Small Moments In a Big Film: "Inception"

I watched “Inception” again today, for what I think was the fourth time. It’s a big movie filled with big moments – the “dream is collapsing” sequence at the beginning; the “world is turning” fight between Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the two security guards in the second-level dream as the van cascades down a hillside in the first-level dream; the juxtaposition between the three dream levels as the van descends into the water in the first level, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt attempts to “drop” his subjects in a zero-gravity world in the second level, and an avalanche careens down the mountain in the third; the wonderful sequence where Ellen Page escapes from limbo by throwing herself out a high-rise window and then makes her way up through the three levels of dreams…there are more than that, but those are notable for their sheer audacity alone.

But there are also some wonderful “small” moments in the film – two in particular stand out. One is where Cillian Murphy clasps his dying father’s (Pete Postlethwaite) hand as he opens the safe and sees what is inside; and the second is where Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) holds Mal (Marion Cotillard) and explains to her that they really did grow old together, and then finally lets her go. There are others sprinkled throughout “Inception,” and they lend the film its emotional resonance – Gordon-Levitt giving Ariadne a kiss, the way that Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hardy are always needling each other; and the great penultimate sequence where all those on the flight are gathering their luggage and give each other a sly, knowing look.

Great stuff; great movie.

Oscar Predictions!

I can't say that I have a ton of confidence in these picks, but I'm sticking with them.

Best Picture: The Social Network
Best Director: David Fincher for The Social Network
Best Actor: Colin Firth for The King's Speech
Best Actress: Natalie Portman for Black Swan
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale for The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo for The Fighter
Best Original Screenplay: The King's Speech: David Seidler
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network: Aaron Sorkin
Best Animated Feature Film: Toy Story 3
Best Foreign Language Film: Biutiful (Mexico)
Cinematography: Inception: Wally Pfister
Editing: The Social Network: Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall
Art Direction: The King's Speech: Eve Stewart, Judy Farr
Costume Design: The King's Speech: Jenny Beavan
Best Makeup: The Wolfman: Rick Baker, Dave Elsey
Original Score: The Social Network: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Original Song: "We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3: Randy Newman
Best Sound Mixing: Inception: Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo, Ed Novick
Best Sound Editing: Inception: Richard King
Best Visual Effects: Inception: Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley, Pete Bebb, Paul J. Franklin
Best Documentary Feature: Inside Job: Charles Ferguson, Audrey Marrs
Best Documentary Short: Killing in the Name: Nominees TBD
Best Animated Short: The Gruffalo: Jakob Schuh, Max Lang
Best Live Action Short: The Crush: Michael Creagh

Finally - Top Ten of 2010! (Revised to a Dozen!)

UPDATE: Because I apparently had a brain-lock after 6 hours of football, I left two big ones off my list - "The Town," and "Machete." The revised list, which now includes 12 films, is below.

Now that I've seen "The King's Speech," I think it is finally time to put my Top Ten "to paper":

1a. “The Social Network,” directed by David Fincher, screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, and Max Minghella. I’ve included Sorkin in the credits here because his screenplay is probably the most brilliant component of a movie that includes a lot of brilliance. From the very first scene, you know you’re in the hands of masters. “The Social Network” will make you angry and you’ll want to punch Mark Zuckerberg in the face, particularly at those moments when you’re posting something on Facebook.

1b. “Inception,” directed by Christopher Nolan, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Tom Berenger, and Ken Watanabe. More brilliance – but of an entirely different type. I’ll concede that much of the screenplay (especially early on) is devoted to clumsy exposition, but the sheer scope and audacity of the entire enterprise renders that a moot point. This is the kind of movie where you just let the experience wash over you…the kind of movie where you buckle your seatbelt, hold on tight, and just enjoy the ride.

3. “The King’s Speech,” directed by Tom Hooper, and starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham-Carter, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, and Derek Jacobi. Uplifting, inspiring, and moving. Great performances all around.

4. "The Town," directed by Ben Affleck and starring Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Renner, and Jon Hamm. Affleck is well on his way to becoming an A-list director, and he seems to have a knack for intelligent action/thriller films like this one, which also includes a notable and memorable performance by the late Pete Postlethwaite as a crime boss who moonlights as a florist.

5. “The American,” directed by Anton Corbijn, and starring George Clooney. An art film, one that seemed to bore most critics to tears, about an assassin. I found its attention to detail and focus on the craft demonstrated by a master of his trade to be compelling and suspenseful.

6. “Black Swan,” directed by Darren Aronofsky, and starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassell, and Barbara Hershey. Trippy.

7. “True Grit,” directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Barry Pepper. Terrific remake, fueled by another a great performance from Bridges, and a remarkable debut from Steinfeld.

8. “The Fighter,” directed by David O. Russell, and starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo. Intense, satisfying story that is about family and relationships as much as it is about boxing.

9. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I,” directed by Peter Yates and starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. It’s hard to believe the series is almost over. I’d hazard a guess that anyone with kids about the same age as ours (now 20 and 16) is feeling a little misty-eyed about the prospect of seeing one last Potter outing together. It’s also amazing how much more distinguished and mature the films have become as the characters have aged.

10. “The Crazies,” directed by Breck Eisner and starring Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell and Joe Anderson. Not exactly a zombie movie, but close enough – after all, the original was directed by George Romero. Very well done, with a great, charismatic starring performance by Olyphant.

11. "Machete," directed by Robert Rodriguez and starring Danny Trejo, Don Johnson, Steven Seagal, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez and Robert DeNiro. Blood-soaked, B-movie fun.

12. “Kick Ass,” directed by Matthew Vaughan and starring Aaron Johnson, Mark Strong, Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz. Most people seemed to prefer “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” a movie I would put in a similar category, but I liked this one better. An underappreciated performance from Cage, possibly because he’s been in so many bad movies in recent years.

And there you have it!

Wrapping Up The Holiday Flicks - "The King's Speech"

I think it’s fair to say that “The King’s Speech” qualifies as old-fashioned entertainment. It doesn’t have flashy special-effects; it wasn’t filmed in 3D; it doesn’t feature rapid-fire dialogue being read by the youngest, hottest stars of the day. It’s a period piece set in the mid-20th century, one replete with kings, queens, princes and princesses, prime ministers, and other assorted British royalty.

The movie tells the story of King George VI’s ascension to the throne, but focuses on his lifelong battle to overcome a terrible stammer. When Albert (“Bertie”) is just a prince, it’s not such a huge issue, although it does result in public embarrassment from time to time when the prince is called upon to deliver a public speech or message. But when Bertie’s older brother Edward abdicates the throne, Bertie becomes King George and overnight is thrust into a limelight that he never sought or desired.

The heart of the movie consists of the scenes with Bertie and Lionel Logue, the commoner and would-be actor with a gift (if not necessarily a degree) for speech therapy. Their scenes together are inspiring, uplifting, and at times, downright hilarious. Both actors – Colin Firth as Bertie, and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel – are magnificent in their roles, and it will not come as a shock if they end up competing for the Best Actor Oscar. The film’s other acting is almost as impressive. There are few actors as good at playing dissolute charisma as Guy Pearce, who does a nice turn as King Edward. Helena Bonham-Carter is a loving and supportive queen, Michael Gambon a formidable and intimidating King George V, and Derek Jacobi a fussy but determined Archbishop. It’s an impressive group from top to bottom.

While it may be hard after two decades of tawdry media attention to accept anyone from the British royalty in the role of underdog, that’s exactly how “The King’s Speech” is constructed, and it works perfectly. “King Bertie” comes across as an honorable man, but one who is flawed and human. He understands his duty, is somewhat terrified by it, but is determined to overcome his faults to serve his people and his country as King. He is proud, but not so proud as to prevent Lionel Logue from coming into his life, and not too proud to become his friend.

The movie ends with the speech that gives it its title, and the moment when Lionel looks into the King’s eyes and gives him a few last words of encouragement is one of those perfect movie moments that is destined to go down as one of the greatest in the long history of cinema.

Holiday Flicks, Part III - "Black Swan"

“Black Swan” has generated a fair amount of controversy in the world of film criticism, but one thing you can definitely say about it is that it’s always engaging – even at those moments when you’re cringing at what you’re seeing on the screen.

Some critics have taken pains to point out that the movie is not “about” ballet dancing. I’m not sure that’s a meaningful comment, because without the ballet backdrop, little about the film would make sense. One could just as easily have said that director Darren Aronofsky’s previous feature, “The Wrestler,” was not “about” wrestling. Sure, absolutely – the movie was “about” a man who happened to be a wrestler, but without the backdrop of (and some knowledge about) the professional wrestling world, much of the point would have been lost.

I’m not sure what this says about me, but I probably know more than the average person about both professional wrestling and ballet. I’m no expert, make no bones about it. But I’ve watched professional wrestling off-and-on for more than 40 years now, and my wife and I have been season ticket holders for the Sacramento Ballet for more than 20 years. In both instances, I feel like I can instinctively tell good wrestling/ballet from bad wrestling/ballet. No, I don’t know what their lives are like offstage (one thing I do know is that ballet dancers seem to smoke an awful lot; I assume to keep their weight down), or backstage, so I can’t really offer an opinion on whether the atmosphere surrounding the ballet company that Aronofsky portrays onscreen in “Black Swan” is anything close to reality. But what I can say is that it feels real.

“Black Swan” proves that simply knowing the ingredients to a movie does not mean that you can guess how the receipe will turn out. And this one has a lot of familiar elements: there’s the aging star on her way out, there’s the overbearing mother, there’s the somewhat tyrannical, somewhat genius choreographer/director who dabbles in womanizing, there’s the dangerous, somewhat mysterious, perhaps from the wrong side of the tracks dancer, and of course, there’s the young, virginal, somewhat overwhelmed young ballerina suddenly thrust into the spotlight in the biggest role of her career.

Aronofsky takes this mix, which just as easily could be used to create a droll melodrama, and turns it into one of the trippiest experiences to be seen on the big screen in recent memory. The finished product made me think of “Altered States,” which I saw just about 30 years ago in Berkeley, the movie that didn’t always make a lot of sense, but you were sure captivated by what you were seeing on the screen. And in “Black Swan,” you’re never quite sure what you’re seeing, just as Nina (Natalie Portman) is never quite sure what she’s experiencing.

The lead performances are all noteworthy, beginning with Natalie Portman as Nina, the swan who thinks she’s the ugly duckling. Vincent Cassell is spot on as the ballet director, Mila Kunis is just fine as Nina’s opposite figure Lily, and Barbara Hershey is suitably frightening as Nina’s mother. But the real star of the movie is Aronofsky himself, who keeps the viewer guessing even when the ultimate outcome is fairly obvious from the beginning. But isn’t that what great filmmaking is all about?

Holiday Flicks, Part II - "The Fighter"

It’s highly unlikely that we’ve seen every Oscar nominee in every category, but after wrapping up the holiday releases, I’m confident that we’ll have most of the major categories covered.

“The Fighter” is the kind of movie that, when made well, becomes an Oscar contender. When made poorly, it becomes the butt-end of jokes on Letterman, Conan and Leno. Fortunately, this one is made very well. The story, though one that is based on true events, could almost be accused of being hackneyed. You’ve got the good-guy boxer, you’ve got the older half-brother boxer who has fallen on hard times thanks to an insatiable hankering for snorting/smoking coke/crack/meth/whatever, you’ve got the domineering mother who also serves as good-boxer’s manager, you’ve got the crazy family, and you’ve got the tough but tender and supportive girlfriend. Sound familiar?

But with this group of actors and this execution, the movie works very well, and will likely take a spot in the pantheon of boxing movies. Let’s start with Mark Wahlberg, who is very good as Mickey Ward, all around good guy and neighborhood hero. Wahlberg should probably be considered the true auteur of the film, because without his efforts over a long period of years, the movie probably would not have been made. But it’s a sign of the movie’s success that he is probably least impressive of the lead actors, and you’ll just have to believe me that I don’t intend that as an insult. It’s just that the others are so good.

Amy Adams plays Mickey’s girlfriend Charlene, and her performance is a revelation. I was not that impressed by her turn in “Julie and Julia,” but now I think she was just playing the character – because here, she’s nothing short of spectacular. As Mickey’s half-brother Dicky, Christian Bale is spectacular, proving that he’s willing to do just about anything – in this case, lose a hell of a lot of weight – to make a role work. But losing weight does not a good performance make, and it can honestly be said that Bale is totally consumed by the character – absent the publicity for the film, one could be excused for not realizing that the person they’re watching on the screen is Christian Bale. Can you hear that sound? It’s Oscar calling.

But as good as Bale is, even he doesn’t quite match the titanic performance of Melissa Leo as Mickey and Dicky’s mother. And I can honestly say that I never saw this coming when I watched Leo on a regular basis when she was a member of the cast of “Homicide.” She’s just amazing – downright frightening in her determination to have Mickey succeed, to have Dicky be a part of that success, and to support her family, however crazy they may seem to someone on the outside. If she doesn’t win the Oscar, it will be a major upset.

But in the end, the key to any boxing movie is in the authenticity of its boxing scenes. And on this score, “The Fighter” passes on all counts. You believe what you are seeing, and you believe that Wahlberg is a real boxer. All in all, it makes for a powerful mix.

Considering the Hot Holiday Flicks, Part I

Like millions of others across the country, we spent a fair amount of time in movie theaters during the holidays. Below are some random thoughts on what we were able to see:

True Grit. I’ll start off with a confession – I’ve never seen the original, starring John Wayne and directed by Henry Hathaway. But from what I’ve heard, the 2010 version compares favorably, even after taking American icon Wayne into account. But that’s not a surprise – it’s not as if Jeff Bridges is a slouch, and it’s hard to imagine that Glen Campbell could have matched the performance of Matt Damon.

But as anyone who has seen either version of the movie knows, the key to the success of “True Grit” is in the casting of Mattie Ross, because the story really belongs to her. And the story is fairly simple – 14-year old Mattie’s father has been killed by a bad man, and she is looking to bring that bad man to justice. She’s wise and mature well beyond her years, and single-minded in her pursuit of Tom Chaney (well played by Josh Brolin). In Hailee Steinfeld, the Coen Brothers hit the jackpot, because Ms. Steinfeld is totally believable – though hardly more than a little girl, you don’t doubt it for a moment when she stands up either to Rooster Cogburn (Bridges) or the Texas Ranger LaBeouf (Damon).

Anyone who’s seen classic westerns also knows that sometimes, the searching is just as important and meaningful as the finding. And that is the case with “True Grit,” as Mattie, Rooster, and LeBeouf all learn something about each other, although never in a sentimental, heart-tugging way. The movie is faithful to its time, and faithful to the language of that time.

The Coen Brothers already have a place in the pantheon of American filmmakers, and “True Grit” will just add to that stature. There aren’t many people who would have the stones to take on a remake of the Duke. It makes one wonder what might be next – a remake of “Casablanca?” In the Coen’s hands, it might just work.

Tron Legacy. I’m going to say something that makes it sound like I hated this movie, so let me state upfront that I did not. But there’s no doubt in my mind that the very first trailer for “Tron Legacy” – which was released way, way back in July 2009 – was a much more effective piece of art than the movie that was released in December 2010.

Which isn’t to say that it’s a bad movie – because it’s not. Seen in 3D at an IMAX Theater, it’s quite a spectacle, and something that well qualifies as entertaining holiday fare. The special effects are terrific, and the pulsating score by Daft Punk is appropriate. The acting is fine, although the acting in a movie like this is mostly irrelevant unless it’s so bad that you feel the need to respond to the screen. And with Jeff Bridges on board, of course nothing sinks to that level. Garrett Hedlund is fine as the son, it’s nice to see Bruce Boxleitner again, and Olivia Wilde looks terrific in her skin-tight suit. Of everyone, Michael Sheen probably takes the honors in a small but entertaining role as Castor/Zuse, all decked out in basic early 70s era David Bowie pale.

So yes, it’s worth seeing on the big screen. But it never quite makes that leap to something that you feel like you just have to see again.

To be continued…

"Deathly Hallows, Part I"

With “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I,” the Harry Potter journey is almost over. And while none of the individual films seem destined to take their place in the annals of cinematic history as all-time greats, taken as a whole the series has been quite remarkable.

Aside from the characters, there is very little in common between the first film – “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” released almost a decade ago – and the newest entry in the series. We are now familiar with Harry, Ron and Hermione, and we know what is going to happen to them (I say that because I think it unlikely that anyone who hasn’t read the books is going to bother trying out the movies). “Deathly Hallows” doesn’t need to spend time on character development, because these characters have been fully developed. They are not children anymore, though they’ve had their childhoods stolen from them. They have faced adversity together, and sometimes that adversity has threatened to tear them apart.

The tone in “Deathly Hallows” is dark; even in the celebratory moments like Bill and Fleur’s wedding, disaster lurks right around the corner. And in the end, Harry, Ron and Hermione must go off together in order to find the answers to the nightmares that lurk before them. The first part of “Deathly Hallows” tells the story of that journey, in preparation for the final confrontation yet to come. It is a movie of moments, none greater than that moment (which I don’t believe appears in the book) when Harry and Hermione set aside their cares for just a moment, and share an impromptu dance. Danger and tragedy have brought them together. But in that sweet moment, you see that they have not lost their humanity.

The movie ends abruptly, which should come as no surprise to anyone. But it accomplishes everything that it sets out to do – setting the stage for what should prove to be a compelling finale.

Triumphant "Social Network"

“You’re going to be successful, and rich. But you’re going to go through life thinking that girls don’t like you because you’re a nerd. And I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that that won't be true. It’ll be because you’re an asshole.” – Erica Albright, to Mark Zuckerberg

The greatness of “The Social Network” is established in its very first scene. Mark Zuckerberg, as unlikeable a nerd as one could possibly imagine, is having a drink with his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend, Erica Albright. Zuckerberg is a kid who scored 1600 on his SATs, got into Harvard, and looks exactly like the kind of guy who got his ass kicked on a regular basis in high school. In some movies, he’d be the hero. But in this one, he’s one of the great movie villains of all time – a guy who damn near manages to change the world, a guy who certainly changes the landscape of the online world, a guy who makes himself a billion dollars – and manages to do so in a way that leaves the viewer with nothing but contempt. Contempt for his personality, contempt for his methods, and contempt for his treatment of other human beings, from those he considers his enemies to those who consider him a friend. In short, Mark Zuckerberg is a douchebag of epic proportions, and Erica Albright has him all figured out – before he’s made one dime off of his ideas.

“The Social Network” is an across the board triumph – acting, screenplay, and directing. It is a triumph because, even at the moment you’re secretly rooting against Zuckerberg and hoping that someone just walks up to him and tells him to go f*ck himself (or better yet, slap his face), you’re drawn into the intrigue and the drama of what he did. And in the grand tradition of capitalists, I suppose that Zuckerberg isn’t any different from those who came before him – the Rockefellers, the Fords, the titans of industry who made this country what it is.

You have to wonder, for the artists in participated in the making of this movie, whether they realized that they were onto something special. I imagine that they did, and can only imagine (and envy) the creative energy that was taking place on the set from day to day. Even the bit players – familiar faces like John Getz and David Selby (who was in Dark Shadows, for crying out loud!) as the attorneys involved in the various depositions that frame the story; new faces like Rooney Mara (soon to be the American version of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”), who, in her few minutes on the screen, absolutely radiates future stardom, veterans like Douglas Urbanski, “theater producer and raconteur,” according to his bio), who absolutely nails my vision of what a president of Harvard University would be like, in one of the best scenes in the entire movie (essentially, someone with an attitude of “what the f*ck are you over-privileged brats doing in my office, and wasting my time?) – are terrific.

The lead actors are, to a person, amazing. Jesse Eisenberg, who portrays Zuckerberg, Justin Timberlake, as Sean “Napster” Parker, and Andrew Garfield, as Zuckerberg’s “friend and partner” Eduardo Saverin, are just great. They’re the closest to a “love triangle” as there is in a movie that is almost entirely devoid of positive human emotions, and the subtle ways that Parker manipulates Zuckerberg into cutting his friend out of the action are sometimes hard to watch, they’re so brutal and unfeeling. Armie Hammer as the twins Winklevoss is also terrific, effortlessly imbuing the two with the privilege that makes people in this country want to hate the ruling elite.

And Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay? Hey, say what you will about the guy, but he’s an incredible writer. It’s an amazing piece of work. But don’t forget director David Fincher, who sets the tone and mood perfectly in every scene. Hey, I could go on and on…Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ soundtrack? Amazing. The cinematography, lighting, editing? All terrific.

The best movie of the year? You bet.

"The Town"

Ben Affleck is turning into a hell of a director.

On the list of things about movies you never thought you’d hear, that’s got to be high on the list. But after two expertly-made crime movies, “Gone, Baby, Gone” and now “The Town,” there’s no doubt that Affleck is a terrific filmmaker, and one who can adapt a good book into a good flick – something that’s not as easy as it sounds.

I’m told that the star of the film was supposed to be Affleck’s brother Casey, but he wasn’t available, so Affleck cast himself in the lead role and manages to pull it off. As the leader of a crew that specializes in robbing banks and is very good at it, he’s clearly intelligent, but just as clearly wants to get out of the game. He has his tender moments, but he can turn on the brutality when the circumstances call for it. His best friend and crewmate is played by the great Jeremy Renner, who is wound so tight that you think his head could explode at any given moment. Renner isn’t stupid, but brutality is his middle name, and for him robbing banks is not a means to an end – it is the end, because it’s what he knows how to do. The bond between the two is tight, tight enough that Renner spent a 9-year term in prison for killing a kid that had threatened to do the same to Affleck. He makes it clear that he’s never going back to prison, and when you hear that, you know that his fate is sealed.

The story starts on its inexorable run towards a violent conclusion when the crew, in order to escape from a job that threatens to go wrong, takes a hostage – the bank’s manager, played by Rebecca Hall (who does quite well in the role). Affleck volunteers to be the one to check up on her to make sure she knows nothing, they “meet cute” in a Laundromat, and proceed to fall in love. Thus begins a number of triangles involving the two, the third leg of the stool being Renner in one instance, Renner’s sister (Affleck’s former girlfriend) in the other, and Jon Hamm (as an FBI agent determined the bring down the crew) as the third.

There are several standout scenes in the movie that prove Affleck knows what he’s doing as an action director – one involving a car chase down the narrow streets of Boston; another coming in the climactic scene (set at Fenway Park) when there appears to be no way out, and the crew struggles to find one. But the movie is more than action; there are great quiet moments involving Affleck and Hall, involving Affleck and Chris Cooper (as his imprisoned father), and some creepy if not downright scary moments between Affleck and Pete Postlethwaite, playing the grizzled old man who gets a piece of everything the crew has a hand in – and a lot more than that.

Affleck has now done very well by Dennis Lehane and Chuck Hogan – I’d love to see him give Robert Crais or Michael Connelly a try.

"Machete"

The camera pans through the kitchen, and lingers for a moment on a corkscrew that rests on the countertop. And when that happens, you know you’re going to be seeing the corkscrew again. Sure enough, within minutes it’s sticking out of a bad guy’s eye.

And that is just one of the many glories of “Machete,” which gives new meaning to the term “over the top.” It’s gory, it’s disgusting, it’s sacrilegious, and it just might be the most entertaining movie of the year. It’s also very funny, but not in the traditional sense. You find yourself laughing at the absurdity of it all, and right at the moment when you think things can’t get any more absurd, directors Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis just ratchet things a little tighter.

If there’s a trashy B-Movie cliché that Rodriguez and Maniquis have left out of “Machete,” I’m not sure what it is. You’ve got your evil druglord (Steven Seagal, of all people, looking quite porky these days), you’ve got your evil politician (Robert DeNiro, obviously having a great time), you’ve got your evil henchman (Jeff Fahey, evil oozing from every pore), you’ve got your tough-talking female federal agent (Jessica Alba, wearing stiletto heels that come in handy even when they’re not on her feet)…you’ve even got Don Johnson (whatever the hell happened to Don Johnson?) as a lunatic border defender. Oh yeah, and you’ve got Michele Rodriguez as the tough chick with a heart of gold, and you’ve got nurses in mini-skirts and high heels, and you’ve got Cheech Marin as a gun-toting priest, and...

…you’ve got Danny Trejo as “Machete,” a former federale who has an affinity for sharp weapons. Trejo is not the kind of guy that you picture as a leading man, unless, that is, your leading man is the kind of guy who likes to wield a 4-foot long machete and doesn’t hesitate to use it when the occasion demands. Trejo is a man of few words (“Machete don’t text” may be his best line in the entire movie), but there’s character etched in all those lines on his face, and his Machete is, above all, a man of honor.

The whole thing is crazy, but in this case that’s not a bad thing. After all, it’s not every movie that began life as a fake trailer.

"The American"

Son #2 and I saw “The American” in a theater that was ¾ full, and I’d be willing to bet that ¾ of those people walked out unhappy, or at least wondering what the hell they’d just seen. A couple on a date (or so it seemed) had even walked out, about 20 minutes before the film was over.

The biggest clue to what director Anton Corbijn was trying to achieve with “The American” comes in a scene that takes place in a small Italian bar. Clooney is sitting at a small table, waiting to be served, and the memorable strains of Ennio Morricone can be heard on the soundtrack. The camera pulls back to reveal, playing on the flat screen TV, Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western masterpiece, “Once Upon a Time in the West.” Anyone who’s seen that movie knows that for long stretches, the dialogue often plays second fiddle to the visual story that’s being told on the screen. And that’s what “The American” feels like. There are no quick cuts in this movie, no “Bourne” style action set-pieces.

After an opening scene in Sweden that establishes Clooney’s assassin as someone whose morals play a back seat to his instinct for survival, the movie unfolds slowly but surely – Jack/Edward takes refuge in a small, somewhat claustrophobic Italian village, a village where the pathways are narrow and you never know who might be hiding behind the corner. It’s clear that Jack/Edward wants out of the life, and a comment by his handler leads one to believe that, as a good as he is at his craft, he’s past his prime. “You’ve lost your edge,” Pavel even says at one point.

It probably sounds strange to refer to what Jack/Edward does as a “craft,” but as portrayed in the film, he is a master craftsman. The assignment he’s been given is to construct a weapon to very exacting specifications, and to watch him build the rifle is to watch a master craftsman, even an artist, at work. To make the rifle takes time, and during that time Jack/Edward has time to absorb his surroundings, and learn a little bit about the people who live in the village. He is befriended by a priest with secrets of his own, secrets that Jack/Edward is able to discern simply because of his trained assassin’s eye. He meets and begins to fall in love with a prostitute (played by Violante Placido, the daughter of the actress who played Apollonia in “The Godfather”), who is wise beyond her years and who just might be his salvation. He meets the woman for whom he is building the weapon, and their dialogue is filled with wit and tension. It’s clear that she is just as deadly as Jack/Edward himself, and part of what makes the movie successful is that you never quite know if she’s going to lean over and kiss him, or pull out a gun and shoot him in the temple.

I’ve always had a weakness for stories about assassins. I think that may mean that I have a fatalistic streak, because when you think of the great assassin stories – “The Day of the Jackal” comes to mind – you sort of have a feeling how they’re going to end (especially in those instances where the target is a well-known figure of the past who didn’t become the victim of an assassin’s bullet). I always end up rooting for the assassin, and I’m usually disappointed (the only example I can think of where that didn’t turn out to be the case was Thomas Perry’s great book “The Butcher’s Boy”). When I was in high school, I even wrote a short story about one – he was hired to assassinate the President of the United States, and at the end, he went through a crisis of conscience, and took his own life instead. So not even I could allow my "hero" to get away with it.

The tension in “The American” comes from its slow, steady pace. Because as the story unfolds, you find out that Jack/Edward is human, and capable of human emotions. And that isn’t necessarily a good thing for an assassin. So in the end, I thought it was outstanding – a lot of things that you don’t normally see in a summer movie (things like the old, leathery faces of the supporting actors).

For an audience expecting explosions and jump-cuts every two minutes, “The American” will indeed be a disappointment. But for those with the patience to let the film wash over you, “The American” is well worth the effort.

BONUS: Read the great Sheila O'Malley's thoughts about the film here. As usual, she nails it.

"Juno"

As you can probably tell from the collage of images that appears below, I thought "Juno" was a great movie. There are a lot of things to like about it, but here are just a few:

- J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney as Juno's father and stepmother. Has Simmons ever been bad in a role? Hell, I can still remember him in the early days of Law and Order. He's never been the lead, as far as I know, but he's always memorable, whether it's as J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man flicks, or the somewhat befuddled CIA boss in "Burn After Reading." Here, he plays a low-key dad who really wishes that his 16-year old daughter wasn't pregnant, but that doesn't mean he's going to freak out about it. He's as supportive as ever, as supportive as he can be, and he still loves to work on all his HVAC stuff. Janney is just as good as what could easily have turned into an "evil stepmother" type of role. She knows that because she's the stepmother, her relationship with Juno is always going to be a certain way. That doesn't stop her from dispensing good, common sense advice, sometimes in a low-key way, and sometimes with an exasperated tone.

- Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner as the would-be adoptive couple. I thought this was some of the best writing and acting in the entire movie. You're set up to think things are going to turn out one way, and then screenwriter Diablo Cody turns everything on its head. And even though you start by feeling sympathetic for one of them and end up being sympathetic to the other, they both come across as very real, likable people, with real problems that won't ever be easy to solve. Bateman is his usual terrific self, but for me the revelation was Garner. From sheer desperation to abject sadness to profound relief and love, she pulls off every emotion in the book.

- The scene where Garner touches the belly of Juno. This is going to sound like the corniest thing in the world, but anyone who has ever touched the belly of a pregnant woman when the baby is doing somersaults inside knows that it is one of the most memorable moments of one's lifetime. And the look on her face is exactly the way it feels - whoa...this is amazing!

- Ellen Page. Yeah, OK - so I'm becoming an Ellen Page groupie, which is probably not something you should admit when you're my age. But she's just amazing in this. What more can one say?

- The music. Classic stuff.

I'll probably think of more later...but that should suffice for now.

It's Scott Pilgrim's World - We Just Live In It

“Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” is definitely not a film for everyone. And based on the sparse opening weekend crowd with which we saw the movie last weekend, it’s probably not going to make a truckload of money. But anyone who is interested in original, off-beat, even off-the-wall cinema – cinema that doesn’t care about what rules it might be breaking – should give it a chance.

I don’t really know how to describe the movie except to say that it’s like a teen-angst comedy (something John Hughes might have made back in the day) crossed with the video game “Soulcalibur.” And if you have to Google “Soulcalibur,” that would be another reason you might have a little problem with “Scott Pilgrim.”

Michael Cera plays Pilgrim, the bassist in a band that calls itself Sex Bob-omb. Despite looking like the biggest dweeb on the block, Scott seems to be surrounded by cute girls. He’s still smarting from being dumped a year ago by a blonde bombshell, and he’s currently dating a cute high school girl with the unlikely name of Knives Chau. But then he meets what he thinks is the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, and before long he is head-over-heels in crazy love, with the emphasis on crazy. Unfortunately, it turns out that Ramona has lots of evil ex-boyfriends (and one evil ex-girlfriend), and in order to win Ramona’s heart, he must defeat the entire “guild of evil ex-boyfriends.” In the meantime, Knives is not too happy, and neither are Scott’s bandmates, who are looking forward to a battle of the bands, the winner of which lands a recording contract.

It’s even more complicated than that, but the rest should be saved for viewing onscreen. Cera is very good as Pilgrim, Allison Pill, Mark Webber and Johnny Simmons are great as the bandmates, and Ellen Wong is terrific as knives. Anna Kendrick is almost unrecognizable from the character she played in “Up in the Air,” but brings a sarcastic vitality to her role as Scott’s sister. And Kieran Culkin, as Scott’s gay roommate, steals nearly every scene he’s in.

The movie was directed by Edgar Wright, who previously brought us the terrific Simon Pegg vehicles “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz.” I didn’t like “Scott Pilgrim” as much as I did those two, but it is well worth a visit to the Cineplex, and cements Wright’s reputation as a director who is more than willing to take chances.

Not for everyone, but if your tastes veer towards the offbeat, give “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” a chance.

"Inception"

Christopher Nolan's films get people talking and thinking about film, which may be the best thing about them. From "Memento" on, every film Nolan has made (with the possible exception of "Insomnia," which I have not seen and cannot comment on) has resulted in a wild exchange of views in the blogosphere, igniting cinephiles, fanboys, and those casual viewers who just like to have a little substance to go along with their summer popcorn experience.

"Inception" is not a film without flaws, and in a series of posts about the acting in the movie, Sheila O'Malley (the gold standard of bloggers, as far as I'm concerned) has done a typically wonderful job of pointing them out (see the links below). I agree with much of what Sheila has to say, but even with all that, I flat-out loved the movie. It made me think of this line from Robert Christgau's review of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" :

Springsteen needs to learn that operettic pomposity insults the Ronettes and that pseudotragic beautiful-loser fatalism insults us all. And around now I'd better add that the man avoids these quibbles at his best and simply runs them over the rest of the time.

To me, that's what Nolan accomplishes in "Inception" - he simply runs over the flaws in the film. So while I can understand and fully appreciate that Ellen Page's Ariadne is less a character than she is a device to move the plot along and help the viewer understand what the hell is going on, I can forgive and even overlook that, because the whole is so stunning - breathtaking, even.

It is a breathtaking movie, even more so than "The Dark Knight." There were several moments when, not unlike the feeling I get when I listen to a great rock album, I felt the goose bumps rising on my arms, and I just sat there wanting to let the experience wash over me. Most notably, the scene at the beginning of the film where the protagonists are battling Ken Watanabe's crew, and the magnificent scene (see picture above) where Arthur fights the security guard in the "rolling hotel corridor."

Kudos to all of the actors involved. Leonardo DiCaprio has managed to reinvent himself over the past decade, and we are all the better for it. Ellen Page has a spark that is hard to define, but which makes her fascinating to watch even if her character is not. Tom Hardy jumps off the screen with a level of charisma that screams "star!" Joseph Gordon-Levitt brings a sly humor to what is essentially a humorless role. Tom Berenger hasn't aged very well, but it's good to see him again. Ken Watanabe is his usual, dependable self.

I haven't even tried to describe the plot, because I won't do it justice. You just have to go see it yourself. "Inception" is a spectacle, the kind of summer escapist fare that gives "summer escapist fare" a good name.

Sheila O'Malley on the acting in "Inception" :

Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Leonardo DiCaprio
Ellen Page
Tom Hardy

We're There

We have our tickets to see "Inception" at the IMAX on Sunday.

This should be cool.

"Predators"

We (sons and I) knew from the moment we first saw the trailer for "Predators" that we'd be going to see the movie. We all agree that the original "Predator" is a great movie; a testosterone festival for the ages - plus, how many movies can you think of that starred two future governors?

While the new flick doesn't have any single scene that rivals the Schwarzenegger-Carl Weathers handshake for pure manly awesomeness, it is well worth seeing. If a movie like "Predators" is your cup of tea, that is.

The premise is simple - a group of warriors of different nationalities and backgrounds finds themselves landing in an unknown piece of forest, and it doesn't take them long to realize that they're the prey, for a change. You've got your soldiers, you've got your bad guys, you've got your psycho, and you've got at least one surprise (sadly, I was the only one in my family dumb enough not to figure it out). And then as an extra added bonus, you've got Laurence Fishburne having a great time playing a dude who's been stranded in the game reserve for just a little too long.

The movie is smart enough not to take itself seriously, and includes a couple of clever homages to the original film - one, where Adrien Brody quite consciously adopts a very Schwarzenegger-like pose, mud and all. He obviously worked out quite a bit for this movie, but still - Arnold he is not, and you're meant to chuckle when you see the comparison. And in one of the movie's best scenes, what I would call the "tribute to Billy," we get to see what actually happened when the "mystic samurai warrior" in the group held back in order to allow his comrades to get further along on their journey.

It's not going to get nominated for any awards, but "Predators" is a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

"Iron Man 2"

In my review of the first Iron Man, I wrote the following:

"For me, the most engaging and gripping scenes in the movie occurred near the beginning, when Tony Stark is captured in Afghanistan and begins his journey towards becoming a super-hero, out of necessity if nothing else. In those scenes, it is the performance of Shaun Toub as Yinsen, who under duress becomes Stark’s assistant and accomplice in creating the Iron Man, which lends the film its moral weight. Yinsen knows that for him there can be no escape, and though Stark has yet to understand the ramifications of what he does for a living (building weapons), Yinsen understands all too well. It is from Yinsen’s strength of character that Stark begins his moral awakening. "

Reading that again after seeing Iron Man 2, I feel a little silly for having used phrases like "moral weight" and "moral awakening." I'm not sure how much time is supposed to have elapsed between the two movies, but apparently Tony Stark's memory is affected by the Iron Man suit: the lesson he's taken out of his "birth" is that he needs to become more narcissistic than ever, and generally act like a jerk in whatever setting he finds himself. And I'm sorry, but the fact that the Iron Man suit is slowly killing him doesn't strike me as much of an excuse.

Don't get me wrong - Iron Man 2 is by no means a bad movie; in fact, it's very enjoyable. But it does strike me as a movie that's taken the easy way out - let's just let Robert Downey Jr. do his thing - trade wisecracks with Garry Shandling, Sam Rockwell, Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson - and we'll have ourselves a movie. And to be honest, a lot of it works - I laughed at most of the right times, particularly any time Rockwell was on the screen. And there's nothing really wrong with the big action scenes either - the big fights are somewhat predictable, but at the same time they're fun to watch. Scarlett Johannsen is very cool, and Mickey Rourke is suitably menacing as what amounts to an evil version of Iron Man.

So what's the problem? I guess I'd have to say that there just isn't much humanity in the entire exercise. Which is probably a dumb thing to say about a comic book movie. Oh well.

"Heart of Gold" : A Triumph For Neil Young and Jonathan Demme

It’s easy to write a review of a movie like Jonathan Demme’s “Heart of Gold,” a concert film of Neil Young’s 2-night performance at the Ryman Auditorium in 2005. If you’re a Neil Young fan, the movie is essential viewing. If you’re not a Neil Young fan, then this probably won’t convince you to become one, but it’s a good place to start trying.

It was at these shows that Young performed the world premiere of “Prairie Wind,” which in all likelihood was his best album of the recently-finished decade. As any Neil Young fan knows, there are really two Neil Youngs – the punk Godfather who makes loud, electric albums with Crazy Horse, and the softer, perhaps kinder Neil Young, who records mostly acoustic tunes with a band that at times shifts in personnel, but that has been remarkably stable for the past three (now almost four) decades. Both Neils have created albums that stand as milestones of rock history –“Tonight’s the Night,” “Ragged Glory,” and “Sleeps With Angels” in the former category; “Comes A Time” and “Harvest Moon” in the latter. Sometimes, in such classics as “After the Gold Rush,” “Rust Never Sleeps,” and “Freedom,” you get a little taste of both Neils.

In “Heart of Gold,” you see and hear the softer Neil, which is appropriate given the venue, but also appropriate because the movie is clearly intended be a summing up of what has been in the past as much as a renewal of what is still to come. In a sense, Young has become the “Old Man” that he sang about nearly forty years ago, but as this music proves, there is still a lot of life in the old codger yet. He and the band obviously treated these shows as a special occasion; everyone is dressed up in their finest Nashville threads, and Young is uncharacteristically talkative (I saw him play with Crazy Horse in 1996, and I don’t think he said two words the entire evening). The performances are beautifully rendered, and the sound quality is absolutely amazing.

Demme, who directed “Stop Making Sense” with Talking Heads in 1984, approaches the material a bit differently here. Unlike the previous film, “Heart of Gold” leads off with a series of short interviews, filmed while Neil and the members of the band are driving to the auditorium. It provides the viewer with a sense of the history between Young and these musicians, and it also sets up an emotional payoff that enhances the whole viewing experience.

And, suffice to say, the music is glorious. It has inspired me to give “Prairie Wind” another listen – I remember admiring it a great deal upon its release, but setting it aside shortly afterward. But watching Neil talk about these songs, and the band perform them exquisitely, lends them a life that goes well beyond what I originally heard on the CD. And seeing Emmylou Harris in a backup role, sometimes on guitar but mostly just providing background vocals (along with, among others, Pegi Young, Neil’s wife) brings with it an enormous emotional impact.

In fact, there are three huge emotional payoffs in the film. One occurs right before Neil sings “Comes A Time,” and talks about recording the song with Nicolette Larson, who died well before her time. The second comes when he plays a song using one of Hank Williams’ old guitars, and the third comes during “Harvest Moon,” when he makes eye contact with Pegi as he sings the following verse:

Because I'm still in love with you
I want to see you dance again
Because I'm still in love with you
On this harvest moon.

It’s a wonderful moment, and a triumphant one as well.

By now, you’ve probably figured out that I am a Neil Young fan. And if you’re like me, by all means you need to see “Heart of Gold.” You won’t be disappointed.

"Kick-Ass" : Morally Reprehensible, or Irresistably Likable?

"Shall I have feelings, or should I pretend to be cool? Will I seem hopelessly square if I find “Kick-Ass” morally reprehensible and will I appear to have missed the point? Let's say you're a big fan of the original comic book, and you think the movie does it justice. You know what? You inhabit a world I am so very not interested in."

So begins Roger Ebert's review of Kick-Ass. Strong words, no doubt about it. Mick LaSalle, film critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, begins his review as follows:

"Kick-Ass" lives up to the promise of its title, but it's better than its title, too. It's not an innocuous comedy. It doesn't talk down to audiences. It brings together several popular strains of contemporary moviemaking and combines them into one big, shameless, audacious, compulsively watchable, irresistibly likable piece of pure entertainment.

We are talking about the same movie, right?

Let me start by saying that there is indeed something reprehensible surrounding this movie, and that is the way it has been promoted as a Judd Apatow-type comedy with young wanna-be superheroes. Whoever goes to see this movie should know two things - this may be the most violent movie of its type since "Kill Bill Vol. 1," and it is not a movie for children below their teen years. Literally nothing in the trailers prepares the viewer for the level of violence in "Kick-Ass" - so if you have young kids who like comic books and think that this movie might be a fun outing, go see something else instead.

Personally, I don't find the movie "morally reprehensible," but Ebert's viewpoint is worth discussing. Frankly, I think he's being disingenuous, particularly given (as others have pointed out before me) his high praise for "Kill Bill." Indeed, there is a difference - Uma Thurman's character is an adult, while the character who no doubt has caused the controversy over "Kick-Ass" is an 11-year old girl, one who just happens to be a foul-mouthed, expert killer. Where I have a problem with Ebert's review is when he says, "you inhabit a world I am so very not interested in." To that, I say bullshit, and would add, be careful, Roger. If you're going to claim the moral high ground, then you'd better be damn sure that you've been consistent with this viewpoint over the course of your career.

But enough of that. What did I think of the movie?

Well, for one thing, it was definitely not anything like I expected. I'd seen the trailers, but I hadn't read any of the reviews, except the part where Ebert called it morally reprehensible (or to be fair, perhaps he was just suggesting that it might be so). There are a lot of scenes in the movie that almost made me jump - and to be honest, they weren't the ones with "Hit Girl." They were the ones with Kick-Ass himself, when he learns in the most painful ways possible that being a superhero is not all it is cracked up to be.

The young actors are all good, but the real star from an acting standpoint is Nicolas Cage. There was a time when Cage was tabbed to play Superman, and I remember thinking at the time how absurd that was. But seeing him in this movie, essentially playing Batman under a different name, made me realize that he is an actor of such rare talent that he can pull off just about anything. Also of note is Mark Strong, who I first remember seeing in the BBC-produced, Kate Beckinsale version of "Emma" (talk about being a universe away!). Strong seems well on his way to becoming a professional villain, having played that role in "Sherlock Holmes," in this movie, and the soon-to-be-released "Robin Hood."

So what do I think? Overall, I liked it. It's a comic book. And it doesn't really break much new ground in that genre; in fact, the relationship between the Cage character and his daughter reminded me a lot of the relationship between Batman and the young (female) Robin in Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns," and that was almost 25 years ago, for crying out loud!

In the end, "Kick-Ass" does many things well, but the studio should be condemned for pretending that it is something that it's not.