19
Dec
2011
Posted by Tim Irwin. No Comments
Rated R by the MPAA – contains some violence, nudity, sexual content, mature themes, some strong language
Martha Marcy May Marlene is a subtle, fascinating portrait of a tormented soul that is as conflicted and difficult to comprehend as its titular character(s). To be clear, there is only one primary character: Martha (Elizabeth Olsen, in an impressive breakthrough role), but she has been so twisted and split as to have been renamed by an important character in her life.
The film opens in what is supposedly the present, but continues to flash forward and backward seamlessly, sometimes disconcertingly. Pretty soon it becomes clear that Martha might not be all there. Toward the beginning she is shown escaping some sort of farm. She is scared, uncertain, and very confused. Her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) picks her up and drives her to the house she shares with her husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) on a lake in Connecticut. They don’t know how to help Martha, and it is not clear that Martha always knows that she needs help.
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16
Dec
2011
Posted by Tim Irwin. No Comments
Rated R by the MPAA – contains strong language, some sexual content
Jason Reitman has an impressive record as a relative newcomer to the feature film scene. Thank You For Smoking [review here] is enjoyable and a bit caustic. Juno [review here] ups both factors, though doesn’t wear as well with future viewings. And Up in the Air [review here] I named as my favorite film of 2009. With Young Adult he is reunited with screenwriter Diablo Cody, who leapt to fame with her screenplay for Juno. This time around the writing is again caustic, but sometimes more bitter, miserable; not entirely unpleasant, but often so.
Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is in her mid-to late 30′s; she lives in the big city of Minneapolis. She is introduced sleeping face down on top of her sheets, with a number of bottles nearby. Her first step upon waking up is to stumble to the nearest two liter of Diet Coke, which she apparently uses as both coffee and mouthwash.
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11
Dec
2011
Posted by Tim Irwin. No Comments
Rated R by the MPAA – contains some language, mature themes
Alexander Payne’s few feature films have been generally highly regarded, though I’ve hardly been a big fan. Sideways didn’t affect me, and Election is an odd mixture of cruel, miserable, and quirky. I’ve seen neither About Schmidt or Citizen Ruth. The Descendants is softer, perhaps kinder, and more affecting, and, while it touches on some deep themes with poise, isn’t quite an unmitigated success.
George Clooney plays Matt King, a person with some serious problems. An initial voiceover introduces Hawaii as Matt’s home, and although there is a lot of beauty he reminds the audience that those with money and privilege can have their own problems. Matt’s problems involve a nearly estranged wife who now lies in a coma after a boating accident, one young daughter he is having trouble raising, and an older daughter who can’t be contained by a boarding school, and the biggest property deal of his life. Now a real estate lawyer, Matt’s family had inherited vast amounts of land from the time when Hawaii was initially invaded. A new law is forcing some tracts of land to be sold off; the most important of these is a 25,000 acre piece of beach and forest in a beautiful, unspoiled part of Hawaii. Matt, though he shares ownership with his cousins, is the executor of the estate and is solely responsible for its fate.
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23
Nov
2011
Posted by Tim Irwin. No Comments
Melancholia (2011): Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany – directed by Lars von Trier
Rated R by the MPAA – contains some language and some nudity, and some sexual content and mature themes
Melancholia almost perfectly reflects what I would perceive to be director Lars von Trier’s worldview, as divined from comments about his crippling depression of late. If Antichrist [review here] exposed some of von Trier’s anger, and perhaps bitterness, Melancholia reflects misery, melancholy, and utter, deep, depressing sadness. It is one of the more unrelentingly sad and depressing and nihilistic films I’ve seen in a long time, and I thoroughly enjoyed nearly every minute of it. If you are interested in seeing the film, refrain from reading the rest of this review until after you’ve seen it.
Like Antichrist, Melancholia opens with a prologue. Surreal scenes play out in extreme high-speed footage. A woman in a wedding dress struggles against vines as she runs through a wooded area in her high heels. Another woman carries her son across a golf course, sinking into the green with each plodding footstep. A planet moves across the sky, slowly but with purpose, and eventually two planets collide, like the Star Destroyer and Death Star in Star Wars: Episode VI – The Return of the Jedi [review here]. Then begins part 1. It is titled “Justine,” and will be followed by part 2, bearing the title of Justine’s sister, Claire.
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19
Nov
2011
Posted by Tim Irwin. No Comments
Rated PG by the MPAA – contains too much silliness to be rated “G”
Reviewing a film as self-referential as The Muppets can be a bit silly, kind of like the movie. Fans of the Muppets will immediately be engaged in this new endeavor, and those unfamiliar with the brightly colored creatures will warm up to them in this film, though it might take a few minutes. There is a convincing innocence and naivety to not only the characters, but the film as a whole, that separates it from any other studio product and almost feels like a throwback to a period of movie-making that may never have existed.
The plot is simple, odd, and kind of silly. It starts by introducing Gary (Jason Segel, who also penned the film) and Walter. They are brothers, even though Gary is a person and Walter is a puppet. The film never feels the need to explain this, and it introduces some early gags that are quite amusing, such as Walter’s desire (and inability) to have his height marked at a higher spot on the door frame year after year. Puppets don’t grow, it seems.
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16
Nov
2011
Posted by Tim Irwin. 1 Comment
Rated R by the MPAA – contains brief language, mature themes (worst MPAA rating decision in a very long time)
Another one of the year’s supposed Best Picture nominees has arrived, with some hype and a rather tepid response. It is a shame that such expectations rest on the film, for if it wasn’t supposed to be one of the year’s best films it might have had an easier time impressing critics and audiences. It is not a bad film, but is also not a great film. It rests in a category also occupied by Moneyball [review here], another film with a fancy pedigree and high expectations. Both may receive some love from the Academy, but neither is worthy of the ultimate prize, or even a nomination.
The film does some things very well, even if it feels cobbled together. It is a great example of a film with an unreliable narrator, much like Leonardo DiCaprio’s previous two efforts: Shutter Island [review here] and Inception [review here]. Here it is J. Edgar Hoover (DiCaprio), the feared head of the F.B.I., who is now old and near the end of his time on earth. He knows he has left a legacy behind, his one and only child, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and he wants to ensure that it is properly regarded in the future. To that end he begins to dictate his story to a number of young federal agents. He talks, they type and ask questions. He always has answers.
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13
Nov
2011
Posted by Tim Irwin. 2 Comments
Rated PG-13 by the MPAA – contains some language
Moneyball comes from the minds of a plethora of Oscar winners and nominees, so if the film isn’t one of the best of the year some people might be disappointed. And it’s not one of the best of the year, but it is a solid movie, one that even non-fans of baseball will probably enjoy to some extent. The writing, courtesy of Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network [review here]) and Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List [review here]) is sharp, better in dialogue than pacing and story development. The acting is strong, with Brad Pitt anchoring and Jonah Hill more than adequately supporting.
Pitt plays Billy Beane, the General Manager for the Oakland A’s. The story is based on true events, those of the not-so-distance past. Not being a baseball fan, and having little knowledge of the book which was used as source material, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of what takes place on-screen. With Michael De Luca and Scott Rudin (both producers on The Social Network) on board, I would not be surprised if certain elements were stretched.
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7
Nov
2011
Posted by Tim Irwin. No Comments
Rated R by the MPAA – contains atrocities, violence, language, nudity, murder
Schindler’s List is a rare film, one recognized as a classic in its own time. In 1997, just four years after its release, it was the only film made in the 1990′s that appeared in the top 50 spots on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years… 100 Movies list. It may not be the greatest film ever, but it certainly qualifies as one of the most powerful films, and one of the best of the 1990′s. Its impact stretches far beyond the world of cinema, in a way few films have managed, and that alone might make it difficult to judge on its own merits.
But it is not impossible to judge Schindler’s List, particularly when so much of it is enormously impressive. It opens slowly, with only a title and the production company and distributor’s names, no cast, no crew. An opening scene is in color, a candle-lit Jewish ceremony from which everyone disappears. Then there is black and white, gorgeously shot, for nearly the remainder of the three-odd hours.
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3
Nov
2011
Posted by Tim Irwin. 1 Comment
Rated R by the MPAA – contains some bloody violent content, some nudity, language
The Shining is often considered a horror masterpiece, and such a description is not inaccurate. Some might consider it a great film, one of the classics; this might not be as accurate a statement as the first. Its importance in horror iconography is undeniable, and the power of some of its images is impressive. But the film has some major flaws, and I can’t help but wonder if some viewers (myself included) have previously fawned over the film and its pedigree. I can understand the enthusiasm; don’t insult a film by Bergman or Lynch without strong reason. But there’s a time to set aside personal “objectivity” and look directly at the film itself, and an honest account of The Shining might be illuminating.
With a disappointing re-viewing of the film, it is tempting to fall into an aggressive rut, slamming the film for its faults and ignoring its achievements. Let’s avoid both extremes, and recognize The Shining for what it is; a long, unnerving, flawed, and occasionally brilliant psychological horror film.
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30
Oct
2011
Posted by Tim Irwin. No Comments
Rated R by the MPAA – contains strong violence, nudity, sexuality
Lucio Fulci is well known for his classic Italian horror films. “Classic” is a kind way to describe them, as they more often fall into the “guilty pleasure” category than the truly great horror films of Dario Argento, such as Suspiria [review here]. But Cat in the Brain is something else. It is as lurid and gory as just about any other Fulci film, with a penchant for exposing Italian flesh the way many Italian films do, but there is something about the storyline that elevates it above the rest of the crowd.
Cat in the Brain is a meta horror movie, a film that is above and outside itself. In fact, Fulci stars as himself in the film. He’s a horror film director, haunted by the images of violence he creates for the screen. They torment his brain, invade his dreams, and cause him endless misery. He imagines a cat eating his brain, naturally shot in the most graphic possible manner.
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