The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) – Review

Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a fun epic adventure; but like An Unexpected Journey, it is probably overlong and overstuffed for casual fans. The film finds Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin, and the other dwarves on their journey to reclaim their home from the powerful dragon Smaug. However, just getting to the Lonely Mountain is a trial onto itself. The company is being hunted by a pack of Orcs, not to mention that they must travel through unfriendly Elfish territory. And worst of all, the mighty dragon Smaug awaits them.

Much like An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug is a film filled to the brim with characters and subplots. For the casual movie-going fan, it is probably all a bit too much – on top of the massive action set pieces, which while fun are also probably largely unneeded to the extent that they exist presently. As is, The Desolation of Smaug is a film so packed (as to appeal specifically to fans of the film universe, made by maybe its biggest fan Peter Jackson) that it may all feel a bit overwhelming.

And yet, the film gets more to the heart of the narrative – the reason why Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin and the rest have all embarked on their quest, which inherently makes the film more interesting. Plus, Jackson does a good job exploring some of the other characters a bit more – as really Bilbo is not the clear lead in this film (at least not all the time). Gandalf goes off on his own to investigate the rumor of a dark sorcerer, Thorin’s motivations for wanting to return to the Lonely Mountain are fleshed out to a greater extent, Bilbo feels like more of a member of the group than an outsider, and the Elves play a part too (seeing fan-favorite Legolas return).

This all builds up to a great confrontation between Bilbo (and later Thorin, et al.) and Smaug. Jackson does a magnificent job with the dragon, both visually and tonally. Smaug commands the screen, which is everything one could want for a film’s main draw and climatic character. Smaug alone is enough to make this film successful, on top of the great characters and fun action.

Jackson does a good job as well balancing all the action, the excitement, the drama, and the character moments. Each has their place and time – though, again, some of the action scenes probably go on a bit too long. But, if nothing else, the film is very entertaining and visually stunning, which should be enough to hold casual fans’ attention (despite the film probably feeling long to them).

However, there are a few issues that continue to persist in this series. As mentioned, the film is too grandiose for the casual fan, and as it is now probably would have been better suited for the Extended Edition. And, because the simple narrative has been stretched into three films (though all the added story elements and subplots are great for people who love the world and characters), what would have been small action beats have been blown up into superfluously massive set pieces that seem to go on and on (because, what would a big epic adventure film be without its huge action scenes?). To his credit however, Jackson does make these unnecessarily grand scenes a lot of fun even so (like the barrel escape scene).

Another issue, arising partially due to the nature of this series being a prequel and everyone knowing that most of these characters make it through the end and thus are never really in any danger, is that the film just does not have real stakes for the audience. Yes, the audience to some extent cares about the characters, but there is never a sense of real suspense. Jackson presents these characters without a true sense of mortality. They feel like cartoon heroes, invulnerable to any and everything. And thus, there is no tension, suspense, or stakes for the audience – which really is what keeps this film from being great.

Even in the writing, stakes and suspense are diminished. For example, in the second half the audience is told that the only way to kill Smaug is with a black arrow, and then we are shown that there is one last black arrow in the laketown under the mountain – thus, the audience is told what will happen narratively. And yet, the dwarves undertake this big plan to kill Smaug by other means within the mountain. This big action scene exists to give the film a stronger sense of structure as this sequence ends the film, but emotionally it is vapid because the audience already knows that it will not succeed before it even takes place. Thus, these big action scenes play as purely spectacle without emotional resonance (which is too bad). In the end, it does not accomplish its goal narratively all to well either, as by the nature of the story, the film still ends feeling very unresolved (because there really is not a good stopping point).

Still, all that said, the film is a lot fun and very entertaining, especially for fans of The Lord of the Rings film universe (which I am). It is clear that Jackson too loves this world and has set out to make an expansive narrative with as much Middle Earth stuff as possible, and to this he has succeeded brilliantly. I think fans will enjoy the film and love many aspects of it (like Smaug), but I am not sure the same is true for those casual moviegoers who just want to see a big Hollywood adventure epic.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Peter Jackson continues to showcase his visual talent for making grand epic films. Like An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug is not as good as any of The Lord of the Rings films, but really that is because it is plainly not as good a story (and we all already know what happens, having already seen The Lord of the Rings Trilogy). However, the film does set up There and Back Again to be one big adventure with a wonderful climatic battle or two. Likely, it will be the best and most satisfying of the trilogy.

The cast and crew are again all in top form. Composer Howard Shore’s music is fantastic as usual, while Andrew Lesnie’s cinematography is beautiful. I especially enjoyed how void of color his photography became when Gandalf went to find the Necromancer. Dan Hennah’s production design is fabulous as well. His talent really shines in the design of the big sets.

The acting continues to be very good as well. Stephen Fry and Orlando Bloom (returning to the franchise) have some great stuff in supporting roles, while Evangeline Lilly is wonderful as Tauriel (a warrior Elf who falls for Aidan Turner’s Killi). She brings a needed female presence to the action and dynamic of the film. What is also good about the potential relationship between Tauriel and Killi is that it gives the audience something to latch onto, relate to, and care about (something very much needed). Benedict Cumberbatch, voicing Smaug, however steals the film. His scenes opposite Martin Freeman’s Bilbo are easily the film’s best moments. Cumberbatch has such power in his voice. Freeman, also, is again phenomenal as Bilbo. He is quietly maybe the best part of the whole trilogy so far.

Summary & score: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a grand adventure epic made with love and affection for really only the diehards (fans that should enjoy it quite a lot, as I did), while everyone else will likely find it all a bit too much. 8/10

Movie of the Week – Read My Lips

This week’s movie: Read My Lips (2001).

Carla is an almost deaf office employee who is very good at lip-reading. She is lonely. One day, she is charged with hiring a new worker. She meets Paul, an ex-convict, and finds him strangely compelling. She hires him and the two become friends, but their relationship develops into something more. Suddenly, Carla finds herself working with Paul on a new criminal enterprise.

Read My Lips is the breakthrough film for French auteur Jacques Audiard, who also wrote and directed the fantastic films The Beat That My Heart Skipped, A Prophet, and Rust and Bone. He works with his frequent collaborators composer Alexandre Desplat and production designer Michel Barthelemy, while Mathieu Vadepied serves as the film’s director of photography.

The film stars Emmanuelle Devos and Vincent Cassel.

Read My Lips is a great thriller that also works as a twisted romantic tale. It is a starting point for those looking to check out one of France’s best filmmakers, as it showcases Audiard’s skill for matching performance with aesthetic visual style. His films have a great realism, dramatic emotion, and panache.

Trailer: Here

Available on: DVD and Video On-Demand

TV Series of the Month – Curb Your Enthusiasm

This month’s TV series: Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-2011).

The comedy series from HBO delves into the (fictional) life of television writer Larry David – his family life and career. However, most of his encounters quickly deviate into arguments about some opinion that Larry has, usually playing out for comedic effect.

The series is created by Larry David, who also co-created Seinfeld (and I would argue that this show is even better and funnier).

In addition to David, the series stars Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, and Susie Essman, as well as featuring tons of great guests (like: Richard Lewis, Bob Einstein, J.B. Smoove, Ted Danson, Vivica A. Fox, Wanda Sykes, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kaitlin Olson, Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Mary Steenburgen, Mel Brooks, Michael York, Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Richard Kind, Michael Richards, Ricky Gervais, and Michael J. Fox).

What is great about Curb Your Enthusiasm is that the entire series is unscripted (dialog wise). The actors use improvisation to create every scene and comedic bit, often resulting in very funny lines and material. The show is at its best when David finds himself in awkward situations, which is most of the time, as he is the master of mining the awkwardness for every bit of comedy. It is fantastic. This is a must-see for Seinfeld fans and those who like the work of Ricky Gervais, as David is certainly one of his big influences.

Trailer: Here

Available on: DVD and Video On-Demand

Childish Gambino – Because the Internet (2013) – Review

Review: Childish Gambino is back with his second studio album Because the Internet, following up his first Camp – an album that I really liked, but overall saw very mixed reactions. In between, Gambino also released a good mixtape with a few great songs called Royalty.

Because the Internet is highly ambitious musically, again showing off Donald Glover and Ludwig Goransson’s producing ability (something that also really shined on Camp). This album explores a lot of different sounds and rhythmic schemes to great effect. In this way, it does not sound like anything else in hip hop right now (which is a good thing). It is nice to see artists pushing the boundaries of the genre.

Thematically, Glover addresses the phenomenon of the internet in today’s culture – something he seems to have a somewhat negatively skewed perspective of, in that the internet allows for anonymous negativity towards artistic output and ambition on message boards, blogs and so on as well as proper online critical sites (this probably stemming from the harsh reviews his music has received by some, like Pitchfork) – how everything is very public and exploded by clicks-driven media (let us be honest, American media has become abysmal, far beyond embarrassing, just mean spirited, ill-informed, and completely uncaring – as if people ‘in the public’ are no longer human beings afforded the same rights as the rest of us; it is shameful). The album has a dark, angry feel and in many ways feels like a companion piece to Yeezus (a talented artist just fed up with the way the system works).

As a rapper, Glover is very talented. He nimbly navigates his beats with varying tones and flow styles. His voice at times sounds disinterested, as though what he is telling the listener are truths that they should already know, and he is forced to repeat himself over again because people are just not getting it, getting him. But, this is an aesthetic choice, to match his whole persona that he has developed during the year – that of a dejected, misunderstood artist. This choice is probably going to rub some fans and critics the wrong way, but the talent is undeniable.

I have said this in many other reviews of hip hop albums, but I like and respect the fact that Glover has delivered an album that primarily revolves around his own voice. There are no guest verses, with Chance The Rapper, Jhene Aiko, and Azealia Banks featuring in more backing roles. Too often hip hop albums, both good and bad, are overcrowded.

Because the Internet does not completely jump out at the listener with very catchy tracks like Camp did (the singles are good – songs like Crawl, Worldstar, Sweatpants, and 3005 – but the deep tracks are even better). However, it is one of the most ambitious and creative hip hop albums of the year – one very much worth checking out. 4/5

Essential Tracks:

1)     Life: The Biggest Troll (Andrew Auemheimer) – Produced by Donald Glover and Ludwig Goransson

2)     No Exit – Produced by Donald Glover and Ludwig Goransson

3)     Crawl – Produced by Donald Glover and Christian Rich

Available on: Digital Download

Movies Spotlight – December 2013 – The Coen Brothers

The Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan) are maybe the quintessence of the new breed of American auteur to emerge in the late 1980s through the 1990s; filmmakers that now command respect  and praise in American Cinema (filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, and David Fincher) among critics and filmgoers alike. They blend pop-culture sensibility with a great aesthetic style. The Coen Brothers do this maybe better than any other, as they tackle any and all genres. Their films, serious or hysterical, always employ fantastically written characters and engrossing narratives with a specifically unique style.

This month, their new film Inside LlewynDavis comes out. It is a love letter to the 1960s folk scene in Greenwich Village, starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, and Justin Timberlake. It looks to feature wonderful music from T-Bone Burnett and cinematography from Bruno Delbonnel. It is already an Oscar favorite and critical darling. Check out the trailer here.

Early Career:

Joel Coen attended New York University’s undergraduate film program, while Ethan studied philosophy at Princeton University. After college, Joel worked as a production assistant and film editor where he met Sam Raimi who was looking for an assistant editor for his first feature The Evil Dead. Raimi and Coen also appeared together in Spies Like Us (as guards outside at the drive-in movie). Raim next directed the Coen Brothers’ second produced screenplay Crimewave.

In 1984 with the help of Raimi to fund-raise, the Coen Brothers made their feature directorial debut with Blood Simple. Blending horror and film-noir genres, the film was an instant success among critics. It won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1985 Sundance Film Festival and Best Director and Best Male Lead (for M. Emmet Walsh) at the Independent Spirit Awards.

Next, the brothers wrote and directed the crime comedy Raising Arizona about an unlikely couple who steals a baby to raise as their own. It stars a wacky Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter. While Blood Simple more or less flew under the radar with most movie fans, Raising Arizona quickly became a cult comedy classic.

Strange But Wonderful Films:

The 1990s saw the Coen Brothers really find themselves as filmmakers, churning out what is probably their best set of films – films that are very different but all feel aesthetically and thematically ambitious, and a bit odd. First among them, the gangster genre film Miller’s Crossing, which is highly underrated and brilliantly written. I would argue that it is one of the best films of the decade.

Barton Fink was their next. It is about a critically acclaimed New York playwright who comes to California to write movies for the money, but finds that he is descending into Hell while in Hollywood. The film features a great performance by John Turturro, and is a nice wink by the Coens at Hollywood filmmaking. Nominated for three Oscars, Barton Fink won the 1991 Cannes Film Festival prize for Best Actor, Director, and Film (Palme d’Or).

Teaming up again with Sam Raimi (who co-wrote and served as the second unit director), the Coens next made The Hudsucker Proxy. It is a film that feels like a classic screwball comedy, with lots of great nostalgic throwbacks (like a fast-talking Jennifer Jason Leigh, as a nod to Rosalind Russell). While the film never seemed to resonate with moviegoers or critics at the time of its release, it has since found its audience and is much adored. It was their first Hollywood film, and viewed as an utter failure (losing lots of money). This was the film that really introduced by to them. I had seen Raising Arizona, but The Hudsucker Proxy struck me as something special made by skilled filmmakers. I have been a fan ever since.

For their next film, the Coen Brothers retreated back into more familiar thematic territory, again making a crime film (with a black comedy edge). Fargo was a critical and commercial success, introducing the filmmaking brothers to many new fans. It won two Oscars (while being nominated for seven, including Best Picture) for Best Writing and Best Actress (Frances McDormand – Joel’s wife). It also won the Cannes Film Festival prize for Best Director. The film caused some problems for the Academy Awards, however. Firstly, the film exclaims that it is based on a true story during its opening, but that is untrue. Thus, the Academy did not quite know whether it should be placed in the adapted or original screenplay category. Secondly, the Academy nominated Roderick Jaynes for Best Editing, but that is merely a pseudonym for the Coen Brothers, who edit most of their own films. To this day, Fargo is thought of as the Coens’ best film by many (though, I would argue their next film is).

Today, The Big Lebowski is a cult classic that has fully become a part of pop-culture (see the many reference in Veronica Mars for example). It is beloved by many fans that have probably never seen another Coen Brothers’ film (or even know who they are) and the fans of the directors who have been there for each film (I, myself, saw The Big Lebowski upon its release in 1998 while in Paris in an empty theater on the Champs-Elysees and immediately fell in love). When it came out, it played to mixed criticism and almost no box office receipts. However, Jeff Bridges’s The Dude is now an iconic character. It is one of my favorite comedies of all-time as it brilliantly blends almost absurdist comedy with a hard-boiled detective narrative.

With Some Hollywood Mixed In:

In Preston Sturges 1941 film Sullivan’s Travels, John Sullivan plans on making a film called O Brother, Where Art Thou? – the Coen Brothers make it a reality with their narrative loosely based on Homer’s Odyssey. The film opened to the Coen Brothers’ biggest box office debut at the time, but the film’s soundtrack featuring great bluegrass and old time music was an even greater success. The film’s music was created with the help of T-Bone Burnett and is credited by some as assisting in the resurgence in interest in American folk music – Burnett is again working with the Coens on their new film about folk music, Inside Llewyn Davis.

For their next film, the Coens decided to make a strange crime drama about a barber who blackmails his wife’s boss for money so that he can invest in dry cleaning – but it all goes wrong. The Man Who Wasn’t There features maybe the best black and white photography since films became universally color in the 1950s. Roger Deakins work is phenomenal. The film itself was almost unseen when it came out, but is secretly a fantastic movie.

Returning to more Hollywood fair, though still a little strange narratively and stylistically, the Coen Brothers then made what are probably their worst two films (and really the only two films that are not genuinely good). Intolerable Cruelty was meant as another throwback to screwball comedies of the 1940s, but it just never really works (though, there is a great scene that feels like a reference to Network). The Ladykillers saw the Coens go from meh to just straight up bad. Firstly, they remake one of the great comedies of British Cinema; and secondly, nothing in the film seems to work all that well – especially Tom Hanks who just goes way too big.

After taking a three year break, the Coen Brothers returned in 2007 with No Country for Old Men, a modern western that exhibited all the best qualities of their work: electric, well-written characters, stark violence, dark comedy, and wonderful aesthetics. It is a film that just grabs you from the start, winning four Oscars (while being nominated for an additional five) including Best Picture, Best Directors, Best Writing, and Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem). It is one of the best films of the decade.

Now once again in the acclaim of critics, and with a somewhat newfound following among mass audiences, the Coens decided to make a very strange comedy – Burn After Reading, mixing a spy thriller with black comedy. The film played to mixed reviews, but it is fairly hysterical. Every character is their worst self, ruled by idiocy. Its strangeness though did not immediately isolate fans, as it debuted at number one its opening weekend. But again with A Serious Man, the brothers seemed to continue to try and push away their newer Oscar-bandwagon fans with an even stranger story about a math teacher’s decent into madness.

However, in 2010, the Coen Brothers returned to the western genre with True Grit (a remake of the John Wayne Oscar-winning film). The film played to huge acclaim (garnering ten Oscar nominations including Best Picture, but winning zero) and their biggest box office numbers to date. The film features wonderful performances, and feels like a classic western – only slightly warped in the Coens’ style.

Collaborators:

Like many of the auteurs in cinema, the Coen Brothers work frequently with the same actors and crew members. Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Jon Polito, and John Turturro have all worked with them more than four times. Other notable actors that have worked with them more than once include: Bruce Campbell (appearing usually in cameo or very small roles), Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Richard Jenkins, and Billy Bob Thorton (the Coens also, oddly, produced Bad Santa).

Cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld shot their first three films (before becoming a director himself), while Roger Deakins has shot nine of their films. Composer Carter Burwell has scored fourteen of their films. Production designer Dennis Gassner designed six of their films, while Jess Gonchor has designed their last five.

Upcoming Projects:

The Coen Brothers provided the screenplay for the remake of the 1966 film Gambit. The new version directed by Michael Hoffman stars Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz. They are also rewriting director Angelina Jolie’s new war drama Unbroken. A TV series based on Fargo is in the works for 2014, which will involve the Coens as producers. They are also in talks to write a script for director George Clooney called Suburbicon. Finally, it is reported that they are working on a new musical comedy.

Career Highlights:

1)      Blood Simple. (1984) – writers, directors, producers (Blu-ray, Trailer)

2)      Raising Arizona (1987) – writers, directors, producers (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

3)      Miller’s Crossing (1990)* – writers, directors, producers (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

4)      Barton Fink (1991) – writers, directors, producers (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

5)      The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)* – writers, directors, producers (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

6)      Fargo (1996) – writers, directors, producers (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

7)      The Big Lebowski (1998)* – writers, directors, producers (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

8)      O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) – writers, directors, producers (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

9)      The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001) – writers, directors, producers (DVD, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

10)   No Country for Old Men (2007)* – writers, directors, producers (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

11)   Burn After Reading (2008) – writers, directors, producers (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

12)   A Serious Man (2009) – writers, directors, producers (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

13)   True Grit (2010)* – writers, directors, producers (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

Nebraska (2013) – Review

Review: Nebraska is a funny and heartfelt drama about a father and son. The film follows Woody Grant, an elderly man who has lost a bit of his mental capabilities, and his son David, who has just come out of a long-term relationship and is feeling vulnerable. Woody believes that he has won a million dollars and needs to go to Lincoln, Nebraska (900 some odd miles away from his home in Billings, Montana) to collect. It is a fantasy, but Woody truly believes it with every fiber of his being. David decides to give his father at least a few more days of happiness – of something to live for – and indulges his fantasy by taking him on a road trip to Lincoln, first stopping by his hometown of Hawthorne.

Director Alexander Payne has always been really good at finding humor in characters that feel overtly sad, and this is again true in Nebraska. Woody is seemingly content with his life and probably does not think about much anyway when he is first introduced. He is just confused by a sweepstakes letter he has received and thinks he has won the money. It is David who really comes across as the sadder of the two characters initially. David has a dead-end job, lives in a small apartment, and has just lost a girl who he was probably only with for companionship. He feels alone. David also has grudge against his father, something that has lingered since he was very young. He thinks his father is just a lousy drunk who lets people walk all over him. In a way, David is afraid of becoming like his father, which is why he resents him – but at the same time, David has a good heart and decides to help his father to make him happy, and probably to have some companionship when things seem a little bleak.

Payne takes these rather sad sack characters and presents them to the audience in both a very relatable and humorous manner. Despite Woody and David’s seeming ineptitude, the viewer can see themselves in the characters as well – as fears like loneliness and one’s legacy are universal. And yet, the viewer can just as easily laugh at these characters too. Payne presents them (and really the whole world of the film) as people that time has forgotten in a sense. This becomes especially true once Woody and David get to Hawthorne, a small rundown farming town. These characters just feel so foreign pitted against our modern world of hustle, bustle, and technology driven everything. They come off amusing because they feel so out of place (even though they fit perfectly in their surroundings).

For the first two acts of Nebraska, the film feels like a character piece, as David comes to better understand his father by seeing where he grew up and the people he was amongst. In a way it is revelatory for him. He had always sort of viewed his father as a drunken loser, but this road trip has revealed him as so much more – a man who was deeply affected by his service in the Korean War and a man who is generous to a fault. Payne uses all this to really set up a fantastic third act in which everything the film has been building towards pays-off in a very satisfying manner. Before the film finds its charm and warmth in the third act, one might even call it a satire (if they did not know Payne’s dramatic style), especially when juxtaposed to the modern social experience. But the film captures such sincerity in the third act that it is hard not to smile.

However, as good as the third act is, and as funny and touching as the film gets, a lot of the good is ultimately underwhelming because Payne does not structure the narrative efficiently enough when a story such as this needed to be much tighter. The pacing is very slow, especially in the first half of the film. Payne does do a good job with the characters, but to some extent loses the audience due to the narrative being overly long – with really the comedy being the film’s saving grace in keeping the audience engaged until the narrative really gets going in the second half.

Nebraska is dramatically compelling, as David’s relationship with his father is very relatable. Plus, Payne employs a sweet and comical tone to what otherwise might have been a depressing narrative. These elements make the film one of the better small dramedies of the year, but again the poor pacing and overall narrative structure hold it back a lot.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Alexander Payne has established himself among the elite filmmakers in America’s independent cinema. He is the master of the dramedy with films like Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt, Sideways, The Descendants, and now Nebraska. After maybe the biggest hit of his career with The Descendants, it seemed like a brave choice to make such a small drama, in black & white no less, but Nebraska feels very much aligned with his overall persona as a filmmaker and seems to elevate above its small(er) budget and relatively lesser known (and completely unknown) actors.

Composer Mark Orton delivers a score that seems to perfectly fit the laidback and somewhat goofy time-forgotten tone of the film. It works really well. Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael provides photography that with the work of production designer J. Dennis Washington grounds the film very much in reality. Nebraska visually feels a bit like a documentary, as if the film crew just accompanied these people on their journey. Having lived in Montana for a year, the great open spaces that Papamichael captures really speaks to the feel of the region, which becomes in its own way a character in the film as well. The locations set the mood, and this is thanks to the good work from Papamichael and Washington.

Payne directs his actors to give very naturalistic performances, again playing into the film feeling a bit like a documentary. Stacy Keach shows up as Woody’s old partner Ed Pegram and Keach plays right into his strength as an actor: being a bully. Bob Odenkirk is good in a small role as David’s more successful brother Ross. What Odenkirk does so well despite limited screen time is give his character an undercurrent of sadness, like not everything is as good as it might appear from the outside. June Squibb plays Woody’s spirited wife and almost steals the film. She is fantastically lively and commands the screen. Will Forte gives the best performance of his career so far as David (a role most seem to classify as supporting, but it feels much more like the film’s lead). Like many comedians before him, he does a good job with the comedy masking underlying sadness. But what really stands out about Forte’s performance is his inner strength and warmth. Bruce Dern is great as Woody, completely becoming the character. He is so good at balancing a character who is just sort of lost (in life and mentally) and a man who is looking for his life to mean something as he faces death. He is touching and very funny.

Summary & score: Nebraska is a good little dramedy that succeeds on the strength of its father-son relationship narrative. 7/10

Movie of the Week – Sweet Smell of Success

This week’s movie: Sweet Smell of Success (1957).

J.J. Hunsecker is Broadway’s most powerful columnist, using unethical and unscrupulous means to keep and enforce his influence. And yet, Hunsecker has a problem. His sister is engaged in a romance with a jazz musician whom he does not approve. To break them up, he employs press agent Sidney Falco – a man just as ruthless as he.

Writer-director Alexander Mackendrick is one of the most talented filmmakers to ever emerge from Scotland’s film studies (and British film industry). He is often overlooked in film history, but Sweet Smell of Success is his masterpiece (and one of the best films of the 20^th Century). Mackendrick also directed Whisky Galore, The Man in the White Suit, and The Ladykillers. He worked with composer Elmer Bernstein (one of the best), cinematographer James Wong Howe (whose film-noir photography in the film is exquisite), and production designer Edward Carrere on the film.

The film is built on its two brilliant leading performances. Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis are just so charismatically ghoulish – it is fantastic. Susan Harrison features in support.

Sweet Smell of Success is probably one of the best films you have never heard of blending the style of film-noir with a narrative that does not immediately seem like it lends itself to the genre. Yet, Falco takes on the role of the private eye and Hunsecker the villainous mastermind behind the scenes. The film inhabits a cruel, dirty, and treacherous world – one that is just utterly compelling. This is a must-see for fans of the film-noir genre.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray

Frozen (2013) – Review

Review: Frozen is a Disney film that feels both classic and modern. The film is about two sisters, Anna and Elsa. As children they were very close, but after an accident involving Elsa’s magical ability Elsa is hidden away by her parents and the two are forced to grow up isolated from one and other and the world. Their parents die tragically, leaving the girls alone. Years pass until Elsa is of age to ascend to her role as Queen. The gates of the palace are finally opened for the ceremony. Anna is so excited to finally be allowed into the world, while Elsa fears that her abilities (which she views as a curse) will be uncovered. Leading up to the proceedings, Anna meets Hans, a charming Prince, and they fall in love immediately. At the evening ball following Elsa’s coronation, Anna and Hans ask Elsa for her blessing, but she is unconvinced by their sudden engagement and denies the marriage. This upsets Anna who loses her tempter with Elsa, pestering her why she does not believe in love and why she had abandoned her so many years ago. All this emotion gets to Elsa and she cannot control her magic, sending the seaside town into a deep frozen winter (when it really the middle of summer). Elsa is proclaimed a monster and she flees up into the mountains. Anna decides to go after her, leaving Hans to look after the kingdom. Anna needs help however to brave the harsh conditions and enlists Kristoff and his trusted reindeer Sven to aid her in traversing the mountain. She also meets Olaf, a snowman come to life. It is up to Anna to talk to her sister and restore summer to the land.

With Frozen, writer-directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee have brought back what very much feels like the classic Disney style to their animated films. The film succeeds on its great blending of comedy, adventure, romance, drama, and involving musical numbers. More so than any of the relatively new-founded Walt Disney Animation Studios’ films (which began with Bolt in 2008), Frozen matches the grand style of Disney’s best work (of the late 1980s/early 1990s: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King) using big musical numbers to really sell the emotions of the narrative and characters.

But on top of the classic style, Frozen also feels very modern and presents Disney’s first truly feminist character and narrative (if you are willing to dismiss both Anna and Elsa’s body shape, as they look like Barbies). Like many of the Princess narratives, this too involves a romance plot, but unlike the rest it is the secondary narrative, as Frozen is mostly a story about sisterhood. In many ways Frozen takes on many of the genre stereotypes and has fun with them, turning them on their head. Most noticeably is it treatment of the concept of ‘true love’. It is extremely refreshing to see a Disney heroine who truly does not need a man to save the day, and is strong all on her own – that is true of both Anna and Elsa. Kristoff and Hans are also used interestingly in the narrative, playing with the concept of ‘Prince Charming’.

Buck and Lee do a great job with the overall narrative structure as well. The film is paced very well, with each scene building on the last. I particularly like the act one prologue, showcasing Anna and Elsa as children. It is touching, funny, and ultimately very sad. It brilliantly pulls the audience into the story and allows them to embrace the characters. Buck and Lee also structure the film almost as a Broadway style musical, with big emotional moments told through song, while still keeping the lyrics fresh, modern, and conversational. Let It Go is a showstopping number that is a level above any recent Disney musical moment. The rest of the songs are strong as well. In fact, Frozen is one of the best musicals of this decade so far (if not the best).

The film is not without faults however. There are a few issues that do detract in minor ways. Chiefly, the film’s sense of humor in moments is really goofy and tonally awkward in that there are moments that do not fit the rest of the film. For example, the Duke is one of the film’s serious villains and yet he randomly behaves in a very silly/slap stick manner, almost seemingly to garner giggles from small children. Tonally, the character just does not work because these brief goofy moments do not match the rest of his character. There are few other moments that just seem out of place comically as well (involving the trolls and Olaf – but he is played with the perfect blending of creepy, sweetness, and wonder that his overall strangeness is forgiven).

Other issue arises from the rather weak romantic development between Anna and her romantic attachments. But really, this comes from the narrative focusing more on the bond between Anna and Elsa than the prospect of true love between Anna and her suitors, so this issue is easy to overlook.

Visually, Frozen is very impressive. It is maybe Walt Disney Animation Studios’ most ambitious undertaking visually so far, and it really comes off well. The film is a treat to behold. The animation and character design works well, but it is the overall production design that takes center stage. It is great work.

Frozen very likely could have been a big mess, as it is surprisingly ambitious in every aspect. Buck and Lee try to do so much with the film. It is both a return to Disney’s classic style and very modern, bringing the classic style to a new generation. It produces big musical numbers that are vital to the plot and emotional arcs of the characters, but keeps everything feeling relatable and fresh. The characters themselves feel this way too. They are modeled to be similar to classic characters, adding to Disney’s Princesses line, but feel modern (something that worked well in Tangled as well). The comedy is very broad, almost touching on every kind of joke, pratfall, and style – to varying levels of success. And yet, everything comes together extremely well. Frozen is one of the great Disney adventures.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee have both worked their way up through the ranks at Disney. Frozen is their breakthrough moment. Buck comes from an animation background, which seems to have paid off in the impressive visual look of the film, while Lee has shown herself to be a strong writer (having also written Wreck-It Ralph).

For Walt Disney Animation Studios, this is also an achievement. Disney’s animation wing was reborn in 2008 with John Lasseter of Pixar taking over. The studio’s first film was the safe bet adventure comedy Bolt which they followed up with The Princess and the Frog, seeing the studio’s first attempt to revive Disney’s classic Princess style, but both films just do not work despite some great moments. Disney’s animated films proving to still be far behind Pixar story and character wise. With Tangled, however, they had a hit commercially and critically, producing one of Disney’s best films (and one of the funniest). Winnie the Pooh saw sort of a return to Disney’s more young-children oriented films, but it still has enough of an appeal and quality to work for adults as well. And then with Wreck-It Ralph, Disney showed that it was not afraid to go big with its story ideas. Now with Frozen, it seems as if the studio has found a winning formula, and is again making films with great characters, stories, and music. Honestly, with Pixar’s dip in quality in their recent output (particularly Cars 2 and Monster’s University), Disney is probably on the same level now (and may have even surpassed them, if only for the moment).

The music in Frozen is great. It does a wonderful job of feeling classic and new all at the same time. This is due to the great music and lyrics from Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Composer Christophe Beck also delivers one of his best scores.

Another aspect that works very well is that the voice-actors who play the characters have musical backgrounds (for the most part). Ciaran Hinds and Alan Tudyk seem somewhat out of place in their vocal performances for characters that feel weird in this narrative. Tudyk (who I normally really enjoy) just plays the Duke with tonal disregard. Santino Fontana is good as Hans. He comes off very charming, perfectly inhabiting the stereotype of a ‘Prince Charming’-like character. Josh Gad is fantastic as Olaf. He plays up the awkwardness of the character, which really works well comically. Gad owns all the film’s best jokes. Jonathan Groff is a very strong singer, and while he does not have the best numbers to work with, he still emerges with some great stuff. His Kristoff, much like Anna, succeeds on his being uncomfortable in certain situations (basically, being around Anna). Groff plays him as being very sweet. Idina Menzel in many ways steals the film with her powerful voice. Let It Go is a great number, as is For the First Time in Forever. She really captures the pain and struggle of Elsa in these songs. Kristen Bell is probably the film’s best surprise. She is wonderful as Anna. She brings her great zest and spunk to the character and her singing is very good as well. She has such an inviting voice that the audience cannot help but be drawn in. Her voice-work/performance in Frozen is the best of her film career so far (in any role, animated or not).

Summary & score: Frozen (building off Tangled) reestablishes Disney as an animation powerhouse with a fantastic new adventure. 8/10