Tuesday, September 05, 2006
The Illusionist (*** 1/2 NinjaStars)
We saw this movie Friday nite in a moment of spontaneity. I haven't been keeping up to date on movies lately b/c it's been such a wasteland so I had no idea what this movie was about or who was in it. Turns out that it has a great cast including a few of my favorites, Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti and an actress I don't know much about, Jessica Biel (I really have NEVER seen "7th Heaven"!). In addition, it was set mostly in early 1900s Vienna and having just visited there over the summer, it was an added plus.
Norton plays Eisenheim, a talented magician who, as a child, fell in love with princess Sophie (Biel) who was very much above his social standing and unattainable. He leaves Vienna to travel and eventually returns with a successful magic show and finds Sophie engaged to the Crown-Prince Leopold but uses his magic/abilities to try and win her over. His efforts are complicated by the presence of the local police inspector Uhl (Giamatti) whose loyalties and upward mobility are tied to pleasing the Crown-Prince. I don't want to say any more in an effort not to spoil it for anyone, but suffice to say there is a nifty twist-ending which didn't surprise me, but still I was pleasantly surprised (that doesn't make sense, go see it!)
The Illusionist is full of stunning visuals and turn of the century Vienna felt alive (in reality, I believe shot mostly the the Czech Republic). Norton somehow made a romantic-at-heart, peasant-cum-magician come alive and Giamatti gets my props for his nuanced performance as a servant of the empire who really wants to be on Eisenheim's side. After I let this movie marinate a bit more, I might give it another half star! Go see it!
Norton plays Eisenheim, a talented magician who, as a child, fell in love with princess Sophie (Biel) who was very much above his social standing and unattainable. He leaves Vienna to travel and eventually returns with a successful magic show and finds Sophie engaged to the Crown-Prince Leopold but uses his magic/abilities to try and win her over. His efforts are complicated by the presence of the local police inspector Uhl (Giamatti) whose loyalties and upward mobility are tied to pleasing the Crown-Prince. I don't want to say any more in an effort not to spoil it for anyone, but suffice to say there is a nifty twist-ending which didn't surprise me, but still I was pleasantly surprised (that doesn't make sense, go see it!)
The Illusionist is full of stunning visuals and turn of the century Vienna felt alive (in reality, I believe shot mostly the the Czech Republic). Norton somehow made a romantic-at-heart, peasant-cum-magician come alive and Giamatti gets my props for his nuanced performance as a servant of the empire who really wants to be on Eisenheim's side. After I let this movie marinate a bit more, I might give it another half star! Go see it!
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Komi's Oscar Roundup
Here are my rankings for Best Film. . .yes, I saw all 5. Sprinkled in are my comments on Best Actor (though I have yet to see "Walk the Line"). Can't wait for your comments!
1. Brokeback Mountain: I went into this movie with high expectations and was not at all disappointed. Not a lot of action as two ranch hands (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhal) get work for a summer tending to a sheep herd in the Big Horn mountain range in Wyoming. But as they spend the summer together, they fall into an unexpected and forbidden relationship that ends up spanning many more years. The film is a love story – but more specifically a tragedy about hidden love, repressed emotion and unfulfilled longing/desire. I was transported during this movie and completely engrossed – mostly by Heath Ledger. There are other actors recognized by Oscar noms in the film but it’s truly Heath Ledger’s vehicle and coming out (no pun intended) party. He created and truly became Ennis Del Mar and to watch it was remarkable and, as a fan of films in general, so amazing to see. I know, I sound like I’m writing a love letter to this movie or Ang Lee, but I can’t help it. Homophobes who won’t see this are missing out.
It’s my pick for Best Film – and Heath is my pick for Best Actor (though PSH and his body of work prior to Capote and – yikes, MI3, will more than likely prevail).
2. Capote: I’ve come to expect excellence from Phillip Seymour Hoffman and as Truman Capote, he does not disappoint. The film chronicles his time writing “In Cold Blood”, his most famous work and last complete novel that re-shaped the non-fiction writing industry. As a writer for the New Yorker, he travels to rural Kansas to research the murder of a family. He decides to write a book instead and ends up spending a great deal of time talking to the murderers (how he got access to death row inmates is kind of unclear), befriending them and among other things, helping them acquire legal representation. Though he mislead the murderers about his motives, he couldn't fool himself and that he was involved only to further his cause – writing and finishing his novel – creates much guilt and internal strife. Though very conflicted about his motives, he becomes very attached to the murderers, Perry Smith in particular. He needs the execution to happen as it's the only thing that would provide him the ending for his book and as it is endlessly delayed, the film follows Capote’s descent into depression, self-doubt and seemingly, alcoholism. The book ends up being a huge success, but the events leading up to its completion so affected him that he is unable to enjoy any of it.
If I had to choose one word to describe Hoffman’s performance, I’d go with “subtle”. This film was very engrossing and I enjoyed all the performances (though I’d say Chris Cooper was totally wasted). In the end, a deserved nomination.
3. Crash: My review of Crash suffers from the passing of 7 months since I saw it (in New Orleans, pre Katrina, just an interesting tidbit) because though I really enjoyed it, I can’t remember many of the details. I do remember Jin (from “Lost”) brokering Koreans (and them eventually ending up in Chinatown, not Korea town) and being amused. I also remember some of the sterotypes coming to life being a bit over the top – but I guess in the end, the point was made. The story is not about one thing or person in particular, but attempts to show the inter-relatedness of people and their actions and how their biased attitudes affect the larger world around us. Unsettling at times, funny at times and overall packs a pretty powerful punch. Paul Haggis last wowed us with Million Dollar Baby as screenwriter, but here gets his chance to write and direct. Impressive first outing, smartly written and well-cast, especially Ludacris, Terrence Howard and Thandi Newton. I thought this movie was very original and felt small, even with a large cast. Maybe not Best Picture, but probably a deserved nomination.
4 .Good Night & Good Luck: I wasn’t sure what to expect from this film and turns out I am glad I went with no expectations. It’s a snapshot of the early 1950s and Edward R. Murrow’s (David Strathairn in an impressive performance) effort to challenge Senator Joe McCarthy’s “fight” (really it was paranoia) to rid the country of suspected communists. George Clooney (directed and portrayed Murrow’s producer Fred Friendly) tackles the issues which are still prevalent today, but somehow I don’t feel he conveyed any sense of urgency about fighting McCarthy and that is something I should have felt. I enjoyed the cinematography of the film, black/white, smoky newsrooms, no minority in sight (haha), but in the end, it could have very well been a made for tv movie on HBO.
Clooney though, is turning out to be a very interesting player in Hollywood, tackling interesting & challenging issues (ok, playing Danny Ocean notwithstanding) with his partner in crime, Steven Soderberg. Can’t wait to see what is next.
5. Munich: With the exception of E.T., I’ve never really been a Spielberg fan. Unfortunately, this film didn’t change my mind. At a ridiculous 2 hours and 44 minutes, this one is proof positive that Spielberg lacks the ability to cut scenes – I think possibly a testament to the hyper-enjoyment of his own work. Munich is the story of the journey - both mental and physical - of a group of assassins assigned by the Israeli government to hunt down and murder those Black September peeps responsible for the murder of the 11 Olympic athletes during the ’72 Munich Olympics. Their leader is Avner (Eric Bana) and the film follows them through 9 or so assassinations – which quickly beomce repetitive. Golda Meir (Lynn Cohen) tells Avner that they are putting peace on hold . . . so violence begets violence . . .but to what end? With each “job”, Avner and his team become both more ruthless and remorseful – slightly cloudy patriots, to borrow from Sarah Vowell. I didn’t think that the remorse at all remarkable – wouldn’t anyone killing people in cold blood for money (honor, country, whatever) fell remorse?
I was less than impressed with this film, I would have much rather seen “The Constant Gardener” get the nomination.
Thoughts?
1. Brokeback Mountain: I went into this movie with high expectations and was not at all disappointed. Not a lot of action as two ranch hands (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhal) get work for a summer tending to a sheep herd in the Big Horn mountain range in Wyoming. But as they spend the summer together, they fall into an unexpected and forbidden relationship that ends up spanning many more years. The film is a love story – but more specifically a tragedy about hidden love, repressed emotion and unfulfilled longing/desire. I was transported during this movie and completely engrossed – mostly by Heath Ledger. There are other actors recognized by Oscar noms in the film but it’s truly Heath Ledger’s vehicle and coming out (no pun intended) party. He created and truly became Ennis Del Mar and to watch it was remarkable and, as a fan of films in general, so amazing to see. I know, I sound like I’m writing a love letter to this movie or Ang Lee, but I can’t help it. Homophobes who won’t see this are missing out.
It’s my pick for Best Film – and Heath is my pick for Best Actor (though PSH and his body of work prior to Capote and – yikes, MI3, will more than likely prevail).
2. Capote: I’ve come to expect excellence from Phillip Seymour Hoffman and as Truman Capote, he does not disappoint. The film chronicles his time writing “In Cold Blood”, his most famous work and last complete novel that re-shaped the non-fiction writing industry. As a writer for the New Yorker, he travels to rural Kansas to research the murder of a family. He decides to write a book instead and ends up spending a great deal of time talking to the murderers (how he got access to death row inmates is kind of unclear), befriending them and among other things, helping them acquire legal representation. Though he mislead the murderers about his motives, he couldn't fool himself and that he was involved only to further his cause – writing and finishing his novel – creates much guilt and internal strife. Though very conflicted about his motives, he becomes very attached to the murderers, Perry Smith in particular. He needs the execution to happen as it's the only thing that would provide him the ending for his book and as it is endlessly delayed, the film follows Capote’s descent into depression, self-doubt and seemingly, alcoholism. The book ends up being a huge success, but the events leading up to its completion so affected him that he is unable to enjoy any of it.
If I had to choose one word to describe Hoffman’s performance, I’d go with “subtle”. This film was very engrossing and I enjoyed all the performances (though I’d say Chris Cooper was totally wasted). In the end, a deserved nomination.
3. Crash: My review of Crash suffers from the passing of 7 months since I saw it (in New Orleans, pre Katrina, just an interesting tidbit) because though I really enjoyed it, I can’t remember many of the details. I do remember Jin (from “Lost”) brokering Koreans (and them eventually ending up in Chinatown, not Korea town) and being amused. I also remember some of the sterotypes coming to life being a bit over the top – but I guess in the end, the point was made. The story is not about one thing or person in particular, but attempts to show the inter-relatedness of people and their actions and how their biased attitudes affect the larger world around us. Unsettling at times, funny at times and overall packs a pretty powerful punch. Paul Haggis last wowed us with Million Dollar Baby as screenwriter, but here gets his chance to write and direct. Impressive first outing, smartly written and well-cast, especially Ludacris, Terrence Howard and Thandi Newton. I thought this movie was very original and felt small, even with a large cast. Maybe not Best Picture, but probably a deserved nomination.
4 .Good Night & Good Luck: I wasn’t sure what to expect from this film and turns out I am glad I went with no expectations. It’s a snapshot of the early 1950s and Edward R. Murrow’s (David Strathairn in an impressive performance) effort to challenge Senator Joe McCarthy’s “fight” (really it was paranoia) to rid the country of suspected communists. George Clooney (directed and portrayed Murrow’s producer Fred Friendly) tackles the issues which are still prevalent today, but somehow I don’t feel he conveyed any sense of urgency about fighting McCarthy and that is something I should have felt. I enjoyed the cinematography of the film, black/white, smoky newsrooms, no minority in sight (haha), but in the end, it could have very well been a made for tv movie on HBO.
Clooney though, is turning out to be a very interesting player in Hollywood, tackling interesting & challenging issues (ok, playing Danny Ocean notwithstanding) with his partner in crime, Steven Soderberg. Can’t wait to see what is next.
5. Munich: With the exception of E.T., I’ve never really been a Spielberg fan. Unfortunately, this film didn’t change my mind. At a ridiculous 2 hours and 44 minutes, this one is proof positive that Spielberg lacks the ability to cut scenes – I think possibly a testament to the hyper-enjoyment of his own work. Munich is the story of the journey - both mental and physical - of a group of assassins assigned by the Israeli government to hunt down and murder those Black September peeps responsible for the murder of the 11 Olympic athletes during the ’72 Munich Olympics. Their leader is Avner (Eric Bana) and the film follows them through 9 or so assassinations – which quickly beomce repetitive. Golda Meir (Lynn Cohen) tells Avner that they are putting peace on hold . . . so violence begets violence . . .but to what end? With each “job”, Avner and his team become both more ruthless and remorseful – slightly cloudy patriots, to borrow from Sarah Vowell. I didn’t think that the remorse at all remarkable – wouldn’t anyone killing people in cold blood for money (honor, country, whatever) fell remorse?
I was less than impressed with this film, I would have much rather seen “The Constant Gardener” get the nomination.
Thoughts?
Friday, December 09, 2005
The Skeleton Key (**1/2 Ninja Stars)
This movie is a little bit out there but the story is actually somewhat engaging once you get past the first 20 minutes’ slow tempo. Kate Hudson plays Caroline, a hospice care worker, who gets emotionally attached to her patients perhaps to subconsciously make amends for not being present when her own father passed away. The movie takes place in hot and humid Louisiana where Caroline has taken the live-in job of caring for some old terminally ill guy named Ben Devereaux who apparently suffered a stroke. Living in Ben’s old spooky home, Caroline has to constantly deal with his creepily strange, meddlesome wife, Violet. We are introduced to the art of hoodoo, which should not be confused with voodoo and is apparently more magic than religion. Anyway, the story gains some momentum stemming from Caroline’s relationship with Ben, no one does the hoodoo like Caroline-do, and things get quite suspenseful towards the climactic finale in the tradition of the Sixth Sense, Hide and Seek, and the Others. This somewhat dark and creepy movie is not without its loopholes and is definitely more thriller than horror.
Friday, October 07, 2005
The Constant Gardener (**** ½ Ninja Stars)
This movie explores the relationship of Tessa (Rachel Weisz) and Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) and their life as a British diplomat and his wife living in Africa against the backdrop of poverty and the wrong-doings of evil corporate (pharmaceutical) empires. Justin is a mild-mannered British diplomat who seems most concerned with his garden while Tessa is an activist at heart and is, behind Justin’s back, researching “free” drugs being administered to Kenyans by the pharmaceutical companies. It turns out that the drug companies are giving out free HIV meds but also simultaneously testing an experimental TB drug which is causing many to become sick and die. Her research and ensuing attempt to make her research public end in her mysterious death (not a spoiler, it happens in the beginning) and much of the movie is Justin trying to put the pieces together and figure everything out. Shot in the same fractious style as his “City of God” (hand-held camera too), director Fernando Mereilles successfully conveys the urgency of Justin’s search for the truth as his personality evolves, the plight of Africa and her political and economic struggles and the unforgettable loveliness of Justin & Tessa’s relationship. This movie was very well-acted and will stay in your mind long after the movie is over.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Welcome to 5 Ninja Stars!
So I took on the task of creating the blog for our movie posts/reviews (and whatever else anyone feels like talking about). Since everyone has the login information, anyone can post at any time and no one will be snobby about film selections. I say feel free to post your top 5 list, your bottom 5 list or whatever else comes to mind.
I'll leave it up to you if you want to pass out the login information if others want to post.
In the interest of consistency, we should establish some simple guidelines - just a few. How about 1) The post title should be the name of the film and # of stars 2) Spellcheck and 3) No bashing Orlando Bloom or Paul Walker films. ..Does that work?
I'll take a stab at the first post about the movie I saw last, "The Constant Gardener" and you guys can let me know what you think!
So I took on the task of creating the blog for our movie posts/reviews (and whatever else anyone feels like talking about). Since everyone has the login information, anyone can post at any time and no one will be snobby about film selections. I say feel free to post your top 5 list, your bottom 5 list or whatever else comes to mind.
I'll leave it up to you if you want to pass out the login information if others want to post.
In the interest of consistency, we should establish some simple guidelines - just a few. How about 1) The post title should be the name of the film and # of stars 2) Spellcheck and 3) No bashing Orlando Bloom or Paul Walker films. ..Does that work?
I'll take a stab at the first post about the movie I saw last, "The Constant Gardener" and you guys can let me know what you think!
