Reel Reviews -- I

I Am Sam (+) -- Most of the neofascists were calling Sean Penn a retard earlier this year. I wish those vermin had a shred of the sensitivity shown by Penn's performance in this film; this would be a better world than it is. As for the movie, it has its flaws--a little maudlin, and there are some egregious and grotesque product placements--but the heart is in the right place throughout. And Dakota Fanning is the reigning World Champion in Adorable. Posted 11/20/03.

The Ice Harvest (--) -- A run of the mill crime caper: the nervous partner, the crazier, cagier partner, the "perfect" crime, and how it all unwinds. All of this you've seen dozens of times before. This one brings its own unique touches of bad execution--Billy Bob Thornton's character, who seems more interesting than John Cusack's nervous shlub, disappears for long stretches of the story--to complement the standard issue cliches. It has its moments, as any professionally made movie will, but mostly it just leaves the viewer cold. Posted 4/19/07.

The Ice Storm (--) -- A film with a measured pace, to say the least. Makes you want to scream at the screen, "Somebody please do something!" And really, who gives a shit about suburban angst in the '70's anyway?

Identity (+) -- Well, that was a trip. A good one, for this type of movie, which is not really my thing. You could argue about certain implausibilities, but then again, the whole thing is implausible; why quibble about the talking bird when the whole sky is filled with pink elephants? The ending is a little weak, but the writing is sharp, the performances are excellent, and it's not too long (a common problem with movies of this ilk). All in all, a good time at the movies. Posted 5/31/04.

Idiocracy (~) -- Let he who is without the sin...You've set yourself up for a rough ride when you make a movie about the ubiquity of stupidity, then turn around and seed lots of stupid throughout the movie itself. I'm feeling what Mike Judge has to say here, but the execution could have been much, much better. You've got to think it through! Posted 5/9/09.

Igby Goes Down (~) -- Such a sordid little tale. This one tells us that the East Coast idle rich are evil and loathesome. Duh. Still, they can also be occasionally funny, as seen here every once in a while (though not enough to make the film a must see). Posted 12/31/03.

The Illusionist (+) -- A terrific film of subtlety and intelligence. Most of the pleasure comes from watching two masters, Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti, perform the difficult work of creating memorable characters while making the task seem effortless. Not to be missed. Posted 2/24/08.

The Importance of Being Earnest (+) -- Colin Firth and Rupert Everett make a fine pair of scalawags, and Reese Witherspoon acquits herself well with the faux English accent, but as usual it's the Wildean wit that shines most brightly. Those bon mots by themselves are a reason to watch this film. Posted 8/26/06.

In A World… (+) -- Charming. That’s the watchword here. As a comedy, it’s only mildly amusing; not many laugh out loud moments here, more a steady stream of grins. As a slice of life piece centered within one particular piece of one particular industry--the voiceover industry for movies and TV--the story has an interesting background and setting for its generally agreeable cast of characters. (Even the otherwise execrable Demitri Martin acquits himself well here.) And kudos to Lake Bell, not just for writing, directing and starring in the movie, but also for rocking the overalls in several scenes of this flick (I can’t resist a chick in overalls). Posted 5/23/14.

In Bruges (+) -- The positive review comes tenuously here. This movie is described and was advertised as a comedy, but it’s possibly the most uncomedic comedy ever. But it’s not bad--interesting, entertaining, and a little different, just not particularly funny. I suspect many potential viewers wouldn’t “get” this flick, but those of us who are more broad-minded and willing to stretch the boundaries will probably enjoy it. Posted 3/9/13.

Inception (+) -- Christopher Nolan is rapidly rising up the roster of cinema's greatest directors, and here's another booster rocket for his rep. The plot and its execution may include more serpentine twists and turns than many audience members will tolerate, but the viewer who's willing to work a little is rewarded by the imaginative breadth of the vision and the deft execution applied to the visual presentation. How deep can you go indeed? If you're a sharp tack, take this plunge and you won't regret it. Posted 8/11/11.

Inside Llewyn Davis (~) -- Once again, the Coen brothers display their minor obsession with Homer’s Odyssey. They might want to pull that classic down from the shelf and actually read it sometime, because, you see, that work actually had a story--something the Coens seem to be growing less and less concerned with as the years go along. This is a tough call, because I admit that this is a mostly entertaining movie that holds the interest, especially during the performance scenes (the music is very strong here, though if you’re not much for folkie stuff you might not be swayed to that point of view). But I also find this lack of attention to an actual narrative to be more and more grating with each film the brothers put out. Being oblique and vaguely existential may be entertaining to the brothers, but it doesn’t necessarily entertain us, the audience. If your tolerance moves through a wide orbit, you’ll probably like this film very much; but if you want something a little closer to the heart of the storytelling experience, this probably isn’t it. Posted 6/2/14.

Intolerable Cruelty (+) -- Lightweight, but it achieves what it aims for. The strength here is the work of George Clooney, who really looks like he's enjoying himself. That enthusiasm will carry you through and give you a few laughs. If you go in with the right attitude, that should be enough. Posted 2/25/05.

Iron Man 2 (+) -- Release-time reviews of this film made it seem like a major stumble by the same team of producers and actors who produced the original. In my eyes, the movie came across much better than expected. The events depicted seemed like logical extensions (in the fantasy sense) of the first flick's story, without any glaring false notes. It may suffer from a lack of freshness, a given considering the film is a sequel, but it's certainly not the worst "2" ever made. Hell, it's probably not the worst sequel made last year. As simple, big entertainment, the movie hits its marks, and that makes it worth a look. Posted 5/18/11.

Iron Man 3 (+) -- There isn’t much new here, which makes sense as it’s the third in a series. Naturally, there’s a pretty good amount of popcorn fun in this tentpole production, and the principals have lost little of their charm in the course of the years. But some of the magic, the spark that made the original so enjoyable, is lacking here. Still, given the nature of the film, you have to say it achieves its goals, and ultimately that works to the audience’s advantage. Posted 1/8/14.

Iron Monkey (+) -- Maybe I'm grading on a curve. It's not really spectacular, and there's some silliness in the characters and dubbed dialogue, but there are also well done action sequences and effective relationships among the main characters. So I'll give it a passing grade. You could do worse than this if you have an idle Saturday night and wish to kill some time. Posted 3/22/04.

The Island (--) -- Creepy, to be sure, but not necessarily in the way the makers had hoped. Maybe it never occurred to them that overblown movies created by abuse of technology are not much better than dystopian worlds created by abuse of technology. Yeah, you can watch it feeling there's a moral to this tale of cloning for greed and venality, but then some grotesque product placement comes along and blows that idea out of the water. And that doesn't even cover the confusing, badly-directed action sequences that invade the screen as exercises in empty destruction. Banish this one to some far off, isolated land. Posted 3/28/07.

It Happened One Night (+) -- The revelation here is Clark Gable's confident, effective performance as the cagey reporter who finds a handful of a story in Claudette Colbert's runaway heiress. That, combined with a good script and Capra's professional direction, makes for a very enjoyable movie. The only quibble: it's a little too long. Posted 7/30/05.

Italian For Beginners (~) -- It sure takes its sweet time getting around to the "plot," as it were (there's not much of a plot to begin with, but that's another story). Ultimately, it starts to make sense, and you get some real cinematic charm from characters you like. But the shockingly low production values--hand-held digital video camerawork, with little to no artistry or (dare I say it) mise-en-scene--make you feel like you're watching a low-rate foreign porn flick, except nobody's getting naked. A tough call, really--if you're not big on foreign films, you can probably skip it. Posted 4/1/04.

The Italian Job (~) -- Maybe there should be a Theory of Devolution, too. I don't know from the original, but this version of The Italian Job leaves you wondering why it needed to be remade. They certainly packed an awful lot of dumb in these two hours. Sure, the action sequences are technically proficient, but man, "Teh stupid, TEH STUPID! AUGH!" Posted 4/16/09.

Wordsmith

I've come up with a new term to add to Stephen's Dictionary:

forgetterata
[pl. noun]
the ideas, messages, or other mental items that you meant to mention to someone at a specific time, yet forgot to bring up until after the fact (singular: forgetteratum)

Nice-A-Roni

That's not "Roni" as in macaroni; it's "Roni" as in Veronica, as in the late, great TV show Veronica Mars.

Veronica Mars

I just finished a full re-viewing of the late, lamented "soap opera/PI show/teenage angst festival" series--every episode from the show's three year run. And I was struck by how insanely great Veronica Mars was. The razor sharp dialogue, the twisting and turning--yet still grounded and believable--storylines, the ever-so-enticing Southern California setting, a host of interesting guest stars: Veronica Mars "brought it" like few recent TV series have. Not to mention the presence of the delicious Kristen Bell as the lead character; she carried that show as few actresses her age could. And let's not forget a terrific supporting cast (most of whom seem to have been shamefully overlooked by Hollywood for roles in current projects). Special props must go to Jason Dohring, as the ever intriguing Logan Echolls, and Enrico Colantoni as Keith Mars, the elder member of what had to be the best father-daughter relationship ever depicted on American television.

I can't think of any show I have enjoyed as much on a second viewing, to the point of getting that uncomfortable, wistful feeling when I knew I was watching the final episode. I simply never wanted it to end.

There are flaws, of course, but most of those problems stem from the fact that the late, not-particularly-lamented UPN network did precious little to support what should have been their flagship show. The fact that many series regulars disappeared from the scene for several episodes at a time--most probably for the sake of saving a few bucks on per episode salaries--hurt the show's vibe during the third, final,  truncated season. And one could, perhaps, note that Veronica Mars was a victim of its own (limited) success: the first season was so good, it was almost an impossible act to follow for later seasons.

Nevertheless, Veronica Mars belongs at the top of the ranks whenever the list of the best shows of the first decade of this century is compiled. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

(I was able to find all the DVD sets at my local library; clicking the photo link will take you to a web site where full episodes are available for viewing, though--damnably--not the first season. Other viewing resources may be available out there; you'll be well rewarded if you make the effort to find them.)

Like a Tool

I'm just like a tool, in that I am about to be EMPLOYED.

For the first time in months, it looks like I have a job. I will start working as the Advertising Production Manager for Inside Tennis Magazine on Monday morning. Part-time, not lawyer's rates, but it's still work and something for me to do with myself, so I'm pretty pleased about it.

The only thing unsettling about it was the whirlwind nature of my new-found success. I sent off my resume last night, got a call this morning, interviewed this afternoon, and was offered the position at the end of the interview. Yeesh--talk about fast. But I guess that's better than sitting and stewing. And it's really better than having no prospect at all.

I'll report back to this space any further developments. And, as always, KEEP WATCHING THE SKIES!

The Why of Now

Why am I in the position that I'm in (no job, no prospects, looking to head back to school)? This is why.

Notice the numbers in Krugman's post: we're still 7 million jobs down from our previous peak--and it's not like we lost huge numbers of people in this society--and 11 million away from a level that would approach full employment. Where the hell are 7 million jobs going to come from?

Shit.

Recently Read

Deep
by Susanna Vance

See, here's what happens when you collect your readings from those "recommended reading" lists that show up in your library, or newspaper, or (possibly) the Hot Topic store at the local mall.

Deep

How else to explain middle-aged male me reading Deep by Susanna Vance--a book aimed squarely at the thirteen-year-old girl population? Not that Deep is particularly girly in tone or subject, or unworthy of attention; it is an adventure tale--though with a distinctly distaff leaning--and relatively well-written at that.

Deep follows the not particularly parallel paths of two teenage girls: comfortably suburban Oregonian thirteen-year-old Birdie Sidwell; and lonely, seafaring Norwegian near-nature-child seventeen-year-old Morgan Bera. The two threads of the tale are told alternatively, each girl trading off chapters of first person narrative in which they relate the details of their wildly dissimilar lives, until circumstances bring the pair together in a fight for their survival.

Birdie is a charmer. As the book's ostensible protagonist--Morgan, though billed equally, gets slightly less screen time (so to speak) and focus throughout--Birdie tells her story with a glib, breezy voice that instantly appeals. All of the elements of her young life, both good and bad--her possibly psychosomatic asthma, a complicated relationship with her grade-school friend Kirin, her aspiration to be a renowned writer, among others--come together to draw a picture of sweet girl the reader is bound to root for.

Morgan, by contrast, is something of a drag. Her voice comes off the page in serious, almost dour tones. The details of her backstory--born to vagabond parents in the Caribbean, witness to the deaths of two siblings, and finally the author of her own escape from her parents' defeated, drunken stupors--make that tone appropriate, but the reader still feels brought down by Morgan's presence in the narrative. Thankfully, a character who could be the book's biggest burden is redeemed at the climax, when Morgan's independence and strength play pivotal roles in saving not just her self, but the more appealing Birdie.

The danger arises when the Sidwell family takes a long anticipated, year-long vacation to the Caribbean--and Birdie is almost immediately kidnapped by a scalawag named Nicholas. The reader never really learns why the smuggling, forging, pirating, at least slightly disturbed Nicholas hauls off with Birdie; his character is given many facets, yet remains unfinished, or sketchily drawn. Although the sophisticated--that is, adult--reader may come up with a handful of motivations for Birdie's abduction (in addition to the list Birdie produces herself), her treatment at the hands of her captor never really sinks to depths as harrowing as real life suggests it would. Nicholas, as depicted, never shows enough menace to give Birdie's dilemma the edge it needs. Only when Morgan, seeking forged documents from Nicholas, barely escapes his drunken attempt to rape her, only then does the villain's character approach true evil. The rest of the time, the bad guy stands as a manikin of "evil lite"--bad enough for a book aimed at young girls, perhaps, but too lightweight to put the fear in any other readers.

Still, aside from that failing, Deep offers a good, entertaining read that will undoubtedly appeal to its target audience. Perhaps the main takeaway from Deep are the models represented by the two girls at the story's center: the charming, fun, appealing Birdie, in whom those thirteen-year-old readers can see themselves, and the nearly grown-up Morgan, who serves as an example of the good-hearted, capable young women those readers can grow up to be. If Deep helps produce girls who can stand up for themselves and make their way safely through this world, then author Vance has indeed succeeded with her work.