Tuesday, January 31, 2012

EXPECTATIONS -- THE GREY ZONE

I have had the pleasure of watching Joe Carnahan's grim, thrilling masterpiece The Grey twice over the last five days.  Both viewings cemented one clear fact -- Carnahan has made a quantum leap as a filmmaker (previously excelling with Narc, moving laterally with Smokin' Aces, and then regressing with The A-Team).  This is a tremendous piece a work, a serious movie made by a ballsy filmmaker who wants to be taken seriously.  The themes that The Grey explores -- death, isolation, the randomness of things, your willingness and desire to fight against all odds -- are elements that everyone will face at some point in their lives, just probably not in the ways that the characters in The Grey take them on.  I could go on and on about what I love about the film -- the poetry of the narration, the muscular and oppressively cold cinematography, the cutting and mournful musical score, the splendid performances from the rugged ensemble, the absolutely magnetic Liam Neeson in the lead role -- The Grey has it all.  But this is not a formal review.  I want to discuss the ending.  Because what sets this film apart from so many other similar tales of survival is its ending. And it's here where I will embark into MASSIVE SPOILER TERRITORY, so you've been warned.

Everyone dies by the end of The Grey.  The film is about a group of men miraculously surviving a harrowing plane crash, finding themselves in tundra-esque conditions in the middle of a blizzard in Alaska, with no food, water, weapons, or help.  As one of the characters proclaims while rummaging through the plane crash debris: "I found a book -- it's called 'We're All Fucked.'"  One by one, each survivor falls to the elements or to the wolves (some face both at the time of their death) until we're left with just Liam Neeson.  The final moments of The Grey find Neeson's character (Ottway) trapped in the den of the wolves that have been stalking and killing all of the survivors of the plane crash.  Ottway, knowing that he's outnumbered, and after a stark and chilling moment of faith questioning, tapes a knife to one hand and some broken bottles to the other, and squares off against the "alpha wolf" in a fight to the death.  Of course, it would be needless (and amazingly pointless) to show Ottway ACTUALLY FIGHTING the wolf, so Carnahan, wisely, artfully smash-cuts-to-black as soon as Ottway takes off in the direction of the big-bad-wolf.  It's clear what the deal is -- Ottway is a man, at the end of his line (literally and metaphorically), who isn't going to die sitting down. His wife has died, he was about to commit suicide in the film's first scenes, and there's no chance of survival.  Through effective backstory, you learn that Ottway's father had written a poem when Ottway was a child:

Once More into the Fray
Into the Last Good Fight I'll Ever Know
Live and Die on This Day
Live and Die on This Day

If you can't read between the lines, well, you're an imbecile and you should quit while you're ahead.  The entire message of The Grey is right there in that poem.  As violent and as visceral as the wolf attacks and action scenes are, there is an underlying sadness, a lyrical quality to the movie that recalls the work of Jack London or Ernest Hemingway.  There's no way that Ottway can survive; it's just not possible, and like any realistic man, he knows it.  But that's beside the point -- it's not about if he lives or dies in the final fight with the wolf -- it's that he went out like a man, on his watch, his fate in his own hands, guided by his own decisions.  But for some reason, both times I've seen the movie, half of the theater is essentially ready to fucking riot because they've been "cheated" out of a scene that the trailers have promised them -- that of Ottway, with glass on his knuckles, slugging it out with a wolf.  Both times people have actually verbally proclaimed their distaste with the ending (and then with the film), and how the movie "sucked" or "was awful."  You were with it for two hours and now all of a sudden the movie is a failure because you didn't see the main character get torn to shreds?  Where is your sense of imagination?  Why can't the final moments of a movie sometimes be left up to the viewer to determine what the final outcome is?  It's so incredible that so many people seem to actively hate the idea of using their brains while they're being entertained.

The problem is -- how do you sell a depressing, introspective, at times existentialist meditation on death to the masses?  What you do is have the marketing team cut a totally disingenuous trailer that highlights the four action beats in the entire movie, while leaving out all the rest of it -- the quiet reflection, the conversations about god and faith and what it means to be a man staring down the certain inevitability of death.  But this is nothing new -- studios cut misleading trailers all the time (see The American or Haywire for further proof) --because if they didn't then every fifth movie would immediately die at the box office.  But what it does is unfairly set totally unrealistic expectations for the audience.  People are going into The Grey thinking they're about to see Liam Neeson have a boxing match with wolves.  It's Taken with Wolves!  Now, just to be clear, if that's what you really want to see -- men punching wolves -- then you're a fucking idiot and there's no helping you.  However, if what you were looking for was an empty action film with a big fight finale, then, yeah, I can see how you might be upset, because The Grey is not that film, and based on the trailers, you'd be right in thinking that that's what the movie was going to be like.  And as much as I hate the term "thinking person's action film," because in reality, all movies should make you think, I think that's what The Grey is.  We've become accustomed to rank stupidity when we go to the movies, which is a shame; the days of the ambiguous ending are far behind us.

DOUBLE BLU TUESDAY


Friday, January 27, 2012

MOVIES FOR THE WEEKEND

I'll be seeing The Grey in theaters this weekend.  Looks primal and amazing...

From Netflix is The Guard with Don Cheadle and Brendan Gleeson.

Via HD On Demand there's Margin Call and Perfect Sense, two movies I really wanna see...

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

IF I HAD AN OSCAR BALLOT

Best Picture


The Tree of Life
Drive
Shame
Take Shelter
Moneyball
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Contagion
50/50
Young Adult
The Descendants

Best Director

Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive
Steve McQueen, Shame
Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter
Bennett Miller, Moneyball


Best Actor

Michael Fassbender, Shame
Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
Thomas Horn, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Brad Pitt, Moneyball/The Tree of Life
Joseph Gordon Levitt, 50/50
Demian Bechir, A Better Life
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Leonardo Di Caprio, J. Edgar


Best Actress

Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life, Take Shelter, The Debt, The Help
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Mia Wasikowska, Jane Eyre
Kiera Knightley, A Dangerous Method
Bernice Bejo, The Artist

Best Supporting Actor

Patton Oswalt, Young Adult
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Hunter McCracken, The Tree of Life
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Michael Fassbender, A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, X-Men: First Class
Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Supporting Actress

Carey Mulligan, Drive, Shame
Shailene Woodley, The Descandants
Saoirse Ronan, Hanna
Ellen Page, Super
Jennifer Ehle, Contagion
Anna Kendrick, 50/50
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids


Best Original Screenplay

Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Steve McQueen & Abi Morgan, Shame
Will Reiser, 50/50
Diablo Cody, Young Adult
Scott Z. Burns, Contagion
Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter
Christopher Hampton, A Dangerous Method

Best Adapted Screenplay

Aaron Sorkin & Steven Zaillian, Moneyball
Steven Zaillian, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hossein Amini, Drive
Peter Straughan, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Alexander Payne & Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, The Descendants
George Nolfi, The Adjustment Bureau


Best Cinematography

Emmanuel Lubezeki, The Tree of Life
Newton Thomas-Sigel, Drive
Sean Bobbit, Shame
Adriano Goldman, Jane Eyre
Robert Elswit, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Jeff Cronenweth, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Robert Richardson, Hugo
Adam Stone, Take Shelter
Janusz Kaminski, War Horse


Best Original Score

Cliff Martinez, Contagion/Drive
Mychael Danna, Moneyball
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Howard Shore, Hugo
Dario Marianelli, Jane Eyre


Best Film Editing

The Tree of Life
Drive
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Contagion
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Shame


Best Costumes

Immortals
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Artist
J. Edgar
Captain America


Best Visual Effects

Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Captain America
Immortals
Battle: Los Angeles


Best Animated Film

Rango
Tin Tin


Best Art Direction

The Tree of Life
Immortals
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hanna
War Horse


Best Documentary

Forks Over Knives
Paradise Lost 3
Life In a Day
Bill Cunningham, New York
Tabloid
Page One: Inside the NY Times
Buck

TODAY'S BLU

Monday, January 23, 2012

ONE SENTENCE THEATRICAL ROUND-UP

David Fincher applies his customarily precise and icy style to the graphically violent and sexually depraved Swedish noir The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and gets a transformative, revelatory performance out of Rooney Mara, who burns up the screen with intrigue, sexual energy, and more attitude than you can shake a stick at.

The Sitter is mostly a waste of David Gordon Green’s talents but still delivers some deranged laughs courtesy of Jonah Hill’s impeccable comic timing and Sam Rockwell’s bizarre gay body-builder baddie.

Sherlock Holmes 2 is more of the same, so if you liked the first one (like me), you’ll likely enjoy this one (as I did); it’s nothing revolutionary, just a solid action programmer.

The Adventures of Tintin is a rip-roaring, can’t-catch-its-breath adventure that finds Steven Spielberg back (quite comfortably) in Indiana Jones mode and delivering the escapist thrills like a consummate pro (the edit-free chase through Morocco was brilliant).

The Artist is neither as good as its most ardent supporters claim it to be, nor as overrated as many of its detractors are conversely stating; simply put, it’s a nice little throwback to a simpler time and a true celebration of movies as a visual artform.

A Dangerous Method finds David Cronenberg going period for the first time in a while and tells the psychologically intriguing true story of Freud (Viggo Mortensen, sly as always) and Jung (Michael Fassbender, intense as always) and how the two men agreed and disagreed over their professions and personal lives; Keira Knightley is electrifying as the woman who challenges Jung’s beliefs.

War Horse is essentially Old Yeller with (fairly) epic WWI battle scenes and a horse instead of a dog, monumentally sentimental and over-the-top-Hollywood; the ravishing cinematography and the head-scratching horse logistics and stunts are the best aspects.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is the most satisfying big-budget, pure action film of 2011, a triumphant live-action debut for director Brad Bird, and a further reminder that Tom Cruise (aka God) is the greatest movie star of the last 30 years.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is a bold and powerful family drama that directly confronts the horrors of 9/11 head-on and contains a startling and highly effective debut performance from teenager Thomas Horn.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is probably the best spy film I’ve ever seen, so densely plotted and intricately assembled that even after two viewings I’m not 100% sure of all of the particulars; what I do know is that I can’t wait to see it again and that Gary Oldman was sublime.

Young Adult is as nasty and chilly as a dark comedy can get and features two of the best performances of the year (Charlize Theron as a monumental bitch and Patton Oswalt as a monumental sad-sack); we’re a long way from Juno territory (Cody is writer, Reitman the director), which is a good thing.

Shame is a riveting, epic exploration of sex and a fractured mind (Michael Fassbender in a towering performance as a man falling completely apart), with bravura direction from Steve McQueen, who is in full-on Kubrick mode here; this is a work of art -- pure cinema -- fully earning its NC-17 rating, and demanding the attention of any serious moviegoer.

BLU RAY IN ONE SENTENCE

The Debt is a mostly solid thriller with yet another excellent performance from Jessica Chastain.

Another Earth was thought provoking and heady and has an ending that some people will likely find frustrating.

Exporting Raymond is a funny little documentary about how what’s funny in America isn’t necessarily fit for translation in Russia.

Take Falling Down and mix it with Kick-Ass and you’ve got Super, a bracingly violent vigilante superhero movie with two incredibly maniacal performances from Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page.

Trollhunter makes great use of a nifty premise and throws in some clever, on-a-shoe-string special effects; look out for a remake.

The Help was enjoyable and heartwarming if a bit long in the tooth and on the nose; great acting all around.

Point Blank is as ruthless and precision-tooled as an action-thriller can get; 85 minutes of pure forward momentum, plot twists and reversals, and bloody stand-offs.

The natural light cinematography in Jane Eyre is exquisite and a joy to behold, as are the performances from Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska; a moody, gothic version of the classic story.

Forks Over Knives is literally the most important documentary that you’ll ever see, a film that truly has the power to change the way you live your life.

BIG HEAD

Sunday, January 22, 2012

MY WIFE PICKS 'EM: 2011

She doesn't like to pick a favorite, so here are her 10 favorites, in random order:

A Better Life
50/50
Tree of Life
The Artist
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Take Shelter
Young Adult
Bridesmaids
Forks Over Knives
Shame

Runner's Up:

Life in a Day
Contagion
The Descendants
In Time
The Adjustment Bureau
Sarah’s Key
Warrior
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Muppets
J. Edgar
The Ides of March
Source Code
Rango
The Debt
The Help
Bill Cunningham: New York
Midnight in Paris
Crazy, Stupid Love
Horrible Bosses
Trust
Water for Elephants
Friends with Benefits
Terri
The Lincoln Lawyer

REVISED FINAL BEST OF 2011

The Tree of Life
Drive
Shame
Take Shelter
Moneyball
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Contagion
50/50
Young Adult
The Descendants

Runner's Up:

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Warrior
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Artist
Immortals
Hanna
Super 8
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Point Blank
Rango
The Adventures of Tin Tin
A Dangerous Method
Bridemaids
The Hangover: Part II
The Trip
Our Idiot Brother
War Horse
Hugo
Life in a Day
The Muppets
Jane Eyre
J. Edgar
Source Code
In Time
The Ides of March
A Better Life
Win Win
Another Earth
Super
The Adjustment Bureau
Captain America
Cowboys & Aliens
Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows
The Debt

The Help
The Devil’s Double
Sarah’s Key
Bill Cunningham: New York
Meek’s Cutoff
Midnight in Paris
Melancholia
Buck
Battle: Los Angeles
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Fast Five
Crazy, Stupid Love
Page One: Inside the New York Times
Horrible Bosses
Bad Teacher
Everything Must Go
30: Minutes or Less
Trust
Your Highness
Sucker Punch
Water for Elephants
Paul
Friends with Benefits
Terri
The Beaver
X-Men: First Class
Thor
The Lincoln Lawyer
No Strings Attached
Rubber
The Sitter
Hall Pass
The Green Hornet
Take Me Home Tonight

Unknown
Green Lantern

WILD FUN

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Friday, January 20, 2012

FOR SURE

MOVIES FOR THE WEEKEND

Weather permitting, I'm gonna check out Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close on Saturday.  And then on Sunday, finally, I'll be seeing Shame with Fassbender.

From Netflix is Forks Over Knives.

Next Tuesday night I'll be checking out Soderbergh's Haywire, which looks killer...

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Friday, January 13, 2012

MOVIES FOR THE WEEKEND

Not sure what I will see this weekend.  Contraband looks like stylishly predictable entertainment, and I really want to see Tinker and Dragon again.  So...we'll see...

Nothing from Netflix as I'm sending Jane Eyre back today (really good flick).

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Friday, January 6, 2012

MOVIES FOR THE WEEKEND

I am planning on finally checking out A Dangerous Method at some point over the weekend.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy finally opened in my area, but I'm saving that for next weekend.

Sending Trollhunter (very clever, very amusing) back to Netflix today so nothing new for the weekend.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Monday, January 2, 2012

JANUARY 2012: SEEING BLU!

1/3:  Contagion

1/10:  Moneyball

1/17: The Ides of March

1/24: 50/50

1/31:  Drive

1/31:  In Time

Other notable releases:  Boardwalk Empire: Season 1, License to Drive, Texas Killing Fields (haven't seen it), Adaptation, Real Steel (haven't seen it), Traffic: Criterion, The Killer Elite (haven't seen it), An Idiot Abroad: Season 1, Babe (pre-ordered!), The Guard (haven't seen it).

Sunday, January 1, 2012

FINAL: BEST OF 2011


The Tree of Life
Drive
Take Shelter
Moneyball
The Descendants
Contagion
50/50
Young Adult
Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol
The Artist

The rest, in this order:

Warrior
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Immortals
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hanna
Super 8
The Adventures of Tin Tin
War Horse
Hugo
Life in a Day
The Muppets
J. Edgar
In Time
The Ides of March
The Trip
A Better Life
Win Win
Another Earth
Super
The Adjustment Bureau
Our Idiot Brother
Captain America
Cowboys & Aliens
Bridesmaids
The Hangover: Part II
Source Code
Rango
Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows
The Debt
The Help
The Devil’s Double
Sarah’s Key
Bill Cunningham: New York
Meek’s Cutoff
Midnight in Paris

Melancholia
Buck
Battle: Los Angeles
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Fast Five
Crazy, Stupid Love
Page One: Inside the New York Times
Horrible Bosses
Your Highness
Friends with Benefits
Bad Teacher
Everything Must Go
30: Minutes or Less
Trust
Sucker Punch
Water for Elephants
Paul
Terri
The Beaver
X-Men: First Class
Thor
The Lincoln Lawyer
No Strings Attached
Rubber
The Sitter
Hall Pass
The Green Hornet
Take Me Home Tonight
Unknown
Green Lantern


Key titles still to see:  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, A Dangerous Method, In the Land of Blood and Honey, Tinkor Tailor Soldier Spy, Shame