Movie of the Week – The Man Who Wasn’t There

This week’s movie: The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)

Ed Crane leads a simple life as a barber in 1950s small town America. He does not have much aspiration for anything more. He believes his wife is cheating on him with her boss, but does not much care. One day he hears about an exciting new opportunity: Dry Cleaning. Suddenly, he thinks: “Why not me?” To get the money for the opportunity, he blackmail’s his wife’s boss, threatening exposure of his affair; however, this sets off a chain-reaction of terrible events.

The Man Who Wasn’t There is one of the lesser known film from the Coen Brothers; but, it is one of their best. They work with their usually collaborators on the film, including: composer Carter Burwell, cinematographer Roger Deakins (whose photography is astounding), and production designer Dennis Gassner.

The film features a great cast made up mostly of Coen Brothers’ regulars. Billy Bob Thornton stars, while Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, James Gandolfini, Jon Polito, Scarlett Johansson, Richard Jenkins, and Tony Shalhoub feature in support.

The Coen Brothers are best known for films like Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, and more recently True Grit. The Man Who Wasn’t There is certainly among their lesser known films, if not completely forgotten among most fans. Like many of their films, The Man Who Wasn’t There is a weird blending of genres. It looks and feels like a noir, hard-boiled detective film, but the story is much more restrained than what is typically found in the genre. The film could be called a crime drama, but Ed Crane just sort of bumbles his way forward. In some ways, it is a comedy satirizing the hard-boiled detective noir style; yet, it is also in love with the genre too, stylistically speaking. The Coen Brothers and Roger Deakins shot the film in color and then processed it in black & white (in some countries you can actually see the film in color). It is fantastically photographed. The cinematography is easily among the decade’s very best. The film is a must-see just for the cinematography alone. The wry wit too is wonderful. The film is devilishly funny. I think it is well worth watching for fans of the Coen Brothers and those who enjoy the noir genre, as this is an odd and surprising entry.

Trailer: Here

Available on: DVD and Video On-Demand

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) – Review

Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier is very entertaining with really great action and a nice tonal change of pace from most superhero adventure films. The film is about Steve Rogers (Captain America) still coming to terms with his place in the modern world, working for S.H.I.E.D. There is a conflict between his idealism and the manner by which S.H.I.E.D. wants to police the world (preemptively eliminating targets with huge flying gunships). Working with Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) on a recent op, Rogers uncovers a secret conspiracy within S.H.I.E.D., one that changes everything and makes Rogers and Romanoff fugitives from S.H.I.E.D.

There are two things that stand out about The Winter Soldier right away. It is very violent and plays much more like a serious political thriller (with a lot of action) than a superhero adventure film, especially for the first two acts before it bows to the obligatory massive action set piece in the third act. There are great twists and a plot that is actually interesting. This film does not have to merely make due on the strength of its good characters and visual splendors (though, it also has both of those too).

Directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo have completely changed the tone of the Captain America solo franchise, taking full advantage of Ed Brubaker’s great story (he also makes a cameo in the film). Captain America: The First Avenger is sort of hokey and is steeped in nostalgic charm, but that worked for that film (as it takes place during a different time with different values and realities). It succeeds not on its action beats (which are mostly boring) but on its character moments. The Winter Soldier has great action (maybe the best of any film so far in the MCU) and character moments. It is a superior, but different film. Paralleling the NSA, S.H.I.E.L.D. seemingly wants to monitor and control the people it is charged with protecting. The world is no longer about stopping evil in terms of a known entity like the Nazis or Hydra; good and evil being black and white. The world has digressed into a scary place in which evil is now potentially everywhere, hidden in plain sight, waiting to strike. Our modern world is one of fear and terror, and thus the Russo Brothers have adapted Captain America to be a beacon of hope and moral good in this world of grey.

Phase II of Marvel’s films has been so much better so far than Phase I. Each of the solo superhero films is better than any of the solo films in Phase I (personally, I rank them: Iron Man 3, The Winter Soldier, The Dark World, Iron Man, Thor, The First Avenger, Iron Man 2, and The Incredible Hulk). I also really like that each of the solo franchises has a different tone and style: Iron Man 3 feels like a classic 1980s/90s action film, The Dark World like a sci-fi/adventure fantasy, and now The Winter Soldier like a political thriller (similar to the Jack Ryan or Jason Bourne films, but with much bigger action sequences).

The Russo Brothers have a difficult narrative to manage with The Winter Soldier. There are many characters and the story has a lot going on. Like the best blockbuster directors, who need to balance the spectacle with the characters and story, the Russo Brothers create great character moments that fluidly exist within the bigger action sequences, which allows the film’s pacing to be rather tight and the narrative keeps moving forward; however, I am not sure younger viewers will quite find this to be the case. There are portions of the film that revolve around Rogers and Romanoff trying to uncover the truth behind the conspiracy, and these might play slower for young viewers (although, I am not sure this film is appropriate for those young viewers anyway, as again it is very violent, as Captain America certainly is not messing around). All the good action aside, the film really succeeds on the story work the Russo Brothers do with their characters. Maybe more so than any other MCU film to date (along with Iron Man 3, which is in some ways also a Tony Stark character piece), the narrative really digs deeply into its characters. The audience really gets to see behind the veil, especially with Rogers (and also to some extent Romanoff and Nick Fury).

MCU films still do not have great villains, however, outside of Loki (particularly when compared to The Dark Knight Trilogy). In The Winter Soldier, there is a hidden villain behind the conspiracy and then his henchmen, the most notable of which is the Winter Soldier (whose identity should not be a spoiler as it is obvious from any trailer, promo or merely looking at the cast list, but I will still treat it as one). The Winter Soldier as a character is fairly bland as he is basically a cold-hearted killing machine (he is essentially a Terminator), but that level of conviction is also kind of exciting, because the audience knows that this man will not hold up or stop coming, which in turn creates actual suspense when he engages Roger, Romanoff, et al. That said, I am hoping Joss Whedon can finally deliver another great villain into the MCU with Ultron.

The Winter Soldier is another example of Marvel’s dominance of superhero films in the present moment (as it has been ten years since Sam Raimi’s brilliant Spider-Man 2 and The Dark Knight Trilogy is at an end). Like each of the other Phase II films, The Winter Soldier is extremely entertaining, providing its solo character (or two characters, as it does feature two Avengers heavily) with his own great adventure, allowing the audience to become all the more invested in the MCU as a whole. And yet, it also works completely as a standalone political thriller that draws parallels to our own political climate.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: I was very surprised that Marvel hired the Russo Brothers to direct a big budget action film, as their CV was mostly made up of TV comedy like Arrested Development, Community, and Happy Endings (all good, but not big action things); and, their only feature film was You, Me and Dupree (which certainly does not inspire faith). Let me say: they did a fantastic job with The Winter Soldier. Their camera is always active in the scene, often creating interesting and exciting shots. I am very much looking forward to their work on Captain America 3 in 2016.

Composer Henry Jackman is no stranger to the superhero genre, having also scored Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class. With The Winter Soldier, he again delivers a score that works well with the tone of the film while also giving it an epic superheroy feel. It is good work, as usual. Trent Opalock (who shot District 9) brings a great grittiness to the cinematography, almost completely contradicting with the gleam of The First Avenger, which nicely juxtaposes the differences in the world Rogers knew and the one he now finds himself in. I think the look of the film is tonally right on. Production designer Peter Wenham (who designed The Bourne Ultimatum) also grounds the film very much in the real world (as much as it can be) with a very real feeling and looking world for Rogers and company to inhabit.

There are a lot of characters in the film, and yet they are all served well by the narrative and give good performances. I really enjoyed the cameos/small roles from Gary Sinise’s voice, Steven Culp, Branka Katic, Danny Pudi (yes, Abed got in there), Aaron Himelstein, Jenny Agutter, Garry Shandling, Callan Mulvey, Toby Jones, Maximiliano Hernandez, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Cobie Smulders (hoping these two women might show up in future episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), and especially Hayley Atwell (who might be getting her own Marvel TV miniseries Agent Carter). Anthony Mackie, playing Sam Wilson/Falcon, brings a good foil for Steve Rogers to bounce off. Sam too is a good man returning from war a bit shaken, not really knowing what to make of life back in the world. Mackie plays Sam with a great sincerity that works very well in the developing of Sam’s friendship with Rogers. Sebastian Stan, playing the Winter Soldier, does a good job of looking heartless and cold, essential to the character. Robert Redford plays Alexander Pierce, a man who is at the top of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s hierarchy with Nick Fury. Redford brings the right balance of politician and war veteran to the character, making him very believable. Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Nick Fury, but he has never been better as the character nor had more to do (in terms of dramatic moments). Jackson is quite good in the film. Scarlett Johansson is also great as Natasha Romanoff. Her flirty work relationship with Rogers is so much fun and gives the film needed lighter moments amidst all the action and suspense. She is possibly the star of the film – that is except for the fact that Chris Evans is also wonderful as Steve Rogers. Evans has been good in other films and as other characters, but he is perfect as Rogers, a man who seems as wholesome as they come, but who is also not hesitant to carry out his mission (if he believes in it – which is what creates the tension in the film; he is a soldier, but more so a good man).

Summary & score: Captain America: The Winter Soldier is yet another great and entertaining film from Phase II of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. The action is strong and big and the characters moments are very satisfying, but mostly the film is just a good political action/thriller. 8/10 

LeapBackBlog 2013 Film Awards – Part 2: Supporting Performances

Film in 2013 was fantastic. We saw tons of wonderful performances, powerfully emotional dramas, hysterical comedies, gripping thrillers, big and entertaining blockbusters, and grand technical achievements. This year was particularly difficult in narrowing down my choices for my favorite films, performances, directors, and technical accomplishments. For example, I loved Amy Acker in Much Ado About Nothing and Oscar Isaac in Inside Llewyn Davis, but neither quite made the list, and the same can be said for David O. Russell’s wonderful directing in American Hustle or Hoyte Van Hoytema’s sublime cinematography in Her (both just missing out on the list, when they would have made it in most other years). And, there are a number of good films that did not make the list either (and a few I have not yet seen). As it stands, the LeapBackBlog Film Awards are made up, through difficult deliberation, of the films that entertained me and grabbed me as something special, the performances that engaged me, and the craftsmanship that delighted me. These are my favorites of 2013.

Part 1: Technical Achievements

Part 3: Directors

Part 4: Leading Performances

Part 5: Films

Daniel Bruhl – Rush

While Rush is a great sports drama, it is a narrative that is dependent on its characters and their performances. Daniel Bruhl is exceptional as Niki Lauda, a cerebral driver who wins his races by understanding what makes his car superior (and what he can do to it to make it superior) and how to approach each race and track. Bruhl completely loses himself in the performance and role. Lauda is not necessarily a likable character, but Bruhl brings a great charisma to the character, which allows the audience to get behind him. They can see his talent and the confidence he has in himself, and that is infectious. With Rush and the character of Lauda, Bruhl finally has a performance that will serve as a breakthrough for him (which is very deserving for such a talented actor).

Bradley Cooper – American Hustle

American Hustle has a lot of fun with its actors, allowing them to play dress up in a sense, and Bradley Cooper goes all in (with a perm and Saturday Night Fever-like wardrobe choices). But what makes his performance as FBI agent Richie DiMaso so compelling is the intense nervous energy that he exudes. Cooper’s DiMaso has grand plans and wide eyes. He thinks he is the smartest guy in the room, making all the right moves, when really he is in way over his head. Getting back to his intense energy in the role, what makes it so gripping is that the viewer never really knows where it is going to lead. Cooper is a complete wildcard, much like Jennifer Lawrence’s brilliant performance. That kind of work is just so dynamic because it is never boring.

Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave

Michael Fassbender gives what I think is 2013’s best supporting performances by an actor in 12 Years a Slave as the ruthless slave master Epps. Fassbender carries such an intense and intimidating presence in the film that the viewer cannot help but feel small, weak, and scared. He is utterly evil and vile. And yet, Fassbender brings so much depth and humanity to the character. The audience can see that there is weakness in his character and that he struggles with his vices, striving to be a better man, only to be pulled down over and over by a deplorable cruelty that he cannot shake. He is a man who is ashamed and afraid, lashing out to try to hide these truths. It would be easy to just dismiss Epps as an evil man if not for the clear inner-pain that rules his life. He may even be sympathetic (if we even dare think that) – though his actions are unforgivable, making for a complex and compelling performance. Fassbender is also very good in The Counselor (what is probably 2013’s most overlooked and misunderstood film).

Tom Hiddleston – Thor: The Dark World

Choosing Tom Hiddleston in Thor: The Dark World is very unconventional, especially in such a strong year for performances and films, I know, but the man is just so joyously wonderful as Loki. Hiddleston especially gets to have fun with the character in The Dark World, playing a whole range of emotions. He is tortured with envy over the place his brother holds and full of scorn for his adopted father, and yet also has almost unconditional love for his adoptive mother. All this is kept tightly inside, while he just takes a gleeful joy in being a villain and trickster. He revels in it. And so too does the viewer. Hiddleston has created Marvel’s greatest cinematic villain and one of the best in film history (a history that has seen a couple of brilliant and game changing performances in recent years), and his work as Loki in this is his best so far.

Jonah Hill – The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street is an insane exercise in excess, moral corruption, and greed. But, it sure is fun. The actors are given license to go big with their performances, and the whole narrative and world in which these characters exist is so over the top that they all feel firmly rooted in the reality of the narrative. Jonah Hill is clearly having a blast with his character Donnie, a man with seemingly no morals or boundaries. He is just so antagonistic and a complete asshole, and yet completely compelling and entertaining. It is maybe Hill’s best work to date. Margot Robbie is also fantastic in support in the film. Hill had a good 2013, starring in This Is the End as well, playing a very douchy version of himself.

Scarlett Johansson – her

Scarlett Johansson has one of 2013’s most difficult roles, playing the voice of Samantha in Her – an operating system who is self-aware and wants to experience all that is life, including love. What makes the role so difficult is that Samantha is essentially an inanimate object, shown only as an iPod-like device or computer screen. Johansson has to do everything solely with her voice. And to this, she is excellent.  As far as anyone is concerned, watching the film, she is alive. She feels just as vital and real as any of the other characters (which includes wonderful supporting work from Amy Adams and Rooney Mara as well; on a side note, Mara had a great 2013 with phenomenal work in Her, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, and Side Effects). Johansson is also very good in the 2013 romantic comedy Don Jon.

Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle

Jennifer Lawrence is a whirlwind in American Hustle. She plays Rosalyn Rosenfeld (the wife of con man Irving). Lawrence mines her scenes for every bit of fun with her charismatic and attention seeking performance. She absolutely commands the screen whenever she is in a scene, playing against other wonderful actors giving great performances. It is not subtle at all, but neither is the film. She walks a very interesting line between all-consuming and done right frightening. It may be the best performance of the film, and is certainly among the year’s best. The scene in which she sings Live and Let Die is one of 2013’s most entertaining cinematic moments. Lawrence is also very good as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Carey Mulligan – Inside Llewyn Davis

Carey Mulligan does not have a lot of screen time in Inside Llewyn Davis, but her character Jean sure leaves an impact. Her chemistry with Oscar Isaac (who is also brilliant in the film, and barely missed making the Leading Performance list this year, which is overcrowded with great work) is electric. Their shared scenes jump off the screen. Mulligan does a fantastic job channeling all her pent up rage towards Isaac’s Llewyn Davis. Yet she does something more, something that makes the performance special, she does not just show hatred and rage, but there is a playfulness and maybe even a secret glee to her attitude towards Davis. Yes she is incredibly frustrated with him, but it seems to come from a very caring place (something that is kept hidden away). Mulligan is very good at layering her performances, and this is one of her best.

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave

Without question Lupita Nyong’o’s tragic and heart-wrenching performance as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave is 2013’s greatest breakthrough acting achievement. She plays Patsey so delicately, yet with some defiance in her. However, her mental anguish is so severe that she only wishes for death. She is a flower desperately reaching for the sun, the thing that seems the most natural and right to her, but is constantly stymied through the terror of a dark cloud that hovers above her. In a film that features many of this year’s strongest performances, Nyong’o is able to distinguish herself and standout as a star (and in a film that marks her feature debut). She delivers profound work; it certainly seems like her future is very bright.

June Squibb – Nebraska

Nebraska is a film that succeeds on its great performances, notably from Bruce Dern, Will Forte, and June Squibb. She plays Woody Grant’s wife Kate, a strong-willed lady who is a bit fed up with Grant’s shenanigans. Squibb’s lively performance completely holds its own against the other great work in the film, and in many ways even might steal the film. She is a delight whenever she is onscreen. It is surprising that a woman of eighty-four would give one of 2013’s best breakthrough performances, but that is exactly what Squibb has done.

her (2013) – Review

Review: Her is a fascinating and aesthetically compelling look at loneliness in the age of modern relationships. The film is about Theodore Twombly, a writer who has recently split-up with his wife and companion since childhood (seemingly not by his choice). Theodore is stuck in the past, the good and the bad memories haunt him and he is unable to move forward, transfixed in a stupor of loneliness and despair in a world that seems closed off. That is until he installs a new intelligent and aware operating system, which names itself Samantha. Theodore finds that he has a real connection and affection for Samantha, and even thinks he might be falling in love with her. But is it just another excuse for him to continue to isolate himself from what is happening outside in the world of actual physical people? The film is set in Los Angeles in the near future.

The concept behind Her is a bit weird – a man who falls in love with his OS. But writer-director Spike Jonze wins the audience over by making his lead character Theodore very relatable and by using the concept as a way to explore the transformation of modern culture, including modern relationships. That is not to say that the film does not exhibit very quirky moments and characters, as it does – because, after all, it is still a film by Jonze, a champion of the aesthetically interesting and conceptually strange.

The look of the film is fantastic. Things more or less feel similar to today, just a bit more compartmentalized with LA (doubled at times by Shanghai’s Pudong district) looking more congested (if that is possible) and featuring a lot more towers, interesting architecture, and more colorful displays and lights (LA becoming more like an Asian metropolis similar to Pudong or Tokyo).  People are often alone in the film, engaged with their electronic devices. Yet there are still people conversing with other people in public as well; it is not a society that has completely become modular, but it certainly seems to be trending that way.

With the advent of this new advanced intelligence and awareness in the OS, people find that they can have full experiences (be it friendship or on a deeper emotional level) without interacting with real people. It is a logical next step in a culture that hires third parties to compose personal correspondence for them (the job Theodore has – he writes letters for people), a culture that is constantly online, whose main method of communication involves technology, a culture that is not too far removed from our own. Already, we interact socially online to such an extent that real life contact is seemingly becoming a secondary activity, reserved only for specific occasions and activities or a particular few people. We are content to communicate via technology, often without the experience of actual human interaction (i.e. sending text messages instead of physically talking to someone in person or on the phone). Convenience has become paramount, overshadowing other forms of interaction. Isolation is also in many ways easier and less stressful. There are so many expectations when one ventures into the world. Isolation and technology offer a protective shield.

Thus, in our world, our culture is it not impossible to believe that the next step involves people engaging in meaningful relationships with objects that emulate human emotion and for all intents and purposes can imitate to the full extent possible the same experience that people can have relationship wise through technology (i.e. conversations via phone, text, email, et al.). If this is possible, what is the difference between engaging emotionally with a real person and software if the interaction is the same? In this way, Jonze makes Her and Theodore’s relationship with Samantha feel real and emotionally vital. This scenario, while maybe conceptually strange, is in fact very believable in context; plus, the audience actually cares about not only Theodore but also Samantha. She might as well be real because her personality and emotions sure seem to be.

And yet, Jonze seems to be making a clear statement with the film that we as a culture have become too dependent on technology as a means of social interaction. The film is completely respectful to Samantha, treating her as an entity just as entitled to existence as Theodore, but it seems to have an overall negative opinion of humanity allowing society to become a grouping of isolated individuals who purposely cut themselves off from the physical social world. Jonze does not like that print is dead. That physical music (like records) is a novelty. That a beach crowded with people actually features very few people who are in large to moderate social groups. He does not like that we all walk around glued to our phones or with earbuds thereby closing ourselves off from those around us. In this way, the film is actually really sad.

Theodore is extremely lonely, almost cripplingly so. He is so affected by his breakup with Catherine (his wife) that he just cannot imagine jumping into another real physical relationship. There is a gloomy cloud that follows him around (despite his rather bright wardrobe choices). He is just a sad individual, and to some extent has every right to be.  It is difficult to lose what you believe is everything you ever wanted, to lose the person you thought was everything you needed. In this way, Theodore is very relatable for the audience. We have all been there (to varying degrees). Heartbreak is a powerful emotional experience, one that often holds us back. We can recognize ourselves in Theodore – his sadness, his loneliness, his guarded hope that maybe one day he will be happy again, and his fear of being hurt again. Samantha too engages us. She too wins us over with her spunkiness and charm, her wonder, joy, and excitement for life. It is infectious, because for us life has become mundane and tedious (maybe not all the time, but enough that we are drawn in by visceral passion).

But, Jonze’s argument against what our culture has becomes starts to become more and more apparent as Theodore’s relationship with Samantha develops and changes. Humans need physical interaction. It is a vital part of our ability to experience life and emotions fully. We are so lonely and life has become so tedious because this physical interaction (and not just random meaningless sex) is a necessary component and it is missing. We need to experience the world and not just look at pictures; we need to have things in our hands to fully engage in the experience (be it reading an actual book, playing an actual sport or game, taking the record out of its sleeve and putting on the player) rather than just looking at the same screen all day. We need to do these activities with other people who are there in person and not just avatars online, because at that point does it even matter if they are real or not.

Her works because it is touching and emotionally captivating, and to some extent a rallying call to get out there and live our lives. We care about these characters and see ourselves in them (our own hopes, dreams, insecurities, and pain). And on top of all that, Jonze presents a world that is vibrant with aesthetically alluring sights and sounds. The film is a masterwork of style, narrative, and emotional resonance.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Spike Jonze is known for his catalogue of great and interesting music videos (including The Breeders’ Cannonball, Weezer’s Buddy Holly, the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage, Fatboy Slim’s Weapon of Choice, and Kanye West’s Flashing Lights). Jonze has also made some of the most creatively striking and eccentric commercial films. His first two, collaborating with writer Charlie Kaufman, are both great: Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. His third was the uneven adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are. While aesthetically quite good, it just does not work once Max is immersed in his imaginary world where base emotions rule. With Her, Jonze has made his best film to date. It is just as aesthetically dynamic and interesting as anything he has made, but where it really succeeds is in its ability to capture and really speak to both the plague of social technology that is actually making mankind antisocial and the emotional consequences that have arisen as a result (chiefly an unshakable collective loneliness). I also really like Jonze’s creative imagining of Theodore’s interaction with others (both human and software) online. The sex chat room scene is hilarious and the Alien Child in the game is equally hysterical. Despite the film having a deep sadness to it, I enjoy that Jonze still infuses it with humor and a sense of hope for the future.

Across the board the film is among this year’s best aesthetically speaking. Arcade Fire’s (working with Owen Pallett and Karen O as well) score is fantastic. It perfectly captures the emotional tone of the film, while also fitting the stylistic look as well. Hoyte Van Hoytema’s cinematography is exceptional. The colors are radiant, yet the sky seems to have solemn tone (probably because both LA and Shanghai have a ton of pollution that sort of just hangs in the air) creating a striking juxtaposition.  K.K. Barrett’s production design is really the standout technical achievement, however. His work too is mostly features a very subdued color pallet, which allows Theodore to really pop (with his red shirts). The overall set design is phenomenal as well (I wish Theodore’s flat was my own). The whole look feels very artistic and specific to the narrative and tone.

The cast too is wonderful. Portia Doubleday, Kristen Wiig (in a voice-role), and especially Olivia Wilde are great in small supporting roles. Chris Pratt is also fantastic and hilarious in a small supporting role. He just brings so much energy and charisma even with a tiny amount of screen time. The same can be said for Rooney Mara. She is mesmerizing as Catherine, even though she is mostly featured in flashbacks and has little screen time. She is able to convey so much in so little time, and her work is paramount to fully understanding Theodore. She is brilliant. Amy Adams just seems to be a chameleon this year. From her work in Man of Steel and American Hustle to her work in this, she plays completely different, yet all engaging, characters. Here, she plays Theodore’s friend Amy, a game designer who (of course) is a little quirky but feels alive and vital (she is not just the typical pixie dream girl). She is Theodore’s connection to humanity. Scarlett Johansson voices Samantha, giving her so much life and substance that the audience completely forgets that she is nothing more than hyper intelligent software – she is alive as far as the audience (and Theodore) is concerned. It is quite a feat considering that she gave her whole performance in a vocal booth without the interaction of the other actors. Joaquin Phoenix too is excellent as Theodore. He is able to emote so much, the audience can feel everything he feels. He is also able to make Theodore a complex character. He is primarily sad and lonely, but there is much more going on as he struggles with past scares/joys and future hopes/fears. It is among 2013’s best leading performances.

Summary & score: Her is a romance unlike any other conceptually, but through the skill of Spike Jonze and his cast it is able to perfectly capture the modern human condition in our culture of social isolation. 9/10

Don Jon (2013) – Review

Review: Don Jon is a raunchy, funny, and at times sweet romantic comedy, all while addressing the problems facing modern relationships. The film is about Jon, a New Jersey native who finds more of a connection with the women in porn than he does with real women he brings home. Hoping to find more meaning in life, Jon decided to engage in an actual relationship instead of just meaningless sex. During the course of this relationship, Jon begins to change learning something deep and meaningful about himself.

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who also stars in the film, makes his writing/directing feature debut with Don Jon. And like many first-time young directors, he brings a pop-art style to the film that takes bits and pieces of other filmmakers’ work (or cool aesthetic moments from other films) and amalgamates them into a scattered filmmaking style where aesthetic decisions are made chiefly because they look cool instead of serving the narrative. Here, the editing and camera placement is very flashy compared to the standard Hollywood-style most films are made with, and it is a bit more ambitious than what can be called ‘indie style’. It plays a role in the comedic and emotional impact of the film directly engaging the audience. But, it is a dangerous game. If the viewer does not like the style, which to some extent feels amateurish (a scrambling of other directors’ ideas projected onto this film), then the message that this film purports will be lost as the style will take all the attention. The style is cool and fun (and maybe even hip), but it also can be distracting, as it gets in the way of the film really creating a significant connection with the audience. However, Gordon-Levitt does seem to find a balance between style and narrative. As the film progresses, the performances seem to take over focus (much to the benefit of the film as a whole).

What Gordon-Levitt does that is very interesting is his complete commitment to the repetitive visual images than make up Jon’s life. The audience is constantly shown the same routine over and over, playing into the monotonous and seemingly unfulfilling life that Jon leads. His routine seems to be a distraction from his emotions, allowing him to just cruise through life without deeper meaning, which also plays into why he finds something in porn more so than empty sex. His imagination is able to fill in the emotional gaps and desires that one-night stands can never hope to fulfill. Thus, as Jon starts to actually find meaning in his life, the routine begins to fade away and the audience is easily able to pick up on the change because the visual images of the routine are so ingrained that any deviation is immediately noticed – and even more so: impactful.

Gordon-Levitt does this with his characters too, especially Jon’s family. They are presented in very much the same manner each time the audience sees them. Once Jon undergoes his change, his family too starts to have moments that break their typical character and visual routines as well. This is a very smart way to interact with an audience, as again the changes are very perceptible once the routine is broken and the audience perks up and feels more engaged in the narrative.

The narrative itself is nothing new. Jon is basically the epitome of ‘male’. He is handsome, works out, has a muscle car, and has lots of success with many women. But Gordon-Levitt takes this character, which superficially is desirable to many, and subverts him, showcasing just how unhappy and pointless his life really is in that he leads a life without meaning. His addiction to porn is in some ways just a shock-value grab for the audience. It is the hook to reel in the viewer initially, but it is not really the main focus of the narrative: that of a man who finally allows himself to be vulnerable and not be so ‘male’, which is fairly tried-and-true in romantic comedies.

But, then again, the porn addiction is an interesting aspect as well. Don Jon can be taken as a much lighter version of Shame (which deals with sex addiction). Porn can be substituted for anything that allows one to escape the reality of life, pushing down and hiding the pain or absence of meaning. In Don Jon, Gordon-Levitt asks his audience to leave the film ready to escape the dreariness and sameness of their own lives and embrace change, new things, and above all real emotions and experiences that will bring light to their souls, as that is where true happiness lies.

At its core, Don Jon is a deconstruction of the modern romantic comedy. Jon’s relationship with Barbara (to some degree) resembles the superficial coupling of two people in rom-coms: two beautiful people who have some obstacles but eventually come together and everything is happilyeverafter. But, audiences never see what happens after the couple comes together, as that is usually the end of most rom-coms. Here, Jon and Barbara find that they really both do not understand how to be in a relationship and are certainly not right for each other. For Jon, this is another step in his growth and for Gordon-Levitt it is a way to take a shot at the fantasy that is the romantic comedy genre.

Overall, the grand narrative ambitions for the film are quite extensive for a new filmmaker and Gordon-Levitt executes his premise with skill. That said, on top of the style being a bit distracting the greater narrative structural problem that Gordon-Levitt faces is that his film drags noticeably in the second half. Jon has sort of a soul-searching episode, which while narratively necessary does somewhat derail the forward momentum of the pacing. The pop-art style of the editing has a brisk pace that is also very vibrant for most of the film, and then suddenly the tone is softer and editing becomes much slower, losing the audience. A lot of the comedy also is lost during this shift. The film begins to feel far less entertaining during this portion, as the tone previously dictated that the film was mainly a comedy thus setting an expectation for the audience. When the tone switches to a much more dramatic one, this compounds the effect of the slower pacing, which in turn leaves the audience feeling bored as they wait for the comedy to return.

As it is, Don Jon is a fun and interesting look at modern relationships and addiction. The performances and ambitiousness of its narrative are endearing, but the film’s pacing issues and inelegant style do hold it back. Fans of the romantic comedy genre may find the film a nice change of pace however, as it takes many of the genre’s troupes and turns them on their head.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Joseph Gordon-Levitt has delivered a good debut feature film with Don Jon. The pop-art style he employs is something very common among new younger filmmakers (as I said above) and in all likeliness he will find his own style as he makes more films. What is more exciting about him as a filmmaker is the thoughtfulness of his narrative. At face value, it is just about a man looking for ‘real’ love, but underneath the deeper meaning explores many true setbacks of modern life (i.e. living in a monotonous bubble of routine) while also exposing the failures of the romantic comedy as a genre (something The Five-Year Engagement also does well). I look forward to his future filmmaking endeavors.

Composer Nathan Johnson’s score seems to be lost for most of the film, hidden behind the fun soundtrack and constant splattering of imagery (porn and other pop-culture references). However, when the narrative starts to become more character driven and the performances begin to take primary focus away from the aesthetic style of the film, the score starts to play a bigger role reinforcing the dramatic beats of the film. Thomas Kloss’s cinematography is fairly straightforward. However, the camera placement in the film is often intriguing as it is often different than where the camera would typically be placed in most films. Meghan C. Rogers’s production design is maybe the most compelling of the major artistic collaborations. Her work presents a seemingly very sterile world for Jon to inhabit, which plays wonderfully into his routine-dictated life.

The film at first seems to by style driven, but Gordon-Levitt realizes that at its heart this is a character driven film and thus shifts focus to the performances during the second act. Jeremy Luke and Rob Brown are very funny in small supporting roles, while Glenne Headly and Brie Larson (who plays this film’s Silent Bob) add a lot without much screen time. Larson especially has some great stuff. Tony Danza is a scene-stealer. He has so much energy that the audience cannot help but be drawn to him. Julianne Moore is good as Jon’s down-to-Earth friend Esther who plays as a great juxtaposition to Barbara. Scarlett Johansson is fantastic as Barbara, who she plays as a very Housewives of New Jersey/Jersey Shore woman. She is stunning yes, but also very controlling and shallow. Joseph Gordon-Levitt does not immediately strike one as a typical Jersey meat-head, which is basically the role he is playing. But, there is more to Jon than just the stereotypes. He actually craves more from life, which is why he tries to change his life. Gordon-Levitt does a good job bringing the character’s emotional journey to life.

Summary & score: Don Jon has a lot to offer. It is thought-provoking, while still being funny and dramatically engaging. It is a fine directorial debut for Joseph Gordon-Levitt. 7/10

The Avengers (2012) – Review

Review: The Avengers is a brilliant action adventure film, chock-full of huge action set pieces, witty dialog, funny moments, and great characters. The film is about Earth’s mightiest heroes (Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye) teaming up together to stop an alien invasion brought about by Loki. The Marvel Studios films have prized entertainment over everything, as they built up to The Avengers. Often, however, they left the audience wanting, as character and drama resonate more than just a fun experience. Writer-director Joss Whedon had a daunting task ahead of himself taking on a film with essentially six main characters, each requiring their own character moments. Whedon does a fantastic job balancing the mandate from Marvel for The Avengers to be highly entertaining and enormous in scale and getting the necessary drama and character moments for the many characters while keeping the film ever moving forward. The great achievement of this film is not so much the great action set pieces but rather Whedon’s ability to give every character enough to build a connection with the viewer. The audience understands the ethos of each character, and Whedon does this very economically (once it gets going, it never feels slow). There are stakes for the characters in this film, which makes their struggle all the more meaningful for the audience (though, at the same time, the fact that Marvel already has sequels set up for these characters somewhat diminishes the stakes as we all know they are going to make it through just fine and off onto their own films – we know there are no real mortal consequences for the main characters going in). Along with giving each character their moments to shine (dramatically and otherwise), Whedon also understands the dynamics between the characters, and the best scenes in the film come when these characters are onscreen together (both as a team and as bickering self-important egos). The film hits its stride (starting a bit slow) when these characters are put together (beginning with Captain America going after Loki and Iron Man showing up). He also gets each character individually, and worked with each actor to create wonderful dramatic characters and performances. Once the Avengers are all together, the film is just a lot of fun – both in terms of very well done action set pieces and hilarious dialog and other jokes (Hulk and Iron Man probably get the best material). Whedon’s sense of humor lends itself perfectly to this film. There are as many sheer moments of laughter as there are ‘wow’ moments. Structurally, Whedon sets the film up to play almost as a third act to the five prequels (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger). The characters are briefly reintroduced (though, most of the early characters moments were taken out of Whedon’s first cut as it came in at 3 hours), but Whedon assumes that the audience already knows who these characters are and proceeds accordingly, jumping right in. Plus, the film is so much fun and so entertaining, the narrative is really secondary, and even unimportant (because, really, all the audience wants is to see these characters interact and team up – and both these things happen – what they battle against is not important, only that we get to see them do it). Also, the narrative constantly builds towards the final battle, as the stakes seem very immediate. Whedon does a great job with the pacing for the most part. Again, the beginning gets off to a slow start (and maybe this is just because we cannot wait to see the Avengers all together), as characters are reintroduced and rounded up (playing a bit like a Muppet movie or a getting the band back together narrative); but once they are together, the pacing is brisk and efficient (at 142 minutes, the film seems to fly by). While The Avengers is not quite on the same level as Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins and The Dark Knight or Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 (the tier one of superhero films), it is just a level below (with X-Men: First Class), and easily the best of the Marvel Studios films. Entertainment over everything is again the mantra for The Avengers, but Whedon has also included enough character moments and resonance to create what will likely not only be the most entertaining film of the summer, but also one of the best.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Auteur Joss Whedon has long been a cult hero (since the days of his Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series), churning out beloved work but constantly struggling with reaching a larger audience (three of his four TV shows were cancelled, and his first feature Serenity grossed just $39.5 million worldwide). Now, with both the critical and box office success of The Avengers (opening to the biggest box office weekend ever to date), he can probably do whatever project he wants next (and that is a great thing for us all). His writing and directing on The Avengers is phenomenal work, capturing and managing all the characters perfectly. Composer Alan Silvestri’s (who also scored Captain America: The First Avenger) score accompanies and accentuates the scale of the film. It is already a huge film with grand action set pieces (Marvel apparently wanted this to be even bigger, scale wise, than Transformers: Dark of the Moon), but the score booms with heroic emphasis (here is an example). His work also captures the more emotional character moments as well – it is a very good film score. Seamus McGarvey’s cinematography is excellent. Again, the scale is enormous and McGarvey’s camera certainly is able to wonderfully present all the action. His work is very crisp and clean (keeping with the aesthetic set out in the first Iron Man film, and carried throughout the series). Amidst all the action, Whedon and McGarvey excel at still capturing the smaller moments too. Production designer James Chinlund does good work as well, upping the scale. Most of his sets are just big areas in which the Avengers get to play. Overall, aesthetically the film is great, but it is the performances and wonderful characters that make this a brilliant film. There are a lot of characters in The Avengers (6 Avengers, 3 S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Loki, and assorted other characters old and new from the Marvel Studios universe). Gwyneth Paltrow and Stellan Skarsgard are good in their small roles, while Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders and especially (and maybe surprisingly) Clark Gregg are very good in support. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is sort of an old school villain stylistically – always monologuing and strutting around. It is great fun. Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton (Hawkeye) is probably the least exuberant of the Avengers, and that is because he plays the character so well – very reclusive and removed. Unlike most female characters in action adventure films, Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) is never the damsel in distress, and is probably the most put together of any of the characters. She exudes confidence, not because she is a demigod or has super powers or super tech but because she knows exactly what she is capable of and how to approach any enemy or situation. It is a nice change of pace. Chris Hemsworth again owns Thor. He is just rippling with ego and entitlement, but also heart. Mark Ruffalo, working with Whedon, finally gets the Hulk right. He is not just a mindless animal, but the epitome of human rage. Chris Evans as Cap and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man serve as sort of the leads in the film. Steve Rodgers take up the mantle of the leader of the Avengers while Tony Stark steals most of the scenes and is completely charismatic, but dramatically they need each other to grow. Downey Jr. is Stark utterly, and is fabulous; but it is Evans that gives the more subtle and maybe better performance.

Summary & score: The Avengers probably should have never worked (just too many lead characters crammed into one narrative), but under the caring craftsmanship of Joss Whedon it is not only extremely entertaining but also a superb film. 9/10

Movie of the Week - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

This week’s movie is Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008).

The comedy is about two best friends Vicky and Cristina who travel to Barcelona for the summer, each with their own ideas about relationships and love. Those ideas and what they want for their lives are called into question when they meet a handsome painter Juan Antonio, who takes an interest in both of them. The film is written and directed by Woody Allen (and is the final entry in his so-called Scarlett Johansson trilogy, with Match Point and Scoop). Allen’s dialogue, characters and scenes are fabulous and among his best. Working on the film with Allen are Spanish cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe and production designer Alain Bainee (both new to Allen’s films).  Their work gives the film a wonderful immersive aesthetic, especially the brilliant shot composition and use of light and locations. There is a beautiful look to the film with messy relationships occupying space in the grand setting – much like the work of the artists in the film. Allen always uses found music to score his films. Here, he uses Spanish guitar music and the song Barcelona to great effect. The cast in the film is excellent – Johansson and Rebecca Hall star (as Cristina and Vicky respectively), while Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz (for which she won an Oscar) co-star. There are also great supporting parts from Patricia Clarkson and Chris Messina, and tying it together is the playful narration of Christopher Evan Welch. The film is a must for fans of Johansson, Hall, Bardem and/or Cruz, and well as Woody Allen fans. His work in Europe (for the most part) continues to be very good (as can be seen with his recent film Midnight in Paris). As one of my favorite films of 2008, I love the dialog and dynamic between the characters. Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming, and to Rent

Movie of the Week - The Prestige

This week’s movie is The Prestige (2006).

The drama mystery based on the novel by Christopher Priest is about two feuding magicians, Alfred Borden and Robert Angier – their rivalry extents past just who is the better illusionist but into an obsession. Each must to not only be more prominent but also to destroy the other, which has lasting and devastating consequences for both men. The film is directed by Christopher Nolan, who utilizes his frequent collaborators (composer David Julyan, cinematographer Wally Pfister, editor Lee Smith, and production designer Nathan Crowley) to craft an excellent narrative both tonally and stylistically. The film also has a fantastic cast with superb leading performances from Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, and fine supporting work from Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Piper Perabo, and Roger Rees. What makes the film great is Nolan’s narrative structure – the film is about magicians and magic tricks, and the film itself is a magic trick in a sense (the opening line is “Are you watching closely?”). It is also a period drama, but feels modern and unlike any Victorian era piece. Bale and Jackman are also in top form, anything less would have hurt this film’s ability to draw the viewer in to the extent that it does. While it tells you to pay attention and watch closely, and explains how tricks work, it is still able to pull one over on the audience. It is just a brilliant film and a must see. Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD and to Rent