Rachel Weisz - The Brothers Bloom

OK - I liked this movie. I didn't like the plot much, or the artificial tension about "reality" or "what is real" that was supposed to be so critical.

To me, the great things about The Brothers Bloom were: the art direction, Bang Bang, and Rachel Weisz. I was really captivated by these three, and the plot was a distraction. The plot is all twists and turns and double crosses as the Brothers Bloom run the big con. I didn't find that the twists and turns worked well. (If you like a complicated plot, try David Mamet - start with Spanish Prisoner (1998). He is a master.)

The look and feel of this film is amazing. It is apparently in present day, but sometimes it looks to be taking place in a 1940's gypsy camp. The clothes worn by the main characters are costume-y, and I loved it. Everything feels whimsical and almost cartoonish in terms of sets, and it worked for me.

Bang Bang is played by Rinko Kikuchi (Babel), and she may be the most cartoonish of all. She is an intensely glamourous Asian bomb expert who rarely if ever speaks. She does pantomime certain emotions, usually sarcastically. She also wears fur on a Mexican beach while doing target practice. She was fantastic.

Rachel Weisz was even better, probably because she had more to work with - and the two women were the film. Rachel played a quirky character like I've never seen before, and she did so much with facial expressions I feel like I should watch it again. I'm sure I missed stuff.

If you like Rachel, try Constant Gardener (2005). She won the Oscar for that one. Pass on The Fountain (2006) - it's a mess.
For fun and money, she is great in The Mummy series, too.

Departures and the Best Foreign Film Oscar

There are a couple of categories at the Academy Awards that are historically messed up. One is the Foreign Film award. Without even going into the nomination process, and how much foreign language has to be spoken, think about the numbers. All those countries get one entry each; five get picked for the big show and contest. I wouldn't call it a good sample.

There are always fantastic films in there - and sometimes fantastic films win - like The Lives of Others. Every year I watch amazing films that never make it to the final five, though - like La Nana in 2009. Also, often a really odd film wins. Odd not because it's bad, but because it's not the best film.

When Departures (Japan) won in 2008, it was a shock. It was up against very strong films, particularly Waltz with Bashir. Bashir tears your heart out, and Departures borders on fluffy. There are some pseudo surprises, but it's pretty predictable. (FYI - it's about casketing - ritual preparation of the dead. This provides some bathroom humor and some silly scenes, gross scenes, etc.) I think the NYT said that this choice showed lack of courage on the part of the academy - or something like that. I agree. Departures is a good movie, but if you have limited time, try Waltz with Bashir (Israel), La Nana (Chile), White Ribbon (Germany), The Class (France).

Valentine's Day

I watched a pretty bad movie - Valentine's Day (2010). I don't know why I did it; it had bad reviews and it isn't the type of thing I usually like - too sweet. There were some good things, though. I liked Julia Roberts. Taylor Swift and the other Taylor were really funny. If you liked Love Actually, you will want to watch this. Parts of it are an exact copy of Love Actually, actually, but not as good.

If you like romantic comedies and want to try something different, I thought I would make a list. My criteria today - to list movies that are:

1. Not super famous like Four Weddings and a Funeral, When Harry met Sally, Clueless or Legally Blonde.
2. Not period pieces like Sense and Sensibility.
3. Not classic romantic comedy, like The Awful Truth (1937) with Cary Grant and Irene Dunne, or Bringing up Baby, It Happened One Night, etc.

I love all the above movies, BTW. I can do those categories any time, but I thought I would try to appeal to the Love Actually / Valentine's day crowd with movies they might not have seen.

1. Amelie (2001) - this is French, if you hate subtitles, suck it up.
2. Big Easy (1986) - this is a crime drama, too, but very sexy.
3. Bridget Jones' Diary (2003) - has everyone seen this?
4. Don Juan de Marco (1994) - this has Johnny Depp, a hugely fat Marlon Brando, and Faye Dunaway.
5. Fish Called Wanda (1988) - this is a screwball comedy, but romantic as well, from the Monty Python crowd
6. Intolerable Cruelty (2003) - romance per the Coen brothers.
7. Jane Austen Book Club (2007) - nothing but romance, and good, way better than average.
8. Mystic Pizza (1988) - nothing but romance with a super young Julia Roberts.
9. Notting Hill (1999) - Julia and Hugh Grant - a great combo.
10. Paperback Romance (1994) - the Australians have a different sense of humor. You should try it out.
11. Strictly Ballroom (1992) - also Australian, romance from Baz Luhrmann
12. Something New (2006) - I think this one is super-sexy.
13. Singles (1992) - very close to the Love Actually format, but really good. Also, Eddie Vedder is in it.

OK - so try some of these and let me know what you think.

Touching the Void

I have a friend at work who likes to go camping in the snow. I think he hikes with a friend up the mountain, digs a snow cave, and spends the night. Why? He says it's good to "break the body down" once in a while. He obviously has problems.

There are people who pay $100k or the current going rate to climb Everest. My mind stops at the $100k and also stops at the mind numbing cold. Plus Everest is littered with trash and frozen bodies. Nice. I can think of better ways to spend money and time. And it would involve being in good weather.

It's not just climbing that perplexes me, or cold, but also people who take crazy risks. Have you seen Into the Wild? That is a good movie and a better book, and it describes (or tries to describe) the mindset of these risk-takers, who are almost always men. Maybe because I don't even understand the concept of this type of risk, I find myself fascinated by stories of the people who embrace it. One such story is the documentary Touching the Void.

First off, these guys definitely broke their bodies down. (I scoff at the efforts of my friend at the office.) I have no idea why they enjoy mountain climbing, but they do mention the contrast to the "humdrum" daily routine. Anyway, the movie is fascinating because they're both still alive (this is not a spoiler), because of what Simon had to do to keep Joe alive, and what Joe had to do on his own. It's one of those movies where everything gets black and impossible, and then it gets worse. And it's a documentary. This is the real deal. (Contrast this movie to Cliffhanger, with Stallone running around in the ice with no shirt, etc. Cliffhanger is insulting to the intelligence - watch it if you want to throw things at the TV.)

Plus these guys are really honest in the commentary. It's fascinating to watch and incredibly repellant to a risk averse person like this one. I think I would rather go to Mobile, Alabama. Anyway - it's an incredible story.

The Order of Myths

I just watched one of the most complex movies I think I've ever seen. It is not complex due to plot - not in any way. It is complex because of the subject matter and human nature. It's a 2008 documentary called The Order of Myths. Mobile, Alabama has the oldest Mardis Gras celebration in the county. In addition to that distinction, the celebration is segregated. The black community and the white community each have their own king and queen, parade, balls, you name it.

The movie is perplexing. How can people live like this? For example, the white queen in 2007 (the year of filming) is the descendant of the man who brought the last slave ship into the US. Her family owns much of the property in town, including the property in "Africa Town". The black queen for the same year is the descendant of one of the slaves on that ship. OK, see what I mean about complex?

Yet these two women seem to like each other. They seem genuinely nice to each other, and genuinely interested in furthering the interaction of the two Mardis Gras celebrations. And most of the people filmed (not all) are the same. By the end of the movie I was sure that I was seeing those tiny steps that eventually make big change. I would have to assume those steps have been occurring for much longer than the film, but this film does an incredible job of capturing mood and attitude surrounding this one event.

I highly recommend it. I also never want to go to Mobile, Alabama.

Pippa Lee

I am watching an amazing movie - The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009). You may have heard about it - Robin Wright Penn plays the wife of Alan Arkin's character. They meet when she is about 20 (played by Blake Lively at that age) and I would guess he is 50 something. You see them at that age, when they meet, but mainly when their kids are grown and they have moved into a retirement community. Pippa starts, or maybe now realizes that she is going through a crisis. Maybe it's a midlife crisis, but it appears Pippa has been in a crisis for 25 or 30 years. Maybe longer, actually.

So Pippa moves to the retirement village, and she is way to young for the place. And then something happens and she is able to pass the baton. That scene is great.

I always knew Robin Wright Penn was a good actor, but I think she is a great actor in this movie. It also has Keanu, Julianne Moore, Winona Rider, and you wouldn't believe all the the other people. Winona is hilarious. I was laughing so hard in one scene, I almost peed. This movie should not be funny, but it is - and touching and surprising.

There was one part that was too trite for me - too perfect, but I can live with one part that was trite.

What Happened to Nicolas Cage?

So what happened to this guy? I still watch Valley Girl (because it is awesome). He hadn't even had his teeth fixed yet. How about Raising Arizona? Is there anything better that Mr. Cage and Holly Hunter, two very intense actors, acting like absolute idiots? Then there's Moonstruck, where he was so intensely romantic. I liked him in Family Man with Tea Leoni. He had range. Leaving Las Vegas made me want to throw up, but he was good.

So what happened? I understand actors needing a payday like anyone else - and the National Treasure movies are charming, and they should pay well. But what about acting? Now he just acts strange - yelling and rolling his eyes and throwing his body around. This worked in Adaptation, although that movie was great because of Meryl and Chris Cooper. (Chris Cooper said working with Meryl was like listening to great jazz, or something like that.)

I am watching Bad Lieutenant, and his crazy shit works in this movie, because it's nuts. Apparently Louisiana / New Orleans post-Katrina exists of only corrupt cops, hookers, crooks and drug dealers. So the movie is believable, and the nutty Cage works But I really miss the long gone version.

Anyway - Eva Mendes is gorgeous and half naked in this movie - so guys should like it. It is moody and well shot with an interesting sound track. I really like Werner Herzog - If you like thrillers / police movies / gangster type stuff, check out Bad Lieutenant.

Facing Ali (2009)

I love documentaries. A good documentary can tear you apart and stick with you forever. I can't think of movies much more upsetting to me than Grizzly Man or the Cove. I watched one tonight that made me incredibly sad - Facing Ali.

This is a documentary from the standpoint of Ali's great opponents: Holmes, Foreman, Frazier - just to name a few. The clips from the old fights and interviews were incredible; any fan of Ali or boxing should watch it. I'm not really a fan of either, but I love a good story and a well made film. This one brought home a few huge points about boxing.

First, boxers come from poor neighborhoods, ethnic minorities, the projects; in short, from poverty. They are looking for a way to escape. You don't see a rich kid becoming world champ. Second is the obvious: boxing will ruin your body and possibly your mind. Ali is not interviewed for this film, but you see chronological footage of him meeting one boxer after another. Both Ali and the other boxes show the effects of the sport. It is not pretty.

Last, Ali was one of the most magnetic characters around - and people loved him. They didn't just respect him as a boxer, they idolized him. To a man, I believe, each of the boxers interviewed appreciated, at a minimum, what he did for their lives. See - boxing Ali meant a paycheck (some of these men needed a good meal), and a chance at a better life, not to mention fame. Even Frazier, who in the film has the hardest time with Ali on a personal level, seemed to respect him. Of course, that image could come across solely due to sympathetic editing on the part of the filmmaker. Even if that's the case, this is a great film - by the end I was barely able to watch Ali come out of retirement for one more fight. We all know the ending.

If you like this one or are interested in other boxing documentaries, try Tyson. Also try When We Were Kings (about the rumble in the jungle).

Adam - for Romance Lovers

I think this movie (Adam - 2009) would appeal to the hard core romance lovers. It is very sweet and very pretty - the two leads are lovely. The tension comes from Asperger's Syndrome, which Adam has. Beth falls for him against the advice of friends, etc. There is also a pointless subplot regarding Beth's mom and dad (Amy Irving and Peter Gallagher). I really like Amy Irving, so seeing her was a bonus, if unnecessary.

For me, this is one of those films where the dialogue (even by Adam) is just too perfect. Not clever and fun, but just so thoughtful. If you have a 13 year old girl, though, try it out. I was surprised at the ending, which is always nice.

Tony Stark and Iron Man 2

OK - I loved Iron Man 2.

Action movies aren't totally my thing, but if they're different or well done I fall like anyone else. I like the first Bourne movie (the second gave me a massive headache - stupid handheld camera bullshit), I've watched Hancock about 3000 times, the Italian Job is clever, and the 13th Warrier is really moody. Plus it has Antonio Banderas.

But a huge amount of action is pretty stupid. What was that recent Liam N movie where his daughter gets kidnapped after about two minutes in Paris? That's a good example of bad.

I would call Iron Man a cult of personality movie. Just about the time I think it's impossible to cram too many (over 3?) big name stars in a movie and have it be any good, something like Iron Man comes along. Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark is wonderfully flawed and charismatic - basically a great romantic figure. Gwyneth is an adult (!) playing a businesswoman, and he adores her. Don Cheadle is cool, as usual - when isn't he? Sam Rockwell is at his weasel-y best playing a Tony Stark wanna-be. Poor guy. Mickey Rourke was amazing! He was magnetic and a different kind of villain - a very intelligent and unknown quantity. Samuel L is always good - and Scarlett J was very pretty. She was not necessary to the film, but didn't do it any harm, and made for some fun Tony Stark dialogue.

I would give the credit here to Jon Favreau, the director. He balanced all these people with enough CGI to make everyone happy. It was great.

Corruption - Italian style

I have watched two incredible movies lately about the Cosa Nostra, the Italian government, and evil. First is Il Divo (2008), about the incredibly successful politician Giulio Andreotti, played by Toni Servillo. I would very much like to see Mr. Servillo when he is not in this role, for Andreotti had a hunched back and (apparently) very unusual ears. I suspect he is one of those incredible actors who can physically change for a role (think Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose or Meryl Streep in many things: Julia and Julia, for one). In this movie, you see a government tied to the Mafia, assassinations, you name it. Nevertheless, Andreotti always survives and is currently a senator for life. Probably my favorite Andreotti quote from the movie:

"...truth is the end of the world."

This movie is polished and gorgeous, with creative cinematography and beautifully set up camera shots. The music is insane - whimsical and mocking is how I found it. It was wonderful - all these things made such a heavy topic almost fun.

Contrast this to Gomorrah (2008), about modern day Cosa Nostra on the streets and in the fields of Sicily. (Gomorrah is a play on Camorra, the term for the local mafia.) This movie follow five stories on the streets - and guess what? One of the characters is played by Mr. Servillo. I didn't recognize him.

This movie is gritty and ugly - appropriately so. I could never have imagined such a way of life, and I've watched the Sopranos. This is a whole different level. Sometimes when I watch movies and read books, I think I should be afraid to leave the house with so much evil out in the world.