The Movie Onslaught, Part IV

I’m glad I have this blog so that I don’t have to keep repeating myself when it comes to describing what I thought about a movie. Oh wait, I do keep repeating myself. Maybe it’s because I don’t update this blog nearly enough, or maybe I just can’t contain myself when it comes to a movie like 300. In any case, here are the movies I have been watching lately. Let another onslaught begin.

I don’t always understand the Rotten Tomatoes rating. It usually helps to distinguish the great films from the crap but sometimes I find myself wondering what the critics were thinking. I guess they sometimes are looking for different things than I am. Case in point: 300. Rotten Tomatoes gave it 62%, I don’t know what they were expecting. Just watching the trailer, I was convinced that this film would rock even with a terrible storyline and weak acting. I was actually surprised how simple and enjoyable the plot was despite the constant carnage. The choreography of the fight sequences and the stylized cinematography were truly stunning. Some critics say they could have simply watched the trailer, but then they’d miss out on some great scenes like the one involving philosophy while eating an apple. If you think this movie will be like Brad Pitt’s clunker, Troy, you are greatly mistaken. In my opinion, 300 is a mixture of Sin City’s graphic images, Gladiator’s wheat scenes, and Lord of the Rings epic battle sequences (Maybe it’s also ‘cuz Faromir is in it). And a mixture of those three films is not too shabby. Sure there are some gratuitous sex scenes and loads of blood-thirsty violence but what else would you expect from mythology and the mind of Frank Miller? This is definitely one to watch in the theatre. (Imax may be a bit much) My only worry with the success of 300 is that studios will now steal any and all graphic novels and start an adapting frenzy that will take the magic away from the art form. Hey, you can’t just do any old story, THIS IS SPARTA!

I’m a big fan of Jim Carrey, I make no apologies for it. I have been enjoying his work since the first Fire Marshall Bill on In Living Color. He stars in one of my favourite comedies of all time (Liar, Liar) and I have enjoyed his desire to not only stretch his face but also his acting ability. His work in Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind was outstanding, as was his turns in The Truman Show and Man on the Moon. How he has been denied Oscar nominations is beyond me. I even liked him in The Majestic. So when I heard he was playing an obsessed psycho in The Number 23, I was intrigued. Rotten Tomatoes was not, they gave it 8% (From Justin to Kelly got 9%!). But to enjoy a film, you need to get past the actor and look at the story, the characters, the way the camera moves. And while I was skeptical of the direction of Joel “Batman-killer” Schumacher, I found this film entertaining. The interpretations of the novel was well shot and Carrey does a creepy manic job near the end of the film. Sure there are some strange devices like the sudden obsession of the son and the unexplained saxophone, but on the whole, I found the plot moved along at a nice pace and ahd some great moments. It’s not a great film but definitely worth more than an 8% rating. Rent The Number 23 on video and see what I mean; Unless of course you hate Jim Carey and are watching it with your back already up.

I was shocked when Germany’s The Lives of Others beat out Pan’s Labyrinth for Best Foreign Film at this year’s Oscars. Granted, I never saw the winning film but I can’t imagine it was shot better than Guillermo Del Toro’s masterpiece. The art direction of Ofelia’s dream world is truly magnificent; the creatures are imaginative and creepy, the dual plot is captivating. I actually found myself feeling for the character of Ofelia which a testament to the beautiful acting from Ivana Baquero. And while this film is full of fantasy elements, this is definitely not a story for youngsters. There are some brutal scenes in Pan’s Labyrinth as well as moments of heart-breaking drama. I was surprised at the ending but I found it perfectly justified. If you can get past the subtitles and some truly uncomfortable torture sequences, I highly recommend Pan’s Labyrinth. Del Toro’s work (like his previous film, Hellboy) is not for everyone, but those who like it, like it a lot.

I have to admit that I was really tired when I went to see Breach. Probably not a good idea since the action is subtly suspenseful not explosive. As you may have guessed, Chris Cooper (Adaptation, Jarhead, American Beauty) is amazing yet again. His portrayal of real-life traitor Richard Hanssen is compelling to say the least. His relationship with Ryan Phillippe’s Eric O’Neil is at times father-like, while at other times, deeply suspicious. While I felt the plot dragged at times, there were some heart-pounding scenes involving bag pockets and a traffic jam. The supporting cast of Laura Linney, Gary Cole and Dennis “President Palmer” Haysbert are well executed as expected. Although I did find Haysbert a little too calm at times. In regards to the plot, I felt the sexual indiscretions seemed tacked on to the spy story but I guess it’s based on true events. Breach was a fine film. Nothing special in my opinion but I know others who loved it a lot. So maybe I was just too tired to appreciate it fully.

I’m not that big on documentaries. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because of the film quality, maybe it’s because of the director’s bias. I’m not sure. I do appreciate the editing of documentaries; how they put the perfect clips back to back or find that great song that perfectly describes the moment. Say what you will about the bias of Fahrenheit 9/11, but the use of The Greatest American Hero theme song was brilliant. I think what always surprises me about documentaries is how much it draws me in enough to care. I saw Wordplay recently and found myself rooting for some of the players. Wordplay looks at the making and solving of the New York Times crossword puzzles. You get to see the rules and how a crossword puzzle is made. You get to see why Jon Stewart and Bill Clinton are fans. And you are treated to a no-holds barred crossword tournament, where contestants are solving an entire puzzle in under two minutes. All in all, Wordplay is an enjoyable documentary that may not challenge you, but is sure fun to watch.

Phew. Now I'm caught up.

Zodiac

I’m a big, big fan of David Fincher. Loved Seven, adored Fight Club, enjoyed Panic Room and even tolerated Alien 3. I find that Fincher has the ability to keep you glued to the screen whether it be through creative camera moves, dark humour or compelling characters. Fincher pulls this off again with Zodiac.

Recently, I’ve been teaching cinematography to my media class so my eye has been sharply focused on the way film is shot. While Fight Club is still the benchmark of trippy camera moves in a Fincher film, Zodiac has some sweet shots like following cars around the city of San Francisco. There is also an awesome time sequence that incorporates newspaper articles, handwriting and visuals that is reminiscent of Stranger Than Fiction’s math equations or Fincher’s own Ikea shots in Fight Club.

The Zodiac story is based on true events. The story jumps from decade to decade starting in 1969 and ending in 1991. There aren’t too many embellishments to the story, Fincher has tried to retrace all the evidence of this unsolved case, even filming at a couple of the crime scenes. This is not the first re-telling of the story though, there are many Zodiac films in circulation today, ones even as recent as 2005 and 2006. A story about a serial killer is nothing new to Fincher, but don’t go in expecting Seven. There is a lot more talking in this film. But even so, I found the case to be fascinating and it did help that some humour was thrown into the mix. A friend of mine has complained about David Fincher movies, saying that Fincher always ends his film with zero hope and a bullet to the head. Because the Zodiac case is still unresolved, there may be little hope but at least there is no violent conclusion. In fact, with a movie about a serial killer, there is not that much violence on the screen. There are a couple gruesome scenes but it’s not a constant killing spree.

The actors in Zodiac all give fine performances. I even liked Jake Gyllenhaal, an actor I get sick of pretty easily. He usually reminds me a depressed-looking Tobey MacGuire, but he actually does well in this film as a cartoonist obsessed with finding the true identity of the Zodiac killer. Robert Downey Jr. is his usual vice-ridden self and Mark Ruffalo does great as the lead cop with a bad bowtie. It was also nice to Anthony Edwards (ER, Top Gun) back on the screen as Ruffalo’s partner. Of course, Fincher has his token female character, this time played by the lovely Chloe Sevigny. There are also some great character actors popping up on the screen. I don’t find that anyone truly outshines the others, but it’s still a great cast to watch.

It’s been five years since Panic Room. Fincher was supposed to direct Mission Impossible III early on but backed out. It’s nice to see this meticulous director return with something substantial. His next one is with Brad Pitt growing younger and younger. I can’t wait to see it; and you shouldn’t wait to see Zodiac. It’s a little long and talk-heavy but I’m sure it will still appease all the David Fincher fans out there.