and flexible-- and indeed Trance wears that badge of honor on its sleeve. But just because a movie is twisty, labyrinthian, and non-linear doesn't automatically make it a home run. The characters have to grab the audience as well; we have to not only know the answers because the movie is structured like a puzzle but because we genuinely care about the characters. With one exception, that element is what's missing here. Trance is a feast for the eyes and never boring, but I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed when all was explained.
Trance starts out like a high-energy heist movie before taking a turn for the strange. Simon (James McAvoy) is a deputy art auctioneer who initially appears to thwart a robbery of a Goya painting, but in reality, he's an inside man who's in serious debt to a dangerous, charismatic thief named Franck (Vincent Cassell). During a struggle, Simon is knocked out and Franck makes off with the painting only to discover the suitcase its supposedly contained in is empty. The blow to Simon's head gives him amnesia and he becomes unable to remember where he hid the painting. When fingernail-pulling torture doesn't suffice, Franck and his cronies enlist the aid of hypnotherapist Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson) in hopes to draw out Simon's repressed memories. But as we all know, any film that deals with memory is rife with red herrings, and as the story progresses, questions about what is real plague not only the characters, but the audience.
Trance is actually based on a 2001 British TV movie of the same name, so it pre-dates some of the more popular "mind-fuck" movies audiences are familiar with (like Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island and the aforementioned Inception). Boyle's movie can't be accused of being a rip-off, but it unfortunately cannot measure up from a character identification standpoint. The problem isn't that the protagonists are "bad guys"-- plenty of movies have kept our rooting interests with less-than-noble lead characters-- but that there's nothing to latch onto about any of them. Simon is a dull lead with little in the way of charisma or sympathy, and I frankly found it hard to care about where he hid the painting and whether he lives or dies. The whole movie is like that-- always interesting because we're never quite sure what's real-- but only because we're conditioned to wanting to know the answers.
James McAvoy does a fine job as Simon, but this is really an anonymous role that any capable actor could play. Vincent Cassell is clearly enjoying himself as the presumed heavy, but he's not as over-the-top as he has been in other similar roles. Rosario Dawson, on the other hand, easily steals the movie from her testosterone-laced co-stars. She's always easy on the eyes, but her performance as Elizabeth is smoldering, fetching, and (no pun intended) hypnotic in all the right ways. One could argue that Trance is worthwhile for her alone, and that's without her much-publicized, full-frontal nudity. Dawson bares all on numerous occasions and is undeniably sexy, but this isn't gratuitous nudity. There's actually a clever rationale behind her decision to shave down there.
Unless you're David Lynch, most filmmakers who dabble in this genre always give us somewhat of an explanation toward the end, and that indeed happens here. However, the climax of Trance is disappointing. Instead of a mind-blowing "whoa" reaction, viewers are more likely to experience something along the lines of "oh, okay, so that explains it." It makes sense from a logical standpoint, and there's still an ounce of ambiguity left over, but it felt underwhelming to me. There's also another, albeit unintentional, problem. The nature of what transpires during the movie's final 15 minutes reminded me of a movie that's not even the same genre (although it does deal with memory): Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And that's not a favorable comparison, either, since it only served to remind me how much more effectively Michel Gondry's film dealt with something similar.
I suspect I'm in the minority with Trance. I usually slurp a movie that boasts intelligence and a requirement of viewers to think outside the box, but there has to be an emotional attachment somewhere for the film to be truly successful. Trance is certainly ambitious and awash in color and atmosphere, but when all the pieces come together, the whole feels less than the sum of the parts. It's interesting, but ultimately an interesting failure.
Rating: **1/2 out of ****
Danny Boyle. A movie from the "mind-fuck" thriller genre. Solid cast. Comparisons to Christopher Nolan's brilliant Inception. All signs point to what should be a winner from the Oscar-winning director, but unfortunately, Trance falls short of its lofty goals. I am normally a sucker for this type of storytelling-- films where the concept of reality is multi-layered and flexible-- and indeed Trance wears that badge of honor on its sleeve. But just because a movie is twisty, labyrinthian, and non-linear doesn't automatically make it a home run. The characters have to grab the audience as well; we have to not only know the answers because the movie is structured like a puzzle but because we genuinely care about the characters. With one exception, that element is what's missing here. Trance is a feast for the eyes and never boring, but I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed when all was explained.
Trance starts out like a high-energy heist movie before taking a turn for the strange. Simon (James McAvoy) is a deputy art auctioneer who initially appears to thwart a robbery of a Goya painting, but in reality, he's an inside man who's in serious debt to a dangerous, charismatic thief named Franck (Vincent Cassell). During a struggle, Simon is knocked out and Franck makes off with the painting only to discover the suitcase its supposedly contained in is empty. The blow to Simon's head gives him amnesia and he becomes unable to remember where he hid the painting. When fingernail-pulling torture doesn't suffice, Franck and his cronies enlist the aid of hypnotherapist Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson) in hopes to draw out Simon's repressed memories. But as we all know, any film that deals with memory is rife with red herrings, and as the story progresses, questions about what is real plague not only the characters, but the audience.
Trance is actually based on a 2001 British TV movie of the same name, so it pre-dates some of the more popular "mind-fuck" movies audiences are familiar with (like Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island and the aforementioned Inception). Boyle's movie can't be accused of being a rip-off, but it unfortunately cannot measure up from a character identification standpoint. The problem isn't that the protagonists are "bad guys"-- plenty of movies have kept our rooting interests with less-than-noble lead characters-- but that there's nothing to latch onto about any of them. Simon is a dull lead with little in the way of charisma or sympathy, and I frankly found it hard to care about where he hid the painting and whether he lives or dies. The whole movie is like that-- always interesting because we're never quite sure what's real-- but only because we're conditioned to wanting to know the answers.
James McAvoy does a fine job as Simon, but this is really an anonymous role that any capable actor could play. Vincent Cassell is clearly enjoying himself as the presumed heavy, but he's not as over-the-top as he has been in other similar roles. Rosario Dawson, on the other hand, easily steals the movie from her testosterone-laced co-stars. She's always easy on the eyes, but her performance as Elizabeth is smoldering, fetching, and (no pun intended) hypnotic in all the right ways. One could argue that Trance is worthwhile for her alone, and that's without her much-publicized, full-frontal nudity. Dawson bares all on numerous occasions and is undeniably sexy, but this isn't gratuitous nudity. There's actually a clever rationale behind her decision to shave down there.
Unless you're David Lynch, most filmmakers who dabble in this genre always give us somewhat of an explanation toward the end, and that indeed happens here. However, the climax of Trance is disappointing. Instead of a mind-blowing "whoa" reaction, viewers are more likely to experience something along the lines of "oh, okay, so that explains it." It makes sense from a logical standpoint, and there's still an ounce of ambiguity left over, but it felt underwhelming to me. There's also another, albeit unintentional, problem. The nature of what transpires during the movie's final 15 minutes reminded me of a movie that's not even the same genre (although it does deal with memory): Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And that's not a favorable comparison, either, since it only served to remind me how much more effectively Michel Gondry's film dealt with something similar.
I suspect I'm in the minority with Trance. I usually slurp a movie that boasts intelligence and a requirement of viewers to think outside the box, but there has to be an emotional attachment somewhere for the film to be truly successful. Trance is certainly ambitious and awash in color and atmosphere, but when all the pieces come together, the whole feels less than the sum of the parts. It's interesting, but ultimately an interesting failure.
Rating: **1/2 out of ****
Review of 42
It's safe to say that, as a die-hard baseball fan, the Jackie Robinson bio-pic 42 was near the top of my must-see list for 2013. Even those who bash the sport as "slow" and "boring" know the story of how Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947. As true-life tales go, this one is almost impossible to botch. So even though the movie itself is a standard order bio-pic with all of the expected rhythms, and Robinson himself remains a half-formed character, it still evokes powerful emotions at times. Credit director/screenwriter Brian Helgeland for not "Disney-fying" the production and giving audiences a startling sense of the resentment the man was up against and how a sport that unflinchingly embodied segregation slowly inched toward acceptance.
42 begins with Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) declaring that he wants to integrate baseball, but that he doesn't need just any exceptional black ballplayer, he needs the right one, with skills and a future. Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman), currently dazzling the Negro League with the Kansas City Monarchs, becomes Rickey's choice for change. With their first meeting, he reminds Robinson that although the vitriol directed at him will be unprecedented, he must remain calm and have "the guts not to fight back." Of course, this is easier said than done, and so begins Robinson's tumultuous journey toward changing history, first with the Dodgers' minor-league affiliate in Montreal, and then to the bright lights of Brooklyn. And that's Triple-A-ball compared to what the road trips in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh have to offer.
The best material 42 has to offer, unsurprisingly, takes place within the white lines of the baseball diamond. Early on, we're given a glimpse of Robinson's superior athleticism and anticipation as he plays mind games with pitchers after reaching first base. Chicks dig the long ball, so they say, but Robinson stealing bases is arguably more exciting, at least as far as this movie is presented. The most powerful material occurs mid-way through the movie as Helgeland depicts Robinson enduring brutal, pervasive racist taunts from Phillies manager Ben Chapman (Alan Tudyk). Obviously, Robinson has faced plenty of vitriol to this point in the movie from conservative white fans (in addition to neglectful treatment from airline officials and a hotel manager who bans the entire team from staying), but Chapman is the most relentless of them all. The language here actually approaches Django Unchained levels (MPAA hypocrisy note of the day: several dozen uses of the word "nigger" are okay for a PG-13, but a tiny fraction of as many "fuck"s gets an R. Go figure). This is a sports movie, but winning and losing games are (at best) secondary to overcoming adversity.
Acting is strong from the two actors who matter the most. Even though Robinson as a character doesn't quite reach three-dimensionality (his family life, for example, isn't delved into with much detail), Chadwick Boseman excels in the role nonetheless. He's an easy character to root for, and the actor's display of emotion is entirely believable. Harrison Ford disappears into the part of Branch Rickey. His mannerisms and appearance are spot-on, and this is a case where a big-name actor is legitimately acting as opposed to mailing it in. Outside of these two, others don't have much to do. Alan Tudyk fashions a perfectly despicable short-term villain who earns his comeuppance (in this case, being forced to take a photo with Robinson after the latter humiliates him by stealing two bases and scoring the go-ahead run in a win over the Phillies), and the attractive Nicole Baharie is largely underused in a standard "stand by your man" role.
Helgeland's manipulation is skillful, but there are a few scenes that strike a wrong note. A funny exchange between Robinson and teammate Ralph Branca where the latter encourages the former to shower with the rest of the team eventually leads to an awkward moment where string music kicks in on the soundtrack as Robinson steps into the shower room. Some of the scenes involving young children (one who idolizes Robinson, and another who reluctantly mimics his father's racial taunts) are diluted by some raw, unconvincing acting. Still, there are far fewer of these than there are thought-provoking and life-affirming moments, including one where Pee Wee Reese puts his arm around Robinson during pre-game warm-ups, and another where a sportswriter quickly dismisses his colleague's claim that Robinson can only play better because African-Americans have longer heelbones. In real-life politics, it's often the craziest, most heinous assertions from certain pundits that promote middle-ground individuals to take a side. So it was here, as some of the nastier attacks on Robinson's character (especially from Chapman) influence teammates and moderate baseball fans to stand up for him sooner than would've otherwise happened.
42 is a story that needed to be given mainstream Hollywood treatment. Baseball die-hards will be pleased with the film's overall depiction of the game as well as the faithful recreation of all the National League stadiums circa 1947, and those drawn to the more social aspects of the story will not be disappointed. There's nothing in this movie that couldn't be found in a 2-hour documentary, but there are very few obvious mistakes as well. Helgeland's film is not an Oscar contender, but it is respectful and uplifting, two qualities that audiences love today as much as they did when baseball really was America's Pastime.
Rating: *** out of ****
42 begins with Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) declaring that he wants to integrate baseball, but that he doesn't need just any exceptional black ballplayer, he needs the right one, with skills and a future. Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman), currently dazzling the Negro League with the Kansas City Monarchs, becomes Rickey's choice for change. With their first meeting, he reminds Robinson that although the vitriol directed at him will be unprecedented, he must remain calm and have "the guts not to fight back." Of course, this is easier said than done, and so begins Robinson's tumultuous journey toward changing history, first with the Dodgers' minor-league affiliate in Montreal, and then to the bright lights of Brooklyn. And that's Triple-A-ball compared to what the road trips in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh have to offer.
The best material 42 has to offer, unsurprisingly, takes place within the white lines of the baseball diamond. Early on, we're given a glimpse of Robinson's superior athleticism and anticipation as he plays mind games with pitchers after reaching first base. Chicks dig the long ball, so they say, but Robinson stealing bases is arguably more exciting, at least as far as this movie is presented. The most powerful material occurs mid-way through the movie as Helgeland depicts Robinson enduring brutal, pervasive racist taunts from Phillies manager Ben Chapman (Alan Tudyk). Obviously, Robinson has faced plenty of vitriol to this point in the movie from conservative white fans (in addition to neglectful treatment from airline officials and a hotel manager who bans the entire team from staying), but Chapman is the most relentless of them all. The language here actually approaches Django Unchained levels (MPAA hypocrisy note of the day: several dozen uses of the word "nigger" are okay for a PG-13, but a tiny fraction of as many "fuck"s gets an R. Go figure). This is a sports movie, but winning and losing games are (at best) secondary to overcoming adversity.
Acting is strong from the two actors who matter the most. Even though Robinson as a character doesn't quite reach three-dimensionality (his family life, for example, isn't delved into with much detail), Chadwick Boseman excels in the role nonetheless. He's an easy character to root for, and the actor's display of emotion is entirely believable. Harrison Ford disappears into the part of Branch Rickey. His mannerisms and appearance are spot-on, and this is a case where a big-name actor is legitimately acting as opposed to mailing it in. Outside of these two, others don't have much to do. Alan Tudyk fashions a perfectly despicable short-term villain who earns his comeuppance (in this case, being forced to take a photo with Robinson after the latter humiliates him by stealing two bases and scoring the go-ahead run in a win over the Phillies), and the attractive Nicole Baharie is largely underused in a standard "stand by your man" role.
Helgeland's manipulation is skillful, but there are a few scenes that strike a wrong note. A funny exchange between Robinson and teammate Ralph Branca where the latter encourages the former to shower with the rest of the team eventually leads to an awkward moment where string music kicks in on the soundtrack as Robinson steps into the shower room. Some of the scenes involving young children (one who idolizes Robinson, and another who reluctantly mimics his father's racial taunts) are diluted by some raw, unconvincing acting. Still, there are far fewer of these than there are thought-provoking and life-affirming moments, including one where Pee Wee Reese puts his arm around Robinson during pre-game warm-ups, and another where a sportswriter quickly dismisses his colleague's claim that Robinson can only play better because African-Americans have longer heelbones. In real-life politics, it's often the craziest, most heinous assertions from certain pundits that promote middle-ground individuals to take a side. So it was here, as some of the nastier attacks on Robinson's character (especially from Chapman) influence teammates and moderate baseball fans to stand up for him sooner than would've otherwise happened.
42 is a story that needed to be given mainstream Hollywood treatment. Baseball die-hards will be pleased with the film's overall depiction of the game as well as the faithful recreation of all the National League stadiums circa 1947, and those drawn to the more social aspects of the story will not be disappointed. There's nothing in this movie that couldn't be found in a 2-hour documentary, but there are very few obvious mistakes as well. Helgeland's film is not an Oscar contender, but it is respectful and uplifting, two qualities that audiences love today as much as they did when baseball really was America's Pastime.
Rating: *** out of ****
Monday, April 8, 2013
Review of Spring Breakers
Spring Break. Nothing more need be said before a rush of images comes to mind. Beach parties, bikini-clad women, tanned men, beer bongs, body shots, and a whole lot of "whoooooooooooooo!" Hollywood glorifies such behavior. You know it and I know it, but we always go along for the ride. Getting wasted makes for memorable stories, right? After all, you only live once. Your "real" life is necessary but boring and monotonous, so you HAVE to get away by going somewhere new and throwing out all troubles and inhibitions. Countless sex comedies, while entertaining, ultimately have this underlying message. Leave it to an independent filmmaker like Harmony Korine to take Hollywood's dominant ideology and drop it on its head.
Spring Breakers is a relentlessly dark and disturbing take on the "Spring Break" phenomenon, but it starts out deceptively lighthearted. The opening, color-saturated images of a beach party gone wild, set to the pulsating score of Skillrex. When we meet the four main characters: college students Faith (Selena Gomez), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), Brit (Ashley Benson), and Cotty (Rachel Korine, the director's wife), they're lamenting how boring everyday life is and how they can come up with the extra cash to hit Florida for a few days of partying. But it isn't long before events take a turn for the unsavory. Candy, Brit, and Cotty rob a diner to come up with the necessary cash, and later on during Spring Break, they're arrested for drug possession at a party. Low-level rapper Alien (James Franco) is smitten by the bikini-clad gang and bails them out of jail. But while Faith is understandably disturbed by their new "friend"'s lifestyle, the other three are seduced into activities far more unsavory than drinking and partying.
Korine delights in pushing viewers buttons and toying with his/her expectations. When we first meet Faith, she's at a Christian group meeting, and if your reaction is to laugh and say, "What a bunch of lame Jesus freaks," that's probably the director's intent. The robbery of the diner is presented from a detached perspective (Cotty slowly driving by as we observe Brit and Candy's actions through a window) and seems almost tame before later being revisited in its full ugliness. The first 30 of the film sets up a viewer's expectations regarding a fun Spring Break excursion that Korine meticulously deconstructs over the next hour.
The movie's cautionary message is that while partying and drinking aren't inherently bad every now and then, a lifestyle that revolves around these activities ultimately hides something much more sinister underneath. Faith is an easy character to identify with. She's a good girl who just wants to experiment and step outside her boxed-in life, but the other three are disturbed individuals. Faith leaves to go home not long after Alien arrives on the scene, but the fact that the man is a drug dealer who has all the money and luxurious possessions one could want but is ultimately a thug doesn't bother Brit, Candy, or Cotty. It's something new and exciting. Only at the very end of the movie do they finally show some faint signs of understanding the lines they've crossed and how their actions will haunt them for a long time.
Told in a traditional manner, this tale would be engaging, but Korine ups the ante and enhances the film with a barrage of visual and spoken styles. Color is explosive early on but eventually settles into a desaturated feel throughout the rest of the film. It's certainly never a boring movie to look at (and for what it's worth, it contains more female nudity than in any movie I've seen in a long time). The most interesting choice is repetition. Entire sentences are spoken more than once, and some as many as six times. On paper, this sounds like it could be irritating, and indeed some may find it so, but there's a point to the madness. Early in the film, Faith states that the reason people are bored and depressed is that they live essentially the same day over and over, experiencing the same things. What none of the girls understand until it's far, far too late is that a life revolving around partying, booze, drugs, and thuggery is every bit as repetitive as something more "normal."
Much has been made of the fact that three of Spring Breakers' actresses are former teen stars shedding their squeaky-clean Disney image, but there's a precedent to this. Anne Hathaway's career followed a similar arc, beginning with family-friendly fare before taking a hard left turn. Selena Gomez doesn't swear like a sailor or bare her breasts (something the other three do on more than one occasion), but she creates a sympathetic character whose absence is felt when she departs mid-way through the movie. James Franco is a revelation. His character and performance is so off-the-wall when compared to anything else in his career that he's unrecognizable. Such is the mark of a skilled performer. Much of the movie's comic relief (including a hilarious "look at my shit" tour of Alien's house) also comes from him. You'll laugh in spite of the disturbing subtext. Finally, solid support is provided by rapper Gucci Mane (as Alien's best-friend-turned-rival, Big Arch) in an underdeveloped subplot.
Spring Breakers is not a film for everyone. Some will deride the filmmakers for being exploitative. Others will claim they're intentionally making an unpleasant film just to prove a point. In spite of all the female nudity, this isn't the sexploitation flick the ads promise. It's darkly dramatic and hard to shake. Those who are willing to step outside the mainstream will find a far more rewarding experience than a movie with such a frothy title has any right to promise.
Rating: ***1/2 stars out of ****
Spring Breakers is a relentlessly dark and disturbing take on the "Spring Break" phenomenon, but it starts out deceptively lighthearted. The opening, color-saturated images of a beach party gone wild, set to the pulsating score of Skillrex. When we meet the four main characters: college students Faith (Selena Gomez), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), Brit (Ashley Benson), and Cotty (Rachel Korine, the director's wife), they're lamenting how boring everyday life is and how they can come up with the extra cash to hit Florida for a few days of partying. But it isn't long before events take a turn for the unsavory. Candy, Brit, and Cotty rob a diner to come up with the necessary cash, and later on during Spring Break, they're arrested for drug possession at a party. Low-level rapper Alien (James Franco) is smitten by the bikini-clad gang and bails them out of jail. But while Faith is understandably disturbed by their new "friend"'s lifestyle, the other three are seduced into activities far more unsavory than drinking and partying.
Korine delights in pushing viewers buttons and toying with his/her expectations. When we first meet Faith, she's at a Christian group meeting, and if your reaction is to laugh and say, "What a bunch of lame Jesus freaks," that's probably the director's intent. The robbery of the diner is presented from a detached perspective (Cotty slowly driving by as we observe Brit and Candy's actions through a window) and seems almost tame before later being revisited in its full ugliness. The first 30 of the film sets up a viewer's expectations regarding a fun Spring Break excursion that Korine meticulously deconstructs over the next hour.
The movie's cautionary message is that while partying and drinking aren't inherently bad every now and then, a lifestyle that revolves around these activities ultimately hides something much more sinister underneath. Faith is an easy character to identify with. She's a good girl who just wants to experiment and step outside her boxed-in life, but the other three are disturbed individuals. Faith leaves to go home not long after Alien arrives on the scene, but the fact that the man is a drug dealer who has all the money and luxurious possessions one could want but is ultimately a thug doesn't bother Brit, Candy, or Cotty. It's something new and exciting. Only at the very end of the movie do they finally show some faint signs of understanding the lines they've crossed and how their actions will haunt them for a long time.
Told in a traditional manner, this tale would be engaging, but Korine ups the ante and enhances the film with a barrage of visual and spoken styles. Color is explosive early on but eventually settles into a desaturated feel throughout the rest of the film. It's certainly never a boring movie to look at (and for what it's worth, it contains more female nudity than in any movie I've seen in a long time). The most interesting choice is repetition. Entire sentences are spoken more than once, and some as many as six times. On paper, this sounds like it could be irritating, and indeed some may find it so, but there's a point to the madness. Early in the film, Faith states that the reason people are bored and depressed is that they live essentially the same day over and over, experiencing the same things. What none of the girls understand until it's far, far too late is that a life revolving around partying, booze, drugs, and thuggery is every bit as repetitive as something more "normal."
Much has been made of the fact that three of Spring Breakers' actresses are former teen stars shedding their squeaky-clean Disney image, but there's a precedent to this. Anne Hathaway's career followed a similar arc, beginning with family-friendly fare before taking a hard left turn. Selena Gomez doesn't swear like a sailor or bare her breasts (something the other three do on more than one occasion), but she creates a sympathetic character whose absence is felt when she departs mid-way through the movie. James Franco is a revelation. His character and performance is so off-the-wall when compared to anything else in his career that he's unrecognizable. Such is the mark of a skilled performer. Much of the movie's comic relief (including a hilarious "look at my shit" tour of Alien's house) also comes from him. You'll laugh in spite of the disturbing subtext. Finally, solid support is provided by rapper Gucci Mane (as Alien's best-friend-turned-rival, Big Arch) in an underdeveloped subplot.
Spring Breakers is not a film for everyone. Some will deride the filmmakers for being exploitative. Others will claim they're intentionally making an unpleasant film just to prove a point. In spite of all the female nudity, this isn't the sexploitation flick the ads promise. It's darkly dramatic and hard to shake. Those who are willing to step outside the mainstream will find a far more rewarding experience than a movie with such a frothy title has any right to promise.
Rating: ***1/2 stars out of ****
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