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A Review of "Funny People"
By Jeff Webb
It’s interesting to watch the direction of Judd Apatow’s directorial career play out on cinema screens. With his first film, “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” Apatow introduced audiences to his stories of “bromance” and men stuck in adolescence. With “Knocked Up,” Apatow covered similar territory, but this time making it a bit more personal, basing it somewhat on his own experiences with becoming a father. Still, there was a sense of the cartoonish in the characters, an outrageousness to the film. With his third and latest film, though—the newly released “Funny People”—Apatow has hit his stride. It is his most focused feature yet, completely realistic and understated and restrained.
The problem with Apatow’s previous two films is not that the stories lack a moral—for they do have a point—but that they sometimes lose focus of that moral, wandering into territory where it just seems like comedy for the sake of comedy. Nothing is learned. Plot and characterization is not advanced.
That is not the case with “Funny People.” Yes, the movie is long—perhaps a bit too long—but every scene plays a part in the bigger story. That story revolves around George Simmons, a popular comedian who, upon finding out he has leukemia, starts to reevaluate his life. Helping him on this journey of self-discovery is young and insecure comedian Ira Wright.
Adam Sandler plays Simmons, and Seth Rogen plays Wright. For the latter, it is clearly the best role of his career, one that is truly unique from his other characters. For Sandler, it is his best since work since 2002’s “Punch-Drunk Love,” and, even at that, Sandler may be even better here than in PTA’s mini-masterpiece. Simmons is Sandler, Sandler is Simmons, and through the course of the film, Sandler plays his part to perfection, never ringing a false note, never going for the zany over the dramatic. It is a character wrought with pain and disappointment, and Sandler plays him just as such.
Some people will walk into the film expecting a comedy, and, while the film is a comedy, it carries quite a bit of dramatic weight with it, as did Apatow’s “Knocked Up.” However, unlike “Knocked Up,” the drama in “Funny People” doesn’t come across as forced or schmaltzy. It feels natural, perhaps because the premise is a serious premise. It is about a man dying. If anything, it is the laughs that feel forced, but the very fact that the man in question is a comedian makes it all seem right.
There is nothing outrageous about “Funny People,” no hair-waxing scene or mushroom trips to Las Vegas or shock value shots of female genitalia. No, like the characters in his films, Apatow finally seems to be growing up, not only addressing themes of adulthood, but also addressing them like an adult: serious, focused, and in control.
Without giving it away, the ending of the film is enough evidence of Apatow’s maturity as a filmmaker. There is nothing grandiose about it. It’s just a plain and simple ending to a fairly plain and simple story, and, thus, by making it all the more real, it becomes all the more relatable.
And that is something every filmmaker—be the genre comedy or drama—should strive to achieve.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Neil Young with the Band
Neil Young is a great musical artist, and, perhaps, he has never been better than seen here, performing "Helpless" with backing from the Band. Enjoy.
Monday, July 20, 2009
It's An Honor Even To Be Nominated
By Jeff Webb
A little less than a month ago, Academy president Sid Ganis announced that 82nd Academy Awards will feature ten Best Picture winners, as opposed to featuring just five as in years past.
To some, this may be occasion to rejoice, and having ten nominees might not be that bad. For instance, take last year’s Oscars as an example. Films like Rachel Getting Married and The Wrestler most certainly deserved a Best Picture nomination, but they were shut out. Widening the field to ten would likely include these films.
Likewise, animated films and lower-budget indie films might also gain an advantage, with the Academy looking elsewhere than big-budget December releases to fill their Oscar pool.
Lastly, the revenue brought in by having ten nominees should be positive for studios, theaters, and the Academy broadcast. Ten films gaining critical praise means more people rushing to see these movies in theaters, as well as more people tuning into the broadcast to see whether or not their film will win.
However, even with these benefits—and there are more, as you can read on some other blogs devoted to this—having ten nominees may have its drawbacks. In a way, it seems more fair to be including more nominees, but that may just be a fantasy. Already the Academy nominates things that shouldn’t be nominated and leaves out things that should be nominated. Why would widening the field to ten be any different? Instead of having two mediocre nominees and three good ones, now we might just end up with four mediocre nominees and six good ones, with other good films left out.
The Academy might also be more likely to nominate something just to give it the honor of a nomination rather than nominating it on the basis that it could—and should—win the Best Picture Oscar—cough, cough, The Dark Knight.
It does not seem quite the honor of receiving a nomination when the field is ten as opposed to five. The club isn’t as exclusive, and for a program that is supposed to recognize the very best in the year’s motion pictures, exclusivity should be a consideration.
If a film truly is great, it should, theoretically, be good enough to receive a nomination, and that shouldn’t change whether the field is five or ten, though that doesn’t always happen. But why would that happen with ten nominees as opposed to five? The Academy is going to nominate what it’s going to nominate.
It seems as though the Academy might be grasping as straws to make the awards more open and appealing, but, in doing so, it might be hurting the prestige of the Oscars. If they really do nominate ten of the year’s best films—of which I am skeptical—what will it say for the winner? Whereas under the previous system, two or three frontrunners would emerge, with ten nominees, we might have four or five frontrunners. Votes will be divided, and there might never be a clear winner. Not only would it seem less impressive to say a film has been nominated, but it might be just as underwhelming to say that a film even won.
A little less than a month ago, Academy president Sid Ganis announced that 82nd Academy Awards will feature ten Best Picture winners, as opposed to featuring just five as in years past.
To some, this may be occasion to rejoice, and having ten nominees might not be that bad. For instance, take last year’s Oscars as an example. Films like Rachel Getting Married and The Wrestler most certainly deserved a Best Picture nomination, but they were shut out. Widening the field to ten would likely include these films.
Likewise, animated films and lower-budget indie films might also gain an advantage, with the Academy looking elsewhere than big-budget December releases to fill their Oscar pool.
Lastly, the revenue brought in by having ten nominees should be positive for studios, theaters, and the Academy broadcast. Ten films gaining critical praise means more people rushing to see these movies in theaters, as well as more people tuning into the broadcast to see whether or not their film will win.
However, even with these benefits—and there are more, as you can read on some other blogs devoted to this—having ten nominees may have its drawbacks. In a way, it seems more fair to be including more nominees, but that may just be a fantasy. Already the Academy nominates things that shouldn’t be nominated and leaves out things that should be nominated. Why would widening the field to ten be any different? Instead of having two mediocre nominees and three good ones, now we might just end up with four mediocre nominees and six good ones, with other good films left out.
The Academy might also be more likely to nominate something just to give it the honor of a nomination rather than nominating it on the basis that it could—and should—win the Best Picture Oscar—cough, cough, The Dark Knight.
It does not seem quite the honor of receiving a nomination when the field is ten as opposed to five. The club isn’t as exclusive, and for a program that is supposed to recognize the very best in the year’s motion pictures, exclusivity should be a consideration.
If a film truly is great, it should, theoretically, be good enough to receive a nomination, and that shouldn’t change whether the field is five or ten, though that doesn’t always happen. But why would that happen with ten nominees as opposed to five? The Academy is going to nominate what it’s going to nominate.
It seems as though the Academy might be grasping as straws to make the awards more open and appealing, but, in doing so, it might be hurting the prestige of the Oscars. If they really do nominate ten of the year’s best films—of which I am skeptical—what will it say for the winner? Whereas under the previous system, two or three frontrunners would emerge, with ten nominees, we might have four or five frontrunners. Votes will be divided, and there might never be a clear winner. Not only would it seem less impressive to say a film has been nominated, but it might be just as underwhelming to say that a film even won.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
My Top Ten Movie Theater Experiences
By Jeff Webb
I have loved movies all my life. Seeing recent summer blockbusters like “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and “Star Trek,” I have been thinking about some of my best movie-going experiences, the films and the energy that really made me feel involved in the picture. I have listed ten of these experiences below, and I encourage you to list some of your favorite movie-going experiences in the comments below this posting.
Note: The years correspond to the year the film was released, not the year I saw the film in theaters.
1. Grindhouse (2007): Probably the most fun I ever had in a movie theater. I went and saw this on opening day with about four or five of my friends, and the theater was packed. “Planet Terror,” full of tongue-in-cheek fun, had the audience all pumped up, though the energy dwindled some when “Death Proof” came around and the pace of the film slowed down. However, the climatic car chase redeemed it all, and still ranks as one of the best car chases, in my opinion, in film history.
2. Titanic (1997): Anybody growing up in my generation listing movie-going experiences and not including “Titanic” is lying. It was an event movie, and in the twelve years since—even with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Harry Potter, and the trend of superhero movies—nothing has still approached the epic reception of “Titanic” by the public. You didn’t just see it once. You saw it two times. Three times. Middle-aged couples planned evenings around it, like they were getting dressed up to see a play, but, rather, they went to the cinema. I, for one, saw it in the now defunct Kanawha Cinemas, with water dripping slowly from the ceiling, giving it all an air of realism. It was my first experience with Kate Winslet, too, giving my fifth-grader self a movie star crush that lasts even to this day.
3. The Dark Knight (2008): If any movie has come close to “Titanic,” it is “The Dark Knight.” I saw it five times, and every time was fantastic, though the best was opening night. It was a midnight showing at Marquee Cinemas, a sold-out theater, and, that first showing, it all was so much darker and intense than I had ever anticipated, and I loved it for it. It’s not a film masterpiece, as some would suggest, for it does have some flaws script-wise, but, in terms of summer blockbusters, “The Dark Knight” is one of the absolute best.
4. No Country for Old Men (2007): Perhaps the most suspenseful movie I have ever seen in theaters. I sat in the front row with two of my friends, in a packed theater, and perhaps because the crowd was into it, or perhaps because I was so close to the screen that I felt actually in the action, I was completely tense. I remember actually feeling a weight lifted off me when the film concluded, a conclusion that many people criticized but I felt to be absolutely genius.
5. There Will Be Blood (2007): The film that should have won 2007’s Best Picture Oscar. I could not convince anybody to go with me, so I drove alone one Friday evening from Buckhannon to Morgantown to see it. The theater itself was new to me, and was a very clean facility, which was nice. The film, though, was what really impressed, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s direction reminiscent of such greats as Kubrick or Huston, and Daniel Day-Lewis, as Daniel Plainview, turning in one of the best performances of motion picture history. The audience was completely engrossed by the time the final scene came around, and I just remember everybody sitting in stunned silence at the shocking ending the film serves up.
6. The Wrestler (2008): My friend and I anticipated this film for a good six months before its release. I ended up seeing it twice, once with said friend in Pittsburgh, and once more with a girl in Buckhannon. In Pittsburgh, on the film’s opening weekend in the town, the theater was packed, and the audience energy was high, responding to such scenes as the hardcore match and the Ram working in the deli. In Buckhannon, it was just the girl and me alone in the theater, but “The Wrestler,” is, in all essence, a simple film, one that can enjoyed both with a crowd and with only one other person.
7. Jurassic Park (1993): I only have a vague memory of this experience, as I was five years old at the time I saw it, but I remember it was at a drive-in theater, and it was at night. I remember being scared, thinking that dinosaurs might come out from behind the movie screen and attack us all. It was, probably, the first time I was terrified by a movie, but I also loved it. Spielberg films have always been dear to me, playing important roles in the development of my childhood, and “Jurassic Park” is no exception.
8. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): Speaking of Spielberg, I saw this at the Warner Theater in Morgantown in Spring 2009. I have loved Indiana Jones since I was a child, going so far as naming a pet cat, when I was six years old, after the iconic movie character. The film is completely mesmerizing on the big screen and in a dark theater. However, I had already seen it countless times on home video, so I knew what to expect, but I must wonder what it would have been like seeing it for the first time in 1981, and how exciting that must have been.
9. Blindness (2008): The film received poor reviews, but I, for the life of me, cannot figure out why. I saw it by myself, in a theater completely empty but for me, and that was an experience. That has only happened a couple times in my life, and it is such an outstanding feeling. It makes you feel important, like it’s a private screening all for you, and, with a film like “Blindness,” it makes it all much more intense and scary, which, perhaps, is why I have a more favorable opinion of the film as opposed to others.
10. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999): I saw this with my brother and his friend, Kenny. I don’t remember much about the experience, though I do remember it was at Park Place Cinemas in Charleston right after they had remodeled, and that it was a tremendously funny movie. I just had a good feeling that night, and that, of course, is the end result of a good movie-going experience.
I have loved movies all my life. Seeing recent summer blockbusters like “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and “Star Trek,” I have been thinking about some of my best movie-going experiences, the films and the energy that really made me feel involved in the picture. I have listed ten of these experiences below, and I encourage you to list some of your favorite movie-going experiences in the comments below this posting.
Note: The years correspond to the year the film was released, not the year I saw the film in theaters.
1. Grindhouse (2007): Probably the most fun I ever had in a movie theater. I went and saw this on opening day with about four or five of my friends, and the theater was packed. “Planet Terror,” full of tongue-in-cheek fun, had the audience all pumped up, though the energy dwindled some when “Death Proof” came around and the pace of the film slowed down. However, the climatic car chase redeemed it all, and still ranks as one of the best car chases, in my opinion, in film history.
2. Titanic (1997): Anybody growing up in my generation listing movie-going experiences and not including “Titanic” is lying. It was an event movie, and in the twelve years since—even with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Harry Potter, and the trend of superhero movies—nothing has still approached the epic reception of “Titanic” by the public. You didn’t just see it once. You saw it two times. Three times. Middle-aged couples planned evenings around it, like they were getting dressed up to see a play, but, rather, they went to the cinema. I, for one, saw it in the now defunct Kanawha Cinemas, with water dripping slowly from the ceiling, giving it all an air of realism. It was my first experience with Kate Winslet, too, giving my fifth-grader self a movie star crush that lasts even to this day.
3. The Dark Knight (2008): If any movie has come close to “Titanic,” it is “The Dark Knight.” I saw it five times, and every time was fantastic, though the best was opening night. It was a midnight showing at Marquee Cinemas, a sold-out theater, and, that first showing, it all was so much darker and intense than I had ever anticipated, and I loved it for it. It’s not a film masterpiece, as some would suggest, for it does have some flaws script-wise, but, in terms of summer blockbusters, “The Dark Knight” is one of the absolute best.
4. No Country for Old Men (2007): Perhaps the most suspenseful movie I have ever seen in theaters. I sat in the front row with two of my friends, in a packed theater, and perhaps because the crowd was into it, or perhaps because I was so close to the screen that I felt actually in the action, I was completely tense. I remember actually feeling a weight lifted off me when the film concluded, a conclusion that many people criticized but I felt to be absolutely genius.
5. There Will Be Blood (2007): The film that should have won 2007’s Best Picture Oscar. I could not convince anybody to go with me, so I drove alone one Friday evening from Buckhannon to Morgantown to see it. The theater itself was new to me, and was a very clean facility, which was nice. The film, though, was what really impressed, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s direction reminiscent of such greats as Kubrick or Huston, and Daniel Day-Lewis, as Daniel Plainview, turning in one of the best performances of motion picture history. The audience was completely engrossed by the time the final scene came around, and I just remember everybody sitting in stunned silence at the shocking ending the film serves up.
6. The Wrestler (2008): My friend and I anticipated this film for a good six months before its release. I ended up seeing it twice, once with said friend in Pittsburgh, and once more with a girl in Buckhannon. In Pittsburgh, on the film’s opening weekend in the town, the theater was packed, and the audience energy was high, responding to such scenes as the hardcore match and the Ram working in the deli. In Buckhannon, it was just the girl and me alone in the theater, but “The Wrestler,” is, in all essence, a simple film, one that can enjoyed both with a crowd and with only one other person.
7. Jurassic Park (1993): I only have a vague memory of this experience, as I was five years old at the time I saw it, but I remember it was at a drive-in theater, and it was at night. I remember being scared, thinking that dinosaurs might come out from behind the movie screen and attack us all. It was, probably, the first time I was terrified by a movie, but I also loved it. Spielberg films have always been dear to me, playing important roles in the development of my childhood, and “Jurassic Park” is no exception.
8. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): Speaking of Spielberg, I saw this at the Warner Theater in Morgantown in Spring 2009. I have loved Indiana Jones since I was a child, going so far as naming a pet cat, when I was six years old, after the iconic movie character. The film is completely mesmerizing on the big screen and in a dark theater. However, I had already seen it countless times on home video, so I knew what to expect, but I must wonder what it would have been like seeing it for the first time in 1981, and how exciting that must have been.
9. Blindness (2008): The film received poor reviews, but I, for the life of me, cannot figure out why. I saw it by myself, in a theater completely empty but for me, and that was an experience. That has only happened a couple times in my life, and it is such an outstanding feeling. It makes you feel important, like it’s a private screening all for you, and, with a film like “Blindness,” it makes it all much more intense and scary, which, perhaps, is why I have a more favorable opinion of the film as opposed to others.
10. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999): I saw this with my brother and his friend, Kenny. I don’t remember much about the experience, though I do remember it was at Park Place Cinemas in Charleston right after they had remodeled, and that it was a tremendously funny movie. I just had a good feeling that night, and that, of course, is the end result of a good movie-going experience.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
I Admire Your Pictures Very Much
A Review of "Bruno"
By Jeff Webb
With “Bruno,” star Sacha Baron Cohen crosses every line of taste, and, while such boldness succeeded in “Borat,” it just can’t help feeling recycled and tired in the latest effort. It is a funny movie, yes, and, at times, it achieves moments of comedic greatness, but, by the end of the film, one has learned nothing. It is almost all comedy of shock value and no comedy of intelligence.
Chiefly, “Bruno” fails where “Borat” succeeded in that Cohen, in a way, holds back. No, he doesn’t hold back in terms of gags and graphic content, but he holds back in terms of the challenges he makes to his audience. “Borat” was a wonderful satire, exposing in both over-the-top and subtle ways the prejudices of American society. With “Bruno,” all the subtlety is gone, and, at that, all the satire is gone. Of course someone is going to act angrily when a naked man comes to his tent in the middle of the night. It is funny, yes, but it is cheap, and it lacks the intelligence of Cohen’s previous effort.
In addition, the story is practically a rehashed story of “Borat,” making the film feel rather stale. The story arcs are the same: a foreigner comes to America, causes some trouble with Middle America, loses his partner-in-crime about halfway through the film, sinks into a depressed slump, and, at the end, is reunited with his partner and all is alright. That was the plot of “Borat,” and that is the plot of “Bruno,” only in “Bruno,” it’s nothing new.
Cohen, for all his effort, is an amazing acting talent, becoming so completely the characters he plays. It would truly be interesting to see him in a more serious role, something akin to his brief performance in 2007’s “Sweeney Todd.”
Director Larry Charles, who directed “Borat” and is noted as a prime creative force behind TV’s “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” is also genius at dissecting the idiocy of American society, but, once again, with “Bruno,” all the honesty and patience feels lost.
Perhaps more than anything else, though, the film feels rehearsed. There are many more staged scenes in “Bruno” as compared to “Borat,” and, while that might work if the story were truly compelling, it can’t help but make the film feel more false. Because the film is not real, because Cohen goes more for the insane than the subtle, one never really feels challenged. The satire is lost, and the film is nothing more than unintelligible comedy garbage.
But, strangest thing of all, it is one of the funniest things you will ever see in your life.
By Jeff Webb
With “Bruno,” star Sacha Baron Cohen crosses every line of taste, and, while such boldness succeeded in “Borat,” it just can’t help feeling recycled and tired in the latest effort. It is a funny movie, yes, and, at times, it achieves moments of comedic greatness, but, by the end of the film, one has learned nothing. It is almost all comedy of shock value and no comedy of intelligence.
Chiefly, “Bruno” fails where “Borat” succeeded in that Cohen, in a way, holds back. No, he doesn’t hold back in terms of gags and graphic content, but he holds back in terms of the challenges he makes to his audience. “Borat” was a wonderful satire, exposing in both over-the-top and subtle ways the prejudices of American society. With “Bruno,” all the subtlety is gone, and, at that, all the satire is gone. Of course someone is going to act angrily when a naked man comes to his tent in the middle of the night. It is funny, yes, but it is cheap, and it lacks the intelligence of Cohen’s previous effort.
In addition, the story is practically a rehashed story of “Borat,” making the film feel rather stale. The story arcs are the same: a foreigner comes to America, causes some trouble with Middle America, loses his partner-in-crime about halfway through the film, sinks into a depressed slump, and, at the end, is reunited with his partner and all is alright. That was the plot of “Borat,” and that is the plot of “Bruno,” only in “Bruno,” it’s nothing new.
Cohen, for all his effort, is an amazing acting talent, becoming so completely the characters he plays. It would truly be interesting to see him in a more serious role, something akin to his brief performance in 2007’s “Sweeney Todd.”
Director Larry Charles, who directed “Borat” and is noted as a prime creative force behind TV’s “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” is also genius at dissecting the idiocy of American society, but, once again, with “Bruno,” all the honesty and patience feels lost.
Perhaps more than anything else, though, the film feels rehearsed. There are many more staged scenes in “Bruno” as compared to “Borat,” and, while that might work if the story were truly compelling, it can’t help but make the film feel more false. Because the film is not real, because Cohen goes more for the insane than the subtle, one never really feels challenged. The satire is lost, and the film is nothing more than unintelligible comedy garbage.
But, strangest thing of all, it is one of the funniest things you will ever see in your life.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Happy birthday, America!
'Tis July 4th, America's Independence Day, or, at least, the day we celebrate our independence as the true date of our Independence Day is kind of up to discussion. That said, spend the day with friends and family, but remember what the day is about. Be rebellious, because our forefathers were rebellious. You know, read a banned book or curse loudly or something bold like that. To put you in such a patriotic spirit, see video below:
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
I Admire Your Pictures Very Much
A Review of "Public Enemies"
By Jeff Webb
“Public Enemies” is not new or original. The story of John Dillinger has, many times, been brought to life through literature and film, and the basic plot of “Public Enemies” follows along the same lines as many other classic—and superior—crime films, such as “The Untouchables” and “Heat.” However, perhaps never has such a story about Depression-era crime been told with such grit and honesty as “Public Enemies,” acclaimed director Michael Mann applying modern sensibilities to an old story. The end result is brutal, tense fun.
Mann, the director of the aforementioned “Heat” as well as “Collateral” and “Manhunter,” has always had a knack for depicting crime on film, and “Public Enemies” is very much a Michael Mann film. Yes, the people are pretty, the settings are nostalgic, but the camera work—while slow and clear at some points—can quickly become rapid and grainy, and that is pure Mann. Viewers aren’t used to seeing this type of old-style gangster movie filmed like a police procedural about two cops in South Central, but the lack of sentimentality makes the film unique. Even the legendary “Bonnie & Clyde,” which was groundbreaking in its portrayal of violence onscreen, digressed into comedy and melodrama at times.
Evidence of the power of this filmmaking objectivism is clearly evident in the climatic shoot-out with George “Babyface” Nelson. There is minimal music, minimal lighting. We just hear the punches, the gunshots, and we see the resulting corpses. In a way, it’s savage, but it’s so very real.
However, “Public Enemies” falls short of other classic crime dramas, though, mainly due to character development. John Dillinger robs banks, and Melvin Purvis is the FBI agent charged with tracking him down. That’s about all we know about the two main characters, and, while this fits with the film’s terse tone, it’s not quite as effective. What makes the film unique is the way it tells an old story in a new way. What makes it fail is that, while the technique is new, the story is still old.
At the end of the film, audiences might be left asking, “Why did we really care if Dillinger got away or not?”
That is a question that is never really resolved.
However, working with what they had, all the actors do an exceptional job. Johnny Depp delivers as John Dillinger, though, with the exception of one or two scenes, he isn’t necessarily electric. Christian Bale as Dillinger’s chief antagonist is quite wonderful, ever-stoic and tough, but it is Dillinger’s story, and Bale never really gets an opportunity to come alive, but that is a problem with the script and not a fault of the actor’s.
Marion Cotillard as Dillinger’s girlfriend, though, is the film’s real stand-out, perhaps because she is the best developed character, or perhaps just based on Cotillard’s sheer talent. Either way, she gives her character life and takes her through a whole range of emotions.
It should be interesting come next winter to see whether “Public Enemies” benefits from the expansion of the Academy’s Best Picture field from five to ten. It’s not winner-worthy, but, depending upon further releases this year, it might be good enough to warrant a nomination. At the very least, though, “Public Enemies” is certainly the best of the summer, thus far, one of those rare gems that comes along in the middle of the season that melds both blockbuster and arthouse flick into one enjoyable experience.
By Jeff Webb
“Public Enemies” is not new or original. The story of John Dillinger has, many times, been brought to life through literature and film, and the basic plot of “Public Enemies” follows along the same lines as many other classic—and superior—crime films, such as “The Untouchables” and “Heat.” However, perhaps never has such a story about Depression-era crime been told with such grit and honesty as “Public Enemies,” acclaimed director Michael Mann applying modern sensibilities to an old story. The end result is brutal, tense fun.
Mann, the director of the aforementioned “Heat” as well as “Collateral” and “Manhunter,” has always had a knack for depicting crime on film, and “Public Enemies” is very much a Michael Mann film. Yes, the people are pretty, the settings are nostalgic, but the camera work—while slow and clear at some points—can quickly become rapid and grainy, and that is pure Mann. Viewers aren’t used to seeing this type of old-style gangster movie filmed like a police procedural about two cops in South Central, but the lack of sentimentality makes the film unique. Even the legendary “Bonnie & Clyde,” which was groundbreaking in its portrayal of violence onscreen, digressed into comedy and melodrama at times.
Evidence of the power of this filmmaking objectivism is clearly evident in the climatic shoot-out with George “Babyface” Nelson. There is minimal music, minimal lighting. We just hear the punches, the gunshots, and we see the resulting corpses. In a way, it’s savage, but it’s so very real.
However, “Public Enemies” falls short of other classic crime dramas, though, mainly due to character development. John Dillinger robs banks, and Melvin Purvis is the FBI agent charged with tracking him down. That’s about all we know about the two main characters, and, while this fits with the film’s terse tone, it’s not quite as effective. What makes the film unique is the way it tells an old story in a new way. What makes it fail is that, while the technique is new, the story is still old.
At the end of the film, audiences might be left asking, “Why did we really care if Dillinger got away or not?”
That is a question that is never really resolved.
However, working with what they had, all the actors do an exceptional job. Johnny Depp delivers as John Dillinger, though, with the exception of one or two scenes, he isn’t necessarily electric. Christian Bale as Dillinger’s chief antagonist is quite wonderful, ever-stoic and tough, but it is Dillinger’s story, and Bale never really gets an opportunity to come alive, but that is a problem with the script and not a fault of the actor’s.
Marion Cotillard as Dillinger’s girlfriend, though, is the film’s real stand-out, perhaps because she is the best developed character, or perhaps just based on Cotillard’s sheer talent. Either way, she gives her character life and takes her through a whole range of emotions.
It should be interesting come next winter to see whether “Public Enemies” benefits from the expansion of the Academy’s Best Picture field from five to ten. It’s not winner-worthy, but, depending upon further releases this year, it might be good enough to warrant a nomination. At the very least, though, “Public Enemies” is certainly the best of the summer, thus far, one of those rare gems that comes along in the middle of the season that melds both blockbuster and arthouse flick into one enjoyable experience.
Monday, June 29, 2009
I Admire Your Pictures Very Much
A Review of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
By Jeff Webb
Nobody walks into the theater to see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen with the expectations of seeing a serious film about such things as technology and war. No, people go to see the new Transformers film to escape, to live vicariously through the characters and be caught up in the action. They want to be entertained rather than stimulated in thought.
The question then becomes not whether Revenge of the Fallen is a good film, but is it an entertaining film? The answer to that is yes.
The story picks up where the first Transformers left off, with Optimus Prime and his band of Autobots protecting the world from the evil Decepticons. An audience member really needs to know nothing else to grasp the action of the story, though, and that is unfortunate. The first film’s biggest flaw was its script, and the same goes for the sequel. It lacks complexity, and it lacks detail. Why do the Decepticons despise the Autobots so much? Why is the Matrix of Leadership so powerful? No answers are given, and character motivations are not only hidden but practically non-existent. Yes, the film calls for a suspension of disbelief, but—as this summer’s Star Trek or last summer’s Dark Knight evidence—suspension of disbelief does not necessarily mean that a film still cannot be grounded in some reality.
Mostly, though, the shallow script does not allow the audience to connect with the characters. Yes, we know Sam Witwicky and the noble Optimus Prime, but, other than that, characters are two-dimensional. Even the most unbelievable of films must connect the audience with the characters, must allow the audience to relate to the film in that way, for, if the film fails in that regard, the audience will never be truly enthralled.
Still, with the lack of story depth, the film is entertaining, reliant primarily upon its visual effects. The action scenes look spectacular, even though some of them—including the climatic battle in the desert—are too frantic and, in the words of my father, “busy.” It’s easy to lose track of the characters, especially when many of the transformer robots bear such striking resemblance. However, there is truly one wonderful scene—perhaps the best of the summer—and that is the action scene in the forest about halfway through the film. Interestingly enough, it is the one scene where Michael Bay’s camera and editing are at their most deliberate and calm.
Say what you want about Michael Bay and his films, but the man has his own style, and that is a lot more than many directors can say. Yes, he specializes in cheesy, over-the-top action films, but it’s not generic action. It is Bay’s vision, no matter how ridiculous it may seem, and anybody that has a vision and can commit that vision to film should be applauded at least just a little bit.
It is worth mentioning, too, that Shia LaBeouf is another victim of unwarranted criticism. His acting in this film, while safe and typical, is not bad. Anybody that truly believes Mr. LaBeouf is a bad actor need only to watch A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.
In conclusion, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will probably be the highest-grossing movie of 2009’s summer movie season, and with its beautiful cast and stunning action, it’s easy to see why. However, it does lack a story, and, while such things can be expected or forgiven, one can only wonder how good a film it might really have been if it had been written just a bit better. If one can see the film, though, and truly suspend all disbelief and just be entertained, one should not be disappointed, for the film, with all of its flaws, is still a step above most other mindless Hollywood action flicks.
Just one step above, but a step, nonetheless.
By Jeff Webb
Nobody walks into the theater to see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen with the expectations of seeing a serious film about such things as technology and war. No, people go to see the new Transformers film to escape, to live vicariously through the characters and be caught up in the action. They want to be entertained rather than stimulated in thought.
The question then becomes not whether Revenge of the Fallen is a good film, but is it an entertaining film? The answer to that is yes.
The story picks up where the first Transformers left off, with Optimus Prime and his band of Autobots protecting the world from the evil Decepticons. An audience member really needs to know nothing else to grasp the action of the story, though, and that is unfortunate. The first film’s biggest flaw was its script, and the same goes for the sequel. It lacks complexity, and it lacks detail. Why do the Decepticons despise the Autobots so much? Why is the Matrix of Leadership so powerful? No answers are given, and character motivations are not only hidden but practically non-existent. Yes, the film calls for a suspension of disbelief, but—as this summer’s Star Trek or last summer’s Dark Knight evidence—suspension of disbelief does not necessarily mean that a film still cannot be grounded in some reality.
Mostly, though, the shallow script does not allow the audience to connect with the characters. Yes, we know Sam Witwicky and the noble Optimus Prime, but, other than that, characters are two-dimensional. Even the most unbelievable of films must connect the audience with the characters, must allow the audience to relate to the film in that way, for, if the film fails in that regard, the audience will never be truly enthralled.
Still, with the lack of story depth, the film is entertaining, reliant primarily upon its visual effects. The action scenes look spectacular, even though some of them—including the climatic battle in the desert—are too frantic and, in the words of my father, “busy.” It’s easy to lose track of the characters, especially when many of the transformer robots bear such striking resemblance. However, there is truly one wonderful scene—perhaps the best of the summer—and that is the action scene in the forest about halfway through the film. Interestingly enough, it is the one scene where Michael Bay’s camera and editing are at their most deliberate and calm.
Say what you want about Michael Bay and his films, but the man has his own style, and that is a lot more than many directors can say. Yes, he specializes in cheesy, over-the-top action films, but it’s not generic action. It is Bay’s vision, no matter how ridiculous it may seem, and anybody that has a vision and can commit that vision to film should be applauded at least just a little bit.
It is worth mentioning, too, that Shia LaBeouf is another victim of unwarranted criticism. His acting in this film, while safe and typical, is not bad. Anybody that truly believes Mr. LaBeouf is a bad actor need only to watch A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.
In conclusion, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will probably be the highest-grossing movie of 2009’s summer movie season, and with its beautiful cast and stunning action, it’s easy to see why. However, it does lack a story, and, while such things can be expected or forgiven, one can only wonder how good a film it might really have been if it had been written just a bit better. If one can see the film, though, and truly suspend all disbelief and just be entertained, one should not be disappointed, for the film, with all of its flaws, is still a step above most other mindless Hollywood action flicks.
Just one step above, but a step, nonetheless.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Remembering Farrah Fawcett and the King of Pop, Among Others
By Jeff Webb
Actress Farrah Fawcett, 62, and Michael Jackson, 50, both passed away yesterday. Their deaths follow the recent passings of David Carradine and Ed McMahon, all four of these recently deceased not only being renowned entertainers but also pop culture icons who played a large part in defining their respective generations.
Of course, news coverage of these stars' deaths can get excessive. The mourning people express can become obnoxious and pointless. Famous though they were, at the end of the day, Ms. Fawcett and Mr. Jackson--along with Mr. Carradine and Mr. McMahon--were just people, full of life but also full of flaws. Yes, they were imperfect, like all the rest of us.
So, we really can't spend too long mourning these persons, because they were, after all, persons, but they were persons that most of us knew only through a television screen.
However, by the very job description of "entertainer," they were persons who were ever focused on an audience, and that is where we, the fans, are hit hardest. We didn't know them, but we were affected by them, by their movies, their comedy, their music. Escapist entertainment most of it was, yes, but in a world that can get so depressing, escapist entertainment comes in handy sometimes.
Perhaps, then, it's with a sense of nostalgia that we mourn the deaths of these persons. Not so much are we mourning the absence of them, but more so are we mourning the absence of their characters, and, better yet, the emotional responses those characters evoked in us. That sense of loss is truly a testament to these individuals' skill in their respective art form.
They were gifted performers, the whole lot of them.
Actress Farrah Fawcett, 62, and Michael Jackson, 50, both passed away yesterday. Their deaths follow the recent passings of David Carradine and Ed McMahon, all four of these recently deceased not only being renowned entertainers but also pop culture icons who played a large part in defining their respective generations.
Of course, news coverage of these stars' deaths can get excessive. The mourning people express can become obnoxious and pointless. Famous though they were, at the end of the day, Ms. Fawcett and Mr. Jackson--along with Mr. Carradine and Mr. McMahon--were just people, full of life but also full of flaws. Yes, they were imperfect, like all the rest of us.
So, we really can't spend too long mourning these persons, because they were, after all, persons, but they were persons that most of us knew only through a television screen.
However, by the very job description of "entertainer," they were persons who were ever focused on an audience, and that is where we, the fans, are hit hardest. We didn't know them, but we were affected by them, by their movies, their comedy, their music. Escapist entertainment most of it was, yes, but in a world that can get so depressing, escapist entertainment comes in handy sometimes.
Perhaps, then, it's with a sense of nostalgia that we mourn the deaths of these persons. Not so much are we mourning the absence of them, but more so are we mourning the absence of their characters, and, better yet, the emotional responses those characters evoked in us. That sense of loss is truly a testament to these individuals' skill in their respective art form.
They were gifted performers, the whole lot of them.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Ed McMahon, 1923-2009
Ed McMahon, best known as Johnny Carson's sidekick on The Tonight Show and as the host of Star Search, died today, June 23rd, 2009, at UCLA Medical Center. He was 86 years old. The Pharos would like to extend its thoughts and prayers to all affected by Mr. McMahon's death.
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