We’re officially in the suck. There won’t be anything good coming out for a while, but here we go anyway.
In Theaters:
The Last Exorcism – All we can hope for during the movie dead season is a few good horror flicks. This movie brings no such hope.
Takers – It’s got Paul Walker, T.I., Chris Brown, and Hayden Christiansen. That’s 4 strikes. It also has Stringer Bell, but I assure you, this is not The Wire.
Avatar (Limited) – They brought it back to select theaters so the few shmucks like me who missed it in theaters the first time can finally give James Cameron their money. There’s still no 3D Blu Ray version, so if you want to see it as James Cameron intended, now’s your chance.
Watch these older movies instead:
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World – The director of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz leaves Simon Pegg and Nick Frost behind to bring us a stylized comic action movie starring Michael Cera. I haven’t seen it, but I feel like I’m in his debt after he allowed me to bask in the glory of his first two movies. I’ll be seeing this one.
Piranha 3D – The B-Movie is back and in glorious 3D. This gimmick of a movie is what the gimmick of 3D was made for. That said, as with most B-Movies, expect lots of blood and gratuitous sex, violence, and nudity.
Salt – I figure if you have to watch a dumb action movie, it might as well be this one. Just don’t watch the Expendables, I’m begging you.
On Video:
The Back-up Plan – J-Lo. That’s all I have to say about this one.
It’s worse than I thought, there was nothing really worth watching that came out on video since my last post, so just use DrChocolates recommendations below if you must watch something. Or check out my other site, GuessWhatTotallyBadAssThingIJustFoundonInstantWatch.com and watch something on Netflix’s Instant Watch.
In other news, I’m thinking of keeping a list of all the movies I watch and my brief thoughts about each. I’ll post it somewhere on this site, so be on the lookout.
I haven’t been to the theaters in what feels like forever. However, I have seen quite a few movies on the DVD machine lately. Some of these may have slipped by you unnoticed, or left you on the fence regarding whether they were worthwhile. Allow me to help.
An Education
If you haven’t rented this you need too. It’s whip smart, hilarious and touching. The incomparable Nick Hornby has written the smartest script I’ve seen on screen in ages and Carey Mulligan absolutely shines. A true cinematic gem. Rent. Now.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Never been the biggest fan of Wes Anderson’s self-referential irony. His films always seem so self-satisfied. Working from a Roald Dahl book always helps, but I found this to be immensely entertaining. I laughed heartily from beginning to end. Visually delightful with superb voice work. I was thoroughly charmed by this film. Enormously recommended.
Green Zone
Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass team up again for the action and it’s not as Bourne as you’d think. Exciting and tense, it’s better than I expected based on the buzz about the film. It’s dogmatic in its simplistic take on Middle Eastern politics and the outcome is a little anti-climatic, but it’s still a very solid action flick worth a rental.
Edge of Darkness
Mel may be insane, but I’ve always liked his work, both behind and in front of the camera. This isn’t his best thought. He’s good in the prototypical “Mel as a wronged man on a mission of violent retribution” role but the movie acts as if it has big secrets to spill but every reveal and twist can be seen from five miles out. Mediocre, revenge flick with solid direction at best. Danny Huston and Ray Winstone (each with their trademark imposing physicality’s) are wasted here too.
Hot Tub Time Machine
Meh. Hilarious first 30 minutes then it just runs out of bubbles (pardon the pun). The characters begin to grate and the 80’s references begin to feel shoe-horned in. Unnecessarily crude too. There is a fabulous bit of stunt casting, paired with a hysterical running joke, involving Cripsin “George Mcfly” Clover. It’s almost worth it for the Glover scenes but just watch The Hangover again to see this type of story done much better.
The Wolfman
I’m a sucker for old timey goth-monster-horror flicks but the plodding start had me reaching for the off switch. Be patient though. The film soon opens up and is actually quite a bit of fun (the campy climatic fight is a treat) and amusingly gory. The real reason to watch this is the art direction though; it has a superb smoky-velvety late 1800’s London gothic atmosphere, which suits Emily Blunt splendidly. I want to watch it again, sounded turned down, with a mix of Type O Negative, Pornography-era Cure, and Paradise Lost playing in the background. Recommended if you can get through the first 30 minutes or so. Cool end title sequence to boot.
50 Dead Men Walking
I promised a full-length on this previously, but let this suffice: It’s a slick (in the best way possible) action thriller involving The Troubles. The British Intelligence recruits a nicely unglamorous Jim Sturgess to do dangerous double agent duty inside the IRA; a strangely be-wigged Ben Kingsley is his handler. Based on a true story it’s gripping and entertaining. A nice companion piece to Hunger because it obviously sympathizes with the British and shows some of the harsher realities of life inside the IRA. Sturgess and Kingsley’s development of a father-son like bond sounds a completely wrong note however. It’s still very recommended.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
I know. I know. I know. What do you care, you already know if you’re going see this or not, right? Anyway, it’s not any better than New Moon was, but it’s nice that they finally got a director who can do a solid action scene. Some cool fights. Repetitive plot conflicts are seriously tedious. Apparently the beloved Jacob (Taylor Lautner) is a manipulative stalker who should be red flagged as a potential date rape perp. Bryce Dallas Howard falls flat on her face, big miscast. Kristen Stewart is getting better but the real star of this series is the effortless Billy Burke as her dad. Not terrible but not …oh whatever.
If viewing in a reader, click through to see the video from MovieClips.com
(Warning, possible spoilers)
Before I say anything about Inception, you should know that I recommend going into this movie completely blind, with as little expectation as you can, so that you can get the full experience and be able to lose yourself completely in the world that Christopher Nolan (Dark Knight, Memento, The Prestige) created. I recommend you watch the movie, preferably in IMAX (as portions were shot in 65mm, standard is 35mm), before you read this review. You will not be disappointed, I consider this the best movie of the year. There will almost definitely be spoilers below.
There is a movement in the Film World (as well as the Art World) called Post-Modernism. Inception is a textbook example of this movement. It’s more subtle than say, a Woody Allen or a Charlie Kaufman movie, but it is definitely Post-Modern. Any Post-Modern film can be characterized by a “self-referential stance” that cues the spectator “to read the narrative as something other than a sequential development toward some transcendent truth.” (Schatz, Thomas. “Annie Hall and the Issue of Modernism.” Literature/Film Quarterly X (1982): 180-187.) In other words, the film will constantly provide clues to cue the spectator to the fact that many of the subjects within the movie address the movie itself as well. This is often done to pull the viewer out of the movie at specific points in order to allow the viewer to question or analyze the subject at hand. The more the viewer realizes that he/she is watching a movie, without leaving the movie world, the more he/she is able to control the viewing experience and bring something valuable out of it.
When training Ariadne (Ellen Page) in the clip above, Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) states that we never really remember the beginning of a dream, that we always end up right in the middle of what’s going on. Nolan does the same thing with Inception, he throws us right into the middle of a two layer dream, instantly transporting us into his world, only allowing us to question it at specific points. Nolan is the architect. His goal is to plant a single idea in each viewer’s mind, that they will take with them upon leaving his world.
Ariadne’s training provides all the clues to decoding this world. In it, we are told that only subtle familiarities are allowed when constructing a dream. Too many or too much, will cause the dreamer to realize he or she is dreaming. Inception is littered with these subtle familiarities. The cast is dotted with actors and actresses Nolan has worked with before (Michael Caine, Cilian Murphy, Ken Watanabe). The music used to “kick” the dreamers out of their dream state is “Non je ne Regrette Rien” by Edith Piaf, who Marion Cotillard, Mal in the movie, played in La Vie en Rose. Even the suspenseful “Braaaahm” sound played before each “kick” is just a slowed down version of that song. This is all on purpose. It serves to make the film world familiar to us without taking us out of the movie altogether.
In the training, Cobb also states that the architect must be sure not to break too many laws of physics in the dream world as that too will make the dreamer aware of the dream and in turn, pull him/her out of the dream world. Nolan applied this to his world by limiting the amount of CGI used in the film. A large majority of the effects in the film were done in-camera by the amazing Wally Pfister, also a familiar from his past work. The train that came barreling down the road was simply an 18-wheeler with a train facade. The elevator scenes were done by constructing a horizontal elevator shaft in an old airship hangar. The bar in Robert Fischer’s (Cillian Murphy) 2nd dream level was built on a hydraulic lift, allowing it to be raised up to 30 degrees. The hallway where Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Leavitt) fights a security guard, jumping from wall to ceiling to floor and back was an elaborate set built to rotate a full 360 degrees. No wires were used in that scene, the actors had to just time their jumps with the rotation of the set. (American Cinematographer, Journal of Motion Imaging, July 2010) All of this was done to make the viewer aware he/she is watching a movie, without pulling him/her completely out of that world.
The acting is superb. Each actor is at the top of his/her game. Even Leonardo DiCaprio, who I have been known to despise in other films, is completely convincing as a beaten-down Dream Architect. The writing, editing, and music combine perfectly to envelop the viewer in Nolan’s worlds. The very base of editing is the juxtaposition of two images used to convey an emotion not present in those images. Nolan uses this simplest form of editing to create an even more heightened suspense as the van careens towards the river in slow motion. Image after image is flashed before the viewer’s eyes of level after level of the character’s dreams. It was enough to practically give my wife an ulcer. The 10 years Nolan spent writing this movie shows completely in his execution. The world of Inception is real as far as my mind’s concerned.
So what’s the point? Post-Modernism is a tool used to bring more awareness to an artist’s central theme. In this case, I believe Nolan is attempting to bring awareness to the theme of his complete body of work. By using elements from previous films and from Hollywood in general, Nolan is constructing a world that will bring the viewer to an awareness of this central theme. It is embodied in the final words of Mal, “You’re waiting for a train; a train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you can’t be sure. Yet it doesn’t matter – because we’ll be together.” Relationships matter most to Nolan. If you look at his past body of work, you will find this to be the common thread between them all. Relationships are the most valuable part of life. Nolan is an Auteur in the truest sense of the word.
The movie ends with a bit of uncertainty. Was it all a dream, or did Cobb actually return to reality? I believe that Nolan’s stance is that it doesn’t matter, because he’s together, with his kids. As the credits roll through and the “Braaaahm” sound intensifies, “Non je ne Regrette Rien” plays one final time, cuing the viewer to the fact that the “kick” is coming and he/she will soon be returned to reality, left to ponder the meaning of this dream world they just experienced, leaving only with the subtle clues implanted by Nolan himself. Whether or not he/she comes to the same point Nolan wished to impart on him/her depends on the success of his Inception.
Cobb: You create the world of the dream. We bring the subject into that dream and fill it with their subconscious. Ariadne: How could we acquire enough details to make them think that it is reality? Cobb: Our dreams, they feel real while we’re in them right? Its only when we wake up then we realize that something was actually strange.
The Other Guys – Marky Mark and Will Ferrell are cops. Guess what ensues. Directed by the guy that did Step Brothers and Land of the Lost, so it could be a gamble, but the trailer looked funny enough. I’ll probably catch it on DVD.
Step Up 3D – Yup, they made another one, and yes, that’s what they called it.
Middle Men – Al Gore may have invented the internet, but Luke Wilson invented internet porn.
Kick-Ass – McLovin and a bunch of other kids decide to be superheroes with kick-ass results. See what I did there? Anywho, it’s from the director of Layer Cake, so you know it’s going to be some fun, stylized action, and Nicolas Cage is in it. He’s always good for a laugh. Seriously though, add it to the queue.
Update: So you probably already realized this, but I’m an idiot and posted next week’s movies this week. Hopefully I didn’t ruin your weekend.
In Theaters:
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – Donnie Darko leaves the Mountain and dons a British accent to do some Parkour. It’s a Bruckheimer movie, so expect some big dumb fun, but it’s also based on a video game, so watch at your own risk. Then again, he did make a theme park ride into a pretty entertaining set of movies, but Gyllenhaal is no Johnny Depp.
Sex and the City 2 – I won’t waste your time. You already know if you’re going to be watching this movie or not.
On Video:
Dear John – Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum write some dude named John a bunch of letters, or something like that.
The Road – Post-Apocalyptic tale of Viggo Mortensen and his son struggling to survive in an ashy wasteland. Buy the book, watch the movie, then lend them both to a friend. This is storytelling at its finest.
